Artichokes: A Fun, Quick & Healthy Veggie

Title:Artichokes: A Fun, Quick & Healthy VeggieWord Count:518Summary:If you're looking for something to liven up your meal, artichokes offer terrific, tasty solution.Keywords:Artichokes: A Fun, Quick & Healthy VeggieArticle Body:If you're looking for something to liven up your meal, artichokes offer a terrific, tasty solution.This culinary favorite is fun to eat, can be quick to prepare and completes a \"green serving\" ofthe 5 a Day the Color Way regimen.Besides being delicious, artichokes are naturally low in sodium and have no fat or cholesterol.They're a rich source of vitamin C, folate and dietary fiber.閑There are several ways to enjoy artichokes; they can be steamed, boiled, grilled, saut d orroasted. But for anyone who is short on time, artichokes have a speedy cooking time in themicrowave, making them a wonderful quick-meal solution.To Microwave: Place one rinsed and trimmed artichoke upside down in a glass bowl with 1/2cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon each of lemon juice and oil. Cover with plastic wrap and cook onhigh 7 to 10 minutes. Time can vary depending on size of artichoke.When shopping for artichokes, select ones that squeak with a squeeze of the leaves for freshnessand pick artichokes with thorned petals, as those varieties have a bigger, meatier heart. Just trimthe thorns with scissors when ready to prepare. The \"jumbo\"-sized artichoke is a culinaryfavorite and can be found in your local market throughout the year.Artichokes will keep for about a week in a plastic bag stored in your refrigerator. Their peakseasons are spring and fall, but new varieties developed by Ocean Mist are availableyear-round.

To eat, pull the base of each petal through your front teeth to strip off the \"meat,\" then discardthe rest. The artichoke's center \"heart\" is often considered the tastiest part and the prize of yourwork. The stem is an extension of the heart and also completely edible and delicious.Artichokes' sweet, mild flavor make them a marvelous partner for dips and sauces, such as thisquick-to-make Balsamic Mint Dressing.Artichokes with Balsamic Mint DressingRecipe courtesy of Ocean Mist4 extra large or jumbo artichokes1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup balsamic vinegar3 tablespoons honey1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperRinse artichokes under running water. Cut off stem and top quarter of artichoke. Trim tips ofpetals with kitchen scissors, if desired. Pour 3 inches of water in large pot. Add artichokes andsimmer, covered, until a petal pulls out easily, about 45 minutes, depending on size. Drainartichokes upside down on paper towels. Using a large spoon, scoop out and discard the softinner leaves and fuzzy choke. Arrange artichokes in serving bowl, cup side up. In a blender orfood processor, blend remaining ingredients. Pour balsamic honey mixture into the centers ofthe artichokes. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.Makes 8 shared appetizer servings.Nutrition Information per Serving: calories: 106, total fat: 3.5g, saturated fat: 0.5g, % ofcalories from fat: 26%, % of calories from saturated fat: 4%, protein: 4g, carbohydrates: 19g,cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 5g, sodium: 276mgNote to Editors: Eighty-seventh in a series of columns by Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D.,president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation. More stories at www.napsnet.com.Search: \"Pivonka.\"Title:Healthy Hair VitaminsWord Count:

472Summary:Find which specific vitamins a person should take in order to have healthy hair and prevent hairproblems.Keywords:vitamins, hair, healthArticle Body:There a number of different specific hair vitamins and minerals that can play a major role inhelping a person have a healthy head of hair. If a person does not have sufficient hair vitamins抯then the deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness in the most severe cases.The fact is that the state of a person hair reflects the overall condition of their body. Extrahair vitamins are likely to be needed if a person is generally unwell or is undernourished as theirhair will show damage too and may even stop growing.Some of the most important hair vitamins that a person needs to have healthy hair include B6,biotin, inositol and folic acid. The best way to ensure that a person receives enough of theseessential hair vitamins are for them to be taken as vitamin supplements. It is not just hairvitamins that are necessary for healthy hair though as there are a number of minerals that areessential, including magnesium, sulphur, silica and zinc.The most essential hair vitamin is vitamin a but the best form of this is to include in the diet isbeta-carotene. This is because the hair vitamin A can be toxic if consumed in large quantitiesbut beta-carotene has no such problems and is converted by the body into vitamin A that can beused to promote healthy hair. Of course, vitamin A is not just a hair vitamin, it is also neededfor a number of other functions including normal growth of bones, skin, nails and the protectivesheath surrounding nerve fibres.Protein is another essential hair vitamin. This is because hair itself is essentially protein. The抯amount of this hair vitamin that a person consumes in their diet can affect the hair directly. If alot of protein is included in a person diet then this hair vitamin will lead to improved hairgrowth and a far fuller head of hair. However, a person who has a diet that is lacking in this hairvitamin will suffer from thinning hair and slow hair growth.Of course, it is not just hair vitamins and minerals that are needed to ensure that a person hashealthy, strong hair. There are a number of researchers who have found that there are directlinks between the overall health of a person and the condition of their hair. If a person is under alot of stress or suffers from a lack of sleep then their hair is also likely to suffer and it is likelythat their diet will not provide enough hair vitamins to counter these effects. Hair vitamin andmineral supplements can be the solution to weak and damaged hair.Find information on <a href=\"http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/hair-loss.htm\">vitamins for hairloss</a>.

Title:Preschool Is Important For Healthy Child DevelopmentWord Count:388Summary:Preschool Activities And Games Help Create The Personality Of A ChildPreschool children should have a variety of different activities and games to encourage physicaland mental development. Young children by nature are easily distracted, having very littleattention span and any attempt to introduce them straight to academics will be met withfrustration and failure. On the other hand, they would embrace learning willingly and well ifimparted through fun and games.Ho...Keywords:Preschool ActivitesArticle Body:Preschool Activities And Games Help Create The Personality Of A ChildPreschool children should have a variety of different activities and games to encourage physicaland mental development. Young children by nature are easily distracted, having very littleattention span and any attempt to introduce them straight to academics will be met withfrustration and failure. On the other hand, they would embrace learning willingly and well ifimparted through fun and games.How important are fun and games in the process of learningChildren are born learners because they become curious about their surroundings as soon asthey can fix their eyesight. Haven't you noticed the curious eyes of a newborn looking at everyobject around their field of vision? All you may have to do is to turn that curiosity to actuallearning. Once they come to know that they have to learn to achieve something or even toplease those whom they love, they will do that on their own.There is nothing special about it. Children learn various things such as drinking from a cup,using a fork, using the potty, walking, talking by watching and copying. Teaching children byexample is a very practical way of guiding a child through a new task.Then there are other things that they learn like eating from a plate, not writing on the walls,keeping the toys in order, not breaking the toys, etc in order to receive a happy nod from peoplethey love and adore.Another type of learning children go through in their preschool activities and games involvestheir participation and taking turns. Take for example a lesson in spelling where they are askedto hunt for the right letter from a tray containing an assortment of letters, taking turns telling a

story.Preschool activities and games can make a world of difference to children in their learningprocess during school days. What they learn in these preschool days has a high retention value,and so the imprint stays for years and has an impact on personality and attitude. How receptivethey will be also depends on this.A recently conducted study on children who dropped out of school found that those that wentthrough preschool activities and games and encountered early socialization skills were lesslikely to become high school drop outs.