You might have heard in the news recently that Starbucks coffee now causes cancer! Let’s take a closer look to see what’s going on and if we should stop drinking coffee. This blog is an attempt to try to explain what the media is saying and how their headlines may be misleading, and what the real situation is. What to expect in this blog: What is the media saying exactly What the main health risk

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4 days in Whistler, Canada, 100 ambassadors from around the globe, 2 long-haul flights, 1 snowboard adventure and tons of amazing people were just some of the highlights of lululemon’s global ambassador summit that took place last week. What an honour it was for me to represent the China region and attend this phenomenal event that holds such an awe-inspiring reputation to those who know about it. Whistler, B.C., Canada, home of the most famous

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Less than a week remains as Olive Branchers make final preparations before this Saturday morning’s Spartan Race! Some of us may be feeling super excited, especially those who have done long distance sports or obstacle courses before, but others with much less experience in these settings may be feeling a bit nervous - anxious even! For a lot of us who are trying a new event for the first time, it can feel daunting and

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This answer from Quora is one of the better pieces I've read online for a while. Although, the piece veers slightly away from fitness and nutrition, the advice is all about improving oneself - and that is the fundamental mission of Olive Branch. It is a bit lengthy, but it’s completely filled with nuggets of wisdom that will benefit you. Read it - and let’s discuss!  Comments welcomed! Read Matt Bodnar's What does the 1%

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You hear it all the time: “I need to lose weight!” And the instrument you use the most to track your progress - the scale. But do you just want to lose weight indiscriminately? The answer, if you haven’t already guessed, is a emphatic NO! That’s because when a person decides to lose weight, they will usually go on a ‘diet’ and eat less so they weigh less. However, your loss of weight can come

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Are you’re feeling just a bit slow and sluggish these days? Do you find that you crave sugar and refined carbohydrates a lot more than before? Has your workout schedule fallen by the wayside? Perhaps, even your waistline has increased a bit. Inevitably, you feel a bit guilty for letting yourself go - maybe even a bit self-loathing at the extreme. While it’s not ideal that you gained fat and lost a bit of muscle,

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It’s not easy kicking ass in Shanghai. There are so many challenges to overcome in this megalopolis like dealing with the heavy traffic, food safety, pollution, the highly competitive environment, the transient nature of the city, the temptations of all the indulgences that has made Shanghai infamous! That’s why we all need a social support network to back us up and to keep us going! I’ve written about how powerful a community can be for

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It’s everyone’s favourite time of the year when people finally have an excuse to role-play their superheroes and dress as revealing as their heart’s content! Halloween has always been a season of festivities and parties as autumn comes to an end and we have much bounty to celebrate for from the late harvests. Now, I’m not here to tell you not to go out and enjoy yourselves on this most debauchery time of the year,

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Last blog we talked about how willpower is a construct of the mind.  If you believe it is capped, then you have just capped yourself.  On the other hand, if you don’t believe there is a willpower limit, then you will continue to do things that are good for you and for your future.  This trains your dorsal striatum to side more with your prefrontal cortex of your brain - the logical side. This blog

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  Continuing from last week’s blog on why it’s so hard to go to the gym, we explore the topic of willpower. As mentioned last week, the ego depletion theory has been challenged numerous times to the point now where I no longer believe it to be true.  I must admit, that at one point I did believe in it.  It made sense and had some studies done by psychologists that support the theory. But

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