Kratom Extract

Taken literally, making Kratom extract is like boiling a pot of coffee down into a single shot of espresso. You and I probably don’t have the same grinding tools the shops do, so in a way they have every right to charge us for that service. But just know that the “extract” you recieve for your precious dollar is being marked up by obscene amounts. 112 grams of extremely fine powdered leaf could be sold fairly for about 100-110 bucks. But the prices in most commercial ethno-venders are much, much higher. Probably about triple that. You could powder your own cheap leaf with a mortar and pestle, and I’m sure you would be quite content with its performance.

The other thing Kratom users need to know is that shops will tell you, “Active at just one gram!” This is also an inflation of the truth. Think of coffee, or caffeine. If you were tired and I give you a shot glass full of coffee you would probably say, “Jeez man! That’s not going to do anything! I need to wake up!” Well the fact is, that a shot glass full of coffee is active, isn’t it? That little bit of caffeine does something, right? But the fact that I can say regular coffee is active at a shot isn’t the point, is it? You wanted a full cup–maybe even two–to help you really wake up. That was your whole reason for drinking the somewhat vile bean water in the …

The Importance of Children's Eye Health

With studies showing that around one in three children have some form of visual trouble, it is important to have regular eye tests. Eye problems in children can develop quickly and can result in permanent loss of vision if left unchecked.

The Northern Laser Vision Centre knows that health care is a top priority for parents but is also very expensive. For this reason, Ophthalmologist Dr Kim Frumar, medical director with over 30 years experience in eye care at the Northern Laser Vision Centre is now offering: FREE eye health checks for students from Kindergarten through to year 12 as well as a $5 donation to your school’s latest project or charity.

The Student Sight Solution Program (SSS) is a community initiative that helps encourage eye testing and raise awareness of the importance of early prevention and detection of eye conditions. It reaches out to students and their parents or guardians in the North Shore Region to protect their eyes and their futures. 670 million people worldwide are vision impaired due to lack of access to eye examinations. The SSS program along with Northern Laser Vision Centre aim to lower or abolish this disheartening statistic. Dr Frumar has visited developing countries such as Cambodia, opening new health care centres and treating young children and families. After seeing the devastation and poor health conditions first hand, he has brought this initiative to Northern Laser Vision Centre.

Brother and sister Alivia and Jake recently had their eyes tested at the Northern Laser Vision …

3 Herbs to Reduce Breast Milk Supply While Weaning

Ideally, weaning should take place gradually. An abrupt end to breastfeeding can cause both emotional and physical disruptions for the mother and child. However, if circumstances have mandated that you must wean your child immediately, you may find yourself facing breast engorgement: a painful condition that can lead to complications like mastitis and clogged ducts. Fortunately, natural herbs can help to relieve breast engorgement caused by weaning, often with few or no side effects.

After getting the go-ahead from your health care provider, consider using these herbs to decrease your breast milk supply while weaning.

Sage

According to lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata, common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a highly effective herb for reducing breast milk supply. Bonyata recommends taking 1/4 teaspoon of the dried herb three times per day. Within one to three days, you should see a noticeable reduction in engorgement. Dried sage powder is difficult to swallow "straight," so try mixing it with a salty drink like V-8 tomato juice. If you'd prefer a tea, try steeping one tablespoon of sage in 1 cup of water six times daily.

Jasmine

Unlike many traditional treatments for breast engorgement, jasmine has been validated by scientific evidence. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reported that jasmine is as effective as bromocriptine, a prescription drug, for "drying up" breast milk production. Consider applying jasmine essential oils to your breasts (don't let your child inhale or drink the oil). Crushed jasmine flowers are also highly effective.

Mint

Members of …

Healthy Snacks for Kids

Healthy snacks that kids can make with little to no supervision will keep them from eating too many sweets. Keep a combination of fruits and vegetables available for them to munch on, make easy snacks and get nutrition from. The more selection they have the easier it will be for them to make good food choices.

Frozen fruit is a good snack that kids can do themselves. The fruit can be either fresh or canned. If using canned be sure to use the no sugar added variety. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place the fruit on it. Set it in the freezer and freeze until firm. Pull the fruit off of the foil and store in zip lock bags. You can also put the entire can of fruit, juice and all in a container and freeze until solid. Grapes work especially well as a frozen fruit snack. They simply need to be removed from the stem, placed into a container and frozen. If they stick together they can easily be separated by gently shaking the container. Eat the frozen fruit as is or make a fruit dip. Add the fruit to plain or vanilla yogurt for a quick and easy treat. Cottage cheese can be mixed with any kind of fruit to make a tasty snack.

Fruity Shake: 1 cup frozen fruit, 1/2 vanilla ice cream, 2 cups milk. Blend until smooth. A fruit dip is easy to make. Simply mix together 8 ounces of soft cream cheese …

The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Tradition with Honor

Cha-No-Yu translated means, “Hot water for tea” it is a simple description of tea preparation, but the Japanese tea ceremony adds greater significance in the act of sharing a cup with guests.

History

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is steeped in tradition founded in the early 1500’s. The contemporary style known best today is accredited to Tea Master, Sen-No-Rikyu. His style contributed to five elemental behaviors that make the ceremonial experience a lesson in Japanese culture and honor.

According to Zen Stories of the Samurai, these five contributions include: “A tea house that can accommodate five people. A separate small room where utensils were washed, two entrances, one for the host one for the guest, a doorway low enough to make the guest bend down to enter, humbling themselves in preparation for the tea ceremony.”

Sen-No-Rikyu brought a dramatic quality to the ceremony that exemplified harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. He died the death of honor performing seppuku after the request to do so was brought forth from Japan’s militant dictator, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Traditional Ceremony

A Tea Ceremony takes approximately four hours and consists of three parts: a light formal meal, followed by the preparation of two different tea styles, a thin and thick tea.

It begins with the guests entering the Tearoom from the garden with the honored guest entering first. It is customary for the guests to admire the scroll and flower arrangement, both of which have seasonal aesthetics attributed to them. The hibachi (heating element) and kettle are …

How to make baby food and milk more tasty and healthy

Babies need food that helps them to grow and strengthen their body. At the same time they are too whimsical to stick to one food and be happy. Every time they want something new. Here are some tips that would lend them a variety on their plate and also help to maintain the nutritional level. Intake of milk daily makes them feel bored. Here are some ways to make the same milk lend more variety and taste.

  1. Take a bowl of milk. Do not add sugar to it. Instead add a biscuit that contains glucose and also some fibers. Soak the biscuit in the milk and when it dilutes enough, fed the child with the mixture. This will help him to enjoy milk as it now tastes different and also has increased nutrients than plain milk.
  2. Take two spoons of roasted semolina in pan. Add twice the quantity of water to it. Boil till it soaks all water. Then add milk and little honey. Also add a pinch of cardamom powder so that the aroma wakes the child and its tastes makes it yummier.
  3. Take two spoons of ragi malt. This is ready made mixture that is available. Add little milk and boil the contents. Add sugar/honey when it simmers and here is porridge full of calcium. Ragi malt is a rich source of calcium and help in the growth of teeth and bones. I have tried it on my baby and the results were amazing.
  4. Take two spoons of

Trance in Weight Reduction

In the past individuals have typically considered Hypnosis Canterbury for aid with changing actions also to discover and solve deeply concealed problems within their lives.

Within the regions of building self esteem, understanding new abilities and subject material, and preventing smoking, hypnosis has been effectively used. It’s not really a shock consequently, that trance in weight reduction has become being used to assist lots of people to achieve their weight reduction goals.

Does it surely assist with weight reduction? Yes it will assist with a few people. Since hypnosis works about the unconscious brain and employs the ability of recommendation, how effectively it’ll work with anybody is determined by the individual’s approval of the recommendations designed to their sub conscious brain while they’re under hypnosis.

Quite simply, it’ll work very well with individuals who may maintain an open-mind towards the procedure.

How will you slim down utilizing trance? It will use this by concentrating on your routines and by utilizing that to affect a result of change of one’s actions.

The habits you follow should be attributed for obesity and extreme weight gain, then when you exchange these poor habits permanently routines, you’ll have the ability to produce weight reduction alter as you are able to preserve within the long haul.

To build up fresh, lasting and healthier practices implies that you need to break the unfavorable organizations you’ve created between your fat, eating, food, the manner in which you appear and oneself, and produce more appealing and good …

Capresso Coffee Machines

Capresso coffee machines are available in several different lines. They offer standard coffee brewing machines, espresso machines, and high-end automated versions of each. Capresso also offers a line of high quality coffee beans and bean grinders–basically they offer everything you need to make a great cup of coffee except water!

Varieties of Capresso Coffee Machines

Standard Capresso coffee machines are some of the best coffee brewers on the market. They feature charcoal filtering systems, removable water tanks, and high quality metal boiling elements. Since making good coffee is such a delicate process, choosing a machine with high-quality components truly results in better tasting coffee.

Several varieties of Capresso coffee machines are able to fully automate the process of making coffee. All you have to do is put beans into the machine, and it can take care of the roasting, grinding, and brewing. Some of these machines even have automated cleaning and decalcifying systems–all you have to do is buy the beans and enjoy the coffee!

Capresso also offers a line of espresso makers. These range from an affordable one-cup manual press machine to more complex (and expensive) automated espresso makers. If you can afford them, their top-of-the-line espresso makers not only simplify the espresso-making process, but they consistently produce a level of quality that's hard to find outside of a European cafe.…

How to save money on groceries and food

The first step to cutting back on your spending is planning. Don’t just run into the store without a plan, on the spur of the moment. Set aside a time for shopping and make a list of what you need. Plan your meals for a week or even a month in advance to know what will be needed. Don’t forget about paper products, cleaners, snacks, and lunches for school or work. Check sales ads for the best days to shop and where the best prices are to be found. Make this a family plan so everyone knows there will only be one shopping day and to plan for it. Not only will this save on groceries but you will save on gas as well.

Only buy those things that will be used. It does no good to buy that large box of cereal that no one will want or that will only go bad before being finished. If you buy in bulk be sure you have room for those 20 rolls of paper towels or that you will really use those 10 cans of car wax. Learn how to mathmatically figure unit prices so you can compare  items that come in different sizes. Check expiration dates and only buy perishables that will be used before going bad. If you have a deep freeze, then you can buy up meats and frozen goods when they are on sale and even freeze vegetables when they are in season and cheaper. Look for …

Health Care Wishes: Make the Choice Yours

Many states have an Advance Health Care Directive, commonly known as an AHCD, that is available for you to complete, have notarized, and file with your medical records and attorney, as well as giving out to all your friends and family. A link to Oregon’s form is here; a link to an English form for California is here, and a Spanish form for Califormia ishere. I suggest ignoring those websites attempting to sell the form, since it can be obtained free and is relatively easy to complete..

Post copies around the house. Carry one in your wallet or purse. Keep one in the glove compartment of the car and motorcycle. If you belong to a gym or social club, present a copy there. If you attend a certain church regularly, ask your pastor if he or she is willing to accept a copy, in the event they are called on your behalf. If your decision is in conflict with church doctrine, you might choose to not make your decision public with church members.

Who should have an AHCD

If you are unable or unwilling to make health care decisions about yourself, and you are age 18 years or older, most state laws allow you to choose someone to make health care decisions on your behalf. Needless to say, the time to make this decision is when you are healthy, clear of mind, and able to assure yourself that the person you choose is comfortable with the duty, and will carry …