Apricots are one of the healthiest fruits we can eat. Dried or fresh they have a beautiful colour and not only sweeten food but also provide important nutrition. Dried apricots are rich in potassium while the fresh fruit contains a beneficial amount of beta-carotene. Potassium helps to prevent and regulate high blood pressure, but a higher intake than is typical of a Western diet is needed so munching on dried apricots is an easy way to obtain the amount needed. Foods high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant, have been shown to reduce the risk of cataracts, stroke, heart disease, and some ..read more

Liquidambar, a tree popular in gardens, parks, and roadsides because of its brilliant autumn foliage, has an interesting quality hidden behind its beauty - it contains useful medicinal properties. The tree's name comes from the amber-coloured 'gum' also known as balsam, which was used by the Aztecs to flavour tobacco. The Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortez, may have been the first person from the Old World to smoke this tobacco. He dined with the Aztec Emperor Montezuma, and after they finished their meal cigarettes made from the balsam flavoured tobacco were brought to the table ..read more