Thursday's Truths & Tidbits -- a little bit of this and that

Remember the smell of mothballs when you walked into your grandparents' house? Hopefully, it's just a memory for you. But if you're still using mothballs in your closets, you might want to consider getting rid of them. Why? Because they contain the chemicals paradichlorobenzene (PCDB) and naphthalene, known carcinogens.

Click here for a recipe for a natural moth repellent that combines rosemary, mint, ginseng, thyme and cloves.



Photo courtesy of Lynn Greyling

 

While looking for some helpful hints to share, I couldn't help laughing at this one from Health Magazine (April 2008):

"An antioxidant in extra-virgin olive oil can protect against brain-cell damage, according to a recent study. Plus, women who eat a Mediterranean diet, often rich in olive oil, seem to reduce their risk of dying (from any cause) by 20 percent."

Did you get that ... "reduce their risk of dying by 20 percent." Really? So, why hasn't this immortality secret gotten out? In any case, it looks like extra-virgin olive oil is really good for you and your brain.

Image courtesy of Jean Beaufort

 

Allergies have been really bad in Western Pennsylvania this month, largely due to the lack of rain. At least that's what I've heard. Did you know that eating locally produced raw honey will help ward off these seasonal allergies? Apparently, the pollen in the honey will work to build up an immunity to those things that normally set your eyes a-itchin' and your nose a-runnin'. How cool is that?

But remember ... because of the chance of botulism, NEVER give honey to infants! 

 

Image courtesy of George Hodan

 

And a final tip for this week: Flowers inspire. According to researchers at Texas A&M University, an arrangement of fresh flowers in your office will bring out innovative ideas and solutions to problems.

Those are my truths and tidbits for today. Hope you found something useful here.