Halloween quickly came and went once again, bringing a flood of children looking for more treats than tricks. If you’re like most, you may only really invite pumpkins into your home during this time of year. Whether you’re putting a pumpkin on your doorstep or into a pie crust, it’s time to see this fruit as more than a once-a-year purchase. One thing is for sure — pumpkins aren’t just for carving or pie making. This seasonal fruit offers health-boosting properties. It is also a delicious ingre

16 Ways to Use Lavender in the Garden, Kitchen, and Bedroom What if I told you that you could grow your very own 100% natural sleep and anxiety aide in your garden? Lavender, a well respected culinary and landscaping herb, is also recognized as an insomnia remedy and a tension and stress buster. Its versatility makes it a must in any garden. Common types of lavender fall into these four main groups – English, Spanish, French, and Lavandin. English lavender is a popular garden type and grows we

Consumers need to be on their toes now more than ever as the bacteria outbreaks and food recalls show no sign of slowing down. If you have recently purchased parsley or Herbes de Provence from World Market, Walmart, or any other grocer in the United States, it may be part of the latest food recall. A customer tested as ample of High Quality Organics’ parsley, and salmonella was possibly discovered. On October 12, Sauer Brands Inc. announced a voluntary recall due to the possible salmonella cont

While spring is generally the season reserved for “the big clean,” deep cleaning your house before winter is equally important. Let’s face it, with the warm weather and clear skies of the summer, you’ve likely neglected a few essential housecleaning tasks over the last few months in favor of spending time outdoors. I don’t blame you! Fresh air is good for your mind and body. However, as the weather cools down and you begin to spend more time inside, you’ll want to have a fresh, clean home to cud

How to Grow and Use This #1 Citrus Fruit for Whiter Teeth and Radiant Skin Lemons, one of the most popular citrus fruits of all time. Along with other fruits and vegetables, Christopher Columbus brought lemons with him on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, and they have been growing in Florida since the sixteenth century. Besides large amounts of vitamin C, lemons also contain riboflavin, thiamin, iron, magnesium, pantothenic acid, fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, calcium, and fo

The pre-cut fruit slices sold at Walmart and other grocers are handy – they are washed and cut, ready to eat. This must mean that they are safe right? Wrong. Like any other “fresh” produce found in the grocery store, they are susceptible to contamination by dangerous organisms like Listeria monocytogenes. That is exactly what has happened… once again grocers are scrambling to ditch inventory after a red flag warning went out after listeria monocytogenes was detected on equipment used to package

You’ve likely experienced a random muscle spasm at some point. Whether you’ve had an extremely uncomfortable charlie horse in your calf, had a consistent twitch in your pectoral muscle after lifting weights, or been jerked awake by a full-body twitch just as you were dozing off, you probably understand how strange it is to have a muscle moving outside of your control. So what exactly do those annoying body twitches really mean, and are they something you should be concerned about? Read on to fin

The Irish Supreme Court has weighed in on a popular American eatery. Subway bread is not legally bread, they say in a ruling that came out today, October 1, 2020. Even the best bread option, at one of America’s favorite “healthy” quick food chains, 9-Grain Whole Wheat, contains 31 ingredients, including added sugar. Gotcha again, Subway! No wonder you want to keep going back to Subway; the so-called bread used in their sandwiches is like eating a Snickers Bar in disguise. Sneaky? Yes. And addic

Does this routine sound familiar? You turn the lights off and crawl into bed at the end of an exhausting day, mentally and physically ready to collapse into sleep. Instead, you grab your phone to “check a few things,” the blue light shining into your face. Thirty minutes later, you finally set your alarm and plug in your phone inches from your head on the bedside table. In the morning, it is the first thing you reach for. You get your initi dose of social media before your feet have even touche

We often take our showers for granted, assuming that the water passing over our bodies will clean all the nooks and crannies. Well, that may not necessarily be true. Some body parts require a little more daily attention, and when left unnoticed not only creates a stink, but also helps bacteria thrive. Here’s nine places you forgot to wash but should. Your toes need your attention Sure, soapy water hits your toes daily, but are they actually clean? Not really. Keeping your feet clean reduces pr

Some people hate them because they taste a bit too earthy, while others love them for the same reason. If you fall into the “love” camp, then growing your own beets make a whole lot of sense. Not only do homegrown beets taste leaps and bounds better than those purchased in the grocery store, but they are tons of fun to grow. Here are some tips for growing the biggest and best beets ever. Beets can be cooked in a variety of ways and pack a nutritional punch. Though the bulbous parts of beets are

Don’t let the word “hydroponic” scare you. Although large-scale growers use this system to grow massive amounts of produce in a short period of time, the system is not limited to commercial agricultural use. You can make your very own inexpensive hydroponic system at home and get started right away to grow tasty produce all year long. While there are many variations of hydroponic systems, one of the easiest ways to make one at home is using what is known as DWC (Deep Water Culture). This is whe

Deodorant is an $18 billion industry in America, with 95 percent of us using it every single day. Most of us don’t think twice about swiping our underarms every morning, but did you know that your deodorant likely contains a number of harmful ingredients that can have long-term negative health effects? For starters, most deodorants and antiperspirants contain parabens as well as phthalates, which are well-known endocrine disruptors. This means that they can interfere with the synthesis, secreti

Have you ever spent a long Friday at work getting excited about kicking back with a bowl of nacho chips and freshly made guacamole…only to find that your avocados are still green and inedible? This much-loved and delectable fruit carries perhaps the greatest risk of bad timing. Similar to bananas, you really have to eat them within that perfect window of ripeness. This is exactly the reason why most people, when shopping for avocados in the grocery store, will spend considerable time looking at

Do you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass and strength, or improve your metabolic health? Then make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. Protein is a vital macronutrient needed for every part of your body. It’s used to build and repair tissues, make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. In fact, if you’re not getting enough protein, you likely have flabby muscles, are generally weak, and have brittle bones — among other issues. Here are the reasons you need more protein in

Are you sitting more than usual? Does your job require you to sit at a desk for long periods? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you should listen up. Research has found that sitting for long periods can harm your health. There is, however, one thing that you can do daily that may help offset the damage caused by sitting. Dangers of sitting for long periods of time Self-quarantine and stay-at-home orders have forced millions of Americans indoors and into a work-at-home situ

Before you grab your weed-killing tool of choice and get to work eradicating the dandelions from your garden, you may want to continue reading. Dandelion is actually an incredibly healthy edible plant with several surprising benefits. Here are our favorite and how you can enjoy this yellow weed today. This weed is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene (which turns into vitamin V), vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, potassium, iron, calcium, fiber, magnesium, zinc, and

During these uncertain times, fear and anxiety for the future are commonplace. If you’re struggling to relax and find that you can’t unwind, it may be time to plant a lovely, aromatic patch of chamomile in your herb garden to help ease your worries. Here’s why we love this useful herb and how you can grow some today. There are two types of chamomile, so it is important to understand exactly what you are planting. German chamomile produces long, flimsy stems and tons of delicate white flowers th

Peonies remind me of my grandparents and my mother, who always had these beautiful anchor flowers in their gardens. My mother even had an offspring of one of her father’s best peony plants right outside of our living room window. Not only can peonies continue to grow and bloom for over 100 years, but they have a unique vintage look and feel that makes them such a joy to grow. Peony flowers have truly show-stopping blooms and come in three main types: herbaceous, tree, and itoh. The most common

There’s nothing enjoyable about being sick and struggling with chest congestion while coughing up phlegm and battling a sore throat and lack of sleep. In fact, that is the perfect combination of symptoms to ensure that you will stay sick for as long as possible. If you’re tired of just waiting out upper respiratory infections, longingly remembering your mucous-free days, and hoping that your lungs will clear, you’ll love these natural methods will help you get back on your feet in no time. Dry