Friday, August 24, 2007
Actress writes book about Math
Danica McKellar, the actress who played Winnie on the Wonder Years, is a math whiz! She's written a book aimed a middle-school girls because studies show that's when girls start to lose interest in math. Danica says, "If you turn on the TV, it's all about how you look. I want to tell girls, Go ahead and get the cool makeup - I do! But know that being smart is an essential part of the package, and math makes you smarter."
Handling nasty neighbors
9 smart tips on how to handle nasty neighbors
Not quite Mr. Rogers neighborhood? Barbara Corcoran offers helpful advice
TODAY
Updated: 8:53 a.m. ET Aug 21, 2007
Even the most beautiful home, in the most serene town can become a nightmare if you live next door to the wrong kind of people. And dealing with nasty neighbors can be enough to drive even the most peaceable person to distraction. If you find yourself in this situation or would like to do your very best to avoid it, take some of real estate expert Barbara Corcoran's practical advice — here are the five big offenders in the world of nasty neighbors and tips on how to deal with them:
1. The racket maker — screaming moms, fighting spouses, horn honking and tire squealing drivers, loud music fanatics and late-night partiers
2. The property line fanatic — someone who trims boundary trees and sends you the bill
3. The slob, like one who lets the grass grow, puts trash out days in advance, and leaves garbage cans unlocked
4. The careless pet owner
5. The extreme weirdo — drunks, drug dealers, and the neighbor that never says anything
Spot them outIf you don’t want to end up with one of the above as your new neighbor, here’s what you can do to spot them early:
1. Cruise the neighborhood at night. You’ll see the guy next door while he’s at home (rather than at work). Most people make the mistake of seeing a home during the day and looking again during the same time a few days later.
2. Talk with the local store owners. They’re always the first to tell you who the pains are, who stiffed them, and who’s involved in a lawsuit. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith house. Do you know it? Know the street? What are the neighbors like?”)
3. Walk the neighborhood during rush hour. Not just block, but the four blocks surrounding yours. Befriend a few neighbors along the way. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith House at 12 Maple Avenue. Do you know the neighbors? What are they like?”).
4. Look for basketball hoops, skateboard ramps, and trampolines, all tell-tale signs of the racket-maker.
5. Watch and listen for the barking and unleashed neighborhood dogs.
6. Poke around the town clerk’s office to find out which neighbors have filed for what, like permits for building a house extension over the next 12 months, a noisy new tennis court, or a new pool.
7. Take a cyberspace tour on ‘Google Street View’ to check out empty lots and backyards that look like a landfill.
8. Check on-line registries for the location of any local sex offenders.
Don’t buy next door to certain establishmentsBe sure to stay away from the following:
Country clubsEmpty lotsBus stopsHalfway housesGarbage routesIntersections with stop signs
How to handle bad neighborsIf you are already in the situation of having nasty neighbors, here are some failsafe strategies:
1. Call ahead and pick a time to talk.
2. Meet on the sidewalk or on the property line.
3. Don’t accuse; let them know how the problem bothers you and suggest ways to solve it together.
4. If that doesn’t work, check out local noise and disturbance ordinances and write a personal letter. Offer a solution.
5. Consult your condo or block association. Ask them to send a standard letter citing the ordinance or by-law. A condominium association’s right of first refusal is a little-known clause that can be used to buy your neighbor out.
6. Should that fail, call your local precinct. Keep a record of your complaint.
7. Call in an expert mediator. (To find a mediator, check with your local courthouse, police precinct, or bar association).
8. As a last resort, file a complaint in court.
9. For the property line fanatic, walk the property line together to determine what belongs to whom; consider having the property surveyed to nip the problem in the bud.
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20363234/?GT1=10252
Not quite Mr. Rogers neighborhood? Barbara Corcoran offers helpful advice
TODAY
Updated: 8:53 a.m. ET Aug 21, 2007
Even the most beautiful home, in the most serene town can become a nightmare if you live next door to the wrong kind of people. And dealing with nasty neighbors can be enough to drive even the most peaceable person to distraction. If you find yourself in this situation or would like to do your very best to avoid it, take some of real estate expert Barbara Corcoran's practical advice — here are the five big offenders in the world of nasty neighbors and tips on how to deal with them:
1. The racket maker — screaming moms, fighting spouses, horn honking and tire squealing drivers, loud music fanatics and late-night partiers
2. The property line fanatic — someone who trims boundary trees and sends you the bill
3. The slob, like one who lets the grass grow, puts trash out days in advance, and leaves garbage cans unlocked
4. The careless pet owner
5. The extreme weirdo — drunks, drug dealers, and the neighbor that never says anything
Spot them outIf you don’t want to end up with one of the above as your new neighbor, here’s what you can do to spot them early:
1. Cruise the neighborhood at night. You’ll see the guy next door while he’s at home (rather than at work). Most people make the mistake of seeing a home during the day and looking again during the same time a few days later.
2. Talk with the local store owners. They’re always the first to tell you who the pains are, who stiffed them, and who’s involved in a lawsuit. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith house. Do you know it? Know the street? What are the neighbors like?”)
3. Walk the neighborhood during rush hour. Not just block, but the four blocks surrounding yours. Befriend a few neighbors along the way. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith House at 12 Maple Avenue. Do you know the neighbors? What are they like?”).
4. Look for basketball hoops, skateboard ramps, and trampolines, all tell-tale signs of the racket-maker.
5. Watch and listen for the barking and unleashed neighborhood dogs.
6. Poke around the town clerk’s office to find out which neighbors have filed for what, like permits for building a house extension over the next 12 months, a noisy new tennis court, or a new pool.
7. Take a cyberspace tour on ‘Google Street View’ to check out empty lots and backyards that look like a landfill.
8. Check on-line registries for the location of any local sex offenders.
Don’t buy next door to certain establishmentsBe sure to stay away from the following:
Country clubsEmpty lotsBus stopsHalfway housesGarbage routesIntersections with stop signs
How to handle bad neighborsIf you are already in the situation of having nasty neighbors, here are some failsafe strategies:
1. Call ahead and pick a time to talk.
2. Meet on the sidewalk or on the property line.
3. Don’t accuse; let them know how the problem bothers you and suggest ways to solve it together.
4. If that doesn’t work, check out local noise and disturbance ordinances and write a personal letter. Offer a solution.
5. Consult your condo or block association. Ask them to send a standard letter citing the ordinance or by-law. A condominium association’s right of first refusal is a little-known clause that can be used to buy your neighbor out.
6. Should that fail, call your local precinct. Keep a record of your complaint.
7. Call in an expert mediator. (To find a mediator, check with your local courthouse, police precinct, or bar association).
8. As a last resort, file a complaint in court.
9. For the property line fanatic, walk the property line together to determine what belongs to whom; consider having the property surveyed to nip the problem in the bud.
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20363234/?GT1=10252
"Out to Lunch" no more?
Why the lunch break is going extinct
More workers are told to multi-task as they wolf down food
By Eve Tahmincioglu
Updated: 8:43 a.m. ET Aug 20, 2007
My relatives in Athens, Greece have always indulged when it came to their lunch breaks.
They’d leave work and head home around 1 p.m. and sit down with family at a big table loaded with food, everything from grilled octopus with greens to roasted lemon chicken and potatoes. There was also always wine and Ouzo, an anise-flavored liquor, flowing.
As you can imagine, everyone got pretty tired partaking in this feast so they’d all go off to bed for at least an hour nap.
Around 3:30 or 4 p.m. they’d go back to the office or factory and toil until about 7 or 8 p.m.
I always mocked my relatives when we would visit them in Greece during my teen years. Their endless lunch breaks seemed to me to be the height of laziness.
Ah, the ignorance of youth. I would give my right arm if I could get that kind of lunch today. Who wouldn’t?
Not only is this not an option for most of the U.S. workforce, we’re lucky if we get a lunch break at all.
The workers at VendorSeek.com don’t get any lunch breaks Monday through Thursday.
“It is encouraged that we eat at our desks and use this ‘down time’ to address e-mails, inter-office meetings, and other tasks and necessities that would interrupt the flow of the normal course of the work day,” says Ken Wisnefski, president of the company that helps businesses find outsourcing services. He points out that the company is a bit more lax on Fridays and workers can take up to an hour to do what they wish.
What Wisnefski found was his workers were spending so much time scheduling lunches and then ramping back up again after lunches that they ended up playing catch up for most of the day.
“Now things are more organized, less chaotic,” he explains.
Lunch hours, forget them. Those were long gone years ago. A study by chicken fast food chain KFC Corp., found that 60 percent of workers in Corporate America actually considered the lunch hour “the biggest myth of office life.”
But now a growing number of employees are finding they are also losing their right to a lunch half hour, or any break at all. About 55 percent of workers take a half hour or less for their lunch breaks, according to a survey by Steelcase, an office equipment maker.
Women, who are forever trying to prove themselves in the work world, are not surprisingly more likely to take shorter lunch breaks than men; and all you uptight Northeasterners are also taking shorter lunches than your counterparts in the rest of the nation.
Many workplace experts suspect even those workers who are allotted a half hour for lunch, often end up never leaving their desks.
The move to shorter or non-existent lunches is in some cases self-imposed. “It’s almost as though workers started the trend,” says Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach.
We’re all too busy these days to take a leisurely lunch and we also want to get out of work at a reasonable hour so we can have some quality time with our families and friends. If you work through lunch, the thought goes, you can get out of the office before the witching hour.
In the case of VendorSeek, employees actually hatched the idea to do a way with lunches, maintains Wisnefski. “They asked, ‘why do we need to take lunch?’”
Well, it turns out giving up your lunch break could actually diminish your productivity, causing you to end up putting in more hours in the long run, not to mention what it does for your health and well being. “I joke sometimes that smokers are the healthiest people in the work place these days because they get outside,” says Brown-Volkman.
“Your brain needs to rest,” she adds. “Sometimes, in order to concentrate you have to think about something different, get a way from the problem. Sunshine is good for the body, mind and soul.”
And Joe Takash is a business consultant claims lunch breaks can “help boost creativity and profits.”
This may be a good selling point for your boss if you’re one of those workers who want to reclaim their right to a lunch.
Here are some other ways to convince your boss you need time to dine, from psychologist and corporate consultant Kevin Fleming:
"Make it an informal setting for a discussion of some important work topic best done 'offsite.' Bosses love this. Shows not that you want your lunch back, but that you are astute to office politics and have good boundaries."
“Make it a 'leadership lunch.' Tell your superiors it is an alignment lunch to get folks on the same page and to make sure they are making them richer faster.”
“Convince them that the lunch break makes you more productive. Be a 'Columbo' [the 1970s TV detective] and show them data that compares these two camps. Many times corporate America is used to hard data so speak in a language they will understand.”
“If all else fails, make a low blood sugar scene of dramatic proportions.”
There is no federal law that provides for lunch or coffee breaks, but some states may have provisions. “California law does require that employers provide unpaid meal periods after five hours of work, as well as rest periods, for most employees,” says Greg Mersol, a Cleveland attorney with Baker Hostetler. Here’s a Web link to some state provisions.
We all need to bring back the mid-day break.
And don’t forget to eat something, demands Kathleen Hall, a stress and work-life balance expert. “Food boosts mental and physical productivity and regulates moods. But don’t just eat anything within reach. Eat foods that boost brain activity like Salmon or blueberries. Foods can also fight anxiety, stress and panic, which is good if you’re having an especially difficult day.”
Now just in case you are still daydreaming about my relatives in Greece and their three hour lunch extravaganza, things are changing even in that laid back country. Unfortunately, the nation has moved closer to the U.S. model of a 9 to 5 workday in recent years.
Well, not everyone. On my last trip there, my uncles, aunts and cousins were still toasting to life over long lunches and squeezing in their midday siestas.
Opa!
More workers are told to multi-task as they wolf down food
By Eve Tahmincioglu
Updated: 8:43 a.m. ET Aug 20, 2007
My relatives in Athens, Greece have always indulged when it came to their lunch breaks.
They’d leave work and head home around 1 p.m. and sit down with family at a big table loaded with food, everything from grilled octopus with greens to roasted lemon chicken and potatoes. There was also always wine and Ouzo, an anise-flavored liquor, flowing.
As you can imagine, everyone got pretty tired partaking in this feast so they’d all go off to bed for at least an hour nap.
Around 3:30 or 4 p.m. they’d go back to the office or factory and toil until about 7 or 8 p.m.
I always mocked my relatives when we would visit them in Greece during my teen years. Their endless lunch breaks seemed to me to be the height of laziness.
Ah, the ignorance of youth. I would give my right arm if I could get that kind of lunch today. Who wouldn’t?
Not only is this not an option for most of the U.S. workforce, we’re lucky if we get a lunch break at all.
The workers at VendorSeek.com don’t get any lunch breaks Monday through Thursday.
“It is encouraged that we eat at our desks and use this ‘down time’ to address e-mails, inter-office meetings, and other tasks and necessities that would interrupt the flow of the normal course of the work day,” says Ken Wisnefski, president of the company that helps businesses find outsourcing services. He points out that the company is a bit more lax on Fridays and workers can take up to an hour to do what they wish.
What Wisnefski found was his workers were spending so much time scheduling lunches and then ramping back up again after lunches that they ended up playing catch up for most of the day.
“Now things are more organized, less chaotic,” he explains.
Lunch hours, forget them. Those were long gone years ago. A study by chicken fast food chain KFC Corp., found that 60 percent of workers in Corporate America actually considered the lunch hour “the biggest myth of office life.”
But now a growing number of employees are finding they are also losing their right to a lunch half hour, or any break at all. About 55 percent of workers take a half hour or less for their lunch breaks, according to a survey by Steelcase, an office equipment maker.
Women, who are forever trying to prove themselves in the work world, are not surprisingly more likely to take shorter lunch breaks than men; and all you uptight Northeasterners are also taking shorter lunches than your counterparts in the rest of the nation.
Many workplace experts suspect even those workers who are allotted a half hour for lunch, often end up never leaving their desks.
The move to shorter or non-existent lunches is in some cases self-imposed. “It’s almost as though workers started the trend,” says Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach.
We’re all too busy these days to take a leisurely lunch and we also want to get out of work at a reasonable hour so we can have some quality time with our families and friends. If you work through lunch, the thought goes, you can get out of the office before the witching hour.
In the case of VendorSeek, employees actually hatched the idea to do a way with lunches, maintains Wisnefski. “They asked, ‘why do we need to take lunch?’”
Well, it turns out giving up your lunch break could actually diminish your productivity, causing you to end up putting in more hours in the long run, not to mention what it does for your health and well being. “I joke sometimes that smokers are the healthiest people in the work place these days because they get outside,” says Brown-Volkman.
“Your brain needs to rest,” she adds. “Sometimes, in order to concentrate you have to think about something different, get a way from the problem. Sunshine is good for the body, mind and soul.”
And Joe Takash is a business consultant claims lunch breaks can “help boost creativity and profits.”
This may be a good selling point for your boss if you’re one of those workers who want to reclaim their right to a lunch.
Here are some other ways to convince your boss you need time to dine, from psychologist and corporate consultant Kevin Fleming:
"Make it an informal setting for a discussion of some important work topic best done 'offsite.' Bosses love this. Shows not that you want your lunch back, but that you are astute to office politics and have good boundaries."
“Make it a 'leadership lunch.' Tell your superiors it is an alignment lunch to get folks on the same page and to make sure they are making them richer faster.”
“Convince them that the lunch break makes you more productive. Be a 'Columbo' [the 1970s TV detective] and show them data that compares these two camps. Many times corporate America is used to hard data so speak in a language they will understand.”
“If all else fails, make a low blood sugar scene of dramatic proportions.”
There is no federal law that provides for lunch or coffee breaks, but some states may have provisions. “California law does require that employers provide unpaid meal periods after five hours of work, as well as rest periods, for most employees,” says Greg Mersol, a Cleveland attorney with Baker Hostetler. Here’s a Web link to some state provisions.
We all need to bring back the mid-day break.
And don’t forget to eat something, demands Kathleen Hall, a stress and work-life balance expert. “Food boosts mental and physical productivity and regulates moods. But don’t just eat anything within reach. Eat foods that boost brain activity like Salmon or blueberries. Foods can also fight anxiety, stress and panic, which is good if you’re having an especially difficult day.”
Now just in case you are still daydreaming about my relatives in Greece and their three hour lunch extravaganza, things are changing even in that laid back country. Unfortunately, the nation has moved closer to the U.S. model of a 9 to 5 workday in recent years.
Well, not everyone. On my last trip there, my uncles, aunts and cousins were still toasting to life over long lunches and squeezing in their midday siestas.
Opa!
Women and kidney disease
Women have a "female advantage" when it comes to chronic kidney disease. When compared to men, they have fewer and less severe episodes of this disorder throughout most of their lives. That advantage disappears, however, when the woman is diabetic. For reasons still unclear, diabetic women -- regardless of age -- are diagnosed with kidney and heart diseases almost as frequently as men. Their findings suggest that sex hormones play a significant role in the development of diabetic kidney disease.
Another school side-effect - bullies
Back-to-school can mean bullies. Almost 10% of school age children are the victims of a bully. Bullying is most common by the second grade and then supposedly declines by the high school years. Bullying can be either physical or verbal, and can range from mild teasing to pushing and hitting. Victims of bullies are usually stereotyped as being loners, passive, quiet, sensitive, anxious, with low self esteem and they are often smaller and/or weaker than other children of the same age and may come from an overprotective home. More importantly, they usually react to bullying by crying, acting out or withdrawing. Being the victim of a bully can lead to your child avoiding school, and developing fear and anxiety about going to school.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Get rid of the stink
What Stinks?
You don't have to be an aromatherapy aficionado to know that smells have the ability to trigger strong emotions and associations. Baking bread can bring you back to the comfort of your grandmother's cottage while freshly cut grass can return you to childhood summer camp. Unfortunately, it also works in the other direction: a neglected garbage can under the sink may take your mind to the city dump on a hot day.
Everyone has been unlucky enough to come home to a house that smells less-than-perfect. There's the curry you cooked up a couple of nights ago combined with the leftover fish that was scraped into the garbage this morning. Oh, and then there's that pesky pet odor. It's enough to instantly drain away any excitement you had about coming home.
Walking through the door needn't be an assault on your olfactory organs. Preventing and eliminating odors can be achieved quickly, naturally and with stuff you probably already have around the house. And forget those fake-smelling canned air fresheners—you can do much better than that without spending a penny.
The Garbage CanIs the garbage can frequently unpleasant and stinky? If so, throw a couple of dryer sheets into the bottom of the can to help keep odors at bay. Coffee grounds make the garbage smell a little more bearable, so when it really stinks toss grounds in the trash instead of saving them for the garden. A few scoops of cat litter will work, too.
We know cleaning the garbage can isn't the most satisfying of chores, but taking the hose to it will make it a little less gruesome.
The CarpetNothing traps odor more than your carpet. Ask a stranger to put their nose to your carpet and they'd probably be able to deduce that you have three dogs, a cat, and that someone in your house used to smoke.
Never fear, baking soda is here! Sprinkle the stuff liberally through a sieve and onto the carpet. Let it sit for a half an hour and then vacuum. For particularly smelly areas (like the spot where Spot relieved himself, twice) wet the area with warm water and a few drops of essential oil or white vinegar, and then sprinkle with baking soda. After the spot is dry, use the vacuum again.
The FreezerEver treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream only to discover that it tastes exactly like your freezer? We have all had this gross-out moment but it needn't happen again.
To eliminate freezer-stench in a jiffy, simply put a rolled-up newspaper in the freezer overnight. The paper will absorb any foul odors. (The newspaper method will also work on your cooler). If this doesn't do the job completely, pour a little vanilla extract onto a rag and wipe down the shelves.
The FridgeKeeping a box of baking soda in the fridge is one of the best ways to absorb lingering leftover odors. Remember to change the box out every couple of months because it will stop working. If the smell really packs a punch, drastic measures must be taken. See if you can clear a rack of your fridge and sprinkle the baking soda onto a couple of plates or a cookie sheet. If this isn't possible, pour some into a few small dishes or into coffee filters and place them on every tier.
Cleaning the fridge is never fun but get in the habit of tossing out anything remotely suspicious regularly and you'll keep foul odors at a minimum. Do this at least weekly, ideally the night before the garbage is collected. That way those leftovers won't sit in the trash for too long.
When you go for the all-out clean (which we recommend at least every 3 months), combine equal parts white vinegar and warm water and go to town. If it really stinks, use it at its full strength. Vinegar is a great sanitizer and deodorizer.
The SinkNothing says rot like a few days of garbage disposal neglect. Who would have thought all those little orts could transform into such a giant stench?
First, run extremely hot water down the drain for a minute or two. (This will help flush out debris and is great for preventing clogs in your pipes.) Then, toss lemon and/or orange peels down the disposal and let it grind until it's all gone. You can find more strategies for a sweet-smelling disposal here.
The Whole House If a funky smell has moved in and wants to stay, fight back with vinegar. Pour a little vinegar into a number of glass jars and place them throughout the house. Let them sit overnight and the odor should be gone by morning.
For that "I just baked cookies" smell, rub vanilla extract onto your light bulbs. When the lights are turned on the sweet aroma will float throughout the house.
Boil water and a few sticks of cinnamon on the stove for a half an hour. Citrus rinds, mint and cloves will also work.
Look into different essential oils. They smell lovely and can lift the mood, heal, even keep insects away. One of the best parts about essential oils is that you can mix them to create a personal combination based on the scents that most appeal to you.
Escape from Smell HellEven the cleanest people encounter foul odors around the house now and then. The good news is that these smells are easily destroyed with everyday household items rather than perfumed aerosols found at the grocery store. Baking soda and vinegar will clean and deodorize just about everything and anything. Tackling bad smells the natural way actually absorbs the odors instead of just covering them up. So, don't keep running from that funky stench; kill it off once and for all.
You don't have to be an aromatherapy aficionado to know that smells have the ability to trigger strong emotions and associations. Baking bread can bring you back to the comfort of your grandmother's cottage while freshly cut grass can return you to childhood summer camp. Unfortunately, it also works in the other direction: a neglected garbage can under the sink may take your mind to the city dump on a hot day.
Everyone has been unlucky enough to come home to a house that smells less-than-perfect. There's the curry you cooked up a couple of nights ago combined with the leftover fish that was scraped into the garbage this morning. Oh, and then there's that pesky pet odor. It's enough to instantly drain away any excitement you had about coming home.
Walking through the door needn't be an assault on your olfactory organs. Preventing and eliminating odors can be achieved quickly, naturally and with stuff you probably already have around the house. And forget those fake-smelling canned air fresheners—you can do much better than that without spending a penny.
The Garbage CanIs the garbage can frequently unpleasant and stinky? If so, throw a couple of dryer sheets into the bottom of the can to help keep odors at bay. Coffee grounds make the garbage smell a little more bearable, so when it really stinks toss grounds in the trash instead of saving them for the garden. A few scoops of cat litter will work, too.
We know cleaning the garbage can isn't the most satisfying of chores, but taking the hose to it will make it a little less gruesome.
The CarpetNothing traps odor more than your carpet. Ask a stranger to put their nose to your carpet and they'd probably be able to deduce that you have three dogs, a cat, and that someone in your house used to smoke.
Never fear, baking soda is here! Sprinkle the stuff liberally through a sieve and onto the carpet. Let it sit for a half an hour and then vacuum. For particularly smelly areas (like the spot where Spot relieved himself, twice) wet the area with warm water and a few drops of essential oil or white vinegar, and then sprinkle with baking soda. After the spot is dry, use the vacuum again.
The FreezerEver treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream only to discover that it tastes exactly like your freezer? We have all had this gross-out moment but it needn't happen again.
To eliminate freezer-stench in a jiffy, simply put a rolled-up newspaper in the freezer overnight. The paper will absorb any foul odors. (The newspaper method will also work on your cooler). If this doesn't do the job completely, pour a little vanilla extract onto a rag and wipe down the shelves.
The FridgeKeeping a box of baking soda in the fridge is one of the best ways to absorb lingering leftover odors. Remember to change the box out every couple of months because it will stop working. If the smell really packs a punch, drastic measures must be taken. See if you can clear a rack of your fridge and sprinkle the baking soda onto a couple of plates or a cookie sheet. If this isn't possible, pour some into a few small dishes or into coffee filters and place them on every tier.
Cleaning the fridge is never fun but get in the habit of tossing out anything remotely suspicious regularly and you'll keep foul odors at a minimum. Do this at least weekly, ideally the night before the garbage is collected. That way those leftovers won't sit in the trash for too long.
When you go for the all-out clean (which we recommend at least every 3 months), combine equal parts white vinegar and warm water and go to town. If it really stinks, use it at its full strength. Vinegar is a great sanitizer and deodorizer.
The SinkNothing says rot like a few days of garbage disposal neglect. Who would have thought all those little orts could transform into such a giant stench?
First, run extremely hot water down the drain for a minute or two. (This will help flush out debris and is great for preventing clogs in your pipes.) Then, toss lemon and/or orange peels down the disposal and let it grind until it's all gone. You can find more strategies for a sweet-smelling disposal here.
The Whole House If a funky smell has moved in and wants to stay, fight back with vinegar. Pour a little vinegar into a number of glass jars and place them throughout the house. Let them sit overnight and the odor should be gone by morning.
For that "I just baked cookies" smell, rub vanilla extract onto your light bulbs. When the lights are turned on the sweet aroma will float throughout the house.
Boil water and a few sticks of cinnamon on the stove for a half an hour. Citrus rinds, mint and cloves will also work.
Look into different essential oils. They smell lovely and can lift the mood, heal, even keep insects away. One of the best parts about essential oils is that you can mix them to create a personal combination based on the scents that most appeal to you.
Escape from Smell HellEven the cleanest people encounter foul odors around the house now and then. The good news is that these smells are easily destroyed with everyday household items rather than perfumed aerosols found at the grocery store. Baking soda and vinegar will clean and deodorize just about everything and anything. Tackling bad smells the natural way actually absorbs the odors instead of just covering them up. So, don't keep running from that funky stench; kill it off once and for all.
Fair family feuds
Fair feud? 6 issues couples should argue about
‘Men's Health’ on which arguments can ruin or strengthen relationships
TODAY
Updated: 11:03 a.m. ET Aug 20, 2007
Most couples argue at some point, and many experts agree it can be a positive thing — but how you argue and what you argue about could make the difference between building a healthy relationship and one that's headed for divorce. How does one know which arguments are important and will help strengthen a relationship? “Men’s Health” editor David Zinczenko shares some hot buttons and issues that might be worth fighting for.
A lot of couples fight some. Some couples fight a lot. But almost all couples fight over the same three things: money, chores and how much time the two of them spend together. Problem is, most of us wind up having these same arguments over and over again. In part, that’s because these three issues are hot buttons for almost everyone, pure stressors that speak to our sense of love and fairness.
But as you’ve no doubt discovered, seldom are these issues really resolved. If you find yourselves going back to the same problems the way some celebs go back to rehab — lots of emotional turmoil, but little actual progress — then let me suggest you find something different to argue about. See, there are arguments that really are worth having — arguments that will strengthen your relationship and increase your overall happiness. So, what should you be arguing about?
SexWhy? Because each of you should be looking to make your sex life new/better/great/bed-shaking. And the only way you’ll get there is by having an open conversation, even if it feels more uncomfortable than a transatlantic coach airline seat. You should tell the other person what you want, when they’re not delivering, and to start coughing up the good stuff (not exactly in those words, mind you).
In “Men's Health” surveys of more than 2,000 men and women, 35 percent of women and 40 percent of men say they're not having enough spontaneous sex. Research shows that the female snuggle impulse is also her aphrodisiac, so men, take an honest look at your attempts at intimacy. Find out what intimacy means to each other, then provide it. Because when you stop arguing about sex, you stop having sex.
Raising the kidsAs long as you don’t argue (or hurl produce) in front of the kids. Happily married couples tend to make the best parents, but happily divorced parents aren't far behind, according to researchers at the NIH. While there’s a lot of choice in how you decide to punish, reward and set boundaries, the most important part is being each other’s support system and being jointly involved.
Studies suggest that children whose parents are “highly involved” in their school-related activities perform better academically. Unfortunately, in many couples, either dad or, more likely, mom sets the rules. One parent is the primary caregiver — even if both parents work (There are 105,000 stay-at-home dads and 5.2 million stay-at-home moms in this country — but Bureau of Labor statistics show that one in three working women now cash bigger paychecks than their husbands do). If both of you are deeply invested in how the kids are raised, you’re going to fight about things like time-outs, toys, curfews, hair styles, clothes choices, and the best way to make your daughter’s first date sweat. But that’s OK — it means you’re both dedicated to the same goal.
RetirementYou know you need to be financially prepared to retire, but you need something else: You need to be emotionally prepared. Most couples aren’t. Your husband’s vision of retirement may be a cabin in the woods; yours, a retirement community with unlimited Bunco. He may want to stick close to the grandkids; you might want to hop the first flight to Europe the minute work ends.
So fight it out: Arguing about it forces you to plan. And it’s not just how to retire, but when to retire, that invites a fight. According to a Fidelity Investments study, one-third of workers are forced to postpone retirement because they haven't saved enough money.
Your healthExcept for ladder falls, errant nail-gun incidents and other accidents, the average man won’t see a doctor between his last high school physical and his first heart attack (on the plus side, that does save the need to argue about retirement).
But it’s worth nagging your partner to get active — and get screened for preventable diseases. Rates of melanoma, the easiest cancer to prevent and detect, have nearly doubled over the past decade, and the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that one in every 50 Americans will have melanoma within the next five years. What’s more, the risk of diabetes rises with age and doubles after 40, and the risk of cardiovascular disease rises as well. However, high-risk diabetes candidates can cut their risk by 58 percent by changing their diets and exercise, and LDL cholesterol responds remarkably well to those lifestyle changes. Bickering about regularly getting to the doctor — and the gym — can prolong your life.
Working overtimeIn a society where working a lot has as much value and esteem as an iAnything, it’s no surprise that many of us have trouble balancing between work and home. But you’ve got to let your partner know when you’re feeling neglected, before you’re both more bitter than a lemon peel.An Australian study found that those who had stressful jobs were more likely than others to suffer from anxiety and poor health. And coming home stressed from work makes you more likely to blow up at your kids and lash out at your spouse. Be aware of how you spend your time at the office, and cut the nonsense, like obsessively checking e-mail or surfing the Web. The more efficient you are from 9 to 5, the more you'll get done, and the less of a problem it'll be to leave at 5:15. Then undo the day’s damage: Research shows that 10 minutes of hand-holding and a 20-second hug from your spouse can lessen the damaging effects of stress.
How you listen to each otherNinety-three percent of couples who fight dirty will be divorced in 10 years, according to marital researchers at the University of Utah. So while arguing can be a healthy means of expressing your feelings, unreasonable yelling and nonconstructive criticism won’t get you anywhere. Except in court.
What’s more, one-sided arguments can harm your heart: According to a University of Utah study, after 150 healthy couples discussed a contentious topic — family, money, chores and so forth — for six minutes, those who were on the receiving end of a domineering, one-sided argument experienced a significant (and lasting) hardening of their coronary arteries. Countering your partner’s bickering with your own complaints won't work. Instead, be aware of your trigger points and your own unhealthy responses. Disagreements are as unavoidable as taxes and damaging photographs of Britney, but the way you interact during them provides an opportunity for your relationship to grow.
For more relationship advice and tips, visit Men's Health.
URL: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20323044/?GT1=10245
‘Men's Health’ on which arguments can ruin or strengthen relationships
TODAY
Updated: 11:03 a.m. ET Aug 20, 2007
Most couples argue at some point, and many experts agree it can be a positive thing — but how you argue and what you argue about could make the difference between building a healthy relationship and one that's headed for divorce. How does one know which arguments are important and will help strengthen a relationship? “Men’s Health” editor David Zinczenko shares some hot buttons and issues that might be worth fighting for.
A lot of couples fight some. Some couples fight a lot. But almost all couples fight over the same three things: money, chores and how much time the two of them spend together. Problem is, most of us wind up having these same arguments over and over again. In part, that’s because these three issues are hot buttons for almost everyone, pure stressors that speak to our sense of love and fairness.
But as you’ve no doubt discovered, seldom are these issues really resolved. If you find yourselves going back to the same problems the way some celebs go back to rehab — lots of emotional turmoil, but little actual progress — then let me suggest you find something different to argue about. See, there are arguments that really are worth having — arguments that will strengthen your relationship and increase your overall happiness. So, what should you be arguing about?
SexWhy? Because each of you should be looking to make your sex life new/better/great/bed-shaking. And the only way you’ll get there is by having an open conversation, even if it feels more uncomfortable than a transatlantic coach airline seat. You should tell the other person what you want, when they’re not delivering, and to start coughing up the good stuff (not exactly in those words, mind you).
In “Men's Health” surveys of more than 2,000 men and women, 35 percent of women and 40 percent of men say they're not having enough spontaneous sex. Research shows that the female snuggle impulse is also her aphrodisiac, so men, take an honest look at your attempts at intimacy. Find out what intimacy means to each other, then provide it. Because when you stop arguing about sex, you stop having sex.
Raising the kidsAs long as you don’t argue (or hurl produce) in front of the kids. Happily married couples tend to make the best parents, but happily divorced parents aren't far behind, according to researchers at the NIH. While there’s a lot of choice in how you decide to punish, reward and set boundaries, the most important part is being each other’s support system and being jointly involved.
Studies suggest that children whose parents are “highly involved” in their school-related activities perform better academically. Unfortunately, in many couples, either dad or, more likely, mom sets the rules. One parent is the primary caregiver — even if both parents work (There are 105,000 stay-at-home dads and 5.2 million stay-at-home moms in this country — but Bureau of Labor statistics show that one in three working women now cash bigger paychecks than their husbands do). If both of you are deeply invested in how the kids are raised, you’re going to fight about things like time-outs, toys, curfews, hair styles, clothes choices, and the best way to make your daughter’s first date sweat. But that’s OK — it means you’re both dedicated to the same goal.
RetirementYou know you need to be financially prepared to retire, but you need something else: You need to be emotionally prepared. Most couples aren’t. Your husband’s vision of retirement may be a cabin in the woods; yours, a retirement community with unlimited Bunco. He may want to stick close to the grandkids; you might want to hop the first flight to Europe the minute work ends.
So fight it out: Arguing about it forces you to plan. And it’s not just how to retire, but when to retire, that invites a fight. According to a Fidelity Investments study, one-third of workers are forced to postpone retirement because they haven't saved enough money.
Your healthExcept for ladder falls, errant nail-gun incidents and other accidents, the average man won’t see a doctor between his last high school physical and his first heart attack (on the plus side, that does save the need to argue about retirement).
But it’s worth nagging your partner to get active — and get screened for preventable diseases. Rates of melanoma, the easiest cancer to prevent and detect, have nearly doubled over the past decade, and the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that one in every 50 Americans will have melanoma within the next five years. What’s more, the risk of diabetes rises with age and doubles after 40, and the risk of cardiovascular disease rises as well. However, high-risk diabetes candidates can cut their risk by 58 percent by changing their diets and exercise, and LDL cholesterol responds remarkably well to those lifestyle changes. Bickering about regularly getting to the doctor — and the gym — can prolong your life.
Working overtimeIn a society where working a lot has as much value and esteem as an iAnything, it’s no surprise that many of us have trouble balancing between work and home. But you’ve got to let your partner know when you’re feeling neglected, before you’re both more bitter than a lemon peel.An Australian study found that those who had stressful jobs were more likely than others to suffer from anxiety and poor health. And coming home stressed from work makes you more likely to blow up at your kids and lash out at your spouse. Be aware of how you spend your time at the office, and cut the nonsense, like obsessively checking e-mail or surfing the Web. The more efficient you are from 9 to 5, the more you'll get done, and the less of a problem it'll be to leave at 5:15. Then undo the day’s damage: Research shows that 10 minutes of hand-holding and a 20-second hug from your spouse can lessen the damaging effects of stress.
How you listen to each otherNinety-three percent of couples who fight dirty will be divorced in 10 years, according to marital researchers at the University of Utah. So while arguing can be a healthy means of expressing your feelings, unreasonable yelling and nonconstructive criticism won’t get you anywhere. Except in court.
What’s more, one-sided arguments can harm your heart: According to a University of Utah study, after 150 healthy couples discussed a contentious topic — family, money, chores and so forth — for six minutes, those who were on the receiving end of a domineering, one-sided argument experienced a significant (and lasting) hardening of their coronary arteries. Countering your partner’s bickering with your own complaints won't work. Instead, be aware of your trigger points and your own unhealthy responses. Disagreements are as unavoidable as taxes and damaging photographs of Britney, but the way you interact during them provides an opportunity for your relationship to grow.
For more relationship advice and tips, visit Men's Health.
URL: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20323044/?GT1=10245
New daily birth-control pill approved
The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women’s monthly periods indefinitely won federal approval. Called Lybrel, it’s the first such pill to receive Food and Drug Administration approval for continuous use. When taken daily, the pill can halt women’s menstrual periods indefinitely and prevent pregnancies. Lybrel is the latest approved oral contraceptive to depart from the 21-days-on, seven-days-off regimen that had been standard since birth-control pill sales began in the 1960s. The pill, manufactured by Wyeth, is the first designed to put off periods altogether when taken without break.
Got "raw" milk?
Surprisingly, more and more people are starting to drink raw, unpasteurized cow's milk. Or maybe that shouldn't be too surprising as most people associate things that are raw or natural as being safer and healthier for them. Unfortunately, drinking raw milk can be dangerous, especially for young children. Review the dangers of drinking raw milk that hasn't been pasteurized, including the risk of infection from harmful bacteria and the lack of Vitamin D in raw milk. And remember that kids should also avoid unpasteurized fruit juices, including unpasteurized apple juice and apple cider.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Nursing moms and painkillers
FDA warns nursing moms of painkiller risk
Side effect of codeine can cause overdose in breast-feeding infants
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:01 a.m. ET Aug 17, 2007
WASHINGTON - Nursing mothers who take codeine should watch their infants for increased sleepiness or other signs of overdose, federal health officials warned Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration warning of the rare but serious side effect was prompted by a 2006 report of the death of a nursing infant whose mother was given codeine for episiotomy pain.
Genetic testing later showed the woman’s body converted the codeine to morphine more rapidly and completely than in other people. That led to higher-than-expected morphine levels in her breast milk.
While the rapid conversion of codeine to morphine is a very rare side effect in some mothers, it can result in high and unsafe levels of the latter drug in the blood and breast milk, the FDA said in an alert.
Codeine is among the most common drugs taken by new mothers, FDA officials said.
It is included in several prescription pain drugs and in some over-the-counter cough syrups, Dr. Sandra Kweder, the FDA’s deputy director, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a telephone briefing.
The risk of having the genetic mutation ranges from about 1 percent in Hispanics, Chinese and Japanese, to 3 percent in African-Americans, 1 percent to 10 percent in Caucasians, and as high as 16 percent to 28 percent in North Africans, Ethiopians and Saudis, Kweder said.
Given the risk, doctors should prescribe nursing mothers the smallest dose of codeine for the shortest period of time, the FDA recommended. Doctors also should closely monitor both mother and child.
Watch for overdose signsIn children, signs of morphine overdose, beyond increased sleepiness, include difficulty breast-feeding or breathing and limpness. Nursing mothers may also experience overdose symptoms, such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, shallow breathing or severe constipation, the FDA said.
The FDA has asked drug companies that make those products to include information about the potential risks to nursing mothers who are ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine.
There is a test available to determine if an individual is a rapid metabolizer of codeine, but Kewder said the agency is not currently recommending routine testing.
“Our point is to pay attention,” she said.
New mothers taking codeine who find themselves extremely sleepy should consult their doctor, and if their baby seems unusually sleepy or has trouble nursing they should contact their physician or take the baby to an emergency room, she said.
Side effect of codeine can cause overdose in breast-feeding infants
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:01 a.m. ET Aug 17, 2007
WASHINGTON - Nursing mothers who take codeine should watch their infants for increased sleepiness or other signs of overdose, federal health officials warned Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration warning of the rare but serious side effect was prompted by a 2006 report of the death of a nursing infant whose mother was given codeine for episiotomy pain.
Genetic testing later showed the woman’s body converted the codeine to morphine more rapidly and completely than in other people. That led to higher-than-expected morphine levels in her breast milk.
While the rapid conversion of codeine to morphine is a very rare side effect in some mothers, it can result in high and unsafe levels of the latter drug in the blood and breast milk, the FDA said in an alert.
Codeine is among the most common drugs taken by new mothers, FDA officials said.
It is included in several prescription pain drugs and in some over-the-counter cough syrups, Dr. Sandra Kweder, the FDA’s deputy director, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a telephone briefing.
The risk of having the genetic mutation ranges from about 1 percent in Hispanics, Chinese and Japanese, to 3 percent in African-Americans, 1 percent to 10 percent in Caucasians, and as high as 16 percent to 28 percent in North Africans, Ethiopians and Saudis, Kweder said.
Given the risk, doctors should prescribe nursing mothers the smallest dose of codeine for the shortest period of time, the FDA recommended. Doctors also should closely monitor both mother and child.
Watch for overdose signsIn children, signs of morphine overdose, beyond increased sleepiness, include difficulty breast-feeding or breathing and limpness. Nursing mothers may also experience overdose symptoms, such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, shallow breathing or severe constipation, the FDA said.
The FDA has asked drug companies that make those products to include information about the potential risks to nursing mothers who are ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine.
There is a test available to determine if an individual is a rapid metabolizer of codeine, but Kewder said the agency is not currently recommending routine testing.
“Our point is to pay attention,” she said.
New mothers taking codeine who find themselves extremely sleepy should consult their doctor, and if their baby seems unusually sleepy or has trouble nursing they should contact their physician or take the baby to an emergency room, she said.
Is your office making you sick?
Is Your Office Making You Sick? It could be. Microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba explains how your office location, gender and work habits can affect your office cleanliness and shares his secrets to staying germ-free.
By Kristin Edelhauser February 14, 2007URL: http://www.entrepreneur.com/worklife/healthandfitness/article174640.html
If you've been noticing more absences around your office, don't be alarmed: It's the peak of cold and flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the season typically lasts anywhere from late December through March, but peaks in February. With the long hours most of us put in at the office these days, spending more time at your desk means a greater chance of germ build-up--and illness.
So, what can you do about it? In the last few years, we've been bombarded with messages from the media about how germy our lives have become--from Oprah's expose on household germs, to the Today show's testing of hotel room cleanliness. We've also heard plenty of antibacterial products promising to keep our homes and offices cleaner. But do they really work? Just how effective are these products in preventing the spread of germs, and ultimately, illness?
We consulted with a microbiologist from the University of Arizona at Tucson to get the truth about germs in the workplace. Dr. Charles P. Gerba, a nationally known expert on household microbes and intestinal diseases, is one of the first microbiologists to intensely study bacteria counts in the workplace. Along with The Clorox Company, Gerba and his team of researchers have tested thousands of samples in hundreds of offices throughout New York, Chicago, Florida, San Francisco, Arizona and Oregon. Gerba has learned that many factors go into creating a germy office--from office location to gender to occupation.
Getting Down to the Nitty-GrittyFrom his studies, Gerba has discovered that in most work environments, offices and cubicles have higher bacteria levels than surfaces in common areas. What spot in your office space is friendliest to germs? Telephones topped the charts in most offices across the United States, followed by desks and computer keyboards. "The phone is typically the dirtiest piece of equipment in an office because it goes straight to your mouth, and you never clean or disinfect it," Gerba says.
We decided to take matters into our own hands to see just how accurate Gerba's studies are in relation to our own office cleanliness at Entrepreneur.com. Gerba sent us 20 swab tubes and a cooler with a frozen ice pack to our Irvine, California, offices. We tested 20 different spots in our office used by employees daily. After swabbing the different surfaces, we sent them back to the University of Arizona and waited several weeks for our results.
When Gerba interpreted our data, he looked at the numbers in surprise and remarked on what a clean office we have. (Phew!) Though we ranked as one of the cleanest offices Gerba has sampled, he did point out a few items that were off the charts. "That is one of the dirtiest toilets I've seen," Gerba said as he viewed the data of our men's restroom toilet seat. Gerba explains that contrary to popular belief, most office spaces and items, like desks and phones, end up having more bacteria than the average office toilet seat. In past studies, he has found that the average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.
To give you an idea of how we compare with other offices across the country, here are a few examples (including that toilet) of where we significantly differed from the norm:
Office Item
Entrepreneur.com Bacteria Numbers Per Surface
Average Number of Bacteria Per Surface
Phone
60
25,127
Desk
10
20,961
Keyboard
10
3,295
Mouse
30
1,676
Fax machine
10
301
Copy machine
80
69
Men's toilet seat
1,300
49
Aside from the men's toilet seat, our office did have a few other extreme items. For starters, a coffee mug we sampled only had a bacteria count of 10, a number Gerba says is typically in the thousands. One employee's water glass, on the other hand, had a count of 52,000. Most likely, this glass was being used on a regular basis and hadn't been cleaned in quite a while. Think about how often you actually disinfect your coffee mug or water glass after using it. If visions of germ armies just danced in your head, you may want to start washing your mugs and glasses with hot, soapy water daily.
Where Exactly Did You Catch That Cold?Now that we know which office items harbor more bacteria and need a little extra TLC, let's look at the factors that contribute to making one office germier than another.
Unfortunately, no matter how much of a clean-freak you are, if you live on the East Coast, natural elements are working against you. According to Gerba, East Coast offices win the germiest title, hands-down. "The dirtiest offices are on the East Coast since people are in larger buildings and tend to bring food to their desks more often," Gerba says. "East Coasters also tend to spend more time indoors due to the bad weather." Which Eastern city tops the charts as being the best environment for bacteria to grow? Gerba says that New York is Germ City, with Chicago coming in a close second. On the other hand, the cleanest offices can be found in San Francisco and Tucson, Arizona.
Location is key, but what about the job itself? Gerba tested phones, desks and computer mice within a variety of different occupations, and discovered that the most bacteria per square inch was found on surfaces used by school teachers because of their constant contact with children. Accountants ranked second to teachers, followed by bankers, radio disc jockeys and doctors. Consultants, publicists and lawyers harbored the least amount of bacteria per square inch in their offices.
Aside from your career, gender can also play a factor in office cleanliness. In his latest "Germs in the Workplace" study, Gerba compared the number of germs in women's offices and men's offices to determine the germiest gender. You might be surprised by the results: According to his research team, the bacteria levels in women's offices were nearly three times higher than in men's offices. Gerba explains that appearances can be deceiving. "What we found is that women seemed to have more ‘stuff' in their offices, from makeup bags to pictures of family and purses on their desks," he says. "It added up to big numbers for women, even though their offices typically looked cleaner."
In his studies, Gerba found that, on average, women's offices had the germiest telephones, computer keyboards, computer mice and pens, while men's offices had the most bacteria-ridden desks. But men still win the prize for the germiest item of all: Gerba says that much to his surprise, men's wallets were the single germiest item in any office--four times worse than women's purses.
How to Be Germ-FreeAll this germ talk leads us to our next topic: office sickness. Gerba points out that thanks to their high-bacteria counts, New York offices experience the highest number of viruses and colds.
So how can you protect your office from becoming a comfortable spot for bacteria to grow? Gerba suggests these simple steps:
Wipe down your desk and surrounding items with a disinfecting wipe once a week.
Keep a hand sanitizer at your desk and use it throughout the day.
If you tend to eat at your desk on a regular basis, think again--this behavior is inviting bacteria to grow at your fingertips.
Wash coffee mugs and glasses on a regular basis.
If you're sick, don't go to work.
By using these tips, employees and employers could potentially cut absenteeism in half. That means reducing the typical two-to-three colds per employee each year. That figure doubles for workers with children.
It's a simple solution for a nasty issue. And offices across the nation are taking notice: Gerba says he's noticed a decline in the number of bacteria in most offices he's tested over the last four years thanks to the use of antibacterial products. "We see more use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers than we used to in offices," he notes. If office hygiene hasn't been adopted yet in your workplace, now's the time to set some guidelines and arm employees with the protection they need to ward off unwanted desk buddies.
For more tips on keeping your office germ-free, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Genistein? Soy vey...
Supplements containing a soy compound called genistein may help increase women's bone mass after menopause, a study suggests. Researchers found that a combination of genistein, calcium and vitamin D helped protect postmenopausal women's bone density better than calcium and vitamin D alone. In fact, women who took the soy compound showed a modest increase in bone density over two years, compared with a small decrease among women who used only calcium and vitamin D, the researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
More information about recalled toys
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Mattel Inc., announced the recall of: About 253,000 "Sarge" die cast toy cars, because of lead paint hazards. About 7.3 million play sets with various Polly Pocket dolls and accessories with magnets, because the magnets can come loose, posing a hazard if swallowed or aspirated. About 1 million Doggie Day Care play sets, 683,000 Barbie and Tanner play sets, and 345,000 Batman and One Piece magnetic action figure sets, again because they have small magnets inside that can fall out. Although most parents are aware of the hazards from lead paint, many don't know that small magnets can be dangerous.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Finding "Compassionate Love"
Research shows the path to finding 'compassionate love'
By Susan Brink
Los Angeles Times
August 15, 2007
Beyond the chemistry of passion and romance, at the intersection of feeling and understanding, lies the hope of happily ever after.Researchers call this state companionate love — the kind of love people feel after years of arguments, joy, tragedies and successes mutually felt. To arrive there, couples have to get on the road to success pretty quickly. About a third of divorces occur after just four years of marriage, according to Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Here are some success tips from relationship experts, based on surveys of couples in relationships that have lasted:
Couples who stay together kid themselves a bit. For example, they typically underestimate their partners' interest in others."If you show people pictures of attractive men and women and ask how their partner will look at this person, they underestimate the person's attractiveness to their partner," says Gian Gonzaga, senior research scientist at eHarmony Labs. "It turns out that's actually good because we're not constantly worrying and obsessing.
"They don't update their images of each other. "People stick with their initial view," Gonzaga says. "As people get older, they get less attractive, but we don't update."It's why Katharine Hepburn's character in On Golden Pond could look at the aging, crabby character played by Henry Fonda and declare: "You're my knight in shining armor."
They have a story, and they stick to it. Robert Sternberg, dean of the school of arts and science at Tufts University, has researched this and has come up with about two dozen relationship stories, some good, some bad.The "fairy tale story" has a prince and a princess; the "visionist story" is a business model, accumulating homes, goods and successful children; the "travel story" says that life is a journey; the "police story" divides the partners' roles into cop and perp, with the former constantly monitoring the latter; the "war story" means that two people expect constant fights."What our research shows is that couples tend to be more satisfied if they have matching story profiles," Sternberg says. Pair a fairy tale believer with a war story believer and "it won't work," he says.
Anxiety or depression is relationship poison. "Do everything you can to make yourself less anxious and depressed," says Arthur Aron, psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The best predictor of divorce, Aron says, has little to do with love, even less to do with initial attraction. It has to do with the availability of other options.If people are happy, other options are less appealing and they're more likely to stay married. If they're unhappy but can't imagine an alternative that isn't even worse, again, they'll stay married. (This is the probable reason many abused women stay in their relationships.)But if someone is gorgeous, rich and hot, he or she might have difficulty sticking with one mate. "Movie stars have a hard time because they constantly have great alternatives thrust in front of them," Aron says.
By Susan Brink
Los Angeles Times
August 15, 2007
Beyond the chemistry of passion and romance, at the intersection of feeling and understanding, lies the hope of happily ever after.Researchers call this state companionate love — the kind of love people feel after years of arguments, joy, tragedies and successes mutually felt. To arrive there, couples have to get on the road to success pretty quickly. About a third of divorces occur after just four years of marriage, according to Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Here are some success tips from relationship experts, based on surveys of couples in relationships that have lasted:
Couples who stay together kid themselves a bit. For example, they typically underestimate their partners' interest in others."If you show people pictures of attractive men and women and ask how their partner will look at this person, they underestimate the person's attractiveness to their partner," says Gian Gonzaga, senior research scientist at eHarmony Labs. "It turns out that's actually good because we're not constantly worrying and obsessing.
"They don't update their images of each other. "People stick with their initial view," Gonzaga says. "As people get older, they get less attractive, but we don't update."It's why Katharine Hepburn's character in On Golden Pond could look at the aging, crabby character played by Henry Fonda and declare: "You're my knight in shining armor."
They have a story, and they stick to it. Robert Sternberg, dean of the school of arts and science at Tufts University, has researched this and has come up with about two dozen relationship stories, some good, some bad.The "fairy tale story" has a prince and a princess; the "visionist story" is a business model, accumulating homes, goods and successful children; the "travel story" says that life is a journey; the "police story" divides the partners' roles into cop and perp, with the former constantly monitoring the latter; the "war story" means that two people expect constant fights."What our research shows is that couples tend to be more satisfied if they have matching story profiles," Sternberg says. Pair a fairy tale believer with a war story believer and "it won't work," he says.
Anxiety or depression is relationship poison. "Do everything you can to make yourself less anxious and depressed," says Arthur Aron, psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The best predictor of divorce, Aron says, has little to do with love, even less to do with initial attraction. It has to do with the availability of other options.If people are happy, other options are less appealing and they're more likely to stay married. If they're unhappy but can't imagine an alternative that isn't even worse, again, they'll stay married. (This is the probable reason many abused women stay in their relationships.)But if someone is gorgeous, rich and hot, he or she might have difficulty sticking with one mate. "Movie stars have a hard time because they constantly have great alternatives thrust in front of them," Aron says.
A cure for monthly migraines?
A drug used to treat acute migraine can be safely taken long term to prevent some of the migraines women may experience around the time of their period, research shows. Results of the study indicate that naratriptan twice daily is well tolerated when taken for 6 continuous days per month for up to 1 year for the prevention of menstruation-related migraine.
Obesity and attendance
In the first study of how weight may affect school attendance, researchers have found that overweight children are at greater risk of school absenteeism than their normal-weight peers. The study found that overweight children were absent on average 20 percent more than their normal-weight peers. The study builds on others that show that the medical and psychosocial consequences of being overweight are numerous and still being discovered. The disadvantages that arise from missing school such as increased drug use, increased rates of pregnancy and poor academic performance have been previously documented. Meanwhile, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the United States during the past 25 years.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Recalls
Nokia cell-phone batteries made in China could, in rare cases, overheat and even dislodge during recharning.
A tire importer is recalling 255,000 Chinese-made tires that could be lacking a safety feature that prevents thread separation. The recall by Foreign Tire Sales, Inc. involves Westlake, Compass and YKS brand tires bought from Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. since 2002.
Toys "R" Us Inc. announced it would remove all vinyl baby bibs from its Toy "R" Us and Babies "R" Us shelves. The removal a precaution after two bibs made in China for one supplier showed lead levels that exceeded Toys "R" Us standards. The bibs were supplied by Hamco Inc. and marketed under the Koala Baby, Especially for Baby, and Disney Baby labels. You can return any vinyl bib purchased at Toys "R" Us or Babies "R" Us for a full refund. More information available at 1-800-869-7787
The Mattel voluntary safety recall includes a large number of toys. The products have been potentially affected by lead and/or magnets.
A tire importer is recalling 255,000 Chinese-made tires that could be lacking a safety feature that prevents thread separation. The recall by Foreign Tire Sales, Inc. involves Westlake, Compass and YKS brand tires bought from Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. since 2002.
Toys "R" Us Inc. announced it would remove all vinyl baby bibs from its Toy "R" Us and Babies "R" Us shelves. The removal a precaution after two bibs made in China for one supplier showed lead levels that exceeded Toys "R" Us standards. The bibs were supplied by Hamco Inc. and marketed under the Koala Baby, Especially for Baby, and Disney Baby labels. You can return any vinyl bib purchased at Toys "R" Us or Babies "R" Us for a full refund. More information available at 1-800-869-7787
The Mattel voluntary safety recall includes a large number of toys. The products have been potentially affected by lead and/or magnets.
Forgo time wasters
8 Ways to Save Time at Home
By Sara Droman
4 Fast and Fun Cleaning Time-Savers
When you think of home, you probably imagine it as a place of rest. After a long day at work, you look forward to going home and relaxing, connecting with family and friends, maybe reading a novel in the hammock or puttering around the garden. Unfortunately, stacks of bills, dirty dishes, and that never-ending pile of laundry can make home as hectic as the office. Want to spend more time enjoying your home and less time tending to it? Our experts offer eight time-saving tips.
1. Do a Pre-Emptive Strike on Dirt
Want to spend less time cleaning? Laura Dellutri, author of Speed-Cleaning 101, says that the bottom of our shoes accounts for 85 percent of the dirt that comes into our homes. The solution: "Place mats at the entrance of your home. People can wipe their shoes, and you'll reduce the amount of dirt coming in -- and the amount you'll have to clean later," says Dellutri. You could also take a tip from most Asian cultures and leave your shoes at the door. After all, what's more relaxing than bare feet?
2. Consolidate Cleaning Supplies
Put all of your cleaning supplies into one container -- a cleaning caddy, five-gallon pail or laundry basket -- so that you can easily carry them from room to room. "This will shave time off your cleaning routine, because you won't have to stop to retrieve missing tools or products, says Dellutri. She also suggests carrying a few damp cloths over your shoulder. "These can be used to clean 90 percent of the surfaces in your home and will save you time running back and forth to the sink," she says.
3. Listen While You Work
Don't have time to read? Listen to books on tape or CD while you're cooking and cleaning. "I know some people who could get the equivalent of an associate's degree from all the books they've listened to," says Stack.
4. Discard Junk Mail Immediately
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff, suggests keeping a recycling bin in your entryway or near the mailbox. "Sift through the mail you wish to keep. Discard the rest in the box for easy recycling," says Hohlbaum. This way you eliminate clutter before it has a chance to accumulate.
4 Time-Wasters to Give Up
5. Stock Up on Replacements
Remember the last time you dashed to the store because you ran out of an essential, like toilet paper or coffee filters? Chances are, you made a single trip and stood in line buying one or two items because you needed them immediately. Laura Stack, author of Find More Time, says that you can eliminate these time-wasting trips with one simple rule: Instead of buying coffee after you run out, buy two bags at a time, so you always have a replacement bag on hand.
"When I open a new bag of cat litter, that's when I write on my list that I need more," says Stack. This list is magnetized to the refrigerator door so that everyone in her family can do the same. "My kids know that if they want something, they have to put it on the list. As we say in my house, 'if it's not on the list, it doesn't exist,'" says Stack.
6. Record Your Favorite Television Shows
Studies of television-viewing habits show that men watch an average of 2.7 hours of television a day, and women watch an average of 2.3 hours a day, or over 16 hours a week! So Stack asks her clients to consider what would happen if they reduced their TV-viewing by five hours a week. "That's eleven days a year -- think of what you could do with eleven extra days!" she says. The best way to reduce your time in front of the tube is to choose which shows you want to watch ahead of time, and then record them. This eliminates random flipping around, and it means you won't have to watch commercials -- the ultimate time-suck.
7. Make Your Kids Self-Sufficient
If you have young children, Stack suggests setting up the kitchen so that they can help themselves when they want breakfast or a snack. Put all the kids' plates, bowls, and utensils on a low shelf or drawer that they can easily reach, and pour milk into small, easy-pour containers. Keep the refrigerator stocked with healthy, easy-to-serve snacks like cheese sticks and applesauce. "Then they are less dependent on you, and you don't have to drop everything each time they want a snack," says Stack. Making them more autonomous can also increase their confidence. "We just told my 5-year-old that he's old enough to take his own baths. At first he said, 'No, I want you to do it!' But now that he's bathing himself, he's really proud of himself."
8. Divide Decisions
Stack says that her husband refuses to answer when friends or family inquire about getting together. "He just says my wife is the social coordinator. You'll have to ask her," she says. If you're fortunate enough to have a partner you love and trust, then divide up the family decisions. If your husband is the family chef, let him decide what you'll eat. You can pay him back by making the decisions about the car insurance and mutual funds. "Be okay with not having your hands in every pot," says Stack. After all, your hammock is waiting.
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, August 2006.
By Sara Droman
4 Fast and Fun Cleaning Time-Savers
When you think of home, you probably imagine it as a place of rest. After a long day at work, you look forward to going home and relaxing, connecting with family and friends, maybe reading a novel in the hammock or puttering around the garden. Unfortunately, stacks of bills, dirty dishes, and that never-ending pile of laundry can make home as hectic as the office. Want to spend more time enjoying your home and less time tending to it? Our experts offer eight time-saving tips.
1. Do a Pre-Emptive Strike on Dirt
Want to spend less time cleaning? Laura Dellutri, author of Speed-Cleaning 101, says that the bottom of our shoes accounts for 85 percent of the dirt that comes into our homes. The solution: "Place mats at the entrance of your home. People can wipe their shoes, and you'll reduce the amount of dirt coming in -- and the amount you'll have to clean later," says Dellutri. You could also take a tip from most Asian cultures and leave your shoes at the door. After all, what's more relaxing than bare feet?
2. Consolidate Cleaning Supplies
Put all of your cleaning supplies into one container -- a cleaning caddy, five-gallon pail or laundry basket -- so that you can easily carry them from room to room. "This will shave time off your cleaning routine, because you won't have to stop to retrieve missing tools or products, says Dellutri. She also suggests carrying a few damp cloths over your shoulder. "These can be used to clean 90 percent of the surfaces in your home and will save you time running back and forth to the sink," she says.
3. Listen While You Work
Don't have time to read? Listen to books on tape or CD while you're cooking and cleaning. "I know some people who could get the equivalent of an associate's degree from all the books they've listened to," says Stack.
4. Discard Junk Mail Immediately
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff, suggests keeping a recycling bin in your entryway or near the mailbox. "Sift through the mail you wish to keep. Discard the rest in the box for easy recycling," says Hohlbaum. This way you eliminate clutter before it has a chance to accumulate.
4 Time-Wasters to Give Up
5. Stock Up on Replacements
Remember the last time you dashed to the store because you ran out of an essential, like toilet paper or coffee filters? Chances are, you made a single trip and stood in line buying one or two items because you needed them immediately. Laura Stack, author of Find More Time, says that you can eliminate these time-wasting trips with one simple rule: Instead of buying coffee after you run out, buy two bags at a time, so you always have a replacement bag on hand.
"When I open a new bag of cat litter, that's when I write on my list that I need more," says Stack. This list is magnetized to the refrigerator door so that everyone in her family can do the same. "My kids know that if they want something, they have to put it on the list. As we say in my house, 'if it's not on the list, it doesn't exist,'" says Stack.
6. Record Your Favorite Television Shows
Studies of television-viewing habits show that men watch an average of 2.7 hours of television a day, and women watch an average of 2.3 hours a day, or over 16 hours a week! So Stack asks her clients to consider what would happen if they reduced their TV-viewing by five hours a week. "That's eleven days a year -- think of what you could do with eleven extra days!" she says. The best way to reduce your time in front of the tube is to choose which shows you want to watch ahead of time, and then record them. This eliminates random flipping around, and it means you won't have to watch commercials -- the ultimate time-suck.
7. Make Your Kids Self-Sufficient
If you have young children, Stack suggests setting up the kitchen so that they can help themselves when they want breakfast or a snack. Put all the kids' plates, bowls, and utensils on a low shelf or drawer that they can easily reach, and pour milk into small, easy-pour containers. Keep the refrigerator stocked with healthy, easy-to-serve snacks like cheese sticks and applesauce. "Then they are less dependent on you, and you don't have to drop everything each time they want a snack," says Stack. Making them more autonomous can also increase their confidence. "We just told my 5-year-old that he's old enough to take his own baths. At first he said, 'No, I want you to do it!' But now that he's bathing himself, he's really proud of himself."
8. Divide Decisions
Stack says that her husband refuses to answer when friends or family inquire about getting together. "He just says my wife is the social coordinator. You'll have to ask her," she says. If you're fortunate enough to have a partner you love and trust, then divide up the family decisions. If your husband is the family chef, let him decide what you'll eat. You can pay him back by making the decisions about the car insurance and mutual funds. "Be okay with not having your hands in every pot," says Stack. After all, your hammock is waiting.
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, August 2006.
Are your kids overscheduled and stressed?
Road to stress is paved with good parental intentions
By Heather Wines, Gannett News Service
Donna Ernst and her daughter, McKinzie Schultz, 12, sit with their cocker spaniel, Daisy, near their Crofton, Md., home. McKinzie has had a busy summer. Shortly after school ended in June, she attended sailing camp, then a week-long adventure camp, followed by softball camp and Girl Scouts camp. Her mom says her school year was even busier.By Lottie L. Joiner, Gannett News Service
McKinzie Schultz has had a busy summer. Shortly after school ended in June, the 12-year-old attended a sailing camp near her home in Crofton, Md. Then there was the week-long adventure camp, followed by softball camp and Girl Scouts camp.
The school year was even busier. McKinzie, whose day would begin at 6:30 a.m. and end around 10:30 p.m., was scheduled nearly every day with some type of extracurricular activity, including art classes, softball and math tutoring. And the weekends, says her mother, Donna Ernst, "are never free."
"I want to expose her to as many things to make her a well-rounded person," says Ernst, 34. "By introducing her to different things, I'm showing her the real world, all sides of life. She can get an art scholarship, academic scholarship or athletic scholarship."
Ernst says her daughter, an A student, is doing things she enjoys.
"When she was young, I pushed her into stuff like ballet and soccer," says Ernst, who is divorced. "Now she says what she wants to do. She really doesn't get stressed out — not that I know of."
Ernst is like many parents who fill their kids' afternoons and evenings with programmed activities, hoping to prepare them for a competitive future.
The 21st-century child has a MySpace page, a cellphone and a flurry of academic and artistic pursuits designed to help him or her navigate a high-tech world.
Most experts agree that extracurricular activities are good for kids. But what happens when the actions of well-meaning parents lead to teens who are overwhelmed and overburdened in their quest to reach the Ivy League?
"It may be intuitively clear to parents that they have to push kids because it's a very competitive world, but they may be doing more harm than good because they may not be nourishing the kinds of abilities and skills that are most necessary in today's world," says David Elkind, a psychologist and professor of child development at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.
MORE ON KIDS' ACTIVITIES: Signs of too much scheduling
The kinds of abilities and skills that Elkind, author of The Power of Play and The Hurried Child, are referring to include creativity and innovation — skills children acquire naturally during free, unstructured play time, he says.
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report touting the benefits of play. The report found play "essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children."
The lack of self-initiated play and the opportunity to learn critical skills during play is a result of overscheduling that can have a devastating impact on a child's future success.
Denise Pope, a lecturer at Stanford University's School of Education and founder and director of the college's Stressed Out Students Project, says some students burn out before they reach college.
"A lot of these kids, they get to college and say 'Now I can live. I can breathe,' " Pope says.
"But what happens is that they overschedule themselves again. Some of these kids only know how to be scheduled, and that's a problem."
The result is kids who know how to multitask and work on a team but who are living someone else's dream of who they are. Pope says university mental-health clinics are full of stressed college students, and businesses are increasingly disappointed in the graduates.
"They're not seeing the leadership skills they need," Pope says. "They want someone who's willing to take risks, be creative, someone who can think outside the box."
Even more important is the impact of overscheduling on family well-being. "If family life is being sacrificed, then marriage suffers," says Alvin Rosenfeld, author of The Overscheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap and co-author of Hyper-Parenting: Are You Hurting Your Child by Trying Too Hard?
Of course, no one is calling for children to just sit home and watch hours of TV or play video games, but when extracurricular activities get in the way of functions that help build character and morality, parents must rethink their priorities, Rosenfeld says.
"When our family life takes a back seat to soccer games, something's wrong."
By Heather Wines, Gannett News Service
Donna Ernst and her daughter, McKinzie Schultz, 12, sit with their cocker spaniel, Daisy, near their Crofton, Md., home. McKinzie has had a busy summer. Shortly after school ended in June, she attended sailing camp, then a week-long adventure camp, followed by softball camp and Girl Scouts camp. Her mom says her school year was even busier.By Lottie L. Joiner, Gannett News Service
McKinzie Schultz has had a busy summer. Shortly after school ended in June, the 12-year-old attended a sailing camp near her home in Crofton, Md. Then there was the week-long adventure camp, followed by softball camp and Girl Scouts camp.
The school year was even busier. McKinzie, whose day would begin at 6:30 a.m. and end around 10:30 p.m., was scheduled nearly every day with some type of extracurricular activity, including art classes, softball and math tutoring. And the weekends, says her mother, Donna Ernst, "are never free."
"I want to expose her to as many things to make her a well-rounded person," says Ernst, 34. "By introducing her to different things, I'm showing her the real world, all sides of life. She can get an art scholarship, academic scholarship or athletic scholarship."
Ernst says her daughter, an A student, is doing things she enjoys.
"When she was young, I pushed her into stuff like ballet and soccer," says Ernst, who is divorced. "Now she says what she wants to do. She really doesn't get stressed out — not that I know of."
Ernst is like many parents who fill their kids' afternoons and evenings with programmed activities, hoping to prepare them for a competitive future.
The 21st-century child has a MySpace page, a cellphone and a flurry of academic and artistic pursuits designed to help him or her navigate a high-tech world.
Most experts agree that extracurricular activities are good for kids. But what happens when the actions of well-meaning parents lead to teens who are overwhelmed and overburdened in their quest to reach the Ivy League?
"It may be intuitively clear to parents that they have to push kids because it's a very competitive world, but they may be doing more harm than good because they may not be nourishing the kinds of abilities and skills that are most necessary in today's world," says David Elkind, a psychologist and professor of child development at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.
MORE ON KIDS' ACTIVITIES: Signs of too much scheduling
The kinds of abilities and skills that Elkind, author of The Power of Play and The Hurried Child, are referring to include creativity and innovation — skills children acquire naturally during free, unstructured play time, he says.
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report touting the benefits of play. The report found play "essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children."
The lack of self-initiated play and the opportunity to learn critical skills during play is a result of overscheduling that can have a devastating impact on a child's future success.
Denise Pope, a lecturer at Stanford University's School of Education and founder and director of the college's Stressed Out Students Project, says some students burn out before they reach college.
"A lot of these kids, they get to college and say 'Now I can live. I can breathe,' " Pope says.
"But what happens is that they overschedule themselves again. Some of these kids only know how to be scheduled, and that's a problem."
The result is kids who know how to multitask and work on a team but who are living someone else's dream of who they are. Pope says university mental-health clinics are full of stressed college students, and businesses are increasingly disappointed in the graduates.
"They're not seeing the leadership skills they need," Pope says. "They want someone who's willing to take risks, be creative, someone who can think outside the box."
Even more important is the impact of overscheduling on family well-being. "If family life is being sacrificed, then marriage suffers," says Alvin Rosenfeld, author of The Overscheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap and co-author of Hyper-Parenting: Are You Hurting Your Child by Trying Too Hard?
Of course, no one is calling for children to just sit home and watch hours of TV or play video games, but when extracurricular activities get in the way of functions that help build character and morality, parents must rethink their priorities, Rosenfeld says.
"When our family life takes a back seat to soccer games, something's wrong."
American women have increased in size
American women have gotten fatter as it has become more socially acceptable to carry a few extra pounds, according to a new study. As Americans continue to super-size their value meals, the average weight of the population increases and people slowly adjust their perceptions of appropriate body weight. While it seems thinness is increasingly idealized in popular culture -- images of waif-like models and stick-thin celebrities are everywhere -- there is a gap between the cultural imagery and the weights that most people consider acceptable for themselves and others.
Pregnancy diet makes huge difference
Researchers are warning pregnant women that a penchant for junk food may be condemning their children to crave the same diet. The researchers arrived at this conclusion when they discovered that pregnant rats who were fed a diet of biscuits, chips and sweets, had young who preferred to eat unhealthy food. Research has already shown that diet in early life can literally shape people's future, laying down the foundations for obesity and heart disease; dieticians too have stressed the importance of a balanced diet for mothers-to-be. This latest research however suggests that eating too much of the wrong food while carrying a child could be potentially harmful.
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