by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Lifestyle, Los Angeles Times, Mental Health
The prepper movement, while not mainstream, is no longer just the province of outliers holed up in doomsday bunkers. (Wolfgang Kumm / picture-alliance / dpa) ‘I wouldn’t call myself a survivalist, just a realist,” says “Craig,” a...
by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Fitness & Nutrition, Food, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Parenting
Eighteen months ago, Alex Levy, then 19, fell while rock-climbing, injuring his foot. He was midway through freshman year at college in California. Levy loved to hike, cycle and run. He played Ultimate Frisbee on a school team. The foot injury didn’t only snap...
by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Fitness & Nutrition, Food, Lifestyle, Los Angeles Times
A couple of pounds here, a few more there. Weight gain for Matt Baretich, a biomedical engineer in Loveland, Colo., was insidious but steady. By his early 60s, he weighed 300 pounds. “As I approached that number, I was aghast and began to stagger back from the...
by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Lifestyle
When the wedding guest list is done, venue chosen and ceremony planned, one touchy task remains: assigning seats for the reception meal. Don’t wait until crunch time to begin, wedding planners say. And don’t throw up your hands and not do it at all....
by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Relationships
Job interview? Sales pitch? Big date? How you see the situation can affect how it goes. Psychologists know that when you change how you perceive a challenging situation, how you present it to yourself, your performance can improve. No need to feed yourself pep talk or...
by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy | Feb 27, 2019 | Chicago Tribune, Lifestyle, Parenting
Most parents read to their children daily. Make science part of everyday life, too, says Asia Citro, former science teacher and author of “The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8” (The Innovation Press). Science...
