Are Dog People Healthier Than Cat People?

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:30:00 PDT

It seems so. I am not trying to make all you cat people (sorry Giggle) feel bad about your chosen companions, but a recent finding out of Queen's University in Belfast has found that when it comes to health, dog owners take the cake.

Dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems. This is in part due to increases in physical activity (walks) but also since owning a dog can aid in the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health indirectly.

Although their smiles could have been due to an animal of another kind, the dogs definitely brought a few social celebs, such as Hilary Duff, together recently at the Much Love Animal Rescue Benefit at the Playboy mansion.

Don't give up on your feline companion just yet though -- Pet owners in general tended to be healthier than the average member of the population.

For more pics of celebs such as Tori Spelling, looking happy and healthy with these adorable pups, just

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Easy Ways to Get More From Your Food Budget

LearnVest — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:48 PDT

Go the extra mile with your food budget with these tips from LearnVest.

For years, many people - my husband, mom, sister and even my son - told me to stop wasting so much food.

Throwing away half a piece of chicken here or a handful of grapes there never seemed like such a big deal to me. If I was full or no longer in the mood for that particular food, then I had no problem tossing it.

That is, until I experienced a bad case of sticker shock during a recent trip to the supermarket. The cost of bread, eggs, fish - basically everything I was purchasing - had increased. And, according to the USDA, we can expect prices to rise even higher this year.

As I forked over my money and left with only a handful of bags, I realized just how important it is for me to pay more attention to what I spend on food . . . and to confront how much of it I shove down the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one with wasteful ways. In 2010, 33 million tons of food was thrown away, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Obviously, wasted food means wasted money, but figuring out how to make your grocery budget go further can be a challenge.

To keep more food in your fridge (and more money in your pocket), try these expert tips.

1. Ward Against Freezer Burn

Those large bags or packages of frozen veggies or meat come in handy when you have a large family, but "each time you open a bag of frozen food, air gets in and will cause freezer burn within two to three weeks," says consumer saving expert Andrea Woroch. Freezer burn will dry out the meat and make it less tasty. Woroch suggests going small.

Read on for more.