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Annie Deadman is not only a 50-something pocket rocket, shes the perfect #fitspo breath of fresh air for these strange, claustrophobic times. Her 21-day Blast Plan, delivered to your inbox, includes an eating plan as well as workouts. Its all about well-coached strength training and cardio. But done with humour.

Yes, but its not funny ha-ha. What I mean is that I found Annie fun, straight-talking and instantly relatable; someone who fell into fitness in her 40s and set up her online business two years ago, whos more inspirational than scary-fit. There are four workout videos each week in the Blast One Plan course (theres also Pilates Blast and Blast Two, if youre looking for something more tailored). Each one is designed so you can do it anywhere, on any device.

If you have a smartphone and about 6ft to move around in, yes. And, unlike some online trainers who rush through routines, Annie together with her helpful sidekick, personal trainer Aaron Roberts-Rudland takes you through the moves slowly and carefully so you can follow them. If youre a little creaky or have injuries, she suggests low-impact options.

Everything from mountain climbers to calorie-torching burpees, star jumps and lunges. Every workout is different and lasts about 30 minutes (Short and sweet, Annie would say).

Dont you worry, Annies workouts arent easy and there are different intensity levels to choose from for each one. You will feel them the next day, no matter what your level.

As well as the workouts, Annie sends a daily email of tips to keep you on the straight and narrow. Plus, when you sign up, you get a pack of recipes and portion-size guidelines. (She suggests you follow a dairy-, sugar- and wheat-free diet, but you dont have to. Take it from me, she has a sixth sense and knows if anyone is sneaking in chocolate)

Annies book, The 21 Day Blast Plan (HarperCollins, 18.99), available from Amazon, features all the workouts, a portion and nutrition plan, and more than 100 healthy recipe ideas.

Squats

10-20 reps With feet hip-width apart, lower yourself down slowly so your hips are almost level with your knees. Squeeze your glutes to drive yourself back up.

Forward alternating lunges

10-20 reps, 5-10 each leg From a standing position, step forward with one leg and lower your hips towards the floor, then come back to a standing position. Repeat with other leg.

Star jumps

15-30 reps Also called jumping jacks. Jump, extending both legs out and in, and let the arms follow suit. For a low-impact version, just tap each leg alternately out to the side.

Easy press-ups

5-12 reps Get down on to all fours, then slide your knees back a little. Ensure your head is beyond your hands. Lower yourself towards the floor (you dont have to touch it) then push back up as if you were pushing the floor away from you.

Annie's next Blast Plan starts on 25 April and costs 69. To book, visit theblastplan.com

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The simple fitness plan to prevent weight gain while working from home - Telegraph.co.uk

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We place unreasonable trust in biological explanations of male behavior. Nowhere is this truer than with testosterone. Contemporary pundits invoke the hormone nicknamed "T" to prove points about maleness and masculinity, to show how different men and women are, and to explain why some men (presumably those with more T) have greater libidos. Yet, despite the mythic properties popularly associated with T, in every rigorous scientific study to date there is no significant correlation in healthy men between levels of T and sexual desire.

Beginning in the 1990s and really picking up steam in the 2000s, sales of testosterone replacement therapies (TRTs) went from practically zero to over $5 billion annually in 2018. This was either because there was a sudden outbreak of "Low T" when a major medical epidemic was finally recognized, or because T became marketed as a wonder drug for men thrown into a panic when they learned that their T levels declined 1 percent annually after they hit 30.

The answer is not that men's bodies changed or that Low T was horribly underdiagnosed before but that, in the minds of many, T became nothing short of a magic male molecule that could cure men of declining energy and sexual desire as they aged.

What's more, many have been taught that, if you want to know what causes some men to be aggressive, you just test their T levels, right? Actually, wrong: the science doesn't support this conclusion either. Some of the famous early studies linking T and aggression were conducted on prison populations and were used effectively to "prove" that higher levels of T were found in some men (read: darker-skinned men), which explained why they were more violent, which explained why they had to be imprisoned in disproportionate numbers. The methodological flaws in these studies took decades to unravel, and new rigorous research showing little relation between T and aggression (except at very high or very low levels) is just now reaching the general public.

What's more, it turns out that T is not just one thing (a sex hormone) with one purpose (male reproduction). T is also essential in the development of embryos, muscles, female as well as male brains, and red blood cells. Depending on a range of biological, environmental, and social factors, its influence is varied or negligible.

Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscientist at Stanford University in California, compiled a table showing that there were only 24 scientific articles on T and aggression in 1970-80, but there were more than 1,000 in the decade of the 2010s. New discoveries about aggression and T? No, actually, although there were new findings in this period showing the importance of T in promoting ovulation. There is also a difference between correlation and cause (T levels and aggression, for example, provide a classic chicken-egg challenge). As leading experts on hormones have shown us for years, for the vast majority of men, it's impossible to predict who will be aggressive based on their T level, just as if you find an aggressive man (or woman, for that matter), you can't predict their T level.

Testosterone is a molecule that was mislabeled almost 100 years ago as a "sex hormone", because (some things never change) scientists were looking for definitive biological differences between men and women, and T was supposed to unlock the mysteries of innate masculinity. T is important for men's brains, biceps and that other word for testicles, and it is essential to female bodies. And, for the record, (T level) size doesn't necessarily mean anything: sometimes, the mere presence of T is more important than the quantity of the hormone. Sort of like starting a car, you just need fuel, whether it's two gallons or 200. T doesn't always create differences between men and women, or between men. To top it all off, there is even evidence that men who report changes after taking T supplements are just as likely reporting placebo effects as anything else.

Still, we continue to imbue T with supernatural powers. In 2018, a U.S. Supreme Court seat hung in the balance. The issues at the confirmation hearings came to focus on male sexual violence against women. Thorough description and analysis were needed. Writers pro and con casually dropped in the T-word to describe, denounce, or defend the past behavior of Justice Brett Kavanaugh: one commentator in Forbes wrote about "testosterone-induced gang rapes"; another, interviewed on CNN, asked: "But we're talking about a 17-year-old boy in high school with testosterone running high. Tell me, what boy hasn't done this in high school?"; and a third, in a column in The New York Times, wrote: "That's him riding a wave of testosterone and booze"

And it is unlikely that many readers questioned the hormonal logic of Christine Lagarde, then chair of the International Monetary Fund, when she asserted that the economic collapse in 2008 was due in part to too many males in charge of the financial sector: "I honestly think that there should never be too much testosterone in one room."

You can find T employed as a biomarker to explain (and sometimes excuse) male behavior in articles and speeches every day. Poetic license, one might say. Just a punchy way to talk about leaving males in charge. Yet when we raise T as significant in any way to explain male behavior, we can inadvertently excuse male behavior as somehow beyond the ability of actual men to control. Casual appeals to biological masculinity imply that patriarchal relationships are rooted in nature.

When we normalize the idea that T runs through all high-school boys, and that this explains why rape occurs, we have crossed from euphemism to offering men impunity to sexually assault women by offering them the defense "not guilty, by reason of hormones."

Invoking men's biology to explain their behavior too often ends up absolving their actions. When we bandy about terms such as T or Y chromosomes, it helps to spread the idea that men are controlled by their bodies. Thinking that hormones and genes can explain why boys will be boys lets men off the hook for all manner of sins. If you believe that T says something meaningful about how men act and think, you're fooling yourself. Men behave the way they do because culture allows it, not because biology requires it.

No one could seriously argue that biology is solely responsible for determining what it means to be a man. But words such as testosterone and Y chromosomes slip into our descriptions of men's activities, as if they explain more than they actually do. T doesn't govern men's aggression and sexuality. And it's a shame we don't hear as much about the research showing that higher levels of T in men just as easily correlate with generosity as with aggression. But generosity is less a stereotypically male virtue, and this would spoil the story about men's inherent aggressiveness, especially manly men's aggressiveness. And this has a profound impact on what men and women think about men's natural inclinations.

We need to keep talking about toxic masculinity and the patriarchy. They're real and they're pernicious. And we also need new ways of talking about men, maleness, and masculinity that get us out of the trap of thinking that men's biology is their destiny. As it turns out, when we sift through the placebo effects and biobabble, T is not a magic male molecule at all but rather as the researchers Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis argue in their book Testosterone a social molecule.

Regardless of what you call it, testosterone is too often used as an excuse for letting men off the hook and justifying male privilege.

This article was originally published by Aeon, a digital magazine for ideas and culture. Follow them on Twitter at @aeonmag.

Go here to see the original:
The testosterone myth - The Week Magazine

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Whether its paleo, keto, or intermittent fasting, new diets seem to hit the market on a weekly basis making it hard to keep up with the latest trend. What if you were told to abandon the idea of dieting altogether and go back to the way you ate as a baby? It used to be simple, you ate when you were hungry and stopped when you were full. You were a natural at intuitive eating. Why is eating no longer so easy? Unfortunately, over time the diet mentality has likely interfered with your natural ability to eat intuitively.

Luckily, a movement is gaining momentum, helping bring that intuitive eating voice back to the forefront. While the term intuitive eating may be unfamiliar to you, it isnt a new concept. In fact, it has been around since 1995 when Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, both dietitians, published their first book on the topic. The intuitive eating philosophy focuses on following the bodys internal cues over external rules and regulation when it comes to deciding what, when, and how much to eat.

Much of intuitive eatings current popularity has to do with the idea that fad diets are not working for most people. Not only do most followers of the latest and craziest diets fail at achieving long-term weight loss, they also may be doing their bodies more harm than good when it comes to the physical impact of yo-yo dieting and the emotional stress that typically accompanies a restrictive diet mindset.

Intuitive eating is composed of 10 core principles that serve as a guide on your journey to a healthier relationship with food, your mind, and body.

1. Reject the diet mentality

Without rejecting diet mentality, other principles become harder to adopt. Toss out diet books and magazines and unfollow social media accounts that make unrealistic promises about rapid weight loss and assign food rules that rigidly restrict your eating.

2. Discover the satisfaction factor

Discovering satisfaction is the most important principle in that it informs your ability to honor hunger and fullness. It is about finding pleasure and enjoyment in the foods you eat by noticing and appreciating the texture, taste, and appearance. If eating leaves you unsatisfied, you will likely keep looking for more.

3. Honor your hunger

Counting calories and restricting portions to the point of deprivation can ultimately trigger overeating. Instead, pay attention to and put trust in your bodys biological hunger cues, which may include a growling or empty feeling in your stomach.

4. Feel your fullness

Likewise, although it may be difficult in todays busy culture, pause and take note of signs that you are comfortably full. Thats not to say that there wont be times when you will eat when you are not hungry and go beyond the point of feeling full; have self-compassion.

5. Make peace with food

Give yourself unconditional permission to eat and allow all foods to fit within your eating plan. When foods are made off limits you can begin to crave them uncontrollably and get trapped in a vicious cycle of restriction, overeating, and feelings of guilt.

6. Challenge the food police

Confront the voices in your head or people in your lives that label you as being good for eating a salad or bad for having dessert. Different foods have different nutritional benefits but are emotionally equivalent.

7. Cope with your emotions with kindness

While we all may turn to food for comfort on occasion to soothe anger, anxiety, boredom, or loneliness, food wont fix these feelings in the long run. Try other coping mechanisms such as taking a walk in nature, calling a friend, reading a book, or finding a quiet place to meditate.

8. Respect your body

We are so quick to criticize our bodies. In the intuitive eating mindset, part of rejecting diet mentality is accepting the body you were meant to have and letting go of unrealistic expectations for its shape and size.

9. Movement feel the difference

Instead of focusing on the calorie burn factor, find an activity that you will enjoy doing on a regular basis and embrace the benefits of improved sleep, increased energy, and enhanced mood.

10. Honor your health gentle nutrition

Eating intuitively can still mean choosing more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains than desserts but it doesnt mean you have to eat perfectly to be healthy or feel guilty for choosing one over the other. No one food or eating experience has the power to define your health or lack thereof.

If weight loss is your ultimate goal, the intuitive eating framework may not be right for you. The goal of intuitive eating is not weight loss but rather well-being. This anti-diet way of eating requires a shift in your mindset that might be unsettling at first and might take time for you to adopt. However, if youre looking to trust your body, heal your relationship with food, and ease your stress around eating, this mindset might be right for you. To find out more about intuitive eating, check out Resch and Triboles book, Intuitive Eating: An Anti-Diet Revolutionary Approach; the fourth edition will be released in June 2020.

Sarah Curran is the Family & Community Health Sciences Program Associate for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Warren County. She can be reached at 908-475-6504 or by email at scurran@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Link:
What is intuitive eating and can it work for you? - New Jersey Herald

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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.

See more here:
Nathan MacKinnon: The Real-Life Diet of the NHL Player Who Changed His Diet and Became a Star - GQ

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How am I supposed to exercise when the gym is closed, and I am supposed to stay six feet away from people?

Hi this is Eunice from Diet Center.

This is a very frustrating time right now. Exercise is a great release from the stress and worry of COVID-19.

There are many exercises we can do right from home.

Work out videos There are many free videos online of various types of exercises. If youre a beginner, select videos that are easy to follow and low-to-moderate in intensity. Routines that are difficult to follow may cause discouragement, or physical injury. Be aware of workout videos that make unrealistic promises such as Youll have great abs in just three weeks! I went to YouTube, and in the search box typed work out videos. An entire list came up.

Staircase A staircase can be convenient and useful to burn extra calories. Walking upstairs can burn 600 to over 1000 calories per hour. Walking downstairs can help burn over 400 calories per hour. If you have access to a staircase, you can play music as you walk up and down. Try to push from your heel, not your knee, as you walk up and down. To step up calorie burning, try not using the handrail or try skipping every other step. Whenever youre in a building that has more than one floor, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Remember not to push yourself too far. If you feel dizzy or not well, stop.

Jump rope About five minutes of jumping rope can burn as many calories as jogging a mile! Jumping rope not only helps burn calories but can tone and shape your leg muscles.

A jump rope is an inexpensive, convenient piece of equipment. You can jump while you watch TV, enjoy a view outside a window, or while waiting for food to finish cooking. If you jump rope, jump at a pace that is comfortable for you. You dont want to overdo it and risk injury. Begin slowly and increase your speed or duration gradually. Its best to consult a physician before beginning any exercise routine.

Its much easier to participate in activities we enjoy. Select exercise activities that are both fun and convenient. Try to be active outdoors on nice, sunny days. You can take a hike, bicycle or play with children. Play uplifting music while you stretch, do aerobics, or walk on the treadmill. Get involved in activities that interest you. For example, maybe you have always wanted to learn how to roller blade, take dance lessons, or learn martial arts (on YouTube for now).

Your exercise activities dont have to involve a gym or be a sport.

Thank you for reading Diet Centers tip of the week. If you are struggling with weight loss, call me at 928-753-5066.

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Diet Tip of the Week: How to live without the gym in Kingman - Kdminer

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Diet and exercise have become hot topics during lockdown. How do we stop ourselves reaching for the biscuit tin every five minutes when we are working from home? And how do we know what we should be eating to ensure we stay fit and healthy?

Nutritionist Sarah Ormerod has been affected by restrictions during lockdown which means she is unable to meet clients face-to-face. However, she has seen enquiries increase during this time and has been running a virtual service.

She said: Over the past few weeks I have been offering nutrition consultations to people who feel they need a little extra support as they adapt to these new circumstances. While these are complimentary, there is also an option to make a voluntary donation to the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal. All funds raised will be distributed to charities supporting those most affected by the pandemic.

"Hopefully, I can provide some inspiration on how to use this testing time positively, stay resilient, look after our health and that of our loved ones.

Here are her top tips:

Eat for your immune system and mood: Opt for a diet rich in colourful fruit and vegetables (aiming for a minimum of five portions daily). They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants all contributing to a healthy immune function. These may be harder to get hold of right now, so also consider frozen or tinned options, stewed fruit to make it last for longer and soaking dried fruit when fresh isnt available.

When writing your shopping list, here is a run-down of some nutrients to pay particular attention to:

Vitamin C, which can be found in citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit), kiwis, strawberries, broccoli, sprouts, red and green peppers and berries (including acai). It may enhance the effectiveness of our immune systems first line of defence and effectiveness of the immune cells responsible for eliminating free radicals.

Vitamin A, found in orange and yellow fruit, and vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes as well as broccoli, spinach and dark green leafy veg. It helps keep the bodys first line of defence healthy by regulating something called secretory IgA.

Vitamin D, found in mushrooms (the plant-based source) as well as oily fish and egg yolks. Living in the UK, the NHS recommends supplementation of a minimum of 1,000iu between October and April, particularly when the immune system may be compromised.

Manage stress: Stressful situations stimulate cortisol, the stress hormone, which when chronically raised can impact on immune function. Build some calming activities into your day conscious breathing exercises, yoga, listening to calming music, drawing, breathing in some fresh air if you can and carving out time to speak to loved ones. Find what works for you and make it a priority.

Increasing your intake of foods rich in magnesium and B vitamins such as green leafy veg (spinach, kale), nuts and seeds, cruciferous veg (broccoli, cabbage, sprouts), legumes and seafood may also help to balance the nervous system.

Find and follow a routine: Our schedules usually enforced by external factors the school run, getting out to work, exercise classes are now in disarray. Striking a new routine, keeping a regular sleep/wake cycle, setting "working hours", time for exercise and taking breaks, will give you a sense of normality. Make different plans for the weekend to distinguish between the working week and your down time.

Move every day: Exercise is not only proven to support physical and mental wellbeing, but the daily endorphins will give you a much-needed lift. If you can get outside, use your "daily allowance" to soak up some vitamin D, fresh air and exposure to nature. If you cant leave the house for a run, walk or cycle, try some body weight exercises squats, lunges, planks, press-ups, some yoga or interval training. There are loads of online resources available to follow at home.

Prioritise sleep: Strong evidence exists that sleep enhances immune defence and helps healing. When we dont get enough our infection-fighting antibodies and immune cells are compromised. Aim for seven to eight hours a night, keep a regular sleep/wake cycle with the aim of being asleep by 11pm as the immune system is believed to recharge between 11pm and 2am. Moderate your screen time each day, particularly late in the evening when youre winding down for bed.

And, lastly ...

Remember the principle of impermanence: Nothing lasts, everything passes. In the meantime, lets use this time to do the best we can with what we have.

Sarah Ormerod, founder of Thryve Nutrition, is a nutritional therapist (mBANT CNHC) specialising in nutrition for endurance sport. "Pay what you feel" consultations can be booked via her website http://www.thryvenutrition.co.uk

See more here:
Coronavirus in Scotland: Nutrition tips and what to eat and drink during lockdown - HeraldScotland

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If you find yourself on the website gallery or the Instagram page of Lael Cakes, a Brooklyn-based boutique cake studio, your eyes will feast upon one extravagant tiered cake after another. Some are adorned with colorful flowers, others have juicy fruits cascading down the layers, and then some look like straight-up art pieces with their stunning, painted-on patterns.

As you take in all the gorgeous, detailed handiwork, what you might not realize is that all of these cake creations are organic and gluten-freeand perhaps more surprising than that, theyre all available as vegan options.

Emily Lael Aumiller, the visionary behind Lael Cakes, started her business to provide high-end, custom cakes to vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free clients. This idea was spun from the fact that she has struggled with food allergies of her own. Aumiller spent most of her 20s dealing with debilitating eczema when at last she found that food could be her path toward relief.

With the guidance of a naturopath, Aumiller began an elimination diet to figure out what was at the root of her bodys reactions. Reflecting on this, she explained that its easy to feel down when you feel like your diet is a constant science experiment. Eventually, she discovered sensitivities that allergy tests had missed. Red meat, dairy, gluten, refined sugars, saturated fats, and artificial dyes were the culprits behind her eczema and gut flare-ups.

Aumiller found her solution in eating a mostly plant-based diet, but her food sensitivities werent just affecting her personal life. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, Aumiller worked as a pastry cook a freelance sugar sculptor, and a cake decorator before opening Lael Cakes. During that time, she found that she couldnt even handle cakes made with traditional ingredients, let alone eat them.So she began developing cakes that werefree of everything she herself was allergic to.

She spent years testingand making plenty messes late into the nightto create cake and icing recipes that would work structurally. For example, without any gluten or eggs, she needed to find other ways to make the cakes stable enough to stand up on tiers. The trouble with finding a butter substitute that had the distinct flavorof butter was near impossible.

Eventually, she found her perfect mixes and ingredients, and in 201, she opened Lael Cakes, her cake studio devoted to vegan and gluten-free desserts. Today,Lael makes all nature of cakes: Wedding, birthdays and more.

While she has her rotation of go-to ingredients, Aumiller still leaves plenty of room for creativity. One of my favorite aspects of baking is the constant playful experimenting it takes to create things from scratch, she says. I think this type of fresh playfulness shows up in the flavors and designs.

Our job is tocreate that delicate balancewhether the cake has rustic or smooth icing, decorated with intricate sugar work or fresh fruit and edible flowers from the farmers marketto create a scrumptious, elegant work of art.

Those who wish to order from Lael Cakes can sample a few different cake-and-icing flavor combinations. Then, Aumiller will create unique sketches based on the special events aesthetic. She can begin sugar sculpture months in advance but baking takes place two to three days before the event to make sure the cake is fresh. Each cakeis one-of-a-kind.

Throughout her time dreaming up cakes with innovative ingredients and unique flavors, Aumiller has catered to some celebrity clientele, like creating Penn Badgley and Domino Kirke's vegan, gluten-free wedding cake.

Aumiller loves making someones wedding cake dreams come true. She had a client who had been vegan for 15 years and assumed she wouldnt get to have a traditional wedding cake. Then, this client wound up marrying someone gluten-free and thought if a traditional cake wasnt out of the question before, it would be now. Enter Aumiller who made three flavor combinations for their vegan and gluten-free weddingwhere guests teased that they were going to smuggle in real food in, but ended up coming back for more servings of cake.

A great dessert should tell a story," she says. "And that's always what I try and do.

Makes 12 standard or 24 mini

I created this cake one summer for a bride who wanted to offer carrot cake to her guests but was nervous it would be too heavy on such a hot day. It was such a hit that its now a favorite among my clients. It still has the rich, dense texture of a traditional carrot cake, but its much lighter without the usual spices, brown sugar, coconut flakes, and nuts.

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Continued here:
Try This Vegan Carrot Cupcake Recipe, by the Creator of Lael Cakes - The Beet

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School, music lessons, fitness classes, birthday parties, religious services, and office partiesall the things we never imagined could be done entirely in the online world, now are. #WFH (Work From Home) has become one of the most popular hashtags on social media in recent weeks as everyone who can work remotely is doing so in these interminable days of lockdowns and social distancing. In the health and human services sector, much of the focus has been on moving services to the virtual service delivery paradigm, through telehealth and other remote visits. But behind the scenes, there has been a whole other challengemoving to virtual operationsand ensuring that staff are able to be productive and effective from home.

I know that firsthand. On Thursday, March 19, at 5 pm, the Governor of Pennsylvania ordered all non-essential businesses to totally close their physical operations. We had less than 24 hours to close down our office in Gettysburg town square and transition to a fully remote organization. We at OPEN MINDS were fortunate in one waywe already had a significant number of team members working remotely. But moving absolutely everythingincluding the phone system, payroll processing, timekeeping systems, and moreto a work-at-home model is a whole different ball game.

OPEN MINDS Executive Vice President Casey Miller led the quick transition to a virtual organization for usand it happened with much effort and little service interruption. When I asked her what advice she had for other organizations that have moved to a completely virtual operation, she identified six keyshaving a disaster recovery plan, ensuring system adequacy, sustaining communication channels, updating policies, modifying supervision strategies, and allowing for interaction.

Having a disaster recovery plan. One reason OPEN MINDS was able to pivot so quickly to virtual operations was because we had a disaster recovery plan that had a full backup and plan for remote work. We may not have known a pandemic was coming but we were prepared for a building fire or office closure due to weather-related emergencies. I check this plan every year and was able to operationalize the remote work backup plan quickly when the Governors order came in, said Ms. Miller. So, if your disaster recovery plan does not have a remote work plan, now is a good time to embed it with the lessons learned in real time. Read more about disaster recovery planning in Preparing For Disaster In 2013 A Five-Step Data Recovery Plan.

Ensuring system adequacy. You may be surprised at how many people dont have a laptop. Ms. Miller said many staff who only had a desktop computer agreed to use their home computers for work and had to be equipped with access to the company network and proper software and security measures. One executive at a behavioral health provider organization said that for the short term, they just instructed their staff without laptops to pack up their desktop computers and take them home. Dont forget about printers and copiers, which staff are unlikely to have at homeyou have to think about workarounds like allowing them to create PDFs and print when they are back at the office, scan documents with their smartphone cameras, or just bypass the need to print. And know that staff who are not used to working remotely (or at least not for 8+ hours per day) could have multiple challengesfrom not having the right chair for the long hours at their desk to not having a noise-free spaceand might need accommodations.

Sustaining communication channels. Setting up a virtual phone tree and arranging to have customer phone calls routed to the right remote team members was no easy task, said Ms. Miller. Not all staff are willing or able to use their personal cell phones for work callsso having computer-based software or a mobile app that allows them to make and receive calls through their work numbers is a must. Teams may need other communications channels to connect with each other and with clients, and email is not always the answer. Ive heard anecdotes about every meeting platformZoom, Webex, GoToMeeting, and Skypecrashing or having issues in recent weeks but have come to understand how fundamental a channel like this is to sustaining connectivity. And this also involves training staff to use these platforms effectively.

Updating policies and procedures. From securing documents to affixing e-signatures instead of physical signatures, many policies must be adjusted quickly and communicated frequently. While I conduct a lot of business virtually, I rarely hire and onboard staff based only on remote communication. But now Ive done interviews and orientations via Skype and Zoom because I cant delay recruiting until I can see a person face-to-face, said Ms. Miller. And, dont forget to review operational policies and procedures for items like the frequency of bank deposits, or where mail can be forwarded, in addition to cost saving measures like adjusting the climate control of your now vacant physical operations center. A review of your employee manual is also necessary to outline expectations for remote staffinclude things like being available for phone calls during specific periods of the day; responding to email just as if the physical office was still open; checking in at least once daily with managers, etc. This is also the time to review your employee manual to modify (or create) definitions and expectations for furloughed stafffrom returning company property (laptops/cell phones) to securing building keys to changing passwords and answering questions on how long health care benefits will last and how a furlough effects paid time off (PTO) and 401(k) benefitsthese all need addressed and reviewed with your attorney and made available to furloughed staff.

Modifying supervision strategies. Managing people from afar and keeping them productive is one of the biggest challenges. Supervisors must ask themselves three questions about each of their direct reports, says Ms. Miller. Is there a need for this role when brick and mortar offices everywhere are closed? Can the persons job effectively be done from home? Is this person suited to work from home? Supervisors must be flexible even while they focus on maintaining high levels of productivity and quality among all staff. For example, staff with young children may have to take longer breaks during the day but can catch up in the evening. With children having classes on Zoom, families might have to share a computer and workspace. Be understanding of the situation but talk to your staff if productivity becomes an issue, advises Ms. Miller.

Allowing for interaction. Between 2010 and 2015, Harvard Business Review surveyed more than 20,000 workers and analyzed 50 companies around the world to figure out what motivates people at work. They found that working from home was less motivating and when people had no choice in where they worked, total motivation dropped 17 points. #WFH is not a choice for many people and the lack of interaction with colleagues can take its toll. One clinical professional I talked to today who has transitioned to a fully remote position with telehealth and telephonic visits said she is more stressed and working longer hours than when she was at the office as her consumers adjust to the new normal and her employer is concerned about reimbursement. As an extrovert, she has to work on socializing with family and friends online to stay motivated. Even sitting in a chair is a strain and she exercises more to make up for the inactivity. So, employers would do well to provide opportunities for informal interaction and face time among team members. Zoom happy hours are apparently the rage all over the world and Ms. Miller is organizing one for OPEN MINDS staff next week.

And finally, I would like to offer my own five-point plan for taking care of yourself. Executives cant work the 12-hour days needed to keep everyone else motivated and on track unless you put your own wellness first. Ive done well by not compromising on seven to eight hours of sleep a night, exercise, discipline with diet, stress management, and an immunity strengthening program.

Id like to hear about your challenges and tips for running a successful, remote operation. Feel free to email me at info@openminds.com.

And join me for two OPEN MINDS briefings that dive into the challenges of delivering virtual services and virtual operations behind-the-scenes. April 14 forDeveloping The Consumer & Staff Training & Guidelines Needed To Expand Your Telehealth Services Quickly and April 23 for Going Virtual Service Reaching Consumers Where They Are At With Telehealth And MoreAn Overview.

Read more from the original source:
No Easy Move! How's That Virtual Operation Working For You? - OPEN MINDS

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This recipe first appeared on siabrainhealth.com.

Because we could all use a little comfort food right now.

Lets embrace our cravings without compromising our immune systems or contradicting our other efforts to maintain both physical and mental health.

With a few tweaks to classic recipes, we can enjoy the foods we love while supporting not suppressing our immunity.

First up: an immune and mood-boosting take on the classic crepe. With a base of almond and arrowroot flour, our beloved, bourgie French burrito becomes a nutritional powerhouse. Low in carbohydrates but high in good fats, we avoid the emotional rollercoaster of sugar highs and lows; in its place, we embrace the satiety and stability that accompany a healthy treat that tastes as good as a cheat.

Almonds are a fantastic source of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that seems eternally upstaged by vitamin C. Make no mistake;vitamin E plays a critical role in immune function. The results of a 2005 study showed that vitamin E supplementation was associated with a significant improvement in resistance to influenzainfection in aged mice and a reduced risk of upper respiratory infections in nursing home residents.As a lipid-soluble vitamin, vitamin E is best absorbed when paired with fat yet another advantage of the almighty almond.

Arrowroot (a tropical tuber) has also been shown tohave an immunostimulatory effect: a2011 study revealed that a diet containing arrowroot significantly enhanced the production ofimmunoglobulins G, A, and M antibodies that help protect against bacterial and viral infections.

Both almonds and arrowroot also contain folate, a vitamin that helps produce neurotransmitters like serotonin (the mood transmitter) and dopamine (the reward transmitter). Amid troubled times, folate can regulate mood and help us remain optimistic; a 2012 study found that a diet high in folate may even decrease the risk of depression. To up the folate ante, fill your crepes with some leafy greens and avocado.

Rather than fighting those comfort food cravings all day (only to give in at night), weve found a way to have our crepe and eat it too.

Keto // Paleo // Dairy Free // Gluten Free // Grain Free

1 c Almond Flour

1/2 c Arrowroot Flour

1 c Nut Milk of Choice

3 Eggs

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Melted (+ extra for pan)

Dash of Sea Salt

* For sweet crepes, optionally add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Tasty Toppings

Savory: spinach, chard, arugula, watercress, mushrooms, caramelized onions, leeks, avocado, basil, pesto.

Sweet: hazelnut butter, melted unsweetened chocolate, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, chopped pecans, cacao nibs, cinnamon.

Read more:
Comfort without Compromise - Thrive Global

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Did you know TNW Conference has a track fully dedicated to exploring new design trends this year? Check out the full Sprint program here.

In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Noble Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman discusses the psychological phenomenon of loss aversion, which he, along with Amos Tversky, first identified back in 1979. At its core, loss aversion refers to the tendency of the human brain to react more strongly to losses than it does to gains. Or, as Wikipedia puts it, people prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains: it is better to not lose $5 than to find $5. This phenomenon is so ingrained in our psyche that some studies suggest that losses are twice as powerful, psychologically, as gains.

In his book, Kahneman describes a study of professional golfers. The goal of the study was to see if their concentration and focus was greater on par putts (where failure would mean losing a stroke) or on birdie putts (where success would mean gaining a stroke). In an analysis of 2.5 million putts, the study found that regardless of the putt difficulty, pro golfers were more successful on par putts, the putts that avoided a loss, than they were on birdie putts where they had a potential gain. The subconscious aversion to loss pushed them to greater focus.

If loss aversion is powerful enough to influence the outcome of a professional golfers putts, where else could it be shaping our focus and decisions?

Loss, Gain, and Iterative Product Development

Iterative product development is a process designed to help teams ship (get a product in front of customers) as quickly as possible by actively reducing the initial complexity of features and functionality. This is valuable because it gets the product in the hands of users sooner, allowing the team to quickly validate whether theyve built the right thing or not. This makes it less risky to try something new. The alternative process, waterfall, asked teams to build in all the complexity upfront and then put the product in front of customers. A much riskier and potentially costlier proposition.

Read: [The key to productivity is distinguishing habits from routine]

Iterative product development achieves its speed through a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach. MVP means taking the possible feature set that could be included in a product, or the possible functionality a specific feature could deliver, and cutting it down to the minimum needed to bring value to the end-user. As a simplified example, imagine you are designing the first music streaming app (like Spotify). It could have lots of potential features beyond just streaming music. Things like playlists, search, recommendations, following artists, sharing, offline mode, dark mode, user profiles and so on. Building all of that would take a lot of time and effort. So an MVP streaming app might just have music streaming and search. The goal is to build something quickly that can validate if users even want to stream music in the first place before you go invest in all those other features.

Once the MVP of a product is live, a team can then quickly assess if it is successful or not, and with minimum time invested, can move rapidly to build on the initial functionality.

It is this step of the process where things can start to go sideways.

The problem starts with the concept of an MVP. We arent geared to think in terms of MVP. In fact, our mind takes the opposite approach. When we get excited about an idea our brain goes wild with all the possibilities (see our list of music streaming features above). We imagine all the possible value a product could deliver and then we have to lose a significant portion of that value by cutting it down to the bare minimum. Its never easy. The unintended psychological consequence of this process is that we walk into the first version of our product with a feeling of loss. Even if our MVP is successful, that feeling sticks in our brain.

Weakness-based Product Development

The MVP process primes us to want to regain the value we believe weve lost. As soon as the product is live, we fall into a weakness-based, additive strategy, where we are compelled to add new functionality in order to win back our lost value (real or imagined).

This weakness-based mindset gets further reinforced when we start analyzing data and feedback. Because loss aversion causes us to focus on losses more than gains, we are more likely to gloss over positive signals and areas of strength and focus instead on the areas of the product that arent working.

Think about the amount of effort you put into understanding why something is not working versus the effort you apply to understand why something is working. It is rare to hear someone say how do we double down on this feature thats working? Instead, we strive to deliver value by fixing what we perceive to be broken or missing.

In the worst case, we even (subconsciously) go looking for signals that corroborate our underlying feelings of loss.

To go back to our music streaming app, if you believed that playlist was a critical feature, but it was cut in the MVP, you are primed to put a higher weight on any feedback where a user complains about not having a playlist because it validates your own sense of lost value. Even if that feedback goes against the other signals you are receiving.

We focus on areas of weakness because they represent potentially lost value, but weakness-based product development is like swimming upstream. Areas of strength are signals from your users about where they see value in your product. By focusing instead on areas of weakness, we are effectively ignoring those signals, often working against existing behavior in an effort to improve engagement by forcing some new value. This is why many product updates only garner incremental improvement. Swimming upstream is hard.

Strengths-based Product Development

Strengths-based product development means leveraging the existing behavior of your users to maximize the value they get from your product. Its about capitalizing on momentum, instead of trying to create it.

Instagram is a solid example of a strengths-based development approach. For starters, they have kept their feature set very limited for a long time. Especially early on, they did not focus on building new things but instead focused on embracing existing value. They prioritized things like new image filters and editing capabilities, faster image upload processing, and multi-photo posts. Instagram knows that the strength of its product is in sharing photos from your smartphone. They didnt spend a ton of time enhancing comments or threads. Theyve made minimal changes to their heart functionality for liking posts. They never built out a meaningful web application. When they did create significant new functionality they often made it standalone, like Boomerang and Layout, as opposed to wedging it into the core experience.

Arguably the biggest change theyve made over the years was the addition of stories. However, even that feature, while copied from Snapchat, was still an extension of their core photo-sharing behavior. And, ultimately, stories increased the value of feed-based photo sharing on Instagram as well. Before stories, all your daily selfies, food shots, workout updates and so on all went into your feed. Now, much of that lower quality posting goes into stories, and feed posts are reserved for higher quality photos, creating an enhanced feed experience.

In contrast, take an example from my previous job. I was head of product for a streaming video service for almost seven years. As a subscription-based service, our bread and butter was premium video. However, many competitors in our space focused on written content, which we did not have. As an organization, we saw this weakness as a potential value loss and prioritized implementing an article strategy.

Written content did not enhance our core user behavior, but we built up justifications for the ways that it could. This is actually a key symptom of weakness-based product development. When something enhances your core strength, its value is obvious. If you find yourself needing to build a justification, its a sign you could be on the wrong track.

Articles never gained significant traction with our paying subscribers. They did, however, drive a high level of traffic from prospective customers via platforms like Facebook. But, the conversion rate for that traffic was extremely low. The gap between reading an article and paying a monthly subscription for premium videos was just too big of a leap. We were swimming upstream in an attempt to fill in perceived holes, but never really enhancing our core value.

On the flip side, we also developed a feature that allowed subscribers to share free views of premium videos with their friends. Capitalizing on our core strength and an existing behavior (sharing). Like articles, this drove organic traffic but also had a significantly higher conversion rate. The effect of swimming with the current.

The good news is that if you find yourself in a weakness-based mindset, there are a few straight forward things you can do to break out.

1. Analyze what works

When you see areas of strength dont just give yourself a pat on the back and move on, make those areas the key focus of your next iteration. Be the one to ask, why is this working and how can we accelerate it? Stop chasing new values. You are already delivering value. Build on that.

2. Move from addition to subtraction

When you look at metrics, stop looking at weak performance as something to be improved. Instead, look at it first as an opportunity to simplify. Instead of immediately asking, how can we make this better? Make the first question, is this something we should get rid of completely?

This is especially powerful in existing products. If youve been practicing weakness-based development you potentially have a bloated, underused feature set thats dragging down your overall experience. What if every third or fourth development cycle, you didnt build anything new and instead focused on what you were going to get rid of? How quickly would that streamline your product and bring you back to your core strengths?

3. Understand your strengths

Do you know what is valuable in your product? You have to be able to answer that question if you want to step into a strengths-based mindest. If youre not sure about the answer thats ok, you can start with this simple matrix.

Plot your features in the matrix. Features in the upper right quadrant represent your core value. How many of your product cycles in the last three months have focused on the elements in the upper right? If the majority of your work is not happening there then there is a good chance you are practicing weakness-based product development.

If you are doing any work in the lower left quadrant you are wasting your time. Dont waste cycles propping up weak features. Kill those features, move on and dont fear the fallout. We get worried about upsetting users who have adopted features that arent actually driving our success (theres that loss aversion again). Its ok. Users will readjust, and yes, some might leave. But if you are clear on your products strengths and focus your efforts there, the value you gain will more than making up for anything you lose by cutting the things that are holding you back.

>This article was originally published on uxdesign.cc

Read next: Virus fears are only accelerating the move to the cloud. This Azure and AWS training can get you on board.

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Why we are hardwired to focus on the wrong parts of our product - The Next Web

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