Salty Kids

Most kids LOVE salty food – but they should eat a half teaspoon less...

French fries, burgers, nachos and munchies – they’re the preferred choice for a lot of teens. It may come as no surprise that salty food isn’t the best nutritional option - but new evidence shows it’s even worse for kids than we thought. More people in their 20’s and 30’s who have high blood pressure actually started the struggle as children. The study also had some good news – if teenagers today started eating just a half teaspoon less of salt per day – they can significantly lower the odds of developing hypertension and other salt related health risks.

Source: Dr. Kristin Bibbins-Domingo, UCSF

Job Security

If you worry about losing your job – there’s a way to keep that in perspective...

It’s a rotten time of year to worry about losing your job – and there are a few things you can do that might put your mind at ease. Robert Leahy, author of “The Worry Cure” has some suggestions:

• Keep a close eye on how your company is doing financially so you can gauge the likelihood of layoffs.

• Meet with your boss to learn what you can do to firm up your position.

• Always look ahead and have a plan B in mind for your future – whether it’s involves a potential career change – or an opportunity to move within your company.

When should you worry? Experts say you’re most vulnerable if you’ve been laid off from a job before and the company is making cuts - or if someone close to you was fired unexpectedly. Those are your cue to be proactive, prepared and not panicked.

Back Pain Relief

There is yet ANOTHER reason to take vitamin D – back pain!

If you’ve got back pain – get some vitamin D! Dr. Mark Stengler, author of “The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies” explains, three out of every four Americans don’t get enough D – and low levels of it can really make back pain worse - and even lead to softening of the bone. In one study, six patients with back pain were prescribed vitamin D – and ALL of them felt less pain in three to six weeks after taking it every day.

Dr. Stengler suggests you have your doctor check your vitamin D level – especially if you live with a pain in the back.

Super Logoff

If you’d like to make your Facebook page invincible while you’re not logged on – here's one option...

If you can’t find your friend or your kid on Facebook – they might be back later. There’s a new logoff trend among younger Facebook users called the SUPER logoff. If you’re concerned about who might be looking at, or posting inappropriate stuff on your wall while you’re not there, the super logoff helps you stay in control. When you’re ready to logout – open “Account Settings” – and click “Deactivate Account” – then just reactivate the account the next time you log on and everything will be just as you left it.

So what’s the point? According to Microsoft researcher and social media expert Danah Boyd, it gives social networkers the ultimate control over what ends up on their page - without having to change privacy settings back and forth. And NOBODY can tag bad pictures of you while you’re not looking.

Beware FOR Dog

You probably know your dog shouldn’t have chocolate – but there are some other foods that can really hurt them...

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs – and if they get into a significant amount you’ve got to contact the vet! There are some other foods that some dogs love which can be really bad for them. Bread dough forms dangerous gas in the digestive track, raisins and grapes can damage their kidneys, and garlic and onions can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in both dogs and cats.

Another thing to watch out for is alcohol. Some dogs will lap it right up if they can get to it – and it can cause breathing problems, seizures and even coma.

Source: VetInfo.com

To Kiss or Not to Kiss

Are you a kisser or a shaker?


If you’re not sure – a firm handshake is usually the safest bet to greet people in a social situation. However, there is one exception to that rule. If you’ve kissed someone before to greet them – you might want to kiss them again. According to Cindy Cawley, a fundraiser specialist who observes lots of greetings, it’s best to pick a method and go with that to avoid making anyone feel less special.

Some people are taken aback by an unexpected hug or kiss – so it’s a good idea to take their body language into account and follow their lead. If you’re greeting a couple – try to use the same greeting method on both so they’ll feel equally welcome.

Windows and Doors of Opportunity

If you need new doors or windows on your house – get them now – you could get a tax break on those...

Did you know there’s a tax credit available for new doors? If you meet the requirements, it’s worth 30% of the amount paid for replacement energy-efficient doors, windows and skylights – up to $1,500 – but they have to be purchased and installed by the end of 2010. The tax break doesn’t cover installation – and you need to be careful that you choose the right kind of doors or windows. Check with the manufacturer for the models that qualify.

If you go to IRS.gov – search “residential energy credits” to find the information you’ll need to save big on some home improvements.

Predicting Your Future

How are you at predicting your own future? Most of us are pretty bad at it...

If you have a pretty good idea about how things will turn out – think again. Most of us subconsciously predict how happy or unhappy we’ll be in the future – and according to psychologist Art Markman – we usually get it wrong. A kid might think his life will be complete if he just gets that one toy. An adult might think they’ll be MUCH happier with that new car - or be devastated if they lose that job or relationship - but our long term happiness predictions are usually really inaccurate.

Dr. Markman explains – it’s probably best to remember there are lots of factors that affect how happy we will be in the future – and that no single event will have that big an influence on that happiness.

Source: Psychology Today

I Can't Hear You!

When you get a phone call in a noisy room – do you cover your other ear? Here's a BETTER method...

(click play to listen)

Hair Say

If you’ve got split ends or limp locks – your hair might be trying to tell you something...

Dandruff, split ends and hair loss are all signs of something. Our hair can give us some clues about our health. WebMD has a list of the most common hair issues and their causes:

• Dandruff is harmless – but it usually means your scalp is either too dry or too oily. If the dandruff is yellow, you might need an anti-fungal prescription to treat it.

• Losing more hair than usual is normal after a traumatic or stressful experience – but it can sometimes take 2 months for it to start falling out. The good news is – new hair usually starts growing to replace it right away.

 

• Hair loss is also a side effect for some medication. It’s usually temporary – but check with your doctor.

• Hair that becomes limp or dried out could be a result of dieting. Hair needs protein and iron to stay healthy – and can even start to fall out without them.

• Split ends can be a sign that you’re over-styling or over exposing your hair to the elements. It’s not permanent, but the only way to get that healthy hair back is to cut off the damage and start over.

Social Mirroring

If you’d like to make someone feel comfortable – try some mirroring...

 

How are your mirroring skills? Mirroring is an excellent social technique to put others at ease – or even make ourselves more comfortable and engaging. If two people are really enjoying themselves they often match each other’s movements naturally. But you can help that connection along a little by making a conscious effort.

To mirror effectively – tune in to the other person’s movements and imitate them. Of course you don’t want to literally mirror or mimic them – keep it subtle. Mix it up a little – and try NOT to mirror simultaneously – delay your movement and keep it natural.

A Drink or Two

How much alcohol is in that drink? That depends on the drink of course...

Having a drink or two? You could feel a big difference there - depending on what you’re drinking. A lot of people lump beer and wine together – but the alcohol by volume – or ABV for beer is 4.5 percent, while most wine is around 11 or 12 percent. When you get into the harder stuff like vodka – you’re up around 40 percent! Do the math – even when you mix it with something, that drink or two could feel like a lot more.

Be especially careful with festive spiked punches. It’s hard to know how much liquor is in there – or if there’s more than one type – that sweet stuff can really sneak up on you, especially if you switch to something else.

Source: William Kerr, Alcohol Research Group of the Public Health Institute

Presidential Breakfast

Now THIS calls for a hearty breakfast!

For the average modern American – breakfast consists of cereal, a bagel, or a lone cup of coffee on the run. But that just won’t do for the President. Let’s take a peek at how some of them started their day:

• Lean Abraham Lincoln was pretty straight-forward. He liked an egg with a little bacon and some coffee.

• Thomas Jefferson’s breakfast table was crowded – with coffee AND tea, muffins, hot wheat and corn bread AND cold ham and butter.

• George Washington often started his day with THREE cups of tea – and hoe-cakes covered with melted butter and honey. Hoe cakes are made from corn meal and cooked in the fire, on a hoe.

The White House waffle iron gets sees a lot of action these days. Barak Obama’s likes those with sausage and fried egg whites.

Sources: Lincoln’s Whitehouse, Monticello.org

For the Birds

If you’d like to start attracting more birds to your place for this season – I’ve got a trick that gets their attention...

 

A lot of birds are on the lookout for their new favorite hangout for the season. It can take a couple of weeks to attract them – but there’s something you can do to get noticed faster. Put something shiny UNDER the feeder along with some seeds. Also, have some water nearby – they’ll notice that too.

If you’re new at bird feeding – start with black oil sunflower seeds – they’re a favorite for lots of different birds. Suet cakes also work great for colorful winter birds - but you’ll need a special suet grid type feeder for that.

Source: YardEnvy.com

Quantum What?

You probably hear the word quantum every once in a while – but do you know what it means? Four out of five people don’t...

 

Quantum physics, quantum theory, quantum leap. The word quantum is popping up more and more these days – especially in tech talk. But most people don’t really know what it means. Definitions vary a bit depending on what’s it’s being applied to – but it’s generally used as the smallest possible measure of something. Merriam-Webster uses it in a sentence for us: The sum of human knowledge is now so immense that even a highly educated person can hope to absorb only a tiny QUANTUM of it. And now you’ve absorbed one quantum more.