• Disney has fired the director James Gunn from the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie because of old offensive tweets of his that recently resurfaced.
• "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him," Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement. 

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise writer-director James Gunn has been fired by Disney after old offensive tweets of his resurfaced this week.

"The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him," Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement to Business Insider.

Gunn was writing the script for the third "Guardians" movie, which was set to begin shooting in the fall with a 2020 release date.

Gunn's offensive tweets, mostly from 2010 and 2011, were brought to light by conservative personalities who opposed Gunn's criticism of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

In one 2010 tweet, Gunn wrote: "The Expendables was so manly I f---ed the s--- out of the little p---- boy next to me! The boys ARE back in town!"

On Thursday night, Gunn addressed the controversy in a series of tweets, saying, "As I've developed as a person, so has my work and my humor."

He said in another tweet: "In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies."

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise has been one of the most successful for Disney/Marvel. Last year's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" was the fifth-highest-grossing domestic release of 2017 and earned over $860 million worldwide.

Gunn gave the following statement to Business Insider after publication:

“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.”

“Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”

SEE ALSO: Paramount TV president reportedly fired over "racially charged" comments made in a conference call

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• Krispy Kreme announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Insomnia Cookies on Friday.
• Insomnia Cookies is now part of JAB Holdings' coffee and café empire, which includes Krispy Kreme, Panera, Au Bon Pain, and Keurig.
• Insomnia Cookies started in 2003 and has since grown to over 135 locations, most of which are near college campuses. 
• We visited an Insomnia Cookies location in Manhattan to see what the hype was all about.

Krispy Kreme is getting into the cookie-delivery business. 

On Friday, the beloved doughnut chain acquired a majority stake in Insomnia Cookies, a cookie-delivery chain with a cult following on college campuses across America.

The deal means that Insomnia Cookies is now part of JAB Holdings, the parent company of Krispy Kreme, Panera, Au Bon Pain, and Keurig. 

Insomnia Cookies was founded in 2003 by Seth Berkowitz, who at the time was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, there are over 135 locations — almost twice as many locations as there were in 2015. Many of the locations are strategically placed near college campuses, building a loyal following among students who are drawn to the idea of having warm, fresh cookies delivered to their dorms at 3:oo a.m.

Berkowitz said in a statement about the acquisition: "My team and I are confident that this shared vision makes Krispy Kreme the ideal partner to support Insomnia through our next phase of growth."

See what it's like to eat at the cult-favorite cookie chain:

SEE ALSO: The billionaire owner of the Miami Dolphins just invested in this coffee chain that's about to take over the US. Here's what it's like to visit.

We went to an Insomnia Cookies location in New York City's Financial District. The store is open until 3 a.m. every night.

In addition to the more than 135 locations the brand operates, it also delivers, ships nationwide, and caters events.

The inside of the store was tiny, and it smelled like fresh, homemade cookies. There was a small counter with three seats at it by the door, and a counter to place orders. It was early in the day when we went, so it was quiet.

• Kylie Jenner, 20, has an estimated net worth of $900 million, according to Forbes.
• A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to help Jenner become the world's youngest billionaire. 

When Forbes reported this week that Kylie Jenner, the 20-year-old cosmetic mogul from the Kardashian/Jenner family, was just $100 million shy of becoming the world's youngest self-made billionaire, fans of the reality-TV star banded together.

On Twitter, multiple people joked that they intended to help raise the additional $100 million that would make Jenner the world's youngest billionaire.

"Skipping my child support payments to help this fierce female become an iconic billionaire!" one woman wrote.

Now, the joke has been realized. A GoFundMe campaign has been created in Jenner's honor by Josh Ostrovsky, an Instagram celebrity who goes by the nickname "The Fat Jew." So far, $268 has been raised on her behalf.

The campaign description reads: "I don't want to live in a world where Kylie Jenner doesn't have a billion dollars. We must raise 100 million dollars to help her get to a billion, please spread the word, this is extremely important."

While most people are donating about $5, one person gave $100. 

This isn't the first time the internet has crowdfunded on the behalf of an extremely wealthy person. A GoFundMe campaign that kicked off in April raised more than $7,000 to purchase a couch for Elon Musk after CBS reported that Musk had been sleeping on the floor of Tesla's factory.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The perfect way to start an email, especially when you're writing to a stranger, is to keep it simple.
• Email greetings you should avoid are ones that could be construed as too casual, too formal, and even insulting.
• Here's how to start an email the right way.

Figuring out how to start an email — especially when you're writing to someone you don't know very well — can be a real challenge.

Is "Hey" too casual? Is "Dear" overly formal? Is "Morning!" too cheery?

If you're thinking the email greeting isn't all that important and that it's silly to overthink it, you're wrong. How you begin an email sets the tone and may shape the recipient's perception of you. It may also determine whether they keep reading. So, yes, it's very important.

"Many people have strong feelings about what you do to their names and how you address them," Barbara Pachter, a business-etiquette expert, tells Business Insider. "If you offend someone in the salutation, that person may not read any further. It may also affect that person's opinion of you."

We had Pachter and Will Schwalbe, who coauthored "Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better" with David Shipley, weigh in on a handful of common email greetings.

Of course, the perfect way to start an email will depend on who you're writing to, but in general, when you're writing a business email to someone you don't know well or at all, they say there's one safe choice — and a bunch you should usually avoid:

SEE ALSO: 22 email-etiquette rules every professional should know

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WINNER: 'Hi [name], ...'

If you want to make it a little more formal, you can always use the person's last name: "Hi Ms. Gillett, ..."

"The reason I like this one is that it's perfectly friendly and innocuous," says Schwalbe.

It's also Pachter's favorite. She says it's a safe and familiar way to address someone, whether you know them or not.

ALSO ACCEPTABLE: 'Hi everyone, ...'

If you're addressing a group of people, Pachter advises you write, "Hi everyone."

GREETINGS TO AVOID: 'Hey!'

This is fine to use with your friends, but the very informal salutation should stay out of the workplace. It's not professional — especially if you're writing to someone you've never met, says Pachter.

Schwalbe agrees: "I can never get out of my head my grandmother's admonition 'Hey is for horses.'"

• Success isn't just a result of hard work — it's also a result of seemingly random factors.
• Some, like birth order, are out of your control. Firstborns are likely to earn more than later-born kids as adults.
• Other factors are within your control. For example, bosses look more favorably on employees who show up to work early.

Sure, we all know that an Ivy League education, a stint at a blue-chip firm, and stellar sales skills can help us get ahead. But it may surprise you just how many other, seemingly random variables can contribute to your professional success. 

From the month you were born to your comedic timing, the weirdest quirks can affect how successful you'll ultimately be.

We combed through research on success to identify 26 surprising things that can influence your career trajectory. While some factors can be sought out, others are beyond your control.

SEE ALSO: 18 habits of highly successful people

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Defiant, rule-breaking kids often grow up to earn higher salaries

Recent research suggests there's a connection between rebelliousness in adolescence and earning a high income later in life.

In 1968, nearly 3,000 sixth-graders living in Luxembourg took intelligence tests and answered questions about their feelings toward school. Their teachers also filled out questionnaires about the students' behavior. At the time, researchers assessed the students' family background as well.

In 2008, researchers revisited this data in order to see which childhood traits predicted career success and income. They were able to get in touch with 745 of the students, who were now about 52 years old. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more studious kids (as rated by teachers and by the kids themselves) went on to land better jobs.

But the researchers were surprised to find one childhood characteristic — beyond IQ, parents' socioeconomic status, and the amount of education the students attained — that predicted higher adult income: rule-breaking and defiance of parental authority.

Parents' high expectations for their kids tend to matter more than income or assets for their child's success

Using data from a national survey of 6,600 children born in 2001, University of California at Los Angeles professor Neal Halfon and his colleagues discovered that the expectations parents hold for their kids have a huge effect on attainment.

"Parents who saw college in their child's future seemed to manage their child toward that goal irrespective of their income and other assets," he said in a statement.

The finding came out in standardized tests: 57% of the kids who did the worst were expected to attend college by their parents, while 96% of the kids who did the best were expected to go to college.

That parents should keep their expectations high falls in line with another psych finding — the Pygmalion effect, which states "that what one person expects of another can come to serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy" — as well as what some teachers told Business Insider was most important for a child's success.

Being married is linked to higher salaries for men and lower salaries for women

A recent study finds that men experience a "marriage premium": Their salaries generally go up when they get hitched. Women, on the other hand, tend to see their salaries go down when they tie the knot.

Specifically, married men between 28 and 30 years old earn about $15,900 more per year in individual income compared to their single counterparts, while married men between 44 and 46 years old make $18,800 more.

And although these findings were not statistically significant, married women between 28 and 30 years old earn $1,349 less per year in individual income than their single counterparts, while married women between 44 and 46 years old earn $1,465 less.

The battle of the brands wages on.

Every quarter, fashion search platform Lyst analyses the behaviour of more than five million online shoppers to determine the hottest brands and products.

The Q2 (April-June) results are in and it's good news for Nike and Versace, who broke the top 10 after climbing 20 or more places.

Lyst takes into account data from its own search engine and Google as well as engagement statistics, conversion rates and sales worldwide to form its quarterly Index.

Rising through the ranks can come down to one great commission — as demonstrated by Givenchy who rose two places after dressing Meghan Markle for the royal wedding in June.

Scroll down to see who took the top spot and who is rising — and falling — through the rankings.

SEE ALSO: These $850 platform crocs are officially one of 2018's 'hottest' trends — and people have a lot of questions

10. Prada.

Up one place since Q1. Lyst says Prada's reinvention of its signature nylon accessories helped push it back into the top 10 this quarter.

9. Nike.

Up a grand 11 places since Q1. The only sportswear brand in the ranking, Nike shares are at an all-time high after the brand saw a major sales rebound in North America.

"They are becoming a halo brand," Jessica Ramirez, retail analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, told Reuters in June.

8. Fendi.

Rising nine places since Q1, Fendi cashed in on the logomania craze by reinventing its FF "Zucca" monogram.

• These shoes can expand five sizes. 
• They were created by Kenton Lee with the help of charity Because International.
• Over 175,000 pairs have been given out to children in need. 
• The commercial version of the shoe is now available to pre-order.   
  
• For each pair bought, one will be given out. 

Kenton Lee has created a shoe that expands for children in developing countries.  

The shoe is designed to last five years and can be altered as the child's feet grow.  

With the help of the charity Because International Kenton successfully handed out over 175,000 pairs of shoes across 100 countries.   

A commercial version of the expandable shoes are now available to pre-order on Kickstarter. For each pair ordered a pair of shoes will be donated to a child in a developing country. 

Produced by Amanda Villa-Lobos.

SEE ALSO: London's abandoned warehouses are being turned into massive living spaces that can be rented for just £500 a month

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• A summer capsule wardrobe could help eliminate decision fatigue, save you time in the morning, or just save you some money.
• A capsule wardrobe is a collection of just a few dozen clothing pieces that can be combined to make hundreds of outfits.
• It might make choosing what to wear to work this summer less of a hassle. 

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of just a few dozen clothing pieces that can be combined to make hundreds of outfits.

Think Mark Zuckerberg's allegiance to a t-shirt and jeans, but with a lot more style. 

If you want to save money or just pare down your possessions, creating a capsule wardrobe might be the ideal move for you. It can also cut down on decision fatigue, the exhaustion we feel as we use up willpower making mundane daily choices like what to wear and where to grab lunch. 

But building an entire one from scratch may be intimidating. Image curator Scarlett De Bease, style coach Stasia Savasuk, and Lauren Bowling, an editor at the Financial Best Life and author of "The Millennial Homeowner: A Guide to Successfully Navigating Your First Home Purchase" shared their tips on creating a capsule wardrobe. 

Here's how to make a capsule wardrobe that can keep you professional, sweat-free, and stylish this summer. 

SEE ALSO: 13 things you should never wear to work in the summer

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Women can choose three to five bottoms and five to 10 blouses

Men can buy three to five pairs of pants and up to 10 shirts

For men, Savasuk said to choose three to five pairs of pants with five to 10 high-quality button-downs.

"If ties are required, purchase a few that reflect your character and personality, so you can bring your own flavor to 'business professional,'" Savasuk said.

Stick to a few colors

Whether you're buying new pieces or just shopping your closet, sticking to mostly neutral colors is important. 

Griffin recommended picking a neutral base like black or gray for most of your pieces, and a few articles of clothing in accent colors like blue or red.

"Everything should work together," Griffin told Business Insider. "You shouldn't have any closet singletons."

It might seem boring, but it's important so you can mix and match pieces. Having tops and bottoms in all shades of the rainbow is exciting until you realize you can only wear your striped yellow pants with the one black shirt you decided to buy.

• Southeast Asia is home to several fruits that most Americans probably haven't heard of.
• They include the durian — the pungent "king of the fruits" — and the unusual-looking rambutan.
• I compiled 14 of the most bizarre fruits that I tried during my two-year stay in Malaysia.

Trying new foods is one of the best parts of visiting Southeast Asia.

In the two years I lived in Malaysia, I came across dozens of fruits I had never even heard of in the United States, let alone tasted. Some of the most notable were durian — the so-called "king of the fruits" whose smell is so strong it's banned from hotels — and rambutan, nature's answer to the Koosh ball.

Nothing can compare to tasting these exotic fruits for the first time, but after one bite it's clear to see why they are so beloved throughout the region.

Here are 14 fruits from Southeast Asia that the average American didn't know existed.

SEE ALSO: 14 surprising things you didn't know about Malaysia

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The quintessential Southeast Asian fruit is the durian. Malaysians call it the 'king of the fruits' and it's a source of national pride.

Source: Business Insider

Durian has an incredibly pungent taste and smell that many outsiders can't tolerate. Anthony Bourdain once said of durian, "your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother." The fruit is banned in many Malaysian hotels.

Source: Business Insider

Speaking of forbidden fruits, the mangosteen is another popular one.

• Cheese lovers, rejoice.
• There's new evidence that the saturated fat found in cheese, milk, and other kinds of dairy is not tied to an increased risk of heart problems or death from any cause.
• The study falls in line with increasing evidence that the fat in our diets is not the villain when it comes to negative health outcomes and weight gain.

Cheese lovers, rejoice. There's new evidence that the saturated fat found in cheese, milk, and other kinds of dairy is not tied to an increased risk of heart problems or death from any cause.

The study, published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who regularly indulged in cheese, whole milk, and other full-fat dairy products did not face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause compared to people who avoided the products. 

The paper is the latest in a series of recent studies that together suggest fat is not the health villain that it's long been portrayed to be. Instead, sugar and simple carbs may be a much bigger issue. Such findings runs contrary to the dominant belief that eating rich foods like butter and cheese is a bad habit that should be broken.

For the study, the researchers looked at nearly 3,000 adults over 22 years and measured the levels of dairy fats in their blood to estimate their intake of cheese and other high-fat products.

"Our findings not only support, but also significantly strengthen, the growing body of evidence which suggests that dairy fat, contrary to popular belief, does not increase risk of heart disease or overall mortality in older adults," Marcia Otto, the study's lead author and an assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health, said in a statement.

Dietary guidelines still tell people to avoid fat

More and more research is pointing out an unfortunate truth about the world of nutrition: many common beliefs are based on shoddy or non-existent science.

Plenty of people continue to believe that eating eggs gives you high cholesterol, that orange juice is part of a complete breakfast, or that fatty foods make you fat — despite evidence that has disproven these myths.

I was no exception — I grew up with two health-conscious parents and believed all high-fat foods were bad for you. Our fridge was stocked with margarine; low-fat or fat-free milk were the only kinds I drank; and the cereal bars I ate as a kid gleamed with "low-fat" labels.

Yet an increasing body of evidence indicates that when eaten in isolation, fat doesn't contribute to weight gain. Many official dietary guidelines, however, have been slow to adapt to these findings.

In its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the US Department of Agriculture still advises people against consuming many full-fat products, while encouraging people to eat items like cereals, bread, and other refined grains. And when it comes to dairy, the guidelines are explicit about the kind you should eat: fat-free or low-fat.

The American Heart Association also still recommends limiting saturated fats and specifically calls out cheese other animal-based foods for their potential to raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and contribute to heart problems.

The real culprits may be sugar and refined carbs

Recent research has suggested that unlike fats, refined carbohydrates and sugars do appear to be tied to packing on the pounds. 

Take, for example, a large recent review of studies published in the journal The Lancet. For the study, scientists compared more than 135,000 people in 18 countries on either low-fat or low-carb diets. People on the low-fat diets were more likely to die from any cause; they were also at a greater risk of death from heart attacks and heart disease. By contrast, people on the low-carb plans had significantly lower risk of both of these outcomes.

In light of their findings, the authors of the paper concluded, "global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered."

Such results have fueled the popularity of the ketogenic diet, which emphasizes foods like meat, butter, and bacon and cuts nearly all carbs, including those from many fruits. 

This newest study adds to the growing body of evidence undermining the old wisdom about fats. Maybe nutritionists should never have told people to stop eating fat in the first place.

SEE ALSO: Scientists think they've discovered a fourth type of fuel for humans — beyond carbs, fat, and protein

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• If you're looking for a relationship, tell your friends and ask them to set you up.
• That's advice from Miami-based matchmaker Claudia Duran.
• Research suggests most people still met through friends as of 2010, and our friends can sometimes know us better than we know ourselves.

Last year, I asked career expert Toni Thompson about the best ways to get ahead at work. Her response was simple: "Talk about what you want with your boss."

If you're gunning for a promotion, a raise, or simply more opportunity, let your manager know. Once you do, they'll be able to advocate for you in conversations with their manager.

Dating, it turns out, may not be so different. If you're looking for a relationship, or at least someone who has relationship potential, let your friends know. Once you do, they'll start looking at their network with an eye toward who'd be compatible with you.

That's according to Claudia Duran, a Miami-based matchmaker with dating service Elite Connections.

Duran told me it's all about "being a little more communicative and vulnerable." In other words, telling your friends, "Hey. I'm really looking to meet someone special. Do you know somebody you could introduce me to?"

As Duran put it, "Ask and you shall receive."

Duran is onto something. Research from 2012 published in the American Sociological Review suggests that, as of 2010, meeting through friends was still the most popular way for relationships to start— though it's gradually becoming less common as online dating becomes more widespread.

In fact, a 2011 paper published in Current Directions in Psychological Science suggests that other people can sometimes know us even better than we know ourselves. That's especially true when it comes to behaviors like talking a lot, or traits we may not recognize in ourselves, like intelligence.

To be sure, app-makers have already capitalized on this: Wingman lets you set up your friends with potential partners, which could be a relief or a recipe for disaster, depending on your perspective. And Hinge matches you with friends of Facebook friends.

If you're not up to asking your friends outright to set you up, Duran had a few similar suggestions. Hang out at clubs, sports games, charity events, and the like — the point is to find someone who shares your interests. "Really," Duran said. "Don't be shy."

SEE ALSO: A matchmaker says one of the best things you can do for a relationship takes almost no time — but a lot of courage

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• If you've been working towards getting a promotion at work, you're probably wondering what are the signs your boss wants to promote you?
• Sudden invitations to meetings and lunches you were previously excluded from could be indications you're about to be promoted.
•  Keep an eye out for a combination of these and other signs to know if you're being groomed for promotion.

Maybe there's a sense of euphoria in the air that you can't quite pinpoint.

Or perhaps you have a new sense of confidence at work.

It might be because you're finally getting that promotion at work, but it's hard to tell for sure until it actually happens.

Thankfully, "there are some telltale signs that you may at long last be getting that coveted promotion — you just need to look for them," Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," told Business Insider.

"But remember, false reads on promotions happen every day, so even if you think you see the signs, you'll want to remain as neutral as possible and stay focused on doing your best work."

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage," told Business Insider that the signs aren't always obvious, but people can usually tell if they are being considered for a new role.

"Being self-aware is a critical skill for anyone to develop and so you should, ideally, always have a reasonably good sense as to how you are perceived by your colleagues and senior leaders," Kerr said. "And talking about your career goals and potential career paths should be a conversation you have on a fairly regular basis with your boss."

Whether you're having those discussions or not, you'll still want to keep an eye out for the signs a promotion might be in your future. Here are 15 of them:

SEE ALSO: A counterintelligence expert says most of us think about getting hired and promoted all wrong

You're suddenly invited to meetings that you were previously excluded from

"This is a great sign, especially if your advice is sought during these meetings and you're asked to lead future ones," Taylor told Business Insider.

And if you're in meetings with senior management, managers from other departments, or key clients, Kerr said that "reflects a great deal of trust in your abilities."

You've been asked to take on a special assignment or project with added responsibilities

Yes, it's extra work — but it's also a sign that you're trusted to take on more duties. 

"It shows that you've earned the trust of at least your immediate leader and it's a great opportunity to grow and demonstrate new skills," Kerr said.

Your boss is being promoted

If you have an excellent working relationship with your boss and work closely with them, it's good news for you when they move up. 

It's possible that you'll join them on the higher rung of the ladder, Taylor said. 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's employees share their 8 best tips for customers

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The steak and arugula sandwich

One Panera Bread associate of one year told Business Insider that they prefer this meaty offering.

"It's super unique and has so many flavors," the employee told Business Insider, adding that they'd award the meal ten out of ten stars.

The squash soup

Associate Dorian Bach wrote in a 2016 Quora post that this particular option is the best soup in Panera Bread.

But, alas, fans of this autumnal-gourd-based dish will have to wait until fall to partake once more. It's a seasonal item at Panera Bread. 

The chipotle chicken avocado melt

A former Panera Bread associate trainer told Business Insider that they "used to always get the chipotle chicken avocado melt."

• Vitamins and supplements are a roughly $37 billion industry, but new research suggests they're mostly useless.
• A crop of fresh studies looking at multivitamins and vitamins B, C, and D have concluded that for most people, they do little to no good.
• Still, some specific vitamins can be helpful for people with specific health conditions.

It seems like simple, obvious advice: Eat your vegetables, get some exercise, and — of course — take your vitamins.

Or not.

Decades of research has failed to find substantial evidence that vitamins and supplements do any significant good. In fact, the results of recent studies lean in the opposite direction, finding that certain vitamins may be bad for you.

Several supplements have been linked with an increase in certain cancers, for example, while others have been associated with a higher risk of kidney stones. Still others have been linked with an overall higher risk of death from any cause.

So here are the vitamins and supplements you should take — and the ones you should avoid.

SEE ALSO: The $37 billion vitamin industry is barely regulated, and dangerous products are slipping through the cracks

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Multivitamins: Skip them — you can get everything you need with a balanced diet.

It's long been thought that adding a multivitamin to your diet was a good step towards better overall health, but recent research suggests this is false.

Based on a review of studies published this month in the journal Circulation, scientists concluded that taking multivitamins does not improve heart health in the general population. That study comes on the heels of an even larger review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in June, which found no evidence that multivitamins are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause.

Some studies even suggest that consuming vitamins in excess can cause harm. A large, longterm 2011 study of close to 39,000 older women found that women who took vitamins over the course of more than 20 years actually had a higher overall risk of death than those who didn't take any supplements.

Vitamin D: Take it for bone health because it's hard to get from food.

Vitamin D is a critical ingredient that keeps our bones strong by helping us absorb calcium. It is missing from many of the foods we eat, so taking a vitamin D supplement may be a good idea for some people. Getting sunlight is another way to help your body make enough vitamin D, but that can be tough in the winter.

Some researchers hoped that vitamin D could also help protect people from brain-related disorders like Alzheimer's disease, but a review of 73 studies published this month in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience suggests that is not the case. The researchers found no evidence linking vitamin D supplementation with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, or other forms of dementia.

Antioxidants: Skip them — an excess of these has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, and you can eat berries instead.

Touted for their potential to protect against cancer, vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants found in many fruits and veggies — especially berries.

But studies suggest that antioxidants can actually be harmful, at least when taken in the mega doses offered by some supplements.

A 2007 review of trials of several different types of antioxidant supplements found that people who took the pills were more likely to die of any cause than people who didn't. Plus, a large long-term study of male smokers found that those who regularly took vitamin A were more likely to get lung cancer than those who didn't.

• When Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton wear a new item in public, it's not uncommon for it to sell out almost immediately. 
• Canadian retailer Aritzia told investors that it had experienced a boost in sales in the first quarter after Markle had been photographed wearing its clothing. 
• "By all accounts, Meghan remains a huge fan of Aritzia," the store's CEO and founder, Brian Hill, said during a call with investors. 

The world has gone Meghan Markle mad, and it's playing into the hands of the brands she chooses to dress in. 

Markle has followed in the footsteps of her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, to become a global style icon. It's not unusual for any items that are worn publicly by either of these women to sell out almost immediately.  

Canadian retailer Aritzia is the latest store to see a boost from this. In its most recent quarterly results, reported in July, the company said that same-store sales were up by 10.9%. Part of its success was attributed to its celebrity endorsements, including Meghan Markle, the company said.

"By all accounts, Meghan remains a huge fan of Aritzia," CEO and founder Brian Hill told investors during a call this month.

Hill added that after Markle was photographed in one of the company's trench coats, it sold out within six hours.

While Markle is actually from the United States, she spent seven years in Toronto filming on the set of "Suits," and it was here that she likely came into contact with the brand.

Aritzia isn't the only designer to profit from the so-called "Meghan effect." When Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement in November, Markle's $750 white coat from Canadian brand Line The Label sold out minutes after the photos were released, crashing the brand's website. 

The P.A.R.O.S.H. dress and Aquazzura shoes she wore also sold out almost immediately.

Find out more about the affordable Canadian brand that Markle loves:

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle's and Kate Middleton's fashion choices can lead to huge spikes in sales — here are some of the brands they love

Aritzia was founded in Vancouver in 1984.

Source: Aritzia 

Since then, the company has grown to have 65 stores in Canada and 22 in the US.

The company plans to open six new stores across the US and Canada in 2018 and early 2019. The next store opening slated for the US is in San Diego. 

The store sells a mix of its own labels ...

• The US is home to virtually every type of cuisine, but there are still many international foods most Americans aren't familiar with.
• They include poutine from Canada, goulash from Hungary, and mango sticky rice from Thailand.
• We selected 16 foods from around the world Americans are missing out on.

The United States is home to every type of cuisine under the sun, from Mexican to Mongolian.

But there are still plenty of international foods most Americans haven't heard of, let alone tried. They include hearty dishes like South African bunny chow and sweet treats like stroopwafels from the Netherlands. 

I've been to 25 countries, and I drew on my own travel experiences and recommendations from local experts in compiling a list of the best foods that Americans are missing out on. Take it from me — you'll want to try these delicious dishes when you travel abroad.

Here are 16 foods from around the world we wish they served in America.

SEE ALSO: 11 things you'll hardly ever see in the United States

Poutine is Canada's way of making French fries even better.

America's neighbor to the north has made an immeasurable contribution to the world of French fries. For the uninitiated, poutine is a dish consisting of French fries covered with cheese curds and topped with brown gravy.

You may be able to find poutine in the northeastern US, but it's most common in Quebec, where it's become a local symbol of cultural pride.

Tostones are smashed and double-fried plantains eaten throughout the Caribbean.

Tostones are a popular snack throughout the Caribbean and Central America. They're made from unripe plantains that are fried, smashed, fried again, and salted to savory perfection.

In Argentina, the alfajor is three desserts in one — cookies, caramel, and chocolate.

Sweet teeth around the world will appreciate the alfajor, a dessert that's popular in Argentina and other South American countries. The delicious confection is made with caramel-like dulce de leche sandwiched between two (or three) soft cookies, all of which is then coated with chocolate.

Some varieties of alfajor come with coconut, honey, or jam inside, and a popular modern twist is the three-layered Oreo alfajor.

• 26-year-old Gian Power discovered meditation after the murder of his father.
• He was juggling his job at PwC and leading the investigation at the same time — and a friend recommended he try it out.
• Now, he runs "Unwind," the UK's first surround-sound meditation experience targeted at bankers and corporates.
• Along with his other company, "The Lions Club," which gets "ordinary people with extraordinary stories" to give talks in companies like Lloyd's of London and Sony, he's trying to change work culture — and get London meditating.

It took hitting rock bottom for 26-year-old Gian Power to discover the thing that would power his future — meditation.

The founder of Unwind, the UK's first surround sound meditation experience aimed at helping bankers and corporates relax, Power has always had an entrepreneurial spirit in his blood.

Growing up in Durham, he set up his first business — a DVD manufacturing company — when he was just 13, partly inspired by his counsellor mother and entrepreneurial father.

"I grew up with this go-getting attitude — whatever you want to create, create it — softened by my mum's calming tone," he said. 

He studied international business and German at Aston University, moving to Frankfurt for a year as part of his degree to work at Deutsche Bank.

After university, he joined the grad scheme at PwC in 2014, working with companies that were struggling or failing.

He had just completed his accountancy exams when tragedy struck in 2015, and he took three months out of work for what he calls "the most difficult time in my life."

His father, 54-year-old Ranjit Singh Power, an entrepreneur who lived between Dubai and the UK, was murdered while on a work trip to India in May 2015 — and Gian ended up leading the investigation, which is still ongoing.

"I was 23 in the foreign office, with 20 people around the table — I thought, 'If I can deal with this stuff, then I can deal with anything," he said.

While arranging a funeral for his father after a taxi driver confessed to the murder, he had the body flown back — but it wasn't his father's body that arrived in London. The Independent reported that police in India instead thought his father had been kidnapped and murdered, but his body has yet to be found.

At that point, Power said he thought: 'What am I going to do with my life? Going back to my Excel spreadsheets isn't going to make me buzz any more.'"

He told Business Insider it was a conversation with a homeless man near his office that inspired him to leave his job.

"I went back to the office and thought, "I've learnt more about myself in the last 20 minutes than I have in years,' and realised the corporate world wasn't necessarily the right route for me."

Inspiring people in the 'corporate beast'

In 2017, he decided to leave, and he joined an organisation called the New Entrepreneurs Foundation, which provides mentors, life coaches, and access to investors to people interested in working for or founding a startup.

While it was suggested that he become a blogger, he knew it wasn't for him. "I have personal experience, [but] I won't share it unless I can help someone," he explained.

He realised that instead, he wanted to interview businessmen and women and CEOs who have faced adversity and come out the other side.

"I remember speakers that used to come into PwC — they got paid so much and they didn't always leave an impact," he said.

Instead, he wanted to create an atmosphere where people could be inspired in the "corporate beast, where we go to work in our suits and ties and don't let enough emotion come out."

So, he "made a few calls to more senior people," lined up some companies and speakers, and founded TLC, or The Lions Club, titled after his middle name – Lion.

He now has 25 speakers across London and New York — and they're working with companies like Lloyd's of London, GSK, Sony, and RPC.

"They are not speakers for a living, [just] ordinary people with extraordinary stories," he said. "One is a Syrian refugee who was badly beaten, filmed his journey, and is now BAFTA award winner."

He even did his own talk for the first time at a PwC UK Alumni event in June on how to use your emotions as a super-power.

In his talk, he said: "I truly believe that everybody has a story they would like to share, if only we were willing to take the time to listen."

He told Business Insider: "It's about letting yourselves out at work, [and] taking time as leaders to get to know our teams, to get to know their problems.

"Employee engagement is a buzzword that goes out in surveys — it's [defined as] the emotional commitment staff have to a company and its goals. But there's a lack of emotion going on around the City."

Finding calm through meditation

Needless to say, Power has been through a lot — but it's a practice he discovered during the murder investigation that has helped him through.

That practice is meditation — and it's part of the routines of some of the most successful people in the world.

"I'd be in one room with a client, the police would be next door, and the BBC would be next door — it was just nuts," he said, describing the time just after his father's murder. "I was 23 at the time. You know how much you can take, and there's a limit."

A friend suggested he try meditating, and sent him a YouTube video to guide him.

"I went into the toilets [at work] to listen to it, and after 10 minutes I came out and I felt really calm," he said.

At the same time, he also read a book by Tim Ferriss, who interviewed top business people and athletes from around the world — and he claimed 80% of them meditate daily.

He made a resolution in January 2016 to meditate every day for 15 minutes — and it stuck with him.

However, the inspiration finally came to take it further after he had left PwC and was in New York filming for The Lions Club.

He stopped by Inscape, a luxury meditation studio which uses ambient lighting and sound.

"I went by myself. For the first few minutes, there were voices coming from around the room, and I thought, 'I paid for this. Where is my teacher?' But after a few minutes, I thought, 'This is great.'"

He said he loved that it was "a space where nobody was judging you" — and he also knew that, with friends who he said were pulling all-nighters for work and some who had even been hospitalised, he wasn't the only person meditation could help.

While there were plenty of studios and yoga, he said there was nothing like it in the meditation space — so in March 2018, he started Unwind, the UK's first surround sound meditation experience.

A surround-sound experience

There is no instructor in a session, he explained — instead, he worked with a meditation teacher to write and record the meditations, which cover a number of topics to suit each client's needs.

"Every sense has got to be touched into — the smell of the room, the taste of the tea afterwards, the blankets that I've chosen," he said. "It's all these little things that make such a difference."

Unwind's first event was a pop-up, held in a darkened, underground, candlelit room in London's Finsbury Square.

It saw more than 150 people from the likes of JP Morgan, Warner Bros, PwC, and Linklaters attend across nine sessions.

"I spoke to a lot of partners at law firms and CEOs who said, 'We love it, our staff need it,'" he said.

Transforming offices across the city

Now, the company is aimed at the busy corporate worker and entrepreneur, and has plans to launch at corporations "where we can transport out candlelit oasis to help people switch off and relax."

"We've now had insurance companies, FTSE 100 companies saying 'Can you bring this in the office please?'" he said.

In answer to that, Unwind is now working to transform offices across London in under 60 minutes, allowing employees to join in a 30-minute guided meditation to fit in with their day.

Power was recently awarded the Young Innovator Award from CVC Capital for his work on Unwind — and he's set to be the subject of a BBC1 documentary later this year about his companies, and how he's looking to transform employee wellbeing and the future of work.

"The shift needs to come from the company," Power said. "They need to show they care about their [employees]."

He added that there's often a stigma attached to meditation "where people think you sit there in a certain pose and think about life."

"Hell no," he said. "It's just time out from your phone, just conscious time of appreciating what we've got, that's what it comes down to."

He added that there's no spiritual or religious element to Unwind.

"I want it to be cool and sexy," he said. "I don't want to go down the spiritual route because it's [about] switching people off."

Meditation can be simple

For those new to meditation, Power recommends trying apps like Calm or Headspace. 

However, he added: "Don't think it's all about going to a session or downloading an app. Some of the people I've met do random things."

He added that one person he met watched the bubbles in a glass of Champagne for five minutes, while another who lives near at airport watches a flight landing every night at 10 p.m.

But it can be even more simple. "Sit, put your phone away, and focus on something you can see for five minutes," he said. "Just focus on it, and you'll be amazed how your thoughts align."

He added: "We walk around with a badge of pride of 'I've only had three hours sleep, I don't really need much, I'm a workaholic,'" he said. "[But] I'm proud that I meditate every morning and I feel fantastic.

"My goal is to get London meditating in whatever form that takes."

SEE ALSO: The one exercise you're probably overdoing, according to a physical trainer

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Prince George, son of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, poses for a photograph to mark his 5th birthday on Sunday 22nd July, in the garden at Clarence House.
• George is third in line for the British throne. His grandfather, Prince Charles, is heir to the throne and his father William comes next.
• George has seemed increasingly self-assured in public this year, serving as a page boy at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May at Windsor Castle and making several other appearances.

Who doesn't like birthdays?

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate have released a new photo of their son Prince George to mark his fifth birthday.

The photo shows George grinning in the garden of Clarence House after the christening of his younger brother Prince Louis on July 9.

This was the first time the family-of-five had been seen together.

Other members of the royal family including Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were also in attendance.

George is third in line for the British throne. His grandfather, Prince Charles, is heir to the throne and his father William comes next.

He has made a number of public appearances in the past 12 months, serving as a page boy at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May at Windsor Castle and standing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's official birthday celebrations in June.

To mark his birthday, a new £5 coin has been issued by the Royal Mint, featuring the legend of St George and the Dragon.

SEE ALSO: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, Kate, and 11 other royals all live in the same palace — here's a breakdown of their lavish quarters

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Last year, a dying woman wrote a column titled "You may want to marry my husband," which was read by more than 5 million people worldwide.
• Jason Rosenthal, the subject of that column, discussed what the last year has been like without his wife in a recent TED talk.
• Rosenthal said there's one simple thing that no one has done for him this year, and he wishes someone would.

Jason Rosenthal's wife Amy published a rather startling statement last year: "You may want to marry my husband."

That headline ricocheted around the world after it was published in a March 2017 Modern Love column in The New York Times. 

More than 5 million people around the globe read it. That's more captive eyeballs than the entire population of Ireland, New Zealand, or Costa Rica.

When she wrote the column, Amy was bedridden with ovarian cancer, yearning for a cheeseburger, and hoping that someday after she was gone, the beloved man she'd shared a home with "for, like, 9,490 days," would make a "fresh start." She died just 10 days after it was published. 

Following the article's viral popularity, Jason Rosenthal penned a response to his late wife's letter, titled "My wife said you may want to marry me," which was published on Father's Day weekend in the New York Times.

"I am that guy," he wrote. 

In a recent TED talk, Rosenthal revealed a bit more about what the last year has been like without his wife. It hasn't been easy. Just a few months after Amy died, Rosenthal's dad took his final breath after decades of dealing with Parkinson's. 

"Guess what? I really am sad a lot of the time," Rosenthal told the audience at TED in April. "I often feel like I'm kind of a mess, and I know these feelings apply to other surviving spouses, children, parents, and other family members."

But he also said that "because Amy gave me very public permission to also find happiness, I now have experienced joy from time to time."

Rosenthal said many people have come forward to him with heartfelt responses to his late wife's original love letter: sharing humor, camaraderie in spousal grief, memories of Amy, and even marriage proposals.

But Rosenthal said the one thing he wishes people would do more when their friends and loved ones are grieving is simply offer space to be heard and held. He said memories and images of the final weeks of his wife's life still haunt him, like the moment after she died, when he had to carry Amy's body down the stairs from their bedroom to a waiting gurney. 

"If you know someone who has been through the hospice experience, acknowledge that," he said. "Just say you heard this guy Jason talk about how tough it must be to have those memories, and that you're there if they ever want to talk about it."

No one has ever offered to lend him that kind of ear since his wife died, he said, adding, "I know this sounds unbelievable." 

Finally, Rosenthal finished his talk with an offering for anyone dealing with grief, whether it's a painful divorce, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job. 

You can hear that offering and listen to Rosenthal's entire 14-minute TED talk below: 

SEE ALSO: Women often say they prefer taller men — but the reality is more complicated

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• A relationship won't always be passionate and spontaneous, therapists say. It's normal to sometimes feel bored in your marriage.
• But there are ways to spice things up, like planning to do something "illicit" with your partner.
• This post is part of Relationships 101, a series which aims to help us all be happier and healthier in love — and to stop fighting over who should take out the trash.

If there's one "problem" relationship experts hear over and over again, it's this: The passion has faded. The routine has replaced the spontaneous.

Yet most of those experts will tell you this generally isn't a reason to freak out. If there is a problem, it's in how you're handling the boredom.

Over the past few months, I've asked sex and relationship therapists to share their top strategies for keeping the passion alive in a romantic relationship, and preventing ennui from creeping in. Here are the best tips I heard:

Accept that the waxing and waning of passion is normal

Couples therapist Rachel Sussman puts it bluntly. "Were we really put on this earth to have a monogamous sex life for 50 years and have passion the entire time for our partner?" she said when I interviewed her last year. "I don't think so."

So when couples come to see Sussman complaining about the lack of passion in their relationship, she wants them to know: This is normal.

People are worried "that something's wrong with them," she told me. They think "maybe something's wrong with the couple; maybe something's wrong with them individually."

Chances are, there's not. "People think, 'Oh, [passion] should just be there,'" Sussman said. "No! It shouldn't just be there. You have to create it."

One strategy Sussman recommends? Scheduling sex dates, right there on the calendar.

Plan to do something 'illicit' in your relationship

Tammy Nelson is a sex and relationship therapist, and the relationship expert at Ashley Madison, a website for people seeking affairs. Nelson told me the "fantasy of an affair" is simply that "you'll have that impulsive excitement."

But affairs come with risk, like potentially destroying your partner's trust in you and wrecking your own self-image.

So Nelson proposes that people aim to have that impulsive excitement within their own relationships. "You have to have an affair with your spouse," she said. Meet like strangers at a bar one night, for example.

As Nelson said, "You have to make something about your marital sex feel dangerous."

Make your own life more exciting

Ruth Westheimer — a.k.a. "Dr Ruth" — says boredom is the single biggest threat to a romantic relationship.

Perhaps surprisingly, Westheimer advises anyone in this situation to focus first on themselves.

In her 2015 memoir, "The Doctor Is In," she recommends spicing up your own life as a way to combat relationship boredom: Visit the theater, join a book club, take an online course.

"By investing in yourself in all these ways, you'll find that the fog of boredom will lift and the bright light of joie de vivre will being to light your life."

And if it doesn't, it might be time to seek professional guidance, either individually or as a couple.

SEE ALSO: I asked 3 sex and relationship therapists to demystify infidelity, and their answers will make you think differently about cheating

Join the conversation about this story »

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