MetroLifeGTA EDITION ▪ DECEMBER 2007

Christmas

Gift Guide

Real Estate inToronto

New Year, New Cars

Everything Must Go

MetroLife Magazine

MetroLifeA Publication of WideAngle Media Corp.

www.metrolife.caEmail: info@metrolife.ca

EditorEvelyn ScottEric Morrison

Contributing WritersSean Berry

Graham BowleyAdam Jones

David Rosenberg

General ManagerLiming Dong

CONTACT US4168 Finch Ave. E., Suite 352,

Toronto, Ont. Canada M1S 5H6

Editorial Board editor@metrolife.ca

Display Advertisingad@metrolife.ca

Distributioninfo@metrolife.ca

This issue of MetroLife magazine is a sampleand is for illustration purposes only. The copyrightof the articles in this sample issue belong to therespective authors. Contents may not bereproduced, in whole or in part without consent.Information presented is compiled from sourcesbelieved to be accurate. However, the publisherassumes no responsibility for errors oromissions. We welcome your suggestions.Unsolicited manuscripts are invited, but will notbe returned.

MetroLifemagazine is published 10 times a yearby WideAngle Media Corp., and freely distributedat major markets across the Greater TorontoArea. Persons not in our free distribution areamay subscribe. Canada: $18 for 10 issues. Forsubscription inquiries, email: info@metrolife.ca

Christmas Gift Guide: Gadgets & New Inventions

Beau BordeauxThe most beautiful city in Europe has as much character as its wine

12

8Real Estate in TorontoCurrent trends and predictions for 2008

COME FLY WITH ME – AT LAST 10EVERYTHING MUST GO 16NEW YEAR, NEW CARS 18FASHIONABLY GREAT 22EATING YOUR GREENS COULD PROVE 23LIFE-SAVING IF A HEART ATTACK STRIKESCREAM OF THE CROP 26TAKE THIS AT FACE VALUE 28

Learning Food FastExperiencing culinary classes 2

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2007

4GTA EDITION

MetroLife Magazine

GIFT GUIDE

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Christmas Gi Guide: Gadgets & New InventionsBy Graham Bowley

Christmas is fast approaching. Now is the time to shop, shop,shop!

Even if the thought of frenzied shoppers and an overcrowdedmall makes you a little anxious, it is hard to resist all the bargains.Plus, there are so many neat new gadgets out this year that you mayfind yourself buying them for both you and the kids!

MetroLife Magazine’s annual Christmas Gift Guide bringstogether all of the coolest wrap-ready products, thus saving you fromanother last minute, clandestine trip to the gas station's gift aisle (yourfriends are getting sick of air fresheners and dice). Remember to takenotes, and feel free to give yourself something: if you slap on somepaper and put a bow on it, it still counts as a present. You're welcome.

HUGO XX is one of two new fragrances by Hugo Boss,the other being HUGO XY. The pair were developedsimultaneously and act as complements to each other, eachone containing notes that attract somebody of the oppositesex wearing the opposite fragrance. The idea is based onthe age-old war between men and women, and themiraculous way we continue to procreate despite ourwarring ways. Sex is selling this fragrance like fragranceadvertising tends to do, only this time around the sex hasviolent undertones which could either turn you on or offdepending on your sexual style. If you hate the opposite sexjust as much as you love them, this fragrance is for you.

Video games have gotten a bad rep recently, as they'reblamed in part for the increase in childhood obesity becausethey encourage kids to stay indoors and not play outside.

Plus, if you didn't get into video games from thebeginning, you're basically out of luck. Have you seen amodern video game controller? There are so many buttonsit's impossible to keep track of what button does what!

But the Nintendo Wii is a different breed of game.Instead of a complicated controller, you have a simplewireless controller and a wrist strap. And, instead ofpressing a button, you actually control the game with armmovements. For the tennis game, you swing like you'replaying tennis. In bowling, well, you bowl. Another funfeature allows you to design your own characters.

The best part is almost anyone (even non-gamers) canplay. Although this is technically a 2006 gadget, its explosivepopularity is sure to make it a hit once again this year.

Nintendo Wii

If reading a map is like reading ancient Greek forsomeone in your life, a new wave of GPS systems hascome to the rescue. The navigationally challenged haveplenty of systems to choose from, including the Garmin I3,the Garmin Nuvi and the TomTom One.

The nice thing about these systems is that you cantake them with you when you switch from car to car.

GPS Navigation Systems

HUGO XX - Fragrance for her

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Seiko has announced that it will sell a watch based upon the wristholo seen in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The wrist holo is worn bythe movie's heroine, Dr. Aki, and it detects life-forms. The watch that willbe sold by Seiko will mirror the wrist holo only in appearance, but it willfeature four timing modes and a calendar. The watch is rated to be waterresistant at 100m.

Stopping time, Chronograph-style, befits a wander througheither the Pantheon or thePanthéon. If it’s the former, makesure to strap something Italian toyour arm or else face the wrath ofthe gods. If Jupiter were stillaround, he'd probably wearGucci. Just in case he returns,the powerful Italian design houseoffers the Pantheon line ofChronograph watches. Availablewith either a stainless steel orcrocodile bracelet, you can eitherplacate Superman or Steve Irwin– well, perhaps neither. ThePantheon runs from $1895 –$2495, so you may need to extortcash from lesser gods to afford it,but it will be worth the strong-arming.

If you’re an aspiring photographer or just plain rich, this is theultimate in digital SLR cameras. Normally, SLR (single-lens reflex)cameras do not allow you to see the picture the moment you’re takingit. To the contrary, the Olympus E-510 has Live View technology thatshows you exactly how the picture will turn out. The screen is a 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD – which means nothing to camera-shy people(or me). Basically, all of those big words mean that you can see thescreen in bright sunlight from almost any angle.

Another great feature is the camera’s image stabilization feature.If you’re in a car (or can’t stand up straight, perhaps at a party?), a gyrosensor tracks the image and the camera adjusts for the motion. Sofeel free to hand the camera off to your child (after strapping it securingto their neck). The pictures will turn out just as good if you’re aphotographer with 9 years of experience, or simply a 9-year old.

Olympus E-510

Gucci Pantheo

Wusthof Ultimate Knife Set

Do you know anyone who likes knives?Someone who could use 26 of the sharpestknives available in various shapes and sizes. Ifso, you either know a cook or someone whoyou probably shouldn’t spend much time with.Either way, this is the perfect gift. The WusthofUltimate Knife Block Set features some of thefinest knives on the market, available withblack handle or sleek stainless steel. Whetheryou need to prepare a gourmet meal or hide abody, this set is guaranteed to handle all yourknife-wielding needs.

Seiko Final Fantasy Watch

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Real Estate in TorontoBy David Rosenberg

Q: What is your background in realestate?

A: I first got into real estate in 1992; Istarted doing the introductory courses, onlyto quickly discover that the real estateindustry had just suffered a major crash onlytwo years earlier, from which it would notrecover for almost another decade. Therecession was brutal for many Ontarians inthe nineties. My wife, a full fledged nurse,could only find casual part-time work in theface of hospital closures everywhere, while Imanaged to eek out a living as a part-timeinsurance consultant.

Lucky for me, I re-entered real estate in1997-98, just when - coincidentally enough -the housing market started to regain itsstrength: buyer confidence started to rise asdid prices. This was a slow but steadfastrecovery, and by the new millennium we weredefinitely into a sellers market, where homeinventory could not keep pace with buyerdemand.

I joined a RE/MAX office right fromthe start and have been with RE/MAX eversince. I focused mostly on residentialproperties, although now and again I woulddabble into commercial leases andinvestment properties. What attracted memost to the RE/MAX model was the notionthat the salesperson is treated as anindependent contractor and not as anemployee. You therefore have greaterautonomy in the daily conduct of yourbusiness, with very little meddling bymanagement.

I consider myself a seasoned real estateagent who has suffered no major blows ormistakes in the past 11 years of my career. Iam always learning and try to keep myselfwell acquainted with real estate law and withthe all rules and regulations which are meantto guide us through our businesstransactions. More importantly, I believe thatmost if not all of my past clients have beenleft very satisfied with my service, and that iswhat really counts in the end.

Q: What significant changes havebecome entrenched in real estate industry

over the past decade. A: There are various changes which

need highlighting, some of which can beviewed as improvements and others less so.First and foremost, it would have to be theincreasingly better treatment of buyers in themarket place; today, a Buyer gets full andexclusive representation by theirsalesperson/ broker. The latter, known as theCo-operating Broker now works exclusivelyfor the Buyer under a Buyer AgencyAgreement, which in effect makes the Buyerthe client -- not a just a customer. Bybecoming a client, the Buyer is legally owedall fiduciary duties, which includedisclosure/due diligence, competence,confidentiality, and accountability. This is afar cry from what was being practiced in thepast, up to the late nineties, when the normwas that the Co-operating Broker workedindirectly - through sub-agency to the ListingAgent - for the Seller, and accordingly, allfiduciary duties were accorded to the Sellerand not to the unrepresented, vulnerableBuyer.

A second improvement is that disclosureand truer representation of properties arepracticed more rigorously these days. ListingAgents are increasingly compelled to indicatethe deficiencies and shortcomings of aproperty. This helps to preclude law suits tobe sure, but it also builds buyer confidence.As such, the Seller Property InformationSheet (SPIS) is more often than not nowattached to the listing. The SPIS is the Seller’sdeclaration about the property which shouldalso reveal some of the latent (unseen)defects as well as the patent (moreobservable) defects of the property. TheListing Agent is expected to disclose, forexample, whether or not the property wasever used as a “grow house”; or whether itcontains any asbestos; or whether dampnessand even water leakages in the basementreoccur with the spring thaw – all materialfacts that can be produce with themethodical completion of the SPIS.

Another major change in the residentialreal estate industry is the proliferation of so-

called “Teams”. From the consumer’sperspective this can viewed as being ore abad thing than good thing. The formation ofteams is an inevitable outcome when aprominent real estate agent garners morebusiness, in terms of volume, than he or shecan handle. So what does the real estate agentdo? The agent hires a team of assistants toservice the growing client base.Unfortunately, what the homeowner orbuyer client who hired this agent does notknow is that they will end up being serviceddirectly by one of the team assistants, who, inmany instances, is less qualified and lessexperienced than their leader and who willarguably provide inferior service to the clientthan their leader would otherwise have done.The consumer should be wary of “teams”and instead try to hire an agent who willprovide a personal service, experience andknowhow.

Q: The Toronto land transfer tax wasadopted amid stiff public opposition. Doyou think it will have a negative impact onToronto’s real estate market in 2008?

A: To be frank, it may have someadverse impact in the short term, especiallyfor those first time buyers who were borderline cases to begin with. Instead of 1.5% ofpurchase price for closing costs (Lawyer fees,Title Insurance, Ontario land transfer tax,Registrar Fee, and CMHC Application/Appraisal Fee), the buyer is now faced withroughly 2.75% of purchase price for closing

An Interview With Real Estate Agent Nick Forte

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9costs. Put another way, on an average pricedhome between 350k and 400k the buyer oncepaid $4,000 to $5,000 to close; but now willhave to pay $7,500 to $8,500 for that sameToronto home.

Some ways to circumvent this new taxburden are already being hatched. One way isto have the buyer pay a certain sum on paper,that is, on the Agreement of Purchase andSale (and for the first time buyer this wouldbe up to $400k) and pay for the balance ofthe purchase price in untraceable, andtherefore, untaxable cash money. A secondway is where you have second time buyersuse first time buyers, for example, theirchildren or younger siblings to buy the houseon their behalf.

Also, the cushion to this tax will comefrom banks and other lending institutions. Aspromotional strategies, banks will offer topay for the Toronto land transfer tax in theform of a cashback. The TD bank hasalready taken the lead in this endeavour byoffering a gift to cover the cost of the tax($15,000 or 1.5% of the mortgage amount,whichever is less) for customers obtaining anew fixed rate closed mortgage with a termof 5 or 7 years, provided deals are submitted

by March 11, 2008.Still, in the longer term, the impact of

the Toronto Land Transfer Tax will benegligible, for two main reasons. The first isthat the increase in the Toronto tax will beoffset by either lower mortgage rates or bydownward adjustments in house prices.Already the Bank of Canada is planning tolower its rates in order to keep in check thespiraling Canadian dollar. Similarly, consumerexpectations are moving toward lower houseprices, especially when taking intoconsideration the ravaged U.S. housingmarket. The second and more importantreason is the significant increases in gasolineprices and the cost in car maintenance, whichmakes Toronto more attactive. Taking theseincreases into account, coupled with thegrowing concern for cleaner air and ahealthier environment, many would prefer tolive in Toronto and not suffer the daily longcommute from the downtown office to thefar off home in, say, Aurora, Markham,Mississauga, Vaughan, and so on. In short,owning a home in Toronto is a convenienceand a way of life for which many are willingto spend more.

Q: how about the forecast for 2008 real

estate market?A: 2007 has been a record breaker in all

areas of residential real estate. The TorontoReal Estate Board has reported over and overeach and every month of 2007 as havingsurpassed those months of 2006. Accordingto TREB president:

“2007 will indeed be a banner year forhome sales in our city. So far this year, 84,994properties have changed hands, as comparedto 84,145 sales in 2005, our previous bestyear. With 3,544 transactions to mid-month,November sales are also up five per centcompared the same timeframe last year. Thecurrent average price is $393,084, a nine percent increase over the first half ofNovember 2006.”

It will be difficult, therefore, to seefurther gains in 2008. However, one canexpect prices to plateau for the next 16months, according to CMHC economists.Buyers, on the other hand, will becomeincreasingly choosy and will thereforeprolong their home search. As such,salespersons and sellers alike will have tolearn to be more patient with buyers. We can,however, continue to enjoy trading real estatefor at least another prosperous year.

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Flying on the Airbus A380 superjumbo,dubbed the new “queen of the skies” as itseeks to end the long-held reign of theBoeing 747, will be the most exclusiveexperience commercial air travel has to offerfor many months to come. From October28, you have a choice of only one route,Singapore to Sydney, and a choice of onlyone carrier, Singapore Airlines.

After the years of hype about how theworld's biggest commercial passenger jet willradically change the flying experience, and allthe heartache of Airbus's inability to deliverthe plane on time, the day has finally arrived.

The first scheduled service is due to takeoff next Sunday from Singapore's Changiairport. The first passengers, though, will bebidders at a charity auction who will fly onthe same route to and from Sydney thisThursday. One bidder paid $100,380 tosample one of the carrier's first-class suites.

For those who can wait, Singapore willfinally receive a couple more A380s in thefirst few months of next year, allowing theairline to bring the superjumbo on to itsroute to London Heathrow in February orMarch. By May, its fourth A380 should beflying from Singapore to Tokyo.

Due to severe problems fitting the530km of wiring needed to run the systemson each aircraft, Airbus is having to hand-build the early A380s. As a result, it will beAugust before other carriers, Emirates andQantas, receive their first deliveries. Emirates,the fast-growing Dubai-based carrier, has 55on order, Qantas 20 and Singapore 19. It willbe 2010 before Airbus reaches the planned

production rate of four a month, barringfurther hold-ups.

So, for the moment, Singapore Airlineshas the field to itself. Chew Choon Seng, thecarrier's chief executive, was all smiles thisweek at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse ashe led the way aboard the world's firstdouble-decker airliner, to show for the firsttime how his airline has made use of theunique amount of space offered by theA380.

The flying experience of passengerspromises to be different but not thatdifferent. Forget the scares about beingcaught in a crush of many hundreds ofpassengers. Although the A380 has beencertified through evacuation tests for up to astaggering 853 passengers, Singapore Airlineshas fitted 471 seats in three classes – 12 infirst class, 60 in business (all on the upperdeck) and 399 in economy (split between thedecks). That is almost 100 more than the375-seat lay-out on its Boeing 747-400s,which will gradually be phased out ofservice.

Qantas is equipping its A380s with 450seats in four classes: first, business, premiumeconomy and economy. Emirates plans tooperate three versions for different routesranging from a 489-seat, three-class lay-outfor long haul flights, a 517-seat spread acrossthree classes and a high density 644-seat fortwo-class configurations for medium-rangeflights.

For Singapore Airlines, “the pièce deresistance,” says Chew, is the first-class suite.It is offering the opportunity to create the

first double bed on a commercial jet as it setsout to reinvent the concept of luxury airtravel. Eight of the suites are besidewindows, but four are between the aisles, andfor each pair the central partition can belowered to produce the double bed.

Each of the 12 suites in first class is aprivate compartment with sliding doors,reaching up to about shoulder height, andfabric screens.

The double bed lay-out received aromantic presentation at this week'sunveiling – red petals were scattered acrossthe cream sheets and there was a tray on thebed cover with champagne and a bowl ofstrawberries.

The privacy offered is only relative,however. Air safety regulations determinethat cabin crew can check on the well-beingof their passengers and see if they areobserving safety rules – such as not smokingin bed, even in first class – and the fabricblinds at the windows of the compartmentshave two discreet see-through gauze panels.

But Singapore Airlines has at leastachieved part of Sir Richard Branson's visionfor A380 travel at Virgin Atlantic, whichtakes its first A380s in 2013. He famouslysuggested he could offer both double bedsand an onboard casino so that his passengerscould get lucky twice.

Singapore Airline's new first classenhancements come at a price: a premium of20-25 per cent above its first class fares onother aircraft.

The suites provide the marketing magicbut Singapore Airlines has adopted a hard-

COME FLY WITH ME – AT LAST

headed business approach generally to theuse of space on the superjumbo. There areno duty-free shops, casinos, exercise gyms,showers or bowling alleys as suggested in thewilder hype of the A380's initial marketing.

“The reality is that we are all commercialenterprises,” says Chew. “We must look at therevenue-generating opportunities of thefloor space. We could not find [enough]customers willing to pay to justify not havingseats and instead having space [for] commonuse. The first Boeing 747s had lounges andbars on their upper decks but it was not longbefore all the airlines put seats up there andbegan generating revenue.”

In business class, Singapore Airlines isalso raising the stakes. All the seats areforward facing, have aisle access andunrivalled space, with a length of 76in and awidth of 34in making them comfortableflatbeds.

Each business class seat has a 15.4inLCD screen with USB ports, in-seat power,designer bedding, dining ware by Givenchyand an enlarged dining table.

Back in economy, where most travellerswill experience the A380 first, the new seats,designed of lighter, thinner materials,provide more legroom.

With a maximum take-off weight of 560tonnes, the A380 is the giant of the skies but,at take-off, it has half the noise of theBoeing 747-400.

On a test flight this year, cruising at41,000ft above the Pyrenees and along thewest coast of France, the most noticeabledifference was the quiet and calm on board.You don't have to raise your voice to carryon a conversation during take-off and, lateron in the flight, it was almost disconcertingto hear conversations from the other side ofthe cabin.

And despite all that extra space in allthree cabins and the sense of quiet, if youreally still cannot get to sleep at night, thereare 100 films, 180 TV programmes and alibrary of 700 music CDs on the inflightentertainment system. If you want to tostretch your legs, a spiral staircase at the backlinks the economy class cabins on the twodecks. The first A 380s may not have a gym,as the early hype suggested, but this isultimately a double-decker airliner and itcomes with its built-in stairmaster, whicheverclass you happen to be in.

By Kevin Done

MetroLife Magazine

Bordeaux, on the southwest coast ofFrance, has long been heralded as a historicand scenic treasure. It is regarded as the winecapital of the world, home to 117 000hectares of vineyards and producing 14.5billion euros in wine sales per year. In 2007,Bordeaux was named a UNESCO WorldHeritage site, in recognition of its spectaculararchitecture.

It’s easy to see why. The buildings ofBordeaux are incredibly well preserved, andmake the city one of the most beautifulplaces in Europe. While Paris may take theheadlines for romance, Bordeaux is a city toexplore and fall in love with.

Bordeaux is not your typical bigEuropean city, with a modern feel offset byan “old town.” In Bordeaux, the massive citycentre is all old town. I defy anyone to strollthrough Bordeaux and find anything thatdoesn’t make them think of the days of KingLouis XIV.

Must-sees are the Aquitaine Bridge, theRoman Victory Arch, and the recentlyrestored Saint-André Cathedral. You can alsofind a replica of the Statue of Liberty inBordeaux. The original Bordeaux statue wasmelted down by Nazi forces in WWII, but itwas replaced in 2000. Later, a plaque wasadded to commemorate the victims ofSeptember 11, 2001.

Bordeaux has character. Though anumber of famous architects have come andgone throughout the city’s history, none ofthem have tried to outdo the other. Everynarrow street, shopping thoroughfare, ormonument seems to complement the other.

That isn’t to say Bordeaux is behind thetimes. A new rail system gets people throughtown in no time. If shopping is your thing,then visiting Bordeaux’s pedestrian centre isa must. No cars are allowed, and shopsabound on either side of the street, offeringeverything from designer fashion to video

games.The city is clean to the point of being

spotless. It is plain that the people ofBordeaux care about their city. Street cleanerspatrol the downtown core at all times, drivingminiature cleaning machines along the streetsand sidewalks.

You might be nervous that suchattentiveness means a pretentious receptionfor tourists. Far from it. Bordeaux’satmosphere is friendly, and you won’t have aproblem getting assistance from the locals.No matter where you are in the city center,there always seems to be a bar, café, orrestaurant that is eager to serve you. In fact,you may find it rather strange to walk downa quiet, residential street and stumble upon asmall café in the middle of nowhere. Sitdown, enjoy a bottle of Bordeaux’s famousred wine, and bask in the appeal of having acafé all to yourself.

The pub and bar district in La Victoire is

Beau BordeauxThe most beautiful city in Europe

has as much character as its wineBy Sean Berry

Bordeaux Tourist O

ffice / A.BENOIT

Bordeaux Tourist Office / F.POINCET

especially lively. Head there to have a drinkand people watch. There are a few Irish pubsin the area, too, if you’re more interested incatching a sporting event than you are intaking pictures. The nightclub scene is Quais,where you’ll find a variety of clubs andmusic. Taking into account the Euro, thedrinks are not cheap, but the bar staff anddoormen are friendly and will point you inthe right direction if you want a change ofscene.

Though Bordeaux offers many tours inand around the city, do yourself a favor andgo exploring. Every street offers a chance totake a photo or simply enjoy the moment.

Getting to Bordeaux is relatively simple,with flights from Toronto connecting inParis. The flights run about $900 per person.

Staying in Bordeaux can be mid-range toextravagant in price. An inexpensive hoteldowntown will cost from $70 - $100 pernight. If you feel like splurging, the BurdigalaHotel is yours for about $300/night for astandard room. The hotel boasts a glassdomed restaurant and a piano bar that servessingle malt. Be sure to check online or withyour travel agent for the latest rates, as pricesvary according to season.

There is no doubt that Bordeaux hasearned its World Heritage Site recognition,and it will earn your recognition as one ofthe finest cities in Europe.

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Vive la différenceBy Ann Morrison

The biggest difference between skiing inEurope and skiing in North America isneither the quality of the snow nor thesteepness of the slopes. It's not about thespeed of the lifts or the body piercings onthe snow-boarders either.

It's lunch. In Europe, skiers not onlystop for a midday meal, they take time toenjoy it. That means three courses (not alonely hamburger), wine (yes, wine), andfreshly made espresso (not coffee that hasbeen stewing in a pot for hours). And, hey,why not a brandy to fortify you for theafternoon's exertions?

In New England, where I grew up, youput in as many morning runs as you couldbefore you started to feel faint with hunger –

or stopped feeling your toes because of thecold.

Lunch was a quick trip to the lodge atthe bottom of the hill, where you'd wait in along line for your cocoa or cola, and squeezeinto a bit of space at a messy wooden table,which you would have to clean off with yournapkin. After downing a packed sandwich,cookies and an orange, you'd be back in thelift line in 30 minutes or less. The point wasto amortise that pricey ticket by squeezing inas much skiing as possible, whether youenjoyed it or not.

Friends who regularly ski at moreexclusive resorts in the American west saythat even now things aren't much better. Thefood options are limited, they claim, because

resorts are owned by corporations that tendto sprinkle the same fast-food outlets all overthe mountain. For a proper lunch, mysophisticated ski buddies tend to descendinto the village – to places such as SweetBasil's in Vail, for example.

Of course, European mountains havefast-food, self-service restaurants too. Andplenty of folks pack their lunches. You'lloften see them eating their baguettes atpicnic tables strategically placed before vistasof unimaginable beauty.

But what makes a European ski holidayspecial – and for Americans, surprising – isthe mountain restaurants, usually locatedhigh up on the slopes, complete withuniformed waiters, gourmet cuisine,extensive wine lists and great people-watching opportunities. Many even requirereservations. To make my point, here is aclearly arbitrary analysis of three of the eightseparately run restaurants d'altitude inCourchevel, one of France's mostsophisticated ski resorts. (Courchevel has atleast six other ski-accessible restaurantsoffering elegant lunches at lower levels onthe mountain.)

At 2,000 metres, Cap Horn specialises insea-level seafood: from sushi to caviar togiant plates of chilled oysters, clams, crab andassorted fruits de mer. Other cold food onoffer: an excellent steak tartare (though ittook three requests to get the accompanyingfrites.)

But if you are sitting on the expansiveterrace – the only place to be on a sunny day– you might be more interested in somethinghot such as lasagne or a perfectly cooked solemeunière, or tartiflette, a $42 Savoyardspeciality of potatoes, cheese and bacon.(You can pay $12 less for tartiflette at the LeBaratin snack bar, which is appended to theCap Horn terrace but generally servessimpler food.)

The wine list at Cap Horn is extensive,with 380 different entries, and expensive (a1999 Romanée-Conti sells for $17,218). Therestaurant also features a DJ playing rockmusic from atop a snow-grooming machine,and encourages dancing in ski-boots. I didn'tsee anyone actually shaking their bootythough. As for the clientele, Cap Horn issupposed to be popular with Russians, whomake up about 3 per cent of Courchevel'sholidaymakers. I didn't notice any of them

LINKGLOBAL LOGISTICS CORP. www.linkglobal.caMetroLife Magazine

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15either. The large group at one of the primetables (the ones with the red and goldarmchairs), where a sommelier was decantinga jeroboam of red Bordeaux, turned out tobe British.

If anything, the scene on the terrace ofChalet de Pierres is even more glam. Thereare more photographers here than at theother two restaurants combined, shootingwhoever looks interested in having a picturetaken – like the older French woman sunningherself in just a halter top despite the cold.(The photos are available for sale in thevillage by nightfall.) While a clown amuseschildren, and a white-suited quartet slithersamong the tables singing to recordedAmerican pop music, the largely non-Frenchdiners sample olives, drink kir royales andstudy their menus.

There's sushi and shellfish here too butthe better bets are the regional specialities,especially the cheese fondue. Improbablyenough, it's great with the local white,Apremont, a relative bargain at $54. At thecoffee end of the meal, the super-efficientwaiting staff (often serving 350 on theterrace and hundreds more inside) bring acomplementary plate of chocolate discs anda glass of the local Génépi liqueur. (Can youimagine that at Killington?)

The action is inside at the eclecticallyrustic La Soucoupe. At the huge openfireplace, the chef grills steaks, lamb chops,chicken brochettes, foie gras and duckbreasts to absolute perfection. Somehow healso manages to scramble delicious eggs(with truffles, perhaps, or potatoes, ham andcheese) to order. The mains usually comewith a bowl of garlic-scented roast potatoesand mange-tout to be shared, family-style.The wines are reasonable, with a crispSavoyard white for $30 and a silky local pinotnoir for $35.

The place is packed, with a higherpercentage of French speakers than at theother two restaurants. Skiers happily wait fortheir tables at the funky bar or around theold upright piano, often over a bottle ofchampagne. At around 2:15pm, the regularscome in and the music (rock, of course) getslouder (but not so loud as to hinderconversation). And diners keep on coming.At 3pm, we were asked to surrender ourprime table by the window, where our partyof four – small by Courchevel standards –had enjoyed the food, wine and view for

more than an hour and a half. In exchange,we were offered the brown leather couch infront of the fireplace, coffee and an entirebottle of Génépi. (We had only a glass each.)We were so cosy, we almost forgot that wehad more skiing to do.

Finally, if all this doesn't make the casethat European, especially French, skiing is

different, consider this. At one point, weshared a télécabine with three hip, youngFrenchmen. We couldn't help but overheartheir animated conversation. They talkedabout the quality of the fresh strawberries atthe market, chocolate in many guises, and thebest way to make a cake. I wish I had askedthem where they were having lunch.

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MetroLife Magazine

LIFE

TRENDS

16

A painting for a pound at one ofLondon's leading fine art salerooms? Itsounds unlikely but it's not impossible.

Bonhams, the Bond Street auctioneer,has introduced two sales a year, in Januaryand in August, at which it offers about 600pictures without reserve. The highest bid,however small, secures the lot.

The aim is to attract potential clientswho are looking for a painting to decoratetheir home but who think that a West Endauction is not for them – and it seems to beworking. At the quietest time of thesaleroom year, more than 600 bargain seekerspack the event, competing with dealers, whohave traditionally dominated pictureauctions, and the 4,000 commission bids thatwill have been left by those unable to attendin person. Very occasionally, a battered OldMaster or a contemporary work paintedmore in hope than judgment will go for apound but no sleepers – dirty and wronglyattributed masterpieces – have slippedthrough yet and most lots are valued in thehundreds.

This sudden popularity of auctionswithout reserves, even with the top

salerooms, in situations where traditionallysellers would insist on a reserve price belowwhich their object would not be sold, heraldsa change in attitudes. “It is a good marketingploy,” says Michael Bing, managing directorof Sotheby's Olympia. “There are elementsof a pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap approach,which is something of a dilemma forauctioneers who claim to add value to things,but no-reserve sales seem to work.”

On October 26, Sotheby's held its firstsuch auction at Olympia, selling off theremaining 450 items from the stock of thecelebrated London dealer Gordon Watson,who for almost 30 years sold 20th-centurydecorative arts from his Fulham Road gallery.There was keen bidding for certain novelties,with a pair of patinated iron console tablesselling for £9,360, four times the forecast,but there were also bargains such as agentleman's signet ring that sold for £12,against an estimate of £200, and a pair of1970s Italian ceiling lamps that wereexpected to fetch £800 but sold for just£264.

No-reserve auctions also have anotheradvantage for vendors who like the chance

to dispose of all their surplus possessions,the tat as well as the treasures, through aprestigious auction house. This year,Bonhams has undertaken two completedispersals: the fixtures and fittings of the oldheadquarters of HSBC Bank in the City ofLondon, formerly the grand head office ofthe Midland Bank; and the contents of thefive-star Franklin Hotel in Knightsbridge,which has decided to have a make-over.

Both sales far exceeded expectations.Former employees at the HSBC auctioncompeted for dining chairs, library tables andalmost 40 partners' desks. Rather than goingcheaply, some items, such as a Regencylibrary table which sold for £9,600 against a£700 estimate, far outstripped theirestimates, perhaps helped by the fact thatHSBC was giving the proceeds to charity. Atthe Franklin sale, guests vied for a mementoof their favourite hotel. There was theoccasional bargain, such as an ornate 19th-century chimney-piece that sold cheaply at£700 and a sofa for £30 against a £250estimate.

Christie's South Kensington is alsoexperimenting with no-reserve auctions,

Everything Must GoBy Anthony Thorncroft

especially in its Sunday sales, which are aimedat a new generation of young nest builders.On October 29, it sold the furnishings of thelate Anne, Lady Hollenden, and there wasthe odd bargain – a Victorian whatnotmaking £480, about half the estimate, and aGeorge III silver mustard pot going for£156, about £100 below forecast. But theattraction, for auction house and client, wasthat every lot sold.

These sales also hold a particular appealfor dealers who want to be rid of all theirstock because they are retiring or changingstyle. Estimates are kept low as a furtherincentive to attract new buyers, althoughsometimes there is a reluctance to leaveeverything to fate. Last March, Christie'shandled the furniture of London dealer DickTurpin but only items valued at less than£5,000 were offered without reserves. Onceagain, by hinting at the possibility of abargain, the prices realised often raced aboveexpectation – for example, three 17th-century gouache paintings of birds andinsects, estimated at up to £1,500, went for£9,600.

The fashion for everything-must-goauctions has also reached New York. InFebruary, Sotheby's offered 177 plaster castsof great sculptures that the MetropolitanMuseum of New York had kept in itsarchive. They brought in $500,000. NextJanuary it is twisting the formula slightlywhen helping the leading Dutch Old Masterdealer Otto Naumann clear the clutter fromhis Manhattan premises. The auctioncombines some “come-and-buy-me appeal”with prudence. There are reserves butNaumann has agreed to fix them at half thelevel of the quoted pre-sale low estimates (bytradition the vendor's reserve on any objectsold at auction is the low estimate).

Bing expects Sotheby's will joinChristie's and Bonhams in holding more no-reserve auctions next year. Apart fromadding a buzz, these sales counter the imagethat the leading salerooms are only interestedin selling multimillion-pound Picassos. Andthe fact that they usually bring in moremoney for sellers than a conventional auctionensures that everyone is happy.

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MetroLife Magazine

18

New Year, New Cars2008 BMW 135iThe 1-series is BMW's new entry-level model. Available as a

coupe and a convertible (the latter will make its US debut at theupcoming Detroit show), BMW says the new 1 is the spiritualsuccessor to their famous 2002 coupe of the late 60s/early 70s.

2009 Jaguar XFThe XF, Jaguar's replacement for the S-Type

sedan, made its US debit in Los Angeles.

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMGThe C63 AMG is the hot-rod version of Mercedes'

recently-introduced 2008 C-Class, featuring an AMG-designed 6.3 liter V8 engine.

2009 Nissan GT-R Nissan introduced the US-bound version of its 480

hp all-wheel-drive supercar, the Nissan GT-R.

2009 Toyota Corolla This is the all-new tenth-generation version of Toyota's Corolla compact sedan.

Nissan Murano 2009 will see the

second-generationof Nissan's MuranuSUV. With thevehicle's success sofar, it's no surprisethat the newmodel hasn'tmade a radicaldeparture fromthe styling of thecurrent Murano.

AUTO

MOBILES

AUTO

MOBILES

19

2008 Volvo V70

The all-new 2008 Volvo V70 wagon is ba

sed on

the same platform as Volvo's S80

sedan.Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen's long-anticipated small crossover SUV is called theTiguan, and it will arrive some time in 2008 as a 2009 model.

MetroLife Magazine

DINING

20

Learning Food Fast

It costs $430 to learn how to makestocks and sauces like Alain Ducasse. That'sthe price of a day's tuition at the masterchef's cooking school just outside Paris.

Alternatively, visitors to the capital canfor as little as $22 gain a revealing insight intothe way regular French people approachcooking by attending a lunchtime class atL'Atelier des Chefs. Founded in 2004 bybrothers Nicolas and Francois Bergerault,this fast-growing network of stylish andunstuffy cookery schools has four branchesin Paris, plus satellites in Bordeaux, Lyon andBrussels. It has also been scouting forlocations in London and New York.

Although there are also intermediate andadvanced level courses, it is the quickfirelunchtime sessions that have come to definethe Atelier's success, particularly amongyoung professionals. Shoehorned into 30- or60-minute slots, the sessions explain how toprepare a simple one or two-course meal thatis then eaten by the class around a large table.

The lessons are often fully booked well

in advance. For many participants, they aresimply an enjoyable way of picking up newrecipes. For others, they are a form ofremedial education.

In France, as in most countries, cookingskills have traditionally been handed downfrom mother to daughter. But, says FrancoisBergerault, the student rebellions of 1968helped to create a generation ofFrenchwomen for whom cooking was meredrudgery. “It was chic not to do it,” he says.

Now, the sons and daughters of thesesoixante-huitards are adults in their 20s and30s who have come to yearn for the sort ofknowledge that their feminist mothers couldnot or would not pass on.

“The younger generation is finding itsown style,” says Trish Deseine, author ofseveral successful cookery books in French,as well as the more recent English-languageNobody Does It Better: Why French HomeCooking is Still the Best in the World.

Ms Deseine believes that in seeking tofill the gaps in their knowledge through

courses rather than experimenting at home,today's young adults are beingquintessentially French. She has a point. Byand large, France remains a country obsessedby the need to possess formal qualificationsbefore undertaking most tasks. “Winging it”is not an option.

When I attended one of the Atelier's 30-minute classes on rue Penthièvre in the 8tharrondissement of Paris, my classmatesturned out to be a shy bunch. Meeklyentering the airy, glass-roofed kitchen, wecollected a plastic apron but each remainedbare-headed (toques, or chef's hats, would be“intimidating”, says Franois).

The ingredients had already been laidout for our veal saltimbocca: milky slabs ofmeat that needed to be slapped flat with ourknives; mozzarella, sage and Parma ham forlaying on top of the veal before it was rolled,pinned with cocktail sticks and fried; plustomatoes and courgettes for a spiced andhoneyed side dish.

It was by no means complicated but

By Adam Jones

MetroLife Magazine

DINING

21there is something about a classroom thatfosters unnecessary self-doubt in the formof nervous sideways glances to check if youare slapping too hard or chopping too finely.

My iffy knowledge of kitchenvocabulary in French was not a problem, asthe various steps were demonstrated as wellas explained verbally. In general, I thinkpeople with intermediate French shouldcope, especially as recipes are emailed out tostudents after the class. Franois says hisdemonstrators speak some English, although“it's not Shakespeare”.

My classmates came to life a bit when wewere all perched on stools eating what wehad just prepared, as school staff washed upour pans, bowls and utensils. I sat next to abanker who said his wife normally carriedout the “noble” tasks in their kitchen, whilehe did the lowly chores, les tches subalternes.The class enabled him to shed his habitualsous chef status for half an hour.

Given that nearby cafés can charge asmuch for a main course at lunchtime, theprice of the session was remarkably low at$22. In practice, however, customers pad outtheir bill by ordering extras, such as a glass

of wine, a slice of tart or a coffee (or, in mycase, all three).

But the lunchtime classes are also a wayof luring people in to do more expensivecourses. Having taken the veal dish in mystride, the next day I set my sights onsomething a little more ambitious: a 90-minute, early evening lesson in how to makemacaroons, held at another atelier in the 15tharrondissement.

For someone happy to remain a souschef at home, this was a big step up,especially since the quality of the macaroonsin Dalloyau, Ladurée and other upmarketfood stores in Paris is so high. As the classbegan, a stream of alien technical verbs leftme relying on my neighbours for guidance.But as the lesson progressed, my confidencebegan to grow.

I was rather proud of the steady way inwhich I piped the meringue mixture on tothe baking trays to create the tops andbottoms of the macaroons – a task thatconjured up memories of The GenerationGame, the British Saturday evening TV showfrom the 1970s and 1980s that includedcooking tasks designed to highlight the

ineptitude of contestants.As it turned out, any slips we had made

were not the end of the world: it wasastonishing how 15 minutes in the ovenrounded off the outlines of any broken-edged dollops of meringue. After addingfillings of ganache or runny salted caramel,the finished product really didn't lookamateurish at all.

The toughest challenge came after theclass had ended. We were told thatmacaroons needed to be left for severalhours to enable the filling to soften the lidand base, until only the carapace of themeringue remained crisp. Somehow, theymanaged to sit unmolested in my kitchenuntil the next morning. It was worth the wait.

Cours de cuisine:L'école d'Alain Ducassewww.atelier-gastronomique.comL'école Lenotre www.lenotre.frL'école Ritz-Escoffierwww.ritzparis.comLe Cordon Bleu Pariswww.lcbparis.comL'Atelier des Chefswww.atelierdeschefs.com

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MetroLife Magazine

GADGETS

22

FASHIONABLYGREAT

I was quite surprised when I broughtmy Apple Wi-Fi-enabled iPhonesmartphone home last week. I had expectedmy fashion-conscious children to be mostexcited about the latest addition to ourgadget portfolio. Instead it was my usuallytechnophobic wife who became mostanimated. “My friend's husband just boughther one and she says it is the easiest phoneshe has ever used,” she explained.

Her enthusiasm was only slightlydampened when I told her that, in additionto the $600 price tag on the 8Gb version ofthe iPhone, purchasers also have to sign upto a two-year contract with AT&T, thecarrier with exclusive rights to sell thedevice in the US, which will cost aminimum of just under $1,500.

For the moment the iPhone is onlyavailable in the US, though Apple plans tolaunch the device in Europe later this year– probably in November – and in Asia inearly 2008.

Cost aside, it turned out that my wife'sfriend had immediately fallen in love withthe iPhone's touchscreen interface and thesmooth way in which Apple has enabledusers to switch from one application toanother.

For her, and I suspect many of thenearly 1m Americans who have purchasedthe iPhone since it went on sale at the endof last month, its limitations, especially itslack of 3G data capabilities or aBlackBerry-style mini-keyboard, are not abig consideration.

I doubt whether the current iPhone willpose any real threat to business-orientedsmartphones such as the BlackBerry familyof devices, Palm's Treo or Motorola's Qsmartphones, but the iPhone does excel insome areas. As you would expect, it is anexcellent digital music and video player.Viewing YouTube or other video clips onthe iPhone's big screen, whichautomatically rotates to widescreen

“landscape” format, is a pleasure.Sound quality is also good – even

though Apple's decision to recess theheadphone socket forces owners to use thebarely adequate earbuds supplied – at leastuntil they buy an adapter or the third partyspecialist iPhone headsets that arebeginning to appear. Loading music andother digital media content on to the iPhoneusing Apple's iTunes software running on aPC or Mac is very straightforward.

Predictably, perhaps, browsing theinternet using the built-in Safari webbrowser is a disappointment if you have torely upon AT&T's 2.5G edge networkrather than a Wi-Fi connection.

But perhaps the biggest surprise for mehas been how good the iPhone is as amobile phone. The built-in contact bookand phone functions work well together,the phone features are easy to use and thedevice itself is thin and narrow enough tobe simple to hold and operate.

Despite the claims of Appleenthusiasts, however, I found the onscreen“virtual” keyboard virtually impossible touse for text messaging, mobile e-mail orentering contact details (although you canenter these on a PC and then “synch” themover). So if you want a smartphone devicemainly for text-heavy applications, myadvice is to look elsewhere.

Nevertheless, Apple's iPhone is abeautifully designed device with lots ofpositive attributes that will particularlyappeal to buyers looking for a multimediaphone with lots of that elusive quality – the“wow” factor.

All about the iPhoneDoes the iPhone's physical design live

up to hype? How about the softwaredesign/user interface?

Yes, with the exception perhaps of therecessed headphone socket, the design andbuild is excellent and the user interface issophisticated but very easy to use.

What doesn't it do that it really should(I'm thinking IM, e-mail sync, taking video,etc)?

The lack of a physical keyboard makestext entry frustratingly difficult and theiPhone camera does not support video. TheiPhone also lacks built-in satellitenavigation features.

Why can't I use it with a different SIMcard? Can I use it when I'm travellingabroad? If so, how about cost, data accessetc?

Although the US iPhone is a GSM device, itis “locked” to AT&T. You can use it whiletravelling overseas, but you will be liable forAT&T's international roaming fees.

How quick/slow is the internet access?Internet access is rather slow while

using AT&T's 2.5G cellular network butfast when the iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Can the iPhone “hand off” callsbetween Wi-Fi and cellular networks?

No, not at the moment.Why didn't Apple choose a faster

cellular technology?Apple claims including a 3G chipset

would have drastically reduced the iPhone'sbattery life. However, unless Applechanges track, the lack of 3G technologycould hinder sales in Europe and Asia.

How do you think Apple will go aboutupgrading the iPhone?

Future iPhone hardware upgradescould include GPS technology, improvedcamera resolutions and video capabilitiesand faster 3G cellular technology. Inaddition, Apple could encourage third-partydevelopers to build new softwareapplications and “widgets”.

What about fingerprints? Do you haveto clean the screen constantly?

The glass screen does showfingerprints quite easily, but Apple doessupply a spectacles-style cleaning clothwith the iPhone.

By Paul Taylor

MetroLife Magazine

HEALT

H

23A diet rich in leafy vegetables may

minimize the tissue damage caused by heartattacks, according to researchers at the AlbertEinstein College of Medicine of YeshivaUniversity. Their findings, published in theNovember 12 Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences, suggest that thechemical nitrite, found in many vegetables,could be the secret ingredient in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

“Recent studies show that administeringnitrite to animals, either intravenously ororally, can greatly limit the damage caused bya heart attack and the stress to tissue thatfollows due to reperfusion — the return ofblood to oxygen-starved heart muscle,” saysDr. David Lefer, the study’s senior authorand professor of medicine and of pathologyat Einstein. “We wondered if feeding animalsmuch lower levels of nitrite and nitrate —equivalent to what people can readily obtainfrom their diets — could also provideprotection from heart-attack injury.”

Nitrite and its “chemical cousin” nitrateare important because of their role inproducing nitric oxide gas. In 1986,researchers made the remarkable finding thatnitric oxide — famous until then mainly asan air pollutant — is produced by cells lininghealthy arteries and plays a crucial role incardiovascular health by dilating arteries andaiding blood flow. Damage to the arterylining (in atherosclerosis, for example)impairs nitric oxide production and leads tocardiovascular disease and, ultimately, toheart attacks and strokes.

Researchers now have good evidencethat hearts undergoing heart attacks have a“backup” pathway for making nitric oxide.

Triggered by falling oxygen levels, enzymesin heart muscle convert nitrite stored thereinto nitric acid that can then help minimizetissue damage. Nitrite in the diet comesmainly from vegetables — celery, beets, andspinach, lettuce and other leafy types. Onceconsumed, nitrite exits the bloodstream andthen accumulates and become stored inorgans such as the heart, kidney and brain.But it wasn’t clear whether boosting nitrite inthe diet could actually translate into betterprotection from heart-attack damage.

To find out, the Einstein researchersadministered nitrite (50 mg/liter) in thedrinking water of mice for seven days, whilea comparison group of mice received astandard diet that was not supplementedwith nitrite. Then, to simulate a heart attack,blood flow to the animals’ hearts wasstopped for 30 minutes, followed by 24 hoursof reperfusion. Examination revealed thatthe hearts of the nitrite-supplemented micewere significantly richer in nitrite, and heart-muscle damage was reduced by an impressive48 percent compared with the controls. (Seeillustration at end of press release.)

In contrast to nitrite, nitrate in the dietcomes mainly from cured meats such asbacon, sausage and luncheon meats.Consuming nitrate augments our nitritesupply: Once absorbed in the bloodstream,nitrate circulates to the salivary glands wherebacteria convert it to nitrite, which is thenswallowed in our saliva. About 10 percent ofdietary nitrate is converted to nitrite in thisway.

As with the mice and nitrite, the Einsteinresearchers spiked drinking water with nitrateand then induced heart attacks. A protectiveeffect was found yet again: Compared with

the control animals, the nitrate-supplemented mice had greater stores ofnitrite in their heart muscle along withsignificantly less heart-muscle damage,although the reduction was not as impressiveas in the nitrite-fed mice.

“This new appreciation of the healthbenefits of nitrite and nitrate is ironic,” saysDr. Lefer, “They’ve traditionally beenregarded as toxic because they tend to formchemicals called nitrosamines, some ofwhich are carcinogenic. But recent researchhas found no convincing evidence that nitriteand nitrate pose a cancer risk.”

Dr. Lefer notes that Europeans’ copiousconsumption of vegetables puts them farahead of us in terms of nitrite and nitrateintake: On average, European consume 76mg of nitrite and nitrate daily compared witha 0.77 mg American intake — nearly a 100-fold difference. “This large intake of nitriteand nitrate poses no known risks and couldcertainly help explain why the Mediterraneandiet is heart-healthy despite its relatively highfat content,” says Dr. Lefer.

Dr. Lefer says that the nitrite levelsfound cardioprotective in his study can easilybe achieved by consuming more vegetablescontaining the chemical. That dietary change,he says, might be especially helpful forpeople at increased heart-attack risk — thosewho’ve already suffered a heart attack, havebeen diagnosed with cardiovascular diseaseor have a family history of it.

“Our study suggests that building upnitrite stores in heart muscle could spell thedifference between a mild heart attack andone that causes lasting heart damage ordeath,” says Dr. Lefer. “And since nitrite alsoaccumulate in the brain, they couldpotentially help minimize the damage fromstrokes as well.”

By Derya Unutmaz, M.D.

Eating Your Greens Could Prove Life-saving

if A Heart Attack Strikes

MetroLife Magazine

HEALT

H24

This article is going to be a simple outline of what you canpractice now before it is too late – before you start gaining weight atthe usual few pounds a week during the Holiday season!

First, you need to start eating healthy. If a packaged food is allsparkly and crinkly and “fat free” and “nutritious” and has “addedvitamin D”, chances are, it’s not healthy! Fruity Boulders with “addedcalcium” for strong bones will definitely not keep your child healthy,let alone a grown adult. So, open your cupboard and take a peek: seelots of stuff that fits the above description? Start clearing it out! Ifit is not there, you can’t eat it.

Exercise just a bit! Even a brisk walk for 20 minutes a day, 5times a week is great to get the body’s winter furnace burning. Youcan get an inexpensive exercise bike or hit the gym in the winter ifyou can’t take the cold. Just be happy you are not living in the Sault.

Please don’t eat less. This is especially true for all you ladies outthere who are diligently counting your calories and trying to stay at1200kcal each day. Low calorie diets do work somewhat but theyleave your body in such a “metabolic shock” that once you decide itis time to stop the “diet” you will gain it back and more. With little

calories coming in, those pesky hormones will slow your energyoutput (metabolic rate) to keep those precious fat stores there. Eat1000 calories/day and you will have a “1000 calorie/day metabolism.”However, if you gradually increase your intake of real, wholesome,whole foods, your metabolism will respond and show its holiday loveby dropping fat. Imagine that, eat more and lose weight!

Make sure you get the basics down first. Don’t worry aboutfancy fad diets from Hollywood!

1) You do need to “feed” yourself 5 times a day. Three biggermeals and 2 smaller “snacks” will do it for most. Calories increaseyour metabolism. Too few will slow yours down!

2) Don’t sweat measuring exactly yet either. Weighing food is forpeople that have managed to do the simple stuff consistently for anextended period of time. This means that if you haven’t consistentlyeaten 5 “feedings” a day for over a month without missing more thana few meals per week, you don’t need to worry about countingcalories yet. Get consistent first with the basics before you get morecomplex.

3) Simple Measures first (each one should appear on your platewith every meal!)Carbohydrates: size of yourclenched fist when it is on yourplate. Don’t measure it before youcook it, measure after cooking if itis not eaten raw. Nuts and seeds: cup your hand likea basket and fill the middle withnuts. I am 5’9 and medium frame.I am counting . . . 14 almonds. Ifyou are smaller it will always be alittle less and vice versa.Meats: the size of your palm.Measure the size after you cook.Meat shrinks and eating less is notbetter (Refer back to first para-graph). It should be about as thickas your hand and cover from thebase of your palm to the bottomof your fingers (where your ringsits if you are married like me )Oils/fats: Tablespoons. Yes, Iknow, those are real measures, butit sure is simple! An average per-son would have for example, ½ ta-

Tips to Keep e Holiday “10” of Your Hips (Men, avoiding that “tire” change) By Eric Morrison

MetroLife Magazine

HEALT

H

25blespoon of Extra virgin Olive oil drizzled over a large salad withsome spices and a dash of vinaigrette.

Eat as many whole-food “feedings” as possible rather thanrely on shakes and supplements. Each “feeding” should in-clude:

1) Whole Proteins. Protein in its whole forms like fish, chicken,lean beef and eggs stimulate the metabolism DIRECTLY. It takes alot of energy to break them down! So really, eating 150 calorie pieceof grilled salmon does not mean that you will have 150 calories tostore if you don’t use it! Plus, proteins and fats signal your body thatyou don’t need to eat more and will help to keep your hunger incheck! If you can afford to buy Certified Organic meat, this isoptimal and much healthier for you. Alternatively, you may even beable to find a local farmer that can show you he/she at least does notuse growth hormones and additives with their livestock!

2) Veggies (green ones!) I don’t mean potatoes and high glycemic(sugary) starchy foods. Things that are fibrous, green, fresh andcrunchy are the name of the day. Lettuce, Tomatoes (home grownor local if you can), celery, green beans etc. Google “CruciferousVegetables” and you will get a mountain of different types.

3) Low Glycemic “Real” starchy carbohydrates (one of my nextarticles will be tricks companies use to make you think it is wholegrain rather than processed sugar you are eating). Try to keep breadsand grains to a minimum and increase items like Sweet potato, Yams,Legumes, Lentils, Chickpeas, Kidney beans, and Split peas.

4) Nuts and seeds and oils (containing healthy fats and fibre) i. Extra virgin Olive oil. Preferably drizzled over salads/greens

with a little vinaigretteii. Flax seed oil (be sure it is refrigerated at the store and in a dark

bottle)iii. Oils found in Nuts and seeds. You can replace your pat of

butter with a small handful of nuts for instance.iv. Salmon Oil. You can find this at any Health food store. Just

be sure to pick one that states it is from “wild source” and not farmedsalmon.

v. Butter (oh no! Really?). In moderation it is fine. A teaspoon ona piece of whole grain toast once a day will go far and it is muchbetter for you than margarine.

Eat your Holiday dinner! Don’t try to starve and be all heroicwhile others are munching on mounds of mashed potatoes withgravy and slurping down egg nog. Be sure to eat four of your regularmeals as outlined above and then partake in everything on the tablefor that one special meal. A small serving of turkey, mashed potatoesand a little gravy with a glass of red wine for those that like a littlealcohol to unwind and a small piece of Christmas pudding to finishit off will not make you fat! In fact, it might even help you loseweight. But I will get into that story when I return in January!

If you can’t enjoy life’s little pleasures after being consistent andperfect all year, what is the fun in that?

Happy, Healthy and Fit Holidays to all, and I will see you in thenew year!

Eric Morrison, Health and Wellness Editor - MetroLife Magazine

MetroLife Magazine

BEAUTY

26

CREAM OF

THE CROPBy Edwina Ings-Chambers

The beauty landscape has changed in recent years. Time waswhen a woman had her regular face creams, her tried-and-testedcosmetics, even her signature fragrance, and nothing new thatappeared on the market could drive her off course. Now, in an era ofcountless scientific advances and new product launches, the cosmeticsindustry is so crowded that brands jostle for our attention by enticingus with limited editions (a solution that can frustrate as much as excitewhen you can no longer get hold of a favoured “for three monthsonly!” product).

Yet many classic products survive – Estée Lauder's AdvancedNight Repair Complex, for example, which is celebrating its 25thanniversary this year. Lauder is so excited about it that they have madea limited-edition bottle. There are only 550 in the world and eachcomes with a gold commemorative plaque.

We asked leading beauty companies, old and new, to divulge theirmost classic – or signature – product – their bestselling product andwhich of their products deserves more praise.

ESTEE LAUDERSignature Product Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery

Complex. Launched in 1982, it is celebrating its 25th anniversary thisyear.More than 1.3m bottles are sold globally each year and theformula has been updated over time.

Bestseller Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Make-upSPF10. This is a long-lasting, lightweight foundation that providesup to 15 hours of coverage. Launched in 1997, more than 466,000

bottles a year are sold.Most overlooked Youth Dew perfume, introduced in 1953 and

recently relaunched by Tom Ford under a new name, Youth DewAmber Nude .

www.esteelauder.com

ELIZABETH ARDENSignature product Eight Hour Cream, which was launched in the

1930s and originally used to heal the legs of Arden's belovedracehorses. When she discovered that it also helped moisturise andsmooth the hands of the horse's grooms, she went to work refiningit for customers' use. Nowadays, one tube is sold every 30 secondsworldwide.

Bestseller Ceramide Plump Perfect Moisturiser with SPF15. Most overlooked Ceramide Ultra Restorative Capsules, an anti-

wrinkle cream with “plumping benefits”. First sold in 1991, thesecapsules are meant to promote a firmer appearance of the skin.

www.elizabetharden.com

AVEDASignature product The first product to be launched by Aveda was

Clove Shampoo. Nowadays, its Damage Remedy Intensive Treatment– which contains natural, plant-based ingredients that strengthen hair– has become equally synonymous with the brand.

Bestseller Shampure shampoo and conditioner. Thesecomplementary products were launched in 1989 .

Most overlooked Pure Abundance Hair Potion, relaunched andreformulated in June 2006, a dry shampoo.

www.aveda.com

BOBBI BROWNSignature product Her Eye Brightener, for under-eye coverage,

and Creamy Concealer, which is packed full of vitamins, helps

MetroLife Magazine

BEAUTY

27counteract dark circles under the eyes

Bestseller Shimmer Brick compact in bronze – a brush-onpowder that gives a sun-kissed glow. So popular, it is rarely in stock.

Most overlooked Long-wear eyeliner – a gel with the precision ofa liquid.

www.bobbibrown.com

BENEFITSignature product Lip Plump is one of the company's original

products. It produces32 tubes a minute.Bestseller A lash-lengthening, eye-widening weapon for eyes,

Badgal mascara sells 500,000 units a year worldwide .Most overlooked The new California Kissin' lipgloss has an aqua-

blue sheen to make teeth appear whiter, while freshening breath.

www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

CLINIQUESignature product Dramatically Different Moisturiser is the final

step in the brand's renowned Three-Step skincare regimen and is setto celebrate its 40th birthday next year.

Bestseller Dramatically Different Moisturiser, and the new Anti-blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturiser.

Most overlooked Launched 30 years ago, the Aromatics Elixirremains a bestselling fragrance.

www.clinique.com

DIORSignature product Rouge Dior Replenishing Lip Colour.The

original Rouge Dior was launched in 1955 and relaunched in August2006.

Bestsellers Rouge Dior sells 3m units worldwide a year, as doesDiorshow Mascara.

Most overlooked L'Or de Vie skincare. After the first days ofusing L'Or de Vie, wrinkles and fine lines are apparently reduced.

www.dior.com

LANCOMESingature product Mascaras – all of them. Hypnose, launched in

July 2004, is the bestselling oneBestseller Bi-Facil Non Oily Cleanser for face and lashes. About

20 an hour are sold in the UK. Most overlooked The other bestseller, Teint Idole Ultra, is a long-

lasting liquid foundation that is still successful two years after itslaunch.

www.lancome.com

MACSignature product Strobe Cream. Launched in 2000, this mix-in

cream can be added to moisturiser or foundation to give a subtle glow.It is much favoured by make-up artists.

Bestseller The Spice Lip Line Pencil. Created in 1998, this quicklybecame a supermodel staple; it sells more than 25,000 per year.

Most overlooked Other top sellers are the Eye Kohl, inSmoulder..

www.maccosmetics.com

NARSSignature product Nars The Multiple. The cream-to-powder

formulation, launched in 1995, is a cream stick used as a blusher orhighlighter, as well as on eyes and lips.

Bestseller Since its introduction in 1999, Nars Orgasm Blush hasreached cult status for its subtle, shimmering colour thatcomplements every skin tone.

Most overlooked Nars Body Glow has a rich, chocolate shimmerand vanilla essence that gives the skin a natural glow and sultry scent.

YSLSignature product Touche Eclat. Launched in 1992, this under-

eye concealer was quickly hailed as a make-up essential. One is soldevery 20 seconds worldwide.

Bestseller Touche Eclat.Most overlooked Perfect Touch brush foundation, launched this

year.

RIMMEL LONDONSignature product Hide the Blemish concealer. Launched in

1967, this has become a cult product, with one being sold every 30seconds.

Bestseller Soft Kohl Eyeliner in black, championed by Kate Moss(and, apparently, not just because she's paid to do so as the face ofRimmel since 2001).

Most overlooked Colour Mousse Eye Shadow. Even thoughthese products are not advertised, their smooth texture ensures theysell well.

www.rimmellondon.com

CREME DE LA MERSignature product The renowned moisturiser was launched in

October 2000 exclusively to Harrods but now can be boughtelsewhere. It is still the number one selling beauty brand in Harrods.

Bestseller As above.Most overlooked The company's Cleansing Fluid, made with sea

salt, pearl powders and sea algae essences to deeply cleanse andnourish the skin.

www.cremedelamer.com

CLARINSSignature product Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. Bestsellers Beauty Flash Balm, and Clarins Hand and Nail

Treatment Cream.Most overlooked Contouring Facial Lift, and Energising Leg

Emulsion, to encourage lymph drainage and soothe tired legs.

MetroLife Magazine

BEAUTY

28

It’s a quiet New York Thursday afternoon in BergdorfGoodman's white-tiled beauty department. A well dressed womansteps into the Erno Laszlo enclave and eyes a couple of thecompany's skincare products as a saleswoman approaches. They chatabout what she's looking for – a few travel-friendly basics and an anti-aging serum – but she's not sure if she's going to replenish herbathroom stock just yet. That's when the saleswoman pulls out the bigguns: “How would you like a complimentary facial?” she asks.

“Really?”“Yes, we do it right here,” she replies, indicating an unmarked

door behind which Erno Laszlo's in-store service room liesmomentarily vacant.

“OK then,” the woman says and the two go to work arranging atime for her to come back for an hour-long facial which will includeultrasound-enabled deep cleansing, hand massage and the applicationof numerous masks and serums. By the time the woman leaves, she'sglowing. And why shouldn't she be? She's getting a full-length facial,one that would have cost her more than a hundred dollars at a spa,for free.

Nowadays if you're not getting a free facial at the skincarecounter, you are not getting the most out of your beauty shoppingdollars. Thanks to an increasingly competitive skincare market that'spitting spas against department stores and prestige brands againstmass marketers, savvy shoppers have more opportunities than ever toget their skin cleansed and pampered for free.

“I believe that the key for a niche brand like Erno Laszlo is tomake a difference with unparalleled customer service,” says thecompany's president, Francois Duquesne, who recently decided toexpand the Erno Laszlo facial program to high-end stores across theUS. “It's about making the relationship long and giving the customera token of our appreciation.”

Yes, it's a nice gesture. But these free treatments are not usuallyquite as free as they seem. Some companies require a minimumpurchase; others offer the service to anyone, even new customers,but expect to rack up hundreds of dollars in post-treatment sales.

For example, at select Neiman Marcus stores in the US, recipientsof French beauty brand Orlane's complimentary body-slimmingtreatments spend on average $700 post-treatment. Those that opt forthe oxygen or firming facial, spend $500, according to a companyspokesperson.

Likewise, Korner Skincare, a line of sensitive-skin friendlyproducts, recently sold its entire range (worth $879) to a newcustomer who had been signed up by a friend for one of the brand'sfacials at Selfridges in London. Shoppers in New York, where K?rnerstarted offering complimentary facials at Bergdorf Goodman lastApril, can qualify for a treatment with the purchase of two products,whereas in London, there's a small booking fee that is redeemableagainst product purchases.

Founder Rebecca Korner says some clients love the facials somuch that they come back for them every 2-3 months, and in-between, they ask for mini facials at the counter.

Others offering complimentary in-store services include Japanesebeauty giant Shiseido (at Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue andBarneys department stores across the US), Spain's Natura Bissé (atHarrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York and NeimanMarcus in San Francisco), and Therapy Systems, which is sold atHenri Bendel in New York.

Therapy Systems customers can sign up for microdermabrasionsand glycolic peels at the company's counter at Henri Bendel, but atthe Therapy Systems store at the Mall at Green Hills in Nashville,Tennessee, they can slip into express treatment rooms (basically alounge chair in a partitioned-off area) for a variety of quicktreatments.

“There are always going to be women that want to put on a robeand hear the water trickling, but the rest of us don't have that kind oftime,” says Therapy System's founder Linda Roberts. That's also theidea behind Elemis's “SpaPods”.

For a £45 fee, shoppers at Harvey Nichols, John Lewis andDebenhams stores in the UK can pop in for one of the brand's five“Power Booster Facials”. In the US, Elemis customers can pay $45for the facials (which last 30 minutes and come with names like CitySurvival and Skin Radiance) at 23 Nordstrom locations.

For Cristina Greeven Cuomo, vice chairman of Niche Media, aNew York-based magazine publisher, indulging in a department storefacial is about saving time rather than money. Recently when the busymother-of-two stopped in for a 45-minute Inhibit-Tensolift facialfrom Natura Bissé, she made a short detour to buy a pair of ChristianLouboutin wedge heels.

“It's great to kill two birds with one stone,” she said. “But thebest part was how my skin looked the next day. I felt so rejuvenated.”

TAKE THIS ATFACE VALUE

By Tatiana Boncompagni

MetroLife

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