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7 Home Remedies To Relieve Itchy Or Painful Insect Bites 0

7 Home Remedies To Relieve Itchy Or Painful Insect Bites

Posted by on May 21, 2013 in conserve, Live Green

Even though you might have taken every precaution to avoid getting bitten or stung, bugs will find a way to get you. Just in case they do get an opportunity to bite or sting you, pain and skin irritation will likely follow. If you are a healthy person who does not have a history of allergies, then you’ll probably recover quickly using home remedies or over-the-counter medications. However, if you are allergic, then you need to go to a hospital after getting stung or bitten. Medical intervention is very important as this saves a victim from going into a coma or dying.

Home Remedies

A lot of common items that you might already have in your kitchen can be used to relieve pain or reduce itching. Below are some tips about how to create your own home remedies.

1. Baking Soda and Water

Simply make a paste using baking soda and water. Apply the mixture on the affected site using a clean finger or a cotton swab. Leave for around 15 minutes, and then rinse.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Get a few cotton balls and soak these in vinegar. Squeeze excess wetness and lightly dab the area with the vinegar-soaked cotton. If you wish, tape a damp cotton ball on the affected area for a few minutes. Vinegar helps in neutralizing toxins that cause pain and itching. Another way to use vinegar is by mixing a few drops with some corn flour. Then, slather the mix onto inflamed skin.

3. Running Water

Exposing a bitten or stung site to cool running water is also a good idea. This helps in alleviating pain and itching.

4. Ice

Applying an ice pack on an injured area is often recommended because this is a wonderful way to relieve soreness and skin irritation. An ice pack must be kept on the bitten or stung site for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, the procedure must be repeated every 4 or 6 hours during the first 24 hours.

5. Mouthwash and Toothpaste

Mouthwash and toothpaste usually have antibacterial qualities. A small amount of mouthwash or toothpaste can be dabbed onto an injured site. Toothpastes have anti-inflammatory properties as well, and the menthol and baking soda present in such products aid in relieving itchiness. Menthol, peppermint, and other cooling ingredients in a mouthwash can reduce pain and itching too.

6. Aloe Vera

If you have an aloe vera plant in your garden, you can use this for bites and stings too. Just cut a leaf, which is filled with a gel-like substance. Apply this on an itchy insect bite to relieve skin irritation and encourage healing.

7. Citrus Fruits

Gently dab or pat the juice of any citrus fruits on a sting or bite. Natural extracts from either lemon or lime are great options. Citrus fruit juice helps in relieving itchy sensations.

Medicines or Over-the-Counter Treatments

Apart from natural and common household items, you can opt to use medicines too. Topical applications using hydrocortisone creams, calamine lotion or Vicks Vaporub work well too. You can also take oral antihistamines, such as Benadryl. But for those who show signs of breathing difficulties, heart irregularities or palpitations, or generalized swelling, prompt medical intervention is necessary.

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The article is by Claire Lassiter who specializes in pest control issues. She regularly blogs about pest control in Joplin, MO in order to spread more info to people about how they can deal with their pest problems.

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How to live longer and healthier 0

How to live longer and healthier

Posted by on May 21, 2013 in conserve, eat for health, heart health

It is a fact that the population of the United States is aging:

  • Average life expectancy is 77.
  • Approximately 13% of the population is over 65 years of age.

The fact that people are living longer has created some compelling challenges for the country and a long list of personal challenges for the people themselves. People can help themselves by taking steps to slow or prevent aging which will result in vibrant health through their golden years.

It is never too early or too late to take steps to slow or prevent aging. The infographic below shares some of the easiest, most impactful strategies to slow the aging process. Most of these are things we have been told to do for our entire lives; eat right, exercise daily, develop the mind, avoid the sun, and including anti-aging supplements into your routine as you age.

Many people enter retirement in good health. To make the most of this exciting phase of life, people should integrate as many of the practices and strategies outlined in this infographic as possible.

completelifesupplements_2

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9 Natural Alternatives To Harsh Chemical Cleaners

Posted by on Apr 5, 2013 in childrens health, conserve, contaminants, Live Green, Womens Health

When spring cleaning season rolls around, chances are you’ll be breaking out your cache of cleaning products. But, did you know that many of the chemicals used in standard cleaners can be dangerous? In fact, some come with serious risks such as neurological damage and hormonal disruptions.

For example, two common sudsing agents called diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) can react with nitrates, which are often used as a preservative in cleaning products, to form carcinogenic compounds. Bleach and ammonia products create toxic chlorine gas when combined, and the chemical solvent butyl cellosolve aka ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is a suspected neurotoxin, meaning it can damage the brain and nervous system. Even fragrances can be dangerous, since many use the flammable ingredients butane and propane as propellants, which can be inhaled inadvertently and cause drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, and even asphyxia.

Natural Alternatives

Fortunately, there are many safe, more natural alternatives that you can use without sacrificing efficiency, and that don’t cost a fortune. Below are 9 types of common cleaning products, and their natural counterparts:

1. Bleach – Lemon juice
2. Abrasive cleaners – Baking soda mixed with water to form a paste
3. Glass cleaner – Vinegar and water
4. All-purpose cleaner – Soap and water
5. Bathroom surfaces and toilets – Vinegar, baking soda, and water
6. Floor cleaners – Vinegar and water plus some drops of peppermint, lemon, lavender, or another essential oil to add a lasting fresh scent
7. Wood furniture – Olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice
8. Disinfectants – Borax, vinegar, hot water, and liquid castile soap
9. Mold and mildew – 100% vinegar

Don’t have the time or desire to whip up your own home remedies? Check out some of these natural products instead:

• Power Herbal Disinfectant, www.earthpower.com
• Seventh Generation products, www.seventhgeneration.com
• Earth Friendly Earth Enzymes Drain Opener and Earth Friendly Shower Kleener, www.ecos.com
• Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile (Liquid) Soaps, www.drbronner.com
• Aubrey Organics Liquid Sparkle, www.aubreyorganics.com
• BioShield Glass Cleaner, www.bioshieldpaint.com
• Earth Friendly Furniture Polish, www.ecos.com
• Bon Ami Cleaning Cake and Bon Ami Cleaning Powder, www.bonami.com
• Aroma Naturals essential oil aromatic room mists
• Greenridge Herbals’ aromatherapy soy candles
• Swiffer duster cloths (not the wet cloths, which are treated with a potentially irritating chemical)

Regardless of whether you choose to make your own cleaning products or decide to switch to a more natural store-bought product, by keeping safety in mind when you’re doing your spring cleaning, you put yourself and your family well on the way to living a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Kara Alcamo is a concerned mother, freelance writer and contributor to the Ross Feller Casey blog.

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10 Green Ways to Improve Our Cities 0

10 Green Ways to Improve Our Cities

Posted by on Apr 4, 2013 in alternative energy, childrens health, conserve, Live Green, Womens Health

ig_image.phpWhen one speaks of making cities greener, it is not just metaphorical. We are literally turning the cities green with urban gardening and vegetation. The best way to keep humanity in close harmony with nature is to invite nature into our cities. This means more than plants, parks, and gardens; ideas from nature are working their way into our design philosophy.

By revolutionizing our cityscape with intelligent, responsive thermal control and traffic sensors we are mimicking natural systems, which are aware of their own operations and capable of adjusting them to different situations. Green roofs retain water from rainfall, keep buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter, generate food and space for relaxation, and pull waste carbon out of the atmosphere.

The green cities of the future will be efficient, clean, and many beautiful shades of emerald and lime. They will be more enjoyable for the communities that dwell within them and healthier for the land that supports them.

Source: Best Sociology Degree Programs

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3 Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint 0

3 Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Posted by on Apr 3, 2013 in alternative energy, conserve, Live Green

If the extended cold weather we have had recently has told us anything it could be that climate change is as real as the snow that has cut off so many people from the rest of society in recent weeks. This winter has been the longest on record for over 50 years and has left a lot of people thinking that perhaps we need to take notice and start doing whatever we can to protect our environment.

One of the most effective ways to safeguard our children’s future on this planet is to reduce our current carbon footprint and reduce the amount as harmful emissions that are entering into the atmosphere. Sadly we are not able to reverse the effects that have already occurred but if we act quick enough then we may be able to make a positive change. So here are three great ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Behold Biomass –

Most houses these days will either be heated by gas, oil, LPG or electricity and although these are all viable methods of heating your home; they release large, dangerous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Even electricity, which you may think has limited emissions, is twice as bad as oil and three times worse than gas due to the amount of waste energy that is generated by power stations.

Biomass is a different kind of boiler system which could increase the efficiency of your heating and drastically reduce its emissions. Biomass boilers are fuelled by plant waste products such as wood pellets and they burn these to create heat. They will then only release the same amount of carbon that the tree absorbed during its life and so no extra carbon is created and a balance remains.

Cut Out The Car –

In 2010 the number of cars on the world’s road hit 1 billion and is predicted to reach a whopping 1.7 billion by 2035. The most alarming thing about this statistic is that the figure jumped from just 980 million in 2009 meaning that the number is growing exponentially and quickly.

With this in mind perhaps you should have a long hard think about whether you need you own vehicle or not. It may seem like a drastic decision to cut out your car but it could save you plenty of money in the long run and help the environment in the process.

There are plenty of alternatives to owning your own car such as public transport, car hire or car sharing schemes, so however much use you get from your vehicle there are options. Car hire is a great way to have the use of a car whenever you need it but without paying out for everything throughout the year such as tax, insurance, maintenance and fuel. By using car hire services just when you need to; your carbon footprint will be massively reduced.

Put Paid To Packaging –

This may seem like a smaller change than the other two but it can still have a big impact on your carbon footprint. Supermarkets are attempting to become more responsible when it comes to packaging their products but some are doing more than others. When you are out shopping try and look for the produce that has the least amount of packaging and then always recycle any packaging you can. Plastic is more recyclable than paper but cloth textiles are even better still.

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Chris Mayhew is conscious about environmental issues and does whatever he can to reduce his carbon footprint. He is working for Collison Vehicle Rental who provide a car hire service perfect for anyone thinking of getting rid of their vehicle.

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Are you voting to save the environment? 0

Are you voting to save the environment?

Posted by on Nov 5, 2012 in alternative energy, conserve, contaminants, Live Green, Womens Health

Well are you voting for the environment? Here are 12 green questions to consider before you vote if you are in any way concerned about the environment.TreeHugger.com ‘s post: All of these should be considered before we cast out vote. I think these are some great things to bring up at any future debate.

12 Green Questions I’d Ask If I Were Moderating a 2012 Presidential Debate

  1. Given the forecasts for sea level rise over the coming decades, and the increased risk from natural disasters this brings to our coastal communities and several of the nation’s largest cities, what would you have the federal government due to help states and cities prepare for rising seas?
    baldeaglebluff/CC BY-SA 2.0
  2. Current proposals for an international climate agreement mandate emissions reductions that many climate scientists say are insufficient to mitigate the problem; how would you have the United States participate in a future international climate agreement and what is your view on the current state of talks?
  3. A majority of economists in general and all ecological economists call the failure to price carbon a market distortion, and addressing this would level the playing field for a host of technologies; what method of pricing carbon would your administration favor: cap-and-trade, a fee-and-dividend approach, a carbon tax, something else?
  4. The US military and intelligence agencies have been consistently warning that climate change has the potential to be a particularly strong destabilizing force in multiple areas of the world; how would you direct the military and intelligence community to prepare for this? Would preparing for climate-change induced conflict be a priority for your administration?
  5. Similarly, numerous reports highlight the security risks arising as the Arctic melts, as nations and corporations equally (US ones included) vie for newly accessible resources; what would your administration propose to ensure that resource competition doesn’t become resource conflict, and how would you regulate oil exploration so that the environment of the Arctic and the communities dependent upon it aren’t hurt?
  6. Another with a military connection: The US military has been increasingly supportive of efforts to expand its use of renewable energy, both domestically and in overseas operations, yet Congress has recently attempted to curtail this, second-guessing military leaders; what would be your administration’s policy towards military requisition of, deployment of, and research into renewable energy technology?
    Official US Navy Imagery/CC BY 2.0
  7. A recent European Union report found that shale gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing technology created a high risk to human health and the environment, due to potential for water contamination and other factors; how would your administration regulate the fracking industry on a national level, or would you leave such regulation to the states?
  8. NASA climatologist James Hansen has said that exploitation of the Canadian tar sands means “game over” for the climate, due to the massive amount of stored carbon contained in this unconventional fossil fuel source, yet both Governor Romney and President Obama have essentially giving support for efforts to expand its importation into the United States. What’s your position on increasing use of unconventional fossil fuels such as tar sands?
  9. When you look around the world numerous countries have stated specific renewable energy goals, using different time frames. For example, India aims for 20 GW of new solar power over the next decade; Scotland is trying for 100% renewable power by 2025; Denmark wants 50% of its electricity by 2020; several small island states are on track to be 100% renewably powered soon. What sort of national renewable energy target would your administration propose?

    1. © Google
    2. Half a century ago the federal government was instrumental in creating the interstate highway system, with the national rail infrastructure languishing in the intervening time and the United States far trailing Europe, China and Japan in high-speed rail development. What sort of role do you think high-speed rail and other railway revitalization efforts have in the future of US transport, and how should the federal government support this?
    3. Similarly, electric cars are widely seen as the future of individual motorized transport, yet they are currently limited in part by lack of charging infrastructure; what role do you think the federal government should have in ensuring that motorists have as frequent opportunity to charge electric vehicles as they now have in filling their cars with gasoline?
      Millions Against Monsanto/CC BY 2.0
    4. The United States remains one of just two major industrialized nations in the world that does not mandate the labeling of genetically modified ingredients, even as surveys show an overwhelming majority of Americans would support labeling; do you believe GM ingredients should be labeled? If yes, should such labeling be left to the states? If no, why shouldn’t they be labeled?

    Be sure to read the entire post here: http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/12-green-questions-i-would-ask-2012-presidential-debate.html

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