A new museum 14 meters under the sea, a dance that draws on fiction, and other news from TED speakers

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights.

An underwater museum. Off the south coast of Lanzarote, 12 to 14 meters beneath the sea, lies artist Jason DeCaires Taylor’s latest museum, Museo Atlántico, which opened on January 10. Three years in the making, the installation is not only an artistic way of raising awareness about environmental issues, but will provide a home for marine organisms: Taylor designed each of more than 300 life-size pieces to be artificial reefs, which will attract a diversity of marine life from angel sharks to barracudas to sponges. (Watch Jason’s TED Talk)

A documentary on a baffling disease. Jennifer Brea was 28 when she came down with a 104.7-degree fever. The fever marked the beginning of a host of symptoms, from dizziness to temporarily losing the ability to write, and endless doctor’s appointments that always ended with reassurances that she was physically fine. Later diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, Brea filmed a documentary from her bed to shed light on this widespread but poorly understood illness. The resulting film, Unrest, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 20 — and was widely and warmly reviewed. (Watch Jennifer’s TED Talk)

The fight for accessible mental health care. Vikram Patel and colleagues have published two new papers in The Lancet that explore similar strategies for closing the global treatment gap for depression and harmful drinking. Both studies evaluated the use of brief psychological treatments delivered by lay counsellors in primary health-care settings. The researchers found that for both depression and harmful drinking, the lay counsellors’ treatment, combined with usual care, was more effective than usual care alone, a combination that may be more cost-effective. (Watch Vikram’s TED Talk)

Fiction as dance. After its premiere in 2015, choreographer Wayne McGregor’s Virginia Woolf–inspired ballet, Woolf Works, returns to the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, where McGregor is resident choreographer with The Royal Ballet. The production is broken into three acts, each of which draws on a different novel: the first is inspired by Mrs. Dalloway, the second by Orlando, and the third by The Waves. The show will run through February 14, 2017. (Watch Wayne’s TED Talk)

Healthcare’s digital future. The Scripps Translational Science Institute, of which Eric Topol is founder and director, announced a partnership with Nature Research to launch an international journal, npj Digital Medicine. The open-access journal will publish original articles and review research that focus on the use of digital and mobile technologies in healthcare. Along with Steven Steinhubl, Topol will act as editor-in-chief of the journal. (Watch Eric’s TED Talk)

The continued rise of a data-driven world. Data advocate Mallory Soldner presented at the first United Nations World Data Forum, held January 15–18 in Cape Town, South Africa. Soldner participated in two panels. The first explored the use of big data for sustainable development. The second took a hard look at new types of data and emerging techniques for managing big data, exploring, among other questions, how these new frontiers could be used to fill existing data gaps. (Watch Mallory’s TED Talk)

The next generation of leaders. The African Leader University, brainchild of TED Fellow Fred Swaniker, announced the launch of a new undergraduate program in Kigali, Rwanda, a city already home to their School of Business. The first undergraduate students will convene in May 2017 with a second cohort planned for September. The University has also acquired land in Kigali’s Innovation City, where it will build a permanent campus. (Watch Fred’s TED Talk)

Have a news item to share? Write us at contact@ted.com and you may see it included in this weekly round-up.

from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/a-new-museum-14-meters-under-the-sea-a-dance-that-draws-on-fiction-and-other-news-from-ted-speakers/
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FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD: Smash the patriarchy with vegetables, “overfat” is the new “overweight,” and why cows are eating Skittles

For the Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup. 

A quick reminder that next week’s Mindful Meal Challenge will start again on Monday. Sign up now to join us!

This week smash the patriarchy with vegetables, “overfat” is the new “overweight,” and why cows are eating Skittles. 

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

I also share links on Twitter @summertomato and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Unintended Consequences, Special Interests, Sugar, and a View from the Clinical Trenches <<If you read one thing about nutrition this week make it this. The press has been drooling over Gary Taubes’ anti-sugar doctrine for weeks now, and while I agree sugar is a big problem I think Taubes misses the even bigger picture. Yoni Freedhoff articulates it perfectly here. (Cato Unbound)
• Thousands of Skittles end up on an icy road. But that’s not the surprising part <<Corn got too expensive (LOL – it’s so cheap) so cattle farmers are feeding Skittles to their livestock. I’ll give you two guesses about the second ingredient in Skittles. Your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentleman. (CNN)
• Is meat manly? How society pressures us to make gendered food choices. <<Smash the patriarchy with vegetables! Seriously though, an excellent example of how limiting beliefs can make you less healthy. (Washington Post)
• Why It May Be Counterproductive to Say ‘Overweight’ <<Some scientists want us to start saying “overfat.” It’s not a terrible argument. (The Atlantic)
• A weight-loss expert changes his tune: Focus on enjoyment, not perfection <<Because what you actually do is far more important than anything you intended to do but didn’t. Yoni crushing it again. (Washington Post)
• 4 Ways to Harness Mindfulness for Health Goals <<A more in depth look at some of the benefits of mindfulness. If you’re interested, the Mindful Meal Challenge is a great way to get started. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• High-Sugar Diet Makes Flies Drop Like…Flies <<There really is something bad about eating a lot of sugar. For all the debate, that is certainly worth remembering. (Scientific American)
• Obesity is barely covered in medical students’ licensing exam <<FYI. Your doctor probably doesn’t know everything. (ScienceDaily)
• Are Probiotic Foods a Waste of Time? <<Solid primer and probiotics and prebiotics if you’re new to the subject. (Quick and Dirty Tips)
• Farro with Mushrooms and Bacon <<I’m definitely making this tonight. (David Lebovitz)

What inspired you this week?

from Summer Tomato http://www.summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-smash-the-patriarchy-with-vegetables-overfat-is-the-new-overweight-and-why-cows-are-eating-skittles
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Healthy Orange Julius Smoothie Recipe – Dairy-Free

Meal-Prep Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls + 5 more bowl recipes!

These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week! Can we stop and talk for a second how insane in the membrane the weather has been? As you know, I am a weather woman-wannabe, and GLOBAL WARMING IS...

Read More »

The post Meal-Prep Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls + 5 more bowl recipes! appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/01/vegetarian-kung-pao-quinoa-bowls/
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Hillary’s Toughest Yoga Pose

There's a long-running yoga teacher cliche that goes something like this: "The hardest yoga pose is savasana." I beg to differ. The hardest yoga pose is Hillary Clinton sitting silently onstage while her former opponent (a man whom she beat by 3 million votes in the popular vote and who was possibly/probably elected via illegitimate Russian means) is inaugurated as President of the United States.

from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2017/01/26/hillarys-toughest-yoga-pose/
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Tabata Workout: The Powerful 4-Minute System That Works

Going to the gym can be impractical when you’re a mom of littles, but thankfully there are many great workouts that can be done from home. That’s why I’m such a fan of the Tabata workout, and it just might be the perfect choice for moms on the run … pun intended!

Tabata Workout: Not for the Faint of Heart

A Tabata workout is a high-intensity workout. Although it lasts only a few minutes, it will really kick your tail. They’re perfect for those of us who don’t have a lot of time to devote to fitness but want to get in a good workout.

Note: Those with any condition that prevents strenuous exercise should not do a Tabata workout without an OK from a doctor!

Tabata Workout: Perfect for Moms

I get it … you’re busy!  It takes time to prepare healthy food from scratch every day (What? They want dinner again? I just cooked last night!). It also takes time to make healthy cleaning products, or follow a natural beauty routine, or research how to best take care of your family. Living a life of wellness is a full-time job.

But staying fit is important, too.

That’s why the Tabata workout is so perfect for busy moms! It only takes four minutes. Literally, four minutes and you get an intense workout.

But What Is a Tabata Workout?

I’m so glad you asked. Here’s the gist: sprint hard for 20 seconds; rest for 10 seconds; repeat for a total of four minutes (generally 6-8 rounds). That’s it. Sounds simple, but this short workout can burn some mean calories.

Developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata in Japan, Tabata exercise has been found to be superior to other types of exercises. In a 1996 study done at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, Dr. Tabata and his colleagues studied two groups of athletes: one group did medium-intensity exercise for long periods of time and the other did high-intensity exercise for short periods of time.

Tabata and his team observed the athletes for six weeks, and after that time, it was found that the first group increased their aerobic capacity (how long you can run) by 9.5% and their anaerobic capacity (how long you can run at maximum effort) by 0%, while the second group increased their aerobic capacity by 14% and their anaerobic capacity by 28%.

The second group showed greater improvement in lung capacity and oxygen utilization, while the first group showed only minimal improvement, thus proving the benefits of short, high-intensity training.

How to Train for Tabata (Hint: Slowly)

The Tabata regimen was originally created for elite athletes as a means of improving athletic performance. If you’re like the average mama, you may need to work your way up—train so to speak—for Tabata sprints.

You can start by doing some simple interval training:

• Begin with longer, less intense sprints, with a longer recovery time in between.
• Instead of 20 seconds of all-out running, try 60-90 seconds of mid-intensity running, followed by a one minute break rather than ten seconds.
• Every few days, increase your intensity and shorten your exercise and break times.
• Start with only a couple of minutes and work your way up to four minutes, a few times a week.

The Unique Advantages of a Tabata Workout

Burns fat – Intense cardio burns calories and melts away fat. But more than that, it may affect how our bodies process glucose, a huge contributor to belly fat. One study found that “a high amount of moderate-intensity exercise alone was very effective at improving oral glucose tolerance….” Intense exercise may help how our bodies process sugars.

Builds muscle – Tabata exercise allows gives muscles an intense workout.

Creates endorphins – Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.

Highly portable – No fancy equipment or special place needed for this workout!

Short and sweet – Get your exercise out of the way quickly … a bonus for every busy mama.

Other Tabata Variations: Not Just for Runners

Armed with Dr. Tabata’s research, you can apply the Tabata exercise principle to any type of workout. In fact, cycling is one of the more popular ways to utilize the method.

Other great workouts to use the Tabata principle with:

• jumping rope
• squats
• push ups
• pull ups
• kettlebell training
• basically any type of exercise—get creative and have fun with it!

How to Do Tabata, Step by Step

Are you ready to give Tabata sprints a try? Remember, make sure to work your way up, starting with gentler interval training. Once you’ve done that, get ready—this intense workout will kick your exercise regimen into high gear!

Step 1: Start by stretching. You want your muscles nice and warm, because the level at which you’ll push them can lend itself to pulled muscles. Even better if you can do your workout in a warmer place versus outdoors on a cold day.

Step 2: Get a timer ready. Make sure you can easily see a clock with a second hand or have a timer handy.

Step 3: Run, Forrest, run! Run as hard as you can for 20 seconds.

Step 4: Rest. Take a breather for 10 seconds.

Step 5: Repeat. Again, run for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second breather. Repeat 6-8 times, for 4 minutes total. (Many people, even well-trained athletes, can’t make it past 6 times. That’s normal, and, it should be noted that if you’re not struggling, you’re probably not working hard enough. Tabata sprints are meant to be difficult.)

Step 6: Cool down. Stretch again, catch your breath, and sip some room temperature water. Allow your body to come back to normalcy gently.

That’s it. The whole process should take less than 30 minutes.

How Often Should I Do Tabata Sprints?

Because Tabata sprints are such an intense workout, only two to three times a week should be plenty. You can do weight lifting and gentle exercise like yoga the other days of the week. It should also be noted that the long-term benefits and enjoyment of Tabata sprints may wane, which is why pro athletes typically do them during training seasons and not year round.

Health experts remind us:

For the majority of the population, improving longevity and general health can be done by brisk walking for 20 minutes three times a week – and doesn’t involve spending money joining a gym. (source)

It’s reassuring to know that the best health benefits come from consistent, no-fuss, moderate exercise and a varied routine.

Make Your Wellness Matter

Above all, when we’re taking care of a family, our own wellness should be a priority. It’s easy to let my own needs go by the wayside when I’m taking care of everyone else, but there are a few things I know I should prioritize. If I’m healthy, I can keep everyone else healthy.

By taking advantage of the fast and easy exercise Tabata sprints provide, you can check more one thing off your “keep mama healthy” list.

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7th Annual Chili Contest: Entry #6 – Bulgur Chili