Living Naturally
In cold weather, have you ever noticed that you wheeze, cough, or have shortness of breath, especially after some vigorous snow shoveling or other physical exertions? You don’t have to have chronic asthma to have these symptoms.Most people with chronic asthma do ineed experience asthma symptoms such as difficultly breathing and chest-tighening when they exercise due…
It’s that time of year again! As temperatures cool, various flies, bugs, and beetles slip into your walls, and sometimes into your home’s interior, trying to find somewhere to stay warm for the winter.They appear suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, massing (sometimes by the thousands) on the west wall and windows of your kitchen, or perhaps as swarms of lazy flies buzzing annoyingly and…
I’ve already written about the health benefits of eating a variety of richly pigmented plant foods—the glorious reds, purples, oranges, and yellows found in fresh produce aisles, farmers’ markets, and backyard gardens. Well, it turns out that fruit and vegetables with white flesh—apples, pears, onions, cauliflower, cucumbers, and bananas—may also confer health benefits.
Specifically,…
We don’t all have time to make complicated zucchini recipes. Here are fast ways to cook that abundant summer squash. Mouthwatering.A very old and tired joke still makes the rounds in these parts in late August and early September:“Why do people in (name of community or region) always lock their cars this time of year?”“I don’t know, why?”“So they won’t come back and find…
Concussions. They’re amazingly common. Untold numbers of people coming into emergency rooms don’t even realize they’ve suffered a concussion. I think people need the information. Here’s a short summary of concussion symptoms—and what to do after you’ve suffered a concussion.Trotting downstairs one late-December evening to watch the evening news, I missed the bottom step…
If you answered Yes!, let me set the scene: An old Victorian home, a brook, wildflowers, cows peering over the fence as you plant that self-sustaining vegetable garden by the fruit trees and blueberry bushes. Or, maybe a solar-powered, self-built, off-grid cabin and a few acres off the beaten track.At first glance, the thought of moving to the countryside in quieter, rural location…
The winter layers have given way to shorts and t-shirts, revealing the other winter layers—the ones that hang over the waistline and strain the seams. (I have good excuses, but won’t list them here.) Perhaps, like me, you aren’t aiming for a beach body as much as a way to fit into your summer duds again.That’s what I want to do, and here are some common sense weight loss tips…
Ever dealt with head lice? It’s not an unusual problem in schools. I remember when my daughter was sent home with lice, along with half her class. The nurse gave us a fact sheet of instructions for treating the problem.As directed, our entire family scrubbed our heads with a product containing lindane, a pesticide closely related to DDT. I spent the better part of three days combing nits…
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of headlines about essential oils in connection to health. What are they, and why the big deal? What Are Essential Oils?An essential oil is the liquid distilled from a plant that contains the phytochemicals that give the plant its characteristic aroma and flavor. They get their name because they represent the aromatic “essence“ of the plant they…
Yep, asparagus is good for you, so even if you don’t grow it yourself, grab a big bunch from a nearby farmers’ market when it’s in season locally. Here’s how asparagus benefits you—and the answer to our most common question about asparagus’s smell!Using a pickaxe to break up the dense iron-oxide hardpan beneath the thin topsoil of my hillside vegetable garden, then…
All natural! High-fiber! Multigrain! Only 2 grams of fat per serving! Contains real fruit! Do you know what food labels really mean? Here’s a handy guide to decoding food labels.Food marketers have taken full advantage of Americans’ growing interest in the connection between good nutrition and good health. To make food seem healthy, they pile on words chosen for their emotional…
Ready for a mind-expanding adventure? From testing water quality to reporting garden bugs, there’s a citizen science project that fits with any hobby, interest, or curiosity that you may have. Take a look!Science is one important way of exploring and understanding the world we live in through observation, data collection, and various forms of experimentation.What is Citizen…