The CDC keeps warning(ˈwôrniNG) people not to eat raw cookie dough — even though it’s delicious(dəˈliSHəs)

By Lindsey Bever

The Christmas cookies are in the oven(ˈəvən); the mixing(miks) bowl(bōl), which is still coated(kōt) with the sugary(ˈSHo͝ogərē) sweet dough, is calling your name.

Don’t listen to it, health experts(ˈekˌspərt) warn(wôrn).

With holiday baking(bāk) season underway, the Center(ˈsen(t)ər) for Disease(dəˈzēz) Control and Prevention(prəˈven(t)SH(ə)n) is once again urging people not to eat unbaked cookie dough — not even a tiny(ˈtīnē) taste(tāst) — because “unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter(ˈbatər), can make you sick(sik).”

“Say No to Raw Dough!” the CDC warns.

The potential(pəˈtenCHəl) problem is with two primary(ˈprīm(ə)rē,ˈprīˌmerē) ingredients(iNG-,inˈgrēdēənt).

Raw flour(ˈflou(ə)r) can be contaminated(kənˈtaməˌnāt) with E. coli(ˈkōlī), and raw eggs have been a known carrier(ˈkarēər) of salmonella(ˌsalməˈnelə) bacteria(ˌbakˈtirēəm).

Both bacteria are killed in the cooking process, but contaminated(kənˈtaməˌnāt) food that is not cooked or is undercooked has been known to make people ill, according to the CDC.

“When you’re making cookies, often the recipe(ˈresəˌpē) calls for raw eggs,” Lindsay Malone(məˈlōn), a registered(ˈrejəstər) dietitian(ˌdī-iˈtiSHən) with the Cleveland(ˈklēvlənd) Clinic(ˈklinik), said in 2016. “Whenever you consume(kənˈso͞om) raw eggs, you increase your risk of salmonella(ˌsalməˈnelə) poisoning(ˈpoizən).” Malone added that “when there’s a risk for salmonella, you really want to be cautious(ˈkôSHəs) and take steps to avoid it as much as possible.”

In recent years, public health experts have become vocal(ˈvōkəl) about raw flour(ˈflou(ə)r), too.

The CDC reported that in 2016, more than 60 people across the United States were sickened(ˈsikən) with E. coli from raw flour.

…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2018/12/10/cdc-keeps-warning-people-not-eat-raw-cookie-dough-even-though-its-delicious/

Food delivery(dəˈliv(ə)rē) right to your dorm(dôrm) door

How some campus(ˈkampəs) dining(dīn) halls(hôl) are competing(kəmˈpēt) with GrubHub(grəb)

By Janelle(jənal) Nanos(ˈnanō)

There was a time when the only sure thing about college dining was packing(ˈpakiNG) on the freshman(ˈfreSHmən) 15. A typical(ˈtipikəl) dinner(ˈdinər) meant(ment) mystery(ˈmist(ə)rē) meat(mēt) or soggy(ˈsägē) pasta(ˈpastə,ˈpästə), then hours goofing(go͞of) off around a communal(kəˈmyo͞onl,ˈkämyənəl) table. If dining halls were where memories were made, the recollections(ˌrekəˈlekSHən) aren’t of urgency(ˈərjənsē) or good food.

But a funny(ˈfənē) thing happened from those generations to now. Health-conscious(ˈkän(t)SHəs) students raised(rāzd) on restaurant(ˈrest(ə)rənt,ˈrestəˌränt,ˈresˌtränt) food are being plied(plī) with quinoa(ˈkēnwä) bowls(bōlz) and gourmet(ˌgo͝or-,ˌgôrˈmā) coffees(ˈkäfē,ˈkôfē) prepared by cafeteria(ˌkafiˈti(ə)rēə) chefs(SHef) and baristas(bəˈrēstə). Quality(ˈkwälədē) not being enough, schools are taking things further(ˈfərT͟Hər), offering(äf-,ˈôf(ə)riNG) Starbucks-style apps for students to order ahead(əˈhed), grab-and-go gourmet meals to reheat(hēt) in rooms, and cafeteria food delivered right to dorms.

Which explains why Kelsey Bishop(ˈbiSHəp), a finance(fəˈnans,ˈfīnans) and entrepreneurship major at Boston(ˈbôstən) College, thinks it’s entirely(ənˈtī(ə)rlē) normal to sit in her morning Financial(fī-,fəˈnanCHəl) Policy(ˈpäləsē) class and tap her order into an app for a veggie(ˈvejē) omelet(ˈäm(ə)lət) for pickup at the school’s Hillside(ˈhilˌsīd) Cafeteria. The senior(ˈsēnyər) will use the app again to skip the line and order soup a few hours later. And sometimes picking up food can seem like too much work, so after late nights out, she and her roommates will tap their phone and, voila(vwäˈlä), breakfast(ˈbrekfəst) is delivered from the dining hall to her dorm — like room service in a four-star hotel, minus(ˈmīnəs) the linen(ˈlinin)-draped(drāp) tray(trā).

BC is hardly alone(əˈlōn) on the frontiers(ˌfrənˈti(ə)r) of dining convenience(kənˈvēnyəns). From Amherst(ˈam(h)ərst) to Cambridge, there are gourmet-to-go meal cases and online ordering for the dining hall grill(gril) stations(ˈstāSHən). Last week, there was even a campuswide ruckus(ˈrəkəs) at Harvard when a glitch(gliCH) in the software system left students unable to preorder(priˈôrdər) their grilled cheese(CHēz) sandwiches(ˈsanˌ(d)wiCH).

…
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/04/04/food-fight-colleges-take-uber-eats-with-apps-and-dorm-delivery/lMtGHEpv38cOBzbd63gUfL/story.html

Daily(ˈdālē) Conscious(ˈkän(t)SHəs) Time

By Steve Pavlina

…

Perhaps my #1(number 1) tool for turning profound answers into daily practice is what I call Daily Conscious Time. This is a deliberate(dəˈlib(ə)rət) investment, typically(ˈtipik(ə)lē) 15-30 minutes per day but sometimes an hour or more, to work on alignment(əˈlīnmənt) issues(ˈiSHo͞o).

I usually do this in the form of journaling(ˈjərnl). Here are some of the questions I ask and answer during this time:

Where does my life still feel out of alignment?
What would a stronger alignment look like?
What steps can I take to transition to a stronger alignment?

…

Imagine(iˈmajən) doing this kind of personal growth work almost every day, working through(THro͞o) alignment issues large and small and doing your best to resolve(rəˈzälv) them. You may not always succeed, but in the long run, this persistence(pərˈsistəns) will yield(yēld) a more aligned(əˈlīn) life from top to bottom.

Take these alignment issues seriously(ˈsi(ə)rēəslē). They truly(ˈtro͞olē) matter. These challenges(ˈCHalənj) will test you, and you may feel that life is asking too much of you when it presents you with such a challenge. At first it may even feel like more of a curse(kərs) than a blessing(ˈblesiNG), but when you work through enough of these, you may actually start to welcome them because these are among the richest growth experiences(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns) you’ll encounter(enˈkoun(t)ər) in this life.

https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2017/10/bring-life-alignment/

University(ˌyo͞onəˈvərsədē) of Cambridge(ˈkāmbrij) History

The University of Cambridge is rich in history - its famous Colleges(ˈkälij) and University buildings attract(əˈtrakt) visitors from all over the world. But the University’s museums(myo͞oˈzēəm) and collections also hold many treasures(ˈtreZHər) which give an exciting(ikˈsītiNG) insight into some of the scholarly(ˈskälərlē) activities, both past and present, of the University’s academics(ˌakəˈdemik) and students.

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest universities and leading(ˈlediNG,ˈlēdiNG) academic centres, and a self-governed(ˈgəvərn) community of scholars. Its reputation(ˌrepyəˈtāSHən) for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects(riˈflekt) the intellectual(ˌintlˈekCHo͞oəl) achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original(əˈrijənl) research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges.

Many of the University’s customs(ˈkəstəmz) and unusual terminology(ˌtərməˈnäləjē) can be traced to roots in the early years of the University’s long history, and this booklet(ˈbo͝oklit) looks to the past to find the origins(ˈôrəjən) of much that is distinctive(disˈtiNGktiv) in the University of today.

When we first come across Cambridge in written(ˈritn) records(ˈrekərd), it was already a considerable town. The bridge across the River Cam or Granta, from which the town took its name, had existed(iɡˈzist) since at least(lēst) 875. The town was an important trading(ˈtrādiNG) centre before the Domesday(ˈdo͞omzˌdā) survey(sərˈvā) was compiled in 1086, by which time a castle(ˈkasəl) stood on the rising(ˈrīziNG) ground to the north of the bridge, and there were already substantial(səbˈstanCHəl) commercial(kəˈmərSHəl) and residential(ˌrezəˈdenCHəl) properties as well as several(ˈsev(ə)rəl) churches(CHərCH) in the main settlement(ˈsetlmənt) which lay south of the bridge.

…
https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university/history

White((h)wīt) gold(gōld): the unstoppable(ˌənˈstäpəbəl) rise(rīz) of alternative(ôlˈtərnədiv) milks

How wellness upstarts spoiled(spoil) milk’s healthy reputation(ˌrepyəˈtāSHən) – and built a billion-dollar industry(ˈindəstrē) from juicing(jo͞os) oats(ōt) and nuts(nəts).

By Oliver(ˈäləvər) Franklin(ˈfraNGklən)-Wallis

In the spring of 2018, New York was gripped by a sudden, very particular(pə(r)ˈtikyələr) and, for some, calamitous(kəˈlamitəs) food shortage(ˈSHôrtij). Gaps appeared on grocery(ˈgrōs(ə)rē) shelves(SHelf). Coffee(ˈkäfē,ˈkôfē) shops put out signs(sīn), turning customers away. Twitter(ˈtwidər) and Instagram brimmed(brim) with outrage(ˈoutˌrāj). The truly(ˈtro͞olē) desperate(ˈdespərit) searched from Williamsburg(ˈwilyəmzˌbərg) to Harlem(ˈhärləm), but it seemed undeniable(ˌəndiˈnīəbəl): New York was out of oat milk.

It wasn’t just New York, in fact. The entire(enˈtīr) US was suffering from a shortage of Oatly, a Swedish(ˈswēdiSH) plant(plant) milk whose rapid(ˈrapid) rise from obscure(əbˈskyo͝or) digestive(diˈjestiv,dī-) health brand to the dairy(ˈde(ə)rē) alternative of choice had caught even Oatly by surprise(sə(r)ˈprīz). Since its US launch in 2016, Oatly had gone from supplying a handful of upscale(ˈəpˌskāl,ˌəpˈskāl) New York coffee shops to more than 3,000 cafes(kaˈfā,kə-) and grocery(ˈgrōs(ə)rē) stores nationwide(ˈnāSHənˈwīd). The company had ramped(ramp) up production by 1,250%, but when I spoke to CEO Toni Petersson in late summer, they were still struggling to meet demand(dəˈmand). “How do we supply when the growth is this crazy(ˈkrāzē)?” Petersson said.

Fortunately(ˈfôrCHənətlē), when it comes to milk, in 2019 there is no shortage of alternative alternatives. Visit your local supermarket and you will find a refrigerated(riˈfrijəˌrātid) aisle(īl) overflowing with choice: almond(ˈa(l)-,ˈä(l)mənd) milk, hazelnut(ˈhāzəlˌnət) milk, peanut(ˈpēnət), tiger(ˈtīgər) nut, walnut(ˈwôlˌnət), cashew(kəˈSHo͞o,ˈkaSHˌo͞o) – and that’s just the nuts. Coconut(ˈkōkəˌnət), hemp(hemp), spelt(spelt), quinoa(ˈkēnwä), pea(pē) – you name it, somewhere a health-food startup is milking it. London tube(t(y)o͞ob) stations are filled with ads for new plant milks – or rather, “mylks” (EU law prevents(priˈvent) dairy alternatives from using the word milk if it isn’t produced by a lactating(ˈlakˌtāt) mammal(ˈmaməl)). Cookbooks dedicate(ˈdediˌkāt) entire chapters to blending(blend) and straining(strān) your own. Sainsbury’s now stocks(stäk) around 70 different options. There are the wellness punks(pəNGk) (Rebel(ˈrebəl) Kitchen(ˈkiCHən), Rude(ro͞od) Health), the dairy puns(pən) (Malk, Milkadamia, Mooala) and the nourishers(ˈnəriSH) (LoveRaw(rô), Good Karma(ˈkärmə), Plenish). “People are just looking at every nut that exists(igˈzist) and seeing if they can squash(skwäSH,skwôSH) it into a milk,” said Glynis Murray(ˈmərē), one of the owners of Good, which squashes hemp(hemp) seeds into oil and milk.

…
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/29/white-gold-the-unstoppable-rise-of-alternative-milks-oat-soy-rice-coconut-plant

Benefits of a daily diary(ˈdīərē) and topic journals(ˈjərnl)

By Derek Sivers

You know those people whose lives are transformed by meditation(ˌmedəˈtāSHən) or yoga(ˈyōgə) or something like that?

For me, it’s writing in my diary and journals. It’s made all the difference in the world for my learning, reflecting, and peace(pēs) of mind.

After 20+ years of doing this, here’s what I do and recommend(ˌrekəˈmend):

A daily diary

If digital(ˈdijitl), use only plain(plān) text(tekst). It’s a standard format(ˈfôrˌmat) not owned by any company. It will be readable(ˈrēdəbəl) in 50 years on devices(dəˈvīs) we haven’t even imagined yet. Don’t use formats that can only be read by one program, because that program won’t be around in 50 years. Don’t use the cloud(kloud), unless you’re also going to download it weekly and back it up in plain text outside that cloud. (Companies shut down. Clouds disappear. Think long-term.)

Every day at some point, just open up this diary, write today’s date, then start writing. Write what you did today, and how you are feeling, even if it seems boring.

It works best as a nightly routine. Just take a few minutes and write at least a few sentences(ˈsentns). If you have time, write down everything on your mind. Clear it all out. But if you miss a night, make time the next morning to write about the previous day.

This is important because years from now you might be looking back, wondering if you were as happy or as sad as you remember during this time. So don’t only write the drama(ˈdrämə) or dilemmas(diˈlemə, dīˈlemə). Include the daily facts of life.

We so often make big decisions(dəˈsiZHən) in life based on predictions(prəˈdikSH(ə)n) of how we think we’ll feel in the future, or what we’ll want. Your past self is your best indicator(ˈindəˌkādər) of how you actually felt in similar situations. So it helps to have an accurate(ˈakyərət) picture of your past.

You can’t trust distant(ˈdistənt) memories, but you can trust your daily diary. It’s the best indicator to your future self (and maybe descendants(dəˈsendənt)) of what was really going on in your life at this time.

If you’re feeling you don’t have the time or it’s not interesting enough, remember: You’re doing this for your future self. Future you will want to look back at this time in your life, and find out what you were actually doing, day-to-day, and how you really felt back then. It will help you make better decisions.

Just put aside a few minutes to write what you did and how you felt today.

…
https://sivers.org/dj

How to Start a Running Routine(ro͞oˈtēn)

Resolved(-ˈzôlvd,riˈzälvd) to run in the new year? How to build a running routine that lasts(last) so you can crush(krəSH) a 5K(kilometer kiˈlämitər,ˈkiləˌmētər) or 10K next New Year’s Day.

By Jen A. Miller(ˈmilər)

It is a new day in a New Year and we are all here for it!

Or, well, at least I am. If I sound a little chipper(ˈCHipər), it’s because I broke into 2019 by crushing a 10K (which ended up being more like 5.6 miles because of a last-minute course(kôrs) change, but still!).

Whether you’re an experienced(ikˈspi(ə)rēənst) runner ready for a change in the new year or you want to become a runner but don’t know where to start, welcome(ˈwelkəm)!

Starting a running routine, or getting back to running after a long break, can be daunting(ˈdänt-,ˈdôntiNG). It may feel weird(wi(ə)rd) and awkward(ˈôkwərd) and you might end up a bit sore(sôr) afterward.

Here are a few things you can do to get over that initial(iˈniSHəl) “what am I doing?” hump(həmp) and build a running routine that lasts so you too can crush a 5K or 10K next New Year’s Day.

1. You don’t need a bunch(bənCH) of special stuff.

Really. There are a lot of running products out there — just ask my inbox, which is full of emails from brands telling me why I should write about their latest $300 doodad(ˈdo͞oˌdad). But to start, you don’t need any of it.

…

7. You haven’t failed if it doesn’t work.

It just means you get a chance to learn from what didn’t go right, and adjust for the future. No one said you must start a running routine on Jan. 1. Your birthday works, or Presidents(ˈprez(ə)dənt,ˈprezəˌdent)’ Day, or next Saturday. And don’t beat(bēt) yourself up if it takes a few tries. Running is hard. Sticking(stik) with it until it’s a routine is harder. But I believe in you. I really do.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/05/well/move/how-to-start-a-running-routine.html

New Year: The Beautiful(ˈbyo͞otəfəl) Minimalism(ˈminəməˌlizəm) of a Blank Slate(slāt)

By Leo Babauta

We have a new year upon us, and while “January 1” is just an arbitrary(ˈärbiˌtrerē) date, for most of us, it feels like a new beginning.

And there’s something beautifully minimalist(ˈminəmələst) about this new beginning — it’s a blank slate, where we can do anything, imagine(iˈmajən) possibilities, become a new person.

In fact, this is available(əˈvāləbəl) to us in any moment: each new second is a fresh(freSH) beginning, a new opportunity, a chance to start over, a blank canvas(ˈkanvəs) to be filled with whatever art we are moved to create.

Let’s imagine this new year as a blank slate. It’s like an empty house: what would we like to put in it?

This is a kind of minimalism. We can start afresh(əˈfreSH), tossing(täs,tôs) out everything and only placing in this empty house what we find most important, and nothing more.

What would you like to do with the minimalist blank slate of this new year?

Ask yourself:

Do you want to fill it with distractions(dəˈstrakSH(ə)n), or keep only the most important work, relationships, commitments(kəˈmitmənt)?

Do you want to be constantly checking social media, or would you like to read long-form writing and books, perhaps create something new?

Do you want to be more mindful? More compassionate(kəmˈpaSHənət)? More whole-hearted in your relationships?

Do you want to be more active, eat more healthy, nourishing(ˈnə-ri-,ˈnəriSHiNG) food? Get outdoors more, find more solitude(ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od)?

Do you want to have greater focus for your meaningful work? Be more organized(ˈôrgəˌnīzd)?

Simplify your life? Get your finances(fəˈnans,ˈfīnans) in order?

Pick just a handful. Spread them out over the year. Don’t overfill the year with a list of 20 things you want to do — savor(ˈsāvər) the space of your blank slate.

It’s a beautiful time to reimagine(ˌrē-iˈmajən) your life.

https://zenhabits.net/new-slate/

the struggle(ˈstrəgəl) to express(ikˈspres)

see(sē), appreciate(əˈprēSHēˌāt), support

nothing we do as teachers,
nothing we do as people,
is more important than to see the other,
to appreciate the other,
to let the other know we get
some portion(ˈpôrSHən) of the effort
of the life each lives,
some portion of that of God
that each struggles to reveal(riˈvēl), to express,

every effort needs to be seen,
needs to be appreciated,
needs to be supported,

we each are alone,
at least in how we can feel,
we need the other, the friend,
we need the community(kəˈmyo͞onitē)
to open itself, and thus us,
to how full we all can be.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-struggle-to-express.html

Born Into Debt(det)

By Steve Pavlina

…

You could say that we’re are all born into debt. We depend on others for our survival(sərˈvīvəl), especially in our early years. We also benefit from all the knowledge and skills that were taught to us by others. When we come into this world, we receive value from others. Do we have an obligation(ˌäbliˈgāSHən) to repay(rēˈpā) that value in some fashion, perhaps later in life when we’re capable(ˈkāpəbəl) of doing so?

How much did it cost your parents(par-,ˈpe(ə)rənt) to raise(rāz) you? Is that a debt you must repay, either to them or to society as a whole?

Look around you at all the things you’re able to use today that someone else created. Do you owe(ō) anyone anything for these gifts?

Do you owe the world anything at all for your existence(igˈzistəns)? If you live strictly(ˈstrik(t)lē) for yourself and choose not to contribute to others in any meaningful way, are you shirking(SHərk) your responsibilities?

These are interesting questions for you to explore(ikˈsplôr) on your path of growth. I encourage you to seek your own answers to them. I’ll share some thoughts about how I’ve explored them thus far.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2014/09/do-you-owe-the-world-anything/