Simple Living Guide: Plant your Plants in the Cheapest Planters on the Planet

Here’s the thing: I honestly can’t get out of my skin and have to be practical all the time. It must be a curse or something... Not being able to stay away from the flowers and herbs and veggies, I keep running out of planters over and over again. Unfortunately, the nearest store is not right across the street and as it’s really urgent to plant some new seeds I’ve just received in the mail (now!), I am forced to use my creativity.

First I realized how any kind of basket, made out of natural material is a great looking and useful planter. You probably have some around the house and have nothing to put in. Try to turn them into pots. Protect the inside with a plastic shopping bag (cut away the access on the top and punch a couple of holes in the bottom), fill up with potting soil and you have a new planter.

If the plastic bag showing around the rim of the basket bothers you, there’s an easy solution for that as well. Spread any kind of moss as mulch around the plant and your planter will have a perfectly natural, unique look. Rocks or pebbles make a nice (concealing) decoration, too. Besides, dollar stores are a rich source of the baskets of all sizes, shapes and materials.

On another occasion I needed considerably bigger container to plant some kind of a vegetable that grows roots deeply. Looking around desperately for something that could serve the purpose, my eye caught a styrofoam packaging from the meat I ordered online a little while ago. That was one happy discovery for me! With the small screwdriver I poked a few holes in the bottom and my perfect-size-container was ready to become a new home for my mini garden.

The third thing that’s probably lying around your storage room or basement is a styrofoam cooler. That one also makes a great planter. The big ones are large enough for planting a bush with some ground cover flowers around. Be careful when moving it from place to place, though. They break easily if you squish them from the side too much.

All three kinds of cheap (or free) planters described above should last at least a couple of seasons if you treat them right. If you don’t like the look of styrofoam, put this kind of container behind a nicer one or plant some hanging plants around the edges and your gardening success and happiness are (almost) guaranteed!

Simple Living Guide: Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:
· One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.
· For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…