By Ed Hazel
In today’s world of high tech medicine you would think that getting a good nights sleep would be the easiest thing in the world, but rarely is that the case many people have a hard time drifting off to sleep while others seem to zone out when their head hits the pillow they are the lucky ones. The rest of us may have to suffer with tossing and turning for several hours before finally drifting off to sleep. There are some basic dos and don’ts that can aid must of us in falling to sleep faster and getting better nights sleep.
First off you really need to watch what you consume not only just prior going to bed but even what you had for lunch can affect some people. Believe it or not the effects of caffeine may stay in your body for up to twelve hours, which is a little ironic that coke or cup of coffee that keeps you going in the middle of the afternoon may well be what is keeping you up at night causing you to be tired needing that caffeine in the afternoon it is a vicious cycle you may want to try and stay away from caffeinated drinks after lunch to try and see if you can fall asleep faster.
The atmosphere of your bedroom also can hinder your ability to get a restful night sleep. If at all possible do not have your home office in your bedroom it is a good idea to limit your bedroom for sleep. Keeping the computer and television out of the bedroom will help limit distractions and after awhile you will get accustomed to the fact that this room is for sleeping not thinking about work or what you have to do tommorrow.
That last cigarette or that smoking that good cigar prior to going to bed will also have and adverse effect on your ability to fall asleep and having a glass of wine or other alcoholic drink can have a negative effect even though alcohol is a depressant in a few hour the alcohol can cause you to wake up and toss and turn in the night.
So what does work well some foods and drinks can help you fall asleep faster the food that help contain L-tryptophan which is an amino acid that most doctors believe helps with sleep milk is one good source of L-tryptophan so maybe warm milk is a good idea. Other foods that contain tryptophan are poultry such as chicken and especially turkey so a great bedtime snack would be a turkey sandwich and a glass of milk give it a try it may work for you.
One aspect of waking up feeling refreshed is actually sleeping through the night. Try to eliminate as many obstacles that stand in the way of sleeping soundly does your dog or cat feel the need to share the bed with you? Do they wake you up during the night? If so you may want to train them to sleep someplace else. Don’t set the alarm extra early just so you can hit the snooze button it is far better to sleep for a longer period than in short cat naps.
Thomas Oak writes articles for http://www.pegandrail.com. If you are looking for our high quality wall mounted coat racks or to see our Oak, Cherry or Maple coat hooks please stop in for a visit.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Pet Food Recall - Are Our Dogs Safe?
By Kathy Coffey
Recipes for homemade dog foods are popping up all over. More and more pet owners are deciding to make their own homemade dog foods. The pet food recall list is growing by the week. The food that you are feeding your beloved dog that is safe today, may not be tomorrow. Pet owners are in a panic trying to keep their best friend safe…and rightfully so.
The Secrets of the Pet Food industry are coming to light.
Chinese suppliers of animal feed have admitted that for years they have been spiking shipments to pet food companies in the US to make it appear as though the food was a high protein quality product. Before Melamine, there was Urea, another Nitrogen-based chemical that was used until it started making animals sick, then it was quitely discontinued.
Guarding against contaminated products being imported has become quite a problem. According to the Commerce Department, the pet food industry now imports 7 times the amount of animal feed it did in 2000. Wheat gluten and rice protein come in the form of a powder and chemicals like melamine can easily be mixed in (whether intentional or unintentional) and not be detected by the FDA because they are not on its battery of tests.
The FDA oversees a tillion dollars worth of products annually, this includes about half of all imports. The agency regulates about 25% of every dollar that is spent by American consumers annually, so it is impossible for the agency to inspect more than a fraction of all imports. About 99% of all food imports are not inspected.
This massive pet food recall has not only brought to light safety issues with our dog food supply but also quality issues. Little was known about Wheat gluten and rice protein until the recent pet food recall. Now they are everyday words. People have been researching to find out just what they are…and the results are eye-opening.
The chunky bits that we thought were meat in our beloved dog’s food we find out are actually wheat gluten, a totally meatless product. Rice Protein is another meatless additive to increase the protein levels in the pet foods. Which leads us to ask just how much meat are our carnivores getting.
A healthy dog’s diet consists of 40% meat, 30% protein and 30% starch. It appears that the majority of the pet food products on the market today consist mostly of cheap cereal fillers. Even many of the so called “premium brands” were not immune from the pet food recalls as they also contained wheat gluten and rice protein.
The meat-by-products that are used in these commercial recipes are animal scraps that the FDA has deemed “unfit for human consumption” these include heads, feet, intestines, lungs, spleens, ligaments, and other scary parts. Even when the recipe consists of meat, for the most part, it is scrap meat like backs and necks.
Several companies that got its pet food from one of the manufacturers have said that the rice protein that was included in the recipes for their dog food was without their knowledge or consent (the manufacturer has denied this). How do we know who's telling the truth? Many of us were under the assumption that all of the ingredients for the recipe had to be listed on the package. What else are in the commercial dog food recipes that we don’t know about?
Lawmakers are hurrying to change things but everyone knows that takes time. So in the mean time what should you do? The choice is one that every one of us is going to have to make. You can take your chances; you can turn to an even higher priced organic or natural pet food; or you can turn to your own kitchen and use recipes for homemade cat and dog foods. After all, how difficult can it be to feed your pet a well balance diet? We manage to do it for our children everyday.
For more information on the pet food recall: http://petfoodrecall-dogs.blogspot.com/ For more information and other interesting ebooks: http://pipelinebooks.com/
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Recipes for homemade dog foods are popping up all over. More and more pet owners are deciding to make their own homemade dog foods. The pet food recall list is growing by the week. The food that you are feeding your beloved dog that is safe today, may not be tomorrow. Pet owners are in a panic trying to keep their best friend safe…and rightfully so.
The Secrets of the Pet Food industry are coming to light.
Chinese suppliers of animal feed have admitted that for years they have been spiking shipments to pet food companies in the US to make it appear as though the food was a high protein quality product. Before Melamine, there was Urea, another Nitrogen-based chemical that was used until it started making animals sick, then it was quitely discontinued.
Guarding against contaminated products being imported has become quite a problem. According to the Commerce Department, the pet food industry now imports 7 times the amount of animal feed it did in 2000. Wheat gluten and rice protein come in the form of a powder and chemicals like melamine can easily be mixed in (whether intentional or unintentional) and not be detected by the FDA because they are not on its battery of tests.
The FDA oversees a tillion dollars worth of products annually, this includes about half of all imports. The agency regulates about 25% of every dollar that is spent by American consumers annually, so it is impossible for the agency to inspect more than a fraction of all imports. About 99% of all food imports are not inspected.
This massive pet food recall has not only brought to light safety issues with our dog food supply but also quality issues. Little was known about Wheat gluten and rice protein until the recent pet food recall. Now they are everyday words. People have been researching to find out just what they are…and the results are eye-opening.
The chunky bits that we thought were meat in our beloved dog’s food we find out are actually wheat gluten, a totally meatless product. Rice Protein is another meatless additive to increase the protein levels in the pet foods. Which leads us to ask just how much meat are our carnivores getting.
A healthy dog’s diet consists of 40% meat, 30% protein and 30% starch. It appears that the majority of the pet food products on the market today consist mostly of cheap cereal fillers. Even many of the so called “premium brands” were not immune from the pet food recalls as they also contained wheat gluten and rice protein.
The meat-by-products that are used in these commercial recipes are animal scraps that the FDA has deemed “unfit for human consumption” these include heads, feet, intestines, lungs, spleens, ligaments, and other scary parts. Even when the recipe consists of meat, for the most part, it is scrap meat like backs and necks.
Several companies that got its pet food from one of the manufacturers have said that the rice protein that was included in the recipes for their dog food was without their knowledge or consent (the manufacturer has denied this). How do we know who's telling the truth? Many of us were under the assumption that all of the ingredients for the recipe had to be listed on the package. What else are in the commercial dog food recipes that we don’t know about?
Lawmakers are hurrying to change things but everyone knows that takes time. So in the mean time what should you do? The choice is one that every one of us is going to have to make. You can take your chances; you can turn to an even higher priced organic or natural pet food; or you can turn to your own kitchen and use recipes for homemade cat and dog foods. After all, how difficult can it be to feed your pet a well balance diet? We manage to do it for our children everyday.
For more information on the pet food recall: http://petfoodrecall-dogs.blogspot.com/ For more information and other interesting ebooks: http://pipelinebooks.com/
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Litter Boxes For Cats
By Charley Hwang
As the market for pets is expanding, there are more and more choices available for pet owners now, and instead of plain cardboard litter boxes, there are various selections one can choose from for his cat. Litter boxes now range from old dishpans to used cardboards, or some store-stocked expensive products that you may find interesting.
Here are some choices of litter box you may consider:
a) Cardboard boxes. These are easy to obtain, and they’re disposable, which is inexpensive and ideal, although not a very reliable long-term solution. Cardboard litter boxes are popular with pet stores, animal shelters and breeders, but perhaps choosing something more lasting and sturdy would be a better idea.
b) Plastic pans. There are a large variety of plastic pans in ranges of shapes and sizes available that will be a better litter box for your cat. These pans are affordable and are easily obtained, as they can be bought in most household supply stores. There are shallow ones or deep ones, depending on your cat’s needs. Be certain to choose a pan that scrubs off easily, as plastic pans are not supposed to be disposable. However, if you do not prefer to clean the pans, you may find cardboard boxes a better idea.
c) Covered Litter Box Pans. Although not the smartest option, this choice is also worth consideration. Covered pans manufacturers claim that having a lid on the litter box will prevent children and smaller pets from accessing the litter box as well as keep the house from stinking. Although it carries some truth, some pet owners are liable to forget to clean the box as often, as they cannot smell the cat’s poop due to the lid of the pan. As a result, the cat will be forced to use a dirty and smelly litter box. Therefore, if a covered pan is your preferred choice of litter box for your cat, do remember to clean it more frequently than you would a non-covered litter box.
d) Self-cleaning litter box pans. Let’s face it, the worse part about being a pet owner is to clean up after the pet after it answered nature’s call. However, technology has allowed the invention of a “self-cleaning” litter box. Pet product manufacturers have found an almost hands-free solution. Some self-cleaning boxes come with inserts which you have to dispose of and replace with another. Others may have a rollover collector that captures the cat poop while the clean granules remain on the pan. The collector is then removed and disposed of while more granules are added if necessary.
For more information on Cat Litter Boxes or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/4-types-of-cat-litter-boxes-you-can-choose-from/, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
As the market for pets is expanding, there are more and more choices available for pet owners now, and instead of plain cardboard litter boxes, there are various selections one can choose from for his cat. Litter boxes now range from old dishpans to used cardboards, or some store-stocked expensive products that you may find interesting.
Here are some choices of litter box you may consider:
a) Cardboard boxes. These are easy to obtain, and they’re disposable, which is inexpensive and ideal, although not a very reliable long-term solution. Cardboard litter boxes are popular with pet stores, animal shelters and breeders, but perhaps choosing something more lasting and sturdy would be a better idea.
b) Plastic pans. There are a large variety of plastic pans in ranges of shapes and sizes available that will be a better litter box for your cat. These pans are affordable and are easily obtained, as they can be bought in most household supply stores. There are shallow ones or deep ones, depending on your cat’s needs. Be certain to choose a pan that scrubs off easily, as plastic pans are not supposed to be disposable. However, if you do not prefer to clean the pans, you may find cardboard boxes a better idea.
c) Covered Litter Box Pans. Although not the smartest option, this choice is also worth consideration. Covered pans manufacturers claim that having a lid on the litter box will prevent children and smaller pets from accessing the litter box as well as keep the house from stinking. Although it carries some truth, some pet owners are liable to forget to clean the box as often, as they cannot smell the cat’s poop due to the lid of the pan. As a result, the cat will be forced to use a dirty and smelly litter box. Therefore, if a covered pan is your preferred choice of litter box for your cat, do remember to clean it more frequently than you would a non-covered litter box.
d) Self-cleaning litter box pans. Let’s face it, the worse part about being a pet owner is to clean up after the pet after it answered nature’s call. However, technology has allowed the invention of a “self-cleaning” litter box. Pet product manufacturers have found an almost hands-free solution. Some self-cleaning boxes come with inserts which you have to dispose of and replace with another. Others may have a rollover collector that captures the cat poop while the clean granules remain on the pan. The collector is then removed and disposed of while more granules are added if necessary.
For more information on Cat Litter Boxes or visit http://www.siamesecatsinfo.com/4-types-of-cat-litter-boxes-you-can-choose-from/, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com