Ask our experts

Can eating too many sweets raise my triglyceride level?

Paul Hemingway
Dover, NJ

Getting 60 percent or more of your calories from sweets and other carbohydrates would probably raise your level of triglycerides, a fat created when you take in more calories than your body readily uses. (Your body stores the excess fat, then converts it into energy when needed.) But eating too much in general can raise triglycerides to an unhealthful level, a risk factor for coronary disease. Other causes of high triglycerides include obesity, lack of exercise, cigarette smoking, and excess alcohol intake.

My Toyota's owner's manual calls for a special pink antifreeze. Is there any risk of corrosion if I use a green antifreeze?

Jack Extract
Freeport, NY

Don't mix antifreezes. Toyota and some other automakers use a special long-life coolant to prevent corrosion of aluminum parts; it requires flushing only every 100,000 miles. Conventional antifreeze, typically green, doesn't protect aluminum as well and needs flushing every 60,000 miles. Prestone and other brands sell formulas, such as the orange Zerex Dex-Cool, compatible with the automakers', usually at a lower cost.

The top of my gas range gets extremely hot when the oven is in self-cleaning mode. Is this normal?

Nelson Hildreth
Dunnellon, FL

Yes, it's quite normal. During self-cleaning, the top of any range (gas or electric) will become hot, especially near the vent, where gases escape from the oven. Remove items from the cooktop and oven, including pots, pans, and slide-out shelves, before running the cycle. And ventilate your kitchen well.

How can I send and receive faxes with my computer?

Kathy Sena
Los Angeles

If your computer has a modem you can connect to a phone line, you can send and receive faxes. For Windows XP, click "Add or Remove Programs" on the control panel and select Fax Services. Windows 7 and some versions of Windows Vista use Windows Fax and Scan. Access it from the main All Programs menu. Vista Home Premium lacks a fax program, but you can use one from a third party. For a Mac computer, go to Print & Fax under System Preferences. If you have an all-in-one printer/fax hooked to a phone line, see whether the device can transmit and receive faxes directly from the computer. Or, try a fee-based service such as those at www.efax.com or www.fax.com.

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