Blog Posts by Self Magazine

Give your home a healthy makeover by clearing out sneaky allergy sources.

Cockroaches

Hidden hangout: Your kitchen
As if these insects weren't creepy enough! Their feces, saliva and exoskeleton (aka roach dust) can provoke sneezing and wheezing. They like to hide in dark, warm crevices such as microwave ovens and toasters and are attracted to food and water. If you spot one, assume there are 800 more, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America in Washington, D.C., warns. Seal all entry points around your pipes and doors with caulk and call an exterminator.

Here's how you can get a grip on stress in the real world!

Hidden hangout: Your vacuum cleaner
This sucks: Researchers from the University of Arizona in Tucson found that nearly all of the vacuum brushes they tested-on models with and without bags-contained mold spores. Spritz white distilled vinegar from a spray bottle onto bristles every three months to keep mold out of fibers. And invest in a vacuum

A: You're wise to consider the impact of asking your sibling for a loan. Realize that she may say no, in which case you'll have to accept that gracefully (after all, family is forever). But even if she says yes, asking for money can still feel shameful, which can make it tough to discuss specifics honestly. Your family history will also affect her reaction. If you were always the "creative" (read: irresponsible) sibling, your plea may be met with "I told you so!" and you'll need to show you've worked out exactly how you'll repay her. But ideally, this is a chance to move beyond old roles. To do that, treat the loan like a business deal, complete with a contract. (You can download a personal loan form from Nolo.com; $7.) But before you sign, address these questions:

1. How much should you ask for? Be realistic so you won't have to make another request. And if you need $10,000 or more, check with an accountant about tax consequences.
2. How long will you take to repay her? Will you do it

Sign up for the SELF Challenge and you'll already be one step closer to a lighter, leaner you! Our totally free workouts, meal plans and easy-to-use logs will help you become your happiest, healthiest self. When you join the SELF Challenge, you'll also become a member of the Self.com community. Being a member grants you access to all our great features, including: a personal profile page where you can blog, share photos and connect with other members; free year-round food and workout logs; and our inspirational SELF groups.

Register now and you'll be entered to win the daily prize--an outfit from Lucy Activewear, so you can look fab while working out. More chances to win everyday!

MORE FROM SELF:

• Slim all over!
  The simplest way to get fit for summer--and beyond!
• Superfoods improved!
• Upgrade the benefits of the most healthful foods with these simple tricks.
• "I count...six babies in there."
• Fertility treatments create

Challenge yourself to get fit for summer! Sign up for our easier-than-ever best-body plan to get fit for bikini season-and beyond. The improved 2009 SELF Challenge has all the (personalized) meals, moves and motivation you need to get big results, fast!

Register now and you'll be entered to win a trip for two to Galley Bay Resort and Spa in Antigua Bay, massage included!

MORE FROM SELF:

• Slim all over!
  The simplest way to get fit for summer--and beyond!
• Superfoods improved!
• Upgrade the benefits of the most healthful foods with these simple tricks.
• "I count...six babies in there."
• Fertility treatments create miracles-and scary situations. Read about the anguishing choice one woman faced.
• Subscribe to Self for less than $1 an issue. Get a FREE Healthy Recipe Book download!

It's not only what you eat that counts-it's also how you eat it. The way you prepare and serve antioxidant-rich foods can either sap or supplement their nutritional strength. Maximize the benefits of your meals with these power-up strategies.

TEA
Downgrade: Lightening up Proteins in milk may bind to the antioxidants in tea, preventing absorption.
Upgrade: Squeezing in lemon. Citrus helps tea's antioxidants survive your intestinal tract and be digested.

Get the low-down on all of the 20 superfoods for weight loss!

SQUASH
Downgrade: boiling, compared with steaming, may diminish carotenes, notes SELF contributing editor Janis Jibrin, R.D.
Upgrade: steaming, then drizzling with olive oil. A small portion of fat helps take in the fat-soluble carotenes.

One small dietary change can yield big results...one woman lost 130 pounds.

APPLES
Downgrade: Peeling a Granny Smith. Apple skin contains five times more polyphenols than the flesh.
Upgrade: Munching on a Northern Spy. This crisp variety

I can't remember where I learned the following little money game, but if you're not a saver this is a great way to start.

Every time you get a five-dollar bill--save it!

That's it!

No muss, no fuss.

Find out how to make better money choices, get happy at work, live well and have savings to fall back on. It's all in this SELF guide.

My husband and I used to put our fivers in a coffee can. You can use an envelope or stick 'em in your sock drawer. Just don't spend the fives! Yes, it's weird at first. You want to use a five to pay for a $3 magazine, but you have to break a twenty. Because you can't spend the fives. In fact, don't even keep the fives in your wallet. When you get a five, in change, put it in your pocket until you get home.

The reason this is good to jump-start a saving habit is that the fives add up fast. Before you know it, you'll have enough money for a plane ticket somewhere, or a new rug. And you'll say to yourself, "How did I save that much money? I didn't even

Make your relationship last through any personality clash! Learn to channel conflict into a happier, healthier connection.

By Jenna McCarthy

My husband, Joe, has a habit of flipping on the TV-to check a score or make sure the TiVo is set-then leaving it on, even when he has no intention of watching. I relish silence, so this act drives me insane. Joe is often still awake (working, watching the aforementioned TV, obsessing over the stock market's latest dip) at 2 A.M., whereas if I'm not in bed by 9 P.M., I might collapse from exhaustion. In my dream life, our family inhabits a modern loft in a bustling city; Joe pines for a quaint cottage surrounded by acre after endless acre. Every once in a while we say to each other-good-naturedly, although we both know there's some truth in jest-"How did we wind up together?" Opposites attract, we usually chirp. And in many ways, our disparities keep life interesting. But I wonder, Would it be easier to be with someone more like me? Joe hasn't

Your ability to see, touch, taste, hear and smell can make a multisensory experience of a meal. But don't let your fab five fool you into overdoing it. Our simple tricks can help you use your senses to eat better naturally.

Sight
People ate up to 24 percent less-but they felt as satisfied-while blindfolded, according to a study in Obesity Research. Why? Diners may use their peepers (instead of their stomach) to decide how much to eat. Close your eyes midmeal to gauge your hunger. When you've had enough, you'll feel it. Check out how one small dietary change can yield huge results!

Touch
Subjects who ate equal calories of peanuts and peanut butter felt fuller after eating the nuts, say researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Select chewier, crunchier foods: an orange over OJ. They spend more time in your mouth and digestive tract and are more filling. Prepack snacks! Having healthy munchies on hand can help keep you slim.

Taste
When women dieters ate fewer