We're suckers.

Ok, I'll wear that.
Apparently,

RESTAURANTS using fancy typeface on their menus can often get away with fancy prices too with people perceiving complicated font to mean complex food that needs greater skills to prepare.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found people believed if that if the font was harder to read then the task was harder to do.

Looked at the other way, researchers said this meant that clear font was likely to lead to the perception that the task was simple and people were more able to complete it.

My example, that I whipped up, shown below. (Forgive the terrible graphic, my ability in this is extremely limited.)


Yep, I reckon its probably true. The Left could be in a restaurant, the same menu on the right looks like it could be on the chalkboard at the pub, with the addition of "Schnitzel or Steak $10 Tuesday".

Gordon Ramsay deals a lot with issues like this on Kitchen Nightmares. Especially when there's a restaurant that is failing because they're trying to be too fancy in a small town that can't understand their menu. I'm an avid watcher so this is less surprising for me than someone else possibly. A particluar episode I recall, the chefs were all French, and they were trying to do Fine Dining, in a town in Scotland that couldn't understand what they were meant to be eating.

Cup of Tea?

Just made a cup of this tea, Cranberry, Raspberry & Strawberry! Its got the most delightful fragrance, smells delicious. Not usually a flavoured tea fan, usually stick to good ole' Black with milk and sugar, but sometimes I fancy something different so I bought this instead. Might be a winner... (and because I DO love a pink drink, it is handily a beautiful warm reddish-pink colour)

I think it hurts the same, regardless if you watch

Had the first of the three cervical cancer vaccine shots yesterday, and I think its something every woman in the eligible age range should go and do.
Not neccessarily because I think its such an amazing cause^ or anything, but because my arm still ****ing hurts and why should I suffer alone?



^I do think this is a fantastic initiative by the government and I feel lucky it happened while I was young enough to have it free

A Fruity Drinking Idea: are cocktails the healthiest drink

Woot Woot! I'm all for this scientific research!

Quaffing a fruity drink has long been considered the girliest way to imbibe alcohol -- but now a naturopath and best-selling weight loss doctor says it's the healthiest way to down a grog.

Dr Sandra Cabot - who wrote The Liver Cleansing Diet and is an expert in women's health and weight loss - says mixing spirits with fruit increases the antioxidants the body absorbs.What's more, low carbohydrate cocktails are the best way to get drunk without getting fat.

"You actually get more of the nutritional content of the fruit when it's mixed with spirits than you would if you ate the fruit on its own," she says.

And Dr Cabot isn't just making this up -- a study done last year shows mixing berries and ethanol increases the antioxidants that scavenge free radicals absorbed from the fruit.

But is downing a fruity cocktail the equivalent of ordering a Diet Coke with a Big Mac?

Should we give up wine, beer, champers and the like for health reasons?

Dr Cabot insists that creating low-carb cocktails with spirits and fruit is the best way to drink alcohol and maintain weight loss.

"I'll probably get into trouble for saying this -- alcohol is something you should have in moderation -- but cocktails made with fruit and pure spirits can be good for you," she says.

"We've known for a long time that brandy has therapeutic benefits in terms of relaxation but if they can give you more antioxidants, then all the better.

"If people are battling with their weight, they should choose those cocktails because most other alcohol like wine and beer is high in carbohydrates. Diabetics normally complain they can't drink but a low carb cocktail shouldn't interfere with their blood sugar control."

Downing a Cosmopolitan in a slick city bar might be as dated as Sex In The City repeats, but mixing pure spirits -- tequila, vodka, gin, whisky, rum -- with fruit (not sugar) and creating low carb cocktail is the key, according to Cabot.

"MY sister used to be a bartender in New York and she came up with all these low carb cocktail recipes for a book we did together. It's easy and it's healthy."

The New York Times has reported that healthy cocktail bars are a hot new food trend - read it here - and some women are buying cocktails instead of eating vegies for dinner.

Posted by Alex May (SMH)
March 28, 2008 12:39 PM

Ok that last bit? Substituting vegetables for dinner for cocktails? Thats a stretch guys. I'm not advocating that at all. I do take calories into account when I'm drinking now. At least I can pretend (to myself) I'm not drinking empty calories if I drink vodka + fruit juice. I also quite enjoy the low carb/low calorie wine and champagne that's around now.

Now, bring on the Ponipolitans!

Conundrum! HELP!

In a bit of a pickle at the moment. (lol pun)
The barista at my local work cafe has recommended a book to me which you may have noticed in the sidebar, Fit For Life. We were discussing eating habits one day after I asked if she would know how many calories are in one of her homemade muffins.
She then proceeded to tell me that she would lend me a book that had changed her life regarding her own eating habits. She doesn't really need to worry about her eating I should mention, she's training for a marathon so she can eat whatever she wants pretty much.
Anyway so she brought the book in, and I started reading it, except that I thought it was a bit hinky right away. The basic premise of the idea is that its not a fad diet, because "Diets don't Work" (give them credit, it was written in 1985) The cover of the one I have says

THE NATURAL BODY CYCLE, PERMANENT WEIGHT-LOSS PLAN THAT PROVES IT'S NOT WHAT YOU EAT, BUT WHEN AND HOW!!

It waffles on a bit about how its a way of eating for the rest of your life and then goes on to say you can only eat fruit before 12 noon and then mostly vegetables after. Hmm.....if it smells like a fad?
So I decided to Google it and find some more info, and found without any trouble a bunch of articles about how its all crap and its been debunked by Nutritionists and others in the field.. Eek!
So I'm not going to bother reading any more of it, but what do I tell my coffee friend now? How do I tell her the eating plan she revers so much is all hocus pocus?

Cake to help the kids

It may look blue, but the icing here is Purple, this cupcake is from Michel's Patisserie, and it has purple icing because 30c from each cake purchased goes to the Starlight Children's Foundation.
And obviously this is the only reason I bought it.
Really.
Ps, Star Day is Friday 2nd May

This isn't going to be pretty......

From my darling husband....

Hi All,

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'll be growin a Mo
(Now I know this isn’t going to be pretty, but neither is prostate cancer – and trust me - Yvonne will be making sure I suffer for the cause).
That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about changing men's health and the fight against male depression and prostate cancer.
Why...

• Depression affects 1 in 6 men...Most don't seek help. Untreated depression is a leading risk factor for suicide.
  
• Last year in Australia 18,700 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 2,900 died of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually.
• Men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy of males is 5 years less than females.
  

To sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/au/donate & enter my registration number which is 156436 and your credit card details.

Or you can sponsor me by cheque made payable to the "Movember Foundation" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 156436.
Please mail cheques to: PO Box 292, Prahran VIC 3181. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

The money raised by Movember is donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative, which will use the funds to create awareness, fund research and increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer and male depression.

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the detail at: Fundraising Outcomes.
Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Partés. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a Gala Parté ticket .

Thanks for your support

When did I get fat? oh wait....then....

*Sigh*

We're going to a wedding this weekend and I decided to try my old friend Ebay for a dress to wear, as I don't want to wear something I already own.
I found a dress I really liked, then discounted it as too expensive.

So I found another one that I thought would be quite good. This one :So it arrived yesterday, and its beautiful, I really like it, its a lovely purple colour and its silky and looks well made.

But it doesn't fit :(

Which is a problem.

Its too small, because I've gotten fat.

In fact we got married last November and in about February we realised we'd both put on weight, so we got stuck in, dieted, I managed to lose about 6-7kgs and was pretty happy. Then I sort of slacked off, stopped going to the gym when Daylight Savings finished and it got darker, and colder, and I holed up in our unit getting fatter and fatter again. Then I looked in the mirror at the beginning of August and thought, hold on! Its going to be Spring soon, and bikini season starts, and I'm all squishy looking.

So I resolved to go back to the gym.

Then I weighed myself, expecting to see the numbers at the same level as in February (pre-diet and weight loss) and was pleasantly surprised to see that I actually was still only a few kilos over my "good" weight from when I sort of trickled off on the exercise (about 11-15 weeks). So what happened? My brain quietly told me I could afford to wait, and not get right back into the diet.

Six weeks later I actually made it back to the gym.

So here I am, M has joined my gym too and we've only managed to go once together (I've been a few times solo).
The problem is that its the end of October and when I weighed myself again on the weekend I am now back to Post-, Wedding/Pre-Diet weight. In eight or nine weeks I seem to have abandoned my good-but-not-great eating habits and I gained the other 4 kg's I had lost.

I infact, feel fatter than ever before, I'm muffin-topping out of all my clothes. I have embraced the Baby-doll top, and the empire line dress because I don't need to try to suck my stomach in, which I am finding increasingly difficult and tiring to do all day.

In the last few weeks I have been unable to fit into the following items of clothing:

• Ebay dress. Size 12.
• Blue and white sundress, which made my boobs do something REALLY weird, dress may also be in cahoots with Nude colour strapless bra, which is showing signs of fatigue, and has been "on its way out" for six months or so. Think this is age related, not fat related however. I KNOW this dress fit me a year ago, its only that old.
  
• Just about all my jeans. I think they are all staging a revolt against me. Slowly slowly I have stopped wearing them, except for this one pair, which are really stretchy (loving them). I am punishing myself today by wearing a non-stretch pair that are cutting my in half as I sit.
  
• A multitude of slim fit tops which have all stopped slim-fitting. Including a heap of singlet tops that are stretch (Lycra if you will) that seem to display my fat rolls for all to see (back and front)
  
• Boardshorts. Are. My. Enemy.
• My pale pink shorts that I love *sniff*
• My pink sundress which is currently making me look like a beached whale.
• My white skirt that sits roughly just under my breasts now in order to zip it up. (not good look. What's worse, is considered wearing it out the other day regardless.
• Green and black dress, usually a solid friend, am afraid it won't zip up now.
  
• Am getting tuck shop arms!!!! (I know this isn't an item of clothing, more a reflection upon anything that I wear that displays them-particularly bad in strapless things)
  

So I'm back on the diet.
Thinking of doing the cabbage soup diet for a kick start, I've actually always liked that soup. Problem is its quite warm for soup.

...............*sigh*

Well of Positivity

As a side note for the day, fill your being with positivity, then share it with others by dropping a positive thought into the
Well of Positivity.
Mount Franklin is donating $1 to National Breast Cancer Foundation for every positive "donation". It really is quite satisfying, so mosey on over and try it.

Be Prepared-but for what?

Scouts world over celebrate 100 years of scouting this year. Its a big year really, 2007 is officially the year of The Lifesaver also. {nothing better to do in 1907??? Start organisations to get kids off the street and stop them using wacky tabaccy?}
There has been a tv campaign promoting Scouts this year, you know where the girl is covered in mud and says she's having time of her life?? You can watch below if you haven't seen it [ where are YOU during prime time?? ]



I myself was a Scout, well I was part of the Scouting movement in two ways.
I was a Venturer, which means you're too big for regular Scouts and you can illegally drink as long as your leader is cool, oh and you go camping and stuff too. For a longer amount of time I was a Brownie and then a Girl Guide also, which essentially means no illegal drinking and lots of serving tea for a badge and floristry. No wonder girls abandon Guides for Scouts???
Unfortunately for Scouts Australia, their big year has been besmirched by a legal battle involving a sexual deviant who was a Scout Leader for some years. The victim that took them to court has been awarded $1.2 million dollars in compensation, $500, 000 of which is to be paid by Scouts Australia.
It makes you wonder how many of them get away with it? The victim alleged that Scouts Australia had known of the problem for 11 years, doing nothing. I guess I will count myself lucky nothing untoward was happening while I was Scouting.

Yay!!!

I finally figured out how to download the pics from my camera to the computer without needing a card reader or burning them to CD at Big W first!!
So here are some pics I took AGES ago,Mum and dad installed some rainwater tanks beside the house, and I thought it was great!!!
Ok. That is all.

Tanning beds are the root of all evil.

I've said it before, I'm saying it again, and this time with backup.

Full article here

....Cancer Council Victoria's SunSmart program manager, Kylie Strong, said the ultra-violet light projected by solariums was up to five times as dangerous as Victoria's midday summer sun..... VICTORIA'S booming tanning industry could be subject to government control for the first time as concerns grow over the risks of frequent solarium use.....

.....The current (voluntary) code advises that children under 15 and those with fair skin should be prohibited from using sunbeds, and that parental permission for those under 18 should be obtained. It also recommends users sign a consent form outlining the risks.

The director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred hospital, Associate Professor John Kelly, said he was seeing a number of skin cancers for which the argument was persuasive that they were caused by solariums. "It's probably a phenomenon of the last three or four years; before that I had never seen it," he said.

Associate Professor Kelly said he had seen three cases recently that he believed had been caused by solarium light. One involved a 20-year-old woman who had a melanoma in her groin, the other two women had breast melanomas.

"All of the women were partners of solarium owners … they used (a solarium) a hell of a lot and all of them in short order, within a couple of years of doing it, had got melanomas in previous never sun-exposed areas."......

.....research by the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer which has shown that people who regularly use sunbeds before the age of 35 increase their risk of melanoma by as much as 75 per cent......

......The manager of Planet Sun Tanning Studio, who asked to be identified only as Tammy, agrees that some legislation is needed as long as it is "not over the top". She also believes solarium staff need to be properly trained.

"We have our own policy here but a lot of our customers come in and tell us how they've been thrown into hot beds when they have milky white skin and … it hasn't been done properly."

Tammy said tanning at a solarium was safe if it was done responsibly.

"It's really a controlled environment. We recommend using sunscreen and if there are suspicious spots we recommend they see a doctor before coming in and tanning."

SunLounge Port Melbourne's manager, Alfie Pezzi, said turning people off UV exposure was wrong.

He said there were medical benefits of vitamin D absorption through UV exposure.

Of course there are, but not THAT much Vitamin D. Clutching at straws methinks......

It's Official!

Official word today that Oral sex is bad for you and can give you cancer.

Environmental Myths *busted*

1. Water from a rainwater tank is not fit to drink
2. I can't go solar because I'm already connected to the electricity grid
3. Recycling is a waste of time
4. I refuse to drink recycled water
5. Conservation is something that should happen only in national parks
6. Calling a product organic means it is organic. Right?
7. Most environmental damage was done by our colonising forebears
8. Our economy was built on the sheep's back
9. You need lots of space to grow food

To read more on each of these points, check out this article in the SMH, the first in a new series called Eco, which I for one, am looking forward to.

Earth Hour

Ribena falsies

How amazing, Ribena has been caught out* lying for five decades about their product. Making false claims that the blackcurrant drink has four times the Vitamin C of orange juice.

Really, it begs the question, how the hell did they get away with it? And, do you think I could? Make some amazing product made of sawdust or something and say it has three times the Iron as red meat? Brilliant!

*they apparently came forward themselves and confessed, but only because they've been under investigation for twelve months already

*****update-hilariously they've taken down their website too!*****

Sneezing

You know that thing where if you need to sneeze, you go out in the sun and look up and you sneeze? Its super satisfying and if you're caught with the urge at night, Well Hey ho oh no, a fluro tube just is just not the same.

What is the point of these sneezing musings? This phenomena has a name!! It's a condition!! It affects 25% of Caucasians. LOL.

It's called the Photic Reflex and you can read more by clicking the link to Wikipedia.

Isn't that the most biazrre thing you've heard today! : )

well the eye's have it

(God so annoying, I wrote this whole post and then somehow it got deleted)

Yesterday at work we had this Health-expo-y thing, it was pretty good, they asked everyone to get into the spirit by dressing up in sports gear. They had stalls like Massages, nutrition, BMI (no calipers thank goodness) and cholesterol. Something I had done which was quite interesting was an Iridology examination. No I didn't have to turn and cough, or get in a chair, Iridology is the study of the iris of the eye (the coloured bit) and then they tell you what's wrong with your body. Each eye has different ramifications, and they use a chart like the one below.

I'm not sure I'm a convert, I spoke particularly to two other girs who had it done, and they were both extreme cases I think (one being Pregnant and one coming off a bout of pneumonia). They seemed to think it was pretty accurate. She only sort of told me things I already knew "Drink More water" "Eat more fruit and vegetables" "take better care of yourself " "Menstruate more often". Yep. That last one's a doozy. She detected problems in my fallopian tube/ovary/uterus area and asked if I ever had difficulty with my menstruation and seemed a little alarmed when I said "oh I only have a few a year, 3-4". She then proceeded to tell me that she thought I should stop skipping it. All this after I'd already told her my doctor had specifically told me that it was fine for me to do it so long as I still had a few a year. There was lots of talking about flushing which wasn't so pleasant. She did admit though that she oculd tell from my expression I wasn't going to do anything she told me. And I'm glad she can own up to that : ) Oh, the other really weird thing she told me was that she reckons my eyes are meant to be blue. I like that they're green though!