Compost happens easily because it’s nature’s way to turn organic matter into thick, rich soil through the process of decay. But a compost tumbler makes that happen faster and with less mess. It does so by harnessing three elements: heat, gravity, and air. Compost needs to be kept warm so the friendly bacteria that break down the waste can do their job. It needs to be broken up frequently so it decays evenly. And it needs constant airflow because the compost-friendly bacteria are the aerobic type that can’t live in an oxygen-poor environment.

So a compost tumbler is made from a plastic or metal barrel in a dark color to absorb all of the sun’s heat. The barrel is suspended on a frame that allows it to turn freely using a crank handle. The critical part of the tumbler’s construction is some kind of baffle system inside the barrel that breaks up the compost as it decays while allowing air to circulate in from outside and vent outward. A good example is the Urban Compost Tumbler, which is sold online.

Making compost the old-fashioned way in a pile takes a long time, especially if you live in a cooler climate. It’s also a lot of work turning the pile often enough to make everything decay evenly. A compost tumbler really speeds up the composting process because they trap heat and make turning the pile so easy that you can do it every day with far less effort than it would take with a hoe or pitchfork. You can put it in your backyard or garden so you don’t have to move your compost far when it’s finished.

Here are some tips and tricks for making great compost in a tumbler:
* Only certain kinds of kitchen waste are appropriate for composting. Vegetable scraps are great. Meat and dairy should be kept out of the compost pile at all costs. Grains, such as breads, rice, and pasta, are up to the individual, but most gardeners agree that they get a cleaner compost if they keep these materials to a minimum.
* Don’t add the scraps little by little, or the process will never be finished. If it’s inconvenient to save up your kitchen waste to process all at once, buy two tumblers and make compost in stages.
* Work on getting your ratio of “greens” to “browns” just right. Greens are moist, rapidly decaying materials like kitchen waste and grass clippings. Browns are dryer materials like leaves and woody materials. About two-thirds green and one-third brown is about right. Browns decay faster when they’re processed in a shredder before they go into the tumbler.
* You’ll probably need to add water to the tumbler to get the right mix, but don’t add too much. The barrel’s contents should be very moist but not wet or soupy. Be sure to put a tray under the tumbler to catch the compost “tea” so you can pour it on your garden and take advantage of all the great nutrients in it.
* If you really want to speed the process up, add a commercial compost activator mix.

If you follow all these steps, you’ll have a nice batch of compost to put on your garden in about two months—without any mess, bugs, rodents, or complaining neighbors. You’ll have healthy soil full of good microorganisms that will nourish your plants better than any fertilizer, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re recycling your garden waste and doing your part to save the earth.

Nonetheless, a growing number of consumers are opting to do their tanning at home. The home tanning beds are of high quality, and the convenience of being able to schedule a tanning session at any time of the day or night adds considerably to their appeal.

The other advantage of home tanning is cost effectiveness. While the beds are expensive, once the initial expense is over with, the only remaining expenses are maintenance such as lamp replacement. In contrast, salon tanning is an expense that never ends, unless you decide to give up and let your tan fade.

The best home units have multiple lamps—at least eight in the bench, plus separate facial lamps and arm lamps—to promote an even tan on all areas of the body. Tunnel design is a must—don’t bother with units that only tan one side of your body at a time, or you’ll be spending twice as long tanning as you need to. Look for a large bed size for comfort and to accommodate larger people. And make sure the bed has a good warranty. Some beds even come with built-in music players.

Much has been written about the risks of UV light exposure. Although these can’t be minimized, there’s another side to the story. Many tanning bed users report having an elevated mood when they indulge in a regular UV light bath, especially in the winter months. And UV light exposure on the skin is a great source of vitamin D. Recent studies have shown that a high percentage of North Americans are vitamin D deficient, which can cause serious health problems.

If you decide to buy your own tanning booth, then you need to commit to maintaining it. You should change the lamps on a regular schedule so your color will stay even. And you need to keep the equipment clean, and buy your own supplies, like indoor tanning lotion and goggles, that the tanning salon would otherwise take care of for you.

If you read around online for some unbiased reviews, you’ll find that they’re mixed. People with darker skin don’t get good results with the comb because the pigment in their skin absorbs the laser light faster and puts them at the risk for burns. And many reviewers reported that the device was working for them, at least to some extent, but they simply didn’t have time for the recommended 10-15 minute treatment sessions three times per week that the manufacturer recommends. Although pharmaceutical hair loss treatments like Rogaine have to be applied every day, they typically can be done in less than two minutes. More than one reviewer has objected to the time commitment, so before you spend the money, make sure that you’re ready to follow through.

Reviewers who report going from having a receding hairline to a full, lush head of hair are rare, and should probably be viewed with suspicion. But there are plenty of reviews saying that the Hairmax stopped their baldness from progressing any further, and made their existing hair grow in thicker and healthier than before. Before you buy, keep in mind that the device doesn’t work for everyone, for reasons that science doesn’t yet understand, and keep your fingers crossed that you turn out to be one of the lucky ones.

Solar power has been stalled for years with traditional crystalline silicon panels. Although they’re durable and efficient, they’re also big, heavy, and look ugly mounted on the roof of a house. Now, with energy prices soaring and increasing interest in alternative energy sources, cutting-edge solar technology has turned roof shingles themselves into solar panels. Known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), each shingle can produces between 17 and 50 watts. Solar slate tiles can produce up to 200 watts per tile. By itself, this isn’t a lot of power, but multiplied by the full square footage of your roof, solar roofing can generate enough electricity to power an entire house if you live in a sunny area with mild winters. You can then use the power either in your own household, or sell it back to your utility company in states that have net metering programs. Either way, you save money on your electric bill.

Installing the shingles is similar to the process for traditional roofing. You can choose asphalt shingles, fiber cement roofing, or slate tiles. The roofing goes down over new or previously installed sheathing. A good do-it-yourselfer can handle the physical installation job him- or herself.

After that, an electrician or specially trained roofing specialist will come out and take care of the electrical wiring so the units work together and feed into your home’s electrical system. Although some solar energy enthusiasts prefer to go off the grid entirely, most people who get these systems prefer to feed the electricity back into their local power grid. Thirty-eight states have “net metering” laws, which require electrical utilities to buy the excess power generated by home energy systems and set competitive rates. In effect, generating power at home allows you to spin your electrical meter backward. Solar garden lights are another nice touch for people who want to save energy.

A good rule of thumb for calculating solar energy needs is 1,000 watts per 1,000 square feet of living space. A 2,000 watt system with professional installation costs about $15,000. If installed on a new home, this cost can be rolled into the mortgage, which is tax deductible. The 2005 federal energy rebate program has been renewed for 2009 to give a 30 percent credit on solar shingles and other energy efficient home improvements, and for systems installed after January 1, 2009, there’s no longer a $2,000 limit on the rebate. That means the $15,000 system would in reality cost you $10,500.

Although people who live in sunny, southern areas of the United States are better candidates for solar shingle roofs than those in northern areas, the systems produce electricity as long as there’s daylight, even on cloudy days. The cost efficiency of the systems will improve as the cost of electricity increases and costs of production goes down. There are also hefty tax credits from the federal government to sweeten the deal, with more on the way from the new presidential administration. To keep track of federal and state energy programs, go to DSIRE.

Here’s how it works: our bodies react to fats by producing three different types of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like compounds that have powerful effects on our health. Series 1 and 3 prostaglandins reduce inflammation. Series 2 prostaglandins increase inflammation. We need Series 2 prostaglandins for certain things—they help with blood clotting when we have a cut, for instance. But you can see how a compound that makes our blood sticky might have adverse effects on our health if it gets out of hand. Researchers are right now looking to the effects of Series 2 on common diseases like heart attack, stroke, arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.

Omega-6 fats can take one of two metabolic pathways as they’re absorbed into our cells. In the presence of Omega 3s, they take the “good” pathway and produce series 1 and 3 prostaglandins. If the ratio of Omega 6 fats is too high compared to Omega 3 fats, the Omega-6s will take the “bad” pathway and turn into arachidonic acid, which is a series-2 prostaglandin.

When humans lived in caves, we ate roughly equal amounts of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats. Today, however, we’re eating 20 times more Omega-6s than Omega-3s. Although research is still in progress, this radical change in the human diet for the first time in history could solve the mystery of why obesity and disease are on the increase even as more people replace supposedly unhealthy saturated fat with supposedly healthy Omega-6 polyunsaturated fat.

Nutritionists are now recommending that we keep our ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 consumption at about 4-to-1. Omega-3s are found in fish oil, flax seed oil, and to a lesser degree, cold water fish, although exposure to the heat of cooking destroys most of the Omega-3s found in food. There has been a gradual return to consuming a reasonable amount of saturated fat found in animal protein, as more studies come out showing that it’s not the cholesterol in saturated fat that’s the problem—it’s the other stuff we eat that makes our blood so sticky that the cholesterol sticks to our arteries.

Read more about health and fitness at Chapter You.