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Lily poisoning can be fatal to cats if left untreated. Image credit: Chamomile_Olya/Shutterstock.com ====================================================================== As hard as it is to keep a cat away from something they’ve got their sights set on, it’s worth them looking at you like they’re going to eat your eyeballs when it comes to lilies. Though beautiful, these flowers are highly toxic to cats – but why? Turns out it’s something of a mystery. What is lily poisoning? There are lots of flowers and plants called lilies, but it’s species of true lilies – those belonging to the Lilium genus – and daylilies – the...

"Lanfray had drunk his way through the previous day, beginning near dawn with a shot of absinthe diluted in water. A second absinthe shot soon followed."

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

I need to get rid of some wildlife in my suburban Atlanta backyard. My biggest problem is wife foxes. I have three that have dug a hole and live in the ground. They are about the size of a medium sized dog.

Ahh, summertime: A season for kicking back, relaxing, grilling and barbecuing. And also a time for these horrific monsters: Credit: Joe Boggs via WCMH But what ARE these horrific lumps?! From one local report in Ohio: Caterpillars that are camouflage experts and known to cause damage to a variety of plants are now hatching in Ohio. Joe Boggs, an assistant professor with Ohio State University Extension, is warning residents to be on the lookout for bagworms, which are the caterpillars of bagworm moths. The insects create a bag around themselves using silk and pieces of their host plant, which camouflages...

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A new study reveals that eating one avocado per day may enhance sleep, highlighting an unexpected connection between nutrition and sleep quality. The findings build on growing evidence linking avocados to heart health and suggest intriguing potential for dietary choices to influence sleep-related health factors. Credit: Shutterstock Daily avocado intake was linked to better sleep and heart health, likely due to key nutrients, according to a new analysis of a major dietary study. A new study suggests that eating one avocado per day may help improve sleep. Research now confirms that sleep is just as important for overall health as...

A new study by Harvard and Ben Gurion University researchers found that nearly one-third of individuals who followed a healthy diet did not lose weight, but still saw meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic health. Credit: Stock Healthy eating can significantly improve metabolic health even without weight loss. ======================================================================== New research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Ben Gurion University in Israel reveals that nearly one-third of people who stuck to a healthy diet didn’t lose any weight, but still saw impressive health improvements. Even without shedding pounds, participants experienced key benefits to their cardiometabolic health. These included higher...

Scientists studying the cooperative behavior of Longhorn Crazy Ants (Paratrechina longicornis) witnessed individual colony members performing several seemingly impossible feats of swarm intelligence, such as anticipating and clearing potential obstructions for other members transporting food back to the nest. The team that witnessed the unexpected behavior initially assumed individual Longhorn Crazy Ants were somehow anticipating others’ needs and acting accordingly. However, laboratory experiments confirmed the ants were instead working collectively like neurons in the human brain to perform advanced planning tasks with a level of forethought well beyond any individual ant’s limited brain capacity. Witnessing Longhorn Crazy Ants Using Swarm...

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are not only rich in vitamins and minerals but also contain a range of plant compounds that benefit your health. Anthocyanin is one such example. This antioxidant of the flavonoid family is purported to reduce inflammation and protect you from conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. You may want to know how to get this compound in your diet. This article explains what anthocyanin is, plus its health benefits and the foods and drinks that contain it. What is anthocyanin? Anthocyanins are a group of antioxidants found in red,...

It’s never too late to start eating better to prevent dementia, according a new analysis of research involving 90,000 adults. People over the age of 45 who followed a dietary pattern known as the MIND diet were “significantly” less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia, said the University of Hawaii scientists. The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, and was developed by the late Martha Clare Morris, ScD, a Rush University nutritional epidemiologist. It combines the traditional Mediterranean diet with the blood pressure-lowering DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). It includes proven...

After the pattern of recent covert communist Chinese infiltrations of the U.S. continued with the arrest of two suspected "bioterrorists" in Michigan this week, one expert said it's time to sever relations with China completely. "The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China," attorney and Chinese Communist Party expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital. "And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed, and we are going to get hit. And we are going to get hit really hard. Not just with COVID, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse."...

Strawberry tree extracts helped treat ulcerative colitis in rats. (HJBC/Shutterstock) In a nutshell A traditional Mediterranean plant, the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), showed strong protective effects against ulcerative colitis in rats, performing nearly as well as a common prescription drug. The extract worked by reducing inflammation, preventing tissue damage, and restoring antioxidant enzyme levels, suggesting multiple mechanisms of action. While promising, these findings are from animal studies, and more research is needed before the extract can be considered a safe or effective treatment for humans. ======================================================================== JENDOUBA, Tunisia — A humble fruit from the Mediterranean region might hold the key...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class I recall, the most serious designation, for tomatoes potentially containing deadly bacteria. Class I recalls indicate a potential for “serious adverse health consequences or death.” Williams Farms Repack LLC recalled multiple tomato sizes due to potential salmonella contamination. The FDA updated the recall to Class I designation on Wednesday. Williams Farms Repack LLC Recalls Tomatoes Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination https://t.co/VZrbo0NEfQ pic.twitter.com/whsBY5IZTD — U.S. FDA Recalls (@FDArecalls) May 2, 2025 Daily Mail reports: The recall covers shipments from April 23 to April 28 sold in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina....

Halofuginone shows promise for weight loss by boosting key metabolic regulators. Overweight and obesity have quickly become major global health challenges, increasing the risk for a wide range of serious diseases. As people around the world strive for healthier lifestyles, the demand for effective weight loss solutions is growing stronger than ever. Halofuginone (HF), a natural compound extracted from the roots and leaves of the Changshan plant, could emerge as a powerful new option for tackling obesity. For more than 2,000 years, Changshan, the root of Dichroa febrifuga Lour, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever caused...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

NATIONAL COQ AU VIN DAY National Coq Au Vin Day on May 29 celebrates a delicious French dish known as Coq au vin. Join us as we share why this French braise of chicken, cooked with wine, lardons (salt pork), mushrooms, and garlic is more than a delicacy. #NationalCoqAuVinDay A French staple, Coq au vin translates to “rooster with wine.” It’s a rustic, peasant-style dish that is easy to serve when entertaining because a lot of the work can be done in advance. And since we all celebrated National Wine Day just a few days ago, you might be prepared...

Introduced from South America, mathenge was intended to halt desertification, but now three-quarters of the country is at risk of invasion by the invasive tree For his entire life, John Lmakato has lived in Lerata, a village nestled at the foot of Mount Ololokwe in northern Kenya’s Samburu county. “This used to be a treeless land. Grass covered every inch of the rangelands, and livestock roamed freely,” he says. Lmakato’s livestock used to roam freely in search of pasture, but three years ago he lost 193 cattle after they wandered into a conservation area in Laikipia – known for the...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — No Mow May encourages homeowners to stash the lawn mower each spring and let flowers and grass grow for pollinators and water retention. And if your neighbor’s lawn already looks like a wildflower field most of the time, it could be more intentional than passersby might assume.The movement has expanded to “Let It Bloom June” and the fall version: “Leave the leaves.” Conservation and horticulture groups say year-round low-mowing while selectively leaving native plants to grow can save huge amounts of drinking water and lead to lasting and impactful ecological changes.When Amanda Beltranmini Healen moved into...

NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY National Apple Pie Day is America’s favorite dessert and is observed annually on May 13. This food holiday is not only delicious, it's one of the oldest traditional foods everyone serves at every holiday! #NationalApplePieDay The first apple pie recipe printed was in England in 1381. The list of ingredients included good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, pears, saffron, and coffyn (a type of pastry crust). While the apple pie existed well before the Pilgrims landed on the eastern shores of what is now The United States, Americans wax poetic about how American apple pie is....