Nutrition Basics

800 jobs heading to San Antonio

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:52:08 +0000

CPS Energy signed an agreement with the OIC to build solar energy solar panels and parts of power plants in the area, providing hundreds of jobs in the area.

SAN ANTONIO – Against a backdrop of a cloudless sky Wednesday morning, CPS Energy announced a new agreement with OCI Solar Power to build solar panel parts and power plants in the area, providing 400 megawatts of power a year in addition to adding hundreds of jobs to the area.

“It’s sunny today and I think that’s also a metaphor of where San Antonio is headed,” said mayor Julian Castro at a press conference at La Villita. “I believe that what we have in San Antonio right now is a city that believes in itself, that understands that it represents the new place and the new face of the the American dream that is growing, that is on the right track.”

The announcement comes nearly a year after CPS Energy began discussions to bring more renewable energy resources to the area. Initial plans called for 50 MW of power annually but the largest municipally-owned utility shot well beyond that mark.

“We got so much interest that we decided to step back and increase the stake to 400 (megawatts) and we went through a lot of great proposals,” said Doyle Beneby, CPS Energy’s President and CEO.

The agreement also gets the city closer to the SA2020 goal of 1,500 MW of renewable energy resources a year. OCI announced it… continue reading

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Pediatrician visits can be an opportunity for parents to stop smoking

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:16:56 +0000

Consultations with the pediatrician may be an opportunity for parents to initiate a program to quit smoking, this is could have a huge impact not only on their own health but the health of their children, experts say.

(Reuters Health) – About one out of every four parents with small children responds to interventions to help them quit smoking, which is slightly better than the one in five parents who would quit without any special help, according to a new study.

Researchers say the results should encourage pediatricians to take advantage of their frequent encounters with parents, and try to get them to start a smoking cessation program.

“Because (pediatricians) can make use of the teachable moment of a child’s vulnerability to tobacco smoke, they may provide added benefit to helping this group of smokers quit,” said lead author Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, a professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Winickoff and his colleagues combined the results of 18 different studies of smoking cessation programs aimed at more than 7,000 parents.

The studies included either medications, counseling or self-help materials, or some combination of the different approaches to quitting.

Most of the studies included an intervention in the hospital, a well-baby clinic or a pediatrician’s office.

The 18 studies followed parents for anywhere between several months and more than a year, and measured whether those who received the smoking interventions were more likely to quit than parents who didn’t get any additional… continue reading

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Winter Allergies

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:00:30 +0000

Allergies are sometime thought to only exist in the nice spring and summer months. However, the itchy eyes, runny nose, and sinus problems do not stop with the weather. In fact, a number of people report having worse winter allergies than in the nicer months of the year. Since there is no pollen during the winter months, these winter time allergies are caused by new factors that could be worse than any kind of spring time allergy that the person has every experienced and sometimes make life completely miserable.
For example, many people find that they are allergic to their Christmas trees. These people usually find that their sinuses begin to act up, they may sneeze, have itchy and watery eyes, a runny nose, and even a sore throat. Most of the times they simply chalk these symptoms up to a cold and they treat it as such, finding no relief with the symptoms. However, many times way they are experiencing are allergies due to the pine smell of the Christmas tree or mold that may be present on the tree. The only way to prevent this is to no longer use a real Christmas tree. Instead, purchase a fake Christmas tree. They are available in numerous sizes and colors, so you are sure to find one that fits your needs.
Another cause of winter allergies is mold in the house. During the winter time, we crank up the heat, which just invites moisture to enter into the house due to the frigid outdoor temperatures. When this happens, people begin to have headaches, sneezing, itchy eyes, and can sometimes turn into asthma. The best way to keep this from happening is to purchase a dehumidifier and run this during the time in which your house is most susceptible to mold. You may also want to consider seeking out those areas that have the mold and taking precautions to prevent the mold from occurring again.
Winter time allergies are a hassle to deal with and they come and one of the worst times of the year during holidays that are supposed to be spent with family and friends. However, if the allergies become to much, then you should seek medical advice in which you may be prescribed an allergy pill to help lessen the affects of these allergies. Though, for some people they do not work as well as they had hoped. Your real course of action is to find out what is causing the allergy in order to eliminate your symptoms completely.

Breastfeeding: An Option to Consider

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:59:43 +0000

There are many choices that a woman faces when she learns that she is pregnant. The most obvious choices is what colors to do the nursery and the best name to pick out when she finally learns if it is a boy or a girl. However, as the time gets closer, she will undoubtedly be wondering if she should feed her baby formula or opt to use breastfeeding. Both offer advantages and disadvantages, however, ultimately the choice is up to the woman and what she feels is the best option for her and her baby.
Formula has the benefit of being able to be made anywhere. Whereas, breastfeeding may require that you get a less public location so that you can breastfeed. In terms of health, both the formula and the breast milk are supposed to be riddled with the same minerals and vitamins, so this is usually not the deciding factor for most women.
Where breastfeeding does come in a step above formula feeding is the cost. On average the cost of formula is more than $14 for a canister. This canister will last for a few days, depending on your babies appetite. So some people find that they spend hundreds of dollars in formula in the span of a couple of months. Breast milk is free and is produced by the mother, so it does not cost anything more. For those that are on a tight budget, breast feeding could be the option that they choose simply because it is more cost efficient.
Secondly, breast feeding also creates a stronger bond with the mother and the baby. This is because the process of breast feeding is relaxing time for both the mother and the child, in which they get to have some quality time alone and they can bond. Many times those mothers who do not breast feed often complain that they do not have the bond that they see so many other mothers and their children have, the reason could be the lack of breast feeding.
Breast feeding has also been known to help the mother drop down her weigh to her before pregnancy size, however, this is not the case with all women. The important aspect to remember here is to make sure that you are doing what is the most comfortable thing for you and your child. If you believe that breast feeding is not right for you, then go with the formula. Many people will try to force your decision one way or another, however, it is your decision and yours alone.