By properly maintaining vehicles and changing wasteful driving habits, Hoosier motorists can take some of the heat off their fuel expenses, said a Purdue University Extension family resource management specialist.

“There isn’t a lot you can do about the price at the pump, but there are many things you can do to stretch the dollars you’re spending to put gas in your car,” said Elizabeth Kiss. “The savings can be rather substantial.”

Vehicle maintenance is important, Kiss said. A car in tip-top running shape can increase gas mileage by 17 percent or more.

“Keeping tires inflated, rotated and aligned can extend gas mileage by up to 3 percent, while a properly tuned engine can increase fuel efficiency by about another 4 percent,” she said. “A dirty air filter can cut fuel efficiency by 10 percent, so you’ll want to check it regularly and replace it when necessary.”

Changing the oil according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations can add to fuel economy, Kiss said.

“How we drive also affects the amount of gas we use,” Kiss said.

“We’ve all heard it before, but it makes sense to combine trips. If you have errands to run, don’t do a few one day and then some others the next day. Plan one trip where you can get them all done.”

Allowing a vehicle to idle burns gas unnecessarily, Kiss said.

“If you’re stopped for more than 30 seconds it makes sense to turn the car off,” she said. “Idling uses more gas than restarting an engine.

“For example, you might turn the car off if you’re sitting at a drive-up automatic teller machine or waiting at a railroad crossing.”

Avoiding “jackrabbit” starts and stops also increases gas mileage when driving in the city, Kiss said.

For highway trips and vacation driving, traveling lighter saves fuel.

“The Federal Trade Commission says that carrying an extra hundred pounds of weight in the trunk can cut fuel economy by up to 2 percent,” Kiss said. “You also can lose fuel mileage if you strap bags and other items to roof racks because of the wind resistance that is created.”

Kiss offers other fuel-saving highway driving tips:

• Don’t roll the windows down. “You can consume 10 percent less fuel if you leave the windows up and turn on the air conditioner. Like roof racks, traveling with the windows down increases drag. Now for in-town driving, rolling the windows down does not produce a drag problem.”
• Use cruise control. “You’re less likely to increase your speed, which uses more gas.”
• Obey the posted speed limits. Gas mileage drops at speeds above 60 mph.

Driving fewer miles can pay off in more ways than just fuel costs, Kiss said. “You might see your auto insurance rates drop and pay less to park,” she said.

For additional fuel saving ideas, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s “Saving Money at the Gas Pump: A Bumper-to-Bumper Guide,” at http://www.ftc.gov/SaveGas. For information on general family resource management, visit the Purdue Extension Consumer and Family Sciences Web site at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/cfs/.

In Related News:

• Gas prices rising but shouldn’t top $3/gallon
• Go green on St. Patrick’s Day with green energy program
• Keeping car in top shape save at the pump, improves fuel efficiency
• Gas prices, economy may shorten summer trips
• Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month advice for lactose intolerant, dieters on getting enough calcium

News via Lafayette Indiana Online

Little changes can mean gas savings down the road

“I’m lactose intolerant, but I’m also at an increased risk for osteoporotic fractures not only because I completely stopped consuming dairy at age 12, but also because of scoliosis because it causes uneven pressure on the vertebrae,” says Carolyn Shelby, a contributor to the Spine-health.com Blog. “All of the information I see in the media focuses on prevention through drinking more milk, and I just cannot drink milk… or eat most cheeses… or have ice cream. Even though I can’t consume dairy in the quantities I should, I still want to prevent bone loss and I want to avoid becoming C-shaped.”

In addition to people who are lactose intolerant, many dieters are choosing to cut back on dairy because it adds extra calories and fat to meals. Dieters, especially those who increase their intake of protein (specifically meat) to replace carbohydrates, are risking more than not consuming enough calcium; their high protein diet actually prevents the absorption of calcium, so what they do consume isn’t doing as much good as it could.

Spine-Health.com offers the following tips for people who want to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis, but are unable or unwilling to increase the amount of dairy products in their diet:

1. Stop drinking soda or pop. High phosphate levels in the blood (which can be caused by consuming large quantities of pop) leach calcium from your bones and prevent the absorption of new calcium.
2. Get enough Vitamin D. Calcium is absorbed by the body and used only when there is enough vitamin D in your system. A balanced diet should provide an adequate supply of vitamin D from sources such as eggs and liver. Sunlight also helps the body naturally absorb vitamin D, and with enough exposure to the sun, additional food sources may not be necessary.
3. Eat your beans (baked). One cup of baked beans has 154mg calcium (remember the target is 1,200mgs/day).
4. Canned Salmon. Three ounces of canned salmon contain 181mg calcium. Salmon also is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Calcium fortified foods. Many foods are now calcium-fortified. You can find calcium fortified soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, orange juice, cranberry juice, breakfast cereals, breakfast bars at almost every grocery store.
   • An 8oz glass of calcium-fortified orange juice provides about 300mg of calcium – which is about the same as a single serving of milk.
   • One cup of calcium fortified soy milk has nearly 300mgs of calcium and can be used over calcium fortified cereal — two great sources of calcium in one meal.
6. Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast. One cup of oatmeal not only provides 100–150mg of calcium, it is also a versatile add-in to many other foods and can be used to increase the calcium quotient in breakfast cereal, added to yogurt, or even mixed in with favorite baking recipes.
7. Eat spinach, broccoli and dark green leafy vegetables. Kale, parsley, broccoli, spinach and other dark green leafy veggies each provide about 100mgs of calcium per serving. In addition to just making an effort to eat your greens, you can also try substituting raw spinach for iceberg lettuce on your sandwiches and in your salads.
8. Eat Nuts. Almonds and brazils nuts contain about 100mgs of calcium per serving and are both recommended snacks for people on low carb diets.
9. Drink your latte. A Starbucks Grande latte provides almost half the daily calcium needs. Lactose intolerant coffee lovers can have their lattes made w/ soy instead of cow milk.
10. Take an Over-the-Counter Calcium Supplement. You can add a calcium supplement like Os-Cal® or even Tums® to your daily routine to make up the calcium gap. Word of caution… Just because a single Tums has 200mgs of calcium doesn’t mean you can take 5 a day to meet your RDA. It is ultimately and primarily an antacid, not a calcium supplement, and as such it can have a detrimental effect on your digestive system if taken long term.

In Related News:

• Estrogen supplements not as effective as claimed
• Study reveals higher protein breakfast may help dieters stay on track
• Little changes can mean gas savings down the road
• 3 Tips for Working in Virtual Teams
• Poll shows Advil, Aleve most used for back pain relief

News via Lafayette Indiana Online

Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month advice for lactose intolerant, dieters on getting enough calcium

Michael Beyerlein, a professor and head of the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision, says nearly all companies and organizations use “virtual teams,” which he defines as groups that are working together to achieve a goal, but infrequently or never meet in person and instead rely on electronic communication, such as e-mail or videoconferencing.

“The idea of virtual teams has been studied for the last dozen years or so, so it’s a fairly new concept, but one that affects nearly every worker,” he says. “Expertise is spread out around the globe. To complete a project, you have to go where the people are, and it’s impossible to spend the time and money to bring everyone physically together.

“The alternative is to work in virtual teams, and the key is to be aware of their limitations in order to conduct productive interactions and successful projects.”

Beyerlein is one of the editors of “The Handbook of High Performance Virtual Teams:
A Toolkit for Collaborating Across Boundaries,” published in April by John Wiley & Sons. Other editors are Jill Nemiro, Lori Bradley and Susan Beyerlein.

Beyerlein says one of the largest drawbacks to working virtually is the lack of human interaction.

“Nonverbal signals, such as eye contact, are huge,” he says. “Researchers have estimated that about 90 percent of our communication is nonverbal, so obviously working electronically can create obstacles within a team. However, many of the basic meeting management guidelines can help workers get the most out of their virtual team experience.”

Beyerlein offers tips for those working in a virtual team:

• If possible, conduct the first team meeting in person. “It gives the group a chance to get to know who they will be working with and establish goals and norms for the project,” he says.
• Use meeting facilitators. Beyerlein says each group should have a leader who makes sure everyone on the team has a chance to be heard, helps the group stay on topic and makes sure any technical problems are solved immediately.
• Celebrate the successes virtually. Beyerlein says just as in-person teams celebrate the completion of a project, so should virtual teams. “Send congratulatory e-mails, glue pictures of your team to your computer, or if you can, get together and go out to a restaurant. If you’re working with people from Thailand, for instance, choose a Thai restaurant to recognize and celebrate part of your team’s culture. These are little things, but they can go a long way.”

In Related News:

• Purdue police seek suspect in attempted fraternity house burglary
• Purdue groups to hold memorial service for earthquake victims
• OnePurdue counts down to final Banner release
• Purdue to offer cars, vans for sale
• Purdue University West Lafayette campus events for week of May 27

News via Lafayette Indiana Online

3 Tips for Working in Virtual Teams