The Top Six Tips for Simple, Healthy Living
The top six easy tips for living a healthy lifestyle include:
1. Stay active
Exercise on a daily basis, even if you only have time for 15 or 20 minutes. Your body needs to move and our time consuming jobs often leave us sedentary for most of the day. You don’t need to complete the Iron Man to be healthy! The key to sticking with exercise is making it enjoyable. Find an activity that fits your personality. Join a league, wake up early and go on a brisk walk, or plan an evening workout with friends, family or even your pet. Whatever form of exercise, make sure you raise your heart rate intermittently, which will keep your heart healthy. Regular exercise will also strengthen your muscles and bones and will help protect your body against disease.
2. Focus on a healthy diet
With all of the bad choices available to us in modern society, keeping a healthy diet is probably the most challenging piece of good health. The key is including a variety of fruits and veggies, and focusing on “whole” or unprocessed foods. Limit foods and drinks that are high in calories, sugar, salt and fat. Limit alcohol consumption, which often results in extra calorie intake, as well as harm to the liver. A balanced diet is the key to receiving the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. A healthy diet will strengthen your immune system and will help you control your blood pressure and cholesterol.
3. Embrace probiotics
Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria and enzymes to your digestive track, improving digestive as well as strengthening the immune system. A probiotic cleanse is a great way to detoxify the body, while also boosting the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and antioxidants.
4. Keep Hydrated
About 60% of our body weight is made up of water. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. It constantly rejuvenates our cells and it is especially important to drink water in morning to help the cells replace the oxygen they lost the night before. Water is also essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. It helps remove toxins from the body and regulates our body’s temperature. A general rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day to provide your body with its minimum water replacement requirements. Tap water can carry many impurities so it is best to incorporate some type of purification or water conditioning system. One of the most effective and natural water filtration systems is ion water purification using far infrared ceramics.
5. Protect yourself
Protect yourself, your skin and your body from harm. Wear sunscreen and a hat to protect you from the powerful sun. Insect repellent is a great way to protect you from bugs and avoid contracting an insect spread virus. Wash your hands regularly to stop the spread of germs. Avoid smoking and being around second hand smoke, which can both cause major harm to your body and lungs. Know what to do in an emergency and have an emergency kit nearby.
6. Manage stress
In modern society, being stress-free ironically takes a bit of work, but managing stress can greatly improve your quality of life, and reduce many stubborn health issues. Balance work, home and play by deciding on priorities and making enough time for each aspect of your life. Surround yourself with a strong support system that can help you stay sane when things go awry. Ask for assistance when you need it and stay positive. Try to focus on solutions instead of dwelling on problems. Take time to relax and make sure to get enough sleep, about seven to nine hours, each night. If you still find yourself struggling with stress, consider incorporating yoga, mediation and massage into your life.
Maintaining Your Lawn during a Drought
More than 13 states are currently experiencing severe drought in the southern part of the US. Here in Texas, we are experiencing the third worse drought ever on record. With state-wide burn bans, lakes at record lows, and the Department of Agriculture declaring our state a federal disaster area, it easy to understand why people are a bit nervous about their water usage. It feels wrong to waste water on your lawn when farmers are in dire straits, cattlemen are forced to sell off livestock, and our lakes are bone dry.
Thankfully, there are a number of simple strategies you can employ to keep your lawn healthy (and even green!) this summer, without using copious amount of water or contributing to the drought.
When you water, water deep.
Watering your lawn a little bit everyday might seem like the right thing to do but it’s really just wasteful and ineffective. The water evaporates away too quickly, without really quenching your lawn's thirst. A better strategy is to give your lawn lots of water at once. This tactic allows the water to seep deeper into the ground. Water that lies deep within the soil is less likely to evaporate and also encourages grass to grow deeper roots, making your lawn heartier and more effective at absorbing the water it needs. If you soak your lawn, you can also space out your waterings to be more infrequent. This is a tactic that you should employ with your lawn even when there is no drought. It’s just an all-round good practice.
Avoid fertilizers, but Improve Soil Quality
Avoid lawn fertilizers during droughts as they encourage leaf and shoot growth which will drastically increase the amount of water your lawn will require to remain healthy. It is best to stop fertilizer treatments in mid to late spring and allow your lawn to transition into natural dormancy (i.e. slower growth in summer) in order to maintain its green hue with less water. Rather than fertilizer, add a microbial inoculant like EM·1® to the soil whenever you water. This will support the growth of beneficial organisms in the soil, improve the soil structure, drainage, and root water retention. A healthy micro-environment will also guard the lawn against disease during the extreme heat which can lower your lawn's natural defenses.
Make Sure Your Mower is Drought Ready
Sharpen your lawn mower blade, as a dull blade will shred the grass and shredded grass requires up to 60% more water to remain healthy. Likewise, raise the cutting height of your lawn mower. By allowing the grass to grow slightly higher, you are encouraging deeper root growth. As mentioned earlier, this will make your lawn resilient and more efficient at absorbing and retaining water and moisture. Finally, cut your lawn less frequently. Space out your trims to once a month or more.
Gather Water Naturally
Here in Texas rain barrels have always been popular, but with the recent green movement, they can also be attractive additions to your yard. Simply stand an empty barrel (or two or three) in your yard and let the rain clouds do the rest. Be sure to choose a spot that allows for maximum collection. For example, under a rooftop drainage system is ideal. Take advantage of rain from the roof and set barrels underneath gutter spouts to collect the rain water. This water can be used to water plants instead of using tap water.
Controlling Compost Odors
Why Does My Compost Smell?
Unhealthy compost odor can easily be resolved. The most important thing is identifying the underlying source of the smell. Once this is determined, there is generally a simple fix.
Possible Sources of the Smell…
Imbalanced Nitrogen/Carbon Ratio
Most odor issues are due to an unhealthy ratio of nitrogen to carbon – both essential elements to the composting process. Carbon, also referred to as brown material, is the dead and dry parts of your compost including paper, peat moss, sawdust, or dead leaves. Nitrogen is often referred to as the green material in your compost and includes things like food scraps and grass clippings. The ideal ratio is 25-30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Major shifts in this ratio will lead to unpleasant smells. When there is an over-abundance of nitrogen or green parts in the mix, the compost will have an ammonia or sewage-like smell. The remedy is adding brown materials like leaves, newspaper and straw to re-establish the ratio. Unfortunately, this can take time, patience and perhaps more space than is available as the compost pile grows in size with more green material. In many cases a simpler solution is adding healthy microbes and enzymes to help in the decomposition process. EM•1® compost accelerant, for example, not only prevents anaerobic, odor-causing decay by producing stable organic matter particles (humus), but it also speeds up the whole compost process.
Over-Compaction
The microbes that break down your compost require a healthy level of oxygen. Without this oxygen, your compost may become over-compacted leading to excess hydrogen sulfide and a smell of rotten eggs.
The remedy for over-compacted, un-oxygenated compost is aerating the heap. This requires the simple but messy task of churning the compost on a regular basis. It’s also a good idea to add ‘fluffy’ material, like dry leaves or grass in order to achieve the right density.
Too Much Moisture
While healthy compost requires a great deal of moisture, too much can definitely turn into a smelly problem. If your compost is in a closed container, make holes in the container so some of the moisture can be released and your compost can function properly.
Proper Compost Materials
One important thing to remember is that not everything belongs in the compost bin. These things can invite unwanted creatures and smells.
We recommend that you don’t add:
- Meat
- Bones
- Fish
- Dairy products
- Grease or oil
- Comfrey
- Garden waste
- Lawn clippings
- Kitchen waste (including tea bags, coffee grounds, cooked pasta, fruit and vegetable trimmings.)
- Manure
- Seaweed
- Woody prunings
- Weeds
- Bracken
- Straw
- Newspaper and cardboard
- A high quality Microbial Inoculant
The Most Effective Compost Alternative: The Bokashi Method
If you’re searching for a simpler solution, the Bokashi Compost Method is the best alternative to traditional composting currently available. The Bokashi Method is not only easier than composting, but because it relies on the fermentation process rather than decomposition, it is also quicker, requires less churning, and is virtually odorless, making it ideal for urban dwellers.
The Bokashi Method requires 3 simple steps:
- Allow 1-2 weeks to fill compost bin
- Leave compost in bin to ferment for 2 weeks adding EM•1® Bokashi every few days
- Bury the material underground for 2 weeks or simply add it to your traditional compost pile
Controlling the smell of your compost is easier than you think. And with the right knowledge, composting is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do.
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a Latin phrase meaning “working water.” Today, this is the process of growing plants without the use of soil. Hydroponics uses mineral nutrient solutions in water. Hydroponics has been proven as a successful way to grow healthy, stable, and high-yielding plants. When fruits and vegetables are grown hydroponically, the plants are nutrient-rich and tasty.
The two techniques for growing by hydroponics are medium culture and solution culture. Medium cultures use a solid medium such as sand or gravel to facilitate growth. Solution culture does not use these elements, and simply uses the nutrient solution.
How do Hydroponic Plants grow?Plants grown hydroponically grow so well because they are getting all the nutrients they need in an ideally balanced environment without soil, which forces plants’ roots to search for their necessities. This means the plant can spend less effort trying to ingest food and more effort on vegetative growth and reproduction.
Hydroponic plants may grow completely in liquid or use small amounts of gravel, dirt or sand. Your hydroponics system can be in a mass fashion with many fertilizers, different mediums and automation or as simple as a single plant growing in a hand-watered bucket.
Creating a Positive Environment for your PlantWhen growing hydroponically, it is crucial to remember that the nutrients and minerals soil-plants receive naturally, your plant relies on you to receive. A healthy hydroponics environment must have water, aeration, nutrients and physical plant support.
One thing you can do to ensure a healthy environment when using foliar feeding for hydroponic plants is to use a small amount of EM-1 Microbial Inoculant . While this does not substitute for nutrient solutions, it does maintain recommended dilution ratios for your plant. It is also a good idea to condition the water you are feeding your plants with EM-X Ceramics. Specialized hydroponic fertilizers can be used to ensure your plant grows as healthy as possible.
Part of hosting a positive environment for your hydroponic plants also means maintaining an ideal pH level. Similar to soil plants, very high or very low pH levels in hydroponic systems disable plants from absorbing the nutrients they need. Fortunately, like many other aspects of hydroponic systems, pH levels are much easier to monitor, test, and control than soil plants.
What are the Benefits of Growing Hydroponically?Because of the absence of dirt, nutrients are more accessible and create greater yields. The absence of dirt also means less space is required.
Plants in hydroponic systems are maintained in a controlled environment. Should the plant show mineral or nutrient deficiencies, the concentrations of these ingredients applied in water can be easily altered. Additionally, soil plants are frequently subjected to soil-born pesticides, diseases, weeds, and pesticide use. These risks are almost completely eliminated with hydroponics.
There are a number of methods and mediums used to create hydroponic plants. It has become very easy and affordable to experiment with hydroponics at any level. So try it out and start seeing higher yields soon!
Fermentation: The Nutritional Benefits
Humans have been fermenting their food and drink since the beginning of time. Jars containing wine dating back 7,000 years in present Iran, leavened bread in ancient Egypt, fermented milk in Ancient Babylon; the list goes on and on. We can’t know if these people understood the health benefits of consuming fermented food and drink, but it’s pretty obvious they liked it.
Fermentation Today
Contemporary humans have taken a liking to it as well. Beer, wine, ketchup, Tabasco, chocolate, cheeses and many other favorites are all based in traditional fermentation processes. Unfortunately, commercial interests are causing the foods most accessible to us to be fermented in manners that lower the nutritional benefits of fermentation. Pickles, onions and sauerkraut are being fermented in acidic vinegar as opposed to natural salt; bread is leavened with commercial yeast as opposed to wild yeast; and wine, beer, yogurt, milk and cheeses are heavily pasteurized in high heats. Contrary to lacto-fermented processes, all these methods kill of the good bacteria and enzymes that fermentation naturally provides.
What’s So Great About Fermentation?
The fermentation process involves the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins by microgranisms such as bacteria and yeast. This creates great advantages in health and food preparation.
Food Preservation
The primary goal of fermentation in ancient times which holds functionality today is food preservation. Fermented food lasts weeks and sometimes months longer than fresh food. Consider how much longer a pickle stays fresh than a cucumber.
Digestion and Immunity
By fermenting food and allowing it to break down on its own, it naturally processes our food even before we eat it. Traditionally fermented foods are also rich in enzymes which allow food to be digested easier. Fermenting food also allows your body to take in and process the nutrients and vitamins in your food.
Taste
Naturally fermenting food creates full, fresh and rich tastes in food and drinks.
Easy and Inexpensive
Fermenting your own foods and using them in healthy and tasty recipes is easy. With a few products, like E-1 Microbial Inoculant, fermenting your own food was never so easy or cheap!
Can Probiotics Cure Autoimmune Diseases?
The benefits of probiotics are plentiful and many people incorporate them into their diet as an add-on. However, few people realize that these micro-organisms may be the key to decreasing the severity of symptoms related to autoimmune diseases. If you have been diagnosed with celiac, type 1 diabetes or lyme disease, there is good reason to believe that including these beneficial bacteria (link) into your treatment plan will provide significant health benefits.
The Journal of Leukocyte Biologypublished a study in May 2010 that concentrated on the link between celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which gluten attacks villi in the small intestine, and probiotics. This study replicated the environment of a celiac patient’s intestine which included certain types of harmful gram negative bacteria. A bifidobacteria probiotic was introduced and immediately had a strong anti-inflammatory effect. The findings of this study supports previous speculation that probiotics can offer significant benefits against celiac disease by decreasing serum CRP levels and the bacteria-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines, while simultaneously up-regulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. By decreasing the inflammatory effect of celiac probiotics may be able to restrict the primary symptoms of the disease, which are severe stomach problems, fatigue and vitamin deficiencies.
Similar research has been found in regards to Type 1 diabetes and the use of probiotics. Diabetics’ cells are starved of nutrition and consequently starved for energy production. Probiotic bacteria found in supplements such as PRO-EM 1 help your body absorb nutrients and reduce constant stress on the immune system. Probiotics may also help prevent and treat yeast infections which high blood sugars resulting from diabetes often trigger.
Treatment for lyme disease typically involves long term use of antibiotics which often kill the good bacteria in the gut. A study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University recommends that physicians prescribe probiotics as part of the core treatment of lyme disease. Not only do probiotics re-establish the intestinal tract’s beneficial microflora, they also up-regulate the immune system so that it can successfully fight lyme disease pathogen. The lyme disease pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, is a potent pathogen that burrows deep into body tissues until it re-emerges weeks or months later. An up-regulated immune system from a probiotic cleanse may be of significant benefit during the latency period.
There may not be enough concrete research to deem probiotics a cure for celiac, type 1 diabetes or lyme disease yet. However, the scientific findings above illustrate the importance of incorporating these beneficial bacteria into your core treatment plan. Even if you have not been diagnosed with celiac, type 1 diabetes or lyme disease, probiotics are still extremely beneficial to your health and may decrease the likelihood that autoimmune disease symptoms will develop in your future.
Why Use Natural Soap? The Benefits of Using Castile Soap
Recently natural soaps have been making a comeback, as more Americans are diagnosed with skin sensitivities and conditions. While many major brands have begun manufacturing "natural" or "botanical" versions of their soaps, there’s little understanding of what sets these soaps apart from the regular commercial varieties. In many cases, there’s little actual difference between these soaps. Therefore, consumers looking for fragrance free, dye-free, SLS-free or chemical-free soaps should opt for pure soaps (also known as castile soaps) instead of commercial varieties of soaps.
What is Castile Soap?
Unlike commercial soaps that rely on SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) to create a soapy lather, castile soap's bubbles come from saponins in the oils that are released from the reaction of lye and oil.
Benefits of Pure Soap
1. Doesn’t Cause Irritation
Many skin irritations like itchiness, flaking, and redness are a result of dry skin. In the commercial soap making process glycerin is removed from the oil used to make the soap so that it can be sold for more expensive applications (facial creams, cosmetics, etc.). This glycerin is what provides moisture to your skin. When pure soap is made all of the glycerin is retained so all of that moisture stays in the soap- allowing your skin to be hydrated with every use. With the moisture content so much higher, pure soap can even be used on babies and children.
2. Won’t Clog Pores
Pure soap actually opens pores, unclogging them and allowing for a deeper clean. Subsequently, people with severe acne have reported that using pure soap has allowed for their pores to be gently unclogged- reducing acne breakouts and the occurrence of blackheads.
3. Accelerates Healing
Pure soap can actually accelerate skin’s natural healing properties- allowing for scars and stretch marks to become less visible over time.
4. Good for Skin Conditions/Sensitivities
People with eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and SLS-sensitivity have a hard time finding skincare products that won’t irritate their skin or worsen their condition. Pure soap is the best solution for these conditions or sensitivities because it is very gentle on the skin and can greatly improve overall skin health.
5. Carries Fewer Serious Health Risks
Commercial anti-bacterial soaps contain a chemical called triclosan, which is actually registered as a pesticide by the EPA. Triclosan can lead to endocrine system issues, birth defects, decreased fertility, a weakened immune system, and even cancer. Pure soap does not contain triclosan.
6. Better Value
Pure soaps are only slightly more expensive, and the high-quality ingredients used are pure and all-natural, whereas commercial soaps use low-quality ingredients composed mainly of cheap chemicals and additives.
With all of the natural soaps out there, which one should you use? Our favorite pure bath soap is called Shabondama, which means "bubble" in Japanese
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