How to Tell if You Are a Supertaster

What's a supertaster you ask? More or less, it's just someone with a heck of a lot more taste-buds than the average person. All these extra taste-buds tend to make supertasters hyper sensitive to tastes, due to the increased intensity of any given taste they are detecting. Researchers estimate the supertasters experience flavors about three times stronger than the average taster.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
*Piece of thick paper such as 3x5 note card or construction paper
*Blue food coloring
*Mirror
*Magnifying glass
*Cotton swab (optional)
*Hole punch (optional)

STEP 1:
Poke a hole in the paper approximately the size of a standard paper hole punch hole (should be 7mm or .27 inches in diameter; most hole punches range between 8mm and 8mm).

STEP 2:
Now rub some of the food coloring onto your tongue with a cotton swab or your finger. You will notice under the magnifying glass that the food coloring will tend to show up on your  tongue, but the papillae will stay pink-ish, looking like little pink bumps on your tongue.

STEP 3:
Place the hole on the paper over part of your tongue that has the food coloring and press gently, so as not to move the paper while you are counting.

STEP 4:
Use the magnifying glass and a mirror to count how many papillae you see on your tongue through the hole in the paper. The papillae should appear like tiny pink dots surrounded by blue food coloring.


That's it. If you counted close to 35-ish or more, you are a supertaster. If you counted beeetween 15 or more up to around 35-ish, you are a medium taster. If you counted less than 15, you are a non-taster. Obviously there are ranges within each group, but that's generally how the three groups are classified. But beyond labels like "supertaster", the more papillae you counted, the stronger you taste things.

Easily Sharpen Scissors

The two easiest methods involve using sand paper or aluminum foil:

With the sandpaper: use a relatively fine 150 or 200 grit sandpaper, cut with the rought side down.

With the aluminum foil: take a nice sized sheet of aluminum foil and fold it a few times to get it nice and thick. Now cut thin strips of the aluminum foil with the scissors. Simple.

Stain Removal Guide

RED WINE STAIN:
Put white wine on top of stain or blot with club soda.

SWEAT/DEODORANT STAIN:
Mix equal parts H2O  + lemon juice, and hang garment in sun for several hours.

GRASS STAIN:
Rub white vinegar + baking soda into stain, let it sit for a while.

COFFEE STAIN:
Rub with paste made up of cold H2O, powdered laundry detergent, + white vinegar.

INK STAIN:
Place stainer area on top of clean towel.
Use rubbing alcohol/nail polish remover to transfer ink from shirt to towel.

TOMATO SAUCE STAIN:
Blot with water, add ammonia (for stronger stains try hydrogen peroxide).

Dressing Properly

THE ESSENTIALS

A good pair or two of dark jeans. A cheap entry point would be Levis- 511s are a good, somewhat skinny fit. 514s are the best for weight lifters and slightly heavier people. 510s are skinnier than 511s, and ideal for the super-thin. Levis is not a perfect brand, but a place to start, and incredibly affordable for most.

Oxfords, black or brown. Plain toe, cap toe, or wingtip. No square toes period. The slimmer the better. Preferrably black, but thrown works as well.

A few button-down shirts. At least one white. As slim as they can fit without looking overly stretched. These can be paired with anything.

A pair or two of slim trousers. Pinstriped, windowpane, or anything you like, so long as it is relatively conservative, goes with th above shirts, and fits well.

Good socks, underwear, and T-shirts. Get nice black socks. Do not wear white socks with your oxfords, ever. Boxer-briefs are the best choice, underwear-wise. Get a few good v-neck t-shirts that fir you well, but do not wear them excessively. Also, if you have a sweat issue, purchase good undershirts.

A good wool coat. Leather is okay, but usually too pricey. Peacoats, though slightly played out, are an option.

A good suit. Two button, slim cut, preferrably in a dark gray or black. The slimmer and more fitting, the better. Brand is largely irrelevant (at this point) so long as it fits well.

A slim Tie. In black or another conservative color. No odd patterns, If you're massive, stick with a normal sized tie.

A leather belt. Preferrably reversible, always wear it with your jeans or pants, never with the suit.

Weather-appropriate clothing. Sweaters (including cardigans), rain coats, gloves, etc. Whatever you need to function correctly in the weather.

Low-key accessories. A scarf or two. A nice, bifold, slim leather wallet. A pocket square.


THE RULES

Everything must be tailored. Fit is everything. You can have the most expensive, coolest clothing in the world and still look like a tool. NO matter what- no matter the price, the article, the style, whatever- get it tailored, buy it to fit, or do not wear it.

As a caveat to the above, Dress to your size, not to what others tell you.
Super skinny pants look good on super skinny people only. This does not make them more fashionable than you can be. Those who obsess over being a thin as an attempt to be fashionable are misguied and insecure.

Nothing "Graphic", Ever.
No graphic tees, no graphic designs on your pants, nothing. Ever.

Dress like a proper human being.
Do not derive fashion ideas from movies, video games, music or any other form of media. No matter how much you may like whatever it is you like, it likely is not a good idea. Trying to incorporate something you saw in video games, is a really bad idea.

Stick to simple colors and earth tones until you build up to a good wardrobe.

Do not feel scared to dress well.
There is no negative to looking good. People who make fun of you should be ignored, they are trying to accomodate for their own securities.

Create your own style.
Listen to everything anyone says with a grain of salt. Create your own style. Your ability to mimic what you saw on some webpage is not the judge of fashion in the real world.


WHERE TO SHOP

Nowhere is off limits. Shop everywhere. Try everything on. If you buy online, ensure they have a return policy. Never buy from Korean/Chinese Ebay retailers. Vintage shop and check out your local salvation army. No matter where you shop, never expect a perfect fit: Befriend a good tailor.

What to Remember When Going to Sleep

Your mattress should be quite hard - not sagging in the middle. If it is, use a board underneath, or better - get a new one.

CORRECT
Side posture with flexed knees, which decreases the low back curve. The pillow should support the neck.




If a cushion is placed under the knees in this position, the low back curve is corrected.




To change the habit of sleeping face down, raise the foot of the bed as shown below.





Arrange your pillows correctly for reading and resting on the bed.




WRONG
This position accentuates the low back curve, if the mattress is too hard.




A pillow which is too high overstretches the neck, arms and shoulders.




Facing downwards tires the neck and shoulder muscles.





Even if you bend the knee and hip, the lumbar curve is still accentuated when face down.

Telling The Difference Between Asian Languages

It's Korean if there are lots of circles and ovals. There are lots of straight lines. It looks like the symbols are making faces at you.

I'ts Japanese if it has squiggly cute symbols. It has very plain-looking, spaced out symbols.

It's Chinese if the symbols are all big and scary

Healthy Eating Plate

HEALTHY OILS
Use healthy oils (like olie and canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter. Avoid trans fat

VEGETABLES
The more veggies - and the greater the variety - the better. Potatoes and french fries don't count.

FRUITS
Eat plenty of fruits off all colors.

WATER
Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk/dairy 1-2 servings/day and juice (1 small glass/day). Avoid sugary drinks.

WHOLE GRAINS
Eat whole grains (like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread).

HEALTHY PROTEIN
Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and  other processed meats.