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If you鈥檙e finding yourself feeling mentally foggy and unable to concentrate, you could be suffering from brain fog.

Brain fog brings on聽聽memory issues, a lack of mental clarity and difficulty focusing. You might feel like you鈥檙e literally in a fog; you can also feel sluggish and exhausted. It鈥檚 kind of like having brain fatigue, making it difficult to get through the day even if you鈥檙e feeling otherwise healthy.

There are a number of potential causes for brain fog 鈥� and ways you can find relief.

What Causes Brain Fog?

Brain fog typically doesn鈥檛 appear as a standalone health concern. It鈥檚 a symptom that鈥檚 linked to a few different underlying causes.

A number of聽聽can result in brain fog. Hormonal changes, like those that happen during pregnancy or menopause, can cause it. Certain medications, such as blood pressure medications or chemotherapy drugs, can bring it on. A number of medical conditions are also known to cause brain fog. It鈥檚 particularly common in conditions that are tied to inflammation and blood glucose levels, like hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.

聽can also cause brain fog. Even if you believe you鈥檝e overcome a particular virus or viral illness, the effects can linger within your body, causing aftereffects as your immune system still works to clear out any suspected viral proteins.

Brain fog can even be brought on by chronic stress and a lack of sleep. Mental fatigue is a side effect of stress, and as your brain becomes exhausted, the symptoms of brain fog can start to appear.

Perhaps the most unexpected underlying cause is your diet. If you aren鈥檛 getting enough聽, you may begin to experience the symptoms of brain fog. Vitamin B12 helps ensure healthy blood and nerve function, so unusually low levels of this particular vitamin can make your thinking feel fuzzy and cause fatigue.

How Food Can Help Combat Brain Fog and its Symptoms

Whether your brain fog is brought on by a vitamin deficiency or another health concern, there are聽 you can eat that may alleviate its effect on your daily life. Try adding these foods into your diet, and you may find some relief.

Eat Brain-Friendly Foods

Certain foods are rich in nutrients that feed your brain 鈥� or help your brain operate smoothly.

Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, are fantastic for both your brain and your nervous system. Two particular omega-3s, EPA and DHA, 聽to play a role in maintaining brain health throughout your life. They鈥檙e found in brain cell membranes, and they work to keep those cells healthy and communicating properly. Without enough omega-3s in your diet, you could experience聽 and a smaller brain size overall.

Flavonoids are another important brain nutrient. These plant-derived compounds聽, reducing damage-causing free radicals and calming inflammation. Flavonoids can also have a protective effect on your brain, potentially blocking plaque buildup and increasing blood flow.

Foods with these nutrients can enhance your overall brain health, which may have a positive effect on brain fog symptoms. Try these foods, which are rich in flavonoids or omega-3s:

• Dark chocolate
• Fatty fish
• Shellfish
• Chia seedes
• Walnuts
• Citrus fruits
• Berries
• Leafy greens

Incorporate Energy Boosting Foods into Every Meal

Fatigue often accompanies brain fog, leaving you feeling both sluggish and sleepy. Instead of relying solely on caffeine to keep your energy levels up throughout the day, try eating foods that can combat these symptoms.

Dark leafy greens, for example, offer more than flavonoids. They can also combat fatigue thanks to their high levels of vitamin D, vitamin C, iron and nitrates.聽 that even a single serving of leafy green veggies daily can slow the rate of cognitive decline. All of the vitamins and minerals in these powerful plants can also combat brain fog culprits like iron and vitamin deficiencies. All kinds of dark leafy greens, like spinach, collard greens, kale and chard, are great choices.

Avocados are another energy-boosting food. Packed with聽, avocados can deliver lasting energy that helps you feel more awake all day long. Other nutrients, like magnesium and potassium, encourage blood flow to keep your brain running optimally. In addition to your energy levels, avocados also contain聽. This is a carotenoid that鈥檚 present throughout brain tissue, and it helps overall brain function and can play a role in clear thinking.

Try Foods Rich in Choline

Choline may not be a nutrient you look out for regularly, but it鈥檚 fantastic for brain fog. All of choline鈥檚 benefits are centered within the brain 鈥� it helps key biochemical chain reactions, plays a role in basic brain functions and affects brain cells directly.

According to聽, choline helps the brain create acetylcholine, a protein that plays a role in memory and overall cognitive ability. Eating a lot of choline visibly affects your brain鈥檚 health too; MRI scans show that choline-rich diets are connected to healthier brain tissue. Making sure you get enough choline could help counteract the effects of brain fog overall.

It鈥檚 a good idea to aim for between 425 and 550 milligrams of choline per day. Try adding choline-rich foods like the following into your diet:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Fish, specifically salmon, cod, or tilapia
• Peanuts
• Cauliflower
• Chicken

Other Lifestyle Changes

In addition to adjusting your diet, it鈥檚 also important to recognize that other lifestyle changes can also help you deal with brain fog. Overall, sticking to healthy habits can ensure you鈥檙e doing everything you can to keep your brain in its best possible shape.

Exercise is also beneficial for brain health. Regular exercise can lead to all kinds of聽, including a decrease in atrophy and increases in blood vessels and synapses. Even if you aren鈥檛 feeling well enough to tackle an aerobic workout, low-intensity mind-body exercises like resistance training or yoga are great ways to get moving.

It鈥檚 also important to make sure you鈥檙e getting enough sleep. Cutting your rest short each night can make brain fog worse, adding to the fatigue, fuzziness and general lack of concentration.

The post Banish Brain Fog: Fine-Tune Your Diet to Find Relief appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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If you don鈥檛 want an aching throat, stuffed-up sinuses or any of the other hallmark symptoms of cold and flu season, you鈥檝e got to get聽. There are plenty of tips, tricks and even over-the-counter remedies that promise to give you better immunity 鈥撀燽ut that doesn鈥檛 mean you should use them. It might surprise you, but some of the best-known immunity-boosting advice is nothing more than a myth.

We鈥檙e busting some of the most common immunity myths. Get the facts on how you should eat, fine-tune supplements and adjust your lifestyle to help keep colds, flus and other illnesses at bay.

1. Your first step when getting sick is to load up on vitamin C

One of the most prevalent immunity myths out there? Taking a whole bunch of vitamin C will kick a cold before it even begins, or shorten the cold鈥檚 lifespan if you鈥檙e already sick.

While vitamin C is a great natural immunity booster, it isn鈥檛 exactly the cure-all it鈥檚 often advertised as. This nutrient does play an important role in immune function, and taking vitamin C supplements can be beneficial. But you don鈥檛 want to overdo it, especially if you鈥檙e planning to dramatically up your vitamin C intake.

More isn鈥檛 always better when it comes to vitamin C. Your body can only absorb so much 鈥� and the rest just goes to waste. Stick to the daily recommended dose for adults, which is聽, and don鈥檛 go above the upper limit of 2,000 milligrams per day. Getting too much vitamin C can cause problems of its own like nausea, headaches and vomiting.

笔濒耻蝉,听聽that taking huge doses of vitamin C supplements doesn鈥檛 actually help you fight off illness. While this nutrient can be beneficial for immune health overall, it doesn鈥檛 have聽聽when you鈥檙e trying to keep colds at bay.

2. You should take a whole lot of zinc while you鈥檙e sick

Here鈥檚 a myth that鈥檚 often found alongside the previous: You鈥檝e got to take more zinc if you want to shorten a cold.

Zinc, like vitamin C, can have a positive effect on your immune system. It can help with everything from wound healing to immune cell function. And it鈥檚 often touted as one of the best minerals for slashing a cold鈥檚 typical lifespan to help you feel better faster.

However, zinc isn鈥檛 exactly the cold-curing powerhouse you might think it is. While a research study from 1984 did show that zinc supplements may be able to reduce a cold鈥檚 severity, more recent results are mixed. As聽聽explains, an analysis of multiple studies found that taking zinc supplements within 24 hours of the first signs of cold may reduce the length of your illness by one day. But all of the studies reviewed were limited 鈥撀爐hey featured too few participants, used different dosages and forms of zinc, and supplemented zinc for varying amounts of time.

So, there鈥檚 no truly conclusive proof that zinc will zap your cold in its tracks. It isn鈥檛 a bad idea to take zinc 鈥� but there鈥檚 no reason to go overboard. Large amounts of zinc can be toxic to the body, so make sure you stick with the聽聽for adults to be safe and get what your immune system needs. 8 milligrams for women and 11 milligrams for men daily is just right.

There鈥檚 one more must-remember tip about taking zinc. You don鈥檛 want to take this supplement on an empty stomach. Doing so can cause nausea 鈥� an added symptom you definitely don鈥檛 need if you鈥檙e already suffering from a cold or the flu.

3. Citrus fruits are the only immunity-boosting superfoods

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which we know is a much-beloved immunity-boosting nutrient. But just like you learned above, vitamin C isn鈥檛 the be-all, end-all for your health and your immune system鈥檚 strength. And it鈥檚 certainly no cure-all for colds and flus.

Many people turn to citrus fruit in an effort to increase their vitamin C intake naturally. But while the citrus family does offer a lot of vitamin C, it isn鈥檛 the only immunity-boosting powerhouse. There are plenty of other immunity superfoods that can deliver the nutrients you need to stay healthy even during cold and flu season.

Citrus fruits contain plenty of vitamin C 鈥� a 100-gram serving of lemon, for example, provides聽聽while a 100-gram serving of oranges offers聽. But there are other foods, including meat and veggies, that can offer just as much of this key immunity nutrient. Here鈥檚 a sample of some other awesome options rich in vitamin C:

• Yellow bell peppers, which offer聽聽per pepper
• Red bell peppers, which offer聽聽per pepper
• Guavas, which offer聽聽per 1 cup serving
• Strawberries, which offer聽聽per 1 cup serving
• Kale, which offers聽聽per 100 gram serving

Plus, don鈥檛 forget that no fruit, veggie or any other food is a cure-all. While vitamin C is a good nutrient to look for, you can also find immunity helpers in foods like chicken (which is rich in zinc as well as vitamin B6), carrots (which contain vitamin A) and even bone broth. It鈥檚 a good idea to eat a balanced diet so your immune system gets every one of the nutrients you need for great overall health.

4. Food or supplements alone will improve your immunity

Your diet definitely plays a role in your immune system鈥檚 health and function. But believing that you can simply eat a ton of immunity-boosting foods 鈥� or take a bunch of immunity-strengthening supplements 鈥� to stay healthy, that鈥檚 a myth.

While a diet rich in immunity-friendly nutrients is crucially important for keeping your immune system strong, there are a whole bunch of lifestyle factors that can impact your health. And if your lifestyle isn鈥檛 also supporting your immune system, you could wind up canceling out all the good that food and supplements can offer.

Sleep and stress are two of the biggest lifestyle factors to pay attention to. If you aren鈥檛 getting enough sleep, you鈥檙e weakening your immune system, potentially聽聽and stressing yourself out. Try our聽聽every time you head to bed. And when it comes to stress, missing out on sleep can lead to increased cortisol (the stress hormone). So if you鈥檙e already feeling stressed out by work, your busy schedule or your social life, you鈥檒l also weaken your immune system and up your odds of getting sick. Try creating a calming, relaxing ritual at home聽, meditation or other stress-soothing activities you enjoy.

Additionally, it鈥檚 another myth that exercising isn鈥檛 good for your immune system. Exercise is actually one of the best ways to boost your immunity 鈥� working out helps combat stress and benefits your overall health. Try to fit in regular exercise so you鈥檙e getting your heart pumping each and every day, even if you鈥檙e taking walks or sticking with short bursts of intense activity.

5. Only fresh fruits and veggies can give your immune system a boost

Sure, fresh fruits and vegetables are fantastic for delivering the nutrients you need, whether you鈥檙e targeting your immune system or other health needs. But that doesn鈥檛 mean you should only consume fresh produce 鈥� there are other forms that can offer just as many essential nutrients, and they won鈥檛 spoil as quickly.

It鈥檚 tough to get your hands on quality fresh produce in the colder months. But you shouldn鈥檛 worry about reaching for canned veggies or frozen fruit. It鈥檚 a common immunity myth that only fresh produce will do. Both canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are great sources of nutrients, and they can help you ensure you鈥檙e getting plenty of healthy variety into your diet.

Plus, as聽聽explains, frozen can be even better than fresh in some cases. Research has discovered that frozen produce of all different varieties have almost identical nutritional value compared to their fresh counterparts. And while fresh produce can lose vitamins after just 5 days inside your fridge, frozen fruits and veggies maintain their freshness and won鈥檛 lose any nutrients. In tests, frozen fruits and vegetables were found to have higher levels of vitamin C 鈥撀燼 key immunity booster 鈥� along with more antioxidant compounds, lutein and beta-carotene than fresh produce after refrigeration.

Canned fruits and vegetables are similar to frozen varieties. The produce is picked at just the right ripeness, and the nutrients are essentially 鈥渓ocked in鈥� during the canning process when the fruits and vegetables are preserved. This leads canned foods to聽聽regardless of their time on your shelf.聽聽has even suggested that eating a good amount of canned fruits and veggies in addition to your usual fresh produce can deliver higher levels of essential nutrients than opting for fresh alone.

Just make sure you鈥檙e choosing canned fruits and vegetables that don鈥檛 contain additives so you鈥檙e getting the nutrients you need without anything else. Look for canned produce in its simplest form, with no additives included in the mix. And don鈥檛 forget about BPA. While some canned food manufacturers have begun phasing BPA linings out of their canned goods, it鈥檚 still possible to pick up canned produce that includes BPA 鈥� so take a close look for a Proposition 65 warning label that can indicate the presence of this harmful substance.

So, while fresh is聽usually聽best, it isn鈥檛 the only option for a healthy immune system. If you want to stock up while you鈥檙e at the store, canned and frozen produce are both solid choices. Or, if you aren鈥檛 going to eat your fresh produce ASAP, opt for frozen or canned so you can lock in nutrients without worrying about freshness.

The post Stop Falling for These 5 Immunity-Boosting Myths appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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Improved mood, better concentration, reduced inflammation 鈥撀爐hese are just聽聽that getting outdoors and spending time in nature can offer. But can nature actually influence your choices when it comes to health and wellness? New research suggests that getting outdoors might be beneficial for your nutrition,聽and it may help you make healthier food choices.

Here鈥檚 how spending time in the great outdoors can potentially have a positive effect on your eating habits.

Researchers from multiple disciplines of study at Drexel University have found that spending more time in nature just might help you make more health-minded food choices. The results of their study, which were published in the聽, suggest that getting outdoors 鈥撀爀specially for those living in urban environments 鈥撀爉ay be beneficial for your nutrition.

The researchers examined how nature relatedness, or feeling connected to the natural world, influenced dietary diversity. Specifically, they looked at fruit and vegetable intake, surveying over 300 adults who self-reported both their connection to nature and their food and beverage consumption over the course of four months in 2017.

At the end of the study, those surveys showed participants who had stronger connections to nature consumed a more varied diet. They were also more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables. Overall, those with 鈥渉igher nature relatedness鈥� were more likely to stick with healthy eating habits.

Why Your Connection With Nature Matters

While researchers didn鈥檛 pinpoint what, exactly, it was about getting out in nature that may influence dietary choices, they did draw some key conclusions from their findings. They suggested that increasing nature relatedness, or being more connected to nature, may be聽聽to other healthy eating efforts.

Dr. Charles Tabone, N.M.D., the practitioner at Los Angeles based聽, believes that forging a connection to nature is beneficial well beyond your eating habits. According to Dr. Tabone, it鈥檚 essential for whole-body health: 鈥淚 talk about different pillars of health, and nature is one of them. We evolved in nature, and that鈥檚 what our physiology knows, and any exposure to all sorts of different bacteria and information from the environment around us is super beneficial.鈥�

If you want to reap the potentially positive impact nature can have on your food choices and your overall wellness, get outside! Take your workouts outside if you usually stick to the gym or indoors at home. To improve your connection with nature (or nature relatedness), make getting outside a regular habit. If you live in a urban area without a lot of greenery, you can plan weekend adventures into nature 鈥撀爃iking, short camping trips or even spending an afternoon at your local parks are all ways to surround yourself with natural wonders.

鈥淚鈥檒l go for a walk and put my feet in the ocean,鈥� says Dr. Tabone. 鈥淚 surf 鈥撀爂etting out there, swallowing some dirty water, that鈥檚 something I think is important. Or, just going for a block walk鈥� I think treating nature as essential to health and wellness, if you get in that mindset and try to make it a daily part of living, [is] super helpful.鈥�

An even easier way to forge a connection if you鈥檙e staying home? Step into your own outdoor space. If you鈥檙e growing a garden, you can foster nature relatedness as you tend to your plants. Even a small herb garden counts!

The post Get 国产吃瓜黑料 and Enjoy Nature: It Might Have a Positive Impact on Your Eating Habits appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Lifting weights and fitting in regular exercise builds muscle 鈥� but increasing your strength starts with how you鈥檙e fueling your body. What you eat plays just as big of a role as the workouts you鈥檙e doing. While protein is the go-to nutrient that gets the most attention when you want to create and strengthen muscle, new research is suggesting leafy greens may be just as important.

Here鈥檚 what science has to say about the muscle-building benefits of eating green veggies.聽

Leafy Greens Make Your Muscles Stronger

聽published in聽The Journal of Nutrition聽examined the connection between muscles and leafy green vegetables, taking a look at the effect of a veggie-rich diet on strength.

Researchers looked at data from 3,759 Australian participants over a period of 12 years. They discovered that those who ate the largest amount of leafy greens turned out to have increased lower limb strength. Overall, they had 11 percent more strength than those who didn鈥檛 eat as many green veggies.聽

One particular nutrient that鈥檚 found in leafy green plants is thought to be the cause of that extra muscle strength. Researchers believe that it鈥檚 the nitrates present in these greens that helps the body build extra-capable muscles. When you eat nitrates, your body converts them into nitric oxide. That聽聽dilates, or opens up, your blood vessels 鈥撀燼nd that leads to better blood flow from head to toe.

When nitric oxide is assisting blood flow throughout your body, it also has a positive effect on your exercise performance. It allows you to聽聽for longer periods of time, getting in a tougher workout every time you exercise. Nitric oxide can even help you tackle high-intensity exercises, keeping your heart pumping and oxygen flowing right to your muscles.聽

As the research study鈥檚 authors note, your muscles need more oxygen when you鈥檙e exercising. Getting the right amount of this critical nutrient 鈥� thanks to all the nitrate you鈥檙e getting from leafy green vegetables 鈥� is exactly what your muscles need to increase in strength.聽

So, while vegetables may not be packed with protein, they can have surprising benefits for your muscle strength and function. Eating plenty of nitrates can help you enhance your workouts and challenge yourself physically, which in turn can help you build stronger muscles.

Eating These Greens Also Increases Your Walking Speed

In addition to giving your muscles a boost, upping your leafy greens intake may also make you faster. Well, faster at walking, that is.

Researchers found that the very same participants who saw an 11 percent increase in their lower limb muscle strength also walked about 4 percent faster than the non-veggie participants. Eating more leafy greens seemed to speed up pace, likely also as the result of the nitrate-led increase in oxygen that鈥檚 delivered to the muscles.

However, your walking speed might also increase as a result of a veggie- and nitrate-rich diet alone. Research published in聽聽suggests that, in some cases, nitrates can help increase your performance during and tolerance for exercise. This can help you pick up the pace whether you鈥檙e walking or working out.

How to Get More Muscle-Friendly Greens

Now that you鈥檝e discovered just how much potential leafy greens hold for your muscles, you can put this scientific knowledge to use. Add more leafy greens to your meals, making foods like kale, spinach, arugula, collard greens and chard the centerpiece of your plate.

While leafy green vegetables of any kind should do the trick, it鈥檚 a good idea to aim for balance and variety. Leafy greens can make up at least one of your servings of vegetables each day. You can round out your meals with other types of veggies, along with other nutrient-rich foods that offer protein, fiber and plenty of vitamins and minerals.聽聽

As you focus on incorporating more greens into your diet, it鈥檚 also important to continue exercising regularly. The effects of strength training and building muscle the traditional way can鈥檛 be replicated by veggies alone. Fine-tuning the foods you鈥檙e eating and your exercises can offer the biggest boost of strength as you build muscle.

The post This St. Patrick鈥檚 Day (and Every Day), Eat More Greens 鈥攁nd Build Muscle appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Upcycled certified packaged foods, root-to-stem cooking, at-home composting 鈥撀爄t鈥檚 all part of the effort to . One particular kind of food waste, banana peels, has recently been repurposed into a new kind of flour. In addition to being a potential way to 鈥渞ecycle鈥� common food waste, this new peel-based flour may also carry a whole host of nutritional benefits, infusing items like cookies with healthful essentials.聽

Here鈥檚 how researchers are turning would-be trash or compost material into a handy, healthful potential baking ingredient.聽

Banana Peels Can Become a Nutrient-Dense Flour

While the fibrous peel of a banana is seemingly inedible, it鈥檚 actually quite nutrient-rich. , the peels alone contain potassium, fiber, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fats. However, it鈥檚 not exactly the easiest part of the banana to use when cooking or baking.

But researchers are trying to do exactly that: Turn banana peels into a convenient, nutritious ingredient anyone can use. A 2022 report published in suggests that incorporating those peels into baked goods in place of traditional flours can have a beneficial effect.

In this report, scientists took banana peels, blanched them, then dried and ground them into a fine powder. They mixed that powder with ingredients like butter, skimmed milk powder, powdered sugar, and wheat flour. From there, they used the banana peel flour just like any other, creating batches of sugar cookies to test its flavor profile, texture, and nutritional values.聽

The biggest difference between traditional flour varieties and this peel-based flour? It wasn鈥檛 the taste, but rather the nutritional profile of the sweet treats.聽

The cookies made with banana peel flour were more nutrient-rich. They featured less fat and protein, and they contained more fiber, magnesium, and potassium. These 鈥渦pcycled鈥� cookies also included higher amounts of phenols and more antioxidant activity compared to typical cookies.聽

Just a Little Banana Peel Can Make a Difference

In their test baking, researchers tried out different amounts of banana peel flour. The cookies consisted of anywhere from 0 to 15 percent flour. 15 percent banana peel flour led to harder, browner cookies with a lot of fiber. However, with just 7.5 percent banana peel flour, the texture and taste were pretty similar to 鈥渘ormal鈥� sugar cookies 鈥撀燼nd it still created more nutritious final products.聽

As a result, the researchers suggested that baked goods made with even just a small amount of banana peel flour could make a difference in how nutritious store-bought cookies are.聽

Where to Find Banana Peel Flour

If you鈥檙e ready to start baking with banana peel flour at home, unfortunately it鈥檚 not yet readily available. This study was merely an initial test run, examining different amounts of the new flour and how it might be able to be incorporated into foods (specifically, cookies). So, you won鈥檛 find banana peel flour at your local grocery store just yet.

The post The Secret to Healthful Cookies? Research Says It May Be Banana Peels. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Amazon Prime Day has arrived, and with it, a bunch of low prices on outdoor cooking products. Whether you鈥檙e looking to stock your camping kitchen with convenient, portable tools or upgrade existing gear, there are deals to be found on everything from backpacking-friendly stoves to camp cookware.

Here are our picks for the best outdoor cooking gear available this Prime Day. Not a Prime member? Sign up for a free 30-day trial .

Coleman Gas Camping Grill/Stove ($90)

This is discounted from its regular retail price by 41 percent. The foldable appliance provides you with two adjustable burners that can operate as a stove or a grill鈥搊r you can use both functions at the same time. With 130 square inches of cooking surface, it fits a 10-inch pan and is easy to start thanks to a push-button ignition and wind-blocking panels. And when hooked up to a 16.4-ounce propane cylinder, it鈥檒l provide you with one hour of cooking time.

Coleman Classic Backpacking Stove ($19.30)

Another low-priced option is discounted 36 percent off for Prime Day. With a foldable design and clocking in at just 6.7 ounces, it fits right into your pack so you can create a cooking surface anywhere outdoors. It鈥檒l provide up to 10,000 BTUs of cooking power and can boil water in just over three minutes flat.

Energizer LED Headlamps (from $12.79)

Don鈥檛 find yourself cooking in the dark鈥揵oth the ($14.71) and the ($12.79) are discounted significantly for Prime Day. Both the battery-powered and rechargeable models are powered by bright LEDs for longevity, efficiency, and great illumination.

Solo Stove Ranger Portable Outdoor Fire Pit ($249.94)

Create a smokeless DIY campfire鈥搊r cooking fire鈥搘ith this pit from 国产吃瓜黑料-favorite Solo Stove. Discounted to $249.94, the 18-pound Ranger is compact, portable, and burns wood efficiently thanks to its smart double-walled design and oxygen vents meant to naturally feed the fire while it鈥檚 lit.

RTIC Hard Cooler 45 Quart Ice Chest ($250)

The toughest, most capable coolers rarely see deep discounts鈥攗ntil now. The is reduced 24 percent from its usual price. Featuring three inches of foam insulation and heavy-duty rope handles, it鈥檒l stand up to wear and tear. Inside, there鈥檚 enough room to carry supplies for a group (or food and drinks for a few days).

RTIC Soft Cooler ($130)

Don鈥檛 want to lug around a weighty, hard-sided cooler? The is smaller, far more portable, and designed to be carried easily with an included crossbody or shoulder strap. The 30-can cooler is generously roomy鈥攁nd nicely marked down 26 percent from its regular price. It can keep whatever鈥檚 inside sweat-free and cool for up to 24 hours.

Lodge Cast Iron Dual Handle Pan, 12 Inch ($24.90)

There鈥檚 really no better way to cook over a campfire than with a cast iron pan. This is durable and versatile: use it to sear, bake, braise, saute, or fry. It鈥檚 built brutally tough, which means it鈥檚 able to survive the high heat of your campfire cooking or your oven at home. Plus, with time and use, it鈥檒l become well-seasoned and even better to cook with.

Stansport Camping Accessories (from $5.59)

Set up your camp kitchen with on sale from Stansport. From a ($24.60) to a ($24.79) and a collapsible ($19.19), you can grab everything you need to start cooking鈥攁nd clean up when you鈥檙e ready to head home.

Stanley 国产吃瓜黑料 All-in-One French Press Coffee Maker ($19)

This might look simple, but it鈥檚 a surprisingly versatile cooking tool. You can boil liquids, brew a cup of coffee, and heat it over a campfire. It鈥檚 small enough to fit into a backpack but roomy enough to hold 32 ounces. Carry a serving of your favorite coffee grounds inside for easy packing.

Stanley Base Camp Cook Set ($57.80)

Pack everything you need in one durable container, and you鈥檒l never forget a vital piece of camp cooking gear again. This contains cookware as well as serving supplies for up to four people, including a 7-inch frying pan, a cutting board, sporks, and a 5-liter pot. Everything fits inside the pot and secures shut with a locking bungee. Bonus: the stainless steel construction is scratch- and rust-proof.

Stanley 国产吃瓜黑料 Stay Hot Camp Crock ($47.17)

Keep meals at serving temperature (and food-safe) with this vacuum-insulated 3-quart stainless steel pot. Double-walled with a leak-proof locking lid, you鈥檒l be able to confidently carry both liquids and solids inside.

Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill ($127.50)

This compact, travel-ready weighs just over two pounds and has porcelain-enameled grates and a 5,500 BTU burner. There鈥檚 just enough space to cook for four to six people, plus a telescoping stand allows you to set your grill at the perfect height for any outdoor environment.

Meater Plus Smart Meat Thermometer ($79.95)

Smarter than your average kitchen thermometer, this has Bluetooth capability and a smartphone app that lets you monitor what鈥檚 cooking within a 165-foot distance. It features dual temperature sensors, a guided cook system, and the ability to set up custom alerts and notifications.

Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared Gas Grill ($360)

With a sleek stainless steel exterior and efficient TRU-infrared cooking technology, this dispenses even heat and prevents problematic flare-ups. It provides 450 square inches of cooking space atop porcelain-coated grates, which are rust-resistant and easy to clean, and includes a swing-away warming rack.

Traeger Grills Pro Series 780 ($849.95)

Another 国产吃瓜黑料 favorite, the , is now more than $100 off. Get the wood-fired taste you love, plus all of the perks of smart cooking technology, thanks to precision temperature control and WiFire technology that links to your home WiFi and the Traeger app. Plus, you鈥檒l be able to grill, smoke, bake, roast, and barbecue for a crowd with 780 square inches of cooking space.

Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Devices (from $23.98)

Cooking outdoors also means swatting away mosquitoes, but these handy, sleek devices help keep pests at bay. We鈥檙e eyeing the mosquito repellent , which add a little ambiance to your outdoor patio or backyard, as well as the rechargeable mosquito .

Land Guard Galvanized Raised Garden Bed Kit ($56)

Create your own thriving veggie garden with this made out of double-layered galvanized metal sheet. It takes just five minutes to set up, and its open base gives you plenty of room (and aeration) to protect plants from seed to food. You鈥檒l get 7.14 cubic feet of room to grow your favorite herbs, vegetables, flowers, and more.

Alitade LED Outdoor String Lights ($19.83)

Brighten up your backyard and add a little ambiance with this set of waterproof, shatterproof, and energy-efficient LED outdoor string lights. The bistro-styled bulbs can survive all kinds of outdoor weather, emitting a nice, warm white light that lasts up to 30,000 hours.

Walker Edison Outdoor Wood Patio Furniture Set ($893)

Entertain a crowd in your backyard with this made out of solid acacia wood. It includes a total of seven pieces: four chairs and a dining table that can extend to fit six people. The wood is naturally primed for plenty of outdoor elements, and maintaining it is as easy as applying teak oil every so often.

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It鈥檚 usually a good bet that a canned wine won鈥檛 measure up to its bottled siblings鈥攗ntil now. In recent years, canned wine has risen not only in quality but also in popularity: the canned-wine market was , and it鈥檚 poised to continue growing. Perfectly portable and easy to chill, these canned bevs make enjoying a glass of wine possible pretty much anywhere.

Another perk: it鈥檚 better for the environment. Traditional glass wine bottles are tough to recycle, and they aren鈥檛 always accepted at your local recycling center like cans. Andrea Morris, beverage director of the renowned Union Square Cafe in New York City and an advanced sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, says that canned wines are also significantly lighter in weight, which reduces their impact on the environment when shipped. 鈥淗eavy bottled wine wastes so much fuel,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he weight in a truck going across the country is far greater.鈥�

Here, Morris gave us some tips for choosing the best canned wine鈥攁nd some of her favorite brands.

How to Shop for Canned Wine

鈥淐anned wine is definitely, I would say, more of a New World trend for American wines,鈥� Morris says. 鈥淎 lot of the conversation around 鈥業s canned wine a good thing?鈥� is almost exactly the same as the conversation people were having around screw caps ten years ago.鈥�

But which wines work best in a can? 鈥淎 fresh wine you鈥檙e gonna drink right now, like 2021 sauvignon blancs, wines that are not trying to age,鈥� Morris says. She also suggests seeking out other fresh varieties, like chenin blanc and ros茅. 鈥淐ans are really great for wines that are meant to be fruity. A lot of wines are fruity and dry, which I think is the perfect canned wine,鈥� she says.

Still, not all wines are meant to be canned. 鈥淢uch like anything else, it鈥檚 not a one-size-fits-all format,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that canned wine is great for aging. There鈥檚 something really important that happens in a bottle with a cork in it because the cork actually lets oxygen into the bottle. That cannot happen in a can.鈥� Because of this limitation, Morris suggests drinking your canned wine no more than聽18 months after purchasing it.

Must-Try Canned Wines

Dear Mom

If you鈥檙e looking for a true glass of wine in a can, offers it. 鈥淭hese cans are adorable,鈥� Morris says. 鈥淚 like that they are smaller than many cans, at six ounces, which is great for portion control.鈥� With four wines to choose from (sparkling, ros茅, red, and white ), Oregon-based Dear Mom produces classically styled premium wines at sustainable vineyards.

Leitz

There鈥檚 just one canned variety in the entire , a crisp and juicy Riesling. 鈥淭his one is off-dry but certainly low alcohol by volume as well, and delicious,鈥� Morris says. The company also focuses on sustainable farming, so this pick is extra eco-friendly.

Wild Arc

If you鈥檙e looking for low-intervention canned wine, is a great choice. This biodynamic, permaculture-focused New York farm is all about natural, sustainable food systems. And Wild Arc鈥檚 wines have some standout personality. 鈥淭hese are super-funky, definitely for the natural-wine set. They also tend to be lower in alcohol,鈥� Morris says.

The post Canned Wines Are a Thing. These Are the Best for Your Summer 国产吃瓜黑料s. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 time to start thinking about low-alcohol cocktails鈥攁nd even alcohol-free sips鈥攊n a whole new light. Enjoying a lightened-up drink can be just as relaxing, socially invigorating, and, yes, even delicious as the real thing, according to Natasha David, craft-cocktail veteran of New York鈥檚 Nitecap bar.

In her new book, ($27), David fills page after page with gorgeous, low- and no-alcohol drinks, introducing a new way to think about mixing cocktails. 鈥淎peritif-style or low-alcohol-by-volume-style cocktails are what I enjoy the most,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a category of cocktails that lives in a pretty narrow framework, when in fact there are so many incredible low-ABV spirits. What drew me to this concept was to show how vast and versatile this world can be. Low-ABV cocktails aren鈥檛 just for those that love a delicious Aperol spritz, but also for those who enjoy sipping on a martini or whiskey sour.鈥�

If you鈥檙e making low-alcohol or alcohol-free sips for the first time at home, David suggests tinkering with the ingredients. 鈥淧ick a classic cocktail that you really like鈥攕ay, a margarita鈥攁nd instead of using two ounces of tequila, split the base with a vermouth or dry sherry,鈥� she says.

David is also a fan of a key addition: liqueurs. 鈥淚 love liqueurs,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think of them as I would think of seasoning in cooking. A little teaspoon of some sort of herbal liqueur or well-made fruit brandy can completely transform a drink.鈥�

David鈥檚 recipes are particularly great to mix when you鈥檙e hosting a party or other gathering. 鈥淭here is something so magical about drinking with a group of friends. There鈥檚 a certain spontaneity to cocktails in a social setting,鈥� David says. Here, David shares a refreshing cocktail from Drink Lightly that鈥檚 perfect for summer hangouts.

Dreaming in Pink

Serves one

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 5 ounces fresh watermelon juice
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• salt and lime for garnish

Instructions

Gently muddle the basil leaves at the bottom of a glass. In a shaker, combine the watermelon juice, rice vinegar, and the muddled basil leaves. Add ice and shake. Strain into a smoked salt-rimmed highball glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a fresh basil bouquet. Serve with a straw.

Reprinted with permission from Drink Lightly. Copyright 漏 2022 by Natasha David. Photographs copyright 漏 2022 Kristin Teig. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

The post Looking for the Perfect No-Alcohol Summer Cocktail? Read This Book. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There are plenty of buzzwords surrounding wine: organic, natural, and, yes, even clean. But does that word hold any real meaning? And, more importantly, can wine really be clean?

Andrea Morris, beverage director of the renowned Union Square Cafe in New York and an advanced sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, explains that there鈥檚 really no such thing as 鈥渃lean鈥� or 鈥渦nprocessed鈥� wine. 鈥淭he word 鈥榩rocessed鈥� is such a tricky word because, at the end of the day, making wine is a process,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think using 鈥榣ow-intervention鈥� is more useful.鈥�

All wines, Morris explains, require some level of intervention. But the winemaking process isn鈥檛 solely about additives, ingredients, or even the grapes themselves. It involves how grapes are cultivated and harvested and what practices are in place at any given vineyard. 鈥淎ny great winemaker is going to tell you that great wine is made in the vineyard rather than the winery,鈥� Morris says. 鈥淎t the end of the day, I think the discussion about clean wine really has to be a discussion of what鈥檚 going on in the vineyard and not just in the bottle in the winery.鈥� Low-intervention wines made with organic grapes are typically free of fillers, extracts, and coloring agents, according to Morris. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e starting with these beautiful, well-tended-to grapes, you鈥檙e not going to add a bunch of extracts.鈥�

Below, Morris shares some of her favorite low-intervention wines to pack for picnics, beach days, and sunny summer get-togethers.

Hope Well Chenin Blanc

Created by winemaker Mimi Casteel at Hope Well in Willamette Valley, Oregon, this chenin blanc聽is a total treat. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just delicious, super refreshing,鈥� Morris says. Casteel has a background in forestry and agriculture, so this is a wine that鈥檚 intimately tied to the land the grapes are grown on. According to Morris, Hope Well is a leader in the regenerative-farming movement, making this chenin blanc a sustainable pick, too.

Pair with:

Mas Jullien Coteaux du Languedoc Ros茅

Morris considers this darker-hued ros茅 from the Languedoc region of France a great value. She says it鈥檚 鈥渟lightly funkier鈥� than other ros茅s in all the best ways, and comes from a winemaker that鈥檚 a standout when it comes to organic grapes and low-intervention practices. Plus, its fuller body makes it a perfect alfresco sip. 鈥淚t can stand up to whatever you bring on your picnic,鈥� Morris says.

Pair with:

Aslina Sauvignon Blanc

If you鈥檙e searching for a rock-star white wine, this South African sauvignon blanc delivers both in its delicious flavor profile and its impressive background. Winemaker Ntsiki Biyela first launched Aslina Wines in 2016, and though she鈥檚 something of a newcomer, her wines are already well regarded. 鈥淪he鈥檚 actually the first woman of color to have her own winery in South Africa, which is incredible,鈥� Morris says.

Pair with:

Camille M茅linand Chiroubles

You鈥檝e got to try this wine on a warm afternoon or evening. 鈥淚 always love Beaujolais in the spring, and it tends to be very low-intervention,鈥� Morris says. 鈥淐amille M茅linand is doing great things.鈥� M茅linand, who handcrafts small amounts of wine from vineyards in Fleurie and Chiroubles, comes from a family of wine growers and focuses on natural farming and production methods.

Pair with:

Maker Pinot Noir

This red wine created by the woman-owned Handley Cellars in Anderson Valley, California, packs one impressive punch in a convenient, grab-and-go can. It鈥檚 dry, with zero grams of sugar, but it doesn鈥檛 skimp on flavor, offering notes of cherry, cranberry, and plum paired with a hint of spice. Plus, this award-winning pinot is organically farmed.

Pair with:

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