Spice it up

Back in the day, it was probably one of your folks’ secret weapons when it came to those special Sunday dinners. A dash on the roast, a sprinkle on those veggies—Lawry’s spiced things up in the kitchen. It was a cook’s best friend.

These days, Lawry’s is owned by spice giant McCormicks and they’ve got a bold prediction for which flavour will rule 2025. Riding the momentum of the “swicy” trend, they say the ají amarillo chili is set to have a big year.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are always good too ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon eGift Card!)

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem delivered remarks yesterday explaining the central bank’s decision to lower its overnight rate another 25 basis points to 3%.

He told reporters that the BoC has done its job as far as returning price stability to the Canadian economy is concerned. The bank’s 2% inflation target has essentially been hit and is staying put.

As a result, a neutral policy rate is helping boost household spending across Canada, which had been in decline for months as consumers buckled under the combined weight of high prices and high interest rates.

However, Macklem also noted the impossibility of predicting how the economy is going to behave in the next several months without knowing what will happen in regards to American tariffs.

“U.S. trade policy is a major source of uncertainty,” he said. “There are many possible scenarios. There’s a lot we don’t know, we don’t know what new tariffs will be imposed, when or how long they will last.

“And even when we know more about what is going to happen, I do need to be clear, it’s still going to be difficult to be precise about the economic impacts because we have little historical experience with tariff changes of the magnitude that the U.S. is contemplating.”

Chamomile tea has been around for centuries, but it’s been growing in popularity in recent years as people look for ways to alleviate the epidemic of stress and anxiety.

43% of those polled reported feeling more anxious last year than the year before, according to a study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, making something like anxiety-reducing herbal tea all the more important for many to have at their disposal.

But what makes it so effective, to the point where 9 out of 10 live clinical trials found the tea is able to legitimately manage and mitigate anxiety?

“The benefits of chamomile on stress are believed to be related to its flavonoid profile, including apigenin, which has a sedative effect through regulating neurotransmitters in the brain related to excitation and relaxation,” says Jenna Braddock, M.S.H., RDN, CSSD, a Florida-based sports dietitian and owner of Rhythm Sports Nutrition.

Stress and anxiety are known to hamper sleep quality, too, so many who drink chamomile specifically for the purpose of alleviating stress and anxiety often end up with the added benefit of a better sleep cycle, as well.

Hypertension is one of the most common causes of heart disease, with blood pressure rising high enough regularly to stiffen the arteries causing the heart to work harder to do what it needs to do.

While millions with hypertension take prescription medications to handle it, only a fraction ever manage to fully get it under control, meaning health officials are constantly looking for novel and experimental methods to solve the problem.

One example of this is renal denervation, in which a doctor will “thread a small catheter, or tube, through blood vessels to reach the kidneys, and then beam in ultrasound or radiofrequency energy,” said Dr. Joseph Garasic, a Mass General interventional cardiologist. “Those pulses pass through the renal arteries to selectively target surrounding nerves.”

For those it helps, it can be both lifesaving and quality-of-life-saving.

“My blood pressure would spike and I’d run out of breath and feel tired, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Michael Garrity, 62, of Needham, Mass, whose procedure was performed by Dr. Garasic.

French president Emmanuel Macron announced the other day that the Leonardo da Vinci’s magnum opus will get her very own room at the Louvre after the historic art museum’s massive renovation is completed in 2031.

Last renovated in the 1980s, the museum is suffering from major overcrowding as the global tourism industry continues its post-pandemic recovery.

Dubbed the “Louvre New Renaissance,” the renovations are expected to cost around 800 billion euros.

The Mona Lisa will be displayed in a new room devoted specifically to the most famous painting in history. Patrons will be able to get a special ticket to visit and admire the joyous woman.

Announcing the plans for the project—which is being compared in stature to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral—Macron said, “the redesigned Louvre, restored and expanded, will become the epicenter of art history for our country and beyond.”

Human eye tests are fairly straight forward but it’s a little bit more difficult to conduct one on a dog, particularly to determine if the pup is watching TV or just happens to be looking in the direction of the TV.

A study was conducted to investigate this very mystery that’s inspired countless viral videos of dogs.

Dr Freya Mowat, a veterinary ophthalmologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s school of veterinary medicine, conducted a survey of 1,200 dog owners to see what their pet did when certain things that would likely capture the attention of a dog in real life were on the TV screen.

“We needed to design content that was interesting to dogs, because we can’t have them read an eye chart,” she explains. “When we see a patient in the clinic for ophthalmology, we wave our hands at the dog’s face.”

“If they react, that’s the test – which is kind of embarrassing. And on the research side, we have these very elaborate mazes that take up a whole bunch of space and multiple hours to complete – very scientific but completely impractical.”

Their findings? Dogs—perhaps unsurprisingly—mostly like watching other dogs on TV and will pretty much be captivated by any animal. Humans, on the other hand, finished ninth place in a list of things that dogs were interested in on TV.

Today marks the 56th anniversary of The Beatles impromptu rooftop concert and their last public performance together.

To celebrate, we’ll be quizzing you on the iconic band with today’s Beatles trivia! Complete the game and you’ll earn a shot at a $25 Amazon eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow afternoon. Keep an eye your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.