Forget Venice & Check Out Giethoorn

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If you’ve never been to Giethoorn in the Netherlands (and which of us has?) it’s time to check it out. This idyllic village is entirely based on water and looks like it comes straight from the pages of a fairytale. There are no roads or cars here and the only way to get to the homes and public buildings is along the canals. There are approximately 2600 people who live here and it includes four miles of canals and farmhouses that go back to the 18th century.

It’s located in the province of Overijssel and was founded around AD1230. And all we can say is WOW!

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Are Dieting Drinks Making You Fat?

vending-machines-276171_960_720In a fascinating new study researches have actually found that drinking low calorie drinks during pregnancy results in…overweight babies. Motherw who drank artificially sweetened drinks every day during their pregnancy were twice as likely to have a baby who was overweight when they were 12 months old.

Conducted at the University of Manitoba in Canada, the research seems to indicate that babies introduced to such drinks in the womb develop a sweet tooth. Of course, they are looking at trends and can’t prove the link between sweet drinks and the sweet tooth – but looking back at previous research they did on rats they found similar findings. In the study with rats, those babies who were given artificial sweeteners demonstrated a preference for sweeter foods and put on weight.

As the scientists explained in the JAMA Paediatrics journal, “To our knowledge, our results provide the first human evidence to support these findings, suggesting that prenatal nonnutritive sweeteners exposure may contribute to infant weight gain and early childhood obesity.”

For the 5% of women who drank these drinks every day, their children were twice as likely to be overweight by 12 months, compare to those moms who didn’t drink diet drinks at all.
Interestingly, these trends are only seen for women who drank artificially sweetened drinks and not those who drank regular fizzy drinks or hot drinks with sugar.

Some have criticized the study, however, finding the women who are more likely to drink diet drinks are typically overweight and struggle with their weight. As Professor Kevin McConway, an expert in applied statistics at The Open University, said: “But they can’t know for sure they accounted for all these things completely, and there may be other aspects of these women’s unusualness that could not be taken into account at all because they weren’t recorded.”

Certainly, while more research is necessary, it’s an interesting finding and one worth watching.

NFL Charity Party with Derek Wolfe

The NFL is constantly doing charity work and many of their players take it upon themselves to do their own charity events as well. Certainly, these are great opportunities for the NFL PR team, including recent hire Natalie Ravitz, to report on the good that the NFL does in various communities throughout America.

Recently, Bronco defensive end Derek Wolfe hosted an NFL draft party at Celebrity Lanes in Centennial, Colorado to benefit the Wolfe Pack Foundation. This Foundation helps underprivileged youth in Colorado and Ohio. The event also benefited the Active Force Foundation, a nonprofit that helps disabled people to participate in sports.

Called the Denver Draft Party, the event included many other Broncos teammates and was an opportunity for people to enjoy photos with the players and to be part of a silent auction for signed Broncos memorabilia.

This is just one of the many examples of the type of charity work that the NFL participates in, and that new hire Natalie Ravitz will be reporting on as the senior VP of communications. Ravitz has her work cut out for her, coming from Rupert Murdoch’s office as his Chief of Staff at New Corp. for three years.

Have Fun With Mom Today!

Here are some great ways to have fun with your mom today, on Mother’s Day.

Key Energy Boosting Foods

breakfast-1209260_960_720Most of us have some time during the day when we feel drained and tired. And this is the perfect time to eat something that will add energy to your day. Rick Hay, a nutritionist and author of The Anti Ageing Food & Fitness Plan offers advice about pick-me-up foods that can add energy to your life. Here are a few examples.

Bananas with almond butter: Rick Hay explains that in a 2012 study by Appalachian State University, they found that bananas are as beneficial as sports drinks in terms of energy.
Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes boost energy and also can assist in weight loss since they keep you fuller for longer.

Maca: This root is most typically found in powder form. It has been dubbed as the “Peruvian ginseng.”

Nuts: Nuts are a slow-burn food so they deliver steady energy. They help to keep the immune system strong with their rich levels of antioxidant minerals.

Eggs: Eggs are filled with protein and contain the amino acids that you need for a healthy body function.

Honey: Honey is rich in carbohydrates and helps to maintain glycogen levels which prevent muscle fatigue.

Learn about the rest of the list and stay healthy!

The Trick to Healthy Frozen Dinners

You’re short on time in the afternoon and often don’t get around to making dinner. This means that you eat out or take in (both of which cost a lot) or you end up eating junk. Here is a brilliant way to make meals ahead of time, freeze them, and have healthy options exactly what you want them.