The Herb Acacia

Written by Judi Singleton


Acacia

(ka´sh) , any plant ofrepparttar large leguminous genus Acacia, often thorny shrubs and trees ofrepparttar 115317 family Leguminosae (pulse family). Chiefly ofrepparttar 115318 tropics and subtropics, they are cultivated for decorative and economic purposes. Acacias are characteristic of savanna vegetation and are especially numerous inrepparttar 115319 South African bushveld. The foliage often appears feathery because ofrepparttar 115320 many small leaflets, but in some species leaflike flattened stems contain chlorophyll and takerepparttar 115321 place of leaves. Various Old World species (especially A. arabica and A. senegal ) yield gum arabic; other species, chiefly A. catechu, yieldrepparttar 115322 dye catechu. Blackwood (A. melanoxylon) is valued in Australia for its hardwood timber. Other members ofrepparttar 115323 genus are valuable for lac, for perfume and essential oils, and for tannins; some are used as ornamentals. The Australian acacias are commonly called wattles–their pliable branches were woven intorepparttar 115324 structure ofrepparttar 115325 early wattle houses and fences and Wattle Day celebratesrepparttar 115326 national flower at blossoming time. Many wattles are cultivated elsewhere, particularly in California, as ornamentals for their characteristic spherical, dense flowers. The Central American bullhorn acacias (e.g., A. sphaerocephala) have large hollow thorns inhabited by ants that are said to feed upon a sweet secretion ofrepparttar 115327 plant and in turn guard it against leaf-eating insects. The most common acacia indigenous torepparttar 115328 United States isrepparttar 115329 cat's-claw (A. gregii) ofrepparttar 115330 arid Southwest. The biblical shittim wood is thought to have come from an acacia. Various species of locust are sometimes called acacia, and acacias may be called mimosa; all are ofrepparttar 115331 same family. Acacia is classified inrepparttar 115332 division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Leguminosae.

Common names, Cape gum, Egyptian thorn, Gum Arabic tree, Gum acacia, Gum Arabic,India gum tree,Bablah pods, Acacia bambolah.

Acacia is a small, spiny, leguminous tree or shrub. Afterrepparttar 115333 rainy season ends,repparttar 115334 stem begins to exude gum, which is collected from December to June for marketing as gum Arabic. The acacia has alternate, bipinnate leaves and axillary racemes of yellow flowers arranged in globose heads. The fruit is an oblong pod.

Grows in sandy soil, mostly in tropical Africa

Acacia was a sacred wood forrepparttar 115335 ancient Hebrews. Moses used acacia wood in buildingrepparttar 115336 Ark ofrepparttar 115337 Covenant andrepparttar 115338 sacred Tabernacle (see Exodus, chapters 25-40).

According to Near-Eastern Christian legend, a thorny species of acacia was used for Christ's crown of thorns.

Moapa Paiute name for acacia is "Pah oh pimb." Used for inflammation ofrepparttar 115339 eyes, due to dust; vaqueros and travelers habitually carry acacia seeds and put 4 in each eye on retiring.

Gum Arabic's main effect is to form a protective, soothing coating over inflammations inrepparttar 115340 respiratory, alimentary, and urinary tracts. It is helpful for coughs, sore throat, and catarrh, eyewash, diarrhea, and dysentery. Sweetened, it is sometimes used for typhoid fever.

Acacia greggii Taxonomy: Magnoliophyta (angiosperm), Magnoliopsida (dicot), Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae)

Common names: catclaw, Gregg cat claw, cat's claw acacia, tear blanket, devils claw, paradise flower, long-flowered catclaw, Texas mimosa, uña de gato.

Acacia greggii is a member ofrepparttar 115341 Fabaceae family; it is native torepparttar 115342 Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Catclaw occurs primarily in semi-desert grasslands and brushy range lands largely confined to washes. It is often found onrepparttar 115343 upper slopes of a bajada (Spanish for downhill) where moisture is more available than middle or lower bajada situations. Catclaw hasrepparttar 115344 highest water requirements of several species of desert shrubs tested, partially explaining why although it is found in arid regions, is often confined to dry washes or stream bottoms with relatively shallow water tables.

10 Tips: How to get in shape without sweating

Written by Valerie Vauthey


Tip #1: The *Brazilian move*.

The good thing about this move is that you don't need to go a gym to do it, you don't even need to find time in your day. Why? Because you will do this move while you brush your teeth! How does it work: Standing straight in your bathroom, bend your knees slightly. Tilt your hips forward while contracting them, then pull them back. Remember to make a very strong squeeze when you finishrepparttar forward move. As you brush your teeth a minimum of twice a day, that's 6 minutes a day of Brazilian move. Along with a healthy eating, this will guarantee you will get a nice rear for this summer, yeah!

Tip #2: Use your Hands!

There are some chores you would be better off doing by hand! For instance, washing dishes by hand will burn 78 calories per half hour..... Knowing that a pound is about 3,500 calories, and assuming you will wash dishes half an hour over 45 days, you will have lost 1 pound without knowing it....(translated on a year, this amounts to about 8 pounds!)

Tip #3: How to get your 60 minutes of accumulated exercise a day….

The General Surgeon's orders are to get 60 minutes of accumulated exercise per day (this can be sliced up into 6 small walks without any problem). Beside burning calories, when you walk you will buildrepparttar 115316 big muscles of your lower body. Muscle tissue uses up more calories to maintain than fat, even at rest. Again, you don't have to go for a 60 minute walk if you don't fee like it. You can slice it up into 4x15 minute walk: -1- one at home when you wake up (will also help wake up even more :o) -2- two at lunch time to go to your lunch place and to come back (just select a place that's 15 minutes away from your office) -3- one inrepparttar 115317 middle ofrepparttar 115318 afternoon to help you remain focus untilrepparttar 115319 end ofrepparttar 115320 day.

Tip #4: Manage your food cravings by being proactive!!!

Your body produces endorphins when you do aerobic exercise -- which means getting your heart rate up for at least 20 mn. Aerobic exercise produces endorphins, body chemicals that induce euphoric and pleasurable feelings. These arerepparttar 115321 same chemicals produced in response to eating fat/sweet foods. Tip #5: Improve your posture This is a great exercise to improve your posture hereby making you look great when you walk, when you are onrepparttar 115322 beach, when you enter a business meeting room. On a yoga mat, stand straight. Breath a few times: inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale slowly. Tuck your toes under and push back into a low squat, with fingertips lightly touchingrepparttar 115323 floor. Drop your chin so it's relaxed towardrepparttar 115324 chest. Slowly rise fromrepparttar 115325 squat position by pushing your heels towardrepparttar 115326 floor until your torso hangs froward and down. Keeprepparttar 115327 knees slightly bent and aligned overrepparttar 115328 center of each foot. Breathe, relaxrepparttar 115329 upper body, and hang like a rag dool. Inhale in that position. Exhale as you engage your powerhouse and slowly roll up to a standing position. When you are standing, straighten your knees with your arms relaxed at your sides. Inhale once again, and as you exhale, rise slowly to balance onrepparttar 115330 balls of your feet. Breathe, relaxrepparttar 115331 shoulders, and maintain this balance for several seconds. You can do this exercise 3 times each time you finish a work out. It may sound complicated by reading this text; I suggest you print this tip, take it with you wherever you do your workouts, do it once withrepparttar 115332 paper and once you have understoodrepparttar 115333 move, re-do it without reading.

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