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Everywhere he went, Al Herrington carried a cross. Not a giant one that drew attention, but small ones that fit in his pocket. And anytime he saw someone, whether he knew them or not, he was ready to hand one out.

He had a bubbly personality, his wife, Gerry Herrington, said. He never met a stranger. He would talk to people he had never even seen before, and pass out crosses.

The crosses were inscribed with the words God Loves You and often came with a card that contained the poem The Cross in My Pocket.

This gesture of passing out crosses is just one example of how Herrington lived his life as a man focused on loving others.

This man, who was known for his life of service, will live on after his death through a different kind of service, one that aims to enable cancer patients to live better and longer lives.

Through a $5 million donation made in his name to the Cancer Foundation For Life, Herringtons sister, Louise Ornelas, will keep his memory alive.

The gift, to be given over the next five years, will fund the national expansion of the foundations FitSTEPS for Life program for incorporation into routine cancer treatment. The gift is expected to serve as a catalyst to generate the funds necessary to perpetually expand and sustain FitSTEPS for Life.

We want to greatly expand, Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Gary T. Kimmel said. The FitSTEPS for Life program, from the beginning, was created as a model to be networked without boundaries.

FitSTEPS for Life is the only known program in the country that offers individualized and free exercise therapy to cancer patients for their lifetime.

The program includes cardiovascular, strength and flexibility exercises using treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, stretch bands and stability tools.

Staff members degreed in exercise science administer the program and certified cancer exercise trainers supervise it.

As a retired oncologist, Kimmel knows the need for and benefits of exercise for cancer patients. He said the major things a cancer doctor sees are the benefits a patient gets from treatment, but also the profound and debilitating effects of the treatment, some of which are permanent.

Kimmel said when he was practicing - he retired in 2001 - there were no rehabilitation programs for cancer patients because there was no reimbursement by insurance and no money to fund the programs.

It wasnt cool to exercise cancer patients back then, Kimmel said.

But he knew having patients just lie around and rest could not be good. It meant the deterioration of cardiovascular and muscular strength along with bone integrity. As an athletic man, he saw exercise as an answer for that.

So with affirmation from what is now Christus Trinity Mother Frances and East Texas Medical Center, Kimmel started the program.

A SMALL START

It began on a small scale. In April 2001, he started going to patients houses, taking in treadmills and starting them on an exercise program.

At the time, pretty much all the patients he went to see were at the end of their lives. But, to his amazement, they benefited from the exercise regimen psychologically, emotionally and physically.

That was really the beginning, he said.

In July 2001, he founded a nonprofit organization with the vision of enhancing cancer treatment through a structured, long-term exercise program for all cancer patients, no matter their level of disability.

This nonprofit would be named the Cancer Foundation For Life.

Since that time, there has been an overwhelming amount of research showing the unprecedented, unparalleled and remarkable benefits of exercise, Kimmel said.

Exercise has not only been proven to increase the survival rate for those with common cancers such as breast, prostate and colon, but also to mitigate the side effects of treatment and improve patients chronic diseases and conditions.

Youre not only improving their cancer, but all of their other diseases as well, he said.

Because of these results, Kimmel had a desire to expand the program to as many cancer patients as he could.

Presently, the FitSTEPS for Life program operates in 16 centers in Texas, and the nonprofit has partnered with Baylor Scott & White, Christus Trinity Mother Frances and Texas Oncology-Tyler.

HOW IT WORKS

The process begins when a doctor refers a patient to the program. The patient attends an initial consultation, which lasts about an hour, and during that time they and a staff member will go over medical history so they can build an exercise plan.

For people who have undergone surgery, sometimes the initial goal is to help them get their range of motion back.

For many who are undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation, the goal is to help address fatigue.

Some centers offer group exercise classes in addition to the usual cardio and weight-training equipment. Professionals degreed in exercise science staff the classes and gyms.

For those participants who have greater physical disability or impairment, staff members will schedule their exercise times so they can be supervised at all times.

Dr. Sasha Vukelja, a board certified hematologist and medical oncologist with Texas Oncology-Tyler and a big supporter of the FitSTEPS for Life program, said introducing exercise into the cancer treatment process is a game-changer.

Because when people think cancer, they think death. But when a doctor tells you to get on a treadmill, theyre thinking about life, not only extending the patients life, but increasing the quality of it.

For example, three months ago, Minnie Smith, 76, of Tyler, could walk for two minutes on the treadmill before she had to stop. And she could not hold a dumbbell in her hands because of the neuropathy caused by cancer treatments. Her trainer tied the dumbbells to her hands so she could do exercises.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1994, the Tyler resident has had multiple surgeries and undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments in her ongoing battle with the disease.

Throughout that time, she has participated in FitSTEPS for Life off and on, and recently returned to the program in May.

With three days per week of exercise in the past three months, she has built up to 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill and can hold 4-pound weights in each hand.

Her goal is to get her body back to where she is able to have treatments again.

Then there is Kathy Hitt, 62, of Tyler, a colon cancer survivor, who initially connected with the program as a volunteer even though she was eligible to use it because of her cancer diagnosis. Once she started volunteering, she decided to participate and now is among the regulars. Though she acknowledges the exercise is good, its the camaraderie that keeps her coming back.

Its like a big family, she said. We all support each other. Its incredible. Its changed my life.

A LEGACY OF SERVICE

Herrington was a participant in the FitSTEPS for Life program during his life (he was in remission for prostate cancer), but it was by no means the focus of his life.

His main interests were the Sonrise Prayer Breakfast, which he started more than 35 years ago and which continues today, and collecting Native American artifacts, a nod to his own familys ancestry, his wife, Gerry Herrington, said.

However, he is most remembered for his heart.

The man who never met a stranger was always looking for an opportunity to serve. If there was something that needed to be done, he was ready and willing to do it.

Through the prayer breakfast ministry, he and others helped families that had no funds with funeral expenses, bought groceries for families, built home wheelchair ramps and donated $10,000 to earthquake victims in Haiti.

He is a service man from the beginning, Dr. Vukelja, who started treating Herrington in 2002, said. He was 16 (when) he served the country. He continued to serve the community and now (through this donation) he continues to provide a service to so many for many years to come.

Born in 1927 in Arp, Herrington was one of seven children. A lifelong East Texan, he stayed in his hometown of Arp until 2016 when he and his wife moved to Tyler.

A veteran of World War II, he joined the U.S. Navy at 16, serving from August 1944 to June 1946 and deploying with the amphibious forces on the USS Fergus in the South Pacific.

Once back in East Texas, he worked as a car salesman and actually started the prayer breakfast ministry for fellow car salesmen, though it eventually expanded to include anyone who wanted to come.

Throughout his life, Herrington was a servant to many, according to those who knew him.

I think his mission was to answer Gods call in his life every day, former Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass said. He was passionate about his faith. He was passionate about showing his faith to others, not by what he told them, but how he made their lives better.

Herrington died on June 12 at the age of 89. He had dementia, but ultimately died of a pulmonary embolism, Mrs. Herrington said.

Dr. Vukelja said it is because of Herringtons kind heart and desire to help others that his sister, Louise Ornelas, decided to make the donation in his name, giving $1 million a year for the next five years, to continue what he was doing by helping more people and providing a service to them.

Through this donation in his memory, the Cancer Foundation For Life will be able to open more centers to allow patients to exercise free of charge. The money will not be used to build buildings, but to deliver a service.

The plan is for these centers to be integrated into existing health care systems, and over the five-year period of the donation, the nonprofit organization plans to open 40 to 50 new centers.

Each new center will be named the Al Herrington Fit STEPS For Life Center and have a plaque with his likeness in bronze.

Kimmel, who has never taken a salary for his work with the foundation, said 90 cents of every $1 donated goes to fund the program. The primary expenses are salaries for the professionally trained exercise specialists and equipment for the program.

With the new centers established through this donation, the foundation will provide the initial funding to train and hire the staff and provide the equipment, if needed, but after a year and a half, the center would have to sustain itself in perpetuity.

The 16 existing locations in East Texas and the Dallas area will continue operating as they have been.

The desire is by no means to leave East Texas behind. Rather, it is to build on the foundation created here so other cancer patients around the country and maybe even the world can experience the same benefits.

This is not an end, but a beginning.

The $5 million, its a catalyst to grow many resources to continue to expand the program and to sustain it, Kimmel said.

When people give to other cancer fighting organizations, they often are investing in new drugs, which is a good and necessary thing. But, if they give to the Cancer Foundation For Life, they are investing in the patients immediately, improving their quality of life, Kimmel said.

Were going to help the patient right now, he said. Exercise will never be replaced by another drug.

TWITTER: @TMTEmily

FitSTEPS FOR LIFE

BY THE NUMBERS

16 years old

16 locations

20 staff members

2,000 cancer patients regularly attending

19,000 people served since inception

$600,000 annual budget

CURRENT LOCATIONS

First Baptist Church, Tyler

301 W. FergusonSt.

Texas Oncology-Tyler

910 E. Houston St.

HOPE Room at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, Tyler

3 DawsonOncology Floor

First Christian Church, Tyler

4202 S. Broadway Ave.

Christus Trinity Mother Frances, Lindale

3203 S. Main St.

See the article here:
$5 million donation to fund national expansion of free exercise therapy program for cancer patients - Tyler Morning Telegraph

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Nuclear tensions are high again between North Korea and the United States days after a much-welcomed cooling-off period with renewed sabre-rattling calling out President Trump by name as the U.S. and South Korea launch joint military maneuvers today.

The Trump groups declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises ... is a reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war, the report in Rodong Sinmun read, according to CNN. The North Korean government newspaper also promised that the pariah state can at anytime target the U.S. with a merciless strike.

The warning printed in an official North Korean government newspaper came just hours before the U.S. and South Korea were slated today to start the so-called Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises, a 10-day annual military drill on the Korean peninsula.

No one can guarantee that the exercise wont evolve into actual fighting, North Korea claimed in the editorial, according to a South Korean news agency.

The messages come after Pyongyang just last week said it had finalized plans to fire four missiles toward the U.S. territory of Guam, though North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ultimately decided to hold off to watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees, a statement seen as backing down on the threat, possibly under pressure from China.

The new rhetoric means the chances of some type of provocation from North Korea such as another missile test or perhaps a cyberattack are quite high, said Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor of Korean studies at Tufts Universitys Fletcher School. Shortly after last years exercises, for example, North Korea conducted its second nuclear missile test in nine months.

North Korea is very good at smokescreen. They sound crazy, but theyre not crazy, theyre not irrational, Lee said. Theyre very good at sending mixed signals before launching a major attack.

That possibility has prompted some calls for the U.S. to scale back the military exercises. Bay State U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, who is currently leading a congressional delegation in Korea, China and Japan, said the U.S. should consider modifying the drills if North Korea agrees to freeze its weapons programs.

Were at a stage of tensions that we have not seen for years, Markey told The Wall Street Journal yesterday. Tensions could flare up again.

But others say its likely North Korea is only using the military exercises as an excuse to act out, and, according to Lee, it could even embolden Kim to try to further bully or even blackmail the U.S. and South Korea again and again.

Theres a lot we can do (through diplomacy) to bring the tension down without undermining the security of South Korea or U.S., said Robert S. Ross, a Boston College political science professor. We can do these things quietly without suggesting youre reducing our opposition to North Koreas nuclear program.

See the original post here:
N. Korea resumes threats ahead of exercises - Boston Herald

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High blood pressure is mostly a "silent" condition, with no visible symptoms. Yet it can have long-term health consequences, including cardiovascular disease. The new guidelines, aimed at prevention, were published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. They include new diagnosis tables based on normal-weight children.

An estimated 3.5% of all children and teens in the United States have hypertension, according to the guidelines.

"The prevalence of 3.5% is based on fairly recent large-scale screening studies," said Dr. Joseph T. Flynn, lead author of the guidelines and a professor of pediatrics at University of Washington. In the past, the percentage of children diagnosed with high blood pressure was lower, he said: "based on previous studies, maybe 1% to 2%."

The cause of hypertension depends on the age group.

"In infants and very young children, we worry about an underlying cause like kidney disease," Flynn said. With older school-age children and teenagers, the cause is more likely to be primary hypertension, sometimes called essential hypertension, "where there's no specific problem," he said. "This is like adults."

"Obesity does contribute to higher blood pressure," he said. Yet the physiological mechanisms causing high blood pressure are very complicated, and not all kids who are overweight or obese are hypertensive, while some normal-weight kids may be.

"If, for example, a child is known to have kidney disease or heart disease, then they would be at higher risk for hypertension. Another group would be kids whose parents have hypertension," Flynn said.

The guidelines include updated blood pressure tables based on normal-weight children for more precise classifications of hypertension. As a result, more children will be categorized as needing treatment.

The new guidelines are aligned with those for adults according to Flynn.

"The blood pressure levels that are concerning in adults would also be concerning in an older teenager," meaning those age 13 and older. "It simplifies things for doctors," he said.

Takeaways for parents

The major thing parents need to know is that their children should have their blood pressure checked when they see a doctor, Flynn said. Also, know that hypertension can be managed with lifestyle change: for example, more exercise or changing the diet. Sometimes, though, the condition requires medication.

Another change in the new guidelines is an emphasis on confirmation of the diagnosis.

"Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a procedure in which the person wears a blood pressure cuff for 24 hours, and their blood pressure is measured periodically over 24 hours," Flynn said. "This is very important in children because there's a very high rate of what's called white coat hypertension, where blood pressure is high in the office (due to fear of doctors) but not at home."

The new recommendation is that ambulatory blood pressure should become standard practice in children after any abnormal in office reading, Flynn said.

Dr. Sophia Jan, director of general pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, said the rationale behind the new guidelines makes sense.

With evidence that there may be consequences for kids whose high blood pressure is not treated at lower thresholds, it makes sense to treat them earlier than in the past, said Jan, who was not involved in the new recommendations.

What she would tell parents is that "we're not doing anything majorly different. We're still going to check your child's pressure when he or she comes for wellness child visits. That's what we've done always in the past." What's new is that "we may be quicker to recommend that you and your family help your child engage in lifestyle changes if your child's pressure is within a threshold that is lower than in the past.

"Everyone's loath to put kids on medicines if you don't have to, but we may need to get there a little bit faster than we have traditionally in the past," Jan said.

She said that she understood how difficult it is for families to be able to have full control over what their kids eat and how much physical activity they get.

"This is increasingly a public health problem," Jan said, since schools don't always have budgets that would allow for exercise programs and lots of veggies and fruits in school lunches.

"As doctors, we recommend these lifestyle changes, yet in reality, it requires partnership with schools and public health agencies," she said. "We in the pediatric community did not necessarily appreciate to what degree kids were starting to exhibit what is traditionally thought of as an adult condition. Kids can show early signs of organ damage and increased risk for cardiovascular disease despite the fact that they're young."

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Many more children will suddenly be diagnosed with high blood pressure - CNN

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Female-fronted films have become a trend in Bollywood with scriptwriters penning compelling characters for women. Female actors, too, are willing to do everything that it takes to give a flawless performance. And this includes extreme body transformation to fit into a role. While Shraddha Kapoor put on 9 kg for her film Haseena Parkar, Swara Bhaskar lost 10 kg for Veerey Di Wedding after gaining 8 kg for Nil Battey Sannata. Bhumi Pednekar who weighed 92 kg for her debut film, lost 27 kg for Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Bhumi says that it was high time that female actors started experimenting with their looks. In the West, when actors transform themselves, it doesnt mean that they are not glamorous. Audience expect acting and not just glamour in films and if they get both, its a bonus. But sadly, in Bollywood, if you do content driven roles, you fear getting typecast.

Bhumi Pednekar in Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) when she weighed 92 kg. She lost 27 kg for her latest release Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Swara says that things are surely changing for women. Over the last decade, female actors have become conscious of different forms of preparations for their roles. They work hard and its reflecting in great performances, she says.

Swara Bhaskar gained 8 kg for her 2016 release Nil Battey Sannata . But she has lost 10 kg to portray her character in her upcoming film Veerey Di Wedding.

Earlier, female actors would be conscious of how they will look after gaining weight, but todays generation is flexible about it. Experts say that female actors have set a high benchmark for themselves, and are least bothered about body shaming on social media.

Shraddha Kapoor in the film Haseena Parkar.

Apoorva Lakhia, director of Haseena Parkar, says that women in Bollywood are fast raising the bar. I dont know if its competition or self belief but they want to be counted for their talent and not just for being pretty, says Lakhia. As directors, we are lucky to have female actors who are willing to challenge themselves to take greater risks, he adds.

Film critic Omar Qureshi agrees. Hats off to these women, who wear layers of prosthetics or undergo physical changes to essay characters. Their devotion shows in their performance.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

See the rest here:
From Shraddha Kapoor to Bhumi Pednekar: Actors lose weight, add kilos for films - Hindustan Times

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I woke up the other morning and saw a post on Facebook about a white football player supporting his fellow black teammate in protest of the National Anthem. I was so geeked up! When I get excited, I sing and make up dances but not like, The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round type lyrics. Im more like, Oooooooooohhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaah! Lemme see this whiiiiiiiiiiiiite boy on his kneeeeeeeeee! It wasnt until I was at the end of the article that I realized that people were praising Chris Long of the Philadelphia Eagles for placing his arm around his black teammate, Malcolm Jenkins as he held up his fist during the National Anthem. I guess its something, right? Sure. I kept reading and came across a quote by Long, Ive said before that Ill never kneel for an anthem because the flag means something different for everybody in this country but I support my peers. Yes, I know there is more to his quote. I dont care (dont @ me). And THATS what I call Diet Support.

Well damn, Chris! Thanks for putting yourself out there. I had to look at two pictures and read an entire article before I realized what your support was. Sometimes Im a little too woke. I get it. Im constantly checking my initial reactions to things especially when it comes to racism and allies. Its like, hey, boo! I see you with your Black Lives Matter button on your jacket! *whispers I had to squint to see it but I saw it sooooooooooooo, cool. Then the next day my Facebook is blowing up like,Look guys! We got ANOTHER white player supporting us! I grabbed my eclipse glasses because I might not see this again in my lifetime and I didnt want to damage my own vision. I see a photo of Justin Britt of the Seattle Seahawks with his hand on the shoulder of black teammate Michael Bennett as he sat during the National Anthem. I mean, visually, it made me uncomfortable but again, Im too woke sometimes. How much more powerful would it have been to see a white player actually take a knee WITH his black teammate and show actual support?

There was a terrorist attack in Barcelona this week that took over my white friends social media feeds. Pray for Barcelona, I stand with Barcelona and even I am Barcelona. People always show what and who they support when tragedies occur. I remember when there was a terrorist attack in London at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper. Everyone was all Je Suis Charlie but no one was Je Suis Tamir or Travon or Sandra. Its a dagger to the heart every single time. I used to hate when people said, what about us but really, what about US?! People of color are dying at the hands of paid public servants and you cant move your mouth OR your fingers to declare that Black Lives Matter? I get that were supposed to meet people where they are but why dont you try meeting me at least close to where I am? Paid public servants were ALLOWED to murder a 12 year old CHILD who was PLAYING IN A PARK and you want to offer your arm around me? No thanks. I dont want your Diet Support. I want the full-fat. I need all the calories. Give me all the good stuff. Get on your knee; put your fist in the air; wear a Black Lives Matter shirt and when someone whispers All Lives Matter take the time to let them know whats really going on; tell your racist uncle that hes racist and stop laughing at your co-workers racist jokes. Ok? Thanks, team.

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Diet Support aka Diet Ally - HuffPost

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Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what fit people in different fields eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of WWE star Seth Rollins.

For years, wrestling fans were hyping up Seth Rollins as one of WWEs brightest young stars. Nowadays, hes a certifiable main eventer and a video game cover star, to boot. And as one of the flag bearers ushering in a new generation of professional wrestling, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to both look and perform well. (Hes not known as CrossFit Jesus for nothing.) Ever wonder what it really takes to achieve videogame abs or how much food you need to eat in order to step between the ropes? We caught up with the WWEs resident kingslayer ahead of SummerSlam to answer all those questions and more.

GQ: You were recently announced as the cover star to this years WWE 2K18 video game, and the Internet has had a lot of fun talking about how realistic your character in the game looks, specifically the care for detail when it came to your abs. So let me ask you: are abs made in the kitchen or in the gym?

Seth Rollins: I think its a bit of both, you know? Obviously, you can be skinny and have some abdominal definition, but for them to really pop, if you will, youre going to have to put in some time. Youre going to have to do some core exercises and lift some weights, some resistance. Otherwise youre not going to build any muscle in that area, which is whats going to help you be able to show them off a little bit more.

Its no secret at this point that the WWE maintains one of the crazier schedules in sports and entertainment. You guys are going pretty much non-stop, all day long doing media, working out, driving to shows, putting on said shows. So what does an average day look like for you when it comes to eating?

It sort of depends on if Im home or away, but when Im on the road, generally I like to find a good, local breakfast restaurant. Thats my first go-to in the morning. Its one of the ways I can feel like Im doing something with my time other than just working. Generally I have some sort of balanced meal. Three to five eggs for me is good. Whole eggs. Im not an egg whites guy. I cant deal with egg whites. I need the flavor of the yolk, and I like the fat of it, as well. So Ill have that and some sort of potato. If Im not feeling potatoes and Im feeling extra spicy, Ill throw in a pancake or something like that. But they key is just one, for a little bit of carbs to help balance out the diet. If you order three or more pancakes and throw them in my face, Im going to eat them all. And then Ill have a coffee, too. Usually from there Ill go to the gym.

Do you do anything special for a pre-workout, or is your breakfast essentially your pre-workout?

If Ive had coffee in the morning, I wont mess with a pre-workout [supplement] because I dont want to overload on caffeine. I like the caffeine that I do take to be effective and useful, so instead of a pre-workout Ill just kind of ride the morning caffeine wave into the gym. During the workout its mostly just water that Im drinking. If Im not feeling hydrated, sometimes Ill take a little electrolyte supplement that I can just put in my water to help me absorb and hydrate a little better.

Like one of those tablets that just dissolves right into your water?

Yeah, like a Nuun tablet. Those are really effective as far as helping me absorb a good ratio of potassium and sodium and magnesium. Electrolytes without the added sugar of a sports drink.

What about post-workout? What is your go-to after youve finished working out?

Afterwards Ill have a shake, which is usually a pretty heavy shake as far as carbohydrates and protein are concerned. Then Ill go find some more food. Lately Ive beenfor the first time in my career, actuallytraveling with food on the road. One of the things that I wanted to do with my diet in the last few months was create some more consistency. Sometimes when youre on the roadyou mentioned our schedule. Between media, workouts, driving, the shows themselves, theres a lot of room for, I guess, diversity in terms of what were eating and when were eating depending on what town, or even what country, were in. There are all sorts of stuff as far as how we get our food. So for me, I started traveling with meals in the last month or so, really trying to create some consistency in my diet. Its been a little bit of a hassle, but its also been useful and effective. I feel, particularly in my macro counts, just a consistency and a good balance. Plus this way I always have food on me, as opposed to having to go out and try to find stuff. Ive been packing a lot of frozen meals into a very large Yeti cooler over the course of my travels recently.

What type of frozen meals are you typically bringing along with you? Do they follow any sort of dietary restrictions?

I like fats. I think fat is important. I think there is a reason we have it. Obviously its part of our dietary makeup, so I dont avoid it. I think a lot of people fall into the diet trap of starving themselves or eating things that dont taste good for the sake of getting in better shape or having a better physique. I think there has to balance there. I dont avoid carbs. I dont avoid protein. I think its just, again, about balance and finding what works for you and your body. For me, having a higher protein, higher carbohydrate, and middle-of-the-road fat count usually gets the job done as far as my energy needs and for my physique.

For your main meals, what type of fatsIm guessing we would classify them as healthy fatsdo you prefer?

Im a big avocado brother. I love the avocado. So if I can get some avocado in a meal, thats a big win. Otherwise I try to find a good, solid, fattier piece of meat. It doesnt have to be crazy. I dont need to go find olive oils or coconut oilswhich are fineor something like that to get the fat. I find that if you, for example, use a chicken thigh as opposed to a chicken breast, youre going to be able to get a more flavorful chicken. Youre still getting your protein in and, at the same time, youre going to be able to get a little bit more fat in there, which is going to help fill you up and give you a little more energy throughout the day.

One thing I wanted to ask you about: You have your own wrestling school now, the Black and Brave Wrestling Academy. I was curious how much focus you put on nutrition for the people who attend your school when theyre first coming in?

"I dont need to go find olive oils or coconut oilswhich are fineor something like that to get the fat. I find that if you, for example, use a chicken thigh as opposed to a chicken breast, youre going to be able to get a more flavorful chicken."

Thats one of the main questions I get from my students when they first come in. Now, mind you, these are mostly young kids18, 19, 20 years old. A lot of them, to be fair, have not participated in athletics before. Theyre just wrestling fans that want to give it a shot and see what its all about. But they usually come in undersized. And again, theyre still young kids, so theyve got a lot of size to put on. Theyre also usually poor kids that are just trying to make ends meet. They dont come in with a bunch of money that makes it easy for them to find good foods all the time. So my general advice to them is to eat a lot. They think they know what eating a lot is, you know? And then theyre like, Why cant I gain weight? Well, chances are youre not eating nearly as much as you think you are. What I always tell them to do is track how much they actually eat for about a week and just see how the calories lay out. Nine out of 10 times when they do that, theyll find that theyre not eating nearly as much as they thought they were. So my first bit of advice is to just max yourself with food because you need the sustenance as a kid. Being as young as they are, theyve got a metabolism thats probably pretty high and the workload that theyre putting themselves through at my academytheyre doing a lot of work. Far more work then theyve probably ever done in their lives over the course of three months. So I just tell them to eat and eat and eat until they cant eat anymore. For someone who is already in good shape or has the size already, then I can work from there to help mold them into what they want to look like. But, for the most part, the guys just dont eat enough and they need the sustenance if they want to grow.

Spitball a number to me for an average kid who you see come in. How many calories are they usually in taking versus how many they really need to be?

I would say theyre probably eating half of what they need to be eating. Theyre probably putting in 2,000 to 2,500 calories, which is pretty normal. If theyre really trying to gain size, they could probably go up to 4,000 calories. Which sounds insane, but if you really want to gain weight and put size on, thats really the only way to do it. Calories in versus calories out.

Part of the problem, too, is with my program, what theyre doing in the ring and what theyre required to do in the gym, theyre burning a lot of calories. Theyre burning a lot more than what theyre used to.

You and I have spoken about this in the past, but youre huge into CrossFit. Because youre putting yourself through pretty demanding, high-intensity workouts on top of everything else you do, Im sure youre putting an even bigger emphasis on making sure youre getting calories in.

Yeah, I feel like its a never-ending process of tearing yourself down and building yourself back up. I sort of see fitness in that sort of way, making little strides along the way. I think people are impatient with their fitness and their bodies. Theyve got to understand that it takes years and years to get yourself to where you want to be. Its not an overnight thing. Theres no quick fix. Its just a matter of being disciplined and working hard. For me, since I found CrossFit seven years ago, my metabolic output has been a lot more than when I was not doing CrossFit. Im burning more calories, so I need to eat a little bit more. Which is good for me. It lets me play around with my diet a little. That way I can enjoy my food as opposed to hating what I eat all the time.

SummerSlam is Sunday in Brooklyn, and along with WrestleMania, that show has become a sort of milestone on the WWE calendar. Do you allow yourself to have a celebratory meal to mark the occasion after such a big show?

Not necessarily, but Im also not one to shy away from celebrating with food. Im not somebody who has to discipline themselves too much, unless Ive really gone off the rails for weeks at a time. If theres a special occasion, a birthday, an outing with friends, or even just a food I really want to trylike, if Im in New York and theres something on the news saying youve got to go try this crazy ice cream cookie doughnut sandwich or something, Im not shy about having that. Or a cheat meal, or whatever you want to call it. I just think that, again, comes back to having a good relationship with food. Not having it be such a strict thing all the time where youre constantly fighting against what youre eating to get to a point where youre like, Now I get my cheat meal! Now I get to reward myself! I try not to think about food that way. I enjoy eating. I enjoy the process of it, and I dont want it to become something that I dislike, you know?

It doesnt need to become another job for you.

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The Real-Life Diet of Seth Rollins, Wrestling Star and CrossFit Jesus - GQ Magazine

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August 18 is National Ice Cream Pie Day. (It's also the third week of National Crayon Collection Month, but who's counting?) You know whose arteries ice cream pie is good for? No one. Plain and simple. But Habit, one of the latest disrupters in the food tech sector, suggests we rethink the very notion of foods that are good for everyone or bad for everyone. It's part of a movement toward what is called personalized nutrition.

Habit, based in the San Francisco Bay area, tests for biomarkers and genetic variants using samples you provide, then generates a personalized report about how your body responds to food. It's your unique "nutrition blueprint." Then the company pairs you with a nutrition coach and offers you custom-made meals, containing your ideal ratio of carbs, fats and protein, delivered to your home. All in the name of sending you on the path to a "new you."

I had to see for myself. So I endured the home test and shipped off my blood and DNA samples. (Gulp.) Then the company's chief executive walked me through the results of my newfound eater identity, and I observed how the diagnosis began to affect my relationship with food. Here's what happened and what it could mean for the future of eating in America.

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The Habit home kit is not for the faint of heart. After fasting for 10 hours, you answer lots of deeply personal questions, scrub DNA samples from your cheeks and puncture your fingertips with a self-pricking button (technical term: "lancet"). This sounds rough, but my lowest moment is actually chugging their special Habit Challenge Shake. It clocks in at 950 calories, 75 grams of sugar and 130 percent of daily saturated fat intake. It has a taste and smell I can only liken to Kahla. It makes me feel god-awful while drinking it nose pinched, pinkie out, face scrunched and even worse afterward. It was bad enough I had sacrificed my Saturday morning frittata ritual.

By the third blood sample, my dining table looks like a crime scene. I've got bandages on two fingers, mini disinfectant pads strewn around, and cherry red blood dripping down my forearm. I'm angling my elbow like a helicopter hovering over the little blood collection card, just trying to fill the darn box one last time so I can move on with my day. Finally, I pack it up and mail it all off in a rather alarming biohazard bag. The whole ordeal takes about three hours and costs $309.

I'm told I'll receive my results in a few weeks. While I wait, I wander back to the Habit website and take a closer look at those pages and pages of fine print. I start to have second thoughts at sentences like, "You may experience stress, anxiety, or emotional or physical discomfort when you learn about health problems or potential health problems."

Then there's this: "Recommendations regarding diet provided to you may or may not be beneficial to you and may cause or exacerbate certain medical problems."

Say what now?

Thankfully, when the results come in, I get labeled a "Range Seeker." In official Habit-speak, it means "you can be flexible with your macronutrient intake and thrive on a range of foods." Well, that's a relief.

There are seven Habit types, each with dozens of more specific sub-variations, varying from "Slow Seeker" (best suited for foods rich in fiber and carbs that are absorbed slowly) to "Fat Seeker" ("fat is a valuable fuel source for you"). Along with receiving your tribal designation, you're assigned a personalized eating plan, depicting your ideal plate, suggested nutrient goals and daily calorie target.

I'd be lying if I said the results haven't been affecting my food choices, or at least the way I feel about my food choices. For instance, since being told I have a genetic risk variant associated with slow production of omega-3s, I have been seeking salmon like a grizzly bear. Apparently, I'm also genetically predisposed to caffeine sensitivity. Many a morning, this news has me sitting at my desk thinking I must be tripping out on my cup of joe despite the fact that I have consumed the exact same amount of coffee every day of my adult life.

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On the face of it, personalized nutrition makes sense. Why wouldn't I want to understand the unique dietary yearnings and land mines of my own DNA? Many people seem to feel that the existing national dietary guidance of one-size-fits-all has failed them. They're sick, and they're confused about what to buy and what to order.

But in reducing food to individualized nutrient optimization equating food with fuel, really what are we sacrificing? What are the implications for our food culture and the future of dining? "Oh, gosh, I'd love to go out for sushi with you, but I have to scurry home to my prearranged 'Range Seeker' box in the fridge."

Neil Grimmer, Habit's founder and chief executive, recognizes that food is social. He tells me that it "knots us together culturally," so Habit is in the process of facilitating online communities for people with the same Habit type. Through a private Facebook page, they can share tips and the like. It's better than going it alone, I guess, but a far cry from actually sharing a meal.

Remember the $300 you put down for the home test? It includes a coaching session, so a nutritionist helps you put all your information into practice. During my session, Jae Berman, a registered dietitian nutritionist and head coach of Habit, is a great help. But things don't look so rosy when I ask her how I'm supposed to integrate Habit into regular life.

"The family conversation has been one of the most common questions we have gotten," she says. "It doesn't occur to me as a problem because I just want people to take ownership of their story ... have the empowerment to say, 'This is what my plate looks like; that's what your plate needs to look like,' and move on." Even, she says, if that means everyone at the table eating something different. Have you ever tried being the short-order cook in that scenario? It all but requires outsourcing the meal making.

Imagine, Berman says, a mom who's stressed out, with kids running around, "a husband who is a rail," all the while she has no time for herself, is struggling with her weight, and trying to figure out what on earth to cook for dinner. "Most people don't want to talk about uncomfortable things," Berman says. "But let your kids eat mac and cheese, let your husband do what he needs, and let you have this plate for your dinner. You don't need to do anything it's going to show up at your door."

This desire to customize our food experiences stems from the uniquely American trait of individualism. Often subconscious, it's a desire to be exceptional, distinct from those around us, as opposed to being part of a larger collective. By contrast, many other cultures around the world are characterized by interdependence. It turns out, individualism shapes our eating habits in stunning ways, from the epidemic of solo dining to customization as a firmly expected attribute of eating out.

Habit is the latest example of a new technology enabling that innate premium on personalization, and over time, these tools are pulling us further and further from the table. Think smartphones making us feel less alone while eating alone, and mobile ordering apps allowing us to tailor our meal delivery times and our restaurant orders with greater precision. With roughly half of all eating occasions now taking place when we're by ourselves, we're getting less and less practiced at eating with others.

This reality has major implications for our food culture, and for the rising rates of social isolation in the United States. You know what the single greatest predictor of happiness is? Social connectedness. And guess what: It's one of the greatest predictors of longevity, too.

Of course I want people to eat food that's right for them. But we also have to ask ourselves: Which is really going to make us live longer, and live better? The ability to pay more granular attention to our triglyceride levels, or the more holistic benefits of eating with family and friends?

My grandmother turned 100 this year. Between the birthday parties and the bridge club, her standing dinner dates and the three times a day she picks up her neighbors in their retirement home hallway to take their walkers down to the dining hall, a thriving social life has been Alma's secret to a long life. Whether I'm chomping on my salad, face glued to my iPhone, or waving off her breakfast offer by citing the low-glycemic Kind bar I just finished off, she tells me time after time: She'd take the cake and the friendships any day.

Egan is author of "Devoured: How What We Eat Defines Who We Are" (William Morrow/HarperCollins), recently released in paperback.

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I sent in my DNA to get a personalized diet plan. What I discovered disturbs me. - Chicago Tribune

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Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death worldwide. According to the American Heart Association, you can lower your heart-disease risk by keeping blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugars regulated. If you smoke, are overweight or inactive, or if you need to make healthier food choices, you need to improve your lifestyle. All of this may sound daunting. Making a few simple dietary changes could fix most of these risk factors.

1. Sodium is just part of the story

Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is high in sodium and extremely low in potassium. Sodium and potassium are considered nutrient partners and need to be balanced. You should eat more potassium than sodium. You might be thinking, My daily banana gives me all the potassium I need. But you need to eat 11 bananas a day to meet the minimum daily potassium requirement. How can you meet your potassium needs? Eat plants and lots of them.

Try other potassium-rich plants like avocados, potatoes and beans.

Use crisp veggies like carrots, celery or broccoli, to replace chips for dipping.

Smoothies. Pack your blender full of plants, add a banana for sweetness, any liquid of your choice and blend away.

Use food trackers like Cronometer to measure the sodium-to-potassium ratio in your diet. (Warning: Math is involved).

2. Give your plate a plant slant.

Fifty percent of heart attacks occur in people with normal blood lipids. These people are active, seem super-healthy and then suddenly have a heart attack. This happened to Bob Harper, a trainer from NBC-TVs The Biggest Loser. These "out of nowhere" heart attacks are often caused by inflammation.

Inflammation can be measured many ways in the blood, most commonly as C-reactive protein. Many dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean Diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) pattern can lower the risk of heart disease by decreasing inflammation. Both diets focus mostly on plants, primarily vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and berries.

Cook sweet potatoes in the microwave for five to eight minutes. Dont forget to pierce them first.

Add berries to your oatmeal recipe.

Replace your typical afternoon snack with a handful of almonds.

Try using a meal planning website or app, like Eat This Much, to provide weekly Mediterranean recipes.

3. Choose oils over solid fats

Liquid oils, like olive oil and the fats found in fish, are better for your heart than solid fats such as butter and palm oil. By eating a more plant-based diet, youll naturally eat less solid fat without thinking about it.

Roast veggies in the oven; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic and onion powder.

Use unsweetened applesauce to replace butter and vegetable oil in baking recipes.

Take steps to add an extra serving or two of veggies to your plate. Developing long-lasting dietary habits wont happen overnight. Dont get discouraged, but think of each plate as an opportunity to improve your health. Be mindful of what you eat, and most of all, enjoy it.

Dr. Lia Nightingale is an associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic. She has a Ph.D. in food science and human nutrition, and lives on a farm in rural Osco, Illinois, with her husband and three children.

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Start the Week Off Right: Easy changes for a heart healthy diet - Quad City Times

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This is scary to consider, but what if we still haven't seen the best of David Johnson? What if Johnson, who cemented his status as the best all-around back in football by leading the league in yards from scrimmage last year, is still getting better?

It's certainly possible. According to the Cardinals' running back, he feels more energized and less fatigued this summer after he changed his diet a month ago.

As ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported on Thursday, Johnson eliminated meat from his diet and switched to a plant-based diet after he watched two documentaries on Netflix.

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," Johnson said. "I thought it would definitely be hard just because, as Americans, we're taught to eat a whole bunch of meat. It's not even just eating meat, it's the portions. What I've learned is that we're taught eating like 24 ounces of steak is a manly thing, when really you're only supposed to eat 8 to 10 as a portion."

The two documentaries? "What the Health" and "Forks Over Knives."

Johnson did introduce meat back into his diet, though, after he lost too much weight. According to ESPN, he reported to training camp at 223 pounds. Still, he's not consuming large portions of meat anymore.

"We've learned that meat is bad for you," he said. "But it's really where you get the meat from and how much you eat of that meat in each sitting, because most Americans eat lunch, dinner, supper and it's always meat and it's always a huge portion. We're just learning about that stuff."

Johnson will need to be at his best this year if he's going to meet his goal of becoming the third player in NFL history to accumulate 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He'll also need to be energized as the Cardinals are aiming for Johnson to average 30 touches per game, which has only happened once in NFL history.

Johnson is hardly the only NFL player to cut back on meat. According to Tom Brady's personal chef, 80 percent of what Brady eats is vegetables. The other 20 percent is lean meat. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers once told ESPN that he eats a "vegan diet with some red meat at times and some chicken." Colin Kaepernick's vegan diet has been well documented.Those are just a few examples.

One person who won't be joining in on the plant-based approaches? Johnson's coach, Bruce Arians. On Friday, Arians told ESPN he followed a vegan diet for 27 days due to his doctor's orders. When he was asked what he enjoyed about the diet, Arians said, "Nothing."

Originally posted here:
David Johnson eliminated most meat from his diet after watching two documentaries - CBSSports.com

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By Carrie DennettSpecial to The Washington Post

The concept of eating a "plant-based" diet is tossed around frequently, but it's a label that can be confusing. Some people shy away from the notion because they assume that plant-based is code for vegan. On the other hand, it's easy to think that eating all plants and no animals guarantees that your diet is healthful and nutritious. But does it?

The research in support of plant-based diets is bountiful, which is likely because of what they include - vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber - as much as what they don't - excess saturated fat. But one limitation of much of that research is that it defines "plant-based" as vegetarian. Plant-based diets can take many forms, from vegan to vegetarian to flexitarian to omnivore. The common denominator is that they make plant foods the focal point of the plate. If you choose to eat animal foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs or dairy, they play smaller, supporting roles.

The other limitation is that the research tends to treat all plant-based diets equally, without regard to food quality. The fact is that many people focus on avoiding certain foods but are blind to whether the rest of their diet is nutritionally adequate. This is one of the perils of demonizing specific foods - no one food makes or breaks a diet, and it's your overall eating pattern that matters most for health and well-being.

That's not the message you get from many of the recent plant-based diet "documentary" (in other words, propaganda) films. The latest, "What the Health," blames animal foods for every ill known to man and woman. While excessive amounts of animal protein and fat aren't good for us, that doesn't mean that moderate amounts in the context of a plant-rich diet are harmful. An excessive amount of anything isn't good - even water - and a cupcake is a cupcake, even if it's vegan.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology seems to agree. It found that when it comes to the plants you eat, quality does count - and omnivores have a place at the plant-based table, too.

The study, which came from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, included more than 200,000 women and men from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, aimed to get a clearer answer on both quantity and quality of plant foods needed to see a benefit for health. This included the role of animal foods. Researchers measured what proportion of each participant's diet was plant-based, and whether those plant foods were healthful - vegetables, fruits, whole grains - or unhealthful - sweetened beverages, refined grains, sweets.

They found that a diet rich in healthful plant foods is associated with a substantially lower risk of developing heart disease, while a plant-based diet that emphasizes less-healthful plant foods is associated with increased risk of heart disease. Those eating a nutritious plant-based diet while also being more physically active fare even better. In a 2016 study, the researchers found similar results for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The study also supports the value of a plant-rich diet even for omnivores. Individuals who ate the least plant foods were eating about five or six servings of animal foods per day, while those with the most plant foods were eating three servings of animal foods. This means that reducing - not eliminating - animal foods even slightly while increasing healthy plant foods has benefits for preventing heart disease and diabetes. This allows a lot of flexibility with eating. The traditional Mediterranean diet follows this pattern, as do other healthful dietary patterns from around the globe.

While association does not prove cause and effect, there are various physiological mechanisms that may explain the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Whole and minimally processed plant foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants, along with heart-healthy unsaturated fats and dietary fiber. Together, this can promote healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, while lowering inflammation and nourishing your gut microbiota. To reap these benefits, here's what to eat more of:

- Whole grains and foods made from whole grain flour.

- Fruits and vegetables.

- Nuts, beans and lentils.

- Vegetable oils (olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil) in dressings and for cooking.

- Tea and coffee.

- Healthy animal foods like fish, dairy (other than ice cream) and eggs.

At the same time, here's what to eat less of:

- Fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages.

- Refined grains and foods made from white flour.

- French fries, potato or corn chips, and baked or mashed potatoes.

- Sweets (candy, pastries, desserts).

- Less-healthful animal foods (butter, lard, meat, ice cream).

In this era of "free-from" foods (lactose-free, gluten-free, GMO-free), this study is a reminder that for nutrition and health, what you do eat matters as much as, if not more than, what you don't eat.

Dennett is a registered dietitian-nutritionist and owner of Nutrition by Carrie.

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Plant-based diet? Sure, but first understand what it means - Fosters - Foster's Daily Democrat

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