Source: http://greatist.com/eat/paleo-breakfast-recipes?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Sneaking in a nutritious breakfast can be hard for just about anyone. And for those sticking to a Paleo diet, the morning meal might seem even more daunting. Eggs are always an option, but going through multiple cartons per week gets old fast. Besides, no one should have to give up the goodness of waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

Whether you’re making an impressive brunch spread or just looking for something quick as you dash out the door, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. These a.m. options range from savory to sweet, refreshing to rich. The only hard part about breakfast now is picking which recipe to make first.

Muffins and Breads

Photo: Bakerita

1. Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

It’s hard to improve upon banana bread, but adding chocolate chunks does just that. This Paleo loaf stays nice and moist from plenty of mashed banana. Just mix the wet ingredients and then add in a coconut flour and cinnamon mixture. Though the recipe calls for letting this goody cool before slicing, it might be…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/adult-coloring-book-app-recolor-helps-you-destress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Recolor App

Adult coloring books are now topping best-seller lists. It makes sense: In our fast-paced world, sitting down with paper and pencil is a cheap and easy way to zone out and destress.

But in practice, coloring isn’t always relaxing. If you’re Type A like us, you worry about staying inside the lines. And since we spend most of our day typing, our hand cramps after gripping a colored pencil for a few minutes. Nothing a little technology can’t fix.

Recolor app (available on iOS) lets you choose from dozens of free illustrations (some are even 3-D!) depicting everything from nature to fashion to food. Select a hue from the bottom of the screen and start coloring (er, tapping). If you get bored with the free illustrations, you can pony up $7.99 per month for hundreds more, or you can upload pages you find online.

We also love the app’s finishing touches. They work like Instagram filters to make the final product look like it’s been done with pencils, markers, acrylic paint, or even watercolors. But the best part? You can now have your moment of Zen anywhere and time you choose.

I Want to Download This!
Free

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Source: http://greatist.com/live/letter-to-anyone-who-thinks-they-are-fat?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Darling,

I know how difficult things have gotten—how cold and raw your days have become. And I have never loved you more than I do today.

Because I know where you are. The shame that melts through you when you see the jeans you bought because they only had them a size too small, and your friend said that would just motivate you. Wanting to go to the gym but feeling like you’ll have to run through a gauntlet of stares, snickers, and side comments. (And what would you even wear?) Considering the supplement from Dr. Oz that is clearly a hoax, but you’ve tried everything else.

Dressing impeccably every day for your own security. Laughing too loudly at jokes about fat people so no one mistakes you for one. Feeling anxious when you order food in public, because if you order pasta, everyone around you will think “how sad,” of course, and if you order vegetables everyone around you will think “but what a shame she let herself get that way.” Forcing a smile when someone tells you that you “wear it well.” Then wondering why you feel so deflated after compliments like that.

Convincing yourself that you’re fine—you don’t have to go to the doctor. Remembering how the nurse grimaces apologetically when she announces she’s going to have to weigh you, as if that didn’t happen every time. The familiar disappointment in the doctor who bypasses an examination and just tells you to lose weight.

The racing heart when you board an airplane. Making y…

Source: http://greatist.com/happiness/ways-to-boost-creativity?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

We already know being creative can make us happier and healthier. But while we may think of creativity in terms of writing a novel or painting a masterpiece, experts say it can really mean anything from trying a new recipe to submitting an original idea during a meeting.

Here we’ve got 33 fun ways to fire up that creative spark, from having a drink to taking a nap—seriously.

10 Minutes or Less

1. Listen to music.

Jamming out stimulates the part of our brain that controls motor actions, emotions, and creativity.1
Classical music might give us an extra boost: According to “The Mozart Effect,” listening to Mozart can increase creativity, concentration, and other cognitive functions. Though it’s not clear if this effect works for everyone, but a little classical music probably won’t hurt.

Works Cited
Large-scale brain networks emerge from dynamic processing of musical timbre, key and rhythm. Alluri V, Toiviainen P, Jääskeläinen IP. NeuroImage, 2011, Nov.;59(4):1095-9572.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/04/469186025/how-free-are-usda-scientists-to-speak-their-mind?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

A crop duster sprays a field with pesticides. Former USDA scientist Jonathan Lundgren says that he has been persecuted by the agency because his research points out problems with popular pesticides.

iStockphoto

For the past several years, a scientist in Brookings, S.D., has been engaged in an escalating struggle with his employer, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The scientist, Jonathan Lundgren, says that he has been persecuted because his research points out problems — including harm to bees — with a popular class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. The USDA, for its part, accuses the scientist of various professional misdeeds, including insubordination and inappropriate behavior in the office.

<img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/11/24/peponapi…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/food-safety-the-3-times-food-isnt-safe-to-eat?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

We’ve all had that moment when we wonder if something has really gone bad. And that tends to happen a lot when you’re cooking for one. Your mom, best friend, and Google all have different answers, but the best rule of thumb is to avoid these three red flags:

1. Green Potatoes

If it looks like Kermit, chuck the potato. The green hue can signal the harmful toxin solanine, which can’t be cooked off. The same advice goes for any potatoes that taste bitter.

2. Mold

This is kind of an obvious one, but make sure you cut off not only the moldy parts but also an inch perimeter around that spot. And if the food is overgrown with mold, toss it. Exceptions, such as blue cheese, do exist, but if you’re unsure, it’s best to play it safe.

3. Rancid Nuts and Oils

Stay away from nuts and oils that make you go “ew!” If it tastes really gross, it’s probably rancid, which means the fats and oils have started to decompose. These have a lower chance of making you sick, but trust us, you won’t want to eat them anyway.

The good news is lots foods that look bad are probably still OK to eat. Browning apples, bananas, and potatoes are totally fine, since the outer skin of these foods protects the inside. Same goes for food that’s bruised (you may want to remove the bruised portion). Surprisingly, sour milk (as long as it’s pasteurized—and most dairy in the U.S. is) likely won’t make you sick, even if the smell makes you cringe. You may not want to drink it, …

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/04/469237111/peanut-mush-in-infancy-cuts-allergy-risk-new-study-adds-to-evidence?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Listen to the Story

All Things Considered

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Transcript

A second big study affirms new thinking: Exposing high-risk kids to peanuts beginning in infancy…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/myopia-simple-strategies-to-keep-your-eyes-healthy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Find yourself squinting while staring at your phone or computer? You’re far from alone. A recent report estimated that half the world will be nearsighted by 2050. (Good thing glasses are trendy!)

That number is a huge increase from 2000, when just a quarter of the world had myopia (the medical term for nearsightedness). However the optometrists we spoke with didn’t find the estimate surprising. “We see people with mild myopia worsening every year,” says Eric Perez, an optometrist. “We see patients with myopia that do not have a family history of it.”

Two culprits are likely to blame:

1. Increased Screen Time

Eye doctors use the term “near work,” but mostly they’re referring to the screens you look at (like right now!). As we spend more time looking at computers and smartphones that are just a few feet—and sometimes only inches—away, we don’t give our eyes a chance to look into the distance. (So now you know why you have so much trouble reading road signs.)

Fix It: Use the 20/20/20 rule, says Dominick Maino, an optometrist. Every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. (If you use Google Chrome, you can even download eyeCare, a browser extension that reminds you to look away.)

2. Decreased Time Outdoors

When you’re outdoors, you tend to look at more objects in the distance, exercising that part of your vision, Perez says. There’s also research that shows natural sunlight tr…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/04/469245418/action-on-a-national-gmo-labeling-measure-heats-up-on-capitol-hill?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

A mockup of a possible GMO label on a can of Campbell’s Spaghetti-Os, with these words: “Partially produced with genetic engineering.” Lawmakers are scrambling to piece together a national GMO labeling standard before July 1.

Courtesy of Campbell Soup Company

With a July 1 deadline looming, Congress was scrambling this week to quickly set a national standard for labeling food products that contain genetically modified ingredients.

While most lawmakers mentioned polls showing the majority of Americans support GMO labeling, they differed on whether a national system should be voluntary or mandatory. A measure passed in the U.S. House last summer sets voluntary labeling standards.

The first mandatory GMO labeling law is set to go into effect in Vermont in July – Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts has called it a “wrecking ball” headed the food industry’s way. Roberts, the chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, won first-round approval on Tuesday for his own GMO labeling bill – which would preempt Vermont’s law.

Roberts’ bill would create a voluntary USDA labeling standard for GMO foods. Perhaps more importantly, it specifically prevents states from creating t…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/likeagirl-campaign-reveals-big-problem-with-emojis?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Remember the “throw like a girl” video from Always that went viral a few years ago? Well, the company is back at it with another empowering #LikeAGirl video. This time young women talk about their frustration with female emojis—most of them are pink, few are doing work (and that’s only if you count the dancer), and none are breaking a sweat.

The girls in the video come up with great suggestions for new female emojis, including wrestlers, soccer players, weight lifters, cops, lawyers, and “a super-badass girl.” Emojis may be something most of us don’t think twice about, but this ad serves as a reminder that they can reinforce harmful stereotypes.

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