Puppies and Worms

If you have a puppy you may need to deal with an annoying, but very normal, problem - worms. These nasty little parasites set up residence inside your precious puppy, usually in the digestive system but sometimes (and more dangerously) they can invade other organs such as the heart. Having worms can cause all kinds of problems for a puppy, ranging from vomiting to more serious illnesses such as anemia or possibly even death. Although they can be worrying, treating puppy worms is fairly straightforward and generally very effective. There are 5 main types of worms that are usually seen, these are

Roundworms

Roundworms are the most common kind of puppy worms and many puppies are born with them as an infected mother dog can pass them onto her puppies' in-utero. They can sometimes be seen in your puppy's feces, and are most often transmitted through contact with the worm eggs or larvae in the contaminated stools.

Roundworms can be passed onto humans, and children are most at risk as they tend to play close to the ground where they can come into contact with infected soil, grass or even the feces themselves. A child's tendency to put their hands in their mouth, and to be less stringent about personal hygiene makes them an easy target.

A fecal exam performed by your veterinarian can detect the presence of roundworms, and appropriate medications usually cure the problem fairly quickly.

Tapeworms

The most common type of tapeworm is spread by fleas. You can often see tapeworms (or segments of them) in your puppy's feces. They look like small grains of Rice and are white in color. They are generally not easily transmitted to humans but good hygiene is still important.

In addition to any medication your veterinarian may prescribe to treat a tapeworm problem, using a regular, monthly flea and tick preventative is a good way to avoid an recurrence of the infestation.

Whipworms

Whipworms may be more common that generally thought, but they are difficult to detect. If your pup has these parasites he may show few symptoms early on, but regular (and often repeated) fecal exams are necessary to make sure he's whipworm-free and to head off any future problems.

Hookworms

The hookworm is a very, very tiny but still pretty nasty little puppy worm. They do best in warm, moist soil and actually penetrate through your puppy's skin and then travel to his intestines.

Humans can also pick up hookworms in the same way, so it's best not to run around barefoot if your puppy has hookworms. A fecal exam and the appropriate medication is the answer to a hookworm infestation.

Heartworms

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and they're the most deadly of the puppy worms. Heartworms (as their name suggests), take up residence in your puppy's heart and can cause serious health problems. If a heartworm problem is left untreated, it's quite possible that the puppy or dog will die.

A preventative medication (such as Heartgard), given regularly in strongly recommended as treatment for heartworms is long, complicated, expensive and not always successful.

If you have a new puppy be sure to have your veterinarian give him, or her, a fecal exam to check for worms at his first check-up. If at anytime you notice worms in your puppy's feces, or see symptoms that suggest a worm problem, talk to your vet straight away.

Don't try to treat puppy worms with over-the-counter-medications. They're generally not very effective and can have unwanted, even dangerous, side-effects.

The Best Way to Lose Stomach Fat Through Smart Eating

Tired of having too much belly fat? For many people stubborn abdominal fat is a big problem. Not only is it an ugly turnoff but studies have shown that deep belly fat -- AKA "intra-abdominal" fat -- is probably the most dangerous type of body fat. The best way to lose stomach fat as quickly and healthily as possible is a combination of smart eating and regular exercise. Follow the proven diet tips below and you'll soon be watching your ugly belly fat melt off (while feeling a lot better at the same time)...

1. Eat some form of protein at every meal - Lean protein is a "fat burning" food because speeds up your metabolism, stabilizes blood sugar and insulin levels, helps to build muscle tissue, and keeps you feeling full. Lean meats, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and whey protein powder are all great forms of healthy, high quality protein.

2. Eliminate most grain products from your diet - For the most part, eating large amounts of grain foods is going to make losing stomach fat much more difficult. Try eliminating all foods containing wheat, corn and Rice and see if you don't feel better, have more energy, and lose more weight in less time.

3. Eat lots of veggies and a couple servings of fresh fruit each day - Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits are the best carbohydrates to eat when you're trying to burn belly fat and get leaner. They're high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients but low in calories. Raw is best but steamed veggies are a good choice as well. Avoid high-calorie dried fruits and fruit juices.

4. Watch for sugar - Sugar comes in many forms and it can definitely ruin your weight loss efforts, sometimes without you even noticing. Learn to read labels and try to avoid anything that contains more than a gram or two of sugar per serving. Obviously avoid all soft drinks and juices that contain sugar, corn syrup, etc. Even things like canned tomato sauces often contain high levels of sugar so you must be on the lookout at all times!

5. Limit processed foods - In general, the less a food has been processed or touched by other humans the healthier it is for you. Processed snack foods -- including many of the so-called "diet" foods -- aren't going to help you lose your abdominal fat. Eating foods like lean meats, raw fruits, fresh or steamed vegetables, raw nuts, and raw seeds on a regular basis -- and avoiding highly processed foods as much as possible -- is going to get you to your weight loss goals faster than just about anything else.

6. Eat one portion of "starchy" food per day - For many reasons, eating high-starch foods like breads, cereals, and pastas is counterproductive when trying to lose body fat. You'll get a leaner, better-looking body in less time by only eating one serving of starchy food per day. The healthiest choices are sweet potatoes, oatmeal (no sugar added), quinoa (a very unique and healthy grain you can find in many health food stores), and beans (no fat or low fat).

7. Limit alcohol consumption - If you regularly drink alcohol you're really shooting yourself in the foot in terms of your weight loss progress. It's called a "beer belly" for a reason and you'll never lose it if you're downing more than one drink (12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine) per day.

8. Eat more "good" fats each day - Avoid eating foods containing or cooked in vegetable oils made from corn, sunflower, and safflower. Also, avoid all partially hydrogenated oils -- the main source of dangerous trans fats. At the same time, don't try to completely cut fat out of your diet because it will hurt your overall health and make losing weight much more difficult. Focus on getting more good fats into your diet by cooking with olive oil and eating foods rich in healthy omega-3 fats like fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

9. Drink a lot of pure water - Drinking lots of water throughout the day is definitely one of the best ways to lose stomach fat. When you drink large amounts of water you help to curb your appetite, control food cravings, speed up your metabolism, and flush toxins out of your body. For an added fat burning "boost" make the water ice-cold so that your body has to burn more calories to warm it up.

By the way, if you're looking for an extremely effective and easy-to-understand guide to losing stomach fat, building muscle, and looking better fast I highly recommend the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program located here:

http://www.fat-burning-guide.com/

WDOK'S July Pat Catan's Craft of the Month:Rice Krispies Pops

Created on June 30, 2011 using FlipShare.

Raw Vegan Muffins & Buckwheat Crispy Treats with Chef Meagan Ricks

Come tune into the review of Chef Meagan's newly created raw and vegan muffins as well as her raw and vegan buckwheat cripsy treats!

Pork Chops - How To Make Smothered Pork Chops

This is a real comfort food recipe, combining pork with a spiced onion gravy. This recipe is easy to make and you can serve it with Rice, cornbread, and a side dish that you enjoy.

Use good quality ingredients for the best result. This tip applies to most recipes actually, because the finished dish can only be as good as the ingredients you use to make it. If you use old, stringy vegetables and poor quality meat, the end result will not be a resounding success.

You can double the recipe if you want to but bear in mind you can probably only fit four pork chops in one skillet. Use a heavy or cast iron skillet for this recipe and choose chops, which are between three quarters and one inch thick.

Smothered chops are a southern favorite and because you cook them quickly at first and then simmer them to perfection, they will come out really juicy and moist. Cooking pork in gravy makes a change from cooking the pork and gravy separately and the gravy will infuse its flavor right into the meat, giving it a heavenly taste.

This is an easy dish because you can leave it alone for the last hour to slowly cook. Just make sure the heat is on a bare simmer rather than anything higher. If the liquid evaporates the meat will dry out and that is not the effect you want!

The Recipe Step By Step

Rinse four chops in cold water, and then pat them dry with paper towels. Mix half a teaspoon each of paprika and black pepper with two teaspoons each of garlic powder and salt. Rub three quarters of a teaspoon of this seasoning powder into each pork chop. Coat each chop with flour. Save the leftover seasoning.

Heat half a cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over a moderately high heat, and then brown the chops for three minutes per side. Let it cool. Leave the drippings in the pan and add a thinly sliced sweet onion (such as a Vidalia onion). Cook the onion until it is golden brown, and then add a little flour and a tiny bit of water. Use your judgment on the quantities.

Stir the mixture well and do not let the gravy burn. Add two cups of water and stir the mixture. Bring it to a boil over a moderately high heat. Put the chops back in the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for one hour. When the meat is tender, it is done. You can add more seasoning at this point if necessary.

The above recipe is open to adaptation and, if you like, you can add sliced bell peppers or carrots instead of serving a vegetable side dish with the smothered pork. This heartwarming meal will thrill anyone who likes authentic old South Louisiana cuisine and it is great for any age and any occasion. Pork is usually quite an economical ingredient so this can even be viewed as a budget meal.

The JEMA Show: Ep 2 - Rebecca Black With Scary Rice Krispy Treats

2nd Episode of The JEMA Show! Scary Movie - JEMA Who Took my Rice Krispy Treat? - JEMA Friday Hell - Ethan & Adam --------------------------------------- Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com DeviantART: justeatmyapple.deviantart.com

Siamese Kitty bistro rice crispie treat

On our cross country trip cat decides she wants to eat some snacks!

Cebu City, Philippines - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

A tourist visiting Cebu City for the first time may well be turned off by some of the city sites. The city has several world class resorts, hotels, beaches and dive sites. It also has some areas of the world's most devastating poverty. Cebu City is the capital city of the Cebu Province and it is the second largest city in the Philippines following Manila. I always feel at home in the city and lived in the city before building my home in the rural Cebu Province of Camotes Islands. Cebu City is a mix of the old and new, rich and poor, good and bad and pretty and ugly. There is also the mix of clean and really dirty or filthy. The rule for anyone going to Cebu for the first time is to not make a snap judgment.

My first trip to Cebu City was in February 2004. I went to the Philippines to meet a girl (Judith) now my wife. I flew into the Cebu-Mactan Airport and was met by Judith and one of here sisters. My flight started in Florida and the last leg of the flight was from Hong Kong. The Cebu International airport is just a little outdated, but very functional. Once outside of the airport doors I saw waves of people waiting to meet people coming off of the flight from Hong Kong. The airport was not all that busy when I arrived and I think my plane was the only arriving flight at the time. As people from my flight walk outside of the airport door they were bombarded with shuttle, taxi and V-hire greeters, all trying to get a fare. I met Judith just outside the airport doors. She, her sister and I all jumped into an old Kia Taxi and we were off to my hotel.

The taxi was old and not very well maintained. The Air conditioner didn't work and the window wouldn't go down. Of course that didn't matter as I couldn't close the door because the door latch was broken. So, I got lots of air. The hotel was about a 30 minute drive from the airport. As we traveled the city streets I saw crowded sidewalks made even more crowded by the many sidewalk vendors and street vendors. Some of the roads we traveled were moderately maintained while others were in very poor condition. The roads were crowded with many types of cars, but mostly Kia's and Hyundais. There were also a lot of Jeepneys, a Philippine traditional method of travel. A jeepney looks like a stretched army jeep with a hardtop and a large cargo area used for two benches for passenger seating. Jeepneys are normally painted with several different colors and lots of chrome. Many of the jeepneys are poorly maintained and most have bald tires and the braking systems may be questionable. Also, there were lots of small motorcycles.

After traveling just a few minutes I decided that the most dangerous vehicle in Cebu was the Jeepney, the Taxi and finally the motorcycle. The jeepney drivers tend to rule the road and stop on either side of the road to pick up or drop off passengers. I saw many jeepneys cut both lanes of traffic off just to drop off people and then saw others swerve quickly to the side of the road cutting off traffic so the driver could jump out of the jeepney to urinate along the side of the road. Taxis are no better, but pose a slightly smaller threat because the vehicles are smaller than a jeepney Motorcycles seem to be a danger only to the motorcycle driver and passengers and anyone walking along side the road or on the sidewalk. Motorcycles make their own traffic lanes on whatever little shoulder the road may have to offer or sometimes drive on the painted divider line as a narrow roadway to make an extra traffic lane for themselves. At other times I saw motorcycles throttle down sidewalks weaving around pedestrians. Yet, the pedestrians seemed little concerned of the carelessness and just continued on their way.

As we continued on our way to the hotel we drove through many different areas of the city. Some areas were very old and the buildings looked as though they were ready for demolition years ago. Many buildings and store fronts are concrete with plywood or corrugated steel sheets added to broken windows and steel bars cover the window or plywood. I can't imagine what would be worth the cost of the steel bars as the buildings were so poor. I was sure the contents within were no better. I noticed several small store fronts with one big open widow covered with chicken wire. These little stores are about the size of a small closet and there are dozen of these little stores on every street. They are called sari-sari stores and sell just a very few items such as canned fish, Rice, snacks, cigarettes and so on. Most of these little stores are attached to the front of private houses and are crudely constructed of unpainted plywood and tin roofs. Most of the Sari-sari stores block the sidewalk, forcing people to walk on the road to get around the protruding plywood box. Other Sari-sari stores have a small table or tables along the narrow sidewalks for their rum buying customers and a karaoke machine assist in blocking the sidewalks.

In many of the old areas the sidewalks are filled with vendor's shacks, tents or some other type of hurried shelter to sell goods. The sidewalks belong to the vendors and the pedestrian is left to find his own way around the ugly obstructions. These small vendor shacks on the sidewalks block the store buildings behind and I still wonder why the store owners allow the vendors to block their stores. The old neighborhood streets and sidewalks in most areas are filthy. Trash is all over the streets, chickens are tied to utility poles or street signs as well as dogs. Many of the old homes along the city's commercial streets may or may not have running water and a sewer system. Many people use the streets and sidewalks as their bathroom and even bath on the sidewalks. The infrastructure of the old neighborhoods is almost non-existent. There is poor drainage, poor sewer systems, and electric lines hang low to the ground with hundreds of wires attached carelessly to a single wimpy pole. I often wonder how trucks make it under these wires without hitting the wire. In many cases the bigger trucks do indeed hit the wires and knock out power to large section of the city.

The one thing that stood out for me as we past by all these areas in the taxi was the people all seemed happy. Despite, what I saw as great poverty and terrible living conditions, these people, or least many people were happy. Although, most of the people I saw were rushing down the sidewalks going about their daily routine. I thought these people are doing the same thing as other people do in any major city around the world. Yet, my first visit in Cebu City opened my eyes to the fact that at the very least, the city was poverty stricken or had a large population that lived in poverty.

After about 30 minutes riding in the taxi we came into a much nicer area of the city and there like an oasis in the middle of all the poverty was this beautiful Hotel and a large modern shopping mall next to it, as well as several large modern well maintain high rise buildings. The scene was a stark difference to the old areas of the city. This area could be found in any modern US city and looked very much like a commercial area of a US city. The area is called the Ayala Business Park and the Ayala Mall. This is modern Cebu City and it is everything you would find in any modern city.

Once at the Hotel, the Marriott, I checked into a very nice room and we all went to the dinning room for a pleasant lunch. Soon after that it was just Judith and I as her sister went home. Judith then took me across the park to the Ayala Mall, just a five minute walk and once inside the mall I was amazed. The stores were the same as in the US, Ace Hardware, Levi, MacDonald's and so on. Plus, several Philippine Department stores and many different types of restaurants and coffee shops. All the store clerks and sale people spoke English and most all the Filipinos walking through the stores were speaking English. Others used a mix of English and their native Cebuano. All the store signs are written in English and the restaurant menus are written in English. In many ways I felt as if I just traveled 20 plus hours from Florida to be in a US city.

Although there were many other foreigners in the mall many Filipinos walking by asked where I was from and in general everyone was very friendly to me. While at the mall I bought a few souvenir type things to take home and Judith and I just did a lot of window shopping. I was happy to see the pRices of most things in the stores were very cheap compared to the US. At that time one US dollar bought 56.00 pesos. Today it's one dollar to about 44.00 Pesos. Still a good deal, but today I'm careful in my spending. By the middle of the afternoon I was ready for some sleep after my long flight to Cebu. Judith went home and I retired to my hotel room.

The next morning Judith was at the hotel bright and early and we had breakfast at the hotel and then off to see the city and some of the beach resorts. Cebu has wonderful and beautiful resorts and all very affordable. The resorts are all well maintained and modern. The biggest population of customers at the resorts are foreigners and the staff Filipino. I quickly change my opinion of the city from a poverty stricken third world to a modern commercial and tourist city with a few old areas that needed a lot of help.

During my trip to Cebu we went into the old area of Colon. Colon is the oldest street in the country and has several landmarks. However, Colon is a dirty area of very old and poorly maintained buildings. Prostitution is a major problem in the Colon area as is street crime. There are some wonderful markets and great bargains to be found in Colon, but not an area for the new tourist to wander alone. Hotels can be had for a really cheap pRice in Colon. Some just $20.00 a night, but these hotels cater to those picking up street girls and both the girls and the rooms are really dirty. Last year Judith and I stayed at two different Colon Hotels. We went into the city for our monthly shopping trip from Camotes Islands. We decided to try the hotels as they are cheap and close to many of the outside markets. I would never stay at either of these hotels again. The best words to describe them is old, filthy, rat infested and full of prostitutes. Both of these hotels seem to cater to single foreign men and any girls the men may find at the Colon bars or on the streets. The area has several little Bikini type bars with Bar Girls (Prostitutes) also called GRO's. Unless you are looking for a prostitute there is little reason to go to Colon after dark and even then one needs to be very careful. This is not intended to say that all of Colon is bad. There are some nice stores and restaurants in Colon. I enjoy shopping in the Colon area, but one needs to use caution in Colon.

During my first visit I saw most all the areas of Cebu City and felt safe at all times. Of course we didn't go into the old parts of the city after dark. Rather we were at the resorts or around Ayala Park and these are all very safe and enjoyable areas.I would recommend Cebu City to anyone that wants to go to a great resort and spend time on a beautiful beach, go diving, take a boat tour of the outer islands and not spend a lot of money. There is just so much to do in Cebu City and so many great things to see. Staying at any of the resorts is very affordable just about $60.00 per night and some as high as $250.00. Dinner at restaurants is also very cheap. Meals at nice restaurants can cost just $10.00 to $20.00 for two people, I had a wonderful time during my first visit. However, I had Judith as my tour guide and as my girlfriend. I'm not sure I would have liked Cebu City as much as I did if Judith wasn't with me during the first trip.

Soon after my first visit to Cebu City I moved from Florida to Cebu City in 2004. By this time Judith and I were engaged to marry and I wanted to live in Camotes Islands. However, we decided to live in the city while looking for land to build a house in Camotes. Camotes Islands are a rural province of Cebu and just two hours from the city by boat. We rented a brand new two bedroom house in the Lahug area of Cebu City. The monthly rent was just $125.00 plus our TV cable for about $15.00 a month. The house was located on a hillside overlooking the city and close to everything we needed. Lahug is a very nice area and now there are many new housing sub-divisions built in the area. Our monthly budget while living in Lahug was approximately $700.00 and that included the rent, utilities, food, taxi cabs and even lots of dinners at restaurants and entertainment. I assume if we still lived in Lahug the budget would be just a few more dollars a month.

Within just a couple of weeks after moving into the Lahug house I felt as if Cebu was my city and I really enjoyed the city life. The city has many things to offer the foreigner and the city is always trying to attract more foreign retirees. It truly is a foreign (expat) friendly city. The largest group of foreigners in Cebu is Korean then Americans, Australians, British and Japanese. There are no racial tensions or problems in the city that I am aware of and the city is very safe. However, like any major world city there is crime, but using common safeguards and precautions one can have a happy life in Cebu City. Driving in the city is something I have never attempted and I don't think I ever will drive in the city. The taxi cabs can get you almost anywhere in the city for $1.00 to $2.00 and that's fine for me.

Shopping in the city is great and there are products from all over the world in Filipino stores. Many food stores stock western brands so you will never get homesick for your favorite foods from home. The outside markets, located all over the city offer great bargains and it's always fun to negotiate prices with the vendors. Cable TV is available in the city and it offers many American shows and news programs. You can go to the movie cinemas and see a new release movie for about $1.00 and the popcorn is just a few pennies. The city has grown since I moved to the Philippines. There are many new gated housing Sub-Divisions that cater to foreign buyers, new high rise condo buildings and the resorts all continue to attract foreigners. The two major malls in the city, Ayala and SM are both expanding. Many of the roads have been upgraded as well as the infrastructure in many areas. The city is a major draw for tourism and is always attempting to bring in more tourist and more foreign retirees.

Any expat on a monthly pension of about $1,000.00 can live like a king in Cebu City. You can live on less than $1,000.00 but I think $1,000.00 is the right figure if you include saving a little each month for emergencies, trips back home and medical needs. The city has very good hospitals and medical cost are much less in the Philippines. Good dental care at very reasonable rates is also available in the Philippines. Many people go to Cebu for medical or dental vacations. Just remember, if you think you want to move to Cebu City do your homework. Do you want to live in a new country? do you want to be separated from your family and grandchildren?, if you are married how does your wife feel about living in Cebu? If you have young children do you want them to live in a new country and what about their education? Do you have the patience and understanding to learn and live in a new culture? Do you have the money to live a good life in Cebu without the need to find work? Do you have enough money to cover any type of emergency that may require five to ten thousand dollars? Finally, what is your reason for wanting to live in a new country? If you can be honest with yourself and have a positive answer for the above questions, then maybe Cebu City is for you?

Remember too, The Philippine economy is struggling. Filipinos with four and six year college degrees are driving taxi cabs or working as store clerks. Unemployment in the country is through the roof. Poverty is a major issue in the country. For all the beauty of the Philippines Poverty continues to destroy many Filipinos and their futures and creates an ugly face to an otherwise beautiful country. Just this week on November 8, 2007 an 11 year old girl in Manila living with her mother, father and little brother in a shanty town hung herself. The reason left in a note from the little girl was because of the poverty she and her family lived. The father not able to find work for months and the mother working for just $1.00 a day. The little girl had just the night before asked her father for P200.00 for a school project. The father did not have the money, just under $4.00. All the girl wanted was to finish school and buy a new bike. A simple dream complicated by severe poverty in a country struggling to overcome political corruption and theft. Please remember, what you may spend in just one day in the Philippines is what a Filipino may have to live on for a month. Poverty does indeed take lives.

I truly love my lifestyle in the Philippines, but it took some time, patience, understanding and a few sacrifices to live in the Philippines. I made several mistakes before coming here and a few since living here. I didn't have enough money when I came here in 2004. I've made a few trips back to Florida to do some contract work and then returned to my beloved Camotes Islands. I'm currently away from home on a teaching contract. However, for me, it's worth the price to have just a few months a year in my paradise called Camotes Islands, Cebu, Philippines. I think anyone looking for a great vacation will enjoy Cebu City. Those looking to retire on a modest pension can live well here, but just be sure living in a new country is right for you. Before making a decision to move here it's wise to come on a vacation first and see the city for yourself. Then you can decide if this is the life you want. Once again, for me this is paradise.

How to Become Smarter

I watch a commercial that is trying to teach a blonde (well acts like one) how to be smarter. But it doesn't end to well.....

Cooking with Robbie: Rice Krispy Treats

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: twitter.com FOLLOW ME ON DAILYBOOTH: dailybooth.com Robbie makes rice krispy treats. Recipe: -spray pam on 13x9 pan -melt butter on stove. set to number 2 (low) -add in one full bag of mini marshmellows on top of melted butter -add in 4 cups of rice krispies when marshmellows are melted -turn stove off, spray pam on spoon, and mix everything together -scrape rice krispy treats into pan, evenly spread around pan -let it cool for 2-3 hours -cut and enjoy!

making rice brittle treats allotment 2

having funnnn part 2

Rice Krispies Treats - Friends

This kid needs a Rice Krispies Treat before he completely loses it!

Debbie DeMaria Rice Krispy Squares/Almond Butter/WaxOrchFudge

You will enjoy Debbie making these TREATS, we have the Fudge and Sweetener on our web site. www.druglessdoctor.com

The Different Types of Ducks

If you love outdoor animals and have been looking into the different types of ducks, we've put together a little list for you. While you may already know about some of them, there are others out there that the majority of society are still oblivious to today. So sit back and relax. By the time you're done reading this, you'll definitely feel smarter in regards to the different types of ducks out there.

If this is a new name to you, it may be better known as the knob-billed duck. It gets it's name from the distinctive rounded piece on top of the bill. This tropical species spends most of it's time in the parts of South America along with other areas like Pakistan, Madagascar, southern parts of China and a few other places.

Known for it's vegetarian eating habits, the Comb Duck spends most of it's time searching for seeds, small fish, and grain. They are drawn most often to Rice farms and have been known to create several problems for farmers on a daily basis. You will find that they are one of the few duck species that enjoy perching themselves in trees to stay in shady areas.

One of the most colorful ducks you'll find on the planet, the Mandarin Duck can be found spread around the continent of Asia. However, most of these species are either farmed or placed in zoos around the world for spectator viewing. The Mandarin Duck has been known over the centuries as a Chinese symbol for fidelity and used in weddings.

You can also find the Mandarin Duck in the United Kingdom, but several debates over their species have caused issues regarding protection in the country. This is mostly due to the habitat being enriched with 1,000 pairs of male and females, but because they are not a native species there, they are left unprotected by conservationists.

Probably one of the most entertaining ducks to view, the Ruddy looks as though it has shaving cream underneath the bill. This is very distinct due to the blue bill on males along with their rustic look on the body. You will find most of the Ruddy's habitat to be spread across North America, but Great Britain and other parts of Europe have dawned the duck more frequently because of it's constant breeding abilities

This is only a few of several duck species around the world. While we shared a few of the more intriguing ones, there are many that have tropical and colorful appeal. If you would like more information on the ducks above or others like the Mallard, the Red-Crested Pochard, Muscovy Duck and several others, you can find them below. Let's have some fun!

SD VLog #2: Courtyard Room

Rice Krispie Treats, Great Customer Service, King Bed, iPod dock

The Ideal Diet for Hypothyroidism

If you have hypothyroidism is very important to know that the type of diet you follow can help you reduce your symptoms, and at the same time help you control your weight. Weight gain goes hand in hand with hypothyroidism and to some people it gets rather difficult to lose weight with this condition.

There are key nutrients and foods that a diet for hypothyroid should include. On the other hand, there are certain foods that should be avoided.

What Your Diet Should Have

A healthy diet for someone with hypothyroidism would include whole grains, natural foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables and a good supply of seafood and other lean protein. You should cut back on fatty meats. A multivitamin is probably a good idea if you don't already take one.

An Important Mineral

Selenium may be the most important nutrient in a diet for hypothyroid.

Why?

This trace mineral is an antioxidant and is essential for converting the thyroid hormone your body produces, T4, into its active form, T3. Brazil nuts are an incredibly good source of selenium, but you can also get it from some lean meats.

Fiber is Key to Control Your Weight

Another tactic that will be very helpful for you if you're trying to lose weight is eating more fiber. Fiber makes you feel full and can help you lose weight, in addition to being helpful for constipation, another side effect of hypothyroidism.

You can ingest your fiber in pill form or through one of those over-the-counter fiber concoctions, but it is so much better if you get your fiber from actual foods, like beans, Rice and other grains, whole wheat and oatmeal.

Strive for whole grains, also known as complex carbohydrates, over refined grains (things made with white flour or sugar). They're better for you, help maintain your blood sugar stable and will make you feel fuller.

Alcohol should also be avoided because it can cause blood sugar fluctuations.

A Diet With More Meals

Ideally, a diet for low thyroid function will include small meals spread out through the day rather than three big meals. If you eat five or six small meals it will help balance the slow metabolism that is part of hypothyroidism. Just remember, keep these meals around 300 calories each, and include exercise if you want to lose weight, too.

Some doctors recommend the Zone diet to those with hypothyroid. The why behind the system is somewhat complicated, but it has to do with balancing out your insulin reaction to food, limiting the spikes and crashes you probably feel right now. Carbs are a big part of this diet, particularly those refined grains we were just talking about.

The diet calls for drinking lots of water (a good idea for anyone), eating more fruit and vegetables and less pasta, bread and starches, and a small amount of lean protein through the day. Most of your carbs should come from fruit and vegetables, with other starches used sparingly. You also should not go more than five hours between meals.

Red Light Foods

As we were saying before, your diet should not include certain foods. Some vegetables, fruits and grains can depress the function of your thyroid gland. To learn about these foods visit diet for hypothyroid.