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5 reasons you must include Katuki in your diet! – Times of India

Posted: December 18, 2019 at 6:48 pm

In our modern-day lifestyle, the ancient school of Ayurveda can offer respite from everyday troubles and stress. Plus, certain roots and herbs prescribed in this holistic healing therapy can also help get rid of diseases and several ailments. While a lot of them are already in use, some of them are still not talked about. Katuki, a traditional herb, originally found in the mountains is rather rare and not as popularly known as other traditional herbs and spices but can offer respite from so many problems that may be weighing down your body. A bitter root with sweet, helpful health benefits, here are some benefits of this ayurvedic plant:1. It is a natural fever pillWhen we are stuck by a bout of temperature and chills, the first thing we all do is pop in a pill to bring the body temperature down. What if we told you, katuki consumed during sick days can cool down the body naturally? The herb contains powerful antipyretic properties that soothe and fight the inflammation responsible for the sudden chills and body heat. Consumed with either warm water or ghee, it can naturally protect the body from seasonal dangers. You can also try adding powdered katuki to your meals to boost your health.

2. Eases respiration and breathingPollution, seasonal woes or viral infections- breathing troubles can spell trouble anytime. Katuki, with its potent anti-inflammatory properties, can open up the passageways, ease congestion and help expel any irritants, naturally. It can also act as a natural aid that can come to the rescue of asthmatic patients by limiting the release of histamine in the body. Studies are also being conducted to test its efficacy in providing respiratory benefits for the body. Plus, it is also touted to carry immune-boosting benefits, which again can prevent the chances of chronic infections happening.

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5 reasons you must include Katuki in your diet! - Times of India

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Meghan King Edmonds Details Her Daily Diet as She Struggles to Put on Weight – Bravo

Posted: December 18, 2019 at 6:48 pm

Meghan King Edmonds has had enough of people telling her to "eat a burger." Whether the comments are well-intentioned or not, The Real Housewives of Orange County alum has seen plenty of them that address her too-thin appearance,so she decided to address her recent weight loss head-on with a candid blog post.

As anyone who's been keeping up with Meghan's life could have guessed, the mom of three has been feeling an undue amount of stress lately and she's lost her appetite.

Between coping with her son's brain injury and a divorce that blindsided her, "Im not hungry," Meghan wrote. And that doesn't mean that she's not trying.

"This is the first time in my life Ive counted calories and its in the opposite way most Americans do so," she wrote. "Ieat breakfast every day. Thats easy. Lunch is hard because its an annoyance: a stop in the middle of the day when Im on a roll. So when I eat lunch I really go for it all the carbs and all the protein. I dont snack never have. Dinner can go either way. The kids are asleep so I have time to eat and I do but usually Im not very hungry."

And once more, for the record: "But I digress," Meghan wrote."I agree, Im too thin ...The best is yet to come. (Including love handlesthose are coming soon. Okay I take that backmaybe not love handles lets not get crazy but some meat on the old bones.)"

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Technology That Can Make It Easier to Stay On Your Diet and Exercise Plan – TechNewsGadget

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:48 pm

As everyone knows, the continued evolution of technology has made our lives easier in many respects. One such example is the incredible ways in which technology has made it easier to exercise, diet and get into better shape. These technological evolutions have made amazing things possible; heres a look at three such examples.

Wearable devices can keep track of a variety of important exercising metrics, including your pulse and daily activity. Many of these devices also can automatically be charted, graphed or imported into a variety of exercise apps, giving you an accurate reading of your daily activity and enabling you to see which parts of your physical routine you need to improve.

90% of diets fail, but by using apps that help you keep track better you dont have to be worried about failing. Thankfully, there are no shortage of good apps which you can use. These apps run the gamut when it comes to diet and exercise. For example, you can use a variety of apps to look up the calories of food and manage what you eat and drink. These apps essentially act as a log which make it easier for you to track the number of calories you consume every day. You can also usually input your daily exercise, enabling you to get a full sense of how many calories you have to play with.

Previously, one of the biggest barriers to using the gym was the lack of knowledge when it came to how to use certain pieces of equipment. That is no longer a concern. The internet and YouTube are replete with an array of instructional videos which can help teach you how to safely use equipment and give you recommendations for starting weight and sample exercises. Since you can view these on your phone, you can literally watch a video, put the phone back in your pocket, and get to work.

Thanks to the evolution of technology, it is easier than ever before to stick to a diet, learn how to exercise and essentially have a personal trainer in your pocket. Typical barriers, such as cost or a lack of expertise, have fallen by the wayside. If you are interested in getting into shape or eating healthier, you now only have to visit your app store and you will have everything you need.

Interested in technology and healthy living? Heres another article you might like:

https://technewsgadget.net/2019/08/6-health-gadgets-to-help-you-live-your-best-life/

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The Science Behind the Ketogenic Diet and Sleep – Psychology Today

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:48 pm

Its not uncommon to hear people report sleep problems when they start a ketogenic diet. A big reduction in carbohydrate intake combined with significant increase to fat intakewhich happens on a keto dietcan cause changes to sleep patterns. These macronutrients have different effects in the body and can affect sleep in distinct ways.

Studies of high-fat diets show mixed results. Some research suggests eating abundant fats can improve sleep quality, while other studies showhigh-fat diets linked to more disruptive sleep and trouble falling asleep. (Ill talk about the effects of protein and carbohydrates on fats in a minute.)

There are a small number of studies that look at keto diets and sleep. They show this very low-carb, high-fat diet may offer benefits for sleep, both through weight loss and other pathways. A just-released study onthe effects of ketofound that adhering to this eating plan helped reduce daytime sleepiness in a group of obese patients. Previous studies have foundsimilar results, along with increases to REM sleep. Other research has shownketogenic diets increase REM sleep and sleep qualityin a group of children with epilepsy. (A ketogenic diet has shown the capacity to reduce seizures, making it an effective dietary therapy for people with epilepsy.)

Theres some very interesting emerging research showing that ketogenic diets have an effect on a brain chemical that is important to sleep regulation: adenosine. Youve heard metalk about adenosine before, in relation to caffeine. Adenosine builds up in the body throughout the day. It contributes to our feeling increasingly less alert and wakeful as the day goes on, and eventually helps to promote deeper slow-wave sleep at night. Caffeines ability to block the effects of adenosine is one important way it delivers us that stimulating, alertness-producing mental boost. Studies show a ketogenic diet promotes adenosine activity in the body, helping to relax the nervous system, as well asreducing pain and inflammationall of which can help improve sleep.

We need to see more research to better understand the relationship of ketogenic diets to adenosine, and to sleep directly. There may be short-term issues on a ketogenic diet that eventually give way to benefits for sleepbut we need to see more research to know.

Sleep issues with high-protein, low-carb diets?

Its tough to find research that specifically addresses the Paleo diet and sleep. (There are currently studies underway, which Ill talk about when theyre published.) From talking with my patients and others, I know people who start eating paleo sometimes have a harder time sleeping, similar to people who adopt a ketogenic eating plan.

The shift away from carbohydrates and toward protein may explain these sleep issues. Carbohydrates increase levels of the amino acid tryptophan in the brain, which helps facilitate sleep when it converts to serotonin. Serotonin is necessary for the body to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. Protein, on the other hand,increases levels of tyrosine, an amino acid that triggers the production of stimulating, alerting brain chemicals, including epinephrine and norepinephrine. Reducing serotonin by limiting carbohydrateswhile at the same time elevating the alertness-promoting chemicals associated with tyrosinemay result in difficulty falling asleep and getting a full night of rest.

Research on the effects to sleep of high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets is mixed. Some studies have shown people with sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleepapnea tend to consume less carbohydrates than people without these sleep disorders. Other research shows reductions to slow-wave sleep in people who consume high-carb diets, compared to low-carb.

One factor that seems clearly to matter when it comes to carbohydrate intake?Quality. Diets that derive their carbohydrates from healthy, fiber-rich whole foodsas opposed to sugars and processed starchesare associated with better sleep. The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole foods, lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, a moderate amount of grainwhile minimizing sugarsis linked toimprovements in insomniaand other sleep problems. The effects on sleep from moving from a high-carb to a low-carb diet may depend heavily on the types of carbohydrates youve been eating, the ones you keep in place in your new regimen, and thetiming of your eating, especially in the evening.

High protein diets have also shown both benefits and drawbacks for sleep. Some studies showconsuming greater amounts of proteinis linked to longer sleep times, moreconsistent sleep patterns, andhigher sleep quality. Other research suggests higher protein intake is linked to shorter sleep amounts. Recent research indicates thathigh-protein diets in people who are overweight may lead to improvements to sleep.

A couple takeaways on low-carb diets and sleep

There isnt a one-size-fits-all message about how these popular diets affect sleep. To navigate sleeping well alongside any new eating plan, keep these things in mind:

Losing weight will help you sleep better.A diet that helps you get safely to a healthy weight and stay there will benefit your sleep. Your risks for obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders will go down. Youll sleep more comfortably, and wake with more energy for the day. But keep this in mind also: losing weight at the expense of a sound, consistent sleep routine is not a smart strategy. The key is to identify the eating habits that allow you to lose excess weight, maintain a healthy weight, and sleep well at every step along the way.

Any dietary change can alter your sleep. Our eating and sleeping lives are deeply connected. What and when we eat affects our circadian rhythms, ourgut health, our energy levels, and the hormones and biochemicals that stimulate and sedate us. If youre starting on a new diet, be aware your sleep may change at first. Be prepared to pay extra attention to how youre sleeping. If sleep issues arise in connection with a new diet and dont ease after a few weeks, take a look at modifying your eating strategy in consultation with your doctor, to improve your rest.

Theres some exciting research coming on this topic, which well return to soon. In the meantime, eat well and sleep well as we head into a fresh new year.

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How to diet – NHS

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:48 pm

Low carb, the 5:2 diet,detox, cabbage soup... there's no shortage of novelty diet programmes promising to helpyou lose weight fast.

The big question is, do they work? Most do lead to fast sometimes dramatic weight loss, but only for the pounds to creep back on again at the end of the diet.

More worryingly, many fad diets are based on dodgy science or no research at all, prescribing eating practices that are unhealthy and can make you ill.

The British Dietetic Association says there's no "wonder-diet you can follow without some associated nutritional or health risk".

A fad diet is typically a low calorie diet with few foods or an unusual combination of foods.

People can lose weight very quickly initially, but soon get fed up and return to old eating habits, and end up putting the weight back on.

Here are 5 reasons why following the latest novelty diet may not be a good way to lose weight.

Many diets, especially crash diets, are geared to dramatically reducing the number of calories you consume.

"Crash diets make you feel very unwell and unable to function properly," says dietitian Ursula Arens. "Because they're nutritionally unbalanced, crash diets can lead to long-term poor health."

Find out how to start losing weight

Some diets recommend cutting out certain foods, such as meat, fish, wheat or dairy products.

Cutting out certain food groups altogether could prevent you getting the important nutrients and vitamins your body needs to function properly.

You can lose weight without cutting out foods from your diet. The Eatwell Guide shows the different foods we should be eating.

Some diets are very low in carbohydrates (like pasta, bread and rice), which are animportantsource of energy.

While you may lose weight on these types of diets, they're often high in protein and fat, which can make you ill.

Low-carbohydrate diets can also cause side effects such as bad breath, headaches and constipation.

"It's been suggested that the high protein content of these diets 'dampens' the appetite and feelings of hunger," says Arens.

Many low-carbohydrate diets allow you to eat foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, cheese and meat.

Too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Detox diets are based on the idea that toxins build up in the body and can be removed by eating, or not eating, certain things.

But there's no evidence that toxins build up in our bodies. If they did, we'd feel very ill.

Detox diets may lead to weight loss because they involve restricting calories, cutting out certain foods altogether, such as wheat or dairy, and eating a very limited range of foods.

"Detox diets do not work," says Arens. "They are, in effect, a form of modified fasting."

Some fad diets are based on eating a single food or meal, such as cabbage soup, chocolate or eggs.

Others recommend eating foods only in particular combinations based on your genetic type or blood group.

Often there's little or no evidence to back up these diets, and they can be difficult to keep to in the long term.

"If followed over long periods, these dietscan bevery unbalanced and bad for your health," says Arens. "You may lose weight in the short term, but it's much better to lose weight gradually and to be healthy."

We put on weight when the amount of calories we eat exceeds the amount of calories we burn through normal everyday activities and exercise. Mostadults need toeat less and get more active.

The only way to lose weight healthily and keep it off is to make permanent changes to the way you eat and exercise.

A few small alterations, such as eating less and choosing drinks that are lower in fat, sugar and alcohol, can help youlose weight.

There are also plenty of ways to make physical activity part of your life.

If you're overweight, aim to lose about 5 to 10% of your starting weight by losing 0.5 to 1kg (1 to 2lb) a week.

You should be able to lose this amount if you eat about 500 to 600 fewercalories than you normally consume each day.

An average man needs about 2,500 calories a day and an average woman about 2,000 calories to stay the same weight.

Find out whether it's safe to lose weight fast

Here are 6 simple things you can do to eat healthily and help you lose weight.

You'll find lots more tips and information in our lose weight section.

Regular physical activity will not only help you lose weight, but could also reduce your risk of developing a serious illness.

The amount of physical activity that's recommended depends on your age. Adults aged19 to 64 who are new to activity should aim to build up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.

Learn more about physical activity guidelines for adults

Beware of buying fake or unlicensed medical products sold as slimming products. Get informed and know what you're buying.

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2019 Was An Extremely Deadly Year For NYC Cyclists. Here Are Their Stories – Gothamist

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:48 pm

It has been a dangerous year to ride a bike in New York City. More cyclists have died in 2019 than any other year since 2000. Overall traffic deaths have also increased compared to the same time last year205 up from 192 according to the Department of Transportation. But cycling deaths have nearly tripled this year compared to last.

Since January 1st we have reported on the preliminary investigations, the ensuing cyclist ticketing blitzs, and the occasional criminal charges. Eighteen crashes took place in Brooklyn. Twelve involved a truck. All but one involved a driver. Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged the crisis in July, and committed to accelerating the installation of protected bike lanes in underserved neighborhoods like Brownsville and Corona. Since the mayor announced these efforts, ten more cyclists have been killed by drivers.

Amid all of this carnage, it can be hard to fathom that each statistic represents a life.

This is our effort to honor those lives. Over the course of the last month weve learned that those killed while riding a bike were immigrants from Japan, Bangladesh and Israel; native New Yorkers and recent arrivals from Virginia, Kentucky, and Massachusetts; children and teenagers who loved video games and soccer. Grandmothers who loved to exercise, and practice yoga. A sculptor, a triathlete, a civil servant, and a rising indie wrestling star. People who cycled for work, for environmental reasons, to save on subway fare, and just to clear their heads.

See our infographic of all the cyclists who were killed on New York City streets in 2019.

Throughout these conversations, we also heard what friends and family think it will take to stop these deaths. Making biking safe here has to be for all types of people, said Rose Kaplan-Bomberg, girlfriend of Em Samolewicz, a cyclist who was killed in July. Not just people who can be very hardcore about keeping themselves safe in a particular way.

Note: Our figure of 28 cyclist deaths includes Donald Roberts, who is excluded from the official DOT count because the driver is accused of deliberately killing Roberts with his vehicle and has been charged with murder. This story will be updated through January 1st, 2020. Some families declined to speak with us, others we were not able to contact. You can reach us at tips@gothamist.com.

Listen to Emma Whitford and Gwynne Hogan's segment about this year's cyclist fatalities on WNYC:

Hugo Alexander Sinto Garcia

Hugo Garcia was working as a delivery cyclist for Bagels By the Park in Carroll Gardens when a taxi driver doored him on Third Avenue on New Years Day, 2019. The impact sent the 26-year-old off of his e-bike and into traffic, where a second driver fatally struck him. "He was a great kid. A great worker, the bagel shop owner, who identified himself as James, told Gothamist recently. Everyone was very emotionally attached to him." The driver who doored Hugo was eventually charged with a violation for unsafely opening a door, which carries a $138 fine.

Hector Ayala Jr.

Hector Ayala Jr.s family declined a request for an interview with Gothamist. Some of us are still trying to get over his death, his brother Richard explained in a text message. The 41-year-old was struck by a van driver while biking across Linden Boulevard near his home at the Louis Hinton Pink Houses in East New York on January 4th. The crash took place shortly before 4:00 that morning.

Susan Moses Courtesy of family.

Susan Moses

Susan Moses turned heads. She broke the hearts of many, Susans daughter Lila Lieberman, 42, said. When I was young and they would hit on her I would yell at them. The 63-year-old grandmother of five was born Shoshana Lerner in 1955, in Israel. Her father was a Holocoust survivor. He lost a lot and she was very much in touch with that part of her, Lieberman told us. Susan met her husband during her mandatory army service in Israel. They had an army wedding, and he immigrated first, to Borough Park. Susan followed after less than a year, but struggled to feel completely at home in New York City. She felt very lonely at times, not exactly sure where she would fit in, Lieberman said. Months-long trips back to Israel didnt feel quite right either. Susan and her husband got a divorce in 1992, and she eventually began dating a man named Jerry, who she lived with for 25 years up until the fatal crash on Kings Highway in Gravesend on January 26th. She also got her Certified Nursing Assistant license, and worked for several years at Coney Island Hospital. She was in phenomenal health, Lieberman said of her mother. Her mode of transportation was the bike. She loved being out and exercising. It helped regroup her mind. It was just so helpful for her and she would do it in the dead of winter, even. As much as we were all worried.

The day of the crash, Susan was returning from a manicure and pedicure, and a shopping trip to TJ Maxx. She succumbed to her injuries on February 2nd. The Uber driver who killed Susan was not charged, but his license was later revoked at a DMV hearing. That was the only justice we had, Lieberman said. Both Lieberman and Susans partner believe cyclists should be required to wear helmets, after Susan left hers at home. There has to be some sort of re-education and bigger crackdown on people who are not driving safely, Lieberman added. Thats really the biggest issue.

Chaim Joseph

What I gleaned from all of my conversations with people who knew Chaim was that he loved his bicycle and dedicated much of his time to charitable acts and social justice activities, said Families for Safe Streets organizer Chana Widawski. It sounds like his acts of kindness to all living beings were inspirational to many.

Chaim, 72, was fatally struck while biking on 8th Avenue in Hells Kitchen just before 6:00 a.m. on February 4th. Kenneth Jackson, who was behind the wheel of an Approved Oil truck, struck Chaim while turning left onto 45th Street, according to police. Jackson left the scene, and was arrested on March 26th and charged with violating the Right of Way Law, as well as failure to exercise due care. He was arraigned in late May. Chaims partner did not respond to an interview request from Gothamist.

Widawski, who lives in Hells Kitchen, noted that Chaims name was printed incorrectly in the press after his death, often with his first and last name reversed. Police originally identified him as Joseph Chiam. His actual name, Chaim, means life. And it broke my heart to see him misnamed repeatedly in the press, Widawski said. I ride by Chaim's white memorial bike nearly every night, Widawski added. Each time uttering his name out loud and thinking about a life so senselessly cut short.

Aurilla Lawrence. courtesy Shardy Nieves.

Aurilla Lawrence

Shardy Nieves, a bike messenger from Harlem, remembers the snowy day in 2015 when he met Aurilla Lawrence. I put out on social media, Hey anyone want to meet up and shoot photos in the snow?' Nieves, 39, recalled in a recent phone interview, while biking through Herald Square on a delivery. And she was the only one who said, Hey, I want to come out. Aurilla, a Paducah, Kentucky native who moved to New York City that year, seemed very shy at first. But she and Nieves hit it off, and started hanging out together regularly. Aurilla was a tough and skilled bike messenger, who always went out in inclement weather. On summer afternoons in the Flatiron District she and Nieves liked to get a Strawberita from 7-Eleven and pour it into a Big Gulp cup with ice to drink on the curb. She came out of her shell in a big way, and it was awesome to see her actually evolve into the person she was right before she passed, Nieves recalled. She probably had, like, one tattoo and right before she passed she was really covered. She found her place in the world.

Lawrence was 25 years old on February 28th, when she was run over and killed by the driver of a tanker truck on Broadway in Williamsburg, near the Williamsburg Bridge. The driver, who did not face charges, left the scene. Nieves stops by Aurillas ghost bike whenever hes in Brooklyn to clean up the area and sweep away broken bottles. Since her death, his job as a bike messenger hasnt felt the same. I keep doing this job because I love it, but it's definitely a different feeling, he said. The amount of cyclists that were killed this year, and you think how many people were actually prosecuted. It doesn't make you feel great, you know? Before Aurillas death, I never really wondered if I'm going to come home at the end of the day.

Rob "Tee" Spencer (left) with his friend Angel. Courtesy of family.

Robert Tee Spencer

Growing up in the Bronx in the 1970s, Tee Spencer loved to roller skate. That was our main thing, his lifelong friend Michael Vega, 56, recalled. The boys and their siblings also rode bikes, and worked after school at Vegas fathers dress factory. Vega and his brother Angel remained very close with Tee into adulthood, thanks in part to their common interests: Harley Davidson motorcycles, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Fantasy, the 1978 Earth, Wind & Fire song. Regardless, anywhere that we heard it, we call each other and we'd say, They're playing our song, you know? Vega recalled. Tee was a lifelong New Yorker. When he was fatally struck on March 14th, at the intersection of Borden Avenue and Second Avenue in Long Island City, he was working as a coordinator for the Department of Homeless Services, where he had a special interest in serving veterans. Vega and Angel are both retired Marines, and Tees brother Gabriel served in the army in Afghanistan. He saw that some veterans were getting a raw deal when it came to housing and so forth, Vega recalled. So yeah, that was one of his passions. Vega also described Tee as a helper by nature; a friend he could call at any time of day or night for counseling. He loved dogs, and ran a dog walking service on the side.

Since Tees death, Vega has been in contact with advocates, including Transportation Alternatives. He says he would like to see more bike lanes installed across the city, which he envisions as just a blanket of security for all people. Vega is also sticking to a plan that he and Tee had, to move to California for retirement and ride Harleys with Angel. Whenever he needs a reminder of that pledge, Vega listens to the last voicemail he received from Tee. Its brief, and he played it for us recently: Thats what Im talking about my brother! We will live looooong lives!

Pedro Tepozteco

Pedro Tepozteco of Sunset Park was fatally struck by the driver of a Hino box truck at 5:30 p.m. on April 17th, on 47th Street near 17th Avenue in Borough Park. An initial police report claimed that Pedro fell into the side of the truck, a narrative advocates condemned as victim blaming. Gothamist was not able to reach friends or family of Pedro. However, the Daily News spoke to one neighbor this spring who said the 26-year-old was originally from Mexico, and a hardworking delivery cyclist for a restaurant.

Victor Ang

Victor Ang was 74 years old when he died, more than a month after a UPS driver struck him off of his Citi Bike on 11th Avenue in Manhattan. Attempts by Gothamist to contact Angs widow, Sandy, and daughter, Charlene, were unsuccessful. He was a clever man, a MacGyver, nothing was insurmountable, Angs obituary states. He lit up every room he was in, and was known for his good sense of humor, his jokes, and laughter. Born in Manila, Philippines, Victor was living in Leonia, New Jersey when the crash occurred, police records show. He was a real estate agent, according to the obituary, as well as a renowned photographer.

Kenichi Ken Nakagawa

It was already Mothers Day in Japan when a driver struck Ken Nakagawa as he biked on Dean Street near his Bedford-Stuyvesant home on May 11th, the eve of his twenty-third birthday. What a Mothers Day present I had, Kens mother, Naoko Nakagawa, 53, told Gothamist via email from Tokyo. She had not seen her son, who sustained a fatal head injury, for four years. Born in Indonesia and raised in Tokyo, Ken moved to Batavia, New York in 2015 to study at Genesee Community College. He moved to Manhattan to attend art school two years later. Nakagawa was gentle and kind, according to his mother. What he did not like was to compete, and [he was] not interested in winning.

Ken fell in love with bikes at age 13, when he learned to fix them in Boy Scouts. Many of his friends rode bikes, and he planned ambitious cycling trips, including a 350-mile ride between Tokyo and Osaka. He generally preferred bike commuting to taking the train. In Japan, we celebrate being an adult at the age of 20, Kens mother wrote. His grandparents gave him money for him to customize his own bike, which cost $2,000. The bike he was riding at the time of the accident. Ken rekindled relationships with both his sister and his birth father shortly before he died, according to Nakagawa. Asked how similar tragedies might be prevented in the future, Nakagawa bemoaned that her son ran a red light, and was not wearing a helmet when he was hit. I suppose many cyclists ignore a traffic light, including my son. Providing thorough instruction might help, she said. He hit his head and died of brain death. It could have been different if he wore [a] helmet.

Robert Sommer (right) at a holiday party. Courtesy of family.

Robert Sommer

Rob Sommer grew up in Marine Park with an acute understanding of loss. His mother Ellen died of lung cancer when he was just 13 years old. But Rob never turned inward with his grief, according to his step-aunt Myrna Roman, 65. Instead he was always warm and approachable. When Romans nephews wife got diagnosed with lung cancer too, Rob took her two young children under his wing, helping babysit the toddlers when she was in the hospital. The 29-year-old had a knack for befriending people wherever he went, old and young. Some friends knew him as Robert, others Rob, and even Bobby Guns, for his biceps.

At the wake following his fatal crash on May 12th, Roman spoke to a middle aged man shed never seen before. He says, Oh, Rob used to come around the corner and we used to have coffee together,' she recalled. He knew what I call the lonely souls. A group of young boys came to the wake who knew Rob from Jimmys Famous Heros in Sheepshead Bay, where he worked and made them sandwiches. Always, Roman said, Rob gave love as much as he craved it.

One rainy night soon after Rob was killed, his high school friends created an impromptu memorial garden near the crash site on Avenue U. After the funeral flowers died, they planted new ones. Recently, a Christmas tree appeared. Rob was living in an apartment near Jimmys Famous when he died, not far from his father, a retired NYPD detective. He rode his bike everywhere. That's all he did, Roman said. He was a cyclist. He did not have a car. Roman herself is not a driver either, and said shes distraught about the distracted driving she observes in Gravesend and Marine Park. I'm a walker. And everybody is driving, she said. They are stepping on the gas and they are looking at cell phones. I see it daily.

Yisroel Schwartz. Courtesy Rabbi Lipa Brennen.

Yisroel Schwartz

Sixteen-year-old Yisroel Schwartz was biking home from yeshiva for dinner on May 15th when police say he struck the open door of a parked car on 17th Avenue in Borough Park. The impact knocked him off of his bicycle, and another driver fatally struck him. An NYPD spokesperson could not locate any record showing that the motorist received a citation for opening their door onto Yisroel.

When he died, the tenth grader was in his second year at Yeshiva Novominsk, a school that neighbor Alex Rappaport, 41, described as particularly friendly to bikers. They had bicycle racks in front of their buildings before Bloomberg, he told us. Yisroel was quiet and studious, according to Rabbi Lipa Brennen, the executive director of the yeshiva. Two of his brothers attended the same school. He was very analytical. And so the study of the Talmud was very enticing for him and very challenging for him, Brennen told Gothamist. And he was able to master the subject matter.

Yisroels death was shocking for his classmates, as well as the broader Chasidic Jewish community of Borough Park. The school brought in counselors, and the funeral drew mourners from across the tri-state area. In the months since, Yisroels classmates have decided to honor him with additional study sessions. As a sign of respect for him they have made extra study sessions throughout the whole year, Brennen said. For the first anniversary of his passing, they're doing extra studies in his memory. In the coming year, Brennen expects many of his students will keep biking to and from school. The city buses in Borough Park don't go all over the place, and it takes time as well, he said. Especially in the morning with the yeshiva buses. So it's a much easier and faster way to come, with a bicycle.

Friends and roommates of Mohammed Abdullah. Mostafa Hossain is at far left, Shohel Vhy third from left, Shahad Shahad fifth from left. Scott Heins / Gothamist

Mohammed Abdullah

Mohammed Abdullah had been granted asylum in the United States and was preparing to apply for a green card when a driver killed him on Avenue D in East New York on the night of June 9th. Treasure Liggins, 22, was arrested the next day, and charged with manslaughter and driving while intoxicated, among other charges. At the time, 29-year-old Mohammed was living with four roommates, all Bangladeshi immigrants like himself, in a small apartment in East New York. He worked for Uber food delivery and GrubHub, Mohammeds friend and landlord Mostafa Hossain said. I was really upset about it because he was always a happy guy and friendly. He would always make a lot of jokes when wed meet together.

Mohammed was an honest and careful person, according to his friends, and would sometimes ride on the sidewalk to avoid large cars. As Hossain recalled, Whenever he goes outside hes very careful he always tried to be cool with people. Mohammed immigrated to the United States across the Mexican border in 2017 with his friend and future roommate, 35-year-old Shohel Vhy. The men spent two months in a detention center near the border, according to Vhy. In New York, they worked for delivery apps in order to send money home to their families, and dreamed of eventually saving enough to start their own business. We were thinking maybe a restaurant, Vhy said. Another former roommate, 29-year-old Shahad Shahad, delivers anywhere from 30 to 70 hours per week. He said that the work is dangerous, especially when its raining. This is a dangerous job all the time, Shahad said. Im looking for a different job right now. When I get a new job, Ill quit this job.

Robyn Hightman's friends Zsofia Sztana (left) and Cheylene Tattersall at the Kissena Velodrome in Flushing where Robyn raced. Scott Heins / Gothamist

Robyn Hightman

What Cheylene Tattersall, 34, remembers most vividly about Robyn Hightman is their enthusiasm. I remember being 20 and trying to act cool, act older, not be too excited about things, Robyns close friend recalled. And Robyn was just totally excited about everything. Robyn, who used they/them pronouns, was still living in Richmond, Virginia, when they were killed during their first Manhattan bike delivery shift on June 24th. (The driver, who left the scene and then returned, ultimately received five equipment violations.) In August, Robyn was planning to move permanently to New York City, where theyd found a community with bike delivery riders and track racers at Kissena Velodrome in Flushing. Robyns father, Jay Hightman, 57, said he can relate.

The fact of the matter is I was no longer with my family my senior year of high school either, he told us. For me biking became my means of transportation. It became my ability to find peace. Robyn showed so much natural talent on the track that Tattersall thinks they could have made it to the Olympics. They also played the flute and piccolo starting in elementary school, and dreamed of eventually getting a job at a Manhattan nonprofit for disadvantaged youth called the Time In Childrens Art Initiative. "Robyn wanted to help kids that were in the same situation as them, Tattersall said. They didn't want to [work] on a bike forever.

Robyns father recently turned his old racing bike into a ghost bike, and attached it to the top of his minivan. Robyns name is painted on the top tube, ride in peace and rest in power on the downtube. Its been a good opportunity for people to come up and say, Why? And to share [their] story but also to talk about cyclist safety, he said.

Hightman and his wife Lindsay Hawn, who live in Charlottesville, are also among the co-founding members of the Richmond chapter of Families for Safe Streets. Together they are supporting state legislation to mandate hands-free cell phone use while driving. In New York, Tattersall and her friends recently got tattoos of the key to Robyns Manhattan ghost bike. In order to prevent another tragedy, Tattersall believes the city has to think beyond bike lanes, which dont serve all delivery routes and are frequently obstructed. Shed like to see a dash cam requirement for all commercial vehicles, and harsher penalties for drivers who kill.

In September, Tattersall was part of a memorial ride that reversed Robyns last 350 mile ride from New York City to Richmond. Robyn did it in three days, she said. And we did it in five.

Ernest Andre Eskew. Courtesy of family.

Ernest Andre Eskew

Andre Eskew loved bicycles. His cousin Yolanda Ruiz, 57, remembers him as a kid, riding a unicycle up and down the hallways of his home in Brownsville, Brooklyn. My mom remembered that he fell off it one time and broke his two front teeth, Ruiz recalled. But he continued to ride. He still loved riding it. As an adult, biking was Andres preferred mode of transportation, especially after a car crash a few years ago left him wary of driving. According to Ruiz, He had an accident several years before he passed, a car accident, and he was afraid to drive the car again. So he would take the bicycle and go to his doctor's appointments and go to tend to his other errands.

Andre loved R&B music, and had a beautiful singing voice. In 1995, amNew York reported, he sang at the Apollo Theater for an amateur night event. Ruiz and Andre grew up together -- their mothers were twin sisters -- and she said that Andre was always happy and friendly to strangers. I've never seen him angry or upset or mean towards another person, she said. He was a very jovial, very happy-go-lucky person. He also stood out because of his personal style. Specifically, an intricately-patterned tattoo that covered his head, with an inked-in hairline.

The past year has been difficult for Andres family. Months before Andre was killed while biking on Sutter Avenue, his mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She died shortly after the diagnosis. That was another great loss, Ruiz said. Ruiz currently lives in Houston, Texas, where she drives buses for the transportation authority. She has noticed new protected bike lanes cropping up around the city. Some have even replaced a lane of car traffic -- part of a road diet initiative. They're very obvious that this is a bike lane, she said. And it breaks my heart because I think that could have saved my cousin.

Devra Freelander posing with her piece "Eventual Artifact" in Times Square. Courtesy of family.

Devra Freelander

Devra Freelander was an accomplished visual artist. At the age of 28, shed already had two major public installations in New York City: Fluorescent Sunrise at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City and, this past March, Eventual Artifact in Times Square in collaboration with artist Gracelee Lawrence.

The potential of what she could have done, all of the new media and areas she was experimenting with, we'll just never see, we'll never know, and that's just devastatingly sad, said her father, Rabbi Daniel Freelander. Devras art was informed by the environment, and an acute awareness of the climate crisis. So was her decision to commute by bike, between her Bushwick apartment and her studio. Devras first solo art show opened posthumously this October at CIRCA Gallery in Minneapolis, and features video of her embracing an iceberg. She was preparing for the show when a cement truck driver struck her on Bushwick Avenue on July 1st, and friends from her artist collective Material Girls traveled to Minneapolis to install the show on her behalf.

Freelander described his daughter as an extrovert with people skills, who was very comfortable in her skin. Originally from New Jersey, she was named after her late uncle, David Freelander, an artist who died of AIDS two years before she was born. Devra grew up in the public eyeher mother Rabbi Elyse Frishman is a pioneer congregational rabbi and liturgistand took to it. She was modest, but very ambitious and proud of her work, Freelander said. She was also a talented alto singer, and recorded an unreleased album shortly before her death. In the months since her passing, Devras friends have spent time in her studio, organizing and cataloguing her work. Her parents have also launched a scholarship for emerging artists at Socrates Sculpture Park, which they hope will support one or two artists annually. There's no anger on our part, Freelander said. Just enormous, devastating sadness."

Alex Damian Cordero with his little brother, Aaron, at the beach. Courtesy of family.

Alex Damian Cordero

He was just getting started, Alex Corderos aunt, Clara Cordero, 56, told Gothamist. Only two years in. Corderos nephew was fifteen years old when he moved to Staten Island from the Dominican Republic to live with his father and stepmother. He was seventeen when a tow truck driver fatally struck him on Castleton Avenue on July 23rd. Alex -- his family and close friends called him Damian -- was shy and reserved, according to his aunt. He was quiet, she said. He wasn't like the center of attention or anything like that. He was just very approachable. His demeanor was just very, very humble. Alexs adoptive mother, Xiomara Caba, raised him from the age of one until he moved to the U.S. He was very respectful to his seniors as well as other children, she wrote in a message to Gothamist. Age did not matter to him.

Cordero stressed the challenges Alex faced moving to a new country and learning a new language, all during high school. It was kind of hard, you know, getting to know the language, being in ESL, trying to fit in, she said. Still, he had good relationships with his teachers at Curtis High School in St. George, some of whom came to Alexs wake in Brooklyn. That week, Alexs family had tickets to fly to the Dominican Republic for a month-long vacation. Alex was going to see both his birth mother and adoptive mother. Now it would serve as his burial trip. He ended up going, but of course not the way they were expecting, Cordero said. Alex was not a regular bike rider, and did not have a bike of his own. He occasionally borrowed his uncles bike, which he was riding the day he died. Cordero noted the horrendous traffic on Staten Island. It's just so hard, you know, to walk around, she said. It's not like Brooklyn, where you take the train, or in Manhattan. We don't have so much access to public transportation.

Liem Nhan

Liem Nhan was biking on McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint shortly before 4:00 p.m. on July 23rd -- hours after Alex Cordero was fatally struck -- when a box truck driver fatally hit him. Both cyclist and driver were headed south, according to an initial police report. Gothamist was not able to contact friends or family of Liem, but obtained his official Taxi and Limousine Commission photo. According to the Daily News, Liem, a Vietnamese immigrant, was killed on his first day working as a food-delivery cyclist. Prior to that he had been registered with the TLC since at least 1990, a spokesperson said. The 58-year-old was living in Flushing at the time of his death.

Em Samolewicz in her Sunset Park kitchen. Courtesy Rose Kaplan-Bomberg.

Em Samolewicz

She was an artist, and that was her number one motivation above everything else, said Rose Kaplan-Bomberg, 32, Ems girlfriend and roommate when she was fatally struck while trying to avoid an open car door on Third Avenue in Sunset Park. (That driver was ultimately ticketed for opening his door unsafely; the driver who fatally struck Em was not charged.) Ems art, Kaplan-Bomberg recalled, felt kind of like a puzzle, like a very beautiful puzzle that you would never have all of the answers to, and she felt like that as a person as well. At 31, Em was a multimedia artist and poet. Her work has appeared in two posthumous shows, including a show in Crown Heights that ran from early August to early September.

Originally from Western Massachusetts, Em moved to New York City in 2015 after getting her visual arts MFA at Rutgers University. She loved yoga, and was about to start a teacher training program at the Brooklyn studio Abhaya Yoga when she died. Now her old employer, the nonprofit Third Root, is preparing to launch a scholarship program with Abhaya Yoga in Ems honor for trans women who want to become instructors. Kaplan-Bomberg still lives in the Sunset Park apartment that she and Em shared, and still rides her bike regularly.

She was always super broke and didnt have money to take the train everywhere, Kaplan-Bomberg said of Em. She found the train very draining as someone who is very introverted. Sunset Park has a new protected bike lane on Fourth Avenue, but Kaplan-Bomberg said more bike lanes are needed in the neighborhood, particularly on Third Avenue, where Em and two other cyclists were killed this year. The city should prioritize protected lanes, which Kaplan-Bomberg thinks are more suited to casual and novice cyclists. Making biking safe here has to be for all types of people, she said. Not just people who can be very hard core about keeping themselves safe in a particular way.

Jose Alzorriz. Courtesy of family.

Jose Alzorriz

At a memorial ride for 52-year-old Jose Alzorriz on August 25th, Amanda Hanna-McLeer, his partner Irenes daughter, shared a remembrance of the enthusiastic New Yorker of 25 years who liked to lead unofficial architecture tours around Brooklyn for friends and strangers. She recently shared the text of that remembrance with Gothamist. He took naps or siestas in Greenwood Cemetery and scoffed at anyone who found it morbid to lie under those beautiful trees, Hanna-McLeer, 26, wrote. He swam in Sunset Parks public pool. A Basque hailing from Bilbao, Jose was also a triathlete and an avid cyclist for whom safety was paramount. According to Hanna-McLeer, many of his friends were injured while biking. Over the years hes quietly paid for their medical bills and had their bikes repaired, she wrote. Jose was killed on August 11th, while biking home from his weekly two-mile swim at Coney Island. An 18-year-old driver named Mirza Baig -- since charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, among other charges -- collided with an SUV that in turn struck Jose.

Less than a month after Joses death, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for safety upgrades in the area, including new painted bike lanes near Coney Island Avenue. But Hanna-McLeer and other advocates are demanding a protected bike lane on the avenue itself because, as she put it, the only way forward in preventing traffic casualties is a one hundred percent protected and connected bike path. Hanna-McLeer is not a stranger to violence on the streets. In 1994, her grandmother and aunt were both killed by a hit-and-run driver in Bay Ridge. Some would say tragedy striking my family twice is bad luck, she wrote in her remarks for Jose. I say its a systemic, cultural problem.

Charles Cheeseboro

Charles Cheeseboro was the only cyclist to die this year whose crash did not involve a vehicle. The 43-year-old Harlem resident was riding an e-bike on East Drive along Central Park on the afternoon of August 26th when he collided with a pedestrian crossing at 74th Street, according to police. He sustained head trauma and succumbed to his injuries two days later. Charless sister Tara Cheeseboro declined to speak to Gothamist about her brother, after what she described as negative reporting in the aftermath of his death.

Donald Roberts

Shortly before 6:00 a.m. on September 2nd, police say 47-year-old Donald Roberts and a driver, 41-year-old Korey Johnson, got into an argument. Donald had allegedly tried to break into Johnsons Jeep, which was parked on Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy. He then allegedly struck Johnsons girlfriend in the arm with a screwdriver. When Donald tried to bike away, Johnson got into his car and drove after him the wrong way on Marcus Garvey, fatally striking Donald. Johnson was charged the next day with murder and manslaughter. Donalds death is not included in the Department of Transportations total for 2019 traffic deaths, because it is a murder case. Donalds mother, Evelyn Roberts, declined to speak to Gothamist about her son at her Bed-Stuy home this month.

Abul Bashar

Abul Bashar, 62, was working as a delivery cyclist for Kanan Indian Restaurant in Gowanus when a garbage truck driver fatally struck him while he was on his e-bike on the night of September 8th. (Streetsblog reports that the driver was ultimately ticketed for failure to yield.) Abul sustained head trauma, and succumbed to his injuries ten days later. He was one of the most friendliest guys. Whenever you asked him for something he never hesitated, said Rick Tang, a Kanan staffer. Its very sad for us, all of us. Abul, who lived in the Bronx, had started working full-time for Kanan in June, according to his former manager. Attempts to reach his wife and son were not successful. According to the Daily News, Bashar and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh.

Mario Valenzuela's friends stand with Mario's father, Mario Sr. (bottom left), sister Rocio (right of father) and mother Martha (left of friend in pink) outside of Mario's Astoria home. Scott Heins / Gothamist

Mario Valenzuela

Mario Valenzuela wanted to be a soccer player when he grew up. At 14, the sport was his favorite after-school activity. The eighth grader from Astoria had lots of energy, his mother Martha Valenzuela, 47, said. Movies were not his idea of fun. He didnt want to be sitting for so long, she explained. A truck driver fatally struck Mario on Borden Avenue on September 21st, and his family says they did not hear from city officials after the crash. We havent received any phone call or message from the city. Nothing at all, Valenzuela said. Mario was born and raised in Queens, and spoke Spanish and English at home, where his chores included cleaning his room and washing dishes. He had two older sisters in their 20s, and liked to listen to rap music. He loved McDonalds, but at home his favorite foods were quesadillas, Mexican rice with tomato sauce, and steak, but "with no grease," Valenzuela noted.

Mario had lots of friends, and they liked to meet up to ride their bikes to Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City. They called it Pepsi Cola Park, after the parks signature sign. Mario was with three other friends on bicycles when he was killed, according to his mother. Since that day, some of his friends have stopped riding their bikes at all. Nearby Vernon Boulevard has bike lanes, but Borden Avenue does not (though neighbors and local City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer have called for them this year). Thats what kids want to do, right? Go play at the park, Valenzuela said. Many of the friends are not using the bikes. They freak out, you know? They are scared. They are afraid something will happen to them, too. And its not good.

Ada Martinez's daughters Natasha (left) and Liza, with their father Rodolfo inside the family hardware store in Bed-Stuy. Scott Heins / Gothamist

Ada Martinez

On September 27, the day she died, 66-year-old Ada Martinez had a typical early-fall date with her husband Rodolfo of 47 years. The couple lived in Far Rockaway, and spent most summer weekend nights dancing to live music at Low Tide and Caracas, the arepa bar. That evening they rode their bikes to a favorite spot to watch the sunset, at the NYC Ferry terminal. My dad had brought fruit and crackers and a can of ginger ale, her favorite, Adas daughter Natasha Martinez, 44, says. They sat there waving to the people boarding the ferry. Once the sun had set they got on their bicycles and headed home.

An ambulette driver fatally struck Ada at the intersection of Beach 94th Street and the Rockaway Freeway, after her husband had safely cleared the intersection. Ada was riding in a bike lane when she died, but the lane crosses traffic and her daughter says there should have been a stop sign or light at the intersection for cyclists as further protection. If they do not address it, unfortunately enough there's going to be another incident there. And that's what's scary to me, Martinez said.

Ada was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City as a child. She and Rodolfo had three children, who they raised in Midwood and Richmond Hill. For thirty years they also ran a hardware store in Bed-Stuy called Safeway Locksmith, where Ada was Miss Ada or the key lady to her customers. She and her husband sold art supplies to students at nearby Pratt University, and taught their children how to cut keys. When a neighbors home caught fire, Martinez remembers them bringing over recovery supplies: candles, flashlights and blankets. When she died, Ada had seven grandchildren, including Martinezs five-year-old twins. She was petite and fit, and took three yoga classes a week on the beach. She and Rodolfo did not have a car, and loved to ride the ferry to Manhattan.

Rodolfo, who had just put in for retirement when Ada died, has since moved in with his daughter in an apartment over the hardware store. The shop itself is closed until further notice. I havent been able to actually face the world yet, Rodolfo told Gothamist. I havent been able to go back to the apartment where we lived.

Dalerjon Shahobiddinov Stephen Nessen / Gothamist

Dalerjon Shahobiddinov

At just 10 years old, Dalerjon Shahobiddinov was the youngest person to be killed in 2019 while riding a bicycle. Earlier this year, we reported that he loved to ride his bike and play video games. Dalerjon was struck by the driver of a Ford SUV on October 5, as he biked a short stretch of Foster Avenue between Abu Bakr El Seddique Mosque and his Kensington apartment. Driver Victor Mejia, 29, was charged with failure to yield, failure to exercise due care, and operating without a license. On the day of the crash, Mayor de Blasio tweeted that the Department of Transportation was clearing parking spaces from the intersection to improve visibility and assessing the need for speed humps. Rizwan Ali, who taught Dalerjon at the mosque, spoke to Gothamist/WNYC shortly after the crash, and noted how many local children play on the sidewalks in the neighborhood. The cars are coming down pretty fast and the kids are kids, you can tell them to stop today, but theyll start tomorrow again, Ali said. So, we cant stop them but we have to do something so they can be safe in front of their own house.

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2019 Was An Extremely Deadly Year For NYC Cyclists. Here Are Their Stories - Gothamist

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Top Diets That Made Their Mark This Decade; Which One Do You Follow? – NDTV Food

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:45 pm

Highlights

We are reaching the end of another decade in December 2019; looking back as a nutritionist, I see an increasing interest in diet as a tool for achieving health and well-being. This has also been a decade when India became the diabetes capital of the world and obesity a public health problem. So while diets are being explored extensively, they are mostly being looked as a tool for weight loss, more than anything else. In response to this trend, a number of diets are doing the rounds as the ultimate solution you would ever need. These fad diets help, but may not be doable or sustainable because of unrealistic diet plans, and many of them may actually harm you in the long run.

So, while thinking about the best diet of the decade, I realised that Ayurveda had the answers we were all looking for - which suited the availability of foods, seasons and regions of our country. Ayurveda is also one the most searched food system to help chronic disorders. Thus, for me, it is the diet of the decade. Ayurveda is a centuries-old medical system, which looks at health not just from the point of view of illness but also nutrition for the body to remain healthy. Its premise is based on achieving equilibrium between self (swasthya), which includes mental and spiritual, with the environment. What is the scientific evidence? It a practise almost three centuries old whose principles are the foundation of our daily meals at home, practised in scores of Indian families for generations. Today when these are being put to test in standardised clinical researches, they are being proven right.

So for me Ayurveda is the way to go! Ayurvedic diet is majorly plant-based, emphasises on seasonal natural foods, whole grains, local least processed oils and correct use of spices.

1. Mediterranean Diet: Although, not a product of this decade, it continued to be a popular diet because WHO recognised it as a healthy and sustainable diet this decade. It is actually an eating pattern of the people of the Mediterranean regions. It is typically high in seasonal fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. Proteins are from legumes and fish, moderate dairy and limited red meat. Ayurvedic eating also recommends similar foods and our traditional food also is quite like this. In fact, it is in sync with 11 of the 18 principles of Ayurveda.

(Also Read:What Makes Mediterranean Diet Healthy?)

Mediterranean dietcontinued to be a popular diet

2. Weight Watchers: This diet is based on calorie restriction, a low to moderate fat, low carb diet. It works on a point system called "smart points" where each food is given a point value based on nutrient quality and quantity limits. This way, it adheres to both Matra and Satmya virudha. WW has shown a good adherence by its followers indicating the wholesomeness and ease of following the plan with a consistent long-term result.

3. Juice Cleanses 2010: Juice cleanses are a huge hit among celebrities and are followed for days, even weeks. What does Ayurveda say about this? Well, my research has shown that while vegetable juices are recommended, they are done so at a personal level depending on your dosha. Ayurveda recommends a day of liquid diet as it is beneficial to calm the three doshas and this diet is found to have a lasting effect. If you want to do it right, find what suits you best.

(Also Read:11 Best Fruit Juice Recipes | Easy Juice Recipes)

Juice cleanses are a huge hit among celebrities

4. Dukan Diet 2011: Made popular by Kate Middleton, Dukan diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet, which is followed in three phases: the cruise phase, consolidation phase and stabilisation phase. You go from removing all food groups to reintroducing them. In Ayurveda, you start with finding out what suits you, so it is less painful and a health boost.

(Also Read:Dukan Diet: What It Is And How It Helps In Weight Loss)

Dukan diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet

5. Intermittent Fasting 2012: Fasting is a part of almost every culture, intermittent fasting has become a huge favourite and if done properly, it can be good. This diet recommends a cyclic eating and fasting method. There are various ways of going about this. 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting, 10/14 is also used similarly, and so is fasting on alternate days, and so on. Ayurveda principles recommend that eating before sunrise and after sunset isn't a good idea. It, however, says that breakfast should be good and lunch the best while dinner can be optional. What a lot of people do is - have lunch and dinner and also don't really control portion sizes or make healthy choices.

Intermittent fasting has become a huge favourite

6. Paleo Diet 2013: Also called the hunter-gatherer diet or the caveman diet, its recommendations are similar to Ayurveda as far as fresh locally grown foods go, but this diet omits complete food groups like healthy whole grains and legumes. It is against processed food, which is good. Clinical trials have found benefits in Paleo diet but long-term effects are not known, it also seems a little impractical and is difficult to follow in the long run.

(Also Read:Paleo Diet: Should We Go Back to Eating What Our Ancestors Ate?)

7. Ketogenic Diet 2018: This is currently the most trending diet fad. A very low-carb, high-fat and moderate-protein diet, it was originally used as a tool for diabetes control and was found effective in controlling epileptic fits in children. Today, its popularity is more from the weight loss point of view. It has helped rapid weight loss, but does it stay on, is still not clear. Long-term effect of this high-fat and low-carb diet is also not known.

This is currently the most trending diet fad

Fad diets usually use one principle of good eating habits and create a story around it, Ayurvedic diet principles are rooted in natural balance and focus on a healthy mind, body and spirit. The best diets are those, which can be adopted as a lifestyle, lifelong. Choosing a diet is a personal call but I suggest doing it wisely.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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Top Diets That Made Their Mark This Decade; Which One Do You Follow? - NDTV Food

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People Are Still Googling One of the Most Annoying Diets of the Decade – VICE

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:45 pm

According to Googles own data, the second-most popular health-related search on its engine in 2019 was, What is keto? Thats a slightly lower ranking than last year, when What is keto? was the number one health-related question people typed into Google. but its still disconcertingly high. The staying power of the ketogenic diet (what keto is short for) has simply gotta be admired; how does a diet that is largely bad for you remain something people still want to know about?

People who do keto talk about it as if theyre being paid to. Like most other diets, ketos best advertisers are the people painfully dragging themselves through its rigorous limits: No carbs, no sugars, no alcohol, no joy, etc. Keto followers are supposed to obtain 75 percent of their calories through fats, like meat (and bacon!!!). Itinerant dieters are inordinately thrilled by this, maybe because most diets dont afford them any category of food from which they can eat anything they want, or maybe because its an extremely sharp shift away from the Fats Are Evil discourse that dominated the 90s. Yes, I can eat all the cheese I want!!!! may as well be the unofficial slogan of keto, even though eating all the cheese one wants isnt a wise or sustainable choice, and overeatingeven keto-approved foodswill still cause weight gain.

Keto is supposed to work by putting the body into a state of ketosis, a sort of shock-state where the body starts breaking down stored fats to gain energy. It also works because it limits carbs so severely, dieters cant even eat one (1) whole apple if they properly abide by the rules. Most varieties of restriction diets often work, at least temporarily, because while its still possible to overeat and gain weight no matter which arbitrary restriction rules youre following, its simply boring to eat a lot of a limited range of things after a while, even if those things include bacon. Many people who lose weight by following the keto diet mightve lost weight by paying attention to what they are eating in general, which is another thing any arbitrary restriction forces them to do.

But that wouldnt be any fun at all, would it? Its way less exciting to say, no, thanks to a post-lunch cookie than it is to chomp into a wheel of bacon-wrapped cheese (is this real?) while yelling, My diet allows this!!! Keto was born in this decade and unfortunately will probably not die within it; January is just around the corner, and many people will likely continue to type what is keto into their little Google search bars, looking for a way to lose holiday pounds that probably dont exist, and that dont need losing.

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People Are Still Googling One of the Most Annoying Diets of the Decade - VICE

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Weight Watchers still banks on Oprah amid competition from other diet plans and its own subscription programs – MarketWatch

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:45 pm

Oprah will be going on tour for WW in 2020

WW International Inc., more commonly known as Weight Watchers, is banking on another well-known name to drive growth Oprah Winfrey.

WW WW, +1.15% announced Monday that it has extended its partnership with Oprah through 2025. Oprah has been a board member, shareholder and advisor since 2015. She has also served as a face of the brand.

Oprah is scheduled to join WW on a nine-city tour next year, starting in January. A list of the cities on the tour, titled Oprahs 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus, and the celebrities that will join her is provided below.

UBS analysts think Oprahs presence on the tour, along with other famous guests and a supporting marketing campaign, will benefit WWs subscription plans. Moreover, analysts expect ramped up promotion of the companys new plan.

Read: Weight Watchers is launching a new program on Nov. 11, but shares sink 15% after revenue miss

UBS is modeling for 8.3% subscriber growth in 2020. Analysts say there was a spike in Weight Watchers searches after the launch of its latest program, but that trend has turned flat since.

Still, we think the new program launch in combination with more intense marketing efforts around New Years will lead to increased interest, analysts wrote.

UBS rates WW stock neutral with a $38 price target, which is below current levels.

WW stock, which rose 0.5% in afternoon trading Tuesday, has fallen 13% over the past year as the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.03% has gained 25%.

As part of the extended partnership, WW will grant Winfrey, subject to shareholder approval,a fully vested option to buy about 3.3 million WW shares at an exercisable price of $38.84 a share. The option represents up to 4.3% of the shares outstanding, and would cost Winfrey $127.3 million if fully exercised.

If approved at next years annual shareholder meeting, the company expects to take a charge of $62 million.

Winfrey is currently WWs second largest shareholder with a stake of 5.4 million shares, or 8.1% of the shares outstanding, according to data provided by FactSet. That stake was part of the original collaboration agreement announced in October 2015, in which Winfrey spent $43.2 million to buy about 6.4 million shares at $6.79. The stock price has increased by nearly 6-fold since then.

WW also disclosed Monday that Winfrey has established a stock trading plan to sell 2.9 million shares she acquired as part of the 2015 collaboration agreement, for purposes of asset diversification, charitable giving and liquidity. Based on current prices, the value of the 2.9 million shares Winfrey plans to sell have increased by about $94.4 million since they were acquired.

But it hasnt all been rosy for Winfrey since she took a stake in WW.

The shares took a tumble in November after the company reported a third-quarter revenue miss. Nicholas Hotchkin, the companys chief financial officer, said growing studio membership was key.

The company has seen less expensive digital subscriptions grow, but the studio subscription, which provides access to the perks of a WW location, have stalled.

See: IHOPs fast-casual Flipd breakfast chain should satisfy investors, analysts say

Intense focus on the business has led to consistently improving trends since the start of the year, and we expect year-over-year studio recruitment to turn positive in Q4, he said on the earnings call, according to the FactSet transcript. Despite these actions, the studio business continues to be a drag on our revenue metrics given the price of a studio subscription is twice that of a digital subscription.

WW is also facing competition from dietary plans like keto and paleo, which have become part of many peoples health-and-wellness plans rather than just a way to lose weight. Large food companies like Conagra Brands Inc. CAG, +1.35% and General Mills Inc. GIS, -0.40% have launched a variety of products found at the local supermarket to satisfy these tastes.

And Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CMG, +1.13% has launched a line of Lifestyle Bowls, made with these sorts of diet regimens in mind.

Dont miss: Beyond Meat might not be the only plant-based burger McDonalds uses if it launches in the U.S.

But with word that Oprah was working her magic, KeyBanc Capital Markets analysts also posted a bullish note after third-quarter earnings.

The Oprah Winfrey 2020 Vision, Your Life in Focus, is more than 80% sold out nationwide, analysts wrote at the time. This demand was above managements expectations and we think the company should benefit from press coverage heading into Q4 and 2020.

KeyBanc rates WW shares sector weight.

Oprahs 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour dates and celebrities:

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Weight Watchers still banks on Oprah amid competition from other diet plans and its own subscription programs - MarketWatch

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Study Shows the Types of Foods in Your Diet Can Hurt or Help Your Sleep – Bicycling

Posted: December 17, 2019 at 8:45 pm

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYGetty Images

When riding, we tend to rely on fast-acting carbs such as gummies, gels, or energy bars. While these forms of fuel are great to prevent the oh-so-dreadful bonk, filling up on refined or processed carbs (think: white bread, doughnuts, and cookies) out of the saddle isnt the best for your overall health. Studies have shown it can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. And now, new research out of Columbia University finds that consuming too many refined carbs can even mess with your sleep.

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at the diets of over 50,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the Womens Health Initiative Observational Study over a four-year period of time (1994 to 1998).

The women filled out an initial survey that included questions about the types of carbs they consumed, all based on the Glycemic Index (GI), which, according to the study, is considered a measure of the quality of carbohydrate-based foods in the overall diet. For instance, foods such as fruits and vegetables are low on the GI scale because they contain minimally-processed, complex carbs. But foods such as bagels and doughnuts are high on the GI scale because they contain highly-processed carbs.

After a three-year follow-up, researchers found that the more the participants regularly ate foods high on the GI scale (refined carbsespecially those high in sugar), the higher the chances were of experiencing insomnia. Conversely, the more the participants regularly ate foods low on the GI scale (complex carbsincluding those rich in fiber), the less they had trouble sleeping.

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So what gives? According to James Gangwisch, Ph.D., lead study author and assistant professor of clinical psychiatric social work at Columbia University, it has to do with how the sugars in refined carbs spike your blood sugar.

Consuming sugars and refined carbs spikes blood sugar, which results in an insulin response that can lower blood sugar to levels low enough to induce secretion of counter-regulatory hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that can awaken someone from sleep, he told Bicycling. Low blood sugar has been shown to produce arousal from sleep and substantially reduce sleep efficiency.

Gangwisch goes on to say that this study suggests that eating a diet rich in high-GI foods could be a risk factor for insomnia, whereas consuming dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables could help ensure you get proper shuteye.

And while the study only included postmenopausal women, Gangwisch notes that the results would be applicable to younger women and men of all ages, since most everyone experiences a blood sugar spike after eating refined carbs.

So while processed carbs can help fuel your rides, its best to stick to your go-to gels or bars on days when youre doing hard intervals or riding over an hour. Otherwise, stick to complex carbslike whole grains, beans, and vegetableswhen preparing your everyday meals.

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Study Shows the Types of Foods in Your Diet Can Hurt or Help Your Sleep - Bicycling

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