I'm looking to buy a kombucha culture. What would you guys recommend as the "best" starter culture?

What is your ecological footprint

How accurate do you think this quiz is? How did you score?
ETA - European-friendly version

Hi everyone,

I'm a 24 year old female.  I was hoping people who have tried 5-HTP could tell me about their experiences with it and make helpful suggestions.  I want to try Natrol 5-HTP to help treat my depressive moods (I think they're caused by a hormone imbalance).  I also want to know if it would it be okay to take in the mornings?  I'm not sure if it would make me tired or something like that if I did, but I don't know if I would feel the mood lifting effects during the next day if I took it at night.  I was also wondering how I should take it.  My first idea was to take one 100mg pill once a day (or once every so many days) in the mornings.  My second idea was to take it only during the periods where I feel depressed, but then I'm not sure how long it would take to start working.  Any advice, suggestions, or personal stories would be really helpful!!  Thanks in advance for all your help!  :) 

( Just in case it's relevant, I also take these currently: )

Clementine and her brother Meriwether (Get it? wether?) are the latest additions to my suburban self-sufficiency project. Dairy!

It's so exciting to think that Clementine could one day provide my family with food that we would otherwise have to buy at the grocery store. Couldn't get much more local than that! Now I have an excuse to grow some weeds. I'd like to add that Clementine WILL be nursing any offspring, and they will get first dibs on her supply. I'm too much of a lactivist to bottle-feed any kids, my own or otherwise, if I can avoid it. I'm already hot composting the "nanny berries" ;-) They're such incredible creatures, doing so much with so little.  In one of my books on goats, it says that many people more people would have died during the world wars of the 20th century, had it not been for goats, one of whom could turn weeds and tree leaves into enough milk to save a family from starvation.  I admire any such animal.

They're only on tethers temporarily, and under a great deal of supervision, until the pens and super de-lux stable area get built. They will be spoiled and greatly rewarded for sharing their bounty. Now the male? He's like her... pampered valet.

Meriwether looks adorably devilish with horns, may I add. Thank you to everyone who shared their opinion on dehorning earlier. It gave me much to think about.

Ah, I'm blissful. Just look at that curious little kid peeking out the door. Is it my imagination, or is Meriwether ticklish in the cleft in his hoof?

In the last week, my diet has gone through a total overhaul. Things I loved a week ago I can't eat anymore, I'm suddenly cooking everything I eat myself (nothing processed or pre-packaged), and I have to be so much more conscious of what I put in my body. The extra work isn't bad, though -- if anything, I feel empowered and content. I make my first loaf of bread yesterday for dinner and saved a couple of slices to make myself an open-faced veggie sandwich for work. I'm still amazed and impressed at just how good it was, just how EASY it was, and how good it felt to open up my lunch bag and realize that everything I was eating I had made myself. (OK, it's not like I made the mozzerella myself, or pressed the olive oil, but I'm guessing you all know what I mean! I cut up and cooked the eggplant and tomato, baked the bread, sliced the mozzerella, assembled the sandwich, and used oregano from a pot on my deck.)

The issue that I'm coming up against now is that I honestly don't know how to figure out what a "healthy" diet is. I found this post in the memories, but I'm not looking to debate WHAT is healthy, so much as HOW to figure out what's healthy for a certain individual. I have a better idea what my body needs then the normal layman does, but that's not saying much. Every person has different dietary needs... How do I go about figuring out what mine are? And if it really is a trial-and-error situation, what should I be looking for as symptoms of food I can't tolerate so well?

And does anyone know how I can figure out what amino acids are in what veggies? Google isn't helping, and neither did my Bio-Chem teacher last year. I haven't eaten any meat in a week and a half, and I'd like to continue that, but I'm worried that I'm going to miss, or not get enough of, something my body needs to function.

Really quick; just wanted to thank the people who advised me on my hardwood floor issue. They are oiled up and looking nicer and I bought some of that method floor stuff for my mopping.


Now for the real question. Back in January, me and my friends made a body scrub out of sea salt, honey and fresh ground cloves. It was awesome. I though I had used it all up but I just found one last jar in the back of my cabinet. The parts have kind of separated but it smells fine. The ingredients are known for their ability to not spoil but I'm still curious. I assume the cloves, sitting so long, have released more oil and made the mix more potent. Would it still be safe to use?

 Does anyone take coconut oil as daily supplement?  My partner has been reading about how it speeds up your metabolism and can help regulate blood sugar.  Has anyone heard good or bad about this?
Thanks!

So, I think I'm recovering from a UTI or still have one (go in for a second urine test next week to make sure) and my grandmother is saying that I should be drinking something to 'help me along'. It's a mix of about a pint of water, two tablespoons (or so, doesn't seem to be an exact science) apple cider vinegar, and honey.

Apparently, you mix the water and apple cider vinegar, then heat it up. Then add the honey until the bottom of the glass has a thin layer, and stir well. Then drink it all as fast as possible.

Would this actually do anything?

Mom just discovered she's got moderate arthritis in her hip, so we've both been recommended to start taking Boswella (or Boswellia). I've never heard of it or run across it in any of the info I've looked up before. Does anybody here have any experience with it, as far as helping with joint pain/inflammation, etc? 

My body waxer uses this fantastically unique wax that is sugar based. The thing that makes it unique is that it does not require the use of removal strips. It is a very thick, almost gooey texture that my waxer uses her hands to apply and remove. It doesn't harden, it just lathes on and is pulled off. This stuff works better on me than any wax I have tried before.

I was talking to my waxer about it and how unique I think it is, and she told me she buys it from a middle eastern woman who makes it in her home then sells it to some few body waxers. My waxer has no idea what is in it, and none of the recipes I am finding on the net are helping me to make it at home.

SO! Do any of you know how to make a leg wax at home that is natural-based, thick, gooey and strip-free?

x-posted to hip_domestics

ETA Thanks! I found the recipe with use instructions. I appreciate the help!

I really don't think anyone bought into our recent "cancer screenings and treatments are pointless and you'll heal all by yourself!" post, but I just REALLY want to cover the bases because this is a very serious subject.

Early detection of cancer maximizes your chances for recovery
The only way to detect cancer, PERIOD, is to have a screening. Having routine screenings, even when you are asymptomatic, can still catch early-onset cancer. If you wait until you have symptoms to get checked out, it's quite possibly too late for you and you will DIE. (That's right, kick the bucket, bite the dust, buy the farm, go belly up, kaput: DEAD.)

Cancer does NOT cure itself
Maybe in some .00006567% of patients, but not you, not your mom, not your brother, not your children, and not even your dog.
It's not gonna be miraculously healed, period.
I personally don't always agree with conventional western medicine, but it does have its merits and its place. THIS IS ONE OF THEM!
If you have cancer, you need to see a doctor and receive treatment!
Natural methods remedies may help aid your treatment, or even reduce the unpleasant side effects, but they aren't going to cure you alone.
(Edited for clairty: I am not advocating a specific form of treatment, I am not a physician! I am simply saying that you need to go see one - after you've actually gone through with a screening and had it and other followup tests lead to a diagnosis - and discuss treatment options with them before you chose which ones you would like to undergo or decide to completely forego treatment altogether AFTER you're completely educated as to what that entails.)

Cancer treatments may suck royal bum, but let's see... die from cancer, or maybe get healed by putting up with some treatments that are going to run you through hell and back for a bit?
If you're wanting to kill yourself, I can think of far more pleasant ways to end it all than sitting there letting cancer eat away at you for months. Try Google for tips if you're really unsure. For those who want to survive, SEE YOUR DOCTOR!
(Edit: yes, I am being alarmist!)

A negative screening does not mean you didn't benefit
Count your lucky stars, you don't have cancer, and you know it! I'd say that's a pretty good benefit!
And again, if you DO have cancer, the only way they can know for sure is to........ *drumroll please*...... DO A SCREENING!

False positives do not lead to unnecessary treatment
They might send you up for a scare, but no doctor is going to use one little test to diagnose you with cancer and start an invasive treatment regimen.
When you have further tests and they don't find cancer, you can feel relieved!



Finally, we allow people to make posts about some questionable practices, like the Master Cleanse or foregoing vaccinations, but we cannot allow members to post comments that can seriously jeopardize the lives of others. If you want to claim cancer can cure itself, you need to provide multiple, current, peer-reviewed sources, as required by our community guidelines.

And just so you know: If you post a bunch of crockery, expect to have this pointed out to you very quickly by multiple community members. If you can't back your statements with credible sources, you probably shouldn't be posting about it in the first place.

for over a week now, i've had some trapped fluid in my left ear and can notice it when i yawn and sometimes other times as well. i thought it would go away, but it hasn't.
i am afraid for it to turn into an infection.

what actually helps? does hot compress? and if so, applied to where?
will a neti pot help or hurt?
i'm too worried to put any kind of drops in my ear.

i don't know how this happened, but i have to wear ear plugs a lot during my sleep because i live in an old duplex and can hear when the upstairs neighbor is vacuuming, listening to music, walking around, etc.

I was recently diagnosed with IBS. I have terrible stomach pain and constipation.
Does anyone have natural remedies for constipation? and instant relief from constipation? (I've already tried prunes, prune juice, I drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day, stray from fried/fatty foods...)

I love fresh avocado on my salads and sandwiches, but I hate only using one half and having the other half go bad in the meantime.  I have tried putting it in an airtight container both in the fridge and the freezer:  it goes bad in hours in the fridge and goes bad as soon as it defrosts after freezer storage.  Am I doing something wrong here, or is it just not possible to store it once it's been cut?   

Both my friend and I are currently battling (and losing) ground ivy in our gardens. It seems that the faster we pull it up, the quicker it grows. He put down some weed blocking material but the ground ivy is still growing like the dickens, only it becomes yellow and dry. It's still growing though!

Is there anything we can do that will kill/stop the weeds without killing the veggies? For example, I know one of my favorite things ever, vinegar, will kill weeds, and I use that in between sidewalk cracks and stuff, but will the vinegar seep through the soil and kill the plants that I do want to keep?



Also, another weed I have identified as growing in the garden is either smartweed or Ladysthumb. I know they are similar but I keep reading conflicting reports on which one is which and how beneficial they are. This particular weed has the lanceolate leaves with a purple watermark. It hasn't had the opportunity to grow enough to flower yet, though. What can I do with this weed, if anything? I hate to just pluck things and get rid of them if they can be beneficial to the surrounding wildlife.

Has anyone bought oxy-powder, colon cleanse? your thoughts?

also, i think i'm allergic to soy. i've stopped eating meat for about a month and a half and my stomach's been weird since. mostly my stomach is uneasy a lot, i'm gassy and sometimes i'm constipated. ugh.

Is anyone here Polish or Lithuanian or have a good knowledge of Polish foods?

I am transitioning my family on to a strictly whole foods diet, but my resources are limited here in Ireland, lots of fresh meat/veg/dairy, but not much pantry fillers. There is a good Polish/Lithuanian supermarket in my area, though, and I had a look around and there was a lot of interesting stuff there, but little of it is labelled in English.

Is there anything you could recommend I look out for there? There were a lot of beans and grains, and all kinds of pickled foods. There were some milk products that looked interesting, something maybe like smetana? And also kefir. They had no produce.

Anyway, if anyone can recommend some interesting foods to look out for and how they are prepared/served, that would be terrific. I would love to explore some new foods but I feel like a pest asking what every single item in the shop is. If I could get some recommendations, I could write them down and bring a list. Thanks!

I use shampoo and conditioner bars from Hidden Valley Handcrafts to wash my hair. But my scalp still itches incessantly.

Seeing as I have eczema elsewhere I can only assume my scalp suffers a similar fate. What can I do to relieve the itching? I'd like it to heal up sometime. :(

I love the smell of lemon balm. (Lemon Froot Loops on a bush)

I have never had any luck making tea with it. Anyone have any tips? or recipes?

Also, has anyone made essential oil with it?