6 Tricks to Prevent the Travel Sicks

When you’re on vacation, don’t let motion sickness spoil your good time! If you tend to turn green in a car or suffer from seasickness on a boat, then these tips have your name written all over them: 

Book the bigger ship. Try a big ship cruise, rather than that romantic bareboat charter. The bigger the boat, the more stable it is in the water. And that will make you feel more stable, too.

Carefully select your seat. Sit in the most stable section of a moving vehicle—midship on a boat, the middle of a bus, over the wings in a plane, the first car of a train, and the front seat of a car.
Face forward. Don’t ride backward on a train or a boat. If you face forward, you’re more likely to prevent motion sickness.
Ban odor. Avoid strong odors as much as possible before and during trips. On road trips, don’t get in the car with fast food. And keep the fresh air flowing. If you are sealed up in a plane, make sure the air vent over your seat is working.

Don’t read. Reading while in motion can make you queasy, so don’t follow the trip’s progress by staring at the map or pass the time by delving into a book.

Calm the queasiness. If, no matter how hard you try, you still wind up with an upset stomach, try these quick tricks to soothe it:

• Sip only clear liquids such as ginger ale, plain water, or soothing teas.
• Make ginger tea by boiling a quarter-size piece of ginger in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes.
• Grab an uncut lemon, and scratch into the peel. Now sniff the clean, fresh citrus scent.
• When your appetite returns, opt for bland food, such as applesauce, plain rice, or dry toast.
• Note: If your nausea is accompanied by chest pain, sweating, or shortness of breath, call your doctor right away. These symptoms could indicate a heart attack.

For more quick cures and travel tips, check out our bestselling book, Live Rich, Spend Smart, and Enjoy Your Retirement! You can even try it FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Dandelions are Delicious

You might think that dandelions are nothing but pesky weeds. But having a patch of those flowers growing in your yard is like having a goldmine right on your doorstep! In fact, as long as your lawn isn’t chemically treated*, you can eat every part of a dandelion plant—and it can be especially effective against indigestion, kidney, and liver problems. Try tossing young dandelion leaves in salads, steam them, or whip up one of these tasty beverages:

Dandelion Tea. Boil 2 teaspoons of fresh, chopped dandelion roots and leaves with ½ cup of spring water in a pan. Remove the pan from the heat, let the liquid steep for 15 minutes, and strain before drinking. Make a cup two or three times a day.

Dandy Dandelion Wine. Mix the juice and rinds of 4 lemons and 4 oranges with a gallon bucketful of dandelion blooms (no stems) and 2 gallons of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue boiling for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then strain the mixture into a large glass jar, and stir in eight cups of sugar and 1 package of baker’s yeast. Cover the container, and leave it in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Then strain again before serving.

For more delicious, dandy recipes to boost your health and well-being, check out our bestselling book, Grow Younger, Live Longer! You can even try it out for 21 days with our Free Preview.

*Be sure to only use dandelions from unsprayed lawns. Always rinse dandelion plants before consuming or adding to any recipes.

Got Allergies?

This spring’s pollen count is bringing misery to allergy sufferers around the country—so it’s time to take a stand! Check out these quick-fix solutions: 

• If a bowl of hot-and-sour soup or a dish of spicy chili doesn’t clear your stuffy nose, probably nothing will. Spicy, hot food clears out blocked nasal passages and loosens mucus.
• Horseradish clears passages from the nose right up into the sinuses. This is a powerful potion that’s best taken raw: Just grate some horseradish into a glass of tomato juice, mix it up with your favorite salsa, or eat it right off the stalk!
• Use eucalyptus soap in your daily shower. The scent and hot steam will open your clogged nasal passages.
• Soak a washcloth in the hottest water you can stand, wring it out, and lay it across your nose and sinuses for a while. If you keep the cloth as hot as you can, it’ll loosen and liquefy mucus. 

For even more healthy hints that’ll have you feelin’ fine in no time, check out our bestselling book, Top 25 Homemade Healers. You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview!

Heal an Aching Back

Few conditions can be more troublesome than persistent back pain. So if you’re feeling stiff and achy, try one or more of these five simple strategies that’ll get your back healthy in a hurry:

• Apply a cold pack as soon as your back starts hurting. Cool the area for about 20 minutes, and repeat every few hours for at least a day after the pain begins.

• Find a comfortable position (or more than one) that puts the least amount of strain on your sore muscles. This will help your back heal as quickly as possible.

• Take aspirin or ibuprofen. They target your pain directly, and they also have anti-inflammatory effects, which reduce painful swelling. They often work just as well for back pain as prescription drugs do.

• Get up and moving as soon as you can to increase circulation and bring healing nutrients to damaged muscles. Lying in bed can make your suffering muscles weaker and tighter.

• Wear shoes with plenty of cushioning. Cross-training or walking shoes are just what the doctor ordered.

For hundreds more pain-busting solutions and remedies, try our bestselling book, The Anti-Pain Plan. Whether it’s a bad back, a stiff knee, or a queasy stomach that’s keeping you from enjoying life to its fullest, this book’s got you covered! You can even try it FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview.

Under Pressure?

Did you know that sharing time with your pet can lower your blood pressure? In fact, just 10 minutes spent with Fido or Fluffy before you head to the office could lower your stress levels and help to keep your blood pressure stable for the entirety of your workday!

If you suffer from high blood pressure, we have a ton of terrific tricks that could help keep you in the safe zone. You may even be able to lower the doses of prescription meds you need to take! (Note: It is always recommended to check with your doctor before trying these or any other at-home treatments.)

Hold hands. Touching a loved one’s hands lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which constricts your blood vessels and bumps up your blood pressure. And the longer you hang on, the better!

Snack on celery. A component in celery (3-n-butylphthalide) serves as a diuretic and vasodilator, which in layman’s terms means that it can help to relax the muscles lining your blood vessels. Try crunching through four stalks a day to reap the full benefits.

Open the sesame! Because it's loaded with unsaturated fatty acids and calcium, sesame oil may help to reduce your dose of calcium channel blockers. Swallow 2 tablespoons each day for two months, and then have your blood pressure checked. If it has gone down, ask your doctor about cutting down your drug dosage, too.

For more fantastic ways to tackle high blood pressure and hundreds of other everyday ailments, check out our book, Amazing Antidotes. You can even try it out for FREE with our 21-Day Free Preview. There’s absolutely NO RISK, so what are you waiting for?!

Three Cheers for Beers!

After your Super Bowl bash this Sunday, you might have more beer sitting around than you know what to do with! Here are some handy homemade helpers to use up those leftover libations:

Shiny Hair. Mix 3 cups of beer (any brand or kind will do fine) with 1 cup of warm water, and use the solution as a final rinse after you shampoo. Blot gently with a towel. And don’t worry—you won’t smell like a brewery—the aroma will disappear as your hair dries.

Eliminate Dandruff. Just add a good squirt or two of beer to your regular shampoo to get rid of dandruff. Hops is an old-time cure for those pesky flakes!

Have a Soak. After a long, hard day, relax in a beer bath to soothe your spirits and soften your skin. Just pour three bottles of brew into a tub of hot water, settle in, and think lovely thoughts!

Also, did you know that having a beer once in a while in moderation can actually improve your health? That's right. Scientific studies have shown that it can reduce your likelihood of a stroke, vascular disease, or heart problems. So you can also drink one or two of those extras with no worries! (If you have a health condition or on any medications of any kind, make sure to check with your doctor before consuming any alcoholic beverages.)

For more easy DIY tips and tricks, check out our bestselling book, Healing Remedies Hiding in Your Kitchen! It's loaded with tons of DIY recipes and remedies that use ordinary household products to improve your health, beauty, and overall well-being. You can even try it out for FREE for a full 21 days with our exclusive Free Preview offer!

It’s Time to Ditch Dishwasher Germs!

You probably think of your dishwasher as a handy kitchen appliance that you can’t live without. But it’s so much more than that—it’s also your best defense against kitchen contaminants, as long as you’ve kept your “dry” cycle turned on. That “dry” cycle reaches a temperature of at least 170°F, which is the magic number when it comes to attacking harmful microbes that may be hanging onto your dishware. So if you’ve turned your “dry” cycle off in an effort to save energy, do yourself a favor, and switch it back on!

Also be sure to clean your dishwasher between cycles. Here’s a few easy ways to do so:

• Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into a sturdy mug or bowl, set it in the top rack of your dishwasher, and run through a cycle on the hottest setting—with nothing else inside.
• Cut greasy crud with a simple bleach treatment. Pour 1 cup of bleach into the bottom surface, and run it through a full cycle.
• To tackle mineral deposits, use the bleach treatment (above), then when the cycle is finished, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bottom, and run it through again.
• Freshen up the insides by using Coca-Cola® to clean up the crud. Pour a 2-liter bottle of the real thing (use the “classic,” not diet, version) into the bottom of your machine, and run it through a full cycle. And if the bottom tray is really grungy, let it soak for a few minutes before you start the cycle.
• Denture-cleaning tablets will dissolve dishwasher grime in no time at all. So if you have plenty of tablets on hand, drop a couple in the bottom of your empty dishwasher, and run it through a regular cycle.

For more tips, tricks, and tonics for cleaning everything in your home, check out our bestselling book, Speed Cleaning Secrets! You can even try it out for FREE with our 21-day Free Preview!

Smart Eating Solutions

How are your New Year’s Resolutions holding up? If, like many others, your goal was to lose a few pounds, try not to give up! It might seem tough right now, but the more you stick with it, the easier it will be. And you can use a few easy tricks to help yourself along the way:

Brush your teeth right after a meal. The minty flavor of the toothpaste will help satisfy your sweet tooth.

Drink more water. If you have a glass before every meal, you’ll improve your digestion and feel fuller longer!

Avoid distracted dining. Turn off the TV, set aside your smartphone, and savor your food—you’ll be less likely to overeat.

Eat with your other hand. Studies have found that if you use your non-dominant hand, you’ll eat 30 percent less food.

Savor the smells. Frequently sniff an apple or a banana, and you’ll trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten.

Use a bowl. Never eat directly from the package. It’s too easy to mindlessly munch and consume more than you intended!

For more terrific tips to help you whittle your waistline and stay fit as a fiddle, check out our bestselling book, Amazing Antidotes! You can even try it out FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview.

Soothe Winter Skin Woes

Winter has settled in for the long haul, and if you’re skin is feeling dry, crackly, and papery, you’re not alone! As we get older, the outermost layer of our skin naturally loses some of its ability to hold water. While we can’t control the normal aging process, we can control many other factors that contribute to dry winter skin, such as indoor heat, prolonged exposure to damp and icy outdoor elements, and long, hot baths. Try cutting down on these a bit, and you’re skin might just thank you.

You can also try these a few easy tricks to get your skin from dry to dewy. Here are three of our favorite DIY solutions you can make right at home:

Almond or Sunflower Oil. After bathing, while your skin’s still damp, coat it with almond or sunflower oil. You can also add a few drops of lavender oil to the mix before rubbing it in, if you’d like.

Homemade Honey Lotion. Make a mixture of equal parts honey and milk, then toss it in the blender and add some apricots, avocado, and/or coconut oil. Massage it into your skin from head to toe as you would a body lotion.

Oatmeal Body Mask. Make a big pot of oatmeal, let it cool a bit, and slather it on your already-oiled skin from head to toe. When it’s dry, rinse it off in a warm shower.

For more amazing recipes and remedies that’ll keep your skin in tip-top shape, check out our newest book, Grow Younger, Live Longer! You can even try it out for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Mustard Cold Cures

If you’ve got that awful wintertime cold that's going around, you don’t have to sit around and suffer. Instead, just grab a jar of mustard! That’s right—if you think of mustard as simply a good topping for a ballpark hot dog, you’re in for a surprise. That sunshine-yellow condiment has all sorts of healing powers. It can crush a cough, stomp out a stuffy nose, and even clear out chest congestion! Here’s how to tap into mustard’s amazing cold-curing superpowers:

Crush a cough. Those little packets of hot mustard that come with your Chinese takeout will get rid of mucus in your lungs and sinuses, and will help ease your hacking! Simply squeeze a packet over chicken, sausage, eggs, or whatever else you’d like.

Stomp out a stuffy nose. When your nose and head are clogged to the max, feel better fast with this quick-trick. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of mustard or horseradish on three or four thin slices of ginger or garlic, and eat up. By the time you’re done, you'll be breathing easy!

Clear out chest congestion. Just add a few drops of water to a bit of dry mustard to create a thin paste, then apply it to your chest. Cover the area with a layer of flannel and a heating pad set on low. Lift a corner of the cloth and pad every 5 minutes to check for redness. Wash the paste off promptly after a total of 15 minutes, or immediately if you experience any redness or irritation.

For more quick healing fixes you can whip up right at home, try our bestselling book, Kitchen Counter Cures. It's jam-packed full of recipes, remedies, tips, and tricks to boost your health, happiness, and more. You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview!

Soothe Seasonal Stress

Happy Holidays! Here’s hoping you had a terrific week, filled with family, friends, and laughter. And now you can finally take a break from the rush of last-minute gifts, out-of-town visitors, cooking, baking, and the never-ending stack of dirty dishes. Here’s how to relieve stress and relax before the start of the New Year:

Soak away the tension. A long, hot bath will have you relaxed in no time. Add mood-boosting, calming essential oils to your bathwater, such as lavender, bergamot, chamomile, and rose, all of which are available at health food stores.

Work in a workout. Take a brisk 30-minute walk outside. The fresh air and time to yourself will do you good and is naturally stress-relieving and calming.

Eat good mood food. Tryptophan-rich foods, such as turkey, chicken, fish, dairy products, soybeans, nuts, and avocados can ease stress. So spread some guacamole on a chicken sandwich, or grab a handful of almonds, and snack away!

Get better sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, try the soothing scent of lavender. Keep a vase of dried lavender on your bedside table, spritz your pillowcase with cooled lavender tea, or tuck a small pouch of dried lavender under your pillow.

For more super solutions for stressing less, check out our bestselling book, Amazing Antidotes. It’s the next best thing to having your own personal physician on call 24/7! And, you can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview.

It's a Pumpkin Muffin Kind of Morning!

Here’s a terrific breakfast treat that’s sure to be a hit on any Fall morning. These Pumpkin Muffins taste and smell sinfully delicious, but the truth is, they’re good enough to be a part of a healthy, whole-grain diet because, believe it or not, they are only 159 calories each!

1½ cups white whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup honey

3 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, pumpkin, honey, and oil, until well blended. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir just until mixed. Fold in the raisins, and ladle the batter into the paper liners. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Enjoy!

For more tasty recipes that'll keep you healthy as a horse, check out our bestselling book, Grow Younger, Live Longer. It's got tons of tips and tricks that'll keep you young, healthy, and happy for years to come. You can even try it out for FREE with our Free Preview!

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Last week, we gave you five fabulous recipes using pumpkin…This week, we’re shining a spotlight onto Fall’s other star ingredient: Apples! So get out to your local apple orchard (or maybe just your backyard!) and pick a basket-full. Then, make up one of these dandy apple dishes…

Cheesy Apple English Muffin: Open an English muffin and place 2 apple slices on each side. Cover the apples with 2 slices of reduced-fat cheddar cheese, and toast in a toaster oven or under a broiler until the cheese is melted.

Roasted Apple Salad: Peel 2 apples, and slice them into wedges. Toss the apples with 2 tsp. of olive oil and ¼ tsp. of thyme. Bake the apples for 25-30 minutes at 400°F, turning once halfway through. Then, remove the apples, and let them cool. Toss 3 cups of spinach and 6 cups of mixed baby greens together, and drizzle with ½ cup of red wine vinaigrette dressing. Top with the roasted apples, 2/3 cup of shredded Swiss cheese, and ¼ cup chopped walnuts. (Makes 6 servings)

Chunky French Applesauce: Cut 1 apple into bite-sized chunks. Place the apple into a saucepan with a third cup of raisins, ¼ cup of chopped walnuts, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground nutmeg, and ½ cup of water. Bring everything to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cold over the top of grilled pork chops. (Makes 4 servings)

Amazing Apple Crisp: Peel, core, and slice 6 apples. Mix the apples in a bowl with ¾ cup of sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. flour, and 1 tsp. cinnamon, then spread the mixture over a lightly greased 9-inch square pan. In another bowl, combine 1 cup of old-fashioned oats, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup melted butter, and ¼ tsp. baking soda. Mix well. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F and serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream. (Makes 8 servings)

For more delicious dishes that’ll also help keep you healthy at any age, check out our bestselling book, Grow Younger, Live Longer—See Chapter 8 for a whole bunch of family-friendly recipes! You can even try it out FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview.

4 Smashing Recipes (Starring Pumpkin)

Boo! Get ready for the spookiest time of the year—that’s right; Halloween is almost here. And what says “Happy Halloween” better than pumpkin, especially when it's on your plate!

Earlier, we covered how to prep and cook a pumpkin. If you missed it, head over to Jerry Baker Home, Health, and Garden on Facebook. (And while you’re there, don’t forget to like, follow, and share our page, too!)

Now that your pumpkin is out of the oven and pureed, you can pop it into containers and freeze it for later use, or you can enjoy it right away in one of these four tasty and amazing ways:

• Savory Pumpkin Mash: Stir your mashed pumpkin with a little margarine, ground cinnamon, and skim milk, and eat it instead of plain old mashed potatoes. It goes perfectly with grilled poultry!
• Sweet Pumpkin Puree: Sprinkle your pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie spice and chopped toasted pecans. Serve it with pork tenderloin for a delicious Fall dinner.
• Pumpkin Pot Roast: Add a little salt and pepper to your pureed pumpkin, then pour it over lean pot roast like a gravy. So easy, so quick, and so yummy.
• Berry Good Pumpkin Bowl: Season a bowl of warm pumpkin with ground ginger, and stir in some raisins or dried cranberries. Top with slices of baked chicken, and dig in!

Don’t worry, we’re not done yet—we’ve also got the best pumpkin seed recipe ever! These tiny treats are the perfect snack to munch on this season. And they’re also a good, concentrated source of zinc, a critical virus-fighter! Here’s how to make ‘em:

• The Tastiest Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Separate the seeds from any remaining pumpkin pulp by running them under water. Then, spread the seeds out on a cooking sheet in a single layer. Coat them with non-stick cooking spray, and sprinkle them lightly with salt (or garlic salt, if you’d like). Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes or so, until toasted. Then gobble ‘em up!

We hope you enjoy these Fall Favorites! And for more tummy tempting ideas that’ll keep you in the pink of health, check out our bestselling book, Homemade Health. You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview!

Wallet-Friendly Fruits and Veggies

The end of summer is ripe with fantastic fruits and vegetables that are farm fresh, either from your local farmers’ market or grocery store produce aisle. And not only are the current crop wallet-friendly, they also taste their juiciest best! Here are the 5 best fruits and veggies you can buy fresh right now.

1. Apples. Crispy, crunchy, sweet, and tangy, apples top the list of most folks’ favorite fruits. For the next few months, you’re sure to find your favorite variety readily available, and at its peak of ripeness. Scrub the skin clean and bite right in, or slice a few and add ‘em to a leafy green salad.
2. Blueberries. These tasty treats are loaded with antioxidants that’ll help keep you in the pink of health. Eat them by the handful, or whirl them into a frozen yogurt smoothie.
3. Cucumbers. Sure, you can find cukes year-round at the supermarket, but bagging them at your local farmers’ market makes ‘em taste extra fresh. Add thin slices to your sandwich to add zest and crunch, or toss them in a cold pasta salad for a late summer side dish.
4. Nectarines. Summer’s sunniest delights are so juicy, sweet, and delicious, it’s hard to believe they’re good for you, too. But they are! Nectarines are loaded with beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamins A and C. Take a bite and get the juices flowing! Or finely chop one and stir the morsels into fiery salsa for a sweet-hot sensation that’s out of this world.
5. Tomatoes. There’s nothing quite like biting into a tomato that’s still warm from the garden. But don’t worry if you didn’t grow your own this summer—just head out to the farmers’ market and bring home a bagful. Then slice ‘em, dice ‘em, and let ‘em brighten up your salads, pastas, and burgers.

For more ways to eat healthy without busting your budget, check out our bestselling book, It Pays to Be Cheap! Try it out for FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview. And don't forget to check out our website, and sign up for our Free E-Newsletter for exclusive special offers, new products, and more!

Can’t Get Enough Cantaloupe!

A slice of fresh, juicy cantaloupe is a tasty summertime treat.  Nothing beats an ice-cold wedge of it for instant refreshment after a long, hot run, walk, or your daily workout. But the sweet flesh of this melon is a lot more than just good eating—it’s surprisingly low in calories and high in health benefits.  At just 48 fat-free calories per cup, and packed with beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and potassium, it is one of nature’s best body-bolstering and cancer-battling foods around.

So how do you select the sweetest and juiciest of these mouthwatering melons? Here’s what to do:

• Look for an evenly shaped melon, without dents, bruises, cuts, or discoloration.
•  Check out the color of the skin under the netting—it should be glowing golden.
•  Look for a melon that’s smooth and well-rounded at the stem end. Unlike other ripe melons, which have a bit of vine attached, ripe cantaloupes are free of the stem attachment.
• Choose a melon that’s heavy for its size—the sign of juiciness.
• Give it the sniff test—it should smell sweet, fresh, and fragrantly musky.

Want to discover more amazing health secrets and healing powers of delicious foods found right in your own kitchen? Check out our Giant Book of Kitchen Counter Cures—FREE for 21 days! And don’t forget to visit our website and sign up for our Free E-newsletter—you’ll get an exclusive special offer right off the bat!

4 Easy Ways to Ease Allergies

Between one lawn mowing and the next, huge amounts of pollen, dust, and dirt can blow onto your grass from who-knows-where. And, then when you mow, you get clobbered with a cloud of it right in your face! But don’t worry. Here are a few easy ways to ease your allergies on mowing day—and all summer long:

Mask your mug. Protect yourself by wearing an inexpensive face mask (available at any drugstore) every time you head outside to mow.
Shut ‘em up. Close your windows before you start mowing, and leave them closed for a few hours after the job is done. And this means all windows, not just those on the ground floor. 

Mow low. Keep your grass cut to a height less than 2 inches. 

Rely on shower power. As soon as you’re done mowing, hit the shower to shampoo and soap away all the pollen that’s clinging to your hair and skin.

For even more lawn-lovin’ tips, tricks, and tonics, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns. You can also try it FREE for 21 days by visiting our website. And make sure to sign up for our Free E-newsletter while you’re at it!

Watermelon: The Official Fruit of Summer

The perfect treat for summer is a sweet, juicy wedge of ripe watermelon. Munch on a big chunk after a game of tennis or a long, hot afternoon of yard work. The mighty melon is 90% water, so it goes a long way toward quenching your thirst. Plus, the natural sugars will boost your energy and get your blood sugar back to normal.

But when you’re shopping for melons, go for the seedless variety! While seedless melons won’t win any seed-spitting contests, they are a favorite of health-conscious eaters. That’s because seedless varieties of watermelon contain more cancer-fighting lycopene than the seedy kind!

Here are a few recipes to whip up this summer starring wonderful watermelon:

Creamy Watermelon Delight

1. In a blender, combine ½ cup of plain yogurt, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 cup of seedless watermelon cubes.
2. Blend on high to make a smooth sauce.
3. Pile an additional 2 cups of cubed watermelon into a tall parfait glass and pour on the sauce. Eat your treat with an iced-tea spoon.

 Fresh Watermelon Facial

1. Peel a slice of watermelon, and mash it in a bowl until it’s about the consistency of thin applesauce.
2. Wash your face so that it’s really clean.
3. Then spread the melon over your skin, making sure to avoid your eyes.
4. Lie down and put a piece of cheesecloth over the fruit to keep it from sliding off.
5. Relax and think lovely thoughts for 20 minutes or so, then rinse the mash off and pat your face dry.

For more about the wonders of watermelon, check out our bestselling book, Top 25 Homemade Healers. You can try it FREE for 21 days just by visiting our website.

Turn Your Garden into Butterfly Heaven

Study after study has shown that communing with nature improves folks’ mental and physical health—and even increases their productivity at work. But you don’t have to trek off on a photographic safari to enjoy these benefits.

Something as simple as watching butterflies flit around your backyard works just as well. They’ll show up in droves if you plant a wide assortment of nectar-rich flowers, but you’ll entice them even more quickly (and get a close-up view, besides) if you install a nectar feeder or two near your house.

You can buy special butterfly feeders, but my advice is, don’t waste your money! The reason: Nearly all of these devices come equipped with a moat that you fill with water, which is supposed to keep crawling insects out of the sweet syrup. But a lot of small butterflies also get trapped in the water, often with fatal results. 

Fortunately, there’s a simple—and safer—way to serve refreshments. Just get a thin, green, plastic-fiber scrubbing pad in the Laundry & Cleaning Products aisle, and saturate it with sugar water (1 part water to 4 parts white sugar is good). Set the pad on a plastic plate that you’ve screwed to a post or other flat surface.

Then sit back and wait for the show to begin!

Soothe Sunburned Skin and Treat Tired Feet

Spring has sprung, and with it comes time spent in the great outdoors. Whether you’re gardening, playing sports, or just enjoying a leisurely stroll in the sweet spring sunshine, make sure that you don't overdo it. But if you do, here are three salty solutions to treat your skin:

If you need fast sunburn relief, mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt in a glass of ice-cold milk. Sponge the solution onto your skin once or twice a day until the pain is gone. 

Soften your feet with a simple salt rub. Just add a few drops of your favorite scented oil to 2 tablespoons or so of warm water, and mix in enough salt to make a paste. Pat the mixture onto your feet, rub with a washcloth for 2 to 3 minutes, and rinse. You'll have a head start for when summer sandal time rolls around.

But what if your feet are just plain tired? Just soak ‘em in a basin of salty water for about 15 minutes or so. Use about 1 cup of salt per gallon of warm water for soothing relief.