Good Eats

One of the toughest parts about eating healthy is the fact that it is extremely difficult to know what the nutritional value is of the foods we prepare and buy. SparkPeople has just introduced a valuable service in SparkRecipes. You can browse member recipes for healthy snacks and meals, or type in a recipe of your own in the Recipe Calculator and find out the fat, cholesterol, sodium and other information. It's really quite something.

www.sparkrecipes.com

The Taxman Returneth (Your Money)

CNNMoney.com has a simple, but good list of constructive uses for you income tax refund. It would probably be better to save the money than to go on vacation to Las Vegas.

401(k) to IRA?

"In general, I think people are better off rolling their 401(k) money into an IRA when leaving a former employer. For one thing, you can open an IRA rollover at virtually any mutual fund or brokerage firm. That gives you access to a lot more investment options than you get in a 401(k)
lineup."

-Walter Updegrave, Senior Editor at Money Magazine

Read the entire article here on CNNMoney.com. This is of particular interest to me as I have just been asked by my former employer to roll over my 401(k) and I'd like to oblige.

Mmm, Chocolate

This chart is from a SparkPeople.com article. It gets a little political, but the idea is that, given all of the good press chocolate has received, there are still some important considerations to be made.

Good for Your Health	Leave it on the Shelf
"70% Dark Chocolate"	"Milk chocolate"
Cocoa butter	Partially hydrogenated oil
Cocoa liquor	Natural or artificial color
Sugar or cane juice	Corn syrup
Dairy-free	Milk, milk fat, or lactose
Cocoa powder	Dutch processed or Alkalized
Thick, tight wrapper	Thin wrapper or exposed to light
Glossy, dark or smooth texture	Blotchy, streaky or rough texture
Fair Trade and Organic	Conventional (no distinction)

Lucky Number 13

WedMD has "13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life". You should read them, in detail, but here's the list:

1. Eat Breakfast Every Morning
2. Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet
3. Get Enough Sleep
4. Make Social Connections
5. Exercise for Better Health
6. Practice Good Dental Hygiene
7. Take Up a Hobby
8. Protect Your Skin
9. Snack the Healthy Way
10. Drink Water and Eat Dairy
11. Drink Tea
12. Take a Daily Walk
13. Plan