During the first year that you have your mint, you will need to water it frequently. Test the soil with your finger to determine how dry it is. Keep the soil damp, but don't soak it. If your mint is in direct sun, water it more frequently. Check on it frequently to make sure that it gets adequate water, but not too much. This will help to contain the plant's height and keep the leaves nice and full around the sides of the plant. This also creates a better harvest. When you check on your plant to see if it needs water, see if the plant has gotten too tall. A mint plant's small flowers will typically bloom from June to September. You should trim the buds before they have a chance to open so the plant doesn't grow out of control. Pinching off the plant's flower buds as they appear will also extend your plant's harvesting season. Do this only if you are growing it in a pot/container. After a few years, your mint will match the size of the container, causing its roots to become cramped. De-pot it and carefully split apart the mint into several plants. Lifting and replanting your mint every two to three or even three to four years will help keep the scent and the flavor of the mint nice and strong. Rust, a fungus that creates orange-brown patches on the undersides of a plant's leaves, is one of the few diseases that mint is susceptible to. Your plant may fall victim to diseases such as verticillium wilt or mint anthracnose and it may be infested with insects such as flea beetles, root borers, spider mites, or root weevils. This is not a likely occurrence, however, since the strong odor of mint wards off most insects and other pests. Just provide good air circulation and soil that is well-drained to keep your plants healthy. If you notice any insects, spray them off with a garden hose.  You can also wash your leaves with insecticidal soap. Make sure to look for pests under the leaves of the plants, too. This is a place where they like to hide.

Summary: Water your mint often. Trim the top of the plant. Trim the mint's flower buds to keep the plant compact. Split your plant every two or three years. Treat your mint with a fungicide spray if it gets infected by rust. Watch out for pests and diseases.


If you routinely experience gas pains and bloating, keep a log of everything you eat and drink. When you have symptoms, check your log and note foods that might be giving you trouble. Then see if cutting those foods from your diet helps.  For example, you might pass gas excessively and feel bloated after eating a big bowl of ice cream. Limiting or cutting dairy products could provide relief. Foods affect people differently, so try to find out what’s causing your issues. You might find that all common gas-causing foods give you trouble, or that 1 or 2 items cause your symptoms. The most common gas-causing foods contain hard-to-digest carbohydrates, fiber, and lactose. Try cutting dairy products from your diet for a week, and see if your symptoms improve. If you’re still gassy, try avoiding beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. If you still experiencing gas, try reducing your fiber intake. See if cutting down on whole grains and bran helps. Sorbitol is an artificial sweetener that causes gas. While sorbitol can make you gassy on its own, products that contain it often cause or worsen gas in other ways.  For example, carbonated beverages cause gas, and soft drinks that contain sorbitol can be even harder on your digestive system. Swallowing air can cause bloating, and you swallow more air when you chew gum and suck on hard candies. You might be even more gassy if you’re chewing gum or candy contains sorbitol. Beans and some fruits and veggies contain carbohydrates that are hard to digest. Avoid or eat less broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears, prunes, and prune juice.  Fruits and veggies are an important part of a healthy diet, so don’t cut them out entirely. Instead, go for options that are easier to digest, such as lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, avocados, berries, and grapes. To make beans easier to digest, soak them in warm water for at least an hour before cooking them. Be sure to discard the soaking water and cook them in fresh water. Do your best to avoid greasy, high-fat foods, which can slow digestion and cause gas buildup. Examples include fatty cuts of red meat, processed meats (such as bacon), and fried foods. Swap these for leaner, more digestible items, like poultry, seafood, egg whites, and easy-to-digest fruits and veggies. Larger particles of food are harder to digest, so chew your food until it’s liquefied. Additionally, the more you chew, the more saliva you produce. Saliva contains digestive enzymes, which break down your bites and make your meals easier to digest. Take smaller bites and chew at least 30 times, or until the food feels like a mushy paste. Probiotics help to promote a healthy gut biome, which means that the bacteria in your digestive system are balanced. Include probiotic foods or a probiotic supplement in your daily diet. Probiotic foods include: Yogurt Kefir Sauerkraut Miso soup Kimchi

Summary: Try to keep track of which foods cause your symptoms. Cut 1 food group at a time from your diet to find the culprit. Avoid items that contain sorbitol, such as gum, candy, and soft drinks. Stay away from beans, vegetables, and fruits that cause gas. Work on cutting fatty foods from your diet. Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. Include probiotic foods or a supplement.


Measure out the milk and pour it into a small pot or saucepan. Place the pot or saucepan on your stovetop and heat the milk over medium heat. Stir the mixture occasionally as you bring it to a simmer. Remove the milk from the heat once it starts to simmer. Use a pot holder to carefully transfer the hot milk to the bowl with the yolks and white sugar. Stir the ingredients until they’re fully combined.

Summary: Heat 2 cups (470 ml) of milk in a pot or saucepan until it simmers. Pour the heated milk into the yolk and sugar mixture.


Music can help us calm down and find inner peace even in the most stressful of situations. Find music that works for you and then be ready to rock it at a moment's notice!  One good chillout song is Ze Frank's "Chillout". What a surprise! MyNoise is another great source of relaxing music that can help you center yourself and find some inner peace. Going for a walk or run is another good way to calm yourself down. Getting exercise not only tires us out and lets us release tension, it also releases endorphins, which are the brain chemical that regulates our emotions. Go for a quick jog around the block if you find you're having a hard time. Whether you're playing fetch with a dog or pirates with a five-year-old, having fun with someone who really knows how to embrace the joys of life can make a huge difference when you're having a tough time. Drama, either drama you cause or drama you find yourself in the middle of, can really get in the way of finding your inner peace. We tend to seek out drama because it makes life more exciting, but in order to find peace we have to make our lives more exciting by pursuing challenges instead. This is because the negative feelings associated with drama cannot create inner peace, which relies on positive feelings. If someone in your life is prone to just bringing the drama, try to cut them out as much as you can. There are lots of great, basic comfort activities that you can do to calm down and find peace when you're starting to get a bit on edge. You can drink tea, watch a funny movie, meditate, light some incense, or any number of other calming rituals. These work based on personal preference, so just find one that works for you!
Summary: Listen to calming music. Go for a walk or run. Play with someone who knows how to have fun. Avoid drama. Do comforting activities.