(NC)—Data emerging from several recent studies on black, green, and oolong tea – each one derived from the same plant species, camellia senensis – consistently demonstrate that tea may indeed give your diet a boost. The findings have sparked great interest, so here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions, courtesy of the Tea Association of Canada:

Q: What health benefits are attributed to tea?

A: More people are turning to tea for its antioxidant appeal. Antioxidants are compounds, which neutralize free radicals and potentially protect against disease. Tea is rich in antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids, which are widely believed to prevent damage to body cells that can result in cancers. As such it is good to incorpo You Asked: Is Black Tea Good For My Health? Recipe

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Holiday Dieting: A Sweet Way To Cheat!

by Laura Turner

If your diet is making you a humbug this season, there’s some good news. Turns out dark chocolate, that decadent confection, may actually be good for you!

Yes, recently conducted studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that a dose of dark chocolate will heed all sorts of healthy results. And with the holidays just around the corner, this news couldn’t have come at a better time.

So just for fun, I thought I’d conduct a mini-research project of my own and get the “skinny” on our friend dark chocolate. Here’s some of the interesting “factoids” I came up with: Cocoa—the precursor to chocolate--has been around a long time. A few thousand years, in fact. It has been thought that cocoa bean Holiday Dieting: A Sweet Way To Cheat! Recipe

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Mexican Burgers

by News Canada

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

1 pkg Knorr® Onion Soup Mix

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) medium ground beef

1/4 cup (50 mL) water

2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried oregano

6 slices Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

(2x 1.5 inches/ 5x3 cm)

1/2 cup (125 mL) prepared salsa

1/4 cup (50 mL) mayonnaise

6 buns

shredded lettuce

coriander leaves

In a large bowl, combine Knorr® Onion Soup Mix, beef, water, chili powder, cumin and oregano; mix well. Divide into 6 equal portions. On a baking sheet pat each portion into a 5-inch (12 cm) thin, round patty. Place one piece of cheese on each patty. Fold edges of meat over the cheese, pressing Mexican Burgers Recipe

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