Friday, July 3, 2015

intelectual humor

20 Jokes That Only Intellectuals Will Understand. Number 5 Took Me A Minute.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

45 Uses For Lemons That Will Blow Your Socks Off

The majority of you are familiar with the traditional uses of lemon, and use it to alleviate sore throat, or to give a specific flavor to meals. However, the diversity of lemon’s favorable properties far exceeds general knowledge. After reading them all, you will never leave your kitchen without a few lemons.

1. High Blood Pressure

The potassium in lemon controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness.

2. Refresh Cutting Boards

Normally, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish, so your cutting board has intense smell. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize it, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

3. Make a Room Scent/Humidifier

Make your own room scent that also doubles as a humidifier and freshen and moisturize the air in your home on dry winter days.

If you have a wood-burning stove, place an enameled cast-iron pot or bowl on top, fill it with water, and add lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple skins. If you do not possess a stove of this kind, use your stovetop instead and just simmer the water periodically.

4. Remove Fridge Smell

Lemon can help you remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Make sure to get rid of any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.

5. Clean and Whiten Nails

Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mixture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

6. Respiratory Problems

Lemon is beneficial in cases of asthma, can also help you breathe properly and can reduce phlegm.

7. Replace Your Dry Cleaner

This homegrown trick can help you ditch the expensive dry-cleaning bills (and harsh chemicals). Simply scrub the stained area on shirts and blouses with equal parts lemon juice and water.

8. Boost Laundry Detergent

Lemon will turn out your clothes brighter and will also make them smelling lemon-fresh. For more powerful cleaning action, pour 1 cup lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle. The natural bleaching action of the juice will zap stains and remove rust and mineral discolorations from cotton T-shirts and briefs and will leave your clothes smelling fresh.

9. Prevents Kidney Stones

Regular consumption of the refreshing drink, or even lemon juice mixed with water, may increase the production of urinary citrate. It is a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.

10. Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen

The lemon treatment can substitute insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Initially squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then, squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in.

Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. This will send a message to ants that they are not welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 2 liters water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee.

11. Treating Arthritis and Rheumatism

Another remarkable property of lemon is that it can act as diuretic, for it assists in the production of urine. This helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism.

12. Anti-Aging

Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant. Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage.

13. Deodorize a Humidifier

When smelling funky, deodorize you humidifier with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. This procedure can be repeated every couple of weeks to keep the odor away.

14. Reduce Asthma Symptoms

2 tablespoons of lemon juice before each meal, and before retiring, in addition to a general detoxifying diet, can reduce asthma symptoms.

15. Treat Infections

Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. Try lime and water for gargling.

16. Deodorize Your Garbage Can

If your garbage is beginning to smell yucky, here’s an easy way to deodorize it: Save leftover lemon and orange peels and toss them at the base under the bag. For gaining a fresh effect, repeat once every couple of weeks.

17. Purges Blood

Daily consumption of lemon water helps to purify the blood. We consume a lot of junk food or food with a lot of preservatives and artificial flavors, which builds up a lot of toxins in the blood and body, so this purification is really important.

18. Keep Guacamole Green

The solution for the guacamole turned brown on top can be easy using lemon: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green. The flavor of the lemon juice is a natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. If squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, they’ll stay snowy white, which will help you make the fruit salad hours in advance.

19. Wash for Fruits and Vegetables

To wash your groceries from pesticides or dirt which may be lurking on the skin, slice your lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

20. Make Soggy Lettuce Crisp

With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss the soggy lettuce in a salad. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

21. Oral Health

Lemon juice also stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches.

22. Vaginal Hygiene

Preserve your vaginal health using lemon juice. Diluted lemon juice makes a safe and sane method of vaginal hygiene. Though it is a powerful antiseptic it is nevertheless free from irritating drugs in bought products for this aim.

23. Forget Moth Balls

Learn a popular French custom to keep closets free from moths. Take ripe lemons and stick them with cloves all over the skin. The heavily studded lemons slowly dry with their cloves, leaving an excellent odor.

24. Age Spots Lightening

Lemon juice is a safe and effective skin-lightening agent. To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse.

25. Stomach Health
Digestive problems are the most common ailments but warm water and lime juice is the solution to most digestive problems. Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces phlegm.
26. Remove Warts

Next time you try to banish warts, apply a dab of lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days until the acids in the lemon juice dissolve the wart completely.

27. Create Blonde Highlights
For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. For optimal results, repeat once daily for up to a week.
28. Cleanse Your Face
Lemon water is a cooling agent, it represents the best way to beat the heat. You can also wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation. Zap zits naturally by dabbing lemon juice on blackheads to draw them out during the day. Your skin should improve after several days of treatment.
29. Flaky Dandruff Treatment
Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. This procedure is repeated on a daily basis.
30. Freshen Your Breath
The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that cause bad breath. Wash your mouth by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath. Long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel, so rinse after a few minutes.
31. Eliminate Tough Stains on Marble
Marble is really petrified calcium, also known as old seashells. That is the reason why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. For this purpose, try the following method: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. Acid can damage marble, so do this after you have tried different options only. Rinse well.
32. Remove Berry Stains
Berry juice stains on the fingers won’t come off no matter how much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until they are completely away.
33. Chills and Fevers
Spanish physicians regard lemon as an infallible friend. Chills and fevers may be due to a variety of causes, but lemon is always a helpful remedy.
34. Prevent Cauliflower From Turning Brown
You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.
35. Mental Health
Lemon water can also keep you in a good mood and relieve you from depression and stress. Explorers, walkers and long distance walkers are extremely grateful for lemon and its benefits. When fatigue begins, a lemon is sucked through a hole in the top. It gives almost unbelievable refreshments.
36. Make Your Dry, Scaly Elbows Soft
Itchy elbows give a bad feeling and look terrible. For better looking elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a soothing, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment. Rinse with a mixture with a 1:1 lemon juice and water ratio. Afterwards, massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth.
37. Headaches
For those who suffer with hangover headaches–and from headaches due to many other causes, lemon juice with a few teaspoons of hot tea added is the treatment which makes miracles. A sophisticated New York bartender, converts his customers to this regime, and weans them away from drug remedies completely.
38. Diphtheria
Lemon juice is one of the most powerful antiseptics and the strong digestive qualities of lemon are admired around the world. Every hour or two, and at the same time, 1/2 to 1 tablespoons should be swallowed. This routine cuts loose the false membrane in the throat and permits it to come out.
39. Soothe Poison Ivy Rash
You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time you experience poison ivy rash. Simply apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.
40. Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome
Get rid of tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel using a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt). Coat the affected area with it. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry.
Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too. Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse. Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome. Simply rub lemon rind over the chrome and watch it shine! Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.
41. Rid Clothes of Mildew
Have you ever unpacked clothes you stored all winter and discovered some are stained with mildew? To get rid of it, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
42. Bleach Delicate Fabrics
Soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing. Avoid additional bleach stains by swapping ordinary household chlorine bleach with lemon juice. This mixture is milder but no less effective.
43. Disinfect Cuts and Scrapes
Pour a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut to stop bleeding and disinfect minor cuts and scrapes. You can also apply the juice with a cotton ball and hold firmly in place for one minute.
44. Eliminate Fireplace Odor
Simply burn some lemon peels along with your firewood as a preventive measure, or next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames
45. Neutralize Odor in Cat- Box
Just cut a couple of lemons in half and place them, cut side up, in a dish in the room, and the air will soon smell lemon-fresh. You don’t have to use an aerosol spray to neutralize foul-smelling cat-box odors or to freshen the air in your bathroom anymore.

See More…Healthy Food House

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

March 26, 2015 Food & Nutrition

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey are two amazing natural substances. When you consume them in their unprocessed, raw forms, the health benefits abound. If you put the two together, the results become even more positive. In addition, the use of sweet honey makes the taste of the drink more pleasing.

Fight joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems and sore throat in a natural way by consuming a concoction of ACV and honey on an empty stomach, and observe for yourself the great offerings of nature.

Health benefits of ACV and honey mix

Raw honey and ACV are both praised for their abilities to ward off infections and treat different conditions that have an impact on your quality of life. If you consume them together, you’re likely to experience the following benefits:

Better joint health and joint pain alleviation (good for arthritic pain)
Acid reflux and heartburn relief
Improved digestive health, including help with constipation
Weight loss
Reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure
Sore throat relief
More energy
Youthful appearance and better condition of the skin
Remedy for bad breath
Reducing inflammation

Why is the combination so successful?

The overwhelming benefits of the mixture can be explained by looking at their chemical properties and interactions with the body. Many experts believe that we become ill when our bodies turn overly acidic (pH below 7). Vinegar is naturally acidic, but when consumed, it turns alkaline. Honey, too, has a low pH, but raises the alkalinity of the body once eaten.

The two substances are a perfect way to get rid of excessive acidity (resulting from stressful lifestyle and unhealthy foods and drinks) and building an internal environment with a protective pH. Our bodies function at their best and healthiest when the body’s pH is between 7.0 and 7.4, so slightly alkaline.

Further reading: read more about the body’s pH in my articles How to Balance Your pH and Find Out If You’re Too Acidic and 5 Things to Avoid If You Want to Get Your Body Alkaline.

How to make ACV & honey healing drink

Make sure you get the ingredients that are unfiltered and in their natural forms. Honey and ACV that have not been processed, thus have maintained all their nutritional properties, appear cloudy. Also, check the label and go for ACV with the ‘mother of vinegar’, which can be seen as a pulp on the bottom of the bottle.
Mix together:

1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon ACV (if you can tolerate the taste, increase the dosage to up to 1 tablespoon)
8 oz. warm water (1 glass)

You might initially struggle with the potent taste, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll most likely want to stick with the concoction.

When to drink it?

It’s best to drink the mixture on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Consume it about 20-30 minutes before you eat. Be consistent and drink it on a daily basis.
Some suggest increasing the intake to two, or even three, times a day, depending on your needs and tolerance for taste. As with many other natural remedies, it is best to test it for yourself and see what works for your body, although high consumption of ACV may cause low potassium levels and lowers bone density. Also ACV may interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease, so if you’re planning to use it on a daily basis make sure to consult your doctor to avoid interactions with the medicines you’re taking.

Also read other related articles:
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) For Weight Loss
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Drinks
13 Ways to Use Honey For Your Health

Sources:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/apple-cider-vinegar-and-honey-benefits.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/284591-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar-honey/

6 Things That Will Happen to Your Body if You Drink Almond Milk With Honey Everyday

There is nothing wrong with drinking a cup of almond milk before bedtime, but for maximum effect stir a teaspoon of honey into it.

Here are some of the benefits provided by regular consumption of almond milk and honey:

1. Better sleep

Large amounts of sugar may keep you awake and upset, but a tiny amount of glucose will sure help your brain to shut down orexin, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for keeping your body awake.

2. Energy and concentration

Drink a glass of almond milk and 2 tablespoons of honey in the morning to maintain your energy at a high level throughout the day.

Dairy milk is known for its high content of various vitamins and minerals but almonds have been proven to contain extra nutrients, and honey is loaded with carbs.

3. Slow down aging

When it comes to aging, researchers reveal that honey and almond milk have positive effect on overall health, not on the skin only. In ancient times people believed that the combination of almond milk and honey is the elixir of youth, and used it to nourish their body.

4. Antibacterial protection

When combined together, honey and almond milk fight Staphylococcus, which is why they are believed to have strong antibacterial properties.

5. Digestion

Drinking a cup of almond milk and honey can relieve constipation, bloating and problems with intestines.

6. Respiratory diseases

Almond milk and honey aid in the treatment of cold and cough. By combining them both you get a powerful remedy that is far better than any other pharmaceutical option.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The 7 Plants Mosquitoes Simply Hate

Have you found yourself constantly slapping mosquitoes while sitting outside this year, or having to spray yourself repeatedly with insect repellent?

Avoid using sprays with chemicals like DEET by growing plants that are not only helpful in controlling these pests naturally, but are beautiful and easy to manage.

The plants below can be grown in your home or garden.1. Citronella – This plant has a strong smell, which helps mask you from mosquitoes. It is a common substance in repellents. The plant itself is more effective than candles or torches because its smell is stronger.

2. Horsemint – Here is another plant with a strong smell. It is also known as bee balm or lemon balm. It is a fast-growing perennial with a tolerance for shade and is resistant to drought.This helpful flora is a perennial and can grow into a grassy, bush-like plant up to five or six feet. It does better in pots if you live in an area where you get frost. It may need to come inside for the winter. Citronella is a low-maintenance plant and does well in full sun with well-draining soil.
Horsemint grows up to two or three feet high and wide. It does well in sandy soil. Horsemint can be divided in spring and fall to be transplanted to other locations. It also attracts bees and butterflies, so it also serves to attract pollinators to your garden.

3. Marigolds – This hardy and colorful flower is more than ornamental garden stock. Mosquitoes find the smell very unpleasant. These flowers have pyrethrum, which is found in repellents. Marigolds are annual plants but will reseed themselves, so you may have to thin the flowers at times.

They enjoy full sun and healthy, but not over-fertilized, soil. You can start them by seed or go to a garden center and purchase seedlings.

Marigolds also deter tomato-loving insects, so by planting them near your vegetable garden you will help to control more than just mosquitoes.

4. Ageratum – Ageratum is also known as floss flower and it is another plant that has a strong smell mosquitoes tend to avoid. This flower secretes a natural chemical used in repellents, called coumarin. Ageratum is an annual which has distinctive blue flowers. It is an ornamental type flower, reaching heights of eight to 18 inches.

It likes partial or full sun and even does well in rock gardens. Crushing the leaves will increase the odor, but do not rub the crushed leaves on your skin, as it can lead to irritation.

5. Catnip – Here is a natural repellent for mosquitoes. Iowa State University entomologists reported in 2010 that catnip is TEN times more effective than DEET. Catnip contains nepetalactone and is an easy-to-grow perennial. Catnip will always repel mosquitoes in close proximity to the plant. It is a relative of mint (another plant-repeller.)

You can rub it on your skin, but cats will react to you the same way they react to the plant, so cat owners may want to try another type of plant!

6. Lavender – There are many varieties of lavender. It is beautiful to look at, lovely to smell and easy to grow. It is a fragrant herb that flowers. Lavender is another plant that repels mosquitoes by its smell. The smell actually masks our body’s smell and other ones the mosquitoes find yummy. Lavender can be dried and used in bouquets and sachets. It also has a calming effect. Lavender, especially its oil, repels mosquitoes and nourishes the skin at the same time. It also can be grown in pots or in a garden.

7. Basil – This lovely herb gives off a scent the mosquitoes don’t like, but people love. It is an easy-to-grow herb. All basil will work, but there are two varieties that seem to work best. They are lemon basil and cinnamon basil. You can find them at a garden center, or can grow them from seeds.
You can rub basil on your skin. It also can be used in cooking, so it’s an all-around useful plant.
There are many more plants that can be used for repelling mosquitoes. Try rosemary, garlic, peppermint, cloves, eucalyptus, tea tree, neem, vanilla sagebrush and thyme.

You can make your own repellent by using herbs like rosemary, garlic and peppermint. Start by crushing the leaves and adding them to vodka. Let the mixture sit for 12 hours. Put the mix in a spray bottle and use as you would with any mosquito repellent. You can also substitute witch hazel for the Vodka.

Keep in mind: The plants will work naturally, but if it is raining or there is a strong wind, the effectiveness of the plants will diminish for a while.

By grouping these plants around your garden and decks, you can enjoy their beauty while having mosquito interruptions kept to a minimum. After all, it’s that time of year where we want to enjoy the outdoors.

Beet Juice Boosts Cognitive Function In One Dose

Could beet juice provide you a brain boost superior to coffee or tea?

Recently, Deanna Minich, PhD, founder of Food and Spirit, brought to my attention an amazing new study on beets and their role in promoting cognitive health. She summarized the study as follows:

One recent study in 40 healthy people showed that they were able to better perform on cognitive tests 90 minutes after drinking 450 mL beetroot juice compared with placebo (apple/blackcurrant juice, which is low in nitrates). What I really like about this study is that brain performance can be improved fairly rapidly in healthy people with a simple activity like drinking beetroot juice (high in dietary nitrates, which leads to more nitric oxide to open up oxygen flow in the brain)."

The abstract below goes into greater depth as to the plausible mechanism behind beet juice's observed beneficial effects:

Nitrate derived from vegetables is consumed as part of a normal diet and is reduced endogenously via nitrite to nitric oxide. It has been shown to improve endothelial function, reduce blood pressure and the oxygen cost of sub-maximal exercise, and increase regional perfusion in the brain. The current study assessed the effects of dietary nitrate on cognitive performance and prefrontal cortex cerebral blood-flow (CBF) parameters in healthy adults. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups study, 40 healthy adults received either placebo or 450ml beetroot juice (~5.5mmol nitrate). Following a 90minute drink/absorption period, participants performed a selection of cognitive tasks that activate the frontal cortex for 54min. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to monitor CBF and hemodynamics, as indexed by concentration changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated-haemoglobin, in the frontal cortex throughout. The bioconversion of nitrate to nitrite was confirmed in plasma by ozone-based chemi-luminescence. Dietary nitrate modulated the hemodynamic response to task performance, with an initial increase in CBF at the start of the task period, followed by consistent reductions during the least demanding of the three tasks utilised. Cognitive performance was improved on the serial 3s subtraction task. These results show that single doses of dietary nitrate can modulate the CBF response to task performance and potentially improve cognitive performance, and suggest one possible mechanism by which vegetable consumption may have beneficial effects on brain function."

As you can see above, the beet juice intervention resulted in the modulation of haemodynamic response (HR) in the prefrontal cortex during task performance. In neurobiology the HR involves the rapid delivery of blood to active neuronal tissues. The blood vessel dilating effects of beet nitrate and subsequent increases in oxygen and nutrients may help explain the improvements in cognitive function in the intervention group.

As Deanna mentioned, it is quite amazing that a single dose of beet juice (450 mL = 15.21 ounces), could result in near immediate improvements in cognition. This bodes well for those looking for a viable option to coffee or tea, since habitual users of these stimulant beverages have come to expect immediate results. The difference here, of course, is that beets are a food and therefore can be considered a more sustainable and nourishing brain supportive agent. Additionally, beet is a nutrition-packed food carrying a wide range of side benefits, which include cardiovascular benefits, cancer prevention, and liver support. For more in depth information of beet as a functional food, read our previous article "The Health Benefits of Beets."

A Wide Range of Natural, Evidence-Based Brain Boosters Have Been Identified

At GreenMedInfo.com we have indexed a vast swath of information on both the causes and solutions for cognitive dysfunction. You can view the entire data set here: Cognitive Dysfunction.

A few of the the approaches that stand out are:

For additional research, consult this article: "7 Proven Ways To Keep Your Brain Young," or consult our database section: Aging Brain.

Looking to improve your health, well-being and energy levels? Sign up for one of Deanna's upcoming Detoxification Seminars:

Sayer

Gay Maraige Evades Estate Taxes

June 28, 2015

Has SCOTUS Created a Way to Get Around the Estate Tax?

By Vel Nirtist

Sometimes, at a most solemn moment, a most irreverent thought shoots through the mind. When I heard that the US Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, my thought was "I wonder what the estate tax lawyers will make of it?"

How about advising a terminally ill widowed grandma to marry her much-beloved granddaughter at the deathbed? Won't the estate pass to the surviving spouse intact? I'm not a lawyer, but I think it will -- without IRS getting the bite out of it as would happen now.

And it would be very hard to have a sound legal argument against such marriage. Isn't it born out of love? Absolutely. But doesn't it go against the prohibition of marriage with a blood relative? But this prohibition is rooted merely in the very same authority that also prohibits the same-sex union, and hence could survive juducial review if litigation results.

The law of unintended consequences may work to surprising effect. The very people who are today repelled by the court's decision may come to embrace it as a tool of keeping their wealth in the family; the government that is now elated with the court's decision, may yet come to rue it when US Treasury's estate tax revenue dwindles.

It's a brave new world out there. One wonders how the lawyers will navigate and harness it.