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Happy Winter Solstice 2017

Solar prominencesThe Winter Solstice for 2017 occurs on December 21st which is the shortest day of the year. The Solstices (occurring in both December for the shortest day and June for the longest day) is wrapped up in tradition and ritual. It been celebrated by pagans for thousands of years, and many of the traditions now associated with Christmas had their roots in winter solstice celebrations - including the Christmas tree and yule logs.

The Druids - the priests of the ancient Celts - used evergreen trees , holly and mistletoe as symbols of everlasting life during winter solstice rituals. Cutting them down and putting them in their homes would have been too destructive to nature. But when Saint Boniface, also known as Winfrith of Crediton, found a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree in 8th Century Germany, he cut the tree down. The rituals soon became part of Christmas.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it always occurs around December 21 or 22. (In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs around June 20 or 21.) It is also considered the first day of Winter.

In 2017, the Winter Solstice arrives at:

  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 4:28 pm UTC
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 11:28 am EST
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 10:28 am CST
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 9:28 am MST
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 8:28 am PST
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 7:28 am AKST
  • Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 6:28 am HAST

 

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice


Unusual Uses for Olive Oil

Olive oilWho would have thought that Olive Oil was so useful and versatile beyond cooking and salad dressing? But it is. According to Curbly, here are some other great uses for Olive Oil:

1.Shave. Olive oil can provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. Rub in an extra teaspoon after washing your body or face once finished.

2. Wood Furniture Polish. Wipe with a teaspoon of olive oil and a soft rag. Add a bit of vinegar of citrus juice to bulk up the cleaning power, and add a fresh scent.

3. Fingernails. Use a bit of olive oil to moisturize cuticles, or mix oil and water and soak your hands before a manicure.

4. Lubricate Measuring Cups and Spoons. Rub or spray olive oil on your measuring tools for easy clean-up of sticky substances like honey, grain mustards, and sugar syrups,

7. Care for your kitty. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs, and provide a shiny coat.

8.  DIY Lip balm. Mix olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio, with an essential oil for fragrance, and say goodbye to dry and chapped lips.

9. Stop Snoring. Take a sip of olive oil before heading to bed. It might lubricate your throat muscles, and stop yourself, or your partner, from snoring.

10. Shine stainless steel and brass. Rub a bit of olive oil on a clean rag to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.

11. Exfoliate your face and hands. Rub your skin with olive oil, then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, and rinse.

12. As you bathe. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your running bath water. You’ll be amazed when you towel off.

13. Remove makeup. Dab a bit under your eyes, on your cheeks and forehead, then wipe with a damp cloth.

14. Cure an earache. Very carefully, use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and excess wax.

15. Remove paint from your skin. Rub on olive oil onto messy hand and arms (or faces) and allow the oil to soak into the skin for five minutes, then rinse with soap and water.

16. Treat lice. Apply olive oil to your youngster’s hair, and leave on for at least 40 minutes. Shampoo twice, then apply a preventative.

17. Stop a throat tickle. Take a sip of olive oil to stop the itchy flicker that is making you cough.

18. Fix a squeaky door. Use a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of a problematic hinge in your home or automobile. 

19. Shoe polish. Rub down your shoes with just a spray of olive oil to maintain their shine.

20. Personal Lubricant. It works…

21. Soften your skin. Rub olive oil daily on notoriously dry areas, such as your feet or elbows, especially after a shower, shaving, or waxing.

22. Easy clean up of garden tools. Spritz some olive oil on your tools to cut down on dirt buildup. Read more here!

23. Condition leather. Rub olive oil into worn leather, such as a baseball glove, and let set for 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess.

24. As a hair tonic. Comb some olive oil through your hair for the vintage look of pomade without the build-up, or add a bit to wet hair for grungy, but clean, look.

25. Cure diaper rash. Gently wipe on olive oil to your baby’s bottom to help with the irritation of diaper rash.

 

 


Would You Eat an Ant to Fight Fatigue and Stress? 11 Adaptogens That Hollywood Loves

Hollywood is trend conscious and now the trend is toward Adaptogens. The Hollywood Reporter reveals some of the most popular adaptogens of the stars:

The wild, weird and (some say) wonderful ingredients at the center of the entertainment industry's latest supplement craze.

Ask the internet, and adaptogens are sprinklings of "pretentious hippie" woo-woo that caused L.A. juice entrepreneur Amanda Chantal Bacon to be excoriated while promoting her Moon Juice Sex Dust. But the National Institutes of Health has found in trials that the supplements made of medicinal plants, herbs and mushrooms "exert an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental work capacity" when stressed. Eleven adaptogens and supplements currently popular in Hollywood:

CHAGA Pretty Little Liars' Shay Mitchell orders the off-menu Blue smoothie (which tastes like cereal milk; $12) loaded with this immune-boosting mushroom at Lifehouse Tonics. "With supershroom adaptogens, we see improvements in energy, focus, creativity and sleep," says co-founder Fraser Thompson.

DRIED WHITE MULBERRIES Gisele Bundchen snacks on these purportedly longevity-boosting berries ($18; SunPotion.com).

REISHI Emma Stone's and Amy Schumer's facialist Georgia Louise says some of her clients are obsessed with Sun Potion's individual adaptogen powders, which can be mixed into water, juice, tea or smoothies. Katie Holmes, Laird Hamilton and Ben Harper are devotees of the offerings, including the reishi mushroom, called the "queen healer" for its reported liver-regenerating properties ($50).

1. Chaga 2. Dried white mulberries 3. Reishi 4. Moringa 5. Schisandra 6. Rhodiola 7. Mucuna puriens 8. Pine pollen 9. Siberian ginseng 10. Polyrhachis ant 11. Ashwagandha
1. Chaga 2. Dried white mulberries 3. Reishi 4. Moringa 5. Schisandra 6. Rhodiola 7. Mucuna puriens 8. Pine pollen 9. Siberian ginseng 10. Polyrhachis ant 11. Ashwagandha

MORINGA AND MUCUNA PURIENS Sun Potions' "miracle leaf" moringa fights aging free radicals ($20), while mucuna puriens has mood-enhancing qualities ($37).

PINE POLLEN AND POLYRHACHIS ANT Brownstone Productions' Renate Radford claims that with a bit of Sun Potion's Pine Pollen ($55), "you don't feel a buzz; you're just alert and awake." The wild-harvested polyrhachis ant is used by Chinese healers to boost musculoskeletal and digestive systems ($55).

SCHISANDRA, RHODIOLA AND SIBERIAN GINSENG Torii Labs' anti-anxiety Awake tonic contains stress-reducing Siberian ginseng, energizing schisandra berry and anti-anxiety rhodiola ($45 for a pack of six; ToriiLabs.com).

ASHWAGANDHA This anti-aging adaptogen that, like schisandra, is said to inhibit enzymes that break down collagen, is part of Raw Complexion's Skin Balance No. 2. Yolanda Hadid Foster and Ireland Baldwin mix it into drinks for a beauty boost ($35; Raw-Complexions.com.au).


Purifying Plants for Your Home

PlantsNatural Society believes that there are certain plants that can help clean the air in your home. Author Elizabeth Renter writes:

Pollution isn’t only a concern when you’re outdoors—it’s a concern in your home as well. From the carpet on the floor to the cleaning products you might use, there are numerous contaminants that could be infiltrating your domicile. Ideally you would replace these toxic substances with less toxic counterparts, but that isn’t always practical. Fortunately, research has shown certain houseplants to have air-purifying effects that can make it easier to breathe while beautifying your surroundings.

Researcher Kamal Meattle is an environmental advocate and air quality innovator in his native India. There, he advocates for “massive banks of plants instead of massive banks of HVAC equipment” for cleaning the air. He and others interested in natural air-cleaning methods have identified several plants that are great for removing toxins, including carcinogens from the air.

Meattle calls Areca Palm the “living room plant” because it is a daytime “oxygen factory”, according to MindBodyGreen. He recommends having four of these plants in the home per resident.

He recommends Mother-in-Law’s Tongue as the “bedroom plant” as it is a nighttime oxygen maker. Making your room resemble a tropical forest, he recommends having six to eight waist-high plants per person.

Finally, Meattle recommends Money Plants as “the specialist plant” which is able to filter formaldehyde and several other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from the air.

A NASA study from several years ago also identified houseplants that have air-purifying effects in the home. That agency, which should know a thing or two about having quality, breathable air, recommends:

  • Devil’s ivy
  • Mother-in-law’s tongue
  • Peace lilies
  • Ficus
  • Snake plants
  • Gerbera daisies

The NASA research reveals:

“In this study the leaves, roots, soil, and associated microorganisms of plants have been evaluated as a possible means of reducing indoor air pollutants. Additionally, a novel approach of using plants systems for removing high concentrations of indoor air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, organic solvents, and possibly radon has been designed from this work.”

Additional houseplants that are relatively easy to grow and can help filter the air include: the purple waffle plant, English ivy, variegated wax plant, asparagus fern, spider plant, red-edge dracaena, bamboo palm, and chrysanthemum.

 


Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/9-best-house-plants-cleaner-air/#ixzz3PUvdnELc
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

 


Power Felt

Power feltWhat exactly is Power Felt? It is a fascinatingly new way to recharge your devices like a cellphone by the use of your body heat and a piece of this miracle material. It converts wasted body heat into electric current.

Its uses are many from powering up devices to lining automobile seats to improve battery power, or for insulating pipes or collecting heat under roof tiles to reduce gas or electric bills. It could also have monitoring applications: lining clothing or sports equipment to help determine performance, or wrapping IV or wound sites for tracking patients’ medical needs. Even the toy industry could see a big impact. Perhaps most important, you could keep it with an emergency kit for powering a cell phone, a flashlight, a weather radio. This could be crucial during power outages or after accidents.

Read more at The New Observer website.

How does it work? Power Felt is made up of tiny carbon nanotubes locked in flexible plastic fibers and made to look like fabric. It creates a charge by using temperature differences, such as room temperature versus body temperature. This principle is known as thermoelectrics – currently the subject of extensive research within the scientific community. But what if there is no significant temperature difference? Not a problem: Power Felt also has the ability to collect power from mechanical noise, any vibration that’s around it – the motion of the body or the vibration of a car.

Amazing!


Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/08/26/2293473/wake-forests-power-felt-a-hot.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/08/26/2293473/wake-forests-power-felt-a-hot.html#storylink=cpy

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