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Multiple 10 Fitness locations offering hot showers, coffee and charging stations for tornado victims and the open line - Arkansas Times

From 10 Fitness:

Dear 10 Fitness family and neighbors,

As many of you are aware, our communities in Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Cabot were severely impacted by the EF 3 tornado on March 31, 2023. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this devastating storm, and we want you to know that we are here to support you during this difficult time.

In response to the recent events, we are opening our doors to anyone in need, regardless of membership status, during staffed hours, at the following 10 Fitness locations:

Rodney Parham and University in Little Rock (5am-9pm)

JFK in North Little Rock (5am-9pm)

Maumelle (5am-9pm)

Cabot (5am-9pm)

Bryant (5am-9pm)

We are offering hot showers, hot coffee, and phone charging stations at these facilities for as long as we have power and as long as there is a need. Our doors are open to you, your families, and friends. You do not need to be a member to receive these essential services, and we encourage you to share this message with others who may benefit from them.

We also want to extend a special welcome to first responders and those from out of town working tirelessly to restore power and services to the neighborhoods affected. We are here to serve you and provide you with a space to recharge as you continue your critical work.

Please note that our Rodney Parham location will be open from 5am to 9pm as long as there is electricity. All other locations listed above will be open 24 hours. Additionally, members with basic plans at locations in these areas can go to any other 10 Fitness locations and use their membership as normal.

During this time of recovery and rebuilding, we want you to know that 10 Fitness stands with you. Our community is strong, and together, we will get through this.

Sincerely,

The 10 Fitness Team

Heres an updated article for more ways to help. Over to you.

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 48 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

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Multiple 10 Fitness locations offering hot showers, coffee and ... - Arkansas Times

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Arrests made in beating of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine at Palm Beach gym

Authorities announced Thursday that arrests had been made in the assault and robbery of popular rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine earlier this month at a Palm Beach County LA Fitness, CBS Miami reported.

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office identified those arrested as Rafael Medina Jr., 43, Octavious Medina, 23, and Anthony Maldonado, 25.

Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, had to be hospitalized after the beating that took place inside the facility's steam room, according to video posted on social media and police.

The rapper suffered facial cuts during the assault, his attorney, Lance Lazzaro, told news outlets.

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The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said in a written statement that the assault occurred at the LA Fitness in Lake Worth.

Video posted to several social media sites showed Hernandez on the floor of the gym bathroom as at least two men kicked him and grabbed him by the hair.

The sheriff's office said the rapper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The rapper was a social media phenomenon with millions of followers on Instagram before becoming an ascendant name in hip-hop.

He had a multiplatinum hit song, "Fefe," with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts, and "Stoopid," featuring the incarcerated rapper Bobby Shmurda.

Lazzaro told TMZ that the rapper, who did not have personal security with him, tried to fight back during the attack but was overpowered and outnumbered.

The rapper was released early from federal prison after he cooperated with law enforcement officials during an effort to prosecute fellow gang members.

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Tekashi 6ix9ine beating: Arrests made after rapper attacked at LA Fitness in South Florida - CBS News

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This straightforward and reasonable way of eating may be the key to longevity and health, and it's simpler than many other fad diets.

Over the years, weve all heard about so many different diets. Theres the Mediterranean diet, the keto diet, the Atkins diet, the DASH diet, all sorts of various plant-based diets, fad diets and plenty of weight loss tricks that dont really work. But one of the best ways to promote a long and healthy way might also be the most straightforward and reasonable. Its called the Harvard Diet.

The Harvard Diets proper name is the Healthy Eating Plate, which is a chart similar to the USDAs My Platethough with key differences. The Healthy Eating Plate advocates for eating more vegetables, choosing whole grains, skipping sugary drinks and limiting protein.

Moreover, the type of carbohydrate in the Harvard Diet is more important than the number of carbohydrates in the diet. Thats because some carbs, such as vegetables (other than potatoes), fruits, whole grains and beans are healthier than others. The Harvard Diets Healthy Eating Plate also advocates for people to use healthy oils in cooking. It does not set a maximum on the percentage of calories people should get each day from healthy sources of fat.

In this way, the Harvard Diets Healthy Eating Plate recommends the opposite of the low-fat message thats been promoted for decades in the United States. This way of eating can help prevent cardiovascular disease, different types of cancers and type 2 diabetes.

While both the Healthy Eating Plate and USDAs My Plate advocate for similar ideas, the key difference is that the Harvard Diet distinguishes between foods that are healthier than others.

For instance, while both charts advocate for eating vegetables, the Harvard Diet discourages eating potatoes. The USDAs protein section could be filled by a hot dog or hamburger, but the Harvard Diet calls for healthier proteins such as fish, poultry, beans or nuts. The Healthy Eating Plate also calls for cooking with healthier oils and limiting the amount of dairywhile the USDA MyPlate encourages dairy at every meal.

Here are some tips if you want to start incorporating the Harvard Diet into your life.

Aim for color and variety. Also, remember that potatoes dont count as vegetables in the Harvard Diet because of their negative impact on blood sugar.

Go for whole grains such as whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats and brown rice. Also choose foods made with whole grains, such as whole-wheat pasta. Whole grains have a milder effect on blood sugar and insulin than white bread, white rice and other refined grains.

Fish, poultry, beans and nuts are all healthy protein sourcesthey can be mixed into salads and pair well with vegetables on a plate. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats such as bacon and sausage.

Healthy vegetable oils like olive, canola, avocado, corn, sunflower, peanut and others. Avoid partially hydrogenated oils, which contain unhealthy trans fats.

Skip sugary drinks and limit your intake of milk and dairy products. Limit juice to a small glass per day and dairy to one to two servings per day.

The Healthy Eating Plate reminds us that staying active and exercising is also critical to controlling your weight.

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What Is the Harvard Diet? - The Healthy

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Modified Apr 03, 2023 19:15 GMT

The liver cleanse diet aims to help improve liver function naturally. It's also known as a liver detox diet. A diet consisting of fresh, safe and nutritious foods can help improve liver health and protect other vital organs like the heart and kidneys.

The liver is responsible for production and metabolism of certain proteins, degradation of toxic substances and much more. It also produces cholesterol, the essential lipid required to synthesize cell membranes and fat-soluble hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, cortisol and progesterone.

In this article, we discuss how the liver cleanse diet helps improve liver health and protects the vital organ naturally. We also bring you a list of foods to include in this diet.

The term cleanse is a fancy term, as food cannot cleanse any organ. A healthy diet full of nutritious foods improves liver health and boosts its action. Cleanse diets have gained popularity recently, especially the juice cleanse, which claims to improve overall health and detoxify your body.

The liver is also responsible for the detoxification of the body by processing molecules like pharmaceutical agents, alcohol and other extraneous agents. A healthy diet and workout regime can help repair the liver naturally but also protects other organs. A liver cleanse can increase the function of the liver and kidney.

Foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are considered best for the liver. Antioxidant molecules protect liver cells from damage caused by free radicals. Food items are chosen based on their nutrient density. You can design your own liver cleanse diet, as there're no strict guidelines.

A typical liver cleanse diet should include the following categories of foods:

Keep in mind that there are no strict rules to follow in a liver cleanse diet. Such a diet should typically consist of whole and fresh foods that are good for the liver. Regular exercise is also required to improve liver and kidney health. This diet also protects the heart and joints by reducing inflammation.

This diet also reduces risk of fatty liver disease. If you're suffering from any kidney or liver-related issues, consult your doctor or nutritionist to learn about the foods that need to be included and avoided in the liver cleanse diet.

Indranil Biswas is a nutritionist and personal trainer with a diploma in dietetics and personal training with a specialization in sports nutrition and strength training.

What do you think of this story? Tell us in the comments section below.

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What is the liver cleanse diet? Does it work? - Sportskeeda

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Did your mother ever say, "you should eat your greens"? Well, she was right; you should definitely eat your greens and you should make sure she's eating hers, too.

In recent years a growing body of evidence has shown that diet can play an important role in staving off Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Now scientists are starting to work out the details of what such a diet looks like.

You've probably been hearing about theMediterranean dietfor years, based on its known benefits for heart health. But as the saying goes, "What's good for the heart is good for the brain."

Multiple studies have shown the Mediterranean diet to be associated with reduced dementia risk as well. This is because healthy habits (including regular exercise) that keep the arteries clear let more blood flow to both the heart and the brain, nourishing both organs.

TheMIND dietis the (relatively) new kid on the block. It's a mash-up of the Mediterranean diet and theDASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The acronym MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (makes you grateful for acronyms, doesn't it?). And the evidence is strong that it can delay the onset of dementia.

(Credit:Antonina Vlasova/Shutterstock)Balanced nutrition concept for DASH clean eating flexitarian mediterranean diet to stop hypertension and low blood pressure.

According toDavid Geldmacher, a neurologist and director of the Division of Memory Disorders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, the evidence is strong because of its consistency. Multiple studies, he says, have supported not only its role in slowing the progression of cognitive decline but also in improving cognitive performance in some people.

Read More: The 4 Main Types of Dementia

But the mechanisms involved in achieving those results were not known. However, a recentstudyhas shed some light on this. Researchers examined the brains of 581 people who had participated in the Memory and Aging Project at Chicago's Rush University.

The volunteers had agreed to donate their brains for dementia research after their deaths. Before death, they provided ongoing details about their diets. The researchers correlated the number of neurofibrillary plaques and tangles in their brains (hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease) with the foods they'd eaten in the years before they died.

The results showed that the people who adhered most closely to the Mediterranean diet had fewer plaques and tangles in their brains in fact, the number of plaques and tangles in their brains was similar to the number found in someone 18 years younger than the people who adhered least to the diet.

There were similar results for the MIND diet. There, the number of plaques and tangles in the people who adhered most closely to the diet was similar to those found in someone 12 years younger than those who adhered least to the diet.

The fact that this study looked at the specific pathology of Alzheimer's suggests that these dietary approaches have an independent beneficial effect on the brain beyond improving circulation, according to Geldmacher.

Read More: Is the Mediterranean Diet Healthy?

This is impressive, even inspiring. But even if completely preventing dementia is not possible now, at least there are dietary steps we can take to delay its onset. The question is: What specifically would anAlzheimer's prevention dietlook like?

Well, for one thing, it would beverygreen. When the researchers drilled down to specific foods, they found that people who ate the most leafy greens seven or more servings a week had plaque levels similar to those found in the brain of someone 19 years younger than people who ate one or fewer servings per week.

But greens aren't the onlyfoods that fight memory loss.Both diets recommend generous amounts of vegetables and fruits and three or more servings of fish per week. The MIND diet calls for three servings of whole grains daily, lots of berries and beans, and plenty of other veggies.

Still, greens take top honors. Why greens? According to Geldmacher, that's likely because of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of these foods. He adds, however, that some of it may be due to "replacement." If you're loading up on greens, which are full of fiber and therefore filling, you're probably eating fewer harmful foods, such as fried foods and sweets.

There's very little downside to this dietary approach, and the benefits could be huge. However, because of the amount of grains called for, Geldmacher points out that people with diabetes need to be careful to ensure they stay within their carbohydrate limits.

While there is no miracle food for preventing dementia, good food can often work miracles.

Read More: TikTok Responsible For Mediterranean Diet Misinformation, New Study Suggests

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Can the MIND Diet Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's? - DISCOVER Magazine

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By PATRICK WHITTLE

https://apnews.com/article/conch-overfishing-saving-food-extinction-bahamas-08c4c37a1a1429636186e046eb92bda1

FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP) Tereha Davis, whose family has fished for conch from waters around the Bahamas for five generations, remembers when she could walk into the water from the beach and pick up the marine snails from the seabed.

But in recent years, Davis, 49, and conch fishers like her have had to go further and further from shore - sometimes as far as 30 miles - to find the mollusks that Bahamians eat fried, stewed, smoked and raw and are a pillar of the island nations economy and tourism industry.

Scientists, international conservationists and government officials have sounded the alarm that the conch population is fading due to overfishing, and a food central to Bahamians diet and identity could cease to be commercially viable in as little as six years.

When I was a child, we never had to go that far to get conch, said Davis, speaking at a Freeport market where she sold her catch. Without conch, what are we supposed to do?

Conchs potential demise reflects the threat overfishing poses around the world to traditional foods. Such losses are among the starkest examples of how overfishing has changed peoples lives - how they work, what they eat, how they define themselves.

The overfishing challenges faced by Bahamians are mirrored in places as disparate as Senegal, where overfishing has taken away white grouper, long the basis for the national dish of thieboudienne, and the Philippines, where it has depleted small fish such as sardines that are used in kinilaw, a raw dish similar to ceviche.

No longer a theoretical threat, overfishing has wiped out once abundant species and taken off the table forever beloved culturally important dishes. And its a worsening problem - the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has stated that more than a third of the worlds fish stocks are overfished, and the rate of unsustainable fishing is rising.

Governmental organizations and advocacy groups are working to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing that has expedited the loss of species. They blame poaching, poor regulations and lack of enforcement of existing laws. Regulators, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S., have said cutting down on illegal fishing is critical to prevent losing beloved food options.

The potential loss of conch in the Bahamas reflects the threat overfishing poses around the world to traditional foods. Nowhere is as synonymous with a seafood as the Bahamas is with conch. Overfishing is also threatening the national dish in Senegal. (April 6) (AP Video: Serginho Roosblad/Grace Ekpu)

The loss of such foods jeopardizes the availability of protein and iron in peoples diets in poor countries and alters the course of culture in rich and poor nations, said Richard Wilk, a professor emeritus in the Indiana University Department of Anthropology who has studied food cultures. Nations that fail to control overfishing run the risk of repeating the mistakes of countries such as Japan, where the herring fishery collapsed in the middle of the 20th century, costing jobs, reducing access to a traditional wedding food and leaving the country dependent on foreign supplies, he said.

But the toll is heaviest in developing nations and poorer communities.

The way that environmental changes and overfishing affect people and cuisine is different for subsistence fishers, who may end up going hungry, or local marketers, like the women who smoke fish on the beaches in West Africa, Wilk said.

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This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Few countries are as synonymous with a seafood as the Bahamas is with conch. Queen conch, the key food species, is a marine snail that reaches up to a foot in length and can live for 30 years. The shells are conical with multiple protruding spines, and all parts except the shell are edible, with a flavor sometimes compared to both clams and salmon.

The shellfish appears prominently at the top of the national coat of arms and conch is widely recognized as the national dish. Conch shells and symbols of the shellfish are everywhere: A giant statue of a conch shell greets tourists at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the capital city of Nassau. Dishes, spoons and art made from conch shells are for sale at street markets. Flags, T-shirts and hats depicting conch sell briskly to visitors. Conch shells serve as paperweights, bowls, musical instruments and Christmas ornaments.

While conch can be pricey in the U.S. and elsewhere, its so ubiquitous in the Bahamas that finding a filling meal of conch for less than $10 is not difficult. That is less than the price of many meats on the island, and conch is also found for sale at most grocery stores for eating at home. In rural parts of the Bahamas, nearly two-fifths of the population eats conch weekly, according to one 2021 study.

The country of about 400,000 is home to 9,000 conch fishers - fully 2% of the population, and the number appears to be holding steady even as conch declines, according to a study in the journal Fisheries Management and Ecology. The meat of the conch itself is worth millions per year at the docks, and its also a key driver of tourism to the islands, in addition to being an important export item to the U.S. and many other countries where conch is a delicacy.

Divers typically harvest conch by hand, preferably in nearshore waters from a small boat and without gear any more sophisticated than a mask, snorkel and flippers. Sometimes working in fairly deep waters of 20 or 30 feet, divers can take home as many as 1,000 conchs in a single trip. Many fish for other species, such as snapper, but identify first as conch fishers. And for many, fishing is both a family tradition and a ticket to middle class life on the chain of islands, where the cost of living is a bit higher than in the U.S.

The conchs are often cracked open with a hammer on the beach soon after theyre harvested, the meat swiftly removed and the shells discarded. Its typical to see discarded shells piled 8 feet high on the shoreline, and some communities have special shell dumping sites where mountains of empty shells reach to the sky. Some of the shoreline shell piles are solid enough that theyre used as jetties or boat docks.

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Sherica Smith, 44, owns Shabos, a popular conch stand on Grand Bahama Island. She too remembers a time when you could walk out there and get conch. She motioned to the ocean behind her stand, where people fishing conch now must head to sea in boats to dive for the shellfish.

According to numerous government authorities and conservation agencies, queen conch has declined precipitously in some of the nations fishing grounds. A 2011 survey of the Exuma Cays, a critical fishing area, found that the density of adult conch had declined by nearly 91% on the islands shelf over a 20-year period, according to documents from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The depletion of conch followed years of heavy nationwide harvesting - fishers who harvested about 1.7 million pounds of conch in the 1970s were up to more than 14 million pounds by 2006, the documents state. The loss of conch intensified on several fishing grounds around the country starting in the 1990s.

Even Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in the 1950s as the first marine protected area in the Bahamas, is not immune to the loss of conch because fishing pressure that occurs outside of it limits the number of young conch moving into the park, the Food and Agriculture Organization found.

A 2022 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that queen conch shows a negative trend over time and the decrease can largely be attributed to overfishing.

The overfishing of conch is so dire that one estimate shows conch could disappear commercially in less than half a generation, said Lester Gittens, senior officer with the Bahamas Department of Marine Resources. A 2019 report from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago said the queen conch fishery could disappear as soon as 2029 without a reduction in harvesting.

Andrew Kough, a biologist with the Shedd Aquarium who has researched conch in Bahamian waters, said one challenge the shellfish face is the lack of enforcement of existing laws that restrict fishing by foreign vessels. Industrialized fishing fleets from other nations have overexploited some of the areas where conch grow, he said. Many Bahamian conch fishers say the poaching is coming from other nations that harvest conch but are subject to stricter restrictions than Bahamian fishers, such as the nearby nations of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Driven by tough laws in their home countries or depleted conch in their national waters, the poachers turn to illegal fishing in the Bahamas.

Poaching is especially problematic on Cay Sal Bank, an underwater habitat between Cuba, Florida and the Bahamas, Kough said.

Poachers have been operating under the assumption that they wont be caught, Kough said. Enforcement is extremely challenging out there.

The Bahamas national association with conch is also a large part of what has caused its decline, said Lindy Knowles, senior science officer with Bahamas National Trust, a non-profit that manages national parks. Tourist demand for the shellfish has led to its depletion in many areas of the country, Knowles said.

The demand for conch has made it difficult for the shellfish to reproduce fast enough to sustain the population, Knowles said.

The problem of overfishing is worsened by the warming climate, which has brought unpredictable weather that disrupts and damages conch fishing grounds and habitats. The conchs gather in large groups to feed and breed on seagrass beds, some of which have been severely damaged by storms such as Hurricane Maria in 2017. Herds in those areas have thinned, scientists have said.

The growing acidification of the warming ocean is also a threat to conchs because it can cause their shells to deteriorate. The problem is linked to climate change, and is a growing concern for many kinds of shellfish.

And the warming of the seas has also interfered with conchs migration patterns. The shellfish move, slowly, with the use of a single foot, to deeper water in the winter, and return to shallower waters in summer to spawn. However, increasing water temperature due to climate change is likely to alter the timing and duration of the queen conch reproductive season, according to a 2022 study in the journal PLOS One.

Environmentalists and locals in the Bahamas have also said the worsening storms can cause mass conch die-offs, and has caused them to wash up on sand banks.

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In the Bahamas, conservationists want to learn from mistakes in the U.S., which taught the hard lesson that once conchs disappear, its very difficult to bring them back.

Nearly 60 years ago, the once-vibrant Florida conch fishery fell victim to overfishing. Conch was once abundant off the Florida Keys, and Key West still carries the nickname the Conch Republic.

Conch harvesting dates to long before the European settlement of Florida, as Indigenous groups fished for the shellfish millennia ago. It grew to become a commercial enterprise, and reached the point of unsustainability in the middle of the 20th century.

Commercial harvesting of conch, which accelerated after World War II, was banned in Florida in 1975, and even recreational taking of conch was stopped a decade later. The state began attempting to rehabilitate the conch population with a research program in the mid-1980s, but it remains off limits to all harvesters.

The loss of Florida conch is one factor that has led to the U.S. becoming the worlds biggest importer of conch meat, and that has in turn put pressure on Bahamian fishers to harvest more. Since the Florida ban, the Bahamian harvest increased from about 4 million pounds in the mid-1970s to more than 8 million pounds in the mid-2010s.

Scientists are still hopeful about the possibility of one day rebuilding Floridas conch population, but it remains in bad shape, according to reports published by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

One reason conchs have been difficult to restore in Florida is the mollusks life cycle. Conchs take three to four years to reach reproductive age, and theyre very sensitive to water quality, sometimes failing to reproduce if conditions are not ideal.

Conch also tend to be dependent on a strong local population in a given habitat, Kough said. Other marine species can sometimes replace a lost population with a new population that moves in from elsewhere, but this has proven trickier for Floridas conch.

Once theyre gone, they tend to stay gone, Kough said.

In the Bahamas, the government has explored new conservation measures, such as stricter rules about minimal harvesting size, to reduce fishing pressure and let conchs reproduce.

The government has also pursued more aggressive enforcement of existing laws. And the Bahamas National Trust is working to equip fishers with tools to help them physically measure conchs to ensure theyre big enough to harvest.

The U.S. is considering listing conch under the Endangered Species Act, which could halt imports of it into the country, the largest importer in the world.

Reducing the fishery by half over the next three years, as a new proposal promises to do, is one way to potentially stave off the loss of conch, Knowles said.

Previous efforts to more strictly regulate the conch fishery were often not aggressive enough, Knowles said.

One new rule on the table is a change in how the lip of the conchs shell is measured. Current rules say the conch must have a well-formed flaring lip to be considered an adult. However, that doesnt necessarily mean the conch is mature, and a more effective law would provide more specific guidance about how thick the lip must be, conservationists said.

Another possibility touted by conservationists would reduce the amount of conch that is exported, as international demand is a big driver of fishing pressure. Still another proposal calls for a closed season on conch. But many local fishers strongly oppose that idea.

Kough, of the Shedd Aquarium, has led field work in the Bahamas to try to help craft new management strategies for the conch. Aquaculture has been attempted over the years to try to reduce the need for the wild conch harvest, but it has never panned out, he said.

That means protecting the areas of ocean where baby conchs grow is especially important, Kough said.

Its going to depend heavily on properly managing the wild populations, he said.

The potential loss of conch would be a particularly crushing blow for rural parts of the country that rely on it for protein, said Jewel Beneby, a science officer with the Bahamas National Trust.

It is a source of protein in the Bahamian diet, Beneby said. People eat conch all the time, they love it, its a delicacy, its part of our culture. But its also a protein source.

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Many fishers of conch, such as Davis, acknowledge that there are less conch than there used to be. But there is also much opposition to the possibility of new restrictions on the fishery. Even the possibility of a closed season draws ire.

I dont want to see putting a season on the conch, or banning it, Davis said. The government are putting more emphasis on coming down on us. But theres not so much focus on poachers.

Smith, the owner of the conch stand and a fisher for conch as well, said she thinks the concern over the disappearance of conch is overhyped. Like many members of the fishery, and many residents of the Bahamas, she thinks fishers will just need to exert more effort to keep up with demand.

Conch is going to be here forever. Imagine how far the depths of the sea are, Smith said. Every time, the conch has come back.

Others in the Bahamas, such as Davis father, Leroy Glinton, 67, have tried to find new ways to make money with conch. Glinton, a longtime conch fisher, has created a studio to make conch art in his backyard, just steps from where his daughter heads to sea to harvest the shellfish. Its in McLeans Town, Grand Bahama Island, not far from the ruins of an old church made with crushed conch shells that succumbed to time and storms.

Glintons hope is that encouraging more use of conch shells could help reduce fishing pressure. If fishers can get more money out of each individual conch by selling or using the shells, they might not need to harvest so many to make a living, he said.

He realizes it could be hard to convince others to take fewer conch, but he also believes they might not have a choice.

All Bahamians need to realize, dont mind the fast buck. Because when the material is gone, the money is gone, too, Glinton said.

Conservationists such as Knowles say its important that the Bahamian government succeeds in its efforts to reduce overharvest of the shellfish.

There is no Bahamas without conch, Knowles said.

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In Bahamas, a struggle to save conch, and a way of life - The Associated Press

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The excavation of an ancient cemetery in the mountains of northern Mongolia has shed light on the culture and diet of the early inhabitants in the region, according to a new study.

The cemetery is situated in the permafrost, perennially frozen ground, which allowed for the excellent preservation of human remains dating back to 1206 A.D., according to a study published on March 31 in the journal Communications Biology.

The area, known as the Khorig cemetery, has been excavated by archaeologists and scavenged by looters as the melting permafrost has exposed more and more of the site, researchers said.

The skeletal remains of numerous individuals were found alongside bits and pieces of leather, fur and silk, Alicia Ventresca Miller, the lead author of the study, told McClatchy News.

The discovery of opulent goods, such as a silk robe portraying a dragon, indicate aristocratic individuals in the Mongol Empire were buried at the site, researchers said.

The dragon on the robe with five claws is specifically something only used for the imperial family, and so its a bit strange that its that far north, Ventresca Miller said.

The capital of the Mongol Empire was the city of Karakorum, located hundreds of miles south of the cemetery, according to the journal Antiquity.

A gold Buddha figurine was also uncovered, suggesting Buddhism was a significant aspect of elite society in the Mongol Empire. Ventresca Miller was also surprised to see evidence of Buddhism so far north near the Russian border.

Dr. Ventresca Miller excavating a looted burial in Khuvsgul province, Mongolia.

But perhaps the most consequential finding came from analyzing the teeth of 11 buried individuals.

Their dental plaque was examined in a laboratory and various proteins were isolated, allowing researchers to determine what foods the individuals had consumed. Proteins associated with several animal products were found, including yak milk, which was a significant discovery.

This is the first time that yak dairy has been identified in the past - so it is currently the oldest known case of yak milk consumption, Ventresca Miller said.

Until now, little had been known about when early Mongol people domesticated yaks, a species of cattle native to Asia.

The finding helped us verify the long-term use of this iconic animal in the region and its ties to elite rulers, Ventresca Miller, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, said in a press release.

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan, was the largest contiguous empire in the world, uniting Chinese, Islamic, Iranian, Central Asian, and nomadic cultures within an overarching Mongol sensibility, according to research from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Khorig site was located at the northern edge of the empire, and its inhabitants likely traded yak dairy products, which would have been precious commodities, with other regions, researchers said.

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Originally published April 5, 2023, 11:43 AM

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Melting permafrost reveals bodies of ancient Mongolians and their diets, study says - AOL

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How often do you eat each day?

When it comes to meal frequency, each of us has an individual preference, and in a recent interview, Chris Martin revealed his.

On an episode of the Conan OBrien Needs a Friend podcast, the Coldplay frontman said that he eats just one meal a day. Martin shared that he stops eating at 4 pm, and was inspired to follow this meal plan by a fellow musician.

I actually dont have dinner anymore. I stop eating at 4[pm] and I learned that from having lunch with Bruce Springsteen, he shared. I was lucky enough to go over there to lunch the day after we played Philadelphia last year. I was on a really strict diet anyway. But I was like Bruce looks even more in shape than me and Patti [Springsteens wife] said hes only eating one meal a day. I was like, Well, there we go. Thats my next challenge.

However, Martin (and Springsteen) arent the first celebrities to grab headlines after revealing they follow extreme diets.

Martins comments have come shortly after his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow faced criticism for sharing that her diet mostly consists of vegetables and bone broth.

Like Paltrow, Martins eating pattern has been called restrictive by some online critics and health experts warn that following such restrictive diets can raise health risks.

Abagail Roberts, a nutritionist at bulk.com, says its important to note that diets are highly individual, and influenced by many factors, like genetics, lifestyle, health goals, and cultural norms, but generally speaking, eating one meal a day wont be a good choice for most people.

For the general population, consuming only one meal per day can potentially pose health risks, particularly if done for weight loss reasons and without sufficient knowledge of nutrition, she points out.

Roberts says Chris Martins diet is an extreme form of intermittent fasting, an eating style that encourages people to go long stretches without food.

While intermittent fasting is shown to have some benefits, like weight loss and inflammation reduction, Roberts warns that it carries many risks.

Eating one meal per day may increase the risk of binge eating during that meal, causing digestive discomfort such as bloating and constipation, she explains.

She added that intermittent fasting can disrupt the bodys circadian rhythm and negatively affect sleep patterns, which can lead to physical and mental health problems.

Roberts said that consuming only one meal a day can lead to inadequate nutrient intake, causing deficiencies that may lead to various health problems such as fatigue, weakened immunity, and impaired cognitive function.

If you are choosing to eat only one meal a day, Roberts says its absolutely vital that you ensure it includes all the nutrients and calories your body needs to function optimally.

Ideally, she says you should consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your eating habits.

Ultimately though, Roberts believes that even when you take extra care, this eating pattern is unlikely to be sustainable.

Registered nutritional therapist, gut health expert, and founder of Gutfulness Nutrition Marilia Chamon explained that one reason extreme diets often arent sustainable is because they can lead to increased hunger and cravings.

If you only eat one meal a day, your body may start to produce more ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, she said. This can cause you to feel hungrier and have more intense cravings throughout the day.

Add to that, eating one meal a day may encourage you to eat unhealthy foods more often.

Chamon notes that many people may struggle to eat 2,000 calories (the average recommended daily intake) in one sitting unless they eat fast food.

Chamon also believes eating one meal a day carries an increased risk of disordered eating, calling it a slippery slope toward disordered eating habits.

This is particularly true if youre using one meal a day diet as a way to control your weight, or if you have a history of disordered eating, she points out.

So if youre changing your eating habits to either control your weight or improve your health, eating one meal a day likely isnt the way to go.

What does a healthy eating pattern actually look like?

Both experts agree that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. Optimal meal frequency is dependent on many factors, like age, sex, activity level, and overall health status.

However, Chamon believes most people will function best when they eat a varied diet and spread their meals out throughout the day.

While the ideal meal frequency may vary from person to person, the general recommendation is to eat three to four meals per day, she says.

Eating regularly can help maintain stable blood sugar levels, prevent hunger and cravings, and ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to function optimally, she explains.

Roberts concurs.

I would recommend the standard three meals a day, with a couple of snacks in between to keep energy levels stable throughout the day. This is particularly important for active individuals, she explains.

Eating at regular intervals isnt just good for your energy levels; Chamon says it can benefit your digestive system as well. Spreading out your meals adds less pressure to your digestive system resulting in less bloating and more regular bowel movements. This is particularly important for those that have decreased digestive capacity or those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, she notes.

Ultimately though, the ideal diet is one that makes you feel your best. Its highly individual and Roberts recommends listening to your body to determine what exactly you need.

The key is to listen to your body and eat when youre hungry, and stop when youre full, rather than rigidly adhering to a specific meal frequency or schedule, she notes.

Paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues, keeping a food diary, and noticing how energized you feel after eating may help you figure out your ideal eating pattern.

In the end, how you choose to eat is up to you, but for the most part, Roberts says balanced, sustainable eating patterns that promote overall health and well-being tend to work best.

See more here:
Chris Martin Eats 1 Meal Per Day. Here's Why That's a Bad Idea - Healthline

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Food Rituals in a Thin-Obsessed World

The first time I broke Passover, I was ten years old.

The sun had set on the sixth day of the holiday, and my family was resting upstairs, innocent to what I was about to do. Shaking, I cowered in a dark corner of the dining room corner with a bag of cinnamon raisin bread that had gone overlooked. I stuffed pieces of fluffy bread into my mouth, testing what it would feel like to eat the forbidden thing. When the thrill subsided, I felt a paralyzing pain grip my body. I wasnt afraid of being punished by God an anxiety I would later hear about from Orthodox friends I was ashamed of myself.

When I was a child, I adored Jewish food rituals. While it wasnt the norm in my community, I vowed to keep kosher at age eight and chose to fast on Yom Kippur years before my Bat Mitzvah. I loved the thoughtfulness of these rituals. The attention to detail brought a divine presence to mundane moments of my days.

It wasnt long before these holy practices were hijacked.

As an athletic teenager, I became immersed in wellness culture, which stamped morality into every ingredient I consumed. I blended an identical smoothie each morning, did intermittent fasting, and cut out bread-related items for years. Fitspo Instagram ruled my feed.

Soon, it became second nature to think of food in binaries: good versus bad, permitted versus forbidden, or innocent versus guilt-ridden. Holidays like Passover and Yom Kippur, with their religiously-sanctioned food restrictions, were frighteningly easy to observe; I was already fasting, and I didnt eat bread anyway.

Thankfully, midway through college, I found the body liberation movement. Slowly, I started to break free from what I had been taught about bodies, food, and exercise. I learned about intuitive eating: listening to the bodys signals of hunger and fullness instead of imposing external rules. I realized that food is just food nothing more, nothing less. I came to understand that there is nothing wrong with gaining weight, and that it is normal for bodies to change over time.

The body liberation movement has made strides to fight for bodies of all sizes, debunking the myth that thinner is better. Activists and researchers argue that body size does not indicate health, and that health does not determine ones worth.

Even so, we all exist within a diet culture, where prioritization of thinness and weight loss is constant and pervasive.

Diet Culture: The Water We Swim In

Even if you dont realize it, youre swimming in a sea of diet culture.

Noom, a weight loss app currently worth 3.7 billion dollars, has been downloaded by 45 million users, who track their food intake and code food they eat as green, yellow or red (good, medium, and bad). Gwyneth Paltrow recently went viral with a video detailing her wellness routine: she drinks coffee instead of eating meals, fasts until 12pm, and drinks bone broth for lunch. This routine isnt just common, its glorified: Influencers what I eat in a day TikTok videos break down every calorie they eat so their followers can follow suit.

Today, the weight loss industry is worth a whopping $470 billion. Every single day, were told that we should monitor the food we eat and consider the moral implications of every bite. With the insidiousness of diet culture, is it any wonder that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness?

We must consider how these conditions affect our relationship to Jewish food rituals and restrictions.

When Diet Culture and Religious Food Rules Collide

It is with the backdrop of diet culture that we enter Passover: a holiday that tells a story of freedom and liberation.

Passover celebrates the ancient Israelites exodus from slavery in Mitzrayim (Egypt). As Jews today, we are commanded to see ourselves in their shoes.

So, on Passover, we refrain from eating chametz (leavened bread and other related items) and we clean our houses meticulously to remove any traces of the substance. This is meant to be a holy action to connect us to our ancestors, reminding us of deliverance from Egypt when we fled so fast we did not have time for bread to rise. For some, however, this ritual can evoke feelings of scarcity and fear, bringing them back to their own Mitzrayim.

Carbs are the first and biggest thing I cut when I was restricting myself. Theyre the most triggering thing to avoid, one Jewish woman told me. Bread equals evil is a scary thing for me to allow myself to think. Yom Kippur is only one day, but Pesach gives my brain time to settle into scary neural pathways. Basically, Im scared for this week.

Ive felt these feelings too. In 2021, I wrote an article questioning whether it is possible to disentangle fasting from the connotations of weight loss and dieting, and maintain its religious value. Years later, I wanted to better understand how religious food rituals and restrictions impact those with or in recovery from eating disorders. On Instagram and Facebook, I asked people to share their experiences. Sadly, I found that I was far from alone.

I used to relapse in my eating disorder almost every Passover, someone said. People would call Passover the weight loss holiday, another wrote.

When cutting out food groups is the norm in our society, how does this affect our relationship to food rituals? For those whose minds have been enslaved by thoughts of food and bodies, how could food restriction remind us of liberation?

Jewish Approaches to Recovery

Jewish people with eating disorders have to navigate two strong, often competing conceptions of food: diet culture and Jewish culture. Between Sabbath and celebrations, there is a preoccupation with food in Judaism, says Sarah Bateman, a clinical social worker and therapist at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders.

The Renfrew Center hired Bateman specifically to work with Jewish patients. As the organizations Jewish Community Liaison, she considers the unique issues in observance that can be triggering to them.

According to Bateman, Pesach (Passover) observance is filled with potential triggers. We cut out an entire food group for eight days. We engage in an intensive (and often stressful) cleaning process, removing all traces of chametz from our homes down to the tiniest crumbs. We reunite with family members who make comments on our bodies, especially if theyve changed.

The Passover seder itself is filled with counting and portioning of ritual items. It can take hours to arrive at the meal. Those in recovery that have done so much work to undo the idea that certain foods are off-limits. These practices, Bateman says, can resurface dangerous disordered thoughts and behaviors.

Dr. Rachel Millner, a trauma-informed eating disorder therapist, also finds the confluence of food and religious observance to be triggering for her patients. When it comes to deciding whether to observe a Jewish food restriction, she says, Either way, theres guilt. Theres guilt if they observe the ritual, and theres guilt if they dont.

Both therapists noted that shame discourages people from seeking help, particularly when they feel that by doing so, they are betraying their religious practices. The paralyzing shame that I felt while sneaking cinnamon bread as a child has followed many of us into adulthood.

A Mitzvah To Eat, a pluralistic group of Jewish educators and clergy, is working to change this trend. Those who need to follow mitzvot differently, they argue, deserve respectful communal space and be seen as equal members of the Jewish community. This group reminds us that according to the principle of pikuach nefesh, saving a life takes precedence over adhering to the law. Eating disorders are medical threats to mortality, so observing Jewish law is secondary to recovery.

Dr. Millner often recommends that clients struggling with guilt obtain permission from their rabbi to observe mitzvot differently. God wants you to honor this holiday in a way that wont increase sickness or harm, she says.

Creative Interpretations

Bateman uses a two-pronged approach with her Jewish patients.

First, she takes a practical stance, asking her clients, What about this ritual is triggering to you? How can we prepare for that in treatment?

Secondly, she addresses the meaning behind the practice. Why are you engaging in this ritual? What spiritual meaning do you hope to derive from this observance? During Passover, she suggests infusing the holidays themes into ritual practices.

In All Who Are Hungry, an essay in Lilith Magazine, Ilana Kurshan connects the story of Passover to her suffering and eventual freedom from her eating disorder. The words of ha lachma anya (an invitation recited at the beginning of the seder), Let all who are hungry come enter and eat, are an empowering reminder of the possibility of food freedom. Meanwhile, they remind us to sit in empathy and take action, as there are many who, Kurshan says, cannot or will not satisfy their hunger.

Using the symbols of the seder plate, she evokes a dark past (the shank bone) but finds hope in the possibility of rebirth and renewal (the karpas).Reflecting on these connected themes can be useful to all of us not just those in recovery.

Dr. Millner and her friends created a Body Trust Seder complete with a homemade haggadah that marks the journey from diet culture to fat liberation. The haggadah riffs on themes of Passover, and includes the Ten Plagues of Fad Diets and Sonya Renee Taylors The Body Is Not An Apology. Why on this night do we eat whatever the hell we want? the host asks. Because we are free from diet culture.

A Framework of Freedom

For our seders to improve, they must have a liberatory framework. For those in marginalized bodies, Its not just about not eating bread, Dr. Millner says. Those in bigger bodies experience systemic discrimination, or fatphobia, in healthcare, the workplace, media, and more. Creating a seder free of weight stigma begins with thoughtfulness about every detail: the size of chairs, the accessibility of the space, and the way we speak about others bodies and our own.

This isnt just a role for the host: Any guest at a seder can actively foster a more accepting environment for all who wish to celebrate. Simply refraining from commenting on another guests body or food consumption can go a long way.

This Pesach, I leave you with a blessing:

May we have clarity on the ways that diet culture shows up in our lives.

May we remember that no food is morally good or bad.

May we observe rituals in a way that supports our wellbeing, knowing that there is nothing to be ashamed of.

May we create a world where all bodies are valued and treated equally.

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Jewish Food Rituals in the Age of Diet Culture | New Voices - New Voices

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If you want to normalize blood sugar and reduce your risk for full-blown type-2 diabetes, could adopting a low-carb diet help? A new study suggests that it could, in certain cases.

The work looked at what happened in people with prediabetes, a condition characterized by higher-than-normal blood sugar levels that put people at higher risk for diabetes, adopted a low-carb diet. Prediabetes may affect 96 million US adults.

However, the effects of a low-carb diet did not have the same result in white and black participants. The study found a low-carb diet was much more effective in lowering blood sugar in white participants compared to black ones.

Black people represented 59 percent of the study participants.

The randomized clinical trial the gold standard in scientific research enrolled 150 older adults with prediabetes. All were overweight (average BMI was 35), and nearly three-quarters were women.

Over six months, half were randomly assigned to a low-carb diet with frequent dietary counselling, while the others continued with their usual eating habits.

During the first three months, the low-carb group had to keep carbohydrate intake below 40 grams per day, which is roughly the amount found in an English muffin and apple. From the fourth month onwards, the limit increased to 60 grams daily.The low-carb group was told to focus on eating non-starchy vegetables, fish, poultry, lean meat, eggs, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, Greek yogurt, low-carb milk, and small amounts of cheese. They were told to avoid fruits, other forms of dairy, legumes, beans, and grains.

The low-carb group lost an average of 13 pounds during the trial period. They also saw greater improvements in A1C and fasting blood glucose levels, which represented a 60 percent lower risk of developing diabetes within the next three years.

It is unclear, however, if the improved blood sugar resulted from the low-carb diet or the fat loss.

Adopting a diet where carbohydrates are kept this low is unsustainable in the long term. Instead, people should focus on making better nutritional decisions and dialling down bread, sweets, and starchy vegetables.

Focusing on weight loss and including more activity can also help promote lower blood sugar and reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes.

See the rest here:
Can Low-Carb Diets Help Cut the Risk of Diabetes? - Bel Marra Health

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