Weight Loss: Want to get rid of that harmful belly fat? Read on to find out which cooking oil will help you in the same.

If you want to lose those extra pounds and especially dreaded belly fat that one should keep a check on the foodstuff and its intake.Foodstuff laden in saturated fats, refined carbs, and sugar is the major reason why you have a protruding belly. Diet is of the utmost importance when it comes to losing visceral (dangerous) belly fat. For the unversed, Visceral fat is a build-up of intra-abdominal adipose tissue. This type of fat sits around the major organs including the liver, pancreas and kidneys. If the fat levels go way higher than it can lead to many life-threatening diseases such as heart attacks and stroke.mSo, the first and foremost step should be reducing or stopping the intake of processed foods, alcohol, smoking among others.

Today we are talking about how one cooking oil can come to your rescue and it is none other than very healthy and versatile: coconut oil. For the uninitiated, coconut and its all forms including oil fall under the category of a superfood as they proffer several health benefits. The content of vital fatty acids in coconut oil may have positive effects on our body including fat loss, heart health, better functions of other organs. The oils can help you to even lose belly fat and overall excess weight too.

ALSO READ: Weight Loss: Ginger tea can help you to shed extra kilos; Find out how

MCT factor

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) increases the number of calories your body burns. Another good part of MCT based oils is that they also significantly reduce the hunger pangs thus keeping us away from unwanted calories.MCT oil leads to weight loss as the same leads to increased energy expenditure and lipid oxidation.

Increases good cholesterol

Coconut oil has natural saturated fats that increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the body and it may reduce the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels as well. And the same indirectly leads to fat loss.

Bottom line

Aside from including coconut oil in the diet, one should have a healthy and well-balanced diet and complement the same with at least 30 minutes of physical activity in order to bid bye to belly fat. One should also note that coconut oil like all fats is also high in calories. So, use it in small amounts and keep track of your calorie intake.

Note: Consult with your physician before you start including coconut oil in your diet.

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Weight Loss: THIS cooking oil will help you to get rid of harmful belly fat - PINKVILLA

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is intermittent fasting for weight loss safe? What are the risks of short-term diets that are very low-calorie?

ANSWER: Recent research has found that using intermittent fasting for weight loss may have some benefits in the short term. But at this point, the long-term effects of this type of diet or other diets that severely restrict calories are not known. To lose weight and keep it off, the best strategy is to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits that you enjoy so you can stick with them over time.

Intermittent fasting currently is a popular trend in dieting. There are several fasting methods people employ for weight loss. Some dieters decrease the amount of time they eat each day to, for example, only six hours in a 24-hour period. Others fast every other day. Another approach is called the 5:2 diet, which involves gradually decreasing daily calories to the point that youre only consuming 500 calories a day for two days each week.

A recently published article assessed a variety of research on intermittent fasting. It found that there are some benefits, at least in the short term, to fasting as opposed to just decreasing calories overall. It appears that fasting for a short time can produce ketosis a process that occurs when the body doesnt have enough sugar for energy, so it breaks down stored fat instead, causing an increase in substances called ketones.

Fasting also affects metabolic processes in the body. These processes trigger a number of responses, including decreased inflammation, improved blood sugar regulation and better response to physical stress. The research shows intermittent fasting could have other health benefits, as well, but more study is needed.

It is crucial to note, however, that little long-term research has been done on intermittent fasting to examine how it affects people over time. So at this point, its unclear if there are any long-term health benefits or risks related to this diet technique. We do know that there are risks involved with certain types of intermittent fasting.

For example, a technique called dry fasting that includes restricting fluid intake as well as food intake is dangerous because it can cause severe dehydration and pose serious health concerns. And if you take caloric restriction too far, that can lead to malnutrition. As you consider weight loss and diets, keep in mind that no one approach works for everyone. But there are some basic principles that you should follow as you decide how to best achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

At its core, your diet should support your health overall. There are a variety of diets that can do that, including the Mediterranean diet; the vegetarian diet; the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet; and the Mayo Clinic diet. All of these diets have similarities that are greater than their differences. They are based on real food and focus mainly on plant products, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil.

In addition, as you incorporate a new diet into your life, it needs to be practical, so that you can sustain it over time. If it is drudgery, or if you feel like youre suffering, it wont work in the long run. Eventually, youre likely to slide back into old habits. If youre considering a new approach to your diet especially if its something that could be risky if you dont do it correctly, like intermittent fasting talk to your health care provider first for guidance on how you can manage it in a healthy way. Keep in mind, too, that choosing to adopt healthy lifestyle choices can and should be an enjoyable way to live.

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Mayo Clinic Q and A: Long-term benefits and risks of intermittent fasting aren't yet known - Greater Milwaukee Today

This is absolutely true. A good fitness program can really help you lose weight. Exercise and fitness are among the best tools and steroids for mass someone can utilize not only to lose weight but also manage to keep the weight off. Of course in order to achieve weight loss with exercise and fitness you need to follow some simple weight loss tips that can help you use them efficiently. In this post we will outline the 3 most important weight loss exercise tips.

First you need to make sure that you find an exercise and fitness program that you like.

This is important because if you try to follow a program that you do not like very soon you will get bored and quit. This will not only destroy your weight loss efforts but it will also make you reluctant to take another shot and eventually this will decrease your confidence in trying to lose weight. On the contrary, if you follow a fitness and exercise program that you like and enjoy, this will give you courage and strength to work hard until you achieve your weight loss goals.

Second, you need to choose a fitness program that is realistic for your physical capabilities.

A lot of programs can bring good weight loss results but there are some programs suited for advanced users and require a lot of effort and stamina. If you are new to exercise and fitness you should choose a program that is suitable for beginners. This will be easier for you to follow and also you protect your self and health from unpredictable results. When starting with fitness for the first time you should not push your self too hard because this may be the cause of other more serious health problems. Start easy at the beginning and gradually get into more intense and hard training programs.

Third, it is necessary that you create your own personalized weight loss plan.

The plan will help you keep track of your weight loss progress and also it will be your reference point. For example if you need to lose 20 pounds the first thing you need to do is to create your weight loss plan. In the plan you will have 5 milestones spread over a period of 3 months each. Your weight loss goals will be to lose 4 pounds every 3 months. In other words you will have to adjust your diet and your exercise and fitness program so that you lose about 1.3 pounds per month. This is a very realistic amount of pounds to lose and having the plan will help you concentrate on each milestone separately. This is a much better and easier approach than having in your mind that you need to lose 20 pounds. You need to know in advance that weight loss takes a lot of time and needs a lot of effort and hard work.

Verdict

The only way to achieve fast weight loss results that will last for a long time is through exercise and fitness. Exercise will help increase your metabolism, which is responsible on how fast or slow your body can lose weight. The more your exercise the better will be the results. Last but not least exercise and fitness have a lot more to offer to your overall health than just weight loss.

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A Good Fitness Program Is Always Among The Best Weight Loss Tips - California Herald

Nowadays, there are many diets people use and try to get fit and stay healthy. There are diets to help lose weight, manage weight, control eating habits, and more. In addition to those diets, there is also a diet that is for the heart. We all know that staying healthy for your heart can be difficult with fast foods, sweets, and anything high in calories. New research through the National Institutes of Health the Dash Diet is a diet plan for the heart. The Dash Diet is a plan that helps with high blood pressure.

This diet was named one of thebest diets in the United States, but what makes it so different than other diets and has the stigma on diets changed in recent years? I spoke two dietitians Megan Kober (MK) and Deanna Dahlinger (DD), about the ins and outs of the Dash Diet and dieting.

Megan Kober: The Dash Diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Its a diet thats been around for MANY years and it was developed to help people lower blood pressure without medication. Its primary guidelines include reducing sodium and fat and increasing foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. This is not meant to be a weight loss diet.

Deanna Dahlinger: The DASH diet was not designed to be a weight loss solution, but I often see clients lose weight along the way. This could be because we are restructuring their diet and creating new healthy eating habits.

MK: The DASH diet is used by medical professionals everywhere to help patients drop their blood pressure, but in my opinion, the guidelines are outdated. One of the most significant contributors to high blood pressure is high blood sugar and insulin resistance which is often caused by the overconsumption of carbs. However, it IS vitally important to increase potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your diet. I would also agree with the DASH diet than dairy is important for calcium and K2.

DD: As a dietitian, I believe the DASH diet is a great starting point for clients not only to contest hypertension but to structure an overall healthy diet. Since every person is unique, from their genetic makeup, lifestyle habits, and environmental exposure, this diet only scratches the surface with how much of an impact our nutrition can have on the prevention and treatment of chronic disease and reaching optimal weight goals.

Of course, finding and transitioning to another diet that is right for you can be difficult but do you wonder if another diet will work? Has the stigma on dieting altered?

MK: Most diets work, at least in the short term. The key phrase here is SHORT TERM. The most popular way to try to lose weight is to remain in a calorie deficit this means eating less calories and/or exercising to burn more calories. I like my clients to focus on increasing their metabolism, not decreasing their calories. So, eating in a way that turns off hunger hormones and keeps your body in fat-burning mode. The easiest way to do this is to simply make sure youre eating protein, healthy fat, and fiber at every meal. Not only have I seen initial weight loss success with this, but Ive seen long term success.

DD: First, eat REAL food. Focus on whole foods made from real ingredients. Second, dont look at what you need to take away from your diet, instead focus on what you can ADD IN. When youre ready to take things a step further, work with a Registered Dietitian who can work with you to create an individualized, maintainable approach to help you reach your nutrition goals.

MK: As far as influencers on social media who are promoting weight loss check their credentials. Is it a registered dietitian with 5+ years of nutrition education? Or is it a personal trainer with 0 seconds of nutrition education? Or is it an Instagram model that is getting paid to promote a certain product or diet? Final note fat burners dont work, ever, no matter what IG tells you!

DD: Many diet trends and fads seem so glamorous from the outside, promising instant weight loss or whatever outrageous claim its attempting to make. But, lets remember:

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The Ins and Outs of the Dash Diet and Dieting - Grit Daily

A pipe fitter lost almost 11 stone in under a year after receiving a bizarre wake up call - when he became wedged between floorboards while on the job.

Daniel Mann, 32, from Halifax, tipped the scales at more than 24 stone when he got stuck going from one floor to another while fitting pipes in a Victorian property.

A comical picture shows the dad-of-two completely unable to move and howling with laughter at the extraordinary predicament he landed himself in.

His co-workers were doubled over in hysterics for 20 minutes before they finally helped him out - but only because it was the end of the day and they wanted to go home.

One colleague pulled Daniel's arms from the ground floor while another, who had gone down ahead of him, pushed from the bottom before he finally popped out.

Daniel said: "I saw my mate go down and I thought, 'oh I'll be alright', but then I just got wedged - I couldn't get out.

"I called for help and when they saw me they just burst out laughing, they couldn't believe what I had done.

"Even though I could see the funny side and started laughing I was actually really embarrassed.

"It made me think about what kind of size I had got to and that something really needed to be done."

Just weeks later, in April 2019, Daniel and his wife Deborah, a 31-year-old office administrator, joined Slimming World and embarked on an epic weight loss journey.

Daniel said: "I was a bit apprehensive at the start because I'd always associated it with the kind of thing women do.

"But after getting there and meeting everyone I immediately felt included and knew that I had made the right decision."

Before turning his life around Daniel would regularly eat fast food like pizza and fish and chips, adding that he'd often have two dinners in the evening.

He said: "I used to get the biggest butty you could think of at lunch times - bacon, sausage, cheese, black pudding, you name it. They would be massive."

However, with the support of Deborah, along with that of their children, Harry, six, and three-year-old Rosie, Daniel adopted an entirely new, healthy and balanced diet.

His daily food intake includes overnight oats for breakfast, salad for lunch and Slimming World recipes for spaghetti bolognaise, and stew for dinner.

At his first Slimming World meeting, the 32-year-old weighed in at 24st 8lbs and a size 44 waist. Now, barely nine months later, he is down to 15st 5lbs and a slimline 34 waist.

He has admitted he took some stick from his mates at work before they saw how much weight he was losing on his diet.

He said: "The lads did take the mick out of me at first, they knew my old eating habits and they didn't think I'd be able to stick at the diet.

"They'd keep asking me, 'what's that you're eating, rabbit food?' They'd keep asking if I wanted a butty, because they knew I liked them.

"But they've all seen the weight loss and that I stuck at it - they can't believe it. The jokes have stopped and they know I have done well, they respect me for it.

"One of the lads has even joined Slimming World because he was so inspired by my success. He asked me for advice and said he wasn't quite sure whether it was for him, but I told him to just go. Don't be scared, just go and do it.

"He's lost two stone since September."

Deborah, who has slimmed down from 14 stone 11lbs to 12 stone 4lbs on the diet with Daniel, described him as 'inspirational'.

She said: "I wanted to get down to the weight I was on our wedding day after gaining weight while pregnant with our daughter.

"I feel so much healthier and happier. I'm fitting back into my smaller clothes and my friends and family are always complimenting me on my weight loss.

"Losing weight together was so much easier than trying to lose it on my own.

"Daniel is so inspirational with his weight loss and he keeps me on track. I couldn't have done it without him."

The dad-of-two has also admitted he lost the weight, in part, for his own father, Stephen, who sadly died from cancer last year aged 68.

He said: "My dad was very straight-talking and he told me very directly that I needed to sort myself out and get rid of the weight."

Daniel received the motivational words after his dad had been told he would die from the disease, and says his dad's passing in June last year gave him extra impetus to succeed.

He said: "I just wanted to prove to my dad that I could do it and make him proud.

"Luckily he got to see I was on the right path before he passed away in June last year."

Daniel's Slimming World Consultant, Tamina Oates, has paid tribute to him, adding she's "incredibly proud" to have him in her group.

She said: "To watch and share the weight loss journey he is having is a privilege.

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"He is so inspirational and often pops into one of my other groups when he can't make his own, which the members love as they are all following him on our Facebook page and awaiting his weekly updates.

"He and his lovely wife, Deborah are Slimming World members and the changes I have seen for both of them are just amazing.

"He has a motto of 'plan, prep and achieve' and he is the living proof of the life that can be enjoyed with a healthy eating lifestyle."

Despite his astounding success to this point, Daniel's end goal is to get down to 14 stone.

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Pipe fitter weighing 24 stone became wedged between floorboards - and he knew it was time to act - ExaminerLive

THE ISSUE

The United States, including Pennsylvania, began to wrestle last week in earnest with the effects of COVID-19, the disease caused by a novel coronavirus. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization labeled the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic, because the outbreak had spread to every inhabited continent. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday.

Its hard not to be crushed by the weight of events relating to COVID-19.

The rising case numbers in Pennsylvania and the United States.

The rising death toll.

Less seriously, but still significantly, were also dealing with the loss of the unifying events that distract us from sadness in difficult times: college and professional sports, spring training baseball, Broadway shows, new movies.

With coronavirus cases spreading across the United States and the number of patients in Penn

There will be no March Madness brackets shared in workplaces this spring, because there will be no March Madness. And some workplaces will empty of employees, sent home to work remotely.

What we have is the madness of uncertainty.

Were uncertain of the true number of U.S. cases because the Trump administration failed to adequately prepare for this crisis by ensuring there would be an adequate number of test kits.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told PBS NewsHour that testing efforts in other countries far outpace those in the United States. We are not testing at a rate thats necessary to really understand the community spread of this virus, Adalja said.

Were washing our hands frequently. Were coughing into our elbows. Were greeting one another with waves instead of handshakes. Were watching carefully for the symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Coronavirus continues to spread in Pennsylvania and the United States, and as state Departme

But some of us, as LNP | LancasterOnline reported last week, are panic-buying toilet paper, paper towels and disinfecting wipes, stripping store shelves bare.

Some of us are missing time with loved ones who reside in nursing homes that have closed their doors to visitors.

It can be painful, but social distancing is essential, and must be practiced by young, healthy people, too, to protect older folks and those with underlying medical issues that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

So we hope everyone heeds Gov. Tom Wolf, who last week urged the statewide suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more, and cautioned against nonessential travel and visits to gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls.

Remember social distancing is a tremendous act of generosity and solidarity, Yale School of Medicine epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves tweeted Wednesday. Many of us will not get sick, but social distancing breaks the chain of infection between us and those at high risk of severe complications and death.

Its imperative that we break the chain.

In Lancaster County, where there is no public health department to help organize the response to this coronavirus, the county commissioners held a news conference Thursday.

The doctors present offered some excellent information. But otherwise the news conference accomplished little.

Joshua Parsons, chair of the county commissioners, said Lancaster County is prepared to issue a disaster declaration for COVID-19 if we have to.

Said Parsons: We certainly hope we dont have to do things as serious as that.

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At the time, Lancaster County didnt have a COVID-19 case. But neither did Berks County when it declared an emergency last week.

In any kind of situation like this, time is of the essence, explained Ron Seaman, the Berks County chief administrative officer, according to the Reading Eagle. And acting sooner rather than later is always beneficial.

Such declarations enable county officials to mobilize resources in streamlined ways.

At the same hour the Lancaster County news conference was taking place, Gov. Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine were offering updates about the worsening situation in Montgomery County, where most of the states COVID-19 cases are clustered.

Berks County adjoins Montgomery County. And Lancaster County adjoins Berks. Only one of these counties ours had not declared an emergency as of this sections press deadline Friday.

Wisely, the governor ordered all public schools to close for two weeks (and waived the 180-day requirement for schools). The closures may cause headaches for parents, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

Please take note, commissioners.

There may not be any known remedies for COVID-19, but there are remedies for our anxiety about it, and they include reaching out to others even if by phone to see if they need help.

We have great faith in Lancaster County residents. We are certain they will check on older folks in their neighborhoods to see if they need help running errands. We look forward to reading, in future letters to the editor, about the many acts of kindness that lightened these strange, dark days.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has a guide to help households prepare

Consider, too, this prescription, tweeted Thursday by the British actor Stephen Fry: OK. Until this thing is over weve all got to be helpful, friendly and kind to each other, understood? Hatchets buried. Grievances forgotten. Disputes resolved. Feuds ended. Strangers smiled at. When the final whistle is blown we can go back to be being mean and beastly. Agreed?

Agreed. Except for the beastly part. Were hoping this weird, worrying time reminds us of whats really important. And that meanness wont make the cut.

There are two tangible things we can do to help limit personal contact.

One, and this is major, we can complete the census by phone, mail or online, so census workers wont later need to visit our homes to ensure our participation.

The census the constitutionally mandated official count of every person living in the United States got underway Thursday.

Its vital that every Lancaster County resident be counted in the census. That count will determine the number of seats our state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. And it will determine how much federal funding Lancaster County receives for education, public infrastructure improvements, health and human services, and nonprofits that benefit the community.

If you drive on roads, if you have ever crossed a bridge in this county, if youre in an area thats covered by fire service, if you have ever been to a library, the census will affect you and the services that you receive, the Lancaster County Planning Commissions Emma Hamme told the LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board last Monday.

So, if you have internet access, complete your census form, after receiving your form in the mail, at my2020census.gov. Or call: 844-330-2020.

Heres how else we can help on the social distancing effort: by applying to vote by mail in the April 28 primary.

We have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, to apply for a mail-in ballot. Apply online at votespa.com/applymailballot.

Completed mail-in ballots must be received by the Lancaster County Board of Elections by 8 p.m. Election Day.

We can get through this together as long as keep a protective distance from one another.

Originally posted here:
As COVID-19 upends US life, we may need to stay safely apart but we're still in this together - LancasterOnline

MARIA Barnard carries the heavy burden of her sons death all day, every day.

For the Dungannon woman there is no escape from the sudden tragedy that fell on her family almost a year ago.

Her 17-year-old son Morgan was one of three teenagers who died as they queued to get into a disco at the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on St Patricks night last year.

Two other teens, Lauren Bullock (17) and 16-year-old Connor Currie, also lost their lives.

Since the terrible tragedy, questions have been raised about the circumstances and police response.

The fight for those answers can be fought another day.

Tonight, in the kitchen of her home the 39-year-old just wants to talk about her son - her second born and best friend.

Morgans father James Bradley (44) sits beside her at the table in their love-filled family home.

Ordinary people caught in the grip of extraordinary pain and loss.

For the last 12 months their home has been steeped in unbearable sorrow.

But despite the weight of loss, colour filters into every room.

And Morgan is everywhere - his now familiar face dominates almost every room.

People say someone is too good for this world," Maria said.

Morgan was too good. He wasnt a typical teenager, he was different.

The grieving mothers face lights up as she describes her son.

We knew he was popular we just didn't realise how popular, she said.

He was such good craic. He was great fun to be around. You couldn't have taken the hand out of him because he would have taken the hand out of himself rather than let you get one over.

He was a good lad but great craic, great craic and so funny.

She described how the teen never held a grudge.

I am not a morning person and I would be dont talk to me, dont look at me, dont breathe on me and he would get up singing and Id be like why is he so happy first thing in the morning.

He was always chirpy, cheery and happy. He never held grudges, he never fell out with you.

Morgan would have sat his A-Levels this year and just weeks before he died filled out his driving licence application form but never got the chance to post it.

He would have been going to university in September, he was so looking forward to university and he was so looking forward to driving, she said.

He had such a great zest for doing, he wanted to do stuff, he wasnt a lazy teenager.

The teenager overcame all obstacles and had positive outlook on life.

He was so unlucky but it was his attitude to it, his mother said.

He would have had an excuse to be a negative person because he was so unlucky.

He had braces, he had glasses, he broke his front teeth.

He always had a golf ball on his head when he was younger, tripping and falling. He was so clumsy. He used to say mammy 'I am so clumsy'.

But he was so positive, anybody else would have been 'Oh my God'. He was so happy and so appreciative of everything.

The emotional toll of losing her son is constantly to the fore.

I used to think to myself how can you think of somebody all the time? before all this happened to me.

Its so true, every second of the day I am constantly thinking about Morgan.

Its so exhausting sometimes because your brain is mentally exhausted.

When Morgan died his mother was pregnant and later gave birth to little Laurcon Morgan - named after the big brother he never got the chance to meet.

The teenager also left behind his older brother Calvin (21) and three sisters Robyn (5), Reagan (4) and Elyssa (3).

Maria reveals how his death has had an impact on her other children and reveals that her eldest daughter went through a terrible time.

Robyn was affected badly by it, she said.

We were telling her Morgan is an angel and he is up in heaven.

She kept asking questions why can he not come down and I want to give him a hug and I miss him.

Maria says that eventually her daughter was told the sad truth.

She looked at me and said but has he died for ever?, Maria said.

She cried for a solid hour, she sobbed her heart out for an hour.

I felt awful because I didnt want to tell her the truth because I didnt want this but I was advised that this is the best thing.

From I told her that all the questions have stopped.

Morgans devastated dad James spoke of how the teenager doted on his little sisters.

The children loved to see him, he said.

When he arrived home it was equally like me arriving home, there's daddy, but there's Morgan. They loved to see him.

He would have spent time going around every one of them lifting them, he said.

Morgans love of the Irish language was well known and he enjoyed nothing more than to escape to the Gaeltacht every year.

Last week St Patricks Academy in Dugannon, which Morgan attended, presented his parents with a special certificate in Irish.

It was good of them to invite us, he is part of the fabric of that school, he said.

He is missed so much.

After his death the teenager was awarded a coveted gold finne, a badge worn by fluent Irish speakers.

He has his gold finne, James said.

The head of Irish came to the wake and he said to me that he had no doubt. Morgan would have earned his gold finne and for that reason he put his hand in his pocket and he gave me a gold finne.

The devastated couple placed the prized pin on Morgan before his funeral.

The last thing we did, me and Maria - we were the last ones in the room upstairs - we pinned it on him.

He had a Gaelic academy top on, with the academy crest on it and me and Maria pinned the finne here on him.

It was the last thing we done.

The talented teenager helped with the language around home and was labelled the teacher by his father.

The heartbroken dad revealed how his daughters shout goodnight Morgan every night at bedtime and in their innocence call out his name as they play on their trampoline.

He also revealed how Morgans older brother Calvin has coped with the loss.

The relationship was turning from sibling rivalry to brothers as young men, he said.

We could see that relationship developing in front of our eyes - the sibling rivalry was going away.

Having a keen interest in sport, Morgan had travelled with his father to Old Trafford in Manchester and the Nou Camp in Barcelona along with a host of other destinations.

The teenager took a genuine interest in the welfare of others.

He didn't just pass you by like a lot of people do, including myself, his father said.

Morgan took the time to listen to you.

With a flair for business, even at an early age his father recalls how the teenager often asked for jobs to do in order to make some cash.

He used to sell, sweets in school, he said.

You werent allowed to do it in the academy. We got pulled up about it. He done it on the quiet and kept doing it.

It was about being an entrepreneur he wanted to know how to make the money.

It wasnt just about getting money in, he wanted to know the right way of how to set a base and build something to make a profit.

He had it up there and I just know he would have made it, whatever he decided to do in the end.

James revealed how he travelled to Craigavon Area Hospital on the night of the tragedy in silence along with his wife as the tragedy unfolded.

When Maria ran past the police the cop stopped me, when that cop stood out and stopped in front of me I knew there and then that this is bad, he said.

And he just marched me in and he said I need you to identify somebody. It could be your son or possibly your son.

Just walking into that room and seeing a sparkle of life that he was it's so difficult to explain, you know, a lifeless child lying.

You still want to help him but its over. You know, how do you get on with life when that spark is lying (there).

I couldnt take it in.

James explained how he struggled to accept the lifeless body in front of him was his son.

I kept saying its not him and there he is with the braces, he said.

He had no glasses on because they were smashed, they weren't on him.

I ripped the blankets clean off him because he used to walk about in his boxers around the house.

I saw his boxers. I remember that hitting really hard to me.

When I saw his boxers because he just didn't look the same, you know, the spark, a spark had died.

A star had disappeared. And a really, really massive presence in this house is gone for ever.

James said the trauma of losing his son is unlikely to be matched in his lifetime.

Its the hardest thing, without fear of contradiction that I will ever face, he said.

I would safely say the same for Maria.

His sons death has left a massive hole in his family.

I know people say and its a clich, 'there's something missing'.

There really is, there really is in this family. There is a massive part stolen away from us. I cant emphasise how massive his presence was around us. You close your eyes and think is this real'.

:: A specially made banner paying tribute to the three teenagers which was due to be carried in a cancelled St Patricks Day parade in Dungannon will now be put on display on a fence at Morgans home on March 17.

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Mother of Morgan Barnard speaks about her son for the first time - The Irish News

Colson Smith, 21, - the actor is best known for playing Craig Tinker on ITV's Coronation Street - has wowed fans recently at The Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards when he stepped on the red carpet and unveiled his impressive weight loss transformation. The 21-year-old soap star looked noticeably slimmer in a classic and sleek three-piece suit and casual white trainers in London on March 10.

Colson's weight loss transformation is the result of his Coronation Street charter's, Craig Tinker, decision to embark on a fitness and diet overhaul.

On-screen, his police officer character Craig has taken up running after finding that he was out of breath while chasing shoplifters.

Craig told his friends that he was going to make an effort to get healthier after being bullied at work.

Colson has been playing Craig, the son of Beth Sutherland, in Coronation Street since 2011.

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The actor's fans were full of praise for his new healthier look, with one commenting on an Instagram post from the bash: "Amazing achievement. You look amazing! Well done you xxxx"

"You look amazing well done your smashing it," said one user.

Another user commented: "Omg you look amazing."

"You look ace," a fourth fan told Colson after he shared a photo of himself at the awards.

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In December, Colson first lost a stone and a half after getting food poisoning while holidaying in Thailand.

According to reports, despite being warned about the local cuisine and risk of some seafood, the 21-year-old actor still tucked in and suffered the consequences.

Colson was only able to eat a banana and three slices of toast for a whole week before recovering.

The drop in Colson's natural daily calorie intake put his body in a calorie deficit state - a state which has been proven to help slimmers stimulate rapid weight loss.

To lose weight like Colson, a slimmer needs to also reduce their daily calorie intake - however, less drastically than he did.

Speaking on his podcast Sofa Cinema Club - which he hosts with fellow Coronation Street actors, Jack P Shepherd, 31, and Ben Price, 47 - the star said: "I was in Ko Lanta. I was sat on the beach and the waiter came over and was like, 'What would you like?' And I said, 'I'll have the prawns to start please.'

"I had avoided seafood [on Ben's advice] but I was sat on the beach and I was like, 'How can you not have seafood on the beach?'

"Well, anyway. I'm not doing that again. I've lost about a stone and a half. In seven days I've had one banana and three slices of toast. I'm on the mend now."

But, this isn't the only time that the 21-year-old actor has slimmed down.

Back in 2016, the Coronation Street star reportedly shed three and a half stones in weight with Ultimate Performance Fitness in Manchester and he said at the time "I feel like an athlete."

Colson Smith isn't the only star who has recently managed to slim down.

British soul singer, Adele, 31, has lost a huge amount of weight in recent times, with pictures of the star causing a stir online.

She has reportedly lost 7 stone in just a few months using a simple diet plan.

An expert revealed intermittent fasting (IF) could be the secret to her weight loss transformation.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, nutritional therapist at feedmehealthy.co.uk, Kelly Vines, told Express.co.uk why Adele may have used intermittent fasting.

She said: It has recently been alleged that Adele has been intermittent fasting, like many fans of this diet she probably chose to do IF as its a lifestyle change rather than a strict no-fun diet.

I like this style of diet as it is relatively easy to follow, its not strict with food, its a slow approach and its easy to be consistent.

At the end of the day, this is the key to weight loss and keeping it off long term."

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Colson Smith weight loss: How the Coronation Street slimmed down - Express

By Annie KrallMedill Reports

Growling. Roaring. Grumbling.

Something not quite in the distance draws even closer.

In the pit of your stomach you feel it growing. What is that? Where did it come from? What does it want?

When the sound reaches a crescendo that is when you realize

Today is another fast day.

That rumbling is simply your stomach bored and on empty for your second day of fasting. At least, that is the case for Dimitra Zafiriadis on her courageous journey to do the bare minimum when it comes to caloric intake.

This is her story.

Time and energy. For most of us living in 2020, we can never have enough of either. But as Zafiriadis, a skincare specialist, bounds around her home in Park Ridge you would think this new decade had breathed life back into her body.

Ive reorganized every closet, every drawer. Im busy and I want to do this stuff, Zafiriadis said on a warmer than average day during one of the warmest Chicago Januarys on record. Things are heating up just as much on the inside with self revelations and a desire for change.

Zafiriadis sits down after a full day of work to discuss why her life has changed so drastically in only eight months. The short answer she gives is intermittent fasting.

Before changing her eating schedule to fit fasting guidelines, Zafiriadis would normally wanted to come home and chill not doing any of her household responsibilities. Feeling lethargic and rundown was common. That was my past normal not my new normal.

Zafiriadis is part of a congregation of converted eaters. In the fall of 2019, intermittent fasting sent a shock wave through media outlets like a Los Angeles earthquake might and began shaking up the dieting landscape many West Coast gurus are known for constructing.

Intermittent fasting has no set medical definition. But it definitely has the medical world talking. An intermittent fasting pattern can vary in a number of ways, according to Healthline.com.

Here are the core four intermittent fasting schedules:

With each of these methods, you can eat pretty much whatever you want during your feeding window. Zafiriadis has found that flexibility to be one of the reasons intermittent fasting actually works.

I cannot diet. Diets just I love to eat. I love food, Zafiriadis said.

As a woman who hasnt even hit 50 yet, she has dealt with decades of food restrictive practices. Talking about intermittent fasting doesnt show lines of frustration on her face the way dieting did.

Ive dieted all my life. Diets never work. You lose all this weight and then you gain it all back and that was the case with me, she explained.

Then last May, everything changed.

Zafiriadis embarked on a journey to lower her blood pressure and lose weight after being overweight for years. Her doctor asked her, have you thought about intermittent fasting? From then on, she does a version of intermittent fasting that is more extreme than most.

She fasts for at least 24 hours once a week. That allows her body to get into a depleted storage state. Then, she will break the fast depending on her schedule. Being a mother to a high school boy, life always seems to just happen funnily enough.

But sometimes Zafiriadis will fast for eight days. She calls it an extended fast. This means no protein drinks or other sustenance beyond water and coffee. In eight months, Zafiriadis has lost 60 pounds but she said she has gained much more in exchange.

Consult your doctor, though, before undertaking an intermittent fasting or an extreme fasting regiment. They may have guidelines you should be following for your specific age and body type.

But Zafiriadis swears by the extreme fast.

Im much more alive!

I have much more clarity!

Fasting almost sounds like a spiritual experience for Zafiriadis. Considering the practice has been a part of religious teachings for centuries, thats not a dramatic comparison. Being Greek Orthodox, Zafiriadis is no stranger to purposeful fasting. And while the changes thanks to fasting may be more than skin deep, lets be a little shallow for a moment.

On the surface, Zafiriadis is bright and cheerful. Her bubbly personality sparks a glowing smile which highlights her skin. Her face looks hydrated and in her own words, younger.

As a skin care specialist, her entire profession involves optimizing natural oils and hydration to beautify the largest organ in the human body the skin.

When Zafiriadis fasts, she drinks tons of water and black coffee. If she is feeling a little peckish she will opt for some plain carbonated water. Beyond a serious amount of liquids, her fasting period is void of any other nutrition.

This may sound potentially dangerous but Zafiriadis has no qualms about what she is doing. To her, there are no side effects and no down sides to how she eats.

Yet, Chicago clinical psychologist Maria Rago, who specializes in eating disorders, isnt quite as big a fan of intermittent fasting as Zafiriadis.

I wouldnt recommend intermittent fasting to anybody, Rago declared.

She has been an expert on Good Morning America and spoken across the country about cultivating healthy relationships with food. The thing about intermittent fasting if you think about your brain is that it is a very rigid [practice], Rago explained. It takes a lot of thought. It takes a lot of willpower. It takes a lot of effort.

She implored anyone thinking about intermittent fasting to consider more than just the potential benefits. Rago referenced how maybe there is some budding information that says you can add a year or two to your life but what about the quality of your life?

Do you really want to spend your whole day not eating? Rago asked. And then people say during that time that theyre not eatingthey become very preoccupied with food and very hungry.

Rago did reference a number of researchers who have seen benefits to intermittent fasting. And while some medical professionals like Rago would warn against intermittent fasting, it apparently could help fight cancer.

Mark Mattson, a professor of neuroscience at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, discussed how the future of oncology could involve intermittent fasting.

There are many trials going on in cancer patients, Mattson said while discussing the benefits of fasting. He co-authored the recent New England Journal of Medicine article titled Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease.

In his study, setting mice and rats on an alternate fasting diet where they ate every other day not only inspired weight loss but lead to cells aging slower. To understand why, Mattson analyzed on a cellular level how all of our cells mostly use two energy sources: glucose (starch) and ketones (fats).

That is why eating high carb and high fat foods usually leads to more energy than just lettuce. There are more calories and nutrients in a piece of bread or salmon. When cancer forms and tumor cells are present in the body, chemotherapy and radiation are deployed to try and stop those cells from growing.

So how exactly does intermittent fasting help fight those cancer cells?

A number of trials are being conducted which puts cancer patients on an intermittent fasting regiment, according to Mattson. The idea there is that because most cancer cells use glucose as their main energy source and, in many cases, cant use ketones, if you hit them with chemotherapy or radiation while the person is on intermittent fasting or in a ketogenic state then, first, its easier to kill the tumor cells and, second, the intermittent fasting may protect the normal cells from the chemotherapy drugs and radiation, Mattson explained.

Adaptive cellular stress response was also a topic of conversation relating to Mattsons experiments during our interview. Our cells are able to grow and thrive when we eat because of cell plasticity. Yet, when there is a stress response in the body, for example no food in the stomach, the cells upregulate production of antioxidant enzymes and brain cells. Neurotropic factors are upregulated, Mattson explained. This means the cells are getting better at responding to the lack of food or stress in general.

At the same time autophagy is increased and overall protein synthesis goes way down during the fasting period, Mattson found. Autophagy is the cell cleaning out any damaged pieces in the body to make room for new parts. During intermittent fasting, the cell is kind of in a stress resistant, dont grow mode.

Its like when you exercise. Your muscle cells dont grow stronger during the exercise. Its when youre resting that they build back up again, but this time stronger and usually with more muscle cells. Its the same concept with intermittent fasting. Your cells will be better at handling stress if you expose them to more stressful situations.

According to Mattson, half a dozen studies are now testing this theory of helping cancer patients through intermittent fasting.

Most importantly, he said, This is not a diet, its an eating pattern. That is one of the reasons Zafiriadis has found it so different from her previous weight loss programs.

Zafiriadis hopes to continue intermittent fasting. She has dropped her blood pressure and has earned a whole new outlook on life. Being around for the rest of her sons life was one of the reasons Zafiriadis wanted to start fasting in the first place.

If you want to try it out yourself, it may not be easy. You may be hungry, tired, or frustrated by some of the restrictions. But, as Zafiriadis said, you can fit it into your lifestyle.

I wish people would find their own philosophy of eating that really works for them, Rago advised.

Will intermittent fasting be an adventurous part of your new decade?

Photo at top: Suburban skin care specialist and intermittent fasting enthusiast Dimitra Zafiriadis has lost 60lbs in eight months after using an extended fasting regiment. (Annie Krall/MEDILL)

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Intermittent fasting: a path to changing life and fighting cancer - Medill Reports: Chicago