Culture and Lifestyle

Avocados: Heart-healthy aphrodisiac

2010-05-28T12:26:00.000+07:00

Avocados, a staple in Mexico and Central and South America, were considered an aphrodisiac by the Aztecs, who called the pear-shaped fruit ahuacate. Avocados were first grown in the U.S. early in 20th century.

In the 1920s, farmers changed the name to avocado because ahuacate was difficult for Americans to pronounce. Worse yet, it is the Aztec word for testicle. As it turns out, the ancient Aztecs may have been onto something!

Few would argue that good health is essential for good sex. Food affects how we feel and function, and one of the best ways to build sexual health is through good nutrition.

Avocados contain many nutrients considered essential to sexual health, such as vitamin E. Sometimes called the “sex vitamin,” Vitamin E is believed to promote the production of sex hormones, which support attraction, mood and desire. Avocados are also rich in vitamin B6 and potassium, which are essential for the production of sex hormones.

It’s true that avocados are high in fat, however most of the fat is monounsaturated like that found in olive oil, which can actually help lower blood cholesterol.1 Avocados are a good source of potassium and folate, nutrients important to circulation and heart health and good circulation is essential for erectile health.

Avocados are also rich in phytonutrients including cholesterol-lowering beta-sitosterol2 and the antioxidant glutathione. Evidence suggests that beta-sitosterol may also help prevent certain cancers, including prostate cancer.3

The avocado is a fruit that is often thought of as a vegetable. It adds a creamy texture and rich green hue to dips, salads, and sandwiches.

The chunky avocado salsa, below, combines diced avocado with colorful tomatoes, red bell peppers, and chilies. Researchers have found that avocado enhances the absorption of phytonutrients in carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, such as bell peppers and tomatoes.4

Note: Individuals with a latex allergy should avoid avocados as they may experience a reaction (sometimes severe), caused by the similarity of allergens in avocados and natural latex.

Chunky avocado salsa

This delicious dip gets its zip from tasty and convenient Mexican stewed tomatoes and is lower in fat than traditional guacamole.

6 servings

* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 medium scallions with 2” green, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* ½ cup diced red bell pepper
* ½ cup diced jicama
* 1 (or 2) serrano pepper, chopped (to taste)
* 1 ripe large Hass avocado, diced
* Juice of one lime
* 1 (14 ½ ounce can) Mexican stewed tomatoes, diced
* ½ cup fresh or frozen white corn
* ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
* Hot pepper sauce, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, scallions, celery, bell pepper, jicama,* chilies, avocado, and lime juice. Add tomatoes, corn, cilantroc and hot pepper sauce. Serve immediately.

*Jicama is a round root vegetable with mild flavored, crunchy white flesh. Simply peel away the brown skin and dice.
Chunky avocado salsa
Nutrition analysis per serving: 1 cup
Calories = 85
Protein = 2g
Carbohydrate = 13g
Fiber = 4g
Total fat = 4g
Sat Fat = 0.5g
Cholesterol = 0mg
Calcium = 30mg
Sodium = 262mg

The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

2010-05-26T12:22:00.000+07:00

Fruits and veggies are an essential part of a healthy diet, but many conventional varieties contain pesticide residues.

And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.

You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.

To do so, you need the latest info from the why the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of foods most likely to have high pesticide residues. Since 1995, the organization has taken the government data and identified which type of produce has the most chemicals.

This year, celery takes the number one spot and both blueberries and spinach make an appearance (displacing lettuce and pears).

The best way to avoid pesticide residue on foods is to buy organic produce -- USDA rules prohibit the use of pesticides on any crop with the certified organic label.

Here's a closer look at the 2010 Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.

6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.

11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

Make your greens last longer

2010-05-24T12:20:00.000+07:00

To be lean, eat lots of greens and follow these tips for keeping them fresh and spending less of your “green” on them.
At the market:

* For loose greens: Put your hand down into the plastic bag and then grab the greens with it. Pull the bag from the top down over the greens and release your hand. It’s a quicker, drier way to get wet or over-sized bunches of greens into the bag.
* For prepackaged greens or salad: Choose greens packaged in a plastic clamshell container as they last much longer if purchased in these than in the bags.

When you get home:

* Take a second to remove the twist-tie from your bunches of greens when you bring them home to prevent damage and aging caused by the metal wire.
* It’s worthwhile to rinse the greens, shake them to remove some of the moisture, and then roll them in a clean cotton dishtowel or a clean cotton pillowcase. The fabric will become damp, which is good. Put this rolled setup into the vegetable crisper for quick and easy, access to prepped greens. This will extend the freshness for many days.
* If you purchase a single or multi-pack of romaine lettuce, break off the core at the bottom of each head, wash the leaves, and put them into a white cotton pillowcase and into the crisper. Again, damp is good. This works for any lettuce, but you will be amazed by how the flavor of romaine improves when stored this way.
* To extend the life of salad greens in plastic clamshell containers, add a dry paper towel to the greens to absorb the moisture, which collects over time inside the container. I usually put the towel at the top because that’s where the condensation tends to form, but sometimes the greens begin to go soggy toward the bottom, and I’ll add a fresh one there.
* Recycle large plastic clamshell containers within your kitchen. They are perfect for storing prepackaged salad greens. The greens will last days longer in hard containers like this or in any glass or hard plastic container than they will in plastic bags.

For meals:

* Prepare crisp salads with simple dressings such as, lemon juice and olive oil, or use large leaves of chard to wrap up healthful fillings instead of tortillas.

Adios soggy, spoiled greens!

Sherry Brooks is a healthy, happy and trim “frugalista” living the lean and green life near Malibu in sunny southern California.

Environmental causes of cancer "grossly underestimated"

2010-05-22T12:18:00.000+07:00

The President's Cancer Panel on Thursday reported that "the true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated" and strongly urged action to reduce people's widespread exposure to carcinogens.

The panel advised President Obama "to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives."

The 240-page report by the President's Cancer Panel is the first to focus on environmental causes of cancer. The panel, created by an act of Congress in 1971, is charged with monitoring the multi-billion-dollar National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President every year.

Environmental exposures "do not represent a new front in the ongoing war on cancer. However, the grievous harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program," the panel said in its letter to Obama that precedes the report. "The American people – even before they are born – are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures."

The panel, appointed by President Bush, told President Obama that the federal government is missing the chance to protect people from cancer by reducing their exposure to carcinogens. In its letter, the panel singled out bisphenol A, a chemical used in polycarbonate plastic and can linings that is unregulated in the United States, as well as radon, formaldehyde and benzene.

Environmental health scientists were pleased by the findings, saying it embraces everything that they have been saying for years.

Richard Clapp, a professor of environmental health at Boston University's School of Public Health and one of the nation's leading cancer epidemiologists, called the report "a call to action."

Environmental and occupational exposures contribute to "tens of thousands of cancer cases a year," Clapp said. "If we had any calamity that produced tens of thousands of deaths or serious diseases, that’s a national emergency in my view."

The two-member panel – Dr. LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr., a professor of surgery at Howard University and Margaret Kripke, a professor at University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – was appointed by President Bush to three-year terms.

Lefall and Kripke concluded that action is necessary, even though in many cases there is scientific uncertainty about whether certain chemicals cause cancer. That philosophy, called the precautionary principle, is highly controversial among scientists, regulators and industry.

"The increasing number of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compels us to action, even though we may currently lack irrefutable proof of harm," Lefall, who is chair of the panel, said in a statement.

The two panelists met with nearly 50 medical experts in late 2008 and early 2009 before writing their report to the president. Cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong previously served on the panel, but did not work on this year's report.

The report recommends raising consumer awareness of the risks posed by chemicals in food, air, water and consumer products, bolstering research of the health effects and tightening regulation of chemicals that might cause cancer or other diseases.

They also urged doctors to use caution in prescribing CT scans and other medical imaging tests that expose patients to large amounts of radiation. In 2007, 69 million CT scans were performed, compared with 18 million in 1993. Patients who have a chest CT scan receive a dose of radiation in the same range as survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attacks who were less than half a mile from ground zero, the report says.

The panel also criticized the U.S. military, saying that "it is a major source of toxic occupational and environmental exposures that can increase cancer risk." Examples cited include Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where carcinogenic solvents contaminate drinking water, and Vietnam veterans with increased lymphomas, prostate cancer and other cancers from thier exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange.

Overall cancer rates and deaths have declined in the United States. Nevertheless, about 41 percent of all Americans still will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and about 21 percent will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute's SEER Cancer Statistics Review. In 2009 alone, about 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed.

For the past 30 years, federal agencies and institutes have estimated that environmental pollutants cause about 2 percent of all cancers and that occupational exposures may cause 4 percent.

But the panel called those estimates "woefully out of date." The panel criticized regulators for using them to set environmental regulations and lambasted the chemical industry for using them "to justify its claims that specific products pose little or no cancer risk."

The report said the outdated estimates fail to take into account many newer discoveries about people's vulnerability to chemicals. Many chemicals interact with each other, intensifying the effect, and some people have a genetic makeup or early life exposure that makes them susceptible to environmental contaminants.

"It is not known exactly what percentage of all cancers either are initiated or promoted by an environmental trigger," the panel said in its report. "Some exposures to an environmental hazard occur as a single acute episode, but most often, individual or multiple harmful exposures take place over a period of weeks, months, year, or a lifetime."

Boston University's Clapp was one of the experts who spoke to the panel in 2008. "We know enough now to act in ways that we have not done...Act on what we know," he told them.

“There are lots of places where we can move forward here. Lots of things we can act on now," such as military base cleanups and reducing use of CT scans, Clapp said in an interview.

Dr. Ted Schettler, director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, called the report an “integrated and comprehensive critique.” He was glad that the panel underscored that regulatory agencies should reduce exposures even when absolute proof of harm was unavailable.

Also, "they recognized that exposures happen in mixtures, not in isolation" and that children are most vulnerable.

“Some people are disproportionately exposed and disproportionately vulnerable," said Schettler, whose group was founded by environmental groups to urge the use of science to address public health issues related to the environment.

Schettler said it "took courage" for the panel to warn physicians about the cancer risk posed by CT scans, particularly for young children.

“It’s almost become routine for kids with abdominal pain to get a CT scan" to check for appendicitis, he said. Although the scans may lead to fewer unnecessary surgeries, doctors should consider the high doses of radiation. “I'm very glad this panel took that on," Schettler said.

Another sensitive issue raised in the report was the risk of brain cancer from cell phones. Scientists are divided on whether there is a link.

Until more research is conducted, the panel recommended that people reduce their usage by making fewer and shorter calls, using hands-free devices so that the phone is not against the head and refraining from keeping a phone on a belt or in a pocket.

Even if cell phones raise the risk of cancer slightly, so many people are exposed that "it could be a large public health burden," Schettler said.

The panel listed a variety of carcinogenic compounds that many people routinely encounter. Included are benzene and other petroleum-based pollutants in vehicle exhaust, arsenic in water supplies, chromium from plating companies, formaldehyde in kitchen cabinets and other plywood, bisphenol A in plastics and canned foods, tetrachloroethylene at dry cleaners, PCBs in fish and other foods and various pesticides.

Chemicals and contaminants might trigger cancer by a variety of means. They can damage DNA, disrupt hormones, inflame tissues, or turn genes on or off.

"Some types of cancer are increasing rapidly," Clapp said, including thyroid, kidney and liver cancers. Others, including lung and breast cancer, have declined.

Previous reports by the President's Cancer Panel have focused largely on treatment and more well-known causes of cancer such as diet or smoking.

Some experts are concerned that the report might just sit on a shelf at the White House. But Clapp said the findings are so strongly stated that he is confident the report will be useful to some policymakers, legislators and groups that want tougher occupational health standards or other regulations.

“We’re not going to get any better than this," Clapp said. “This goes farther than what I thought the President's Cancer Panel would go. I’m pleased that they went as far as they did."

Environmental health scientists said they hope the report raises not just the President's awareness of environmental threats, but the public's, since most people are unaware of the dangers.
“This report has stature," Schettler said. “It is a report that goes directly to the president.”

Three easy steps to eating green

2010-05-20T12:10:00.000+07:00

Eating Green is at the heart of the green revolution and can be the most important contribution you can make toward preserving the planet.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that vegetarian diets protect the environment, reduce pollution and minimize global warming.¹ Eating a plant-based diet is a healthful triple play with numerous benefits for the planet and its people, our waterways and wildlife.

What could be greener than plants? The average American diet requires the production of an extra ton and a half of greenhouse gases when compared to a vegan diet.² Both the burning of fossil fuels during food production and the non-carbon dioxide emissions associated with livestock and animal waste, contribute to the problem.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) Non-CO2 greenhouse gases are a significant contributor to climate change.³

Eating green can be as easy as one, two, three! Every plant-based meal you consume can be an adventure and exploring delicious new foods also helps reduce pollution. While many find it most effective to drop all animal products at once, others find that a gradual approach is best for their family.

* “Meatless Monday.” Eating green one or two days a week is a great way to explore how easy and delicious it can be. Start with vegetarian meals that you may already enjoy. Dishes such as Pasta Primavera, Bean Burritos or vegetable stew with a side of salad and crusty bread are satisfying and very tasty. Try these quick and easy Asparagus Wraps

* Choose a few of your favorite recipes and adapt them. With a few simple adjustments, you can transform some of the meals that you make most often into a healthier and more eco-friendly version. You can replace poultry or beef with seitan, tofu or tempeh in just about any dish. Use soymilk in place of cow’s milk one-for-one in any recipe and it is delicious on cereal, too! Explore healthy foods like hummus and tofu. Some find a more gradual approach fits their lifestyle more easily. A lot of people choose to drop one class of food at a time with a one or two week interval. Most choose to begin by eliminating beef, then poultry, followed by fish and lastly, dairy and eggs. Here’s a delicious dish: Louisiana Stuffed Potatoes with Cajun Cream Sauce

* Give it a try for 30 days. This can be a great opportunity to experience the effect this healthful regimen has on your body. Most are surprised at how easy it is and how soon they begin to feel really good. It is not uncommon to notice an increase in clarity, energy and endurance. You may realize that you’ve lost a few pounds and require less sleep. The surprise for most is that adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is easy, saves money and improves overall physical wellbeing.

Four myths about eggs

2010-05-18T12:09:00.000+07:00

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not?

And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much.

It's not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions.

Myth: Brown eggs are different than white.

Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other. There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics.

Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.

Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.”

Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.

Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D.

If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.

Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells.

Fact: Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.)

Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

Nine ways to reduce cancer risk

2010-05-16T12:06:00.000+07:00

In its annual President's Report on Cancer, a high-level government panel said that exposure to common chemicals like Bisphenol A and formaldehyde, and to radiation from medical exams were causing cancers at a rate that was "grossly underestimated." The Environmental Working Group offers these nine ways to reduce cancer risk:

Four of every 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, and two of every 10 will die of it. But there are some things you can do to reduce the risk. First, talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes that are known to make a difference – stopping smoking, reducing drinking, losing weight, exercising and eating right.

But according to a new report from the President’s Cancer Panel, environmental toxins also play a significant and under-recognized role in cancer, causing “grievous harm” to untold numbers of people. Environmental Working Group’s own research has found that children are born “pre-polluted” with up to 200 industrial chemicals, pesticides and contaminants that have been found to cause cancer in lab studies or in people.

Here are some simple things you can do to reduce your exposures:

1. Filter your tap water.
Common carcinogens in tap water include arsenic, chromium, and chemical byproducts that form when water is disinfected. A simple carbon filter or pitcher can help reduce the levels of these contaminants. If your water is polluted with arsenic or chromium, a reverse osmosis filter will help. Learn about your tap water and home water filters at EWG’s National Tap Water Database.

2. Seal outdoor wooden decks and play sets.
Those built before 2005 are coated with an arsenic pesticide that can stick to hands and clothing.

3. Cut down on stain- and grease-proofing chemicals.
"Fluorochemicals" related to Teflon and Scotchgard are used in stain repellants on carpets and couches and in greaseproof coatings for packaged and fast foods. To avoid them, avoid greasy packaged foods and say no to optional stain treatments in the home. Download EWG’s Guide to PFCs.

4. Stay safe in the sun.
More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. To protect your skin from the sun’s cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) radiation, seek shade, wear protective clothing and use a safe and effective sunscreen from EWG’s sunscreen database, or check out The Daily Green's list of 14 safe, natural sunscreens.

5. Cut down on fatty meat and high-fat dairy products.
Long-lasting cancer-causing pollutants like dioxins and PCBs accumulate in the food chain and concentrate in animal fat. Try one of these vegetarian recipes even a meat-eater can love.

6. Eat EWG’s Clean 15. Many pesticides have been linked to cancer. Eating from EWG’s Clean 15 list of the least contaminated fruits and vegetables will help cut your pesticide exposures. (And for EWG’s Dirty Dozen, buy organic.) Learn more at EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, and check out the dirty dozen foods most likely to have high pesticide residue.

7. Cut your exposures to BPA.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a synthetic estrogen found in some hard plastic water bottles, canned infant formula, and canned foods. It may increase the risk of reproductive system cancers. To avoid it, eat fewer canned foods, breast feed your baby or use powdered formula, and choose water bottles free of BPA.

8. Avoid carcinogens in cosmetics.
Use EWG’s Skin Deep cosmetic database to find products free of chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer. When you’re shopping, don’t buy products that list ingredients with “PEG” or “-eth” in their name. Check out more safe makeup tips, from Stacy Malkan, of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and see the 8 Commandments of Natural Beauty.

9. Read the warnings.
Some products list warnings of cancer risks – read the label before you buy. Californians will see a “Proposition 65” warning label on products that contain chemicals the state has identified as cancer-causing.

New Lettuce Recall: Is "E. coli" Lurking at the Salad Bar?

2010-05-14T11:57:00.000+07:00

Here's another reason to make your own lunch: Freshway Food is conducting a voluntary recall of products containing romaine lettuce sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brand. These products were sold to food service outlets, wholesale and in-store retail salad bars and delis and are being recalled due to a potential Escherichia coli O145 bacteria (E. coli O145) contamination.

Caroline Smith DeWaal, Food Safety Director for The Center for Science in the Public Interest, wrote in a statement, "Freshway is conducting this recall on a voluntary basis, because – even with the presence of this serious food safety hazard – FDA lacks the ability to order a recall. Giving the FDA mandatory recall authority is another reason why the Senate should bring S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the floor without further delay."

According to the FDA's statement, "the recalled romaine lettuce products were sold to wholesalers and food service outlets in the following states east of the Mississippi river: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The recalled romaine products were also sold for distribution to in-store salad bars and delis for Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores in the states listed." Consumers who did purchase romaine at the in-store salad bars or delis listed should throw the product away.

Other than salad bars and delis, the recall does not include any romaine lettuce that an individual consumer might purchase in a supermarket. So go ahead and make yourself a salad, but it's important to remember to wash your fruits and vegetables well, recall or not. Take a look at our tips for Preventing Food-Borne Illness before you dig into your homemade salad.

Eat safe food: Follow these tips

2010-05-12T11:57:00.000+07:00

There are far too many reports of contaminated foods. Lettuce is the most recent example. But spinach, peanut butter, baby formula, and several other foods have been recalled over the past couple of years alone.

The main culprit is the lack of a comprehensive food safety system in the U.S. That said, there are some simple things we can all do when we're preparing food to help ensure that we're eating the safest food possible.

Food expert Marion Nestle (a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and author of several books including What to Eat and Safe Food) dispenses helpful tips in her informative answers to the following questions:

Are we seeing more cases of food contamination, and if so, why?

I'm not sure we are seeing more contamination; it's just that the incidents affect more people in more places. This is a consequence of our increasingly centralized food production system. A food contaminated in one location gets distributed throughout the country.
Marion Nestle

What can consumers do to protect themselves from food contamination?

Fortunately, cooking solves a lot of food safety problems.

Following standard food safety rules at home makes good sense for everyone. These are:

* Keep hot foods hot.
* Refrigerate foods.
* Separate raw from cooked foods.
* Keep food preparation surfaces and utensils clean.
* Wash anything that will be eaten raw.
* Cook everything else long enough to kill potentially harmful microbes. (The higher the temperature, the faster bugs get killed.)

The basic principles are simple: Microbes proliferate at warm temperatures, refrigeration slows down proliferation, and cooking kills everything.

What are high-risk foods, and what can consumers do to protect themselves when dealing with these foods?

These days anything uncooked is high risk.

The problems with the contaminated spinach would have been solved easily by blanching the spinach for a minute in boiling water.

Can buying local and/or organic foods offer protection againt foodborne illness?

It is perfectly possible for locally grown food to be contaminated, but if it is, it will affect far fewer people. There is no reason to think that organic produce should have fewer or more contaminants than industrial produce, and studies have shown them to be much the same.

Seven nontoxic and pet-friendly garden remedies

2010-05-10T11:49:00.000+07:00

It’s that time of year to begin gardening, and we always seem to encounter a few hiccups after the winter.

In my landscaping business, we specialize in pet-friendly yards and encourage others to use natural remedies to eliminate pests and other gardening problems that you may encounter.
Seven helpful hints to combat common garden headaches

1. Aphids (plant lice): Fill a water spritzer with water and two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. Spray the plant, particularly on the underside of the leaves where mites hide. For large-scale infestations, place up to 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in a hose end sprayer and douse the affected plant focusing on the underside of the leaves. Place aluminum foil at the base of your plants to deter aphids. The foil will reflect light onto the leaf bottoms and scare the aphids away. Plants that discourage aphids are chives, marigolds, mint, basil, and cilantro.

2. Deer: Place some soap shavings or used cat litter along the ground to create a boundary between the deer-grazing area and your garden. Also try hanging a salt lick in their path to distract them from your plants. Blood meal also deters them but must be reapplied if it rains or is irrigated.

3. Natural herbicide: Vinegar (any type of vinegar) acts like an herbicide. Apply when temperatures are above 70°, and you will see its affect within a week or two.

4. Mice: Peppermint, mint or cloves will deter mice and rats. You can either plant mint, (careful, it’s very invasive!) or soak strings in mint essential oils and place around areas where mice frequent. This technique is especially helpful in areas around compost bins. Eliminating food sources will also deter rodents, as will adopting a shelter cat, of course.

5. Rabbits: Sprinkle chili pepper around plants (it must be reapplied if it gets wet). Install oven racks around plants. Rabbits tend to dislike their texture and the way that the racks feel on their feet. Thorny or textured plants will also deter rabbits. Choose plants such as, lavender, sage, barberry and evergreens.

6. Ticks and fleas: Mint and lavender deter fleas and ticks. Also, install cedar chips in your garden. They smell great to you … but not to fleas and ticks!

7. Wake up your lawn with this tonic:
1 can beer (not light beer)
1 cup ammonia, regular household strength
1 cup plain liquid dish soap, not liquid detergent or antibacterial
1 cup any brand liquid lawn fertilizer
1 cup molasses or corn syrup: provides sugar and carbs; molasses also contains iron, which promotes greening process

Combine ingredients in a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer and apply evenly to the entire lawn in early mornings or late evenings.

It’s best to apply after mowing. Applications may be done every two weeks during the entire growing season.

t’s that time of year to

Little green actions DO count

2010-04-18T20:36:00.001+07:00

Have you ever been laughed at for your green efforts? Have people ever poked fun when you wash out plastic food containers for reuse or fussed over your recycling? Have folks ever told you that your efforts will never make a difference?

Well, the joke, and responsibility, is now on them.

Next time you face this ridicule, either good natured or malicious; offer the following information to those who taunt you.

Carbon emission reduction strategies come in all shapes and forms, usually very expensive, but even if something could reduce the emissions of a nation by 5%, it's big news.

But how about an easily achieved 15% reduction? That would be incredible.

What about if it cost little to implement? That would be utterly amazing.

Congratulations, you're probably already playing your part.

An analysis recently released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has revealed Americans can reduce U.S. carbon pollution by 15 percent - or one billion tons - through personal actions that require little to no cost (some can save you money too).

Some of the suggested actions include:

* reducing junk mail
* cutting down on vehicle idling
* using programmable thermostat for heating and cooling
* replacing light bulbs with CFLs (or LED lighting I guess)
* greener computer practices
* reducing red meat consumption by replacing it with chicken 2 days a week (or mock meat)

Nothing too strenuous or expensive there - in fact all bar one will save money!

Another example is cutting food waste. The NRDC analysis says if Americans collectively cut personal food waste in by 25%, this could avoid 65 million tons of greenhouse gases, around the level of emissions generated from 11 million cars - and again, another money saver!

There's a ton of other simple ideas throughout Green Living Tips and a bunch of bite-sized of ideas contributed by readers in the article "One Green Thing" that can help with reducing our personal carbon impact. One super-simple but important one that will save you money every time is use less of everything - particularly the stuff you don't really need. Consider all non-essential purchases carefully (see my impulse buying reduction tips).

Of course, to achieve this incredible estimate 15% reduction, it requires full participation. The good news is, we don't need to wait for governments to take decisive action. Remember Copenhagen? We might be waiting a while). We can spread this news to all who we meet.

Politely point out what can be achieved to those who tease you and say something along the lines of, "It can be done, but you need to be part of the solution too!". If you get their interest, don't overwhelm them with actions to take, just a little at a time - the longest journey starting with a single step and all that stuff :).

Tips for buying recycled paper products

2010-04-16T20:32:00.000+07:00

As I was researching for my article on how different products are recycled, I was amazed to discover that recycling paper can at times be a rather environmentally damaging affair and the promotion of recycled paper products be somewhat misleading.

This doesn't mean we should stop recycling paper or buying products made with recycled paper - but perhaps just make more informed choices.

First up, there's the issue of recycled content. There's no hard and fast rules in most countries for how much a paper product needs to have in terms of recycled components to make the "recycled" claim - it could be as little as 5%. So when shopping for paper, look past the big "Recycled!" blurbs and look for smaller text on the package that should indicate the % of recycled content. The higher the %, the better.

The more people buy the higher percentage recycled content paper, the quicker those manufacturers offering the lower percentage varieties might lift their game and stop trying to pull a fast one on the consumer.

Then there's a couple of different variations of recycled content

Post-consumer content

This uses material that has previously been consumed as a product, whether it's a newspaper or cardboard box.

Pre-consumer content

This is from waste generated by the manufacturing process. For example, around 20 years ago I used to work as a printer's assistant for a company that printed copies of a local Yellow Pages. The amount of waste we used to generate was horrific - dumpster loads of telephone books that weren't up to scratch were binned each day.

Of the two types, I guess the post-consumer content could be considered the "greener" of the two as it has completed an entire consumption cycle. However, that doesn't mean you should necessarily turn your nose up at pre-consumer content as its better the waste is reused than goes to landfill.

Some brands of recycled paper also may be a mix of post-consumer content and pre-consumer content; the amount of each should also be noted on the package as a percentage.

Recycled paper scams

There have been instances in the past where companies have been touting their paper is 100% recycled and it's simply not the case. This hasn't confined to small operators either.

For example, in Japan in 2008, a major scandal involving Nippon Paper hit the headlines. Nippon Paper admitted copy paper it claimed to be 100 per cent recycled contained only 59 per cent recycled paper. Other Nippon Paper products were also found to have lower than stated recycled content. This had been going on for 15 years according to this news item. Some of the virgin fiber used in these "recycled" products was coming from the forests of Australia!

I do think the Nippon Paper scandal put all the major manufacturers on notice though, so this type of blatant greenwashing shouldn't be a problem these days. Still, it doesn't hurt to do a search around the web on brand names to see what you can uncover.

Recycled vs. recyclable paper

Another trick to watch out for is the term "recyclable". This just means the paper can be recycled and has no bearing on whether it contains recycled content.

Chemicals

As mentioned in my article "How stuff is recycled" sometimes during the process of making recycled paper, nasty chemicals may be used. Try to avoid products that use chlorine in their production - chlorine bleaching creates highly toxic chemicals called dioxins.

As with all things green living related, remember it's not just what you use that makes a difference, but how much - as recycling takes energy and resources too. Pick up some related tips - the paper reduction diet

Nail polish and nature

2010-04-14T20:34:00.000+07:00

I'm not really known to wear nail polish, but as a result of a question from a reader, I thought I would take a look at what's in nail polish, the environmental impact and green nail polish products.

Nail polish isn't a modern invention by any means. According to Wikipedia, the Egyptians were using it thousands of years ago based on henna extracts and the Chinese used a mixture of natural components such as Arabic gum, gelatin and beeswax.

These days, nail polishes tend to be synthetic chemical cocktails, often petro-chemical based (crude oil). Components may include:

- butyl acetate or ethyl acetate
- tosylamide-formaldehyde resin
- dibutyl phthalate
- stearalkonium hectorite
- benozophenone-1
- toluene
- Nitrocellulose

Some nail polish manufacturers are said to use industrial grade nitrocellulose in order to save money. Industrial grade nitrocellulose is mostly used for furniture finishes and car paints.

Of particular concern are formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate - known as the "toxic trio" for their potential impact on human health.

Formaldehyde : carcinogen
Toluene : volatile organic compound
dibutyl phthalate : suspected "gender bender" and carcinogen

Past our own health, the wider environment needs to be considered - what poisons us is often toxic to a whole range of other creatures.

Given that over 50% of women (and some men) use nail polish, I hate to think how much of the stuff is produced a year - and it all has to end up somewhere once removed from finger nails. Additionally, there is the issue of all those little jars it comes in. It's just another source of waste in an overburdened waste stream.

As for the packaging; specifically the bottle and even if it is glass, it shouldn't be recycled as the contents that remain are considered hazardous waste - yet another item in our home toxic waste dumps. It's my understanding that in the USA it's recommended that nail polish bottles don't go out into the trash but to a hazardous waste facility.

On a positive note, nail polish manufacturers have been responding to the "toxic trio" issue. A survey by the National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance last year found the majority of the manufacturers questioned no longer use these chemicals. You can download a Nail Polish Wallet Card here (PDF) that identifies the complying major brands. The use of dibutyl phthalate in cosmetics, including nail polishes, is also banned in the European Union.

However, as to what these companies replaced the toxic trio with, I'm not sure. The Alliance also points out that further work needs to be done to ensure that alternative chemicals are safe as do all other chemicals used.

As there are so many nail polish brands and some coming from countries with a less than stellar records when it comes to toxins, if you have a favorite nail polish, contact the company and ask them what's in it. Ingredients may not only vary from brand to brand, but product line to product line. The individual components can then be quite easily researched.

You can also start looking into "green" nail polish.

Aside from being free of the toxic trio, these "earth friendly" products are water-based; often plant based and contain no petroleum products. They may use less packaging or bottles made from recycled glass.

However, they may not be totally free of toxins, so even makers of products touted as "environmentally friendly" nail polish should be questioned.

I think natural, manicured nails without the goop look nice too - and fingernails don't have to be long do they? Health and environmental issues aside, think of the money you could save. Ditching the nail polish altogether for some people may be an easy greening step and as we've discovered, little green actions can make a difference!

Transonic combustion improves gas engine efficiency Over 50%

2010-04-12T13:16:00.000+07:00

Conventional gasoline engines are terribly inefficient things. Only 13% of the energy of the fuel actually moves the car. 62% is lost in the engine as waste heat, and driveline losses, accessories, and idling also reduce the efficiency.

Transonic Combustion is planning to build automobile engines with improved efficiency obtained through heating and pressurizing gasoline before injecting it into the combustion chamber. "This puts it into a super-critical state that allows for very fast and clean combustion, which in turn decreases the amount of fuel needed to propel a vehicle," according to MIT Technology Review. A transonic test vehicle achieved 64 MPG in highway driving, compared to a 48 MPG hybrid Prius, and running at a steady cruising speed of 50 mph, the test vehicle achieved 98 MPG.

Like diesel and HCCI, the Transonic Combustion technology operates without needing a spark plug. Timing software also further enhances the operating efficiency of the system. Transonic injection is being developed for use with gasoline engines at present, but will also be compatible with advanced low carbon footprint bio-fuels in the future. Transonic expects its system will be comparable in cost to other current high-end fuel injection systems.

Because of the higher operating pressure, the longevity and durability of the engine will be important considerations the company will need to address. The company plans to build its production facility in 2013 and expects to be building engines for production vehicles in 2014.

High-efficiency hydraulic hybrid car could get 170 mpg

2010-04-10T13:08:00.000+07:00

INGOCAR is a developmental concept for a 5 passenger car with a hydraulic drive system in place of a conventional power-train. With the weight reduction this offers and other efficiencies in the systems, the designers say their vehicle could get 170 mpg.

The INGOCAR is a hydraulic hybrid vehicle. Like some electric hybrids such as the Chevy Volt, it uses the motor indirectly instead of using the mechanical motion of the motor to move the car. But rather than using a motor as a generator to produce electricity, the INGOCAR has a highly-efficient 2-stroke diesel engine which is used to pressurize a hydraulic tank called the accumulator. Pressure from this tank is then used to turn individual wheelmotors in each wheel.

Hydraulic power makes the regenerative braking of the INGOCAR much more efficient than that in electric motor vehicles, as well. Regenerative braking with hydraulics is able to recover 75 to 85% of the energy which is used to repressurize the system. The wheelmotors that serve as both propulsion and braking for the vehicle are smaller than the disc brakes they replace.

The INGOCAR's efficiencies work to benefit it in several ways. For instance, eliminating the conventional power-train provides a 30% weight reduction for the car. Also, the engine only needs to run for a short period of time to recharge the pressure tank. It can also be smaller since it is only being used to develop pressure, rather than needing to be strong enough to run the car directly.

The vehicle is able to be significantly lighter than an electric hybrid because the motors are much lighter. "A comparable electric power-train, able to recapture the entire braking energy, is significantly heavier. The weight of the currently best electric motors is 20 times higher than that of the new hydraulic motor. The weights of the energy storage devices (battery, accumulator) are about the same. As result, the weight of the car would increase by about 50% - from 2200 lb to 3300 lb - consequently increasing the fuel consumption."

The 5 passenger INGOCAR would weigh 2200 lbs (998 kg). The Chevy Volt's curb weight is expected to be around 3500 lbs, and the current Toyota Prius curb weight is also around 3000 lbs.

What activities can I do when I turn off the lights for Earth Hour?

2010-04-08T13:07:00.000+07:00

Earth Hour is coming up on March 27 and I, for one, am excited to get in on the action and turn off my lights. One question though – what the heck am I supposed to do in the dark for a whole hour?
You’ve come to the right place, my friend. For those of you who don’t know, the World Wildlife Fund started Earth Hour three years ago, asking people to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. It has since become a global phenomenon, with more and more people turning out their lights each year.

In 2009, nearly 1 billion people in 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents turned out their lights for Earth Hour. The only question many people have is exactly yours. What am I supposed to do in the dark for a whole hour?

Well, I’ve got some great ideas for ways you can spend Earth Hour. And you know what? These activities are so fun, you won’t even remember to turn on the lights come 9:30.

Eat a candlelit dinner
Prepare the whole meal in advance and make sure the table’s set, so you don’t stab anyone with the dinner knives while trying to set the table in the dark. Then, once you switch off the lights, settle down at the table and enjoy a candlelit dinner. Whether it’s with your honey, your family, or just a friend or two, you’ll be sure to enjoy.

If you’ve got kids, play games or tell them stories
How often is Saturday night just movie night? This Saturday night, get the kids together for some ghost stories by candlelight or a game of Monopoly. If you’re really ambitious, you can even try building a fort with them in your living room.

Look at old picture albums
In this day and age, everything’s electronic — on a hard drive, a memory card, a USB stick, in an online album somewhere on the Internet. You get my point.

For Earth Hour, why not pull out the dusty albums from years past (everybody’s got one somewhere) and leaf through some old pictures of yourself or your family by candlelight. You can even make it into a game (“Who can find the only picture ever taken of Grandma in a two-piece?”). It’s sure to make for some good times, good memories and some great stories.

Get some friends together for a game night
What says I care about the Earth more than Taboo by candlelight? And the best part of it is, it’ll be dark enough that nobody will see you cheating.

Go outside for some stargazing
When was the last time you looked up at the sky and actually saw more than a few stars? That’s because with all the light pollution out there these days, it’s hard to see much of anything in the sky besides the moon — or the lights of a passing plane if you’re lucky.

Take advantage of the Earth Hour opportunity, and head outside for some good old-fashioned stargazing. Unless of course, you’re fortunate enough to live in Salt Lick, KY — then you might see stars any ol’ night of the year.

Don’t forget to check out this video promo for Earth Hour 2010, featuring landmarks across the world that went dark for 2009’s Earth Hour, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York City — definitely inspiring to watch.

And remember, no matter how you decide to spend Earth Hour, know that you’re one of billions of people joining together to take a stand on the future of our planet, and that, my friends, is more than enough.

High fructose corn syrup worse than sugar

2010-04-06T13:04:00.000+07:00

As if you needed another reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS): researchers at Princeton University have found that HFCS is actually much worse than regular sugar when it comes to causing weight gain.

The study found that rats with access to HFCS gained significantly more weight than rats with access to table sugar -- even when their caloric intake was the same. A second study by the researchers found that HFCS lead to long-term increases in body fat, obesity, and a rise in body fats called triglycerides.

Said Princeton psychology professor Bart Hoebel, "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

This new study contradicts earlier beliefs that high fructose corn syrup and table sugar were similar in that they both contained high levels of fructose. Instead, say the Princeton researchers, they now believe that fructose -- in HFCS -- and glucose -- in table syrup, may be processed by the body differently. Fructose is metabolized to produce fat, they believe, while glucose is processed as energy or stored as a carbohydrate in the muscles and liver.

Researchers also pointed out that since high fructose corn syrup was introduced 40 years ago, U.S. obesity rates have skyrocketed. In 1970 15% of the population was considered obese, and today around 1/3 of American adults qualify as obese.

Return Carbon to the Ground

2010-04-04T13:01:00.000+07:00

Carbon Capture and Disposal
Coal gasification with carbon capture and disposal (CCD) technologies are essential if continued use of coal is to be reconciled with preventing dangerous global warming. Long-term geologic disposal of CO2 (for thousands of years) is viable now and must be implemented quickly if we are to meet the challenge of sharply reducing global emissions this century. 1

These technologies could prevent 100 billion tons of CO2 from escaping coal plants in the next 50 years. Well established but in limited use, CO2 capture and disposal technology involves capturing nearly pure CO2, compressing it to liquid form, and injecting it into deep, porous rock formations beneath impermeable cap rock. Such geological formations are common throughout the world at varying depths.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that CCD is viable. In most cases, the CO2 is gradually (over thousands to tens of thousands of years) absorbed by the surrounding rock, where it mineralizes into solid form. It is possible, however, for stored CO2 to leak up through well bores and other deep fissures, so accurate siting of injection wells and monitoring of CO2 floods and disposal are essential.

As a result, ensuring that CCD results in the permanent sequestration needed for climate protection will require rigorous criteria and performance standards for CO2 injection and disposal sites.

CO2 and Enhanced Oil Recovery
Coal gasification and carbon capture and disposal are more costly than conventional coal plants. But this cost can potentially be offset by producing additional oil from already developed fields using carbon dioxide captured from coal-fired power plants.

When CO2 is injected at high pressure into mature oil fields, it pressurizes the well and mixes with the oil, increasing the oil’s mobility and promoting enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The oil is displaced by the CO2, which can be safely stored in the geologic formations that held the oil.

And although some CO2 is pumped out along with the oil, this CO2 can be recaptured and re-injected for additional oil recovery or permanent disposal.

Standard primary and secondary oil production without EOR only recovers about one-third of the original oil in typical reservoirs. Current state-of-the-art EOR techniques generally allow an additional 10 percent of the original oil in place to be recovered.

In fact, 35 million tons of CO2 are currently used each year to recover 75 million barrels of oil. Unfortunately, most of this CO2 is pumped out of natural reservoirs rather than captured from industrial sources.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that if CO2 were widely available for EOR, current techniques could recover more than 60 billion barrels of oil from domestic fields in the lower 48 states. 2

Advanced techniques have the potential to double the amount of recoverable oil to upwards of 120 billion barrels—more than 18 times the amount of oil that is estimated to be economically recoverable from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 3 At $40 a barrel, these domestic reserves would be worth between $2.4 and $4.8 trillion.

Return Carbon to the Ground

2010-04-02T13:00:00.000+07:00

Americans need to transform how we produce and consume energy to prevent dangerous global warming. In fact, scientists say that significant carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions should begin within 10 years and that U.S. CO2 emissions should be cut by 50 percent or more by 2050 to avoid the most severe, irreversible effects of heat-trapping pollution. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution.

To the extent that coal continues to be used, an important additional strategy is to capture the CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants and pump it into natural geologic structures deep in the Earth, where it is gradually absorbed.

More than 50 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is produced from coal. Yet coal has the highest uncontrolled carbon dioxide emission rate of any fuel and is responsible for 33 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide (as well as other harmful emissions) released into the atmosphere.

There is no such thing as “clean coal”: coal production, processing, and transportation practices scar the landscape and foul the water, harming people and ecosystems that range from Appalachian coal-field communities to Western ranchers. Although Clean Air Act standards helped reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions somewhat, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 27 percent since 1990, and there is no end in sight unless emission limits are put into force.

More than 100 new conventional coal-fired power plants are in various stages of development throughout the United States. By 2030, the Department of Energy projects that the equivalent of 450 new large (300 MW) coal-fired power plants will be completed.

With a lifetime of more than 60 years, these plants will produce more than 60 billion tons of CO2 in total—10 times the current annual emissions from all sources—enough to effectively foreclose the option to prevent dangerous

Heavyweights Weigh in on Global Warming

2010-03-31T12:38:00.000+07:00

Ever wonder what climate change experts talk about when they get together? The blog Daily Kos gives you a chance to find out -- well, at least to “listen” in on a virtual roundtable discussion with three renowned climate scientists.

Daily Kos sat down for an online chat with Dr. Michael E. Mann, director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center; Dr. Gavin Schmidt, a climate modeler with NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York; and Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf, an oceanographer with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

The three are some of the minds behind the climate change blog RealClimate, on which experts weigh in on various climate news and myths that surface in the media.

The roundtable discussion deals with various matters related to our changing climate, including how quickly it’s changing, how we know human activity is having an impact, why you can’t blame climate change for isolated weather events, and what -- if anything -- can be done to lessen the impacts of global warming.

Wind, Solar, and Biomass Energy Today

2010-03-29T12:36:00.000+07:00

From suburban New Jersey to urban Los Angeles, millions of Americans are powering their homes with clean electricity that doesn't produce any air or global warming pollution. They are filling their gas tanks with fuels that do not increase our dependence on foreign oil or endanger our national security.

How do they do it? It's simple; they tap America's renewable energy resources.

A few decades ago, only back-to-the-land types made serious use of solar panels and windmills, but today renewables have gone mainstream. The latest technology has brought the price of renewables down dramatically, making them more cost-competitive.

Demand is booming -- large utilities, municipal power companies and suburban developments are seeing the value in wind, biomass and solar power.

Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent.

Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. Ethanol producers make 4 billion gallons of fuel a year, equal to 2 percent of our national gasoline use.

This market growth -- and all of the environmental benefits that come with it -- have given clean energy political muscle. Nearly 20 states have passed renewable portfolio standards that require utilities to generate a percentage of electricity from clean energy resources.

Now supporters are pressing for a national standard that would require 20 percent of the country's electricity to come from renewables.

That means wind farms and solar power plants could soon be energizing your home -- and you too will be helping reduce pollution and prevent global warming just by switching on your lights.

Sustainable Energy 101

2010-03-27T12:35:00.000+07:00

0 votes
Buzz up!
global green
The goal of the Sustainable Energy Initiative is to build a sustainable energy future through increasing conservation, improving efficiency, and raising the percentage of renewable energy in the nation's overall energy portfolio.

The initiative includes public outreach on energy-efficient practices for homes and businesses, promoting green power, working to establish rigorous energy efficiency standards for federal and state agencies, and advocating for increased investment in renewable energy technologies at the state and federal levels.
About Green Power
Green power is electricity generated from renewable sources. It includes solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and small hydro. Renewable sources are more environmentally friendly than traditional electricity generation. Unlike fossil fuels they emit little or no air pollution and leave behind no radioactive waste like nuclear. Most importantly, they are naturally replenished by the earth and sun.

* Solar: Converting energy from the sun into electricity using photovoltaic panels and solar thermal plants.
* Wind: Harnessing the power of the wind using turbines (wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy technology).
* Geothermal: Use of steam that lies below the earth's surface to generate electricity.
* Biomass: Releasing solar energy stored in plants and organic matter by burning agricultural waste and other organic matter to generate power.
* Small Hydro: Use of flowing water to power electric turbines (small hydro plants are less than 30 megawatts in size).

Find out more about green power.

What Is Brown Power?
Brown power is power generated from environmentally hostile technology. The vast majority of electricity in the United States comes from coal, nuclear, large hydro, and natural gas plants.

Brown power generators are:

* The single greatest source of air pollution in the United States, contributing to both smog and acid rain.
* The greatest single contributor of global climate change gases including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

Consider these additional facts:

The average California household's annual use of electricity produces the same amount of smog the average car would generate if driven across country from Los Angeles to New York City, and about the same amount of global warming-causing carbon dioxide if that same car was driven a third of the way around the world.

It is estimated that 50,000 people in the United States die each year from heart and lung disease due to air pollution linked to the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Energy Roadmaps
Global Green USA worked with commercial property owners to create a tool ("Roadmaps") to assist them in deciding how best to incorporate energy-efficient techniques strategies, and equipment in the upgrading of their buildings.

The Roadmaps help building owners and managers to more fully understand the wide range of opportunities and implications of working with consulting energy engineers and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).

Five ways to stop junk mail

2010-03-26T12:31:00.000+07:00

Summer’s afterglow is barely gone, but retailers are poised to unleash their steady onslaught of holiday catalogs. If you don’t want your mailbox to bulge with glossy catalogs and other annoying junk mail, read on.

1. Cut the catalogs you receive with Catalog Choice if catalogs are your bugaboo. More than a million people use this free online service which is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. I’m a member and I find it quite easy to use. Also, the site now has a bunch of e-catalogs you can peruse.

2. DIY if you have the time and like the feeling of accomplishment you’ll experience after making a round of calls to companies whose mailing lists you don’t want to be on anymore.

3. Go to the source by signing on with the Direct Marketer’s Association’s mail preference service. The DMA represents oodles of businesses. For $1 a year DMAchoice allows you to sift through credit, catalog, magazine, and other mail offers and decide what you don’t want. The DMA will keep you off those mailing lists for five years. It claims to have stopped 930 million pieces of direct mail from being sent in the United States last year alone.

4. Take your pick of a variety of companies that do the work for you to stop junk mail of all sorts from darkening your doorstep.

MailStopper (formerly GreenDimes) helps you shed unwanted catalogs and junk mail for $20 a year. Once you join, it plants five trees on your behalf.

41 Pounds, named so because it says the average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, helps you get rid of 80% to 95% of yours. It will charge $41 for five years, but it donates more than 1/3 of your fee to the environmental or community organization of your choice.

Stop the Junk Mail promises to rid you of 90% of your junk mail for $19.95 per year. It plants a tree for every person who joins.

5. Make a preemptive strike by turning down sweepstakes applications, customer surveys plus warranty cards, and product registrations. Because once you give these places your name and address … you know what they may be sending you.

So choose well and get busy. You’ll help reduce the number of trees felled, energy consumed, carbon emissions, and all the other eco-costs associated with printing, mailing then disposing of junk mail. And remember to recycle the tiny amount of junk mail that does come your way.

Move Over, Gasoline: Here Come Biofuels

2010-03-24T12:29:00.000+07:00

2 votes
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.

But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?

It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.

Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.

And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.

This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:

* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.

These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.

And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.

Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.

But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.

The federal government should:

* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.

The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.

To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.

And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.

nergy vampires: Is it worth it to unplug your electronics?

2010-03-21T15:44:00.000+07:00

E

It's common knowledge that appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they're switched off but still plugged in.

One solution is to unplug electronics and chargers when you aren't using them. Or you can plug cords into a power strip and switch it off whenever you want to cut off all power to appliances.

But many consumers wonder if it's worth the hassle to unplug electronics they aren't using. The answer, of course, depends on your objectives.

While it's true that an "informed and aggressive approach can reduce standby use by about 30 percent," according to scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, "There are more productive ways to save energy with an investment of an hour."

The upshot? If it's easy for you to unplug chargers and other electronics when you aren't using them, then go for it. And no-one says you have to unplug everything. You might want to choose the biggest energy hogs or items that are easily unplugged.

But don't fret if you find the job too tedious or hard to remember. The following actions are all easy and, in some cases, save you more money with much less effort than stamping out energy vampires.

Pick and choose what works best for you from this list, or try everything for an estimated annual savings of $275.

* Activating the power-save function on your computer is a super-easy way to shave up to $90 a year off your utility bills. Exactly how much you save depends on whether you use a laptop or a CPU and a monitor and how long you currently leave your computer on for.

Low power mode also helps equipment run cooler so it lasts longer. Get into the habit of turning off your monitor when you walk away for 20 minutes and your computer when you leave your desk for more than two hours, and you'll rack up even more savings.

* Reduce the brightness setting of your television. Select the "home" mode because the "retail" or "vivid" mode (the default setting for most TVs) uses up to 25 percent more power, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

While you're at it, activate the energy- and power-saving modes on your TV and other appliances and save around $43.04 a year.

* Video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, use nearly the same amount of power when they are turned on and left idle as they do when you are actively playing a game or watching a movie.

Save more than $100 a year by remembering to turn off your gaming system whenever you're not using it.

* Switching off unneeded lights will save you $21.04 a year. Does it make sense to turn off the light when you leave a room for a few minutes? Yes for incandescent bulbs. Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb for compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Speaking of CFLs, Consumer Reports' tests found that each CFL will save you around $5 a year in electricity costs over a regular bulb.

* Wash your clothes in cold water. You'll reduce your bill by around $18.58 a year and it's better for your clothes.

Even just switching your temperature setting from hot to warm water can cut a load's energy use by half, according to the Department of Energy.

Move Over, Gasoline: Here Come Biofuels

2010-03-19T15:39:00.000+07:00

0 votes
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.

But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?

It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.

Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.

And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.

This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:

* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.

These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.

And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.

Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.

But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.

The federal government should:

* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.

The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.

To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.

And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.

Return Carbon to the Ground

2010-03-16T15:36:00.000+07:00

0 votes
Buzz up!
Reducing global warming pollution and enhancing oil recovery
Americans need to transform how we produce and consume energy to prevent dangerous global warming. In fact, scientists say that significant carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions should begin within 10 years and that U.S. CO2 emissions should be cut by 50 percent or more by 2050 to avoid the most severe, irreversible effects of heat-trapping pollution. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution.

To the extent that coal continues to be used, an important additional strategy is to capture the CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants and pump it into natural geologic structures deep in the Earth, where it is gradually absorbed.

More than 50 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is produced from coal. Yet coal has the highest uncontrolled carbon dioxide emission rate of any fuel and is responsible for 33 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide (as well as other harmful emissions) released into the atmosphere.

There is no such thing as “clean coal”: coal production, processing, and transportation practices scar the landscape and foul the water, harming people and ecosystems that range from Appalachian coal-field communities to Western ranchers. Although Clean Air Act standards helped reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions somewhat, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 27 percent since 1990, and there is no end in sight unless emission limits are put into force.

More than 100 new conventional coal-fired power plants are in various stages of development throughout the United States. By 2030, the Department of Energy projects that the equivalent of 450 new large (300 MW) coal-fired power plants will be completed.

With a lifetime of more than 60 years, these plants will produce more than 60 billion tons of CO2 in total—10 times the current annual emissions from all sources—enough to effectively foreclose the option to prevent dangerous

lHeat-resistant algae could help threatened cora

2010-03-14T15:30:00.000+07:00

Warmer ocean temperatures pose a serious threat to corals around the world. Warmer waters typically kill the brown or green algae that a reef depends on for food, leading to bleaching and death of the reefs, but Penn State scientists have found some algae are not affected by rising temperatures, buying their coral partners some time.

Heat-resistant algae have been found in the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean as well as in spots in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Scientists aren't sure if the resilient algae can save corals -- the algae may not be able to be imported to coral reefs where it doesn't naturally occur and there are other things threatening coral, including rising ocean acidification, pollution and bottom-trawling fishing. Considering all of that, the algae may be just a temporary life-preserver.

But some scientists think warmer waters may encourage the growth of these algae, benefiting the reefs they occupy over the long-term. Continued research will be needed, but this discovery does offer a glimmer of hope for the world's coral.

Hummus among us

2010-03-12T15:26:00.000+07:00

If you’re always looking for a low-fat, high-protein, delicious, and versatile snack, then look no further. Let us discuss hummus.

With its main ingredients being chickpeas, tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, and lemon juice, hummus is an excellent source of dietary fibre, protein, zinc, iron, and foliates. Combine hummus with vegetables, whether as a dip or on a salad, or as a spread on sandwiches.

Hummus is a great, healthy alternative to other high-fat dips, dressings, and spreads like mayonnaise or sour cream. As a plant-derived protein, it is also a sustainable source of protein to incorporate into your diet.

Incorporating rich vegetable-proteins, such as chickpeas, into your diet is also a delicious way to reduce your carbon footprint. So the next time you’re trying to think of a nice, light afternoon snack, try whipping out some corn chips to enjoy with a bowl of hummus.

Buy or make?

With its origins in the Middle East, pre-made hummus is sometimes available in food stores throughout North America. However, it is also very simple to make yourself. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, can be bought pre-cooked and preserved in cans at most grocery stores.

If you have a little bit more time and would like to avoid preservatives, chickpeas can be found in their raw form at most bulk-food stores and health food stores. Soak these beans in water for 24 hours, then cook them for a couple hours and they are ready to go!

For those of you with a green thumb, you can grow chickpeas yourself in your garden or in a sunny window.

If you’ve never given hummus a taste, give it a try! You may be surprised at just how delicious a chickpea spread can be…
Christie’s Lip-Smacking Hummus:

Ingredients:

* 2 cups of chickpeas
* 1/3 cup water
* Juice of 2 lemons
* ½ cup tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* ½ tsp. salt
* Cayenne pepper
* Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and cilantro or parsley.

How to better reuse and recycle old electronics

2010-03-09T15:25:00.000+07:00

How much is a ton of old recycled phones worth? $15,000, thanks to the silver, gold, palladium and copper used in each phone. (That's about $2.50 in precious metals per phone.)

The value of e-waste was the topic at the world's first-ever e-waste academy, where a more urgent questions were like these: How does Peru manage to refurbish more than 85% of the old computers it imports, while the rate is 20% in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Ghana? How can China police its estimated 2 million "backyard" e-waste recyclers, so that they aren't incinerating old devices to recover precious metals, releasing toxic pollution in the process? How can discarded electronics from North America, Europe and Japan benefit schools and small businesses in Africa, Asia, and South America?

The goal of the organizer, Solving the E-Waste Problem (which goes by the acronym StEP), is to boost recycling and reuse rates, while protecting third world countries from the hazards that can accompany both e-waste recycling and dumping.

The conclusion: "Processes and policies governing the reuse and recycling of electronic products need to be standardized worldwide to stem and reverse the growing problem of illegal and harmful e-waste processing practices in developing countries."

"Millions of old devices in North America and Europe could easily double their typical three or four year 'first life' by being put to use in classrooms and small business offices across Africa, South America and Asia," says Ramzy Kahhat of Arizona State University, who advocates a return deposit on electronics similar to that used on carbonated beverage containers in many states, so that devices are recycled promptly while they're still most useful to a new user. "An old Pentium II computer with an open-source operating system like Linux can run faster than some of the latest new models on store shelves."

If you're ready to recycle an old cell phone, laptop, iPhone, digital camera, or other electronic device and want to harvest some cash in exchange for the precious metals or years of life it embodies, one option is NextWorth, which will pay you for your old phone (or at least cover the cost of shipping it, if the company deems the item has no value). The trade-in value of devices ranges as high as $340, and averages $25 or $30.

Other options include Dyscern, a 2009 Heart of Green award winner, and these four charity cell phone recyclers.

Getting rid of old stuff

2010-03-07T15:19:00.001+07:00

Wondering what to do with all the old stuff now that you've gotten a bunch of new things for the holidays?

Resist the urge to cram your closets with junk you'll never use again or send perfectly useful things to the landfill. Here's how you can donate, give away, recycle, sell, or trade old items.

Electronics

Most of us already have a stockpile of old electronics we don't know what to do with. Luckily, it's easier and easier to responsibly get rid of old gadgets. Don't forget to take your personal info off of cell phones and computers first.

* Many major consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Dell and Apple, will take back their old products.

* A growing number of retailers have extensive free recycling programs or trade-in options (where you get store credit when you bring in old electronics). Best Buy, Staples, and Radio Shack have in-store and online programs that are worth checking out.

* Donate old cell phones and computers directly to a charity in need. Some Goodwill locations accept computer equipment in any condition for refurbishing or responsible recycling. Your old cell phone, PDA, or MP3 can benefit a charity of your choice through CollectiveGood.

* Try selling your old gadgets at Gazelle.

Sports equipment: Donate to schools, youth programs, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Or see if you can trade it in for new gear at Play It Again Sports.

CDs, DVDs, video games: You can drop off CDs and DVDs at any Best Buy store in the U.S. Just look for the free kiosk just inside the front door. GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, and video and audio tapes and their cases. You can swap, music, DVDs, or video games by mail through Swaptree, SwapaDVD, SwapaCD, and Game Trading Zone.

Kids stuff: Donate old toys to a nearby children's hospital, daycare center, or Goodwill. Trade (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer want at Tots Swap Shop, Kizoodle, Swap Baby Goods, or Hand-Me-Downs.

Books: Ask your local library, school, or hospital if they can use books you no longer need. Otherwise, consider sending them to the Global Literacy Project, which distributes books to communities, libraries, and schools around the world. There are also several websites that are dedicated to helping you swap old books into new reading material.

Clothing: It's well-known that you can donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. And women's business attire can go to Dress for Success. You can also trade what you no longer wear at Swapstyle or Swap-O-Rama-Rama.

Shoes: Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes and distributes them to the needy. Drop off your old shoes at a nearby donation location or mail them to one of its distribution centers. If your athletic shoes are too worn out to donate, then Nike will recycle them into a material that's used in sports surfaces, playgrounds, and new products.

Of course, you can also give away many things on Freecycle, or sell your old castaways on Craiglist or eBay.

Just What Is a Greenhouse Gas, Anyhow?

2010-03-05T15:09:00.001+07:00

They're in the news almost as much as Brad and Angelina, and you know they have something to do with global warming. But what exactly is a greenhouse gas? In a nutshell, they're gases in the atmosphere—both naturally occurring and caused by humans—that absorb and emit radiation.

Ultraviolet radiation and sunlight hit the Earth and its atmosphere. Most of this is reflected back into outer space, thanks to the ozone layer, clouds, and ice on the Earth's surface. Approximately 25 percent is absorbed by the planet, and is then re-emitted as infrared radiation. Some of this re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exciting the molecules and causing them to emit the radiation back to the planet again, as heat.

The more of these gas molecules there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation can be absorbed and sent back to the Earth's surface. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air will result in an increase of infrared radiation being trapped and re-emitted.

The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosols). CO2 currently contributes the most to the greenhouse effect – the amount of radiation being trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases – but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as CO2.

These gases are increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and they have higher rates of absorption of infrared radiation. CFCs, for instance, can absorb 20,000 times as much heat as CO2. However, international decisions to curb CFC emissions have helped stabilize CFC levels in the air.

Greenhouse gases are not, inherently, a bad thing. In fact, they help make this planet livable. Without them, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be slightly less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. But the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has the power to raise the average temperature.

freeloader solar charger

2010-03-02T15:03:00.000+07:00

This looks like it covers all the bases with connectors... a great idea. Plus it will store the power for up to 3 months, so you can charge the solar powered charger anytime, stick it in our pocket and have it ready when you need it - even on a cloudy day or inside. It will also charge via usb cable.

according to the website, it will charge an ipod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours and a psp for 2.5 hours... that's pretty impressive!

picasa

2010-02-28T15:03:00.000+07:00

If you are like most digital camera users and have files and files full of photos, but spend way to much time looking for just the right one, or if you have several different digital image programs on your computer, maybe it's time to simplify with Picasa.

One of the many free Google tools available on the web, Picasa is the easiest and most intuitive/user friendly program I have found to organize and manage digital images. Photo thumbnails are always visible and are listed by the date they were taken (and you can change details like this if you find that your photos were stored with the wrong dates attached). There is a very cool "timeline" feature that lets you scroll through your images by date. You can tag items so they are easily searchable, create web albums to share with friends and family, manage the printing process, upload and order prints online. It is a very feature rich program.

In addition to the organizational features, Picasa also includes all the basic photo editing tools that most people need for everyday use. There is even a magic "auto correct" button that lets Picasa decide what to change for you. But don't worry - Picasa always saves the unedited original for you in case you don't like the edits you make.

I can't say enough good things about this program - I don't know what I'd do with out it.

wilujengan boyong kedathon

2010-02-26T14:57:00.000+07:00

The commemoration of the founding of Surakarta. Dated back from its first establishment in the year of 1745, Surakarta has now been 265 years old. There will be a macapat reading telling about the history of the Surakarta palace movement from Kartasura to a small village called Sala. The event is followed, then, by “kenduri” (religious memorial banquet).

sekaten

2010-02-24T14:56:00.000+07:00

Sekaten is held to commemorate the Prophet of Muhammad SAW’s birthday. In Sekaten celebration there are various shows and souvenirs sale and also various handicrafts. The visitor can also see the palace’s heirlooms exhibition which located in Surakarta palace exhibition. The peak of the Sekaten celebration is turning up of Gunungan from Surakarta palace to the Great Mosque (Grebeg Maulud)

deepwood

2010-02-22T14:48:00.000+07:00

deepwood is a highly-touted Columbus restaurant that I had not yet sampled before yesterday. The lunch menu allowed me an opportunity to experience DeepWood and its vegetarian fare without breaking the bank.

DeepWood is captained by Brian Pawlak, a chef with an impressive pedigree consisting of stints in New Jersey, Boston, New York and Ohio. Pawlak applies his skills to a menu that offers many options for vegetarians.

The dinner menu one-ups my favorite restaurant characteristic: instead of marking vegetarian choices on the menu, DeepWood actually features a separate vegetarian menu! Vegetarian symbols on a menu make me happy; a separate vegetarian menu actually brings a tear to my eye because I get so ecstatic.

My starter was mozzarella-stuffed saffron risotto fritters. They were served with a smoked paprika aioli dip, adding a deep charred flavor that made the cheesy fried puffs sing with flavor. The fritters were absolutely dynamic.

My entree was gnocchi with roasted mushrooms, spinach and pumpkin in a brown butter sage sauce. The gnocchi were soft, and they picked up subtle nuances of the vegetables as well as the herbal undertones of the seasoning. The pumpkin adds an understated sweetness to the pasta. The dish is delicious.

Other vegetarian options on the lunch menu include the house salad and the vegetable sandwich, which is made with mushrooms, roasted peppers, arugala and goat cheese topped with a balsamic reduction. The soup of the day was a vegetarian pumpkin cream soup.

The bread basket was outstanding. The pistachio date bread was more savory than I expected it to be on first inspection. The sesame- and poppy-seed encrusted lavash bread was also delightful.

The staff was attentive and capable. The server was excellent at addressing vegetarian concerns, and he stated that DeepWood was able to cater to diners with vegan and gluten-restricted needs in addition to those who are vegetarians.
In addition to the lunch and dinner menus, DeepWood also offers a tavern menu. The tavern menu is mainly aimed at those dining at the bar or in the lower-key front room.

The by-the-glass wine list features an interesting array of selections from the Old and New World. The bottle selections are not encyclopedic, but the list is made up of enough interesting selections to keep the beverage selection fun. The beer selections are equally interesting, with choice options like J.W. Lee's Lagauvulin Cask Ale in bottles and Founder's Breakfast Stout on tap. There are also numerous cocktail options at DeepWood.

The restaurant's decor is beautiful. The dining room is designed like a forest, with wooded imagery marking the tables, the walls and the ceiling of the restaurant.

Overall, prices at DeepWood are expensive. Considering the quality of the experience, however, the cost is worth it. The lunch and tavern menus are noticeably cheaper than the dinner menu.

The hype about DeepWood is well deserved. Considering its commitment to vegetarianism, DeepWood should give meatless gourmands another destination in Columbus in addition to Dragonfly and Alana's.

typical mountain Grebeg ceremony

2010-02-20T14:42:00.000+07:00

Garebeg ceremony held in the Sultanate of Yogyakarta 3 times a year in Shawwal, the month and the month of the calendar Maulud Java, coincided with the major holidays of Islam. Garebeg Maulud ceremony held every 12 months Maulud date - which coincided with the beginning of the month Jumadil Islamic calendar, is the peak Sekaten celebration held in Yogyakarta Sultanate Palace to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad Salallahu 'Allaah be upon him.

Characteristic Gerebeg ceremony marked by the display of charity hajad palace or a large cone-shaped offerings are made of various foodstuffs, such as glutinous rice, eggs, bebuahan and vegetables. Because of its shape resembling a mountain, these offerings later given the name Mount, which symbolizes prosperity and welfare and the people of Yogyakarta Sultanate.

Mount Charity is one form of salvation offerings that are specifically made for display in the village or salvation wilujengan under its main hajad in organizing every Garebeg Maulud ceremony. Usually, there are 6 kinds Mount, namely: Mount Question Wadon Mount, Mount Gepak, Gunungan Dharat Gunungan Pawuhan and always presented in each Garebeg Maulud, and Mount Kutug presented only once every 8 years at Dal Garebeg Maulud year.

Mound is always displayed in Garebeg ceremony, is one form of expression Javanese symbolism associated with fertility, agrarian culture following magical properties. In ancient times, Mount made in Garebeg Maulud can reach 30 pieces, consisting of 10 Mount Question 4 Mount Wadon fruits, 4 fruit Pawuhan Mount, Mount Dharat fruit 4, and 8 fruit Mount Gepak. For that, the palace made a pair of buildings called Panti Pareden on page Kemagangan, which is specially used to make the Mount.

Mount-making process begins with a ceremony at the orphanage Tumplak Wajik Kemagangan page Pareden held 2 days before the execution of Garebeg Maulud, in the afternoon after Asr Prayer. The ceremony is accompanied by various offerings offerings this is a form of salvation ceremony to reject the possibility of interference during the process of making Mount.

In ancient times, this ceremony must be witnessed by one of his superiors or Pengageng Palace which became envoy of Sultan. The palace courtiers who served in the manufacture of special Gunungan must in a state of purity and comply with various restrictions, including the obligation to perform the ritual of fasting and a number of specific first. Along with the development, some ritual traditions seem increasingly simplified, as the Mount which is no longer as much in the past.

Ceremony Tumplak Wajik primarily to manufacture Mount Wadon that became a symbol of fertility in the process of creation. It is dedicated to the wide range of offerings related to traditional cosmetics such as mirrors, combs, warranty or herbal powder, betel leaves, and cloth and cloth semekan or chest. While as a safety guard, presented an ancient motif fabric named Wake tulak, which is believed to have magical powers to refuse reinforcements.

Wajik Tumplak ceremony is always accompanied by music kothekan or gejogan, a noise caused by hitting or beating the mortar pestle for pounding rice, Kenthongan, and various tools made of wood. Tetabuhan has unique songs and rhythms such as Lompong Gendhing It looks, Tundhung Satan and Owal-awil, which has a magical meaning as repellent reinforcements.

Although in one year, the palace ceremony held three times Garebeg, but this Wajik Tumplak ceremony held only 2 times, in months and months of Maulud only.

After the ceremony finished Tumplak Wajik, Mount-making process is continued for 2 days until the eve of the execution ceremony Garebeg Maulud.

A number of traditional ritual procession of increasingly simplified and perhaps it is no longer Mount sekhidmat antiquity. But public enthusiasm and hope to get a blessing from the Mount is still there, including during the manufacturing process.

Nap, solutions to overcome drowsiness during the day

2010-02-17T15:41:00.000+07:00

When we do activities and we feel sleepy all day, sleep for a while will be able to help you feel more refreshed. By napping, solutions to overcome drowsiness during the day can we face, but there are some things we need to know to take a nap. Here are some tips nap:
- The ideal nap is about 10-15 minutes, but even 5 minutes would be able to make us more fresh and your mind will be sharper too. Sleeping more than 15 minutes also helps, but we will feel nervous when i wake up. And more than 30 minutes will be able to disturb our sleep that night.
- Take a nap every day at the same time so that the body will get used to the routine. If we are afraid to sleep first time, use or alaram phone for help and even our friends.
- Do not take a nap at the end of the day or fall asleep in front of the TV. Do not use our nap instead of sleep the night if we have trouble sleeping at night.

That's some napping tips, solutions to overcome drowsiness throughout the day. May be useful for us.

Point 2 Sex Mistakes Men Who Often

2010-02-15T15:36:00.000+07:00

1. Men think women are not sebergairah men.
Women:
Men feel they have more sexual drive than women, but in some cases these opinions could be wrong. The reason why he remains a major instigator of sexual, nothing to do with passion. The fact that other factors often become a major influence. Because, women are more responsible for housework, and generally do not like to delay the work. That is why women feel tired more quickly. Hormones also affect libido in women, meaning a woman's sex drive is less constant. However, women preferred to be in the sex-specific time, not every time. Proved, he can be aroused just by imagining sex, while women are more aroused by the sensation. That is, women slightly less excited when he started having sex, but it will heat up so aroused.

Men:
If men want to spend time to understand and meet the needs of women, they will be surprised at the strength of women.

2. Men assume women want more romance, not sex.
Women:
As with men, wanitapun pleased with wild sex in bed. Women also are more aroused by explicit fantasies, rather than relationships.

Men:
Women can be as wild even to a man, you know! Stigma that is, men were more excited in bed, while women do not. Actually, sex is multidimensional, and everything associated with about temaramnya bedroom lights, then began a heavy touch of romance to have sex.

Series Fact: Exposure to the male sex

2010-02-12T15:25:00.000+07:00

The following piece is a small record collection of facts from various sources. Implied some facts so that a series of facts will be divided into several writing this while on the series will reveal facts in the male sex.

Here is info for the men:
- Some men want to have sex every day (seven days a week), but in fact three times should suffice
- The man who does not smoke can make sexual activity more than twice as active compared with men who smoke. In fact, they gained satisfaction was also higher.
- The speed / rate of ejaculation in men average about 45 km / hour.
- Losing weight affects the size of male genitals. If their weight down 15 pounds so their genitals will be longer 2.5cm
- Male sexual organs can 'wake up' four to five times while sleeping.

Clean Water = Beautiful Skin

2010-02-10T15:19:00.000+07:00

Drink 8 glasses of water a day keeps our bodies working properly. In addition to healthy, water was also able to maintain the beauty longer than necessary.
Water that has benefits for this beauty is not a haphazard air. Known as the thermal spring water. This water does not come from the earth, but from the drops of rain that seeped into the soil and continue to remain for centuries. After a long stored, this water then came to the ground in the form of thermal springs. Thermal = have warmer temperatures than normal spring.

Dahsyat Khasiatnya
Warmth is not only the greatness of this thermal water. Because they have been stored for centuries in the ground, and through the rocks in the soil, this water also contains minerals and is also a very rich microorganisme benefits. Water is a very healthy and has a healing power. Therefore the experts were using it to different treatments: Jacuzzi, mud bath, sauna, massage and spa.

Benefits for skin
Modern life which is too busy and exhausting, making the body and skin we lack many important elements: mineral salts, vitamins, and magnesium. The experts proved that all the missing elements can be replaced by water on this one. The water from thermal spring water is able to balance the body's condition.
Striking difference between normal water (water wells) with thermal spring water. Ordinary water has no energy. While thermal spring water contain minerals plus a living plankton and carry energy.
From thermal spring water has the ability to maintain balance himself, purifies himself and very healthy. So can imagine how the great benefits of this applied to the face and body treatments.

Bathroom With Cold Water
This activity should not be taken lightly. Included in choosing a soap bath. Choose a mild soap or a mild soap (listed on the packaging). This also applies to oily skin. Do not be tempted to use soap alkalinya rate is high (usually a very abundant foam) because it will remove your skin's natural moisture. Maybe you prefer a gentle fragrance. Liquid soap can also be an option. After that, rinse until clean. Foam that remains can make the skin itch. Sometimes a mild soap can be used also for the face. But if after wearing face seemed drawn, especially when smiling, it means that the soap is not suitable for the face.
Soaking in warm water and foam is comfortable, but this would remove the skin's natural moisture. As a result the skin so dry, dull and scaly. Try a cold shower, the humidity up, the skin was still tight.

Oral Sex Is it dangerous?

2010-02-08T15:17:00.000+07:00

Husband and wife who have intercourse with oral sex is usually done to find new variations, for fear of stuck in one routine. Or maybe if the wife is pregnant or are even coming months. Nina (not her real name) with her husband perform oral sex just three times, so there are questions that comes up in the heart Nina; dangerous for the health oral sex?
Dr. L Tobing Naek in a talk show at the Hotel Regent Jakarta, argued, oral sex from time immemorial by ordinary married couples. Just to find a fun and variety as well as a good performer from physical and psychological aspects. "The mouth and tongue is the instrument of the most delicate flattery and the best. Sensitive areas such as behind the ears, around the neck and chest, when touched by the mouth and tongue accompanied by a game, it will feel different when compared with other advances tools, such as for example hand.
One thing to note by the husband and wife have sex during oral sex is a deal between the two couples. Do not just unilateral, but both alike - the same desire. Therefore, after another before wanting these activities can be done. Because if only one-sided only, then the desired result will not achieve optimal happiness. Perform oral sex properly, there is no coercion of one party. Egoism is not appropriate. "Formation enamsembilan, may - may be. The important thing, the mouth and sexual organs of each side clean and healthy. And oral sex will not be harmful to health, hygiene equipment diving VITAS guaranteed ". Dr firm. Naek L Tobing.
As to sperm that may be ingested, with a smile, saying there was no problem. There will be a negative impact on the health of the wife. "In fact some say could increase longevity. Not yet proven biologically, but psychologically it might be. So is the "lubricant" that may be swallowed, will not interfere with the husband's health ".
Thus sexual activity by oral sex is not harmful to health. Origin remember that cleanliness is important, and both parties are husband and wife have to wills, so that the optimal happiness together direguk data. (ddr)

Know Your Fantasy Men

2010-02-05T15:14:00.000+07:00

Did you know that every man is often fantasize, this time addressed and you need to know the sexual fantasies.
Fantasy 1
Involving two women
One man got two women. This seems a common fantasy in the minds of men. But do if your partner threesome fantasize that means he's not satisfied with you? Could be that's not why. According to Drs. Michael Perelman, PhD, a sex and marital therapist in New York, it's possible your partner worried about how her performance in bed. These fantasies provide an opportunity for him to break for a while as a responsible person in the bed. In this sexual fantasy he could be a player or just a spectator.
So what should you do without having to carry a third person to realize your fantasy partner? Play an active role to achieve pleasure. You can stimulate yourself while he's just watching or invite him to participate by moving his hand to the body you want to be touched. And as an added ingredient, use in a sexy outfit, certainly added fun.
Fantasy 2
New sex action and hot
He fantasized sex styles she had never done with you. She imagined the two of you having sex in the pool, or try to force "69".
Fantasy gives men the opportunity to practice a new style of sex in a safe place - his mind - before she asks you to try with him. Realizing a fantasy can become an erotic experience, but if you're not ready for the weird, talk about it alone can make berlaju rapid heartbeat. "Sexual organ of the most powerful is the imagination." He said. Bonnie Jacobson, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York. He will be excited just to describe it and listen to his fantasy will feel sexy.
Fantasy 3
Men dominate women
"The man may be hiding in the closet, peeping the woman who was getting ready for bed. He was wearing a sexy underwear, when she was alone. The men controlled the women and forced the woman to have sex with him. However, in the middle instead of the woman continued to struggle even he became aroused and amazed by the man's masculinity and the woman finally gave up. "
"Fantasy is not about rape or violence against women." Stressed Dr. Jamie Corvalán, sexologists and surgeon in Glendale, California. This domination dreams gave him such a boost to his ego. A less powerful man in the office or as decided by her boyfriend usually fantasize about dominating a woman. The man who doubted his relationship with his partner also sometimes have a fantasy like this.
How to soothe your partner who has fantasies like this? "Tell him that you really love and want it," suggested William Pollack Ph.D., a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. How to make him "take" you? Dr. Glass said that in a relationship full of love, if the fantasy was played out in the context of the game and there is no element of torture, okay.
Fantasy 4
Women dominate Men
"The man was a slave woman and do whatever is ordered by the woman. The woman was sexually aggressive, take the initiative and whips and chains may be involved here. "
These fantasies are usually located in the minds of men who have great power in his office. They usually want a little break from the burden to satisfy something in this case you. So what can you do? Hurry to take control once you are ready. Hold the steering wheel. Offer yourself to hold the lead in sex. He can pretend not to and rejected; you are teasing her and she finally submit and surrender.
Fantasy 5
The meeting which just happens to someone who is not known
The fantasy usually involves a woman who found the man on that day, maybe a sexy lady who smiled at him on the train. In the fantasy, they got off the train together and maybe without uttering a word, returned to the house of the woman in sexual intercourse.
The appeal of this fantasy is sex with no ties. There is no fear of disease, pregnancy or emotional responsibility. Fantasy allows him across social boundaries, racial and class without the risk and if he had had a partner, he was not cheating. So do not immediately jealous when your partner has a fantasy like that because although she fantasize like that does not mean he'll make it happen.
If your partner's sexual scenario like this, it could mean he doubted how attractive she was, and fear disappointed. Believe it or not, these fantasies can be translated as your partner wants to be loved completely by you. Men menseksualisasikan they need to get a pure love. Woman of his dreams that fill all their sexual desires and needs, the care and love and accept him as is.
If you can, your spouse make it real fantasy that it serves as a foreigner who could not reject the appeal of your spouse. Go to a restaurant and pretend to not know. Next up to your imagination ...
Fantasy 6
Sex in public places
She imagined the two of you "kasak gossip" in the backyard during a party boss's office.
Wet seized danger is a potent stimulant drug. And some people feel better and better sex when they think there is peeking. If your partner's fantasies excites you, ask him to make it happen. For example, in a park. If big risk just try your backyard. It must be exciting and again a slight variation not hurt.

Smoking And Indonesia

2010-02-03T15:02:00.000+07:00

Tobacco or cigarettes the most dangerous for human health. Cigarettes are widely has been one of the biggest causes of death in the world. It is suspected that by the year 2030 deaths from smoking will reach 10 million people annually. So far, the epidemic of smoking has occurred in developed countries. And in the year 2030 is estimated not less than 70 percent of deaths caused by smoking will occur in developing countries. Indonesia is one of the developing countries that have high levels of cigarette consumption and cigarette production is high. Variety of products and cigarette prices in Indonesia have caused Indonesia to be one of the producers and consumers in the world's largest cigarette.

According to the World Bank, Indonesia cigarette consumption of about 6.6% of world consumption. Results SUSENAS (National Socioeconomic Survey) 2001 states that:

* 27% of the population aged over 10 years of smoking in the state last month.
* 54.5% male population are smokers and only 1.2% of women who smoke.
* There is an increase of 4% of the population aged above 10 years who smoked in the 6-year period.
* 92.0% of smokers said smoking habits in the home as with other household members, thus the majority of household members are passive smokers.
* 68.5% of the population started smoking at age 20 increased 8% from the 1995 SUSENAS is 60.0%.
* Increased smoking young age, the age group 25-29 years (75%) and 20-24 year age group (84.0%).

Smoking is a major issue in influencing health, especially for those who work with young children such as teachers, coaches, etc.. From the above data, we actually can see that more and more children under the age of smoking and have increasingly improved. For that, programs should always be improved Regions Without Cigarettes in schools and do outreach and dissemination of information, and coupled with the school policy of banning smoking on school grounds.

Smoking is one of the most difficult addiction stopped it. There are people who successfully quit smoking without making a serious effort, it turned out caused by a very strong intention. People who already smoke recommends that people who do not smoke do not try if you do not want no trouble.

Advantage of people who quit smoking
Within 20 minutes the blood pressure decreases, pulse rate drops to normal, body temperature will be normal again.

Vitamin D For Young, Can Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

2010-01-31T15:01:00.000+07:00

Data from the study based on the population supports the theory that vitamin D may reduce the risk of breast cancer, and suggest that giving vitamin D relative at a young age may be very important.

Dr Julia A Knight of Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, the team reported the findings in Washington, Tuesday, at the annual meeting of the American Cancer Society researcher.
"We found evidence that many factors related to vitamin D, including sunlight and food sources (cod liver oil, fortified milk, some fish species)-has a relationship with a reduced risk of breast cancer. In particular, we see this in the provision (vitamin D) during adolescence, "said Knight.

The findings are based on a study comparing 576 women, aged 20 to 59 years, and was diagnosed with breast cancer and 1135 women's "healthy control" with the same age.
There is evidence of greater reduction in risk of breast cancer, such as those who work outside the home and the number of activities outside the home at the age of 10 to 19 years and 20 to 29 years.

Consumption of cod liver oil for 10 years or more was also associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, as well as the consumption of more than nine glasses of milk per offices compared with women who consumed less than five glasses at age 20 to 29 years.
Knight concluded, "The evidence is growing that vitamin D may reduce breast cancer risk, and what we see in line with the opinion that what happens in breast cancer development in adolescence may affect breast cancer risk in the future."
Tags: cancer, health, breast, medications, diseases, teen, vitamin D, women

Avoid Illness By Washing Hands

2010-01-29T14:59:00.000+07:00

Many times when hands look dirty after touching a dirty object, your nails black look, stain stick, dust, then wash your hands to clean it. And the hand that was not enough clean look as collateral is not dirty or free from germs. It is better to wash their hands or wash your hands frequently. In order to avoid illness by washing hands, of course, always towards healthy living.

Not aware that our hands are not always clean and this often happens in our daily lives. Most people who do not get used to always wash hands after or before the move. Yet when we move things around holding something and when it was attached and germs can enter the body. Forgotten and unguarded before and after touching something that is not clean but it looked clean. Suppose that when we hold something real thing but does not look dirty, then we are with cueknya or did not care to take snacks or eat using hands without washing them first. Not counting how many germs that have come and accidentally into our body with these foods? Germs which of course will cause various diseases. Before talking more about the disease, we are talking about the container washing hands first.

Starting from the sink as a place to wash hands. Should provide sink in all places. Currently, only certain places that provide a place or to wash their hands as offices, hospitals, great restaurants and some restaurants. Not all public places to provide the sink. Unlike the public toilets there almost every place, but rarely provides Itupun sink. Sometimes the restaurant or restaurant only provide "kobokkan" only. And if we only wash their hands in "kobokkan" course, cleanliness is very less. There are many germs that stick in hand. Even more ironically one "kobokkan" is used for more than one person, a gang. It was awful.

Then wash your hands in Indonesia itself is also still not become a habit. This is one of the factors that the reason why people often do not even wash their hands because they are not used to maintain cleanliness and hygiene by washing hands. Though hand washing is an everyday activity that is easy to do and it is important for maintaining the cleanliness and health of our bodies. Washing your hands with soap and water can reduce the number of microorganism from the skin and hands.

So how do I wash my hands right? Here are some simple steps and very easy to follow, as follows:

* Wet hands with arms fully until the water flowing
* Use hand-washing soap (soap adequate biasapun)
* Rub really all parts of the hands and fingers for 10-15 seconds, especially for cleaning the parts under the fingernails, between fingers, and back of hands.
* Rinse hands with clean water flowing.
* Dry your hands with a towel (cloth), paper towels and use a towel or tissue to close the tap. If the towel is not available, dry with air / diangin-aired.

So easy right? If not previously used to wash hands, start to immediately try it out! Apply slowly so that it becomes a habit, a habit that must be applied as early as possible and good habits. Where is the hand washing daily activities very simple and trivial, but important role in maintaining cleanliness and health. Used to wash hands with us, we avoid the disease as early as possible, such as preventing skin diseases, flu, rashes, allergies. Then make it a habit not a difficult thing when we had intended, the intention of the self for always and always mindful of cleanliness and health of the body by washing their hands. Just wash your hands ...: D

three healthy lifestyle for productivity

2010-01-24T14:34:00.000+07:00

Now it seems more and more people are relatively young (under 40-year) who suffered a variety of illnesses: either a sudden heart attack; of stroke, gout, hepatitis, to lung cancer.

Many people thought it could not be separated from the lifestyle of modern society is slipping in the wilderness of grief: a stressfull job pressure, indiscriminate eating, and failure to perform rituals regularly exercise.

The result may lead to a series of disastrous for you and for your office: productivity dropped dramatically, the claim that rising health costs, and perhaps also, your body can lay helpless on the hospital ward filled with the smell.

Do. Do not let your body and your body thrown in the ward room was white. For, as Mr. Hendrawan Nadesul, health is cheap. Here are 3 simple tips that should be our lakoni together.

Tip The first course is: a healthy diet. A very simple suggestion, but we are just there often lay helpless. All the food eaten, meaning it's important nyoss, so you might argue. Unfortunately, many foods are now slowly it leads us to the hall memerihkan death.

Fast food, instant food, flavor, preservative, food full of fat, and his companions, perhaps it delicious to dikudap. But perhaps this line of foods that will later lead us to the ICU, if you continue to eat with passion.

I myself also continue to try to seek to doing healthy eating rituals. Every morning, I was always breakfast meal porridge oats are rich in fiber and said it was healthy, while accompanied by four pieces of tempeh (every day I eat at least 16 pieces of tempeh). After that drinking one glass of milk calcium.

If there is no schedule of teaching and consulting, I go to work more at home, and so I always eat lunch and dinner at home. My wife happened to be fond meat (either beef or goat meat especially), so the combination of our lunch was always not far from the free-range chicken or fish. Thus, our weekly menu always looked poor and exciting variations: bloated fish plus vegetables plus tempe spinach, chicken next, then tengiri fish, and catfish, and fish bloated again. And so on. Not so exciting indeed; but probably quite healthy.

Tip The second is: do the ritual regular exercise. Health experts said, a good exercise is performed regularly at least 30 minutes a day for 5 times a week (preferably half an hour but routine, rather than the old but not routine). just unfortunately, many people riual males do this. the reason is: have no time, there are not amenities , or has possibelity motivation.

In fact, if it becomes a habit, exercise half an hour every day it really will be a pleasure washed away (and of course also refreshing). My own feeling, one of those moments that are always waiting for me every day is doing sports daily. Thus, solitude morning, in the fresh air, accompanied by the strains of music through headphones, I routinely thread mill jogging exercise. A truly refreshing moment. (And the inspiration for writing this cool blog I often found through sports activities sweep this ... ..).

Tip the last is this: stop smoking for you who happens to be the Smokers. I myself among those who actively smoked since a young age. But lucky, I can quit smoking since two years ago. Goodbye, fucking A-Mild!! Reasons to quit smoking? Well, I do not think I have presented here.

That's three simple tips that can perhaps lead us to drink in body and soul healthy. Physical health. Spiritual health. So, if you have not done three things above, then my message is: do start from yourself. And do it starting today!

healty life

2010-01-22T14:50:00.000+07:00

Just sharing the important thing, to discuss a very important thing, namely the Mental Attitude (Mental Attitude) us. Loh? what is it with our mental attitude? yes our mental attitude in live the lifestyle, especially for a healthy lifestyle. While we will seek or attempt to maintain health, we will not succeed if there is no change in mental attitude.

What is Attitude Change it? We all must know and schools of that from various diseases and various recent illness, the source of no other is the root Lifestyle (Way of Life) is wrong. If we live a healthy lifestyle / right, of the disease would be far from us. Let's see the people who live or dijaman first our parents, whether the many who have diseases like this today?

Actually a healthy lifestyle / right could be expressed only by 5 (five) sentences:
1. Worship (Always remember to LPA)
2. Eat a decent meal
3. Exercise with an appropriate dose
4. Stop smoking and reduce alcohol
5. Inner calm and mental balance (associated with point 1).

With five sentences healthy lifestyle rules mentioned above, various diseases, such as high blood pressure, stroke & coronary heart disease, diabetes, tumors can be reduced risk. Healthy lifestyle this can be done without spending a penny, so that a healthy lifestyle is very easy and the effect was extraordinary. So why should a change in mental attitude? My mental attitude must be changed from the attitude of "treatment" changed to "the prevention of illness". Because a healthy lifestyle is making us to always prevent illness.

Explore this and FBCom always get the information that is useful for us, loved ones and our families.

Healthy Eating Guidelines

2010-01-22T14:44:00.000+07:00

Ask a room full of people what they think consitutes a healthy eating plan and you will get a number of different answers.

This is even true if the room is filled with people in the medical field (including nutritionists) when you ask them to suggest healthy eating guidelines...

No wonder so many people are confused by nutritional recommendations...even if they are sold on the benefits of healthy eating, they probably aren't sure what to eat!

I have been studying nutrition for many years and I have followed all sorts of so-called healthy eating plans (some of these were truly healthy and some truly were not!)

I came up with these healthy eating guidelines based on what I learned from my naturopathic nutrition education, my own years of holistic nutrition research, my experiences counseling patients about "how to eat healthy" and my personal experiences. I hope you will find them helpful.

* Eat veggies!

The most important of the healthy eating guidelines is to eat unlimited non-starchy vegetables. There is a huge varieties of vegetables to choose from, and ideally you would eat some raw, some cooked, and some that have been cultured. Try to include at least one daily serving of dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, bok choy and/or spinach. These are high in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. Dark greens are delicious when cooked properly. Many of my healthy recipes use dark greens; they can also be used to make green smoothies.

A great way to increase your veggie consumption is by juicing. Try making green lemonade. Fresh juice is great for the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes it contains, so it's also a very important part of the healthy diet guidelines. If you don't have a juicer, you can use a Blendtec, Vita-mix, or other high speed blender to make a blended juice. The flavor is not as delicate as a juice made in a true juicer, but the fiber is left intact and this is desirable in its own right.
* Eat fruits!

Fruits are a healthy source of carbohydrates and can satisfy a sweet tooth- berries in particular are a wonderful source of nutrients. Try not to overconsume the very sweet fruits, such as bananas, as they are high in carbohydrates. (Eating too many carbs (even the "good carbs") can lead to weight gain in some individuals- see my healthy weight loss guidelines if you are interested in losing weight naturally).
* Watch your grains!

Pay attention to your carbohydrate intake, particularly the carbs that come from grains. Whole grains are a good source of fiber and B-vitamins, but gluten-containing grains can be problematic for some individuals. Experiment with the non-gluten grains such as brown rice, millet, and quinoa (more information about a gluten-free diet. Indulge in sweet potatoes and small red potatoes if you like them, but don't go overboard and make sure to count these as the carbohydrate portion of the meal. You can serve grains or potatoes with a small amount of organic butter and/or cultured cream: these fats help with the assimilation of fat-soluble nutrients. Learn about soaking whole grains.)

Limit bread unless it is a sprouted or it is an all-natural sourdough variety. Keep in mind that some people may need to avoid gluten-containing grains completely (these include wheat, spelt, rye, oats, and barley) but others will do fine with soaked grains.

* Protein is powerful!

Protein is important in the diet, but in order for it to meet the healthy eating guidelines, you must make sure to choose the right forms of protein. Cold water fish such as salmon, halibut, and sardines contain important omega-3 fatty acids. Shellfish is a very good source of vitamins A and D. Look for wild, not farmed, fish. High mercury concentration of fish is a concern, but most experts agree the benefits of eating fish outweigh the negatives of the mercury content. Learn more about healthy fish.

Chicken, turkey, beef, pork and other meats are also part of the healthy eating guidelines, but are really best when pastured/grass-fed. Or choose wild game as these meats contain less fat, more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid- a fatty acid with anti-cancer and body fat reducing properties), and more healthy omega-3 fats than grain-fed beef. Vitamin and antioxidants are also higher for meat (as well as milk and eggs) from grass-fed/pastured animals. Keep in mind that it is not healthy to eat the burned fat of meats (the HAs/Heterocyclic Amines that are created may be carcinogenic); cooking meats for longer at lower temperatures and/or eating them on the rare side is better (and if you are grilling, make sure to use a marinade as this cuts down on the HAs). Eberly's free-range chicken and Coleman brand natural meats are good national brands, or find a local butcher who offers grass-fed meats or a local grass-fed farm that offers direct purchasing.
* Non-meat eaters need their protein, too!

Organic, free-range eggs are a nice, inexpensive healthy protein, and plant sources of protein should play a role in the diet, too (if you eat little or no flesh foods, then they will play a larger role, of course). Plant sources of protein include nuts and seeds (including quinoa), and all legumes. Soy products are best when they are eaten in fermented form (i.e. choose tempeh over tofu, if possible). Dairy products provide protein, too, and are fine as long as you are not allergic to them. (see below).
* Choose healthy dairy!

Dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium, and they feature prominently in the healthy eating guidelines, provided you are not sensitive to dairy (see Is Milk Healthy? for more information about milk.) Look for raw unprocessed cheeses, plain whole milk yogurt (or make your own yogurt), and raw milk, if you can find it. If you are very interested in raw milk, I suggest joining the Weston Price Foundation and checking their quarterly magazine for sources. Some people do not tolerate dairy well and may need to avoid it, though, even in raw form.
* Make friends with healthy fats!

Evaluate the fats that you eat and make sure you are eating only high quality all-natural fats. Experiment with coconut oil. It is an excellent healthy cooking oil. Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig is an great book about coconut oil and its role in healthy weight loss. The best other fats to use are olive oil, sesame oil, and organic butter. Organic butter, believe it or not, contains fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. Avocado is also a healthy fat. Do not limit consumption of good fats as they are vital to good health, but do limit consumption of other vegetable oils (check labels!) and never eat hydrogenated fats (trans-fats). Learn more about healthy fats here.
* Snacking is good!

Snacking is encouraged, provided you snack on the right foods, not on "junk". See my healthy snack ideas for lots of suggestions.
* Limit sweets!

This means muffins, cakes, donuts, cookies, pies, chocolates, etc. You should avoid all commercially processed varieties (another incredibly important point in these healthy eating guidelines!) as they most likely contain hydrogenated oils. Make your own healthy desserts with healthy chocolate, fruits, nuts, and other raw ingredients or bake with real organic butter, organic sugar, and whole grain flours.
* Healthy Eating Guidelines Mean Drink Healthy Too!

Water is the best drink, but please see my healthy drinks page for more options, including herbal infusions and kombucha.

If you are a vegetarian or if you are interested in eating a high raw foods diet, these healthy eating guidelines may not work for you, but that does not mean you should abandon them completely. Just feel free to alter the healthy eating guidelines to fit your lifestyle, and make sure you are eating a variety of foods and that you are meeting all of your nutritional needs. I am not a big fan of supplements but if your diet is limited in some way, then certain supplements may be necessary (i.e. some sort of vitamin B12 supplement is generally required for vegans).

Solar cells made through oil-and-water 'self-assembly'

2010-01-19T14:36:00.000+07:00

Researchers have demonstrated a simple, cheap way to create self-assembling electronic devices using a property crucial to salad dressings.

It uses the fact that oil- and water-based liquids do not mix, forming devices from components that align along the boundary between the two.

The idea joins a raft of approaches toward self-assembly, but lends itself particularly well to small components.

The work is reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Crucially, it could allow the large-scale assembly of high-quality electronic components on materials of just about any type, in contrast to "inkjet printed" electronics or some previous self-assembly techniques.

Specific gravity

Such efforts have until now exploited the effect of gravity, assembling devices through so-called "sedimentation".

In this approach, "blank" devices are etched with depressions to match precisely-shaped components. Simply dumped into a liquid, the components should settle down into the blank device like sand onto a riverbed, in just the right places.

"That's what we tried for at least two years and we were never able to assemble these components with high yield - gravity wasn't working," said Heiko Jacobs of the University of Minnesota, who led the research.

SELF-ASSEMBLY EXPLAINED
Self-assembly graphic
The oil/water mix contains a number of individual solar cell elements
Each is coated with a "water-loving" molecule on the bottom and a "water-hating" one on top
The elements align neatly at the oil/water boundary in a two-dimensional sheet
The "blank" solar cell has pre-cut places for the elements and is dipped through the boundary
As it is slowly drawn upwards, the elements pop into place

"Then we thought if we could concentrate them into a two-dimensional sheet and then have some kind of conveyor belt-like system we could assemble them with high yields and high speed," he told BBC News.

To do that, the team borrowed an idea familiar to fans of vinaigrette: they built their two-dimensional sheets at the border between oil and water.

They first built a device blank as before, with depressions lined with low-temperature solder, designed for individual solar cell elements.

They then prepared the elements - each a silicon and gold stack a few tens of millionths of a metre across - and put different coatings on each side.

On the silicon side, they put a hydrophobic molecule, one that has a strong tendency to evade contact with water. On the gold side, they put a hydrophilic molecule, which has the converse tendency to seek out water.

By getting the densities of the oil- and water-based parts of the experiment just right, a "sheet" of the elements could be made to "float" between the two, pointing in the right direction thanks to their coatings.

The conveyor belt process is to simply dunk the device blank through the boundary and draw it back slowly; the sheet of elements rides up along behind it, each one popping neatly into place as the solder attracts its gold contact.

The team made a working device comprising 64,000 elements in just three minutes.

Bendy future

Having proved that the concept works, the team is now investigating just how small they can go in terms of individual elements, or how large they can go in finished devices.

The approach should also work for almost any material, stiff or flexible, plastic, metal or semiconductor - a promising fact for future display and imaging applications.

Babak Parviz, a nano-engineering professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, said the technique is a "clear demonstration that self-assembly is applicable across size scales".

"Self-assembly is probably the best method for integrating high-performance materials onto unconventional substrates," he told BBC News.

The method tackles what Dr Parviz said is the most challenging problem - the proper alignment of thousands of parts, each thinner than a human hair. But it also works with the highest-performance materials, he said.

"For example, this method allows one to use single-crystal silicon, which is far superior to other types of silicon for making solar cells."

Break with consumerism to save the world, Worldwatch report urges

2010-01-17T14:21:00.000+07:00

WASHINGTON—The world faces environmental havoc unless people shift from a culture where success is measured by the accumulation of goods to one where people are admired for living sustainably, experts warned in a report published Tuesday.

Book cover. “It’s no longer enough to change our light bulbs; we must change our very cultures,” said Erik Assadourian, project director for State of the World 2010, released by the Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization.

The culture of consumerism “has taken root in culture upon culture over the past half-century ... [and] become a powerful driver of the inexorable increase in demand for resources and production of waste that marks our age,” says the report. But consumer cultures are unsustainable and are driving the planet toward a “great collision between a finite planet and the seemingly infinite demands of human society,” the report warns.

“More than 6.8 billion human beings are now demanding ever greater quantities of material resources, decimating the world’s richest ecosystems, and dumping billions of tons of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere each year,” it says.

Woman looking at tons of shoes. American consumers have too many choices. Photo courtesy Orin Zebest via Flickr.The numbers will continue to rise, as people in developing nations aspire toward the same consumer lifestyles as their peers in the West, the report says, calling for a “wholesale transformation of dominant cultural patterns” to “prevent the collapse of human civilization.”

“This transformation would reject consumerism—the cultural orientation that leads people to find meaning, contentment, and acceptance through what they consume—as taboo, and establish in its place a new cultural framework centered on sustainability,” the report says.

In more human terms, the shift would mean that “machismo is not about the size of your car, but the fact that you don’t have one at all,” said Assadourian.

To achieve the shift, everyone from religious leaders, governments, and educators to everyday citizens will have to play a role, the report said.

“The good news is, this is not only possible, but already happening: from incorporating ‘earth rights’ into the constitution of Ecuador, to schools integrating ecologic awareness,” Assadourian said

start life with a green lifestyle

2010-01-15T14:19:00.000+07:00

Global Warming has become a phenomenon in today's world. We can not close my eyes that our beloved earth is being threatened its sustainability. China Earthquake or storm in Myanmar, a sign that our planet needs "soft touch" and our concern to preserve this earth remain green, natural and convenient to stop off. So that natural disasters in the future it will not happen again.

Green Lifestyle is a lifestyle that should long ago have we apply in our lives everyday. With Green Lifestyle not mean you have all the green, green-painted house, wear green clothes, green hair, green shoes, or have a green body (like Hulk or Alien). Neither. That's not the essence of the Green Lifestyle.
Green Lifestyle more focus to our concern to this beloved earth. A lifestyle that really make this earth as a "partner" in your everyday life, not only as an "object" exploitation to meet the needs of your life.

To start with Green Lifestyle, you do not have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle. We can start with little things we used to do every day.

1. Efficient Use of Water

Without water, the trees could not thrive. And if there are no green trees on earth, then the Global Warming disaster will be going on. Hence Save your water usage. If you are accustomed to brushing his teeth in the morning or evening to hold an open faucet and the water flowed on, with a Green Lifestyle you can start by closing it and uses tap water while you need it.

2. Make the wise Electric Lamps

The lights in our room kept lit, and we were watching television with my family in the living room. Well ... start from now, should we start using electricity wisely, if we do not need such information, why do not we just switch off. After all, we can easily turn it on again, while lighting is needed, right?

3. Green Lifestyle with your laundry

In modern times like this you can take advantage of high-tech equipment for drying your laundry in a short time. But when outside, the sun is still shining with the heat why do not you use it. Instead you use dryers that in fact require electrical energy. Thus we can better conserve electrical energy consumption. The same thing you can do when washing your clothes, rather than using the washing machine, wash better traditionally by using our hands. In addition to saving electricity, you can all work out:)

Three things above are examples of small things that ordinary everyday we do. And we can begin to apply Green Lifestyle of the little things are. Continued gradually, until finally in all activities of daily life we reflect Green Lifestyle. Not hard, to begin to help preserve this beloved earth, right?

Let's Going Green Lifestyle ...

valentine

2010-01-10T12:32:00.000+07:00

Valentine's Day (English: Valentine's Day), on February 14 was a day in which the lovers and those who are in love declares his love in the Western World. Origin of dark muasalnya as a Roman Catholic feast day is discussed in the article of Saint Valentine. Some readers may want to read this entry also Valentinus. This holiday can not be associated with romantic love before the end of the Middle Ages when the concepts of this kind are created.

This holiday is now primarily associated with the lovers who exchange mutual notisi-notisi in the form of "Valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include including a heart-shaped card and a picture of a cupido (UK: cupid) wings. Start of the 19th century, the tradition of love of writing notisi production started mass cards. The Greeting Card Association (U.S. Greeting Card Association) estimates that worldwide approximately one billion valentine cards are sent each year. This makes this holiday is the second biggest holiday after Christmas in which greeting cards sent. This same association also estimates that the women who purchased approximately 85% of all valentine cards.

In the United States began in the second half of the 20th century, the tradition and expanded the card exchange includes providing all kinds of gifts, usually by men to women. Ordinary gifts of roses and chocolates. Beginning in the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an opportunity to give jewelry.

A date on Valentine's Day is often thought that dating couples were involved in a serious relationship. Actually it is a day valentine romance, not just the girlfriend or boyfriend, Valentine is the biggest day in terms of romance and Valentine does not mean other than not feeling the love.

In the United States this holiday and is associated with a general greeting platonic love "Happy Valentine's", which could be uttered by men to their female friends, or, to male friends and boyfriends female friend to a lady friend.

Tips Eliminate Black spots on face

2010-01-07T12:17:00.000+07:00

All women crave a clean skin, free from pimples and black spots. But one of the most common problems occur in most Asian women, especially those aged over 30 years, is the emergence of black spots or spots on the face.

Skin pigmentation or melasma, can occur in some parts of the body, especially in the face, due to sun exposure.

In addition to sunlight, melasma can also occur due to use of hormonal drugs, such as birth control drug. Spots can also arise due to the former existence of acne, antibiotic drugs, and anti-inflammatory antiepilepsi.

The use of cosmetics that are likely to contain mercury and salicylic acid, can make a mole stricken face. Because if used continuously, will cause the skin becomes very sensitive to the sun.

Can mole removed?

Eliminate spots from the surface of the face, not as simple as it requires routine maintenance in order spots disappear and never come back.

Many ways can be done to remove the spots, ranging from wearing a mask to use cream bleach (bleaching cream) are useful to illuminate the face.

Bleach cream function is to raise the horn layer of the skin, eliminate blackheads, circulation under the skin, brighten and increase skin elasticity.

But with the modern equipment now, spots can be quickly removed. But to be able to do it, cost was not a bit.

The first thing to do, is to do facial. The goal is to clean the face of the skin cells die, so the face becomes more clear and prevent spots and erode.

How:

- Rub the cream on your face and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Clean the face, then scrub with a scrub to remove dead skin cells.
- Wash the face, then coat with a face mask.
- After the mask dried, cleaned his face again, then use a moisturizer.

You will feel the benefit, when doing facials on a regular basis for 10 times. The success rate depends on how bad spots you suffered. For those of you who have a mole skin with a slightly expanded, should do facials once a week and assisted with night cream.

One of the facials are now beginning to widely used and are considered potent enough to clean spots, is spirulina. Spirulina is seaweed that have been packaged as a kind of mud mask, function to reduce the mole because of its structure such as scrubs. Spirulina is also available in capsule form and taken as supplements.

With treatment once a week, for ten times facial treatment, fleck will fade. But of course, the effect will be more satisfying is that you should be diligent and do the routine.

Doing Self Facial, Can?

Actual facial treatments you can do yourself at home, long enough to know what materials are needed. Besides using mask materials are sold, you can do facials with fruit or natural materials.

Jícama mask or cucumber

Jícama always been able to overcome the known black spots on the face. So even cucumber. You stay grind, and rub in the face to black spots on his face faded.

But the use of fruit is still fresh and in good condition, because if not careful, rather than heal, your skin will actually itching. If the face already sore and itchy, this is what you should do:

- Apply a thin layer of honey on the face of the original for 15 minutes, then wash with warm water.
- Rinse face with ice water, pat gently and evenly until they felt refreshed.

Treatment with cucumbers bengkoang or blender, both for those who actively work outside space. Securities bengkoang or cucumber juice cold, it will feel cool in the face just after you wear it.

Lime slices

For those aged over 40 years, lime slices evenly in facial skin and whole body to lift the skin cells to die. Let stand until dry, then rinse with water lukewarm to open pores. After that, rinse again with cold water to close pores.

Tea

In addition to lime, the content of antioxidants contained in tea is also good for preventing premature aging. Tea contains tannin which is very good to deal with a sunburned skin, tightens his lips, facial skin care and hair black. How:
- Inapkan cup of strong tea overnight.
- Apply a tea water all over face and body skin.
- Allow to dry by itself.
- Rinse with warm water to open the pores of skin, then rinse with plain water.

Tea is also useful to refresh tired eyes, you just put a bag of tea bags that have a direct cold in the eyelid. As I lay down, your skin care and make faces and eyes.

Avoid Face Toner

We clean your face using a cleanser milk at night or early morning, simply rinse the face with normal water. You do not need a toner, astringent or face tonic, because its use will result in excessive so that it increases facial skin dry. Unless your skin oily.

If you are diligent in doing his own facials at home, make sure your skin is first cleaned using a scrub. Keep in mind, the use of natural materials are the result can not be done instantly as a laser or other salons. But if done regularly and correctly, the result is not less clean. Good luck!

THREE TYPES OF SKIN FACE

Before doing facials, you should first identify your skin type. Facial skin basically divided into three types, namely:

Normal Skin
- Usually in the region T (such as forehead, nose and chin) produces excess oil, pores were larger than in the other's face.
- After cleaning the face, the skin will feel taut cheeks.
- Wrinkles with age will be around the eyes, forehead, and upper lip.
- Flammable skin sunburn, making it look red or brown.

Oily Skin
- Generally have a large pores and berkomedo.
- Skin looks shiny face and smeared make-up easily.
- Wrinkles in the face of slower than other skin types.

Dry Skin
- Easy to peel and burn if exposed to the sun.
In the cold air easily irritated or itching.
- Regional T and sometimes like a scaly skin felt tight immediately after cleaning.
- Wrinkles appear faster, not just on the face, but also on other body skin.

Sensitive Skin
- Easily irritated if you get a particular cosmetic or exposed to sunlight exposure.
- Skin is generally dry and impressed "thin" at all.
- The skin will feel tight for a moment after cleaning.

If your skin type is known, then the cosmetic treatment of skin and your face will also need more easily find matches.

More Vegetarian Wild Men in Bed?

2010-01-05T11:29:00.000+07:00

PATTERN eat vegetarian more and more traveled. Not only makes your body is always healthy, but also impact on the lives of couples bed. Really?

As summarized Health24, researchers from Charles University, Prague, Cekoslavia, doing research by making two groups of men and women. The first group was fed red meat for two weeks, while the second group were given the menu without meat.

After that, their body odor sample is taken. The result, groups of men and women who have a pattern of eating vegetarian more attractive body odor.

Based on these studies, the air would prefer a vegetarian men. The reason, he is more fun vegetarian and more wild when struggling.

Advisor expert nutritional certificate holder from Huntington College of Health Sciences, Heidi Van Pelt-Belle explained, vegetables (especially dark green) contains many amino acids the body needs to receive the protein.

Because of the rapid assimilation process when eating plants, it will be more energy in the body of a vegetarian. That way, a full vegetarian stamina in action in bed.

Why Should I Become a Vegetarian?

2010-01-03T12:28:00.000+07:00

Usually the first question that springs to mind for non-vegetarians is “What drives vegetarians to give up meat and adopt a completely different way of life?” There is no single answer to this question. People decide to become vegetarians for a number of different reasons, and sometimes even for multiple reasons. That is the power of free will.
Three Reasons Why People Become Vegetarians or Vegans

1) The number one reason most vegetarians claim to have been the catalyst for their lifestyle change is that they have a serious ethical problem with consuming meat. Many are appalled at how battery chickens have their beaks clipped, are forced to live in small cages with little or no access to natural light, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce eggs fast enough. Or the chickens produced for meat, which grow so fast that their leg bones are not strong enough to take their weight and spend their short lives suffering.

Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and stressful environments larger animals are forced into, and how they are fed hormone-laden feed used to make them grow faster and produce more meat or milk. Those who become vegetarians for this reason often draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on their personal beliefs. For instance, some staunch vegans refuse to consume yeast, wear wool, or at the most extreme, will not eat certain vegetables, such as carrots, that require killing the plant in order to harvest them.

Some people who refer to themselves as vegetarians will actually eat fish and chicken on a regular basis. This class of vegetarian is sometimes referred to as “pseudo-vegetarian.”

2) The second biggest reason vegetarians claim for not eating meat is that it conflicts with their dietary preferences. Some of these vegetarians simply do not like the texture and taste of meat, whereas others do not eat it because it contains high levels of cholesterol and often contains high concentrations of preservatives and hormones too.

3) The third (and smallest) group of vegetarians cite environmental reasons for not consuming meat. They complain that consumption of meat causes farmers to continually deforest land in order to create grazing land for sheep and cattle.

There are, of course, a number of other smaller groups of vegetarians who have cut out meat from their diet for entirely different reasons (for example, religious beliefs). Like any other choice in life, the decision whether to eat meat or not is entirely up to you as an individual, and for the reasons you feel are right.

Vegetarian Lifestyle Is It Right For You?

2010-01-01T12:19:00.000+07:00

There are many reasons that people decide vegetarianism is the best lifestyle choice for them. Some people do not eat meat because of religious or spiritual reasons, others choose vegetarianism as a means of supporting the environment and still others adopt vegetarianism for health related concerns. If you are reading this, you probably want to learn more about vegetarianism for its health benefits. Read on!

What Is Vegetarianism
Vegetarians fall into many different categories. Some abstain from all meat, fish and poultry products. Others, called Vegans, abstain from eating any food that comes from animal products. This may include eggs, cheese, yogurt or milk for example. A vegan diet is a bit more challenging to follow than a vegetarian one, and may require extra effort to get the right mix of nutrients to support the body. For purposes of this article we will focus chiefly on traditional vegetarianism.

Here is a break down of the primary types of vegetarian lifestyles you can adopt:

Vegan – Vegans consume no animal products. This means no dairy, eggs or other products gained from animals (like honey).

Lacto Ovo – This type of vegetarian is the most widely adopted lifestyle. Lacto ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products but do not eat meat from animals like beef, poultry or fish. You can further divide this category into ovo vegetarians, who eat eggs but not dairy products, and lacto vegetarians, who eat dairy products but not eggs.

Raw Vegetarianism – Raw vegetarians eat only raw food. This consists mainly of raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruit.

There are even some vegetarians that eat only fruit and vegetables that fall from plants, like tomatoes and cucumbers. This rare form of vegetarianism, called fruitarianism, is the most extreme and least common.

If you plan to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, you have to make sure you eat a good combination of healthy foods. These foods include:

* Vegetables
* Leafy Greens
* Whole grains
* Seeds
* Nuts
* Legumes
* Fruits

Key Nutrition for Vegetarians
There are many benefits to a vegetarian lifestyle. Most vegetarians enjoy a low fat high fiber diet. It is important if you are considering a vegetarian lifestyle however that you consume enough protein and calories. There are multiple protein sources in a vegetarian diet. Many of these come from natural or meat substitute products. Some common protein sources in a vegetarian diet include:

* Lentils
* Tofu
* Tempeh
* Nuts and Seeds
* Dairy products

Other nutrients important to a vegetarian diet include iron and calcium. You can easily consume the iron you need from animal products. Thus if you decide to elect a vegetarian diet you will need to make sure you get enough iron. Acceptable sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, prune juice, certain beans and even blackstrap moles. You can also cook your meals in a cast iron skillet, which will add iron to your diet. Most people associate calcium intake with dairy products. Fortunately there are many other sources of calcium in the diet including broccoli, kale and other dark green leafy vegetables. Some meat alternatives and tofu have added calcium. You can also by soy milk that is fortified, thus contains high levels of calcium.

B12 is another important nutrient often lacking in vegetarian diets. Much of the B12 we eat comes from animal products including eggs. You can however get ample B12 by eating fortified food products. In some cases, especially if you opt for a vegan lifestyle, you might consider supplementation with vitamin B12 or a B complex product.

Can Vegetarianism Improve Weight Loss
A vegetarian lifestyle can promote weight loss. Keep in mind that weight gain occurs when the calories you eat exceeds the number of calories you burn in a day. This can happen with a vegetarian diet or a traditional one. That said, vegetarian diets typically include lots of fiber and low calorie but nutritious food selections.

As with any diet there are certain steps you can take to promote weight loss. These include:

* Drinking at least 8-10 10 ounce glasses of water every day. Water helps flush the body and helps reduce food cravings when the body is dehydrated.
* Chose high fiber, nutrient dense food products including dark leafy greens, legumes and nuts.
* Opt for whole grain products whenever possible to help you feel full longer.
* Consider eating six mini meals instead of three large meals every day.
* Select a multivitamin and mineral supplement to accompany your diet to make sure you get enough trace vitamins and minerals.
* Exercise consistently. If you can, try to get some form of exercise each day. This may consist of a walk around the block or a light jog. Any exercise is better than no exercise.

Many find vegetarianism a rich and rewarding lifestyle. If you want a diet that is high in fiber and nutrient dense that won’t pack on pounds, vegetarianism may be a good choice for you. You might consider experimenting with different types of vegetarianism before you find the lifestyle that suits you best.

2009-12-30T13:59:00.000+07:00

Look beautiful is the dream of all women, whether adults or young girls. For young girls, looking good is a necessity. Should look pretty so ogled the opposite sex. And there are many ways to look beautiful one of them is to use makeup.

Many ways to make young girls dream come true. One way is to make up weddings and weddings make up. One makeup trend that could answer that desire is smookey eyes. This makeup trends can make young girls look more unique and expressive.

According abe thomas, a make up weddings and weddings professional makeup artist from glamorous salons in yellow numbers, Tomang, West Jakarta, said that this makeup can be used by all the ages, including teenagers. Only, the composition must be compatible. Do not get the result like a mask because her makeup is too thick.
Foundation

for the foundation, choose a natural-colored foundation, especially the glowing, so shine your face more emanated.

Shading

function is Contouring makeup and makeup weddings weddings and correcting deficiencies cheekbones, face and nose, as well as parts of other faces. Adjust skin color and facial parts that want to repair. Shading should be obvious, but the gradations be neat.

Blush on

choose the color of blush on the natural makeup for weddings and makeup weddings. We recommend fresh pink. This color makes your face flushed perfectly. These colors reflect the joy teens.

Loose powder

its function is to close the pores so that the face looks more polished and smooth. This technique reduces the oil in the t-zone area in family makeup and makeup family. Rub evenly so that the face looks smooth. Use a loose powder that matches the color of your skin

trend of modern minimalist style wedding

2009-12-26T13:43:00.000+07:00

EXCEPT displays various regional bridal fashion to the modern style, model Pelaminan Decorations engkap with diverse artistic concepts are also exhibited at the Exhibition Wedding Promo 2009 exhibition in the hall, I floor, Rapak Plaza.

One of them belonged to a participant who is an expert enough in the world of bridal makeup, Asmah Hj Ibrahim. "I deliberately show this wedding decorations for many leading trends in modern wedding minimalist models like this," he said.

Presence of a minimalist style wedding decorations not because according to current fashion trends are. Of course the choice of wedding decor is minimalist yet modern, bridal clothing choices were followed. Generally, mdel kebaya or penagntin European clothes, a solid match the wedding decorations. "As for the other models, visitors can choose the catalogs that have been available," Asmah Hj light, familiar calls.

Promo Wedding Exhibition 2009, which was held event promo Rapak Plaza followed the bridal makeup specialists are experienced and reliable enough in the field. According to organizers, this event will be held until 15 October. Through this event also confirmed guests, especially the bride and groom have more inspiration and reference to the customs and the concept of a wedding that will be used. In addition, the event which for the first time held in Rapak Plaza also offers many interesting options also labeled the price affordable for all circles

the right way for slimmer stomach

2009-12-23T13:41:00.000+07:00

Was diligent in aerobic but not too flat stomach. Exercise crunch never forget but the stomach seems even bigger. Something wrong?! This is all wrong has been done continuously and the latest scientific research has revealed the things that really!

If your underwear collection becomes even more difficult to narrow buttoned, what would you do? Like many other women, you may immediately make a strict diet, sit-ups every day, and diligent aerobics (Fitness Equipment) or jogging. Is how it can succeed? Could be! But often times what happens is you lose weight for a moment and then rose again. In other words, this method offers only an instant success.

In fact, the more 'severe', your stomach still bloated! Why? It's sports, really, still bloated? Practically swollen belly is a problem almost everyone, men women, young and old. The difference is, people often think of men belly as a symbol of prosperity even though the risk of heart disease actually much larger. For women, this is absolutely not true. So Do not be surprised if many women who feel this is a big problem, especially when it comes to clothing selection.

In essence, belly really ruin the appearance! To streamline the stomach, most people do diet, exercise abdominal muscles, or do aerobic exercise (fitness equipment) such as jogging, cycling or walking. These methods do not completely wrong. Unfortunately all these methods will not be effective if done individually.

Only a diet can indeed lose weight. But your body will become loose due to too rapid loss of muscle and fat. In addition, the diet actually increase your appetite, slow metabolism, and increase the risk of loss of muscle that trigger an increase in weight again.

Another way is abdominal exercises like the crunch, bicycle (fitness equipment) and others working to develop abdominal muscles, but not to reduce abdominal fat. It could be your waist size actually increases after diligent crunch.

This is because your abdominal muscles grow but still accumulate belly fat. Weight loss can be accelerated with aerobic exercise. But strangely enough, still, a lot of complaints from those who diligently aerobic (fitness equipment). It becomes more slender body, but why stomach still outstanding? Yes, it is because often the less is the fat in the face, thighs, and arms, not the fat in the abdominal area. In fact it's hard abdominal fat is removed.

Here's the latest research results!

Actually diet, abdominal exercises and aerobic (fitness equipment), all play an important role in the formation of a slender stomach and tight. If ultimately it does not bring maximum results, it is because there are many people who apply them one by one. In fact, the key to streamlining the stomach is ... a combination!

slender tips with acupuncture

2009-12-20T13:39:00.000+07:00

Often times, the intention of dieting collapse easily because only unable to refuse a treat to eat. Maybe, it's time you need help. Alternative assistance currently is rising I-punktur therapy (Acupuncture Course). Although reportedly cespleng enough to lose weight, in fact this therapy is not magic. Stay strong commitment needed to change the pattern of unhealthy living.

BEDA CONDITIONS, BEDA puncture
According to dr. Lily Djodoadmodjo (technical advisor acupuncture) and dr. Indra Taudik Odang (acupuncture practitioners) from Centrum for Life Care, if the body in balance (good metabolism, quality of food intake, and sufficient activity, should not be a fat person (acupuncture courses).

Conversely, if these factors were not balanced, people will easily get fat. Foods that should be burned, instead piled so fat. Imbalance is that it tries to overcome with the technique of acupuncture (acupuncture courses).

Therefore, before you start (a course of acupuncture) was stabbed a needle, the patient should be examined closely, including through inspection pulse, tongue, and nutrient (a method of Japan, by looking at the blood where it is blocked). For example, if it is detected that the emotions and hormones out of balance conditions, which must be treated first is the problem. Logically, how could alter eating patterns, cope with his own emotions when he has not been able (acupuncture courses).

In slimming process, the number of needles used was the same in every person, depending on the condition of their bodies. There's no point did the standard or absolute. The depth of needle stabbing vary (acupuncture courses), depending on the cause of obesity. There are only enough until the upper layer of skin, some are up to the layer of fat.

In acupuncture, 5 elements in the life of any influence in the food balance that must be consumed, namely:

1. Timber elements (sour taste), symbolizes the liver and bile.
2. Elements of fire (bitter taste), the symbol of the heart organ and the small intestine.
3. Elements of land (taste sweet), symbolizes the spleen and pancreas.
4. Metallic elements (spicy taste), the symbol of the lungs and large intestine.
5. Elements of water (salt), the symbol of the kidneys and bladder.

All think it needs to be combined with a balanced, for the health of each organ they signify (acupuncture courses). Then, the so-called balanced how? According to dr. Lily, again it was back on the condition of their bodies. If you have a tendency to diabetes, sugar intake should not be much. Or, if you want more healthy kidneys, consume the kinds of salty foods, but not to blood pressure rose sharply, because it can actually provoke another disease

five errors in the painted bride

2009-12-19T13:27:00.000+07:00

Makeup is not just a bridal makeup bridal makeup or foundation, powder, eye shadow and lipstick, but you also have to adjust face shape, skin color, skin type or eye shape though. Small mistakes like the color of lipstick that is too old, or that do not blend in eyeshadow can be corrected and not fatal. However, there are some things you can invite the attention of people if you apply it.

Here are 5 things to avoid:
1. Lips with a pencil line on the lips / lip liner is a thick or use a darker shade of lipstick colors. Lip lines should be used to correct lip shape and touch up with professional makeup or makeup professionally.

Tip: choose the color nude lip pencil or a neutral color that young.

2. Wear make-up before the moisturizer is absorbed. After using the moisturizer, wait until the moisturizer is absorbed when the skin has not felt 'wet' again. Powder, concealer and foundation make-up professionally or professionally applied makeup before moisturizer sink can make makeup perfectly unattached.
tips: give time for about 5 minutes to apply other cosmetics after applying moisturizer.

3. Choosing concelear too bright. Professional make up artist with a concealer works to disguise / cover up dark areas such as the area under the eyes or black stains on the face. If you choose colors that are too bright concelear, which looks even color stripes for color difference is striking.
Tip: choose the appropriate color concelear your skin color or a younger level.

4. Shading using cocoa powder. Professional make up artist to create cheekbones are often people choose brown powder. Should avoid this color because if you are less adept at applying it, the cheek area will look dirty and 'rough'.
Tip: apply blush on natural colors (peach, pink-brown) on your cheek apples. The color will highlight your cheeks and make your cheekbones look high, but still within the natural limits.

5. Wearing colors that are too bright. Bridal makeup bridal makeup or pink or orange color is the right choice separately illuminating makeup everyday. But if your levels are applicable color excess, your makeup will look too 'mature', that is very striking when worn in daylight.
Tip: make-up range of light need a neutral color like brown, pink, peach or pink-brown. The colors are suitable for all skin colors and naturally beautiful effect on the makeup.

motorcycle jackets from Alpinestars

2009-12-16T13:25:00.000+07:00

Asolo, Italy - manufacturer of motor sports apparel, in cooperation with marketing alpinestars motogp, sports sl dorna will produce moto gp jacket.

Alpinestars motogp Collection products will be a limited edition motorcycle jacket good leather motorcycle jacket, motorcycle riders and casual clothes. The plan is a new product launch will be conducted next year and purchases can only be done through on-line. There are currently no explanation how the selling price collection motogp alpinestars motorcycle jacket is.

First created Alpinestars clothing and shoes to climb the mountain snow. Headquartered in asolo, italy in 1990. Company founded by sante mazzarolo began sweeping the racing world. Several events ranging from motorcycles zip through routine drifting championship sponsored this motorcycle jacket company.

tips for great wedding portrait package

2009-12-13T13:22:00.000+07:00

Each and every important event that happens in a person’s life should ideally be commemorated through portrait package because pictures, as the saying goes, can convey more than a thousand words. Through portraits, you’ll be able to remember just how it was that day, the people you were with and the relationships you had with them.
Of all occasions, it’s weddings portrait package though that has an absolute need to be memorialized in portraits. After all, for most people, you only get married once so the event is incomparably special. If you are about to married, do have a wedding portrait made of yourself, the more the merrier. And if you’re worried about what you should do and consider when it comes to wedding portraits, here are a few tips.A wedding portrait package done in real-time would take several days to be made, depending on the wont and skill of an artist. If you prefer to have your wedding portrait done in this fashion, you may be forced to do so after the wedding already. On the other hand, you could also try considering having your wedding portrait package based on photos taken of the occasion. This could be more practical, albeit less romantic, as you would have a lot of poses to choose from.
Ideally, a family portrait package or wedding portrait contains only the figures of the bride and the groom. But remember, this is your wedding so it’s what you two want that counts. If you feel that you prefer a wedding portrait done of the whole family then by all means, do so.
Last but certainly not the least, it’s time to think about poses and settings. After all, these factors have great influence on how a portrait turns out. Naturally, if you’re willing to have your family portrait package or wedding portrait based on photos, you would have a wider selection of photos to choose from and more freedom when it comes to the settings.
A bride could have her picture taken just before she leaves her home, as she steps out of the car and so on. The two lovebirds may also opt to have the moment they released the doves crystallized for eternity. On the other hand, if you decide to have your wedding portrait done at the studio, you’ll be able to determine which pose for the two of you is better.
Just remember – it’s your special day and you need a special portrait to remember it by!

form beautiful eyebrows with make-up

2009-12-10T13:19:00.000+07:00

Never underestimate your eyebrow shape, because the eyebrows can change the appearance of a more beautiful face or look more sadistic.

If your eyebrow makeup form irregular, rare or too thin, then there are some tricks you can do to improve the form by using makeup makeup.

1. Use spooly, similar brush brow hairs to form. Brush brows using this leads spooly eyebrow growth area.

2. Take a pencil eyebrows and eyeshadow that matches the color of your skin. Then his brow lines in accordance with the form desired makeup.

3. Start to fill in brows with eyebrow pencil in a matching color. The shape eyebrows to rise with caution.

4. Give a touch of eyeshadow makeup on her eyebrows with a brush. Do not be too thick, because it would make it look very tacky

5. As a final touch, use color to unify spooly eyebrow pencil with the skin make it look more natural. Spray a little spritz / hairspray to create a more radiant.

6. Use Highlighter on top of the temple bone for more luminous impression member.

office dresses for men

2009-12-08T13:16:00.000+07:00

Occasion # 1: fashion office
tired of seeing your partner with a fashion conventional impressed working with models and motifs, it was just looking at the boutique cheap. No one if you want occasionally to up grade it with a display of different boutique clothes provided in accordance with its work and the company where she worked. For example, your spouse worked in corporate law firm which she requires a neat appearance with a tie and jacket, look in the boutique cheap. Of course, you can not arbitrarily told him to wear a polo shirt and jeans. Adjust your clothing is also working with the taste, personality and comfort your partner at work.

What to wear: your partner chose a plain shirt with a classic tailored pants neutral colors like black, navy blue or dark brown, like those in boutiques and online cheap cheap boutique clothes. You can chose the color of the lighter shirt (like blue, red or white) to paired with dark pants like black or dark blue for the appearance he became more 'alive'. Instead, you can combine such a dark colored shirt, black, dark brown, red, maroon and dark blue colors of the younger pair like beige or khaki. Add a blazer or jacket (if necessary) with a pair of matching the him.

Tip: if you want to dress up grade office without leaving a spouse but a formal sense, let me formally ga you can see in boutiques and online cheap cheap clothing boutique, you can pick out a shirt with a line pattern or small boxes. However, colors still must be considered. In order for your spouse still look professional and mature, choose neutral colors tend to be safer as brown, blue, black or cream. Add to this tie, suspenders, leather belts, cuff-links (ornamental buttons cuffs) and the brief case to complete the look.

Green LifeStyle For the Day & Month "National Planting Movement".

2009-12-07T08:39:00.002+07:00

Government (President SBY and its board) launched, 28 November 2008 as the Day of Planting Movement and Moon Planting in December as the Government creates Nasional.work Green Lifestyle is supposed to support us all, especially in urban water catchment areas are very quit small.the woek may one way to prevent the effects of global warming, prevent air pollution or prevent the occurrence of floods tiba.when this season should be followed simultaneously in all regions Indonesia.actually the forest began to bare, it's dangerous if not immediately prevented from re-greening and held.

Citing the President's call Barack Obama elected U.S. (Child Menteng) "Let us together create a better world than now, for our grandchildren". Yes for Children of our grandson, a call is in line with the World Great Leader Statement Prophet Muhammad (Syalam and He solemnly directed to and Family and friends He), the Prophet of this statement more or less goes like this "If you know tomorrow if the world would end, but there are still in your hands palm seed, then plant the seeds of dates". In another narration the Prophet SAW to have said "Plant a tree, because this is the charity field for you". That is when the tree bear fruit (still or after the death of us) anyone who ate the fruit trees we planted, whether animals or thieves, even though we still get the reward the reward from him. (For the Religious experts, please correct it if this hadith if any, with all humility I say that I do not know exactly what this hadith sahi or not).

Green LifeStyle already should be our style, ranging from individuals (ourselves and our families) of course, because we can not just sit on my hands and asked who should start? .. So it's good efforts of this government with our support, ranging from self - me and you of course, no matter how small any of our actions, the most important thing we must immediately start today too.Action ..!

shop without worry

2009-12-05T13:04:00.000+07:00

Along with the Internet development in Indonesia, it is no wonder that online store is more rampant now aja. For example online clothing store, and so on. But not infrequently also the use of such a situation to benefit themselves. This means that someone has an online shop but when we want to buy and make transactions with a deposit amount of money demanded, but we buy goods never arrive.

Well, to anticipate such things, there is little some online shopping tips for you:

1. Beware of shopping at online stores that use hosting or a domain name is free.

2. When making reservations, make sure the online store has a phone number, and address clearly.

3. Consider warranty item.

4. Make sure that the item is sent in the warranty to get to our address. That means we do not want to know the buyer with a loss of goods in the middle of the road.

5. Read the privacy of online stores that cop.

6. Make sure that items such as clothing online that we buy according to our needs. So before you decide to buy something good, read the criteria and specification criteria such goods.

7. If you do transferan BANK account number is on the point of the seller, so processing speed, then add the numbers or odd numbers on the back of transferan. For example we are asked to deposit money Rp200.000, so that we quickly known transferan Rp200.085 please do.

8. Do not be tempted by the cheap prices even though the same brand used to check the store and consider the costs pengirimanya example: a store selling goods 900ribu, 875ribu b store but if it is outside the province of the store and b onkkos send more expensive and stores a 1 province can be calculated margin + shipping.

2009-12-04T12:52:00.000+07:00

Lifestyle is an identity for the young of today. The teenager raced to create an image of themselves through lifestyle inherent in them. When compared with the style and appearance of a teenager in a few decades ago, then there is a huge leap. Gosh, is the most appropriate word to describe the changes for the sake of change, albeit invisible, there is only a repetition of what happened rotation

If we ask whether the lifestyle is influenced by culture and background of the community? Are lifestyle urban and rural communities differ? The closest answer is probably yes. Urban lifestyle changes are supported by all existing facilities, ranging from information, technology, transportation to communication. This is what makes the urban youth quickly absorbing everything they see and discover.

The easiest example we consider the changes in teenage lifestyle and the city is a music phone. This we can see from the best-selling mobile phone market with the sweetness of youth as the target users. Starting from the model monophonic, polyphonic, slim, until the qwerty currently hunted by the lovers of this wireless phone. Lifestyle changes are sharp enough we can also note in terms of music selection. With the speed of information available, it is supporting youth hunting or albums from the singer of their band masing2

This will be slightly different from the lifestyle of rural communities that are still colored by upload-ungguh. Changes will they do to themselves, are adapted to the existing norma2 in rural areas. We will be very rare to see a young man who asked the village street, his ears were still closed by the earphones, or a village youth who use the language Alay chat today. Information and communication is still a little slow is one reason why there are no drastic jump in with their lifestyle

If you have other questions why teenagers can quickly change and change in lifestyle which they profess? In terms of psychology, there is an empty space that is very broad in their potential to be filled by anything that exists. Teenagers also need a role model or a direction that could be their example. Industry was very caught a very big opportunity in exploiting teenagers as one of their marketing targets. Therefore, do not be surprised if many benchmarks that are now affecting many of our lifestyle that can only say my goodness.

Keywords that are prominent in Indonesian society lifestyle today is efficient, effective, productive, quick, practical, functional, versatile, and stylish. All of which leads to ease and pleasure. The easier, quick and delicious product is digested, then it is certainly selling well invaded by the community. This is a small spark that started the modern society embraced by our youth. Money becomes a god and enjoyment coupled with her. Once again this will provoke us to say gee.

2009-12-03T12:49:00.000+07:00

"Gosh! Lifestyle lifestyle in Indonesia", maybe Barrack Obama, President USA, would say that, between the shock and confusion, when the next year, 2010, visit to Indonesia with his wife, Michelle Obama. Perhaps he still thinks the condition of Indonesia as before when he was in elementary school Menteng, Jakarta. Well, yes very much fella, uh, I mean mister. Indonesia today is far different. Metropolis lifestyle was coloring of everyday life, especially in big cities, like Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali. Especially in Jakarta, with a variety of entertainment facilities from the cafe, karaoke, clubbing, Jakarta night life, food and restaurants with various tastes culinary tour ready to present the most complete, salon and spa and healthy lifestyle diet club or club beauty with sophisticated facilities for families or for health, which all support the Jakarta lifestyle as a lifestyle trend central Indonesia.
Life style is also supported by many emerging mall and new entertainment venues. With the special theme of interest, visitors have to understand where the destination mall in accordance with their needs. There are more famous mall as a center of fashion and fashion, such as lifestyle fx fx with her, Alexis is famous for its night life and entertainment and its facilities are okay, and there are many places of interest in various colors and patterns such as Culinary needs, Gadgets, Games, Sport, Automotive, Glass Screen Cinema, Music DVDs VCDs and many other interesting topics.
Information is also not something hard to find anymore, especially in an era of openness and great current technology, cramming all the information with a very full, either through lifestyle magazines (lifestyle magazine), online news is it can be easily accessed from blackberry or mobile gadget, which provides information from news and tips about infotainment, lifestyle tips, gossip artist, such as lifestyle Indonesian artists who want Bleszynsky Tamara bikini paid hundreds of millions, gossip Indonesia, games, movies and films, such as watching new trends lifetyle moon movie that still rule the box office Indonesia, news reviews, music, greeting cards zodiac up, from health consultations to the problem of sex, sexuality and Seksologi thoroughly discussed.
Indonesia had been changed, no longer like when Barrack Obama left Indonesia, which until now to become a U.S. President. Culture changes are felt, such as Indonesia is no longer in the library literature old Europe, but grew into the community and a new lifestyle (modern lifestyle). But when all is accompanied by responsibilities, references and appropriate education, all aspects of life in a positive contribution, then all will stay on track. When else we can pursue and stand in line with the developed nations, like the motto of Christ! Com Lifestyle, Discover Your Future.

choose clothing based on body shape

2009-12-01T13:48:00.001+07:00

Self-respect lies in the words and the honor of sport lies in the clothes. The phrase was born because people believe that clothing is a visible expression of a lifestyle. Clothing reflects self-esteem and social status differences. The problem is his own clothes and fishing often brings negative evaluation.
clothing and fashion clothing women are not merely markers of a difference and similarities, but also the media to express a particular attitude toward cultural influences. Every person, whether male or female, would want to come up with clothing that can cover the flaws and maximize the benefits. But it must be remembered well that you do not follow the dress, but dressed to follow you. Here are some tips to choose clothing based on body shape:

Lean
Actual choice of clothing and fashion clothing for women you quite varied. You only need to consider one thing that is a way to add curves to your body. You should wear two pieces to give effect to the waist curve.
Try wearing a top coat or overalls with a piece at the waist or wearing a big belt or a ribbon tied at the waist check in wholesale clothing. Focus under volume. Wear a pleated skirt or with a model to create the impression rimple more of the lower body.
Superiors with ruffles are also advised to divert the eyes of people from your body straight. Wear a wrap dress with a knot at the waist to add a curve. But do occasionally wear a superior model tight clothes. Models dressed like that just reinforces your body shape really.

Avoid loose clothing wholesalers. This outfit makes you increasingly do not have curves. Crop jacket or bolero is very sweet, but this outfit just tell people that you do not have a waist curve

Hourglass-shaped bodies
If you have a body shape like an hourglass, which is large in the upper and lower body. Or the size of your shoulders and hips together and a rather large waist. All you have to do is do not hesitate to show your curves. Pieces of clothes in the curve of the waist will maximize your waist.
Do not hide behind the boss so loose clothing wholesalers or greatness. You will look great and straight. Strecth's cool, but if too tight, especially glossy, will make your appearance look cheap. Avoid patterned knit because it makes you look fat and big in the chest and buttocks

2009-11-20T10:52:00.000+07:00

TRENDS fashion always repeats itself, but the use of black and white world of fashion as a sweetener was never replaced. Both colors are always a belle.

Philosophy that is the key inspiration in Asmara Barli launch fashion collection at the Fashion Goddess Knights event, at Pacific Place Mall, Thursday (19/11/2009) night. Barley collection quote theme "Fabuleuse, Et Noir Blance".

"Black and white is the perfect color. Two contrasting colors, but can create a different image. Black may be dark and hard. But it can also be exclusive and elegant. Similarly, the white can be soft and pure, but at the the same can be cold and arrogant, "said Barli to Legal.

According to Barli, in a world of color, black and white does not belong in any color group. They called akromatik color or no color. They are not referred to as monochromatic colors of black and white because it stands alone exclusively. They create their own strengths and at the same time present a neutral and in line when juxtaposed with the other colors. In addition, the two colors is used as a determinant of the level of brightness and darkness.

Barley seemed to understand completely the power of black and white. No wonder the 12 couture collection displayed by top models that highlight the country these two elements.

In order for the collection more interesting, Barli many forms display fine line and detail to decorate clothes nicely. So even with architectural lines that make the collection more complete and different from other local designers.

"In the detail, I play a lot with ribbon, sequins, city-boxes, metal studs, and chains. All these details create an impression that romantic, but still aggressive and glamorous," adds a lot Barli use such material tafetta materials, cotton, and tulle.

To improve the collection this time, Barli also brings a new touch of architectural forms, such as architectural Drapery. However, stacked silhouette, pleated, and the volume of games that become the force's collection is not just abandoned. Barli wanted his collection to the closing years of being a belle.

The oxytocin Make Hot Orgasm

2009-11-20T10:50:00.000+07:00

WHEN achieve orgasm, the sensation of pleasure can not be disclosed. However, do you orgasm psychological effect on the body?

When you successfully reach the peak of sexual pleasure, automatically increases endorphin hormones. Immense joy and thrill that arises, therefore, can menurukan stress levels.

When women reach the Big O, can facilitate the menstrual cycle, blocking breast cancer, and balancing appetite womanhood.

Based on the news Knows She quoted from, oxytocin is the main hormone your body that are released during orgasm in progress. This hormone also gave no measurable sensation as the body in a state of tense ".

Oxytocin acts as a neurotransmitter and plays a key role in facilitating uterine contractions during labor and help women while breastfeeding.

In a study that recently found show, the hormone oxytocin also plays an important role to provide sexual arousal. Not only that, these hormones can also increase confidence and reduce fear.

shopping tips

2009-11-17T13:52:00.002+07:00

Here are tips on smart shopping is simple and can help you develop healthy habits, among others:

1. Reduce the purchase of goods whose value decreases
Spend your money on goods whose value increases. Most people shopping on goods whose value was so used up as, food, clothing, or its value decreases as electronic goods and consumer goods other. As long as you are able to distinguish between wants and needs of the shopping is a reasonable thing to do and go beyond just hungry eyes

2. Little stuff means a lot
Often we do not feel out of money to buy cigarettes, buy a snack or just coffee-coffee. Naturally, if we forget for a small amount and has become a habit. The danger is that a daily habit, we forget that the small amount that if we calculate the number so large a year, too. Obviously the amount will be doubled if more invested.

3. Keep your total installment debt below 30% of salary
The habit of people in general are using nearly 90% of monthly income to finance the household shopping needs. What happens if you have a home loan repayment, car or credit card spend 50% of the revenue? Where you have to meet the needs of the household shopping. You might get a loan here and there to mencover household needs. Therefore if you have debt, keep your total loan repayment amount per month is not more than than 30% of your income, so that the remaining 70% can be used to cover household needs.

4. Credit card is not more money
Credit cards often make us richer than the truth. Limit credit card to make us feel like having more cash. Though the credit card limit is not given for free. Once we use it we must return it, and if you can not afford to pay in full then you will be charged interest. Karean it for everyday spending pay with cash or ATM card or your debit card. Keep your credit card for emergencies, as a quick source of funds but an emergency when cash is not available.

5. Have a reserve fund
Sometimes though people already have a budget, nevertheless penetrated. This is usually because there is no routine expenses or unexpected that is not included in the budget. For example there are relatives to borrow money, giving a birthday gift, a donation of marriage, and others. Usually to pay for this unexpected pengeluran we are forced to take deposits from savings or time deposit or a credit card. If this happens constantly as a result of your investment goals can not be achieved because the funds are always used. Therefore form a reserve fund of at least 2 or 3 times your family spend per month to pay for sudden expenses that are not routine. If your income is not regular or not stable then form a larger reserve fund again. Before you invest for any financial purpose, make sure you have established this reserve funds first.

smoking and health

2009-11-17T13:35:00.000+07:00

SMOKING distemper, the fact is we can not deny. Many diseases have proven to be bad consequences of smoking, either directly or indirectly.

Smoking not only harm the smoker, but also for those around him.

SMOKE cigarettes are pollutants for humans and the environment. Not only for health, smoking also cause problems in the economic field. In advanced industrial countries, there is now a tendency to stop smoking, whereas in developing countries, particularly Indonesia, tend to arise even increased smoking.

Through resolution 1983, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set May 31 as World Tobacco Free Day every year.

WHO report in 1983 said, the number of smokers increased 2.1 percent per year in developing countries, whereas in developed countries this figure dropped by 1.1 percent per year.

Studies in Jakarta showed that 64.8 percent of men and 9.8 percent of women with age above 13 years were smokers. In fact, the youth group, 49 percent of male students and 8.8 percent of female students in Jakarta was smoking.

Study in Semarang in 1973 by Prof. Boedi Darmojo get smoking prevalence at 96.1 percent of the pedicab driver, paramedic 79.8 percent, 51.9 percent of civil servants, and 36.8 percent of physicians.

In a study conducted by Prof. Soewondo Soesmalijah UI Psychology Department, which asked the number of people who do not stop smoking, obtain answers that when not smoking, will be hard to concentrate, anxiety, even fat, whereas if smoked, will feel more mature and can ideas arise or inspiration. Psychological factors and this is what a lot of physiological influence of smoking habits in the community.

Cigarette smoke is inhaled the smoke contains gases and particulate components. Particles are released during smoking as much as 5 x 109 pp. Gas component comprises carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons. The particle component consisting of tar, nicotine, benzopiren, phenol, and cadmium.

Impact of lung
Smoking can cause changes in the structure and function of airways and lung tissue. In large airways, mucous cells enlarge (hypertrophy) and increased mucus glands many (hyperplasia). In the small airways, mild inflammation due to increased cell constriction and mucus buildup. In lung tissue, an increase in the number of inflammatory cells and damage to the alveoli.

As a result of changes in airway anatomy, the smokers will arise changes in lung function with all sorts of clinical symptoms. This became the main basis of the occurrence of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (PPOM).

It says smoking is the cause of PPOM, including pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.

The relationship between smoking and lung cancer have been investigated in the last decade 4-5. Found a close relationship between cigarette smoking, particularly cigarettes, with the incidence of lung cancer. There is even expressly stated that the cigarettes as the main cause of lung cancer.

Cigarette smoke particles, such as benzopiren, dibenzopiren, and uretan, known as a carcinogen. Tar is also associated with risk of cancer. Compared with non-smokers, the possibility arises of lung cancer in smokers reach 10-30 times more often.

Impact on the heart
Many studies have shown the existence of the relationship of smoking with coronary heart disease (CHD). Of 11 million deaths per year in industrialized countries, the WHO reports that more than half (6 million) due to disturbance of blood circulation, in which 2.5 million were coronary heart disease and stroke is 1.5 million. MOH survey in 1986 and 1992, have increased deaths from heart disease of 9.7 per cent (ranked third) to 16 percent (first rank).

Smoking is a major factor in causing cardiovascular disease is. Not only cause of coronary heart disease, smoking is bad for the brain blood vessels and peripheral.

The exhaled smoke of smokers smoke can be divided into primary (main stream smoke) and smoke the side (side stream smoke). The main smoke is tobacco smoke is inhaled directly by smokers, whereas the addition of smoke is tobacco smoke spread into the atmosphere, which would be inhaled by another person or passive smokers.

4000 species have been found chemicals in cigarettes, with 40 species of them are carcinogenic (can cause cancer), in which toxic substances are more available in addition to smoke, such as carbon monoxide (CO) 5 times more common in addition to smoke than The main smoke, benzopiren 3 times, and ammonia 50 times. These materials can last for several hours in a room after smoking stops.

Generally the focus of research directed at nicotine and CO roles. Both these materials, in addition to increased oxygen demand, also disrupt the oxygen supply to the heart muscle (myocardial) infarction job detriment.

Nicotine interfere with the sympathetic nervous system due to increased myocardial oxygen demand. Besides smoking causes addiction, nicotine also stimulates the release of adrenaline, increased frequency of heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac oxygen demand, and cause heart rhythm disturbances. Nicotine also affect the nerves, brain, and many other body parts.

Nicotine activates platelets by platelet adhesion due to the emergence of (clotting) into the blood vessel wall.

Desaturasi cause carbon monoxide hemoglobin, reducing the oxygen supply directly to the entire body, including tissue infarction. CO replaces the oxygen in hemoglobin, disrupt the release of oxygen, and accelerate atherosclerosis (Calcification / thickening of the walls of blood vessels). Thus, reducing CO physical exercise capacity, increased blood viscosity, which makes blood clotting.

Nicotine, CO, and other substances in cigarette smoke damage the endothelial proven (in the blood vessel wall), and facilitate the emergence of blood clotting.

In addition, cigarette smoke affects the fat profile. Compared with non-smokers, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride blood smokers is higher, whereas HDL cholesterol is lower.

CHD
Smoking is proven to be the biggest risk factor for sudden death.
Risk of coronary heart disease increased 2-4 times in smokers compared with nonsmokers. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes smoked. Research shows that smoking risk factors work synergistically with other factors, such as hypertension, levels of fat or high blood sugar, the outbreak of CHD.

Please note that the risk of death from coronary heart disease decreases by 50 percent in the first year after smoking was stopped.

As a result of clotting (thrombosis) and Calcification (atherosclerotic) vessel wall, smoking will certainly damage the peripheral blood vessels.

PPDP involving arteries and veins in the leg or arm is often found in young adult heavy smoker, often will end up with amputation.

Disease (stroke)
Brain blood vessel blockage emergent or stroke associated with smoking a lot. Risk of stroke and death risk higher in smokers compared with nonsmokers.

In a study conducted in the United States and the UK, acquired the habit of smoking increases the likelihood of the emergence of AIDS in HIV. In the smoker group, AIDS emerged in an average of 8.17 months, whereas in non-smokers group arose after 14.5 months. Immune decline in smokers initiated more easily affected by AIDS so that quitting smoking is very important in defensive measure against AIDS.

Now more and more investigated and reported the ill effects of smoking on pregnant women, impotence, decreased immune individuals, including people with viral hepatitis, gastrointestinal cancer, and others.

From the point of health economics, the impact of diseases caused by smoking will certainly increase costs, both for individuals, families, companies, even countries.

Diseases caused by smoking affects the supply of labor, particularly skilled labor or executive power, with the sudden death or disability arising out clearly caused large losses for the company. Decrease in labor productivity raises the company's earnings decline, also the economic burden that is not less for individuals and families. Expenditures for health care cost increases, for families, companies, and government.

Smoking
It should attempt to stop smoking is the duty and responsibility of all levels of society.
Information and counseling, particularly among the younger generation, can also be associated with the dangers of narcotics control efforts, the school health efforts, and public health education in general.

Model figures of society, including officials, religious leaders, teachers, health workers, artists, and sportsmen, they should be an example by not smoking.

Health professions, particularly doctors, play a very important role in counseling and be an example for society. Smoking habits in the doctor should immediately be stopped. They are important exemplars: they do practice what they preach.

Also need opportunities restrictions on smoking in public places, schools, public transportation, and workplaces; regulation and control of cigarette promotional ads; put health warnings on cigarette packs and cigarette advertisements.

Climate not smoking should be created. This must be carried out simultaneously by us all, who wants the achievement of the Indonesian nation state and a healthy and prosperous.

benefits of exercise in the morning

2009-11-16T14:00:00.002+07:00

Many people choose to exercise in the afternoon and evening because I wanted to avoid the heat or only have time at the moment. But according to research proved the best sport is in the morning. Want to know why? Many people who have not realized that the exercise in the morning is very useful for overall fitness and weight-loss process. Although only exercise run or walk for 10 minutes every day, still can provide great benefits for the body. To get the body healthy and fit does not have to be expensive and go to the gym. Many sports simple and cheap, but still healthy and can provide great benefits to the body. Here's the benefits that can be obtained when exercising in the morning, as quoted from Health24, 1. Morning exercise can raise morale and keep your metabolism so it can burn more calories throughout the day. Based on research in the morning exercise can burn calories, 2 to 3 times more than any other time. It also can help regulate your appetite for moderation. 2. We sleep all the hormones involved in the increased activity, so the body will feel more active and fresh in the morning. Although only mild exercise walking distance great enough to resist fatigue. Also makes the mind is sharper for 4 to 10 hours after exercise and increased natural energy far more effective in the long run compared to a cup of coffee. 3. Improving the quality of sleep becomes more soundly throughout the night. If exercise at night makes a person become hard to sleep tonight in peace. Sport in the morning also helps regulate the body's biological clock to be normal. 4. Having a more regular exercise schedule because it has a bit of trouble. If you've used to get up early so there are no obstacles for not exercising, but if sports day or night may be get disturbance to go with friends or are tired of working all day. From now on there's nothing wrong took little time in the morning to do sports like running or just strolling around the yard.

KERIS

2009-11-09T14:00:00.001+07:00

Keris is a typical Indonesian stabbing weapon. Based on ancient documents, the keris in preliminary form has been used since the 9th century. Strong likelihood that the keris has been used before that time. Indonesian Culture Minister Jero Wacik has brought the keris to UNESCO and requested assurance that this is the cultural heritage of Indonesia.

The use of the keris itself scattered in clumps community Malays. At present, the keris commonly known in the area of Indonesia (especially in the areas of Java, Madura, Bali / Lombok, Sumatra, part of Borneo, and some of Sulawesi), Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and Philippines (particularly in the Mindanao region). In Mindanao, the form of weapon which is also called the keris is not much resemblance but also a stabbing weapon.

Keris has a variety of forms, for example, there is a winding blade (berbilang always odd) and some are straight bladed. Javanese people assume different forms have different effects esoteri.

Besides being used as a weapon, the keris is also often considered to have supernatural powers. This weapon is often mentioned in many traditional legends, such as the keris Mpu Gandring in legend of Ken Arok and Ken Dedes.

The procedure to use different kris in each region. In areas such as Javanese and Sundanese, the keris is placed in the back of the waist in peacetime but is placed in front in the war. Meanwhile, in Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, the keris was placed in front.

Kris addition, there are a number of other stabbing weapons in the archipelago region, such as Rencong from Aceh, Badik from Sulawesi and West Java cleaver. Keris distinguished from other stabbing weapons primarily from the blade. Keris is not made from a single metal casted but a mixture of various metal layers. As a result of this manufacturing technique, the keris has a specificity of fame on the blade.

Let's Meet Yogurt

2009-11-06T07:00:00.001+07:00

Lately very often we meet a variety of distributions of health by serving foods that taste is addictive. It was not the time anymore, the so-called health foods we will find the shape and taste unpleasant. One of the healthy foods that start reaching Jakarta is Yogurt. Various points of interest that presents this Yogurt can be encountered even in big malls malls in major cities in Jakarta, call Yogulicious, Heavenly Blush, Sour Sally and a row of other yogurts distro name really change the image of these foods than healthy foods become a trendy health food with a sense of fun and addictive.

Several years ago, even this had risen Yogurt leaves with the aid tent stalls run by the celebrity we are presenting is not just yogurt, in fact there are different forms of dairy foods has a myriad of content that makes our bodies are not only healthier, but many have praise as a healthy food that 'dissolves' fat from our bodies. Yogurt was not just alone in this world, there are many close relatives and cousins yogurt may not be too famous, you name it Kefir, Mustache, and Qurut.

Almost all of these foods have the same benefits as yogurt, with low fat and high protein, and the bacteria that is good in all this food, making them rich in calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and B12. In addition, Yogurt and his cousins are believed to be proved against diarrhea and even improve digestion and reduce the possibility of colon cancer. Good again, all the brothers Yogurt can be enjoyed by those who are allergic to milk! All the benefits of milk without any risk, less what else to try?

Actually what's Yogurt plus these brothers?

This yogurt is commonly known in some form in Indonesia, began to thin and usually drunk, until thick like ice cream eaten by the spoon. Yogurt is made by certain bacteria enter into the warmed milk to about 50 degrees celsius. This bacteria, which then makes the structure become more viscous yogurt and make sense of sour milk. Yogurt-making process is not complicated, just need a sterile place, so bacteria can grow well and eventually turned into yogurt milk as we know it. After the milk has thickened, then cooled and then added a variety of materials such as sugar or sweet fruit to reduce the sour yogurt taste when consumed

Yogurt comes from central European region, specifically Turkey, and at first, used a variety of milk at all, not only milk cow, goat and buffalo milk is often used as a yogurt maker. Goat's milk as the basic material of the yogurt to make yogurt sweeter and less sour taste, because the lactose content is not high in goat milk, so the amount of lactose is converted into lactic acid slightly decreased. Buffalo milk was widely used in Sumatra. Sumatra has a kind of traditional yogurt called Dadiah and are usually sold in tubes of bamboo as a container of this Dadiah.

Kefir

If Kefir is always to be found in liquid form, although it was also a bit sour. Traditionally, in the Caucasus or Eastern Europe. Traditionally, milk that is used is cow's milk, sheep or goats. This milk is usually made by mixing milk with kefir nerds into a bag of animal skin. Pouch is then hung in the doorway of the house, and everyone who passed this threshold will shake the bag, so the culprit will be mixed with kefir and does not clot in the milk was.

Prickly kefir is a mixture of bacteria and yeast that makes the appearance of these higher-grained kefir-grains. Uniquely, the culprit is not fussy kefir, soy milk can be made into soy kefir, even many who say that camel milk can be made into kefir.

Because kefir materials that can vary, and also contain bacteria and yeasts that form a higher-kefir, the kefir efficacy was difficult to tell, but clearly, not be much different from the general properties of yogurt.

Mustache

That does not mean a series of hair growing under his nose, but this is the Mustache local specialty drinks like the Mongols of Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan made from horse milk. Horse milk? Yes, because the Central Asian region is mostly found as a pet horse.

Mustache is similar to kefir, the material is only just a little different, if not exactly unique. Very high horse milk lactose, although not as rich as cow's milk in the affairs of fat and protein.

Traditionally, this mustache is made by putting milk into a pouch that is usually made from horse skin, and then hung in front of the house. Uniquely, because everyone understands it right, they will help make Mustache with this bag shaken, how? Every time passed near a camera, passers-by will hit the bag before, so that bacteria and yeast that are processing this horse milk will continue to mix and does not clot.

Mixture of bacteria and yeast were going to create a unique taste of this mustache. Bacteria would make sense of this milk becomes sour, while the yeast will make it soft mustache with a little alcohol content. If you still have time to remember China's martial arts series "archers PENDEKAR RAJAWALI" horse milk wine in that film is a call to the Mustache

Qurut

Maybe this one food that is very foreign to our ears, it was not much food origin. Qurut actually a traditional soft cheese from the region of Central Asia as well! Qurut material is dried yogurt with the help of the sun. So in other words, is Qurut Yogurt cheese. Qurut is actually made by the nations of Central Asia as a way to preserve the yogurt, especially in central Asia which tend to have four seasons, and at the time of milk and other foods hard to find, for example during the winter ahead.

Qurut manufacturing method begins by making the milk into yogurt. After the milk into yogurt and yogurt will be boiled for several hours to reduce water content. After a cold, then the results of this yogurt stew will be made into a 'brick' is finally dried small dry

I was so dry, it will Qurut very hard and finally difficult and not very delicious eaten straight, for hard and very sour taste. So hard, it finally just Qurut enjoyed as a food (or drink) with small broken up, and then boiled until dissolved in water and drink or add to foods such as soup or sauce.

The material is easy, and our country is abundant with the milk, why do not you try to make your own? It must be better and healthier

Armani Prepare Substitute

2009-11-04T07:05:00.001+07:00

IN the world of fashion, especially fashion house, being an artistic director as a leading designer is crucial.

The reason, the designer will be drafting a trend that will bring the brand to greatness or even fall into contempt. Therefore, the topic of place successor aqua a designer whose name has been attached to a particular brand has always been a hot topic discussed.

Gucci had Tom Ford is identical to change course now becomes younger thanks to the touch and hippy cold hands Frida Giannini, the brand Versace is attached to celebrity after being in the hands of Donatella Versace who replaced his brother, Gianni.

Valentino fashion house was not successful in the hands of Fachinetti Alessandra later retreated after survived for two seasons and replaced by in-house designers. Right to know the condition.

King Giorgio, who became artistic director for Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Prive, and Armani Exchange, also said he is preparing a successor to continue the royal fashion. This decision was taken after Armani hepatitis and hospitalized for several days following a work schedule were too crowded.

"I had prepared the staff to continue my work," said the designer who is now 75-year-old.

"I realized I was not immortal. There will be certain times when we must give up everything," said the man who often dressed in black this.

In the fashion industry, Armani is not a small name. Giorgio Armani brand is the largest in Italy and thanks to the flamboyant business style but firm; Armani achieved global appreciation of the network flagship boutiques and stores in major cities around the world.

However, Armani seemed to realize that he was no longer young even though his spirits smolder. The proof, since out of the hospital, Armani directly alter the company management and delegate some work to alleviate their responsibility in the company so he could better focus on his health.

As for the business side, the Armani Group is not immune to the crisis that hit the world during the last year. Deputy General Manager, Giorgio Armani said John Hooks, Armani's sales declined, but the company survived thanks to the accessories and perfume lines that continue to survive.

"In fact, I might mention that Armani will keep running the same speed next year. We're still going to open 50 new stores in 2010," he said.

Recently, Armani opened a new store in Moscow. Hooks says that Russia is a huge market for luxury products and has proven resilience to the crisis.

"Armani's annual sales in Russia remain in the range of 5 percent despite the crisis. It shows that consumer interest in Russia remained faithful, especially considering the U.S. and European markets are very devastated," he said.

In addition, supporting the acquisition of profit, once again wed Armani fashion and technology with the launch of ecommerce fashion.

The user's iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and mobile phone users high-end shoppers can instantly latest Emporio Armani collection online, directly from their mobile phone. E-commerce platform will be launched on November 25, coming simultaneously throughout the world

TIPS TO KEEP SIXPACK STOMACH AND DIET

2009-10-27T13:05:00.001+07:00

Many people are not satisfied with the form that he had stomach. Even those who are slender often complain that his stomach was full and "bloated" and are sometimes seen billowing. Most of the bloated stomach due to the basic factors which if diet and lifestyle.

Here are some ways to smooth this:

> Drinking Water

> Reduce salt intake

> Eat slowly

> Consumption of the proper fiber

> Keep an eye treatment

> Avoid constipation

> Sports

Life in Jakarta

2009-10-26T14:34:00.001+07:00

Life in Jakarta

Why is Jakarta city growing so fast? Where are all these people coming from? They are coming to the city from the countries. Life is hard on the farms in the countries. Most people on farms have to live very simple life. They have no extra money for modern things. People think life in the city is much better. So they leave their farms and move to Jakarta.
Jakarta is the center of everything. State’s life is controlled in this city. It is the center of trade and commerce, industries, and services. It has many places of interest accompanied by abundant entertainment. Indeed, Jakarta also provides the most job opportunities. That is why people of many countries have been moving to Jakarta to earn the living. More people enter the city so that it is crowded. We can easily see its density from the traffic.
Have you ever been in a traffic jam? It is a bad experience and it is not an easy one to forget. Trucks, buses, taxis, and car stand bumper to bumper and the drivers blow their horns. Cars move slowly or can not move at all.
Traffic jams are common in big cities. It is very busy in the rush hour. The peak of the rush hour is from seven to nine in the morning when many people are going to work, and in the afternoon when they are going home. Cars bring people to the cities cause major traffic problems in parking areas and city streets.
The living in big cities is hard that everyone tries to be earlier than the others, to be faster in getting opportunities that yield money. Everyone always has to be awake, strong and highly motivated to do everything in order to survive. No time for ‘sleeping’, and ‘slowness’. Everyone has to work hard and move quickly. Slow movement will get nothing. The condition of tense is easily found here, in the big cities.
Ok, now answer my question!
For you who live in the countries and small towns, do you find such condition different???

Teenagers and Internet

2009-10-26T14:10:00.002+07:00

Teenagers and Internet

When he wanted to know what time the movie played, the teens went to the internet. When he wanted to know the latest sports scores, they go to the internet. When we want to help with homework, they go to the internet. They went to the internet when they want to connect with friends, downloading (download) music, shopping for the latest fashion, see more of their favorite pop star, or learn what language is used in Senegal. Some teens even use the Internet to express their most intimate secrets in order to read people around the world.
Who would have thought in the 20th century, a 'super tool' can be created, a tool that allows us to speak with people in other countries without the cost of long distance connections, a tool which allows us to buy products without having to go to the store, which provides tools information about almost any topic without having to go to the library. The Internet is a wonderful invention, a tool that opens the door to the possibility-maybe surprising. Like the way friend who might be said, 'internet ruling!!!'''
The Internet has become such an important part of the lives of young children. Hard to believe that the World Wide Web, which along with the e-mail ranked as the most popular Internet feature, also new to teens. What is now called the Internet was born in 1969 as a system funded by the U.S. government called ARPANET, which linked only four computers, at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Utah, and Stanford research institutions (Stanford Research Institute / SRI). The main internet messages, between UCLA and SRI, also the first message failed.
For more than two decades after that, only a few academics and computer experts who do online. Doing logged in (log on), send an e-mail, and digging requires the user to type a long series of commands that complicated. Then the idea in 1991, a team at the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN), headed by Berbers Lee's team developed a computer system connected through a link (hyperlink) which they call the World Wide Web. Two years later, Mosaic, which is a browser (browser) first with graphics interface (graphics interface), made using the web as easy as pointing and clicking. It is the beginning of the communication revolution. Mosaic first year, grew web traffic and 341.634% in 1995, web services beyond "Internet time" such as FTP and Telnet. E-mail program point and click too become popular, eliminating the need to learn a series of computer commands only to send a message to a friend.
Around the year 1995 that young children start doing online in large numbers. Internet has become a center of youth media activities. The Internet is the main medium for information, product information, valuable information, the school needs. . . . They will never read a newspaper to see the movie schedule.
With the incredible popularity, internet usage among teens raises some questions. Where young children go on the web? How they use e-mail, instant messaging and chat rooms to connect with friends or even strangers? Why do so many teenagers who create their blog to write about a variety alone and issues ranging from politics to their private lives? And how big a difference between "the rich" and s "the poor" digital? You can find the answers themselves.

"BREAKING THE ICE" IN BRITAIN

2009-10-13T14:19:00.003+07:00

Whai is the most difficult thing for an overseas student in Britain? many will say that it is "breaking the ice" with British people. Unlike Americans who are open and friendly, British are reserved. They are quiet people, don't like intruding on another person's personal space, and value privacy very much. They are not very 'generous' with their smiles . in Indonesia, friendliness is expressed by smile. you are always surronded by people who do not hesitate to give you big smiles . Yet, there are some topics that can almost guarantee success in opening a conversation with British people. One common topic is talking the weather. If you say, "it's freezing (very cold) outside." followed by "winter came too early this year," this usually elicit at least a smile from another person. You may hear, "what is the weather like in your country?" to which you can reply,"Always warm and sunny". The British are often envious of people who come from place with pleasant wether. When the sun does actually apear, people are tempted to stay outside. they use the fine wether as an excuse to abandon their work. "It's too nice to stay inside" is the typical explanation. Football (soccer) and Cricket are very popular in Britain and these are popular conversation topics. these are always planty of things to say about these sports concerning the teams, players, and matches. Reserved as they say seem, the British are very hospitable. when you buy them a drink, they will insist on playing for the next. Making a friend or friends among British people during the first week is usually imposible. You need time to understand what they are saying. They don't speak with standard pronunciation. While we, Indonesians and other foreigners have usually trained our ears (listening comprehension) to understend pronunciation.

TABLE MANNER

2009-10-10T14:02:00.003+07:00

Here are a few helpful hints about American table manners.

Dos: 1. Always place your napkin on your lap.
2. Dinner cofersation is important in the U.S. you should take part in this conversation.

Don'ts: 1. Never put your napkin on the table during the meal.
2. Do not begin to eat until everyone is served.
3. Do not eat with your elbows on the table. It is very impolite to bend over your plate as you eat.
4. Never 'slurp' your soup. Americans are shocked by 'noise'.
5. Do not talk when your mouth is full.
6. Please that Americans do not use toothpicks at the table.

unfortunately, not all Americans have good table manners. Nevertheless, with good table manners, you will always culturally correct.

halloween

2009-10-10T13:18:00.002+07:00

Many of the anciet peopleof europe marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter by celebreting a holiday in late autumn. the most important of these holidays that influence later halloween customs was samhain. A holiday observed by the ancient celts. A tribal people who inhabited most of western and central europe in the first millennium BC. among the celts, samhain marked the end of the year and the beginning of the next. It was the one of four celtic holidays linked to important transition in the anual cycle of season.
Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended inti the following day. According to the pagan religion, knows as Druidism, the spirits of those who had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on samhain evening. The celts sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. bonfires at sacred hilltop stter and performed rituals. Often involving human and animal sacrifices. To honor druid deitses.
In Britain, romans blended local samhain customs with their own pagan harvest festifal honoring pamona, goddess of fruit trees. some schoolars suggested that the game of bobbing for applies derives from this roman association of the holiday with fruit.
In British folklore, small magical begins knows as fairies became associated with halloween himchief. The jack-o-lantern originally carved from a large turnip rather than a pumpkin, originated in medieval scotland. various methods of predicting the future, especially conserning matters of romance and marriage, were also prominent features of halloween throughout the British isles.
Between 15th and 17th centuries, Europe was seized by a hysterical fear of witches, leading to the persecution of thousands of innocent women. Witches were thought to ride flying brooms and to assume the form of black cats. These images of witches soon joined other European superstitions as symbols of halloween.

CREDIT CARD: PLUS AND MINUS

2009-10-09T12:46:00.000+07:00

Credit cards have many advantages as a mean of payment. The most practical benefit of thes magacal plastic cards are that the cardholders don't need the carry cash. Our credit cards enable us to get cash in advance from an authorized bank or from at ATM. Yet, with all their benefits, having a credit cards involving some risk. It is likely to happen that cardholders tend to spend more money then he or she should or can afford to. Cards come handy when we buy on impulse. with a credit card, we can buy for things in an emergency without having to wait for our-of-month paycheck. who is not lured by the 'but-now-pay-later' concept? actually, when you use a credit card , you buy on credit, which mean that you have to pay interest. and like other bank loans, your debts will swiftly add up if you fail to make the regular monthly payments.

Fitnes-simple exercise

2009-10-06T15:04:00.001+07:00

STOMACH MUSCLES HAVE SIXPACK

makes your stomach muscles. This exercise works best in the upper and lower abdominal muscles you. Simple way: Lie on your back with your feet up a few centimeters from the floor. Bend your knees slightly. Grasp the handle of a broom or stick with your hands. Remember, the position of the arms should be straight over your head. Crunch on the torso do the same with you do pull the knee. Keep a broom handle that you hold over your knee toward your chest pull. Hold, and return to the starting position. Perform 12 reps.

OK ... Good luck...!

vegan vegetarian diet of raw living foods

2009-01-05T12:34:00.000+07:00

egan vegetarian diet of raw living foods is followed by a person who eats no meat, and no animal products (milk, eggs. etc.); especially one who advocates a diet of only vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and grains as the proper one for all people for reasons of health or because of principles opposing the killing of animals for food. Additionally, the part that refers to raw living foods is composed of sprouted greens, seeds, nuts, and green juices from wheatgrass, sunflower, green pea sprouts, celery, etc.

The health industry uses other definitions of vegetarianism such as lacto-ovo vegetarians who eat no meat, fish, or poultry, but do eat eggs and dairy-products such as milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, etc. a natural-hygienist is the same as a vegan but eats nothing cooked. And a living-fooder is the same as a natural hygienist, with particular emphasis on the consumption of enzyme-rich sprouted seeds and grains.

Health-Related Reasons for A Vegan Vegetarian Diet

Studies have shown that - historically, throughout the world - the people who live longest are primarily vegetarians. Others eat very little meat by today’s standards. Relevant research always reveals that vegetarians enjoy a superior level of health.

1. Experiments - conducted at Yale University - involving the performance of vegetarian athletes have demonstrated that those athletes can engage in vigorous activity 2-3 times longer than meat-eaters, and recover from exhaustion in one-fifth the time.

2. During World War II, sever meat-shortages throughout the world forced people to adopt a diet that was primarily-vegetarian. Much to everyone’s surprise, diet-related death-rates diminished dramatically and there was a significant decrease in disease.

3. From an article about heart disease in the June 3, 1961 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association: “A vegetarian diet ban prevent 90% of thrombo-embolic disease (clot obstruction in veins) and 97% of coronary occlusions (closed veins and arteries)”.

4. Studies among Seventh Day Adventists - most of whom are vegetarians - show that they have half as many incidents of degenerative disease as the rest of the population.

Learn about my personal story applying and discovering the amazing benefits of a vegan vegetarian diet of raw living foods that is part of the Hippocrates Health Lifestyle. Cindy Soto is a Certified Health Educator from Hippocrates Health Institute.