If you've read some of my other posts, you know I'm a fan of gardening and the resulting goodness: flowers, food, herbs, etc. I'm also a big fan of house plants, which, I believe, are supposed to evoke a sense of bringing the outside in and, thus, a sense of calmness and freshness. An aura that's anything but stressful.

But I find that sometimes keeping up with watering and caring for house plants can actually be a bit stressful, and therefore can cancel out a bit of their peaceful properties. This is not true if you choose succulents. I've had succulents I didn't water for an entire season that are still flourishing in their respective containers, so you don't have to worry about keeping up with a regular watering schedule. They don't get those unsightly brown, and dare I say, stressed, leaves. They require very little care and give big payback, in my opinion. One of the more well-known in this plant family, aloe, can even heal wounds as well as protect and beautify skin.

Beyond that, various types of these delightful little living things are perfect for adorning your windowsills, bathroom vanities, and other nooks and crannies throughout your home. And sometimes they can please the eye just enough to take the edge off of an otherwise frazzled day.

When it comes to the number of health benefits that can be obtained from regular exercise, there truly are too many too count. Just when you think you've heard them all (improved circulation, reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease, lower cholesterol, etc.), something new and equally as interesting emerges.

Such is the case with a recent study from the University of Illinois, which led to the discovery that regular exercise may actually help wounds heal faster!! How much faster? Well, based on the study, wounded mice who exercised were able to heal 25 percent faster than wounded mice that did not.

What's more, researchers found that exercise lowered inflammatory protein levels by almost 75 percent. The increased blood flow caused by exercise may also have a healing effect; rapid blood flow transports more oxygen and nutrients to the wound.

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Well, it depends on the kind of anger we're talking about here. A new study links the healing process with anger. Apparently hotheads who fly off the handle are less likely to heal faster than those people who at least express their anger without getting rowdy.

You can blame cortisol -- this stress hormone makes us more liable to get sick. But depending on how we deal with anger, cortisol can interfere with how our bodies recover. One hundred volunteers were given blisters on their forearm (blame the researchers). By screening their behavior, scientists were able to measure the healing speed based on whether or not they lost their temper or simply expressed their anger in a controlled way.

People who were "hotheads" took longer to heal the blister -- more than 4 days actually. The study suggests that if you want to get well faster, then it is best to chill out and not lose your temper.

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If this sounds like something out of Star Wars or science fiction, hear it out. An organization called Intercytex Group has found a breakthrough in regenerative treatments. Enter the artificial skin. Okay by itself this is not new. However, the group has developed a novel lab-made living skin that lasts longer and even heals wounds!

Anyone who has gone through extensive surgery or needed a skin graft knows what makes this so innovative. Currently the best option for these treatments involves transplanting skin from one part of the patient's own body to another part. This can leave even more wounds. But imagine if there was a chance to use artificial skin which would heal naturally without painful skin grafts.

Maybe someday we can expect spray-on skin? Perhaps, but not any time soon. The company still has to move the product through clinical trials before they can even begin to consider marketing it. If that time gap means building a quality solution to take care of serious wounds, then I'm sure the world will wait.

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