Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/01/26/464437173/worlds-oldest-tea-discovered-in-an-ancient-chinese-emperors-tomb?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Loose-leaf green tea of the modern variety. Archaeologists have discovered ancient tea in the tomb of a Chinese emperor who died in 141 B.C. It’s the oldest known physical evidence of tea. But scientists aren’t sure if the emperor was drinking tea as we know it or using it as medicine.

iStockphoto

Tea is often referred to one of the world’s oldest beverages. But just how old is it?

A Chinese document from 59 B.C. refers to a drink that might be tea, but scholars cannot be certain. Now, a new analysis proves that plant remains found in tombs 2,100 years old – about 100 years before that document – definitely are tea, the oldest p…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/01/27/463877351/the-price-of-almonds-may-have-met-a-slippery-slope?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

David Doll of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, examines an almond tree. High almond prices prompted many California growers to put in new plantings of the nut tree in recent years. But those prices have now fallen about 20 percent.

Ezra David Romero/Valley Public Radio

<img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/04/11/mugs_edit_sq-5632df8f4aa1e1b0166fd3f96af1b2106bbe87c3-s100.jpg" class="img100" title="Almonds, cows, and consumers have all been named as leading culprits in California's water crisis." alt="Almonds, cows, and consumers have all been named as leading culprits in Calif…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/living-moment-bad-advice?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

One of billionaire Peter Thiel’s secrets to success is asking himself the contrarian question, “What important truth do very few people agree with you on?”

In similar fashion, but nearly a century earlier, Mark Twain said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

When you hear or read something—even this very article—it’s good practice to consider the opposite of what is being said. In many—even most—cases, you’ll be safer zigging while the masses zag.

The Sexiest Lie of 2015

Most lifestyle “gurus” have sold us on the idea of living for the moment—that right now is all that exists—and that we should only do that which makes us feel good.

Although this advice is alluring and justifying, it often fails to produce desirable results in the real world. Actually, in many cases, it ruins people’s lives. Living for the moment is the reason people leave marriages, lose control over their health, and why America is trillions of dollars in debt.

Instead of living for the moment, it is better to live for the past—as you’d prefer to remember that moment, and your life in general. Indeed, time is fleeting. The present moment barely exists. The moment you become conscious of it, it’s over.

If you find yourself defending your past, this article is probably for you. Although our distant past may not be pretty, our recent past is a clear indicator of our present circumstances.<…

Source: http://romanfitnesssystems.com/articles/carb-cycling/

Since the early days of bodybuilding, nutrition has been the key to a great physique.
Wanna get huge? You gotta eat more. 

But today, people tend to get caught up in the small details: clean eating vs. IIFYM. Low-fat vs. no fat. Gluten-free or non-GMO. The list goes on.

Each of these have their own important distinctions, but for the majority of us, we just need a simple solution to getting amazing results.

That’s where this article comes in. 

As someone who appreciates the traditional, bro-style methods of physique sculpting, I want us to journey back to the old school. While it may not be the hot topic of the industry anymore, carb cycling is still an incredibly effective practice, one that deserves another look.

What is Carb Cycling?
Carb cycling refers to varying your carbohydrate intake on a day-to-day basis.

Just like flexible dieting, carb cycling is nothing more than a method of eating that can be used in any diet. If the total calories are right, it works. It doesn’t matter if you eat six meals a day or practice intermittent fasting, you can cycle your intake of carbohydrates.

At the core, carb cycling is just another (easy to follow) approach to nutrition; there’s nothing magical about it. 

Why Carb Cycling Works

There are …

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/companies-making-healthy-eating-easy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Anyone who says it’s easy to make a home-cooked meal from scratch is lying. There’s searching for recipes, buying ingredients, and then chopping. Oh, chopping. Our hands are tired just thinking about it! It’s no wonder we end up ordering pizza or Chinese food so often. Now, that’s easy.

But these nine companies are here to put an end to our takeout habit by making home cooking simple. Some send perfectly portioned ingredients and recipe cards to your doorstep; others deliver pre-made meals that only require a quick zap in the microwave and taste better than anything you’ll find in the freezer aisle. We tried dozens of companies, so your healthy dinner is now just a few clicks away.

Meal in a Box

Photo: Blue Apron

1. Blue Apron

Price: $9.99 per serving
Delivery: Nationwide (except Alaska and Hawaii)

With easy-to-follow recipes (like lemon-glazed catfish), Blue Apron makes it a cinch to become a healthy home cook. The company offers subscriptions designed for couples and families. Each box comes with pre-p…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/01/27/464480281/president-obama-wants-more-funds-to-feed-low-income-kids-in-summer?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

The Super Food Express bus travels from nine to 12 schools in Mobile County, Ala., to ensure children are fed healthy meals when school is out of session. The bus is part of the USDA’s summer food program, which President Obama says needs additional funding.

USDA/Flickr

It’s a challenge making sure that low-income children who get free- and reduced-priced meals during the school year continue to get fed during the summer months.

Government meal programs served 3.8 million children on an average summer day last year — far fewer than the 22 million children who got subsidized meals during the school year.

Now, the Obama administration wants to change that. The President will propose i…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/bzfmVSdYy-s/

“You are very powerful, provided you know how powerful you are.” ~Yogi Bhajan

Can you remember a time when you felt completely helpless?

I do. It was the day my daughter was diagnosed with a serious digestive illness. The doctor told us in the hospital chapel, and he acted like it was a death sentence. His one and only solution was to hand us sets of harsh prescriptions.

I was in shock, and I knew deep down that something just didn’t add up. Her symptoms hadn’t even been that severe, although she had lost a significant amount of weight. What was happening to my little girl?

I turned to some of the most highly respected specialists, hoping to stumble upon one who was willing and able to think outside the prescription pad. Instead, the best any of them could do was offer a pill of a different color.

At that point, doctors seemed more like villains than the heroes I was hoping for. So, I took matters into my own hands.

The journey was long, and we had many ups and downs. With every step forward, we had to take a step back. I became concerned that my daughter would never lead a normal life, but we kept going and never gave up.

Then, something amazing happened. After four long years, we finally found the missing piece of her complicated health puzzle. N…

Source: http://www.theminimalists.com/2016/

By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus · Follow: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Before our documentary, Minimalism, hits theaters on May 24, 2016, we will visit fourteen cities to premiere the film in front of a live audience. At each event Joshua & Ryan will give a brief talk, and then show the documentary in its entirety. After the film we will record a live version of “Ask The Minimalists” for our podcast.

Note: tickets are limited, and they will likely sell out quickly.

May 01 — New York City (tickets)
May 03 — Boston (tickets)
May 04 — Washington DC (tickets)
May 06 — Miami (tickets)
May 08 — Dallas (tickets)
May 10 — Dayton (tickets)
May 11 — Chicago (tickets)
May 16 — Seattle (tickets)
May 18 — San Francisco (tickets)
May 20 — Los Angeles (tickets)
May 23 — Salt Lake City (tickets)
May 24 — Missoula (tickets)
May 27 — Fargo (tickets)
June 01 — Toronto (tickets)

You can help bring the documentary to your city, and discuss the film on social media using the hashtag #MinimalismFilm. If you live outside the United States, don’t worry—we’re still planning a theatrical release in Canada and Australia, and an online release after the th…

Source: http://www.sonima.com/meditation/be-more-productive/

Your phone is blowing up from calls, emails, and texts. Your growing to-do list on your desk is equally vying for your attention. You don’t know where to focus and can’t seem to get a single task done without interruptions. If this sounds like a typical day at the office, you’re not alone. Studies show long-term stress and employee burnout have been on the rise in recent years, and the “elephant in offices all around the world is that people are running on empty,” reports a recent article in the the New York Times.

The problem, according to Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., the science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), isn’t just that we’re being asked to do more. Our own misconceptions about what success is and how we should go about achieving it might be even more at fault.

Related: The Pitfalls of Pursuing Your “Purpose”

“Everyone is working on overdrive, because they think this is the only way to be successful,” says Seppälä, who wrote the new book The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success, which hits bookstores on January 26. The book explores the growing field of research linking happiness and well-being with productivity and influence. Executive summary: You can get a lot more done, and enjoy doing it much more, if you take a little better care of yourself as…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/01/celebration-food-australia-day-style/

Here in Australia, yesterday was Australia Day (somewhat equivalent to the American Fourth of July) although many prefer to call it Invasion Day, Survival Day, or Day of Mourning and to make it an occasion for protest.  Hence: the fuss over the what Google Australia posted as the day’s Google Doodle.

Newcomer that I am, I celebrated with some Glebe Street gelato:

Can’t read the sign?

“Celebrate Australia Day with Vegemite Gelato on toast!”

Yum.

…