Health Benefits of Mint

Inspired by a friend making a cup of tea with fresh mint from her yard, my curiousity got the best of me and I had to find out it's healthy benefits!

Who knew that chewing on fresh mint leaves a couple of  times a week could whiten your teeth?  That sure beats buying those whitening products and think of the money you could save!

By simply inhaling, mint brings relief to those nasal sufferers with issues like sinus infections, asthma, allergies, and the common cold.

Mint can help settle an upset stomach and cleanse the bowels.  It is also commonly known as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive ailments.

It's rumored that mint can possibly help prevent colon, lung and skin cancer.

Mint leaves eliminate toxins, bacteria, and fungus from the body, so it may be a good idea to have some fresh mint with your daily cup of tea.

How to make a minty cup of tea:  Pour very hot, but not boiling, water over your fresh mint leaves and tea bag for 2-3 minutes. Keep it covered while it's steeping to prevent the beneficial oils from evaporating.  Sip and enjoy regularly!

Oregon couple builds a dream cabin for $10,000

(By Thomas J. Story, Sunset via USA TODAY)

USA TODAY -- For $10,000 in materials, Mariah Morrow and Ryan Lingard built their own off-grid mountain cabin in the wilderness near Joseph, Ore., where they hike, ski and snowshoe.

"It's peaceful here, and spending time off the grid resets your priorities," Lingard tells Sunset magazine, which profiled their DIY project. An architect, he designed the 130 square-foot, cedar-clad cabin, which has an 8-foot-high barn door that opens to a view of Wallowa Lake.

The couple bought the small lot -- a six-hour drive from their Portland base -- for $47,000 and used mostly recycled materials to build the cabin, which has no running water or electricity. They use a portable toilet, a wood stove for heat, oil lamps for light and small solar chargers to power cell phones.

Sunset, one of my favorite magazines, gives tips for building your own dream cabin or buying one of several prefabricated ones. Lingard sells a prefab version of his "Signal Shed," starting at $18,000. For a more elaborate (and expensive) cabinesque abode, read Green House's feature on the E.D.G.E.
USA TODAY

http://www.ksdk.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=209726

Clouds over Mt. Rainier, Washington, USA

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