Issue Date: July 16, 2006
Cool container gardens
Here are some of the latest trends in container plantings:
A single specimen is a quick and elegant way of making a statement. Use one large architectural succulent, like agave, echeveria, aloe or kalanchoe, or try striking, large perennial grasses like miscanthus, pennisetum and panicum. Or purchase several of one type of plant, such as calibrachoa, osteospermum or one of the newer hybrid petunias or ageratums. Each has several small blooming flowers on one plant. If you pot them up closely in a container and provide the correct nutrition, these plants will offer abundant, breathtaking flowers.
Contrasting, exotic color combinations are also hot. Mix burgundy and silver-leaved plants or burgundy and yellow- or lime-green-leaved plants. Some good silver-leaved plants are dusty miller, melianthus major, artemisia and lavenders. Consider trying huge-leaved alocasia or colocasia, particularly 'Black Magic,' or Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger.' Coleus added to a container with these elephant ear plants are truly stunning. And the wilder and more exotic the coleus is, the better.
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Newbies: Up for surfing?
Summer's here and surf's up. Surfing is an excellent workout that combines cardio, strength and balance -- and it's a lot of fun, too. Even if you don't live near the ocean, a surf vacation can be a great active getaway.
"You've got to be prepared physically and mentally to learn to surf," says Isabelle "Izzy" Tihanyi, founder of Surf Diva Surf School in La Jolla, Calif. "We say the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. It's more fun if you're prepared before you get out there."
Tihanyi's tips to help you get ready:
Start swimming. Surfing is more than 90% paddling, and upper body strength makes a big difference. Get in the pool two to three times a week for 20 minutes before hitting the water with a board.
Develop flexibility and core strength. These will be important assets when you "pop up" from lying on your stomach and balance on the board. Peggy Hall's Yoga for Surfers fitness DVD series is a good training tool.
Read a book for beginners. Surf Diva: A Girl's Guide to Getting Good Waves (Harvest Books, $14) starts with the absolute basics and is a good primer for guys, too.
Take a lesson. You'll learn faster and enjoy it more. Instructors teach the unwritten rules of surfing, the right equipment to use, where and when to surf, as well as how to carry the board, "pop up," paddle out, maneuver and catch a wave.
Contact Jorge Cruise, author of "The 3-Hour Diet," at 3hourdiet.com.
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Baby carrier lowdown
With celeb moms like Angelina Jolie being photographed "wearing their babies," it's no wonder baby carriers are achieving a celebrated status that no stroller, not even those expensive Bugaboos, can match.
As demand increases, so do the options. How do you know which one is for you: sling, front carrier, backpack or side holder? Ask yourself these questions before you go shopping:
What's the child's weight, age and height?
What will you be doing while wearing the baby? Laundry? Computer work? Hiking? Shopping?
What will the baby be doing? Sleeping? Nursing? Enjoying the scenery?
Where are you best able to carry the load: Back? Front? Side? Multiple places?
Do you want the baby to see you or the world? And do you want to see the baby?
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It's soy disappointing
If you depend on soy to boost your health, you may be disappointed. An analysis of 22 studies on soy protein and its main ingredient, isoflavones, found little to rave about, according to the American Heart Association. Its conclusions:
A huge amount (50 grams of soy protein daily, replacing dairy and animal protein) is needed to lower bad LDL cholesterol a mere 3%. And soy protein did not improve HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a) or blood pressure. Nor did soy's isoflavones reduce LDL cholesterol or hot flashes, and whether soy slows bone loss in older women is uncertain. Still, the AHA rated soy foods, such as tofu, better for your heart than burgers, cheese and other foods high in saturated fat.
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