Recent research supports the idea that eating less can help extend life. Eating well and nutritiously but in lesser amounts has been linked to a longer life and detaining the aging process.

A new report published in Science journal states that a reduced-calorie diet delays aging and slows down the onset of age related diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disorders.

The findings have been revealed by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital.

The ongoing research has found that nutritious foods but less calories are the key to slowing down the aging process in a primate species, said Richard Weindruch. Weindruch is a professor of medicine in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and leader of the National Institute on Aging-funded study. "We observed that caloric restriction reduced the risk of developing an age-related disease by a factor of three and increased survival." He added.

The study began in 1989 and has been conducted for a period of 20 years. During this time the monkeys that were fed a reduced-calorie diet have shown to live longer lives than the group that was given free reign to eat freely. Additionally, the research has also concluded that the brain health of the animals on the restrictive diet is also better.

Another study by a team of researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center came up with similar results. Anthony Cicitarese, Eric Ravussin and their colleagues have found that oxidative damage that has been linked to aging might explain how nutritious, but calorie limited intake can extend life.

A diet restricted in calories has shown to increase the life span of mice and delay age-related diseases in rodents. Hints are also shown that people who eat less calories may outlive those who overeat and their insulin sensitivity may not decrease as fast. Decreased insulin sensitivity is a precursor to diabetes.

The accumulation of 'oxidative damage' is a big factor in the decline of body functions due to aging. When food is converted to energy 'free radicals' are produced by the body's cellular structures, or mitochondria. Therefore, the theory that the Pennington researchers have come up with is that eating less calories lowers 'free radical' production by allowing a more efficient formation of mitochondria.

The team enlisted a group of 36 non-obese overweight young people for the study. The participants were divided into three groups, one that got 100% of their diet's energy requirements, a caloric restriction group (CR) and a caloric restriction plus exercise (CREX) group. Both the CR and CREX groups had whole body 24 hr decreased energy expenditures (calories burned overall) and both had increased numbers of mitochondria in their muscles. Both groups also had less DNA damage, which is a telltale sign of oxidative stress.

The results of the study also suggest that just a caloric restriction in a short period can be beneficial to good health. A long term sustained benefit has to be yet established, but by the statistics provided by these studies it is safe to remain optimistic on the issue.

Founded 37 years ago by Cano A. Ozenger in Nashville, TN, CAO cigars have always ranked above '90' by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider, two of the most fluent cigar magazines. A celebrity cigar staple, CAO can be seen smoked by many famous cigar aficionados, it has even been featured in the Sopranos TV show, prompting a cigar with the show's name.

A hard to find, superior-quality CAO cigar is the Odyssey, a rare and limited production cigar, the Odyssey is a large 6.7 x 55 Perfecto, which comes attractively and individually packaged in its own coffin box.

A complex cigar, the Odyssey is made by comprising six different types of Cuban seed fillers. They have a Habano seed binder and a sixth priming Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper, which lend the cigar an outstanding flavor. Hints of red wine and dry sherry accentuate the rich taste of this unique cigar.

This one of a kind cigar has a medium to full-bodied aroma and a nice easy draw quality. It has an excellent burn and the ash is persistent.

The first release of the CAO Odyssey came in the year 2000 and had been aged since 1995. They are produced in very limited quantities due to the complex process of blending the fillers. These cigars are sold in restricted batches by authorized CAO dealers only.

The Big Bang remains the most trusted theory to explain how the universe originated. But, there are others, which some scientists still believe to be plausible.

Theorizing on how all the existing matter came to be is a job that keeps on giving. It will be many years, until it is known exactly how the universe sprang into life. But, answers do seem to be getting more on target and scientists are quite convinced they are getting closer to knowing. But, there are still many other possibilities that can fit the physics model and prove to be a close fit as well.

Following is a breakdown of the most possible theories discussed today and the likelihood of each as discussed and studied by cosmologists and astrophysicists.

Widely accepted and the current model for how the universe started, The Big Bang Theory is the best explanation scientists have today. This theory states that the universe started out of what is known as a singularity 13.7 billion years ago. A singularity is a zone of infinite density, but not much else is known about it, as it is still a mystery, explains Jenna Levin, Center for Particle Astrophysics, UC at Berkley, California.

Moments after that explosion the universe started inflating faster than the speed of light as particles interacted with one another. In a process that took billions of years to evolve the universe that exists today formed. Astronomers have discovered in recent years that the universe is still expanding and this expansion is accelerating.

This is a theory that states there was actually something before the Big Bang. It suggests that another universe went through a Big Crunch and then 'bounced' back and gave birth to this universe, says Scientific American Science Editor Roger Highfield in his article "Before the Big Bang-the Big Bounce".

The Big Bounce seems to solve the problem of the unknown singularity factor of the Big Bang. It takes away the notion that the universe came to be from an infinite dense area with no mass, which goes against all mathematical notions.

Based on Loop Quantum Gravity, it combines Einstein's theory of gravity with that of quantum theory, which could provide light on the question of what was there before the Big Bang happened, says Dr. Martin Bojowald, Assistant Professor of Physics at Penn State University.

As the name implies, a cyclic universe explodes into existence in a Big Bang, and crunches out of existence over and over again in an endless cycle. This theory is an alternative to the Big Bang that has gotten much attention from scientists after Princeton physicist Paul Steinhardt and Neil Turok of Cambridge University published an article on it in the Science online edition.

The Cyclic Universe Theory could explain the mystery of why the 'cosmological constant' is accelerating, which the Big Bang theory could not account for, says Ker Than in his article "Recycled Universe: Theory Could Solve Cosmic Mystery" on Space.com. It also answers the long-standing question of what was before the Big Bang.

Another alternative to the Big Bang theory is the Steady State theory. This theory was developed by Fred Hoyle and Thomas Gold in 1949. Ironically, Fred Hoyle was the person who coined the term 'Big Bang', sort of as a way to make fun of a theory he did not advocate.

Steady State theory claims that the universe had no beginning, but it created new matter as older galaxies moved apart. However, discovery of the CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background radiation) became a big blow against Steady State, although Hoyle maintained that the background radiation could have originated without a Big Bang, states Chandra Wickramasinghe, of the Cardiff University Center for Astrobiology.

As cosmologists and astronomers keep researching, there will undoubtedly be many more theories to come. These new findings are what make the mysteries of the universe so exciting and what keep the search for knowledge an important issue for people who love learning about what lies beyond.

As time goes by you'll probably buy and receive many new sets of clothes for your baby. To get you started, however, here are a few basics that you will need to head you off:

This should be good to get you started. A good idea when adding to the baby's wardrobe is to buy the next size or so from your baby's current age. Baby's clothes sizes usually come in month ranges (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12), so if your baby is 4 or 5 months old get the 6-9 size, this way the clothes will last longer.

There are quite a few activities that can be done with the family without having to shell out the full price of a regular trip away from home this summer.

With the economy on the downturn lately many parents are opting out of their yearly family vacation. Indeed, this will cause many children to be deeply disappointed. Although nothing can compare to the excitement of getting away on a much-needed vacation, there are things you can do to keep the kids happy.

Following are some ideas that will maintain the kids busy and make sure they have lots of fun this summer:

A large part of camping is about living in a tent for a few days, regardless of the place. Camp can be set out in the backyard by packing all the items as if on a real campout to a remote location. Bring the cooler, chairs, sleeping bags, portable cooking stove and anything else you need to spend 2 or 3 days in the ‘wild’ of your own backyard.

During the day you can spend time at your pool, if you have one, cooking steaks and burgers on the grill, just as if you were at a beach camping ground. If you don’t have a swimming pool, you can take a ride down to the local zoo or aquarium and pack some sandwiches.

At night you can play family games together such as Monopoly and cards. Also, tell the kids to bring books and magazines to read by their gas lamps while in their sleeping bags. Another fun camping activity is to tell tales by a fire, if you can make a safe fire in your yard this could be a lot of fun for all. You can make Smores, or hot cocoa for the kids while you grownups drink a glass of wine.

An easy way to have fun with the kids is to take them to the beach. It is a wonderful place to spend the day and almost nothing comes closer to feeling like a real vacation. While the kids have fun playing in the sand and water, you can relax under an umbrella lazily reading books and magazines while eating snacks and having a drink.

Another great advantage of the beach is that by the end of the day your kids will be exhausted form so much play and they will sleep wonderfully.

There are a various kids’ magazines available that have wonderful activities for kids to do with the help of adults. Publications such as Highlights for Kids, Spider and Jack and Jill often have all kinds of projects that can keep the children busy for an entire day. You and the kids can make bracelets, pillows, puzzles, kites, etc.

Get two or three magazines and pick the activities you like best, and then gather the materials needed (most of these projects use items that you should already have in your home). You’ll have great fun making things together and will also enjoy lots of bonding time. Once you finish your creations you can have fun putting them to use. Also, if you make items such as pillows or other home goods the kids will feel proud when they get to put them on the couch, or use them in their rooms.

Let your kids go through some cooking books or online recipe websites and pick what they’d like to bake. Make sure you have all the ingredients needed, or take a trip to the supermarket to get the ones you don’t have. Once you have everything you need you can start having fun in the kitchen.

Assign different tasks to everyone, taking over the more complicated ones yourself, such as handling the oven. With everyone having a part in the baking process, even the smallest kids will feel like important contributors. Once the goods are baked you can all enjoy them while watching a good movie.

Pick a bike friendly route, get your helmets on and start pedaling! A family biking excursion can be lots of fun and it’s also great exercise for everyone. You can pack some food and drinks and stop somewhere to eat.

Make sure you have one of those baskets to put on the handlebars so you can place all the food supplies and also a first aid kit, just in case anyone takes a fall. You should have a whole day of biking fun and just like a day at the beach the kids will sleep great all night.

A picnic at a park can be a lot of fun for the whole family. Have the kids help you prepare the food, make things like potato salad and hot dogs, which are great for picnics. Also bring along chips, fruit and some snacks such as nuts and maybe some cookies for dessert.

Also it’s a good idea to pack some games and things like a volleyball, Frisbee, jump rope etc… after you eat your great picnic food the whole family can enjoy some game time together.

Even though every family needs a vacation now and then, when it just isn’t possible there are ways to improvise. Try doing some, or all of the activities above and you’ll keep the kids happy and the whole family entertained. Remember, it’s important to have fun as a family and you can still make great memories even if it isn’t on vacation