Composed salads are a great way to dress up the odds and ends in your fridge, and make for an easy all-in-one meal. While I adore potatoes (a key ingredient in a classic niçoise), some people do not like them at all, so this is for them. In place of potatoes, I use farro, a chewy form of wheat available at Italian markets, health food stores, and many supermarkets.

Farro Niçoise Salad

Makes: 2 servings
Active Time: 5 minutes 
Total Time: 15 minutes + cooking farro

Tip: This salad can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or get a jump on it by cooking the farro and storing it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Hard-boiled eggs can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Ingredients

Tarragon Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp packed chopped fresh tarragon, fine stems and leaves only
• 1 Tbsp sliced green onions, light parts only
• ⅛ tsp finely minced garlic Salt and pepper

Salad

• Small handful green beans, trimmed
• 1 can olive-oil-packed tuna, drained
• 3 cups leafy salad greens 2 cups cooked and cooled
• farro (see Note)
• ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved Olives
• Pickled onions (optional)

Directions

1. Make the dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a small blender or a tall jar suitable for use with an immersion blender. Blend for about 90 seconds, until combined into a lemon-yellow dressing with tiny flecks of green. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed (see Note below).
2. Place the beans in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on high for 90 seconds to steam and soften them a little. Break the tuna up into chunks using a fork.
3. Make a bed of the salad greens in your lunch bowl and top with the farro, softened green beans, cherry tomatoes, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and pickled onions. Pack the dressing in a separate container and toss with the rest of the salad at lunchtime.

Note: Some red wine vinegars can be very acidic; if the dressing catches you at the back of your throat, add ½ to 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and blend again to mollify the acidic flavor. If you can’t get your hands on farro, feel free to substitute with quinoa or, of course, some boiled baby potatoes.

Excerpted from Lunchbox by Aviva Wittenberg. Copyright © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Photography © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: Fun Lunch Idea: Baked Pear, Vanilla, & Spiced Donuts With Seeds and Fruit

A traumatized workforce—that’s what HR expert and advocate Allison Venditti says we’re dealing with in the back half of 2022. “There was no time to process anything in the middle of a disaster,” she says. “But now, people are re-evaluating what they want.” And what Canadian employees want most, according to a study by wellness firm LifeWorks, is flexibility.

It’s the key to work-life balance, says Bryan Smale, professor emeritus of recreation and leisure studies at the University of Waterloo: “The more flexibility you have to allocate your time in a way that best suits your lifestyle, the happier you are.” (He should know—he’s also the director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.) But flexibility in the workplace can contort itself into many forms: where you work, when you work, how you’re compensated. “There are a lot of ways to work within a budget to give people the things they want,” Venditti says. “But the days of ‘good job, here’s a pen’ are over.”

Here’s how to create a better work-life balance.

Take your time back with the four-day work week

It was the summer of 2021—well past the one-year anniversary of the global pandemic that transformed the future of work—and the employees of a Winnipeg branding and strategy agency were burnt out. “People were just done,” says Lee Waltham, managing partner at Brandish. He and his leadership team knew their staff needed a break, but the idea of closing up shop for a week felt too drastic. So they shut down for seven.

Well, overall. After a two-month experiment ditching Fridays, Brandish made the permanent switch to a four-day work week last fall, joining Canadian employers like environmental non-profit EcoSuperior, software firm Coconut and Toronto’s Juno College (who could not be reached for comment as they had closed for a week “to give our employees a break”). “That’s 52 days you’re getting back,” says Waltham. Fifty-two days, or seven and a half weeks—but who’s counting?

Joe O’Connor, for one. The Irish labour advocate is the CEO of 4 Day Week Global, a non-profit that is in the middle of the largest-ever trial of reduced work hours, involving 3,500 employees across 70 U.K. companies. (Other trials are in the works for the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Canada’s kicks off October 3.) He saw an uptick in interest in the four-day week about the time Waltham noticed his employees burning out. “The first 12 months of the pandemic were all about the shift to remote work and putting out fires,” says O’Connor. “Then people could start thinking about what’s next.”

The four-day week isn’t the only way companies are trying to lessen the load on workers; some offer increased personal and sick days. But O’Connor emphasizes that universal leave can be extremely discretionary. “An individual’s gender, their seniority, how much agency they feel they have, their manager’s belief in the policy,” he says, “all of that affects whether someone actually takes leave.” A four-day work week, on the other hand, is a structural shift that requires change at the departmental level—tackling meeting bloat, eliminating interruptions, making use of productivity tools—to enable a team to work smarter. And if done right—the 4 Day Week Global team spends months preparing companies for the shift—it doesn’t lead to work intensification, either. Before starting their trial, 50 percent of employees at one company felt they had enough time to complete their work. After the trial, that number rose to 80 percent. Waltham concurs: “There was really no disruption, in terms of productivity or performance. People were happier and less stressed.”

And it can help keep future burnout at bay. “This is something we can do long term,” Waltham says. “It’s sustainable.” It’s also contagious: One of Brandish’s clients implemented a four-day week, and now some 800 more Winnipeggers enjoy a steady supply of long weekends.

One of the main objections to the four-day week is that it won’t suit certain industries, so O’Connor made sure to recruit care services, manufacturers and fast-food establishments to the pilots. “We can point to case studies where a shorter work week has worked in pretty much every industry that exists,” he says.

When workers packed up and went home in March of 2020, they unknowingly launched a years-long experiment between employers and employees that has resulted in a desire for more autonomy and flexibility at work. “Managers have been forced to trust workers a lot more,” says O’Connor. “As a result, the four-day week is a much less radical concept to get your head around. It’s the next logical step.”

(Related: 5 Canadians with Disabilities on the Upsides of Working from Home)

Amp up your benefits

The increased demand for flexibility doesn’t just apply to time. “A lot of companies are moving towards more flexible benefits,” says Tiana Field-Ridley, senior program manager for workplace mental health at the Mental Health Commission of Canada. “Flex packages” let you allocate contributions to the services you need and use, so you don’t max out your therapy allowance or massage treatments while leaving $750 of acupuncture untouched. Some providers offer a perk for employers, too: They only pay for what employees use (minus an administration fee).

These savings might help make benefits more widely available in industries that haven’t typically offered them. Toronto restaurants Marben and Barque Smokehouse recently started providing flex packages for all their staff; both use Olympia Benefits for physical health services. As part of the change in compensation model, David Neinstein, owner of Barque Smokehouse, eliminated tipping and instead paid staff a higher hourly wage. “We talked about the new model, and I said I understand if you want to go elsewhere,” Neinstein says. “No one did. The benefits made the difference.”

Then there are companies whose benefits take a broad, inclusive view of what people might need. SAP, a German software company with offices in Canada, includes support for employees with diabetes and cancer, on top of coverage for fertility treatments, gender affirmation therapies and procedures, adoption costs and telehealth. For Field-Ridley, a robust benefits package is about more than just good dental (though that’s key, too). It can help create a workplace that’s protective. “And one that recognizes it’s not just the work that’s important anymore,” says FieldRidley. “People are important.”

Go on that vacation

Compressed days and reduced hours address the need for flexibility on an ongoing basis, but sometimes you just need a week—or three—off. Unlimited paid time off gets a bad rap, since workers offered this policy take fewer days off than employees with a fixed allocation. “Sometimes, it’s because of guilt,” says Field-Ridley. “Or because their workload is too much.” Plus, with no balance to use or lose, vacations just aren’t prioritized. “There need to be parameters around these policies,” she says, “like minimum weeks employees must take or mandatory time off where the whole organization shuts down.”

Marketing agency Peachy has a minimum—there’s no maximum—paid vacation policy of 15 days; marketing software company Hubspot has a “global week of rest” on top of unlimited days and a “vacation quota relief” policy to ensure salespeople take a break, too. Organization app Evernote encourages employees to take advantage of its unlimited days policy with a $1,000 vacation stipend, provided the break is at least five days long. Streaming service Roku’s unlimited time off policy states that “you can take what you think is appropriate, as long as you get your job done and don’t impact the team’s work,” which reflects the trust and autonomy workers are looking for. “People want to get their projects done,” says Field-Ridley. “They just don’t want to feel like they’re owned by a company anymore.”

(Related: Vacation Doesn’t Solve Burnout)

Know your worth

We tapped Allison Venditti, HR expert and founder of advocacy group Moms at Work, to answer our questions on the value of pay transparency.

Why do we need pay transparency? We’re programmed to not talk about money, and that only benefits companies. Women are systemically underpaid, which continues through your whole career, because every time you apply for a new job, your salary is based on your last job. It’s a cycle. Pay transparency ensures that women, people of colour, people with disabilities— whoever—are able to decide if they would like to work for an organization in a way that they never were before

Has there been a shift in interest since the pandemic? The number of LinkedIn posts that list salary rose by 44 percent compared to a year ago. It’s an employee market, and if I’m going to jump through the ridiculous hoops of the recruitment process—write a cover letter, do a project, meet the whole team—all of it usually unpaid, tell me what you’re going to pay me.

How does it impact employee satisfaction? Pay transparency builds trust and helps with retention. Companies are screaming “We need to retain women!” To close the leak in your talent pipeline, you need to pay women. And if a woman finds out she’s making 30 percent less than a male counterpart—well, bad HR is bad PR, and people will talk about it.

And know the worth of your profession: Female-dominated jobs—customer support or HR, for instance— tend to have the lowest salaries, and this not so-fun fact doesn’t get addressed simply by making sure everyone in the same role is (under)paid equally. Unito, a Montreal software start-up that also has a policy of pay transparency, ran the numbers and increased the base salary for these roles by 4 percent to try to further close the industry wage gap.

Support your colleagues

For many, the past few years of remote work have been a long-overdue break from the racist aggressions (micro and otherwise) of the office. That’s probably why a recent study by Slackled consortium Future Forum found that the desire for a hybrid or fully remote work arrangement was stronger in Asian, Black and Hispanic/Latinx employees than in white employees. “When you remove yourself from an environment that’s hurting you a little bit every day,” says Dr. Helen Ofosu, a career coach and HR consultant, “you realize how much better you feel.” The Ottawa expert cautions that as employees return to the office, it’s more important than ever to level the uneven playing field created by systemic inequities in the workplace.

A lot can be accomplished through clear communication. A 2022 study by Hue, a U.S. non-profit that works to amplify BIPOC voices and visibility in the workplace, found that while 80 percent of responding companies had implemented diversity initiatives, only a quarter of BIPOC employees knew about them. According to Dr. Ofosu, the same lack of transparency exists around training budgets. “So some people get most of the money and others go without,” she says, “creating a differential in who gets access to training and professional development.” Targeted, formal mentorship programs can help over time. “When you have someone who’s looking out for you, willing to vouch for you, share lessons learned along the way—all those things add up,” says Dr. Ofosu.

The Hue study found that BIPOC employees are three times as likely as their white colleagues to consider leaving their job due to the emotional burden related to their race at work. One way to reduce that load would be to recognize the labour performed by certain staff—those who participate in employee resource groups, for instance—for what it is: work. “At some companies, those employees get a reduction in their other duties,” says Dr. Ofosu. “If an organization is serious about improving inclusion, those extra activities should be built into someone’s role—not added on top of it.

Next: How to Make Time for Yourself, According to Science

I first heard about allergic reactions to adhesive bandages on—how most of us learn about weird things these days—TikTok. I was delivered an alarming video of a woman whose skin was oozing a golden yellow liquid after wearing a bandage for a few days. So when I recently saw the same yellowness (among other attractive symptoms) on my leg after peeling off a Band-Aid, I had a hunch about what had happened. How common, and serious, is this allergy?

According to Sandy Skotnicki, a dermatologist in Toronto, it’s not rare. “The most common bandage adhesive comes from the naturally occurring ingredient called colophony or rosin,” she says, which is a sticky golden resin that comes from the sap of pine trees. “Its stickiness lends itself to being used in a wide range of products,” says Skotnicki. People sometimes assume a natural ingredient is better for skin than a synthetic one, but both can lead to allergic dermatitis.

It took my reaction six weeks to heal—don’t be like me. Here’s how to prevent, spot and soothe an allergic reaction from an adhesive bandage.

How do you identify allergic dermatitis to adhesive bandages?

A tell-tale sign of a reaction is if you develop a red, itchy and scaly eruption in the exact location under a bandage, says Skotnicki. But it doesn’t appear right away—it can take 24-48 hours to develop.

“Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed type of allergy,” she says. “There are two phases: In the first, a sensitization where the immune system in the skin recognizes the chemical in contact with it as foreign and develops an immune response against it. And in the second phase, every time the skin is in contact with the chemical going forward, an allergic contact dermatitis results as the immune system recognizes this chemical as foreign.”

What does it mean if skin reacts by also expelling a yellowish liquid?

“The more severe the contact allergy, the more severe the resulting allergic dermatitis,” says Skotnicki. This often means blisters develop in the top layer of skin and release yellow fluid.

How can you treat the reaction?

“Any allergic contact dermatitis can be treated with topical hydrocortisone,” says Skotnicki. Mild versions can be purchased over-the-counter at any drugstore, but a higher strength can be prescribed by a doctor, if necessary.

What can I use instead of Band-Aids?

Not all adhesive bandages contain colophony or rosin. Skotnicki recommends Band-Aid Tough Strips. Also, Patch bandages, available at Whole Foods, don’t contain the allergen either.

Are there any other potential allergens I should be aware of?

“Many newer bandage adhesives are made from the chemical class called acrylates,” says Skotnicki, “and many acrylates can also cause contact allergic reactions.” The good news is most bandages use proprietary acrylate adhesives, she says, and reports of allergies to them are low.

Next: Layering Skin Care Products—Am I Doing It Right?

Renée Reardin is an editor at Best Health and writes a newsletter called Curious Chat, where she finds answers to health-related questions just like this one. Subscribe below!

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to realize that apples are good for you. Not only do they come in their own packaging—meaning you can eat the skin—they are also full of nutrients that give them a huge list of health benefits.

Whiter, healthier teeth

Apples won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple can stimulate the production of saliva in your mouth and reduce tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.

Avoid Alzheimer’s

A study on the benefits of apples shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. The mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.

Curb all sorts of cancers

Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 percent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon, and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumours in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fibre intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Decrease your risk of diabetes

Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. According to the Ontario Apple Growers, this fruit is extremely high in pectin—a soluble fibre—and is the key to blunting blood sugar swings.

Reduce cholesterol

The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels. (Here’s what doctors do to lower their high cholesterol.)

Get a healthier heart

An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fibre intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.

Prevent gallstones

Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fibre (ahem, apples again) to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels. 

Beat diarrhea and constipation

Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fibre found in apples can help. Fibre can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.

Neutralize irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods. People with IBS understand all too well how food can make symptoms worse. (Here are the diet changes you need to make if you have IBS.)

Prevent hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal. While not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fibre can help keep your bowel movements regular and prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom.

Control your weight

Many health problems are associated with being overweight, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. To manage weight and improve overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fibre.

Detoxify your liver

Your liver is responsible for clearing these toxins out of your body. Many doctors are skeptical of fad detox diets, saying they have the potential to do more harm than good. Luckily, one of the best (and easiest) things you can eat to help detoxify your liver is to incorporate fruits, like apples, into your diet.

Boost your immune system

Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Recent studies have found that quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system—especially when you’re stressed out.

Next: Delicious Apple Recipes to Make This Fall

If you ever find yourself, as I often do every autumn, with an abundance of ripe, juicy pears, these baked donuts are for you! The sweet pear and gentle, warming spices taste delicious alongside a cup of tea mid-morning or as a sweet treat in your lunchbox. I use either Anjou or Bartlett pears but substitute with whatever you have on hand.

Baked Pear, Vanilla, & Spiced Donuts

Makes: 12 ( 4-inch) donuts
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Tip: These donuts can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

• 4 pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (see Note below)
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup melted butter, cooled
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Note: Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days and use as you would apple sauce. No time to make pear sauce? Substitute puréed pear from the baby-food aisle.

Directions

1. Place the pears, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are soft. Remove the lid and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool. When cool, mash with a fork or masher to create a smooth sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your donut pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the pear sauce, with the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is uniform. Add the flour, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder and stir until well combined.
4. Pour the melted butter into the bowl and carefully fold it into the rest of the batter. It takes about a minute to integrate the butter, but it will mix in!
5. Fill a piping bag with the donut batter and pipe it into the prepared pan. Fill each section about halfway. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can also spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the donuts for 12 to 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a sharp knife inserted into one comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack and dust with icing sugar. Once cool, enjoy one and pack the rest.

Packing Tip: Tuck one of these indulgent donuts into your lunchbox for a sweet treat, or pack one with some sliced fruit (try apples and pears) for a tasty afternoon treat.

Excerpted from Lunchbox by Aviva Wittenberg. Copyright © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Photography © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: Expert Tips for Packing Healthy, Fresh and Satisfying Lunches

Take the nightshade vegetables or Solanaceae, a plant family that includes eggplant, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. (The term “nightshade” may have been coined because some of these plants prefer to grow in shady areas, and some flower at night.) An online search of “nightshade vegetables” yields results linking them to a host of health ailments from arthritis to migraines. Naturo­paths sometimes recommend that people with arthritis avoid nightshades. And Patricia J. Wales, a naturopathic doctor in Calgary, says naturopaths may suggest that people with osteoarthritis eliminate nightshades. These vegetables are also excluded from certain eating plans. Dr. Joshi’s Holistic Detox — endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss — claims nightshades are related to poison ivy and potentially poisonous. “But poison ivy isn’t even in the same plant family,” explains Barry Micallef, a plant biochemistry expert at the University of Guelph.

Why the bad reputation? Some people may think nightshade vegetables are harmful because they’re confusing them with “deadly nightshade” or Atrope belladonna, an inedible weed that’s also part of the Solanaceae family, explains Micallef. Historically, the deadly nightshade has been associated with witchcraft. When ingested in large amounts, it may cause convulsions or even death. But that has nothing to do with these vegetables. Here, we bust four other myths:

1. Myth: Nightshades contribute to osteo­porosis

Certain macrobiotic diets recommend that people with health challenges avoid nightshade vegetables and that even healthy people should eat them infrequently, says Judy MacKenney, a counsellor at the Kushi Institute, a macrobiotic edu­cational institute in Becket, Mass. “Nightshade vegetables are high in oxalic acid,” she claims, “Which inhibits the absorption of calcium, and can weaken bones and lead to osteoporosis.” But Stephanie Atkinson, a member of the scientific advisory committee for Osteoporosis Canada, says that while oxalates are known to bind calcium in the intestine, reducing calcium absorption, this occurs only when calcium intakes are very low and oxalate intakes very high. Nightshades, however, are not high in oxalic acid, she says. “The alkali contributed by vege­tables and fruits is bene­ficial for bones as it protects them from using bone to neutralize blood acid.”

(Related: Health Conditions That Can Increase Your Risk of Osteoporosis)

2. Myth: Nightshade vegetables contain a toxic alkaloid

Many alternative medi­cine websites allege that nightshade vegetables contain a toxic alkaloid compound called solanine, a defence mechanism in some Solanaceae plants that protects against natural threats such as insects. It’s true that solanine may develop in potatoes, which turn green when they are exposed to light during growth, says Micallef. (That’s why potatoes with green areas should be discarded.)

Contrary to the rumours, however, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes — even the green ones — do not produce solanine and are perfectly safe to eat, he says.

(Related: 6 Antinutrients in Beans, Grains, and Veggies and How to Avoid Them)

3. Myth: Nightshade vegetables worsen arthritis pain

Much of the online dis­cussion concerns nightshade vegetables and arthritis, and the notion that eating these vegetables causes an increase in pain or inflammation. But no scientific evidence supports that theory. “I’m not aware of any studies in peer-reviewed journals that prove or disprove that they affect arthritis,” says arthritis expert Mark Erwin, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Toronto. “There are a lot of references to it, but the evidence is mostly anecdotal.” There’s also no scientific reason to avoid nightshades even if you have arth­ritis, says Pamela Piotrowski, a registered dietitian at the Arthritis Society of Ontario. “Many people have food intolerances. If you start to feel achy every time you eat tomatoes, then maybe, for you, tomatoes are a contributing factor.” But even if your symptoms disappear after eliminating tomatoes, it would be hard to pinpoint that as the cause since many factors can affect arthritis.

4. Myth: They cause migraines

Linking nightshades to migraines is also without merit, according to Dr. Jonathan Gladstone, director of the Gladstone Headache Clinic and director of neurology at Cleveland Clinic Canada in Toronto. “I am certain that headache experts internationally would be in agreement that there is no evidence that tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes cause migraines,” he says.

The health benefits of nightshade vegetables “far outweigh any risks,” says Piotrowski. Tomatoes and peppers are amazing sources of antioxidants that lower the risk of cancer and heart disease; potatoes are high in vitamin C; and eggplant is a source of vitamin K. All are high in fibre. If you do want to elimin­ate them, make sure you get this nutritional value from other foods.

Next, learn why it’s important to eat colourful foods.

Today, in an (almost, hopefully) post-pandemic world, many of us are paying more attention to our health and rethinking what we put into our bodies. Artificial Preservatives, GMOs and artificial flavours? Pass. We’d rather have natural, nutritious and wholesome foods—foods that actually make us and our families feel good. An easy way to promote feel-good eating at home is by keeping a few healthy, versatile options on hand, like a loaf of nourishing bread.

Stonemill Bakehouse breads contain health-boosting ingredients and no artificial preservatives or artificial flavours, so we can feel good about making it one of our go-to foods for our family.

Stonemill has a wide selection of loaves to choose from (like Sprouted Rye, Flax or 3 Grains), all of which are naturally fermented—and that’s something we can all appreciate. Fermented foods have been shown in some studies to improve digestion, have anti-inflammatory benefits and can give food rich flavour. So, they may be a great choice for those with sensitive tummies (and well-honed tastebuds).

Many of Stonemill’s breads also contain naturally occurring zinc, an essential nutrient that supports our immune system. During the back-to-school season, when we all seem to be around more and more people, it’s especially important to look after our health. We can help our bodies fight off bacteria and viruses by making sure we meet our daily requirements for nutrients, like zinc.

Some of Stonemill’s breads also include naturally-sprouted grains, which are a bit of a superfood in their own right. These unassuming grains may be easier to digest and may be more nutrient-packed than regular grains— they contribute essential nutrients like folate, iron, and magnesium.

And yet, Stonemill’s bread isn’t just about its healthy ingredients. Every loaf is beloved for its irresistible taste and spongy texture. Stonemill’s secret? They make their breads using a 100-year-old baking tradition featuring a unique sourdough starter that is flown in every month from Germany, straight to Stonemill’s bakeries.

With eight bread options to choose from, Stonemill’s bread can be used to create a variety of tartines (open-faced sandwiches) with tasty flavour profiles. For breakfast, smother a slice of their Sprouted Flax bread in almond butter, and top with blueberry compote and a drizzle of honey. For lunch? Cover the Sprouted 3 Grain bread in avocado, drizzle on some olive oil, add a hard-boiled egg or two, and sprinkle on some Himalayan salt. And for dinner, load up a toasted slice of their Sprouted rye bread with herbed, marinated mushrooms.

Have kids who are picky eaters? That’s easy—do like Abbey Sharp and turn a slice of Stonemill’s bread into a mini masterpiece. She takes a toasted slice and smears it with high-protein ricotta cheese and uses in-season fruits like strawberries, mangoes, kiwis, and blueberries to create a colourful meal. A drizzle of honey adds a sweet touch, and kids have a satiating start to their day.

Get Abbey’s Recipe for Healthy Rainbow Toast

Ingredients

• 1 slice Stonemill Sprouted 3 Grain bread, toasted
• ¼ cup whipped ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp each strawberries, mango, kiwi and blueberries
• 1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Smear ricotta onto Stonemill sprouted 3 gram bread.
2. Add rainbow-like lines of strawberries, mango, kiwi and blueberries.
3. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Choose Stonemill Bakery for bread you can believe in. Visit stonemillbakehouse.com to find a store near you.

Reddit, a popular online destination for strangers to discuss topics like cryptocurrency and weddings, also happens to be a place people go to discuss spicier topics—like their sexual fantasies. After sifting through countless threads, I realized thinking about something that’s considered taboo is common. Like, wildly so.

Sex educator Dr. Justin Lehmiller came to the same conclusion. Through research he conducted for his 2018 book Tell Me What You Want, he found about 97 percent of people have had some kind of sexual fantasy. And when he asked over 4,000 people to share their favourite ones, he found seven common themes: multi-partner sex (i.e. threesomes, orgies, gangbangs); power, control and rough sex (i.e. bondage, dominance, submission, sadism, masochism); novelty, adventure and variety (i.e. trying sex in a new position or place); passion, romance and intimacy (i.e. connecting through emotional needs); being in a non-monogamous relationship (i.e. swinging, polyamory, cuckolding); gender-bending and homoeroticism (i.e. cross-dressing and same-sex fantasizing); and taboo activities (i.e. anything you’re not “supposed” to do, which can include any of the above).

(Related: You Know Your Love Language—How About Your Sex Language?)

The reason many Reddit users are inclined to share their sexual fantasies appears to be, judging by some comments, because they feel a sense of shame around them. According to Theresa L. Thomas, a Vancouver-based clinical psychologist and sex therapist, it’s common to feel this way because some fantasies aren’t socially acceptable—which can therefore make us feel abnormal. But in reality, what turns us on isn’t always a reflection of our wants.

Thomas says fantasy and desire are two different things. Fantasizing about a sexual act is not necessarily the same as desiring it in real life. “We always assume that if something is in our brain that it’s actionable,” says Thomas. “Thoughts can remain thoughts.” For example, a 2009 study by the Journal of Sexual Medicine found 62 percent of participants had a fantasy about rape, which they actually found to be equally arousing and off-putting.

The goal of a fantasy is to become aroused by envisioning it and not necessarily acting on it, explains Sandra Byers, a human sexuality and psychology professor at the University of New Brunswick. “A lot of our fantasies are based on prior experiences we’ve had or seen on a TV series or the internet,” she says.

It’s common to be aroused by taboos. “Doing something that’s taboo gets our heart racing and our blood pressure up,” says Byers, which is exactly what happens during sex. “So there’s a physiological connection between the reaction to the taboo and the reaction to being pleasured—one can facilitate the other.”

So cut yourself some slack. And use your wildest fantasies to your advantage.

Next: What to Know if You’re Worried About a Smell Down There

This story is part of Best Health’s Preservation series, which spotlights wellness businesses and practices rooted in culture, community and history. 

Bernice and Justin Clarke make body care products that heal. 

With their Iqaluit-based company Uasau Soaps, the couple crafts body products like soaps, oils, creams using Inuit traditions and native-to-Nunavut ingredients, like bowhead whale blubber and bearded seal oil. These methods have been used for generations to reduce symptoms of eczema, a prevalent issue among northern communities, and bring life back to tired, dry skin. 

Using and making these soaps doesn’t just offer physical benefits. For Bernice, it is a way of healing herself and the Inuit community.

Bernice’s mother is a residential school survivor. Bernice carries with her the intergenerational trauma and cultural erasure caused by these schools run by the Catholic church and the Canadian government from 1983 to 1996. These atrocities have yet to be reconciled—not even close—but Bernice finds her way through by creating traditionally-inspired wellness products, unearthing knowledge of the land she is connected to and sharing it with her community and her customers. 

What started as a way to achieve soft skin took on a whole new life. Her body butters are a balm to deep wounds. 

 “As Inuit, we are emerging from a dark chapter in our history,” Bernice shares on the company’s website. “We are washing off the shadows and pain of the colonial legacy, reclaiming our traditional wisdom and strength and reconnecting with our ancestors in the modern world. Healing ourselves includes sharing our story and ways of life with you.”

Here, Bernice talks about how Uasau Soap (pronounced ooh-ah-sow) fights back against colonialism and cultural erasure, the healing power of sharing Indigenous knowledge and the magic ingredient that sets her apart from any all other wellness brands.

What was the inspiration behind starting Uasau Soap?

I always want soft skin and I live in a dry climate, so I was always trying to find a way to fix this. I wanted to go the more natural route. About 9 years ago I started learning [how to make soap] from friends and from my cousin. I started gifting it as birthday presents, which everyone loved. Everyone started letting me know this product was really good.

(Related: Antibacterial Soap vs. Regular Soap: Which Should You Be Using?)

How did you decide to incorporate bowhead whale blubber into your products?

There is something different about my product. I firmly believe that it’s the bowhead. It is my magic. This is thousands of years old knowledge that was handed to me by my friend. She came to me after her brother said my products helped with his eczema. She said, “I want you to try the bowhead.” My husband and I were not believers. We didn’t think it would work—but it did. The blubber didn’t separate from the oil; the ingredients mixed well. Things changed in that moment, and my business took off in a new way. There’s nobody in the world who does what I do.

So, Uasau Soap was born from your own desire for soft skin, but it’s evolved into something much more because of your ingredients and methods…

My business fully incorporates my culture, in every form and every way. I am people first, so I ask, “How can I help? Is there an issue you want me to try and figure out?” So the Inuit belief, or the way of the IQ [Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, traditional knowledge of Inuit passed on through generations], comes from that—we are connected. This takes me from being just a regular bath and body care business to traditional healing. Healing becomes more than skin deep. 

The bowhead, for example, has created healing for my people. I have been told stories members of my community that [our soaps] healed them, that I took back the bowhead from [commercial] whalers. That’s so powerful that I can take something that was and bring it back in a new way.

[Editor’s note: Bowhead whaling is illegal for commercial entities. Fisheries and Oceans grants licenses to Inuit communities within set quotas that help conserve the animals. Bernice gets her bowhead from Coral Harbour, Nunavut, one of three Nunavut communities with approval for bowhead hunting. The entire whale is used and respected within these traditional, historical practices that honour Inuit culture.]

The concept of Nanu, your connection to the Earth and to each other, is inherent in all your products. Your clay comes from a river in Iqaluit, your seaweed from Frobisher Bay. How about your latest soap made with lichen?

I have a partnership with my friend named Louisa Tukkiapik [to make “i lichen you” hand and body soap]. It’s a bartering system, me and her. It’s not a signed agreement. After I visited her one day in Kuujjuaq [Nunavik], and we collected lichen together, I asked her if she could send me some in exchange for soap. 

All of our ingredients [seaweed, clay, bearded seal oil] are medicine that Inuit have told me about. I have often been pulled aside and asked, “Have you heard of this?” Because as we go down the healing path, we start to share more and more.

(Related: The Best Natural Hand Sanitizers Available in Canada) 

Why is it particularly important for consumers to shop Indigenous-owned brands?

We’re always pushed to the back into the corner. We are not being promoted. It’s very important for me to represent a minority group that is not celebrated. I ask people: How much money do you invest in Indigenous-made products? Can you put a dollar amount on it on a year basis? And how else can you support Indigenous? We are underrepresented and I will advocate for my people.

Uasau Soap makes body products, but it sounds like your business is really about healing.

I have a lot of hurt, and the hurt comes from colonization, from the Catholic Church. I am a survivor. My mother went to a residential school, and I felt the effects of residential schools. I’ve been in therapy for 15, 20 years. I want to be seen—where I came from, and my pain. I want to show people what happens when you heal yourself, because you’re then able to do those extra things that people without trauma are able to do.

My healing comes through my business. I want to heal my pain so I can show others this is how we did it.

If you are a residential school survivor who is experiencing pain or distress, call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. Support is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

This story is part of Best Health’s Preservation series, which spotlights wellness businesses and practices rooted in culture, community and history. Read more from this series here: 

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Meet Sisters Sage, an Indigenous Wellness Brand Reclaiming Smudging

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This Canadian Soap Brand is Rooted in Korean Bathhouse Culture

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Sharing Chinese Herbal Soups and Teas, Steeped in Tradition

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Even after years of documenting packed lunches, talking about lunches casually with friends, and answering questions on lunches in newspapers, on the radio, and on TV, I still spend the first week of September wondering how I am ever going to manage to pack 190+ of them (x2) in the school year to come. After the first few days (and a few moments of forced meditation/deep breathing in front of my fridge), I always go back to the same strategies, and, I always keep this high-level lunchbox plan in mind to help me think about the who, what, why, and how of packing lunchboxes.

Who

Think about who you are packing for, whether it’s for yourself or for others, and what they most like to eat midday. While I love to regularly introduce new foods to my children, I don’t ever do this at lunchtime because it’s more important for lunch to nourish them for an afternoon of school than to expand their culinary horizons. Or, for me, if I were still at a particular office job with a strict no-smelly lunch (or popcorn!) policy, I’d resist packing anything overly fragrant—no one likes that person in the open-plan office with the funky feast!

What and Why

I loosely reference recommended food guides for guidance on what to pack for lunch. I’m looking for lunches that are balanced between food groups and that will provide the nutrients and fuel needed for the long stretch between lunch and dinner. That means something:

• Satisfying: Meat, eggs, tofu, yogurt, cheese, beans, etc.
• Starchy and filling: Grains, noodles, rice, bread or crackers, etc.
• Crunchy and fresh: Raw, steamed, or roasted vegetables
• Sweet: Fruit and/or a baked treat

Sometimes some of these components are combined in a grain bowl; other times they’re wrapped up together in tofu and vegetable dumplings; and yet other times I’ll make sure the veg component is covered with a side of raw vegetable sticks and a dip. However it comes together, I try to check off each of these categories on my mental lunch packing list.

How

The logistics of how to get lunches from your kitchen counter into your lunchbox really has an impact on how much the food will be enjoyed come lunchtime. These may be less exciting but are important details of how to pack a lunch:

Keep hot foot hot: Pack hot food in a pre-warmed thermos (filling the thermos with hot water while you prep lunch is a good way to do this) or in a microwave-safe container so that it can be warmed up again before eating

Keep cold food cold: Pack food that must stay cold with an ice pack. Even better, pack food that must stay cold the night before, and put the whole lunchbox in the fridge (then add an ice pack in the morning before you go).

Avoid sogginess: Allow items like pastries, samosas, egg rolls, or panini-style grilled sandwiches to cool down before packing them, to prevent them from getting soggy in your lunchbox.

Freshness first: Separate sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, or any of the warm items noted directly above with some parchment paper or reusable wax wrap, or in a sealed-off section of your lunchbox, to keep them nice and fresh.

Leak prevention: If you are using a bento-style lunchbox that has a divider but is not sealed at the bottom (like the LunchBots bentos), line sections with parchment paper or reusable wax wrap or use a silicone cup to contain anything that could leak from one section to another (like juicy fruit). Similarly (and this I share from experience!), be sure to seal off sections containing salads or sushi that you will drizzle dressing or soy sauce over from other sections to prevent anything from migrating over to the fruit or muffin you have packed!

Make It Pretty

You know what they say, we eat with our eyes first, so presentation is really key. The quickest and easiest route to making your lunch look gorgeous is to inject it with color and texture! Add some colorful carrots, a few mini sweet peppers, some cucumber sticks, and some berries alongside a sandwich; add color to a green salad with ribbons of zucchini, carrot, radish; add a handful of fresh herbs alongside a handpie for a beautiful edible canvas (and some variety for your taste buds).

Excerpted from Lunchbox by Aviva Wittenberg. Copyright © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Photography © 2022 Aviva Wittenberg. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: Fun Lunch Idea: A Cheese Plate with Fig & Balsamic Onion Jam