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5 life lessons Sir Patrick Stewart shared during his reddit AMA

For the first time ever, celebrated actor Sir Patrick Stewart sat down for a reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA).


Needless to say, the Internet collectively lost its mind.


The 75-year-old thespian (think: "X-Men," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "American Dad"), equality/free speech advocate, and all-around cool guy made himself available for questions ahead of the premiere of his new television show, "Blunt Talk," a raunchy comedy produced by Seth MacFarlane.

Here are five things we learned from the beloved actor and noted mullet enthusiast.

Yes, he's a mullet enthusiast. That one's a freebie. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

1. You're never too old to have the best day of your life.

One of the highlights of Stewart's life was carrying the Olympic flame ahead of the 2012 games. Just don't ask him where the torch is.

"I never expected it would happen to me and as an ex-athlete and huge fan of the Olympic Games, it was one of the best days of my life. And, I ended the day taking home the torch, but I seem to have mislaid it. If anybody knows where it is, please let the @SirPatStew team know."

Photo by LOCOG via Getty Images.

2. Always make time to read what you love.

Even with films, television, theater, and charitable work, he still finds time to read a good book. Though his latest selection is taking a little longer than expected.

"The letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother, Theo. Problem is, there are seven volumes and I've already been reading for two years."


A selection of Van Gogh's letters on display at the Van Gogh Museum. Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images.

3. Want to stay fresh-faced and full of life? Know your Freud.

The actor presented a quote from the celebrated psychoanalyst as the secret to staying young.

"Well the great man Sigmund Freud said the most important things for a happy and long life were love and work and I've had a cornucopia of both."

Stewart with his wife, Sunny Ozell. Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images.

4. It's important to love what you do for a living.

He's been in the business for 50 years, but at age 75, he's enjoying himself now more than ever.

In fact, his latest project, "Blunt Talk," premiering Aug. 22, on Starz, is the most fun he's ever had.


"For the 12 weeks of shooting, I remember nothing except laughing, which is a nice way to get through a working day, especially if it's 14 hours. Everyone in our cast is a comedian (or comedienne). They're funny on screen and they're funny off, which accounts for my comment about laughing. There's not much laughter when you're performing King Lear or Macbeth."

5. No matter what you accomplish, hold tight to a dream or two.

Even with a storied career, there's still something on his bucket list. And it's a far cry from the stage and screen.

"My father retired from the military as Regimental Sergeant Major of the British Parachute Regiment. He jumped into action three times. I don't care for the action part of it, but I would love to experience what he did of jumping and parachuting safely to the ground."

A member of the current British Parachute Regiment makes a spectacular entrance. Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

And OK, just one more.

In case you're having Sir Patrick over for lunch, don't forget his favorite sandwich:

"Always, all my life, a favorite, thickly sliced Granny Smith apple on thick, heavily buttered white bread. Very healthy and yummy."

And his drink of choice? Oregon pinot noir.

But be careful, he slurps.

Don't say we didn't warn you. GIF from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Hey, nobody's perfect. Not even knights.

Health

4 simple hacks to help you meet your healthy eating goals

Trying to eat healthier? Try these 4 totally doable tricks.

Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Most of us want to eat healthier but need some help to make it happen.

True

When it comes to choosing what to eat, we live in a uniquely challenging era. Never before have humans known more about nutrition and how to eat for optimal health, and yet we’ve never been more surrounded by distractions and temptations that derail us from making healthy choices.

Some people might be able to decide “I’m going to eat healthier!” and do so without any problem, but those folks are unicorns. Most of us know what we should do, but need a little help making it happen—like some simple hacks, tips and tricks for avoiding pitfalls on the road to healthier eating.

While recognizing that what works for one person may not work for another, here are some helpful habits and approaches that might help you move closer to your healthy eating goals.

man pulling chip out of a chip bagOur mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

Goal: Snack on less junk food

Tip: Focus your willpower on the grocery store, not your home

Willpower is a limited commodity for most of us, and it is no match for a bag of potato chips sitting on top of the fridge. It’s just a fact. Channeling your willpower at the grocery store can save you from having to fight that battle at home. If you don’t bring chips into your house in the first place, you’ll find it a lot easier to reach for something healthier.

The key to successful shopping trips is to always go to the store with a specific list and a full stomach—you’ll feel much less tempted to buy the junky snack foods if you’re already satiated. Also, finding healthier alternatives that will still satisfy your cravings for salty or crunchy, or fatty foods helps. Sugar snap peas have a surprisingly satisfying crunch, apples and nut butter hit that sweet-and-salty craving, etc.

slice of cakeYou can eat well without giving up sweets completely.Photo by Caitlyn de Wild on Unsplash

Goal: Eat less sugar

Tip: Instead of “deprive,” think “delay” or “decrease and delight”

Sugar is a tricky one. Some people find it easier to cut out added sugars altogether, but that can create an all-or-nothing mindset that all too often results in “all.” Eating more whole foods and less processed foods can help us cut out a lot of ancillary sugar, but we still live in a world with birthday cakes and dessert courses.

One approach to dessert temptation is to delay instead of deprive. Tell yourself you can have any sweet you want…tomorrow. This mental trick flips the “I’ll just indulge today and start eating healthier tomorrow” idea on its head. It’s a lot easier to resist something you know you can have tomorrow than to say no to something you think you’ll never get to have again.

Another approach when you really want to enjoy a dessert at that moment is to decrease the amount and really truly savor it. Eat each bite slowly, delighting in the full taste and satisfaction of it. As soon as that delight starts to diminish, even a little, stop eating. You’ve gotten what you wanted out of it. You don’t have to finish it. (After all, you can always have more tomorrow!)

colorful fresh food on a plateA naturally colorful meal is a healthy meal.Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Goal: Eat healthier meals

Tip: Focus on fresh foods and plan meals ahead of time

Meal planning is easier than ever before. The internet is filled with countless tools—everything from recipes to shopping lists to meal planning apps—and it’s as awesome as it is overwhelming.

Planning ahead takes the guesswork and decision fatigue out of cooking, preventing the inevitable “Let’s just order a pizza.” You can have a repeating 3-week or 4-week menu of your favorite meals so you never have to think about what you’re going to eat, or you can meal plan once a week to try new recipes and keep things fresh.

It might help to designate one day a week to “shop and chop”—getting and prepping the ingredients for the week’s meals so they’re ready to go in your fridge or freezer.

woman holding blueberries in her handsOrganic foods are better for the Earth and for us.Photo by andrew welch on Unsplash

Goal: Eat more organic/humanely raised food

Tip: Utilize the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15” lists to prioritize

Many people choose organic because they want to avoid pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. Organic food is also better for the planet, and according to the Mayo Clinic, studies have shown that organic produce is higher in certain nutrients.

Most people don’t buy everything organic, but there are some foods that should take priority over others. Each year, researchers from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyze thousands of samples of dozens of fruits and vegetables. From this data, they create a list of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” fruits and vegetables, indicating what produce has the most and least pesticide residue. These lists give people a good place to start focusing their transition to more organic foods.

To make organic eating even simpler, you can shop O Organics® at your local Albertsons or Safeway stores. The O Organics brand offers a wide range of affordable USDA-certified organic products in every aisle. If you’re focusing on fresh foods, O Organics produce is always grown without synthetic pesticides, is farmed to conserve biodiversity, and is always non-GMO. All animal-based O Organics products are certified humane as well. Even switching part of your grocery list to organic can make a positive impact on the planet and the people you feed.

Healthy eating habits don’t have to be all or nothing, and they don’t have to be complicated. A few simple mindset changes at home and habit changes at the grocery store can make a big difference.

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