ArcaMax

A Sharp Knife Can Save A Finger

My father was an engineer; a smart and precise man who had his weekend rituals. About once a month, I’d find my father at the kitchen table on a weekend afternoon sharpening the kitchen knives.

He’d have a sharpening stone in front of him set on a spread of newspaper print. He had a little can of oil ...Read more

Who Invented St. Patrick’s Day?

I always knew I was of Irish descent, but I never really knew HOW Irish I was until I got my 23 n Me results back.

Right there in the early results it tells me I’m 92.6 percent Irish.

That’s a lot of Irish if you ask me. I’ve always been proud of being Irish. That report made me extra-proud...

<...Read more

7 Reasons to Diet with a Buddy

When you’re on a diet, having a strong weight loss support system can mean the difference between success and failure. We have a major league support team at Plan Z, but if you can add a personal support network to that and buddy up with a partner, the benefits are even greater.

A weight loss buddy (or ...Read more

Enjoy this previously published Zola recipe and column...

Pop Quiz: If you put a lump of margarine by an ant hole, the ants will:

A) Ignore it.
B) Bury it.
C) Close up shop and move away.

Answer: B or C.

Ants know the difference between butter and margarine. Do you? Our friends at the Pure Body Institute are here to tell ...Read more

The Only Chocolate You Should Eat

Many diet gurus will tell you that chocolate is high in fat and calories and to stay away. But there’s more to it than that. I’m here to tell you that when you are finished dieting, chocolate can be part of your eating plan on a fairly regular basis.

As president and “Chief Dieter” of Plan Z, I ...Read more

How to Zolafy a Dessert

I’m one of those lucky people who can read a recipe and taste it in my head. I hope you are one too, but if you’re not, with a few guiding steps you can learn how to do it.

When you look on the internet (the world’s largest cookbook) these days, you’ll figure out there are duplications of recipes ...Read more

It’s that time of year. You go to your doctor for the annual physical. The nurse has weighed you on the way in. Now you’re sitting on the exam table in the horrible paper gown waiting for the doctor to appear.

The doc walks in the door and declares that you're officially obese. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) has been calculated and it’s over ...Read more