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Brian and Danielle shed the pounds with Slimming World – Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:45 pm

BRIAN Fletcher never thought he would ever join a slimming group.

Not only did he think such groups were made up of women, but he did not think he needed to lose weight.

I didnt think I was that big, says the train driver. But his outlook changed when his doctor advised he lose weight to improve his health.

In August 2017 the father-of-three, who lives in Wrose, was involved in a car accident which left him in hospital for three and a half months.

As well as needing spinal surgery following the collision he developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and became depressed.

I was unable to walk and be mobile for nearly a year - a lot of the times I was in bed, he recalls. When I could move it was with the aid of crutches and a walking stick. I started eating for comfort and drinking daily to help me sleep and relax.

When Brian left hospital he weighed 15stone 5lbs, but as he battled back to health his weight rose to 19 stone 4llbs - the heaviest he had ever been.

I went to my G.P and hospital and was told I had a fatty Liver and I had to make changes to my lifestyle or I would have serious health issues, he says.

He decided that he was not going to join a slimming group. I told my wife, Michelle, I can do it myself, he says.

But Michelle, who herself attended a weekly Slimming World class, persuaded him to give it a go. When I arrived I was shocked to see two other men sitting in the hall, he recalls. I was met by Amanda the class consultant. She was so friendly and everyone welcomed me - I felt at ease straight away.

At the class, exactly a year ago, he stepped on the scales for the first time. That day that changed my life, he says. I weighed in at 18st 11lbs.

At that first meeting I listened as Amanda read out the weight losses and a few gains that people had reported during the last week. I thought how supportive everyone was, he says. I listened with interest to the journeys that everyone was going on. How they had lost the weight, what they had made for their dinners and teas and how they could change what they were doing.

With help from Michelle, as well as the booklets and communication from the Facebook group, Brian was able to plan his first week.

My eating habits changed straight away. I ate healthier foods at the right times. I could not believe what I could eat and still diet. I thought I would have to starve myself to succeed but I was wrong.

He returned to class to find he hear the words Well done Brian. I had managed to lose 7lbs in my first week, I was ecstatic - never did I think I would be able to do this. The other members in the group clapped and I felt so good in myself, I felt like I belonged there We have a laugh and a joke at the meetings and exchange ideas for meals.

By October Brian had lost 6st 4oz. My health has improved, my physical looks are far better, my energy levels are higher and I feel great, he says. I am now at my target weight and maintaining.

Brian has received many slimming awards and proudly displays his stickers and certificates on his fridge.

I also got Man of the Year and together with Michelle we got the Couple of the Year award.

He adds: I hope my story encourages people, in particular men, to join and succeed as I have.

Danielle Pearlman has her mum to thanks for her new look. But her journey towards a slimmer self has not been easy.

I began my journey in May 2019, kicking and screaming, she says.

Ive struggled with my weight all my life, she says. Yo-yoing, fad diets, irregular exercise - it would work short term and I lost a bit here and there.

I also have an under-active thyroid for which I take medication.

She adds: After I had my youngest in 2017, my weight became out of control and I piled it on, juggling a newborn, studying for my degree, being a single parent. I ate what I could, when I could, without thinking.

By 2019 her weight had become such that she was approved for a gastric bypass - surgery which reduces the size of the stomach so a patient feels full quickly.

Even though Id finally got the green light that I was a suitable candidate, I was

told that I would still have to wait a further 12-18 months for a surgery date, she says.

At more than 20 stone, she felt she needed to act straight away.

My mum asked, in a way that made it hard to say no, if Id go to Slimming World with her as moral support, says Danielle, 36, of Eccleshill, who has three sons aged 12, ten and two. I knew that what she really wanted to do was to help me with my spiralling weight, so, after sulking and kicking up a fuss, I reluctantly agreed.

After the first week, even after losing 6lb, Danielle wasnt convinced, But, I kept coming back. After my third week, my attitude started to change, I was making healthy food decisions without even thinking about it and had less interest in takeaways and sweets.

Instead she opted for what the plan calls free foods - everyday foods like lean meat and fish, pasta, rice, grains, vegetables, fruit, eggs and fat-free dairy - that you can eat a lot of of without piling on the pounds.

She also ate plenty of so-called speed foods such as blueberries, cucumber, radishes, celery and grapes, which are not only good for you, but can potentially speed up weight loss.

After about six weeks, I was noticing changes in my skin and my energy levels were up, she says. I was able to play in the park with my boys, chase after them and have a kick about. I was feeling so good.

To motivate her to carry on exercising she signed up for Body Magic, a stage-by-stage activity programme which complements the Slimming World eating plan by helping group members improve their overall health and wellbeing while aiding weight management.

Danielle, who studied graphic media design at Bradford College, goes to a gym and also enjoys roller derby, both activities helping to aid weight loss and keep her fit.

Now, eight months on, she has achieved a bronze, silver and gold Body Magic award from Slimming World, several Slimmer of the Week awards and a Slimmer of the Month title.

To date she has lost four and a half stone loss and instead of having to shop for clothes in size 24, she now wears 16/18.

She is not resting on her laurels. I keep a record of everything I eat and am eating far more healthily. I cook with fresh ingredients and dont buy takeaways, which is good for my sons to see.

As the months tick down, she is becoming less and less keen on the idea of surgery and is carrying on with Slimming World.

My proudest moment so far was being able to attend my graduation four stones lighter, wearing clothes that I wanted to wear, looking and feeling great, she says.

All this would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of Amanda, the fantastic people in the group and of course, my mum.

Amanda is extremely proud of both Brian and Danielle and of what they have achieved.

*Amandas Slimming World classes are held at Bolton Methodist Church, Bolton Junction, BD2 4LB at various times during the week. She can be contacted on 07971185089. She is also on facebook.com/amanda.firth.568.

For information about all Slimming World classes in Bradford visit slimmingworld.co.uk

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Brian and Danielle shed the pounds with Slimming World - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Doctors Missed Her RA Symptoms in Pregnancy. She Found a Way to Thrive Anyway – HealthCentral.com

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:45 pm

Brooke Baker was sleeping soundly one night in 2005 when suddenly she woke up with new and excruciating pain in both shoulders. "I remember it so well, and I had no idea what was going on," recalls the Oklahoma native, now 39. "The pain was like someone was injuring me, and I couldn't go back to sleep for hours."

In the agonizing days to come, a perplexed and frightened Baker swapped out her mattress and her pillow and would prop herself up to try and alleviate the unrelenting stabbing sensations.

I just thought, Well, it must be one of those things, she says. But then that thing moved to her elbows, the next week to her wrists, and a week later, to her hands. I had never had any pain issues, and this all made me feel so debilitated. Having such painful arms and hands was especially unfair. Baker had been a full-time music minister at church for three years, playing the piano.

Realizing the continuing torment was anything but random, she went to see her OB/GYN. After all, she was eight weeks into a miracle pregnancy at the time (shed been told shed never be able to have children). The last thing she needed was unexplainable pain.

When I said: Something's wrong, during that office visit, both the nurse and the male doctor I saw told me I should be grateful to be pregnant and basically to suck it up, she says. Baker vowed to find a new OB/GYN, which she did four months into her pregnancy. At that point the pain was in every joint, from her neck to her toes.

This doctor was a little gentler, he did really listen, but he was also a poor communicator, Baker says. Because her symptoms were suspicious, the doctor did refer her to a local rheumatologist who ran some tests to confirm or rule out the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). That was the first mention that this disease could be the cause of her pain.

The rheumatologist later called me to report the results showed nothing, Baker says. Later, he also told me it definitely wasn't RA and that RA gets better when you're pregnant.

With her diagnosis still undetermined, the now-devastated and overwhelmed mother-to-be was in too much pain to work, so she quit and moved back in with her parents, because on top of all of this, her marriage had fallen apart.

I was on the couch for almost seven months, she says. The pain got better for about six weeks, between months seven and eight, says Baker. I finally felt better and hoped I was over it all.

It wasn't to be. The pain returned full force during her ninth and final month of pregnancy as she was also getting huge, she says. Almost sheepishly, she returned to her OB/GYN for pain relief. I didn't want anyone, including him, to think I was crazy.

That doctor told her: When you have the baby, you won't hurt anymore. Wrong: Her pain kept steadily increasing.

The calendar had flipped to 2006 now and the big day came to deliver. A c-section was complicated by my previous abdominal surgeries and resulted in a longer hospital stay and blood transfusions, Baker says. But my baby boy, Jackson, was healthy and I was thrilled!Still, her intense joint pain persisted. How would she manage being a single mother? Her doctor then told her: When you stop breastfeeding, you won't hurt anymore. But when she stopped after a year, her pain continued on.

I thought, If I just tough it out longer, I'll be OK, she says. I was pretty gullible, believing everything I was told.

Being a single mom is hard enoughbut fate would deal her another unlucky hand. Baker was worried: It seemed that Jackson, then 17 months old, was drinking constantly. Then one day he began stumbling, he couldnt see normally, and he'd been losing weight. She knew something was terribly wrong.

A doctor visit and blood tests showed his blood sugar was more than 750 mg/dL when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. (Normal blood sugar for a person without diabetes ranges from between 70 and 100 mg/dL.) Frequent urination, thirst, fatigue, and weight loss are common symptoms of the disease.

He was too young to tell me what was wrong, how he was feeling, says Baker. His behavior changes and voice gave her clues as she tested his blood sugar regularly.

Baker was in nursing school by this time, still living with her parents and not working, except to play music part-time at a little, bitty job, she says.

In those first stressful weeks after his diagnosis, I'd stay up studying until 2 a.m., check my son, then sleep till 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. and then start it all over again, Baker says, knowing it was all worth it, even though then, it all felt almost unbearable.

I went through the roof at that time, Baker says, recalling seemingly insurmountable stress. Three weeks after her son's diagnosis, she finally saw her primary-care provider, where she wished she'd started, and tearfully confessed that she couldn't move her arms.

I couldn't even lift my baby. I'd have to scoop him, she says. I'd spend 30 minutes in the shower, in the warm water, to help get my arms moving in the morning, because they were 'locked' at a 90-degree angle.

The situation was terrifying. The baby relied on me for everythingme, the single mother trying to do everythingand I could barely take care of myself. I couldn't open a baby food jar, and didn't feel safe bathing him alone, Baker says. Thank goodness for my mother. But this was about survival, and I had to go on.

Her healthcare provider immediately did new blood tests for RA and he called Baker the same night to confirm positive results. "I was so glad to have an answer that I wasn't even devastated by that news," she says. The previously reported test resultsthe ones that ruled out RA while she was pregnantmust have been a mistake, she thinks now.

Her doctor quickly referred her to another rheumatologist who didn't just mumble and grunt at me, she says. He prescribed medication, and I started it in December 2007.

As for why Bakers OB/GYN had earlier ruled out RA because her symptoms continued during pregnancy, which, he said, was not the normit turns out he was half right and half wrong.

The latest research in UpToDate, an evidence-based clinical resource, says approximately 50% to 60% of pregnant women diagnosed with RA do have improvement in their symptoms, usually starting in the first trimester. And no, it's not possible to predict which patients will improve and which will flare.

Even more specifically, a review recently published in The Journal of Rheumatology reported that disease activity improved in 60% of patients with RA in pregnancy and flared in 46.7% postpartum. The Arthritis Foundation says that may be because of the hormone and immune system changes that protect an unborn child may also help RA.

The RA medication her doctor started her on was methotrexate, and it still stabilizes Baker's RA. It's a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug also known as a DMARD and it's considered a first-line treatment for RA. As the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center shares, its benefits include that it works fairly quicklyin six to eight weeksit works well, is easy to use, and isn't expensive.

Bakers joints throbbed when she started taking it. She'd feel good for a few days, and then after the next week's injection, the pain would return. It took seven months before I started to feel normal, again, but a year later I was pretty much functional and able to play piano again! she says.

Baker has gone back and forth between methotrexate pills and now-weekly injections. She feels so much better now that she shudders to remember the two miserable years she spent with no pain medication except acetaminophen.

No one ever gave me any, she says. They just said: Everyone hurts when they're pregnant.

Jackson, Bakers now 13-year-old son, has clearly inherited his mother's indomitable, can-do attitude. His spirit is undefeatable, and he just bounces back with a resiliency that's amazing, Baker says of her son. His hasn't been an easy life and he makes it look so easy.

When Jackson doesn't feel well, he doesn't let it bother him. Instead he asks: "Can I go to school tomorrow? Baker patiently explains that he should rest and asks him to pace himself.

She homeschooled him until fifth grade and he thrived when he eventually attended school. Hes so motivated, just so driven, and wants to get into Harvard, she says. Hes also creative and talented and plays the lead in lots of school plays.

Getting to this point has meant thatmuch like his momJackson has had to overcome the awful moments that come with chronic illness. Baker recalls when, as a child, Jackson would say, I don't want to be diabetes, Mommy.

That was just heart-wrenching, Baker says. Now he's so calm, and he says to me: Diabetes isn't all that bad. There are more good things than bad things. That stumps me, and I just go blank, without a response.

He has said he doesn't quite understand it all, about why he hurts and can't get better, and why she hurts, too. Hes starting to assess when my hands and feet swell, and he says Im so sorry you have this rheumatism, she says.

Baker doesn't dwell on sorry, but stays active. She is part of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition that advocates for more affordable insulin. Shes been to Washington, D.C. three times in 2018 and 2019 to lobby her legislators to decrease the price of insulinand she intends to continue. As a partial result of the groups nationwide efforts, the Insulin Price Reduction Act was introduced July 22, 2019.

Baker isnt looking for a standing ovation, but she measures her lifes progress quietly every day, her eye firmly on the prizeand her goals.

With her pain controlled, and now her stress, Baker, who lives with her son, can focus on her accomplished life. She began that nursing degree in January 2008, around the time both she and her son were diagnosed with their diseases, and she finished in May 2010. Then in January 2019, she finished her masters degree in nursing and now works as a professor at a local university teaching the next generation of nurses. She will pursue her Ph.D. next, with the goal of becoming a university dean. Then there are more personal goals.

I want to be more active with my son when I can, Baker says. My body's getting physically stronger, and we're planning to do some runs together soon.

And theres travel. The pair plans to visit all 50 states. She's done 47, and Jackson has logged 10. Baker still plays music for therapy, not performing, but singing joyfully with her son in the car.

Shes relieved not to have to fight her body anymore. I'm trying to work with it instead of against it, she says. I dont accept it as: Boy, I love having this, but it's better than hating it all the time.

RA Reminds Her That Pain is Real, and Personal

Baker takes a whole-body approach to managing her RA. She consistently takes her medicationon timeand also likes to use essential oils for aromatherapy and for minor relief, applying them to her hands. To maintain her overall balance, she practices yoga, her favorite activity. She embraces deep breathing and calming apps on her phone, such as Calm and Headspace.

I do my part, and because I have a spiritual side, I leave the rest because I can't control it all, she says.

Baker remembers the time when doctors didnt hear her when she reached out for help with pain and she felt sheepish about pressing themnot so now. She encourages others with chronic illness to speak up for themselves. Youll experience a real difference between advocating and not, and if you dont find support in doctors you have, keep trying until someone really listens to you and works with you, she says.

It's made her a better nurse, especially when a patient shares about their pain. She learned in nursing school that pain is what the patient says it is. Baker knows this firsthand. Those months of gritting through intense pain during her pregnancy could have been shortened if only someone had really listened to her symptoms and pushed for treatment. Now Baker is doing the listening (and teaching) and her patients are lucky to have her.

See more helpful articles:

Let's Talk About Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Doctors Missed Her RA Symptoms in Pregnancy. She Found a Way to Thrive Anyway - HealthCentral.com

This Guy Radically Changed His Diet and Lost 100 Pounds in a Year – menshealth.com

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

Aaron Leupp knows hes a workaholic. Now in his late twenties, the marketer and YouTuber came to Los Angeles nearly homeless, working 100-plus hour weeks at his hustle and grind as he established himself. He didnt sleep much and spent most of his time sitting at a computer. He went to the gym, but probably wasnt exercising right. He tried fad diets, but nothing seemed to work, and his weight kept creeping up. I was over 310 pounds, he saysmorbidly obeseand never in my life did I think would ever get that big.

For a while he was in denial, even as he tried many ways to slim down. But he wanted to feel healthy and productive, and not wake up with acid reflux in the middle of the night. He wanted to look better and start dating again. He turned to podcasts and YouTube, researching online all the different ways he might get back in shape. Despite all the trial and error, nothing seemed to work.

So Leupp radically scaled back his diet. He started eating once a day, only after hed finished the days workout. Every day I wake up to check my emails to see if there are any fires or urgent matters, he says. If not then I go straight to the gym. He cross trains every day, with a weight workout three days a week. If hes also doing cardio (40 minutes, trying to do more than three miles) that day, hell eat before his workoutsticking to natural, unprocessed foodsas well as after. Most days hell still eat only once, but he has cheat days and those when hell fast the entire day, only drinking water.

Putting his workout before his meals keeps him motivated. Trust me, you find motivation quick when you're hungry, he says. He tried working with a trainer for a couple months, but found it didnt work with his schedule.

In a year, he lost more than 100 pounds. Even his mom was surprised by the transformationshe didnt recognize him when she picked him up from the airport. I feel better than I ever have, he says. I have way more energy and have more confidence. Hes more productive in his work, and seeing how people responded to his changes, especially online (where he posts daily accountability photos), also keeps him going.

Hes not finished yet. Hes reaching out on social media, eager to help anyone who finds themselves in the same place he was: frustrated and looking for a way to change. He hopes his story can be an inspiration for them. I will continue to do this until I get fit and then for the rest of my life, Leupp says.

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This Guy Radically Changed His Diet and Lost 100 Pounds in a Year - menshealth.com

Weight loss story: This guy shed 16 kilos in 5 months. Here is his diet and workout – Times of India

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

When Saurav Kumar Panda couldn't compete in a marathon, he realised he needed to pay attention to his health and lose weight. To know how he did it, read his transformation story below:Name: Saurav Kumar PandaOccupation: Strategy AnalystAge: 29 years

Height:5 feet 8 inches

City: Bangalore

Highest weight recorded: 91 kilos

Weight lost: 16 kilos

Duration it took me to lose weight: 5 months

The turning point: I always wanted to be lean and muscular but couldn't keep track of my fitness levels. Soon enough, the sedentary lifestyle made me put on the kilos at a rapid pace. I tried to run the TCS marathon in 2019 and I was barely able to finish the 5km mini-marathon run (timing lagged too). I actually felt that I waa aging too fast because of my health. That was the time I decided to make the necessary changes.

My breakfast: This is generally my post-workout meal, and hence it comprises whey protein shake (1 scoop whey protein, 1 banana, 200 ml skimmed milk, one-ounce almonds, some dried cranberries, and cinnamon powder).

Sometimes, I eat a bowl of fruits, nuts, and seeds with whey protein (mixed in water). This helps me maintain a healthy mix of protein, carbs, and fats.

My lunch: 1 bowl of daal (or rajma or channa) with 2 chapatis.

Evening Snack: Coffee and boiled eggs or roasted peanuts.

My dinner: I take a minimal-carb meal at night. Omelette/boiled eggs/scrambled eggs (5 egg whites + 1 whole egg) and vegetable salad to match up the fiber intake.

Pre-workout meal: I work out on an empty stomach.Post-workout meal: Same as my breakfast

I indulge in: I go for 1 very high carb day a week. This helps me maintain the glycogen level and perform better at the gym. Since I do not eat rice and sweets on regular days, my cheat meals are mostly biryanis, burgers, and gulab jamun.

My workout: I work out for six days a week. It comprises of 45 minutes of dedicated weight training and 10 minutes of post-workout cardio/abs training for 5 days and, one day of dedicated 35 minutes cardio and 15 minutes abs training.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Homemade tava chicken and tava fish and desserts like fruit shakes and parfaits.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: Weight loss (or fat loss) is mainly done in the kitchen. Training is important for sure but if one does not change his/her lifestyle and eating habits, weight loss can be a lost cause. With small tweaks to your lifestyle and nutritional knowledge, one can make huge changes.

Weight training is also important. It helps in achieving a systematic weight loss. Once things are in place, consistency is the key.

How do I stay motivated: My motivation is the person standing on the other side of the mirror every morning. When I see that person making progress, it is what keeps me going.

How do you ensure you dont lose focus? I have divided my transformation into stages. That helps me to stay focused and work towards it. One can create a goal-based approach and stick to them. Some examples could be 'lose x kgs' or 'drop y% body fat'. You can also choose to work on a long term goal.

In our sedentary lifestyle, at least an hour of intense physical activity is very much required to stay fit and disease-free.

Whats the most difficult part of being overweight? Weight problems took a toll on my health. I was less agile than before, could not focus well, sweat more and used to run out of breath even while performing small talks or walks. I lived in the constant fear of developing chronic diseases like cholesterol, diabetes and blood pressure shoot up.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I would like to see myself with similar energy, focus, and fitness while maintaining a lean look.What are the lifestyle changes you made? There are quite a few:- Drink 3.5-4 liters of water daily- No or minimal carbs at night (this solves half of the problems)- Keeping a track of my caloric intake (it is important to maintain a caloric deficit in order to lose fat)

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Weight loss story: This guy shed 16 kilos in 5 months. Here is his diet and workout - Times of India

Can you be plant-powered for a month? – Loma Linda University Health

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

Healthy New Years resolutions can be challenging to keep, especially through the full year. For many, committing to a resolution means setting health goals, such as getting into an exercise routine, losing weight or adopting a healthier diet.

Lifestyle Medicine physician Melissa Mondala, MD, is challenging people to take on a workplace challenge for their New Years resolutions. She is encouraging people to eat a purely plant-based diet for one month, following the UK-based campaign called Veganuary that encourages people worldwide to follow a vegan diet for the month of January.

Since 2014, Veganuary has inspired and supported more than half a million people in 178 countries. A vegan diet helps combat weight gain and provides multiple health benefits, including increased energy levels, elevated mood, lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, Mondala says.

While many people stick to a vegan diet to keep their bodies healthy, Mondala says plant-based meals can keep your mind healthy as well. Several studies have shown a whole food, plant-based vegan diet has benefits that help to prevent and even reverse major depression symptoms and improve mental health when compared to a diet that includes meat and dairy.

If thats not enough motivation, a vegan diet is also the most environmentally friendly diet available. Eating animals is the most significant contributing factor in habitat loss and extinction, with millions of acres of forest felled each year to make way for livestock production.

Its been calculated that if you stick to a vegan diet for one month, youll be responsible for saving 33,000 gallons of water, 904 square feet of forest and 602 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a study recently published in the journal Climate Change, Mondala says. Thats better than giving up your car for a month!

Change is difficult, but theres comfort in the company. Mondala suggests connecting with a friend, spouse or family member to take this challenge with you. This is a great way to get more involved in your health and nutrition, and it can be a fun bonding experience, she says.

If you want to try a vegan diet, but you dont know where to start, try the Veganuary Challenge for January. Upon signing up, youll be sent a free 2019 Veganuary Celebrity Cookbook to download. Youll also receive 31 days of support emails to inspire, motivate and help you through your vegan month with everything from recipes and meal plans to tips on where to get your nutrients and how to stock your cupboards.

Consider alifestyle visitconsultation with one of our Lifestyle Medicine physicians at the Center for Health Promotion. They will work closely with yourprimary carephysician to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Please call theCenter for Health Promotionat909-558-4594to make your Lifestyle Consultation visit today.

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Can you be plant-powered for a month? - Loma Linda University Health

Trying to make healthier food choices in 2020? Head to B.GOOD – The Daily Tar Heel

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Visit B.GOOD.com to learn more about its commitment to customers and the new lifestyle menu. Download the B.GOOD app now.

Where to find B.GOOD: 133 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, across from Target

The new year has started and so have the resolutions. Everyone is pledging to make the right choices with the right food plan whether thats keto, paleo, Whole30 or beyond.

But after a week or two, it turns out that no matter what books you buy or path you choose, health plans are hard to adhere to.

New Years resolutions are great, but when it comes to eating in a restaurant with friends or scanning a takeout menu for lunch, the new year, new you mantra can lose its sparkle.

Thats where B.GOOD comes in.

Just in time for Near Years resolutions, the fast casual farm-to-table spot on West Franklin Street is taking the confusion, frustration and list-making out of health-conscious, food plan-approved meals. Meet the Lifestyle Menu, available for a limited time.

The Lifestyle Menu builds on our commitment to supporting our guests and giving them great tasting options that they can feel good about eating, said Linh Aven, the Executive Chef at B.GOOD.

The menu offers meal options for people who adhere to the keto, paleo and Whole30 food plans but are also tasty options for anyone.

The new Lifestyle Menu includes:

The Lifestyle Menu joins the lineup with B.GOODs other healthy choices, like the Flexitarian burgers launched last fall.

The minds behind the latest launch at B.GOOD understand that healthy food has always been difficult to access, whether at a restaurant or in a grocery store. And as Americans switch away from scarcity diets and plans and move more towards wholesome food plans and choices, its become even more important for restaurants to develop well-rounded and health-conscious meals.

While a growing number of Americans are adopting customizable diets, it remains challenging for people to adhere to these diets and lifestyles while on the road or dining out, said registered dietician Pamela Smith, who is working with B.GOOD to develop the menu.

I am thrilled to be working with B.GOOD to make delicious, thoughtfully crafted, health-conscious options more accessible, and frankly, less of a headache.

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Trying to make healthier food choices in 2020? Head to B.GOOD - The Daily Tar Heel

Workout Supplements | How to Read the Labels – Runner’s World

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

Its no surprise that caffeine is essential for many people to get them going before a run or workout. But too much of it could have seriousand even deadlyconsequences.

Last July, a 21-year-old from Australia died of a caffeine overdose when he mixed one teaspoon of pure, concentrated caffeine powder into his protein shake. This isnt the first time this has happeneda 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients found that 91 people have died in the past 50 years from consuming too much caffeineover half were from powders or pills.

Sometimes, though, caffeine is already added in to supplements such as protein powder and preworkout mixes. This begs the question: How much is too much? And how can you figure out if other common ingredients pose the same risk?

We spoke with Paul R. Thomas, Ed.D., R.D.N., scientific consultant for the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to find out.

There are hundreds of thousands of preworkout, workout, and recovery products out there that have many combinations of ingredientsand none are alike, Thomas tells Runners World.

[Smash your goals with a Runners World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.]

While the ingredients of these products are studied individually or in small combinations, most products are larger combinations that arent studied specifically, he says.

Heres where we encourage you to get all of your macronutrient needs from whole food sources. But we know that some people will still turn to using supplements to further fuel their workouts. Its important to note that the supplement industry is not regulated, which can make the marketing and labels at best confusing, and at worst, misleading.

Manufacturers arent required to study products before marketing, so many products dont have good evidence as to if they work or not, Thomas says. Even worse, for many of these products that contain many ingredients, they are put together in proprietary blends where you learn the amounts in their combinations, but not individually. Without knowing the amount in individual ingredients, you cant look up information as to if it will be effective or harmful.

And, even if there is research done, the studies usually include small groups of people during limited amounts of time with artificial lab conditions, according to Thomas. Your response, he says, will probably vary from these outcomes. For a lot of people, this [process of figuring out what works] is a matter of trial and error, he says.

However, there are a few ingredients that are commonly found in workout supplements that are well studied, Thomas says, such as caffeine, creatine, and BCAAsor branched chain amino acids. Thomas notes, though, that these ingredients might not work for everyonefor some people they do nothing, and for some people they may actually hinder performance. Heres what to know.

According to the NIH, caffeine can help you exercise at the same intensity level for longer and reduce feelings of fatigue. NIH suggests taking 2 to 6 milligrams (mg) per kilogram of body weight 15 to 60 minutes before you exercise. (For a 154-pound person, that would be 210 to 420 mg of caffeine. For reference, a cup of coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine.) It also notes that adults shouldnt consume more than 500 mg per day, and that consuming 10,000 mg or more at one timewhich is one tablespoon (tbsp) of pure caffeine powdercan be deadly.

Creatine can boost your power, strength, and your muscles ability to work at their max effort, according to the NIH. And while its been found to be safe for healthy adults to use on a regular basis, it probably benefits sprinters and those who regularly strength train the most. NIH notes that studies have shown that people have seen muscle-building results from taking 20 grams of creatine per day for five to seven days, and then lowering their dose to 3 to 5 grams per day going forward.

The amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine are known as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are components of a protein. According to the NIH, your muscles use BCAAs for energy during exercise. If you get enough protein in your diet, that should provide you with about 10 to 20 grams of BCAAs per day. Taking up to 20 grams more from BCAA supplements appears to be safe as well.

For all of the above-mentioned ingredients, researchers dont know the effects of taking them beyond their recommended daily doses, Thomas says. Still, its best to do your research about specific ingredients before you buy and consume any products aimed to boost your workouts and muscle recovery.

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Workout Supplements | How to Read the Labels - Runner's World

WWE Superstar Mandy Rose reflects on her journey to wrestling: ‘It’s kind of crazy’ – Home – WSFX

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

LOS ANGELES It takes a lot to be a WWE Superstar.

Constant traveling, exercisingand literal fighting can wear on someone, butMandy Rose whose real name is Amanda Rose Saccomanno loves her life and is still going strong.

In addition to wrestling, the 29-year-old Westchester, N.Y., native has dove headfirst into several other passion projects.She starred in the fifth season of the reality show Total Divas, hosts a donut-centric web series with fellow Superstar Sonya Deville and has now developed a skincare line, Amarose.

WWE STARS CHARLOTTE FLAIR AND ANDRADE ARE ENGAGED

Mandy spoke with Fox News about what drew her to wrestling, her time on television and the best placesthat work has taken her to.

Fox News:How did you become a WWE Superstar?

Mandy Rose: I was studying speech-language pathology at Iona College and I got my bachelors degree there. And then I was approached from a friend, actually, that was like, You know, you should get into bodybuilding and fitness competitions. And I didnt really know anything about that industry, but it kind of intrigued me a little bit. So I was like, Ill give it a shot. You know, I always was fit and loved to work out and play sports, but I didnt really know, you know, anything about fitness competition. So I was training to do a show in Boston with WBFF [World, Beauty, Fitness & Fashion] and I did the show, I really didnt know what I was doing, but I placed first, which is really cool. And from then on, I went on to WBFF Worlds and I became the 2014 Bikini World Champion, which then led me to WWE. So, its kind of crazy.

Mandy Rose, left, and Sonya Deville enter the SmackDown ring.(Courtesy WWE)

Fox News:Where did thename Mandy Rosecome from?

Mandy Rose:My real name is Amanda Rose Saccomanno, so a lot of people dont know that, but Rose is kind of special in my family as my grandmas name is Rosemary, my moms name is Mary Rose, Im Amanda Rose, my niece is Demi Rose. So it kind of just keeps going in the family. But I was put on Total Divas right when I got signed, so before I kind of stepped foot in the ring, I was on Total Divas and I went by the name of Mandy, so []we didnt really want to change my name after that. It was like everyone knew me as Mandy and even from Tough Enough, so we went with Mandy Rose.

SMACKDOWN SUPERSTAR SONYA DEVILLE REFLECTS ON LONG JOURNEY TO BECOMING A BADA IN THE WWE

Fox News:What makes Total Divasso special?

Mandy Rose: Its really cool because its such a blessing to be on Total Divas because its a totally different demographic, as well, and a lot of the audience is a lot of people that may not watch wrestling and may not be aware with WWE, but then all of a sudden they get so intrigued by it, especially women all around the world, you know,traveling, and you see behind the scenes and you see some stuff that youll never see []on WWE TV. So its really cool to get that vibe. And right now its a greattime to be a woman in sports entertainment. So its really cool, especially to see these women like, you know, kicking aon TV, but seeing all the work that []comes with it and all the stuff that we have to, you know, all the drama and everything behind the scenes. So its a lot of fun.

Fox News:What makes it a good time to be a woman in sports entertainment?

Mandy Rose: I mean, just everything! You see these women, you know, were just all breaking down barriers. I mean, its what people want to see, too. You know, especially in sports, entertainment and WWE. And people want to see the women, you know, kick butt. And its just a great time. SoIm really blessed. And for me, its only the beginning of my career and Im excited for whats to come. And it only makes me more motivated and be more driven to want to get to the top, want to get to the very top, just like the womens main event of this year at WrestleMania.

Fox News:Who are your female icons outside of wrestling?

Mandy Rose: I would say, Serena Williams, Ive always looked up to [her]. Shes just bad and I mean, she just speaks volumes, obviously. And I mean, theres just a lot of women out there that, you know, even like JLo[]she just, you know, looks better and better with age. And shes just a huge influence to young girls that want to be out there in whatever industry it is. Music, entertainment, movies. So its just a great time.

KEVIN SPACEY ACCUSER ARI BEHN WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUT FAMILY, SAYS NORWAYS KING HARALD V

Fox News:What is your new show, Damandyz Donutz, about?

Mandy Rose: So my tag-team partner, Sonya Devilleand I, we decided to go around the world everywhere, we go for TV and try the best glazed donuts. And now its kind of turning into this food channel, as well, because we love food and were big foodies and were both, every time we go places, were like, Ohlets find the nicest restaurant and go check out, you know, what their cuisine is. And we wanted to build our YouTube channel, so were like, whats the better way to get a little more creative and try to engage our fans into seeing something that they dont see all the time. So we do little videos and were in the car, of us eating donuts or at restaurants. And itreally took a hit. Now we have our own website, we have our own clothing line with it, and eventually, we want to have a brick-and-mortar one day.

I was approached from a friend, actually, that was like, You know, you should get into bodybuilding and fitness competitions. And I didnt really know anything about that industry, but it kind of intrigued me a little bit.

Mandy Rose

Fox News:What is your Fit With Mandy app?

Mandy Rose: Its an app that I created about a year ago. Its basically a 12-week at-home program designed for all different skill levels. Males, females of any age. It requires []little-to-no equipment. And its a lot of high-intensity interval training. And its a lot of stuff that I do when Im on the road when we are in these little towns and cities that we cant find a good gym or good equipment. So its just something that you can even do in your hotel room. So it speaks volumes for me because its something where Im so passionate for it and Im obviously so into taking care of my health and fitness. And we have to keep up with that, of course, in WWE. So its something thats convenient, easy and accessible for everyone.

Left to right:Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya DeVille during 2018 New York Comic Con. Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Fox News:What was the inspiration for your skincare line, Amarose?

Mandy Rose: So obviously, its another thing to keep up with, not only your health and beauty. Im always in front of the camera, always traveling and getting out of airports and skincare is very important to me. So a little less than a year ago, Jazz Mathur and I partnered together with creating a skincare line called Amarose. So its very exciting, itll be launching soon in February and weve got a bunch of different products, and we really took the time in developing the best products and also suitable for everyone. But for me especially, too, Ive tried out the products for at least five months and Ive been seeing amazing results, and its something that I want to make sure I love. And, you know, if Im gonna be showcasing it to other people; andits really exciting. And of course, the name Amarose, rose is there.

LAST MAN STANDING STAR TIM ALLEN: WE JUST DONT MAKE FUN OF STUFF EXCEPT LIBERALS

Fox News:What are some of your favorite places work has taken you to?

Mandy Rose: I have traveled a lot of different places, but I have to say South Africa was really cool, like Cape Town and Johannesburg. We, unfortunately, were really only there for a few hours. We []either go to the gym, sightsee, either/or, we dont have time for both. Then we go to our shows and then []go to the next city. So its kind of hard, but recently, my new favorite has been Dublin, which was a lot of fun. It actually was the last stop we were at, so we were able to kind of go out and we had some Irish coffees and it was just, the streets were just, it was really cool. It was a really cool experience.

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Fox News:Do you have any travel tips?

Mandy Rose:Well now, I feel like because I travel so much, it just becomes a routine for me. Its like, when I get home, I unpack everything out of my suitcase, wash everythingand pretty much everything goes right back in to make it easier, my suitcase never really closes. Its just if youre on the road so much, its just easier that way. But little tips, its just making sure youre prepared, like, you know, with your essentials. For me, its my skincare, for me, its my, you know, my protein on the road and making sure I have the right nutrition and foodfor my diet. Thats about it. Andjust making sure youre also just in the moment, as well, because were always so busy that this time can go by fast, too. So its, like, always just being in the moment and being present.

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WWE Superstar Mandy Rose reflects on her journey to wrestling: 'It's kind of crazy' - Home - WSFX

How to survive after a nuclear war: eat mushrooms and seaweed – INSIDER

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

More than two centuries ago, the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history pushed millions of people in North America and Europe toward the brink of famine.

In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted in Indonesia, pumping dust, ash, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The explosion triggered freezing temperatures in the summer of 1816, which destroyed crops and vegetation. Birds dropped dead out of the sky. Desperate for food, people reportedly ate raccoons and pigeons.

The period became known as the "volcanic winter" or "year without summer." On average, the global temperature cooled by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

David Denkenberger, a mechanical engineer at the University of Alaska, often uses the eruption as an example when people ask about the possibility of nuclear winter the period of cold and darkness after a nuclear war today.

"There's definitely historical precedent," he told Business Insider. "But it has been a challenge getting people to think about these bigger disasters."

Denkenberger runs the non-profit Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED), which researches ways to protect the world's food supply during a global catastrophe. In the event of a nuclear winter, he said, harvesting foods like mushrooms, seaweed, and even sugar from leaves could help create a sustainable "disaster diet."

Nuclear researchers predict that a full-scale nuclear war between India and Pakistan (which are both expanding their nuclear arsenals) could result in the detonation of 250 100-kiloton weapons each more than six times the size of the "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

In that extreme scenario, a cloud of black soot could envelop the sky andblock sunlight, causing temperatures to fall dramatically. Key agricultural hotspots could lose the ability to grow crops, triggering a global famine.

"It would be instant climate change," Alan Robock, the author of a recent study that examines the effects of a nuclear war between the two countries, told Business Insider. "As horrible as the direct effects of nuclear weapons would be, the indirect effects on our food supply would be much worse."

But Denkenberger says there are ways to sustain ourselves, even if the land becomes scorched and severe cold descends.

The mushroom cloud of the Castle Bravo nuclear test of March 1, 1954. NOAA

A paper published in 2008 described about how fungi could survive both a thermonuclear holocaust and a subsequent nuclear winter.

"The conclusion of the paper was, maybe when humans go extinct, the world will be ruled by mushrooms again," Denkenberger said. "I said, 'Wait a minute. Why don't we eat the mushrooms and not go extinct?'"

That paper got him thinking about how other foods could support human life, he said.

Even if a nuclear winter destroyed trillions of trees, mushrooms could feed on that dead matter, creatinga regenerative food source that could potentially feed everyone on the planet for about three years, according to Denkenberger's estimates.

Since mushrooms don't rely on photosynthesis, they can survive without much light. The same goes for seaweed.

"Seaweed is a really good food source in a scenario like this because it can tolerate a low light levels," Denkenberger said. "It's also very fast-growing. In a nuclear winter, the land will cool down faster than the oceans, so the oceans will remain a little bit warmer. Seaweed can handle relatively low temperatures."

Psilocybe Pelliculosa mushrooms Lightworkerpeace/Wikimedia Commons

To feed everyone on the planet, Denkenberger estimates that the world would need around 1.6 billion tons of dry food per year. Humans could potentially grow that amount of seaweed, he said, in three to six months.

But in order consume the proper nutrients to ward off disease, humans can't rely on a single food source (or two). So Denkenberger put together a chart of what a typical 2,100-calorie diet might look like in a post-doomsday scenario.

David Denkenberger and Joshua M. Pearce

The diet involves a mixture of meat, eggs, sugar, and mushrooms. It also includes dandelions and tea made from tree needles, which contain Vitamin C. Naturally growing bacteria would serve as a source of Vitamin E, which is important for brain function.

Denkenberger said he plans to study other natural food sources that could grow near the equator, where there would still be some sunlight post-disaster (though the temperature would be low).

"One of the things I've learned by moving to Alaska is that, even in areas where the summers are so cool that trees cannot grow, you can actually grow potatoes," he said.

Leaves also contain stringy fiber (cellulose) that could be converted into sugar, Denkenberger added. That process is already happening at biofuel plants, which convert cellulose into sugar to make ethanol.

If the global agricultural system were to collapse, Denkenberger said, current stores of dry food could feed around 10% of the global population for five years. That, of course, is insufficient.

The cost of those supplies would also rise due to demand, he added: "I'm very concerned that the food price will go so high that a billion people just wouldn't be able to afford food."

Storing up large quantities of food ahead of a disaster would also be expensive. Denkenberger said such an effort would "cost trillions of dollars and take a long time."

Alternatively, he estimated that dry seaweed can be produced for around $1 per pound; that's about the lowest reasonable cost for dry food in a disaster scenario, according to Denkenberger's estimates.

That means it would cost around $3.2 trillion to produce enough seaweed to feed everyone on Earth for one year a price that should, he added, mean almost everyone in the world could afford to eat.

Denkenberger has proposed a few technological solutions for growing food that can't be stored. First, he recommends utilizing natural gas in the atmosphere to produce protein.

The Denmark-based company Unibio is already developing a way to convert methane into a highly concentrated protein that can be dried and packaged into fish food. The Silicon Valley-based company Calysta is also using gases like nitrogen and methane to feed fish and livestock. In a catastrophe, Denkenberger said, those proteins could be used to feed humans as well.

A German wood-to-biofuel plant. Carsten Koall / Getty

Denkenberger said he's also working on a project funded by NASA that is looking into how to heat coal without any oxygen present. The heating process would produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide that could be converted into protein.

But Denkenberger said isn't a fan of using artificial light, such as LEDs, to grow food. He sees that approach as a last resort.

"Unfortunately, it's extremely inefficient and expensive," Denkenberger said.

Instead, he said, his nonprofit is looking at ways to grow food in greenhouses near the equator, where there would still be some natural sunlight.

"Then we could grow pretty much any crop at a much lower cost than artificial light," he said. "And because it wouldn't use so much energy, we can use the energy for feeding more people."

Denkenberger said employees in the agriculture and government sectors are more concerned about disasters like hurricanes than a full-scale nuclear winter.

"If you have a localized disaster, generally the cheapest thing to do is just to ship grain in," he said. "But in certain circumstances, if the transportation is disrupted, that might not work."

He thinks some of his solutions, like extracting sugar and protein from leaves, could be applied to feed people during a local catastrophe. But it is also possible to store enough food for a major disaster such as a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, he added.

"Even though their nuclear arsenals are much smaller than the US and Russia's, there have still been models indicating that it could create a 10% or 20% reduction in the global food supply," he said. "We waste more food than that and feed more food than that to animals."

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How to survive after a nuclear war: eat mushrooms and seaweed - INSIDER

Ants attracted by magnets and vegan diet scrutinised at Young Scientist event – The Irish Times

Posted: January 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

Ants are considered fiends when they cause infestations or revered as an essential part of nature, depending on your perspective. But two students from St Aloysius College in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, believe ultimately they get an unfair press.

Transition year students Amy Morrissey and Anna Ring wanted to find a way to get them to move on when they infest an area in domestic buildings, by avoiding standard killer powders or crude forms of extermination. They have concluded magnets can do the trick.

Proof of this, backed by video evidence, was on display at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) in Dublins RDS on Friday.

Magnets work because ants have a magnetic compass for directional purposes, Amy explained. They are a common problem is households, yet they play a vital role in nature, being essential to the food chain, so we want to deal with them in a sustainable way.

In a series of experiments recorded on video they have shown weaker magnets have little effect but stronger magnets, notably one named N52, had a considerable repellent effect. Having observed online how an active mobile phone with its electromagnet effect had a dramatic effect, this is where we want to extend our research, she said.

We think the electromagnet, such as that found in a mobile phone, could increase the effect by a factor of 20, Anna added.

Supporting genuine sustainability in diets and purchasing habits prompted Kaitlyn Ryan from Coliste Mhuire Co-Ed in Thurles, Co Tipperary, to compare vegan and omnivore diets in the Irish context.

There is a widespread perception that meat and dairy products are bad for the environment and that a vegan diet is much better in that regard. I wasnt really convinced. I questioned that, she added.

While vegans have to ensure they get adequate protein, this is often by relying on food imports that have high carbon miles attached to them, she noted. So she decided to compare a vegan diet based on recommended daily allowances on key nutrients and the omnivore diet which is based on the food pyramid which includes meat and dairy.

She then tracked the carbon footprint and factored in the food miles because so much of the products involved are imported into Ireland. This month alone, broccoli, lettuce and beetroot imported from France and Spain were dominating Irish supermarket shelves when they could be grown in Ireland with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

Supermarkets are not supporting local growers, Kaitlyn added, but there was also a knowledge deficit among Irish consumers. People dont know the [CARBON ]impact of importing food.

Her research backs the case for growing your own, even if its just a window box; it has a big impact. In addition, people should not worry about the appearance of the food, especially when half the food and veg grown globally is thrown out because of its appearance.

The winners of the 2020 BTYSTE will be announced on Friday night, while the exhibition is open to the public up to 5.30 pm on Saturday - more information is at http://www.btyoungscientist.com

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Ants attracted by magnets and vegan diet scrutinised at Young Scientist event - The Irish Times


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