Janet was the proud owner of an antique sewing machine. It was one of her obsession to show off her machine in fairs and antique shows. Her husband, Jim, had other thoughts about the sewing machine because he was the one who had to load up and unload the machine. His wife would stand over him and demand him not to scratch the cabinet. Her worrisome voice screamed each time Jim moved the machine to get in their car.

In September, the State Fair of Texas opened. The fair included an antique show. Janet was asked to show her antique sewing machines at the fair. She had great hopes that her machine would win a blue ribbon. She took shined and greased her machine. She wanted her Singer to function perfectly at the show. She found thread that was made the same year the antique machine was manufactured. She wanted everything to be perfect. Instead of using her car to carry her machine, she had Jim lease a Ford pick-up truck. She was not going to depend on Jim’s loading the machine in her car.

She vigilantly covered her machine in blanket to make certain the machine and cabinet would not be scratched. She had Jim pack the machine on the floor of the pickup. Jim wanted to secure the Singer sewing machine against the back wall of the pick-up. However, Janet complained in opposition to this idea thinking it would dent the machine’s cabinet. She commanded that he put the machine in the middle of the bed and fasten it with minimal ties.

As Janet drove the truck to the State fair, she wondered if the judges would know all the ins and outs of collectible antique sewing machines and how rare her Singer model was. While driving, she drove into a big pot-hole that jolted the truck. With a big crash the antique sewing machine hit the bed of the truck. Janet screamed in revulsion as she saw her showpiece lying in the back of the truck.

Janet unpacked her precious sewing machine discovered scratches and dents in the cabinet. When she opened the cabinet up thread spool was bent and the foot petal was jammed. Her hopes for a first place win seemed to be gone forever. Jim encouraged her to enter her machine and pay no attention to the damages.

Studies show that gymnema sylvestre, cinnamon, chromium and cloves are all well-proven natural remedies that lower glucose levels thus assisting the control of Type 2 diabetes. In addition they also lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels naturally.

Cinnamon is a natural remedy for blood sugar control.

During the early stages of testing a new chromium supplement, Agricultural Research Service chemist Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D. and his colleagues were attempting to disrupt some volunteers’ blood sugar control by feeding them a low chromium diet that included apple pie. Surprisingly, these volunteers’ blood sugar remained under control. Subsequent test-tube studies showed that cinnamon in the pie was boosting insulin activity, as chromium does, and thus controlling blood glucose. The spice turned out to be the “best thing we ever tested” for that purpose, Anderson says. (Science News Online 1/5/2004; Vol. 165, No. 18).

Since then Dr. Anderson and colleagues have confirmed the blood sugar lowering properties of cinnamon and its ability to lower triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol in test tube and animal studies as well as in a number of human trials. Details of these studies and human trials are outside the scope of this article.

Richard A. Anderson said: “If you can improve insulin function the cholesterol goes down, triglycerides go down, glucose goes down, and all this goes towards the alleviation of type 2 diabetes,” He cautioned, however, that consumers should not simply start dousing their food with cloves and cinnamon [at high doses]. He noted, for example, that cinnamon in powder form is rendered ineffective by contact with saliva, and its lack of solubility in water can result in an unwanted build up of the spice in the body. (HealthDay News 5/4/06).

There are some simple ways around this including buying cinnamon capsules.

Clove is a natural remedy for blood sugar control.

Dr. Alam Khan, Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan, a former postdoctoral student and Fulbright Fellow in the Anderson laboratory, reported on the first study of the effect of cloves on insulin function in humans at the Experimental Biology 2006 meeting, in San Francisco. (Medical News Today 9/4/2006).

At the end of the study, regardless of the amount of cloves consumed, all those who ingested cloves showed a drop in glucose, triglycerides and LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels. Blood levels of HDL (”good”) cholesterol were not affected among the clove eaters. Those who did not ingest cloves experienced no changes. (HealthDay News 5/4/2006). More details of this study can be found at the author’s website.

Gymnema is a natural remedy for blood sugar control.

Studies show that Gymnema sylvestre helps control both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Gymnema is a well-proven treatment for diabetes, and it has been used for this purpose for over 2,000 years and has proved to be very effective in type 1 diabetes.

It is best known for its apparent ability to lower blood sugar levels. Results from case reports and studies in humans and animals suggest that it may work in several ways to help control both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is possible that gymnema sylvestre may even prompt the pancreas to develop more beta cells - the source of insulin. It may also make body cells more responsive to the insulin that is available. (DrugDigest).

The first scientific confirmation of the effects of gymnema on glucose in human diabetics was in 1926 when it was demonstrated that the leaves of Gymnema reduced urinary glucose. (K.G. Gharpurey, Indian Medical Gazette 1926; 61: 155).

A number of trials have been carried out demonstrating the properties of Gymnema sylvestre, the details of which are beyond the scope of this article.

Chromium is a natural remedy for blood sugar control.

Scientists believe that insulin uses chromium as an assistant (technically, a cofactor) to “unlock the door” to the cell membrane, thereby allowing glucose to enter the cell.

More than 15 scientific studies support the safety and role of chromium in improving insulin function and glucose metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes and related conditions. “There is strong scientific evidence to suggest that supplemental chromium picolinate may improve insulin sensitivity, blood glucose control, and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes,” according to Dr. Kaufman, former president of the American Diabetes Association and specialist in pediatric endocrinology. (PRNewswire-FirstCall 15/2/2005). Details of these studies are outside the scope of this article.

Science News Online reported in April 2005 that Robert DiSilvestro and Emily Dy of Ohio State University showed data at the Experimental Biology 2005 meeting in San Diego indicating that only the picolinate form of chromium is absorbed well by the body. The report stated that according to Robert DiSilvestro about 40 percent of chromium picolinate was absorbed by people taking chromium supplements in one experiment. DiSilvestro added that absorption of other forms of the mineral in supplements ran as low as 1 percent and only about 10 percent of any form of chromium in foods is typically absorbed. (Science News Online 16/4/2005; Vol. 167, No. 16).

Additionally, an animal study conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that chromium picolinate was better absorbed by the tissues (e.g., liver and muscle) than chromium nicotinate and chromium chloride. Absorption into the tissue is important because for a mineral to be beneficial, it must survive the digestive tract and reach the bloodstream. Otherwise, minerals pass through the body, leaving it void of necessary nutrients. (Medical News Today 7/2/2007).

Disclaimer: The information and opinions in this article are for information purposes only and is believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the author. Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. Readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.

New born babies sleep for the vast majority of the day. Where they sleep is of great importance especially in today’s toxic world. With baby cribs being produced in China and other parts of the globe, parents are finding that these cribs are poorly manufactured of cheap material infested with various toxic elements. The solution is to buy a well made organic crib made of locally sourced natural wood without the toxic elements. These cribs are wonderfully designed with fines line and functional features.

Once you have chosen a well made crib, you can complete the ensemble with a high quality organic crib mattress and crib bedding. Choosing an organic mattress and crib eliminates baby’s exposure to allergies.

There are two types of mattresses for use with cribs. Foam and inner spring. Both types come in various price points but purchasing an organic crib mattress can make all the difference in the world to baby’s health.

The last step in completing the ensemble is to purchase organic crib bedding. Manufactures have made some entertaining crib bedding that baby will enjoy looking at. These designs are made with 100% organic cotton and can include bumper pads, a fitted sheet, crib skirt and reversible comforter.

Choosing to go green for baby will pay off as baby will not be exposed to unsafe chemicals and will be best for their overall health. In today’s economic climate choosing to go organic may seem more difficult than ever. But more and more companies are making organic products affordable as the costs and demand for organics continue to rise.

Are you looking for something different, exciting, and rare?  Then unique plants will certainly fill your needs.  Unique plants are - attractive, delightful, and refreshing.  Keep in mind, because of their unique nature, most require special attention.

For example, topiaries fill the bill of being a one of kind plant, easily.  The definition tells it all.  This type of plant is formed by clipping shrubs and trees in various shapes.  The shapes can take on that of a circle, triangel, or and animal.  Topiary plants can be created by your own hands.  If you are not comfortable with creating your own, check with your local nursery and garden center for ready made topiaries, for sale.  Either way, the topiary can prove to be the unique plants you are looking for.

If not, try the exotic and simply beautiful bonsai plants.  The bonsai includes dwarfed trees or shrubs.  It is an art.  It takes skills that include not only the mind and hands, but the heart, too.  To own one and see it grow is simply amazing.  The bonsai is a growing piece of art.  They come in a wide variety, too.  You can select an elm, maple, pine, or blooming tree type.

Then there are the beautiful unique orchids.  Orchids require anywhere from easy care to high maintenance.  But what beautiful remarkable plants they are.  The colors vary from soft pastels to vibrant hues.  They draw not only unique insects in the wild, but the eyes and emotions of humans, too.  

Tropical plants include a wide variety of unique plants and flowers.  Most tropical plants require a temperamental environment.  If you need a tropical plant that has fewer requirements, try the hardy bromeliad family.  Bromeliads come in lush green foliage with blooms in vibrant colors.  Some can be grown with out soil.  They come in a wide variety, too. 

This is only a few suggestions, that you can try.  Our blog contains much more information on organic vegetable gardening.  However, there are more.  But for now, give one or two of these a try.  You will come to have greater enjoyment, creating attractive gardening, indoors.

Wouldn’t it be a pleasant change if you could sit outside all evening as you might when it’s a warm sunny day? Propane patio heaters are inexpensive and they can warm large areas in very little time at all.

These heaters also have tremendous commercial benefit, even more so than for residences. If you have a restaurant that servers into the evening hours and you’re indoor seating is full, it would be great to have a warm and comfortable place for patrons to eat outside even if the weather is a bit chilly. It’s common for these eating establishments to have patio heaters set up in strategic locations to provide a warm circle of eat for all those who eat there.

It’s important to take care of it with a patio heater cover. Protect it from dust, dirt, mildew and spider webs by covering it in the summer and putting it away in the winter.

Some heaters do double duty and have the ability to be used indoors as a vent free appliance. Not ever unit is like this so be sure to get it confirmed if that’s what you want. These can even benefit construction companies by providing heat to dry plaster faster on those rainy days.

If you have a really large space to warm you will need energy efficient commercial outdoor patio heaters with propane, natural gas or electric type fuel sources. Natural gas heaters are ideal if your natural gas is reasonably priced and you already have a natural gas line in your home. The heaters have two installation types from which to choose. The first is to have the unit mounted in a fixed location on the deck or patio using a steel gas line.

If you have a gas unit check the hose connections regularly and replace and retest when needed to ensure no leakage of gas.