Pound for pound, healthy food is cheaper than junk food, according to a new research from the U. K.

    The Institute of Economic Affairs found that the average cost for a “wide range” of healthy foods was about £ 2 per kilogram, compared with £ 3 a kilogram for less-healthy products such as processed and ready-made foods.

Still, study after study finds that cost is often a barrier when it comes to healthy eating. Convenience drives consumers to care about habits more than prices, the U. K. study concluded. Taste and convenience often play a larger role in people's food choices than price or nutritional quality.

    “Processed foods are extremely expensive, especially when it comes to the nutrient value. Some of the healthiest, most inexpensive foods aren't so attractive. Beans cost next to nothing, especially when bought dry and in great amounts. They take time and some skills to prepare. ” said Ciara Foy, a nutritionist.

    Instead, busy parents reach for the chicken. “You might be getting something that has enough calories to fill you up but you're actually not getting any nutrients, so your body's going to keep wanting more and more food,” said Foy. “And that's why in North America we, re overfed and undernourished (营养不良的).”

    Makers tend to try to promote their product based on perceived health benefits, which makes consumers confused at times with what is a healthy product and how much you should pay for those benefits. The most expensive items, healthy or not, are the ones that end up in the trash. “A lot of people waste a lot of food,” Foy said. It's estimated that more than $ 30 billion of food is wasted in Canada every year. Foy recommends taking a look in your fridge to see what needs to be used up when planning for the next night's meals. “If you actually cut down on the waste you'll find that you can afford healthy food,” Foy said.

    I considered an active social life as basic human necessity. Yet when it dawned on me just how much time I was spending socialising, I realised I may be taking it to an extreme. I calculated that, on average, I was spending 22 hours or more each week on social activities. So, to see what would happen to my work output, health and wellbeing, I decided to try and cut out my social life entirely.

    I knew, at times, I filled my schedule simply out of fear of missing out (FOMO), but also as a way to shift focus away from my work. For one month, I declined all in-person activities with friends: going out for drinks; dinners; parties and non-work related events, to see if it would make me more productive, improve my focus and career prospects.

    On day one of the month-long experiment, I had to fight some anxiety over missing out. But as the days passed, I started to relax. I only had one option to consider for Saturday night—to stay home—and this limitation left me more satisfied in my decision. I felt more content working, reading or watching TV.

    While I found more time to work, I also noticed a change in my overall health. I found myself cooking more at home, doing daily exercise, getting to bed earlier each night, reading, and enjoying moments of rest and boredom throughout the day.

    Having no social life left me more free time than I'd imagine. Such idle moments are vital for creativity, and mind wandering has been linked to creative problem solving. During the experiment I found myself regularly brainstorming new ideas and reimagining existing projects.

    Of course socialising is an important way to build work contacts. While one month of no social life did not impact my relationship with existing clients, if I had continued, it may harm my ability to build new ones.

    The Spanish sculptor Isaac Cordal sees the city as his playground. He specializes in miniature, a street art often representing a social commentary as a critical observation on capitalism, power and so on.

    Cordal first models the sculptures in clay then reproduces them in cement(水泥)about 15cm in height.

    “As a material, cement seems very symbolic because it is one of our most recognizable footprints against nature.” he says. “Today we have been too used to cement city habitat.”

    For several years he's been working on the project, Cement Eclipses, referring to the state when a building covers the sun: “It's a critical reflection on the idea of progress.”

    These tiny cement figures have appeared in cities across Europe, found sitting on top of bus shelters or drowning in the grass land of the big city. “The street became a perfect setting in which I could find enough landscapes for them. Due to their small size and color, they go really well into the urban environment. They even normally go unseen by passersby. I'm very interested in that moment of surprise when someone accidentally discovers them.” he says.

    “Nowadays there is a fear of not being seen in the public area, so everything is always big and bold. We become a product of this and do not focus in as much. I think it is good to pay attention to small details. My work is a reward for those who do and it allows us to understand and change the world we have created in a different angle.”Cordal says.

    Whenever we see a button (按钮), we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.

    Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don't have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts'" close" buttons are a complete scam, at least in the US—the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.

    It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.

    But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren't completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.

    “Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being," Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “Having a lack of control is associated with depression.”

    Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example  many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.

    But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little "white lies", they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.

    "That habit is here to stay," John Kounios, a psychology professor, said, ''Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I've got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”

    For Kim Duffy, sending away her teenage daughter was the best hope for saving the girl's life.

    Corinne, then 17, had been struggling with bulimia (贪食症) and anorexia (厌食症) for more than five years. Duffy and her husband, Terry, found a residential facility in Virginia, and Corinne signed on for a two-month stay in the summer of 2009.

    Today, Corinne's healthy and pursuing a master's degree in Colorado. She and her parents believe the holistic (整体) approach and individualized focus were key to her recovery. And they know they had access to unique resources. "We were fortunate," says Duffy. "We could pay for everything."

    But many can't. According to a report released in November 2014 by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, between 600, 000 and one million Canadians suffer from an eating disorder. Public in patient programs often won't admit patients until they're in life-threatening condition. Private clinics often have a long waitlists and high costs-at Homewood, in Guelph, Ont., a room is $ 305 to $360 per day.

    The Duffs' struggle led then to connect other families with the quality of care they received in the United Sates. In late 2013, hey founded the WaterStone Clinic, a private eating disorder center in Toronto.

    Since the facility opened, 170 clients have received treatment. They take yoga, do art therapy and participate in meal preparation, building real-life skills with a support team. Programs run weekdays from 8 a. m. to 2 p. m., and notably, so far WaterStone has no waiting list.

    But this approach is costly: approximately $650 per day. Realizing that the price tag puts WaterStone out of reach for many, the Duffys created the WaterStone Foundation-a charity that provides aid to patients who can't afford treatment the following year. Candidates are assessed by two committees that make a decision based on clinical and financial need. Since 2014, the foundation has helped 100 people.

    Duffy also wants to change the public system. In June of this year, the foundation awarded ＄170, 000 to four Ontario hopitals offering creative treatment to eating disorder patients. "Yes, people need private treatment," she says, "but it's important to help out on a broader scale, too."