PopSugar

Increase Your Energy Today and Tomorrow

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:52 -0700

It feels like the dreary weather and shorter days conspire to zap my energy. How about you? You can fight back in the moment and the long term with these five strategies.

View Slideshow ›

D-Mix Energy Elixir: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:00:54 -0700

There's a ton of energy boosting stuff out there - drinks, bars, gels, and chews, to name a few. Now there's D-Mix, an energy elixir that tries to set itself apart by billing itself as the "world's first customizable energy elixir." D-Mix comes in coffee and mint flavors and is a concentrated liquid serum, which, according to the website, you can pump into just about anything. They even provide non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that they think D-Mix will complement.

Each one-ounce bottle of D-Mix contains:

400 mg of energy (caffeine and guarana)
14 vitamins and minerals
5,000 mg of antioxidants
50,000 percent of vitamin B12
21 amino acids
23 fruits and herbs including acai and goji berries

We tried the mixes in our office, first on their own and then in water. Given all the stuff they're made of, I was surprised they weren't too medicinal tasting. Instead, they were similar to children's chewable vitamins, but with a fake-sugar aftertaste that sits on your tongue for a while. I think if diluted enough you'd probably not taste much of the flavor at all.

There's a little chart on the back of the bottle for the amount of liquid you should pump into your drink depending on your weight, but the idea is you can take in as little or as much as you want depending on your needs.

I can see how this product might take off, since the needs of a six-foot-tall bodybuilder are probably different than my own. But the slick marketing campaign and flashy packaging has me wondering if this is bad media hype. Would you use D-Mix?

Do You Rinse Dishes Before Loading the Dishwasher?

SavvySugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:00:28 -0700

It's second nature for me to rinse a dirty dish before placing it in my dishwasher; it's what I was taught to do growing up, and the habit always made sense until I came across a tip from Consumer Reports.

The value focused publication suggests that if saving money and water are household goals, we should do the opposite and resist rinsing. CR estimates that just 10 percent of Americans have stopped prerinsing their dishes. What's your dish ritual?

Are Rejected Melons the Next Form of Renewable Energy?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:03 -0700

A colossal food fight is one way to use up the season's supply of subpar produce. But scientists have discovered another: convert rejected fruits into biofuel. The study, conducted by USDA researchers and published in the journal Biotechnology For Biofuels, found that the 360,000 tons of fruit rejected by US retailers each year could be converted into roughly two million gallons of biofuel. Research team leader Wayne Fish said that 50 percent of the fruit, which is typically left in the fields and not sold due to cosmetic imperfections, is fermentable into ethanol, which can be used as fuel, “We’ve shown that the juice of these melons is a source of readily fermentable sugars, representing a heretofore untapped feedstock for ethanol biofuel production." I'd never considered that fruit could be a viable source of renewable energy - but I find it refreshing (although perhaps not as refreshing as, say, an In-Sandíary).

Are you surprised to hear that watermelon could have potential past the typical Summer barbecue?

Could a Time-of-Use Plan Lower Your Electric Bill?

SavvySugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:30:13 -0700

Energy bills can skyrocket in seasons that demand temperature regulation, namely Winter and Summer. SmartMoney has noticed more electric companies offering time-of-use options for customers who are able to minimize their energy use during certain times of the day.

The plans come with lower rates for off-peak times, usually from midevening to early morning, but the rates are much higher for peak-hours use. SmartMoney uses an Arizona-based SRP to explain how time-of-use-plans typically work: the particular company charges 10.73 cents per kilowatt hour during Summer, but a time-of-use plan would charge 20.03 cents for on-peak hours (1 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays) and 6.30 cents during the rest of the day.

So, if you're someone with a schedule that regularly keeps you out of the house during peak hours, a time-of-use plan might help to lower your electric bill. Give your electric company a call to check on your options.

Are You Careless With Energy Use While Staying in Hotels?

SavvySugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:30:17 -0700

The perpetually clean bathrooms, plush bath towels, fresh sheets, and anytime room service make hotels divinely liberating. There's another element of home life I've noticed some people ditch when they're staying away, and that's flipping off the light switch when they're not in the room.

According to Claire Newell, author of Travel Best Bets, being conscientious about your energy use in your hotel room is a travel rule to live by, just like the middle seat person on a plane getting both armrests. She encourages people to "pack their environmentally friendly habits when they travel," meaning turning off the lights and not taking longer showers than you would at home.

Source

6 Ways to Cut Back on Utilities and Household Costs

SavvySugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:24 -0700

Running a household isn't cheap. Whether you're a renter or an owner, you have a collection of other costs - from insurance, utilities, and groceries to cleaning and repair fees. Most SavvySugar readers dish out a minimum of $100 per month on utilities alone. If you are looking for ways to reduce all the dolla dolla bills going out the door, check out some of my household cost-cutting suggestions.

Trade Magazines, DVDs, and Books With Your Friends	Never Home? Consider Stopping Internet, Phone, or Cable	Take Stock of Your In-Home Media Memberships
A Cheaper Way to Clean Your Home	Five Energy Saving Ideas For Renters and Owners	Unplug When You Don't Need Power

6 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0700

If your busy life is leaving you feeling depleted, I have these six ways to boost your energy. Make sure that you are getting adequate sleep - seven to eight hours a night. Then start this slideshow to learn more ways to stay energized.

Source

View Slideshow ›

Protesting the Weather: Climate Change Activists Storm Capitol

LibertySugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:01:03 -0800

Activists braved the cold and snow yesterday to participate in Capitol Climate Action Day. The day of civil disobedience focused on getting the capitol's power plant to ditch coal for natural gas. Participants cut off access to the plant's entrances and refused to leave when asked. The group followed action guidelines, which included a ban on violence and damage to property.

NASA's chief climate scientist Dr. James Hansen took some heat for encouraging the act of civil disobedience. The scientist, who claimed the Bush administration muzzled him, thinks:

We need to send a message to Congress and the president that we want them to take the actions that are needed to preserve climate for young people and future generations and all life on the planet.

DC's nonvoting congressperson Eleanor Holmes Norton also supports the cause. She says the plant has "poisoned untold numbers of people who live in the District of Columbia." Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked the Architect of the Capitol, which oversees the plant, to switch it to natural gas. Maybe the protesters will get what they asked for.

To see more photos of the protest, read more.

View 9 Photos ›

Source

The Coen Brothers Take on Dirty Clean Coal

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:38:02 -0800

Academy Award-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen are taking on the oxymoron that is "clean coal." The brothers directed the spot for the Reality Campaign to "call out the coal industry on their dirty lies." The group wants to spread the message that "clean" coal is like a healthy cigarette, while also pointing out that no clean coal plant actually exists in the US.

While the Coen brothers work on the powerful PR message against clean coal, President Obama gave it a shout-out in his speech to Congress this week, calling it an environmentally friendly, and cost-effective energy source. Maybe Obama was swayed by the American Coalition For Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), which spent millions of coal industry money in advertising last year to promote clean coal.