Monday, April 29, 2013

Look of the day

How adorable is this outfit? Even though she is not in high heels, nor ballet flats it still looks pretty girly. Total crush on this look!

Fact of the month

Here are 20 facts I found online about the food we are consuming today. To be honest I am pretty shocked , grossed out and scared for our future...



1. Your food can legally contain maggots, rodent hair, and insect eggs.

The FDA allows certain “defects” to slide by. Have a look at what your food can carry:

• Canned pineapple can pack in up to 20% moldy fruit.
• Berries can harbor up to 4 larvae per 100 grams.
• Oregano can legally contain up to 1,250 insect fragments per 10 grams.
• Cinnamon can carry up to 1 milligram of animal excrement per pound.
• Ocean perch can harbor small numbers of copepods, parasites that create pus pockets.

2. Nutritious food costs 10 times as much as junk food.

University of Washington researchers calculated the cost discrepancy between healthy food and junk foods and found that 2,000 calories of junk food rings up at a measly $3.52 a day. Yet for 2,000 calories of nutritious grub, the researchers plunked down $36. To add insult to fiscal injury, out of every dollar you spend on food, only 19 cents goes toward the stuff you eat. The other 81 percent goes toward marketing, manufacturing, and packaging. Think about that the next time your grocery bill jumps into triple-digit dollars.

3. Grocers don’t have to tell you where your salad comes from.

With fresh fruits and vegetables, supermarkets must tell you the country of origin, but with dried fruit and mixed produce, the law isn't so strict. That means a mixed bag of salads isn't required to disclose its location, and that can create problems if there's a bacterial outbreak. News reports might warn you about E. Coli-tainted spinach coming from a certain country, but if your spinach is packaged with other greens, you'll have no way of knowing if it's in your bag. That's a huge problem considering leafy greens top the CDC's list of foods most commonly associated with food borne illness.

4. Fruits and vegetables are losing their nutrients.

According to the USDA, the fruits and vegetables we eat today may contain significantly fewer nutrients than those our grandparents ate. Researchers looked at 43 produce items and discovered drops in protein (6 percent), calcium (16 percent), iron (15 percent), riboflavin (38 percent), and vitamin C (20 percent). Your move: Eat more fruits and vegetables.

5. Calorie counts on nutrition fact labels aren’t accurate.

Researchers at Tufts University recently analyzed 269 food items from 42 national sit-down and fast-food restaurant chains, and they found that nearly 20 percent of samples contained 100 or more calories than reported by the restaurants. Think about it like this: If every meal you eat has 100 more calories than you need, you’ll gain more than 30 pounds this year.

6. Chicken today contains 266 percent more fat than it did 40 years ago.

What’s more, today’s chicken also has 33 percent less protein, according to a study from the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University. The problem is modern farming practices. Cramped environments and unnatural diets produce birds that have the same weight problems as the humans who eat them.

7. Milk contains hormones that may cause cancer.

In 1970, a typical dairy cow could produce about 10,000 pounds of milk per year. Today, that same cow produces roughly 20,000 pounds. So did cows change? Nope. It’s their feed that’s different. Today’s cows are routinely fed a hormone called recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST. Problem is, studies have linked rBST to a multitude of cancers, including those of the prostate, breast, and colon. And while milk from rBST-treated cows is ubiquitous in America’s supermarkets, some of the biggest players are getting wise. Stores like Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Kroger only carry rBST-free dairy.

8. Conventional supermarket peaches can be coated with as many as nine different pesticides.

Because peaches are prone to bruising, blemishing, and insect takeover, they’re routinely soaked in chemicals in the weeks before being shipped off to the supermarket. That’s why the Environmental Working Group rates peaches among the dirtiest conventional fruits in America. Also on that list: apples, celery, strawberries, and spinach. As a general rule, unless the produce has a thick, impermeable skin, assume it’s soaked in pesticides. Now wash it with water and mild soap before you eat it.

9. You’re probably eating trans fat without knowing it. 

Slack FDA regulations allow food processors to claim zero trans fats even if the food contains .49 grams. To be clear, that’s .49 grams per serving. That means by the time you finish, say, an entire bag of Cheetos, you might be ingesting nearly 5 grams of trans fat. Sure the bag says “0 GRAMS TRANS FAT” right on the front, but if you look at the ingredient statement, you’ll see partially hydrogenated oil, the primary source of trans fat.

10. The number of daily calories available to each American has increased by 500 over the last 40 years.

USDA data shows that the food industry supplies 2,700 calories to every man, woman and child in America. In 1970, that number was 2,200. That increase translates into 52 extra pounds of fat per person, per year.

11. Commonly used food dyes can alter your kids’ behavior.

Researchers at the University of Southampton found that colors such as Yellow #5, Yellow #6, and Red #40 could cause hyperactivity in children. Ironically, foods marketed to children are often the most heavily dyed foods in the supermarket.

12. Your stomach bug is likely food poisoning.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year, 48,000 Americans receives food poisoning from contaminated food, and that puts a $152 billion strain on the economy. What’s worse, an astonishing 3,000 of those people die. Where’s the problem?

13. Forty-two percent of raw supermarket chicken is contaminated.

In a study by Consumers Union, the driving force behind Consumer Reports, 12 percent of tested chickens were infected with Salmonella, and nearly half carried Campylobacter. Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in America.

14. Gulf Coast oysters carry E. coli.

When researchers from Arizona tested Gulf Shore oysters, they found E. coli in every single sample. As filter-feeders, oysters naturally sift through the pollutants in the water, increasing their risk of contamination by pathogens. If you’re buying oysters from anything less than a highly trusted source, make sure you cook them through.

15. The USDA is allowing your meat to be “cleaned” with ammonia—and they’re hiding it from you.

The typical fast-food burger is made with slaughterhouse trimmings, fatty cuts of beef typically reserved for pet food and cooking oil. What’s more, these burgers contain pieces of hundreds, potentially even thousands, of different cows. This creates an environment where bacteria thrive, so to clean the meat, the USDA allows a company called Beef Products to pipe the raw beef through pipes and expose it to ammonia gas. Never mind that ammonia is a poison or that evidence suggests the process may not be fully effective. The USDA deems it safe enough, and it allows the meat to be sold without any indication that it received the gas treatment.

16. Aluminum cans are lined with a hormone-disrupting toxin.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is the chemical found in plastic bottles, glass jar lids, and the lining of food-containing tins and cans. In your body, BPA acts similar to estrogen, and it has been linked to behavioral problems, reproductive issues, and obesity. The industry has been slow to find a replacement, so limit exposure by switching to glass containers or plastic bottles labeled BPA-free.

17. Roughly two-thirds of bottled water doesn't comply with FDA standards.

When the Food and Drug Administration set bottled-water regulations, it left in one gaping loophole: The regulations apply only to bottled waters sold across state or country borders. Bottles packaged and sold within a single state don’t have to comply with national standards. Although many states do have their own set of (nationally unregulated and unrecognized) regulations in place, one in five have none. Furthermore, government and industry estimates figure that 25 percent of water bottles sold in the US contain mere tap water. You should be so lucky as to end up with one of those; the FDA’s rules are far more lax than the tap water standards set by the EPA.

18. We drink twice as many calories today as we did 30 years ago.

The average American drinks 450 liquid calories every day, according to a study from the University of North Carolina. And booze isn’t the problem. Blame the bigger bottles of soda, the sugar-loaded coffee drinks, and the barrel-sized smoothies.

19. Fast food signs alter your behavior 

A study published last year in Psychological Science reveals that the mere sight of a fast-food sign on the side of the road is enough to make people feel rushed, which can lead to impulsive decisions—and dangerous nutritional choices. Sidestep your impulses the next time you eat out: Plan your order before you walk through the door and then stick with it.

20. There are crushed bugs in your food.

Carmine, a vibrant red food colorant, is actually the crushed abdomen of the female Dactylopius coccus, a beetle-like African insect. Not only is the thought of eating bug juice gross, but it also poses an ethical issue for some vegetarians and vegans. Look for it in red-colored candies and juices.




Source taken from:


http://www.thehealthyarchive.info/

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Little White dress

Summer is just around the corner! yay! Which means less dull colours and more light colours. Forget the little black dress, this is the perfect occasion to whip out the perfect little white dress. I think a white lace dress is must have in every girl's closet. Perfect for almost any occasion. Pair it with a flashy colour shoes to give it more liveliness or stay on the natural colours to keep it more subtle. Yet again my obsession with lace is endless.

Here are some of my picks:

Topshop



Zara

Etoile Isabel Marant

Alice and Olivia

Asos

Tibi


Boho inspired

We all have a hippie side deep inside us. Whether to the beach, or a day out, make a boho statement by adding a head band to your head which can compliment almost any outfit.

American Apparel

Club Monaco

Dolce and Gabbana

Missoni

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Coachella 2013

Now I know coachella is over and done with, but I was just browsing through some pictures out of curiosity and I was struck by many outfits. I love how people can over do the flower print, mix a lot of colors and incorporate the hippie look and yet it doesn't seem to be over the top. I guess it's the only occasion to go "full out." Here are some of the looks I found online.












Isabel Marant Carol studded leather sandals

What do you all think about this? I kind of like it and I can imagine so many outfits paired with it but I am still not 100% convinced. I would certainly need to try it on.



Boyfriend jeans

Ever wondered how lucky men are sometimes. They just slip on a pair of jeans, a t shirt and shoes and voila they are ready to go. Well ladies for some of you, your dream has come true. Now you get to work this effortless look just like men do. Throw on a pair of boyfriend jeans, add a t shirt and pair it with a leather jacket or blazer. I highly recommend current eliott when it comes to boyfriend jeans, their cut is very well tailored making it not too masculine.

Below are some I found on www.net-a-porter.com You can also check out www.revolveclothing.com and www.shopbop.com

Current Eliott

theyskens theory

Rag and bone

Cartier Juste un clou

The same creator for the love collection created the Juste Un Clou. This beautiful delicate piece exists in gold, white gold and finally my favourite rose gold. If you want to get this piece with diamonds it only comes in rose gold ( I highly recommend) and white gold. Already worn by many fashionistas this piece of art is growing and growing and will be seen everywhere. 

You can learn more and discover the entire collection on:

http://www.justeunclou.cartier.com



Friday, April 5, 2013

Smart look

I dont think there is a better way to look more sophisticated , powerful and smart at the same time then wearing a suit. I really do admire those who are daring enough to wear it. Whoever said that suits were designed only to be worn by men were completely wrong. With the right attitude and of course the right shoes, its possible to make anything work! This look has been growing on me more and more and I can't wait for the temperature to warm up a little in order for me to wear this. Perfect for dinner or an event.





Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce Fined $440 Million for Tax Evasion

Oh no! Italy's tax commissions are fining the two talented designers 343.4 million euros for alleged tax evasion. The two designers have been accused to for their unfaithful declarations in their earnings. This is traced back to mostly their sales during 2004. According to Italy's internal revenue agency the two designers moved most of their wealth to Luxembourg in order to avoid higher corporate tax rate from their home country. So far the designers are denying all charges. Let's see that happens next..



Dior exhibition

Harrods hosted a very beautiful Exhibition of Dior. You get to see all the different dresses that were worn on special occasions such as the "J'adore Dior" perfume commercial and Audrey Hepburn's dress.  If you are planning to go to London anytime time soon I highly recommend you check it out.  It's very interesting and entertaining. At the end if you are tired you could always pop by the Dior cafe for some tea time. Here are a few snap shots I took from the visit:
























Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Side effect

While I was in London for the Easter break, my friends and I decided to have a chilled out sunday and so we went to the cinema. At first I was not too convinced about this movie however the more time passed the more I got so into it. I was super tired when I entered the movie and came out extremely energetic. If you are looking for a new movie to watch I highly recommend this one. After watching the trailer I came out of the movie with a completely different expectation of it. If you are one of these people who love all these psychology and mysterious movies then I am pretty sure you would like this movie.