Food is fuel for the body, so what do you put in your tank?

Imagine someone filling up your car with sugar instead of gas (I can almost hear all you car lovers out there shrieking in absolute horror). Well, the damage that this causes is similar to that of your own body’s engine when you take a bite out of that lard-filled giant cookie that you can’t help but shell out two dollars for every day at the office vending machine.

Ok fine, that’s me…but I know many of you out there do the very same thing! If it’s not this heart-stopper, then it’s another. Your poison may be the irresistible bag of salt-ladened chips or the double fudge chocolate chip with caramel filling bar that speaks to you. With everyone’s ever busier and increasingly sedentary lives, it’s often hard to resist these convenient temptations.

But whatever excuse you use, it won’t work anymore. Time and effort are no longer issues as trainers, dietitians, nutritionists, and chefs prove time and again that eating healthily is both easy and quick. Take Adam Hart‘s Flourless Hemp Cookies for instance. Let’s see you try and talk your way out of this recipe, which consists of all of five main ingredients, an oh so high-tech spatula to mix it all up, and brace yourselves…ten whole minutes of baking time.

This snack alternative not only gives you the energy you need to get through that extra couple of hours of work, but you’ll be filling up your body with nothing but nature’s goodness, whole and unprocessed. The hemp seeds alone are a complete protein, which means that they naturally contain all 9 essential amino acids that your body doesn’t have to work to break down!

Adam is all about educating the public on these foods and how to easily incorporate them in people’s diets. Next week, he will introduce more whole foods to add to your grocery list, so stay tuned! Your body will thank you.

For the recipe to the yummy flourless hemp cookies, read on! Read the rest of this entry »

A little action in the bedroom is good but did you know it’s also good FOR you?

If your man is using this as a reason for gettin’ a little somethin’ somethin,’ it ain’t no ordinary line ladies. He’s actually right! Such a release is good for his prostate and if you knew how common it is for men to develop cancer in this gland, you wouldn’t take his request so lightly.

Even though the subject is brought up every once in a while, people (generally of the male variety) are usually quick to change it or simply tune it out because it’s an uncomfortable issue. But why? We hear about breast cancer on a daily basis now it seems, and you can buy pretty much anything in pink these days so why is there this great imbalance?

Well, for one thing, just as you’d rather see bare breasts than full frontal male nudity, women just have a prettier package and pretty things are easier to talk about. The fact that breast cancer surgery is a lot more traumatic also warrants the attention. Consider that women can actually lose a whole breast, something that is more physically and psychologically damaging than losing an organ that you can’t see or touch. That’s why I think prostate cancer never gets the spotlight…until now!

And it’s about time! Did you know that prostate cancer is actually more common than breast cancer?! The numbers are staggering. Just this week alone, 429 Canadian men will have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and according to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1 in 27 will die from it. That’s why early detection is so critical. Like any other cancer, doctors the world over are still hard at work finding a cure so if a cancer is left to grow, it could not only be debilitating, but fatal. Prostate cancer develops very slowly so by the time you experience any symptoms, it may already be too late. However, if you are diligent about your annual checkups, early detection will ensure that you receive the right treatment so you can continue to live your life to the fullest. It is strongly recommended that men 40 and over be examined regularly but men in their mid-30s are now beginning to do so as well. Can’t hurt right? Well…maybe a little…

Granted, a physical examination of your prostate is more than unpleasant, but consider the repercussions if you ignore such a serious condition. Mad Morten’s grandfather discovered a tumor that eventually spread to his back, paralyzing him during his latter years of life and only through sheer stubbornness did he still live a relatively long one. The cancer can engulf any part of your body, not just your back as in this case. You guys out there will be happy to know that there is an alternative to being poked and prodded. As Alan explains in the video, there is a blood test called the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test that is less invasive and which produces the same results, so please consult your family physician, ask lots of questions, and learn more about it.

All this education is where Movember comes into play. Now that you’re armed with potentially life-saving info, it’s time to spread something of the good kind…awareness. And how will you do that? By sporting a MO (an Aussie slang for mustache) and becoming a Mo Bro! Unless you’re Magnum P.I., these facial accents are a rarity. That’s why when you wear one yourself, you’ll naturally attract attention and as people begin to ask you why you’re wearing such a pimpin’ look, you can enlighten them about a worthy cause. Women may be challenged in the facial hair department, but they have a part to play as well, by becoming Mo Sistas and supporting and recruiting Mo Men. This is one of the most creative ways of approaching a delicate subject and you’re encouraged to have fun with it. Conduct Mo-offs at your office! The teachers at Midland Secondary School in Ontario are raising money by selling ballots to vote on which teacher will don which ridiculous-looking mustache for the remainder of the month. All the money raised will fund each participating country’s leading prostate cancer research foundation so all the money raised in Canada will stay IN Canada. Our country’s beneficiary partner is the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada so sign up at Movember.com, start your own competition, and at the end of the month, celebrate with all your Vancouver Mo Bros and Sistas at a Gala Parté on November 29th at Caprice Night Club (check Movember.com for listings in other cities).

Knowledge is power babeh!

Stay tuned for a funky giveaway later today!

Giving credit where credit is due. That’s the motivation behind the creation of this line of fragrances that embodies the classic art of perfumery.

Like a child who grows up in a circus and knows the trapeze naturally, Frédéric Malle was brought up in a family of perfumers and became sensitized at a very young age to the world of fragrances. It’s no wonder, considering his grandfather was Parfums Christian Dior founder Serge Heftler-Louiche, and his mother the art director of the design giant for many years.

Even though the choice seemed obvious, Malle thought that he would move on to a different field, and for a while he did. But having developed a very acute appreciation for scents, he was asked to work at the famed Roure lab, where his career took a significant turn. “The minute I walked into that lab, I realized that it was home for me,” he reminisces. Having just come from the field of advertising at the time, he found the understated and humble world of perfumers refreshing and inspiring.

Fragrances have always been fronted by famous faces or famous names. No one ever really gives a second thought to the people behind the actual creations. That is what Malle sought to change in 2000 when he founded Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Crazy as it sounds, after selecting nine of the best “noses” in the industry, Malle offered them the ultimate freedom to create their dream fragrances, “fragrances with no limits, with no compromises.” Money was no longer an object and deadlines were a thing of the past. Without such restrictions tainting the results, these famous yet unknown perfumers were given the rare opportunity to develop products that were not only truly their own (and showcased as such), but to be enjoyed with absolute pride.

Simplicity is the key to a successful scent. As Malle explained to me, the simplest formulas or as he puts it, “those that are to the point,” often turn out to be the best. Perfumes that are of poor quality are ones that try to say too many things at once. Asked how one selects the right fragrance for them, Malle turns again to his principle of freedom. There are many clichés in the perfume industry and he is very quick to brush them all off. Simply trust your nose and the emotions that a particular smell invokes. What you like is generally what will suit you and don’t let science or jargon muddle up what you think is best. There isn’t even a “right” way of applying perfumes, he tells me. Dab it or splash it anywhere you like according to the strength of the perfume and be careful with dark fragrances if you apply them on clothes because they’re likely to stain. In terms of guidelines, that’s as much as you need to know really. He did point out that if you wear perfume on your skin, you’ll still have it on even if your clothes are not. Oh the French eh!

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle is available at Holt Renfrew and believe me when I tell you this: The people working there really really know their stuff. After we wrapped up the video shoot, I chatted with a couple of their personnel and before I knew it, I’d lost at least half an hour. I guarantee you’ll be impressed by the service and I have absolutely no doubt that you’ll leave learning volumes about not only these fragrances, but the very interesting science and history behind them all. Look for Bojana!

For more info on the people or the products featured in this piece, visit www.editionsdeparfums.com

I thought I knew my cheeses…until I met Chef Gurth Pretty. Now here’s a man who must’ve been a mouse in his past life. Compared to him, my knowledge of this gooey staple is less than rudimentary. In his first book alone (The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheeses), he introduces readers to get this, some 1,700 cheese varieties! And those are only the ones produced in Canada!

Even though cheese is fantastic on its own, it really comes to life when applied in cooking. Hence we have Gurth’s latest publication, The Definitive Canadian Wine and Cheese Cookbook. But what’s cheese without a good wine to complement its unique flavour right? Enter Tony Aspler, the most widely respected wine writer in the country, who teamed up with our cheese guru to co-write the book. With every mouthwatering dish that fills it, Tony offers a selection of spirits that completes the meal. For instance, should you have some Oka left over from a cheese party, Gurth has a creamy Garlic Oka Gratinée Soup recipe that it would be perfect for and Tony would be right there suggesting a Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, or other light red wine.

I gained a lot of knowledge about cheese just by flipping through and reading the brief but insightful tips and anecdotes that dot the cookbook. You’ll find some of Gurth’s recipes refreshing as he shows how other common ingredients can be as versatile as my favourite dairy product. Take his Pizzenta for example.

I see your raised eyebrow. Well, as Gurth explained to me, a Pizzenta is a combination of a pizza and polenta. Craving the former one day, Gurth realized he didn’t have all the ingredients necessary to make the dough. Cornmeal was available however, and as you probably already know, with some water or chicken (or vegetable) stock, you can easily make polenta. Suddenly, pizza was back on the dinner menu. Once cooked and allowed to set, Gurth broiled his improvised new crust and a base was ready for the toppings, which were inspired by his sister Elena, who once used a combination of caramelized onions, walnuts, and blue cheese (do you need someone to wipe that drool off your face?).

To jump start your own adventure into the world of cheese, here’s the recipe for Gurth Pretty’s Caramelized Onion, Walnut & Bleu de la Moutonnière Pizzenta, complete with Tony Aspler’s expert wine pairings.

Enjoy everyone! Read the rest of this entry »