Want to live to be 125? Take a cue from one North Carolina man who thinks he can beat aging by following a specific nutrient-dense diet. Younger generations of farmers find themselves fixing what our grandfathers messed up. Sustainable fashion designers are looking beyond runways and fashion weeks. Learn how to make smart clothing choices that help conserve water and, find out what is exactly “ruin porn” is.
HEALTHY YOU: The Die-Later Diet
One morning in early January, David Murdock awoke to an unsettling sensation. At first he didn’t recognize it and then he couldn’t believe it, because for years — decades, really — he maintained what was, in his immodest estimation, perfect health. But now there was this undeniable imperfection, a scratchiness and swollenness familiar only from the distant past. Incredibly, infuriatingly, he had a sore throat. “I never have anything go wrong,” he said later. “Never have a backache. Never have a headache. Never have anything else.” This would make him a lucky man no matter his age. Because he is 87, it makes him an unusually robust specimen, which is what he must be if he is to defy the odds (and maybe even the gods) and live as long as he intends to. He wants to reach 125, and sees no reason he can’t, provided that he continues eating the way he has for the last quarter century: with a methodical, messianic correctness that he believes can, and will, ward off major disease and minor ailment alike.
The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday, by Frank Bruni, The New York Times + photos of Murdock’s daily diet
SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Sustainable fashion forgoes the runway this fashion week season
Whether you subscribe to the increasingly popular slow fashion diet, it’s likely that the adrenaline-pumping rush of runway fashion shows still whet your appetite for some saucy people-watching and a sprinkling of sartorial novelty. Front-row celebs and A-list models tottering on impossible heels are quite possibly the Bread and Circuses of our time, but with fashion weeks coming to a conclusion here in Europe, it is welcome news that everyone can finally return home and reflect inwardly on future fashion ‘needs.’
Moving Beyond The Runway at Fashion Weeks Globally, by Abigail Doan, EcoSalon
FOOD & FARMING: Fixing what our Grandfathers Messed Up
For years, Tyler Jones, a livestock farmer here, avoided telling his grandfather how disillusioned he had become with industrial farming. After all, his grandfather had worked closely with Earl L. Butz, the former federal secretary of agriculture who was known for saying, “Get big or get out.” But several weeks before his grandfather died, Mr. Jones broached the subject. His grandfather surprised him. “You have to fix what Earl and I messed up,” Mr. Jones said his grandfather told him.
In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges, by Isolde Raftery, The New York Times
HEALTHY HABITAT: Ruin porn and the objectification of Detroit.
Can someone explain to me what, exactly, “ruin porn” is? Recently, it’s been linked to Detroit, most notably in Chrysler’s now-legendary Super Bowl ad. How is ruin porn, which Detroit-born-and-raised writer Paul Clemens describes in his new book Punching Out as “the arty delectation of Detroit’s destruction,” any different from Chilean Miners Porn? Or 2011 Egyptian Revolution Porn? Or Portland, Oregon, Porn? Anything worth shooting, it would seem, is potential pornography. Yet critics are slinging the ruin porn term around, conflating genuine interest and concern with insatiable horniness. What gives?
You Know It When You See It, by Simon Maxwell Apter
SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Clothing Choices that Conserve Water
Clothing is one thing all people have in common. Whether a connoisseur of comfort or a front row fashion week fan, a majority of shoppers look for clothing that fits a certain style as opposed to environmentally friendly features. Certain clothing choices, however, can lessen the impact clothing production has on the environment and the amount of water needed. Choosing certain fabrics, brands, and consignment options will make any wardrobe more water-savvy. The way you care for clothing can also make a difference. Here are some ways to ensure your closet conserves.
Clothing Choices that Conserve Water, by Katherine Gloede, TapIt
