Tips On How To Baby-Proof Your Home

By Connie LimonTips on how to Baby-Proof Your Home Your baby is now crawling, climbing and walking along thefurniture. It is time now to get down on your hands and kneesand take a look around at what baby is looking at and curiousabout. Crawl from room to room and pick up anything you seesmall or fragile that may fit into your baby�s hand and mouth. Examples of objects that pose a choking hazard include: � Nuts � Pen caps � Buttons � Thumb tacks � Marbles � Coins Babies just love to pull and grab at any cord or string theycan reach and get hold of. You will need to keep electrical,telephone and window-blind cords tied up and inaccessible. Keepthese things out of reach near your baby�s crib as well. Clothing sometimes poses a hazard to babies. Be sure yourbaby�s clothes fit properly. A shirt too big may pose a problemif your baby wriggles out of it and twist it around his or herneck. Check clothing for loose strings, ribbons or strips offabrics. Avoid jewelry such as necklaces, headbands and piercedearrings without child-safety backs. Tips about crib safety: � Be sure the sheets fit snugly. You want to avoid any kind ofloose bedding. � Remove the bumper pads when your baby is able to pull up to astanding position � Crib railings should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Cribsides should be flush with the headboard and footboard. � Old baby furniture may be painted with lead pain. Avoidantique or vintage cribs � Mattress should fit snugly in the crib � Always remove the plastic wrap off baby�s mattress � If you use a mattress cover, use one with a zipper that fitssnugly � Do not place the crib next to a window � Do not hang anything from the crib railings Purchase baby safe, age-appropriate toys and do not let yourbaby play with balloons, marbles, coins or other small objects.Discard toys that may fit into your baby�s mouth whencompressed. Avoid toys with cords or long strings; babies canwrap these around their neck and create a choking hazard. Checkeyes, buttons or anything tightly fastened to a toy to be sureit is snugly in place. Always remove plastic wrapping andstickers from new toys and discard immediately. When your baby starts to walk around the furniture removewobbly tables or pieces of furniture that might turn over ifyour baby uses them as a crutch to stand up. Be careful aboutbookcases that might tip over. Install safety locks and latches on kitchen and bathroomcabinets and drawers to keep baby out of possible poisoningsand other items that are not for baby play. To further preventaccidental poisonings keep the following items out of reach: � Alcohol � Medications � Vitamins � Paint thinner � Toilet bowl cleaners � Oven cleaners � Bleach � Ammonia � Dishwasher soap � Drain openers Many of these items can be stored behind safety locks andlatches on kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Go through your home often looking for new hazards. Alwaysremember, a very important safeguard for your baby iscontinuous adult supervision. This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.About the Author: Connie Limon Visithttp://smalldogs2.com/BabyHealth for an extensive list ofarticles all about baby health and taking care of babies.Source: http://www.isnare.com

Tea: What Is Jasmine Tea?

Copyright 2007 Marcus StoutOne of the tea blends you simply cannot miss is Jasmine tea. Ifyou've never tried it, you're missing a real treat. Much of theworld has already discovered the fragrance and flavor of Jasminetea. In fact, it is the most popular Chinese flavored tea.What makes jasmine tea so special is its special blend of highquality loose tea leaves with jasmine petals. The jasmine petalsimpart a delicate yet very aromatic fragrance to the tea. Thejasmine petals also impart a slightly sweet flavor to the tea.Jasmine has been produced in China for at least 700 years. Theoriginal production of jasmine tea included plucking the jasmineblossoms just as they are beginning to bloom and adding them tothe tea leaves at night to ensure the best infusion of the aromaand fragrance. In most cases, the tea was scented twice usingtwo different sets of jasmine blossoms to ensure that the tea isproperly infused.Jasmine tea is most often made using green tea. Jasmine green teais one of the healthiest teas you can drink. Green tea has beenshown to have more health benefits than black tea because of theway that it's processed. Green tea does not go through afermentation process. The fermentation process that happens toblack tea converts the natural anti-oxidants to other compounds.So, while black tea is a healthy beverage, it is not as healthyas green tea, whose anti-oxidants are left in their naturalstate.Anti-oxidants are important to protecting our health.Anti-oxidants help to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals areoxygen containing molecules that are created as a by product ofconverting the food we eat into energy. Left unchecked, thesefree radicals damage our cells and DNA, leading to aging anddisease.A diet rich in anti-oxidants keeps these free radicals undercontrol. And, green tea is one of the best sources ofanti-oxidants around. Including green tea in your diet along withother plant based products like fruits and vegetables can helpprotect your health.In recent years, a lot of research has shown some very specificand interesting things about drinking green tea. We've learnedthat green tea has the power to prevent many types of cancer,including breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. Inaddition, long term green tea drinkers tend to have a lower bodyweight and are more successful at losing weight.Green tea can also help prevent heart disease by helping lowercholesterol and preventing blood clots, which are the leadingcause of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, green tea may behelpful at regulating insulin naturally.So, if you like the idea of adding green tea to your diet, thenjasmine green tea may be a great way to enjoy a wonderfulfragrance and flavor and protect your health at the same time.If, however, you're not a green tea drinker, you can findjasmine tea in other forms. Oolong jasmine tea is also a verypopular blend. Oolong teas are also processed a bit differentlythan black teas. Oolong teas are semi-fermented, meaning thatthey are fermented, but for a shorter period of time than blackteas. To produce a good oolong tea, fermentation must be stoppedwhen the leaves are 30% red and 70% green.It is the ability to stop the fermentation at precisely the righttime that gives oolong teas their distinct flavor. Most oolongteas are also dried using charcoal, giving it another distinctdimension. Oolong jasmine tea has the typically smooth and fruitytaste usually found in oolong teas combined with the fragrantsweetness of jasmine.Jasmine tea can be made from white tea, too. In fact, today,white jasmine tea is becoming quite popular. Sweet and lightwhite tea combined with the subtle scent of jasmine makes for avery delicate and refreshing beverage. It's one of the mildestjasmine teas you'll find. And, drinking white jasmine tea willprovide all the health benefits of drinking green jasmine tea.Finally, there are also a few black jasmine teas. Because blacktea has a bolder flavor, you'll find black jasmine teas to havea more subtle jasmine flavor, as the jasmine scent and taste doesnot stand out as much when combined with black tea as it doeswhen combined with lighter green and oolong teas.As you can see, jasmine is a favorite for blending with tea,making jasmine tea one of the easiest tea blends to find. Becausejasmine tea is so common, however, it's important to ensure thatyou're choosing only the best quality tea when you purchase yourjasmine tea.The best jasmine tea is made using real jasmine petals combinedwith the highest quality loose leaf teas. In jasmine green tea,you'll often find that some of the best and most flavorfuljasmine teas use tightly rolled green tea pearls mixed withjasmine petals.In addition to teas mixed only with jasmine, you'll also findjasmine teas mixed with other flavors as well. Because jasmineimparts mostly fragrance and only a subtle flavor to the tea, itmixes easily with other flavors, as well.You'll find jasmine tea flavored also with vanilla, rose andorange. All of these have the delicate aroma and sweet flavor ofjasmine, but include a second, complementary flavor to adddimension to the taste of the tea.Whatever form of jasmine tea you choose, you're sure to love it.Jasmine tea, whether in green, oolong or black form is one of themost traditional of all Chinese teas and certainly one of themost fragrant and enjoyable.============================================================Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com ============================================================Read More Articles From Marcus Stout:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Marcus_Stout

Ten Healthy Eating Tips For Today's Busy People

Eating healthy can be difficult, especially if you are a personwho is constantly on the run. Today, more than ever, people arefinding it necessary to try to maneuver around busy schedules,while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The busier youare, the more difficult this is, but it is not an impossiblefete. Because you are on the go, it is extremely important togive proper attention to eating as healthy as possible. Beloware ten tips that will help get you pointed in the rightdirection. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need over 40different nutrients for good health, and no single food willsupply them all. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. There is awide variety out there from which to choose, so you should haveno problem finding some you like. Maintain a healthy weight. Your appropriate weight will dependon many different factors such as body type, size, your height,gender, and heredity. This is very important for maintaininggood health, and is easy to ignore when you are constantly onthe go. Eat food in moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes tothis level, you will be able to maintain a good weight. Youwill also get used to eating those portions. Eat meals on a regular basis. When you are on the go, it iseasy to skip meals, or substitute eating healthy foods for fastfood. Reduce certain foods instead of eliminating them altogether.Elimination is why many diets do not work. Here, people oftencut out certain foods altogether in order to lose weight. Oncethey have lost the desired amount of weight, they assume theirprevious eating habits, which only results in subsequent weightgain. By eliminating certain foods, you also runt he risk of notgetting important nutrients. Balance your food choices over time. Not ever food must beperfect, but you want to create a balance that will help youget the food groups you need, while helping to cut back onunwanted fats or sugar. This does not mean you should eliminatethem altogether. Know your diet pitfalls. Before you can identify what is wrongwith your eating habits, you must first identify them. To dothis, write down everything you eat over a three-day period.Then, compare what you ate with what you should be eating. Thiswill help you figure out where you are going wrong. Make changes gradually. Revamping your diet habits is a processthat is accomplished over time, not overnight. Keep in mind that foods are not necessarily good or bad. Whenselecting foods, do so with your total eating patterns in mind,not on whether or not an individual food is "good" or "bad".About The Author: Tone-A-Matic is a revolutionary muscleexerciser for use anywhere. Electronic muscle stimulator.http://www.toneamatic.com/

Can Green Tea And Caffeine Help You Maintain Weight Loss?

Can Green Tea And Caffeine Help You Maintain Weight Loss?Copyright (c) 2007 Marcus StoutGolden Moon Teahttp://www.GoldenMoonTea.comWeight loss and maintenance is no laughing matter. Today, 60% ofAmerican adults need to lose weight, and many of them feeldefeated by their struggles. In addition, for many people,keeping weight off after weight loss is even more difficult thanlosing it in the first place.These difficulties are the reason that sales of diet aids are soconsistently high. People who are trying to lose weight areconstantly looking for any help they can find to increase theirweight loss and maintenance success.If you need to lose weight, it's critical that you make changesto your diet and your physical activity level. The followingsuggestions can help you to begin shedding pounds withoutresorting to extreme dieting measures: Substitute fish and chicken for beef and pork most days of theweek. Eliminate white flour from your diet. Eat whole grains, suchas 100% whole wheat bread instead. Eliminate refined sugar from your diet. Use artificialsweeteners and natural sweeteners like honey instead. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits andvegetables will provide more anti-oxidants and fiber, along withfewer calories than processed vegetables, particularly those insauce. Increase your fiber intake - Extra fiber will help you feelfull longer, helping you to reduce the number of calories you'reeating without feeling deprived. Watch the fat- Reduce the saturated fat in your diet. Avoidany food with hydrogenated fats or trans fats. Get your fats fromolive oil, canola oil, fish and nuts. Get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week.Walking is a great way to get in your exercise, and it'sconvenient because you can do it anywhere. You should also get instrength training 3 times a week for 30 minutes each session.Strength training will help you build muscle, which will help youburn more calories even when resting.Making these changes should allow you to lose weight graduallywithout feeling hungry. Only when you make changes that you cansustain for the long term will you be able to take off the weightand keep it off.However, while it's critical to understand that diet andexercise will always be the keys to maintaining a healthy weight,it's always nice to find little tricks that make losing weightand keeping it off just a bit easier.One substance that does seem to hold promise in weight loss isgreen tea. Many studies have shown that the consumption of greentea along with a healthy diet can help you lose more weight thandieting alone.It is believed that green tea's potent anti-oxidants combinedwith the caffeine in the tea help speed up the metabolism andburn fat. In addition, some studies have even shown that greentea can inhibit the absorption of dietary fat, meaning that lessof the fat you eat ends up as body fat.However, one interesting study suggests that green tea'seffectiveness may be negated if you consume too much othercaffeine in your diet. A study conducted by Maastricht Universityin The Netherlands attempted to show how green tea would affectparticipants attempting to maintain a recent weight loss. Itshowed less promising results regarding the consumption of greentea, particularly when the participants were high consumers ofcaffeine overall.In this study, 104 overweight and moderately obese men and womenwere put on a low calorie diet for 4 weeks. During the four weekperiod, the participants lost an average of 7.5% of their bodyweight. During the 13 week maintenance period, the participantswere fed either green tea or a placebo. The participants did notshow statistically different results between the group receivinggreen tea and the group receiving the placebo.However, the study did show that participants who had overallhigh caffeine consumption regained more of the weight they lostthan those who had a lower overall caffeine consumption.* Whenyou consider these results compared with other studies whereadditional caffeine consumption was restricted, and a correlationbetween the use of green tea and weight loss was observed, itsuggests that excess caffeine use may negate green tea'spossible positive effects.If you look at the entire body of research on green tea'sability to enhance weight loss, it seems very promising, in spiteof the results of this particular study. And, the good news is,that even if green tea doesn't help you lose weight, it's veryhealthy for you and has no side effects.So, you have nothing to lose by trying green tea as a weight losssupplement. Green tea's anti-oxidants may hold significant powerin helping you avoid diseases like cancer, heart disease andAlzheimer's. In addition, regular consumption of green tea mayreduce the signs of aging and help you live a longer andhealthier life. And, in addition, you may find your weight lossefforts easier and more effective than ever.----------------------------------------------------------Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

What You Need To Know About Treadmills Before You Buy

The home treadmill has experienced substantial growth over the past few years. Treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness, therefore much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of a new treadmill. The great attraction of a home treadmill is being able to exercise whenever you want to, regardless of the weather. AC motors that are found in some treadmill units run at one continuous speed and rely on a transmission to regulate speed whereas units powered by DC motors use variable voltage to regulate the speed at which the belt spins. A well-constructed treadmill is a piece of home exercise equipment that every member of your family can enjoy. A few treadmill models are powered by the user rather than a motor.Using a heart rate monitor enables a treadmill to automatically adjust the speed and/or the incline to keep your heart rate within the most optimum zone. One of the key things to remember is that the larger motors tend to run cooler and usually require less repair and maintenance. Most treadmills come with an electronic console that displays workout feedback such as speed, distance traveled, time you've been working out and calories burned.Notice that some treadmill heart rate monitors clip onto an ear or, for more accurate readings, strap on to the chest. The console indicates belt speed and other factors, such as heart rate, mph, distance, etc. Many of the treadmills available have the ability to add an incline to your workout to duplicate running or walking uphill, therefore increasing the intensity of a workout. The monitor indicates belt speed and other factors, such as heart rate, mph, and distance. Safety features on a treadmill are especially important if you plan to work out alone or if you have small children who might accidentally start up the treadmill. Treadmills are a very important investment, regardless of the price; if it's not right for you, you don't want to find this out after you've set the treadmill up at home. Make sure to add in the cost of shipping when purchasing a treadmill online; quality models can be heavy, but some manufacturers do offer free shipping.Noise from the smallest repetitive sound can drive you nuts over a period of time and provide you with one more reason not to exercise. The taller a person is the longer their stride and so you'll need to choose a treadmill with a longer and wider belt. If you're looking for a heavy-duty treadmill that can withstand running as well as walking, be prepared to spend more money. Consider bringing your water bottle and towel to the treadmill store and try out their treadmills. Most manufacturers of commercial treadmills found in gyms and health clubs also produce home versions. The more incline variation offered in a treadmill unit, the more expensive the model will be. Do your research; treadmills are an important investment, regardless of the price, and if it's not right for you, you don't want to find out after you've set the treadmill up at home.To make sure that your treadmill is sturdy and comfortable and doesn't operate noisily, step on it and test it out before you buy. Buying a treadmill online will save you both time and money. Probably the most important thing to look for in a treadmill is how sturdy it is. Commercial club treadmills are reliable and well constructed; do look into a home version. Lack of wind resistance makes running on a treadmill slightly easier than it would otherwise be on an equal elevation grade outdoors. Be careful, any type of jogging or running, whether on a treadmill or not, puts strain on leg and hip joints. Running or walking on a treadmill can be an effective way to workout compared to other complex cardiovascular exercises. To get even more workouts, consider making your treadmill into a walking office by adding a mini-platform to the side rails as originated by Dr. James Levine. Choosing the best treadmill is easier than ever. And remember, home exercise treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness and much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of any new treadmill. Take time to do your research, the same way you would any major purchase and buying a treadmill won't be difficult.For more information on saving money on treadmills and best buy shopping for treadmills online and offline, go to Helen Hecker R.N.'s http://www.Best-Treadmill-Tips.com specializing in treadmill tips, advice, and resources, including information on treadmill ratings and treadmill reviews

How To Have Healthy And Normal Cholesterol Levels?

A lot has been written in recent years about blood cholesterollevels. Not all that long ago, it was thought that eating foodshigh in cholesterol caused you have have high blood cholesterollevels, and this in turn could lead to heart disease, heartatacks, and other heart related problems. And because of thesebeliefs and fears, people were encouraged to eat foods superlow in fat. The problem with that philosophy and teaching is that it was abit too generic and broad. There are actually types of fat thatare good for you. In fact, these so-called "good fats" areessential for proper nutrition and health. There are also "badfats" however, which can be a contributing factor to health andheart related problems. Cholesterol levels in your blood now have a similardistinction. Where once it was believed that you need to haveyour total cholesterol levels below a certain number - such as200mg - now it's becoming clear through scientific studies andresearch that this isn't always a good measuring stick.Instead, there is "good" and "bad" cholesterol. And thosenumbers are what's important, along with the ratio of one toanother. LDL cholesterol is considered the "bad" type, and that standsfor low-density lipoprotein. Without going into a lot ofmedical and scientific terminology, let's suffice it to saythat LDL cholesterol can have harmful reactions in the humanbody. In contrast, there's HDL, or high-density lipoprotein,which creates beneficial reactions in the human body. If you find it difficult to remember which one is supposed tobetter and which isn't, think of LDL cholesterol as the one youwant to keep low - use the L at the beginning as a remindertrigger - and HDL is the one you want to keep higher(H=Higher). The ratio between your LDL and HDL cholesterollevels is important too. Now unfortunately testing is still a bit imprecise. In somecases, medical professionals will still do a generalcholesterol test which gives you the overall levels. It'sbecoming more common though, to at least estimate the LDL toHDL cholesterol ratios, or total cholesterol to HDL levels, butboth of these are estimates instead of actual measurements. Some say that LDL levels should fall at or below 100mg, whilenewer recommendations are calling for less than 70mg. Whentotal cholesterol to HDL is measured, it's said a 5:1 ratio orless is best. Now you can get cholesterol from foods. Primary sources ofcholesterol are from animal products such as eggs, peanuts,flax seeds, and beef. Some cholesterol can be found in plantsas well, but it's usually a much smaller amount. Most peopleassume - and books even teach - that there is no cholesterol inplants at all. This is a misunderstanding however, because theAmerican FDA does not require it to be on food labels if thereis less than 2mg per serving. Keep in mind though, that eating foods which containcholesterol does not mean you'll automatically have cholesterolrelated health problems. Some of these problems can be caused by- or at least contributed to - by poor eating habits in general,poor exercise, and genetics. Cholesterol levels can be hereditary. Like many health problemstoday, it's been found that some genetic backgrounds have muchhigher risks for certain health problems than others do.About The Author: If you're concerned about keeping yourcholesterol levels on a healthy track, you should considertrying herbal supplements designed specifically for this. Visithttp://www.1healthybody.com/ for more information on this now!