Health Tips Line

Let’s have a moment of real talk, shall we? When you’re shopping for swimsuits , there are probably a few things on your mind. There’s the fit, of course. (Hey, we’ve all got to serve.) Then there’s functionality, so it stays on when you’re swimming, running after your kids or getting pummeled by waves. And finally, there’s style and color—which is largely about this year’s trends and your favorite hues, respectively. Well, there’s another thing that’s probably not on your mind but absolutely should be. The “right” bathing-suit color should go beyond faves and flattering choices. In fact, choosing wisely can increase your safety in the water , something that’s doubly true if you have children, while choosing poorly can do the opposite. How, exactly? And is this more of a factor in pools, lakes or the vast ocean with its rip currents and (gulp!) sharks? To find out, we examined the latest data and talked...

In the new Christopher Nolan movie The Odyssey , soldiers from the Greek island of Ithaca end up trapped in a cave with a terrifying, enormous creature. The blockbuster film loosely follows the legendary poem by Homer, and students of Greek history will recognize the one-eyed giant Cyclops. Odysseus, the Greek king played by Matt Damon, who is trying to make it home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and their son, encounters many strange creatures on his decades-long journey. However, the Cyclops stands out for his size and the frightening scene in which the soldiers slip out of the cave camouflaged as a herd of sheep as the monster sleeps. But how was the creature created? That’s an interesting story all by itself. A puppet and a real actor brought the Cyclops to life According to NBC News, Nolan used a 60-foot puppet to create the Cyclops, whose formal name is Polyphemus in Greek mythology . Actor Bill Irwin, who previously played the robot in Nolan’s Interstellar , br...

Speed limit signs can either fade into the background or startle us to attention, often depending on how fast we might be going. Familiarity plays a role too. We expect to see 25 mph in a quiet residential neighborhood and 55 or 65 mph on a busy highway . But what if you were driving along and saw 8.2 mph, or 14.4? Most speedometers don’t even display tenths of a mile per hour, so how is a driver supposed to follow a rule of the road like that? It sounds ridiculous, and it is a bit uncommon, but speed limits expressed in decimals definitely do exist. To explain what’s going on, Reader’s Digest reached out to Michael Knodler, PhD, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the director of the UMass Transportation Center. Read on to find out the purpose behind these unusual speed limits and whether they might soon appear on a road near you . Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more...

If you’re a pet owner, you probably know how it feels: Cats don’t live long enough. Wouldn’t it be great if they stayed at our side longer? Well, a man in Texas named Jake Perry appears to have discovered the secret to cat longevity. He came up with a special diet for his cats , along with some other quirky tricks we’ll get to in a minute, and two of them lived to be more than 30 years old. Most domestic cats only live to about 13 to 17 years of age, although some can live past 20 with good nutrition. But over 30? It’s almost unheard of. And incredibly, not just one but two of Perry’s cats landed in the Guinness World Records. The oldest cat in the world was named Creme Puff The cat currently holding the Guinness age record was named Creme Puff. She was a mixed tabby born on Aug. 3, 1967, and she lived until Aug. 6, 2005, which made Creme Puff 38 years and three days old when she died. There is some dispute over this title, as there was a Welsh ...

Forget the calendar—there’s only one announcement that truly tells us fall is right around the corner: Starbucks revealing when its pumpkin spice latte is coming back. Since making its debut in 2003, the iconic PSL has become more than just a coffee order. It’s a full-blown seasonal event, kicking off pumpkin everything and cozy sweater vibes, and fans literally count down the minutes to the season’s first sip. Well, the countdown is officially on. Starbucks has announced when the pumpkin spice latte—and the rest of its fan-favorite fall lineup—will return this month. We’re not revealing the date just yet (where’s the fun in that?), but let’s just say your pumpkin cravings won’t have to wait much longer. Keep reading to find out exactly when the PSL returns, what additional fall drinks will be on the menu and which other coffee chains are joining the pumpkin party this fall. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read...

Few artists have balanced music, motherhood and style quite like Ciara. The Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter and dancer has earned 11 Grammy nominations and delivered iconic hits like “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step” and “Level Up.” (She’s also spent two decades setting the bar impossibly high for the rest of us on the dance floor.) Offstage, she’s a devoted mom to four children—Future, Sienna, Win and Amora—and one half of one of Hollywood’s favorite power couples alongside husband Russell Wilson. In an exclusive interview with Reader’s Digest , Ciara opened up about the lessons she’s learned over the course of her two decades in the spotlight—from the confidence that comes with age to the everyday habits that help her feel her best. She also shared details about an exciting new partnership with a well-known off-price retailer, proving you don’t need a luxury budget to have fun with fashion . ...