San Diego Baby

 For this year’s winter escape, get a hit of culture, history and, of course, warmth, by heading to the birthplace of California: San Diego. Despite the fact that it has roughly 3.2 million people milling about, the city has a chill pace to it. San Diego is both relaxed and

Four Fantastic Ways to Cook with Persimon this Holiday Season

 A brilliant orange fruit that looks like a cross between a tomato and a pepper and tastes like nothing you’ve had before, Persimon is a treat you’ll want to keep an eye out for this holiday season. Persimon (with one ‘m’) identifies the Rojo Brillante variety of persimon grown in Ribera

The Gluten Free Diet: Why it Might Not be Helping You

 I have lost count of the number of clients at Ottawa Holistic Wellness that I have advised to go on a gluten free diet because I determined it would help their symptoms. For the vast majority, it was a positive experience. Their long-term chronic symptoms disappeared. For the minority, the

Crimea Uncensored: A Look from Inside the Peninsula

 Photo courtesy: Igor Mazurov, Flickr In 2014, on a sunny August day, my spouse and I were on our way to Crimea. We were driving along the shorelines of the Black Sea, curving green hills of the Caucasian Mountains. I have been following the Crimean crisis from home in Ottawa, watching

Grill the Perfect Steak

 Steaks are great for any season but you don’t have to go out to a restaurant to enjoy a mouth-watering cut. Weber has tips for grilling the perfect steak no matter how you like it cooked and for any kind of cut. To start, there are certain things you should

Most Canadians don’t understand food nutrition labels

 By John Millar and Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski  How Simplifying and Standardizing Food Labels Can Help With Better Food Choices As January comes to an end, those who vowed to eat better in 2015 have probably already given up. Not very surprising, considering that most people grossly underestimate the amount of calories they

Fatigue on the Job is a Killer

 It has been known for decades, probably centuries, that working while tired can impair productivity, and that working in dangerous occupations like driving, loading or handling heavy equipment should not be done while tired. So why do railway companies seem determined to risk so many of their assets by asking

Health for the Holidays

 The holidays wear me down. Between the parties, rich food and cold weather, it is hard to stay on top of my to-do list. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m complaining. Just the opposite! I love the smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies and really look forward to

Why Your Kid Shouldn’t Be Guzzling ‘Energy’ Drinks

 Anxiety, hypertension, elevated heart rates, interrupted sleep patterns and headaches are just some of the side effects commonly associated with energy drinks, and those problems are more pronounced in children, according to a recent University of Miami study. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These drinks have also

Food Frenzy in the Capital

 When the average Canadian thinks of Ottawa, they think of the national hub of power and politics. However, our great city is more than just that. Don Chow and Jennifer Lim’s new book Ottawa Food: A Hungry Capital is a feast for your eyes. In it, they explore all things

The Cosmopolitan Hotel Toronto: A Fantastic Escape in the Heart of Toronto

 Toronto is a great city and there is no doubt that it has some fine hotels. The key to a stay in the Big Smoke is location and you definitely want to stay central for easy access to the subway to head to great areas like Bloor West, Danforth or

Just How Many Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Should We Eat a Day?

 Digesting the evidence Many organizations cook up recommendations for the number of fruit and vegetable servings you should eat every day.  Well known examples include Canada’s Food Guide which says you need roughly seven to 10 servings, the American Heart Association which recommends eight to 10 and the Harvard School of

Medieval Villages of the French Riviera: Saint-Paul de Vence and Èze

 (visited in May 2014) There is no doubt that French Riviera (la Côte d'Azur) is a hallmark of beauty in many things: architecture, design, views, people, food, and history. During my second visit to the region, I engaged a local tourist guide Boba (www.yourguideboba.com) to personalize my visit. What a

Italy’s Best-Kept Secret

 I remember the morning when I woke up to a ceiling with frescos and a crystal chandelier. I was lying alone in a king-sized bed in the suite of Hotel Vittoria, in Faenza, Italy, where as the legend goes, the great Italian poet Giosuè Carducci used to lodge. So this