Hunger strike
Before you beat yourself up over eating that entire brick of triple-cream brie, read this: According to a study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, certain high-fat foods may cause the brain to trick the body into ignoring appetite-suppressing signals, making us eat more than we normally would. But don’t toss out your olive oil and avocado! Researchers found that only bad fats — specifically palmitic acid—are to blame. A saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid is found in milk products like butter and cheese and reduces the ability of insulin and leptin — our weight-regulating hormones — to send out messages that stop us from eating.

Fit lit
New must-reads for the mind, body and soul.

Full plate

In The Kind Diet, vegan Alicia Silverstone talks about why she ditched dairy and meat, explains her diet’s benefits (energy to burn, clear skin) and shares her favourite plant-based recipes.

Thank you, India
Wade Imre Morissette started doing sun salutations to help him deal with his sister’s fame. (He’s Alanis’ twin brother.) Transformative Yoga includes breathing exercises and illustrated postures.

Happy days
According to spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, happiness isn’t as elusive as we think. The Ultimate Happiness Prescription explains that it’s all about living as your “true self.” Not sure how? Chopra presents seven tips to make it happen.

Snow queen
American snowboarder babe Gretchen Bleiler — she won a silver in Torino and is going for gold in Vancouver — has teamed up with Oakley once again to create a line of outerwear. Bleiler is branded as the Gwen Stefani of the snowboarding world for her sartorial style on and off the slopes, and her collection includes goggles and apparel made from recyclable fabric. Her mandate? Design something her fellow betties would wear — items that can weather the elements and look fierce on the half-pipe.

Damage control
Sit down, blueberry! Açaí has officially replaced you as the antioxidant of the moment. Now the superfruit is being touted as a skin saviour too. Kiehl’s new Açaí skin-care line scored Ecocert’s stamp for its 100-percent natural-origin ingredient list, but the spotlight really belongs on the berry. “Açaí is a potent antioxidant linked to [improved] skin texture, tone and elasticity,” says Geraldine Scherrer, a chemist for Kiehl’s.

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