LilSugar

Does Red Dye No. 40 Cause Behavioral Outbursts in Children?

LilSugar — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:00:00 PST

You are what you eat and so the saying goes, but a group of parents believe that the food coloring their children digest affects their behavior. Commonly found in processed foods like Twizzlers, Doritos and Twinkies as well as baked goods, red dye no. 40 is to blame for aggressive outbursts in kids according to some moms and dads. The FDA maintains that the dye is safe for consumption. What's your opinion?

Jenny Packham Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:13 PST

A smoky backdrop and a slinky red gown set the stage for Jenny Packham's '40s-inspired collection of sequined, curve-conscious evening wear. Once the mellow jazz kicked in, Packham's perfectly coiffed film noir girls hit the catwalk in a bevvy of the designer's era-infused shorter frocks - all with bow-tied red or black belts - hitting that pitch-perfect styling note between pretty and sexy. There are the softer confections in pretty pastel pink and blue - the gowns we suspect Packham fan Kate Middleton will gravitate toward - but the bulk of the collection is devoted to the more vixen-like beauty in body-clinging detail, plunging necklines, and open backs. There's an underlying sense of sex appeal and a definitively glam finish with every piece, thanks to intricate shoulder embellishment, a subtle flash of skin, or a pretty dose of sparkle.

Trends: '40s glamour, cutouts, shoulder embellishment.
Colors: Black, red, nude, silver, pastel pink and blue.
Key Piece: We fell hard for the slinky gold-sequined gown.
Accessories: Crisscross black Louboutin pumps; red and black belts.
Who Would Wear It: Kate Middleton; red-carpet beauties with an eye for sexy silhouettes and pretty detail.

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2012

FabSugar — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:01:39 PST

If there were any Oscar nominees in the house tonight, they're likely putting in their requests for dresses as we speak. Monique Lhuillier's Fall collection was filled with the kind of full-on dramatic glamour the designer's become known for - the kind that would light up any red carpet. This season, Lhuillier hones in on her craft with a dark, sexy tilt. Cutouts, black and red lace, and edgier leather accents gave Monique's girl a vixen-esque quality, albeit one with a hint of the retro-inspired. Models hit the catwalk with slicked waves and red lips to further the '40s feel; we get a sense of the era's sultry side and a touch of the fashion forward in leather bands and angular sheer insets and cutouts. She marries both classic glamour and a modern sophistication effortlessly in every piece. It's one gorgeous design after the other - a rich palette and a wash of embellishment, lace, or a thigh-high slit to amp up every showstopper. But even when the show closes there's a sense that it still isn't finished - part two will be seeing our A-listers take the looks to the red carpet.

Trends: Lace, leather, sequin embellishment.
Colors: Red, black, and gold.
Key Piece: The black, white, and red lace gown; the gold sequin-embellished pieces.
Accessories: Wide leather belts at the waist, ankle-strap pointed-toe Manolo Blahnik heels.
Who Would Wear It: You'll see it all over the red carpet.

Jason Wu Fall 2012

Chi Diem Chau — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:20:49 PST

It was chinoiserie-chic and brocade abound at Jason Wu's impressive Fall 2012 show. The designer paid homage to his native Taiwan - the show kicked off with the opening of two dramatic red doors and the burst of a gong - breaking down his collection into three distinct themes: Mao military, Qing Dynasty, and the '30s and '40s Hollywood version of China. For his military category, Wu showed a sleek selection of Mao military jackets punctuated with luxe details like fur and quilting. The Qing Dynasty was all about sharp-shouldered sheath dresses, inspired by the traditional Chinese cheongsam dresses. Wu played up the nonauthenticity of Hollywood's depiction of China in the olden days, adding over-the-top embellishments and even quirky tasseled hats to his undeniably gorgeous array of high-slit gowns paired with sexy black and gold studded sandals.

Trends: Military, ornate Asian embroidery, tassels, brocade.
Colors: Army green, red, hot pink, black, burgundy.
Key Piece: Wu's Mao military theme set, particularly the Mao jackets and shirts, showed perfect tailoring and detailed work.
Accessories: Black and gold studded sandals, wide belts, tassel earrings, quirky tassel hats.
Who Would Wear It: Dresses will be worn by red-carpet beauties like Blake Lively, while sporty separates will dominate style setters like Amanda Brooks.

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

Beyoncé Knowles Wears Sequins For Jay-Z's Second NYC Show

Lauren Turner — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:53:30 PST

Beyoncé Knowles was back out in NYC this evening to catch the second night of Jay-Z's Carnegie Hall charity concert series. She shared pictures on her website of her sparkly Monique Lhuillier dress, Chanel purse, and Lorraine Schwartz jewels, which she accented with blue nail polish. Beyoncé's nail color and huge ring in the same hue seem to be in honor of her baby daughter, Blue Ivy. She gave birth to Blue one month ago and stepped out for the first time just yesterday. Beyoncé wore red to attend Jay-Z's first show, and the couple celebrated the big event with an afterparty at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club.

COCOCOZY's Gardenia-Scented Candle Arrives Just in Time for Valentine's Day!

Angela Swinderman Elias — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:00:56 PST

We know her as Coco, the voice behind the delightful design blog and shop, COCOCOZY. Aside from offering an incredibly chic assortment of textiles, bedding, pillows, and vintage finds, the COCOCOZY shop offers fragrant, all-natural, biodegradable soy wax candles in three scents: beach, citrus, and flower. Hand poured in the US, the candles are placed in frosted recyclable glass vessels and contain a lead free cotton wick, which boosts their ecological appeal.

If you're searching for a simple and sweet Valentine's Day gift for your mom, sis, or best friend, the gardenia-scented floral candle is available in a limited edition version just for the holiday! Red and white replaces the classic black and white packaging for this special version. Coco just sent one to our office, and after taking it home and burning it for 30 minutes, the intoxicating scent of heady gardenia has infused my entire apartment. And retailing for just over $40, I'm thinking I might need to treat someone else besides my husband this Valentine's Day.

9 Popular Tax Breaks You Can No Longer Count on in 2012

Kiplinger — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

You’ll face a higher tax bill next spring if Congress doesn’t act to revive a series of tax breaks that expired Dec. 31, 2011. Among the breaks that Congress didn’t extend in all the Sturm und Drang over the payroll tax holiday are:

Alternative minimum tax patch

The AMT is a parallel tax system created more than 40 years ago to prevent excessive use of tax breaks by the very wealthy, ensuring they pay at least some tax. Taxpayers whose income exceeds the AMT exemption – in 2011, $48,450 for individuals and $74,450 for married couples filing jointly - must calculate both regular tax and AMT liability and pay the larger of the two amounts. But exemption levels have, at least tentatively, dropped to $33,750 for individuals and $45,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2012, which will expose 31 million taxpayers to the higher AMT this year, according to Tax Policy Center estimates.

Higher mass transportation benefit

This one's of particular interest to strap-hangers, van-riders, and other users of public transit. A 2009 federal stimulus provision raised the maximum an employee could receive for transit, tax-free, from $120 to $230. That matched the tax-free limit for parking. With the expiration of this break, the maximum for 2012 dropped to $125. Employees who’ve asked to have an amount higher than that withheld from their paycheck to cover their total commuting costs will see their net pay come down, as the difference is now taxed.

Read on for more.

How Celeb Trainer Gunnar Peterson Keeps Sofia Looking Hot

Leta Shy — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:49:57 PST

Modern Family star Sofia Vergara is known both on and off the red carpet for her enviable figure, and award season is definitely a time when the actress can shine. Between her glamorous gowns and camera-ready makeup, Sofia always looks the part. But the self-described gym hater also works hard to keep fit. We spoke to her trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients have also included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie), to learn more about how Sofia gets award-season ready. Read his tips below.

Make it fun: How does Gunnar keep his celebrity clients sticking to their routine? "I try to keep it fun. I try and put a little bit of levity in it, but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice the work. We may goof around and stuff, but we’re definitely going to goof around while we’re working." A boring workout is one you won't want to stick to, so read our tips on how to keep a workout fun.

Whole-body workout: Gunnar doesn't like to waste time with isolated moves. Burn more calories and work more of your body at the same time instead. "I don’t do that many isolation movements, like single joint stuff," Gunnar says. "I do bigger movements. If we’re going to do a lunge, we’re probably going to add an upper body component to it, like a lunge with a wood chop, a side lunge with a wood chop, or a rear lunge with a lateral raise, or a forward lunge with a front raise." Try it yourself: incorporate this medicine ball wood chop the next time you do lunges, and check out Gunnar's cutting-edge double-duty gym equipment here.

Read on for more tips from celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.