kbarnes 
In the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I got an unexplained craving for garlic. I mean, my friends, this was serious. I’ve always thought garlic was fine and added great flavor to a variety of dishes. But suddenly, I could eat an entire clove of roasted garlic without thinking twice and even consider a second … Read more
The idea of juicing seems to make the rounds in popularity and unpopularity, much like another other “health” regimens. On the surface, it seems like a good idea. It’s a way of getting a lot of nutrients all at once, perhaps taking care of your fruit and veggies intake for the day in one glass. … Read more
“Home-grown tomatoes, home-grown tomatoes, what would life be without home-grown tomatoes? Only two things that money can’t buy, that’s true love and home-grown tomatoes…” I hummed this favorite John Denver song to myself throughout the spring when I planted my seeds indoors, tenderly transplanted those little plants into my garden in May after the danger … Read more
A whiff of lemon oil can be an instant energizer. A deep breath of sweet lavender oil can lower your blood pressure. A few drops of tea tree oil can stop an infection in its tracks. And try a whiff of eucalyptus to stop an allergic reaction. Essential oils are not magic or folklore. There … Read more
Most of us have heard of iodine, but we’d be hard-pressed to recite what it does. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember your mother dabbing the yellow-brown liquid on a scraped knee and the vicious sting that followed! Maybe you remember that iodine is added to salt. Maybe you can identify iodine … Read more
I’m the first to admit to a certain amount of craziness. I was reminded recently of the time when I lived in Northern New York (their winters put our Southern winters to shame) and how we would walk outside barefoot for a few minutes every morning as part of the yoga practice a group of … Read more
Gardening is the world’s best kept exercise secret. But that’s changing. Recent medical studies have documented what backyard enthusiasts have known for years: Gardening is good for us and it’s a great way to achieve and maintain physical fitness. Regular garden chores can burn anywhere from 120 to 200 calories per 30 minutes, depending on … Read more
As summer arrives, just a reminder that it’s always wise to limit your sun exposure. But who among us is always wise? Not me! Now’s the time to sing the praises of the kitchen plant — aloe vera. There’s nothing quite like the gel of this succulent plant to ease pain and speed the healing … Read more
How many e-mails do you get a day? How much time to you spend online other than for actual work? I’m sure you are getting an inkling about where I’m going with this: Online time clutters up your day and contributes to stress. Stress is an underlying cause of many physical ailments and it’s something … Read more
I’ve always called it “eating the elephant one bite at a time,” but modern culture has now given it a name: Micro goals (as opposed to macro goals). Of course, it means the same thing: Break any big and daunting task or project into a lot of little achievable or bite-sized pieces. I talked about … Read more