According to the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, nearly 1 in 10 adults in the United States suffers from insomnia. Though most of these people suffer from short-term insomnia, many of them also suffer from chronic insomnia (i.e. difficulty falling or staying asleep for more than six months). Such sleep deprivation can significantly decrease the quality of one’s life. While stress related to work and family remains the number one cause of insomnia,…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 67 million Americans – approximately one in three adults – suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure. In 2009 alone, high blood pressure was the primary or contributing cause of almost 350,000 deaths in the United States, which averages at 1,000 deaths per day. The disorder is, in essence, an epidemic in the Western world. Though high blood pressure can be triggered by stress…
Long before the advent of modern medicine, people were using essential oils for medicinal purposes. The oil of the evergreen shrub, tea tree, was particularly venerated by ancient cultures, especially the Australian Aborigines. In fact, evidence shows that the Aborigines have been using the oils of their indigenous Melaleuca alternifolia tree for centuries to treat a wide array of conditions ranging from simple coughs to serious skin conditions. Today, tea tree oil enjoys a reputation…
It’s difficult to find a food product more versatile than baking soda. This white soluble compound, which is also called sodium bicarbonate, has been used for centuries – even as far back as ancient Egypt – as a natural cleaning agent and preservative. In 1843, when the British chemist Alfred Bird created commercial baking soda, the compound gained further popularity as a quick-acting leavener of baked goods. Today, baking soda can be found in almost…
Most people will agree that weeds can cause a large amount of damage in the garden. For example, invasive weeds like Johnson grass and cogongrass expand rapidly and choke other low-growing flora. Parasitical weeds that depend upon a host for sustenance, such as dodders and witchweed, are even more destructive. Then, of course, there are the noxious weeds, such as poison ivy and poison sumac, which contribute to little except worry amongst parents with small…
