Month: July 2017

Categories
Nosh

10 Foods That Are Banned In The United States

Americans eat some

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These unusual foods are popular overseas, but you won’t find them on grocery store shelves in this country anytime soon—they are all banned in the United States.

Did your favorite food make the list?

1. Pufferfish

Pufferfish may look pretty cute, but don’t let that fool you.

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One pufferfish contains enough toxins to kill up to 30 people. Pufferfish get their names because they can inflate their bodies to several times their normal size, turning themselves into a giant, inedible ball.

Despite their deadly nature, pufferfish are considered a delicacy in Japan. Called fugu, pufferfish are only prepared by licensed chefs who know that incorrect preparation of the delicacy could quite literally be a customer’s last meal.

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It is illegal to sell, harvest, or serve pufferfish in the United States for obvious reasons. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the import of fugu from one supplier into the country. This pufferfish is farm raised, is served in only a few restaurants across the United States, and does not have the same toxicity as wild pufferfish.

2. Raw Milk

Raw milk comes fresh from the udder, meaning it has not been pasteurized. Although there are concerns over the safety of raw milk, many people believe there are benefits to drinking raw milk that just can’t be obtained by drinking the pasteurized version.

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Pasteurization is the process of heating foods to a safe level to kill harmful bacteria. In the late 1800s, the dairy industry began to pasteurize milk to stop the spread of tuberculosis, a serious lung infection that was often spread through raw milk.

In 1987, the FDA mandated that all milk products be pasteurized for consumption in the United States, but over time, several states have lifted restrictions to allow the sale of raw milk.

3. Haggis

The national dish of Scotland, haggis is a pudding (not to be confused with the Jell-O variety) made of meat organs, spices, and oatmeal, which are boiled in a sheep’s stomach.

Haggis has been eaten in Scotland for centuries and can be found everywhere from high-end restaurants to fast-food chains across the country.

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Importing the traditional version of the hearty dish from Scotland become illegal in the United States in the 1971, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared that “Livestock lungs shall not be saved for use as human food.”

The fear was that people could get scrapie, a fatal degenerative disease found in sheep and goats. It has not been proven that humans can contract scrapie, although the disease has been linked to certain neurological disorders in people.

You still can’t buy the traditional Scottish dish in the United States, but haggis may be making its American debut soon, as there are talks of removing restrictions on sheep imports.

4. Queen Conch

The queen conch refers to both the actual mollusk and its distinctive shell.

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The conch is an edible mollusk that has the chewy texture of calamari but tastes kind of like crab. It is often fried into tasty fritters or used in chowders across the Caribbean.

It is illegal to harvest queen conchs in the state of Florida, the only place they can be found in the United States. Imports from certain countries were banned in the United States due to overharvesting.

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Have a hankering for fried conch fritters? You can still order conch at many seafood restaurants; the United States does allow conch imports from legally sourced providers.

5. Sassafras Oil

Sassafras is a tree with fragrant bark and leaves. Sassafras gave original root beer its distinct flavor and has been used medicinally for hundreds of years to alleviate inflammation and boost dental health.

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Despite its tasty flavor, sassafras has largely been banned in the United States because the root bark contains safrole, a known carcinogen.

Products that contain sassafras, such as some teas and natural root beers, can still be purchased as long as the safrole has been removed.

6. Horsemeat

Eating horsemeat is still common in many parts of the world, but remains off the menu in the United States. Since the first explorers set foot on American soil, horses were valued for trade and warfare rather than as a food source.

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Americans have eaten horsemeat during hard times, though, most notably during the Civil War—and even during the 1970s during a meat shortage.

Horsemeat has effectively been banned since 2007, but those restrictions have not been extended since 2011. This doesn’t mean you can purchase horsemeat for consumption, however. Any meat product sold in the United States has to be inspected, and currently there are no regulations (or plans to regulate) inspections for horsemeat in the U.S.

7. Casu Marzu

The world’s most dangerous cheese, casu marzu, is produced in Sardinia.

Why is it so dangerous?

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Casu marzuShardan/Wikimedia Commons


is made of sheep’s milk and contains live fly larvae that eat the rotting cheese. The cheese passes through the larvae, and their excrement is what gives the cheese its very distinct flavor.

Casu marzu has been banned both in the U.S. and UK for obvious health reasons. Unless you visit Sardinia and know a guy who knows a guy who deals in illegal cheeses, casu marzu will have to stay on your foodie bucket list.

8. Tonka Beans

Tonka beans are valued in fine dining for their aroma, which has hints of vanilla, cherry, almond, and cinnamon.

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The tonka bean’s distinct flavor is thanks to coumarin, a chemical compound that has been banned in the United States since 1954 because it can cause liver problems in high concentrations.

Although tonka beans are technically banned in the United States, many restaurants continue to find ways to import and use the bean. Or, you could jet off to Europe, where coumarin is not restricted, for a taste of tonka.

9. Ackee Fruit

The ackee fruit has been adopted by Jamaica as its national fruit, even though it can famously cause Jamaican vomiting sickness. The seeds of the ackee fruit are extremely toxic, and only the yellow fruit surrounding the seeds are edible.

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If the ackee fruit is not prepared correctly, eating it can cause not only the aforementioned vomiting but can also lead to hypoglycemia, muscle weakness, coma, and even death, which is why it has been banned in the United States.

But if you can’t make it to Jamaica for fresh ackee, canned and frozen ackee can be purchased stateside.

10. Shark Fins

Shark fin soup is a delicacy across much of Asia. The shark fins don’t provide much flavor, but they add texture to the soup, which is often served at banquets and weddings.

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Harvesting the shark fins is pretty gruesome, which is why shark fin harvesting has been banned in the United States. When shark fins are harvested, the sharks are captured, their fins are removed, and the sharks are then dumped back in the ocean.

Shark fin soup continues to be served in the United States, as imports are still legal in many states. But recent legislation introduced in 2016 aims to totally stop shark fin imports into the United States.

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If the legislation passes, foodie thrill seekers will have to travel outside the United States to get a taste of shark fin soup.

Categories
Lifestyle

Why Humans Are Hardwired To Turn To The Right When We Kiss

When I was 5 years old, I tried to kiss the cute boy who sat next to me in kindergarten.

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He did not appreciate my amorous advances, and I had to sit out of recess as punishment for invading someone’s personal space.

It didn’t matter though. From that moment forward, I was smitten with the idea of kissing. As a preteen, I secretly read my grandmother’s tattered copy of The Thornbirds, tried to sneakily catch my older cousins swapping spit with their boyfriends, and watched breathlessly as Jack and Rose kissed on the bow of the Titanic.

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Titanic Wiki

I studied the kissing scenes in movies especially hard in anticipation of my own future lip locks. From Jack and Rose to Allie and Noah, I noticed that all on-screen kisses had one thing in common: Both people always turned their heads to the right when leaning in for the kiss.

What can I say? As a lefty, I tend to notice these things.

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I recently learned that most people are actually hardwired to turn to the right when kissing. German psychologist Onur Güntürkü studied the kissing practices of 124 couples (unbeknownst to the subjects) and found that the majority of the couples turned their heads to the right when they locked lips.

The same results were found to be true in Bangladesh when scientists observed married couples kissing in their homes. Of the couples observed, 75 percent turned their heads to the right when kissing.

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So why do we instinctively turn our heads to the right when we kiss?

It is estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of the world’s population are right-handed. This preference develops in the womb, as early as the tenth week of pregnancy. It’s possible that this early preference for one hand over the other extends into other right-sided preferences, like turning your head to kiss.

Canadian researchers have another interesting theory: We tend to turn our heads right when kissing romantic partners and to the left when kissing platonic family members and friends.

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The jury is still out on why we instinctively turn to the right when kissing. As it turns out though, this right-sided head preference isn’t even the weirdest thing about sharing smooches.

Not tonight, honey. I’m allergic to kissing.

Yes, it’s true. You can have an allergic reaction while kissing your sweetheart. If you’re allergic to a certain food, kissing someone who has eaten that food can trigger an allergic reaction. Even if the person didn’t eat that food recently and has brushed their teeth and rinsed their mouth well, you could still have an allergic reaction up to 24 hours later.

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It’s bad enough for a food allergy to be triggered by kissing, but what if you were actually allergic to your partner’s kisses?

That’s what happened to Johanna Watkins, a Minnesota woman who is allergic to her husband Scott’s scent, thanks to mast cell activation syndrome, a rare immune disorder.

In an interview with TODAY, Scott shared, “We haven’t kissed in about a year and a half, maybe two years.”

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Scott Watkins

But that doesn’t stop the Watkins from having date nights like other normal couples. They just have to adapt a little.

“We talk on the phone all the time. We watch shows together—she watches the show on her TV and I watch the show on mine.”

First rule of kissing? Good oral hygiene.

This just makes g
ood sense. No one wants to kiss someone whose mouth is less than minty fresh. Even if you brush your teeth before kissing, you can still get cavities from bacteria that stick to teeth.

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In an article for SELF magazine, dentist Emanuel Layliev explains, “Cavities are typically passed through mouth-to-mouth contact when there is an exchange of saliva.”

If you and your significant other have a hot-and-heavy make out session, it’s pretty hard not to swap spit. It’s estimated that more than 80 million bacteria are exchanged between partners in a 10-second kissing session.

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Someone who has lots of cavity-causing bacteria in their mouth can transfer that bacteria to their partner, increasing the likelihood that they too will develop a cavity. But the opposite is also true. Swapping spit with someone who has lots of good bacteria can boost your immune system.

There’s no need to be scared of kissing.

On average, both women and men will kiss an average of 15 to 16 people before finding the one person they want to kiss forever. In total, the average person spends up to two full weeks of their entire lives kissing.

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For people like Erica Valentine, who suffer from philemaphobia, though, kissing is less like a two-week dream vacation and more like a total nightmare.

Philemaphobia is, you guessed it, the fear of kissing. It’s common among young or inexperienced kissers and usually goes away with a little practice. For a small percentage of people who suffer from philemaphobia, though, the fear never goes away.

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This fear of kissing is often coupled with other phobias. For example, some people might be afraid of kissing because they’re also afraid of germs, intimacy, or physical contact.

Valentine hasn’t been kissed in over two years, because she’s terrified of the bacteria and germs swapped during kissing. She used to wear braces to discourage her partners from kissing her. 

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Since her braces have come off, Valentine says, ‘I still wear a retainer but if people get close to me I just use that as a way of putting people off kissing me.”

Skip the spa and schedule a make-out session instead.

I’m always looking for a good excuse to skip the gym, and now I have one. Kissing is not only more fun than clocking time on the treadmill, it’s good for you too.

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Kissing stimulates the production of oxytocin, the hormone that promotes calmness. That same hormone is released when we participate in calming activities like massage and yoga.

Kissing also reduces cortisol, a hormone that can cause stress, suggesting that kissing is a great way to relieve tension at the end of a long day.

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In addition, lower cortisol levels can also help lower blood pressure. In an interview with Glamour magazine, Dr. Ryan Neinstein explains, “The more you kiss, the more your heart races, and the more your blood flows, ultimately reducing high blood pressure.”

That’s not all kissing can do. Locking lips can burn up to two calories per minute, about the same amount of calories as taking a brisk walk. In addition, you can use up to 30 facial muscles during a really passionate kiss. These muscles can help tone the cheeks and keep wrinkles at bay.

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With health benefits like these, you’ll never need a spa day again. Just pretend like it’s high school all over again, grab your sweetheart, and start smooching.

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Lifestyle

10 Things Your Hairstylist Secretly Wishes You Knew

I used to worry what my hairstylist thought of me each time I paid him a visit. Honestly, I was terrible at keeping up with my hair and would show up with split ends and a brassy red color I had randomly selected from the drugstore. 

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I would sit in the chair and wonder if he was judging me and my damaged hair or if he simply didn’t care what I did with my locks as long as paid him.

As it turns out, your stylist probably isn’t concerned with judging your past hair choices but they do care a lot about helping you take better care of your hair. There are a lot of other things you hairstylist wishes you knew, but they can’t quite get themselves to spit out the words and risk offending or losing a client.

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So we did the digging around for you. We cleared up a few myths and got to the bottom of some those nagging questions we know you’ve been dying to ask.

1. The Truth About Your Cell Phone

Think twice before you pick up your phone. Although most stylists won’t care all that much if you respond to a text, a phone call is different story, according to one colorist from San Diego, who urged clients not to pick up their phone during their session. Another stylist said she didn’t have a hard and fast rule about cell phones, but she did care if it kept her from her work.

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“As long as they aren’t in my way or delaying my work, then I don’t care,” Amanda Gratto, master stylist and owner of Salon Gratto in Kansas City told me. “But the truth is, most of the time they do delay my work. Usually a client walks in on their phone and it delays my consultation. So in reality, they are late for their appointment.”

Leave your phone in your bag if possible, and if you have to check your phone or return a call, let it wait until your color is processing so you aren’t using up your stylist’s time.

2. All color jobs are not created equal.

When you call to set up your appointment, you really need to be up front about what you are expecting. This is especially true if you plan to have your hair colored, since more complicated jobs can take hours to complete.

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“Don’t schedule a new-growth touch up and then ask for an ombre,” Gratto said. “We don’t have time scheduled for that!”

3. The Difference Between Friends and Friendly

If you get the sense that your stylist likes you, they probably do! Still, that doesn’t mean they don’t have boundaries set up to balance their work and life. So don’t be offended if they don’t respond to your midnight hair questions or if they don’t have time in their schedule to listen to you chat after your appointment is through.

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One stylist told me she secretly wishes her clients knew that as much as she loves her job, it is still a job. No one wants to be on call 24/7, and maintaining boundaries in her relationships with clients is just one way she keeps a healthy work/life balance.

4. About That Free Therapy Session

Do you ever find yourself trying to keep the conversation going with your stylist during your appointment? Even though your stylist is happy to chat, don’t feel like you have to keep up the conversation to entertain them or avoid awkwardness.

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“Most stylists are social, but we don’t need to talk,” a colorist based in San Diego told me. “It is not awkward. Quiet clients can be a special treat and you might get a better result.”

5. Platinum blonde isn’t in your future.

A good stylist won’t sacrifice the health of your hair to give you your dream color, according to Gratto. She told me that she wishes her clients knew how to set realistic expectations based on their hair and its unique characteristics.

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It’s important to understand that doing too much to your hair too quickly can cause significant damage. This knowledge will also keep you from being disappointed if your stylist isn’t willing to take your hair to platinum blonde in one sitting. She isn’t trying to be a buzzkill, she’s trying to saving your hair from irreversible damage.

6. Empty chairs equal empty bank accounts.

“I don’t think most people understand how we actually make money,” Gratto told me. “I think most people assume we get paid by a boss or something, but if we don’t have a client in our chair we are actually not making any money.”

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Why is this so important for you to know? Because last-minute cancellations are a huge stressor for hairstylists. When you don’t show up for your appointment or if you call the day of to cancel, your stylist probably won’t have time to rebook your appointment.

This means they won’t be making any money during the hour or two they set aside for you.

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“We understand when a circumstance comes up, and unplanned emergencies happen,” Kansas City stylist Joanna Freisner told me. “If you don’t show up to your appointment we don’t get paid! And it also took that appointment away from someone else who would have liked to come in.”

7. Here’s a tip on tipping your stylist.

“We have a preset tipping amount that our clients can choose from,” explained Gratto. “It is entirely based on what they want to do, but usually we tell them that tipping is for exceptional service.”

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That said, tipping is definitely appreciated by your stylist. How much is expected? You can tip whatever you like, but the average falls somewhere between 15 and 25 percent of the cost of your service.

There also seems to be a misconception that salon owners shouldn’t be tipped for a color or cut, according to Gratto, who said some clients seem to believe that tipping an owner is either against a rule or simply unneeded. That couldn’t be further from the truth; salon owners always appreciate a good tip.

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Here’s the real secret about tipping: It pays to take care of your stylist.

“People who tip you and people who tip you well, who take care of you financially, are going to get a lot more perks,” one stylist told me. “If they need to move their appointment at the last minute or need me to help them out with something, of course I am going to go above and beyond for them. It’s that way the world works.”

8. You get what you pay for.

Of course, the cost of getting your hair done can vary greatly depending on your expectations, but you really do get what you pay for when it comes to the quality of your hairstyle.

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“I can’t speak for all hairstylists, but there is a reason things cost as much as they do,” Gratto explained. “Because of our education and our time. Especially specialty services or corrective color. It takes a lot of time, and my time is what costs the most money.”

9. They know how you feel about your shampoo.

Most people love getting their hair shampooed by their stylist, so you probably don’t need to make a point to express how amazing it feels. In fact, people who are super into it make stylists a little uncomfortable. Close your eyes and enjoy your scalp massage in silence, keep the sighs and moans to yourself, please!

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“We make fun of the clients who make upside-down eye
contact with us at the shampoo bowl and the moaners!”

10. The Dirty Secret About Washing Your Hair

So, what about those hair products your stylist is always trying to sell you after she colors your hair? She’s probably just trying to make extra money, right?

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Wrong. Hairstylists make very little from their product sales, so you can believe that they really do love the products they recommend. Even more importantly, they want to see you take good care of your new cut and color.

“It is hard for me to understand why so many women will spend so much on coloring their hair but they won’t take my product recommendations,” said Gratto. “I’m really suggesting what I think is best for your hair. I want your color to last and your hair to stay healthy, I’m not making enough off the products I sell for it to be about the money!”

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When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask your hairstylist exactly what they think about something you’re unsure about. Remember, they’re on your side and their ultimate goal is that you leave their salon with healthy hair that makes you feel confident and comfortable.

Categories
Motherhood

Moms Reveal Their Most Hilarious And Relatable Parenting Fails

During the earliest days of my life as a mom, I could never have imagined myself publicly confessing my most embarrassing moments as a parent. 

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Being a brand new mom was scary, and it was hard, and it brought out all of my insecurities in full force.

I spent a lot of time trying my darndest to look like I knew what I was doing. (Of course, I was clueless most of the time.)

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It wasn’t long before I realized that every mom I knew was making mistakes, too. They were running on little sleep, just like me. They were feeling strung out and overwhelmed, just like me. These things, combined, meant a lot of forgetfulness and thoughtless decisions and a lot of parenting fails.

Eventually, instead of trying to hide my mistakes, I learned that sharing my mistakes and learning to laugh them off with other moms was therapeutic in its own right.

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We would meet up for coffee and someone would dish on a story from earlier that day, one they simply couldn’t keep to themselves, and then another mom would share her most recent blunder.

Before long, we were laughing so hard there were tears rolling down our cheeks and we were feeling a little less alone in our life as a parent.

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We’ve all made parenting mistakes, but some are most certainly funnier than others. Keep reading for the most hilarious parenting fails shared by real moms like you.

A Crappy Situation

What mom of little ones doesn’t have a good poop story? I still remember the day I attempted to get out the house for the first time as a new mom of two. I thought I had packed everything I needed, but realized as I was leaving the driveway that I hadn’t grabbed a spare outfit for the newborn. In a temporary lapse of judgment, I decided not to go back.

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Of course, you can probably guess how the next hour played out. Within five minutes of our arrival at a local play area, my newborn and I were both covered in baby poop. To make matters worse, I ran out of wipes before I could fully clean up the mess. I could feel the pitying glances from the other moms as I packed up my naked newborn and my tantruming toddler (who didn’t even get to play!) and dragged my poop-covered crew back out to our minivan.

I find solace in knowing that I’m not the only one with a crappy story to share.

Kendra Moberly, mom of three, learned the hard way how much trouble a set of twins can get into in a short amount of time.

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“When [my twins] moved to a big girl bed, I had changed one of their poopy diapers and accidentally left the diaper in their room. I had a friend over for some girl time and walked upstairs to check on something when I was overwhelmed with a poop smell. A BAD poop smell. I opened the door and poop was EVERYWHERE. On them, their rug, their comforter, the dresser.”

She never lived that one down, either, since her house guest shared her “poop catastrophe” story with some of their friends at the next get together.

Out of the Mouths of Babes…

Kids say the cutest things, but they also don’t always know when something is better left unsaid. Chelsie Buckner, mom of three little ones under the age of 6, told me about a time when her daughter’s tall tale landed on the wrong ears.

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“My daughter once took off all of her clothes and started pushing the vacuum around,” she told me. “When my mother-in-law asked what she was doing she said ‘this is how mommy does it.’ What?! No!”

Jere Nave, mom of four, had no idea how closely her little ones were listening in on adult conversations until one fateful day in the Walmart parking lot when her 5-year-old repeated something she’d probably heard from her dad.

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“On a hot day after shopping at Walmart, I put all four of my kids in the car. I put the baby in the car seat between the two girls in the back,” she told us. “As I was getting in, I started rolling down the windows to hear one of my little girls (probably 5 at the time) looking over her baby brother saying in her baby voice ‘Are you hot baby? Are you sweating your balls off?’”

Abandonment Issues

One of my kids is a pro at remembering my worst moments as a mom and brings them up on a regular basis, reminding me that she hasn’t forgotten that one time I forgot to buckle her sister into her car seat on a trip to the store or the last time I totally lost my cool.

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Kids have a knack for reminding us of our parenting fails, don’t they?

For instance, when Lacy Stroessner and her husband decided to hop the fence after putting their three daughters to bed so they could spend a little time visiting with their neighbors, who were hosting an outdoor party, she never imagined she’d still be hearing about it months later.

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“I even stayed for 30 minutes to make sure everyone fell asleep and stayed in their bed. We kept looking at the house, every 10 minutes or so. After about an hour, our bedroom light had been turned on and I knew they were awake,” Lacy said. “They were sobbing. They still talk about how we left them and they thought we were ‘GONE FOREVER!’”

A Very Messy Lesson

Have you ever thought about doing something and then put it off only to regret it later? That is exactly what happened to me last summer and I’ll never forget this lesson learned the hard way.

After I caught my daughter attempting to take scissors to her own hair, I snatched them from her and returned them to the craft box in her bedroom closet. More than once, I thought I had better find a new home for the scissors but never got around to moving them.

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One night a few weeks later, I checked in on my girls (who share a room and were so quiet I believed they were sleeping) and found their floor was covered in human hair.

My middle child, who had hair to her rear by the time she was a year old, had happily obliged when my oldest convinced her they should play “hair shop” before bed that night. I was so in shock by the mess—and my daughter’s terrible haircut—that I called my best friend, a hair stylist, and cried to her over the phone.

She was able to squeeze us in the next day for an emergency cut, and my daughter sported a cute little bob for the rest of the summer.

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An impulse purchase turned into a very messy lesson for Jayne, mom of three. On a whim, she decided to buy her kids a beanbag chair for their room. It wasn’t long before they figured out how to unzip the beanbag chair and spread the tiny foam beads all over the house. Isn’t it amazing how one simple mistake can create such a disaster?

Even experienced moms fail.

The next time you feel embarrassed about your most recent parenting fail, take comfort in knowing that even the most experienced moms face disasters daily. Becca Sutton, mom of nine, told me about one of her most recent parenting blunders.

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“We went to eat at Burger King as special treat for the kids,” she told me. “While I was feeding the littlest one in the high chair, the toddler picked up my king-sized sweet tea and proceeded to drop it, spilling it all over the entire section we were sitting in.

“A
s I collected napkins to try to mop it up, he then vomited right there in the middle of God and everyone.

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“I ran him to the bathroom, bathed him in the sink, and then had to put him in a diaper and one of the baby’s onesies because I didn’t carry a change of clothes for him! He looked so funny in that tiny onesie stretched across his torso like a catsuit!”

If a mom of nine can laugh off her mom fails, you can, too. Know that these are things that don’t really matter in the long run and that our kids may tease us about our most recent mistakes, but what matters the most is that they know they have parents who love and value them.

Categories
Nosh

This Simple Hack Will Keep Your Avocados Fresh For Way Longer

Why do avocados go brown so quickly?

If you’ve ever made guacamole, you’ve likely noticed that raw avocado quickly turns into an unappetizing brown mess. That’s because of the same chemical process that causes apples and other fruits to brown—it’s just that in avocados, the process moves very quickly.

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Here are the basics: When you expose an avocado’s flesh, an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase helps to convert phenolic compounds into quinones. This eventually produces polymers called polyphenols, which give the flesh a brown color.

To put it another way, oxygen is the enemy. It starts the underlying chemical process, and once it starts, it doesn’t stop.

While you can’t stop an avocado from browning entirely, you can slow the process.

The most common trick is to add lemon juice. Lemon juice boosts the acidity, slowing the enzymes and preventing the browning process. But this only works if you use enough lemon juice to preserve the entire avocado—exposed sections of the fruit will still brown.

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You can also cover the avocado in a tight cling film. This prevents the oxygen from contacting the fruit, which slows the reaction.

You can also use red onions to stop avocados from browning.

For this method, you’ll simply small-dice a red onion and seal it in an airtight container with the avocado. The fruit should touch the onion; for best results, add in the pit on top. Again, the onion’s acidity staves off the enzymatic reactions, giving you more time to enjoy your fruit.

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Of all of the methods listed here, the red onion trick is probably most effective—but it can flavor your avocado. That’s not such a big deal if you love onions or if you’re mixing onions into your guac, but it might be a dealbreaker for some readers.

By understanding the browning process, you can also preserve uncut avocados.

The browning process begins occurring as soon the avocado is plucked from the tree, but by limiting oxygen exposure, you can preserve the fruit. As soon as your avocados are ripe, wrap them in cling film and store them in your refrigerator.

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What if you’ve got some unripe avocados that you’d like to ripen? Place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. This works because apples and bananas contain ethylene, which triggers the ripening process. By enclosing the different fruits in a single bag, you trap in the ethylene, and your avocados

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Once you understand the basic chemistry behind the ripening process, you can easily store and use avocados without ever dealing with a sludgy brown mess. Oh, and if you’re looking for more avocado hacks, just know that some people are drinking lattes out of the fruit.Imgur

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Nosh

A Breakdown Of All The Chemicals That Are In Your Mac And Cheese

Many people consider mac and cheese the ultimate comfort food. Unfortunately, a Belgian study warns that the cheese powder used to make the dish contains alarming levels of chemicals.

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The chemicals in question are called phthalates (pronounced THAL-eights). Manufacturers use phthalates to soften plastic, making it ideal for vinyl flooring, shower curtains, and food labels. Perfume, deodorant, and plastic bottles also contain the plasticizer.

Because phthalates do not chemically bond to plastic, they leach out over time. Fatty foods, such as the cheese powder from mac and cheese mixes, can then bond to the phthalates in their packaging, causing humans to ingest the dangerous substance.

The harmful effects of these chemicals are well studied. To protect children from exposure, Congress banned the use of phthalates in children’s toys and pacifiers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food safety, could ban the plasticizer from food packaging and labels, but so far has shown no willingness to do so.

The study detected phthalates in 29 out of 30 samples.

The number of phthalates that the study detected may seem low when you see the results. The lab measured the concentration of phthalates in parts per billion. Still, the chemicals exist at high enough concentrations to affect the body’s hormones.

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For instance, phthalates can alter reproductive hormone levels in girls and inhibit testosterone production in boys. Heather Patisaul, a professor of biological sciences at the Center for Human Health and the Environment at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, told the New York Times, “That means there is less testosterone available to the developing male fetus, and since testosterone is absolutely vital to build his reproductive organs, the worry is that you will get malformations and other kinds of problems that translate to health effects later.”

Early childhood exposure can also be dangerous. Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, said that research indicates that there is a link between early childhood phthalate exposure and various behavioral and neurodevelopmental issues.

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Aggression, hyperactivity, and possibly even cognitive delays have been linked to phthalate exposure.

What can consumers do to decrease exposure?

Those who ran the study created a petition to urge Kraft to quit using phthalates in its packaging and labels. While the food giant has bowed to pressure in the past (a grassroots effort convinced the company to quit using food dyes in 2015), the current petition has less momentum behind it.

Instead of waiting for the industry to change, consumers can benefit from an immediate decrease in the chemical by switching to homemade mac and cheese. The study found that non-powdered cheeses had around four times less phthalates present than the powdered mixes.

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When consumers switch to homemade mac and cheese, they gain the freedom to make other aspects of the meal healthier as well. They could substitute wheat pasta or add broccoli and other veggies to make this comfort food more nutritious.

Phthalate levels are highest in fatty foods.

A 2014 meta-analysis found phthalates in a stunning variety of foods in the United States, Europe, and China. Levels were highest in meat, oils, fats, and cream. Scientists also detected phthalates in yogurt, milk, eggs, pasta, fruits and vegetables, but the plasticizers were at much lower concentrations in these foods.

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Phthalates are everywhere, and there’s no way to completely avoid them. A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that nearly the enti
re U.S. population has phthalates in their bodies. But by avoiding common sources for the chemical, such as perfumes, plastic bottles, fast food—and, sadly, boxed macaroni and cheese—consumers can reduce their exposure to this dangerous chemical.

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Wellbeing

The Newest Fitness Trend That Lets You Drink Beer While Doing Yoga

Beer is delicious, but it’s not really a part of a well-balanced nutrition plan. Unless, of course, you adhere to the unusual philosophies of “beer yoga.”

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Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Beer yoga practitioners go through typical yoga moves, taking regular sips out of beer pints to reward themselves for their effort. The moves aren’t any more complex than what you’d find in a typical yoga class, but participants often feel more relaxed at the end of their sessions.

If you’re picturing a bunch of people overindulging while struggling through their sun salutations, think again. Participants typically get a single beer, which they enjoy while working through a fairly standard yoga routine.

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But beer yoga instructors say that the extra incentive helps to bring in people who wouldn’t normally try yoga.

“It adds a little bit more extra relaxation because a lot of people tend to be very tense when they come. Especially their first time,” yoga teacher Guzel Mursalimova said to Business Insider UK.

It started in Germany, and the strange fitness craze spread quickly.

Beer yoga studios have popped up in London, New York, Brisbane, and dozens of other major cities. The appeal is obvious, and although some publications have derided beer yoga as a “hipster experiment gone wrong,” participants say that they’re simply having fun.

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Well, in most cases.

“BeerYoga is fun but it’s no joke,” one yogi told Mashable. “We take the philosophies of yoga and pair it with the pleasure of beer drinking to reach your highest level of consciousness.”

Uh, right.

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The exact practices vary from studio to studio. Some classes actually incorporate the beer glass into their yoga routines. Participants balance their pints while performing their poses, which adds a fun element (and probably a bit of cleanup). Some studios wait until the end of class to enjoy the beer. Really, “yoga” and “beer” are the only true constants.

That leaves one question: Does beer yoga burn more calories than it expends?

Well, yes, but just barely. A 125-pound person will burn about 240 calories while performing an hour of yoga, according to Harvard Health Publications. People who weigh more will burn more calories, and the exact yoga routine will also affect the total caloric expenditure.

A typical draft beer contains about 182 calories. That varies, depending on the exact recipe; a pint of Guinness, for instance, contains around 210 calories. Beer yoga classes tend to use a variety of craft brews, so calorie counters may have a tough time keeping track.

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Ultimately, anything that gets you exercising is probably good for you, and if you need an IPA as your motivation, have at it. As one instructor told MSN, beer yoga doesn’t take itself too seriously—and that’s what makes it so fun.

“I think of Beer Fit Club as fitness for the rest of us,” said Sophia Del Gigante of Beer Fit Club in New York. “It’s the least serious class you’ll ever take. There’s literally no judgement.”

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Wellbeing

The Scary Thing That Happens To Your Brain When You Don't Get Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation is a serious public health issue.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep or wakefulness disorders, and recent research indicates that long-term sleep issues can lead to serious health problems.

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But if you’re looking for another reason to refine your sleep schedule, we’ve got one—and it’s a bit disturbing. According to a new study, sleep deprivation can literally cause your brain to start eating itself.

Granted, that’s a pretty rough way of putting it, but it’s essentially true. Researcher Michele Bellesi and colleagues published their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The study showed that extended periods of sleep deprivation activate microglia, a type of cell found in the brain and spine. These cells act as phagocytes, engulfing other cells and ingesting them.

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In a healthy body, phagocytes serve an important function; they eliminate dead or dying cells, along with bacteria and viruses, allowing the body to operate efficiently. But an overabundance of phagocytes isn’t a good thing, because it exposes tissues to potential damage.

So, does sleep deprivation prompt your brain to completely devour itself?

Not quite. The effect is certainly important and deserves scientific study, but it’s probably not something that most people need to worry about, provided that their periods of missed sleep are relatively few and far between.

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Many other stressors can cause the same type of issues with phagocytic activity, as the study notes in its conclusion. Still, given the prevalence of sleep issues in American adults, these findings seem especially troubling; people who regularly miss out on sleep may be exposing their brains to certain diseases.

The good news is that the phagocytic activity isn’t problematic in the short term. In fact, it’s likely a healthy reaction to short periods of sleeplessness, because the microglia allow the brain to treat the problems that are keeping it awake.

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The study stops short of explaining how the brain damage from sleep deprivation might manifest, but the takeaway is clear. You’re not at risk if you miss a few hours of sleep on occasion, but extended periods of sleep deprivation aren’t good for your brain.

That’s certainly not the only serious health issue associated with sleep deprivation.

In recent years, scientists have linked insomnia with fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and a host of other chronic conditions.

So, what’s the best way to treat sleep dysfunction? For otherwise healthy people, it’s as simple as refining bedtime habits. The CDC recommends going to bed at the same time every day, staying away from caffeine before bed, and avoiding large meals late at night.

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Recent research also indicates that smartphones and other LCD-equipped devices can make sleep more difficult. This is likely due to blue light waves, which stop the brain from sending out the chemical signals it uses to prompt sleep. In other words, parts of your brain might mistake the blue light for daylight.

While light filter applications can help to diminish this effect, the best tactic is to put down the phone completely.

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Motherhood

This Baby Is the First Girl Born in Her Family in 137 Years

A South Carolina family is celebrating their first baby girl in 137 years.

You read that right. The Settle family hasn’t welcomed a daughter for more than a century.

Will Settle of Bluffton, South Carolina, is the girl’s father. He told ABC that his family is stunned—and delighted.

“My mother just went nuts,” Will said. “My mom always wanted a daughter. She was absolutely ecstatic.”

For three generations, the Settle family has only produced boys. Will, 38, has a son from a previous marriage. “I just assumed I was going to have another boy,” he said.

But at their gender reveal party, Will and his wife, Kelen, opened up a box to see pink and purple balloons shoot out.

“Everybody was a little bit stunned at first,” Kelen told People. “We really thought it would be a boy. Everybody started freaking out, especially Will’s parents.”

That’s when they started to realize that their newest addition was breaking a family tradition.

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Settle Family

“My father actually did some homework when we found out it was a girl,” Will said.

“He started to think back, ‘You know my father didn’t have any sisters, my grandfather may of had some sisters,’ and started to kind of move further back and found out there hasn’t been one in that long.”

Kelen noted that her new daughter will have something interesting to tell her friends when she’s older. “I think it’s going to be cool for her. It’s a little fun fact.”

The proud parents welcomed Carter Louise Settle on June 25.

Shortly afterward, they received another surprise: Will’s coworkers decided to help him celebrate by announcing the birth via billboard.

“Will works for an outdoor advertising company, so when she was born they snagged one of the photos off Facebook and made this billboard,” Kelen said. “It is absolutely ridiculous. It was a fun surprise.”

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Settle Family

Unfortunately, the surprise was spoiled a little when Will received several calls about the billboard before he saw it for himself.

“A guy I work with said you need to drive to Savannah turn around and come back,” Will told NBC. 

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Settle Family

“And I know that we have a good number of billboards in that area of 1-70/3-15, so I did. I went down and turned around and couldn’t believe… I couldn’t believe how bright pink the billboard was.”

So, how unlikely is a female baby after 137 years of boys?

The short answer: probably about 50 percent. In humans, sperm determines a child’s gender; the egg plays no role. This is because women have two X chromosomes, whereas men usually have one X and one Y chromosome (but not always).

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Settle Family

However, various physiological factors can determine whether the fertilized egg successfully implants in the uterus. Some studies have shown that diet, blood pressure, and stress can affect rates of implantation, potentially skewing a couple’s chances of having a baby boy or girl.

Still, in most cases, a baby’s sex comes down to the flip of a coin. That’s what makes the Settles so unusual.

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Will says that he’ll do his best to prepare his daughter. They chose the name Carter because it’s a “really strong name… She’s going to have to be strong with all the men she’ll deal with in the Settle family,” Will joked.

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Nosh

Are Zero-Calorie Drinks Ever Really Good For You?

According to the latest available figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 percent of Americans drink diet beverages on any given day. Many of these products boast weight-loss capabilities, but how true is that claim? The answer is a subject of controversy.
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Manufacturers of zero-calorie beverages have very different answers from those of diet advocates, which is why it’s so important to do your own research on the products you’re eating and drinking. Here’s a quick introduction to the wild world of zero-calorie beverages.

Searching for the Truth About Zero-Calorie Drinks

It isn’t easy to find information on the effects of zero-calorie artificial sweeteners. Many of the published studies reach conflicting conclusions. One paper will find a direct correlation between artificial sweeteners and weight gain, while another states that there’s no link to obesity at all. How do you know whom to trust?
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The key is to pay attention to who is conducting which study. Reporter Markham Heid discussed the conflict of interest in sweetener research in an article for Vice:
“One analysis from the Center for Behavioral Medicine at Northeastern Ohio University found that 100 percent of industry-funded aspartame studies concluded that the sugar substitute was safe, while 92 percent of independent studies came to just the opposite conclusion. Another meta-study, this one from Johns Hopkins, determined that industry funding and study authors’ ‘financial conflicts’ introduced bias into their flattering or benign findings on artificial sweeteners.”
It’s hard to find the truth when financial interests skew the science. Sifting through study after study quickly becomes overwhelming, but don’t get discouraged. Another way to learn about what you consume is to study the specific ingredients that manufacturers use to sweeten zero-calorie drinks.

Tracking the Artificial Sweetener Culprits

There’s a wide range of artificial sweeteners—and even a few natural ones—on the market that claim to be safe zero-calorie options. Although these sound like miracle products, don’t celebrate just yet.
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If you’re a regular purchaser of bottled beverages, it’s best to know the side effects of what you’re putting in your body.
Stevia is a popular plant-based sugar substitute. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and naturally calorie free. While this may sound like the Holy Grail we’ve all been waiting for, we’re still uncovering parts of the stevia story.
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The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated steviol glycosides, the active ingredient in the stevia plant, as “generally recognized as safe.” However, whole-leaf and unprocessed stevia extracts are not legal to use as sweeteners in the United States.
Sucralose is another well-known artificial sweetener found in many processed foods and drinks. Studies suggest that regular consumption of this product can lead to more sugar cravings instead of satisfying your sweet tooth. Doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose?

Artificial Sweeteners Altering Your Chemistry

Despite the murkiness of the research, it’s clear that artificial sweeteners aren’t the solution to the obesity epidemic. A 2013 study found that people who drank artificially sweetened beverages had a 47 percent increase in body mass index (BMI) over those who did not. Scientists now believe these sweeteners alter how our bodies perceive and react to sugar, which is not good.
When we consume artificial sweeteners, our taste buds think they’re sugar, causing the body to release insulin. But the lack of calories and natural sugar molecules confuses the body. This confusion eventually interferes with regular insulin production.
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Besides, as researcher Susan Swithers outlines in a 2013 study, frequent consumption of artificial sweeteners can cause a lot of the same problems as sugar. Swithers found a link between sugar substitutes and weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Indulging in a soda every once in a while won’t hurt. But if you drink artificially sweetened products every day, try cutting back. Water or plain club soda are the healthiest drink alternatives, and they won’t cause side effects. What could be sweeter than that?