AS Lucy Kidwell watched her big sister Katie walk up the aisle she beamed with pride - just as she had done the day before.

But getting married on the same weekend wasn't the way the pair had imagined their wedding days to go.

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Tragically their dad Graeme Crook, from Lothersdale, Yorkshire, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August and given just months to live.

Both Lucy and Katie's boyfriends knew how much it would mean to have him at their weddings and went in secret to ask for his blessing.

Incredibly, within three weeks the couples had arranged to exchange vows - one day after the other.

They had desperately hoped that their dad would be there to walk them up the aisle but sadly the 63-year-old's condition took a turn the night before Lucy was due to marry.

But Graeme was adamant that their big days still went ahead on September 28 and 29 this year.

Instead of toasting at their reception, both girls rushed to the hospital as soon as they'd said their vows to be with him at his bedside - still wearing their wedding dress.

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Speaking to The Sun Online, Lucy, 28, said: "It was bad enough that he wasnt able to be there so this was the next best thing.

"He was over the moon. It meant the world to us that we both managed to get pictures with our dad on our wedding days."

Graeme managed to survive the weekend of their weddings and was able to go home but sadly he died a week later on October 6 - just nine weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.

Lucy said: "The videographer was incredible and managed to get the videos to us within a few days.

The smile on his face - he was so happy to see both his girls get married

"So we were able to sit and watch them with my dad.

"The smile on his face - he was so happy to see both his girls get married.

"I feel like we were lucky to be able to have that moment together."

She added: "The day after we watched the wedding video he looked at me and said I've had enough now.

"I understood what he was saying.

"We were all sat by his side - even then he was still holding on - and I said to him, 'don't be scared dad', and he slipped away."

Lucy said that she knew that pancreatic cancer was a form of the disease that killed quickly - but didn't realise how fast it would be.

She said: "I thought that the worst case scenario he might have three to six months but it was actually nine weeks in my dads case. It was so awful."

Lucy explained that her dad Graeme, a patient transport driver for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, had no idea about some of the early warning signs.

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"He used to like walking and had just been a holiday to Peak District with my mum," she said.

"He was in a bit of pain - in his back and stomach - and as he was diabetic, he went to see his GP.

"The GP recognised that it was something that needed to be looked at quite quickly.

"He was referred through the two week pathway but his pain was getting worse so he had to go to A&E where they did some scans.

It was quite a big shock to go from being ok on holiday one week to 'you've got cancer' the next

"They thought he had gallstones but the scans showed nodules on his liver which turned out to be pancreatic cancer which had spread.

"It was quite a big shock to go from being OK on holiday one week to 'you've got cancer' the next - and it's spread.

"My mum has had cancer three times so she sort of understood.

"I went onto the Pancreatic Cancer UK website to find out more because I'm one of those people that has to know what I'm dealing with.

"That's when I read there's a one per cent chance of survival. From that I learned it was stage four."

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She said that on August 6, Graeme was told that surgery wasn't an option because the cancer was too advanced.

The only treatment they could offer was palliative care.

Lucy said: "He said he would try the chemo but we all made it clear to him that if he didnt want to go through it that would be fine as well.

"I think people presume that you have to have chemo, even if it wont save your life.

"It made us realise that actually that quality of life is so important and chemo can really affect that.

"He ended up only having two sessions of the weakest chemo because hed just lost too much weight and they struggled to find a vein so they had to put a pick line in.

"It was just really difficult. There were a couple of times he was all geared up to have chemo and they would say they cant do it because of one reason or another."

Not long after he was diagnosed, Lucy's then boyfriend Colin Kidwell and Katie's partner Matt Bourn - who are best friends - went to see Graeme in hospital.

Lucy said: "They secretly asked for his blessing to marry his daughters.

"They said he was absolutely over the moon about it and theyd never seen him so happy about something before."

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Graeme managed to keep it a secret - the only one he's ever managed to keep from their mum Susan in 37 years of marriage.

The boys proposed on the same day with Matt taking Katie, 29, to Whitby for a romantic picnic.

While Colin, an IT architect, designed a custom game which he asked Lucy to play at home.

The 12 signs of pancreatic cancer you need to know...

Pancreatic cancer is known as the silent killer because it's hard to diagnose early - it does not cause any signs or symptoms at the early stages.

That's why it's so important to be aware of the symptoms to look for as soon as they start.

The most common symptoms to look out for include:

She said: "He asked if I'd test out the first level of this new game he had designed and I was like ok.

"Then when it got to the end screen it said 'Lucy Crook, will you marry me?'

"I turned around and he was down on one knee."

Then ensued three weeks of wedding planning to get both of the big days schedule for the last weekend of September - the week of Graeme's palliative chemo.

But the week before they were due to say I do, Graeme contracted sepsis and was admitted to Airedale Hospital in Keighley, West Yorks.

"The doctors were talking about end of life care but as soon as they said that he should speak to his daughters about cancelling the weddings my dad gave the strongest NO theyve ever heard.

We thought it was so important that he saw us married to good men before he passed away

"He said, 'those weddings are going ahead. They have to happen.' That helped us know that we were doing the right thing and he wanted us to have good days.

"He couldnt come to the weddings himself but he said that our mum had to go. He didnt want her sat by his side crying. He knew she needed to be at the weddings.

"We thought it was so important that he saw us married to good men before he passed away."

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The night before Lucy's wedding, doctors called them into the family room.

She said: "They told us we should say our goodbyes - they didn't think he would live until the end of the weekend.

"My sister said she wasn't sure if she could go ahead with it without our dad, but he assured us we had to."

Lucy and Colin were married at Broughton Hall, in Skipton, and Katie and Matt got married at the Alama Inn in Laneshaw Bridge, Lancashire.

She said: "We only had 15 people at our wedding and I left an empty chair for my dad at the ceremony.

"When we watched the video a few days later I pointed it out and said 'that was your seat'. He was delighted.

"The first thing we both did after the ceremonies was to jump in the car and go straight to the hospital to see him.

"It felt like we were in Coronation Street or something - we thought 'how could this be happening to us?'

The first thing we both did after the ceremonies was to jump in the car and go straight to the hospital to see him

"In the hospital they gave him his own separate room so when we came in in our dresses and we had that private space.

"He was sat up, alert and talking - that moment, it meant so much to us."Lucy said their first Christmas as married couples will be tough as it's also their first without their dad.

She said: "We used to call him 'gadget Graeme' because he loved getting the latest tech.

"When we were little we weren't allowed to go and see what Santa had brought until he had put his camera on record.

"He had shelves of home videos - he was so proud of us."

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Lucyis urging others to support the charity Pancreatic Cancer UKs campaign Demand Survival Now by signing a petition calling on future UK Governments to produce a national plan in response to the pancreatic cancer emergency.

Survival for pancreatic cancer hasnt changed in 50 years - currently 93 per cent of people will die within five years of diagnosis, making pancreatic cancer eight times deadlier than other common cancers such as prostate, breast or bowel cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is calling on future UK Governments to transform the future for patients by devising a dedicated action plan focusing on increased research investment, delivering better, faster care and raising public awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms through a national awareness campaign.

View post:
Our dad was given days to live so we got married and rushed to his hospital bedside in our wedding dresses - The Sun

Clock on white plate with fork and knife, intermittent fasting, meal plan, weight loss concept on ... [+] blue table

With the holidays upon us and everyone focused on watching their waistline, its a natural to think about the ideal diet to prevent weight gain and maybe even promote weight a little loss.

Lets face it, its really difficult to go on a diet. Diets are faced with a high risk of failure with the bulk of them failing, ending with eventual weight gain above and beyond where you started.

The concept of caloric restriction which has been explored as a way to improve longevity has been shown to be successful in animal models (mice), offering an enticing possibility to humans. But implementing this into your daily lifestyle may be problematic and may not be realistic in the long run.

Another more intriguing approach that has been gaining popularity in the past decade is intermittent fasting (IF), a form of time-restricted eating.

In a nutshell, its a way to extend the window of time during the day in which you dont eat. Instead of eating from the time you awaken, the goal is to delay the onset of eating, thereby extending your fasting period that naturally occurs when you sleep.

IF involves only eating for a defined period of time in a 24-hour period. For example, it may involve eating for an 8-hour period during the dayas opposed to grazing on food all day longand fasting for the remaining 16 hours. (During the fast, you are permitted to drink water, have black coffee, or tea.)

For example, instead of eating from 7 am when you awaken, you would begin eating at 11 am or noon until 7 or 8 pm. When you do eat, the goal is to eat moderately, although you are permitted to eat the foods that you would normally eat.

Variations on this theme include the 5:2 approach (eating normally 5 days a week and approximately 500-600 calories 2 days week), or alternate day fasting (ADF).

With IF becoming more popular, its important that physicians and other healthcare professionals be aware of the principles and science behind the diet in order to have a rational discussion with their patients.

In an article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, Mark Mattson, PhD, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, explains the nuances behind the approach to IF, along with why he adopted this approach to eating more than 20 years ago.

Mattsons personal reasons for adopting intermittent fasting began well before he embarked research into the topic itself. It actually began about 35-40 years ago as a method he could use to reduce symptoms related to acid reflux which he found were worse if he ate breakfast and then rode his bike to work in the research lab.

I started doing it way back in graduate school at the University of Iowa in the early 80s, he explained. So I quit eating breakfast and found that I didnt get the refluxand I havent eaten breakfast since then!

Little did he realize that this was at the beginning of a pursuit of a concept that would shape his research, and have broad implications for disease management, metabolism as well as weight loss.

Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

While certain subgroups of patients, including those with diabetes and pre-diabetes may benefit from adopting this approach to eating (by lowering HB A1C levels), its value and principles certainly extends to other subgroups including those with cardiovascular disease, neurologic ailments (multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease) and patients with cancer.

While IF may facilitate weight loss by reduced caloric intake, its more important benefits include improved glucose regulation via lower insulin levels, reduced blood pressure and lower resting heart rate, all indicators of improved health.

There may also be a reduction in weight-related medical conditions such as elevated cholesterol, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), offered Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City.

Importantly, intermittent fasting or alignment of eating with our natural circadian rhythms may positively impact the gut microbiome which could improve overall metabolism and health,she explained.

Metabolic Switching

The concept by which this is facilitated is known as metabolic switching, which according to Mattson, is a healthy homeostatic mechanism that evolved in Homo Sapiens over thousands of years during periods when food was scarce. This involves switching by our bodys cells from using glucose during the fed state to free fatty acids (FFA) and ketone bodies during periods of starvation. This switch, which is metabolically advantageous, actually serves to reduce inflammation by utilizing adaptive pathways in our cellular machinery.

As Mattson explains, glucose is the normal fuel our bodies rely on during the fed state. When we eat, excess glucose beyondimmediate caloric expenditures is stored as a compound known as glycogen in the liver for quick burst of energy, but excess as fats (triglycerides). Triglycerides or fat is broken down to compounds known as free fatty acids (FFA) along with glycerol. Further metabolism of FFA by the body produces compounds known as ketone bodies which are used by the brain, heart and other organs during periods when glucose is not immediately available.

Clearly IF is not for everyone, with lifestyle, age, medical history, work hours (shifts) and personal preference being key factors that may influence the ability to adhere to this lifestyle and approach to eating, as Mattson explains. There may also be sex differences and genetics that ultimately influence individual success with IF.

Time restricted eating or intermittent fasting may be actually easier to stick with than daily calorie restriction or daily calorie control, explained Sood. When studied head-to-head, intermittent fasting and daily calorie restriction are both equally effective for weight loss so its really a matter of finding an approach which works with ones lifestyle and which can be followed consistently.

In regard to potential downsides of IF, Sood explained that some people may experience increased hunger toward the end of the fasting period each daythe hunger response may wane over time and people adjust. If they do not feel an improvement in hunger levels or they experience headache or fatigue while fasting they may want to consider a shorter fast or an alternative approach to weight loss.

Health coaches and fitness professionals also have seen encouraging results in terms of improved stamina and muscle strengthening after integrating IF into workouts and training sessions for clients.

Ive seen clients drop 1-2 lbs per week, making no changes to their diet at the startonly changing the time that they eat, said Nicole Winhoffer, a fitness artist, and creator of the NW Method in New York City. Their brains functioned better, they performed better, and were able to execute 30% more in their workouts.

Elite athletes have also embraced this concept, according to Mattson. Its clear that British athletes have excelled in the Tour de France in the last 5-7 years, he offered. The potential reason? The use of keto esther, a supplement which Mattson points out has surged in popularity among elite British cyclists in recent years. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), he explained, has cleared this compound since it is naturally derived. The results have been rather impressive to say the least.

Intermittent Fasting to Treat Chronic Disease

Buy there are several areas where Mattson believes that IF may have positive benefits including cancer and neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) Parkinsons, and Alzheimers disease .

He points out various studies where improvement in tumor burden may be seen. His rationale for this approach is based on the premise that cancer cells can only use glucose to proliferate. With IF, with only ketone bodies available, the cells are unable to survive and the tumor burden is reduced.

Research also supports the numerous beneficial metabolic effects of IF related to neurologic function, including positive effects on verbal and working memory and cognition seen in older adults. The benefits further extend to disease states such as MS where ongoing trials hope to show improved function based on preliminary results seen thus far.

Mattsons article is an important contribution to our understanding of metabolism.It demonstrates that beyond choosing healthy diets and avoiding high sugar/high fat and processed food, the amount of time between meals can provide significant benefits as well, offers Benjamin Hirsh, M.D., Director, Preventive Cardiology, Northwell Health's Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, Manhasset, New York.

Physician and public health guidance on how to implement healthy lifestyle choices overall will yield much greater benefits overall to individuals hoping to improve their health and the population at large, he explained. However, for the individual who wants to try a diet where the pattern is as much about fasting as it is about food intake choices, there is now a dietary pattern that they can pursue.

However, this also must be done under the guidance of a physician very knowledgeable about this science, and the diet must be followed very strictly, which will be difficult to do outside the context of a clinical trial, he added.

Breakfast As The Least Likely Meal

Mattson sums his thoughts about IF up by stating that from an evolutionary perspective, breakfast is the least likely meal, a reflection of his thoughts that embrace cellular adaptations and metabolic switching as products of evolution of human physiology. Mattson explains that we never awoke to a ready-made breakfast over ten thousand years ago, prior to the agricultural revolution.

Instead, humans had to forage or find food, or make a kill. It involved work and time with the natural process of fasting already part of our existence before we could ever eat.

He also envisions how this approach could one day be adopted as part of an approach or treatment for obesity, to help jumpstart the process with inpatient stay, ideally reimbursed by insurance companies or other third party payers. Since we already treat alcohol use disorder and opiate abuse in this manner, why not obesity? The concept is compelling to say the least.

Read more:
Can Intermittent Fasting Help You Lose Weight And Improve Your Health? - Forbes

The first hour of the day is the most crucial part of your entire day. And the way you spend it decides how your day will proceed. Have you ever noticed when you wake up and reach out directly for your phone to check work emails, a strange anxiety settles in? From nutritionists to wellness experts, everyone suggests that the best way to start your day on a positive note is by doing things that will benefit you mentally as well as physically. While there is no better way to start your day than with a minimum of 30-45 minutes of workout, the best way to make it a habit is by choosing a workout or activity that you love doing. It can be as basic as skipping, walking to gym workout, yoga or cross fit. If you follow something that you have to force yourself into, it is best to look for another option. It can even be dancing to any music you enjoy listening to. The idea is to take your heart beat up and expend calories. But not only your physical health, your mental health too needs deep care. We all know our country is seething under the burden of mental health issues, because people do not have time to manage their mental well being. For that very reason, an increasing number of people are discovering the magic of meditation. If you don't know how to go about it, there are many apps that are available across mediums that can help you through guided meditation. Pick a corner of your house where you can sit peacefully, without anyone disturbing you. Do it for 5 minutes on the first day and you will feel a sense of calm within you. Alternatively, you can also play some soulful music and try to take your minds off issues that are hampering your mental peace.

Original post:
Weight loss challenge: Spend the first hour of the day meditating and working out (Day 11) - Times of India

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Start the Roaring Twenties off right! Take charge of 2020 with an internal cleanse and begin the new year with a clean body, fresh mind, and spirited outlook. Whether youre trying to lose weight, clean your digestive tract or botheven if you want to kickstart the Keto Diethere are the seven best detoxes on Amazon.

After the long holiday season is over, we all feel like we need a reset. We ate too much, we drank too much, and worst of all, its an awful lot of effort just to relax! We could all use to drop a few post-holiday pounds. But even the stress of the holidaysfamily, travel, gifts, all of it!feels like it needs to be flushed away.

A cleanse is a great way to start any new year. The timing is right, and theyre easier and more affordable than ever. Amazon has dozens of cleanses for the body. Whether its pills, powders, or gummies, theres a cleanse for most every need.

Looking to flush your digestive tract and drop some water weight? Dozens of digestive and colon cleanses can help you approach 2020 with a clean, er, conscience. Party a bit too much this holiday season? We get it. Amazon has cleanses for the liver, kidney, gut, and even THC. We chose to focus on internal body cleanses for this list. But rest assured, theres a cleanse or best detox at Amazon for pretty much everything.

Did you know the human intestinal tract is 25 to 30 feet in length and covers a surface area the size of a tennis court? Its massive, and it needs the occasional detox. Furthermore, by the age of 40, the average person can have 10-20 pounds of hard, compacted fecal matter lodged in their intestinal tract. Flush it away and give your body a reset in 2020 with one of these awesome cleansers and detoxes available at Amazon.

Below are seven of the best detoxes on Amazon that we know are great and can recommend.

Check out all the best detoxes on Amazon here.

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

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Time for A Cleanse? Need to Lose Weight? Here Are the 7 Best Detoxes on Amazon - Men's Journal

Weight loss works differently for different people, quips 40-year-old Harish Ranganathan, who recently lost 16 kgs to ascertain that he continues living a healthy and fit life devoid of any obesity-related issues.

However, instead of blindly following a crash diet or even indulge in popular diet plans such as Keto, GM or any other weight loss, he made the below simple weight loss routine to trim from 84 kgs to 60 kgs.

I tried to keep things simple by making these changes in my diet and daily routine:

1. I cut down my daily carbohydrate intake significantly and also increased my protein consumption.

2. I began avoiding chocolates (easier said than done), fried food and sugary fruit juices.

3. I stuck to eating an early dinner (7:30 pm), and also increased my outdoor activity by running at least 3-4 times a week. On any given day, I'd run between 6-7 kms and then walk for about 2 kms.

QUICK READ: 14 protein-rich breakfast foods for vegetarians who dont eat eggs

By making these changes and also completely eliminating desserts from my diet, I was able to bring my weight down by 4 kgs in 10 weeks. Post which, I started following the below diet plan and exercise regime to trim to 60 kgs.

I am a vegetarian, so I had to focus on getting my macronutrients from fruits, vegetables, paneer, nuts and wheat products while trying to lose weight. My main source of protein was yellow dal or paneer. This is what my weight loss diet plan comprised:

Early morning: A cup of strong coffee with milk and 4 walnuts

Mid-morning: 2 plain rotis with a vegetable curry, Paneer mostly

Lunch: 2 rotis, paneer/Kabuli chana + yellow dal or green moong dal

Snacks: Peanuts or 3 whole wheat biscuits and a cup of coffee

Dinner: Roti with a bowl of curd or yellow dal or paneer

QUICK READ: How to lose weight by calculating your macronutrients right

Apart from running, I also started working out 5 days/week and split my workout regime between Strength Training and Cardio.

Shoulder Press, Arnold Press, Rope Exercises and Medicine Ball workouts

Fast Running (~5 mins per kilometre) for 6-7 kms

Bench Press, Seated Machine Chest Press, Inclined Dumb bell Press, Inclined Cable Fly etc.,

Gentle Running (~6-6.5 mins per kilometre) for 7-8 kms. On holidays, Id try and cover 10 kms.

Squats, Dumbbell Squats, Lunges, Lunges with weight, Leg Extensions, Leg Backward Curl and Calf Raises

I try and maintain the above regimen of diet and workout. It is boring but it is measurable and sustainable. More importantly, it has actually worked for me.

"Forget all the fancy diet programs. Losing weight works on Calorific Deficiency. You eat lesser than what you can burn, and you will lose weight. But this is also not a simple equation of starving and losing weight. Aerobic exercises such as running help burning calories well into the day even if youve finished running early in the morning. Similarly, lifting weights also continues the metabolism process well beyond 4-6 hours of the activity and helps continue the process of burning calories. Therefore, you need to eat and cannot starve yourself in order to lose weight but choosing the right foods, in limited proportions can help you lose weight."

"Also remember that weight loss takes time. There is no crash course or magic pill to lose 15 kgs in 2 weeks. If any, it would be fake or at best, unsustainable beyond 3 months."

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight sustainably like this Chennai-based guy who lost 16 kgs by following a vegetarian diet plan - GQ India - What a man's got to do