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Dr Michael Mosley shares his four top tips on the no sugar diet

Its a familiar scene: the empty chocolate box, the litter of sweet-wrappers, the feelings of never-again, tinged with an underlying desire for more. We dont need the scientists to tell us how addictive sugar is.

But there are ways to crack the sugar habit and stick to a no sugar diet, says Dr Michael Mosley, creator of the Fast800 programme.

Here are four easy to remember tips from him and his medical team to help beat the sugar cravings and stick to a no sugar diet

It doesnt have to be difficult, just follow these quick and easy rules to help avoid the sweet stuff and keep sugar cravings at bay.

Always chose the full-fat option low fat generally means all the good stuff has been removed and has been replaced with sugar and additives. Full-fat products will keep you feeling fuller for longer and are great for a no sugar diet.

Soft drinks and fruit juices contain a large amount of sugar. If you feel like mixing it up, try sparkling water with a wedge of lemon and some cucumber.

There are many sources of hidden sugars and its important to check the label to see just how much sugar youre consuming. You may be surprised about what you cant eat on a no sugar diet, even staples like bread often have sugar in them.

If you cook it yourself you can be 100% certain you arent consuming sugar. We recommend batch cooking and freezing so that its not tempting to cheat when your tired at the end of a day.

Visit http://www.thefast800.com and find more no sugar diet tips and sugar-free recipes to help you counter sugar addiction, lose weight, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, inflammation and improve blood sugar levels.

The key to stoping cravings and being successful on a no sugar diet is to understand how sugar addiction works. From the first bite, consuming sugary food triggers a cascade of neural events that leads to a powerful urge to keep eating.

After eating sugar, dopamine, one of the neurotransmiters responsible for feelings of happiness, is released in the midbrain. We feel good and our desire to consume more sugar kicks in.

Studies have proven that the neural chains transmitting pleasure from eating sugar are very similar to those activated by cocaine and heroin. Neuroimaging has shown structural similarities between the brains of obese people and those with established hard-drug addictions. And studies on rats have found that when rodents are denied sugar after a long period of dependency, they exhibit symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal, such as teeth-chattering, head tremor and forepaw shakes. Yikes!

Conventional diets often drive us to crave sugar. They lock you into a state of hunger, switching your attention towards, rather than away from, high-calorie, sugar loaded foods. For many breaking the diet becomes inevitable, and their sugar addiction worsens.

A growing dependency on sugary food presents an insulin overload effect.

If we consume sugar constantly, the body has to release insulin constantly, in order to transport glucose into cell walls. But our insulin receptors are not designed to work continuously. In order to remain sufficiently primed for an insulin signal, they need downtime.

Without it, they gradually become desensitized, and so cells struggle to take up glucose. This is why when youre overweight, even a normal-sized portion of sugary food fails to satisfy, driving you to eat more and more.

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4 simple ways to suceed on the no sugar diet - woman&home

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Fitness guru Joe Wicks talks to Liz Connor about why so many New Year diets fail - and how we can create a healthy new mindset in 2020 instead.

January usually happens like clockwork: a slew of new self-help books, articles and slimming blogs encourage you to 'be your best self', often by adopting a radical new diet that promises to blitz those spare inches around your waist for good.

The problem is, many crash diets encourage periods of miserable fasting and cutting out sometimes entire good groups overnight, and demonise food to the point where you're whole relationship with eating can be under threat.

According to fitness guru Joe Wicks - who has successfully helped thousands of people to lose weight - staying on these restrictive diets for a long period of time is often unrealistic and unhealthy. Even if you do lose weight initially, it's not unusual to gain it again (plus even more, in some cases) before the spring comes around.

Thankfully, attitudes around diet culture are changing. A new survey commissioned by recipe box company Gousto (gousto.co.uk) has found two-thirds (68%) of UK adults believe the one-size-fits-all model just doesn't work.

So, how can you shed those excess pounds in a safe and effective way? We asked Wicks to give us some quick tips...

Why should people avoid restrictive diets in January?

"It's the time of year now where everyone wants to make changes to their life, whether that's with exercise or food, but the last thing you want to do - especially if you're someone who really loves food - is to go on a low-calorie diet," says Wicks, 33.

"Sure, it will work in the short-term and you'll probably lose weight on the scales, but emotionally it's going to absolutely ruin you. You're going to be so exhausted, you won't enjoy it and it's not going to be a sustainable approach.

"Try to think about a long-term vision, as opposed to a quick crash diet. Incorporate it with exercise and cooking with fresh ingredients at home; you're much more likely to succeed throughout the year."

Why do people fail at New Year's diets?

"Because they're awful, aren't they? Dieting is normally all about how little you can eat and how much exercise you can do. When you combine those two things, it effects your sleep, your mood and your energy levels.

"If I could give you one tip, it's to focus on getting yourself moving instead. I always tell people to start with 15-20 minutes a day of exercise at home; this will get your energy levels up and your self-esteem boosted. Exercising is going to have a massive effect on your food choices and your ability to go into the kitchen and cook yourself something healthy.

"Trying to do everything all at once is a bit much," he adds. "Focus on fitness first, and the rest will hopefully follow."

What other tips do you have for those looking to lose weight this year?

"Have a look at your portion control. I'm not saying to count calories, but to keep your plate to a healthy size. The good thing about exercise is that it elevates your mental health and your mood so much that you don't want to go and put junk food in your body afterwards.

"Meal prepping is one of the best things you can do too. If you leave the house without food, you're going to grab options on-the-go, which will likely be unhealthy convenience food.

"That's fine to do once or twice a week, but if you're doing it a lot, you're never going to truly know exactly how much you're consuming. The simple act of making some overnight oats for breakfast, or a salad for lunch can make a huge difference over time when it comes to staying lean."

What are you favourite ingredients for healthy eating?

"I really think it's great to have chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, spices and tins of lentils, pulses, grains and beans in your cupboard. With these key ingredients, you can make really amazing veggie curries, or you could throw some chicken in there for some extra protein. Rice is also a great staple for making quick stir-fries after work.

"There's no magic fat-loss food; it's all about getting a good balance of everything and getting lots of fruits and veg in your diet.

"It's good to be a bit intuitive with it - ask yourself what foods make you feel energised and healthy? Don't think you have to jump onto a certain diet because everyone else is doing it."

Do you follow a flexitarian diet yourself?

"Yes. I eat a lot of veggie meals and with Gousto, I get four recipe boxes delivered per week that I can make at home. Three of those will be vegetarian and one will be meat-based.

"That's a massive step for me. During the process of researching and writing my veggie cookbook, Veggie Lean in 15 (16.99, Pan Macmillan), I realised that you can get really amazing food as a vegetarian. I'm still not fully committed to going hardcore vegan though."

Many people feel like they don't have time to cook healthily, do you think that's untrue?

"I really think you have to remove that time barrier from your mind. We know full well that we can smash a Netflix series in a couple of days or watch our soaps, so we can all find half an hour to exercise or cook well - if we prioritise it.

"It doesn't need to be hours in the kitchen either. My whole philosophy with my Lean in 15 series is that you can make a really healthy and nutritious meal in just 15 minutes, and have some leftover for lunch the next day.

"It's that kind of mentality of prepping in advanced and being organised that works in the long-run."

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Food: Joe Wicks on why you shouldn't try restrictive dieting this January - The National

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As GQ chats to Dr Michael Greger, the very distinctive sound of a treadmill whirrs boldly in the background. He talks very, very fast but, when one considers his work, its no surprise he multitasks in such a way. He is a busy man, busting out New York Times bestsellers such as the critically acclaimed How Not To Die, speaks internationally on matters of nutrition, food safety and public health, he runs nutritionfacts.org and founded the American College Of Lifestyle Medicine. And, as if that werent enough, he has written another bumper book in between, How Not To Diet. Greger is impassioned when talking about lifestyle choices and healthcare and, with his new book now on the shelves, who better to help us recognise where we are going wrong as we head into 2020 hoping to get it right? Herewith, his top pointers on how to live a healthier, happier life...

It might sound obvious because we all know how bad smoking is for us but we still arent getting the message. In the UK, the number-one killer is still heart disease. Tobacco beats out the British diet with those statistics, so the number-one thing you need to do is to quit smoking. The results were the same in 2009 and 2019. Its number two here in America, so it looks like youve still got some work to do.

Obesity ranks as number three in the UK and the number-six killer is alcohol. And obesity is a growing problem so, in terms of diet, Id suggest legumes every day, lots of beans. And berries, fruits and a healthy set of greens. If there were three things Id encourage you to eat a lot more of it would be those things. And definitely remove anything with trans fats and processed meats such as ham and hot dogs, which we now know certainly causes cancer. We know not to smoke around our kids so why send them to school with a baloney sandwich? Treat yourself the same way. And third would be soda. Just cut out all pops and fizzy drinks.

Reduce red meatWe might be well underway with the oft-mispronounced month of Veganuary but a lot of people love their red meat and either wont or dont want to cut it out. According to Greger, steak is known to probably cause cancer rather than definitely, but Id really encourage people to embrace a plant-based diet if they can and centre it around fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and so on. Foods that grow out of the ground are our healthiest choices and would go a long way to cut out the first four killers in the UK. What you put in your mouth, be it food or cigarettes, are the things you really need to consider.

Many perceive white meat such as chicken to be a healthier, leaner option, but in fact chicken is a dozen per cent more fatty than it was a century ago. I think the reason it has had such a good reputation is that if you go back a century, it was very low in fat, but now it can have more fat than beef, so youd actually be better having a cut of beef than chicken and thats because they have been genetically manipulated to be fattier. Its what consumers want and its what theyre getting as a result, but it isnt a necessarily healthy option.

We all know its best in moderation and, rather sadly, best not at all, but what about those of us who like to indulge? Greger is pretty to the point: If you want a drink, less is better, but red wine would be the least harmful of all the alcohols and nonalcoholic wine would be better. There you have it.

Keto and paleo are the opposite of plant-based, Gregor points out. The weight drop can be dramatic, so on the scale it looks great but what people dont realise is they are slowing the rate at which they are losing body fat. Thank God these diets arent sustainable because of the impact of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The goal of weight loss is not to fit in a skinnier casket, its about your long-term health. Again, the single best diet is that which is centred around plants. The traditional approach to weight loss is calorie control, which is the key difference from a plant-based direction. Calorie control is the old way, and with the old way you normally regain the weight. With a plant-based diet, you can eat what you want, so you dont get hungry, and you feel better, so youre much more likely to stick with it and keep the weight off. Because what youre eating is very healthy you can eat as much of it as you want, keep things flavoursome and not get hungry. Allowing hunger can cause temptation and thats where problems start.

Ninety minutes of moderate exercise a day would be an excellent choice, Gregor exudes. And brisk walking absolutely counts, so no need for expensive gym memberships. And any amount is better than none. Ninety minutes has been shown time and again to be better than any other duration of exercise. It sounds a lot but we were built to move. Sitting is unnatural. Right now, Im on my treadmill desk talking to you.

Stress and anxiety are, apparently, at all-time highs the world over, so surely that cant help with longevity, no matter how healthy we are in other areas of our lives? Not so, he says. Stress is certainly hard on our cortisol, which can cause us to pack on the pounds, but in terms of its hierarchy, I often point to data from the Second World War when Nazi-occupied Europe saw the Nazis taking all the cattle and forcing people to live on garden vegetables. Its hard to imagine a more stressful situation than that. But heart disease plummeted because everyone was eating well, despite living in such terrifying circumstances. So, a healthy diet trumps stress but the psychological benefits of less stress are very key.

Get more sleepDoes Gregor have any bad habits? I dont sleep enough. There is a steep body of evidence showing those who dont get at least seven hours really suffer. I really need to work on that, but Im so unproductive when Im unconscious?! We all need to switch off and sleep a lot more, though.

If you have a propensity for obesity in your DNA, dont resign yourself to an unhealthy life, because genes may load the gun, but diet pulls the trigger, so says Gregor. One of the most dramatic examples of the power of DNA over diet comes from the Pima Indians of Arizona, who have among the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the world, ascribed to their relatively fuel-efficient make-up. When the area in which they lived became settled, their source of water, the Gila River, was diverted upstream. Those who survived the ensuing famine had to abandon their traditional diet to live off government food programmes and chronic disease rates skyrocketed. Same genes but a different diet, leading to a different result. The Pima living across the Mexican border maintained more of their traditional lifestyle and displayed five times less diabetes and obesity, thanks to a diet centred around corn, beans and squash. Again, same genes but different diet and different results.

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A team of scientists in the United States has successfully used a drug, which blocks AHR receptors, to prevent and treat obesity in mice. Their findings have spurred further research into the receptors association with diet and the gut microbiome.

As a known contributor to several cancers, including breast, colon and pancreatic, the ability to halt the obesity epidemic could prove crucial in preventing these diseases. Working to this goal, researchers in the laboratory of Craig Tomlinson PhDat Dartmouths and Dartmouth-Hitchcocks Norris Cotton Cancer Center have identified a critical target. The team discovered that a receptor found in almost all cells, called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which is known primarily to combat exposures to environmental chemicals, also plays a key role in the bodys metabolism. In the course of their research the team found that blocking AHR not only prevented, but reversed obesity in laboratory mice.

We carried out experiments showing that when a drug named NF and known to block the AHR was added to a high-fat diet, mice did not become any fatter than mice on a low-fat control diet, says Tomlinson. Mice on the high-fat diet with no NF became very obese within the same time span. No ill effects were observed from the drug.

With this insight, the researchers then assessed whether blocking the AHR with NF could not only prevent obesity but reverse it. In these experiments, we allowed the mice to become obese on a high-fat diet, and then half the mice were switched to the high-fat diet containing the AHR blocker NF. Over the next few weeks, the mice switched to the high-fat diet containing NF dropped to the same body weight as those mice on the low-fat diet. The remaining mice on the high-fat diet became obese. Again, no ill effects were observed, explains Tomlinson.

Finally, Tomlinsons team investigated the mechanisms behind how the AHR, when blocked by NF, prevented and reversed obesity. Using previous knowledge that the AHR regulates key genes in fat metabolism, the team discovered that in liver cells and in fat cells, the AHR, when blocked by NF, fails to induce several key genes required for fat storage and synthesis. They concluded that the prevention and reversal of obesity from blocking the activity of the AHR is due to key genes regulated by the AHR that are involved in fat metabolism. Few to no studies have shown that obesity can be reversed by a drug treatment; it is even rarer to know the underlying cellular mechanism, notes Tomlinson.

Tomlinsons team has begun investigating several key questions surrounding what factors influence AHR activity. These include assessing the dietary compounds in the food we eat and their ability to activate AHR to cause obesity, and investigating the role that gut bacteria play in AHR and obesity. Most importantly, they have initiated a clinical trial to determine whether the AHR may serve as a therapeutic target to reduce obesity in humans. We are beginning to understand how the blockage of the AHR prevents and reverses obesity, which may lead to a therapeutic treatment of obesity in humans, says Tomlinson.

The teams findings, Reversal of obesity and liver steatosis in mice via inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor and altered gene expression of CYP1B1, PPAR, SCD1, and osteopontin, have been published in theInternational Journal of Obesity.

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Scientists block AHR receptors to treat obesity in mice - Drug Target Review

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Winter season, with its less light and colder temperatures, is here through February, but you can boost your mood and energy by embracing Healthy Duke resources.

The Healthy Duke campus initiative addresses five core themes: Physical Activity and Movement, Food and Nutrition, Environment and Culture, Fulfillment and Purpose and Mental and Emotional Well-Being.

Health is more than an ideal goal weight or following through a diet, said Julie Joyner, program coordinator for Healthy Duke. Its about the total picture of how you feel physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Feel your best this winter by making positive changes in your life with resources targeting each Healthy Duke theme.

Physical Activity and Movement

Working out is a mental game for Felicia Tittle, who prefers to do strength and cardio exercises outside.

Tittle, executive director of Recreation & Physical Education and physical activity and movement co-convener for Healthy Duke, visualizes how shell feel after a workout to muster up energy to workout.

Its hard to find motivation when its raining, overcast and cold, Tittle said. You should try to focus on how good itll be to finish the workout. Remember that feeling.

Physical activity and movement involves exercise and mobility activities like walking, biking, lifting weights and playing sports.

Tittle said physical activity isnt about setting big goals. Pick small challenges and find a friend for accountability and support. At your desk, stand up every hour and stretch for 10 minutes. Find a path near your office or pick a large indoor space like the Bryan Center or Duke South to take a walk break.

Any sort of movement can uplift your mood and help sort out your thoughts, Tittle said.

Join the Get Moving Challenge, Dukes annual fitness contest for employees and students.

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

On most winter days, Jonathan Bae arrives at work before sunrise and leaves after sunset.

He steps outside his office in Duke South for 15 to 30 minutes each day to soak up fresh air and sunshine. By taking care of his mental and emotional well-being, Bae feels more resilient.

From a psychological standpoint, going outside for a couple of minutes to see natural light can make a positive difference on your outlook, said Bae, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Patient Safety & Clinical Quality and mental and emotional well-being co-convener for Healthy Duke.

Sunlight increases serotonin, a hormone in the brain associated with boosting moods and helping people calm down, according to Psychology Today.

Duke employees are lucky because we have access to many beautiful places, said Bae, who likes to walk or enjoy lunch on Abele Quad. Take advantage of it.

Take a break on the path around East Campus or Al Buehler Trail.

Food and Nutrition

Esther Granville, manager of health coaching and nutrition programs forLIVE FOR LIFE, Dukes employee wellness program, and a Healthy Duke committee member, combats winter lethargy with a diet high in fiber. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar and fat after eating, which lengthens the amount of time we feel satisfied following a meal.

Granville said fiber-rich foods like collard greens, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and broccoli are perfect for a wintertime diet because they are in season and common ingredients in stews and chilis.

Fiber is great in the winter because its a common ingredient in foods that are very filling, Granville said. We all crave heavy stews and crockpot dishes that heat is up when its cold.

Developing a nutrition plan can increase energy, protect against chronic diseases and help you maintain a healthy weight. See a list of nutrition resources here.

Environment and Culture

Tom Szigethy embraces the coziness of winter.

On cold nights, he lights a fire, buries under blankets with a hot cup of tea and enjoys a book. Hes currently reading The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath.

We treat winter as this time to push through difficult conditions, said Szigethy, associate dean of students and director of Dukes Student Wellness Center and environment and culture co-convener for Healthy Duke. Instead, use the season to relax and indulge in the comforts of home and Duke.

Environment and cultural well-being consider how natural spaces, buildings and a sense of place contribute to quality of life. Duke has plenty of spaces to promote well-being.

Oasis West, in the Student Wellness Center, has a massage chair, materials to make aromatherapy sprays and coloring books. Oasis Perkins, located on the fourth floor of Perkins Library in Room 418, contains a small couch, lounge chair, coffee table and space to do yoga while basking in a steady stream of sunlight and views of Abele Quad.The Duke Cancer Centers Quiet Room provides a quiet haven to reflect and relax.

Fulfillment and Purpose

Najla McClain is jumping into fulfillment this winter literally.

McClain, who has Bachelor of Arts in dance, is taking modern dance classes for the first time in nearly three years.

Dance fulfills me as I do it with all my heart, said McClain, a program director for Dukes School of Nursing and fulfillment and purpose co-convener for Healthy Duke. I feel nothing but love when I dance.

Fulfillment and purpose help individuals develop a sense of purpose and long-lasting satisfaction. Fulfillment can come from work, the arts, worship, service or connection with others.

Since it comes at the start of the year, winter is the perfect time to be reflective and find fulfillment, McClain said. Challenge yourself to find resources or activities that interest you in 2020.

Fufillment and purpose resources on campus include Duke Performances shows, Arts & Health at Duke and the Nasher Museum of Art.

Have a story idea or news to share?Shareit with Working@Duke.

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Debra B. Johnson, Guest columnist Published 9:43 a.m. ET Jan. 15, 2020

Deb Johnson

Every year between Christmas and New Years Day about half of all Americans take a few moments to reflect on the past year and make plans for the coming year. Usually, this takes the form of making New Years resolutions about the changes we want to make in our lives.

Unfortunately, despite desire and best efforts, fewer than 10 percentof resolution makers are successful in achieving a single goal. Why is this the case? There is no one reason so many of us fail to achieve our New Years resolutions. Rather, there is a combination of reasons acting in concert.

The first reason many of us fail is that by focusing on change only once during the entire year we end up compiling a long list of daunting goals that we try to achieve at the same time. For most people this is simply overwhelming. A better approach is to make one or two resolutions at a time throughout the year and focus on these resolutions.

Once we have some measure of success with these resolutions, we can move on to additional goals. This provides us momentum in achieving our goals, as even marginal success with one delivers the fuel and fortitude to continue working on our goals as the year progresses.

The second reason many of us fail to achieve our resolutions is that we fall victim to perfectionist thinking. This is when a person confuses an initial or partial failure with complete failure and thus gives up. For example, have you or someone you know started a diet, done well for a couple of weeks, only to succumb to the temptation of a favorite food or cake at an office party or a quick dash through a drive through on a particularly busy day? These are typical experiences for anyone dieting.

The person in thrall to perfectionist thinking immediately berates themselves, their internal critic disparaging them. Just give up. You know you dont have the strength to stick with your diet. This person then gives up dieting until the end of the year, when they once again make a resolution that they will finally lose weight in the next year.However, the reality is that all meaningful long-term change involves occasional failures along the way. Instead of using a temporary setback as an excuse to quit advancing toward their goal, a person needs to figure out what specifically made them fail and then make corrections.

Another reason we may fail is that our goal is too vague. This usually takes the form of an ill-defined time frame or having no reliable way to measure success along the way. For example, the resolution Im going to lose weight, doesnt say how long the person plans to diet, the type of diet, or how they will measure success.

A better resolution would be something like I am going to lose 1 pound a week for 25 weeks beginning next week by restricting myself to 1800 calories a day and walking a half hour every morning. This goal is immediate, specific, and measurable. A resolution like this turns an intimidating challenge, losing 25 pounds, into a manageable challenge, losing one pound a week. It also allows a person to immediately adjust his or her behavior based on their success or failure each week.

A fourth way a person can increase their odds of achieving their goals is to make some resolutions that, while still challenging, are still clearly attainable. These less challenging resolutions give a person a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that helps steel them against the difficulties encountered when pursuing goals that are more difficult. For example, a person might resolve to get an extra half hour sleep every night or drink one fewer cup of coffee during the day. Not every resolution has to address a profound change.

Finally, having the right mindset about resolutions increases the likelihood of success. We need to remember that our bad habits took years to develop and it will likely take real effort over time to undo them. Researchers who study change tell us that it can take anywhere from 21 to 66 days before a new behavior becomes automatic and that for most people meaningful change requires multiple attempts! However, if we keep at it our new habits will take hold.

Remember, we all have the strength inside of ourselves to achieve remarkable things if we work hard, maintain a positive attitude, and constantly challenge ourselves with new goals. As American writer Elbert Hubbard reminds us, There is no failure except in no longer trying.

Debra B. Johnson is the executive director of St. Clair County Community Mental Health.

Read or Share this story: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/opinion/2020/01/15/johnson-you-can-achieve-your-new-years-resolutions/4476502002/

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Archaeological work at the Border Cave site has revealed the earliest evidence for cooked root vegetables. Border Cave lies between South Africa and eSwatini and has a remarkable record of human habitation.

Hot, roasted root vegetables are comfort food, and a plateful of carbohydrate is both satisfying and nutritious. Archaeologists have found that our ancestors thought so, too. A team working at the site has discovered and documented the remains of starchy underground plant stems (called rhizomes) cooked 170,000 years ago.

Border Caves roasted rhizomes were identified as Hypoxis angustifolia (yellow stars). This was done by comparing their shape and internal anatomy to those of modern rhizomes which today grow in countries along the eastern flank of Africa. The distribution extends much further too, for example into Yemen.

If, as seems likely, Hypoxis had a similar distribution in the past, it would have provided a secure staple food for people travelling within and out of Africa.

Our findings suggest that the food was transported to the cave and then cooked. The food could easily have been consumed directly in the field by the collectors, but our findings suggest this wasnt the case, adding extra information about social behaviour and sharing and a glimpse into ancient communal behaviour 170,000 years ago. Food was the focus for satisfying physical and social hunger.

Hypoxis angustifolia plants are gregarious so many can be harvested at once. Wooden digging sticks or sharpened bones may have been used to dig rhizomes from the ground.

The food was carried home to the cave, perhaps as a hide-wrapped parcel or a simple bunch tied with leaves.

Wood was also collected for the cooking fire that probably burned to small coals and hot ash before the rhizomes were added directly to the ashes for roasting. Some South Africans are familiar with this cooking technique: as children we made askoek (ash cakes) directly on coals and tapped them on rocks to dislodge the ash before garnishing our culinary treasures with apricot jam.

Some of the thumb-sized Border Cave rhizomes were lost in the ashes where they were burned and thus preserved for archaeologists. We know that they were burned while still fresh and green because the charred rhizomes have split surfaces. This was caused by shrinkage when moisture was rapidly expelled. Many starchy root vegetables can be eaten raw, but their nutritional content is much greater when cooked (the human gut can then access the glucose better and absorb much more of it).

Cooking made Hypoxis rhizomes easy to peel, and rendered them digestible by releasing glucose and breaking down the fibre. Such treatment was particularly important for the aged members of the group and small children that might otherwise have had difficulty chewing the rhizomes.

The Border Cave occupants were modern humans (Homo sapiens) with the same nutritional needs as people today. To enable our large brains to function we need to consume about 100g of carbohydrate per day. Hypoxis rhizomes may have fulfilled that need in the past.

We know, too, that Border Cave dwellers also ate meat because we have recovered the cooked bones of wild animals that were eaten in the cave. In Africa, game meat is lean, especially in the dry season when animals lose weight. Lean meat protein cannot be metabolised by humans in the absence of either carbohydrates or fat.

The addition of some carbohydrate to their diet would then have enabled early humans to process protein effectively. A balanced, healthy diet with a combination of cooked carbohydrate and protein the real palaeo-diet - increased human fitness and longevity.

We discovered the first of the rhizomes in 2016 while digging in Border Caves ashy sediments. The sediments date between 170,000 and 100,000 years ago.

In total, 55 whole charred rhizomes were recovered, all from the same species. We worked together in the field over a period of four years, collecting modern plants with rhizomes so that we could compare these with the Border Cave ones in order to identify them.

With a permit from local wildlife authorities, we surveyed the Lebombo Mountain hillside near the cave for interesting plants with appropriate rhizomes. When a plant could not immediately be identified it was planted in a vegetable garden to await flowering. When each plant was securely identified, its rhizome was charred, examined microscopically, and compared with Border Cave specimens.

Eventually patience was rewarded, and a combination of morphological and anatomical evidence showed that the Border Cave rhizome was a Hypoxis.

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How we deduced that our ancestors liked roast vegetables too - The Conversation Africa

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No-fail practice fitness tests are expected for the whole Air Force in the spring

Airmen soon will have several chances to pass their fitness assessment, a draft Air Force policy stated, days after one of the services largest commands said it would allow favorable practice tests to count.

The draft policy said that airmen can take up to three diagnostic fitness assessments conducted under official conditions. If theyre happy with the scores, they can count them as official.

Airmen taking diagnostic assessments may end them at any point without any of the consequences of failing an official test, the policy said.

A no fail fitness test policy was first floated in August by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright.

Part of the policy appeared on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page Tuesday and was confirmed by the Pentagon as screen shots of the executive summary, which is still in draft and may change.

The goal is to publish it this Spring, Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Carrie Volpe said in an email.

Diagnostic assessments must be taken at least 15 days prior to the expiration of an airmans current fitness test, the policy stated.

Only after an airman elects to count the diagnostic assessment as official will the results be recorded in the Air Force fitness management system. An Air Reserve Component member must take a diagnostic assessment during Guard or Reserve duty to make it official.

Commanders and supervisors cant require a diagnostic test to count, nor can they prevent airmen from taking such tests under official conditions, the draft policy stated. Command-directed assessments will not count toward the three-attempt limit.

The policy details come days after Air Force Materiel Command, which includes about 80,000 combined military and civilian personnel, said they would beta-test a similar program beginning Monday.

The practice tests aim to motivate airmen to maintain their fitness while reducing the pressure of potential failure, Lt. Col. Rachel Marazita, AFMC military personnel and programs branch chief, said Friday on the commands website.

Fear of failed physical training tests and the potential of career-ending disciplinary action is a major stressor that we are looking to eliminate through a sound testing protocol coupled with an organizational culture of fitness, Marazita said.

ferguson.brian@stripes.comTwitter: @BrianFerg57

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Smartwatches are not all carved from the same stone -- there are different definitions of what 'smart' means, for example. Android users have more options to choose from than Apple users, but the basics must be covered well. The features Honor headlines for its MagicWatch 2 are long battery life, personalised watch faces and fitness modes.

There are two versions of the Honor MagicWatch 2, designed for different wrist sizes. I was sent the larger 46mm version, which is the only one available in the UK at the time of writing. It's available from Amazon at 159.99 (inc. VAT). Pricing and availability of the smaller 42mm model is yet to be confirmed.

The 46mm version is bulky, especially on a small wrist.

The larger watch has a 46mm face, and is quite thick at 10mm including the protuberance on the back that houses the heart rate monitor and a pair of connectors for the circular, magnetic charger. It's quite a beast to wear, and oversized for my wrist.

Still, there is an upside to the size, and that is a large display. The 1.39-inch diameter, 454-by-454 pixel, 326ppi AMOLED touch screen can display a lot of detail. This matters, as you'll be prodding at the screen and reading the face a lot if you're going to make the most of this smartwatch.

Complementing the touch screen are a couple of large buttons on the right rim. The upper button takes you to all the features of the MagicWatch 2, including apps and settings. The bottom button can be set to launch any of the built-in apps or jump to workouts.

There is a lot of 'stuff' on board in the way of applets. These include flashlight, alarm, timer, weather data, notifications, compass, air pressure readout, music player, contacts, call log -- even breathing exercises. The watch face itself can be swept left and right to get to more screens of information; a sweep upwards reveals notifications, while a downward sweep provides shortcuts to various settings such as the alarm, 'find my phone' and 'do not disturb' features, as well as reporting battery life.

The MagicWatch 2's strengths are health and fitness.

For all its ability to display information, play music, show the weather and so on, it's the health and fitness features that the MagicWatch 2 majors on. It can handle metrics for running (indoor and outdoor), cycling (indoor and outdoor), swimming (pool and open water), walking (indoor and outdoor), climbing, hiking, trail runs, triathlon, elliptical trainers and rowing. The GPS tracking maps where you've been, and I found this to be pretty accurate during testing.

The fitness features don't stop at hard physical workouts. A sleep monitor picked up my patterns of light, deep and REM sleep, matching these closely enough to my Fitbit's data to allay any concern over accuracy; the step counter seems accurate both on number of steps and distance, and its heart rate measurements were close to my Fitbit's too. On heart rate, incidentally, the MagicWatch 2 has an on-screen daily report, with longer-term data stored in the smartphone-based Health app.

If you want to use the MagicWatch 2 to initiate calls via Bluetooth, you'll need to 46mm version -- according to the product information, the 42mm model doesn't support that feature. Neither version of the watch has NFC built in, which means there's no support for mobile payments.

It's impossible to add any third-party apps to the Honor MagicWatch 2, so you're going to have to stick with what's on board. To take just one example, I've already noted that there's a music player, and this will cope with tunes transferred across via the Health app (there is 4GB of storage in total, and 2GB available for music). But if you are into streaming services, you can't install applets for these.

If you do need to install third-party apps, then look for a smartwatch running Google's Wear OS rather than the custom LiteOS that's used here, which is dependent on firmware updates from Honor.

Battery life is quoted at 14 days for the 46mm version I tested. The charger is a circular plate which holds the MagicWatch 2 in place with a strong magnet. Leaving the battery to run down from full left me needing to charge after seven days. A more sensible regime of applying top-up charging as part of the same morning routine I use to charge my smartphone meant it barely had to be off my wrist for charging.

Battery life experience will depend on how you use the MagicWatch 2. For example, you can have a watch face (either analogue or digital) on standby, but as you set this up the device warns that doing so will halve the battery life.

Watch faces are available onboard, and you can import more via the smartphone-based Health app.

There are plenty of watch faces to select between. A long press on the face calls up others on board, making it easy to switch if you fancy a change. There are more faces in the Health app, and they're easily transferred into the MagicWatch 2.

As well as being the place where cumulative health and activity data is stored and displayed, the Health app handles data sharing with other apps. At the moment this is restricted to just Google Fit and MyFitnessPal. It's not possible to export GPX files (which contain GPS metrics), or to share data with other popular platforms such as Fitbit or Strava. Honor needs to give this aspect more thought.

Honor's MagicWatch 2 has some compelling features. The basics of health and fitness monitoring are covered, and the companion Health app does a fair job of displaying aggregated information that collects over time, and of interacting with the watch's internal storage.

But Honor needs to work harder on its smartwatch offer. Software updates need to add support for more platforms for its health data and allow the export of GPX files. Harder to fix is the absence of NFC, which is necessary for mobile payments but requires a hardware revision. The lack of support for third-party apps is also a concern.

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A Milwaukee-based developer is moving forward with plans to renovate a 105-year-old building into a cafe,fitness center and leasing office at 10460 Innovation Drive in Wauwatosa.

The Mandel Group is calling the project The Historic Boiler House renovation. The projectwill renovate the one-story former powerhouse near the Milwaukee County Research Park. The 7,500-square-foot building planwas approved by the Wauwatosa Plan Commission after a public hearing on Monday, Jan. 13.

The Historic Boiler House is envisioned to be the third space for both residents of the apartments, the nearby hotel guests and for the over 22,000 employees within a onemile radius," a letter from the developer to the plan commission said. "The building is being restored to its historic significance and will have exposed brick, expansive interior volumes with open trusses and large arch top windows."

The renovations are being done in conjunction with a project by Mandel Group to build the four-story, 105-unit Crescent Apartments at 10430 W. Innovation Drive, just a few blocks south of the Milwaukee County Research park entrance on WestWatertown Plank Road.

Theplans were originally proposed in 2016. The Wauwatosa Plan Commission approved the plans then, but because of project delays, the conditional-use permit for the project lapsed, meaning the commission had to approve the plans again Jan. 13.

We've had a couple of hiccups along the way, primarily related to the cost of the project and trying to maintain the quality of the project as construction costs have escalated, Bob Monnat, the chief operating officer of Mandel Group, told the plan commission.

Guy Mascari, the executive director of the Milwaukee County Research Park, was the only member of the public who spoke during the public hearing. He was in favor of the plans.

Ive been looking at his building for 25 years. I drive by it every day going to work, and Ive been involved in architecture in the past, and i could visualize what can take place in the building, he said. What they've shown here will fully realize the potential of that building.

Monnat said the building is expected to open in late 2020.

The back of the renovation, which is being called the Historic Boiler House renovation by the Mandel Group.(Photo: Mandel Group/Submitted)

Monnat said the fitness center will be 3,680 square feet, and will be open around the clock to apartment residents at the nearby apartment building. The fitness center will also be open to the public during normal business hours.

He also said the fitness center will specialize in personal training. Mandel will announce who the tenant is when they sign the lease.

This is not like an Anytime Fitness, Snap Fitness This is higher end, directed training, he said. Theres a physical training component;its not just a hop on the treadmill or bike sort of place.

Mandel Group is finalizing a contract with the tenant for the cafe portion of the renovation.Mandel said the cafe space will be 2,630 square feet and will generally be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The intent is for the cafe to serve breakfast and lunch. Design plans said it will not be open for dinner.It will also have an outdoor patio. Plans call forthe restaurant to employ 12 people.

The development also includes a leasing office and a common area near the entrance.

Alderperson James-Moldenhauer praised the developers during the meeting.

I know we revere our historical roots, and I think this rendering and everything else seems to embody that, he said.

The plans will need to go to the Wauwatosa Common Council for approval; a date has not been set for that.

Evan Casey can be reached at 414-403-4391 or evan.casey@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecaseymedia.

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