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'Pantsdrunk' and the Finnish art of relaxing
Drinking home alone in your underwear just might be what you need to be as relaxed as the Finnish.

- Päntsdrunk is the latest trend to come out of Northern Europe and it involves drinking alone at home.
- Finnish writer Miska Rantanen outlines the philosophy in his newest book titled: Pantsdrunk: Kalsarikanni: The Finnish Path to Relaxation.
- Kalsarikänni is a word in Finnish that literally means "drinking at home and alone in your underwear."
It seems like you can always count on the Nordic people for coming up with the most novel of lifestyle trends. Päntsdrunk is the anglicized term for the Finnish word Kalsarikänn, and it's a philosophy and way of life that many Finns swear by. The concept is something most young adults can get behind, no matter where they are in the world.
Päntsdrunk consists mostly of being alone, drinking alcohol and doing whatever you please in the comfort of your home. That might mean binging on Netflix, staring mindlessly at the wall or your phone, or just getting some well-needed rest and recuperation.
It's no surprise the Finns have come up with something like this. After all, they are also one of the most relaxed nations with the least stressful educational systems.Previous notable trends from Scandinavia
Finland Via Getty Images
A long line of trends have continually trickled down from the Nordic countries. They've all been based around one simple mantra – to concentrate on yourself, loved ones, and make life a little less stressful or at least more tolerable.
It's a simple and humble enough goal that all of Scandinavia has been able to put in practice in one way or another. Take Sweden and Norway for example, they put this into practice by the concept of lagom: a saying and precept that means "in moderation," or "in perfect balance."
Lagom is a state where everything is in balance and proportion is maintained. This crosses over to all areas of life. But whereas lagom can start to feel like a bit like a puritan aphorism – where all things must be in moderation, the Danish are well known for their less stringent hygge.
Hygge is the quintessential and picturesque feeling where you'll find yourself sitting beside a ornate fireplace, sipping a warm mug of cocoa and basking in the glow of luxuriant sense of repose.
Author Miska Rantanen finds all of these modes of relaxation all well and good, but feels that pantsdrunk is the most suitable for people all over the world. He states:
"Hygge is the glossy image we've all seen on the pages of interior design magazines and lifestyle blogs. And this is its failing: not all of us have the means to lie by a brick fireplace burning birch logs on stormy autumn evenings. In the Nordic palette of survival strategies, the Finn relies not on lagom or hygge but on kalsarikänni: the primeval yet surprisingly cosmopolitan concept of "pantsdrunk." It can be adapted to every corner of the world, regardless of circumstance, milieu, or mood."
The rest of the world got wise to this phenomenon a few years ago when Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs designed a round of emojis and pictures to describe a number of Finnish words and concepts, like Nokia phones, saunas, and heavy metal (there are more heavy metal bands per capita in Finland than anywhere else in the world). You can download the full emoji set here.
Päntsdrunk is part philosophy and part national pastime
Nokia phone and alcohol in Finland
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As a lifestyle choice, pantsdrunk stands out as one of the most straightforward ways of recuperating. It should be noted that it doesn't encourage binge drinking or alcoholism of any sort. Some research has shown that having a drink once in a while might be an excellent way to reduce stress.
There is no stigma attached to some good alone time, drinking and ultimately trying to reach states of mind that encourages comfort and peace. Pantsdrunk doesn't worry about artificiality or superficial premises. It is an authentic mode of relaxing that doesn't require you share it to the world. Rantanen says that:
"Pantsdrunk is the antithesis of posing, performing, or pretense: one does not post atmospheric images on Instagram while pantsdrunk."
Kalsarikännit isn't as demanding as other supposed relaxation techniques. It doesn't require you to spend a fortune on photogenic furniture or parade your lifestyle around online to show everyone just how "relaxed" you are. It's the closest thing the Finns have to their own personal zen.
Grab your drink of choice. Slip on those baggy clothes and do whatever. It's that simple.
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Dogs digest human food better and poop less
A new study finds that dogs fed fresh human-grade food don't need to eat—or do their business—as much.
- Most dogs eat a diet that's primarily kibble.
- When fed a fresh-food diet, however, they don't need to consume as much.
- Dogs on fresh-food diets have healthier gut biomes.
Four diets were tested
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<p>The researchers tested refrigerated and fresh human-grade foods against kibble, the food most dogs live on. The <a href="https://frontierpets.com.au/blogs/news/how-kibble-or-dry-dog-food-is-made" target="_blank">ingredients</a> of kibble are mashed into a dough and then extruded, forced through a die of some kind into the desired shape — think a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_extrusion" target="_blank">pasta maker</a>. The resulting pellets are sprayed with additional flavor and color.</p><p>For four weeks, researchers fed 12 beagles one of four diets:</p><ol><li>a extruded diet — Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe</li><li>a fresh refrigerated diet — Freshpet Roasted Meals Tender Chicken Recipe</li><li>a fresh diet — JustFoodforDogs Beef & Russet Potato Recipe</li><li>another fresh diet — JustFoodforDogs Chicken & White Rice Recipe.</li></ol><p>The two fresh diets contained minimally processed beef, chicken, broccoli, rice, carrots, and various food chunks in a canine casserole of sorts. </p><p>(One can't help but think how hard it would be to get finicky cats to test new diets. As if.)</p><p>Senior author <a href="https://ansc.illinois.edu/directory/ksswanso" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kelly S. Swanson</a> of U of I's Department of Animal Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences, was a bit surprised at how much better dogs did on people food than even refrigerated dog chow. "Based on past research we've conducted I'm not surprised with the results when feeding human-grade compared to an extruded dry diet," he <a href="https://aces.illinois.edu/news/feed-fido-fresh-human-grade-dog-food-scoop-less-poop" target="_blank">says</a>, adding, "However, I did not expect to see how well the human-grade fresh food performed, even compared to a fresh commercial processed brand."</p>Tracking the effect of each diet
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5ODI1OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NjY1NTgyOX0.AdyMb8OEcjCD6iWYnXjToDmcnjfTSn-0-dfG96SIpUA/img.jpg?width=980" id="da892" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="880d952420679aeccd1eaf32b5339810" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1440" data-height="960" />Credit: Patryk Kosmider/Adobe Stock
<p>The researchers tracked the dogs' weights and analyzed the microbiota in their fecal matter.</p><p>It turned out that the dogs on kibble had to eat more to maintain their body weight. This resulted in their producing 1.5 to 2.9 times the amount of poop produced by dogs on the fresh diets.</p><p>Says Swanson, "This is consistent with a 2019 National Institute of Health study in humans that found people eating a fresh whole food diet consumed on average 500 less calories per day, and reported being more satisfied, than people eating a more processed diet."</p><p>Maybe even more interesting was the effect of fresh food on the gut biome. Though there remains much we don't yet know about microbiota, it was nonetheless the case that the microbial communities found in fresh-food poo was different.</p><p>"Because a healthy gut means a healthy mutt," says Swanson, "fecal microbial and metabolite profiles are important readouts of diet assessment. As we have shown in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/92/9/3781/4702209#110855647" target="_blank">previous studies</a>, the fecal microbial communities of healthy dogs fed fresh diets were different than those fed kibble. These unique microbial profiles were likely due to differences in diet processing, ingredient source, and the concentration and type of dietary fibers, proteins, and fats that are known to influence what is digested by the dog and what reaches the colon for fermentation."</p>How did kibble take over canine diets?
<p>Historically, dogs ate scraps left over by humans. It has only been <a href="https://www.thefarmersdog.com/digest/the-history-of-commercial-pet-food-a-great-american-marketing-story/" target="_blank">since 1870</a>, with the arrival of the luxe Spratt's Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes—made from "the dried unsalted gelatinous parts of Prairie Beef", mmm—that commercial dog food began to take hold. Dog bone-shaped biscuits first appeared in 1907. Ken-L Ration dates from 1922. Kibble was first extruded in 1956. Pet food had become a great way to turn <a href="https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/animal-by-products/" target="_blank">human-food waste</a> into profit.</p><p>Commercial dog food became the norm for most household canines only after a massive marketing campaign led by a group of dog-food industry lobbyists called the Pet Food Institute in 1964. Over time, for most households, dog food was what dogs ate — what else? Human food? These days more than half of U.S. dogs are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/magazine/who-made-that-dog-biscuit.html" target="_blank">overweight or obese</a>, and certainly their diet is a factor.<span></span></p><p>We're not so special among animals after all. If something's healthy for us to eat—we're <em>not</em> looking at you, chocolate—maybe we should remember to share with our canine compatriots. Not from the table, though.</p>Your genetics influence how resilient you are to the cold
What makes some people more likely to shiver than others?
Some people just aren't bothered by the cold, no matter how low the temperature dips. And the reason for this may be in a person's genes.
Harvard study finds perfect blend of fruits and vegetables to lower risk of death
Eating veggies is good for you. Now we can stop debating how much we should eat.
- A massive new study confirms that five servings of fruit and veggies a day can lower the risk of death.
- The maximum benefit is found at two servings of fruit and three of veggies—anything more offers no extra benefit according to the researchers.
- Not all fruits and veggies are equal. Leafy greens are better for you than starchy corn and potatoes.
Cephalopod aces 'marshmallow test' designed for eager children
The famous cognition test was reworked for cuttlefish. They did better than expected.
