Jim Paull

Welcoming Brussels sprouts back to the dinner table is one of autumn's greatest pleasures. But once you've served them shredded into slaw or crisped on a baking sheet, it's time for something new. Tonight, serve tender slow-cooked Brussels sprouts dressed in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce, all without lifting a finger.

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Whether you celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, the eight nights of Hanukkah, or the one evening of Festivus, Whole Foods has a new event to add to your annual calendar: the 12 days of cheese. Yes, dairy-lovers, they have added a curd-nerd holiday to the winter that will light your refrigerator up with delicious deals on classic cheese, special holiday wedges, and exciting artisanal wheels.

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Relax in paradise!

If you’re not a runner, but you’d like to be, the classic way to start is with a couch-to-5K program (available in convenient app, podcast, or printable chart form). But we know you’ll have plenty of questions along the way, so here’s what you need to know.

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As I was gearing up to make one of Pioneer Woman's most popular dessert recipes, the first thing I noticed wasn't the shockingly high cake-to-icing ratio or just how massive this cake is (it serves 24!) — it was that she had titled it "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever." See that extra period? That's some serious punctuation to emphasize its deliciousness.

If you've ever had Texas sheet cake, you'll find this recipe similar: It's a thin, flat chocolate cake baked in a sheet pan and topped with a thick, sugary icing and pecans. And if the punctuation hasn't convinced you, maybe a celebrity will. Jennifer Garner is such a fan of this cake that she made it on her Instagram cooking show and endorses it as her family's go-to chocolate sheet cake recipe.

Clearly, I needed to know the truth (although really I'll find any excuse to bake something chocolatey). So I took to the kitchen to see if Ree's beloved cake really held up to its claim.

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I have finally found the END ALL, BE ALL condiment, people! To be completely honest, when I first heard about my favorite grocery store's (Trader Joe's) new Blue Cheese Mustard, I had a few questions and concerns.

1. Do those two entities go together? Why are we messing with a good thing?
2. Do I really need another mustard in my fridge? (I already have yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, and spicy brown mustard.)
3. What will it SMELL like?

But, for the sake of research, I threw all caution to the wind and made the two-block journey to pick myself up a jar. Behold!

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Kitchn's Delicious Links column highlights recipes we're excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

"It takes how many ingredients?" Whenever I see a recipe that ostensibly requires fewer components than I have fingers on my hand, I feel like I have to click it, if just to see if the author includes salt and pepper on the ingredient list. Salt and pepper are technically ingredients, but including them sometimes feels like including water or heat — because you might need them for the recipe, but you're probably not going to have to leave the house to get them.

But when this baked chicken Caesar recipe says it only requires four ingredients, it really means it.

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It's several days after Thanksgiving, and I'm still very much in holiday eating mode. We ate leftovers for every meal on Friday, switched it up with tacos on Saturday, and ordered pizza on Sunday because we still didn't feel like cooking. The next few days for lunch will probably be more leftovers, because I can't see beyond the mountain of plastic-wrapped mashed potatoes and stuffing in the fridge to even try and dig for a fresh vegetable.

When I do break free and get back to some type of normalcy, I know exactly what I'll be eating to help me reset. This vegetarian cauliflower rice bowl is packed with all my favorite healthy foods, and it's the perfect meal to enjoy throughout December.

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If you’re a student that’s been contemplating a YouTube Premium or YouTube Music subscription, now might be the time to buy.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Seeking an edge over other property developers in the country, Mah Sing Group Bhd has joined forces with e-commerce platform Lazada Malaysia to offer homes online.

In a joint statement, the partners said the upcoming Lazada 12.12 Grand Year End Sale would mark the first time properties would be sold on an e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.

Mah Sing Group chief executive officer Ho Hon Sang said the developer aimed to be as innovative as possible in its business and wanted to reinvent the way consumers shop for homes.

“Over half of the Malaysian population are shopping online, so being the first developer to sell units online on an e-commerce platform such as Lazada gives us a competitive edge against other developers in Malaysia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lazada Malaysia chief executive officer Christophe Lejeune said Lazada was excited to be the first e-commerce platform in the region to sell properties.

“After the overwhelming response we received during the 11.11 Lazada Shopping Festival, we are ramping up our efforts to anticipate the changing demands of the constantly evolving and increasingly fearless mobile consumer.

“Malaysian shoppers are looking for more digital solutions for all their lifestyle needs, and we believe that this collaboration will make affordable homes more accessible to young homebuyers,” he added.

Mah Sing projects that will be listed on Lazada for the 12.12 sale include M Vertica, Cheras; M Centura, Sentul; Sensa Residence@Southville City, KL South; M Aruna, Rawang; M Vista, Penang; and Meridin East, Johor.

Interested buyers can preview the homes beginning Nov 28 and can add to cart and purchase from Dec 10 to 12.

Mah Sing homebuyers who shop for their homes on Lazada will receive an exclusive 5% Lazada Incentive worth between RM20,000 and RM30,000, the biggest online incentive ever offered on Lazada.

The developer said it was confident that this would attract many digital-savvy customers.

Lazada Group is majority owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

If you're in the mood for Taco Bell, you can order anything on the menu from the comfort of your home. All you need is a computer or phone to access their online ordering system. Once you've selected your food and submitted your order, you can pick up your food anytime from then until the store closes. Visit the Taco Bell website to order their food quickly and conveniently!

EditSteps

EditSelecting Your Food

1. Visit the Taco Bell home page and click on "Order Now." Enter the Taco Bell URL into your browser and wait for the home page to load. From there, click on the blue button near the top of the page that says "Order Now." This will take you to the online ordering menu.
   
   • If you'd prefer to use your phone, you can also download the Taco Bell app. The app uses the same food categories and checkout format as the website.^[1]
   • Find the Taco Bell homepage at https://www.tacobell.com/
2. Choose your food from the ordering menu. Taco Bell organizes its food into 16 different categories. Click on any of the following categories to find the right food options for you:^[2]
   
   • Favorites (user specific), New, Deals and Combos, or Specialties
   • Tacos, Burritos, Nachos, or Quesadillas
   • Dollar Cravings, Sweets, Sides, or Drinks
   • Power Menu, Party Picks, Vegetarian, or Breakfast
3. Choose between meaty, cheesy, and spicy if you can't decide. Taco Bell further organizes its menu into taste categories if you're not quite sure what you want. Decide whether you're in the mood for something cheesy, meaty, or spicy, then click on the corresponding button.
   
   • You can access the full menu at https://www.tacobell.com/food
   • This is on the main menu page below the 16 food categories, beneath the "Can't Decide?" header.
4. Choose between budget, exclusives, classics, and groups for more options. If you're still having trouble deciding, scroll down to the bottom of the menu. From there, you can choose between 4 more options: On a Budget, Great for Groups, Exclusives, and Classics.^[3]
   
   • If you want to go back to the main menu, click on the navigation bar at the top of the page.
   • Click on the "See Food" button to access food from these 4 menus.
5. Add any food you want to purchase to your cart. On the bottom of every food option is an "Add to Cart" button. Click on this button for every menu item that you want to purchase, then click on the "Your Shopping Cart" button in the top right corner of the website when you're ready to check out. If you change your mind about a menu item, you can add or delete any items on this page.^[4]
   
   • Before checking out, you can also customize any food items by hitting the "Customize" button.
   • If you're not sure whether you want to order a food option, you can "heart" it in the top right corner. When you're ready to check out, you can come back to it and decide whether to order it.
6. Decide whether to add drinks or sides to your cart. After clicking on "My Shopping Cart," the site will ask you whether you want extra drinks or sides with your order. By clicking on "Add Drinks" or "Add Sides," you can access a list of either. Choose any additional menu items, then click "Checkout" when you're ready to place an order.^[5]
   
   • You can also access the "You Might Like" menu from the "My Shopping Cart" page, which offers a list of items that pair well with your order.

EditChecking Out

1. Make an account or check out as a guest. After clicking on "Checkout," you'll be redirected to a user sign up page. From here, you either make a Taco Bell customer account or choose to check out as a guest. If you decide to make an account, you'll need to provide your email address, full name, and a password.^[6]
   
   • If you already have an account, you can also log in on this page.
   • You can also sign in with your Facebook account, if applicable.
2. Choose a pickup location. Click on "Browse Locations" to look for Taco Bell stores near you. Enter your zip code or city name in the "Search Zip or City" bar, then click on the store were you want to pick up your order.^[7]
   
   • Taco Bell currently doesn't provide delivery services. You can, however, use a third-party food delivery app to buy Taco Bell food without leaving your home.
3. Fill in your payment information. You can order using a credit/debit card or a Taco Bell gift card on the website. Click on the option that applies to you and add your debit/credit or gift card information.
   
   • If you order online, you cannot pay in cash. You must pay for the food before you pick it up.
4. Include your email and phone number. Enter a valid email address for Taco Bell to send you your order receipt. If you prefer text receipts, you can also opt to add your phone number.
   

EditSubmitting and Picking Up Your Order

1. Choose whether to pick the order up now or later. As you review your order, you'll be asked whether you want it now or later. If you click later, you can choose between times from now until Taco Bell closes in 15-minute increments.^[8]
   
   • Orders usually take between 3-5 minutes to get ready.
2. Decide whether to pick it up in-store or drive-through. The checkout page will also ask you whether you'd prefer to pick your food up at the drive-through or inside the store. Determine which option is most convenient for you and click on the corresponding option.^[9]
   
   • If you change your mind, you can always pick your food up either way. Choosing as you order the food just helps the Taco Bell staff stay organized.
3. Include the first name of the person picking up your order. At the bottom of the checkout page, you'll find the question, "Who's Picking It Up?" In the bar below, type in the first name of whoever will pick up the food.^[10]
   
4. Submit your order and pick it up. When you've finished filling out your order, click on "Submit Order" at the bottom of the page. Once you've checked out, you're ready to pick up your order at the time you signed up for.
   
   • Remember to give the Taco Bell staff your first name when you pick up your order so they know what food to give you.
   • Review your order and the final price before submitting your order. This will help you catch errors before you pay for and pick up your food.

EditUsing Food Delivery Apps

1. Choose a food delivery app to buy Taco Bell menu items from home. Although Taco Bell doesn't offer a delivery service, you can use a food delivery app to buy Taco Bell without leaving your home. Try a popular food delivery app to complete your order, like:^[11]
   
   • Grubhub
   • Uber Eats
   • Postmates
   • Door Dash
   • Foodler
2. Select Taco Bell from the app's restaurant options and place your order. Most food apps offer a list of available restaurants in your area. Choose Taco Bell from the list of options and place your order either by selecting it on the app's menu or typing it into the app.
   
   • How you place your order specifically varies depending on the app.
3. Pay for your food using the app's checkout system. How you pay for the food varies on the app, but you will generally have to pay for the food before the driver picks it up. After placing your order, make a payment so the food delivery driver can pick it up.
   
   • You will likely need to pay an extra fee to cover pickup expenses. On average, delivery fees range from $5-10 USD.
4. Watch the app to follow your driver's progress. Most apps allow you to watch the driver via GPS as they pick up your food. Keep an eye on the app so you can answer the door when your driver knocks.
   
   • If you're able, tip your driver as a sign of appreciation. While there is no set range for delivery tips, 15-20% of the bill is normal.

EditTips

• If you want to see the food's nutritional content before you order, you can access Taco Bell's nutritional information at https://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/info

EditSources and Citations

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Kitchn's Delicious Links column highlights recipes we're excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

I am not a morning person. I'm at my best late at night. If you need someone to do complicated math, install drywall, or attend a video conference call at 3 a.m., I'll be there with real pants on and everything. But when birds are singing and sunlight is pouring through the window shades, I'll be hiding under the blankets and moaning that it's too early for all this birdsong, and that it's unconscionable to expect a grown adult to wake up at the ungodly hour of 8:30 in the morning.

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Too funny! Sunnyskyz:

A video editor tweaked footage of a pika squeaking at another animal while perched on a rock and dubbed it with Freddie Mercury's famous "Ay-Oh" interaction with fans at Wembley Stadium in July 1985 for Live Aid.

Open Thread below...

“Polar night” is about to be upon the Alaskan town of Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow), which means that the sun will set on Sunday and won’t rise for 65 days.

Alaskans will only have a short period of time to catch a glimpse of the sun on Sunday. The sun will rise at 12:40pm AKST (four hours behind EST) and set only a little more than an hour later at 1:44pm. Despite The Weather Channel’s current forecast that predicts mostly cloudy weather, it might be the last chance for affected Alaskans to throw on some sunnies and bask in the projected -10 degree weather.

The polar night phenomenon has to do with the tilt of the earth. The Arctic Circle, which encompasses Utqiaġvik, will be tilted away from the sun for the duration of the 65 days, causing the sun not to rise above the horizon.

Thankfully, the town won’t be in pitch black darkness throughout the period. Civil twilight, which is when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, allows for enough light to see outside. However, the civil twilight period only lasts about six hours on a good day. In the dead of the polar night, you may only be able to see for as little as three hours.

No worries for the citizens of Utqiaġvik, though. Beginning in May, the exact opposite will occur as locations north of the Arctic Circle will see more than two months of nonstop sunshine, so their Vitamin D levels will hike right back up to where they should be.

H/T: The Weather Channel

Featured image by SOPA Images.

One of the worst parts of trying to work with people located around the world is figuring out what time it is where they are.

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Cheese teeming with squirming maggots, sheep’s eye juice and mouse wine: the “Disgusting Food Museum” explores why a dish seems delicious to some, but for others is stomach-churning.

On show for three months at an old slaughterhouse in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, the exhibit — created by Samuel West, who previously served up the Museum of Failure — promises to shock the senses.

“Disgust is always subjective because it comes with what we grew up with. It’s kind of an indoctrination,” says museum director Andreas Ahrens.

“If we grew up with something, we don’t find it disgusting,” he says.

To highlight the point, the exhibition puts foods from around the world on an equal footing, so lobster and foie gras are presented in the same way as chewy kiddie sweets and rabbits’ heads.

Gastronomic explorers are warned on entry: the exhibit is not for the squeamish. But, conveniently, the entry ticket is — a sickness bag.

Bag in hand then, visitors venture off on a world tour of specialities, some of which may seem to a Western palate like ingredients in a witch’s brew but are considered delicacies.

“The Disgusting Food Museum exists to let people explore the world of food and to see both their own food and (other food) from the lens of another culture,” says Ahrens.

Its founder “began by thinking of other museums that don’t exist that he would like to visit, and that led to the Disgusting Food Museum,” he adds cheerfully.

Cheese and fermented shark

“I think it is by far one of the most interesting museums I’ve been to,” says Charlie Lam, a 23-year-old Hong Kong student.

Touring the exhibit with friends, she inspects the 80 dishes on display, cautiously sniffing some, and, when curiosity gets the better of her, tasting a few.

She says she’ll never forget the Su Callu, an ineffable Sardinian cheese served in dried tripe with a lingering aftertaste of ammonia, or the Icelandic delicacy of fermented shark, known as hakarl.

And she finds salty liquorice, a hugely popular candy in the Nordic countries, and stinky British and French cheeses as off-putting as some of the non-Western foods are to European tastes.

Touchy feely

Many of the dishes are freshly prepared and visitors are encouraged to poke and prod some of them, and of course have a taste — museum staff make sure nobody leaves without trying at least one item.

The bull’s penis — an aphrodisiac in China — is a hard one to resist for many curious onlookers.

“If it would be just fake food, or just plastic or things in a can, it wouldn’t be as interesting. It wouldn’t be as fun,” says Ahrens, who happily guides people through the tables of food.

“So it’s an important part of the experience for the guest.”

Some dishes are displayed on a video screen, such as the cobra’s beating heart, which in Vietnam is savoured together with its blood.

“That’s really what I found most surprising,” admits Adam Eliasson, a 24-year-old factory worker.

“Normally I’m a pretty picky eater,” he muses. “I eat very few things… but here I tasted everything. And I didn’t throw up!”

Some dishes however, such as the tortoise soup and bat soup, the sheep’s head stew and baby mouse wine remain off limits to even the bravest of visitors.

The food that is fresh, such as the cheese, is kept in the fridge for three or four days before being thrown out.

Once the exhibit ends on January 27 in Sweden, Ahrens and West hope to take the show on the road to other cities in Europe and around the world.

When you’re staring down the barrel of days-old Thanksgiving leftovers, it’s almost impossible to summon up the creativity to do something, anything, besides shovel them into your mouth in front of an open fridge. There’s no shame in the fridge-shovel game, but breathing new life into the last dregs of your feast is…

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Love donuts, hate deep-frying? Same. Luckily, there's a way to get around that.

If you aren't currently the proud owner of an air fryer, let this be the recipe that convinces you to buy one. With a can of biscuit dough and just the teensiest spray of oil, you can be enjoying warm, flaky donuts in just 10 minutes — no hot oil splatters or deep-fry thermometers in sight. Here's how to do it.

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Kitchn's Delicious Links column highlights recipes we're excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

All right, I'm just putting this out there: Chicken thighs are one thousand percent better than chicken breasts. I love their richer, deeper flavor — and the fact that they even have flavor, because regardless of how they're prepared or what they've been seasoned with, chicken breasts always taste like meat paper to me.

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Black Friday just ended, but in case you missed that Instant Pot deal, Amazon is back with another week of deals, starting with Cyber Monday. They're also kicking it off with over 50 timed Deals of the Day (compared to their normal six). The timed deals tend to be some of the store's best on big-name brands. And just like with Black Friday, they are featuring lots of big-ticket and coveted items like, yes, the Instant Pot, as well as a chic air fryer and an espresso machine. See below for our top picks.

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Sometimes, it may seem impossible to avoid feeling bored. Maybe you feel stuck in familiar habits, or maybe there is no one around to hang out with. Luckily for you, boredom is just a way of thinking, and you can easily change that. Avoid boredom by getting curious about the world around you, trying something new, or challenging yourself to learn a new skill. Whether you are at home or in a public setting with nothing to do, there are countless different ways to break out of a boring mood.

EditSteps

EditCuring Boredom at Home

1. Learn a game on days when the weather forces you to stay inside. Knowing how to play various card games or some compact boardgames, like portable checkers or chess, also comes in handy when you have long car rides, or for when the electricity goes out. There are plenty of simple and fun games you can learn to play with your friends or by yourself.^[1]
   
   • Grab some friends or family members to play classic board games like Monopoly, Candy Land, or Pictionary. Challenge people to a complex game of Settlers of Catan or Scrabble.
   • Turn on a gaming console if you have access to one, and revisit an old game you haven’t played in a while. Simulator games like “Sims” are great to play on days when you are bored because the gaming experience is different each time you play.
   • Card games are portable and can be played anywhere. If you want to play a card game by yourself, learn how to play solitaire, mahjong solitaire, or spider solitaire. If you have someone who will play cards with you, try games like go-fish, gin rummy, or poker.
   • Play short, silly games that don't require any tools like charades or chopsticks.
2. Start learning a new language that has always interested you. Go to your local library and check out some books on how to get started, or watch tutorials online to help master some basic words and phrases. Maybe you want to learn Spanish or Japanese as a second language.^[2]
   
   • Learning a new language engages your brain, which can lead to new opportunities and entertainment. It also gives you something to study or do during downtime.
3. Learn to play an instrument to give you something to practice. Get involved with some local instrument classes at a recreation center, or find tutorials online that will teach you the basics and how to read sheet music. Pick an instrument that excites you like the guitar, bass, or even the tuba.^[3]
   
   • Study different techniques from various musicians, and pick a method of learning that best suits you. For example, if you want to learn how to play the guitar, you can spend your time listening to new guitarists to study their technique.
4. Find a new television show or movie to watch when you want to relax. Specifically look for old shows that you can marathon watch, or watch over the span of several weeks. Shows that you can continuously watch will keep you engaged longer, and pass more time.^[4]
   
   • Watch a new television show, movie or web series using providers like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. Depending on your region, you might be able to watch some programs for free or sign up for a free trial.
5. Listen to new music that excites you to liven up boring tasks. Most people listen to familiar music passively, hearing it in the background while doing other things. Update your playlist by finding new music to listen to. Find music that makes you want to get up and dance or music that will help pass time while doing household chores or while walking from place to place. This will make listening to music more of an activity and less of an ambiance.^[5]
   
   • Searching for new music on Pandora, Spotify, Songza, or other music apps is a great way to get new songs similar to the ones you love.
   • Try out podcasts, which are free radio programs you can download off iTunes. They cover comedy, news, music, entertainment, and much more.
6. Get crafty by making decorations that will serve a purpose in your home. Look around for art supplies, scraps of fabric, or any small objects you can improvise with to make an art project. This can be a fun way to pass the time, and you might end up with a new house decoration.^[6]
   
   • Consider making a holiday or seasonal wreath for your front door, painting some pottery for a new herb garden, or transforming your seashell collection into a beautiful sounding wind chime.
   • Make sure to also stock up on crafting materials for the next time you're bored. If you are often looking for something to do at home, take some time to pick out some arts and crafts supplies. You don't need to devote yourself to perfecting a new hobby, although you certainly can. Just try out a few different crafts, such as pottery or bead jewelry, until you find one that enjoyably passes the time.
   • If you are more interested in house improvement or DIY repairs, pick up a new skill such as carpentry or roof repair.
7. Try out a new recipe for dinner and invite some friends over to taste it. If you like cooking for fun, or have never tried it before, find a new recipe to experiment with. Flip through a cookbook or online recipe collection like FoodGawker. When your creation is complete, have some friends over, and share the results with others.^[7]
   
   • Some fun cooking ideas might be frying up sweet potato balls, or baking some zucchini lasagna for a healthy and gluten-free dish.
8. Bake cookies or other simple desserts to destress. Many people bake when they're bored or stressed, especially in the evening when tension from a long day has accumulated. This is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep yourself entertained. You can find hundreds of cookie recipes online or in cookbooks.^[8]
   
   • Instead of a standard chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie, be adventurous and make a dessert you have never tried before. Combine chocolate, peanut butter, and cream cheese for a delicious parfait. Be bold and see what dessert you can make with dry ramen noodles, or fry up a ravioli cookie for a sweet and crunchy treat.

EditAvoiding Boredom in a Public Setting

1. Read the latest news to stay current and entertained. Read particular news articles that interest you, or select articles that actually pertain to the work you do. Maybe do some research on some software you believe would benefit your personal workflow and pitch it to your boss, or get ahead on some research for a school project you know is coming up.^[9]
   
   • Look on major outlets like CNN, MSNBC or NY Times for breaking news, or read from a favorite online magazine for more personal features.
2. Start a writing project to exercise your imagination and creativity. Writing is an inconspicuous activity you can do anywhere. Bring a pencil and paper with you everywhere. A small notepad and pencil is an inexpensive combination that can provide endless entertainment on the go. Simply slip it into your purse or back pocket and pull it out when you feel restless to write or doodle something.^[10]
   
   • If you're interested in writing, but can't think of anything to write, try a freewrite or a stream of consciousness exercise. These might lead you to an idea for a more structured story, play, or poem.
   • Look up writing prompts online to spark an idea, or challenge yourself to write a story with an artificial constraint, such as only using one-syllable words.
3. Download a mobile game you can play to pass the time. Simple mobile games and other entertainment-based apps are great to fill the time while standing in line or waiting for a class to start. Pick free games like Candy Crush or Animal Crossing that have in-game restrictions to pass small increments of time, or download more involved games like Clash of Clans or Pokemon Go to pass larger spans of time.^[11]
   
   • The internet is full of free online games that will allow you to play solo or with an online community. Visit trustworthy websites with large collections, such as Kongregate, Armor Games, or MoFunZone. These sites are good to use while at home or at a friends house.
4. Engage in online social platforms to feel connected to other people. Scroll through your feeds on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and chat with friends and family. Try finding something new on community platforms like Reddit and search topics that interest you.^[12]
   
   • Check out the “Today I Learned” (TIL) section on Reddit if you aren’t sure what to specifically search for. This section is constantly updated by community members with interesting facts, and funny tidbits.
5. Discover a new webcomic or story online that you can read on the go. Thousands of writers and artists put stories and comics online for free, and many of them have archives going back for years. Use collections like Top Web Comics and FanFiction.Net to browse the top-rated webcomics and stories. Bookmark a few stories you think you will enjoy, and read them when you have nothing to do during school or work.^[13]
   
   • Once you find a website you like, check to see if the company has a mobile app or a way for you to download the story on your phone. This way, you can even read it offline and save mobile data.

EditBeing Entertained Outside

1. Chat with your neighbors to get know people in your community. Depending on where you are, talking with some of your neighbors may be the best way to avoid boredom. Pay them a compliment, make a comment about your surroundings (the weather, the train, a street musician), or simply introduce yourself if you have never formally met them.^[14]
   
   • You never know what you will learn from your neighbors, and what opportunities getting to know them might bring. Maybe you will find out they enjoy gardening as much as you do, or that they can play the guitar and will give your free lessons.
2. Develop an exercise routine that will get you out of the house. You can go to a local gym or community center and develop a personal exercise routine by doing push-ups, sit-ups, and weightlifting for you to work on by yourself. Grab a few friends to go bike riding, skateboarding, or to just get outside and play in the park.^[15]
   
   • Consider a more structured exercise routine with physical activities like dancing, yoga, or running. Doing more structured physical activities may even lead you to make new friends.
   • Exercising may not be easy when you first start out, especially if you aren’t normally active. People who exercise with someone who has a similar fitness level and similar fitness goals are more likely to enjoy themselves and stick to regular exercise.
3. Join a local sport to meet people with similar interests. This is a great way to fill up empty weekends, especially if you enjoy spending time with people. If you have always wanted to play on a baseball or volleyball team, see if your community has a recreational team. They are usually low-key, weekly games that get you out of the house easily.^[16]
   
   • Contact your local Department of Parks and Recreation and ask about local sports leagues for both children and adults. The easiest way to contact the department would be over the telephone or online. The website might even have a sports schedule posted.
   • If your community does not offer recreational sports, arrange a group of friends to play a pick-up game or other outdoor game. Try out games like ultimate frisbee or capture the flag.
4. Pick up gardening to give yourself something to tend to on a daily basis. Tending to plants is very relaxing, makes you feel connected to the earth, and requires almost daily care. Go to your local hardware store to pick up seeds and topsoil to build a garden in your backyard, or purchase small, windowsill potted plants or herbs to care for easily inside.^[17]
   
   • Growing fruits or vegetables is also a great way to mix up your diet with new foods.
5. Engage in daily outdoor activities like walking or hiking. Getting out of the house for 30 minutes or an hour each day can change your outlook for the better. When you take a lunch break, bring your sandwich with you on a walk or an impromptu picnic. This may clear your head and stop you feeling stir crazy.^[18]
   
   • On a hike or on other long outdoor trips, try bringing a book to keep yourself entertained if you get tired or bored of physical activity. Also, limit your use of electronic devices as they make it difficult to enjoy natural surroundings.
   • If you have an outdoor pet, taking it for a walk or playing with it at a park is a great way to break out of a bored state of mind.
6. Volunteer with a local community service to help those in need. This is a great way to meet new people and get out of the house, and it’s completely free. Call your local community center, SPCA, American Cancer Society, or college campus and ask about volunteering opportunities. You can also go online to look up what volunteer organizations are local to your area.^[19]
   
7. Mix up your social life with something new or surprising. A boring nightlife is usually the result of a stale social scene. When you see the same people at the same bar, movie theater, or restaurant every weekend, things can get dull. Go to a new dance club, see live theater, or go camping to try something new and eliminate the boredom from your nightly routine.^[20]
   
   • Look up a calendar of events in your local newspaper or stop by your community center to see what major events are going on in your town. Search online to see if any local schools, clubs, or other organizations that interest you have a calendar of scheduled events.
8. Camp out in your backyard to change your sleeping environment. Simply sleeping under the stars can be a new and entertaining experience that will eliminate boredom in a heartbeat. Watch the stars, listen to the sounds of night animals, and enjoy the fresh, cool air under the moonlight with family and friends. If the weather conditions are good, the most you might need is a simple sleeping bag and a pillow to enjoy a night under the stars.^[21]
   
   • Just make sure to check the weather before committing to sleeping outside to avoid getting rained on.

EditStopping Boredom before It Happens

1. Use your imagination to transform your environment. Regardless of your environment, your brain is always around to entertain you. Your imagination can take you on wondrous adventures, or even spark an idea for a new hobby. Never underestimate the power of your imagination, and what you can create with it.^[22]
   
   • Try creating an imaginary world. You can spend countless hours imagining what the inhabitants look like or do, and even imagine new animals or a new ecosystem. This can be a silly project for an afternoon or the beginning of a new story or series of art pieces.
2. Be curious about the world around you by exploring your town. A curious mind can easily avoid boredom by simply taking an interest in something new. An easy place to start is to explore and examine your community. You might just discover something you never knew about your town, and it may lead to ideas for new activities.^[23]
   
   • Wonder about the architecture around your town. How was that building designed? Who painted the graffiti down the street? What techniques went into making the clothes in the window?
3. Act spontaneously to break familiar habits or patterns. Overthinking the situation is often a big blockade to getting over boredom. Trying to find the “perfect” activity is a sure-fire way to do no activity at all, so stop thinking and do something. Try being spontaneous and divert from your typical habits or thinking patterns. Being spontaneous lends your life an air of surprise that makes everything less boring.^[24]
   
   • Call a friend you haven’t spoken with and see if they want to hang out.
   • Put on shoes and go walking, and turn into the café you’ve always wanted to try.
4. Practice mindful meditation to avoid becoming bored easily. It is easy to become bored or restless when standing in line, waiting for a friend, or during other short periods of time when you can't find an activity. Sometimes, distracting yourself by reading a book or using your cell phone is not enough to cure this problem. Meditation is the art of focusing on your thoughts and mind, and enjoying the little things around you instead of feeling restless or bored.^[25]
   
   • The Buddhist tradition of mindfulness stresses being in the moment and thinking about the life you are living instead of the life you wish you had.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Do What You Want
• Be Interested in a Boring School Lesson

EditSources and Citations

EditQuick Summary

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

TOKYO: Akihiko Kondo’s mother refused an invitation to her only son’s wedding in Tokyo this month, but perhaps that isn’t such a surprise: he was marrying a hologram.

“For mother, it wasn’t something to celebrate,” said the soft-spoken 35-year-old, whose “bride” is a virtual reality singer named Hatsune Miku.

In fact, none of Kondo’s relatives attended his wedding to Miku — an animated 16-year-old with saucer eyes and lengthy aquamarine pigtails — but that didn’t stop him from spending two million yen ($17,600) on a formal ceremony at a Tokyo hall.

Around 40 guests watched as he tied the knot with Miku, present in the form of a cat-sized stuffed doll.

“I never cheated on her, I’ve always been in love with Miku-san,” he said, using a honorific that is commonly employed in Japan, even by friends.

“I’ve been thinking about her every day,” he told AFP a week after the wedding.

Since March, Kondo has been living with a moving, talking hologram of Miku that floats in a $2,800 desktop device.

“I’m in love with the whole concept of Hatsune Miku but I got married to the Miku of my house,” he said, looking at the blue image glowing in a capsule.

 ‘Drop dead, creepy otaku!’ 

He considers himself an ordinary married man — his holographic wife wakes him up each morning and sends him off to his job as an administrator at a school.

In the evening, when he tells her by cellphone that he’s coming home, she turns on the lights. Later, she tells him when it’s time to go to bed.

He sleeps alongside the doll version of her that attended the wedding, complete with a wedding ring that fits around her left wrist.

Kondo’s marriage might not have any legal standing, but that doesn’t bother him. He even took his Miku doll to a jewellery shop to get the ring.

And Gatebox, the company that produces the hologram device featuring Miku, has issued a “marriage certificate”, which certifies that a human and a virtual character have wed “beyond dimensions”.

Kondo’s not alone either: he says Gatebox has issued more than 3,700 certificates for “cross-dimension” marriages and some people have sent him supportive messages.

“There must be some people who can’t come forward and say they want to hold a wedding. I want to give them a supportive push,” he says.

Kondo’s path to Miku came after difficult encounters with women as an anime-mad teenager.

“Girls would say ‘Drop dead, creepy otaku!’,” he recalled, using a Japanese term for geeks that can carry a negative connotation.

As he got older, he says a woman at a previous workplace bullied him into a nervous breakdown and he became determined never to marry.

In Japan, that wouldn’t be entirely unusual nowadays. While in 1980, only one in 50 men had never married by the age of 50, that figure is now one in four.

But eventually Kondo realised he had been in love with Miku for more than a decade and decided to marry her.

A ‘sexual minority’ 

“Miku-san is the woman I love a lot and also the one who saved me,” he said.

And while Kondo says he is happy to be friends with a “3D woman”, he has no interest in romance with one, no matter how much his mother pushes for it.

Two-dimensional characters can’t cheat, age or die, he points out.

“I’m not seeking these in real women. It’s impossible.”

Even in a country obsessed with anime, Kondo’s wedding shocked many. But he wants to be recognised as a “sexual minority” who can’t imagine dating a flesh-and-blood woman.

“It’s simply not right, it’s as if you were trying to talk a gay man into dating a woman, or a lesbian into a relationship with a man.”

“Diversity in society has been long called for,” he added.

“It won’t necessarily make you happy to be bound to the ‘template’ of happiness in which a man and woman marry and bear children.”

“I believe we must consider all kinds of love and all kinds of happiness.”

If you frequent Indian restaurants you might be familiar with lassi – a rich, creamy drink typically made with a yogurt or buttermilk base. Lassi is sometimes sweet, sometimes savoury, and sometimes a bit of both.

Our mango-tofu lassi isn’t strictly a traditional recipe by any means – it uses tofu after all – but it will still give you that lassi-loving feeling with a higher protein boost to keep you going.

The typical plain lassi is made of yogurt, water and, occasionally, a little salt. Savoury lassies have spices added to them, while sweet ones tend to contain honey or fruits.

We’ve done away with the water in our recipe, but we’ve added milk, honey and salt alongside some ripe yummy mangoes, as well as silken tofu for that extra creamy factor.

It’s a simple recipe that comes together quick, and will have you sipping it down wishing there was a chapati or thosai by your side.

Power-packed ingredients

Tofu isn’t a typical ingredient in lassies, or Indian cooking for that matter, but its soft texture and mild flavour makes it a great addition to smoothies. It adds creaminess without that heavy feeling, plus, it’s an excellent source of protein.

Besides all nine essential amino acids, tofu also contains iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B1 – all good things for your body.

Naturally gluten-free and low in calories, tofu also has no cholesterol, making this a great ingredient for all your creamy smoothie needs.

Plain natural yogurt also has a lot of health benefits. It is filled with nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium, all of which are important in maintaining your blood pressure and metabolism levels while improving bone health.

Yogurt is also packed full of protein, while those containing probiotics can also help your digestive system. It may also strengthen your immune system, protect against osteoporosis, benefit the health of your heart and, if you’re looking to lose weight, yogurt also helps you feel full longer. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Milk, another ingredient in our mango-tofu lassi, is also a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which helps in the prevention of osteoporosis. Vitamin D also produces serotonin, which lifts the mood, can reduce chronic fatigue and reduce the effects of PMS.

For a little sweetness, this recipe calls for honey. Raw organic 100% honey is best as it has lots of antioxidants as well as anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

Honey can also soothe a sore throat, and help with digestive issues. Diabetics should consume honey with caution though, as it still contains a significant amount of sugar.

And what about that mango?

Besides being delicious, especially when ripe and sweet, consuming mangoes can also be pretty healthy for you. Rich in antioxidants, mangoes have properties that can help our bodies protect itself against certain types of cancer.

The high levels of vitamin C in this fruit is also great for controlling cholesterol levels while strengthening your immune system, and the high iron content in mangoes are great for those with anaemia.

And here’s a little bonus you may have not known about before – besides being an aphrodisiac, mangoes are also good for the eyesight and can help prevent heatstroke as eating it will cool you down instantly. Perfect for our hot Malaysian temperatures.

Plus, mango and yogurt goes so well together that this mango-tofu smoothie actually tastes like cheesecake. Want an even heartier drink? Sprinkle with some granola over the top for a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 140g (1 cup) ripe mangoes, cut into cubes

• 125g (1/2 cup) plain yogurt

• 125g (1/2 cup) silken tofu

• 120ml (1/2 cup) milk

• 25g (1 tbsp) honey

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

• Serve while the mango-tofu lassi is still cold.

Extra tips

• Keep your mango in the fridge for a cooler drink. Optionally, use frozen mango for an extra cold factor.

• Temperature is key to making a delicious mango-tofu lassi – you want it cold. If you can’t get your ingredients cold enough, add a little bit of ice during the blending process. Don’t add too much or it will water down your drink. Alternatively, serve it with a cup full of ice on the side.

• Opt for non-GMO silken tofu if you’re worried about the potential effects of GMO food.

• Prepare all your ingredients before bringing out your mango, silken tofu and milk, or they will warm up and your mango tofu lassie won’t be as delicious.

• Different types of mango vary in sweetness. Adjust the amount of honey as needed.

• The little bit of sea salt makes this drink really delicious. Don’t skip out on it.

• A high-powered blender will make the process of blending your ingredients faster, ensuring it remains cold once the blending process is complete. However, as this recipe doesn’t contain any hard ingredients (unless you freeze your mangoes), a regular blender should suffice.

• Blender cleaning tip: Add a drop of dishwashing liquid into the blender and fill it with about 1/5th to ¼ of water. Give it a few pulses to clean your blades and the bottom of the blender much more easily. Don’t “blend” the water for too fast or for too long though or you may end up with overflowing foam instead.

Sweet and savoury

Have you had your glass of mango tofu lassi? It’s good, isn’t it? Unfortunately this isn’t one of those recipes that can be easily made vegan, as the yogurt gives the drink an important sour component.

You could try swapping yogurt and regular cow’s milk for vegan-friendly varieties, but it will probably result in a fairly different tasting drink altogether.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com

Butterkicap is a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places.

Avocado is a flavorful fruit that contains monounsaturated fats, which are the healthiest kind of fats. Currently, researchers are studying if eating avocado can help people lose weight.^[1] Research is ongoing, but the results of previous studies suggest that eating avocados may help people manage their weight.^[2] Incorporate avocado into your diet, especially to replace unhealthy fats, and see if it helps to boost your weight loss efforts!

EditSteps

EditIntegrating Avocado into Your Diet

1. Eat avocado every day. For example, you can spread avocado onto a sandwich in place of mayo, add sliced avocado to a salad, incorporate avocado into a wrap, or make guacamole. How much avocado you eat will depend on your calorie goals and preferences.^[3]
   
   • Keep in mind that the average avocado has about 322 calories. Half an avocado has 161 calories.
   • You can consume the avocado all at once, or spread it throughout the day. For example, you could have ¼ of an avocado mixed into a smoothie for breakfast and ¼ of an avocado mashed, mixed with salsa, and enjoyed with veggie slices.
2. Use avocado in place of other fats. Avocado can help you to feel full longer because of the fat each fruit contains. Make sure that you replace the fats in your diet with avocado. Do not add avocado as an additional fat source or you may end up consuming too many calories in a day, as a whole avocado has 322 calories.^[4]
   
   • For example, you could replace the sour cream on your baked potato with avocado slices, spread avocado over a slice of toast instead of butter, or replace the cheese on a sandwich with a few slices of avocado.
3. Substitute an equal amount of avocado for butter in baked goods. Avocado works well as a 1 to 1 substitution for butter in baked goods, which can reduce the saturated fat and cholesterol in your meals. Replace all of some of the butter in your recipes with an equal amount of mashed avocado.
   
   • This is a great way to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in cookies, muffins, and cakes. You can replace all or some of the butter. If you replace all of the butter in a recipe with avocado, decrease the oven temperature by .^[5]

EditSubstituting Avocado for Other Ingredients

1. Make an avocado-based dressing instead of a cream-based dressing. Salad dressings can be laden with saturated fats and cholesterol. Using avocado as a base for your dressing is a great way to include more avocado in your diet. Swap an equal amount of avocado for sour cream or mayonnaise when making a salad dressing.^[6]
   
   • For example, if the recipe calls for of sour cream, use of mashed avocado instead.
2. Use avocado as a base for pudding when you have a sweet tooth. Pudding recipes often call for whole milk and eggs which contain lots of saturated fat and cholesterol. Instead, use a fork or food processor to mix 1 whole mashed avocado with of sugar or honey, of cocoa powder, and of vanilla for a quick and easy chocolate pudding.^[7]
   
   • You can add in other flavors and thickeners if you like, such as of coconut cream, a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, or ¼ of a mashed banana.
3. Coat noodles in avocado instead of pesto or cream-based sauces. Pestos and Alfredo sauces are high in fat, and it is often saturated fat. Try swapping your pesto or cream sauce for 2 mashed avocados. Mix the avocados in with 1 box of cooked pasta. Add of fresh basil and a salt and pepper to taste.^[8]
   
   • You can also season your avocado pasta sauce with the juice of 1 lime or lemon, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and of cumin or chili powder for a spicy avocado pasta sauce.
4. Replace mayonnaise with avocado to cut cholesterol and saturated fat. Mayonnaise is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, so swap it for avocado. You can spread avocado on sandwiches or use an equal amount of avocado in place of mayo in recipes.^[9]
   
   • For example, instead of spreading mayo on your bread for a turkey sandwich, spread on ¼ of a mashed avocado.
   • Instead of adding of mayo to a casserole recipe, use of mashed avocado.

EditAdding Avocado to Recipes

1. Toss chunks of avocado onto a salad for a quick way to use it. An easy way to get more avocado into your meals is to toss a few chunks into your salad. Cut ¼ to ½ of an avocado into chunks and add them to your salad just before you eat it.^[10]
   
   • Avocado works especially well in Southwest salads. Top lettuce with ½ a cup of black beans, of salsa, of corn, and of avocado chunks. Add hot sauce to taste and enjoy!
2. Add a few slices of avocado to a sandwich or burger instead of cheese. To cut down on the saturated fats in your sandwiches and burgers, replace the cheese with avocado. Cut ¼ to 1/2 of an avocado into slices and layer them on your sandwich or burger just before you eat it.^[11]
   
   • For example, you could have a grilled avocado sandwich instead of a grilled cheese, enjoy a tuna sub with avocado instead of Swiss cheese, or have a turkey burger with a few slices of avocado instead of a piece of cheddar cheese.
3. Mix avocado into your hummus for a savory dip. Avocado adds richness to hummus that will keep you feeling full for longer. Try mixing ½ to 1 whole avocado into a batch of hummus for a simple, satisfying dip to enjoy with fresh cut veggies.^[12]
   
   • You can make an easy avocado hummus dip with 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, the juice of ½ of a lemon, of salt, and ½ of an avocado. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
4. Blend half of an avocado into a smoothie for a rich taste. Avocado has a mild flavor that will take a back seat to most other ingredients you add to a smoothie. Try adding ¼ to ½ of an avocado to a smoothie recipe for an easy, delicious way to enjoy avocados.
   
   • For example, you could blend ½ of an avocado with of almond milk, 1 banana, and of frozen blueberries.^[13]

EditTips

• Remember that there is no magic food or pill when it comes to losing weight, so you will still have to count your calories. Find out how many calories you can eat each day and still lose weight, and keep track of everything that passes your lips.^[14]
• Avocado is naturally low in sugar and carbohydrates, so it is a great addition to low-carb diets. You can enjoy half of an avocado for about 2 grams of net carbs.^[15]
• Avocado has been shown to help reduce cholesterol when you use it in place of foods that are high in saturated fat. If you have high cholesterol, replace saturated fat sources with avocado.^[16]
• Avocado is a great vegan fat option. Most of the foods you enjoy as a vegan will be lower in fat, so having a half or whole avocado each day can be a great treat!^[17]

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

Kitchn's Delicious Links column highlights recipes we're excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

I lived in Germany for about six years, and the one cooking habit I picked up during that time is that I always have good mustard in my refrigerator, usually several different types. At the very least, I always keep large jars of Dijon mustard and "old-style" Dijon mustard, the type with the whole mustard grains. I put them on every sandwich and in most of my salad dressings, but my favorite thing to do with them is to rub them all over meat or seafood before I cook it.

READ MORE »

In today’s episode of bizarre reasons for flight delays, stinky fruit pushed back the takeoff time of a flight in Indonesia by an hour.

Aboard the domestic Sriwijaya Air flight from Jakarta (CGK) to Bengkulu (BKS) on Monday, passengers revolted against the sharp stench of two tonnes of durian fruit that had been stored in the cargo. Durian fruit is perhaps known best for its pungent smell. It’s odor, as food writer Richard Sterling put it, is “best described as turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.” According to Newsweek, the smell of the durian was so nauseating to passengers aboard the plane that some “almost came to blows” with the crew.

Despite being banned from public transportation in Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore for its stench, durian is actually permitted on airplanes as long as it follows regulations. “It’s not illegal to carry durians in a flight as long as it is wrapped properly in accordance with flight regulations [and] carried inside the hold,” said Sriwijaya Air senior corporate communications manager Retri Maya to the Jakarta Post. “Many airlines do this.”

Even though the regulations were met with the pungent cargo aboard the Sriwijaya Air flight, passengers still were adamant about the unbearable odor. Amir Zidane, who was aboard the flight, said on Facebook: “When I entered the plane, I could already smell the scent of durian. I complained to the stewardess but they told me to just fill up a complaint form. I yelled at the other passengers ‘Who on this plane wants to fly?’ They all chanted back ‘not us!!'”

Eventually, crew members gave into the passenger protests and unloaded the two tonnes of durian fruit from the cargo. The flight took off an hour behind schedule due to the stinky delay.

Featured image by Simon Long via Getty Images.

KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities plan to build covered walkways in the compound of selected People’s Housing Programme (PPR) flats to ensure the safety of residents.

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said this was among the improvements which have been agreed on in light of two incidents that occurred in low-cost flats (this year).

“We have to review the matter on a case-by-case basis and see what are the needs of each PPR. There is no one solution for all.

“To construct covered walkways is one of the solutions to prevent residents from getting hurt due to objects falling from upper floors.

“We are still looking for ways to tackle the problems at the PPR, depending on their locations,” Khalid said at a press conference with Kuala Lumpur mayor Nur Hisham Ahmad Dahlan at City Hall today.

He was commenting on a recent incident at the PPR Gombak Setia, where 19-year-old Muhammad Ikmal Abduk Razak was struck by a bicycle wheel which was apparently thrown from an upper unit.

Ikhmal received 15 stitches on the head.

Nur Hisham said DBKL would be holding a special briefing with all PPR residents to remind them on the do’s and don’t’s to prevent more incidents.

“We are looking for the best solution to resolve these problems. (I agree) that the PPRs also face problems with rubbish and when we go to these flats, we usually wear hardhats while we are in the compound.

“Each PPR has its own different environment, and that is something which we need to take into consideration before deciding on any solution,” said Nur Hisham.

In January, a Form 3 student died after being struck by an office chair believed to have been hurled from the upper floor of a flat in Pantai Dalam.

S Sathiawaran was believed to be entering a covered area at Block 102 of Projek Perumahan Rakyat Seri Pantai.

SYDNEY: Memakan ikan seperti salmon, trout dan sardin boleh mengurangkan gejala asma pada kanak-kanak, demikian menurut satu penyelidikan oleh Universiti La Trobe Australia.

Ketua penyelik Maria Papamichael berkata, hasil kajian yang diterbitkan pada Isnin itu mendapati diet sihat menjadi terapi terbaik untuk kanak-kanak yang menghidap asma, lapor agensi berita Xinhua.

“Kita sedia maklum diet tinggi lemak, gula dan garam boleh mempengaruhi perkembangan asma dan ia boleh dihalang menerusi pengambilan makanan sihat,” katanya.

Daripada 64 kanak-kanak mengalami asma ringan yang mengambil bahagian dalam penyelidikan itu, sebahagian mengamalkan diet tradisional Mediterranean berasaskan tumbuhan dan minyak ikan, manakala selebihnya lagi mengamalkan diet biasa.

Mereka yang mengikuti diet Mediterranean menunjukkan penurunan signifikan dalam radang bronkus.

“Ikan berlemak tinggi dalam asid lemak Omega-3 mempunyai sifat anti-radang,” jelas Papamichael.

Menurut Prof Bircan Erbas dari Sekolah Psikologi dan Kesihatan Awam La Trobe, “asma adalah penyakit pernafasan paling biasa dalam kalangan orang muda dan kebanyakan kanak-kanak kerap dikejarkan ke Jabatan Kecemasan hospital disebabkan serangan asma”.

“Jadi adalah penting untuk kita mencari terapi baru yang boleh digunakan bersama ubat-ubatan asma konvensional,” kata Erbas.

In the Freddie Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there’s a scene in which a family member scolds Mercury. “So now the family name is not good enough for you?” “I changed it legally,” Mercury responds. “No looking back.” It might come as a surprise to some that Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh...

Take a vacation, and your friends and family will assume your itinerary includes at least a few amazing meals. But intentionally planning a trip around some of the world’s worst cuisine? That’s a new one.

At the Disgusting Food Museum, which opened on Thursday in Malmö, Sweden, curators collect the most bizarre, sometimes stomach-churning foods on Earth.

Promising to have 80 of the world’s most curious cuisines, the museum certainly delivers. Among the exhibits you’ll find cuy (roasted guinea pig from Peru), hákarl (Icelandic fermented shark), durian (the ridiculously stinky fruit from Thailand) and the world’s stinkiest cheese. There’s even a display of kopi luwak: coffee cherries consumed and defected by civet cats in Indonesia, East Timor and other Southeast Asian nations. 

Many of the exhibits are interactive, inviting guests to touch the food, aside from simply smelling or tasting it.

Dr. Samuel West, the psychologist, curator and “chief disgustologist” responsible for this intentionally gross museum, told Metro that surströmming, or fermented Baltic Sea herring, was almost too much for him to bear. “We tested it, and tested it and were almost kicked out of our current office space because of the smell. I think we’ve got it solved, but I’m not sure. It’s one of those things that keeps me awake at night,” he said.

Of course, the museum aims to do more than make visitors nauseous. “What we find disgusting has to be learned — it’s purely cultural,” West told CNN. That’s why root beer and a Jell-O salad occupy displays in the odious gallery of unpalatable foods. Though they may seem fine, even delicious to some Americans, these items are simply repellent elsewhere.

Ready to be revolted? Brave children can get into the museum for free, but adults will have to fork over 185 Swedish Krona (about $20) for the experience. The museum also hosts outdoor tastings of the infamous fermented herring, shark and durian Wednesday through Sunday, and team tastings can be arranged for a premium. (Talk about group bonding!) And, yes, you can bet your weight in stinky cheese that there’s a gift shop stocked with some, well, unusual food items.

The museum is open until Jan. 27, after which West hopes to take the ghastly grub on tour to other cities.

Featured photo via Disgusting Food Museum on Facebook.