Five Must-have Tools for Gardeners

Gardeners know that you need sun, water, soil, seeds, and plants to make a garden grow. Plus, you also need a few garden tools.

There are many different types of tools available to use in the garden. A newbie gardener often has a hard time deciding what to get. While the type of gardening you’ll be doing will influence your decision, I think there are certain tools that are essential for large and small gardens, no matter what you are growing.

Here are my top five gardening tools that every gardener should have.

1. Long-handled, three-pronged cultivatorIf there was one tool I couldn’t do without, it’s a three-pronged cultivator. This tool combines the digging ability of a large-bladed hoe with the weeding ability of a small-bladed hoe. I can weed, dig trenches, plant transplants, hill potatoes, and even scratch my back with this implement (just kidding). I like the long-handled version because there’s less strain on my back, and it’s easier to smooth a raised bed or dig a long furrow using a longer handle.

2. Long-handled shovelFor digging holes and moving mulch, soil, and soil amendments, there’s nothing like a shovel. The best all-purpose type is the long-handled, round-headed, metal-blade shovel with a slightly pointed tip. The handles can be wooden or metal. The long handle makes it easier to dig holes for trees and shrubs and move soil. Short-handled versions are best for working in tight places, such as trenches. Look for shovels with a good-sized step, enabling you to push it into the soil more easily.

3. Hand trowelMost garden tasks in small gardens and containers can be managed with a hand trowel. Look for ergonomically designed models, which often have a soft comfort grip, are well balanced, and have a sturdy metal blade. They are perfect for planting, smoothing the tops of small beds, and digging up tough weeds, such as dandelions.

4. Hand prunersIf you have any shrubs, roses, and woody perennials in the yard, then hand pruners are a must. Choose bypass pruners over the anvil types. Bypass pruner blades cut by scissoring past each other. They make for a cleaner and more efficient cut. Good hand pruners can cut branches up to 1/2 inch in diameter. Purchase a type that fits your hand size and that’s comfortable to use, especially if you have many plants to prune.

5. Garden cartIf you have a 1/4-acre sized yard or larger, you’ll need some form of a garden cart or wheelbarrow to move plants and materials. I like garden carts because the two wheels give the cart more stability than the traditional wheelbarrow. You can load gardening tools, soil, fertilizer, plants, mulch, and weeds in the cart and, because of the balance, moving the load isn’t difficult. Plus, they’re great for sitting down in if you need a rest after a hard bit of digging.

Overlooked Fat Loss Factors

We're often told that losing weight is a simple mathematical equation of calories in, calories out. Burn more calories than you eat and you’ll lose fat. However, is it really that simple? The truth is that the actual “number” of calories you consume is not the only factor that affects your fat-loss efforts. Here, I will show you five other things that should be considered when determining the effect of your diet on your waistline, primarily overlooked fat loss factors. Incorporate this knowledge into your workout and nutrition routines and soon you'll be ripped like Ryan Reynolds -- and attracting the Angelina Jolies and Kim Kardashians of the gym for it.

1- The thermic effect of the food you eat

The thermic effect of food (TEF) measures the amount of energy that is required to support the processes of digesting, absorbing and assimilating food nutrients as well as the energy expended as a result of the central nervous system's stimulatory effect on metabolism when food is ingested. Of the three macronutrients, protein carries the highest thermic effect. Eat more protein; burn more calories.

2- The fiber content of the food you eat

Due to its chemical makeup, fiber is classified as a carbohydrate; however, it is unlike other carbohydrates in that it is an indigestible nutrient. Even though each gram of fiber contains four calories, these calories will remain undigested and will not be absorbed. Therefore, if you were to consume 300 calories of red beans (a food in which nearly 1/3 of the caloric content is from fiber), approximately 100 of these calories would pass through your intestinal tract undigested.

3- The glycemic and insulin indices of the food you eat

The glycemic and insulin indices are scaled numbers that refer to how quickly a particular carbohydrate source enters the bloodstream as sugar and how much insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream, respectively. Generally speaking, there is a positive relationship between the two; the quicker sugar enters the bloodstream, the more insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream. When high levels of insulin are present within the blood, fat burning is brought to a screeching halt, which is anything but desirable for those whose goal it is to obtain a lean, muscular physique. Don't let this be an overlooked fat loss factor.

4- The different macronutrients present in the food you eat

Although insulin's primary function is to shuttle glucose (sugar) into skeletal muscle, it also carries many other nutrients to their respective storage sites -- this includes lipids (fat). Since carbohydrate ingestion stimulates a large insulin response and fat ingestion gives rise to blood lipid levels, when the two are consumed together, they promote the greatest fat storage.

5- The size, frequency and time of the meals you eat

Large, infrequent meals tend to promote storage of the ingested nutrients, as the body is unsure as to when the next feeding will take place. Conversely, consuming smaller, more frequent meals will result in an increase in metabolism and utilization of the ingested nutrients. Also, ingesting a large amount of carbohydrates before bed spikes insulin, deters nocturnal thermogenesis and increases fat storage during sleep. On the contrary, consuming a great deal of calories early in the day does not bring about this problem; rather, these calories are likely to be used as energy to support daily activities.

Camping Tips

Below are some ideas to help with finding the best seasonal campground and campsite for your needs.

Electricity:
Will it be metered or included? If it is metered, who owns the meters? If you are dealing directly with the local Electric Company, as opposed to the campground, then you might have to pay a "set-up" fee, plus pay minimum balances during the winter months.

Pump Outs or Sewage:
Find out how much a pump-out will cost or will sewage be included. In NH, a new environmental law requires that all seasonal sites must have a sewage hookup.

Solar Energy Camping Products:
The solar lamp comes fitted with a miniature compass on its base and is great for any outdoor adventures, at home or away. With three PV cells down its spine and sides, and a flat sturdy base for placement, this robust torch can be left outside in the sunshine all day to feed off of the sun's energy. The energy converted by the solar panels is fed into a transmitter and stored behind 5 super bright LEDs.

Camping Tools:
Whether you're building a campfire or trying to start a fire in your own fireplace to get toasty next to on a winter night, a kindling tools will come in handy, such as axes, mauls, blades, bottle openers, screwdrivers, pliers and other useful gadgets. Wire saws are useful when backpacking because they weigh only a few ounces. They're good for cutting small pieces of wood.

If you travel in winter, try not to cook (or boil water) in the camper. Excess moisture can lead to condensation around windows and doors. We wrapped 3 of our large windows with plastic sheeting (two sided tape) and that helped with the moisture too. We didn’t have too bad of a condensation problem, but we were told to crack a window or vent every hour or so to release any excess moisture.

I hope some of these ideas will be helpful to you. Seasonal camping can be the perfect vacation solution for some families.

7 Good Reasons for Traveling Tibet in Winter

1. Enjoy the sunshine at the bank of Lhasa River

Choose a family inn at Xianzu island. Every morning when the first ray of sunshine permeates your window, what you need to do is just rely on the balcony and drink a cup of milk tea. With the music, you could overlook the far off mountains and enjoy the fresh air.

2. Taste the colorful life.

See the kowtowing believers at Jokhang Temple and how those pretenders deceiving.

3. See the sunset at the Potala Palace.

The best place to view is the hillside oppsite the lahsa river.

4. Have a Tibet new year.

At Tibetan New Year, the Shoton Festival, Sagadawa Festival, the Qugui Festival, Fairy Festival, and the Festival of Su Youhua Lights, you will not only be able to enjoy the exhibition ceremony of the Buddha, pilgrims, Chao Chuan-law, but also can watch the Tibetan opera performances, puppet shows, lanterns, Duige competition, traditional dancing and so on. You will have a deep impress with the lively and happy Lhasa.

5. Looking for the relation between human and architecture.

Indulge your camera traveling in these Tibetan architectures, it will help you to have a peaceful mind at some time.
6. Obsessed with small alley.

The soul of Lahsa is those alleys that hide around Jokhang Temple. Under the glittery light, hiking around the alleys, you will feel the mysterious of Lahsa.

7. Hitting in the sweet tea house.

If you never hiking around those old alleys, never tasting the sweet tea and Tibetan nuddle with Lhasa people, you will not recognise the real Lahsa.

12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Brain

Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.

Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.

No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.

Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.

Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:

Eat Almonds

Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.

Drink Apple Juice

Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.

Sleep well

Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

Enjoy simple Pleasures

Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.

-Enjoy music you love
-Play with your children
-Appreciate others
-Run few miles a day, bike or swim
-Start a blog
-Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine

Exercise your mind

Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.

-Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
-Volunteer
-Interact with others
-Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
-Learn new skill or a foreign language

Practice Yoga or Meditation

Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.

Reduce Sugar intakeSugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.

Eat whole wheat

The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.

Eat a light meal at night

A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.

Develop imagination

Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.

Control your temper

Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.

Take Vitamin B-complex

Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.

Nanjing Hotel Rates Increase For World Urban Forum

According to data from Ctrip.com, the rates of Nanjing hotels have increased because of the World Urban Forum IV and the third World Historical & Cultural Cities Expo are to be held in Nanjing.

During these events, four- and five-star hotels in Nanjing increased their rates to different degrees. The rates of the four-star hotels increased by about 10% and averaged between CNY400 and CNY500; and the rates of three-star hotels and budget hotels remained the same level as ordinary days, while the rates for some of five-star hotels went up by a higher rate, due to tight supply.

The World Urban Forum is hosted by the United Nations Human Settlements Program every two years. The first three forums were held in Nairobi in Kenya, Barcelona in Spain, and Vancouver in Canada.

World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. It is projected that in the next fifty years, two-thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities. A major challenge is to minimize burgeoning poverty in cities, improve the urban poor's access to basic facilities such as shelter, clean water and sanitation and achieve environment-friendly, sustainable urban growth and development.

The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering that is attended by a wide range of partners, from non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, urban professionals, academics, to governments, local authorities and national and international associations of local governments. It gives all these actors a common platform to discuss urban issues in formal and informal ways and come up with action-oriented proposals to create sustainable cities.

October 31st 2008—Cities are the drivers of economic expansion, but population growth, migration and other factors such as climate change are exacerbating the problems of city life.

Roughly 10,000 people are attending the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China next week to determine ways of making city living more harmonious and productive. How can “heartbreaking” slums become cleaner, kinder, greener places even as more and more people move to cities?

That’s a key question for policy-makers, development practitioners and non-governmental organizations seeking sustainable solutions to urban dilemmas at the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China, November 3 to 6.