Here is a perfect example of how Americans are misinformed and confused:
The science behind why some fruits help your waistline
This article of AOL discusses a recent study on how consumption of fruit and veggies might help you obtain/keep normal weight. The article also refers to a link that does not lead to any particular study (so I have no idea who did the research and how it was done). The interpretation of the mysterious study is that fruit have flavonoids, and some, but not all flavonoids help you stay in shape.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
But do we really care why eating fruit keeps us healthy, as long as it really does? (I could write a few pages on the mechanisms, by which this type of diet is beneficial – but again, who cares?)
What we should be concerned about is not spending money on more and more bizarre explanations why eating veggies and fruit helps, but on studies why eating just three fruit a day seems to be an unachievable feat for most Americans.
By the way, the current recommendation is to consume FIVE servings of veggies and fruit a day (each serving is approximately a handful of the cut fruit/vegetable).
Peppermint [Mentha piperita]
This perennial plant is a source of essential oil that contains organic compounds such as menthol and menthone. These and other compounds confer the characteristic aroma of mint. Full nutrition information for peppermint is available here.
Grow
The plant is indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, but it is now grown everywhere. I cultivate it as a perennial in my garden in zone 5, U.S. The plant grows almost under any conditions (shade and sun), and it could be invasive; therefore, if you do not want it to spread too much, grow it in a pot.
Harvest and store
For cooking, collect the leaves, wash, and dry on paper towels or old window screens until the herb is ready to be “crumbled” into powder. To do this, take a few dry leaves between the palms of your hands, and crush the material with circular rubbing motions. Store in glass jars at room temperature. My friends freeze the leaves instead; however, since I use tons of mint for cooking, I find it easier to use the powder.
Medicinal uses of peppermint
Mint has been used to sooth abdominal pain, indigestion, and bloating. These effects might be in part attributed to herb’s ability to relax the colon muscles and reduce the gastrocolic reflex (the urge to defecate after a meal), according to this video by Dr. Michael Greger.
More interestingly, mint might be the only effective means to alleviate irritable bowel syndrome without any side effects. Considering that one in seven Americans suffer from the condition (diagnosed or not), this is a useful fact to know. Peppermint is applied also against nausea and vomiting. Evidently, mint not only soothes the gastrointestinal system, as it is recommended for alleviating depression and anxiety. Also, the herb has anti-fungal properties; thus, once or twice daily application of mint essential oil heals nail fungal infections. These and additional medical applications of mint are summarized in The Power of Peppermint: 21 Health Benefits Revealed.
Cosmetics with mint
To fight bad breath, try this mouthwash recipe, according to which a few drops of peppermint oil and a pinch of baking soda in a small amount of water can cleanse your mouth after a 60-second swish. Make a summer mint spray to cool yourself, as menthol activates cold-sensitive skin receptors and has a cooling sensation. More applications of mint for skin and hair are offered here. For skin health this website recommends a toner that reduces skin pores: use a cup of boiling water over 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves and the peel of an orange. Let the infusion cool, strain, and add a tablespoon witch hazel. Use it in a spray bottle. Another recipe for facial cleanser and toner uses fresh mint, apple cider vinegar, and witch hazel all diluted with water.
To make your own peppermint body scrub watch how James Wong prepares one on Grow Your Own Medicine 4 Herbs, minute 24. Mint can also make a great shampoo, according to this advice, all you need is peppermint oil, olive oil, baking soda and some aloe vera gel.
Other uses
Insect repellent: this past summer there were days when I could not last more than 15 minutes in my garden since I was attacked by armies of mosquitoes. This is why I was excited to find a recipe for an insect repellent that consists of witch hazel and a few drops of essential oils (lemon grass, citronella, peppermint, and tea tree). Also, try this peppermint hand soap recipe from a great blog.
Cooking with peppermint
Mint can make refreshing flavored water for the summer: just add a few fresh mint leaves and a bit of lemon to a jug of cold water, and let it infuse in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Since mint alleviates bloating/gas, all my recipes with beans and lentils include a handful of dry mint.
I have never made my own mint extract, but after considering the preparation of flavored chocolates, I found this recipe for mint extract. All you need is to chop the clean leaves into a glass jar and completely cover them vodka. Keep the jar out of sunlight, shake it daily for minimum of 6 weeks, strain and enjoy. If you need more exact directions, watch this excellent video on how to extract herbs with alcohols.
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/225/2
http://www.naturalnews.com/048872_peppermint_oil_personal_care_cosmetic_benefits.html
http://www.home-remedies-site.com/tips/natural-remedies-mint.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/048872_peppermint_oil_personal_care_cosmetic_benefits.html
http://commonsensehome.com/easy-chocolate-mint-extract/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/14/peppermint-health-benefits.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2aVum_7kWs
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/herbal-remedies/peppermint-herbal-remedies.htm
The holiday season was upon us (... not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse), and I found myself with a couple of free hours (a rare occurrence), trying to find anything on Internet that would grab (or at least, retain) my attention.
At first, it seemed that I did not know what I was looking for. Search after search on YouTube did not yield anything satisfactory. However, as I continued punching the keyboard to enter new and improved search words, I noticed that I gravitated to self-improvement and education videos on topics away from my profession. I was looking for financial advice, health stories, or cool life philosophies – lessons that were never taught in my mandatory school years. However, at my current "ripe" age, I had finally realized that these skipped lessons were the crucial ones. Even today the schools neglect these topics; therefore, most of us are left to chance events to teach us how to navigate life and avoid its traps.
The human mind is inquisitive; however, it is currently challenged by a formidable match – the informational tsunami of modern progress. A tremendous amount of information – from this on simple homesteading tasks to data on exacting neurosurgeries and most complicated calculations – is growing to gigantic proportions. The consequences of acquiring this collective knowledge are beyond our imagination. But in order to effectively assimilate the informational content, we need to start collecting, cataloging and curating the knowledge.
By the way - no, I have not just discovered the Internet, and yes – I have used Wikipedia. And yes, I also know about Khan Academy, I have watched enough of its videos to know that although useful, sometimes by the time the presenter draws an image/schematic/picture, I could watch another brief informational video on the same topic. What I seek is highly effective visual application of curated knowledge. I would like to see the best of the best summarize their knowledge on different topics in the shortest and clearest form and shape.
As I was writing this last sentence, it occurred to me that such website/movement might already exist. This is how I discovered the Video Encyclopedia, a resource of one- to three-minute videos. I find this type of approach refreshing, since I am working in a field where everyone is already drowning in information. Frequently the information is redundant, irrelevant, incoherent, incorrect, and delivered ineffectively. If you find that a three-minute video is too short for a concept, consider a sequence of "satellite" short videos that allows someone to “drill down and deeper”. However, frequently three minutes are sufficient to present a general concept. See the schematic below - it summarizes the idea.
I believe that the future belongs to the Knowledge Curators – those who will crunch any concept into brief videos. These videos or “modules of knowledge” will be the building blocks of any future general and specialized education. This is how the collective knowledge will create the most awesome School of Life.
If you are one of these people who have knowledge to share, start collecting, curating, and cataloging, create up to three-minute videos, and upload. A great example of short videos that summarize even complicated clinical and research papers are these offered by New England Journal of Medicine.
Once you start summarizing the knowledge you have, you may discover that this could be not only fulfilling, but also a lucrative process as well. Listen to this podcast by Nick Loper on a how helping nursing students turned out to be a great way of living.
How would you like to leave this world? Almost half of the elderly in the U.S. die in nursing homes or hospitals. To the last moment of their lives, they have a team of health care professionals who are trying to save them AT ANY COST.
Read this thought-provoking post written by Dr. Louis M. Profeta, an emergency physician practicing in Indianapolis. Then decide what you would do at the end of the path.
