Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Caffeine Contest: Coffee versus Tea

What is your morning drink of choice? Do you habitually drink coffee or tea? If so, you’re not alone; statistics suggest that roughly 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or another on a daily basis. Caffeine is a plant product found naturally in coffee beans, tea, cocoa and chocolate, and it is an […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Minnelli, Dietetic Intern, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • Sass, C. (2015). Which is Healthier: Coffee or Tea? Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/health/which-is-healthier-coffee-or-tea
  • University of Michigan Student Life, University Health Service. Caffeine. https://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine
  • USDA (2016). 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines: Answers to Your Questions. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines-answers-your-questions
  • USDA (2017). MyPlate, MyWins Tips: Redo Your Coffee Shop Stop. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate-mywins-tips-redo-your-coffee-shop-stop
  • Villanova University Student Life. About Caffeine. https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/studentlife/health/promotion/goto/resources/drugs/caffeine.html

Top 10 Tax Changes for Your 2018 Return

1–Standard deductions go UP Married filing jointly–standard deduction increase to $24,000, up from the $13,000 it would have been under previous law. Single taxpayers or married, filing separately—standard deduction increase to $12,000, up from the $6,500 it would have been for this year prior to the reform. For heads of households, the standard deduction will […]

WRITTEN BY: Donna Green, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County

REVIEWED BY: Candace J. Heer, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://search.creativecommons.org/

SOURCES:

  • https://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T032-C000-S003-traditional-ira-contribution-limits-for-2018.html
  • https://www.fool.com/taxes/2017/12/29/your-complete-guide-to-the-2018-tax-changes.aspx

Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, we are already knee-deep into the holiday season! While these last few weeks of the year can be filled with joy, time away from work, family traditions, and memories with loved ones, it never ceases to be a time accompanied by stress. One common stressor […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Minnelli, Dietetic Intern, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • USDA https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
  • Chieh, Helander & Wansink (2016). Weight Gain over the Holidays in Three Countries. New England Journal of Medicine; 375:1200-1202. Available at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1602012.
  • Turner, T. (2018). Chow Line: Holiday Indulgence in Moderation? https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/chow-line-holiday-indulgence-in-moderation
  • Yanovski et al. (2000). A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. New England Journal of Medicine; 342: 861-867. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336296/

Gratitude? Can it affect overall health?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, gratitude is defined as “a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for what the person has done to help you”.  The holiday season lends itself to expressing gratitude, probably more so than any other time during the year. One regular practice my family engages in over Thanksgiving is going […]

WRITTEN BY: Lorrissa Dunfee, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Belmont County

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County

SOURCES:

  • Definition of "gratitude" - English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/gratitude#dataset-cacd
  • Ducharme, J. (2017, November 20). 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude. Retrieved from http://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/
  • Gratitude Practice Explained. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from http://ei.yale.edu/what-is-gratitude/

Soft Skills Across the Lifespan

Depending on the context, soft skills are also called:  Social Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Life Skills, Job Skills, People Skills, Success Skills, Essential Skills, Executive Function Skills and even Tough Skills. Different settings might have different terms such as Social Emotional Learning in schools and Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. The title of one article summarizes […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, CFLE, Extension Educator, OSU Extension Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Franklin County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • pixabay

SOURCES:

  • Amdurer, E., Boyatzis, R., Saatcioglu, A., Smith, M. & Taylor, S. (2014). Long term impact of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies and GMAT on career and life satisfaction and career success. Frontier Psychology, 5: 1447. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267171/
  • Brandt, B. (2016). Supercharging chaperones: A meeting toolkit for maximizing learning for youth and chaperones. Journal of Extension [online], 54(2). Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2016april/iw4.php
  • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), https://casel.org/
  • Ebner, P. (2017). Preparing students for extension careers and expanding US Extension reach through international service learning. Journal of Extension [online], 55(4), 4FEA2. Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2017august/a2.php
  • Fisher Merkowitz, R. & Earnst, G. (2006) Emotional Intelligence: A pathway to self-understanding and improved leadership capacities. Journal of Extension, 44(4). Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2006august/iw3.php
  • Harvard University, Center on the Developing Child (2018). Activities guide: Enhancing and practicing executive function skills with children from infancy to adolescence. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/
  • Hurrel, S. (2015). Rethinking the soft skills deficit blame game: employers, skills withdrawal and the reporting of soft skills. Human Relations. Vol 69, Issue 3, pp. 605 - 628
  • Kamenetz, A. (2015). Nonacademic skills are key to success. But what should we call them? NPR Ed Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/05/28/404684712/non-academic-skills-are-key-to-success-but-what-should-we-call-them
  • Slov´ak, P., Rowan K., Frauenberger, C., Gilad-Bachrach, R., Doces, M., Smith, B., Kamb, R., & Fitzpatric, G. (2016). Scaffolding the scaffolding: Supporting children-s social-emotional learning at home. AMC Conference Paper. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310822579_Scaffolding_the_scaffolding_Supporting_children-s_social-emotional_learning_at_home
  • Trotta, R. (2015). Tackling the tough skills: A curriculum building skills for work and life. University of Missouri Lincoln University, Outreach & Extension. Retrieved from http://extension.missouri.edu/tough-life-skills/

Mind Your Meals this Holiday Season

With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving just a few days away, many of us are faced with lots of opportunities to eat. Though the many celebrations and festivities of the season can be a great time to catch up with family and friends, these might also tempt us to overindulge. The gatherings and special […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • American Heart Association, Mindful Eating Infographic. Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/mindful-eating-infographic

SOURCES:

  • Nelson, J. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat, Diabetes Spectrum. American Diabetes Association, Retrieved from: http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/171
  • Harvard Health Publishing (2016). 8 steps to mindful eating. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-steps-to-mindful-eating
  • Mindful Eating. Retrieved from: https://smokefree.gov/stay-smokefree-good/eat-healthy/mindful-eating
  • Dugas, Julia (2017). Mindful Eating Checklist: How To Master Mindful Eating, Food Insight. Retrieved from: https://www.foodinsight.org/mindful-eating-checklist-flavors-meditation

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