Health
Finding good health news amidst a pandemic can be quite daunting. That’s not the case with The Optimist Daily, where positive news is in high supply. Our Health section covers the latest good news from the health sector, featuring solutions ranging from mental and physical health to immunity, nutrition, and cutting edge medical research.
What’s healthier? Toasted or untoasted bread?
Choosing to toast bread is typically a matter of taste and texture, but did you know that toasting (and dehydrating) your bread might actually be associated with a couple of potential health benefits? It’s true, although the answer is not as simple as that. To understand what happens to your Read More...
Atlanta builds the nation’s largest food forest to tackle food insecurity
After a pecan farm in a south Atlanta neighborhood closed, the land was then supposed to be converted into a residential townhouse zone. That project, however, never happened, prompting the city’s Conservation Fund to buy the land in 2016 and develop it into something else: the country’s Read More...
The mental health benefits of raising the minimum wage
Back in November, we shared how Florida increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Now, the same minimum wage is being considered on the federal level. Breaking down the impacts of this change is beneficial for understanding why it is a solution. In addition to lower rates of poverty and higher Read More...
12 Creative ways to reduce your food waste at home
Many people are embarking on more cooking adventures during the pandemic, but if you’re becoming a well-seasoned home chef, you might also notice your food waste is increasing. The production of wasted food alone is equivalent to 37 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting Read More...
Reduce children’s pandemic stress with these parenting strategies
The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health and unfortunately, children are not immune to the effects of isolation and stress no matter how much we may try to shield them from it. The good news is there are many strategies parents can employ to ease children’s pandemic stress and Read More...
Nothing beats beets: why you should eat more of this versatile veggie
Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of any healthy diet, but filling your plate with versatile produce will maximize the health benefits you get out of every bite. One versatile veggie you should incorporate into your diet are beets! This vividly-colored root vegetable has more to it than Read More...
Scientists use AI and smartphones to detect skin cancer highly accurately
The idea of using smartphones to detect potential skin cancers has been around for more than a decade, but until now, the technology hasn’t been advanced enough to challenge the accuracy of a trained dermatologist. Recently, however, researchers at MIT and Harvard developed deep learning Read More...
These chefs are using dumplings to bridge racial divides in the Bay Area
As you may have seen in the news, attacks on Asian Americans are on the rise this year. One particular video from Oakland’s Chinatown drew demands for action after it depicted a 91-year-old man being shoved to the ground in the city. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the violence captured on Read More...
Cambridge study: Robot dogs, laughter and meditation may relieve loneliness
For many people, one of the most distressing parts of the pandemic has been dealing with the feeling of loneliness associated with social distancing rules. A new study shows that robotic dogs, mindfulness, and laughter therapy may be among the most effective interventions to help people cope. As Read More...
This vegan ice cream gets its creaminess from lab-grown milk proteins
The dairy industry is a major culprit when it comes to global carbon emissions, emitting nearly as much as the shipping and aviation industries combined. Cutting down or eliminating dairy consumption is one way we can personally spur reductions in dairy emissions, but when things such as ice cream Read More...