Keys To Happiness: Giving During Times Of Need

"You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give."

The above quote is often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill, though there are those who would disagree. But regardless of who actually uttered those words, the sentiment is what matters most.

Generosity can be challenging, especially during these difficult economic times. When we have little for ourselves, we find it hard to justify giving to others, but giving doesn't necessarily require donating money to those less privileged than ourselves. There are many different ways to give, other than monetarily:

Time:

Help someone learn to read or to learn English.
Mentor an at-risk youth.
Drive someone to their doctor's appointment, or help them run errands.
Offer to help an elderly neighbour clean their house.
Volunteer at a Veteran's Hospital.

Possessions:

Give some old clothes to a homeless shelter.
Give away old toys and books to family in need.
Donate old glasses, cell phones, hotel soaps and shampoos to the various organizations that take them.

Yourself:

Smile at strangers, you'll be amazed at how this can lift a person's spirits.
Compliment someone on how they look, or a job well done.
Give someone a hug.
Tell someone you love and appreciate them.


Giving, without conditions, makes us feel good. And seeing others help without expectations, inspires the rest of us. One of my favorite TV commercials is a Liberty Mutual ad that shows various people witnessing random acts of kindness by others; and, inspired by what they observe they, in turn, do the same for others. It's the whole pay-it-forward phenomenon. If we see someone being kind to another, it makes us want to do the same thing.

So, go out, give of your money, time or possessions- it's the right thing to do. Let's take care of each other.

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."

By Peyton Conway March

Clean Up Your Air With Indoor House Plants

Not only do plants bring beauty to our homes and offices they are also useful in cleaning the air we breathe of pollutants.

A joint NASA and ALCA (Associated Landscape Contractors of America) study proved that plants can actually remove harmful gases and pollutants from the air in buildings, including carbon monoxide. As part of the study, different plants were sealed in Plexiglas chambers with various chemicals.

Philodendron, spider plant and the golden pothos were labeled the most effective in removing formaldehyde molecules. Flowering plants such as gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums were rated superior in removing benzene from the chamber atmosphere. Other good performers are Dracaena Massangeana, Spathiphyllum, and Golden Pothos. “Plants take substances out of the air through the tiny openings in their leaves,” Wolverton said. “But research in our laboratories has determined that plant leaves, roots and soil bacteria are all important in removing trace levels of toxic vapors”.

THE BEST POLLUTANT-REMOVING PLANTS ARE:

Bamboo Palm- absorbs the formaldehyde that furniture emits.

Chrysanthemum- can absorb the trichloroethylene from inks and benzene from any plastic product.

Corn Plant- is good at absorbing the formaldehyde from paper goods.

Gerbera Daisy- also absorbs benzene from ink

Philodendron- can also absorb formaldehyde from wood (particleboard).

Other useful plants include the Peace Lilly, English Ivy, Spider Plants, Chinese Evergreen, and Dracaena.

Any of these plants, or a combination of several or all, should do the trick.

Add some green to your environment and clean up your air at the same time. Your lungs will thank you.

Patience Is A Virtue

This is a beautiful, poignant little 5 minute short film about patience, and our lack of it, especially when it comes to our older parents.

Get Rid Of That Wart The Natural Way

When we think of warts, the first images that come to mind are those ugly bumps on the noses of witches. And no, you can't get them by touching frogs and toads, but they are contagious, if you happen to be susceptible. And they are actually quite common, mostly with children, though adults can get warts too.

Caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), there are a variety of different warts including:

1. Plantar Warts- lumps on the sole of the feet, and are usually very painful.

2. Common Warts- elevated, granular bumps that are usually found on hands, elbows and knees.

3. Filiform/Digitate Warts- have a finger-like shape and can be found on the face, normally around the lips, eye-lids and nose.

4. Flat Warts- are cluster-type warts. Small, smooth, and can occur on the face, hands, knees, neck, wrists. They like company, so you can have as many as a 100 clustered together.

5. Genital Warts- are, obviously found on the genitalia. (I would check with your doctor before trying any of these remedies on these kinds of warts.)

SOLUTIONS:

The most common, popular and effective home-remedies are:

DUCT TAPE: Take a small piece of silver duct tape and place on wart. Leave for a few weeks and it should disappear.

LEMON JUICE: Put some lemon juice on the wart three or four times a day, until they fall off.

CASTOR OIL/LISTERINE/VINEGAR: Dab these individually or as a mixture on warts.

BANANA PEEL: Tape a piece of banana peel to the wart (flesh side to the skin) or rub it on wart every night before bed.

PREVENTION:

Like colds, some people are more apt to get warts than others. It's all about your immune system and how strong it's able to fight infections. But there are some things you can do to help. Because HPV thrives in warm, moist places

-Make sure you wash regularly and keep clean and dry, and do not touch or pick at your friend's wart, or your own, if you happen to have one. By picking, scratching etc. you can spread the virus.
-Don't share towels. You can pick up the virus from using infected towels.
-Don't walk barefoot in a gym, or in other public places. Use waterproof shoes or sandals.
-Keep feet and skin dry.
-Change socks daily.

For more natural wart remedies, check out health911.com

Hat Tip: Earth Clinic Folk Remedies

With Wishes For Peace In The New Year!

The fireworks, last night, sounded like the crackle of gunfire and it saddened me to think that in so many parts of our world, this disturbing sound is probably a daily occurrence, and I wondered what it must be like to live in constant fear.

2008 was a turbulent and troubling year with violence erupting throughout most regions of the world; from the Middle East to India to our own back yard. I'm not just referring to the bloodshed that's perpetrated in the name of religion or politics, but also to the violence that occurs in our cities, inner cities, suburbs or rural areas because of drugs or family disputes or whatever pathetic reason that drives someone to harm another. In today's society people (like possessions) have become disposable and it seems, for many, that the easier option is to kill rather than deal with whatever negative situation they happen to be in, or think they might be in. So mothers suffocate their babies and dump their newborns in canals, rather than give them up for adoption; husbands kill wives because it's simpler than a divorce; daughters kill parents because the parents disapprove of their boyfriends; brothers kill sisters because of disputes over their inheritance; criminals and drug dealers kill for an easy buck (or revenge), because they're too lazy to work, pedophiles give in to their sick lust, rather than seek help. People choose the easy way out (whether through lack of conscience or ignorance or both) regardless of the consequences, and as a result, the innocent suffer.

But, in spite of the daily barrage of bad tidings we call 'news', I still harbor hope! Hope for a world in which people can live in harmony and peace. Where freedom (our greatest gift from GOD) is something that is cherished and encouraged and allowed to flourish.

Every New Year brings, with its birth, the possibility for transformation and renewal and evolution. We start each year with a clean slate, and it is up to us, as individuals, to make the necessary changes within ourselves to move forward as enlightened beings. If we purge our hearts and minds of hatred and all negativity and replace those feelings with Love we can make a difference, because Love does truly conquer all.

God bless this country and all those in the world who embrace freedom, and God bless our troops and allied troops, who make that possible!!

Happy 2009!

The Different Kinds of Calcium Supplements

It's always a challenge to figure out which supplements to take and calcium is no different.

There are 3 different types of calcium (Citrate, Carbonate and Phosphate) that are usually prescribed by your health practitioner when you are in need of calcium, and the amount often differs depending on your needs. I was told by my Rheumatologist, after a bone density test, that I should take between 1,500 and 2,000 mg per day, max, although 1,000 is recommended for those under 50 and, 1,200 for over 50. He suggested calcium citrate (in the form of Citracal) but you do have other choices.

CALCIUM CITRATE: (Citracal, Solgar etc) 21% calcium. This is the most easily absorbed calcium, and the most expensive of the 3. Apparently does not contain much elemental calcium

CALCIUM PHOSPHATE: (Posture) 39% calcium. Also easily absorbed, and does not cause gas or constipation. Costs more than calcium carbonate.

CALCIUM CARBONATE: ( Rolaids, Caltrate, Tums) 40% calcium. Contains elemental calcium, but can cause gas or constipation, and must be consumed with food or a glass of orange juice (or any other acidic juice). It is the least expensive of the 3.

You should make sure that you subtract the calcium you get in certain foods like dark green veggies, dairy products and calcium-enriched foods and juices from your total RDA, so you don't take too much.

Although it's always preferable to get your vitamins and minerals from foods etc, for those of us who are vegetarians or who don't or can't do dairy, a supplement is necessary.

Because the body only absorbs elemental calcium, check how much your supplement actually contains. It's also best to use Calcium with Vitamin D and C, so that fortified Orange Juice is a great way of getting all 3.

There are other types of calcium- gluconate and lactate, but they're not worth taking because they contain very small amount of elemental calcium. There has been a huge hype about coral and oyster shell calcium, but neither is recommended because they could contain high levels of lead or mercury.

DOSAGE: Because the body only absorbs a certain amount of calcium, it is best to take several doses per day.

For more information on how to choose a calcium supplement and which foods are calcium-rich, please click here.

Merry Christmakwanzukkah To All!

I have been rather slack with blogging these days, but will start back at it shortly.

In the meantime, I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa!

With Love,

Incog

All You Ever Want To Know About Leptospirosis

Lepto what, you ask? I wondered the same thing as I watched an impressive PowerPoint presentation that put the fear of God in me.

This post initially started off as a warning to wash all canned goods before using them. Originally inspired by an email floating around the Internet regarding the dangers of tin cans infected with Leptospirosis (from rat urine), it morphed into something else when I discovered the information was totally bogus. Not unusual for the many emails flooding our inboxes that get forwarded without checking the validity of the information on the various net lore websites. I guess there are far too many people with far too much time on their hands that find it amusing to send mis-information out into the universe. Although it probably is a good idea to wash your tins before opening them, or putting that soda to your mouth, it's not because you could get sick and die from Leptospirosis, as the presentation implies.

Don't get me wrong, Leptospirosis does exist! Commonly known as swamp fever, mud fever, sugar cane fever, rice field fever, Stuttgart Disease, and Fort Bragg fever, it's a disease caused by the bacteria Leptospira and can affect both humans and animals. Humans usually become sickened after coming into direct contact with urine from infected animals, or water, plants or soil contaminated with urine. It can be symptomless and mild or severe, and in some cases can lead to death.

Predominately found in warmer climates, it occurs worldwide and is both an occupational and recreational hazard for those who come in contact with contaminated water and soil.

Although farmers, veterinarians, soldiers, sanitation/sewer workers and fishermen are more likely to come in contact with Leptospirosis, all those who love to camp and play in the great outdoors (think whitewater rafting, canoeing etc) are also susceptible.

TREATMENT: Antibiotics.

PREVENTION: If you want to protect yourself, stay away from contaminated water, or wear protective clothing or footwear.

Click here for more information.