America's Pursuit for Energy Independence

All Americans desire a “clean and sustainable energy future". But, this requires research, development and significant domestic investment. The increase in oil prices over the past year and perennially vacillating electricity and natural gas rates, are stark reminders of America's reliance on energy resources.

Sixty-six percent of the petroleum we use annually is imported. So much dependence on oil from foreign sources is irresponsible, particularly when there is instability in the Middle East, South America, and Africa. An increasing domestic demand also compels America to reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced recently that it is cutting its daily oil production by a record two million barrels a day, starting in January. In such a situation, how can Americans believes that we can move out of the current energy crisis. The time is not far when our dependence on foreign regimes for our energy supplies may prove to be disastrous. We will face serious long-term shortage of energy.

As Obama (Lansing, MI on August 04, 2008) commenting on the energy crisis, rightly said that, "As Americans, we know the answers to these questions. We know that we cannot sustain a future powered by a fuel that is rapidly disappearing. Not when we purchase $700 million worth of oil every single day from some the world's most unstable and hostile nations - Middle Eastern regimes that will control nearly all of the world's oil by 2030."

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What you as a Parent Can Do for a AUTISTIC CHILD

Hearing a diagnosis of Autism for their child can be very upsetting to parents. The guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics confirm that diagnosing a child’s autism and getting appropriate therapy early is easier on the child. Parents, family members, primary caregivers, pediatricians and other health care providers have intimate knowledge of a child’s development and can identify the first signs of emerging problems during the child’s development.
Earlier the identification is better for diagnosis. Parents can play a great role in initiating the process of helping their child learn to relate, communicate and think while the professional are screening and performing comprehensive evaluations. The start of educational and therapeutic programs may take some time. In the meantime, parents can take initial steps. Children benefit most by getting help in an early stages when their nervous system is growing most rapidly. Early diagnosis and treatment for autism can prove to be very effective in avoiding developmental delays.
Know Autism
The best way to help your newly diagnosed child is to know as much as you can about your child and the differences or problems he is having. The more you know, the more you can do to help your child. There is plenty of information available in books, web sites, articles, and professionals who offer support and information. But you have to be picky, because not all of this information may be useful or correct. You really have to work hard to find advice or a treatment that is really useful and works for your child. Get input from other parents. Review success and failure stories.
Help Educators and Professionals Understand Your Child
Try your best to tell whatever you know or you have observed about your child to the professionals. Parents know their children best. As a parent, you are the best source for professionals for gathering information about your child. You are aware of what sets your child off and what comforts him or her. This information will help educators and professionals to spend their time with your child in a more productive way.
Limit Expectations
As parents you might have some expectations with your child but you have to accept the fact that your child may not become the computer software professional or doctor that you hoped she would. She may not be on par with other children in developmental milestones and appropriate behaviors. You have to focus on smaller and reachable goals. The main concentration should be on helping your child reach her unique
potential.

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How to grow an organic garden

Choosing organic gardening methods over conventional gardening practices will have profound consequences for both your family and the environment. Acre-for-acre, an average homeowner uses three to six times more pesticide in his backyard than a farmer does on crops. Most wildlife poisoning and surface water contamination comes from single-family homes.

Organic home gardening eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers for building healthy soil and controlling pests and weeds. Organic farming not only reduces health risks associated with the chemical residues on conventional produce, but also cultivates better-tasting produce that may, depending on the cultural practices, have a better nutritional profile. Adopting organic practices in your flower and vegetable garden is easy.
Building Healthy Soil
Healthy soil is the key component of a healthy garden. Compost, produced by decomposition of organic materials, improves soil structure, texture, aeration and water retention capacity. It also increases soil fertility and promotes healthy root development. Compost is available in ready to use bags at the local garden supply stores, or you can make your own compost by recycling the kitchen waste rather than sending it to the trash or landfill.
In addition you can make use of worms to produce compost. For more on harnessing worm power for fertilizer, Check out Vermicomposting for Beginners
Controlling pest and diseases
Biodiversity is among the best methods to defend your garden against destructive pests and weeds. Growing different kinds of plants encourages a variety of beneficial insects to take up residence in your yard, where they can eat away the harmful insects and create a balanced ecosystem. You can delight yourself as well as your kids with a close look at such beneficial insects. Crop rotation—not planting the same flowers and vegetables in the same place every year—discourages disease organisms in the soil and can foil pests that become accustomed to finding a food source in a particular location.

Controlling Weeds in Greener Ways
One of the best methods to control weeds is mulching with a 3-inch layer of organic material like leaves, grass clipping, vegetable scraps, bark chips, aged wood chips or sawdust. Mulches can also be inorganic, including stones, brick chips etc. This is spread on the top of the soil around your plants in spring to suppress weeds and fall to protect plants from winter conditions. Mulch stabilizes the soil temperature, prevents weeds, conserves water, prevents soil erosion and gives a nice look to your garden. Organic mulches break down over time to improve soil conditions.
Disposing of Toxic Chemicals Safely
Once you have chosen to go organic, you need to dispose off the harmful and the toxic chemicals in a safe way. Most chemicals cannot be tossed into the trash or dumped anywhere because they will contaminate the environment. Most municipalities provide a toxic waste drop off site or periodic hazardous material collection events. To locate nearby site go to www.eath911.org. You can also contact your trash collection company or municipal solid waste agency for advice on proper disposal.

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Make This Weekend Sweeter with Coconut-Chocolate Balls

Make this Weekend Sweeter with Coconut- Chocolate balls
Two easy and sweet recipes which will make your weekend special.

You need
16 ounces or 2 packages of confectioner's sugar
14 ounces or or 1 cup can sweetened condensed milk
Half cut butter, softened
2 cups chopped pecans
Half block paraffin
2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Method
Line baking sheets with wax paper.
Take sugar, butter and milk together and beat. Add coconut and pecans in it. Mix well.
Shape this mixture into 1 inch ball. Place these balls on baking sheets and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take a double boiler. Place chocolate morsels and paraffin on the top of the boiler over simmering water.
Take the balls you have refrigerated and insert one toothpick in each ball.
Dip these balls one by one into the molten chocolate.
Place them on the lined baking sheet and let them set.
Store in air tight containers and keep refrigerated.

The Chunky oat bars

These bars are the chunky, chewy and a little icky. But they are as nutritious as a bowl of granola. These are good for children as well as for adults. So go ahead.

You need
One and a half cup of old fashioned rolled oats
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Three-fourth cup chopped nuts. You can have almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, pecan etc
Half cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

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How to Deal with Constipation

It has been estimated that in the United States, over 3 million people have constipation, defined as fewer than 3 bowel movements per week. Among them, more than 2 million suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As we eat, food is digested in the stomach and passes to small intestine, the large intestine, and then on to the rectum. When food moves to the large intestine, it absorbs water and makes the feces take on the shape and consistency that we are used to. The large intestine absorbs more water, making the stool drier and bulky thus, more difficult to pass. The movement of food through the large intestine slows. The amount of time the waste remains in the colon increases, leading to constipation. Regular bowel movements are necessary to remove waste and toxins from the body.
Constipation causes pain and suffering from straining during bowel movements. The symptoms of constipation are difficult, infrequent bowel movement, fecal straining and pain during bowel movements. A few more indicators are dry bowel movements, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. If constipation persists, constant straining puts pressure on the veins in the rectal area and may cause hemorrhoids. Constipation may lead to diverticular disease, in which small pouches are formed in the wall of the large intestine. These pouches can become infected, leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Another condition known as fecal impaction can be a result of chronic constipation, where the mass of stool becomes so hard that it cannot pass through the rectum and must be manually removed by a doctor or nurse using a gloved finger.
The cause
The major lifestyle causes of constipation are: lack of exercise, eating too much junk food, and a poor diet with inadequate fiber intake. Medication such as painkillers, antidepressants and aluminum hydroxide-containing antacids may cause constipation. Medical conditions including thyroid problems, circulatory disorders, diverticulitis, colon polyps, colon fistulas, and colonic obstruction may also be associated with constipation. Pregnancy and Vitamin B1 deficiency can also cause constipation.
The remedy
Digestive challenges can be dealt effectively with diet, natural nutritional aids, increasing water intake.
Please note: You should consult your personal health care provider to assure proper diagnosis of the specific health condition. Some home remedies for mild constipation are:
Water. At least 8-10 glasses of water a day can help relieve constipation.
Cooked cabbage. Cabbage is high in fiber and nutrients and will relieve constipation. You can also take half a cup of cabbage juice twice a day.
Folic acid supplements
Ginger tea.

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How to Prepare A Healthy School Lunch for Your Kids

Parents face problems while packing lunch for their school going kids . Packing lunches can become either the most painful or most fun part of mom’s days’ cooking. Moms always have complained that the kids don’t finish their lunch in the school. Every mother is happy when her child eats well and worried if not. School-going children require a lot more energy and nutrients for their growing body than adults.
The challenge
With only 20 minutes to eat in the lunch time, kids should be given “fast food” that can be finished easily as well as have nutritional value. The food given to children for school should be healthy, tasty and loaded with nutrients.
Children sometimes are picky, they pay attention to food texture, color and taste. In addition, you need to be aware of the food containers, especially plastic containing phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA).
The solutions
Children’s school lunches need to have proteins, fiber, and good fats to stabilize blood sugar. The rapidly rising blood sugar affects children by cascading down too quickly and too low. It affects mood as well as attention. Drop in blood sugar can lead to irritability , hunger, headache, lack of focus, behavior problems, and cravings for quick sugar fix which keeps the cycle going on. This hinders learning and can disrupt class.
Thus, basic rule for any meal preparation and especially when preparing school lunch are:
Avoid foods which raise blood sugar quickly. These include sugar, sodas, candy, sweets, juices and any refined grains like pretzels, bread, crackers, bagels, chips on an empty stomach. Limit the sugar and keep the refined carbohydrates limited.
Stay away from sodas(regular and diet). A healthy diet has no place for sodas, which are high in phosphorus that depletes healthy nutrients. They remove vitamins and minerals from the body. Add water, diluted juices, seltzer water with juice to flavor or vegetable juice in the lunch instead.
Promote protein. The increased requirements of protein among growing children should meet demands of the growth. Protein packed choices include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds. A child may need one to two ounces and a teen/adult may need three to five ounces of protein a day.
Include fiber. High fiber option includes fruit, beans, nuts,seeds and whole grains. These are very important in case your child does not eat vegetables.

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