Competitive Yoga, Why We Eat What We Eat on Thanksgiving, and a Brief History of the Toilet

• Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving are more likely to have chowed down on venison than to have gorged themselves on turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. So how did these foods become the Thanksgiving staples we can’t wait to sink our teeth into? [MentalFloss]

• If you’re saving up for a big Thanksgiving splurge, you might be looking for healthy ways to cut corners right now. Try lightening up your lunch with these seven steps to a healthier sandwich. [FitSugar]

• When you come down with the sniffles or a sore throat, how do you know if it’s a cold, the flu, or something else? For now, check out our sympt-o-meter, but soon you might be able to use your cell. Scientists are developing mobile-device software that diagnoses respiratory illnesses when you cough into the phone. [Telegraph]

• Yoga is one of our favorite ways to stretch and strengthen our muscles while we relax and de-stress. It’s a personal practice, not a contest against others. Or at least it didn’t used to be. Competitive yoga is apparently catching on; there was even a recent New York Regional Yoga Championship. [New York Times]

• We were surprised to find out today is World Toilet Day, and a little confused as to what such a day entails. But at least it promotes a good cause: raising awareness for the 2.5 billion people living without suitable sanitation worldwide. In honor of the day, here’s a brief history of the porcelain throne.  [Time]

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