Natural alternatives to DEET-based insect repellents

When I was up in Alaska in the 1990s, my very survival depended on liberal applications of DEET-based insect repellent, as it was high-season for mosquitoes and they were BIG, plentiful, and constantly present! However, the stuff is quite gnarly to your body and tough on synthetic fibers, too! There are more natural-based alternatives available, per this article from Sierra Club. Check it out and perhaps you will experience effective results without the DEET nastiness and issues!

Neti Pot best practice

Using a neti pot for sinus rinsing has some benefit for people who routinely suffer from allergies or other congestive conditions. However, while rare, there have been fatal infections reported when using even filtered tap water with the neti pot. Therefore, pay attention to the CDC's recommendations and use distilled water - or cooled, boiled water - for proper safety. Most over-the-counter kits advise such precautions as well, so "pay attention".

Comparing Meat & Legumes

Here's an interesting article from SF Gate comparing Meat and Legumes. Basically, legumes are "heart healthy" although some amino acids aren't present in legumes alone, so including other vegetable sources such as nuts and grains are important to make up for it.