Source: http://greatist.com/live/insomnia-cures-what-to-do-after-a-bad-night-of-sleep?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

As a certified holistic chef, it’s humbling to admit that one major aspect of health continues to elude me: sleep. I’ve battled insomnia for the last 10 years, trying every Western, Eastern, prescription, OTC, and home remedy imaginable. Some work for spats of time, but ultimately, I’ve accepted that my sleep is consistently inconsistent.

I’ve also become fed up with the innumerable articles, books, and expert opinions about the importance of sleep. The people who benefit from this barrage of literature are those who can sleep well but just don’t make or have the time. For us insomniacs, it’s all just salt in the wound. Trust me, no one understands the importance of sleep better than an insomniac.

That’s why I’ve decided to approach my sleep struggles with a new tactic. Instead of spending precious energy on fixing my sleep during the night, I’ve turned my attention to the best ways to manage my sleeplessness in the morning.

Through research and ample personal experience, I’ve gathered countless tips for optimizing productivity and happiness when I’m suffering from exhaustion. I certainly don’t advocate skipping your zzzs if you can help it, but I’ve also learned that poor sleep doesn’t need to ruin your life.

Following these suggestions won’t make your fatigue disappear completely, but it can seriously combat the damage and help you get through your day.

…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/NOlwbUemU0c/

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~Confucius

This is my sister Cindy and me when we were little. If you look closely you may be able to tell that Cindy has Down Syndrome. This was a long time ago and one of my most favorite pictures. I am now fifty-eight and Cindy would be sixty this month.

I followed Cindy into this world and I was with her three years ago when she left. I am who I am in this world because of Cindy. She taught me all of the most important things about life through being who she was.

If you have never had the privilege of knowing anyone who has Down Syndrome, you are missing something extraordinarily beautiful. My belief is that they are angels who are here on earth to teach us about beauty. True, real beauty.

I have some strong beliefs about beauty.

Real beauty is totally free. It doesn’t cost any money and it’s in abundance for everyone.

Real beauty feels good. It’s a relief when we recognize it in ourselves and others.

Real beauty is worth more than money.

We all are beautiful and beauty is all around us.

When Cindy looked in the mirror she saw extraordinary beauty, every single time.

She saw a treasure, a work of art, grace, refinement, happiness.

She didn’t see what many …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/6pOhUi8lofk/

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Shock. Rage. Sorrow. Excitement. Terror. These are just a handful of the emotions one experiences in the aftermath of a separation or divorce. Emotional rollercoaster? It’s more like being hit with the speed and velocity of a bullet train.

I should know. After twenty-five years of marriage to a kind and accomplished man, I found myself alone.

Our decision to divorce was neither acrimonious nor cruel; neither sudden nor impulsive. Rather, our decision to file for divorce was an incremental process.

We had more disappointment than hope, more unease with each other than affection and contentment. As difficult as it was to recognize the wrong turns we’d made in our two-plus decades together, we both realized that it was time for each of us to draw a new map.

While my husband remained in the home we had lived in together throughout our marriage and the raising of our daughter, the path on the new atlas of my life led me back to Italy, the country of my birth.

In retrospect, it was far easier to relocate to somewhere radically different from the place I’d called home for thirty years than it was to sit with the equally radical emotions aroused by separating from the …

Source: http://www.thefitbits.com/2016/03/ultra-white-collar-time-to-believe.html

We find out our matches tomorrow night. 

I hate this part of the process – the build up. It’s one thing to spar with people in your group, but as soon as the word ‘matching’ gets mentioned it all gets a bit tense. Everyone starts sizing each other up.

It’s been doing my head in all week but the wait will be over tomorrow so I’m gonna quit worrying and do my best, whoever they put in front of me.

White Collar Boxing is such an immersive experience.  You can’t flirt with it – you have to get right into bed with it. 
For eight whole weeks it’ll consume your every waking thought.

You train alongside strangers who quickly become good friends. You sweat with them, cry with them, and laugh with them. Then you punch those friends, and get punched back; and you’re scared of some of those friends, and what they’re capable of, how good they’ve got, and how shit you think you are in comparison.

Sometimes you’ll have an ace session, feeling strong, focused and switched on. Others, you’ll get battered; your head will throb, yo…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/03/gaming-australias-health-star-labeling-system/

Australia has government-sponsored front-of-package nutrient labeling—the Health Star system—that looks a lot like the U.S. grocery industry’s Facts Up Front, but is even more favorable to manufacturers of processed foods.

As I explained a few years ago, Facts Up Front was a successful scheme by the Grocery Manufacturers and Food Marketing Associations to head off the FDA’s attempts to put traffic-light signals on the front of processed food products (here’s more of the back story).

Like the U.S. system, the Australian system is voluntary.  Unlike it, Health Stars are prominent and convey the impression that the more starts, the better.

A year into the program, Australian newspapers are writing about how companies are “gaming” the system:

Deakin University professor of public health nutrition Mark Lawrence said the health star rating system was being exploited as a marketing tool by junk food manufacturers to make consumers think their food was healthy. He said the scheme for packaged food undermined the public health message that people should eat fresh, unprocessed food.

This article qu…

Source: http://www.runningonrealfood.com/4-ingredient-fudgy-flourless-protein-brownies/

One of my favourite, quick treats is two-ingredient “magic” brownies. They’re made by simply mixing very ripe bananas with cocoa powder. I don’t know how they work but somehow they bake up into fudgy, healthy goodness, hence the “magic” factor. These 5-ingredient, flourless protein brownies are an upgraded, extra rich and fudgy version that favourite. I’m…

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Source: http://summertomato.com/after-years-of-dieting-cassie-finally-embraces-real-food-and-reaches-her-goals/

In this episode of the Foodist podcast Cassie tells her story of going from a chronic dieter to a foodist.

She explains:

How she was able to stop focusing on nutrients and drop the dieting mindset
The first changes she made to start changing her eating habits
Why learning to cook was the key to her success
The limiting beliefs that she needed to change in order to make progress
The obstacles she overcame so she could get more exercise
How she knew she was on the right track despite making only small changes
Why the psychological benefits of giving up dieting are even better than the physical results

She even emailed me after the show to emphasize her success:

“Since I didn’t really lose weight after finding ST (since I didn’t really need to) and the psychological changes were so huge to me, I feel like I down played the physical changes to my body during our talk. For the first time in my life, I have abs and a well defined muscles – like, I want to wear more tank tops to show off my shoulders and arms! I didn’t tape myself before getting more serious about strength training, so I don’t have any numerical results, and since my physical appearance wasn’t the reason I was working out it honestly feels like my musc…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/breakfast-tacos-to-spice-up-your-morning?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

We’re big fans of breakfast burritos, but we’ve only eaten tacos for lunch or dinner—until now. Tacos are quite versatile: You can pack any type of veggie and protein into the filling, wrap it in a warm shell, and you’ve got a healthy breakfast recipe. We’re particularly fond of ones with runny egg yolk, avocado, and hot sauce bundled in a corn tortilla.

The only downside: Breakfast tacos aren’t the best meal for busy mornings. Most take about 30 minutes to make, so if you’re the type of person who wakes up 15 minutes before you need to leave (been there!), save these tacos for an Instagram-worthy weekend brunch.

Photo: A Cozy Kitchen

1. Potato and Bacon Breakfast Tacos

Whip up these bad boys in 30 minutes flat. The combo of bacon, potato, and cheese fills you up and tastes delicious. Top with a fried egg, slice of avocado, and dash of hot sauce for a picture-perfect breakfast or brunch.

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Source: http://greatist.com/move/abs-workout-unexpected-moves-that-work-better-than-crunches?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

When it comes to bodyweight abs exercises, crunches aren’t always the way to go. In fact, research has shown the classic crunch isn’t even that effective since it doesn’t activate all of your core muscles.

Bottom line: Whether you want to build strength so you can do a pull-up or just want to show off a six-pack (hey, no judgment!), there are more effective exercises than endless crunches.

From plank variations to weighted exercises, these moves from Tone House head coach Evan Betts will totally change the way you think about working your midsection. It won’t even feel like you’re specifically targeting your abs, but you’ll still be engaging your core to the max.

How to use this list: Depending on your fitness level, Betts suggests picking 2 or 3 of the moves below. Perform each move for 60 seconds (or for the number of reps indicated), rest for 20 seconds, then perform the next move. At the end of all three moves, rest for up to 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit. Complete 3 or 4 rounds total.

Bodyweight Moves

1. High Knees

Stand with feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and ba…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/things-i-wish-i-knew-before-living-alone?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

I spent my 20s living with multiple roommates in multiple neighborhoods in New York City. I’d never picked out a bathmat or been able to identify all the food in the fridge.

On the cusp of 30, I decided I was ready for a “room of my own” before fate or family tied me to a life of compromising on couch color. With two months to go until my birthday, I decided to embark on a year of self-discovery and cooking for one.

Sure, I had done my homework on the pluses and minuses of single life. Studies show that living alone can potentially lead to a shorter lifespan and poor eating habits. But weren’t all those TV depictions of single women who overeat in bathrobes while bathed in light from their open fridge just a cliché?

I quit a long-term job and moved into my sparkly new studio on the same day. I was terrified of starting at a new company but eager to take on new challenges. Plus, after five years of writing my ass off every morning, I had a literary agent and an almost-complete book manuscript. And while my last couple of relationships had ended badly, I was excited about a close friend who was becoming something more.

As I began to pack up my belongings, I let myself soak up the last month of my 20s. I was living in the age of Beyoncé, and I was feeling myself.

A Wake-Up Call <img src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_main/public/living-alone.jpg?itok=NoUayEmf" alt="Woman Looking Out Window" cla…