I find myself suddenly addicted to Pinterest. Don't get me wrong, I signed up long ago, but never actually got into it. I took a second look at it recently, after doing the memento mori entry. So many of the Google results gave me Pinterest as the source, and so I found myself spending quite a lot of my evening perusing people's boards. There is so much to look through that a person could get lost for weeks! Since then, I've dedicated quite a few hours to building up my own boards. Pinterest is a fantastic tool when you use it correctly. Its a cornucopia of ideas sorted by topic where a person can go back again and again to enjoy the fruits of their internet labors. You can find anything from fashion to cars to tattoos to home decor and everything in between. Whatever you're interested in, I guarantee you will find a board (or many) dedicated to the topic. You have the ability to follow a person (like me, click here and you can follow me, sonpec) to see all their public pins, a board (like my Books I Love) to see what's pinned to that topic, or even a general theme, like women's fashion. Your home page then lists the newest pins from these areas, along with some boards or pins which fit in with your interests. You can pin stuff directly from your internet searches, from other pins or upload from your computer. I especially appreciate that you can also have private boards which do not show up on your main feed or in any search. I created one just for family photos that I have stored in my email until now. These can only be viewed by me or someone I invite by email. You can also allow other people to pin to your public boards the same way. Say, for example, you've started a board for your high school. You can invite your friends to pin to that board also, so it's more of a community board, which is such a great idea. Anyone can see it (as long as you haven't made it private), but only those you authorize can post pins. When you pin directly from the net, a description and the URL will be automatically generated. Unless you're pinning from Google or some other search-type sites, then you'll be prompted for a description before you can save. A great example is: you're at beyondtherack.com and you see a stunning vintage Dior bag. Pin it, and you get the website, the name and the price, usually. A handy tool if you're thinking about saving it for later (after you've slept on that $2500 price tag). Anyone following your board may see it and want to buy it - they just click the link in your pin and they're taken right there! This site is perfect for people like me who have a hoarder living inside them. I love collecting things. I can't do it in real life, I don't have the funds or space in my home to collect all the things I would like, but I can do it here, reorganizing as the fancy strikes. Board titles, topics, themes and descriptions can all be easily changed and pins moved with the 'edit' button. Today that picture of a tree is in a board titled 'greenery' - tomorrow it's moved to 'haunted forests'. Instead of a folder on my desktop containing all the great pics of Maynard I find on the web, I can now simply pin them to a board on Pinterest and share them with the world. My one gripe is that it can be difficult at times to track down the source of the photo if you're searching for more information about it. One pin I tried to track took me through the boards of six different people before I gave up. The pin will tell you if it's been pinned from someone else, and give you a link to that person. Then you have to figure out which board it's on (not always easy), then search through that board for that pin. Click it, and you may be starting the process all over because that person pinned from another board. I understand it would be too much to list the whole pin flow-chart (if you will) as some pics have been pinned numerous times, but it makes life a little difficult when researching a specific pin. On the other hand, it may be a first pin, but there's no real information. Say, they pinned it from Google two years ago and just wrote 'great car' in the description. Good luck finding out what type of car or who originally uploaded it to the web. Some people give an amazing amount of detail in their descriptions, some a line or two, and some none at all. I truly enjoy the ones where people have taken the time to give the background info - especially in the cases of antique photos or historical people and places. So I think this is a fantastic time-waster, sorter of ideas, hoarding therapy and research tool all wrapped into one. I wish I'd started to actually use it when I first signed up, but I'm glad I've re-discovered it now!
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Since I gave you pretty much sadness in the form of photos of dead people yesterday, today I thought I would lighten the mood a little bit and give you cute, cuddly and simply adorable baby animals. Enjoy. Octopus Boxer Squirrel Albino Koala Giraffe Chameleon Hedgehog Owl Seal Piglet Bunny Kitten Albino Turtle Two-Toed Sloth No matter who you are - I guarantee you smiled at least a little looking at these pictures.
Memento Mori is Latin for "remember that you will die" and today that phrase is generally associated with the photographs of the dead that were popular during the nineteenth century. The recently deceased family member would be lovingly dressed and posed and a photo would be taken for the family to have a memento of the person. Due to high mortality rates among children during this time period, this was incredibly common when they died. Some of the photos remain to this day and are touching and sometimes beautiful. Because this type of photography was quite expensive at the time, this was often the only picture that was ever taken of the person. Some of the ones with babies are heartbreaking - they look asleep, but you know that they aren't. They're in high demand and fetch a high price, but good luck finding one for sale, most private collectors are unwilling to part with theirs. As I've been looking around, I've found some quite wonderful pieces and I'd like to share them with you: I know that I have chosen a disproportionate number of photos with children and babies (almost all, in fact), but I find them unusually poignant and striking. So much love and care has gone into making these photos look respectful, like little slumbering angels. These are the best ones I've found on Google - just search ' Victorian era memento mori' and you'll see many, many more. They range from the serene to the bizarre - but that's a post for another day, I think. I also found numerous boards on Pinterest dedicated to this topic. They have some truly spectacular photos available. If you're interested, check out some of these boards: victorian-photos diama10 nightingale523 jennat2011 jabooboo I could go on all night. There are a surprising number of people (who look really normal considering their other boards) who are into this kind of thing. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of information available about the people in the photos. If you have any specific info on any of the ones I have listed or if you have any to add, please let me know!
Last time I told you about my superworm colony, which is just exploding! I have so many new babies that I don't have to worry that my girls will go without this coming winter. Insects are difficult to get in the winter, because a lot of them die during transit due to the temperatures in our fair country. A few months back I purchased a 100 pack of mealworms from the pet store because I was looking for something different for the girls. Variety is the spice of life, and not just for us humans. When I opened the container, I noticed a pupae inside. I thought this was odd, because my only experience was with supers, who have to be separated and stressed into pupating. So, off to trusty Google I go (what would I do without you?) and found a whole lot of info regarding mealworms and how to successfully breed them. Mealies make great treats for many lizard, fish, frogs, hedgehogs and chickens. They aren't packed with a whole lot of nutrition, but if you have the correct combination of substrate, veggies and minerals appropriate to your pet, they can be quite an inexpensive food source. First a little education: Mealworms are the larval stage of the mealworm beetle, which is within the same species as the darkling beetle (which makes the superworms). They are much smaller than supers, and come in two sizes, the small regular mealworm, and the larger giant mealworm, which is somewhere in size between the regular and the superworm (also called the kingworm). They go from larval stage to beetle, where they reproduce, lay eggs and the cycle continues. As with the larger darkling beetle, they can fly, but really can't be bothered, at least in my experience. I have shook them off of cardboard and they just fall, I haven't seen them even attempt flight. Mealworms eat the substrate you give them and require fruit and vegetables for hydration. The beetles do not eat the substrate, they only eat the fruits and veggies. So, what do you need in order to start and maintain your own feeder colony of mealworms? Surprisingly little. This is the easiest colony I've set up. The funny thing is that my beardies and gecko have absolutely no interest in eating them! They just do not move around enough. However, my beardies love eating the beetles. They have absolutely no nutritional value, so if you're thinking of feeding them to your own pet, make sure they're just a treat. I usually shake them onto a plate that's been dusted with calcium or a multivitamin, so they're getting something out of the deal, health wise. There are two different schools of thought when it comes to breeding and raising mealworms. The first treats them the same as supers, segregating the beetles, pupae and larva. If you would like to try this method, you can read my post on breeding supers (click on 'pets' under the categories section to the right), it's much more involved, but some swear by it. The second is the method I use and have been extremely successful with, even though there is very little effort involved. It's all done in one container without ever moving any of the bugs. They live in their own community, all together. As I mentioned before, I started breeding them almost by accident! This second method is what I will outline below. Happy breeding! Materials Required: 50-100 mealworms. These guys go thorough their life cycle relatively quickly and you'll have a population explosion in no time, so starting out small is a good idea. I started out with a 1000 worm shipment, and I have more bugs than I know what do do with right now! Substrate. Their substrate is their food. Just because they're bugs, don't skimp here. Keep in mind who you're feeding them to. Whatever they eat is what you pet will be eating. I go to bulk barn and pick out whatever is organic and on sale, bring it home, grind it in my nutribullet and I'm done. It's not as expensive as you think. Start out small, and add a little every month or so. Good things to use are; quinoa, millet, kamut, wheat bran, lentils, seeds and any other grains you find. You can also add dried spices. I add basil and thyme to mine because they are high in calcium and low in phosphorus, which is good for my girls. You don't have to go organic - buy a box of mutigrain cheerios and a box of weetabix. Shred and grind them and you have pretty instant substrate! Plastic container. The size will depend on how many bugs you have. It can be rather shallow, they're small and not very good climbers. The sides on mine are not high at all and I have yet to find an escapee. They're just high enough so my beardie can't climb in. Eggcrate or cardboard. Both the beetles and worms like to congregate under things. You can use eggcrate or pretty much anything available to you. I also put some folded-over pages from the phone book in there for them. Moisture source. If you do not give them a regular source of moisture in the form of fruit and/or vegetables, they will suck each other dry! Things like potatoes, carrots, cabbage and celery keep well and don't really mold. You can put pretty much any scraps in there, just keep in mind, again, that your pet is eating them. Do not feed your feeders anything that your pet cannot eat. For example: I cannot put onions or garlic in there because they would make my dragons very sick. It's a small fraction, but do you really want to take the chance? Replace their food every day or so. If you're using things like carrots, you don't even have to remove the old ones: they'll suck the moisture out of them and they just dry out. If you had melon for dessert and gave them the rind, make sure you take it out the next day (shaking well to dislodge any tiny babies) to prevent mold. If you see any, take out the whole section and dump it into your compost. Mold is insidious and will take over quickly before you even realize it, sickening and killing your colony and potentially your pets. Okay - so you have your bugs, container and all the other things ready. What happens next? Depending on the age of the mealies you purchased, you'll start to see pupae. Once they start, they'll pretty much pupate at the same time, so one day you may have all worms, four days later all pupae and about a week after that, all beetles! Once you go through this with your first batch, you'll have a good mixture of all three at any time going forward. Procedure: Clean out your container and cover the bottom with about and inch or two of substrate. You don't need to start with a whole lot, as you'll be adding to it over time. Add eggcrate and any other hiding places you're giving your bugs. Dump your worms in and place some veggies inside. You can place them directly onto the bed or on top of cardboard or newsprint - they'll burrow right through to get to their moisture. That's pretty much it! Within a few months you'll start to see babies and your whole cycle begins anew. Compared to any of the other feeders out there, this setup is really the quickest and easiest method for having a constant supply of food. You may notice that some of your beetles seem to have malformed wing cases. It doesn't seem to bother them too much, and from what I've noticed it's not too big of a deal. It may occur because they did not get enough moisture just before they pupated and didn't form properly. I don't notice too much of it right now (I'm on my second generation of beetles), but I did notice about 40% of my initial batch did have this issue. As they pupated shortly after arriving at my house, I think it may have to do with moisture issues and perhaps the stress of shipment. Don't worry about it of you see these guys. They'll go about their business and maybe even get eaten by their friends! There is not a whole lot of cleanup necessary with these little guys. As long as you keep their fruit and veggies fresh, there's not really a whole lot else you need to do. You can remove dead bugs and shed skin, but it's really not necessary because, like I mentioned before, they're cannibals and will actually eat their dead, saving you cleanup. And that's really all there is to breeding mealworms. It's really that easy! There's no need to move or separate them or have multiple containers unless you want to have multiple colonies. The only thing I would advise, with any insect you're breeding, is to add a new pool of bugs every 3-4 generations. Remember that they are inbreeding, and too much is not good for any living thing. All you need to do is buy a hundred or so new worms, I would suggest from a different supplier than the original batch (they're probably inbreeding also), dump them into your colony, and you're good for a few more generations. You'll probably do this once a year and you should have a pretty healthy bug colony.
That's it for now. It's not as easy as I thought to find great photos and information about haunted places. It seems more one or the other. The problem is sometimes it's difficult to tell whether a picture is an actual photograph, which is what I was looking for. And googling this subject gives you a whole lot of really great pictures on pinterest - with absolutely no information about the picture whatsoever. It's a little frustrating. Maybe I'll keep this topic in the back of my mind and re-visit it at a later date.
I am not a big fan of plain cheesecake, but my family loves it. So I often find myself making interestingly flavored cheesecakes so that I can eat some too. Pumpkin cheesecake is one of my faves to make, and usually I layer it, but this time I decided to incorporate the pumpkin all the way through and top it off with a salted caramel sauce. So good. Since I usually use a chocolate crust when making my pumpkin pie, I thought it would be a good idea to use it here also. I was right. Instead of making a large cake and cutting it up, I used cupcake pans to make individual cakes. I lined the pans with cupcake liners for easy removal, then took them off before plating and drizzling with caramel. For the cream cheese, I used cream cheese premixed with Greek yogurt. I also used farm fresh eggs (laid Friday!), so I can't give you a size, large or extra large will be fine. The caramel sauce is also really yummy on top of vanilla ice cream. Mmm, caramel... For the caramel sauce, I took inspiration from Nigella Lawson's Salted Caramel Sauce (click here for her recipe). I made subtle changes, but you are welcome to try hers instead. I used maple syrup, but you can sub molasses or agave for the HFCS in Nigella's recipe, which I would not recommend anyone uses, ever. It is a completely unnecessary sweetener which is really, really bad for your health. INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup golden sugar 1/4 cup icing sugar 3 tbsp maple syrup 1/2 cup 35% whipping cream 3/4 tsp fleur de sel DIRECTIONS 1) Melt butter, syrup and sugars over medium heat, stirring to fully incorporate. Let simmer about 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or so with a wire whisk. 2) Add cream and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir and taste for saltiness (careful! it's hot). Add more salt as necessary to your palate. 3) Let it cook for another couple of minutes, then remove from heat and let cool in fridge for about a half hour. This sauce is best cooled. You can serve it warm, but it will be very liquidy. After cooling, it gets a nice caramelly consistency. Yup - I just made up two words. Enjoy! Once upon a time, if there was a TV show you wanted to keep up to date with, you had to know when it was on and be in front of a TV at that time to enjoy it. Then came TiVo, PVRs and now we have the option to watch shows on demand with our service provider, through things like Netflix, online or downloading. With all this choice and with so many great shows out there, it is getting pretty difficult to keep track of everything you want to watch, and what you've already seen. Enter the 4-star rated iTV Shows app by Antoine Gamond available to download for $2.99. I actually got this app for free through another app, but I would say that even at $3, this app is well worth it if you like to keep track of your shows. Once you add the shows that you're currently watching, the app will sort them into categories: 'This Week' and 'Next Week' tell you how many days until your show airs next, with the day, time and channel. The 'Upcoming' category lets you know when shows past next week will be on. Since we're at the end of August, this category will be full to bursting, as we see a lot of new shows returning in September. The 'To Be Announced' category lists your shows that are returning without a specific air date. You'll notice in the top right-hand corner of some shows there's a little red triangle that reads 'up to date' - that means you've seen all the episodes for that show so far. If you're missing any episodes, you'll notice that there's nothing there. The last (and saddest) category is 'Ended'. I love that they've added this category, because sometimes you're wondering why you haven't seen your show in a while, and when you look it up you find out that it ended unceremoniously 3 weeks ago. This category is also great for those of us who hear about great shows, download some episodes, like it, then can't find any more. The minute you add the show, you'll know whether it goes past season one. If you click on any of the shows, you'll get a page where all the episodes are listed with the name and air date categorized within the seasons. This page is where you can list an episode as watched by touching the check mark. All of these categories are within the 'My Shows' tab, and that's the first thing you'll see once you open the app. If you touch 'To Watch' you'll get a listing of all the shows that don't have the little red triangle along with info of how many episodes you still have to watch. If you touch any of these shows, you'll be taken to the first episode you haven't watched. It'll give you a little info and you can leave or read comments about that episode by tapping the notepad and like it by tapping the heart. You can also share on social media from this screen. Next along the bottom is 'Calendar' and it gives you a week's worth of shows. If you tap on one of them, it will take you to a brief (although not very-well written) synopsis of that episode. The next two are 'Genius' and 'Statistics'. Genius is great as once you've set up an account with them (takes less than a minute) you'll get recommendations based on what you're watching now, what's trending and new show premieres. This is a great way to find new shows that you're not watching but would probably enjoy. I know I found a few this way. Unfortunately, you can't click on them for more info. Or maybe you can, I haven't been able to, clicking on the plus adds it to your shows. The stats tab gives you just that - your stats, interesting, but most of us probably wouldn't use it much. You can also add friends and see what they're watching. Deleting a show is pretty easy once you figure it out (I had to google it), and although there is lots to explore, there is no help or FAQ page in sight. You can find info readily available on the web, as this app has become pretty popular for good reason. All in all a great app that I use every day. It's well made, easy to navigate and has loads of great info. There could be a few small tweaks made (quick summary of shows in genius, FAQ or instructions added) but on the whole, iTV Shows 3 well deserves the 4 stars it has received. It would probably be higher if people understood that this is not an app which enables you to watch the shows, only track them, and that it does well.
I'm always reading articles and books trying to find the healthiest foods around. Everyone knows (but doesn't often adhere to) the notion that the healthiest foods are the freshest fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and meats you can find. Nowadays you also have to think about organics, GMOs and sustainable farming methods, but that's a post for another day. Today I'll let you know about some of the most unusual and beneficial superfoods I've come across, and I don't mean the usual acai, gogi, chia and salmon. I'm talking about foods you've probably never even heard of, I know I didn't when I followed a web of links and articles from place to place, foods like kefir, apricot seeds, maca powder and moringa oleifera. I'll give you the lowdown on the benefits (and warnings) of each one, along with links to articles found on the web and where you can buy it. I also recommend reading the following article. I stumbled upon it last year and was totally amazed and inspired by this guy and the changes he made so late in life (he began at 40), when it's common thinking that you can only get yourself on a healthy path while you're young. This guy shows you that is incorrect - anyone can do it at any age, all it takes is some commitment to positive change. All links open a new window so you won't have to leave my page. **DISCLAIMER** Any and all reports of any of these foods being used to combat diseases are for reference only. Always consult a medical expert when dealing with any serious health issues. Apricot Kernels Apricot kernels are the bitter inside pit of an apricot seed. It is also one of the most hotly debated "cures" for cancer on the internet. Google 'apricot seed' and 'cancer' and you'll see what I mean. Read the articles and judge for yourself, but make sure that if you are eating the kernels for whatever health reasons, they should be organic, bitter and raw - sun dried or roasted kernels have lost all the beneficial enzymes. Health benefits of apricot kernels include: High amounts of vitamin B17 can help lower blood pressure, alleviate arthritis pain and cure cancers stage 3 and lower. Yup - I said cure. That is where all the controversy comes from. Here are some sites on the pro side of this fence: greatstuff.hubpages.com naturalnews.com myapricotseeds.com Side effects of apricot kernels include: Well, death from cyanide poisoning. Some places say that no more than 2 kernels a day are safe, while most proponents of apricot kernels want you to work your way up to 50 per day. To be fair, here are some sites on the con side of the fence: dailymail.co.uk theage.com.au hc-sc.gc.ca Where to buy raw bitter apricot kernels: Our Father's Farm Earth Notions Raw Nutrition If you're interested in more information about the benefits of eating (raw & cooked) apricot flesh, and not just the seeds, a great blog came to my attention filled with some fantastic information about the health benefits of this delicious fruit. There are also some really delish sounding recipes your can try at home. I am personally looking forward to trying the apricot cheesecake! Here's the link: jenreviews.com Thanks Jacky M. for the heads-up - great post! Aronia Berries Aronia berries are the re-branded, better known, black chokeberries that are starting to gain some footing in the superfood race for supremacy. These berries have the highest concentration of anti-oxidants found in any berry to date. Eating the dried berries makes the most out of all this little purple berry has to offer. Health benefits of aronia berries include: Improves blood circulation, anti-inflammatory, urinary tract health, improve blood circulation, strengthens blood vessels, eye protection properties and weight control. Has been shown to lower blood pressure and has a protective effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Contains vitamins A, C, E and folic acid. May help treatment/prevention of: cancer, heart disease, kidney problems and suppression of viruses. Side effects of aronia berries include: No side effects have yet been reported. Where to buy aronia berries: (it is really difficult to find anyone selling these in Canada) Upaya Naturals - powder form Aronia Berry Inc - juice + frozen berries Native Plants in Clairmont - buy the shrub & grow your own For more info on the web: organicaronia.com healwithfood.org aroniaberrynews.com Camu Camu Powder Camu Camu is a berry which grows in the South American rainforest and is super high in vitamin C, among other things. Health benefits of camu camu include: Improves lung, eye and heart health, improves muscle tone, supports healthy ligaments, collagen and tendons, helps prevent viral and bacterial infections, boosts immune system. Contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron. May help treatment/prevention of: cancer, degenerative brain disease and depression. Side effects of camu camu include: All side effects reported consist of too much of a good thing. Taking too much camu camu powder will give your body way more vitamin C than it can handle and you may experience any of the following: rapid heart rate, iron poisoning, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, diarrhea and difficulty with digestion. Where to buy camu camu powder: Upaya Naturals Raw Nutrition Truly Organic Foods For more info on the web: naturalnews.com bibliotecapleyades.net wholeworldbotanicals.com Kefir Kefir is a probiotic-rich drink which is made with grains and milk from cows, goats or sheep or water kefir, which is made with other sugary liquids such as sugar or coconut water. Both versions are good for you, with the water kefir being only slightly less potent. Once you get the first batch started, you have a pretty much infinite supply, as long as you keep a new batch going from the old. In that respect it's great because you're only paying for the first batch of grains, and it's not even that expensive. Health benefits of drinking kefir include: Promotes your body's healing and repair, anti-tumor effects, regulates immune function, beneficial to bone health, may lower allergic response, promotes bowel movements and reduces flatulence. It also has a tranquilizing effect on the nervous system. Contains vitamins biotin (H or B7), B12 and K2 and minerals thiamin, calcium, folate, magnesium and phosphorus. May help treatment/prevention of: colitis, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, sleep disorders, depression and ADHD. Side effects of drinking kefir include: Constipation and intestinal cramping when first starting out - start slow to combat these effects. Where to buy kefir: Upaya Naturals - I highly recommend this website. They have a huge selection of organic and raw foods. I have previously ordered from them with no issues. They also have a convenient pick up location in Toronto. Cultures for Health Kijiji - I entered 'kefir' in the search box and got quite a few results. However, remember these are just average people selling their own kefir grains. For more info on the web: healthygutbugs.com chriskresser.com helladelicious.com Maca Root Powder Maca is a Peruvian root ground into powder form which can have adverse effects if too much is taken too soon. It's important to start small and slowly to allow your body to adjust, otherwise all the benefits you're looking for will actually become the adverse effects. For example: you're taking it to clear your blemishes. If you take too much, you'll actually end up with more acne! Health benefits of maca powder include: Improved libido and sexual endurance for both men and women (yes, I listed that one first!), balances hormones, increases fertility, increases stamina (ahem, for athletes) and energy levels, helps to clear acne & blemishes, helps with memory, alleviates stress and mood swings, helps with menstrual pain and symptoms of menopause. Contains vitamins B, C, and E and minerals calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorous. May help treatment/prevention of: depression, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, erectile dysfunction, tuberculosis and leukemia. Side effects of maca powder include: Most of these side effects are associated with taking too much or starting off too quickly. Acne breakouts, heart racing, sleeplessness, nausea, upset stomach, heartburn and headaches. Also, hormonal imbalances in women (too much testosterone). If you are on a low-sodium diet there is an increased change of developing goiters. Do not use maca if you have Thyroid Disease - it contains too much iodine. Where to buy maca powder: Truly Organic Foods Dilesta Upaya Naturals For more info on the web: vegkitchen.com webmd.com macapowderbenefits.net Maitake Mushrooms Maitake mushrooms are an edible fungus grown and consumed primarily in Asia as food and used medicinally. They also grow in North America and are often called 'king of mushrooms' and 'hen of the woods'. Health benefits of maitake mushrooms include: Everything I'm reading about this mushroom indicate that it is being researched by the medical community in regards to treating/prevention of: cancer (notably breast, liver and lung. There have been some promising results with tumors shrinking), diabetes (helping to control blood glucose levels), HIV/AIDS (through immunostimulation), high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Side effects of maitake mushrooms include: When eating the fungus - none unless you're allergic. As for the supplements, well it's either absolutely none or doom and gloom, depending on which article you read. The side effects read the same as the benefits list on some of the websites. Where to buy maitake mushrooms: The Mushroom Patch - grow your own! Vitamart - supplement Upaya Naturals - whole dried For more info on the web: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center mushroom-appreciation.com healthcastle.com Moringa OleiferaMoringa oleifera is also known as the 'Tree of Life' because it contains more nutrients and antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables combined. It's been used in the Himalayas for centuries for it's numerous medicinal values, using every part of the tree except for the toxic root. Health benefits of Moringa oleifera include: Increased energy, stress reliever, improves mood, mental clarity, anti-aging properties, weight loss, anti-inflammatory, improved circulation, acne relief, promotes healthy digestion and protects stomach lining. Contains vitamins C, D, K, E all Bs, minerals calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. It also contains numerous amino acids. May help treatment/prevention of: high blood pressure, cancer, gastric ulcers, asthma, diabetes and kidney stones. Side effects of Moringa oleifera include: Most of these side effects are associated with taking too much or starting off too quickly. Nausea, diarrhea and heartburn. Where to buy Moringa Oleifera powder: The Moringa Canada Moringa Upaya Naturals For more info on the web: idealbite.com webmd.com miracletrees.org Natto Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans and may take a little getting used to due to it's reported powerful smell like strong cheese, a savory, salty, barbecuey (?) bean taste and apparently the slimy texture of boogers! You can buy it at Japanese shops (in the freezer section) and you can also try to make it at home yourself. Health benefits of natto include: Increased circulation, better skin, purifies blood, promotes longevity, healthy heart, strong bones and a sharper mind. Prevents and breaks up blood clots, beneficial for the intestine and stomach. Contains vitamin K2 and PQQ. May help treatment/prevention of: heart attack, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, stroke, senility, intestinal diseases. Side effects of natto include: There are no known side effects to eating natto (unless you have a soybean allergy), there are risks such as lowered blood pressure and blood thinning if you decide to take the Nattokinase supplement. Where to buy natto: Japanese Traditional Foods Inc. Cultures For Health Natural Import For more info on the web: meguminatto.com undergroundhealthreporter.com kimonobox.com Pu-erh Tea Pu-erh tea is also called aged tea and comes from Yunnan Province in China. It is available in green (raw) and black (cooked) forms. This tea is fermented and generally gets it's signature taste after 5 years, but is drinkable after 3 months. Health benefits of Pu-erh tea include: May reduce blood sugar levels, aids in digestion & fat breakdown. Has high levels of vitamin C. May help treatment/prevention of: Diabetes, arteriosclerosis, colds, bleeding and hepatitis. Side effects of Pu-erh tea include: Only those associated with any excessive intake of caffeine. Where to buy Pu-erh tea: David's Tea Mighty Leaf The Chinese Tea Shop For more info on the web: thechineseteashop.com purepuer.com hojotea.com These are 10 very interesting superfoods I've come across that I find extremely interesting and thought I'd pass on to all of you. I actually have found more on my travels through the web (don't we always find one more article we want to read?) and will most likely do a similar post with those listed at a later date. In the meantime, I wish good health to you all!
Hello everyone in cyberland! I finally figured out how to add tags in order to categorize new and previous posts, so you'll be able to find things that may interest you a little easier. Just click on the word that grabs your fancy (in the right sidebar, under, you guessed it, 'categories') and you'll be taken to all the posts I've even written under that tag. Try it now, I dare you! Anyway, Weebly is pretty easy to use compared to other build your own free sites I've tried, but there is still a whole lot I have to learn as I grow my blog. Hopefully you're enjoying my posts and I thank you for checking in with me. I'm working on an interesting post for you, but there's a lot of researching I'm in the middle of right now, so I will unleash it on the waiting world hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime, thanks so much for visiting me. Leave me comments so I can know who you are! If there's anything you'd like me to write about, or write more about, let me know. I am open to suggestions. Meanwhile, here's a funny for you: Ever since I heard about the Julep Maven subscription boxes, I have been dying to get one. I am not a Maven yet, but I did finally spring for a Julep Mystery Box. A Julep Mystery Box gives you a great deal on product that is almost out of stock, out of season, you know, odds and ends they have left over while cleaning out their warehouse. If you're okay with that (and I totally am), these are a great deal. This one just seemed way too good to pass up, $100 value for $25 (USD). So I placed my order and waited. And waited. And waited. I don't think I've ever checked my mailbox every day for an entire week in anticipation of a package before, but I did this time! I won't make you wait any longer, here is the unveiling of my box: What did you get, I hear you ask excitedly? Well, I made out pretty well, I think. I received four polishes, an eye primer, a spa mask (!) for my nails and a lipgloss in one of the most gorgeous shades I've ever seen. Julep Lipgloss in the colour 'Posh' - Regular price on julep.com = $20, Maven price = $16 *This colour is no longer available for purchase* Julep Nail Mask (single pack) - Regular price of a pack of 10 on julep.com = $30, on sale right now for $10/pk *this item is still available for purchase* Julep Blank Canvas Mattifying Eye Primer - Regular price on julep.com = $22, Maven price = $18 *this item is still available for purchase* Julep nailpolish in the colour 'Max' (black & white confetti) - Regular price on julep.com = $14, Maven price = $12 *This colour is no longer available for purchase* I used the colour 'Paris' for pricing, it was closest to 'Max'. Julep nailpolish in the colour 'Zoe' - Regular price on julep.com = $14, Maven price = $12 *This colour is still available for purchase* Julep nailpolish in the colour 'Lynn' (nude) - Regular price on julep.com = $14, Maven price = $12 *This colour is no longer available for purchase* I used an average price, I was not able to find the style. Julep nailpolish in the colour 'Gloria' - Regular price on julep.com = $14, Maven price = $12 *This colour is no longer available for purchase* I used the colour 'Brielle' for pricing, it was closest to 'Gloria'.
So? What did I think overall? I am thrilled and think I got a pretty good deal for my 30 Canadian dollars. Regular total cost is about $100, and Maven cost is about $84 (both in USD, I paid $30 CAD after shipping and exchange). I'm super psyched to try out the other three colours, even though I already have two other shades in the nude family, this one is a little darker, so it's okay. The lipgloss is such a beautiful colour that I have to try it out ASAP! I'm interested to see what the eye primer can do for me and I'll definitely give you a product review when I get those nail masks on! My verdict? I need to talk to my manager about a raise so I can become a Maven as soon as possible so I can start getting some more of this awesome polish from Julep. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own, unbiased after testing the product(s). The product was fully paid for by myself. The subject of this blog entry has no expectation of a review, favorable or otherwise.
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AuthorHi! I'm Sonja and I'm glad you're here! I'm happy to share some recipes and gardening tips with you while I let you know about great (or not so great) products, services, and media I encounter. Visit my online shop at MysteriousDragonfyre.com
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