Accidental Dinosaur

This morning I was reading a thread on a newsgroup about which applications people have chosen to disable on their cellphones. Reading along, I can hear the drum beats, and know that it won't be too much longer before another piece of technology will enter my life and take away another piece of solitude.
Thus far I have managed to resist having a cellphone. My daughter was gifted with a phone by her father at the age of 10, and it never seemed like a great idea to me. For years it was mandatory to leave the phone on the dining room table overnight, because it came to my attention that her "little" friends would reach out and touch her in the middle of the night. Rarely did calls come through the house phone for her, and that meant that as her mother, I was not aware of just who might be calling.
It's been about 20 or 25 years since cellphones became available to everyman. At first it was mostly people who really needed to be connected, like doctors and emergency personnel. If you ventured to a mall, you might see some guy being very conspicuous while taking (or faking) a call, because at the time it was a status thing. Something to impress the ladies...
Now they are everywhere, and people are talking all the time. All the time! In the spring I was in Penn Station in NYC, and marveled looking around, seeing that almost everyone waiting for a train was talking on a phone.
Part of my resistance comes from the fact that I am some hideous combination of Luddite and Techno Junkie. Although job situations forced me to use computers long before the general public came in common contact with them, I resisted having one at home for years. As soon as I got one, somehow e-commerce followed within months, making it a daily part of my life. Okay, that was cool, but there was no way I was getting a laptop. The office was for work, and that would leave the rest of my life alone, right? Then my brother gave me a laptop as a gift one year, and I'm typing this on the couch, with Saturday morning coffee. Sigh.... and so it goes.
At least (so far) the business has thrived via email, the phone blessedly quiet.
I actually do have a cellphone. It was given to me during an extended family crisis, and in fact I did use it a few times. It is even charged. There might even be messages, but darned if I can find them. Once I tried to call home from the car during a snowstorm. It was someone else's car and operation of the windshield wipers was eluding me (see a pattern here?), but the little screen filled with strange characters. We don't know what that was about.
I'm afraid because of what I see happening to people. It may sound snooty, but it looks to me like people are losing their ability to be alone. In the grocery store, they need to phone a friend in order to choose a flavor of yogurt. Walking in a park, they can't enjoy looking at their surroundings without chatting with someone. In waiting rooms and restaurants, people have lost the ability to simply enjoy either the company they are in, or being alone. Apparently driving has become almost impossible to do without some kind of moral support. My daughter, on breaks from college has to be broken from the habit of constant texting in order to have a face-to-face conversation.
And the worst part? I know deep in my heart that all of those things would become my life, and I would be among the worst of the talkers. As it stands, I have long conversations in my head, alone in the garden, walking in the woods, or driving somewhere. Should something magnificent present itself to me during one of these times, there is the anticipation of telling about it later. I can work on how to describe it in my mind for a while. That will be lost.
Eventually I will have to learn how they work. Public pay phones are all but non-existent, and I am beginning to feel like one of the last hold-outs, so these days of solitude are numbered.
But I'll tell you what... I'm NOT getting an electronic reader. No way.

Weight Loss: Lose weight without dieting and exercising with Phentermine

In today's world first impressions count and according to sociologists, that can really impact how you feel about yourself and how others respect and treat you.

Just imagine what your life would be like if you could lose unwanted weight from problem areas including your abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, chest, buttocks, double chin and lower back without tireless going to the gym or taking up surgery. Just think how much easier life would be and how much more confidence and self esteem you'd have if you met your weight loss goal and kept off those stubborn pounds once and for all.

Whether you've gained a few extra pounds that won't budge or you've been burned in the past by lousy diet aids that don't work – there is good news. Fortunately, there are prescription medications available to help a person shed pounds. Various diet pills are now sold in grocery stores and health food stores. For the most part, physician's room prefer to give weight loss prescriptions to obese individuals. Appetite suppressant drugs are the most common type of weight loss pills.

Eating less has amazing results. The easy way to reduce hunger is to pop Phentermine diet pills. Consumers can get cheap Phentermine online nowadays easily without caring much about the availibity factor. It is a kind of wonder magic for those who need to be fixed in real time. They could include anyone from models to actors to wannabe stars. Appetite suppressants such as Phentermine affect the appetite-regulating region of the brain called the hypothalamus. They work by blocking the re-uptake of the certain chemical secretions which create that feeling of fullness you get after eating a big meal. With more of these chemicals circulating in your brain, you feel full, so you eat less.

Even the most effective diet pills are only meant to be taken for a short period of time -- usually six months or less, during which, one can trim up to 10 percent of one's body weight. But after six months, when the body develops a tolerance to these drugs' effects, and weight loss remains stable, all is required is to stay fit and eat right.

Although some people have the ability to lose weight with little effort, others must adopt a strict diet and workout plan simultaneously while on drugs, to achieve a minimal weight reduction. Casual dieters or people hoping to shed a few pounds will not benefit from weight loss prescriptions. Keep in mind that weight loss medications are intended only for individuals who have a significant amount of weight to lose.

August and Autumn are spelled differently!

People, people! I know that it's been a rough summer with extremes of all sorts of weather, depending on where you live, but do we have to be in such a hurry to usher this season away? Yes, yes... I can smell it too, and feel the change in the air. The sky has taken on the characteristic hue of blue that only comes this time of year - but come on now. We still have at least another month or so before the lush greens start to change to golds and tans and browns.
On a little walk around the yard it was easy to pick up a few "pretties" that probably do foretell of the coming season. Elderberries, beauty berries, hazelnuts, fir cones, and a guinea feather or two...
The hazelnuts are one of the prettiest things out there right now. The way they grow in little tassels is just one of nature's masterpieces. Shades of pale green with a blush of pink - beautiful! The tassels hide behind the large leaves, and I bet we'll have to race the squirrels for them.
Out in the garden the Tomato Horn Worms are showing up. They creep me out. A lot. At some point, I'll take the tomatoes i want and then just stop going near them. Knowing that they are hosting their own killers, and the wasp eggs they carry will eventually lead to their demise.... just eewww.
Soon the brush will die back enough that we'll be able to walk deeper into the woods and find nuts and all sorts of berries and fruits. Every part of every season has it's own special gifts, so I won't wish for the end of this one quite yet.
Oh MY! While I was waiting for the pictures to upload, UPS dropped off a package from Roe at SunRose Aromatics. Roe is a sweet friend who knows I'm a bit of a patch at the moment. She sent several things that I'll talk about later, but this: Palo Santo essential oil!!! I took a sniff, and swear it was an out of body thing. Just for a second there, I wasn't on earth! Best to hit the Publish button before I float off again.....

august weekend ramble

We've been keeping our noses to the grindstone lately around The Essential Herbal, so this weekend it was time to get away and have a little fun.
Original plans for Saturday fell through, so we found ourselves preparing to head out to the Bead Fest in Valley Forge. Before we left, I checked Facebook and saw that there was an herb and rare plant sale on Route 23, posted by Sugarbush Nursery of Mohnton, PA. We decided we could swing by there on the way home.
Bead Fest was interesting - although there are only so many tables full of beads I can stand to look at before starting to get terminally bored. Finally we veered to the back of the building and found one of the glass companies that my sister was looking for - something about "double helix glass". Can't wait to see what she comes up with using them. Hopefully we'll be seeing it soon over at TorchSong Studio! The guys at the booth were pretty much fun to kid around with, and I wound up with several Elvis stickers (some art glass promotion) that I promised to plaster inside donut shops. The conference center was filling up, we had pretty much what we came for, so we were out of there inside an hour.
A quick few miles down the road, and we found the plant sale. Interestingly, both of our cameras cut out during the plant sale. Neither of us were able to take any pictures. There were some really nice plants there! Lots of woodland natives, shrubs, hostas, unusual evergreens, and then we got to Sugarbush. She had some gorgeous stuff, and I immediately scooped up some bottle gentian, and a pleurisy root/butterfly weed. As I was preparing to pay, I saw a pot holding just a small mat of green with a tag that said "bluets, Houstonia" and grabbed it! Spending a spring in VA one year, I awoke one morning to find that the entire yard had been transformed into a carpet of tiny blue stars - it was bluets. Later, Betsy May (a friend, and one of our writers) and I spent some time searching for these. I sent her the information immediately upon returning home!
Back on the road, we drove on past Susan Hess' Farm at Coventry - but the driveway was filled with cars, so we knew she was having a class and drove on.
Right up the road a few miles we saw a sign for St. Peter's Village to the right. It was well past lunch time, so we decided to see if we could grab a bite there. We had a really nice time sitting on the patio of The Inn at St Peter's, looking down over the granite boulders with a spring running through them. So well fed were we that we stopped in the village bakery and managed to leave without making a purchase. Looking back, it's hard to believe we could resist those magnificent confections!
Later at home, I cleaned a big basket full of elderberries to dry and gathered lots of lime basil.
Just hanging out for the evening with the guinea fowl....Molly went off to work at the Renaissance Faire this morning, but returned home at noon because of the weather and lack of a crowd. I told her to jump in the shower, and she could go along to The Gem Miner's Jubilee in Lebanon.
I enjoy this show more than a typical bead show because they have lots of nice specimens of rocks. Big geodes, unusual crystal formations, rare minerals, fossils, and some pretty cool stuff. I almost always find something that makes me feel like I discovered treasure. Today that treasure was strands of myrrh beads from Sumatra. They are beautiful, handstrung, smoothed by hand, and very fragrant. I bought all the dealer had - and it wasn't very much! They will be going on the website tomorrow. Molly got a nice green amber ring, Maryanne found a stone she's been looking for, and I also picked up some nice leopard jasper and a couple of tiny carved figurines that will go into a special little bag.
Tomorrow we'll get back to work on By the Hearth. Just one or two more articles to type in, and then it's going to get put into chapters, we'll insert pictures - and do a good bit of editing. Late September release date is breathing down our necks!

Medicine: Pass A Hair Test With The Help Of Test Clear Medicine

Corporate drug testing is a test which has to be cleared before having a corporate job. This has become a policy of corporate sectors around the world and employers now want to be sure enough that they are recruiting employees who are efficient, eligible and perfectly healthy to deliver their best to serve the company. If a candidate is drug addicted then it would become impossible to do the required thing and the employer has to waste his money over the unfit and drug addicted person. Therefore it has settled that corporate companies can conduct the employees' drug tests which are hair follicle test, blood test, saliva test and urine test. Anyone of these will be selected to test the applicant's health status.

Corporate drug testing is mainly focusing on the hair test to detect drugs like marijuana, heroine, hashish etc. hair test says very clearly about the drug addiction and it delivers a trustful result but apart from it urine test is also conducted to be sure about the test. In schools and smaller companies pass a urine test is synonymous to pass a drug test. But comparing to a hair test saliva test or a urine test is not so much trustful and efficient to find drug particle. Pass a hair test can be more accurate than the saliva test. In case the subject doesn't have hair on his head; his hair follicle is tested for the same purpose, though this is a bit more painful process for the candidate. The drawback of the hair test is that, though it can give results depending on the usage of drugs for quite longer period or even drug usage about a month earlier, but in this process the very recent usage cannot be found out.

To pass a hair test you have to be very careful and should know about it very minutely. There are many methods according to many websites and companies which sells drug test clearing products. But there are two products which are reliable and worth it for beating this type of drug test. The first product that can aid in a beating a hair drug test is Clear Choice shampoo. Clear Choice is intended to be used on the morning of your drug test, and creates an eight hour "Clear Zone" to provide you with all day protection. If you don't have any warning ahead of time when your drug test is going to be, you will be better off using Nexxus Aloe Rid shampoo. This shampoo can be used on a daily basis, and will get rid of all the drug toxins that linger in your hair.

To pass a drug test you have to be careful about the process and must have a handy knowledge about the whole process. It is very necessary because if you do not know the process better then you can not counter the drug test well and will fail to counter the drug test and suffer. So knowing about a drug test is the way to pass a drug test.

back to the elderberry patch

Last year at this time, I put together a post with a lot of recipes using elderberries, and just to save anyone looking a little time (including me...) am reposting the link here: http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2009/09/el-der-berry.html
Later on last fall, I started making candy with elderberries and some other herbs, and put the recipes and instructions together in an article for the Jul/Aug issue of The Essential Herbal. Since it is time to get busy on some of these, and they are so much fun to make, I'm going to post that here, too.
A Spoonful of Sugar - Making Herbal Candy
A couple of years ago, Marty Webster wrote about making horehound lozenges, and the instructions were very inspirational for me. Before I knew it, all kinds of ideas were running through my head!
Oh, it started simply enough.... what about elderberry? Maybe something relaxing? Oh! And Holy Basil "on the go"!
All you need is a candy thermometer, a large, heavy pan, and an afternoon. A helper for cutting in the end helps too.
When I was a kid, one of my best friends was from a large farming family, and they had an interesting side business. They made hard candies in about 15 flavors. On candy making nights, I would often stay overnight and help, because many hands were needed. In their basement, they had a stove, and would set 4 kettles filled with sugar, water, and Karo syrup to boil. There was a ping-pong table (probably reinforced) that took up most of the room, and we were stationed all around the table with heavy shears. The table was dusted with confectioners sugar. The father would heave a marble slab up onto the head of the table. As the first kettle reached the right temperature, he'd pour the molten mixture onto the slab, and work it with paint scrapers. Then he'd add the color and flavor and continue to fold the sweet, thickening mixture together. Finally, he'd start to cut it into fat 1/2" wide strips, and toss them out to us to cut into bite-sized pieces. It had to be cut quickly before hardening, but those first few strips were soft and very warm. We would always sample a piece or two. Quality testing at its finest. By the end of the night, there would be bins full of candy, and a bunch of kids high on sugar.
These memories also inspired me. I'm sure that that production set-up would not satisfy today's regulations, but it sure was fun.
The recipe I use is:
3/4 to 1 cup of strongly infused herbal "tea"
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
I have not had a chance to experiment with honey, and I believe that one could use all sugar, but this recipe worked well for me. You may want to try a few variations if the corn syrup is objectionable.
To make the tea, I put the herbs, berries, etc., in a pint jar and covered with boiling water, allowing it to steep for several hours. Then I strained it and squeezed the dickens out of the pulp to get all the good stuff. If there is less than a cup of liquid, that's fine.
Put the liquid into a large (at least 2 quart) pan. It bubbles up a lot during cooking, so you need a lot of space.
Add the corn syrup and stir to blend. Add the sugar and turn on medium high heat. Stir only until the sugar is dissolved. Set the thermometer on the side of the pan, with the tip in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pan.
Let 'er rip!
While it cooks, grease a 10 x 13 glass cooking dish and put down plastic wrap on a surface where you'll be doing the cutting - probably 2' x 3' is sufficient. Sift confectioners sugar or cornstarch over the plastic wrap.
When the temperature of the candy reaches 300 degrees, turn off the heat and stir briefly.
Pour it into the baking dish. Have something under the dish to protect the counter from heat.
Wait a minute or two, and lift the edge of the candy to see if it can be lifted to cut. When this is possible, use scissors to cut a strip, and toss it out to a waiting helper who will cut it into pieces. This really is difficult to do alone, but it's possible. Keep cutting the strips until it is finished.
If the candy in the baking dish hardens before you've finished, you can place it into the oven and heat it, but it will probably stick to the dish. I've taken out the whole piece that is leftover, melted it in another pan, and repoured it into the original baking dish. Clean-up is easy, hot water dissolves the candy.

Here are the infusions I started with:

Elderberry Bits
1 cup fresh elderberries
2 slices ginger
zest from one lemon

Lemon Balm Bombe
3/4 cup freshly picked lemon balm
1/4 cup freshly picked passionflower leaves, flower, tendrils
1/4 cup blueberries
zest from one lemon
20 drops of lemon eo just before pouring into baking dish
Tulsi Twist
3/4 cup freshly picked holy basil
1/4 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup freshly picked chocolate mint

Herbalicious Medley
juice and zest from one orange and one lemon
1/4 cup holy basil
1/4 cup elderberry
2 slices ginger
3 rose geranium leaves
sprig of lemon thyme
sprig of rosemary
sprig of lemon verbena
1/4 cup mint
2 pods cardamom

I hope you give herbal candy making a try, and if you do, let me know what you made!

The Essential Herbal -Sept/Oct 2010

There are times when I am amazed that The Essential Herbal magazine gets finished on time and into the mail stream on schedule. All sorts of things conspire to divert my attention - the garden, the great response to the new book on balms & salves, a whole lot of soapmaking, and even that sometimes crazy thing we just call life. This issue was definitely one of those issues that we couldn't believe we finished on time, there was so much going on. Now our friend Marcy from backyardpatch.com will be one of the first to get that, as her name was spelled five or six different ways (you'll see...).
So far, we've yet to put out an issue that is without a flaw somewhere. If that day ever comes, we won't know how to act.
So here's what's inside this issue. Tons of great stuff to get your harvest mojo rising!

Table of Contents

Field Notes from the Editor

Why do we garden?

Ditch Watching, Jackie Johnson

Wildcrafting from the passenger side of the car lets you know what to look for when you get into the woods.

Preserving Herbs, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Vinegars, Relishes, Chutney, and Preserves

Herbs & Celiac Disease, liz Johnson

As this disease and gluten intolerance in general become more prevalent, liz looks at herbal means of relief.

Historic Herbal, Troches, Kathleen Setzer

Using powdered herbs in lozenges for slow release.

Herbs of the Zodiac: Libra, Susanna Reppert-Brill and Bertha Reppert

Herbs that correspond with the dates and qualities of Librans.

Pass the Pessaries! Karen Mallinger

Only Karen can add humor to the subject of pessaries while explaining the how and why of making and using them.

Measuring in Parts, Tina Sams

Recipes measured in parts are confusing to some, so we clear that up.

Oven Tomato Sauce, Maryanne Schwartz

A recipe shared by Maggie at Prairieland Herbs, with Maryanne's spin.

Cranberry Thyme, Rita Richards

Delightful cranberry/herb combinations for vinegar, beverages, and more.

Pumpkin Cheesecake, Marci Tsohonis

Marci shares a decadent Autumn family recipe.

SouthRidge Treasures – Jam Making Time, Mary Ellen Wilcox

Mary Ellen is jamming, with berries, peaches, grapes, and herbs!

Reduce Stress to Reduce Illness, Cindy Jones

Herbs and simple activities to keep stress levels low for a better immune system.

The Global Herbal – The Mediterranean Region, Marita Orr

A discussion of the growing conditions and soil composition in the region.

Holy Basil The Incomparable One, Tina Sams

An herb to always have handy, holy basil is indispensable.

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse the Herbie Way, Molly Sams

Tongue-in-cheek thoughts on herbs during a zombie attack.

Pumpkin Pie Soap, Marci Tsohonis

Taking Autumn into the shower with you...

Pumpkin Bread and Sweet Baked Acorn Squash, Staff

A couple personal favorites from TEH.

Make Your Own Whipped Body Butter, Maryanne Schwartz

Instructions for a skin-loving whipped butter confection to stave off winter dryness.

Tea Time, Jackie Johnson

Making up your own herb teas (including 19 recipes) and how to brew and enjoy them.

Tales from the Tetons – Smoothies, Kristena Haslam Roder

Make your own fruit smoothies with ideas from Kristena.

Louisiana Lagniappe – Blanche Long's Peach Shortcake, Sarah Liberta

A visit with the governor's wife during her childhood has stayed with Sarah, and she shares the recipe of the treat she was served.

A List of Fall Chores, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Not sure what all needs to be done in the garden? Marcy lists all the most important chores, including planning for next spring!

Supplements and Vitamins: Can Isogenics Really Assist With Weight Loss And Improve Health?

In recent years cleansing programs, such as Isogenics and many others, have becoming increasingly popular. However many companies have made inflated claims about the weight loss and health benefits of their products which has left many consumers feeling confused about choosing the right cleansing product for their needs and budget.

Today more than ever people are looking to cleanse or detox and recently there have been a number of companies enter the market with colon cleansing or body cleanse weight loss diet supplements. Some of these products are very effective and really can assist with weight loss, improve energy and improve general health and well-being, however there are also a number of heavily marketed products that have not been professional formulated, are expensive and cannot live up to their lofty claims.

Isogenics has been available now for a number of years and is sold through a network of independent associates. The makers of Isogenics claim the product will assist with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and will help people to lose weight. The product is generally sold as a nine or thirty day cleansing program. The companies quotes an unpublished university study in which participants lost an average of seven pounds over the duration of a nine day Isogenics body cleansing program.

The reputation of Isogenics has been damaged by many of their independent associates making unsubstantiated or eggadurated claims about the ability of the product to make radical health improvements. These claims are unfortunate and only serve to damage an industry in which consumers are already skeptical.

Poor diets and and busy lifestyles have led to increased health and weight problems and people are now looking to do a detox or cleanse to lose weight and get rid of impacted waste, toxins and parasites that have been building up inside them. It is entirely possible to do an effective cleanse without needing to purchase expensive supplements and a detox can consist of eating simple foods, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and drinking plenty of water.

A good quality supplement generally ensures maximum results within a short time frame. It can be difficult to choose a cleansing diet supplement, espesically with all the glossy marketing materials and impressive claims from the product makers.

Isogenics has been available for a number of years and importantly has been professionally formulated and is safe. The program contains a range of products with mostly natural ingredients to assist you and there are many testimonials, many from Doctors, about the quality of the program. However it is more expensive than many other cleansing products.

It is important to research each product carefully and choose a product that meets your needs and budgets, rather than the one with the most persuasive marketing messages. Look for a safe, effective product that has been tried, tested and been professionally developed. If possible speak to friends, family and colleagues and see what cleansing products they have used and how effective they are. There have been reports of some cleansing supplements that have caused minor health complications including stomach cramping and pains.

When done properly and with the aid of quality cleansing supplement. a detox has been shown to help aid weight loss, increase energy levels, improve skin condition, improve digestion and promote a sense of well-being.

Diseases and Conditions: Living With Diabetes

There are many celebrities from all walks of life that are living with diabetes. Comedic actress Mary Tyler Moore, pop singer Nick Jonas, pro football player Jay Cutler, and many others are managing to live a full life with the disease.

Learning that you have diabetes can be an emotional shock that takes some getting used to. But, as mentioned above, many famous people are doing ok, and you can also.

If left untreated, diabetes can cause major health problems. It can cause nerve damage which can lead to blindness and strokes. It can also cause damage to major organs of your body such as your pancreas, liver, and heart. And in cases where the body goes into a hypoglycemic state, it can lead to seizures ,strokes, and brain damage. But none of these things have to happen if you treat the disease properly.

Living with diabetes will require two major adjustments on your part - one psychological, the other physical. Psychologically, you have to learn to accept the fact that you actually have the disease. Many people, when they are first diagnosed, go through a period of depression. Most get over it and learn to adjust. Others find it difficult to get over and can stay in a depressive state for weeks or months. This is a dangerous state to be in which is why it may be good to seek a few counseling sessions with a psychologist or therapist when you are diagnosed. They will be able to recognize any warning signs and help you to get through this phase.
<

You'll also have to make physical adjustments. These adjustments include things such as dietary changes, learning to measure your blood sugar levels, possibly learning to inject yourself with insulin, keeping your weight under control, and a host of other things that your doctor will inform you about. You'll also have to learn which foods affect you and learn to avoid or limit certain ones. The goal of all of these physical adjustment will be focused on keeping your blood glucose levels in normal and safe ranges. Your doctor will tell you what that range is and will give you suggestions and help on how to achieve that balance.

At first, the changes may seem daunting and you will resent them. Gradually, however, they will become part of your daily routine and you'll think nothing more or them than other things that you do daily such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, and so on.

The one thing certain about being diagnosed with diabetes is that there will be life style changes. The changes may be small, or they may be huge - the seriousness of your disease will dictate how much change you have to make. But there will be change. To deny or ignore that fact is to basically stick your head in the sands of denial and risk the real possibility of having major health issues further down the road which can't be treated. If you have diabetes, and want to live a relatively normal life, start and continue your treatments as soon as possible.

Alternative Medicine: Being Familiar With Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a really well known health-related phrase virtually to anybody, especially the middle age group. It is a normal thing the expression will never be a part of teen-age lingo.

The prevailing good reason is, nearly all of the dreaded problems accompanying "high cholesterol" levels are associated with hypertension, heart failure, all forms of diabetes and more long term and acquired problems, which usually does not but could also happen to younger generation as juvenile complications. To make it clear, when ever the vast majority is speaking about lowering cholesterol, it is all related to curing the farther progress of bad cholesterol.

There are two variants of cholesterol gathering or present in the human body. Bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein is unhealthy mainly because it could bring about atheroma. Atheroma is considered to be the plaque of the arterial blood vessels, usually alluded to as fat streaks. However , if not watched carefully, accumulation of 'macrophage white blood cells' might manifest to a young person quite possibly before the age of 10.

The early indications could begin as early as 5 years old, while the child grows up and the issue is accumulating quietly in the blood vessels. Most of the time, the exact signs and symptoms are just given prognosis immediately after the oncoming of heart attack or cerebrovascular accident, which is by now too late for the affected person. The assault of silent killers could possibly not bring on death nevertheless chances are it can lead to lifetime disability.

That is devastating to consider how high levels of bad cholesterol can induce serious implications to the body. When a lot of men and women may appear healthy all the time, cholesterols can solely be checked out by way of lab tests. Many times it shocks individuals to find out just how high their cholesterol build-up has soared for the past years.

Now there is no hidden knowledge behind the building up of bad cholesterol other than high intake of saturated fats in the diet. In the advent of labels or guides in prepared ingredients such as canned goods and many other packed goods in the groceries, it is very easy to find out the actual amount of cholesterol a food has. This is merely a tiny matter on how to understanding the essence of becoming cholesterol sensitive.

The most important method to reduce down cholesterol levels in the body is to fully grasp just how it metabolizes in the body. Cholesterol doe not actually come from eating habits alone. It is a complete process inside where diet is only one of the contributing variable. Good cholesterol helps in the body's biochemical functioning such as producing bile, controlling of vitamins that are fat soluble such as A, K, D, and E.

It additionally has consequence on the functionality of the body hormone. After cholesterol has been utilised in the body, it excretes as excessive lipids in the liver and gall bladder as crystal particles. Because cholesterol is not water soluble, it circulates over and over and gets altered to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For typical persons with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is minute and shows up in as large quantities. The detrimental ones are those that come in quite a few number of smaller sizes caught in the blood vessels as accumulated clogs.

Whenever it comes to trimming back on high cholesterol, fundamentally there is nothing to ponder about genetic weak points, the key is monitoring over food consumption. Cholesterol is heavily present in animal meats and fats, mainly pork and beef. It is simple and easy to watch fat food items with all the safeguards accessible these days. But it calls for willpower to live a lifestyle with less cholesterol intake.

Early August Ramble

We finally got some cooler weather (high 80's) over the weekend, so despite having the next issue of The Essential Herbal magazine sitting here needing labels for Tuesday's mailing and a couple of large wholesale soap orders pulled and waiting to be wrapped, we took to the woods.I walked down to grab Maryanne. We actually had a goal. We need to gather jewelweed and plantain before the jewelweed blossoms, and it is getting close. Armed with baskets and camera, off we went.
The woods are hugely overgrown, but the path is clear. We were able to do all the gathering without leaving the trail too much. Some of the hardy hibiscus that was crowding my front door is now happily casting gaily colored reflections over the pond.I was a little disappointed to find that some of the flowering weeds in the woods were gone. The yarrow and wild bee balm are finished for the year. But there is so much going on out there! Mostly closer to the house, but it was so good to wander around.
This gnome home has become obvious, as the clematis that usually covers the door has died back for the year.The four o'clocks are knocking themselves out -even though it was still morning (???).There is a second bloom of wisteria.These little dayflowers were called "snake flowers" when I was a kid. Not sure if it is because of their appearance or because so often snakes lurked beneath the foliage.Our bayberries did a great job of growing this year, and will be part of the bayberry soap this year. Maryanne wrote more on bayberry harvesting here. We still need to take a day-trip towards the bay and gather more, though.Jimson weed has taken over a section of the bank that held wildflowers last year.If you've been reading about how much more potent poison ivy and oak are becoming, I can certainly attest to that. I weeded it intentionally in the first week of July, and immediately washed thoroughly. Worst rash ever! Even using our jewelweed, sage, and plantain vinegar blend, it took a week to dry up and there are still discolored splotches on my arm a month later. Learn what it looks like and avoid it. This is the one thing I have no qualms about hitting with chemicals. In this picture, some wild grape is trailing off to the right, and there is a little Virginia creeper in the center beside the railing, but the rest is poison ivy. Ugh.
Wild cherries are very common here, and the birds love them.A patch of different sunflowers grow all around the little chicken house. There's something about sunflowers that always makes me smile.So now we'll get back to work. There is a mile-long list of things to do, and the kids are getting ready to head back to college.
Busy beats the alternative, but I sort of wish we were heading to the bay today :-).

Got Cucumbers?

We do! My contribution is Cucumber Lime Salsa.
Check at the bottom of this post for other recipes. We're putting together a blog party to help with the glut :-). Check back after 8/11/10 for more links.On to the salsa. I attended a party several years back and a variation of this recipe was served. I fell in love with the refreshing, light blend right away, and it is one of our favorite summer dishes. Sometimes we'll have it along with tomato salsa, guacamole, and some hummus and tortilla chips - and that's dinner.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I like spring onions, but Vidalia are great too)
1 lime - zest and juice
2 medium cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (a smaller amount of flat parsley would probably work if you don't like cilantro)
a couple shakes of tabasco (optional)
crushed garlic (optional)

Add the chopped onion and cilantro to the oil. If using tabasco and/or garlic, mix that in too. Zest lime into the mix. I then cut the lime in half, and pierce each section with a knife to get out lots of juice. Add juice to oil blend.
Peel and core the cucumbers. Chop as finely as possible. I've tried a food processor, but that mushes it up too much for my taste. If you do that, drain it for a 10 -15 minutes.

Mix it all together well.I would say, "chill to blend flavors" and serve with chips, but it doesn't always make it into the fridge around here. We all love it, and it disappears quickly!We are considering dehydrating some cukes to try in dips, facial blends, and even soap later in the year. I'll let you know how that goes.

Becky already has some great cucumber coolers on her blog at
http://birdworms.com/2010/07/24/cucumber-cocktails/
Maryanne has Creamy Cucumber salad on hers:
http://torchsongstudio.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumber-blog-party.html
From Cindy Jones:
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2008/09/cucumber-spread-tzatziki.html
Janiece manages to do away with cucumbers AND tomatoes here:
http://swisherhill.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/tomato-cucumber-salad-for-a-lazy-day
Chilled cucumber soup from The Rosemary House:
http://therosemaryhouse.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumbers-culinary-blogging-party.html
Karen's cucumber dill sauce:
http://www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog/2010/08/cucumber-blog-party.html
Beth's cucumber and watermelon salad:
http://soapandgarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/cucumbers-cucumbers.html

one cook, one garden

Remember Spring?
That was when we looked at that vast expanse of freshly turned earth and at our teensy, tiny little vegetable plants, and thought to ourselves, "these babies will have lots of room to grow."
Oh - and there would be so much time to use the veggies to create sauces and canned goods for later in the year. I can actually envision what I was thinking then. In fact, in that vision, the kitchen is well organized and the counters are clear. There were no dirty dishes, no baskets full of drying herbs, I was wearing something chic, great haircut, thinner - and definitely NOT sweating.
Reality is somewhat different.We won't even get into the haircut.
One counter holds a perpetual supply of peaches from the stand down the road. At this time of year, dinner is usually a couple of peaches cut up and eaten, just so.
The other long counter holds an assortment of vegetables that A) I brought in from the garden, B) came home from market or a farm stand, or C) my sister cagily left there on her way to the living room.The kitchen table is half shipping department and half herb drying/processing station with some beans drying for next year's garden. Half of the room is currently taken up with cartons of magazines waiting to be readied for mailing.
Today I'll make and freeze some roasted tomato sauce.
The other night the peaches were getting boring (hard to believe, isn't it?), and it was too hot to really cook. Sometimes you just need something more.
The following was delicious:
I threw a small handful of angel hair pasta into a pan of boiling water and went out to gather some basil, which was chopped into very thin strips.
Poured about a tablespoon of olive oil into a bowl.
Diced up a tomato and added to the oil and basil, muddling it up a little bit, and then added a clove of crushed garlic.
When the pasta was done, I added a handful of grated mozzarella and a little Parmesan cheese and stirred it to melt it together. Topped with the tomato/basil/garlic oil.
Judging by the glut of cucumbers, tonight will probably be some cucumber lime salsa with chips. And some peaches.

Diseases and Conditions: Benefits Of A Diabetes Meal Plan

Diet has a great influence on your odds of developing diabetes. As proof, the number of cases of diabetes diagnosed in a country is very closely correlated with the percentage of people that are obese in that country. Further proof is reflected by the fact that people over the world in countries with relatively low rates of diabetes who migrate here and adopt our eating habits suddenly find that they begin to develop diabetes at approximately the same rate as we do. All of this serves to highlight the fact that, as a culture, Americans tend to have poor eating habits.

For those with diabetes, diet is even more important. It is imperative that they adopt a sensible diabetes meal plan in order to prevent their disease from getting worse. To do that, they have to start to take greater interest in the foods that they eat. A good diabetes meal plan focuses primarily on number of calories in the meal and the percentage of carbohydrates and attempts to keep both of these numbers on the low side.

Many diabetes food plans use an exchange plan to make it easier for the person to follow the diet. In a food plan, foods that are similar are grouped together. At each meal, the person is allowed to take a certain number of portions from each food group. And, within a particular food group, they are allowed to exchange a portion of any one food for any other food. In such a diabetes meal plan, there are 7 groups. They are starches, meats, fruits, milks, vegetables, fats, and carbohydrates (other than bread). An exchange plan gives you a lot of flexibility in planning your diet.

If you have trouble coming up with your own exchange plan, there are many recipe sites on the Internet that can help you out. In just about every city there are also registered dietitians that can help you choose the perfect food plan for yourself.

As a diabetic, before you make any drastic changes to your diet, however, you should consult with your doctor or health professional. You want to be sure that certain foods aren't interfering with any drugs that your doctor may have prescribed. You also want to be sure that the diet changes you are planning to make are nutritionally safe. It's also possible that your doctor, while he may have no objection to your new diet, may still want to monitor you for blood sugar changes, weight gains, or other changes that occur to your body after you have begun your new diet regime.

A good diabetes meal plan will help you to keep your blood glucose levels within controllable ranges. It will also ensure that you have a good balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in your diet. In fact, a good diabetes meal plan is even good for those that don't have the disease.

The main thing with diets is that they have to be practical - to you. They have to be plans that you can comfortably commit to. If you can't, then odds are that you won't stay on it very long.

Shakin' off the blahs

Well the wallows are over. The Essential Herbal and her editor/publisher are back on terra firma.
I didn't go willingly at first, being quite firmly entrenched.
Things were starting to pile up, and that's never a good thing. Lately anything more than 8 hours of down-time is way too much.
Maryanne, my friend Roe and I joked around about making tin-foil hats to ward off the obvious effects of the recent solar activity. It was the idea of wearing them in public that hit my funny-bone. If they didn't keep the death-rays away, at least we would have been left to go about our business(es) in relative peace, since almost nobody will attempt to talk to a middle-aged woman wearing a tin-foil hat.
On then, to an evening of soapmaking. Down at the soap shed, Maryanne's been busy with lots of wholesale orders. This is usually a so-so time of the year, so we've had to kick it in to high gear to keep even the slower sellers in stock. Our preferred number of batches per session is 6, but 8 has been more normal lately.
We always laugh and kid around while we cover the counter space with molds filled with luscious, fragrant soap.
When I got home, I tackled the pile of orders from the previous 24 hours and got them packaged up and ready to go. As I worked, the realization that the new book is a BIG hit finally registered. It ain't the NYT best seller list, but it is great for a self-published book. Stacking the filled envelopes was a pretty pleasant activity.
This morning the computer gave me the evil eye. That tells me that it is time for a vacation soon. Usually I look forward to signing on, so when it doesn't feel friendly I know it is me - not the computer (or the people on the other side).
Fortunately, the soaps made last night now needed to be cut and stacked on their racks. Looking at the almost well-stocked shelves was a good feeling.
Then it was out to the garden! The air hadn't gotten too thick with the coming heat and humidity, so it was pleasant picking St Johns wort blossoms and picking the budding tips from the holy basil. Bunnies and birds watched while I found myself humming as I worked, brushing the leaves with my hand to release the fragrances.
By the time I got home from the post office this afternoon, it was clear that the dark cloud had finally passed.
Who knows what really did the trick? Was it picking up the phone to commiserate with a friend? Creating with my sister? Singing to my plants? Or even the herbs that usually smooth the rough edges? Maybe it was starting a journal to tell my sick loved one the things I can't say to him right now.
Maybe it was all of those things, but next time I won't wait so long to do any of them.

Alternative Medicine: How Can I Cut Down On My Herpes Attacks?

Question:
I was infected with genital herpes by my husband ten years ago. Since we have separated, I have been experiencing monthly outbreaks of herpes lately. What can I do to help cut down on these incidents?

Answer:
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and there is no denying that this condition has damaged relationships and destroyed the mental peace of many. The symptoms in themselves can be distressing. In men, the small fluid-filled blisters are found mainly on or around the head of the penis and foreskin; in women they are found around the vagina and occasionally up into the cervix and uterus. However, they can occur anywhere around the genital area and may spread to the buttock, lower back and upper thighs. The sensation ranges from mild stinging and redness to excruciating pain, burning and marked inflammation. Sufferers may also experience fever and inflamed lymph nodes. Usually, they feel tired and ill, which can be a direct result of the infection or of the depressed immune system that allows the virus to take hold.

Genital herpes affects up to 40 per cent of the population. It is caused by a virus (HSV-2) and is closely related to the cold sore virus (HSV- l). You can never get rid of the virus once you have it, but it affects people to a greater or lesser degree, and 85 per cent of people who have an initial attack will not have a recurrence. Of the rest, most are liable to have some recurrences, and an unlucky two per cent may suffer severe and frequent symptoms. A healthy body with a strong immune system should not suffer recurrent attacks.

People first get herpes when their immune system is depressed, due to stress, insomnia, Fatigue, poor eating etc, and k recurs when the immune system is low. The antiviral preparations used in conventional medicine can suppress an attack but cannot guarantee that it won't recur. If you have a serious health condition like this, you have co greatly improve your health and wellbeing. You should follow the programme below strictly for a year and then more moderately.

DO eat...
Fresh fruit and vegetables, preferably organic, with lean protein - lamb. chicken, turkey and fish - as well as rice and potatoes.

Homemade chicken broth with vegetables. Pomegranates, red-skinned apples and almonds which have been soaked in water for 24 hours (do not keep in the fridge).

Fresh carrot and ginger juice - daily, or two or three times a week.

Honey; cottage cheese.

DONT eat..

Yeast-containing products (bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta, Marmite, beer): yeast is a parasite that weakens the body by stealing nutrients and also leaves toxic alcohol in the gut.

Fungal or mould-containing products, such as mushrooms or cheese (except cottage cheese).

Canned or preserved foods. Citrus fruits. Very spicy food, cream and other fatty foods, and cut down on red meat excess nuts, excess alcohol, excess sugar and coffee.

Avoid taking too many vitamin and/or mineral supplement; long-term use may result in a strain on the body.

Stress and strain cause tightness of the neck and shoulder area This reduces blood circulation to the brain, causing fatigue as well as weakness of the crucial health and wellbeing regulatory centres of the brain (including the pituitary hypothalamic area, brain stem and limbic system). If possible, have a professional massage of the neck and shoulders once a week and ask a friend or partner to do it for you for ten minutes twice a week Use Dr Ali's Lifestyle Massage Oil, or make your own blend by adding 20 drops of lavender and 30 drops of ylang ylang essential oils to l00ml of apricot seed oil.

Chavanprash (capsules) - take two capsules daily for six months. Or G&G Foods Energy Plus Powder - one scoop twice daily with juice or milk

Multivitamin/mineral tablets (Biocare, Solgar, Quest or Viridian which is mostly organic) - rake as directed on the packet, for no longer than six months.

Ashwganda (which contains Indian ginseng; capsules) - one capsule twice daily for three months. Or Siberian ginseng, as directed.

Follow the advice above and use Dr Khan's Marigold Oil on the lesions. Also take Biocare Vitamin B Complex as soon as the symptoms start and for 28 days after the attack.

Bungling in the jungle

It has been a real struggle to blog for the past couple of weeks.
Beside putting out the newest book, the deadline was tailgating us for the next issue of The Essential Herbal magazine - which is safe and sound at the printer now. That might be enough to explain it, but those things are just part of the blockage.One of the people dearest to me is in the middle of a health crisis, and it leaves me feeling helpless and unable to form sentences at times, while there is a constant chatter in my head.
Then there is the wide network of on-line social/business media that I've created to support the business and stay in touch with all the friends and herbies I've come to know over the years. As much as I enjoy that, there are some times when it can become challenging.
If I had my druthers, I'd plant my tush under a big tree and have a good cry for a few days.
Unfortunately, that just doesn't cut it for the small business owner. You trudge on, hoping that your reactions and conversations are reasonable and don't come off too snappish. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Hopefully you've done a good enough job in the past however many years that people will overlook a few moments of ugh.
I'm certainly not alone in this situation. Right off the top of my head, I can think of three friends who are slogging through their own personal bogs of emotional turmoil. It's kind of interesting to stand at a distance and try to figure out all of the ways the internet has changed the way we deal with things.
For the first time, my go-to remedy for this kind of thing (holy basil and mimosa blend) isn't helping enough. Today I added some nettles (because I'm having a little fight or flight issue) and some goldenrod to give me some backbone.
Tomorrow, I will come up with a great blog post. I just know it :-). Maybe just saying it "out-loud" shift the load.