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Life is rushing by and we really don’t have the time to treat ourselves. But this Women’s day is probably the right day to get the batteries recharged,  relax and untwined. Do it,  you deserve it.
A few tips to relax and unwind, and to spoil yourself a bit this Women’s Day.

Take a bubble bath

Light some [...]

My busy lifestyle is taking its toll as quick-just-heat-up dinners and take-away lunches is becoming to norm. But luckily I stumbled upon this easy, healthy and quick salad which is the perfect meal to get the balanced lifestyle (diet) back on track, and allow me a few more minutes to relax and kick my feet [...]

Chicken salads are easy meal options, especially in summer. Here’s a simple recipe which is delicious when shared with friends and served with Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay.
Total Time:      25 minutes
Serves:             4
Ingredients

-250g  rice noodles or angel hair pasta
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-4 180g  [...]

While salads are perennially popular, in the scorching summer months they are the ideal choice for meals.
Not only is the cool crispness appreciated on a hot day but also the fact that the kitchen and the cook can stay cool as very little cooking is required for the salad.
This smoked salmon salad with rye recipe  [...]

For those who value their super-bright smile, it has always been the drink to avoid.
But red wine could actually be good for your teeth, scientists have claimed.
They have found it contains chemicals that could ward off decay by stopping harmful bacteria from sticking to teeth.
The findings, due to be published in the journal Food Chemistry, [...]

Hot summer days calls for light and refreshing meals and summer salads are just the thing as it can be healthy, tasty and refreshing. This is a healthy yet easy and delicious recipe.
Serves:             6
Total Time:      30 minutes
Ingredients

- 500g frozen, fully cooked medium shrimp, thawed
- 1 medium [...]

Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests.
The Spanish research involving more than 15,500 men and 26,000 women found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men.
Female drinkers did not benefit to the same extent, the study in Heart [...]

The type of alcoholic drink you consume may have an impact on your desire for food, suggests an Australian study.
A recent study by Dr. Anna Kokavec, a research psychologist, found that the additional nutritional content of various alcoholic beverages influence the body’s reaction to alcohol.
Kokavec said that DHEAS and cortisol, commonly known as a stress [...]

The Salomon Featherbed Trail Run is a new cult event at the Knysna Oyster Festival.
Featherbed Nature Reserve is an iconic attraction for Knysna and the Garden Route – and although it’s been open to the public for twenty five years, this was the first time it’s opened its gates to an organised sporting [...]

Long dismissed by certain purists, boxed wine is now getting a thumbs-up, of sorts, from the realm of science.

One type of cardboard packaging, according to a new study, is better than any cork or screw-cap when it comes to reducing an unpleasant “green” taste that strikes some wines.
This taste may come from one of two [...]

An ingredient called resveratrol found in red wine has remarkable health benefits including cancer prevention and protection of the heart and brain from damage, according to the latest research. Low to moderate drinking – especially of red wine – appears to reduce causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage.
According to professor [...]

A pint of beer or a glass of wine a day can protect against gallstones, scientists have found.
Drinking two units a day reduces the risk of developing the painful stones by a third.
It had long been known that moderate drinking can reduce the chances of gallstone formation, but this is the first study to show [...]

Men who drink up to half a glass of wine a day may live five years longer than non-drinkers, the Wine-of-the-Month Club said.
Men who consumed light quantities of any type of alcohol daily added two-and-a-half years to their life expectancy, said Colin Collard, chairman of Wine-of-the-Month Club, referring to research published by the Journal of [...]

Beer will help my bones but shrink my brain. Which should I sacrifice, wonders Michael Deacon

For years I’ve tried to hide it but at last I must confess: I have a problem. It’s my drinking. And I’m terribly worried. Either I’m drinking too much – or I’m not drinking enough.
So science tells me, at any [...]

Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years-at least in men, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The Dutch authors base their findings on a total of 1 373 randomly selected men whose cardiovascular health and life expectancy at [...]

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Red wine may contain chemicals that help control weight gain, new research suggests.
Experiments at the University of Porto show that animals given red wine gained significantly less weight over an eight week period than animals kept under the same conditions, but given no red wine.
The key may be a chemical that occurs naturally in red [...]

Several years ago, a group of researchers from around the world set out to find which among a select group of known heart-healthy foods was actually the healthiest. The answer: red wine.
 They found that drinking 150 ml of red wine in and of itself has the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease by [...]

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With Valentine’s Day come sweet indulgences, but a University of Michigan researcher says that extravagances like chocolate, wine and romance can turn out to be really good for your heart, if taken in moderation.
Dr. Steven F. Bolling, professor of cardiac surgery at the U-M medical school, says that tart cherries, grapes and wine have components [...]

If you’re frying a steak and mindful of your health, then marinate it in either beer or red wine. So say food scientists who measured amounts of a family of carcinogens found in fried steaks after steeping them in booze.
Cooking food increases levels of cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HAs). Fried and grilled meat are [...]

You’ve all heard them: dieting is easy. Just cut out fats and carbs, eat lots of popcorn and drink lots of fruit juice. Welcome to the Land of Diet Myths. Annchen Weideman, consultant dietician at the Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town, gives us the lowdown:
1. Drink lots of fruit juice, as long as it’s [...]

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A study in Denmark found that wine drinkers tend to purchase healthier food than beer drinkers.
Wine drinkers tend to buy healthier food than beer drinkers, according to a Danish study published on the website of a weekly medical review.
People who bought wine at the store were also more likely to buy more olives, fruits and [...]

Wine is a very mysterious drink. This is also the reason why the wine enthusiasts are fascinated no end by the multitude of flavours, all coming from just one fruit – grapes.
There are, however, many misconceptions and even myths that need to be cleared before anyone can go to the next level in terms of [...]

Steak is less likely to contribute to cancer when marinated in beer or red wine, scientists have found.
Fried and grilled meat have especially high levels of cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HAs), produced by hot temperatures’ effect on sugars and amino acids.
However, various substances found in the kitchen can reduce HA content: research has shown [...]

A modest amount of wine could help to beat memory loss and delay the onset of dementia, claim researchers, who added that the same goes for a few squares of chocolate and cups of tea.
However, if anyone thinks that they have got the licence to over-indulge during the festive season, should beware. According to scientists, [...]