Yahya Abdul-Mateen II isnt letting anything stop him these days, even a global pandemic. Currently filming The Matrix 4 in Berlin, Germany, the actor is all about making sure hes stays on top of his fitness goals, now more than ever.

The Watchmen star recently allowed Mens Health into his Berlin home for the latest installment of the Gym & Fridge series, where he proudly shows off his back-porch gym setup. It might not have all the bells and whistles a state-of-the-art gym, but it does have some of the essentials for getting in movie star-shape.

Its not one of those roles right now where I have to be really big and muscular, he says about his fitness routine. So really the key to this setup is just to make sure that Im toned and have the space to do my cardio and take care of my absthings like that. His favorite exercise tool is a 30-pound log, which he chopped and painted black himself.

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While Abdul-Mateens current workout routines requires five days a week of effort, he does like to change it up depending on the project hes working on. But if hes not on set, he lifts weights twice a week and plays basketball on other days. And though there's constant pressure to stay in superhero shape, thats not Abdul-Mateens only motivation. I want to look good in my films, but I also want to look good in real life," he says. "Between the two of those, I think thats enough.

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The Candyman star also takes viewers to his fridge, which showcases some simple foods that contribute to his clean diet. The main staple youd find in Abdul-Mateens fridge? Eggs. He eats about half a dozen every morning for a protein source. Im always working and filming superhero projects or things like that where I have to stay in shape, he says. So my diet is pretty consistent. Im usually eating things around the clock. Its kind of boring, but thats what it takes.

But that doesnt mean the actor doesnt indulge every now and then, as he shows the camera his cheat meal: cereal and candy he brought with him from the U.S. I try not to eat this at 2 oclock in the morning, he jokes. I try to keep it clean. I try my best!

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is Living Simple to Get Ripped for 'The Matrix 4' - menshealth.com

For many years, researchers and clinicians assumed that nutrition was a one-size-fits-all affair. Everybody needs the same nutrients from their food, they thought, and a vitamin pill or two could help dispense with any deficiencies.

But now scientists are learning that our genes and environment, along with the microbes that dwell in us and other factors, alter our individual abilities to make and process nutrients. These differences mean that two given people can respond to identical diets in different ways, contributing to varied health outcomes and patterns of disease.

Until recently, scientists didn't fully appreciate that individual metabolic differences can have a big impact on how diet affects the risk for chronic diseases, says Steven Zeisel, director of the Nutrition Research Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The new knowledge is resolving long-standing mysteries about human health and paving the way toward a world of "precision nutrition," Zeisel writes in a recent article in the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology.

Although the findings are unlikely to lead all the way to hyper-individualized dietary recommendations, they could help to tailor nutrition to subsets of people depending on their genetics or other factors: Zeisel's company, SNP Therapeutics, is working on a test for the genetic patterns of 20-odd variants that can identify individuals at risk of fatty liver disease, for example. Knowable Magazine spoke with Zeisel about our developing understanding of precision nutrition.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why has nutrition lagged behind other research areas in medicine?

Nutrition studies have always had a problem with variability in experimental results. For instance, when infants were given the fatty acid DHA [docosahexaenoic acid], some had an improvement in their cognitive performance and others didn't. Because some showed improvements, it was added to infant formula. But we didn't understand why they were responding differently, so scientists continued to debate why we did this if only 15 percent of children improved and 85 percent showed no response.

The confusion came from an expectation that everybody was essentially the same. People didn't realize that there were predictable sources of variation that could separate those who responded to something from those who did not. For DHA, it turned out that if the mother had a difference in her genes that made her slow to produce DHA, then her baby needed extra DHA and responded when given it. That gene difference occurs in about 15 percent of women and, it turns out, it's their babies that get better when given DHA.

How are researchers starting to make sense of this variability?

Studying differences in human genetics is one way. We conducted a series of studies that found a good deal of variation in the amounts of choline [an essential nutrient] that people required: Men and postmenopausal women got sick when deprived of it, but only half of young women became sick.

We found that some women can make choline because the hormone estrogen turns on the gene to make choline. Other women have a difference in this gene that makes it unresponsive to estrogen. Men and postmenopausal women need to get the nutrient another way by eating it because they have minimal amounts of estrogen.

If I had initially done the choline study and chosen only young women participants, I would have found that half needed choline, half didn't, and had a lot of noise in my data. Now that we can explain it, it makes sense. What seemed to be noisy data can be better described using a precision nutrition approach.

Are there other nutritional conundrums that suggest these sorts of variations are common?

There are some things for which we already know the underlying genetic reasons. For example, there's a great deal of information on genetic differences that make some people's cholesterol go up when they eat a high-fat diet while other people's doesn't. Researchers are discovering genetic variants that account for why some people need more vitamin D than others to get the same levels in their blood.

Every metabolic step is controlled by such variants. So, when we find people who seem to be responding differently in our studies, that's a hint that there is some underlying variation. Rather than throwing the data away or saying participants didn't comply with the study protocol, we can look at the data to discover some of the genetic reasons for these differences. Precision nutrition is really a change in how we do nutrition research, in that we're starting to identify why some people respond and some don't.

Besides genetic variants, are there other factors that precision nutrition needs to take into account?

Right now, much of our ability to be more precise comes from better tools to understand genetic variation. But genetics alone doesn't determine your response to nutrients. It interacts with other factors too.

The microbiome [the community of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on our body] clearly also affects how nutrients work. Most microbiome research until now has been to name the organisms in the gut, but it's now getting to the point where researchers can measure what microbial genes are switched on, what nutrients are made by gut microbes, and so on. As that research matures, we'll be able to get much better recommendations than we do now.

Our environment could be a very important factor as well. We're starting to be able to measure different environmental exposures by testing for thousands of chemicals in a drop of blood. Epigenetics, which is the science of chemical marks placed on DNA to turn genes on and off, will also likely contribute to important differences. It's been a hard field because these marks vary in different tissues, and we can't easily get a sample of liver or heart tissue for a nutrition test. We have to track these changes in the bloodstream, and estimate whether they're the same changes that occurred in the organs themselves.

We'll have to include each of these factors to improve our predictions of who will or won't respond to a certain nutrient. Eventually, precision nutrition will have all of these inputs at its early stages.

There are various precision nutrition tests now being sold by different companies. Do they have anything useful to offer?

Right now, most tests look at one gene at a time in a database and say, "You have this gene difference and it makes you more susceptible to something." But the metabolic pathways for most nutrients are not controlled by a single gene. There may be 10 or 20 steps that all add up to how you respond to sugars, for example, and any one of those steps can cause a problem. Knowing where you have variations all along the pathway can help us predict how likely you are to have a problem metabolizing sugar. It's more sophisticated, but it's also harder to do.

Are there ethical concerns with precision nutrition?

Once I know something about a person's genetics for nutrition, I may be able to predict that they're more likely to develop a disease or a health problem. That could change whether an insurance company wants to cover them. We have to try to make that risk clear to people, and also work on improving privacy so their information isn't available to anybody but them.

The other problem is that wealthier people can afford to do these genetic tests and others can't. But we can use precision nutrition to find alternate solutions. For instance, women who can't turn choline production genes on with the hormone estrogen are at higher risk of having babies with neural tube defects and poor brain development. If we need a test for only that one gene difference, a test like that could be reduced to a few dollars and made widely available. Or we might choose to just give everybody choline supplements, if that proves to be a more cost-effective solution.

In the long run, will these discoveries help prevent disease?

There is an advantage in seeking more precise advice for some problems right now. With obesity, for instance, we know that as people gain weight, they develop a group of problems called metabolic syndrome that's related to the accumulation of fat in the liver. We know that because of genetic differences, about 20 percent of the population is much more likely to develop fatty liver and is at higher risk for developing these related problems. If we can test for these gene differences, then we can identify those who will benefit the most from changes in diet and weight loss and treat them, either with supplements, drugs or lifestyle changes.

Salt sensitivity is another example. About 10 percent of people have higher blood pressure when they eat high-salt diets. Right now, because we don't know the metabolic differences that contribute, we say everybody should stay away from salt. But the truth is, only about 10 percent of people are benefiting from that recommendation, and 90 percent are getting bland food that they don't like. If we could do genetic testing and tell whether a person is salt-sensitive, then they know that effort is worth it for their health. I think that helps to make people comply with recommendations and change their lifestyles.

Unlike some drugs, which have an all-or-nothing effect, nutrition's effects tend to be modest. But it's clearly an important, easy intervention. And if we don't fix a diet, then we have to treat the problems that arise from a bad diet.

Nutrition is always going to be a tough field to get precise results. It isn't going to be perfect until we can get all the variables identified. Part of what precision nutrition is doing is helping to refine the tools we have to understand these complex systems.

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews. Sign up for the newsletter.

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'Precision nutrition': Are hyper-individualized diets the future of eating? - The Week Magazine

As we soak in the soothing rains, the calming drops from the skies bring out the chai andpakoda cravings and instantly change the mood of the city to sublime hues. Work becomesslightly more bearable with the soft, cooling breeze while we hum our way to deadlines. Butthe season also comes with a lot of risks due to the humidity and the wet atmosphere,increasing your chances of falling ill. Hence, its important to make healthier lifestyle choicessuch as eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of immunity-boosting foods.Here are some powerful herbs and spices that not only add flavour to your food but also helpstrengthen your immune system:

Cinnamon: Commonly known as dalchini, cinnamon contains sufficient amounts ofmanganese, iron, calcium and fibre. Its essential oils including Cinnamyl acetate andcinnamaldehyde boost immunity. Cinnamon is also used as a wonderful cardio-protectiveherb as it helps to keep the blood pressure in check and it is also a great antioxidant.

Pepper: Pepper has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Its carminativeproperties also help in digestion and in maintaining gut health, but importantly, itsexpectorant properties help break up the mucus and phlegm depositions in therespiratory tract thereby providing relief from the nasal congestion and sinusitis. You canadd this effective ingredient in your diet by sprinkling some on your eggs, your salads,soups and even spice up your chai!

Cloves: Cloves contain an active ingredient eugenol that fights off disease-causingbacteria in the body thus, reducing the chance of infection. They also have antioxidantproperties which aid the immune system in fighting off oxidative damage and cell-damaging free radicals. Clove has been used for ages as a remedy for acute pains and it isalso an excellent respiratory herb.

Lemongrass: As rejuvenated as the aroma of lemongrass leaves us, it also contributessignificantly to the bodys wellness. Add its concoction to your teas and include it in yourmeals to enjoy its antioxidant properties. Its often referred to as fever grass as its usedfor treating fevers and symptoms of a cold. Additionally, it is also used for treatinginfections of the digestive tract and urinary tract.

Hing (Asafoetida): Hing or asafoetida has properties that help boost your immunitywith its anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anti-viral properties. It keeps the digestivetract in check and targets cell-damaging free radicals which are contributors to variousdiseases. You can add it in your dal and other meals to enhance taste and wellness.

Turmeric: The age-old ingredient from moms kitchen can work wonders when itcomes to immunity. Be it in your food, milk or even your tea, turmeric helps cure wounds, clears the skin, aids in digestion and benefits your bones. Curcumin, a compoundpresent in turmeric, is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties that help boostimmunity. It is also a great antioxidant which helps to slow down the oxidativeprocesses in the body and keeps you looking young.

Ginger: Nothing says monsoons better than a good cup of ginger tea. Well, not onlyis it calming to the soul but the ginger in it also helps to ease throat infections. Its anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties keep the bodys defences up againstcough, fever, chills and congestion.

A spoonful of honey mixed with ginger extract canhelp your child get rid of all the irritation and congestion in their respiratory tract.Ginger can also help ease out the aches and pains.

Garlic: Garlic has unparalleled benefits. From helping in keeping your blood pressure in check to keeping your gut healthy, it does it all. Its antimicrobial and antifungal propertiesstimulate the immune system and keep diseases at bay.

Add some garlic to your everydaycurries, mix it up with some chutneys and enjoy the flavour and the health. The allicin ingarlic also helps to fight allergies and respiratory infections. It is also a great naturalblood thinner.

(The author is a wellness expert)

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Spice it up - Deccan Herald

Aquafeeds

Monday, 17 August 2020 Tim Sprinkle

Krill has been used in aquafeeds for decades. Krill meal carries key nutrients, including essential amino acids, long-chain fatty acids, phospholipids, cholesterol and astaxanthin and is one of the more effective palatability enhancers for fish available today. It also works at low inclusions and has been shown to accelerate fish growth and improve the color and taste of shrimp tails.

As a result, krill meal can augment fishmeal and other expensive ingredients in aquaculture feed without the burden of poor feed performance.

But there are issues krill meal on its own cannot be taken as a regular protein source or as an analog of fishmeal. It needs to be considered as a feed additive and used strategically, taking into account all key nutrients, to make it cost-effective.

And then there are the harvest concerns. For one thing, euphausiids, the family of marine crustaceans that are commonly known as krill, can be expensive to catch and process. Theyre very small and fragile, migrate great distances and, although they are found worldwide, the largest and most commercially desirable variety (Euphausia superba) is concentrated in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.

Krill meal performs well in shrimp feed experiments

This remote fishery is located far from traditional processing facilities and in a part of the world where harvesting can only happen for a portion of the year. The Antarctic summer lasts from October to February but sea ice levels and weather conditions can vary wildly even in that safe window.

But commercial interest in Antarctic krill is understandable. In 2019, a survey conducted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the Regional Fishery Management Organization (RFMO) for the Southern Ocean, determined that the krill fishery in the South Atlantic sector Southern Ocean made up an estimated biomass of roughly 62.6 million metric tons (MT), with about half of that going to whales, seals, squid and other predators (CCAMLR lists the entire Southern Ocean biomass at 379 million MT). Under CCAMLR guidelines, Euphausia superba may be taken in five different subareas and two divisions of the Southern Ocean by midwater trawls and beam trawls to depths of 250 meters, and there are annual limits on the overall harvest.

These efforts are designed to protect krill stocks in the fragile ecosystem and make sure that the resource is healthy and sustainable over the long term. Since they feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton, distributing nutrients to the rest of the food chain, krill are considered a keystone species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Harvesting this resource could throw off this balance, explained Dr. Alberto Nunes, associate professor at Labomar, Federal University of Cear, Brazil.

Any activity in Antarctica is under the scrutiny of the public, media and NGOs that want to make sure this environment and the wildlife is protected, Nunes told the Advocate. Fisheries there are also very expensive and in order to be viable, it requires the proper fishing technology, transparency, certifications, traceability and product diversification. So, I think this will restrict a broader expansion in krill fisheries since only a handful of companies may be able to meet these criteria.

Aker BioMarine hopes to be one of those companies.

Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Aker BioMarine operates a fleet of three krill vessels and controls the entire harvesting and production process, from the Southern Ocean fishery itself, to its logistics hub in Montevideo, Chile, to its own krill oil manufacturing facility in Houston. Its model processes krill meal immediately after the krill has been brought on board in order to maintain optimal quality and maximize the amount of krill it can process per harvest voyage.

Spun off of Norways Aker Group in 2006, the company has been harvesting Antarctic krill since 2003. On average, its boats catch about 450,000 MT of krill per year during its season, which starts in December.

Krill is a low-profit level species, so its low on the food chain, said Dr. Sigve Nordrum, EVP of sales at Aker BioMarine. Its eating algae and other things, which means its very effective in bringing up nutrients into the food chain, but at the same time it can be very challenging to harvest low-profit level species like krill. But warmer conditions have krill gathering in schools in Antarctica so its possible to catch effectively now with lower energy consumption and very little bycatch. That gives you the predictability and operational stability that you need in this type of production.

But Dr. Nordrum is quick to acknowledge the limitations that come with harvesting krill in the Southern Ocean.

Unlike other fisheries where RFMO guidelines limit harvests to as much 10 percent of the biomass, CCAMLR has set a catch limited of just 1 percent on Antarctic krill. At the same time, environmental concerns are acute in Antarctic waters, and Aker BioMarine has to work closely with NGOs in the region that support the fishery.

The company has partnered with the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition and WWF-Norway to establish the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund to promote Antarctic marine ecosystem research, including projects focused on fishery management for Antarctic krill. And, in 2019, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership gave Aker BioMarine an A rating for its krill fishery for the fifth year in a row.

Our mission is to have a sustainable fishery where we get the most possible value out of the krill we harvest, said Dr. Nordrum. I think this fishery is at the size it will stay for quite a long time, so our focus is on developing value and finding the best ways that this resource can be used, while ensuring that all people operating there are following the highest levels for sustainable harvesting.

Despite the seemingly low pressure on the fishery, concerns remain. A new study from the CCAMLR published in Nature in February 2020 found that, even at precautionary levels, harvesting Antarctic kill has an outsized impact on predators further up the food chain, including penguins, seals and whales. It showed the first direct evidence that concentrated krill fishing in combination with climate change has harmed penguins at two study sites in the South Shetland Islands, north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Whats more, regional species such as the blue whale feed almost exclusively on krill, with the largest capable of eating up to 6 tons per day, and that recent research has shown that krill are shifting their range south as the Southern Ocean warms. Eventually theyre going to run into dry land.

Such factors are why Pew Charitable Trusts opposes the Antarctic krill fishery.

Pew is concerned that krill fishing in the Southern Ocean, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula, overlaps with areas that are some of the most critical foraging and nesting habitat for penguins in the region, said Andrea Kavanagh, who directs Pews Antarctic and Southern Ocean conservation work. If fishing continues in these specific areas, areas where research has shown industrial fishing is already negatively affecting penguins, it will further damage the biodiversity in the peninsula, and potentially wreak havoc on the entire Southern Ocean food web, of which krill is at the center.

Pew is working with CCAMLR to implement a long-term management plan for the Antarctic krill fishery, based on the emerging science of the region and tailored to the unique needs of the areas delicate ecosystem. Its goal is to set catch limits that leave enough krill for natural predators and maintain seasonality around when krill are most needed by the rest of the food chain.

CCAMLR is already working to create several no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) in the waters surrounding the Antarctic continent and will be voting on a proposal to protect a large section of the Antarctic Peninsula region where the krill fishery concentrates at is upcoming meeting in October.

Many krill-fishing companies have already made voluntary commitments to not fish in some of the nearshore waters where land-based predators feed on krill, Kavanagh said. Industry should therefore support the advancement of the krill ecosystem-based management system and the network of Southern Ocean MPAs, noting that MPAs can create a spillover effect, improving the health of marine life (including krill populations) in waters outside of the protected regions. Because industry benefits from fishing in the Southern Ocean, they should also commit new science funding for the management system to ensure the fishery is not having negative ecological impacts.

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By becoming a Global Aquaculture Alliance member, youre ensuring that all of the pre-competitive work we do through member benefits, resources and events can continue. Individual membership costs just $50 a year. This year, GAA individual and corporate members receive complimentary access to the virtual GOAL conference in October. Join now.

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Will krill fulfill its promise as an aquaculture feed ingredient? Global Aquaculture Advocate - aquaculturealliance.org

Intermittent Fasting, popularly known as IF is a popular diet trend on social media. It has been advertised by many celebrities and influencers as one of the best diets for losing fat, building muscle and for overall health. But it leaves many confused for those who are just approaching a healthy lifestyle.

As the name suggests, intermittent fasting follows a period of eating and a period of fasting. One of the most popular approaches is to fast for a period of 16 hours, followed by 8 hours of eating. Half of the fasting phase involves sleep which reduces the amount of time spent consciously fasting, leading to the usage of higher energy only when conscious.

Source: SuperFastDiet

Research studies have shown that Intermittent Fasting is a perfect approach for obese or overweight individuals who want a diet that will complement fat loss while maintaining or building muscle. This works well due to the excess fat storages being spent for energy during the fasting phase. Intermittent Fasting just like many other diets requires a nutrition expert to create the right diet so the body does not run out of energy and can keep one focused for longer.

People who are starting out into diet and exercise should not introduce sudden changes to the body. This causes stress which may lead them to quit their decision on the betterment of health. A slight caloric deficit followed by a structured diet and exercise program will help one achieve the benefits of intermittent fasting. It is not meant for anyone to simply incorporate into their diet. As with many other diet trends that have been popularised by studies, intermittent fasting was initially designed to help people with diabetes and anyone looking to make it part of their diet should consult a dietician or nutritionist.

Source: Healthline

A popular takeaway in the workout aspect of IF is to perform fasted cardio for more fat loss. While this may burn fat initially, performing cardio for a prolonged amount of time in a fasted phase might lead to breaking down of muscle for energy, than fats. This will lead to muscle loss or maintenance, but not muscle building. A workout window matters here depending on the person as some may perform better before eating, while some perform better during the eating stage. A healthy meal in the post-workout window can help one build strength and avoid muscle loss or fatigue.

Intermittent Fasting, however, shows limitations. According to a research study where 8 lean healthy volunteers were subjected to IF and a standard diet, there was very little difference in metabolism, whole-body glucose, or lipid levels. This shows that it may be best suited for individuals who are overweight or obese, but one can consult a dietician to get a better idea if it works for them.

IF is among the few diets that show significant weight loss results compared to the many fad diets visible today in social media. It shows easy and maintainable results for those who are starting into exercise and may also have benefits for those who are already healthy, provided they consult a professional.

Source:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17291990/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19793855/

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/90/5/1244/4598111

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Intermittent Fasting: Everything you need to know about this diet - The Bridge