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See the innovative earth-saving ideas Leonardo DiCaprio's foundation is bringing to life.

When he's not fighting off bears or trying to win an Oscar, Leonardo DiCaprio is busy saving the environment.

The man is passionate about the planet. And why shouldn't he be? It is THE ONLY PLACE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING HUMAN LIFE. Sorry, his enthusiasm is contagious.


DiCaprio speaking at the COP 21 Paris Climate Conference last December. Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images.

On Tuesday, DiCaprio received the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum for his work on climate change.

The Crystal Award honors artists whose actions improve the state of the world. DiCaprio and his foundation (the aptly named Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation) work with more than 70 partners in 40 countries to protect the planet's remaining natural ecosystems.

DiCaprio traveled to Davos, Switzerland, to accept the award alongside fellow recipients Will.i.am, Chinese actress Yao Chen, and Olafur Eliasson, a Danish artist. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images.

As DiCaprio said in his speech, "These complex ecosystems can never be replaced; they are the foundation of our global economy, and more importantly, our interconnected climate — without them life as we know it will simply collapse."

During his acceptance speech, DiCaprio pledged $15 million from his foundation to fast-track sustainability projects around the world.

DiCaprio is putting his money where his mouth is and fast-tracking several innovative sustainability projects in every corner of the globe.

Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images.

These are the five exciting projects his foundation committed to:

1. $6 million will be used to help monitor commercial fishing activity.

Global Fishing Watch is a new interactive web tool from Google, Oceana, and SkyTruth that actively monitors all of the trackable fishing activity in the ocean to help put an end to overfishing. The platform is still in the prototype stage, but will be available to the public, allowing consumers, seafood suppliers, the media, fishermen, and other stakeholders to track commercial fishing around the world.

A fisherman arranges dried fish near Manila Bay. Photo by Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images.

2. $3.2 million goes toward protecting the rain forest from the palm oil industry.

The funds are headed to the Rainforest Acton Network to help protect one of the last rain forests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Indonesia produces much of the world's palm oil, and producers are intentionally burning forests to clear the land for plantations. The fires have resulted in dangerous brown air, over half a million respiratory infections, and more carbon emissions each day than the daily activity of the entire United States economy. The grant will help preserve 6.5 million acres of rain forest, which DiCaprio described as, "the vital lungs of our planet."

Fires rage as the peatland forest is cleared for palm oil plantations in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images.

3. Another $3.4 million is headed to support indigenous populations as they defend their land against oil drilling.

ClearWater protects portions of the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador, where oil drilling has marred the once pristine landscape. The partnership with DiCaprio's organization also brings together the Ceibo Alliance — four indigenous nations, the Cófan, Secoya, Siona, and Waorani, working as one for the first time ever to protect their land, water, and rich culture.

A local activist shows waste from an oil well in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Photos by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images.

4. $1 million in debt relief will be given in exchange for ocean and coral reef conservation off the coast of the Seychelles.

Off the coast of east Africa's Seychelles Islands is a portion of the Indian Ocean about the size of Nebraska. Rising ocean temperatures and carbon levels are damaging coral reefs in this spot, which once provided a lush habitat for many marine animals.

To protect this vital ecosystem, the Nature Conservancy proposed a $30 million debt swap for the Seychelles Islands in exchange for a promise to protect marine life and promote conservation. DiCaprio's foundation is contributing $1 million to the effort.

A sea turtle looks for a nesting spot on the beach of one of the Seychelles outer islands. Photo by Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images.

5. And finally, $1.5 million will be used to promote renewable energy in the U.S.

Stateside, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is teaming up with the Solutions Project, a nonprofit with a vision for a 100% renewable energy future. The $1.5 million will fund smaller community-based efforts all over the country.

President Obama chats with Sandra Richter, the co-founder and CEO of Soofa, which produces solar-powered sofas that can be used to charge electronic devices. Photo by Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images.

DiCaprio hopes to fund more projects, but he can't do it alone.

Though DiCaprio's passion is palpable, it can't write checks. And as he reminds us, currently less than 3% of all philanthropic giving goes toward conservation, sustainability, and animal protection.

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.

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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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