Wednesday, June 24, 2009

How to Fix the Air Conditioning in a Car

Air conditioner in car has become a necessity these days. It is very difficult to travel in a car without an AC in scorching heat. The car AC is very small and the designing and the functioning is completely different from that of the air conditioners used in offices and homes. There are two sides of an air conditioning system of a car, viz high side and low side. The compressor of the AC begins at the high side, and performs the functioning of the pump. The refrigerant is moved through the system with the help of the compressor. The expansion valve is there at the low side, which restricts the flow of refrigerant. This helps in reducing the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant.

The car air conditioner works almost like a refrigerator and has a multi-component piece of machinery. The warm air is removed from the car and the cool air is pushed inside the car. This helps in maintaining the temperature of the small space in the car, and moderates the area.

There may be times when the AC in the car stops working or does not give effective cooling. A repair is required at this stage. Each and every car is made of different design and model. But, the basic functioning of the AC in most of the cars is the same. The basic problems with the car air conditioner and the basic ways to fix the problems of car air conditioner have been listed below:

Absence of cool air and improper cooling are the signs of problems with respect to the car air conditioner.

In order to diagnose the problem with your car air conditioner, it is very important to have proper information and knowledge of the different parts of the car air conditioner. There are five components of the car AC viz the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, the refrigerant, and the dryer or evaporator.

It is very important to understand the functioning of all the parts so that the right action can be taken in case of any problem.

The refrigerant is pumped out through the compressor. The compressor acts as a power unit of the car air conditioner.

The condenser performs the function of changing the refrigerant to the liquid form.

The liquid formed through the condenser is converted into cold air with the help of the evaporator or the dryer.

There may be some pressure on the condensed refrigerant. This pressure is removed with the help of the expansion valve and moved into the evaporator.

In case of ineffective cooling, check the refrigerant for any kind of leakage. A fluorescent dye that is readily available at any auto part shop can be used to check the refrigerant. Autozone or NAPA can be used as the fluorescent dye.

The instructions given on the pack of the dye that you purchase should be followed completely and carefully. In most of the cases, the dye is added through the low pressure A/C recharge port that is found on the canister of the air conditioner of the car.

Use the U/V light to check for the leakage. In case of leakage of the refrigerant, the refilled kits can be bought from any auto supply store. These refilled kits are sealed and the replacement can be done by anyone at home.

In case this is not the problem, check for any kind of problem with the fuses, wires, and fan belts. The fuse may have turned bad. The wires might have broken, and the belts of the fan may have got damaged. All these problems may be creating trouble with the functioning of the pump. In case of any problem with any of these parts, get the parts replaced to ensure proper functioning of the car air conditioner.

The air conditioner should be tested after making any kind of repair done by you.

In case one has tried all the above methods to make the AC function properly, and even after replacing all the parts, the AC does not function properly, then there is a need to call a professional.


Find trustworthy Phoenix Air Conditioning and Scottsdale Air Conditioning services and repair.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What are the styles of a simple wedding dress

While many brides would love to have a dramatic wedding dress, there are others who are uncomfortable with too many embellishments and would like to opt for a simple wedding dress. The problem these days is that the styles that are in vogue have too much detailing. They call for a whole lot of embellishments, lace, sequins and flounces, which may not be what you as a bride would want. If this is the case you need to go for the classic, simple and elegant sort of wedding dress.

In the current economic slump it makes sense to keep it simple. Many brides prefer to keep their wedding dress simple, not because of any constraints but simply because they see themselves as simple women. Simple does not mean un-trendy but simple does mean devoid of any kind of fuss. The simple wedding dress need not be unfashionable or dowdy. Of course it will not be having detailing. It will avoid layering, flounces, frills, ribbons, beading, crystal work, embroidery or any other fancy stuff. But then, perhaps you would not like to walk down the aisle wearing something that looks like rolls of lace and sequins wrapped around your body. You can achieve a classic, understated and chic effect with the right cut of the dress and the right fabric.

A simple wedding dress can be classy, feminine and elegant. Modern fashion is all-encompassing. Today's bride can choose from a wide range of styles to select the dress that is perfect for her wedding day. A simple style does not have to be dowdy. It can lay stress on the fabric of the garment, the cut and the fall. It can play with texture and color for the perfect look.

The traditional wedding dress has been white in color. Over the years brides have experimented with the white color and used cream, egg-shell, ecru and pearl. However in the recent years, brides have also started using non-traditional colors like purple, pink, and others for their wedding dress. If you do not want to wear white, you have a range of colors to choose from.

If you do not want to spend too much on your wedding dress, you can get yourself a simple gown (a prom dress would also do) and invest the rest of your money on classy jewelery. After all jewelery is a great investment, and the dress is worn only once. The main point to remember here is that the entire ensemble should be balanced. The dress should be simple yet elegant and the jewelery adds the sparkle. So chose your jewelery for the occasion with care.

Select the style and cut of your simple wedding dress carefully. For a tall slim figure a sheath is wonderful. This also complements a petite figure. Simple Silhouette is a style that accentuates the curves and is very elegant. Select a neckline and other details to emphasize the accessories and jewelery.

If you have a perfect hourglass figure, it can be accentuated with a two piece and corset style of dress. It can be very simple, with clean unbroken line, accentuating the waist. The Empire wasted wedding dress is ideal for a bride who has a fuller waist. Again this style does not need any lace or flounces. Even the layering can be minimized or done away with. This can be worn with heavy jewelery that takes away the attention from the body shape.

For a pear shaped figure, the A-line cut is a wonderful way to camouflage the full hips. It is figure hugging at the waist and bust and flows in simple lines over the lower body. Of course, you can browse the design catalog for the best way to style it. It can be with sleeves or with noodle straps. It could also be backless. You will be the best judge of the design suitable for you.

There is a wide array of fabrics to choose from. Select a fabric that is best suited for the style of your dream dress, keeping in mind the fact that you have chosen not to embellish it in any way. Silk is the traditional choice of brides. It is natural, strong and durable and has a shine. Silk today is woven with other materials to give you a wide variety of fabrics like duchess satin, shantung, Carmelle etc. You could also use velvet, Georgette, taffeta or even chiffon for your simple wedding dress. Keep in mind that the design of the dress is simple so the fabric and cut should be perfect to emphasize your beauty.


Bridal Online Store offers the most selection and best prices for wedding dresses and beach wedding dresses.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Best Protein Sources for Vegetarians

Proteins are very necessary for human's health. The muscles of the body, hair, fingernails and many other body parts are made up of partially or wholly of protein. It is the common belief of the person that that the main source of proteins are only the non-vegetarian food substances. They think that vegetarian food normally lacks in protein. Now the question emerges, is their belief right? Well you can get the answer of this question by your own while reading this article on vegetarian protein food.

It is a fact that vegetarian food stuffs are also best in providing proteins and that too in high quantity. It is even revealed out of several surveys that those who are vegetarian are more healthy and fit as compared to those who are not. The only important thing to keep in mind is that the healthy vegetarian should take care to have adequate amount of protein in his diet for sure. It is worth to state that vegans require having more sensitivity regarding their body's protein requirements.

Here is a list of pure vegetarian protein food stuffs for vegans:

Spirulina:

It is rare and pure vegetarian complete protein that contains all essential amino-acids. It is 85-95 percent digestible and easy for body to assimilate and digest. You can enjoy spirulina in dressing or smoothies.

Bee pollen:

Bee pollen has approximately 40 percent of proteins and packed with vital vitamins and minerals. It is count as nature's super nourishing vegetarian protein food. Bee pollen has more proteins as compared to any other animal sources like beef, eggs, meat etc.

Soy products:

Cooked soybeans (1/2 cup) have 10 grams of proteins and tofu (1/4 cup) also contains same quantity of proteins. Soy products are involved in small quantum in Asian diets while they are completely new for west. Select best quality of organic tofu as well as unsweetened soy milks. Fermented products of soy are very easy to digest.

Legumes and Beans:

Cooked chickpeas (2/3 cup) have 10 grams proteins. Incomplete proteins are present in beans. This means you can make them healthier by cooking them with other protein rich vegetables. Eating grains and beans together is classic combination that provides complete proteins.

Dairy:

Dairy products are very rich in proteins. Raw milk straight from the cow has very high content of proteins. Thus, raw organic as well as fermented milk food products are far better than homogenized and pasteurized milk.

Process of homogenization breaks milk into very smaller particles. These particles cause lactose intolerance. Pasteurization mainly sanitizes milk but also kills its goodness too. The enzymes present in raw milk help in digestion.

However, if you have treated organic-milk as a last option then do not worry. Here are some guidelines to make proteins present in homogenized and pasteurized milk more digestible.

Eat yoghurt.

Warm the milk with some digestive spices like cinnamon, ginger and cardamom.

Cottage cheese would become more digestible when it added with little yoghurt.

Try sheep and goat products.

Protein powder:

Whey protein-powders are processed proteins. However, smoothie protein-powder is very fine to take as occasional snack or in breakfast. Quality is key factor for complete health. So, from above vegetarian protein food stuffs you can get high quality protein. If you require more proteins then switch towards several other things available as well. It is not that the above mentioned are only the protein rich vegetarian food. In addition there are several other sorts of vegetarian foods available that can provide you with right quantity of protein. Some other sorts of choices that are available for you are bee pollen, legumes, spirulina etc. Hence, from the above food stuffs you can have rich protein diet without any non-vegetarian food.

In addition, if you are concerned with the cost aspect, then too you need not to worry at all. It is so because if you would go for such sorts of foods then the best part is that you would get vegetarian food cheaper as compared to the non vegetarian food. So what's the deal in not going for vegetarian protein food? Also you are not required to worry about various problems or diseases than can happen because of eating poor quality non vegetarian food.

Being vegan is itself a special and better choice. Thus, take high protein containing vegetables and fruits in your diet with other vegetarian protein food in order to have protein as per your physical requirements.


LiveLeanToday.com offers great value on ephedra diet pills, protein powders, and more.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Basics to Protein Powder Supplementing

You may have heard a lot about protein powder, but you may not know exactly what it is or the benefits that it has on your body. Protein powder is one of the best sources of healthy, lean protein that you can find and it can help in your weight loss efforts. A lot of athletes use it to help bulk up for competitions or events and some use it as a substitute for eating a lot of higher fat and higher calorie foods. Using protein particles is a way to help guarantee an adequate amount of protein to take in.

Protein concentrate is a way of making sure that your body has the raw resources that it needs to be able to function properly and build lean muscle. Most protein powder is virtually tasteless and flavorless and several people like to blend it with other foods or beverages in order to be able to ingest it. Protein powder can be easily mixed with milk or soy milk to make powerful protein shakes and can come in different flavors to help you enjoy the taste better and still be able to get all of the benefits of protein powder.

You may have not been aware that protein powder comes in different kinds and forms and they are all not alike. It is up to you to decide which one is best for your body, which one tastes the best and which one is the easiest for your body to digest. Protein powder is one of the most popular supplements for weight trainers and body builders. A lot of athletes and body builders choose whey protein powder as their favorite source for protein. Whey protein powder is generally one of the easiest to digest of the supplements and is agreeable with most people who try it. Other types of protein powder are casein, soy, salmon, help, egg white and also a cranberry protein powder.

If you are looking for a protein powder that includes a couple different kinds of proteins in it, there are some available that combine different sources such as whey and casein and are very popular because of the way the body digests the protein that is in them and for the taste and texture. If you are prone to having food allergies to certain food like lactose or aspartame, there are soy protein powders and egg white protein powder that are much easier to digest and will not be likely to upset your stomach as ones that have cow milk or lactose as an ingredient.

You may need to try different kinds of protein powder until you find the one that is best suited for you. You may want to try mixing the protein powder with different beverages or making a smoothie with it if you have problems handling the taste. They are available in most health food stores and a lot of grocery stores that carry sport nutrition products. They can range in price greatly, and depending on your individual needs for the protein powder, some may be more affordable than other.

It also depends on what reason you are taking the protein powder and how much you are consuming every day. If you are taking a protein powder supplement because you are only trying to increase your protein intake without having to consume a lot of protein food, you may want to buy a smaller container of protein powder to ensure that it stays fresh. If you are doing weight training, or preparing for a competition or body building you may want to buy the protein powder in bulk to help you save some money. Most stores carry a variety of sizes and brands of protein powder, and it is advisable to try a small container of one kind first to make sure that it works for you and that you are able to properly digest it. If you are looking for one of the most widely used and available sources of protein powder, whey protein powder is usually available almost everywhere where nutritional supplements are sold, and you are likely to find the most variety with whey protein. It is one of the best sources of protein and comes in different brands and is one of the best ways to directly deliver powerful protein right to the source and help you to build lean muscles without giving you the high fat intake or high calories and cholesterol that you can get from eating other kinds of protein rich foods.


LiveLeanToday.com offers discount prices and a large selection of whey protein powders, egg protein powders, and more.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

What is Organic Coffee and how is it Grown

Organic is a new word used in the context of coffee, tea, cocoa and other food materials in recent times around local shops and super markets. Every year the word is being used by buying public more than the previous year and its use is growing year after year resulting in higher sale proportion of tea or coffee marked as 100% organically grown.

What is organically grown?

To simply put it, organic farming methods leave least or no harmful impact on the surrounding environment. Organic agricultural production systems are mostly traditional methods evolved through learning from nature. In the organic farming methods no synthetic chemical fertilizer or pesticide is used. So that organic production means natural, pure and healthy.

How coffee grows in nature

The coffee plant does not need much direct sun light and so it grows under the shade of large trees. The ground is never sprayed with any chemical insecticide or fertilizer and so the ground water remains pure and uncontaminated. From the canopy of trees leaves fall steadily and the ground is covered by fallen leaves layer on layer. The layers of fallen leaves work as a blanket and protect the moisture of the ground. The moisture in turn help the process of compost to turn the bottom layers of leaves into natural manure to nourish the land.

The thick foliage of shade trees over the coffee bushes house many varieties of birds and also attracts the migratory birds. The birds live on small insects and pests. So they work as natural pest controllers and keep the coffee plants healthy.

The coffee that grows in the shade of other local trees become original and pure in taste and flavor Organic Coffee.

The proposed plantation site is selected carefully. And if the site was being used to grow some other crop using chemical fertilizer or chemical insecticides, then a minimum period of three years are given as conversion years for the proposed site to get over the effects of the harmful chemicals.

After the conversion years coffee bushes are planted along with local shade trees. Care is given equally to the coffee bushes and shade trees and effort is put in to leave bird population to grow undisturbed.

The fallen leaves are left undisturbed to convert into manure to nourish the land and keep it fertile. The bird population effectively controls the pests and harmful insect and protects the coffee bushes. And finally for decaffeinating, approved processes are employed including the Swiss Water process. The coffee thus produced is organic coffee.

Organic vs. commercial production

Organic production methods along with producing coffee intend to protect environment. In this process of growing coffee, more and more trees are grown due to that local biodiversity is achieved. In this method, soil fertility and nutrients are sustained. No chemical pollution is created to harm the human health.

In contrast in commercial profit oriented method of growing coffee, the trees are felled and the cumulative effect is deforestation. Deforestation leads to soil erosion and severe depletion. The commercial grower cuts trees to allow direct sun light which increases production. As there are no birds to control pests and due to the absence of trees and its natural manure, farmers are forced to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides severely harming the environment.

Organic coffee - lifeline of future

Organic production process is eco friendly and helps to repair the environment spoilt by the greedy profit oriented approach of commercial growers of coffee through growing more and more shade trees.

Protecting environment locally helps to enhance the eco system. Rejuvenation and eco system alone can help the planet from disaster and help to sustain life on this planet.

Organic coffee is our responsibility, almost a human duty and life line to healthy future of mankind.


Naturesorganicmarket.com offers low prices on organic coffee, organic baby clothes, and more.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Stop Gaining Fat by Zero Carb Cravings

Do you ever find that you're feeling really hungry and craving sugary food? If there's anything sweet in sight, you just can't control yourself. That piece of cake just looks so good. It's because of feelings like these that some people think that carbohydrates aren't good for them. They think that the key to losing weight is to avoid carbs. But actually, Americans have gotten fatter since low carb diets came on the scene. Today, over 60% of Americans are overweight or obese.

If you find yourself craving carbs it doesn't mean that carbs are bad for you. Cravings are our body's way of telling us that it's missing something. In Americans, the cravings are often associated with one of two things: the American custom of eating three meals a day, or low calorie diets.

If you eat three large meals a day, you're probably eating more at each meal than your body can handle. Even if you're eating nutritious foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals or lean meat, if you give your body more calories than it can use at the time they will be stored as fat.

When you eat, your body releases insulin to process the sugars in your bloodstream. Any sugar that isn't required at the time is stored in your fat cells. Once the insulin is released, it keeps on doing its job until all the sugar has been processed. At this stage, the levels of both sugar and insulin in your blood will be very low. If this happens, you can be left feeling tired and irritable. This is why, if you have a large lunch and then don't have another meal until that night, you start feeling hungry around mid-afternoon.

This mid-afternoon hunger and tiredness is your body telling you that it needs more fuel to keep it functioning. Remember, there's no sugar in your bloodstream at this stage because the insulin has already processed it all and sent it to your fat cells. So you start to crave foods with lots of sugar because this is what your body desperately needs. If you give in to your cravings, your body then releases lots of insulin again to process the sugars and the cycle of highs and lows of blood sugar continues.

Maybe you managed not to give in to your cravings and didn't have anything to eat between lunch and dinner. Your body still needed energy so where did it come from? If there's no other source, your body will convert muscle tissue to sugar to use as energy. The end result of this is that your metabolism will become slower. Your body will become accustomed to burning fewer calories and you will build up more fat. This is what happens if you are on a low calorie diet.

So back to the two reasons you crave carbs that were mentioned earlier. If you're eating just three meals a day you are constantly putting your body through a series of sugar and insulin peaks and troughs and not providing it with a constant supply of fuel to convert to energy. And if you're on a low calorie diet, you're forcing it to find fuel from your muscles and slowing your metabolism.

So what's the solution? If you eat more regularly and have five small, nutritious meals throughout the day, you will keep up the fuel supply to your body. You won't go through periods of hypoglycaemia (which is when you have used all the sugar in your bloodstream) and you won't need to draw on your muscles to provide the sugar you need. Once you get into the habit of eating this way, you'll find that your cravings for carbs are a thing of the past.


LiveLeanToday.com offers discount prices on Hyperdrive 3.0, ephedra diet pills, and more.

Monday, April 13, 2009

What is Organic Farming and is it Important

Organic farming is a broad concept with extreme application. It is well appreciated on a large scale by the people as now with the help of it they can easily grow their own food. If you have a little bit of free time with you then you need not to face any kind of problem. You can prepare and serve good quality delicious food by doing organic farming at your home.

It is not true that organic farming is practiced at a small scale only. By having a trip of farming sector you can easily understand how much vast this sector actually is. This is not the case some time before. Few years back it was not a highly thriving and demanding sector but now the case has totally changed. It is now not limited to a small scale industry as day by day more corporate sectors are taking interest in this field. Large corporate farming is taking keen interest in the concept of organic farming. Continuous research is going on to find out the way by which huge fields of a single crop can be grown. No one can deny the fact that in the process of organic farming, pests are believed to be the major threat. Due to harmful impact on the biodiversity unnatural pesticides are not much preferred to use.

If you are going for the natural pesticides for controlling the pests then it is certainly an eco friendly approach but believed to be much expensive in contrast to unnatural ones. Some time before, due to expensive nature they were not much preferred in the process of organic farming. After the entrance of large scale industries with huge budget this can be achieved now very easily. Natural pesticides can be a good option when it is about the large scale organic farming but if you are going for it at your home or at a small scale in a separate piece of land then it is advisable to look for any other good option. This is because like other kinds of farming organic farming also requires the process of sowing, cultivating and harvesting. If you do not have proper arrangement of water for the purpose of irrigation then you require depending largely on the rain water. If you are concluding the process of organic farming at your home then irrigation is not a big issue but even at a small scale proper arrangement of water is very essential. If you do not have a huge budget with you then it can be a difficult work for you. You require investing a good amount on purchase of seeds, irrigation, fertilizers, harvesting, etc.

There is much debate till now on the use of unnatural pesticides in the process of organic farming. Several environmentalists and consumer protection organization have claimed that the use of unnatural pesticides not only damage the environment but also have an adverse impact on the quality of food. For killing the insects and pests these pesticides are used but they are not considered helpful after sometime. It is so because these insects as well as the pests easily get adapted to the effects of the chemicals involved in them and so these pesticides looses their worth. Sooner or later it damages the health of the final consumer who without knowing consumes a large amount of lethal chemicals and synthesized materials along with the natural food. Thus it is injurious for the health of the human being as well.

Thus there are several ways by which you can have your favorite vegetables as well as fruits and that too with the help of inorganic as well as organic farming. As there are several pros as well as cons of both it is up to you to decide the one that is best for you. You can make use of organic farming to turn your dreams into reality and the best part is it is already benefiting millions of people so you are not at all required to worry for it as well.


NaturesOrganicMarket.com offers discount prices on organic baby clothes, organic coffee, and more.