There are more than 200,000 species of plant life on planet earth, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The history of land plants is 420 million years old, and no one can say how many species have lived and died off over the years. While many of these species are gone for good, there is hope that we can bring at least some of these plants back to life. In 2008, scientists in Israel did exactly that. They found 2,000-year-old seeds from a species of date tree that had become extinct. After planting the seeds, amazingly, one of them grew.
You Are What You Eat
Twenty-seven-year-old Angus Barbieri was a big man with a big appetite. At 456 pounds, he was also classified as “grossly obese.” Unhappy with his weight, he decided to take matters into his own hands. In 1965, the six-foot man visited a hospital in Dundee looking to lose a few pounds. The doctors advised Angus to go on a short fast. They believed it might help him lose a little weight. They recommended he fast for 40 days, but they didn’t have high hopes that he would be successful.
Food For Thought: Vegetarian Cattle Farmer and Butcher
Jay Wilde grew up on a dairy farm in England. From an early age, he felt an emotional connection to the cows who surrounded him. He couldn’t bear the thought of any animal ending up on his plate. And so, he became a vegetarian.
Jay was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps. When his dad died in 2011, he began running the dairy farm. He quickly failed at his new job.
The Robin Hood of Spain
Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo is a man who swims against the tide. When the people of his hometown were suffering, he took direct action. He stormed supermarkets with a gang of farm laborers. They filled their shopping carts with food and fled before coughing up the cash. They then dished out the food to local food banks. Gordillo was dubbed the Spanish Robin Hood for his actions. He said he did it because, “There are many families who can’t afford to eat.”
The Dull Men’s Club
Ron and Diana Watson are creatures of habit. For six days a week, they take their seats in the same Texas Roadhouse at the same time of day and order the same meal. Over the last 15 years, the Watsons have been chowing down on barbecue chicken and “Road Kill” steak. It may sound dull, but the Watsons believe in the comfort of sameness.
The Secret To Long Life
Italian Emma Morano is the oldest person in the world. Born in November of 1899, she is the only living person to have lived in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. At 117 years young, she is in great health and has a sharp mind. Her doctor says, “She’s in great form.”
An Overdue Breakfast
Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And whether you eat bacon and eggs, cereal and milk, or fruit and yogurt, you are literally “breaking” your fast from the previous night.
Idiom: Between A Rock And A Hard Place
When the rugby team from Uruguay boarded the plane, they never imagined that weeks later they’d be eating their teammates to survive. Flying over the Andes Mountains, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom. “Fasten your seatbelts, we are going to enter some turbulence.”