OCC Instagram

I love makeup! Everything about it. I remember being a child, and a teacher asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I looked her right in the eyes and said: I want to be a Crayola crayon so I can live in a box filled with color. Soon after this, I discovered makeup, and I fell in love. I never looked back, and never wanted to be anything else, except that bright orange Crayola crayon playing in a box of colors. Introducing the makeup artist.

About 20 years ago my beloved makeup decided it did not love me back! My everyday lipstick sent me to the hospital with a severe allergic reaction. Every lipstick I put on after that had the same response within my body. I started to research and understand about the toxic ingredients in cosmetics, and the havoc they play within a woman's body. I made a change and never looked back. Introducing the sustainable/clean/green makeup artist.

It's not often that I come across a brand that really encompasses everything that I truly believe in as an artist and as a person. That brand is Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC). The founder David Klasfeld , who is the pioneer of the currently trending liquid lip, describes the brand as the following. A line obsessively crafted from the finest ingredients possible, to celebrate the driving compulsions of make-up fanatics everywhere. I first met and interviewed David 5 years ago, at The Makeup Show. After our interview, I walked away smiling and referring to him as 'The leader of the new school'. Finally! OCC is my holy grail of makeup! A brand with simple, wholesome ingredients that performs and is not hazardous to the women who wear it, and the earth that we live on. It also allows an artist to simply create. There is no color on earth that you can not create with Lip Tars ( their breakout signature product).

OCC Instagram

I have spoken with David several times, since our first encounter. I can't even call this an interview. We basically have conversations that can go on forever based on similar beliefs, standards and a love of great makeup. Here is our latest conversation about the current spotlight on vegan makeup.

Karim Orange: What do you think about the bright light now on vegan makeup?

David Klasfeld: OCC has been doing vegan makeup since 2004. When people used to see us at trade shows and ask "Wha's 'vague-in'?, now people from all walks of life want vegan makeup. People are asking why is that ingredient in there? It doesn't have to be. A lot of ingredients that are animal derived are being questioned now. Things like carmine which is made from an insect and beeswax in the age of colony collapse disorder are not something people take in stride anymore.

K.O: Is this creating a long overdue conscious change in the industry?

D.K: This is amazing to me both personally and professionally! My hope was always to effect change in this industry. So seeing other vegan lines pop up now makes me thrilled. I think you can trace it back to the Starbucks Scandal when people found out that they put carmine in their frappuccinos to give it color. It was right after that when people started paying attention to this ingredient also being in their makeup and starting to question others. I always said that if people knew what was in their makeup they would be terrified. OCC has been pushing that boulder uphill for a while, so it is really exciting to see it pay off.

K.O: As you know I am an obsessive compulsive ingredient junkie! I feel that so many brands 'greenwash' when it comes to using the vegan buzz word. They might not test on animals or have animal products in them but every other ingredient is crap. What are your thoughts on this?

D.K: I think a consumer has to be aware of what brands were actually designed to be vegan (like us). We created a great lipstick in a non-traditional format excluding beeswax and traditional animal ingredients and still keep true to what veganism is all about.There is a very popular link on the PETA website called accidental vegan. I suggest this information to everyone, especially new vegans. You will find out things like Oreos are accidental vegan, and not developed to be. For OCC we not only wanted to be ingredient savvy but socially continuous as well. For instance, wheat germ oil is a very popular ingredient in lipstick. I knew enough in 2009 about people with gluten intolerance that I chose to keep it out. We also chose to keep ingredients like silicone which was super popular. Now companies are pulling it out. We knew the customer we were speaking to wouldn't allow us to just say 'it's vegan'. Coming from and living a vegan lifestyle really gives you insight.

OCC

K.O: How long have you been vegan?

K.O: Are you vegan past the food?

K.O: I love the fact that you can recognize all of the ingredients in your products as something you can eat. Can you elaborate on this?

D:K: Yes! Lip Tars are made from castor oil, hemp oil, peppermint oil, vitamin E and pigments. Even our other products like conceal, we wanted to mimic the texture that you get from silicone. We did this by using coco butter extract and aloe leaf extract. It's not that it's so difficult to do these type thing. You just have to care.

OCC

D:K: We are responding to an overwhelming consumer request and coming out with pressed eyeshadow.

So there you have it! Much continued success to David and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

About the author: Karim Orange is a two-time Emmy nominated makeup artist and green beauty expert, specializing in clean beauty, makeup and skincare. She is an active urban farmer who advocates for quality food, regardless of social economics. She enjoys traveling cross country by train, and sharing stories with others along the way. thatgirlorange.com

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Vegan Spotlight: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Huffington post (press release) (blog)

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Exeter has been chosen to host the finale of the world's biggest vegan party.

A nationwide three-week Vegan Festival of Britain begins later this month, and Exeter will host its grand finale at Exeter Castle on Saturday, June 10, with a summer fair called Compassion. It will feature a daytime market with 40 stalls, talks and demonstrations, animal-free dishes from around the world, vegan cream teas in the afternoon and a barbecue in the evening with live music and a real ale bar complete with a specially brewed Vegan Festival of Britain beer.

The finale is part of an ambitious festival that has been coordinated by Animal Aid to mark its 40th anniversary and to celebrate the rise in interest in plant-based foods. A Ipsos MORI survey of almost 10,000 people in the UK last year found that there are now more than 500,000 vegans in the UK a rise of more than 350 per cent in 10 years.

Sidmouth-based Mark Gold , the festival's national project coordinator said: "The fantastic festival events organised so far cement Exeter's reputation as one of the country's most vegan-friendly cities, and it is particularly exciting that the city has been chosen to host the finale of the world's biggest vegan party. It promises to be a great day out for vegans and non-vegans alike."

Entry into the event, running from 11am to 9pm, is free. The vegan market will run from 11am to 5.30pm, and will feature more than 40 ethical traders and compassionate charities stalls, including food, cosmetics, fair trade clothing, ice-cream, free food tasting and more.

Visitors can also enjoy mouth-watering dishes from around the world, talks and demonstrations, vegan cream teas between 2.30pm to 4.30pm, and a barbecue from 6pm to 9pm, with a real ale bar and live music from The Dillyboys and Fiddlers on the Green.

For more details call 01395 579353 or click here

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Exeter to host finale of national vegan festival - Devon Live

PUBLISHED: 10:50 08 May 2017 | UPDATED: 14:56 08 May 2017

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Cheryl Mullenger and Michelle McCabe, owners of market stall Bia Kitchen, have this week announced that in June they will open a second venture called The Tipsy Vegan.

Located in the heart of Norwichs historic Lanes on St Benedicts Street, the new establishment will serve up a selection of vegan small bites and hearty meals along with a host of bespoke cocktails, wines and local brewery beers.

Between them, Mullenger and McCabe have 25 years combined experience in hospitality, health and fitness and are intending to take a simple approach to the new business - serving healthier, freshly made food thats full of flavour and also happens to be vegan.

Miss McCabe said: Weve both spent a huge amount of time developing and experimenting to find delicious substitutes to animal-based products.

As a result, weve found some pretty exiting combinations of ingredients that work particularly well in classic casual dining, the dishes vegans usually cant indulge in.

At The Tipsy Vegan youll never see a mushroom risotto or a ratatouille on our menu - only the most comforting classics that taste exceptionally different.

Miss Mullenger added: Norwich is more than ready for its first-ever vegan-only restaurant and cocktail bar. Were unbelievably excited about what we have in store. Absolutely everything in our restaurant will be vegan including our Chesterfields.

The opening of the new eatery and cocktail joint comes within just eighteen months of the pair serving up their first signature BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Bap at Bia Kitchen in December 2015.

The Tipsy Vegan will serve comfort food and social drinks and will be open for brunch, casual lunches, dinner and cocktail get-togethers will small bites.

Opening hours will be Wednesday to Saturday evenings and all day for brunch at the weekend.

For more information visit facebook.com/thetipsyvegan

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Is this a foodie first? A Truro business has come up with a vegan version of the Cornish cream tea.

Pura Pressed, which is based in The Old Bakery in Malpas Road, has come up with a novel twist on our local delicacy which is sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and palm oil-free.

Graeme Holland, who runs the business with his partner Charlotte Waistell, explained that he came up with the idea of the Raw Cornish Cream Tea as a way of making sure vegans weren't excluded from the joys of the cream tea.

There's no denying the end product looks a lot different than the traditional cream tea, but we can guarantee that it is bursting with flavour and a delicious and healthier alternative to the fattening clotted cream variety.

READ MORE: My 30-day vegan experiment

See the video above as I take the taste test and chat to Graeme about his novel invention.

How you buy the Raw Cornish Cream Tea.

The scone is made from gluten-free oats, macadamia nuts, chia seeds and nut milk. Rather than being baked, the dough is dehydrated for eight hours so that none of the nutrients are lost.

The jam is made from Cornish strawberries and chia seeds a teaspoon of the seeds provides more calcium than a glass of milk while the clotted cream is replaced by gluten and dairy free coconut cream.

READ MORE: Are Warrens Thai and Mexican vegan pasties a step too far? We take the taste test

You can buy the vegan cream tea from Pura Pressed's stall at Truro Farmers' Market on Lemon Quay on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 3.30pm.

Putting the vegan cream tea together - jam first as always.

Graeme and Charlotte currently make vegan cakes, desserts, salads and will soon be delivering wraps too. It is also Cornwall's only cold pressed juice business; all of its juices are unpasteurised.

Veganism is on the rise with the recent Cornwall Vegan Festival at Mount Pleasant Eco Park attracting about 1,500 people and selling out of all of its food within three hours.

Graeme added: "We're noticing that a lot of people are making the move to vegan food. We offer a plant-based alternative that is based around health and well-being which is also bursting with flavour and is authentically Cornish."

WHAT'S ON IN CORNWALL

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Truro company invents the world's first vegan Cornish cream tea - we give it the taste test - Cornwall Live

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Protein is central to the human diet: It helps the body self-repair, and is important for the immune system and metabolism. When you give up eating meat, one of the first things you will hear is, "But where will you get your protein?"

White meat ispackedwith good proteins. Maybe you relied on chicken and pork to get your nutrition before you realized you would like to stop eating meat. But switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet isnt just about cutting out certain products from your dietyou need to ensure that you get all the nutrition you need.

Any seasoned vegetarian or vegan will tell you that protein is not a problem. Nature provides plenty of alternative, plant-based sources of protein, and it is easy to incorporate them intodelicious recipes.

The infographics below are great at-a-glance protein guides so you can instantly tell the protein value of a number of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly ingredients. Pick out some foods you like, and see how they can be incorporated into some interesting recipes.

The infographic above was originally published by OnStride Financial.

The infographic above was originally published byOnStride Financial.

Jennifer Gueringer is a social media associate at Enova International, Inc. Find her at Google+.

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These Are the Best Sources of Protein for Vegetarians and Vegans - AlterNet

Both are traditional, and both are made of veal, beef or pork, occasionally chicken.

But today, these classics have been transformed, going meat-free to embrace the growing number of vegetarians and vegans across Germany and to fuel the vegan movement itself.

"These new food products are quite tasty," said Stefan Lorkowski, vice president of the German Nutrition Society. "It's tremendous what food technologists can do."

Meat-substitute products such as sausages and schnitzels are usually made of plant proteins such as soy, wheat or tofu, woven and glued together to give the texture and consistency of meat.

"Meat substitutes are what Germany is leading in, from a personal view," said nutritional epidemiologist Clarissa Lage Barbosa of the Robert Koch Institute, part of the Federal Ministry of Health. "If someone is just starting, these kind of products can help them get into the diet."

"These products are a simple way of replacing meat," Lorkowski said. "There are some that are fantastic ... (but) there are also some that are a disaster."

Lorkowski is not a vegetarian or vegan, instead labeling himself a "flexitarian," eating small amounts of meat and fish. Lage Barbosa says this subgroup could be seeing an even bigger rise in Germany.

Lorkowski warned, however, that regular consumption of processed food -- even plant or meat-based meat substitutes -- is not healthy, as meat alternative products like vegan bratwurst or schnitzel are more or less pure protein and do not provide a balanced diet alone.

Some of the plant-based foods, such as yoghurt made from soy, are fortified with vitamins known to be lacking in vegan diets, but raw foods, grains and vegetables are also needed, he said.

Lage Barbosa agreed: "That's not the way you should keep going with your nutrition. You should change your habits to healthier ones."

Vegans in particular already face nutritional challenges from omitting dairy and eggs from their diets, namely deficiencies in vitamin B12 and calcium.

The German Nutrition Society's position on vegan diets as a whole recommends that people take B12 supplements and possibly include other supplements or fortified foods. That could include these new vegan products in addition to raw and whole-grain foods, added Lorkowski.

Lage Barbosa, herself a vegan, shops at specialized supermarkets. But along with her colleague Gert Mensink, she is skeptical about the sudden rise in such shops and products, fearing that they may just be a trend.

"We have seen fluctuations before," Mensink said. "The market is quick with such products, but if they cannot make a profit, they will disappear."

But this is one trend that might survive. Mensink says there has been interest for at least five years and particularly in the past two years.

"The diet is increasingly of interest, as is the idea that you can do something beneficial to your health by choosing the right products," Lorkowski said.

This is emphasized by Mintel's recent data, which showed that after a rise in meat substitute products, greater numbers of "natural" products were launched between 2015 and 2016, suggesting that people are increasingly analyzing what's in their food -- a factor more typically associated with veganism. Mintel data also found that one in three Germans regularly checks the ingredients in their food.

"The trend towards naturalness plays a dominant role in the food choices of German consumers, who prioritize health benefits of unprocessed, natural and wholesome products," Katya Witham, MIntel senior food and drink analyst, said in a statement.

The movement parallels vegan and vegetarian ideals in other parts of the world, such as the UK and US, where these diets revolve more around raw, unprocessed foods, according to Kay Peggs, professor of sociology at Kingston University in the UK. But the origins differ.

The main reasons people become vegans are down to animal welfare, helping the environment and improving health, Peggs said.

Recent guidance from the United Nations has highlighted the environmental benefits of reduced meat consumption. For example, livestock are estimated to be responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

"The UK is a world leader" in veganism, Peggs said, adding that it was the first country to have a Vegan Society. That ideology arose from concerns over animal welfare, followed by the environment, meaning people did not necessarily seek meat-like replacements.

"Where a country has a heavy focus on meat-based products, it may be more difficult to replace with a raw product," Peggs said.

Peggs is conducting a global study of the reasons why people choose to become vegans, but she emphasizes that it is no easy feat. In some countries, such as India, people may have a meat-free diet but may not necessarily identify as a vegan or a vegetarian.

Other leaders in the movement are the United States -- particularly more liberal parts -- and Scandinavia, she added. "There certainly seems to be a trend in younger people identifying as vegan in European countries," she said.

Thomas Sanders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at Kings College London, has spent his career understanding nutrition in southern Europe and says there is not much of a movement toward veganism there. "Some of this stems from animal rights ... and the green movement, (which) is very strong in Germany."

Sanders also believes that greater ethnic diversity in countries such as the UK, with the resulting wider range of foods, further affects the type of vegan and vegetarian diets people want. UK residents are commonly exposed to Greek, Indian and Cypriot diets that have many vegetarian options. "Most vegans do not think of meat as food ... (so) they don't want things resembling meat," he said.

Most experts believe the trend has not yet peaked, though they say it is unlikely to become the norm.

"There is a lot of concern around health," Peggs said. "So it will keep rising."

Sanders believes there will be a further increase in the type of products available. "I see a growth in ready meals that are vegan, or vegetarian, coming in," he said. "There will be a shift to plant-based eating among the more educated."

But he highlights the difference between veganism as a movement and vegetarianism. "Veganism extends beyond just the food," he said. It is a way of life, determining what people wear and how they live.

"I see it growing," he said. "But like organics, it might increase, but I can't see it becoming a mainstream thing."

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Are Germans leading a vegan revolution? - CNN.com - CNN

Lets say you care about reducing animal suffering, and that you believe one of the most important things we can do about that is to stop farming animals. Now, imagine you have to choose between pressing one of two buttons. The yellow button converts one typical meat eating teenager to lifelong veganisma way of living that eliminates all forms of animal consumption. The blue button converts 10 typical meat-eating teens to lifelong reducetarianspeople who cut down the amount of animal products they eat. Even though none of the teenagers give up animal products completely, together those reducetarians actions would add up to a greater decrease in animal consumption than the veganism of one person. As someone who cares about reducing animal suffering, which button do you press?

Its an easy choice for me. I am less concerned with the amount of individual personal consumption than with reducing animal suffering on the whole, and so I would press the blue button. Yet not all animal advocates think that outcomes are all that matter. Those who believe morality is about being as virtuous as possible would see moral progress being made in the vegan conversion, and none in the reducetarian conversions. If it is immoral to cause suffering to animals, theyd say, then it is also immoral to cause them suffering less frequently. Yet the reducetarians appear to believe there is value in causing suffering less frequently. If we are perfect anti-speciesists, there may indeed be something morally suspect about this.

But the personal integrity objection to reducetarianism has its limits. Imagine the yellow button converts one person to veganism, and the blue converts 100 to reducetarianism, amounting to a decrease in animal consumption that is the equivalent of 50 lifelong vegans. Does personal integrity still merit voting yellow? If so, we could keep widening the gap until the yellow button converts one person to veganism, and the blue button converts three quarters of the entire human population to a mostly plant-based diet that involves the consumption of animal products only exactly once per year.

At this point, picking the yellow button should, I hope, look absurd. Pressing it has probably no discernable impact on industrial animal agriculture, while pressing the blue button utterly decimates it. To think that creating a single extra vegan is a better thing to do than drastically reducing worldwide animal product consumption without veganism puts all the emphasis on how animal product reductions are distributed amongst the population, and basically none on the overall amount of reduction. Assuming anyone could seriously adopt this stance, they would seem to be missing the bigger picture.

Of course, these buttons do not exist, and the extreme version of the hypothetical looks nothing like any real choice we will ever have to make. But the point of this thought experiment is to show that reductions in animal farming are ethically significant even if we achieve them without going completely vegan. For those who accept that basic idea, an important question is how we achieve the greater overall reductions.

It might still seem like promoting veganism alone is the only answer. How could we think that lowering but not eliminating our animal product consumption would have a greater impact than giving up animal products altogether? On a purely individual level, it is clearly true that anyone makes a bigger impact through their own consumption if they give up animal products completely. Yet what this line of thinking ignores is that there are many people who would indeed be willing to reduce the amount of animal products they eat, but would never seriously consider going to zero. If we reach out to them with a veganism-or-bust message, many of them will balk at making such a seemingly radical change, and will pick bust.

This matter of making impact through reduction hits close to home for me, as my dad eats 275 pounds of meat per year (as does the average American). Getting him to reduce, even by as little as 10%, would do quantitatively more for animals than getting a flexitarian who eats five pounds of meat per year to go vegetarian. To reduce animal product consumption as much as possible, we need to tell the potential reducetarians of the world that reduction without total elimination still counts. Small acts among many people have a greater impact than large acts among a few, and we can inspire far more of these small acts if they are treated as meaningful. This is not to say that the vegan message will not resonate with some people; rather, we need to make room for both approaches.

Not everyone agrees, of course. Advocates of vegan-only activism might say the reducetarian message is confused and even self-contradictory. The strict ethical vegan message goes something like this: Being a consistent vegan is a moral imperative, and so eating any amount of animal products is unjustifiable. Reducetarianism is suggesting that its understandable if you fail to live up to that requirementregardless, reducing your consumption of animal products is a morally good thing to do. This offers more of a positive reinforcement for avoiding animal products, which might work better for some people than the strict vegan prohibition. However, the question this raises for reducetarians is as follows: How we can call factory farming wrong, and then in the next breath say that reducing but not eliminating our animal product consumption is a morally acceptable response to that wrong?

The simple answer is, Because thats the message that often works where the vegan message does not. The more complicated answer is that rationality, logic, and altruistic ideals are not the only influences on human behavior. Life is difficult enough as it isfor some people, the thought of being an ideologically perfect eater all the time is too exhausting to even attempt. When vegans tell us to stop supporting factory farms, the framing of their message often comes across as: You must immediately stop this morally horrendous thing you do every day. Sometimes this worksin fact, I suspect some vegans use an approach like this because it may have inspired their own veganismbut many people will hear this as an accusation that they and almost everyone they care about are moral monsters. Unfortunately, that often makes it easier to ignore than to confront. Ive found the more upbeat framing of, Heres something good to do: You can reduce the amount of meat you eat can work better. It helps create especially positive associations with vegan meals, and avoids some of the more sobering implications of the negative messaging.

Of course, if everyone in the world did go vegan today, that would end factory farming. And to be clear, thats what I want. But that possibility looks pretty remote for the time being. What we see now are some very morally committed people going vegan, and almost everyone else ignoring or teasing the vegans and going on with the diets they grew up with. Veganism is the optimum, and I encourage everyone to be as plant-based as they possibly can. But I support non-vegan reducetarianism too, because it avoids many of the hurdles to maintaining unwavering life-long veganism while still getting us much closer to a vegan world.

Imagine if a lot of these people who were reluctant to embrace total veganism committed to avoiding animal products whenever it was not too inconvenient, awkward, or otherwise unpleasant for them to do so. Many of them would see that opportunities to choose plant-based meals abound, and they could quickly find themselves eating largely vegetarian diets. This would create a feedback loop in which vegan and vegetarian meals became more available, and eating these meals would be just as normal and convenient as eating meat is now. A lot of the concerns that currently make it more difficult to go vegan would start to disappear. The demand for animal farming would significantly decreaseas would animal suffering along with it.

Follow Brian on Twitter. Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Last week a mixed martial artist took on a Tai Chi master in a crowded gym in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. But for the modern rash guard and the preponderance of smart phones that ringed the jigsawed mat room, you might have mistaken the contest for a Gracie Challenge or Vale Tudo bout; much like what signaled the dawning of mixed martial arts and eventually the UFC.

The competitors in this duel, which began as an online quarrel, were Xu Xiaodong and Wei Lei. Gilaine Ng of The Straits Times described Xu, who is director of the Beijing MMA Association, as a free-combat sportsman who taught himself MMA. Wei Lei was labeled a Tai Chi master and founder of Thunder-style Tai Chi by ejinsight (an offshoot of the Hong Kong Economical Journal).

As the fight began, Xu adopted a familiar MMA striking posture, whereas Wei raised both arms in a form akin to a praying mantis with feet so close together that they almost touched. After a second of surveying Weis pose, Xu went forward throwing bare-knuckle punches at the Tai Chi masters dome. As Wei back-peddled, Xu landed a thudding left to his jaw, dropping him instantly. With Wei dazed and on the ground, Xu stood over him and landed heavy strikes to the sides of the masters head until someone intervened and begged for mercy.

After brutally dispatching Wei, Xu told the onlookers that the fight wasnt competitive and that Tai Chi was a sham. According to ejinisght this prompted a number of Tai Chi masters to circle Xu and challenge him to a rematch. Reportedly, Xu ended up calling police after the Tai Chi proponents continued to argue with him for around half an hour. Later Xu turned to Chinese social media platform Weibo to double-down on his criticism of Tai Chi, stating that traditional martial arts styles were a lie and that they had no use in actual combat or self defense.

The Straits Times states that Xu also posted an open challenge to martial artists to prove him wrong. On Weibo, Xu stated that he would take on any and all traditional martial artists in a no rules contest (including kicks to the groin and eye pokes). Xu also said he would pay 1.2 million yuan ($174,000) to anyone who beats him.

In his social media storm Xu, also challenged two-time Olympic champion boxer Zou Shiming. Zous agents told the Straits Times that the 35-year-old flyweight would not be responding to the challenge, given that Zou and Xu are not on the same level. On Weibo, Xu also challenged one of the bodyguards of Jack Ma, the billionaire owner of e-commerce site Alibaba. Ma responded to Xus challenge on Weibo stating - according to ejinsight - that, Martial arts should be seen as something fun and that debate on various styles is pointless.

Also according to ejinsight, Xus comments on traditional martial arts has enraged Chinese wulin (a collective term for the Chinese martial arts community). The wulin is reported to be angered by Xus arrogance and his debasing of the revered practice of Tai Chi.

Wei also made comments after fight, stating that the only reason he lost to Xu was because he was showing mercy and refraining from using his internal strength. Wei reportedly said he feared Xu would be killed, had he used his full array of skills.

The Chinese Wushu Association, which promotes many martial arts in China and beyond, has condemned the fight between Xu and Wei, claiming it went against the principles of martial arts. Despite their condemnation, a number of traditional martial artists are eager to accept Xus challenge.

Straits Times reports that He Xi Rui, head of the Wudang Tai Chi sect, was one of the first to respond to Xus challenge. Using Weibo Xu wrote, You are welcome to visit the Wudang Mountains to witness real martial arts.

Lu Xing, another Tai Chi master - this time from the Pushing Hands school in Sichuan Province - also accepted the challenge. Lu told Chengdu Business News that hell likely beat Xu thanks to his iron fist which took more than twenty years to develop.

Yi Long, who has been marketed as Chinas strongest Shaolin monk also took to Weibo to accept Xus challenge. A fight with Xu would be familiar territory for Yi, who has previously tested his Kung Fu style boxing against western and Thai-style fighters.

Despite being billed as a Shaolin monk, a spokesperson from the Shaolin Temple stated in 2010 that Yi was not a monk from their order.

South China Morning Post reports that Li Shangxian, another Shaolin-style boxing practitioner, and Wang Zhanhai, a Tai Chi master, have also accepted Xus challenge. SCMP also reported that Chen Sheng, an entrepreneur who founded the drinks company Tiandi No. 1, was also getting in on the action by offering 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) to anyone who can defeat Xu.

With interest in Xus challenge to traditional martial artists gaining mainstream attention in China, it seems just a matter of time before more fights that pit MMA versus Tai Chi (and maybe kung fu) will make it to the internet. This, along with the most talked about fight on the planet being between a UFC champion and an undefeated boxer, could mean the era of style-versus-style match-making (aka freakshow fights) might not be dead after all.

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Feature: Bad blood leading to throwback MMA in China? - Bloody ... - Bloody Elbow

Les Carnets D'Emeraude Returns Radio World Les Carnets D'Emeraude (The Emerald Book) began airing on RTBF's Radio 21 in 1987 on Sunday afternoons, offering an hour of relaxing music in between the up-tempo format programs of Radio 21. In 1995 presenter/producer Patrick Bauwens decided ...

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Shaelynn Miller FamilyShare If you find yourself feeling groggy in the morning, its time to change your sleeping habits. Recent studies show the things you do before bed could be costing you precious sleep.

Adults ages 18 and up need at least seven hours of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you arent getting enough shut-eye, change these six habits so you can have a good nights rest:

1. Watching television in bed

Tip: use your bed for sleep and intimacy only

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their sleep schedule is using their bed for too many things, Gary Zammit, Ph.D., said. Some people use their bed as an office or entertainment room until its time to fall asleep; then they expect their body to be ready for sleep at the flip of their light switch. But the brain doesnt work that way, Zammit points out.

If you cant resist turning on the television or reaching for your phone while in bed, remove the temptation. Set up the television in your living room, keep your laptop on a desk or bookshelf and use a real alarm clock instead of relying on your phone. Use your bed only for sleep and intimacy so your brain doesn't confuse bedtime with answering emails and social media scrolling.

2. Grabbing a late afternoon pick-me-up

Tip: avoid caffeine after lunch

Sometimes your afternoon pick-me-up could be interfering with your sleep. Caffeine stays in your body for three to five hours, and could stay as long as 12. Grab a caffeinated soda or a coffee a little earlier in the day, but try to avoid it after lunch. A good nights sleep could should give you enough energy to get through the afternoon without a caffeine break.

3. Sleeping in on the weekend

Tip: set your alarms every day

As annoying as it might be to wake up early on your days off, it will pay off when Monday morning rolls around. Consistency is the key to a good nights sleep, according to Travis Bradberry, Ph.D.

Have you ever noticed you sometimes wake up right before your alarm rings? Thats because your body has prepared itself by increasing your hormone levels and blood pressure, Bradberry said. A consistent sleep schedule helps your body know when to prepare for waking up, but an inconsistent schedule confuses that natural rhythm.

4. Thinking about tomorrows to-do list

Tip: set a routine

Anxiety and stress are common culprits that keep you from falling asleep. Help your body wind down by setting a routine. Try reading a book or listening to relaxing music each night before tucking in.

5. Feeling uncomfortable

Tip: use a night-light

It goes without saying that you need to be comfortable to fall asleep. To do just that, find a mattress you like, wear something soft, set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and turn on a night-light or music if needed.

6. Waking up in the middle of the night

Tip: talk to a therapist

If youre having consistent trouble falling and staying asleep, talk to your doctor or therapist for help. Sleep disorders can be caused by anxiety, depression and big life changes. A therapist can help you determine the root of the problem and offer solutions so you can get a good nights rest.

Find what works best for you as you try out different bedtime routines and sleeping habits. Get the amount of sleep you need so you can feel well-rested and conquer the day ahead of you.

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These 6 things are why you're tired all the time, according to science - Connectstatesboro