What you need to know about jackfruit

Take a walk down the produce aisle and you may spot a light green, oval-shaped, nubby fruit. While every fruit is distinctive, this one in particular is hard to ignore. The jackfruit, which is native to Southeast Asia, parts of India, Jamaica, and South America, is fast becoming the latest popular meat substitute in vegan diets and vegetarian meals. From pulled “pork” sandwiches to desserts, jackfruit has proven to be a versatile plant that both meat eaters and non-meat eaters alike can appreciate. Here’s what you need to know about this trending tropical fruit.

Jackfruits pack in a lot of nutrition. They’re high in protein (with 2.8 grams per cup of sliced fruit, which is 5 per cent of your daily value for protein), plus calcium, and thiamine, vitamin A, and carbohydrates. They’re also rich in energy and dietary fibre, and free from saturated fats or cholesterol. In some regions, jackfruits are even being used to treat conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, diarrhea, tuberculosis, fever, and liver cirrhosis. (Here are 12 groceries that are worth buying organic.)

And because the fruit is so easy to grow—a jackfruit tree can yield up to 200 jackfruits a year—there are efforts being made right now to plant them throughout the world as a way to combat food shortages in Third World countries.

At the market, you may see two seemingly different types of jackfruit, but it’s the same fruit—only one is mature and the other is young. The young jackfruit is sweet and crunchy, and the older version is usually softer and tastes less sweet. You may also find jackfruit in sold in cans. According to vegan chef and owner of Community Cafe in St. Petersburg Florida, Mandy Keyes, suggests opting for the younger version if you plan on cooking savoury meals. “We researched and found that young jackfruit in a can is much easier to work with,” she says. (This one food can help you fall asleep—and boost your IQ.)

Unlike some fruits, jackfruits are entirely edible. The seeds can be boiled, roasted, or ground into flour, depending on the dish you’re making. The flesh, which looks like orange-yellow colour bulbs, is what makes this fruit so versatile. It can be made into ice cream, chips, jam, soup, candy, and more. You can slice it into a fruit salad or use it in a jam, jelly, or chutney. Keyes cooked up a barbeque-style jackfruit dish at her restaurant last summer. “We sautéed the jackfruit, then slow-baked it in BBQ sauce and spices; then continued to let it simmer in a slow cooker for BBQ shredded jackfruit sandwiches. Keyes and her staff kept their original recipe and then spiced things up by turning them into tacos the following season. “It took just about 10 or 20 minutes to sauté, then about an hour to bake, and the longer you leave it in the crockpot, the better it tastes,” she explains.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you know that it can be a challenge to get adequate protein. Consider buying jackfruits—and other items on this list the best plant-based proteins—to meet your daily quota for good health.

This is what Neve Campbell wants you to know about child hunger in Canada.

Use a doormat

The first thing you need to know when it comes to vinyl floor cleaner is how to prevent them from getting dirty in the first place. A doormat helps keep out your vinyl floor’s two greatest enemies: dirt and chemicals. Tracked-in dirt means extra broom time. Grit acts like sandpaper, removing the finish from your floor. And even though you can’t see them, chemicals from asphalt can stick first to your shoes and then to the floor, causing it to yellow.

Sweep frequently

The key to keeping any floor in good shape is to keep it clean, and sheet vinyl is no exception. Get the dirt off before it gets ground in, and your vinyl will last longer. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of quickly running a soft broom across the kitchen floor every evening after you put the dishes in the dishwasher. (Are you making this expensive mistake with your vacuum?)

Shampoo away hair spray

Shampoo works as a great vinyl floor cleaner. If you have hairspray buildup on your vinyl floor, just shampoo it away. It works on your hair, doesn’t it? Mix a squirt of shampoo with a gallon of warm water. Mop, then rinse with a damp mop.

Learn low-impact cleaning techniques

Resist the temptation to blast away dirt with heavy-duty cleaners. Instead, learn how to clean vinyl floors using the mildest possible method. Sweep or vacuum it every evening, and wipe up spills right away. To clean dirt that the broom or vacuum can’t get, use a mop dampened with warm—not hot—water. If all else fails, use soap, but make sure the soap is designed for your flooring. (Check out these DIY cleaning products for every room in your house.)

Use the right cleanser

Here’s how to clean vinyl floors made with no-wax vinyl: Wash them with a cleaner made specifically for no-wax floors, following the directions on the container. If you have older vinyl that requires waxing, clean it with warm water and detergent. Dampen a mop or sponge with the mixture, and rub the floor just enough to loosen the dirt. Try not to rub off the wax because you’ll just have to reapply it. Rinse with clean, cool water—no matter what the soap label says about not needing rinsing—otherwise you’ll leave a residue on the floor.

Don’t drench your vinyl

It’s important to remember that water isn’t always the best vinyl floor cleaner. Water from an overly wet mop will work its way into the cracks, seams, and edges. Once there, it can destroy the glue bond that holds down the vinyl, causing it to come loose or corners to curl. (Looking to remove water stains from wood? Try these six tricks.)

Rinse well to remove all soap

Soap may work as a great vinyl floor cleaner, but soap scum leaves a film that actually collects dirt. Until your floor needs a serious cleaning, stick to damp mopping with just water. When you do need to wash the floor, use two mops—one for washing and a second one just for rinsing.

Preserve the sheen

“No wax” really means “Don’t wax.” No-wax vinyl has a clear polyurethane coating that makes it shine. Wax won’t adhere well to the coating and will leave behind a mess that you’ll have to strip off. (Don’t use mop-and-wax products, either.) If your no-wax floor loses its shine, restore it with a polish or sealant made for no-wax flooring. Make sure the floor is thoroughly clean and apply one or two thin layers as directed. It should keep your floor shining for at least a year with only routine damp mopping. If you have an older floor that requires waxing, wax when it loses its sheen, but use only the amount called for on the container label. (Check out these cleaning hacks you’ll want to steal from professional house cleaners.)

Outfit your furniture and large appliances with protective “feet”

The weight of heavy items (such as tables and refrigerators) that occupy permanent places in your kitchen can dent vinyl flooring. Prevent these dents by fitting your furniture with floor protectors, which you can find at hardware stores and home improvement centers.

Forgo rolling casters

These, too, can damage the surface of your tile. Instead, consider fitting chairs with felt tips, which won’t harm your vinyl.

Before big moves, put appliances and other heavy items on a plywood path

More often than not, when we replace or move appliances, we drag or push them across the floor rather than lift them—but dragging them will only scratch and scuff your vinyl flooring. To keep your vinyl in tiptop condition, lay a piece of plywood sheeting along the route that you are going to take out of the room, and push or “walk” the appliances out along the plywood path.

Next, here are 30 home improvement hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner!

Indicators that your technology is spying on you

Back in 2016, former FBI director James Comey revealed some disturbing news. When asked if he covered his laptop’s webcam with tape, he responded: “Heck yeah, heck yeah. Also, I get mocked for a lot of things, and I am much mocked for that, but I hope people lock their cars… lock your doors at night. I have an alarm system, if you have an alarm system you should use it, I use mine.”

With technology infiltrating our lives via smartphones and smart home devices, is it possible for us to truly live a private life? The answer begins with knowing what technological devices you may have that could be spying on you and how. There are also some noteworthy indicators that can reveal you are, indeed, being spied on. (Here are five ways to stop your technology addiction.)

According to Backgroundcheck.org, a good indicator that your technology is spying on you is if your phone feels unusually warm. “When your battery heats up, and your phone is hot to the touch even when you aren’t using it, that’s a possible indicator that data is being sent to and from your phone without your knowledge.”

Another sign is if you have inexplicably high data usage. Hackers using older spyware utilize cellular data to collect information on you from your phone, resulting in a surge of data usage. And, if a hacker is using Malware, it could drain your battery quickly.

If you receive an odd text message, such as from an unrecognizable code, this could be a sign that spy software is using a remote control feature, or a phishing scam could be at work.

“To check your phone for malicious or suspicious-looking programs or files, go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications and delete any files or programs that look unusual,” suggests Backgroundcheck.org. “The problem is that a lot of spyware software is disguised under innocent looking file names, in which case installing a spyware program like Anti Spy Mobile is a more sure bet for removing malicious spy software.”

Why your technology could be spying on you

You may be wondering: Who really cares this much about me?

Manufacturers seek data on your habits to better their products, thereby targeting a greater audience and making more money. (Google knows more about you than you originally thought.)

Security agencies seek out personal information via devices like your Fitbit, Garmin and Apple Watch. “What they discovered is simply by looking at the data they can find out with pretty good accuracy what your gender is, whether you’re tall or short, whether you’re heavy or you’re light, but what’s really intriguing is you can be 100 per cent identified by simply your gait,” said former CIA chief technical officer Gus Hunt.

Hackers thrive on new age technology—easily gaining access to your device via apps, PDF files, multimedia messages and even emojis.

How to prevent your technology from spying on you

Be sure to pay attention to what permissions an app asks for. Ask yourself if the app should have access to your camera, microphone, etc. Choose wisely the apps you really need, and be sure to read reviews and search for any negative information before you download.

It may seem extreme, but covering your webcam with tape and plugging your microphones when you’re done using them will interfere with whomever out there is trying to watch and hear you via your smart devices.

Lastly, turn off location services if you don’t need them. Not every app needs to know where you are!

Next, check out these creepy things your smartphone knows about you.

Meghan Markle’s baby shower

Tabloids have been buzzing since Meghan Markle touched back down in the United States for the first time since marrying Prince Harry in May 2018. This time around, she’s gone solo without her husband. Pregnant with her first child, Meghan is apparently having a girls’ getaway in New York City with a special twist: a baby shower.

To Americans, a baby shower is the ultimate tradition for mothers-to-be, but the opposite holds true in the British royal family. Before Kate Middleton gave birth to her first child in 2013, there were rumours circulating that her sister, Pippa Middleton, would be throwing her a pre-baby bash at their family home. But the party never came to be—apparently because she’d been given a hard “no.”

Throwing a baby shower—which, as a quick reminder, is basically an excuse for getting tons of baby gifts—would have been seen as tacky, ABC News royal expert Victoria Arbiter told the news station in 2013. “They are clearly very wealthy, and a lavish baby shower would be seen as highly inappropriate,” she said. “There’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves.” In the end, Kate Middleton apparently chose not to have a shower for any of her three kids. (Check out these other etiquette rules the royal family has to follow.)

So then what makes Meghan Markle so special? This is the royal family—it comes down to tradition, of course.

Baby showers made their debut in America in the early 1900s, but they weren’t particularly common and were really only for middle- and upper-class families. There was no guarantee that the mother and child would survive back then, so more emphasis was put on post-birth celebrations. It wasn’t until after World War II when home births started going out of fashion that baby showers really took off—in America, that is. The tradition never really took hold in Britain, so even though they’ve been starting to gain traction in recent years, they still aren’t the norm.

So while Meghan having a baby shower would be celebrating a U.S. tradition, it would have been seen as more self-indulgent for Kate. (This is why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby won’t get a royal title.)

Even though showers are an American tradition, Meghan Markle might put a royal-approved twist on hers. For Meghan and Harry’s wedding, the couple asked for charity donations in lieu of wedding presents, and gifts from official royal visits are often given to charity or staff members. Seeing as this baby shower will be a fairly intimate affair with about 15 guests, there’s a good chance it will either be a celebration, sans presents, or she and Harry could always donate the gifts to charity.

Don’t miss these 17 photos of Meghan Markle’s stunning transformation since becoming a royal.

How irisin might protect you against Alzheimer’s

Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen significantly in the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This form of dementia has affected more than half a million Canadians,  and researchers are desperately searching for ways to slow it down. One answer might be encouraging your body to make a hormone that limits the damage the disease can cause. (Check out the six foods that can help slow Alzheimer’s.)

Researchers at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain focused on a recently discovered exercise-related hormone called irisin. They had looked for irisin in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients and found their levels were extremely low compared to levels in healthy brains.

Using mice, the researchers tracked irisin levels over a five-week period. When the researchers had the mice swim daily, their brain levels of irisin increased. What’s more, the hormone seemed to protect the mice’s neurons. Even when the researchers injected the mice with proteins that encouraged the development of Alzheimer’s, irisin blocked the disease. (There could be a new drug-free treatment for Alzheimer’s soon, according to this study.)

Next, the researchers gave the mice drugs that interfered with irisin production; tests soon revealed the mice were developing the kind of nerve damage that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. “This raises the possibility that irisin may help explain why physical activity improves memory and seems to play a protective role in brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease,” study co-author Ottavio Arancio, MD, PhD, told Science Daily.

How does irisin protect the mind? While no one’s sure, the study suggests that the hormone promotes neuronal growth in the brain’s hippocampus—a region of the brain critical for memory and learning. Dr. Arancio says the most reliable way to make sure your brain is getting irisin is through regular exercise—follow the U.S. guidelines of getting at least 30 minutes of activity a day, most days of the week. Besides exercise, make sure you incorporate these 50 everyday habits that reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia into your routine, too.

The world’s longest train ride

Though there’s no shortage of luxurious train rides with breathtaking views, taking the train still isn’t exactly the most romanticized way to travel. Usually, at least in North America, it’s a quick way to get from one place to another. You avoid the hassle (and the price) of flying, not to mention it’s far more convenient for relatively short trips. But if you were to travel the longest continuous railway in the world, without disembarking, you would be on the train for the better part of a week! (The world’s biggest airport is opening this year—and this is what it looks like.)

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a single train line that crosses nearly the entire length of Russia, from Moscow to Vladivostok. It covers a total of 9,289 kilometres, stretching across a huge swath of Europe and parts of Asia. Unlike the longest flight in the world, which just began transporting passengers in 2018, the Trans-Siberian Railway debuted in 1916 and has remained unsurpassed ever since. (Find out the length of the longest airplane flight in the world.)

Anyone who’s taken this massive journey, or even just part of it, will tell you that it travels at a fairly slow pace, passing through some stunning, remote areas of Russia. Luckily for would-be travellers, you don’t have to make the full journey without stopping, unlike a plane trip. And most people don’t, since it stops in some pretty incredible places. But you certainly can take the full journey non-stop. If you do, the trip will take about 144 hours—six full days—and that’s erring on the shorter side!

There are longer railway services in the transportation world, but they require multiple different railroads, and only one of them is a passenger line (some longer routes transport goods, not travellers). The North Korean State Railway offers a 10,267-kilometre service from Pyongyang to Moscow. A single train car travels the North Korean State Railway to Vladivostok, where it attaches to a train travelling—you guessed it—the Trans-Siberian Railway. This railway may not be the fastest or the most modern, but it’s clearly still a major player in the transportation world!

This airline pilot takes stunning photographs from his flight deck.

Chicken is an easy addition to almost any recipe. It’s also a cost-effective protein if you buy and roast a whole chicken instead of buying different cuts. The one tricky thing is making sure the meat isn’t still raw.

Eating under-done chicken, or any meat, could lead to food poisoning from salmonella and E. coli, or other symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, and fever. Finding the right balance of doneness is challenging, but not impossible. One common tip is to cut into the thickest part of the meat, but if that meat is done, that means smaller or leaner pieces are now overdone. (Don’t miss these seven mistakes everyone makes when cooking chicken.)

The easy trick to knowing when chicken is thoroughly cooked is using a thermometer. Test the temperature in the thigh area, near the breast, or the thickest part of the chicken. Health Canada says that the internal temperature of a whole chicken should reach 82°C. Make sure that your thermometer isn’t touching the bone since that could give you a faulty reading. (Here’s why you should never wash chicken before cooking it.)

There are a few other hints that chicken isn’t raw anymore—but they shouldn’t be your stand-alone test since they don’t guarantee doneness. Another way to check is by sizing up the bird, since chicken shrinks when it’s cooked. Note, however, that there’s usually less of a size difference in cooked chicken that’s still on the bone. If the chicken shrinks extremely, it’s likely overcooked. Anything pink is also a sign the chicken is probably not safe to eat. This includes pink meat and pink or bloody juices, too. Don’t poke too far down or completely cut the meat to check the juices. Keeping as much of it inside the chicken will avoid drying it out.

See why over one million people love this chicken soup recipe!

From Earth, planes flying overhead can look pretty microscopic, but if you’ve ever had the opportunity to fly, you realize how big aircrafts can really be. Now, try to imagine an airplane with a wingspan longer than a football field. That plane might not look so little in the sky. (Take a look at how many hours the longest flight in the world is.)

Stratolaunch, a company founded by Microsoft’s co-founder, Paul Allen, created the largest plane ever to lift rockets into the sky before they are launched into space. The plane takes off from a regular runway and once it reaches a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, multiple “launch vehicles” are released into orbit. A lot of pressure is on the pilot since launching this aircraft is no easy task. (Two pilots were flying from Oahu to Hawaii—then they heard the engines go quiet.)

The wingspan of the massive plane is 385 feet and the length is 238 feet. It’s powered by six Boeing 747 engines that can carry over 500,000 pounds into the sky. The launch vehicles are attached and released from the very centre of the plane for safer deployment.

The Stratolaunch plane is set to take its first voyage in 2019, so make sure to keep your eyes on the sky. If only they could start making commercial planes this big!

Now, read up on these hidden airplane features you had no idea existed.

Cork-Sealed Wine Vs. Screw-Cap Wine: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to choosing a wine for your next dinner party or as a hostess gift, you face a lot of questions: White or red? Dry or sweet? Bubbles or no? If you know your friends well, the answers to those questions can be fairly simple. But the one question that gets me every time is cork or screw cap wine better? I always assume that cork-sealed wine seems fancier, but the screw top is much more convenient. So does it make a difference? Is one better than the other? I consulted an expert to find out.

Cork vs. Screw Cap—What’s the Difference?

Before we can get into which is better, it’s important to know the difference between these two options because they affect the wine differently.

Cork, obviously, is the most traditional method for sealing wine—it’s been used for thousands of years! It’s natural (it comes from a part of a specific species of oak) and it does a great job of sealing up the bottle while allowing the wine to breathe a bit. That means some oxygen permeates the cork and mingles with the wine. This can be great for some wines that benefit from oxidization. That process can help improve the aging process and add some nuanced flavors. However, corks can cause some wine to go bad. Between one and three per cent of wines will be affected by cork taint.

Screw caps, on the other hand, are relatively new on the wine scene; the first bottles with screw tops were produced in the 1970s for convenience (after all, we don’t all have corkscrews ready). These caps seal the bottle of wine so no air can get in. This eliminates the possibility of oxygen getting inside, so the wine won’t age-post bottling.

What’s the Verdict?

Of course, there’s room for interpretation with this debate—some folks just prefer to uncork their favourite bottle. However, according to Mick Schroeter, Winemaking Director at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in Sonoma County, California, screw caps are generally a safer bet when it comes to wine because there’s no risk of the dreaded cork taint.

“The wines hold their youthful vibrance,” according to Mick, when sealed with a screw cap. He explains that when identical Chardonnays—one sealed with cork and another with the screw-on cap—were tasted after 15 years, the screw cap variety was as exceptional as ever. “The other was oxidized and just not as good.”

When it comes to wines sealed with cork, Mick explains that, yes, the oxidization process that the cork allows can help develop the flavours, but “there’s just more variability in old wines because of the cork.” And variability and oxygen can lead you to open an expensive aged bottle only to find it doesn’t taste as it should.

The bottom line: “You get consistent preservation with screw caps,” Mick says.

So if you’re a serious oenophile, you might want to scope out more screw top options to fill your cellar. And if you just prefer screw tops for convenience, that’s OK, too—we won’t tell!

Next, find out why pop tastes so much better in glass bottles. (No, you’re not just imagining it!)

If you consider yourself a rom-com buff, you’ll want to try your hand at this fun puzzle. Flower delivery company FloraQueen illustrated iconic scenes from 20 of the best romantic movies ever and compiled them into a single image.

Not to give too many hints, but the films range from a 1940s classics to blockbuster hits released just last year. They run the gamut from Oscar winners to girls’ night in picks, and from tearjerkers to laugh-out-loud comedies. (Here’s every Oscar best picture winner ranked—from worst to best!) Their timeless charms prove that rom-coms deserve so much more than their Hollywood fluff reputation. If you haven’t seen all of the films, you’ll want to add them to your must-watch list, along with the top romantic movies you haven’t seen (but should).

Check it out below, then keep scrolling for the answers.

Harder than it sounds, huh? Here are the answers so you can figure out if you got them all right, and what the answers are for the ones you couldn’t quite crack. If this puzzle was a breeze for you, try your hand at these fun brain games that will leave you stumped.

1. The Shape of Water (2017)
2. Titanic (1997)
3. La La Land (2016)
4. Amélie (2001)
5. Grease (1978)
6. Pretty Woman (1990)
7. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
8. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
10. Say Anything (1989)
11. A Star Is Born (2018)
12. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
13. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
14. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
15. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
16. The Notebook (2004)
17. Juno (2007)
18. Ghost (1990)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Now that you’ve completed this puzzle, see if you can spot the animals camouflaged in these 17 photos.