Fewer Canadians plan to make home renovations this year compared with last year, according to an annual survey by the Bank of Montreal released Monday.

BMO said 51% of Canadians polled had home upgrade plans for 2012, a decrease of 11 percentage points from 62% in 2011.

The bank said the drop is likely due to Canadians being cautious about household debt.

“The scaled-back plans for home renovations likely reflect increased caution on the part of households as they continue to reduce discretionary spending to rein in debt,” said Sal Guatieri, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets, in a statement.

The survey also found that those planning to make home improvements are focusing on renovations with the greatest return on investment, such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades.

In partnership with HGTV.ca, BMO ranked the types of renos by their estimated return on investment.

Painting tops the list, with a return of up to 300 %. Meanwhile, a kitchen or bathroom makeover can garner a return of up to 120%.  Upgrades to windows, doors or outside decks have expected returns of up to 90 %.

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/28/homeowners-focus-on-renovations-with-the-biggest-returns/

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Canadians and 80 per cent of it is preventable. The Mayo Clinic’s new book Healthy Heart for Life! The Mayo Clinic Plan for Preventing and Conquering Heart Disease ($28.95) draws on research and its in house experts to lower your chance of heart disease. This is an excerpt.

Key points to build a healthier diet.

1. Boost your vegetables and fruits.

Your mother was right when she insisted that you eat your broccoli. Vegetables and fruits are the foundation of a healthy diet. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants that may reduce your health risks. Vegetables and fruits are also low in fat and cholesterol.

Most people don’t eat enough vegetables and fruits — in part because these foods seem less convenient, less affordable and not as easy to prepare as many fast foods and processed items. A common complaint is that vegetables taste bland. But you don’t have to enjoy every kind of vegetable and fruit — just find the ones you like and eat those.

Buy vegetables and fruits that require little preparation, such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, grapes, bananas and apples. Frozen varieties also come in handy as a quick addition to meals. Keep a bowl of fruit handy for easy snacking. Because of processing, fruit juice and dried fruits, such as raisins and pruned, can be a concentrated source of calories — eat them sparingly.

2. Eat breakfast…and eat it right.

Eating a healthy breakfast is one of the best ways to ensure that you have a varied, balanced and moderate diet. When you eat breakfast, you’re more likely to get the vitamins, minerals and fibre you need for good health. Breakfast helps you control weight, reduce fat intake and lower cholesterol. You also may find that eating breakfast improves your concentration and productivity during the day.

3. Go for the grains. Grains, especially whole grains, are an essential part of healthy grains, are an essential part of a healthy diet. All types of grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates and key vitamins and minerals. Grains are also naturally low in fat. Better yet, they’ve been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

When choosing grain products, look for the word whole on the packaging. Whole grains still contain the bran and germ, which are sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals. The refining process for flour strips out the bran and germ. And just because the word wheat appears on the packaging doesn’t mean it’s a whole grain.

Whole grains include whole-wheat bread, pasta and crackers, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, kasha, and popcorn.

4. Focus on fats. Of all the changes that can make your diet heart healthy, reducing the amount of saturated fat and trans fat — think solid fats such as butter, margarine and shortening — in the food you eat may have the greatest impact. These fats raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.

You shouldn’t try to eliminate all fat from your diet — you need for good health. But certain types of fat are better than others. Choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive, peanut and canola oils, or polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts and seeds. Just remember that all fats, good and bad, are high in calories.

Foods from animal sources — meat, poultry, eggs, butter, cheese and whole milk — are major sources of cholesterol. The cholesterol in eggs is found in the yolks, not the whites.

5. Be lean with protein. Good sources of protein include lean meat, poultry and low-fat products. But legumes — beans, peas and lentils — are good sources of protein and can be substituted for meat. They contain little fat and no cholesterol and are high in fibre.

If you really want to boost your heart health, eat more fish. The omega-3 fatty acids found in many types of fish, including salmon, mackerel, herring and trout, appear to reduce the risk of dying of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week.

Many varieties of nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pecans, contain omega-s fatty acids and can help lower cholesterol. But nuts are also high in calories — so a small handful is plenty.

http://www.thestar.com/living/health/article/1180976--5-keys-to-a-healthy-diet-and-healthy-heart

The latest census data shows that Canada's population is showing its age, but how will that change what our country looks like in the future?

Using projections by demographers, this age pyramid shows what our country's age makeup may look like in fifty years. By using the slider, you can compare the age breakdown of today to past and future years, from 1971 to 2061:

Canada's age pyramid
Population projections by age and sex, 1971-2061

Future population estimates are based on Statistics Canada's medium-growth projections, which assume a national fertility rate of 1.7 children per woman, an immigration rate of 7.5 per thousand and an increasing life expectancy over the projection period.

Figures rounded to thousands.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/census-2011-canada-age-pyramid-shows-country-may-143404749.html

Canada's largest town is about to become Canada's newest city.

Markham councillors have voted to change the name from Town of Markham to City of Markham.

With a population of 310,000 it is already Canada's 16th largest municipality, yet it has always clung to the old designation as a town.

Last month Coun. Alex Chiu brought forward a motion to change the name.

"They always address us as a city, so I say might as well," said Chiu.

The municipality, just north of Toronto, is in the midst of a condo construction boom.

City councillors even voted recently to approve the building of a new arena that many think could eventually become the home of an NHL franchise.

"Why would you call yourself a little boy when you're a man?" asked local businesswoman Daisy Wai. She says rebranding Markham as a city would clear up a lot of confusion.

"It does affect how people see you," she said. "It does affect businesses coming in. It does affect investors."

But not everyone is convinced of the need for change.

"We don't see the benefit. We're not being told the cost," said Gord Walter who represents local ratepayers who don't want to drop the word 'town' from Markham's name.

But in the end local councillors voted unanimously to make the change.

The Town of Markham becomes the City of Markham on July 1.

Outdoor Safety for Kids

The Phoenix real estate market is suddenly experiencing something it hasn’t seen in years: Bidding wars.

Ms. Porter said she recently took two clients from Vancouver to look at a 70-lot housing development in Goodyear, a community outside Phoenix.

“It was all dirt, there were maybe two homes built,” Ms. Porter recalled. “We walked into the presentation centre and everything but two lots were sold out.”

The housing market is showing signs of life across the U.S., with existing home sales and the median price up about 10 per cent year-over-year, hitting levels not seen since the summer of 2010. Sales and prices have been rising steadily for months, proof that the long-suffering real estate sector may have finally turned the corner. Buyers are returning thanks to an improved employment picture, record-low mortgage rates and near-bottom prices.

Housing is a critical component to the U.S. economy and improvements in the sector usually lead to a boost in consumer confidence, employment and spending. All of which is good news for the Canadian economy, as well.

The real impact of the recovery can be seen in places like Phoenix, Miami and southern California, which were among the hardest hit during the recession. The supply of homes for sale has dropped in all three locations as banks move quickly to unload troubled properties, often through “short sales” where mortgage holders get permission from lenders to sell their property for less than the amount owed. Banks often prefer short sales to foreclosures because they are a faster way to deal with borrowers.

In Miami, the median price is up 15 per cent from a year ago and the occupancy rates in downtown condominiums is 94 per cent. Southern California has a four-month supply of homes for sale, roughly two months less than what is considered a healthy market, and foreclosure sales have reached a four-year low.

Phoenix offers some of the most dramatic evidence of the turnaround. This is a city where house prices fell by up to 50 per cent during the recession and people walked away from their homes in droves, leaving vast stretches of empty neighbourhoods. Today the number of homes listed for sale has dropped by 64 per cent in the last year and foreclosures have fallen by 20 per cent. The market has tightened up so much that prices are jumping 5 per cent each month and buyers are competing fiercely for just about anything that’s available.

“We’ve now got a fully fledged buying frenzy going on while people try to buy something before they miss the boat,” said Michael Orr, director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at Arizona State University.

Last week there were roughly 12,000 homes listed for sale across the city. That compared to more than 50,000 around the same time last year.

Despite the current boom, the market still has a long way to go. The median price is now about $135,000 (U.S.). That’s still well below the peak in 2006, when it reached $265,000, and it puts prices at about the same level as in 2000. And although the number of existing homes sold in April across the country rose to an annualized rate of 4.6 million, economists say a healthy U.S. housing market would see almost 6 million sales of existing homes a year.

Much of the activity is also being driven by outsiders, many from Canada, eager to snap up investments. In Phoenix, the number of “investor flips,” people who buy houses and then re-sell them quickly for a profit, has increased 31 per cent year-over-year, according to Mr. Orr.

But with prices rising quickly, good deals are harder to find. Three years ago, dozens of investors lined the steps of the courthouse in downtown Phoenix to bid on foreclosed properties, many going for well below $100,000. This week only a handful of bidders showed up for the auction and just four houses sold.

“The days of getting a property under $125,000 are slim to nil,” said Diane Olson, a real estate agent who caters largely to Canadians.

The question for many agents like Justin Lombard is whether this is a blip or a real recovery. He is cautiously optimistic.

“We’ve seen such steady progress in the way of inventory absorption that I’d be really surprised if we took a big backward step,” he said. “We hit bottom a long time ago. It’s just that a lot of people didn’t realize it because our bottom was so bad.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-news/us/phoenixs-housing-market-rises-from-the-ashes/article2444773/

Stress is a part of life, a normal response to demands either emotional, intellectual, or physical. It can be positive if it keeps us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. It can be negative if it becomes chronic, increasing the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems. 

Managing stress is key to your health. And it isn't so very difficult to do.

How Does Stress Affect Health?

The body's autonomic nervous system has a built-in stress response that causes physiological changes to allow the body to combat stressful situations. This stress response, also known as the "fight or flight response," is activated in case of an emergency. However, this response can become chronically activated during prolonged periods of stress, which can cause wear and tear on the body -- both physical and emotional.

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress -- a negative stress reaction. Distress can disturb the body's internal balance or equilibrium, leading to physical symptoms such as headaches, an upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, sexual dysfunction, and problems sleeping. Emotional problems can also result from distress. These problems includedepression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and worry. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases. Stress is linked to six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.

Stress also becomes harmful when people engage in the compulsive use of substances or behaviors to try to relieve their stress. These substances or behaviors may include food, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, sex, shopping, and the Internet. Rather than relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances and compulsive behaviors tend to keep the body in a stressed state causing more problems. The distressed person becomes trapped in a vicious circle.

What Are the Warning Signs of Stress?

Chronic stress can wear down the body's natural defenses, leading to a variety of physical symptoms, including:

• Dizziness or a general feeling of "being out of it"
• General aches and pains
• Grinding teeth, clenched jaw
• Headaches
• Indigestion or acid reflux symptoms
• Increase in or loss of appetite
• Muscle tension in neck, face or shoulders
• Problems sleeping
• Racing heart
• Cold and sweaty palms
• Tiredness, exhaustion
• Trembling/shaking
• Weight gain or loss
• Upset stomach, diarrhea
• Sexual difficulties
• Irritability, impatience, forgetfulness

 

Tips for Reducing Stress

People can learn to manage stress and lead happier, healthier lives. Here are some tips to help you keep stress at bay:

• Keep a positive attitude.
• Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
• Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
• Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi.
• Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
• Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
• Learn to manage your time more effectively.
• Set limits appropriately and say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
• Make time for hobbies and interests.
• Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
• Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or food to reduce stress. Ease up on caffeine, too.
• Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you love.
• Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn more healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life
• http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tips-to-control-stress

Recent findings about the gut-brain link are giving new meaning to the phrase you are what you eat.

 

By Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Winter driving can be tough on cars, with its icy roads and salt buildup. But summer has its hazards, too. The heat stresses the engine, wears down the tires and makes the car work harder to keep everything cool.

Here are five steps to help your car make it through the summer.

1. Be kind to your engine.

Your engine gets hot very quickly in the summer. You can save a lot of trouble — and expense — by doing some routine checks to make sure it stays lubricated and cooled. Check the oil level and make sure the oil looks clean. If it doesn't, get an oil change. Sears will change it for less than $20. Also look for cracks in the hoses, which pump coolant from the radiator to the engine block.

2. Replace your fluids.

Many drivers don't think about fluids beyond their motor oil. But your car also has coolant for the engine in the radiator, and fluids for the transmission and brakes.

They're critical for keeping parts lubricated and preventing your engine from overheating. Over time, all of them lose their effectiveness and get dirty, with little metal parts floating in the liquid.

"Coolant starts to eat everything. It becomes like an acid," says Hisham Ebrahim, a mechanic at Fawzi's Westgate Auto Repair in Ann Arbor, Mich. Both low fluid levels and old fluid can damage the parts in your car.

If you follow your car's maintenance schedule, you shouldn't have to worry about fluid levels, which are often checked and replaced around 60,000 miles.

Ebrahim says it costs about $200 to $300 to flush out and replace all the fluids. That can be far less expensive than the alternative: An overheated engine or blown transmission.

3. Replace your windshield wipers.

Don't wait until you're caught in a summer downpour to find out your wipers aren't working well. Winter can take a toll on wipers, and it's a $25 fix to replace them. You can also get wiper refills — which just replace the worn rubber — for half the cost of new blades.

4. Switch out your tires and check the tread.

If you have winter tires, change them. The compounds used in winter tires are softer, which helps them grip better in ice and snow. But they also wear down more quickly in summer heat. You need plenty of tread in the summer, when sudden showers create slippery roads.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association suggests several ways to check the tread. Tires have built-in "wear bars," or narrow strips of rubber across the tires that appear when the tread is worn down to one-sixteenth of an inch. If you can see wear bars, your tires need to be replaced.

You can also use the old penny trick: Stick a penny in the tread. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, it's time to replace the tire.

Consider a tire rotation in the summer to make sure all your tires are getting equal wear. Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 10,000 miles, according to vehicle information site Edmunds.com. That can cost around $50, but prices vary widely.

5. Check your tire pressure.

Overinflated tires have less traction on rainy streets, while underinflated tires can bulge out, putting pressure on the sidewalls and making the tires more vulnerable to blowouts on hot roads. Check your tire pressure before you start driving, and make sure you're meeting the manufacturer's recommended level. You can buy a tire gauge for $5 or less, or a digital tire pressure gauge for $25, and keep it in the glove compartment.