May 2008

Some Natural Asthma Remedies

Who here has asthma or know someone who does? I’m guessing it’s probably a very high percentage which is why a type of drug called bronchodilators are selling like hot cakes all around the world. It’s estimated that about 300 million people globally have asthma and in the US, people have spent more that six million dollars in 2007. Besides the cost, the main problem with these drugs is that if you use them over a long period of time there are a number of health risks associated with them. You might therefore be interested in looking for other alternatives which are natural and don’t have so many side effects.

The problem is that herbs and other natural remedies aren’t understood very well within the medical industry however there are those in alternative health who understand that there are treatments for asthma that are beneficial for those with problems with their respiratory system. Matricaria Recutita is often used because it contain flavanoids, volatile oils as well as glycoside compounds which work on the lungs and respiratory system.

Another popular alternative health treatment is using homeopathy and for asthma, biochemic tissue salts are used. Kali Phos helps with breathing whilst Mag Phos relaxes the chest and bronchioles. Arsen Alb and Phosphorous can also be used. However when it comes to homeopathic remedies, you should always go to see a specialist practitioner to ensure you are using the correct product.

Prevention is often said to be better than cure so you are strongly recommended to try and identify what is causing your allergic asthma. Dust particles, pollen and dander are often the usual culprits and some people even install a HEPA air filter into their home to remove these particles. However spray cleaners that you use in your home can also cause a nasty reaction. Instead of using spray cleaners you should look at alternatives such as bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, vinegar, tea tree oil and lavender oil.

On Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners, one of the people who appeared on the show started to eat much healthier as Jamie suggested and one of the side-effects was that her asthma symptoms subsided. Is this just a happy coincidence? Maybe, but it’s up to you to look after you health and decide if you want to eat a better diet and exercise. If you are leading a less than healthy lifestyle then this might be the reason to change your ways. You might however want to talk to your doctor if you are wanting to do exercise.

Is Chocolate Healthy?

Do you like chocolate? I know I do and I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t either. So you wouldn’t be surprised when you hear a cry of joy when some new scientific report is released about the health benefits of chocolate. There are new studies coming out all the time it would seem and unfortunately often each study contradicts what came before. However whatever report you decide to believe, you need to understand that chocolate should only ever be eaten in moderate amounts.

The reason why chocolate is studied so much is because of a certain class of phytochemicals called flavonoids. The one that is of most interest is called epicatechin. There are many health benefits associated with flavonoids and one of them is the ability to improve the circulatory system. This is because they are what is known as flavonoids and the job of the antioxidant is to get rid of free radicals from your blood. You really don’t want free radicals in your system because they can do damage to your cells.

This might be enough evidence for you to go on a chocolate binge but before you do that you need to know that chocolate isn’t the only source of these flavanoids. You can also find them in fruit and vegetables. Chocolate can contain a lot of fat and sugar so it’s much healthier to eat your greens than to eat your chox.

Some people forget that even the healthiest of foods can be dangerous in high enough quantities. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, this doesn’t mean that if you eat 100 apples a day you’ll live forever! Moderation is key to prevent a fat belly and certainly not something you want to eat in large quantities during your weight loss efforts.

Chocolate is a very fun food and should be enjoyed and there are even people who buy or hire chocolate water fountains for wedding and birthays. This is pretty cool adn people will remember the event largely because of this

Hothouses and Greenhouses For Orchids and Other Tropical Flowers

Orchids and other tropical flowers are very popular for home these days but they’re also referred to as being ‘hothouse flowers’ due to the fact that the in general prefer an environment which is warm and humid. If you have a greenhouse or a hothouse then this will really help provide the growing conditions that orchids love.

If you have been looking around for greenhouses to buy you will see that there are many in different shapes and sizes. They can be made of glass and sometimes can be as big as a regular house. Whilst some are more the size of a doghouse which is covered in clear plastic. Whatever type you buy, all of them are designed to do the same thing: this is so allow light to filter in trapping some wavelengths in.

Due to the greenhouse effect, it’s normally the long-wavelength light waves that are trapped inside. This is why a hot house stays hot even if the temperature is lower outside. Often the hothouse can even get too hot and so ventilation is needed.

Not only do greenhouses and hothouses help to trap heat inside, they also allow moisture to be retained. Many people like to have the ability to add moisture into the air using one of a number of different benefits.

You can simply just use a watering can to increase the humidity because of the evaporation process. Because the heat warms up the soil and pots, some of the water vapour will rise upwards. If you see condensation on your greenhouse then you will know that this is what’s happening.

If you want to get a bit more hi-tech then you will be able to keep humidity levels to around 40%-70% which is what orchids and other plants enjoy. Many species of orchid come from tropical jungles such as in Hawaii so like conditions that many of us would find a bit uncomfortable. Therefore using a timed mister near the plants and also above will help to keep your hot house nice and wet.

However the problem can arise that if you use a ventilation system you will allow moisture to escape along with the heat. Sometimes it’s just too easy to have more moisture than you need.

A problem that you need to be aware of is mold and midew that simply love these humid conditions. You will need to keep wiping any mildew away and also using spray mildewcide.

You might also want to learn about how to get rid of aphids organically if you have a problem with these at any time.

Norcent DCS 1050 Review

How do you fancy a really nice slim digital camera that includes features like face detection, anti-shake and also has a LCD display that is resistant to scratches? Well, this is part of the 50 Series that has been released by Norcent.

This fab little Norcent DCS 1050 camera can capture great resolution photos up to 3648 x 2736 and can be used by even the most serious of digital camera users. Because of the features that are built into the Norcent DCS 1050, you don’t have to be a professional to take professional looking photos. Because of the face traking you will be able to ensure that any photo you take of people will be perfectly in focus.

As with so many digital cameras these days, you will see that there are a host of other features in the Norcent DCS 1050 such as being able to record movies, select from 22 scene modes and also make sure that the photo you are taking is perfect for landscapes, portraits, food, soft skin and also back light.

Although the 16MB of internal memory that comes with the Norcent DCS 1050 isn’t anything to shout about, you can also buy flash storage cards that allow you to store a massive amount of photos and movies.

At the moment you can buy a Norcent DCS 1050 from buy.com for about $80 but you’ll have to move fast as I don’t know how long this price will hang around.

Frank C on 27 May, 2008 at 2:16 pm #

I wonder if you could find one of these for a good price on eBay? Do you think that this camera is a good deal? The Norcent DCS 1050 seems like a decent video camera but it is so difficult to tell if that is the case or not, don’t you think? I’m not sure if I should buy this camera or not. I think I may wait and see if there is a good sale on them. I don’t want to pay too much for a Norcent DCS 1050 if I don’t have to do so.

April on 27 May, 2008 at 2:29 pm #

I’m sure you can find cheap Norcent DCS 1050 in plenty of places. There are also great reviews of Norcent DCS 1050 which you can find on the internet too. Of course, eBay is an excellent place to look for a Norcent DCS 1050.

Mike on 27 May, 2008 at 4:29 pm #

That sounds like an amazing price for 10 Mpx. Does it have an optical zoom? Digital zoom is quite fuzzy on my current camera and is the one thing that I would pick as a priority. The 40x zoom on some videocams make them look interesting too, but at a price.

Camera Binoculars on 27 May, 2008 at 5:58 pm #

I don’t really care about mega pixels when it comes to digital cameras all i care about is optical zoom.. Digital zoom means nothing too me, and I don’t use cameras for print, so you don’t need anything more than 1.0 mega pixels for web and internet.

untwisting trade show display design on 27 May, 2008 at 7:15 pm #

hi April, what a small world. I ran across RT’s blog a year ago, but only started following it closely recently. Anyway, on a post he just made I saw your comment and it highlighted your recent post on this camera. I just got an email from buy.com this morning and read it because it mentioned a 10megapixel camera for $79 (the Norcent of course). I’ve been looking to get a second camera for a while. I have a Casio 7.2mp that I swear by, but Casio charges a premium. I’m on the fence about this Norcent - is the price too good to be true? Sometimes you can’t avoid the old saying that you get what you pay for… I got a cool remote control helicopter from buy.com on major sale at christmas time, and it lasted two days. Then again, I’ve gotten a few hard drives from them, and they still work fine (knock on wood). I’m sure you’re right that this price won’t last. Hmmm… had you ever heard of Norcent before this?

Cheap digital cameras on 4 June, 2008 at 5:42 pm #

I think the price for what the camera offers is a good deal. I wonder if they have some good reviews on it yet.

Natalie on 10 June, 2008 at 5:28 pm #

Hello. Is the camera even good?

Stew on 12 June, 2008 at 10:28 pm #

Just bought one of these cameras and I was real impressed so far. It has a 3X optical zoom which is a little shy for me, but with the 10 MP you can blow it up to a 2 MP quality photo at 3X which equals a 15X optical. I tried this with my cat from across the room and her head filled the screen and you could see her whiskers real clear at the 2MP equivalent. She is black and so are her whiskers. Nice size as it fits in a shirt pocket nicely. Two friends saw mine and ordered one also.