News Flash: Your Paycheck Is Smaller

Posted on April 1, 2013 by admin

Do you know exactly what’s going in and out of your bank account? Before you answer, consider this: Almost half of Americans don’t, according to a new survey from Bankrate.com. The survey results indicate that 48 percent of people in the U.S. are unaware that their paychecks were slashed by two percent in January, when a tax cut that had been in effect since 2011 expired.

Each month, Bankrate.com surveys approximately 1,000 people in the U.S. about their finances as part of its monthly Financial Security Index. The surveys include five standard questions that cover everything from how secure people feel in their jobs to how comfortable they are with the amount of debt they have, plus a topical question that changes each time. For March’s survey, Bankrate.com asked people how their finances were affected by the change in payroll tax.

If you’re thinking “What change in the payroll tax?” right about now, here’s a refresher course: In 2011 and 2012, U.S. employees got a two percent tax cut, thanks to the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act. That meant that people across America got to keep two percent of their salaries that would have otherwise gone to Social Security. The payroll tax cut was designed to give workers more take-home pay, but it expired at the end of 2012—so you’re now bringing home less cash on payday.

In addition to the 48 percent of Bankrate.com survey respondents who said they were unaware of the change in the payroll tax, seven percent said they were unaffected by it. Eight percent said they’re now putting less money into savings, and three percent said they have scaled back on their retirement contributions. Just 30 percent of respondents said they had curbed their spending because of the tax cut expiration.

While two percent may sound small, it definitely adds up: If your salary is $ 50,000, you’ll pay about $ 1,000 more in taxes this year. So if you don’t plan accordingly, you could do some serious damage to your bank account.

TELL US: How do you cut back in little ways when you have less spending money? Share your tips in the comments!

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

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“The Affordable Care Act Saved My Son’s Life”

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

Robyn Martin speaks out to support the ACA in Washington, D.C.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) isn’t exactly fun to read. It’s long and complicated, and it can be difficult to look through information on it without your eyes glazing over. But it has already changed peoples’ lives—oftentimes in huge ways. Take Robyn Martin, a 38-year-old from Waldorf, MD, for example.

Back in March 2012, while the Supreme Court was debating the fate of the Affordable Care Act, Martin went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the reform. She had great health insurance, thanks to her job working for a labor union. But she also had a seven-month-old son named Jax with a congenital heart defect and a rare genetic disorder commonly referred to as cat eye syndrome. Jax, now 19 months old, suffers from heart problems, ocular problems, and neurological problems. “His heart was on the wrong side of his chest, and his intestines were turned backward,” says Martin. “He just has a lot of issues.”

Jax spent three weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after he was born. The bill for his first day in the NICU came to more than $ 150,000, and the life-saving open-heart surgery Jax had three months later cost an additional $ 192,000.

“He’s doing wonderfully, but there will be more hurdles to cross,” says Martin. Although Jax has gone on more than 50 doctors’ visits, he’ll have to undergo at at least one more heart surgery and at least two more eye surgeries. ”If we were to have to balance our checkbook and say, ‘Should we pay for his eye surgery because we want him to have a great quality of life and be able to see? Or should we pay for his heart surgery because he needs that to live?’ That’s not really a choice a parent should have to make.”

Jax at 16 months with his brother, Martin, and his sister, Emma

Now that the ACA has prohibited lifetime coverage limits, Martin’s health insurance can continue to help cover his medical expenses—even though Martin suspects they have already exceeded the limits that used to be in place.

“I’m not really sure what we would do if we had the lifetime limit,” says Martin. “Having to make choices like paying our mortgage or paying for our kid’s next heart surgery…”

Since the ACA also prevents health insurance companies from denying people coverage due to pre-existing health conditions, Jax can stay on his parents’ plan until he turns 26—even if they change jobs. And when he’s an adult, he won’t have to worry about being turned down when he applies for a health insurance policy of his own.

“We were very blessed to have great health insurance,” says Martin. “I’ve met quite a few other moms whose kids have the same problems, and they’ve have had to have fundraisers to pay for their kids’ surgeries. That’s not really something I want to have to do in my life.”

photos: courtesy of Robyn Martin

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Daily Dose: March 29, 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

Lots of companies have started instituting happy hours, craft days, yoga sessions, video game breaks, and more in the name of workplace creativity. Permission to play Draw Something at the office, granted! [CNN]

A new study shows that firefighters who work out are half as likely to suffer from a non-exercise-related injury, including those sustained in the line of duty. The calendar-worthy physique is just an added bonus . [Mutual Aid]

All signs point to a more female-friendly pope: The newly elected Pope Francis broke liturgical rules yesterday to wash the feet of two young women in a detention center in Rome. [NBC News]

In horrifying news, an Oklahoma doctor may have exposed more than 7,000 patients to HIV and hepatitis by using rusty tools and following unsanitary practices. You know when dentists try to tell you that visiting them isn’t so bad? Yeah, about that… [NPR]

In countries with male-centric cultures, gender discrimination starts before birth: Women who are pregnant with girls are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care, according to a new study. [Medical Daily]

After years of no one clamoring for their return, former boy band 98 Degrees reunited to produce a new song called “Microphone,” which is a thinly veiled metaphor for a penis. [The Daily Beast]

“Chinplants” are now the fastest growing cosmetic surgery procedure, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Is there any body part plastic surgeons won’t augment? [The Orange County Register]

A Princeton University mom (and alumnus) wrote an open letter in the university’s student paper encouraging all female students to find a husband before they graduate. How encouraging. [The Cut]

A new study finds that just 14 percent of men in the U.S. have ever paid for sex (and only one percent solicited prostitutes in 2010). Yay? [Huffington Post]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Do You Really Need Antibiotics For That?

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

You pop vitamin C tablets and chug orange juice when you feel a cold coming on—so what’s the big deal if your doctor prescribes antibiotics to stop a sniffle, cough, or sneeze from getting worse? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. In fact, most of the preventative antibiotics prescribed for colds or viruses aren’t necessary—and therefore aren’t beneficial to people who take them, according to an observational study recently published in the journal Annals of Family Medicine.

In the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 814,283 patients who suffered from a cold, laryngitis, bronchitis, or another virus (the medical term to describe these: acute nonspecific respiratory infections, aka ARIs). Even though antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial infections and have no effect on ARIs, 65 percent of the patients in the study were prescribed antibiotics to protect the patient in the event of a misdiagnosis and/or to prevent the virus from turning into something more serious, like pneumonia.

Hardly any of the pill-poppers suffered side effects from the antibiotics, and they were slightly less likely to develop pneumonia. However, only one case of pneumonia was prevented for every 12,255 patients who took antibiotics. That’s a whole lot of unnecessary prescriptions that experts say could have scary long-term consequences.

“The more antibiotics people take, the faster the bacteria in and around us develop resistance,” says study co-author Sharon Meropol, MD, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Translation: When you get sick in the future, there may not be any antibiotics available that work.

That doesn’t mean you should swear off antibiotics altogether; the meds can reduce the time it takes to recover from a serious bacterial infection, says Robert Klein, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.

If your doctor recommends antibiotics, it’s generally a good idea to ask if why—and if they’re really necessary, says Klein. If they are, make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the antibiotics to the letter to maximize effectiveness. Your health—both current and future—could depend on it.

photo: BrandXPictures/Thinkstock

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6 Breakfasts That Crush Cravings

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

If you feel hungry all the time, your morning meal (or lack thereof) could be to blame: Eating a protein-rich breakfast may help control appetite and curb the urge to snack in the evening, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The research, conducted at the University of Missouri-Columbia, included 20 overweight or obese females aged 18 to 20 who normally skipped breakfast. Participants rotated through three different groups: a group that ate a 350-calorie cereal breakfast that contained 13 grams of protein, a group that ate a 350-calorie breakfast made of eggs and lean beef that contained 35 grams of protein, and a group that skipped breakfast. After six days of following an assigned eating pattern, the women went through a day of testing, during which they provided blood samples, answered questionnaires about their hunger/satiety level, underwent brain scans, and were offered a variety of post-dinner snacks. Researchers gave participants a week off between each phase of the experiment.

After having a protein-packed breakfast, participants reported feeling less hungry and ate fewer indulgent snacks after dinner. What’s more, the brains of people who had eaten a protein-rich meal in the a.m. showed less activity in response to images of food later in the day. “Eating a high-protein breakfast stimulates the secretion of a very potent satiety signal (the gut hormone Peptide YY), leading to increased fullness,” says Heather Leidy, PhD, lead author of the study. “These responses appear to last throughout the morning hours and into the afternoon/evening.”

Even if you’re not big on meat, you can still reap the hunger-busting benefits of eating a high-protein breakfast, Leidy says. Just try to incorporate plain Greek yogurt, nuts, cottage cheese, or soy-based meat substitutes into your a.m. meal. Not a breakfast person? These tasty protein-packed options will change your mind:

Yogurt and Berry Parfaits
29 g protein

Smoked Turkey Hash
36.3 g protein

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese
33.9 g protein

More great recipes loaded with protein:

Fruit-Filled Protein Shake
50.6 g protein

Protein Cottage Cheese
35.2 g protein

Banana Protein Pancakes
27 g protein

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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3 Tricks to Banish Cellulite

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

On your cheeks, dimples are perfectly fine—cute even. On your thighs? Not so much—especially with short-shorts season right around the corner. But cellulite is more than just a bummer; it can also be a major blow to your self-esteem. Women who have cellulite think they’re less attractive than women without cellulite, according to a new Harris Poll commissioned by Cynosure Inc, a cosmetic, aesthetic, and medical laser company.

Harris Interactive surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. women above the age of 18. Out of the women who admitted to having cellulite (40 percent, for the record), 90 percent were bothered by the condition. Of the women who reported feeling insecure due to their cellulite, 76 percent also said that it makes them feel unattractive.

So what is cellulite exactly? Basically, the layer of fat beneath your skin gets squished and squeezed by bands of collagen, fibrous connective tissues that are arranged in a manner that makes bits of fat pop out and up, resulting in the dimpled appearance, says Alicia D. Zalka, MD, a Yale-affiliated dermatologist and founder of Surface-Deep.com. Being overweight isn’t the culprit behind spongy-looking thighs, though having more body fat might make it appear worse, she says. Genetics, inflammation, and hormonal fluctuations due to having your period or aging can all make cellulite worse, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Cellulaze, a procedure offered by the company that commissioned the study, is the only FDA-approved cure for cellulite. Cellulaze involves inserting a tiny laser under the skin to break down the actual structure of cellulite, says Barry DiBernardo, MD, director of New Jersey Plastic Surgery in Montclair, NJ, and one of the lead clinical investigators affiliated with Cynosure. The procedure can be pricy—anywhere from $ 300 to $ 8,000, depending on how large the treatment area is—but you only need to do it once to see results. About three months post-treatment, you should have noticeably smoother skin, and about six months post-treatment, you shouldn’t see any cellulite at all, says DiBernardo.

If you can’t shell out $ 300 (or more) right now, there are some strategies that’ll temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Try these stay-smooth tactics:

Apply topical exfoliants and creams
Dead skin cells on the surface of your skin can make dimpling look worse, says Zeichner. The easy fix: Exfoliate to buff your skin so it looks as smooth as possible. Certain creams are also designed to minimize the appearance of cellulite. Look for ones that contain caffeine since it can shrink fat cells by dehydrating them. You may also want to consider using a topical retinoid: It’ll boost collagen growth and repair damaged collagen, plumping up your skin to minimize the quilted appearance, says Zalka.

Be OCD about sunscreen
UV rays can damage collagen, which ultimately makes cellulite more apparent, says Zeichner. Wear SPF daily to protect your skin (click here to find the best sunscreen for you). Creams containing antioxidants can also help since they can reduce UV-induced collagen damage, resulting in healthier-looking, stronger skin, says Zalka.

Eat well—and exercise regularly
Loading up on veggies and hitting the treadmill won’t actually get rid of cellulite, but dimples are much less noticeable on toned legs, says Zeichner. Plus, maintaining your weight through exercise and a healthy diet will help keep skin in top, taut shape. (Try these two yoga poses to help smooth spongy thighs.) Zalka also recommends indulging in a massage: Stimulating blood flow will temporarily smooth out rumpled skin.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
DIY Cellulite-Minimizer: Coffee-Grind Scrub
Look Better Naked
The Best Skincare Tips
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How to Make Better Decisions

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of choices in the cereal aisle? Or stood in front of your closet and found it impossible to choose a single outfit from all of the clothes hanging in front of you? Welcome to the club. The more options you have, the harder it is to make a decision—and the more likely you’ll end up making a risky choice, according to research published recently in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.

For the study, researchers at the University of Warwick and the University of Lugano asked 64 people to participate in a gambling game that displayed between two and 32 boxes on a computer screen. Each box was assigned a different monetary value ranging from £1 to £5 (approximately $ 1.51 to $ 7.56). Each box also had a designated payout likelihood. Participants were free to click on as many boxes as they wanted to see the assigned worth of each and the odds that each would actually pay out that amount. Ultimately, though, participants had to pick just one box.

Researchers found that people had a harder time choosing when there were more boxes on-screen. What’s more, having more options also made participants more likely to choose boxes with a high monetary value—regardless of the payout odds.

“People make rash decisions based on the information they gather,” says Thomas Hills, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Warwick and lead study author. When people try to make decisions without full knowledge of what their choices actually are, they base their choices on impulse and feelings, says Hills. Having too many options limits your ability to analyze each one individually and make the most rational decision, says Sheena Iyengar, PhD, author of The Art of Choosing

One of the easiest ways to cope with indecisiveness? Separate your available choices into a few smaller, more manageable groups. Then eliminate all but one item from each group, suggests Iyengar. You’ll be able to quickly weed out several choices that might otherwise just distract you, and you’ll be left with only a few strong options—so you can actually make an informed decision.

photo: BananaStock/Thinkstock

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Scary Money News

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

Besides wrinkles, there’s one thing that nobody wants more of: debt. And while people in the U.S. are less likely to be in the red than they were in the past, those who do have debt are even deeper in the hole, according to a just-released report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

To track the ups and downs of U.S. household debt, economists took a look at money owed by American families in 2000 and 2011 and adjusted the figures for inflation. Their findings: the percentage of U.S. households in debt declined from 74 percent to 69 percent. Unfortunately, people who carried debt in 2011 owed a median of $ 70,000—nearly $ 21,000 more than the inflation-adjusted figure from the year 2000. And it gets worse: The net worth of most U.S. households—as in total, not just those that were in debt—dropped by nearly $ 13,000 during the years examined by the study.

Compulsive shopping isn’t the culprit here—college loans and medical bills were more likely to be behind people’s debt than credit card statements.

Want to get out of the hole—or make sure to stay in the black? Start with these simple ways to avoid debt and manage any outstanding balance you might have.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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The Best Umbrellas for Your Health

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

You might want to grab your umbrella—even if the weather forecast doesn’t call for rain: Umbrellas can help protect against ultraviolet rays when it’s sunny outside, according to new research out of Emory University in Atlanta.

For the study, researchers collected 23 umbrellas. They included traditional umbrellas, a larger golf umbrella, a children’s novelty umbrella, and a travel umbrella specifically designed to block out the sun. On a cloudless day, the researchers measured UV radiation (UVR) without an umbrella, as well as from two positions underneath each umbrella. The umbrella created to block rays was the most effective option (it deflected 99 percent of UVR), but all of the umbrellas protected against at least 77 percent of UVR.

The worst pick? A white umbrella. No surprise, black proved to be much more effective: All of the black umbrellas blocked at least 90 percent of UVR, with most blocking more than 95 percent.

While umbrellas can provide an additional layer of protection when the sun’s beating down, you still have to apply plenty of sunscreen. “We feel like this could make a nice complement to what people are already doing for sun protection,” says Josette McMichael, MD, the first author of the study and chief resident of grand rounds in Emory’s department of dermatology. These results also mean that your umbrella does double-duty on rainy days; UVR can make its way to your skin even when it’s cloudy, says McMichael.

Check out these stylish options to help keep you safe:

photo: Amazon.com/Fashion

Tumi Luggage Medium Auto Close Umbrella
This sleek umbrella is super compact, so it’s easy to carry around in your purse.
$ 60 at Amazon.com/Fashion

photo: MoMA Design Store

Sky Umbrella
No matter the actual weather forecast, the sky always looks clear from inside this umbrella’s sky blue canopy.
$ 48 at MoMAStore.org

photo: Mango.com

Glitter Umbrella
The glittery accents on this umbrella shine extra bright on sunny days.
$ 19.99 at Mango.com

photo: BrooksBrothers.com

New Stick Umbrella
The genuine Malaca wooden handle adds a sophisticated touch.
$ 60 at BrooksBrothers.com

photo: Coolibar

42” Titanium Travel Umbrella
This umbrella was specially designed to block UVR. (The travel sun umbrella in the study was also a Coolibar.)
$ 39 at Coolibar.com

photo: wisiel/Shutterstock

More from Women’s Health:
What Is Sunburn?
Sunscreen Myths Busted
Get More from Your Sunscreen

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5 Social Media Mistakes That Mess With Your Career

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

One wrong tweet, and you could lose more than just a few followers—you could lose your job. Earlier this month, two developers were fired after one of them took to Twitter to complain about sexist jokes that the other had made at a tech conference. The male developer was fired because of his comments, and the female developer appeared to be laid off due to the harsh backlash she and her company received in response to her Tweets.

Whether these employees should have been let go is debatable, but the incident is a good reminder that companies are keeping tabs on what you post online—and they can punish you for it. “Social media is not trivial anymore,” says Miriam Salpeter, author of Social Networking for Career Success. “We have to realize that even though something may seem like a throwaway comment, people are listening.”

So how can you make sure that your social networking habits aren’t screwing with your career? Start by avoiding these major mistakes:

Mistake #1: You don’t know your company’s policy
More businesses are adding social media stipulations to their employee handbooks, says Mike Haberman, human resources consultant for Omega HR Solutions. So now might be a good time to actually read all that paperwork you received when you were hired. Even if your employee handbook doesn’t specify that you could be terminated for a rogue Facebook post, that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Companies will often find a way to fire someone if they feel it’s necessary, says Salpeter. Most workers are employees at will, which means they can be fired at any time, for any reason, she says. So it’s crucial to know what might get you in trouble before you do it. If that’s not outlined in the handbook, schedule a meeting with HR ASAP to find out what the policy is.

Mistake #2: You stir up controversy
Advertising your political or religious beliefs on Facebook and Twitter is practically the norm these days, but these types of posts can backfire at work, warns Salpeter. After all, if something seems offensive to your HR department, it could result in a reprimand or even a termination. And it’s not just the usual hot-button topics you have to worry about. Even something that you don’t automatically view as controversial—like following Chris Brown on Twitter or posting about sexual health rights—can affect someone’s perception of you. And when that person has the power to fire you, you definitely don’t want to come off as offensive to them.

Mistake #3: You’re overly negative online
You wouldn’t go around the office ranting and complaining all day, so don’t do it online, either. HR may see a string of rude or angry comments as a red flag—whether they’re work-related or not. “You’re demonstrating your temperament and your attitude,” says Salpeter. So keep the hate-tweets and humblebrags to a minimum, especially when you’re applying for a job.

Mistake #4: You accept your boss’ friend request without a second thought
While it’s generally not a good idea to seek out your boss on Facebook, it can be tricky if your boss friends you. If you haven’t yet found yourself in this position, you can change the settings on your profile to make it completely unsearchable and explain to your coworkers that you’re just not a Facebook person. But if a colleague’s friend request is already pending, the best you can do is clean up your profile, accept their request, and be hyper-vigilant about what you post in the future. To be on the safe side, consider everything you post online to be public, even if you’ve set up tons of privacy settings.

Mistake #5: You treat all social-networking sites the same
If you’re trying to maintain a strong personal brand, you need to be active on a variety of social media sites—but not all of them have to be associated with your work life. If your tweets and Instagram posts tend to be frivolous, that’s OK—just don’t list your job or company in your bio, says Haberman. You should, however, focus on beefing up your LinkedIn with professional contacts. You may also want to customize the URL so that it ends with your full name (just go into your profile settings—it’s free and easy to do). That way, your LinkedIn will be one of the first things people see when they Google you.
The key: using good judgment when you decide what you want to post and where is the most appropriate place to post it. “What’s more important to an employer than someone who knows how to exercise good judgment?” says Salpeter.

photo: iStockPhoto/Thinkstock

Lose up to 15 lbs in just six weeks with The 8-Hour Diet. Buy the book!

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Athens Java Hut

Serving Jittery Joe's Coffee, Cecilia Villaveces, Cakes and Italian Gelato

News Flash: Your Paycheck Is Smaller

“The Affordable Care Act Saved My Son’s Life”

Daily Dose: March 29, 2013

Do You Really Need Antibiotics For That?

6 Breakfasts That Crush Cravings

3 Tricks to Banish Cellulite

How to Make Better Decisions

Scary Money News

The Best Umbrellas for Your Health