Yerba Mate Tea Reviews and information

Yerba Mate TeaBill would make Salvia divinorum illegal - Lincoln Journal Star

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:42:00 GMT
All the publicity about banning Salvia divinorum is bringing new customers to Nebraska stores owned by Christian Firoz. Firoz says he’s always had moderate sales of the herb that ...

Schemes and plots in Uruguay - The Republic of East Vancouver

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:07:26 GMT

Schemes and plots in Uruguay The Republic of East Vancouver, Canada - Sep 12, 2008 Our hero, who uses his mate (gourd) to drink yerba and his mate (brain) to think with, has a brilliant idea. He decides to build a toilet. A real nice one. ...

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal - Yerba mate tea may be healthier than green tea.(World News: Coffee and Tea Reports from the Front Line)

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:00:00 GMT
June 1, 2007 -- SOUTH AMERICA -- A University food science and nutrition professor has found yerba mate tea to have more antioxidants than green tea. Yerba mate is...

Holistic HealingSoil Basics - Creating Fertile, Healthy Soil

Have you ever looked at the soil in your garden and considered it as anything more than soil? If not you should because there is a lot more there than meets the eye. It performs many functions that you may not be aware of and having good quality soil in your garden is essential for your plants. In this article we will look at the functions of soil, what different types there are and finally some ways to make it healthier.



Functions of Soil



The most immediately apparent function of soil is a medium to support plant life. It provides support both physically and biologically. Physical support is provided by allowing the plant to grow its roots through the soil to hold itself in place. Biological support is provided by its ability to hold nutrients and water that the plant needs. It also supports other types of life as well. Microorganisms and insects live in the soil and they in turn aid plant life by helping to decay organic material and adding structure to the soil. Soil allows the growth of food crops which are consumed by humans and also plants used in the creation of medicines. Microorganisms like fungi and bacteria that live in soil and are used to produce antibiotics. All life on earth is dependant on it either directly and indirectly. This includes the plant life in your garden.



What is Soil Made of?



The four major components of soil are mineral matter, organic matter (humus), water and air. Mineral matter refers to the inorganic elements in the soil e.g. stones, gravel and makes up to 40%-60% of its volume. This part of the soil usually originates from the bedrock that lies beneath the soil. Organic matter (humus) is the decayed remains and waste products of plants and animals and has a great effect on the chemical properties of the soil e.g. availability of nutrients. Almost 40%-60% of a soil's volume can be space and this is occupied by water and air.



Different Types of Soil Texture



Soil texture is defined as the size distribution of different mineral particles. These mineral particles are at their most basic level the following: sand, silt and clay. Sand particles are 2 to 0.05 mm diameter, silt particles are 0.05 to 0.002 mm diameter and clay particles are less than 0.002 mm diameter. Combination of these particles exhibit different properties in soil and some combinations favour plant life better than others. The following are the most common classes of soil texture:



Clay soil

Contains a high percentage of clay particles and feels lumpy to the touch. The small size of the clay particles means that they clump together quite readily and there is less room for air spaces. Consequently clay soils have poor drainage and do not hold nutrients very well. This is a heavy soil and is sticky when wet making it hard to work with. As much as possible you should take steps to improve the drainage of this type of soil. You will learn how later on in this article.



Silty soil

Contains a high percentage of silt particles and feels smooth to the touch. This soil is a well drained soil due to the size of the particles allowing space for water to permeate. This soil holds nutrients more readily than clay soil due to the spaces. It is easy to cultivate but can be compacted quite easily.



Sandy soil

Contains a high percentage of sand particles and feels gritty to the touch, Allows for quite a lot of space in between particles and as a result is very free draining. This has its disadvantages however as it does not hold water and essential nutrients can get washed away.



Loamy soil

This is the best type of soil texture you can have in your garden. This is soil whose properties are controlled equally by the percentages of clay, silt and sand particles. It is well drained but does not loose water too easily as is the case with sandy and sometimes silty soils. The fact that it retains water means it also retains nutrients for your plants to use. It has a great structure and is easy to cultivate.



What Makes a Soil Healthy?

Healthy soil must be fertile and have a good structure.



For a soil to be fertile it must have nutrients readily available and a pH value at a recommended level for the plants that will reside in it. Nutrients that should be available are the essential nutrients nitrogen (leaf growth), phosphorous (root growth) and phosphorous (overall health). As well as the essential nutrients there should also be trace elements like calcium and magnesium. The pH level of the soil refers to its acidity or alkalinity and each plant has its own preferred value range. Plants placed into fertile soil will grow up to be very strong and healthy specimens (that is if other conditions like light levels and climate are favourable as well).



The other determiner of a healthy soil is its texture. We learned about different types of soil texture earlier in this article. Soil having a loamy texture is the healthiest and it should be strived for if at all possible. In general a soil that retain nutrients and allow water and air to permeate it will be beneficial for the life of your plants.



How to Create Healthy Soil

No matter what type of soil you have the addition of organic matter will work wonders for its health. Organic matter is plant and animal residues in varying forms of decomposition. It will replenish the nutrients in your soil and improve its texture. You may have heard countless times about adding your leftovers and glass clippings to a compost heap. This is a great idea as your compost is the best form of organic matter. Compost in an advanced stage of decomposition (dark and without smell) is magic for your soil. It encourages microorganism activity causing soil particles to clump together and form aggregates. The aggregates allows for spaces in the soil therefore increasing its drainage. This is especially beneficial for clay soils, which have poor drainage. Other forms of organic matter are animal manure and peat moss.



If your soil is lacking in nutrients and you don't have access to a compost heap you have a choice of using inorganic or organic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers (inorganic salts, manufactured chemically) can be purchased at your local garden and are applied in a dry form that is raked lightly at the base of a plant or in a liquid form. While inorganic fertilizers will work fine they have a number of disadvantages: they release their nutrients too quickly and there is some evidence to show that plants develop a resistance to inorganic fertilizer methods over time, requiring more and more to achieve the same effect. Organic fertilizers are more in tune with nature because they are created from the remains or by-product of an organism. They act slower but they 'amend' the soil rather than the quick 'feeding' it like inorganic fertilizers.



The pH of your soil will also affect its fertility. Each plant has its own preferred pH value range. To learn more pH and how to change it read my Soil pH article here http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e3-9-soil-ph-and-its-effect-on-your-garden.html



Conclusion

Soil like a lot of things in the garden requires maintenance. We have learned about the different types of soil texture, what constitutes a fertile, healthy soil and how to create it if it does not exist. The next step is to step out into your garden, take a look at your soil and help your plants out if your soil is of a poor quality. Your plants will thank you ten-fold believe me. Good luck!

About the Author: Francis Kilkelly runs a great gardening community at http://www.gardenstew.com/ containing forums and gardening blogs ( http://www.gardenstew.com/blogs.php ).
Original Article Location: http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e3-11-soil-basics---creating-fertile-healthy-soil.html

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Natural RemediesCheap Health Insurance-Save $1,200 in 15 Minutes

Cheap health insurance is still available ? it has not gone the way of the nickel soda or the 10 cent candy bar. As with anything in life, information is power (you have to know where to look) and a little bit of hard work will go a long way (albeit a little bit of smarts along with hard work will go even farther).

So, let?s get down to it. Here are 3 things to do now (estimated time: 15 minutes) that if you actually do them could end up saving you $50, $100, or even more every month on you health insurance bill. If you would care to save $600, $1,200, or more over the next 12 months and use that money to go out to eat or go on vacation rather than giving it away to a large insurance company in extra premiums then start your 15 minute timer!

1. Evaluate your plan deductible carefully. Actuaries and product design specialists at insurance companies spend a lot of time and money to learn how they can best price their policies to maximize value for the company. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it is the goal of all non charitable companies to seek a profit. Overall, rates will stay competitive from company to company because of the competition factor. However, within the same company from plan to plan you may see interesting little differences in how the premiums change from one deductible level to another.

Try this little calculation: every time you compare a plan?s price, deductible level, and maximum out of pocket expense think of it in 12 month increments. Many people will over pay in premiums every month in order to have a lower potential out of pocket or to have extras that over the course of 12 months will cost more than if they had just paid for the extras out of pocket or kept a higher deductible.

2. Think tax smart. Take your little calculation from step 1 and add to it potential tax savings over the next 12 months. Health savings accounts make for a very attractive value proposition when you consider that an HSA?s balance rolls over from year to year (even better than a flexible spending account [FSA]), all contributions (up to IRS limits) are tax deductible, and the money grows tax free and is able to be used tax free for qualified medical expenses. The higher your tax bracket; the more advantageous an HSA is for you.

3. Get live up-to-date data. You are now armed and dangerous with your 12 month forward looking formula that incorporates premium level, deductible level, and out of pocket expense along with tax benefits. All that you now need is some up to date health insurance rates and plan features to plug into your formula. You could call up all of the insurance companies individually or you could let the ease of the Internet work to your favor. Let?s go; 5 minutes is left on the timer!

Search for health insurance the easy way by taking 30 seconds to input your health information and then viewing free health insurance quotes from the top 5 companies that offer health insurance coverage in your home zip code. Also learn about Health Savings Accounts. Make sure that you use the price transparency of the Internet to find the most affordable and comprehensive health plan quotes in your home zip code!

natural healingIT WAS A PAIN FROM HELL - Welland Tribune

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:17:10 GMT

IT WAS A PAIN FROM HELL Welland Tribune, Canada - 1 hour ago LILT accomplishes this by giving a jump-start to the body's natural healing process. It delivers energy to the muscles and joints that's transformed into ...

National Parks - Natural healing: a parent finds that nature is the best medicine for a child struggling with a unique neurological condition.(REFLECTIONS)

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:00:00 GMT
June 22, 2007 -- When our first son, Nick, was born, we struggled to accommodate a little infant who seemed unusually irritable and sensitive. As he grew to be a...

Acai Berry: Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Care

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:18:02 EDT
It may be tempting to ignore the acai berry as just marketing hype and the latest fad. However, even though it isn't a "miracle berry" or the cure to all that ails you, the acai berry is an ex...