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Showing posts from November, 2013

13 Surprising Uses for Honey

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It’s often said that the famed ancient beauty Cleopatra would soak in  honey  and milk baths. Well, whether or not that’s true, it’s certainly not surprising that the story has persisted for so long — honey has a tremendous effect on the skin. And that’s not all — honey is a powerful antiseptic and a fantastic natural sugar substitute. Keep reading for these and more alternative uses for honey. Health 1. Relieve Hangovers.  Had a little  too  much fun last night? A few tablespoons of  honey , which is packed with fructose, will help speed up your body’s metabolism of alcohol. 2. Heal Wounds, Cuts, Scrapes & Burns.  Don’t reach for the Neosporin the next time you cut or burn yourself — simply apply  honey  to the affected area. Honey works as a natural antiseptic. 3. Soothe Sore Throats and Coughs.  Combine honey with the juice of one lemon and drink. It works like a wonder! 4. Remove Parasites.  Hopefully you’ll never have to use this

Are GMOs Responsible For Your Gluten Intolerance?

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Glutun a protein found in wheat and other grains, has been linked to everything from gas and bloating to celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that can increase risk of death. Some experts estimate that around 18 million Americans now suffer from some sort of gluten-intolerance, and while genetics certainly account for some, it simply can’t explain all of these new cases. In searching for the answer,  some have pointed to genetically-modified organisms  (GMOs) as the potential culprit. Introduced en masse into the American food supply around the mid-1990s, GMOs have had just enough time to overwhelm our systems, and some medical experts believe we’re reaping the consequences. Staple  GMOs  (soy, corn, cotton (oil), canola (oil), sugar from sugar beets,  zucchini , yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa) have been infused with Monsanto’s favorite weed killer,  Roundup . This herbicide’s active ingredient is glyphosate, a chemical that h

12 Surprising Uses for Herbs & Spices

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Need to keep your clothes bright, your  salt  intake down, or your radiator sealed? Look no further than your spice rack. Yep, there are plenty of really fantastic ways to use herbs and spices to solve problems both big and small. Read on to check them out, and tell us your favorite unusual way to use herbs and spices in the comments! Around the House & in the Garden. 1. Clean the Floors.  With just liquid soap,  vinegar  and herbal tea, you can make a really effective, and great-smelling, floor wash.  Click here  for the recipe. 2. Repel Moths.  Combat hole-y sweaters with  cinnamon  sticks, cloves and black pepper. In a bowl, combine 3-4 cinnamon sticks broken up into pieces, 1/2 cup whole cloves, and 1/2 cup whole peppercorns. Scoop out 1 tablespoon into  small squares of fabric, tie them up and stick them in your dresser drawers and closets. 3. Repel Mosquitos Naturally.  Having rosemary around not only smells nice, but it also repels mosquitos. They just c

4 Effective & Inexpensive Treatments Your Doctor May Not Know About

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  When my husband Tim was diagnosed at the age of forty with a cancerous brain tumor, I became a cracker-jack online medical researcher. I found treatments (both nutritional and non-nutritional) that kept Tim alive and in relatively good health for fifteen years—twelve years beyond his doctors’ predictions. Since Tim was his doctors’ “miracle patient,” surviving much longer than their other patients, I naively assumed they would be eager to learn about the treatments I found for Tim. I hoped they’d want to tell their other patients about them, so they could extend their lives too. Unfortunately, Tim’s doctors weren’t at all interested in learning about these treatments. In 2001, Tim had a recurrence of his brain tumor. After this surgery, his suture line wouldn’t heal. Doctors performed eight additional surgeries in eight months, vainly attempting to make the skin on his head heal. Nothing worked. In fact,  the  repeated surgeries made him much worse  until, finally, Tim wa

The Best Way To Ignite Passion In Your Relationship

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One of the keys to keeping romance alive is mastering the art of closeness and distance. It's a dance that's not easy to do, but is essential if you want to keep the love flowing. When we are overly close, our relationships become routine and the love fizzles out. And when we're overly distant, we feel anxious and uncomfortable. The sweetest spot is being able to navigate BOTH closeness and distance. It's a dance. The way to successfully do this dance is by having passions that exist beyond our lovers. People often think they have to share everything with their partners. They also think that if their partner isn't passionate about the same things, the relationship is doomed. I say the opposite is true. Having your own passions in life makes for a little mystery, comfortable distance and awe in your relationship. Think about it: your personal passion is a part of you that your partner knows about, but doesn't fully understand — this makes you

20 Foods that Detox Your Body & Mind

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The connection between the body and the mind is a very real one, with the way your body feels playing a big part in how your brain functions and whether or not you experience a state of well-being. Keeping it free of toxins, free radicals, and other nasty things that can end up in our insides is essentially to maintaining a healthy life. You’ll notice that with many of these detox foods the road to purification goes through the liver, and getting it to full capacity can have several long-lasting benefits throughout the body. Artichokes Artichokes help the liver function at its best, which in turn will help your body purge itself of toxins and other things it doesn’t need to survive. It ups the liver’s production of bile, and since bile helps break down foods which helps your body use the nutrients inside them, an increase in bile production is typically a good thing. Aside from all of the benefits to your liver, it’s also filled with fiber, protein , magnesium, f

4 foods that naturally detoxing your liver

Detoxification is one of the main purposes of your liver. It’s the body’s filtering system, working to filter the blood after it exits the digestive system and before it moves on to the rest of the body. It removes potentially harmful chemicals from the body and metabolizes drugs. When your liver is out of whack, your whole body can suffer. An occasional liver detox can do wonders for your total body health. In addition, a diet regularly supplemented with liver-cleansing herbs and foods can keep everything working smoothly in the between-times. There are several herbs and foods that can help keep your liver detoxified. Here are 4 of them: 1. Milk Thistle Silymarin, a substance within milk thistle, works to increase protein synthesis very important to liver health and much more. Studies have indicated milk thistle is a viable treatment for liver diseases, bile duct inflammation, and damage due to alcoholism. It may also be effective at protecting the body from pollutan

5 Pointless Food Substitutes

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    Sometimes, all we want is to have our cake and eat it too. And nowhere is this more evident than on the shelves of American supermarkets. Diet soda. Diet potato chips. Diet ice cream. But here’s a sneaky little secret of the processed food industry: many of these “diet” foods are no better, or even worse, than their full-fat, full-calorie or full-whatever alternatives. Read on to check out some of the biggest culprits. 1. Low-Fat and Dairy-Free Ice Cream. Many premium ice cream brands offer low-fat versions. But here’s what they don’t tell you: these “low-fat” versions often contain the same amount, if not more, fat and sugar as their less expensive, regular alternatives! The same goes for many dairy-free ice creams. The takeaway? Another reminder to always read nutrition labels! 2. Baked Potato Chips. When you bake a potato chip instead of frying it, you inevitably lose out on flavor. And how do yo

14 Clever Uses for Nail Polish

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Longtime Care2 readers will know there are a few household items that have a seemingly endless list of practical uses — vinegar , baking soda , lemon… Well, prepare to add nail polish to that list. More than just a way to add a splash of color to your hands or even a way to fix runs in your stockings, nail polish is a surprisingly versatile household tool. From car repair to skin allergies, click through to  check out some of the surprising uses for nail polish. Have your own way to reuse nail polish? Share it with us in the comments! Around the House & In the Garage. 1. Mark Your Perfect Shower Temperature. You can also try this on sinks with separate hot and cold faucets. 2. Fix Window Screens. Small tears in your window screens? Fear not — fix them right up with some clear nail polish. 3. Prevent Rusty Screws and Wobbly Toilet Seats. Stop rust before it happens on the your rust-prone toilet seat, by coating screws in clear nai

10 Rarest Dog Breeds

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Whether because of geography, outdated usage, or unpopularity, there are several breeds of dog that are virtually unknown to dog lovers across the globe. Check out some of the rarest dog breeds on the planet, and let us know your favorite in the comments section! 10. Komondor A national treasure in Hungary, the Komondor is perhaps best known for its long, corded coat. The dreadlocks form as the dogs reach adulthood, and typically measure in at 8-11 inches long. And these coats are heavy, the heaviest in the dog world, and have historically helped make the sturdy pooches survive any number of adverse weather conditions. In Hungary, most of the two to three thousand Komondor guard livestock on farms or serve as pets in rural areas. Stateside, a similarly-sized population is primarily composed of show dogs. 9. Stabyhoun Originating in the Netherlands, the Stabyhoun originated as a versatile farm dog, helping out with hunting and serving as a watch dog. To