The Best Pill for Brain Power?

Skip the exotic herbs and extracts -- your brain is more likely to benefit from a good old multivitamin, according to some experts. It's well known that antioxidants like vitamins C and E protect cells from damage by disarming free radicals -- naturally occurring molecules that destroy healthy cells. The brain generates more of these trouble-makers per gram of tissue than any other organ.

The advantage of a multivitamin is economy: You not only get C and E, but other key nutrients linked to healthy brain function, including beta carotene, iron, zinc, B-12 and folic acid. » Continue reading

Read more on Health

Visit museums and sites of historical interest without stepping out the door

Museums and historical sites are popular with travelers. But you don't have to travel far. Tourist bureaus of most Asian countries have websites where you can find information about local museums and places of historical interest.

For a list of museums go to asia.yahoo.com, click on Arts, then "Museums, Galleries and Centres". For extra listings visit Virtual Library Museums Pages of the International Council of Museums. Or seek out books such as The Extraordinary Museums of Southeast Asia (Harry Abrams Inc) by Kristin Kelly. » Continue reading

Read more on Travel and Holiday

House-Swapping Vacations

Ever dreamed of staying in a villa in Tuscany? Maybe you can -- if you're willing to swap your house for someone else's. It can save you huge amounts of money (at least half of swaps include cars too), and give you the experience of another culture in a way hotel stays can't. Bill and Mary Barbour have been swapping their home in the US for 18 years -- 100+ times worldwide -- and never had a theft or serious damage. Here's what they've learned:

• Don't do it if you're uneasy living in someone else's home -- or trusting them to live in yours.
  
• Don't expect a palace in Paris if you're trading a modest small-town home. But with time, you'll find the right fit.
  
• Get to know the swap family. Talk by phone or email, and exchange photos and information.
  
• It's easy to arrange swaps through several agencies like Intervac or HomeLink. For more agencies, just Google for "house swapping"

» Continue reading

Read more on Travel and Holiday

A sandwich you can trust

Summer can be the time for big meals, leftovers -- and food poisoning, if you aren't careful. Keep sandwiches and curries from biting back with these cooling tips:

Chill Out: The sooner you get cooked food into the fridge, the sooner any harmful bacteria they may harbor will stop multiplying. "People have a hesitancy about putting warm food in the refrigerator," says one expert. But today's refrigerators can handle warm dishes without taxing the motor.

Divide and Conquer: Large portions such as a deep dish of curry or a pot of soup should be split up into shallow containers first. Otherwise it won't cool fast enough to stop bacterial growth.

Let it Breathe: Allow some room around the hot stuff in the fridge. You need air to circulate to get the food cold very quickly. » Continue reading

Read more on Food, Health

Women beat men at recognizing faces

In case you hadn't already guessed, it's now official: women beat men hands down at remembering a face.

Swedish researchers conducted an online experiment using 1800 participants, each of whom was given eight tasks involving matching a picture of a face with ten similar faces under various conditions -- in profile, silhouetted or with different facial expression or degrees of picture quality. The study found that not only were women better at recognizing faces than men, but they were less likely to be distracted by changes in hairstyle or facial expression.

The result is probably a mixture of genetic difference and training. Women may be better at studying faces because they're more likely to be the main carer in a family and have more eye contact with children. The findings have implications for recruitment in industries such as security and customs, where facial recognition matters. » Continue reading

Read more on Business

Cooked carrots, a countertop attack

Nutrition dogma says eat your vegetables raw. But an American study suggests that cooking carrots can actually boost their nutrient value.

Food scientists found that blanched, puréed carrots had 34 percent more of the antioxidants called phenolics than the raw root. Antioxidants protect the body by neturalizing free radicals; these rogue molecules can damage cells, leading to chronic diseases such as cancer.

How did the cooked carrots come out ahead? Heating softens the fibrous root, allowing more phenolics to be released from cell walls. » Continue reading

Read more on Food, Health

Email Etiquette

Billions of emails are sent daily, many across the world, some between one desk and the next -- plenty of opportunity to inadvertently offend or annoy, especailly in a work situation. So:

Be brief. Emails that are more than a screen long are daunting and irritating. With friends you can be chattier.

Style counts. Spell check notes before you hit "send." Writing using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS signifies shouting; all small letters is hard to read.

Answer promptly. At work, respond within the day. When you are out for a day or more, program an "I'm away" auto reply.

Ignore chain mail, jokes and petitions. Almost no one likes them. Resist forwarding them unless they seem highly relevant.

Identify yourself. For business emails, create a standard sign-off that includes your full name, title, phone number, address and any pertinent infromation about your company. » Continue reading

Read more on Email, Internet, Tips and Tricks