Welcome to my first ever roundup of news, views and recipes that I usually share on social media — hope you’ll find something in here that will be of interest!

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LATEST HEALTH NEWS

Sitting is bad for children too – This one is timely coming on the heels of what I shared in the last newsletter, ie all about Katy Bowman and her quest to get us all off our bums and moving more. Perhaps not surprisingly, prolonged sitting turns out to be just as bad for young bods as it is for adults. This is something on my mind as my kid starts his long school career which is bound to involve lots of learning “how to use a chair properly”.

The Nature Cure – Speaking of something else that is increasingly on my mind lately as a lifelong city dweller: nature deficit disorder.

“Researchers in the United Kingdom found that when people did physical activities in natural settings instead of “synthetic environments,” they experienced less anger, fatigue, and sadness.”

Once again science is coming around to better understanding an evolutionary fact: we are meant to spend lots and lots of time outdoors in nature, and suffer the consequences both physically and emotionally when chronically deprived.

Worthwhile read indeed.

Women Can Make New Eggs After All, Stem-Cell Study Hints – Who knew? It has always been considered that the full lifetime stock of a woman’s eggs is there from birth but this study suggests something quite remarkable. I do like the cautious tone of the headline though since this doesn’t necessarily have practical implications quite yet.

Being positive amid daily stress is good for long-term health – Stress is an inevitable part of our lives. Here’s a crucial reminder that it’s not so much its quantity in daily life as our resilience in the face of it that determines how detrimental it will be for our physical health and well-being. This is particularly ironic for me to be reminded of right now as life with a toddler is literally testing our response to stress here on the home front every. single. day.

10 Food Pairings That Make Surprising Nutritional Sense – Red meat and red wine, salad and dressing… Have you ever wondered why some items just seem destined to be associated with each other? And some cultures have strong rules governing the association of certain foods? Well as with many traditional practices, science is coming to understand why it actually makes sense from a health point of view.

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WHAT’S COOKIN? 

Here’s a simple and wonderful-looking method for roasting a chicken. We buy a whole chicken quite regularly, so I can’t wait to try this next time!

This shakshuka recipe is a favorite chez nous and really came in handy in this season of tomato bounty. It’s delicious for a brunch, or to make ahead in bulk and freeze (without the egg part).

I just had to remake this sardine-avocado pâté because the first time it was gone in a matter of minutes… thanks to my little guy who absolutely loved it. I did not find it necessary to sauté the onions and garlic the second time around and it was just as well. Wrapped in buckwheat pancakes or nori sheets with slices of crudités, they make an excellent snack or appetizer.

We also remembered how much we love roasted cauliflower and that it was high time to make this grain-free tabouleh again. It’s simply delicious, a great way to get lots of veggies in and you will never even know it’s not the “real thing”.