The Optimist Living
Cooking makes you more creative and mindful
You need to cook to eat, and survive. But cooking can be more than just a way to feed yourself. For Zen monks there are only two activities more important than meditating: Cooking and cleaning. Cooking helps you be mindful of the present, separating yourself from the nuances of the daily grind. Read More...
Recess before lunch makes kids eat healthier
What is better for a child: To eat before or after recess? You probably don’t think it makes a difference but surprisingly it does. Research has shown that children waste less food when recess is before lunch, and a new study has found that children also eat healthier when operating on that same Read More...
Stop worrying
Everyone worries; it’s been hardwired into our brains from the days our ancestors were roaming around the Serengeti. Back then if you didn’t worry, it was only a matter of time before you were lion food. But today, in our society, worrying does little but stress us our and raise our blood Read More...
Optimism improves heart health
I’m going to guess that since you’re reading this, you’re probably an optimist. That’s great news because researchers have proven that people who are optimistic have greater heart health. The study looked at over 5000 adults and gauged their heart health in relation to their optimism Read More...
Pin point your favorite wine with the Plonk App
There are so many varieties of wine it can be hard—and also fun—deciding which is your favorite. Now an application called Plonk will help you decide where to start as a novice sommelier. The app has a wine dictionary, a run down of varieties by country, gives you food pairings, and will Read More...
Spend more time outside, even in the cold
In the cold winter months sitting cozily on the couch wrapped up in a blanket is much more appealing than going outside in the wet, cold, maybe even snowy day. But it’s important to force yourself to bundle up, and get outside even when the temperature drops to somewhere around freezing. Studies Read More...
Avocados lower bad cholesterol
Guacamole is one of the best foods anyone invented. Now researchers have found that eating guacamole—more specifically an avocado a day—will help cut down on LDL cholesterol, also known as the bad kind. The study was conducted on overweight adults and divided participants into three groups, all Read More...
Ride your bike to stay young
People who cycle to work are the happiest kinds of commuters—that’s been proven. Now scientists have found that cycling also keeps you young. New researchers discovered that cyclists—the more extreme ones that ride about 100 km in 6.5 hours—actually stay younger. The exercise is high Read More...
Be accepting to help your friends lose weight
I love all of my friends just the way they are, but sadly, not everyone does. Often people are critical of their friend’s body image, negatively impacting them. A new study found that for women who were concerned about their weight, those that had accepting friends maintained the same weight, and Read More...
Animals help kids with autism
Family pets have a multitude of benefits for every member of the family. But a recent study has found that children with autism benefit even more from furry friends. The study looked at families with children between the ages of eight and 18 who had a pet. Researchers discovered that children who Read More...