The 12 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism,Written by Alina Petre, MS, RD (CA)


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Certain foods can increase your metabolism.

The higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to maintain your weight or get rid of unwanted body fat.

Here are 12 foods that rev up your metabolism, which may help you lose weight.

1. Protein-Rich Foods




Research shows that protein-rich foods increase TEF the most. For example, they increase your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats (1).



BOTTOM LINE:Protein-rich foods can help boost your metabolism, maintain muscle mass and prevent you from overeating.

2. Iron, Zinc and Selenium-Rich Foods




To help your thyroid function to the best of its ability, include zinc, selenium and iron-rich foodslike meat, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds in your daily menu.

BOTTOM LINE:Foods rich in iron, zinc and selenium promote the proper function of your thyroid, which helps maintain a healthy metabolism.

3. Chili Peppers

Capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers, may boost your metabolism by increasing the number of calories and fat you burn.

In fact, a review of 20 research studies reports that capsaicin can help your body burn around 50 extra calories per day.

This effect was initially observed after taking 135–150 mg of capsaicin per day, but some studies report similar benefits with doses as low as 9–10 mg per day.

Moreover, capsaicin may have appetite-reducing properties.

According to a recent study, consuming 2 mg of capsaicin directly before each meal seems to reduce the number of calories consumed, especially from carbs .

That said, not all studies agree on capsaicin’s metabolism-boosting abilities.

BOTTOM LINE:Capsaicin, a compound found in chili peppers, may help slightly increase metabolism and fat oxidation.

4. Coffee

Studies report that the caffeine found in coffee can help increase metabolic rate by up to 11%.

In fact, six different studies found that people who consume at least 270 mg of caffeine daily, or the equivalent of about three cups of coffee, burn an extra 100 calories per day.



BOTTOM LINE:The caffeine found in coffee may help boost the amount of calories and fat your body burns. However, its effects may vary by individual.

5. Tea





BOTTOM LINE:The combination of caffeine and catechins found in tea may help your body burn slightly more calories and fat each day.

6. Legumes and Pulses




In turn, these friendly bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids, which may help your body use stored fat as energy and maintain normal blood sugar levels.

In one study, humans consuming a legume-rich diet for eight weeks experienced beneficial changes in metabolism and lost 1.5 times more weight than the control group.


In addition, peas, faba beans and lentils also contain substantial amounts of the amino acid glutamine, which may help increase the number of calories burned during digestion.

BOTTOM LINE:Legumes and pulses are high in protein, fiber and certain amino acids, which are thought to have metabolism-boosting properties.

7. Metabolism-Boosting Spices




Grains of paradise, another spice in the ginger family, may have similar effects.

A recent study reported that participants given a 40-mg extract of grains of paradise burned 43 more calories in the following two hours than those given a placebo .

That said, researchers also noted that part of the participants were non-responders, so the effects may vary from one person to another.


BOTTOM LINE:Ginger, grains of paradise and cayenne pepper may help your body burn more calories or fat. However, effects can vary from one individual to another.

8. Cacao

Cacao and cocoa are tasty treats that may also benefit your metabolism.

For instance, studies in mice found that cocoa and cocoa extracts may promote the expression of genes that stimulate the use of fat for energy. This seems especially true in mice fed high-fat or high-calorie diets .

Interestingly, one study suggests that cocoa may prevent the action of enzymes necessary to break down fat and carbs during digestion .

In doing so, cocoa could theoretically play a role in preventing weight gain by reducing the absorption of some calories .

However, human studies examining the effects of cocoa, cacao or cacao products such as dark chocolate are rare. More studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.

If you’d like to give cacao a try, opt for raw versions, as processing tends to reduce the amounts of beneficial compounds.

BOTTOM LINE:Cacao may have certain metabolism-boosting properties, especially for those consuming high-calorie, high-fat diets.

9. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar may increase your metabolism.

Several animal studies have shown vinegar to be particularly helpful in increasing the amount of fat burned for energy.



Apple cider vinegar is often claimed to boost metabolism in humans, but few studies have investigated the matter directly.

Nevertheless, apple cider vinegar may still help you lose weight in other ways, such as slowing stomach emptying and enhancing feelings of fullness.

One study in humans even showed that participants given four teaspoons (20 ml) of apple cider vinegar ate up to 275 fewer calories over the rest of the day.


Also, make sure to read this article to reduce the risk of negative side effects.

BOTTOM LINE:More studies are needed to confirm apple cider vinegar’s metabolism-boosting properties in humans. That being said, it may aid weight loss in other ways.

10. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is experiencing a surge in popularity.



Interestingly, several studies show that MCTs can increase metabolic rate more than longer-chain fats.


BOTTOM LINE:Replacing other fats with a small amount of coconut oil may boost your metabolism and help your body get rid of belly fat.

11. Water

Drinking enough water is a great way to stay hydrated.


Researchers note that about 40% of that increase is explained by the additional calories needed to heat the water to body temperature.


BOTTOM LINE:Drinking water may temporarily increase your metabolism. However, effects are temporary and may vary between individuals.

12. Seaweed

Seaweed is a great source of iodine, a mineral required for the production of thyroid hormones and proper function of your thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormones have various functions, one of which is to regulate your metabolic rate.

Regularly consuming seaweed can help you meet your iodine needs and keep your metabolism running at a high rate.

The reference daily intake of iodine for adults is 150 mcg per day. This can be met by consuming several servings of seaweed per week.

Although, some types of seaweed such as kelp are extremely high in iodine and should not be consumed in large amounts.

Fucoxanthin is another compound found in some varieties of seaweed that may help with metabolism.

It’s primarily found in brown seaweed varieties and may have anti-obesity effects by increasing the amount of calories you burn.

BOTTOM LINE:Certain compounds in seaweed may help prevent your metabolism from slowing down.

13. Anything Else?

Certain foods may help slightly increase your metabolism. Therefore, consuming them regularly may help you lose weight and keep it off in the long term.


Written by Alina Petre, MS, RD (CA) on November 14, 2016

Halloween, Part 2

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Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o’-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows’ Eve in order to frighten evil spirits. There is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack-o’-lantern, which in folklore is said to represent a “soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell“:



Decorated house in Weatherly, Pennsylvania

The modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including Christian eschatology, national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula) and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy). Imagery of the skull, a reference to Golgotha in the Christian tradition, serves as “a reminder of death and the transitory quality of human life” and is consequently found in memento mori and vanitas compositions; skulls have therefore been commonplace in Halloween, which touches on this theme. Traditionally, the back walls of churches are “decorated with a depiction of the Last Judgment, complete with graves opening and the dead rising, with a heaven filled with angels and a hell filled with devils”, a motif that has permeated the observance of this triduum. One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne, who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; “What fearfu’ pranks ensue!”, as well as the supernatural associated with the night, “Bogies” (ghosts), influencing Robert Burns‘ “Halloween” (1785). Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, and mythical monsters. Black, orange, and sometimes purple are Halloween’s traditional colors.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, “Trick or treat?” The word “trick” implies a “threat” to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. The practice is said to have roots in the medieval practice of mumming, which is closely related to souling. John Pymm writes that “many of the feast days associated with the presentation of mumming plays were celebrated by the Christian Church.” These feast days included All Hallows’ Eve, Christmas, Twelfth Night and Shrove Tuesday. Mumming practiced in Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, involved masked persons in fancy dress who “paraded the streets and entered houses to dance or play dice in silence

In England, from the medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.

In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins  – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit, and money. The practice of guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada reported children going “guising” around the neighborhood.

American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book-length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe’en (1919), and references souling in the chapter “Hallowe’en in America”. In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; “Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries”.

While the first reference to “guising” in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The earliest known use in print of the term “trick or treat” appears in 1927, in the Blackie Herald Alberta, Canada.


A popular variant of trick-or-treating, known as trunk-or-treating (or Halloween tailgaiting), occurs when “children are offered treats from the trunks of cars parked in a church parking lot”, or sometimes, a school parking lot. In a trunk-or-treat event, the trunk (boot) of each automobile is decorated with a certain theme, such as those of children’s literature, movies, scripture, and job roles. Trunk-or-treating has grown in popularity due to its perception as being more safe than going door to door, a point that resonates well with parents, as well as the fact that it “solves the rural conundrum in which homes [are] built a half-mile apart”.



The yearly New York Halloween Parade, begun in 1974 by puppeteer and mask maker Ralph Lee of Greenwich Village, is a large Halloween parade and one of America’s only major nighttime parades (along with Portland’s Starlight Parade), attracting more than 60,000 costumed participants, two million spectators, and a worldwide television audience of over 100 million. The largest Halloween parade in the world takes place in Derry in Northern Ireland, which was named the “best Halloween destination in the world” having been voted number one in a USA Today readers’ poll in 2015.



There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways of foretelling one’s future, especially regarding death, marriage and children. During the Middle Ages, these rituals were done by a “rare few” in rural communities as they were considered to be “deadly serious” practices. In recent centuries, these divination games have been “a common feature of the household festivities” in Ireland and Britain. They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythologyapples were strongly associated with the Otherworld and immortality, while hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom. Some also suggest that they derive from Roman practices in celebration of Pomona.


Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one’s future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then the peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse’s name. Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match. A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked; the person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th century and early 20th century.

In Ireland and Scotland, items would be hidden in food—usually a cake, barmbrackcranachanchamp or colcannon—and portions of it served out at random. A person’s future would be foretold by the item they happened to find; for example, a ring meant marriage and a coin meant wealth.



Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses that may include haunted housescorn mazes, and hayrides, and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown.

The first recorded purpose-built haunted attraction was the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, which opened in 1915 in Liphook, England. This attraction actually most closely resembles a carnival fun house, powered by steam. The House still exists, in the Hollycombe Steam Collection.

It was during the 1930s, about the same time as trick-or-treating, that Halloween-themed haunted houses first began to appear in America. It was in the late 1950s that haunted houses as a major attraction began to appear, focusing first on California. Sponsored by the Children’s Health Home Junior Auxiliary, the San Mateo Haunted House opened in 1957. The San Bernardino Assistance League Haunted House opened in 1958. Home haunts began appearing across the country during 1962 and 1963. In 1964, the San Manteo Haunted House opened, as well as the Children’s Museum Haunted House in Indianapolis.

The haunted house as an American cultural icon can be attributed to the opening of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland on 12 August 1969. Knott’s Berry Farm began hosting its own Halloween night attraction, Knott’s Scary Farm, which opened in 1973. Evangelical Christians adopted a form of these attractions by opening one of the first “hell houses” in 1972.

The first Halloween haunted house run by a nonprofit organization was produced in 1970 by the Sycamore-Deer Park Jaycees in Clifton, Ohio. It was cosponsored by WSAI, an AM radio station broadcasting out of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was last produced in 1982. Other Jaycees followed suit with their own versions after the success of the Ohio house. The March of Dimes copyrighted a “Mini haunted house for the March of Dimes” in 1976 and began fundraising through their local chapters by conducting haunted houses soon after. Although they apparently quit supporting this type of event nationally sometime in the 1980s, some March of Dimes haunted houses have persisted until today.

On the evening of 11 May 1984, in Jackson Township, New Jersey, the Haunted Castle (Six Flags Great Adventure) caught fire. As a result of the fire, eight teenagers perished. The backlash to the tragedy was a tightening of regulations relating to safety, building codes and the frequency of inspections of attractions nationwide. The smaller venues, especially the nonprofit attractions, were unable to compete financially, and the better funded commercial enterprises filled the vacuum. Facilities that were once able to avoid regulation because they were considered to be temporary installations now had to adhere to the stricter codes required of permanent attractions.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, theme parks entered the business seriously. Six Flags Fright Fest began in 1986 and Universal Studios Florida began Halloween Horror Nights in 1991. Knott’s Scary Farm experienced a surge in attendance in the 1990s as a result of America’s obsession with Halloween as a cultural event. Theme parks have played a major role in globalizing the holiday. Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Japan both participate, while Disney now mounts Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party events at its parks in Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo, as well as in the United States. The theme park haunts are by far the largest, both in scale and attendance.

On All Hallows’ Eve, many Western Christian denominations encourage abstinence from meat, giving rise to a variety of vegetarian foods associated with this day.




Halloween, Part 1


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Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of All Hallows‘ Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eveor All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.

It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain & Brythonic festival Calan Gaeaf: that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain & Calan Gaeaf were themselves Christianized as Halloween by the early Church. Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain.


Today’s Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that “there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived”. Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while “some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for ‘summer’s end’.”

Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪnˈsɪn/) was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and was celebrated on 31 October – 1 November in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. A kindred festival was held at the same time of year by the Brittonic Celts, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany; a name meaning “first day of winter”. For the Celts, the day ended and began at sunset; thus the festival began on the evening before 7 November by modern reckoning(the half point between equinox and solstice). Samhain and Calan Gaeaf are mentioned in some of the earliest Irish and Welsh literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century, and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween.

Samhain/Calan Gaeaf marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the ‘darker half’ of the year. Like Beltane/Calan Mai, it was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí (/sˈʃ/ eess-SHEE), the ‘spirits‘ or ‘fairies‘, could more easily come into this world and were particularly active. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as “degraded versions of ancient gods […] whose power remained active in the people’s minds even after they had been officially replaced by later religious beliefs”.[citation needed] The Aos Sí were both respected and feared, with individuals often invoking the protection of God when approaching their dwellings. At Samhain, it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for the Aos Sí. The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them. The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures throughout the world. In 19th century Ireland, “candles would be lit and prayers formally offered for the souls of the dead. After this the eating, drinking, and games would begin”.

Throughout Ireland and Britain, the household festivities included rituals and games intended to foretell one’s future, especially regarding death and marriage. Apples and nuts were often used in these divination rituals. They included apple bobbing, nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation, and others. Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, and were also used for divination. In some places, torches lit from the bonfire were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them. It is suggested that the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic – they mimicked the Sun, helping the “powers of growth” and holding back the decay and darkness of winter. In Scotland, these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders in some parishes. In Wales, bonfires were lit to “prevent the souls of the dead from falling to earth”. Later, these bonfires served to keep “away the devil“.



From at least the 16th century, the festival included mumming and guising in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales. This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aos Sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to the custom of souling (see below). Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. It is suggested that the mummers and guisers “personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune”. In parts of southern Ireland, the guisers included a hobby horse. A man dressed as a Láir Bhán (white mare) led youths house-to-house reciting verses—some of which had pagan overtones—in exchange for food. If the household donated food it could expect good fortune from the ‘Muck Olla’; not doing so would bring misfortune. In Scotland, youths went house-to-house with masked, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. F. Marian McNeillsuggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits, and that faces were marked (or blackened) with ashes taken from the sacred bonfire. In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod. In the late 19th and early 20th century, young people in Glamorgan and Orkney cross-dressed.

Elsewhere in Europe, mumming and hobby horses were part of other yearly festivals. However, in the Celtic-speaking regions they were “particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers”. From at least the 18th century, “imitating malignant spirits” led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. Wearing costumes and playing pranks at Halloween spread to England in the 20th century. Traditionally, pranksters used hollowed out turnips or mangel wurzels often carved with grotesque faces as lanterns. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits, or were used to ward off evil spirits. They were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the 19th century, as well as in Somerset (see Punkie Night). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of England and became generally known as jack-o’-lanterns.

Christian influence

Today’s Halloween customs are also thought to have been influenced by Christian dogma and practices derived from it. Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows’ Day (also known as All Saints’ or Hallowmas) on 1 November and All Souls’ Dayon 2 November, thus giving the holiday on 31 October the full name of All Hallows’ Eve (meaning the evening before All Hallows’ Day). Since the time of the early Church, major feasts in Christianity (such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost) had vigils that began the night before, as did the feast of All Hallows’. These three days are collectively called Allhallowtide and are a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed souls who have yet to reach Heaven. Commemorations of all saints and martyrs were held by several churches on various dates, mostly in springtime. In 609, Pope Boniface IV re-dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to “St Mary and all martyrs” on 13 May. This was the same date as Lemuria, an ancient Roman festival of the dead, and the same date as the commemoration of all saints in Edessa in the time of Ephrem.

The feast of All Hallows’, on its current date in the Western Church, may be traced to Pope Gregory III‘s (731–741) founding of an oratory in St Peter’s for the relics “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors”. In 835, All Hallows’ Day was officially switched to 1 November, the same date as Samhain, at the behest of Pope Gregory IV. Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it was a Germanic idea, although it is claimed that both Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples commemorated the dead at the beginning of winter. They may have seen it as the most fitting time to do so, as it is a time of ‘dying’ in nature. It is also suggested that the change was made on the “practical grounds that Rome in summer could not accommodate the great number of pilgrims who flocked to it”, and perhaps because of public health considerations regarding Roman Fever – a disease that claimed a number of lives during the sultry summers of the region.

On All Hallows’ Eve, Christians in some parts of the world visit cemeteries to pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones. Top photograph shows Bangladeshi Christians lighting candles on the headstone, while the bottom painting shows an artist’s rendering of Lutheran Christians praying and lighting candles in front of the crucifix.

By the end of the 12th century they had become holy days of obligation across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for the souls in purgatory. In addition, “it was customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls.”Souling”, the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls, has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom dates back at least as far as the 15th century and was found in parts of England, Flanders, Germany and Austria.Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the dead, especially the souls of the givers’ friends and relatives. Soul cakes would also be offered for the souls themselves to eat, or the ‘soulers’ would act as their representatives. As with the Lenten tradition of hot cross buns, Allhallowtide soul cakes were often marked with a cross, indicating that they were baked as alms Shakespeare mentions souling in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593). On the custom of wearing costumes, Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh wrote: “It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints’ Day, and All Hallows’ Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities”.

It is claimed that in the Middle Ages, churches that were too poor to display the relics of martyred saints at Allhallowtide let parishioners dress up as saints instead. Some Christians continue to observe this custom at Halloween today. Lesley Bannatyne believes this could have been a Christianization of an earlier pagan custom. While souling, Christians would carry with them “lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips”. It has been suggested that the carved jack-o’-lantern, a popular symbol of Halloween, originally represented the souls of the dead. On Halloween, in medieval Europe, fires served a dual purpose, being lit to guide returning souls to the homes of their families, as well as to deflect demons from haunting sincere Christian folk. Households in Austria, England and Ireland often had “candles burning in every room to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes”. These were known as “soul lights”. Many Christians in mainland Europe, especially in France, believed “that once a year, on Hallowe’en, the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival” known as the danse macabre, which has often been depicted in church decoration. Christopher Allmand and Rosamond McKitterick write in The New Cambridge Medieval History that “Christians were moved by the sight of the Infant Jesus playing on his mother’s knee; their hearts were touched by the Pietà; and patron saints reassured them by their presence. But, all the while, the danse macabre urged them not to forget the end of all earthly things.” This danse macabre was enacted at village pageants and at court masques, with people “dressing up as corpses from various strata of society”, and may have been the origin of modern-day Halloween costume parties.

In parts of Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation as some Protestants berated purgatory as a “popish” doctrine incompatible with their notion of predestination. Thus, for some Nonconformist Protestants, the theology of All Hallows’ Eve was redefined; without the doctrine of purgatory, “the returning souls cannot be journeying from Purgatory on their way to Heaven, as Catholics frequently believe and assert. Instead, the so-called ghosts are thought to be in actuality evil spirits. As such they are threatening.” Other Protestants maintained belief in an intermediate state, known as Hades (Bosom of Abraham), and continued to observe the original customs, especially souling, candlelit processions and the ringing of church bells in memory of the dead. Mark Donnelly, a professor of medieval archæology, and historian Daniel Diehl, with regard to the evil spirits, on Halloween, write that “barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from the effect of witches, who were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the earth.”In the 19th century, in some rural parts of England, families gathered on hills on the night of All Hallows’ Eve. One held a bunch of burning straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him in a circle, praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out. This was known as teen’lay. The rising popularity of Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) from 1605 onward, saw many Halloween traditions appropriated by that holiday instead, and Halloween’s popularity waned in Britain, with the noteworthy exception of Scotland. There and in Ireland, they had been celebrating Samhain and Halloween since at least the early Middle Ages, and the Scottish kirktook a more pragmatic approach to Halloween, seeing it as important to the life cycle and rites of passage of communities and thus ensuring its survival in the country.

In France, some Christian families, on the night of All Hallows’ Eve, prayed beside the graves of their loved ones, setting down dishes full of milk for them. On Halloween, in Italy, some families left a large meal out for ghosts of their passed relatives, before they departed for church services. In Spain, on this night, special pastries are baked, known as “bones of the holy” (Spanish: Huesos de Santo) and put them on the graves of the churchyard, a practice that continues to this day.

Spread to North America

The annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New York City is the world’s largest Halloween parade.

Lesley Bannatyne and Cindy Ott both write that Anglican colonists in the Southern United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland “recognized All Hallow’s Eve in their church calendars”, although the Puritans of New England maintained strong opposition to the holiday, along with other traditional celebrations of the established Church, including Christmas. Almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was widely celebrated in North America. It was not until mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in North America. Confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-19th century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it was being celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds. “In Cajun areas, a nocturnal Mass was said in cemeteries on Halloween night. Candles that had been blessed were placed on graves, and families sometimes spent the entire night at the graveside”.

What is the difference between metals, nonmetals, and metalloids?



Metalloids are elements whose properties are intermediate between those of metals and solid nonmetals. Such as silicon and boron. Metals Non-Metals An element, compound, or alloy that is good conductor of both electricity and heat. They are also solids. Metals are malleable, ductile and shiny. They consist of close-packed atoms.Ex. Iron, copper, and nickel.

One of the elements which do not exhibit metallic properties , generally located in the upper right hand corner of the periodic table. They are gases.
Examples: oxygen , nitrogen , hydrogen , & carbon.The difference between metalloids, metals and non metals is that they all have different types of properties. Metals are solids, non metals are gasses and metalloids are in between metals and non metals. Also, metals have there atoms all close and packed, non metals have there atoms far apart, and metalloids have there atoms either close or far apart. Metals are separated form the non metals in the periodic table.


When elements combine to form compounds, there are two major types of bonding that can result.  Ionic bonds form when there is a transfer of electrons from one species to another, producing charged ions which attract each other very strongly by electrostatic interactions, and covalent bonds, which result when atoms share electrons to produce neutral molecules.  In general, metal and nonmetals combine to form ionic compounds, while nonmetals combine with other nonmetals to form covalent compounds (molecules).

Since the metals are further to the left on the periodic table, they have low ionization energies and low electron affinities, so they lose electrons relatively easily and gain them with difficulty.  They also have relatively few valence electrons, and can form ions (and thereby satisfy the octet rule) more easily by losing their valence electrons to form positively charged cations.

  • The main-group metals usually form charges that are the same as their group number:  that is, the Group 1A metals such as sodium and potassium form +1 charges, the Group 2A metals such as magnesium and calcium form 2+ charges, and the Group 3A metals such as aluminum form 3+ charges.
  • The metals which follow the transition metals (towards the bottom of Groups 4A and 5A) can lose either their outermost s and p electrons, forming charges that are identical to their group number, or they can lose just the p electrons while retaining their two selectrons, forming charges that are the group number minus two.  In other words, tin and lead in Group 4A can form either 4+ or 2+ charges, while bismuth in Group 5A can form either a 5+ or a 3+ charge.
  • The transition metals usually are capable of forming 2+ charges by losing their valence s electrons, but can also lose electrons from their d orbitals to form other charges.  Most of the transition metals can form more than one possible charge in ionic compounds.

Nonmetals are further to the right on the periodic table, and have high ionization energies and high electron affinities, so they gain electrons relatively easily, and lose them with difficulty.  They also have a larger number of valence electrons, and are already close to having a complete octet of eight electrons.  The nonmetals gain electrons until they have the same number of electrons as the nearest noble gas (Group 8A), forming negatively charged anions which have charges that are the group number minus eight.  That is, the Group 7A nonmetals form 1- charges, the Group 6A nonmetals form 2- charges, and the Group 5A metals form 3- charges.  The Group 8A elements already have eight electrons in their valence shells, and have little tendency to either gain or lose electrons, and do not readily form ionic or molecular compounds.

Ionic compounds are held together in a regular array called a crystal lattice by the attractive forces between the oppositely charged cations and anions.  These attractive forces are very strong, and most ionic compounds therefore have very high melting points.  (For instance, sodium chloride, NaCl, melts at 801°C, while aluminum oxide, Al2O3, melts at 2054°C.)  Ionic compounds are typically hard, rigid, and brittle.  Ionic compounds do not conduct electricity, because the ions are not free to move in the solid phase, but ionic compounds can conduct electricity when they are dissolved in water.

When nonmetals combine with other nonmetals, they tend to share electrons in covalent bonds instead of forming ions, resulting in the formation of neutral molecules.  (Keep in mind that since hydrogen is also a nonmetal, the combination of hydrogen with another nonmetal will also produce a covalent bond.)  Molecular compounds can be gases, liquids, or low melting point solids, and comprise a wide variety of substances.  (See the Molecule Gallery for examples.)

When metals combine with each other, the bonding is usually described as metallic bonding (you could’ve guessed that).  In this model, each metal atom donates one or more of its valence electrons to make an electron sea that surrounds all of the atoms, holding the substance together by the attraction between the metal cations and the negatively charged electrons.  Since the electrons in the electron sea can move freely, metals conduct electricity very easily, unlike molecules, where the electrons are more localized.  Metal atoms can move past each other more easily than those in ionic compounds (which are held in fixed positions by the attractions between cations and anions), allowing the metal to be hammered into sheets or drawn into wire.  Different metals can be combined very easily to make alloys, which can have much different physical properties from their constituent metals.  Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, which is much harder than iron itself; chromium, vanadium, nickel, and other metals are also often added to iron to make steels of various types.  Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc which is used in plumbing fixtures, electrical parts, and musical instruments.  Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, which is much harder than copper; when bronze was discovered by ancient civilizations, it marked a significant step forward from the use of less durable stone tools.


Holiday traditions, then and now,By EMILIE RUSCH

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The holiday season is gingerbread cookies decorated with care. It’s a fragrant fir tree in the living room window, hung heavy with lights and a lifetime of mismatched ornaments. It’s Chinese food and “A Christmas Story” on loop — holiday practices all for my family, at least.

This time of year is rich in tradition, in warm memories and festive rituals unpacked and celebrated year after year. We give thanks for another year gone by and spend time with the ones we cherish most.

Some holiday traditions have faded in time, the ghosts of Christmas past, while others have evolved and emerged with changing technology and tastes.

Here are some of our favorites, then and now.


Before cellphones, and before cordless phones, there were phones with tightly coiled cords that attached the receiver to the phone’s body, which housed a dial used for calling. There was also a cord that attached the phone’s body to the wall. On holidays, out-of-town relatives and friends would call, and the receiver would be passed from hand to hand, stretching as far as the kinking cord allowed. Long-distance calls were a big deal and, at $1 or more per minute, pretty expensive, like calling Antarctica today. We rarely said more than “Merry Christmas!” and maybe “How are you?” The pleasure of talking to people so far away — 50 miles! 100! 500! In FRANCE! — was real, but so was the extreme pressure from an anxious adult hovering overhead, mouthing “LONG DISTANCE!” When we passed on the receiver, and its increasingly tangled cord, it was with a sense of relief and a duty discharged. — Claire Martin


A few Christmas mornings ago, parents would hand phones to children playing with their new toys, so that they might say a quick hello to out-of-state grandparents. These days, it’s easier than ever for that grandparent to get a look at little sprouts wearing or playing with gifts — via Skype, Google Hangout or Facetime. Does he like the sweater you got him? Sure, just look at him, gritting his teeth through the chafing. That counts as a smile, and it builds character.

And if that’s not enough, your little ones can also live video chat with Santa at the North Pole now through Dec. 23, thanks to services such as Hello Santa and Talk to Santa. Say goodbye to mall lines.


Tulips (Tulipa) form a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm colours). They often have a different coloured blotch at the base of the tepals (petals and sepals, collectively), internally. Because of a degree of variability within the populations, and a long history of cultivation, classification has been complex and controversial. The tulip is a member of the Liliaceae (lily) family, along with 14 other genera, where it is most closely related to AmanaErythronium and Gagea in the tribe Lilieae. There are about 75 species, and these are divided among four subgenera. The name “tulip” is thought to be derived from a Persian word for turban, which it may have been thought to resemble. Tulips originally were found in a band stretching from Southern Europe to Central Asia, but since the seventeenth century have become widely naturalised and cultivated (see map). In their natural state they are adapted to steppes and mountainous areas with temperate climates. Flowering in the spring, they become dormant in the summer once the flowers and leaves die back, emerging above ground as a shoot from the underground bulb in early spring.

While tulips had probably been cultivated in Asia from the tenth century, they did not come to the attention of the west till the sixteenth century, when western diplomats to the Ottoman court observed and reported on them. They were rapidly introduced into Europe and cultivated and became a frenzied commodity during Tulip mania. Tulips were frequently depicted in Dutch Golden Age paintings, and have become associated with the Netherlands, the major producer for world markets, ever since. In the seventeenth century Netherlands, during the time of the Tulip mania, an infection of tulip bulbs by the tulip breaking virus created variegated patterns in the tulip flowers that were much admired and valued. This phenomenon was referred to as “broken”.



thanks to wikipedia.  1235 N LOOP 336 WEST CONROE TX 77301

U.S. Road Rules


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If you’re traveling to the United States for the first time, there are certain customs that might take some adjustment. Some examples include the weather, the food, people’s attitudes, anddriving laws.

Chances are, the rules of the road in the U.S. will be slightly different than those that you’re used to. The guide below will outline the different laws that are common across the country.

NOTE: Keep in mind that certain traffic laws can also differ from state to state. Before traveling, check up on the driving and safety laws for the state that you’ll be in.

General Driving Rules in the U.S.

Below are a set of driving rules that apply to every state in the United States. Take your time while driving to allow yourself to adjust to the differences.

  • Vehicles drive on the right side of the road.
    • This might feel odd, especially at intersections and turn lanes if you’re used to driving on the left side of the road.
  • Steering wheels are on the left side of the car.
  • When making a left hand turnpass in front of cars making similar left hand turns across the intersection.
    • Do not try to pass behind cars turning across from you.
  • White lines are used to separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
  • Yellow lines are used to separate traffic headed in opposite directions.
    • Do NOT cross into lanes separated by lines that are solid yellow.
    • If the yellow line is broken, cross/pass with caution, but be highly aware of oncoming traffic.
  • If you’re behind a school bus with flashing red lights, you may NOT pass it until the lights have stopped flashing.
  • Carpool/HOV lanes are typically located on the far left side of U.S. freeways.
  • Pedestrians always have the legal right of way.
    • If you see someone crossing the street, you must come to a full stop for them.
  • Keep a careful eye out for motorcyclists and bicyclists.
    • Double check all of your mirrors and blind spots before making lane changes.
    • In some states, bicyclists are required to ride in the street; while some cities have designated bike lines, others do not. Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Car horns should be used sparingly and only if you fear someone putting you in danger.
    • If you use the horn excessively, people could get upset at you and try to retaliate.

For Your Safety

Some of these safety laws might seem obvious, but are important to follow because they could save your life.

  • Always wear your seatbelt.
    • If you have children, make sure that they’re buckled in correctly before you begin to drive.
    • Children under a certain age or weight may be required to sit in a child safety seat or booster seat. We’ve compiled lists of the safety law requirements in all states, so you can choose the ones you’ll be driving in to see what the regulations are.
  • Never drink and drive.
    • It is illegal in all states to drive while legally intoxicated.
  • Don’t text and drive.
    • In many states, texting and driving is illegal. Some prohibit the use of handheld devices for any reason, including for phone calls or navigation. Check out our guide to safety laws in your states of travel for details.
  • After sunset and in bad weather, you must turn on your headlights.
  • Always use your turn signals.
    • Even if it seems like there’s no one around you, always signal before you turn or make lane changes.
  • On freeways and highways, slower traffic generally stays in the right-hand lanes, while faster drivers stick to the left-hand lanes.
  • Hitchhiking is prohibited in most states, and can be very dangerousdo not attempt it, and do not pick anyone up.

If you’re ever in an accident or feel that you’re in immediate danger, dial 911 for medical and police services from anywhere in the United States.

U.S. Road Signs & Traffic Lights

When traveling to the U.S., you’ll probably encounter a few road signs that you don’t recognize, and there may also be some laws around traffic lights you’re not familiar with.

Before getting on the road, review the list below to better understand the rules around United States road signs and stop lights.

  • Traffic lights in the U.S. will generally have red, yellow, and green lights that indicate when you’re supposed to stop and go through intersections:
    • Green means go.
    • Yellow means slow down and prepare to stop.
    • Red means stop.
  • Unless otherwise indicated, you are legally allowed to make right turns at red lights.
    • Make sure that you check for oncoming traffic from all directions beforeturning.
  • Stop signs (red and octagonal in shape) indicate that you must come to a complete stop at the limit line before continuing through an intersection.
  • Yield signs (red or yellow and triangular in shape) indicate that oncoming traffic has the right of way, and you need to wait for the road to clear before progressing.
    • You aren’t required to come to a complete stop at yield signs, but you should slow down—and if traffic is approaching, you may need to stop anyway.
  • Signs that indicate where trains cross into automotive traffic are generally marked by an “X” shape and read “Railroad Crossing” or “RR.”
    • These signs are usually accompanied by flashing lights and bells that will warn of an oncoming train.
    • If you encounter a railroad crossing without lights or sounds, you should come to a complete stop and check the train tracks for any oncoming locomotives.
  • Speed limits are posted on the sides of roads, and indicate (in miles per hour) the minimum and maximum speeds you’re legally allowed to drive in that area.
  • On the freeway, signs above lanes that read “Only” or “Exit Only” indicate that those lanes do not continue on the main freeway, and drivers will either need to merge or take the exit.
  • If you’re parking on the street, make sure that you read all of the signs around your spot, usually indicating how long you’re allowed to keep your car there.
    • Some areas may only allow people with permits to park on the street, or might prohibit street parking altogether—pay attention to everything written on the signs!

U.S. Traffic Tickets & Violations

If you’re given a traffic ticket for violating driving laws, you’ll most likely have to pay a fine in compensation. This can get complicated, since you might only be staying in the U.S. for a few days.

Should you incur a fine, try to pay it off as soon as possible. You can usually do this by mail or online, depending on the state’s ticket policies.

While using a rental car, the company you rented from will most likely be charged and may pass the expenses on to you.

If you’re caught driving under the influence, your punishment could be more severe. The consequences will vary, based on:

  • Individual state laws around DUIs.
  • If anyone was hurt or killed.
  • Whether it’s your first DUI offense.
  • Your blood alcohol content at the time of offense.
  • The recklessness of your driving.

The penalties for DUIs include:

  • Large fines.
  • Alcohol education/treatment programs.
  • Driver’s license suspension or revocation.
  • Jail time.

For more information, choose your state(s) of travel within the following guides we’ve put together for your travel needs:

How to get what you want without breaking the law or burning bridges!

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The world is a dynamic place. Things keep changing and there is nothing we can do about it, it’s all part of a process. There is one thing, however that we are in control of, our lives and destiny-Be it through our actions, thoughts or words.

You have been in situations where you have broken the law even without knowing it. Other times, you might have said something or took an action that seemed ideal to you, only to be frowned upon by the people around you.

These situations might have cost you your job, money or even friends. So how can you manage to get what you want out of life without giving up so much?

There are millions of self help guide books being published every day and the authors will claim to know the secret to having it easy in life, and getting what you want. Nothing comes easy. You have to break a sweat before you are finally at the helm. But does it have to be done through breaking the law or having to burn any bridges?

How to avoid breaking the law

You cannot afford to be ignorant, not with the current wave of technology. Always do your research before making any major decisions, to ensure you do not end up taking any unnecessary risks which ultimately leads to breaking the law. It’s a small price to pay for your wellbeing.

A good example can be when trying to attain financial stability. We all want to be wealthy and stable such that we can go anywhere we want or buy anything without having to struggle for it. Yet, I have come to the realization that we don’t always get what we want, and to me, that’s the beauty of life.

You can achieve this stability if you decide to be smart and work hard in whatever field you are invested in. Taking the easy way out to get the money, like embezzling funds, might seem enticing but it’s only beneficial in the short term. What happens, is you risk being caught because it’s against the law. Moreover, you may end up spending the rest of your life in jail.

If you have been working hard all your life and yet you still don’t have as much wealth as you want, maybe it’s time to change strategy and look at other avenues. You can even open your own business to compliment your income gained from your 9 to 5 job.

My cousin, Kevin, was in a similar situation a few months ago. He had finished school, and had got a job which was not paying well. One day as he was walking in town feeling miserable about his lack of money, he thought that if he was invited to participate in a bank robbery, he totally would!

Kevin is not a criminal, but it just goes to show how many of us have thought of taking shortcuts to success. Well, he was never invited to join a group of robbers but he eventually got a better job which pays much more than his previous jobs. By avoiding breaking the law and choosing to be patient as he looked for other opportunities, he was able to get what he wanted, which was to be financially stable.

How not to burn any bridges in the process

Throughout the years, I have found myself losing more friends and jobs more than I ought to. It is not because I was bad at my job or I was a lousy friend. I had no patient and never seemed to know what to say when. However, I have learnt from my mistakes and I can proudly say I am a better person now.

Why is this important? Burning bridges is like shooting yourself in the foot. This is because nothing good ever comes out of it.

How about friendships

You might have been long term friends or lovers and on waking up one day, you realized the relationship was not helping you in any way. In fact you felt miserable most of the time. More often than not, you will opt to avoid all contact with the person and hope to never see or speak to them ever again.

Here is the deal. This is probably the worst course of action you might take. Why? It may lead to hostility between you and the other person which will ultimately rob you of a peace of mind. Also, you cannot be sure that you will never need their help ever again.

Life has a way of humbling us. Why not take time to think it over and choose to still have those people in your life, but at a distance? That way, you still maintain the friendship, but you can now control the level of interaction you have with them, and how much their actions affect you.

At the workplace

Let me paint a scenario for you. You probably go to work every day, yet you hate being in that environment. It may be the abusive nature of the superiors or the unethical way in which tasks are carried out that you don’t agree with.

I have been in such situations severally. Once, I left a well paying job because I didn’t agree with the systems that were in place. By getting out of that situation, and getting another job, I was able to finally look forward to going to work every day and having a peace of mind, which is what I wanted all along.

And that’s not all.

I later came to a realization that you should never take such situations personally. It will save you a lot of headaches.

When you decide to resign or worse, you get fired; try not to burn any bridges on your way out. Reason being, you don’t know where else you might go looking for a job and find the same people.

Do not, under any circumstances, badmouth the other workers or the management. You will also need a good recommendation and references for your future jobs. Why ruin any other chances you could have by making a scene?

At the end of the day, you will walk out of a bad relationship or a job and be in a good space. You may never want to see those people again, but also, you won’t be in an awkward position if that chance presents itself.

The bottom line is, you have to learn the art of being truly free. You will not achieve this behind bars or by always trying to avoid the many people you had issues with. This will only hold you back.

It’s only by being free that you will be able to achieve even beyond what you expected. We create our own destiny. You are in charge of your future. Make going for what you want a worthy cause.


Drinking Pickle Juice: 10 Reasons It’s All the Rage



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At first, drinking pickle juice might sound kind of gross. But there are several reasons to consider it.

Athletes have been sipping this briny beverage for years. Experts didn’t know all the reasons why pickle juice was good to drink after exercising. They just knew that it seemed to help relieve cramps.

They were right. It appears to help with muscle cramps, plus more. Here’s a look at 10 healthy benefits of drinking pickle juice.

1. It soothes muscle cramps

Dehydrated men experienced faster relief from muscle cramps after drinking pickle juice, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

About 1/3 cup of pickle juice is all it took to have this effect. Pickle juice relieved cramps more than drinking the same amount of water. It also helped more than drinking nothing at all.

This could be because the vinegar in pickle juice may help with rapid pain relief. Vinegar may help stop nerve signals that make tired muscles cramp.

2. It helps you stay hydrated

For most people, drinking water for hydration after a workout is fine. Water is probably all you need if you’re exercising moderately or for an hour or less.

But it’s a different story if you’re exercising hard, exercising for longer than an hour at a time, or exercising in hot climates.


Pickle juice contains a lot of sodium. It also has some potassium. After a sweaty or lengthy exercise session, sipping some pickle juice can help your body recover to its normal electrolyte levels more quickly.

Watching your sodium intake or on a low-sodium diet? Be sure to check with your doctor and dietitian about pickle juice before drinking it.

3. It’s a fat-free recovery aid

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably not too psyched about consuming high-calorie sports drinks.

It’s still a good plan to replace lost electrolytes after exercising hard, for a long time, or in hot weather. Plus, if your muscles are cramping, you’ll probably want relief as fast as possible.

Pickle juice to the rescue! Pickle juice contains no fat, but it can have some calories. It can have anywhere from zero to 100 calories per 1-cup serving. The amount of calories depends on what’s in the pickling solution.

4. It won’t bust your budget

If you already eat pickles regularly, you don’t have to spend money on sports drinks. Even if you don’t eat pickles, you can still choose pickle juice as a budget-friendly alternative to more expensive workout beverages.

You can also buy commercially prepared pickle juices marketed as sports drinks. They cost more than drinking what’s left in your pickle jar when all the pickles are gone. The upside is that you’ll know from reading the nutrition label what you’re getting in each serving.

5. It contains antioxidants

Pickle juice has significant amounts of vitamins C and E, two key antioxidants. Antioxidants help shield your body from damaging molecules called free radicals. Everyone gets exposed to free radicals, so having plenty of antioxidants in your diet is a good idea.

Vitamins C and E also help boost your immune system function, among other roles they play in your body.


Guide to Gemstones


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Gemstones have played various roles in the myths and legends of human cultures throughout history. Some tell a story or are believed to have special powers, but all of them share a common beauty. Each gemstone is unique with a special color, birthplace and story. Gemstones come in every color of the rainbow and are gathered from all corners of the world, with each colored gemstone possessing a unique creation of beautiful color. Some gemstones have been treasured since before history began and others were only discovered recently. Join us as we explore the world of color gemstone jewelry.

















Today, diamonds are still admired all around the world. Until the middle of the twentieth century, there was no standard by which diamonds could be evaluated. GIA created the first, and now globally accepted standard for describing diamonds: ColorClarityCut, and Carat Weight. Today, the 4C’s of Diamond Quality are the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world.
















Known to man as early as 400B.C., Lapis Lazuli has been a long time treasured gemstone. Used to create the beautiful ocean blues as well as the vibrant sky blues in pantings during the Renaissance, Lapis Lazuli is a colored gemstone that has been revered for centuries.



Ancient Romans believed that this shimmering rock was formed from frozen moonlight, giving it the name Moonstone.

In colors ranging from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink and clarity that goes from transparent to translucent. The best Moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color. Found in India and Madagascar, rainbow Moonstone has a variety of colors, from pink to yellow, to peach, purple, and blue.

Fine Moonstone is quite rare and becoming rarer. We’ve searched to the ends of the earth to find some of the world’s most stunning Moonstone.














In all of human history, mankind has admired, even worshipped, pearls. Persian mythology called them “the tears of the gods.” Ancient Chinese legend claims the moon holds the power to create pearls, instilling them with its celestial glow and mystery.

Pearls are unique because they are the only gemstone formed within a living creature. Since natural pearls are rare and difficult to recover from the ocean’s depths, man invented the technique of culturing salt and freshwater pearls from mollusks carefully seeded with irritants similar to those produced by nature.

Cultured pearls come in many beautiful colors, from pale cream and white to rose, lilac, green, gold, gray, and black. There are four main types of cultured pearls: AkoyaSouth SeaTahitian, and Freshwater each having unique qualities that separates them for the other.

Today pearls are both classic and contemporary; a strand of white pearls can be timeless but a bracelet of chocolate pearls is more modern. One thing to keep in mind with pearls, no matter the color or size, they can be worn every day or they can compliment the most formal attire.



Today, most Peridot comes from Arizona but it is also found in China, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Peridot is available in several colors ranging from yellowish green to brown, but the bright lime greens and olive greens are the most desired. If you prefer citrus tones or earth tones, you’ll find that Peridot belongs in your jewelry collection.





















The ancient Egyptians and Romans associated this golden gem with the sun god giving it the power to protect and heal. Legend says that topaz dispels enchantment. With its worldwide mass appeal throughout the centuries, once you find that perfect Topaz you’ll soon be under its spell.











Just a little recap of all the GemStones I have been blogging about.  Thank you everyone.