Snacks and tipple are not deemed to be the healthiest food around but indulging in some of them may do you a whole lot of good. Snacks like are popcorn, chocolate red wine and a few more.

Here are some examples of the perceived unhealthy foods which have some health benefits.

POPCORN
It may be the best accompaniment for movies, but popcorn also helps curb the evening snack craving. A bowl of home-made popcorn is even better as it is low on calories and high on antioxidants.

DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
Yes, it is indeed good news especially for people with a sweet tooth. Dark chocolate is proven to be good for the heart and if it is paired with a whole wheat brownie and some nuts, it becomes rich in fibre as well.

DARK CHOCOLATE BARS
Dark chocolate contains high amounts of antioxidants. It helps to lower the blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease as well, if you eat around 100 grams a day.

CRACKERS
There are many kinds of whole wheat crackers available, which can be a good and healthy evening munch without the side-effects that other junk foods cause.

BAKED SNACKS
The latest in the snack category are baked snacks. They are better than fried chips as they contain no oil. Usually made of whole wheat with a dash of spice, it not only entertains the taste buds but is also healthy for your body.

PROCESSED CHEESE
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is found in many meat, milk and cheese products. But a recent study which concentrated specifically on processed cheese found that CLA has anti-carcinogenic properties and it is also an effective antioxidant. The study says processed cheese contains more CLA than natural cheese, such as cheddar.

DRY STOUT BEER
Experts say that one pint of this thick and creamy dark beer may be as effective as a low dose of aspirin to improve blood circulation, and hence lower the risk of blood clots and heart attacks. It’s proven to be better than aerated drinks and other types of beer.

RED WINE
Resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, effectively decreases life-threatening inflammations. The antioxidants in red wine can help in preventing heart disease and cancer. For non-drinkers, grape juice or even red grapes can be as effective.

Source: timesofindia.com

According to recent research ,  British women choose and buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are drunk at home. The study also found that  a third of British women who enjoy wine as a treat at the end of the day admit that they prefer to drink it alone – in the bath.

The data, the result of industry research among more than 1,300 British women aged between 18 and 60, overturns common perceptions that men take the lead in wine buying, and reveals that in many cases women are far more influential.

Six out of 10 women in Britain said they drank wine at least once a week. And the same proportion said they preferred red wine to white or rosé.

Most women said they enjoyed drinking wine because they liked the taste (80%) and because it went well with food (70%). But despite appearing knowledgeable about wine, the majority choose to ignore its health risks. More than half see it as a “healthier” alternative to other alcoholic drinks such as beer and spirits, while the same proportion said they were not deterred by the government’s health warnings.

When it comes to choosing wines, women said they were driven mainly by price (74%), followed by the type of grape (64%), the country of origin (55%) and more superficial trappings such as the label (42%). Six out of 10 (61%) said they chose wine on their own, with women in the UK noticeably more independent in their choice than their peers elsewhere in the world.

These study results will probably be much the same for the South African market as grocers become more significant wine retailers .

Source: guardian.co.uk

Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, announced that her iconic daytime talk show will wrap at the end of its 25th season.

But don’t panic — her final appearance as host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is nearly two years away. And it’s still possible she’ll launch another talk show on the cable network she’s setting up, called, naturally, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Read more: washingtonpost.com

Johnny Depp was declared this year’s “Sexiest Man Alive”. Depp nudged aside last year’s winner Hugh Jackman to get the coveted endorsement from People magazine.

It’s the  actor’s second time as “Sexiest Man Alive” and he also won in 2003.

At 46, the father of two still reigns as Hollywood’s most irresistible iconoclast; as one-of-a-kind as his beloved 15-year-old boots and as smoldering as his favorite Cuban cigars.

Kate Coyne, senior editor at People, said on CBS’ “Early Show” that Depp has achieved an almost “iconic status in terms of sexiness.”

Says Coyne: “Johnny Depp was someone who was sexy 10 years ago. He’ll be sexy 10 years from now. He’s someone who appeals to multiple generations of women.”

Depp joins other double winners Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Richard Gere.

Source: yahoo

After trying his hands on architecture, Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt now wants to know more about his favourite tipple by enrolling for wine-making classes. It’s an appropriate hobby, seeing as he and Angelina Jolie live in a French estate with its own vineyard.

The 45-year-old heartthrob and his partner have taken up property in the sprawling Chateau Miraval estate in the south of France with their six children.

“He loves learning how it’s made,” a source said. Pitt had earlier spoken about his love for building projects since his childhood and was also granted a fellowship into the Design Futures Council for his affordable housing designs in Louisina.

If Brad decides to make his own wine, he won’t be the first celebrity to try it. Right now wine-drinkers can buy bottles from Sting, Olivia Newton-John, Elvis Presley, Sam Neil, Greg Norman to name a few.

Source: hindustantimes.com

Congratulations to Juanita Duncan
Juanita is the lucky Facebook Fan of the month and she has won a Douglas Green wine hamper.

Become a  Facebook Fan of Douglas Green

The Transformers actress, Megan Fox, 23, has signed on to model for the new Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans campaigns.

The actress succeeds Victoria Beckham (She is not re-upping her contract with the label so she can concentrate on her clothing line). Victoria and her famous husband David Beckham appeared in the last Armani advertisements.

Fox’s Armani ads – which were photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in Los Angeles this past weekend – will begin running worldwide in January.

The soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has also signed on to pose for the men’s Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans campaigns.

Though, unlike the previous pair, Ronaldo and Fox will not appear together in any of the upcoming ads.

Source: luxuo.com

For most mothers, six children would be enough to keep their hands full for a lifetime.But not so for Angelina Jolie, who is reportedly set to adopt another child to add to her growing brood.

The Hollywood star is said to be looking at adopting a baby from Syria to complete her rainbow family.
However according to OK! magazine the 34-year-old is doing so alone without partner Brad Pitt ,45, who apparently is not keen on adding another child to their family.The magazine says the actress is intending on heading to the Middle East to rescue a girl after three previous adoptions from Africa and Asia.

A source said: ‘[Brad] has made it clear that six children are more than he can handle.

‘The idea of one more seemed ludicrous, but Angie is determined to complete her rainbow family.’
And it appears when Angelina sets her mind to something, no one can stop her.

The Tomb Raider star adopted son Maddox, now eight, from Cambodia while still married to actor Billy Bob Thornton, but received sole custody following their divorce.

She has two other adopted children, Zahara, four, and Pax, who turns five later this month.

And she has three biological children with Pitt, Shiloh, three, and 16-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne.A spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in DC said that ‘only [Angelina's] name [was] on the [adoption] papers’.

Read more dailymail.co.uk

Unfortunately First Class flying is not for the average person and most of us must settle for Cattle Class (Economy Class) when flying. But there is a few things you can do to make an economy class flight more comfortable. Here are a few tips

Wear comfy clothes. They might not look amazing, but at least you’ll be able to bend your legs in tracksuit pants as opposed to skinny jeans. You can always keep a spare pair of jeans in your hand luggage to change into just before you land and re-enter the real world. It is also a good idea to pack a pashmina – these take up a minute amount of space in your luggage and can act as either a blanket or a pillow.

Pack some sweets or chewing gum – and remember to grab one during landing and take off to help prevent earache. You could also ensure that you have some mints with you. There is nothing worse than sitting next to someone who overdid the garlic the night before. By being kind and sharing your minty sweets you can save yourself from a night of bad breath without offending anyone.

Chuck your shoes as soon as you can. Your feet will swell with the changes in air pressure and this can be really sore when you’re still stuffed into your stilettos. No one will mind if you pad around in your socks – in fact, the man who you clamber over to get to the loo will probably really appreciate not getting a heel in his foot.

Bring along your own toiletries. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I have never had tooth paste out of an airline goodie bag that actually tasted like tooth paste. You will feel much better if you can at least brush your teeth before you disembark. For the ladies, try packing some face wipes. These do wonders to freshen you up and also mean that you can leave your face wash in your checked baggage and not have to worry about the liquid restrictions for your hand luggage.

Keep yourself amused. Try bringing along something to keep yourself busy – be it anything from a War and Peace size novel to a Rubix cube. It can also be a good idea to bring along your own headphones. Many airlines charge for these and they never seem to fit my head. Noise cancelling earphones are also a brilliant idea as they drown out the drone of the aeroplane and the snoring old man next to you.

For more economy flying tips visit gotravel24.com

A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver’s license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time.

The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

Cha Sa-soon, 68, finally passed the written exam with a score of 60 on Wednesday, said Choi Young-chul, a police official at the drivers’ license agency in Jeonju, 130 miles south of Seoul.

Police said Cha took the test hundreds of times, but had no specific total. Local media said she took the test 950 times.

Now she must pass a driving test before getting her license, Choi said.

Repeated calls to Cha seeking comment went unanswered. She told the Korea Times newspaper she needed the license for her vegetable-selling business.

Hats off to her for persistence.

Source: sun-sentinel.com