Newsletter

Are the rumors true? Could grapefruit -- touted for years as a weight loss wonder -- actually work?

Possibly. In one 12-week study, obese people who ate half a grapefruit before each of three daily meals shed more pounds than their counterparts did.

Show Me the Grapefruit
In the study, whole grapefruit also took a bite out of insulin resistance in folks with metabolic syndrome -- a constellation of conditions that can raise the risk for several serious health problems, including diabetes. Find out if you could be at risk for metabolic syndrome.

Go Whole
Although grapefruit juice and grapefruit capsules also may have pound-shedding potential, whole fruit was clearly the winner in the study -- probably because the whole fruit has appetite-controlling fiber as well. The scent of grapefruit may help you, too. Here’s why.

Combine Your Efforts
Exercise and a calorie-controlled diet remain the true cornerstones of weight loss, but if grapefruit helps, great! However, if you’re taking medications of any kind, talk to your doctor before adding grapefruit to the mix; it interacts with several meds. (Here’s one example.) Try these other fat-blasting tips, too:

Walk with me. Walking has the highest stick-to-it rate of any exercise. And a walking buddy can help even more. Here’s a video that can help you walk off pounds right in your own living room.
Be sane. Fad diets, like the famous but extreme 600-calories-or-so-a-day grapefruit diet, may help some people lose weight temporarily, but most gain it all back in the long run. Here's a sensible weight loss plan that really works long term.

7 Ways to Save on Winter Heating Bills

Home energy prices are heating up, even as winter's chill sets in.

Thanks to spiking fuel costs earlier this year, the average U.S. household will spend an additional 15% on home heating between October and March, or roughly $151 more than last year's bill of $986, according to the Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook, released Tuesday. Those households using home heating oil will be hardest hit, seeing their bills rise by 23%, or $449. Natural gas bills are expected to rise by 18% or $155; propane, 11% or $188, and electricity, by 10%, or $188.

But there is good news for already struggling consumers: "The economy is pulling down oil prices," Neil Gamson, an economist with the EIA points out, "and if that gloomy outlook continues, consumers should see the drop reflected in their [utility] bills." Crude oil closed at $90 Tuesday, well below its record high of $147 in July. That, in turn, has lowered heating oil, propane and natural gas prices.

Where you live can also help -- or hurt. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, temperatures nationwide are expected to be 2.4% colder than last year, but regional estimates vary from 6% colder in the Northeast to 2% warner in the Midwest.

Here's how to put the freeze on your home heating bills while still staying warm:

Inspect your system

"Heating systems fail most often because they're neglected," says Maria Vargas, a spokeswoman for the government's Energy Star program. A system that doesn't produce enough warm air, or loses much of it to leaks en route to your rooms, can tack up to 20% onto your bill. Hiring an inspector (at a cost of $50 to $100) to examine your HVAC system once a year will more than pay for itself in energy savings.

While you're at it, drain your water heater to remove sediment that builds up over time, making the appliance less efficient, advises Greg Miedema, president of Dakota Builders in Tucson and vice chairman of the National Association of Home Builders' Remodelers Council. "Otherwise you're heating 10 pounds of sludge and a pound of water," he says.

Plug air leaks

Don't let the air you're paying to warm escape through cracks around windows, doors and other fixtures. "Caulk is always a quick, easy fix," says Miedema. The $25 to $50 you'd spend on sealing products more than pays for itself -- a well-sealed home is up to 20% more energy-efficient, according to the EPA. Check out the EPA's do-it-yourself guide for advice on closing off air leaks.

Insulate

Many older homes could use additional insulation, particularly in the basement and roof, says Vargas. Not only does insulation degrade over the years, but the latest options are also far more energy-efficient. If you can, hold off on any insulation upgrades until January, when the renewed Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives that Congress passed as part of the bailout kick in. That insulation project can yield a credit worth 10% of the total cost, up to $500.

Program the thermostat

Set your thermostat just one degree cooler for an eight-hour period each day during the winter heating season, and cut your bill by up to 5%, reports the Alliance to Save Energy. "A single degree isn't even that noticeable," says Rozanne Weissman, a spokeswoman for the group. By doing so, the average household saves $180 a year.

Wrap the water heater

An insulation jacket for your water heater costs as little as $20, but can make a big impact, says Miedema. That's because it keeps the water heater from working overtime to keep standing water warm. By Department of Energy estimates, wrapping your water heater cuts heat loss

in half -- knocking 4% to 9% from its operation costs.

Maximize free heat

Keep your shades open to let the warming sun in, and turn your ceiling fan to run reverse (clockwise). "That pushes warm air down from the ceiling," says Vargas.

Healthy Weight Gadget That Works
If the pounds you dropped in time for summer are working their way back on, there’s a time-tested gadget that might help halt the creep.

It’s your bathroom scale. Research shows that people who weigh themselves regularly after reaching a goal weight do a much better job of keeping the lost pounds off.

Maintaining Your Losses
When you’re trying to lose weight, a bathroom scale may not be your best friend. It doesn’t always tell the whole story. But if you’re trying to keep lost weight off, a scale could be just the thing to keep you from backsliding. Researchers asked people who had lost weight over a 2-year period to weigh themselves daily for 18 months. The result? People who regularly weighed in were more successful at keeping the weight off for the long haul.

Shopping Tips
TIMING IS EVERYTHING...ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING CASH!

Did you know that the fiscal year for Japanese companies ends in March? Do you care? You SHOULD...if you want the best deal on a new television for your home theater system.

That's because new models and products are scheduled for release at the beginning of the new fiscal year--which for Japanese electronics companies is April. And the release of the new models means...you guessed it...huge discounts on the previous year's models. So if you're shopping for a television, stereo or other electronics, your best bet is to watch for sales in spring.

You can save on just about every item you need...if you know what season or day of the week to purchase it. Below are some tips to help you save the most on your shopping list.

Airplane Tickets: Your best chance for saving is Wednesday morning. That's because airlines introduce their savings over the weekend and during the first few days of the week, subtle price wars begin. By early Wednesday, the savings have usually hit their peak...and there are still plenty of seats left for you to capitalize on.

Furniture: Unless you need to replace your sofa or dining room table right away, those "HUGE" weekend and holiday sales aren't the best time to buy. Instead, you should plan ahead and do your furniture shopping in October or April. That's when new lines of furniture are unveiled at industry trade shows...which means you can save big on the in-store stock that needs to be sold before the new inventory takes a seat on the showroom floor.

Cars: You probably already know that you can save on car purchases in early fall when new models are released and the current models go on sale. And you may also know that your best chance to negotiate a better price is at the end of a month when car dealers need to make their monthly quotas. But did you know you can drive home a great deal early in the week, especially during the morning? At that time, the dealerships aren't overflowing with shoppers like they are on the weekend, so you'll get more personalized attention. Plus, salespeople are more likely to negotiate when they don't have three or four other buyers waiting in the wings to pay full price.

Gas: We've all seen gas prices jump as travel weekends approach. It's a common occurrence...but it can be avoided. Whether you're planning to travel or not, the best time to top-off your tank is early Thursday morning. Then, watch the prices rise and calculate your savings!

Toys: The winter holiday season is a no-brainer for toy sales. But you can also save some serious dollars at the end of summer. Think about it...department stores only have so much room to store their merchandise. And by the end of the summer, they're starting to stock up for the big holiday push...which means they have to get rid of their current inventory of fun. So for savings of 60 percent off and more, try toy shopping as summer winds down in August.

Clothing: By the time the weekend rolls around, just about every dressing room is filled...and the best deals have been picked over already. Why? It's simple. With the large number of special promotions to be marked and shelves to be stocked, most clothing stores get started early. And savvy shoppers, like you, can get the best deals and the best selection by Thursday evenings. As an added bonus, the stores, dressing rooms, and checkout lines aren't nearly as crowded--so you save on stress too!