This month, Natalie Brake continues her culinary odyssey by exploring the foods of India and Pakistan:

For starters, we must keep in mind that India and Pakistan were recently one country, therefore, the eating styles and ingredients from both countries are in essence still very much the same. (There is, however, a significantly larger population of vegetarians in India.) That said, there is so much to say about Indian/Pakistani cooking and I feel that I would have to write several books to really cover it all.

There is one consistent pant complaint among the women I have helped over the last fourteen years: “a good-fitting pant is hard to find”.

And there is one very good reason: too many shops with inconsistent options.

But are you sure of what the perfect “fit” is that you are looking for in a pant?
High rise, low rise. One pleat, no pleat. Tapered leg, straight leg. The perfect pocket style. Pocket placement. How they fall from your buttocks. How they hug.

The first step to ensure you get the look you want (on the first try) in your home is to define and know your style.  This article is the follow-up article to part one of my series on defining your style.  In part one, I described what is meant by traditional style.  Part two is all about contemporary style. 

Lately, the term contemporary is very commonly used.  You hear the term to describe all sorts of furniture, décor and looks.  The term is used so much that it has seemed to have lost a definitive meaning.  What is contemporary?

Another birthday is coming up and you want to have something different than the usual but you are out of ideas.  You have teenagers in your home that are frustrated with their constant breakouts and acne.  You are planning a sleep over party for a group of young girls and want to do something other than the usual movies but having come up with anything.  You have been thinking about those strong creases between your eyes and those lines around your mouth area but you are too nervous to find out what you can do about them. 

Toxins: it is quite a popular word these days. Toxins are poisonous substances that have the ability to harm our bodies when in excess amounts. I know I have jumped on the detox bandwagon (along with many of my friends), hoping to clean up and shape up for summer time. Growing concerns with our health have made us more aware of what we put into bodies so I can understand why many people want to try detoxes.

It can be hard to find the time we need to meet the demands of our day-to-day lives. All too often, fitting in fitness takes a back seat to other priorities. To compensate, we work our little hearts out to the max whenever we do get a chance to train.

But there is a better way to build and maintain strength and fitness. In previous columns, I’ve talked about the importance of varying the exercises you perform over time. This month, I want to urge you to vary intensity as well.