We All Need To Know About These Winter Health Tips

In winter, the sun sets earlier, a chill fills the air, and we spend less time outside being active and more time inside eating starchy and sugary foods. Our hibernating instinct doesn't keep us healthy. Rather, our immune system takes a hit, allowing winter colds and flus to grab hold.

Luckily, there are certain things you can do to keep your energy up, your immune system strong and your body healthy all winter long. We all need to know about these winter health tips:

1. Drink healthy fluids

Sugary and caffeinated beverages can suppress immune-system function, not to mention cause weight gain and dehydration. Drinking six to eight glasses a day of water or herbal tea can keep your digestive system healthy, your weight down and your energy up. This is especially important over the winter months to help flush the system. Green and white teas are also wonderful antioxidant-rich options to keep you healthy throughout the season.

2. Get some z's

Sleeping is one of the most effective ways to refuel after a stressful day. Make sure to sleep in a dark room to ensure your body properly secretes the hormone melatonin, which is believed to help repair the immune system.

3. Avoid added sugars

In addition to causing weight gain, refined flours and sugars can suppress immune-system function. In other words, if there is a flu or cold circulating and you go a little crazy on the white sugar, you're creating the perfect environment for illness to strike. Turn to naturally occurring sugars found in fruit for some sweetness. If you crave chocolate, go for dark chocolate, which contains plant phenols that have been shown to lower blood pressure. Cut up squares and store them in your freezer. Grab one or two when you need a sweet treat.

4. Go for garlic

The sulfur-containing compounds in garlic help increase the potency of two important cells of the immune system, T-lymphocytes and macrophages, which in turn help battle colds. Eat garlic raw or cooked for an immune-system boost.

5. Eat zinc-rich foods

Zinc helps prevent a weakened immune system. Get adequate amounts by eating oysters, liver, lean beef, pork, turkey, lamb, lentils, pumpkin and sesame seeds, garbanzo beans and yogurt.

6. Move it

Don't succumb to inactivity this winter -- hit the yoga studio, run on the treadmill or suit up and head outdoors. A brisk walk burns calories, gets the blood flowing and increases energy.

Here Are A Few Winter Travel Tips

Winter doesn't start for several more days yet. Traveling in winter is a challenge but being prepared will help get you where you are going and remain safe. In the past few years, airlines started to cancel flights more proactively in advance of storms while offering passengers flexibility in either rescheduling flights or canceling plans altogether.

Once flights begin to be canceled due to weather, there will be fewer open seats on flights that are still running. Not all airlines cancel flights in concert, so it's possible that another airline may still be able to get you where you are going. Here are a few winter travel tips below:

1.) Travel to Your Destination Early

If you have to be somewhere on a specific day, don't leave anything to chance. Arrange your schedule to arrive at least one day early. If you've already booked your flight, you may be able to change your reservation, especially once the airlines start to issue travel waivers, which will allow you to make changes or cancel without incurring any fees. In fact, many airlines will encourage you to travel early.

2.) Consider Canceling

If the storm is imminent, stay put. Last February, practically every major U.S. airline waived change fees and other restrictions for travelers impacted by a massive winter storm. If you find you cannot travel due to weather, and it's close to departure time, check whether the airline has issued a waiver.

3.) Take a Train

While trains aren't 100% exempt from winter weather cancellations, they still tend to be a more reliable means of transportation than planes when bad weather hits.

4.) Stay Informed

Listen to news and weather forecasts for your own region as well as the destination. Make sure you are enrolled to receive flight alerts from your airline, and check the weather forecast frequently, as many storms that are forecast turn out to be much ado about nothing.

Consider using a flight information service such as Expert Flyer, which gives you the same information airline agents and travel agents have access to, to check seat availability on other flights. Finally, if a storm is affecting travel en route, but not at the departure and arrival points, ask about alternate routes.

5.) Don't Get On Line With Everyone Else

When flights cancel, most passengers simply get on line at the ticket counter to get rebooked. Skip the line and turn on your laptop, tablet or smartphone, and do the legwork yourself. While everyone else is standing on line for an hour or two, you might be able to rebook yourself in minutes. You can also try making requests via an airline's Twitter account, but, while social media tools promised quick results when only a few travelers were using them, some passengers report long delays in responses now. If you are a member of the airline's frequent-flyer program with any kind of status, call the number for the program and make sure to enter your frequent-flyer number so your call is routed correctly.

6.) If You Do Drive

If part or all of your trip is by car, make sure you have the appropriate tires and keep extra supplies on hand including a fully charged mobile phone, ice scraper and brush, blankets, at least one flashlight, a battery-operated radio, and several bottles of water.

Here Are A Few Winter Hair Care Tips To Keep Your Hair Healthy

The winter months can be harsh on skin and hair. Cold weather can make your hair feel dry and brittle. To combat the effects winter weather conditions can have on your hair, it is best to keep your hair hydrated and moisturized. Here are a few winter hair care tips for retaining your hair's moisture during the winter months.

Choose shampoos and conditioners that are designed to help hair retain its moisture. During the winter months it is good to use moisturizing deep conditioning treatments and masques every 4-6 weeks. These conditioners are heavier than traditional conditioners and are specifically designed for moisture retention. Apply the conditioning treatment with heat. The use of heat allows the cuticle layer of your hair to expand which allows the product to penetrate to the cortex layer. Use a plastic cap and a hooded dryer for 15-20 minutes and rinse with cool water to seal the cuticle layer for the best results. Hot oil treatments are also great to add to your hair maintenance ritual every four weeks. This is because split ends occur more frequently in the winter. Hot oil treatments should reduce the occurrence of split ends. However, it is still a good practice to trim your hair every 8-10 weeks.

Add natural oils to your shampoo and conditioner for added benefit. Natural oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil penetrate the cuticle layer, helping curly hair retain moisture longer and better. When choosing products look for ones that have these oils in them or you can buy them from most health food stores. As a natural hair stylist, I prefer and recommend products that are certified organic.

During the winter, months dry your hair before leaving the house. It is better to use a micro-fiber towel since they are more absorbent and they help to reduce frizz. If you use a diffuser to dry your hair, keep it on medium heat. Higher temperature settings can dry out your hair and scalp. When blow drying your hair without a diffuser, keep the nozzle at a 90-degree angle making sure not to blow heat directly on the hair or scalp. Direct heat will dry out your hair and scalp and can even burn.

The products you use should be non-alcohol based gels, cream curl definers, and light leave-in conditioners. Alcohol-based products dry the hair making it more susceptible to breakage. Silicone based serums are humectants designed to draw moisture into your hair from the air. However, if the air is dry it can actually pull moisture out of your hair. Avoid products that contain petrolatum or petroleum. These ingredients can block the hair follicle, weigh down your hair, and attract dirt.
Products that contain protein can harden your hair making it brittle.

Protective hairstyles such as braids and twists protect your hair from friction against winter fabrics like wool and cotton hats and scarves. These styles allow your hair to rest from color and thermal styling and all the wear and tear from summer time activities that leave chlorine and salt water in your hair.

With braids and twists as your protective style of choice, your hair can be styled differently every day of the winter season without ever using heat or chemically altering your hair. Your hair can be beautifully coiffed if you're going to a formal affair. It can also be styled for work or worn as a casual style. The most popular style choices for my clients are double strand twists with or without extensions.

As a quick note and reminder for your night time hair care routine, tie your hair with a silk or satin scarf or bonnet. You can also use a silk or satin pillowcase, as they do not rub against the hair causing friction like cotton does. If you still struggle with maintaining well-moisturized hair during the winter, consult with a beauty professional in your area.

You Must Follow These Winter Health Tips

Seasonal changes bring in health problems like cold, fever and cough. This is because the body takes time to adjust to the new climate. When the season changes, you have to be very careful so as to avoid health problems. Precaution is better than cure and you have to keep this in mind. As winter is in, the days are short, nights are long. The chilly air and your eating habits can be harmful for your health. So, here are few simple winter health tips to stay fit and active.

Winter health tips:

Eat healthy: This is one of the most important tip to stay healthy in winters. Always eat healthy and do not forget to include seasonal fruits and vegetables in the diet. Do not eat starchy, sugary and oily foods. We love to eat snacks but they can only lead to weight gain. Rather include zinc and iron rich foods that are soluble and rich in proteins and vitamins. Have garlic and other spices to beat cold and sore throat.

Sleep tight: During winters we feel more lazy and sleepy. Utilise the chilling season by grabbing little more sleep. You will get up fresh and also de-stress yourself. If you do not get proper sleep, you will feel lazy and the body also becomes prone to illness.

Drink herbal tea: Healthy fluids like water and herbal tea are good for the winter. Fight this chilling season by drinking these healthy fluids. You can also have vegetable soup to stay warm and avoid feeling lazy. Fruit juice lovers can warm their juice to avoid sore throat and cough.

Wear winter clothes: Style and trend should be set according to the season. In winters, you would look funny if you wear a sleeveless top and hot pants! Wear winter clothes made with woolen to protect the body from cold. Arthritis is a common health problem faced during winters. Protect your body, especially bones, in the winter season. If you suffer from acute joint pain in the winters, consult a doctor immediately.

Workout regularly: During winters, we feel lazy and cold to workout. Thus, we skip working out. Winter weight gain is a big concern so make sure you workout regularly. Go for yoga or hit the gym. De-stress yourself with little meditation. Workout avoids weight gain, increases blood flow in the body and also boosts up the immune system. So energise yourself with some exercise.

You Need To Know More About Winter Skin Care

With winter comes snow, scarves and sleds, but it also brings skin problems. The cold weather mixed with heated homes can be treacherous on your skin. It can cause dryness, irritation, cracking and chapping. In order to make sure that this doesn't happen and to prevent future damage to your skin you need to know more about winter skin care. By following these simple tips your skin will be protected all the winter along.

Check Your Cleanser

The first thing that you need to do for winter skin prevention is check the cleanser that you are using. You want to make sure that it is not too harsh for your skin. With the dry heat and the cold outdoor air you need to use a cleanser that is very gentle, yet still effective. Liquid, alcohol free cleanser with little to no fragrance are the perfect choice for everyday winter use.

Don't Skip the Moisturizer

Winter weather, wind and drying heat will cause your skin to become dry and chapped. You have to compensate for the weather by thoroughly moisturizing your skin. Sometimes, your everyday moisturizer just wonít cut it in the winter. This is especially true if you already have naturally dry skin. Look for a moisturizing cream or a healing lotion. Both will be thicker than normal moisturizing lotions and will help keep your skin looking its best throughout the cold months.

Treat Damage Correctly

If your skin is severely cracked and chapped, then a moisturizer is not going to work. You will need to use something that moisturizes even more. One of the best things that you can use is petroleum jelly. Of course, you shouldn't be smearing this all over your face, but for severely cracked hands you can slather on petroleum jelly and put on a pair of gloves overnight. It with heal the problem and give you smooth hands. Works great on feet too. If you need a quick spot treatment for your face, especially around the eyes and lips, petroleum jelly will be a great choice.

Don't Forget the Sunscreen

You are most likely thinking sunscreen, in the winter, but the truth is that no matter what time of year it is you can still receive a sunburn. Protect your skin daily by wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

Hydrate

Keeping yourself hydrated is important throughout the entire year, but it is very important for winter skin. With the combination of dry heat, wind and cold weather your skin is going to be dry. By keeping yourself hydrated you will be protecting your skin from the inside out and helping prevent over-dryness.

Don't Forget Your Lips

One of the biggest winter problem areas is the lips. Many times, they are completely forgotten except when you put on some lipstick. However, with the winter weather your lips are likely dry, cracked and chapped. The best way to fix this is by applying a moisturizing lip balm several times a day. You can also use coconut oil or vitamin E oil if you prefer to fix the problem the natural way.

These Health Tips You Must Remember In Spring

If you don't want to be stuck using anti-histamines all spring, consider some natural therapies. For instance, certain allergies are related to certain foods - by eliminating those foods, even hay fever can be eliminated. Cleansing, especially candida, liver or colon cleanses can also be very effective for allergy relief, as are homeopathics.

Studies have shown that people who wake up earlier are healthier than night owls who completely miss the morning light. Especially after our long winter with no light, it will do you good to take advantage of the early morning light and the vitamin D it gives. Vitamin D has been found to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer by two-thirds.

This has a few different connotations - feel free to explore whatever meaning you give "dirty". However, I am referring to dirty in the most literal sense. Who here doesn't remember playing in the puddles as a kid? Heck, who doesn't remember EATING mud as a kid? Not only is exposure to a little dirt good for your inner kid (and your outer kids), exposure to bacteria is important to build healthy immune systems. So go out and play in the mud!

This the season for eating spring baby greens! When you are choosing greens, go for a mix of tastes: mild, bitter, peppery and spicy. A good example is a mix of dandelion greens, arugula, escarole, frisée, radicchio and endive. Spring greens are excellent for bone health and the digestive system, increasing digestive juices and enzymes in your liver, pancreas and stomach. Eat them before your dinner to improve your overall health.

Even if you don't know how to meditate, one of the most valuable principles is to live in the present. I realize you have a lot to do - we all do - but stop every once in a while and just enjoy all the beauty in your life. Do only what you are doing, be only where you are. Stop multi-tasking so much and just be. In addition, research is showing that being outdoors can have benefits for both your physical and mental health. So breathe it all in and stop fussing about everything, at least for a bit.

Should You Feed Wild Birds In The Winter

Winter weather will soon be here in many parts of the country, yet many of us enjoy our wild birds year-round. Should you continue feeding them in winter? What should you feed them, and how should you go about it?
The "conventional wisdom" has always been that you should feed wild birds in winter because their normal source of food – small seeds and insects – has dramatically diminished. But is the conventional wisdom correct? By attracting birds to our feeders, are we making them too dependent on a free source of food, and weakening their ability to find food on their own? Do we actually put birds at greater risk because of cats and flying into windows?

These are not easy questions to answer because there has been little research into the subject. However a three-year study of chickadees by the University of Wisconsin found that winter survival rates were highest among chickadee populations that were fed – but only during the harshest winters. During more moderate winters (and lower latitudes) there were no significant differences in survival rates and spring hatching rates between chickadees that were fed and those that foraged for themselves.
Squirrels and Raccoons are a constant problem, as they will empty a feeder, denying your wild birds their food. They will destroy a wood or plastic feeder by chewing though it, so the additional cost of a well-made feeder is money well spent. Some squirrel-proof feeders are quite effective, but proper installation is the real key to keeping moochers off your feeders.
Maintaining your feeder. The most important part of maintaining your feeder is ensuring that the food is fresh and clean. A huge feeder with a "ten pound capacity" is not necessary or even desirable because it is likely the food will spoil before it is eaten. Some very good tube feeders will hold a lot of food, but the purpose of the long tube is to prevent squirrels from hanging from the top, not for huge food capacity.
After a rain or period of damp weather, inspect your feeders and discard any food that has gotten wet. Wet food will coagulate in the feeder, blocking food from naturally dropping to the feeding ports. Also, wet food is a breeding ground for algae and mold that will discourage birds from eating and may make them sick.
Set up more than one feeder with different types of food – perhaps sunflower seeds in one, and finch food in another.
Your feeders should be installed to minimize the chances of predation. The primary preditors are cats, so the feeder must be installed so that cats cannot climb or jump to the feeding area.
Bottom line – don't feel you are doing your birds harm by feeding them during the winter. Follow the above suggestions, and you can enjoy your wild birds all winter long.

4 Easy Steps To Prepare Your Trees And Plants For Winter

This first week of fall, the temperatures have already started to drop. The trees are beginning to change and the colors of fall are everywhere. Do you have plants and trees that need special attention and care during the winter months? You may need to contact a certified arborist in order to find out if your trees and shrubs need protection during the winter. If you need some tips to get you started we've created a list.

4 Easy Steps to Prepare Your Trees and Plants for Winter :

Debris Removal: During the fall it is a good idea to go ahead and remove rocks, sticks, leaves and trash from around your shrubs and flower beds. This is a great way to save time in the spring.

Mulch: If you haven't spread mulch around all your shrubs, plants and trees, it's time to get to it. Mulch should be applied before fall sets in. Mulch not only keeps your flower beds looking good, but it also helps your plants and trees retain moisture.

Protect Sensitive Plants: Certain bushes shrubs and plants need protection during the winter and cold temperatures. Theses plants should be covered before the first frost. In Acworth, Marietta, Cartersville, and surrounding Metro Atlanta areas the first frost isn't usually until late October or early November, so you have a few weeks left to cover your sensitive plants like strawberries, azaleas and rose bushes.

Pruning in fall and winter: During the fall and winter trees and shrubs go dormant. This is a great time to trim and prune them. Trimming during the colder months keeps diseases from spreading when pruning. You should not trim or prune the trees and bushes that bloom in early spring, as you could accidentally trim off the blooms when they are tiny buds.

The Name Cuckoo Is Onomatopoeic, Which Means That It Is Taken From The Birds Call

When the cuckoo chick hatches it pushes the hosts' chicks out of the nest and is fed by its trusting foster parents until it fledges. As soon as the chick fledges it begins an amazing journey to Africa which can be over 4000 miles long and take weeks to accomplish. They will stay in Africa for two thirds of their year before flying to us.

At every stage of its complex life cycle there are hurdles. Here in the UK some of the host species are in decline, some important food sources such as caterpillar moths are also in steep decline and there is the constant threat of habitat loss. Outside of the UK weather pattern changes may be affecting their migration and food shortages in their wintering grounds.

Each species of Old World cuckoo has its own unique pattern of parasitism, and different species choose different host species for their eggs. The cuckoo is referred to in the Bible, by Aristotle and Pliny, in mythology, and in English poetry. Its nesting habits have given us the word cuckold, and its simple but musical song, which gives it its name, was used by Beethoven in his Pastoral Symphony and is also imitated in the cuckoo clock.

The American cuckoos look like attenuated pigeons; they are not parasitic and build flimsy nests of twigs. Typical are the black-billed and yellow-billed (Coccyzus americanus) cuckoos, known for their low, chuckling call notes. They frequent and breed at the edges of deciduous woodlands, either species tending the young of the other. These birds are valued as destroyers of harmful insects–particularly the tent caterpillar, which few other birds will eat. There are also western and southern species.

Most gregarious of the cuckoos are the anis of the American tropics. The groove-billed ani, from 12 to 14 in. (30—35 cm) long, has black plumage with a faint purple gloss. Anis nest colonially, several females together laying as many as 25 eggs in the same nest, and they may breed at any time of the year.

Geographic Variation Presently considered monotypic; however, there have been 2 subspecies described: americanus in eastern North America andoccidentalis in the Southwest. The differentiation of these taxa is weak and limited in the contact zone.

Similar Species The yellow-billed cuckoo most closely resembles the black-billed cuckoo, but it is distinguished by the yellow orbital ring, rufous primaries, more prominently white-tipped tail, and the yellow lower mandible. Some calls, however, are quite similar.

Voice Call: a rapid staccato kuk-kuk-kuk that usually slows and descends into a kakakowlp-kowlp ending; sounds hollow and wooden.

Status and Distribution Common in eastern North America, becoming increasingly rare and local in much of the West. Breeding: open woodlands with dense undergrowth, riparian corridors, and parks. Southwestern populations increasingly limited to riparian corridors.

Frog Populations Have Been Rapidly Disappearing Worldwide

Frog populations have been rapidly disappearing worldwide, and nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are endangered and on the verge of extinction. Approximately 200 amphibian species have disappeared since 1979 – many from seemingly pristine wilderness areas, such as national parks. Amphibians are currently going extinct several thousand times faster than they should be naturally, which is why this is one of the world’s most serious and overlooked environmental crisis.

Amphibians are important for maintaining balance in the ecosystem, which allows humans to derive many direct benefits from frogs. For instance, adult frogs eat large quantities of insects, including disease vectors transmitting fatal illnesses to humans (e.g. mosquitoes/malaria). They also eat agricultural pests that would destroy crops if their populations were not kept under control. Frogs act as natural pesticides, reducing dependence on potentially harmful chemical pesticides. India and Bangladesh banned exportation of frogs for food in the late 1970s when they realized mosquito populations were increasing as frog populations declined.

Frogs, their tadpoles and eggs also serve as an important food source to a diverse array of predators, including dragonflies, fish, snakes, birds, beetles, centipedes and even monkeys. Thus, the disappearance of frog populations disturbs an intricate food web and results in negative impacts that can cascade through the ecosystem.

So it should come as no surprise that frogs have developed some interesting adaptations to cope with their lifelong need for water. For example, gastric brooding frogs, which are now extinct, swallowed their eggs. They stopped eating and digesting food while their young developed in their stomachs instead of in water. The baby frogs then exited through their parent's mouth. Strawberry poison dart frogs, which live in Central America and Puerto Rico, lay their eggs on land, and males keep them moist with urine. Once the eggs hatch, the mother carries each tadpole on her back to its own tiny pool of water that has collected between the stem and leaves of a plant. While the tadpoles grow, their mother feeds them her own eggs.

A popular distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, but this has no taxonomic basis. (Members of the anuran family Bufonidae are called true toads, but many species from other families are also called toads.) In addition to their ecological importance, frogs have many cultural roles, such as in literature, symbolism and religion, and they are also valued as food and as pets.

Muticore is an ambiguous term for software developers and one they don’t really use; software developers think in terms of threads/processes and concurrency, not how many cores or processors are available on the target. Concurrency is not a new topic either as Mark Smotherman captured in a history of multithreading, it has been a subject in computer science since its early beginnings in the 1950s.

What has changed is the rapidly increasing use of multicore technologies for embedded devices. One of the prominent software challenges that moving to multicore execution exposes is latent deadlocking bugs as true parallel execution comes into play, instead of a single core’s task scheduling/context switching techniques.

Life Begins A Gain In Spring So Does Your Makeup

Every spring we see a deluge of purple makeup hit counters, and every year women avoid those pretty shadows, liners, and lip colors like the plague. What gives? Plum, lilac, violet, and aubergine are all shades that are supremely flattering on a wide variety of skin tones, and yet you shun them.
　　
To hell with that ladies — your fear of purple ends today. Here, you’ll find three drop-dead gorgeous new ways to wear purple this season, plus creative tips from makeup artist Marie Barokas on how to rock this bold hue without looking like Barney's distant cousin.
　　
Photographed by Shawn Brackbill, Makeup and manicures by Marie Barokas, Hair by Bella Guillen at John Barrett, Model Yamilca Ortiz at New York Model Management.
　　
Makeup artists played with a mix of old and new for spring. Backstage inspiration boards featured rouge lip colors that seemed pulled from a vanity table drawer from long ago, futuristic glittery eye accents, timeless natural tones and indelible smoky shadows and liners done in fresh ways. The overall message: pair vintage with modern to make a statement that’s unique and all your own this season.
　　
Spring comes and brings happiness, new fresh life with itself. In winter season, everything becomes dry but in spring exciting life is being added to the dried life. It’s the same with skin. In winter, it becomes dry, rough & lifeless and when spring arrives it becomes youthful. Every woman wants to stop using boring colors used during winters and use colors which are bright and shiny.
　　
Here are some basic makeup tips regarding makeup in spring season:
　　
- As the skin becomes dry in winter, first and the foremost thing to be done is to apply moisturizer regularly during spring to make it smooth. Remove all the dead skin cells of winters by doing exfoliation.
　　
- Foundation should be applied to minimal use. It should not be applied in a heavy manner. After foundation, concealer can be applied to hide the flaws.

How to Choose Color for Your Hair
　　
Coloring the hair can change your look. You can look beautiful and gorgeous by dying or highlighting your hair. But there are few points which should be kept in mind while choosing to color your hair. Firstly you should decide whether you want temporary color which remains for 2-4 weeks or semi-permanent color which remain.
　　
Getting Ready for Dance Party
　　
Dance parties, cocktail parties, girl night out or any other occasion, if it is a girl or a woman every female considers them important. She would dress up so that she looks more stylish and beautiful. Importance to accessories, shoes and makeup is also being given as they too add stars to the beauty. Makeup [...] - 4 weeks ago
　　
How to Wear Pink Lipstick
　　
Bold colors are very-in these days. Whether you use bold colors in your makeup or in clothes, most of the women prefer bold colors. Among bold colors for makeup, pink, red, green and blue have become hot favorite for many makeup artists. Many celebrities, models are wearing these colors in their makeup and they do [...] - 5 weeks ago
　　
Different Hairstyles for Teenage Girls
　　
Hairstyles matter a lot in making one look more beautiful and attractive. There are lots of hairstyles which can be experimented to look stylish. These days celebrities too are changing their look by just changing their hairstyle. For getting a new and refreshed look one can change the hairstyle and look different from usual.

How To Deal With Split Ends
　　
Hair should be maintained a lot if you want to look beautiful. Frizzy and damaged hair would make you appear unattractive as they are very hard to be styled and as also damaged hair looks unappealing look wise too. If you have split ends along with damaged hair or just have split ends then they [...] -4 months ago

Emotions Are Simply More Vulnerable To Weather Changes

Some people's emotions are simply more vulnerable to weather changes than others. Someone prone to a low mood on dark, cold days will likely experience a depressive winter when there's a prolonged string of like-weathered days. This propensity is the basis of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
　　
The first and most well known way in which weather affects mood is in what is known as 'seasonal affective disorder' – abbreviated rather appropriately to 'SAD'. This condition can also be known as 'winter depression', 'winter blues' or 'seasonal depression' and basically it describes a condition in which the individual finds their mood so tied to the changing of the seasons that they in fact exhibit symptoms close to depression every winter. This condition is recognized in the 'DSM-IV' – the 'Diagnostics and Statistical Manual' used by psychologists where it is described as a 'specifier of major depression'.
　　
There are countless different ways in which the weather affects mood then and this includes direct effects on mood and hormones, as well as more subtle second order impacts. Make sure that you stay warm and dry and that you make up for lower energy in your diet. But at the same time there's always the option of flying south for the winter – and if you're really struggling with the weather then why not consider booking your Holiday in winter this year?
　　
Although most people in the country wouldn’t agree, we in Southern California have been having extreme weather conditions for us: rain and mudslides. You could almost say we’re so used to mild conditions that we become afraid of what others would call “real” weather—weather wimps. Being afraid, ashamed of, or embarrassed by your feelings is like being afraid of the weather, because emotions (tears, panic attacks, angry outbursts, withdrawal, depression, elation, lust, romantic excitement, euphoria) are the weather conditions of the inner self. View results for: Symptoms Treatment Medications Ani Kalayjian, Ed.D., R.N., professor of psychology at Fordham University in New York, advises that we "can and should take proactive steps to strengthen the [brain's] system" against weather-driven mood changes.
　　
"We encourage people to take charge of their feelings," says Dr. Kalayjian. Her self-help recommendations for SAD sufferers are applicable to anyone who wants to put a little sunshine in his or her step.
　　
"Do things that make you feel good, like listening to uplifting music or reading a good novel. Look at pictures from a vacation—and if you can, take a vacation to a warm place." All of the tried-and-true methods of mood improvement and stress management apply as well, including getting regular exercise, moderating alcohol intake and meditating.
　　
"Feelings are transient; we can change them, transform them into positive," concludes Dr. Kalayjian. You may not be able to will the sun to break through overcast skies, but you can empower yourself to break through an emotional cloud.
　　
Scientific research from numerous studies indicates there is a strong link between weather and human emotions. John Grohol of the website Psych Central points out that this conclusion is not universally supported by researchers, although the overwhelming body of evidence establishes a link between the two phenomena. Findings indicate that different weather patterns can act as either mood elevators or depressants to the human psyche.
　　
Temperature and Humidity
　　
John Grohol of Psych Central reports that temperature and humidity both play an important role in mood. He points to a 1984 study by E. Howarth and M.S. Hoffman measuring temperature, humidity, sunlight and mood. Their 11-day study of 24 college students found that higher temperatures lowered skepticism and anxiety. On the other hand, higher humidity dampened concentration and induced sleepiness. Grohol supports the latter findings with another study from 1982 by J.L. Sanders and M.S. Brizzolara. They concluded that higher humidity lowered mood traits such as vigor and affection.
　　
Seasonal Affective Disorder
　　
The rotating seasons bring predictable changes--notably, the winter months contain less sunlight and warmth. In some people, this causes annual mood shifts that are now known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of SAD usually begin in the fall and persist throughout winter, and include moodiness, depression and lack of energy.
　　
Sunshine
　　
Your smile lights up your face the way the sun lights our day. Smiles, too can come from behind clouds or after emotional storms. The smile signals that all is well, pressure is equalized and the coast is clear to be out and open and have some fun.
　　
Rain
　　
Like rain, tears can be stormy or just a light sprinkle, and feel angry, cold, dreary and sad, or even come through the sunshine. Rain often follows a change of weather pressure, and tears can be the result of release of inner tension. People frequently cry from relief that they've been heard or that they can see a solution where there appeared to be a problem. Those who suffer from a trauma or a loss normally cry a littleafter the first shock of finding out, as the awful pressure of the news is absorbed and the grief sets in.
　　
Rain first carries with it the dust suspended in the air, and then washes everything clean as it continues. Emotional rain, too, can first be painful, and then begin to bring release and clarity. A “good cry” is one that really lets go of the held feelings and continues until relief sets in.
　　
Rainbows
　　
When you allow the tears to flow until your natural smile returns, you will feel hopeful again—hope is the rainbow of our internal climate. Like a rainbow, hope doesn't exist until there has been a disappointment, and the disappointment has been accepted completely enough to let the sun shine once more. That smile, coming thorough sadness, brings with it a renewed feeling of hope.
　　
Storms
　　
Sometimes reluctance to express unhappiness or discomfort builds pressure that eventually releases in a rush, like a storm. Violent storms shake things up, just as strong anger does. Anger that is allowed to get out of control is as destructive as a hurricane, but anger that is expressed in healthy ways can "clear the air" just as a storm does. The aftermath of a healthy, not too violent storm allows us to appreciate the pleasures of calmness.
　　
Cloudiness and Fog
　　
Emotionally, things are not always very clear. It’s normal to feel foggy and unsure, or depressed and dark from time to time. If you can remember it's just your emotional climate, and explore it to discover the cause, the fog will lift, the clouds will part, it may rain or storm a little, but the sun will eventually come out again. Normal depression that is not allowed to take its natural course, not opened up to let the fresh air in, can turn into emotional smog, or internal pollution.

Autumn Is Connected With The Harvesting Of Crops

Autumn is at war with the rain. The Autumn-win dispels the clouds in the sky. The sunny weather of Autumn wipes off the footprints of the rainy season. The muddy paths are dried up. Bogs and swamps are no more seen. The marshy-land gets dried and ditches are dried too. Gutters are dried up. Water in ponds and rivers is no more muddy. The mud in the water goes down unto the beds and the water looks clear and blue. It is transparent.

Autumn,season of the year between summer and winter during which temperatures gradually decrease. It is often called fall in the United States because leaves fall from the trees at that time. Autumn is usually defined in the Northern Hemisphere as the period between the autumnal equinox (day and night equal in length), September 22 or 23, and the winter solstice (year’s shortest day), December 21 or 22; and in the Southern Hemisphere as the period between March 20 or 21 and June 21 or 22. The autumn temperature transition between summer heat and winter cold occurs only in middle and high latitudes; in equatorial regions, temperatures generally vary little during the year. In the polar regions autumn is very short. For physical causes of the seasons, see season.
　　
The concept of autumn in European languages is connected with the harvesting of crops; in many cultures autumn, like the other seasons, has been marked by rites and festivals revolving around the season’s importance in food production. Animals gather food in autumn in preparation for the coming winter, and those with fur often grow thicker coats. Many birds migrate toward the Equator to escape the falling temperatures. A common autumn phenomenon in the central and eastern United States and in Europe is Indian summer, a period of unseasonably warm weather that sometimes occurs in late October or November.
　　
A Vee of geese honking their goodbyes to the land. Birds flocking, numbering in the hundreds...then no longer seen. Wasps and bees drunkenly flitting from fallen fruit to fermented fallen fruit. Squirrels gathering their cache, scurrying from here to there to here. Crows, cardinals, jays and assorted little brown birds, lonely calls wondering where everyone went.
　　
Snakes and frogs looking for a hole for slumber. Bears and foxes seeking dens. The groundhog burrowing a little deeper and not leaving a wake-up call for February 2nd. Rabbits and owls and weasels changing colour, adding white to their wardrobe. And after Labour Day!
　　
Salmon running, struggling every precious inch upstream to breed. Lake fish diving deeper to the stable bottom waters. Caterpillars feasting on the last of the summer bounty before drifting into a transforming beauty sleep. Flies clustering in barns and attics, seeking the last warm spot away from the winds of winter.
　　
Jack Frost. Hallowe'en. The Great Pumpkin. Thanksgiving. Pilgrim fathers and Native rescuers. Homecoming and reunion. Indian Summer. Two, maybe three Indian Corn. Blackberry canes. Fall Back. The State Fair. The Ex. Oktoberfest. Cornucopia overflowing. Pickling, canning, drying...and nibbling as you work.
　　
First days of school. New long crayons by the box. Unsharpened pencils. Book bags and new binders, packages of paper and pens. New friends and old ones back again. New books, new horizons. Remembering your seat and schedule. Finding that classroom.
　　
Autumn brings lots of changes. The trees begin to change colors, bringing a beautiful array of different colored foliage, which eventually drops off into our yards. It also brings cooler temperatures, and, as it progresses, we begin to put up our summer clothes, short sleeves, etc., and bring out our warm sweaters. I am one to wear sweats during the winter in the house because they are so warm and cozy! And, it's time to bring in the wood and start the fire in the fireplace. Now, that is cozy!
　　
When the leaves begin to change on the trees, the people begin to want to go for drives, or trips to the mountains, especially to Gatlinburg, TN. The highways are covered with a beautiful array of gorgeous colored trees. There are many places like this in the South during the fall months. The forests look like they are ablaze - a gorgeous site to behold!
　　
The end of Autumn and colder temperatures in North America cause the birds to migrate South. It also brings about the freezing of the ponds and lakes and streams in much of the country.
　　
From the World Book Millenium 2000:
　　
Rookie call-ups. Playing out the string. Roger and Mickey, Mark and Sammy. The World Series, the Fall Classic. Why not the Cubs? Larsen's Perfect Game. Home runs: Mazeroski and Carter. Don't forget Fisk and Dent, Mr October and Yogi.
　　
The kick-off. First and ten. The Big Game. Let's Go Blue. Touchdown! The Victors. A marching band echoing the school fight song from a jammed stadium. The Quarterback Club. The last round of 18. The Turkey Trot. Running through crispy fallen leaves.

But most of all, Autumn means colored leaves: a spectrum of shades between the green shades of summer and the dull browns of winter. Crimson, fiery red, maroon, ruddy orange, pure orange, yellow orange, soft yellows and bright yellows. Red maples, yellow birch, scarlet sycamores, aspen golds. Mottled leaves of several colours in transition. Each deciduous tree, each bush, strutting its own autumn wardrobe. Naked willows dancing in the wind. In their midst, the smug conifers stand. "Evergreen," they say to us, "ever green."
　　
Ahhh, those bright autumn spells that bring out the most vivid of hues. Days so delightful you can almost taste the colour. And those cold, crisp nights when the air has its own special vintage to entice us back outdoors one last time. A bouquet matched in no other season — aged in Northern realms and blended just right.
　　
This is how I see and have seen Autumn over my half century of life. I hope such joy and beauty, such stability and changeability, surprises and rouutines, continue through my next fifty. I love a good season, watching it turn, engendering days of joy and days of melancholy. Sorry, must go. Adventure lurks outside my door.

Sunscreen Should Be Applied 20 Minutes Before You Go Out Into The Sun

Our planet's ozone layer filters out the most harmful rays, which are called UVC. That's great. Unfortunately, we still have to go up against UVB and UVA rays. These guys target the outer and more deeper layers of skin, respectively. They cause things from sunburn to death, depending on the severity. Ultraviolet rays can even burn you on cloudy days and even at night.
　　
The best thing you can do to avoid getting deadly levels of UVR is to completely avoid sunlight altogether. Most people don't find this to be too much fun, especially during the summer months, and choose instead to coat their skin with sunscreen and protective clothes.
　　
A look we all love a perfect body in the summer, but the truth is that we care so much in the our skin care, Especially of our face. The first thing you do is use a blocker That will protect you from sun rays, which cause skin diseases. Remember to apply at least 20 minutes before sun exposure.
　　
We recommend using a sun block depending on skin type you have, it may be:

Skin fatty: You must use a sunscreen gel.
　　
Dry skin: You should use a sunscreen cream.
　　
Normal skin: You can use either above or a spray.
　　
Summer might still be a few months off now, but we can only assume that with the the long and wet winter we're having, that there is surely a blazing summer ahead. While we're all looking forward to sunnier skies, beach trips, fresh summer fruits and daylight savings, it is worth giving some thought to the challenges summer brings for those of us that will continue working through the hot days. Heat waves can be a particularly tough time for everyone working outside as well as the office workers and commuters. So here are some tips on the best workwear to choose to stay cool and collected in the summer months.
　　
Also make sure that you double the amount of water that you consume. A considerable amount of water content in your body is dehydrated due to the heat in summer. Drinking water will replace all that water content lost due to the heat. As far as possible, try and stay indoors especially during the day when the sun is at its peak. Direct exposure to the sun can harm your skin and hair more than you can imagine. If you must step out, make sure that you are wearing a hat or at least carrying an umbrella. You can also tie a scarf around your head to prevent the heat of the sun from touching you. Use huge oversized sunglasses to protect your face from the harmful rays of the sun. Also make sure that you wear a good sunscreen at all costs. Just don't step out of the house without wearing a sunscreen even if it is for a few minutes.
　　
Summer after all is not so bad at all. Just a few things to watch out for, and you can make summer your best friend. May you have a great summer!
　　
Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before you go out into the sun to allow the skin time to absorb it. After a half an hour outside, it should be applied again for maximum protection. Most sunscreens only last about two hours, so make sure to apply it regularly, especially if swimming or sweating heavily. Even "waterproof" brands lose their potency after an hour in the water.
　　
Sand and water can reflect up to 90% of the sun's rays, so give your skin extra protection when at the beach. A stronger SPF is also recommended for higher altitudes, since the air is thinner and sun exposure more intense.
　　
Don't forget to apply sunscreen to sensitive areas like the tops of your feet, backs of your ears and neck, and areas of the scalp and hairline if your hair is thin or thinning.

Bathing is very necessary at least twice each day during summer, protect skin in summer with benefit from the coolness of water soothing the sweat glands, you will also be able to wash the grime off during summer. Make sure you do not take a bath immediately after you came indoors from being under sun for long. Your skin will benefit if you wait for sometime before entering the shower, taking a bath immediately after coming from direct sun tends to dry skin, rather than do it any good, a 10 minute wait would be beneficial.

Air Conditioners May Steal Away Your Health In Hot Summer

After several rain, earth warming, many homes and offices started to re-use of . however, after a bitterly cold winter air, it will certainly accumulated a lot of dust, power increase, affecting the performance of , but also endanger people's health, home needed to conduct a "deep cleansing", let us act? hazards is not periodically cleaned, cause "" disease in recent years, there is growing concern about health, home appliances pollution problem is getting attention. in all household electrical appliances, air conditioners dust pollution is most serious, while the air cleaning is also the most easily overlooked, some users have installed.

The use over many years and never cleaned, normally, people only clean the filter, on the possession of inside of condenser and evaporator in such difficult to find a lot of dust and bacteria office is helpless, in response, professionals advise that: the air is 80% of the tiny dust into the air through the air filter inside the adhesion in the heat exchanger, the affected parts of freon and the normal work of people helpless in the condenser and evaporator just plug the device is the most serious air-conditioned part of the dust, must be a professional with a variety of special air-conditioning cleaning agent to remove the of the various fast dust and bacteria pollution.

Work included inhaled dust, mites, viruses and other harmful substances, some adhere to filter them online, part of the body into the air. Because use is seasonal, in the shutdown state, the cool, wet the body becomes a large population of bacteria and mites place, re-boot use, reproduction of a large number of bacteria and mites will release into the room odor, indoor air pollution. Experts advise people that breathe in polluted air, can cause many diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, rhinitis, eczema and various skin diseases, but also to have been suffering from the disease increased as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, cold embolism, seriously affect the health of their families, especially children with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and women. measures cleaning 2-3 times a year the best maintenance, cleaning maintenance is the key.

It is understood that the winter air-conditioning, indoor air becomes very dry and poor ventilation caused long-term use, there will be nasal congestion, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue, memory loss and other symptoms, commonly known as the "air conditioning disease. " In this case, "health air" by a growing number of families concerned.

Health has been a topic of great concern to people, why health has been slow in every household air-conditioning? In response, the industry pointed out that some air-conditioning business efforts to strengthen competition in the market, greatly exaggerate the functions of their products, the result is a healthy air unhealthy, but a family of indoor air pollution.

As a health advocate for air conditioning, many years, also has been seeking technology breakthroughs, for people to create healthier, cleaner environment to breathe. Principle of "not only adjust the temperature, more healthy air" concept, in the last century, the Oaks began to absorb the advanced technology of developed countries, the introduction of R & D specialists, the health functions of the development of air-conditioning, has independently developed a "Water Protection Oxygen "," high-energy anti-drug and lysozyme "," health positive and negative ions "," Hydro-automatic washing function "and" one key health "and other patented technology.

Today, air conditioning system is the most suitable system for the homeowners as well as office owners. With air conditioning one can bring ideal comfort in their places. It helps to maintain right temperature, humidity and healthy atmosphere in rooms for better and cozy living. Technically advanced air conditioners substantially produce environmental-friendly clean, healthy fresh air, dehumidify the air that helps to maintain perfect living conditions in the living comfort. In fact, modern ac units prevent dust, pollens, allergens and harmful mold.

In essence, ac unit makes you healthy, feel good, active, fine and fit, which yields in multiple benefits to the families. In fact, ac unit helps to make life more creative as well as productive. This is the only reason it can be seen everywhere from residential homes to commercial places like hotels, hospitals, restaurants, café, etc.

Poinsettia Is The Nature Of Excellent Material

Poinsettia, also known as the Christmas flower (known as the poinsettia ), is famous be used in Christmas decorations, red flowers , which is full of Christmas atmosphere because of its bright red. Be considered the red part of the flower is actually a leaf, while the real flower is the part in the middle of the leaf bundle. The poinsettia is usually 60 cm to three meters high, its deep green leaves of about 70 to 16 cm. Its topmost leaves are a fire red, red or white, it is often mistaken for flowers. Literature and legend names that end.Evergreen shrub, 50 to 300 cm high, stems and leaves with white milk . Stem is smooth, the twigs green, old branches dark brown. Leaves alternate, ovate, oval , entire or wavy-lobed, sometimes was a violin-shaped top of the leaves narrow, lanceolate ; leaves are hairy, leaf quality thin, veins; the top of the leaves near the inflorescence were the bract-like, flowering strains of red, as the main viewing site. Cup inflorescence cymose arrangement of the top students; involucre pale green, the edge of the teeth and two large yellow glands; male flower stalk, without perianth; female flowers solitary in the involucre Central; natural flowering December to February the following year. There are white and pink cultivars. Hi, warm, moist and plenty of light . Cold intolerance, is a typical short day plant. Direct glare and light are unfavorable to its growth. Avoid stagnant water, hold basin moist. Short day treatment is early flowering. The poinsettia hi moist and sunny environment, phototropism, strict requirements on soil, slightly acidic-fertile, moist, well-drained sandy loam. Cold resistance is weak, East China , North China's greenhouse cultivation, must be moved into the greenhouse before frost , otherwise the temperature is low, easy yellow leaves, fallen leaves . Winter, the room temperature can not be less than 5 ° C to 16-18 ° C is appropriate. Strict requirements on the water , the soil is too wet, easily lead to root rot, leaves, poinsettia leaves easily, the temperature is too high, the soil had done wet or too weak of light will cause leaves.

The flowering period coincides with Christmas, it is also known as the "poinsettia". This is a flower for any blessing. Especially the red leaves, a pair of festive appearance, as if being congratulating like holding hands to the people. It is the best representative of Christmas flowers, but in some of the wedding can also see the red and white poinsettia decoration is "My heart is burning, can also be used as a courtship with blanket! It as a gift, we must allow the other side of the auditorium scene. Wedding even more warm and lively atmosphere. In the cold winter, put a pot of bright red poinsettia home, feels like lit a pot of warm fire. Therefore, one of its florid . Out of you a red-hot passion.

Get A Close To Look At The Variety Of Spring Wildflowers

Spring begins in March and is a time when many new flowers start to grow and exciting colours appear across the landscape which is great for helping us forget those winter blues. Many of the wildflowers that grow in spring are actually weeds, but they have flowers which are considered very beautiful and these flowers come in a variety of shapes and sizes with many different scents and smells. Spring wildflowers bring an array of colour to the landscape and the combination of singing birds and the sweet scents of these flowers help to symbolize a fresh new start as winter fades away.

Spring flowers are very robust and often start to bloom while the soil is still frozen or covered in snow and their colours range from white to violet. Some of the more popular varieties include roses, daffodils, chrysanthemums and lilies and some will survive well into the summer season, giving people several months of joy and splendor.

We use flowers throughout the year for various celebrations including weddings, birthdays and Christmas to name but a few and flowers are an integral part of many customs and traditions. Spring flowers are a beautiful way of brightening up your home and they help convey many feelings such as warmth and love and they make a fantastic gift for friends and family on special occasions such as Mother's Day or Easter. Spring flowers are often used as bridal bouquets in weddings during this time of year and help to symbolize a new beginning and a fresh new start and it is seems our love of spring flowers does not wilt over time.

Wildflowers are flowers that grow in the wild, undisturbed by human intrusion. These flowering plants are commonly annuals or perennials. Many of the spring wildflowers are weeds with attractive flowers. Blooming in a variety of colors, spring wildflowers vary in smell, size, and appearance.

Spring wildflowers are associated with sweet smelling air, singing birds and a spirit of enthusiasm. Most of the species of wildflowers emerge from the soil for the first time and produce flowers and seeds during spring. Some wildflowers may fade in the spring and some others may continue to bloom even in summer. Excursions and nature trips to the wild are occasions to come across these wild beauties.

Spring wildflowers are seen everywhere in the wilderness, on dry open woodlands, wetlands, waste places, meadows, and mountains. Bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, Hepatica and Wood Anemone are some of the woodland blooms. Pasqueflower and shooting star are commonly found in prairies while skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds adorn wetlands. Spring wildflowers in California southern deserts include California fuchsia, desert lavender, desert asters, desert lilies, desert sunflowers, and ghost flowers. At Appalachians, one can find mountain laurel, wild azaleas, and rhododendrons in spring.

Some of the popular spring wildflower destinations in the nation are Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Antelope Valley close to Los Angeles, Texas Hill Country around Austin, Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve, Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Joshua Tree National Park, Saguaro National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Some tourist destinations arrange walks or hikes to enable a close look at the variety of spring wildflowers. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, organizes a seven-day event named Spring Wildflower.

Growing Cordyline Plants In The Warm Season

Cordyline plant is an ornamental plant that can enhance the visual appeal of the interiors as well as the exteriors of your house. It is native to Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific islands. In Hawaii, it is known as 'ti plant'. The most distinctive characteristic of this wonderful houseplant is its long sword-shaped leaves that emerge from one single head. As the plant grows old, a tree-like trunk develops with multiple heads on it. The branches that grow from these heads give an amazing sculptured look to the plant.

Cordyline Plant Varieties

There are more than 20 different species of Cordyline plant. Each species has its own distinguishing shape and color. Among them, Cordyline australis 'Red Star' is the most popular houseplant because of its attractive look. In this case, the name could be slightly misleading because the origin of this species is New Zealand and not Australia. It looks very similar to yucca plant with its branches growing up to a height of 20-30 feet. Its leaves are rusty bronze red in color with 2-3 feet in length and about 2 inches of width. The Alberti species can be identified with its green leaves that have a yellow border and pink midrib. The Electric Pink species have dark maroon leaves with bright pink outer edge. Then there is Dark Star which has a reddish bronze leaves and can grow as small shrubs only.

Cordyline Plant Care

Growing Cordyline plants in your house is not that difficult. Basically, it is tough and hardy plant and does not require much extra effort for the plant care. Since it is a tropical plant, it cannot tolerate frost. Hence it cannot be grown in areas where the temperature dips below 55 degrees.

You can use both stem cuttings or seeds for Cordyline plant propagation. For propagating the plant from stem, use a stem from a full-grown Cordyline plant. Cut the stem into small parts of 3-5 inches. Remove the leaves from it and put it into a layer of sand. As a few new leaves make its appearance at the shoots of the stem, plant it in a rich, organic potting soil which has been treated with 50 to 60 percent peat. If you are growing it from seeds, then sow the seeds into the potting soil and cover it up with one-fourth inch of peat moss. Wait until the seedlings grow to a height of 3-4 inches and then transplant into the location where you actually want to grow the plant.

Cordyline plants should be placed in one such location where it receives a good amount of light. Some species of the plant prefers partial shade and others may need full sun. But all of them should be grown in good lighting condition, as proper light exposure enhances the color of the leaves and makes the plant beautiful.

A newly planted seeds or stem of Cordyline plants should be given enough water so that the soil becomes moist but it should not be thoroughly soaked in water. During germination, you have to take care that the soil does not dry up. Put your finger into the soil and if it feels dry, then water the soil immediately. Later on, as the plant grows, you can let the soil dry out at times. Like any other tropical plants, this one is tolerant towards drought condition. However, strictly avoid over watering of the plants because it can rot the roots of the plant.

To improve the growth and development of the plant and enrich the color of the leaves you can occasionally add potassium sulfate fertilizer to the soil. The plant may get infested by spider mites and mealy bugs. To get rid of these pests, you can wipe off its foliage with some pest oil. Or else, you can remove the infested soil without disturbing the roots and add new potting soil.

With proper growing condition and a little bit of care, a Cordyline Plant will survive for many years. If it is grown outdoor, then it should be surrounded with round shaped shrubs with green leaves for a nice contrasting effect. If you keep it indoors, then select one such variety whose leave color blends well with the interior decoration of the house.

How To Aviod Heat Stroke With The Coming Summer ?

Heat strokes are dangerous and should be treated immediately. Our body cannot handle a sudden rise in its temperature, and its regulation mechanism goes for a toss when this happens. People who are into outdoor activities such as sports or traveling, are more at risk to heat strokes, but that in no way means that the rest of us are totally safe. On really hot days, a normal person can suffer from a heat stroke even if he is sitting in his house.

When our body's natural mechanisms like sweating and regulation of heat, are not enough to counter the effect of heat, we become susceptible to heat strokes. The way it usually works is, when the body temperature rises, we sweat to release the heat and lower the temperature. But when this fails to happen, our body loses its path of releasing heat and its temperature starts building up. Heat strokes occur when the body temperature is around 104ºC. They can have serious consequences and the victims should be given first aid immediately.
Symptoms of Heat Stroke
Here is how to recognize when you are getting a heat stroke:

• If you seem to be confused or delirious after being out in the sun for a long time.
• If your body temperature seems to have increased considerably. More than 104ºC .
• If your skin feels cold and clammy and you have a headache.
• If you feel dizzy or nauseous.
• If your muscles are cramping and your heartbeat is rapid.

First Aid for a Heat Stroke Victim

• First, get the person out of the heat and in a cool, shady area.
• Make them drink lots of water or fruit juices (no dehydrating drinks like tea, coffee etc).
• Fan the person continuously, or wipe his face, hands and other exposed body parts with a cold cloth, to help lower his body temperature.
• Call for an ambulance if he doesn't show signs of improving even after doing all the above things.

It is better to take the necessary precautions and do all that you can to avoid this stroke, than be in a situation where you require treatment for heat stroke. Here are few simple things to do, to avoid getting a heat stroke.
Tips to Avoid getting Heat Stroke

• Plan your day. Keep the outdoor activities reserved for the mornings or late afternoons, to avoid getting out in the afternoon heat.
• In case you cannot avoid getting out in the sun, make sure you cover your head with a hat/ cap/ scarf etc. Also, carry and use an umbrella for good measure. Doll yourself up with stylish, colorful scarves and hats. There is a variety of umbrellas in styles, shapes and colors which you can flaunt.
• Take care to keep yourself hydrated on a daily basis. Drink lots of natural, fresh fruit juices, coconut water, etc.
• Sweating helps to regulate body temperature, but it also makes you lose sodium. Hence, you have to replenish the supply of sodium by consuming electrolytes frequently.
• Another important thing to remember is to wear loose fitting, light colored clothes while going out in the sun. Dark colors absorb heat, thus increasing your body temperature and putting you more at risk.
• If you are going to be required to spend a lot of time in the sun, then do so gradually by increasing the time spent outside daily, to get your body accustomed to the change.
• Once out in the sun, keep sipping water continuously. Avoid drinks with high content of sugar since they dehydrate your body.
• Try to spend as much time as possible in air conditioned places, like malls, when you are outside. This helps keep the body cool even when you go to a warmer place.

At the slightest sign of heat stroke symptoms showing, take the treatment. The damage that heat can cause to your body, cannot be stressed enough. Around 400 people in the US die of heat stroke every year! Getting through the hot summer months should be a breeze, if you follow these tips for avoiding heat strokes.

When Autumn Open The Door

People are still enjoying the sunny summer, autumn girl quietly open the door. Autumn girl like a magician, her into a dark green evergreen plane trees turn yellow, maple into a fire red. Leaves dancing in the air, the rustle, rustle, as if to say: "Autumn girl, thank you for us to put on new clothes." My personal favorite autumn beauty of the autumn has brought me many happy. Autumn to see the many maple leaves falling down, as in the colorful world as good as romantic.

I love the beauty of nature, autumn, people refreshing.

The best thing about autumn is the abundant fresh produce that suddenly appears in the fresh market one weekend.  It seems to be an overnight thing – like a timer going off, the vegetables and fruit, quietly maturing all summer, suddenly announce, “I’m done!”

When I was a teenager, we had a largish property with several varieties of apple tree growing on it.  I thought all apples were as crisp and sweet and tasty as the ones that grew on those trees… until I left home and got supermarket ones (bleck!)  Well, this lady’s apples taste just like the ones I picked off the tree in the morning and stuffed into my bag for lunch as I cycled down the drive to school.

There’s a bit of an art to successful market shopping.  First, you do a round of the entire market, examining the produce for quality and price.  Then, you home in on the stalls selling the produce you want at the price you want.  I’ve got it down to a fine art we usually don’t spend more than half an hour there.  The savings are enormous though.

Autumn girl, like a painter, her pears painted yellow, apple painted red, blushing. She orange painted orange, like a naughty child. They huddled together as if to say: "first pick me, pick me first!"

The fall in the fields, from afar, fields like a golden carpet. Millet doubled up, salute to the farmer uncle. Gust of wind blew over, brush, brush, brush, as if to say: "Farmers uncle, the harvest!"

Fall in the water, the water clear, unlike the summer the water is so muddy, and even see the stones. Happy fish in the water swimming, gilded bubble, it seems very excited, very cute.

Charming autumn, sent a telegram, it tells us: winter is coming. I like autumn!

　　　　

The Bloodroot Flower Blooms In The Spring

The bloodroot flower is a species of herbaceous perennial that belongs to the sanguinaria genus. This genus contains only a single species and is a member of the papaveraceae family. These plants, which grow their best in rich soil and well-shaded areas, grow in abundance within Canada and eastern portions of the United States. The bloodroot flower’s name was derived from the thick red sap that seeps from the rhizome.

The flower itself consists of eight to twelve white, oblong-shaped petals which surround distinctive golden yellow stamens at the center. The leaves of this flower – which are actually a single large leaf that develops at the base of the flower head – has a clasping, cape-like appearance which is used to protect the plant by closing around the head at night, and shading it when it begins to bear fruit.

Although the bloodroot flower is largely considered to be toxic, it has long been used to treat a number of ailments. Many North American tribes used this plant for a variety of reasons, from medicine to dye making. For generations, the bloodroot – which was also referred to as puccoon – has been used to create salves, poultices, pastes and powders. These concoctions are used to treat everything from oral infections, ward off the onset of gangrene, and to cure tumors, warts and polyps.

In modern times, the bloodroot flower is widely thought to be a powerful anticancer agent. Although cancer patients have been treated with this plant for over 150 years, it is only recently that it has come under investigation for its long-known potential as a curative. In addition to its promising medicinal uses, the bloodroot flower is also attached to folklore and superstition. A Cherokee myth states that a tiny piece of the root should be carried at all times so as to ward off wicked spirits. On the other hand, an unmarried man of the Ponca tribe could rub the plant against his palm and hold the hand of his beloved; within the week, she would be his.Since bloodroot flowers can cause an allergic reaction to the skin, it is not advisable to give them within a bouquet.

Research is currently underway connecting the dots between bloodroot and cancer prevention. Historically, the root has been known to reduce tumors. But if you’re not convinced by its cancer prevention statistics, bloodroot is used in many types of toothpaste because of its proven ability to prevent plaque and gingivitis.
However, as a gift, these blossoms look beautiful when presented in a decorative pot or dried and placed into a number of arrangements. As a symbol, bloodroots are thought to represent protective love, purification and healing, as well as strength and growth. As a gift, these blooms can be given to represent a wish for the recipient to get well after an illness, tell them you love them, or simply wish them the best for their life.

Flowers Plant Ideals In Spring

Whether you are planning a traditional wedding or a nontraditional wedding, planning your prom date or just shopping for a gift for that special someone, most likely it will include flowers.  Let's examine the current trends in Spring flowers.

A recent survey of wedding planners and upcoming brides suggests that the hottest wedding flower of 2011 is the tulip.  These are available in near black, purple, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, orange and even white.  Orchids are also quite popular lasting nearly a week, keeping their color and shape with very little attention.  Orchids, too, come in various shades and also lend themselves to being tinted, painted or dyed.  The gerber daisy has risen in popularity among more traditional flowers available in a variety of colors and work well when in arrangements with other flowers. 

There is so much more to wedding flowers than just the bridal bouquet and bridesmaid's bouquets.  In addition, there are also the groom and groomsmen boutonnieres, background greenery, greenery for amongst the seating (whether it be the ends of pews or chairs) as well as table centerpieces at the reception.  The right wedding flower selection can be the perfect accent to your special day.

Bling is the hot trend for 2011 senior prom corsages.  Florists are getting very creative in adding faux jewelry accents to these flower arrangements.  Some corsages are getting even more nontraditional by not even including flowers in their wrist or dress corsage.  now, THAT'S original.  Gentlemen, don't order your corsage over the phone but do make the extra effort in coming in in person.  You may even ask for a swatch of your date's dress or a link to a page that offers her dress or the color.  This will help your florist find the right suggestion immeasurably.

For the guys, you'd want something unique for his tux or suit.  Once again, prom boutonnieres come in a variety of colors and shades and can be ordered as an exact match or contrasting color.  For the senior proms in 2011, variety in men's boutonnieres is also the rage.  Roses are making a huge comeback.  In addition, carnations, orchids and the relatively new alstromeria are also quite popular this year.

Finally, no discussion of Spring flowers would be complete without mentioning Spring bouquets.  The most popular flower varieties this year include tulips, lilies, daffodils, gerber daisies and roses.  These varieties in any arrangement are guaranteed to brighten any kitchen, den or sunroom.

The bottom line is flowers are more popular than ever and the Spring of 2011 is set to be yet another wonderful time to share with loved ones.  Still not sure which Spring flower is best for your needs?  Consult your local florist.

Early Spring Flowers Embellish Your Garden

As soon as Christmas is over, and all the decoration have been cleared away, how nice it is to see the early spring bulbs and spring flowering houseplants in the garden centers.While many bulbs re traditionally considered as outdoor features, some can be grown successfully indoors. Bulbs, such as crocus and hyacinths appear in the stores in bud well before any of the- spring bulbs in gardens show through. These bulbs have been forced, but once you have enjoyed them inside the house you can plant them outside the garden to flower again the following year. After they have finished flowering, remove any dead flowers.

When the fear of frost has passed, transfer them to the garden, keeping their leaves intact, where you must feed them with a high potash fertilizer every two weeks to encourage them to flower well into the following year. Primula, with its delicate petals, makes a lovely spring plant for the kitchen windowsill. When the flowers eventually die, you can encourage extra flowering by placing the plant in a cool conservatory or on a frost-free porch where, alter a short rest away from the central heating, a second flush of flowers will soon appear.

 The hydrangea (French Hydrangea) is a popular spring plant, which makes a nice change from some of the smaller flowering specimens. Although you tend to buy these plants in spring; they will flower well into the summer months if given the correct treatment. Hydrangea need at great deal of moisture, preferring rainwater to hard tap water, and they are best placed in a flat-bottomed container so they can absorb water Freely! Surround the plants with damp moss to encourage humidity and keep them in a cool, bright situation.

After they have finished flowering, prune back the stems and re-pot them into a larger container. These plants benefit from a short stay in the garden during the summer months. Simply bury the pot in a shady part of the garden, watering and feeding periodically with a high potash Feed. In fall, bring the plant indoors to a cool, frost-free room and reduce watering to encourage the plant to rest. In early spring, gradually increase watering to bring the plant back into flower once again.

The cold winter will end soon.  Let's learn and prepare your flower garden to the coming early spring.

•     Remove winter mulch only after the weather has become reliably warm. The same also applies in case of cutting back evergreen plants, such as lavender.
      The perennials that have been heaved out of the ground by frost should be replanted as soon as possible.
•     The dead plants of the winter should be cut and the old perennials should be cleaned of any foliage.
      If you have mounded the earth around the roses, as a protective measure, it is the time to remove it.
•     Concentrate on pruning the rose bushes before they begin leafing out.
      The flower beds should not be dig too early. Pick up a handful of soil. If it falls apart and is dry enough, you can start digging. You can also start the process of adding compost or manure.
•     Make sure to take out the weeds as soon as you see them. If you leave them now, you will have too much weeding work at your hand later on.
      Cut the ornamental grasses.  In an early spring garden, grass grows very vigorously. So, put a sharp trench between the flower beds to edge them and to keep the grass within limits. Repeat the procedure a number of times in the season. If you want to avoid the repetition work, go for permanent edging.
•     Late winter or early spring is the best season to prune your shrubs. They are still dormant, so they don't suffer from it and this time their foliage is minimal, so you can see what you're doing. There is one exception to this rule.
      Don't prune flowering shrubs in spring. By doing so you will cut the flowers you were hoping for this season. Prune these shrubs after they finished blooming. That way they have the most time to recover and regain strength
      When planting spring flower seeds, wait until two weeks after the last frost to plant them in the ground, or start them inside and move them outdoors when the weather warms up.
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Eastern Redbud Shines In The Spring Season

If you live in the Eastern United States, you have undoubtedly admired the striking purple/pink display produced by the Eastern Redbud in early spring at some point.  The Eastern Redbud is native to the eastern United States from Florida to Michigan and even into Mexico.  Among the few flowering trees that tolerate some shade, the Eastern Redbud is a good choice for a small tree where early spring color would be an asset, such as in woodsy settings or along roadways, where they are frequently used.

Eastern Redbuds are relatively short-lived tree specimens, rarely lasting over 30 years or so, but they grow fairly fast at 12 to 24 inches per year.  Propagation is easiest by seed, which can be collected from the seed pods when they turn brown in the fall.  Air dry the pods, and then when completely dry, remove the seeds.  Once out of the pod, boil the seed in water for 1 minute to soften the outer coating, and then store in the refrigerator in a bowl of sand for 5 to 8 weeks.  Once removed from the refrigerator, plant promptly at about 1/4 inch deep. 

Obviously, you can also buy a young specimen at the garden center, in which case you should situate the tree in a part-shade to full sun spot.  Redbuds seem to do best when they get full sun in the spring, but will appreciate a little shade from bigger trees during the hottest part of the summer.  Dig a hole about 4 times the width of the root ball in a well-drained area, and set the tree inside.  Replace about half the excavated soil, and water well to remove any air pockets.  Replace the rest of the soil and water deeply, then cover with an inch or two of mulch.  Ideal planting times for Redbuds are spring and fall.  Summer heat will likely stress the sapling if no shade is provided, especially in hotter summer areas. 

Eastern Redbuds form multiple trunks that split off low to the ground as they mature.  Growth habit is quite irregular at first, but as the tree matures, it will form an attractive more or less dome shape. The bark is dark gray or black and is smooth when the tree is young, but becomes scaly as the tree grows. Flowers arise all over the stems either just before or along with new leaves. Leaves are strikingly heart-shaped and matte green. The Eastern Redbud is a member of the pea family, and the flowers very much resemble those of garden sweet pea, though unfortunately without the rich scent carried by sweet peas. Bloom duration is 2-3 weeks.  The further south, the earlier the bloom.  Fall color is an inconsistent yellow, not spectacular, but pleasant enough. Seed pods are oblong and some will fall to the base of the tree, but others stay with the plant through the winter months.  The wood is not a strong wood, and may be damaged by ice or heavy snow.

Redbuds are sometimes called the "Judas" tree because Judas, who betrayed Jesus, supposedly hanged himself from the branch of one (a mid east relative of our indigenous Redbud).  Legend has it that the tree blushed with shame, and has continued blushing ever since (even though there are white Redbuds in existence).  Redbud flowers are edible and taste something like nutty raw green beans.  They are high in Vitamin C and make nice salad and pastry garnishes. Young seed pods are also tasty and can be boiled and served with butter.  Native Americans used Redbud bark for use in teas as remedies for  afflictions such as fever, vomiting, and congestion, and medicines were made for dysentery, diarrhea, and leukemia, but most herbalists don't use it today. 

In the landscape, Eastern Redbud shines in early spring when it suddenly bursts into vivid bloom.  As an understory tree in the wild, the Redbud is an adaptive little tree that will adjust to a variety of home gardening situations, including under other taller trees, in the middle of flowerbeds, along driveways, or as specimen trees.  Though they are not astounding specimens when not in bloom, they are still worthwhile in the home landscape for their multi-trunk form, overall small size, and good-looking heart-shaped foliage.