Good to Know

T RANSFORMING A BARREN WASTELAND BY ONE MAN   A small act is completed every single day can create a huge impact.  A farmer by the name Jadav Payeng of Majuili Island, India planted a tree every day for 37 years!  After 37 years he alone had managed to transform a barren wasteland into a wildlife paradise.  The lush forest is twice the size of central park in New York City.  What can you do to make a difference?    

  ACHIEVING HEALTH BENFITS FOR FREE  Do you want to know how to reduce your stress hormones,  improve feelings of happiness, free up your creativity, lower  your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, boost your  immune system, and recover faster from illnesses all for  FREE? Go outside and surround yourself with towering trees, a  tangle  of shrubs, fields of blossoming wildflowers, and  golden  sunshine while going for a 30 minute hike. And, do not check your cell phone unles it is an emergency!!! As you are hiking snack on apple slices powdered with  cinnamon and the cinnamon will lower your blood sugar,  especially beneficial, if you have  diabetes.

                        THE MAGIC OF PLANTS   ASTOUNDING BENEFITS OF SUNFLOWERS has different meaning around the world- China-   good luck & happiness Ukraine - national flower, representing peace heat tolerant and pest resistant   there are 80 different species 3 types- tall, short, coloured needs 6 hours of sunlight can grow to 1.5 metres tall they follow the sun from east to west and when they mature they follow the sun only to the East   red sunflowers attract pollinators like  butterflies, honey bees, bumblebee and hummingbirds   sunflowers seeds contain oils and Vit. E  and is known as one of the best natural oils for the skin seeds are high in selenium and Vit. E that helps prevent chronic diseases sunflower seed butter is great for people allergic to peanut butter good source of minerals, protein, magnesium and healthy fats sunflowers depend on cross-pollination by pollinators but they can actually self-pollinate! GET READY FOR THE MOST INCREDIBLE BENEFITS OF  SUNFLOWERS! S

  REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE , UTOPIA In early November under the outstanding leadership of Shannon Stephens from Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, I had the opportunity to help with the broadcasting of native flora and native grasses, including milkweed seeds on an experimental regenerative farm in Utopia, Ontario. Shannon informed us when the owners of the farmland first decided the land could be used to experiment with Regenerative  ag best practice,  the soil was analyzed  and they discovered  only 6 earthworms had managed to survive in the chemical  fertilizer /pesticide drenched soil. Shannon informed us that the bucket full of native seeds was valued at over $2, 000! The reason we planted native flora was to provide a food source for our precious pollinators responsible for every 1/3 mouthful of food we eat every day. Future tall prairie grasses and flora would also provide seeds and shelter for our feathered friends responsible for 92% of our forest regenerati

  HOW CAN I HELP REDUCE GHGs AND HELP SAVE BIRDS   1. Vastly reduce or stop on-line shopping         Amazon’s return policy where shoppers are allowed to buy multiple items and keep one and return the rest has caused an alarming increase in transport trucks on the roads  spewing out nasty pollutants, increasing greenhouse gases, clogging up traffic, and damaging roads.                                                                                          The more greenhouse gases pouring onto our atmosphere the faster will be the rate of global overheating which has an alarming impact on our birds.    Keep in mind every time, you order online from companies like Amazon, you are making it more and more difficult for local retailers to stay afloat.                Not only, do local retailers provide residents with much  needed goods and services, but they are a critical tax base for the City - less money means fewer initiatives to combat climate chaos. 2.    Compost - The

  L AUGHTER YOGA Have you ever heard of laughter yoga? I was just reading about it in my renaissance magazine. Apparently with laughter yoga you can boost your immune system and decrease your stress. You do not need a gym or yoga mat. When you laugh you secrete love hormones called dopamine, oxytocin,  serotonin which increase you positive emotions as opposed to cortisol  which increase negative emotions. Cortisol is secreted when you feel stressed. And the good news is studies have shown that the body cannot  differentiate between real laughter and simulated laughter. Whether it’s fake laughter or real laughter you get the same physiological  and psychological benefits. It turns out one minute of simulated laughter is equivalent to 10 minutes  on the rowing machine! I think I would rather laugh hysterically for 1 minute!! Yoga laughter is referred to as the playground for adults. Check out laughyourselfhealthy.com laughteryoga.or/zoom-laughter-club -every Tue