Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Did you know that including omega-3s in your daily diet is an easy way to support heart health? In fact, the American Heart Association has recommended the consumption of polyunsaturated fats, specifically omega-3 fatty acids, for good heart health.

“Over the past few years we’ve seen some exciting – and promising – developments in the research surrounding omega-3s and their effects on health,” says Dr. Harry Oken, board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. “In fact, researchers at Harvard’s Global Health Initiative and the Harvard School of Public Health recently reported that one of the most common preventable causes of premature mortality among Americans is omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, possibly accounting for as many as 96,000 deaths annually.”

“Including enough omega-3s in your daily diet is an easy lifestyle change to support healthier hearts – but in my work with patients, I find that there are a lot of misperceptions around these important nutrients. Clearing up these myths is the first step toward ensuring that my patients get the omega-3s they need,” he says.

Myth No. 1: All fat is bad.
It is often said that Americans consume too much fat, but in the U.S. and other parts of the world, many people don’t eat enough good fat. Consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are important for cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, fewer than half of Americans know that the “better” fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce their risk of heart disease, according to a survey conducted for the American Heart Association.

Myth No. 2: All omega-3s are the same.
No doubt you’ve heard a lot about the benefits of omega-3s. But did you know that not all omega-3s are created equal? There are three main omega-3s – DHA, EPA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and each has distinct health benefits. DHA supports optimal brain and eye development and function and supports heart health. EPA also supports heart health. ALA is used as a source of energy. “When it comes to heart health, DHA and EPA are the omegas you need,” says Oken.

Myth No. 3: My body can make all the nutrients it needs for a strong heart, including omega-3s.
The human body does not produce significant amounts of DHA or EPA on its own – it must get these important nutrients from the foods you eat. The main dietary source of DHA and EPA is cold-water fish. Unfortunately, the typical American diet includes far less DHA and EPA than optimal – for example, the average U.S. diet contains less than 100mg DHA per day. This is well below what experts have recommended healthy adults consume, which is 220mg DHA per day. Individuals with documented cardiovascular disease might need to consider daily intakes as high as 1 gram of DHA and EPA per day, according to the American Heart Association.

Myth No. 4: Fish is the only source of heart healthy omega-3s.
Fish and fish oil are not the only sources of DHA and EPA. While most people believe that fish produce their own DHA and EPA, it’s actually the algae in their food chain that makes them a rich source of these omega-3s.

For those who do not consume significant amounts of fish on a regular basis due to dietary preferences, allergies, a vegetarian lifestyle or worries about potential ocean-borne pollutants, there are DHA/EPA supplements on the market that are made from algae. One example is Ovega-3, which is made from sustainable algae that is completely vegan and free of ocean-borne contaminants and provides 500mg of DHA and EPA. An added bonus of this supplement is that you won’t have that fishy aftertaste. Visit www.ovega.com for more information.

Myth No. 5: Flaxseed provides me all the omega-3s I need for my heart.
This is a very common misconception. But in fact, flaxseed oil is a source of ALA. ALA has no known independent benefits on brain, eye or heart development and function, as DHA and EPA do. And, although the human body can convert ALA to DHA and EPA, the process is inefficient and variable.

Everyone, it seems, is eager for 3-D. It’s a fad that’s had its heyday more than once in pop culture, but this time all signs point to 3-D finding staying power in American theaters and homes. If you have any doubt that 3-D is hot, consider the fact that more than 100 movies – from children’s animated films to big-budget sci-fi offerings – were released in 3-D in theaters and on DVD in 2009 and 2010. And weigh the fact that nearly every major TV-maker has at least one 3-D set on the market.

In fact, manufacturers are banking that Americans will embrace 3-D in their home viewing experience just as they did flat screens, high definition and Internet access. A 3-D TV may well be the high-tech investment your family opts for in 2011, but before you buy, here are a few things you should know – and consider – about 3-D television:

Cost considerations

As with any new technology, 3-D TVs appeared on the market at higher prices than what you would pay for a comparable quality 2-D high definition set. While you could easily find large flat-screens for $1,000 or less in 2010, most 3-D units sold for upward of $2,000. Prices are coming down, however, and industry watchers predict they’ll drop lower this year as the technology improves and manufacturers try to stimulate consumer interest.

Many manufacturers have announced lower prices on their 3-D sets for 2011. “Prices for 3-D TVs will definitely go down this year as our production costs have been dropping with improved technology,” says Skott Ahn, LG’s chief technology officer, who also predicts that 3-D technology will become mainstream in a few years.

What this means for you, the consumer, is that this year you can probably pick up a quality 3-D TV for about what you would expect to pay for a good 2-D set.

3-D Glasses

Current 3-D TV technology requires viewers to wear a pair of 3-D glasses to enjoy the technology. Most 3-D TVs use active 3-D glasses which contain a power source within the glasses. Expect to pay around $100 to $200 per pair of active 3-D glasses. Some 3-D TV manufacturers are beginning to offer a passive 3-D technology. Passive 3-D glasses do not require a power source to view 3-D content, so they are lighter and cheaper.

Despite some reports that “glasses-free” 3-D TV is set to come soon, most consumer electronic experts agree that the technology is several years away from being available to consumers.

Viewing angle caveats

If you’ve ever tried to watch a big game or movie on a 2-D LCD or LED TV with a large group of people, you’ve probably experienced the issue of limited viewing angle options. Because of the technology used to put the image on the screen, LCD and LED TVs don’t always offer a good image from every viewing angle. The issue is even more relevant for 3-D TVs, according to Best-3DTVs.com.

That’s because 3-D TVs share the same viewing angle issues as some 2-D flat screens, but with the added challenge that 3-D glasses can also block light from the screen, lowering brightness and contrast. If you’re also viewing the screen from an angle, all these factors can lead to a “very underwhelming 3-D viewing experience,” the website points out.

“Most industry experts argue that 3-D technology actually increases the viewing angle problem,” says Jim Wohlford, vice president of Sanus, makers of TV mounts and accessories. “Early 3-D reviews indicate a ghosting effect around objects on the screen when viewed from an angle.”

Fortunately, wall-mounting on a full-motion mount, which can resolve viewing angle issues for 2-D flat screens, is a good option for 3-D TVs as well. Products like the VisionMount VLF311 Super Slim Full-Motion Mount allow you to maintain the sleek, low profile look of a flat-screen while still having the ability to move the set to whatever position or angle is best for your viewing needs.

“By placing a TV on a full-motion mount, you can be sure you can always achieve the optimal viewing angle from any seat in the room,” Wohlford says. “Full-motion mounts are available to accommodate all sizes of TVs, are easy to install and simple to use. They apply a low-tech, time-honored solution to one of the most common problems of our favorite high-tech toys.”

The case for renting, rather than owning, your home has rarely been stronger in America. In most parts of the country, rental payments are lower than monthly mortgage costs. Renting also provides the financial freedom and ability to relocate prized by job hunters who may need the flexibility to go where the jobs are.

Yet one downside of renting has always been that leasing doesn’t build your credit the way owning can.

In this credit-constrained economy, having insufficient credit history can hinder your ability to obtain credit or increase your cost of borrowing as much as having a bad credit history might. Having little or no credit history may not be scoreable by traditional credit scores, which often prevents the applicant from receiving several types of credit, including cell phones and credit cards.

Building credit is becoming easier for renters, however, thanks to new developments in the credit world. Your rental history information may now be factored into certain credit scores such as VantageScore.

Your good rental history now counts

Nearly 96 million renters, most of whom pay their rent on time, are not getting the credit they deserve based on their credit reports, according to the National Multi Housing Council. The three national credit bureaus historically factored only negative rental data into an individual’s credit report or score, such as evictions and charge offs. Now, Experian has begun factoring positive rental history data into consumer credit scores, thanks to its acquisition of RentBureau, the largest and most widely used credit bureau for the multifamily industry.

This means that positive information that was previously only available to, and used by those in the rental industry, is now factored into credit reports and credit scores for lenders of all types, including auto lenders and mortgage companies. On-time rental payments and your history as a good-paying tenant can now positively affect your credit score.

The data can be helpful to homeowners who may have gone through a foreclosure and need to rebuild their credit while renting. It will also help property owners conduct more effective screenings of potential tenants as past rental behavior is the best indicator for how an apartment applicant is likely to pay rent in the future.

The basics still work

Beyond making sure you pay your rent on time every month, you can rely on tried-and-true methods for building credit, including:

* Pay all bills on time, from credit cards to utilities.

* Establish utilities or cell phone service in your own name, rather than a parent, spouse or friend. In some areas of the country, those new accounts may be reported to the credit bureaus and could factor into your score and report. Conversely, if you fail to pay, no matter where you live the bill will almost certainly be turned over to a collection agency and will negatively affect your credit.

* Obtain a credit card and use it wisely. Simply having an inactive card is not enough to build credit. Credit scores will look at how often you use the card, how much of the balance you pay and if you pay on time. Making small, affordable charges and paying them in full each month can help build your score.

* Have more than one line of credit. One credit card alone isn’t likely to do much for your score. Consumers who have fewer than three types of credit on their reports are likely to have lower scores.

* Pay attention to your debt-to-available-credit ratio. Maxing out your credit cards is damaging to your credit scores. It’s best to keep your balances as low as possible. Having no more than $5,000 in debt when you have available credit of more than $20,000 will have a less negative impact on your score than maxing out your credit cards.