This could well be the most interesting and informative 20 minutes of your day.
from www.ted.com
In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.
1. Downsize your dishes: modern standard dishes have grown in size. Get smaller dishes or eat your main course in dessert-size dishes. It will make your plate seem fuller with smaller quantities and psychologically you will feel better eating a full small-dish than off a half-full humongous plate. In general, we're eating way too much.
2. Be small-minded about snacks: experiments at Cornell University show that participants who were given snacks containing 100 Wheat Thins ate 20% more than participants who were given four smaller bags (each containing 25 Wheat Thins). Divide your snack baggies into smaller portions!
3. Raise your glasses: alcohol is highly caloric. Be smart and use tall thin glasses instead of short thick ones; people inadvertently pour more alcohol into short glasses than tall thin ones. Don't take my word for it, try pouring equal quantities into both types of glasses for yourself.
4. Shrink your plate when eating out. Since you can't bring smaller dishes to a restaurant, try this: when your plate arrives, eat only half of it, then take a small 10 minute pause (chat and drink in the mean time) and then continue eating. The pause will allow your stomach to start digesting and you will feel fuller faster.
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A very useful and versatile web application that aims to be your primary tool for task managing.
It's easy to add and update your tasks, enter details, share them, postpone them and toss them in the done cabinet. These are all things that any task manager can do, but this one in particular is interesting because it seamlessly integrates with other applications/technologies.
For example, you can access and manage your tasks from technologies as different as your email to your mobile phone to, evidently, your web browser. And the fact that it is a web application means that you can access your tasks from anywhere with an internet access (and if you don't have access to the internet you can also use it offline thanks to google gears and then synchronize whenever you get an internet access).
Additionally, if you are using gmail and firefox, you can install the remember the milk extension for firefox, which loads a panel on the right and seamlessly integrates your gmail contacts and calendar into your remember the milk tasks and vice versa (all thanks to greasemonkey).
Reminders span a wide range of possibilities as well. You can get them through email, sms, twitter, even instant messengers.
Well, now that you know, head over to their site, create an account (they're free) and next time you go to the supermarket... Remember the milk.
I always read health and nutrition sites with copious amounts of skepticism. Primarily because most sites are trying to sell you something, are a scam in one way or another, or are just plain useless (as far as the information itself goes).
But recently I came across bellyoff.menshealth.com,joined the community and started doing the exercises.
What I like best is that you can do most of the exercises in your own home and you can watch videos of someone performing the exercises so you know you are doing them right. No need for expensive equipment or heavy weights.
On the other hand, the nutrition tips seem a little weak, to say the least. I would recommend sticking to the exercises, but don't limit your nutrition information to what is offered on this site. (for example on the "don't want to cook" section they propose whoppers and chicken mc nuggets... I still can't believe it).
In the end, all these things are pretty much common sense. Exercise + balanced healthy eating will lead to a fitter you. The good thing about this site is that you have a well-crafted weekly plan of exercises (and the videos).
I'll let you know how I'm doing in 8 weeks time.
