Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Caffeine linked to Estrogen Changes

Moderate caffeine consumption is associated with higher levels of estrogen in Asian women, but lower levels in white women, according to a study of reproductive-age women conducted by the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Over 250 women, ages 18 to 44 years old, participated in the study between 2005 and 2007. On average, they consumed 90 milligrams of caffeine a day, equivalent to approximately one cup of caffeinated coffee.
Asian women who took in an average of 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day — the equivalent of approximately two cups of coffee — had higher estrogen levels than women who consumed less caffeine.
In contrast, white women who consumed 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day had slightly lower estrogen levels than women who consumed less.
Black women who consumed 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day were found to have elevated estrogen levels; however, the result was not statistically significant.
Total caffeine intake was calculated from any of the following sources: coffee, black tea, green tea, and caffeinated soda.


Findings differed slightly when the source of caffeine was considered singly. Drinking 200 milligrams or more of caffeine from coffee was consistent with the findings for overall caffeine consumption—with Asians having higher estrogen levels, whites having lower estrogen levels, and the results for blacks not statistically significant. However, drinking more than one cup each day of caffeinated soda or green tea was linked to higher estrogen level in Asians, whites, and blacks.
The changes in estrogen levels among the participants did not seem to affect ovulation. Animal studies had suggested that caffeine could possibly interfere with ovulation.
“The results indicate that caffeine consumption among women of child-bearing age influences estrogen levels,” said Enrique Schisterman, Ph.D., of the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute where some of the research was conducted.
“Short term, these variations in estrogen levels among different groups do not appear to have any pronounced effects. We know that variations in estrogen level are associated with such disorders as endometriosis, osteoporosis, and endometrial, breast, and ovarian cancers. Because long-term caffeine consumption has the potential to influence estrogen levels over a long period of time, it makes sense to take caffeine consumption into account when designing studies to understand these disorders.”
Most of the study participants reported to the study clinic one to three times a week for two menstrual cycles. Their visits were scheduled to correspond with specific stages of the menstrual cycle.
During each visit, the participants reported what they had eaten in the last 24 hours and answered questions about their exercise, sleep, smoking and other lifestyle factors.  Reproductive hormone levels were also measured.
Researchers added that receiving these details during multiple stages across two menstrual cycles produced more precise information concerning the link between caffeine and hormones than was possible in previous studies. The researchers also noted that the study volunteers were more racially diverse than those from earlier studies.
The study was published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Ones to watch: New York's rising design talent named


Misha Nonoo, Wes Gordon and Simon Spurr were among the winners at the 15th edition of New York's Rising Star Awards January 26 to honor emerging fashion talent based in the Big Apple.
Having previously honored designers such as Fabiola Arias and Bradley Scott, the annual awards ceremony is organized by The Fashion Group International, a New York-based non-profit organization aiming to advance the fashion industry.
Designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Rucci and Thom Browne attended the ceremony, with Hilfiger's daughter Alexandria losing out to Nonoo and Gordon in the women's ready-to-wear category.
WWD reports the pair were joint winners in that field, while English-born New York-based menswear designer Spurr scooped the men's apparel prize, beating the likes of Luis M. Fernandez, Ian Velardi and Rob Magness.
Blythe Harris of Stella & Dot beat creators including Michelle Vale and Ron Donovan to win the accessories prize, while Wendy Brandes took the fine jewelry gong.
The news comes hot on the heels of another rising talent award from the other side of the Atlantic; just last week menswear creator James Long and womenswear designers Henry Holland, Louise Gray and Mary Katrantzou were announced as recipients of the British Fashion Council (BFC)'s Fashion Forward sponsorship prize.
The four rising creators will be awarded funding for two consecutive London Fashion Week shows via the scheme, which was established six years ago and has previously rewarded the likes of Christopher Kane, Erdem, Giles Deacon and Jonathan Saunders.

In the Kitchen: Is your countertop safe?

The last place you want to get sick is your own kitchen. With poor food safety practices, your counter-top can be crawling with bacteria and viruses. Luckily, there are simple ways to prevent these bad boys from making trouble.
The Issues
It’s a basic fact that our current food supply is tainted with bacteria. Even though every egg or piece of chicken may not contain salmonella, we still need to handle food as if they do. We do many tasks on our counters from chopping veggies to cleaning raw chicken to preparing our kids’ bagged lunches. This gives the food bugs opportunities to hang out on our counter-tops. Cross-contamination and poor personal hygiene are two easy ways pathogens can get onto our counter-tops. A third way is allowing high risk foods (like raw chicken and cooked eggs) to sit on our counter-tops for a long period of time.

Here are some common examples of food safety faux pas:
  • Defrosting meat on your counter-top.
  • Not washing your hands after going to the restroom and preparing food.
  • Using the same cutting board and knife to prep raw foods like chicken and meat, then using the same area, board and knife to cut veggies for a salad.
  • Cleaning the counter-top with a wet sponge only.
  • Using the same kitchen towel to dry your hands, clean the counter-top, and then dry the dishes.
  • Someone with the flu or cold touching the counter-top where food is eaten or prepared.
The Solutions
Prevent Cross-Contamination
It’s easy to transfer bacteria from one surface to another. In order prevent illness from cross-contamination, use 2 separate surfaces, cutting boards and utensils when preparing raw food (like chicken and fish) and ready-to-eat food (like salad greens). Also, be sure to wash your hands before handling each different type of food.

If you have a small kitchen and only have one area to work on, you must clean AND sanitize the surfaces, cutting boards and utensils between tasks. One method is to rinse items, and then wash them with warm water and liquid dish detergent. You can also rinse items and run them through a dishwasher.
And don’t forget your counter-tops. Warm water will help remove visible dirt, but won’t do much to the bacteria or viruses. You’ll need to get out the big guns—a chemical spray or wipes. Many wipes require rinsing after use. But being a working mom with 3 kids, I like time-savers. Chemical wipes by Scotch Brite and Seventh Generation don’t require surfaces to be rinsed after using.
As for those sponges, it’s important to change used ones frequently. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found that microwaving sponges for 2 minutes destroyed more than 99% of germs. Some guidelines include:
  • Only microwave sponges that don’t contain metals like steel.
  • Be sure sponge is wet.
  • Only microwave for 2 minutes. You don’t need to do it longer.
  • Let the microwave cool before removing the sponge from the microwave.
You can also run sponges through your dishwasher. If you cook often, you may want to disinfect your sponges daily or at least several times a week.
Good Personal Hygiene
Washing hands properly is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do so. It’s also important to remember to wash hands after doing mundane tasks like using the restroom, talking or texting, scratching your head or nose or fixing your hair.
Controlling Time and Temperature
When you leave raw meat or chicken to defrost on your counter-top at room temperature, bacteria will have a party. They can multiply to such high amounts that the heat from cooking won’t be enough to destroy them. Besides defrosting, properly handling leftover food is important. Use
our tips to help you out (hint: you’re not supposed to defrost on your counter-top!).
 TELL US: How good are you at keeping your counter-tops safe?
 Three-times married Jennifer Lopez said on Monday she doesn't know if she'll wed again after splitting up with her Latin pop singer husband Marc Anthony last year.
"Let's see, I don't know. It's not time to think about that yet, do you know what I mean? Like, it's still fresh," the singer and "American Idol" judge told Matt Lauer on TV talk show "Today."
Lopez, 42, who split with Anthony in July after seven years marriage and two children, also fielded questions regarding comments she made about her divorce in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine last August, when she said "I love myself enough to walk away" from her marriage with Anthony.
"Everything I wanted to say about the divorce I said in that article, and Marc and I agreed that we weren't going to talk about it publicly again," said Lopez.
"We're human and it's not the easiest thing in the world but I think we handled it with a lot of grace and a lot of caring and a lot of love," she added
The "On The Floor" singer teamed up with her ex-husband on their "passion project," new talent show "Q'Viva! The Chosen," to find the best artists from Latin America for a stage show in Las Vegas. "Q'Viva" debuted on Saturday on Univision and on 20 other TV networks in Central and South America.

Contraceptive mandate could face tough sledding in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court and the Obama administration, already headed for a face-off in March over the constitutionality of the healthcare law, may be on a collision course over another part of the law that will require church-run schools, hospitals and charities to provide free contraceptives to their employees.

Catholic leaders reacted fiercely when the administration announced on Jan. 20 it would not free most religious employers from this mandate, even those that have moral and religious objections to what some of their lawyers describe as "
abortion-inducing drugs."

Starting next year, employers, including religious employers, must pay for "all FDA-approved forms of contraception" for their employees, said Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius. The law says insurance plans must provide "preventive services" at no cost, and HHS decided contraceptives were included. Employers who fail to provide this insurance will face heavy fines.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan in New York, president of the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, denounced the mandate as "unconscionable," saying the church should not be forced "to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs."

Two colleges have sued to challenge the contraception rule. They are Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic school in North Carolina, and Colorado Christian University near Denver. College officials say the mandate forces them "to violate their deeply held religious beliefs." The Catholic Conference has not yet decided on joining a lawsuit, but "the bishops are eager to pursue every lawful means to stop this mandate," said Anthony R. Picarello Jr., the conference's general counsel.

The legal challenge got a major boost nearly three weeks ago, when the high court strengthened the Constitution's protection for religious freedom. In a 9-0 defeat for the administration, the justices said the 1st Amendment gives "special solicitude to the rights of religious organizations" in decisions about their employees.

At issue was a clash between the rights of church employers and the government's interest in protecting the rights of employees. The administration had backed a job-bias suit filed by a teacher who was fired by a Lutheran school. Churches and church schools are not exempt from civil rights claims, the administration argued.

But Chief Justice
John G. Roberts Jr. said the Constitution does not allow for "government interference with an internal church decision that affects the faith and mission of the church itself." He called the administration's view "extreme" and "remarkable." Legal scholars called his opinion the court's most important for religious freedom in two decades.

The Obama administration modeled its contraceptive rule on a 1999 California law. The rule, like the law, exempts churches and some other religious entities that "primarily" employ and serve persons of the same faith.

Catholic officials say this definition is too narrow and excludes church-run colleges, hospitals and charities and many primary schools. "For us, serving non-Catholics has been a point of pride, but we are punished under this rule for serving the common good," said Picarello, of the Catholic Conference.

Women's rights groups applauded the administration's decision and said it means better and cheaper healthcare for tens of millions of American women. "This is good health policy and good economic policy," said Dawn Laguens, vice president at
Planned Parenthood. "It increases access to affordable birth control, but it is up to an individual employee to choose it or not. That's very much the American way."

Judy Waxman of the National Women's Law Center said religious freedom is not threatened. "Religious freedom is guaranteed to the individual, and 98% of American women use contraception at some times in their lives. And that is true for Catholics as well," she said.

But lawyers challenging the rule say the dispute is not about women using contraception, but about forcing the Catholic Church to pay for it. Hannah Smith, a former law clerk to Justices
Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas, filed the two college lawsuits on behalf of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

She described this month's decision in the Lutheran school case "as a stinging rebuke to the Obama administration's extremely narrow view of religious liberty. I was shocked they went ahead with this quest to force religious groups to pay for abortion drugs in violation of their religious convictions."

Her lawsuits say the mandate violates both the 1st Amendment and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which prohibits the government from putting a "substantial burden" on religious liberty.

The suits are at their early stage, and the administration is due to respond next month. If the case eventually reaches the high court, they would come before a tribunal with six Catholics among the nine justices.

Kim, Kloe and Kourtney Kardashian Go Topless!


Sexy sells, and the Kardashians know it!
Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian went nearly naked—wearing just jeans and no shirt—to promote the latest addition to their Kardashian Kollection, a denim line.
PHOTOS: Kardashians' Mix 'n' Match Style
The sexy photo, which first appeared on Celebuzz, was shot by fashion photographer Nick Saglimbeni.
Khloé and Kim stand back to back while older sister Kourt manages to look as graceful as she can while lying upside down with her legs intertwined with Kim's—and all the ladies are strategically covering their exposed curves with their arms, natch.
Kardashian Kollection cocreator Bruno Schiavi dished, "We're very excited about it. It launches in about four weeks. The girls love denim."
A home collection and a swimsuit line are soon to follow.
Check out a second photo of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reality stars, looking classic and classy in jeans and white tops below, and then tell us what you think of the pics in the comments below!

David Beckham Sure Loves Posing in His Underwear

Who are we to pass up an opportunity to check out David Beckham in his underwear?
The soccer stud certainly doesn't seem to mind when we stare.
H&M has finally released all the images of Beckham's new men's underwear campaign...

Looking good daddy of four!
The least revealing shot is from the torso up, but he's wearing a tank top.
Then there's a pic of him in matching black trunks and a tank top.
It's the other remaining two that really piqued our interest. The only thing coming between us and seeing what he's really made of are skimpy body hugging briefs. His signature tattoos are on full display.
Oh, and his hair is nicely coiffed, too.
WATCH: Speaking of the English, check out Marc's latest video blog!
The spring-summer collection, aptly named David Beckham Bodywear For H&M, hits stores on Feb. 2.
And we're happy to report he kept his word by including a couple of long johns in the mix.
"I'm very happy with the end result and I hope H&M's male customers will be as excited as I am," Beckham said in a statement.
We're definitely excited.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

30 Rock's Katrina Bowden Engaged!

30 Rock's Katrina Bowden Engaged!

Katrina Bowden Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Katrina Bowden has another rock on her mind these days.
The 30 Rock hottie revealed exclusively to E! News on the SAG Awards red carpet that boyfriend Benjamin Jorgensen popped the question last night—and she said yes!
Well, Toofer and Frank can stop vying for Cerie's attention now...
MORE: SAG Awards Red Carpet—Who Looks Great Tonight?
"He proposed and showed me the ring and I was so shocked I just said 'Oh my god,' and I hugged him," Bowden revealed to our Giuliana Rancic. "Then he said to me, 'So is that yes?' "
Well, aside from being very smart to put a ring on Esquire's pick for the hottest woman alive in 2011, what sort of fellow is Jorgensen?
The New Jersey-born 28-year-old is a musician who used to front the band Armor for Sleep. He released a solo LP, There Is Nowhere Left to Go, in 2010.
Meanwhile, his lady is up for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a TV Comedy along with the rest of her 30 Rock cohorts.
And happily, Jorgensen and Bowden did in fact find a place to go—the altar. Congrats to the happy couple.

Angelina has arrived @ the SAG Red Carpet!

Red Carpet at the SAG Awards

Live at the SAG Awards... Giuliana looks Fab!

JBM Modeling

The Girls did a Fabulous job yesterday at their Presentation Show!
Keep up the good work Yenibal, Jennyfer, Giselle, Jasmine, Tiffany and Joyce!

Demi Moore

Demi Moore is doing better than most people think.
At least so says one of her good pals...
"I just saw her and she's doing great," director Patty Jenkins just told me at the Directors Guild Awards in Hollywood. "I think she's doing much better than it's made out to be."
Jenkins continued, "Demi is awesome and so strong. I also hate when people make it a bigger drama than what is going on. She's great."

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Sarah Jessica Parker replaces Demi Moore

Sarah Jessica Parker will play feminist leader Gloria Steinem in the biopic Lovelace, replacing Demi Moore who ended up semi-coherent in the hospital this week following the collapse of her marriage to Ashton Kutcher.
A host of Hollywood media are reporting that Sex and the City star Parker, 46, will play the role in the film, which just began production, about the life of the late porn icon Linda Lovelace, star of the mainstream-successful 1972 film, Deep Throat. Amanda Seyfried is playing Lovelace, who died in 2002.
The casting change comes just days after Moore, 49, was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles suffering from that persistent Hollywood problem, "exhaustion." But according to the 911 tape released Friday, Moore became ill Monday after smoking something that gave her convulsions. She dropped out of the film the next day.
The friends and family who were with her told the 911 dispatcher that Moore smoked something that was not marijuana and that she was shaking, convulsing and burning up. The dispatcher asked what she smoked but that answer was redacted from the tape.
People and TMZ reported that Moore's daughter with actor Bruce Willis, Rumer Willis, 23, may have been with her because at one point on the tape someone addresses her by her nickname, "Ru."
The dispatcher also was told that Moore had been "having issues lately," possibly a reference to her pending divorce from the 33-year-old Kutcher following allegations of infidelity.
Earlier, there had been reports another Parker would take on the Steinem role, Mary-Louise Parker, after US Weekly reported that producers of the film had talked to the Weeds star.

Katy Perry looking Fabulous with her Blue Hair!

In her first red carpet appearance since her split from wacky Brit wit Russell Brand, Katy Perry turned up in Las Vegas for a charity event sporting blue hair and a big smile.
Wearing a dress with metal studs, Perry looked anything but blue when she posed for pics on arriving late Friday at the Mirage Hotel to support the cause of GiveLove.org, which helps Haiti earthquake victims.
"She was really tame," People quoted an unnamed friend. "She was really just drinking a few drinks and chilling with her friends."
From a VIP booth, she watched her friend, the Jordanian-American singer-songwriter Ferras perform at the Mirage and earlier at the restaurant Stack, where she joined a table of 18 and dined on steak, seafood and red wine. Perry was seen clapping, cheering and swinging a napkin the air, the magazine reported.
After a little more than a year of marriage, Perry and Brand called it quits last month, preceded and followed by a torrent of unconfirmed reports, especially in the British tabloids, about who was to blame and who cheated and when.

Vanessa Paradis goes Art Deco in Chanel Couture

Vanessa Paradis wore a couture gown from Chanel's fall 2011 collection to this year's Sidaction Gala dinner at Pavillion d'Armenville in Paris last night. She accessorized with a red Chanel clutch. What do you think of the sleeve-length on this dress altered from the runway version?

Friday, January 27, 2012

JBM Models

Runway Show Saturday, January 28th @ noon. JBM studios, 389 Central Ave

Follow DJ Nelly @http:// nellydj.tumblr.com/

Food & Wine Pairing Ideas!

Red Wine

If you like wine that's: Fruity

Then choose: Beaujolais, Rosé, Pinot Noir

Also try: red Burgundy, Gamay, Nebbiolo, Rioja Crianza

Here's why: You'll taste ripe plums and lots of luscious berries in these juicy reds.

Pair with: A wide variety of dishes, from spicy fish to poultry to game and braised meats.

Good to know: Light to medium alcohol

Bargain tip: Pink wines are often a steal! And speaking of good deals, try a fruity red from Portugal, one of the world's best regions for affordable wine.

If you like wine that's: Spicy

Then choose: Côtes du Rhone, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah

Also try: Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto, Grenache, Malbec, Petit Sirah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo

Here's why: These reds have hints of black pepper and warm spices like clove and nutmeg.

Pair with: Grilled meats or veggies, burgers, beef stew and spicy beef kebabs, as well as with tomato-based sauces and hard, sharp cheeses like parmesan.

Good to know: Medium alcohol

Bargain tip: Shiraz can give you bang for your buck.


If you like wine that's: Woodsy

Then choose: Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Rioja

Also try: Barbaresco, red Bordeaux, red Rhône

Here's why: You'll find nutty, earthy flavors in these reds like leather, tobacco, cedar and chocolate.

Pair with: Cheeses like Swiss and brie, lamb and dishes that include equally earthy flavors like mushrooms and onions.

Good to know: Medium to high alcohol

If you like wine that's: Jammy

Then choose: Brunello, Nero d'avola, Zinfandel

Here's why: These rich reds are packed with flavors of dried fruit, blackberry or cherry jam, caramel, light molasses and vanilla.

Pair with: Tender cuts of beef, pork chops, bacon, pungent blue cheeses and dark chocolate desserts.

Good to know: High alcohol


Thanks Rachael Ray!!!

Vogue wins the March Ad Page Race Again!

For fashion magazines, March issues are traditionally the second-most ad-heavy of the year (after September, of course), and this year's ad page rankings showed marked improvements across the board. Vogue comes in first with 442.74 ad pages (a 3.7 percent gain from last year), followed by InStyle (347 pages, up 13 percent and setting a new March record for the magazine). In third place is Elle (319 ad pages, up 2 percent), followed by Harper's Bazaar  (271 pages, up 16 percent), which no doubt got its sizable boost as a result of their redesign, set to debut in March. Coming in fifth place is W, with the largest ad page gain of all (204 pages, up 25 percent). Glamour's numbers haven't been released yet, but considering they're also unveiling a redesign, they'll probably bump "most improved player" W out of the top five. So while this list hardly shakes up the status quo, at least everyone has a good reason to break out Champagne in the office (as if anyone ever needed a good excuse to drink at work) and feel relaxed about running up their expenses at the shows this season.
 

Jason Wu is Coming to Target!

Jason Wu is launching affordable fashion collection for Target.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hollywood Hotties invade Paris Fashion Week

Ooh la la! Tinseltown's fashionistas took over Paris this week, as they flocked to the City of Light to check out the haute couture fashion shows.
And they all brought their A-games, bien sûr. From front-row fixtures Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Diane Kruger to newcomer Jessica Chastain, the stars looked oh-so-chic in their sleek black and white palettes


Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/fashion#ixzz1kcDrR3N4

Rihanna lands her own fashion TV show

Considering her status as a style icon, this was only a matter of time.
Branching out beyond music, Rihanna is taking her trendsetting ways to British television as she's signed on to executive produce and appear in a new reality show for Sky Living HD that will seek out undiscovered designers and help them break into the popular U.K. fashion scene.
Eat your heart out, Project Runway


Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/fashion#ixzz1kcCi7isx

Amy Winehouse inspires Jean Paul Gaultier

Amy Winehouse's legacy still lives on.
Less than a year after the troubled singer passed away at 27, the "Back to Black" singer's unique retro style was honored by designer Jean Paul Gaultier at his Paris haute couture runway show this week.


Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/fashion#ixzz1kcBqjwJG

All about Accessories!

Geometric Abstraction Linear, colorful designs seen on the runways from Hermes to Proenza Schouler mirrored the minimalist style of the 20th century artists such as Frank Stella and Sol Lewitt. -elle.com

JBM Modeling Fashion Show

Join us this Saturday, January 28 @ noon for a Presentation from the JBM Models.
389 Central Ave, Jersey City