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Thanks to an overabundance in her herb garden, Alyssa Milanos family is getting a hint of mint in every dish this summer, whether they like it or not.

My mint is out of control right now, so I basically put it in everything, Milano, 44, tells PEOPLE. It doesnt matter what it is, its getting mint in it.

The Charmed and Whos The Bossstar incorporates the refreshing herb into her club soda and into summer dishes like her go-tofresh watermelon, feta cheese and cucumber salad.[Its] super easy to make and super delicious, she says.

Milano follows a low-carb diet a lifestyle she has maintained through Atkins after looking for a way to shed thebaby weight following her last pregnancy.The last 20 pounds were kind of stuck and I couldnt get them off, says Milano, a spokesperson for the diet company. I did some research and Atkins had such a great community and tools to help you through it, and for me, thats really what made the difference.

RELATED: Celebrities Who Eat the Same Thing (Pretty Much) EveryDay

The actress and her husband David Bugliari, 38, avoid items like rice and pasta, instead opting for high-protein meals and healthy fats.We feel satisfied, she says. Were not stripping our kitchen bare and saying, We cant eat this, we cant eat that.'

When it comes to family dinners with her two children,Milo, 5, and Elizabella, 2, Milano says the kids dont question why Mom and Dads plates dont match their own.Its just been part of their life that we eat slightly different, she says. I dont think kids diets should be structured like that.

From PEN:Oprah Shares Some Of Her Favorite Foods For Weight Loss

But there isnt a drastic disparity between what she serves her kids and what she makes for herself. Milano modifies her favorite recipes to suit everyone (picture taco night as hard corn tortillas for the little ones and lettuce cups for the grown ups).Its super easy to modify for us and still eat as a family, she says.

The actress, who will appear later this summer in Netflixs Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later,typically starts her day with a vegetable omelet, followed by a salad with grilled fish for lunch and a dinner made up of some kind of protein with vegetables.

Wantthe ultimate dish on the latest celebrity food news, plus exclusive recipes, videos and more? Click here to subscribe to the People Food newsletter.

To Milano, barbecuing is the best thing about summer, mostly because extensive modifying isnt necessary. I love to grill chicken or fish, she said. I love grilled vegetables because I think it gives it a little bit of a smoky flavor, and you do some olive oil with salt and pepper and its just delicious.

As for sweets or guilty pleasure foods, Milano simply doesnt have time for that. To even think about having junk food would completely throw a wrench in my entire day I would want to take a nap because my blood sugar would drop, she said. I have to maintain eating healthy and a certain amount of energy to work the way I work and also to be such a proud mommy.

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Alyssa Milano Puts This Homegrown Ingredient In 'Everything' - PEOPLE.com

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Some meat labels for antibiotics only apply to specific antibiotic categories. CR photo

More people are buying chicken and beef with labels that promise no antibiotics according to a nationally representative Consumer Reports survey. The trend comes out of concerns about antibiotic resistance. But what do the no antibiotics labels really mean? Consumer Reports says youd be surprised.

Research shows there is a connection between the overuse of antibiotics in food animals and drug-resistant infections in people. In other words, our arsenal of antibiotics may no longer work to kill bacteria that cause certain illnesses. We calculate that about one in five people who got an antibiotic-resistant infection because of something they ate.

To avoid antibiotic-treated animals, check the labels carefully. A label might say no growth-promoting antibiotics." That means those used to enable quicker weight gain. But look at the much smaller print, and youll see that antibiotics might still have been used in to treat or prevent illness.

Another twist: Some fast-food restaurants, KFC, Taco Bell and Wendys, for instance, promise that now or soon they will serve only poultry that is raised without antibiotics important to human medicine," meaning none that are given to people. Eliminating medically important antibiotics does help thwart antibiotic resistance, but its not as good as eliminating all antibiotic use in healthy animals. Your best bet is to look for labels that say never given antibiotics No antibiotics ever or raised without antibiotics.

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Meat labeled 'No Antibiotics' may still have antibiotics - KOMO News

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July 5, 2017

By Dr. Elizabeth Knabe, DVM

Wildwood Animal Hospital and Clinic LLC

The pet food industry is a very crowded, competitive market, and facts tend to get buried in favor of marketing hype. Concerned pet owners feed what they think is best for their pets and will often read about foods and ingredients online before purchasing food. They rely on what the companies write about their foods and what other pet owners provide in testimonials.

Veterinarians, who are board-certified in nutrition and who do not work for pet food companies, can provide facts to dispel some of the myths about pet foods.

One myth involves carbohydrates, which are important for providing quick energy. This can help spare protein to be used in body repair processes, so a diet balanced in protein, fat, and carbs is better for dogs than one mainly made up of meat.

The type of carbs does not matter much since gluten intolerance in dogs is extremely rare. Dogs can digest wheat, which contains gluten protein, as well as they can tapioca or potato, which do not. They also benefit from grains that provide B vitamins and fiber, which helps the digestive tract work.

The grain-free selling point of reducing pets allergies is also really a myth, according to nutritionists. The true incidence of food allergies in pets is low. Less than 1 percent of skin diseases and less than 10 percent of all allergies involve foods. This does not mean your veterinarian does not consider them when diagnosing causes of allergies, but they are not as high on a vets list as they are on a typical pet owners. Most pets diagnosed with true food allergies are allergic to an animal protein such as chicken, beef, or dairy rather than protein in corn, wheat, or soy.

Nutritionists also consider that pets need nutrients such as protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals to maintain good health. Ingredients providing those nutrients are listed on the bags or cans of food.

What is important to know is a list does not tell if the required nutrients are present in sufficient quantities. For pets undergoing the stresses of growth, pregnancy, or hard exercise, the need for nutrients will be high. These pets may do best with diets shown in feeding trials to have adequate nutrients to support them. Food labels will state whether feeding trials were done so that customers are assured the nutrients will be there in adequate amounts.

Wildwood Animal Hospital and Clinic LLC is located at 210 Airpark Road in Marshfield and online at wildwoodanimalhospital.net.

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The vet's office: Going beyond the shelf lives of common pet diet myths - Hub City Times

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Chemical signatures from gut bacteria which show up in urine can be used to predict how the body will respond to a 'junk' diet.

Scientists have found that certain compounds, produced by microbes in the guts of mice, could be used to show which animals are at greater risk of becoming obese or developing health conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

The group, led by scientists at Imperial College London and INSERM UMRS 1138 in Paris, tested the urine of mice for a number of these microbial compounds, finding that certain key chemical signatures could accurately predict how the animals would respond to a high-fat diet before they received it.

According to the researchers, the findings are another crucial piece of the puzzle in how the microbiome the ecosystem of bacteria living in our digestive tracts helps to shape our health, and could lead to personalised diets for patients based on the makeup of their gut flora.

High-fat diets are a major driver of obesity and related health conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, evidence from previous studies suggests different people eating the same high-fat diet may have different outcomes, making it hard to define a one-size-fits-all 'healthy diet'.

Previous research has shown that the hundreds of species of bacteria and other microbes which inhabit our gut work with our own cells to carry out a number of roles, and that this microbial garden can be shaped by what we eat or what medicines we take, such as antibiotics.

In the latest study, published in Cell Reports, researchers used genetically similar mice to highlight the role that gut bacteria played in how the body responds to changes in diet and the impacts on health.

We know that our environment and genetics can influence our risk of obesity and disease, but the effects of these communities of bacteria living inside us are less well understood, said Dr Marc-Emmanuel Dumas, from the Department of Surgery & Cancer at Imperial, who led the research. By using a group of mice with the same genetic makeup, we were able to zoom in on the variability in animals switched to a high-fat diet.

Before animals switched diets, their urine was screened for compounds produced by their gut bacteria using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, giving the mice a profile of chemical signatures generated by metabolites from their microbiomes.

The team found that once the mice were switched to the same high-fat diet they had a range of outcomes, with some animals gaining more weight than others or becoming less tolerant to glucose one of the early warning signs of diabetes.

Analysis revealed that key chemical signatures in their urine were predictive of some outcomes, such as changes in behaviour, weight gain and tolerance to glucose. One compound in particular, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), was shown to be predictive of glucose tolerance.

Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Head of the Department of Surgery & Cancer at Imperial explained: "When the microbiome develops in early life, we start off with very few bugs, acquiring more bacteria from our environment as we develop. This means that small differences in the local environment can result in a great diversity in terms of the microbiome."

This study is another fascinating example of the power of the microbiome to influence the host with respect to major health risks, said Professor Nicholson. It shows that value of a diet is determined not only by your genes, but also the genes of your gut microbes. This work has implications in lots of different areas, which is why it's so exciting.

Senior investigator on the study, Dr Dominique Gauguier, from INSERM-Paris and a visiting professor at Imperial, added: We tend to believe that obesity is caused by bad genes or by bad genes interacting with bad environment. Our findings indicate that an organisms gut microbiome can drive the adaptation to dietary challenges in the absence of genetic variation. They underline the need for deeper physiological and molecular phenotyping of individuals in large scale genetic studies.

The findings will be explored further as part of an ongoing large clinical trial of 2,000 patients, where details of their lifestyle, diet, medication and other factors, as well as their microbiomes, are being characterised. Pulling together all of these data, and building on previous findings, they will be able to reveal how people react to different diets, and how their microbiomes influence the outcome.

According to the researchers, the hope is that in future, a patients profile could be generated from urine and blood samples and used to predict which diet they will respond to best.

Our findings reveal that measuring metabolites in urine before the diet switch, we can predict which animals will get fat and become intolerant to glucose and which ones wont, added Dr Dumas. These findings open up really strong perspectives into designing personalised diets and harnessing our gut bacteria to promote health.

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Your Gut Bacteria Could Help Predict Your Bodies Response to Junk Food - Technology Networks

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During a national securitypanel at last week's Aspen Idea Festival, retired general David Petraeus offered what the panel's host labeled perhaps the most robust defense of the Trump administration's foreign policy yet.

Then Petraeus was asked about Trump personally, and things took a turn.

As political affairs scholarDavid Rothkopf noted in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post onTuesday, he asked Petraeus after Petraeus argued that Trump had surrounded himself with a solid team that was instituting a measured, continuity-based foreign policy with plenty of successes whether Trump himself was fit to serve as president.

Petraues's response was decidedly not yes. Instead, he said Trump's fitness for the office was actually immaterial.

I went back to the video to see if some context was missing from Rothkopf's op-ed. There isn't: It's as damning as it sounds. Here's a guy whom Trump considered nominating forsecretary of state putting a pretty good face on the Trump administrationand then being unable to say whether the president isa mentally fit commander in chief.

The exchange:

ROTHKOPF: But thats the question, and let me ask you guys that directly. Julia [Ioffe]s addressed it directly. I talk to lots of world leaders, traveled around. I cant tell you, in all of my life doing this, it never once came up the question whether or not the president of the United States was fit to serve and whether or not the president of the United States was actually mentally ill. And in the course of the past six months, its come up every couple of days from senior leaders around the world. Do you think the president of the United States is fit to serve as president?

PETER FEAVER: General Petraeus? [LAUGHTER]

PETRAEUS: Thank you. As I used to say in uniform, that sounds like a policy question. [LAUGHTER] And look, I think its immaterial. Again, what Im focusing on is the team. [GROANS] No, I

ROTHKOPF: Give him a chance to explain.

PETRAUES: Let me explain. You know, pronouncing yes or no, I dont think that changes a darn thing. What Im pointing out is that around him, he has a very good team. Theyve been slightly tested a few times I think the use of chemical weapons was one of those --and I think they did better than was done the last time, when there was an explicit red line already in existence, stated on multiple occasions. Again, I think a lot of the policies that had been pursued so far -- look, theres all kinds of discordant stuff. Bibi Netanyahus sitting there, and the president says one state, two state, eh, whatever they want. Were back to the two-state solution. Again, I talked about China. Were back to the One China [policy], and we actually have strategic dialogue. By the way, I dont think it is at all bad that a president of the United States talks to another leader -- even if that leader has many conflicting objectives -- at all. I believe Henry Kissinger said that you should have strategic dialogue with your adversaries.

This is a dance that many a Trump defender has been forced into arguing that things aren't as bad with Trump as some would have you believe, and then punting when being asked to vouch for Trump personally. The latter is a much more difficult thing to do, because it means you are attaching your expertise to Trump's unpredictability and whatever he might do in the future.

But it's also important to emphasize just how low a bar this is. The fact that Petraeus can't even say that Trump is a fit commander in chief speaks volumes. And Petraeus seemed to be going out of his way on the panel to argue that U.S. foreign policy and national security are on the right path. Hesaidrepeatedly that we shouldn't get bogged down in Trump's discordant tweets and public comments and should focus onactions.

Here's a taste:

Follow the money, and follow the troops; follow the decisions. Dont necessarily always follow the tweets. You do need to listen to them, you need to read them, but, again, its about what is actually happening. This is a president who, when Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his people, did not temporize. Within 36 hours, there were 50 or so cruise missiles that hit. It was measured. It was deliberate, pointed and so forth. And when it was threatened this time, I think Bashar al-Assad took note of that. Its hard to say whether it absolutely deterred something that was in the works or not, but thats how you build American credibility building, I think, effectively on the work that was done in the previous administration in the fight against the Islamic State, prosecuting that well. ...

So, again, you just take issue after issue, theres a devolution of responsibility that I applaud again, in part because I have such confidence in the national security team. Theres not micromanagement of troop numbers, yet the troops numbers arent ballooning. And so I think its actually going forward in a very measured manner and, again, much more continuity than change. You had lots of disruption. You had a phone call from the Taiwanese president [which ran counter to longstanding U.S. policy toward China], but ultimately the president adopts the One China policy, embraces it, invites President Xi, has a relationship, and now theres four working groups established that are working together so they can address the core issue of North Korea and the other challenges. Certainly missed an opportunity at NATO headquarters when the 9/11 memorial was unveiled, reminding us that that was the only time that Article 5 was ever invoked was after 9/11, and we did not step up at that moment and guarantee the Article 5 collective self-defense [clause]. But ultimately weve done that, have reassured our alliance partners in the Far East. So again, I think a good bit more continuity than might be expected if you just, again, read different tweets or statements to the press. ...

I think the problem here is actually distilling out the discordant comments to the press, the tweets you name it and actually trying to focus on what is going on. Look, there are lots of things here about which one could wring his hands. There are also things that I actually am happy to see. I dont think this is a president who is going to announce a surge of forces and in the same speech announce a drawdown date, regardless of the conditions on the battlefield. So lets keep that in perspective, even as you may or may necessarily applaud, again, all the communications.

Even in these comments, the argument from Petraeus seemed to be that Trump himself can only do so much damage and that the people around him would keep him in check implying that Trump was, to his credit, allowing them to keep him in check. This is what some of Trump's biggest critics have hoped would be the case, and Petraeus suggested their wishes were coming true.

Then he was offered the chance to come out and say what he really meant. His nonresponse spoke volumes.

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David Petraeus's damning nonresponse on Trump's fitness to serve ... - Washington Post

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If you had childhood dreams of running off and joining the circus, the slackline fitness trend is a healthy way to revive your lost passion and get an incredible workout in, too. Gunnar Peterson , who's trained celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Amber Heard, and Jennifer Lopez, posted a video on Instagram of the technique in action, and it's equal parts fun and brutal.

Slackline fitnessalso known as slacklininginvolves performing exercises on a narrow, flat line of webbing that's suspended between two anchors low to the ground, either on a workout machine or between to trees or posts, old school-style. It's similar to tightrope walking except that the line is, as the name implies, slack instead of tight. This makes it especially difficult to maintain balance.

Peterson showed off fellow fitness pro Paige Hathaway testing out her skills on a machine at his LA gym (to the tune of Kanye West's " Fade ," for additional enjoyment).

"There are many benefits to slackline training including improving your balance, core, and building lower body strength," Peterson wrote in the caption. "Training should never be boring...It should be fun and challenging! Get out there and switch up your routine!" Peterson's post shows Hathaway doing step-ups with a reverse lunge, a compound exercise on its own that targets your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and abs, using the slackline machine. As you can see, the slackline adds a major challenge.

The wobbly training tool requires laser focus and a willingness to get back up there when you stumble (which definitely happens). Although Gunnar uses the slackline as a strength-training tool, most enthusiasts start off by trying to stay on the slackline as long as possible. You can then progress to walking, crawling, or even performing tricks such as handstands or lunges on the slackline. To see outdoor slacklining in action, check out Swedish athlete Jenny "Kitsune" Adolfsson practicing a basic slackline walk:

Slacklining is particularly incredible core challenge , says fitness and lifestyle expert Lisa Tanker , C.P.T. "Your core comes into play with anything that requires balance, because you have to engage your core to stay stable," she tells SELF. But even though your core is the major stabilizer here, a balance challenge this intense engages pretty much your entire body, including your ankles, calves, thighs, and hips.

Working on your balance is an important part of a fitness routine in its own right, toobetter balance helps protect you against preventable injuries from stumbles and falls, says Tanker. (If you self-identify as clumsy, working on balance is a must.)

That said, it's important to be safe with slacklining, because it can cause injuries if you're not cautious. This isn't exactly a beginner workout tool, so Tanker recommends starting slow. For example, don't jump straight into exercises like Hathaway's step-ups with reverse lunges if you haven't mastered the balance element on solid ground. If you've never slacklined before, begin by just trying to balance on it. It's best to do it with other people around to spot you (and a trainer, if you're doing actual exercises) and set the line up above a soft surface, like grass or sand. And as always, if you have any injuries, make sure you check in with your doctor before starting a new activity.

If you do decide to channel your inner acrobat with a slackline, here are a couple of other examples of the tool in action. Olympic shooter Sarah Scherer uses a slackline machine for balance training:

You can also anchor a regular slackline to a couple of trees for a fun outdoor workout. Tanker notes that this is one of the best parts about slacklining: Even if you're not doing lunges in a gym on a machine, it can be a fun way to try something different with a group of friends.

If you're ready to give it a go, you can buy slacklines online . Again, safety first: Follow the instructions for your individual slackline so you know how to make sure it's secure, how far it should be from the ground, and how to get started.

"It may not be your full workout, but it's a way to test yourself and try something new," says Tanker. Happy slacklining!

Related:

You May Also Like: Watch This Mom Work Out With Her Little Ones

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Slackline Fitness Is the Next Big Thing in Workout Trends - SELF

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The following story is excerpted from TIMEs special edition, The Science of Exercise , which is available at Amazon .

If your exercise routine is in need of an update, look no further. Exercise isnt boring with these four innovative (and wacky) fitness routines.

Aaron Kirking/courtesy of The Aviary

Christine Longe (not shown), The Aviary

Im the type of person who is easily bored by group fitness classes. (I also hate cardio.) Ive tried yoga, Pilates and spinning, but I always end up just watching the clock. One day, I learned about a local circus workshop and decided to enroll. I fell in love with aerial acrobatics and committed myself full-time to circus exercises. Soon my friends were asking how I got such toned arms. All I do is circus stuff! Id say.

I then decided that more people could benefit from this type of exercise if it were more accessibleand lower to the ground. I bought several aerial hammocks (large swaths of fabric that can hold 2,000 pounds) and opened my first aerial fitness studio in Minneapolis. Using the fabrics, I developed a body weight-training workout that uses strength exercises inspired by Pilates and barre as well as aerial moves. I tell every new client that aerial fitness is not about getting skinny; its about getting strong. When youre up in the air, you have to hold up your body weight and engage your core to keep a pose steady. Thats part of what makes this type of exercise so effective. People are willing to put in the work to get strong because they want to be able to do the fun aerial moves.

People are often terrified before they go upside down for the first time, but once they get there, they always start giggling and laughing. Aerial exercises are something anyone can do with practice. I think thats one of the things that makes this type of exercise so special: people build up the courage to be vulnerable and try something new, and when they achieve something they couldnt do before, they want to keep coming back.

Paula Lobo/courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Monica Bill Barnes (right), Anna Bass (left) and Robert Saenz de Viteri, Monica Bill Barnes & Company

Three years ago, our dance company was approached by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to create a performance for the museum. It was an incredible opportunity, and we decided to try something different: we developed a workout that the public could do while walking throughout the museum, looking at art. The museum agreed, and the Met Workout was born.

During the 45-minute workout, held before the museum opens to the public, we lead people around the Met with exercises like speed walking, arm pumping and squats. Our route spans two miles, with stops at around 13 pieces of art. We play fun music as well as narrations about the art. Its equal parts workout, performance and guided tour. All the movements in the Met Workout are easy to follow, but people still work up a sweat.

Though we are classically trained dancers, and not aerobics instructors or exercise fanatics, we spend a lot of time being physical and finding unique ways to use the space around us. Weve always loved the idea that physical activity can open us up to perceiving things in different ways, which is why we wanted to make the experience of visiting a museum even more special.

The response has been incredible. The workouts sell out quickly, and so far males and females ages 12 to 86 have joined in the fun. Just the fact that this type of experience exists feels revolutionary.

Robin Cerutti/courtesy of Aquastudio

Esther Gauthier, AQUA Studio

I am originally from France, and about five years ago I took an aqua cycling class in Paris and fell completely in love with it. I used to swim growing up, and I thought it was brilliant to put a bike in the water and work out in the pool in a different way.

I decided to open my own underwater cycling studio in New York, to see if other people liked it. At AQUA Studio, our bikes are submerged in four feet of water, and we offer a variety of workouts that range from interval training to restorative classes.

Water has natural healing properties, which is why its so healthy to work out in the pool. Compared with cycling on land, cycling in the water is a full-body workout. While we pedal, we also practice some swimming strokes, so people work their legs and their arms at the same time. The water also provides a lot of resistance that you dont get from normal biking.

Underwater cycling is actually inspired by physical therapy techniques. People who are injured often undergo rehabilitation in the water since it puts less pressure on their muscles and joints. Water is also more forgiving because it supports your body weight.

What I like about cycling in the water is the natural massage you get as you pedal. Being in the water also makes exercise really fun, and its the type of exercise people can do every single day if they want.

Best of all, I love how happy people are after class. I think this comes from how therapeutic the water it is. Often people arrive at the studio stressed out about work or their commute, but once theyre in the water, they release a lot of tension. Trying a new type of fitness like this can be intimidating, but I always tell people that this type of exercise is first and foremost about feeling good.

Photo by Stefania Curto/courtesy of TrampoLEAN NYC

Louis Coraggio, trampoLEAN

Growing up in Lindenhurst on Long Island, New York, I always loved bouncing up and down on the trampoline in my backyard. Years later, I discovered there was a way to teach fitness classes using small trampolines, and I opened my own trampoline fitness company, called trampoLEAN.

During my classes, people are on a trampoline for a full 50 minutes. We may do some low jumping for a couple minutes, then some push-ups, followed by some balance moves. Its not an easy workout, but people have a great time when they let loose and have fun.

Sometimes people worry that they will get injured on a trampoline. But the trampolines in my classes are very safe and low to the ground. The workouts are actually lower-impact than other types of exercises, such as running.

Trampoline workouts help circulate blood and oxygen to all the tissues in the body, including the brain. They're also calorie scorchers, and the repetitive movements of jumping up and down build healthy muscle.

Most importantly, trampoline workouts are really fun. They take you back to the happy days of being a kidwhich feels good for both the body and the mind.

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4 Weird Ways to Work Out - TIME

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Pact, the startup that incentivized users to healthy behaviors by getting them to essentially bet money on their own adherence, has shut down, according to an email the company sent out to its users on Friday. The company will pay out its final rewards to users on July 11th and will continue supporting users until the end of August.

Thanks for choosing Pact - we hope it has helped you live a healthier lifestyle, and been that kick you need to get off the couch on rainy days, the company wrote in its email. Sadly, after much discussion, we have decided to shut Pact down.

Founded by Geoff Oberhofer and Yifan Zhang towards the end of 2011, Pact, originally known as GymPact, aimed to help keep users accountable to their fitness goals. Initially, the app tracked one behavior going to the gym using GPS for accountability.

When users signed up for GymPact, they gave the company their credit card information and chose an amount of money that they would have to pay if they missed their workout goal for the week. If the user achieved their goal instead, GymPact would pay them -- divvying up the money made off of the slackers. The company tracked whether the user really went by requiring them to check in with their phone's GPS.

In 2014, the company took on its new name and raised $1.5 million in a round led by Khosla Ventures and PayPal alum Max Levchin, bringing the companys total funding to $2.5 million. At that point, Pact added two other pact options, one for eating more vegetables and one for tracking meals with MyFitnessPal. Pact also eventually added GPS tracking for workouts outside the gym as well.

Its not clear exactly what led the company to shut down, or if any of the company's assets are being sold. Weve reached out to the team for comment and will update if we hear back.

While we are sad that we will no longer be able to help our users get healthy, we are also thankful to have had such a passionate, supportive community throughout the years. Ultimately, while we hope that our incentives motivated you, it was each of you that snapped veggie photos, typed food logs, and went on runs. Its amazing that together, you completed over 40 million healthy activities during our 5 years of existence. We are proud of what you have accomplished, and you should be too, the team wrote.

According to LinkedIn, Zhang has already moved on, starting a new startup called Loftium in January. Loftium is a complete departure from the fitness space. Its a real estate startup that helps users pay the down payment on a new home in exchange for them listing a spare room on AirBNB for the first few years of home ownership.

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Khosla-backed fitness startup Pact shuts down - MobiHealthNews

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You've decided you want to live a healthier life, and use the power of wearable technology to help go about it, but where do you start looking a fitness tracker? A host of different devices are available, each with their own specs and apps and specific features. We're here to help you make sense of the fitness tracker maze and find the right device for you.

It helps if you know a little bit about what you want before you startlike the specific activities that you're going to want to trackbut if you'd rather see what devices are out there first, that's fine too.

All of the fitness trackers on the market, and indeed your existing smartphone, will be able to track your steps and calorie burn for you, but after that don't take anything for granted. You can find fitness trackers with a pile of differing features, all the way up to the smartwatches that are essentially mini computers on your wrist, which we'll mention last.

Almost all fitness trackers will slip around your wrist to measure your activities and give you feedback. One of the exceptions is the Misfit Shine 2 ($49.99), a circular disc you can put just about anywhere (including on your wrist if you really want). If you want to keep your arms free from dangling attachments, it's worth considering.

When you've decided where you want to wear your fitness tracker, think about the information you want it to show. The Fitbit Charge 2 ($148.95) displays you the time and some phone notifications, whereas the Misfit Ray ($49.99) just has a single LED light. The lack of information translates into lighter weight, which can be important for some athletes or aspiring athletes.

Also weigh up how important battery life is to you: The Misfit Ray, for example, runs off cell batteries that need to be swapped out every four months, whereas the Fitbit Charge 2 (and most fitness trackers) need to be recharged from an outlet or from a computer every few days. It comes down to personal preference which one you favor.

Where you want to wear your fitness tracker, whether or not you care about a screen, and how much you care about battery life will have you well on the way to choosing the right fitness tracker. We'd also suggest taking a look at the associated app before purchasing a device. Does it track the data you need? Is it available on the web? Does it work with Google Fit or Apple Health? Most fitness tracker apps are now perfectly decent bits of software but it's another factor to bear in mind when you're doing your choosing.

With the basics out of the way, you can start looking at more advanced specs. One of the key features that distinguishes cheaper trackers from more expensive ones is an integrated heart rate sensor: If you value a more detailed breakdown of your cardiovascular health, make sure it's included, otherwise you can save yourself some cash.

Waterproofing is another key feature to look out for, and whether or not you want a waterproof tracker really depends on whether or not you plan to take it swimming. Most wearables can handle a bit of rain, but be sure to double-check the specifications to make sureif you do a lot of outdoor activities, it's better to be safe than sorry. The Fitbit Flex 2 ($59.95), for example, will give you waterproofing but not heart rate sensing.

Plenty of fitness trackers will promise some kind of sleep tracking as well, though it's well worth digging deeper into the specs to check the small print, because some trackers can tell the difference between light sleep and deep sleep and some can't.

Fitness trackers with GPSso they can track your running route and more accurately track the distance you've covered while not in contact with your phoneare few and far between, but you do have some options, including the Samsung Gear Fit 2 ($127.95) and the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ ($149.99). Usually though, you'll need to take the smartwatch route if you want to have GPS on board.

Speaking of smartwatches, you can of course upgrade to a full smartwatch as your fitness tracker, and indeed the lines are blurring between the two device types anyway. You'll usually get a lot more features, and have to pay significantly more money, but you might consider the trade-off worth it depending on what you actually want out of your wearable.

One of the biggest questions is the one we mentioned near the start: What are you actually going to be doing with your fitness tracker? If the answer's running around a muddy sports field and getting barged from all sides by other players, then maybe you don't want a $300 smartwatch strapped to your wrist. If your main pursuits are going to be running and cycling, however, then it's a lot safer.

We've previously written a full guide to smartwatches but the Apple Watch Series 2 ($369 and up) is one of the best options for tracking your health and fitness, provided you don't have an Android phone, as it won't work with it. Android Wear alternatives are available with some decent tracking features as well, including the LG Watch Sport ($550), which works with both iPhones and Android phones.

You get a host of added extras with a smartwatch, including GPS (usually), more interactive notifications from your phone, and even the ability to make and receive calls in some cases. However, they are bulkier, which isn't ideal when you're exercising, and as we noted above they are another step up in terms of price.

Those eight points to ponderbody placement, display, battery life, associated app, heart rate tracking capabilities, waterproofing, sleep tracking, and GPSshould be enough to get you pretty close to the fitness tracker (or smartwatch) that's right for you, but you've got a few more ways of telling one wearable from another.

The overall design and look of your fitness tracker might be important to you, so try and see it from as many angles as possible before buying, if you can. Pay particularly attention to the bands that come with the trackers you're considering, and whether or not they can be swappedcheap plastic isn't quite as good on the skin as quality leather or some synthetics.

As with any gadget, you can only tell so much about a fitness tracker in advance. Read up on as many reviews as possible for the wearables you're considering, and you'll get an idea of how well their advertised features hold up, whether they have the accuracy you're looking for, and whether or not they fall apart after a week of use.

With all that done, it's time to take the plunge, part with your cash and enjoy the features of your brand new fitness tracker. Just don't be one of the 30 percent of people who give up on their tracker after buying it due to boredom, a lack of motivation or some other factorkeep an eye on those step counts, and the rest should take care of itself.

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How to choose the best fitness tracker for you | Popular Science - Popular Science

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POTTSVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) -- After eating hotdogs and hamburgers on the Fourth of July, some people are hitting the gym today to burn off some of those extra calories. One town in our area is cheering on its residents as they shed some pounds.

It's round two of the Pottsville Fitness Challenge! 15-dollars gets members access to several gyms, pools and different work out activities in the city, throughout the summer.

City leaders knew they had to do something when a study indicated that Schuylkill County has a problem..

"Schuylkill County was identified as one of the least fit counties in the state of Pennsylvania and it was a distinction that we didn't want to have," said Thomas Palamar, city of Pottsville.

Now in it's second year, nearly 200 people signed up - double the first year.

With access to the Schuylkill YMCA, you'll find people trying out new types of exercises.

"I always was hesitant to do yoga, because I was afraid of it," said Charlotte Babcock, doing yoga.

But now, she's a big fan!

Other people are using weights and machines to keep fit.

"I'm trying to stay alive! And I'm 79 so it helps to keep moving," said Mike Wyda, working out.

The woman who won the challenge last year lost 15 pounds. And she was rewarded with a fitbit. She's using that to achieve her goal this year -- she wants to lose 30 pounds!

While the challenge is to get fit and to feel good, it's also about bonding with people in the community.

"I've made lots of friends here, through yoga," said Sue Bendle, made friends.

"You make new friends and that way it's a nice way to get out and socialize a little bit, too," said Wyda.

And you don't have to be a Pottsville resident to participate, anyone is welcome to join the fitness program. It continues through mid-August.

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Pottsville Fitness Challenge brings community together to exercise - PA home page

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