Plant a Tree This Summer!

Here are five reasons, according to The American Forests and National Wildlife Federation, why you should include a new tree in your life!

1. Shade: for savings on your electric bill. Three well-placed trees can cut air conditioning costs by 15%.
2. Leaves function as air cleaners, reducing the amount of harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. A tree can absorb 26 pounds of CO2 per year - or about 2.5 tons per acre - and replace it with life-giving oxygen.
3. Trees provide shelter for wildlife, slow rainfall run-off, prevent soil erosion, muffle noise, and provide privacy.
4. As windbreakers, trees can be shields against wind and snow; heating costs can be reduced by as much as 30%.
5. Research shows that looking at trees helps reduce stress in the workplace and speeds recovery of hospital patients.

Sleep Disorders

Do you suffer from sleep disorders? If you do, you're not alone! According to the National Sleep Foundation, "One out of every two people suffers from sleeplessness at some point, many of them chronically. It's estimated that 30-40 million Americans suffer from serious sleep disorders that undermine their sleep quality and their health." Besides physical problems that can be attributed to sleep deprivation, emotional problems are the first symptom: people needing more sleep are "less alert and attentive, more inclined to irritability and other mood problems that can make their relationships with family, friends and co-workers difficult."

Many people don't realize that there is help for most sleep problems and that sleep disorder clinics exist across the U.S. Most help for sleep disorders is part of the medical clinics, but it is interesting to note that many alternative approaches have proven successful. One scientifically valid study documented that elderly patients who normally required substantial doses of sleeping pills slept soundly and without medication when a lavender aroma was waved into their bedrooms at night. (Diffusers and aromic oils are available at most health food stores or you can order a Scent Ball by Earth Solutions at 1-800-525-0037.)

For more information on sleep disorder clinics or free brochures: "When you Can't Sleep: The ABC's of ZZZ's" or "The Nature of Sleep," contact: National Sleep Foundation, 1367 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036.

Birthday Ideas

1. Why not start a collection with your child and add to it each year? A fun idea for a girl could be adding a pearl to a necklace or a charm to a charm bracelet or for a boy you could start a rubber stamp collection and each year add a plane, car, train, etc. (A good source for interesting and original rubber stamps is Quarter Moon Rubber Stamps. Write to P.O. Box 611585, San Jose, CA 95161 and ask for a free catalogue. There are also beautiful stamps for girls and parents.)

2. Let your child pick his favorite color for his birthday. Then decorate the table in that color. His sisters, brothers, and parents can also wear articles of clothing in that color. (You can also dye some fun foods in that color - rice, pasta, soda, ice. Ice-cream and cake frosting can also be dyed with the food coloring of your child's choice!!!)

Grapefruits

Now, while it's a good idea to include grapefruit and grapefruit juice into one's diet, there has been some important information about the interaction of grapefruit juice and certain medications. According to the January 1997 issue of Environmental Nutrition, "If you're among the millions of people taking medication to help control high blood pressure, or if you're among the army of allergy sufferers who pop pills to relieve watery, itchy eyes, be careful what you drink to wash down those pills."

"Scientists have discovered that ordinary grapefruit juice can enhance the effectiveness of some drugs by making them more potent in the body - in some cases tripling blood levels of the drug. They believe certain bioflavonoids found only in grapefruit juice are responsible for the effect.

"If you have a habit of drinking grapefruit juice with any of these medications and have experienced side effects, talk with your doctor. You may need an adjustment in dosage, or you may need to stop taking them with grapefruit juice."

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, January 1997, Vol. 20, Issue 1.

Carbon Monoxide and Your Health

1. At low concentrations, it can cause fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease
2. At high concentrations, it can impair vision and coordination, cause headaches, dizziness, confusion and nausea
3. It can cause flu-like symptoms that clear up after leaving the affected area
4. It can be fatal at very high concentrations

1. Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters
2. Leaking chimneys and furnaces
3. Back drafting from furnaces
4. Gas water heaters
5. Wood stoves, fireplaces, gas stoves
6. Automobile exhaust from attached garages
7. Environmental tobacco smoke

How can one avoid carbon monoxide poisoning?

1. Purchase a carbon monoxide detector
2. Keep gas appliances properly adjusted
3. Have trained professionals inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating system annually
4. Repair any leaks promptly
5. Do not idle the car inside a garage
6. Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stove
7. Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing unvented one

Creativity Encouraged