The following editorial appeared in Friday's Japan News-Yomiuri:

- - -

It is imperative to discuss domestic and foreign issues from a comprehensive perspective with a view to protecting the national interest.

Full-scale debate between the ruling and opposition parties has begun at the House of Representatives Budget Committee. A focal point was a new trade agreement concluded by Japan and the United States.

While tariffs on agricultural imports from the United States were lowered, it was agreed not to invoke additional tariffs on U.S. automobile imports from Japan.

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, denounced the deal, saying that it "amounts to Japan alone conceding on tariffs on agricultural imports." He also pointed out that the prevention of additional tariffs was not documented in the agreement. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe refuted this, saying: "It was confirmed during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. It represents a serious promise."

The accord was reached after holding repeated negotiations right up until the last moment with the Trump administration, which champions an "America First" policy. The government needs to carefully explain in detail the content and significance of the agreement, thereby seeking the people's understanding of the trade deal.

Promoting free and open trade serves Japan's national interest. It is essential to exchange views on trade policies from a broad perspective, including on how to draw the United States back to an international cooperation framework.

During an interpellation session, Tamaki also brought up a recent incident in which a patrol vessel of the Fisheries Agency and a North Korean fishing boat collided. He cast doubt on the government's act of returning rescued North Korean fishermen without questioning them over the incident.

Abe explained that this is because it could not be confirmed that there had been illegal fishing.

To ensure stability in this region of the world, it is indispensable to eliminate North Korean threats. How can U.S.-North Korea talks be backed up and denuclearization realized? The opposition parties should develop their argument by delving into how foreign measures will be taken vis-a-vis Pyongyang.

In regard to constitutional revision, Tamaki insisted that the Liberal Democratic Party drop its proposal to add the legal grounds for the Self-Defense Forces by amending Article 9. Abe did not go beyond saying that "it is important to stipulate the SDF in Article 9."

It is highly significant to stipulate the SDF, which is tasked with ensuring national security, in the nation's top law, thereby sweeping away the argument that the SDF is unconstitutional. Individual parties are called on to discuss what provision should be stipulated by presenting their views at the commissions on the Constitution in both houses of the Diet based on the LDP proposal.

The opposition parties also took time to raise the scandal involving executives of Kansai Electric Power Co. who received money and goods. They condemned the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, saying that it did not fulfill its responsibility as a supervisory office.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Isshu Sugawara responded by saying: "Utility firms undertake business that has extremely high public interest. So we'll supervise them strictly."

KEPCO plans to establish a third-party panel to reinvestigate, among other things, what actually happened in the scandal involving the receipt of money and goods. The Diet should deepen debate on electric power policy without concentrating only on the scandal.

Originally posted here:
Parties must deepen Diet debate by taking national interest into account - The Advocate

I also cut out sugar, which is very hard, because I love sugar. But being gluten-free really helped me with the discipline. But I did it, so I was, like, You know what? Sugar is the same. And I really felt the difference. Even with fruit. I eat berries, watermelon, and apples, but the rest is a little bit too much sugar, because I feel the effect that it has on my body.

Madonnas been going on at 10 or 11, and Ive heard even midnight on weekends, which means the show can run until 3 a.m. How do you manage to get enough sleep when you're ending so late? Do you shift back your whole sleeping schedule?

This is the hardest part, but it's become easier. It was actually worse during rehearsals, because the time we finished would change a lot, but now it's a little bit more consistent, so I try to keep at least eight hours of sleep a day. I do a lot of activities, I love moving, I love doing a lot of stuff at once. I'm doing a lot of extra things outside of this tour. I utilize the time that I'm not working to have other meetings, close some deals, and the like. So I really need my eight hours. But if I'm not on tour, sometimes with six hours I'm fine.

I work just as hard when I'm not on tour. I'm also a filmmaker and an actor. I can spend, like, 10 hours a day working on a script. I'm always creating.

Do you do anything else to keep your energy levels up throughout the night for this tour?

No, we're already so pumped. I do what I love! I'm onstage with some creative geniuses around me and an amazing crowd, and we're doing an amazing show. That's enough to give me a bunch of energy. I'm actually overflowing. I'm so pumped all the time, every number.

Are you naturally a night owl?

When I first started dancing, I would dance all night every night, and then I would sleep at school. So I find a lot of inspiration at night, but now I know why: it's because nobody's awake, so it feels like the world is yours. I realized that if I wake up very early in the morning, it's the same thing. Because nobody's awake, you have the time for yourself, you have nobody putting you in their agenda to do whatever. Its your own time. So now when I write, I work very early in the morning.

When you get home from such an energy-packed night, whats the first thing you do to get yourself ready for sleep?

I like to unwind. First I order food from whatevers open, and then I take a shower. Most days, I read a book, but sometimes Ill see some friends. I like to socialize, and I think its very important for me to keep a great social life.

What are you reading right now?

I always read three books at the same time. I just finished reading a book called Finished, which basically explains why people don't really finish stuff. They always start something, whether it's a project, a diet, a relationship or whatever, but they never finish. I believe in the theory that perfection is the enemy of execution, because people have the mentality of all or nothing, and if it's not all, they just stop. So sometimes you just have to finish it, even if it's not perfect, even if it's not good. And then you can even come back to it, or it can be just good enough.

Read more here:
Madonnas Secret Weapon: The Real-Life Diet of Loic Mabanza - GQ

Healthy diet: There exists both good fat and bad fat, and good carbs and bad carbs

Whenever you hear the term "diet", it inadvertently infers some kind of restriction in your diet that you cannot get away with. However, the truth is that your diet can include all foods, as far you know the difference between the good and the bad in your diet. Highlighting the same is nutritionist Nmami Agarwal in her blog post shared on Instagram. "The very nature of diets is to train us to think of the foods as good foods and bad foods because they supposedly make us gain weight or cause all sorts of health conditions," she writes in her post.

If you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, then you must include all food groups in your diet-fats, carbs and protein. With the coming of fad diets like keto diet, low-carb diet and low-fat diet to name a few, many people have come to believe that eating fats and carbs can make them gain weight.

The truth, however, is that cutting on your fats and carbs may help you with quick weight loss. But, this weight loss is temporary in nature and is likely to bounce back the minute you resume regular eating habits.

Low-carb and low-fat diets can make you feel starved, fatigued and irritablePhoto Credit: iStock

Fats, carbs and protein are important macro nutrients that should be a part of your diet. However, there are good carbs and bad carbs, and there is good fat and bad fat. Here's what you should know...

Also read:Essential Nutrients You Need For Losing Weight Quickly

Simply put, saturated fats are the bad fats with no nutrient value. They are the ones that cause weight gain and increase your calorie intake. Unsaturated fats are the good fats, the kind of fats that provide you energy and also keep your body warm. High fat dairy, red meat, ice cream, butter, chips, and cheese are foods that are high in saturated fat. Eating saturated fats in excess can increase bad cholesterol level. High cholesterol levels can put you at risk of heart disease.

There is also something called trans fat, which are usually found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) are fats found in avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, canola oil, fatty fish, nuts and seeds. These are also healthy fats that must be a part of a healthydiet.

Also read:5 Go-To Foods For Times You Are Feeling Stressed Or Under Pressure

Simple or refined carbs are bad carbs while complex carbs are good carbs that should be in your diet. Simple carbs consist of only one or two sugar molecules. They rapidly increase blood sugar levels. Processed foods like white sugar, candy, desserts, syrups and sugar-sweetened beverages like soda are all high in refined carbs. Simple carbs slow digestion and lack nutritive value.

Complex carbs, on the other hand, are the ones present in foods like legumes, grains, peas, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Complex carbs are healthy carbs that are required to fulfil your satiety, make you feel energised. Brown rice, quinoa, barley, oatmeal and other whole grains are fibre-rich carbs that must be a part of a good diet.

Fresh fruits and vegetables contain fibre-rich carbs that you must include in your dietPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Walnuts, Flaxseeds And Other Best Foods To Lower Your Numbers

Protein-rich foods are important in weight loss diet. They help in building muscles and also help in keeping you full for longer. Proteins are known to be building blocks of the human body. However, excess intake of proteins can be detrimental to health. Some common side effects of high protein diet include weight gain, constipation, bad breath, diarrhoea and kidney damage. Also, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet can provide you with sufficient protein. Eggs, nuts and seeds, chicken breast, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables are protein-rich foods that you must include in a healthydiet.

(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.

Read more:
The Good And Bad In Your Diet: Know What You Should Eat And What You Shouldn't To Stay Fit And Healthy - NDTV News

Sharing her before and after transformation images to Reddit, the woman was ecstatic to reveal she had lost 30 lbs (two stone and two pounds). The poster, known as meowitsmichelle said she wasn't completely done with her weight loss journey. She revealed she lost the weight by a change in her diet. There was one particular diet the poster used to help her shed the weight - the keto diet.

Responding to questions about her diet on a Reddit thread celebrating people who have lost weight following the keto diet, meowitsmichelle wrote: My biggest change has just been how I look at food.

"Every meal was pasta, bread, rice and then multiple times a week washing it all down with 4-8 Coronas.

"Not to say Ive stopped drinking, but have switched to the Claws lol."

White Claw is a brand of low calorie alcoholic drink that has become popular in the USA in recent months.

It is not yet available to buy in the UK, but comes in six different flavours in America.

The Reddit poster explained she hadn't finished on her weight loss journey, and explained: "My ultimate goal was to be under 160 but once I hit that I changed it to be around 140."

The Keto diet has become wildly popular in recent times, and many people - celebrities and normal people alike - with many sharing their tips and tricks.

One of those celebs is Jonathan Ross, who followed the keto diet to lose two stone.

Speaking in 2015, Ross said he cut out sugar and carbs in a bid to slim down. He said: My wife wanted to go on an eating plan so you can actually maintain it, but also really enjoy food."

Rather than paying an expensive nutritionist, Ross revealed he surfed the internet for diet inspiration.

It was then he discovered the keto diet - popular with many weight loss devotees online.

He said: A lot of them [Reddit users] were talking about a diet called Keto. It's a bit like Atkins but more scientific.

It's mostly meat and fish, lots of egg and cheese. You have a lot of cauliflower. There is a lot of work involved so I watch them working quite hard in the kitchen and eat everything they've made."

What exactly can you eat on the keto plan?What macros should followers aim for?

Rafael Rozenson, nutritional expert and founder of http://www.Drink-Vieve.co.uk, said: "For those wanting to lose weight, you may want to start your ratio at 40 per cent carbs, 40 per cent protein and 20 per cent fat.

The expert added if weight loss is your main goal, it is important that you eat fewer calories than your maintenance calories intake.

Read more:
How to get rid of belly fat: Woman reveals the diet plan she followed to lose two stone - Express

It can take antidepressants up to six weeks to kick in, but findings of one small study indicate improving diet can help to alleviate symptoms of depression in as little as three weeks.

The randomised controlled study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday, followed 76 Australian adults aged between 17 and 35 with moderate-to-severe depression symptoms and a diet high in processed foods and sugar.

A healthy diet can improve symptoms of depression in three weeks, researchers find.Credit:Getty

The participants were split into two groups; one remained on their regular diet while the second was given meal ideas, a shopping list and tips on how to deal with challenges such as the cost of some fresh foods, or time pressure, and instructed to eat a Mediterranean-style diet and to limit junk foods.

This meant aiming to increase intake of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, protein (lean meat, poultry, eggs, tofu, legumes), unsweetened dairy, fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil and spices known for their neurological benefits (turmeric and cinnamon). The intervention lasted three weeks.

Continue reading here:
Diet could improve depression symptoms in three weeks, study finds - The Age

When it comes to your diet and exercise habits, are you an anti-dieter or hard-core ketoer? Do you walk (sometimes) or are you a HIIT aficionado? A new Cleveland Clinic and Parade magazine survey offers some fascinating insights into how Americans are managing their health.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

When it comes to fads whether diet or exercise you need to know that some can improve your health while others dont deserve your time. There can be a lot of false health claims out there, so its important to ask where that information or advice is coming from, says functional medicine expert Mark Hyman, MD.

Watch this video to see where your habits fall vs. those Americans surveyed.

Originally posted here:
Do You Prefer Diet + Fitness Fads Over the Tried-and-True? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Digital Original

What Is the Keto Diet? Experts Weigh In... and Celebs Sound Off

There are people who think the Keto Diet is "kind of dumb," but Ryan Culberson is decidedly not one of those folks. After he and wife Briana lost a combined 112 pounds on the high-fat, low-carb eating plan, they're sticking to it. The couple has been eating Keto-friendly meals morning, noon, and night, and Ryan often uses his Instagram feed to offer recipe suggestions for every time of the day.

In his latest foodie post, The Real Housewives of Orange Countyson-in-law shared a photo of his breakfast. Clearly enjoying his plate of fried eggs, bacon, and avocado spread, Ryan wrote: "Feels so good to be back home." He was also sipping a mug of coffee that advertised caffeine, fat, and ketones.

Dig in with your eyes:

The Feast is Bravos digital destination serving culinary inspiration and essential food news. Like us on Facebook and visit daily for diet and wellness trends, kitchen hacks and tools and the buzziest celebrity, chef, and restaurant happenings you need to know about right now.

Read the rest here:
Ryan Culberson Shares the Keto Diet Breakfast Helping Him Maintain His Weight Loss - Bravo

Israeli scientists have found evidence that early humans thought ahead and stored fat and marrow laden animals bones for rainy days.

According to a new study published in Science Advances the early humans who populated the Qesem cave near Tel Aviv in Israel, between 200,000 and 420,000 years ago, anticipated their future needs through dietary planning, and the paper is making headlines because previously early humans had not been thought capable of such dietary foresight.

The researchers first identified cut marks on most of the surfaces of the animal bones recovered from Qesem cave and they were found to be consistent with what the paper calls preservation and delayed consumption. It would appear early humans carefully removed the skins from dried bones which had been stored longer, and of the sample set of more than 80,000 animal bones, the researchers noted cut marks on 78% of the specimens analyzed.

Examples of cut marks associated to disarticulation and/or skinning on deer metapodials from Amudian and Yabrudian levels of Qesem Cave. (Image: Ruth Blasco/ Science Advances )

The study shows that inhabitants of the cave selected body parts of hunted animal carcasses likefallow deer, and that their limbs and skulls were taken to the cave while the remainder of the carcasses were stripped of meat and fat and abandoned at the hunting scenes, according to Professor Jordi Rosell from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), reported in the Independent.

Professor Ran Barkai from Tel Aviv University in Israel says bone marrow is high in nutrition and as such was long featured in the prehistoric diet , but until now, all evidence had pointed towards immediate consumption of marrow at the kill site . But the deer leg bones were found to have unique chopping marks on the shafts which is not caused when stripping fresh skin to fracture bones for the extraction of marrow, he said.

Skinning in combination with tendon removal requires a specific use of the tool with an inclination almost parallel to the bone. (Image: Maite Arilla / Science Advances )

In the paper the researchers say that hunter-gatherer food storage was a risk-reducing mechanism offsetting resource scarcity and it is typically seen as evidence of intensified subsistence activities. Having recreated the caves environmental conditions the researchers determined that any stored bone marrow would have remained nutritious for up to nine weeks after the animals had been killed.

The storing of grease and marrow for delayed consumption has been documented among ethnographic groups such as in the Nunamiut Eskimo communities where bones are stored over the winter and processed in large batches. The Loucheux people also process the bones secondarily and with a slight delay, and both groups store it inside the stomach of caribou which they claim keeps the foods edible for 2 or 3 years.

Breaking into the bones to reach the marrow. (Image: Maite Arilla / Science Advances )

In 2017, Dr J. D.Speth published a paper looking at the consumption ofputrid meat and fish in the Eurasian middle and upper paleolithic and he argued that arctic and subarctic peoples consumption of fermented and deliberately rotted meat was a desirable and nutritionally important component of human diets, and not solely as starvation food. While it is clear ancient processed foods had dietary benefits the paper says the fats must have tasted and smelled rancid.

However, before we jump back to the old paradigm that early humans were dumb and just ate whatever was in front of them whether fresh or crawling with maggots, the researchers say they found it difficult to know if rancidity in meat impaired the consumption of aged marrow, or not. This might sound peculiar to many readers who frequent western restaurants but will make perfect sense to anyone living in Iceland, for example.

Some traditional Icelandic food (plate to the left: Hangikjt, Hrtspungar, Lifrarpylsa, Blmr, Hkarl, Svi. plate to the right: Rgbrau, Flatbrau) ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

Hkarlis a national dish of Iceland and as a orramatur, a selection oftraditional Icelandic foodserved at the midwinter festival orrablt, it is afermented orrottenGreenland sharkcured with a traditionalfermentationprocess by being hung up to dry for four to five months. Only after a strongammonia-smell develops and enhances the fishy taste is it cut down and served.

In 2008 I ventured to Iceland and was presented with Hkarl in a business environment in which I couldnt make excuses and avoid eating it. I took a cube in my almost shaking hand and immediately though that it smelled of cleaning products and I gagged on the smell of the high ammonia content. After the locals laughed, they advised me to pinch my nose and I did so, but even then I have to agree with the late television chef Anthony Bourdain who told the Wall Street Journal fermented shark was the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing he had ever eaten.

But the point is, Icelanders love rancid fish meats and so too might early humans living in the Qesem cave near Tel Aviv have loved a mouthful of heaving, rotting deer bone.

Top image: Early Human diet: Marrow inside a metapodial bone after six weeks of storage. Source Dr. Ruth Blasco/ AFTAU

By Ashley Cowie

Read more:
Did 420000-Year-Old Humans Plan Their Diets and Store Food? - Ancient Origins

Cities are rich with information. Look closely, be it through street cameras, our phone GPS, or our grocery bills, and you can see patterns in how we live. But new research from the University of Queensland and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research has found a rich source of information beneath the surface of the cityspecifically in the sewers.

Their findings show that our wastewater can reveal a lot about the way we live, revealing details about our diets, drug use, and even our propensity for artificial sweeteners. Combined with demographic data, our waste can reveal large-scale insights about income, health, and more. In many ways, underground waste is a direct reflection of life above.

The paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed the contents from 22 different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), spread across six states and territories inside Australia. That represented a huge sample size of roughly 21% of the entire population of Australia. Using some pretty clever methodologies, the scientists actually lined up their localized waste samples with the exact timing and location of the 2016 Australian census.

In other words, while the government was collecting demographic data from populations across the country, the researchers were freezing and analyzing their poop.

They were ultimately able to measure 42 specific biomarkers in our waste that could signal highly specific information, like our intake of fiber and citrus, or use of extremely particular painkillers.

Much of what they found was a link between income level and both diet and drug use. People in wealthy areas appeared to eat healthier and use fewer opioids, illicit drugs, and tobacco products than people in areas with lower incomes. Surprisingly, income correlated with more alcohol and coffee consumption. Regarding coffee, researchers point to the intelligentsia institution that coffee has become, in which this choice of beverage is actually a statement about ones self. You could easily say the same thing about wine, whiskey, or craft beer, tooall of which are tasty, and culturally prized delivery systems for a chemically identical ethanol buzz.

One of the most surprising findings had to do with antidepressants. Like other drugs, people with more economic advantages used fewer antidepressants. (As the researchers put it: We considered antidepressants as a proxy for psychological distress.) That was all expected. However, the types of antidepressants people took correlated with lifestyles. Laborers took more desvenlafaxine. People who lived alone or were divorced took more citalopram. Amitriptyline was associated with education and higher degrees. Exactly why is unclear, but looking into the medical description for desvenlafaxine, you see its an antidepressant that also treats painful physical symptoms. It seems reasonable that laborers are in more pain, and so their doctors prescribe a double-duty antidepressant painkiller.

In any case, the individual discoveries of the study are really intended to prove a larger point: that our sewage clearly has the capacity to reveal an incredible amount about us on the urban scale. It literally conveys the substances people ingest in certain areas, and by proxy the greater health of socioeconomic groups living inside a city. Our wastewater is a portrait of our stressors, our indulgences, and our good and bad habits. Perhaps its worth cities taking a more continuous look.

See the original post here:
Study: Sewage can reveal your income, medications, diet, and more - Fast Company