Friday, May 8, 2009
10 Ways to Make Your Kid Smarter
Sunday, April 12, 2009
9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes
Source: http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/simplify-your-life/articlers.aspx?cp-documentid=16007878>1=32028
Being happier doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now. In the next 30 minutes, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you’ve achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.
1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you’re on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better…
2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.
3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you’ll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.
4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of elation.
5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time cleaning off your desk and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.
6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also…
7. Save someone’s life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. “Do good, feel good” — it really works!
8. Act happy. Fake it 'til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.
9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need" to learn about.
Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal, but in fact, research shows that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive — and they’re more inclined to help other people. By working to boost your own happiness, you’re making other people happier, too.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
10 Foods That May Improve Your Appearance
"If you have puffy bags under your eyes in the morning, you are almost certainly consuming much more salt than you need," says Doris Day, M.D., author of Forget the Facelift: Turn Back the Clock with a Revolutionary Program for Ageless Skin (Avery, 2005). "Another problem is alcohol: It dehydrates you and can make your skin sag. The worst combination is alcohol and salt, which causes puffy dark circles under your eyes." Dr. Day recommends reducing your sodium intake to eliminate bloating. Instead of salt, season your meals with herbs and spices such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley and garlic.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Scientists find nutty risk reducer: Eat more nuts
By CARLA K. JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
Spanish researchers found that adding nuts worked better than boosting the olive oil in a typical Mediterranean diet. Both regimens cut the heart risks known as metabolic syndrome in more people than a low-fat diet did.
"What's most surprising is they found substantial metabolic benefits in the absence of calorie reduction or weight loss," said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital.In the study, appearing Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the people who improved most were told to eat about three whole walnuts, seven or eight whole hazelnuts and seven or eight whole almonds. They didn't lose weight, on average, but more of them succeeded in reducing belly fat and improving their cholesterol and blood pressure.
Manson, who wasn't involved in the study, cautioned that adding nuts to a Western diet — one packed with too many calories and junk food — could lead to weight gain and more health risks. "But using nuts to replace a snack of chips or crackers is a very favorable change to make in your diet," Manson said.
The American Heart Association says 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome, a combination of health risks, such as high blood pressure and abdominal obesity. Finding a way to reverse it with a diet people find easy and satisfying would mean huge health improvements for many Americans, Manson said.
"Nuts could have an effect on metabolic syndrome by multiple mechanisms," Salas-Salvado said in an e-mail. Nuts are rich in anti-inflammatory substances, such as fiber, and antioxidants, such as vitamin E. They are high in unsaturated fat, a healthier fat known to lower blood triglycerides and increase good cholesterol.
More than 1,200 Spaniards, ranging in age from 55 to 80, were randomly assigned to follow one of three diets. They were followed for a year. The participants had no prior history of heart disease, but some had risk factors including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and abdominal obesity.
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At the start, 751 people had metabolic syndrome, about 61 percent, distributed evenly among the three groups.
Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more of the following conditions: abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), high blood sugar and high blood pressure.
The low-fat group was given basic advice about reducing all fat in their diets. Another group ate a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts. The third group ate a Mediterranean diet and was told to make sure they ate more than four tablespoons of olive oil a day.
After one year, all three groups had fewer people with metabolic syndrome, but the group eating nuts led the improvement, now with 52 percent having those heart risk factors. In the olive oil group, 57 percent had the syndrome. In the low-fat group, there was very little difference after a year in the percentage of people with the syndrome.
The nut-rich diet didn't do much to improve high blood sugar, but the large number of people with Type 2 diabetes — about 46 percent of participants — could be the reason, Salas-Salvado said. It's difficult to get diabetics' blood sugar down with lifestyle changes alone, he said.
The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health and the government of Valencia, Spain.
Salas-Salvado and another co-author disclosed in the publication that they are unpaid advisers to nut industry groups. Salas-Salvado said all of their research "has been conducted under standard ethical and scientific rules" and that peer-review journal editors determined the study results were not influenced by food industry ties.
Friday, December 5, 2008
How To Never Look Tired
25 easy tricks that replace sleep. (But you should get some of that, too!)
by Wendy Schmid
source: http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/makeup-skin-care-hair/articleglamour.aspx?cp-documentid=14567030>1=32002.
That coworker’s voice is full of concern when she says, “How are you? You look tired.” But her sympathy doesn’t stop you from wanting to throttle her. Nobody wants to appear sleep deprived—and nobody has to anymore. “It’s easier than ever to not let exhaustion show on your face. There are lots of effective products, many of them inexpensive, that de-puff, glow you up and disguise problems,” says New York City dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D. And there are plenty of look-alive tactics that are free. Hallelujah! We’ve got six satisfying comebacks to use the next time someone says you seem pooped—but you’ll never need them if you try the following ideas from beauty pros and some very clever weary women.
Try a Little Eyeliner Magic
New York City–based makeup artist Laura Mercier perks up models at early-morning photo shoots by rimming their inner, upper lash lines with navy. “It make the whites of their eyes seem brighter,” she says. White is the liner color of choice for singer Katy Perry, 24, who’s learned it’s not easy to get shut-eye when you’re promoting a hit album (One of the Boys) and spending nights on a tour bus. She swipes it onto her inner, lower lids. The white helps offset redness, she says; “catnaps help too.
Glow With Gravity
Kathleen Baird-Murray, 40, author of the new novel Face Value, does a backbend when she’s tired. “It gets me going,” she says, “and brings a flush to my face.” You could also hang your head over the side of your bed for a few seconds."
Do a Ponytail Face-Lift
Pulling your hair into a high, tight one literally gives your face a little lift, so you look refreshed, says Paris-based runway hairstylist Odile Gilbert.
Caffeinate Your Eyes
Leigh Lezark, 24, globe-trotting deejay for the Misshapes, has a special A.M. ritual when she’s worked till dawn: She dips cotton pads in brewed espresso and presses them beneath her eyes. “It eliminates all the darkness and puff,” she says. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, so it shrinks blood vessels and minimizes dark circles. Its diuretic effect also helps reduce swelling, which is why it’s so popular in eye creams.
Take a Cold (and Hot) Shower
Alternating blasts revive Jayne Sandman, 29, associate publisher of Capitol File magazine, when she’s done the D.C. party circuit five nights in a row. Says Dr. Fusco, who recommends this to overworked patients: “The temperature change revs circulation and brings back color—it’s like CPR for the skin.”
Go for a Bronzer-Blush Whammy
The Hills star Audrina Patridge, 23, admits to losing all color in her face when she’s wiped. Her strategy: “Bronzer all over and shimmery blush on my cheeks, so I don’t look like a zombie!”
Rub on an Ice Cube
Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff, 30, spikes ice-cube trays with her Russian mom’s special cocktail (not vodka!) to prep for sunrise rehearsals. She just adds a drop of lemon juice and olive oil to each square, and later runs a frozen cube over her face. The cold reduces swelling, the lemon’s citric acid tightens and the olive oil adds moisture.
Put on Skin-Flattering Clothes
“After late nights, I’ll slip into a dress, heels and my Steven Alan headband to throw off coworkers,” says Lilia DeGregory, 33, a photographer at Kate Spade who moonlights as a deejay. Makeup pro Bobbi Brown, author of Makeup Manual, dons a pink scarf: “Pink warms up skin; I get kudos even on bad days!”
Spoon!
When she’s been working nonstop, Kate Somerville, 38, founder of a skin-care line, chills teaspoons in the hotel-room mini fridge and rests them on her eyes: “It reduces puffiness and redness.”
Dress up Your Lips
“I draw attention away from my weary eyes with pink lip gloss,” says Paula Froehlich, 34, deputy editor of New York Post gossip column Page Six, who spends nights reporting. The shade transforms a “just-shoot-me-now look,” she says.
Add More Mascara
Three coats perk up designer Cynthia Rowley when new collections have her lagging. “I load only my upper lashes,” she says. “I don’t risk smudges below when I’m already bleary-eyed.”
Wear Frozen Veggies
NYC trainer Lacey Stone, 30, puts a bag of frozen peas on her face before she leads early-morning workouts. “They conform perfectly,” she says, and help cure sleep face.
Banish Dark Circles
One mistake women often make: “They miss the shady spot at the inner corner of the eye,” says Matthew Nigara, an NYC makeup pro. A dab of highlighter there brightens the whole area.
Bring on the Bling
Parties can last till dawn during Fashion Week, so NYC stylist Kate Schelter, 32, throws on a glittery necklace or earrings the morning after: “The sparkle makes you look lively! It’s a trick I tell clients.”
Monday, December 1, 2008
9 Ways to Age Gracefully
Simple tips to follow for feeling young and staying healthy.
By EatingWell, EatingWell.com
Aging is inevitable. The so-called fountain of youth? Sadly, just a beautiful fantasy. Still, you can exert some control over your decade-by-decade destiny. By following a healthy lifestyle—that is, eating a nutrient-packed diet and staying active throughout life (or starting right now)—you can help slow the aging process and perhaps even stave off age-related chronic diseases, including osteoporosis, diabetes and heart disease. While basic nutrition needs remain pretty constant throughout life, requirements for specific nutrients may increase—or decrease—slightly as you get older. Also, as we age, caloric needs drop, making it ever more important to pack your diet with the good stuff—vegetables, fruits and whole grains, for example—and limit less-healthy treats. The nutrition experts at EatingWell recommend the following eating tips for healthy aging.
Pack your diet with plant-based foods.
Keep weight in check.
Go easy on fat.
Concentrate on calcium.
Don't forget about D.
"B" aware of changing nutrient needs.
Keep moving!
If you drink, do so in moderation.
Play it safe with food storage and prep.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Michelle Obama's arms hard-won with exercise
Future first lady used to join friend at gym at 4:30 a.m. workouts
Both President-elect Barack Obama and the future first lady have exercise routines that would put most people to shame. Michelle Obama used to join a friend for 4:30 a.m. workouts, and Barack Obama usually starts his day in the gym.
Michelle Obama has been interviewed on television, graced the cover of Newsweek and hit the campaign trail, all with her buff arms bared.
That's sure to continue when the Obamas and their girls — 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha — move into the White House, which has plenty of places for them to stay active.
Fitness is a tradition for residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. President George W. Bush is an avid mountain biker, former President Bill Clinton jogged around Washington and former President George H.W. Bush liked to golf and jog, play tennis and pitch horseshoes.
"Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts," Barack Obama, 47, told Men's Health magazine in an interview for its November issue. "There's always a trade-off between sleep and working out. Usually I get in about 45 minutes, six days a week. I'll lift one day, do cardio the next."
His preference, he said, would be to work out for 90 minutes.
On the campaign trail, even during the busiest periods, Obama made it a priority to start the day with a workout. That often meant a small motorcade of Secret Service agents and reporters following him to a local gym.
A German newspaper took advantage of this habit by stationing a reporter at a gym Obama might use during his European trip during the summer. The reporter, posing as just another person working out, got her picture taken with Obama and wrote a breathless story about how fit and handsome he was.
The president-elect has said his favorite fitness activity is basketball, and the game became a kind of campaign ritual. He got in the habit of shooting hoops with friends on the days of primary elections, and that carried over to such major events as his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention and Election Day.
'He's in terrific shape'"He's very good, he knows how to play, he understands the game and he's in terrific shape," said Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a friend who played professionally in Greece and frequently joins Obama on the court.
At the White House, the president-elect can get his basketball fix by shooting hoops on its outdoor court, but he has joked about replacing the bowling alley with an indoor basketball court.
Obama calls himself skinny, but he looks in top shape. A photo of him bare-chested at the beach — something he has called "embarrassing" — made the rounds of celebrity magazines last year.
Michelle Obama is equally devoted to her fitness routine, telling People magazine this summer that she manages a 90-minute workout three times a week.
Obama is competitive in her workouts, pushing herself to get the most out of her time in the gym, Matthews said. But it's not only about keeping in shape.
"It's your time. I think every woman has to find their space and their time during the course of a day, especially a working mom," Matthews said.