Living Well

Always Tell Me the Odds

Most people don't understand the odds.

Many folks struggle with statistical probability. Take the birthday problem... In a room of 23 people, there's a 50% chance two of those people have the same birthday. But if you have 75 people in a room together, the chance of two of them sharing the same birthday is 99.9%. Reaching a nearly 100% probability with just 75 people seems crazy... Surely you need more people, right? But it's statistically correct!

Common Sense Is Back in the Headlines

"How to Live Longer With These Three Lifestyle Changes."

That kind of promise makes for a splashy headline. We saw plenty of titles like this one (which was from HuffPost U.K.) last week in the wake of an article from researchers at Harvard. Published in Circulation, the article has a giant promise: These three interventions, if applied globally, will prevent 94 million premature deaths.

It's Time to Try New Things

Picture your favorite restaurant...

You go to this special place every month or so because the wine is good, the wait staff is friendly, and you love the food. But think about it... How much of the food do you actually love?

Our Top Three Ways to Stretch Your Retirement Dollars

If you only take away one thing from my newsletter, let it be this: You can't trust the government to take care of you.

Plenty of folks are nervous about coming changes. Uncertainty about health care reforms and fears that Republicans in Congress will cut programs like Social Security and Medicare are enough to keep anyone on edge.

Don't Be a Lab Result

I'd never heard my friend Jim sound that scared before...

Jim is a former pro athlete. I first met him 40 years ago while visiting my brother in Wisconsin. We've stayed in touch for years...

Four Ways to Keep Insects From Crashing Your Barbecue

Summer is a great time to entertain friends outside...

As the weather gets warmer, backyard barbecues and poolside parties surge in popularity. And you get all the health benefits of socializing and sunshine.

Don't Poison Yourself This Memorial Day

This weekend, millions of American will lather themselves with toxic chemicals...

Memorial Day weekend is the official start to the summer here in the U.S... with pools and beaches opening for summer across the country.

Let's Talk About What's Really Happening in Your Bedroom at Night

You could hear it all the way down the hallway...

My research assistant said it sounded like metal or plastic grinding against a chalkboard. And it was loud.

How to Profit From Your Health Care Plan

The average American household spends more than $800 a month on health insurance.

That number doesn't include additional expenses like copays and deductibles. One study from the Commonwealth Fund found that the average family spends 10% of its wealth on health insurance. That's up from 6.5% 10 years ago.

Don't Trust Your Health to 23andMe

"Live in the know."

That's the slogan for popular DNA test-kit service 23andMe. You've likely seen the company's ads about how easy it is to use its mail-service kit to send away a sample of your DNA to learn more about yourself. 23andMe claims to reveal everything from where your ancestors lived to your predisposition of various diseases.