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When you walk into your garage are you overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you see? Have you made past attempts to declutter your home and get organized, only to be disappointed with the results. Start fresh this spring! The garage is often used for long-term storage of stuff we think we want but don’t know what to do with. Broken gadgets waiting for repair, books we swear we’ll one day read, and things handed down from loved ones....

If so, you may join the ranks of the nearly 70% of adults who suffer from “digital eye strain”—a progressive condition that could eventually lead to serious eye diseases, concludes a new report from The Vision Council, a nonprofit organization that supports the optical industry. Digital eye strain is an escalating health issue. Your eyes aren’t made to stare at a fixed point for hours and hours on end, especially one that emits high-energy visible light, a....

Bridget Jones may have been onto something. Keeping a diary of positive life experiences has already been shown to offer heaps of psychological benefits. But if you share those good-time diary entries with others? Turns out, the perks can skyrocket, finds new research. Researchers from Brigham Young and several other universities divided more than 100 people into groups, and asked everyone to keep a daily journal for four weeks. While one group was instructed to write only about positive experiences for which they were grateful, another group wrote generally about their day....

Here’s the catch: We have a tendency to miss telltale changes in a “beauty mark’s” color, shape, or size. In an Austrian study of 251 mole-prone people, experts identified 46 moles that had enlarged dangerously. But mole “owners” only noticed five of them. [sidebar]The American Cancer Society recommends getting a professional skin examination every 3 years between ages 20 and 40, then annually beginning at 40. Everyone should perform an at-home skin check monthly too....

To get to the bottom of this self-control conundrum, London researchers used two groups of men to study temptation at its finest—that of the little general down south. Each group of guys could wait to gain access to a series of “extremely enjoyable” images (yep, that’s right), or they could choose to immediately receive erotica that was less exciting but could still tickle the fancy. One group had to reject and remove the less sexy photos completely to commit to waiting for the good stuff; the other group could switch their choice at any time during the waiting period....

Gifts To Buy On the Way There Have you ever turned down a party invite because you didn’t have time to buy more gifts? Or smacked yourself in the head when you realized you forgot to get your sister-in-law something for the secret gift exchange, and you have no idea what she’d want? Relax, fellow procrastinators and forgetful friends. We’ve got you covered. Here are gift ideas you can buy on your way to holiday parties that will delight everyone on your list....

I married an older man, and lucky for us both, the only part on him that’s given out is hisknees. But since I was writing about erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs, I wanted him to help me out. Would he try one? The little blue pill enables older men to sexually respond like 18-year-olds. “Wouldn’t that be interesting,” I asked him, “journalistically speaking?” John was skeptical. “What if I take this and things never work without the pill again?...

For six months, 23 obese men and women ate just 60% of their daily estimated caloric requirements—26% of which came from carbs, 31% from plant proteins, and 43% from fat (mostly vegetable oils). For another six months, they embarked on a high carb, low-fat diet. A significant difference emerged between the diets: Not only did participants lose and keep off an average of four more pounds on the Eco-Atkins diet, it also reduced cholesterol by 10% while rendering them 10% less likely to suffer a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years....

When patients are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, their bodies begin to attack the protein myelin, which insulates the body’s spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. As a result, MS patients experience symptoms such as numbness in their limbs, paralysis and sometimes blindness. However, during a phase one clinical trial of a new treatment for MS patients, researchers were able to curtail the body’s attacks on myelin by 50% to 75%, while sustaining the functionality of the rest of the immune system....

Unlike women’s depression, men’s often manifests Rambo-style, with anger and risk taking. The experience may be so different from the classic picture of depression that men don’t recognize it or get help, says Aaron Rochlen, PhD, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. And that’s dangerous: Every year, almost four times as many men as women commit suicide, and some experts suspect it’s related to undiagnosed depression....

What kind of mother would do that? I would. Because I have no choice. Years ago, my 2-year-old son came down with a simple viral infection that made him the sickest he’d ever been—blisters in his throat and a raging fever. He sat on my lap, nuzzling his face close to mine and whimpering as he tried to use me as a pillow of relief—and I inched away to create a buffer....

Dumbbell Push-Up Row(A) (B)(C) Place a pair of dumbbells about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Grab the handles and position yourself in a push-up position. Lower your body to the floor and then press back up. Once you’re back in the starting position, pull the dumbbell in your right hand up toward the side of your chest. Pause, then return the starting position and repeat with your left hand. That’s 1 rep....

Recently I went to a talk at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, New York. It’s a place grounded in the philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism, but invites teachers of varied disciplines to share their wisdoms. Places like this offer a respite away from the clattering of my normal routines. I get to escape, instead, to the clattering of my mind. That part is not always wildly fun, but it’s beautiful to watch my thoughts really slow down....

Researchers looked at more than a dozen studies that compared cardiovascular disease to a person’s sense of optimism, personal satisfaction, and general psychological well-being. Turns out happy campers have a leg up on their cranky counterparts. Even taking into account the fact that happy people are less likely to have some of the more unhealthy habits—like smoking or drinking too much—a general sense of well-being was consistently linked to healthier hearts and lower rates of cardiovascular disease, says study co-author Julia Boehm, PhD, a Harvard research fellow....

A Map Yes, bring an old-school paper map of your designated trail and surroundings. Powering up your smartphone is a wise option, but service isn’t guaranteed once you’re out in Mother Nature. Know the route, and use a trusted map and compass to stay on track. If hiking with others, ensure they have copies, too, in case you get separated. First Aid Kit Consider a first aid kit just as important as your map and water....

Old drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) remedies may not be effective—and could even be harmful, warns Marisa A. Lewis, PharmD, assistant professor of allied health sciences at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and spokesperson for the American Pharmaceutical Association. When improperly stored, medications can even lose their effectiveness before the expiration date. Follow these three steps to ensure that your medicine is A-OK: Keep it cool and dry. Read storage recommendations carefully....