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You know who’s really good at shopping for things on Etsy? People who sell things on Etsy! After all, the countless craftspeople and artisans are the ones who make Etsy what it is. (In addition to all the other stuff they make, of course.) So we decided to ask a few of our favorite sellers for some of their best, most recent Etsy purchases. Because who knows the site better than they do?
Here are a few of their favorite finds.
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At Kitchn, we’re huge fans of OXO. Their products are reliably designed to perform cooking tasks and obsessively engineered down to the tiny details that make using their products not only effective but also delightful. As it turns out, there’s another group of people who really agree with us: OXO’s own employees. Okay, maybe not the most surprising fact in the world, but their enthusiasm for the brand is truly infectious. And their knowledge? Exhaustive. Which is why we had to ask the following question: What are their favorite, can’t-live-without, use-it-every-day type products?
Ahead, 12 employees share their favorite products. Bonus: Most are $20 or under.
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When it comes to food, I’ll try anything at least once. I’m not a picky eater, and although I love great food, I’m down-to-earth enough to realize that not every meal needs to be earth-shatteringly delicious. Sometimes we just need to eat — and whatever food is around will do the trick.
One thing I really try and stay away from, though, is protein powder. For starters, I don’t like the taste. Whey protein tastes funky to me, and every plant-based protein powder I’ve ever tried is chalky and gritty. Even mixed with tons of other ingredients in a smoothie or some kind of baked good, I can pick out the distinct, not-so-great taste (and sometimes texture) of protein powder.
If you’re like me and just don’t like the taste of powdered protein, here are six easy ways to add protein to breakfast instead, beyond just opting for standard eggs. All pack around 20 grams of protein — about as much as a serving of protein powder — to help fuel you through the morning.
(Note: What constitutes “enough protein” varies from person to person, but the USDA recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, which for a 150-pound woman works out to 55 grams per day.)
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The health benefits of having access to “green space”—from dense forests, fields, and lush parks to simple garden spaces, tree-lined streets, or a humble backyard—are well documented in scientific literature. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given that, as humans, we evolved in nature for most of our species’ existence. If we want to experience vibrant health and well-being, we need to step away from our screens and reestablish that ancestral connection. Keep reading for a look at the latest research, plus great ways to increase your exposure to the great outdoors.
Spending time outdoors in green space can have a beneficial impact on your immune system and overall health. Check out this article to find out how, and get three tips on how to spend more time in nature. #optimalhealth #healthylifestyle #chriskresser
You might be asking, how could being in nature be so essential to wellness? The simplest answer: it’s in our DNA. For hundreds of thousands of generations, human beings lived, worked, ate, played, and slept outdoors in the most lush, verdant natural environments they could find. Never before in our history have we spent as little time in contact with plants and animals as we do today. And as you’ll come to learn, our health is suffering as a result.
In the 1990s, scientist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author E. O. Wilson labeled this concept—that humans have an innate affinity for the natural world—the “biophilia hypothesis.” Since then, his theory has been supported by a wealth of clinical evidence.
Of course, he couldn’t have known exactly how technology would develop—that it would, in effect, replace the elemental need to connect with nature with an altogether different need (an addiction, for some)—to be wired and plugged in, 24/7. Journalist Richard Louv hit on this in his book Last Child in the Woods. He introduced the idea of “nature-deficit disorder,” a term that applies to children and adults alike who stare at screens instead of playing outside. This leads to a whole host of consequences. Fortunately, turning that deficit into an abundance can mean big health benefits.
I’ve isolated these benefits in order to highlight specific research, but keep in mind that all of these impacts on health also work together synergistically to improve well-being. For example, reducing your stress shores up your immune system, while robust immunity means less disease, which confers longevity, and so on.
Nature boosts our natural immunity, and some of the best proof here (along with research to back it up) comes from Japan. There, many citizens regularly participate in shinrin-yoku, a practice that translates as “forest bathing.” These leisurely visits to the forest increase the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, a component of the immune system that helps the body fend off tumors and viruses.
In one study, subjects took a three-day/two-night trip to the forest. Researchers collected blood and urine samples from the participants on days two and three of the trip and on days seven and 30 after the trip. They collected the same measurements on normal working days as well to act as controls. Not only was NK activity significantly higher on forest-bathing days, but the increase in activity, along with an increase in the number of NK cells, remained long after the trip was over—30 days after. To further pinpoint nature’s effects versus, say, time away from work, the researchers also had participants take trips to the city, which did not increase NK action. (1)
Phytoncides, essential wood oils emitted by plants and trees, seem to be responsible for the effect on NK activity. (2) Sunlight also appears to regulate immune function: exposure reduces the risk for autoimmune diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. (3, 4)
In general, exposure to nature is correlated with greater life satisfaction. (5) More specifically, research has also connected green space to reduced stress and incidences of depression and anxiety.
In a study of more than 11,000 adults from Denmark, researchers found that participants who lived more than roughly half a mile away from green space were 42 percent more likely to report high stress levels than those who lived closer to green space. (6) Interestingly, a similar study suggests that green space acts as a buffer to stress’s detrimental effects on the mind and body: participants who had recently experienced major life stressors, such as financial difficulties or relationship problems, but who had more green space in a certain radius around their home had fewer health complaints than their peers who also faced stressors but had less green space nearby. (7) One possible explanation? Green space appears to modulate our stress hormones; in particular, it lowers cortisol levels. (8, 9) Chronically high cortisol levels can have far-reaching impacts on health, including brain damage.
Recently, researchers at the University of Washington evaluated pairs of twins and found that the twin who lived among denser vegetation had a lower risk of depression. (10) An older study out of the Netherlands found that people with only 10 percent green space in a close radius around their home had a 25 percent greater risk of depression and 30 percent greater risk of anxiety disorders when compared to those with the greatest amount of green space in the same radius around their house. (11)
Research conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, and China have found that people who live in the greenest areas have a reduced risk of mortality from all causes, as well as a reduced risk of mortality due to kidney disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and stroke. (12, 13, 14, 15)
In the same Dutch study I mentioned above, researchers found the annual prevalence rate of 15 of the top 24 diseases to be lowest amongst those living in the greenest environments. (16)
While it’s possible that green space makes people more willing to exercise—helping them in that way to maintain a healthy weight and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes—some studies suggest that something else is at play. (17) For example, in one Japanese study, participants’ blood glucose levels dropped after a session of forest bathing, an effect found independent of the distance they walked during their time outside. (18) In a 2016 study, people living in neighborhoods with the greatest amount of green space had a 19 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes than those in the least green areas, regardless of their age, sex, socioeconomic status, family history, and, importantly, BMI. (19)
Spending time in nature lowers blood pressure and pulse rate and increases heart rate variability, a marker more and more experts are looking to as an indicator of health and resilience. (20, 21, 22) There’s also a connection between increased exposure to green space and a lower incidence of coronary heart disease. (23)
Remember those NK cells I mentioned earlier? They have the power to kill tumor cells by releasing anti-cancer proteins, which forest-bathing has been shown to increase, along with the number and activity of the NK cells themselves. (24) Indeed, when Japanese researchers compared data on forest coverage across the country with national cancer data, they found lower rates of lung, breast, and uterine cancers in women and prostate, kidney, and colon cancers in men who lived in areas with higher forest coverage, a fact that remained even after factoring in smoking and socioeconomic status. (25)
Green space may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Higher levels of residential greenness are correlated with a slower rate of cognitive decline later in life. (26, 27) Green space also improves overall cognition. (28, 29, 30)
Even if you’re convinced that you need to get outside more, it’s not always simple to do. You may not have wooded hiking trails at your doorstep, or your schedule may feel too jam-packed for a leisurely “forest bath.” You might live in a densely populated city in a high-rise apartment, with no common green space. Or you may live in a community where cars have taken over and sidewalks have lost ground to widening roadways. Maybe you think it’s too cold or too hot, too rainy or too snowy.
Here are three simple ways to get out there.
Go for a walk at your local park (wear layers and a hat if it’s cold, or sweat-wicking fabrics if it’s hot) rather than plugging away on the treadmill in your fluorescent-lit gym. Take advantage of mild days and move your workout routine into nature, especially if it’s sunny. Even if you’re in an urban environment and can only hit the sidewalk, you’ll still get much-needed sunshine. People who work out outside tend to exercise more, and that outdoor exercise may even confer greater physical and mental benefits than exercise indoors. (31, 32)
Just being around potted house plants can improve memory recall, minimize health complaints and discomfort, and reduce anxiety. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can find low-maintenance varieties of ivy and cactus. Grow a container herb garden on your windowsill. If it’s midwinter, try forcing some bulbs like paperwhites and enjoy an early glimpse of spring. Or fill a vase with some local fresh flowers and greenery. (33, 34, 35, 36)
Researchers point the finger at screen time as a culprit for our spending less time outdoors, especially for children. (37, 38) Take a digital detox and you might just free up enough time for a big hike, family camping trip, or nice long forest bath after all.
How often do you spend time outdoors? Have you noticed any benefits to spending time in green space? Let me know below in the comments!
The post The Top Health Benefits of Green Space appeared first on Chris Kresser.
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If you’re anything like me, you’ve walked past the rows of salad kits at Trader Joe’s in amazement. Who knew there could be so much variety in one simple grocery store convenience? It seems like every time I stop and ogle at them, there’s a new kind squished in between the bags of baby spinach and Cruciferous Crunch.
While they make a nice and easy side dish on their own, these salad kits typically lack the protein needed to turn them from side dish into main dish. Here, I’ve added a few other Trader Joe’s ingredients to solve that problem in next to no time at all.
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Welcome to Snapshot Cooking, the home of Kitchn’s easiest recipes. These mini recipes are so simple you can practically cook from the before-and-after snapshot itself.
If you’re planning a trip to Trader Joe’s to go snack hunting, know that you can — and should — pick up ingredients for dinner, too. The store is nothing short of a treasure trove, and with so many frozen items, jarred sauces, and smart shortcuts, you’ll leave with everything you need to make the fastest, easiest dinners.
The following ideas call for just three ingredients each, all of which can be found in the aisles of your local TJ’s. Learn them, love them, and lean on them anytime you need a lazy meal in a flash.
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Move over MRSA and E-coli., there is a new bacteria in town, and it is becoming increasingly deadly due to antibiotic resistance. Here is the worst part, this bacteria is present on the skin of every human being. Staphylococcus epidermidis is a very close relative of MRSA and a significant contributor to deadly infections after […]
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While most athletes are in denial when it comes to acquiring an injury or developing chronic pain, the truth is that sports disciplines are notorious for increasing your risk of experiencing injuries. A better understanding of the natural progression of injuries can help you approach the management of the associated functional loss and pain that may occur.
The following phases are normal after an injury has occurred:
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Two years ago, when Amazon bought out the Whole Foods chain of grocery stores, a million questions floated around about what this meant for the quality, prices, and format of the once cutting-edge shop. Now, we’re starting to see some of those results in actual actions — starting with the end of the 365 brand of stores.
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