Bollywood movie star Richa Chadha is a vocal advocate for veganism after transitioning from vegetarianism to a fully plant-based diet two years ago. In an interview with VeganFirstDaily, the celebrity, originally from Dehli, opens up about theinspiration behindher switch and her tips for success.

Richa, a life-long vegetarian, decided to finally quit all animal products after she "realized the dairy industry functions very differently from when our parents were consuming dairy and poultry products in terms of mass production and numbers." She came to this decision after watching documentaries and researching the devastating effects that animal agriculture has on the earth's environment. Although she says that she had difficulty forgoing cheese and butter in her day-to-day life, sheswapped outcow'smilk for almond milk in her tea and began to notice that going without these products made a positive difference in her skin and hair.

Although Richa admits on her Instagram posts that she doesn't care for cooking,while on set, she always comesarmed with a few prepared snacks in case craft services doesn't have anything vegan. Her go-tofoods are nuts and protein bars, for any moment where she's in a pinch and can't find a dish without meat or dairy. Besides staying prepared for situations where you might not be able to find vegan options, here are Richa'sadvice for people who may be thinking about going vegan:

1. Use your Logic: "We are human beings we are not meant to consume milk from another mammal. We are not built to digest something thats so heavy on the body. And with growing research, we notice that today so many people are lactose intolerant."

2. Why not give it a try:"Its very difficult to convince your moms and dads that ghee, butter and paneer have to go - but once you choose that option and see how light it is on your system, I dont think therell be any going back!"

3. Going plant-based is better for your long-term health: "Its a myth that you wont get calcium if you dont drink milk. We dont even know the quality of the dairy products we are consuming today because cattle are pumped with steroids and hormones to keep them pregnant and lactating. These are things one MUST know. We end up consuming all kinds of chemicals and steroids for the sake of having milk. Its part of the package because its already in the cows body."

Richa closed the interview byimploring more people in her home country of India to give veganism a try. She notes that there are only about fifteen or twenty thousand vegans, despite there being an estimated 400 million vegetarians in the country. She advises other Indians to try the lifestyle "without punishing yourself if you can manage to stay true to the cause and stay dairy-free in the long run, it has amazing health benefits."

Read the full interview with VeganFirstDaily here.

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Richa Chadha on Why She Went Vegan - The Beet

SLEEP! The value of quality sleep cannot be overstated. This is when the body gets a chance to rest and repair. There are functions in the body that happen ONLY during deep sleep. It is imperative that our bodies get to do the work internally that is required to keep us healthy. Good sleep hygiene can make a very big difference in our health and wellbeing and of course mood.

As a part of my series about 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Ones Wellbeing, I had the pleasure of interviewing Courtney Ross.

Courtney is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, Personal Trainer, Health Coach and Nutrition Specialist. Courtney has been a fitness professional since 2005 and is passionate about motivating and guiding her clients to optimal health and wellness. She has found success with her clients by enabling them through education to take control of their own health and wellness to reach their goals.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?

Istarted out as a model. I knew I couldnt model forever, but that I could have better longevity if I was fit. I had some minor surgery on my foot and was kept off the runway for awhile. Being sedentary was brutal. Once I was able to get moving, I dove head first in to working out. I saw that I could change my own body and wanted to help others do the same. Im also still doing some modeling almost 2 decades later.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The most interesting thing I feel is that my thirst for knowledge in this area just wont quit. After becoming a CPT, I got into health coaching, then nutrition, then functional medicine. I am forever fascinated with how the body functions. I never dreamed that I would be doing all this today, but I absolutely love it. It is definitely my passion. I look at my clients as puzzles and I want to put the pieces together to help them be their best.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

Oh man, I never ran as a child. my mother always made fun of me so I was too self conscious. When I was 30, I decided I wanted to start running. It seemed like that thing that was out of reach. There was a woman at the gym that was an effortless runner and I saw her daily on the treadmill. She would get on the treadmill, put a piece of gum in her mouth and just take off. I thought I want to do that so I put a piece of gum in my mouth and tried to run. I lost count of how many times I bit my tongue and my mouth. Not to mention I was so winded since I was a new runner. To this day, I do NOT run with gum.

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fitness and wellness field? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

I believe my unique contribution is a combination of passion and the desire to problem solve. I truly look at my clients like puzzles. Every puzzle is different. No two people can be on the exact same program regardless of whether or not they want the same result or have the same issue. You need to treat each person as an individual.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Wow. I do have someone very special. The person who believed in me ALWAYS. Was supportive ALWAYS, and taught me how to believe in myself. I didnt grow up with that. I had 5 years of my life with him. He was everything to me and then he passed away suddenly. I can honestly and emotionally say that I wouldt be where I am today if he had not been in my life. Im so grateful to him. It made me realize the power of love and support. He always wanted me to follow my desires and told me you can do it. He passed 8 years ago and not a day goes by that Im not grateful to him for all he taught me.

Ok thank you for all that. Now lets move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that its important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep etc. But while we know it intellectually, its often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

In my experience, the only one is that people dont believe they deserve to live the life they want. For whatever reason, they believe they cannot change. I see a lot of self sabotage. Honestly, that is really it. When you dive deep, and you ask why and you ask why again, that is what it comes down to. There can be a superficial reason, but when you really get into it, there is a reason they think they are not worthy. It really is a shame. Plenty of times clients dont even realize it until I keep asking and then they get into the uncomfortable space that they dont even go into. Until they go there, nothing will change.

Can you please share your 5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Ones Wellbeing? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional and physical health.)

1. Eating organic fruits and vegetables. Most of us dont eat enough plant based options but just making the ones youre currently consuming organic can up your nutrient intake and reduce toxins like pesticides and herbicides in the body. Frozen counts too! You can save money here and still enjoy things that might not be in season near you.

2. Along with that, if you eat meat, eat grass fed and organic. The same thinking comes into play here. You are eating what the animal ate. If they ate garbage, so are you. Studies have shown that grass fed beef has the same Omega-3s as deep sea fish! That is pretty amazing. On the other hand, grain fed beef is high in Omega-6s. Most peoples ratios of the two are already out of balance. Always buy the best quality food you can afford. Your body will thank you for it.

3. Next comes the cleaning products. Go through your house and clean out all the traditional cleaning products. Several studies have shown that the air inside our homes can be worse than the air outside. Much of that comes from our cleaning products, scented candles, air fresheners etc. Those things that smell good are actually toxic. It is about reducing your toxic body burden. Think about all the chemicals you are putting on your skin and inhaling daily. Just make the commitment to replace things one at a time. When you run out of something, replace it with a natural alternative.

4. Now on to exercise, my passion! Like Nike says, just do it! Do anything just start moving. Try something different. See what makes your heart sing. Go get that endorphin rush. Youll have extra energy and a spring in your step for hours to come. There is nothing like a hard earned sweat. Sweating is great for the body and is also a detox pathway. The bodys lymphatic system does not have a pump like the cardiovascular system does. Our bodies were made to move! If you are new to strength training or trying a new video, practice the moves in front of a mirror to check your form. If you can afford to hire a trainer, do it. They can help you decide what is best for your body and help you get your form down. Ultimately, the best workout is the one youll do.

5. Finally, SLEEP! The value of quality sleep cannot be overstated. This is when the body gets a chance to rest and repair. There are functions in the body that happen ONLY during deep sleep. It is imperative that our bodies get to do the work internally that is required to keep us healthy. Good sleep hygiene can make a very big difference in our health and wellbeing and of course mood.

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from weight loss, what are 3 benefits of daily exercise? Can you explain?

Some daily benefits of exercise are the endorphin rush, moving the lymphatic system and building cardiovascular and muscular strength and endurance. You will feel better after you exercise even if you wake up dreading it. You will always feel better moving your body in a safe way. We talked about the lymphatic system. You cant always see the benefit, but that doesnt mean it isnt there. Any form of movement is positive. Finally, as we age, we lose muscle mass. The more muscle you have on your frame the better. Being strong and mobile will always be a benefit to people.

For someone who is looking to add exercise to their daily routine, which 3 exercises would you recommend that are absolutely critical?

I think a solid 3 to start with would be the squat, the push up and the pull up. That covers every major muscle group and of course there are modifications if you are first starting out.

In my experience, many people begin an exercise regimen but stop because they get too sore afterwards. What ideas would you recommend to someone who plays sports or does heavy exercise to shorten the recovery time, and to prevent short term or long term injury?

Definitely dont skip your warm up! You need to prepare your body for exercise. That will prevent a lot of potential problems. Also, you need to stretch. Our fascia needs work too. We cant neglect body parts. Our bodies will let us know if we do. Also, there are good supplements out there. Research what you buy as there are plenty of bad ones too. They can definitely either give you an edge or help you recover.

There are so many different diets today. Can you share what kind of diet you follow? Which diet do you recommend to most of your clients?

To be honest there isnt a Diet most are told to follow. They are all individuals with different needs. I will say that I tell them all to eat as plant based as possible. They know to do as much organic as they can. Have a good source of clean, filtered or purified water to stay hydrated and eat intuitively. I do the same. Anything I eat the skin on is organic. I have an RO system in my house for water. I have a sweet tooth so Im not perfect but I always have healthy, natural, organic food on hand.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

You Are The Placebo by Joe Dispenza. This may sound a little woo woo for some, but he talks about our ability to rewire our brains and recondition our bodies to make lasting changes. I had a partial tear in my rotator cuff that I healed through his meditations.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Man this fires me up! I would start a movement to get people moving and get back to nature. That includes the way we eat, and they way we medicate ourselves. Our bodies will heal themselves if we get out of the way. Pharmaceuticals are bandaids. Lets get the knowledge to the people and allow them to decide what they would rather have.

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. Khalil Gibran. We all get knocked down by things or peoples words or whatever. How we come out on the other side is what matters. I dont do things because of in most cases, I do them in spite of. Being able to learn and grow and be better is amazing when you can look back and see how far youve come.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them

I honestly cant pick one. You can choose for me. In the fitness space, Bedros Keuilian. He is so inspiring and motivating and will call bullshit when necessary. He has gotten me through many a bad day with his posts. In the health space, I would choose Dr Christopher Shade from Quicksilver Scientific. I would love to nerd out with him on the biochemistry behind his products. The quality of their products is second to none and to pick the brain of this brilliant man would be an unforgettable event. Finally in the same vein is Keiran Krishnan from Microbiome Labs. Another brilliant mind in the arena of all important gut health. He has designed some incredible products that I take myself and recommend to my clients. Id love to speak with him about gut health, the microbiome and poop.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

@_moxie_fitness_cle On Instagram

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

More:
SLEEP! The value of quality sleep cannot be overstated. with Courtney Ross - Thrive Global

Ms. Tripp was later given immunity from wiretapping charges in exchange for her testimony.

She was soon a figure of ridicule, being played by John Goodman in Saturday Night Live sketches.

While Ms. Tripp had been central to Mr. Starrs case against Mr. Clinton, the conservatives and Clinton-haters who once hailed her did little to try to protect her. The gibes about her were so cruel that she more or less gave up on her own defense.

She held only one news conference.

I am you, she said as she emerged from testifying before Mr. Starrs grand jury. Im an average American who found herself in a situation not of her own making.

Linda Rose Carotenuto was born on Nov. 24, 1949, in Jersey City, N.J. Her father, Albert Carotenuto, was a high school math and science teacher who met his wife, Inge, when he was an American soldier stationed in her native Germany. The Carotenutos divorced in 1968 after Ms. Tripps mother learned that her husband was having an affair with a fellow teacher.

Ms. Tripp graduated from high school in East Hanover, N.J., and went to work as a secretary in Army Intelligence at Fort Meade, Md. In 1971 she married Bruce Tripp, a military officer. In a 2003 interview, she described herself as a suburban mom who was a military wife for 20 years. The couple divorced in 1990.

Ms. Tripp married Dieter Rausch, a German architect, in 2004. In later years she worked with him in his familys retail store, the Christmas Sleigh, in Middleburg, Va., a Washington suburb.

In addition to Mr. Rausch, her survivors include a son, Ryan Tripp, and a daughter, Allison Tripp Foley.

Excerpt from:
Linda Tripp, Key Figure in Clinton Impeachment, Dies at 70 - The New York Times

When they ran out of boys, they turned to the Farmerettes.

In 1944, with the Second World War grinding on, Ontario farms were desperately short of labour. Ontarians had to eat, and millions of calories were also needed overseas to stop Britain from starving and keep Canadian and Allied divisions strong enough to fight. Food was an essential war industry, and there werent enough workers.

High school students were an obvious place to start old and strong enough to work in the fields, too young to fight. My grandmother wanted to join in 1944, but they only took boys that year. The next year, with the war nearly over but the need for labour more desperate than ever, it was decided that girls could work the fields, too. My grandmother got her chance. Barracked with other girls in Clarkson, Ont., near Oakville, they would be picked up by farmers at their barracks each morning, work hard in the fields all day, and be driven back. They were paid 25 an hour and could hitchhike home to Toronto on weekends. To this day, she recalls it as one of the best summers of her life the work was backbreaking and often bewildering to the city girls, but it was an experience of a lifetime.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown personal finances into disarray and threatens to devastate more businesses, small and large, than we can possibly guess. But these economic shocks also threaten the absolutely critical industries we need to function not merely to support our prosperity, but our survival. This isnt about our standard of living, but living. And there is no more essential industry than agriculture.

One of the great triumphs of recent human history has been the gradual but fairly steady reduction in the percentage of the total working population involved in the production of food. As recently as 150 years or so ago, even the most advanced countries could have had roughly half their productive workers directly engaged in growing and processing food. Today, that number is closer to two per cent. This is the foundation of our modern technological society the spectacular productivity gains per agricultural worker have, over time, allowed millions of people to focus their lives on other pursuits. Put another way, two per cent of North American workers feed the other 98 per cent, who are then able to do literally everything else youll find in our society.

Some of the boosts in productivity relate to advancements in knowledge the concept of crop rotation being a prime example. But the productivity of our relatively small number of agricultural workers depends on supplementing their labour with massive external inputs in the form of advanced machinery, fossil fuels, fertilizers, insecticides and tens of thousands of temporary foreign workers (TFWs).

The Farmerettes of the Second World War have been replaced by as many as 60,000 foreigners who travel to Canada under temporary work visas to assist in Canadian farms, fisheries and food processing facilities. Weeks ago, as the Canadian government was essentially closing our borders, an early report that TFWs would not be exempted led to some actual panic among agricultural producers. These workers are essential to our agricultural sector as critical as the seeds or fertilizers. The federal government quickly reversed course and said they could come, subject to a 14-day isolation period, but there continue to be reports of fewer than usual arriving, which makes sense, given worldwide fear and disruptions to normal travel.

Could Canadians do this work? Of course. My grandmother and her classmates did, after all. But that would require mobilizing tens of thousands of Canadians in a matter of weeks planting isnt far off. And these newly mobilized Canadians would need time to learn the ropes, so efficiency would suffer. Theyd also demand high wages, which consumers would end up paying for at grocery checkouts.

The TFWs are just one part of a massively complicated supply chain that our food supply depends on so complicated that even experts struggle to fully understand it. Canada is a major worldwide player in fertilizer production, for instance, but many Canadian farmers still import theirs from abroad (often from the U.S.), due to transportation costs, while much of Canadas production is sent to the U.S. Domestic production could be redirected to Canadian fields, but that would require a major logistics effort, at a time of year when railroad capacity and the commercial trucking fleet is already in high-demand.

None of the above is particularly detailed, granted, because in large part, the major industry associations and agriculture groups are themselves only now gathering essential data and coming to fully understand the possible dimensions of manpower and supply shortages, combined with possible transportation disruptions. Imagine if a bunch of railroad workers end up quarantined in a major logistics hub like Chicago. Canada does produce more food than it consumes, so by that metric, we could sustain ourselves, so long as we could continue to access the needed agricultural inputs.

But the entire Canadian agriculture sector, including food processing and packaging, exists in what is (or perhaps, was) a thriving global marketplace that has made fresh food affordable to millions at any time of the year. Ideally, that global market will continue to thrive. But this pandemic has shown us how vulnerable such systems can be. In an emergency, the best we can say with certainty is that we could probably feed ourselves, but on a diet that could potentially look very different than what weve been blessed to enjoy of late.

Right now, we dont know what that diet would look like, or whether we could grow it, process it and package it, using domestic resources and supplies. We may never have to God willing we wont but could we? Even the experts Ive spoken to this week dont know. The most optimism any of them would express was that well probably be fine, if nothing else goes wrong. Super.

Man may not live on bread alone, but bread is an awfully good place to start. Making sure we have enough is going to be a top priority of governments in the days and weeks ahead. Once were sure well have enough, you can expect a long, hard look at our system. Our food supply should never be something Canadians ever have to worry about. But here we are.

National Postmagurney@postmedia.comTwitter.com/MattGurney

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Matt Gurney: Canadians won't starve but we aren't spoiled for choice in our domestic food supply - National Post

Some three or four weeks into virtual social interactions being essentially the only social interactions outside the home for most people, many of us have tried to go about our usual rituals, just onlineand found the results a little underwhelming. The life we live now is not conducive to birthday dinners or bar flirtations or run-ins with friends who live down the block. It is small, slow, intimate; every encounter requires planning ahead. Of course trying to jam the happy, sprawling commotion of a night out into a row of little boxes on a laptop screen (itself jammed into the little box that is your home) is jarring. So it seems time to abandon efforts to replicate our old social life in online spacesand instead adapt our interactions to our new normal. What if, instead, we leaned into the smallness, the slowness, the intimacy? What would our social life look like then?

Obviously, some aspects of prepandemic life cant be re-created or replaced. In person, humans can sync up to one another through gaze and body languagewhich is impossible over phone or text, and difficult over videochat. Melissa Mazmanian, an associate informatics professor at UC Irvine, recently had to switch from in-person to Zoom interviews for a research project, and some of them just dont work as well, she said. I cant read [subjects] body language and help them feel comfortable in the way that I can when Im there. Nicole Ellison, who teaches at the School of Information at the University of Michigan, noted to me that in addition to messing with body-language clues, many teleconference hangouts require a lot of planningwhich can throw off the vibe for friends who otherwise usually hang out on a spur-of-the-moment basis.

But perhaps most important, videochat happy hours fail to measure up to real-life happy hours because we keep comparing them with real-life happy hours, expecting that they will satisfy the same desire with the same efficacy. I told Ellison I found it annoying that I sometimes feel like I need to raise my hand before speaking while I drink beers remotely with my friends, and she replied that this was probably annoying only because Id imported the expectation of not having to raise my hand from meatspace. Trying to translate your old social habits to Zoom or FaceTime is like going vegetarian and proceeding to glumly eat a diet of just tofurkey, rather than cooking varied, creative, and flavorful meals with fruits and vegetables. The challenge, then, of adapting to an all-virtual social life may lie in reorienting our interactions around the strengths of the platforms where we can be together.

Read: The three equations for a happy life, even during a pandemic

Its no small task to fully reinvent social life itself from your home, but with any luck, the new ways of spending time together that people discover will succeed in making this period of isolation a little less isolating. Of course, a satisfying all-virtual social life will look different for everyone. For some, this time will present an opportunity to put more thought and energy into individual relationships and deep one-on-one conversations, which translate well to platforms like Zoom or FaceTime. Others who find themselves longing for a friend-group hang or a team dinner might have to get a little more creative.

Go here to read the rest:
We Need to Stop Trying to Replicate the Life We Had - The Atlantic

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon says the 2019-2020 season was the first time in his seven-year career that he really, truly felt like he could win the Stanley Cup. The Avalanche were in second place in the Western Conferenceand MacKinnon, fifth overall in points, was a serious contender for the Hart Memorial MVP Awardwhen the NHL postponed its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12.

A few days ago I saw it wouldve been our last game of the year against St. Louis, he says. We were only two points back of them when the season ended, and we were rolling. It wouldve been cool to have this momentum and get everybody healthy heading into the playoffs. Hopefully we can return eventually.

In the meantime, MacKinnon is doing the only thing he can: Trying to stay in shape. The 24-year-old has a cheat code, though. A few years ago, with the help and advice of his longtime trainer, Andy OBrien (who also trains Sidney Crosby), MacKinnon constructed a 900-square-foot gym in his Nova Scotia home, about 45 minutes outside of Halifax. Its pretty secluded here and a good place to distance myself, he says. The gym is paying dividendsin-between moments when he's catching up with old friends, playing Fortnite, and improve his cooking skills.

Below, MacKinnon expounds on his social-distanced workouts, describes his mostly gluten- and dairy-free diet, and reveals what hes learned about nutrition from Crosby.

What kind of equipment are you working with in this home gym?

Nathan MacKinnon: Ive got a little bit of space for footwork and warm-up drills, plus Keiser equipment, Rogue plates, bars, and dumbbells, and Keiser bikes. My trainer Andy OBrien has been sending me programs to do. Ive been training pretty hard and I still feel good. The gym is definitely my favorite part of the house.

How long have you been working with OBrien?

I started working with him when I was 15. It got set up through my agent, who also represents Sidney Crosby. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, working with Sidneys trainer.

Every summer, its amazing how Andy comes up with new exercises. Even right now, he sent me a new program, and Ive never done any of these exercises before. Theyre challenging and work different body parts. I think anyone who works with Andy is fortunate that his workouts are always fresh and never the same. We dont really do a lot of squats or bench press. Its movement-based. Every program he gives to a client is designed for them and their specific body needs. He knows me very well at this point.

So right now, what are you focusing on at the gym?

I need to open up my T-spine and keep my torso moving. Ive had some AC joint sprains, so Ive done a ton of shoulder stuff these past couple weeks while social distancing. Im a fast-twitch guy, so also lots of movements, getting that deep burn in my quads and glutes. Im doing long bike rides after workouts too. When I workout with [Sidney Crosby] in the summer, he does lots of quick, fast-twitch stuff too, which is why hes so good at staying low.

Can you walk me through an average day over the last few weeks?

Im not setting an alarm right now. Im going to bed around midnight, which is a little later than I usually would, and get up at 9:30 or 10. Breakfast is gluten-free toast with some eggs and granola. During the season, I have a better breakfast than that, but Im alone right now, so Im not cooking anything crazy. I hit the gym around 11, do that for about an hour, might shoot some pucks or do a bike ride, play some Fortnite, and then its dinnertime. Lots of chicken, salmon, and steak, and I usually cook some asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato on the side. Right now, cooking is kind of relaxing for me. It gives me something to do.

How long have you been eating gluten-free?

This is my third season. I dont have an intolerance, but I do try to stay gluten- and dairy-free, and when I started this diet is when I kind of broke out. My nutrition, my sleep, everything changed for the better after that.

Normally, during the season, I dont cook as much. I started working with a chef recently in Denver and Ive gotten my bloodwork taken to analyze what works for me and what doesnt. The chef has that dataincluding that Im trying to avoid gluten and dairyand designs meals off of it. Im not a superstitious guy, so Ill eat different things for pregame meals, and will switch things up all the time.

Whats your social distancing cheat meal snack?

I love chips and guac. Ive had ice cream, too. Thats not dairy-free, so its definitely a cheat meal.

Im going to put you on the spot for a minute: Reddit found a video of you from 2011 talking about how nutrition affects performance. What was the background there? Was that for a school assignment?

Oh my God, that video. I think Hockey Night in Canada actually aired that once. I didnt even remember it at first. It was just a school project, and I had a cutoff t-shirt on, right?

You sure did.

[Laughs] My dad taught me a little bit about nutrition when I was growing up. He ran marathons and was definitely a workout addict in his 20s and 30s. I was always interested in it, and I guess I did a project on it when I was younger. Pretty funny, looking back on it.

Do you remember what you got on the assignment?

I have no idea. Well say A-plus.

You mentioned Fortnite. What else are you doing to pass the time?

Watching some TV shows and documentariesI just watched one about Einstein on National Geographic that was pretty cool. I havent been reading a ton, and I need to pick up a book here. Ive been laying around a lot, catching up with friends on the phone.

Whats the best workout tip you've learned from Sidney Crosby?

Just watching how hard he works and how disciplined he is with his nutrition and workouts is something I try to emulate. No one takes this more seriously than him; hes always thinking about different ways to train, and giving ideas to our trainer Andy. He feels like a big brother to mehes eight years older than me, and I kind of just do whatever he says.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in-between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

The Real-Life Diet of the WWE's Edge, An Extremely Cut 46-Year-Old Man

Nearly a decade after triple-fusion neck surgery, Edge has an entirely new outlook on healthy living.

Originally Appeared on GQ

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The Real-Life Diet of the NHL's Nathan MacKinnon, Who Changed His Diet and Became a Star - Yahoo Lifestyle

At least some good has come from self-isolating for UFC middleweight contender Ronaldo Souza amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Originally expected to take on creative striker Uriah Hall at the now-postponed UFC 249 card, Jacare for the first time in his professional MMA career was taking his diet seriously ahead of the scrapped April 18 event.

In an interview with Ag Fight, Souza explains how he was always genetically gifted and never needed to struggle with dieting, but self-isolation helped him even further to maintain weight, with all restaurants and shops closed in his neighborhood.

Because Im genetically privileged, I believe God gave me something different. Because of that, I have been dropping the ball a lot with the way I eat. I could eat anything and I would remain thin, skinny, I never lost because of my weight. For the first time, actually, Im on a rigid diet, which impressed me. My wife has been helping me, too, shes always on my case.

I always dieted. Jacare continued. But I would leave the gym, straight from practice, and go eat a burger, which I love. This time I cant leave the house because nothing is open. Im screwed. My wife got me good here at home.

Currently on a two-fight skid, Ronaldo Souza (26-8-1 NC) dropped a split decision to Jan Blachowicz in a one-fight try at light heavyweight, back in November 2019, and a unanimous decision to Jack Hermansson in April of the same year. The 40-year-olds last win happened in November 2018, when he knocked out former middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

Read more here:
Jacare Souza says quarantine helped with diet: Nothing is open - Bloody Elbow

People who consume news sources like Fox News are more than twice as likely to be uninformed about the coronavirus as those who take in sources like CNN and MSNBC, according to a stunning new survey conducted by Gallup.

The Knight Foundation/Gallup poll published Thursday broke down results by news diet, which in the case of a conservative news diet meant those who cite only conservative news sources (e.g., Fox News, Breitbart, One America News, the National Review) as top sources.

On matters of opinion, the splits were predictable, with 94 percent of the Fox News category approving of President Donald Trumps coronavirus response, and 71 percent saying the media is giving the deadly global pandemic too much attention.

But on a key matter of fact regarding the Covid-19 disease, the results were devastating. A full 57 percent of the conservative news consumers falsely believe that the coronavirus is less deadly than or as deadly as flu, versus only 28 percent of those with a liberal news diet believing the same statement.

Even the most optimistic current data shows the coronavirus is many times deadlier than the seasonal flu.

The surveys definition of liberal news diet is somewhat dubious as well, as it doesnt include equivalent outlets to the conservative category theres no DailyKos or The Nation. The poll defines liberal news dieteers as those naming only liberal news sources (e.g., MSNBC, The New York Times, CNN, Vox) as top sources.

But despite the criticism that Fox News has encountered over its coverage of the pandemic, the studys authors say its partisanship that drives the information gap:

The partisan difference concerning the lethality of COVID-19 does not appear to be an artifact of echo chambers or filter bubbles. The root cause for this misperception seems more nuanced. Partisans exposed to countervailing messages through a mixed media diet were as likely to know the correct answer about the deadliness of the coronavirus as those exposed to a one-sided media diet. During this time of potential national crisis, Americans tended to believe the messages and messengers matching their partisan identities when a discrepancy over basic health facts arose.

Motivated reasoning the tendency to find messages we want to believe as more convincing appears to be the primary driver of this partisan gap. Democrats were more inclined to believe messages from messengers who characterized COVID-19 as a grave threat. In contrast, Republicans tended to believe the messages from messengers who said COVID-19 was not as great a threat as the media and experts were predicting.

On the other hand, a mixed news diet for a Republican would almost certainly include Fox News, the highest-rated cable news channel by far. Partisanship may explain why a person is receptive to a message that is grossly and demonstrably false, but does not explain why a certain set of news sources would deliver that message. And this analysis leaves out the fact that Democrats and those without a partisan leaning are each twice as likely to believe the thing that is correct, which is also a powerful form of persuasion.

The consequences are also not equivalent. Falsely believing the coronavirus is much less deadly than it actually is has an entirely different effect on behavior than correctly believing it is actually much deadlier than the flu does.

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Stunning Poll: Those with Conservative News Diet Like Fox News Twice as Uninformed on Coronavirus Deadliness - Mediaite

Normally I devote this blog to kid-specific food issues, but something has been bugging me for a few weeks now, and I feel the need to vent. I hope youll indulge me, and that youll also share this post if it resonates with you. Heres whats been on my mind.

In this very anxious moment, we Americans are clearly finding solace in the warm embrace of comfort food.

Were doing so much stress baking that grocery stores areselling outof flour and yeast, while sales of potato chips, cookies, popcorn, pretzels, and candyare booming. Only yesterday, the New York Times published a story titled I Just Need the Comfort: Processed Foods Make a Pandemic Comeback. And when a Food Network judge recentlyjokedthat by day four of quarantine, he was pouring ice cream directly onto his pasta, over 23,000 people liked his tweet, with many confessing their own stress-driven food transgressions everything from tortilla-wrapped, chocolate-glazed bacon to lunches of pecan pie.

Ironically, we really ought to be eating an especiallyhealthydiet right now, as some expertsurge, to boost our immunity. But in the middle of a global pandemic, it feels almost comically tone deaf to tell people to consume more kale and turmeric.

Maybe thats why other nutrition experts have loosened the reins. A respected pediatric dietitian recentlywrote, [I]n our present situation, Im releasing the idea of having perfect balanced meals and healthy snacks all the time. Truth be told, Ive got plenty of chips, cheesy crackers, and cookies in my pantry right now. I even ate two homemade chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. In answering the question Is it OK for my kids to eat nothing but mac and cheese right now?, Virginia Sole-Smith, the child-feeding expert for theNew York Times,responded: Emphatically, yes. Give yourself permission to enjoy all the carbs, too, if youre so inclined.

Comfort food is having its moment because all of us, even those with relative means, are feeling decidedlyuncomfortable right now.Putting aside the threat of a deadly virus, millions are now facing job insecurity or actual job losses. College and retirement accounts are dwindling alarmingly. Those who still have jobs are struggling to work remotely, usually without childcare. Apartments and homes that once seemed reasonably spacious now feel stifling, with every family member sheltering in place. And even those with decent health insurance must ask for the first time: If someone in my family gets seriously sick or injured, will our hospital even let us in the door?

Its enough to make anyone snarf down cookie dough, and not just because we associate delicious food with happier times. As I learned in researchingKid Food,chronic stress can trigger unhealthy eating on a biological level. Cortisol, the stress hormone, not onlyincreasesour appetite overall, it contributes to specific cravings for unhealthy foods loaded with fat and/or sugar. Sleeplessness, too, has been found to stoke our appetites, while alsoelevating our levels of endocannabinoid a neurotransmitter chemically similar to the compounds in marijuana that give smokers the munchies. A recentstudyfound that sleep-deprived subjects (and doesnt that describe all of us these days?) were particularly unable to resist hyper-palatable foods like Doritos, Cheetos, and ice cream.

The only silver lining is that no one is judging our questionable food choices right now. If a PBJ on white bread is all you can muster for your kids dinner, youve been absolved: Parenting and self-care need to look different right now, and we have to be OK with lowering some of the bars, a dietitiantoldtheTimes. If youre fattening the curves by gaining the COVID 19, dont beat yourself up. Weight fluctuations are an entirely normal response to our lives being very different right now,soothesa health and beauty influencer.

In a society that engages in its share of weight shaming and competitive parenting, I applaud this newly forgiving, just-do-the-best-you-can spirit. But theres also an implicit understanding that once this crisis is over, well put away our Bundt pans and get our act together. [P]ost-pandemic, well see the return of running clubs and crowded gyms, theChicago Tribunepredicts. There will be plenty of time to shrink muffin tops and get back to sensible eating.

And this brings me to the crux of what has me so agitated: the inherent class bias at work.

Because for millions of low-income Americans, there wont be any return to the gym, the running club, or sensible eating. Not only do these families typically have less access to healthier food and safe spaces for exercise, they werealreadyenduring the very same pressures now driving more affluent Americans to overeat unhealthy food: job insecurity, cramped living spaces,poorer sleep, a dearth of childcare, and lack of assured access to medical care.

So when Sole-Smith compassionatelyadvisesin theTimes, A global pandemic is not the time to pressure yourself to control your weight, all I can think is: If crushing stress was the hallmark of your daily life even before the pandemic, when exactlyisa good time to focus on healthy eating and exercise?

Americas poor diet is theleading cause of poor healthand is responsible formore than half a million deathsper year. And if our current comfort food bender demonstrates anything, its that when peoples sense of security is fundamentally threatened, theyre very often compelled to seek relief and pleasure in unhealthy food.

But without a reasonable living wage, affordable housing, reliable childcare, and accessible healthcare, huge swaths of Americans never had that sense of security in the first place. So how can we realistically expect them to find the time, resources, and mental space to truly take care of themselves?

We dont know what this country will look like when the pandemic recedes, but Id like to think that after enduring months of isolation and collectively facing a once-in-a-century-level threat, we might emerge with a new sense of solidarity and kinship with our fellow Americans. We might even be more accepting of social policies that are compassionate instead ofpunitive.

Its a tall order in this fractured political climate, I know. But we could at least have a chance if more affluent Americans never forget what it felt like when their familys fate was out of their control, when crushing stress kept them awake at night, and when they found a moments solace in a handful of cookies or a bowl of ice cream.

Bettina Elias Siegelblogs atThe Lunch Tray, where this piece originally appeared, and is the author of Kid Food: The Challenge of Feeding Children in a Highly Processed World.

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What anxiety baking says about socioeconomics and a poor diet - Food & Environment Reporting Network

The key to living longer could be to eat a healthy, balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - as well as regular exercise. But you could boost your life expectancy by adopting a low-fat weight loss diet, it's been claimed.

You can slash your risk of an early death by eating a healthy, balanced diet, according to the NHS.

Regular exercise is also crucial to maintaining a healthy body weight, it added.

If youre a smoker, quitting smoking could cut your risk of dying early, while taking a daily multivitamin may boost your life expectancy.

Making small lifestyle changes could help you to live longer. One of the key aspects to your longevity is your weight.

READ MORE: How to live longer - add one spice to your cooking to extend your life

Weight-reducing diets, usually low in fat and low saturated fat, with or without exercise, may reduce premature all-cause mortality in adults who are obese, said the scientists.

By implication, our data supports public health measures to prevent weight gain and facilitate weight loss using these types of diet, they added.

Eating a healthy, reduced-calorie diet is the best way to reduce your risk of obesity, said the NHS.

But, it's also crucial that you include regular exercise into your daily routine.

Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

Meanwhile, Joining a local weight loss group, or taking up social exercise classes may help you to lose weight.

Eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits could also help you to live longer, according to Harvard Medical School.

A strong social network is also important to boost life expectancy, it added.

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How to live longer - the weight loss diet that could lower your risk of early death - Express