We send cards for many occasions and the holiday season is one of the most popular times to send a greeting card. Christmas is definitely a time to connect to family and friends and express feelings. After all, that’s the reason for the season. It is important to let others know that we are thinking of them during the holidays. But should we send a paper card or an electronic one? Here are some pros and cons for each.

Paper Cards

Paper greeting cards are a global industry. Numerous companies promote cards for holidays and special occasions. Over the years the cards have become more inventive and nowadays technology will let you records your own message. Christmas cards say what we would like to but can’t seem to put into words. The fun begins when we shop for the cards and choose just the right one for someone we care about.

So while Christmas cards fill a need, many companies are striving to be more environmentally friendly by using recycled paper for their cards. The argument against recycled paper is that it is not as strong as virgin wood pulp. That may be a consideration for paper grocery bags but for cards, the strength is in the wording not what they are printed on. Purchasing greeting cards on recycled paper supports the recycling industry as a viable alternative to other materials.

For the most part, once the holidays are over, paper cards end up in the trash along with wrapping paper and Christmas trees. Although some people recycle, most throw everything away in the regular trash. This paper goes to the landfill and stays their indefinitely.

Unfortunately, the conditions in a landfill are not appropriate for paper products to biodegrade. Paper hangs around as long as plastic in a landfill.

E-cards

Electronic cards are a wonderful innovation. They’re a lifesaver for those of us who forget to send out paper greeting cards in a timely fashion. An electronic card can be sent on December 23rd and arrive on the same day. The best electronic cards are interactive and can be personalized to say whatever we want.

Usually there are two levels of e-cards to choose from — free and then more detailed cards for a fee. E-cards can be saved on the computer and viewed as many times as you want.

Electronic card programs eliminate the need to go to the store for cards so there’s no transportation or use of fossil fuels. These cards can be created and sent to others. Occasionally, people do print them out and that contributes to the trash situation in the landfill.

So which is better? That is up to you. Be responsible with your choices and instead of throwing out those paper cards, find creative ways to reuse them.

My ten year old juicer was making a death rattle so I did some research into what’s going on in the world of juicers. First, I thought I should probably talk about the benefits of juicing and why not eat just eat your veggies instead of juicing? Well, you shouldn’t forsake eating your vegetables in lieu of juicing them; however, there are many nutrients trapped in the fiber of vegetables. Since fiber is not digestible, a good juicer will separate the fiber from the nutrients so your body can make use of it. When you eat vegetables, it takes your body hours to make use of the nutrients. With properly juiced vegetables, your body can make use of those nutrients in minutes.

In my research I found there are two types of juicers–centrifugal and masticating. As more juice is extracted from a masticating juicer, it’s the better choice. You’re wasting your money in produce otherwise. The nutritional value in vegetables is in the fiber and pigments that are extracted. I settled on the Champion juicer and right away I noticed it prepared darker and richer juice when compared to my old centrifugal-type juicer. The pulp in the Champion juicer is pale in color because it has all gone in the juice.

Freshly made juice is rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. It’s a great shortcut to give your body what it needs and to keep it working at its optimum. You may be wondering whether you can buy natural juice instead of making it. The truth is that oxidation starts immediately so the sooner you consume the juice, the more nutritional benefit it has. You can store fresh juice for up to 24 hours if you keep it in an airtight container. Add a few drops of lemon juice. The vitamin C will slow down oxidation. With commercial juice, you’re looking at a much longer shelf life and therefore chemical preservatives which defeat the point of fresh juice.

Another benefit is that you can consume much more live foods through juicing. It takes approximately one pound of carrots to make a glass of juice. Most people cannot eat this many carrots. However, drinking a glass of juice is something that everyone can do. Yet another good reason to juice is that raw juice contains more than just vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes. For example, string beans contain insulin-like properties. Cucumber and onion juice contain hormones needed by the pancreas. In addition, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and radishes contain antibacterial properties. Think of all the herbs that you could add to a glass of juice–ginger, parsley, peppermint, etc.

If you’re thinking of doing a fast, you could do a juicing fast a few times a month. Juice fasts take place over a day or sometimes several days. You’ll do nothing but drink fresh, natural juice. It’s a great way to kick start your healing and rid your body of all of the junk that you’ve been putting into it.

Below are some examples of juices you can make at home to help you get started juicing and their benefits.

Carrot Juice — it has a cleansing effect and carrots are the base for many juice combinations.

• Thoroughly wash about one pound of carrots

• Do not peel; feed into the juicer one at a time

Celery Juice — Celery has diuretic properties and helps to maintain proper sodium levels.

• Cut a stalk of celery into two or three pieces

• Feed the celery one piece at a time

Apple Juice — Apples are high in phenolics which have anti-aging properties and help protect against cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

• Wash and core three or four apples and cut them into sections

• Do not peel

• Feed into the juicer one at a time

Of course these are just a few examples of juices you can make. There are endless juice combinations to treat numerous conditions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are some differences between fruit and vegetable juice. Fruit juices are beneficial for cleansing and detoxifying the body, while vegetable juice is conducive to rejuvenating and repairing the body.

Resources: Juicing for Life: A Guide to the Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juicing

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In August 2008, comedien Bernie Mac aka the King of Comedy died at the young age of 50. Mac had worked in the industry for years but his career had begun to reach new heights with blockbusters like Bad Santa and Oceans Eleven. Mac struggled with the autoimmune disease sarcoidosis and died from complications of that and pneumonia. His death is somewhat controversial since it's believed his doctors treated him with immune system suppressing drugs. Whatever the cause of Mac's death, there are lessons to be learned about our own health.

Your body is a battleground. Everyday your immune system battles bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If your immune system is strong, you never have a clue; however, if it's not up to the challenge, you can experience a range of symptoms from lethargy to an infection that requires medical support. Taking herbal supplements is an excellent way to help boost your body's immune system.

Herbal supplements are simply dried plants which are then put into a gel capsule for easy swallowing. The bonus with herbs is that not only do they have medicinal properties, but nutritional value as well. They are very much a condensed version of vegetables and fruits without the calories. Since herbs have medicinal and nutritional benefit, it's easy to see why some folks consider herbal supplements to be super foods.

Most herbs are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Kelp, parsley, and alfalfa are excellent choices for herbs that also pack a full complement of vitamins and minerals. Kelp is high in natural iodine and iron. Iodine helps regulate your thyroid which in turn helps fight off germs, bacteria, and viruses in your body. This makes kelp a natural immune boosting herb for your body. Kelp is also quite high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and other trace minerals too, and it's an excellent source for most of the B vitamins as well.

Alfalfa is another power-packed herb which can really boost your body's immune system. This herb is a rich source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and other trace elements our bodies need. It also contains essential amino acids, has the highest chlorophyll content of any plant, and it's also a source of carotene and Vitamin K.

Many people think of parsley as just a garnish and leave it on the plate uneaten. What a waste! Parsley is very high in Vitamins A, B, and C. In fact, parsley has three times as much vitamin C in it as citrus, and the Vitamin A it contains stimulates the body's immune system. Parsley is also a source of iron and is high in Potassium too.

You may think of dandelion as a weed, but it is another herb rich in vitamins and minerals, and it's an especially good source of calcium. If you take non-herbal vitamin C supplements for longer than three or four days, your body could become depleted in calcium so you'll need to supplement that.

If you're averse to swallowing pills, try emptying a your capsules into the blender when you make smoothies or juice veggies. Another option is to mix them into dips, soups, or stews. A small amount goes a long way.

Reference: The Immune System Cure



Bernie Mac Another Casualty of Conventional Medicine?

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All parents want the best for their children — especially where their health is concerned. Even if prenatal care has been excellent, most parents have no idea of the forces shaping children’s development and behavior. Expectant moms dutifully go to each prenatal medical appointment and expectantly count fingers and toes when their child finally arrives in this world. Surprisingly, despite the fact that autism is a neurological disorder, many parents feel guilty — as if the condition is due to poor parenting.

Autism is a developmental disorder that occurs to varying degrees in six out of 1,000 people. It causes an impairment of skills that most of us take for granted, and usually results in behaviors that seem strange to the general public. Living with autism has always been a challenge, but increased understanding of the disorder has led to better treatments and greater acceptance.

The symptoms of autism are usually recognizable by age three, and sometimes much earlier. When detected early, the child can usually benefit greatly from therapy. Depending on the level of impairment, however, an autistic person could have special needs throughout life. Even high-functioning autistics must learn to cope with being viewed as different from normal, people — and that is no small feat.

It’s hard to know exactly what to do if you’ve never been down this road before. Here are some tips to get you going in the right direction –

Understand where your child is on the autism spectrum. The term “autism” is actually used interchangeably with several related disorders, each one with its own characteristics. Some forms of autism are mild enough that they won’t make a big difference in a child’s life, while others require more treatment. If you’re not sure where your child stands, talk to his doctor about it. And if he doesn’t explain it sufficiently, consider seeing another one.

Learn about treatment options. There is currently no cure, but there are many treatment options that can produce favorable results. Therapy can improve an autistic child’s language and social skills, and medication can help alleviate emotional and physical symptoms.

Get support. Raising an autistic child can be very trying, draining parents both physically and emotionally. Counseling and respite care can help parents cope with the challenges.

Make sure the needs of your other children are met. Being the sibling of an autistic child presents its own unique challenges. Siblings may resent the extra attention the autistic child requires, and they may become frustrated with the questions and misunderstanding of others. Making special time for siblings and providing the opportunity for counseling will help them deal with these issues, and maybe even strengthen their relationships with their autistic brother or sister.

Stay informed about new developments in the fight against autism. Autism still isn’t well understood by doctors, but research is beginning to provide some answers and bring forth ideas for new treatments. Staying on top of the latest autism news can give parents hope and encouragement.

Autism management means different things to different people, but its goal is always the same: to improve the individual’s ability to function normally. More autistic people than ever before are achieving some degree of independence, and some are able to take care of all of their own needs. Finding the right combination of treatments can make a world of difference in an autistic person’s life.

Resources: Autism Symptoms: Resources For Parents and Caregivers

Video: Autism, What Is It?

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Slightly less than half of world’s cocoa beans are grown in West Africa, where 284,000 children work on cocoa farms under abusive labor conditions.

This year, why not choose Halloween chocolate that is sweet for the kids next door as well as the kids in cocoa bean producing countries. Just look for the Fair Trade label which guarantees that farmers earned a living wage for their crop and no children labored to produce the cocoa beans.

When I was a child you went trick-or-treating with a game plan. You knew which houses had the full size candy bars that you tried to hit twice, and who was handing out fruit that you could definitely skip.

Well nowadays, there are all kinds of healthy treats you can hand out while still enticing the kids to change costumes and make a second stop. Here are just a few great ideas that will keep the moms and the kids happy on Halloween.

Try handing out snack foods like mini bags of pretzels, cracker packs, trail mix, or even hot cocoa. Even if it’s not the healthiest option, it’s going to offset all the sugar they will be getting.

Many companies now make “snack size” bags of all kinds of goodies that are easy and convenient. Plus they can make parents feel safe since the bags are sealed so you know if they’ve been tampered with.

If you’re going to a party where everyone knows each other, or having a get-together yourself, you can save money by making your own snack-size baggies.

Why not hand out coupons for sugary snacks instead of actual sugar? This way parents can decide when the kids gets their Halloween treat and it controls portions a bit better.

Many restaurants and other stores are starting to catch on and sell coupon booklets for small treats. Just pick up a few booklets and you’ll be set for the night. Some companies even donate the proceeds to charity.

Some of the best Halloween treats don’t have to be treats at all. There are tons of non-food items that you can give out that will put a smile on kids’ faces. Just take a trip to your local party store or look in a party favor catalogue and you can find tons of fun ideas that will provide way more joy than a simple piece of candy.

You can use everything from small toys and games to little books and crossword puzzles. Most towns have a place where you can buy these in bulk if you are going to a large party or live in a high-traffic area. Just be sure to provide age-appropriate toys for smaller children that may stop by.

If you abide by the rule that it’s just not Halloween without the candy, there are still ways to be healthier. In addition to the sugar-free candy you find at your local grocery store, there’s also plenty of great finds at your local health food store or organic bakery. While it may still contain sugar, it’s generally natural, less processed, and better for you. If you go to one of the larger chains, they have plenty of great options including organic chocolate.

With a little extra thought and effort, you can keep Halloween healthier for your kids and everyone else in the neighborhood.

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