Issue Date: September 3, 2006
Cranberries protect gums
The secret? A unique compound that also prevents urinary infections.
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Eating cranberries may bring an unexpected bonus: healthier gums. Canadian research finds that cranberries have strong anti-inflammatory and antibiotic activity that forms a Teflon-like barrier between P. gingivalis bacteria and gum tissue. Because the bacteria can't adhere, they can't cause an infection that leads to severe gum disease, or periodontitis. It's the primary cause of tooth loss in adults and affects about 1 in 3 adult Americans.
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The benefits of boredom
As summer unofficially ends and before the school year heats up, it's the perfect time to pencil a new routine into your kids' after-school activities: boredom.
Offering children plenty of extracurricular enrichment can be a good thing, but too much of it can lead to stress. In fact, 41% feel stressed most or all of the time because they have too much to do, reports a recent poll by KidsHealth. Research also shows that enforcing boredom, or opportunities to daydream, produces brainwaves associated with creativity. When kids have a chance to sit with their thoughts -- not while playing a video game, watching TV or doing homework -- their brains benefit in ways that enhance other kinds of learning. And being able to calm yourself and de-stress can have lifelong health benefits.
So the best thing for your child to do this fall may be absolutely nothing!
Parents Can:
Make downtime a scheduled family activity. Listen to music together, read for pleasure or take a leisurely walk before jumping into your evening routine.
Enhance, don't engineer. When your child says, "There's nothing to do," don't rush to fill the void. Provide art supplies to young children, let kids start a family photo album, and give older ones a journal or tape recorder to chronicle their thoughts.
Limit TV and computer use. It's tough, I know. But the more your child does to generate her own fun -- vs. sitting in front of a screen -- the more she'll boost her brainpower.
Ann Pleshette Murphy is ABC's Good Morning America parenting expert.
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Is a warranty warranted on your new purchase?
One-year deals are now the norm.
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Major household goods -- washers, ranges, entertainment systems, computers -- used to come with three-year, five-year and even 10-year guaranties. Now it's more like one year. No wonder those extended warranty sales pitches sound so tempting.
Before you pony up:
Think twice if you're buying a perennial seller from an established brand. For most big-ticket items, such as dryers, the extra coverage can cost more than any repair. (For the repair rates on a variety of goods in their first three years, check "Consumer Reports'" extended warranties report online at consumerreports.org.) The exception: equipment using new technologies that are expensive to fix. So an extended warranty on a pricey exercise machine or high-tech plasma TV may be worth it.
Check your credit card. MasterCard, Visa and some American Express cards double the warranty for up to one year if you pay with plastic. Call your issuer for details.
Don't fall for sales pitches. Extended warranties are big business for manufacturers and retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City. Instead, start your own "repair fund" with the money you would have spent on the warranty.
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Don't let a hurricane blow your vacation
Has the idea of vacationing in hurricane-prone areas such as Florida and the Gulf Coast given you pause? No wonder, after the record-setting 2005 season, which saw the formation of 15 hurricanes. Those storms left thousands of travelers stranded.
Before you book a vacation this fall, note that airline refunds normally are given only for flights directly affected by a hurricane. A handful of hotels now have hurricane policies that offer vouchers for future stays if a property had to close. And remember that cruise lines reserve the right to change itineraries for any reason.
Travel insurance offers some protection, but it isn't entirely watertight. "You have to purchase coverage before the hurricane is forecast," says Dan McGinnity, of Travel Guard International, a major insurer. "And if you cancel a trip because you're afraid a hurricane might hit, you won't be covered."
Stay on top of the hurricane season at the National Hurricane Center website: www.nhc.noaa.gov.
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