Life's Great Expectations!

It helps get food to the table fast, but there are some essential things you need to know before pressing that 'start' button Behold the West's favourite appliance: the microwave, an effective, no-fuss way to get dinner on the table - fast. Microwave ovens emit radio waves that cause water molecules to quickly flip back and forth. 'That flipping causes friction which generates a lot of heat,' says Dr Catherine Donnelly, professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Vermont. 'The food cooks based on how the water molecules move around in the product.' So, foods with higher water content like soups, sauces and coffee or tea heat up more quickly. But with the co...

Countless immune boosters fly off the shelves year-round, particularly in the cold and flu season. But even some of the most popular immune supplements haven't been tested against cold and flu in well-designed clinical trials. No clinical trials, for example, have been conducted on goldenseal, a purported immune-booster sometimes used to fend off the common cold - and there's evidence the herb may interfere with blood pressure drugs, decrease the activity of anticoagulants and hamper absorption of vitamin B. Goji, sometimes known as lycium, is a popular immune booster based on evidence from the laboratory and animal studies, and some human research in China - but no clinical trials have examined its ability to keep flu or colds at bay. The same is true for supplements derived from tropical fruits noni and mangosteen. A few herbs popular for other indicat...

A dangerous activity, involving trying to choke oneself to cause a brief high, is spreading among young boys in the United States At least 82 children have died in the United States in recent years as a result of playing the 'choking' game, a bizarre but increasingly common practice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The game, which involves intentionally trying to choke oneself to create a brief high, has been around for years, but it appears to be spreading. One theory is that the Internet has made it easier for children to learn about the game. A search of YouTube turns up several videos warning about the practice, but also several troubling demonstrations by giggling adolescents showing how to play. The deaths identified by the CDC are based on media reports of the game ...