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    <title><![CDATA[Glam Media Network Blog Posts for - Healthy Planet]]></title>
    <link>http://www.glam.com/</link>
    <description><![CDATA[Current Glam Media Network Blog Entries for - Healthy Planet]]></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:02:43 PST</pubDate>
    <generator>Glam Media Publishing Engine</generator>
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      <title><![CDATA[More Concern Over Maternal Obesity]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/more-concern-over-maternal-obesity/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Researchers know that obese pregnant women and their babies are at greater risk of pregnancy complications. We talked about that last month (Get to Your Ideal Weight Before Conception), but new research shows that maternal weight may affect babies throughout their lives in many ways.
&#8220;If there ever was a maternal hex, obesity might be it,&#8221; said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, &#8220;and as it turns out, even after the weight comes off, the biggest loser isn&#8217;t a mother, but her child.&#8221;

The Duke University study, involving rats, revealed that maternal obesity causes cellular programming in the womb that predisposes kids to inflammation-related disorders, such as Alzheimer&#8217;s, Parkinson&#8217;s, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and more. Researchers believe that the predisposition for the disorders remains, even when children aren&#8217;t obese themselves.
Staci D. Bilbo, Ph.D., co-author of the study, said that the hope is that the findings will lead to treatments for obesity-associated problems via identification of targets within the immune system. She added that the research teams hopes that their findings will help mothers consider the consequences of their food choices, &#8220;not only for their own health, but also for their children&#8217;s health, and potentially even their grandchildren&#8217;s health.&#8221;
For the study, researchers placed rats on one of three diets: low-fat, high-saturated fat, and high-trans fat. The rats followed the diets for four weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. Rats born to obese mothers on the high-fat diets had increased immune cell activation and release of cytokines (proteins that regulate inflammation), even on the day after birth. Even after the rats were put on low-fat diets, the undesirable immune response remained.
(Image via stock.xchng)
Post from: Blisstree
More Concern Over Maternal Obesity]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:24:21</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Hot Chocolate Recipes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/hot-chocolate-recipes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[If youre anywhere near me, you havent quite finished digging out and are expecting another few feet of snow. So, what better way to prepare than with a round up of great hot chocolate recipes to warm up the family when everyone finally gets tired of building huge snow forts or a whole citys worth of snow people? Some people just like to get a packet of Swiss Miss, open it and stir away. My mom is a big fan of the variety with marshmallows included. I personally am a big fan of Nutellas recipe for hot chocolate, which gives a slight hazelnut flavor and is absolutely wonderful. (I dont add the optional espresso.)
 
Here are a few other recipes you might want to try out:
Sarahs Best Homemade Hot Chocolate  This one has a touch of vanilla.
Alton Browns Cocoa  Has a touch of cayenne.
Starbucks Knock Off Hot Chocolate Recipe  For when you cant make it out the driveway to get your fix.
No matter what the recipe, I like to add a dollop of light whipped cream to my cocoa. Are you a whipped cream fan or do you prefer to have your cocoa unfooled around with?
Photo: SXC
Post from: Blisstree
Hot Chocolate Recipes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:54:28</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Could Beer Be Good for You?]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/could-beer-be-good-for-you/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Moderation is still key, but it seems that beer may have an ingredient that could be good for your bones, possibly helping to protect against osteoporosis.
Dietary silicon is an important ingredient for increasing bone mineral density, and researchers from the University of California, Davis recently studied the silicon content in 100 commercial beers, categorizing the silicon content by beer style and source.

The average silicon content of the beers was 6.4 to 56.5 mg/L. That&#8217;s a pretty big range, and some of the additional findings below will help explain the differences.
The average silicon in parts per million (ppm) for ales was 32.8. Light lagers had an average of 17.2 ppm silicon, while regular lagers had 23.8 ppm. The average silicon content of all beers tested was 29.4 ppm.
Other findings:

 Wheat-based beers had less silicon than those with more hops, like India Pale Ale (IPA) beers, which had an average of 41.2 ppm of silicon content.
 Darker products with a lot of roasting like black malt, chocolate and roasted barley had less silicon.
 Malting doesn&#8217;t greatly affect the silicon content of barley, plus the malts with the highest silicon are those that are pale in color.
 Beers from the US had more silicon content than international beers studied.

Researchers concluded that beer is a major source of silicon, and that beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are the richest in silicon. It&#8217;s the husk of the barley that&#8217;s the best source of silicon.
More details about this study can be found in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Society of Chemical Industry.
(Image via stock.xchng)
Post from: Blisstree
Could Beer Be Good for You?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:41:00</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Reactions to Audi Green Super Bowl Ad]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/reactions-to-audi-green-super-bowl-ad/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Audi 2010 green car Super Bowl commercial was hilarious in my opinion but it&#8217;s unleashed a wealth of opinions that border on whack job. First watch the commercial&#8230;

Now I&#8217;ve seen two major trains of thought surrounding this commercial.

This commercial proves the green folks are nuts.
 This commercial is making fun of people who are honestly into green living.

Not working for Audi, I&#8217;m not 100% about what their agenda was, although I&#8217;ve got sinking suspicion that their major goal is to sell cars (gasp). But of course people over think everything. At SuperBowl Commercials, many comments relate that this commercial proves green people are insane OR that Audi went too far trying to make people feel guilty about not living green. For example&#8230;

&#8220;This is so close to reality its ridiculous! Environmentalism has become a cult and if you disagree with it, youre immediately labeled.&#8221;
&#8220;Awesome. This ad shows what NUT JOBS the environmentalist wackos really are!&#8221;
&#8220;At first this commercial ticked me off but now I see that it was a satire on the enviromental wackos.&#8221;

WOW. Really? So it&#8217;s insane to use a reusable bag or reusable water bottle or compost. These are barely green living steps in my opinion; just common good sense. These aren&#8217;t extreme ideas &#8211; these are easy and everyone can do them. Minus the whole, &#8220;Buy a green car&#8221; deal at the end, these are not extreme or crazy steps. If using a reusable bag is wacko I&#8217;m wondering what these folks think about solar panels.
There are also people who think that this commercial makes eco-friendly folks look bad.
I have met nutty over the top, holier than thou green types and they drive me nuts. I think this commercial made me laugh for just that reason. That said, if you&#8217;re into green living I don&#8217;t think this commercial is cause to be offended unless you do happen to be one of those, &#8220;Everyone must live like me types&#8221; and if you are, maybe you should rethink your strategy. If you&#8217;re always preaching green at everyone you know maybe you need a new tactic. Small steps can add up, not everyone needs to go totally green to make a difference.
Also, although I do think green living is valuable, I can still recognize that you have to be able to laugh at yourself once in a while. It&#8217;s a funny take on green living but it didn&#8217;t offend me.
A few more opinions:
The New York Times note, &#8220;Officious green police punish citizens who are not sufficiently eco-conscious, but an owner of an Audi A3 TDI with clean-diesel technology drives away scot-free. This misguided spot put the mental in environmental.
And then there were the totally &#8220;creeped out&#8221; people.
Some people called the commercial out for what I think it is &#8211; green that appeals to more than one sort of eco-person &#8211; i.e. not all tree huggers are extreme. This isn&#8217;t a huge deal. It&#8217;s a flippin&#8217; commercial. Watch it, maybe buy a reusable water bottle or heck the whole damn car, or don&#8217;t but overreacting doesn&#8217;t really win either side any points. Basically I think it was a commercial; not a big deal. It&#8217;s supposed to sell cars. Not sure if Audi will but it did get people talking about them for sure. People just need to chill.
What did you think of the commercial? 
Post from: Blisstree
Reactions to Audi Green Super Bowl Ad]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:25:01</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Purina Ones Tour for Heroes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/purina-ones-tour-for-heroes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[To help pets in need, Purina One has teamed up with Martha Stewart to visit animal shelters from San Francisco to New York City throughout the month of February. At each stop, Purina One will give out free Purina One dog and cat food to all attendees (11,000 bags across the nation!), and will also be hosting adoption events at local shelters. 

Purina One wants to help the animals affected by the current economy, especially those who don&#8217;t have a bowl of food or a warm, caring home. 
Even if Purina One isn&#8217;t stopping by your city, pet lovers can still help pets by logging on to tourforheroes.marthastewart.com and search for an adoptable pet anywhere in the United States, and then click to share with friends on Facebook. 
Every time a homeless pets photo is shared, Purina One will donate $1  up to $50,000  to feed pets in need in local communities!
Post from: Blisstree
Purina One&#8217;s Tour for Heroes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:49:25</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Treat your garden seeds with care]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/treat-your-garden-seeds-with-care/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Garden seeds, if you think about it are pretty amazing. Just a few seeds can grow enough veggies for many summer salads, baskets of flowers, and enough seasoning for all your dishes year round. However, while seeds do have seemingly magical qualities they&#8217;re also fragile if not treated right. You need to care for your seeds carefully, not only to preserve the chance to grow a lovely garden but to save money and time as well. It&#8217;s much nicer not to have to buy new seeds each year.

How to care for your seeds&#8230;

Until you&#8217;re ready to plant or soak seeds for planting, always keep seeds perfectly dry. Moisture is the death of seeds, at least until they&#8217;re in the soil.
If you collect and save your own seeds allow them to sit at room temp until perfectly dry. After that store in a small container or envelope in a cool place away from moisture and bugs. Some people won&#8217;t save seeds in common everyday envelopes, thinking they do need a fancy seed saving kit, but I&#8217;ve always stored saved seeds in plain old envelopes with zero trouble.
Long term seed storage may require more than a simple envelope though. My local extension offers a good way to save seeds for the long-term; &#8220;place seed packets or seed envelopes in a jar, seal the jar tightly and place it in a refrigerator or freezer. To help avoid too much moisture, place a small, cloth bag filled with dry, powdered milk beneath the seed packets in the bottom of the jar. Use about 1/2 cup of dry milk from a recently opened package.&#8220;
Label! When it comes to seed saving or if you accidentally rip a package, label and date the new envelope. I&#8217;ve forgotten to label before and it&#8217;s such a waste if you forget to label a hard to recognize seed.
Unless you&#8217;re dealing with hard seeds, for example lupine or morning glory, handle seed packets carefully. If you rub the outside of the packet to see if you can tell how many seeds are in there or try to open a packet while wearing garden gloves (tough) you can break the protective seed coating which reduces germination odds.
In order to avoid waste and to avoid harming fragile seeds sow tiny carefully. Snip the smallest bit of corner off your seed packet and carefully tap the packet gently allowing some seeds to escape to the soil.

[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree
Treat your garden seeds with care]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:55:18</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson Releasing Green Smart Phone]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/sony-ericsson-releasing-green-smart-phone/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson is on a serious roll this year. Just in time for Christmas last year they introduced two new green phones in their line-up of Green Heart products and now a few days ago they announced the release of another green phone, the Sony Ericsson Aspen.
The Sony Ericsson Aspen is a windows mobile QWERTY phone primarily for heavy message and calendar users. This newest Green Heart edition is feature rich and allows for easy multi-tasking combining the touch experience and a real QWERTY keyboard. You can organize and adapt panels to change during the day and use a Slide View for quick access to common features.







Other perks: 

View and edit office files easily with one touch operation.
 Access the internet in one click.
 The QWERTY keyboard is made for fast and easy typing.
 Simple email set up.
 Secure your phones contents through the Microsoft MyPhone service, which remotely erases phone data when the handset is lost or stolen.
 Use the Media Browser and PlayNow for fun and access to social networks and media files.
 There&#8217;s a-GPS, Google Maps and a cool 3.2megapixel camera.

The Sony Ericsson Green Heart phones include eco-friendly features that benefit the earth and help reduce CO2 emissions such as

 Recycled plastics
 E-manual in phone
 Free from hazardous chemicals
 Low power consumption charger (EP300 GreenHeart)
 Walk Mate eco application
 Green calculator
 Minimized packaging

Sony Ericsson Aspen will be available in selected markets from Q2 in Iconic Black and White Silver. You can also create your own phone booth with optional extra Bluetooth Noise Shield Handsfree VH700 and charge your phone the eco-friendly way with the Energy Saving Mini-Charger EP800.
[images via Sony Ericsson]
Post from: Blisstree
Sony Ericsson Releasing Green Smart Phone]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:50:19</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Animals Used in the Making of Avatar]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/animals-used-in-the-making-of-avatar/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Yes, theblockbuster movie &#8220;Avatar&#8221; used animals, but the animals weren&#8217;t used. They were treated nicely!
The film received American Humane&#8217;s highest rating &#8212; Monitored: Outstanding / No Animals Were Harmed.

American Humane applauds Avatar director James Cameron and the production for earning our highest rating by ensuring the safety of the animals used in the filming, said Karen Rosa, vice president of American Humanes Film &amp; TV Unit.
She added that PETA was apparently unaware that live animals were used in the film for motion capture.
How did the animals figure in with the making of &#8220;Avatar&#8221;?
So that movements and expressions could be captured, human performers in &#8220;Avatar&#8221; wore computerized motion sensors near their joints and facial areas. However, the animals had to be  captured differently due to their body shapes and fur.
Animals required a bit more preparation in order to record motion data. Trainers shaved small areas of fur or hair near joints and on the face. They also attached Velcro pads with white light-reflective balls to the shaved spots with a nontoxic, nonirritating silicone adhesive. Horses tails were wrapped in a sensor-laden material rather than being shaved.
American Humane explained that in scenes where horses appear to be near fire, trainers cued them to act skittish or afraid. The horses were never near fire or actually agitated. All adhesive and any other markings on the animals were washed off each evening after filming ended. American Humane strongly approves of CGI to increase animal safety during filming.
In situations where there may be dangerous animal action, the organization will &#8220;strongly encourage simulating the action through the use of computer-generated images (CGI), animatronics or fake animal doubles to minimize the risk of injury to animals, Rosa noted.
(Image credit: Newscom)
Post from: Blisstree
Animals Used in the Making of Avatar]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:25:16</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Donate for Free to Help Pets in Need]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/purina-one-tour-for-heroes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Are homeless animals heroes? I think so. It takes a lot of courage to be a pet without a home of your own, but you can help in a couple of ways during the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes, ending on February 26. During the tour, Purina ONE will be helping pets in need with adoption events and temporary food banks.
If the tour is in your area, please visit.
Upcoming stops include HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix on February 9, the Houston Humane Society on February 12 and the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale on February 16. Read the complete list of tour stops.
And, since Martha Stewart is assisting with the effort, you may also help from the comfort of your own home or office.
Visit MarthaStewart.com/pet-adoption and share the profile of your favorite adoptable pet with your Facebook friends! Simply use the handy search tool to find a cute dog or cat, then connect with Facebook with a click and add your own personalized message if you want.
For each profile shared, Purina ONE will donate $1 worth of food to pet food banks across the US to help feed pets in need. They&#8217;ll donate up to $50,000 worth of pet food if enough pet profiles are shared between January 15 and March 31, 2010.
Visit now to share a pet with your Facebook friends. It takes less than three minutes (unless, of course, you get caught up looking at all the sweet pets).
(Image via Purina ONE)
Post from: Blisstree
Donate for Free to Help Pets in Need]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:13:33</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Maternal Age Linked with Autism Risk]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/maternal-age-linked-with-autism-risk/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Researchers now say they&#8217;ve confirmed that maternal age is linked with a significantly elevated risk of autism in children. And the father&#8217;s age may not matter as much as previously thought.
The research from the University of California &#8211; Davis was published online today in the February issue of the journal Autism Research. The study is important since it&#8217;s one of the largest to quantify how each parent&#8217;s age (separately and together) impacts the risk of autism in children.

The risk of having a child with autism increased by 18% for each five-year increase in maternal age. This means that a mom aged 40 is 50% more likely to give birth to a child later diagnosed with autism than a mom aged 25 to 29 years.
Janie Shelton, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at UC Davis, said:
&#8220;This study challenges a current theory in autism epidemiology that identifies the father&#8217;s age as a key factor in increasing the risk of having a child with autism. It shows that while maternal age consistently increases the risk of autism, the father&#8217;s age only contributes an increased risk when the father is older and the mother is under 30 years old. Among mothers over 30, increases in the father&#8217;s age do not appear to further increase the risk of autism.&#8221;
Among the births to moms younger than 25, children fathered by a male more than 40 years old were twice as likely to develop autism compared to children whose father was between 25 and 29. However, for moms more than 30 years old, the increased risk of older dads went away.
For the study, researchers used e-records detailing all live births in California between January 1990 and December 1999. The records included both the maternal and paternal ages of parents. To find out which kids developed autism, researchers used records from the state Department of Developmental Services.
All said, the research included approximately 4.9 million births and 12,159 cases of autism.
Researchers aren&#8217;t yet sure why advanced age affects autism risk. Some theories include maternal antibodies to fetal brain protein or an accumulation of environmental chemicals in the body.
(Image via stock.xchng)
Post from: Blisstree
Maternal Age Linked with Autism Risk]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:42:20</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Sick Day Kit]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/sick-day-kit/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I dont care if it is a 50 year old man or a two year old girl, when someone gets a stomach virus, they just feel icky. When the weather is bad, or they start to feel sick at night, theres nothing worse than finding out that you are out of everything that can make your two year old (or spouse that is now acting like a two year old!) feel better. After about the tenth time I went for a bottle of ginger ale, only to find the cupboard was bare, I instituted a sick day kit, which is only to be touched when someone comes down with a virus. 
 
My kit includes:

Brand new trashcan from the dollar store and liners 
Box of tissues
Brand new DVD (I have a grown up sports related option and a kids cartoon option)
Freezer pops (Pedialyte version and junky fruit drink version)
Ginger ale
New stuffed toy (Not really appreciated by a sick grown up man, but it makes kids smile.)
Can of chicken soup
Saltines

Now, I know I always have what I need on hand if someone gets a virus, including a little treat to make all that time laying around feeling icky seem a little less awful. If a child is the one feeling ill, we do some sick day activities once he or she feels a little better.
Do you have a sick day kit?
Photo: SXC
Post from: Blisstree
Sick Day Kit]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:24:39</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[And the most recycled item of 2009 is?]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/and-the-most-recycled-item-of-2009-is/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Can you guess?
Earth911.com, one of my fave places to get recycling info, and a provider of the nations leading Local Recycling and Disposal Directory, just released the results of its 2009 Annual Recycling Report. They added up consumer searches at their site along with other data and came up with a list of the most recycled items.

THE WINNER: Electronics such as computers, batteries and televisions lead the way when it comes to recycling. According to Earth911, the top 10 products consumers looked to recycle in 2009 using Earth911s Database were:

Computers
Batteries
Televisions
Paint
Aluminum Cans
Used Motor Oil
CFLs
Glass
Fluorescent Lamps
Christmas Trees

Earth911, if you didn&#8217;t know, is a super handy resource if you want to recycle just about anything. You can head to their website and enter your zip code and the item you&#8217;d like to recycle, i.e. plastic #4, batteries, cell phones, and so much more, and the site will shoot you back drop-off sites and recycling services in your area. In fact Earth911 offers information on more than 117,000 recycling locations and recycling programs for more than 240 materials.
Other interesting points from the report:

Recycling searches grew by 12% in 2009 versus 2008, averaging almost 7,000 daily inquiries.
California &amp; Texas searched the most for recycling information on Earth911.com. That surprised me &#8211; Texas? You don&#8217;t think of them when you think of recycling. That&#8217;s cool though.
Money is the top factor preventing people from being more green. Which is lame IMO because it&#8217;s not expensive to live green. Accessibility to recycling and knowing how and what to recycle were the other major recycling problems people said they faced.

View the entire report (pdf). It&#8217;s an interesting read.
[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree
And the most recycled item of 2009 is&#8230;?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:47:45</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Valentines Day Dog Biscuits]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/valentines-day-dog-biscuits/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Humans aren&#8217;t the only ones who can have some special treats this Valentine&#8217;s Day &#8212; why not make a batch of your dog&#8217;s favorite homemade biscuits and dress them a bit, too?

These treats are easy as can be to make, and can easily be cut into cute little heart shapes after the dough has been rolled out. I like to leave the baking pan of biscuits in the oven for several hours after I&#8217;ve turned it off, and then keep the biscuits out on the counter for a few more hours after that to make sure they&#8217;re completely dried out before putting them in a container.
Valentine&#8217;s Day Dog Biscuits
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup beef broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup powdered milk
 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
 In a large bowl, stir together the cheese, oil, beef broth and garlic. 
 Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, cornmeal and powdered milk; stir into the cheese mixture until well blended. You may need to use your hand to properly blend the dough. 
 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the treats. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.
 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the treats are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
[image: flickr]
Post from: Blisstree
Valentine&#8217;s Day Dog Biscuits]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:46:11</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Are Your Youngsters Becoming Too Public?]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/are-your-youngsters-becoming-too-public/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Is privacy becoming an attitude of the past? Does the younger generation have a different version of privacy than yours?
When I see all these young people posting private messages and candid photos on social media outlets, I wonder if they realize what some of the ramifications can be. Often the information is what we would have whispered in secret to our best friend. Nowadays, it&#8217;s made public for all one&#8217;s friends and often friends of friends, which translates into strangers.In some cases, I&#8217;ve even seen parentscommenting on these private messages which seems to indicate they think it&#8217;s okay to go public (naked) before the world.
Do you think your youngsters are becoming too public? Do you know what they write on Twitter, Facebook and other similar venues? Do you know what family information they are giving out? Do you know who they are adding as friends and communicating with?
Mark Evans has agood article about this and the implications,Is There a Limit to Our PublicNess?
In general, most people don&#8217;t realize the ramifications of placing all your private information out for everyone to see. Perhaps we need to teach our youngsters more about privacy in regards to the information and photos they publish about their life and others.
What are your thoughts? 
(Gossip image: sxc.hu)
Post from: Blisstree
Are Your Youngsters Becoming Too Public?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:47:08</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Marijuana Likely No Help in Alzheimers]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/marijuana-likely-no-help-in-alzheimers/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Medicinal marijuana is finding its way into many areas of medicine. It&#8217;s a big help for some people with AIDS, providing them with a much-needed appetite. Marijuana is helpful for some people with cancer, helping them manage their side effects, and it&#8217;s also been found to help people with glaucoma, just to name a few.
There was hope that medicinal marijuana would provide help for people with Alzheimers because earlier animal studies had shown that marijuana could reduce the plaques in the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimers.
Although this new study, from the University of British Columbia, is also an animal study, it was done with mice, which are considered to be a better match for human studies, while the previous ones were done on rats.
The researcher used the same methods (giving doses of HU210, a synthetic form of the compounds found in marijuana) on the mice but the mice did not respond the same way, in fact, there was no improvement over the mice that did not receive HU210, and the mice who received even higher levels, lost brain cells.

Image: Newscom.com
Post from: Blisstree
Marijuana Likely No Help in Alzheimer&#8217;s]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:57:50</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Ideas For Expressing Yourself This V-Day]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/ideas-for-expressing-yourself-this-v-day/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I just read an article called &#8220;8 Tips For Renewing Your Relationship This Valentine&#8217;s Day&#8221; by couples therapist and educator Marty Babits, LCSW, BCD. Babits wrote a relationship advice book &#8220;The Power of The Middle Ground: A Couple&#8217;s Guide to Renewing Your Relationship&#8221; that is actually top on my list of relationship books to read right now. Ideas about balance and adaptation are the underlying themes throughout all of my articles about relationships, so I&#8217;m looking forward to finding out what this professional has to say about couples finding a middle ground.
In Babits&#8217; 8 Tips, I picked out my favorites that offer sweet and easy ideas that just ask you to take a few moments to look inside yourself and think about the feelings you have for your partner. Valentine&#8217;s Day might seem cheesy and silly, but if it&#8217;s the one time of year that you really force yourself to express yourself and get in touch with your relationship feelings, then it could be a very emotional and beneficial experience for your relationship.
Tip #1: Pick at lease three qualities about your partner that you love. Gift each one of these with something special. Examples: give her a CD by her favorite recording artist in celebration of whatever you consider to be her (or his) most appealing facial feature. Choose a clothing accessory that includes the color that you think best flatters your partner and celebrate the way they look in that color. Focus on the thought over the gift. If you can&#8217;t come up with gifts to match the qualities, then just find a special way to share the qualities that you have chosen.
Tip #2: Look your partner in the eye and tell them three things that you love about them. This sounds so simple, but if you were on the receiving end of this I truly feel that it would touch you emotionally and strengthen the bond between you and your partner. (This would be a tearjerker for me&#8230;)
Tip #3:  Think about something that you and your partner have had trouble coming to terms with in the past year. Give a commitment to improve your own ability to speak about the topic without blaming them. Tell your partner that you are going to accentuate understanding the issue from their point of view and that you are hoping to have fewer hurtful arguments this coming year. Arguments that come up again and again are tough and can make you doubt your ability to ever move forward. Recognize how important it is to put in extra effort in these areas.
You can find out more about Marty Babits and the &#8220;The Power of the Middle Ground&#8221; at www.powerofthemiddleground.com. I&#8217;ll post a review of the book when I read it!
Image: sxc.hu
Post from: Blisstree
Ideas For Expressing Yourself This V-Day]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:48</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Soft Drinks Up Pancreatic Risk]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/soft-drinks-up-pancreatic-risk/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pancreatic cancer is a serious, often rapidly fatal cancer that isn&#8217;t usually detected early enough for effective treatment. Although doctors don&#8217;t know how to prevent it, they do know that certain lifestyle issues contribute to the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, namely smoking and obesity. Now, we can add &#8220;soft drink consumption&#8221; to that list.
Your pancreas is a small organ that provides your body with insulin that helps you regulate the amount of sugar enters your blood stream. The more sugar you consume, the harder the pancreas has to work to release enough insulin. Of course, as with many things in life, if something is worked harder than it should be, something will go wrong, and body organs are no different.
Researchers who followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years found that people in the group who consumed an average of five drinks per week had an 87% higher risk compared with those who either didn&#8217;t drink that many soft drinks or didn&#8217;t drink them at all.
There are a few comments made by other researchers about this study, however. Although they could compare those in Singapore with consumers in the United States in terms of health care and disposable income, some scientists wonder if there were other factors in the Singapore subjects that may have increased their risk for pancreatic overall.
Whatever the final outcome, it is likely a good warning &#8211; our bodies are not meant to process such high amounts of sugar from soft drinks. Maybe cutting back isn&#8217;t a bad idea.

Image: PhotoXpress.com
Post from: Blisstree
Soft Drinks Up Pancreatic Risk]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:14:56</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Kumoi all-electric motorcycle concept is all elegance and simplicity]]></title>
      <link>http://m.ecofriend.org/entry/kumoi-all-electric-motorcycle-concept-is-all-elegance-and-simplicity/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Zero-emission motorcycle with an electric engine. 
	The brainchild of industrial designer Tian Lingrui, the Kumoi is what the world of today desperately needs. The Kumoi is an all-electric lightweight motorcycle that promises a zero-emission drive with great efficiency. The electric motorcycle is designed to offer an ergonomic ride at a fast speed.
	
	
	Boasting lightweight credentials, the Kumoi features a carbon fiber frame and a shell carved out using aluminum alloy. Unlike conventional motorcycles which carry the controls on the handlebar, the Kumoi is equipped with unique Speed Control Pedals. The wheels of the Kumoi will be made from steel and synthetic rubber will be used for improved traction.
	
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:01:47</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[M.O.E energy-conservation device appreciates your green efforts with a smile]]></title>
      <link>http://m.ecofriend.org/entry/moe-energy-conservation-device-smiles-on-your-green-efforts/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Concept device to monitor water and energy usage.
	Out of the many ways to save energy, being aware of ones extravagant use seems the most promising. Industrial designers havent left any stone unturned in designing energy monitoring devices that apart from maximizing conservation are appealing as well. The M.O.E. (Monitoring Our Energy) by industrial designer Liz McKibbon tries to encourage conservation by smiling or crying on your energy and water use.
	
	
	The device monitors water and energy use and is specifically targeted toward children. The M.O.E. features an LCD face and several LED indicators to designate different levels of use. If the LEDs are green the LCD face shows a smiling face, which gets sad and cries if the LEDs are red.
	
	The device can also be removed from its stationary base and connected to a computer to share your conservation efforts with other families around the country who are using the same device as well. 
	Via: One Yellow Bird
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:21:34</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[Gyre  A self-sufficient underwater tower to boost eco-tourism]]></title>
      <link>http://m.ecofriend.org/entry/gyre-a-self-sufficient-underwater-tower-to-boost-eco-tourism/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Floating development harvests solar, wind and tidal energy.
	Gyre by Zigloo is a conceptual floating development that has been designed as an underwater skyscraper. The development will bring scientists and vacationers together to understand the ocean, without polluting its delicate ecosystem. Peaking at a depth of 400m, the development will provide space for comfortable living and working environment, including space for shops, restaurants, gardens and recreation.
	
	
	The underwater tower will feature a double-hulled vortex that is covered in reinforced glass. The tower is essentially a layering of concentric rings that range in size from 30,000 square meters down to 600 square meters. With a total floor area of about 212,000 square meters, the Gyre will be an off-grid development, powered entirely by renewable energy.
	
	The Gyres unique design will allow the integration of systems to harvest renewable energy from wind, sun and tides. In addition to an array of vertical axis wind turbines, the Gyre will generate solar energy from windows with a glass printed array of solar cells. Moreover, underwater nacelles function both as tidal generators when the structure is anchored and as thrusters for propulsion. Rainwater is also harvested and mechanical systems and emergency freshwater storage basins are in the deepest portion of the structure.
	
	
	
	Via: Zigloo
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:01:44</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
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