BusinessVoice News Network

Need to downsize your diet without feeling the pain on your dinner plate? Some simple ways to cut 50 calories include swapping vanilla extract or cinnamon for sugar in your coffee or making that chicken or tuna salad with low-fat vinaigrette instead of mayo. Go easy on the barbeque sauce at the grill and use an oil spritzer when cooking with olive or sesame oil. Source Link

Falling for a financial scam could be a warning sign of Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that people with brain scans showing changes associated with Alzheimer’s were more likely to be victims of a financial scam. This vulnerability could become a simple screening tool to help identify early signs of cognitive decline, especially in people over 70. Source Link

Dentists preach the importance of daily flossing but what’s the most effective way to do it? If you can’t manage using dental floss, a water flosser can remove plaque. A better choice may be a disposable interdental brush that cleans between teeth where cavities can form. Source Link

Your phone is low on power but try to resist the urge for a free public top-up. Charging stations in airports, coffee shops and even libraries can be infected with malware that gets into your phone through the power cord. A better solution is to carry an external battery to charge in a public place and then use it to power up your phone. Source Link

What’s the benefit of eating from a rainbow of food colors? Red fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants that can reduce the risk of arthritis, heart disease, stroke and cancer. The beta- carotene in orange foods becomes vitamin A that combats cancer and heart disease. And yellow fruits and veggies have compounds that can reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Source Link

Everyday life can be tough on your hardwood floors. Avoid discoloration from heat by putting space heaters on rugs or mats and using a fireplace rug. Keep from tracking in dirt, salt or ice-melt chemicals that can damage wood and avoid cleaners with ammonia, vinegar, or bleach. And don’t use a vacuum with a rotating beater bar that can scratch the floor. Source Link

Your WiFi router is the fast lane to information on all your home devices and you can keep them safe with a few simple steps. Change the default router credentials and create a strong WiFi password, turn on firewall and WiFi encryption, and create a guest network to protect your devices when others log on. And put your router in a central location further away from drive-by hackers. Source Link

Bite-sized exercise might be the easiest way to get moving throughout the day. Researchers found that five minutes of walking every 30 minutes helped counteract the health risks from sitting on the job. Beyond improving physical health, regular walks to break up sitting can put you in a better mood and help you feel more energized. Source Link

You hear a lot about having strong passwords, but what about the usernames you pick for online accounts? You want a username that isn’t easy to link to you, so avoid any combination or clever spelling of your first and last name or the city or state where you live and don’t use your birth year. And be sure the username doesn’t hint at your password. Source Link

You can add utility companies to the list of those being impersonated by scammers who want to steal from you. The imposters will call and threaten to cut off service unless a payment is made immediately. If this happens to you, hang up and call the utility company directly and never provide payment information in response to this kind of call. Source Link

“White coat syndrome” is when your blood pressure spikes every time you visit the doctor, but there are ways to help prevent it. Sit quietly and take deep breaths for a few minutes before the reading is taken, or bring someone with you because squeezing a loved one’s hand can reduce stress. And monitor your blood pressure at home to compare to readings at the doctor’s office. Source Link

A 529 plan is a state-sponsored way to pay for a child’s educational expenses with savings that are free of federal income taxes. The money can be used for elementary, secondary or college costs, and up to $10,000 can go to pay off existing student loan debt. You’ll pay a 10-percent penalty and face federal taxes if you withdraw money from a 529 plan for non-educational use. Source Link

When it comes to paying the tab during your vacation, you should be packing the plastic. A credit card can be frozen if lost or stolen and many cards include benefits like travel accident insurance and coverage for lost luggage or trip interruptions. Just be sure to pay off the balance completely when you’re back from your summer getaway. Source Link

Trying to save money with discount cosmetic dental work could erase that smile and leave you with lifelong pain. Unlicensed technicians are offering cut-rate veneers that are lower quality and may permanently damage your teeth. Avoid any provider who works from beauty salons, hotel room or private home. Source Link

Saving on the high cost of printer ink can be as simple as adjusting a few settings. Use less ink by changing the print color to #010101 that will look like black but is mostly gray. Try fonts like Courier New or Garamond that use less ink and consider printing in Draft Mode if it’s something you don’t need to give to someone else. Source Link

You can make the most of house hunting when you go off the beaten path during an open house. Head for the basement to look for obvious signs of dampness or aging HVAC equipment or take a walk around the block to see what the neighborhood is like. And don’t be fooled by expert staging or distracted by the pleasant smell of fresh-baked cookies. Source Link

The combination of two successful diet plans could be just what the doctor ordered for your brain. The MIND Diet combines elements of the Mediterranean Diet and DASH Diet to focus on brain-healthy food groups including vegetables, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, and olive oil to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment. Source Link

Knowing this number can help you drive safely. Find the 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number of your car on the lower driver’s side of the dashboard and plug that into the government’s auto recall listing at nhtsa.gov/recalls. And be sure your address is current for your car’s registration so you can receive mail notices from the manufacturer about recalls. Source Link