The oils you cook with can affect your breathing. The good and bad choices...

Cooking with oil? Your choice could affect the way you breathe. 

New research found that certain cooking oils can increase lung inflammation and interfere with easy breathing – especially if you have asthma or compromised lung function. That’s because some types of oil decrease allergic reaction, while others can encourage it a bit.

You’ll breathe easier by using olive, sunflower and safflower oils. Problematic oils include soy, corn and canola oils.

If you’re in the mood for a little shopping today, try one of these stores...

Most retail stores have a standard markdown day of the week. 

ShopSmart Magazine has the best days for the best deals at some of our favorite stores:

• Marshalls and T.J. Maxx tend to do most of their markdowns on a Wednesday. Aim for later in the day or even wait until Thursday for the best price.

• Target marks down their clothes by department: Kids on Mondays, Women on Tuesdays and Mens clothing on Wednesday.

• Friday and Saturday nights are all right for Kohl’s. They’re open to 11 pm and prices are slashed up to 80%.

Are you just aging - or could you have diabetes?

More of us are at risk of developing diabetes than ever before. 

Our risk goes up after age 45 – and according to the American Diabetes Association, about 8 million of us have it and don’t even know it. Unfortunately, many people chalk up symptoms of diabetes or pre-diabetes to aging and let it go undiagnosed. Some red flags worth mentioning to your doctor include:

• Hearing loss or blurred vision. Diabetes harms the blood vessels in the ears and eyes. It can make focusing more difficult and result in hearing loss.

• Low energy and irritability. Diabetes deprives the body of fuel which can leave you feeling tired, hungry and cranky.

• Frequent urination and extreme thirst. Without treatment, diabetics can get very thirsty and overwhelm the kidneys.

• Tingling hands and feet. If you experience numbness, dry and itchy skin or find wounds take longer to heal, you could have diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes or pre-diabetes can be gradual and very subtle, so it’s important to pay attention. It can make a big difference if you can catch it early, delay or event prevent it.

That fire pit can keep bugs at bay – if you burn some of this...

If you enjoy sitting around the fire pit on a summer night – throw some sage on there. 

It smells great and bugs hate it. Another popular herb, lemon balm, is a natural repellent too. It’s super-easy to grow or you can buy it in bunches. Citronella is another plant that bugs hate. 

Some varieties of wood in your fire will do the trick too. Try some bark from a cedar tree, or toss some BBQ chunks of hickory or mesquite into your pit or chiminea. Just be sure to soak them in water first.

This daily email can improve your life.

If email is part of your daily routine – put a few to work for you. 

Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage,” says you can improve your own quality with a daily email. Every morning, send a friend, family member or colleague an email thanking or praising them for something. Not only does this help you start the day on a positive note, it helps you do a little soul searching and to cement important relationships. 

At the end of the week, consider sending another email – to your boss. Sum up your accomplishments in a short, easy-to-read format. This professional courtesy keeps them in the loop without having to ask and is positive reinforcement for both of you.

Exercise is good. Too much exercise – not good at all.

No offense marathon runners – but you look old. 

Too much of a good thing, even exercise, can take a toll on your body and your looks. Cosmetic physician Dr. Van Park says one marathon Tough Mudder or triathlon every now and then is okay, but long term excessive exercise will hasten ageing. Just look at the faces of regular marathon runners.

Hard-core exercise puts the body under extreme stress which releases cortisol. Over time, those high levels can make you look old inside and out. Even jogging and heavy weight lifting can stress joints and damage delicate protective cartilage.

If you’re looking for love, find someone who reads.

If you’d like to fall in love with someone who is nicer and smarter and deeper than the average person, check the library. 

Studies have found people who enjoy deep reading, or who read fiction on a regular basis, are better at understanding other people and more able to appreciate different perspectives and points of view. 

Deep reading, as opposed to the superficial reading we do on the web or in newspapers and magazines, exposes us to insight and behavior of different genders, ages and walks of life. Once we put the book down, we tend to take those experiences with us into real life. 

Stuck for an idea or solution to something? How to get unstuck...

If you’ve been trying to figure something out for more than 15 minutes, stop trying. 

Our problem-solving skills plummet after that amount of time. According to Dr. Ron Friedman, author of “The Best Place to Work,” when we first encounter a problem, certain solution burst to mind. If none of those will do, our focus starts to narrow in and reevaluate the choices. That’s when we’re likely to lose sight of the big picture. 

Dr. Friedman says after 15 minutes, switch tasks. Once we let go of that problem and focus our attention elsewhere, our perspective expands and incubation begins. That’s our non-conscious thinking. The antidote or solution could present itself when we least expect it, like in shower or while performing another mundane task.

If you’ve got an iPhone, here are some handy features...

Do you have an iPhone? Try shaking it. 

If you’ve made a mistake while typing, that shake gives you the option to “undo” your last action. Here are some other handy features some iPhone users don’t know they have:

• Siri can read your emails to you. Just say “Read my email,” sit back, and enjoy. You can also ask Siri to find an email by name of sender. The same goes for text messages.

• Not sure what time that text came in? Drag the text bubble to the left to find out.

• If you’re using the camera for an action shot, hold down the capture button. It will take multiple photos so you can choose the best one.

• Swipe up from the bottom on your home screen. You have instant access to your flashlight, calculator, camera, music and settings there.

Does the left side of your face look older than the right?

Take a good look in the mirror. Do you see more fine lines, wrinkles or damage on the left side of your face? 

It’s possible, especially if you drive a lot. Researchers at the University of Washington studied cancer cases tracked by the U.S. government. They found that when melanoma affected one side of a person’s body, it was on the left side—the driver’s side—52 percent of the time. Truck drivers are especially prone to this kind of damage.

Tinted glass helps a little, but if you drive a lot, you really should be sure to apply sunscreen to your face, neck and left arm before you hit the road. 

Are you a hypnic jerk? What that is...

Have you ever drifted off to sleep only to be jolted awake by an involuntary spasm? 

That’s called a hypnic jerk and it actually serves a purpose. Some scientists believe this automatic reaction dates back through evolution to when humans often slept in trees, which is why we may even experience the sensation of falling just prior to the spasm. That hypnic jerk would signal our tree-sleeping ancestors to reposition themselves and prevent a fall as they drifted off. 

Another theory is that the brain can sometimes confuse sleep with death, activating some of the body's emergency "stay alive" mechanisms. That helps explain why hypnic jerks often wake up in a state of panic. 

Was your doctor dropped from your insurance plan? What you can do about that...

With recent changes in healthcare plans, many patients found their doctor’s name missing from their list of network physicians. 

According to Consumer Reports’ Medical Advisor Dr. Orly Avitzur, you may have a say in who you see. She says many of jer patients have elected to continue to see her even though she’s not in their network anymore. In most cases, Dr. Avitzur gives them a substantial discount from her regular fees. 

If you like your doctor, and want to keep your doctor, it’s worth the conversation. You can also file an appeal with your insurance company if switching doctor’s presents a hardship for you, especially if you’re undergoing treatment for a chronic condition.

If your phone is going to the beach with you – take one of these along...

Water, sand and sun are all fun – unless you’re a phone. 

Most people want to have their phone handy as they play or relax in the elements but that phone will need some protection. There are several waterproof cases on the market for your smartphone, but a zip lock baggie will work in a pinch. It will keep the sand, moisture and lotion off of your phone and you will still be able to use it, through the baggie. 

Heat is another hazard for your phone. Letting it overheat in the sun can kill your battery and do some real damage. Try to find a shady spot for your phone and close any apps you’re not using to keep it cool.

Don’t judge a book by its cover – but what about people? Why you can go ahead and judge a little...

The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” isn't always good advice. 

As a matter of fact, our good and bad judgment serves a purpose. While it’s not always spot on, our instinct can often point us in the right direction or give us pause when something’s not right.

The cover of a book may be deceiving but studies have found that the cover of most people will give you some sense of who they are. One study even found that women could successfully determine which men would make good fathers just by looking at them. It's not rocket science... generally speaking, nice people tend to look nice while nasty people tend to look nasty. 

Don’t spray the sunscreen! What the FDA is looking at...

Kids need sunscreen – but skip the spray variety for now. 

According to Consumer Reports, the FDA is looking into the potential risks of spray sunscreen, especially for children. It’s easy for children to inhale those tiny toxic particles when spraying near the face or in a breeze. Adults should opt for the lotion variety too.

It’s also harder to effectively apply enough spray sunscreen. If it’s the only product you have, you should spray it into your hand and then rub it on. Never spray sunscreen directly onto the face.