Source: http://greatist.com/eat/nut-butter-recipes-how-to-make-nut-butter-at-home?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

If the only choice of nut butters you’ve ever made was between smooth or crunchy, you’re missing out. Today, grocery store shelves are stocked with options featuring all sorts of nuts (and seeds!) melded with exotic flavor combos from chili flakes to maple syrup.

But here’s a little secret that nut butter manufacturers don’t want you to know: In as little as 15 minutes, you can turn a few handfuls of nuts into creamy, smooth, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth goodness in your own kitchen—no industrial machines required. Plus you can customize a nut butter every which way to create flavors that you’ll never discover in a jar of Jif.

Ready to whip up your own batch? Follow our method and choose from the potential flavor combinations below for ridiculously delicious results every time.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread 2 cups raw, unsalted nuts or seeds on a baking sheet. Roast until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. (Watch closely as nuts and seeds can go from perfectly toasted to bitterly burnt in a flash.)

2. Transfer nuts or seeds to a food processor or high-powered blender while still warm. Process until finely ground and butter begins to form, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides…

Source: http://www.theptdc.com/2016/05/8-important-non-verbal-cues-to-build-trust-with-your-clients/

Starting out as a trainer in the fitness world is difficult.

Personal training is a career that requires you to wear multiple hats; sales person, project manager, and marketer. You’re also in charge of creating, organizing, and delivering all of the different programming you might offer.

It’s a lot of work, but one thing that rarely gets mentioned is your quality of service and communication, where you don’t use words at all. In other words, it’s not so much what you say, but how you “say” it.

Often it’s the little things that make a big difference.

Everyone is highly attuned to body language.

When trainers are on their phones, avoiding eye contact, and generally showing an utter lack of respect for the people that are writing them their paycheck, they are doing themselves and clients a huge disservice.

They are telling their clients that they don’t care.

When we work with people, we should take pride in our appearance, attitude, and the level of service we provide, including how we use our body language to convey these things. Try using these non-verbal methods to ensure that you’re providing the best experience you possibly can for your client.

1. Make eye co…

Source: http://www.niashanks.com/benefits-not-caring-people-think/

From what we order at a restaurant to the workout we do in the gym, sometimes we care too much about what other people think, and adjust our actions accordingly. Will they judge me or think I look stupid we wonder, and we may do something other than what we want based on what we assume they’ll think.

You’ve done it, and so have I. I’ve had clients tell me they didn’t want to deadlift at the gym because they were afraid of “looking stupid.” We may dress a certain way because it’s how we assume others expect us to look. How much of our lives have been affected because we care too much about what other people think (or what we assume they think)?

The solution is simple, but not necessarily easy. Stop caring about what other people think and actively live your life. Do that, and you’ll experience these 10 fantastic benefits to not caring about what other people think of you.

1. This is the most obvious benefit: life is better when you’re not so concerned about how other people will view you for your actions, choices, and decisions. There’s great freedom from doing what makes you happy; being authentically yourself. Whether this is something as simple as how you dress, …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/L3q1C5H5x5Q/

“No friendship is an accident.” –O. Henry, Heart of the West

Recently I was telling a friend how grateful I was that she had initiated a get-together.

“No one ever reaches out to me,” I complained. “I feel like I am the one driving all of my relationships.”

“Well,” she responded, “don’t think too highly of me. I almost never reach out…to anyone.”

I mulled this over on my way home that evening. I have often felt like the driving force behind many of my relationships. But I have also felt on many occasions that I’m just as bad at keeping in touch as my friends.

The truth is, many of us are terrible at relationships. We leave our social connections up to chance, only spending time with the people we happen to see during the course of our week.

Sometimes we invite people to spend time with us, but then once they get there we divert half of our attention talking to friends on our phone. Some of us are good at having actual conversations, but not very deep ones—we stick to topics like the weather, the results of the recent sports game in the city, or what’s trending on social media.

We have come to prize friendships of “convenience” above friendships of substance.

It’s become more important to us that we mak…

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/05/24/suns-out-plus-running-nutrition-qa/

YOU GUYS. The sun is out!!!!!

I think this is seriously the first run in like 3 weeks that wasn’t in the rain (or super gloomy). Hooray! At this track this morning we were all like, what is that weird bright orb in the sky?!

I know, exciting stuff, my friends. As for the actual workout, it wasn’t as awesome as the fact that the sun was out – my legs weren’t really feeling it today, despite a nice rest day Sunday and a low key yoga class yesterday. Oh well – can’t win ‘em all! We did a series of four 1200’s (3 laps) with 1 minute break in between. I hung with my track friends until the last 1200, when I was officially over it and dialed the pace down a n…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/how-to-help-a-partner-cope-with-depression?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

As a mental health counselor and someone who has battled depression for most of her life, I’m no stranger to the toll it can take on relationships.

While it differs from person to person, at its core, the illness causes people to feel lonely, inadequate, and misunderstood—even isolated. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to inflict our pain on the people we love. Other times, it’s because we’ve been hurt by (even well-meaning) others and don’t want to risk feeling even worse than we already do.

When someone with depression withdraws from loved ones without communicating why, it leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation. A partner may not understand why their S.O. is distant, distracted, or even angry. They may wonder what they did to offend the other person, or they may be frustrated that their partner is suddenly detached from them.

In addition to intense feelings of shame, sadness, and worthlessness, depression can manifest itself physically—including changes in sex drive, sleep; and appetite; energy loss; and even physical pain, such as headaches, stomach pains, and back or neck pain. This leads to more confusion for a partner, who may wonder why their loved one is often sick or generally disinterested in events and activities (including sex).

Expressing my feelings when I’m depressed has always been a challenge, especially in relationships. I’m afraid of coming across as whiny, ungrateful, or melodramatic. I have been blame…

Source: http://summertomato.com/how-can-cailey-motivate-herself-to-bring-her-lunch-to-work

As a grad student, Cailey knows how important it is to bring her lunch to work instead of buying something on campus. Not only would she eat healthier, she’d also save a lot of money.

Her problem is she has trouble motivating herself to prep healthy lunches every day. And even when she manages to bring something, it is usually unsatisfying so she’s not inspired to bring her lunch again.

Although this is a straightforward problem, there are several subtle mental and logistical blocks Cailey identifies that have kept her from adopting this habit, including limited kitchen facilities at work. We help her find solutions to these barriers and I also offer some cooking tips that will make her meals more fun and satisfying.

Links from the show:

Foodist Kitchen

Listen:

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If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please fill out the form here and tell us your story.

…

Source: http://www.sonima.com/fitness/treadmill-alternative/

The Skillmill has the makings of a familiar fitness device, but don’t call it a treadmill. The new apparatus, which made its U.S. debut this spring, features a similar platform and belt designed for indoor running, but the likenesses stop there.

The device’s concave platform curves upward on the ends like a smile, and when you step on the molded slats you quickly discover this machine is missing a motor. To move the conveyor belt-like surface, you need to harness your own energy, similar to a bike, rather than rely on a wall outlet to power the equipment.

As you pick up the pace, you’ll find it impossible to heel-strike, which is a controversial running-style. Though a study published in Gait and Posture reports that this is how most people instinctively run, many experts believe that the sheer force of striking the ground with your heel can create a jarring effect to the skeletal system, and may ultimately lead to injury. The Skillmill’s unique curvature supports a more widely encouraged form of running—short, quick strides where the forefoot hits the ground first to cushion the impact.

With a better stride and no set pace, I was able to easily surpass my usually max speed of a 6.2 minute-mile, and hit a 7.2 minute-mile (well outside of my comfort zone) without the intention to go that fast. Amazingly, my body could handle the stress just fine. It was my cardiovascular system that gave out first, forcing me to slow down t…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/Pimp1k3IwCs/

“Feeling lost, crazy and desperate belongs to a good life as much as optimism, certainty and reason.” ~Alain de Botton

Do you feel lost and alone?

Adrift and confused about which way to go?

Do you long for “something more” but have no clue what’s missing?

Maybe you’re not miserable exactly, but you’re not animated and in love with life either.

Your circumstances may even look pretty good on the outside.

But on the inside, where truth resides, you are bored to tears, unfulfilled, and restless.

Or maybe you are miserable, stuck in a painful place, silently suffering.

Trust me; I know what that feels like.

I felt lost as an introverted, highly sensitive soul struggling to conform to my environment.

I felt lost as I endured the shame of a teen pregnancy and years of pent-up grief over the adoption of my baby.

And I felt completely lost when I realized that I had spent over twenty years pursuing work that was utterly wrong for me.

For decades, I tried to just ignore the disturbing aspects of my life. I became good at distracting myself with routines and habits that brought me a sense of peace, however superficial.

Some of these habits even turned into addictions I had to overcome, but that’s ano…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/23/479186257/5-000-year-old-chinese-beer-recipe-revealed?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

A 5,000-year-old brewery has been unearthed in China.

Archaeologists uncovered ancient “beer-making tool kits” in underground rooms built between 3400 and 2900 B.C. Discovered at a dig site in the Central Plain of China, the kits included funnels, pots and specialized jugs. The shapes of the objects suggest they could be used for brewing, filtration and storage.

It’s the oldest beer-making facility ever discovered in China — and the evidence indicates that these early brewers were already using specialized tools and advanced beer-making techniques.

This 5,000-year-old funnel for beer-making was unearthed at a dig site in the Central Plain of China.

Courtesy of Jiajing Wang/PNAS

For instance, the scientists found a pottery stove, which the ancient brewers would have heated to break down carbohydrates to sugar. And the brewery’s underground location was important for both storing beer and controlling temperature — too much heat can destroy the enzymes responsible fo…