Solitude

Want to make cooking easier and more enjoyable? Try these fun and surprising tricks I found in my foodie travels this week, from my two favorite new (and still under-the-radar!) sites. 1. YouTube it with experts. Why cook and screw up when you can learn from the chefs themselves?  Newcomer ChefDay (A fun start-up that delivers pre-measured fresh ingredients you need to cook chef-designed recipes) features step-by-step tutorial videos with chefs walking you through the recipes.  (Stri-fried Green Bean Vermicelli or Parmesan Veal Milanese, anyone?) Most dishes take around 30 minutes total to prepare, and they’re sorted by level of difficulty to make things easier for even the most amateur chefs. 2. Get creative about salt substitutes. I always thought the only swap for salt was, well, saltless salt. Until now. In talking with Sodium Girl Jessica Goldman Foung, my eyes were opened to a slew of awesome alternatives. Did you know...

Whether you get dementia, scientists now believe, is mostly a matter of lifestyle. That includes what you eat every single day.   When it comes to aging, life can be cruel. There's plenty to...well...let's come right out and say it: think about. What will happen to my looks? What will happen to my body? Will I still be able to pursue my interests? What will happen to my mind? That last question is now the second leading health concern (after cancer) among adults in at least four Western countries—France, Germany, and Spain, as well as the United States—according to a recent survey by the Harvard University School of Public Health and the Alzheimer Europe consortium. Fear of developing dementia would likely stir even more concern if Americans didn't mistakenly believe a cure for Alzheimer's disease exists (more than 45 percent of U.S. respondents think there is an effective treatment). Despite the lack of a cure, great progress has been made in the past th...

Giving healthy food to their children is a constant concern for parents no matter what social status they belong to. But not all parents are aware of what constitutes healthy nutritious food. The Human Development Report (2009) prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported high rates of malnutrition among children in slums, and the urban elite. Malnutrition among slum children is not a surprise as they do not have access to nutritious food. This report highlighted the co-emergence of malnutrition and overnutrition where rich urban children eat excessive calorie rich but nutrient empty food (devoid of minerals and vitamins). Intake of palatably tasty but nutritiously poor fast foods, aerated drinks, foods high in trans fat, saturated fats and sugar (such as pizzas, burgers, sodas and colas, cakes and pastries, samosa, French fries) do not provide the necessary minerals and vitamins required for daily intake although they may provide the necessary calories. Obe...

5 Foods to look fabulous at 40-plus Even after the baby, the French President's wife Carla Bruni  sports  a body that can put many young people to shame. Carla's "a little of what you fancy" approach to dieting is very popular in France. Here's how eating like her could help you too. No dieting Only 10 per cent of French  women  are overweight. Fullfat foods can actually keep you slim for two main reasons. They keep you fuller longer. Foods such as butter switch on 'full' signals in your brain but 'diet' foods, which are nearly always full of preservatives or sugar make you hungrier. And fullfat foods are difficult to binge on. It's hard to eat too much strong cheese or dark chocolate. Food from scratch In France, 76 per cent of women eat  meals  prepared from scratch at home. Meals from scratch usually contain less salt, sugar and preservatives. So prepare as many meals at home as you can. Don't add ready-made sauces to pas...

Baby & Health-  Glass vs. Plastic Baby Bottles Decades ago, the only baby bottl es av ailable to parents were made of glass. But glass was heavy and, more importantly, breakable. So when plastic bottles came along that were lighter and shatter-proof, the glass bottle became almost obsolete. However, recent reports that a type of plastic found in baby bottles might cause potentially harmful changes in developing babies has left parents wondering if perhaps old-fashioned glass wasn't such a bad thing after all. Baby Bottle Worries The problem with glass bottles is pretty obvious -- drop one on the floor in the middle of a late-night feeding, and you'll have a roomful of shattered glass to clean up. Glass is also heavy and cumbersome. On the upside, glass bottles are sturdy, and they don't contain any chemicals that could potentially get into the baby's formula. Plastic baby bottles are lightweight, strong, and unbreakable. However, concerns ...

The secret to losing weight isn’t just watching what’s on your plate; it’s also about watching what’s in your glass. Popular soft drinks, fruit juices, and energy drinks can be loaded with added sugars and carbohydrates that can sabotage your weight-loss strategy. Here are five tasty ways to drink up without packing on the pounds.   1. Water We all know this one, but it’s important to remember that water is the single best choice for effective weight loss. Whether it’s still or sparkling, aim to make water your go-to beverage choice. Think water is boring? Try adding fresh lemon slices, lime, cucumber, and even a slice of tomato to add flavor without adding many calories. 2. Vegetable juice Whether in a can, bottled, or homemade, vegetable juice is an excellent way to get the fiber and nutrients your body needs to fuel your weight loss. If you can find a low-sodium variety, even better. The veggies will keep you fuller longer and the tangy flavor will keep your taste buds happy. ...