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The mushroom Amanita thiersii dots American lawns from Texas to Illinois, a small white button on the grasss emerald expanse. Unlike similar mushrooms, A. thiersii does not live in a symbiotic relationship with nearby trees; instead, it gets its energy by feasting on the corpses of its neighborsthat is, dead grasses. That predilection means that the mushroom is uniquely suited to report on what those grasses were like before they perished, according to a new paper in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. In fact, an analysis of 40-odd A. thiersii samples taken from lawns across the Midwest over 27 years suggests that the mushrooms, as a result of the grasses they eat, may be able reflect the changing climate of the last few decades in their chemistry.

The reason it might be possible to trace climate change in grass at all is because plants can be distinguished by the different ways they handle photosynthesis. The new paper looks at two methods of photosynthesis in particular: C3 and C4, named after the structure of the molecules the methods produce. The majority of plant species perform C3, which produces energy at higher concentrations of CO2 and at lower temperatures. C4 plants, meanwhilemost of which evolved in hotter and drier climatesare more efficient in higher temperatures, but too much CO2 is hard for them to deal with.

Lawn grasses in the U.S., as it happens, can include both C3 and C4 plants. Wherever C3 and C4 plants grow together, its possible to tell from the chemistry of the soilwhich is made up, of course, of decayed plantswhat their ratio was in past growing seasons. Using this, scientists have been exploring how temperature and CO2 can affect the competition between the two types. In the new study, the researchers, led by Erik Hobbie, an ecologist at University of New Hampshire, looked to see whether the ratio of carbon isotopes in the lawn mushrooms, picked up from dead grasses, could be explained by climate differences.

First, they examined the isotope levels in the samples, which were gathered between 1982 and 2009. I thought wed see small shifts in the carbon isotope values, says Hobbie. But we saw these quite dramatic shifts that can only be explained by shifts in the competition between C4 and C3 grasses. Then, they ran regressions to see how much of the shift could be explained by factors like temperature, rainfall, and CO2. They found that despite the rise in temperatures across that period, the relative contribution of carbon from C3 grasses increased. That was in apparent response to the rise in carbon dioxide concentrations, which C3 grasses are better at handling.

Its intriguing that environmental differences could show up in fungi, because it suggests that researchers interested in the climate change of the very recent past could look to mushroom samples in collections to get a glimpse at changes that have only just begun. I think its an interesting new proxy, says Hobbie. To me it points to the potential for archived specimens of fungi as integrators of past environmental conditions.

Still, Hobbie wonders whether its possible to be more precise about exactly how old the carbon is that these mushrooms are eating, and thus a little more certain about their connection to the grasses and environmental change. Is it this years carbon? Or last years? Or the last couple years? We havent done those kinds of measurements yet, he says.

Hobbie notes that people can be carbon-dated, thanks to radiocarbon isotopes in tooth enamel and other human tissues put together after the thermonuclear tests of the mid-20th century. The same should be true of mushroom tissue, with the level of radiocarbon serving as an indicator of the year in which the carbon was assimilated. That would be the way I would want to look, he says.

Continued here:
Tracking Climate Change Through a Mushroom's Diet - The Atlantic

More grocery stores now include gluten-free products, and for some people, it's not just a trendy diet but a necessity.

Most people can pick from almost anything they find on grocery store shelves. People with celiac disease, though, have to spend more time searching for food that is specifically labeled gluten-free.

The diet helps keep thedisease in remission.

"Gluten is hidden in so many different things that it's not easy to go to the annual picnic and find things that you can actually eat," said Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Donald Kirby.

Kirby said celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. It causes people to feel stomach and intestinal distress after they consume foods with gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

Celiac disease is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world, affecting about 1 percent of the population. Adult women are more frequently diagnosed with it than men.

WRAL Health Team's Dr. Allen Mask says people should be screened for the disease if they experience chronic bloating and alternating between diarrhea and constipation. People who have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome should be screened for celiac disease.

Screening for the disease can be done with a simple blood test. If the test comes back positive,a small bowel biopsy should be performed during an upper endoscopy procedure.

If someone is diagnosed with celiac disease, the person's parents and children should also be tested because it is a genetic disease. If it's left untreated, it can lead to other auto-immune disordersas well as nutrient deficienciesand disorders such aslymphoma.

The cure is a gluten free-diet, which can be challenging.

However, more products with gluten are now more clearly labeled, and a wider variety of gluten-freeproducts can be found in more stores.

"By changing the diet to exclude wheat, rye and barleyhence, a gluten-free dietyou can treat the disease very well have the disease go into remission," Kirby said.

Mask recommends people diagnosed with celiac disease should seek a registered dietician to help them make the necessary dietary changes.

People should also work with their doctors to make sure they remain in remission and keep their vitamin levels where they should be.

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Gluten-free diet helps manage celiac disease - WRAL.com

There has been mixed reaction to the CSIROs new diet plan today, with some scolding the organising for partnering with a diet company that encourages meal replacement shakes over real food.

The new Flexi diet advises Australians to use intermittent fasting and shakes to promote weight loss, with a Flexi day to eat whatever they want thrown in at the end of the week.

The government body said participants in a 16-week trial of the diet lost 11kg on average and saw improvements in cholesterol, insulin, glucose and blood pressure.

While fasting as a form of weight loss has been criticised in past studies, the Flexi diet does not advocate complete fasting, instead using the shakes and vegetable dishes to keep calories low while still feeding the body.

Flexi uses meal replacements as a convenient way to achieve nutritional needs while on an energy restricted meal plan, CSIRO spokesperson told Starts at 60.

This allows people to lose weight and attain the health benefits associated with this without missing out on key nutrients.

But renowned Australian nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton questioned the diets sustainability for relying so heavily on the shake portion of the program.

Will these people be expected to keep buying the products for ever? My preference would be for real foods, she told News Corp.

Fasting diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, with programs like the 5:2 Diet advising people to abstain from eating for two days per week to lose weight.

However, Health and Wellbeings Sarah Hopkins says women in particular should be wary of complete fasting.

Fasting is definitely not for everyone, she told Starts at 60.

In fact in most cases I caution against it.

If there are any underlying stressors, it can exacerbate them. This is particularly true for females who have a very sensitive hormonal system to maintain.

She says fasting was linked to thyroid issues, which can do more damage to the body in the long run.

When the body goes into a fasted state it sends a message to the sex hormones to down-regulate, she says.

This can result in all sorts of issues from hormonal imbalances and menopausal symptoms to a slowing of the thyroid.

It increases the production of stress hormones Cortisol and Adrenalin, which can adversely affect many systems in the body.

CSIRO Research Dietitian Dr Jane Bowen says the Flexi diet is a safe way to lose weight and still consume all the nutrients we need for a balanced and healthy diet.

Losing weight can be challenging with results often limited by an individuals ability to stick with a diet, Dr Bowen says.

The Flexi program offers a flexible alternative to traditional diets, which could help Australians to fit a weight loss diet around their busy, social lifestyles.

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New fasting diet is super-effective but controversial - Starts at 60

Welcome to How I Got This Body, our look at some of the amazing things the human body is capable of and the Washingtonians who put their bodies to the test. Want to share your transformation story? Email ccunningham@washingtonian.com.

Who I am:Jen Kranjec, 23, a nutrition and CrossFit coach from Columbia Heights

What inspired me:I have been interested in sports/fitness since as long as I can remember, and Ive always wanted to maximize my fitness. I studied Exercise Science in undergrad and was fortunate to work with some awesome faculty. I learned a lot about training and eating for fat loss. Once I applied what I was learning to my own life, I saw some real results, and that inspires me to keep pursuing more in the gym and with my nutrition.

What my workout looks like: For the last year or so I have been following a personalized workout program, which largely focuses on resistance training.I workout about four to five times per week and my workouts last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.Sometimes Ill throw in some sprint intervals or CrossFit workouts for some extra work, but the primary focus is always on lifting weights.Heavy weights. Ive found this approach to be extremely effective for achieving a leaner look because lifting weights increases lean mass while simultaneously supporting fat loss through an increased metabolism.

How I used to eat:Diet was arguably the most important part of my transformation. For a long time I have been interested in nutrition, but there is so much information out there that I got kind of lost on nutrition. I found that I was mostly focused on food quality and had been ignoring the idea that quantity(i.e. calories) also mattered. My food philosophy had been heavily influenced by the Paleo approach, so I was eating a lot of healthy fats and steering away from carbs. I did not find this sustainable, so I would often mess up and feel bad about the things Id eaten.

How I changed my diet:I realized that the quality of your diet is important, yes, but dialing inhow much of what youreeatingis essential and the most important factor when it comes to fat loss (especially the leaner you get).I started tracking my macronutrients, aiming to keep the protein high. I actually atemore carbs and started losing fat! And for the record, they werentjust clean carbs, either. I ate cereal and pancakes and even cheeseburgers and fries from time to time. Ive learned that the best diet approachis one that you can maintain pretty much forever. I can stick to a diet that is 80 to 90 percent wholesome foods, with the other 10 to 20 percent being more of those fun foods, like, doughnuts.

I can stick to a diet that is 80 to 90 percent wholesome foods, with the other 10 to 20 percent being more of those fun foods, like, doughnuts.

How my body changed:The picture on the left was in April 2015. I weighed about 175 lbs at 25.5 percent body fat. The picture on the right is me now. I weigh about 167 and am down to 17.5 percent body fat. You can see my scale weight hasnt changed much, just about eight pounds. But my body composition changed so drastically (25.5 to 17.5 percent BF) as a result of gainingseven pounds of muscle while losing 15 pounds of fat. One of the biggest things Ive learned is that the scale does not tell the whole story.

How I feel now: The coolest part of my transformation, which you cant see from the pictures, is that I am MUCH stronger now. Thats been my favorite part of this whole process, and that keeps me coming back for more in the gym.

One piece of advice:Start smalllike really smalland be realistic with yourself. If youre not working out at all right now, dont shoot for five days per week. Start will literally one gym session per week, then go up from there. Same thing with your diet. A complete kitchen overhaul isnt necessary to start seeing progress.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Want to share your transformation story? Email ccunningham@washingtonian.com with details.

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How I Got This Body: Quitting Paleo, Eating Carbs, and Shedding Fat Like Crazy - Washingtonian.com

Ayesha Curry admits that its hard to find balance in her daily life, so she tries extra hard to make sure her diet stays on track.

I dont know that balance ever really exists when youre trying to juggle work,family, etc. However, I do believe in balance when it comes to food, the chef and ZPA NOMA spokesperson, 28, tells PEOPLE. I believe in enjoying things in moderation. Instead of depriving yourself, just look for healthier options and ways to make things you love in a healthier way.

Curry follows her own advice whenindulging her sweet tooth.

Last night I was craving brownies. To fill that craving I made gluten-free brownies with raw cacao and opted to use coconut oil, she says.

And shestays active with exercise five to six days a week.

I am someone who really needs variety in exercise, says Curry. One day I may go to a spin class or to kickboxing. Recently Ive also gotten into agility trainingits intense! I look for exciting, fast-paced and fresh ways to incorporate exercise into my routine. For days that I am not in the mood to work out, I may take the girls [daughters Riley, 4, andRyan, 1] for a walk to make sure that I get moving.

Check out Currysdaily food log below, and for more inspiring weight loss stories from people who lost 100 lbs. or more, pick up the latest issueof PEOPLE, on newsstands now.

Hydration

8 glasses of water with fresh fruit and mint

Breakfast

Cucumber Avocado FennelZPA NOMA soup

2 scrambled eggs cooked in ghee with 4 oz. smoked salmon and 1 tbsp. scallions

1 cup coffee with 1 tsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. grass-fed ghee and a bit of manuka honey

Lunch

4 oz. grilled chicken breast

1 cup broccoli roasted in olive oil with sea salt and pepper

roasted sweet potato

cup quinoa cooked in chicken stock

RELATED VIDEO:Ayesha Curry Shares 3 Hacks for Making Healthy, Fun After-School Snacks

Snack

cup trail mix

1 glass sparking water with a splash of raw apple cider vinegar

Dinner

Apricot-glazed salmon made with soy sauce, garlic and apricot preserves

Rice with roasted vegetables

Glass of white wine

Dessert

cup fresh berries with homemade whipped cream

Total Calories:

1,806

The Verdict:

Even though Ayesha is a chef, she has amazing easy dishes like homemade whipped cream and berries, and grilled chicken with sweet potato, saysChicago-based dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. Its important to not make every meal an hour-long production and to have some simple go-to options for busy or tired days. Blatner suggests Curry eat more carbs towards the beginning of the day, when the body needs the most energy. But, she adds, her food choices are amazing!

NOTE: It isrecommendedthat women eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men eat at least 1,800 calories per day.

Excerpt from:
Ayesha Curry's Diet Includes Wine and Whipped Cream: What She Eats in a Day - PEOPLE.com

The Hindu

Can you handle the diet of the gods? The Hindu Take diet, for example. The search for the perfect diet is one of the cornerstones of wellness. It can take a lot of time because there are so many of them. There are high-carb diets and low-fat diets and all-meat diets and Kareena-Kapoor diets and my ... and more »

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Can you handle the diet of the gods? - The Hindu

Whats the best library lunch to give your brain the fuel it needs? Photograph: Alamy

Its heads-down revision time for exams and dissertations. The pressures on, so youll want all the help you can get to aid your memory and raise your grades (without smart drugs or cheating). Nutrition experts say that eating well can make a real difference to your revision regime so what brain-boosting food and drink do they recommend?

Coffee, green tea and energy drinks are staples of the all-night library stint. But how much caffeine is too much?

Caffeine particularly coffee can have numerous benefits extending to cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, prevention of type 2 diabetes and acting as a potent antioxidant, says nutritional therapist Daniel OShaughnessy. However, while caffeine may make you more alert, individuals can build up a tolerance meaning this is short-lived. Caffeine can also increase blood sugar and eventually lead to dips causing lack of focus and energy.

Its also worth bearing in mind that people react differently to caffeine, says nutritional therapist Joanne Crovini. It has the potential to increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Some people can drink it at midnight and go straight to sleep, whereas other people get teeth clenching and feelings of anxiety after a small amount.

Most adults can tolerate single doses of caffeine up to 200mg and a daily intake of up to 400mg without any concerns, nutrition scientist Sarah Coe says; a mug of instant coffee is around 100mg and a cup of tea is 75mg of caffeine. Remember that energy drinks and some soft drinks contain caffeine too, and coffee from a coffee shop may be stronger than coffee made at home. As broad advice Id say stop drinking caffeine by 2pm and have a maximum of two cups of coffee or equivalent a day, but be aware of your own reaction to it.

Wholegrain foods will stave off hunger (advice on cooking some of them can be found here). Examples include porridge and wholemeal bread. Crovini explains that combining wholegrain with protein will help keep blood sugar levels balanced, which is essential for mood and concentration.

OShaughnessy agrees. Buying grains in bulk with your housemates is a great way to save money, as is avoiding the more overpriced fad grains, he says. Brown rice, oats and buckwheat are good, cheap alternatives, he says, adding that the high levels of magnesium in buckwheat also helps to calm nerves.

Berries and nuts are a convenient snack that pack a nutritional punch. Blueberries, like many dark coloured fruits and vegetables, have a high antioxidant content, which is thought to protect the brain from oxidative damage and slow age-related decline, explains Crovini. Frozen berries are usually cheap, last longer and dont lose their nutrients when frozen. Less healthy are flavoured and coated nuts, which contain added oil, salt and sugars.

Doctors often recommend taking vitamin supplements to top up on the nutrients you need but these can be expensive. Fortunately, theyre not the only option. Food should always come before supplements and the key to getting as many nutrients as possible is to eat as varied a diet as possible, with lots of different colours, says Crovini. Use frozen berries and dark green vegetables like savoy cabbage, which are reasonably priced.

Coe agrees: its better to get everything you need from food and drink: For example, oranges not only contain vitamin C [which boosts the immune system] but also fibre and other components that you cant get packaged together in a tablet.

Dark chocolate has a mild effect on increasing blood flow and reducing blood pressure, due to the polyphenol content, says Crovini. Its also a good source of magnesium, which is an essential mineral for relaxation.

OShaughnessy recommends choosing chocolate thats 80% or more in cacao to avoid any negative effects to teeth, skin and weight. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar in it.

A recent study by the University of East London and University of Westminster found that keeping hydrated can boost attention by almost 25%. We found that drinking even a really small amount of water (25 ml) resulted in improved performance on a test of attention, says Dr Caroline Edmonds, who co-authored the research. Drinking 300 ml improves memory performance and can improve your mood as well.

Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at @GdnStudents and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter.

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The revision diet: what's the best food and drink to help students focus? - The Guardian

The Jerusalem Post

Jerusalem excavation reveals diet of ancient Israelites during Second Temple period The Jerusalem Post We already had a basic idea of the diet then, but when you conduct research at a garbage dump, you see everything, so this is the most comprehensive study of its kind. Apart from the animal bones, Gadot said numerous antiquities, including coins and ...

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Jerusalem excavation reveals diet of ancient Israelites during Second Temple period - The Jerusalem Post

Thailands famous Photo Credit: Holidaybays.com

Thailands free-roaming monkeys are a huge tourist draw. The primates, mostly macaques, are known to boldly visit with tourists who lure them with food. One of these monkeys, in particular, has recently become a worldwide sensation for both his gargantuan size and unique social status among its peers.

Nicknamed Uncle Fat, by the locals, the macaque is often seen seeking handouts of junk food and soda from visitors or foraging through trash cans for leftovers. Uncle Fat also has an entourage of smaller primates that deliver him food on a regular basis. Though the Robin Hood of the monkey world does share some of the bounty with younger macaques, he eats more than his fair share. While the macaques unhealthy eating habits that have been shared extensively on social media have been amusing to humans, they are proving dangerous for the monkey. A true chunky monkey, Uncle Fat now weighs 26 kgs (60 lbs) or about three times the size of an average adult macaque.

Fearing for the animals health, on April 27, primate conservation group Monkey Lovers caught the mammal from the Bangkok suburb he frequented daily and brought him at a rehabilitation center in the city. Kacha Phukem, who was commissioned to take him in, says it was no easy task given that he had to fight off several monkey bodyguards.

The rotund monkey is now on a strict diet of fruits and vegetables. According to the centers veterinarian, Supakarn Kaewchot, the excess fat gained from eating the unhealthy food has formed a mass that is now a type of benign tumor and put the monkey at a high risk of contracting heart disease and diabetes. While the officials plan on releasing Uncle Fat once healthy, they hope the macaque does not revert to his old eating habits.

More importantly, Kaewchot wants visitors to realize the dire consequences of feeding the mammals human snacks and drinks. In addition to being unhealthy, the intelligent animals are becoming so dependent on the handouts that they are no longer able or willing to find food on their own. While the best solution is to place a ban on feeding them all together, that is unlikely given the tourism dollars the monkeys earn for Thailand. Hopefully, this overly plump animals internet popularity will encourage visitors to offer the macaques healthier fare like bananas and peanuts.

Resources: guardian.com, npr.org, news.yahoo.com

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Thailand's Famous Macaque "Uncle Fat" Placed On A Diet! - DOGOnews

(Reuters Health) - - There is little or no evidence to support many popular therapies that aim to help children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to two new reviews of existing research.

ASDs are developmental disorders that can lead to social, communication and behavioral challenges. One review found some evidence that therapies targeting sensory issues provided at least short-term benefits, but the second review found little evidence to support the use of special diets or nutritional supplements for children with ASDs.

"I think they show how scattered the information we have is," said Catherine Lord, who directs the NewYork-Presbyterian Center for Autism and the Developing Brainin White Plains, New York.

"We need better ways of collecting systematic data about the treatments," said Lord, who was not involved with either review.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 68 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with an ASD.

Amy Weitlauf and colleagues from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee cite statistics suggesting that up to 88 percent of people with ASD have sensory processing issues.

"People with autism can be over-sensitive with how something looks, feels or smells," Weitlauf told Reuters Health. "They can also be under-sensitive."

Weitlauf's team examined data from 24 studies that tested the effectiveness and safety of therapies for ASD sensory issues, including 20 randomized controlled studies that are considered the "gold standard" of medical research. They divided the therapies into six groups based on what the treatment involved: exposure to different sensations like touch or motion, exposure to sensations in environments, music therapy, massage therapy, interventions to filter out things like triggering sounds and finally, other approaches that didn't fit under one of those headings.

Overall, therapies that exposed children to different sensations improved measures of sensory and motor skills. Exposure to environmental therapies improved some cognition scores. Massage therapy improved symptom severity and sensory issues.

In all cases, however, the strength of the evidence was low - and the studies generally only looked at short periods of time.

"There is some encouraging early evidence that these treatments may be helpful for some children," said Weitlauf. "As far as which children and which treatment, thats less clear. Parents should talk to their treating providers to get their opinions on next steps."

In the second review, many of the same researchers looked at special diets and nutritional supplements used to treat ASD symptoms.

They analyzed 19 randomized controlled trials of therapies such as use of omega-3 supplements or gluten- or casein-free diets for children with ASD.

There was not enough evidence to endorse any of the diets or other therapies. Furthermore, the omega-3 supplements were tied to harms like infections and stomach issues.

"Even though we dont have clear evidence documenting safety and efficacy, many (if not most) families of children with ASD try different diets and nutritional supplements at some point in time," said senior author Zachary Warren, who is also at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"There are often perceptions that such interventions will be safe and that they have fewer side effects than conventional medications," he added. "This isnt always a safe assumption."

Warren told Reuters Health that parents may have limited resources, and those resources should be spent on therapies with proven benefits.

"In this context, providers should join with families around this motivation, provide a transparent understanding of the evidence and harms, and link them with services of known benefit wherever possible," he said.

There is progress in developing new treatments for ASDs, Geraldine Dawson, of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, wrote in an editorial accompanying the new reviews.

"We must press forward by testing these treatments in the most rigorous fashion and be careful to limit our conclusions until definitive trials are conducted," she wrote.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2qk018d, bit.ly/2qkhKw2 and bit.ly/2qkuAuh Pediatrics, online May 26, 2017.

(Reuters Health) - - Recreational drugs like MDMA and amphetamines have long been linked to a variety of movement disorders, and a new study suggests that basic motor skill impairment may linger even among former users.

(Reuters Health) - - A new type of "heat-not-burn" cigarette releases some of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in traditional cigarette smoke, a recent experiment suggests.

SHANGHAI April Zhang, a 21-year-old student from Shanghai, reflects the fast-shifting attitudes of China's younger generations toward sex. She's confident to talk about a topic once taboo here and is well educated about the risks.

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Sensory and diet therapies for autism lack strong evidence - Reuters

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