"Fruits & Veggies—More Matters"

Today, the nonprofit organization, Produce for Better Health (PBH) Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled a new nationwide public health initiative, "Fruits & Veggies—More Matters", the next generation of the 15-year-old “5 A Day for Better Health” program, to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Since 1990 the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has recommended consuming at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables daily. However, two studies from John Hopkins University published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine clearly showed that Americans are not meeting the mark. This is a serious public health concern because consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk of obesity and certain chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives the following tips to help you meet your fruit and vegetable goals: (i) Keep a bowl of fruit handy, (ii) Go for variety (iii) Serve a salad with dinner, (iv) Add beans to chili or soup, (v) If you're ordering pizza, add some veggie toppings, (vi) Put chopped vegetables in pasta sauce or lasagna, (vii) Dip fresh fruit in low-fat yogurt or pudding, (vii) Dip raw veggies in low-fat salad dressing.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has the following advices for parents who say their children get more tempted by other foods and aren't interested in eating fruits and vegetables: (i) Set a good example with your own diet, (ii) While shopping, let kids pick a new fruit or vegetable to try, (iii) Kids often like foods served separately, so don't mix vegetables on their plate, (iv) Offer children a choice of fruits at lunch, (v) Top kids' cereal with berries or a smiley face made of sliced bananas for eyes, raisins for a nose, and an orange slice for a mouth, (vi) Use cut-up vegetables as part of afternoon snacks, (vii) Let kids decide on the dinner vegetables or what goes into salads, (viii) If children are old enough, let them help shop for, clean, peel, or cut up fruits and vegetables.

Exchanging Vacation Homes

Spring is here. Temperature is rising and summer is not that far away. Perhaps, it is time to think about your summer vacation -- especially if you are interested in spending the summer in a home away from home.

In recent years, swapping or exchanging homes located throughout the world is gaining more and more popularity as an attractive part of taking vacation. For an annual membership of around $50, you may enlist your home on an exchange site. If someone is interested in your home, they will email you and when you come across anything that you like, you email them. Finally you decide to cut a deal depending on mutual preferences and options. Some people even go beyond to exchange their cars too. You can even agree to take care of each other's pets.

Three leading (and Big too!) house-swap sites are: HomeExchange.com, Intervac.com, Homelink.org . Besides these there is SinglesHomeExchange.com for swapping apartments and also some quite interesting ones like TeacherHomeSwap.com which provides the specialized service of finding other teacher swappers who are very likely to search for houses for similar vacation dates.

Even with so many websites available, it might not be very easy to find an exchange home of your choice. Vacation is precious and you may not afford to spoil it by your hurriedly-made choice. So, start early, plan properly, have a talk with the exchangers and take sufficient time to decide how your summer home should be. Many people who did that say that they want to do it again. It's worth the trouble and time.

Toyota Prius 0% Financing

One year back, if you wanted to purchase a Toyota Prius, you had to put your name in a waiting list and to wait for three to four months. Some customers were so enthusiastic to have one that they agreed to pay more than the sticker price.

But things have changed since then. The price of gas fell to around the two-dollar mark from three; Many people who wanted a Prius have acquired one; And Toyota increased the production of the hybrid. So supply, in some cases, exceeded demand and it's now consumer's turn to enjoy a hybrid ride.

Toyota is embarking on its first big ad campaign for the Prius, and also offering incentives to prospective buyers. That includes 0% financing for a rare few for two years, and 2.9% financing for three years. Also, you may be eligible for Federal tax benefits.