by Fern Shaw | Jul 14, 2014 | Health and Hydration, Water
Refreshing Fruit, Veggie, Herb and Spice Infused Water
You may remember that at the beginning of the year, we had a Drink Water Daily Challenge. I was impressed by how many AquAid customers accepted the challenge and threw themselves into the fray with wild abandon. Even more impressive was the staying power and the results. At the very least, I’m hoping it increased some people’s daily water intake.
Now, in the height of summer, we’re loosening up a bit and having a bit more fun with our water. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Lemon, lavender and mint infused water:
- Add 1/2 cup of dried lavender, a handful of fresh mint and one sliced lemon to a litre of water.
- Place the infusion in the fridge for approximately 25 minutes, drain the liquids and you should end up with a light pink cool drink that really tastes like lavender, mint and lemon!
I’ve some other marvellous ideas. The amount of water and the period for infusion is pretty much the same as for the above recipe, but as with most infusions, the longer the infusion time, the more chance the fruit / veggie / herbs / spices have to, well, um … infuse:
* Creamsicle: Orange slices and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
* Blackberry: Handful of blackberries, lime slices and mint sprigs.
* Garden: Fresh sprigs of rosemary and/or basil.
* Herbs: Fresh sprigs of rosemary, mint, lemon and cucumber slices.
* Berry Basil: Fresh strawberries, sliced (green tops on for aesthetics) down the centre and handful of fresh basil.
* Ginger Cream: Slices of fresh ginger and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
* Citrus: Slices of oranges, limes, and lemons.
* Melon: Slices of watermelon and limes.
* Tropical: Slices of fresh pineapple, watermelon and lime.
* Mojito: Sliced fresh pineapple, a slice or two of fresh ginger, handful of mint sprigs.
* Peaches and Cream: Slices of very ripe peaches and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
The only things that I would avoid are fruits that tend to mush easily such as mango or raspberries. In my opinion, these are too soft to withstand all the ice bumping against them. After an hour, they will look less pretty and more like a blob of mushy ick. Not what you’re going for, I assume.
Mason jars with pretty colour chequered tops seem to be all the rage. If you’re not bovvered about looks, any old glass (or plastic if you’re on the go) container will do.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 14, 2014 | Health and Hydration, Water, water cooler, Water Coolers
Bananas are Best!
I found this Scottish children’s song:
Chorus
Banana, banana, bananas are the best
A nice squishy middle in a big yella vest
Today or manyana, ah’ll be sayin ‘Can ah,
Can ah have a ba-na-na?
What am ah goin to have for ma tea? Banana!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? Banana!
What’s ma Sunday dinner goin to be? Banana!
Can ah have a ba-na-na?
(Chorus)
Fifty million monkeys can’t be wrong – banana!
From totie wans tae Old King Kong – banana!
They all love to sing this song – banana!
‘Can ah have a ba-na-na?’
Lovely! I can see me singing this for the next few weeks and getting myself some serious skew looks!
Now for the amazing properties of the banana peel:
Banana peels are full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, so they can naturally cure many ailments and can aid cell regeneration.
* Water Filtration – Research shows they have a capacity to absorb lead and copper from water.
I wouldn’t suggest trying this using the office water cooler + AquAid’s water doesn’t need to be filtered. So there. J
Bug Bites – Just rub a banana peel on a bug bite to soothe the skin and reduce the itch.
Bruises – With regenerative properties, banana peel can speed up the healing of bruises.
Teeth Whitening – Rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for a couple of minutes every other day, and your teeth could be noticeably whiter in a few weeks.
Warts – Banana peels help eliminate warts and prevent their return. Tape or somehow strap a piece of banana peel to the wart overnight for about a week or rub the banana peel on the affected area daily. This can also work for plantar warts. A potato skin has been known to be able to do the same thing.
Scrapes and Scratches – Rub a banana peel on small cuts or scratches and it can help promote healing
Splinters – The enzymes help dislodge the splinter and can help kick-start the healing process if you tape a piece of the peel over a splinter for a couple hours.
Acne – A banana peel can soothe the inflammation and irritation of acne. It also helps to prevent future outbreaks. Rub a peel over the acne every night. You should see a positive change within a few days.
Psoriasis – Once or twice a day, try rubbing a banana peel on a psoriasis-affected area. Bananas have properties to reduce itchiness, moisturize, and heal psoriasis. You should see noticeable differences in a few days.
Rashes and Itches – Poison ivy, mild rashes, dry skin, irritated skin and even sunburn. Banana peel is good for relieving itch and promotes healing of the skin. Rub the peel over the rash or affected are twice daily until it is gone. If you notice it getting worse you should see a professional.
Oh, the photo. I’m in no way suggesting that you try this at home (or anywhere for that matter). Nor should you immerse bananas in your water cooler for summery tasting water. It’ll just be messy and most likely you’ll be getting the bill for cleaning out said water cooler.
*excerpts from an article at Natural Cures Not Medicine
by Fern Shaw | Jul 14, 2014 | Health and Hydration
Oranges and Lemons, the bells of St. Clements
I used to be known as the Lemon Queen. My Da planted 500 lemon trees and because of the incredibly fertile soil on the plot that we lived on, the trees grew like wildfire and produced the juiciest lemons all year round. I, having a love of all things tart, used to quite happily scrunch my way through a lemon with barely a lemon faced expression to be seen.
Later on, my fondness for lemons was as an accompaniment to tequila – for a while I was known as the Tequila Queen – which rather unfortunately came back to haunt me as drinking compatriots from then who I had not seen for many a year had spread stories of my tequila drinking prowess far and wide. This often resulted in meeting up with acquaintances of said compatriots only to be challenged to tequila drinking bouts. Nobody, except me, seemed to have received the voicemail that I probably hadn’t seen tequila, never mind drunk it, for a good 10 years or so and had happily relinquished my title.
I digress though. The actual topic of this blog is this:
Did you know the peels of some fruits hold some of the most powerful nutrients in the world? There are many uses, both medicinal and practical, for orange and banana peels. So, next time you think about throwing away one of these peels, you may want to remember this information.
* Orange Peel – Medicinal Properties of Orange Peels
As per Ayurveda, orange peel is tikta (bitter) and it improves digestion and can speed up your metabolism. It helps to naturally beat gas, heartburn, vomiting and acidic eructation. It’s also great to perk up your appetite and relieve nausea.
Due to its pacifying properties, orange peel powder helps dissolve phlegm in respiratory systems, alleviate coughs, and asthma.
Most of the beneficiary aspects of orange peels come from their essential oils, which have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Essential oil “d-limonene” has the ability to defuse stomach acids and maintain normal intestinal movements. It also promotes normal liver function.
Studies have shown that orange peel can dissolve cholesterol and triglyceride. That means consumption of an orange peel can benefit obese people who have high cholesterol levels. It has a flavonoid known as hesperidine, which is said to be effective against colon cancer and osteoporosis.
Essential oils from orange peels are sedative in nature so it makes them great for calming nerves and inducing sleep. Use orange peels in baths or simmer in a pot to uplifting your mood or to beat insomnia naturally.
You can also slice orange slices into water with ice and let that infuse for 2 hours or so in the fridge (or use water from your water cooler) – but that’s a story for another blog in the all things veggies and fruit series.
Happy orange peeling!
*excerpts from an article at Natural Cures Not Medicine
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Health and Hydration
As I’ve said – okay, typed – before, drinking water = power (or energy) but who would’ve thunk it, that apparently, naps too = power.
Before you get the idea that I’m trying to propagate my ‘Sloths Rule!’ philosophy, let me assure you, this power nap deal is not only true, but a fact!
From the blogista’s friend Wiki:
A power nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to quickly revitalise the subject. The expression was coined by Cornell University social psychologist James Maas.
Characteristics
The power nap is thought to maximise the benefits of sleep versus time. It is used to supplement normal sleep, especially when a sleeper has accumulated a sleep deficit.
Various durations are recommended for power naps, which are very short compared to regular sleep. The short duration of a power nap is designed to prevent nappers from sleeping so long that they enter a normal sleep cycle without being able to complete it. Going beyond sleep stages I and II but failing to complete a full sleep cycle, can result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia, where one feels groggy, disoriented, and even sleepier than before beginning the nap. Brief naps can improve alertness directly after awakening without the detrimental effects of sleep inertia associated with longer naps.
Scientific experiments and anecdotal evidence suggest that an average power nap duration of around 30 minutes is most effective. Any more time, and the body enters into its usual sleep cycle. People who regularly take power naps may develop a good idea of what duration works best for them, as well as what tools, environment, position, and associated factors help induce the best results.
This I can certainly attest to.
I’ll come clean though, I never actually have had a power nap at work – what I have had though, is a power nap when I’ve been running on empty between Job A and Job B in one day. So, let’s say that I leave Job A, zoom home and I have a gap of an hour or so before needing to leave for Job B. Let’s also say that perhaps I’ve been a little naughty on my water intake for the day (yes, it does happen) and my battery is blinking red. I’ve been known to sit down on my evil couch, lean back and close my eyes. When I wake up, magically, 20 to 45 minutes later, without any type of alarm, I definitely feel better, not groggy or tired at all, as mentioned above.
I can’t say that it will work for everyone as I believe everyone’s make-up is different, but I can say that it most definitely does work. So, more power to you, fellow nappers, as you embark on the Journey of the Power Nap.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Health and Hydration
Recently my colleague Belinda sent me a link to an interesting article about recycling the other day. Have a look-see here.
While perusing the how-to’s, I saw a bit about glass. Faster than Spidey’s sticky web, my attention was caught fast.
One of my many, many fascinations has to do with glass. I always thought that in another reality, I would have been a champion glass blower. I really love most things glass. Venetian glass; smoky glass; swirly patterned glass; glass bowls; glass vases; coloured drinking glasses …
Something that I wasn’t aware of though is how incredibly important it is to recycle glass. I think perhaps because I know that glass is made out of sand (how amazing is that!?) I imagined that it would somehow decompose. This is not the case. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. If one doesn’t recycle glass, it can take thousands of years to decompose and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
So, how exactly is glass recycled? From the average Joe(ess) perspective, it’s really pretty simple:
- Your part is to collect your glass and throw it into a marked recycle bin. The glass recycling image will generally look similar to the image above.
- Glass is taken from the bin and taken to a glass treatment plant.
- The glass is sorted by colour and washed to remove any impurities.
- The glass is then crushed and melted, then moulded into new products such as bottles and jars. Or it may be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative uses.
- The glass is then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.
- Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled repeatedly.
Debate rages about whether one uses more water rinsing out glass at home – an idea is to use your dirty dishwater to do this.
A recent campaign has indicated that the recycling of one 750ml wine bottle can power a single globe for ½ an hour. The more bottles are recycled, the energy that it provides increases exponentially.
So, whereas we may think of recycling only in terms of watching our water usage or cutting down on something like tossing away plastic bags willy nilly; the fact is that being kind to ourselves, future generations and most importantly, to Mama Earth, is about far more than this. I for one, will most certainly be taking all my glass to recycling points in future. Shall you?
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Health and Hydration
The thickest, the oldest, the tallest, etcetera, etcetera …
Sadly, this will be my swan song blog to do with trees. The ‘trees for the office’ protest at the water cooler is being disbanded. Suffice to say it involved some choice language, some sawed through hemp rope, a water soaked carpet and a few bruised egos. Both Mrs Fitzsimmons and I are required to avoid the area around the water cooler and are to have nominated representatives to refill our water bottles for the next week.
However, as with all good swansongs, I’ve saved the best ‘til last.
These are Britain’s most spectacular trees, identified in a new study of prime specimens across the country.
Tallest: A 211ft grand fir planted in the 1870s beside Loch Fyne, Argyll. It is thought to be the UK’s tallest tree since before the last ice age. The fir, in Ardkinglas Woodland Gardens, has “died back” twice in the last 20 years – meaning the top has died, as a result of drought or a lightning strike, before growing back.
Thickest: “Majesty”, a pedunculate oak, in Fredville Park, a privately-owned estate, near Dover, Kent, has a trunk 13ft across, when measured at chest height, with a circumference of 40ft. It keeps this girth up to a height of about 20ft, but is completely hollow.
Biggest (in terms of volume of timber): A sessile oak growing in the grounds of Croft Castle, a National Trust property in Herefordshire. It is 115ft tall with a trunk 9ft thick at its base, with a volume calculated at 3,800 cubic feet, making it Britain’s biggest living thing.
Oldest: There are three in this category, all yews, all in churchyards and all up to 5,000 years old, making them what are thought to be the oldest living organisms in Europe. They are at Fortingall, in Perthshire, Discoed, in Powys, and Llangernyw, in Conwy. Many churchyards boast yew trees, which often predate the church and may have marked pagan burial grounds.
Rarest: There are several tree species of which only specimen exists, including the Audley End oak, (Quercus audleyensis). It was planted in 1772, at Audley End, Essex – now an English Heritage site. Attempts have been made to plant grafts, but all have died.
Most spreading: An Oriental plane at Corsham Court – a privately-owned historic house in Wiltshire – covers an area almost the size of a football pitch, with an average spread of more than 210ft. Planted in 1757, it is so vast that its lowest branches rest on the ground and some have taken root. The largest “unsupported” crown is thought to belong to a Turkey oak, near Shute House, in Devon, which is up to 177ft across – 70 per cent wider than the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Fastest growing: A silvertop – a species of eucalypt – which grew to the height of a seventh floor window (66ft), in the space of six years. The tree, at Harcourt Arboretum – which is run by the University of Oxford – died last winter. Other swift growers include a hybrid poplar, in Kingscliff Wood, Somerset, which reached 98ft in 17 years.
So, there you have it, trees of Britain, in all their glory. Long may they reign, or shade, or give sustenance to.
*Extracts from an article in The Telegraph by Jasper Copping
