VOLUNTEERING CAN EXTEND YOUR LIFE _ Feel like you’re heading for an early grave? Start volunteering. Researchers stumbled upon something interesting. Volunteering can extend your life. It turns out that helping others by serving food, building a house, or reading to the blind can reduce early mortality by 22 percent compared to those that don’t volunteer. The reason: volunteering makes you feel good. It holds off depression and gives you increased life satisfaction.
INTERESTING FOOD FACTS:
• How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath – Have garlic breath? Scientists recently found that apple, lemon juice, parsley, spinach, green tea, and mint were the most effective foods to neutralize the offensive scent of garlic.
• Why Onions Make You Cry – The strong smell of onions has nothing to do with why you’re crying as you cut them. When you cut into an onion, you release a strong sulfur compound that wafts upwards toward your eyes. When the gas reacts with the moisture in your eyes, it begins to burn, creating those all-too-familiar onion tears.
• Why Toothpaste Messes with Taste Buds – Pretty much everyone knows not to drink orange juice after brushing your teeth, but most people don’t realize that the reason O.J. tastes sour after toothpaste is because the sodium laureth sulfate that makes toothpaste foam also blocks taste buds’ ability to perceive sweetness.
• Why Honey Lasts Forever – Archaeologists have found completely edible pots of honey dating back thousands of years in Egyptian tombs. Why? Its chemical makeup of hydrogen peroxide, acidity levels, and lack of water creates a perfect storm for a long lasting treat!
• Why Spicy Foods Make You Happy – Spicy peppers make you smile. When we eat spicy foods, like jalapeños or other capsaicin-filled peppers, our bodies release endorphins to minimize the burning sensation produced by the chemical.
MANY OF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE MANAGERS _ Most U.S. workers do not want to become managers and they cite increased stress as the most common reason. Handling disgruntled employees, increased paperwork, and having to terminate or lay off employees were the other top reasons workers shy away from management jobs. Overall, 51 percent of people questioned said they did not want to become managers. The oldest workers, those over age 64, were least likely to be interested in management, at 68 percent. The youngest workers, ages 18 to 29, were most open to becoming managers, with just 42 percent saying no to the idea. Among those who did want to become managers, their top reason was being able to share knowledge with others, followed by being responsible for the success of an organization, and being able to influence decisions.
