The Side Effect Diet

A deciduous shrub with beautiful bright orange berries that has been used for millennia as food and medicine. Native to China and parts of Europe, sea buckthorn heartily thrives in harsh conditions and high altitudes—especially in the Himalayas, where records of its use in Tibetan medicine date back to the eighth century.

In recent years, sea buckthorn has gained popularity in the West for its impressive nutritional profile and medicinal properties, and studies are continuing to discover the scope of its health benefits, which range from beautifying the skin to protecting against heart disease.

This little berry has tremendous health benefits and contains almost 200 bioactive compounds. It is a powerful antioxidant, likely due to its exceptionally high levels of vitamin C. Fresh berries average about 7,950 milligrams per kilogram of vitamin C, making them twelve times higher in vitamin C than oranges. It is also a rich source of vitamin E and vitamins B1, B2, and B11, and contains all four omega fatty acids—omega-3, omega-6, omega-7, and omega-9. This rare combination may explain its benefits to the cardiovascular and immune systems and its ability to improve skin conditions and cognition.

This robust superfood also has demonstrated antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-obesity, and anticancer effects. Sea buckthorn has also been shown to have protective effects on the cardiovascular system, skin, brain, and liver.

Sea buckthorn is also a potent adaptogen, helping the body manage stress and returning it to a state of equilibrium.

The parts of the plant most commonly used are the leaves, flowers, seeds, and berries, and sea buckthorn is a common ingredient in cosmetics and hair products for its beneficial effects on the hair and skin. It can be taken as a supplement in pill or powder form, or you can buy sea buckthorn oil, as well as dried berries. Do your research and read labels to make sure you are getting a high-quality product without additional ingredients that may be harmful.

The lily of the valley is a woodland plant found in the mild temperate parts of France. The flowering stems are easily recognisable with their two leaves. The sweetly scented white flowers are bell-shaped and grow in late spring, around the end of April and the beginning of May, in shady locations.
The lily of the valley is the lucky charm of the day and the symbol of May Day par excellence. The small bell-flower is picked in the woods or bought from roadside stands. As a sign of good luck, we give the people we love in France a sprig of Lily of the Valley.
The lily of the valley is the subject of several myths.
* The flower came from Eve’s tears when she was forced to leave the Garden of Eden.
* The flower originates from the tears of Jesus’ mother, Mary, at the Crucifixion.
* The Greek god Apollo created it to cover the floor and protect the feet of his nine muses.
The tradition of offering a sprig of lily of the valley as a sign of good luck dates back to 1st May 1561.
That day, the King of France, Charles IX and his mother, Catherine de’ Medici, visited the Drôme region. Knight Louis de Girard gave the Royals a lily of the valley sprig he had picked in his garden.
In return, the young King made it a spring symbol and offered it to all the court ladies.
The years passed, and it was not until the 20th century that the Lily of the Valley was associated with Labour Day. When the 1st of May became Labour Day under the Vichy regime, the red rosehip, then a symbol of the Left party, was replaced by the lily of the valley.
At the beginning of the 20th century, it became customary on the 1st of May to give a bunch of lilies of the valley to relatives, friends or work colleagues. The flowers are a more general token of appreciation between people. A school pupil might offer a bunch of lilies to his/her favourite teacher.

Plant a seed today! 🌸🌷🌼🪻🌻

Love this!

There is simply too much dangerous salmonella in the poultry we eat. Almost 1.35 million people get sick from the bacteria every
year, and about a fifth of those cases come from eating chicken or turkey. The reasons are fairly well-krnown. One is the crowded and
dirty conditions in which chickens are often raised. Another is that the Department of Agriculture actually allows poultry producers to sell meat that may be contaminated with the bacteria.
That's right: While poultry producers must routinely test for salmonella, up to 9.8 percent of whole chickens, 15.4 percent of chicken parts, and 25 percent of the ground chicken they test may contain the bacteria. Even at higher amounts, the USDA doesn't stop the plant from selling meat; it just issues a warning.
To investigate the danger of this regulatory gap, CR recenty tested ground meat (which is especially likely to be contaminated with bacteria) that we purchased at stores around the U.S. We found an extremely dangerous strain of E. coli in one sample
of ground beef triggering a large recall-as well as salmonella in 23 of the 75 ground chicken samples. Most of the salmonella detected was one of three strains that pose particular threats
to human health, and all were resistant to at least one antibiotic.
After we published that report, the USDA announced a plan to no longer allow salmonella in frozen,
raw breaded chicken products,
a step forward. But CR thinks the USDA can do more, by reducing the amount of salmonella allowed in all chicken and by focusing
on dangerous strains.
For cooking safety
tips, go to CR.org/cleankitchen.

😄 so true!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Micro photo of a spider! Looks like a Disney character! Next time you think of killing one, remember this picture 😉 You will see more spiders in your home during winter as they are looking for a warm place when the temperatures drop.
This picture is featured in the Nikonsmallworld.com contest.

I see Daisies! How beautiful! This is a micro picture of the vilies in the small intestine.
Check out these amazing micrography photos featured in the Nikon small world photo contest! www.nikonsmallworld.com

Giving credit to this beautiful bird for its knitting skills! ❤️

Happy Halloween! 👻