Four toppings available

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 4, 2017) Papa Johns International is testing a pilot program in Lexington that makesorganic produce available for pizza toppings. Toppings include Roma tomatoes, green peppers, yellow onions and mushrooms.

Papa Johns plans topartner with Green BEAN Deliveryto source organic produce from Certified Organic family farms tolocations in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Oregon, California and Indiana.

Our customers want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced, said Sean Muldoon, chief ingredient officer at Papa Johns. At Papa Johns, we are constantly looking at ways to meet the needs of our customers whether its through our clean label initiative or testing organic produce. Moving into a test of organic produce is a natural progression as Papa Johns takes pride in our position of having the cleanest label in the pizza industry.

In 2015 organic fruits and vegetables reached $14.4 billion in sales and almost 13 percent of the produce sold in the U.S. is now organic, according to the Organic Trade Association. Sales are expected to reach nearly 20 percent by 2020. Additionally, more than half of American households purchase organic produce.

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Papa John's testing organic produce toppings in Lexington - The Lane Report

The first thing I see is sunlight glistening off the gently rolling waves in the distance, while I stand on a small foliage-decked island so green it almost glows. Later, I'm standing on the balcony of the kind of aggressively minimalist luxury apartment only seen in movies and television shows. I can imagine a soft breeze flowing through these expansive spaces, but it's only that: imagination.

In fact, I'm standing in my own living room and in a virtual reality creation, one especially designed to complement the practice of meditation, or at least one very specific version of it.

The program I'm using is called Guided Meditation VR, and I'm experiencing it through an HTC Vive virtual reality headset connected to powerful desktop computer. Besides choosing from about a dozen different locales to meditate in, I can listen to a wide variety of audio programs, called guided meditations, that run from 2 to 10 minutes and cover topics from breathing to compassion. (The app is $15 on the Steam platform for Vive, and a limited version is available for free for the phone-based Gear VR headset.)

Meditation in virtual locations isn't the most traditional way to approach the practice, but it may entice skeptics who aren't keen to sit in their living rooms with their eyes shut. "VR adds a really powerful, emotional ability to be in another place and to actually feel that emotional weight of another place," says Josh Farkas, CEO of Cubicle Ninjas, Guided Meditation's developer. "You can meditate anywhere, but at the end of the day, the ability to actually go to a virtual world and take a breather lowers the barrier to entry, and I hope gets people more excited."

Meditation is trendy again, as corporate CEOs, athletes and even Navy SEALs embrace it as a potential performance booster. But compared with earlier flirtations with mainstream acceptance dating to the 1960s, this modern approach to meditation has a harder, more scientific edge, built around taking advantage of the cognitive benefits it offers. One Harvard Medical School study found meditation actually increased the volume of gray matter in the brain, improving memory, learning and empathy.

The view from inside the Guided Meditation VR app.

ABC News reporter and anchor Dan Harris has played an outsized role in popularizing the concept of a modern, science-based form of meditation. In his popular 2014 book, "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works," Harris described how he discovered the benefits of meditation once he was able to separate it from "the bearded swamis, unwashed hippies and fans of John Tesh music."

While Harris is a believer in technology-assisted meditation, including iOS and Android apps like Headspace, Insight Timer and his own 10% Happier app (based on his book), he thinks virtual reality may be one step too far.

"I've done some thinking about using VR for meditation," says Harris. But he also says he has yet to find a way to "harness what the technology is capable of to truly augment your meditation experience."

And that's because for traditional meditation, the idea of having a lush virtual environment to look at is actually counterproductive -- if anything, you're supposed to create it yourself. Harris says using virtual reality and 3D graphics for visualization "seems obvious on the one hand, because there are all these elaborate, particularly in the Tibetan tradition, visualization techniques. But if the VR is doing it for you, then you're not actually doing it. You're supposed to be closing your eyes and creating it on your own, that's a mental exercise."

Cubicle Ninjas' Farkas disagrees. He sees virtual meditation environments as perfect for "Type-A, very process-oriented, very analytical" people whom he describes as "the folks that have the worst time just sitting there with their eyes closed." By providing jungles and temples and other virtual landscapes, he says, an app makes it so "they can get distracted by this environment, and then they learn how to turn off those processes in their mind."

I can see both sides to this argument. The visuals in Guided Meditation VR are some of the best I've experienced in virtual reality, and there are plenty of customization options for program length and content, and even background music. But at the same time, it's hard to be mindful when there's a 1.2-pound headset strapped to your skull.

The biggest hurdle for me was actually time. Many casual meditators devote just 5 to 10 minutes per day to practice (a baseline suggested by Harris in his book), and simply setting up the HTC Vive headset and launching the required software can take that long by itself.

Despite being a VR skeptic, Harris thinks there is potentially a way to use virtual reality for meditation that makes sense. "It's very rare to have an opportunity to be in the room with a true meditation master," he says. "So one thing I think VR could do is put you in the room, maybe even a live setting, where you're actually interacting with the teacher. There's something really interesting, and, dare I say, special about being 'around' somebody who's spent decades of his or her life intensively meditating."

But while phone and VR apps can help, and are especially valuable for beginners, a practice thousands of years old is never going to be entirely dependent on technology. "I do think that technology can obviously be very useful," says Harris. "But I don't think it's the only answer."

This story appears in the spring 2017 edition of CNET Magazine. For other magazine stories, click here.

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Meditation in VR: Virtually mindful - CNET - CNET

Meditation is a powerful tool.

Singer-songwriter Jewel is a prime example of the practices life-changing benefits. In a recent interview with ABC News anchor Dan Harris, she said that learning to meditate helped her manage chronic anxiety and debilitating panic attacks, which stemmed from a tumultuous childhood.

I learned to do this meditation where I imagined I was on a very stormy ocean, she told Harris on his 10% Happier mindfulness podcast. Id imagine myself sinking through the ocean, allowing myself to relax, I would get calmer. I would notice the color of the ocean change. Id notice the taste of salt on my lips. Id notice the rays of sunlight coming in and the further I got down to the sandy floor, it got calm, it got tranquil by then, and I would look up at the stormy surface and it was in the distance.

The singer is certainly onto something: The benefits of meditation are robust. Research shows it canreduce stress, increasefocusand help with the management of painand sleeping problems.

If youre looking to add the practice to your life, weve rounded up a handful of meditation apps so you can reap the rewards, too. The programs will teach you how to meditate under any condition, give you the tools to handle things that make you anxious(the stress of the political climate, anyone?) and add an overall sense of calm to your day.

Scroll through the options below and find the one thats right for you:

Guided meditations cover topics like how to cope with anxiety, political stress or falling asleep. You can download the app for free with the option to subscribe for $7.99 per month. The app works onthe iPad, iPhone and Android.

Children can learn how toidentify their feelings, cope with emotions and learn social skills. Teen meditations focus more heavily on school transitioning and planning for the future. Adults will meditate on topics such as presence, listening skills, mindful eating. It also will help you learn "how to step back and pay attention to your thoughts and emotions," according to the Smiling Mind site.

Smiling Mind is a non-profit organization in Australia and the app is completely free. It can be downloaded on an iPad, iPhone and Android.

By doing so, the app aimstoteachyou how to observeyour thoughts and feelings without passing judgment with the goal of helping youcultivate kindness and self-compassion.

Subscribe for $6.99 a month for guided meditations thatconnect you to your body and emotion. The app works on an iPad, iPhone and Android.

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The Best Meditation Apps For iPhone, iPad And Android | The ... - Huffington Post

Glastonbury Festival has been compared to an aerobics class as fans slammed the announcement that Katy Perry and Stormzy will perform.

The musical pair will share a stage with the likes of Radiohead and Foo Fighters at the Worthy Farm event in June.

They were unveiled as two of the 88 acts set to play the iconic festival including Clean Bandit, The XX, Alt J, Barry Gibb, Biffy Clyro and Solange Knowles.

But some took aim at the decision to book Perry and the London-born grime artist for what some claimed is a rock event.

Critical: Some Glastonbury-goers are up-in-arms about Katy Perry (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

One angry fan tweeted: Katy Perry and Stormzy. What the f*** is @GlastoFest these days? What a load of s****.

Another posted: Stormzy n Katy Perry at Glastonbury. ...f****** hell.

Others defended the decision with one posting: Lets face it @katyperry is going to SLAY Worthy farm. Glasto will be big fun this year. Good lineup there #Glastonbury2017 #Glastonbury.

Another wrote: Glastonbury lineup is rubbish except Katy and Stormzy.

The line-up was unveiled by organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of founder Michael Eavis.

Sharing a poster on Twitter she wrote: Here are the first few names of this year's wonderful line up! Even more will be with you soon...

Other names include Lorde,Chic, Major Lazer, Haim, Goldfrapp, Rag 'N' Bone Man, Toots and the Maytals and The Jacksons who will be making their Glastonbury debut.

Glastonbury Festival takes place between June 22-26.

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Glastonbury Festival compared to 'aerobics class' as fans slam Katy Perry and Stormzy - Evening Standard

While it may seem like vegan beauty has never been more popular, holistic esthetician Tammy Fender notes that plant-based remedies have always been a staple: If you think about it, throughout history the plant kingdom has provided some of our most potent medicines, from penicillin to aspirin, which was first isolated from the bark of the willow tree, she says. Though Fender admits that the demand for vegan beauty products does seem to be at an all-time high. And Google has the data to back it up: Since 2000, searches for vegan skin care have grown by 83% year over year in the U.S., according to research by the all-knowing search giant. Jessica Wu, MD, dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face can understand why. More of my patients are looking for vegan skin care because they've made a conscious choice to avoid animal products in all aspects of their lives, including their diet, clothing, and now beauty products, she says. For many, it's no longer enough for products to be cruelty-free.

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Vegans (& Everyone Else) Will Love These Skin-Care Brands - Refinery29

Vegan restaurant raises a ruckus with baby milk policy - BBC News BBC News A restaurant in Spain doesn't want parents feeding their babies animal milk on its premises. and more »

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Vegan restaurant raises a ruckus with baby milk policy - BBC News - BBC News

africanews

Nigerian born chef in London preparing vegan dishes africanews When I found out I was coming to a vegan restaurant, I was quite intrigued what the food was going to be like. I've never had Nigerian vegan food before. It was really tasty. I really liked the lentils, the lentils were really well done. The couscous ...

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Nigerian born chef in London preparing vegan dishes - africanews

Newser

Vegan Restaurant Bans Bottle-Feeding Cow's Milk Newser (Newser) A vegan restaurant in Spain has caused quite a ruckus by posting this on its door: We like mothers, of all species. That's why we don't like bottle feeds based on cow's milk. Please don't use them in the restaurant. According to El Pas ...

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Vegan Restaurant Bans Bottle-Feeding Cow's Milk - Newser

It wasn't an April Fools joke: On Saturday, chef Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook really did open Goldie, an all-vegan falafel shop that no one in this restaurant-obsessed town knew was in the works. But once the secret was out the crowds arrived, with lines stretching out onto the sidewalk. Even a rainbow showed up (in the photos, anyway) to shine down on Goldie and, right below it, CookNSolos Rooster Soup Co., the new luncheonette that gives all of its profits to the Broad Street Ministrys Hospitality Collaborative.

Goldie (1526 Sansom Street) has a short menu, with falafel sandwiches and salads, fries, and tehina shakes a vegan version of a milkshake made with ground sesame seeds. Chef Caitlin McMillan, who was already with the CookNSolo group, runs the kitchen. The restaurant is named for baby Zahav: The venerable Zahav gets its name from the Hebrew word for gold. Its open seven days a week, for dining in (there are cafe tables and a standing counter) and take-out. Good luck getting a seat.

Goldie [Official]

1526 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 454-6939

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Vegan Falafel Shop Goldie Opened Over the Weekend - Eater Philly - Eater Philly

Photo: VeganSmart

Tia Blanco isnt your average surfer. At 19, shes a killer athlete whose resume ranges from working with Playboy to starting a strong and promising competitive surfing career with the possibility of becoming an Olympic athlete in her future. Oh, you might have forgotten that; surfing in the Olympics is actually a thing now. So what more could a girl straight out of high school actually want?

Im not sure where I went wrong on the trek through life, but it looks like I need to start following in the Blanco footsteps. One of the many pieces of Blancos brand is that shes vegan, and has become recognizable as one of surfings influencers in living a healthy lifestyle. Yes, an up and coming pro surfer who won the gold medal both in 2015 and 2016 in the ISA Open Womens World Surfing Championship is a vegan. In 2014 she won PETAs Libby Award in acknowledgment of her work as a vegan ambassador and is currently up for another award from the organization asWorlds Hottest Veg Celeb. All this recognition has now parlayed itself into a role as a wellness athlete for the company VeganSmart. Shes teamed up with the brand and rolled out her own signature peaches and cream protein shake.

Its very important to me that I partner with companies that I really believe in. I travel around the world competing, and having such an incredible support system with the VeganSmart team has really helped to drive me even further, said Blanco.

For anybody unfamiliar with the brand, VeganSmart is a premium line of plant-based nutritional protein shakes working with athletes from around the globe, all swearing by the product. Now they just happen to have one of surfings up and coming names on that same roster. Shes cute, athletic and seems to have her life right on track for a 19-year-old, but is going vegan a new lifestyle the surf community might soon come to follow? I sure hope not, because Ill exclude myself from that group right now. But whatever it is, Blancos killing it.

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Health How Tia Blanco's Building a Brand as a Vegan Ambassador - TheInertia.com