Composting For All ~ Book Review

Nicki Scott released the second edition of Composting For All in 2004; obviously this is a popular publication within the UK, and it is certainly affordable. Here is one booklet that practices what it preaches ? the cover is printed on 80% recycled material and the inside pages are printed on 100% recycled paper. I thought the front cover?s image of mom, dad and young girl happily tending to a compost bin near their bountiful garden and lush yard was quite cute.

Thirty-two pages and seventeen chapters (including the introduction and resource sections) are filled with sketches and illustrations by Bob Gale. This short booklet explains what composting involves in a simple way and terms like vermiculture and aerobic bacteria become less confusing. Learn how to begin composting safely wit little hassle. Discover old and new composting methods from hot and cold composts, fermentation methods and vermiculture. He even discusses compost activators (those that increase decomposition process) and how to reuse an old chest freezer to make a worm bin. The booklet closes with a very small reference section for readers to contact eleven associations and publications to further their journey in waste reduction.

I enjoyed his discussion about the amazing array of life forms are supported by composting activities, and the final product that encourages healthier green spaces, gardens, balcony and roof gardens and flowerboxes in our communities. This results in a wonderful bio-support system to help the other critters that share our world, and healthy plants that clean our air.

The suggestion that most appealed to me was substituting leaf compost for peat requirements in our gardens. I had no idea that many commercially bagged compost actually contain peat. Environmentalists will tell you how important it is to avoid using peat-based products, and alternatives such as ground coconut husk have been around for some time.

Cities concerned with stressed landfills offer compost bins or worm bins to help people handle organic waste. Unfortunately the training available for citizens to use is not always readily available. This is what makes books like these so valuable to our society.

Nicki Scott has authored two booklets, one book and a video on composting and other methods we can all employ reduce waste. He has served as the chairperson for the Community Compost Network in the UK.

Author: Nicki Scott
Illustrator: Bob Gale
Publisher: Green books (UK)
ISBN: 1-903998-23-9

~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment ? Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

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Benefits of Wheat Free Diet Why Going Wheat Free Can Change Your Life

What are the benefits of wheat free diet? Are the results worth more than the effort of change ? You may be thinking a transition to being gluten free will be tricky. Will you be deprived of your favourite foods? Is gluten free cooking cooking complicated? Will your family like gluten free recipes?

Perhaps a practitioner has suggested the change. Or it maybe you have a ?gut instinct? about wheat connecting with the painful symptoms you experience. It can be overwhelming to discover you or a family member have an intolerance to gluten or wheat products.

Going wheat or gluten free can tremendously enhance your quality of life. Countless people suffer needlessly from the consequences of gluten intolerance, enduring a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Relief may come easily through altered food habits ? and you won?t know until you try. Alex, one of my clients remarked that her lifelong problems with chronic constipation, bloating and diarrhea vanished when she gave up wheat. Jane, a woman in one of our healthy cooking classes, lost at least 5 kilos within three months of changing to a gluten free diet.

See going gluten free as a nutritional experiment - a research project in which you are the star! Usually it takes 3-6 weeks without any wheat or gluten products to notice improvement, but some people feel better within a couple of days.

What are the benefits of a wheat free diet?

There are multiple benefits of enjoying a gluten free or wheat free diet.

• Going wheat or gluten free is a great opportunity to increase whole food variety in your diet. Whole vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, seeds and lean meats have more vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients than refined products.
• Eating healthier food can actually cost less, especially if you eat more seasonal vegetables. Plus you will literally get more value in nutrients per mouthful, than processed snacks and meals.
• Your body will thank you for it. Unpleasant symptoms may vanish, cravings can disappear, and many people find the kilos dropping away.
• Your family will be blessed by your newfound passion in the kitchen. Get the kids involved in making some of the healthier sweet treats.

How to make gluten free easy

• Become a label reading detective. Even better is to reduce your intake of packet products and increase your use of wholefoods. Introduce one new ingredient and recipe into your repertoire at a time. Take it gently.
• Make big batches of dips like hummus, soups, and main meals in the weekend. Freeze in small portions.
• Keep extra loaves of gluten free bread sliced in the freezer. Toast it when you need it.
• Pre-soak your breakfast grains: we soak our yummy Bircher muesli the night before. If you feel like a hot grain, soak the grain over night. Soaking grains overnight in the pot will make cooking the next day faster.
• One way to make lunch box prep easy is to do it the night before. You may like to make extra dinner and take some for lunch the next day.
• Containers of natural yoghurt with fresh fruit alongside are good choices for work.
• Canned salmon or tuna with avocado on top of a big green salad is sustaining and won?t weigh you down, plus you get those healthy brain omega oils.
• Try to keep a stash of snack food for the inevitable times when you?re out and can?t buy something good to eat. Nuts and seeds are one option. Boiling eggs in the morning is a good idea, plus containers of hummus with lots of dipping veggies.
• A gluten free diet for children is achievable. Let them help you in the kitchen. Encourage them to help you find their special gluten free treats at the supermarket or health food store.

Author: Anna Wilde
New Zealander's Anna and Roger Wilde at Wild Health know that Healthy food heals!?. Their mission: To encourage and support people who want to experience full health through better food and lifestyle choices.
Get the ?how to? of delicious healthy food at http://wildhealthfood.com
Free recipes: Gluten free Christmas Pudding and Gluten free Muesli Bar

What people say about Wild Health:
?You broadened my view of cooking and I?ve broken free of old habits.? Sharon
?This changed my life. I lost weight and feel better than ever? Brian
?I am buzzing with ideas!? Sarah

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Comparison Of Five Popular Sunless Tanning At Home Products

If you are looking for an instant glow without being in the sun and without going to the tanning salon, there are many options available for tanning at home.

When researching for which sunless tanning products work the best, we found five that have gotten rave reviews from various consumer websites. We tried to choose a range of product types, including gels, lotions, foams and even towelettes people can use to tan at home.

Before using any of these products, the most important advice we can give is to exfoliate. All of these products work best on clean, smooth skin.

Neutrogena Build-a-Tan - $12.00 for a 6.7 ounce bottle - This is one self tanning product that has been praised by users. One of the latest trends in sunless tanners are moisturizing lotions with a hint of color that are used daily and build up a tan over a few days. With this Build-a-Tan pumping lotion, users can dictate how tan they want to be with how often they use it. Neutrogena claims that this lotion is clinically proven to provide natural-looking, even color within two to four hours. The lotion dries in five minutes and comes in a variety of shades and sizes.

Coppertone Endless Summer Foam - $15.99/3.7 ounces - Coppertone is one of the first brands that comes to mind when thinking of protection from UB rays. However, this trusted brand has also developed a line of self tanners. The Coppertone Endless Summer Tanning Foam differs from other lotions in that it is an ultra-light, fast-drying sunless tanner that is claimed to provide beautiful color in 30 minutes. The quick drying of the foam is a real bonus for users, as if impatient people (as we often are) put clothes on too fast, streaks could result. A quicker drying formula is perfect to get a perfect tan. This tanning at home foam comes in several formulas for various skin types.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze - $9- 5 ounces - This is a new gel from L'Oreal! Now that tan is in, cosmetic companies are launching sunless tanners, too. The latest innovation from the L'Oreal Labs is this Sublime Bronze, which contains Vitamin E and gentle AHA- a chemical that changes skin color. The gel is lightweight and dries fast. The Vitamin E leaves the skin soft and smooth. Users report that the color is smooth and even and skin feels great after using.

Estee Lauder Go-Tan Sunless Towelettes - $28- pack of 10 - Imagine getting invited to a last minute dinner date after work. You have no time to go home and change. You check yourself in the mirror and think your arms are a little pasty. Then a co-worker swipes a moist towelette out of her tiny purse. You think it?s a wet wipe leftover from wing night, but you take a closer look. ?That will give me a tan,? you exclaim. Estee Lauder has introduced a sunless tanning method that is free of any lotion, cream or anything you must squeeze from a bottle, and instead has put a tanning solution inside moist towelettes that seem to offer an even, streak-free tan. These are a little pricier than other sunless tanners available, but the convenience factor coupled with the upscale name explain that cost.

Banana Boat Summer Color Sunless Tanning Lotion - $7.95 4 ounces - Like Coppertone, Banana Boat is a name we often associate with sunburn protection. But, this company also has a line of sunless tanning products perfect for tanning at home. Banana Boat?s Sunless Tanning Lotion comes in several tinted shades and allows users to create as much color as they wish.

Angela is a former fitness competitor, professional dancer, cheerleader, and personal trainer. She is a regular contributor to The Sunless Tanning Resource Center and works with the team at Home Gym Equipment Review

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Finding A Natural Cure For Female Hot Flash

There is a natural cure for female hot flash, at least for most women. Because of the health risks associated with hormone replacement therapy or HRT, many women seek alternative treatment for hot flashes and night sweats. Researchers have evaluated many of these treatments.

For many years doctors only recommended HRT for women bothered by hot flashes and night sweats, but that trend is changing. Even though most doctors prefer not to suggest herbs and botanicals, black cohosh is now recommended as an alternative treatment for hot flashes and night sweats. Even the North American Menopause Society lists black cohosh as something that may help.

At one time women?s clinics relied on equine estrogens and synthetic progesterone to help women with menopausal symptoms, but now the better clinics evaluate a woman?s lifestyle and diet, before writing a prescription. Lifestyle and dietary changes may take time and some women find them frustrating.

Botanicals like black cohosh can help ease this transitional period. If a woman?s lifestyle is an issue, she may not need to take black cohosh on a long-term basis, but research has shown that it does not increase the growth of estrogen sensitive breast and uterine cancer cell lines in the laboratory. So, if a woman does need to take it for many years, there is believed to be no health risks associated with its use.

Black cohosh is a natural cure for female hot flash in many cases, but there are other botanicals that can help if black cohosh proves to be ineffective. Many doctors are not familiar with the following herbs and botanicals, but clinical research has shown that, at least for some women they are somewhat effective.

Isoflavones are plant compounds that have an estrogen-like effect on a woman?s body. Soy and red clover isoflavones are the most commonly seen. As an alternative treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, research has shown that dietary supplements containing soy isoflavones reduce symptoms by as much as 80%.

Mood swings trigger hot flashes in some women. There are botanicals like St. John?s Wort and 5-HTP that help stabilize moods. Either of these may be an effective alternative treatment for hot flashes and night sweats. Most herbalists recommend that St. John?s Wort should not be taken continuously for more than a few weeks, without a week off. One of the compounds found in St. John?s Wort builds up in the liver and is not recommended for people with liver disease of dysfunction. No adverse reactions are believed to be associated with 5-HTP. It is similar to tryptophan, but the manufacturing process is safer.

Tribulus terrestris is a botanical that has been used by athletes and bodybuilders to increase endurance and stamina. Laboratory evaluation seems to indicate that the body can use tribulus to create hormones. Contrary to what some people believe, not all of a woman?s hormones are produced by the ovaries. The body can make what it needs from other hormones, if they are present. Balancing hormonal levels is believed to be a natural cure for female hot flash.

There are other herbs that have been used historically to correct hormonal imbalances. Sarsasparilla and red clover are two that were used historically by Native Americans to correct symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances. Some supplement companies blend together several herbs, botanicals, plant component and vitamins to provide women with an alternative treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, as well as the many other symptoms that may be associated with menopause. To learn more about them, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Visit us at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com.

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