Paula Deen, the Southern belle of butter and heavy cream, waited three years to disclose that she has diabetes, as she continued to dish up deep-fried cheesecake and other high-calorie, high-fat recipes on TV. And she makes no apologies.

She said she isn’t changing the comfort cooking that made her a star – though it isn’t clear how much of it she’ll continue to eat while she promotes health-conscious recipes along with a diabetes drug she’s endorsing for a Danish company.

“I’ve always said, ‘Practice moderation, y’all.’ I’ll probably say that a little louder now,” Deen said Tuesday after revealing her diagnosis on NBC’s “Today” show. “You can have diabetes and have a piece of cake. You cannot have diabetes and eat a whole cake.”

But health activists and even one fellow chef are not pleased, calling Deen a hypocrite for promoting an unhealthy diet – along with a drug to treat its likely effects. Deen announced support of the Novo Nordisk company to a collection of lucrative endorsements that include Smithfield ham and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Deen, who will turn 65 on Thursday, said she kept her diagnosis private as she and her family figured out what to do, probably about her health and a career built on Southern cooking. What do her recipes include? A deep-fried cheesecake covered in chocolate and powdered sugar, and a quiche that calls for a pound of bacon.

“I really sat on this information for a few years because I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I going to do about this? Is my life fixing to change? Am I no longer going to like my life?” she asked. “I had to have time to adjust and soak it all in and get up all the information that I could.”

Deen, who lives in Savannah, Ga., has made some lifestyle changes, including cutting out sweet tea and taking up treadmill walking.

Government doctors say that being overweight (as Deen is), over 45 (as Deen is) and inactive (as Deen was) increase the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Growth of the disease in the U.S. has been closely tied to escalating obesity rates. Approximately 23 million Americans are estimated to have the most common Type 2 diabetes, in which patients’ bodies either do not produce enough insulin or do not use it efficiently, allowing excess sugar, or glucose, to accumulate in the blood.

Deen is contributing diabetes-friendly recipes to the website for Novo Nordisk’s new online program, Diabetes in a New Light. How do they compare to her original recipes on The Food Network? On the diabetes-conscious site, she uses extra-lean ground beef and cans of unsalted tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. On The Food Network’s site, her fried chicken recipe includes Crisco shortening for frying, and baked French Toast casserole with two cups of half-and-half and a half-pound of butter.

Chef Anthony Bourdain is not a fan. He told Eater.com, “When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you’ve been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you’ve got Type 2 diabetes … it’s in bad taste if nothing else.”

In Yuba, Wis., Judd Dvorak watches Deen cook on TV all the time with his wife. He said it’s wrong for Deen to accept money to become a paid spokeswoman for a diabetes drug after espousing a cooking style that helps lead to diabetes.

“It would be like someone who goes on TV and brags about how wonderful it is to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day and then when he or she gets lung cancer becomes a paid spokesperson for nicotine patches,” Dvorak said. “I feel it is in very poor taste and if she chose to become an unpaid spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association, that would be a better way for her to make a difference and help fight this horrible disease.”

“I am who I am,” Deen said. “I think the South gets a bad rap sometimes, saying our food is very unhealthy, but frankly I don’t think that’s the case. I think it’s like any other food, whether it be Italian, French, Cajun. They all can be very high in calories and that’s where we have to practice portion control and moderation.”

Morley said the company didn’t know Deen had diabetes when it approached her about promoting the new health initiative.

“We really just wanted to ask her, `Hey, Paula, do you think we could challenge you to change up some of your recipes and make them diabetes-friendly,” Morley said. “And her reply was, `How did you guys know I had diabetes?’”

It was a surprise to the Food Network as well. Network officials found out only last week, said spokesman Jesse Derris.

“As part of the Food Network’s family, our only concern is for Paula’s health. We will continue to support her as she confronts this new challenge, taking her lead on what future episodes will offer her fans,” he said.

Some health experts question the delay between the time Deen was diagnosed with diabetes and her move three years later to promote a healthier way of cooking and living.

“A more responsible approach would have been that once she was diagnosed with diabetes to really emphasize to her viewers the importance of eating a healthy diet,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

CBSNews.com

Thousands of teenagers have scrapped plans for a gap year to escape a crippling hike in university tuition fees.

This year’s entrants, who receive their A-level results on Thursday, are the last to enjoy a degree costing £3,290 a year before tuition fees increase to up to £9,000 in 2012.

As a result, just 6,000 18-year-olds have deferred a firm offer of a place on a university course for this year, according to admissions service Ucas. Last year 20,000 did.

Universities are baffled as to why anyone would take a gap year this year and are telephoning those who want to do so to check they understand the increase in fees.

Studies show students starting in 2012 will face an average of £56,000 of debt on graduation, compared with around £27,000 if they started their studies this September.

Clare Beckett, head of recruitment at the University of West London, which is to charge £7,500, said: ‘Gap years are a thing of the past. I can see them not existing. We have had very few people actually wanting to defer.

‘Any students that have chosen to defer, we have actually called to remind that there will be a hike in the fees and ask if they really want to defer. A couple still have but very, very few.’

Stuart Rees Jones, founder of gap year company Camps International which organises volunteer work abroad, has seen an increase in students opting to fit volunteer work around their degree.

‘It would be a terrible shame if travel and volunteer work become a life-style choice,’ he said.

‘If students don’t do a gap year there’s a risk they’ll have little to offer but a string of academic qualifications.

‘What employers want are individuals. I have faith that future students will recognise this and want to do volunteer work.’

Youngsters are facing unprecedented pressure to get on a course with around 350,000 students set to chase 40,000 places through last-minute clearing on Thursday.

One vice-chancellor has called on ministers to scrap the Government cap on numbers. David Green, of Worcester University, said universities should be able to accommodate more students than the 350,000 annual limit.

He said: ‘Every individual university has a number imposed on it by the Government and if it exceeds the number of new students, even by one, it is fined.

‘It’s a false economy. The Government is saving money if people go to university because they don’t go on to the dole queue that costs £2,500 a year in benefits payments alone. The Government should lift the cap.’

The cap on students with AAB or higher has been lifted from 2012.

DailyMail.co.uk

Creating a winning CV is a feat of strategy involving focus, wording, design and content selection. To achieve a career marketing document that wins interviews, all areas of the strategy must be spot-on and consciously used in the most effective manner. One of the most common mistakes job candidates make when writing their CVs is not paying attention to strategy and word selection.

There are actually words that can have a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of the CV. When most job candidates write them, they don’t consider word choice because they are primarily worried about getting down the basic information. Wording is critical and the wrong one can sabotage your CV.

The average agent and/or hiring manager sees hundreds of CVs from qualified candidates. CVs begin to look and sound the same to them. Here are some words and phrases to avoid:

Soft-skill descriptions
Job seekers feel they need to communicate their soft-skills to the employer because they believe they are the traits that make them unique, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Soft-skills are so common that recruiters pay no attention to them.

Phrases to avoid or severely limit:
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong work ethic
- Personable presenter
- Detail-oriented

Do not bore the reader to tears with these trite, overused and tired phrases. After all, no one will write that he/she takes long lunches, is lazy and argues a lot with peers. Hence, it is much more effective to write a description that is action-based and demonstrates these abilities rather than just laying claim to them. For example, rather than just stating you are an “excellent presenter,” you could say “Developed and presented 50+ multi-media presentations to prospects resulting in 35 new accounts, totalling £300,000 in new revenues.”

Age, health, appearance
Many seasoned job seekers are facing that scary time warp known as pre-retirement and fear age discrimination. They feel they can counter this perceived hurdle by giving a description of their age or health. But this can be death to a CV.

Phrases to avoid:

- Youthful
- Athletic
- Fit
- Healthy
- Mature

Additionally, unless specifically requested, there is no need to include personal details such as date of birth, marital status or whether you have children. This information is typically used to exclude candidates from consideration in the hiring process rather than include them. Unless the employer specifically asks, keep this information confidential.

Passive voice
Many people write in the passive voice because that is how we’ve been taught “formally” in school composition. The problem with the passive voice, however, is that it is just that passive! A CV needs to have punch and sparkle and communicate an active, aggressive candidate. Passive does not accomplish that.

Indicators of the passive voice:
- Responsible for
- Duties included
- Served as
- Actions encompassed

Rather than saying “Responsible for management of three direct reports” change it up to “Managed 3 direct reports.” It is a shorter, more direct mode of writing and adds impact to the way the CV reads. On the flip side, whilst action verbs are great, don’t overdo it.

I have actually seen:
- Smashed numbers through the roof’
- ‘Electrified sales team to produce…’
- ‘Pushed close rate by 10 per cent’

Take your time
A CV is a marketing document for your career just as a brochure is a marketing document for a product or service. Companies put careful thought and consideration into each and every word that goes into marketing copy and you should do the same in your CV. These words stand in your place with the employer and need to showcase you in a powerful way. In a perfect world, these things would not matter, but in the reality of job search today, they matter a great deal. Be wise – stop and give some thought to the words you choose.

Alesia Benedict, CVGetInterviews.co.uk

The federal government has issued the first update in five years of its “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” — but despite broad recognition of the U.S. obesity crisis, the update left the major cornerstones of the guidelines largely intact.

The recommendations for salt intake are likely to be among the most controversial elements in the 2010 edition, but it’s the absence of change that will be driving this controversy since the sodium recommendations hardly vary from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The sole difference is that the 1,500-mg/day sodium limit for individuals with hypertension or its risk factors was a “suggestion” in 2005 — but has now been promoted to a full-fledged recommendation that the document notes “applies to about half of the U.S. population, including children, and the majority of adults.”

Earlier this month, the American Heart Association called for an across-the-board, 1,500-mg/day limit for everyone — including people without risk factors for hypertension.

Other groups and individual researchers have also argued that the government’s 2,300-mg/day sodium target for the general population was too high.

The revision, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was released today — although it carries a 2010 date.

Basic recommendations for maximum intake of fats and cholesterol, sodium, potassium, and fiber remain unchanged from the last edition.

Instead, the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010″ focused mainly on wording tweaks — reorganizing how some of the recommendations are presented.

For example, the recommendation to reduce calories from added sugar now gets separate emphasis. In the 2005 edition of the dietary guidelines, added sugar was lumped with other suggestions in a large section on carbohydrates.

The new edition of the dietary guidelines sets the following daily limits or targets: • Fat intake: 20 percent to 35 percent of total calories • Saturated fat: less than 10 percent of total calories (mono- and polyunsaturated fats may be substituted) • Trans-fats: less than 1percent of calories • Cholesterol: less than 300 mg • Fiber: 14 g per 1,000 calories • Potassium: 4,700 mg • Sodium: less than 1,500 mg for all African-Americans and those with hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (including children), as well as persons older than 51; everyone else is advised to consume under 2,300 mg of sodium a day • Fruits and vegetables: at least 2.5 cups • Refined grains: less than 3 oz

More of the Same?

Although most of these basic numeric targets are the same as before, the 2010 revision expands on them in new ways.

For example, the new guidelines make numerous references to “solid fats” as an unhealthy food to be avoided. It also recommends substituting mono- and polyunsaturated fats and oils for solid and animal fats when possible.

The new edition also makes more suggestions of alternatives to refined grains and sugars and high-fat meats.

Some academic physicians contacted by MedPage Today and ABC News were skeptical about the guidelines’ ability to change the average American’s eating habits.

Dr. Goutham Rao of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh stated his view of the likely impact in a single word: “Negligible.”

Said Dr. David Katz, of Yale University, “If the many prior iterations are any indication, very little.”

On the other hand, Dr. Eliana Perrin, of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, told MedPage Today and ABC in an email that there are important secondary effects from the guidelines.

“While most Americans don’t read the guidelines cover to cover, they become an important source of evidence-based and evidence-informed information and the basis for many federal programs. Their impact is wider because of this,” she said.

The full 112-page USDA/HHS publication, “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010,” also includes tips on kitchen hygiene, safe cooking and refrigeration temperatures — and other methods for avoiding food-borne diseases.

The kitchen and cooking tips were among the document’s 16 appendices.

Those appendices also include dietary recommendations for specific population groups such as children, pregnant women, and people at high risk for metabolic diseases; suggestions on interpretation of food labels; vegetarian and vegan adaptations of the guidelines; and lists of common foods rich in nutrients that many Americans don’t get enough of — including vitamin D, calcium, and fiber.

ABCNews

“The Godfather of Fitness” as LaLanne was affectionately called, ate well, exercised and made it his personal mission to make sure everyone else did the same.

LaLanne’s agent Rick Hersh told the Associated Press that he died Sunday at his Morro Bay home from respiratory failure caused by pneumonia.

Elaine LaLanne, who often appeared on television with her husband, said in a statement that “I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for.”

He was best known for his fitness show “The Jack LaLanne Show” which started in 1951 as a local program on San Francisco’s ABC Television station and then went nationwide in 1959. He debuted exercises that just required a chair and towel—no special equipment. LaLanne greeted his audiences in their living rooms with his trademark uniform, a shiny jumpsuit, on ABC for over 20 years.

“I tell the truth, I practice what I preach. I’m helping people to a better life,” LaLanne said.

He launched his first fitness club in Oakland, Calif. in 1936. This club included weight training for women and athletes, notions which were revolutionary because of the belief that weight training made an athlete slow and “muscle bound” and made a woman look masculine. LaLanne also invented many of the machines we still use today.

Upon hearing of the legend’s death Sunday, Richard Simmons gave LaLanne full credit for inspiring his work.

“He could get a crowd going and when we traveled together he was just so much fun to be with him and we had a lot of laughter together,” Simmons said.

Jack LaLane Exercised Two Hours Every Day

LaLanne was a world-class salesman — peddling millions of his “Power Juicers.”

He was also an extraordinary showman who regularly took the treacherous swim from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Warf, while in handcuffs and pulling boats.

Last October he paid us a visit at “Good Morning America.”

“The only way you hurt the body, don’t use it,” LaLanne told “GMA.” “Inactivity, that is the killer.”

Until his death LaLanne worked out every day for two hours. He lifted weights for 90 minutes then swam for half an hour.

One of the most famous lines LaLanne loved to say was ‘I can’t die, it would ruin my image.”

LaLanne is survived by his wife of 51 years, two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.

Simmons said his friend and inspiration is now “up in the fitness studio in the sky.”

ABCNews

peter ash

Ash founded Under the Same Sun (UTSS) in 2008, the only international charity working in Tanzania on this atrocity. UTSS is a non-profit organization that promotes the well-being of marginalized and misunderstood people. All too familiar with the taste of bigotry, Ash’s self-worth never felled with taunts of “Casper the Ghost” and “freak” pillaging his childhood. His mother told him, “‘God made you the way you are and God doesn’t make mistakes,’” says Ash, owner and director of Sagewood Holdings, a commercial real estate acquisition company. “I began to visit families who had lost children. Mothers who had their children murdered before their eyes; dismembered in the most horrific ways. I would sit with these mothers and listen to their stories,” says Ash, who has recently returned from his sixth trip to Africa. Everywhere he went he was accompanied by security guards, not because he is an albino but because of his campaign to end the bloodshed. “Many people in Africa don’t believe I have albinism, they think I’m a fair-haired European. They don’t believe albinism exists outside of Africa – they don’t understand that it’s a global genetic disorder. If I had any threat in Tanzania it will more be [about] the work I’m doing,” says Ash, who is legally blind as a result of his condition.

The plight of albinos living in Central Eastern Africa was initially revealed to him in a chilling British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service Report, compiled by freelance Tanzanian reporter Vicky Ntetema. In 2007, she risked her life, embarking on a covert operation to uncover entrenched archaic beliefs that have spurred albino killings across Tanzania and beyond in the last few years. “When I heard of her report I tracked her down and got on the phone and said, ‘I want to get involved. I have albinism myself. These are my brothers and sisters getting slaughtered, what can I do to help? I can’t sit idly by here in Canada and do nothing,’” says Ash, a former Baptist minister with degrees in psychology and theology.

“I began to visit families who had lost children. Mothers who had their children murdered before their eyes; dismembered in the most horrific ways. I would sit with these mothers and listen to their stories.” — Peter Ash

The battlefield of this unfathomable crime is lined with thousands of East African albinos who are confined to a world buried in time, where a blaringly ignorant belief in magic and witchcraft is common, and discrimination against albinos has endured for centuries. Ash, who receives updates from Tanzanian police, pegs the official murders of albinos in Tanzania at 59 since 2007, with speculation that this figure could be much higher. Nine others have been attacked for their limbs.

The B.C.-based UTSS foundation (with a branch in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) is trying to change this by raising global awareness and funds that provide improvements to the lives of albino children in Tanzania. UTSS offers sunscreen and covers the cost of high-quality boarding education for over 300 albino children through its scholarship program. Ninety-eight per cent of the funding for UTSS has derived from Ash and his family up until now. A successful charity event in Surrey, British Columbia this past November raised $170,000 for UTSS. “Education and advocacy in Tanzania is going to be a good part of the solution,” says Ash. UTSS recently premiered a one-hour feature-length documentary called White and Black: The Slaughter of African Albinos in Africa. Understanding that discrimination won’t change overnight, Ash won’t give up until his brothers and sisters are salvaged. He spoke at the United Nations in Geneva last year. “I wanted to give Tanzania the sense that the world is watching.”

UTSS is also pressuring the Tanzanian government, where the wheels of justice grind slower in a country lacking resources. “It took two years for the first murder conviction and up to five years for [the accused] to go to trial. Our goal has really been to pressure the government of Tanzania to prosecute the offenders of these crimes to bring justice to these families. Ten men have been convicted in two different cases. Of the 59 murders, only two have gone to complete conviction. Fifty-six have not been prosecuted yet. Only two murders have been dealt with,” says Ash, who fears a trans-border trade in body parts. In neighbouring Burundi, there have been 15 killings. “This is what really worries us – that these body parts are being shipped across country lines and witchcraft is common in many African countries.” There have also been cases documented in Guinea and Kenya, he adds.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda shared a similar sentiment in an interview with ABC’s 20/20. “We simply cannot sit like this, and we called upon the masses to come out. ‘Please let us get an idea as to whom you think in your village is a possible suspect.’ Now you’d be surprised, people came up in hundreds,” said Pinda, citing situations in Africa are very different. “Sometimes when a killing happens, getting police to the [scene] is an issue.”

From the archaic conviction that albinos carry a curse from the gods, the increased prevalence of albinism in Africa is quite the concern. Geneticists believe that albinism may have its roots in sub-Saharian Africa, which may explain why the prevalence of the genetic condition is much higher there. To date, 1 in 2,000 people have albinism in this part of the world, whereas in North America, 1 in every 20,000 have the condition.

During her investigation, Ntetema “consulted” with 10 witch doctors and was able to record them saying that they would be able to get albino body parts for $2,000. Witch doctors promise luck and love, success and riches with potions containing the blood and body parts of albinos. Because of their powerful echelon in traditional African societies, witch doctors hire killers and are protected by local police. Ntetema now lives in hiding, fleeing Tanzania twice after airing her findings on this powerful network. Three years after exposing the issue, the International Women’s Media Foundation awarded Ntetema with a Courage in Journalism Award for her investigation.

Apart from being hunted and shunned from the workforce, persons with albinism in East Africa face other obstacles. A rare genetically inherited condition, albinism results in a lack of melanin in hair, skin and eyes, which makes skin cancer a deadly threat. While persons with albinism have the same life expectancy as the general population, the average life span for an African albino is only 30 years, with only two per cent living beyond 40, says the UTSS website.

With this dilemma comes a twisted twist: the supposed spiritual power cultivated from albino parts is enhanced if the offering is young. “Seventy per cent of the killings have been people under the age of 18,”says Ash. “The child is viewed as more pure – virgin if you will. I have a photograph of a seven-month-old baby who was murdered,” reveals Ash.

When he visited a family in Mwanza, a region in northern Tanzania where many of the killings happen, he listened to the death of eight-year-old Miriam. She was snatched from her room, isolated from her siblings and pinned down to a bed. A machete was drawn, slicing across the full length of her throat. In minutes, Miriam’s lifeless torso was all that was left for her family to mourn. Her killers slipped out with a bag containing her severed limbs and a pot brimming with her fallen blood – all to supply an abominable industry. Her brother Menyashi, also an albino, was forced to listen to her murder. Since then, UTSS has placed Menyashi in a safe, high-quality boarding school.

Ash first locked eyes with Menyashi at The Mitindo Primary School for the Blind in Tanzania, which is encased with barbed wire and a security sentry standing guard. His gaze reflecting an unfathomable horror no child should ever endure, Ash pulled his rigid body into his arms. “When I realized that people like me – with the same genetic code that I have – were being slaughtered alive, hunted down and discriminated against simply because of a genetic condition they had no control over, it seemed to be that I had to get involved. I couldn’t not get involved.”

To end the horror, write about this issue to your local Member of Parliament.

A small donation of $25 a month will buy basic supplies including sunscreen for a child with albinism, $100 pays the cost of tuition of boarding school for one child; and a one-time gift of $1,000 will educate a child for a year.

To donate and learn more, go to www.underthesamesun.com

Paul Ash Winnipeg

by Simona Panetta, Dolcemag.com

A luxury cruise is one of life’s pure joys. Today’s modern cruise liners are engineering marvels; floating 5-star hotels that offer the best service, accommodation, cuisine, and activities. They visit exotic locales, with non-stop relaxation or stimulation, depending on your pleasure.

cruise ship

Over the past few years, cruise companies have spared no expense and literally invested billions in jaw-dropping super ships. Even if you’ve cruised before, you probably have not experienced anything like these new marvels.

But, the best news is that due to the slowdown in travel caused by the recession and significant overcapacity in the industry, savvy travelers can now book once-in-a-lifetime cruises at insanely low prices.

How does 75 percent off the brochure price sound? Believe it or not, it’s possible through a company called Vacations To Go, one of America’s Largest Cruise Agencies.

Founded more than 25 years ago, Vacations To Go realized that taking a cruise vacation was a new experience for many. They set out to build an online service to help people learn everything they need to know to find the best possible cruise vacation, at the best possible price.

Vacations To Go is now home to an extensive selection of top-brand cruise vacations, and in-depth information about every cruise line and cruise ship. Customers can browse the latest in new promotions and offers, shop by category, and compare prices at a glance.

But, what about the discounts?

Because of the huge costs involved in building and operating today’s luxury ships, cruise lines want their ships to sail with as few empty cabins as possible.

So, they turn to trusted partners like Vacations To Go to sell this “excess” inventory at deep discounts, allowing the cruise companies to still get full fare on the travel packages that they sell directly.

The discounts they authorize Vacations To Go to offer can be as much as 75 percent off the full price fare. What it means for you: Simply put, it is the opportunity to take a once-in-a-lifetime luxury cruise for a price that makes it affordable on any budget.

Vacations To Go has also developed a Best Price & Service Guarantee that guarantees they will meet any other authorized price–so, if getting the best deal is important, look no further.

If you are not ready to book your cruise immediately, signing up for Vacations To Go’s free newsletter can help you stay informed of all the spectacular discounts that become available, as cruise lines seek to fill their remaining empty cabins before their cruises depart.

This year, it seems like everyone is cruising–and, for good reason. After several years of austerity, people are realizing that a cruise vacation is now one of the great values in travel.

howlifeworks.com

bad gift

It’s probably not surprising that two out of three of us unwrapped a gift we didn’t really want this Christmas. But what’s more surprising is that an estimated 366,000 people already had the item listed on eBay by the end of Christmas night.

The festive jumper has proved again to be one of the most unpopular gifts, according to a survey by the British Heart Foundation. Other duff presents include celebrity biographies, novelty pants and socks, kitchenware and even jars of home-made pickle – though it remains unclear how much these would sell for online. The total value of these unloved gifts is estimated to be some £652 million, or £16.38 per gift.

A separate survey by eBay found that aunts, uncles and in-laws were the biggest culprits when it came to buying gifts we don’t want and can’t use.

For those who haven’t yet listed their items on eBay, it’s worth considering whether it’s better to re-sell, recycle or get a refund. Alternatively, if the Christmas spirit is still flowing, you could donate unwanted gifts to your local charity shop: many of these rely on the extra stock they receive at this time of year.

As a spokesman for the British Heart Foundation said: “It may not be to your taste, or may not fit properly, but it might still be a perfectly good present. And if someone bought it for you, then the chances are that others might like to buy it too – helping to raise money for good causes.”

Among the multitude of reasons that Green Tea or Green Tea Diet Pills

How does Green Tea Diet Pills work to increase your metabolism? The answer is that Green Tea is rich in polyphenols, particularly “Catechins”. Catehcins affects your metabolism by reducing the absorption of fat, increasing fat excretion, suppressing your appetite and inhibiting intestinal lipases. If you are trying to lose weight, these functions need to be working at 100% within your body.

The boost to your metabolism from Green Tea Diet Pills is just one reason out of many benefits.

MBD Supplements , www.mbdsuplements.com

Now that the clocks have gone back, many of us find the desire to curl up with a movie irresistible. This winter, you need not venture out in the dark to hire a DVD as there are a number of ways you can legally download a film at no charge.

There are scores of sites that allow people to illegally download films to their computer and remember, just because you paid for a download, it doesn’t follow that you are not breaking the law. Check a website is credible by visiting the Industry Trust on www.copyrightaware.co.uk.

For those who want to legally download or stream a movie, the choices may seem limited. We look at four of the best websites to legally download films free.

Blinkbox
www.blinkbox.com

Blinkbox allows you to watch hundreds of movies and television programmes free. While the movie selection may be a little dated, you can also buy or rent a selection of films for a fee – from as little as 99p. But it is the television programmes where Blinkbox comes into its own. You can stream seasons of shows such the more recent Peep Show and Skins to old favourites such as The Three Stooges and Doctor Who.

With no downloads required, you needn’t worry about exceeding the limit set by your broadband provider.

Love Film
www.lovefilm.com

You can also watch a range of films online at LoveFilm free – even if you’re not a member. That said, the selection is limited – at the moment there are 52 films available – so don’t get your heart set on the latest releases.

If you’re a member, however, the options become slightly better and if you’re prepared to pay-per-view, the choice improves further, with almost 800 movies available. A newer film such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will cost £3.49, while The Godfather would cost £2.49 to download.

Many of the free titles are supported by a few seconds of adverts before the film starts, but otherwise, will play as normal.

Indie Movies Online
www.indiemoviesonline.com

This site allows you to watch independent films online free. You can watch as many as you like as many times as you like. You have to complete the free registration and you will be emailed a weekly list of new films the company has licensed.

Crackle.com
www.crackle.com

Crackle.com allows you to watch movies and television shows on your computer for nothing, but, like many of these websites, you will have to put up with adverts during viewing.

The choice of movies is more limited for British users and you are likely to only find about 32 films at one time. But it’s worth checking often as the titles change weekly. £ You can connect your laptop to your HD television if your laptop has an HDMI. All you need is an HDMI cable, which costs as little as £9.99 from retailers such as Amazon.co.uk and PC World.

Another option is to use a streamer, such as Apple TV. Tom Wiggins at Stuff magazine said: “This is a box that connects to your TV and uses Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet via your home network, to stream the movie from your computer’s hard drive to the telly.”

Mr Wiggins said Apple TV (£99, www.apple.com/uk) allowed you to wirelessly stream rented movies from iTunes to watch on a TV, with rental costs starting at £2.49. Plug the power lead into the wall and connect Apple TV to your TV with an HDMI cable.

By Kara Gammell, Telegraph.co.uk