Combine good foods to get more benefit
Some foods play really well together. Food synergy occurs when components of different foods work together to maximize benefits. Think of it as 1 plus 1 equals 4 instead of 2; the total result is greater than the sum of the individual parts.Try these good-chemistry eats to watch your health grow exponentially.Garlic and lemonPerhaps Italians were onto something by frequently pairing these... READ MORE
A call a day may keep the doctor away
A new program provides older Fairfax County residents with daily phone calls from volunteers to address their social and emotional needs, provide medication reminders, help prevent neglect, and provide a connection with others.The program, called CareRing 2.0, is provided by volunteers through the nonprofit Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (PRS).PRS Program Director Laura Mayer said that ... READ MORE
A look back, and forward
I don’t know what possessed me, but the other day, as I was contemplating what to write about this month, I got the idea of looking back to see what I wrote in my column exactly 10 years ago — in our June 2007 issue. I was struck by how timely that 10-year-old column seems to be for us today. So I am repeating it below, with this bit of introduction. Two months before my June 2007 ... READ MORE
First-time author at 90 dreams of Oscars
Seven years ago, Frances Chavarria of Rockville, Md., wrote her first novel, inspired by the 35 years she lived in Costa Rica. But discouraged after an editor criticized it, she put the manuscript away until a friend convinced her to dust if off and self-publish the book.This spring, Chavarria became a published author — at the age of 90.Chavarria’s novel, Let Us Dream of... READ MORE
Be flexible to snag true bargain airfares
Kiplinger’s interviewed Scott Keyes, who writes an email newsletter called Scott’s Cheap Flights. Through it, he sends out international airfare deals to 350,000 subscribers.Here are excerpts from the interview.Q.: What’s your number-one rule for finding cheap airfare? A.: Flexibility. Once you have an origin airport, a destination... READ MORE
When an elder needs financial oversight
Our financial decision-making abilities peak in our 50s and can decline pretty rapidly after age 70, researchers tell us. That’s how otherwise smart older people fall for sweepstakes frauds, Nigerian investment schemes and the grandparent scam — where con artists pretend to be grandchildren in a financial jam. But few people want to hear that they’re not as sharp as... READ MORE
Studying drugs for persistent depression
While many people find the fog of depression lifts after taking anti-depressant medications and/or talking with a therapist, some are unable to find relief, even after trying several different drugs. This is called treatment-resistant depression. Now, researchers at CBH Health in Rockville, Md., are studying two drugs that might work quickly to ease depression. One drug, called... READ MORE
Simple rules for proper email etiquette
Q. What are appropriate ways to begin and end work-related emails?A. Save “Hi” for colleagues and work acquaintances. New clients should be greeted with “Hello” or “Dear,” followed by “Mr.” or “Ms.” (or a professional title) and the person’s surname.“The addressee won’t notice the word hello as much as the respect ... READ MORE
Helping immigrants feel at home
When Vivien Hsueh arrived in Pennsylvania from Hong Kong with a full scholarship to Harcum Junior College in the early 1960s, she found herself one of the only Asians there, and 8,000 miles from anyone she knew. As she went on to study the nascent field of computer science, her choice was rarer still — a woman in a field nearly completely occupied by men. So Hsueh (pronounced... READ MORE
Beauty and the Beast enchants at Toby’s
The tale may be “old as time,” but Beauty and the Beast has seen plenty of new life lately. With the new Disney live-action film setting box office records in movie theaters, fans can get a similar, but more fleshed-out, experience of the musical from the stage version currently at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia.It features all the beloved original songs from the... READ MORE
