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I was just writing a little entry in my blog on my
website, www.yogabean.net and thought it might be
nice to share it here in the magazine.
"It's the end of the farm season at my CSA, Fernbrook Farm in Chesterfield, NJ. I am always sad to see it come to an end. Now the long, cold months begin and I get to see how efficient I was in canning and freezing enough for the winter. I was just telling my mom the other day that during the months of the CSA (usually May through Nov.) I never go to the food store. I only go to the general store near the house to buy milk and bread. Everything else I get at the farm or dont eat. I have always had a dream to live in a beautiful old stone house or log cabin in a remote location in Maine and live off the land. Trading organic veggies for meats and poultry. What a wonderful life. Simple, yet full of nature and what it can bring to you if you respect it." There is a wonderful book by Helen and Scott Nearing called "The Good Life." Who are Helen and Scott Nearing? They are my inspiration. In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, The Nearings moved from their small NYC apartment to a dilapidated farmhouse on 65 acres in Vermont. For the next 20 years they farmed organically, hand-crafted stone buildings, traded their organics for free-range meats, poultry and dairy and lived entirely off the land. In 1952 they moved to the Maine Coast where they build their final stone house and lived happily, again, in an entirely sustainable way. The Good Live Center in Brooksville, Maine is a wonderful place to visit and learn. Their mission statement follows. The mission of The Good Life Center is to perpetuate the philosophies and lifeways promoted and exemplified by Helen and Scott Nearing, two of America's most inspirational practitioners of simple, frugal and purposeful living. Building on the Nearing legacy, The Good Life Center encourages and supports individual and collective efforts to live sustainably into the future. Guided by the principles of kindness, respect and compassion in relationships with natural and human communities, The Good Life Center promotes active participation in the advancement of social justice, creative integration of the life of the mind, body and spirit, and deliberate choice in living responsibly and harmoniously in an increasingly complicated world. The Good Life Center seeks to attain this mission through: * Conservation of the Nearings' last hand-built home, Forest Farm in Harborside, Maine, as an inspirational example of conscientious and thoughtful living in harmony with nature; * Sharing the philosophy underlying the "good life" practices at Forest Farm to encourage a diverse audience to apply this philosophy in their own distinct environments and life circumstances; * Offering residential and visiting fellowships, stewardships, and educational programs on homesteading and sustainable living at Forest Farm and other homesteads; * Extending Helen and Scott Nearing's broad social and political message by ensuring access to their publications, library and personal papers, as well as by publishing new works on related issues; * Serving as a resource and network for scholars, homesteaders, gardeners, social and political activists, and students of simple and sustainable living; * Practicing right livelihood and following simple living principles, in all pursuits, so that The Good Life Center itself models what it seeks to promote. Check out the center's website at http://www.g oodlife.org/index.html and look at the calendar of events. They have wonderful workshops on organic gardening and sustainable living from experts in the field. They offer cooking classes and how to's on prepping and storing organic foods, and much, much more. If you have any inkling, as I do, to have the dream of living this life, then a trip to the Good Life Center is definitely a must see. I have not been to the center yet but when I go I'll tell you all about it! Plan your trip around the Blue Hill Fair in Blue Hill, ME; it's only 15 minutes from the center. The Blue Hill Fair is always scheduled around Labor Day weekend and is the grandest fair in Maine. There are usually big names in music groups that perform at the fair as well. Hope you get to check it out! By the way, please go to my website and add any thoughts you have to my blog. I am trying to make it a place to go and say what's on your mind about yoga, organic living, or life in general. Thanks! "The good life is never stable, never secure, never easy and never ended. It is a series of steps or stages, one leading into the other and all, in their outcome, adding, not subtracting; augmenting, not diminishing; building, not destroying; creating, not annihilating." -Scott Nearing, 1965 |
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By Miriam Stollar
Gurukuls were the ancient Hindu schools of India in which Guru- teacher, or master- lived surrounded by his shishyas, or disciples, sharing both his wisdom and his day to day routine. The path to wisdom was considered inseparable from the path leading from the well to the gurukul, loaded with large jugs of water, inseparable from the steep path leading up the barren mountainside, hunting for wood for cooking and ritual. Gurudakshina is the offering given from a student to his guru, after finishing his studies, in a tradition of acknowledgment, respect and deep thanks. The guru takes no fees but may ask for a Gurudakshina as a form of reciprocity, that need not necessarily be monetary. What is the most worthless thing in the world? A spiritual seeker went to live at his Guru's gurukul as a disciple. After some time, having found the knowledge he was seeking, he was ready to offer Guru-dakshina, to express his deep appreciation. His Guru asked his disciple to give him only that which is most worthless in the world. The earnest disciple pondered on what could be the most worthless thing in the world. Looking down at the ground, he thought that maybe the dirt might be the most worthless thing, and bending down, he began to scoop some up. As he touched the dirt he felt the power of the earth in his hands, that which gives birth to all forms that grow from the soil. He realized he would have to look elsewhere. He passed by a pile of rotting produce giving off a putrid smell. Thinking he had found something most worthless, he put out his hand again to gather up his Guru-dakshina. But even as he recoiled from the stench, in that same waft he smelled the fragrance of fertility, nourishment, and life. He remembered how the decaying waste foods would be spread along the soil as manure to give nourishment back to the earth. He moved onwards, pondering the importance of the dirt and the rotting waste. What then could be worthless, he wondered. In his mind, he suddenly saw that every single thing in the universe had its own worth, and worthless was only the one who imagined others to be. What considers others outside ourselves to be worthless, besides the ego? The disciple returned to his Guru empty-handed, apologizing for not having found anything worthless besides his own ego, which he then offered to his Guru as his Guru-dakshina. His Guru was greatly pleased with his disciple who had realized his last teaching, that wisdom bears its fruits only with the relinquishing of the ego. As the American holiday of Thanksgiving draws near, it is a good time to remember that feeling of thanks- giving, and appreciation, for all those who have taught us, cared for us, or touched us in some way. In some yoga circles, the phrase, 'Everyone is your guru' is popular, and in fact, if we keep our hearts open, we can see that every single being around us has something to share and to give us. Be it unintentional or even unpleasant, with every single being we cross in our lives, we have always the chance to develop a feeling of joy, understanding and compassion. Every obstacle, or person, that seems to rise in our way is considered a challenge put there by the guru, to strengthen our determination and develop our wisdom. In Hindu spiritual lore, one's parents are to be loved and respected as one's first gurus. And truly, who can ever measure or fathom, or judge, all that a parent gives his children through the course of the days and years. In India, teachers always told me that my older sister was my second guru. Not specifically because she was older than me, but because she, aged 5, encouraged me, a not yet street-savvy 4-year old, to stick my head into a busy wasp's nest next to our house. The obvious result was a whole hive of wasps buzzing in angry circles around my head. From instinct or probably paralysis, I didnt move, and because of my stillness, only one lone wasp stung me, between the eyes, and I guess the whole crowd decided that was punishment enough for a little tyke; they all drifted buzzingly back to the nest. The distinct scar between my eyes is highly regarded in India as the mark of the opening of my third eye by my second guru and sister. I shouldn't leave out the numerous auspicious knocks to my head - as my venerable sister continuously gave me misguided directions during the two days of swollen-shut eyes and absolute blindness that followed the wasp sting, that went rather repetitively like this: "Keep going Mir, keep going straight, plenty of space! (BANG!)" - that are held to have opened up the intuitive parts of my mind. My older sister has never been to India, but she has received wide acclaim there. It is always said in India, the Guru works in mysterious ways. (Why I, who was not generally considered to be mentally challenged, continued to follow her guiding directions after the first bumps, bangs and bruises, remains a mystery to me. But again it is said, the work of the Guru requires total and unconditional surrender.) Jean Genet, the provocative French homosexual writer, sat in a train facing a nasty man who provoked in him waves of disgust and revulsion. Yet at the very moment their eyes crossed in the train, Genet experienced a tremendous flash of unity with this man he abhorred, and with all mankind. It was not in love of a man, but despite or because of the revulsion of a man, that Genet realized not only his love for all mankind, but his very unity and oneness with all men. What Genet experienced, in an unwanted moment of crossing eyes with a man who repulsed him, was the ultimate spiritual realization of being one with all mankind, without any judgement or bias. The very realization sought-after by so many yogis and saints over millenium. For Genet, the catalyst of this universal love was an abhorrent man; there is no man, no matter his condition, that cannot be the prism reflecting wisdom into our eyes, when we are ready to see it. (see Daniel Lance, Quest of an Angel, English edition not yet published; original French title, Jean Genet ou La Quete de l'Ange, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2004) Imagine to try to recall every single person you have ever spoken with in your life, every single person with which you have crossed eyes, every single being with whom you have crossed paths, have noticed, or simply seen out of the corner of your eye, as well as all those you have read about, around the world, living out the stories we hear as news and events. In case of not having the time or the razor-sharp memory needed for this challenging exercise, there is a short-cut formula, that goes like this, 'May all beings be happy' What is the greatest gift we can give, in thanks? That most worthless thing. A giving of thanks to those venerable first Gurus, my parents, to my guru older sister Lisa and to my younger sister Anna, also my great guru, to my oldest friend Tina who has been the tough guru many times, to all those crossed along the ways, along so many paths, in so many different forms, and, moving on through life at the speed of light, to Dai, a thanks for infinity... apologies to all those I have ever hurried impatiently, not given my full attention, disregarded, passed any unpleasantness, wronged, misjudged, or not loved. |
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It's that time of year when holiday parties are in full
force, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza,
New Years Eve, and more. Everyone is on the road,
heading out to meet up with friends and family, to
reconnect through food and holiday cheer. I love
hosting parties and that means lots of wonderful
people, good food, festive drinks and lots and lots of
fun. But when there are food and drinks around,
mixed with rooms full of people, there are usually
accidents! Well this year, don't sweat it. I have some
great tips on how to catch and conquer those stains.
So sit back, relax, and let the wine flow!
Protein-based Stains While they are still wet, food, milk, mud, vomit should be scrubbed out under cold running water, then allowed to soak in cold water before the stained clothing is laundered. Do not use soap on protein stains; use detergent. Already dried protein stains should be scraped or brushed off the fabric, then soaked in cold water with liquid laundry detergent or dish liquid before laundering. Oil-based Stains Pretreat cooking oil and food grease by applying liquid detergent or a paste of powdered detergent and water to the spot and scrub. Rinse the area well with hot water, then wash the stain in hot water with a mineral-based powdered detergent. Do not mix oil stained clothing with other laundry. Or Dab a paste of salt and water on the spot, then remove the salt with a clean paper towel before laundering. If the garment cannot be washed right away, sprinkle some cornstarch or baking soda on the stain, then put a rag on top of your ironing board and lay the stained part of the garment on the rag, stained side down. Iron over the grease stain. If gas stains are on clothing, wash them as directed above and hang them out to dry. Vegetable-pigment Stains Red wine, brandy, beer, fruit, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, ketchup, tea, and soft drinks should be washed in hot water with detergent. Soap will set the stain. Natural detergents that contain washing soda and sodium perborate are ideal for this. Do not attempt to pretreat these types of stains with castile soaps. Remove red wine and fruit stains from table linens by stretching the stained item over a bowl or over a kitchen sink, then pour boiling water over the stain until it washes out. If the wine is all over the garment or floor, put waxed paper or a plastic bag under the stain, then pour on enough table salt to soak up the moisture. This will help prevent the spill from soaking farther into the fabric. Brush the wine-soaked salt off before laundering the garment in hot water and detergent. Dye Stains Stains from food coloring (Kool-Aid, condiments, candy), felt tip pen, and ink can be difficult to remove. To pretreat the stain, rub in liquid detergent or dish detergent, then rinse thoroughly before washing in hot water. Felt tip pen stain may come out if it is rubbed immediately with vodka then flushed with hot water. Ball point pen stains can be removed by putting several layers of paper towel under the stain, then use a rag to push liquid detergent down through the stain. When the towel gets inky, put a clean section under the stain. |
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(Punica granatum)
What a beautiful and original fruit! The name pomegranate comes from Latin 'pomum' (apple) and 'granatus' (seeded). Originally from Persia, the pomegranate is now cultivated mainly in California and Arizona. This fruit is exploited commercially for its juice products, gaining popularity since 2001. It is a very popular drink in the Middle East. Did you know that the ancient city of Granada, Spain was renamed after the fruit during the Moorish period? It's true. Growing up, and still under age to drink, I used to love to order Shirley Temples. A Shirley Temple is usually Sprite and Grenadine syrup. Well, it just so happens that Grenadine syrup is actually thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice. Culinary Tips To open a pomegranate, score it with a knife and break it open. The ARILS or seeds will be exposed. You can't miss them; they are bright red (and will stain your clothes by the way!) Separate the arils from the white fleshy interior and eat! Sometimes they are sour but most of the time they are as sweet as fruit juice. Pomegranate seeds and juice will turn blue when they are sitting out for too long. On a cool autumn day my mom and I would sit down with two plates and one pomegranate, cut it in half, and eat our half as we blathered on about who knows what. Eating a pomegranate is an experience, as there is a technique to getting all the arils while not destroying your clothes in the process. When you bend back the outer skin, like you would an orange slice to make it easier to eat, you expose more of the arils. Try perfecting the technique with someone you want to spend some time with. Medicinal Uses Pomegranate juice is a great source of Vitamin B and one of the best antioxidants you can digest. Studies have shown that pomegranate juice can possibly slow or prevent prostate cancer. Have a Tapeworm? Dried pomegranate seeds have been used for many, many years for getting rid of tapeworm. You can dry pomegranate seeds in the sun on a cookie sheet then crush into powder. RECIPES Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Gravy For Turkey 14-16 pound turkey 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, 5 tablespoons softened and 5 tablespoons melted (you can also use "Soy Dream" as an alternative to butter) Salt and Pepper 1 Onion 4 Large fresh thyme sprigs For Gravy ½ cup sugar ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh pomegranate juice Pan juices from turkey About 3 cups hot turkey giblet stock 1 cup water 6 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Rub softened butter between skin and flesh, being careful not to tear the skin. Sprinkle cavity and outside with salt and pepper. Add stuffing if you desire or for quicker cooking time just stuff cavity with onion and thyme sprigs. Lastly, brush the skin of the turkey with melted butter. Put turkey in roasting pan and put into oven, basting it every 20 minutes with the juices in the pan. When thermometer inserted into the thigh, without touching the bone, reads 170 degrees (2 ½ to 3 ½ hours) it is done. Before removing turkey from the pan, let the juices run back into the pan as much as possible for later use. Cover turkey. Gravy: Cook sugar in a saucepan over moderate heat until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until the sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Add ½ cup of pomegranate juice and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour pan juices from the turkey through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring glass. Skim off fat, reserving ¼ cup of it. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 3 ½ cups liquid. Pour liquid into the roasting pan again and straddle the pan across 2 burners on the stovetop. Add water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits for one minute. Pour through fine mesh sieve again and into measuring glass. Whisk reserved fat and flour in a saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, until pale golden (7-10 minutes). Add hot stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, whisking, and add pomegranate syrup, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and stir in remaining tablespoon of pomegranate juice. Serve turkey with gravy on the side. Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip ¾ cup pomegranate juice ½ cup walnuts 3 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 (16 ounce) jar of roasted red peppers, drained ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish Salt Pita toasts Put the pomegranate juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until juice is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Put walnuts and bread crumbs into a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the reduced pomegranate juice, lemon juice, red peppers, cayenne pepper and cumin and process until smooth. With the processor on, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt, to taste. Sprinkle with cumin and olive oil and serve with pita. Pomegranate Cosmos! 2 cups good vodka 1 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau) 1 cup pomegranate juice ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes) Combine all ingredients in pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use. Pour the mixture into frozen martini glasses and add a twist of lime peel as a garnish. Serve immediately. If you have any great recipes with your favorite foods, please send them to me and I will include them in this section of an upcoming issue. Or if you have any suggestions about what veggie, fruit, herb etc. you'd like to know more about- Just email me at tina@yogabean.net. Thanks! Heinerman, J. (1995). New Encyclopedia of Fruits and Vegetables. Paramus, NJ: Parker Publishing Comp. |
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We are heading into the year's end or to some
the "last quarter" of their financial year. This is the
time when investors encourage you to make your final
contributions for the year's end so that your money
can count towards the April 15 tax deadline. If you
don't live in the USA it is still and always a good idea
to put money away for retirement.
This year, how about going GREEN with socially responsible investing. "If money makes the world go round, greener, more humane investments can improve the way it spins" (Editors of E Magazine, "Green Living" 2005). Americans are among the world's most cash- strapped people (AC Nielsen Survey 2006). Over one- quarter of Americans have no money after they've paid their essential living expenses. And America is at the top of the list of countries where people don't save. Ironically, three-quarters of Americans carry dept and don't save money. Let's try and change these stressful ways. As a yoga instructor, owning my own business, I don't have tons of extra money to play with. It is very hard to save for retirement when you are using that money to pay the bills today! What I have found to be successful is having my money automatically pulled from my bank account where it goes directly into an IRA that will build, slowly, for retirement. Once you get used to a specific amount of money coming out of your account every month, you will begin to plan around it. It is a great way to trick oneself into saving money. When you do decide to save or increase your nest egg, think about what you are investing in. Credit Unions and Banks Credit Unions are federally insured, nonprofit, tax- exempt financial cooperatives that essentially act like banks. They exist to serve the members. Community- development credit unions are socially proactive, designed to help disadvantaged communities. Ask your credit union or a prospective one what they invest in and make an educated decision about where you invest your money. Banks can be dealt with in the same way. Ask them what businesses they typically loan their money to. Ask what percentage of environmentally oriented businesses and nonprofits they are helping. There are many banks and credit unions that are socially responsible; all you need to do is ask. Bonds Many banks offer long-term certificate of deposits (CDs) at five and sometimes seven year stints. The trouble with investing in US government bonds is that you could be helping finance a nuclear bomb, helping overseas operations, or subsidizing any number of causes related to military and big industry complexities. The best bet, if you are interested in investing with bonds, is to invest through the socially responsible bank that you find. It's up to you. Stocks Some 'hard core' environmentalists refuse to invest in stocks. Considering Wall Street as the ultimate headquarters of corporate America and big business. If this is an investment option you can deal with, then the best way to invest in socially responsible stocks is to either do your research on the companies you'd like in your portfolio or find a green investment firm that will do it for you. There are many resources out there today that can help you with your green investing. The resource list below will help you get on track and moving in the green direction. www.sriworld.com - A website for socially responsible investing with over 10,000 pages of articles on or related to social investing. www.gree nmoneyjournal.com - has both a popular website and a quarterly newsletter largely devoted to socially responsible investing. "Business Ethics" magazine is the oldest and still- leading chronicle dedicated to the socially responsible business movement. Link here www.realmoney.com Co-op America publishes "Real Money" bimonthly. It's a newsletter about taking control of your financial future with socially responsible investing. They also have a new website with a plethora of green investment firms for you to review at h ttp://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/ . Go under "finance" in the search area and many categories come up. Happy saving! If anyone has any ideas that they would like to share with the Yoga Bean crowd, just email me your ideas and I will print them in the next issue or send as a supplement even earlier. tina@yogabean.net |
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Plants and the Seasons: Autumn,
Winter
The days are getting shorter, the nights longer and there's a noticeable chill in the air. Plants are much attuned to these seasonal changes and started reacting to them before you were even aware that autumn was on its way. How do plants respond to these climatic changes? Well, different plants react to the changing seasons differently. Botanically, plants can be divided into 2 major groups, depending on the type of stem growth they produce- herbaceous plants and woody plants. Herbaceous plants have soft green stems that contain little woody tissue. This group can be further divided according to how they respond to the yearly cycle-annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals complete their entire life cycle (germination, growth, reproduction and death) in a single growing season. They don't attempt to survive the short days and cold temperatures of winter, or the heat and drought of the dry season, because their seeds will survive. (This doesn't mean that annuals must die at the end of the year. I bring my chili pepper plant inside in the fall and it has lived several years. It also helps that I "frustrate" its reproductive efforts by picking the peppers.) Biennials have a two-year life cycle, focusing on root production and energy storage the first year and then using that stored energy to flower and set seed the second year. They typically survive the harsh season of the year (winter or the dry season) by going dormant-dying to the ground and living minimally on their stored energy-until conditions improve. Carrots are an example of a biennial. Perennials will live for multiple years. As a result, they have developed various methods of dealing with the harsh season. Woody plants-those that produce stiff woody stems-also live for multiple years. Trees, shrubs and some vines are all considered woody plants. These multi-year plants can be further divided into the groups evergreens (plants that maintain their green growth all year) or deciduous (plants that lose all their green growth), although there is some grey area between the 2 groups with some plants being considered semi-evergreen (they lose a significant portion of their green growth.) As a side note, "conifer" and "evergreen" are not synonyms. Some conifers lose their leaves/needles every year, like the larch, and some evergreens are broad-leaved, flowering plants, like the rhododendron. As for deciduous herbaceous plants, all their green growth means everything above ground and they will disappear from sight for the winter. For deciduous trees, shrubs, and woody vines, all their green growth means just their leaves-the stems and trunk will remain visible and will look dead. Don't worry though, they've just gone dormant and will spring to life with the return of favorable growing conditions. So why do deciduous plants lose their leaves every year? Why don't evergreens? What causes this dieback? Why do some leaves turn such brilliant colors before they fall? In the parts of the world where the seasons are divided between the dry season and the wet season, leaf drop occurs with the arrival of the dry season. As water becomes scarce, plants start to lose more water than they absorb. The primary site of water loss is the leaves, which become dry, brown and fall off. The plant enters a period of dormancy and waits for conditions to improve. In temperate regions of the world, where the contrasting seasons are summer and winter with the intermediate seasons of fall/autumn and spring, most plants stop photosynthesizing in the winter due to below freezing temperatures and shorter days. If you are lucky, you live in a part of the world where autumn brings brilliant leaf color. Only certain regions have conditions that are just right to produce these colors. The rest of you will have to travel to see this remarkable display in person. There are numerous websites out there, such as The Foliage Network, to help figure out where and when to go. You may remember from biology class that plants use a green pigment called chlorophyll to aid in photosynthesis, the process of using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into stored energy in the form of carbohydrates plus the "waste" product oxygen. What you probably don't know is that sunlight, most likely the ultraviolet component of sunlight, is also constantly breaking down chlorophyll even though sunlight is a necessary part of creating new chlorophyll. The shorter days and cooler temperatures of fall slow down or even prevent the creation of new chlorophyll while the older chlorophyll continues to degrade. As a result, leaves slowly lose their green color. Different plants break down chlorophyll in different amounts and at different rates, which is why trees don't all change color at once. Chlorophyll isn't the only pigment in leaves. Leaves also contain a yellow/orange pigment called carotenoid. Carotenoides are always present in leaves but are normally masked by the much larger quantities of chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll degrades, the yellow color of carotenoides becomes visible. This is what creates yellow fall leaf color. Another pigment, called anthocyanin, creates the red to purple colors in leaves. Anthocyanin may be present in leaves the rest of the year and is visible in purple-leaved cultivars, but it is primarily produced during leaf senescence, or die-off. A biochemical process in the leaf forms an abscission layer that severs the living tissues at the leaf base. This abscission layer traps some carbohydrates in the leaves and this can lead to the creation of anthocyanins and the dying fall leaf will turn purple or red. Anthocyanins and carotenoides together form orange fall color. There is some debate about why dying leaves create a new pigment and not all trees have the genes necessary to allow the creation of anthocyanin. Wind, rain or the weight of the leaf itself will eventually snap the leaf off at the abscission layer. Browns in fall leaves are due to the cell wall structure that remains in leaves as the other components degrade and also to the presence of tannins. Tannins are a bitter substance produced by plants to discourage predators. Tannins are what causes the color and flavor of tea as well as what gives unripe persimmons their sourness. Tannins combined with carotenoides can produce a lovely golden yellow in fall leaves. Why are fall leaves brilliant some years, while other years the display is disappointing? Weather conditions can dramatically affect show. The yellows and browns always appear but the production of anthocyanins is greatest when the days are warm and sunny and the nights are cool-below 45°F (7°C) but above freezing. The sunny days allow photosynthesis to continue while cool nights inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates back to carbon dioxide and water. It's these carbohydrates that form anthocyanins. Freezing temperature and heavy frost will kill or greatly injure leaves, halting the creation of anthocyanin. There are numerous websites out there that explain fall leaf color and a quick search will give you quite a few to browse. The state of Indiana's Dept of Natural Resources has produces a good PDF with photos and diagrams available here. "Science Made Simple" has different articles for different school grade levels, as well as some fall foliage related science experiments here. A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who also teaches high school students goes into greater detail about the chemistry of fall foliage here. If so many plants drop their leaves and go dormant for the winter, why do some of them stay green? There are various methods plants have developed to survive the winter while still maintaining their leaves. There are several difficulties that evergreens must overcome-reduced amounts of sunlight, freezing temperatures and drying winds among them. Some conifers have altered the shape of their leaves creating needle-like or scale-like foliage that has less surface area. Less surface area means fewer places to loose water and less fluctuation in temperature as air temperature changes. Evergreens also employ a thick waxy coating to protect their leaves-notice how glossy evergreen leaves tend to be. Additionally, evergreens employ "anti-freeze" in the form of higher concentrations of sugar inside their cells-try putting sugar water in your freezer to see how sugar changes the freezing point of water. . Some broad-leaved evergreens will also change the shape of their leaves, curling up or drooping, to reduce their exposed surface area when it gets below freezing. Rhododendrons are well known for doing this. Some evergreens stop photosynthesis during the winter while others take advantage of every warm sunny day to produce energy. Either way, they are ready to go as soon as spring arrives and will have a head start on the plants that have to produce new leaves first. Contrary to popular belief, evergreens do loose their leaves. They just don't shed all of them at once. Many conifers shed older needles in the fall. These tend to be the needles that are located in the shaded interior of the plant and are no longer useful. Enough science! So what garden projects should you be doing in the fall and winter? Planting: Fall is a good time to plant, especially for woody plants and bulbs. In the fall the air temperature is dropping but the soil reacts slower and is still warm. This encourages root growth but discourages top growth-just what new transplants need. Fall also tends to have regular amounts of rain. Most bulbs need to be planted in the fall to successfully flower the next spring. Another reason to plant in the fall is that many nurseries have sales in order to reduce their inventory and therefore the number of plants they need to overwinter! Overwintering: To help your plants overwinter, make sure that there is a layer of mulch and/or compost covering the soil in the fall. This will act as an insulation blanket preventing extreme temperature fluctuations and frost heaving that can actually push plants, especially newly planted plants, out of the ground. If you have plants above ground that you haven't managed to plant yet, either sink them in the ground in a temporary location or mound mulch around their soil. They'll have a much better chance of surviving the winter. Clean-up and Pruning: You'll most likely want to clean up all the dead plant matter in your garden before spring arrives. This isn't absolutely necessary as it will eventually break down and provide nutrients for the living plant-after all, plants have been living for many centuries without us tidying up things-but most of us prefer to remove the dead material and add compost instead. Winter is also a good time to prune to shape plants because we can see the structure best at this time. Cutback shrubs should also be pruned in the winter. (For pruning tips, see here, here and here, or try a search for a particular plant.) I tend to do my clean-up and pruning in late winter. That way birds and animals can take advantage of any remaining seeds as well as shelter. I also feel that the remnants of the previous growing season frequently still provide some visual interest in the winter. Planning and Maintenance: Take advantage of this downtime for the garden to plan what you want to do next year and get ready. Request some plant and seed catalogs. Go to the library and flip through books and magazines. Sharpen your pruners. Take care of the annual maintenance needs of your power tools. Build a fence or trellis. You'll appreciate that time spent planning when the garden starts growing again in the spring and you'll be ready to go. Happy gardening! Bryn Richard is a licensed landscape architect with a strong interest in sustainable design. She can be reached at Bryn@BlueTrillium.net and welcomes your questions and suggestions for further articles. |
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What, Where, When, Why and How of Vitamin B-
12
What is Vitamin B-12? Vitamin B-12 is an essential vitamin for the human body. It is also known as cobalamin, sometimes referred to as cyanocobalamin, and it's the largest of all the vitamins. The structure of vitamin B-12 contains the metal ion "cobalt" hence the name cobalamin. The body can store about 2000-5000 micro grams of Vitamin B-12 with about fifty percent being stored in the liver. The recommended daily amount of B-12 for a healthy adult is 2.4 to 6.0 micrograms per day. The average daily intake of Vitamin B-12 in the United States is 4.2 micrograms for adult males and 3.0 micrograms for adult females. It is estimated that up to 1% of the population of the United States has a sub optimal Vitamin B-12 status. Additionally, it is estimated that 10 to 15% of adults over 60 years old have a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Why is it important? Vitamin B-12 is important for healthy Red Blood Cells and for the maintenance of the human Nervous System. B-12 is required for the coating on your nerves (myelin) and nerve transmission. Without enough Vitamin B-12 a person can experience a myriad of subtle health problems such as anemia or nerve damage. Some of these problems can go unnoticed until it is too late. Clinical signs of anemia are: weakness, pallor, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and increased heart rate. Clinical signs of neurological abnormalities are: tingling, decreased sensation in arms and legs, muscle weakness, sore tongue, balance problems, weight loss, decreased reflexes, confusion, irritability, mild depression, and in the worse case scenario dementia. Additionally, there has been an association of Vitamin B-12 and a lower incidence of breast cancer. In two different observational studies of more than 2000 women, it was concluded that the risk of breast cancer was significantly increased in those women who had low levels of Vitamin B-12. Also, Vitamin B-12 has been shown to decrease levels of the body's chemical homocysteine, a chemical that, in high levels, has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Furthermore, observational studies have found that as many as 30% of patients hospitalized for depression are deficient in Vitamin B-12. Where do we get Vitamin B-12? Vitamin B-12 can be found only in animal proteins. The proteins in meat, poultry, fish , eggs, and milk qualify as sources of B-12. Examples of foods high in B-12 are fish, such as trout and salmon, or shell fish such as steamed clams or muscles. Other good sources of B-12 are animal livers, most forms of beef, and fortified cereals. If you are not currently deficient in Vitamin B-12, the best way to maintain your B-12 levels is to simply eat a balanced diet. If it is found that you have a mild deficiency of B-12 you can supplement your dietary intake with B-12 lozenges, pills or under the tongue tablets. All of these forms usually can be found in various dosages ranging from 100 micrograms to 5000 micrograms. These forms of B-12 can be purchased without a prescription, however one must remember when using oral forms of Vitamin B-12 that approximately only 1% of the total intake is absorbed. So if you purchase 500 microgram tablets and you take one per day your body will be absorbing about 50 micrograms per day. This absorbed amount of Vitamin B-12 would clearly satisfy an adult's daily requirement of 2.4 to 6 micrograms. Patients always ask, "What will happen if I take too much B-12?" Under most circumstances nothing will happen because B-12 has not been shown to have adverse effects or even toxicity with prolonged or large oral doses. B-12 is also available in a nasal gel and in an injectable form. The injectable form is often used for a yearly boost or more regularly by physicians to replace B-12 in those that are at high risk for B-12 deficiency or those who have already been diagnosed with and have some symptoms of B-12 deficiency. The nasal gel is also used for those patients who have a deficiency or symptoms of B-12 deficiency. The nasal gel is similar to the injection in terms of the amount of Vitamin B-12 that it supplies. When do people become deficient in Vitamin B- 12? There are basically five ways in which a person can become deficient in Vitamin B-12: 1) Diet: This is very rare unless you are a strict vegan (not taking B-12 supplements) or you are a nursing infant whose mom is a strict vegan. 2) Surgery: If you have had a surgery that has compromised your ability to absorb B-12 you can become deficient. Some types of surgery, which result in removal of part of the stomach or intestine, can put a person at risk. 3) Gastrointestinal Parasite: Fish tapeworm. Usually only occurs in third world countries where people eat undercooked or raw fish and where medical care is scarce. 4) Medical Issues: Certain medical problems can cause a person to have a decreased level of B-12. Liver disorders can interfere with B-12 storage and cause sub optimal B-12 levels. Some gastrointestinal disorders can decrease B-12 absorption. These are: Crohn's Disease, Celiac Disease, Sprue, Irritable Bowel Disease, Pancreatic Disease, Chronic Diarrhea, Atrophic Gastritis, Alcoholic Gastritis, and a bacterial stomach infection with the causative agent being J. pylori. 5) Medicines: Chronic use of medicines that decrease stomach acid such as proton pump inhibitors and the gout medicine cholchicine can lead to decreased levels of B-12. Additionally, the diabetes medicine metformin can decrease B-12 absorption. How can a person discover if they have a low Vitamin B-12 level? Your doctor can run a simple blood test to measure your B-12 level. One should suspect a deficiency if your serum B-12 level is less than 150 pmol/L. Should we take a daily Vitamin B-12 supplement? If you fit into one of the categories above and /or have some of the aforementioned clinical signs, then you should consider visiting your primary care physician and requesting a Vitamin B-12 level. Overall, Vitamin B-12 deficiency is not very common. One reason is that the liver can store a lot of B-12 for a long time. In most cases, even if your intake is low your liver can provide enough B-12 for your body's needs for several years. Should we take B-12 to prevent cancer? The research is forthcoming; hopefully in the next 2 to 5 years we will have some conclusions. As for now, a balanced diet and maybe a small daily supplement (250 micrograms) of Vitamin B-12 should be fine. |
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Don't forget, please send this to your friends and family so that everyone can be a part of the Yoga Bean family. Talk to you soon!
Sincerely,
Tina LeMar
Yoga Bean
email:
tina@yogabean.net
phone:
610.805.6724
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