all about How To : September 2016

Jumat, 30 September 2016

How to Win Every Bet

Richard Wiseman is Britain's only professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and a reknowned voice in the fields of luck, self-help and illusion. With a background in magic and psychology, Richard traveled the globe for years in search of the world's greatest bets. He has compiled 101 of the best bets in his new book, 101 Bets You Will Always Win.

Today, he joins Math Dude Jason Marshall for a short interview to discuss how probability and mathematics can play a role in winning bets.

Q: I want to talk about some of the mathematical ideas that support a good bet. For instance, how can probability help us make better decisions when it comes to betting?

Richard: Well, we are notoriously bad with probability, which is why Vegas does so well. All those big flashy hotels are not built on the money that people have won in Vegas; they’re built on money that people have lost. So, we’re not very good with probability.

All those big flashy hotels are not built on the money that people have won in Vegas; they’re built on money that people have lost.

There are all sorts of classic probability problems that can show us that—for example, suppose you meet somebody on the street and they tell you that they’ve got two kids, one of whom is a boy. What’s the chance that the other one is also a boy? You’d think it’s roughly 50-50. In fact, that’s not right. When you work through the probability, it’s actually about 1 in 3. So we’re not good with probability, and some of the bets work because of that, while others are mathematical.

One of my favorite ones is if you say to somebody (and here’s the bet) “You’re going to give me any 3-digit number and within a fraction of a second, I’m going to multiply it by 7, by 11 and then by 13.” It sounds impossible, like you’re a human calculator. But all you need to do is just repeat the number that they’ve just given to you. So, if they say the number is 476, then you just write 476,476 because any 3-digit number when it’s multiplied by 7, by 11, then by 13 simply repeats itself. Why? Because 7 multiplied by 11 multiplied by 13 is 1001, and so the math works out. It’s about these kinds of fun ways to use math as well.

Try This Bet

Place five or six pennies on a table and balance another penny on its edge. Ask your friend how many pennies you will need to stack up to reach the height of the upright penny. They might guess five or six, but you will win the bet because the answer is an amazing twelve coins!

This bet is one of many from 101 Bets You Will Always Win. You can order a copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Books-a-Million.

7 Ways to Feel Good About Giving Up

The slogans are countless: You only get out what you put into it; I never dreamed of success, I worked for it; nothing worth having comes easy. Even Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hour rule” claims that the holy grail of mastery is achieved only through decades of dedication.

But how often do you hear a slogan that says you tried hard enough—at building your business, chasing your dream, sustaining your relationship—and now it’s time to move on? Rarely. And how much blood, sweat, and tears are wasted on hopeless cases? A lot. Maybe you’ve been there—drained emotionally, financially, or both, but somehow you can’t bear to step away.

Why? Consider a concept known as the “sunk cost fallacy.” It comes from both psychology and economics and refers to a decision-making bias that leads us to pour more time, money, effort, or other resources into a project simply because we’ve already invested in it. We fall prey to this whether the stakes are high, like continuing to throw money and energy into a clearly doomed business, or low, like forcing yourself to finish a lousy salad just because you (over)paid twelve bucks for it. No matter the scale, humans are reliably illogical when it comes to calling it quits.

Why Do We Refuse to Quit?

Why did evolution do this to us? Researchers theorize that the phenomenon may come from an effort to avoid wasting precious resources. This rule makes sense when you look at it from a scarcity perspective—better to keeping slogging away if you’ve already invested limited resources, but at a certain point the logic breaks down.

For instance, it might seem a waste to part ways with a partner of many years, but continuing in vain to repair the relationship is no less wasteful. You could argue that staying in is actually more wasteful, and that bringing an unfulfilling, emotionally draining relationship to an end frees up opportunity to try again.

The notion of failure, though, is so stigmatized that it’s no wonder we keep the doors of our failing jazz bar open rather than truly facing the music. Plus, it just feels wrong to jump ship even though we’re likely to sink. However, that feeling may actually be the sunk cost fallacy leading us astray. What to do? Here are 7 ways not only to throw in the towel, but to feel good about it.

Tip #1: Write down not only what it’s cost you already, but what it will cost in the future. Sometimes going with our gut can be useful, but sometimes our guts are best described by a certain spot-on quote from Nick Hornby in High Fidelity.

So bypass your gut by actually writing out gains and losses associated with staying in, and gains and losses associated with getting out. It’s similar to the classic pros and cons list and it helps you focus on the often-forgotten opportunity costs that come with staying in.

Tip #2: Reconceptualize “giving up” as “knowing when to quit.” In this society, everyone from Thomas the Train to Sean Paul tells us to never give up. Indeed, the most straightforward never give up quote is attributed to Winston Churchill, who allegedly said, simply, “Never never never give up.”

But it turns out this was taken out of context. What he really said was, "Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."

Indeed, the idea of “giving up” is so unacceptable that sometimes we forget the maturity and integrity required to realize something is not working and that a change needs to be made. The take home: “never give up” should not be taken as a blanket statement. Indeed, giving in when it makes good sense, or is the honorable thing to do, is the right choice. I think even Thomas the Train would agree.

Tip #3: Think of giving up as a sign of wisdom. A study in the prestigious journal Psychological Science found that young adults are significantly more likely to engage in the sunk cost fallacy than senior citizens.

Younger adults have a stronger negativity bias, meaning they weigh negative information, such as losses, more heavily than positive information. The decisions of older adults, by contrast, generally reflect a more balanced approach to gains and losses. Turns out the older we get, the wiser and more prudent we may become about how best to invest our resources. In short, sometimes cutting our losses is the wisest, most mature choice.

Tip #4: Sometimes you have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. One thing people hate about giving up is feeling like something outside their control got the best of them. However, you can regain some control by reframing your choice to get out as a tough-love executive decision. This project may be your baby, but sometimes, you just have to throw out the baby.

You may feel like you failed, but release responsibility for those things that had nothing to do with your competence, dedication, or character.

Tip #5: Relabel “failure.” Biases and fallacies aside, the heart of our resistance to throwing in the towel is our fear of failure. We’ve been socialized to see goals that never come to fruition as failure. It’s even harder when the failure is public, like a marriage or a business venture.

Choosing to end a relationship or a project, especially if you started out gung ho and all in, is a loss to be grieved. So give yourself the space to do so, but then, consider this: it’s not failure if it moves you forward. Call it lightening your burden, simplifying your life, making a better choice, taking stock, turning over a new leaf, moving on, rising up, whatever you want—none of which carry any whiff of failure.

Tip #6: You can’t control everything. Sometimes life hands you circumstances that you just can’t turn around. You may put your heart and soul into launching, say, a bakery, but maybe the opening coincided with the low-carb craze, your landlord just doubled your rent, and there’s been a run-up on worldwide sugar prices. Could you control any of this? Not on your life.

You may feel like you failed, but release responsibility for those things that had nothing to do with your competence, dedication, or character.

Tip #7: Knowledge is power: One last tip: Take solace in knowing that everyone is subject to the whims of fate and human error, and most people don’t muster the necessary clarity and strength to challenge the sunk cost fallacy. So if you get out, consider yourself operating at a higher level of human reasoning!

To wrap up, you didn’t know then what you know now. What’s more, there’s no way you could have known. But now that you’re armed with knowledge, experience, and, dare we say, some wisdom, you’ll be ready to chuck your sunk costs and chart your course anew.

For even more savvy, get every Savvy Psychologist episode delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Savvy Psychologist newsletter. Or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, listen on Spotify, or like on Facebook.

Kamis, 29 September 2016

Hit the Bestseller List: How to Style Your Words Like a Bestselling Author

how to style your words like a bestselling author

In The Bestseller Code, Jodie Archer and Matthew Jockers, who have backgrounds in publishing and text-mining, worked together to create an algorithm that aims to identify novels that will become bestsellers. Each chapter of the book cracks open a bit more of the code, from character, to topics and the emotional rhythms that work in fiction. Today, we’re going to look at some aspects of style that could improve your chances of hitting the bestseller lists.

Go easy on adjectives and adverbs. Decorate your nouns and verbs sparingly and with caution. In other words, no Christmas tree sentences! Stick with the simple pine tree in its natural state. Readers don’t want “Clive observed that the elegant and beautiful Josie Matthews was sitting in her brown wingback armchair, typing carefully while humming prettily to herself.” Instead, try “Josie sat typing, humming an old tune. Her beauty was not lost on Clive.”

Readers hate an exclamation point if it really isn’t necessary. Exclamation points kill nuances in tone and can turn a tense action scene into melodrama. Not! Everything! Need! Go! Bump! And as for the irritating trend for double or triple exclamation points!!!—please, never, ever do it. The triple exclamation turns up way too often in self-published manuscripts. Remember, this is fiction, not a text to your BFF. Save the exclamation point for the rare moment you want to show volume or surprise or that something borderline in tone is indeed intended to be funny and not critical. Sometimes an exclamation point can turn a potentially cold and sarcastic remark into a more friendly and smiling comment.

Make sentences active, not passive. Why? Active sentences make active characters. Feel your response to the difference between these two characters called John. The first John is passive, in attitude and language. “John was sitting at the bar. He was given a drink by the bartender, and he was approached by a lady in a red dress. The thought struck him that he might have a chance to date her, but he waited to see.” Is John the sexy hero of a bestselling romance novel? Unlikely. Who wants to burn their way through 300 pages about a passive guy who passively lets life happen? Passivity makes for a low-energy scene. Then there’s the other John, going to a bar across the road. He does his verbs rather than having them done to him. “John pulled open the door of All Bar One, made his way through the crowd, and called to the bartender to pour him a double scotch. The lady on the barstool next to him was stunning. “That’s an amazing red dress,” he said. “Can I buy you a drink?” Readers respond to characters who are in control and to authors who are in control of the active versus the passive voice.

The ellipsis, used well, is your friend. Let your reader do some of the work. And let the ellipsis create your tone. “He was wearing that tuxedo and a six o’clock shadow. Holy moly…” Here, your reader is going to smile along with the narrator. Don’t we know, just from the pause for breath in the ellipsis that this man is very attractive to the narrator? Don’t we smile along with her, and enjoy sharing her informal reaction “Holy moly”? It creates an intimacy between the reader and the narrator to write in this way, and the “He” (perhaps John from the bar), is unaware of the effect he’s had. Compare it to: “He was wearing that tuxedo and a six o’clock shadow. She was very attracted to this look.” While the two versions communicate almost the same basic information to the reader, the first has given them some more style and tone and has likely given the reader a smile. This is the right way to use an ellipsis, but keep it sparing. It needn’t happen every page, or even every ten pages. But when it does, do it for tone and not to avoid finding the words to tell the reader something important.

Drop the formality. Bestselling writers often have journalism in their backgrounds. They know punchy prose and colloquial language. Contractions are just fine for creating a bestselling voice—“can’t” and “isn’t” sound more natural than “can not” and “is not.” And informal expressions like “okay,” and even “ugh,” are more common in bestselling books than in books that don’t sell well. Fiction is one place where you definitely want your writing to reflect how people really speak instead of how they should speak or would speak if they were being proper.

Make your opening sentence sing. It has to work hard in simple language. Here are a few examples from the book. Notice they all create an emotional response, or a hook, but none needs elaborate language or a long, complex sentence. All these opening lines come from novels that hit the New York Times bestseller list. “The secret is how to die.” (Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol.) “Who wouldn’t be skeptical when a man claimed to have spent an entire weekend with God, no less?” (William Young, The Shack). “They shoot the white girl first.” (Toni Morrison, Paradise).

If you found these tips from The Bestseller Code helpful, you can read more about the secrets of successful style in the chapter called “The Debutantes, or, Why Every Comma Matters.” Plus, enter for a chance to have your manuscript critiqued by Jodie and Matthew!

How an Outsider Became President of the United States

He was the presidential candidate who no one expected to win. He spoke in clichés, talked tough on immigration, and gave off-the-cuff speeches that seemed to make very little sense.

Warren G Harding’s attempt to win the American presidential election of 1920 was deemed so unlikely to succeed that he became a subject of mockery and scorn in the nation’s newspapers.

The New York World said that he was one the least-qualified candidates ever to run for president, labeling him a "weak and mediocre" man. The New York Times’ opinion was not much better. It called the Republican presidential candidate "a very respectable Ohio politician of the second class."

Yet Warren G Harding had an electrifying appeal—one that was underestimated by his political enemies. He liked to play the outsider—a newcomer to Washington who was prepared to speak the unspeakable—criticising the previous administration for its handling of World War I. He also opposed Wilson’s idea of forming the League of Nations.

In doing so, he was to electrify America and sweep himself to victory in the 1920 election.

It was an extraordinary political turn-around, for no one expected Harding to gain the Republican nomination when he pitched up at the Chicago convention in 1920.

No one, except his close friend and political manager, Harry Daugherty.

Daugherty felt sure that none of the front-runners would carry the nomination on the first ballot—leaving Harding in with a chance. Harding had no political enemies and a clean record—he had opposed neither prohibition or suffrage. More importantly, he was one of the best-looking politicians in the nation—a sure plus in an election when millions of women would vote for the first time.

To hear the full story, listen to the full episode of our podcast, Unknown History, in the top right hand player of this page or on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Plus, connect with Giles on Twitter and Facebook.

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You can find more content like this in When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank. Preorder a copy of the book, due out in November 2016, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Books-a-Million, and Apple.

Syllable Acronyms: Why HoCo Means Homecoming

Fall is finally here, and here in the United States, September or October are when many of the nation’s high schools have their homecoming tradition. For those of you who don’t live in the United States or Canada, homecoming is a week during which a school’s former students come back for a visit, and it usually features a football game, a dance, and various other school-spirit-related activities. In the last few years, the word homecoming has joined the ranks of words that have given rise to an unusual type of acronym, which is formed by taking not just the first letter of each word in a name, but its initial consonant and first vowel. I’ll call them syllable acronyms.

For homecoming, if you haven’t already guessed, it’s HoCo. You can go to YouTube right now, search for HoCo, and finds dozens of videos showing the increasingly ridiculous ways that teenagers will ask someone to be their date for the homecoming dance.

The first syllable acronym was probably Nabisco, short for National Biscuit Company.

According to a 2005 post on Language Log by Ben Zimmer, syllable acronyms started cropping up at the beginning of the 20th century—in other words, they’ve been around as long as the majority of our more typical initial-letter acronyms. According to Zimmer, the first syllable acronym was none other than the company name Nabisco, shortened from National Biscuit Company. So many other acronyms followed that used the syllable co to stand for company, such as Texaco and Sunoco, that to this day, the most popular pattern for syllable acronyms is a rhyme involving a long O, such as SoHo (a New York neighborhood that is south of Houston Street), HoJo (the hotel chain Howard Johnson or, when I was growing up, the musician Howard Jones who sang “Things Can Only Get Better” and “Don’t Try to Live Your Life in One Day”), FloJo (the American Olympic track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner), and now HoCo. Incidentally, I’ve learned that HoCo can also refer to Howard County, a county in Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, DC. There were a lot of Howard County HoCo tweets on Twitter, but if you go back far enough, you can see that the first tweet using HoCo to refer to homecoming was posted in December 2011.

If you’re a high-schooler, college student, or a graduate returning to your alma mater, I hope you have a fabulous HoCo this year. And if you’re a writer of fiction, I wish you a fun and productive November. You know, National Novel-Writing Month, better known by its syllable acronym of NaNoWriMo.

That segment was written by Neal Whitman, an independent researcher and writer on language and grammar. He blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com, and tweets @LiteralMinded.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

The Top Tips for Fall

Audience Tips

Whiten Socks

Whiten socks by placing them in a pot of boiling water with several lemon slices. Boil for 15 minutes or so, and socks will look like fresh.

Use Olive Oil for Lip Balm

Don’t have any lip balm on hand? Use olive oil instead! Dab a bit on chapped lips and it will help moisturize and repair them.

Help with a Keyring

Make a keyring easy to open when you’re putting new keys on it by using a staple remover. Just insert the prongs from the staple remover in between the rings and they will easily separate. No losing a fingernail required!

Get Ready Outdoors

Keep Bulbs Safe

If you have flowers that you grew from bulbs that bloom in the summer, they won’t survive the winter! Carefully dig them up after the stems have shriveled up and store them in pantyhose. Place one bulb in the toe, then tie a knot above the bulb, add another bulb, and keep going. It separates the bulbs and keeps them fresh and aerated during the winter. (You can use this trick for onions, too!)

Keep Outdoor Items for Rusting

Rub petroleum jelly onto the corners of metal patio furniture so they don’t rust over the winter. While you’re at it, also rub up the threads of outdoor light bulbs (then put them back into their sockets) so they don’t rust.

Keep Leaves Out of Your Gutter

The best way to keep leaves out of your gutter is with a Slinky! Yes, the child’s toy. Fasten it to the ends of your gutter with binder clips, and it will work as a guard to keep leaves out.

Getting Rid of Fall Bugs

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets have been laying low all summer, they’re time to shine is the fall! Make a soda bottle trap in the same way you would make one for wasps.

Stink Bugs and Boxelder Bugs

To get rid of nasty stink bugs or boxelder bugs, you can use a wet/dry vac. Fill the canister ¼ of the way with water, add a squirt of dish soap. Then vacuum them up. They’ll drown in the soapy water. To keep them out of your house entirely, try wiping

Ladybugs

If you don’t want to kill ladybugs, you can put fruit scraps in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap with several holes poked in it. The smell will make them find their way into the bowl, but then they won’t be able to find their way out. Here are some more tips for keeping ladybugs out of your house.

Flies

Flies will also want to hibernate in your home this fall! Here are our best tips for getting rid of flies.

Making the Fall Clothing Switch

Turn Your Hangers Backwards

The key to cleaning out your closet, of course, is getting rid of clothes you don’t wear. Make it easier by turning your hangers backwards. After several months, you’ll have a clear picture of what you wear and what you don’t.

Begin in the (Bargain) Basement

How many times have you purchased an $80 sweater, only to find a nearly identical one for much less later? When you begin to look for clothes for the new season, always start at the least expensive store first. Since most clothing stores carry similar items each season, you’ll make sure to get each piece for the best price. You should also try to buy most of your basics—solid-color T-shirts, socks, and so forth—at the cheaper stores. Save the expensive stores for the uniquely designed and patterned clothes, where you can see the difference in quality.

These tips are even more fun when you listen to them on our podcast—which also includes a Lifehack Lightning Round and more! Check it out on iTunes or Stitcher. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook!

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Canceled or Cancelled?

How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian

When I told my parents I was going vegetarian in my last year of high school, they thought I was crazy. No one had ever been a vegetarian in my family. In fact, my parents had never even known a vegetarian.

Needless to say, they didn’t quite take me seriously initially. With my mom being the chef of the household, despite my continued veggie persistence, I’d often appallingly discover a piece of meat or chicken in my food, which brought a very speedy end to mealtimes for me.

“You need the protein!” my mom would say.

“It’s just one little piece.”

“I thought I separated it all out.”

I eventually boycotted almost everything she made. Now, I feel some guilt over causing her any stress. It wasn't her responsibility to become a short-order cook and cater to each of our food whims.

But because of my persistence, she eventually realized that I was serious about vegetarianism and gave up trying to “trick me.”

Now, I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. At the time I initially gave up meat/chicken/seafood products, it was not a popular choice. As a result, I would frequently be questioned (and not just by mom, but seemingly everyone I dined with):

“Why are you a vegetarian?”

“Don’t you crave meat? I could never do it.”

“You still eat fish, though, right?”

However, I have seen patients converting to a vegetarian diet throughout the years for more than a number of reasons:

1. Animal rights

2. Improved heart health

3. Religion

4. Undesirable taste and/or texture

5. How the food is produced (this is one of the most common reasons)

6. The thought of what they are eating

For me, it was initially due to a combination of number 4 and 6. It all began when my eldest sister would refuse to eat seafood or red meat. “Ew, this is disgusting” is a sentence I heard almost every day in our house. I now simply do not enjoy the taste, nor the thought of what it is that I'm consuming. But it doesn't bother me to see others consume meat. In fact, I even prepare and feed my own kiddos with it.

Living in California, I was lucky. Eating out is not a challenge. Most restaurants already cater to vegetarians because of an ever-growing plant-food lover population now. But after having moved back to the East Coast for medical school, I realized that it was still a foreign concept there. I was much more restricted when eating out.

For whatever reason it may be, however, we are now seeing a surge of vegetarians everywhere in our advanced society. Foods and supermarkets are dramatically increasing their supply of foods catered towards vegetarians. More restaurants are catering to vegetarians with special meal options.

Now as a physician, do I recommend a vegetarian diet to my patients? No, I don’t think it is right for everyone and never initially suggest it. But if someone has already made that decision, then I just think it’s essential that they are supported, and informed as to how to be a healthy vegetarian and avoid any medical pitfalls.

It’s an achievable diet, but one with some health risks if the patient is not educated on how to devise a well-planned and nutritionally adequate diet. So, how can you be a healthy vegetarian?

Types of Vegetarians

Not all vegetarians follow the same food rules. Here are the most common categories, with labels you may have heard thrown around but perhaps didn't quite grasp:

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians: “Lacto” means milk, and “ovo” refers to eggs. Hence, these vegetarians eat dairy (like milk and eggs), but simply no animal flesh products. This is the base of vegetarianism and the least restrictive type.

Lacto Vegetarians: Now that you’ve learned the basic terms, you can make an educated guess on this one. Yep, these vegetarians consume milk and milk products but no eggs. This makes it more of a challenge to find desserts, most especially, because most contain eggs in their batter mix.

Vegan Vegetarians: This is the most restrictive type, excluding all milk products, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc. Kudos to those who follow this diet successfully, because it is not easy to find food that lack dairy altogether. Yet, it is definitely achievable.

Pros/Cons of A Vegetarian Diet

The pros of vegetarianism are plentiful, as long as it is done correctly. Studies so far show that vegetarians tend to have decreased risk of:

· Heart disease

· Obesity

· Elevated Cholesterol Levels

· Hypertension

· Prostate and Colon Cancer

· Diabetes

But it is not risk-free either. If not careful, a vegetarian diet can predispose you to:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Those who consume animal products tend to have lifetime stores of vitamin B12. But vegetarians, vegans in particular, are at risk for a deficiency over time. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia, and neurologic symptoms (such as peripheral neuropathy).

Low Bone Density: Vegetarians who lack sufficient calcium intake have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis and osteopenia, and are hence at risk for fractures.

Weight Gain: For those who consume an overabundance of carbohydrates, weight gain is also a possibility. But if done right, it is often the opposite.

Nutrient Considerations in Vegetarians

As a vegetarian, you may be wondering, how do you know if you are getting “enough”? And enough of what, exactly? It’s imperative to understand in case you are contemplating going vegetarian.

Protein: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for daily protein is 0.8 g/kg of body weight. Nuts/seeds, peanut butter, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans, soy products, bread. Here's a list of vegetarian protein sources and their content amount.

Iron: Iron-fortified cereal, kidney beans, peas, nuts, lentils, spinach, whole wheat bread, and some dried fruits are good sources of iron. Here's a helpful list of iron-rich food sources.

Calcium: Some vegetarians, most especially vegans, need to make sure they are receiving their calcium from other resources. Many foods are now fortified with calcium: orange juice, cereal, tofu, soy milk and products, etc. Leafy greens, carrots, broccoli and other veggies are also a good source of calcium. Here are some calcium-rich food sources.

Vitamin D: If you don’t get enough sunlight, it’s also important to take Vitamin D supplements. Many calcium supplements also contain Vitamin D, as it also aids in absorption of calcium. For vitamin D resources besides sunlight (which is not always the right answer either, given the risk of skin cancer), here's a great list.

Vitamin B12: Only contained in animal products, but this does include dairy for Lacto-Ovo vegetarians. But a daily supplement is often recommended for vegans. Here's some more information on vitamin B12.

If you are a picky eater, are reluctant to eat a variety of food groups, or are not certain if you are receiving enough of the recommended nutrients in your diet, a multivitamin daily is also a good addition to your daily regimen.

Vegetarian Resources:

There now is an immense amount of information online about vegetarianism, including recipe ideas and meal planning. Here is my personal running list of resources:

· Vegetarian Nutrition Resource List

· Vegetarian Nutrition

· USDA 2015 Dietary Guidelines

· The food pyramid was replaced by “my plate” in 2011. Here’s the vegetarian version.

Share your ideas and learn more quick and dirty tips with us on the House Call Doctor’s Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages! If you learned anything here today, or simply enjoy all-things-medical, you can also listen and subscribe to the House Call Doctor podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, GooglePlay, and Stitcher.

Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.

7 Creative Uses for Mason Jars

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I grew up on a farm in South Dakota. Being a farm girl, my fall months were spent helping my mom and grandma can fruit and vegetables from our gardens to eat during the winter months. For decades, glass canning jars had just one use, and that was to store food for the future. Lately though, I have started to use Mason jars for a variety of other uses. Keeping just a few of these around your home means you can have them handy for a number of everyday uses.

1.) Drinking Glasses

One of the cutest ways I’ve seen glass jars used is as drinking glasses. Yes, you can go buy a set of drinking glasses, but using jars offers a cute, country look to your beverages. Whether you keep them in your cabinet and use them on a daily basis, or you have a bunch of them that you prefill with adult cocktails for a party, the jars are a cute and handy way to serve drinks.

A bonus about using the jars for party drinks is that you can premix the drinks, pour them in the jars, screw on the lids, and toss them in to a cooler or tub of ice. It cuts down on the amount of hands-on work that needs to be done during the festivities, which means you can have more time with your guests.

2.) Smoothies

Another way you can use Mason jars for drinks is for your morning smoothies. My husband and I go through phases where we drink smoothies as a meal replacement in the morning. I had been using travel cups to drink these on the road, but that caused issues a few mornings where my hands were full. I realized that I needed a better option to seal up my smoothie so I could throw it in my purse and drink it when I got to the office. Know what works great for that? Mason jars.

I used the pint size jars to store my peanut butter and banana protein shakes or my green drinks until I got to my desk. Then I’d pop off the sealed lid and toss in a straw to enjoy my smoothie. It was a quick and easy way to make sure that my smoothie got in my mouth instead of the bottom of my purse or the front of my shirt.

3.) Salads

Now that you have the drinks covered, it’s time to look at some food storage options that you can use the jars for. One of my favorites is to use the jars for lunch salads. At the beginning of each week, it’s super easy to layer the salad ingredients in to several jars and have them ready to grab on your way out the door.

When you assemble the salad ingredients, it’s important to put the dressing on the bottom of the jar, then put in more sturdy ingredients that won’t wilt. Good examples are carrots, celery, tomatoes, or meat. Continue to layer ingredients, with your leafy greens being the last ones added to the jar so they don’t touch the dressing and get soggy. When you’re ready to eat the salad, tip the jar over and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. The dressing will work its way down to coat all the ingredients so then a quick shake will help evenly disperse it and mix your ingredients. You can eat it straight from the jar or pour it in to a large bowl.

4.) Pantry Storage

This next idea came from a client who hired my organizing company to make-over her pantry. She had a whole bunch of large Mason jars in her pantry already, but didn’t really have a good use for them. She wanted to incorporate them into her pantry, and asked us how we thought they could best be used. While there are literally hundreds of ways they could be used, we decided to use them for her baking supplies, like flour, sugar, and even muffin liners. The large jars were a great option to store these panty staples, and a few cute labels made them equal parts storage and decoration.

5.) Snack Storage

Another option for food storage is to use glass jars to store individual candies and treats, cereals, or pourable snacks like pretzels. By removing these items from their bulky and unattractive packaging, you can more easily see if you are running low and keep your pantry looking much cuter. Keep in mind that this storage method is better for homes without small children. Kids are creative, and no matter how high of a shelf you store these treats, they will likely try and figure out a way to get to the treat jars. The last thing you want is a broken glass jar in your pantry when your child jumps off the chair to retrieve a piece of chocolate. Only use this option for treats if you have a house full of people who are old enough and coordinated enough to be able to safely open the treat jars.

6.) Vases

The next tip is one that is not at all food related, and it’s to use Mason jars as flower vases. There’s no need to buy expensive vases that just create clutter around your home. The same larger jars that are great for salads can also be used to display a bouquet of flowers. A few weeks ago I gave one of my employees a dozen roses for her 3 year anniversary with Moxie Girl. She is in the process of moving, so I didn’t give her a vase because I didn’t want to give her one more item to move. A few hours after I left the flowers with her, I received a picture of the roses in a glass jar and they were adorable! I know that she uses Mason jars for a whole lot of things around her house, so it was fun to see how she was able to reuse one to display the flowers. No need for expensive and bulky vases when you have a few Mason jars hanging around your home!

7.) Storing Small Stuff

The final way I like to use Mason jars in a home is to corral a bunch of small items that you are keeping around the home. A set of small jars on a bathroom counter can keep a supply of cotton balls, cotton pads, and cotton swabs within reach and still looking nice. Another small jar on the counter can contain bobby pins or safety pins, and yet another jar in your closet can collect all the extra buttons that come with every new dress shirt.

There are hundreds of ways to incorporate glass jars in to your daily routine and your home’s storage. These are just a few of my favorites, and hopefully they give you a few ideas to get you started. You can likely come up with a dozen more uses that will make your life easier or cuten up your current storage options.

Also, check out this fun fall mason jar craft from Mighty Mommy and another cool use for mason jars: outdoor lighting!

Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.

Mason jar image courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Protect Yourself in Light of the Yahoo Hack

yahoo hack Last week (9/22/2016), Yahoo announced that, in 2014, hackers made off with over 500 million users account information. This included names, email address, telephone numbers, birthdates, security questions, and salted and hashed passwords. Incredibly, Yahoo released a statement detailing the breach and that they believe the hack was carried out by a country.

It feels as though hacks like these are becoming commonplace. And yet the recent Yahoo hack is one of the largest known hacks in history. The scary part is that these are huge companies. I mean we are talking Anthem, Target, MySpace, Ebay, and Home Depot. What’s more is that the stock price of these companies generally is unaffected by such breaches. It’s clear from these hacks that consumers need to be very wary about what data they give away to companies. Be smart about how you handle your digital identity!

What Was Stolen in the Yahoo Hack?

Let’s first look at the data that was stolen. Yahoo believes that names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates, security questions, and hashed passwords were stolen. The one item out of those that probably has most people scared is the ‘hashed passwords’ but I'm least worried about this.

Here’s why. When passwords are stored correctly, they are never stored in what is called plain text. Plain text is if you wrote down your password on a piece of paper, someone could just copy it and use it. This is why passwords in plain text are worrisome when stored by companies with millions of users—because if someone breaks in and steals all of the data, they instantly have access to all of the passwords just by looking at them.

That is where hashing comes in. Hashing is a way that companies store your passwords securely with a one-way function. The best way to think of this is to picture a blender with a ton of different types of fruit. When you submit a password, you’re selecting a specific recipe to be blended. When you turn on the blender and let it run for a couple of minutes, you’ll have a nice smoothie with a certain color. This is how your password is stored via hashing. The company only knows the color of your smoothie, not all of the elements that went into it.

The beauty with this is that you can always make the same smoothie with the same color. The company can always check the color to make sure it’s yours, and if a hacker were to try and steal the recipe, they would have a really hard time figuring out what ingredients you put in to get that exact right password.

This is how Yahoo stores its passwords. This means that while they have your password, they still only have the color of your smoothie, not the recipe. So all the hackers have is a very hard to guess recipe. Now there is a lot of math, science, and programming that go into it, but that’s what hashing does in a nutshell. If a hacker wanted to get all of the plain text passwords from the data they hacked, they would have to spend a lot of time and a lot of resources having computers guess thousands of times a second what your password is.

Should You Be Worried About the Yahoo Hack?

Luckily there are 500 million passwords the hackers would have to break, which means it would be an extremely difficult and laborious task to do so. Now Yahoo is pretty sure that a country carried out this hack, which means they will most likely have much more resources to break the passwords.

This is why it is important to never use the same password twice. You may want to check out my episode on password management.

This is why it is important to never use the same password twice.

The information that I am worried about is everything else: names, birthdays, telephone numbers, and email addresses. With all of these pieces of information, you can do incredible damage both financially and digitally. After all, how many times do you use some of this information to prove your identity? For instance, what is your birthday? Last four digits of your phone number? All of this information in the wrong hands could be devastating. It could be used for fake accounts or to break into existing accounts that you own.

So what the heck do you do? Well there are a handful of things you can do. First is to create a Google Alert about yourself. Why? If someone creates an account with your name or about you, you will be notified.

Next you’ll head on over to this site where you can type in any of your email accounts or usernames, and it will show you if they have been involved in any known security breaches and hacks. I do this about once a month just to stay current.

I also check my credit three times a year for free thanks to Money Girl Laura Adams, just to make sure no one has opened up any accounts in my name that I’m not aware of. Lastly I use multi factor authentication; this means when I log in to any important online account, not only do I need a password but I also need my cell phone to log in. Typically I’ll be sent a text message, and have to type in a code in order to log in.

Going forward, there are a few things you can do to prevent how much of your data is exposed from these hacks. First and foremost, don’t answer security questions correctly. If a website asks “what was your first car?” I reply back Pizza or something just as nonsensical. I keep this with my password so I still have access to it but it’s different across all websites. If it’s an account you really don’t care about, I typically give out a fake birthday and an incorrect spelling of my name. This ensures that if this information is stolen it will be much harder to be used against me, or to pose as me.

Be sure to check out all my earlier episodes at techtalker.quickanddirtytips.com. And if you have further questions about this podcast or want to make a suggestion for a future episode, post them on http://ift.tt/1xcMcmP.

Until next time, I’m the Tech Talker, keeping technology simple!

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Rabu, 28 September 2016

What to Do If Your Cat Keeps Throwing Up

Why Is My Cat Throwing Up?

If your cat frequently throws up, take him to the vet as soon as possible. While cats vomit naturally sometimes to clear their digestive tracts, it can also be a sign of something serious. Only your vet can tell you what’s going on with your cat. If you’ve been to your vet and she’s told you it’s nothing serious, ask her if you can try one of the remedies below.

Prevent Hairballs

The easiest way to prevent hairballs is to simply prevent the amount of fur going down your cat’s digestive tract. So if you don’t have a cat brush, get one now! Brush your cat daily, and follow it up with a swipe or two of a dryer sheet to get every last loose hair off your pet.

Fur-tastic Olive Oil

Add up to ¼ teaspoon olive oil to your cat’s moist food once a week to stave off hairballs. This is also an old remedy for making your cat’s coat extra shiny!

Stay Away from Cold Food

Cats tend to get upset stomachs from super-cold food. Prevent tummy aches (and, worse, vomiting) by letting the food warm to room temperature before feeding. Or, heat in the microwave for 5–6 seconds and then stir before serving. (Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you’re using your microwave for pet food!)

Whoa, Boy!

If your cat frequently vomits, it could be because he’s eating too fast. Sometimes, this can be easily fixed by leaving food out all day for your cat, so he doesn’t get too excited around feeding time. (However, some cats will overeat, causing them to become obese—make sure to check with your vet for what he recommends.) If you think your cat is eating to quickly, try taking the food away from a moment, letting him digest and see if he’s really hungry, then place the food in front of him again.

Try Some Natural Stomach Soothers

If your cat throws up all the time, you can try adding some natural remedies for nausea into her food. Try chopped up mint leaf in her food, or just give her an herb special to cats—catnip, of course!—before each feeding. Both can help your cat’s tummy feel better.

For cat tips from all across the internet, check out our Pet Tips board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

When is Chest Pain Serious?

It’s 2 AM and you wake up with chest pain, aka angina. What should you do? Maybe it’s just indigestion, but maybe it’s a heart attack. How do you know what to do?

When Is Chest Pain Serious?

Heart disease kill more people in the U.S. than any other single disease, and the main symptom that people have from a heart attack is chest pain. It’s also the leading cause of death in women in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the term chest pain is actually misleading. Heart pain is not always described as being painful, and it’s not always in the chest. For that reason, I like the Latin term angina pectoris, which means “sensation in the chest.” This is not just a vocabulary lesson; people die because what they are feeling isn’t actually chest pain and so they stay at home and have a heart attack.

When Is Chest Pain a Heart Attack?

So how can you tell if you should worry with your angina symptoms? There are two main factors that help me decide when to worry: the details of the actual symptoms, and the patient's risk factors for heart disease.

The typical symptoms of angina are described as:

Chest “tightness,” “squeezing,” or “heaviness.” People describe this feeling as a weight or as a band being tightened around their chest. The pain is usually located on the left side of the chest above the bottom of the ribcage, but it’s sometimes hard to define its exact location.
Shortness of breath
Sweating, nausea, and an anxious feeling
Radiation of the chest pain into the left arm, neck, and jaw

What Are Other Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

Those are the typical symptoms, and the presence of all of the above descriptions certainly is cause for worry. But many people have other atypical symptoms that may still be a cause for concern. These atypical symptoms of heart attacks are especially common in women, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Here are some of the other symptoms and misconceptions about heart attack signs:

Pain isn’t on the left side: Sometimes the pain is not on the left, but on the right, the center, or even at the top of the abdomen.

Absence of pain: Some people have no pain at all; instead they just have shortness of breath. Some patients, particularly diabetics, can have no symptoms at all. One-half of the people having heart attacks didn’t even notice it.

Varied quality of pain: Some experience a sharp, burning, gassy pain, or a feeling of indigestion.

I also had one patient describe his symptoms as “a cold feeling in the chest” whenever he breathed.

How Long Does Chest Pain Related to a Heart Attack Last?

Aside from what the chest pain feels like, you should also pay attention to how long the pain lasts. Chest pain related to a heart attack doesn’t typically last just a few seconds. Heart chest pain almost always lasts at least 5 minutes, and doesn’t typically last more than 20 to 30 minutes continuously.

Pain that comes on after exercise or exertion but consistently goes away with rest may represent a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. That could lead to a heart attack eventually, but it isn’t always an emergency, either. However, it is vital that you discuss these symptoms with your doctor right away..

What are the Risk Factors for a Heart Attack?

The other major things to consider when determining whether your chest pain is a heart-related emergency are your risk factors. It’s a big difference when a 20-year-old woman comes in with chest pain than when a 50-year-old male diabetic who smokes comes in. The risk factors for heart attacks include:

Age – risk for heart attacks begins to rise for men at age 40 and women at 50. It can still happen below that age, but it’s a lot less likely.

Sex – men are at higher risk than women, although the disease still kills a huge number of women each year.

Genetics – if a member of your immediate family (parent or sibling) has coronary heart disease, your risk is substantially higher. That risk is especially high if that family member is a man under 55 or a woman under 65

Smoking – people often think of smoking as a danger to the lungs (which it is), but the biggest risk of death from smoking is from heart attacks. I recommend my patients quit smoking and take up something safer, like tightrope walking, javelin catching, or training pit bulls.

Using the results of the revolutionary large Framingham Study, you can calculate your own risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years using their interactive calculator online. This is a tool that some physicians often use to determine a patient’s risk.

Hypertension and diabetes – Having these diseases also increase risk for heart attack.

High cholesterol – this is a complex subject, so please refer to my article on cholesterol to get an accurate picture. If you need help interpreting your cholesterol, or tips on how to lower it, we’ve covered those topics, too.

The more of these risk factors you personally have, the more seriously you should take any chest pain you experience. I will often be more concerned about a high-risk person with atypical symptoms than a low-risk person with classic symptoms.

When Is Chest Pain NOT a Heart Attack?

There are some symptoms that reassure me the chest pain isn’t related to the heart:

Pain that persists for hours – heart chest pain will either go away after 20-30 minutes, or will end up in a heart attack.

Pain that gets worse with movement – or pain that gets worse when you press on that area of the chest is probably from the muscles or the bones in the chest, not the heart.

Pain that you can point to with a single finger – heart pain tends to be hard to pinpoint.

Pain that is triggered with breathing in – very brief, sharp pain that occurs with taking a deep breath is a typical presentation of pleuritis, inflammation of the lining of the lungs.

I hope these tips help you. Learn the symptoms of heart pain and know your risk factors. If you are experiencing an acute chest pain more consistent with heart symptoms and/or have atypical symptoms and risk factors for heart disease, get to the emergency room immediately, even if you have to call an ambulance. If you are high risk and have classic symptoms, get to the emergency room immediately, even if you have to call an ambulance.

Remember: it’s always OK to get things checked out. It’s far better to be seen for symptoms that are not serious than to stay home with serious symptoms.

Check out the episodes on what causes heart attacks and on how to detect heart problems to learn more. The American Heart Association’s page on heart attacks is also a good resource

Share your ideas and learn more quick and dirty tips with us on the House Call Doctor’s Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages! If you learned anything here today, or simply enjoy all-things-medical, you can also listen and subscribe to the House Call Doctor podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, GooglePlay, and Stitcher.

Let me remind you that this podcast is for informational purposes only. My goal is to add to your medical knowledge and translate some of the weird medical stuff you hear, so when you do go to your doctor, your visits will be more fruitful. I don’t intend to replace your doctor; he or she is the one you should always consult about your own medical condition.

Sanaz Majd, MD, also contributed to this article, which was updated on September 28, 2016.

Woman with Chest Pain and Man with Chest Pain images from Shutterstock

5 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Your Credit Score Drops

Credit Score Dropped? 5 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Lauren H. says “I subscribed to your podcast after a friend recommended it a few months ago and have really enjoyed it. I find myself more frequently discussing money issues with my friends and these honest conversations really help all of us to get a better handle on our finances.

Here’s my question: Each month I receive my FICO credit score on one of my credit card statements and last month my credit score dropped 16 points. I checked my Experian credit report and didn’t find anything wrong. I don’t have any late payments, closed cards, or new accounts. What might be the reason for this drop?”

Lauren, thanks for your question and being a new show listener. I know how frustrating and shocking it can be when your credit score drops suddenly for no obvious reason.

In this post we’ll cover 5 lesser-known reasons why credit scores can drop unexpectedly. I’ll give tips to raise your credit score as quickly as possible so the drop doesn't hurt your finances.

See also: The Credit Score Survival Kit (a free video tutorial to build credit fast!)

How Credit Scores Work

Credit scores can seem mysterious because they’re created using many factors in your credit report. There are hundreds of different credit scoring models used by companies such as mortgage lenders, vehicle lenders, insurers, and merchants.

Each scoring model uses a complicated algorithm to evaluate your credit history. They all use slightly different factors and scoring ranges--some even use letters instead of numbers.

Additionally, there are 3 nationwide credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) that may not have the same information about you since creditors may only report data to one or two of them. So your credit score depends on which credit report is used in conjunction with which scoring model.

FICO is one of the most popular scoring model and uses a score range from 300 to 850. The higher your number the less risky you appear to potential lenders and merchants.

FICO is very transparent about the factors and weights they use to calculate your credit score: Credit Score Factors

Payment history: 35%
Amounts owed: 30%
Age or length of credit history: 15%
New credit inquiries: 10%
Mix of credit types: 10%

Since Lauren doesn’t have any late payments or changes with her accounts and still had a 16-point credit score drop, what gives? Well, some changes to your scores may not be easy to spot because they’re happening behind the scenes due to not-so-obvious reasons.

Related: 5 FAQs About Your Credit Score

5 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Your Credit Score Dropped

Here are reasons why your FICO or another brand of credit score could drop, making you appear riskier to potential lenders and merchants.

Reason #1: You made an expensive credit card purchase

Lauren didn’t mention her recent spending patterns, but making a larger than normal credit card charge is one of the most common reasons for an unexpected credit score drop.

As I mentioned, the amount you owe makes up about one-third of your score. And the driving force behind it is something called credit utilization. Your credit utilization ratio is a simple formula compares the amount you owe to your available credit limit on revolving accounts, such as a credit card or a line of credit.

For example, if you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit and just bought a TV that brings your total balance up to $900, you have a 90% credit utilization ratio. In general, the lower your ratio, the better for your credit scores. Maintaining a utilization below 20% will give you the biggest benefits for your credit.

But wait a minute. What if you pay off that $900 balance by your credit card’s statement due date? Many people mistakenly believe that they can max out a credit card as long as they pay it off on time.

Here’s why that doesn’t work. Your credit card company could report your balance to the credit bureaus before your payment was received. In other words, paying off your entire credit card balance every month generally does not improve your utilization ratio.

The bottom line is that if you’ve been using more of your available credit lately, it’s a mathematical signal that you might be in financial trouble and could make late payments in the future.

In order to reduce your utilization ratio and boost your score you have the following options:

Charge less each month
Ask for a credit card credit limit increase
Open an additional card and spread out charges on multiple cards
Make multiple payments during the month so a lower balance gets reported to the credit bureaus

The bottom line is that if you’ve been using more of your available credit lately, it’s a mathematical signal that you might be in financial trouble and could make late payments in the future.

To raise your FICO or other credit scores never charge more than 20% of your available credit on any one card or on a total of all your cards.

Reason #2: One of your credit limits was reduced

I mentioned that getting a credit limit increase on a credit card is one way to reduce your utilization ratio and increase your credit scores. Likewise, your credit can take a hit if your available limits are cut.

Card issuers set your spending limit when you first open an account, but they can increase or decrease it according to the terms of your agreement. If the issuer sees signs of risk, such as you taking large cash advances on your card or exceeding your credit limit, they can take action to protect themselves by reducing your credit limit.

Having less available credit affects your utilization in a way similar to charging more. Your utilization ratio goes up and your credit score will quickly go down.

For example, if you have a card with a $1,000 credit limit and an outstanding balance of $200, you have a 20% credit utilization ratio, which is an acceptable amount.

But let’s say your credit limit on the card is cut to $600 and you still owe $200. Now your utilization just shot up to 33% ($200 / $600 = 0.33 = 33%) and your credit score will drop.

If this happens be sure to review your credit report for any inaccurate information that might be the reason why the card issuer cut your limit. Then contact the company to get any mistakes cleared up and discuss raising your credit limit.

Reason #3: You have zero credit utilization

While having low credit utilization on revolving accounts is one of the best ways to improve your credit scores, don’t go overboard by going down to zero utilization.

For instance, if you pay off your card and don’t make additional charges, some credit scoring models ding you. It’s better to have credit accounts and to use them responsibly than to let them become inactive.

In other words, showing some amount of activity, such as making small charges and paying them off in full each month is a smart credit strategy.

Reason#4: Your average age of credit accounts changed

The age of your credit accounts tells a story about how experienced you are handling credit. That’s why credit scoring models evaluate the average age of your accounts. It's typically figured as the total months that all of your accounts have been open, divided by the number of accounts you have.

Having a long credit history helps lenders know if you’re likely to be financially responsible in the future and are a good credit risk. So, the longer you’ve had credit accounts open in your name, the better.

Once a credit account is closed or paid off, your average age of accounts begins to decrease. If you choose to close a really old account, the cancellation has a more negative affect on your credit scores than if you closed a younger one. Also, when you open a new account, you immediately reduce the average age of your accounts, which may cause a sudden credit score drop.

To make sure your average age of credit accounts will grow over time, only open new accounts when it’s absolutely necessary. And make sure to keep your oldest accounts open and active.

Many people want to close a credit card immediately after paying it off because they think that’s better for their credit. If you can’t use a card responsibly, then you should close it.

But another option that’s better for your credit is to pay off the card, but leave the account open. That allows you to leverage its positive payment history, longevity, and available credit limit to raise your credit scores.

Reason #5: Your credit mix has changed

While it’s not the most important factor in how your FICO or other credit scores are calculated, having a mix of different types of accounts helps increase your credit scores.

For instance, having revolving accounts, such as a credit card or line of credit, in addition to installment accounts, such as a car loan or mortgage, shows lenders that you can handle different types of credit responsibly.

So, if you just paid off the only installment loan you have, your credit mix looks less diverse to lenders and there’s not much you can do about that. Unless you need to finance a purchase, like a home or car, I don’t recommend taking a loan just for the sake of boosting your credit.

If you maintain good habits, like paying credit cards and utility bills on time, and maintaining low utilization rates, your credit scores will naturally go up over time.

As is often the case, you’ll get the best scores by using credit — as long as you use it wisely.

A final tip is to check your credit report using a free site like Credit Karma to make sure there are no errors dragging down your credit scores. Inaccurate information could be a sign that a lender reported bad data to your file or that you've become the victim of identity theft. Dispute any inaccurate information with the credit bureau right away so it won't hurt your finances.

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To learn about how to get out of debt, save money, and build wealth, get a copy of my award-winning book Money Girl’s Smart Moves to Grow Rich. It tells you what you need to know about money without bogging you down with what you don’t. It’s available at your favorite bookstore as a paperback or e-book. Click here to download 2 FREE book chapters now!

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Selasa, 27 September 2016

What to Eat on Game Day

Daina Falk was born into a sports-loving family. Her father was a sports agent, and she was surrounded by pro athletes growing up. After college, Daina decided that she wanted to get healthier and lose weight, but didn't want to let go of the joy of sharing snacks during game day. She found her passion in making game day food healthier, and her cookbook balances classic indulgences with inherently healthier and vegetable-heavy foods.

For Daina, "healthy" means food that's nutritionally dense for the amount of calories it contains—so, say, using greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Daina also often uses baby spinach in lieu of lettuce in recipes like nachos, for more antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and equally low calories.

Game day food, of course, includes some criteria that can't be compromised: saltiness is key, a crunch factor is necessary, and fun finger foods are important. Daina considers her type of cuisine perfect for "fangating": whether you're tailgating in the parking lot, watching sports at home, or even watching a game at a park or stadium.

And don't forget beverages! From mango caipirinhas to beer snowcones, there's something for everyone.

Listen to our interview with Daina Falk in the top right hand player, or on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify (simply search the mobile app!). Don't forget to sign up for the forthcoming Clever Cookstr newsletter, full of tips and tricks from the kitchens of the world's best chefs.

Bonus Recipe: Tachos

Makes 1 large plate

You’ve heard of nachos. You’ve heard of tater tots. Combining them creates sheer taste bud amazingness in the form of what I call “Tachos.” The key to this recipe is that the tater tots must be served really crispy and hot. This dish is goopy, so you really want your tots to hold up to the cheesy yumminess like tortilla chips would.

6 ounces dried chorizo, diced

1⁄2 cup Negra Modelo, or another dark beer

16 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1 serrano pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

3 cups tater tots

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

1⁄4 cup Homemade Salsa

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper, optional

1. Cook the chorizo over medium in a large saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and the fat has rendered. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, and discard the rendered fat.

2. Heat the beer in the same saucepan over high for about 5 minutes to reduce it a bit. Reduce the heat to low, and add the cheese, stirring often as it melts into the beer. Once fully melted, add the fresh and canned chiles, 1 tablespoon of the green onions, and half the chorizo. Bring to a simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer your lidded pan into your Hungry Fan 3-in-1 Fangating™ Bag, and let it cook and marinate in its own goodness for 1 hour. Alternatively, continue to simmer on your stovetop for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, bake the tater tots in a preheated oven according to package directions, making sure to cook them to their crispiest.

5. Remove the cheese sauce from the Fangating™ Bag, and stir very well, in case it has gotten a bit clumpy.

6. Place the tater tots on a large tray, and drizzle the cheese sauce on top. Dollop with the yogurt and salsa. Top with the remaining chorizo and green onions and the cilantro. Feel free to sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper, too, and then serve immediately.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook: 165 Recipes for Eating, Drinking & Watching Sports, by Daina Falk (Oxmoor House, 2016).

4 Nutrition Tips for PCOS Sufferers

Nutrition Diva listener Angie writes:

“I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and I've been trying to learn about it. There seems to be a lot of confusing advice out there and a few sources suggest that a healthy diet for someone with PCOS is different than a healthy diet for someone without this condition. Is this true?"

What Is PCOS?

Unfortunately, Angie, you've got plenty of company. Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that affects up to 1 in 10 women of child-bearing age. Our own House Call Doctor recently did an episode on PCOS, which includes a thorough explanation of the medical aspects of this syndrome. In a nutshell, PCOS is characterized by hormonal imbalances, involving not just the reproductive hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, but also hormones that regulate blood sugar, fat storage, and appetite.

Symptoms of PCOS may include painful or irregular periods, acne, abnormal hair growth, increased appetite, weight gain, or difficulty losing weight. Women with PCOS often develop metabolic syndrome, which increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes. And the reverse is also true: Women with metabolic syndrome are more likely to develop PCOS. PCOS is also a leading cause of infertility.

PCOS is strongly linked with obesity—and as obesity levels have risen, PCOS has become a more common diagnosis. But there are also lean women who suffer from PCOS. Almost all women with PCOS, however, have some degree of insulin resistance, which is also known as “pre-diabetes.”

4 Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Tip #1: Lose weight (if you need to). Weight loss improves insulin sensitivity--and you don’t necessarily have to reach your goal weight to get this benefit. Even a modest amount of weight loss can begin to reverse symptoms of PCOS. For example, if you are 50 pounds overweight, losing 10 pounds can make a big difference in your PCOS symptoms, even though you might still be significantly overweight.

For people who have a significant amount of weight to lose, a good strategy is to lose weight in a stepwise fashion. Lose 5-10 pounds and then practice maintaining that new weight for 2 months before taking the next step down.

Tip #2: Be more active. Exercise is also a great way to improve insulin sensitivity. It also helps rebalance reproductive hormones. As a bonus, it can also help with weight loss. (A combination of aerobic exercise (anything that gets your heart up for 30 minutes a day) and strength training will work best.

Tip #3. Eat a low glycemic diet. Whether or not you need to lose weight, the best diet for PCOS appears to be one that is lower in carbohydrates (especially sugar and grain-based foods), higher in protein, vegetables, and fiber, and moderate in fat. In fact, I think that’s a great dietary prescription for just about anyone.

Tip #4. Eat regularly but not too frequently. Although some people claim that eating every 2-3 hours is ideal, spacing your meals out more can help improve insulin sensitivity. Instead of having a small meal or snack every few hours, try to get used to eating a more substantial meal and then waiting 4-5 hours before eating again. For tips on how to choose foods that will keep you full longer, please review my episodes on satiation and satiety.

See also: How Often Should You Eat?

Nutritional Supplements for PCOS

Most of you know I’m not a big fan of vitamin supplements; I’d prefer that you get your nutrition from foods. But there are times when targeted supplementation can be useful, and PCOS is appears to be one of them. Although the diet and lifestyle changes I just outlined are by far the most important things you can do, the following nutrients could be a useful addition to your regimen.

Vitamin D3. Women with PCOS tend to have low vitamin D levels—especially when they are also overweight. Some preliminary studies have shown that taking high dose vitamin D as a supplement improves symptoms of PCOS. The doses used in these studies are more aggressive than I would recommend taking without a doctor’s supervision. If you have PCOS, ask your doctor whether her or she would recommend a vitamin D supplement and how much. I’ve included links to the relevant studies below if you want to take them to your appointment with you.
Myo-Inositol. Inositol is a family of nutrients--often lumped together with the B vitamin family. One particular form, called myo-inositol, has been found to help women with PCOS improve insulin sensitivity and other symptoms. You can buy myo-inositol as a bulk powder online or from a vitamin store. The recommended amount is two tablespoons a day. Try adding it to your morning smoothie.

See also: How to Make the Perfect Smoothie

There are also some drugs that may help, which Dr. Sanaz Majd discusses in her episode on PCOS.

The good news is that PCOS is treatable--and often without medication! But a lot of it is up to you--and making lifestyle changes can be challenging. For extra support from women who know what you're going through, check out the groups and forums at PCOSupport.com and PCOSFoundation.org.

References

^{Farshchi H, Rane A, et al. Diet and nutrition in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): pointers for nutritional management. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2007 Nov;27(8):762-73. Link to study}

^{Irani M, Seifer D, Minkoff H, Merhi Z. Vitamin d normalizes abnormally elevated serum antimüllerian hormone levels usually noted in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 2014 May;123 Suppl 1:189S. Link to study}

^{Moran LJ, Ko H, et al. Dietary composition in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review to inform evidence-based guidelines. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Apr;113(4):520-45. Link to study}

^{Unfer V, Carlomagno G, et al. Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jul;28(7):509-15. Link to study.}

Healthy diet bag, diabetes sign, and woman with stomachache images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Senin, 26 September 2016

How Team Office Hours Can Boost Your Productivity

It’s not easy being the bottleneck. But when you’re the one in the middle of everything, you can still get your own work done and be there for everyone else.

It’s a new school year at Grandma Cuddles’s Day Care Center, and the new year starts with cursive lessons! Each tyke learns cursive by tracing an adult’s handwriting until they can duplicate the letters exactly. One of the tots is transcribing the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln’s handwriting. Another is re-writing Amelia Earhart’s memoirs in Amelia’s own script! And of course, the star pupil has been given the handwriting of the Pentagon’s Chief Procurement Officer. The penmanship is astonishingly accurate, except for a teensy bit of confusion over the spelling of “nucular” versus “nuclear.” Overall, Grandma is finding the kiddies’ art projects quite useful to her plans.

As well as the lessons are going, Grandma has to review and approve every one of the letters the kids have written before the letter is sent out to, er, wherever it is that Grandma sends them. Probably the parents. Yes, I’m sure of it.

Unfortunately, Grandma has a very busy schedule. She has lessons to plan, prospective students to interview, discipline committee cases to review, and new machinery to install. And the tots? As they finish their assignments, they line up outside her office, waiting with hopeful smiles on their faces, papers clutched in their innocent little hands. And they wait. Sometimes for days.

This is a familiar story in business. The more important you are—and I’m sure you’re very important—the more everyone else gets stuck waiting for you. For them, it’s frustrating. For you … well, it’s kind of fun to be the one whose nap time can cause an entire Fortune 500 company to grind to a halt. However, the novelty wears off fast. You end up spending far too much of your time being sucked into details on far too many other peoples’ agendas.

You can reclaim your time, while still being the most important person in the room.

Schedule Review Time

The tots at Grandma’s day care never know when they’ll need to talk to grandma. After all, learning to do a perfect imitation of Barbra Streisand’s handwriting (did you know that a Barbra Streisand signature can go for hundreds of dollars on eBay?) might take a lot longer than learning the Secretary of Defense’s signature. The tots just know that once they’re up the learning curve, they’re completely stalled until Grandma issues her approval.

The solution is simple: scheduling office hours. But these aren’t open office hours, like the ones your college professor had, where you would meet with them one-on-one, explain what you were having trouble with, and have them laugh at you and ridicule your bloodline. These are office hours specifically designated for giving approvals. Every day between 10:30 am and 11 am, and again between 2:30pm and 3pm, Grandma is prepared to look over any cursive writing projects and give her approval if they pass muster.

Arrange your schedule so your review time can be filled with easily-interrupted work.

She doesn’t just spend those hours twiddling her thumbs, waiting. She arranges her schedule so those times are always filled with work that can be easily interrupted, like administrative or accounting. Things that can’t be easily interrupted, like meetings with parents, employees, or heads of three-letter organizations, she schedules for different times of day.

This scheme gives the best of all worlds. The longest a worker—er, student—will ever wait for approval is a couple of hours. And there’s no need for complicated project planning that depends on knowing in advance how long the work will take for a dozen different workers. After all, if little Jesse promises to re-create the authorization signature for the downtown bio-weapons lab and it takes longer than expected, you really don’t want to have to spend time revising a project plan to coordinate the ripple effects on all the other kiddies’ projects.

Schedule Brainstorm Time

You can use scheduled availability for the different ways that people depend on you. One way is for approvals. Sometimes people will want access to you because they value your expertise. They might want your opinion on how to best cold call a prospect, or whether “kidnapped” has one or two Ps.

You can set aside time where you are available for brainstorming whatever topics are important to the people who work with you. Then people know that when they need your input, there’s a regular time they can show up to get it.

Then people know that when they need your input, there’s a regular time they can show up to get it.

Other “office hours” you might want to hold include times when you’ll be available to help people structure decisions; times when you will help someone scope projects; and times when you’ll tutor someone as needed to help them get up to speed in an area where they need to make progress.

Using scheduled interruption time that’s designated for certain kinds of interactions can let you stay in the loop with people as needed, but without the requirement that you be able to know in advance when and whether you’ll actually be needed.

Grandma Cuddles is having a blast approving the handwriting samples as they come in. The kids are really mastering the art of writing cursive. Looking over little Jesse’s adorable nuclear access codes, the handwriting is so flawless that someone would think these were actual government papers. And Someone is driving up to the daycare center in an unmarked black car at this very moment.

Be like Grandma Cuddles. When you’re in the middle of everything, figure out the kinds of interactions that people want you for: approvals, brainstorming, decision-making, or reference. Then schedule office hours daily or weekly or monthly—whatever makes sense for your situation—where you’ll be available for those interactions. Go ahead and plan to use that time to do your own work, but arrange to be available and in the right frame of mind to be interrupted for the kind of interaction that people need.

This is Stever Robbins. Follow GetItDoneGuy on Twitter and Facebook. I run programs to help people have Extraordinary Lives and extraordinary careers. If you want to know more, visit SteverRobbins.com

Work Less, Do More, and Have a Great Life!

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