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Dietary effect of low-fishmeal diets on gut microbiota in olive flounder – aquaculturealliance.org

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

Aquafeeds

Monday, 30 March 2020 Dr. Soo-Ki Kim

The olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is the most economically important carnivorous marine fish cultured in the Republic of Korea, and accounts for more than 45 percent of all farmed fish production.

Fishmeal remains the goldstandard protein ingredient for carnivorous aquaculture fish. In olive flounder, a high proportion of fishmeal is generally used to support the growth and health in the juvenile stage, and then it is progressively reduced during the growout stage (~30 to 40 weeks). To reduce the reliance on fishmeal and support the sustainable future development of Korean aquaculture, researchers and producers have worked on costeffective alternatives to fishmeal.

Many plant proteins have been explored as fishmeal alternatives in aquafeeds, but the presence of some antinutritional factors or nutritional imbalances may negatively affect fish growth, gut microbiota composition, immune response and survival rates.

Gut microbiota are critical to the hosts nutrition, development, immunity, and resistance against stressful conditions. The advent of nextgeneration sequencing, NGS [several modern sequencing technologies that allow for sequencing of DNA and RNA much more quickly and cheaply than previously used technologies, and which have transformed the study of molecular biology] enabled more sophisticated analysis of complex gut microbiota by a cultureindependent approach with unprecedented resolution and throughput.

NGS has been used to explore the dietary effects on gut microbiota of different fish species. Most of these studies investigated the dietary effects on fish gut microbiota for a shortterm, but the longterm dietary effects at different growth stages have generally been overlooked. The dietary effect of plant protein ingredients on gut microbiota of the olive flounder has not been investigated.

This article adapted and summarized from the original publication [Niu, K-M. et al. 2020. Dietary effect of low fishmeal aquafeed on gut microbiota in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) at different growth stages. Microbiology Open 9(3), March 2020.] reported on an investigation of the gut microbiota of olive flounder at different growth stages with longterm dietary administration of plantbased low fishmeal and practical fishmeal diets by a cultureindependent metagenomic [permitting comparisons of genetic material from multiple samples] approach.

This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Fisheries Science (R2019012), Republic of Korea.

Editors note: This article has 10 co-authors (see article tags below), but only the affiliation and contact information for one of the corresponding authors Dr. Soo Ki Kim is listed.

We formulated and tested two isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets as a fishmeal (FM)-based control diet (Con) and a plant protein-based low-FM diet (FM30) with 30 percent fishmeal replacement using soybean meal, corn gluten meal and corn concentrate. The two diets were produced by thoroughly mixing the feed ingredients, followed by extrusion. The pellets were then air-dried at 60 degrees-C for three hours and stored at minus-20 degrees-C until use.

The feeding trial was conducted at Aquafeed Research Center (Pohang), National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Republic of Korea. Juvenile olive flounder (average initial body weight, 30 grams) were obtained from the Korea NIFS and acclimated to environmental conditions for eight weeks while fed with the Con diet prior to the experiment.

The fish were reared in an indoor flow-through system with standard conditions, and the water temperature ranged from 16.8 to 26.1 degrees-C. After acclimation, 300 fish in each treatment fed with the Con or FM30 diet were randomly distributed into three polyvinyl circular tanks (100 fish/tank; volume, 400 liters) supplied with seawater at a flow rate of 20 liters per minute and aeration.

The feeding trial was conducted for eight months, and all the fish were fed twice a day ad libitum. Three fish, under 100 grams, were collected before the initiation of the experiment and designated the juvenile stage (<100 grams). Fish sampled during the study were designated as the grower (~400 grams), subadult (~800 grams) and adult (>1,000 grams) growth stages based on their body weight and length (Fig. 1).

For detailed information on experimental design and diets, fish and study conditions; sample collection, DNA extraction and sequencing; sequencing data analysis; and statistical analyses, refer to the original publication.

Fish were fed one of the two experimental diets for eight months, and we collected the midgut contents to analyze the gut bacterial community. We determined that there were nine dominant phyla, which in turn presented Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria as the three major phyla in the gut microbiota of the flounder. At genus level, the dominant genera were Delftia, Prevotella and Chthoniobacter at the juvenile stage (below 100 grams per fish); Chthoniobacter, Bacillus and Bradyrhizobium at the grower stage (400 grams per fish); Chthoniobacter, Bacillus and Delftia at the subadult stage (800 grams per fish); and Lactobacillus and Prevotella at the adult stage (over 1,000 grams per fish).

The microbial diversity in olive flounders increased from the juvenile and subadult stages and reached a plateau thereafter. The fish fed the FM30 diet had a significantly increased abundance of Lactobacillus and Photobacterium and had less abundance of Prevotella and Paraprevotella than the control. However, the effect of dietary plantbased protein sources (PPS) was not significant on total microbial richness, indicating no negative effect as feed sources on the intestinal microbiota in olive flounder.

Based on our findings, the gut bacterial composition was not significantly influenced by diet until the adult stage, whereas obvious shifts of the gut bacterial community were observed at different growth stage. The microbiota of the grower fish was characterized by the highest diversity measurements, such as number of observed species, in contrast to juvenile, subadult and adult fish. Generally, a high diversity is regarded beneficial for host health.

Our results indicate that the life stage of olive flounder is more important in modulating intestinal microbiota than is the diet. It could also be concluded that dietary PPS might be used as a potential fishmeal alternative without any compromising effects on microbial diversity of olive flounder for longterm feeding.

Gut microbiota plays important roles in nutritional, functional and physiological activities of the host. Several factors including intrinsic (i.e., age) and extrinsic (i.e., diet) may affect the fish gut microbial diversity, function and metabolic activities. To date, little information regarding the change in gut microbiota at different growth stages of olive flounder had been reported. Therefore, understanding its composition in response to diet change over its lifetime will be

ery valuable for establishing practical, low-fishmeal aquafeeds for olive flounder.

We observed that the bacterial communities were distinctly grouped according to their growth stages but were in close relationship among the individuals of different dietary groups. Overall, in comparison with the dietary effect, there was clear modulation of the growth stage on the gut microbiota in olive flounder. Other studies also reported no significant effects of the dietary treatments on the gut microbiota in rainbow trout and shrimp, respectively; however, they observed significant differences in the gut bacterial community at different growth stages.

In our study, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were identified as biomarkers in different developmental stages in relation to low-fishmeal diets, suggesting that these phyla were prevalent in the gut microbiota of olive flounder and different species of these phyla may perform different functions in the gut ecosystem. However, further studies are warranted on the functions of these gut microbes to understand their roles in the gut of olive flounder.

Our study described the gut microbial profile of farmed olive flounder with longterm use of a low-fishmeal diet and using an NGS method for the first time. We found a close relationship between the gut microbial composition and growth stage of olive flounder. The FM30 diet had subtle effects on altering the gut microbiota in the early growth stage of olive flounder. However, the abundance of Lactobacillus and Photobacterium was significantly increased after the FM30 administration for eight months.

These results could possibly provide valuable information to establish a successful low-fishmeal or fishmeal-free aquafeed for the host. Further studies need to delineate the specific changes in the overall health of the host, including growth performance, immune response, mortality, physiological parameters and functional genomics in response to the low-fishmeal diet across different growth stages.

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Dietary effect of low-fishmeal diets on gut microbiota in olive flounder - aquaculturealliance.org

High Blood Pressure: Add These Vegetable Juices To Your Diet To Fight Hypertension Effectively – NDTV News

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

High Blood Pressure: Try these healthy juices to control your blood pressure effectively

High blood pressure or hypertension can increase the risk of heart diseases if left uncontrolled. High blood pressure can be a result of poor diet, lifestyle, increased stress and much more. Healthy changes in diet and lifestyle can help you control your blood pressure numbers. Diet plays an important role in managing healthy blood pressure. Adding certain foods and nutrients result in controlled blood pressure. Vegetable juices are a powerhouse of nutrients. You can juice a few vegetables or create a combination of different vegetables for maximum benefits. Some juices are also beneficial for hypertension patients. Here are some vegetable juices you can add to your diet to fight high blood pressure effectively.

Leafy greens are loaded with health benefits. There is a variety of leafy greens to choose from. It is advised to add these nutrition-rich vegetables to your daily diet. If you are suffering from high blood pressure you can choose green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce or fennel to prepare a juice. Add some amla to the juice to enhance the taste.

High blood pressure: Spinach and other leafy greens can be used to prepare juicePhoto Credit: iStock

Celery is also loaded with several health benefits. It contains vitamin K, A, B2, B6, C, folate, potassium, manganese and dietary fibre. Studies have also highlighted the benefits of celery juice for high blood pressure. You can mix spinach with celery to prepare a healthy drink to fight high blood pressure.

Also read:These Teas Can Lower Your Blood Pressure Numbers Naturally

Tomatoes are used as an important ingredient in almost every Indian recipe. Tomato juice helps control blood pressure. It also boosts heart health. Drink tomato juice without salt for maximum benefits. Prepare fresh tomato juice at home. Packed ones are loaded with added salt, sugar and preservatives

Hypertension: Tomato juice can help you lower blood pressure numbersPhoto Credit: iStock

Beets contain nitric oxide which contributes to controlled blood pressure. You can prepare juice with fresh beetroot. It will also improve blood flow.

Also read:Can Yoga Reduce Blood Pressure? Know 5 Best Yoga Poses For High Blood Pressure

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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High Blood Pressure: Add These Vegetable Juices To Your Diet To Fight Hypertension Effectively - NDTV News

What is a low residue diet and what you can eat on it – Insider – INSIDER

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

The low residue diet is not meant to help you lose weight. Instead, it's supposed to help heal your gut.

The word "residue" here refers to the undigested food that makes up the bulk of stool. Therefore, the goal of a low-residue diet is to reduce the size and frequency of your bowel movements.

Doctors often prescribe a low residue diet for people with digestive problems like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease, and colitis. But recent research calls into question whether this approach actually helps. Here's what you need to know about low residue diets.

Low residue foods are usually thoroughly cooked so that they break down easily in your body. Here is a list of do's and don'ts for the low residue diet according to the University of Michigan's Bowel Control Program.

And depending on your specific needs you may also be able to eat:

Don't see a food here you're wondering about? For a more comprehensive list, visit the University of Michigan Health System's guide.

On a low residue diet, you're recommended to eat no more than 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day. For comparison, health recommendations call for 25 to 38 grams of fiber each day.

Because of the low fiber intake, people often use low residue diet and low fiber diet interchangeably. But they're not synonymous.

Low fiber diets focus only on cutting out high fiber foods. Whereas low residue diets aim to reduce fiber and also cut down on anything that can increase your bowel movements, which, for some people, can include low-fiber foods like meat and dairy.

Regardless, both low residue and low fiber diets are meant to put the least amount of strain possible on your digestive tract. The foods you eat on either diet, like white rice, cooked vegetables, and fish, should move slowly through your digestive tract. And this slower movement usually means less waste, fewer bowel movements, and reduced cramping, bloating, and gas.

The low residue diet is a short-term plan to give your digestive system a break from breaking down hard-to-digest foods, says Lori Welstead, a dietician who works in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "It is not recommended to be lifelong in most cases."

The Mayo Clinic recommends following the low fiber diet only as long as you are having symptoms like diarrhea. Once your symptoms have improved, you can start slowly reintroducing fiber into your diet.

However, research is divided on whether a low fiber diet is truly helpful for all types of inflammatory conditions.

For example, a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2016, found that among patients in remission, avoiding fiber was linked to an increased risk of flare-ups for people with Crohn's disease.

In addition, a review of 23 studies, published in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2014, found that overall, there is no evidence to support restricting fiber when treating IBD. And other studies have found similar results, suggesting that diets that cut out specific foods like gluten or legumes worked better for IBD than a low-fiber diet.

If you've ever had a colonoscopy and dreaded the preparation, the low-residue diet might help abate some discomfort. Traditionally, patients who are going in for a GI procedure are told that they must stick to a clear liquid diet the day before.

But a number of studies have shown that a low-residue diet may be just as effective at colon preparation while vastly improving patient satisfaction. If you're going in for a GI procedure, ask your doctor if you can swap water and broth for more filling, low-residue options.

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Snacks:

Dinner:

The low residue diet is not the only diet out there that can help with gastrointestinal symptoms. The following other diets can be used to help control diarrhea in the short term, but none of them are long-term solutions.

Welstead warns that sticking to a restrictive diet like the low residue diet can cause deficiencies in vitamin or protein levels. "For most patients, they are able to transition to a normal diet over time," Welstead adds.

That's why you should speak with a registered dietitian before starting any of these diets, including the low residue diet.

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What is a low residue diet and what you can eat on it - Insider - INSIDER

Exercise improves heart function in diabetes, while diet reverses the condition, finds study – Clinical Daily News – McKnight’s Long Term Care News

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

News > Clinical Daily News

A new study has shown that exercise may be the best way to improve heart function in adults with type 2 diabetes but a specialized diet can reverse the condition.

Heart failure is a common complication of diabetes, and signs of future trouble can show up as changes to heart function in younger adults. Investigators compared the impact of supervised aerobic exercise and a low-energy meal replacement program on heart function in 87 patients ages 18 to 65 with the disease.

Participants underwent echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging to confirm early heart dysfunction, and exercise tests to measure cardiovascular fitness.

Significant improvements in heart function were found in exercise program participants when compared with a control group. These patients also had an increase in exercise capacity. In contrast, the low energy diet did not improve heart function, but the intervention certainly wasnt a total loss. Patients in the diet group not only had favorable changes to heart structure and vascular function, but 83% in this cohort experienced a reversal of their diabetes, reported Prof. Gerry McCann, from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.

It may seem obvious, but if we can empower patients with type 2 diabetes to make changes to their daily routines through exercise and healthy eating, we may help them reduce the risk of heart failure and even early death, McCann concluded.

Full findings were published in Diabetes Care.

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The diet with oranges that will make you lose 3 pounds in a week – Play Crazy Game

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

31 march 2020(19:04 CET)

You have to be sincere when I say that this quarantine with all the bad things it means to be a prisoner at home, it can also be the opportunity of a new beginning when its all done. Maintain good eating habits and improve the physical are good ways to show you renewed the face of the earth when you come out of isolation. For this, nothing better than trying a diet with oranges that will make you lose 3 pounds in a week.

When we refer to diet orange, it would seem that the only food that should be eating is this delicious fruit, but it is not so strict.

To the first that relate to the orange is to the vitamin C, but also has a myriad of benefits ranging from improvements in the immune system to an increase in the speed of healing. Do this you think little? Then we will add some contributions, such as: folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, copper, zinc, acids malic, oxalic, tartaric and citric.

There are enough reasons, not just to do the diet, but the orange is again one of our favorite fruits immediately.

How is the diet with oranges?

The diet consists of eating the orange directly, which causes satiety. This does not happen when you simply take a fruit juice, because the feeling is different.

The authoritative voice of experts, in this case the assumed Garca, who commented as follows: The calories that we ingest drinking are the same as eatingmunch away, but we dont satisfy the same way. That is why it is so important to consider not only what we eat but how we eat, our eating behavior.

This method or diet of eating the whole orange, in addition to respecting the hours of sleep, amount of water needed per day, and avoid harmful drinks, may promote the loss of 3 kilos per week. Are you ready to leave revitalized from the quarantine?

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The diet with oranges that will make you lose 3 pounds in a week - Play Crazy Game

From apples to dark chocolate, five fibre-rich food items you should include in your diet to improve… – Firstpost

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:46 am

The health benefits of consuming fibre-rich food items are wide-ranging. Not only do they improve digestive health and help in reducing weight, high dietary fibre lowers risk of heart diseases, diabetes and even colon cancer. A diet rich in fibre can be your partner as you practice social distancing.

Here are some of the most handy food items that contain fibre:

ApplesOne of the most easily available fruits, apples have good fibre content. The sweet fruit is tasty to eat and handy to carry as well. Eating an apple every day will definitely help in improving the condition of arteries and lowering cholesterol.

Representational Image. Reuters

PotatoesPotatoes are an integral part of our day-to-day diet. These veggies go very well with various meals. Sweet potatoes, red potatoes and purple potatoes also have high fibre content.

OatsOne of the healthiest foods, oats are rich in beta-glucan that helps with blood sugar and cholesterol levels. These also contain several vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

PopcornAnother food item rich in fibre, popcorn is hailed as the king of snacks. Make sure you intake the air-fried version of it and not the one smothered in butter.

Dark chocolateDark chocolate rich in cocoa contains various nutrients like soluble fibre and minerals. It also has various antioxidants which can improve the functioning of brain such as memory and learning ability.

Updated Date: Mar 31, 2020 20:05:48 IST

Tags : Apples, Diet, Dietary Fibre, Fibre, High Fibre Content, NewsTracker, Social Distancing

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How the 1918 Pandemic Frayed Social Bonds – The Atlantic

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:44 am

By December 1918, the number of new cases tapered off, and American society began to return, gradually, to normal. (PUBLIC WILL GET ITS FIRST LOOK AT 1918 FOOTBALL, WHEN BAN LIFTS, TOMORROW, read a headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.) However, the solitary aspect of the epidemic also affected the way that it was memorialized. As the disease stopped its spread, the publics attention quickly shifted to the end of World War I, undermining the cathartic rituals that societies need to get past collective traumas. In the decades after the sickness, the flu lodged in the back of peoples mind, remembered but not often discussed. The American writer John Dos Passos, who caught the disease on a troop ship, never mentioned the experience in any detail. It never got a lot of attention, but it was there, below the surface, Barry said.

More than 80 years later, the novelist Thomas Mullen wrote The Last Town on Earth, a fictional account of the 1918 flu. In an interview after the books publication, Mullen commented on a wall of silence surrounding survivors memories of the 1918 flu, which was quickly leading to the very erasure of those memories. The historian Alfred W. Crosby deemed it Americas forgotten pandemic.

In many places, the loneliness and suspicion caused by the flu continued to pervade American society in subtle ways. To some, it seemed that something had been permanently lost. People didnt seem as friendly as before, John Delano, a New Haven, Connecticut, resident, said in 1997. They didnt visit each other, bring food over, have parties all the time. The neighborhood changed. People changed. Everything changed.

Read: The coronavirus is no 1918 pandemic

However, Barry reassured me, this was not universally the case. In his research, he found that communities came together in places where local leadership spoke honestly about the danger of influenza. There was certainly plenty of fear nonetheless, you didnt seem to find the kind of disintegration that occurred in other places, he said. In cities where proactive public-health commissioners exhibited strong leadership, he argues in his book, people maintained faith in one another.

Seattle Commissioner of Health J. S. McBride, for instance, rapidly imposed firm public-health measures and even volunteered his services at an emergency hospital. In November 1918, he commended Seattle residents for their co-operation in observing the drastic, but necessary, orders which have been issued by us during the influenza epidemic. McBrides actions may have been what allowed Seattleites like Violet Harris to remember the epidemic as a somewhat boring time.

After six weeks of lockdown, public gathering spaces in Seattle finally reopened for business. School opens this week, Harris wrote in her diary. Thursday! Did you ever? As if they couldnt have waited till Monday!

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

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ASX Today: Final quarter kicks off with a bang – The Market Herald

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:44 am

After a last-minute shuffle pulling the ASX's first-quarter loss lower yesterday, Aussie shares have kicked off the new quarter with a bang.

Despite historic quarterly losses across global economies, the final quarter of the financial year has started with some optimism. Today, all 11 of our market sectors closed green.

There was no sudden sell-off on the ASX 200 this time around as the index quickly put on some weight then held steady. When the closing bell rang, the index was 3.58 per cent higher at 5258.60 points.

Today's surge was spearheaded by a rebound in the energy sector as our big oilers posted some healthy gains. Woodside put on 7.85 per cent, Origin Energy 5.02 per cent, and Santos 9.65 per cent.

Oil Search soared 12.61 per cent ahead after striking some healthy oil flows in Alaska.

Shopping centre operators staged their own comeback today. Part of the recently-established real estate sector, Scentre Group gained 12.46 per cent and Vicinity Centres 11.59 per cent. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield gained 4.87 per cent.

As for the other real estate companies, Goodman Group gained 2.98 per cent, Dexus gained 5.94 per cent, and Mirvac gained 5.74 per cent.

After leading yesterday's sudden loss, our resource stocks regained their momentum today and posted some healthy gains across the board. BHP climbed 4.31 per cent and Rio Tinto 4.53 per cent. Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals, back now to third-place in the sector behind Rio, gained 3.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, our financials sector barely held on to green today until a sudden upswing across our big banks. Commonwealth Bank and Westpac posted 2.99 per cent and 1.21 per cent gains, respectively. NAB and ANZ almost missed out but a last-minute rise saw them close 1.62 per cent and 0.53 per cent green, respectively.

The generally-volatile technology sector was once more relatively stable. A 9.89 per cent incline from Afterpay offset a 7.02 per cent decline from WiseTech. Xero gained 2.34 per cent and Computershare 3.81 per cent.

The new quarter was not off to as strong a start for our neighbours to the east. Of the Asian markets, only the Shanghai Composite was showing green when the ASX closed. The Asia Dow was lower by 0.87 per cent, Japan's Nikkei 225 by 1.94 per cent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng by 0.92 per cent.

Today, one Australian dollar is worth 61.23 US cents, 49.46 pence, and 10.97 South African Rand.

Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) is the latest biotech company to announce a potential COVID-19 related treatment. The company told shareholders today it would be trialling its idronoxil drug as a treatment for the inflammatory "cytokine storm" condition responsible for the many COVID-19-related deaths. Eager punters jumped at the opportunity to grab a piece of another coronavirus player and Noxopharm shares gained 92.86 per cent today to close worth 27 cents each.

Real estate group The Agency (ASX:AU1) lost a fifth of its share price today after extending its debt repayment deadline once more. In a tough economy, the company was granted an extension for some debt repayments to a major bank in late March as The Agency works on some refinancing negotiations. Today, a further extension until April 14 has been granted, suggesting the company is still struggling to refinance. Shares in The Agency lost 20 per cent today to close worth four cents each.

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2020 Honda CB650R Review: The Right Salve for These Chaotic Times – The Drive

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:44 am

Motorcycles are meditative objects capable of clearing lifes chaos and worry by the simple fact that if your mind wanders, you die. That sounds like metaphysical bullshit, something from a man whos too into crystals with #livefortoday splattered across his Instagram. Yet, when something like the 2020 Honda CB650R comes along, you learn to embrace each moment with a hippyish zeal, even when life is throwing curveballs.

The entry-level sport cruiser came to me at a time in 2019 where mental clarity was in short supply. A couple weeks before the CB650R showed up, a friend tragically passed away during a solo motorcycle trip (though not in a crash). A few weeks before that, another friend was seriously injured on a bike when a drunk driver plowed into him at a stoplight. All the while, for the fourth time in my ongoingfoster-to-adopt story, I'd once again become a father. Every risk on the road suddenly felt magnified. The deck was stacked against the Hondaas it would be if this was happening today amid the coronavirus outbreak

But the open road still tugged at me, and somewhat hesitantly, I put a leg over the saddle. And while the specs belie a machine that isnt as addictive as others, Honda's CB650R is the purest distillation of motorcycling, a bike of simple joys that helped me feel comfortable riding once again. Its what every motorcycle should try to emulate: Always able to deliver the freedom, tranquility, and perspective riders seek, whether they know it or not.

Jonathon Klein

At the fringe of a desperate manhunt, I watched helplessly as the world searched for my friend and renowned automotive journalist Davey Johnson last spring after he disappeared while riding a motorcycle through northern California. A week later, the news I and so many others dreaded came inwhile riding, Davey had stopped at a river and went for a swim, as he was wont to do. He never got out. It wasn't the middle-of-nowhere wreck we'd imagined, but his sudden, unexpected passing still felt like an earthquake that reordered things on a deep level.

A few weeks prior to Daveys passing, another good friend was nearly killed when a drunk driver plowed into him and three others on their way home after a day of hard riding. All were wearing proper protective gear, and though his riding partners escaped with cuts and bruises, my friend wasn't as lucky. His head injuries have forever changed his life even as he continues an incredible recovery.

The short interval between both incidents meant that when I picked up the CB650R two weeks after Daveys death, my thoughts dwelled on both men. I know the danger of riding. I found out firsthand years ago when I broke my shoulder, bruised my lung and spine, and took a nasty concussion while laying a Kawasaki Z1000 down on a canyon road. Bad, but the quarter-inch-deep gashes across my helmet told a story that couldve ended much worse. These two men were comrades in arms, riders to their cores. And now neither would ever ride again.

Jonathon Klein

Adding to that anxiety of my first ride after all that were thoughts of my wife and kids. My heart skipped a few beats as thoughts about me going down rocketed around my head. What would they do if I never came home?

Riding tends to be an insular experience. Its just you, the road, and your thoughts. Theres no texting, answering emails, crying children, crying adults, meetings, chores, or any of lifes tedium. But hopping on the CB650R that first time, all I felt was terror.

My thoughts dwelled on every single life-ending potentiality. I couldnt do my job. Did the CB650R turn in quickly? Did it feel light and maneuverable? Was it heavy? Was there enough power? Was the experience fun or middling or terrible? I couldn't say. My thoughts evaporated as soon as they formed. The zen of motorcycling, and indeed one of the most fun parts of this job, was shattered. The ride ended early.

I let the CB650R sit for two weeks, during which time I talked to other friends who rode. They told me to take my time, to relax. But the best advice was to not push myself to get back into it if I wasn't ready, because if I did try and force it without keeping a cool head, I'd be in even more danger. Their pep talks helped, so gingerly, I got back onto the CB650R and pointed it toward the mountains.

Jonathon Klein

Hondas 2020 CB650R has all the right specs for a middle-weight motorcycle. Powered by a 649cc four-cylinder engine, and coupled to Hondas always brilliant six-speed sequential manual transmission, the CB650R puts down what well call 94 horsepower (93.9 according to Honda), and 47 pound-feet of torque.

That isnt what anyone would call explosive, especially considering the bevy of brutes available in the segment, i.e. Ducati Hypermotard, KTM 790 Duke, Kawasaki Z650, and even some of the electric models that have begun to pop up. But where the CB650R lacks in power, it makes up for it in its chassis dynamics and weight.

Both motor and the Hondas aluminum frame are integral chassis components, which, in addition to the Showa-sourced suspension and a full tank of fuel, give the CB650R a wet weight of 447 pounds. Dual disc brake rotors with four-piston calipers handle stopping up front, while the rear is serviced by a single disc, single-piston unit. Summed up, its the right recipe to get you riding when your comfort zone has moved miles away from where it once was.

Jonathon Klein

A quarter way up Angeles Crest Highway, Tom Misch and De La Souls It Runs Through Me began streaming through my helmet. The song is a soothingly pop-centric jazz medley. The tempo, the beat, the snappy drums are perfect to groove to. Everything, every worry, every anxious thought, and the rest of the world faded away. I felt myself getting back into the ride; part of that is because of how approachable the sporty CB650R remains.

Through the canyon roads, I began to see just how lovely the bike can be as a companion. Its light, not overly powerful, and responds to your thighs whims. You dont steer with your hands or lean with your shoulders like other motorcycles as much as you tango with the bike, your hips and legs dancing with the machine between them.

Powering ahead, its readily apparent that this isnt a motorcycle for attacking corners, nor is it one demanding knees be dragged across the gritty pavement. Theres no aggression to the throttle or telepathic turn-in like a race bike. Like Mischs song, its all about flow. The CB650R wants you to just ride, feel comfortable, and let everything else fall away.

Jonathon Klein

The warm wind blowing through my jacket, I hopped onto a particularly desolate canyon offshoot thats long, flowy, and always empty. A damn-near perfect road. Throttling up, the four-pot engine is peppy at low RPMs but begs to be revved out and reach its 12,800 RPM redline. Jokes about Honda's VTEC (variable valve timing and engine control) kicking in come naturally, as the motor finds its stride past 8,000 RPM and shoots toward its peak with an urgency not felt below that mark. It took me a while to find the balance and not forget a surge was imminent, but once that learning period is over, it pulls like a dream.

Easy to feather, the CB650R's brakes are lovelyprogressive and smooth yet able to arrest your momentum safely in a panic stop (say, when you're lane-splitting and a car pulls into your path without looking). They're responsive enough that even in my hyper-cautious state, I eventually felt confident enough to trail-brake the rear as turn after turn fell behind.

Truly, the sum of Hondas CB650R is that the more you ride it, the more confident you are, and the more you want to swing your leg over its seat. Youll yearn for short and long rides, trips to the market, the gas station, or even a midnight run to CVS when your kid is sick. After my three months with it, I didnt want to give it back or give up riding, and thats down to Hondas superb engineering. Because without its presence at a trying time, I might have never gotten back on two wheels.

Jonathon Klein

There was good evidence that it was time to hang my helmet up for good. I know my mother would love for me to do just that. But something kept tugging at my psyche. Why should fear bring about the end of something that I love? Riding a motorcycle is my preferred method for self-reflection, and Ive begun to pull my helmet on more and more, each time feeling better than the last. As I said, Honda gets a lot of credit here. But so does Davey.

Recently, I was reading through an old Car and Driverarticle Davey wrote after he had a brush with death behind a motorcycles handlebars. In it, he writes, Long-distance riding is meditative, and I find I prefer it on a naked bike, wholly exposed to the elements. All the while, the world is benignly conspiring against you. Road imperfections, inattentive motorists, trucks shedding tire tread, rain, deer, snow, crosswinds, dehydration, hail, lightning. Sure, all might find a way to kill you in an automobile, but theres no omnipresent specter hanging just outside your peripheral vision. There should be, but there isnt.

Jonathon Klein

He continued, summing up my feelings perfectly: Not to go back up again, or not to get back on the bike, would be completely understandable. But to give up either thing would surely be a loss. My parents, Lemmy, Bowie, Prince, Merle, Gene Wilder: Im quickly losing the adults I grew up with. Im not going to lose the joy and peace that motorcycling brings, too.

Fear helps you survive, but it can cause you to overcompensate and no longer live. Life is full of dangers, terrors, and what-ifs. If you dont face them head-on, you end up at the end of your life regretting not doing what you actually loved.

So, Im not giving up riding. At least not yet. I dont know what the future holds, but two-wheel machines are still in it for me. Maybe its on the back of Hondas joyously rideable CB650R, maybe something else. All I know is that if anyone hankering for a great riding bike, they should head to their local dealer and slap $9,199 down for a CB650R. As a machine, as a piece of fine engineering, that's already a steal. But add in its ability to soothe the soul, and it gives you far more than you ever bargained for.

Link:
2020 Honda CB650R Review: The Right Salve for These Chaotic Times - The Drive

Shane Todd: Even now, life is still a laughing matter for The Toddfather – The Irish News

Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:44 am

LIFE is no laughing matter at the moment but an hour or so in the company of a hilariously silly, self-deprecating Shane Todd may just be the tonic we all need right now.

We meet pre-Covid-19 restrictions to chat about his upcoming tour, Somebody Told Me, opening in September and taking in 21 dates across Ireland and England.

In the circumstances, we dont shake hands and you can almost see the Co Down comic taking a mental note this aspect of coronovirus, along with stockpiled toilet rolls, panic buying and hand sanitiser, is sure to end up in a show some day.

For the popular Holywood entertainer, nothing is off limits in stand-up, having kick-started his career on a show based around his own health crisis when diagnosed with Crohns disease a type of inflammatory bowel disease more than four years ago.

It is a condition, he says, in a conspiratorial whisper, that he still doesnt fully understand and still cant spell properly but being able to always see the funny side helped pull him through.

I still dont really know what Crohns is, says the personable 31-year-old, but I do look after myself diet and lifestyle-wise, although Im not one of those people who Googles every symptom.

I was told it was a condition for life but luckily Im a very happy-go-lucky kind of person. Pretty much the week I got diagnosed, I thought, This is going to dominate my life for the next while, so I can either sit and be sad, or start making a note of the funny things that happen. So, it just started with a couple of little things and then grew into an entire show.

Medical professionals still arent sure what causes Crohns disease but it is believed to be linked to a flaw with the immune system, causing it to attack the sufferers digestive tract and resulting in symptoms of varying severity, among them diarrhoea, cramps, fatigue and weight loss.

The weight loss was the only thing that really affected me, Todd reveals. Im naturally pretty skinny, so when I lost three and-a-half stone over a number of weeks, it was difficult because I am pretty vain. I mean, every car I pass, I do have to have a wee look in the window

At the start, though, there wasnt much to laugh about when he started having excruciating cramps that would come and go and felt like a tight knot in his stomach. A keen amateur sportsman, he had been playing football for his team in Holywood when, one evening, the pain became overwhelming and he took himself off to A&E.

They thought it was my appendix, so they took it out and sent me home, he recalls. I did a lot of sport football and street fighting so thought I would recover quickly, but I didnt. Then, at a family wedding about a week later, I was talking to my cousin, a consultant in gastroenterology, and he thought I didnt look too good. I got admitted to the City Hospital and was there for a couple of weeks while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me.

It was a shock when I was eventually diagnosed, especially as I had just given up a job in a call centre to work full-time in comedy, but I was also glad because I think its better to know what you are dealing with some people have something bothering them for years and dont know what it is.

Today, he is still adapting his diet and being as proactive as possible.

I very rarely drink now, I exercise every day and I try to get enough sleep. At the moment, I am getting an infusion with a new drug at the Royal Victoria Hospital called Infliximab and they are happy with my progress. I felt great before going on it and I still feel great, so its definitely not doing me any harm. Crohns is an unpredictable condition, but diet is the number one thing Ive worked on.

Currently living in Ballynahinch with his wife, Stacey, the comic still plays football for Dundrum FC hosts a show on BBC Radio Ulster, has a role in BBC Ones Soft Border Patrol, his own Toddcast and is now looking forward to what will be his fifth themed tour, with Somebody Told Me based on urban myths.

It follows on from the Crohns show and others including The Toddfather, which played to sell-out audiences last year, coming about after the comedian lost a bet to friend and fellow comedian, Dave Elliot.

We did a show on Radio Ulster in which we featured a general-knowledge quiz and the loser had to have a tattoo chosen by the winner, Todd explains. I lost the quiz, somehow; I still think it was fixed because Im very, very intelligent and Dave isnt Id like you to print that and I had to have this Toddfather tattooed on my leg. My wife hates it, but it gave me an idea for another show.

Comedy, for this master of silly, observational humour, delivered with such deadpan precision that you never quite know when he is being serious, is a "dream" career for Todd, who spent his formative years as the "class clown", mercilessly mimicking teachers and fellow students.

I never take myself too seriously, he affirms, and I think theres humour in the sub-elements of most subjects, even the most unlikely ones.

"Northern Ireland people especially have a trait of being able to laugh in the face of tragedies and that is how we survive if you didnt laugh, youd cry, sort of thing.

My sense of humour was definitely influenced by my gran who I spent a lot of time with at her White City home in Holywood. It was this kind of environment where everybody took the hand out of everyone else in a loving way. I grew up with that, where you always had to defend yourself and be prepared for a light-hearted roasting.

Career-wise, Todd never had a Plan B and, luckily, doesnt need to, having been making people laugh at themselves, at him and at life in general, for 13 years now (five years full-time), in auditoriums across Northern Ireland, as well as in the US, Canada, France, Holland and Britain.

Its my dream job, but it comes without a safety net, he admits. Sometimes, people say they have no fall-back, but you know they secretly have some kind of medical degree. I dont delve too much into the psychology of it, but I think when people come to see a comedy show, theyre there to get away from whatever is going on that day in their head.

"People who have been having a bad time of it have paid good money to come and see the show, so the game is to make those people just forget about whatevers happening and try to have a laugh. It's all we can do.

:: Details and tickets at shine.net/comedy

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Shane Todd: Even now, life is still a laughing matter for The Toddfather - The Irish News


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