You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2526 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Affordable Solutions To Make Your Home Safer, More Energy Efficient (NAPSA)—Homeowners are always looking for ways to make their residences more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and safer—and such improvements don’t need to cost a fortune. Simple electrical upgrades reduce energy consumption and can offer huge safety benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for almost 15 percent of a household’s electricity usage. That output can drop significantly if homeowners install dimmers and energy-efficient lighting controls. Dimmers easily reduce the energy output from lamps and overhead lights. They also control a room’s ambience—creating a cheery setting for parties, a romantic mood for dinner or the perfect light for reading. Dimmers offer exceptional control of a light’s output, but they can’t stop people from leaving lights on. Occupancy and vacancy sensors can turn lights on and off automatically when someone enters or exits a room. Occupancy sensors turn the lights on automatically, while vacancy sensors require manual activation. Another excellent solution, a timer, presets the length of time to keep a light or fan on. These devices are popular in bathrooms and for programming a light to stay on while homeowners are away. Making a home “green” might be a red-hot topic, but most homeowners are more concerned about keeping families safe. One of the most innovative solutions is a tamper-resistant electrical outlet, or receptacle. A tamper-resistant outlet has a built-in shutter system preventing children from sticking objects like Installing light dimmers helps to reduce energy output and can also help you control a room’s ambience. keys and paper clips into the socket, but plugs can be inserted and removed as usual. Tamper-resistant outlets offer automatic, permanent protection against electrical injuries—better than plastic outlet caps, which can be removed or forgotten. The newest National Electrical Code (NEC) requires them in new homes. Another exceptional safety device, a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), prevents serious injury from electric shock by detecting a fault current and cutting off power to the outlet. These devices are required by code in kitchens, bathrooms and areas near water and are also available in tamper-resistant versions. Some GFCIs and electrical outlets even feature built-in LED night-lights for bathrooms and hallways. LEDs last over 20 years and eliminate bulb changes. These night-light combination devices help residents find their way in the dark. Simple electrical improvements make a big difference in home safety and energy use. Learn more at www.betterelectrical.com. Learning The Real Skinny On Fats (NAPSA)—When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, all fats are not created equal. A common misconception is that all fats are bad, when in fact some fats are essential and are needed for energy, vitamin absorption and cell function. Experts Agree We should consume less saturated and trans fats. These can contribute to increases in blood cholesterol, which leads to a greater risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are typically found in animal-based products such as beef, butter and other full-fat dairy products. Trans fats are commonly found in packaged bakery products. Instead, choose mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish. These fats help support healthy cholesterol levels, which are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. One Easy Change To incorporate more unsaturated fats and less saturated and trans fats into your diet, you might switch from butter to soft spreads like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Promise, Country Crock and Brummel & Brown. Made with a blend of nutritious plant oils, including canola and soybean oils, these spreads contain 70 percent less saturated fat than butter, no cholesterol and 0 grams of trans fat per serving. The soft spreads range from 0 to 8g of total fat and 0 to 2g of saturated fat per serving. 1 1 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄4 3 cup dried apricots, chopped cup sugar cup light corn syrup cup finely chopped pecans Tbsp. Promise Buttery Spread 1 tsp. baking soda Chewy Fruity Popcorn is made with a soft spread that contains no cholesterol. Add It Up When choosing a soft spread, read the Nutrition Facts panel and add up the combination of saturated and trans fats. Look for spreads with a combined total of 2 grams or less of saturated and trans fats and 0 grams of cholesterol. Integrating spreads into your diet is easy—just use them in place of butter for spreading on toast and vegetables, cooking and baking. Or, for a heart-healthy snack, try this delicious recipe: Chewy Fruity Popcorn Makes: 10 cups Preparation Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Ingredients 1 bag (2.9 oz.) microwave 94 percent fat-free butter popcorn, cooked according to package directions 1 package (5 oz.) dried cherries Directions In large bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, combine popcorn with fruit; set aside. In 1-quart glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar with corn syrup. Microwave at HIGH 4 minutes or until very pale yellow. With heat-resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in pecans. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until pale yellow. Stir in Promise Buttery Spread and baking soda. With spatula sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, quickly and carefully drizzle mixture over popcorn and fruit, stirring constantly, until popcorn and fruit are coated. Cool completely before serving. Nutrition Information per 1-cup serving: Calories 270, Calories From Fat 50, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 220mg, Total Carbohydrate 57g, Sugars 38g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 2g, Vitamin A 15%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 2%, Iron 4% Visit www.BigFatTruth.org for more information and recipes.
