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This state drinks the most wine in the US

With its ample sunshine, gorgeous beaches, and general laid back state of mind, California has acquired a bit of a party reputation over the decades. So it probably comes as no surprise that residents of the Golden State drink the most wine in the country. The National Institutes of Health’s examination of national drinking trends found that Californians drink more wine by volume than any other state. Of course, California is also home to world renown wine producing region, Napa Valley, and more wineries than any other state — by a long shot. In fact, 86 percent of the wineries in the country are located in California. California also boasts the largest population, with 39 million thirsty residents, so they have a leg up. Runners up include Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Wyoming drinks the least wine, followed by West Virginia, North…

Soon, your avocados will last longer thanks to a Bill Gates-funded startup

Eating all your avocados at peak ripeness before they spoil is a feat that takes some serious planning. If you slice them too early, you have a hard, inedible center, but if you’re too late, you have a mushy, brown avocado that heads straight to the trash can. But Apeel Sciences, a California-based startup company that counts Bill Gates among its investors, says it has developed a way to keep avocados, and other produce, ripe and delicious for twice as long. The gif below, courtesy of CBS This Morning, shows how strawberries treated with the new product stand up to strawberries left untreated. via GIPHY Apeel uses food waste and other plant material to create a coating on produce that delays the aging process. The coating mimics the natural peel or skin that already protects the produce, and can replace the wax that grocery stores currently use. Aside from saving consumers from fruit and…

Health officials warn of the dangers of sleeping near your phone

When we’re away from our mobile phones for too long, it can feel as though we’ve lost a limb. One study found that cellphone users spend on average 145 minutes engaged over an average 76 separate sessions per day. This addiction is exactly what prompted health officials to issue warnings about keeping them close at night. The California Department of Public Health released new information about the risk of radiation from our mobile devices and how we can reduce it. Dr. Karen Smith of the Californian Department of Public Health (CDHP) advise, “When you sleep, keep the cellphone at least arm’s length away from your body. (Also, don’t carry your cellphone in your pocket, [have] it either in your purse or [don’t carry] it with you.” Past studies have linked cellphone usage with an increased risk of brain tumors, low sperm count, headaches, and impaired hearing and sleep. Officials also warn that…

California drought sends avocado prices soaring

Guacamole and avocado toast are about to cost you a lot more green. Between an intense heat wave, summer drought and heavy winter rains, California, the nation’s leading avocado producer, has suffered a significant shortfall of fruits this year. Forecasts expect production to plunge as much as 46% to 215 million pounds, down from 401 million pounds in 2016. “We lost fruit that would have have sized up to be this year’s crop,”  Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission, a trade group for avocado growers, told the Los Angeles Times. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of an avocado jumped to $1.25 last week — up from $1.14 last year at the same time and just 94 cents at the start of summer 2016. Mexico, the leading international avocado supplier to the U.S., suffered similar weather this year and is able to send fewer boxes across the border, adding…

Study finds big breakfasts lead to weight loss

You already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but a new study shows that it should also be the biggest meal of the day if you’re looking to lose weight. Researchers at Loma Linda University in California tracked 50,000 participants, age 30 and older, for seven years. Results published in the Journal of Nutrition show that not only was eating breakfast associated with a lower body mass index, but so was making it the biggest meal of the day. Dr. Hana Kahleova, one of the study’s authors, told KCBS that, “People who are regularly eating breakfast have better chances of keeping their body weight compared to those who are skipping breakfast.” The theory is that eating in the a.m. means you’ll be less likely to reach for snacks or heavy meals later in the day when you have less healthy options available and less time…

Disney’s Glowing Lavender Lemonade Looks Sweet for Summer

To commemorate Disney California Adventure’s new Guardians of the Galaxy ride, the park created a special menu for the Summer of Heroes celebration. The large $9 sourdough Baby Groot-shaped bread was the first epic item to take off. The character-inspired bread is baked fresh at Disney California Adventure’s Boudin Bakery, and using black olives for eyes and jalapeño cheddar for hair, looks just like the lovable on-screen character. But it’s the glowing Infinity-Ade drink that is popping up all over Instagram now. At $8, the lavender lemonade comes with a glow cube that you can save all use at home all summer. Reportedly, you can choose your own “stone” color. One fan wrote of the new non-alcoholic drink, “[It] is a lavender lemonade with a sugar/ lavender rim. You can choose your “infinity stone” aka the color setting of the glow cube,” and gave it a high recommendation. Another reviewer…