Welcome to Sunday Reads on Refocuser, a collection of weekly links from around the web to help you do incredible things.  These links span topics like creativity, performance, focus, exercise, nutrition, and positivity.

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On Fitness, Food, Sleep, and Smiling

Are organic fruits and vegetables actually healthier and more nutritious?  The British Journal of Nutrition crunched data from 343 studies and found that organic fruits and vegetables deliver between 20-40% higher antioxidant activity and “lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues”.

“Researchers have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Instead of a structured program focused on changing poor sleep habits and a nighttime routine, older adults improved sleep quality through mindfulness meditation.

A good night’s sleep also keeps your stem cells young.

A new study shows that after 4 weeks of either kettlebell training or circuit weight training for women, there was a significant increase in the aerobic capacity in the kettlebell group.  Best part is they only trained three times per week for 20 minutes… and they were highly trained individuals (imagine what would happen for a layperson?)

Fun post on the king of all exercises for burning fat, improving posture, getting stronger or improving your hormonal profile: the deadlift.

A woman received a fecal transplant from her obese daughter and became obese herself.  Just a crazy story that further demonstrates how little we know about how the gut affects our health. Only that it does.

Smiling – even if you fake it – can change your brain.  Bottom line: practice doing it and you’ll reap the benefits.

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