Lower Cholesterol Naturally?

There are many herbal products that claim to reduce cholesterol. For a reality check on some of these go to:
http://cholesterol.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Alternative-treatments/Can-Supplements-Improve-Cholesterol-Levels-.htm. The news based on actual research findings is limited. Currently, I would bet on fish oil and a high fiber diet as the most effective natural options. Correlational studies, particularly when comparing Japan to other developed countries, suggest green tea may contribute to lowering cholesterol. The traditional Japanese diet, however, is overall much healthier than the average American diet, so the causal link to green tea and lower cholesterol is not apparent, though certainly suggestive of a positive relationship.

There currently seems to be no entirely side effect-free quick fixes. I lowered my cholesterol gradually by significantly increasing exercise and natural fiber into my diet (I make a super-healthy quick breakfast bread that is packed with generous quantities of wheat germ, wheat bran, and flaxseed meal), and reducing red meat consumption. Eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits daily is, of course, an important part of any health regime.

Protect Produce from Evening Diners

Lost a lovely cabbage to this guy last night. Today in L.A. you can find raccoons almost anywhere. I've heard they're traveling in storm drains and turning up all over the city.

The best deterrant for my garden so far is netting and floating row covers, secured carefully and thoroughly with clothes pins. What they can't see or access, they won't eat. All else is fair game and once they've discovered your food source, they'll likely come back, as will skunks, squirrels, and all other suburbanized and urbanized critters.

Alternatives for High Blood Pressure

No medical claims made here, but simply a report on what happened to me. After several side effect-laden tries at my doctor's prescriptions for high blood pressure several years ago, I searched for natural alternatives and found two that worked: Pycnogenol (made from French Maritime Bark; only grown in France, though widely available) and fresh olive tree leaf tea, long a Mediterranean solution.

Pycnogenol really worked me (for more on it, go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-pycnogenol.html). Along with exercise, a healthy diet, modest weight loss, and stress reduction, I now have perfect blood pressure. Today, I only use olive leaf tea, which is rich in additional benefits, such as antioxidants, immune system support, and caffeine-free energy. One interesting website to read about olive leaf tea is: http://www.olivus.com/yahoo.htm (there are many others, so do the research).

Grow your own olive tree in a corner of your garden! Prune regularly to keep size in check. Consider growing frutiing varieties if you want to preserve your own olives. Or, a non-bearing tree will work just as well for the tea. I keep mine to semi-darf size, as I do with all of my fruit trees so that I still have enough sun for the vegetable in my boxes.

Take your blood pressure regularly to monitor whether these alternatives work for you and do not go off prescription medications suddenly or without telling your doctor. Everyone responds differently to both prescriptions and natural alternatives. I'm just sharing these to suggest there are possible options IF you can also change your lifestyle.

A Fall Reflection

As winter comes and the pace of gardening slows, I allow my mind to reminisce; to reflect upon all of the beautiful places and the dearly loved people--young, old, since passed--that have become a part of my life. Thanks to heaven for them.

I treasure all of the good times shared outdoors and when I'm a little lonely I silently say: See you in the mountains where the fresh wind blows, the green flow of river soothes, and the carpeted path along the brook lifts the soul back to endless childhood. See you there!

Time to Empty Composter into Veggie Boxes

The vegetable boxes have been cleaned of old plant material and it's time for temperate climate home farmers to fill those boxes with the compost we've been making from our garden and kitchen waste. This free, rich, loamy soil is the best!

The next step is to mix this compost into the soil. I do this with my small Troy Built rototiller (my favorite one I've owned, and I've gone through four). See it at:  http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_91354_54974_-1. I will also sprinkle in a modest amount of cottonseed meal and rock potash to ensure nutrients are incorporated into the soil early.

Slow Farming During the Holidays!

In a previous post, I claimed the home farm need never be idle in Southern California (or in Hawaii, in the case of fellow blogger, my daughter, Debbie). Well, I did not take into account that this lone home farmer needs to take a break and concentrate on the holidays! And there are all those research papers this professor must read and undergrads to test. For all of these reasons, my garden has had a timeout.

Between rainfalls today, I wandered between my vegetable boxes and enjoyed finding little treats to take into the house, such as the last of the cherry tomatoes, a few bush beans, cilantro, lettuce, and a basketful of Chayote.

The fall colors all around me and the dark, moist soil with scattered leaves patterned intricately upon it, cause me to feel I ought to let the place rest a while. I think I'll just go inside and cozy  up and read Julia Childs' tomes and Alice Waters' wondrous recipes and dream about the vegetables I'll grow for the table come early spring.

Meanwhile, Hanalie Bay Deb is planning and readying her first-ever garden plot, which her husband is creating for her as a Christmas present. It will be exciting to hear how this all goes. She has ambitious plans to put out summer vegetables now. She can do that in her part of the world.