So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Microalgae Oil: The Vegan Omega-3 Supplement

By Shelby S Kittelstead


Omega-3 is called an essential fatty acid due to the fact that the the physiology of humans makes us incapable of manufacturing the fats. This means that we are required to supplement omega-3 through supplements or diet. Omega-3 fats consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Both EPA and DHA are typically found in fatty fish like salmon. On the other hand, ALA is most often found in plant sources (instead of animals), like flaxseed and soybeans. Because alpha-linolenic acid is derived from plant sources, such as flax, vegetarians often exclusively use flax seed oil as a source of omega-3 fats even though it doesn't contain within it any DHA or EPA whatsoever. The human body is able to convert alpha-linolenic acid into eicosapentaenoic acid then, subsequently, into DHA, but this conversion process is altogether very inefficient. This is partly because the protein that converts alpha-linolenic acid into EPA is rate limiting, because of the fact that the same enzyme also binds to omega-6 fatty acids (thus, the problem is even worse if your diet is high in omega-6 fats).

In fact, several research studies have shown that this conversion process is so inefficient that only 5% of ALA is converted into eicosapentaenoic acid and only 0.5% of alpha-linolenic acid finally makes docosahexaenoic acid. What does all of this mean? That most vegans or vegetarians who think they are getting the necessary quantities of DHA and EPA from flax seed oil, are actually deficient in both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid omega-3 fatty acids. You might ask why isn't ALA enough to satisfy the daily requirement? Actually, there most essential omega-3 fats are EPA and DHA and most of the necessary functions are done by EPA and DHA.

Here's where the good news comes (for vegans). There is another vegetarian source of omega-3, called microalgae, which has a super high percentage composition of both EPA and DHA omega-3. What is microalgal oil and why is it a good vegetarian source of omega-3? Microalgae are microscopic algae that live in both marine and freshwater. While fish oil is already widely known for containing an unusually high content of EPA and DHA omega-3 fats, fish don't actually create the omega-3 fats themselves. Fish eat microalgae, which have a the ability to produce large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, then store the eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in their adipose, and this is the real reason why fish oil is so high in omega-3 fatty acids. Microalgae are also the most sustainable source of EPA and DHA when compared to fish oil. This is because they've got 5 times more biomass than land plants and as much as 40 percent of that is oil. Microalgae sources of omega-3 are the future supply of omega-3 fats.

Microalgal Oil that's abundant in DHA is now commercially available on the market, whereas, microalgae oil that is high in eicosapentaenoic acid is still limited. The very best vegan supplements that have EPA come from the algae, Spirulina. DHA-algal oil is obviously a far superior source of DHA, when compared to flaxseed oil. This is because flax seed derived alpha-linolenic acid needs to go through two inefficient enzymatic steps to become docosahexaenoic acid, whereas, microalgal derived docosahexaenoic acid does not need to go through any whatsoever. It has also already been proven through documented research that algal supplements are able to raise in vivo levels of EPA and DHA. This was scientifically demonstrated by one study where vegetarians with deficient levels of omega-3, supplemented with a single gram of microalgal daily for 8 weeks, and were able to significantly increase both their levels of both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid(Lipids 40 (8): 807-814). This is clear evidence that algae oil is an far superior vegetarian source of omega-3.

It is very well documented that DHA derived from fish oil is very good for the heart. Likewise, DHA derived from microalgae oil has the same cardiovascular benefits. For example, vegetarians that took only 1 gram of microalgal DHA daily for 8 weeks, reduced their triglyceride levels by 23% (The British Journal of Nutrition 95 (4): 779-786). So there you have it, algae oil is a far superior source of DHA and EPA and has very similar health benefits as the omega-3 from fish oil! These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not medical advice, if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician.




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Yummy Healthy Snacks You Can Fix Yourself

By Samuel Torres


When you are craving for a snack, remember what food you reach for? Biscuits or fries? What about trying to be healthy? Finding snacks that are nutritious and that taste yummy can be an enormous challenge, especially if your go-to snacks are those that are high in salt or sugar. Continue reading to find out how to make snacks that are hearty and that satisfy your cravings. All of the snacks talked about in this article are snacks you can consume even when you watch your weight and diet. Are you a little skeptical? Go on reading!

Yummy Dipped Pretzels make a great snack without causing you to feel like you are limiting yourself in terms of portion size or denying yourself some of your favorite tastes. Microwave a half a cup's worth of semi sweet chocolate until it melts. It takes two minutes to do this and make sure you stir it up super well before you try to use it. Dip low-sodium pretzels into the melted chocolate until they are nicely covered and then lay them out on parchment in a single layer. Let the chocolate dipped pretzels cool at room temperature or put them in the fridge for about twenty minutes.

Tasty Tortilla Chips are a great snack that you can make at home without a lot of work. When you buy tortilla chips at the grocery store, the chips are pretty much coated in salt and are really unhealthy. In this yummy snack, you create the chips yourself with corn tortillas. Cut roughly 10 corn tortillas in 6 parts. Set the corn tortilla pieces onto a baking sheet and spray with a thin coat of a spray you can whip yourself by blending canola oil and a fourth of a teaspoon of chili powder, half a teaspoon of cumin and a fourth of a teaspoon of table salt. Coat the corn tortilla chips totally and then bake them in an oven at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or so. Allow them to cool off entirely before you eat them.

Fix delicious caramel corn! You may think that there is no way that caramel corn can be good for you because it is so high in sugar and calories. Use this yummy but healthy recipe instead; it's great for you. In a big pot, melt two tablespoons of butter and blend in two tablespoons of brown sugar, a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt, and a tablespoon of water. Try to use a whisk to combine it all and then add seven cups of air popped popcorn into the pot. You can even sprinkle an ounce of lightly salted peanuts if you prefer. Mix all the ingredients together until the popcorn (and nuts if they're added) are evenly coated and then let the whole lot cool before you eat it.

If you are okay doing a little research, you can find several snack recipes that are low on unhealthy ingredients, have fewer calories but that still taste extremely good. There are all kinds of selections for super nourishing and tasty snacks out there. You simply have to be patient enough to locate them and fix them yourself. It shouldn't be hard to be healthy. You have the ability to do it!




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Understanding the Ventless Gas Fireplaces and Their Benefits

By Om Thoke


A vented gas log fireplace offers instant warmth and freedom from the cold. In addition, they relieve people of the duties that come with using a fireplace. This includes no longer having to clean ashes and haul wood. In addition they offer a safer and cleaner option in comparison to burning wood. Increasingly more manufacturers have increased the number of options available and now offer a large range of choices in regards to size and styles.

Although the concept of fireplace inserts is a fairly simple one, the installation is not something recommended to a do-it-your lover. The installation is not complicated; this is one for the pros. Think about it, you are building a fire in your home...not something to learn from your mistakes with. A professional installer will be able to accurately assess the condition of your existing fireplace; chimney and cap ensuring after the wood burning fireplace insert is installed there will be little chance of fire. Also, many insurance companies will require you, the homeowner to provide documentation of professional installation and inspection.

The design aspects are numerous. These inserts can come with brick and tiles already set in place, or they can be empty, allowing you the opportunity to add your own distinct design. To make things even easier, some units give the ability to simply slide tiles in place without having to permanently install them.The biggest reason for installing a gas fireplace insert is of course, the energy savings. While a wood burning fireplace looks great, it is not efficient in heating a room without a blower. In fact, they actually suck the warm air out of the room and up the chimney.

The Ventless gas fireplace is able to be installed without venting to the outside of the building due to the development of high efficiency gas burners. These burners produce a much hotter flame than the vented gas fireplaces thus almost all the products of normal combustion are consumed. The small amount of unburned gases left are then returned to the room along with the heat that is produced, mixed with room air, and drawn back into the fireplace and burned again. These units are equipped with safety features including an oxygen depletion sensor that will shut off the flow of gas should the air near the fireplace burners reach unhealthy oxygen levels.

Finding these inserts is pretty easy as they are quickly becoming the standard in fireplaces all over the world. You can find a selection of these in many stores around town as well as specialty shops and internet catalogs. The beauty of looking them up on the web is being able to see pictures before you go out and look at the brick and mortar stores. This way you know what your looking for and can read up on them at the same time.

Proper maintenance and care is also critical when it comes to maintaining ventless fireplaces. Annual checks of your natural gas line connect your unit and the actual burner is a good way to prevent issues of gas leaks and improper operating burners. A burner that isn't operating properly might not efficiently burn properly and put more unhealthy emissions into the air; dramatically lowering air quality.




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Wireless Battery Lights - Motion Sensor Outdoor Lighting Review

By Sarah Wood


The rustic outdoor lighting fixture lights quickly and turns off very quickly. But there's no screw provided within this motion sensor outdoor lighting unit. Paid for four movement sensor units that I expected to light when I am four to five feet away. They are so cool set up under our kitchen cabinets. Granted, I mounted mine on the beam under a patio cover, but which cover leaks and one of the models has got wet - still, no problem. The coverage is great, but you need to keep in mind that this is an LED array; it will not flood your patio with light. Purchased a couple of these for night-time toilet training assistance. Tried to open up so I could glue it together again. The switch on back is "off - auto - on" and no matter which place it's in, the unit is on. With constant use for over twelve months, that seems reasonable in my experience. Installing this motion sensor outdoor lighting only took a couple of minutes instead of a couple of hours to install an AC outlet.

Notice: Of the six of these which I ordered, one arrived with a little defect.

Not super bright but bright enough that will help you see the car door and know if anybody is going by. They don't work with Compact Flourescent Bulbs (CFB). The globe can rotate 360 degrees in the swivel bracket, so between your rotations of the bracket and the base, the globe can eventually point in any direction, which includes back to its base. I'm ordering four fixtures more from the exact same Amazon Supplier today !

I checked the rechargeable batteries and they tested as good.

Lots of light to maneuver. Lights and movement sensor work nicely, although not well-designed for anywhere-mounting -- there is only a single key-hole slotted hole on the back. It was brighter than anticipated and also seemed bigger than expected. Once I put the batteries in I sealed battery door shut with Dap Seal 'N Peel Detachable Caulk so ideally that will keep moisture from getting into.

This motion sensor light is simple to set up. I purchased this to add some light to pathways. My only grievances, if you could call them that, would be the unit isn't attractive (thankfully it's mainly out of view for what I am using it for), and also the light is really a blue "day light" colour (I favor warm white). They're extremely lightweight, and looks just like the image.

I was happy with this!

I'm happy with this particular buy.




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Experience Digital Processing Diversity With The Pentax Digital Camera

By Dotour Bernanke Xavier


We understand the struggle when evaluating a possible new camera, that is why we want to talk more about the Pentax K5 in some detail. What you have to do is determine the features you are looking for in a new digital camera. The standard video features and functions are available, if that suits you, and you can enjoy effective HD movies. Customization is hugely popular it seems, and the wide range of available digital filters allow that to happen. Changing your images in almost any way imaginable using additional built-in software will extend the fun of it all. The Pentax K5 Digital SLR has expanded on the success of earlier models, and here is how they did it.

Pentax did a complete make-over on the K5 auto-focus. Improved sensors and software plus hardware are all involved with the auto-focus design. The K5 AF (auto-focus) consists of eleven sensor coordinates which also work in conjunction with nine sensor cross-coordinates. The ability of the K5 to achieve this level of auto-focus is courtesy of a proprietary algorithm. The ability to focus in challenging light scenes is perhaps one of the real tests for any auto-focus feature. Plus, there is a light beam that can be implemented for very low lighting conditions.

If you have ever experienced a 100% field of view in an optical viewfinder, then you will appreciate that in this camera. Pentax's own prism finder design, called Penta-Prism, has been integrated as well. The magnification is just under 1.0 which is extremely close to 100% and is for all practical uses by the average photographer. On the other hand, it is fine if all of that does not exactly appeal to you, we know you just want to have great photos. You know the challenges that are present with lower light levels, and this is where you perhaps may see a greater and more satisfying difference.

Naturally, any digital SLR worth its salt will have superior compensation for shaky hands while shooting. Changing the shutter steps for compensating in this situation is how Shake Reduction gets the job done. So no more worries about being perfectly still, although any compensation has its limits. For multi-exposure shooting, you can still do that even though the usual button for it is missing. In order to do that, you will need to do custom settings adjustments.

More sophisticated software and hardware is the basis for the Pentax K5. Working with the various programming functions will come to be second nature as it is not challenging. We would suggest that even a beginner should feel comfortable with a DSLR such as the K5. Nobody really should have a hard time discovering how to operate the K5. It would be a shame to have a camera like this and not use all the features and functions available.

Whatever kind of digital product you are interested in, you may get substantial discount rates if you are a participant of Direct Buy. This enables you to obtain things at incredibly sharp discount rates. Check with your Direct Buy representative for more information.




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Knowing Where To Find Classic Truck Parts

By Jody Sanders


If you love vintage, definitely you also love owning classic vehicles and when you pick up one, chances are you are in for a major restoration project. Although the restoration can be fun and fulfilling, the biggest challenge is where to find shops still selling classic truck parts.

Vintage trucks are good investment, as time goes by, the value of it never depreciates. However, owning one can have a lot of merits and demerits. Since this is already old, the car itself and its parts are unlikely to be still around. If ever you find a shop, the items definitely comes with a high tag price.

Usually, finding vintage car items for replacement are quite complicated and since it is aged several years the items may not be available or obsolete already. Even if there are replicas, but not all fits in the car's body type. When you the items, the cost can be insurmountable.

When the items are found, we tend to be over excited, do not be consumed by this. It is still wiser to continue shopping around or ask fellow vintage car enthusiasts, there might be better deals or recommendations you can get. Just be sure you have all the items listed so nothing is forgotten.

One way to start your search is visiting the dealers of your truck's brand, the dealerships are more informed with regards to old vehicles and items. In case they do not carry it, they have more access to the manufacturer or offer suggestions of some possible shops selling such items.

Look for specialty shops especially those that are into vintage automobiles and parts. However, do not expect to find everything you need, some are out of production already. You can use the internet and browse different websites for this or you can visit junkyards or automotive shops.

Without a doubt, finding classic truck parts are tough but utilizing resources and mediums available, it will lead you to finding the store selling those. Once it is fixed, it provides a sense of fulfillment that its drawbacks are outweighed. Owning and driving vintage vehicle represents pride and excellent choice




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Women's Leather Jackets Providing You with Stylish and trendy Look

By Harry Alan


Leather jackets aren't limited to men - you are able to still look absolutely girly with all the right style women's jackets. You possibly can undoubtedly look gorgeous and neat in the jacket, dear. No requirement to fret!

Stylish leather women's jackets can complement your figure. If you select the best cut to suit your figure, you may truly rely on this jacket to give you a cool image and fashion sense. One half belted one or a long sleek style can be quite a good addition on your wardrobe. They also can be found in sizes. By putting on a jacket produced from leather together with your outfit, you might be creating a new challenge and timeless through your personality.

You will end up spunky and funky; you may be vintage or modern; you will end up casual or flirty - the alternatives are infinite. You ought to surely love owning one leather jacket. Buying jacket that oozes style - Italian jackets tend to be in - you can put on them black, tan, brown or red! Italian jackets created from leather for ladies are constructed from the most effective material and tend to be in charge of everyone you well!

A lot of these jackets are a good investment for they might give you the affordable for the extra bucks regarding style and purpose. You may be among the best items that ever happened inside fashion world for keeping the spirit on the leather jacket alive.

Italian jackets abound - through the simple people completely for a runway stars. They can be hip and trendy, sporty and lovely. You'll be able to turn your wardrobe around in a jiffy by wearing something rich and complex like leather jackets.

You could be to convert heads with your designer leather jacket - don it together with the right accessories to include Hollywood glam inside your ensemble.




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All About A Pre Owned BMW Westbury

By Jody Sanders


A pre owned BMW Westbury can be found in a few authorized dealers. This is because of their superior inspection regimes as compared to other pre owned vehicles. There are very many advantages of buying or purchasing these types of vehicles.

The engine has been tested and has been found to be in top shape. The warranty on the engine is always extended. This means that it covers areas that basic warranties would not even dream of covering.

Most likely there is special financing for the BMW to make the weight lighter on the buyer. Financing is very important in these tough economic times. It is likely to go a long way in helping a person purchase their dream vehicle.

The cost of a certified car might be a bit more expensive than a non certified one. This might be true but the reasons for greatly outweigh the ones against. One of the most important reasons is that independent inspectors might not be very strict on the vehicle inspection hence less cost is passed to the buyer.

There are many things that might lead one into buying a used car. One of the strongest reasons for most people is the price. One is able to buy a good car for an affordable price far much cheaper than a new one.

Owning a used car is not a bad decision as the car is thoroughly inspected and is assured to work for a long time. One needs to love the car and in turn it will serve him diligently. A used car is assured to last as long as it was intended it all depends on the owner and being serviced.

One might be lucky and get a rarely used pre-owned vehicle. This will mean that one will have bought a very good car for a good price. The engine of a rarely used car will run like new. Read more about: Pre Owned BMW Westbury




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