Blog Posts by Reader s Digest Magazine

"If you had to identify, in one word, the reason the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be meetings."

Thus spake humorist Dave Barry, and many of us would agree. But it doesn't have to be this way. Some tips for having a good one:

1. Start and end strongly.
Running a productive meeting isn't rocket science. As Denver-based consultant Teri Schwartz notes, much of it boils down to opening and conducting every meeting with a purpose and closing it with a plan for "going forward." Problems arise when people forget this. "It's like flying a plane," says Schwartz. "Most crashes happen at takeoff and landing."

2. Pick a leader.
Four years ago, Cleveland's KeyCorp bank adopted a new principle: Always assign someone to lead. "The worst thing you can do is go into a meeting with no one in charge," says the bank's senior EVP and chief risk officer, Charles Hyle. "It turns into a shouting match."

3. Think small.
Be realistic about Read More »from The Right Way to Run a Meeting

Vitamins and minerals are essential to health, but that doesn't mean that megadoses will keep you out of the hospital or make you live longer. Some may be harmful. In most cases, it's preferable to get these nutrients from a balanced diet. Here's the lowdown on eight common supplements - most of which you probably don't need.

High doses of certain vitamins and minerals may be appropriate for certain people, though. Talk to your doctor about supplements if you are a woman of childbearing age, are a vegetarian or vegan, have limited exposure to the sun, are an athlete in training, or suspect for any reason you may be malnourished.

1. Beta-Carotene
Best food sources
Carrots, spinach, kale, cantaloupe

Why you may be taking it
As an antioxidant, especially to prevent cancer.

What you should know
Beta-carotene supplements increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. There is no evidence that they prevent any other form of cancer.

Do you need it?
Don't take it *Recommended dietary

Read More »from Vitamins: The Good, the Bad, and the Useless

Artificial sweetener for spills and splatters
If you are out to dinner at a restaurant, or even if grease splatters on you while you are cooking, use artificial sweetener immediately to blot the stain. The fine powder will absorb the oil. You may have to keep blotting and using more sweetener, but it really works! And artificial sweetener is always handy at any eatery.

Milk to remove ink stains
To remove ink stains from colored clothes, an overnight milk bath will often do the trick. Just soak the affected garment in milk overnight and launder as usual the next day.

Shampoo to prevent stains
Got ring around the collar? Cheap hair shampoo will break down body oils and act as a detergent.

PLUS: 9 Quick Kitchen Cleaning Secrets

Hair Spray for ink stains
Your toddler just went wild with a ballpoint pen on your new white shirt. Squirt the stain with hair spray and the pen marks should come right off.

Toothpaste for inks stains
Oh no, a pen opened up in the pocket of your favorite

Read More »from A New Use for Artificial Sweetener (and 7 Other Weird Stain Removers)

These five bar food staples can actually be good for you.

The human body was designed to love fatty foods in part because of the needs of the brain. We should choose the "good" kinds of fats, skipping the dangerous ones and adding plenty of brain-healthy ones.

The brain is made mostly of fat, which not only forms the membranes around cells that regulate what gets in and out of them but also insulates the bundles of nerve fibers that act as high-speed communication cables in the brain. It shouldn't be too shocking, then, to learn that fat is the single most important nutrient for protecting and preserving brain function. Eating a low-fat or, worse, a no-fat diet is actually the worst thing you can do for your brain. What the brain craves most are the omega-3 fats.

• They turn on the genes that determine how the brain develops, repair and preserve brain cells, enable the cells to deliver signals efficiently, and may even facilitate the growth of new cells.
• Studies show that without enough omega-3s, the brain can't function properly.

Read More »from Why Low-Fat Diets are Dangerous

"Thank you for calling. We appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you. Please press 1 for billing. Press 2 for tech support. Press 3 for new orders. Press 4 for existing orders. Press 5 to track your order. Press 6 to repeat this menu. Press 7 for more options. Press 8 if you really believe you're ever going to get to talk to a real live person."

Ah, the automated call center, where the wait is long, the frustration high, and the recorded music cheesy. Here's how to dial S for satisfaction.

Tell us a funny, poignant, or life-changing story for a chance to win $25,000!

Hold the phone

Before you even think of picking up the phone, try the self serve options on the company's website. Companies want to help you help yourself, whether it's locating a store, finding out the hours of operation, downloading a driver, or canceling a flight. Also check out websites like GetHuman.com, which lists phone numbers, call-center shortcuts, and average wait times for

Read More »from How to Get Through to a Real Live Person

Your Kids' Chocolate Milk

Usually after a workout, our plans involve a tall glass of water and some quality time with the couch. But Best You friend Lauren Antonucci, RD, owner and director of Nutrition Energy in New York City, suggests we take it a step further after a tangle with the treadmill. "Research has shown that you'll be less sore the next day if you take in fluids, carbs, and some protein during this window of time," says Lauren. A good one-cup antidote? Chocolate milk. Two recent studies found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk after their workouts recovered faster than those who sipped a sports drink similar to Gatorade. If this kids' staple isn't for you, Lauren says a fruit smoothie made with soymilk, multi-grain pancakes with Greek yogurt and fruit, or cheese and crackers can have the same effect. Just make the portions small, Lauren reminds. If you exercise hard for 30 to 60 minutes, you only need 150 to 200 calories to refuel in the following half hour.

Read More »from 2 Weird Things to Fuel Your Workout

1. They teach us that all debtors are compulsive liars, and no matter what you tell us, we're supposed to keep pushing.
So we ask, Can you borrow the money from friends and family? Can you take money out of your 401k? Can you pay it with another credit card? All horrible ideas that would make a good financial planner cringe.

2. Like us or not, we're a vital part of keeping the cash flow going in this country.
In 2010, more than 10,000 collection agencies collected over $8 billion. Can you imagine the impact on the economy -- and on all the companies that were owed money -- if that $8 billion hadn't been collected?

3. We've heard every tale of woe.
We may listen and act sympathetic, but in our notes, all those excuses are summed up as HLS, for "hard-luck story." You're wasting our time, and time is money.

4. The more money I get out of you, the bigger my bonus will be.
Every month, we watch top performers get bonus checks of $10,000 or more.

PLUS: What Your House Cleaner Isn't

Read More »from 10 Secrets of Debt Collectors