Today’s Solutions: January 18, 2025

Lifestyle

Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.

Attractive young woman using silicone sealant on the window and repairing the windows of her house

Clever sustainable living tips for renters

When it comes to making the world a greener, more sustainable place, homeowners have a lot of power. In the US, 40 percent of total energy consumption per year comes from buildings. This means when property owners decide to make changes to their buildings to reduce how their property affects the Read More...

Lemon balm tea with honey. Cup of hot honey lemon balm tea. Lemon balm is a herb that belongs to the mint family and is known for its medicinal benefits.

6 herbs with antiviral properties worth adding to your pantry

The pandemic has made everyone even more focused on safeguarding public health. While many cutting-edge medical advancements can help keep us safe, it’s also worth looking back on old-school methods of staying healthy, like integrating antiviral herbs into your diet and home remedies. Here’s Read More...

Resistance training fights mus

Resistance training fights muscle loss. Here are 3 ways to do more of it

We've know for a while that resistance training is key to longevity and health.  In a recent study, researchers found that resistance training was effective in building lean muscle mass and slowing muscle loss in both aging women and men. The study, which came from the University of New South Read More...

Think Global, Eat Local

Think Global, Eat Local

“A garden is a solution that leads to other solutions. It is part of the limitless pattern of good health and good sense." – Wendell Berry By Sadie Wilbur Dirty Hands, Happy Heart My love for all things green began when I was a young girl. I grew up alongside a variety of trees and plants, Read More...

Man trimming trees in the woods

These are just some of the new job opportunities in a zero-emissions world

There is tremendous economic potential in the transition to a renewable energy future, but detailed descriptions of what these green jobs will look like aren’t always available. We’ve talked about the job potential for renovating old oil and gas fields, but today we share a guide from Grist on Read More...

Young fit sporty person eating banana and smiling. Active lifestyle and healthy eating.

Study suggests an underripe banana a day lowers risk of a range of cancers

A new longitudinal study spanning almost two decades has produced some intriguing results regarding resistant starch. What you ask, is 'resistant starch'? It is a digestion-resistant molecule present in many everyday foods like oats, peas, beans, and slightly underripe bananas. And, it may be a Read More...

Farmers' food market stall with variety of organic vegetable. Vendor serving and chating with customers.

Here’s how to dive into your local food scene

We all know that we should be eating local, yet it often falls to the bottom of the list—especially when we’re busy and on a budget. There’s more than meets the eye, though, with local food. It’s more nutrient-dense and tastes better, not to mention you’ll be supporting your local farmers Read More...

Front side of typical american porch colonial house with white traditional columns and pillars and American flag

Introducing "True American"— a mini-series

Last month on Independence Day, The New Yorker published an issue featuring cover art by graphic illustrator Christ Ware. The narrative piece, called “House Divided,” boldly captures the sense of polarization underlying this past year’s Fourth of July festivities, and the general atmosphere Read More...

Sunlight through a forest of trees.

Solutions Thinking and Climate Change

Open Minds and Optimism: Keys to Solving the Climate Crisis In February 2022, the world’s leading climate scientists released the most urgent warning on climate change to date. The report, released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), describes the implications of our Read More...

Himalayan salt lamps can boost mood, improve sleep, ease allergies, reduce anxiety and clean the air.

These 6 lighting tips will boost your mood and your health

At a time when sustainable and healthy living is at the forefront of many of our minds, the issue of lighting becomes a contested one. While LED (light-emitting diode) and CFL (compact fluorescent light) lights have gained popularity for their energy efficiency, these kinds of lights tend to leave Read More...