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[E240]Energy Facts And Figures

by Matthew C. Keegan, Mat

If you are like many people, backyard birding is a hobby for you whether you actively encourage visits from birds or not. One way to attract birds is to put out suet -- beef fat -- and watch the crowds stop by and devour the treat. Suet is an inexpensive food source and should become part of your bird feeding program if you desire to attract a steady flow of birds.

Exactly what is suet? In short, it is beef fat. Yes, birds enjoy eating other animals...to a point. Most suet sold in stores or made at home contains this fat plus other important bird attracting ingredients including: peanuts, berries, shelled nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, millet, corn, and bread crumbs.

Suet can be purchased in small blocks and placed in a suet feeder or you can make it at home. No, I won't take the time to share a "recipe" here with you, but some birders enjoy making the home grown variety.

You may find that purchasing a block and placing it in a suet feeder is your style. If so, prices can vary widely from about one dollar for a single block to nearly two dollars each. I have discovered that one of the local discount retailers sells suet in bulk; I paid eight dollars for a box of twelve, which translates to less than seventy cents per block.

Many people will tell you that suet should only be placed outside when temperatures are seventy degrees or lower. From personal experience I have learned that some suet can remain out regardless how hot it can get. Here in North Carolina, we have temperatures in the nineties for three to four months straight; birds have been flocking to the suet feeder without fail all summer long. Recommendation: the suet I put out contains sunflower seeds, millet, and corn. I would not put out suet with berries during summer months as it will spoil quickly.

So, how do you keep the squirrels at bay? Besides investing in a pricey suet feeder with high tech security functions, I have found a low cost way that may work for you. Specifically, you will need an "S" shaped hook that can be placed on your home's rain gutter. Hook one side to the gutter and then place the suet holder [with suet inside] on the end sticking out [you may need a second hook on the suet holder itself to make it work].

This method works for me because the squirrels hate walking on my steep roof to reach the suet. Should a squirrel actually get on the roof, they would have to bend over backwards to reach the suet and then by holding onto loose fitting gutter shields. Of course, this won't work for everyone, but it does for me. Experiment. You will find a way!

Once your suet is in place, birds should stop by within the hour. Birds observed at our feeder include: nuthatches, thrushes, cardinals, chickadess, blue jays, sparrows, wrens, flickers, woodpeckers, goldfinches, and robins. Yes, don't let anyone kid you: robins will eat suet!

You can purchase a new suet holder for just a few dollars at mostly any retail store. Our visitors go through about two and one half cases per year, so for less than twenty five dollars annually I am able to set out suet and attract a wide variety of our flying friends. Not many hobbies can be as cost effective as that!

As a consequence of our exposure to this world of psoriasis we began research and came to understand just how widespread it is. In Great Britain 1 in 50, in Australia between 1 in 25 and 1 in 50 and in the USA 4.5 million adults have been diagnosed, 20% of those with conditions which would be considered moderate to severe.

It would seem that world wide 125 million people are sufferers. Of these, 28 million will develop psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is:

A skin condition that causes thickened red areas sometimes silver or scaly in appearance. This thick scaling results from an increase in the number of skin cells. Whereas in the majority of the population normal skin cells mature in 28 to 30 days in psoriasis the process is seven to ten times faster. Your skin cells cannot shed that quickly and the resultant piling up of cells leads to raised scaly plaques, eventually leading to silvery white scales when the dead cells are farther from the surface.

Psoriasis most commonly affects elbows, knees, legs arms and back but may flare up anywhere including the scalp, nails and mouth. Nails could lose their luster, developing ridges. The pattern is of periodic flare-ups then healing. This cycle may be triggered by stress, certain food allergies, infections, nutritional deficiencies, reactions to medication, climate change and even the build up of toxins from unhealthy eating.

The fact that you are reading this shows your willingness to try various treatments until you find what best suits you. This is paramount in your quest for relief.

Treatments:

There are many forms of treatment and more appear from time to time. These include:

Systemic medications - prescription medications that affect the entire body - steroid, coal tar. Usually reserved for patients with moderate to mild psoriasis.

Phototherapy. Usually used for patients with a condition that does not respond or whose condition is widespread.

Topical treatments - agents applied to the skin which help slow down or normalize the excessive cell reproduction and reduce inflammation, these could be steroid or non steroid based.

Alternative approaches - diet, mind therapies, sun and water therapies.

According to some sources many cases of psoriasis went into remission during WW 11 when protein and caloric intake were restricted lending credence to the idea that diet could be an important part in controlling the outbreaks. Many physicians suggest limiting the consumption of animal proteins and including sufficient fiber.

There is widespread agreement that the diet should be high in fresh vegetables, fruits and also whole grains but low in saturated fat. Fiber is essential in maintaining a healthy colon. Raw fruits and vegetables are also recommended, as is fish for the Omega-3 fatty acids, especially salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring.

Essential are adequate quantities of Vitamin B complex, B1 (thiamine) to improve circulation and healthy skin.B6, also for the skin, B5, to aid in adrenal function, B12, to aid cell formation and longevity. Vitamins A, C and E, Zinc, Folic acid and Glutathione and milk thistle extract to cleanse the liver.

Shark cartilage may be used to inhibit the growth of blood vessels. Regular, moderate exposure to sunlight may help, preferably not in high peak hours but before 10am or after 2pm to avoid sunburn, since UV rays slow down cellular division in the skin.

Finally, it cannot be overstated the paramount importance of keeping the skin moist. In this way significant relief may be obtained. This may be achieved with a variety of topical methods and in the past couple of decades one of the most effective of these comes from jojoba based products the "Ultimate Moisturisers". The jojoba plant (pronounced ho-ho-bah) is unique among the plant kingdom and when applied to human skin mixes instantly with the skin's own sebum. It then makes its way deep into the skin's cell and matrix level where it holds water in the skin by forming a lipid layer. Since jojoba naturally contains Vitamins A, D&E, is antibacterial and antifungal it kills almost all common skin bacteria and fungi. Furthermore it is almost indistinguishable from the skin's natural sebum.

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Both Matthew C. Keegan & Jeannie Neill are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Matthew C. Keegan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Blogging, Nissan and Limousine Service. Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who enjoys birding in his spare time. Please visit his high performing site at for samples of so. Matthew C. Keegan's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.

Jeannie Neill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Landscaping, Legal Matters and Disease & illness. For more information about psoriasis and natural psoriasis treatment, visit http://www.psoriasistreatment.net.au and http://www.lanni.com. Jeannie Neill's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.