Blog Posts by genConnect.com

New Orleans was abuzz over the weekend with festivities and great food - especially king cakes, the famous symbol of Mardi Gras that are supposed to mean there are good times ahead.

Rocker Bret Michaels of Poison and Grammy-winning singer Cyndi Lauper ushered in Mardi Gras with performances early Tuesday morning as part of the Orpheaus parade, founded by New Orleans actor and singer Harry Connick Jr. Fat Tuesday parades began shortly after day break and the music and parties continue through the night.

So where to eat if you're in New Orleans enjoying the Mardis Gras 2012 and Fat Tuesday celebrations?

New Orleans native Michael Gulotta, Chef de Cuisine at August, John Besh's renowned flagship restaurant in New Orleans, offered genConnect some great recommendations for anyone in and around the French Quarter and beyond this week - and for visitors to this great city in the future.

"If you are looking for traditional New Orleans, then Bon Ton Cafe, if you are in

Finding a perimenopause and menopause specialist can be a daunting task. How do you know you'll be satisfied? What if you don't agree with your doctor? With all the trash floating around the Internet, where do you even begin to look for one? Keep in mind this may not be the doctor that delivered your babies.

First, check the Menopause Doctor Directory on shmirshky.com. It has a list of doctors recommended by YOU-satisfied patients-and finding one is as easy as typing in your zip code. If you can't find a doctor close enough in our directory, ask your friends or family if they have any recommendations, ask a doctor that you know excels in his or her field, use local media like magazines or message boards, or check the practitioners at the North American Menopause Society. The great thing about doctors is that if you're unsatisfied, no divorce papers are needed to go on to the next one!

Because every woman's body is different, experiences in perimenopause and

In late January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled new standards for school lunch. I was encouraged by this news because many of the students that I work with get their best meal of the day at school. I believe lunch needs to be more nutritious and full of quality food - that means no more "bagel dogs."

Here's how everything broke down in the new rules and regulations:

The Yummy

The USDA is mandating that they want more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains on lunch trays.Getting kids more exposure to fruits and vegetables is one way for our country to address the low food IQ of many kids. One caveat here: kids need fresh fruits and veggies - fruit cups in syrup and reheated broccoli need to go. Let's partner with local organizations (non-profits or family foundations focused on wellness) to fund salad bars in schools so that kids have the chance to teach themselves how to build a salad. Whole grains? Well, that's just a no brainer when our society

Babe Walker is thin, 25-year-old, liquid diet-loving, Bel Air bombshell. We hate to disappoint, but it turns out that Babe Walker is also fictional.

Well, not totally fictional. She is the imagined character behind buzzworthy book White Girl Problems, a satirical look at what happens when a privileged, white girl from California lands in rehab after a $250,000 shopping binge at Barneys. Created by trio, Lara Schoenhals, Tanner Cohen and David Oliver Cohen, Babe is inspired by modern day celebrities who are out of touch with reality. So how did this all come to be? Watch our interview with co-creator Lara Schoenhals on how they went from Twitter to the New York Times Best Seller List:

"We started a twitter account in April 2010 that was just to air general white girl problems, and then we found that people really responded to a certain voice," Schoenhals told genConnect. "We honed the voice and created this monster known as Babe Walker, and the rest is history. Babe kind of

How friends and family can confront suspected abusers before it's too late...

The loss of Whitney Houston is being felt around the world. It's not yet known what the exact cause of death was but many suspect substance abuse played a role; Houston had a history of addiction that she was trying to overcome.

And when it comes to drug or alcohol addiction - or any other addiction, for that matter - there's no one more important in the life of the addict than the friends and family around him or her. It's rare when addicts decide on their own that they're in trouble and need help; therefore, it's up to those around them to intervene and help rid their loved one of that addiction.

The situation will always be sensitive and difficult to approach but these tips from addiction special Dr. Anne Brown can make sitting down to confront a loved one about their problem a little easier:

1. Be ready to be disliked. "You have to understand, they're not going to thank you … but

Is Your Salad Making You Fat?

"Bigger is better" seems the operative word in restaurants, and nowhere does size matter more than kitchen-sink salads. Despite the halo effect it can mentally create, many restaurant mega-salads come loaded with sugar, damaged fats, and four-digit calorie counts that would take countless burst training to burn off.

What pushes these salads into high-calorie purgatory? One culprit is candy. Restaurants love to top salads with dried fruit, candied walnuts, and other bombs that pack as much sugar as a pack of M&M's. They also pile enough cheese on salads to fill a large pizza. We're not talking a sprinkle of Parmesan here, but rather gigantic bleu cheese boulders. Besides triggering or exacerbating food sensitivities, cheese can add hundreds of calories to an otherwise healthy salad and seriously stall your

Billions of people are taking to the social web. More important than ever before is minding your Ps & Qs online to do your best to not offend someone unintentionally. Figuring out what to say and when to say it can be tricky. We connected with netiquette expert Julie Spira for these quick etiquette tips:

WATCH: Online Dating Safety Rules With Julie Spira

Facebook Netiquette:
Steer clear of the 'drive-by tagging syndrome'. Do NOT tag somebody in a photo where they are unflattering or in a photo or video where they don't appear.

Email Netiquette:
Never write an email when you're angry, upset or late at night when you're tired.
You might send it to the wrong person or you may regret it in the morning. Send it to yourself if you're upset and read it the next day. You may want to tone it down because you can't take it back and it can be forwarded to just about anybody.

For more netiquette advice, check out Spira's guide The Rules of Netiquette: How to Mind Your

Whether you are rooting for the Patriots or the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, watching the game at home or a bar, there is one thing we can all cheer for: game-day food! Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with this spread of dips, sauces and appetizers, all of which are easy to eat while cheering on your favorite team. Oh, and did we mention they are gluten-free? Touchdown!

• Eggplant Fries (Sliced Eggplant sprinkled with olive oil, flax seeds, baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes)

• Arugula and Fig Pizza (Corn tortillas topped with arugula, figs and hemp seeds baked at 325 degrees for 15 minutes)

• Stuffed Mushrooms (Button mushrooms stuffed with gluten-free bread crumbs and oats baked at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes)

• Mini Veggie Tacos (Corn tortillas filled with veggies of choice, salsa and guacamole)

• BBQ Mini Bean Burgers with Chipotle Sauce (Black beans mixed with BBQ sauce, ground cashews and chipotle peppers; grilled)

• Creamy Squash Guacamole (Yellow