A BRIGHT LIFESTYLE
October 2015
Distributed with
TONY WARD
Don’t Push
Fall-Winter 2015-16 Fashion Show
A Guy Too Far
The French Elegance Treat Hair Loss Naturally
Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection from
Published by
A BRIGHT LIFESTYLE
October 2015
Distributed with
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Cat Walk TONY WARD
Tony Ward Fall Winter 2015-2016 Fashion Show
Don’t Push
Fall-Winter 2015-16 Fashion Show
A Guy Too Far
The French Elegance
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Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection
Treat Hair Loss Naturally
Men Fashion Don’t Push A Guy Too Far
from
Editorial:
Hanan Ghazwani Atul Srivastava Design:
Ravindranath Koonath
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Jewellery
Accessories
Products
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Skincare
Fitness
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Maria Carbungco For contributions and advertisements please contact: Tel: 4000 2156 (Editorial) 4000 2155 (Sales) Email: bloom@qimqatar.com
Office address:
Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection from Cartier
Paule Ka The French Elegance
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12 Natural Tips to Reduce Wrinkles
4 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have a Happier Morning
Advice
Is That Cappuccino You’re Drinking Really a Cappuccino?
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here is always a reason to smile. If you can’t find it, create one. As for us, we are making every possible effort to give you upgraded content that makes you feel good! Imagine cool breeze, nip in the air and a stroll around the Cornish, is not very far now. Nature has been always kind. For everyone, there is an opportunity every day to lead a meaningful quality life. Just like Bloom, once again a fresh content is now in your hands. Flip over any page and you will definitely find stuff of your choice. Therefore, we wish you good at the very beginning of a new season, the very thought of which will definitely make you smile.
CAT WALK
FALL WINTER 2015-2016 FASHION SHOW
Designer Tony ward was inspired from Nature Treasures laying at the center of earth so he could present his newest collection for winter 2015-2016 in Paris during France’s Paris Fashion Week for haute couture. 4
Geometric designs were mostly used in Tony ward’s collection as he referred to vertical lines and pointy edges all inspired from Quartz and Cristal and beautiful jewelry colors.He ended his collection just like always with a breathtaking wedding dress where he invested all his creativity and high class brodery.
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MEN’S FASHION
Don’t Push Too Far
A Guy
Men generally have a low threshold for fashion. But fashion with a middlecase “f,” classics that are just a little tweaked without verging into stacked-heel and man-skirts territory, now that is something else.
Looking at the TOMMY HILFIGER show in the cavernous Park Avenue Armory, the thought occurred that men’s wear in New York has entered something of a pleasant limbo state between fashion with a lowercase “f” and Fashion with a capital “F.”
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Even the eccentric designs of Duckie Brown, like buffalo-check pants with each leg measuring about 3 feet wide, were tempered with some neatly tailored blazers in a lively tweed. Perhaps the most satisfying collection from the weekend belonged to Robert Geller because of the way he layered some pretty out-there designs with wearable looks. There is probably not a big market for elongated dress shirts in polka-dot patterns, but more likely there is one for a blazer that softly dissolves from gray to white and a tweedy stadium coat with toggle closures. A simple topcoat divided along a horizontal between a gray top and a navy bottom seemed to encapsulate, in one look, the sensibility of fashion in the middle.
The actors Bradley Cooper and Kellan Lutz, sitting at cafe tables alongside Hilfiger’s brick-path runway, wore natty cardigans with their tweeds. Lutz had on a paperboy cap and a necktie. They looked a little like extras from “Newsies,” but they weren’t outlandish. And most of the designers here were offering clothes that were solidly middle ground, especially Hilfiger’s fine cadet-inspired collection. His suit and coat jackets, in classic navy, gray and oxblood, had thin braiding details on the sleeves, or leather insets at the elbows, or a panel of quilting – just a little something to make them interesting. Tweed jackets, blanket stripes and oxblood were the big trends of the week, best seen in the collection of Rag & Bone, but you could find interesting new items from almost every show. From Rag & Bone, there was a dark herringbone suit with a minimal treatment of crimson degrade, and a bolder topcoat with broad stripes of burgundy, red and white. Billy Reid, the charming Southerner, showed a nutria-lined khaki parka and other excellent coat options, like an aviator that he layered over a camel blazer and loose gray pants. From Loden Dager, Paul Marlow’s supercool line, there was a cableknit cardigan that was half navy and half khaki, and colorful trousers decorated all over with snap-tabs. Chunky fishermen’s sweaters and denim overalls stole the show at N. Hoolywood.
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JEWELLERY
Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection From Paris. With its undeniable flair for style pushed ever further by its bold, free-thinking muses. From this tumultuous whirlwind of life, Cartier draws inspiration for the jewellery in its Paris Nouvelle Vague collection. A collection for discerning women with an insider’s knowledge of the Paris scene, its extravagant nights, its indulgent delights and audacious pleasures… Jewels with a highly personal character, each marked by the same creative aura of Paris: its energy, its fashionable haunts, its parties, the baroque openwork of its metal domes, the invigorating bustle of its nights, the exquisite delights of its sublime confectionery. A Paris where gold is constantly played with, hammered and fashioned into gadroons, openwork, lattice-work or braid. A Paris that combines hard, fine and precious stones and masters all the means of its expertise with pure style – in terms of volume, varnish and voluptuousness.
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Exquisite Delights
Paris succumbs to the temptation of curved rings, irresistible as chrysoprase, black jade and chalcedony sorbets in a cornet of gadroonedgold. Exquisite jewellery like sweet delights – long necklaces swirling like Chantilly cream with cultured pearls, spinels and morganite. At any time, the Paris woman may regale her appetite with the sweet lustre of pendants and rings coated with cabochons of chalcedony, lapis-lazuli,aquamarine, turquoise and moonstone.
2-A Winding City Stroll
Paris at night
Cartier strolls across the Pont des Arts and attaches padlocks linked by amethysts, aquamarines, tourmalinesand spinels.All along the Seine, Paris loves the movement of the ripples that fan out in the guise of vibrantly modern bracelets of black lacquer and diamonds. Finally red, Cartier’s cult colour, bedecks the interior with rings and bracelets lined with a sophisticated air of secrecy.
In the whirlwind of the nocturnal hours, Cartier sparkles with wit and extravagance. The essence is movement: the rustling of necklaces, rings and earrings, joyful and free, as they are tied and threaded together with dazzling links of gold beads and diamonds.
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ACCESSORIES
The French Elegance NEED SOME STYLE INSPIRATION? LOOK NO FURTHER, LUXURY FRENCH BRANDS PAULE KA HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. FROM HEELS, TO CLUTCHES, JEWELRY
Nice mix of treasures and rare pieces, PAULE KA accessories belong to the fascinating family of the must-have accessories. Paule Ka is beautiful and devastating french outwear complete created within the year 1987 and bye the ionized designer Serje Cajfinger. He continually introduces stylish fashion aspects and noteworthy themes in his assortment
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Versace Fine Jewellery Iconic Limited Edition Collection
Versace presents the Iconic Limited Edition - a new collection of high-end fine jewellery inspired by early creations of Versace, revamped by Donatella Versace. Each jewellery set - a necklace, bracelet and ring - is numbered and limited to 100 pieces. The powerful Medusa set is in yellow gold, encircled with brilliant cut diamonds. Bold 18K gold chains of the necklaces and the bracelets are engraved with Versace’s Greek key and encrusted with diamonds. The Greca set is also available as a combination of the Medusa and the Greek key, both with brilliant cut diamonds.
Enjoy a Taste of Chanel’s
Bistro-Inspired Accessories Collection KARL LAGERFELD transformed the Grand Palais in Paris into a chic French brasserie, and accessories from this collection followed the same idea. Chock full of seriously fashionable bags, this new lookbook transforms “bistro”-type influences into obsession-worthy looks. In addition to the bistro-themed items in the collection, Chanel also releases an update of the incredibly popular ‘Boy’ bag, finishing multi-colored versions with woven flap closures or pastel mosaics. In contrast to the ‘Boy’ bag is the ‘Girl’ bag, which reinvents the classic Chanel jacket in handbag form, with sleeves forming the straps. In addition to slim leather belts finished with ‘CC’ logos, coin-themed jewelry, delicate necklaces, slick bangles, chic two-tone footwear, and more covetable accessories in this collection.
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LITTLE STYLE
Super Cute Kidswear Must-Haves In
Marie Chantal 2015Collection MARIE-CHANTAL PRESENTS A CONTEMPORARY AND CHIC CHILDREN’S WEAR COLLECTION THAT PLAYFULLY COMBINES THE CLASSIC STYLE WITH MODERN TOUCHES. THIS YEAR WAS INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF PRINCESS MARIE-CHANTAL’S FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD BOOK ‘ELOISE’ BY KAY THOMPSON. IT’S FUN, PLAYFUL AND FUNCTIONAL. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE QUIRKY UMBRELLA PRINTS, RED TARTANS, NAVY AND WHITE GINGHAMS, BEAR SNOUT PRINTS, FAIRISLE, ETC.
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INNOVATION
HERE SOME IDEAS FROM THE FASHION & BEAUTY BUSINESS WITH THE NEW INNOVATIONS THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION THIS MONTH.
3 Jacket uses vibrations to guide wearers around Paris
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he functionality of smartphones is quickly moving away from small devices in our pockets and into the clothes we wear. Startups such as Lechal and SuperShoes have already developed footwear that uses haptic feedback to direct wearers to their destination. Now Australia-based startup Wearable:Experiments has introduced its location-enabled Navigate Paris range, which comes pre-programmed with a detailed map of the city. As well as being designed to reflect the couture of the French capital, each jacket is able to connect to owners’ smartphone. With the Navigate app, users simply tap in their destination and put their phone away. From there, the jacket will deliver small vibrations in each sleeve that let wearers know where to head. A small vibration in the right arm is a direction to veer right; while a stronger one in the left arm means take a hard left. As the company explains: “No longer do you need to be hunched over a map or a smartphone. Now, you can experience Paris as a traveler rather than a tourist.”
Smart friendship bracelets teach teenage girls how to code Jewelbots are programmable friendship bracelets for teens and pre-teens. Right out of the box, girls can easily program the bracelet to light up when their friends are near or send messages to a buddy across the classroom. These are not just pretty jewelry; they are a powerful communication tool.
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PRODUCTS
Givenchy Les Nuances Glacées Collection As each year passes hundreds of new products are launched to capture our attention with promises of youthful beauty. Here is our picks for the month
Tom Ford Black Orchid Top Notes: Black Truffle, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Black Currant Heart Notes: Black Orchid, Tuberose, Fruity Accords Base Notes: Lotus Wood, Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Incense
The new Givenchy Les Nuances Glacées holiday 2015 makeup collection arrives to accomplish your most cherished desires and give you the most sensitive gorgeous look for the holiday parties. Being inspired by the season, the brand’s new makeup pieces are packaged with snowy whites and silver lines, which are so flattering.
Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Holiday 2015 Collection
To celebrate the end-of-year holidays, Giorgio Armani Beauty has chosen to pay tribute to 30’s and 40’s film legends. Inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood, the Luxe is More Oversized Palette is duallayered and features 10 neutral eyeshadows in different textures from light shimmery champagne to deep browns, and matte noir to create a variety of natural to smoky, glamorous looks. The second layer reveals two highlighting powders to set and give luminous radiance to any complexion, two contouring creams and dense, luxe applicator sponges. The Palette comes with two additional eye applicators. All wrapped in a luxe, velvet pouch and a travel size mini Ecstasy Lacquer in the seductive shade 402
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Guerlain Neiges et Merveilles Collection
Dior Holiday 2015 Couture Palettes & Sets Fans of Dior will be more than excited to know the brand will be launching new Holiday 2015 Couture Palettes and Sets . 1. Dior Couture Creations Multi-Use Palette This runway inspired palette features an array of complementary shades for creating multiple holiday looks. Diorific Face Powder in Rose d’Or #001 illuminates the complexion while Diorblush creates a natural flush. 2. Dior Couture Couture Smoky Palette for Eyes & Lips The essential Nude palette inspired by Dior runway beauty looks. Featuring three eyeshadows to create the ultimate nude eye look: light gold, satiny brown and matte brown. 3. Dior Backstage Brush Set 4. Diorshow Iconic Overcurl + Deluxe Miniature 5 Couleurs Set
Lancome Fall 2015 Collection
Guerlain Meteorites Perles Holiday 2015 edition come in a special limited edition packaging which reveals a combination of softer and more natural colors that will definitely bring luminosity to our complexions. It includes: Guerlain Palette for Eyes & Cheek which features 5 eye shadow in rosy, nude and dark brown shades , Two Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine Lipgloss and Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain
Lancôme has collaborated with Caroline de Maigret, a Parisian icon, for Fall 2015 Taking a cue from the fashion world, the collection actually has a minaudière as its centerpiece. The accessory contains a palette with everything needed to accent and highlight the eyes, an element Caroline de Maigret sees as central to any look.
Chanel Rouge Noir Holiday 2015 Collection Holiday 2015 makeup collection pays tribute to its iconic nail polish, the Rouge Noir, in the limited edition Collection Rouge Noir Absolument.
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BEAUTY
BEST BEAUTY TRENDS AT
NEW YORK
S P R I N G THE NEW YORK FASHION WEEK NEVER FAILS TO DELIVER AN ABUNDANCE OF INSPIRATION. HERE, A RECAP OF THE KEY RUNWAY BEAUTY TRENDS, PLUS THE PRODUCTS THE PROS USED BACKSTAGE.
EYES Eyes were enhanced with bright pastels and dramatic gold shadows and liners, while bold brows continued to dominate.
NAILS Although the neutral nail game is still going strong, manicurists showed a return to the ornate with bright blues and reds in solid, negative-space and graphic designs
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SKIN Contouring took a backseat to strobing, as a soft glow and dewy complexion provided the foundation for many runway looks.
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HAIR Messy, un-brushed waves served as a contrast to the not-a-hair-out-of-place buns, sleek ponytails and intricate braids.
LIPS With many makeup artists preferring a natural vibe this season, pink, nude and peach lips abounded. But there was still room for deeper shades, too.
DECOR
How To Tell If You’re Living An Over-Propped Life
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ack in the 1980s, Kurt Andersen, the novelist and radio host, used to write freelance stories for architecture magazines, a job that took him into the homes of some very wealthy people. “I was always amazed: They were exactly propped with perfect art books,” Andersen said last week, recalling how obvious it was that the homes had been styled by someone other than their occupants. “Maybe all these people were interested in the same
Botero coffee table book,” he added. “But I don’t think so.” As Andersen noted in a recent issue of Vanity Fair, in an essay on the larger topic of cultural stasis, millions of Americans are now “amateur stylists – scrupulously attending, as never before, to the details and meanings of the design and decor of their homes, their clothes, their appliances, their meals, their hobbies, and more.” Elaine Miller, who writes Decorno, an occasionally sharp-tongued design blog, believes this sort of stagecraft is largely a result of living through social media. “People are insanely selfconscious,” Miller said. “People act like they’re always being watched. Even their house is a performance.” She cited as an example the way design bloggers and Pinterest users have lately become obsessed with entertaining. “It’s this throwback to the ‘50s and ‘60s, where women are going to throw these big parties,” she said. “They have a bar cart and they’re ready to entertain you.” But with so many of us aspiring to be amateur Dorothy Drapers (and posting the evidence on design blogs), it’s inevitable that once-fresh decorating ideas like the bar cart will become cliches. Design classics like Barcelona chairs and Arco floor lamps are now so
overplayed that it’s impossible to own them without feeling like a design victim. At least one popular Tumblr has built its entire identity around ridiculing their presence in the homes featured on blogs. The site, which goes by a name that can’t be printed in this newspaper, calls out a range of familiar design cliches (from the Saarinen Womb Chair to a “terrarium that contains a tiny succulent array perched upon a stack of books”). But even seemingly uncommon decorative accessories like a library card catalog are pilloried, illustrating the beenthere-seen-that feedback loop that will be familiar to any Pinterest user. Miller agreed with that theory – up to a point. “Even my grandparents went out and bought the same lamps as their neighbors,” she said. “The difference was, they weren’t trying to be awesome. They were just trying to get lights in their house.” In a mock plea, she added: “Can everyone stop trying to be so awesome? Can we just chill out?” Probably not. Twenty-five years ago, you saw the inside of the homes of your friends and neighbors, and of members of your extended family, and that was about it. Now there are countless images of picture-perfect interiors online to stoke your sense of envy and aspiration. He admitted to falling into the trap himself.
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HAIR CARE
Treat Hair Loss Naturally HAIR LOSS CAN BE CAUSED BY VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS, HEREDITY, HORMONAL CHANGES, STRESS, ILLNESS, THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS AND SO ON. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH HAIR LOSS, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW WHICH WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO TREAT HAIR LOSS NATURALLY:
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EGGS Eggs have a high protein content that can make the hair becomes more natural sparkling. Companions can use eggs as a hair conditioner every 1 week 2 times, by adding lemon juice to the beaten egg. After that, apply on the hair as a mask to remove hair loss.
Besides good for health, it turns yogurt can also be useful to prevent hair loss and prevent the growth of gray hair quickly. The trick is also very easy just by using yoghurt as a hair mask regularly every 2 weeks. Wait and see the results, the hair will look more beautiful and radiant.
GREEN
TEA
Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants which can be useful to protect the hair from pollution. How to brew 1 cup of green tea with hot water, let it sit for 1 night. If the water is stale tea in the morning, rub-gosokkanlah on the scalp before shampooing. Then rinse with clean water. Besides useful as herbs, pecans can also be useful to improve and strengthen the hair. You do this simply by mashing hazelnut with a rough, plainly roasted. Then mash until smooth hazelnut earlier by the oil out. Use the hazelnut oil was to creambath before shampooing, then rinse with clean water and use shampoo to wash it.
AD AVOC Avocado useful for treating dry hair and hair loss. You do this by first destroying the avocado in a bowl, then stir slowly up into a thick paste. Then wipe the hair from the roots to the tips of the hair. Let stand for 20 minutes, and rinse with clean water and shampoo.
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How To Get Thicker Hair Take a break from updos
Keep that hairdryer away!
Yes this sounds slightly strange, but wearing your hair in a constant ponytail or updo can pull your hair back even more and cause strain to your roots, causing your hair to break. Looser hairstyles will give your hair a rest and prevent further damage.
Volume sprays Incredibly easy to use and the results are instant – volume hair sprays are designed to create big volume with little effort.
Heat is another factor for thinning hair – using styling tools, particularly hairdryers, can damage the hair shaft and make the hair more vulnerable. If you can’t live without your hairdryer, make sure you gently pat your hair with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible and use a heat protection spray prior to drying. Better still, allow hair to dry naturally until 90% dry, and then blowhat can we do to help improve the thickness dry to get a smooth finish without of our hair? For slightly longer hair, hair subjecting your strands to a extensions could be one answer, however, clip lengthy blast of heat. in extensions and poorly fitted lengths can actually pull and tug at the roots, weakening and breaking the hair, thereby increasing the problem. So, how do we achieve thicker, fuller looking hair? Work these simple tips into your beauty routine and try to adopt a healthier lifestyle, then get used to having fuller locks Work these simple tips into your beauty routine and try to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and then get used to having fuller locks.
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Lose the layers Grow out those layers and aim for a one-length ’do with a little shaping around the jawline to encourage movement. If your hair is all the same length, of course it’s going to look thicker because it actually is thicker than if it were layered.
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SKINCARE
12 Natural Tips to
AS YOU GROW OLD, WRINKLE FORMATION IS INEVITABLE UNLESS YOU DIMINISH THEIR APPEARANCE THROUGH EXPENSIVE TREATMENTS LIKE LASER AND CHEMICAL PEELS. THE GOOD NEWS, YOU CAN FIGHT WRINKLES USING NATURAL HOMEMADE REMEDIES AND HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CHANGES AS YOU GROW OLD, WRINKLE FORMATION IS INEVITABLE UNLESS YOU DIMINISH THEIR APPEARANCE THROUGH EXPENSIVE TREATMENTS LIKE LASER AND CHEMICAL PEELS. FORTUNATELY, YOU CAN FIGHT WRINKLES USING NATURAL HOMEMADE REMEDIES AND HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CHANGES. HERE ARE 12 NATURAL TIPS TO CURE AND PREVENT WRINKLES :
JUICE CLEANSES
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OILS Natural oils obtained from plant and sea foods are loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body which causes premature aging of the skin. They also helps to keep your skin moisturized which helps in fighting wrinkles and fine lines. Best oils include olive oil and coconut oil.
EGG WHITE MASK Take an egg white and add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Add ½ teaspoon of honey for antibacterial benefits. Egg whites help to tighten, tone, and shrink pores on your skin by preventing excessive production of sebum. In addition, it provides protein for tissue repair.
SUPER FOODS
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For a healthier and smooth skin, you should consume plenty of vitamins, water, minerals and other essential nutrients in your diet. Juicing consists of three-day cleanses containing essential ingredients for nourishing your skin. Juice cleanses are made from several fruits and vegetables. They include smoothies, juice recipes, and shakes to douse your thirst while giving your skin the right ingredients to diminish wrinkles.
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Protein, water and fats are the main constituents in your skin. This means it should constantly be replenished with essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to remain healthy and youthful. Super foods like almond pack, blueberries and tomatoes are packed with ingredients that increase the flow of blood to your skin to make it glow naturally.
Reduce Wrinkles
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BANANA MASK Banana is not only a delicious fruit for eating, but can also be helpful in preventing premature aging of the skin when used as a facial or mask. To make this mask, mash a banana and ass a teaspoon of orange juice powder or plain yoghurt. Smear this paste on to your face and let it dry for 20 minutes. This keeps your skin tight and prevents it against sun damage.
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MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION There are various minerals that help in preventing and treating wrinkles and other skin conditions. Copper facilitates collagen and elastin production, which improves elasticity of the skin.
SLEEP ON YOUR BACK Sleeping on your back can help prevent wrinkle formation on your face, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Support your head using pillows made of satin or high thread counts to avoid wrinkles.
GET REGULAR MASSAGE Massaging your skin can help fight wrinkles. It improves the flow of blood on your skin while diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. Massage your face by applying light pressure on your temples using your index and middle finger.
ALOE VERA
VITAMIN C According to the National Institute of Health, topical application of vitamin C plays very important role in keeping the skin healthy and smooth. Vitamin C also prevents sun damage and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles.
LEMON JUICE AND HONEY Lemon juice and honey when applied on your face in the morning is an inexpensive way to diminish wrinkles and fine lines. Use honey and lemon juice and leave it to dry for 10 minutes before rinsing with water. This mixture tightens your skin and helps in moisture retention. In addition, lemon juice boosts production of collagen for a flawless skin,
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Aloe vera is renowned for its soothing and wound-healing effects on the skin, particularly after exposure to sunlight. It is loaded with vitamins and essential nutrients for replenishing and accelerating skin firming process. In addition, it treats sunburns that cause damage and wrinkles. Aloe vera also comes with anti-inflammatory properties.
CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT FACE PACK Cucumber is loaded with B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and zinc. These are essential nutrients that boost elasticity of the skin and helps diminish wrinkles and fine lines. Cucumber also lightens and tones your skin while preventing cracking and dryness. Yoghurt helps to keep your skin well hydrated and moisturized
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NUTRITION
MATH ANXIETY AFFECTS NOT ONLY TEST-TAKING AND GRADES BUT ALSO SELF-ESTEEM AND EVERYDAY COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS
Eating Certain Foods Could Prevent Depression
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ollowing a diet rich in produce and low in processed meats — even if you don’t do it perfectly — may be helpful in preventing depression, according to a large new study. To lower the risk of depression, “People can eat everything, but everything in moderation,” as long as they try to eat lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish, and avoid fast food and processed meats, said study author Almudena Sanchez-Villegas of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. At the start of the study, researchers asked 15,000 Spanish university graduates who had never had depression what they normally ate. Then they asked them again, 10 years later. The researchers looked at how closely the participants’ everyday diets adhered to three healthy diet patterns that involved consuming high amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish, and avoiding processed meats. These principles are part of the Mediterranean diet and other healthy diets. After 8.5 years, 1,550 people in the study reported being diagnosed with depression or using antidepressant drugs. The researchers found that the people in the study who stuck to the healthy patterns to a moderate or a high extent had a lower risk of depression than those who did not follow these diets at all, or who adhered to them to a low degree. For example, the risk of depression over the study
period for the people who moderately adhered to the Mediterranean diet was about 25 to 30 percent lower than for those who did not adhere to the diet at all, or who adhered to it only to a very small extent, the researchers found. [7 Ways to Recognize Depression in 20-Somethings] “Even a moderate adherence to these healthy dietary patterns … was associated with an important reduction in the risk of developing depression,” Sanchez-Villegas told Live Science. Moreover, the researchers saw no extra benefit for depression risk when participants followed the diets very closely, compared with moderate adherence, she said. The researchers don’t know for sure what may explain the link between these dietary patterns and people’s risk of depression. However, one potential mechanism is that people who follow these patterns may have a lower risk of depression because they get adequate levels of some micronutrients, such as B vitamins, folate or zinc — all of which areessential to brain health, Sanchez-Villegas said. Conversely, the people who don’t follow these patterns may have a higher risk of depression because of their nutrient deficits, she said. Sanchez-Villegas’ previous research, published in 2006 and 2009, also showed a link between following a Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of depression.
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FINE LIVING
Items You Should Never Store in Your Bathroom
MAKE UP Makeup should be stored at room temperature — making the ever-changing temp in your bathroom (from sweltering when someone’s showering to cool when it’s not in use) not ideal.
MEDICINE Your prescription should stay far away from moisture and at room temperature (between 68 and 77 degrees). The drugs could lose their effectiveness if not stored in a cool and dry place.
NON-WATERPROOF ELECTRONICS: Love to listen to music as you shower or bathe? Well, skip your iPod or everyday radio. High humidity makes these items vulnerable to damage. Stick with an appliance specifically made for bathrooms instead.
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LINEN Since bathrooms are one of the most common places in your home where mold and mildew grows, keep linens (which are susceptible to growth) far away. Another tip: Run your exhaust fan as much as possible to help air out the space and dry damp towels post-shower.
NAIL POLISH If you want to extend the expected two-year life of your pretty polishes, don’t store them in the bathroom where the temperature is always changing. Instead, stash them at room temperature — and that means you shouldn’t put them in your fridge either.
JEWELRY The humid environment will speed up the oxidation process and cause jewelry to tarnish faster.
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e’ve been there: You’re rushing through your morning routine (every day!) and you walk out the door with liquid eyeliner on your sleeve or concealer rubbed off on your shirt collar. Next time it happens to you, consult this handy how-to-fix list.
FACE OILS When your oil drips onto your blouse, blot any excess, and treat with a prewash stain remover. You can also try rubbing the spot with a waterless hand cleaner (like Goop hand cleaner) to help break up the stain. Then, launder using the hottest water safe for the fabric.
NAIL POLISH The great thing about nail polish? It’s designed to be removed! Place the fabric stain-side down on a paper towel and blot with acetone. Warning: Avoid using acetone on acetate or triacetate fabrics (check the label; they’re synthetic and silklike) — it will melt the fibers. Rinse with water and repeat until the stain no longer transfers to the paper towels. Apply a prewash stain remover and launder as usual.
LIPSTICK AND LIP BALM Scrape off any excess (try a piece of tape to pick up smaller bits), treat with a prewash stain remover and launder. If the stain remains, try the process again or try a sponging the stain with a dry-cleaning solvent and laundering. Always make sure to remove any lipsticks or balms from your pockets before you do the laundry: They can cause a nasty stain if they melt into the fabric.
How to Remove Any Makeup Stain on Your Clothes
Fight Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
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ou probably beamed with pride the day your stainless steel fridge, dishwasher, or microwave was installed. It was just so sleek, modern, and shiny — the stuff kitchen dreams are made of. But the bubble likely burst a few days later when you realized how often you’d have to clean that sucker to keep it gleaming. Stainless steel appliances look high-end and polished in a kitchen, but they’re also known to attract fingerprints like a toddler’s grubby hand to a freshly laundered white shirt. But there is a tool you can add to your cleaning arsenal to banish sticky prints: mineral oil. “In a pinch, mineral oil can be used to erase fingerprints,” says Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “Apply a very light coating and buff well. You want to avoid any buildup that will make the appliance tacky and attract more dirt.” Forte also really likes specialized stainless steel cleaners to get the job done. In our tests, Homax Stainless Steel Magic Aerosol performed well, and even made new fingerprints less visible.
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PARENTING
Given Choice, Parents Pick Cheaper Surgery For Children
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t is common wisdom that patients don’t like to think about cost when it comes to health care. But what if the problem is that they’re so rarely even given that information? A recent study in The Annals of Surgery found that parents who were asked to decide which form of surgery their children should undergo and told about the price difference tended to select the cheaper option. An appendix can be removed in two ways: via open surgery or using a laparoscope, in which the inflamed organ is removed with the aid of a fiber-optic scope, with only tiny incisions. The average total cost of the traditional open surgery is about $2,000 less, said Dr. Eric Scaife, of the University of Utah Health Sciences, who helped conduct the study. Although U.S. surgeons almost always favor the minimally invasive procedure, the results of the two types of procedures are similar in children, studies show. “Cost is really the only difference - there’s no difference in outcome,” Scaife noted in a telephone interview. When told that and given the price quotes, nearly two-thirds of the parents selected the cheaper open procedure. In fact, 31 percent of parents given the information said it had been a primary influence in their decision. And 90 percent said they liked having a choice.
The study offers a compelling case for price transparency combined with medical consumerism as one strategy that could help reel in the nation’s $2.8 trillion health care bill. The study results suggested that parents tended to choose the cheaper option regardless of their insurance or economic situation, Scaife said. The study also speaks to the very high price of U.S. health care: The average price of an appendectomy in the United States is $13,910, compared with about $5,000 in Australia and the Netherlands, according to the International Federation of Health Plans. It is about $2,000 in Spain and Argentina - the difference in price between an open and laparoscopic appendectomy in the study.) The minimally invasive approach leaves a somewhat smaller scar and is better for overweight children, Scaife said. But in lean children there is no difference in infection rates, length of stay in the hospital or the length of time before the child returns to normal activities. (Adults do take longer to rebound from the open, traditional appendectomies, he said.) A minimally invasive appendectomy is more expensive than open surgery because it requires the use of special instruments, which are often disposable, like $1,500 harmonic scalpels and special staplers
that can seal off the appendix stump with one clip. Open surgery uses age-old tools like needles and thread, scalpels and metal retractors, which are sterilized and reused. (As a side note, when doctors at the University of Utah understood the magnitude of the price difference, they found ways to purchase cheaper instruments for laparoscopic surgery as well, reducing the cost gap somewhat.) Scaife said one lesson for him was that doctors should tell patients the price of procedures, and hospitals should inform doctors of the amount they are charging for their services, which are often billed separately. He said the information from the hospital could be surprisingly hard for even surgeons to obtain because hospitals consider their price lists proprietary. “Imagine I’m in clinic and I tell a parent I’m going to fix a child’s hernia, and they ask, ‘How much is it going to cost?’ And I have to say, ‘I don’t know,’” Scaife said. “That’s very strange, isn’t it?” He added, “Medicine is often regarded as this magical part of our economy where patients can’t make any choices.” But they can, and that can help hold down costs, he said, noting, “With a bit of information, I can choose my cellphone even though I don’t understand how it works.”
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FITNESS
4 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have a Happier Morning
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I
n the past, I would have never described myself as a “morning person.” In fact, I used to hate mornings. I would often begin the day by hitting the snooze button on my cell phone alarm. When I would finally wake up, it was usually a race to get out the door. I would rush to shower, do my hair and makeup, and quickly gather my things for the day. I never made the time to eat breakfast and frequently left the house feeling irritable. About a year ago, I decided to make some lifestyle changes. Now I have a morning routine that fills me with happiness. In fact, the early morning is one of my favorite parts of the day. The morning is when you set your intention and mindset for the day ahead. Therefore, it is important to look at how you can optimize this time. The following are five scientifically proven ways that you can bring more joy into your morning routine. Making the decision to wake up earlier has significantly improved my morning routine. When I wake up early I have more time, and subsequently feel less rushed. In addition, there is something peaceful about being awake before most people are up. Further, research shows that there may be a correlation between waking up earlier and increased happiness. One study conducted by The University of Toronto, found that “people who wake up early in the morning are generally happier and have higher satisfaction overall in their lives.” Like any habit, this one may take some time to stick. To start, try setting your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than you would usually wake up. It is also important that you go to bed earlier, as sleep deprivation will only serve to decrease your productivity and overall happiness. We’ve all heard the popular saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why is it that so many people choose to skip it each morning? By the time that you wake up, your muscles are in desperate need of more glycogen, for energy. In addition, “the longer that you go without eating, the more glycogen your muscles use, and the less energy you have. Eating breakfast is also important in regards to boosting your mood.
HEALTH
Lung Screening May Not Push Smokers to Quit
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he results of an admittedly small but telling new study suggest that Medicare and other insurers could be spending billions of dollars on screening smokers for lung cancer that would be better spent on helping them quit and keeping others from starting. Although screening is considered “a teachable moment” that could be used to foster smoking cessation, the new study indicated that it more often bolstered smokers’ beliefs that they had dodged a bullet and could safely continue to smoke. Even when nodules were found that suggested cancer-in-the-making, most participants remained smokers because they believed screening could catch cancer early before it would threaten their lives. The study findings shed light on a common psychological problem called cognitive dissonance — a conflict between people’s beliefs and their behaviors that typically prompts them to adjust their attitudes and beliefs to make them consistent with their behavior, rather than change their behavior, which is more challenging. “Smoking is a classic example,” Omid Fotuhi, a social and health psychologist at Stanford University, said. “Smokers think, ‘I know smoking is unhealthy for me, but I can’t change my behavior because I’m addicted.’ So they follow the path of least resistance and keep smoking.” Zeliadt, a health economist at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington in Seattle, and seven colleagues conducted the study of 37 smokers who were offered lung cancer screening at Department of Veteran Affairs. centers around the country. After being screened with a low-dose CT chest scan and
told the results, the participants were interviewed in-depth about their smoking-related health beliefs. For about half of those in whom cancer was not found, “screening lowered their motivation for cessation,” the team reported in July in JAMA Internal Medicine. A commonly expressed belief was that the screening provided the same health benefits as stopping smoking, even when precancerous lung nodules were detected. The Medicare coverage includes a counseling session. But it is offered before screening to explain the exam and what it may reveal. Experts suggest that counseling might be more effective if offered by people’s primary care physicians when they receive screening results. One man screened in Zeliadt’s study said that when his doctor received the results, he told him: “You have nodules. You’re going to die of lung cancer. Stop smoking now!” The man did — at least for 30 days, the point at which he was interviewed. “Counseling should focus more on the emotional meaning of screening than the technical details,” Zeliadt suggested. “Being told that a nodule of nine millimeters is serious allows the person to think, ‘Well, mine is not nine millimeters yet’ and continue to smoke.” In a commentary accompanying the VA report, Dr. Russell P. Harris, a preventive medicine specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, noted that “nearly every participant described misperceptions about smoking that were exacerbated by screening.” “Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
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34
AUTO
, y l t n e r e ff i D The Rich Drivests A Study Sugge is huge boost “But you see th ed ect sel m hood to commit his tea in a driver’s likeli expensive cars,” the road. Piff said to obser ve, then being, rs ive re dr mo W alk in BM ssw t ns infractio okes abou a specific cro sswalk study, none at less than pear on the edge he said. “In our cro ater-car categor y on average, somewh common. had a pedestrian ap approached. As be rly of the cars in the courteous are fai of the curb as a cared into the road, e crosswalk. They ng the lines strian stepp de pe drove through th destrians.” e th They often run alo r’s ive a dr e s, th ke wn bra pe do od d for go rke ed pp its ma always sto a researcher of, “Despite was at male e pedestrian. This p with a jerk.” dy also found th p for th sto stu to e lly Th ua on us cti ll rea wi sto BMW to re ely mo lik rs. guage is drivers were less done with 152 drive r-waySometimes the lan were women, and m also watched a founoting tea e Th pedestrians than . ful , ek color we sexes were more a ts th er or bo ov pp of su ion rs earch that drive stop intersect nt fro in t Now scientific res ly circulated ale pedestrian cu to fem re a we for broad likely to stop how likely drivers n tur eir th t no the unwritten and s wa than a male one. le in BMWs are of others when it of 274 nificant trends theory that peop their obser vation . Paul K. In “One of the most sig less likely to . ers go nn to ma e d th roa at th re nd we fou s lacking in car ers of cy rch ea fan was that cars, the res at the Institute g, “BMW drivers es were more likely Piff, a researcher stop,” said Piff, addin more expensive on in the four-way l Research at the cia So d an lity na Perso were the worst.” to jump their turns rnia, Berkeley, has Francisco Bay University of Califo , Piff said. iving In the San dr on d ati ba rot g rs’ kin lin ive dr dy ng brid gas-andibi hy scr e de th to conducted a stu ere In addition Area, wh the s, h. on alt ta Prius is ati yo we loc To th wi th s habit electric-powered behavior in bo icate the sex and of a larger rt pa , bol among dy stu sym ffic tus The tra nsidered a sta rcher was to ind vior co ea ha res be e ag ng e ati th cious, the rel ns as co ll y as we body of research the environmentall it as a premium age of each driver e cars, with a “1” destrians against pe ted d fie pit th ssi h, of cla alt e we nc and researchers and appeara It was published low-value cars and passing motorists. model. signifying beat-up, -the-line models tional Na e th tatus vehicle of s ing “In our higher-s had a higher given to top-of in The Proceed “5” a sde . rce 10 Me 20 d in ivers W an Academy of Sciences categor y, Prius dr infractions than from the likes of BM the study was y to commit nc de . In California, where es motorists ten nz Be s car every 10 requir Piff said about 8 of most,” Piff said. conducted, state law en pedestrians wh .” s ing alk th ssw ht rig cro e at th p “did to sto ing them to cross are present, allow
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35
CUISINE
COTTON CANDY CUPCAKES
4 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE COOKING PASTA
1 2 3 4
Don’t put oil in the water. If you’ve picked up this habit, it’s time to stop it. The only thing this does is make your pasta oily, which will prevent sauce from sticking to the pasta. Contrary to popular belief, it won’t keep noodles from sticking together. Don’t dump pasta in the water, and then ignore it. You have to stir early in the process to ensure that noodles won’t stick together. If you just pour the noodles into boiling water and then leave them to cook, they will likely clump together.
Don’t let noodles cook all the way. Whether you’re making your own simple marinara, or heating up your favorite canned variety in a saucepan, you should let the pasta cook for the last few minutes in the actual sauce, since hot pasta generally absorbs more of the sauce. Don’t rinse your pasta. Similar to the above tip, there’s no need to completely rinse and drain your pasta. Instead, just lift the noodles into the sauce, as we mentioned before, and use the water to help thicken the sauce you’re making. It’s full of starch from the pasta, so it’s a great addition to homemade sauces, like an egg-based carbonara.
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Ingredients • 3/4 cup (107g) all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup (100g) cake flour • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/4 tsp salt • 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (194g) granulated sugar • 1 large egg • 2 large egg whites • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp milk (105 ml) (anything but skim) • Cotton candy Cotton Candy Buttercream • 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened • 2 1/2 cups (322g) powdered sugar • 1 1/2 Tbsp cream or half and half, then more as needed • 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavor, or to taste (1 tsp vanilla can be substituted) Directions • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all-purpose flour and cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt and whisk dry mixture, 20 seconds, set aside. • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (I recommend using a beater blade, which constantly scrapes the bowl, if you don’t have one, occasionally stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process), whip together butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg, then mix in egg whites one at a time, blending until combined after each addition and adding in vanilla with last egg white. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter/ egg mixture), alternating with 1/2 of the milk and mixing just until combined after each addition. • Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter in each). Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 18 - 21 minutes. Cool in baking pan
several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. • To make the mini cotton candy decoration, take pieces of cotton candy and shape into desired size (compacting as little as possible to keep it nice and fluffy), then take a lollipop stick, rinse top of stick under water (this just helps the cotton candy stick) then insert stick into bottom of cotton candy. Repeat to make 12. Once cupcakes are cool frost with cotton candy frosting and insert a mini cotton candy stick into each (note that the cotton candy will begin to shrink after about 30 - 60 minutes depending on how humid or hot it may be so wait to make and add decoration until nearly ready to serve). For the frosting: • In an the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter until pale and fluffy. Mix in cream, cotton candy flavor and powdered sugar (adding additional cream 1 tsp at a time as needed). Whip until light and fluffy, tint with pink or blue food coloring if desired.
CORNMEAL PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CUPCAKES
Ingredients • 4 Tbsp (2 oz) butter, melted* • 6 Tbsp (74g) slightly packed lightbrown sugar • 2 medium peaches (10 oz), peeled if desired, cored and each sliced into 12 slices • 1/2 cup (71g) all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup (76g) cornmeal • 1/4 tsp baking soda • 1/4 tsp salt • 3 Tbsp (1.5 oz) butter, melted • 1/2 cup (110g) granulated sugar • 1 large egg • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving • Raspberries and fresh mint, for garnish (optional) Directions • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray each well of a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide 4 Tbsp melted butter among wells, adding about 2 tsp to each, then evenly sprinkle 1 tbsp of the brown sugar into each well over butter. Layer peaches over brown sugar layer, adding 4 slices to each well. Set aside. • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In a separate mixing bowl mix together sugar and 3 Tbsp melted butter then whisk in egg, vanilla and buttermilk, mixing until well blended. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir just until combined. Divide mixture among muffin cups adding about a 1/4 cup to each, then spread into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean (or with a crumb or two), about 18 - 21 minutes. At this point they’ll likely have tiny domes in the center so take a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels and gently press down on the centers to level. Let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen if needed then set a wire rack over pan and invert onto wire rack (tap bottom of wells to help coax out). Let cool and serve topped with whipped cream and decorate with raspberries and mint or serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
MOST COMMON MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN GRILLING VEGGIES
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rilled vegetables are one of summer’s simplest pleasures. From hearty mains to simple sides, a good batch of grilled veg is the answer to pretty much all of summer’s culinary questions Grilled vegetables are one of summer’s simplest pleasures. From hearty mains to simple sides, a good batch of grilled veg is the answer to pretty much all of summer’s culinary questions. There are a few simple but serious errors most people make when grilling vegetables .There are a few simple but serious errors most people make when grilling vegetables. Are you making any of these grilling mistakes?
Oiling the Veggies, Not the Grates When you oil the vegetables, the oil burns quickly and makes your vegetables taste rancid, but if you don’t use any oil at all, your veggies will stick to the grates. What a dilemma! Avoid both problems by oiling your grill grates, get the chimney started and let the coals burn for five to 10 minutes. Scrape off any crusty bits from the grates with a bristled grill brush. Then, dip a dedicated rag, don’t use your in a neutral oil, and get it good and wet. Using your longest tongs, brush the grates with the oiled rag. There will be smoke and possibly a few small flare-ups. Don’t be alarmed; this is normal. Repeat two or three times, and you’re ready to cook. Do this every time you grill, and your grates will be well-seasoned, like a quality cast-iron pan.
Being a Wimp with Seasoning Treat your vegetables like meat. In the same way you’d add copious amounts of salt and pepper to a steak 30 minutes before grilling, you should do the same with your veggies. The salt will bead on the veggies, and then ultimately permeate the surface, flavoring the entire vegetable.
Overcooking the Veggies You probably know that chopping your veggies too small will cause them to fall through the grates. While a grill basket or cheap wire grill topper can definitely change the game and keep your green beans safe from peril, there’s another reason to slice them thicker and larger: It’s easy to accidentally overcook small pieces of vegetables, which makes them soggy.\
Not Controlling the Heat Many home cooks have mastered the art of stovetop cooking: Sear over a high temperature to get that gorgeous golden-brown crust, then adjust the burner to a lower temperature, to allow the interior of the food to cook through without burning the crust. Don’t let the open air intimidate you.
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TRAVEL
The Lure of HAVASU FALLS
LIVING ON ONE OF THOSE TECHNICOLOR LANDSCAPES NATURE BESTOWS ON YOU, IF YOU’RE LUCKY, ONCE IN A LIFETIME
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One has only to lay eyes on a picture of the incandescent pools of Havasu Falls, somewhere between beryl and cerulean, to feel its pull. The vibrant basins of the rippling natural pool are a study in contrast with the stunning force of the waterfall that crashes into them, spilling 90 feet over red rocks. It is, simply, beatific. And the falls, at the bottom of a narrow gorge near the southwest corner of the Grand Canyon National Park, are about a 2-mile hike north of Supai Village in one of the most remote indigenous-American enclaves in the country.
I stood on the landing pad of the helicopter in which we’d descended, holding my toddler’s hand in the searing heat. Then, as the sound of the chopper receded, it was replaced by the drumbeat of hip-hop music pouring out of loudspeakers. As we approached a nearby cafe, we found its source. A group of teenagers, descendants of some of North America’s most ancient people, dressed in basketball shorts, oversize T-shirts and slide sandals with socks. They were Havasupai or Supai, as
to know everything about us: Was I married? Had I ever been to Las Vegas? Why did I have a dream catcher tattoo on my left arm? “Yes, no, and because it’s my spiritual armor,” I said. I had long believed that the call for reparations to descendants of African slaves should be expanded to include Native Americans, and the situation of the Havasupai was a stark reminder of why. They were forced to relocate to this narrow gorge after roaming freely for centuries across some 3 million acres of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, according to the tome “I Am the Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People,” regarded as a bible to many tribal elders. The 2010 census recorded the poverty rate on the Havasupai Indian Reservation at 37 percent, twice that of the state’s.
The place had summoned me from the moment I learned of its existence about a year earlier. I thought that when I went I’d be instantly transported by wandering among a relatively sparse population, if but for a few long moments, living on one of those Technicolor landscapes nature bestows on you, if you’re lucky, once in a lifetime. I planned carefully. I would take a trip, family in tow, and descend the canyon’s depths. So we flew to Phoenix from our home in New York City, drove and stayed in Sedona and then made our way to Seligman, the birthplace of the historic Route 66, then to the end of Indian Route 18, and ultimately the Grand Canyon’s Hualapai Hilltop. Once there, we would wait for a helicopter down to Supai. The exhilarating ride was piloted by a man whose manner was like a stoked cowboy’s. My 3-year-old son, Marceau, sat quietly, scanning everything he saw out the window with eyes wide open. When we arrived, we were, indeed, transported, but it wasn’t to a different world.
locals who live on the reservation refer to one another. After months of planning and hours of road-tripping, my husband, Sacha, my 18-year-old daughter, Djali, Marceau and I felt at home, despite being in a remote area of the park visited by only 20,000 people annually. That drumbeat may as well have been the unfurling of a grand welcome mat. As I approached the cafe with Djali and Marceau, we noticed that several locals eating at a nearby table stared at us. Our guide, Jason Danoff, who runs Trail Lovers Excursions, had warned us that it was unlikely that they would speak. But when we sat down at a round table with a clear view of the landing strip, a middle-aged local man holding a cane approached us. “Your daughter,” he said, sitting down next to Djali, “her wild and curly hair reminds me of Diana Ross. Fierce!” He recounted seeing Ross in a concert in Central Park long ago and wanted
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CHAT
EXPERTS SAY IT’S FUELED BY CHANGES IN POP CULTURE.
More Colleges are Using Gender-Free Pronouns
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elcome to Harvard. Feel free to pick a pronoun on this form: -- He. -- She. -Ze. -- E. -- They. During the registration process at Harvard University, students are now allowed to indicate which pronouns they use, with suggested gender-neutral options like “ze” or “they.” Harvard isn’t the first college to embrace gender-neutral pronouns, but it’s among a wave of major institutions that are widening their policies and pronouns to acknowledge transgender students, as well as “genderqueer” students, who don’t identify as male or female. “If someone is being alienated or potentially outed by inappropriate gender references, we think that’s not appropriate,” said Michael Burke, registrar of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. American University posted a guide on its website explaining how to use pronouns like “ey,” and how to ask someone which pronouns they use. Cornell University and MIT offer similar primers on their websites. Ohio University started letting students register their gender pronouns this year, and officials at Boston University said they’re discussing the topic. Last week, the State University of New York, one of the nation’s largest public college systems, announced that it’s working on a data-collection tool to let students choose among seven gender identities, including
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“trans man,” “questioning” and “genderqueer.” Advocates for transgender students applaud the changes, saying it can be insulting to be identified by the wrong pronoun. “It feels really invalidating to have people make an assumption about what your gender is simply by looking at you,” said Genny Beemyn, director of the Stonewall Center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Changes at places like Harvard, Beemyn said, represent “acceleration of a trend that we have been seeing for the past few years.” Beyond pronouns, more colleges are updating forms that in the past let students pick between male and female only. Applications to the University of California system include more options starting this year, letting students choose from labels including trans female or genderqueer. The move is meant to welcome those students, but for the first time it also lets the school track data on how transgender students fare on campus, such as their graduation rates. “This is something that people think is long overdue,” said Pamela Brown, the system’s vice president of institutional research and academic planning. Academics have suggested for years the idea that gender falls along a spectrum, not into two options. As early as 2009, schools
like the University of Vermont were letting students pick their gender pronouns. But the work of campus advocacy groups, plus the emergence of transgender figures in pop culture, has fueled wider change, experts say. It’s now commonplace for colleges to offer housing for transgender students. On the first day of class, some professors voluntarily ask students to provide their pronouns. But on some campuses, change has provoked backlash. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, sparked outrage among state politicians in August when a post on the school website encouraged students to use pronouns such as “xe.” State senators blasted the idea and called for an investigation of the post. Days later, by the order of the school president, it was taken down. A spokeswoman for the university declined to comment. Grammarians, too, have chafed at the idea of pronouns that stretch modern English. Some individuals who don’t identify as male or female use the pronoun “they,” which some academics say should be reserved for plural subjects. At Harvard, 4,000 students have submitted pronouns so far, with slightly more than 1 percent choosing something other than “he” or “she,” said Burke, the registrar. Laila Smith filled in “they” and “their” on the form, pronouns the junior started using earlier this year. “By now, we’ve figured out that sexuality is fluid, gender is fluid,” said Smith, who identifies as genderqueer. “I think that we’re at the beginning of it all, and I hope to see this more integrated into the student life that I experience.” For now, there’s nothing requiring students or professors to use the pronouns students pick. But Burke said the university is planning to train faculty members how to look up a student’s pronouns, and explain their significance. “We want this to be a place that is inclusive,” Burke said, “and embracing of everybody in the community.”
BODY LANGUAGE
SCIENCE PROBES WHY BEAUTY IS IN EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
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hink Brad Pitt is as handsome as George Clooney? Why or why not? A new study suggests your choice will be largely influenced by your personal experience. Some aspects of attractiveness are common and may even be programmed into your genes, according to the researchers. For example, most everyone prefers symmetrical faces. But beyond a few shared preferences, people have wide-ranging definitions of attractiveness, according to the authors of the study published Oct. 1 in the journal Current Biology. “We estimate that an individual’s aesthetic preferences for faces agree about 50 percent, and disagree about 50 percent, with others,” research co-leaders Laura Germine, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, and Jeremy Wilmer, of Wellesley College, said in a journal news release. “This fits with the common intuition that on the
one hand, fashion models can make a fortune with their good looks, while on the other hand, friends can endlessly debate about who is attractive and who is not,” they added. Researchers assessed the facial preferences of more than 35,000 people who took an online test. Then they asked 547 pairs of identical twins and 214 pairs of same-sex, non-identical twins to rate the attractiveness of 200 faces. Using identical and nonidentical twins let researchers estimate the extent to which genes and environmental factors influence preferences. “The types of environments that are important are not those that are shared by those who grow up in the same family, but are much more subtle and individual, potentially including things such as one’s unique, highly personal experiences with friends or peers, as well as social and popular media,” Germine said in a journal news release. The findings could help improve understanding of human social evolution, according to the researchers. The next step is to identify environmental factors that play the strongest role in shaping facial preferences, they added.
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ADVICE
IS THAT CAPPUCCINO YOU’RE DRINKING
REALLY A CAPPUCCINO?
JOE, A CAFE WITH 13 LOCATIONS IN NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA, SERVES A CAPPUCCINO THAT IS NOT LAYERED, WITH NO BUBBLY FOAM ON TOP
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W
hat if the cappuccino you had this morning was not, in fact, a cappuccino? Scary. More worrisome still: What if your flat white was? There was a time when cappuccino was easy to identify. It was a shot of espresso with steamed milk and a meringuelike milk foam on top. But now the onetime king of specialty coffee drinks is having a bit of an identity crisis. Even among experts, there is considerable disagreement concerning what exactly a cappuccino is, with some of those in the know focusing on the size of the drink as its distinguishing characteristic. “In the U.S., cappuccino are small, medium and large, and that actually doesn’t exist,” the food and coffee writer Oliver Strand said. “Cappuccino is basically a 4-ounce drink.” Todd Carmichael, a founder of La Colombe, a coffee roasting company with cafes in New York and other cities, is not so hung up on the ounce factor. “We’ve made the cappuccino mobile,” he said. “With 8 to 10 ounces, the flavors do not go away. They’re just less intense.” Others cling to old-school notions of what makes a cappuccino, with the layering of ingredients as the main thing. “The goal is to serve three distinct layers: caffè, hot milk and frothy (not dense) foam,” the
chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in an email. “But to drink it Italian style, it will be stirred so that the three stratum come together as one.” With the stirring of the drink, one may see the distinctive red-brown color similar to that of the habits worn by men belonging to the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor, a resemblance believed by some to have given the beverage its name. Joe, a cafe with 13 locations in New York and Philadelphia, serves a cappuccino that is not layered, with no bubbly foam on top. “The consistency should be the same from the first sip to the last,” said Jonathan Rubenstein, one of Joe’s founders. The Joe version would seem to violate the cappuccino standards put forth by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and its Barista Guild, which advocate a 1 cm layer, minimum, of milky foam. Only 1 centimeter? Sounds dangerously close to a latte. But who would know better than the SCAA? Some coffee specialists pointed to “latte art creep” as responsible for the small amount of foam in the modern-day cappuccino, noting that it is easier for baristas to make intricate designs with less froth in a time of Instagram-ready food and drink. The new enthusiasm for the flat white, a drink made of espresso and milk that seems to have originated in Australia or New Zealand, is particularly nettlesome to Nye. Not everyone who cares about such matters has adopted Nye’s heck-with-it attitude toward coffee taxonomy. The Instituto Nazionale Espresso Italian, for one, calls for “25 ml espresso and 100 ml steam-foamed milk.” Coffee lovers in Italy believe so strongly in the idea of an authentic cappuccino that in 2007, the head of the nation’s commission on agriculture, Marco Lion, proposed government certification for cafes that make the drink the right way. (The government was dissolved before any action could be taken.) But the notion of an Italian ideal is dismissed by others. Perhaps the best cappuccino is made without the fancy barista work or other trappings.