【推荐1】The French are getting fatter, but a campaign against fat-shaming is under way. France has only a few fat heroes, real or imagined. There was King Louis the Fat, who ruled from 1108 to 1137, and won several wars. And Gargantua, a big guy created by Francois Rabelais, drank the milk of 17,913 cows each day.

In fact the French are thinner than people in most other rich countries: only 15.3% of them are very fat, compared with an OECD average of 19.5%. But nowadays the number of Frenchmen who are overweight has risen from 30% to over 46%. A growing desire for processed food and more sedentary (久坐不动的) lives are leading to overweight.

For officials, this is a problem. Being overweight leads to sickness. The state says that the overweight population already needs extra health and other spending of $20 billion a year. And weight is closely related to poverty: a French study suggested that children whose parents are “non-professional” are four times likelier to be fat than those of professionals. To reduce overeating, France taxes sugary drinks, bans junk food in schools.

At the same time, officials want people to be kinder to their plus- sized people. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, hosted a conference on fat-shaming, including a fashion show with larger models. The event was partly inspired by the success of a book written by a trainee teacher, Gabrielle Deydier, a fat person in France.

However, it is difficult for officials to go on the campaign. Although fashion industry promises not to use slim models when selling their goods, billboards and magazines remain using skinny figures. And that may cause both dieting problems among the thin and pain among the fat.

【推荐3】Ever wonder how you can step up your leafy green vegetables’ production, even long after their growing season is over? There exists certain star quality greens like broccoli, cabbage, leek, garlic, etc, which not only look great, but bring out the flavor and freshness of virtually any dish they are paired with.    1    

Microgreens are simply young seedlings (幼苗), which have yet to develop into mature vegetables. It is during the seedling stage that microgreens contain its highest levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrient content.    2    And these vegetables typically include vitamin A, C &K, calcium, iron, copper, folic acid and magnesium, all of which are extremely vital to overall health and disease prevention.

You can increase the success in growing microgreens by carefully following the seed packet's instructions to create a proper growing environment.    3    They could affect your success in growing microgreens. Be sure to plant enough seeds to account for a small percentage of unsuccessful seeds to be included as part of the total yield. Pay particular attention to specific planting and watering instructions. Spray seedlings with a fine mist to avoid damaging delicate shoots and keeping the soil slightly wet are especially key.

    4    You will be on your way to enjoying your first harvest in no time all! Popular choices include sunflower, radish, broccoli, basil and arugula.    5    You may be able to purchase microgreen seeds at your local nurseries and garden centers,as well as at reputable plant and seed merchants found online.

【推荐1】Whether you’re an early-bird or a night-owl, getting regular exercise is still generally a good idea at some point in your schedule. It turns out, however, that when you do your workout may affect your body differently. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of California, Irvine discovered these significant differences by placing nice on a treadmill (跑步机) at various times of day. Mice are animals active at night so then biological rhythm (生物节律) runs in the opposite direction from humans. Their morning starts when it gets dark and their night starts when it gets light. “There appear to be rather significant differences between the effect of exercise performed in the morning and evening, and these difference are probably controlled by the body’s biological clock,” says co-author Jonas Thue Treebak, an associate professor from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, in a release.

The authors found that when mice are on a morning exercise schedule, the cells in their muscles are able to process fat and sugar better. That being sad, they also noted that running on the treadmill in the evening causes mice to use more energy (burn more calories) for longer periods of time. “Morning exercise starts gene programs in the muscle cells, making them more effective and better able to metabolize (代谢) sugar and fat. Evening exercise, on the other hand, increases whole body energy consumption for an extended period of time,” says Treebak.

These findings are especially interesting to the research team because they seem to indicate the time of day when people with severe overweight or type-2 diabetes might be able to maximize the exercise gains. Still, these differing effects make it difficult for the researchers to determine when is better in general to exercise.

“At this point, we can only conclude that the effects of the two appear to differ, and we certainly have to do more work to determine the potential mechanisms (机制) for the beneficial effects of exercise training performed at these two time-points,” says Treebak.

【推荐2】Feeling sleepy in the middle of the day? There are many reasons why we get sleepy in the afternoon. Bad lighting, a poor night’s sleep, a boring job, large (carb-heavy) lunches, and more can all contribute to head-bobbing at your desk or falling into a light sleep during a meeting. The best course of action would be to find the root cause of your sleep issue and fix it, but most of us simply head for the coffee pot or the cafe. Instead of that, try climbing some stairs.

Well, now exercise researchers have discovered that walking up and down lights of stairs for about 10 minutes actually gives you a more effective boost (提高) of energy than drinking 50 milligrams of caffeine greedily (the average amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, tea, or soda).

In a study called Stair walking, the researchers enlisted 18 “physically active” college women between the ages 18 and 23. The participants reported experiencing chronically poor sleep, adding up to an average of fewer than 45 hours of shuteye each week in the past few years. And they are often a lack of available time during the workday for a dedicated exercise session.

The researchers chose stair climbing as the exercise of choice. Walking up and down the stairs requires no specific clothing, travel time, or even a shower afterward. During the study, on some days the participants alternated (交替) between taking 50-milligram caffeine pills or a placebo. On the other days, they skipped the caffeine (real or otherwise) and climbed up and down the stairs, at a moderate pace, for 10 minutes.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers acknowledged that there is more research to be done (when isn’t that the case?) but concluded that “A short period of low-to-moderate intensity stair walking has temporary energizing effects that exceed a low dose of caffeine for active young women with chronic insufficient sleep.”

So, the next time you find yourself nodding off mid-afternoon, why not give stairs a try?

【推荐3】You want to start doing exercise? Congratulations! You have just taken your first step towards a new and improved you. But how to make it? Here are some helpful tips for you.

Understand the benefits of exercise.     1     But what exactly are its health benefits? To start with, physical activity increases the efficiency (效率) of your heart and lungs. During exercise, your heart and lungs must work harder. Besides, exercise is good for your mental health. Working out can help you reduce stress and get over bad feelings.

    2     When you are planning, the first thing to consider is what you expect to improve: heart and lung efficiency, muscle strength or flexibility, which involves aerobic (有氧的) activities, strength training, and flexibility training. Choose activities you enjoy.     3    

Eat and drink right. To help your muscles recover and repair themselves after exercise, you need to eat foods rich in protein (蛋白质). When to eat is also of great importance. Generally speaking, you should have your meal an average of 1.5 to 2.5 hours before exercising. Do not eat immediately after exercise.     4     Remember to drink throughout exercise to make up for water lost to sweat.

Avoid injury. To prevent soft tissue (组织) injury, make sure that you wear proper clothes and equipment when exercising. You should also start small and slowly work your way to longer and harder exercise to avoid getting hurt.     5    

So, now you know the benefits of exercise and how to do it safely and effectively. What are you waiting for?

【推荐1】Lexi is just a little girl from Canada who found herself in a heart-stopping situation. It started off as a normal car trip. Angela Shymanski, Lexi’s mom, was at the wheel, navigating the tricky roads of the Rockies with her daughter Lexi and her baby Peter in the car. An unexpected animal ran into the road. Angela swerved (突然转向) to avoid the animal. Unfortunately, their car was off the road, falling down a steep embankment (路堤).

The crash was nothing short of terrifying. Angela ended up with a broken back. She was unconscious, and unable to help her babies. Meanwhile, baby Peter’s cries echoed in the chaos. But Lexi, only five years old, didn’t freeze. Instead, she showed courage that would leave many grown-ups in awe.

She quickly jumped into action. The little girl, without even shoes on her feet, wrestled free from her seatbelt and climbed the 40-foot embankment. Once she reached the top, Lexi did everything she could to flag down a passing car in order to get help for her mom and brother.

Lexi’s insistence finally paid off. A car stopped, and the people inside didn’t hesitate to help her call for emergency services. When the paramedics (护理人员) arrived, they found Angela in a severe state, and her heart had stopped. Thankfully, they managed to bring her back.

Lexi’s dad, reflecting on the incident, couldn’t help but be amazed by his daughter’s bravery. He stressed how important it is for kids to be prepared for emergencies, shocked at how Lexi remembered and acted on what she had been taught. It’s a powerful reminder of what kids can do when push comes to shove.

And Lexi’s heroism didn’t go unnoticed. She was awarded a Bronze Medal for Bravery by the police. But for the Shymanskis, the real prize was being back in each other’s arms, safe and sound.

【推荐1】China is one of the best tourist destinations with many great museums, which will show you the Chinese civilization for the past thousands of years.

The Palace Museum, Beijing

There are always long lines at the gate, but it’s worth the wait. The palace Museum had been the Chinses imperial (皇帝的) palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty.

When you wander in the museum, you will be amazed at this largest palace complex in the world! It has about 1,807,000 rare and valuable artworks that witness the 5,000-year Chinese civilization.

Opening Hours:

April 1 — October 31: 8:30 — 17:00

November 1— March 31: 8:30 — 16:30

Closed on Mondays (except for national holidays and July-August)

National Museum of China, Beijing

This is the second most-visited museums in the world. Opened in 2003, the museum is devoted to educating the art and history of China through its collections, exhibitions, and academic researches.

Here you'll find the most brilliant masterpieces in China. It is now holding approximately 1,400,000 amazing objects. These objects are like storytellers who reveal Chinese history from the Yuanmou Man of 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Opening Hours:

9:00 — 17:00

Closed on Mondays

Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses (兵马俑), Xi'an

The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses is featured with thousands of life-sized terracotta figures of warriors and horses. They are arranged in battle formations and different from each other with individual characteristics.

Thousands of treasures still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological (考古的) site, and more mysteries of the Qin dynasty will be revealed someday in the future.

Opening Hours:

March 16— November 15: 8:30 — 18:00

November 16— March 15: 8:30 — 17:30

Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

Visiting Shanghai Museum is ranked No. 2 out of 10 things to do in Shanghai. Perhaps, this is the most modern museum in China, housing a diverse collection of around 1,020,000 artifacts that chart the nation's history.

There are eleven galleries in three exhibition halls, covering most of the major categories of Chinese art: bronzes, sculpture, ceramics (陶瓷制品), paintings, calligraphy, seals, jade, coins and Ming and Qing furniture.

Opening Hours:

Monday to Sunday: 9:00 — 17:00