• Home
  • Blog
  • Archive
  • Links
  • About
  • Guest Blogger
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Home and Garden Diva

  • Home and family
  • Health and Fitness
    • Beauty
  • Home Improvement
  • Entertainment
  • House and Home
You are here: Home / Archives for The Diva

Green Tea Health Benefits

by The Diva



If everyone knew of all the health benefits of green tea, the sales of green tea would spike immediately. The health benefits of green tea are important and substantial so people should consider making a cup of green tea every day a habit. According to legends, tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor about 5,000 years ago. This Chinese emperor was boiling water to the belief that it can become more potable and safer to drink. When suddenly a large gust of wind took over and blew the leaves into the water that’s boiling. By the combination of water and leaves, a brown mixture was fashioned. Reluctantly, the emperor discovered the mixture making a very fragrant aroma. The moment he tasted it, he described it to be agreeable. From that moment on, green tea was born. No matter how accurate this legend is, what’s important is that green tea have become one of the most popular drink in China.)


(More recently, the health benefits of green tea have been established by studies done by medical professionals and companies who produce green tea products. These studies do show that the health benefits of green tea can add to the longevity of those who drink this product.

Antioxidants in green tea are one of the main reasons why people are being enticed by it. By reducing incidences of increased cholesterol level in out body, it therefore reduces the body to experience hypertension and cardiac diseases. Studies also show that green tea can help minimize thrombosis formation which is also an associated factor to heart disease. When thrombosis goes into blood circulation, there will come a time when the thrombus will block the way of the blood that is supposed to go to the heart and this will compromise the heart with blood supply. Preventing thrombus formation is one very important effect of green tea.

Some say it’s impossible for green tea to affect bone diseases but the tea have proved them wrong because reports have it that green tea can prevent arthritis. Not only can green tea prevent arthritis from occurring but also eliminate the painful symptoms being contributed by the problem too. According to research on the
health benefits of green tea, it has a component that has the ability to reduce inflammation. Research also suggests that antioxidants have the capacity to delay any arthritic process that might occur and minimizing irritable symptoms as well.

Because liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion.

Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.

Filed Under: Cooking and Recipes Tagged With: green tea, green tea and cancer, green tea and weight loss, health benefits of green tea

Guide to Picking the Best Water Filter

by The Diva

Deciding which system works as the best water filter in a home will largely be a matter of opinion. However, when making the decision, knowing what to expect from a water filter can help to make tht decision more educated. The type of water filter one chooses will also depend on the type of problems one is having with the water and the quality of water he is willing and able to pay for.

There are different options when it comes to water filters. Some inexpensive ones simply remove some of the heavier particles that are suspended in the water.  This is important but may be inadequate. The best water filters (and often the more expensive units) are designed to remove the smallest microbes. Using reverse osmosis technology, filtering out bacteria as small as .01 microns is not uncommon.

Hidden in a water supply are often found more than mere sediment. Water could also contain harmful bacteria. The best water filter systems will not only remove sediment but also this invisible enemy.

Naturally, the more a filter system promises, the more it will cost. But cost should not necessarily be the bottom line. Microbes can affect the taste, odor, and appearance of the water, as well as its safety. The best water filters provide the safest water. So to choose what is the right system, it is best that all sources of water used for drinking or cooking be tested. City water must meet a minimum standard for particulates. But well water also needs to be checked.

For many people simply having a water filter through which water is run before drinking can provide comfort in believing their water is free of contaminants. For others getting the best water filter money can buy will be a necessity. In cases where the well or water supply is heavily contaminated with bacteria, even the best water filter may not be able to handle the dangerous microbes in the drinking water.

The best water filters use a combination of filtering and bacteria removing technology. An adequate filter removes contaminants of .4 microns or more. Units that also kill bacteria usually use electricity as well. Water containing excessive iron may also have a sulfur smell. Filtering alone may not remove this odor from the water.

Water softeners remove minerals in water that make it work poorly in cleaning. But softened water passing through a water filter may extend the life of the filter cartridge itself. What is the best water filter system? The answer to that can only be determined when the water is evaluated, and the minimum acceptable levels of contaminants is established.

Berkey Water Filters are the best line of activated charcoal filters we are aware of. Check out the Travel Berkey Water Filter or another model. One amazing feature is that each set of filters they ship with can be re-cleaned to purify up to 6,000 gallons of drinking water.

Filed Under: Cooking and Recipes Tagged With: berkey filter, berkey water filter, best water filter, best water filter system, best water filters

Canine Training Tips

by The Diva

Learning about dog training is the first step you take prior to actually training your dog. There are plenty of sources you can go to, but at times it just results in information overload.

Dog training isn’t really all that hard. An important thing to recall is that most dogs just want to make their owner happy. The issue is communication. Obviously there is a language barrier, and you need to get your pet to figure out what you want.

Canine training can be summed up with just a few tips. Lets take a look at some of the methods that I have used in order to train my dog, making both he and I happier.

Try to avoid the negatives that often come with training. Hitting or striking your dog, either by hand or with an object will only teach the dog to fear you. A stern verbal NO, is OK, but do not go any further physically, or you risk alienating your dog. Focusing on praise and rewards when your dog acts as he should is the better way to go.

Praising your dog will reinforce the correct behavior. Loving or petting your dog for acting positive behaviors is of course nice, but experience has shown better results happen when food treats are distributed at the time the behaviors observed. When you really think about it, food motivates humans, so to it works with our four legged friends.

Body movement can also influence your pet’s behavior. Many canines can actually can actually sense and read your body language before any verbal communication is given. A technique that works well in doing this is to match a verbal command with a particular movement of either the hand, arm, or even leg.

Refusing to give up is the final key to successful dog training. Sure at times it is frustrating. It would certainly be easier to give up, go sit on the couch and watch your Direct TV, but you need to be consistent in your training. Nobodys dog is going to train himself, and training always takes longer than you would like. It is so important to keep this in mind when things are difficult with your dog. Things won’t always fall into place, so don’t give up at the first sign of trouble.

Training your dog can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. Keeping these brief tips in mind will help you keep on track in your natural dog training efforts.

Filed Under: Pets Tagged With: animal training, canine, canine training, dog training, dogs, natural dog training, visual signals

The First Tasks in Painting a Room

by The Diva

Getting started on a new project is always the hardest part. One major reason for that, especially in the case of painting your house, is the knowledge barrier. There’s just so much to know to get the job done right. Read on and conquer the challenge between you and your home’s new look.

Color and Type Selection

Selecting the color and type of paint is number one on the list.

That’s a little harder than it sounds. You will need to find out whether you want oil or latex-based paints. Oil is generally preferred outside for its long lasting quality. Latex is often chosen indoors since it makes for easy clean up of stains. But there is no rule that applies all the time. For example, an interior room that gets lots of sunshine all day long will generally do better with an oil or alkyd-based paint.

Choosing a color is easier – if one person makes the choice. Apart from arguments over preference, there is still the difficult task of picking among lots of different shades. Many of them blend into one another and it can be hard to visualize the final result. Starting with a color palette on the computer is ok, but graduate quickly to a booklet of samples. The colors you seen on your laptop screen will be very different when they get on your wall.

Prep Work

Make sure you give yourself enough time to do the preparation work.

Painting, whether exterior or interior, is 80% preparation. Though you can paint large areas with a roller or sprayer quickly, there are always a hundred surfaces you don’t want painted. That means masking, laying down plastic or tarp, and other time-consuming preparation tasks.  Another key thing to remember to do is move all of your modern furniture out of the room, or at least cover it with drop cloths to avoid spilling paint on it.

There’s another type of preparation work that may take a little or a lot of time, depending on your surface. An exterior wall or trim can become cracked, oxidized and suffer other effects. Interiors can require patching of dents or holes, scrapes and similar defects. Going to all the expense and trouble of painting your house makes the extra work to do the prep worthwhile. That is, if you want the final result to look as close to new as possible.

Materials

Gather your materials.

Painting looks simple. But professionals earn their money in part because they know what the job takes and they have the tools to do it.

Paint and paint brushes or rollers are only two of the most obvious things you’ll need. But prep work may require sanding blocks and sandpaper, wood putty, spatulas and more. Painting requires either a complete spray kit or pans with stirring sticks~Painting requires either a total spray kit, or roller pans with stir sticks}. Thinner for oil-based paints is a must to remove ‘accidents’ and get paint to the desired consistency.  Just be sure if you get a spray kit, that you fully cover up your contemporary furniture, or you will regret it afterwards if you have to clean it.

But, once you have the basics down, and the prep work out of the way, the painting job can go by fast and easily. Not only do you save money by doing it yourself, but you get the satisfaction of seeing it done well, knowing you did it. Just flatten that knowledge hurdle and you’ll be jumping for joy.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home furnishings, painting

Bedroom Lighting Guidelines

by The Diva

Good bedroom lighting considers a careful mixture of practical and psychological factors. The average bedroom has so many different uses – relaxation, intimacy, study, morning preparation – that covering them all can be tricky.

We associate the bedroom with, among other things, sleep. That usually means no lights at all. This says that turning them off should not be a difficult thing to do. If you’ve been lying in bed reading it can be inconvenient to turn them off, especially if you’ve grown sleepy. A main control switch within reach is a great thing here.

That nighttime reading can be a hurtful on the eyes, causing fatigue and headaches. Banish the problem by installing lights in the proper places with the correct color.

Color? Does that mean you should get pink or blue light bulbs? No. Color, here, means ‘color temperature’. Good reading lights are designed to emulate the range of wavelengths given off by natural sunlight, which is determined in part by the temperature of the sun’s surface. Humans’ eyes evolved to be sharpest under those conditions. Getting bulbs and lamps labeled as close to that will provide comfortable reading conditions.

But sometimes, you just want a pleasant ambiance, not a practical light. That, too, should be thought about when coming up with the lighting scheme for the bedroom.

To provide a cheery atmosphere that also provides needed light to tie shoes, connect a tricky clasp, brush hair or do any other common task, place lamps appropriately. Here again keep the light above the eyes, but let it shine directly down. In a home with modern furniture its also important to make sure the light style matches the modern seating selected. Raising it too high creates deep shadows that can hinder makeup application, make clothing color judgment more difficult and so on. Too low and it gets in your eyes, making those chores harder. Choose a pleasing middle level.

Select and place lamps about a foot higher than where your eyes are, and allow them to reflect light off surfaces. That provides the well-known indirect light effect that gives a subdued atmosphere. Whether for romance or just a quiet time away from distractions, that produces a calming effect that is just right in the bedroom.

Morning time is when most people, both kids and adults, will be up and preparing to meet the day. But, depending on the time of the day and season of the year, the sun doesn’t always cooperate to provide the illumination needed. The way the house is oriented makes a big difference, too, so do any wall hangings, curtains or overhangs.

For overall illumination – for entering the room, vacuuming and a hundred other common tasks – a broad ambient lighting scheme is needed. A house with contemporary furniture can really benefit from a creative lighting style.  A central fixture with a strong lamp and a diffusing cover is often just the thing. For additional bedroom deisngs additional lighting pieces will be needed. There are often many corners, nooks and other places in a bedroom where deep shadows can hide.

For all of the above applications a dimmer switch, or at least multi-level bulbs, can allow for finer control of light and shadow. They can also allow for some small electricity savings if the light stays on for extended periods. A 300-watt halogen bulb can contribute a chunk to the monthly bill. Dimming it when lower illumination is enough slices that down.

Consider all the ways you use your bedroom and light accordingly.

Filed Under: Furniture, Home Improvement, Lighting Tagged With: bedroom, Furniture, Lighting

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 39
  • Next Page »

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Categories

Sites to Visits

pool leak detection – colin irons is the leader in pool repair and replacement

Recent Posts

  • How to Use and Maintain a Moroccan Rug
  • Bathroom Remodeling Requires A Plan Before Taking Any Actions
  • How To Update Your Kitchen Without Spending A Fortune?
  • Four Awesome Ways To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks
  • Boutique Real Estate: How Stephen Finfer and Others Are Revolutionizing the L.A. Housing Market
  • Improve Your Home With Window Furniture
  • The Male Guide To Jewellery

Recent Comments

  • The start of another Staycation — Home and Garden Diva on I can’t believe I have Arthritis in my knee
  • Making Sure Your Garden Is Safe This Summer — You are in My World Now on Keeping Your Pool Area Safe, Comfortable And Fun For All The Family!
  • Nicola Jackson on Turn Your House Into A Home By Making It As Comfortable As Possible To Live In
  • will on Turn Your House Into A Home By Making It As Comfortable As Possible To Live In
  • The Diva on Eight Tips For Home Office Design
  • The Diva on I think we need to do more renovations
  • Home and Garden Blogger on I think we need to do more renovations

Subscribe

Subscribe to our RSS Feed - FREE!
Subscribe by Email. It's FREE!
Follow me on Twitter!

Traffic Stats

0fdbcc8c9b8460df11a3387ae0a92e72-332

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Tags

basement bed bedroom clean cleaning clutter dog exercise family fitness flowers friends Furniture garden Health help home house husband ideas Kitchen laptop Lighting money Music neighborhood neighbors party plants room Shopping sick skin spring summer tips tired Toronto Travel tv Vacation walking warm winter work

Pages

  • About
  • Archive
  • Become a Guest Blogger For Home and Garden Diva
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Links
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in