7 Things You Need To Know Today (August 16)

In light of the current avocado-obsessed culture (we admit it — we own an avocado fangirl T-shirt and everything), they are one of Mexico's most profitable crops. But this price boom is causing farmers to illegally tear down pine forests to plant more avocados, which majorly affects the local ecosystem and uses twice the amount of water that a typical forest would. (AP)

Due to his daughter's serious food allergies, her breakfasts were feeling kind of bland. So this dad decided to great creative with something she could eat: toast. (Grub Street)

Leonidas of Greece won 12 individual Olympic medals. With his win in the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps earned his 13th, leaving Leonidas in his wake. In his Olympic career up to now, Phelps has won 23 gold medals and 28 medals total. (CNN)

Despite the fact that a lot of people consider cats generally pretty aloof, new research shows that female cats (whether mothers or not) respond more quickly to the cries of distressed kittens than to less stressed ones. (Washington Post)

Simone Biles, who won gold at the women's all-around in Rio, posted a selfie she took with Simone Manuel, who just became the first black woman to win gold in an individual swimming event. The celebratory image went viral and even first lady Michelle Obama tweeted a response: "You've made us proud!" (The Cut)

While federal data shows that 49 percent of women get the recommended amount of aerobic exercise, only 18 percent are getting the recommended combination of aerobic exercise and strength training. If you're guilty of neglecting your muscles, you might want to start doing biceps curls. According to research, regular weight-bearing exercise lowers your risk for osteoporosis (NPR)

Forget turmeric and chia seeds. A 102-year-old South Carolina woman says her 4 p.m. beer is crucial to her routine, and her doctor agrees that her daily brew is doing her nothing but good. (Grub Street)