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Here's what it's like to eat an out-of-this-world meal at Alinea, the best restaurant in America

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Chef Grant Achatz presents 'Alinea Madrid' restaurant on January 11, 2016

Enjoying a meal at one of America's best restaurants can be an experience to last a lifetime.

Business Insider recently released its list of the 50 best restaurants in the country. We combined six noteworthy lists compiled by food critics, experts, and diners to come up with a definitive ranking of the best restaurants in America.

Alinea, in Chicago, earned the top spot. Open since 2005 but redesigned in 2016, Alinea has completely rethought the idea of what can be considered a meal. Co-owner and head chef Grant Achatz, along with executive chef Mike Bagale and chef de cuisine Simon Davies, have experimented with avant-garde dishes that showcase their molecular gastronomy skills. Ahead, take a look at the incredibly artful creations being served at the best restaurant in America.

SEE ALSO: This swanky lounge was just named the best new cocktail bar in America — take a look inside

Alinea is one of 14 restaurants in the US that have three Michelin stars.

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 Salad, red wine vinaigrette



Within the restaurant are three different dining experiences guests can choose from: The Kitchen Table, The Gallery Menu, and The Salon Menu. They are all home to some very inventive dishes, like this prosciutto, passion fruit, and zuta levana creation.

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 Prosciutto, passion fruit, zuta levana



The Kitchen Table is the most intimate and immersive dining experience at Alinea.

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 Lamb, caper leaf, grapes, olives



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12 up-and-coming healthy fast food chains that should scare McDonald's

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Salad and Go drive thru image

Legacy mega-brands like McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King have dominated the fast food industry for decades.

But within the last few years, many American consumers have shown a growing interest in healthier fast food that incorporates more low-calorie ingredients and fresh produce while remaining convenient and affordable.

In late 2016, top food executives from PepsiCo and Campbell Soup Company told Fortune that cleaner food is not just a trend, but a movement. And that shift is spilling over into the fast food market too, forcing legacy chains to try to keep up. In the last four years, Taco Bell has pledged to cut artificial ingredients and use cage-free eggs, and has introduced a lower-calorie menu. McDonald's has worked with dietitians, removed antibiotics from its chicken, and added more salads to its menu.

But new healthy fast food chains are also seizing the opportunity to compete with legacy brands, creating low-calorie menus for similar prices. These new US chains are regional (for now), but they're growing in popularity.

Check them out below.

SEE ALSO: See inside this vertical farm where 65,000 pounds of lettuce grow each year in shipping containers

Cava Grill — A Mediterranean fast food chain that started as a full-service restaurant

Cava Grill is a Mediterranean grab-and-go chain, originally founded in 2006 as a full-service restaurant. The chain serves Mediterranean salads and bowls — including hummus and pita, spicy lamb meatballs, and falafel — that range from $8 to $11 and average 500 calories. 

It has 33 locations on the East Coast and Los Angeles, with nine more set to open by the end of 2017.



Salad and Go — A drive-thru salad chain

Salad and Go sells 48-ounce salads for around $6, as well as soups, smoothies, and breakfast items for around $4.

The brand is trying to rival more established drive-thru chains by making the ordering experience fast and convenient, cofounder Roushan Christofellis told Business Insider. 

Since launching in the fall of 2016, Salad and Go now has nine locations in Arizona, with plans to open five more by 2018 and to expand elsewhere in the US by 2020.



Lyfe Kitchen — A healthy chain backed by Oprah's former personal chef

Founded in 2011 in Palo Alto, California, LYFE (an acronym that means "Love Your Food Everyday") has 15 locations in six states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas.

While the chain doesn't explicitly brand itself as healthy, everything on the menu contains less than 600 calories and 1,000 mg of sodium, and the dishes are free of high-fructose corn syrup, butter, cream, trans fats, MSG, and preservatives. Most items cost less than $10.

As noted by First We Feast, LYFE is backed by Art Smith, Oprah’s former personal chef, who has also appeared on "Top Chef."



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Frank Ocean had a legendary director film his first New York concert in 5 years

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FrankOceanPano

Elusive R&B singer Frank Ocean performed at the Panorama Festival on Friday, his first concert in New York City in five years, in a set marked both for its intimacy and its elaborate production, headed by legendary film director Spike Jonze.

Rather than perform on a traditional stage, Ocean and his team created a runway and central platform that extended down the middle of the audience.

The set-up allowed Ocean to spend the set wandering up and down the runway, sitting calmly in a chair at the center, or hanging out at the front of the platform with a keyboard.

Fans that were lucky enough (or got there early) to make their way to the the closest third of the audience were gifted with a close-up view of Ocean, depending on which area of the crowd he decided to sing to during a song.

#frankocean and his 👏 shirt 👏tho #panoramanyc

A post shared by Annie Zheng (@anniez) on Jul 30, 2017 at 12:49pm PDT on

The central platform was arranged with a keyboard, a tapedeck, some speakers, and a few clear chairs for his band — who didn't even come out for the first couple of songs and played from a pit below the stage.

At times, the set gave off the feeling of watching a recital or a jam session in someone's living room, not a festival headliner.

Still feeling the feels. #frankocean #panoramanyc #blond #selfcontrol #boysdontcry #glitterboy #blonded #spikejonze

A post shared by Justin Wentworth (@jwent91) on Jul 30, 2017 at 10:05am PDT on

The minimalist arrangement meshed well with Ocean's spare style, but was contrasted by all the other elements that went into the production.

The main stage was reconfigured with a video screen that stretched 30 feet high and 170 feet wide, wrapping around the entire audience:

Frank Ocean Pano Screen

A kind of improvisational concert film played on the screen, with a team of camera operators running around the platform with Ocean, capturing his every move:

The camera work, which mixed ultra-HD and lo-fi video cameras, was directed by none other than Jonze, best known for "Her" and "Being John Malkovich." Some have speculated that Jonze is working on a film project with Ocean; he filmed the singer's concerts at FYF Festival in Los Angeles and Lovebox Festival in London earlier this month.

Here's a look at the live film on screen, courtesy of Kendall Jenner (who was spotted at the show along with Justin Timberlake, Aziz Ansari, and other celebrities):

you legend

A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Jul 28, 2017 at 10:24pm PDT on

Adding to the production was an arrangment of speaker towers that wrapped around the entire crowd, allowing the music and Ocean's voice to literally surround the fans as he sang.

Here's the roadies testing the speaker arrangement to an anxious crowd shortly before Ocean went on:

If that wasn't enough, fog machines, a projector, and a disco ball topped it all off.

But, of course, despite all of the production, the star of the show was Ocean, who had the crowd singing every word back to him.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Kevin G. from 'Mean Girls' is up to today

A Tribe Called Quest played their last concert in New York — and it was a massive tribute to Phife Dawg

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phife dawg a tribe called quest

A Tribe Called Quest announced Sunday that their concert at Panorama Festival would be their last "ever" in New York City. 

Q-Tip made the announcement to the crowd mid-set, stopping the music, and giving a tribute to late A Tribe Called Quest member Phife Dawg, who died due to complications from diabetes in 2016.

Q-Tip announced that Phife Dawg's parents were in the audience and then led the crowd in a chant thanking Phife Dawg. 

An image of the deceased rapper with his hands in prayer against a backdrop of the sky was shown during the tribute and at numerous times throughout the show.  

Q-Tip ended the tribute by playing Phife Dawg's verse, without music, from the song "Butter" off 1991 album "Low-End Theory."

The hip hop group played a wide-ranging set that pulled from 2016's "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service"  as well as fan favorites such as "Bonita Applebum. "

Throughout the set, DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad let Phife Dawg's verses and rhymes play, while the video screen focused on an empty microphone placed at the center of the stage. Q-Tip and Tribe member Jairobi White often played off the microphone, trading verses with their absent member.

Case in point:

Phife Dawg had health issues for years, Rolling Stone reported last year. He received a kidney transplant in 2008 in his long battle with Type 1 diabetes.

Towards the end of the set, Q-Tip thanked the crowd for supporting the group since its inception in the 1980s. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were childhood friends, who originally performed as solo acts in the early 80s, before forming Tribe with Muhammad and White.

Phife Dawg appeared on all of Tribe's albums, serving as a vocal counterpoint to Q-Tip.

a tribe called quest q tip

Here's another one of the Phife images the group played on the screens:

#atcq #atribecalledquest #panorama2017 #randallsisland

A post shared by Fabián Saá (@fabian.saajr) on Jul 30, 2017 at 8:28pm PDT on

 And a clip from "Bonita Applebum" for good measure:

Bonita Applebum. Also, Q Tip is being all vivrant and such ... 👏👏👏 #atribecalledquest @panoramanyc #vivrantthing

A post shared by Marcia A. Masulla (@masulla) on Jul 30, 2017 at 8:10pm PDT on

Though the group broke up after 1998's "The Love Movement," they have occasionally reunited throughout years. Following the release of 2016's "We Got It From Here ... " the group announced that they would do one final world tour in 2017.

The group, who remain one of the most important acts in hip-hop history, will play at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco next month.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Marvel just dropped the first trailer for 'Black Panther'

14 of the greatest buildings by America's most famous architect

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Guggenheim Museum

If you've ever roamed down the eggshell-colored, spiral ramp of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, you've had the pleasure of experiencing a Frank Lloyd Wright original.

When it comes to American architecture, Wright is a legend.

He championed organic architecture, or the belief that buildings should live in harmony with the environment.

Wright "created a new form that would resonate over time, always testing new ideas and materials," the director of Wright's Fallingwater, Lynda Waggoner, told Business Insider.

Here are some of his greatest works.

SEE ALSO: 11 of the most beautiful new homes around the world

Fallingwater, a home built over a 30-foot waterfall in southwest Pennsylvania, is a National Historic Landmark — declared 43 years ago this month.

"It was connected with nature in a very intimate way," Waggoner said. "Its furnishings grow from the house like the house grows from its setting."



The interior is just as harmonious. "He was always looking ahead, not backward," Waggoner said.



One of ten of Wright's works nominated as World Heritage sites, the Unity Temple in Illinois revolutionized church architecture.

"He turned his back on traditional church architecture," Waggoner said.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There's even more evidence that one type of exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have

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older man elderly man jogging nature running exercise thinking outdoors

Want an all-natural way to lift your mood, improve your memory, and protect your brain against age-related cognitive decline?

Get moving.

A wealth of recentresearch, including a new study published this month, suggests that any type of exercise that raises your heart rate and gets you moving and sweating for a sustained period of time — known as aerobic exercise — has a significant, overwhelmingly beneficial impact on the brain.

"Aerobic exercise is the key for your head, just as it is for your heart," write the authors of an article in the Harvard Medical School blog "Mind and Mood."

While some of the benefits — like a lift in mood — can emerge as soon as a few minutes into a sweaty bike ride, others — like improved memory — might take several weeks to crop up. That means that the best type of fitness for your mind is any aerobic exercise that you can do regularly and consistently for at least 45 minutes at a time.

In the latest study to assess the benefits of aerobic workouts on the brain, researchers looked to hundreds of breast cancer survivors. They wanted to see if activities like walking and swimming could have any effect on "chemo brain," a commonly-reported side effect of breast cancer treatment that involves memory loss and difficulties focusing.

stretching exerciseSince previous research had suggested that regular workouts could help protect against age-related cognitive decline, the researchers wanted to find out if those results would hold true for cancer survivors too.

They gave nearly 300 breast cancer survivors accelerometers to track their daily activity and access to a specially-designed iPad app called BrainBaseline outfitted with quizzes designed to measure their attention and memory. At the end of a week, people who'd done aerobic exercise every day were not only significantly less tired than those who did little to no exercise, but also did significantly better on the app's quizzes.

"The message for cancer patients and survivors is, get active!" said Diane Ehlers, the lead author on the study and a professor of exercise psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, in a statement.

Given that the study was only a week long, more research on cancer patients in particular is needed. Still, the evidence that aerobic workouts have a wide range of potential beneficial impacts on the brain — from reducing the symptoms of depression to strengthening connections in parts of the brain linked with memory — is robust and growing.

A pilot study in people with severe depression found that just 30 minutes of treadmill walking for 10 consecutive days was "sufficient to produce a clinically relevant and statistically significant reduction in depression." Aerobic workouts can also help people who aren't suffering from clinical depression feel less stressed by helping to reduce levels of the body's natural stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, according to a recent study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

If you're over 50, a study in the British Medical Journal suggests the best results come from combining aerobic and resistance exercise, which could include anything from high-intensity interval training, like the 7-minute workout, to dynamic flow yoga, which intersperses strength-building poses like planks and push-ups with heart-pumping dance-like moves. Another study published in May provides some additional support to that research, finding that in adults aged 60-88, walking for 30 minutes four days a week for 12 weeks appeared to strengthen connectivity in a region of the brain where weakened connections have been linked with memory loss.

Researchers still aren't sure why this type of exercise appears to provide a boost to the brain, but studies suggest it has to do with increased blood flow, which provides our minds with fresh energy and oxygen. And one recent study in older women who displayed potential symptoms of dementia found that aerobic exercise was linked with an increase in the size of the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory.

Joe Northey, the lead author of the British study and an exercise scientist at the University of Canberra, said his research suggests that anyone in good health over age 50 should do 45 minutes to an hour of aerobic exercise "on as many days of the week as feasible."

SEE ALSO: Here are the ages your brain peaks at everything throughout life

DON'T MISS: Meditation has a powerful and surprising effect on your body and brain

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Scientists have a new way to measure health by determining your 'fitness age' — here's how you can calculate it

The 20 most eligible doctors and medical professionals in New York City, according to dating app Hinge

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Hinge Most Eligible Healthcare NYC

It's not easy finding love in a city of over 8 million people. But that's life for single people living in New York City, one of the biggest and most exciting cities of America.

The dating app Hinge, which launched a new app last fall to help people find relationships, has a ton of data about its most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes living in New York City. But the company most recently provided us with more data about a specific, highly sought-after subset of the NYC population: doctors and medical professionals.

Given how so many people are interested in dating single doctors and medical professionals, particularly in New York City, Hinge rounded up its 20 most eligible singles working in various medical fields. Take a look.

SEE ALSO: These are the 40 most eligible people in New York City, according to the dating app Hinge

20. Joey Levin

Job Title: Resident Physician, Emergency Medicine

Education: SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine

Interested in: Women

Here's his dating profile.



19. Heather Kunan

Job Title: Orthodontist

Education: University of Pennsylvania, New York University College of Dentistry

Interested in: Men

Here's her dating profile.



18. Kola Olugbade Jr.

Job Title: Urological Surgery Resident

Education: Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan Medical School

Interested in: Women

Here's his dating profile.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

‘Yelp drives me crazy’ — Andrew Zimmern goes on an epic rant against the restaurant review site

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Andrew Zimmern, the host of "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" on the Travel Channel, is spending his new season traveling around the US searching for interesting foods to try. In this video, Zimmern shares his interesting perspective on the crowd-sourced review application Yelp. Following is a transcript of the video.

I just… ugh… Yelp drives me crazy.

I think Yelp is neither good nor bad for the food industry. I find it useless. If you're aggregating a lack of expertise, then when I plug in “best sushi bar in Los Angeles,” Yelp doesn't help me at all. So, if you are a huge food geek like me that really believes in quality — not expensive food, just quality. Above all other things — quality. If you're into quality, Yelp is not for you.

What I do when I'm going to a new city is I look up who the 4 or 5 better food writers are in that town and the 4 or 5 better chefs in that town. And then I go on to their Instagram and Twitter or Facebook timelines, and I just go back a couple weeks and I write down all the places that these people have been eating or taking pictures of. And I put a little check by it, and the places that have the most checks are the ones that I go to first.

If you love Mario Batali, and really who doesn't? Then, if you're following him and you know you're going to Rome, just go into his timeline and look at all the places in Rome that he says to go. That's what I did. Well, actually I didn’t. I actually called him and asked him. But I got nothing special that wasn't on his Twitter timeline. It’s just that he happens to be my friend.

Yelp. Yelp is, I mean Yelp’s not even good for looking up the restaurant’s phone number because you know on the site, they just want you to read their reviews and look at their ads. They don't even actually want to give you the information about the restaurant or the menu. I mean how f---ed up is that? I  mean, I just… ugh… Yelp drives me crazy. But it drives me crazy. I'll let you decide if it drives you crazy.

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A brand-new restaurant just opened in New York's most famous dining room — here's what it looks like inside

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Fish filet, The PoolFor more than 50 years, 99 East 52nd Street in Manhattan was home to the famed Four Seasons restaurant. During that time, its power lunches drew a clientele that included the likes of Henry Kissinger, Martha Stewart, and Michael Bloomberg, as well as plenty of bold-face names in the art world and finance industry.  

Since the Four Seasons closed in July 2016, new residents have moved into the landmarked space. Major Food Group, which also operates the restaurants Carbone, ZZ's Clam Bar, Parm, Sadelle's, and Santina, is behind three new restaurants there; the first, called The Grill, opened in May, while the second, called The Pool, opened earlier in July. 

"It was an incredible opportunity and responsibility that we do not take lightly," partner Jeff Zalaznick told Business Insider of the move into the iconic space. Zalaznick owns Major Food Group with Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi.

The Pool is a nod to the former Four Seasons' "pool room," which had a gurgling fountain that still remains in the center of The Pool's dining room. The Pool has a seafood-centric menu, and the lounge and bar serve decidedly simple cocktails.

 Below, take a look inside The Pool and see some of the dishes being served there. 

SEE ALSO: This swanky lounge was just named the best new cocktail bar in America — take a look inside

The Pool's dining room is still centered around the Four Seasons' fountain, and the chain curtains have been kept and cleaned. New carpet was also laid. The hanging piece above the fountain is artist Alexander Calder's 1973 work, "3 Segments," which resembles an abstract fish in a nod to the seafood-focused menu.



"Everything we created for this menu is motivated by purity and simplicity," chef and partner Torrisi said in a press release.



Raw items like this chilled gazpacho salad appetizer are served in ice-filled, Georg Jensen bowls. This salad comes with lemon cucumbers, tristar strawberries, and seabeans.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

16 things every guy should keep in his work bag

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work bag

Do you have everything you need?

Chances are you're probably leaving something out, and you'll only realize you need it when that moment hits.

Whether it's hand sanitizer, an extra pair of headphones, or lip balm, there are at least 16 items we think no guy should be without on his way to and from the office.

SEE ALSO: 17 things every guy needs in his closet for summer

An extra charger so you can power up your phone wherever, whenever.

Our phones rule our lives. Make sure yours always has enough juice by carrying an extra charger around with you.

Pictured:AmazonBasics Lightning Cable ($6)



A portable battery pack for when a wall isn't available.

When you don't have access to a wall outlet, the portable charger will have to do. Just make sure it's also charged.

Pictured:Anker PowerCore ($15)



Lip balm is a winter necessity.

Send dry lips packing with Supergoop! lip balm. This is the best stuff I've ever tried, and it repairs dry and chapped lips in a pinch.

Pictured:Supergoop! ($10)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 8 unhealthiest restaurant meals in America

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Buffalo Wild Wings

A new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest has identified the unhealthiest restaurant meals in America.

For the center's annual "Xtreme Eating" list, its nutrition experts reviewed menus at 200 restaurant chains in the US to find the meals heaviest in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.

Restaurants that made the list include The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, and IHOP.

Here's the list, ranked lowest to highest by calories.

SEE ALSO: 14 items you should buy at Walmart

The Cheesecake Factory: Flying Gorilla drink (950 calories)

This chocolate and banana milkshake with dark chocolate and banana liqueurs packs 950 calories, 26 grams of saturated fat, and 60 grams of added sugar.  



Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Chocolate cake (1,740 calories)

Uno's chocolate cake is a huge serving, which is why it's called the "ridiculously awesome, insanely large chocolate cake" on the menu. 

It has 32 grams of saturated fat, 770 milligrams of sodium, and 168 grams of added sugar — about three times the daily recommended sugar limit. 



Buffalo Wild Wings: Cheese curd bacon burger with fries (1,950 calories)

Consuming this sandwich with a side of fries is the equivalent of eating five Burger King bacon double cheeseburgers, according to the report. It has 53 grams of saturated fat and 4,700 milligrams of sodium.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

22 clothing items every man should own before he turns 30

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beards

When a man turns 30, he starts to look back at his life. But he should also turn around and look back at his wardrobe because, chances are, it's been neglected.

We've rounded up 22 of the most important essentials that every guy should have by the time he turns the big three-oh.

If you're approaching or over 30, it might be time to go shopping.

SEE ALSO: 7 things no man should ever wear in the summer — and what to wear instead

A full suit that is tailored and fits well.

There are no more excuses. You're an adult now. You need at least one suit, preferably in navy or gray.

Really, you should have both by now. What have you been doing all this time?



A nice blazer to add some variety.

As American dress skews more informal, blazers have become more important than ever.

A nice blazer will make sure that you don't overwhelm a room with a full suit when the occasion doesn't call for it. But it can also separate you from the crowd a bit.



An expensive wristwatch for special occasions.

Even if you're not a watch guy, you should realize the importance of wearing a watch on occasion.

Drop a few hundred to have a timepiece that you can call your own.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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This 59-year-old mother of 2 is making millions selling legal marijuana gummies

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Nancy Whiteman

Nancy Whiteman's marijuana confectionary company makes millions of dollars a year, but she considers herself an "accidental cannabis entrepreneur."

That's how she felt in 2010 when starting Wana Brands (shortened from marijuana), now Colorado's leading company for cannabis-infused confectionary products.

Back then, her home state had just begun opening the doors to a legalized marijuana market. Whiteman saw a niche ready to be filled.

She thought that edibles could be the next big thing in legal marijuana trends. Her confectionary concoctions include mouthwatering creations like loaded sour fruit gummies, salted caramels, hot cocoa, and bright lozenge "jewels" infused with different levels of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

"I really didn't understand the power of what we were doing or creating," Whiteman told Business Insider.

By the end of 2017, she expects Wana Brands to bring in more than $12 million in revenue.

Seven years ago, Whiteman, along with her ex-husband and co-founder John Whiteman, started experimenting with different candy-making techniques and, with time, developed a product ready for the market: marijuana-infused gummies.

THC Gummies

In Colorado, anybody over 21 can walk into a dispensary and buy up to one ounce of marijuana since the state legalized weed in 2012. The industry grew so fast that it brought the state more than $1 billion in profits in 2016. Wana Brands made more than $8 million that year.

What she first saw mainly as a major business opportunity later turned into a passion for bringing the relaxing effects of marijuana to others in nonstandard ways. Although she had used marijuana in the past, Whiteman said she wasn't at the time she started the company. She now partakes in her own products.

At 59, Whiteman might not fit the stereotype of a marijuana entrepreneur. She has two adult kids, a science degree, and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. But she also says she hasn't spent too much time worrying about others' preconceptions because of how quickly she's seen attitudes toward cannabis change.

"The stereotype of a young man in his 20s is not really a thing if you look at consumer demographics now," Whiteman said. She believes that, in the coming years, cannabis use will start shifting toward older women like herself, and she plans to create products that appeal to them.

Wana

The gummies and suckers for adults took off. Today, Wana Brands sells its products in Colorado, Oregon, and Nevada, but plans to branch out to states that have recently legalized or could soon, including Massachusetts, Arizona, and Illinois.

That said, Whiteman is also dabbling in a nascent industry. Marijuana use is still illegal on the federal level and constantly changing state by state.

Right now, Wana Brands cannot ship its edibles across state lines, cannot call its products "candy" (to avoid making them appealing to children) and cannot sell anything that doesn't evenly distribute the THC throughout the product. They also have to differ their potencies and package labeling according to what's legally permissible in each state.

Rather than trying to open facilities in other states, Whiteman said they supply their THC-laced sweets to partners that are already licensed.

"You have to operate in 15 or 16 highly regulated environments," she said. "Because it's so new, the regulations are constantly moving and changing," she said, adding that the market is expanding even as laws figure out how to catch up.

For Whiteman, it was most interesting to see both laws and attitudes toward marijuana change so dramatically (four more states legalized recreational marijuana use in November 2016). If she was keeping her cannabis-laced confectioneries low-key in certain circles in 2010, she feels no need to do so now.

"The business environment has changed very dramatically. When we first started, everybody was just sort of trying to figure it out," she said. Now, it's much harder for new businesses because the market is so saturated.

Her advice for budding marijuana entrepreneurs is to focus on the product rather than excessive marketing or promotion. Whiteman said she lucked out by seizing on an opportunity at just the right time, with just the right approach.

"Edibles are our sweet spot," she said, "no pun intended."

SEE ALSO: Jeff Sessions is losing the war on weed in Nevada

DON'T MISS: These California 'nuns' are making a living selling pot products on the internet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This animated map shows where marijuana is legal in the US


7 outdated men's style 'rules' that you can now ignore

'Modern Family' actress Sofia Vergara is launching an underwear startup

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sofia vergara

Sofia Vergara may be famous for her role in "Modern Family," but she also wants to be known as a businesswoman.

Vergara is the highest-paid actress on TV, pulling in $41.5 million over the past year alone, according to Forbes.

But Vergara has learned not to rely only on her acting — she has been endorsing brands like Pepsi and Head & Shoulders since she started out as an actress, and she has her own perfume that's sold in Kohl's and on Amazon.

She's become a successful businesswoman in her own right, and in her latest venture, she's helping other women to do the same. 

Vergara is partnering with Renata Black to relaunch a women's underwear brand called EBY (formerly "Empowered by You"). Black, who is also the founder of Seven Bar Foundation, a non-profit that provides women with micro-financing to enable them to grow their own businesses, originally created the company in 2012 with the goal of spreading the message of women's empowerment. 

EBY10% of EBY's sales will go to the Seven Bar Foundation.

"It's about driving profits with purpose," Vergara told Business Insider.

The new underwear collection has been reimagined with Vergara's input. Underwear is sold directly to consumers via an online subscription, rather than wholesale to stores.

Customers can decide whether they want to receive shipments monthly, every other month, or quarterly. 

"It's a little gift you give yourself every month," Vergara said.

The new collection comes in six different styles, in various colors and patterns, and from sizes XS to 4XL. Each pair will cost around $15. There will also be bundle pricing and discounts for customers who buy more frequently.

SEE ALSO: Amazon is going after Michael Kors and Coach with a new line of shoes and handbags

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7 travel destinations that have gotten too popular for their own good

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Social media is our new travel agent, and it's changing the places we go.

Next time you're scrolling through Instagram enviously looking at vacation photos of uninterrupted views and dramatic landscapes, console yourself with the fact that behind this secluded view there are likely at least a handful of other people holding their selfie sticks, waiting to get their magic shot.

In some cases, the newfound fame brought about by Instagram and other social media platforms has helped to boost local economies and bring tourists to places they might never have discovered otherwise. In other cases, it's creating problems for countries and cities that are simply not equipped to deal with the influx of tourists.

Check out some of the incredible locations around the world that have blown up on Instagram: 

SEE ALSO: The 13 best adults-only, all-inclusive hotels in the Caribbean

Iceland

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This northern island nation has seen a dramatic surge in visitors over the past few years. One reason for that is the so-called "'Game of Thrones' effect," as many travelers want the opportunity to Instagram photos of themselves in the dramatic landscapes that appeared in the series. This, combined with the availability of cheap flights and some very effective marketing campaigns, has made Iceland a popular travel destination. 

The number of tourists almost doubled from 566,000 to over 1 million between 2011 and 2015, according to Iceland's tourism board. In 2016, the number of Americans visiting the country outnumbered the Icelandic population

The country was recently likened to Disneyland by a local politician who complained that the area is now swarming with tourists. While this influx of visitors has brought a much-needed boost to the economy post-recession, it's also pushed up prices for residents and put pressure on the infrastructure. Locals complain of tourists destroying the fragile ecosytem and leaving a mess behind them as they trample over the formerly untouched natural sites. 



Cuba

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According to Cuba's ministry of tourism, four million visitors went to Cuba in 2016, an increase of 13% from the year before. The tourism boom has had some consequences for the country's residents, The New York Times reported in December 2016. 

The surge in visitors has led to a food shortage, and basic food items have become completely unaffordable for locals. Local hotels and restaurants are buying up supplies in bulk for guests, pushing up prices and leaving limited amounts for locals. 

The situation has been acknowledged by the Cuban government, who put caps on prices to make them more affordable for residents. This has only encouraged sellers to put products on the black market, according to The New York Times.



New Zealand

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New Zealand has a similar appeal to Iceland: rugged and untouched landscapes that also make for epic backdrops in movies like "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." The beauty of the country was further promoted in the "100% Pure New Zealand" tourism marketing campaign.

Tourism is a crucial part of New Zealand's economy. It contributes $9.7 billion to the GDP each year and employs 7.5% of the workforce

Residents complain that tourists who are able to camp and roam wherever they like often don't respect the environment. The country also doesn't have the infrastructure in place to cope with the trash and human waste that's often left behind by tourists. Bloomberg reported that there are hotel shortages and a lack of adequate parking and public toilets.

In a survey of 500 residents published by Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Industry Aotearoa in March 2017, 35% of respondents said that tourism puts too much pressure on the country. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Tour the obscure California city that's suddenly the hottest housing market in America

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Vallejo, California, a small city across the bay from San Francisco, was named the hottest housing market in America by Realtor.com in June.

It's the last place that many Bay Area locals might expect to take the title. Vallejo, which briefly hosted the state capital between 1852 and 1853, became the largest city in California to declare bankruptcy in 2008. Its reputation for crime and squalor has previously landed the "Up Bay" city on Forbes' list of most miserable cities and Newsweek's list of dying cities.

But Vallejo is making a comeback as young professionals get priced out of San Francisco and Oakland and search for affordable housing in the far reaches of the Bay Area.

I recently spent the day in Vallejo to see how a downtrodden city became a top real-estate destination in less than 10 years.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the hottest neighborhood in San Francisco, where home prices have risen 75% in the last 5 years

When I boarded a Vallejo-bound ferry, I expected to find a hipster enclave complete with artisanal coffee roasters and yoga studios on the other side.



Vallejo is 30 miles north of San Francisco, but for many city residents, it might as well be a world away.

Vallejo residents who commute to San Francisco have the option of driving up to two hours in rush-hour traffic or taking a 30-minute ferry to the Embarcadero in the city.

A round-trip ticket on the San Francisco Bay Ferry costs $28, but commuters can purchase a monthly pass for $345, which saves riders $200 if they make the trip five days a week.



When I walked down the streets of Vallejo, I found it wasn't the gentrified urban playground for tech workers that I expected.



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22 email rules every professional should know

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US employees spend, on average, about a quarter of the workweek combing through hundreds of emails.

Despite the fact that we're glued to our reply buttons, career coach Barbara Pachter says plenty of professionals still don't know how to use email appropriately.

Because of the sheer volume of messages we're reading and writing, we may be more prone to making embarrassing errors, and those mistakes can have serious consequences.

Here are some basics of modern email etiquette every professional should know:

SEE ALSO: The email habits of Tim Cook, Bill Gates, and 16 other successful people

DON'T MISS: 24 unprofessional habits that could get you fired

Add the email address last

"You don't want to send an email accidentally before you have finished writing and proofing the message," Pachter, author of "The Essentials of Business Etiquette," tells Business Insider.

"Even when you are replying to a message, it's a good precaution to delete the recipient's address and insert it only when you are sure the message is ready to be sent," she says.



Double-check that you've selected the correct recipient in the 'To' line

Pachter says to pay careful attention when typing a name from your address book on the email's "To" line.

"It's easy to select the wrong name, which can be embarrassing to you and to the person who receives the email by mistake," Pachter says. 



Make sure you address the correct person at the beginning of your email

A similar faux pas is addressing the wrong recipient at the start of your email, which Danny Rubin, author of "Wait, How Do I Write This Email?," says often happens when you send the same email to multiple people.

"Be sure your email recipient matches the first name at the start of the email ('Hi, John')," he writes. "You may even want to say each one out loud so you're sure of it. Sure beats sending an email to an important person but using someone else's name. Awkward."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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