James Fishman | Sunstone Online

Get Warm with Hot Ice Cream in North Wales

Ben & Jerry, from blustery and frigid Burlington, Vermont, may want to take note. Vermonters just might enjoy their next Vermonster with warm ice cream. That’s right. Destination Conwy and Baravellis have recently teamed up to present Llandudno with quite an unusual concoction – warm ice cream.

The flavor was inspired by a recipe for Welsh cakes and it is spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. They are advertising that the ice cream has a “warming quality” that can help those living in harsh climates to have their ice cream and eat it too…even in the winter.

As Sam Nayar from Destination Conwy explained,

“Ice cream is a summer essential, so we wanted to create a flavor that could be eaten come rain or shine whilst including something traditionally Welsh. Kids and adults alike have gone wild for the product so far here in Llandudno. Lancashire has its hot pot, Cornwall a pasty, Yorkshire its pudding and now North Wales has its very own signature dish.”

Certainly, many ice cream companies and stores have been offering unusual ice cream flavors over the last few years. The Humphry Slocombe shop in San Francisco, for instance, offers a bourbon and cornflakes ice cream called Secret Breakfast and a “Red Hot”Banana flavor filled with bananas and crushed Red Hot candies. The Rehoboth Ice Cream shop in Delaware offers you a flavor called Better Than Sex which includes African vanilla, cake batter and a swirl of fudge. Their Bacon ice cream uses Bac-O-Bits for an intense flavor.

One lick of any of these and they say you’re hooked…maybe.

Reading, A Dose of Medicine for the Mind and Body

Of course, we all know in theory that reading is good for us. Now, however, researchers are proving just how good it is and how much benefit may be derived for those bookworms out there. Neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield explains that reading helps to lengthen attention spans and to improve a child’s ability to think clearly.

As she explains,

“Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end – a structure that encourages our brains to think in sequence, to link cause, effect and significance. It is essential to learn this skill as a small child, while the brain has more plasticity, which is why it’s so important for parents to read to their children. The more we do it, the better we get at it.’

As John Stein, emeritus professor of neuroscience at Magdalen College, Oxford, explains, “Reading exercises the whole brain.”

A study in 2009 found that reading actually helps us to create new neural pathways, as our brains process the experiences that we read about. This does not occur from watching television, playing computer games or engaging in other passive activities.

Another fascinating study from the University of Sussex in 2009 found that a mere six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds. They found that this amount of reading was more beneficial than listening to music or going for a walk.

Finally, one more study, from the University of California, Berkeley, that was published in the Archives of Neurology, showed that reading from a young age can actually help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s. It inhibits the formation of amyloid (protein) plaques which are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The scientists who conducted this study found that people who had been doing brain-stimulating activities like reading, playing chess, writing letters and more since the age of six showed very low levels of amyloid plaques as they aged. For those who hadn’t engaged in such activities, the plaque levels were heightened.

Family Movie Night- How to Do it Right

Summer is coming to a close, with one more week until school starts. With little time and nothing left to do, family members of all ages are getting restless and edgy.

TLC puts forth a few ideas for ‘Family Night’ in an effort to help parents end the summer with a happy bang.

The first is movie marathon night. Though is sounds pretty standard, there are a bunch of ways to shake things up:

Choose a theme. Whether its spy movies, Disney classics, musicals or Western, design tickets and a ticket booth to add to the atmosphere.
Spend the afternoon building a concession stand in preparation for the big night. Use Monopoly money, some cardboard and theater-style popcorn containers to serve the best snacks. Don’t forget the soda, boxed candy and cracker jacks!
Make it competitive. Try a trivia game or a quick lesson in the history or making of the chosen movie. Think: special effect facts, sketches and artwork, trivia and more!
Dress up. Have both children and parents come to the showing dressed up as their favorite character. Include face paint, props and accents as needed.

Scientists Discover Tiny Photosynthetic Insect

Scientists have discovered what might be one of the only creatures to use photosynthesis like a plant. Called the pea aphid, this tiny insect seems to turn sunlight into energy for daily use.

While most animals rely on energy from food to obtain adenoise triphosphate, studies have suggested that the pea aphid traps sunlight within its body to generate ATP. This complex is the cellular energy that enables the body to perform biochemical processes.

Aphids are already recognized as different from most animals in that they produce their own carotenoids- pigments that are generated by plants, microorganisms and fungi. Though the ability was originally attributed to a gene swap between the bugs and fungi, new information implies that the substance is related to the aphid’s photosynthetic abilities.

Carotenoids are one of the primary factors in an aphid’s color. Recent research has found that the aphids’ color, and carotenoid production, changes depending on environmental factors. Colder temperatures result in greener aphids with high levels of carotenoids, optimal conditions bred orange aphids with medium levels of carotenoids, and oppressive, limited environments bred white, pigment-less aphids.

A test of ATP levels in each color of aphid showed that the green ones produced more than the white, while the orange produced more when exposed to sunlight than when kept in the dark. A detailed report was published in the Scientific Reports journal just this month.

The 5 Best Beach Getaways

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the boutique travel advisors, recently published a list of the best beach getaways in the world. It includes secluded, white-sandy shores as well as trendy Riviera:

The number one beach is that of Lizard Island at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. This spot features amazing surf breaks and spotless white shores. A secluded boutique with more than 20 remote coves, the island is one of the country’s most beautiful secrets. Perfect for romantic picnics, snorkeling and kayaking, the beaches are filled with the unbelievable scenery of the reef.

Next is the French Riviera, with stylish venues and pebbled shores. With nearby hotels like Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel, the beach draws billionaires, fashionistas, celebrities and so many more.

Honolulu comes next, being the ultimate spot for wave-lovers with its Waikiki and Maui breaks. The atmosphere is also more relaxed and quirky, welcoming all types of visitors and adventure seekers.

Indonesia’s Seminyak is easily the most exciting strip in Bali. Locating right on the Ocean, the area is filled with luxury venues, sports clubs, and stylish getaways.

Next are the Fiji Islands. Mr. and Mrs. Smith recommend the Qamea Resort & Spa Fiji for a barefoot, natural vacation. Located on the tiny Qamea Island, the venue features traditional thatched huts, palm trees, impossibly white beaches, and crystal clear water. Diving courses and gear allow visitors to admire the coral just offshore, while spas use natural ingredients from the island to help tourists truly relax.

Early Birds and Productivity: What You Can Accomplish as a Morning Person

Most people can easily identify themselves as either early birds or night owls. According to a recent study in Emotion, an American Psychological Association journal, those more comfortable in the morning tend to be happier people.

The study involved 700 participants of all ages, collecting information regarding the respondents’ emotional states, health and preferred time of day. The happier, healthier people were those who labeled themselves ‘morning people’, while the night owls reported more lethargic and depressed attitudes.

Being a morning person has many advantages, the most simple of which being a full night’s sleep. A morning person also sleeps and rises with the sun, which is biologically correct and undoubtedly has an impact on both the quality and quantity of a person’s rest. Society also caters to a morning person’s schedule.

Morning people are generally more productive at the workplace, too. They are more focused and alert, and complete tasks faster than those who roll out of bed and into the office.

According to the U.S. News & World Report, early-bird employees complete these 12 tasks before noon:

1. Writing out a work to-do list- the night before!

Sozo Firm’s Andrew Jensen explains: “Some people like to do the to-do schedule in the morning, but then they might have already lost office time writing it out. It helps to do that to-do schedule the night before. It also will help you sleep better.”

2. Getting a full night’s sleep. Drowsiness and lack of sleep have a direct effect on concentration and productivity. Make sure to always get true rest on work nights; health experts recommend at least 8 hours every night.

3. Eliminating the Snooze button. Adding several bonus minutes at a time will only result in you dozing back off and finding yourself behind schedule. If you’ve had a full night’s rest, it should be easy to climb straight out of bed to begin the morning routine.

Jensen says: “Anyone can be made into a morning person. Anyone can make morning their most productive time. It could be that for the entire week, you set your alarm clock a little bit earlier, and you get out of bed on the first alarm. It may be a pain at first, but eventually you’ll get to the point where you’re getting your seven to eight hours of sleep at night, you’re waking up with all your energy, and accomplishing the things around the house you need to before going to the office.”

4. Exercising. Scheduling your yoga, Pilates, swim or job for the morning boosts your body and mood for the rest of the day.

“Exercise improves mood and energy levels… There have been studies done on employees who’ve exercised before work or during the work day. Those employees have been found to have better time-management skills, and an improved mental sharpness… Those same studies found these workers are more patient with their peers,” Jensen says.

5. Getting into a personal routine. According to Jensen, the morning should be dedicated to activities for you as well, such as reading the next chapter in a book, meditating or using the internet.

“It’s important to have that quiet time with just you,” he said.

6. Eating breakfast. There’s a reason it’s called ‘breakfast’, and this meal is most important after last night’s fast. It will also fuel energy and concentration needed first thing at work- so avoid any heavy, processed carbs.

7. Getting to work on time. With their schedule planned and busy, morning people have an easier time getting in to the office on schedule.

8. Checking in with fellow workers. This improves productivity and enhances the atmosphere at the workplace.

9. Tackling difficult tasks first. Thanks to last night’s to-do list and the morning energy, bigger projects can be taken care of quickly and efficiently.

“Don’t jump into meaningless projects when you’re at your mental peak for the day,” Jensen said.

10. Avoiding unnecessary meetings.

“You should use your prime skills during the prime of the day. I believe that mornings are the most productive time,” he says. However, “sometimes you have to schedule a crucial meeting, or a client meeting, in which case you’d want to plan for a time when employees and at their peak.”

11. Following up on messages. Sozo Firm recommends scheduling email and messaging breaks at specific intervals throughout a workday.

12. Taking a mid-morning break. This can be a little walk to stretch the legs, or even just 5-10 minutes of surfing the web, in order to refresh.

Jensen says: “You should take 10-minute breaks occasionally. Companies that ban any kind of Facebook, texting or personal calls can find it will be detrimental. Those practices increase employee satisfaction.” He added, “The best employees will respect their employer’s time.”