The spine you have is the only one you ever get! Through the miracle of modern medicine, many organs that fail or wear out can now be replaced. Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and even artificial lenses for the eyes can make someone feel like new. Unfortunately for the spine, the one you were born with must last you your entire lifetime!

What you eat now could prevent loss of memory and mental ability later in life. According to a study published in the May 1999 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s scientific journal, a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids protects against a decline in memory performance and cognitive processing functions often associated with aging.

Scientists can't stop finding health benefits for tea. Tests at the University of Newcatle upon Tyne suggest that tea, and particularly green tea, may improve your memory and slow the onset of Alzheimer's. A previous study in Chicago of people prone to tension headaches found that Caffeine along gave as much pain relief as Ibaprofen. And a team in Illinois found that polyphenols in black tea stop plaque forming on your teeth and reduce the level of cavity forming acids. Flight Health

The majority of people who have hiatal hernias don't even realize it. Those who do know typically find out when visiting a doctor because of chronic heartburn. Symptoms may include the following: heartburn; regurgitation. difficulty swallowing. chest pain radiating from below the breastbone (the sternum). a bloated feeling after eating. shortness of breath. Call Your Doctor If:

The hiatus is an opening in the diaphragm (a muscle separating the abdomen and chest) that the esophagus passes through to reach the stomach. If the hiatus weakens and stretches, part of the stomach and/or the oesophagus can squeeze into the chest cavity, producing a hiatal hernia. Essentially, there are three types of hiatal her-nias. In a sliding hernia, the lower oesophagus and stomach move upward, bringing the top part of the stomach into the chest cavity.

Honey is set fair to be the new medical champion in hospitals. Latest research claims that it could help combat the potentially lethal rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are proving notoriously difficult to treat when they appear in infections. By studying the way bacteria protect themselves from attack by forming slimy clumps, the scientists have discovered that honey may be an effective new weapon,in breaking up the microbes' defences. The researchers involved are from the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC), in the UK.

Plants were probably man's first source of medicine. The Chinese were said to have compiled a catalogue of medicinal herbs as early as 3000 B.c. Egyptian apothecaries, in 1500 B.C., knew how to compound herbs, mineral salts, and animal substances into salves, gargles, powders and purgatives.

Banana (Musa sapientum L.) one of the major tropical fruits, is commercially important in world trade. Banana is the cheapest as well as one of the most nutritious fruits. The banana bas become a very popular fruit in modern westernized diets for its flavour, texture and for its convenience value being easy to peel off and eat. Banana can make an useful contribution to the Vitamin A, C and B6 content of the diet and is an important and immediate source of energy. It is often eaten by sportsmen and women during competition.

500 grams rotini pasta Dressing: 3/4 cup olive oil 1/8 cup red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup cherry tomato halves ½ cup grated feta cheese ½ cup chopped fresh parsley ½ cup chopped fresh sweet basil 1/4 cup chopped purple perilla Cook the pasta, rinse in cold water, drain and place in salad bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the pasta then add the final ingredients. Stir gently until all is mixed.

Many of the plants growing at the Village could be considered herbs because whether wild plants or garden flowers, they were useful in a variety of ways in the daily lives of pioneers. Every plant that could provide a use was valued - whether it supplied a moth repelling scent or provided healing qualities to a lard salve or yielded a vivid dye. Pioneer theme gardens can preserve this knowledge of heritage plants to be shared with school children, Sunday School classes or even the local boy scout troop.

Dyes derived from plants such as those growing in this display garden were used to create the warm and bright colours in woollen materials. Natural dyes from wild and cultivated plants provided a rich palette of earthy tones that were incorporated into blankets, socks, and even woollen undergarments that protected the wearer against the harsh Canadian winter.

Many of the trees and plants in the garden, surrounding the restored Doctor’s home, served as a "natural pharmacy" from which the nineteenth century doctor could prepare remedies and cures for the villagers. This authentic garden was developed and maintained by the Southern Ontario Unit of the Herb Society of America. The following perennial herbs are typical of those commonly used to stock a storehouse of remedies. Comfrey Symphytum officinale Old time remedy herb used for compresses applied to injuries. Elecampane

In mid-nineteenth century Ontario, the household garden played a major role in the daily life of the pioneer. The plants found growing in the gardens, orchards, and fields of Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, Ontario, are representative of those grown by the early settlers for food, medicine, and other domestic uses.

Gordon’s Gin and the National Trust for England have together recreated the original juniper walk at Ham House in Surrey as part of an ongoing project to replicate the seventeenth century gardens using original drawings. This unlikely partnership of distillery and heritage preserving organization is planning to plant more of the berry-producing strain of juniper rather than the current non-berry producing plants; in this way, visitors can then enjoy the fragrance of juniper berries on the bush and not berries placed in pots, as at present.

“Recipes would be exchanged over a cup of herbal tea and people who could cut a fine quill for writing were much in demand.” - Dorothy Banks With summer’s labours over, in autumn Canadian settlers looked forward to craft-making, when they finally had a little time to take pleasure in the fragrant leaves and petals which they had so carefully collected from their gardens and fields.

With the cooler days of winter looming ahead for most of us, we can take comfort in knowing that some things just taste and feel better when the mercury goes down. Read on for some interesting nut milk recipes. Cinnamon for the Soul ... a winter weary soul, that is! By Janette Oliver-Rodgers

Ingredients: 6 cups of fresh dandelion leaves (unsprayed and picked before plant is in bud.) 1 11oz can of mandarin-orange sections, drained 1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup fresh lemon balm leaves, snipped 3 Tbsp of sunflower oil 1 Tbsp of lemon juice 1/2 tsp of poppy seeds 1/4 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of pepper 3/4 cup of slivered almonds, toasted

To enjoy fresh herbs throughout the coming season, you may want to consider growing herbs such as basil, parsley and cilantro, much the way you would lettuce in the garden. Sow a new row every two weeks and remember to pinch back for optimum fullness. You can continue to start seeds right into the first of July and any remaining plants can always be lifted and brought indoors at the end of the season. You will be amazed at the speed in which your herbs will grow once the soil is heated up and the days are at their longest.

Spring Blues Green - verdant, lush, and full of life - is of course the colour of spring. But there is another colour of spring which runs a close second - blue. Look around the early spring garden or woods and blue can be found everywhere. No other colour is as abundant among spring’s herbaceous plants (except the acknowledged spring winner: green!).

Mention Celtic and for many of us images wild and romantic emerge - spiritual, artistic, and ancient. What deep longings, what tugs from long-buried folk memories fuel the modern resurgence of Celtic traditions that we see now? Although everyday life for the Celts must have been hard, sometimes brutal, they have left us an enduring legacy of myth, lore, reverence for nature, and knowledge. Modern seekers are finding in things Celtic an element that "connects" with them. What part do herbs play in this and what parallels do we see in the "Herbal Renaissance" and the Celtic resurgence?