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How to schedule your day for maximum productivity after a terrible night's sleep

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BI Graphics_Things you're doing wrong when you wake up timeline

We've all been there — tossing and turning all night, counting down the hours until we have to get up for work in the morning. Sleepless nights are no fun.

And the unfortunate reality is that even though you feel like crap the next day, you still have to show up at the office, ready to give 110%.

While the thought of working an eight-hour day may seem impossible, it turns out that there are things you can do to get through it.

Here's how sleep researchers who talked to New York magazine's Melissa Dahl and other experts say you can structure your workday to power through the crankiness and exhaustion: 

DON'T MISS: 11 bad habits that are ruining your sleep

SEE ALSO: 7 bedtime rituals that are hard to adopt, but will pay off forever

7 a.m.: Wake up

Whatever you do, don't hit snooze. It may feel awesome in the moment, but those seven extra minutes won't make you more alert — and they could make you late.



7:05 a.m.: Have a little coffee

Normally you wouldn't want to have your first cup of coffee until an hour or so after waking, but when you're going on little to no sleep, one small cup or mini espresso first thing will help.

It's natural to feel groggy in the first 20 to 30 minutes of waking, so a little jolt in that window can help clear the fog.

Any more than that, NYU School of Medicine sleep-disorders expert Joyce Walsleben tells WebMD, won't make you more alert but will likely give you the jitters.



7:30 a.m.: Eat breakfast

Stick to whole grains, protein, and a little fruit— sugary junk will give you an energy spike, but it will last only about 20 minutes. And don't wait too long — research suggests that eating within an hour of waking boosts your mood and mind.



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Here's what it actually means for a watch to be 'Swiss-made'

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Eleven James Watches 14

The mark of many luxury watches — indeed, most — is a mark on the face, usually just below where the hands attach to the case. It reads: "Swiss-made."

The label was created by the Swiss government in order to keep a handle on which watches are, in their view, truly able to claim that they were made in Switzerland. "Swiss-made" is seen as a mark of distinction around the world, as the Swiss have a long history of crafting beautiful and reliable timepieces.

The benefits of calling your watch "Swiss-made" are real. Consumers are willing to pay up to 20% more for a watch that bears the designation, according to some studies.

But it turns out the "Swiss-made" label isn't quite as difficult to attain as it used to be. Many Swiss companies import watch parts into Switzerland for final assembly, and yet they still call the watch "Swiss-made." Some Swiss companies have adopted the opinion that this dilutes the brand, making it mean next to nothing.

The rules surrounding Swiss watch branding were strengthened at the beginning of January, but they are still not as strong as similar policies in other countries. In the US, for example, a watch can only be designated "Made in the USA" if "all or nearly all" of its parts are sourced from the US.

 Here's what is required for a watch to be called "Swiss-made" as of January 1, according to A Blog to Watch:

  1. "At least 60% of the production costs of a watch taken as a whole must be Swiss-based."
  2. "The movement must still contain at least 50% Swiss-made components in value (not in quantity) and at least 60% of the movement's production must be generated in Switzerland."
  3. "Last but not least, it also specifies that the technical development of a 'Swiss Made' watch and movement must be carried out in Switzerland. Smart watches are also included for the first time."

To make a point about the relative leniency of the rules, Swiss watch company H. Moser & Cie. created a watch with a case made out of resin-mixed Swiss cheese. It technically meets the requirements for being a Swiss-made watch, but it is also literally made from pasteurized Vacherin Mont d'Or cheese, according to Bloomberg

Moser's watches are made from 95% Swiss parts. With the stunt, it sought to illustrate the absurdity of the requirements for the "Swiss-made" designation and how easily they are beaten with a loophole.

Watches

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NOW WATCH: The best watches for under $400

A look inside The Boston Consulting Group's stunning New York office, which has an in-house cafe and workout rooms

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BCG Hudson Yards 6898

When the New York-based staff of The Boston Consulting Group decided to leave the midtown office that had been their home since 2002, they knew they wanted to create a more comfortable, welcoming space.

The global management consulting firm, which was launched in 1963, was third on Glassdoor's list of the best places to work in 2017. But since the old office's interior design and architecture didn't accurately reflect the personality of the company, they wanted to make sure their new office did. 

"The best decision I made was to encourage the designer to push as far as she could go in terms of a non-corporate look and feel," senior partner Ross Love told Business Insider during a recent visit to BCG's new office in the Hudson Yards development of Manhattan. Love was part of the internal team that was tasked with overseeing the design of the new space.

The layout was designed with the "collision coefficient" in mind — an idea that Love got while visiting with Zappos founder Tony Hsieh.

"[Hsieh is] a bit of a guru on design ... I went on a tour of Zappos out in Las Vegas, and he talked about how you could deliberately design an office to maximize the number of collisions [between people]," he said.

This, in theory, could create a more efficient work day, cutting down on the time spent on formal meetings, email replies, and phone calls. Ahead, take a tour of the new, thoughtfully-designed offices, where more than 500 New York-based BCG employees spend their days.

SEE ALSO: Bain & Company was just named the best workplace of 2017 — step inside its New York office

DON'T MISS: A look inside $23 billion LinkedIn's New York office, where employees enjoy perks like free gourmet meals and a speakeasy hidden in the Empire State Building

The BCG New York offices are located on the west side of Manhattan in Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate project in the US. While much of Hudson Yards is still under construction, its 17 million square feet of development are projected to be complete by the mid-2020s.

Source: Business Insider



Guests and clients will find a concierge desk and greeter when they arrive to the BCG office.



Instead of a traditional receptionist, BCG designed a concierge desk that can accommodate various guest requests, like how to get to the closest subway or where to grab lunch. Without the usual barrier of a receptionist desk, the openness immediately creates a welcoming atmosphere.



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People in the US and Canada spent over $53 billion on marijuana in 2016

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marijuana pot weed flower bud dispensary store

People in North America spent $53.3 billion on legal, medical, and illicit marijuana in 2016. That's more cash than Americans blow in a year at McDonald's and Starbucks combined.

According to a new report from Arcview Market Research, a leading publisher of marijuana market research, the black market is losing ground to its legal counterpart as consumers spend more money each year on legal cannabis. Progress is slow, however.

The North American legal weed market posted $6.7 billion in revenue in 2016, up 30% from the year before. The illicit market generated 87% of total pot sales, down from 90% in 2015.

The numbers suggest the legal marijuana industry is growing quickly, but it has a ways to go before it topples the black market, which has the lion's share of revenue.

2016 was a big year for weed. Seven US states legalized cannabis in some form on Election Day. California, the sixth-largest economy in the world, became the biggest domino to fall with the passage of Proposition 64. Much of the West Coast is now a legal enclave for recreational pot.

marijuana farm grow trim

Troy Dayton, CEO of Arcview Market Research, credits consumer spending on the black market with creating a runway for growth in the legal market.

"The enormous amount of existing, if illicit, consumer spending sets cannabis apart from most other major consumer-market investment opportunities throughout history," Dayton said in a statement. Unlike other fast-growing markets, which include organic foods, home video, and mobile, "the cannabis industry doesn't need to create demand for a new product or innovation — it just needs to move demand for an already widely-popular product into legal channels."

In an interview with Business Insider earlier this month, Dayton said the sudden popularity of alternative ingestion methods — such as weed-laced topicals, sprays, and edibles — also fueled growth in the legal market. Consumers who would never smoke a joint are finding relief in other products, which offer a wide array of tastes, strengths, and experiences.

marijuana edibles colorado

In Colorado, where cannabis has been fully legal since 2012, these alternatives grew from 30% of total legal sales in the first quarter of 2014 to 45% in the third quarter of 2016.

"It's one of the major reasons that people are going to leave the underground market to go to the aboveground market. It's about variety," Dayton told Business Insider. "You just can't get these products on the underground market."

The so-called green rush shows no sign of slowing down.

Arcview projects legal sales will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26% through 2021, when the North American market is expected to reach $21.6 billion.

By comparison, McDonald's generated $35.5 billion in sales in 2015. Starbucks saw $13.3 billion in revenue that year, according to trade publication QSR Magazine.

SEE ALSO: This 26-year-old went from selling ads at Google to creating a stunning marijuana product line

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NOW WATCH: This is how the legal marijuana industry is affecting Mexican drug cartels

A dietitian put 2 daily meal plans side-by-side to show the shortcomings of counting calories for weight loss

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Deli Sandwich

If I told you that a ham sandwich with potato chips and a can of soda had the same amount of calories as a quinoa salad and a glass of fresh carrot juice, which would you prefer to eat?

You might be tempted to pick the sandwich and soda. All things considered, it sounds better. Sure, it might not be as "healthy" as the veggie option but hey, if they stack up the same in terms of calories, you might as well pick the one you can taste, right?

Not necessarily. While counting calories can be a useful tool in a bigger toolkit for weight loss, it isn't a perfect solution on its own. As registered dietitian Nichola Whitehead illustrates in a recent project with the website GoCompare.com, calories aren't the only thing that matter.

"While calories are important when it comes to losing, maintaining, or gaining weight, they are not the sole element that we should be focusing on when it comes to improving our health," writes Whitehead. "In addition to being calorie aware, we need to focus on the types of food that we are (and aren't!) eating."

Take the following two daily meal plans, for example, both of which are 2,031 calories:

Diet One

unhealthy meals

Breakfast: Chocolate cereal with semi-skimmed milk and coffee (267 calories)

Lunch: Ham sandwich with salt-and-vinegar potato chips and a can of soda (458 calories)

Dinner: Frozen lasagna with half of a garlic baguette (675 calories)

Snacks: Small caramel chocolate bar, four breakfast cookies, three small pieces of chocolate, and a coffee (483 calories)

Diet Two

healthy meals

Breakfast: Scrambled egg on wheat toast with butter and half of an avocado and a cup of tea (397 calories)

Lunch: Carrot and cilantro soup with red lentils and an apple (250 calories)

Dinner: Sweet potato and chickpea curry with spinach and brown rice and a pear (901 calories)

Snacks: Carrots and celery with peanut butter, 0% fat Greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds, popcorn, plain chocolate, water, green tea (483 calories)

Calories don't tell the full story

While they tally-up to the same amount of calories, the two meal plans above are far from the same. 

"While the two daily diets provide exactly the same number of calories, only one of them will leave you feeling more energized and provide you with what your body needs to stay strong and healthy in the long term, i.e. vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, as well as slow-release carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats," says Whitehead.

avocado smoked salmon blueberries healthy food meal bowl tomatoes lunchDiet one, for example, is high in saturated fat and sugar, but has no fruit, very few vegetable-based ingredients or whole grains, and doesn't provide much in terms of vitamins or fiber. What it does have is a lot of carbohydrates, which can be good sources of energy — to an extent.

The problem here, however, is that "most of the carbohydrates featured — chocolate cereal and white bread — provide quick-releasing, short-acting energy which doesn’t keep our energy up, nor our hunger levels at bay," says Whitehead. To accomplish both of these goals, you need carbs that are what are called "complex," meaning they have fiber and protein, too (like whole wheat, brown rice, and whole grains).

Diet two, on the other hand, includes half a dozen servings of fruits and vegetables, both of which are great sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. "Each meal provides at least one vegetable and the majority of snacks are based around fruit," says Whitehead.

Plus, the carbs in diet two are whole-grain, meaning they'll help keep your blood sugar levels more stable over time. Each meal in diet two also includes lean proteins (lentils, chickpeas, and Greek yogurt) and healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, peanut butter), which are key for maintaining and building muscle, powering your brain, and keeping you full and satisfied.

"It’s ok to have the occasional day that looks like daily diet [one]" says Whitehead, "but for long-term health, optimal energy levels and productivity, daily diet [two] definitely wins!"

SEE ALSO: We asked a dietitian what you should — ​and shouldn't​ — do if you want to look and feel healthier in a week

DON'T MISS: An exercise scientist told us how many pounds you should lose each week if you want to keep it off

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 'healthy' eating habits you are better off giving up

Lager made with the 133-year-old yeast that forever changed beer is surprisingly tasty

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Carlsberg Rebrew

For a long part of humanity's history, beer was more than an after-work or weekend beverage. In many years and in many cultures, going back to at least the construction of the pyramids of Egypt, daily rations of beer helped fuel workers throughout their days.

More recently, factory workers used those malted rations to get through their labor. 

And while the taste and alcohol content of many of these beers varied greatly, it turns out that by the end of the 19th century, at least some factory workers were downing a brew that would still be considered surprisingly tasty by today's standards.

We know this because near the end of the 2016, Business Insider had the chance to visit Brooklyn Brewery for an event hosted with the Danish brewery Carlsberg to try a beer made with 133-year-old yeast that had been extracted from one of the first bottles of lager ever brewed with purified lager yeast.

This wasn't just a copy of a beer dating back to those days, it actually used an ancient ingredient. That still-living yeast was taken from one of those more than 100-year-old bottles and was used to create a fresh batch of beer according to the original specifications of 19th century brewers: the Carlsberg Rebrew.

A dark lager with a rich brown color and a taste that resembles a good bread, complex without being too heavy or malty, the Rebrew was more interesting and flavorful than many modern lagers.

"Elegant rather than dense, at 5.8% abv it’s in the style of a Munich dark lager, the style of the day, the dark color being driven by the specially kilned malts," Susanna Forbes writes, describing the same beer for Imbibe Magazine. "The flavors of rich toffee are accompanied by some residual sweetness."

Carlsberg RebrewPerhaps most importantly, it's a very drinkable brew — essential since factory workers at the end of the 1800s drank quite a lot of it.

Every worker got four liters of beer as their daily ration at the time, according to Bjarke Bundgaard, a beer historian for Carlsberg, the Danish brewery behind Rebrew.

"People drank quite a lot then," he tells Business Insider. Though, he says those brews probably had significantly lower alcohol content.

Why the precious ingredient in Rebrew is so special

If there's a magic ingredient in beer, it's yeast.

It's the tiny living organism that takes the grain, hops, and water you have beforehand and converts that mixture into the delightful beverage that human civilization has celebrated for thousands of years.

But it was only in the 19th century, relatively recently in the history of beer, that scientists isolated yeast itself, understanding the full role that these tiny creatures played.

Different types of yeast make different beers. While some produce consistent and predictable results, others can be incredibly unpredictable.

Carlsberg Rebrew

In the latter half of the 19th century, a number of scientists — pioneers of microbiology — were starting to crack the mysteries of fermention, realizing that yeast was responsible for the seemingly magical transformation of water into beer. Louis Pasteur was one of those researchers and is frequently credited with revealing many of the mysteries of fermentation, but it was in 1883 that Emil Christian Hansen, a researcher at the Carlsberg Laboratory (Carlsberg conducts scientific research alongside their beer-making operation), actually managed to isolate the yeast that was considered the key to lager production.

Lager had skyrocketed in popularity at the time. But many batches of the cold-fermenting beer would spoil, contaminated by wild yeast. In order to prevent that spoilage, researchers realized they'd have to identify the species that made the perfect lager, using that and only that for fermentation. That was the inspiration for Hansen's work, and after the discovery, the brewery reportedly shared that special lager yeast with the rest of the industry.

There are different varieties of yeast that can be used for lager, but that original species, Saccharomyces pastorianus, was the main one that most future lagers would use. And according to scientists at Carlsberg, the genetic sequence of the specimen they took from those old bottles for the Rebrew project is essentially a perfect match for the original samples in their gene bank.

S. pastorianus is the name for that yeast that has won precedence today, a name in honor of Pasteur. But Hansen had called the yeast by another name, one that was considered a synonym for its current moniker for some time, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

And at Brooklyn Brewery, where Business Insider had the chance to taste the Rebrew, brewmaster Garrett Oliver claimed that some circles still go by that name.

"We still refer to lager yeast as carlbergensis," said Oliver.

SEE ALSO: Researchers are giving religious leaders hallucinogenic drugs to understand mystical experiences

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Obama's former personal chef reveals what it's like to have a drink with the president

Self-help guru Tim Ferriss explains why too much ambition can be a problem

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"Tools of Titans" author and podcaster Tim Ferriss gave a young person some unexpected advice during a recent book tour pit stop in San Francisco.

"Too much ambition ... can be a problem," Ferris said, "not for the world, but for someone individually if it is manifested as a pure focus on self-achievement without any counter-balancing practice that allows you to appreciate [life]."

During a talk at the headquarters of e-book and audiobook subscription service, Scribd, the self-help guru addressed a theme in his newest book, "Tools of Titans," that warns against keeping busy without making time for some kind of release.

"I know people who are unbelievably ambitious. I think I'm pretty ambitious, but they're 10 times 'X' what I am. It's not a problem if they have for themselves, personally, a practice — whether it is the 'Jar of Awesome,' which I write about, or writing in a journal, or a meditative practice, or volunteering, something like that — that allows them to establish in the present tense some form of appreciation," Ferris said on stage.

Ferris writes in a journal between 8 and 9 AM almost every day, calling the routine a "tool to clarify my thinking and goals." He follows it up with a cup of tea.

He also writes in "Tools of Titans" about the homemade Jar of Awesome, a Mason jar decorated with glitter letters that sits on Ferriss' kitchen counter. Whenever something good happens, Ferris writes it down on a slip of paper and drops it in the jar.

"When something great happens, you think you'll remember it 3 months later, but you won't. The Jar of Awesome creates a record of great things that actually happened, all of which are easy to forget if you're depressed or seeing the world through gray-colored glasses," he writes.

The jar sits where he will see it constantly, acting as a visual cue that "things aren't so bad."

"I came to realize that A) If you're serious all the time, you'll wear out before the truly serious stuff gets done; and B) if you don't regularly appreciate the small wins, you will never appreciate the big wins," Ferris writes.

SEE ALSO: Tim Ferriss: 'You are the average of the five people you most associate with'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'The 4-Hour Workweek' author Tim Ferriss reveals 2 common principles he's found in successful people

This graphic shows how out-of-control San Francisco housing prices have gotten

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San Francisco City and Homes

If you're at all attuned to America's real estate market, you've heard about San Francisco's ongoing housing crisis.

Residents have been doing crazy things to survive the sky-high cost of living, from camping out in Google's parking lot to taking up residence on a sailboat

But according to a recent report by online real-estate broker Truliathe story is slightly different for San Francisco's longtime homeowners, who are enjoying incredibly high rates-of-return on their homes.

In 1986, America's most expensive housing market was San Francisco, where the median value of a home was $160,955. Today, it remains the country's most expensive housing market, with a median home value of $1,058,474. That's a 557% rise over 30 years, more than any other US metro area.

To get an idea of how remarkable San Francisco's housing market is, check out the graphic below comparing San Francisco's 30-year increase in home value to the 10 major US cities with the smallest increase in home value over the same period.

Trulia San Francisco housing market graphic

SEE ALSO: The 10 US cities where homes have gained the most value over time

DON'T MISS: Here's the salary you have to earn to buy a home in 19 major US cities

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: REAL ESTATE WARS: Inside the class and culture fight that's tearing San Francisco apart


Self-driving robots will start making deliveries for Postmates and DoorDash in select US cities

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starship technologies autonomous delivery robot

If you live in Redwood City, California, or Washington, DC, your next take-out order might be delivered by a robot.

Starship Technologies, a London- and Estonia-based robotics company, announced on January 18 the launch of a pilot program that will have its fleet of autonomous bots make food deliveries for DoorDash in the Silicon Valley city and Postmates in the nation's capital.

The startup aims to revolutionize on-demand delivery by cracking the last-mile challenge, or making the time-consuming last leg of a delivery. Its self-driving bot, whichlooks like the love child of an icebox and R2-D2, will ferry goods from grocers and restaurants within a two to three mile radius of the customer.

Starship Technologies claims its fleet will complete deliveries in as little as 15 to 30 minutes.

The robots use cameras, GPS, software, and the company's proprietary maps to navigate the world around them, and according to the company, may someday help senior citizens and people with mobility issues get what they need. The robots have encountered more than a millionpedestrians in testing to date, with few problems.

starship technologies autonomous delivery robot

Starship Technologies, which launched in 2014, was founded by two Skype cofounders, Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. The robotics gurus cut their teeth working on a bot that could collect rock samples on Mars and the moon. They later used the technology they developed to power the delivery guy (or autonomous vehicle) of the future.

The company recently announced a $17.2 million seed round led by Mercedes-Benz Vans, Shasta Ventures, and Matrix Partners, among other investors.

SEE ALSO: Meet the robot that delivers fresh towels and coffee at hotels across Silicon Valley

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This machine solves the most time-consuming things about doing laundry

The White House underwent massive renovations in the '40s and '50s — here's what it looked like before and after

10 under-the-radar destinations to visit, according to the youngest person to travel to every country in the world

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Foz iguazu

LONDON — Even for someone trying to break a record for visiting every country in the world, travel is about more than just ticking places off a list.

Planning a trip is an opportunity to see something unique, and to discover people, places, cuisines, and scenery you didn't know existed.

We asked James Asquith, the youngest person to visit all 196 countries, which places around the world are being overlooked — and which ones people should be adding to their travel bucket lists.

Last year alone, Asquith received the official Guinesss World Record, released a travel book, and started an Instagram account, which has garnered over 84,000 followers in just over three months.

From back alleys in Iran to Salt Flats in Bolivia, scroll down to see his picks of the most incredible under-the-radar places around the world — including what to do and where to stay in each location.

Bhutan.

Why you should go: "Until recently there were strict quotas on tourist numbers per year, and although it is opening up slightly more now, this country feels like you have stepped back in time," Asquith said.

"There is a Gross Happiness Index that ranks Bhutan as the happiest nation in the world and it's easy to see why. Everyone smiles here and the Buddhist religion is entrenched in daily life. You already know this visit will be special as your plane weaves through the hills to the landing strip (there is little flat land here) and the weather changes at a moment's notice with thunderstorms passing through the valleys."

What to do: "A trek up to 'Tiger's Nest' is incredible with all the colourful prayer wheels."

Where to stay: "The Taj Tashi Bhutan— a simply beautiful hotel and very authentic."



Tonga.

Why you should go: "Tonga is more developed, but I love the culture of people — so cool and laid back."

What to do: Try the local food. "Everything grows in Tonga, so they’re well fed."

Where to stay: "Fafa Island Hotel, which is on its own island away from the mainland. You are given a gaslamp at night — it's stunning and very homely."



Cartagena, Colombia.

Why you should go: "Colombia in general is an amazing country, but Cartagena on the Caribbean coast is just beautiful. Horses and carts trod along the old, cobbled streets. It's just a really romantic city.

What to do: Take in the "real flavour of Latin American and Caribbean culture mixed together with great, varied food and amazing music and people."

Where to stay: "Sofitel Santa Clara. It's in an old convent with stunning grounds right in the heart of the old town."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 best cities to live in if you want to have an active lifestyle

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winter workout running snow

If 2017 is your year to get active, a change of scenery could help you hit that goal. 

When it comes to cities that promote active lifestyles, not all are created equal across the US.

WalletHub pulled together a report on the worst and best cities for an active lifestyle. 

To measure which cities were active, the personal finance website looked at everything from monthly membership fees to how many facilities a city had, how many residents were inactive, and how many people played in team sports. 

Here's what they found, assigning each of the 100 cities with scores up to 100. 

SEE ALSO: Nutrition experts got together and ranked the best diets of 2017 — here are the top 12

DON'T MISS: The definitive, scientific answers to 20 health questions everyone has

But first, those that scored the worst.

Among the worst places for an active lifestyle were Memphis, Tennessee; Laredo, Texas; North Las Vegas, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and New York.

New York in particular ranked the lowest when it came to how much things cost, as well as how tricky it might be to participate in group activities. Laredo, on the other hand, had the lowest access to facilities or outdoor areas for recreation.

 



10. Sacramento, California

Sacramento ranked highly in its amount of sports facilities and outdoor activities, placing it in the top ten of the best cities to have active lifestyles. 

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.13



9. Irvine, California

Down in southern California, Irvine had the best score of the 100 cities when it came to how much things cost and how many opportunities there were to participate in activities.  

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.28



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This outrageous $250 million mansion in LA comes with a 4-lane bowling alley and an entire collection of cars

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$250 million bel air house

A new home built on speculation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles is asking an earth-shattering $250 million. According to its website, it's the most expensive home ever listed in the US.

And it's certainly like no other home on the market. The mansion is built in a contemporary style, with stark geometry and huge plate glass windows. 

The home also comes outfitted with furniture, but it's not your standard Restoration Hardware package. It seems it was built with a very specific person in mind: a person who likes decommissioned decorative helicopters, gigantic Leica camera sculptures, velvet-roped lounge areas, and plush decorations that were purchased from Hermés.

As for the living spaces, there are two master suites, 10 "oversized VIP" suites for guests, 21 bathrooms, three separate, fully equipped kitchens, and no fewer than five bars.

It was built by luxury developer Bruce Makowsky, whom the release refers to as the "spec king." He was also the mastermind behind the $70 million Beverly Hills house sold to Minecraft founder Markus "Notch" Persson in 2014.

"This home was curated for the ultimate billionaire who wants the best of everything that exists in life," Makowsky said in a release announcing the listing. "Until now, the ultra-luxury market was void of homes that even came close to matching the level of mega-yachts and private jets that billionaires spend millions of dollars on every year." 

SEE ALSO: See inside the $5.5 million Washington, DC, home where Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are reportedly moving

Spread across 38,000 square feet, the sheer footprint of the mansion is a sight to behold. The exterior decks alone are 17,000 square feet of space. Downstairs is a car park filled with over $30 million worth of collectible automobiles — all of which are included in the purchase.



Situated up on a hill, the 270˚ view overlooking the LA area is one of the house's defining features.



Inside is where things get a little bit funky. The decor is not your typical boilerplate luxe style.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

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workout

Whether you want to tone up, slim down, or give yourself a mood boost, you've likely taken a stab at tweaking your fitness routine.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of "fitness" advice out there that won't help you meet your goals and could actually be doing you more harm than good.

For example, which matters more for weight loss: exercise or diet?

Are marathons the best way to get fit?

The answers to these questions might surprise you.

UP NEXT: Here's the best time of day to work out to lose weight

RELATED: We talked to an exercise scientist about whether diet or exercise is more important for weight loss, and his answer surprised us

Exercise is all that matters when it comes to losing weight fast.

Wrong. 

In the short-term, the bulk of research shows us that diet is far more important than simply upping your workout regimen if you want to start shedding pounds.

"Studies tend to show that in terms of weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than exercise," Philip Stanforth, an exercise scientist at the University of Texas and the executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas, told us.

Over the long-term, though, research suggests that regular workouts do become more important for staying fit. "When you look at people who've lost weight and are also managing to keep it off, exercise is important," said Stanforth.



Weight training will turn fat into muscle.

Nope. Lifting weights won't magically make your flab lean. Unfortunately, body fat cannot become muscle. But weight training will help you build muscle tissue, which will thicken underneath any fat above it.



Early morning is the only time you should work out.

The afternoons or evenings are likely nearly as good for you as early-morning workouts, according to several studies.

But some research suggests that working out first thing each dayhelps speed weight loss and boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn.

Plus, getting more daylight may play an important role in shedding pounds. By making sure we align our internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, with the natural world, we may help give our metabolisms a boost. One recent study showed that people who basked in bright sunlight within two hours after waking tended to be thinner and better able to manage their weight than people who didn't get any natural light, regardless of what they ate throughout the day.

 

 



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Mark Zuckerberg is suing hundreds of Hawaiians to protect his 700-acre Kauai estate

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the kahuaina plantation is located on 357 acres of land in kilauea hawaii

Back in 2014, Mark Zuckerberg paid close to $100 million for 700 acres of beachfront property on the island of Kauai.

Now the Facebook billionaire is suing a few hundred Hawaiians who still have legal ownership claims to parts of his vacation estate through their ancestors, as was first reported by the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Three holding companies controlled by Zuckerberg filed 8 lawsuits in local court on December 30 against families that collectively inherited 14 parcels of land through the Kuleana Act, a Hawaiian law established in 1850 that gave natives the right to own the land they lived on for the first time.

The 14 parcels total just 8.04 of the 700 acres Zuckerberg owns, but the law currently gives any direct family member of a parcel's original owner the right to enter the otherwise private compound. Only one of the parcels is currently being used by retired professor named Carlos Andrade, who has joined Zuckerberg as a co-plaintiff in the lawsuits.

The quiet title lawsuits that have been filed are designed to identify all property owners and give them the ability to sell their ownership stakes at auction, according to Keoni Shultz, a lawyer representing Zuckerberg. Because the ownership stakes are passed down and divided among family descendants by the state, many people don't realize they have a claim until action is taken against them in court.

“It is common in Hawaii to have small parcels of land within the boundaries of a larger tract, and for the title to these smaller parcels to have become broken or clouded over time," Shultz told Business Insider in a statement. "In some cases, co-owners may not even be aware of their interests. Quiet title actions are the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share.” 

This isn't the first time that Zuckerberg has taken steps to fortifying his Kauai property. Last year he angered neighbors by constructing a rock wall that blocked their views of the ocean.

SEE ALSO: People are upset over Mark Zuckerberg building a wall in Hawaii

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NOW WATCH: Something unprecedented is happening in the Pacific, and Hawaii could be in big trouble


The 10 best private high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area

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college preparatory school oakland 3

An Oakland school known for turning out a high number of nationally-ranked chess players topped a list of the best private high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2017.

Niche, an education review site that's kind of like Yelp for schools, based its ranking on a combination of user reviews and education statistics sourced from government and public databases.

Founded in 1960, the College Preparatory School in Oakland funnels an estimated 29% of graduates into Stanford University, MIT, or Ivy League members, according to a 2010 ranking from Forbes. The magazine named College Prep the 17th best private high school in America.

Tuition costs $40,310 a year, up nearly 30% from the 2010 – 2011 academic year.

Only two schools located in San Francisco cracked Niche's top 10 list: Lick-Wilmerding High School and San Francisco University High School. 

Here are the 10 best private high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, via Niche:

1. The College Preparatory School — Oakland, CA

2. The Harker School — San Jose, CA

3. Stanford Online High School — Stanford, CA

4. Castilleja School — Palo Alto, CA

5. The Branson School — Ross, CA

6. Crystal Springs Uplands School — Hillsborough, CA

7. Menlo School — Atherton, CA

8. Lick-Wilmerding High School — San Francisco, CA

9. San Francisco University High School — San Francisco, CA

10. Head-Royce School — Oakland, CA

SEE ALSO: Self-help guru Tim Ferriss explains why too much ambition can be a problem

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NOW WATCH: This grade school replaced detention with meditation and had zero suspensions last year

A $4.5 billion photo app that is huge in China is trending in the US — here’s what it does (AAPL)

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Donald Trump Meitu

A popular Chinese photo-editing app has suddenly burst into popularity in the West, covering social feeds in airbrushed photos with huge, sparkling eyes.

Although Meitu has been around since 2008, it has become an overnight success, and was trending on Apple's App Store on Thursday.

Meitu is a lot like other photo-editing apps — it has Bitmoji-style stickers, Instagram-style filters, and Layout-style photo collages.

But the app really shines in its "hand-drawn" mode that is like a Snapchat filter on steroids. The hand-drawn mode slims down jawlines, enlarges eyes, and adds a little bit of sparkle to the whole package. 

Basically, it makes you look like a cartoon — and it's these images that are rapidly spreading on social media.

The company behind the app IPOed in Hong Kong in December with a roughly $4.6 billion valuation — which may increase as investors learn that Western audiences like the app too. 

Here's what using the app is like: 

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg is suing hundreds of Hawaiians to protect his 700-acre Kauai estate

This is what a fully doctored Meitu photo looks like. I added a "hand-drawn" filter, increased the blur, and added stickers.



Here's how to get there. First, boot up the app. First impression: although this app is available in English, it's really targeted towards Asian consumers — specifically, women. But don't worry, all kinds of people can enjoy it.



After taking a photo with your front-facing camera, you can add Instagram-style filters. These won't transform your photo, but will change a few things. Here's the "youthful" filter.



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See inside the $5.3 million Washington, DC home that the Obamas will move into after they leave the White House

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Obama Post White House

January 19 is Barack Obama's last day in the White House. After the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, he and his family will be on their way to Palm Springs for vacation.

When they come back to DC, they will be settling into a home in the Kalorama section of DC, as Politico reported back in May.

It's not the White House, but it'll do.

Though smaller than the Obamas' former Pennsylvania Avenue address, the house is still a lavish residence in a desirable neighborhood. It was built in 1928, and it has 8,200 square feet and nine bedrooms. The move-in process has already begun.

Both Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the family of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner can be counted as the Obamas' new neighbors in Kalorama, as both have also recently purchased homes in the neighborhood.

The Obamas will lease the home from Joe Lockhart, who served as press secretary in President Bill Clinton's White House, until their younger daughter, Sasha, finishes high school. It was listed for sale at $5.3 million before going off the market in May.

SEE ALSO: This outrageous $250 million mansion in LA comes with a 4-lane bowling alley and an entire collection of cars

The Obamas are trading white for brick at their newly leased mansion in the Kalorama section of DC. More recent photographs show brick pillars have been constructed, flanking the path up to the front door.



It's gated and private, though it sits close to the road.



The gated driveway has plenty of space for Secret Service vehicles.



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Whether or not you break up with your partner could come down to something as simple as a shared gym membership

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couple walking dog

The decision to break up with someone can be complicated.

They make you angry, but they also make you laugh. They drive you nuts on a daily basis, and still, you're crazy about them.

Also, you co-adopted a puppy last year and it would be really hard on her if you two split up.

The puppy is what psychologists call a "material constraint"; other examples include a house you co-own, a joint bank account, or vacation plans you've already paid for. Research suggests that material constraints make a breakup a lot less likely.

In fact, according to a 2011 study of unmarried men and women in heterosexual relationships, adding just one additional material constraint is linked to a 10% increase in a couple's chances of staying together. 

What's especially interesting here is that the 2011 study found material constraints made a breakup less likely regardless of how dedicated the participants said they were to their partners. In other words, it's not necessarily that material constraints reflect couples' strong feelings for each other, and that's really why they end up staying together.

Instead, it's possible (though not certain) that couples wind up staying together because of "inertia": They're already sharing a home, or a gym membership, or a bank account, and navigating the politics of a breakup would be hard. 

Other, more recent research, cited on New York Magazine, suggests that people can fall prey to the "sunk cost effect" when it comes to marriage. Specifically, the study found that people say they'd be more likely to stay in an unfulfilling marriage if they'd invested time, money, or effort in the relationship — for example, if they'd invested all their money in buying a house with their partner.

None of this is to say, of course, that whether you're married or unmarried, you should live in fear of moving in together or buying a house with your partner. You shouldn't.

But especially if you're not yet married, you might consider first discussing your thoughts about the future of the relationship. While research suggests that living together tends to predict likelihood of unhappiness and/or a breakup, psychologists say that's not true if the couple only starts living together after having "clear, mutually understood plans" to get married.

Perhaps most important, it's wise to think (on your own) about what you'd do if the relationship didn't work out. There's no one, right answer. But preparing in advance, even for a highly unlikely outcome, can save you at least some inner turmoil if it should ever come to pass.

SEE ALSO: 7 signs your relationship is failing — even if it doesn't feel like it

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NOW WATCH: A dating expert reveals an interesting trick for more successful relationships

There are over 300 staffers Trump doesn't choose when he enters the White House — and they're the ones he'll see every day

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U.S. President Barack Obama wipes his face with a cloth handed to him by White House Butler Von Everett (R) in the Blue Room following an event with business leaders in the East Room on the state floor of the White House on January 28, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States.

On Friday, January 20, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the US.

In preparation for this day, Trump and his transition team have been working expeditiously to fill the roughly 4,000 positions that will be vacant when the Obama administration leaves.

But there are a few lesser-known staff positions that Trump will not choose: White House permanent residence staffers.

These are the butlers, chefs, valets, groundskeepers, and more that keep the White House running smoothly from day to day. They prepare state dinner banquet rooms, feed the first family, and are available for any request, small or large, that may arise. 

And unlike policy staff, they aren't replaced when a new first family enters the White House. In fact, some stay for decades, assisting one president to the next. Eugene Allen, for example, was a butler from 1952 to 1986, and was the inspiration for the 2013 film "The Butler."

The group is characteristically tight-lipped about what it's like to work for the president and their family. The clearest glimpse into the life of a residence staffer comes from the 2015 book "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House," by Kate Brower.

First Lady Laura Bush (R) speaks as chefs Cristeta Comerford (3rd L), Bill Yosses (2nd L) and Roland Mesnier (L) listen during a media preview of the White House holiday decorations November 30, 2006 in Washington, DC. The theme of the White House holiday decorations this year is 'Deck the Halls and Welcome All.'

Brower interviewed more than 100 (primarily former) staff members for her book, noting how rare it was to get such intimate details about the job. "There's an unwritten rule that they stay in the background," Brower told The Washington Post in 2015. "Unlike a lot of people in Washington, they don't talk about their jobs," she said.

There are 96 full-time and 250 part-time residence staffers, according to Bower. They work throughout the 132-room White House, which contains 28 different fireplaces, eight staircases, six floors, and two below-ground levels.

A White House kitchen staff member prepares the State Dinning Room at the White House July 17, 2002 in Washington, DC. U.S President George W. Bush will be hosting a State Dinner tonight for President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland, who is on a three-day trip to the U.S.And their jobs are incredibly demanding, a former White House executive chef explained in the book.

"You work for the same people every day, you don't have any personal life, family, social life, you work what we used to call 'White House flex time'—that is, you choose any eighty-five hours you want to work each week," he said.

Still, they are incredibly devoted to the families in the White House, regardless of the candidate from whom they voted.

“I was an independent Republicrat," former White House usher Worthington White told Brower in a Vanity Fair article published last April. "I would say I voted for the president, no matter who it was," White, who worked as an usher from 1980 to 2012, said.

And some of their toughest work comes on Friday, when they will have about five or six hours to completely turn over the White House for the incoming president. Michelle and Barack Obama will head to the the inauguration and at 12:00 p.m., the White House is no longer their home. 

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton stands next to a 70-pound gingerbread house replica of President Clinton's Hope, Ark. boyhood home with master pastry chefs Franett McCulloch, center, and Roland Mesnier. Mrs. Clinton was giving a tour of the White House Christmas decorations Dec. 5, 1994Still, being a permanent staffer at the White House doesn't mean that there is no risk of being replaced. Their employment is still at the discretion of the president.

Trump's team may be willing to shake up long-term staff. For example, they dismissed inauguration announcer Charles Brotman earlier in January via email.

"I looked at at my email, then I got the shock of my life," Brotman told CNN. "I felt like Muhammad Ali had hit me in the stomach."

Brotman has been the announcer for the past 11 presidents, at every inauguration parade since 1957.

Some staffers apparently worried in April about the fate of their jobs should Trump win the election, according to Brower's Vanity Fair article. Former top pastry chef Roland Mesnier told Brower that he would be nervous if he was still working there. 

"If the Donald makes it to the White House I think there's going to be a lot of changes," Mesnier, who served five presidents from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, said. "I think the White House as we know it and the kitchen will be totally different.”

SEE ALSO: Trump's pick for education secretary avoided answering a number of questions in a contentious confirmation hearing

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NOW WATCH: 10 habits you should break to be more productive in 2017

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