Cup-a-Sadness

If you’re feeling depressed – that soup could be to blame...

French fries, cookies, even that breakfast cereal could be bumming you out. There’s a new study that finds some foods to be downright depressing. The trans fats and saturated fats are the culprit. Consuming them on a regular basis increases our odds for depression by 48%.

Fast food and store bought pastries are packed with trans fats. Chips and crackers have got it too – along with most energy bars and breakfast cereals.  Processed foods like Ramen noodles and soup cups are loaded too.

Tax Deadline

What happens if you miss that tax filing deadline?

The clock is ticking on that tax filing deadline. Don’t worry – you won’t be hauled off to jail if you miss it. Here’s what really happens:

• If you owe – the longer you wait, the more interest and penalties you’ll pay.

• If you’re due a refund – relax – you’ve got until April 15th, 2013! That’s when the 3-year IRS statute of limitations runs out. If you’re STILL not ready in 2013 – consider that refund a donation to the U.S. Treasury. They’ll keep it.

Fire up the Grill

If you’re ready to fire up that grill – cook a PERFECT steak...

Nothing beats a juicy steak off the grill. Chef John Macchia, Consumer Reports’ grilling expert tells us how to do steak right. Buy a large cut so you can butcher them yourself – you’ll get a lot more for your money that way. Use a heavy layer of salt to season them and some cracked black pepper – both sides. Make sure your grill is clean and then preheat it on high. You’ll be cooking them on the high setting too. Cook your steaks for a minute and a half for each turn. When you see the juices coming out of the top of the steak – that usually means it’s to temperature – that’s a perfectly rare cooked steak.

If you like it more cooked – continue the turns. The temperature inside the steak should be at least 145 degrees – you’ll need a meat thermometer to know for sure.

Drastic Cut

Have you had an urge lately for a drastic hair cut?

Spring is big business for hair salons. It’s the most common time of year to get the urge to change your style. It’s sort of a shedding instinct – but before you do something drastic:

• Find pictures of cuts, colors and styles you like first. Be realistic. Find photos of people who have similar face shapes and hair textures to your own.

• Arrive at the salon with your hair the way you usually wear it – even if you want something completely different. It lets the stylist know what you’re capable of.

• Be honest about your styling skills. You don’t want to end up with a do that requires a lot of daily styling or maintenance if you’ve got better things to do.

Spring Detox

Are you ready for some spring cleaning? Let’s start with our bodies...
If you packed on a few extra pounds over the winter – a spring cleaning diet may be in order. Gillian McKeith, author of “Women’s Health,” says fruits, vegetables and whole foods are the key for resetting our metabolism. Start with some grapefruit – the enzymes help kick start a natural detox. Then, get things moving with apples – the soluble fiber in there really helps. Ginger and greens like kale and Brussels sprouts have got a lot of detox power too. If you can work these ingredients into your spring diet you’ll feel more alive and improve your mental clarity.

3D Sickness

If 3D movies make you feel queasy...

With new technology – we’ll be seeing more and more 3D out there. 3D movies and games cause nausea in about 30% of us. The good news is that 3D sickness is temporary – and goes away when the 3D viewing stops. But according to optometrist Justin Bazan, you might want to mention it to your eye doctor. In some cases it could indicate an underlying vision problem.

If your kids like 3D games – it’s a good idea to invoke the 20/20/20 rule. After 20 minutes of gaming – take a 20 second break and focus on something 20 feet away.

Late Night Preference

The late night show you prefer reveals something about your personality:




• Conan – you are charmingly modest and don’t shy away from a challenge.
• Letterman – you’re a quick wit and use it to fight or make friends.
• Leno – you’re loyal and don’t let other’s sway your opinion.
• Jimmy Fallon – you’re curious and willing to try anything.
• Jimmy Kimmel – you have unique insight and find humor in simple things.
• Craig Ferguson – you’re open minded and prefer a different perspective.

Decisions, Decisions...

Does your premium cable offer too MANY choices?

That premium cable might just be stressing you out. Dan Buettner, author of “Thrive,” says all of those choices and great shows can actually make us unhappy. The more TV we have – the more we watch. His research found the happiest people generally watch about 1 hour of TV a day.

If you think you could stand it – downgrading your premium cable could actually save you $50 or more a month! And the lack of choice could inspire you to do something instead of watch something.

Marital Junk

There’s a trick to improving your marriage – you’ll need a bag or some boxes...

...Now start filling. Girls – start with the clothes. Now is a great time of year to get rid of any old sweaters or winter stuff – for good! Guys – start with the gadgets. The ones you don’t use anymore have got to go.

80% of married couples fight at least twice a year over the other person’s “stuff.” Clothes is the pet peeve for guys and electronics is what the girls are tired of tripping over. Go ahead – toss or donate what you don’t really need – you’ll both feel better.

Swallow With Caution

The next time you eat or drink – be careful!

Take your time with that coffee or toast. If it goes down the wrong hatch, it’s more than annoying – it’s dangerous. Aspirating food or liquids can actually cause pneumonia if it gets inhaled into the lungs. Popcorn and peanuts are popular triggers – because we toss them towards the back of our mouth. Here are some other eating hazards to avoid:

• Eating too fast

• Talking while eating

• Eating while reclined

If you’re using a straw – put it towards one side of your mouth to avoid that jet stream of liquid to the back of the throat.

5 - 4 - 3 - 2...

The next time you exercise – count down, not up.

Up, 2, 3, 4 – down, 2, 3, 4. If you count out your reps when you exercise – count DOWN instead. Up 3, 2, 1 – down, 3, 2, 1. That can actually make it a little easier and give you more stamina. It’s purely psychological. Christopher Mohr, an exercise psychologist, says by counting down, we’re less likely to quit early. When we’re counting up – we might be tempted to stop at 10 when we intended to get to 12. If we’re counting backwards – we’re less likely to stop at 3 when 1 is oh so close.

Instant Youth

You can look 10 years younger – instantly – for free!

Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back and lift your head. Voila! You’ll instantly look younger and thinner. Here are a few more youthful tricks from Charla Krupp, author of “How Not to Look Old,” that really work:

• Less matching – overly coordinating your wardrobe and jewelry can make you look old fashioned. Mix it up a bit - the less you match – the younger you’ll look.

• Take big steps. Our steps get smaller as we age – larger steps at a brisk pace can make you look years younger.

• Switch scents – to grapefruit. It’s a youthful scent that can invigorate others and even change and lift YOUR facial expression.

Happy Time

What time do you get home from work?

Ideally – it’s best to get home from work at 5:42 pm. That’s the result of a recent study which looks at the best balance for a happy life. Here are some other averages of happy time we should be trying for:

• Time with kids – 2 hours a day.

• Home-cooked meals – 5 a week, take-out meals – 1.

• Watching TV – 3 favorite shows a week.

• Shopping outings – 4 times monthly.

• Vacations – 2 a year.

• Night on the town – once a week.

• Alcoholic drinks – 4 per week.

• Intimate time – 3 hours 58 minutes – a week.

Drugstore Don'ts

Chain drugstores sure are convenient – BUT...

There’s a good reason you have to walk to the BACK of a drugstore to get your prescription. They’re hoping you’ll grab a few more things on your way in or out. The big chain drugstores are super convenient for one stop shopping – but avoid grabbing these items:

• Batteries – the cheap drugstore brands last a lot LESS longer than the name brands.

• Bottled Water – it’s usually cheaper at the supermarket.

• Appliances – you’ll find a much bigger selection and more quality brands of hairdryers, coffee makers, toasters and irons at a superstore.

• Cereal – some brands cost $2 more per box at a drugstore because there’s less floor space to stock them.

Doodle Trick

The next time you’re stuck in a boring meeting, class or lecture – doodle!

If you were doodling through that last meeting – you probably remember more of it. New research found doodlers had 29% more recall after listening to a fact-filled audio tape than those who just sat and listened. Our minds tend to wander when we’re bored – and doodling actually keeps us focused so we can absorb more information.

Even when asked to take notes – the group that took notes AND doodled remembered more than the group that just took notes.