The Dina Collection looks right at home on an upscale, tree-lined Beverly Hills shopping block, nestled between a “premium” ice cream parlor and a bikini shop. Every day dozens of customers shuffle into the pristine store to peruse its selection of Cartier bracelets, Hermès Birkin bags and Patek Philippe watches. But the real action is happening out back.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to visit the plastic surgeon. Seriously. According to plastic surgeons around the country, requests to go under the needle or knife spike during the holiday season.
A study from the University of Michigan (UM) Life Sciences Institute (LSI) has found an essential oil in cinnamon stimulates fat burning. The discovery means the compound might be used in the future as a weight-loss treatment.
Earlier research has shown that the compound called cinnamaldehyde, which is the essential oil that imparts the distinctive flavor in the spice, can protect mice from obesity and high blood sugar levels. Because the mechanisms by which the compound works are poorly understood, researchers in the LSI lab undertook the investigation to learn more about its properties.
In 1979, China began what remains the largest demographic experiment in history. The country’s controversial one-child policy was introduced in a bid to slow the explosive birth rate of the world’s most populous country.
Fast-forward to the present, and it’s clear the policy has worked. Ironically, though, it has worked a little too well. China is now struggling with a shrinking labour force, which could spell economic disaster for the global heavyweight.
