(NAPSA)—Hitting the gym is important, but the key to feeling more like a Hollywood starlet could be to turn in when the stars come out. “Sleep is one of my most important beauty tricks,” says actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. The other tricks of her trade? She exercises five days a week, gardens, swims, drinks a lot of water, and eats plenty of veggies and proteins. But Zeta-Jones also makes it a point to recharge her batteries by spending time with her family. Finding that balance between work and family life is something actress Kate Hudson has also learned a lot about. “I have to believe I can be a good mom and a good actress and a good daughter and an explorer of the world,” she says. Both Hudson and Zeta-Jones were speaking in PARADE ’s HealthyStyle magazine. The publication gives inspiration and tips from some of America’s hottest celebrities and health advice from experts, including Dr. Mark Liponis, best-selling author and corporate medical director at Canyon Ranch. For example, if you’re looking to catch more zzz’s, Dr. Liponis offers these tips: • Set a bedtime. Choose a time you can follow regularly so that your body will know when it’s time to fall asleep. • Create a super sleep environment. Make sure your room is dark and quiet. Choose the right pillows and temperature. • Start a relaxing ritual. Activities such as writing in a journal, taking a hot bath or reading a book prepare your body for a comfortable, deep sleep. • Learn to visualize. Conjuring relaxing images in your mind can help reinforce the sleep response. Want to fix your worst diet habits? Joy Bauer, a leading nutrition expert, tells you how: (NAPSA)—Leading car insurer Progressive offers its customers a concierge level of claims service that takes care of the entire process from beginning to end. For more information, visit www.progressive.com. Ready For Your Close-Up—Some health tips from stars could have you looking your best. Skipping Meals—Letting yourself get too hungry is one of the worst things you can do. Eat breakfast and then refuel every four to five hours. Eating Out All the Time— Avoid alcohol, which contains empty calories. Tell the waiter not to bring the bread basket and order a salad instead. Using Food as Comfort—Try labeling your feelings (“I’m sad, not hungry”) and remind yourself that eating won’t solve things. Visualize how you’ll feel after eating, and ask yourself if it’s worth it. Eating When You’re Not Hungry—Assess your hunger level before eating. If you’re not truly hungry, don’t eat. If you’re a little peckish, allow yourself to get a bit hungrier. Visit healthystylemag.com for original daily content, including a new recipe database, health news, self-assessment tools that mea sure Body Mass Index and Basal Metabolic Rates, diet and weight loss tips and a searchable database of health issues. *** Subaru is a standout automaker for 2009 because it has at least one Top Safety Pick in every vehicle class in which it competes. The NHTSA awards 5Star ratings to vehicles with the highest crash and rollover safety. For additional information, visit www.subaru.com. World Glaucoma Day Raises Awareness Of Glaucoma: A Silent But Preventable Sight Thief (NAPSA)—You may not know it, but right now, an eye disease called glaucoma could begin to steal your sight. Could you or someone you love be at risk? Many people don’t realize it, but in its early stages, glaucoma may have few or even no symptoms. And if not treated, glaucoma can lead to blindness—a condition that ranks third (after cancer and heart disease) as the top health fear for Americans. To help people better understand glaucoma and treatment options available, the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association launched World Glaucoma Day. “Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide, which underscores the importance of a global program such as World Glaucoma Day,” said Dr. Robert N. Weinreb, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Hamilton Glaucoma Center at the University of California, San Diego, and President of the American Glaucoma Society. As part of World Glaucoma Day, eye care professionals are raising awareness of this disease, with a focus on educating people on what they can do to prevent glaucoma from taking their sight. Here is what you should know about glaucoma: • While anyone can develop glaucoma, some people are at a higher risk, including people with a family history of glaucoma, diabetes and everyone older than age 60. Did You Know? Although approximately 4 million Americans have glaucoma, only half of those affected know they have it. Left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness. While anyone can develop glaucoma, some people are at a higher risk, including: • People with a family history of glaucoma • People with high intraocular pressure, or pressure inside the eye • Everyone over age 60 • African Americans • Hispanics over the age of 60 • People with diabetes • People who have used steroids for a long period of time • People with physical eye injuries • Glaucoma often has no symptoms but if you notice changes in your peripheral or side vision you should see an eye doctor. • While glaucoma cannot be cured, further vision loss can be prevented by lowering the elevated intraocular pressure or fluid pressure in the eye through prescription eye drops. • It is important to schedule regular examinations with an eye doctor in order to detect glaucoma early. In recognition of the second annual World Glaucoma Day on March 12, 2009, schedule an appointment with your eye care professional. For more information about glaucoma and what you can do to preserve your vision, please visit http://www.glaucoma.org. When the lapwing’s nest is threatened, it limps and pretends to be hurt and lures its enemies away. Add Style To Your Outdoor Spaces Making The Digital TV Switch Easier (NAPSA)—On June 12, 2009, the television most people grew up with will fade to black. As analog TV broadcasts switch to digital format, millions of older Americans may find themselves left in the dark. Older people are more likely to receive their broadcasts free via an antenna or rabbit ears, and they are more likely to own analog television sets. Forty percent of the approximately 20 million analogonly households include individuals who are 50 and older—an audience that watches almost 5.5 hours of TV each day. And for many of them, television is their main connection to the outside world—their link to news and to vital weather and safety information. Many people are still confused about what the switchover means for them. A good place to find information is the DTV Call Center, (877) 698-8068, where consumers can get help with their questions about the conversion. The Call Center is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST. After the transition occurs in their market, individuals with television sets that rely on an antenna or rabbit ears need to do one of three things to keep getting a signal: 1. Buy and install a $40 to $70 converter box on the old analog set; 2. Connect the old set to a cable or satellite system; or 3. Purchase a new television with a built-in DTV (digital television) tuner. To help reduce the cost, the federal government is offering up to two $40 coupons per household toward the purchase of two digital-to-analog converter boxes. There may be a waiting list for coupons, but more are becoming available. Debunking the myths Contrary to some reports, Americans do not have to subscribe to cable or satellite to continue to watch television after the conversion. Traditional analog television sets will still work with a converter box; it’s not necessary to buy a high-definition set. And if individuals decide to hang on to their rabbit ears, the government will help pay for a converter. People can help by lending a hand to their relatives and neighbors (particularly if they are older). Talk to family and friends to make sure they are aware the transition is coming and that they can get information or request coupons by calling the DTV Call Center. *** It is all right to hold a conversation but you should let go of it now and then. —Richard Armour *** *** Criticism should be a casual conversation. —W. H. Auden *** *** A good conversationalist is not one who remembers what was said but says what someone wants to remember. —John Mason Brown *** *** The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. —Jean de la Bruyre *** 7 (NAPSA)—Each year, homeowners across America spend approximately $40 billion upgrading, enhancing and decorating their outdoor living spaces. Don’t have a fortune to spend on landscaping, outdoor furnishings and backyard accessories? It’s easy to add a touch of style and create the perfect outdoor living space with some paint and a little imagination. Here are some ideas from the outdoor decorating experts at Rust-Oleum: • Transforming the look of patios, porches and walkways can accentuate the beauty of your outdoor spaces. Does your concrete look old, dated, weathered? Now you can refresh concrete surfaces and make them look new again with RustOleum Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain Kits. Add warmth with colors like Terra Cotta or Tuscan Rock. Want to give your patio a trendy look? Try deeper, neutral colors like Sandstone or Slate. The waterbased Concrete Stain is easy to apply and adds durable color and dimension to concrete surfaces. • Designer patio sets, lawn chairs and other outdoor furniture can cost thousands of dollars. Why not give your old furniture a “facelift” with spray paint like RustOleum Universal? It’s the first allsurface spray paint, so you can paint plastic, vinyl, metal, wood and more without worrying about it chipping or peeling. Use Espresso Brown or Real Almond to give your patio set a sophisticated, chic appearance. Want to add a burst of color to your outdoor spaces? Try vibrant colors like Crimson Red or Canary Yellow. A little paint can go a long way toward improving the look of outdoor furniture. • Planters and garden accents are a great way to add a personal touch to your patio and garden— but they can end up costing a pretty penny. Instead of spending a small fortune on decorative accessories, pick up some unfinished concrete pieces from your local store and spray them with a concrete stain such as RustOleum Concrete Stain Aerosol. Transform ordinary planters into decorative accent pieces with colors like Burnished Gold and Sienna. Give statuary a classic look with Concrete Stain Aerosol in Earth Brown and Pewter. Protect your stained pieces with Concrete Sealer Aerosol, available in two sheens: gloss and natural. These UV- and chemical-resistant sealers add years of durability to concrete, stone and masonry. For more inspiration and p r o j ect ideas, visit www.paint ideas.com. There are hundreds of easy, inexpensive projects that can help you transform any outdoor or indoor living space.
