MetroLife Magazine

Metro Life GTA EDITION â–Ş DECEMBER 2007

Christmas

Gift Guide

New Year, New Cars

Real Estate in Toronto

Everything Must Go

MetroLife GTA EDITION

A Publication of WideAngle Media Corp. www.metrolife.ca Email: info@metrolife.ca Editor Evelyn Scott Eric Morrison

Contributing Writers Sean Berry Graham Bowley Adam Jones David Rosenberg General Manager Liming Dong

CONTACT US 4168 Finch Ave. E., Suite 352, Toronto, Ont. Canada M1S 5H6 Editorial Board editor@metrolife.ca

Display Advertising ad@metrolife.ca Distribution info@metrolife.ca

This issue of MetroLife magazine is a sample and is for illustration purposes only. The copyright of the articles in this sample issue belong to the respective authors. Contents may not be reproduced, in whole or in part without consent.

Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. We welcome your suggestions.

Unsolicited manuscripts are invited, but will not be returned.

MetroLife magazine is published 10 times a year

by WideAngle Media Corp., and freely distributed at major markets across the Greater Toronto Area. Persons not in our free distribution area may subscribe. Canada: $18 for 10 issues. For subscription inquiries, email: info@metrolife.ca

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2007 Christmas Gift Guide:

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Gadgets & New Inventions

Real Estate in Toronto Current trends and predictions for 2008

Beau Bordeaux

The most beautiful city in Europe has as much character as its wine

Learning Food Fast Experiencing culinary classes

COME FLY WITH ME – AT LAST EVERYTHING MUST GO NEW YEAR, NEW CARS FASHIONABLY GREAT EATING YOUR GREENS COULD PROVE LIFE-SAVING IF A HEART ATTACK STRIKES CREAM OF THE CROP TAKE THIS AT FACE VALUE

8 12 2 10 16 18 22 23

26 28

MetroLife Magazine

GIFT GUIDE

4

Christmas Giî„— Guide: Gadgets & New Inventions

By Graham Bowley

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

Even if the thought of frenzied shoppers and an overcrowded mall 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 may find yourself buying them for both you and the kids!

GPS Navigation Systems

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

Nintendo Wii

If reading a map is like reading ancient Greek for someone in your life, a new wave of GPS systems has come to the rescue. The navigationally challenged have plenty 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 can take them with you when you switch from car to car.

HUGO XX - Fragrance for her

HUGO XX is one of two new fragrances by Hugo Boss, the other being HUGO XY. The pair were developed simultaneously and act as complements to each other, each one containing notes that attract somebody of the opposite sex wearing the opposite fragrance. The idea is based on the age-old war between men and women, and the miraculous way we continue to procreate despite our warring ways. Sex is selling this fragrance like fragrance advertising tends to do, only this time around the sex has violent undertones which could either turn you on or off depending on your sexual style. If you hate the opposite sex just as much as you love them, this fragrance is for you.

MetroLife Magazine

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

Plus, if you didn't get into video games from the beginning, you're basically out of luck. Have you seen a modern video game controller? There are so many buttons it'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 simple wireless controller and a wrist strap. And, instead of pressing a button, you actually control the game with arm movements. For the tennis game, you swing like you're playing tennis. In bowling, well, you bowl. Another fun feature allows you to design your own characters.

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

GIFT GUIDE

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Stopping time, Chronographstyle, befits a wander through either the Pantheon or the Panthéon. If it’s the former, make sure to strap something Italian to your arm or else face the wrath of the gods. If Jupiter were still around, he'd probably wear Gucci. Just in case he returns, the powerful Italian design house offers the Pantheon line of Chronograph watches. Available with either a stainless steel or crocodile bracelet, you can either placate Superman or Steve Irwin – well, perhaps neither. The Pantheon runs from $1895 – $2495, so you may need to extort cash from lesser gods to afford it, but it will be worth the strongarming.

Gucci Pantheo

Wusthof Ultimate Knife Set Do you know anyone who likes knives?

Someone who could use 26 of the sharpest knives available in various shapes and sizes. If so, you either know a cook or someone who you probably shouldn’t spend much time with.

Either way, this is the perfect gift. The Wusthof Ultimate Knife Block Set features some of the finest knives on the market, available with black handle or sleek stainless steel. Whether you need to prepare a gourmet meal or hide a body, this set is guaranteed to handle all your knife-wielding needs.

Seiko Final Fantasy Watch

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

If you’re an aspiring photographer or just plain rich, this is the ultimate in digital SLR cameras. Normally, SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras do not allow you to see the picture the moment you’re taking it. To the contrary, the Olympus E-510 has Live View technology that shows you exactly how the picture will turn out. The screen is a 2.5inch HyperCrystal LCD – which means nothing to camera-shy people (or me). Basically, all of those big words mean that you can see the screen 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 gyro sensor tracks the image and the camera adjusts for the motion. So feel free to hand the camera off to your child (after strapping it securing to their neck). The pictures will turn out just as good if you’re a photographer with 9 years of experience, or simply a 9-year old.

MetroLife Magazine

Olympus E-510

REAL ESTATE

8

Real Estate in Toronto An Interview With Real Estate Agent Nick Forte

By David Rosenberg

Q: What is your background in real estate?

A: I first got into real estate in 1992; I started doing the introductory courses, only to quickly discover that the real estate industry had just suffered a major crash only two years earlier, from which it would not recover for almost another decade. The recession was brutal for many Ontarians in the nineties. My wife, a full fledged nurse, could only find casual part-time work in the face of hospital closures everywhere, while I managed to eek out a living as a part-time insurance consultant.

Lucky for me, I re-entered real estate in 1997-98, just when - coincidentally enough the housing market started to regain its strength: buyer confidence started to rise as did prices. This was a slow but steadfast recovery, and by the new millennium we were definitely into a sellers market, where home inventory could not keep pace with buyer demand.

I joined a RE/MAX office right from the start and have been with RE/MAX ever since. I focused mostly on residential properties, although now and again I would dabble into commercial leases and investment properties. What attracted me most to the RE/MAX model was the notion that the salesperson is treated as an independent contractor and not as an employee. You therefore have greater autonomy in the daily conduct of your business, with very little meddling by management.

I consider myself a seasoned real estate agent who has suffered no major blows or mistakes in the past 11 years of my career. I am always learning and try to keep myself well acquainted with real estate law and with the all rules and regulations which are meant to guide us through our business transactions. More importantly, I believe that most if not all of my past clients have been left very satisfied with my service, and that is what really counts in the end.

Q: What significant changes have become entrenched in real estate industry MetroLife Magazine

over the past decade.

A: There are various changes which need highlighting, some of which can be viewed as improvements and others less so.

First and foremost, it would have to be the increasingly better treatment of buyers in the market place; today, a Buyer gets full and exclusive representation by their salesperson/ broker. The latter, known as the Co-operating Broker now works exclusively for the Buyer under a Buyer Agency Agreement, which in effect makes the Buyer the client -- not a just a customer. By becoming a client, the Buyer is legally owed all fiduciary duties, which include disclosure/due diligence, competence, confidentiality, and accountability. This is a far cry from what was being practiced in the past, up to the late nineties, when the norm was that the Co-operating Broker worked indirectly - through sub-agency to the Listing Agent - for the Seller, and accordingly, all fiduciary duties were accorded to the Seller and not to the unrepresented, vulnerable Buyer.

A second improvement is that disclosure and truer representation of properties are practiced more rigorously these days. Listing Agents are increasingly compelled to indicate the deficiencies and shortcomings of a property. This helps to preclude law suits to be sure, but it also builds buyer confidence.

As such, the Seller Property Information Sheet (SPIS) is more often than not now attached to the listing. The SPIS is the Seller’s declaration about the property which should also reveal some of the latent (unseen) defects as well as the patent (more observable) defects of the property. The Listing Agent is expected to disclose, for example, whether or not the property was ever used as a “grow house”; or whether it contains any asbestos; or whether dampness and even water leakages in the basement reoccur with the spring thaw – all material facts that can be produce with the methodical completion of the SPIS. Another major change in the residential real estate industry is the proliferation of so-

called “Teams”. From the consumer’s perspective this can viewed as being ore a bad thing than good thing. The formation of teams is an inevitable outcome when a prominent real estate agent garners more business, in terms of volume, than he or she can handle. So what does the real estate agent do? The agent hires a team of assistants to service the growing client base.

Unfortunately, what the homeowner or buyer client who hired this agent does not know is that they will end up being serviced directly by one of the team assistants, who, in many instances, is less qualified and less experienced than their leader and who will arguably provide inferior service to the client than their leader would otherwise have done.

The consumer should be wary of “teams” and instead try to hire an agent who will provide a personal service, experience and knowhow.

Q: The Toronto land transfer tax was adopted amid stiff public opposition. Do you think it will have a negative impact on Toronto’s real estate market in 2008?

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

by March 11, 2008.

Still, in the longer term, the impact of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax will be negligible, for two main reasons. The first is that the increase in the Toronto tax will be offset by either lower mortgage rates or by downward adjustments in house prices.

Already the Bank of Canada is planning to lower its rates in order to keep in check the spiraling Canadian dollar. Similarly, consumer expectations are moving toward lower house prices, especially when taking into consideration the ravaged U.S. housing market. The second and more important reason is the significant increases in gasoline prices and the cost in car maintenance, which makes Toronto more attactive. Taking these increases into account, coupled with the growing concern for cleaner air and a healthier environment, many would prefer to live in Toronto and not suffer the daily long commute from the downtown office to the far off home in, say, Aurora, Markham, Mississauga, Vaughan, and so on. In short, owning a home in Toronto is a convenience and a way of life for which many are willing to 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 Toronto Real Estate Board has reported over and over each and every month of 2007 as having surpassed those months of 2006. According to TREB president: “2007 will indeed be a banner year for home sales in our city. So far this year, 84,994 properties have changed hands, as compared to 84,145 sales in 2005, our previous best year. With 3,544 transactions to mid-month, November sales are also up five per cent compared the same timeframe last year. The current average price is $393,084, a nine per cent increase over the first half of November 2006.�

It will be difficult, therefore, to see further gains in 2008. However, one can expect prices to plateau for the next 16 months, according to CMHC economists.

Buyers, on the other hand, will become increasingly choosy and will therefore prolong their home search. As such, salespersons and sellers alike will have to learn to be more patient with buyers. We can, however, continue to enjoy trading real estate for at least another prosperous year.

MetroLife Magazine

REAL ESTATE

costs. Put another way, on an average priced home between 350k and 400k the buyer once paid $4,000 to $5,000 to close; but now will have to pay $7,500 to $8,500 for that same Toronto home.

Some ways to circumvent this new tax burden are already being hatched. One way is to have the buyer pay a certain sum on paper, that is, on the Agreement of Purchase and Sale (and for the first time buyer this would be up to $400k) and pay for the balance of the purchase price in untraceable, and therefore, untaxable cash money. A second way is where you have second time buyers use first time buyers, for example, their children or younger siblings to buy the house on their behalf.

Also, the cushion to this tax will come from banks and other lending institutions. As promotional strategies, banks will offer to pay for the Toronto land transfer tax in the form of a cashback. The TD bank has already taken the lead in this endeavour by offering a gift to cover the cost of the tax ($15,000 or 1.5% of the mortgage amount, whichever is less) for customers obtaining a new fixed rate closed mortgage with a term of 5 or 7 years, provided deals are submitted

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TRAVEL

10

COME FLY WITH ME – AT LAST

Flying on the Airbus A380 superjumbo, dubbed the new “queen of the skies” as it seeks to end the long-held reign of the Boeing 747, will be the most exclusive experience commercial air travel has to offer for many months to come. From October 28, you have a choice of only one route, Singapore to Sydney, and a choice of only one carrier, Singapore Airlines.

After the years of hype about how the world's biggest commercial passenger jet will radically change the flying experience, and all the heartache of Airbus's inability to deliver the plane on time, the day has finally arrived.

The first scheduled service is due to take off next Sunday from Singapore's Changi airport. The first passengers, though, will be bidders at a charity auction who will fly on the same route to and from Sydney this Thursday. One bidder paid $100,380 to sample one of the carrier's first-class suites.

For those who can wait, Singapore will finally receive a couple more A380s in the first few months of next year, allowing the airline to bring the superjumbo on to its route to London Heathrow in February or March. By May, its fourth A380 should be flying from Singapore to Tokyo.

Due to severe problems fitting the 530km of wiring needed to run the systems on each aircraft, Airbus is having to handbuild the early A380s. As a result, it will be August before other carriers, Emirates and Qantas, receive their first deliveries. Emirates, the fast-growing Dubai-based carrier, has 55 on order, Qantas 20 and Singapore 19. It will be 2010 before Airbus reaches the planned MetroLife Magazine

production rate of four a month, barring further hold-ups.

So, for the moment, Singapore Airlines has the field to itself. Chew Choon Seng, the carrier's chief executive, was all smiles this week at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse as he led the way aboard the world's first double-decker airliner, to show for the first time how his airline has made use of the unique amount of space offered by the A380.

The flying experience of passengers promises to be different but not that different. Forget the scares about being caught in a crush of many hundreds of passengers. Although the A380 has been certified through evacuation tests for up to a staggering 853 passengers, Singapore Airlines has fitted 471 seats in three classes – 12 in first class, 60 in business (all on the upper deck) and 399 in economy (split between the decks). That is almost 100 more than the 375-seat lay-out on its Boeing 747-400s, which will gradually be phased out of service.

Qantas is equipping its A380s with 450 seats in four classes: first, business, premium economy and economy. Emirates plans to operate three versions for different routes ranging from a 489-seat, three-class lay-out for long haul flights, a 517-seat spread across three classes and a high density 644-seat for two-class configurations for medium-range flights.

For Singapore Airlines, “the pièce de resistance,” says Chew, is the first-class suite.

It is offering the opportunity to create the

first double bed on a commercial jet as it sets out to reinvent the concept of luxury air travel. Eight of the suites are beside windows, but four are between the aisles, and for each pair the central partition can be lowered to produce the double bed.

Each of the 12 suites in first class is a private compartment with sliding doors, reaching up to about shoulder height, and fabric screens.

The double bed lay-out received a romantic presentation at this week's unveiling – red petals were scattered across the cream sheets and there was a tray on the bed cover with champagne and a bowl of strawberries.

The privacy offered is only relative, however. Air safety regulations determine that cabin crew can check on the well-being of their passengers and see if they are observing safety rules – such as not smoking in bed, even in first class – and the fabric blinds at the windows of the compartments have two discreet see-through gauze panels.

But Singapore Airlines has at least achieved part of Sir Richard Branson's vision for A380 travel at Virgin Atlantic, which takes its first A380s in 2013. He famously suggested he could offer both double beds and an onboard casino so that his passengers could get lucky twice.

Singapore Airline's new first class enhancements come at a price: a premium of 20-25 per cent above its first class fares on other aircraft.

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

headed business approach generally to the use of space on the superjumbo. There are no duty-free shops, casinos, exercise gyms, showers or bowling alleys as suggested in the wilder hype of the A380's initial marketing.

“The reality is that we are all commercial enterprises,” says Chew. “We must look at the revenue-generating opportunities of the floor space. We could not find [enough] customers willing to pay to justify not having seats and instead having space [for] common use. The first Boeing 747s had lounges and bars on their upper decks but it was not long before all the airlines put seats up there and began generating revenue.”

In business class, Singapore Airlines is also raising the stakes. All the seats are forward facing, have aisle access and unrivalled space, with a length of 76in and a width of 34in making them comfortable flatbeds.

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

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

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

On a test flight this year, cruising at 41,000ft above the Pyrenees and along the west coast of France, the most noticeable difference was the quiet and calm on board.

You don't have to raise your voice to carry on a conversation during take-off and, later on in the flight, it was almost disconcerting to hear conversations from the other side of the cabin.

And despite all that extra space in all three cabins and the sense of quiet, if you really still cannot get to sleep at night, there are 100 films, 180 TV programmes and a library of 700 music CDs on the inflight entertainment system. If you want to to stretch your legs, a spiral staircase at the back links the economy class cabins on the two decks. The first A 380s may not have a gym, as the early hype suggested, but this is ultimately a double-decker airliner and it comes with its built-in stairmaster, whichever class you happen to be in.

By Kevin Done

Beau Bordeaux uris aux To Borde

T ENOI e / A.B t Offic

Bordeaux, on the southwest coast of France, has long been heralded as a historic and scenic treasure. It is regarded as the wine capital of the world, home to 117 000 hectares of vineyards and producing 14.5 billion euros in wine sales per year. In 2007, Bordeaux was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, in recognition of its spectacular architecture.

It’s easy to see why. The buildings of Bordeaux are incredibly well preserved, and make the city one of the most beautiful places in Europe. While Paris may take the headlines for romance, Bordeaux is a city to explore and fall in love with.

Bordeaux is not your typical big European city, with a modern feel offset by an “old town.” In Bordeaux, the massive city centre is all old town. I defy anyone to stroll through Bordeaux and find anything that doesn’t make them think of the days of King Louis XIV.

MetroLife Magazine

The most beautiful city in Europe has as much character as its wine

By Sean Berry

Must-sees are the Aquitaine Bridge, the Roman Victory Arch, and the recently restored Saint-André Cathedral. You can also find a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Bordeaux. The original Bordeaux statue was melted down by Nazi forces in WWII, but it was replaced in 2000. Later, a plaque was added to commemorate the victims of September 11, 2001.

Bordeaux has character. Though a number of famous architects have come and gone throughout the city’s history, none of them have tried to outdo the other. Every narrow street, shopping thoroughfare, or monument seems to complement the other.

That isn’t to say Bordeaux is behind the times. A new rail system gets people through town in no time. If shopping is your thing, then visiting Bordeaux’s pedestrian centre is a must. No cars are allowed, and shops abound on either side of the street, offering everything from designer fashion to video

games.

The city is clean to the point of being spotless. It is plain that the people of Bordeaux care about their city. Street cleaners patrol the downtown core at all times, driving miniature cleaning machines along the streets and sidewalks.

You might be nervous that such attentiveness means a pretentious reception for tourists. Far from it. Bordeaux’s atmosphere is friendly, and you won’t have a problem getting assistance from the locals.

No matter where you are in the city center, there always seems to be a bar, café, or restaurant that is eager to serve you. In fact, you may find it rather strange to walk down a quiet, residential street and stumble upon a small café in the middle of nowhere. Sit down, enjoy a bottle of Bordeaux’s famous red wine, and bask in the appeal of having a café all to yourself.

The pub and bar district in La Victoire is

especially lively. Head there to have a drink and people watch. There are a few Irish pubs in the area, too, if you’re more interested in catching a sporting event than you are in taking pictures. The nightclub scene is Quais, where you’ll find a variety of clubs and music. Taking into account the Euro, the drinks are not cheap, but the bar staff and doormen are friendly and will point you in the right direction if you want a change of scene.

Though Bordeaux offers many tours in and around the city, do yourself a favor and go exploring. Every street offers a chance to take a photo or simply enjoy the moment.

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

Staying in Bordeaux can be mid-range to extravagant in price. An inexpensive hotel downtown will cost from $70 - $100 per night. If you feel like splurging, the Burdigala Hotel is yours for about $300/night for a standard room. The hotel boasts a glass domed restaurant and a piano bar that serves single malt. Be sure to check online or with your travel agent for the latest rates, as prices vary according to season.

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

Bordeaux Tourist Office / F.POINCET

TRAVEL

14

Vive la différence

By Ann Morrison

The biggest difference between skiing in Europe and skiing in North America is neither the quality of the snow nor the steepness of the slopes. It's not about the speed of the lifts or the body piercings on the snow-boarders either.

It's lunch. In Europe, skiers not only stop for a midday meal, they take time to enjoy it. That means three courses (not a lonely hamburger), wine (yes, wine), and freshly made espresso (not coffee that has been stewing in a pot for hours). And, hey, why not a brandy to fortify you for the afternoon's exertions?

In New England, where I grew up, you put in as many morning runs as you could before you started to feel faint with hunger – MetroLife Magazine

or stopped feeling your toes because of the cold.

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

Friends who regularly ski at more exclusive resorts in the American west say that even now things aren't much better. The food options are limited, they claim, because

resorts are owned by corporations that tend to sprinkle the same fast-food outlets all over the mountain. For a proper lunch, my sophisticated ski buddies tend to descend into the village – to places such as Sweet Basil's in Vail, for example.

Of course, European mountains have fast-food, self-service restaurants too. And plenty of folks pack their lunches. You'll often see them eating their baguettes at picnic tables strategically placed before vistas of unimaginable beauty.

But what makes a European ski holiday special – and for Americans, surprising – is the mountain restaurants, usually located high up on the slopes, complete with uniformed waiters, gourmet cuisine, extensive wine lists and great peoplewatching opportunities. Many even require reservations. To make my point, here is a clearly arbitrary analysis of three of the eight separately run restaurants d'altitude in Courchevel, one of France's most sophisticated ski resorts. (Courchevel has at least six other ski-accessible restaurants offering elegant lunches at lower levels on the mountain.)

At 2,000 metres, Cap Horn specialises in sea-level seafood: from sushi to caviar to giant plates of chilled oysters, clams, crab and assorted fruits de mer. Other cold food on offer: an excellent steak tartare (though it took three requests to get the accompanying frites.)

But if you are sitting on the expansive terrace – the only place to be on a sunny day – you might be more interested in something hot such as lasagne or a perfectly cooked sole meunière, or tartiflette, a $42 Savoyard speciality of potatoes, cheese and bacon.

(You can pay $12 less for tartiflette at the Le Baratin snack bar, which is appended to the Cap Horn terrace but generally serves simpler food.)

The wine list at Cap Horn is extensive, with 380 different entries, and expensive (a 1999 Romanée-Conti sells for $17,218). The restaurant also features a DJ playing rock music from atop a snow-grooming machine, and encourages dancing in ski-boots. I didn't see anyone actually shaking their booty though. As for the clientele, Cap Horn is supposed to be popular with Russians, who make up about 3 per cent of Courchevel's holidaymakers. I didn't notice any of them

TRAVEL

either. The large group at one of the prime tables (the ones with the red and gold armchairs), where a sommelier was decanting a jeroboam of red Bordeaux, turned out to be British.

If anything, the scene on the terrace of Chalet de Pierres is even more glam. There are more photographers here than at the other two restaurants combined, shooting whoever looks interested in having a picture taken – like the older French woman sunning herself in just a halter top despite the cold.

(The photos are available for sale in the village by nightfall.) While a clown amuses children, and a white-suited quartet slithers among the tables singing to recorded American pop music, the largely non-French diners sample olives, drink kir royales and study their menus.

There's sushi and shellfish here too but the better bets are the regional specialities, especially the cheese fondue. Improbably enough, it's great with the local white, Apremont, a relative bargain at $54. At the coffee end of the meal, the super-efficient waiting staff (often serving 350 on the terrace and hundreds more inside) bring a complementary plate of chocolate discs and a glass of the local Génépi liqueur. (Can you imagine that at Killington?)

The action is inside at the eclectically rustic La Soucoupe. At the huge open fireplace, the chef grills steaks, lamb chops, chicken brochettes, foie gras and duck breasts to absolute perfection. Somehow he also manages to scramble delicious eggs (with truffles, perhaps, or potatoes, ham and cheese) to order. The mains usually come with a bowl of garlic-scented roast potatoes and mange-tout to be shared, family-style.

The wines are reasonable, with a crisp Savoyard white for $30 and a silky local pinot noir for $35.

The place is packed, with a higher percentage of French speakers than at the other two restaurants. Skiers happily wait for their tables at the funky bar or around the old upright piano, often over a bottle of champagne. At around 2:15pm, the regulars come in and the music (rock, of course) gets louder (but not so loud as to hinder conversation). And diners keep on coming.

At 3pm, we were asked to surrender our prime table by the window, where our party of four – small by Courchevel standards – had enjoyed the food, wine and view for

15

more than an hour and a half. In exchange, we were offered the brown leather couch in front of the fireplace, coffee and an entire bottle of Génépi. (We had only a glass each.)

We were so cosy, we almost forgot that we had more skiing to do.

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

different, consider this. At one point, we shared a télécabine with three hip, young Frenchmen. We couldn't help but overhear their animated conversation. They talked about the quality of the fresh strawberries at the market, chocolate in many guises, and the best way to make a cake. I wish I had asked them where they were having lunch.

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MetroLife Magazine

LIFE TRENDS

16

Everything Must Go

By Anthony Thorncroft

A painting for a pound at one of London's leading fine art salerooms? It sounds unlikely but it's not impossible.

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

The aim is to attract potential clients who are looking for a painting to decorate their home but who think that a West End auction is not for them – and it seems to be working. At the quietest time of the saleroom year, more than 600 bargain seekers pack the event, competing with dealers, who have traditionally dominated picture auctions, and the 4,000 commission bids that will have been left by those unable to attend in person. Very occasionally, a battered Old Master or a contemporary work painted more in hope than judgment will go for a pound but no sleepers – dirty and wrongly attributed masterpieces – have slipped through yet and most lots are valued in the hundreds.

This sudden popularity of auctions without reserves, even with the top MetroLife Magazine

salerooms, in situations where traditionally sellers would insist on a reserve price below which their object would not be sold, heralds a change in attitudes. “It is a good marketing ploy,” says Michael Bing, managing director of Sotheby's Olympia. “There are elements of a pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap approach, which is something of a dilemma for auctioneers who claim to add value to things, but no-reserve sales seem to work.”

On October 26, Sotheby's held its first such auction at Olympia, selling off the remaining 450 items from the stock of the celebrated London dealer Gordon Watson, who for almost 30 years sold 20th-century decorative arts from his Fulham Road gallery.

There was keen bidding for certain novelties, with a pair of patinated iron console tables selling for £9,360, four times the forecast, but there were also bargains such as a gentleman's signet ring that sold for £12, against an estimate of £200, and a pair of 1970s Italian ceiling lamps that were expected to fetch £800 but sold for just £264.

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

to dispose of all their surplus possessions, the tat as well as the treasures, through a prestigious auction house. This year, Bonhams has undertaken two complete dispersals: the fixtures and fittings of the old headquarters of HSBC Bank in the City of London, formerly the grand head office of the Midland Bank; and the contents of the five-star Franklin Hotel in Knightsbridge, which has decided to have a make-over.

Both sales far exceeded expectations.

Former employees at the HSBC auction competed for dining chairs, library tables and almost 40 partners' desks. Rather than going cheaply, some items, such as a Regency library table which sold for £9,600 against a £700 estimate, far outstripped their estimates, perhaps helped by the fact that HSBC was giving the proceeds to charity. At the Franklin sale, guests vied for a memento of their favourite hotel. There was the occasional bargain, such as an ornate 19thcentury chimney-piece that sold cheaply at £700 and a sofa for £30 against a £250 estimate.

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

especially in its Sunday sales, which are aimed at a new generation of young nest builders.

On October 29, it sold the furnishings of the late Anne, Lady Hollenden, and there was the odd bargain – a Victorian whatnot making £480, about half the estimate, and a George III silver mustard pot going for £156, about £100 below forecast. But the attraction, for auction house and client, was that every lot sold.

These sales also hold a particular appeal for dealers who want to be rid of all their stock because they are retiring or changing style. Estimates are kept low as a further incentive to attract new buyers, although sometimes there is a reluctance to leave everything to fate. Last March, Christie's handled the furniture of London dealer Dick Turpin but only items valued at less than £5,000 were offered without reserves. Once again, by hinting at the possibility of a bargain, the prices realised often raced above expectation – for example, three 17thcentury gouache paintings of birds and insects, estimated at up to £1,500, went for £9,600.

The fashion for everything-must-go auctions has also reached New York. In February, Sotheby's offered 177 plaster casts of great sculptures that the Metropolitan Museum of New York had kept in its archive. They brought in $500,000. Next January it is twisting the formula slightly when helping the leading Dutch Old Master dealer Otto Naumann clear the clutter from his Manhattan premises. The auction combines some “come-and-buy-me appeal” with prudence. There are reserves but Naumann has agreed to fix them at half the level of the quoted pre-sale low estimates (by tradition the vendor's reserve on any object sold at auction is the low estimate).

Bing expects Sotheby's will join Christie's and Bonhams in holding more noreserve auctions next year. Apart from adding a buzz, these sales counter the image that the leading salerooms are only interested in selling multimillion-pound Picassos. And the fact that they usually bring in more money for sellers than a conventional auction ensures that everyone is happy. www.sothebys.com www.christies.com www.bonhams.com

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AUTOMOBILES

18

New Year, New Cars

2008 BMW 135i The 1-series is BMW's new entry-level model. Available as a coupe and a convertible (the latter will make its US debut at the upcoming Detroit show), BMW says the new 1 is the spiritual successor to their famous 2002 coupe of the late 60s/early 70s.

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG The C63 AMG is the hot-rod version of Mercedes' recently-introduced 2008 C-Class, featuring an AMGdesigned 6.3 liter V8 engine.

2009 Jaguar XF The XF, Jaguar's replacement for the S-Type sedan, made its US debit in Los Angeles.

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.

MetroLife Magazine

Nissan Murano 2009 will see the second-generation of Nissan's Muranu SUV. With the vehicle's success so far, it's no surprise that the new model hasn't made a radical departure from the styling of the current Murano.

ed on V70 on is bas g o a lv w o 0 V 7 8 200 Volvo V n. ew 2008 S80 seda The all-n s Volvo's a m r o tf pla the same

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

AUTOMOBILES

19

DINING

20

Learning Food Fast

By Adam Jones It costs $430 to learn how to make stocks and sauces like Alain Ducasse. That's the price of a day's tuition at the master chef's cooking school just outside Paris.

Alternatively, visitors to the capital can for as little as $22 gain a revealing insight into the way regular French people approach cooking by attending a lunchtime class at L'Atelier des Chefs. Founded in 2004 by brothers Nicolas and Francois Bergerault, this fast-growing network of stylish and unstuffy cookery schools has four branches in Paris, plus satellites in Bordeaux, Lyon and Brussels. It has also been scouting for locations in London and New York.

Although there are also intermediate and advanced level courses, it is the quickfire lunchtime sessions that have come to define the Atelier's success, particularly among young professionals. Shoehorned into 30- or 60-minute slots, the sessions explain how to prepare a simple one or two-course meal that is then eaten by the class around a large table.

The lessons are often fully booked well MetroLife Magazine

in advance. For many participants, they are simply an enjoyable way of picking up new recipes. For others, they are a form of remedial education.

In France, as in most countries, cooking skills have traditionally been handed down from mother to daughter. But, says Francois Bergerault, the student rebellions of 1968 helped to create a generation of Frenchwomen for whom cooking was mere drudgery. “It was chic not to do it,” he says.

Now, the sons and daughters of these soixante-huitards are adults in their 20s and 30s who have come to yearn for the sort of knowledge that their feminist mothers could not or would not pass on.

“The younger generation is finding its own style,” says Trish Deseine, author of several successful cookery books in French, as well as the more recent English-language Nobody Does It Better: Why French Home Cooking is Still the Best in the World.

Ms Deseine believes that in seeking to fill the gaps in their knowledge through

courses rather than experimenting at home, today's young adults are being quintessentially French. She has a point. By and large, France remains a country obsessed by the need to possess formal qualifications before undertaking most tasks. “Winging it” is not an option.

When I attended one of the Atelier's 30minute classes on rue Penthièvre in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, my classmates turned out to be a shy bunch. Meekly entering the airy, glass-roofed kitchen, we collected a plastic apron but each remained bare-headed (toques, or chef's hats, would be “intimidating”, says Franois).

The ingredients had already been laid out for our veal saltimbocca: milky slabs of meat that needed to be slapped flat with our knives; mozzarella, sage and Parma ham for laying on top of the veal before it was rolled, pinned with cocktail sticks and fried; plus tomatoes and courgettes for a spiced and honeyed side dish.

It was by no means complicated but

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

But the lunchtime classes are also a way of luring people in to do more expensive courses. Having taken the veal dish in my stride, the next day I set my sights on something a little more ambitious: a 90minute, early evening lesson in how to make macaroons, held at another atelier in the 15th arrondissement.

For someone happy to remain a sous chef at home, this was a big step up, especially since the quality of the macaroons in Dalloyau, Ladurée and other upmarket food stores in Paris is so high. As the class began, a stream of alien technical verbs left me relying on my neighbours for guidance.

But as the lesson progressed, my confidence began to grow.

I was rather proud of the steady way in which I piped the meringue mixture on to the baking trays to create the tops and bottoms of the macaroons – a task that conjured up memories of The Generation Game, the British Saturday evening TV show from the 1970s and 1980s that included cooking 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 was astonishing how 15 minutes in the oven rounded off the outlines of any brokenedged dollops of meringue. After adding fillings of ganache or runny salted caramel, the finished product really didn't look amateurish at all.

The toughest challenge came after the class had ended. We were told that macaroons needed to be left for several hours to enable the filling to soften the lid and base, until only the carapace of the meringue remained crisp. Somehow, they managed to sit unmolested in my kitchen until the next morning. It was worth the wait.

Cours de cuisine: L'école d'Alain Ducasse www.atelier-gastronomique.com L'école Lenotre www.lenotre.fr L'école Ritz-Escoffier www.ritzparis.com Le Cordon Bleu Paris www.lcbparis.com L'Atelier des Chefs www.atelierdeschefs.com

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DINING

there is something about a classroom that fosters unnecessary self-doubt in the form of nervous sideways glances to check if you are slapping too hard or chopping too finely.

My iffy knowledge of kitchen vocabulary in French was not a problem, as the various steps were demonstrated as well as explained verbally. In general, I think people with intermediate French should cope, especially as recipes are emailed out to students after the class. Franois says his demonstrators speak some English, although “it's not Shakespeare”.

My classmates came to life a bit when we were all perched on stools eating what we had just prepared, as school staff washed up our pans, bowls and utensils. I sat next to a banker who said his wife normally carried out the “noble” tasks in their kitchen, while he did the lowly chores, les tches subalternes.

The class enabled him to shed his habitual sous chef status for half an hour.

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

21

22

GADGETS

FASHIONABLY GREAT I was quite surprised when I brought my Apple Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone smartphone home last week. I had expected my fashion-conscious children to be most excited about the latest addition to our gadget portfolio. Instead it was my usually technophobic wife who became most animated. “My friend's husband just bought her one and she says it is the easiest phone she has ever used,” she explained.

Her enthusiasm was only slightly dampened when I told her that, in addition to the $600 price tag on the 8Gb version of the iPhone, purchasers also have to sign up to a two-year contract with AT&T, the carrier with exclusive rights to sell the device in the US, which will cost a minimum of just under $1,500.

For the moment the iPhone is only available in the US, though Apple plans to launch the device in Europe later this year – probably in November – and in Asia in early 2008.

Cost aside, it turned out that my wife's friend had immediately fallen in love with the iPhone's touchscreen interface and the smooth way in which Apple has enabled users to switch from one application to another.

For her, and I suspect many of the nearly 1m Americans who have purchased the iPhone since it went on sale at the end of last month, its limitations, especially its lack of 3G data capabilities or a BlackBerry-style mini-keyboard, are not a big consideration.

I doubt whether the current iPhone will pose any real threat to business-oriented smartphones such as the BlackBerry family of devices, Palm's Treo or Motorola's Q smartphones, but the iPhone does excel in some areas. As you would expect, it is an excellent digital music and video player.

Viewing YouTube or other video clips on the iPhone's big screen, which automatically rotates to widescreen MetroLife Magazine

By Paul Taylor

“landscape” format, is a pleasure.

Sound quality is also good – even though Apple's decision to recess the headphone socket forces owners to use the barely adequate earbuds supplied – at least until they buy an adapter or the third party specialist iPhone headsets that are beginning to appear. Loading music and other digital media content on to the iPhone using Apple's iTunes software running on a PC or Mac is very straightforward.

Predictably, perhaps, browsing the internet using the built-in Safari web browser is a disappointment if you have to rely upon AT&T's 2.5G edge network rather than a Wi-Fi connection.

But perhaps the biggest surprise for me has been how good the iPhone is as a mobile phone. The built-in contact book and phone functions work well together, the phone features are easy to use and the device itself is thin and narrow enough to be simple to hold and operate.

Despite the claims of Apple enthusiasts, however, I found the onscreen “virtual” keyboard virtually impossible to use for text messaging, mobile e-mail or entering contact details (although you can enter these on a PC and then “synch” them over). So if you want a smartphone device mainly for text-heavy applications, my advice is to look elsewhere.

Nevertheless, Apple's iPhone is a beautifully designed device with lots of positive attributes that will particularly appeal to buyers looking for a multimedia phone with lots of that elusive quality – the “wow” factor.

All about the iPhone Does the iPhone's physical design live up to hype? How about the software design/user interface?

Yes, with the exception perhaps of the recessed headphone socket, the design and build is excellent and the user interface is sophisticated 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 makes text entry frustratingly difficult and the iPhone camera does not support video. The iPhone also lacks built-in satellite navigation features.

Why can't I use it with a different SIM card? Can I use it when I'm travelling abroad? If so, how about cost, data access etc?

Although the US iPhone is a GSM device, it is “locked” to AT&T. You can use it while travelling overseas, but you will be liable for AT&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 but fast when the iPhone is connected to a WiFi network.

Can the iPhone “hand off” calls between 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's battery life. However, unless Apple changes track, the lack of 3G technology could hinder sales in Europe and Asia.

How do you think Apple will go about upgrading the iPhone?

Future iPhone hardware upgrades could include GPS technology, improved camera resolutions and video capabilities and faster 3G cellular technology. In addition, Apple could encourage third-party developers to build new software applications and “widgets”.

What about fingerprints? Do you have to clean the screen constantly?

The glass screen does show fingerprints quite easily, but Apple does supply a spectacles-style cleaning cloth with the iPhone.

Triggered by falling oxygen levels, enzymes in heart muscle convert nitrite stored there into nitric acid that can then help minimize tissue damage. Nitrite in the diet comes mainly from vegetables — celery, beets, and spinach, lettuce and other leafy types. Once consumed, nitrite exits the bloodstream and then accumulates and become stored in organs such as the heart, kidney and brain.

But it wasn’t clear whether boosting nitrite in the diet could actually translate into better protection from heart-attack damage.

To find out, the Einstein researchers administered nitrite (50 mg/liter) in the drinking water of mice for seven days, while a comparison group of mice received a standard diet that was not supplemented with nitrite. Then, to simulate a heart attack, blood flow to the animals’ hearts was stopped for 30 minutes, followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. Examination revealed that the hearts of the nitrite-supplemented mice were significantly richer in nitrite, and heartmuscle damage was reduced by an impressive 48 percent compared with the controls. (See illustration at end of press release.)

In contrast to nitrite, nitrate in the diet comes mainly from cured meats such as bacon, sausage and luncheon meats.

Consuming nitrate augments our nitrite supply: Once absorbed in the bloodstream, nitrate circulates to the salivary glands where bacteria convert it to nitrite, which is then swallowed in our saliva. About 10 percent of dietary nitrate is converted to nitrite in this way.

As with the mice and nitrite, the Einstein researchers spiked drinking water with nitrate and then induced heart attacks. A protective effect was found yet again: Compared with

the control animals, the nitratesupplemented mice had greater stores of nitrite in their heart muscle along with significantly less heart-muscle damage, although the reduction was not as impressive as in the nitrite-fed mice.

“This new appreciation of the health benefits of nitrite and nitrate is ironic,” says Dr. Lefer, “They’ve traditionally been regarded as toxic because they tend to form chemicals called nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic. But recent research has found no convincing evidence that nitrite and nitrate pose a cancer risk.”

Dr. Lefer notes that Europeans’ copious consumption of vegetables puts them far ahead of us in terms of nitrite and nitrate intake: On average, European consume 76 mg of nitrite and nitrate daily compared with a 0.77 mg American intake — nearly a 100fold difference. “This large intake of nitrite and nitrate poses no known risks and could certainly help explain why the Mediterranean diet is heart-healthy despite its relatively high fat content,” says Dr. Lefer.

Dr. Lefer says that the nitrite levels found cardioprotective in his study can easily be achieved by consuming more vegetables containing the chemical. That dietary change, he says, might be especially helpful for people at increased heart-attack risk — those who’ve already suffered a heart attack, have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or have a family history of it.

“Our study suggests that building up nitrite stores in heart muscle could spell the difference between a mild heart attack and one that causes lasting heart damage or death,” says Dr. Lefer. “And since nitrite also accumulate in the brain, they could potentially help minimize the damage from strokes as well.”

Eating Your Greens Could Prove Life-saving if A Heart Attack Strikes

By Derya Unutmaz, M.D. MetroLife Magazine

HEALTH

A diet rich in leafy vegetables may minimize the tissue damage caused by heart attacks, according to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Their findings, published in the November 12 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that the chemical nitrite, found in many vegetables, could be the secret ingredient in the hearthealthy Mediterranean diet.

“Recent studies show that administering nitrite to animals, either intravenously or orally, can greatly limit the damage caused by a heart attack and the stress to tissue that follows due to reperfusion — the return of blood to oxygen-starved heart muscle,” says Dr. David Lefer, the study’s senior author and professor of medicine and of pathology at Einstein. “We wondered if feeding animals much lower levels of nitrite and nitrate — equivalent to what people can readily obtain from their diets — could also provide protection from heart-attack injury.”

Nitrite and its “chemical cousin” nitrate are important because of their role in producing nitric oxide gas. In 1986, researchers made the remarkable finding that nitric oxide — famous until then mainly as an air pollutant — is produced by cells lining healthy arteries and plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health by dilating arteries and aiding blood flow. Damage to the artery lining (in atherosclerosis, for example) impairs nitric oxide production and leads to cardiovascular disease and, ultimately, to heart attacks and strokes.

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

23

HEALTH

24

Tips to Keep e Holiday “10” of Your Hips (Men, avoiding that “tire” change) This article is going to be a simple outline of what you can practice now before it is too late – before you start gaining weight at the usual few pounds a week during the Holiday season!

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

Exercise just a bit! Even a brisk walk for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week is great to get the body’s winter furnace burning. You can get an inexpensive exercise bike or hit the gym in the winter if you 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 out there who are diligently counting your calories and trying to stay at 1200kcal each day. Low calorie diets do work somewhat but they leave your body in such a “metabolic shock” that once you decide it is time to stop the “diet” you will gain it back and more. With little

MetroLife Magazine

By Eric Morrison

calories coming in, those pesky hormones will slow your energy output (metabolic rate) to keep those precious fat stores there. Eat 1000 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 love by dropping fat. Imagine that, eat more and lose weight!

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

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

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

3) Simple Measures first (each one should appear on your plate with every meal!)

Carbohydrates: size of your clenched fist when it is on your plate. Don’t measure it before you cook it, measure after cooking if it is not eaten raw.

Nuts and seeds: cup your hand like a basket and fill the middle with nuts. I am 5’9 and medium frame.

I am counting . . . 14 almonds. If you are smaller it will always be a little less and vice versa.

Meats: the size of your palm.

Measure the size after you cook.

Meat shrinks and eating less is not better (Refer back to first paragraph). It should be about as thick as your hand and cover from the base of your palm to the bottom of your fingers (where your ring sits if you are married like me ) Oils/fats: Tablespoons. Yes, I know, those are real measures, but it sure is simple! An average person would have for example, ½ ta-

25

HEALTH

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

Eat as many whole-food “feedings” as possible rather than rely on shakes and supplements. Each “feeding” should include: 1) Whole Proteins. Protein in its whole forms like fish, chicken, lean beef and eggs stimulate the metabolism DIRECTLY. It takes a lot of energy to break them down! So really, eating 150 calorie piece of grilled salmon does not mean that you will have 150 calories to store if you don’t use it! Plus, proteins and fats signal your body that you don’t need to eat more and will help to keep your hunger in check! If you can afford to buy Certified Organic meat, this is optimal and much healthier for you. Alternatively, you may even be able to find a local farmer that can show you he/she at least does not use 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 and crunchy are the name of the day. Lettuce, Tomatoes (home grown or local if you can), celery, green beans etc. Google “Cruciferous Vegetables” and you will get a mountain of different types.

3) Low Glycemic “Real” starchy carbohydrates (one of my next articles will be tricks companies use to make you think it is whole grain rather than processed sugar you are eating). Try to keep breads and 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 vinaigrette ii. 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 farmed salmon. v. Butter (oh no! Really?). In moderation it is fine. A teaspoon on a piece of whole grain toast once a day will go far and it is much better for you than margarine.

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

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

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

Eric Morrison, Health and Wellness Editor - MetroLife Magazine MetroLife Magazine

26

BEAUTY

CREAM OF THE CROP

By Edwina Ings-Chambers

bottles a year are sold.

Most overlooked Youth Dew perfume, introduced in 1953 and recently relaunched by Tom Ford under a new name, Youth Dew Amber Nude . www.esteelauder.com

The beauty landscape has changed in recent years. Time was when a woman had her regular face creams, her tried-and-tested cosmetics, even her signature fragrance, and nothing new that appeared on the market could drive her off course. Now, in an era of countless scientific advances and new product launches, the cosmetics industry is so crowded that brands jostle for our attention by enticing us with limited editions (a solution that can frustrate as much as excite when you can no longer get hold of a favoured “for three months only!” product).

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

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

ESTEE LAUDER Signature Product Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex. Launched in 1982, it is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.More than 1.3m bottles are sold globally each year and the formula has been updated over time.

Bestseller Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Make-up SPF10. This is a long-lasting, lightweight foundation that provides up to 15 hours of coverage. Launched in 1997, more than 466,000 MetroLife Magazine

ELIZABETH ARDEN Signature product Eight Hour Cream, which was launched in the 1930s and originally used to heal the legs of Arden's beloved racehorses. When she discovered that it also helped moisturise and smooth the hands of the horse's grooms, she went to work refining it for customers' use. Nowadays, one tube is sold every 30 seconds worldwide.

Bestseller Ceramide Plump Perfect Moisturiser with SPF15.

Most overlooked Ceramide Ultra Restorative Capsules, an antiwrinkle cream with “plumping benefits”. First sold in 1991, these capsules are meant to promote a firmer appearance of the skin. www.elizabetharden.com AVEDA Signature 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. These complementary products were launched in 1989 .

Most overlooked Pure Abundance Hair Potion, relaunched and reformulated in June 2006, a dry shampoo. www.aveda.com BOBBI BROWN Signature product Her Eye Brightener, for under-eye coverage, and Creamy Concealer, which is packed full of vitamins, helps

www.bobbibrown.com BENEFIT Signature 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 aquablue sheen to make teeth appear whiter, while freshening breath. www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk CLINIQUE Signature product Dramatically Different Moisturiser is the final step in the brand's renowned Three-Step skincare regimen and is set to celebrate its 40th birthday next year.

Bestseller Dramatically Different Moisturiser, and the new Antiblemish Solutions Clearing Moisturiser.

Most overlooked Launched 30 years ago, the Aromatics Elixir remains a bestselling fragrance. www.clinique.com DIOR Signature product Rouge Dior Replenishing Lip Colour.The original Rouge Dior was launched in 1955 and relaunched in August 2006.

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

Most overlooked L'Or de Vie skincare. After the first days of using L'Or de Vie, wrinkles and fine lines are apparently reduced. www.dior.com LANCOME Singature product Mascaras – all of them. Hypnose, launched in July 2004, is the bestselling one Bestseller 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 longlasting liquid foundation that is still successful two years after its launch. www.lancome.com MAC Signature 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 quickly became a supermodel staple; it sells more than 25,000 per year.

Most overlooked Other top sellers are the Eye Kohl, in Smoulder.. www.maccosmetics.com NARS Signature product Nars The Multiple. The cream-to-powder formulation, launched in 1995, is a cream stick used as a blusher or highlighter, as well as on eyes and lips.

Bestseller Since its introduction in 1999, Nars Orgasm Blush has reached cult status for its subtle, shimmering colour that complements every skin tone.

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

YSL Signature product Touche Eclat. Launched in 1992, this undereye concealer was quickly hailed as a make-up essential. One is sold every 20 seconds worldwide.

Bestseller Touche Eclat.

Most overlooked Perfect Touch brush foundation, launched this year.

RIMMEL LONDON Signature product Hide the Blemish concealer. Launched in 1967, this has become a cult product, with one being sold every 30 seconds.

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

Most overlooked Colour Mousse Eye Shadow. Even though these products are not advertised, their smooth texture ensures they sell well. www.rimmellondon.com CREME DE LA MER Signature product The renowned moisturiser was launched in October 2000 exclusively to Harrods but now can be bought elsewhere. 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 and nourish the skin. www.cremedelamer.com CLARINS Signature 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

counteract dark circles under the eyes Bestseller Shimmer Brick compact in bronze – a brush-on powder that gives a sun-kissed glow. So popular, it is rarely in stock.

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

27

BEAUTY

28

TAKE THIS AT FACE VALUE

By Tatiana Boncompagni

It’s a quiet New York Thursday afternoon in Bergdorf Goodman's white-tiled beauty department. A well dressed woman steps into the Erno Laszlo enclave and eyes a couple of the company's skincare products as a saleswoman approaches. They chat about what she's looking for – a few travel-friendly basics and an antiaging serum – but she's not sure if she's going to replenish her bathroom stock just yet. That's when the saleswoman pulls out the big guns: “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 lies momentarily vacant.

“OK then,” the woman says and the two go to work arranging a time for her to come back for an hour-long facial which will include ultrasound-enabled deep cleansing, hand massage and the application of numerous masks and serums. By the time the woman leaves, she's glowing. 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 skincare counter, you are not getting the most out of your beauty shopping dollars. Thanks to an increasingly competitive skincare market that's pitting spas against department stores and prestige brands against mass marketers, savvy shoppers have more opportunities than ever to get their skin cleansed and pampered for free.

MetroLife Magazine

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

Yes, it's a nice gesture. But these free treatments are not usually quite as free as they seem. Some companies require a minimum purchase; 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, recipients of French beauty brand Orlane's complimentary body-slimming treatments spend on average $700 post-treatment. Those that opt for the oxygen or firming facial, spend $500, according to a company spokesperson.

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

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

Others offering complimentary in-store services include Japanese beauty giant Shiseido (at Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys department stores across the US), Spain's Natura Bissé (at Harrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Neiman Marcus in San Francisco), and Therapy Systems, which is sold at Henri Bendel in New York.

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

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

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

For Cristina Greeven Cuomo, vice chairman of Niche Media, a New York-based magazine publisher, indulging in a department store facial is about saving time rather than money. Recently when the busy mother-of-two stopped in for a 45-minute Inhibit-Tensolift facial from Natura Bissé, she made a short detour to buy a pair of Christian Louboutin wedge heels.

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

Targets readers in the Greater Toronto Area with a circulation of 100,000 copies for each issue

Metro Life

MetroLife magazine is designed and written to appeal to educated consumers with articles covering regional dining, real estate, travel, style trends, and wellness. Articles are written and edited with interests and expectations of our discriminating audience in mind.

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