Benefits of drinking tea

There's been much written about green tea's positive health affects, but both green and black tea fight heart disease. Green and black tea contain catechins, which are bioflavonoids that act as potent free-radical scavengers and strengthen blood vessels.

A study was conducted over 10 years involving 806 men between the ages of 65 to 84. The men who consumed the most catechins were the least likely to develop heart disease. Catechins are also found in apples and dark chocolate.

Tea normally does contain caffeine, so you may want to consider a caffeine-free tea if you have a sensitivity to caffeine. I steer clear of decaffeinated products as they use a chemical process to remove the caffeine. I prefer teas such as Haiku Kukicha Twig Tea, an organic Japanese tea. It is made by roasting the tree's twigs and stems rather than the leaves where all the caffeine is contained. The flavor of this tea is excellent, and you can drink as much as you like without getting the caffeine jitters. I've always loved the teas served in oriental restaurants, but could never duplicate the flavor at home, until I bought this tea. I buy it in the 35 oz. bag which lasts several months and make a pot with my drip coffee maker every day.

Have a blessed Easter

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We hope you all have a safe and Happy Easter.

Lawn care without chemicals

Consider what those chemical lawn fertilizers might be  doing to your children and pets who play on the lawn.  Chemical fertilizers leave your lawn dependent and more susceptible to diseases, and require constant applications, whereas organic fertilizers are basically free and don't need to be applied nearly as often.  Spring is an excellent time to get started ridding your lawn of it's chemical dependency. Organic lawns have a healthier soil which resists pests, drought and diseases because of its good biological activity from earth worms and microorganisms that need lots of organic matter to thrive.

How to feed your soil:
Apply a thin layer of compost in the Spring and Fall, and water so that the nutrients penetrate the soil. Weekly waterings of about 1 inch during the growing season will create a healthy root system. Also set your mower height at 3 inches and leave grass clippings on the lawn. A mulching mower is ideal as it chops the grass clippings finely and allows the nutrients to feed the lawn quicker. Applying a thin layer of compost and grass clippings during the growing season will keep it well fed. A slow release organic fertilizer is beneficial in the Fall and early Spring. Aerating the soil every 4 years is also useful before applying the compost. Aerators can be rented, and they pull plugs of dirt and grass out, improving air flow and water penetration. After aerating, filling bare spots with grass seed will help choke out any weeds.

We stopped applying chemical fertilizers about four years ago, and even though we haven't applied all these measures rigorously, our lawn still looks very green and pretty much weed-free. And I've stopped worrying about having a weed-free lawn anyway - it's not the end of the world, and we're a lot healthier for it.

Flooring options for your boat

The weather is warming here in the Northeast and soon we'll all be spending our free time outside in the sunshine. And what better way to relax and while away a sunny day that on the water.

If you own a boat, you've probably already taken a look at what repairs are needed and the improvements you'd like to make for this year's boating season.  Perhaps your carpeting needs to be cleaned or replaced. Florida is known for it's sandy beaches, tropical skies and just about everyone has a boat of some type. If you're in South Florida, Elite Workroom Inc. provides Fort Lauderdale boat carpeting services with custom marine installation. The company also offers cleaning and restoration, and are experienced in applying textile upholstery on walls, platforms and ceilings using exotic fabrics, cork rubber and fine leathers.  Palm Beach replacement boat carpet  is another of their locations along with locations in Boynton Beach, Miami, and Pompano Beach. Basically anything you dream of for your boat or yacht, they can probably do.

Herb - Catnip

Catnip is a perennial herb from the mint family, and common in North America as a weed. It is a hardy, drought tolerant, and maintenance free shrubby herb with serrated grayish green leaves and fuzzy underside. Flowers are blue, pink, lilac or white with small purple dots. The plant's leaves have a minty odor that cats love to nibble and roll on.
Leaves and flowering tips can be collected and dried between June and September. The oil taken from catnip by steam distillation is an insect repellent and effective on mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites. In test tube studies, it was 10 times more effective than DEET, but has not proven to be as effective when rubbed on the skin.

Restoring hardwood and stone flooring

Hardwood and stone flooring have always been popular as they have a timeless style, are very durable and also very green because they come from the earth. Like most things around the house, they do need a bit of maintenance from time to time in order to retain their natural beauty.

Hardwood flooring has a warmth and beauty all it's own. Wall to wall carpeting seems to be out at the present and everyone wants to restore those hardwoods found beneath. A professional service can come in and sand and restore them back to their original beauty as long as there are no deep stains or water damage. If you have moderate diy skills, you can accomplish this on your own by renting a commercial grade floor sander and orbital sander for the edges. Then it's just a matter of staining and sealing the floors. You can read more details of how to tackle this yourself at EHow.

Stone flooring is a bit more tricky and probably requires the services of a stone floor restoration professional to bring them back to their original beauty. Stone flooring includes granite, limestone, sandstone, slate, marble and flagstone, and come glazed or unglazed. Each has its own qualities and may require different restoration. For instance, marble flooring is actually softer than tile and may require marble polishing to restore it, but if covered with a stain resistant sealer can go up to 10 years before needing to be resealed. If your stone floors are in good shape, be sure to research the proper maintenance for your particular type of flooring and stay on top of it so that your floors stay beautiful for life.

(sponsored by classicmarblerestoration.com)

You may have Candidiasis and not know it

Did you know that 1 out of every 2 people will suffer from Candidiasis sometime in your life?

Symptoms of Candidiasis are:
* bloating, headaches, depression, fatigue, memory problems, impotence or loss of libido, unexplained muscle aches, brain fogginess.
* a craving for sweets, products with white flour, or alcoholic beverages.
* repeated vaginal infections.
* repeated health problems involving inappropriate drowsiness, mood swings, rashes, bad breath, dry mouth, post-nasal drip or nasal congestion, heartburn, urinary frequency or urgency.
* repeated fungal infections (jock itch, athlete's foot, ringworm)
* recently taken repeated courses of antibiotics or steroids.
* use of birth-control pills

If you answered yes to two or more of these, you may be suffering from Candidiasis, a yeast overgrowth. Good bacteria lives in our intestinal tract (acidophilus and bifidobacteria). Bad bacteria such as Candida albicans is a form of yeast that can be dangerous to the body. The good bacteria will produce antifungal substances to keep the bad bacteria under control. But when the good bacteria and bad bacteria get out of balance, problems arise. Proper PH balance is needed, and if the body becomes too acidic, it affects the functioning of heart, blood, brain, nerve, muscle, bone, skin, hair cells, and hormonal levels.

Sugar is the worst enemy of the good bacteria, and feeds the bad bacteria. When antibiotics or steroids are taken, it kills the illness-causing bacteria, but also damages the good bacteria, allowing the bad bacteria to take over. The bad bacteria also thrive on dairy products (except yogurt), as well as yeast and glutens. Pesticide residue, car exhaust, industrial chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury amalgam in dental fillings can encourage growth of the bad bacteria.

It is possible with commitment to reverse Candidiasis. First, remove refined sugar, alcohol, milk and dairy products from your diet, along with any foods containing mold and yeast. I suffer from eczema and am extremely sensitive to aged cheeses, bread, and some chocolate (I'm guessing I react to chocolate that has been on the store shelf too long and mold may be present even if you can't see it). Supplementation is helpful, increasing Omega 3 oils, taking probiotics to boost the good bacteria, and eating yogurt containing acidophilus. I personally make my own yogurt to be sure I'm getting the live cultures, as they have a short shelf life of a few days.

For more information on Candidiasis and suggestions of what supplements may help, CLICK HERE

Energy Saving Tips

The winter heating season has pretty much come to a close, but we'll soon be into the dog days of summer. There are many things you can do right now to make your home more energy efficient before fans and air conditioners start draining your wallet.

* Seal areas of air infiltration around windows, doors, electrical outlets and switches. Hardware stores have many good products to help you with these.

* Reflective insulation reduces costs by keeping heat in during the winter and heat out in the summer.

* Upgrade insulation in the attic - it can reduce your energy use up to 40%.

* Replace your old leaky windows with more efficient ones such as philadelphia energy efficient windows.

* Install energy efficient doors that save on energy and increase your home's security.

* Switch to LED light bulbs - they use 1/3 less electricity than standard bulbs and last 10 times longer.

* Insulate your hot water heater and lower the hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees. Your comfort level won't be affected but you'll save on energy expenses.

* Using power strips for your electronics will consolidate your power usage and protect valuable electronic devices such as your computer and television from power surges.

Replacing leaky windows and doors can make a substantial difference not only in your comfort level but in your heating and cooling bills. Philadelphia energy saving windows for example also qualify you for a Federal tax credit and the right replacement windows can save you up to 30% on your energy costs, or $150 during peak heating and cooling months depending on where you live. Vinyl windows such as philadelphia replacement vinyl windows are attractive and virtually maintenance free. They add value to your home at resale, are scratch resistant, come in a variety of styles and colors and are a green product,using less energy to produce. Before beginning your energy saving projects around your house, get a free energy analysis at mygreenenergyaudit.com.

(brought to you by mygreenenergyaudit.com)

Foodborne disease

I ran across an article at Whole Food and more concerning an organization called S.T.O.P. (safe labels our priority) a citizen supported group whose only purpose is to fight against foodborne disease. Here is an article from their website; please pass this information on to your friends.

"Foodborne disease is any infectious disease transmitted via contaminated food. The CDC estimates that every year foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States. It is estimated that 2-3% of foodborne illness cases may cause permanent injuries or health damage, which may never be traced back to the disease source. (Source: USDA/Fightbac).

Many foodborne illnesses are caused by bacterial contamination, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes. Viruses, such as Norwalk-like virus and Hepatitis A, are also frequently transmitted through food, as are parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Severe foodborne disease is almost always a preventable tragedy. Most foodborne illnesses result from missteps at several places in the food chain. Pathogens are allowed into the food we consume through ill planned farming techniques and faulty production procedures, exacerbated by lax regulation, spread by careless food handling, and sustained by the lack of sufficient response on the part of individuals, government, industry, medical and public health communities."

Gardening with limited space

Is your yard space-challenged like mine? If so, I've got some space-saving ideas I've used to make the most of the soil area I have.

To get the maximum usage out of your yard, use your air space. One way is to install window boxes which are both decorative and utilitarian for flowers and the smaller herbs and vegetable plants like peppers. Trellises and arbors also make great supports for flowering vines, climbing roses and even larger vegetables such as tomatoes. They come in a large variety of shapes, colors and finishes, but I've found the vinyl trellis is my favorite because of it's durability and no maintenance properties.

Tomatoes and some other vegetables can also be grown quite nicely in hanging containers or large pots set on your patio when space is an issue. My neighbors have done it for years. Also be sure you focus on the hybrid varieties of vegetables that stay compact in size but still give you quite a yield. I'm always amazed at how many cucumbers I get from the smaller hybrid plants.

So to summarize, my tips for a small gardening space are to use a window box, arbor, trellis, hanging planter, large patio planter, and to use compact growing hybrid plants to beautify your world. Happy gardening!

(sponsored by trelliscenter.com)

Herb - Basil

Basil is considered the King of herbs, and is hought to have come from where St. Constantine and Helen found the Holy Cross. It is also reported to have been used long ago in royal baths and medicines. It is originally from India and tropical areas of Asia. Sweet basil is often used in Italian foods, where as the Thai or Holy basil from Asia is used in Southeast Asian dishes.

Basil is a perennial plant in warmer climates but grown as an annual in colder climates as it can't stand the cold temperatures. The leaves have an Anise flavor, and a sweet, strong and pungent odor.

Basil is usually used fresh and added at the end of cooking so that the flavor isn't destroyed by the heat. Leaves can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days. Or they can be dried, but it will have much less flavor and will taste a bit different. Basil seeds are also soaked in water for Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or sherbert, and are known for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the medicinal system of India.

For the love of cooking

When I was young, I loved being in the kitchen with my mom and grandma while they cooked and baked for the family gatherings. While my mom cooked soley for our family, my grandma was the head cook and dietician for our elementary school's cafeteria. My brother, sister and I often stopped in to see Grandma before school to watch the day's food preparations in full swing. The kitchen was huge, well layed out, and supplied with industrial sized applicances and equipment and it was very impressive to watch all the cooks in action (plus we usually got to sample the morning goodies layed out for the teachers).

One of my favorite cable stations is the Food Network, and when I see the seasoned restaurantuers along with the up and coming hopefuls competing for a chance at their own restaurant, I often think back to those early days in Grandma's "big kitchen" as it was like a huge restaurant without all the frills.

Whether you're preparing food on a small scale for your family or for a large group for a living, the key is organization and the proper tools -that's true for any job really. I recently discovered a wonderful site called PriceMyKitchen.com which gives you a wealth of information on setting up your kitchen and especially valuable if you're thinking of starting your own restaurant. For starters, you can get a kitchen equipment price comparison, find out which knives work best, gluten-free menu help, green cleaning tips, and reducing water waste. Specifically for commercial kitchens, you can get a price comparison on restaurant equipment, whether to use copper cookware in a commercial kitchen, do's and don'ts for a commercial ice machine, and tips for handling staff just to name a few.

So whether you're cooking for your family or running a restaurant, you'll find some great information on this site. Happy cooking all!

(post sponsored by PriceMyKitchen.com)