Photo by Sérgio Savarese By Jonathan Parker Seasonal allergies, or “hay fever” irritates millions of people every spring and summer. In their most basic form, allergies are actually your body just doing its job. Well, actually, overdoing it. Our immune system is trained to respond to…
By Jonathan Parker A quick little recipe to make your own air fresheners. These take less than five minutes to make and will fill your house with a lovely aroma for up to a month. Depending on the essential oil you choose, you gain the added…
By Jonathan Parker Recently there has been a lot of press about a report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The report focuses on insects as an untapped food source with broad uses. And why not? Insects have composed the diet of less…
By Jonathan Bouren While not for everyone, some might be brave enough to try these recipes. If nothing else it would make for an interesting dinner conversation. Try and keep an open mind, and remember that many of these insects are considered delicacies in foreign countries. Give…
By Jonathan Parker Aquaponics is an amazing permaculture method that may have been practiced as far back in history as the Aztec civilization. There are records of the Aztec people raising fish alongside of crops that were alien to the growing environment, using the nitrite…
By Jonathan Parker With early plants coming up strong and spring in full swing (except for some northern states, sorry folks) it’s probably time to start considering protecting your garden from pests. The negative effects and safety issues of pesticides have been frequently addressed. With…
By Jonathan Parker What a pain! One of the most common ailments you can experience is headaches. 90% of the population will get them at one point or another, and what I wouldn’t give to be the other 10%. Unfortunately with myriad causes of head…
By Jonathan Parker Ever wondered what to do with the mountains of zucchini your garden produces? Looking for a tasty alternative to cheese-bread as a side to a pasta meal? Well, try this on for size. Baked zucchini with a tasty Parmesan topper. Here it is. Ingredients: Fresh…
By Jonathan Parker There’s no denying that Aloe Vera is an amazing plant. From lotions to natural remedies, its uses are abundant. For detoxing and lowering cholesterol, and the more common uses of soothing burns and revitalizing your skin and hair. This amazing plant can be…
By Jonathan Parker With warm sunny days fast approaching (hopefully right?) pale folks like me start planning the annual easy-bake avoidance strategy. Before I started learning about natural health and the dangers of chemicals, it was an easy fix. Slop a couple handfuls of SPF-one-billion on…
By Jonathan Parker You’ve probably heard it before. ‘Americans waste too much food!’ And while that may be true, it might not necessarily mean what you think. It’s easy to imagine a family cheerily cleaning out their refrigerator every week, tossing hundreds of pounds of perfectly…
By Jonathan Parker As soon as you think you can’t possibly succeed, “every cell in your being will be deflated and give up the fight and everything really will move in the direction of failure.” -Daisaku Ideda Can a positive attitude and hopeful outlook really improve…
By Jonathan Parker As someone interested in natural health, you may tend to avoid conventional medicine. After all, we tend to focus on lifestyle choices that lean more towards preventative care, as opposed to acute care after a health issue has already arisen. However, one…
By Jonathan Parker Sustainable agriculture is a relatively new (and also very old) concept that is sweeping the world these days. Beautiful gardens are cropping up all over the country, and not just your basic flower garden. Many major universities have spent years and millions…
Prepping isn’t much different than meal planning… By Jonathan Parker In the past few years (and longer if you look hard) there has been a movement rapidly spreading across America: Prepping. Who are these “preppers”? Why is National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers striking a chord with…
When there’s a power outage, you know the drill. We dutifully head to the water meter and shut off the main water valve. ( A good thing to locate if you haven’t yet.) In cases like this we know not to drink water without boiling…
By Jonathan Parker Working in the ER, I have to cleanse my hands (at a minimum) before and after each patient contact. If you work in any type of job with lots of interaction, you know what I mean. Dry skin, sore hands, no matter…
By Jonathan Parker Celeriac – An unattractive turnip-like little root, with a flavor similar to celery. It is used a lot in Mediterranean and European cuisine. Some people like to grow it, or you can find it at farmer and produce markets. Use it to…
By Jonathan Parker Pemmican is high-fat, high-protein food first used by North American Indians. It was adopted by European traders, explorers. Its appeal is quick, dense energy without the valley of sugar crashes, and an un-refrigerated shelf life that rivals most modern energy bars. Ingredients:…
