Blog Posts by All You Magazine

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Heart and blood vessel disease, also referred to as cardiovascular disease, can cause strokes, heart attacks and other problems, many of which are brought on by atherosclerosis, a condition that develops when plaque builds up in artery walls-which narrows them and impedes blood flow. Here are some tips for building on what you already do to help stave off heart disease.

Related: Snack Wisely!

You already have beef with broccoli for lunch.

Heart-Healthy Tweak: Swap the beef for a handful of nuts such as walnuts or almonds.
The Payoff: Women who ate a daily serving of nuts reduced their heart-disease risk by 30 percent over a 26-year period, compared with those who ate a daily red-meat serving, a study at Harvard University in Massachusetts found.

You already power-walk a few times each week.

Heart-Healthy Tweak: Add one more walk to your routine.
The Payoff: Female exercisers who torch 200 to 600 calories per week through exercise can reduce their risk of

AllYou

Walking to work on this brisk September morning, I did a little dance (in my head) when I spied pumpkins outside my local fruit and vegetable market. Nothing screams fall to me like pumpkins. I love them because not only because you can carve pumpkins into Jack O'Lanterns, but also because they're a health food superstar. Pumpkins are chock-full of beta-carotene, which your body uses to make vitamin A, which helps strengthen your immune system. An easy way to work pumpkin into your diet? Making it into your own puree, which can easily be mixed into oatmeal, soups, casseroles, muffins, quick bread, and of course, as a treat, pie. Here are some tips from our Food Director Beth Lipton on how to do it:

Related: Easy Pumpkin Crafts

• Pick up a smaller variety of pumpkin, often called sugar or pie pumpkins. The larger ones that you carve are not as flavorful and don't have the best texture for eating (though you can still roast the seeds for a tasty snack). Look for firm, bright orange

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Ever feel like your money is going down the drain? In some cases, it actually is. Put an end to waste by keeping tabs on resources you might be able to reuse. These eco-friendly moves can save you big bucks; don't toss…

Vegetable scraps from cooking. Save these trimmings in a covered container in the fridge and use them to make soup stock so you won't have to shell out for a boxed version. Learn how at thesweetbeet.com.

Related: Extreme Savings Strategies: Shop Once, Cook Once, Eat for 30 Days

Old electronics. Websites such asbuymytronics.com can help you earn on used goods. For example, a 3G iPhonewith a cracked screen scores about $30 there. Old phones also make great free toys for kids-just make sure to remove the battery, since deactivated phones still can dial 911. Donating old electronics can score you a tax break, too. Learn more at e-access.org.

Related: Is It Worth It to Buy a Warranty?

Old kids clothing. Instead of getting rid of outfits that your kids

Coconut oil

Joining the ranks of my favorite multi-tasking pantry dwellers is coconut oil ($9.99 for 15 oz. at vitaminshoppe.com). Lately, it seems I can't read a health or cooking article without coming across a new genius use for coconut oil and for good reason; coconut oil can do more than replace butter and vegetable oil in recipes. Save time and money by using these tips for coconut oil in these DIY beauty remedies.

Drugstore Beauty: 5 Simple Steps to Restore Your Hair

1. DIY Body Scrub: Quit buying that expensive department store body scrub and make your own. Slough off dead skin by mixing coconut oil with sugar for a moisturizing body scrub that smells as good as it works.

2. Make-Up Remover: It sounds crazy, but trust me, use a little bit of coconut oil on your fingers and dab it on your eyelid. Then, with a tissue or cotton round (I like Swisspers Cotton Rounds, $2.89 at drugstore.com), go back over the eyelid and voila! Everything from waterproof mascara to eyeshadow

1. Skin ProblemsStressed? Learn how to combat problems with these tips.
A stress-induced chemical reaction in the body can make skin more sensitive and reactive. Oil-producing glands then go into overdrive, triggering acne and other skin issues. Stress can also worsen hives, rosacea and eczema.

Fix: Prepare a bath.
Fill a tub with lukewarm water and add 2 cups of collodial oatmeal (make your own by grinding non-instant oats in a blender or try ready-to-use product such as Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, $7 for 8 packets). To help skin heal, soak in the tub for 20 to 30 minutes.

Watch and Learn: Organize Your Family!

2. Painful Periods
A study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that abdominal and lower back pain during menstruation was twice as likely in woman who felt frazzled than in those who claimed to be calm. The reason? Experts say stress produces prostaglandin, an inflammatory hormone that causes cramps.

Fix: Raid Your Medicine Cabinet
Aside from daily stress-shedding hobbies

Your Think you're making all the right health choices? Think again! These three common seemingly healthy choices might make you sick.

1. You bypass burgers for huge salads: Choosing a big bowl of leafy greens over that greasy burger is a great idea...until you douse them in ranch dressing, toss on croutons, cheese and other calorie (and fat!) laden toppings.

Related: Eggs: Worse than Cigarettes?

Smart fix: Pile your plate with water- and fiber-rich produce, which fills you up with fewer calories, but still allow yourself a few indulgent toppings. Craving cheese? Give in! Just stick to 1 ounce, so you'll feel satisfied without overdoing it.

Related: 5 Reasons to Eat More Fiber (It Could Save Your Life!)

2. You down decaf allll day: Low-jolt joe still has caffeine--about 5 t0 10 mg of it. Yes, this is less than the 20 to 35 mg in a full-caf coffee but if you drink enough of it, you could still be getting as big a buzz as you would if you downed a single cup of the

Lather Up! Ahh, shaving cream. Available in a can since the 1950s, this drugstore mainstay is in nearly every household. And while shaving cream does a pretty good job at its intended task (no one likes razor burn), we've found several things it does rather well aside from its original purpose. Here are our five favorite things shaving cream does that it is not supposed to:

1. Waterless soap: Sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty and when you do there's not always a sink handy (pun intended). In situations like these, a little pump of shaving cream, a quick rubbing of the hands and a towel off will make your paws good as new.

Related: Three Non-Medical Uses for Aspirin That You Just Can't Live Without

2. To clean-up spills on carpet: Use paper towels to blot a spill on the carpet, then apply a dollop of shaving cream. Wipe with a damp sponge and you're done. Be sure to use the classic white cream variety, however, as gel kinds may stain some carpets.

Related: 31 Secret Cleaners (That

Hard on grime, easy on Mother Nature1. DIY Glass Cleaner: Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with 1 quart water. Pour into a spray bottle and use with newspapers to clean surfaces.

Related: Get 44 other Uses for Vinegar

2. Earth-friendly Furniture Polish: Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 2 cups vegetable oil. Transfer to a squirt bottle and wipe.

3. Green Drain De-clogger: Mix 1 cup hot vinegar with 1 cup baking soda and pour them down (or on) a clogged or slow moving drain. Cover the drain with a washcloth for 15 minutes, then follow with a boiling hot kettle of water. Repeat if necessary.

Related: 30 more ideas for baking soda

4. Chemical-free All-purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 cup of water. This stores well in a spray bottle. For an antiseptic cleaner, mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 cups hot water. Add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap to ramp up the cleaning power. Wipe on with a dampened cloth or use a non-aerosol spray bottle.