Be Kinder to the Environment

Below are some tips to help you and your family become more environmentally conscious:

1. Recycle and buy minimally packed goods when possible.

2. Wash clothes in cold or warm water.

3. Install low-flow shower heads to use less water.

4. Run the dishwasher only when full and don’t use heat to dry dishes.

5. Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

6. Plug air leaks in windows and doors.

7. Replace old appliances with energy efficient models.

8. Walk, bike, carpool, or use public transportation whenever possible.

9. Adjust your thermostat - lower in winter, higher in summer.

10. Share these simple steps with friends and family and increase awareness.

Source:  Environmental Defense Fund

When to Eat...

Weight Watchers, Atkins, and South Beach Diets have all told dieters to limit the food they eat at night.  For generations, people have believed that food eaten at night when they’re less physically active is more likely to be stored as fat. 

This is not true!

Researchers tracked the eating habits of 7,400 U.S. men and women for ten years.  The percentage of daily calories that they ate after 5 pm had no bearing on their weight.

If you eat extra calories because you are tired or bored or stressed (and nighttime is when you are more likely to do that), expect those to eventually show up on your waist.

Remember: calories not used for energy are stored in the body as fat.  If you eat more than you burn off, you will gain weight.  That’s the bottom line.

Source:  www.cspinet.org

Benefits of Berries

One cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of Vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice.  We need Vitamin C for immune system function and for strong connective tissue.  Strawberries also add a bit of calcium, magnesium, folate, and potassium. Eating a diet rich in blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries may help reduce your risk of several types of cancers.