The lovely and long bitter melon vine grows best on a trellis or along a fence. Growing the plant with ample support will help prevent problems with disease or pests and makes harvesting easier.
Bitter melon is a beautiful plant with deeply lobed leaves and eye-catching fruit that shifts from green to yellow to orange as it ripens. The taste is an acquired one for most people. It’s more bitter than an unripe grapefruit or very dark chocolate. For most individuals, the first taste is a mouth-puckering experience. But once you acquire the taste, don’t be surprised if you become addicted to this melon’s strong flavor.
A member of the squash family, bitter melon is native to southern China. Fruits are oblong and warty, usually about 8 inches long. The flesh has a watery, crunchy texture, similar to a pepper or cucumber. The bitter flavor is due to the melon’s quinine content. In many countries, bitter melon is consumed as a treatment for malaria.
This melon serves a nutritional punch, offering iron, twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the potassium of bananas, and twice the calcium of spinach. It also contains high amounts of fiber, phosphorous, and Vitamins C, B1, B2, and B3.
Note: While we do not currently carry this variety, we offer this information for gardeners who wish to grow it.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Fruit from trellised bitter melon vines will grow longer and straighter than those grown on the ground.
Like other members of the squash family, bitter melon produces vines that grow 13 to 16 feet long. Plant bitter melon where it receives at least 6 hours of sunshine. In Southern regions, it’s okay to site seedlings in a spot with light shade, as long as vines can ramble into full-sun areas.
Soil should be fertile, but well-drained, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.7. Adding composted manure or compost to enrich soil results in good yields.
This plant thrives in heat and humidity, and as summer temperatures rise, vines grow quickly. Fruits have a tendency to rot on moist soil, so it’s best to trellis vines. You can do this on a fence or evenly spaced supports. Not only does trellising reduce disease outbreaks on fruit, it also makes harvesting easier. When planting along a fence, space seedlings 9 to 10 feet apart.
Trellised vines produce hanging fruit, which grows long and straight. If you don’t trellis vines, be sure to mulch soil beneath vines. Use loose mulch, like straw, which helps keep soil moist but won’t promote fruit rot.
For trellised vines, as stems reach the top of the support, remove the growing tip along with a few lower lateral branches. This pruning causes vines to branch near the growing tip. These upper branches will yield strongly. If you’re not trellising vines, prune vines when the first female flowers appear.
Keep soil consistently moist. Like other squash or melons, bitter melon fruits develop best when soil moisture remains even. If you worked compost into soil before planting, you can still add a slow-release vegetable fertilizer, like 14-14-14, at planting time. As plants grow, fertilize plants midway through the growing season, or use Bonnie Herb, Vegetable & Flower Plant Food as a liquid fertilizer, applying more frequently (according to label directions).
Troubleshooting
Flowers typically start appearing on vines within a few weeks of planting. Like all cucurbits, bitter melon vines produce male and female flowers. Female blooms have a swelling at the base resembling a tiny melon. Male flowers open first, followed in a week or so by female blossoms. Bees visit both blooms, transferring pollen from male to female flowers. Usually male blooms live only one day, opening in the morning and falling from plants by dusk. Don’t be alarmed if you spy fallen flowers beneath vines.
Fruits are susceptible to various rots. Trellising can reduce rot issues. For non-trellised vines, use a straw mulch to keep melons from resting directly on moist soil. Fruit flies can attack ripening fruits. If flies become a problem, wrap ripening melons in newspaper.
Many of the diseases and insect pests that attack squash and cantaloupe also affect bitter melon plants. Vines are susceptible to powdery and downy mildew and are a host of watermelon mosaic virus. Treat vines infected with fungal diseases like mildew with fungicides. Check with a local garden center or Extension agent to discover which fungicides are available in your state. Plants don’t recover from the virus.
Watch for spotted and striped cucumber beetles, which can attack vines. These beetles carry bacterial wilt disease, which causes vines to collapse. Infected vines don’t recover. Treat adult beetles with rotenone or a pyrethrum-based insecticide; apply at dusk to avoid harming honey bees.
Harvest and Storage
Bitter melon is ready to pick when the skin is green with hints of yellow. The texture inside should be slightly firm, not spongy, which indicates over-ripe fruit.
Bitter melon doesn’t give many clues regarding the right time to harvest. Most gardeners pick fruits when they’re green or have a few hints of yellow. Fruits that have turned completely yellow are over-ripe and will have spongy flesh. Many professional bitter melon growers time harvest based solely on fruit size. Young and tender fruits are roughly 4 to 6 inches long.
Bitterness varies with maturity and individual fruit. Immature melons are usually more bitter. Just as individual chili peppers from the same plant can offer different degrees of heat, so different bitter melons from the same vine can contain differing degrees of bitterness. For newcomers to bitter melon, slightly overly mature fruits may prove more palatable, since the bitterness will be somewhat lessened.
Once melons start to ripen, pick fruits regularly, approximately every two to three days. The more you pick, the more fruits will form.
Store melons in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days of harvest.
Fructose, a type of sugar, quickly absorbs into the liver of mice with diabetes, potentially causing health complications, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal eLife. The findings, if further studied, could provide insight for people with diabetes.
In the study, the researchers showed that mice with diabetes absorb fructose very quickly and that fructose is quickly sent to the liver. In the liver, it creates fat. The researchers say a protein that’s turned on by diabetes is likely to blame for the quick absorption and fat creation.
In the study, the researchers identified a molecular interaction that occurs in the inner lining of the intestine. The study authors say this interaction could regulate how much fructose a person absorbs when they eat very sweet foods or drinks. “We found that the mice with diabetes absorb more fructose than a mouse without diabetes,” says study author Richard Lee, a professor and a principal faculty member at Harvard Stem Cell Institute. “If this was proven in humans, it would imply that diabetic patients actually get more of the fructose if they ingest it.”
Lee says the study adds support to the idea that consuming too much sugar, like fructose, can spur diabetes, and not just calorie consumption alone.
Fructose is a type of sugar found in high-fructose corn syrup, which commonly used in sugary drinks and processed food, honey, table sugar and fruit. Consumption of fructose has significantly increased through the years, as has the prevalence of diseases like obesity and diabetes.
“Over the past few decades we’ve been eating more sugar, including fructose, and that correlates quite well with the metabolic problems we are seeing,” says Lee. “We want to know if this is true for all forms of diabetes, and we want to set up collaborations to study this in humans.”
Eating low amounts of fructose, like what a person would consume if they eat fruit, is considered safe.
Other Names— Ipomoea aquatica, Kangkung, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, Chinese spinach, Chinese Watercress,Chinese convolvulus, swamp cabbage, phak bung, ong choy, kongxincai, rau muống, kangkong, trokuon, kalmi saag, kalmi shak, Thooti Koora, kangkung, hayoyo.
Growing Habit
Water spinach is grown especially in the Southeast Asian region as a vegetable. It is a semi aquatic plant, a creeper that grows in or near the water on moist soils. Water spinach has light green ovate leaves, its stems are hollow, so they can float on the water. Both leaves and stems are edible and can be used as the way you use spinach. Under tropical conditions, water spinach can be harvested throughout the year, as the leaves grow again after harvesting. In cooler climates it is grown as annual, mostly in wide containers.
How to Grow Kangkong
Propagation
Kangkong or water spinach can be propagated either by seeds or by cuttings.
Sow the seeds in fresh potting soil (sow about 0.5 centimeters deep). Ensure that you keep the seeds consistently moist. Also remember that temperature should remain around 68 F (20 C). Germination occurs within couple of weeks. To speed up the germination you can soak the seeds overnight in water.
Growing kangkong from cuttings is easiest method to propagate it. Just cut several 30-40 cm long cuttings from young growth and plant 15 cm deep in potting mix.
Planting
In subtropical and tropical climate you can grow kangkong anytime but in cooler climates plant it between late spring to early summer. Choose a site with full sun and well-drained soil. Either grow it in pot (which is better as kangkong grows aggressively) or on the ground. You can also plant it near the edge of a pond or other water bodies.
Requirements for Growing Water Spinach
Soil
Growing water spinach or kangkong needs evenly moist, wet and nutrient-rich soil of pH level around 6 – 7.
Sun
Kangkong grows in warm and humid subtropical and tropical climate, so it is essential to provide it full sun. However, it also grows in partial shade.
Water
Also called as Chinese watercress or water morning glory, you can easily understand from its name that it grows in swampy areas, it needs consistently muddy soil. Deep and regular watering is important to keep the soil nearly wet.
Kangkong Care
Fertilizer
If growing on the ground you don’t need to fertilize it often but in containers fertilize it with high in nitrogen liquid fertilizer every other week.
Harvesting
A first harvest date of nutritious water spinach is usually 4 to 6 weeks after planting – depending more on the temperature and growing conditions. Cut only a few leaves or entire plant with leaves and stems leaving only 3 inch of growth, the plant will regrow again. Both stems and leaves can be eaten.
If you’re growing kangkong on the ground, be careful it’s an invasive plant and grows aggressively. Harvest it before flowering, so that it can’t form seeds.
Pests and Diseases
Its main pests and diseases are stem rot, black rot, leaf beetle, aphids, and wire worm.
Though corn requires plenty of space in the vegetable garden, it is hard to beat its taste and tenderness, especially when freshly-picked.
The key to high quality sweet corn is rapid growth, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting the ears at optimum maturity.
Sweet corn kernels can be yellow, white, or both of these colors on the same ear (bicolor). The level of sucrose (sugar) in the kernels determines the corn's sweetness. In most cases, however, sucrose is rapidly converted to starch if the corn is not cooked, frozen or refrigerated just after harvest. Starches make the corn less tender and less sweet. In most of the newer "sugar-enhanced" or "super-sweet" varieties, this conversion to starch is slowed so ears remain in optimum condition longer.
Corn is monoecious (mon-ee-shuss) which means that there are both male and female flowers on each corn plant. In some monoecious plants, male and female parts are in the same flower. In corn, male and female flowers are in different locations - the male flowers form a tassel which is at the top of the plant. The female flower is located at the junction of leaves and stem. It consists of a collection of hairs (silks) enclosed in the husks of what will become the ears. These silks are pollen-receiving tubes. Wind-blown pollen from the male flowers (tassel) falls on the silks below. Each silk leads to a kernel, and pollen must land on all silks for the ear to fill out completely with kernels. Kernel "skips" (ears only partly filled out with kernels) often are the result of poor pollination.
On a corn seed packet, you may find a short genetic abbreviation which describes the type of sweet corn; different types require different cultural conditions:
"Normal" sweet corn (su) - Kernels contain moderate but varying levels of sugar, depending on variety. Sugars convert to starches rapidly after harvest.
"Sugar-enhanced" (se, se+, or EH) - Genes in this type modify the su gene, resulting in increased tenderness and sweetness. Additionally, conversion of sugar to starch is slowed.
"Super-sweet" or "Xtra-sweet" (sh2) - This gene, (sh short for shrunken), creates greatly increased sweetness and slow conversion of starch. The dry kernels (seeds) of this type are smaller and shriveled.
Sweet corn requires rich soil with ample nitrogen and moisture. Even good garden soils may need some fertilizer to produce a top-quality crop. Aged manure and/or compost, mixed well into the soil, is helpful. Growing corn in an area that had healthy beans or peas the previous year is helpful because these legumes contribute more nitrogen to the soil. Cornstalks growing with ample moisture and in well-prepared, fertile soil can be expected to produce two ears per stalk.
Plant corn about May 10 in the Denver area or when soils reach a temperature of at least 50 degrees F. Corn seed will not germinate in colder soils, decaying instead. The Xtra sweet varieties require even warmer soil, at least 60 degrees F. You can warm soil by covering with black plastic and punching holes through it to plant seed. The rate at which corn grows is heavily influenced by warm soil and air temperatures.
Plant two or three seeds 12-15 inches apart, in rows 30-36 inches apart. Shorter, earlier varieties can be spaced somewhat closer. Plant seeds one to one-and-one-half inches deep, except for Xtra sweet varieties, which should only be planted three-fourths an inch deep. If both or all three seeds in a spot germinate, thin out the poorer seedlings, saving the best plant from each spot. Isolate Xtra sweet varieties from all other types of sweet corn; cross pollination with other types can result in tough, starchy kernels.
Because corn is wind-pollinated, plant it in blocks of rows, rather than in a long, single row, which would result in poor pollen distribution on the silks and many kernel "skips".
Water the block-rows well after planting. Good soil moisture is especially critical for the germination of Xtra sweet corn, as it must absorb more water than other types for germination to occur. As plants grow and weather becomes warmer, watering frequency must increase.
Most varieties of corn will produce shoots or "suckers" at the base of the plant. Research indicates that sucker removal does not increase yield or benefit the plant; therefore suckers are best left alone.
Fertilize when plants are 12-18 inches high, about July 1. Hoe frequently to control weeds, but take care not to damage corn stalks or roots. Adequate soil moisture is critical for plants to form tassels and silks and to develop ears. Ears should be ready to harvest about 3 weeks after silk emergence. Harvest sweet corn when kernels are well-filled, tightly packed and when a thumbnail puncture produces a milky substance.
To harvest an ear, grasp it firmly, bend it down and pull toward the ground with a twisting motion. Husk and cook or freeze immediately for best quality. Husks can be shredded and then composted or dug back into garden soil.
Cabbage is a cool-season vegetable suited to both spring and fall. It belongs to the Cole crop family (Brassica oleracea), which includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi. The trick to growing cabbage is steady, uninterrupted growth. That means rich soil, plenty of water, and good fertilization.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Set out new spring plants early enough so that they can mature before the heat of summer, about 4 weeks before the last frost. Plant 2 or 3 varieties with different maturities for a longer harvest. You can also plant through black plastic to help warm the soil in spring. New plants just out of a greenhouse need to be protected from freezing weather. Plant fall cabbage 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost. Growing plants that have been exposed to cool weather become “hardened” and are tolerant of frost. Cabbage that matures in cool weather is deliciously sweet. Like most vegetables, cabbage needs at least 6 hours of full sun each day; more is better. It also needs fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 for optimum growth and to discourage club root disease.
To be sure about your soil pH, get the soil tested. You can buy a kit or have a soil test done through your regional Cooperative Extension office. Apply fertilizer and lime if needed, using the results of the soil test as a guide.
In the absence of a soil test, add nitrogen-rich amendments such as blood meal, cottonseed meal, or composted manure to the soil or work a timed-release vegetable food such as 14-14-14 into the soil before planting. Or you may instead choose to feed regularly with Bonnie Vegetable, Herb & Flower Plant Food. The plants love the liquid feeding.
Cabbage is easy to transplant. Set plants so that 1-2″ of the main stem is buried. Space according to directions on the Bonnie label. Generally, this is 12 to 24 inches apart in a row, depending upon the variety and the size of head it makes. For maximum size, be generous with the spacing. The Bonnie Mega-Cabbage, for example, needs all the room you can give it!
Cabbage demands even moisture to produce good heads. Mulch with compost, finely ground leaves, or finely ground bark to keep the soil cool and moist and to keep down weeds. Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it doesn’t rain. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge left in the garden.
Fertilize plants again with a liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or 20-20-20 after they begin to develop new leaves and when they start forming heads.
Troubleshooting
The best way to avoid problems is to keep your cabbage healthy and keep your garden clean. The main insect pests include cabbage loopers, slugs, imported cabbage worms, cabbage root maggots, aphids, and flea beetles. Disease problems include black leg, black rot, club-root, and yellows. To prevent diseases from building up in the soil, avoid planting cabbage or other Cole crops in the same spot each year. Rotate with a non-Cole crop for 2 years before returning to the same spot.
Harvest and Storage
Cabbage is ready to harvest when the head forms, right? No, sometimes they look ready, but they aren’t. You can test the head’s solidity by squeezing it. A head that looks solid and ready may still be flimsy and loose leafed on the inside. When it feels firm, cut the head from the base of the plant. Some varieties hold well in the garden for weeks, while others need to be cut soon after the heads are firm. Our descriptions of Bonnie cabbage varieties indicate which ones hold best. If a head cracks, cut it right away. If you want to experiment, you can leave the harvested plant in the garden. If the weather is still cooperative, they develop loose little heads below the cut that are fun to serve as mini cabbages. Heads keep for several weeks in the fridge.
It’s rewarding to accomplish a new yoga pose that you’ve been practicing for a while, but it feels even better when sharing that excitement with a friend.
Today we’re showing you how to do fun partner poses. Partner poses are great because they give you a sense of how much further and deeper you can go into your own practice. Plus, it’s fun to be able to assist someone else in his or her practice, and it’s always great to have human contact. So often in life we are shy, but yoga is a wonderful place to find that union. Let’s get started.
Partner Tree:
Stand side by side next to your partner. Both partners get into a tree position, placing their right foot against the inside of their left thigh. Next, thread your hands around your partner’s waist and lift the outside arm up. Try to touch each other's hands overhead to create an arch.
Back-to-Back Pose:
Sit back to back with your partner so the spines are aligned. Next, both partners twist their torsos to the left, placing their right hands on their left knees and their left hands on their partner’s right knee to aid each other’s stretches. Then twist to the other side.
Next, swivel back to center and raise arms up like cactus branches. Have both partners loop their hands together, so the elbows are pressing against each other. One partner leans forward for a great shoulder-opening stretch. Hold the stretch for about five to eight breaths, then switch. This gives your digestive tract a great massage and helps you stay regular.
Next, still seated on the mat, both partners place their feet hip-width apart out in front of their body. Both partners hook inner elbows together as they try to come up to stand together. Feel free to reverse the movement and try to come back down to the mat in the same way.
Lizard On A Rock Pose:
Have one partner get into a child’s pose. The other partner will sit on her back, resting hips against each other. Next, the top partner will extend her legs out long in front of her and raise her arms back behind her head to get a deep back bend that opens up the chest. The bottom partner below will get a stretch along the back of the body. Switch positions.
Gate Pose:
Have both partners come to stand on the knees, facing forward. One partner lengthens her left leg out to the left, while the other lengthens her right leg out to the right, crossing the legs in front of each other. Both partners then reach their outside arms over towards the center, creating a kind of gate overhead. This move strengthens the arms and stretches the side body.
Partner Boat Pose:
This is a great move for engaging the core. Sit facing your partner, each with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift out of your lower back and lean your upper body back slightly, engaging the core. Both partners float the legs up to 45 degrees, touching the soles of the feet together and grabbing opposite wrists for a supported boat pose.
Plantings
Plan to plant seeds outdoors 3 to 5 weeks before the last spring frost date.
Make sure your soil is free of stones; carrots need deeply tilled soil that they can push through.
Have you ever seen a carrot that has grown “legs” or forked? Fresh manure, or even recently applied rotted manure, can cause carrots to fork and send out little side roots. Don’t use it before you plant your seeds.
Plant seeds 3-4 inches apart in rows. Rows should be at least a foot apart.
Care
Gently mulch to retain moisture, speed germination and block the sun from the roots.
Soil should be well drained and loose to prevent forking and stunting of the root growth.
Once plants are an inch tall, thin so they stand 3 inches apart. Snip them with scissors instead of pulling them out to prevent damage to the roots of remaining plants.
Water at least one inch per week.
Weed diligently.
Fertilize 5-6 weeks after sowing.
Carrots taste much better after a couple of frosts. Following the first hard frost in the fall, cover carrot rows with an 18-inch layer of shredded leaves to preserve them for harvesting later.
Pests & Diseases
Wire worms
Flea Beetles
Aster Yellow Disease will cause shortened and discolored carrot tops and hairy roots. This disease is spread by pests as they feed from plant to plant. Keep weeds down and invest in a control plan for pests such as leaf hoppers. This disease has the ability to overwinter.
Harvest & Storage
Carrots are mature at around 2 ½ months and ½ inch in diameter. You may harvest whenever desired maturity is reached.
You may leave mature carrots in the soil for storage if the ground will not freeze.
To store freshly harvested carrots, twist off the tops, scrub off the dirt under cold running water, let dry and seal in airtight plastic bags, and refrigerate. If you simply put fresh carrots in the refrigerator, they’ll go limp in a few hours.
Carrots can be stored in tubs of moist sand for winter use.
Planting
Plant seed potatoes (pieces of whole potato or a small whole potato, with at least 2 eyes per piece) 0-2 weeks after last spring frost.
If you are cutting up potato pieces for planting, do so a 1-2 days ahead of time. This will give them the chance to form a protective layer, both for moisture retention and rot resistance.
You may start planting earlier, as soon as soil can be worked, but be aware that some crops will be ruined by a frost.
Spread and mix in rotted manure or organic compost in the bottom of the trench before planting.
Plant seed potatoes one foot apart in a 4-inch deep trench, eye side up.
Practice yearly crop rotation.
See our video on how to grow potatoes in a trash can, the easiest ever container garden!
Before planning your garden, take a look at our plant companions chart to see which veggies are compatible.
Care
Potatoes thrive in well-drained, loose soil.
Potatoes need consistent moisture, so water regularly when tubers start to form.
Hilling should be done before the potato plants bloom, when the plant is about 6 inches tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant in order to cover the root as well as to support the plant. Bury them in loose soil. The idea is to keep the potato from getting sunburned, in which case they turn green and will taste bitter.
You will need to hill potatoes every couple of weeks to protect your crop.
Pests & Diseases
Aphids
Flea Beetles
Leaf Hoppers
Early/Late/Blight
Potato Scab: Most likely cause by soil with high pH. Remember: Potatoes like acidic soil (do not plant in soil with a pH higher than 5.2). Dust seed potatoes with sulfur before planting.
Harvest & Storage
Dig potatoes on a dry day. Dig up gently, being careful not to puncture the tubers. The soil should not be compact, so digging should be easy.
New potatoes will be ready for harvest after 10 weeks, usually in early July.
You should harvest all of your potatoes once the vines die (usually by late August), or the potatoes may rot.
Make sure you brush off any soil clinging to the potatoes, then store them in a cool, dry, dark place. The ideal temperature for storage is 35 to 40°F.
Do not store potatoes with apples; their ethylene gas will cause potatoes to spoil.
Whether you dig your own potatoes or buy them at a store, don’t wash them until right before you use them. Washing potatoes shortens their storage life.
Find more tips on getting potatoes ready for the root cellar.
After learning about the nutritional facts of blueberries, I’m sure you can see how challenging it was to narrow down the top health benefits of blueberries to just seven. But after some extensive research, I feel pretty confident that this list does the mighty purple fruit justice!
1. Combat aging
Antioxidants are your best friend to keep Father Time at bay. They help reverse damage done by toxins and free radicals and help your body defend itself against dangerous pathogens.
Not only are blueberries rich in antioxidants as a whole, but they are especially rich in proanthocyanidins, which have been observed to have additional anti-aging properties in several animal studies.
Much of the research has linked this to the ability of proanthocyanidins to reverse inflammation, the No. 1 of chronic disease in the world. Inflammation is at the root of most diseases and taxes the body like no other — it causes heart disease, diabetes, cancer and almost every illness known to man.
2. Boost the Brain
Because they contain such a high amount of phenols, particularly gallic acid, blueberries are known as “neuro-protective agents.” According to researchers from Iran, this means that they can literally protect our brains from degeneration, neurotoxicity and oxidative stress.
Some other foods high in gallic acid are known for their brain power as well. Brain foods that boost focus and memory include:
Blackberries
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Mangos
Plums
Strawberries
Green tea
Red wine
Another study found that consuming more blueberries slowed cognitive decline and improved memory and motor function. The scientists in this study believed these results were due to the antioxidants in blueberries that protect the body from oxidation stress and reduce inflammation.
3. Fight Cancer
Clinical studies have even discovered that, unlike radiation and chemotherapy strategies, gallic acid-rich foods like blueberries can kill cancer without harming healthy cells!
For instance, the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology published a study evaluating the anticancer effects gallic acid has on breast cancer cells. Like countless studies before, researchers discovered that blueberries and gallic acid slow and even destroy breast cancer.
Blueberry benefits cancer primarily due to their wide range of antioxidants, with gallic acid the primary and resveratrol also offering support.
4. Support Digestion
Being a natural source of soluble and insoluble fiber, blueberries can help regulate your gastrointestinal track by just eating a couple handfuls a day.
In fact, University of Maine researcher Vivian Chi-Hua Wu states that, “Addition of wild blueberries to diet can alter the balance of gut microbe in favor of members of the Actinobacteria phylum.” Wu and her team discovered that wild blueberries have prebiotic potential, which promotes growth of good bacteria (probiotics) in the colon and promotes digestive and health benefit.
5. Promote Heart Health
The journal Circulation published a study showing that eating strawberries and blueberries together has a superpower tag-team effect that actually decreases your risk of heart attack by up to 33 percent.
After conducting research with more than 93,000 women 25 to 42 years of age, they did not observe this type of benefit in other types of antioxidants that were studied. Blueberry health benefits have also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol naturally, raise HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure naturally.
6. Benefit the Skin
Blueberry extract skin care products are becoming very popular around the world. It’s been reported that the wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals help restore hormone balance, which counteracts acne. That makes blueberries an excellent home remedy for acne.
Also, blueberries contain resveratrol, which is proven to reduce damage from over-sun exposure and can naturally darken your skin. Along with blueberry skin benefits, they have also been shown to naturally treat macular degeneration and improve vision.
7. Aid Weight Loss
Being low in calories, low on the glycemic index and high in fiber, everyone has at three reasons to eat blueberries to lose weight! According to the Mayo Clinic:
Because low glycemic index foods are absorbed more slowly, they stay in your digestive tract longer. This is why these foods are sometimes called slow carbs. These foods may help control appetite and delay hunger cues, which can help with weight management. Balanced blood sugar also can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance.
In a new review of previously published studies, people who took daytime naps longer than an hour were 45 percent more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared with those who didn’t nap at all. The association does not show that napping leads to diabetes, but does suggest that it could be a warning sign of the disease.
People who regularly napped for less than 60 minutes at a time had no increased risk.
The new review, conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo, was presented at this week’s European Association for the Study of Disease annual meeting in Munich; it has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in an academic journal.
Napping is prevalent around the world, said study author Yamada Tomahide in a press release. It’s especially popular with people who can’t get enough sleep at night, for social or work-related reasons. Naps can also be helpful for people with sleep disorders who suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness.
And while getting enough sleep is important for overall wellness, too much sleep can also be considered a risk factor for (or a symptom of) chronic health problems. In his research, Tomahide cited several recent studies that have shown U-shaped curves describing the relationship between hours of sleep a night with metabolic diseases.
For this review, Tomahide and his colleagues looked at 21 studies with a total of 307,237 participants from Asian and Western countries. In each study, they note, researchers had designed their analyses to rule out possible influencers such as age, gender, and underlying health conditions.
Together, the results from these studies formed a J-shaped curve describing the relationship between daily nap duration and the risk of diabetes or metabolic syndrome. (Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms, including high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol, that is often a precursor to full-blown diabetes or heart disease.)
The news isn’t all bad: Naps of any duration were not associated with an increased risk of obesity. And short naps actually appeared to be associated with a slightly lower risks or diabetes and metabolic syndrome, compared to no naps at all, although those results were not clinically significant.
As naps got longer, however, the risks of having diabetes and metabolic syndrome began to rise sharply, becoming clinically significant at 60 minutes and up.
This does not mean that napping itself raises the risk for diabetes, say the study authors. Rather, diabetes and the need for daytime naps could potentially share a common cause.
For example, someone who takes long naps every day could be doing so because they have a nighttime sleep disturbance like obstructive sleep apnea—a chronic condition linked to several other serious health problems.
Napping could also indicate sleep deprivation for other reasons. Regardless of cause, sleep deprivation has been shown to increase hunger and have a harmful impact on hormones and metabolism, potentially raising a person’s risk for diabetes. Depression, another reason people tend to sleep more, is also associated with diabetes.
Eve Van Cauter, PhD, an expert on circadian rhythm and metabolism at the University of Chicago, agrees that people who take long naps are likely to have other risk factors for diabetes.
“If they’re that tired during they day, it is likely that they are either having insufficient sleep or poor-quality sleep at night,” she says, “or they have an underlying condition, like depression, that the study did not look at.” She also singles out obstructive sleep apnea as a common cause of poor-quality sleep and daytime sleepiness, and says that it is “associated with strong risk factors for prediabetes and diabetes.”
Van Cauter, who was not involved in this new study, said she’d also be interested to know if shift workers or people with irregular work schedules were included in Tomahide’s analysis. “Shift work affects 20 percent of the active population and is also a risk factor for diabetes,” she says.
A short nap could be a smarter choice than a longer one, the researchers say, because short naps don’t involve deep-wave sleep. When people enter deep-wave sleep but don’t complete a full sleep cycle, they can experience sleep inertia—a feeling of grogginess, disorientation, and greater sleepiness than before.
“Several studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of taking short naps less than 30 minutes in duration, which help to increase alertness and motor skills,” they said. “Although the mechanisms by which a short nap might decrease the risk of diabetes are still unclear, such duration-dependent differences in the effects of sleep might partly explain our finding.”
In other words, they say, short naps may help improve circadian rhythm problems or endocrine abnormalities caused by sleep deprivation, while longer naps may not.
More studies are needed to determine how and why daytime sleeping—of any duration—truly affects diabetes risk. For now, if you’re sleeping for longer than an hour every afternoon, it might be a good idea to ask yourself (or your doctor) if an underlying health condition might be playing a role.
There’s a strong connection between physical activity and the risk of five common diseases, according to a study published today in The BMJ. The catch? To really reap the benefits, we need to move much more than global health experts currently recommend.
It’s no surprise that an active lifestyle may protect against a variety of health problems. But exactly how much and what type of activity is best is still up for debate, say the authors of the new study.
So they looked at the results from 174 previous studies that examined the association between total physical activity and at least one of five chronic diseases: breast and bowel cancer,diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In these cases, physical activity meant all forms of movement—including exercise, housework and gardening, and active transportation like walking and cycling.
As suspected, they found that people who got the most total weekly physical activity were the least likely to develop all five of these conditions.
But while the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends a minimum of 600 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes a week across different “domains” of daily life, the study found that the most significant risk reductions occurred at levels much higher—around 3,000 to 4,000 MET minutes a week.
Yes, that’s a big difference. But don’t freak out just yet, the authors say. MET minutes aren’t equivalent to actual minutes; it’s a calculation that takes into account the intensity of the activity you’re doing. Jogging has a MET value of 7, for example, while walking the dog has a value of 3. A half hour of jogging, therefore, is equal to 210 MET minutes (7 x 30), while a half hour stroll with Fido (30 x 3) is only about 90.
So getting 3,000 MET minutes a week is easier than it sounds, especially if you incorporate different types of activity into your routine. For example, a typical day might include climbing stairs for 10 minutes, vacuuming for 15 minutes, gardening for 20 minutes, running for 20 minutes, and walking or cycling for 25 minutes.
In other words, move for an hour or two each day and you’ll be well on your way. “Getting 3,000 to 4,000 MET minutes a week may seem like quite a bit, but it is achievable when you focus on total activity across all domains of life,” says study co-author Hmwe Kyu, PhD, acting assistant professor of global health at the University of Washington. “If you are just more active by doing housework, taking the stairs, gardening, taking active transportation—these are things that are doable for most people, even if you can’t do intense exercise or go to the gym.”
The study looked at observational results, which means it cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between physical activity and better health. And because it only considered total MET minutes, it wasn’t able to tell whether there were specific advantages to shorter, more intense workouts or longer, more moderate activity.
But the findings still have several important implications, according to the authors. First, the WHO’s recommendation for physical activity needs to be several times higher than it is currently, in order to see larger reductions in these five common diseases.
And second, they say, future research should pay more attention to total weekly activity—and not just leisure-time exercise, as many studies have done—to provide a better picture of how people can meet healthy activity goals in real-life settings.
An ancient crop of the Orient, soybeans (Glycine max ‘Edamame’) are just beginning to become an established staple of the Western world. While it’s not the most commonly planted crop in home gardens, many people are taking to growing soybeans in fields and reaping in the health benefits these crops provide.
How to Grow Soybeans
Soybean plants are fairly easy to grow — about as easy as bush beans and planted much the same way. Growing soybeans can occur when soil temperatures are 50 F. (10 C.) or so but more ideally at 77 F. (25 C.). When growing soybeans, don’t rush planting as cold soil temperatures will keep the seed from germinating, and stagger planting times for a continuous harvest. Soybean plants at maturation are quite large (2 feet tall), so when planting soybeans, be aware that they are not a crop to attempt in a small garden space. Make rows 2-2 ½ feet apart in the garden with 2-3 inches between plants when planting soybeans. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart. Be patient; germination and maturation periods for soybeans are longer than most other crops.
Growing Soybean Problems
Don’t sow soybean seeds when the field or garden is overly wet, as cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome may affect the growth potential.
Low soil temperatures will prevent germination of the soybean plant or cause root rotting pathogens to flourish.
In addition, planting soybeans too early may also contribute to high populations of bean leaf beetle infestations.
Harvesting Soybeans.
Soybean plants are harvested when the pods (edamame) are still an immature green, prior to any yellowing of the pod. Once the pod turns yellow, the quality and flavor of the soybean is compromised. Pick by hand from the soybean plant, or pull the entire plant from the soil and then remove pods.
Both red and green chiles are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, along with potassium and calcium. Their pungency ("hotness") depends on how much of the alkaloid, capsaicin, is produced. Capsaicin level varies with chile variety and is genetically determined, but also is influenced by air temperature and by cultural conditions such as the amount of fertilizer and water provided to plants. Capsaicin appears as a yellowish band along the inner walls of the chile pod; the more yellowish the inner walls, the hotter the chile. Seeds inside the chile are not hot - until pustules of capsaicin burst onto the seeds.
When you choose which chile variety to grow, pick with pungency in mind. Just how much pungency do you want? Examples include:
Very mild - NuMex R Naky, NuMex Conquistador
Mild - Anaheim, TAM Mild Jalapeno
Medium - Rio Grande 21, NuMex Big Jim, NuMex 6-4
Hot - Sandia, Espanola Improve
Very hot - Barker's Hot, Jalapeno, Cayenne
Start seeds indoors in early to mid-April or purchase plants at garden centers, where several varieties are available. Harden off plants over a week's time and transplant to well-prepared garden soil about May 30, or when night temperatures consistently remain above 50 degrees. It's best not to plant chiles in the same portion of the garden where any peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes or tomatillos (all related plants) were grown the previous growing season. That's because disease organisms from last year's crops could remain in the soil, thus affecting peppers and related plants this year.
Set transplants about 24 inches apart. After transplanting, fertilize with a weak solution of water-soluble fertilizer or manure tea. Fertilize again about four weeks later. Water regularly through the growing season. Hot, dry weather, minimal irrigation and minimal fertilizer promotes increased capsaicin development. Excessive watering promotes root diseases, especially in clay soils.
Green chiles are ready for harvest in August when pods become firm, glossy green, and resistant to squeezing pressure. Leave some green pods on the plant to fully mature - red chiles can be harvested when a red color develops over the whole pod, by September. Use a knife or scissors to cut red or green chiles from the plants. Leave at least one inch of stem. Tie red chiles from the stem onto wire strands for drying. These "ristras" are very decorative, and should be hung outdoors in an area with good air circulation and full sun. Dried red pods can be ground up into powders or more coarsely ground pods can be used in sauces.
Remove the thin outer skin of green chiles by blistering or roasting them on an outdoor grill. (When working with larger quantities, find a local vendor to roast them in large rotating bins equipped with propane burners). Place on a hot grill and turn chiles frequently, so all sides get blistered. Then, for crisp chiles, plunge them into an ice water bath. For more thoroughly cooked chiles, place blistered pods in a plastic bag or into a pan covered with a damp towel for 10 minutes; this allows "steaming." Before peeling chiles, put on thin rubber gloves or coat hands with butter. Keep hands away from eyes. Capsaicin burns hands and eyes just as it creates a hot sensation when eaten. To peel blistered pods, start at the stem end, peel skin down. Remove seeds and stems if desired. (Leave stems if green chiles will be used in rellenos.) Peeled chiles can then be used fresh or they can be frozen, canned or dried.
The tomato plant is a tender, warm-season perennial that is treated as an annual for growing in summer and fall gardens. They will be ready to harvest in about 60 days from planting and just a few plants will provide enough tomatoes for most families.
Location:
Chose your garden site carefully. Avoid micro-climates that may be too cold at night or too hot during the day. The ideal garden for tomatoes receives full sun most of the day, is protected from the wind, has well-amended soil and is near a convenient water source.
Raised beds are a good place to grow tomatoes. They require fewer pathways, leaving more space for growing. This method of gardening requires less fertilizer and compost and the soil doesn't become compacted from being frequently stepped on.
Tomatoes also do well as container plants but will require more frequent watering.
Soil:
Tomatoes need rich, well-drained soil. The soil should be amended with organic matter, compost or a tilled-in cover crop such as rye, wheat, oats, or hairy vetch before planting season. A complete fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen should also be added prior to planting. Too much nitrogen will produce large plants but few tomatoes.
If you have grown tomatoes before, rotate your new crop to a spot where they have not been planted in at least the last four years.
Varieties:
Tomato plants available for purchase are usually hybrids of popular types including Celebrity, Early Girl, Big Boy, Fantastic, and Big Beef. For less common selections, seeds of many varieties are available from seed catalogs.
Varieties recommended for this area are Big Boy, Good-n-Early, Lemon Boy, Spirit, and Yellow Stiffer.
Using a sterile, soil-free potting mixture, start tomatoes indoors six to eight weeks before the frost-free date (May 15th in our area). Germination will take 7 to 14 days at 75° to 80° F. Give the plants as much light as possible, either in a south window, or for more uniform results, under artificial grow-lights for at least 14 hours a day.
As the seedlings grow, transplant them into larger and larger containers, each time burying the whole stem below the first set of leaves. The tomatoes will send out roots from the buried stem and will have developed a strong root system by the time they are ready to be planted outdoors.
Move your seedlings outdoors for a few hours each afternoon to get them acclimated, or hardened-off, before actually planting them in the garden.
Transplanting:
After the danger of frost is past and temperatures are consistently above 50° F at night and 65°F during the day, transplant your tomatoes into the garden. Space them as directed on seed packets or plastic inserts. You can get a head start on the season by planting outdoors earlier and using Wall O'Water or other such season extenders.
If purchasing tomato plants from a nursery or garden center, be sure to get high quality, semi-hardened transplants. Avoid tall, spindly plants. A good transplant should be as wide as it is tall, have a stem that is as thick as a pencil, and dark green foliage. It is preferable to get plants without blossoms or fruit. If blossoms or fruit are present, pinch them off to prevent a delay in vegetative growth and flowering. To minimize chemical use, be sure to purchase disease-resistant varieties.
Take care when removing the plants from flats or pots. Damaged root systems will delay growth of the plant. If the transplant has a long stem, "trench" it in by burying the stem laterally. This buried portion of stem will then send out roots.
Plant each tomato deeper than it was growing in its pot, burying it up to within three or four branches from its top. Firm the soil around the plant and water lightly. Planting within a shallow collar made from tin cans or toilet paper rolls will discourage cutworms.
You may want to use a floating row-cover to protect the young plants from wind, sun, temperature fluctuations and flying insects. Once the tomato plants are established, you can remove the row covers and support the plants with cages or by staking. Supporting the plants helps to keep the fruit off of the ground, reducing damage from ground rot and slugs.
Mulch:
After the soil warms up completely, mulch your plants with commercial plastic or fabric, bark, straw or dried grass clippings. The mulch should be several inches deep and close to the plants. This will help to control weeds, keep soil temperature constant, reduce water loss, and keep the fruit clean.
Water:
Apply water at regular intervals, soaking to a depth of 8-10 inches to keep the soil uniformly moist. Avoid fluctuations that may cause blossom drop, blossom end rot, or cracked fruit. Continue to water regularly until late August, avoiding prolonged wilting. After this time, fruit will ripen more quickly when water is withheld.
Fertilizer:
Fertilize seedlings weekly with a liquid fertilizer, such as a seaweed/fish emulsion mix , using one ounce of fertilizer to one gallon of water. Or you may want to try one of the commercial water-soluble fertilizers available, such as Rapid Gro or Miracle Grow, for example. After plants are well established, continue to provide additional fertilization every week to 10 days. Discontinue fertilizing after the first part of August because it will induce vine growth at the expense of ripening the fruit.
Harvest:
Harvest mature green tomatoes in the fall before a killing frost is expected. Wrap the green fruit individually in newspaper and store in a cool place (60° to 65° F). Unwrap and allow ripening in a window as needed. Immature green tomatoes may be harvested and used for frying or making jams, relishes or pickles.
Once the tomato plants have become established, there is little else to do but sit back and relax, open your cookbook and begin planning what to do with the harvest.
Garlic is a really healthy vegetable, and is popular in Mediterranean and Asian cooking, so it’s hardly surprising it has become popular to grow at home. Garlic is simple to grow and you’ll get plenty of fat, juicy garlic bulbs, if you grow in a sunny site. Don’t be tempted to plant garlic cloves from the supermarket though, buy from a garden centre or mail order supplier
Grow
Garlic casts no shade and is vulnerable to being smothered by weeds. You can avoid this by removing weeds regularly before they become established.
Garlic does not need additional watering, although during spring and early summer an occasional thorough watering during dry spells will improve yields. Don’t water once the bulbs are large and well-formed, as this could encourage rotting.Snip off any flowers that form.
Plant
Garlic grows well in any sunny, fertile site. For every square meter/yard add 50 g (2 oz) of general-purpose fertilizer before planting.
It is best not to plant garlic cloves bought from a supermarket – they may carry disease and may not be suited to the climate. Instead, buy them from a garden center or mail order supplier.
Garlic is best planted in late autumn or early winter; the general rule of thumb is to plant cloves before Christmas.
Break up the bulbs and plant individual cloves just below the soil surface 15 cm (6 in) apart and in rows 30 cm (12 in) apart.
Prevent birds from pulling up the cloves by covering the rows with horticultural fleece.
"Tried growing mushrooms before, and it didn't work" – if I had money for every time someone has said that to me I'd be a very rich man...and probably no longer a mushroom farmer! Mushrooms are notoriously unreliable to grow, partly due to the mass-produced low quality kits that people often try. Almost mystical organisms, they seem to pop up in the wild in an unpredictable way, often only appearing for just 5 or 6 days before vanishing back into the ground again, not to be seen in the same spot for another year or three. Yet, despite a poor reputation amongst home growers, by using a particularly simple technique and getting a bit of insight into how mushrooms grow, it is possible to successfully grow your own gourmet mushrooms at home. So how exactly are mushrooms cultivated? How can you have success at home? And more to that point - what's all this got to do with waste coffee grounds?
How Mushrooms Grow
Firstly, you must understand the life cycle of a fungus. Similar to the fruits produced by a tree, mushrooms are the reproductive fruits of a dense, root-like network of cells, called 'mycelium'. In the wild, this white network of fine threads grows out it all directions, breaking down its food into simpler molecules to further fuel its growth. When it runs out of food, or is put under some other form of environmental stress, it switches into survival mode and produces mushrooms in order to release its spores to the wind and find a better place to live. Fortunately for us humans, it's possible to recreate and manage this life cycle, and by doing so you can nurture many a fine crop of mushrooms for the table!
Now, it must be said that growing your own mushrooms is definitely more difficult than growing nearly any other crop if you use the standard methods. Mushroom farming normally relies on significant pasteurization equipment and climatic control. This can be hard to recreate at home without spending a fortune.
Growing Oyster Mushrooms
The best advice for success is to start by growing Oyster mushrooms, the easiest and most forgiving variety for any home cultivator to grow. Next you must consider the growing medium. The most common materials to grow Oysters on are usually freshly cut hardwood logs or shredded straw. Growing mushrooms on logs can be quite hit or miss and will take up to a year for your first harvest. Growing on straw requires you to pasteurize the straw first, to kill off resident micro-organisms that will compete with your mycelium.
This is where coffee comes in. The beauty of growing mushrooms on fresh coffee waste is that the substrate is already pasteurized by the coffee brewing process, so you can bypass the whole pasteurizing step and get straight into the inoculating. Plus, spent coffee grounds are a huge waste resource, and are packed full of nutrients which your Oyster Mushrooms love to grow on.
Inoculating
Firstly order your spawn in. You'll have greater success if you use a high spawn: coffee grounds ratio. To begin with, I'd recommend using around 500g of oyster mushroom spawn to each 2.5kg of spent grounds. If the vendor you purchase the spawn from also sells filter patch grow bags, get one of these too. They will increase your chance of success by reducing contamination and providing the perfect growing environment inside the bag. If you can't source one of these, you can try using a large 2 litre freezer bag, empty ice-cream tub or milk carton – cleaned out well, and with 4 x 5mm holes cut in the sides.
Coffee collection
Go to a busy café and ask them nicely if they can give you some spent grounds. You'll need enough to fill the bag or container you're using two-thirds full, and the grounds need to be fresh that day. Most cafes will be happy to do this – if you encounter any problems, just ask at another one. Large cafes get through kilos of the stuff every day, and most are happy to see it going to good use. Take it home and (within 24 hours whilst it's still fresh) weigh out 2.5kg of coffee into a clean mixing bowl.
Wash your hands and lower arms well and mix your spawn into the bowl, breaking it up and distributing it evenly throughout the coffee. Now load the mixture into your cultivation bag or container and close it up tight, ensuring you have cut the 4 air holes if you are not using the filter patch bags.
Spawn run
Place your bag/container in a warm (64 – 77°F, 18C – 25°C) and dark place (airing cupboard, under a bed, in a cupboard in a heated room etc). During the next three weeks, you will see the spawn come to life and grow across the coffee grounds - turning the whole mixture white by the time it has fully colonized the mixture. It's a fun time to keep checking up on it and watch it grow from day to day.
Fruiting
After 3 weeks, your whole bag/container of the coffee and spawn mixture should now look completely white. If you see any areas of green, this is a competitor mold. If it is just a small patch, you can try adding a little salt to the area which should kill it off and still allow the mushroom mycelium to prosper. If the whole bag has gone green, then I'm afraid it's a lost cause and will most likely be caused by poor quality spawn, or by a lot of mold spores having been mixed in with the coffee grounds somewhere along the way. However, if you have used a high rate of spawn, fresh spent grounds and followed clean hygiene, the chances are you will be looking at a nice white bag of mycelium ready to fruit you some home grown mushrooms.
Place it in a spot with plenty of fresh air and a little light – a shaded windowsill or worktop is ideal. Cut a 5cm x 5cm (2in x 2in) hole in your bag/container and spray this area twice daily with water, trying not to allow it to dry out. Mushrooms love damp, humid conditions, and they will outright refuse to grow if it's too dry.
After a week or so, you will start to see tiny little mushrooms bursting into life. Over the following 5-7 days they will double in size every day. This is a really fascinating time! Each day you wake up to find them larger; looking more and more meaty and ready for the eating. When the edge of the caps begin to turn upwards, it's time to harvest and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Cut at the base of the stems and get cooking!
"Everybody should have a home mushroom garden," according to Joe Krawczyk. And he's ready and able to help.
Joe and his wife, Mary Ellen Kozak, have become acknowledged authorities in the arcane art and science of mushroom culture since their start in 1983. They specialize in exotic varieties such as stropharia, maitake and reishi, but shiitake is clearly their favorite. They have traveled throughout the US and the world, learning about and teaching mushroom culture.
Their fascination with fungi has led to a thriving home business: Field & Forest Products, Inc., located on the farm Mary Ellen's grandparents settled in 1910 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, a short distance north of Green Bay. They produce mushrooms for restaurants in Milwaukee and elsewhere, and also provide information and supplies for other growers-both commercial, and the homestead variety with that "mushroom garden." The latter includes easy-to-use kits, some of which are sold through seed catalogs. They produce the spawn they sell, which is a highly specialized and technical operation in itself. Field & Forest has organic certification.
Maybe a rose is a rose is a rose, but a mushroom is not a mushroom, and certainly not a toadstool! The very informative, interesting and attractive Field & Forest catalog discusses shiitake, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus spp., Grifola frondosa, Ganoderma lucidum-with many varieties and strains for different climates, seasons of fruiting, natural or forced fruiting, and more. Clearly, growing mushrooms isn't as simple as planting radishes or lettuce, but Joe and Mary Ellen make it seem almost as easy.
One of their educational efforts is an annual one-day workshop held in Peshtigo each April, co-sponsored by the Shiitake Grower's Association of Wisconsin. This year about 50 people from as far away as Texas gathered on a chilly, rainy Saturday that was warmed and brightened by a fast-paced, fact-filled, hands-on look at specialty mushroom culture. One of the highlights was a luncheon featuring cream of shiitake soup, lion's mane and baby shiitake kebabs, crispy oyster mushroom, and "toadstool oat sugar cookies" in the shape of-what else?-mushrooms!
The morning slide lecture started off with an account of some of their travels. There were pictures of mountains of mushrooms in a market in a Chinese village that produces more shiitakes in a week than the US produces in an entire year. . . and where 25% of the local diet is reportedly mushrooms. In Russia, there was a PhD with an income of $30 a month due to that country's economic troubles, who grows oyster mushrooms for extra income. In Macedonia they visited shiitake growers, and pictures from Alabama showed mushroom logs in laying yards in the deep shade of piney woods.
Terminology
Mushrooms are the reproductive structure of the fungus, or "fruit bodies," similar to the function of the flower in green plants. Unlike green plants, fungi cannot manufacture their own food. Those nutrients come from an extensive network of threadlike filaments (mycelium) which convert organic materials (substrates) into compounds the fungi can utilize.
Specialty mushrooms refers to any mushroom other than the common button variety, agaricus. Specialty mushrooms are less widely available, and more expensive than the mass-produced agaricus-which, in Joe's opinion, taste like cardboard by comparison.
Mushrooms do not grow from spores, Joe emphasized. Spores, which are shed from the mushroom cap much like pollen from a flower, are not genetically complete. They must mate with another spore. The genetically complete mycelial tissue of a fungus that will propagate mushrooms is called spawn.
It requires a specialized laboratory, equipment and knowledge, to produce spawn. This is what Field & Forest produces and sells in a variety of forms.
The substrate (the organic materials that feed the mushroom) is inoculated with spawn of the desired variety. This is a process of mixing, akin to planting.
The choice of substrate depends on the type of mushroom to be grown, as well as personal choice and experience. But as one example of the complexity (and one reason why it's so much easier and cheaper for the homestead-type mushroom gardener to buy ready-to-use spawn), here's a recipe for a substrate used for shiitake: 45 lbs. of white millet, 11-1/2 lbs. bran, 1 liter dry molasses, 8 lbs. rye grain, and 24ml calcium sulphate.
This, and other substrates, are sterilized with steam in an autoclave at 15 pounds per square inch.
Growing mushrooms
Many substrates are based on sawdust, and some mushrooms are grown on this "waste" product. Some mushrooms are grown in straw. But note that these specialty mushrooms don't use the horse manure and straw compost most people commonly associate with mushrooms. That mix-and the cave-like growing environment-are for agaricus. This common white mushroom digests compost. The specialty mushrooms are wood-decaying fungi, which are naturally adapted to an outdoor, forested environment.
Shiitake, the focus of this workshop, are commonly grown on logs. Both China and Japan claim to have first developed this technique, but in the US it was unknown, and quite difficult, until only recently.
In fact, Joe showed one slide of some shiitake logs, which he used in a presentation at an international seminar in the 1980s. He attended the seminar at the request of the USDA, as one of the American "experts" in shiitake cultivation on natural logs.
The real experts, from China and Japan, were astounded. "We'd consider that a crop failure," one said. Another: "Those mushrooms aren't fit for soup." Joe, devastated, said "I was ready to go home."
But he learned from those experts and, as indicated, is now in their class.
After those years of experimentation and experience, the process is now clearly defined, and quite simple.
The logs are cut during the dormant season-between the time the leaves have reached 50% color in the fall and just before the buds swell in spring. The ideal moisture content of the log is 40%. Cutting the logs just before inoculation helps to maintain this moisture content, and also decreases the risk of competing organisms getting into the logs.
Preferred log size is 3-8 inches in diameter and 36-40 inches long. The primary consideration is weight. These will be handled as many as eight times, and if you have any quantity-or are getting older-125-pound logs aren't very attractive, Joe warns.
Joe and Mary Ellen recommend oak, especially red oak, for shiitake production. Hard maple is also good. Avoid soft hardwoods such as willow, and don't use conifers because shiitake grows poorly on these.
The trees must be living and healthy when cut, but practice good forest management: Don't harvest trees that are valuable as sawlogs. Instead, select cull trees that should be removed anyway in timber stand improvement (TSI). Branches of suitable size and conformation, left from a timber harvest, are acceptable.
Inoculation
Inoculation is done as early in spring as possible-as soon as it's comfortable to work outside, Joe says. Freezing won't damage the spawn, but daytime temperatures should be above 40º.
The first step is drilling holes-about 48 of them in the typical log. With dowel spawn (pieces of wood dowel impregnated with spawn) use a 5/16-inch bit, with sawdust spawn, a 7/16-inch one, about an inch deep. (Special collars that fit on the bits are available to control the depth.)
Holes are drilled along the length of the log at 6-8-inch intervals. The second row, at the same spacing, is drilled parallel, about two inches away, from the first, but between the first holes, creating a diamond pattern.
Repeat this pattern around the log. The typical log will have about 48 holes.
There's a reason for this spacing and pattern. The mycilia grow best along the grain of the wood, not across it. Therefore the lateral spacing can be less than the longitudinal spacing. The recommended distances will offer the highest production.
For the backyarder, dowel spawn is easier and faster to use. A dowel is simply tapped into each hole until it's flush with the log surface. Although sawdust spawn can be worked into each hole with clean fingers, this is much more easily done with an inoculation tool. The tool is plunged into a container of spawn several times until it's loaded. Then the spawn is ejected into the hole by depressing a plunger with a button on the end of the tool.
Sawdust spawn is cheaper than dowel spawn, but an inoculation tool costs about $30. (For large operations, a pneumatic model costs $425.) We found the dowel to be more suitable for homestead use.
When all the holes are filled, they must be covered with wax so the spawn doesn't dry out. Joe recommends cheese wax, rather than paraffin, because it's less brittle and less likely to crack during repeated handling of the logs.
This is applied at about 400º with a cotton dauber, a ball of cotton on a short wire handle. Caution: The flash point of wax is 450º. Overheating the wax can be extremely dangerous!
The final step is labeling the logs. Aluminum tags are marked with the strain used, date, and any other information you require, and stapled to one end of each log.
Laying the logs
The most critical factor in shiitake production is the moisture content of the log. The logs absolutely must not be allowed to dry below 30% moisture content (MC). For this reason, the "laying yard" should be in a shady place, with summer temperatures of 60-80º and relative humidity of 80-85%. If necessary, soak or thoroughly water the logs to maintain at least 30% MC, and preferably above 35%.
Don't just sprinkle the logs every day or so with a watering can or hose. That merely dampens the surface. Wet them down good with a lawn sprinkler for several hours, once a week.
Some larger operations soak batches of logs in cold water, using stock tanks, or concrete septic tanks (new and unused, of course), using tractors to move the logs.
Fruiting
"Expect to see your first mushrooms sporadically late in the season of the inoculation year," Joe and Mary Ellen advise. "Look for them again during the growing season following the first anniversary of the inoculation. Depending on log diameter and other variables you can expect fruiting for an additional 2-6 years."
Shiitake will cease to fruit after most of the log is decayed, typically 3-6 years.
Grow mushrooms even in an apartment with a "teepee" log
When Joe and Mary Ellen say anyone can grow mushrooms, they aren't kidding. The homesteader might have a couple of dozen logs in a few square yards of shaded area, but even a suburbanite can grow mushrooms unobtrusively, perhaps behind a garage or shed. Logs along a building's dripline will be watered automatically by rain.
But literally everyone, including apartment dwellers, can grow mushrooms with the unique "Teepee Oyster Roll" kit. This provides a good learning experience, the small "logs" make unusual gifts, and the mushrooms will grow in a kitchen cupboard or other normal household space.
The kit consists of a bag of oyster mushroom grain spawn, plastic bags fitted with special filters, rubber bands, and instructions. You supply-a roll of toilet paper! (Actually, there are 7-roll kits and 15-roll kits.) Here's how it works:
Place a roll of plain (unscented, unprinted, uncolored) toiler paper on a clean surface that will drain: a rack, colander, drainboard or such. Pour boiling water over it until it's saturated. Let drain and cool until the center of the roll is comfortable to the touch. Place in the filter bag. Fill the cardboard core of the roll with spawn. Close the bag and secure with a rubber band. Place it in a darkened area (like a cupboard) at a temperature of, ideally, 65-75º.
"In 2-3 weeks the roll should be completely colonized with the white, fluffy mycellium of the oyster mushroom," according to the directions. "Occasionally you will see a small green patch of a contaminating fungus as well," meaning that even mushroom gardeners have to contend with "weeds." However, this is usually okay if it remains small. Thoroughly soaking with boiling water, and working with clean hands, will help minimize such problems.
Then place the bagged, incubated roll in the refrigerator for 48 hours to produce a "cold shock" that stimulates fruiting. Do not freeze, or the spawn will die. (Now we understand why we find wild pleurotus, oyster mushrooms, only under certain conditions in the fall.)
Remove the bagged roll from the refrigerator and place it in a well-lit area at room temperature. Remove the rubber band and fluff the bag open to increase air flow and induce fruiting.
The "first flush" of mushrooms should appear in a week or two. Harvest by grasping the stem and twisting, or slice them off close to the roll.
After harvesting, close up the bag again, put it back in the darkened cupboard, and repeat the process. When the roll is exhausted, toss it on the compost pile.
A home business
As with any business, you should start small, and learn the ropes, before committing large amounts of time and money. Even from this brief report it should be obvious that there's plenty to learn, just about culture, to say nothing of marketing and other business management concerns.
On the other hand, while many businesses can be started on a shoestring, how many can be started on a roll of toilet paper!
Whether you're fascinated by fungi, gung-ho for gardening, looking for a home business or simply enjoy good eating, mushroom culture is worth looking into.
Frozen strawberries are at the center of a multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A.
Health officials in Virginia, where the outbreak started, confirmed the link on Friday. So far 55 people across six states have been infected, according to CNN, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects that number to rise.
“Due to the relatively long incubation period for hepatitis A—15 to 50 days—before people start experiencing symptoms, we expect to see more ill people reported in this outbreak,” a CDC spokesperson told CNN.
In Virginia, 44 people alone have been infected. About half of those people have been hospitalized.
Many patients said they bought smoothies at cafes in Virginia and neighboring states, after which point authorities could trace the outbreak back to frozen strawberries that were imported from Egypt.
One chain, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, announced that it has removed and replaced the imported strawberries after the Virginia Department of Health alerted the smoothie chain to the issue.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral liver infection, but it’s rarely fatal and doesn’t cause chronic liver disease. Once patients recover—it can take a few months to feel better, the CDC said—they are protected from future infections.
Ginger is a root that has a crisp, pleasantly spicy flavor and also boasts many health benefits. One of these benefits is the ability of ginger to have a positive impact on maintaining a healthy weight—specifically, with losing weight and losing belly fat.
Ginger for Weight Loss – the Studies
According to the ancient practice of Ayurveda, eating and drinking ginger root can help keep your weight under control and research has confirmed this as well.
In a study published in the Journal of the Science and Food of Agriculture in 2014, researchers found that overweight rats who were given gingerol (a compound found in ginger) were able to lose weight after a 30-day supplementation period. The rats also showed improvements to blood sugar levels and leptin levels.1
Leptin is a compound that plays a role in feeling full and satisfied after a meal and I’ve already covered in great detail the importance of leptin for weight loss.
The researchers concluded that that ginger supplementation suppresses obesity induced by a high fat diet and it might be a promising adjuvant therapy for the treatment of obesity and its complications.
Another study published the prior year in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences showed that ginger supplementation had an equal impact on rat weight loss as a popular weight-loss medication, Orlistat. Additionally, the ginger caused noteworthy improvements to blood cholesterol level, with “good” cholesterol levels (HDL) up from their baseline level.2
With ginger’s power to help you feel full and help you properly digest your food, it’s no wonder that it shows such a strong impact on weight loss.
How Ginger Helps Battle Belly Fat
Not only can ginger help with weight maintenance in general, it can also keep that pesky belly fat at bay. Ginger can target the main reasons that belly fat accumulates, such as overeating, hormonal changes and low energy leading to lack of exercise.
Ginger helps you to feel full, so eating ginger or drinking ginger water can help curb the urge to overeat.
Hormonal changes and chronic stress can cause spikes in levels of blood cortisol, which throws the immune system and metabolism out of balance. According to an article in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin of 2004, ginger suppresses cortisol production.3
Elevated levels of cortisol may contribute to weight gain, especially making it hard to lose belly fat and I’ve mentioned it in my post on how to reset your hormones to lose weight and in my posts on how to lose belly fat without exercise.
Consuming ginger can help bring the internal balance back in tune and promote well-being and weight loss. Ginger’s sharp, distinctive flavor can also help naturally boost your energy levels, both physically and mentally.
How to Use Ginger for Weight Loss
If you want to use the healing powers of ginger to lose weight, here’s what to do.
Before eating, chew on a thin slice of ginger root. This will help in regulating metabolism, stimulating digestion, reducing cortisol production and increasing energy.
You can also grate a small piece of ginger and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt, then mix the ingredients. Eating a couple of small pinches of this mixture before you eat each of your meals helps to control appetite and aid digestion.
Alternatively you can make this ginger lemon tea as lemon can also aid weight loss and I’ve mentioned it in my post on how to use lemons to lose weight.
Don’t limit your ginger intake to before meals—use ginger as a spice in your cooking whenever you can to increase your ginger intake. Luckily, ginger has a tasty flavor that doesn’t need to be “masked” in order to reap the rewards the plant has to offer.
You can find more healthy and delicious recipes for fast and easy fat burning in my e-book Blast Your Belly Fat.
Ginger Tea for Weight Loss
Another great way to get more ginger into your life is by making a delicious and energizing tea from ginger root. Drink this tea two or three times per day to get the most out of it. It’s yummy and not at all hard to make.
Put 1 inch of grated fresh ginger root (or 1 tsp. of powdered ginger) into a heat-tolerant glass with a 2-cup capacity.
Boil water and pour over the ginger.
Allow the grated root to steep in the water for at least 10 minutes.
Strain the root from the tea. Add a teaspoon or two of raw honey and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Honey and lemon have their own health benefits that can increase the potency of this wonderful tea.
Alternatively you can mix or replace the water with Matcha tea which can help you burn fat four times faster.
Other Health Benefits of Ginger
Not only does ginger aid in weight loss, it can also reduce inflammation, reduce nausea and quell vomiting, and even kill cancer cells. You can also use ginger to make a special healing drink to detox your body and fight numerous diseases.
Dry, powdered ginger can keep for many months when stored in an airtight glass container in a cool, dark place. A fresh ginger root can be kept potent by storing it in the refrigerator and will keep for up to three weeks. You can even freeze the root to lengthen its lifespan—it will keep for up to half a year in the freezer.
You can read more about ginger’s medicinal properties in my e-book the Herbal Remedies Guide that will teach you how to treat common ailments using herbs.
Ginger – Precautions
Many people can experience improvements in health by using ground ginger in food or as a dietary supplement, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. There are certain groups of people that should avoid ginger consumption as it can interact with other medication and can worsen certain health conditions.
Water in ear may only seem like a slight annoyance, but leaving it untreated can cause serious damage and it can also impact your hearing as well. Usually, water can get into your ear while swimming or bathing. Wax located in the ear canal typically prevents water from entering too deeply into the ear canal but sometimes the fluid can get trapped inside. It is not difficult to get water out of ears and in this article I’ll look at the best natural ways for doing it.
You need to know that water in the ear can result in pain or reduced hearing. If left untreated, it can cause inflammation, hearing loss and cyst formation. Fluid that is trapped in the outer ear can be treated without involving a doctor.
However, water that is trapped in the middle ear must be treated by a doctor in order to prevent further damage or infection.
Let’s have a look at some easy and effective ways to remove water from the ear.
How to Get Water Out of Ears
1. Create a Pressure Change
Before putting anything in your ear, try to get the water out of your ears by manually forcing the water out with pressure change.
You may be able to remove the water out of your ear canal by simply chewing gum. Another approach is to cup your hand over your ear and pump inward while tilting the ear toward the ground – this can help you drain the water out of your ear canal.
The change in pressure may release the water naturally. Or you may get lucky and find the perfect angle to let the water escape.
You can also create a pressure change by using the Valsalva maneuver and opening up the Eustachian tubes which can help you to push water out of your ears.
Here’s how to do it:
Close your mouth and pinch your nose with your fingers like you were trying to hold your breath while going under water.
Gently blow into your nose while keeping your fingers pinched on your nose.
You should hear a slight popping sound, which means your tubes are open again.
Valsalva maneuver is also one of the ways to naturally get rid of clogged ears.
2. Change the Temperature of the Water
Warm water may be easier to get out than room (or ear) temperature water.
Try loosening up the ear wax in attempt to clear a path for the water by holding a washcloth with warm water to the ear (be careful not to burn your ear – use only warm water). Be sure to repeat this action several times while keeping the washcloth warm. After several attempts, try tilting your head or lying down to see if the water runs out of your ear.
You can also try various steaming methods to heat the liquid in your ear – this can help it dissipate out of the ear.
Sitting in the bathroom with a hot shower running may loosen up the ear wax and allow the water to run out of your ear.
Another technique is to pour hot water into a bowl, place a towel over your head, lean over the bowl and inhale the steam. After 5 to 10 minutes, tilt your head to see if the fluid comes out the ear.
Steam inhalation (combined with essential oils) is also one of the natural ways to treat ear infection.
3. Use Rubbing Alcohol and Vinegar
Vinegar has a lot of surprising household uses but did you that vinegar can also help you get water out of ears?
The mixture of the alcohol and vinegar can remove ear wax blockage which can trap the fluid inside your ear.
In a bowl, mix together one teaspoon each of rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Then, using an eye dropper, place 2-3 drops of the mixture into your blocked ear. Rub your ear gently with a warm washcloth to incorporate the mixture.
Tilt your head to the side or lay down on your bed with the blocked ear facing down to help the water run out.
Dr. Robert Wilson, ENT, suggests that flushing the ear canal every few weeks with this mixture will often clean the ear and prevent wax impaction2. This can potentially help prevent water from getting trapped in the ears.
4. Hydrogen Peroxide for Blocked Ear
I have already mentioned the large number of uses of hydrogen peroxide and one of them is clearing wax and other fluid out of the ear2.
In a bowl mix together one teaspoon each of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water. Using a dropper, place two to three drops of the mixture in your plugged ear. This can help flushing wax buildup which traps the water in ear. Wait a few minutes for the liquid to settle before trying to run the water out of the affected ear.
5. Salt can Absorb the Water from your Ear
I’ve already mentioned that salt can help you get gorgeous skin and it can also help you to get rid of water trapped in ear.
To use this method, heat a small amount of salt in the microwave and place it on a cotton ball. Tie the cotton ball tightly so that no salt comes off. Then place the cotton ball near the opening of your blocked ear for several minutes. As salt absorbs water, this method should be able to draw the water out of your ear.
Be very careful not to put any salt directly in your ear.
6. Olive Oil and Garlic
Olive oil has a large number of health benefits and it may even reduce the risk of developing cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and hypertension.
According to an article published in Health Technol Assess1, olive oil can be used to remove ear wax buildup which can help you to drain the water out of your clogged ear.
To use olive oil to drain the fluid out of your ear, heat some olive oil in a small bowl over the stove. When it’s slightly warm (be careful as oil becomes hot quickly), place a few drops of olive oil into the blocked ear, using a dropper. Wait a few minutes before attempting to drain the water that is trapped inside the ear.
Or you can add garlic to the olive. Garlic contain antiseptic properties that may help prevent an ear infection if water is trapped inside.
Here’s how to make your own garlic oil which you can use to pour a few drops into the clogged ear.
Mash two cloves of garlic.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil.
Heat it together in a saucepan for a few seconds.
Let it cool down a bit.
Using a dropper, place 2 to 3 drops of garlic oil into the affected ear and wait several minutes.
Then tilt your head to the side or lie down and see if the fluid runs out.
A few Precautions
It is worthwhile to note that these ear cleaning procedures are not recommended if you suffer from an ear infection or ear pain.
Keep in mind that the inner parts of the ear are delicate and you should be careful not to poke the inner ear with the dropper, cotton swab or other objects. This is one of the reasons you should never ever clean inside your ear.
Finally, if these procedures do not help you to get the water out of your ear, seek professional help from an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant which grows in tropical climates and has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. From the gel that is in the plant’s leaves, it is possible to make aloe vera juice or aloe vera gel. You can use aloe vera gel to benefit your hair, but you don’t need to restrict yourself to the gel, as there are also benefits for using the aloe vera juice for hair as well.
Aloe vera still plays an important role in Ayurvedic medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) today. For example, in Ayurvedic medicine aloe vera is used to improve digestion, reduce inflammation both internally and externally. In addition, aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice may help to treat hair loss. In TCM, aloe vera juice and the gel are used in a similar way.
The Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice and Aloe Vera Gel
Many studies into the medicinal uses of aloe vera confirm that it contains many therapeutic properties. Among these are that aloe vera:1
Contains healing properties which help soothe the skin and heal wounds
Can help boost the immune system
Has protective effect against radiation damage to the skin
Helps to moisturize the skin and reduce appearance of wrinkles
Has a laxative effect
Aloe vera also contains many vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids which means that aloe vera juice can be very good for you when maintaining the recommended intake.
Why is Aloe Vera Good for Hair?
You can use both aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice to benefit your hair.
Many of the therapeutic properties of aloe vera make it great as a topical application to keep your scalp healthy and your hair looking great. You can use aloe vera as a hair mask, to condition your hair, or you can add some aloe vera juice or gel to your shampoo. Aloe vera acts as a great conditioner that moisturize the hair, leaves the hair smooth and shiny and controls frizz.
Why exactly is aloe vera so good for your hair?
First of all, it contains many vitamins and minerals, as well as many active enzymes. Among the vitamins, aloe vera contains are vitamins A, C, E, and B12, all of which are essential for a healthy scalp. For example, vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants and help to keep the scalp free from free radicals.
Aloe vera has anti inflammatory and antiseptic properties.1 These properties can help soothe and moisturize an itchy scalp and keep the scalp free from dandruff, or relieve other conditions such as psoriasis and seborrhea. Aloe vera also contain enzymes which help to unclog hair follicles from dead skin.
Can aloe vera really help hair growth?
There have been no specific medical studies carried out into whether aloe vera juice or aloe vera gel can help in preventing hair loss or stimulating hair re-growth, and the evidence is anecdotal only.
It is known, however, that many of the above mentioned therapeutic benefits of aloe vera can help in promoting the growth of healthy hair and keeping the scalp healthy.
How To Use Aloe Vera Gel and Aloe Vera Juice for Hair?
How can you use all the amazing benefits of aloe vera to bring back that shine to your hair? There are many different ways that you can use both aloe vera juice and aloe vera gel to have great looking hair.
You can use aloe vera gel or juice on their own or combine them with other natural ingredients, such as lemon juice, vinegar, honey or natural oil to make your hair soft, clear and conditioned. You can also mix them with your shampoo, conditioner or other hair products.
Most people buy pure aloe vera gel because it is easier to use than trying to extract the gel from the plant. When you are looking for aloe vera gel, always read the product label and look for aloe vera gel which has the highest amount of aloe vera and has the fewest additives as possible.
Aloe Vera Gel As Hair Conditioning Mask
One of the best ways to use aloe vera to promote a healthy scalp and get great looking hair is to make a deep-conditioning hair mask.
Here is how to deep-condition your hair with aloe vera:
After washing, massage aloe vera gel into your hair. Make sure you cover all the strands of hair from the roots to the tips.
Put a steam cap over your head and, using a hairdryer, apply heat for about 5 minutes.
Rinse out the aloe vera and style your hair as usual.
To get even deeper conditioning, you can leave the aloe vera in your hair overnight and rinse out in the morning.
Aloe Vera Gel and Olive Oil for Deep Conditioning
Olive oil is one of the best natural oils for your hair, it is a great hair conditioner which also provides deep moisturization. To use olive oil together with aloe vera, this is what you should do:
Mix equal parts of aloe vera gel and extra virgin olive oil.
Massage into your scalp and hair, using a comb to make sure that all the hair strands are covered.
Leave for 30 minutes.
Wash your hair as usual.
Aloe Vera Juice as a Pre-Wash for your Hair
You can also use the therapeutic properties of aloe vera juice as a pre-wash for your hair. To do this, this is what you should do:
Mix equal parts of aloe vera juice, coconut milk, and wheat germ oil or any other natural oil, such as avocado oil or sweet almond oil.
Massage the liquid into your scalp, making sure that you cover all the hair strands.
Leave for 10 minutes before washing your hair as normal.
This can help to get rid of dandruff and remove dead skin cells from your scalp.
If you want to make a thicker pre-wash application, you can substitute aloe vera juice for aloe vera gel.
Aloe Vera Gel Shampoo or Conditioner
Aloe vera gel can also be used together with your shampoo or conditioner. All you have to do is mix well aloe vera gel with your regular shampoo or conditioner and wash as usual. This will leave your hair feeling smooth with a lot less frizz.
Aloe Vera Gel and Lemon Juice as a Conditioner
After washing your hair, you can use a mixture of aloe vera gel and lemon juice to condition your hair. This can help especially if you have oily hair. This is what you should do:
Mix 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
Add 3-5 drops of either peppermint, tea tree, or rosemary essential oils.
Shampoo your hair as usual, but before rinsing, apply the mixture to your shampooed hair.
Leave it in for 3-5 minutes.
Rinse your hair.
Aloe Vera Gel for Dandruff
You can also combine aloe vera gel with tea tree oil to specifically target an itchy scalp and dandruff. Tea tree oil has powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties and has many uses. To use aloe vera to get rid of dandruff, this is what you should do:
Add a few drops of tea tree oil to some aloe vera gel.
You can add a little bit of water or rose water to get a less thick consistency.
Gently massage the mixture into your scalp, concentrating especially on the affected areas.
Leave for one hour before washing out.
Repeat once or twice a week.
Aloe Vera Shampoo
If you want a natural shampoo, you can easily make your own aloe vera shampoo. This is what you need:
1/4 cup of Castile soap
1/4 cup of aloe vera gel
1/4 cup distilled water
1 tsp. of glycerine (optional)
1 tsp. of vitamin E oil
A few drops of essential oil, such as tea tree, lavender, or rosemary
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl with a spoon or a whisk. Carefully pour into a bottle. It will be easier if you have a bottle that has a pump action on it. You can then use your homemade aloe vera shampoo as you would use any shampoo. Just remember to always shake well before use.
It’s important to follow with an acidic conditioning rinse. This is because Castile soap is very alkaline, so the acidic rinse (such as with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) will help to restore the pH.
Here is how to make an apple cider vinegar hair rinse:
In a spray bottle, mix 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (ACV) with one cup of water
After rinsing the Castile soap from your hair, apply the ACV rinse.
Gently massage into your scalp and hair and leave for few minutes
Rinse thoroughly with warm water
This works so great on your hair that you won’t need a conditioner afterwards. You can find more information about the benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV) for your hair in my article on why you should wash your hair with ACV.
Do you feel your hair is becoming thinner or grayer? Are you worried about a receding hairline or bald patches? When people notice their hair is changing, this can be a blow to their confidence. Our hair is often a part of our identity, so we might go to great lengths to preserve it.
Onion and onion juice can help you re-grow your hair. This natural home remedy might not sound that appealing, but it has been a successful treatment for hair loss for decades. Read on to find out how and why it works.
How Onion Helps in Hair Growth?
Onion is rich in sulfur. This mineral is one of the main building blocks of hair. It improves blood circulation and provides the hair follicles with sufficient nourishment. Onion also has anti-bacterial properties, so it helps with scalp infections that might contribute to hair loss.
Furthermore, it contains the enzyme catalase, which is an anti-oxidant that can prevent premature graying for some people (I also wrote an article about the top natural supplements for treating premature gray hair).
The Research
Onion’s potential as a potent home remedy for hair loss has also been studied scientifically. In 2002, the Journal of Dermatology published a small study that looked into the use of onion juice for alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease that presents with patchy hair loss).
Participants who applied onion juice twice daily for two months experienced much better hair re-growth rates compared to those who only used tap water. Men had better success with the treatment than did women.
How to Make Onion Rinse For Hair Growth
Onion and honey mix for hair growth
Mix ¼ cup of onion juice with 1 tablespoon of honey (if more mixture is required, double the amounts).
Apply the paste onto your scalp.
Leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
You can also cover it with a shower cap and leave it overnight.
Rinse it off.
Onion juice for hair growth
Peel the onions and chop them into small pieces.
Squeeze the juice out. To extract the juice, you can use a food processor, a blender, a grater or a juicer.
Massage the juice into your scalp or cover the bald patches.
Leave on for at least 15 minutes (longer if you can tolerate the smell) and then wash out using a mild shampoo.
This is a natural treatment, so you’ll have to be a bit patient to see the results. Use it daily (or minimum three times a week) and allow at least two months for your hair to start becoming stronger and shinier.
Eating snacks with the right ratio of nutrients, with the right calories, will help keep you body energized and help you lose weight. Protein (plus exercise) fuels the growth of lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolic rate and increases calorie burn. Fiber, meanwhile, helps improve digestion and keeps you from binging on fats and sugars. So while there's no food that will literally "burn fat" while you eat it, smart choices with these ingredients will help your body operate at maximum efficiency. Bowerman suggests snacks under 200 calories, with 10 grams of protein and close to 5 grams of fiber. Here are 20 of our favorite fat-burning snacks.
Canned tuna on whole-wheat crackers
If you don't want to incorporate dairy into every snack, a can of tuna (packaged in water) is another great source of lean protein plus healthy Omega-3s. For about 200 calories, you can enjoy 3 ounces of light tuna and 6 whole-wheat crackers—complete with 3 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein.
Cottage cheese-filled avocado
Here's another fruit and diary combo, this one for when you're craving something rich, creamy, and a bit savory. Remove the pit from one half of an avocado and fill the space with 2 ounces of 1% cottage cheese. For 200 calories, you'll get 9 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber—and no dirty dishes!
Sunflower lentil spread with pita bread
Lentils are a good source of iron, a metabolism-boosting nutrient that 20% of us don't get enough of. This savory recipe makes four 180-calorie servings, with 10 grams each of protein and fiber.
An apple and skim milk
"Almost any fruit is going to make a great snack, but you usually want to pair it with a bit of protein to make it more satisfying," says Bower-man; "unlike carbohydrates, which get used up relatively quickly, protein will help sustain your energy and hunger levels for a couple of hours."
Our pick for a protein-fruit pairing: one large apple and one cup of skim milk. This duo will give you 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber for just over 200 calories.
Power berry smoothie
This recipe, which calls for soy protein powder and low-fat plain yogurt, contains 9 grams of protein; swap in Greek yogurt to add even more. Frozen berries add fiber (4 grams total), and honey provides sweetness. All this for only 139 calories!
Warm pear with cinnamon ricotta
Ricotta cheese is rich in protein, and pears are a good source of fiber. Together with a teaspoon of cinnamon, they make a delicious snack for any time of day. Each serving contains 8 g protein, 5 g fiber, and 170 calories.
Cauliflower with white bean dip
Make a batch of white bean and roasted garlic dip at the beginning of the week to spread on crackers and eat with veggies when hunger strikes. Pair a quarter-cup serving with 2 cups of raw, chopped cauliflower, for example, for a total of 11 grams protein, 8 grams fiber, and 199 calories.
Miso-glazed tofu
This recipe is touted as a main course, but it's so light on calories (only 164) that it can stand in as a mid-day snack, as well. It also packs plenty of protein (12 g) thanks to the tofu, as well as 3 grams of fiber.
Edamame
One cup of edamame, or boiled soybeans, contains 17 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 189 calories. A perfect snack all by itself! Serve hot or cold, season with salt, and enjoy.
Chicken pita sandwich (half)
There's no reason you can't have smaller portions of "real" food as snacks, says Bowerman. "Oftentimes, the healthiest and most balanced snacks are the ones that start as full meals—like a half a sandwich, or a plate of leftovers put together from dinner the night before," she adds.
Whip up this chicken and veggie pita in the morning, and split it in half for two snacks throughout the day. Each half contains 200 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and more than 20 grams of protein.
You need to prevent hair loss before your hair begins to thin out – and the answer lies in sensible hair care.
Prevent hair loss, hair care
Most people think about preventing hair loss only after they have lost a lot of it. But if you start early (like when you still have a head full of hair) it works out a lot easier both emotionally and financially. In fact, the truth is - preventing hair loss is a simpler process than treating hair loss. Plainly put, it all boils down to some sensible hair care - if you take care to keep the hair you’ve got, you will be blessed with better looks and healthier hair. So here are a few things you can do to prevent your hair from falling:
1. Follow a healthy lifestyle,
2. Take care of your hair,
3. Avoid things bad for your hair, and
4. Adopt simple Home treatments.
1. Follow a Healthy Lifestyle
Hair, like your skin and your nail, is often a barometer of general health. If you are healthy, your hair will probably look good. And if your hair is falling, it could be a sign of possible health problems.
So everything you do for good health also applies to hair: eat your fruits and vegetables (Vitamin B, Iron, Calcium and Zinc have especially been linked to healthy hair); always consume a protein-rich diet (hair is made of proteins), and drink adequate water.2. Take care of your hair
Dirty hair is more likely to get infected and more likely to fall – so keep your hair clean. Buy good-quality shampoo and hair products (in the long run this is cheaper than treating hair that is already half gone). When you shampoo your hair, concentrate on the scalp and hair roots. When applying a conditioner or hair lotion, it is better to concentrate on the ends of your hair (which tend to dry out faster and are more vulnerable to the damage that comes from exposure).
Trimming you mane regularly helps your hair look and feel better. Besides, it’s also a long “bye-bye” to those annoying split ends!
3. Avoid things that are bad for your hair
This seems so obvious it should not need telling. But it apparently does need to be told again because many of us unknowingly adopt several unhealthy hair-practices:
Wearing styles that pull the hair tight (usually into braids or pony tails). Many women pull their hair so tight it actually comes out of its roots. If you change your hairstyle soon enough, your hair will recover. Otherwise, your hair might permanently stop growing from the areas it is pulled most from.
Any chemical treatments (even so-called ‘herbal’ ones) designed to drastically change the way your hair looks (styling, perming, straightening, hot-oil treatments, hot ironing).
Blow-drying your hair – this dries out the scalp and damages hair follicles. Allow your hair to air dry at least part of the time, or change the heat setting on your blower to the lowest.
Combing your hair or rough toweling when its wet – this will put out some hair strands from the roots and stretch and break others
Even the habit of pulling out hair might do more harm than you realize (some people actually go bald from this).
The idea is to be gentle with your hair. Do nothing that might harm your hair in any way.
4. Home treatments for healthy hair
Here we’ve mentioned a few home treatments that generations of Indian women have relied on. Give these ancient secrets a shot yourselves!
Make a paste of henna, curd, soaked and ground fenugreek, ground hibiscus flowers, ground gooseberries, and egg (all of them or any one) and apply it onto the hair and scalp for about an hour before shampooing. Done regularly, this will make your hair stronger and better-looking. But remember that henna is suitable only for dark colored hair because it tints hair red.
Wash the hair out with decoction of tea or a bit of lemon squeezed into the water in which you will bathe. (for dandruff).
Apply coconut or almond oil. If doing this daily does not appeal to you, apply the oil on the scalp overnight before shampooing, or apply a drop to the top of your head before you comb out your hair.
Never ever take your hair for granted. The adage “Prevention is better than cure” fully applies to your hair too. Remember, you will sorely miss those beautiful tresses if you let them go away!