Sunday, May 31, 2009

Tips for Breastfeeding Diet

There are several important things in the life of a woman. Among various things, breastfeeding is considered as the most important thing. Breastfeeding is really a very special experience for women. It is a phase of life which is equally important for both the mother as well as the child. For the women, proper diet at the time of breastfeeding is extremely important. For proper development and well being of the baby it is very important to follow some dos and don't about the breastfeeding diet.

Most of the people remain in dilemma as to take what sort of diet for breastfeeding. If you want to make some alterations in your diet then you are required to wait for a moment. To begin with, it is very important to first of all consult your health care professional so as to make sure whether the alterations made by you in the diet are going in the right direction or not. In case it is suiting your lifestyle then you can certainly go for it. However if it is not then it is advisable to leave that option and go for any other. It is so because you cannot take chances during this phase of your life.

Among various important things, the first and the most important thing is to focus on the proper intake of vitamins in the diet. If you want all the vitamins in right proportion then you cannot manage it with the help of any kind of nutritional supplement. It can be achieved only and only through a well balanced diet. Along with normal breastfeeding diets try to include some fruits as well as vegetables in it. If possible then try to go for five portions of vegetables and fruits in each day's meal. For proper amount of vitamin A and C you can include broccoli in your routine breastfeeding diet. If it is a season of winter then having a sun bath can be an outstanding idea. It is a fact that sun is a great source for vitamin D and it can fulfill your requirement in a natural way. In summer season, you can manage this requirement by going for dairy products, oily fish and margarine in your breastfeeding diet.

Some of the minerals like Zinc, Calcium and Selenium are considered very important for a breastfeeding mother. For including zinc in your breastfeeding diet you can go for red meat, sardines, baked potatoes, hard cheese, cashew nuts and fish like prawns and mackerel. The best sources for calcium include almonds, spinach, white bread, dried figs, tofu and calcium enriched Soya milk, and sardines.

This is all you require to include in your breastfeeding diet. But the description of breastfeeding diet is not confined to this only. There are some of the things which we require not to do while going for a breastfeeding diet. If you prefer the intake of alcohol then it is highly advisable not to have it now. The contents of alcohol indirectly reach to the milk which the young one sucks through the breasts. It can be extremely harmful for the physiological functions taking place inside the body of the young one.

Avoid caffeine as much as possible and go for calorie free sugar. Only go for home made food and avoid the processed food to a very extent. It is not advisable to go for foods which contain a large amount of additives in them. Thus one should not go for consuming peanuts as it is in the position to leave allergens in the breast milk thus it needs to be avoided.

If we talk generally then we can say that there is not at all any specific diet in terms of specific breastfeeding diet. The most important thing that one should take care is to focus on the well balanced diet. Still if you have any doubt or you want to know more about the breastfeeding diet, then either you surf the net or you must consult the doctor. There are several sites on the net that can provide you with all the useful information about the breastfeeding diet.

Breastfeeding is no doubt the most special gift for a woman. It is important to take care for all the aspects as then only it can prove useful for the mother as well as the baby.


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Friday, May 22, 2009

How to Fix the Air Conditioning in a Car

Air conditioner in car has become a necessity these days. It is very difficult to travel in a car without an AC in scorching heat. The car AC is very small and the designing and the functioning is completely different from that of the air conditioners used in offices and homes. There are two sides of an air conditioning system of a car, viz high side and low side. The compressor of the AC begins at the high side, and performs the functioning of the pump. The refrigerant is moved through the system with the help of the compressor. The expansion valve is there at the low side, which restricts the flow of refrigerant. This helps in reducing the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant.

The car air conditioner works almost like a refrigerator and has a multi-component piece of machinery. The warm air is removed from the car and the cool air is pushed inside the car. This helps in maintaining the temperature of the small space in the car, and moderates the area.

There may be times when the AC in the car stops working or does not give effective cooling. A repair is required at this stage. Each and every car is made of different design and model. But, the basic functioning of the AC in most of the cars is the same. The basic problems with the car air conditioner and the basic ways to fix the problems of car air conditioner have been listed below:

Absence of cool air and improper cooling are the signs of problems with respect to the car air conditioner.

In order to diagnose the problem with your car air conditioner, it is very important to have proper information and knowledge of the different parts of the car air conditioner. There are five components of the car AC viz the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, the refrigerant, and the dryer or evaporator.

It is very important to understand the functioning of all the parts so that the right action can be taken in case of any problem.

The refrigerant is pumped out through the compressor. The compressor acts as a power unit of the car air conditioner.

The condenser performs the function of changing the refrigerant to the liquid form.

The liquid formed through the condenser is converted into cold air with the help of the evaporator or the dryer.

There may be some pressure on the condensed refrigerant. This pressure is removed with the help of the expansion valve and moved into the evaporator.

In case of ineffective cooling, check the refrigerant for any kind of leakage. A fluorescent dye that is readily available at any auto part shop can be used to check the refrigerant. Autozone or NAPA can be used as the fluorescent dye.

The instructions given on the pack of the dye that you purchase should be followed completely and carefully. In most of the cases, the dye is added through the low pressure A/C recharge port that is found on the canister of the air conditioner of the car.

Use the U/V light to check for the leakage. In case of leakage of the refrigerant, the refilled kits can be bought from any auto supply store. These refilled kits are sealed and the replacement can be done by anyone at home.

In case this is not the problem, check for any kind of problem with the fuses, wires, and fan belts. The fuse may have turned bad. The wires might have broken, and the belts of the fan may have got damaged. All these problems may be creating trouble with the functioning of the pump. In case of any problem with any of these parts, get the parts replaced to ensure proper functioning of the car air conditioner.

The air conditioner should be tested after making any kind of repair done by you.

In case one has tried all the above methods to make the AC function properly, and even after replacing all the parts, the AC does not function properly, then there is a need to call a professional.


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Friday, May 15, 2009

How do tanning beds work?

Tanning salons are gaining a lot of popularity. The main reason for it is that people want the tanned look which is really fashionable these days. But it is very essential to know "how do tanning beds work?" before you make the final decision to go in for this option. Remember, that there is no such thing as "safe tanning". Getting tanning through these artificial rays can be very harmful.

The tanning through sun is done by exposing the body to the sun rays. In the process of tanning you may end up harming the skin because sun emits harmful ultra violet rays which can lead to various skin problems and even dangerous skin diseases like skin cancer. The tanning beds work on the principle of sun rays only.

These beds have several florescent lamps which have phosphor blends. They emit UV rays in the form of spectrum which resembles the rays emitted by the sun. The home tanning beds have about 12 to 28; 100 watt lamps where as tanning beds of salons have 24 to 60 such lamps and each of these lamps consume 100 to 200 watts. These beds were first introduced in 1978 in America and in few years time only they have become very famous. But if you understand how these tanning beds work then you may become very reluctant to use these beds. It is true that that these beds are very harmful. The bulbs of these beds emit ultra violet radiations which include about 95% of UV rays and 5 % of UV rays. These bulbs need to be changed when they get fused.

The UV light emitted by these beds is almost like the sunlight. But the only difference is that you can control the amount as well as the time of the exposure of the rays of the tanning beds. The UVB rays emitted by these beds bring the dark color to the skin by stimulating the production of melanin. The UV rays oxidize the melanin which is produced by the UV rays and this result in giving the skin the golden color. It is very essential to understand the working of the tanning beds because keep in mind that your skin is very precious and exposing it to the wrong zone can really have negative and irreversible harm on the skin.

Then there is another category of beds called high pressure tanning beds which are different from the normal beds. You need to be aware of how these tanning beds work before you use them. These beds do not emit any UV rays instead they rely only on the UV rays. In these beds the lamp or bulb which is made of quartz filers the UV rays which are considered to be more harmful. The result is that you get a tan which is not only deep but also lasts longer.

When you go to a tanning salon you are made to lie down on the bed and your full body is covered from all the sides. Then, the rays are emitted from both the sides to reach all the parts of the body. The time for which you lie in the bed depends upon the amount of tanning you want but remember that over exposure to these rays can have a permanent harm to the skin. The owners of the tanning salons may claim that these beds give you safe tanning but you should be smart enough to understand that these are just business tricks. The principle of the working of the tanning bed will make you aware how does tanning takes place and what are the changes which these beds bring in the skin which results in tanning.

If you understand how a tanning bed works properly only then you can be aware of exactly what you are doing with your skin. If you are conscious about your skin and you know how precious is your skin then after understanding how do tanning beds work, you will be able to have an idea that these tanning beds can really put you in real trouble by harming your skin as well as your health.


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Make Your Car More "Green"

If you have been to the pump lately it might be your wallet that makes you want to go more "Green" with your car then before. As it relates to the environment automobiles account for 20% of all greenhouse gases emitted into the air. How ecological friendly you handle your car is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Still the only way to offset your carbon footprint is to plant trees. Listed below are the Top 10 things you can do to make your car more "Green."

1. Buy a Hybrid Car or Green Car

Yes, it doesn't take rocket science to understand that if you buy a more environment friendly car you have reduced your carbon footprint. Hybrids now come in sedans, SUV, and luxury vehicles. If buying a hybrid right now isn't in your budget choosing a car with excellent gas mileage is going to make a big difference.

2. How You Drive

You drastically increase the fuel you consume and the emissions your car gives off when you accelerate quickly and stop quickly. Driving the speed limit and more smooth as it relates to aggressive driving through the city will save on your gas bill. Also, the more you can take care of all your errands in one trip is better than many short trips to the store.

3. Keep Your Car in Shape

Regular tune ups of your car will keep your car producing less greenhouse gases, using less gas, and prevents future trouble. It is estimated that if every American's tires were properly inflated to the right level we would save 3 billion gallons of gas every year.

4. Offset Carbon Footprint

You can plant trees to offset the greenhouse gases you are emitting each year. Planting trees is the only way to offset your carbon footprint.

5. Carpool

If you have been on the freeway during rush hour you see all the commuters driving by themselves. Not only will you drastically lower your impact on the environment by carpooling you get to go in the carpool lane, as well.

6. You Don't Need a Car for Everything

For short trips you can take your bike or walk. With cars we don't even think about the other ways we can travel; we just hop in our cars and off we go. Many store items can easily be carried on a bike with a backpack. Also, you can get an electric scooter to get places faster.

7. Drive Half Way

For some trips walking or your bike isn't the complete answer. Driving your car and then getting on mass transit or driving your car and then parking to then go on your bike both work. Many times if you are going during rush hour, driving until the traffic gets thick and then going on your bike will get you there faster than sitting in the bumper to bumper traffic.

8. Use Less AC

Using a windshield protector can reduce how hot your car gets allowing you to use less air conditioner in the car. Turn your AC on low instead of high uses less gas. Don't forget to park in the shade to also keep your car cooler.

9. Use the Web

With the easy access to the web these days you can have video conferences, send email, and buy your products online. A video chat can be just as good as a face to face meeting without using gas and your car.

10. Go without a Car

For those that are willing to take it on it can be done. You would be surprised with a change in thinking how it is possible for some to go without a car. Using physical transportation like a bike and mass transit can get you around. Also, for those that want to it may be important to live closer to work or the stores you need or making your work day virtual so your home is your office.


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