In the U.S., were a little spoiled when it comes to vegan cheese especially if you live near, say, a Whole Foods or alternative supermarket that specializes in a lot of health products. Looking for some vegan mozzarella for your next homemade pizza? Do you want Daiya, Follow Your Heart, Miyokos Creamery, MozzaRisella, or Cheezehound with that? You get it. Were a nation who unabashedly loves their cheese but were not the only country. France, for example, is famous for its love of cheese, from creamyCamembert, soft, spreadable brie, comt, and more. And like Miyoko Schinner and others have pioneered the artisanal cheese movement in the United States, one woman in France is introducing Paris to the world of fancy vegan cheese.

Situated in the XItharrondissement of Paris is Jay&Joy, Frances first all-vegan cheese shop. Although the shops founder, Venezuelan-born Mary Iriarte Jhnke, has been making vegan cheese for years with her husband, the shop was originally unplanned.

According to Jhnke, tourists make up a large portion of her customer base as well: The products are made in France and tourists appreciate this very much. They are happy to find small shops in Paris. Although shes made her mark in Paris, Jhnke does not plan to stay there. She plans on moving elsewhere in order to continue to grow her business and eventually, export her product well be waiting for that day.

Love vegan cheese? Us, too and its amazing that we live at a time when we have so much choice when it comes to finding vegan cheese in stores. But did you know that its easy to make vegan cheese at home, too? We highly recommend checking out the Food Monster app, a food and recipe app available for both Android and iPhone. Not only will you find plant-based versions of artisanal cheeses such as Gouda, Bleucheese, and gorgonzola, youll also find American cheese, cream cheese, and more. Not to mention, the app has 8,000+ vegan recipes with 10+ recipes added daily, vegan cooking tips, how-tos, a meal plan feature, and more! What are you waiting for? Give it a try!

All image source: Unbound Project/Facebook

Read more:

This Amazing Woman is Bringing Vegan Cheese to France - One Green Planet

Evening Bell will perform from 7-8:30 p.m. on Aug. 17 at Mercerdale Park as part of the Mercer Island Arts Councils annual summer concert series Mostly Music in the Park. Photo courtesy of eveningbellmusic.com

It seems that the ear plays an important role in the awareness of the world around us. With the negativity that we have been hearing lately, it might be wise to treat our auditory senses to some entertaining and relaxing music. One way to maintain mind-soothing harmony this summer would be to enjoy selections of comforting music.

What if these musical opportunities were free and outdoors? The answer to that question is easier than you might think. Communities on the Eastside of Lake Washington offer the opportunity to enjoy music without cost at a variety of venues.

These free summer concerts offer an assortment of musical styles, including singer-songwriters, cover groups and symphonies. They are family friendly with opportunities to picnic, dance and meet others who enjoy music. Some sites have refreshments available for purchase.

Even though the concerts are free, sometimes there is an opportunity to put some money or bread in the performers jar, basket or a repurposed guitar case. If you truly enjoyed the show, often the performers have CDs for sale usually at a reasonable price.

The following is a list of the various shows to enjoy this summer. Each venue has a website that you can visit to check locations, dates, times and whos performing.

In Mercer Island, there is Mostly Music in the Park, from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays nights July 20-Aug. 24 at Mercerdale Park.

In Sammamish, Concerts in the Park take place Thursday evenings at Pine Lake Park. The weekly outdoor concerts happen from 6:30-8 p.m. between July 13-Aug. 31. Bring your own picnic or purchase dinner on-site. Parking for this event is available at Pine Lake Park, Discovery Elementary School and South Sammamish Park and Ride. Note that parking at the Pine Lake Park is extremely limited and fills up early in the day. There is a free shuttle that runs between the South Sammamish Park and Ride and Pine Lake Park before and after the concert.

In Issaquah, there are two weekly events: Tuesdays Concerts on the Green are held at the Issaquah Community Center lawn. This series runs from 7-8:30 p.m. July 11-Aug. 28. Spectators often start gathering as early as 6 p.m. for community picnicking. On Thursday nights, the Downtown Issaquah Association, in partnership with the Washington Blues Society, presents the Gas Station Blues at the Historic Shell Station on Front Street from 7-9 p.m. July 13-Aug. 24.

A very ambitious offering is presented by the Bellevue Downtown Association through its Live at Lunch concert series. These performances take place at various downtown Bellevue venues every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 12-1:30 p.m. July 11-Sept. 14.

Redmond has Thursday Nights Rockin on the River Concerts (6 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) at the Redmond Senior Center Garden Plaza, July 13-Aug. 10.

Newcastles concert series happens at Lake Boren Park from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday evenings July 19-Aug. 9.

Kirklands Summer Concert Series are held from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights, July 6-Aug. 17 at Marina Park.

A special shout goes out to the sound crews who keep the music clear and properly amplified. Most importantly, the opportunity to hear free music this summer is made possible by sponsors as well as different city organizations that provide funding and staffing.

Look for the opportunity locally to allow your acoustic perception to provide you with some free and fun relaxation. It has been stated that many times we do not hear the melody or the lyrics until we need the song. This may just be the chance to tune in and enjoy music and put your troubles aside.

Sammamish resident Larry Crandall is a retired educator and serves on the citys Planning Commission.

Read more:

Maintain mind-soothing harmony with summer music concerts | My Turn - Mercer Island Reporter (subscription)

Recently, I have been seeing social media chatter about Spositos Cuban and Italian Cuisine in Temecula, and since its a stones throw from the office I decided to give it a go last week.

The heat wave was in full bloom and the open and airy dining room was a nice respite from the sun.

I was greeted by a friendly server and immediately seated next to a window with a nice view of the restaurant. Ceiling fans whirled and gentle music created a relaxing vibe.

The menu is an interesting collaboration of Italian and Cuban dishes, and I was committed to trying a bit of both.

Based on the recommendation from the server, I went with the empanadas ($7.50) to start. Other appetizer options included tostones rellenos stuffed green plantains ($10.50), caprese salad ($9.95) and cioppino ($17.95). Yes, its an appetizer.

The empanadas arrived and were larger than I expected. I broke one open and liberally dipped the golden crust into the house-made chimichurri sauce. The meat was perfectly seasoned with a slight kick while the crust was crisp on the outside yet soft on the inside.

Typically I have a dining companion but on this outing I flew solo. Still, I ordered two main dishes. Dont judge.

I selected the penne arrabbiata ($12.50) and the ropa vieja ($16.50).

The server first brought the pasta dish, which was steaming hot and smelled delicious. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top and dug in. The level of spice was just right and lingered which I loved. Its a simple and tasty dish with marinara sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper and parsley.

Other pasta choices include lasagna ($14.95), spaghetti with mussels and tomatoes ($16.95) and linguine with mussels, clams, shrimp and calamari ($21.95).

Next up was the ropa vieja, slow-cooked shredded beef with onion, red peppers and Cuban spices. White steamed rice and a small bowl of black beans adorned the plate as well.

Although the pasta was great, I preferred the Cuban selection. The meat melted in my mouth while the beans and rice complimented the big savory flavors.

Next time I want to try the Cuban roast pork ($14.50) and of course the classic Cuban sandwich ($11.95).

I was too full for dessert but took a peek at the case filled with scrumptious looking sweets such as tarts, cakes and custard.

I left very satisfied and with plenty of leftovers, which my daughter devoured.

Spositos Cuban and Italian Cuisine Where: 28120 Jefferson Ave., Temecula Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sundays Entrees: $7.50-$29.95 Beverages: Beer, wine and specialty coffees Reservations: Accepted Information: 951-676-1629, spositos.com

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Sposito's Cuban and Italian Cuisine offers a variety of tasty dishes in Temecula - Press-Enterprise

YourTango has some helpful tips on ways you can naturally get better sleep, straight from sleep expert Katrin Schubert, M.D.

Good sleep takes practice.

You need more sleep.

We all do. As a society, we don't value the benefits of sleep enough, even though recent research has argued that sleep deprivation might be our next major public health crisis.

The hard part is, even when we KNOW that we need more rest, it isn't always easy to get it.

We might finally accomplish the impossible and find ourselves in bed at 10 p.m. one night, but then we just lay there. We're exhausted, we're so desperate to sleep, but it never comes.

Instead, we sit there, unable to switch our brains off and watching old episodes of Veep on our phones until 3 a.m. It feels like the cruelest trick our body can play on us we know it needs sleep, and yet it keeps that rejuvenating rest just out of our reach.

Fortunately, you can do something about that. You can actually TEACH yourself to sleep better . . . without using pills.

And the best place to start is a fascinating new book by Katrin Schubert M.D. (which I can't recommend enough) titled Improve Sleep: 20 Quick Techniques.

In the book, Schubert validates our need for sleep it really is the healthiest thing you can do for your body and walks us through various tips, techniques, and strategies that make it so, SO much easier to fall asleep.

Not to be hyperbolic, but I've been trying the techniques laid out in the book for about a month now, and I've had some of the best sleep of my life. I actually fall asleep when I get into bed now, rather than browsing YouTube and worrying about work all night.

(Schubert also has books on how to Relieve Stress and Reduce Cravings, which are just as pragmatic and actionable.)

Improve Sleep has a ton of fantastic advice, but, to give you an idea of what you can do to feel significantly more rested in the meantime, here are SIX of Schubert's top tips for getting a really, really amazing night's sleep. (The full book has a LOT more.)

If you want to stop feeling desperate and exhausted every night at bedtime, THIS is what you need to do to start falling asleep faster.

1. Get at least 20 minutes of natural sunlight each day.

Light exposure during the day helps your body follow a normal sleep-and-wake cycle. Natural sunlight regulates your body's production and release of melatonin, the hormone that is excreted at night to induce the natural sleep cycle.

2. Reduce the amount of fluids you drink in the evening.

Drinking water throughout the day is important for your body's health. Consuming liquids later in the evening can disrupt your sleep. You will feel more rested in the morning if you do not have to get up at night to answer nature's call.

Everyone hears that they should drink more water throughout the day and you should. But be mindful of when you are drinking that water.

If you are consuming liquids late in the day and you find yourself unable to sleep through the night because you are regularly getting up to empty your bladder, then you might have found an easy way to improve the quality of your sleep.

3. Reduce your exposure to any light source with a white or blue hue at least two hours before bedtime.

This means that for the best night's sleep, when it is getting close to bedtime, you need to trade in the time you spend in front of a screen for something like time spent with a good, old-fashioned book.

Screens on TVs, laptops, and smartphones emit the types of light that will keep you up. Instead of staring at a screen, try unwinding with relaxation or breathing exercises, soft and relaxing music, or just by spending time with your loved ones.

Bright white-blue lights keep us wired! So avoid them close to bedtime.

4. Take magnesium!

Magnesium can help you sleep in so many ways. It helps relax your muscles and your brain. While adding a magnesium supplement to your routine can be very helpful, so is just mindfully adding some magnesium-rich foods to your diet.

Almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, leafy green vegetables, avocados, and bananas all contain high levels of this vital mineral. Another great way to expose your body to magnesium late in the day and get ready for rest is by adding Epsom salts to your bath . . .

5. Keep cortisol levels low.

Your body makes a stress hormone called cortisol. High stress levels elevate our cortisol levels. High levels of cortisol in our bodies keep us awake because cortisol's release is a way our bodies enable alertness.

As night approaches, keep your cortisol levels managed by reducing your overall stress levels. Maybe that means not listening to the news, watching thrillers, or tackling disagreements toward the end of the day. You can't drift off into dreamland if your body is full of cortisol.

6. Catch a catnap.

Fatigue will stop you from sleeping well at night. A short rest or nap will rejuvenate you and give you enough energy to finish your day. Researchers and nap aficionados recommend naps of no longer than 20 minutes; otherwise, you may feel groggy afterward.

This is just a taste of the awesome advice you can get Improve Sleep: 20 Quick Techniques. If you want to know more about how you can completely revolutionize the way you sleep, you should seek it out.

Created in partnership with Hazelden Publishing.

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6 Techniques That Will Give You the Best Sleep of Your Life (With No Pills!) - POPSUGAR

Local seniors and teacher Ed Sorrentino have a joyful conversation in the Drumming Circle at the Pembroke Council on Aging.

PEMBROKE They start out with tentative pats on their drums waiting to see how it sounds, how fast the others go and how hard they all hit.

Urged on by Ed Sorrentino, their leader, these adventuresome seniors pick up the tempo, getting into their own rhythms and smiling. Sorrentino has told them that music is a conversation and taking risks is good. By the end of the hour, they are laughing and carrying on in style on a half dozen percussion instruments.

We only give you clean goats toenails, Sorrentino kids Benita Pemberton as he hands her more than two dozen processed toenails on a ring. She gamely gives them a shake.

I am at a Drumming Circle at the Pembroke Senior Center with 11 seniors from Pembroke, Hanover and Duxbury.

An educator/performer from the South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, Sorrentino is a Braintree resident who has led two drumming programs this year in Pembroke.

Funded through state and local grants, the drumming was started as an activity for people with memory loss but expanded to the wider community.

It builds community, Sorrentino says.

At the start of the first circle several months earlier, seniors asked, Why are we here? and What am I doing?

Lets wait and come back to that at the end, he replied. After an hour of rhythm exercises and drumming, they had 20 different answers.

Music is all about laughing, making connections with people, creating music without rehearsal -- recreational music, he says.

They begin the second session with some exercises, keeping their own beats on an eight count. Then Sorrentino tells them, Now I want you to use these (pointing to his ears) and see where your drum sound fits into the bigger picture.

You can add whatever you want to the conversation, whenever you want, when you see it is a comfortable place to put it in there.

Nothing is going to happen. Let the music take over and see what happens.

Stella McCauley, 78, of Pembroke doesnt think of herself as being gifted musically (I play the radio, she says) but has enjoyed the group. It is relaxing and a nice way to socialize. Plus he makes it so easy. It does call for concentration.

The group also includes Merry Foxworth of Pembroke, Paul and Betty Mizzoni of Pembroke, Donna Burke of Pembroke, Joan Stockwood, Maura Griffiths, Mary Seamon of Duxbury, and Tom and Ruth Grono of Hanover.

During the session, Grono points out the bongo drums should be tipped slightly, because some of the sound comes out of the bottom.

After more than an hour, everyone plays together and Sorrentino finishes up with a Wow!

We come here and play music, we have fun, we laugh and we look at other people, he says. Not to worry about mistakes.

Before they leave, the drummers talk about the disconnection in society today how people are absorbed in their computers, smart phones and social media devices and just missing one another. You see it in restaurants, one of the women says. Young people sitting together, all looking at their phones.

Now that the state grant has ended, Anna Seery, director of the Pembroke Council on Aging, hopes to find other funding to offer the drumming circle again.

That would be good, McCauley says. The ladies want to go once a week.

MILLIE NAUN of Hingham celebrated her 101st birthday yesterday and on Sunday, her friends at the Liberty Grille on North Street in Hingham had a party.

Shirley Kehoe, 82, of Cohasset, used to drive the van for Cohasset Elder Affairs and gave Millie rides. She still walks to the train and takes it into Boston during the week. She's an amazing woman and arrives at the grille a couple times a week to sit at the bar and have a hotdog and a beer, Shirley said.

Congratulations Millie and heres to 102!

Reach Sue Scheible at scheible@ledger.com, 617-786-7044, or The Patriot Ledger, P.O. Box 699159, Quincy 02269-9159. Read her Good Age blog on our website. Follow her on Twitter @ sues_ledger.

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A GOOD AGE: joyful conversation in the drumming circle - The Patriot Ledger

In its third year, Mamby on the Beach once again boasted some of the best city views offered at a Chicago music festival alongside a thoughtfully curated lineup Saturday and Sunday at Oakwood Beach. An eclectic cast of bands, electronic-based musicians and hip-hop artists from homegrown artists including Saba, Sir the Baptist and Green Velvet to album-charting acts including MGMT and Walk the Moon complemented the fest's theme of chill, danceable vibes.

According to organizers, an estimated 30,000 fans attended over the weekend. Conceived as a boutique festival, Mamby included beachfront stages and free activities including yoga sessions and wellness workshops. Each day, the musical lineup generally progressed with relaxing grooves that melded into more anthemic fare. "I kind of look at it as providing a soundtrack for a person's day," React Presents' Matt Rucins, one of the three Mamby bookers, said of the programming philosophy.

The sonic landscape also showcased a bevy of strong Chicago talent. Saturday's lineup included recent high school graduate Ravyn Lenae's sultry, old-soul vocals mingled with romantic yearning on her jazz-tipped numbers such as "Blossom Dearie."

Rapper Saba's fiery set spanned his collaborative efforts including performing Chance the Rapper's "Angels," which Saba is featured on, and he brought out his brother and fellow Pivot Gang member Joseph Chilliams for turns at the mic for songs including "Westside Bound 3." Saba also dedicated his moving "Church/Liquor Store" to his late cousin and Pivot Gang member John Walt, who was stabbed to death in February.

Rapper Smino was a guest during both Lenae and Saba's sets, and Joey Purp made a surprise appearance during producer oddCouple's slot. BJ the Chicago Kid injected his smooth R&B, which included "Roses," into the afternoon during an abbreviated performance.

The city was well-represented Sunday, too. A couple of dozen-strong Dexter Walker & Zion Movement gospel choir members ushered in events with "Oh Happy Day," and Sir the Baptist took the crowd to an alternative church where playful swearing in songs and onstage was forgiven. His rousing set included "Heaven," and "Creflo Almighty Dollar." Gospel great Donald Lawrence joined in a cameo as Sir the Baptist and his talented artist congregation ventured into the audience for a reprise of "Raise Hell" for the set's finale. Later, Green Velvet brought the worship of house to the fore with a dance party that closed out the DJ tent.

Danceable grooves dominated both nights' programming. On Saturday, Miike Snow kicked the dance party into full gear with "Genghis Khan" and "Animal" before headliner MGMT delivered hits such as "Kids" alongside new songs including "James."

On Sunday, Cut Copy's buoyant set had beach dwellers kicking up sand for "Lights and Music," and the band gave a shoutout to Chicago Pride weekend before delivering "Meet Me in a House of Love."

Thundercat thrilled fans with his awe-inspiring bass-and-falsetto-buoyed, funkified R&B jams, which included "Friend Zone."

Mamby culminated with Walk the Moon, Green Velvet and Flying Lotus. Those looking for singalong hits seemed to migrate to the former and the club crowd to Green Velvet's overflowing tent. Flying Lotus displayed the most intriguing visuals of the weekend. Flanked by two video screens displaying trippy visuals and lights, he delivered a vibrant, experimental mix, which included him live rapping on songs such as "Dead Man's Tetris."

Althea Legaspi is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @chitribent

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Originally posted here:

Mamby on the Beach a winning mix of mood, tunes and Chicago vibe - Chicago Tribune

Kevin Morby is a singer-songwriter with a ton of solid jams and some interesting lyrics. Here are some of our favorites. 1. "That city music, that city sound, oh how you're pulling my heart strings, let's go downtown." - "City Music" The title track off of Kevin Morby's new album City Music starts out with a less rock feel to it and instead, with a more relaxing folk indie vibe. These lyrics basically embody the entire song, which is to say that the city brings the best energy and definitely the best music.

2. "And all the music in my ears, sounds beautiful down here, and I could hear the drummer roll, and I could her the choir cry." - "Dorothy"

3. "With you always at my sideAs we tell all those stories told." - "Dorothy"

Another great section of this same song that reminds us how brilliant and meaningful it is. Morby personifies his guitar as someone that has always been with him through thick and thin. With his music he is able to tell stories and the lyrics express how grateful he is for that.

4. "Walk with me on the wild side, with my head in the air full of some child's cry." -"Wild Side (Oh The Places You'll Go)"

5. "May we fill these lungs with laugher, and may we shake these bones with style." - "Aboard My Train"

6. "But all of them are aboard my train, but all of them are a friend of mine, and oh my darling, can't you see, oh that babe, and you, are a part of me." - "Aboard My Train"

Yeah, another good lyric from the same song...We just can't choose! Towards the end, Morby talks more and more about all of the people and places he's loved and seen.

7. "In the garden where we built a home, black flowers...Like everything once is now over, just has everything now has died." - "Black Flowers"

8. "If you come to find out who you are, may you find out, may you find out who you are, and if you come to search for what is lost, then may you find it, may you find it at any cost." - "Parade"

9. "Nowhere to go, step out of my shadow, take me as I am, a man." - "Cut me down"

10. "I'm out wandering the streets, silently carrying a song, until it gets to loud, and comes rushing out of my mouth." - "Destroyer"

See more here:

10 Poetic Kevin Morby Lyrics - Baeble Music (blog)

In a fast paced world where careers often come first, putting off that sick day could be more dangerous than you think.

Picture your perfect sick day. What does it look like? Is it one of comfort; curled up under a quilt, with candles and relaxing music playing? Is it you, binge watching your favourite show with a hot drink cradled in your hands? Whatever it is, the ideal sick day is best filled with relaxation.

It's common knowledge that the best way to get better is to slow down, take a breather and let our body recover. So why then, are Brits taking fewer and fewer sick days?

A survey by National Accident Helpline has revealed some worrying statistics about the UK's working population. Nine out of ten Brits (89%) admitted to dragging themselves out of their sickbeds to go to work, with over half (53%) having taken no sick days in the last six months.

Research by the Office for National Statistics also shows an overall falling trend in the amount of sick days taken between 1994 and 2016. Whilst it's understandable that money or job security worries keep us going in when we probably shouldn't, we really need to consider the impact that this is having on our health.

Doctor Jamie Shah says you risk making things worse if you go to work when you're ill.

"You do need time off when you are ill to recover properly, because if you are working continuously you aren't getting that extra nutrition and rest you need.

"You also risk causing yourself more stress, which is proven to reduce the body's immune system." Working through illness also affects your mental ability, says psychologist Joan Harvey.

"If you go to work when you're ill you're more likely to make mistakes.

"The issue is that there are a lot of tougher absence policies in the workplace, so people are terrified to not go in," she says.

Tech entrepreneur Andrew Ward doesn't go to work when he's ill out of fear, but because it's essential that he isn't beaten by illness. If he's too ill to make it into work, he will still work from home. He hasn't had a day off work for half a year.

"If I'm ill I try to work; I would have to be very ill to not do anything. I hate being forced to take a day off work due to illness. It takes all the power and control away," he says.

His aversion to duvet days has led to intense stress.

"You do sometimes get periods of very high pressure from pushing yourself when you're ill. You could be forced to put extra time in over the weekends and evenings.

"I'd say stress is a contributor to me getting ill."

His driven nature has paid off, leading to a successful career as Managing Director of an app development agency and he is happy with his fast paced life, but this doesn't mean there's not a price to pay for refusing to slow down when he's ill. He and his wife Anna spent four years without going on holiday.

Andrew's idyllic weekend is not one spent in front of the telly, but where he gets stuff done. He's been known to work 13 hours a day because he struggles to switch off.

It's not just men working in the high octane business world who suffer; I'm a 21-year-old female student whose fear of missing out and refusing to take a step back has put my health at risk.

There have been weekends when I've slept for only a few hours because I'm trying to juggle a social life as well as working, and I have taken myself to university when I should have been bed-bound with flu.

This means I suffer with chronic stress and recurrent illness. I ended up in hospital four times over six months with Peritonsillar Abscess; a potentially serious complication of tonsillitis. The first time, I had dragged myself into university before giving in and realising I needed to call A&E. I carry on despite wanting to curl up under a duvet.

Even if I do manage to stay in bed, I'm not actually allowing myself time off. Mentally, I'm still attempting or obsessing over work, guilt coursing through my groggy body as I click Watch Next on the latest Netflix binge series.

This is partially to do with guilt. Modern life is extremely demanding and students are put under immense pressure to compete with thousands of others to get a job when we graduate.

These pressurised feelings of guilt are understandable, especially as Britain has such a workaholic culture, but working a lot isn't even making us work better. The latest release from the Office for National Statistics shows that we just aren't that productive as a country. Output per hour worked in the UK was 15.9% below the average for the rest of the G7 advanced economies in 2015.

Long, demanding working hours are also having a negative impact on our mental health.

Almost one in four employees from the 2016 Britain at Work Report said that they have had to miss work over the past 12 months because of stress-related conditions and the Work Family Balance report found that workers often feel their life is skewed towards work to the detriment of their families.

Our need to get things done may be down to money issues and internal or external pressure. The National Accident Helpline survey found that reasons for working when ill included money worries (25%), pressure from colleagues (11%) and pressure from the boss (19%), with well over one in 10 having been threatened with disciplinary measures as a result of taking sick leave.

This doesn't come as a surprise to life coach Lucy Owens.

"People come to me with extreme dissatisfaction with their work but keep going because they don't want to be seen as a slacker," says Lucy.

PR Executive Claudia Barnett has often learnt this the hard way.

"Sometimes I've been known to massively push myself to the extent of burn out. It happened towards the end of last year where I just couldn't push forward anymore and literally had to stop my life for a while to recover," 23-year-old Claudia says.

She has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), often known as 'pure OCD', and says her condition worsens when she's stressed, run down or lacking in sleep.

"This is why 'slow living' is important to me- to give myself and my body a chance to recover," she says.

Hearing that you need to take more time off when you're ill can be frustrating when you have bills to pay and a family to feed, but learning how to look after yourself and slowdown could prevent a devastating burnout.

Illustration by Meg Mundy

View original post here:

Beware The Burnout: The Danger Of Overworking - HuffPost UK

Tom Colicchio wants every child to taste an apple by the age of three. Thats just one of the many odd comments the celebrity chef and restauranteur makes in a new video for his liberal political action committee (PAC), Food Policy Action. Over the past several years, Colicchio has worked really hard to position himself as a political mover-and-shaker. He endorsed Hillary Clinton and introduced her at a rally in Pittsburgh the day before the election (didnt help).

Last summer, he visited the Republican and Democratic conventions to promote his Plate of the Union campaign, passing out free nibbles from a food truck while urging lawmakers to make food policy a priority. He has testified on Capitol Hill for mandatory genetically modified food labels and against any cuts to subsidized school meals.

The Twitter timeline of this temperamental chef is a nonstop rant against President Trump and Republicans. (He tweeted me the day after the election, demanding to know where Trump stood on climate change and what I told my two daughters about Trumps election. Then he blocked me.)

Colicchio is rounding up his foodie friends, many of whom were pals with the Obamas but are now marginalized by the GOP, to fight the administration and Congress over the 2018 Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that directs spending on hundreds of programs from crop insurance to food stamps. This bureaucratic behemoth is renegotiated every five years; the 2014 farm bill cost nearly $500 billion.

In his video, the same guy who charges $275 for an eight-ounce Wagyu beef filet at his Las Vegas steakhouse says that providing good, healthy, affordable and safe food is not just my job, its my passion. Colicchio declares we all have a right to healthy food and accuses the Trump administration of putting Big Ag and their profits ahead of health, safety and consumers.

Colicchio lives in some alternative universe that does not reflect the reality of America, where most of us have quick access to the cheapest, safest, and most abundant food supply in the world. Instead, Colicchio bemoans how healthy food should not be a luxury afforded to a few or for those who live near farmers markets. A tomato shouldnt cost more than a fast food burger. A tomato does not cost more than a fast food burger, except maybe in Manhattan, where the chef resides.

In April, Colicchio visited House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers in DC to lobby for his liberal policy agenda. He manages to tie every issue from immigration to national security back to food. He told MSNBC that our system doesnt support food that we eat. We are really great at producing corn and soy, but were not great when it comes to producing food thats nutritious that people want to eat. Must be news to American ranchers and fishermen, not to mention all the wheat, citrus, vegetable, potato, and nut farmers across the country.

Whats galling about Colicchio is he professes to be a champion of affordable-food-for-all but pushes ideas that will raise the price of food, limit consumer choice, and prevent farmers from using technologies like genetic engineering that boost crop yields. For example, Colicchio is demanding federal funding for organic agriculture in the Farm Bill: We can counter abundant pesticide use by diverting some of our tax dollars from supporting chemically intensive conventional cropsto supporting organic agriculture, giving farmers greater incentives and assistance to ease the transition to organic production.

This is not only a bad idea but contradictory to Colicchios professed goals. Organic food is more expensive. Organic food is not healthier or more nutritious. And there are reasons American farmers refuse to grow organic crops (only about 1 percent of U.S. farmland is dedicated to organic crops): its more labor-intensive, time-consuming, and produces lower yields. Contrary to the wistful, locally-grown appeal of organic food, most of it is imported here from Mexico, Eastern Europe, and South America.

Colicchios false claims about dangerous pesticide use on non-organic crops may actually prevent lower-income people from buying fruits and vegetables. Some recent studies find poor people may avoid purchasing fruits or vegetables if they cant afford the organic version because they believe regular produce is full of harmful pesticides. Organic farms do use pesticides, just non-synthetic types, but Colicchio and his foodie buddies insist on peddling an organic fantasyland where weeds never grow and farmers tenderly pick tiny bugs off plants with their bare hands before releasing them unto a rainbow sky where they live happily ever after.

The chefs long knives will also be out to defend Michelle Obamas school lunch program (he thinks school lunch should be free across the board) and the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which he says needs to be more robust. He and his foodie fighters want more subsidies for fruit and vegetable growers and higher wages for farm workers. Kinda funny from a guy who just closed his second restaurant in New York City in less than a year and blamed skyrocketing rents, which are mostly due to that citys labyrinth of taxes and government regulations.

Colicchios agenda is not really a food fight; its just another big-government mandate dressed up in kale and quinoa.

Julie Kelly is a National Review Online contributor and food policy writer from Orland Park, Illinois. She's also been published in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, and The Hill.

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The Foodies Are Back To Fight For Counterproductive, Porky Ag Policies - The Federalist

Ralphs was the supermarket of choice for Inglewood hairdresser Elise Santos until grocery chain Aldi arrived in Southern California last year.

Aldi, a German-based discount grocer, opened its first U.S. store in 1976 but reached California only last year. Its now rapidly expanding and quickly has become Santos go-to market.

I prefer Aldi because it is smaller than grocery stores like Ralphs, she said, and the employees are friendlier and more helpful.

With 38 stores in Southern California, Aldi is just getting a toehold in the local grocery industry. But with the region already one of the most competitive in the nation, Aldi is adding to the pressure on Ralphs, Albertsons, Wal-Mart and other big chains as well as smaller grocers such as Sprouts to keep loyal shoppers and avoid losing market share.

The market is intense already, and when you put another horse in the race the field gets very crowded, said Ron Johnston, who publishes the industry-tracking Shelby Report.

Its about to get even more intense now that Amazon.com has agreed to buy Whole Foods Market Inc. for $13.7 billion. Whole Foods, the leader in the natural and organic food sector, has 465 stores including 85 in California. Whole Foods is widely expected to get more affordable under Amazon, which has transformed other retail segments such as books and electronics in part by driving prices much lower.

A few would-be rivals have already flamed out in the cutthroat Southland market. Fresh & Easy and Haggen Inc. both closed their stores in the region after failing to gain a steady following, due in part to operational and pricing missteps.

Undeterred, Aldi which mostly sells its private-label groceries at low prices plans to open at least 20 additional stores in Southern California in the next 12 months, said Liz Ruggles, Aldis marketing director.

Its part of the companys plan to spend $3.4 billion for an additional 900 stores nationwide by the end of 2022 on top of the 1,600 it already operates in the United States. The chain also plans to spend another $1.6 billion to remodel 1,300 of its existing U.S. stores by 2020.

That will further raise the stakes for competitors in Southern California, whose $45 billion in annual grocery sales makes it the largest U.S. grocery market, according to Johnston.

Besides Ralphs, the other players include Albertsons, which also owns Vons and Pavilions; Stater Bros.; Trader Joes; and big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp. and Target Corp. that have aggressively expanded their grocery aisles in recent years.

Although Aldi is a newcomer to the area, the family behind the chain already has grocery ties to Southern California: Aldi is controlled by the Albrecht family in Germany; through a family trust, the Albrechts also own Monrovia-based Trader Joe's.

Albertsons is the biggest operator in Southern California with 20.6% of the market, according to the Shelby Report. Kroger, which also owns Food4Less, is second with 18.7%.

Albertsons said it was prepared to fend off Aldi and any other rivals, including Amazon and others who are trying to expand grocery deliveries.

Competition in the grocery industry is expected, Albertsons said in a statement. Our focus is, and will continue to be, to run great stores throughout Southern California. Ralphs did not respond to a request for comment.

All grocers battle over price, convenience, service and selection, with prices especially crucial in an industry where the companies scratch out only a penny or two of profit for every dollar of sales.

Indeed, Kroger said this month that lower prices were cutting into its profit margins and said its national same-store sales that is, sales of stores open at least a year and excluding gasoline fell for the second straight quarter.

Asked why Aldi would fare better than Fresh & Easy or Haggen in Southern California, Ruggles said we have four decades of experience in the U.S. and what were doing has proven to be a model thats working.

And another German-based discount grocer, Lidl, is coming right behind Aldi. Lidl on June 15 opened its first 20 U.S. stores in three Eastern states, and its entirely possible that Lidl could invade Southern California one day, Johnston said.

Another Inglewood resident, Patricia Foster, said shes sold on Aldi because the prices are half of what you would pay at Trader Joes, Ralphs or Target.

Aldis stores are smaller and carry fewer items than conventional supermarkets, and they rely on more customer interaction to keep overhead costs down. For instance, customers bag their own groceries and it costs a quarter to use a shopping cart (with the quarter returned when the cart is returned).

The downside is that means its sometimes not a one-stop shop.

I buy everything I can here but they have a limited selection, and I often have to go to another place to buy specific items, Santos said.

Another shopper, retired schoolteacher Jennifer Baugher, said she didnt buy produce at the Aldi Inglewood store because I can get better quality at Trader Joes or Ralphs and Im willing to pay more for that. But she said Aldi is very cheap compared to prices at [other] grocery stores in L.A.

Ruggles said Aldi offers the majority of what customers are looking for and that its been aggressively expanding its offerings of produce, fresh meat and organic products.

The research firm IBISWorld recently noted that smaller-store formats, such as those operated by Aldi, Trader Joes and others, appeal to many consumers because they allow shoppers to choose between a select number of high-quality products rather than thousands of brand names.

More supermarkets will follow this trend in order to appeal to a growing millennial demographic ages 18 to 34 that prizes premium private-label brands in convenient store formats, especially foods aimed at the health-conscious, IBISWorld said.

Whole Foods is aware of that trend and plans at least six smaller stores, called 365 by Whole Foods, in Southern California that are aimed toward millennials. The first one opened in Silver Lake a year ago.

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Southern California's grocery battle heats up with the spread of discounter Aldi - Los Angeles Times