AUSTIN, Texas A mothers obesity in pregnancy can affect her childs development years down the road, according to researchers who found impaired motor skills in preschoolers and lower IQ in middle childhood for boys whose mothers were severely overweight while expecting them. A team of nutrition and environmental health researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University found that the differences are comparable to the impact of lead exposure in early childhood.

The team studied 368 mothers and their children, all from similar economic circumstances and neighborhoods, during pregnancy and when the children were 3 and 7 years of age. At age 3, the researchers measured the childrens motor skills and found that maternal obesity during pregnancy was strongly associated with lower motor skills in boys. At age 7, they again measured the children and found that the boys whose mothers were overweight or obese in pregnancy had scores 5 or more points lower on full-scale IQ tests, compared with boys whose mothers had been at a normal weight.

No effect was found in the girls.

Whats striking is, even using different age-appropriate developmental assessments, we found these associations in both early and middle childhood, meaning these effects persist over time, said Elizabeth Widen, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at UT Austin. These findings arent meant to shame or scare anyone. We are just beginning to understand some of these interactions between mothers weight and the health of their babies.

It isnt clear why obesity in pregnancy would affect a child later, though previous research has found links between a mothers diet and cognitive development, such as higher IQ scores in kids whose mothers have more of certain fatty acids found in fish. Widen said that dietary and behavioral differences may be driving factors, or fetal development may be affected by some of the things that tend to happen in the bodies of people with too much extra weight, such as inflammation, metabolic stress, hormonal disruptions and high amounts of insulin and glucose.

The researchers controlled for several factors in their analysis, including race and ethnicity, marital status, the mothers education and IQ, as well as whether the children were born prematurely or exposed to environmental irritants such as air pollution. What the pregnant mothers ate or whether they breastfed were not included in the analysis.

The team also examined and accounted for the nurturing environment in a childs home in early childhood, looking at how parents interacted with their children and whether the child was provided with books and toys. A nurturing home environment was found to lessen the negative effects of obesity.

The effect on IQ was smaller in nurturing home environments, but it was still there, Widen said.

This is not the first study to find that boys appear to be more vulnerable in utero. A 2018 study found lower performance IQ in boys, but not girls, whose mothers were exposed to lead, and a 2019 study suggested boys whose moms had fluoride in pregnancy scored lower on an IQ assessment.

Because childhood IQ is a predictor of education level, socioeconomic status and professional success later in life, the researchers said there is potential for effects to last into adulthood.

Widen advised women who are obese or overweight when they become pregnant to eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, take a prenatal vitamin, stay active and make sure to get enough fatty acids such as the kind found in fish oil. Giving children a nurturing home environment also matters, as does seeing a doctor regularly, including during pregnancy to discuss weight gain.

Work with your doctor and talk about what is appropriate for your circumstances, Widen said.

The families involved in the research were participating in theurban birth cohort studyin New York City led by theColumbia Center for Childrens Environmental Health. The study on IQ at age 7 was published today in BMC Pediatrics with co-authors Amy Nichols and Sara Dube of UT Austin; Linda Kahn of New York University; and Pam Factor-Litvak, Beverly Insel, Lori Hoepner, Virginia Rauh, Frederica Perera and Andrew Rundle of Columbia University. The same team, absent Dube and Kahn, were involved in a paper about the children at age 3, published in September in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.

Funding support for the research was provided by the Thrasher Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Irving General Clinical Research Center, the Educational Foundation of America, the Neu Family Foundation, the New York Community Trust and the Trustees of the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund. Widen holds the Amy Johnson McLaughlin Administrative Chair in Human Ecology at The University of Texas at Austin.

Link:
Obesity in Pregnant Moms Linked to Lag in Their Sons' Development and IQ - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

Ken Davis admits it; when he first heard about the Broadway road diet, heard that it would create more parking and better flow, he was optimistic, even enthusiastic about what it would mean for businesses on the street, including his coffeehouse, Hot Java.

When we first got word about it years ago during the Broadway corridor meetings, they talked about what they were going to do: create more parking spaces, even floated the idea of getting a bump-out for more seating. We were excited.

What he and his fellow shopkeepers got, he said, was the exact opposite. Less parking, less flow and such a drop in businessDavis says hes down 40%that many are wondering if theyll survive.

When they started lining [the street for the road diet] you could instantly see that this was not going to be what they talked about, Davis said. There was no parking for customers and no loading zone for my suppliers. Every day Id see a little more and think, what the hell is going on?

In an effort to make the street safer, Broadway underwent a road diet earlier this year thats resulted in fewer cars and slower traffic along the thoroughfare, something shopkeepers like Davis say is putting them out of business.The Measure A-funded East Broadway Corridor Project stretches from Alamitos to Redondo avenues and reduces the street to one lane in each direction with inner bike lanes between the curb and parked vehicles. About 30 parking spaces also were eliminated.

City officials estimate the cost for work done in the roughly 2-mile section was between $3 and $5 million. In the citys most recent traffic study, conducted this fall, westbound traffic volume decreased 30% and eastbound decreased 26% compared with the same time period in 2016. Westbound traffic speed for 85% of vehicles was reduced to 32 mph (from 35 mph in June 2017), and eastbound speed was reduced to 33 mph (from 36 mph). The speed limit is 30 mph.

Jennifer Carey, executive assistant for Public Works, said the new traffic volumes are more consistent with other residential-zoned areas and similar-sized streets in the city. The city has not provided updated collision statistics or a bicycle count for Broadway.

The primary goal was to improve safety, so make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles, Carey said. Part of that goal was to slow down vehicles along the corridor and reduce traffic volume We accomplished what we set out to do.

But Davis says the efforts to slow down vehicles really only redirected them somewhere else.

When [the road diet] first came, I immediately noticed morning backups on other streets, like Third, he said. And I thought, oh no, they are consciously avoiding Broadway.

Thats what Broadways holiday-ready shopkeepers, including one who is planning to close her business, say the citys efforts have cost them customers. Many who participated in a protest of the project this summer said their continued complaints are going unheard and they havent seen any improvement since then.

Business is down 40%, Hot Javas Davis said about the decline the nearly 30-year-old business has experienced. We lost all of our morning traffic from people who used to run in and get their coffee because they have nowhere to park in front of our building.

Frustrated by a perceived lack of response and communication from city officialsWe dont feel like there has been honest communication. Theres more rumors on this street than factsDavis said he and more than 1,000 other business owners and area residents have signed a petition stating that the reconfiguration is dangerous to the public and detrimental to businesses. It asks the city to restore lost parking spaces and widen the lanes.

Walter Ordonez, the owner of the beauty salon J.W. Goodsons, started a Broadway Legal Defense Fund on GoFundMe to raise money for a legal fight against the cityif thats what it takesto fix the roadway and compensate impacted businesses. Shop owners and residents collected $6,000 before the webpage was set up, he said, and theyre hoping to raise at least $25,000 through the official fundraiser.

Our political representatives have ignored our concerns and our pleas to correct these issues. We intend to be heard and fix this problem in the courts, Ordonez said, noting that hes seen zero walk-ins for beauty services since the road diet, and he was forced to layoff one of the salons receptionists.

Both business owners said customers and employees complain about the lack of street parking and the poor visibility when turning onto Broadway or when trying to pass vehicles that have blocked traffic, and they both shared concerns about not having any handicap parking near their storefronts. Davis also said his delivery drivers dont have a loading zone they can use to drop off goods.

Even harder hit is businesswoman Merry Colvin, whose boutique is up for sale and will likely close at the end of January. Colvin likes to say one little neighborhood storefront is all it takes to make the world a better place, and she opened Merrys, an Eastern bazaar-style shop, back in 2006.

I love my store, but there are no customers in here today and its been like thatits been horrible, Colvin told the Long Beach Post, noting that shes unable to pay the renteven in a strong economy. The road diet is putting me out of business. I never saw myself leaving, but I cannot stay.

She said customers who used to stop on Broadway for a coffee at The Firehouse or dinner at Gallaghers would often walk around and into her store, but thats not happening anymore.

The dynamic of the street has changed, she said. Im down minimally 50%, but its probably more like 70%. My regulars dont want to drive on the street. They are avoiding Broadway and the stores here.

Colvin said shes called everyone at City Hall, but she hasnt been satisfied with the response: They think its great and they keep saying, Oh youll get used to it. Its so condescending. Im furious.

And despite the fact that District 2 Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce (who did not respond to requests for comment) and city staffers have said the public was notified about the scope of work, Colvin and other business owners said the project in its current form was not communicated.

We had meetings for years and came up with a phenomenal Broadway Visioning Plan, and we all thought we were getting three lanes with diagonal parking on one side, better lighting, more bulb outs Colvin said.

Davis agreed. He thought the city was installing head-in parking and a sidewalk bump (or bulb out) to expand his patio space: We were really excited, but this was 100% a surprise how this turned out.

In response to criticism about not including diagonal parking, Carey said Broadway simply could not accommodate that and a bike lane, so officials had to prioritize. Other planned improvements, including bulb outs, may be added later as funding sources are identified, she noted.

Park Pantry manager Tammy Centanni also said shed been looking forward to what she thought would be fresh pavement and extended sidewalks outside the diner. Whats happening instead, she said, is a serious problem going unaddressed.

Ive let the city know about some of the issues were having, and they havent done anything about it, she said.

Business has slowed so much at Park Pantry that she hasnt been able to give her team the hours theyre asking for and shes concerned about losing good employees.

Its not fair for the city of Long Beach to do this to these businesses, Centanni said. Weve been here for 60 years, and they should care.

Carey said Public Works would continue to collect data and make necessary adjustments to the project, and several changes already have been made since the summer based on feedback from area business owners and residents. Those recent changes include: the removal of about half of the installed curb stops (low plastic barriers), giving cars more room to park; more visible paint on the street; adding loading zones in front of businesses that requested them; reducing the size of various red zones; and eliminating street sweeping hours by using a smaller machine to only sweep inside the bike lanes.

We dont have a real efficient way of counting exactly how many parking spaces weve added, she said. We did quite a bit of manipulating to see how we could add that space back.

Business owners said they havent noticed any changes at all or that the changes havent been enough. Carey, who personally drives that corridor to and from work every day, said she believes people are adjusting to the road diet.

Any time you implement a large change like this, people are going to be unfamiliar with it and its going to be a hard transition, Carey said. No one likes change. I dont like change. But as everyone starts adjusting to it and getting used to it and familiar with it, we do see that the concerns and the complaints drop, and that is what weve seen on Broadway as with other projects in the city.

She said the city doesnt currently have any plans to put Broadway back the way it was before the road diet, but she said the Public Works department takes all concerns seriously and will continue to evaluate and improve the thoroughfare.

See the rest here:
What the hell is going on?: Businesses hoping for holiday shoppers say road diet is no Miracle on Broadway - Long Beach Post

The most common mistake we make when goal-setting is having a highly general end goal without a flexible, customizable framework (that becomes a blueprint for your game plan). Many people will say things like, This is the year I take control of my health! but if you dont have a picture of what that looks like of how youll actually execute small actions within your everyday life as a healthier person, how do you really know where to start and what to start with?!

Plus, a bigger problem that comes up in my line of work time and again is that the universe of diet culture and pseudoscientific information about health is so deafening (and that particular breed of disinformation is everywhere) that it tricks us into believing that in order to reach any health related goal we have to somehow become someone other than who we are right now living a lifestyle thats wholly different from the one in which we currently exist. Were told to cut out, eliminate, restrict, and cut back without realizing that these elimination-focused interventions come at the cost of living our lives! In order for anything to truly stick long-term, it has to work for your lifestyle not in opposition to it.

Think, Small, simple, specific.

Any health plan thats sustainable for you that will ultimately get you to reaching your goal (and maintaining that goal) has to consist of mostly small actions that feel attainable for you right now, actionable in a few hours from now (this sounds obvious, but in the world of keto and fasting, you never know) and just a little bit outside of your comfort zone to feel challenging enough for you (in my book Dressing on the Side, I talk about this using a Pareto 80/20 rule.)

If you want to lose weight and are committed to making healthier choices without uprooting your whole lifestyle, think about tangible things you can do every day that are equal parts hyper-specific, simple, and actually enjoyable (or at least sound like they might be!). For example: Adding more veggies to every lunch meal, committing to prepping breakfast every night before you go to bed,or setting a night-time alarm clock to get you into bed earlier than usual. And since all of us are different humans with different needs and lifestyles, staying accountable to yourself making your personal health a top priority and making plans to achieve goals that help you consistently do this over time is going to require you to set some boundaries (which is an ongoing challenge for everyone). If you need a place to start, Id suggest taking a look at page 92 of Dressing on the Side (which walks you through boundary-setting as it relates to health related goals). To start you off, use these three boundary-setting tips:

Step 1: Prioritize personal health by assessing your daily/weekly/monthly routine

Considering where you are when youre eating throughout the day is crucial, often because your environment is likely to determine what types of foods and snacks are actually available to you. Ask yourself, Where do I spend most of my time? Where do I lose time that Id otherwise use for physical activity of any kind? Where am I when I typically say, Whatever, Im getting cheese fries! How many days do I eat at home per week? Plan ahead by first determining where your schedule leaves you in terms of environment if you work from home but want to make exercise a priority, then youll have to schedule that in either at home, or make plans to leave your home. The same is true of the foods you eat. Assess your schedule, determine where you are and when, and use this framework as your guideline for how to put a healthier habit into action. For example: Lets say youd like to make more nutritious food choices, but youve been struggling because your current job requires dining out at lunches every week, at least four times per week. Your first step can be to decide a realistic number of eating occasions, or number of meals that youre committed to making more veggie-heavy, and develop a plan that meets the demands of your current routine. Lets say your first healthier eating habit to prioritize is adding more vegetables to your meals. After assessing your calendar, you settle on lunchtime as your target, and:

Step 2: Set boundaries that will help you stick with a schedule

If you only like the pancakes at your local diner, but your priority is to form healthier habits, then is having breakfast at said diner every single day of the week really your best bet? Establish a boundary with yourself or with others in your environment to put this into action, like going to this diner on Saturday and Sunday, and committing to making more breakfast meals at home during the week. If you always eat too-many-muffins at your monthly status meeting, then put a boundary into place that keeps you from eating muffins at this meeting, only. In other words, just because you say no to meeting muffins doesnt mean you never eat muffins. It means youre not going to eat them during this meeting time, but make a plan for when youll eat them this month so you dont have to live the rest of your life without baked goods! Entering that new date into your calendar and stick to that plan = boundary-setting success. Honoring whats important to you for the sake of your mental, physical, and emotional health does not require restriction of a specific food or nutrient for life, but it may mean leaving it off the table in a scenario that you find triggering for you. So put those muffins where they belong: into a free time slot on your calendar, with people you enjoy spending time with, sourced from the bakery that you love.

Step 3: Identify your boundary bullies (BBs)

Boundary bullies are the people, places, and other work or personal activities that pop out of nowhere and suck the time and energy out of your day. Figure out where they are, who they are, where theyre hiding, and what it is that makes you the victim of said bullying. Is it a post-work happy hour at the local bar where the Buffalo wings become dinner? (If thats the case, then pack a snack before you go). Is it a colleague who is always getting coffee at the same time you are, and always talks you into donuts? (If thats the case, then eat a snack before, or make this mid-morning run a part of your breakfast by eating half of your breakfast sandwich before the break, and the other half during coffee.) Is it friends who order items for the table when youre at a restaurant, only to leave you grazing on a bucket of fried dumplings you didnt even want in the first place, but dont want to waste them? (If thats the case, tell your friend, Im having the shrimp and broccoli! But Ill split the string beans instead.)

Real, genuine, and lasting self-care requires developing clearly defined personal health goals that will inform the food and exercise choices you make, and the boundaries you create to keep these routines in place. Over time, youll get new habits that set you up for better health and well-being for life.

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Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington here.

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3 Tips to Create Healthy Habits That Stick - Thrive Global

Cory Booker is on a mission to shut down factory farming in the U.S.

The New Jersey Senator and Democratic presidential candidate put forward a new bill earlier this month. Titled the Farm System Reform Act (FSRA), the bill is aimed at transitioning agriculture away from the factory farming system.

In the U.S., 99 percent of all animal products currently come from factory farms. These conditions are not only harmful to the animals, but theyre a threat to the planet too. One farm of 5,000 pigs can produce as much waste as a town of 20,000 people, according to animal protection organization Make It Possible.

This waste can pollute soil and make its way into water systems, including oceans, rivers, and steams.

If passed, FSRA will place an immediate moratorium on new large-scale facilities known as CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations). It will also place limits on existing CAFOs. It will devote $100 billion over a period of ten years to helping CAFO owners transition to more sustainable forms of agriculture. By 2040, the bill hopes to phase out the largest CAFOs.

Booker who follows a vegan lifestyle hopes the new bill will help small farmers and hold larger corporations to account for their environmental impact.

He said in a statement,large factory farms are harmful to rural communities, public health, and the environment and we must immediately begin to transition to a more sustainable and humane system, such as raising pasture-based livestock, growing specialty crops, or organic commodity production.

Booker isnt the only presidential candidate to slam factory farms. Earlier this year, Bernie Sanders labeled them a threat to America. He wrote on Twitter back in May, factory farms are responsible for 1.4 trillion pounds of animal waste in America.

They are a threat to the water we drink and the air we breathe, he continued.It is unbelievable to me that Republicans in Congress have been working overtime to exempt factory farms from environmental laws.

In 2018, the United Nations Environment Programme condemned the meat industry. It labeled tackling meat consumption as the worlds most urgent problem. It stated, the greenhouse gas footprint of animal agriculture rivals that of every car, truck, bus, ship, airplane, and rocket ship combined.

Summary

Article Name

Cory Booker Has a Plan to End Factory Farming Forever

Description

Vegan presidential candidate Cory Booker has put forward a new bill designed to end environmentally harmful factory farming in America.

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Charlotte Pointing

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LIVEKINDLY

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Cory Booker Has a Plan to End Factory Farming Forever - LIVEKINDLY

1. Be mindful about what youre eating.

As humans age into adulthood, Chag says we tend to turn off a component in our brain that tells us when were full.

When you see a little kid with an ice cream cone, youll notice they stop eating it when theyre full, she said. But with adults, theres this clean the plate mentality.

Before and after each meal, Chag recommends thinking about how hungry or full you are on a scale of one to 10, with one being starving and 10 being Thanksgiving-dinner stuffed.

At the end of each meal, you want to feel about a six, seven, or eight, she said. You never want to be at a 10, but you also dont want to feel faint.

Chag said that mindless snacking and grazing also tends to happen when we turn off this mechanism. She says before you reach for between-meal foods to check in internally and ask, Am I hungry, or am I kind of dehydrated?

Sometimes, you just need a cup of water, she said.

And when it comes to mindful eating, practice makes perfect.

Its easy to talk about, but it takes a lot, she said. If you can tap back into it, it will be your guide. It takes time. Its not going to happen overnight. Be patient with yourself."

2. Fill up half your plate with veggies.

Gone are the days of meat and potatoes dominating dinner plates. To keep healthy, Chag recommends loading up half your plate, or a portion two to three times the size of your fist, with non-starch vegetables. (Starchy vegetables can include potatoes and corn.)

Vegetables to strive for include bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens the world is your oyster, Chag said.

However, when it comes to choosing veggies, variety is key. You dont want them just to be green. Get some color on the plate," Chag said, noting that different-colored foods can help supply a range of vitamins and minerals.

3. Adhere to the 80/20 rule.

In general, every meal should follow the 80/20 guideline, Chag said, where 20 percent of the food eaten is a lean protein like chicken, fish, or pork.

Red meat lovers: You can have your beef and eat it, too, as long as you opt for a lean cut like a top sirloin or prime rib and consume it in moderation, she said.

When it comes to starches like potatoes, rice, and bread, generally a portion the size of your fist, or half your fist, would be a Chag-approved goal. (Yes, that includes the mashed potatoes and Thanksgiving stuffing.)

4. Nightshades are now on the table (literally).

If Brady is known for any weird diet quirks (remember his well-documented love of avocados?) its his aversion to nightshades, which include tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes.

However, Chag said that now, for some people, nightshades are (literally) on the table. Chag said she and Guerrero Bradys controversial trainer and TB12 co-founder who helped develop the football stars diet and off-field exercise regimen look at what was historically said and evolve based on research and experience.

For example, if a veggie-averse client is only eating three vegetables a day and two of those are nightshades, then if theyre not feeling any negative effects, there would be no reason to cut them out of their diet.

Its person-dependent, she said. We want to make sure people are getting enough fruits and veggies a day, since theyre rich in vitamins and antioxidants."

So does this mean Brady himself is back on the nightshade train? With a laugh, Chag noted that Guerrero is the point person on Bradys diet, and that she had no idea if he has come around on tomatoes.

5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Another headline-grabbing statistic from The TB12 Method: Brady apparently drinks as much as 25 glasses of water a day.

Twenty-five . . . is a lot. Very much a lot, Alicia Romano, a clinical registered dietician at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center, previously told the Globe. I would never recommend that to a patient.

So when Chag begins to wax poetic about the benefits of staying hydrated, I ask what she thinks about the 20-some glasses of water a day.

Generally, she says people should take their body weight in pounds, divide it by two, and use that number in ounces as a baseline for how much water to guzzle a day. (Surprisingly, after doing the math, this seems pretty doable for most people.)

However, if youre active, she says, thats when we start taking other things into account, like what your sweat rate is, because we want to make sure were making up for losses.

6. When it comes to alcohol, moderation is key.

In order to fend off dehydration, Chag recommends opting for water or seltzer as a first drink when you arrive at bars, parties, or family dinners where alcohol is front and center.

If you skip the first one, you build a little bit of armor for yourself, she said. Alcohol is super pro-inflammatory and dehydrating, so we try to get the number of alcoholic drinks as low as we can.

She also notes that simply having a non-alcoholic drink in your hand can deter mindless alcohol intake.

"People are eager to get you a drink because they want to be a good host, but if you already have something in your hand, you can say youre all set.

You dont need to go alcohol free to be TB12-approved, though. And dont feel like you need to choke down vodka sodas in a quest to limit calories.

If youre drinking, pick something you enjoy and have it in moderation, she said. From a diet standpoint, I dont care where your number [of drinks per week] is, I just try to bring it down. Some of my clients have two drinks a week, max. Some of my clients are wine aficionados, and they have 15 glasses of wine a week.

For those of us more who are simply aiming to clean up our down-the-hatch act, Chag recommends against sugary cocktails that use rely heavily on juice or soda, since refined sugar is inflammatory. Go more straightforward, she said.

7. Its OK to enjoy guilty pleasures now and then.

Its the holidays. No one is expecting you to refuse every chocolate or home-baked sugar cookie, Chag said.

Avoiding sugar can be challenging, especially this time of year, she said. Dont beat yourself up over that Lindt chocolate ball.

In terms of how often you consume something, Chag says there are two categories: Sometimes foods and everyday foods. The sometimes foods tend to include the sugary, delectable treats that are a no-no in the TB12 world.

Its OK to just have them some of the time, she said. Its not not having it, but spreading it out. Make sure it becomes a sometimes food, not an everyday food."

And even if you pig out on foods that are unsanctioned by the TB12 nutritionist (gasp!), Chag said that its not a big deal to do once in a while.

Enjoy it, she said. Know that one meal wont undo one month or one years worth of hard work."

8. Dont forget to move.

Yes, Chag is aware that movement is not a food. But she says its still important to work into a healthy diet.

For example, after a family meal, get everyone together and go on a walk around the neighborhood, Chag suggests.

It doesnt have to be sweat-inducing," she said. Go on a leisurely walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Little things build up over time.

Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss

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8 tips on holiday eating from a TB12 nutritionist - The Boston Globe

So when representatives for the new TB12 Performance & Recovery Center in the Back Bay invited the Globe to try a workout similar to the one the Patriots quarterback himself does, there was no way we could refuse.

And that is how, at the crack of dawn on a snowy Tuesday morning, I found myself beside several local fitness bloggers and industry pros, diving glute-first into the off-field workout that TB12 himself espouses.

If you follow Brady at all, you probably are already familiar with the term pliability, which focuses on elongating and softening muscles. Brady credits his pliability workouts as the reason he can still lead New England to Super Bowl victory in his 40s.

Pliability, man, Brady told reporters in October when asked how he avoids injury. Thats what I work on every day.

This seems like a good time to note that the workouts Brady touts were developed with his trainer and TB12 cofounder, Alex Guerrero, whose name has been mired in controversy. Guerrero has faced sanctions by federal regulators for falsely presenting himself as a medical doctor and deceptively promoting nutritional supplements, according to government documents, and has been at the center of a rift within the Patriots organization.

In the TB12 building on Boylston Street, however, Guerreros name is recited with reverence, not skepticism. The trainers and nutritionists who work in the facility all seem to whole-heartedly embrace the basic tenets of the TB12 Method, and praise the benefits of pliability, multi-planar workouts, and a plant-heavy diet.

With football workouts, I feel better at 36 than I did at 21, said class instructor Rob Velasquez, who has a background in teaching college football. Its just how my body is moving with these guys.

Still, I was apprehensive about what I was getting myself into. How exactly does a pliable workout translate in practice for the masses, anyway?

The answer: A lot of resistance bands, very little weight training, and vibrating foam rollers to loosen muscles.

Theres a huge focus on foam rolling before and after, since thats where we develop pliable tissue, said Matt Denning, a TB12 body coach. He also touted functional, dynamic moves that activate core muscles, as well as using resistance bands to help prevent overloading tissue and joints.

Upon entering the dimly-lit room lined with mirrors and words like Drive and Commitment," we headed to our individual stations, which consisted of a tangle of resistance bands attached to a wall-mounted pole.

At the start of class, instructor Rob urged against performing the usual static stretches touching fingers to toes, stretching out quads without any cardio warmup beforehand.

And that is when he broke out the bright orange vibrating foam rollers.

My first thought when I saw the foam rollers: Oh no. No, no no. As a runner, Ill be the first to admit that I should probably be foam rolling more, since it helps relieve muscle soreness. Ill also be the first to admit that I hate it: I look like a dying fish flopping around, and the pressure and discomfort makes a visit to the dentist seem enjoyable by comparison.

But after a few minutes of rolling out our calves, hamstrings, and glutes on those bad boys (which shake harder than a Chihuahua left out in the cold), I found myself pleasantly surprised thrilled, even with the results. My legs felt looser; almost as if I had gotten a deep-tissue massage. The soreness from a recent six-mile run all but evaporated.

Maybe I should buy one of these, I found myself thinking as we put them aside. (Thats before I saw the price tag: A whopping $160.)

Thats when Velasquez turned up the music think Vegas nightclub meets tribal ceremony and told us to step into one of the resistance bands tethered to the wall. With the band as our cage, we did squats; we did lunges; we ran backwards until we couldnt anymore. We also used bands with handles on the end, yanking them down from the top of the pole to our sides, and bringing them up rapid-fire for bicep curls.

Finish like the badasses that you are! Rob the instructor screamed as we slammed medicine balls into the floor, or used foot gliders to execute mountain gliders. (I responded by laying down a towel on the turf for my soft office-job hands.)

The hour-long session ended with more teeth-chattering foam rolling, much to my delight.

So what did I think overall? As a cardio junkie who gets easily bored with stretching and strength training, I was not expecting to like this class. But I came away with a newfound appreciation for the core beliefs that drive the high-intensity workout: helping take away joint pain while building strength; focusing on core and ab muscles; and safely deepening traditional bodyweight exercises. The point of pliability is to help people live an active lifestyle pain-free. And I really did feel like the tension of the resistance bands helped us execute traditional lunges and squats without suffering through the tight, sore feeling normally associated with weight training.

Lounging around in the gorgeous studio doesnt hurt, either. While the top floor houses the TB12 store and a smoothie bar, the basement level hosts the group fitness room, a personal training facility, and a spa-like locker room equipped with EO shower products, Living Proof hair sprays, and a small flatscreen TV.

The amenities dont come cheap, though. A single group class costs $30, although the studio also runs specials and class-package deals. One-on-one training sessions can run approximately $240 for 90 minutes, and a sit-down with a TB12 nutritionist runs about $150 per meeting. The TB12 Center is also on ClassPass, where it ranges from between six to 11 credits ($10 to $18 or so) per class.

So will the TB12 brand catch on? Leaders at the top of the company are planning on it: CEO John Burns last month spoke of plans to expand the number of retail outlets from two to four in 2020.

When asked about class sizes at Back Bay, Velasquez the instructor said they generally skew toward a more intimate size having five people in the room is good," he said but he also pointed out that the loyal following is growing.

My lunch classes have been very consistent in terms of seeing the same people, he said. And once January 1st hits, everyone wants to get fit.

Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss

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We tried Tom Bradys TB12 workout. Heres what it was like - The Boston Globe

Ive never understood how sucking down a rock booger is supposed to make you, like, really horny. I get the intent whenever a guy invites me out for red wine and oysters, but the whole presentation (and my general aversion to seafood) is always a turn off. It does make you wonder, do aphrodisiacs work, and if so how do they trick our mind and bodies into peak arousal? Well, in a few different ways, in fact.

Aphrodisiacs have been studied forever, mention of aphrodisiacs has been found in texts from various ancient civilizations, including Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, and Roman. In modern times, there have been many interesting studies on how aphrodisiacs may make subjects frisky. As Sally Fisher, MD, integrative medicine specialist and medical director atSunrise Springspoints out, searching aphrodisiacs in the virtualNational Library of Medicine returns 830 peer reviewed scientific studies. How plants or herbal products might effect the body or mind really varies based on the aphrodisiac.

Some examples of effects include increasing hormones like testosterone, or certain neurotransmitters in the brain, or dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow, or affecting molecules in the body such as, for example, nitric oxide, the molecule that Viagra affects, says Dr. Fisher.

And sometimes the studies just note that certain herbs make animals want to bang more. Basically, its complicated to deduce what will potently work on a person, although she has one herb in mind.

I tend to recommend Tribulus terrestris, used in folk medicine for hundreds of years, because of modern research on sexual function improvement in both women and men, but Id emphasize that Id approach this integratively, and if there is room for improvement, put lifestyle changes foremost, says Dr. Fisher.

Sexual health is complex and involves cognitive, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic factors, she says. That means that, in part, shifting your overall diet might be what helps amp up your sexual wellness. Embracing a healthy diet might decrease the risk of sexual dysfunction in women, defined generally as more fruits and vegetables, and less refined grains, meat, sugar, fried food.

There is, as then might be expected, promising data on theMediterranean diet alleviating sexual dysfunction in women, says Dr. Fisher. Its helpful to think of the Mediterranean diet as a plant-based diet; other whole foods plant-based diets have not been formally researched but may be expected to have the same beneficial effect.

Opa! Okay but if you cant prioritize a full diet upheaval right now, are there good mood foods thatll make you like, really horny in one slurp? Yes and no. According to Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, and owner of BZ Nutrition in New York City, its hard to directly link food and sex drive. However, there are particular compounds within [certain] foods that can have a connection to certain hormones and sexual reactions, she says.

Among Zeitlins top picks are foods with red ginseng, fatty fish that increases your feel good dopamine hormones for a stronger orgasm, cayenne pepper, and maca.

[Maca] root has been linked to boosting those frisky feelings and has shown to be a helpful fertility food as well by multiple studies, says Zeitlin. One study actually found that maca improved sex driveon people taking certain medications where the side effect was decrease of sex drive; think anti-depressants, hair-loss meds, anti-anxiety meds.

If youre truly about to make a quick bodega run before a potential boink fest (weve all been there) Zeitlin has a good power combo in mind.

Dark chocolate, 70 percent or higher, contains compounds that actually boost the release of feel-good hormones getting you more in the mood for some togetherness and even more feel-good hormones, says Zeitlin. Pair it with some dried apricots for extra pro-longed sexy energy, as the amino acids in apricots can trigger more stamina.

As for oysters, well, theyre rich in zinc, which supposedly to help with erectile dysfunction, so that means Im off the hook forever. Like anything, utilizing a so-called aphrodisiac feels like a personal journey with room to experiment. Our recommendation? Grab a hottie or your favorite vibratorand conduct some research yourself.

If youre looking for other ways to boost your sex drive naturally, we have a few recommendations. And learning about spontaneous and responsive desire might help you get turned on.

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Do aphrodisiacs actually work? Trying to have better sex over here - Well+Good

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion (approx Rs 298 trillion). It encompasses everythingthe boxing class you go to in the AM, the bulletproof coffee you chug before breakfast, the standing desk you have at work, and the golden moon milk you drink after dinner. The actual word was coined in the 1950s, when people proactively started trying to better their lives instead of just treating illnesses, but it was only in the 2010s that it actually became an industry. Heres what we couldnt stop writing, sharing, Instagramming and talking about in the last ten years.

In 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow (by way of her wellness website, Goop.com) suggested that placing a yoni egg in the vagina would balance hormones and regulate menstrual cycles, and steaming the area would deep-cleanse and soothe it. It led to people burning their skin, having foreign objects stuck in inside and bacteria infections that harmed rather than helped. In the same vein, there were some people who suggested drinking Soylent instead of solid food, trying the Juul to kick a smoking habit, and subsisting on just bananas for a month. If its not clear, none of these worked, and you definitely dont want to try them out.

Theyre in your water bottles, embedded in your bracelets and placed on your bedside tables. Your favourite beauty productsKora Organics Rose Quartz Highlighter, Glossier Haloscope and Dromen and Co Face Rollerall have them in their ingredient lists. How did crystals go from being a new-age hippy-dippy object to a wellness necessity? You can thank the advent of technology for the increase in alternative therapies. Crystals bring a sense of calm in an otherwise chaotic world, and Kristin Petrovich of Sjal Skincare agrees. When we asked her about why she infused crystals into her elixirs, she said, Just as we resonate with the earth, we resonate and have an electronic exchange with crystals. They vibrate at a higher frequency, which gravitates toward the weaker cells in our body. This energy works within our bodys own energy system, helping to balance and harmonise us. Whether you believe in their healing powers or not, we can agree that if it makes you give yourself a little more time, what's not to love?

While working out is just as efficacious whether you do it at the gym or at home, group classes like SoulCycle (which counts Michelle Obama and Beyonce as fans), OrangeTheory, Pilates (youll see Kareena Kapoor Khan and Katrina Kaif at one of these) became extremely popular in the last five years. Led by millennials and Gen Z-ers, who now view health and fitness as a way of life and consider it a status symbol, consumer spending in this vertical is fast growing. A new class or studio is opened to fanfare, and consumers now buy merch and plan classes with their friends and co-workers. While you can learn just as easily from video tutorials online, the vibe of a group session means that you likely wont realise where the time has gone, Pilates instructor Namrata Purohit explained in an interview with Vogue India.

Everyone can name a fad diet they tried in the 2010s (think Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Mediterranean and GM). They all promised weight loss, better mental capacity and improved concentration. In the 80s, it was fats that were evil; in the 90s, it was carbs and in the 00s, it was solid food (remember the juice fasts of 2001-2005?). Intermittent fasting gained speed too, with the claim that it improved brain health (biohacking) and reduced body fat. Like all other trends, what goes around does come around, and nutritionists are now suggesting that intuitive eating might just be the best thing to do anyway. I prefer having a very dynamic eating plan that is in accordance with what my body wants. For example, if my body needs a salad, I will opt for that. If it needs non-vegetarian food, I shall go for that," nutrition expert Luke Coutinho shared in an interview in 2018.

2010s were definitely the decade of the influencer. They influenced us to buy shoes, clothes, bags, vacations and home decor products. Celebrities like Khlo and Kim Kardashian West promoted detox teas (essentially laxative teas) for weight loss, and wellness experts alleged that drinking juices and smoothies allowed the body and digestive system to rest, regenerate and heal. The idea was most popular from 2010 to 2014, but by the mid-point of the decade, more people were considering it as snake oil rather than saviour.

In the early 2010s, information about gut health became ubiquitous in wellness circles and everything from fermented food, live enzymes, kombucha and probiotics were prescribed to supercharge it. The pH balance of the body was closely observed (which brought alkaline diets into the focus), and doctors started focusing on reinforcing the gut barrier to prevent bloating, digestion issues and even muscle and joint pain. In the last ten years, the science in this area has exploded. The vast majority of modern, chronic diseases are in some way linked to inflammation. That comes from your bodys immune system, 70 per cent of which resides in and around the gut, said Dr Rangan Chatterjee, an expert in gut health told us.

Adaptogens refer to substances that adapt to what your body needs, and helps to protect it from stressors. Ashwagandha, reishi and chaga were important additions to smoothies, juices and bone broth, and came with the promise of reducing stress levels and regulating hormone responses to reach homeostasis. Taking adaptogens to the next level were nootropics, which are cognitive enhancers that can supersize your brain. The importance of efficiency, speed and multi-tasking in the workplace is the major reason for its popularity. The primary benefit of consuming nootropics is that they can improve executive functioning, memory, creativity, focus and motivation. They can also significantly improve accuracy and help individuals feel that they can accomplish tasks that are at hand, shared Dr Nicole Avena, PhD and assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. While research has not been clear about the benefits, those who have enjoyed them continue to experiment with the newest mushrooms and herbs on the market.

This was the most recent trend that came into focus in the middle of 2018the FDA-approved cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant. Cut to today, and CBD is available in a wide spectrum of formstinctures, gummies, vape pens, serums, moisturisers, pain-relief creams and chocolates. Theyre meant to whittle away at inflammation, reducing pain and promoting a sense of calm. Since countries and companies are working on navigating this space and improving its safety and efficacy, you can expect the category to grow exponentially in the 2020s. In fact, a study shows that the industry could be worth $16 billion (approx Rs 1.4 trillion) by 2025.

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The biggest (and weirdest) wellness trends we all witnessed in the 2010s - VOGUE India