Marigolds are beautiful, strong smelling herbaceous flowers that are widely grown throughout the world. Most people grow marigolds for their season-long blooms, their beautiful scent, and because they are easy to grow. There are other great reasons to grow marigolds. The flowers are all edible though some taste better than others, and if you grow them from seed, they’re beneficial for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. However, the best characteristic of marigolds is that they repel mosquitoes. This makes for an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical insecticides. Insecticides are horrible for the environment, and they cause more harm to frogs and birds, mosquitoes’ main predators than they do to the mosquitoes. In the long run, this makes the mosquito problem much worse.

Marigolds Are Kryptonite to Mosquitoes

Unfortunately, mosquitoes are more than a nuisance; they are vectors for numerous diseases. For instance, malaria kills over a million people a year, and though the disease is currently not endemic to the U.S., many argue that it is only a matter of time before it becomes common in the U.S. again. Mosquitoes also spread encephalitis, West Nile virus, dengue fever and more. Instead of spending your hard earned money on chemical treatments that add to the mosquito population, in the long run, plant marigolds and other mosquito repelling plants in your yard for an immediate and cost effective solution.

More About These Remarkable Flowers

Marigolds are plants of the genus Tagetes, belonging to the family Asteraceae or Aster family. Though they are now found all over the world, botanists believe South America to be their most likely place of origin. This belief is rooted in evidence from fossils found in Argentina that date back 50 million years. Paleobotanists have discovered Asteraceae fossils that date to the Eocene Epoch (56 million to 33.9 million years ago). The plant family is from South America, and the marigold is believed to be a native of Mexico.

The name marigold is possibly derived from the Anglo-Saxon term for the flower: merso-meargealla. There are other competing claims that the name comes from the Virgin Mary, with the gold referring to the most common color of marigolds. Old English authors referred to the flower simply as golde.

Long-lasting blooms

Marigolds are beautiful flowers that bloom all season until first frost. They will bloom more profusely if you remove the dead flowers from the plant. Marigolds rarely have problems with pests. They have only a few natural enemies; of these, the most common are frost, slugs, and snails.

You can grow big marigolds, small marigolds, marigolds of many colors, even edible marigolds. The varieties of marigolds are endless.

A Wealth of Options

There are two types of marigolds that are well known and widely cultivated. These are French marigolds and African marigolds.

African marigolds are the larger of the two. African marigolds, Tagetes erecta, typically have large yellow to orange flowers that can measure as large as 5 inches across, with plant height varying an average of 10 to 36 inches tall. African marigolds are sometimes referred to as American marigolds. (There are quite a few names for these flowers).

French marigolds are bushier and display smaller blooms. Typically, French marigolds will grow up to 2 inches across and come in a wider variety of colors: yellow, reds, orange, or multi-colored such as the harlequin French marigold with its yellow and red striped flowers.

There are other varieties of marigolds less commonly known. Such as triploid hybrids, signet marigolds, or the flavorful calendula marigolds (only the flowers are edible). Your options with marigolds are legion. Plant what you want; marigolds basically grow themselves, with almost no work on your part. Even if you believe yourself to be botanically inept, when it comes to marigolds, I believe anyone can grow them successfully.

You could buy these flowers from a store to transplant, but this is not the best way to go. Store bought flowers often have neonicotinoids applied to them at levels high enough to prove fatal to bees. You and the bees are better off if you’re growing your own.

Marigolds are easy to grow; so easy in fact, that anyone can do it. You don’t need great soil, just your run of the mill dirt, which is easy to come by. And you don’t need to fertilize them or fuss over them. All they need is some soft ground, direct sunshine, and some water.

A One-Time Seed Purchase

Once you have decided on what variety of marigold you want to grow, you’ll only need to purchase seed once. The seeds are easy to save. After you cut the dead blooms off of your flowers a few times, you’ll have all the seed you’ll ever need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKDgyM-w7u4

Getting Dirty

The next step is less work than it sounds. You’ll need to loosen up the ground where you plan on planting your flowers. (Don’t forget about your underground utility lines, if you don’t already have your utilities marked, call 811 and get them flagged before you start digging). You can use any kind of hand tool for this, a hand tiller, shovel, etc. Once you have chosen the sites where you would like to grow your flowers (spread them out in multiple places across the yard), space the seeds apart according to your seed packet instructions. Alternately, you could grow the flowers in planters first, but this isn’t a necessary step. In the case of marigolds, I think it just creates more work in the long run. Your seed packet will tell you how deep to plant the seeds, but basically, you just barely cover them with dirt. Don’t let them dry out. While the plants are young, water them often, whenever the ground is dry. Don’t smack the plants with water from on high; be gentle with your watering and aim for the base of your plants. Blooms should appear within a few weeks, and they will stay in bloom all season.

They Don’t Ask For Much

Don’t fertilize marigolds. They bloom better and more profusely in poor soil. If you fertilize them, they will bloom less, and grow excess greenery. If you don’t fertilize your marigolds and they still turn out bushy with few blooms, then congratulations! These bushy marigolds should still repel mosquitoes, but this means you’ve got great soil in your yard; black gold if you will. This is a sign that you should grow something that is more of a challenge to grow than marigolds, like food, or more exotic decorative plants that still repel pests.

An optional extra step is to mulch the flowerbed once your flowers begin to pop out of the ground. Mulching a flowerbed makes it look more attractive and it conserves water. But you can get by without the mulch, especially when you’re dealing with marigolds.

By growing these flowers in your yard, you can be assured that the mosquitos will leave you alone and you’ll be helping out your local bees, too. They need all the help they can get. Sadly, it’s not easy being a bee these days. Bees are relatively fragile when it comes to pesticide exposure. If you’re helping out bees, you should feel good about it. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They are so important that biologists often refer to them as a keystone species. So by helping them out, you can feel like you’re doing the planet a favor.

Other Mosquito Repelling Options

Marigolds are probably the easiest to grow, but if you want to plant a variety of plants that repel mosquitoes, consider some of the following:

• Ageratum
• Asters
• Basil
• Bee balm
• Beauty Berry
• Cadaga tree
• Catmint
• Catnip
• Cedars

• 

  Citronella Grass

• Chrysanthemums
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Garlic
• Geranium (repels ticks)
• Horsemint
• Lavender (also repels ticks, moths, mice, black flies and fleas)
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Grass (repels ticks)
• Lemon Thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Mint
• Nodding Onion
• Peppermint
• Penny Royal
• Pineapple weed
• Pitcher Plant
• Pyrethrum daisies
• Rosemary
• Stone root
• Snowbrush
• Sweet Fern
• Tansy
• Tea Tree
• Vanilla Leaf
• Vetiver Grass
• Wild Bergamot
• Wormwood

When purchasing seeds, you’ll probably get a much better deal ordering from a catalog or an online seed company than you would from your local retail store. In our garden we’ve come to rely on Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They have over a dozen varieties of marigolds to choose from.

Conclusion

Even if you struggle to grow plants and have had limited prior success, you can grow marigolds, no matter how many plants have perished under your care. Please let us know how your marigold cultivation turns out!

Recommended Reading:

• Invasive Weeds You Can, and Should, Be Eating – Easy Foraging
• How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money
• Healing Allergy Inflammation With Stinging Nettle

Sources:

• 11 Plants That repel Mosquitoes – Natural Living Ideas
• Marigolds – Iowa State University Horticulture Home & Pest News
• Marigolds – The Old Farmer’s Almanac
• Asteraceae Plant Family – Encyclopedia Britannica
• 31 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes – Best Plants

Imagine This

You bring a beautiful baby girl into this world. You count her fingers and toes. You can’t believe the wonder of this tiny, perfect human being. She trusts you to keep her warm, nourished, and safe from harm.

You and others hold down your baby or when she has grown and is a little girl. Someone uses a scalpel, a knife, a razor blade, a piece of glass, or some other sharp instrument to cut the skin off of her clitoris and remove all or part of it. Perhaps more is done. Perhaps the inner lips of her labia are removed. Perhaps the opening to the vagina is surgically altered. Perhaps the entire labia is sewn together leaving only a small opening, one that is not large enough to deliver a baby, not large enough to allow intercourse unless it is ruptured and torn.

If you live in the United States or Great Britain, you will probably go to the country from which you or your family originated – Africa, Asia, or the Middle East – to have this procedure performed because it is illegal in the United States and Britain. In Britain, you would face a 14-year prison term. In the United States? Probably 30 years, or more.

You love your daughter. Why would you do this?

You do this for social, cultural, or religious reasons. You do this because you have been raised to believe that female circumcision promotes cleanliness and reduction of libido, aiding in chastity before marriage. Your culture tells you your unaltered child is not marriageable. You do it because it was done to you or the mother of your child. You do this because it was done to all the women in your family. You do this because you believe it is the right thing to do.

The list of complications from female circumcision is long. At one end, we find infections, at the other end, sterilization or death. Altered vaginal openings may result in infant death or maternal death during childbirth. Sexuality is forever altered due to the loss of the clitoris and the damage done to other tissues. The circumcision is performed at various ages and can result in significant emotional trauma. This horrific practice continues primarily due to custom and religion.

Now Imagine This

You bring a beautiful, perfect baby boy into this world. In less than 24 hours, a nurse, doctor, or midwife comes to you with a clipboard and a form, asking you to sign permission to cut off the foreskin of your baby’s penis. Skin that nature provided to protect the glans. Skin that is filled with nerve endings that heighten sexual response. Skin that works with the penis during intercourse for normal sexual function, increasing pleasure for both the male and the female.

Why would you do this?

You do this for social, cultural, or religious reasons.

You do this because you have been told that male circumcision promotes cleanliness or prevents disease. You do this because it was done to you or the father of your child. Or you do this because you fell for the lame argument, “You don’t want him to be teased in the locker room for looking different, do you?”

History of Male Circumcision

Looking back at the history of male circumcision in the United States, we find that male circumcision has been the norm in this country for generations. We, as a culture, have been brainwashed into believing that an intact foreskin results in a lack of cleanliness that leads to disease, including cancer and HIV. But that’s not how this medical malpractice started in the United States. It began with the fear of sexuality – specifically, nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) and masturbation. Circumcision was claimed to cure or prevent both of these “horrific acts.” These claims were followed by more claims and “scientific” papers “proving” ridiculous cures through circumcision. These cures and preventions include:

• Prevents syphilis
• Cures epilepsy
• Prevents epilepsy
• Prevents spinal paralysis
• Cures bedwetting
• Prevents curvature of the spine, paralysis, and clubfoot
• Cures abdominal neuralgia
• Cures eye problems
• Prevents crossed eyes
• Cures blindness, deafness, and dumbness
• Prevents blacks from raping white women
• Cures urinary and rectal incontinence
• Prevents tuberculosis
• Prevents penile cancer
• Promotes chastity
• Prevents prostrate cancer
• Prevents venereal disease and cancer of the tongue
• Prevents cervical cancer in women
• Provides immunity to nearly all physical and mental illnesses
• Cures nervousness
• Prevents bladder cancer and cancer of the rectum
• Prevents urinary tract infections
• Prevents AIDS
• Prevents neonatal group B streptococcal disease
• Prevents HIV infection

The information above was included in an interesting slide show presented by the International Coalition for Genital Integrity. Their slides show the rise and fall of circumcision rates in the U.S. and the U.K. along a timeline in association with the misinformation pushed upon the American people through the medicalization of circumcision. (See link below).

The history of circumcision predates recorded history and is a global phenomenon. It is argued that the practice of circumcision came from cultural diffusion, that it was a practice that started with early man in Africa and was retained after humanity dispersed. The argument for this belief is simply that it was unlikely the practice started spontaneously across the globe in various cultures. However, we should bear in mind that many human behaviors started spontaneously and independently across the globe including agriculture, pottery making, tools, and weaponry.

It is also argued that foreskin (especially if it is tight) is a physiological barrier to early sexuality that aided in delaying reproduction, thereby favoring natural selection. Many cultures ritualized circumcision as a rite of passage from childhood to manhood—preparing the young man for a sexual union.

It was not only a tribal rite in many places across the globe. It was performed in ancient Egypt as shown by mummies and by hieroglyphics, it is also believed it was performed on slaves and conquered warriors as a show of dominance and humiliation.

Circumcision and Religion Today

People of the Jewish faith practice circumcision due to their belief that God commanded it of Abraham and his descendants (and those he bought) as “…a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. …And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that should shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.” Genesis 17:714

Cleanliness and hygiene are essential to the Islamic faith. Circumcision is believed to be an important aspect of cleanliness. “Five things are part of the fitrah: shaving the pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the moustache, plucking the armpit hairs, and cutting the nails.” Although they do not believe it to be a covenant between God and mankind, they do believe circumcision is submitting to the will of God. They believe female circumcision to be mutilation; it is strictly forbidden.

The Current Pro-Circumcision Argument

In 1975 and again in 1983 and 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, “…there is no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn.” Today they state the following on their website:

“The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that circumcision has potential medical benefits and advantages, as well as risks. Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure’s benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it, however, existing scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend routine circumcision. Therefore, because the procedure is not essential to a child’s current well-being, we recommend that the decision to circumcise is one best made by parents in consultation with their pediatrician, taking into account what is in the best interests of the child, including medical, religious, cultural, and ethnic traditions.”

The arguments for circumcision include:

• Fewer urinary tract infections
• Less risk of penile cancer
• Less risk of transmission of some STDs including HIV

Urinary Tract Infections

Multiple studies have consistently shown fewer urinary tract infections among circumcised infants compared to uncircumcised infants. However, it is important to note that urinary tract infections among all male infants are rare with an annual estimated rate of 0.18% in circumcised male infants verses 0.70% in uncircumcised male infants.

Penile Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, “Risk factors for developing penis cancer include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, not being circumcised, being age 60 or older, phimosis, poor hygiene, many sexual partners, and tobacco use.”

Penile cancer is rare. In the U.S. the current projected stats for 2015 are 1,820 new cases will be diagnosed and 310 men will die from penile cancer. It accounts for less than 1% of the cancers afflicting men; however, it accounts for up to 10% of cancers in men in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. Penile cancer is more common among Hispanic men than non-Hispanic men.

HPV, the human papilloma virus, is believed to be responsible for about 63% of penile cancers, though the CDC states that cancer registries do not collect data on the presence or absence of HPV in cancer tissue at the time of diagnosis.

HIV and Other STDS

When reading scholarly articles about circumcision and STDs, the logic or lack thereof in some of the reports is astounding. For example, in the report, Male circumcision: assessment of health benefits and risks, it states: “There is substantial evidence that circumcision protects males from HIV infection, penile carcinoma, urinary tract infections, and ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases.”

It also says, “Eight (studies) reported a statistically significant association between presence of the foreskin and HIV infection, one reported a trend towards an association, one reported no association, and one reported an increased risk with circumcision. To our knowledge, the latter report is the only one in the literature in which, after controlling for potential confounding factors, male circumcision has been associated with an increased risk for HIV infection.”

In another study, male circumcision and common sexually transmissible diseases in a developed nation setting, its conclusion is as follows: “From the findings of this study, circumcision of men has no significant effect on the incidence of common STDs in this developed nation setting. However, these findings may not necessarily extend to other setting where hygiene is poorer and the spectrum of common STDs is different.”

Circumcision is Painful

We do everything in our power to protect infants from fear and pain, and yet we pretend circumcision is not painful. In reality, it is both painful and traumatic.

Most babies scream frantically when their foreskin is cut off. Some defecate. Some lapse into a coma. The reason some babies don’t cry when they are circumcised is that they can’t cry because they are in a state of shock.” –NOCIRC

Risks of Circumcision

It is rare that a circumcision is completely botched, but it does happen. There are cases where the outcome is the loss of the glans, the shaft of skin, or the entire penis. And there have been cases of sexual reassignment due to the loss of a penis. Babies have died. Other risks include infection, excessive bleeding, and complications from anesthesia (if it was used). We do not know but can only guess at the emotional cost an infant suffers from the initial cut and up to 10 days or more of painful healing. We do not know how this trauma affects bonding during this crucial time.

Circumcised males may suffer from scarring, skin bridges, tearing and bleeding at the circumcision scar site, curvature of the penis, or tight, painful erections.

Not only have they lost the foreskin with all of its many nerve endings, most or all of the sensitivity of the glans has been lost as well. Many circumcised males resent the fact that they are not intact and were not given the choice.

Declaration of the First International Symposium on Circumcision

We recognize the inherent right of all human beings to an intact body. Without religious or racial prejudice, we affirm this basic human right.

We recognize that the foreskin, clitoris, and labia are normal, functional parts of the human body.

Parents and/or guardians do not have the right to consent to the surgical removal or modification of their children’s normal genitalia.

Physicians and other healthcare providers have a responsibility to refuse to remove or mutilate normal parts of the body.

The only persons who may consent to medically unnecessary procedures upon themselves are individuals who have reached the age of consent (adulthood), and then only after being fully informed about the risks and benefits of the procedure.

We categorically state that circumcision has unrecognized victims.

In view of the serious physical and psychological consequences that we have witnessed in victims of circumcision, we hereby oppose the performance of a single additional unnecessary foreskin, clitoral, or labial amputation procedure.

We oppose any further studies that involve the performance of the circumcision procedure upon unconsenting minors. We support any further studies that involve identification of the effects of circumcision.

Physicians and other healthcare providers do have a responsibility to teach hygiene and the care of normal parts of the body and to explain their normal anatomical and physiological development and function throughout life.

We place the medical community on notice that it is being held accountable for misconstruing the scientific database available on human circumcision in the world today.

Physicians who practice routine circumcision are violating the first maxim of medical practice, “Primum Non Nocere” (“First, Do No Harm”), and anyone practicing genital mutilation is violating Article V of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment…”  –  Adopted by the General Assembly, March 3, 1989 Anaheim, California USA

Conclusion

The truth is simple. There was no flaw that surgery can improve upon in the design of our genitals. The foreskin protects the penis. During infancy, the foreskin is adhered to the glans, protecting it from urine, feces, and friction from diapers. In later years, its protective cover keeps the glans moist and the skin soft while protecting it from trauma and injury, whereas unprotected glans become dry, calloused and desensitized. The two other functions of the foreskin are sensory and sexual. An intact penis is four times more sensitive than a circumcised penis. Genital integrity is the right of every human being. It’s time we put an end to this barbaric practice.

Sources:

• Where We Stand – Healthy Children.org
• Female genital mutilation – NHS Choices
• Jewish Practices & Rituals: Circumcision – Brit Milah – Jewish Virtual Library
• Penile Cancer – American Cancer Society
• HPV-Associated Penile Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity – CDC
• Male Circumcision – CDC Fact Sheet
• Personal Hygiene : Cleanliness is Half of Faith – The Religion of Islam
• Male circumcision: assessment of health benefits and risks; Stephen Moses, Robert C Bailey, Allan R Ronald – Departments of Medical Microbiology, Community Health Sciences and Medicine, University
• of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Male circumcision and common sexually transmissible diseases in a developed nation setting B Donovan, I Bassett, N J Bodsworth, Genitourin Med 1994;70:317-320

If you are making a transition from conventional medicine to an all-natural, organic approach to wellness, it helps to know which items to stock up on so your medicine chest and first aid supplies are ready for action.

Many of the items you will need are likely to be found in your pantry or refrigerator. Try to keep extra on hand – especially the essentials.

Items for a Well-Stocked, All Natural Medicine Cabinet

Raw and Fresh

• Garlic
• Ginger root
• Aloe vera

Dry Stuff

• Baking soda (non aluminum, organic)
• Sea salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Eyebright tea

Bottles and Jars

• Raw, organic honey
• Organic coconut oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Alcohol
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Argan Oil

Essential Oils

• Eucalyptus
• Tee tree oil
• Neem oil
• Cinnamon oil

Vitamins

• Vitamin C
• B-complex
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin A

Other

• Epsom salts

Bandages

• Rolls of gauze
• Squares
• Butterfly bandages
• Finger gauze
• Tape
• Band-Aids

Hardware

• Eye cup
• Droppers and bottles
• Neti pot
• Hot water bottle
• Ice packs
• Tweezers
• Magnifying glass
• Scissors

Tonics and Supplements to Buy

• Total Tonic
• Spanish black radish
• Echinacea

First Aid

First aid doesn’t have to be complicated. That said, there are many alternative treatments for the same problem. Don’t hesitate to do the research to learn a variety of treatments.

Burns– Immediately cool the area by running it under cold water. Follow with ice. Cover with aloe vera, bandage if desired.

Scrapes – Wash the area with organic soap, rinse and pat dry. If you feel the need to further cleanse the area, pour on a little hydrogen peroxide. Pat dry. You can use raw honey for a dressing or 1 teaspoon coconut oil with 4-8 drops of essential oil (tee tree oil, cinnamon, etc.) or cover with argan oil.

Eyes – If you get something in your eye an eyewash can be very helpful. Make a saline solution with pure water (distilled is best) and salt. Boil the water, even if it is distilled. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of boiling water. Allow the water to cool to lukewarm before using. (Very important! Do not use hot or cold water in your eye!)

Use a sterilized eyecup or dropper. If you keep extra solution, sterilize the jar or bottle.

If you accidently splash a chemical in your eye, don’t wait; flush with tap water immediately – for 20 minutes.

Bug bites – Use apple cider vinegar, cinnamon oil, aloe vera, tea tree oil and others. Remember to use a carrier oil with essential oils. (Mix 4-8 drops of essential oil with one teaspoon of coconut or other oil.

Infections

There are four types of infection: bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitical. In order to be healthy, your body needs a strong immune system. Diet is the most important element to health. Your body requires a full array of nutrients for every system in the body. Minimizing exposure to toxins and helping the body eliminate waste and toxins is the next step. Good sleep, exercise, sunlight, and grounding are all important as well.

If you eat a truly healthy diet, you will rarely get sick. When you do, your immune system will respond quickly and efficiently. You still might want to help it along now and then.

Viral Infection – At the first sign of a viral infection, gargle with pure apple cider vinegar. The more you gargle, the better. This lessens the viral load, killing off those nasty bugs so your immune system doesn’t have to battle so many. Gargle enough (every hour!) and you will definitely experience a milder illness or you may just nip it in the bud. Total Tonic can also be a great help. To learn how to make your own, check out Natural Remedies for Colds, Flus, and Other Common Viruses for the recipe.

Fungus (Athlete’s Foot or other skin infections) – First try straight apple cider vinegar. Just pour it on or use a cotton ball to squeeze it on the effected area. Tea tree oil (4-8 drops with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil) can be applied to skin or fingernails and toenails.

When you have a fungal infection, you can bet you have an overgrowth of fungus in your gut. Check out How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem.

Parasites – No parasites are not limited to third world countries. A truly healthy diet with plenty of raw food (80% at least!) helps the body rid itself of parasites. See Common Parasites and How to Kill Them. You definitely don’t want uninvited critters feasting on your body.

Bacterial Infection – Gargle with apple cider vinegar for a sore throat, too. Yes, it burns like crazy, but afterwards, the pain is usually gone. Spanish black radish is remarkable for bacterial infections of all kinds – bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, tooth infection, etc. Garlic is also a time-honored cure. To strengthen the immune system for viruses and all other parasites, check out Make Your Immune System Bullet Proof.

How to Use Other Items in Your Medicine Chest

Ginger – Use ginger to settle the stomach. It’s great for nausea. Use it for migraines. Make fresh juice at the first sign of a migraine. Apple/carrot juice with ginger is awesome. It knocks migraines out before they can get going. More on Ginger.

Garlic – Garlic is one of nature’s strongest antibiotic, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, and antiviral substances. Eat it raw, but know that this practice, while great for killing viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, might make you throw up. Try chasing it with a ginger shot to keep it down. You can also use garlic topically to kill warts and eliminate skin tags. More on garlic.

Baking Soda and Salt – Make a saline solution to wash the sinuses with a neti pot at the first sign of infection or when pollen becomes a problem. For instructions, check out How to Use a Neti Pot for Sinus Infections.

Eyebright Tea – Eyebright tea knocks out pink eye and relieves eye inflammation. Be sure to thoroughly strain the tea so that no plant particles remain in the solution. Use an eye cup and rinse the eye with the solution. (Remember solutions for the eyes must be lukewarm, not hot or cold). Be sure to check out Shillington’s Eyebright Formula.

Epsom Salts – Use Epsom salts for a variety of muscle or skin issues, including muscle cramps. To learn how to properly use Epsom salts, read The Health Benefits Of Epsom Salt Baths.

As you learn more about natural remedies, it might help to keep a notebook. There is much to learn and many homemade recipes you will want to remember. As you do, your natural medicine chest will grow.

Further Reading:

• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe
• Cayenne and Capsaicin, Natures Miracle Medicine

Spring is here and here come the fleas.

When your cat or your dog starts scratching and little red bumps appear on your ankles and itch like crazy, a flea infestation is already underway. Although there are more than 2,500 types of fleas (with about 325 species in the U.S.), you are probably dealing with the cat flea, one of the peskiest creatures known to cats, dogs, or people.

Fleas can consume up to 15 times their weight in blood. They are so tiny, this doesn’t seem like much, but a serious infestation can cause your pet to suffer from anemia (which could be life-threatening, especially for puppies or kittens) or to suffer from a mild to severe allergic response. Fur loss, chewed skin, scabs, and hot spots may result. Some animals exhibit a severe reaction to a single fleabite. Animals also swallow fleas, which can result in tapeworms.

Fleas are interesting little critters. These wingless, 6-legged monsters can jump 100 times their height and 10,000 times in a row, the entire length of a football field.

Cat fleas are not the type associated with plague or murine typhus; but rat fleas associated with these diseases can be found in the southwestern United States, so eradication of rodent infestation and their fleas is also important.

Life Cycle of a Flea

Adult females lay 25-40 eggs a day, up to 2,000 eggs in their lifetime. Though the eggs are laid on the host, they are not glued to the pet’s hair. They fall off easily when the animal shakes, moves, or scratches. They hatch in two to five days and enter stage one of three larval stages, which together last a total of seven-fourteen days. Pupae usually develop into adults within one or two weeks, but they can lie dormant in this stage until the vibration of an animal or human stimulates them. The typical warm weather life cycle for a flea is three to four weeks.

Cat fleas are also a problem for the farm, as they feed on livestock (especially cows and pigs) and chickens. Adult fleas survive the winter and begin their reproductive cycle as weather warms up in the spring and summer.

Conventional Treatment

Conventional treatment involves toxic ingredients – toxic to both animals and humans. Pest control companies spray their noxious sprays in and around our homes, we set off indoor bombs to fumigate, and we put toxic collars, sprays, powders, and treatments on our pets. Then we wonder why our animals develop cancer.

We may spend hundreds of dollars on treatments and see no discernable progress in eradicating an infestation before resorting to alternative, healthy ways to control fleas.

Alternative Treatments For Our Pets

Raw Food Diet

All health, for all animals, begins with diet. Just as a healthy diet is the basis for human health, a truly healthy diet is the basis for your pet’s health. If you want your pet to achieve optimum health and vitality, begin with an organic, raw diet. This one choice will eliminate most of your parasite problems. Parasites prefer unhealthy, malnourished animals. (To learn how to make your own cat or dog food, see the third link below.)

The addition of small amounts of garlic to raw food helps to repel fleas (but do not overdo garlic in animal food. Some say it will interfere with their red cell production). Diatomaceous earth will help eliminate parasites from the gut (remember ingested fleas can cause tapeworms to grow in the gut), omega 3 oils aid in skin health and sleek shiny fur, and total nutrition powder will boost nutrition.

Make sure to add a little oil-coconut oil is and omega 3 oil.

Essential Oils and Other Repellents

Peta suggests the following spray to repel fleas on dogs: “…add five drops each of tea tree oil, citronella oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus oil to one cup of water, shake it, and put it in a spray bottle.”

Another dog spray recipe follows:

Put 3 cloves of garlic, the peels from 1 orange and 1 grapefruit, 1 tablespoon of rosemary and 1 pint of water into a blender. Blend until liquefied, and then heat the concoction at a simmer for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool and strain. Put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray your pets before they go outside.

Cats don’t do as well with essential oils. Lemon water or vinegar water sprayed on the skin or food grade diatomaceous earth used as a powder on the skin will do the trick.

To make lemon water, use one sliced up lemon to a pint of water. Bring it to a boil and let it sit in the pan overnight. To make vinegar water, just mix one part vinegar to three parts water.

Alternative treatment for the indoors

Boric Acid is a long time standard, a powder that can be beaten into the carpets and sprinkled on the floor and other furnishings. Though it has been touted as a natural way to combat fleas and kill other insects, including roaches, it is not entirely non-toxic. It is best to use it in cracks and crevices where children and animals are not exposed.

The first line of defense indoors, is vacuuming and washing bedding. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Place the used bag in a zip-locked plastic bag and freeze it. Re-use and refreeze until you seal it and throw it away.

Wash your pet’s bedding, daily if possible. If your pet sleeps with you, wash your bedding daily or as often as possible. Remember, up to 40 eggs from each adult female flea are falling off your pet each day.

You can sprinkle Diatomaceous earth on the carpets. Do take care not to inhale it and remove your animals from the area. Leave it on carpets for a few hours before vacuuming and use a mask. Do not use the variety that has been chemically treated for swimming pools. Peta suggests salt or borax can also be used. Just leave it on carpets for a day before vacuuming. These three substances help dry out larvae, thus killing them.

Outdoor Treatment

Diatomaceous earth can also be sprinkled around the perimeter of the house and any areas where you suspect or have seen fleas.   You can also spray beneficial nematodes on lawns and around shrubs. They are safe for beneficial garden dwellers like ladybugs and earthworms, and they are non-toxic to children, and pets. They eat the fleas. Problem solved.

Conclusion

The best way to defeat fleas is to be proactive. Wash your animal’s bedding regularly and spray or powder your pet. If you had an infestation last year, treat the yard.

Learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder (great for you or your pet!).

Recommended Products:

• Diatomaceous Earth • Food Grade DE

Further Reading:

• Natural Flea Remedies
• 10 Common Houseplants That Are Harmful to Your Pets
• Indoor Gardens and Cats: Keeping Your Pets Out of Your Crops
• The Top 5 Worst Pet Food Ingredients
• Five Tips to Keeping Your Furry Friend Healthy and Well Fed

Sources:

• Fleas – ASPCA
• Fleas – Purdue University
  
• Boric Acid – Beyond Pesticides
• Flea Control: Safe Solutions – Peta
• 5 Natural Ways to Prevent and Get Rid of Fleas on Cats – Natural Roots

We’ve all witnessed a dog or cat charge into the yard to chomp on green grass, just like we’ve all cleaned up the resulting, imminent mess. While a little grass won’t hurt your pets, there are quite a few common household plants that are dangerous for them to ingest. Take stock of where you’ve placed your houseplants and decide if any new are too dangerous to keep.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is commonly used to treat burns. And it might be the most useful household plant in your collection – useful for humans that is. Unfortunately, this plant is toxic to our four-legged friends. Aloe vera causes reactions like vomiting and diarrhea, but it can also cause tremors and depression if snacking continues.

English Ivy

As beautiful as ivy cuttings and hanging baskets in your home can be, the sap contains a toxin called triterpenoid saponin. The foliage itself is the most dangerous part, but keep any berries out of reach, too.

Baby’s Breath

Not that you don’t already try, but keep flower arrangements out of your pets’ reach. Baby’s breath causes diarrhea and vomiting if ingested by your pet, and it’s in almost every flower arrangement.

Begonia

The roots and tubers of this plant are its most harmful parts. Keep your pets from digging at this by moving it to a higher shelf.

Gladiola

A vibrant flower for floral arrangements, the bulb is the most dangerous part of the plant. That doesn’t mean you should let your kitties take any chances by chewing on the stem.

Lilies

Commonly known as a funeral flower, lilies put cats at high risk. They are extremely toxic to cats, but not dogs. Even the littlest bit can be harmful. Lilies cause kidney failure, so it’s best to keep them out of a cat-friendly home.

Cyclamen

Another popular potted plant, cyclamen is toxic to dogs and cats. Fatalities have been reported in some cases, though they aren’t common. The root is the most harmful part of this plant.

Poinsettia

The holiday season is often a dangerous time of year for pets. You probably already know that the poinsettia plant isn’t good for your pets. The good news is that it isn’t the harbinger of death as often depicted. It’ll just cause stomach and mouth irritation. Keep it out of reach — or out of the house entirely.

Pathos

This common container plant causes swelling and irritation to tissue in your pets’ mouth and within their gastrointestinal tract. The damage will occur if the plant has been chewed and not swallowed — though swallowing will cause a stronger reaction.

Tomato Plant

You might not grow tomatoes indoors year round, but many gardeners start their seeds indoors. Keep your pets away from these plants. They generally aren’t deadly, but your pets will be very uncomfortable if they ingest the seedlings.

To keep the pets in your house safe year round, keep the highest risk plants, such as lilies, out of the house. Be sure to keep all others out of reach. Your four-legged friends will thank you for helping them resist temptation.

Cleaning surfaces and unblocking drains is usually perceived as a rather unwelcome chore. This is especially true if you’re proud to live a sustainable lifestyle and do not want to use store-bought conventional cleaners. But fans of green living (and cleaning) don’t need to despair. There are plenty of easy and very useful sustainable cleaning hacks that you can draw on when you cannot or do not want to buy an expensive eco-friendly cleaner, but want to keep it green at the same time.

How to Treat Stains Naturally

Even unusually stubborn stains can be treated using all-natural remedies. Hydrogen peroxide is an eco-friendly alternative to chlorine bleach and, diluted, a great cleaning solution that will work wonders on most stains. For food stains, sprinkle some baking soda on the area and then spray a water and hydrogen peroxide solution on the stain. Let it soak for a while, and then wash as usual. This green solution will even get rid of wine stains if you let it soak for long enough.

White vinegar can also act as an effective stain remover pre-wash. But keep in mind to always test any cleaning solutions on a small area first to make sure you won’t damage the fabric.

How to Unblock Your Sink

As an outdoorsy person who puts a lot of emphasis on a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle – but at the same time likes creature comforts – glamping is the perfect choice of holiday for me. It’s low maintenance and close to nature, but with many of the perks that usually only hotel accommodation offers.

Last time I embarked on a glamping trip, I stayed in a cabin close to the woods. It was lovely to have a bathroom and small kitchen area at my disposal whilst still being as close to nature as you can get, but unfortunately, that luxury was short-lived when the sink clogged up on my second day. I had to choose between getting in touch with the owners to have them take action, and figuring out how to unblock a sink myself.

As a firm believer in green cleaning, I remembered a homemade remedy to clear the drains. All I needed was baking soda, boiling water, and a cup of vinegar. Luckily, the cabin had all of these things in stock. If you want to try this green unblocking remedy, pour the baking soda down the drain, then follow this with a few cups of boiling water. The baking soda will react with the water and dissolve any gunk. If the sink is still blocked after that, repeat the process with baking soda and vinegar, and carefully plug the drain. Then clear the drain by pouring down more boiling water.

Taking matters into my own hand rather than contacting the cabin’s owner saved me a lot of trouble – and time – so it’s always good to be prepared and have some cleaning hacks like this one at the ready.

How to Clean Surfaces the Green Way

Grease stains on kitchen surfaces are ugly. They seem to cling to kitchen surfaces like a magnet, and after you let them sit for a couple of hours, they can be tricky to remove. But if you’ve got vinegar and vegetable oil in your kitchen cupboard, you’ve already got yourself a highly effective surface cleaner to leave your kitchen sparkling. Spray vinegar onto the surface; let it sit for 15 minutes, then wipe off the surface with a cloth.

If there are still some greasy remains left after this first stain, it’s time to treat grease with grease. Soak a paper towel in natural vegetable oil to scrub away especially stubborn stains. This should remove even the most persistent stains.

Further Reading:

• How To Clean Your Bathroom In a Green and Organic way
• 6 Effective Ways to Make Your New House Green

Sources:

• What is Glamping? – Discover Glamping 
• How to Unblock Clogged Drains and Eliminate Odours – Cleanipedia

Relationships are hard work. Sometimes they suck. But sometimes (most of the time, hopefully), you wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. Everyone faces the same difficulties from time to time. Arguments can happen. They’re normal, but they shouldn’t be tolerated.

That’s why I want to talk to you about how marathon running can help your relationship. Whether it’s the strongest it’s ever been or you’re nearing a divorce, marathon running, as a couple, could be the best thing you could do for your relationship. Literally, the best thing.

Getting your spouse to run will be half the battle, and convincing them can seem as plausible as convincing them you’re a witch with eight toes and can fly on a broom. But it must be done.

Here’s a list of reasons why marathon running can help your relationship:

1. You’re in it together

Cheesy or not, it’s true. You’re not alone, and you’re not just  friends. You’re with someone you’ve dedicated your life to – someone who understands you. Someone who feels the same as you do about them.

You’re going to experience some rough patches, times when you want to rip your partner to shreds. It’s all part of the journey, the journey that you will be embarking on together. Together is the key word here. You’ll both smell worse than the breath of a dog after eating its own excrement, but at least you’ll smell like it together. That’s all that matters.

Put all that behind you, and it can be fun. You’ll each have your own goals. You’ll be more empathetic with one another. If nobody can be bothered to cook or clean, it won’t result in a fight. But it will result in  “put your feet up and watch TV for a while.” When times get tough, you’ll begin to appreciate one another more. Who needs conventional counseling when you can run a marathon?

2. Anger outlet

Being angry is never a good thing. It sucks, and it’s the root of all evil.

Imagine this. You’ve had a rough day. Your boss is annoyed that you didn’t finish your report on time. Your friends don’t have time for you right now. There’s absolutely nothing good on TV for you to watch. You just got a bill from your credit card company that seems like someone’s playing a nasty trick on you. As you can imagine, you’re having a bad day.

Now, DO NOT let your anger get the better of you. Go for a run with your partner.  Discuss your feelings. Use this as an opportunity to show a bit of that good ol’ emotion. You’ll feel resoundingly better afterwards, and you probably won’t even care what your boss has to say. You could even turn it into a game: just don’t get fired.

3. The marathon itself is worth it

The training is just the start. The 26.2 mile race is just a distant thought. But when you’ve done the training, you’ll know you’re ready for the marathon. The journey with your partner only gets better from now on.

Not only will you be running alongside your partner, but also the thousands of other runners in the race. Not to mention all the people watching – chanting your name as you run past them.

The excellent thing about this is that your partner feels the same. You’ll be running together and get to experience the same emotions. Nothing says, “true love” more than enduring torture together and getting through it. Just remember that it gets easier. Not only the running, but being a couple. Because being with one person can be hard sometimes.

And, just a warning: crying like a baby at the end is not uncommon.  I don’t care how much of a man (or woman) you are. Don’t hold back. Don’t be emotionless. If you cry, you cry. If you’re a “man,” you may feel your masculinity take a hit, but who cares? Don’t try and please other people. If they mock you, then stuff ’em.

4. Sharing travelling experiences

We know marathon running is a continuous, never-ending sport. If you’re lucky, you’ll be 90 before you consider taking a much needed break. You don’t just run one marathon and stop there. That’s not how it works. If you’re a serious runner, you’ll run as many different races as you can. This means you’ll have to travel. A lot. To other countries, states, and cities.

But it doesn’t stop there. You’ll be with your partner the whole time. Providing the plane or car doesn’t crash in the process, you’ll find yourself traveling the globe in search for the best marathons. And you’ll run them together. Sure, it can be expensive, but so can any other hobby. The experiences are ones you’ll never forget.

Just don’t spend your days away from home cooped up in your hotel room. Get out. Experience the culture. Do something you’ve never done before. Go skydiving. You only get one opportunity. Don’t waste it. Do something fun with your partner. It’ll be worth it.

Conclusion

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Marathon running is, in time, going to be something that couples participate in to grow, heal, and strengthen their relationships. Think outside the box. Make your spouse read this article, from top to bottom. It could be the start

Have your spouse read this article, from top to bottom. It could be the start of something great, even if you feel your relationship is as healthy as it will ever be.

Further Reading:

• Running Without Knee Pain
• BikeRiding – Life without a Car