Backyard (organic) vegetable gardening in small spaces

Most backyard food gardeners are looking to augment their family’s diet with a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs throughout the growing season.

The most common way to combine garden crops is via an age-old technique called interplanting, which in essence means planting various garden edibles with different growth and spacing attributes together in the same soil beds or rows.

Building on the idea of interplanting, gardeners combine plants that produce vines and can be grown on trellises or fences along with low-growing crops. So-called “vertical gardening” concentrates much more production into each square foot of planting area. Tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers, snap peas, melons and winter squash are all examples of crops suitable for vertical gardening if staked or supported properly.

Another common technique is succession planting, which entails replacing a finished crop with a different one, or planting a single crop in small amounts over an extended period of time. Some crops particularly well-suited to succession planting include bush beans, lettuce, spinach and radishes, each of which have long growing seasons but can be harvested after only a few weeks. A related technique would be to plant both early- and late-maturing varieties of the same type of crop around the same time, and harvesting the resulting crops successively. Tomatoes and corn, for example, each come in varieties that ripen at different times during their respective growing seasons.

Which milk to choose?

Whole milk: No fat removed. Has a rich taste. Contains 3.5 percent to 4 percent milk fat and about 150 calories a cup.
Reduced-fat milk: contains at most 2 percent milk fat and about 120 calories a cup.
Low-fat milk: contains 1 percent milk fat and about 100 calories a cup.
Fat-free milk, or skim milk: contains no more than 0.2% milk fat and has about 90 calories a cup.
Organic milk: Produced by dairy farmers that use only organic fertilizers and organic pesticides and whose cows are not given supplemental hormones or antibiotics.
Pasteurized milk: Pasteurization, or subjecting milk to a short burst of heat followed by rapid cooling, has been standard protocol since the 1920s in this country to destroy harmful microorganisms and prolong shelf life.
Homogenized: Most milk you buy from the store is homogenized, meaning the fat molecules have been broken up, reduced in size to droplets too small to rise to the surface in a cream layer, and uniformly blended.
Cream line: Not homogenized.
Raw milk: Milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.
Lactose-free milk: For individuals who are unable to break down lactose, the natural sugar in milk, the lactase enzyme

is added to break down lactose into simpler, more digestable sugars.

Why exercise in the morning?

More than 90 percent of people, who exercise consistently, exercise in the morning.

When you exercise early in the morning, you literally 'jump start' your metabolism and keep it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours.

When you exercise in the morning you'll be energized for the day.

Many people find that morning exercise 'regulates' their appetite for the day — that they aren't as hungry and that they make better food choices.

If you exercise at the same time every morning and ideally wake-up at about the same time on a regular basis, your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms adjust to that.

For many people, that appointed time every morning becomes something they look forward to.

Research has demonstrated that exercise increases mental acuity.

Exercise first thing in the morning is really the only way to assure that something else won't crowd exercise out of your schedule.

If finding time to exercise is difficult, anyone can get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier to exercise (if it's a priority in your life).

The power of positive thinking: optimists live longer

Using data from 100,000 women over age 50, the Women's Health Initiative, which began in 1994, found that self-described optimists were more likely to be alive after the first eight years of tracking participants' health. While these optimists were less likely to die from any cause, research found that 30 percent of participating women were less likely to die from heart disease, the leading cause of death in women in the US. Conversely, pessimistic women had a "higher overall death rate," and they were also 23 percent more likely to die from conditions related to cancer.

Researchers believe that optimists in general have larger social networks to turn to during crises, and that they just cope better with stress, which has been associated with heart disease.

Small windows of exercise beneficial

Experts say a few minutes of activity several times a day can add up. Years of research has repeatedly shown that a few minutes of exercise several times a day add up to the same result as 30 minutes at one time.

Aerobic activity should be performed in increments of at least 10 minutes.

Twisting out toxins with yoga

The twisting positions in Yoga are extremely beneficial for getting the body's digestive organs to work more efficiently. The twists also help move stuck energy in our lymphatic system and provide a great physical and mental release to all the tension we accumulate just by living our lives. Twists will also tone the abdominal organs, stretches the hips and external rotators, and improves the circulation and energy flow throughout the spine. Yoga classes will often end with a twist to relax the body and prepare for meditation or deep relaxation.

Some of the twists you can try at home:

Seated Twist Matseyendrasana
Lunge Twist
Twisting Triangle
Parsva Bakasana

Vitamin D useful in fighting a cold

The latest study adds to mounting evidence that the vitamin from sunshine boosts the immune system and helps prevent some cancers and heart disease.

Vitamin D comes mostly from strong sunshine, pills, or milk and some fish. Most Canadians have very low levels of the vitamin.

The new study, published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine, shows that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood are the most likely to catch colds.

Asthma patients with the lowest vitamin D levels were five times more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection, while COPD patients had twice as many respiratory infections when they had a vitamin D deficiency.

Bottled water may contain ‘hormones’: Plastics

Bottled mineral water may deliver more than a no-calorie thirst quencher. If dispensed in bottles made from a type of plastic known as PET, for polyethylene terephthalate, this water may also pack a substantial quantity of estrogen-mimicking pollution, according to researchers at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt.

Previous studies had demonstrated polycarbonate bottles — a hard, clear-plastic type — can leach bisphenol A, a chemical that turns on estrogen receptors in the body. But the bottles in the new study were made from a different plastic, the type used in most single-use water bottles.

And in the new study, most glass-bottled waters show little or no estrogenicity. One PET-bottled brand of water also registered no estrogenicity,. The other PET-bottled waters all showed some hormone action. Five exhibited dramatic estrogenicity. So did water distributed in Tetra Pak containers, which may have a plastic interior lining.

Laughter yoga, it's the best medicine

Laughter yoga is a form of exercise that blends bold belly laughs and noisy "meditation" with rhythmic clapping, waddling around like a penguin or taking part in a conga line, and deep, yogic breathing.

Laughter yoga is a unique exercise that combines laughter with yogic breathing. When we laugh we exhale, and we automatically take a deep inhale afterwards, which is where the yogic breathing comes in.

Other benefits of a good giggle are, that it boosts the immune system, reduces stress, boosts endorphin levels, improves mental clarity and gives a great aerobic workout.

Ten minutes of sustained laughter will give you the equivalent workout of half an hour on a stationary bicycle. Afterwards people lay on the floor to "meditate" amid a cacophony of laughter.

The 90 day sex diet

Women should hold out not put out for a full 3 months of dating. The theory: It's a good screening technique for women to find out if a man is simply "sport fishing" -- or looking for "a keeper."

It's good for both the guy and girl not to jump in too quickly sexually. If they sleep together too soon, the girl will think the guy is a player, and the guy will think the girl is sleazy. But 90 days can seem a bit long. It's best for the couple to speak openly, and find a time period which feels comfortable for each. And the girl should know, if the guy pushes too hard for sex, it means the guy doesn't really care about the woman.

A reminder to guys to be conscious of behaving like "gentlemen." After sex, a man must call the woman that very night, have a warm conversation, and ask the girl out during this conversation. Texting after sex is very bad post-sex etiquette. It's informal, unemotional, and shows no effort.

Guys should not pick a restaurant across the street from someone's apartment -- because it shows the girl he's hoping to chow down and get down. The guy should show a little ingenuity and effort, and find an unexplored restaurant which is not a hop, skip and jumping-bones distance from someone's home.

Some companies promote wellness despite hard economic times

At a time when companies are laying off workers and cutting benefits, some local businesses are taking a different approach during the economic downturn. Rather than cutting benefits, some businesses are investing in keeping their employees happy and healthy.

Corporate wellness initiatives have picked up steam, especially among larger employers, over the past 15 years, said Myrna Harris, chief executive officer of Crescent PPO, a regional provider-sponsored health care network whose members include large employers that fund their own health care plans.

Many small businesses have the misconception that wellness programs cost a lot of money or need special resources they can't provide, like a wellness coordinator. Worksite wellness programs can be as simple as having healthy food at meetings or joining free programs in the community that promote wellness.

Is vitamin water really nutritious or a waste of money?

Three brands were looked at -- Dasani, Aquafina and Glaceau vitamin water -- and found the number of nutrients they provide is very limited.

Generally, the amounts of nutrients in a bottle were a fraction of what you'd find in a multivitamin that meets or exceeds your daily requirements.

For the price of two of these bottles, you could drink that much water from the tap and take a multivitamin every day for a month.

And that would be kinder to the environment!

Five secrets to healthy living

The five golden rules of chronic disease prevention:

1. Don't smoke
2. Maintain a healthy weight, with a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 25
3. Eat an abundance of plant products -- fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.
4. Be physically active
5. Limit the consumption of industrial products rich in sugar, fats, salt and refined flours.

Foods that fool

Taco Bell salad with shell = 860 calories
2 chili dogs = 600 calories

Salad proteins: (small bowl)
cheese = 345 calories
tofu = 285 calories
ham = 230 calories

Salad toppings: (small bowl)
sunflower seeds = 165 calories
bacon bits = 100 calories

Salad dressing: (1/4 cup)
blue cheese = 550 calories
light french = 260 calories
balsamic vinaigrette = 200 calories
fat free ranch = 135 calories

Flatten your belly in 3 weeks with one move

Slim your middle with this Pilates move.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent in toward your chest. Hold 1 (3-pound) dumbbell with both hands.

2. Extend your left leg to 45 degrees, keeping your right knee bent. Lift your head and shoulders and move the dumbbell to the outside of your right knee, pressing into a crunch with a twist.

3. Pull your left leg in to meet your right leg and reach the weight up toward the ceiling, keeping your shoulders and head elevated off the floor. Now repeat step 2, but this time extend your right leg and keep your left knee bent. That’s 1 rep. Do 8 reps 4 times per week, and you should see results in 3 weeks.

Make an informed choice about taking vitamins

Remember that the latest study isn’t the greatest study, and you need to dig beyond the headline to see if the results apply to you. Although taking a vitamin won’t make up for a bad diet, there are times when supplements should be considered.

The American Dietetic Association suggests that the following groups of people may need to supplement their diets:
• Adults consuming fewer than 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day.
• Pregnant women are advised to take a vitamin that contains higher levels of iron and the B-vitamin folic acid.
• Older adults would benefit from a supplement with low levels of iron and higher levels of vitamin B12.
• Vegans or people who eliminate an entire food group, such as dairy, from their diets.

How do you choose a supplement?
• Look for quality brands that display the USP symbol.
• Take supplements at the same time of day and take them with foods.
• If you take calcium, take it in divided doses throughout the day.

Find balance with yoga

Yoga works on the entire being, not just the physical body. The being comprises the physical body, emotional body (mind), and the energetic body (spirit). Once you start a regular yoga practice you begin to balance out things that led you to gain weight, or led you to have muscle weakness, or achy joints in the first place.

Benefits of yoga:
* Balances nervous system helping to feel calm and deal with stress a lot better
* Improved Cardio vascular efficiency
* Improves and regulates digestive system
* Weight loss
* Increases strength, flexibility and mobility
* Balance and co-ordination
* Increases energy levels
* Improved sleep
* Improved immune system
* Improved concentration and memory
* Improved self image and overall sense of wellbeing

How to stay up in a down economy

Six ways to stay up:

* Return to your roots
* Get the most from social networking
* Get out into the real world
* Improve your soft skills
* Get smart
* Don't take it personally

Workplace wellness programs

Despite pressure to reduce costs in many other areas of operations, 45 percent of respondents report increasing their wellness communications to highlight available services that can assist employees with issues brought on by the economic downturn. Wellness has ‘come of age’ as a vital benefit offering, especially during financially difficult times.

Meditation benefits made easy

The benefits of meditation include: increased focus, improved immune and cardiovascular systems, less shallow breathing and better stress management.

When it comes to meditation, one size does not fit all. You can meditate for five minutes or longer. Find your own style, time and place; tweak it along the way:
You can meditate while sitting or walking.
You can practice breathing more deeply.
You can visualize places or imagine things.

4 of the worst mall foods

1. Cinnabon = 56g fat
2. Cinnabon stix = 21g fat
3. 40oz Grape Smoothie King = 250g sugar
4. Macaroni & Cheese stewed in bread = 3,070 mg sodium

How do you live in a changing world?

1. Recognize that nothing is permanent
2. Know that each day is a new beginning
3. Stay grounded and calm

Five meal myths

1. Fats are bad. Hydrogenated and saturated fats, which can clog our arteries, are unhealthy. But fish, olive and canola oils contain fatty acids our bodies need but can't make in sufficient quantities are good for our heath.
2. Fresh fruits and vegetables are better than frozen. Not necessarily.
3. Eating before bedtime will make you fat. It will if you've already consumed your daily caloric intake.
4. If it tastes good it must be bad for you. Our excess stored fat tends to be a result of overeating and not moving enough. But that doesn't mean that fat, salt and sugar should be avoided.
5. Drink eight glasses of water a day. The recommendation is nine eight-ounce cups of fluids a day for women and 13 for men.

Organic vs Natural

Organic food or whole foods by definition is: Food that is raised without the use of pesticides, insecticides, or any antibiotics.

When a food is labeled natural; that means it contains no additives, such as coloring or flavoring.

Is your organic food really organic?

The true definition of organic is foods or farming methods, produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other artificial agents.

There are two categories of organic food used to further identify the differences: pastoral organic (food grown and purchased locally) and industrial organic (food grown and purchased from around the world).

Factors to consider regarding INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC VS PASTORAL ORGANIC:

1. Cost
2. Variety and availability
3. Use of fossil fuel
4. Freshness of products

Walkers should aim for 100 steps per minute

Experts recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five times per week. If those 30 minutes are achieved in one session, that means taking a minimum of 3,000 steps per session.

Because health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting at least 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1,000 steps in 10 minutes, before building up to 3,000 steps in 30 minutes.

How to find reliable health info on the web

In order to evaluate health information, first ask yourself the following questions:
Who runs the health website?
What is the purpose of the site?
How current is the site?
Who sponsors the site - a health institution or a company selling drugs, vitamins, herbal or alternative remedies?

The following offer reliable information:
www.webMD.com
www.MayoClinic.com
www.MedicineNet.com (general health, one of the most popular)
www.Drugs.com (check out side-effects, drug interactions)