Archive for the ‘Paper’ Category
Portion Control Helps Reduce Waistlines
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We are being bombarded by television and radio adds that promise quick fix diets. In reality we have had the solution all along, portion control. Doctors will tell you that the key to a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight is portion control. It’s pretty simple; if you eat less, you consume fewer calories. But, it’s easier said than done.
Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming by as much as 25%. More Americans are consuming their calories in the type of beverages they drink. Remember when you were growing up how much smaller your dinner plate was compared to the larger dinner plates being made these days? It’s no wonder we have lost our way and are now consuming more calories than the previous generation.
The best way to know how many calories are going into your body is portion control. Portion control means that you eat a specified amount of food per meal. For example, 6 ounces of fish and one cup of broccoli make up one meal. Measuring each food product allows you to control the amount of calories you take in. But, how do you accurately calculate portion size? That is where a Portion Control Scale can take the guesswork out of the equation.
There are number of portion control scales out there for you to choose from meant for kitchen use. Accuracy is critical when selecting a scale to measure portion control, so choosing a quality scale is very important. You wouldn’t want to select a cheaper model that might be off an ounce our two when you are measuring small portions.
Digital models have replaced the old standards and considered are the best for accuracy which is important when preparing your meals. Knowing exactly what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks takes the stress away of those urges to stray from your meal plan. So, think of a portion control scale as a time saver. Rather than portioning out meals and snacks daily, take some time to plan ahead and portion out for an entire week.
Although the USDA specifies the recommended serving size, no one can memorize each and every ounce and cup for each and every food item. So, doctors are also recommending that you associate food size with something you can relate to. A few examples are: a cup of carrots, pasta or fish can be compared to the size of your fist. Nuts, chips and crackers can be measured by cupping your hand.
While you can control your calorie intake while at home, going to restaurants has it own challenges. Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter if you can modify your selection to fit your diet requirements. Most restaurants are happy to accommodate you in this respect.
By simply implementing a portion control scale, you will feel more in control of your health and well being.
Going Green with Small Machines
The one thing that is a constant for all businesses- regardless of their size- is a need for paper. A decade ago, business leaders envisioned a “paperless society” where all transactions, information, and other data were stored and retrieved on a computer without every having to be printed out. We now know that a paperless society is unlikely. Documentation and receipts are still required in paper format by the IRS and are still trusted over computerized information.
That means that there is still a huge market for business printers. Whether it is the printer hooked up to each PC in an office, an ATM machine, a receipt printer or even an adding machine, printers continue to be in demand, as is the replaceable parts and accessories to go along with them.
This creates an environmental challenge. Laser and dot-matrix printers require ink cartridges- lots of them. When the ink runs out, most cartridges are thrown in the garbage and a new one is purchased. That makes for literally tons of cartridges filling up land fills every year. Because most cartridges are made from hard plastics, they do not biodegrade and contribute to the opening of new land fills as people try to use more and more land to take care of their garbage problem.
The alternative to laser and dot-matrix printing is thermal paper printers. Thermal paper printers work on a different principle than their cousins. The paper itself is impregnated with a chemical mixture that changes the color of the paper when exposed to heat. Depending on the chemicals used, the paper could turn black, blue or red.
Thermal paper printers are used in many business applications every day, including receipt printers, cash registers, and auto-serve machines like gas pumps and coin changers. Almost all ATM and bank machine receipts are printed on thermal paper.
The benefit of thermal paper printing over laser or dot-matrix is that it is a more environmentally sound process. The printer itself is made up of fewer parts than other printers which means that it will last longer and take longer to wear out. Fewer printers end up in the land fill. There are no ink cartridges to throw away so it cuts down on garbage from spent cartridges. And, because the paper from the thermal paper rolls is cut exactly to size every time the printer is used, there is no wasted paper, saving trees.
Thermal printers can be incorporated into any environmentally-conscious business. On top of the ecological benefits, businesses who use thermal printers find that they are less expensive to maintain because they break less often and because they are buying fewer rolls of paper. Productivity is also a consideration when purchasing a printer. Thermal printers are more reliable which means less down time for printer repairs.
While you may never be able to get away from printing out documents and receipts, by using a thermal printer, you will minimize its cost and the detrimental impact on the environment.