Canada’s women will disappear in the year 4400, statistics show

Don't worry about any pending apocalypse, Canada is due to become extinct in a few thousand years.


The Economist reports this week falling fertility rates around the world spell doom for many countries as the single life appeals to more women than replacing themselves through children.

Women in the wealthier parts of Asia, for example, are literally on a "marriage strike" leading to a drop in birth rates.

The United Nations reports women in 83 countries and territories around the globe won't have enough daughters to replace themselves unless fertility rates suddenly rise.

Using Hong Kong as an example, 1,000 women there are expected to give birth to 547 daughters. Those daughters would in turn be succeeded by only 299 daughters and so on.

At that rate, Hong Kong's female population would shrink from 3.75 million to just one in 25 generations. The last female would be born in 2798.

If you apply that theory to Japan, Germany, Russia, Italy and Spain, their populations won't last out the millennium.

Canada's last woman, using current statistics, would be born sometime around 4400. We fare better than most countries except Brazil, which will see its last woman born close to 5000.

And, China isn't about to save the world from eventual declining fertility rates either. Using the same UN population figures, it has a mere 1,500 years left before it too can't replace its women.


<http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/canada-women-disappear-4-400-statistics-show-155436523.html>

Keep these four fruits out of the fridge

By Nadine Bells
No room in the fridge? Some fruits thrive at room temperature. Rethink food storage this summer by moving some of your fresh fruit out of the refrigerator. You’ll gain space and flavour.

Prevention’s Spark! blog looks at the four fruits we can — and should — leave on the counter.

Watermelon
First of all, unless you have a huge refrigerator, watermelon is space-expensive. More importantly, the fruit’s cancer-fighting lycopene increases by as much as 40 per cent at room temperature. 

[Related: Tricks for picking the best supermarket produce]

Watermelons are usually ripe when purchased. Eat yours within three or four days. (Once it has been cut, however, it must be refrigerated.)

Note: Cooling down the melon after it's been sitting out doesn’t reverse the nutritional benefits.

Tomatoes
It’s that lycopene again. The redder the tomato, the more of this antioxidant is present. The tomato is also packed with vitamins A, C and K.

Tomatoes ripen at room temperature. For fullest flavour, keep them on the counter. Refrigerationdamages the membranes inside the fruit’s walls, causing a loss of flavour and creating a mealy texture.

Peaches
High in fibre, vitamins A and C, niacin and potassium, peaches are a little more high-maintenance than other fruits.

[Related: 12 fruits and vegetables you should buy organic]

Prevention recommends storing peaches at room temperature stem-down, to prevent bruising. They need to be spaced out, allowing for proper air circulation.

Refrigerate only once ripe — if you’re looking to lengthen its life by a day or two. And be sure to eat that fuzzy skin for more vitamins, fibre and phytochemicals.

Mangoes
The mango is the perfect summer dessert. Not only is it refreshing, its digestive enzymes can help soothe your stomach after a barbecue binge.

Only store mangoes in the fridge once they’re ripe. Until then, let them sweeten and soften on the counter. If you need to speed up the ripening process, store them at room temperature in a paper bag.

10 Rules for Brilliant Women

10 Rules for Brilliant Women

by Tara

"I coach brilliant women, lots of them. Dedicated, talented, brilliant women.

Most of the time, they don’t know their brilliance. They are certain they “aren’t ready” to take on that next bigger role. They are more attuned to the ways they aren’t qualified than to the ways that they are. They are waiting for someone to validate, promote or discover them. Sound familiar?

It’s time to step up, brilliant women. Here are ten principles for owning your brilliance and bringing it to the world:

1. Make a pact. No one else is going to build the life you want for you. No one else will even be able to completely understand it. The most amazing souls will show up to cheer you on along the way, but this is your game. Make a pact to be in it with yourself for the long haul, as your own supportive friend at every step along the way.

2. Imagine it. What does a knock-the-ball-out-of-the-park life look like for you? What is the career that seems so incredible you think it’s almost criminal to have it? What is the dream you don’t allow yourself to even consider because it seems too unrealistic, frivolous, or insane? Start envisioning it. That’s the beginning of having it.

3. Gasp. Start doing things that make you gasp and get the adrenalin flowing. Ask yourself, “What’s the gasp-level action here?” Your fears and a tough inner critic will chatter in your head. That’s normal, and just fine. When you hear that repetitive, irrational, mean inner critic, name it for what it is, and remember, it’s just a fearful liar, trying to protect you from any real or seeming risks. Go for the gasps and learn how false your inner critic’s narrative really is, and how conquerable your fears.

4. Get a thick skin. If you take risks, sometimes you’ll get a standing ovation, and sometimes, people will throw tomatoes. Can you think of any leader or innovator whom you admire who doesn’t have enthusiastic fans and harsh critics? Get used to wins and losses, praise and pans, getting a call back and being ignored. Work on letting go of needing to be liked and needing to be universally known as “a nice person.”

5. Be an arrogant idiot. Of course I know you won’t, because you never could. But please, just be a little more of an arrogant idiot. You know those guys around the office who share their opinions without thinking, who rally everyone around their big, (often unformed) ideas? Be more like them. Even if just a bit. You can afford to move a few inches in that direction.

6. Question the voice that says “I’m not ready yet.” I know, I know. Because you are so brilliant and have such high standards, you see every way that you could be more qualified. You notice every part of your idea that is not perfected yet. While you are waiting to be ready, gathering more experience, sitting on your ideas, our friends referenced in rule five are being anointed industry visionaries, getting raises, and seeing their ideas come to life in the world. They are no more ready than you, and perhaps less. Jump in the sandbox now, and start playing full out. Find out just how ready you are.

7. Don’t wait for your Oscar. Don’t wait to be praised, anointed, or validated. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to lead. Don’t wait for someone to invite you to share your voice. No one is going to discover you. (Well, actually, they will, but paradoxically, only after you’ve started boldly and consistently stepping into leadership, sharing your voice, and doing things that scare the hell out of you.)

8. Filter advice. Most brilliant women are humble and open to guidance. We want to gather feedback and advice. Fine, but recognize that some people won’t understand what you are up to (often because you are saying something new and ahead of your time). Some people will find you to be not their cup of tea. Some will feel threatened. Some people will want to do with your idea only what is interesting or helpful to them. So interpret feedback carefully. Test advice and evaluate the results, rather than following it wholesale.

9. Recover and restore. If you start doing the things that make you gasp, doing what you don’t quite feel ready to do, and being more of an arrogant idiot, you are going to be stretching out of our comfort zone–a lot. Regularly do things that feel safe, cozy, and restorative. Vent to friends when you need to. Acknowledge the steps you’ve taken. Watch your tank to see how much risk-taking juice you have available to you. When it’s running low, stop, recover and restore.

10. Let other women know they are brilliant. Let them know what kind of brilliance you see, and why it’s so special. Call them into greater leadership and action. Let them know that they are ready. Watch out for that subtle, probably unconscious thought, “because I had to struggle and suffer on my way up…they should have to too.” Watch out for thinking this will “take” too much time – when the truth is it always has huge, often unexpected returns.

Clear a path by walking it, boldly."
–Tara Sophia Mohr

How to Finally Stop Obsessing Over Your Ex

Breakups suck. And what’s even worse? The gray area you’re left in with the guy afterwards. We got expert tips on how to see through the fog...and get over him once and for all.

BY KELLY THORE

 Pippa Middleton may practically be royalty (and be able to get any guy she wants), but we wouldn’t be surprised if in the next few weeks she finds herself reaching for the phone to dial up her now-ex, Alex Loudon. And we can’t really fault her—after all, it’s damn near impossible to just quit a guy cold turkey when you split. But according to Rebecca Gladding, MD, author of You Are Not Your Brain, if you handle that post-breakup period in the right way, you can actually get over the guy quicker, move on sooner, and cut back on the number of tear-streaked-face-first-in-a-pint-of-Ben-and-Jerrys moments.

And if you think that just because you did the breaking up or you know rationally that he’s not The One, you’re going to get off scot-free, think again. “Since your of-the-moment desires are processed in a different part of your brain than your rational mind, you’re likely to act without considering your long-term goals,” Gladding says. She goes on to explain that regardless of what prompted the end of the relationship, a split leaves women with a huge urge to fill the void left behind. And what’s the easiest way to fill that void? Here’s a hint: it starts with E and ends with X. But like we said, there are ways to avoid that trap and move on with your life. These tips will make it super easy to get back on the right track...and find someone 10 times better than your former boyfriend, what’s his name again?

1. Follow the 30-minute rule. Sure, in the moment you may think that the reason you’re asking if he’s free one Friday night is because you genuinely miss him and want to catch up, but chances are you’re either just a) lonely or b) bored, and are turning to him since he used to always occupy you on date night. “If you stop and dissect this ‘pull’, you can differentiate true desire from temporary, emotionally-charged desire,” Gladding says. So use the 30-minute rule: When the urge to call/text/drop by hits, do something to shift your focus, like going for a run or catching up on your favorite blog. It’s sounds too simple (and kinda unbelievable), but chances are after a half hour of focusing on something else, you’ll be less inclined to call him. “You’ll see that the urge was only fleeting,” says Gladding, “and that you can stay on track if you give yourself the right things to distract yourself with.”

2. Identify your triggers (ahem, Facebook). “Most women have very specific triggers—something that will set them off and make them start thinking about him,” Gladding explains. Take a few minutes to think back and identify the behaviors that cause you to feel like crap over the breakup and get all wallowy—stalking his Facebook wall, listening to a band you both love, going to that restaurant—and then take action. Maybe it means blocking his posts on FB for a while, or temporarily stashing other things that remind you of him in your closet. “When you’ve just broken up, you’re still pretty vulnerable to that emotional tug,” Gladding says. “Getting rid of all those reminders can help get you over the initial hump.”

3. Dial up your chattiest friend. One of the best distractions you can find? Good old-fashioned girl talk. The problem is that talking with a girlfriend often turns into you venting about the guy or rehashing the relationship. “Sure, it’s nice to feel like someone’s in your corner, but it’s just another way to fixate on him. And rarely in those conversations do you actually walk away feeling better about your newly single status,” Gladding says. “You just end up asking yourself how he’s doing, wondering if he has a new girlfriend and so on.” So call up or meet with that friend who could talk to a wall if she had to. You want someone who’s going to steer the conversation and keep it focused on topics like her bitchy coworker, the trip she wants to take, or why she’s most definitely on Team Ramona. It doesn’t matter what, just that you know who’s name does not get mentioned...more than once or twice.

4. Make a list. Brainstorm the top three reasons you’re better off without him than you are with him, whether it’s that he didn’t get along with your mom, he never would have been able to support you, or he didn’t have the same taste in movies. It’s tempting to view your relationship through rose-colored glasses, but it’s important to think realistically about why you’re better of without him. “Once you have a chance to see the bigger picture, you’ll be able to squash those impulses to cling to the guy that’s not right for you just because it’s comfortable...and prevent them from coming back,” Gladding says.

Read more: How to Get Over an Ex - Ways to Get Over a Breakup - Cosmopolitan 

Single Girls Guide

by Erin Foster

THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW WHEN YOU’RE WALKIN’ IN THIS WORLD ALONE AS A SINGLE GIRL. THERE ARE PIT FALLS TO AVOID, SONGS YOU SHOULDN’T BE LISTENING TO, AND THOUGHTS YOU SHOULDN’T ADMIT TO THINKING, LIKE “CAN I COUNT MY CAT AS A DEPENDENT ON MY TAX FORMS?”

First and foremost you need to remember that being single is AWESOME! You are a free bird, a rolling stone, and you don’t have to wear a football jersey on Sundays that is comprised of your least flattering color palette.

Being you is fantastic. I know, because being me is fantastic.

There will be some lows. That just comes with job. As your guide through this life, I like to test the limits of where our singledom can take us. I like to make a fool of myself in order to report back to you that what I did should be avoided at all costs. For instance, exactly four nights ago I cried on the phone to a guy I love and the only words I managed to get out were, “I…I…want…a…baaaaby!! (continued crying sounds).” I did this for you.

Here is our first list of Do’s and Don’ts:

• Take notes when your girlfriends complain about their boyfriends or husbands. Reading these will get you through tough times.
• Don’t spend time with a guy who says, “Are you PMS-ing?”
• Either be super low maintenance or go full blown crazy to the point where you throw phones in the street and threaten the lives of attractive women in your eye line. They both work surprisingly well. In between won’t get you anywhere.
• Only wink at someone if you are a great winker. You either have it or you don’t. I don’t.
• If you don’t want to date a 30 year-old who hangs out at clubs, don’t BE a 30 year-old who hangs out at clubs.
• Change your hair every 6 months.
• Be a Girl’s Girl. This involves giving girl friends approval of pictures they upload online, leaving a fun party early when they feel uncomfortable, and listening to the same story several times with consistent amounts of interest.
• Stop saying how much you want to get married if you’re really just thinking about the wedding and forgetting you’ll have to BE married after that.
• If you want to meet up with someone you met online, ask if they’re a murderer first.
• Remember that no one is out of your league. Ryan Reynolds dated Alanis Morissette.

Till next time ladies. xo

Erin Foster is an actress and comedy writer who was born and raised in Los Angeles. She writes the popular blog TotallyConfidentAndCompletelyInsecure.Com

Effing the Ineffable

How do we express what cannot be said?

By ROGER SCRUTON

Thomas Aquinas, who devoted some two million words to spelling out, in the Summa Theologica, the nature of the world, God’s purpose in creating it and our fate in traversing it, ended his short life (short by our standards, at least) in a state of ecstasy, declaring that all that he had written was of no significance beside the beatific vision that he had been granted, and in the face of which words fail. His was perhaps the most striking example of a philosopher who comes to believe that the real meaning of the world is ineffable. Having got to this point, Aquinas obeyed the injunction of Wittgenstein, whose Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus concludes with the proposition: “that whereof we cannot speak we must consign to silence.”

But Aquinas was exceptional. The history of philosophy abounds in thinkers who, having concluded that the truth is ineffable, have gone on to write page upon page about it. One of the worst offenders is Kierkegaard, who argues in a hundred ways that the ultimate is inexpressible, that truth is “subjectivity,” that the meaning of life can be given by no formula, no proposition, no abstraction, but only by the concrete experience of surrender whose content can never be given in words.

The same idea occurs in Schopenhauer, for whom the truth of the world is Will, which cannot be represented in concepts. Schopenhauer devoted roughly 500,000 words to this thing that no words can capture. And he set a fashion that continues to this day.

I am currently reading a mercifully short book by Vladimir Jankélévitch, Music and the Ineffable, in which the argument is stated on the first page  — namely, that since music works through melodies, rhythms and harmonies and not through concepts, it contains no messages that can be translated into words. There follows 50,000 words devoted to the messages of music — often suggestive, poetic and atmospheric words, but words nevertheless, devoted to a subject that no words can capture.

The temptation to take refuge in the ineffable is not confined to philosophers. Every inquiry into first principles, original causes and fundamental laws, will at some stage come up against an unanswerable question: what makes those first principles true or those fundamental laws valid? What explains those original causes or initial conditions? And the answer is that there is no answer — or no answer that can be expressed in terms of the science for which those laws, principles and causes are bedrock. And yet we want an answer. So how should we proceed?

There is nothing wrong with referring at this point to the ineffable. The mistake is to describe it. Jankélévitch is right about music. He is right that something can be meaningful, even though its meaning eludes all attempts to put it into words. Fauré’s F sharp Ballade is an example: so is the smile on the face of the Mona Lisa; so is the evening sunlight on the hill behind my house. Wordsworth would describe such experiences as “intimations,” which is fair enough, provided you don’t add (as he did) further and better particulars. Anybody who goes through life with open mind and open heart will encounter these moments of revelation, moments that are saturated with meaning, but whose meaning cannot be put into words. These moments are precious to us. When they occur it is as though, on the winding ill-lit stairway of our life, we suddenly come across a window, through which we catch sight of another and brighter world — a world to which we belong but which we cannot enter.

I too am tempted to eff the ineffable. Like my philosophical predecessors, I want to describe that world beyond the window, even though I know that it cannot be described but only revealed. I am not alone in thinking that world to be real and important. But there are many who dismiss it as an unscientific fiction. And people of this scientistic cast of mind are disagreeable to me. Their nerdish conviction that facts alone can signify, and that the “transcendental” and the eternal are nothing but words, mark them out as incomplete. There is an aspect of the human condition that is denied to them.

Moreover, this aspect is of the first importance. Our loves and hopes in some way hinge on it. We love each other as angels love, reaching for the unknowable “I.” We hope as angels hope: with our thoughts fixed on the moment when the things of this world fall away and we are enfolded in “the peace which passes understanding.” Putting the point that way I have already said too much. For my words make it look as though the world beyond the window is actually here, like a picture on the stairs. But it is not here; it is there, beyond the window that can never be opened.

But a question troubles me as I am sure it troubles you. What do our moments of revelation have to do with the ultimate questions? When science comes to a halt, at those principles and conditions from which explanation begins, does the view from that window supply what science lacks? Do our moments of revelation point to the cause of the world?

When I don’t think about it, the answer seems clear. Yes, there is more to the world than the system of causes, for the world has a meaning and that meaning is revealed. But no, there is no path, not even this one, to the cause of the world: for that whereof we cannot speak, we must consign to silence — as Aquinas did.

6 best fat-burning superfoods

(By Dr. Natasha Turner ND)

People ask me all the time if there is a magic supplement they can take to look younger, shed body fat, boost their energy or improve their skin. In reality, the answer is food. The right food, at the right time and in the right quantities, can have a dramatic affect on your appearance and overall health.

Here are a few superfood suggestions to include in your spring diet - they just might help to slim your waistline in time for summer:

1. Avocados: 
Avocados contain glutathione, one of the most potent antioxidants and disease-fighting agents available. Unfortunately, avocados - high inmonounsaturated fats - got a bad rap during the past low-fat era. But avoiding avocados will only work to impede your weight loss, depriving you of a source of healthy fats and antioxidants that are good for any complexion.

Studies show that people sustain their nutrition program longer and have greater weight loss when on a diet that contains about 30 percent healthy monounsaturated fat, like those in avocados, rather than a low-fat diet. This is because fats, when eaten in the proper balance with carbohydrates, can help to slow the release of sugars into the blood stream, thereby triggering less insulin release. Insulin is basically the hormone that instructs the body to store energy as fat while preventing the use of stored energy, making it a dieter's nemesis if levels are too high.

2. Whey protein:
Protein is essential for immunity, for maintaining healthy body composition, for keeping blood sugar balanced, for healing and repairing tissues, for developing muscles, and for producing hormones, chemical messengers and digestive enzymes in the body. However, by adding a bit of whey protein to your meal, you will also reduce your short-term food intake. According to research done at the University of Toronto and published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition, whey protein has potential as a functional food component to contribute to the regulation of body weight by providing satiety signals that affect both short-term and long-term food intake regulation. Whey protein reduces insulin and can even help to reduce blood pressure.

3. Blueberries:
Free radicals cause cellular damage, accelerate aging and contribute to the development of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. However, blueberries are absolutely loaded with antioxidants and fibre, which will keep you full and looking younger. They protect against sun damage, support eye health, are low in naturally occurring sugars, and contain a potent dose of proanthocyanidins beneficial for skin, cognitive function and cardiovascular health. This same antioxidant activity is also present in pomegranates, pink grapefruit and tomatoes, which makes them an important addition to your plate for both cancer protection and heart health.

4. Cherries: 
Cherries are the new wonder food - and not just because they taste great and can satisfy even your sweetest cravings. This fruit contains red-pigmented antioxidants and is high in soluble fibre and low in calories, which can help improve insulin sensitivity. Scientists have identified a group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that could help lower blood-sugar levels in people with diabetes. In early laboratory studies, the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent, according to a study published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments responsible for the colour of many fruits, including cherries. They also are potent antioxidants, highly active chemicals that have been increasingly associated with a variety of health benefits.

That being said, when having any fruit you should be sure that they are part of a meal or snack that includes protein and essential fats. A great morning smoothie might include one cup of Liberte non-fat vanilla yogurt, one serving of whey protein isolate, one tablespoon of ground flax seeds and a handful of fresh cherries (pitted with the stems removed).  

5. Broccoli: 
Next to your favourite source of protein, stir-fried broccoli is a welcome companion. Somesources say that just 2½ cups of broccoli a week may reduce your risk of various types of cancer. Broccoli is high in fibre, numerous minerals and vitamins, as well as a compound called indol-3-carbinol (I-3-C). I-3-C is an anti-cancer compound because it helps to convert estrogen, linked to breast and prostate cancers, into a less harmful metabolite. Since higher amounts of estrogen are associated with belly fat and increased fat around the hips and thighs, this superfood just might help you shed a few pounds before bikini season. The soluble fibre in broccoli is also fantastic for lowering LDL cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugars. Soluble fibre keeps the bowels moving and can help to prevent constipation.

6. Eggs: 
Our grandparents had it right - eating eggs for breakfast improves appetite control and boosts energy levels. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that participants who consumed eggs for breakfast had greater feelings of satiety, and consumed significantly less energy and grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat for lunch. Energy intake following the egg breakfast remained lower for the entire day as well as for the next 36 hours. For a balanced meal, scramble one or two whole eggs with three or four egg whites and an assortment of your favourite diced veggies.

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a naturopathic doctor and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet and her newest release, The Supercharged Hormone Diet , now available across Canada. She is also the founder of the Toronto-based Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique.

Five beverages that help you lose weight

If you’re trying to lose weight or keep the pounds off, it’s important to pay attention to not only what you’re eating but what you’re drinking. Sodas and sugary fruit juices can derail even the best fitness plans without you even realizing it. In fact, according to WebMD, the average American gets a fifth of daily calories form beverages!  Luckily, there are drinks that can actually help you reach your goals, including the following five, which can boost your metabolism, curb your appetite, give you essential nutrients, or all three!

1.    Vegetable Juice

A serving of tomato or carrot juice has all the nutrients found in fruit juices with much fewer calories. An eight-ounce serving of tomato juice for instance, only has 45 calories, yet you’re getting an essential serving of veggies. (The same amount of orange juice has 112 calories.) Vegetable juices with pulp also contain fiber, which leaves you feeling fuller longer so you’re less likely to over-eat.

2.     Coffee

Drinking black coffee can offer your body huge doses of disease-fighting antioxidants, decrease your risk for neural degeneration, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and provide an energy pick-me-up—all without disrupting your daily calorie count. Like expensive, sugary energy drinks, coffee can give you the oomph needed to hit the gym a little harder, but unlike energy drinks, it doesn’t contain any calories. If you can’t stand the taste of black coffee, add a bit of skim milk and artificial sweetener to keep the calories low while still reaping the benefits of this antioxidant-rich blend.

3.    Green Tea Like coffee, green tea gives you an energy boost. But it’s not just the caffeine that aides your energy expenditure (a main component of metabolism); a 2008 study published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the active plant ingredients in green tea increase fat oxidation, the process that converts your fatty cells into usable energy. Green tea extract stimulates weight loss because the plant compounds temporarily cause the body to burn calories and melt fat

4.    Low-Fat Smoothies

We’d never suggest to head to your local ice cream parlor for a “healthy” smoothie if you’re trying to lose weight, as the added honey, ice cream, or sugar can cancel out all the benefits of this beverage. But if you stick to a blend of fresh fruit and skim milk, a smoothie can deliver the nutrients needed to boost your metabolism and fill you up. Plus it tastes great! To increase the nutritional value of your smoothie, try adding a bit of protein powder. Protein builds lean muscle, which is an essential, efficient component of burning fat.  

5.    Water

Anyone serious about weight loss knows how important it is to stay hydrated with water. It’s the cheapest, most effect weight loss tool at your disposal! According to WebMD, studies showed that subjects’ metabolic rate increased 30 percent in both men and women after drinking 17 ounces of water. In addition, drinking at least two glasses of water before eating will help you feel fuller so you’re less likely to over-indulge.