{"id":482,"date":"2018-01-10T00:40:18","date_gmt":"2018-01-10T04:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/?p=482"},"modified":"2018-01-10T00:40:18","modified_gmt":"2018-01-10T04:40:18","slug":"newsletter-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/newsletter-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter #21"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"oceanHappy 2018! It’s been four weeks since our last issue\u00a0and I’m excited to share the picks for this edition. We have articles on improving cities, new science on dietary fiber, and a great read on inspiring movements pushing for harmony with the planet. The long read follows a UN envoy to one of the most poverty-stricken places in the world \u2014 America. Finally, our podcast and book recommendation from the man who revolutionized the way people learn to swim, and we wrap\u00a0up with five things I’ve been digging during the holidays.<\/p>\n

\u25e6 selected words<\/h1>\n

An Illustrated Agenda for City Change in 2018<\/a><\/h2>\n

Visual storyteller Ariel Aberg-Riger asks ten people doing inspiring work in cities in the US and around the world, “how can your city do better in 2018?”. Part of The Atlantic’s CityLab, informing and inspiring people to create cities for the future.
\ncitylab.com (8min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Fiber Is Good for You. Now Scientists May Know Why.<\/a><\/h2>\n

We know that dietary fiber is good for you, but a recent study is helping us understanding why. We can’t actually digest fiber \u2014 it’s the microbes carrying hundreds of species of bacteria and their enzymes that break it down. Researchers at Georgia State University have linked fiber to healthy gut bacteria in studies with mice, and a lack of fiber leading to chronic inflammation. What’s more, in a few weeks the mice put on fat and developed higher blood sugar. Keep adding those chia seeds and hemp hearts to your smoothies!
\nnytimes.com (8min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Buen Vivir: The Social Philosophy Inspiring Movements in South America<\/a><\/h2>\n

“A defining characteristic of buen vivir is harmony… harmony between human beings, and also between human beings and nature. A related theme is a sense of the collective. Capitalism is a great promoter of individual rights: the right to own, to sell, to keep, to have…. If you put a price on nature, then you’re suggesting an ownership of the planet … Furthermore, capital is something that is interchangeable between people. But if you destroy the environment, then it’s difficult to rebuild it, which undermines it being interchangeable”. I’m skeptical with regards to placing Ecuador as a leader, with their president’s poor track record on oil and mining, but definitely worth a read.
\ntheguardian.com (6min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If Birds Left Tracks in the Sky, They\u2019d Look Like This<\/a><\/h2>\n

Extracting and layering high-resolution stills from a video camera, Barcelona-based photographer Xavi Bou captures the path of birds as they fly through the sky in his unique project titled, “Ornitograf\u00edas”.
\nnationalgeographic.com (3min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

How Gummy Bear Flavors Fool Our Brains <\/a><\/h2>\n

“The Skittles people, being much smarter than most of us, recognized that it is cheaper to make things smell and look different than it is to make them actually taste different.” This article from NPR demonstrates how the color of a gummy bear distorts our perception of flavor. It quotes another study where clear beverages and food coloring showed how yellow colors taste like lemon, among others, even when the flavors were changed. Humans are fascinatingly irrational, suggestible creatures.
\nnpr.org (4min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 listen in<\/h1>\n

Terry Laughlin, The Master Who Changed My Life<\/a><\/h2>\n

I was immediately optimistic after discovering someone as athletic and focused as Tim Ferriss, like me, couldn’t swim in his thirties. So I was more than curious to learn how he learned this life skill, and as Tim does, the quickest possible way. In this unexpectedly mindful interview, Tim interviews Terry Laughlin, coach of 24 USA national champions and the creator of Total Immersion Swimming. Counter-intuitive (what, no kicking?) with cheesy marketing and a sprinkling of big promises, I had my doubtful glasses on, but after watching the free videos on YouTube and reading reviews, I was convinced to give it a try. You can hear a different side of Tim in this podcast, as this was Terry’s final long-form interview before passing away from cancer.
\nThe Tim Ferriss Show (2h18min podcast)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 eat well<\/h1>\n

Papaya Boats with Yogurt and Granola<\/a><\/h2>\n

Down here in Costa Rica, papayas are a dollar each from the fruit stand, twice the size of the Hawaiian imports, and always sweet and ready to eat. When I saw a photo of this breakfast creation, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. Credit to Chris at The Nomadic in Nosara for his Instagram photo and sharing the idea he got from a local Tica. I recommend sprinkling on Terra Breads’ Artisanal Granola and some Made in Canada Manitoba Hemp Hearts (so good I brought two big bags with me on this one month trip, and rationed it to the end). And no, this is not a sponsored post.
\nportandfin.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 read slow<\/h1>\n

A Journey Through a Land of Extreme Poverty: Welcome to America<\/a><\/h2>\n

In the United States, 41 million people live in poverty, more than the population of Canada, and 9 million of those have zero income \u2014 not a penny comes home. The Guardian sent an investigative reporter to accompany a UN expert on extreme poverty and human rights for a two-week fact-finding mission, and uncovered a third world country within a country. Traveling coast to coast, stories of injustice, race, basic services, natural disasters and failed social programs paint a bleak picture in the richest nation in the world.
\ntheguardian.com (21min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 current read<\/h1>\n

Total Immersion Swimming<\/a><\/h2>\n

A DARPA study found that human swimmers are only 3% efficient, versus 80% for dolphins. Even elite level swimmers are only 9-10% efficient. And freestyle kicking creates so much drag that it nearly offsets the propulsion. And though they are bigger muscles that tire less quickly, they consume more oxygen, and as speed increases, the forward drive from the legs actually decreases. In this e-book to go with this issue’s podcast recommendation, you’ll finish with this quote drilled in: “the shape of the vessel matters more than the size of the engine”. And although you can’t learn swimming from a book, as a complementary resource it really can accelerate your learning. Visualizing exercise has been proven in multiple studies to improve strength in weightlifters, and having helped thousands overcome what he calls “adult onset swimming”, US Masters national record holder Terry Laughlin’s book gives practical advice and drills in an easily digestible format. His focus on technique, attention and deliberate practice apply to learning other skills as well. For a shorter read, Outside Online wrote a tribute<\/a> to Terry this past October.
\nSwim Ultra-Efficient Freestyle!: The ‘Fishlike’ Techniques From Total Immersion (148p Kindle ebook)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 dig this<\/h1>\n

What I’m digging lately:<\/p>\n