Gardeners learn that great lawns and gardens start underground, and the four rules to follow for lush landscapes.

Great gardeners know that the key to lush green lawns and spectacular gardens is to go underground.

“If we spent a fraction of our gardening time caring for the underground soil, we’d spend a lot less time working on our lawns and gardens above the ground,” says soil remediation scientist, Bob Richardson.

The ground does rule and ultimately determine the beauty of outdoor landscapes. Gardeners can fertilize, water, buy superior seeds, plants and products, but their lawn and garden will never have that envied “golf course” look until they begin at the beginning and fortify the soil.

“You might be doing everything else right, but bad soil will wreak havoc on all of your efforts,” says Richardson.

Did you know that Gum (Periodontal) disease can adversely affect your health?

As unlikely as it may seem, there is mounting scientific evidence that chronic inflammatory periodontal disease can be linked to cardiovascular (heart) disease, lung infections, diabetes, a weakened immune system and premature low-birth weight infants.

A recent American Dental Association survey indicates that periodontal disease affects more than 8 out of every 10 people. This fact alone makes the disease aljost acceptable because of how common it is.   Many people will notice bleeding gums while brushing or flossing and think nothing of it. This disease is not only unsightly with its sometimes accompanying red, puffy gums, but will also create and perpetuate many systemic health problems.

Foreign-born Afro Caribbean-Americans have healthier behavioral risk profiles for coronary heart disease compared to their U.S.-born counterparts.

So states a study in the winter 2006 edition of the Ethnicity & Disease Journal. According to this report, in a cross-sectional study design, 66 foreign-born Afro Caribbeans (FBAC; 31 males & 35 females) living in the U.S. for less than 10 years, 62 US-born Afro Caribbeans (USBAC; 30 males & 32 females) and 61 African American (AA; 30 males; 31 females) adults (18-40 years) were recruited. Diet, weight, physical activity, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption information were collected and analyzed. The results of this study showed that significantly more USBAC (50.0%) and AA (31.0%) males consumed an unhealthy diet compared to the FBAC (16.7%) males. Also, significantly more USBAC (20.0%) and AA (33.3%) males compared to FBAC (6.5%) males were obese.  Although more USBAC and AA males compared to FBAC males smoked cigarettes and consumed alcoholic beverages, the differences were not significant. Among the female ethnic groups, only the AA smoked cigarettes. The composite behavioral profile showed that significantly more USBAC (36.7%) and AA (33.3%) males compared to FBAC (3.2%) males had poorer behavioral habits for coronary heart disease.

"Why is it when we see a creamy chocolate fondue fountain we smile and feel tingly all over? What is it about chocolate that affects our mind, body and soul the way it does? What does chocolate do to us?"

Well here’s the good news. Chocolate contains flavinoids and antioxidants, which help reduce blood pressure. Of course a large part of the chocolate pleasure is in the taste, a deliciously rich concoction that satisfies the jost intense craving.

But, several chemical reactions are also at work. Chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins producing pleasurable sensations and seratonin also found in edible chocolate is shown to have mood lifting effects! So, what this means is that we end up having feelings of happiness, love and passion. The real truth however, is that scientists are not really positive how the over 300 chemicals contained in chocolate make us feel so great.

It’s 7:00 p.m. The dining table is empty. Mom is on the porch having a cup of coffee and some biscuits. Karen is in her room on her bed with a nutri-bar, and later when Jerome comes in from soccer practice, he will grab whatever is on top the fridge, sit in front of the TV and wolf it down like he’s starving. Dad will come home late and having already eaten on the street, will retire for the night.

It’s been years, and we have not been back to the table. Timesaving devices have given us more time to work longer, more grueling hours. The myriad of after school activities keep kids out late and it’s highly uncommon for the entire family to be home at dinnertime to dine together. And even if they are, they no longer sit at the table.

Ever notice how much and how fast we eat when we sit in front of the TV? Try sitting at the table with someone else and without that distraction and see the difference. The TV is non-interactive, so we can only watch and listen. Our brain is busy we are not conscious of how much we are consuming. However, when we have a conversation at the table, we inevitably eat slower and perhaps less because we have to halt eating to speak. As a result, we aid digestion.