Whole Fruit Juicers Explained

by Jacqui Freeman

Many options are available for someone to begin to alter their lifestyle in order to live a healthier life. Some ways of doing this may be extremely easy and inexpensive while others may be more costly.

For example an individual may choose to simply walk 30 minutes each night or pay expensive membership fees to a health club. Or an individual may choose to watch what they eat or they may choose to buy an appliance that when used may allow the individual to eat more healthy.

Such an appliance is a whole fruit juicer. If considering this product it is important to know what is a whole fruit juicer and the benefits that can be derived.

Any health-conscious person who is attempting to eat the right foods should enjoy the many health benefits they will receive from the whole fruit juicer kitchen appliance. To be specific, you can put a whole piece of fruit into it and it will be reduced to a juice for you to drink.

It is important to remember that there are some fruits which can’t be juiced in their entire form. Avocados, mangoes, plums, peaches and other fruits all fall into this category. These fruits contain large pits which will damage the blade in a whole fruit juicer.

Also, you should not juice the entire orange in a whole fruit juicer. Always remember to remove the peel from an orange before juicing it, as the peel will make the juice very bitter.

When using the whole fruit juicer, it is not necessary to prepare the fruit in any way before juicing. Whole fruit can be placed in the juicer, rather than slices or chopped up pieces of fruit, to begin the juicing procedure.

By using a whole fruit juicer, it is possible to enjoy the advantages of the nutrients found in the whole fruit as opposed to those found in only the juice. This makes the whole fruit juicer a vital appliance to any kitchen since it allows the consumer to take in many more nutrients that are only found in the outer skins of the fruits. The skin is so important because it is the part of the fruit that has had the most direct contact with the sun.

Those that focus on eating and drinking healthy foods can really take advantage of the whole fruit juicer because they are able to drink the nutrients from the sun that they would normally miss out on, since many of these are held within the numerous pigments of the fruit’s skin. Carotenoids and flavonoids, which are helpful in fighting cancer, are present in this pigmentation.

In addition, through the use of a whole fruit juicer the individual will be able to take advantage of the fruit pulp. This fruit pulp is beneficial as it will provide fiber for the individual.

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Organic Milk Shown to be Higher in Harmful Dioxins

by Russell Eaton

Dioxins are man-made chemical by-products caused by factory waste, incineration, traffic pollution, industrial emissions, fires, and many other chemical and industrial processes. Dioxins are deadly and are known to be the most potent carcinogen ever tested.

Studies show that dioxins cause many serious diseases in humans, such as a range of cancers, kidney disease, birth defects, illness and premature death.

Dioxins are very pervasive and get spread everywhere. They get carried by the weather, by rain and wind, and by ocean currents to all parts of the world. Dioxins then settle on land, pastures, and plants and become part of the food chain for animals and humans.

Although there is little we can do to escape dioxins altogether, we can minimize the amount that goes into our body by avoiding certain foods. Dioxins are found in equal measure in both organic and non-organic food. Dioxins do not come from pesticides or fertilizers – they come from the environment at large and even from the water supply.

Normally, our bodies cope with a low level of dioxins. Some dioxins get excreted instead of being absorbed into the body to cause illness. We can, to some extent reduce the amount of dioxins we get by avoiding foods high in dioxins.

So which food is highest in dioxins? Dairy milk is known to have a higher amount of dioxins than any other human food or drink, weight for weight. All female mammals produce milk for feeding to their young, including humans. Dioxins consumed by the mother get concentrated in her breast milk. This happens because all nutrients (including dioxins) get concentrated in the milk as a way of providing good nourishment to the baby.

This means babies get concentrated dioxins from their mother’s milk. Fortunately, a baby stops breastfeeding after a few months or a year so the level of dioxins received by the baby goes down. Also, human milk is known to have a lower concentration of dioxins compared to dairy milk.

But it’s a different story for a milk consumer. Over time, the daily consumption of dairy milk produces a dangerous build up of dioxins in the body, causing serious disease, below-par health and premature death.

There are plenty of studies showing that dairy milk has the highest concentration of dioxins compared to any other food product:

‘Dioxins penetrate the environment via air, water and soil and are then incorporated in food chains. The major source of human exposure to dioxins (90%) is consumption of .dairy products.’ (Professor Rocz Panstw, Zakl Hig, 1999, 50:3).

‘The primary source of dioxins is food, especially .dairy products.’ (Chemosphere, 1998 Oct, 37:9).

‘The lipophilic nature of dioxins.may result in relatively high concentrations of dioxin contamination in dairy products.’ (Journal of Animal Science, 1998 Jan, 76:1).

‘Cows’ milk is ideal for assessing levels because these compounds adhere to fat and are transferred to and eliminated in the milk of the lactating animal.’ (Linda Fitzpatrick, Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment, 2005).

Dairy milk of all kinds contain dioxins in varying degrees, including organic milk. The critical point here is that over eighty percent of organic milk sold in the world is UHT milk (i.e. Long Life milk). In most of Europe and the Americas virtually all organic milk is UHT milk.

With UHT milk you receive significantly more dioxins than regular pasteurized milk because more dioxins become absorbed instead of being excreted. This happens because the micronized fat globules in UHT milk are very much smaller than in non-UHT milk. Consequently, more dioxins from the milk get into the bloodstream. See below to find out more.

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Refurbished Laptop Computers

by Ray Lam

When you are shopping for a laptop computer cheap, you have a wide variety of choices. You have the ability to pick from many different features, brands, and laptop designs. That is not to mention the choice between used or new. Either one is a great choice. New laptop purchases have many benefits and used purchases, such as a cheap refurbished laptop computer have many benefits as well. However, for many people refurbished may be the best way to go.

If you have ever looked around at the prices of laptops, you probably understand that the more features a laptop has, the more the laptop will cost. Many manufacturers charge additional money for added memory, extra space on the hard drive, or even a battery that lasts long. The best thing when it comes to buying a cheap refurbished laptop computer is that features could be yours for a price that is so much cheaper than a new laptop computer might cost you, even the cheaper ones. Used is always a great deal cheaper, because many people are not willing to pay new prices for something that someone else used before them. Therefore, now you can get a laptop computer cheap.

Why you may want to purchase a refurbished laptop is that, because of their low cost, they are more expendable than new models, and make a great second laptop. As I explained above, refurbished laptops are generally a lot cheaper than a new laptop so if something should happen to it, you’re only out maybe a few hundreds dollars as opposed to a new laptop which could cost you thousands.

A cheap refurbished laptop computer has gone through stringent testing repeatedly, to make sure that it meets the manufacturers specifics. In other words, getting your laptop computer cheap is easy when you go the refurbished route. If the original manufacturer approves it, you can be sure that it is in good working order and cheaper than buying new. If you visit Dell Outlet, you will find that many manufacturers refurbish their own computers, which lowers the risks of buying used.

Refurbished laptops are renovated faulty laptops whereas used laptops are the resale laptops. Refurbished laptops are usually rebuilt by the manufacturer. They upgrade the facilities of the laptop to the present market conditions. Used laptops are often just polished by the reseller before resale. They cannot provide the technical excellence of the refurbished laptop.

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The Ugly Truth about Teen Obesity and What You Can Do To Stop It

by Dorthy Weatherbush

Whether you live on the west coast or the east coast, the silent killer called obesity is aggressively moving through our communities. More than likely, if you are not directly affected, the chances are that you have friends or family members who are loosing control of their weight.

In all honesty, we can not totally place the blame for this on the individuals themselves. Several studies have shown that for a number of people, their chemical and genetic makeup aide in their body’s ability to process certain fats. Sure being 100 plus pounds over weight might have been good in the Ice Age but today this is simply not the case.

We must not allow our children to become victims of an over active appetite. If you pay close attention to the dietary counselors, you’ll discover that a slightly overweight child soon becomes an overweight teen. As you may have already guessed, this teen now becomes an obese adult. Unfortunately, abnormal weight gain is the least of the problem. The major issues center around the many diseases associated with childhood obesity, including asthma, diabetes and some cancers.

Preteens, tweens and teenagers are also prone to body image dysmorphia, driven by peer pressure, social imaging and just the changes their body is going through. Being a teenager is hard enough as it is; it’s even worse when you’re carrying 40 or 60 extra pounds of body weight and alarmingly, the fastest growing market segment for diet products like SlimFast and MediFast are teenaged and younger girls.

The good news is that this trend can be stopped. In fact, you may be surprised at the simple solution.

Remember when you were a kid? You know, before video games like the Nintendo Wii. You actually had friends who played outside with you. You had energy and used it.

After a long day of playing, you were met with a cool glass of milk, water or juice. A sugary cake or pie were a nice end to a full day of activity and not what’s now become the new breakfast of champions.

This same attitude can be instilled in your kids, but you have to be strict about it. Keep your kids on the smallest amount of soda you can. If you do give your kids soda, give them diet soda, or a mixture of diet and regular; the key here is that you don’t want to give them a sugar addiction early on. Humans are evolved to prefer sweet as a flavor, and the amount of sugar in a can of non diet soda has increased 30% since 1970.

When they have snacks, give them fruits and vegetables, or baked goods that are also low in sugar. Make sure that you have a dedicated family meal every evening, where everyone talks about what they did during the day – these reinforce that meal times are an important social occasion, not a pit stop between bouts with the Game Cube or Wii.

When it comes to leisure activities, encourage your kids to play sports – soccer, baseball, softball. Not all kids will have an aptitude for them, and some aren’t ready to socialize in large groups when the rest of their age cohort is. For those kids, make time out every week to go on a hike for a mile or two. If you get in the habit of walking for a mile as a family every day after dinner, everyone will be healthier, and you’ll be staving off the perils of the obesity epidemic.

Start early with your children. Sit down with them and honestly and directly explain why living a healthy lifestyle is important. If you are reading this today, you are the future of your family. An always remember, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

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Free Photoshop Secrets – Learning Photoshop Like A Pro

by David Peters

Want to add some metal and ink to people in your family, well read this: Press SHIFT+M and cycle through the marquee tools until you come to the circle (alright, elliptical marquee tool) . Once that’s selected, you’ll see some options at the top of the canvas. In the drop down list next to Style, choose ‘Fixed Aspect Ratio’. This of course gives us a perfectly round circle selection every time. Go ahead and drag one out now. Not too big, though. Good. Now we need to go Select->Modify->Border. A screen pops up asking you how many pixels wide you want it to be. I put 3 here. Now we need to put something in it. Stop! Before we fill it with color, we have to make a new layer (CRTL+SHIFT+N). Now press SHIFT +F5 to bring up the Fill screen, and from the drop down menu choose ’50% grey’. We don’t need the selection now, so CRTL+D to deselect. Now a round circle isn’t going to be very realistic. What we need to do now is distort it a bit. Press CRTL+T to enter transform mode, then right-click and choose ‘Distort’ from the menu. Now play around moving the handlebars around the square. Good. We could now just take the eraser tool and get rid of that bit in the middle. A better way, though, is to use a mask. At hte bottom of the layers panel you’ll see a little grey rectangle with a white circle in it. Click it and our layer gets a brother. The foreground/background colors also change to black and white. Now if we paint black, it will take away the ring, and if we then paint white, it will bring back what we painted black. Just to the left of the mask icon on the layers panel, you will see as well the Layer Style icon. Click it now and from the list that springs down, choose ‘Bevel and Emboss’. This is pops up another screen with lots of options on it. We don’t need to change anything for now, though. You will also see that our ring is updated in real time, so we can see the results straight away. To give it more highlights and make it shinier, hit the ‘Gloss Contour’ box. Another screen pops up where you can alter the mapping. Just click and drag the black line until it is like the example.

Touching up photos is fun and easy, follow these simple steps to learn how to make a black and white photo. Start by choosing the photo you want to convert to Black and White, any size, background or quality is cool. Go to Image – Adjustments – Black and White. Ok, now this menu will show up, you’ll have to change all the values depending on your photo’s color. Take your time to make the best contrast possible. The following settings are just an example. Now that you have finished with the Black and White, we’re going to make some manual shadows and highlights to make the photo more stunning. Grab the Burn tool. Set the master Diameter Settings depending on your photo’s size. Now make some exaggerated shadows. We made this to make like a visual impact. Now, grab the Dodge Tool. (you can find the dodge tool making right click in the Burn Tool) Make some highlights (of course, in the parts you didn’t make shadows) Finally, the last touch.Go to Filter – Sharpen – Unsharp Mask. And put just a little bit of sharp, enough to make the image a little stronger. And its done! Your stunning Professional Black And White Photo in Photoshop CS3 is finished.

Brightness/Contrast is a super important technique in photo manipulation. You can alter the complete mood of photos with brightness and contrast. I will demonstrate how. First get a picture of anything in the world you want. ANYTHING! Now go to Image> Apply Image and apply your image on a new layer. Then go to Image> Adjustments> Brightness/Contrast. Then mess around with the settings. I tend to make the lower the brightness and raise the contrast. But see what is best for your picture. After applying Brightness/Contrast/ Do you see the changes? I sure do. I completely changed the mood of the picture with Brightness/Contrast. So as you can tell this is a very important and helpful piece of Photo manipulation.

It’s time to introduce Adobes ExtendScript Toolkit which is the environment which you will work in to create scripts for Photoshop CS2. In this tutorial I will introduce Adobe ExtendScript Toolkit, reference documents that you will need when writing scripts and in the end I will guide you through a hello world program for Photoshop scripts. ExtendScript ToolkitIf you have Photoshop CS2 you probably already have the ExtendScript Toolkit, to test if you have it create a new file and name it test.jsx. When double-clicking the file ExtendScript Toolkit should open.

Start with a blank photoshop document of size 1024*768 and white background. Choose the brush “rough round bristle” from the toolbar. Create a new layer and draw some lines. Right click on the new layer and choose “blending options”. Choose the values. DROP SHADOW INNER GLOW BEVEL AND EMBOSS; For “texture”, choose “satin” as the pattern. TEXTURE Now add some motion blur to this layer from filters > blur > motion blur. Similarly, add gaussian blur also to this layer with the radius around 72. Not so catchy yet. Well try this. Change the background color of the default layer as black by choosing Edit > Fill from menu. Now look at the output. Ahh, that looks much better, isn’t it ? You can add some text to this texturized background if you wish.

Layers are an integral element of Photoshop. They allow you to edit images more easily, and use transparency to its full effect. By default the background layer (Locked and labelled “Background”) is white, and any subsequently created layers are transparent by default. Layer Opacity: The opacity of the current layer, 0-100%. Blending Mode: The manner in which this layer interacts with layers below it. See below. Active/Linked Layers: A small paint brush icon appears in this space to indicate the active layer, and chain icons signify other layers that are linked with the active layer. Layer visibility: An eye in this area signifies that the layer is visible, and an empty box means it is hidden from view and exempt from formatting. Layers: Two example layers showing an example background layer and new (transparent) layer (Layer 1). New Fill/Adjustment Layer: Creates a layer that can add a gradient to or adjust the hue, etc. of the layer below. New Layer: Creates a new layer [ctrl/cmd + shift + N]. Delete Layer: Deletes the currently selected layer. New Layer Set: Creates a folder for layers to be put into for easy organisation of layers. New Layer Mask: Creates a sub-layer with which you can use all normal tools. Adding black to a layer mask, for example, means that that part of the layer is invisible. Layer Effects (Styles): Applies various effects to the current layer – can also be reached via.

Our eyes can sometimes deveive us. Everyone’s eyes see slightly different colors. One person will see a purple color, while another will see a blue. Those that are colorblind cannot distinquish some colors from another. While we see it to be a good skintone, it may not be seen as one to someone else. Also, depending on the monitor that you own, you may see a different color than other computers. Making pallettes straight from photos heightness the chance greatly of realistic, more accurate works. Also, these color pallettes are used professionally. Those who work with color correction use this to help them with their vocations. Even the printing press use this. You can also take colors from the lips, eyes and hair to help with realistic color of those. You would use it the same way as you did for the skin. Finding the darkest, the midtone, and the lightest before creating a pallette to use.

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Facts About Foods Diabetic People Can Eat

by Max Peykar

The most basic way to treat diabetes is to modify the patient’s daily diet and increase physical activity. The foods diabetic people can eat are varied. Contrary to popular belief, there are many delicious recipes to prepare foods to suit a diabetic’s needs.

Type I Diabetes is mostly seen in children, but it’s no longer believed to be affecting just them. It’s an autoimmune disease, which is caused by damaged insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In comparison, Type II Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, where the body is insulin resistant or deficient. Common foods recommended in a diabetic diet include fibrous, sugar-free and fat-free varieties.

Diabetes is, unfortunately, hereditary. However, if you watch what you eat and exercise properly, you can stave off diabetes, even if there are people in your family who have it. Once you do have diabetes, though, you will have to regularly take medicine that regulates the insulin level of your body. One other way to control diabetes that doctors frequently recommend is that you should be careful to eat foods that are highly nutritious and watch your diet.

In addition, they are expected to maintain a certain physical activity level, such as jogging or walking for 30 minutes everyday. The commonly followed diabetic diets consist of non-fat, non-sweetened food types. Generally, the foods diabetic people can eat are constituted of all four basic food groups in moderation. Sweets, fatty foods (including whole milk dairy) and alcohol are not to be consumed at all.

There are plenty of foods for the diabetic person and these must be included in their daily diet. The nutritional requirements of the body must be met – proteins, minerals, vitamins, fibrous carbohydrates and lots of water are essential. The fibrous carbs can come from excellent sources like wholemeal bread, whole grains and oats. Lean meat, legumes, seeds, nuts and fish are great sources of protein, and minerals and vitamins are both taken care of by fresh fruits and green, leafy vegetables. Plenty of water, at least eight glasses a day, is also necessary.

All sorts of creams and sauces must be avoided while preparing diabetic foods. Barbecue, teriyaki and sweet and sour sauces are strictly to be avoided.

There are other favorites that you will have to steer clear of now – eggs, mayonnaise, red meat, butter, cheese, carbonated drinks – and foods that you must accept as staple, such as those with unsaturated fat and are unsweetened. Since it is your responsibility to stay healthy, to understand more about foods diabetic people can eat, you must talk to your nutritionist or your doctor, and come up with a diet plan you will be comfortable with for the rest of your life.

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The Benefits of Homeschooling Exposed

by Danise B. Keasda

It is often common to hear educators express the importance of a high quality education for children. However, you do not have to be a licensed educator to know and understand the benefits of home schooling! In recent years, home schooling has grown to be a widespread and popular trend among parents everywhere!

Today, more than ever before, parents are starting to know and understand the importance of a solid education with active participants from the family. Here, I will express the benefits of educating children at home as the parent of two children that are home schooled.

When a family decides to homeschool their children, it is extremely beneficial in that it actually enables the bond between all individuals to become stronger. In families where the children attend a traditional “brick and mortar” school, it is common to see distance between everyone – as each person seemingly goes their own way. In the home school family, nine times out of ten, the focus of attention goes to the children and their upbringing.

Schedules suddenly begin to revolve around the education and personal growth of each of the children of the home. The family bond is suddenly the most important aspect of the home.

As a home school parent, you are able to customize the lessons to suit the general moral of the home, as well as to tailor to the overall needs of the child or children. You have the ability to tailor the education that you provide to your child based on the morals and values that your family has. Many families see this as extremely beneficial when it comes to weighing the pros and cons of a home school education.

There are many different ways that you can teach your children from the comfort of your home. You can integrate the use of poetry, puppets, blocks, art, music, and more! In addition to this, if you have specific religious values that you want your child to learn, you can also incorporate these lessons into your day to day activities. You and your child can experience a lot of flexibility when it comes to scheduling, lesson plans, and activities in general when home schooling!

The next benefit to home schooling, in my opinion, is the fact that you can teach your children through real life applications. Children who receive their education in a traditional school often must learn from textbooks and similar types of presentations. This really does not offer much in the way of overall “experience”. However, those that get “hands on” experience with their lessons are more likely to retain those lessons and gain a comprehension of them.

There are many unique strategies that can be used to teach children in a homeschool environment are numerous. Many parents incorporate field trips, community service, nature walks, and various other types of outdoor and educational experiences in order to supplement the lessons that they provide to their students. Having this luxury is extremely beneficial.

There are many different means of teaching a child at home. You can use computers and other types of technology, newspapers, various other types of media, and more! All of these tools and resources can prove to be exciting and educational when it comes to stimulating the child’s awareness of their surroundings and important concepts that must be learned.

If the home school approach sounds exciting to you, and you feel that your child will grow from it, you should research the opportunities in your community. You may find that there are a lot more resources and methods of assisting your child than you ever imagined! Home schooling your child may be the best choice you ever make!

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Three Tools to Use When Planning Retirement

by John LeClere

Most people think that you need intricate, costly retirement planning kits to get the most out of your planning. Not so! Many good retirement planning tools can be had for free. They may not have tons of extras, but sometimes simple can be perfect, too.

The Budget Tool

This tool may not seem all that exceptional, but it can make a huge difference in your retirement planning: a budget. Making a budget only requires you to have a pen and a piece of paper, or a blank spreadsheet, if you want to use your computer. Go through your checkbook, credit card statement, and bank statement and write down all of your monthly expenses, including your utilities, credit cards, eating out, groceries, and snacks.

Write down every single thing that you spent money on, even if it was just for fun. Now, at the bottom of the page, subtract the amount from your total take-home income. Anything that is left over is potential for retirement funds.

If you don’t have anything left over, then it may be time to rethink your budget. Cut back on the little things so that you can plan for the big thing, retirement.

A Great Resource is Your Former Company

Many folks don’t realize that the best retirement planning tools can be found at their job; it is called the personnel office. Personnel can help you find and sign up for every perk, investment, and savings benefit your employer has to offer. Some businesses even work with banks and local investment firms to get retirement information to their employees. Stock up on the brochures and reading material that the office has as well. It’s like getting top-of-the-line retirement advice for free!

Use the Internet

You can get tons of nifty retirement planning products on the internet. A lot of it is what’s called Shareware, which are programs that are created by programmers in their spare time to offer to the public free of charge. The Vanguard Retirement Calculator helps you see if you are investing enough and helps you average your investment returns. AARP has a Retirement Roadmap Tool that helps determine how much your retirement dreams will cost in the real world. Principal Financial Group offers many different kinds of planning and investment calculators for planning for retirement. CNN Money.com offers an intensive calculator that covers investments, goals, income, savings, and portfolios.

there is no need to spend big bucks on retirement planning tools. Free ones are right at your fingertips.

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Medieval Herbs Are Still Useful Today

by Lee Dobbins

For thousands of years, it has been the practice of cultures all over to grow and harvest herbs. Medieval Europe, however, specialized in it. During the Middle Ages, there was a lack of understanding about medical knowledge and technology, subjects the Greeks knew well and Medieval herbs were used for most ailments as well as superstitious reasons. While some of what was known in the Middle Ages was nonsense, much was valid.

The Medieval herb garden was both beautiful and functional, providing herbs for medicinal purposes and cooking as well as a setting for calm reflection. These gardens have been reincarnated in New York’s Cloisters. Constructed in the 1930′s, it was carefully planned based on its Medieval predecessor. The result of the planners’ attention to detail resulted in a stunning accomplishment of that goal.

The Cloister’s many sections most notably feature herb gardens. In spite of New York’s harsh frigid winters, humid and stifling summers, and unpredictable rainy Fall and Spring, over 250 species thrive there.

These historical herb gardens were very original and had raised garden beds, wattle fences and a central wellhead along with the Medieval herbs. These gardens served as a magnificent centerpiece and were often surrounded by lush orchards and other pretty plants.

Most are held in appropriate pots which resemble those often found during that period. They let herbalists bring more fragile ones in during winter, when New York temperatures dip well below zero Fahrenheit and snow is a common sight.

Herbs cultivated during Medieval times could be used for silly reasons like trying to ward off evil ghosts. It was believed that dill held magical powers. People also thought that they could be protected from the plague by rosemary. To try to treat epilepsy, sage was used.

Herbs were arranged at the Cloisters in nine sections corresponding to classifications used in the period. The first section holds Absinthe and Thistles, the second contains medical herbs, such as St. John’s Wort and Liquorice. The third section holds Lavendar, Lemon Balm and other aromatics.

Herbs have been categorized by their usefullness in art and other questionable purposes such as promoting Love and Marriage. Meadow Rue and ‘magic’ plants such as Herb Robert are good examples. There is also a category for herbs used in cooking such as Caraway, Fennel, Parsley and Borage.

Despite the availability of the same plants, modern day herbalists are using medieval herbs less than in past times when their use was wide-spread. The medicinal properties of these herbs is more publicly discussed and correlates with similar uses of those in ancient times.

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Tips for Reading Wine Labels

by Madge Weeter

Since wine labels have to set standard they have to follow, sometimes the information that is on them depends on factors as subjective as the personal preference of the family or company making the wine. But usually information such as vineyard the wine is from, the year it was made in, the wine type, and percentage of alcohol are included on the label. Even though the labels may not actually say very much, since what is written contains a lot of meaning it can still be hard to interpret them.

A few wine labels change every year to reflect the vintage of production. Some vineyards take great care in producing a new label for every season others simply change the number of the year to maintain consistency from year to year. Long established wines tend to stay with the same label for many years. Also most labels will tell you the country of the wine, the variety of the grape as well as the region the grapes were grown but no standards specifically exist for labeling.

There are no international or even industry standards other than the standard warnings that are required to be on the label such as alcohol content and the general Surgeon General warnings if you are looking at US wine. Other countries may have different warnings or information that appears on the label based on their general laws.

The primary thing to watch for is the year. One can often tell a good vintage or year going by price and location where you are buying the wine. There might also be differences in labels. The next factor to consider is alcohol content, since this also varies based on the variety of wine you are buying or considering. The label also reveals the vineyard’s name and usually how long they’ve been producing wine.

Difficulties are commonly encountered when finding out the type of wine and the vineyard, since awards may be given to a particular area for wine production; personalized wine labels may carry awards that family has for one of the many vineyards, rather than that particular vineyard.

Before modern technologies allowed changes labels easily and relatively inexpensively most winemakers only changed the year from season to season on the label. At a quick glance the consumer could easily determine the winery, the variety, and the style of the wine however that is no longer the case. No standardization exists for the content of labels making identification even more difficult. The artwork used on wine labels is unique and can offer an insight into the character of the winemaker.

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