When researchers asked prospective study participants who they would like to see in videos promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, the answer was unequivocal: They wanted to see themselves that is, other mothers living in low-income households who were overweight or obese.

The researchers obliged. And the intervention they designed produced the desired results when it came to improving participants diet. As a group, the women in the study who watched the videos and talked to their peers over 16 weeks were more likely to have reduced their fat consumption than women in a comparison group who were given print materials about lifestyle change.

The participants were women who face stubborn health challenges highly stressed overweight low-income mothers of young children who, for example, tend to retain 10 or more pounds of pregnancy weight after childbirth and are likely to eat high-fat foods. They are at risk for life-long obesity and potential problems for themselves and new babies if they become pregnant again.

I asked them during focus groups who should be in the videos, and they said, We want to see us. And our children. Do not lie to us and hire professionals, because well be able to tell, said Mei-Wei Chang, lead author of the study and associate professor of nursing at The Ohio State University.

They said, We want to see them before the change and the struggles they had, and what happened after that.

Chang and colleagues identified two factors that led to the interventions success: The study was designed to appeal to the participants personal values and instill in these mothers enough confidence to take on the challenge of living a healthier life.

My experience with this population is that they really want to make a change. Some might perceive that they dont want to. But they do they just dont know how to, Chang said.

The research is published online in the journal Appetite and will appear in the August print issue.

The two psychosocial factors Chang and colleagues examined in this study are known as autonomous motivation (whats important in a persons life) and self-efficacy (a persons confidence in her ability to carry out a behavior or task). Previous research has shown that poverty can lead to low self-efficacy.

Autonomous motivation differs by population. In this study, the participants told researchers in focus groups before the intervention began that they wanted to be role models for their children. They hoped to be less stressed and happier, and to maintain good family relationships.

Chang recruited participants from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which serves low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and children up to age 5. Those eligible for the program must have an annual household income no higher than 185 percent of the federal poverty line.

The mothers were between the ages of 18 and 39 and their body mass index ranged from 25.0 to 39.9 from the lowest indicator of being overweight to just below the extreme obesity range. The intervention was aimed at preventing weight gain by promoting stress management, healthy eating and physical activity. This study analyzed only the diet-related results.

During the trial, the 212 participants randomized into the intervention group watched a total of 10 videos in which women like them gave testimonials about healthy eating and food preparation, managing their stress and being physically active.

In the videos, the women wore casual clothes and told their stories, unscripted. They demonstrated meal prep with familiar foods and showed that simple, practical steps like reading food labels could gradually lead to a healthier lifestyle.

They talked about a lot of things I didnt know, said Chang, who has worked with women enrolled in WIC for about 20 years. They spoke their mind about what was important like how they mentally dealt with changing behavior but not losing weight. And about being afraid to fail.

The participants also dialed in to 10 peer support group teleconferences over the course of the study.

In phone interviews, the researchers asked the mothers about what they were eating, their confidence in sticking to a low-fat diet and why they wanted to eat more healthfully.

Based on those surveys, the researchers determined that, compared to the group reading print materials, the mothers who watched videos and spoke with their peers reported larger increases in autonomous motivation and self-efficacy and a more significant decrease in fat intake after the 16-week intervention.

Essentially, they said, If she could do it, I could do it. Thats why we used peers to develop the intervention, Chang said.

The researchers are still analyzing data related to physical activity results, and have found that the interventions emphasis on coping self-efficacy helped reduce participants stress. The videos are now part of WICs continuing education series for mothers.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Co-authors included Alai Tan and Duane Wegener from Ohio State and Jiying Ling and Lorraine Robbins from Michigan State University.

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Inspiring stories from women like themselves helped these moms improve their diet - The Ohio State University News

Its 9 a.m. and a small breathalyzer-like device called a Lumen which looks sort of like a bulbous silicone vape is about to tell me what I already know. I sleepily inhale through it, hold my breath for 10 seconds, then exhale back through the device and wait for the results to come in on the Lumen app. Yes, it's confirmed: I overdid it on the tacos and wings last night.

Lumen is a new health product that officially launches Tuesday. Through the device and app, Lumen aims to give people more information about how they process food in order to achieve fitness and weight loss goals by "hacking" their metabolism. Each time you breathe into it, the device analyzes your breath, giving you a score on a scale of 1 to 5 to tell you whether your body is running on energy from your fat stores (the ideal "fat burning" 1 or 2 state), the carbohydrates youve consumed (a 4 or 5), or a combination of both (a 3). It follows with a recommended meal plan of approximately how many carb, fat, and protein servings you should be eating, with the ultimate goal of making your metabolism more efficient.

Lumen comes to answer some very basic questions users have ... how my body's functioning, how the things that I did in the past few days affected me, and what should I do today, what should I eat in order to achieve my goals? Michal Mor, one of Lumens co-founders, told Mashable.

The Lumen breathalyzer and app

Michal Mor and her twin sister Merav Mor are both Israeli physiology PhDs and triathletes who co-founded Lumen in 2016. Lumen ran an explosive IndieGoGo campaign in 2018, raising over $2.3 million with nearly 10,000 backers. Since then, the company has raised over $17 million in venture capital, according to Crunchbase, and has received press and praise for the innovation of bringing a test thats usually done in a lab environment to a compact consumer device. It distributed its first orders to backers earlier this year, and begins shipping out orders of the product, which you can buy for $299 on Lumen's website (that includes the device and app), Tuesday.

To actually understand Lumen, you need to know a bit about metabolism science, so bear with us for a sec. Measuring a persons metabolism usually takes place in a lab, and is not typically something people do regularly let alone daily. Surprisingly, the amount of oxygen you breathe in, and CO2 you exhale, can contain a lot of information about how you process food. When you go in for a metabolism assessment, one number you'll get back is your Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER), which is the amount of CO2 expelled divided by the amount of oxygen inhaled. This ratio reveals what kind of fuel a person is running on; lower ratio means fat, higher means carbs.

Lumens internal studies and a study conducted by San Francisco State University have found that Lumens measurements are comparable to an RER measurement taken by a traditional device. However, the experts Mashable consulted two members of U.C. Davis Health Sports Medicine program aren't entirely convinced of its accuracy, or usefulness. The SFSU study concludes that "Lumen can be seen to be an effective instrument for monitoring relative, individual changes in metabolic responses (within-subject consistency), rather than a substitute for laboratory-grade RER measurements." In other words, the Lumen scale is a relative score that can track change over time, but is not an analog for a measurement you'd take in a lab.

Without knowing how that correlates, its difficult to judge their scientific standard, Dr. Brandee Waite, the Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at U.C. Davis, said.

Ive been trying out Lumen for the past two weeks and am intrigued, if not totally sold. It has certainly made me more mindful of how the amount of carbs I eat, and the late-night snacks I consume Lumen recommends overnight fasts of around 12 hours might be undermining my weight goals in more physiologically complex ways than just packing in extra calories. For example, a Sunday Chinese food binge could prevent me from going into fat-burn mode for days. However, the daily breathing in the morning, and at additional times depending on other information the app asks for, is a bit of a slog, and Im not sure the information Lumen gives me is something I cant pretty much intuit for myself.

If the device is helping you figure things out, awesome, Judd Van Sickle, the head of the UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness program, who runs a metabolic measurement lab, told Mashable. If not, it's a lot of breathing.

If the device is helping you figure things out, awesome.

Using my Lumen on day one started with an exciting unboxing. The actual Lumen device is sleek, friendly, and comfortable to hold, and the box greets you with a friendly "Hello, I'm Lumen." My new pal!

First off, I had to download the Lumen app, connect my device, and answer a series of questions about my health goals, physiology, and lifestyle. After a set-up day comes a "calibration day," which is when the actual breathing fun begins. On calibration day, you breathe into the device multiple times at certain intervals after waking up and eating. This is how Lumen gets to know your lung capacity, and what the founders describe as your baseline for how you metabolize carbohydrates, since that differs from person to person.

After that, Lumen is supposed to become a daily part of your routine. For the past two weeks, my morning has gone like this: First thing, I roll out of bed and make coffee (duh). But before I drink that coffee, eat, or do much of anything at all, I bust out my Lumen. The app guides me through a couple Lumen breaths, which involve inhaling steadily into the device, holding my breath for 10 seconds, and exhaling steadily until a soothing circle on the screen disappears. The design of the whole experience is easy to understand and almost meditative in its own right. There are worse ways to start a day than taking some deep breaths.

Once Ive breathed two to three times, Lumen gives me a score out of five. The ideal zone in the morning is a 1 or a 2 because it means my overnight fast successfully switched me into a fat-burning state. It's OK even good to score higher after carb-heavy meals. However, if I score above a 1 or 2 in the morning despite an overnight fast, which naturally depletes the energy from carbs (called glycogen), that seems to mean Im still burning the calories Ive consumed the previous day. The morning after the tacos and wings? I scored a 4. Yikes. On the flip side, on the mornings I woke up with a 1 or a 2, I felt triumphant.

Based on my morning score, and the scores over the past few days, Lumen delivers a daily food plan. This isnt a detailed menu, but rather a guide about whether you should be eating a low-carb, medium-carb, or high-carb diet that day.

We are not trying to recommend a specific food, [like] today eat chicken with rice and some vegetables," Michal Mor said. Thats not sustainable.

Instead, they want to empower users to make their own food choices, guided by the carb, fat, and protein serving parameters the plan suggests that day. The Lumen founders even promised me that on some days, Lumen would actually recommend I eat a high-carb diet. After three days of recommended low-carb diets (to which I thought, duh), I was amazed and, to be honest, THRILLED when Lumen suggested I have a medium-carb day. Lumen mixes in medium- and high-carb days when youve been in a fat-burning state for a while, to make sure your body doesnt get too carb-starved and start squirreling away carbs when it gets them, instead of using them like its supposed to (this is a popular criticism of the keto diet, which attempts to cut out almost all carbs).

My daily plan wasn't always low carb, and that was amazing.

I like that Lumen has education modules, presented sort of like social media stories, that taught me about metabolism, diet, and food. They were comprehensible and as easy to consume as delicious, delicious carbs except they were about topics like how exercise affects your metabolism. While the main time to use Lumen is first thing in the morning, Lumen also encourages users to get their Lumen score before a workout, to help determine if theyre sufficiently fueled up. Then, 30 minutes after a workout, you can take your Lumen score again to see how running, weightlifting, or yoga affected your metabolism. Seeing my score decline after a hard workout was gratifying.

After one month of using Lumen, and in subsequent months, I'll get what the company calls a Flex score. This is the long game of Lumen: to improve a persons metabolic flexibility, which is how capable a persons body is at switching between fuel sources at appropriate times. The daily plans of low-carb days with medium- and high-carb days in between are all in the service of working your metabolisms agility.

Metabolic flexibility is the main player that extends behind everything, Michal Mor said. Behind performance, weight loss, longevity, energy. So, we first want our user to achieve healthy metabolism, a flexible metabolism, and the outcome of that is weight-loss improvement."

While some recent studies and experts endorse the general idea of metabolic flexibility, the "flex score" is a calculation of Lumens own creation based on the weeks of data users submit. There is not a scientific analog of the score.

"I like the idea of metabolic flexibility," Van Sickle said. "What I see is that most people are metabolically inflexible in that they can't use fat appropriately, because of too much glycemic load [carbohydrates] in their meal for their activity levels. So, if we have a tool to help guide us towards better fat utilization, that's good."

I havent received my flex score yet, but I can see how monthly attempts to improve it would be motivating.

And thats how Ive come to see Lumen, mostly: as another tool for motivation. I cant say that Ive stuck to its daily plans in order to truly hack my metabolism, but seeing numerically that my metabolism is working the way its supposed to and working in overdrive when I house too many wings was great feedback for how I treat my body. The Lumen founders agree that this is one of its main benefits.

I think every diet, if youre sticking to it and making sure that you're eating healthy food I mean real food will work, Merav Mor said. The question is, how can you help everyone to stick to it? I think that [Lumens] feedback loop, once you see how the things that you did yesterday, how they help you and for how they affected you, will provide you with the motivation to keep to the healthy diet.

I've come to see Lumen mostly as a tool for motivation.

While the promise of a consumer metabolism device is appealing, experts still have doubts about Lumen's approach and some of the claims Lumen makes about its ability to hack your metabolism. Both Van Sickle and Waite of the UC Davis Physical Medicine department had a few main problems with Lumen.

First, they were not convinced of the devices accuracy overall. And even after reviewing the scientific literature sent by Lumen, the way the scores track with RER was a source of confusion.

Lumens home page says it's been scientifically proven to meet the gold standard of metabolic measurement, Van Sickle said. But when you look on their how it works page, it says Lumen exhibits similar trends to the gold standard. So, that's not the same thing.

There were some bigger picture concerns, too. Waite explained that a persons resting RER does not typically change day to day, so did not see the value in measuring it daily. She suggested that its a measurement you would typically take before and after, say, a month of trying a diet or fitness regime, to see how its affecting you. It's unclear how the fact that Lumen is a relative score not an RER score changes this assessment.

Metabolism measurement or mindfulness device?

Image: rachel kraus / mashable

Additionally, Van Sickle was curious about the premise of the device as a whole: that you base a diet around your metabolic state in the first place, rather than the activities youre going to be doing that day. He also questioned whether the goal of metabolic flexibility is really so well-reflected in a Lumen score. For example, if you eat a high-carb meal, but youre not partaking in physical activity, the fact that your body is running primarily on carbs afterward is not necessarily a good thing for him. I explained to him that the morning after I ate a big, delicious cookie shortly before I went to bed, I got a 3 lumen score in the morning, despite having a low-carb day otherwise.

That's where I get a little confused, Van Sickle said. So, they might say that's a sign of good metabolic flexibility, when I would think of that as not necessarily good flexibility because your body doesn't know what to do with that cookie. I'm not sure what the optimal case is.

Overall, Van Sickle and Waite had too many questions about the scientific claims and assumptions Lumen makes about both its technology, and understanding of metabolism and diet, to be enthusiastic about it. However, both saw its value in helping people be more thoughtful about diet and exercise. (As always, seek advice from a doctor before starting any heath or diet plan.)

It's definitely going to be making you more mindful about what you're doing, Van Sickle said. Some of the underpinnings I'm not quite sold on. But big picture, as a mindfulness device, I don't think its the worst thing you could do.

In the tech wellness landscape of devices that purport to help you by quantifying every aspect of your physiology, that larger assessment is all too common.

Sometimes new technology, whether it really does what it says it does, if it gets people eating right and being more active, the side effect of having a more healthy approach to your lifestyle is a good thing, Waite said.

Whether that good thing is worth a hefty price tag is up to you to decide.

Excerpt from:
Lumen claims to 'hack' your metabolism. I put it to the test. - Mashable

As the highly contagious coronavirus continues to run its course, the question on everyones mind is how to stay infection-free. There are the Centers for Disease Control basics, but eating well (or not) makes a difference, too. A healthy diet wont prevent the coronavirus, but it can help strengthen your immune system and a less healthy diet can undermine it.

Your immune system is like an army with very sophisticated weapons in the form of cells and other compounds. For this army to function optimally, it needs a steady stream of supplies, which you get through your diet.

The best diet for your immune system is a minimally-processed, mostly plant-based diet one that's about 75% plant foods. Keep in mind that youre also better off getting the nutrients you need from your plate rather than a pill bottle, though select supplements may be useful in some cases, such as to ensure you get the necessary amount of vitamin D, a nutrient thats only found in a limited number of foods.

Heres how to eat to support your immune system.

Various building blocks for your immune systems machinery come from fruits and vegetables. Some of the key immune-strengthening nutrients in these foods include vitamin C, beta carotene (the precursor to vitamin A) and certain B vitamins, like folate. Many fruits and veggies also supply polyphenols, antioxidants that get broken down into food and contribute to healthy gut bacteria. These compounds, which are also found in other plant foods (like extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, pulses, tea and coffee) help your beneficial bacteria flourish. They also help optimize your gut environment, which is where up to 80% of your immune cells are located.

Polyphenols work their immune-enhancing benefits in other ways too. For example, they calibrate pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In severe cases of COVID-19, the pro-inflammatory cytokines take over and may be responsible for causing death in some instances.

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Fruits and vegetables are some of the best foods for the immune system. When choosing fruits and veggies, seek out a variety of options. Go for fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and veggies of all colors. Dont forget that juices like 100% OJ, pomegranate juice and vegetable juice can also help you reach your fruit and veggie goals, which for most people is a minimum of two cups of fruit and two and half cups of veggies each day.

Whole grains (including oats, quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat) do their part by supplying nutrients like folate, magnesium, selenium and iron to your immune system. A study published in BMJ Gut suggests that whole grains can help regulate inflammation, which contributes to the development of a multitude of diseases, including type 2 diabetes. The same study showed that eating whole grains instead of refined grains led to weight loss among overweight people. The authors suggested this swap may be a helpful strategy for reaching a healthier weight. Since we know that COVID-19 produces more serious illness among those with type 2 diabetes and those who are severely obese (with a BMI over 40), swapping refined pasta, bread, crackers, cereal and rice for a whole grain version is an easy and smart upgrade.

All types of nuts and seeds (plus their butters), avocados and olives (and their oils) and oily fish (such as salmon and sardines) help regulate your bodys inflammatory process. Depending on the specific food, it may also supply key nutrients (such as selenium, vitamin E, zinc, iron or magnesium) that are involved in optimal immune cell functioning. Use these foods to help punch up your meal. For example, saute veggies in extra virgin olive oil and top with some chopped nuts or hemp seeds.

Pulses, which include beans, legumes and dried peas, are whole food and shelf-stable forms of plant-based proteins that supply immune-optimizing nutrients, including fiber, magnesium and iron. Whether youre actively trying to cut back on meat or just trying to stretch your meat (and food budget) further, these foods will help. Other whole food forms of plant-based protein include tofu and edamame.

If youre new to these foods, try serving them in familiar ways. For example, make a black bean quesadilla, toss shelled edamame into a favorite stir-fry, or use hummus (a chickpea puree) as a sandwich spread. Though theres nothing wrong with the convenience of fake meat products (like the Beyond Burger), these foods are heavily processed, so its generally better to choose whole-food forms of plant-based proteins instead.

The US Dietary Guidelines recommend eating seafood twice a week and this advice can help your immune health too. Seafood supplies anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients, including magnesium and zinc, that help support your immune system. Plus, when you replace red meat, which is high in pro-inflammatory saturated fats, with seafood you can help keep chronic inflammation in check.

Yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi are examples of fermented foods that supply beneficial bacteria to your gut. According to one review, supplementing with probiotics, such as the ones found in fermented foods, helped prevent upper respiratory infections and shaved about two days off of the recovery period among the people who did get sick compared with those who took a placebo (a fake treatment).

To keep your immune system strong, its also a good idea to limit these foods, which all play a role in weakening your defenses.

Whether from desserts, sugary drinks or sneakier sources like plant-based milks, whole grain cereals or yogurts, a high-sugar diet may tamp down your immune response.

Too much alcohol can weaken your immune system. It has also been linked with a higher chance of respiratory infections. Stick to a drink (for women) or two (for men) a day.

The majority of sodium in your diet comes from these foods and research suggests that excess salt might undermine your immune systems ability to cope with an invader. Heavily processed foods are also made with refined grains, which alter your metabolic response and can ultimately leave you more susceptible to serious infections. Some major culprits include fast food meals, pizza and chips.

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The best immune system foods and the worst - TODAY - TODAY

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Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of science behind stress eating. Stress and weight gain have been studied for many years, especially the link between stress and the obesity epidemic. According to this Global Emotions Report from Gallup, stress levels for Americans are significantly higher than the global average. And with updated government reports showing that more than 40% of people in the United States are obese, there very well could be a connection between this and our stress levels.

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Stress eating, often synonymous with emotional eating, is the act of eating food in response to feelings. This typically occurs when you may not even be truly hungry, but some sort of emotion triggers you to eat more. When we feel stressed (be it physical or psychological), our body releases a steroid hormone known as cortisol. This hormone has several roles in the body, including helping to control blood sugar levels and regulate metabolism. A short-term activation of your stress system is fine and can actually suppress your appetite. But chronic stress (think financial issues, constant bickering with a spouse or friend, or work pressure) can lead to high levels of cortisol that stay elevated, which subsequently increases blood sugar and appetite. This in turn can make you crave sugary foods or even fatty/greasy foods, which both tend to be very high calorically and can lead to excess weight gain, as well as a negative relationship with food.

I like to look at cravings by whether they are coming from above the neck or below the neck. Above the neck cravings are emotional, often come on suddenly and aren't satisfied even after a full meal. If you give in to above the neck cravings, they may sometimes trigger feelings of shame and guilt, and you may feel like you have absolutely no control over your food choices.

Below the neck cravings are not emotional, but rather a sign of physical hunger. It builds gradually and many food options sound appealing. Once you're sensibly full, the cravings go away. Below the neck cravings aren't associated with any feelings of guilt or anger, but rather you feel satisfied and maybe relieved after eating that particular food or meal.

Sometimes, these cravings may be hard to distinguish between. Has overeating sugary foods at night become a habit or does your body really crave them? Have you been training your body by giving in to those above the neck cravings every night to expect a surge of sugary foods, only to create almost a dependency and need for the food at a certain time of the day? Think back to when this habit started and try to practice mindful eating to be more in tune with your body and its true physical hunger needs.

The key to getting rid of emotional eating is to slow down, identify what's causing the craving, and make gradual changes. Try to keep those "temptation foods" in the back of the pantry where you can see them, and bring the healthy items front and center. You know your body and mind better than anyone else, so maybe that "out of sight, out of mind" mentality works best for you and keeping junk food out of the house is best. Make sure to eat three balanced meals daily and avoid skipping meals, as this can lead to overeating later on in the day. When it comes to any habit, it's hard to quit something cold turkey and not replace it with another action. Find something else to do that's more productive and can foster the creation of new healthy habits, like:

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13 Ways to Prevent Stress Eating - How to Stop Emotional Eating - GoodHousekeeping.com

Sun is bad for you. Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat college. Annie Hall

What Woody Allens character Alvy Singer uttered in his Academy Award-winning film is relatable since so much of what we believe is healthy has actually been deemed harmful for us. What should we consume? Are eggs essential, or are they cholesterol bombs? Does coffee help ward off ailments or cause the jitters? What activities should we engage in?

Dr. Gregory Charlop has much of it covered in his new book Why Doctors Skip Breakfast: Wellness Tips to Reverse Aging, Treat Depression, and Get a Good Nights Sleep.

Charlop, 45, an anesthesiologist and expert in wellness and nutrition, details why fasting is healthy and reveals what those with longevity have in common and what we should absolutely not skimp on in order to be at our best.

Most of us grew up with the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whats with doctors skipping breakfast?

The concept that breakfast is the most important meal of the day came from Dr. (John Harvey) Kellogg, who invented corn flakes. He was a doctor, but he was also a brilliant marketer! He made a big deal out of breakfast so people would buy his cereal 100 years ago. But modern research indicates that we dont need breakfast, especially the sugary kind of food that is often for breakfast, and that fasting is good for you in so many ways. If you can go 16 hours between meals, youll be fine.

But that means set times for meals are out the door.

If you have dinner Monday at 6 p.m., then you can have lunch at noon. I understand its not ideal for everyone since some people like to eat with colleagues in the morning or families have a dinner at 6 p.m. every night.

Considering how on the go, pre-coronavirus, everyone was, its more feasible since busy families tend to be running everywhere.

Thats true, but its not so much about when you eat. My dad loves breakfast, but thats his big meal of the day. If you fast for much of the rest of the day, youre good.

So fasting is better for your body than say the paleo diet?

Yes. And people who fast lose weight easier. Youre consuming less calories. If you eat less and exercise more, youll have more energy. Regarding paleo, one of the reasons people do the paleo diet is to increase their ketone levels. A high level of ketones are good for your brain. Instead of going paleo, you can drink ketones. You can order ketone esters on Amazon.

Will fasting prolong your life?

Every indication indicates that fasting will give you a longer life span.

You have 7-year-old twins. Would you recommend that children, who are obviously developing, fast?

Children should not be fasting. Children are one of two groups who shouldnt fast. The other group is professional athletes who need to consume.

Were you a typical child when it came to nutrition?

No. I remember being at a birthday party when I was 9 at a skating rink. I refused to eat the birthday cake. I knew that I already had too much sugar. My parents couldnt believe this! I didnt like sugar! When I was 10, I got into a debate with my school principal about artificial sweeteners. I told him it was like eating poison.

What do we know now about aging that we didnt know in the past?

Thanks to groundbreaking research from Harvard and USC, we understand what causes us to age and how we can reverse aging. My book tells you what foods, medicine and lab tests you need to take to look and feel great. What we thought was that the body gradually decays. We were right about certain things, such as smoking definitely shortens your time. But in terms of aging, there are certain factors. There are zombie cells. You develop those as you get older. You have more of those because of your diet, but you can get rid of those with the right supplements. Another important factor is telomeres, which are structures at the end of a chromosome. Shorter telomeres are markers for old cells. You can do things to prevent the shortening telomeres, and you can lengthen them.

What can we do to lengthen them?

Meditation can lengthen them. I discovered that the common denominator between many successful people and those who live a long life is they meditate. Its very good for the mind and body.

There are two schools of thought on sleep. Theres the notion that seven to eight hours a night is necessary. And then there are those who insist that as little sleep as possible is what drives them. I have a friend who boasts about how much he accomplishes by sleeping four hours a night, but it sounds like hes killing himself slowly. Proper rest seems essential. What should we do about sleep?

You hit the nail on the head regarding sleep. It is critical for people to get enough sleep. We all need seven to eight hours a night. People who wear lack of sleep as a badge of honor are fooling themselves. Getting enough sleep isnt just important for humans but also for animals.

Aside from the obvious, what are the negative effects of lack of sleep?

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of dementia, Alzheimers and cancer. Sleep deprivation also ages a person and causes depression. Your friend is slowly killing himself.

How harmful is soda consumption?

Soda is pretty poisonous. If you have just one can of soda a day, it increases your risk of death. Thats so for regular and diet soda.

Diet soda is full of chemicals, which obviously are bad for you. Whats another reason to avoid diet pop?

The artificial sweetener causes your brain to crave sugar. You might drink a diet soda and shortly thereafter have an overwhelming desire to eat a pie. Artificial sweeteners and sugar cause obesity.

Sparkling water is a good substitute for soda, which takes us to what can we drink during a 16-hour fast.

You can certainly drink sparkling water, chamomile tea and coffee. Black coffee is very good for you.

Thats interesting since coffee was like the egg since years ago the question was if caffeinated coffee was harmful.

Black coffee is very healthy. Coffee reduces the chances of getting Parkinsons disease and certain types of cancers. It decreases the risk of auto-immune deficiency.

What else should we add to our diet?

Herbs and spices, such as turmeric, oregano and garlic. Add it to your food. It adds flavor and is so good for your body. Also, olive oil is very good for you. So get enough sleep, fast, and enjoy moderate exercise.

So does that mean that extreme exercise, such as running a marathon, is bad for us?

Running a marathon doesnt lengthen our lives. It shortens our life. Our ancestors didnt run marathons. There was a reason for that.

How do we deal with depression?

Ketamine with good diet and lifestyle choices are the ways to deal with depression. Oral antidepressants arent very effective.

So we can alter the course of our lives.

You control your own destiny. If you alter what you do, you can change your mind and body for the better.

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What the health? Doctor prescribes tips for wellness in his new book - The Spokesman-Review

Sports

Lorena Torres, performance director for the Philadelphia 76ers, shares how shes making sure the team is supported at home.

Sixers performance director Lorena Torres in the weight room with Ben Simmons before the coronavirus pandemic. / Photograph by 76ers photographer Alex Subers.

Over two months ago, the NBA announced it would be suspending the remainder of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision came minutes after the Sixers beat the Pistons at home, leaving players, staff, and fans wondering when or if games would ever resume.

Since the hiatus, Sixers players and staff have pivoted their in-person operations, so that the team could continue working out and eating well in the comforts of their own homes. To find out how exactly the Sixers have adjusted their fitness and nutrition routines, we chatted with Lorena Torres, the teams performance director, about keeping the players healthy amid a suspended season. Shes also tweeting out exercise training plans, so if youre looking to work out like the Sixers, head to her Twitter.

Philadelphia magazine: In a pre-COVID world, what did your typical day look like?Torres: My role involves overseeing everything related to performance that isnt basketball itself: running both our strength and conditioning program and our sports science program, balancing players intensity and recovery loads, tracking their nutrition, and monitoring their mental health.

Because my job is very player-centered, I spend a lot of time with the guys. If I didnt, I wouldnt know how to best serve their individual needs or build trust. With that said, I typically spent my days [prior to the suspended season] supervising players in the weight room and on the court, eating breakfast with the team, meeting with coaches to discuss progress and get feedback.

How did your role change once the pandemic hit?When the NBA first suspended the season, my main role was to support the organization in every way I could. The focus shifted from having a successful season to supporting the health and safety of the team.

The night of the announcement, I was drafting up individualized workout plans for each player, making sure theyd have their supplements, working to get them at-home gym equipment, and coordinating meal planning with our team executive chef, JaeHee Cho. Basically, I was making sure the team had everything they needed regarding fitness and nutrition while at home.

Watch 76ers Executive Chef JaeHee Cho teach you how to whip up a French omelette here:

So what kind of nutritional guidance are they following?Weve provided individualized nutritional guidelines and support for all of our players, whether theyve remained in the Philadelphia area or returned to their homes across the country. Across the board, they are all eating a diet thats rich in vitamins and nutrients, low in sugar and includes a combination of protein and healthy carbohydrates. For those who remain in market, we offer a service that delivers balanced meals prepared by our team kitchen staff.

We have some players who are vegetarians, others with allergies, so each meal plan is adapted to make sure they are getting what their bodies need. For those out of market, we give them general recommendations for calorie intake and the type of foods they should be eating. And something often overlooked that is so important is hydration. When theyre training they must be consuming even more water to recover and stay hydrated.

Torres with Matisse Thybulle before the coronavirus pandemic. / Photograph by 76ers photographer Alex Subers.

What do the players at-home workouts look like?Our goal has been to provide our players with as many resources as possible to train in these unique circumstances. This includes providing players with both strength and cardio equipment, as well as workouts they can do in their homes. Its important to remember that each workout is personalized to fit the individual needs of our athletes, and some plays prefer stationary bikes, others like ellipticals or step machines.

In general, though, their daily workouts include a combination of cardio and strength training. We also recognize that this situation has required all of us to make substantial changes to our lives, so weve also encouraged players to include meditation and yoga to prioritize their mental health, too.

What do you imagine the first day back to basketball will look like?Everything is so uncertain in the world right now, and we are constantly asking, When are we coming back? and Who is going to be allowed to play? [Despite the unknowns,] the health and safety of our players and staff will remain paramount as we move forward. Im in daily communication with my staff and we are scenario planning for what a safe return to play may look like. Its truly a collaborative effort between the coaches, trainers, medical staff, front office, and the NBA.

When we do return, the first thing we will do is assess the players with technology to see where their bodies are physically and then well go from there. Theyve been at home for a long period of time, and were just making sure that when they come back, the players are protected and progressing safely, and that were supporting their long-term health and wellness.

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How the Sixers Are Staying Fit and Eating Healthy at Home Right Now - Philadelphia magazine

COVID-19 pandemic has spread across more than 180 countries with more than 4 million infected and 250,000 casualties. Covid-19 has created havoc on the national health system of all the affected countries and the economy has come almost to a standstill. People have been forced to stay in lockdowns across most of the affected nations. People who have got infected are facing a tough time and the people who are so far safe from catching it are struggling as well.

It has affected the mental health of most of the world population. People have to follow a new norm of social distancing, washing hands repeatedly. Behavioral changes required to fight this pandemic are taking a toll on mental well-being. Due to lockdowns, physical activity has reduced and that is going to harm your physical well-being.

We must be active mentally and physically in whatever possible ways. During these uncertain and equally distressing times, you need to follow all the strategies that minimize your stress levels and helps you to eliminate anxiety.

An adequate good quality sleep daily is essential for your physical and mental well-being in the normal world, with the world facing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact is adding to the anxiety and increasing stress levels for people, getting adequate amounts of good quality sleep is more important now than ever.Here are five proven tips that you should follow to have a good nights rest amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

You should set a schedule and make it a routine to help you to ease your mind. In uncertain times, following a routine is going to be of great help for your mind and body to set to a pattern and avoid anxiety and increased stress levels.You should follow a schedule for work, eating, exercising, entertainment, and most importantly sleep.You should follow good sleep hygiene, have a bedtime ritual like brushing your teeth, washing your face, applying lotion.Since most of us are at home during the lockdowns, you should not fall prey to the temptation of taking naps during the day. Daytime naps are bad for your good quality sleep during the night.

Your bedroom should serve as a perfect sleep environment that helps you to relax, helps you in reducing stress levels, and get rid of the anxiety that has been forced upon you due to pandemic.As per some sleep experts, your mind must create an association between bed and sleep. They recommend that the bedroom should only be used for sleep and intimate moments.

During pandemic forced lockdowns, if you are working from home, you should ensure that work stays out of your bedroom. Also, you should ensure that your bedroom doesnt become your entertainment zone, all the electronic gadgets like TV, laptop, gaming devices, and tablets should be kept out of the bedroom for getting good quality sleep.

Your bedroom should be cool, no external lights should pierce in and no outside noise should enter to disturb your sleep.Above all, your bedroom should have a perfect bed with a good mattress. A good mattress should be able to support your body perfectly and should be able to regulate air to keep you cool and not sweat when you are asleep. Check out this article from Sleep Standards to find the right mattress for yourself.

With you being stuck at home under the lockdown, it becomes imperative that you get enough natural light. You should ensure that you expose yourself to natural light and dont stay indoor under artificial lights. Exposure to light helps your brain to regulate your circadian rhythm so that your body follows a regular sleep cycle. As you are dealing with disruptions to your usual daily life, you should ensure that your brain is exposed to light-based cues to have a positive effect on your sleep cycle.

You should open windows, close the curtains and blinds to let the light come inside your home during the day.

One important that you need to take care of is that you should avoid exposing yourself to blue light emitted from your electronic gadgets very close to your bedtime. You should avoid using electronic devices (Laptop, cell phone, etc) at least an hour before your bedtime.

During uncertain times it becomes more vital that your mind stays calm, alert, and sharp. You should meditate and do mindfulness activity to keep stress and anxiety out. You wont be able to get a good nights rest if your mind is stressed and anxious.

Also, you should not allow challenging circumstances to throw your work-out schedule out of gear. You should ensure that you do enough exercise at home, it will also take your mind of what is happening around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying active always helps to achieve good quality sleep during the night.

You should ensure you maintain social distancing if going out for a walk, or jog as part of your exercise routine.

You should do heavy exercises only in the morning and should only do light stretching or light exercises in the afternoon or evening.

There are lots of resources available online that should be able to guide you in meditation and exercising.

During COVID-19 pandemic forced lockdowns you have to adjust to what you can buy and what is available for you to eat. With no restaurants or bars open, you cant go out to eat or drink.

You should maintain a healthy diet that will help you to get a good nights rest.

You should be very cautious with the intake of caffeine-laden foods and drinks and, alcoholic drinks. You should avoid caffeine-laden food and drinks in the evening as they may spoil your sleep.

You should avoid binge eating as well as not having more meals than your usual intake.

The world is going through difficult times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being constantly at home due to lockdowns takes a toll on your mental and physical health, it is highly required that you follow these proven tips for having a good nights rest daily.

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5 proven-tips to have a good night's rest amid COVID-19 pandemic - Big Easy Magazine

Dates, a symbol of abundance and a rich source of fiber, potassium and calcium, have been the staple food of Ramadan tables ever since Prophet Muhammad advised fellow Muslims to break their fasts with the sacred fruit. Native to the Middle East and tropical and desert climates, dates have many types from sweet and fleshy Safawis and flaky yet chewy Khudris to juicy Medjools aka the "queen of dates," there is a type for everyone out there.

Besides being delicious, dates are truly a remedial reserve, especially when it comes to fasting. Thanks to their high carbohydrate content that packs a lot of energy in such a small volume, they help to quickly renew empty carbohydrate stores, suppress sugar cravings and thus help you control your appetite throughout the day.

High in body-building amino acids, vitamins A, B and C, as well as many minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium, dates are truly a powerhouse of nutrients. However, they are also mostly made up of simple carbohydrates, mainly glucose and fructose, therefore like all foods, moderation is key when it comes to eating dates. Nutrition and dietetic specialist Demet Cerit of Acbadem Atakent Hospital said excessive consumption of the sweet, syrupy fruit can lead to weight gain and imbalances in blood sugar.

Consuming a portion of dates, which is just two to three pieces, 1-1.5 hours after dinner is fine though, she said but cautioned to watch out for added sugars in the form of glucose syrup, which is used to sweeten and brighten dates.

Bar diabetics and those with insulin resistance, the health benefits of dates far outweigh its naturally high sugar content. Here are a few reasons why we should eat dates regularly, according to Cerit.

Helps you feel full

Dates are fruits rich in soluble dietary fibers, especially pectin. So how does this prolong satiety? Well, these fibers, which attract water, increase the fluidity of stomach content, therefore prolonging the time it spends in the stomach and provides a feeling of fullness, Cerit said. By including food high in fiber, such as dates in your iftars and sahurs and overall diet, as well as support this fiber intake by consuming plenty of water, you will have greater control over your appetite and be fuller for longer, she added.

Supports immunity

Studies show that dates can have a stimulating effect on the immune system. This effect of dates is associated with their beta-glucan content, which is a polysaccharide, the better and more complex type of carbohydrates doctors advise we should consume. In addition, dates also contain high amounts of phenolic compounds and carotenoids (both which have great cancer-fighting properties) as well as vitamins, all of which are thought to play a role in supporting the immune system thanks to their antimicrobial effects and antioxidant properties.

Sugar cravings no more

After prolonged periods of hunger or fasting, our body directs us toward sources with high carbohydrates, namely sweet foods, so that our blood sugar can rapidly return to its normal levels and replace those empty food stores.

However, to prevent weight gain and avoid irregularities related to blood sugar, using the natural sugar content of fruits (instead of artificial sweets) to meet our needs for something sweet. With their distinctive flavor and rich sweetness, dates can be a good choice for all your dessert needs, Cerit said.

Constipation relief

Foods such as dates with high dietary fiber should have an important part in a healthy diet. To keep everything running smoothly, dieticians recommend consuming at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Studies have shown that upping your dietary fiber intake increases stool volume and shortens its intestinal transit time, thereby helping prevent dreaded constipation. In Ramadan, you might as well take advantage of the rich fiber content of dates to aid digestion and prevent consideration, which is a frequent and unfortunate side effect of reduced food and water consumption during this period.

Good for the heart

Dates are known as an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral responsible for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Potassium is involved in ensuring neural conduction, regulating our pulse and blood pressure. Research reveals that a diet rich in potassium helps to lower blood pressure, maintain cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of stroke.

Protect against eye diseases

Dates also contain compounds that help stop age-related eye diseases from developing. Studies have shown that dates are a strong source of zeaxanthin and lutein, which are types of carotenoids present in eye tissue and have antioxidant properties. Therefore, these compounds are thought to be useful in preventing the development of cataract and macular degeneration (macula: the central part of the retina) in elderly individuals.

Nervous system and energy

Dates, which contain moderate levels of B1, vitamin B2 and niacin (B3), as well as vitamin B6, help us meet our daily vitamin B needs. The aforementioned B vitamins are involved in metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins and fats, i.e. getting energy from these nutrients. They also play an important role in the healthy functioning of the nervous system. When you are running low on these vitamins, you will most likely complain about fluctuating and decreased energy levels, weakness, fatigue and concentration problems. This is all the more important when you are fasting when brain fog is a real challenge.

Key for strong bones

When it comes to bone health, the first mineral that comes to mind is calcium. Cerit said calcium absorption is just as important as its intake.

Calcium and phosphorus are two minerals that work together to protect bone health and their absorption increases when taken together. Consuming dates, which contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc as well as phosphorus, daily helps us improve our bone health and prevent conditions such as osteoporosis, Cerit said.

Fresh or dried, eat year-round

Though the nutritional value of dates depends on their type, whether they are fresh or dried, their degree of maturity and their growing conditions, dates are nutrition superstars. Thanks to their accessibility and long shelf life, they are mostly consumed when ripe and then dried.

Stating that while fresh dates are richer in protein and phenolic compounds, they do slightly lose some antioxidants and have a higher carbohydrate content when ripe and dried, Cerit said they are still highly beneficial for our overall health and the loss is minuscule. So consume this fruit "not only in Ramadan but also year-round, both fresh and dried," she added.

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8 reasons you should be eating dates, the fruit of Ramadan year-round | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Baby news!Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are expecting their first baby, and everyone wants to know: Will they raise theirbundle of joy vegan? It seems we will find out soon enough since the couple is rumored to be expecting. Reports say that their first child is duethis fall.

Page Six (our go-to site for celebrity news) reported on Monday thatMara "may be as far as six months along in her pregnancy." Phoenix and Mara went under the radar after awards show season ended and have been rarely spotted during the quarantine.We last saw the couple when Phoenix and Mara showed up at a farm in California and rescued a cow and her newborn calfnamed then Liberty and Indigo, and asked fans to fund them on the occasion of Mother's Day.

The super-privatecouple hasn't confirmed the exciting news, but Mara was seen out and aboutwearing a baggyoutfit that got the rumor mill churning. Twitter fans were immediately piecing together if The Girlwith the Dragon Tattoostar was actually pregnant or just hiding a Quarantine tummy (unlikely). One Twitter commenter said, "Rooney Mara may be pregnant but it may also simply be that she enjoys dressing like a hobo."

Phoenix and Mara started dating in 2018 and shortly after moved in together. Phoenix gushed to Vanity Fairlast Fall, "She's the only girl I ever looked up on the Internet... We were just friends, email friends. I'd never done that. Never looked up a girl online."

The couple is rumored to be engaged and noannouncement has come from their teams, but the engagement seemed to be confirmed after Mara was seen wearing aring on her engagement finger. It seems the couple will stay engaged and aren't rushing down the aisle. A source told Us Weekly, Theyre never going to get married because they think marriage is too mainstream.

Though Phoenix and Mara are known as private people, they have never been shy about their role as animal rights activists.Phoenix has been vegan since he was three-years-old andconsistently is using his platform to encourage people to ditch the dairy and go vegan.Rooney Mara, also a long-time vegan, as is her sister Kate Mara, shook the farming industry after joiningforces with Animal Equalityto expose factory farming.

Together, the couple wrote an op-ed in The Washington Postcritically raising awareness aboutwet markets in Chinaas well as inthe U.S. Phoenix got the nation's attention in his heart-wrenching Oscar acceptance speech where he asked people to consider switching from dairy to plant-based milk in their coffee and understanding the decisions we make as consumers affect the natural and animal world.

After the Oscars, Phoenix and Mara were photographed enjoying a well-deserved break at a plant-based burger joint in a rare moment of pulling the covers back on their relationship.

This past Mother's DayPhoenix and Maraurged people to"adopt the cow and calf" by funding them. We now know that Mother's Day was more special than we thought. The couple may be adopting another calf in honor of new mom, Mara next Mother's Day.

Phoenix and Mara wouldn't be the first to raise their child vegan. LisaBonnet brought up her daughter,Zoe Kravitzon a vegan diet and she stilleats"mostly plant-based." Check out the article below for more plant-based inspiration and to learn how some of your favorite stars liveand eat.

The Beet has also coveredhow to haveahealthy, plant-based pregnancy and raise a child on a vegan diet.

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Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara Expecting Their First Baby - The Beet

Not so long ago, there was an open, healthy dialogue about the way news media worked Hollywood even made movies about it with big stars, Oscar-nominated hits like Broadcast News and Absence of Malice. That was around the time that I was studying to become a journalist, and questions of bias and media ethics were openly, enthusiastically discussed.

It's barely a generation later, and we've evolved with astonishing speed from serious, probing explorations of the news media to casual (and insidious) dismissals of "fake news" an epithet that is no longer the domain of extremist, but is used with alarming frequency by centrist Americans.

There's a suspicion, championed and encouraged by the president himself, that news media are biased, and an assumption that that bias is tilted toward the left. That appears not to be true.

A scene from Broadcast News

An objective analysis of bias in the media shows the reality most mainstream news sources aren't particularly biased, and most do a good job of filtering out their individual perspectives. The problem is that the ones with the biggest audience, the ones that grab the headlines and that get shared on social media, don't have that filter.

Through the late 1990s, there were only a handful of sources for information about what was happening in the world. You could pick up your local newspaper; watch a network newscast; tune in to round-the-clock "headline news" on CNN; or listen to news radio, the primary home of conservative and liberal commentators. In the newspaper or on TV, opinion-driven editorials were clearly labeled as such.

That's not to say there weren't biased sources of information they just weren't considered mainstream "news." This landscape dominated America's information and communication network when I was studying to become a journalist. When I finally became a newspaper reporter, it was only after years of intense training to learn how to write and edit in ways that limited the encroachment of personal thinking into the news.

We were taught how to identify words, phrases, thoughts and ideas that could be misinterpreted as bias and perspective in the news we were covering. When I worked as a city-government reporter, assigned to cover hot-button issues affecting redevelopment of a medium-sized city in Florida, the newspaper I worked for ran a full-page ad in which the publisher endorsed a particular ballot measure. I was incensed; the efforts I had made to be balanced and unbiased about the issue had been undone by the paid endorsement.

Photo by Fred Kearney on

"You can be angry about this," my editor told me. "You should be angry about this. But your job is to report on what happened, not how you feel about it." I was given the task to write, as objectively as I could, about the newspaper's decision to inject itself into local politics. I talked to sources who were shocked and angry about the ad, and I talked to the publisher, who gave me his perspective.

Then we left it for the reader to decide. It was our place to tell readers what had happened, not to decide for them if it was right or wrong.

I've thought about that incident a lot lately, because it's not far off from the challenge the media continue to have: How can you be angry or sad or enthusiastic or excited about the news you see happening, yet report it fairly? How can you keep in mind that there are readers and viewers who don't share your perspectives?

Most news media rise to that challenge a daily basis. But scroll through your social-media feed and it's dominated by CNN, MSNBC, Fox News. These are the equivalent of 24-hour editorial pages, filled with hastily (often angrily) rendered opinions.

Alex Jones of Info Wars

A news diet that consists solely (or mainly) of those outlets is like a nutritional diet that exists only of fats and sugars; it's possible to live on it, but you'll end up desperately sick. And to assume all news outlets exhibit such extreme bias based on watching those news outlets is like assuming all food is unhealthy based on eating at Burger King.

Reporters are human. Because they're human they bring their own perspectives and biases to the work they do. And then, if they're well-trained as journalists, they filter out those biases. They listen. They watch. They observe and report. They question. They analyze and evaluate what is said, and find others who can counter a single voice or perspective.

Theirs is the work that everyone should seek out. "Look for the helpers," Mr. Rogers famously said about dealing with calamity. "You will always find people helping."

When it comes to journalism, look for the fact-tellers. They are at your local newspaper, at your network news affiliate, at news wire services, at network news shows. They are at websites large and small. You can usually tell their work because it is filled with quotes from sources (even anonymous ones, who are never, ever anonymous to the reporter and their editor) and with citations for the information it imparts. Their work will almost always seek multiple perspectives and opposing views. It is information that is carefully gathered and often times hard won by people who are trained to do what they do for a living.

Their facts may or may not be your truth. Whether you like the facts as they are is a different issue altogether. But if you want the best information from which to draw your own conclusions, then do as Mr. Rogers exhorted: Look for the fact-tellers. You will always find them.

J. Joseph Watson is a writer and former journalist, who has worked for daily newspapers in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, California and Oregon. He is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

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Yes, news media bias is very real. And it's harder than ever to separate fact from fiction. - GOOD Magazine