Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By Romance Recovery's Johanna Lyman for GalTime.com

Just own yourself!For the last month I've been trying to figure out how to "package" my dual- and seemingly unrelated - message of love and abundance.

I tried being clever and coming up with a cool acronym.

A few days ago I decided to do this the easy way: I started meditating on it.

And today, voila! Into my consciousness floated the answer: I am the JOY Professor, teaching you how to Just Own Yourself for a life of love and abundance. JOY (Just Own Yourself) is the real answer to the world, the universe, and everything. Now, if the letters in the word JOY added up to 42, I'd have really freaked myself out. (they don't, they add up to 55. Oh well.)

Related: 7 Ways to Love Being Single

Everyone wants to experience joy, and most people believe that when they're in love, or when they have enough abundance in their life (or both), they'll finally experience joy. That's backwards thinking, in my book. The truth is, when you allow

By GalTime's Nutritionist, Elisa Zied, MS RD CDN

We're not talking about your typical bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich...Are you looking to curb mindless eating and slash your overall calorie intake painlessly? And I mean with zero pain?

The tip below (not to mention somany others) from the book, The Skinny Rules: The 101 Secrets Every Skinny Girl Knows, by registered dietitian Molly Morgan, may help you do just that. Of course being 'skinny' is not something I feel people should aspire to (though admittedly, during the course of my life, I too have succumbed to wanting to be more slim-especially when I was an overweight teenager and young adult.)

I also believe that no matter how hard someone works to lose weight and get in shape, he or she won't necessarily become thin, skinny, or slim from their efforts-genes and so many other variables factor in to what our ultimate body shape and weight are and will be. That being said, Morgan's tips are common-sense with a twist, and can help all of us-especially those who have trouble keeping their

By Tara Weng, GalTime.com

Heart-related death is on the rise for women between 35-54. Research shows that the risk for heart-related death is on the rise for young adults ages 35-54, and the numbers are even more alarming for younger women.

It is the number-one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. But according to the American Heart Association more women than men have died from heart-related causes since 1984.

"Although there has been a general decline in deaths caused by heart disease, the last decade has seen a steady increase among younger women ages 35 to 44.

Women account for more than 50 percent of deaths due to heart disease and 60 percent of stroke deaths in this country," says Dr. Holly Andersen, the director of education and outreach for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Related: Important New Guidelines for Women and Heart Disease

Andersen offers the following advice to women on how to stay healthy, know their risk

By Jessica Conway, GalTime.com Associate Producer

Bob Charlotte / PR PhotosThis season, it's all about the neckline! Whimsical or patterned collars, and even collar necklaces, are a great way to spice up shirts, sweaters, blouses, and blazers. Celebrity stylist Melanie Pace says they're perfect for a night on the town, or heading to the office. Here's what to look for this season:

• Shopping for a new blouse? Give the Peter Pan collar a go! No longer a schoolgirl staple, this fun and flirty neckline looks great underneath a sweater, or standing alone. Another option is the lace collar. Sweet and simple, it adds detail and attention to any top. Or, try a cowl neck on for size…Pace says, the bigger, the better this season!
  

Related: Awards Season Fashion Forecast

Be bold with a bright color.

Try wearing an off-color collar to add some 'pop'.

• When it comes to collars on blouses and coats, get ready to see a lot of fur! Whether it's faux, or the real deal, fur

By Romance Recovery's Johanna Lyman for GalTime.com

It just takes a little 'magic' to find your true love...

People want a magic pill to make their lives better. Everyone, even experts, seem to get sucked into looking for the next big thing, the missing piece of the puzzle, to jump start their business or finally make their love life better.

I've listened to and watched more than my fair share of experts with "the" answer to all my problems. I've learned from dozens of talented individuals. And I've never heard anything I didn't already know.

I realize that may sound like a bold statement. You might think I'm pretty egotistical to think that. But I'll bet most, if not all of you, have had the same experience-- particularly when it comes to growing your business. I'm sure you've listened to an expert with a "revolutionary formula" and been told something you already knew. The truth is, there are shockingly few ideas that are truly new or revolutionary. Most of the time, it's a slightly different spin on an old stand-by.

By Tara Weng, GalTime.com

Assertive teens actually AVOID drug addictions. Having a confrontational discussion with your teen at the dinner table might not be such a bad thing. In fact, it might just offer them the mental steel they need to avoid the lure of alcohol and drugs. At least according to one recent study. The research can be found in the journal, Child Development.

Researchers studied more than 150 teens and their parents about substance use and abuse, their daily interactions, and their relationships with friends. The teens who were able to hold their own in discussions with their parents, particularly about grades, money, rules, and friends were found to be better prepared to stand up to their peers, the study showed. This included pressures related to drugs and alcohol.

The study indicates that the teens who were most assertive at home were able to carry over that same assertivness out in the real world, with their friends.

Related: 7 Questions You Should NEVER Ask Your Tweens and Teens

By GalTime's Consumer Watchdog Mary Schwager

WIth these secrets you'll be saving money in no time! Some people clip coupons, drive to discount stores and scour their budgets to save money, but there are actually little things in plain sight that chip away at your bank account. Your GalTime Consumer Watchdog teamed up with a very well-known watchdog, Fox Business Network anchor Gerri Willis, to warn you about sneaky fees that you should be on the lookout for in 2012.

Why is this so important? Gerri says, "Fees - especially the ones you have to read the fine print to find - are not only annoying but they can blow your budget." (You are budgeting, right?) Gerri is sharing her tips with us.

Sneakiest Fees Smart Women Need to Watch Out For

1. Bank fees: I've been railing on these for a long time - ever since Bank of America announced its intention to introduce a $60 a year debit card fee. Bank of America backed down, but there are plenty of other fees that financial institutions hope you won't notice. Many are now charging

By Jennifer Powell-Lunder, Psy.D. for GalTime.com

What's the real meaning hidden behind status updates?A few days ago a guy I was friendly with in college changed his status from 'single' to 'in a relationship.' The flurry of speculative phone calls that followed reached epic proportions. "I didn't even know he was divorced," cried one friend. "Who would marry him?," asked his ex-girlfriend from college.

There were a couple of real ironic things about this surge of interest; first, it reconnected me with college friends I had not spoken to in a while. As you can imagine, the conjecture-laden conversation turned from hypothesis about him, to catch-up about us. Secondly, while this gentleman was a good friend in college, time and distance weakened the bond between us. In reality, none of my friends really spoke with him except through Facebook and even then contact was indirect (i.e. an occasional 'Like' regarding a posting he'd made).

"So," I wondered, "why all the interest?" I mean it was very unlikely that any of us even