Category: Lifestyle

As supply chain disruptions from the Iran war trigger a Diet Coke deficit, we break down why fans refuse to switch to Coke Zero

If you’ve noticed a gaping hole in the soda aisle lately, you aren’t alone. The ongoing conflict in Iran has sent ripples through global supply chains, leading to a sudden and stressful Diet Coke shortage. For those who consider the silver can their lifeblood, the crisis is real. But as shelves empty, a desperate question arises: Can I just grab a Coke Zero Sugar instead? Before you make the switch, you need to know that these two are not twins. In fact, they aren’t even really siblings.

The biggest difference between the two lies in the flavour profile. According to Coca-Cola: The taste. Both drinks are sugar free and calorie free. Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar looks and tastes more like Coca‑Cola original taste, while Diet Coke has a different blend of flavours which gives it a lighter taste. As one Reddit user put it: “Zero is too sweet. I don’t want something that tastes like Coca-Cola. I want something that tastes like Diet Coke.”

Did you know? Diet Coke was Coca Cola’s first sugar free cola, which they launched in 1983. This was followed by Coca‑Cola Zero in 2006, and then replaced by Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar in 2016.

As the world remembers the late legend Asha Bhosle, we look back at the time Hollywood royalty Tom Cruise couldn’t get enough of her Birmingham eatery

Tom Cruise is known for his “all or nothing” attitude. But in August 2021, the Hollywood icon proved that his commitment to excellence extends right down to his dinner plate—specifically at Asha’s Birmingham.

Back in 2021, while the Midlands was buzzing with the news that the seventh Mission: Impossible installment was filming in the area, the real action was happening on Newhall Street. On a quiet Saturday night, Tom Cruise walked into the award-winning restaurant alongside director Christopher McQuarrie for a taste of authentic Indian cuisine.

The Two-Curry Challenge
Most diners find a single portion of Asha’s rich Chicken Tikka Masala more than enough, but Tom Cruise isn’t “most diners.” After finishing his first serving, the actor was so impressed that he reportedly ordered a second one immediately to share with his group.

The restaurant staff described the visit as a “fantastic surprise,” noting that the star was incredibly down-to-earth and spent his evening truly enjoying the fine-dining experience.

The news of the visit didn’t just go viral among film fans; it reached the legendary Asha Bhosle herself. The singing icon took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her delight, posting a photo of the smiling star outside her establishment.

“I was very happy to hear that Mr. Tom Cruise enjoyed his fine dining experience at Asha’s (Birmingham) and I look forward to him visiting us again soon!” Asha captioned the post.

Source: https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/food/when-tom-cruise-dug-into-chicken-tikka-masala-at-asha-bhosles-uk-restaurant-and-then-reordered-it-10028917.html

Anant Ambani’s birthday featured a vibrant bhajan night with Bollywood celebrities like Ranveer Singh. Nita Ambani channeled Indian elegance in a red saree.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani and wife Nita Ambani went all out to make their youngest son Anant Ambani’s 31st birthday special. The celebrations in Jamnagar included a soul-stirring bhajan night. In fresh videos of the festivities that were shared on fan pages and paparazzi accounts on April 10, Anant’s birthday, Nita Ambani captured the spotlight with a look that was all about traditional grace and timeless poise.

A closer look at Nita Ambani’s traditional Indian attire
The event, held in the lush settings of Jamnagar, the Ambani family’s ancestral home, blended spiritual devotion with the family’s signature opulence, setting a serene tone for Anant Ambani’s birthday festivities. Amidst a star-studded gathering of family, friends, and Bollywood celebrities, such as Gauri Khan, Ranveer Singh and Janhvi Kapoor, it was the Ambani family matriarch who stood out with her sartorial choice for the evening.

Nita Ambani’s look was a masterclass in understated luxury. She opted for a rich crimson saree with a delicate yet striking gold border. The deep hue of the saree perfectly complemented the evening’s lamp-lit ambience. She paired the ensemble with emerald-encrusted oversized floral-motif earrings. The most notable part of her look was a rani haar – a traditional, long Indian necklace that typically falls below the chest, often reaching the waist – that added a regal touch to the traditional look.

Her hair was swept back into a classic low bun, adorned with a lush, fresh white gajra (jasmine garland), a signature element of her festive style. Her makeup was dewy and elegant, featuring a soft kohl eye and a matching red bindi.

Inside the bhajan night for Anant Ambani’s birthday
The videos from the night offer a glimpse into a high-energy atmosphere. The bhajan night wasn’t just a quiet prayer session but a vibrant celebration featuring renowned devotional singers and a massive ensemble of musicians. The Ambani family, including Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, and Isha Ambani, joined in the ‘Radhe Radhe’ chants. Nita was seen sitting on the floor, deeply immersed in the bhajan.

Bollywood stars like Ranveer Singh and Janhvi Kapoor were seen participating in the festivities, with Ranveer joining the stage to lead the energetic chants. The night sky over Jamnagar was lit up by a massive drone light show, forming the words ‘Happy birthday Anant’ and spiritual symbols, like Lord Ganesha.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/nita-ambani-looks-divine-in-red-saree-rani-haar-special-bhajan-night-anant-ambani-birthday-jamnagar-inside-video-celebs-101775873405517.html

Getting older is unavoidable, but aging faster than you need to? That might be a different story. A sweeping analysis of nearly 5,000 Americans has found that people who eat more plant foods and fewer animal products were linked to measurable signs of slower biological aging — not in how they look or feel, but in the chemical tags on their DNA.

The research, drawn from two of the largest and most diverse health datasets in the United States, links what ends up on a dinner plate to what happens deep inside human cells. Scientists found that people whose diets leaned more heavily toward plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans, had younger-looking DNA compared to their actual age. The pattern largely held up across different measures of biological aging and across both datasets.

Perhaps most compelling, in one of the two datasets the researchers found that one particular DNA aging marker appeared to explain a large share of the link between plant-heavy diets and living longer. The biological clock slowdown wasn’t just a number on a lab readout; it seemed to connect directly to real-world survival. And people didn’t need to go fully vegetarian or vegan to see these benefits. Even modest shifts toward more plants and fewer animal products were tied to a slower ticking of the body’s internal aging machinery.

How Scientists Measured Aging With Plant-Based Diets

To understand this study, it helps to know that chronological age, the number of candles on a birthday cake, doesn’t always match up with biological age, which reflects how worn down the body actually is at the cellular level. Scientists can estimate biological age by examining chemical modifications on DNA, a process sometimes called the “epigenetic clock.” These modifications don’t change the genetic code itself but can influence how genes behave. Certain patterns have been shown to predict disease risk and death independently of how old someone actually is.

The research team, led by Hyunju Kim at the University of Washington, analyzed data from two well-known datasets: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, which included 2,810 participants, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 2,056 participants. The ARIC Study enrolled middle-aged adults from four U.S. communities starting in the late 1980s, while NHANES is a recurring nationwide survey designed to capture a snapshot of American health. Combined, the participants spanned a broad range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Two-thirds of ARIC participants were Black, and roughly 60% of NHANES participants were non-White.

Rather than simply comparing vegetarians to meat-eaters, the researchers used four different scoring systems to rate how plant-heavy each person’s diet was. An overall plant-based diet index gave higher scores for eating more plant foods and lower scores for eating more animal products. A healthy plant-based diet index gave credit specifically for nutritious plant foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans, while penalizing both unhealthy plant foods and animal products. An unhealthy plant-based diet index scored higher for less nutritious plant foods like refined grains, sugary drinks, and sweets.

What the Numbers Showed About Plant-Based Diets and Aging

The scientists then checked how each of these diet scores related to three established DNA-based aging measures, adjusting their calculations to account for factors that could muddy the results. That includes age, sex, race, education, smoking, physical activity, alcohol intake, and total calorie consumption.

The results pointed in one consistent direction: eating more plants and fewer animal products was linked to a younger biological age. For every standard increase in the overall plant-based diet score and the healthy plant-based diet score, participants showed between 0.16 and 0.28 years of slowing on one aging measure. That same pattern showed up for another aging measure, where plant-based diet scores were each tied to roughly 0.28 to 0.34 years of slower aging.

When the team looked at which specific food groups mattered most, healthy plant foods stood out. Whole grains showed particularly consistent ties to slower aging across both datasets, and fruits and vegetables showed similar benefits in the NHANES data. On the flip side, higher animal fat intake was linked to faster aging in the ARIC Study.

One of the study’s most telling results involved the unhealthy plant-based diet index. Diets built on refined grains, sugary beverages, and sweets, even though they were technically “plant-based,” showed no connection to slower biological aging. This echoes earlier research showing that not all plant foods are created equal when it comes to health outcomes.

In a post-hoc exploratory analysis, the researchers found that among people with higher physical activity levels, an unhealthy plant-based diet was actually tied to faster aging on two of the three measures. The combination of exercise with a junk-food-heavy plant diet didn’t seem to offer any protective benefit and in some cases appeared to backfire, though the researchers note this was an exploratory finding that warrants further study.

How Plant-Based Eating Connects to a Longer Lifespan

The researchers went a step further and asked whether the DNA aging measures might explain why plant-based diets are linked to longer life. They found that one aging measure accounted for between 33% and 42% of the connection between plant-based diet scores and death from any cause. Slower biological aging, in other words, may be one of the main pathways through which eating more plants translates into a longer life.

The team noted that plant-heavy diets are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other compounds that may reduce inflammation and cell damage, two processes known to speed up aging. Prior research has connected plant-based eating patterns with lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, better cholesterol profiles, and reduced risk of high blood pressure, all of which could help explain the DNA-level benefits observed here.

Source : https://studyfinds.com/eating-more-plants-biological-clock-aging/

Dr. Jacquelyn Means knew that being pregnant in her late 30s would be challenging.

“It is definitely harder on your body. You just feel a lot more fatigued. There are certain complications to watch out for,” said Means, a Texas OB-GYN who had her first child at 37 and her second at 39. “It’s usually going to be fine, but there are things to be aware of.”

Like Means, more and more women are having babies later in life. A federal report showed that 21% of all births in the U.S. were to women 35 and older in 2023, up from 9% in 1990. And this “advanced maternal age” raises risks for both moms and babies.

Older pregnant women are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and obesity, for example, and are more prone to developing pregnancy complications. They’re more likely to undergo cesarean sections and give birth to twins or babies with some genetic abnormalities.

But don’t be too worried. Risks are generally low; they’re just higher than average. And while most older moms have normal pregnancies, doctors say there are ways lower to risk and prevent problems before, during and after pregnancy.

“Moms over 35 can still have a healthy pregnancy and a happy baby,” said Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.

Before getting pregnant, get as healthy as you can

Dr. Ashley Zink, a maternal-fetal specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern, said optimizing your health is like “building your baby’s first home.”

That involves following the time-honored advice of eating a well-balanced diet, staying active and avoiding risky behaviors like smoking.

“Make sure those good health habits that you’ve established over the course of your life are still in place,” Warren added. “If you have chronic diseases, make sure those are well-managed. Make sure you’re getting regular preventive medical care.”

Being as healthy as possible is important, Zink said, because pregnancy can be as rigorous as a marathon.

“Your volume of blood expands; it’s harder work for your heart,” she said. “And just the discomforts of pregnancy — all kinds of things — are a little bit better tolerated if you’re in good physical condition.”

A checkup before trying to conceive can be helpful, doctors said, allowing you to discuss health concerns, get treated for any conditions that might affect your pregnancy and make sure you’re up to date on vaccinations.

During pregnancy, ask your doctor about prenatal tests and scans

Doctors suggest getting a first-trimester ultrasound, which can measure the size of the fetus, help confirm the due date and check for multiple fetuses.

Women over 35 tend to produce more of the hormone that stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs, and they also may use in vitro fertilization to get pregnant. Both of these things increase the likelihood of twins or triplets, which puts you at a higher risk of complications such as premature birth.

Older women may also want to consider having blood drawn for noninvasive prenatal testing, which can screen for chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus such as Down syndrome and trisomy 13 or 18. According to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, the risk of Down syndrome is about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25 and rises to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at 40.

If the screening suggests the fetus is at risk, a doctor may recommend more invasive diagnostic tests. These include amniocentesis, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is taken from the uterus; or chorionic villus sampling, in which cells are taken from the placenta.

Zink said older women can also ask about a “growth ultrasound” at around 32 or 34 weeks of pregnancy.

“It shows us if the placenta is still doing a good job,” she said. “Do you have normal fluid? Do you have normal growth?”

Ultrasounds late in pregnancy may also spot problems with the fetus.

“We know that when women are pregnant later in life, there’s an increased risk of birth defects,” particularly cardiac defects, Warren said.

There’s also a higher risk of stillbirth, although the risk is still very small.

“As the delivery date gets closer,” Warren said, “it’s so important to be mindful for those cues like fetal movement. Can you still feel the baby moving and kicking?”

Know the risks during birth

The percentage of babies delivered by C-section rises with maternal age, averaging 48% of live births for women 40 and older, according to the March of Dimes, which looked at the years 2022 to 2024. Women who undergo C-sections have a significantly higher risk of maternal complications such as infection and bleeding than those who deliver vaginally.

Medical reasons for C-sections include having chronic health conditions that may make vaginal birth risky, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the March of Dimes said. Other reasons include complications during labor, such as having a very large baby, which can happen when a mom has gestational diabetes, which is diabetes you develop during pregnancy and can affect your and your baby’s health.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-advanced-maternal-age-older-women-e264d61c0dc9e5eaee12e8b08b761092

Most people don’t think about muscle power until the day they reach for a railing going down the stairs or take an extra second to push themselves out of a chair. By then, the slow erosion has already been happening for years. A new clinical trial suggests that eating roughly three tablespoons of peanut butter a day could modestly improve lower-body muscle power over six months among older adults, at least in one widely used mobility test. Individuals who did so showed gains in a physical ability linked in prior research to mobility and fall risk.

Muscle power is not the same as muscle strength. Strength is about how much force your muscles can produce. Power is about how fast they produce it. That split-second burst when you catch yourself before a fall, or stand up quickly from a low couch, runs on power. Research increasingly shows that power fades faster with age than strength does, and that it may matter more for long-term survival and independence than the numbers on a leg press machine. Falls are a major cause of injury in older adults, and weakening muscle power is one important reason why.

The study, published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, was the first randomized controlled trial to test whether a daily serving of nuts could improve physical function in older adults already at risk of falling.

It’s worth noting that the research was funded by The Peanut Institute, and the peanut butter used in the experiment was provided by the J.M. Smucker Company. That said, the scientists who completed the study reported no conflicts of interest and said the funders didn’t play a role in the study’s design, data collection or analysis, the decision to publish, or preparation of the paper.

What Researchers Tested, and What They Found

Researchers at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia enrolled 120 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older, all screened as being at elevated fall risk. The group averaged 76 years old and was 70 percent female. Half were given 43 grams of peanut butter daily, roughly three tablespoons, at no cost. The other half continued their usual diets and were asked to avoid nuts. Both groups were told to keep their normal exercise routines. After six months, 108 of the 120 participants had completed the study, a 90 percent completion rate that is unusually high for a dietary trial of this length.

Researchers measured walking speed as their primary outcome, and peanut butter did not move it. That was a disappointment on paper, though the researchers noted the group was already walking faster than the clinical threshold for low physical performance at the start, leaving little room to improve.

What did change was how fast participants could get out of a chair. Those eating peanut butter shaved an average of 1.23 seconds off the time it took to stand up and sit back down five times in a row, a standard test used to assess lower-body function and fall risk. That improvement crosses what researchers consider a clinically meaningful threshold, the kind of change researchers associate with better odds of maintaining independence over time.

The Muscle Power Finding That Stands Out

Beyond the chair-stand result, the peanut butter group gained roughly 22 watts of absolute muscle power and about 0.27 watts per kilogram of body weight in relative muscle power compared to the control group. Prior research in older populations suggests that a gain of 0.2 to 0.3 watts per kilogram is enough to shift a person from a lower muscle power category to a higher one, which in practice can mean the difference between struggling to walk without difficulty and managing it comfortably.

None of the other outcomes moved significantly. Grip strength, leg strength, body weight, fat mass, and lean muscle mass were all unchanged. Peanut butter added roughly 250 calories and 10 grams of protein to participants’ daily diets, yet the peanut butter group gained no weight. Previous research suggests that not all the fat in nuts is absorbed, and that the unsaturated fats nuts do contain tend to be burned off rather than stored.

Researchers offered one explanation for why power improved without corresponding strength gains. Power is a function of both force and speed. Participants may have simply moved faster through the chair-stand motion without generating more peak force, which would register as a power gain without touching the strength numbers.

What This Means for Aging Adults

The study has real limitations. The participants were generally well-nourished, with protein intakes already above the standard recommendation for their age group before the trial began. People who are undernourished or more physically limited might see stronger results. Because the Peanut Institute funded the research and the J.M. Smucker Company supplied the peanut butter, independent replication would strengthen confidence in the findings, though the researchers stated the funder had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.

Still, the core result holds up: in a rigorous, controlled trial, older adults who ate three tablespoons of peanut butter a day for six months showed measurable improvements in lower-body muscle power during the five-times sit-to-stand test, a test commonly used to assess lower-body function and mobility risk. Among those who completed the six months, participants in the peanut butter group stuck to the daily serving about 86 percent of the time, and most said they liked the taste. Peanut butter’s soft texture is also a genuine advantage for older adults who find whole nuts difficult to chew.

Source : https://studyfinds.com/three-tablespoons-daily-peanut-butter-improved-muscle-power/

Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s Irish fiancée, Sophie Shine, shared new pictures from their haldi ceremony, captioning, “So much happiness.” Sophie impressed netizens in a red and gold lehenga, paired with kaleeras, traditional jhumkas and soft glam makeup. Dhawan complemented her bride-to-be in a mustard Nehru jacket with a white kurta. Fans are in love with Sophie’s desi looks.

Wedding bells are ringing in full swing for former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and his Irish fiancée, Sophie Shine, and the celebrations have officially begun. Fresh pre-wedding pictures from their festivities have surfaced online, sending fans into a frenzy. As the couple counts down to their big day, Sophie has offered heartwarming glimpses of the ceremonies, showcasing her stunning transformation into a radiant bride-to-be.

Check it out below:

Sophie’s red lehenga moment

For what appears to be a haldi ceremony, Sophie stepped out in a rich red and gold lehenga that beautifully blended tradition with contemporary styling. The ensemble featured a vibrant red skirt adorned with delicate gold buttis and finished with an equally exquisite ornate border, paired with a halter neck and a yellow dupatta.

Keeping the styling minimal yet stunning, she complemented the bridal look with statement gold kaleeras cascading from her wrists and traditional jhumkas.

Sophie’s makeup was equally glowing, with a dewy base, blushed cheeks, shimmering eyes, and soft pink lips. Her hair was styled in voluminous open waves, flowing freely over her shoulders, while a tiny red bindi added the final traditional touch.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan complemented his bride-to-be in a mustard-yellow Nehru jacket layered over a crisp white kurta-pyjama. The classic combination gave him a polished look that perfectly matched the vibrant mood of the ceremony.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/shikhar-dhawans-irish-fiance-sophie-shine-is-perfect-desi-bride-to-be-in-red-lehenga-in-new-pre-wedding-pictures-check-out 

It’s one of the big claims about the nutrient. We asked experts if there was evidence to back it up.

For Mima Mendoza, 34, protein has become the “anchor” to all of her meals. Instead of using large amounts of white rice to tie them together, she now loads up on eggs, Greek yogurt, fish and chicken.

This new focus on protein, said Mendoza, a project manager in Severna Park, Maryland, has left her feeling more satisfied and less likely to graze. And she believes her attention to protein has helped her maintain her weight after she stopped taking a weight loss drug in October.

The idea that protein is uniquely satiating and helpful for weight loss goes back decades, said Hannah Cutting-Jones, a food historian at the University of Oregon. In a 1933 article published in The Times, a high-protein diet featuring lots of lean meat was billed by a doctor as satisfying and effective for weight loss. In the 1970s, some claimed that a “revolutionary” high-protein drink made from collagen helped people lose an average of 20 to 25 pounds in a month.

Today, high-protein diets and protein supplements for weight loss are all over social media, and protein-enriched cereals, chips, waters and coffee drinks line grocery store shelves. In January, new federal dietary guidelines recommended, for the first time, that Americans should eat more protein, in part to regulate appetite and manage weight.

There is something to the idea that prioritising protein can help you control your appetite and lose some weight, said Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada. But, he added, the extent of those benefits has been “oversold” by influencers. Here’s what the research shows.

HOW PROTEIN AFFECTS APPETITE
Most of the studies looking into how protein affects appetite are limited by their size and scope, meaning they have measured how small groups of participants responded to single, high-protein meals or snacks, said Tanya Halliday, an associate professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Utah.

But when you look at the studies’ results together, they suggest a consistent pattern. In a 2020 review of 49 such studies, for instance, researchers found that participants tended to feel more satisfied and less hungry after eating protein-rich meals and snacks than they did after eating lower-protein versions.

Many of the same studies have also looked at what hormones are released from the gut after eating. High-protein meals typically prompted lower blood levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you feel hungry) and higher blood levels of hormones like GLP-1 (which help you feel full).

High-protein meals can also cause food to move slowly through your stomach and intestines, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, said Heather Leidy, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

But research suggests that these feelings last for only about three to four hours after eating, Dr Leidy said. And they don’t consistently translate to eating less at the next meal, or over weeks or months of following a high-protein diet, said Richard Mattes, a professor of nutrition science at Purdue University in Indiana.

Protein is just one of many factors that may affect how much you eat, Dr Mattes said. Your mood, genetics, relationship with food and food environment (the food at grocery stores, in restaurants and at work, for example) play roles, too.

That said, if prioritising protein makes you feel more satisfied, with fewer food cravings and steadier energy levels throughout the day, that’s a real benefit, said Julia Lloyd, a dietitian who specialises in weight management at Massachusetts General Hospital.

HOW PROTEIN AFFECTS WEIGHT
As to whether a high-protein diet can help you lose weight or keep it off, the evidence is mixed but suggests that there is a small benefit.

In a 2021 review of 37 clinical trials, researchers found that when people who were overweight or obese followed higher-protein diets for an average of eight months, they lost about 3.5 more pounds (1.58kg) than when they followed lower-protein diets. And in a 2019 review of studies on overweight or obese adults who had recently lost weight, researchers found that following higher-protein diets for between three and 12 months resulted in slightly less weight regain compared with lower-protein diets.

That may be, at least in part, because digesting protein burns slightly more calories than digesting carbohydrates or fats, Dr Halliday said.

Following a higher protein diet during weight loss may also help you lose weight in a healthier way – shedding a little more fat and less lean mass, which includes muscle, Dr Phillips said.

Prioritising protein may nudge you toward a healthier weight, but you still need to pay attention to calories, Dr Phillips said, adding that the best way to conserve your muscle during weight loss is to do resistance training, like lifting weights.

Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/protein-weight-loss-benefits-578246

The two proven causes of stomach ulcers are bacteria and painkillers, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Find out why.

Here’s a question: What do you think causes stomach ulcers? If you think it’s spicy food, salty food, coffee, alcohol or stress, the answer is, well, “yes” and “no” (more on that in a bit).

What’s for certain is that stomach ulcers are caused by catching the Helicobacter pylori bacteria or H pylori for short.

These hardy organisms are specially adapted to living in the highly acidic environment of the stomach lining, said Dr Reyaz Singaporewalla, a senior consultant endocrine and general surgeon at ACE Specialist Surgery & Endoscopy. “The bacteria produce an enzyme called urease, which creates a more alkaline micro-environment around itself. This helps it buffer acid and survive,” he explained.

This urease is what triggers inflammation of the stomach, leading to what we know as chronic gastritis, explained Dr Melvin Look, a consultant gastrointestinal surgeon with PanAsia Surgery. “It weakens the lining of the stomach and the stomach acid may eventually erode the lining of the stomach to form ulcers.”

And just to make sure the bacteria hangs in there, evolution has endowed H pylori with a “tail-like structure called flagella, which it uses to burrow into the mucus layer of the inner stomach lining”, added Dr Look.

HOW IS THE BACTERIA TRANSMITTED?
Transmission is most commonly linked to shared eating practices, and poor hand hygiene and sanitation habits rather than any single action, said Dr Singaporewalla. Incriminating actions can include tasting food from the same bowl or close physical contact involving saliva. “Poor hand hygiene before meals or food preparation can also increase the risk of faecal-oral spread.”

The bacterial spread can just as likely occur during childhood, said Dr Chua Tju Siang, a senior consultant gastroenterologist with AliveoMedical. “Less commonly, it can spread through exposure to vomit or by adults chewing food before feeding infants.”

Now surely, the temperature and spiciness of certain food such as piping-hot mala hotpot, or the fiery chilli burn of sambal can destroy the nasties? Unfortunately, no.

“Boiling temperatures can kill many organisms, in principle, but hotpot dipping is not a controlled sterilisation step,” said Dr Singaporewalla. There are many factors involved such as “insufficient contact time, re-contamination from saliva, and the part of the utensil that touches the mouth may not be adequately dipped”.

Furthermore, “festive gatherings, where families eat together over long meals and shared dishes, can increase exposure, especially when hygiene routines become more relaxed”.

Choosing a spicy broth or dipping food into sambal is not a solution either. Spicy foods do not disinfect utensils, said Dr Chua. “Spiciness comes from chili compounds such as capsaicin, which may cause irritation, but does not have sufficient anti-bacterial effect at the concentrations found in food to kill H pylori.”

HOW LONG DOES THE BACTERIA TAKE TO DEVELOP STOMACH ULCERS? WHAT ABOUT CANCER?
“There is no set timeline for stomach ulcers to form after H pylori infection,” said Dr Chua. “Whether an ulcer develops depends on factors such as how aggressive the bacterial strain is, your genetic make-up and lifestyle factors like smoking or frequent painkiller use.”

In fact, many people contract H pylori and don’t ever develop ulcers, said Dr Singaporewalla. “Across populations, the lifetime risk of peptic ulcer disease among those infected is often quoted around 10 per cent to 20 per cent, meaning most infected individuals do not develop ulcers. In those who do, it usually happens after a prolonged period of inflammation, often months to years.”

Still, H pylori is not to be taken lightly. Often, cancers in the lower part of the stomach are caused by chronic H pylori infection in 90 per cent of cases, said Dr Look.

“H pylori is a very common infection in Singapore and parts of Asia such as Vietnam and China,” continued Dr Look. “In 1994, it was classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, making it the only bacterium recognised to be a definite cause of cancer in humans as it is specifically linked to development of stomach cancer and stomach lymphoma.”

The good news is, despite the strong association between H pylori and stomach cancer, only 1 per cent to 3 per cent of infected people will eventually develop cancer after harbouring the infection for many years, said Dr Look.

SO, STRESS ISN’T THE CAUSE OF STOMACH ULCERS THEN?
The two major proven causes of stomach ulcers are H pylori and painkillers, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, said Dr Singaporewalla.

NSAIDs damage the stomach by blocking prostaglandins, natural substances that protect the stomach lining by maintaining mucus production and blood flow, explained Dr Chua. “The risk of ulcers increases with higher doses, use beyond seven to 14 days, age or a history of ulcers.” In susceptible individuals, “even a single dose of NSAID can cause an ulcer, albeit uncommonly”, he added.

As for stress, “everyday psychological stress does not directly cause peptic ulcers in most people”, said Dr Singaporewalla. But what chronic mental stress can do is delay ulcer healing and encourage behaviours that raise ulcer risks, such as smoking, alcohol and painkiller use, highlighted Dr Chua. “So, stress is a contributor, not a primary cause, in most people.”

BUT WHAT IF YOU NEED TO TAKE PAINKILLERS?
A better alternative is paracetamol. “In selected patients, COX-2 inhibitors, such as etoricoxib and celecoxib, may be considered,” said Dr Chua. “Although COX-2 inhibitors are considered more ‘stomach-safe’, they can still cause ulcers – just at a lower risk than traditional NSAIDs.” If NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors are unavoidable, adding stomach-protective medications such as proton pump inhibitors is often recommended, he said.

WHAT ABOUT CERTAIN FOOD AND DRINKS? CAN THEY CAUSE STOMACH ULCERS?
Spicy and acidic food as well as caffeine aren’t direct causes of stomach ulcers, concurred the gastro experts. But they can irritate an already inflamed stomach lining and make other digestion symptoms feel worse, said Dr Singaporewalla. Caffeine, for example, may worsen indigestion or reflux symptoms in some individuals, he said.

When it comes to smoking, alcohol and too much salt in your diet, the damage hits you in the stomach more directly. “Smoking, alcohol and an excessive intake of salt can cause stomach ulcers by their direct injury to the stomach lining,” said Dr Look. For instance, a high salt intake damages the stomach’s protective mucus and renders the stomach more vulnerable to inflammation by gastric acid and/or H pylori, explained Dr Chua.

As for alcohol, it can irritate the stomach lining, and worsen gastritis and ulcer symptoms, according to Dr Singaporewalla. “Having five or more drinks a day significantly increases the risk of bleeding from an existing ulcer,” added Dr Chua. “If you have ulcer symptoms, it’s best to avoid alcohol until assessed or healed,” advised Dr Singaporewalla.

Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/stomach-ulcer-cancer-h-pylori-bacteria-578336

From snoring partners to night-owl teens, mismatched sleep habits at home can leave the whole family exhausted. Experts explain how different routines and body clocks in multigenerational homes often disrupt sleep – and what can help everyone rest better.

If you wake up feeling exhausted, as if you’ve barely rested, chances are you are not the only one with a sleep debt. Sleep is often seen as a personal matter. But experts say that poor sleep does not affect just one person at home.

“The truth is that sleep is very much a family affair,” said Dr Shaun Loh, senior consultant ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon at The ENT, Voice and Snoring Clinic (Napier).

“Our sleep schedules are often shaped by the routines of the people we live with. One person’s sleep and wake times, noise as they go about their activities, device use or medical issues can disrupt the sleep of the bed partner and everyone else sharing the same home,” he added.

Dr Loh pointed out that Singapore’s compact apartment sizes and shared bedrooms can intensify sleep disturbances within a household. Every person’s habits can easily affect other family members.

A snoring partner for instance, can become a major sore point among sleep-deprived couples. This type of sleep disruption is also among the most common reasons why people eventually seek medical help, the experts CNA Women spoke to noted.

Dr Chua Ai Ping, senior consultant at Respiratory Medicine at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, recalled a middle-aged patient who sought medical attention for loud habitual snoring. It disrupted his wife’s sleep and was straining their marital relationship.

“He was found to have severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and started on breathing machine treatment,” she said. When his thunderous snoring resolved, their sleep improved too, and so did their relationship.

WHEN DIFFERENT BODY CLOCKS SHARE A SLEEP SPACE

In many multigenerational households, sleep disturbances can get complicated because people at different life stages run on different internal body clocks. This can lead to conflicting sleep-wake schedules.

For families with adolescents, there is a biologically-driven reason why your Gen Z child seems to perk up just as everyone else is sleepy: During adolescence, there is a biological shift known as delayed sleep phase, which causes teenagers to become tired later at night and prefer waking up later in the morning, explained Dr Loh.

“This adjustment is primarily driven by puberty rather than ‘bad habits’, leading teens to remain awake late for homework or device use simply because they are not sleepy. This may disturb younger siblings sharing a room or parents elsewhere in the household,” he said.

On the other hand, their grandparents may experience advanced sleep phase, which means earlier bedtimes and morning awakenings, he added.

A misconception that can further disrupt sleep in households with young children is the belief that they will “knock out”, like adults, when they are exhausted. This is not the case, according to Dr Loh.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/how-different-sleep-routines-affect-family-sleep-576541

When it comes to longevity, experts often insist on exercising more. Now, scientists analysing wearable-device data are suggesting tiny tweaks. Their analysis suggests that adding five minutes of moderately intense activity each day, like brisk walking, cycling, swimming or energetic gardening, could prevent up to 10 per cent of premature deaths. An extra ten minutes could push the benefit to around 15 per cent.

The research draws movement data from older adults in the UK, Scandinavia and the United States. Participants wore accelerometers, small devices that measure motion, for days at a time. Instead of focusing on whether people hit the classic 150 minutes of weekly exercise, the scientists suggested that everyone did a bit more movement than they usually do.

In a world obsessed with big fitness goals, these findings remind us that small steps really do count. For those struggling to fit exercise into a busy life, the moral is encouraging: start where you are, and walk a little further today than you did yesterday.

Here’s why the small tweaks matter

Easy to start
Most of us can spare five to ten extra minutes in a day. This doesn’t demand a gym membership or special equipment.

Big impact for the least active
People doing very little activity showed some of the most dramatic improvements. For those averaging just two minutes of activity a day, even a short stroll made a noticeable difference.

Moderate activity counts
Movements that raise the heart rate a little, like brisk walking, gardening, or cycling, were counted as beneficial. You don’t need to be out of breath to reap rewards.

Less sitting, more living
Other research shows that time spent sitting less and moving more, even if it’s light activity, can soften the link between inactivity and early death.

Habits count

Unfamiliar with the vocabulary of the modern generation? The Red Lab Gen Z Slang Report will help you “decode the corporate vibe, read between the lines and understand the tone as much as the task”.

The workplace is changing. It is no longer what it used to be. Work is no longer just about getting a job done. It’s also about understanding the professional language and staying updated.

Carol Goyal’s Red Lab Gen Z Slang Report hopes to “capture the living, breathing vocabulary of a generation that speaks in reactions, sound bites, and viral slang”.

It is your weekly guide to decoding the Gen Z corporate world that’s fast, expressive, and full of cultural nuances. The Red Lab Report will help you read between the lines and understand the tone as much as the workload.

As we enter 2026, one word that’s reappearing in all career charts is FOBO. In the present day and age, when choices are plenty, FOBO results in a person finding it hard to commit to a particular option just because there may be other alternatives available.

FOBO: What is it?

Egg yolks aren’t as bad as you think! According to Dr Shubham Vatsya, the cholesterol in egg yolks doesn’t significantly impact blood cholesterol level.

Are egg yolks harmful to you? In a December 6 Instagram video, Dr Shubham Vatsya, a senior gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Fortis Vasant Kunj, challenged the long-held belief that egg yolks are detrimental to heart health, labelling this idea as a major nutritional misconception. He asserted that this common food does not cause heart attacks or strokes. Also read | Fortis gastroenterologist shares he lost 38 kg in 3 years by eating eggs daily: ‘3 eggs is 18 gram high quality protein’

The cholesterol misconception

He explained that the human liver naturally produces most of the body’s cholesterol, making the cholesterol consumed through egg yolks largely insignificant in terms of its effect on blood cholesterol levels. Dr Vatsya highlighted a large-scale study that found no increased risk of heart attack or stroke from consuming one egg daily.

In the video he posted, Dr Vatsya said in Hindi, “Making egg yolks the villain is the biggest scam run by nutritionists. Your liver produces 80 percent of your body’s cholesterol itself. The dietary cholesterol you take from egg yolks hardly affects blood cholesterol. A large study of 150,000 people has clearly shown that eating one egg daily does not pose a risk of heart attack or stroke.”

Yolk’s benefits and the real culprit

Furthermore, Dr Vatsya argued that egg yolks actually improve ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and contain beneficial components, such as lutein, choline, and essential vitamins, that support the heart, liver, and brain. The real issue is often the unhealthy way eggs are prepared, such as adding excessive butter, cream, or oil, rather than the yolk itself, he shared. Therefore, he stated, healthy, non-diabetic adults can safely consume up to three whole eggs per day.

Dr Vatsya said: “In fact, the yolk improves HDL, or good cholesterol, and contains lutein, choline, and essential vitamins that support heart, liver, and brain health. So the real problem is not the yolk; it is in the cooking style. People cook the egg with butter, cream, and extra oil, and then say they face problems. If you are a healthy, non-diabetic, non-hypertensive adult, you can comfortably eat three whole eggs every day.”

He wrote in his caption, “Egg yolk ≠ heart attack. For years, egg yolks were labelled “bad for your heart,” but modern science has completely overturned that myth. Your liver makes most of your cholesterol, which means dietary cholesterol from yolks barely affects your levels. One to two eggs a day doesn’t increase heart disease risk, in fact, yolks improve HDL and provide nutrients your brain, liver, and heart need. So, tell me… are you team ‘eat the yolk’ or ‘throw it away’?”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/fortis-gastroenterologist-reveals-biggest-scam-by-nutritionists-says-this-food-doesnt-increase-heart-attack-risk-stroke-101765079037807.html

Miss Universe 2025 Fatima Bosch spoke about the controversies surrounding her win in a new interview. Here’s what makes her ‘emotional’ amid public scrutiny.

Miss Universe 2025, Fatima Bosch from Mexico, has spoken out about the challenges of public life and the constant controversies that follow her win, sharing that her role is solely dedicated to serving others.

In a candid interview with CNN on December 4, Fatima addressed the barrage of scandals that have plagued her reign since she won the title on November 21. She stressed that the title’s singular purpose was ‘to serve others and follow a defined goal without distraction’.

‘This crown is only for the purpose of serving others’

The interview took an emotional turn when the anchor praised Fatima, stating, “You’re an inspiration. We don’t normally cover the Miss Universe pageant. This is a very special thing because of you and what you stand for, and your courage, and also your mission of female empowerment.”

Fatima responded with: “Thank you for your words. You are really kind. I really appreciate it, and yeah, it makes me emotional because I’m here to speak up and I want to do philanthropy.”

She then opened up about the emotional toll of the ongoing public scrutiny, and said, “So, it’s really hard, all the things that are going on, because sometimes I think that people forget that we are humans. And this crown is only for the purpose of serving others. So if you have a goal and a purpose, just follow it and don’t get distracted.”

Miss Universe 2025 controversies

Fatima’s journey to becoming Miss Universe 2025 was not an easy one. The Miss Universe 2025 pageant was marked by a series of controversies and scandals, involving the winner, organisation executives, allegations of rigging and claims the top 30 had been pre-selected by a secret panel of judges before the preliminary competition.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/fatima-bosch-breaks-silence-on-miss-universe-2025-scandals-it-is-really-hard-sometimes-people-forget-we-are-humans-101764905066295.html

Kate Middleton stunned at a Windsor Castle state banquet for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, debuting the Oriental Circlet Tiara, her largest and first worn to date, paired with a sequinned blue Jenny Packham gown. Earlier at Heathrow, she welcomed the guests in a blue Alexander McQueen coat, Burberry dress, Diana’s sapphire earrings and the Prince of Wales feather brooch

Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, standing at 5’9, has long been celebrated for her polished elegance and fashion choices that the British media frequently praises. Her statuesque frame, combined with her refined wardrobe, has made her one of the most photographed royal figures, and a leading future queen.

Over the years, Catherine has worn an enviable collection of royal heirlooms once belonging to Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II, creating a modern link to the royal women who came before her.

Kate Middleton’s new look sparks online buzz

Recently, Kate made headlines for her noticeably lighter hair, a makeover that triggered a wave of online speculation, with some social media users jokingly calling it a “wig”. But the real showstopper wasn’t her hair.

During the state banquet hosted at Windsor Castle for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender, Kate stepped out in one of her most dazzling ensembles to date.

Kate chose a shimmering blue cape-style gown by Jenny Packham, a designer she often relies on for high-profile royal events. The dress featured a full sequin finish that complemented the grandeur of the evening.

But the highlight of her look was the Oriental Circlet Tiara, a piece she had never worn before. Dating back to 1853, the tiara was originally created for Queen Victoria and is adorned with rubies and diamonds arranged in lotus-flower motifs and Mughal-inspired arches. It is believed to be the largest tiara in Kate’s personal rotation so far.

A classic airport look for the state visit arrival

The German President’s visit marks the first German state visit to the UK in nearly three decades. To welcome the guests at Heathrow Airport, the Princess of Wales opted for a regal but daytime-appropriate outfit.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/kate-middleton-flaunts-huge-diamond-tiara-at-german-state-banquet-it-originally-belonged-to-queen-victoria-in-1853

4 In 5 Think Fate Brought Them and Their Dog Together

Most dog owners will tell anyone who listens that their furry companion is special, that much isn’t a surprise. Still, a survey of pup parents suggests many dogs and their human caretakers may have been brought together by more than mere coincidence.

Eighty-one percent of dog owners genuinely believe it was fate that matched them with their pet, according to a Talker Research survey of 2,000 dog owners conducted in September 2025. The data backs up this feeling. Three out of four pet parents say their dog’s personality mirrors their own, particularly when it comes to energy levels, how they interact socially, and emotional sensitivity.

The connection between owner and dog personalities appears strongest along the introvert-extrovert spectrum. People who identify as extroverts were more than twice as likely to have outgoing dogs compared to introverts (38% versus 19%). Meanwhile, introverts were far more likely to describe their pets as shy, cautious, or quiet.

Extroverted owners were more likely to describe their dogs as friendly, affectionate, and energetic. They were also more than twice as likely to say their dog has an outgoing personality. Introverted owners more often described their pets as stubborn, calm, and easygoing. They were also more likely to characterize their dogs as shy, cautious, or quiet.

When Personality Types Align

Eighty-two percent of extroverts report having an extroverted dog, while less than a third of introverts (32%) say the same. Flip the script, and 62% of introverts have introverted dogs, compared to just 16% of extroverts with introverted pets.

Looking at the overall sample, 74% of pet parents said their dog resembles them in key ways, especially when it comes to energy levels, social habits, and emotional sensitivity.

Gary Tashjian, founder and CEO of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, which commissioned the survey, points to scientific backing for these patterns. “So many pet parents feel like it was fate that brought them and their dogs together, and it’s funny how often their personalities really do match,” Tashjian said. “Science backs it up, too: Studies have found that owners and their dogs often align across major personality traits. It’s a reminder that our bond with dogs is both deeply personal and surprisingly universal.”

What drives these matches remains an open question. Do people consciously or unconsciously gravitate toward dogs that match their temperament? Or do dogs adapt their behavior to mirror their owners over time? The survey examined whether people choose pets that reflect their personality, and the results show a strong emotional connection between owners and their dogs.

Dogs as Emotional Companions

Just how deep do these connections go? More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents describe their dog as their emotional twin, and over half (56%) go even further, calling their pet their soulmate.

The emotional understanding appears mutual. Seventy-five percent of pet parents feel they share an unspoken understanding with their dog all the time or often, and 83% say their dog instantly calms them when they’re anxious. These numbers point to relationships that go well beyond simple companionship.

Darwin’s research identified distinct dog personality types that tend to match up with certain owner characteristics. According to the company’s internal findings, owners who enjoy routines and structure often end up with confident controllers, dogs that thrive on consistency and attention. Meanwhile, affectionate and outgoing owners frequently pair with affectionate socialites, the type that loves being around people and never passes up a chance to tag along to a dog-friendly cafe. Then there are independent loner dogs, which tend to gravitate toward calmer, quieter households, where strong bonds are formed with just one or two people. Many self-described introverts in the survey said this dynamic felt familiar.

“What this research really highlights is the depth of the human-dog bond,” Tashjian added. “People don’t just see their pets as companions; they see them as reflections of themselves, even soulmates. Whether it’s fate, personality, or a mix of both, the connection is so strong that many owners feel their dogs understand them in ways no one else can.”

Source : https://studyfinds.org/most-dog-owners-believe-their-pup-is-their-soulmate

When seasonal influenza strikes, the body cranks up its internal thermostat as a first line of defense. That miserable fever might feel like a bug, but it’s actually a a shield of sorts that helps restrict how much the virus can spread through your respiratory system. Research reveals just how powerful this temperature defense really is. In mouse experiments, raising body temperature by about 2°C turned a typically severe infection into a mild one.

But there’s a catch: bird flu doesn’t play by the same rules.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge and collaborating institutions discovered that avian influenza viruses carry a genetic advantage allowing them to shrug off febrile temperatures that would cripple their seasonal cousins. The finding, published in Science, helps explain why bird flu and pandemic flu strains cause such devastating disease in humans, and it raises questions about the widespread use of fever-reducing medications during flu season.

In experiments with mice, researchers found that changing just two amino acids in a viral protein was enough to determine whether a fever would protect against severe disease or fail completely.

How Seasonal Flu Gets Stopped Cold

Human seasonal flu viruses adapted to thrive in the upper respiratory tract, where temperatures hover around 33°C (91°F). When the body raises its temperature to 39-40°C during a fever, these viruses struggle to replicate efficiently. The research team demonstrated this by infecting mice with a laboratory flu strain at normal room temperature versus an elevated temperature that simulated fever.

Mice kept at standard room temperature after infection experienced severe weight loss and many had to be euthanized. Meanwhile, mice housed in warmer conditions that raised their core body temperature by about 2°C maintained healthy weights throughout the infection. The elevated temperature reduced virus levels in the lungs by nearly tenfold within 24 hours.

This protective effect wasn’t due to a ramped-up immune response. Researchers confirmed that the higher temperature directly inhibited viral replication, independent of inflammation or other immune processes.

Temperature Creates a Species Barrier

Birds carry influenza in their gastrointestinal tracts at body temperatures of 40-42°C, which is the same temperature range as a human fever. When the research team tested various avian flu strains in human lung cells, they found these viruses replicated efficiently at 40°C, unlike human seasonal strains that were heavily restricted.

The key difference lies in a viral component called PB1, part of the machinery flu uses to copy itself. The team created chimeric viruses — essentially taking human flu and swapping in components from avian strains to identify which parts conferred temperature resistance. PB1 emerged as the dominant factor.

Historical pandemic flu viruses from 1918, 1957, and 1968 all acquired avian-origin PB1 proteins through genetic reassortment. Those pandemics killed millions more people than typical seasonal flu outbreaks, which claim an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 lives annually worldwide.

A Two-Degree Difference Between Life and Death

To test whether temperature resistance actually translated to more severe disease, researchers engineered a virus that was identical to the human seasonal strain except for two amino acid changes in PB1. These mutations gave the virus the same temperature resistance seen in avian strains.

Both the original and modified viruses caused severe illness in mice kept at normal temperatures. But when the ambient temperature was raised to simulate fever, outcomes diverged dramatically. The original virus caused only mild disease, with no mice requiring euthanasia. The temperature-resistant mutant, however, caused severe illness and death even in the presence of elevated body temperature.

The approximately 2°C temperature increase, equivalent to a typical human fever, made the difference between survival and severe disease.

Should You Skip the Tylenol?

Fever is routinely treated with medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, both at home and in hospitals. The new findings raise an intriguing question: if elevated temperature itself slows seasonal flu replication, could lowering a fever blunt that natural defense? The study didn’t test fever-reducing drugs, so researchers can’t say what this means for real-world treatment.

Clinical evidence hints this question is worth exploring. Flu patients who don’t develop fever despite being symptomatic often have higher mortality rates and longer hospital stays compared to patients who do run fevers. Animal studies have shown that suppressing fever can enhance viral replication.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/fever-stops-seasonal-influenza-not-bird-flu

Toxic air in Indian cities is hampering our lungs, heart, brain and now, our metabolism.

The deteriorating air quality in several major cities of India is not just driving diseases like lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, infertility and heart disease, it is also fuelling the obesity crisis.

A recent Lancet study predicted that nearly half of India will be obese by 2050, if no measures are taken. Besides diet, exercise and modern lifestyle triggering the obesity menace, particulate matter, an overlooked factor, is also making millions gain weight.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), now a permanent feature of urban life, is increasingly recognised as an “obesogenic” factor, one that alters metabolism, disrupts hormones, and contributes to weight gain.

Over the past decade, large population studies and meta-analyses have consistently shown that higher levels of PM2.5 and PM10 are linked to a greater risk of overweight and obesity.

The effects are usually seen more in men, older adults, and in rural or heavily polluted regions where pollution-control measures are weaker.

A striking example: a multi-city comparison of schoolchildren in Delhi versus relatively cleaner Kottayam (Kerala) and Mysuru (Karnataka) found nearly 40% of Delhi’s children were overweight or obese, compared with just 16% in the other two cities.

While diet and inactivity remain major drivers, researchers noted that ambient air pollution was a critical contributing factor, especially because early-life exposure can alter hormones, metabolism, and even epigenetic programming, raising obesity risk later in life.

HOW DIRTY AIR DISRUPTS METABOLISM

Dr. Hema Venkataraman, Lead Consultant, Endocrinology, KIMS Hospitals (Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences), Bengaluru, explains that while obesity is a deeply complex condition with genetic, behavioural, cultural, and environmental roots, research now suggests that air pollution plays a measurable role.

“Studies in both mice and humans show that air pollution is linked to increased adipose tissue inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased personal dietary intake,” she says.

Airborne pollutants can trigger systemic inflammation, alter appetite-regulating hormones, and interfere with how the body stores fat.

Pollution also indirectly raises obesity risk by limiting physical activity. “Poor air quality hinders regular outdoor exercise and increases sedentary time. Air pollution can reduce lung function and overall performance capacity,” she adds.

In high-pollution cities like Delhi, these effects are not theoretical. “I have patients who struggle with worsening metabolic health every winter—worsening diabetes and weight-gain cycles directly related to poor air quality. They suffer deterioration in lung health, making them less active,” Dr. Venkataraman says.

CHILDREN ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE

The biological impact of pollution begins long before adulthood. Prenatal and early-life exposure to PM2.5 may disrupt endocrine pathways, modify gene expression, and alter appetite regulation, predisposing children to long-term weight gain.

Delhi’s childhood obesity burden reflects this. Persistent exposure to toxic air, combined with limited outdoor playtime due to poor AQI (Air Quality Index), creates an environment where children exercise less, snack more, and adopt unhealthy habits early.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

The Raulane festival of Kinnaur is a sacred winter tradition where two men, symbolizing a divine couple, perform a slow ritual dance inside the Nagin Narayan Temple. Dressed in heavy woollens and masks, they become vessels of Sauni fairies, celestial protectors believed to guard villages during harsh winters. With no commercial frills, Raulane preserves ancient Himalayan culture

Nestled deep in the majestic Himalayas lies the remote Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Come winter, this region transforms into a breathtaking snow kingdom- serene yet unforgiving. The icy winds slash through the valleys, and a quiet stillness blankets every village. But locals believe this silence is not empty, it is protected.

According to ancient Kinnauri folklore, celestial fairies called Saunis descend from their heavenly abodes when winter tightens its grip. These divine beings watch over the land, the livestock, and the people until sunshine and warmth return. To honour these guardians, the villagers celebrate a mysterious, centuries-old festival known as Raulane.

A festival where men become a divine couple

Raulane stands out as one of Himachal’s most intriguing winter rituals. The event begins with a unique announcement, two men will symbolically “marry”. Of course, it is not a marriage in the real world, but a spiritual union. One man takes on the role of Raula (the groom). The other becomes Raulane (the bride)

Together, they embody the protective spirits, serving as human vessels for the Saunis.

To protect against Delhi’s worsening air pollution, neurologist Dr Chawla offers 5 ways, including staying indoors, using N95 masks, and more tips.

Air pollution has become a major concern for those living in North India, particularly in Delhi. Several parts of Delhi have been recording pollution levels in the ‘severe’ category. Amid this, it is essential to adopt measures to protect yourself and your family from toxic air pollution.

Dr Rahul Chawla, a neurologist trained at AIIMS, shared 5 ways to protect yourself from Delhi’s air pollution in an Instagram post on November 4. Sharing these measures, Dr Chawla criticised, “While Beijing’s AQI dropped from 754 (2013) to just 47 (2025) after strict climate action, Delhi’s air is getting worse every winter. Schools are shutting, visibility is zero, and people are literally breathing poison. Delhi is converting into a gas chamber. If lockdowns were for COVID, maybe the next one will be for air pollution.”

Here are the 5 measures he suggested in the post:

How to stay safe from Delhi’s air pollution

The five key measures Dr Chawla offered began with recommendations to remain indoors as much as possible, avoiding opening windows before the afternoon, and using an N95 mask, as the city has become a ‘gas chamber.’ So, to protect yourself and your family from the poisonous air present in North India, especially Delhi, definitely do these five things:

1. Stay indoors as much as possible
Keep your house windows and doors closed at all times and stay indoors as much as possible, Dr Chawla suggested. “You can open the windows and doors only between 1 and 3 PM in the day, when you feel that the sun is bright, so that the house gets proper ventilation,” he suggested.

Furthermore, he advised against cleaning inside the house using a dry cloth. Instead, he suggested using a wet cloth so that the dust does not rise. “Please do not light up things inside the house like burning dhoop (incense for worship), agarbatti (incense sticks), or anything else that causes excessive smoke,” he advised.

2. Use an N95 mask
Next, he recommended using an N95 mask if you are stepping out of the house. The neurologist added, “If there are elderly people at home, do not let them go for morning walks or evening walks, and if there are children, do not let them play in the park. Exercise at home. You can go up and down the stairs. You can do yoga. If you have a treadmill or a stationary bike at home, you can exercise with it. You can do weightlifting.”

3. Get an air purifier
“If you can afford an air purifier, buy one. But keep in mind that the air purifier you are buying should be appropriate for the size of your room,” the neurologist advised.

4. Work from home
The neurologist also emphasised that if you work in a corporate office and your company permits it, consider working from home.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/aiims-trained-neurologist-shares-5-ways-to-stay-safe-from-delhis-air-pollution-keep-windows-doors-closed-open-at-3-pm-101762654123405.html#google_vignette

Swiping through dating apps and scrolling social media, everyone seems to be living their best financial life. Designer bags, exotic vacations, bottomless brunches. In reality, one in two Gen Zers and millennials are lying about these lavish lifestyles.

A new Credit One Bank survey of 1,000 young adults reveals that 51% admit to faking their wealth or exaggerating their financial success. Gen Z leads the pack at 54%, compared to 48% of millennials. And it gets worse. A staggering 37% say they’d be willing to overdraft their account or plunge into debt just to impress someone on a date.

Credit Scores Are the New Dating Currency

Financial facades aren’t just about keeping up appearances anymore. More than half of respondents say a high credit score actually makes someone more attractive. In 2025, a 750 FICO score might matter as much as a charming smile.

About 24% of young adults won’t even consider a serious relationship unless their partner’s credit score hits 700 or above. Another 24% don’t care about credit scores at all when dating, leaving a middle ground where financial health matters but isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker.

One in five people say they want dating apps to display credit scores and financial habits upfront, treating fiscal responsibility like height or hobbies. Most people (55%) call this idea too invasive or judgmental. Those making less than $50,000 annually are especially opposed, with three out of five rejecting the concept entirely. Among those earning over $150,000, nearly a third want this kind of transparency.

Men Spend Beyond Their Means to Impress Dates

The survey reveals a gender gap in financial risk-taking for romance. While 46% of men admit they’d willingly overdraft their accounts to impress a date, only 28% of women would do the same. Overall, 38% of all respondents confess to going into debt or damaging their credit score to impress someone, with 22% specifically doing it for a romantic partner.

Men also report taking credit hits for love at higher rates than women (41% versus 35%). Traditional courtship expectations, where men often foot the bill for dates, continue to create financial pressure even as gender roles evolve elsewhere.

The spending isn’t always strategic. Social media highlights everyone else’s seemingly perfect financial lives, and young adults feel compelled to match that energy, even when their bank accounts tell a different story.

Bad Credit Isn’t Always a Dealbreaker

Despite the prevalence of financial posturing, 73% of Gen Zers and millennials say they fully understand what a credit score is and how it impacts their lives. Yet when it comes to sharing that information, discretion rules. More than half (54%) would rather not disclose their credit score or financial situation to a romantic partner until things get serious.

Poor credit history isn’t automatically disqualifying. Only 8% consider it a marriage dealbreaker. Nearly half (48%) say they would marry, or already have married, someone with a shaky financial past. Another 37% would consider it if their partner was actively working to improve their situation.

Men show more financial forgiveness than women. About 47% of men say they’d overlook a partner’s troubled financial past, compared to just 27% of women. Women are twice as likely as men to call bad credit a dealbreaker (10% versus 5%).

Patterns matter more than isolated mistakes. Around 21% would end a relationship over repeated money mistakes, while 23% say poor financial behavior wouldn’t affect their relationship at all.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Talk About Money

Despite the high stakes, money remains a taboo topic in many friendships. Nearly a third (32%) never discuss finances with close friends, and only 11% talk about it frequently. About 70% of women almost never talk about money with their friend groups, compared to just under 60% of men.

Romantic relationships tell a different story. About 67% discuss finances with their partner at least monthly, 44% weekly, and 10% check in daily. When commitment deepens, so does financial transparency.

For most young adults (56%), a friend’s financial situation doesn’t influence the friendship. But when friends give bad financial advice, consequences follow. One in three (32%) would forgive but proceed with caution. Another 23% would blame themselves for taking the advice, 20% would confront their friend, and 2% admit they’d try to get even.

More than half of young consumers (53%) are determined to maintain financial independence, even as economic uncertainty looms. Among those open to help, 27% hope family and friends can step in, while 20% are actively seeking romantic partners who can provide financial support.

If economic conditions worsen, 40% say it wouldn’t change who they choose to build relationships with. However, one in five would prioritize financially stable romantic partners, and another 20% say stability would become important in both romantic and platonic relationships.

When it comes to financial advice, Gen Zers are more likely to turn to their parents (60%) than millennials are (44%). Some Gen Zers even consult Reddit, social media influencers, or ChatGPT (21%). Millennials prefer offline advice and are far more likely to consult professionals (43% versus 35% of Gen Z).

Source : https://studyfinds.org/ready-is-your-date-financially-catfishing-you

Our ancient ancestors weren’t fumbling with crude rocks. A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in Kenya reveals they had mastered a stone tool technology so effective that they stuck with it for roughly 300,000 years, even as their world transformed around them.

Researchers working at Namorotukunan, a site in the Turkana Basin of northern Kenya, have uncovered three distinct layers of stone artifacts spanning from 2.75 million to 2.44 million years ago. The consistency across hundreds of thousands of years and through dramatic climate shifts shows that what we might dismiss as “primitive” was actually an enduring adaptation that worked exceptionally well.

Sharp Minds, Sharp Edges

Excavations yielded 1,290 stone artifacts from three separate time periods. According to the research team led by archaeologist David Braun of George Washington University and geologist Dan Palcu of Utrecht University, the toolmakers had a clear focus: producing sharp-edged flakes rather than heavy-duty hammering tools.

Between 79 and 94 percent of the artifacts recovered were sharp-edged flakes and fragments. Evidence from one bone specimen in the 2.58-million-year-old layer shows butchery marks, confirming that at least some of these tools were used to process animal carcasses. For early hominins living in increasingly open habitats, access to meat and marrow would have provided crucial calories.

Choosy About Rocks

The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals something unexpected about cognitive abilities. Ancient toolmakers were highly selective about their raw materials, showing a marked preference for fine-grained chalcedony despite the abundance of other rock types, including basalt.

Chalcedony, a type of quartz, fractures predictably and produces exceptionally sharp edges. Basalt was readily available and would later become the overwhelmingly preferred material at younger sites in the region. Yet the Namorotukunan toolmakers consistently chose chalcedony across all three time horizons, making up 58 to 69 percent of their raw materials.

This wasn’t random. Selection of specific rock types demonstrates that these hominins understood mechanical properties and made deliberate choices to optimize their results. This level of selectivity matches or exceeds the raw material preferences seen at much younger archaeological sites.

Toolmakers weren’t transporting stone over long distances. Ancient braided river systems deposited the cobbles directly adjacent to all three archaeological sites. The selectivity was about choosing the right rock from what was locally available.

When the World Dried Out

The site sits within sediments that record major environmental upheaval in East Africa during the late Pliocene. Around 3.44 million years ago, the area was a humid floodplain near a permanent water body. Yearly rainfall may have reached around 855 millimeters, one of the highest values documented in this region.

Between 2.8 and 2.7 million years ago, everything changed. Landscapes transitioned into river channels and floodplains as the paleolake shoreline retreated. Yearly precipitation plummeted to under 300 millimeters. Vegetation shifted too, with increases in grasses characteristic of more open, arid habitats and a spike in charcoal indicating widespread wildfires.

The oldest tool-bearing layer at Namorotukunan dates to 2.75 million years ago, right as this major drying trend was taking hold. The second layer sits at 2.60 million years ago, and the third at 2.44 million years ago. Around 2.2 million years ago, the area was flooded by an ancient lake, ending the archaeological record at this location.

Filling a Critical Gap

Before this discovery, the time period between roughly 3.0 and 2.5 million years ago was poorly understood in the Koobi Fora Formation due to a major erosional event. Namorotukunan fills this gap and represents the earliest known evidence of this technology in the region.

Only four localities in eastern Africa have yielded similar artifacts older than 2.6 million years ago: Ledi-Geraru and Gona in Ethiopia, Nyayanga in western Kenya, and now Namorotukunan. Most of these earlier sites provide narrow snapshots of a single moment. Namorotukunan offers something different: a view across three distinct time periods.

The research team used magnetic analysis of rocks combined with the age of volcanic ash layers to establish precise dates. Comparisons of the Namorotukunan artifacts to other early stone tool assemblages revealed clear patterns. Technological attributes closely resemble other early sites rather than younger assemblages or the earlier technology from Lomekwi 3 in Kenya.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/oldowan-stone-tools-used-for-300000-years-perfect

If the busy streets of Rome and long queues in Florence have worn you out, here’s a fresh idea. Slow down in Italy’s quieter towns instead. Think cosy cafés, peaceful walks, beautiful views, and real local charm. These five small Italian towns are perfect if you want a calm, relaxed holiday.

Tired of squeezing through crowds in Rome or rushing from museum to museum in Florence? If you’ve done the big Italian cities or simply want a calmer, more romantic escape, it’s time to slow things down. Italy’s small towns are where you’ll truly feel the charm — quiet cobbled lanes, cosy family cafés, rolling countryside views, and days that drift by gently with good food and sunshine.
If you love peaceful travel, long walks, and the kind of moments that make you put your phone away, here are five gorgeous Italian towns made for slow travel.
Alberobello

Alberobello is a fairy tale that has pretty white cone-shaped houses called “trulli” that are very famous. Walk through narrow lanes, drink coffee in small cafés, and leave yourselves to the gentle rhythm of southern Italy. Nights are gorgeous here — warm lamps, calm streets, and fresh pasta served everywhere.

Orvieto

Orvieto is placed on top of a volcanic cliff and gives you an extravagant feeling, but it is still calm. It is recognized for its beautiful medieval buildings, amazing views, and some of the best white wines in Italy. Take slow walks, see its underground tunnels, and finish your day with local wine and a good hot bowl of truffle pasta. This place is truly heavenly.

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare, a seaside town with buildings painted in white, is a place full of the sound and smell of the sea and the essence of slow living. Devote your days to sitting on the cliffs, looking at the blue waves, and eating gelato by the beach. The sunsets here are to remember, and the pace of life is perfect and not rushed at all.
Montepulciano

Montepulciano is the perfect place to live your Tuscan dream. This place offers you rolling vineyards, cobbled stone medieval streets, hills with panoramic views, and small, cosy underground wine cellars. Everything here is just so warm and romantic. Montepulciano is a place that is ideal for wine lovers and also for anyone who likes to take serene walks in the countryside and have rustic Italian meals.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/travel/5-beautiful-small-towns-in-italy-for-slow-travel-article-153090874

The “5-Minute Mobility Routine” includes simple exercises that are immensely beneficial in making you feel fit and flexible.

A balanced diet works best when paired with quick, effective exercises. Fitness coach and yoga expert Morgan Tyler recently shared a short but powerful routine aimed at improving flexibility, mobility and overall strength. In an Instagram post captioned “advanced mobility for 30+”, Morgan encouraged her followers to make mobility training a part of their daily lives.

Dressed in a comfy athleisure outfit, the yoga expert demonstrated a series of quick exercises that targeted different muscle groups. “This 5 Minute Mobility routine only takes literally 5 minutes of your time and will leave you feeling like a freshly oiled tin man off the Wizard of Oz,” she shared in her post.

Here’s a breakdown of her routine:

1. Kneeling Windmill (60 seconds)
Start in a half-kneeling position with one foot on the floor. Extend one arm toward the ceiling, then twist your torso and reach the other hand toward the ground to open up your spine and chest.

2. Reverse Table Tap to L-Sit (60 seconds)
Begin in a reverse tabletop position, lifting your hips upward while pressing your palms into the floor. Lower your knees gently one at a time – this builds shoulder stability and core strength.

3. Lateral Glide with Knee Drop (60 seconds)
Sit with legs apart and sway your hips gently from side to side, dropping one knee inward with each motion. This movement helps improve hip flexibility and rotation.

4. Kneeling to Low Squat (60 seconds)
Transition smoothly from a kneeling position to a deep squat, keeping your hands straight and thumbs open from fists. This helps improve fluidity and lower-body control.

5. Alternating Sitting-Rising (60 seconds)
Sit cross-legged, then stand up without using your hands, alternating sides each time. This builds balance, coordination, and lower-body strength.

The text attached to the post read, “If Homeward Bound is a vintage movie, you probably shouldn’t be skipping out on your mobility…I don’t make the rules!!! If you see this and are feeling overwhelmed on how to even begin mobility, you already know I have you covered!!!”

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/fitness-coach-unveils-5-minute-mobility-routine-for-staying-young-even-after-30s-9561811

The ‘donkers’ have been sending videos to family members, in which one of them is pleading for help and saying they are being tortured, they said.

Two men from Karnal in Haryana who left the country after being promised jobs in Spain were taken via a “donkey route” and are now being “tortured” in Iran over ransom demands, their families claimed.

The ‘donkers’ have been sending videos to family members, in which one of them is pleading for help and saying they are being tortured, they said.

The families of Ritik (24) and Pawan (40) have lodged a complaint with Karnal Police and have also appealed to the government to help rescue the two men, who left home on October 22.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has appealed to the Haryana government to bring the men back safely.

When contacted, Inspector Tarsem, SHO of Karnal Sadar police station, said: “We have registered a case under relevant provisions of law after the two families lodged a complaint stating that they paid money to the travel agents who duped them. Further investigations are on.”

Donkers, a term used for people promising to help people migrate illegally through donkey routes, which usually involve crossing multiple borders.

Ritik and Pawan, who are from different villages in Karnal district, were promised by Haryana-based “travel agents” that they would take them to Spain, where they would get jobs.

However, the families of the two men claimed that after they left home on October 22, the agents arranged their flight to Kolkata and then onwards to Thailand.

From there, other agents in the network sent them to Tehran promising it will be a short halt before they head to Spain.

In Tehran, the ‘donkers’ are torturing them and threatening to sell their kidneys if they are not given the money they are demanding, the families claimed.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/happy-birthday-nita-ambani-at-62-her-diet-is-all-about-balance-no-sugar-vegetarian-and-organic-food-101761970583621.html

The tennis legend turned heads at the Princesa de Asturias Awards in Oviedo, dazzling in a fiery red creation by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta.

Trust Serena Williams to make a statement wherever she goes. And when it comes to fashion, the tennis superstar and GOAT has been serving looks both off and on the court.
In her latest appearance at the Princesa de Asturias Awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Serena turned up in fiery red evening wear by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta.
Styled by Kesha McLeod, she wore a rubescent red one-shoulder sculpted gown from the designer’s collection, which she teamed with glossy pumps that boasted a skinny heel and pointy toe. The body-hugging gown in crepe featured dramatic ruching towards the right side of her hip, which formed sort of swirls. A very sexy thigh-high slit showed off Serena’s legs as she walked.

She kept her accessories minimal and ditched wearing a necklace. A gold watch and a brooch on her shoulder completed her look. She wore cherry-coloured lipstick and left her platinum blonde hair loose. It fell over her shoulders in soft waves.

Serena shared a couple of snaps on her Instagram and wrote, “Feeling deeply honoured to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Northern Spain. This award has been presented to so many remarkable individuals over the years, and to be recognised as part of that legacy is truly humbling. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on and off the court.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/fashion/serena-williams-brings-indian-couture-glamour-to-spain-in-a-gaurav-gupta-sculpted-gown-article-153056737 

In a crowded bar, on a dark street, or across a parking lot, the human brain makes snap judgments about who poses a threat. Scientists have long known that height and muscle mass drive these assessments. But a new study from Northumbria University reveals something unexpected: how men walk adds to body size in shaping threat impressions, and the visual system can read these movement cues quickly, even with limited detail.

Researchers used 3D motion capture technology to record 52 men walking naturally, then asked 137 people to rate how physically dominant each walker appeared based solely on their gait. What emerged was a pattern where different combinations of body size and walking style can lead to similar dominance ratings. A smaller, weaker man who walks with exaggerated movement patterns can register as just as dominant as a substantially larger, stronger man who moves with minimal flair.

Two specific walking patterns stood out: torso sway (how much the upper body rocks side-to-side with each step) and shoulder abduction (holding the shoulders away from the chest). Men who displayed more of these movements were rated as significantly more dominant, even when viewers couldn’t see their actual body size, face, or anything else besides the walking pattern.

“Physical dominance” in this context refers to the ability to win physical fights, a trait that has shaped human evolution through male competition. Throughout history, correctly judging who could inflict harm helped people avoid dangerous conflicts. But previous research focused almost exclusively on static cues like facial structure, chest width and height. This study shows that dynamic movement provides its own independent channel of information about fighting ability.

How the Brain Detects Threats Through Motion
Male competition has driven the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits in humans, from thicker skulls to greater upper body strength. These features either help inflict damage or defend against it. Upper body muscle mass, for instance, correlates with punching power.

Research suggests the sudden stretching of active jaw muscles following a blow may stabilize the jaw and help reduce head acceleration, though this remains an area of ongoing investigation. But traits that directly facilitate violence are only part of the equation. Equally important are the neurocognitive mechanisms that assess risk. Deciding whether to engage in a violent altercation carries high stakes, as even the victor can sustain life-threatening injuries. As a deeply social species, humans have developed sophisticated abilities to infer fighting ability. Even children show an understanding of conflict dynamics.

Previous research found that both men and women from culturally diverse samples made similar judgments when identifying physically dominant men from photographs. Body size emerged as a key determinant of knockout power across species. Visual cues appear to track upper-body strength and, by extension, formidability.

But here’s the catch: participants in those studies judged formidability from static images. But photographs freeze people in place. Real-world encounters involve movement, and the way joints shift and bodies flow through space might reveal different information about someone’s capacity for individual fighting ability.

Research on biological motion shows that humans extract remarkable amounts of social information from movement alone. Scientists often use “point-light displays” for these studies, which are basically just dots placed on shoulders, elbows, wrists and other key spots. Even with these stripped-down animations, observers can figure out gender, personality traits, mood and intentions.

Studies show that even scrambled versions of these dot displays trigger specialized brain regions that recognize living things. Research has found that people born blind who later gain sight can immediately recognize human walking patterns, and newborns show signs of this ability too.

Walking gait tends to happen without conscious thought, which means it might reveal honest information about someone. Many animal courtship displays work this way, with females judging males based on performances that are hard to fake.

Capturing Natural Gait Patterns
The Northumbria research team captured walking patterns from 52 men aged 18 to 41, recording their gaits with a 14-camera Vicon motion capture system. Each participant walked naturally along an eight-meter walkway while 38 reflective markers tracked their movements at 200 frames per second.

To help participants relax into their natural stride, researchers framed the initial walks as “dynamic calibration.” After about five minutes, six one-way recordings were made without alerting the walkers. One recording from the latter three walks was selected for each participant.

Motion data were then used to create standardized, featureless humanoid avatars of uniform height and build, eliminating all visual information except the walking pattern itself. The clips showed approximately two full gait cycles and lasted between three and four seconds.

Beyond the motion capture, researchers collected hand grip strength (as a proxy for overall strength), circumference measurements of biceps, shoulders, chest, waist and hips, plus scores from the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire, which measures tendencies toward physical aggression, verbal confrontation, anger and hostility.

How Walking Style Can Make You Look Dominant
Before getting into the technical details, researchers showed the five most dominant-looking walks and the five least dominant-looking walks to ten people and asked what made them different. Everyone agreed on two things: swagger and sway.

Sway is straightforward: how much someone’s torso rocks left and right with each step. Researchers measured this by tracking the distance between a marker on the middle back and markers on the hip bones. Since people walk at different speeds, they adjusted these measurements so everyone could be compared fairly.

Swagger involved three movements: holding the shoulders away from the chest, bending the elbows, and rotating the upper arms inward. Together, these created the look of an inflated upper body, with arms held away from the torso instead of swinging straight alongside. When researchers ran their final analysis, shoulder position mattered most.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/walking-style-men-appear-intimidating/

Indian rupees’ value against US dollar has been quite low lately, which might be a problem for Indians planning to visit America. However, the good news is that there are many other beautiful countries where you can enjoy a wonderful vacation without worrying much about the expenditure.

Here is a list of 10 countries where value of INR is higher.

1. Indonesia
   With beautiful beaches, ancient sites and much more, one can have a remarkable trip to this country, and not have to burn cash. (1 INR = 193 IDR)
2. Vietnam
   Famous for its stunning landscapes and mouth-watering cuisine, Vietnam can be your to-go-destination if you want a good trip at lesser cost. (1 INR = 299 VND)
   
3. Sri Lanka
   This neighbouring country has a lot in common with South India in terms of cuisine and language, but the beautiful landscapes and diverse wildlife, apart from cultural richness, makes it an ideal tourism region. (1 INR = 3.46 LKR)
   
4. Nepal
   A visit to Nepal would give you a chance to witness some of the most majestic mountains and religious sites. It also offers a diverse cultural experience. (1 INR = 1.60 NPR)
   
5. Cambodia
   With ancient temples and its historical significance, Cambodia is worth a visit as you would have a pleasant experience with minimal use of cash. (1 INR = 46.85 KHR)
   
6. Mongolia
   This country not only offers peaceful mountains, but also vast deserts, and the rich nomadic culture is a bonus. (1 INR = 40.65 MNT)

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/lifestyle/travel/where-indian-rupee-is-stronger-10-nations-to-visit-without-spending-much-3769688#10

While it’s unclear how Swift came across Lilah’s campaign, fans believe it might have been through an Instagram post from a children’s cancer awareness page

Taylor Swift once again showed that her compassion goes far beyond her music. The global pop icon has quietly donated $100,000 to support a two-year-old girl named Lilah, who is courageously fighting a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. The donation was made through Lilah’s GoFundMe page, created by her family to help cover the high cost of her ongoing treatment.

Taylor Swift’s heartfelt gesture

Without any fanfare or publicity, Swift made the six-figure donation and left a touching message for the little girl, “Sending the biggest hug to my friend, Lilah! Love, Taylor.”

The sweet note has since gone viral, melting hearts across social media. Fans praised the singer for her empathy and kindness, calling her a “real-life angel.” Many even began donating $13 each, a nod to Swift’s lucky number, turning Lilah’s fundraiser into a global wave of love and support.

Lilah’s health battle began earlier this year when she suffered a sudden seizure at home. Doctors soon discovered a brain tumour, which was later diagnosed as a stage 4 aggressive cancer. Although surgeons successfully removed the tumour, her journey was far from over, she now requires months of chemotherapy and stem cell therapy to recover.

Her parents launched the GoFundMe campaign after mounting hospital bills and long stays at the medical center began taking a toll. What they never expected was for one of the world’s biggest stars to notice their plea for help.

How Taylor found Lilah’s story

While it’s unclear how Swift came across Lilah’s campaign, fans believe it might have been through an Instagram post from a children’s cancer awareness page. The post featured friendship bracelets made by another young cancer patient to help raise funds for Lilah.

It also mentioned Lilah’s wish, to have Taylor Swift as her “best friend.” The adorable sentiment seems to have deeply touched the Grammy winner, who responded in the most heartfelt way possible.

A ripple of kindness across the internet

After Taylor’s donation, the GoFundMe total quickly surpassed its original goal, soaring to nearly $178,000 within hours. Lilah’s family expressed immense gratitude, saying the contribution brought them “hope, comfort, and strength” during their toughest time.

Fans worldwide also began sharing their own stories of giving, inspired by Taylor’s generosity. Many said the act reminded them of the importance of kindness, no matter how small.

Taylor Swift’s legacy of giving

This isn’t the first time Taylor Swift has reached out to help those in need. She has a long history of quiet philanthropy, from donating millions to disaster relief funds to supporting families facing medical crises. Reports have shown she often scrolls through GoFundMe pages, donating anonymously or matching full fundraising goals.

In 2024, she reportedly contributed $5 million to communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, again without seeking attention. Her consistent acts of kindness have earned her admiration not just as a pop superstar, but as a role model for empathy and humanity.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/taylor-swift-donates-100000-to-2-year-old-swiftie-battling-brain-cancer-says-biggest-hug-to-my-friend-lilah

Bengaluru gynaecologist Dr Varini N emphasises the need for better support systems in healthcare and workplaces to address the emotional toll of motherhood.

The arrival of a baby is often a moment of immense joy for many parents. However, while many new mothers feel elated, for some, it can be tiring and a period of doubt and fear. And it is perfectly normal to feel so, too.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Varini N, senior consultant, obstetrician and gynaecologist with 17 years of experience, Milann Fertility Hospital, Bengaluru, however, stated that when these feelings get converted to extreme levels of sadness, loneliness, loss of interest, change in appetite, insomnia, worthlessness, and frequent crying, it may be postpartum depression (PPD). “It is a condition that still remains largely overlooked in society,” she stated.

1 in 5 women experience postpartum depression

Despite growing conversations around it, Dr Varini noted that postpartum depression continues to be a blind spot in our healthcare and workplace systems. “Studies indicate that up to 1 in 5 women experience postpartum depression, yet most go undiagnosed or untreated due to stigma, lack of awareness, and insufficient healthcare support,” she added.

Moreover, the emotional and cognitive toll of motherhood is too often invisible, ignored, or underestimated. Dr Varini also pointed out the causes of postpartum depression, which are:

• sudden hormonal changes,
• stress,
• family history,
• and psychosocial factors.

She added, “Mood regulation is significantly affected by the sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone levels after childbirth. Coupled with sleep deprivation due to feeding, lifestyle adjustments, and societal expectations, mothers are at significant risk of developing depression in the postpartum period.”

“The emotional wellbeing of new mothers is not just a personal issue—it’s a public health priority that demands systemic attention. Women’s roles have often expanded due to circumstantial necessity. Yet, motherhood, especially in its early stages, remains deeply undervalued in both societal and organisational contexts,” added Dr Varini N.

The cognitive burden of mothers

Lastly, the burden of cognitive load, often experienced by new mothers, goes beyond the physical aspects of childbirth. According to the gynaecologist, it includes:

• mental strain of constant vigilance,
• emotional labour,
• sleep deprivation,
• and the never-ending cycle of decision-making that comes with caregiving.

“For mothers—particularly postpartum—it encompasses managing newborn care, family expectations, work obligations (if they’ve returned to employment), and the psychological pressure to ‘bounce back.’ This persistent overload can lead to postpartum depression, anxiety, and long-term burnout,” the gynaecologist shared.

‘Working mothers handle majority of domestic tasks…’

Dr Vikram Vora, medical director at International SOS (India), told HT Lifestyle, “The implications of untreated maternal mental health conditions are profound. Beyond emotional exhaustion, mothers may face:

• increased risk of cardiovascular disease,
• anxiety disorders,
• impaired immunity,
• and metabolic issues.”

“Moreover, mental burnout can manifest as dissociation, reduced motivation, and chronic fatigue—affecting the mother’s health, the child’s development, and family wellbeing,” Dr Vora pointed out.

He added, “More than 60 percent of working mothers report handling the majority of domestic tasks even when they are primary earners or hold high-pressure jobs. This ‘second shift’ robs them of rest and recovery, worsening mental health outcomes.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/bengaluru-gynaecologist-with-17-years-experience-warns-1-in-5-women-have-postpartum-depression-yet-most-go-undiagnosed-101760347608515.html

Scientists searching for nutrients that bolster the immune system have identified an unexpected candidate: zeaxanthin, a pigment found in corn, spinach, and egg yolks that is commonly marketed for eye health.

Researchers at the University of Chicago discovered that zeaxanthin enhanced the ability of CD8+ T cells to attack and destroy tumor cells in mice. When mice with melanoma tumors received daily oral doses of zeaxanthin, tumor growth slowed in mice compared to untreated animals. The compound also worked with checkpoint inhibitor drugs, a type of immunotherapy, to further suppress tumor growth.

The findings, published in Cell Reports Medicine, emerged from a systematic screen of hundreds of nutrients circulating in human blood. The research team co-cultured immune cells with tumor cells in the presence of various dietary compounds to identify which ones improved the immune system’s cancer-fighting capacity.

Structural Twins with Different Effects

Zeaxanthin and lutein are chemical cousins. Both belong to the carotenoid family, differ by just one double bond in their molecular structure, and concentrate in the human retina where they filter blue light. Both are sold as vision supplements, often combined in the same pill.

Yet only zeaxanthin enhanced immune function in the experiments.

When the scientists tested lutein alongside zeaxanthin, lutein failed to increase T cell activation or improve tumor control in mice. This specificity suggests that zeaxanthin’s effects depend on its precise molecular shape rather than general antioxidant properties shared by many carotenoids.

The research team tested several structurally similar compounds and found that only zeaxanthin and fucoxanthin, another carotenoid from seaweed, significantly boosted T cell activity. The symmetrical structure of zeaxanthin, with matching ring structures at both ends of its molecular chain, may be critical for its immune effects.

How Zeaxanthin Works

The researchers traced zeaxanthin’s effects to the surface of CD8+ T cells, a type of immune cell that kills cancer cells. On the surface of these cells sits a protein cluster called the T cell receptor, which acts as the cell’s antenna for detecting threats.

Using a specially designed version of zeaxanthin, the team found evidence that zeaxanthin attaches to parts of this receptor. Rather than simply sitting in cell membranes like other carotenoids, zeaxanthin appears to help assemble the receptor complex on the cell surface.

This triggers a cascade of activity inside the cell. Zeaxanthin treatment increased calcium release and turned on key proteins that activate immune cells. When the researchers blocked these internal signals with drugs, zeaxanthin’s effects disappeared.

Analysis of immune cells inside tumors revealed that zeaxanthin supplementation increased the number of cancer-killing T cells. These cells showed higher levels of activation and produced more inflammatory signals that help fight tumors.

Boosting Immunotherapy

The researchers tested whether zeaxanthin could enhance anti-PD-1 therapy, a widely used cancer treatment that removes the brakes on immune cells. Mice receiving both zeaxanthin and anti-PD-1 drugs showed better tumor control than those receiving either treatment alone in both melanoma and colon cancer models.

In laboratory experiments with human cells, zeaxanthin enhanced the tumor-killing ability of engineered immune cells designed to recognize specific cancer targets. These modified cells killed melanoma cells more effectively when treated with zeaxanthin.

These results hint at potential for zeaxanthin to complement immunotherapy, though this has not been tested in people. Current immunotherapies work well for some patients but fail in many others.

Dietary Sources and Dosing Questions

Zeaxanthin occurs naturally in many foods. Corn and corn products contain high concentrations, as do leafy greens including kale, spinach, and collard greens. Egg yolks provide another source.

Humans cannot make zeaxanthin and must get it from diet or supplements. Blood levels reflect recent intake.

In the mouse experiments, the dose was 500 milligrams of zeaxanthin per kilogram of body weight daily. This dose is far higher than typical human use and may not be achievable through diet or supplements. For context, most zeaxanthin supplements contain 2-10 milligrams per capsule.

The researchers detected increased zeaxanthin levels in both blood and the fluid surrounding tumors. Concentrations were higher in the tumor environment than in blood.

Whether typical dietary intake or standard supplement doses would produce similar effects in humans remains unknown.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/zeaxanthin-eye-health-boosts-cancer-fighting-cells

Discover how hydrating foods not only quench thirst but also restore equilibrium, fuel vitality, and nurture inner harmony

Hydration is more than a physical necessity; it reflects the flow of the mind, fuelling creativity and sustaining homeostasis – our inner equilibrium. Like water’s effortless movement, hydration nurtures clarity and facilitates the seamless exchange of ideas, emotions and thoughts. It brings about equanimity, allowing the mind to flow smoothly without turbulence, promoting balance and composure.

Hydration symbolises empathy, sympathy and compassion, flowing like kindness between individuals. A well-hydrated human being is content, fulfilled and peaceful in mind bringing emotional stability, nurturing connections with oneself and others. In this continuous flow, we find vitality, balance and the ability to navigate life’s complexities with grace and harmony.

Hydration is not just about quenching physical thirst but also maintaining the flow of energy and life force within the body.

In summer, focus on cooling and water-rich foods like cucumber and coconut water to balance pitta.

During winter, emphasise warm and nourishing foods to prevent vata from becoming aggravated.

Ayurveda recommends sipping warm water or herbal teas infused with ginger, fennel or cinnamon throughout the day, as this helps in cleansing and improving the absorption of nutrients. Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining energy levels.

Following are a few hydrating foods that will keep you energised throughout the day are:

Cucumber

Cucumber is known for its cooling and hydrating properties. It is primarily associated with pacifying the fiery pitta dosha, making it a perfect food during warm months or when feeling overheated. Composed of over 95% water, cucumber not only replenishes fluids but also provides essential electrolytes like potassium and magnesium.

It helps to soothe the digestive system and improve skin health by reducing heat-related toxins. Add cucumber slices to your salads or blend it with mint and a pinch of rock salt for a refreshing drink.

Tender coconut water

Tender coconut water is described as ‘amrita’ (nectar), owing to its high pranic value and hydrating properties. This natural drink is an excellent source of electrolytes like sodium and potassium, making it an instant energy booster.

Drink fresh tender coconut water on an empty stomach to maximize its benefits. Avoid consuming it during cold seasons or if you have a kapha imbalance, as it is naturally cooling.

Watermelon

Watermelon is known for its high-water content and natural sweetness. Rich in vitamins A, C and antioxidants, it hydrates and cleanses the body while giving an energy boost. It can relieve dehydration and soothe heat-related ailments. It acts as a natural diuretic, flushing out toxins. Eat watermelon as a mid-morning snack.

Leafy greens

Leafy greens like spinach, amaranth and fenugreek (methi) are not only nutrient-dense but also contain significant water content. They are excellent for maintaining hydration while providing essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. Simply sauté greens lightly with spices like cumin and turmeric or add them to soups and smoothies.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/weekend/energise-your-body-with-hydrating-foods-for-health-and-vitality

Unlike regular Garba or Dandiya, here dancers perform with flaming torches, turning the festive night into a breathtaking display of devotion

When it comes to Navratri celebrations in Gujarat, Jamnagar stands out for its unique Mashaal Raas. This spectacular dance form, introduced in 1957 by the Shree Patel Yuvak Garbi Mandal according to Arun Nimbel, has been kept alive for decades by passionate local Garba groups. Unlike regular Garba or Dandiya, here dancers perform with flaming torches, turning the festive night into a breathtaking display of devotion and bravery.

Dancing with fire

The highlight of Mashaal Raas comes when performers not only twirl and move to the rhythm of Garba while holding burning torches, but also spread fire on the ground and dance over it. This isn’t just entertainment,it’s a fearless expression of faith and cultural pride. Watching performers gracefully maneuver flames while keeping in sync with traditional Garbi beats leaves audiences mesmerised.

The heart of Jamnagar’s Navratri

Radhika Merchant and Shloka Mehta attended Ba***ds of Bollywood screening with Aakash Ambani. Here’s which designers they chose for the red carpet premiere.

Ba***ds of Bollywood screening was a star-studded event held in Mumbai on September 17 to celebrate Aryan Khan’s directorial debut. Many Bollywood celebrities attended the screening, including Aryan’s family – Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Suhana Khan, and AbRam Khan – as well as Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Ananya Panday.

As the Ba***ds of Bollywood premiere red carpet buzzed with celebs, the Ambani family also stepped out in style to celebrate Aryan’s debut series. While Nita Ambani wore a Manish Malhotra saree, her daughters-in-law, Shloka Mehta and Radhika Merchant, wore designer dresses that made a great impact. Rocking powerful looks on the red carpet, they were both among the boldest stars of the night.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) causes around 70% of head and neck cancers in the United States, making it the most common cancer caused by the virus, with rates increasing each year. Unlike cervical cancers caused by HPV, there is no screening test for HPV-associated head and neck cancers. This means that patients are usually diagnosed after a tumor has grown to billions of cells in size, causing symptoms and spreading to lymph nodes. Screening methods that can detect these cancers much earlier could mean earlier treatment interventions for patients.

In a new federally funded study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham researchers show that a novel liquid biopsy tool they developed, called HPV-DeepSeek, can identify HPV-associated head and neck cancer up to 10 years before symptoms appear. By catching cancers earlier with this novel test, patients may experience higher treatment success and require a less intense regimen, according to the authors.

HPV-DeepSeek uses whole-genome sequencing to detect microscopic fragments of HPV DNA that have broken off from a tumor and entered the bloodstream. Previous research from this team showed the test could achieve 99% specificity and 99% sensitivity for diagnosing cancer at the first time of presentation to a clinic, outperforming current testing methods.

To determine whether HPV-DeepSeek could detect HPV-associated head and neck cancer long before diagnosis, researchers tested 56 samples from the Mass General Brigham Biobank: 28 from individuals who went on to develop HPV-associated head and neck cancer years later, and 28 from healthy controls.

HPV-DeepSeek detected HPV tumor DNA in 22 out of 28 blood samples from patients who later developed the cancer, whereas all 28 control samples tested negative, indicating that the test is highly specific. The test was better able to detect HPV DNA in blood samples that were collected closer to the time of the patients’ diagnosis, and the earliest positive result was for a blood sample collected 7.8 years prior to diagnosis.

Source : https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250909/HPV-DeepSeek-shows-promise-for-early-detection-of-head-and-neck-cancer.aspx

Animal and plant-based protein sources have their own benefits. Find out which one is suitable, as per your personal nutritional requirements.

Protein is one of the most recommended nutrients to stay fit, and it is generally advised to maintain a steady protein intake according to body weight. But with so much focus on the amount of protein, let’s, for once, backtrack a bit and look at the sources. The sources are primarily two: plant-based and animal-based proteins. Each set of protein sources has its own pros and cons.

To help understand more about the nutritional profiles and resultant benefits or demerits of protein sources, Dr Medha Kapoor (PhD), nutrition and lifestyle consultant and co-founder at Varsity Skin & Wellness Clinic in New Delhi, shared with HT Lifestyle a clear picture of the protein sources, demystifying confusion surrounding them.

First up, beginning from the basics, she revealed the importance of protein, highlighting its ‘critical role in ensuring human survival.’ Medha added, “Protein is one of the three macronutrients that are vital for survival, along with carbohydrates and fats. However, it’s different from fats and carbs in terms of the fact that the body does not store protein in large amounts, so it becomes essential to consume protein regularly in the right quantity to ensure optimal health.”

She clarified another prominent misconception that many may have regarding protein- that it is only for fitness enthusiasts to build muscles. While yes, strengthening and building muscle mass is one of the effects of healthy protein intake, in reality, protein supports major biological functions, including hormone regulation. Medha said, “The benefits go far beyond building muscle as it also supports immune function, synthesises hormones and enzymes, and helps maintain muscle mass and strength.”

Now that protein’s importance is well established, again (just in case you are lenient with your intake), let’s revisit the sources. There is a lot of chatter regarding the sources, with debates about which is superior. But in practice, it is much more nuanced than a competition people make it out to be.

Medha clarified, “Indian diet allows for ample scope for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sources of protein, but the effectiveness depends on many factors- such as method of preparation, food combinations as well as portions.”

There are several considerations, and depending on those factors, plant-based and animal-based proteins hold relevance.

The nutritionist listed out the advantages of vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources, along with the Indian protein variants for each source:

Advantages of vegetarian protein sources

Common vegetarian protein sources in the Indian diet include lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black-eyed peas (lobia), paneer, milk and curd curd (dahi), along with soy, quinoa, nuts and seeds.

1. Lower in saturated fat: Compared to red meats etc, vegetarian food sources are lower in saturated fats, which helps in maintaining heart health.

2. Better fibre and micronutrient profile: Plant-based protein sources are high in dietary fibre, antioxidants, offering many health benefits

3. Lower risk of lifestyle diseases: Plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, altered lipid profile, hypertension, and even certain cancers.

4. More affordable: Legumes, pulses, and dairy products are more affordable as compared to non-vegetarian protein sources

Advantages of non-vegetarian protein sources

Common non-vegetarian protein sources in the Indian diet include eggs, chicken, fish, mutton and seafood.

1. Complete proteins: Have all nine essential amino acids required by the body.

2. Higher biological value: These are absorbed and utilised better compared to most plant proteins.

3. Rich in key nutrients: Rich in essential nutrients like Zinc, iron and B12

4. No need for combining with other foods: Provides a complete amino acid profile in a single food.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/animal-vs-plant-based-protein-which-is-better-know-the-advantages-of-each-source-101757308832519.html

The awards night in Mumbai saw a mix of old-school glam, experimental couture, and playful silhouettes, with stars serving looks after looks.

When it comes to Bollywood red carpets, drama, sparkle, and head-turning moments are always expected, and the Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards 2025 in Mumbai was no exception. The night saw a mix of old-school glam, experimental couture, and playful silhouettes, with stars serving looks after looks. Take a look:

Ananya Panday

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the spread of mpox (monkeypox) in Africa no longer represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). WHO’s Emergency Committee has met every three months to evaluate the outbreak of mpox, Xinhua news agency reported.

Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the spread of mpox (monkeypox) in Africa no longer represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

WHO’s Emergency Committee has met every three months to evaluate the outbreak of mpox, Xinhua news agency reported.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ Statement

“Yesterday, they met again and advised me that in their view, the situation no longer represents an international health emergency. I have accepted that advice.” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the media briefing on Friday.

“This decision is based on sustained declines in cases and deaths in Congo, and in other affected countries, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda,” Tedros said.

“We also have a better understanding of the drivers of transmission, the risk factors for severity, and the most affected countries have developed a sustained response capacity,” he added.

However, the WHO also said that lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, “nor that our response will stop, and we note the Africa CDC’s decision yesterday that mpox remains a continental emergency.”

The possibility of continued flare-ups and new outbreaks remains, requiring adequate surveillance and response capacity.

Ongoing efforts are needed to protect the most vulnerable groups, particularly young children and people living with HIV.

About Mpox

Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease. Initial symptoms of human infection include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes, which can later develop into widespread rashes on the face and body.

Most infected individuals recover within a few weeks, but some may experience severe illness or even death.

Since May 2022, more than 100 countries and regions worldwide have reported cases of mpox.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Thursday that mpox still constitutes a continental public health emergency, after a consultative group found new surges in many countries in Africa.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/who-says-mpox-no-longer-a-global-health-emergency-but-africa-remains-vigilant

While the world gushed over Taylor’s dazzling engagement ring, fans couldn’t help but notice another standout detail, her wristwatch

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has officially said “Yes!” to NFL star Travis Kelce, sending fans worldwide into a frenzy. The 35-year-old singer announced her engagement on 26th August with a series of photos capturing the magical garden proposal. While the world gushed over Taylor’s dazzling engagement ring, fans couldn’t help but notice another standout detail, her wristwatch.

The watch that stole the spotlight

Among the social media buzz, one question dominated forums and Instagram threads: “What watch is Taylor Swift wearing?” The singer chose a luxurious yellow-gold Cartier Santos Demoiselle, complete with sparkling diamonds along the bezel. The timepiece perfectly complemented her stunning engagement ring, drawing keen attention from fans and collectors alike.

The Cartier Santos Demoiselle has a reference number WF9001Y7 and features a delicate 26mm case size. Its diamonds are factory-set, ensuring a flawless sparkle. The watch comes with an 18kt yellow gold bracelet and is powered by a Cartier Calibre 157 Quartz movement, with the crown also set with a diamond.

Price, availability, and collectibility

Robert F. Kennedy Jr has spent years railing against food additives, framing them as part of a broader threat to public health. Now, as the U.S. health secretary, his views have taken on new weight.

Plans are now afoot to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply, with claims they are harmful and are linked to ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This has reignited a long-running debate around this subject.

Food additives have been treated with suspicion for years. Nearly 20 years ago in the UK, the Daily Mail ran a “ban the food additives” campaign. In 2017, research by the Food Standards Agency found that 29% of people in the UK thought that synthetic chemicals posed a risk to health.

Earlier this year, Arizona and New York state already went as far as removing additives from school meals. But is there convincing evidence to support this, or should we be looking elsewhere?

ADHD is a developmental condition whose symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. There’s no single cause of ADHD. Risk factors include genetics, prenatal substance exposure, toxins like lead, low birth weight and early neglect.

Hyperactivity itself isn’t exclusive to ADHD. It can also be a response to anxiety, excitement, sleep problems or sensory overload. In 2021 the Californian Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that food dyes can also stimulate hyperactivity in sensitive children. That is, not all children were affected, but it may aggravate symptoms in those with a pre-existing problem or biological predisposition.

The effects tend to be small, often only observed through subjective reporting (such as observations by parents), rather than more objective measures. Some experts question whether these findings are clinically significant.

Having a high intake of additives correlates with a high intake of ultra-processed food – usually a diet high in sugar and fat, while low in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. So, why assume that additives are the problem, and not the rest of the diet?

Eating ultra-processed food – and therefore additives – is more common among low-income families, who are also at greater risk of ADHD. To some extent ADHD may be an indication of poverty, and a generally poor diet, reflecting the financial need to eat cheaper ultra-processed foods.

Studying people with ADHD also tells us little about the rest of the population. One of the largest UK studies to look at children more broadly was carried out in 2007, on the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. Researchers gave a mix of additives to a range of children.

The European Food Safety Authority examined the findings and concluded there was only “limited evidence of a small effect on activity and attention in some children” from eating additives. The effects were inconsistent, and individual additives couldn’t be identified as harmful.

An Irish study in 2009 found that the doses of additives used in the Isle of Wight study had been much greater than are consumed in normal diets. This was an important observation, as consuming some substances in too high a dose can have an adverse reaction. Water and oxygen are examples of this.

Some experts argue that there is sufficient evidence to justify regulation of some additives, or at least adding details to food labels to help children with ADHD, although other experts disagree.

Out of precaution, since 2010 any food or drink in both the UK and EU containing any of the color additives has had to carry a warning. Even though there was no scientific justification, it was considered better to be safe than sorry – especially when the colors have no nutritional value.

Natural = Good?
There’s a common assumption that natural chemicals are good, while synthetic ones are bad. But what matters isn’t how a chemical is made but how the body responds.

Morphine and cocaine come from plants, for instance, and their dangers are well known. Recently in Australia, three people were fatally poisoned by death cap mushrooms that had been added to their meal. It’s estimated that 5% to 20% of all plants are toxic to humans. So, while “natural” sounds wholesome, it’s no guarantee of safety.

The total number of unique chemicals in the human diet exceeds 26,000, but our present understanding of how diet influences health reflects only 150 of these. The remainder are “nutritional dark matter” which have unknown effects.

To better understand the link between diet and hyperactivity, researchers have experimented with what’s known as the oligoantigenic diet (or a “few foods” diet). Children are given a very limited menu, then foods are gradually reintroduced to see what triggers a reaction.

The first study using this method was carried out in London in 1985. It found that at least one of the children reacted adversely to 48 of the foods in their diet with signs of hyperactivity.

With cows’ milk this was true for 64% of children in the study. For grapes it was 49%, hens’ eggs 29%, fish 23%, apples 13% and tea 10%. These are not ultra-processed foods, but we need to explore whether they contain chemicals that influence the biology of some individuals.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/do-food-additives-cause-symptoms-of-adhd/

Meat consumption varies across the world, shaped by culture, tradition, and economy. According to Statista 2025, Lithuania tops the chart with 96% meat consumers, followed closely by Japan, Argentina, and Greece. While India doesn’t feature in the global top 10, its meat market is booming, valued at USD 55.3 billion in 2024 and expanding rapidly.

Take a moment to think about it: while one country swears by its sizzling barbecued beef, another finds its comfort in lamb roasted with herbs, and yet other builds meals around pork cutlets and sausages. Meat consumption is not just about hunger, but it is about economy, religion, culture, history, tradition, geography, and even climate. From coastal nations that opt for seafood with meat, to cattle-rich countries where beef is not just a food choice but a matter of national pride – The way meat is consumed tells us fascinating stories about cultures.
According to a 2025 report by the Statista Research Department, there are clear leaders when it comes to who devours the most meat per head. Some names may shock you, while others like Argentina with its steak culture feel like obvious contenders. Let’s dig into the world’s top meat-loving countries.

Long flu refers to lingering symptoms after influenza, fatigue, brain fog, cough, and weakness lasting weeks or months. Early detection, rest, medical support, and vaccination are key to managing and preventing complications.

When we were first introduced to COVID-19, the idea that a viral infection could cause so much damage and leave lingering symptoms for weeks or months shocked everyone. And that is what caused the researchers to study more about an often overlooked phenomenon: long flu. While influenza is more often than not dismissed as a seasonal inconvenience, a growing body of evidence suggests that for some people, the long flu is a very real thing that leaves behind persistent fatigue, breathlessness and cognitive difficulties.

Turning 100 used to conjure images of decades spent juggling multiple health problems and endless doctor visits. But a nationwide study of 274,108 Swedes suggests a different story: those who reach triple digits tend to follow a very different health trajectory.

Rather than simply enduring more illness over a longer period, centenarians tend to develop fewer diseases, accumulate them more slowly, and often see that build-up stabilize late in life. The findings are based on associations, as the study does not prove cause and effect, but they suggest that longevity may be linked to resilience against certain conditions, especially heart and brain diseases.

A 30-Year Look at Aging

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet followed everyone born in Sweden between 1920 and 1922 who was still alive at age 70. Using national medical records, they tracked each person’s health from January 1, 1990, until death, their 100th birthday, or December 31, 2022 — whichever came first. That means the follow-up period was up to 30 years, not the same length for everyone.

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, found that “disease resilience, when compared to non-centenarians, becomes apparent well before extreme old age, emerging as early as age 70.”

Centenarians Stay Healthier for Longer

From the start of the follow-up period, those destined to reach 100 consistently developed fewer health problems and experienced slower disease accumulation. At age 85, centenarians averaged just 1.2 diagnosed diseases, compared to 2.4 among people who would die at age 90.

The study found that disease accumulation remained stable in the final years of life for centenarians, whereas it continued to rise in individuals with shorter lifespans.

Centenarians were also more likely to have illnesses confined to a single disease category rather than multiple overlapping problems. For example, someone might have cardiovascular disease but no additional diagnoses from other categories, a sign of less complex health challenges.

The Big Gaps: Heart and Brain Health

Cardiovascular disease was the most common health issue across all age groups, but its share of the total disease burden was far smaller in centenarians. At age 70, heart problems made up 51.6% of all diagnoses among those who died at 75, but just 24.8% among future centenarians.

Differences were even greater for brain-related conditions. Neuropsychiatric disorders, including dementia and depression, were consistently less common in centenarians, with the study noting they showed “the largest relative difference across all ages” compared to people who died younger.

Cancer presented a different story. The authors wrote that research suggests “centenarians do not completely avoid cancer but may be able to mitigate its impact, or develop less aggressive forms of cancer. They may have greater resistance to cancer progression or respond more effectively to treatment.” That ability could stem from biological resistance, slower tumor growth, or better treatment response.

Why Prevention Matters

Because differences in disease patterns were already visible at age 70, the roots of exceptional longevity likely lie much earlier in life. Genes, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures could all contribute to this long-term advantage.

The authors note that identifying the genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors behind this early “disease resilience” could inform early-life preventive strategies and lead to novel interventions.

The findings also push back against assumptions that extreme longevity will always strain healthcare systems. If centenarians maintain a lower disease burden for most of their lives, they may actually require fewer medical resources than expected in their later years.

”Our results challenge the widespread belief that a longer life inevitably means more diseases. We show that centenarians follow a distinct aging curve, with slower disease progression and greater resistance to common age-related diseases,” says co-author Karin Modig, associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, in a statement.

The Caveats

The study’s disease data came from hospital and specialist care visits in Sweden’s National Patient Register. That means it may miss some illnesses diagnosed only in primary care or never formally recorded. Differences in how often people seek medical help could also influence the results, although Sweden’s universal healthcare likely reduced major access disparities.

Because the research looked at broad disease categories rather than individual conditions, results may not apply equally across all illnesses. And while the Swedish context offers high-quality health records, the patterns may differ in countries with other healthcare systems or population profiles.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/secrets-of-the-100-club-how-centenarians-postpone-illness-for-years

Forget Marie Kondo’s organized closets. New research reveals that people who embrace a simple life may feel better not only because they own fewer possessions, but most strongly because they build greater communities and share more with their neighbors.

Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand surveyed 1,643 people and found that the “beneficence” dimension of voluntary simplicity — activities like sharing the fruits of one’s labor with others outside the immediate family, putting effort into building community, and sharing skills and labor — showed the strongest direct relationship with well-being. While owning less was part of the voluntary simplicity lifestyle, it still contributed indirectly through the overall pattern of simple living behaviors.

The findings suggest that both consumer culture’s promise that buying more leads to satisfaction, and the minimalism movement’s focus on decluttering alone, may overlook the deeper role of social connection in supporting happiness.

Community Connections Matter More Than Owning Less Stuff
Voluntary simplicity means deliberately choosing to consume less while focusing on relationships, personal growth, and experiences rather than possessions. People who practice this lifestyle might grow their own food, buy from local producers, repair items instead of replacing them, and share resources with neighbors.

When researchers examined which specific behaviors were most directly related to well-being, material simplicity (owning fewer things) was not a significant direct predictor in their models. The same was true for resource conservation and producing one’s own food. However, all of these still contributed to the overall voluntary simplicity score, which was positively linked to wellbeing.

The standout factor was beneficence, or sharing the fruits of one’s labor with others outside the immediate family, putting effort into being engaged in and building community, and sharing skills and labor with others, even when not at work. This community-focused dimension showed the strongest direct relationship with both psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction.

People who embraced simple living also reported higher satisfaction in life achievement and community connection, and smaller, marginally significant improvements in personal relationships, health, and living standards. The study found no significant link with safety or future security. Overall, it was the social aspect, rather than simply reducing possessions, that most clearly boosted well-being.

How Researchers Studied Simple Living and Happiness

The research team surveyed a representative sample of New Zealand’s population: 51 percent men and 49 percent women, with a median age of 45 and median household income of $50,000. Participants answered questions about their engagement with voluntary simplicity behaviors across six areas: material simplicity, resource conservation, local purchasing, self-sufficient food production, community involvement, and work-life balance.

Scientists measured two distinct types of well-being: hedonic well-being — which includes life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and happiness — and eudaimonic well-being (psychological flourishing and personal growth). They split their sample in half for analysis: the first group was used to identify patterns, the second to confirm the results. The well-being relationship analysis used 854 participants, and the gender moderation analysis used 847.

In the final validated scale, all four “work-life preference” items were excluded because they didn’t apply to many people not in employment, such as retirees. This means the general-population version of the scale focused on five core components: beneficence, material simplicity, self-sufficiency, local procurement, and resource conservation.

Women Benefit More Than Men From Simple Living

Gender played a surprising role in the results. Women who practiced voluntary simplicity experienced stronger positive effects on well-being compared to men, for both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The study found a significant moderation effect for females but not for males, meaning the lifestyle’s wellbeing benefits were clear in women but less so in men.

Previous studies have found women are more likely to embrace simple living than men, though this is the first research to test gender as a moderator for eudaimonic wellbeing. Scientists still don’t fully understand why this difference exists.

Age did not significantly moderate the relationship, and income showed a negative moderation trend that was not statistically significant at the 10% level. This means the benefits of voluntary simplicity were seen across income levels.

What This Means for Your Daily Life

Rather than focusing solely on decluttering possessions, people interested in the well-being benefits of simple living might consider joining community gardens, participating in tool libraries, organizing neighborhood skill-sharing groups, or buying from local producers. These activities naturally create social connections, the kind most strongly linked to higher well-being in the study.

The findings suggest that collaborative consumption (sharing, borrowing, and exchanging resources) can support both social connection and personal well-being. For policymakers and communities, initiatives that make it easier for people to share resources may be particularly valuable in supporting well-being and sustainable living.

They’re in sports drinks, powders and tablets – but do they really help with hydration?

There is a large, growing and very competitive market for electrolyte powders, drinks and tablets. In 2024, the electrolyte drink market was valued around US$38 billion (S$44.8 billion).

The products are designed to be consumed before, during and after exercise – and manufacturers claim they’ll optimise your hydration, health and performance. There are even options to supplement your daily hydration, whether or not you are exercising.

But do you really need to replenish the electrolytes lost in your sweat? And are sports drinks, electrolyte powders and salty supplements actually the best way to do it?

WHAT DO ELECTROLYTES DO?

Electrolytes are minerals – such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium – that carry an electrical charge that influences how water moves in your body.

“They help maintain the fluid balance,” explained Dr Amy West, a sports medicine physician at Northwell Health. They help move fluid into and out of your cells and regulate blood pressure, heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function.

While they’re found in supplements and sports drinks, they’re also in the foods we eat every day.

“When we talk about potassium, it’s in a banana,” said Heidi Skolnik, a nutritionist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. “When you eat a pretzel, there’s sodium on it.”

As you sweat, you lose both fluid and electrolytes and if you lose enough fluid, you can become dehydrated. The volume of blood in your body drops and “your heart has to pump harder to get the same amount of blood circulating,” Skolnik said.

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO REPLACE THEM?

When you lose an exceptionally large quantity of water and electrolytes, as you might if you’re having a serious bout of diarrhea, you need to replace both. In those situations, doctors often recommend a rehydration solution like Pedialyte, which typically has more sodium and potassium than your average sports drink.

But experts say you probably don’t need to reach for a sports drink during your regular workouts. Even if those workouts are strenuous or happen in hotter weather, drinking water when you’re thirsty is enough to keep you hydrated. The sugar and carbohydrates found in many sports drinks certainly may help competitive athletes maintain their energy, but the electrolytes have little impact.

In the 1990s, standard medical advice recommended sodium-rich drinks for athletes during any exercise that lasted more than an hour. But more recent research has found that even as you lose sodium through sweat and urine, your body maintains the concentration of sodium in your blood. In several small studies athletes didn’t tend to report a performance difference between working out with water and electrolyte-infused drinks, even after five hours of running in 30-degree heat.

It’s been well-established for at least a decade that electrolytes don’t do much for performance, said Ricardo Da Costa, an associate professor in sports dietetics at Monash University in Australia. “But the marketing strategies from the sports drinks companies are more potent than the researchers.”

“Everybody thinks that they need to replace lost electrolytes right away,” said Tamara Hew-Butler, a sports medicine scientist at Wayne State University. “You don’t. You will make it up generally in your meals.”

Most of the time, you are fine just drinking water when you’re thirsty. If you’re spending hours outside in the heat for several days and start feeling dehydration symptoms, like lightheadedness, you might reach for a sports drink or supplement, especially if you aren’t getting enough electrolytes in your diet, said Robert Kenefick, a professor of biomedical and nutritional sciences at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

In rare cases, you can have too much fluid but not enough sodium in your blood, a condition called hyponatremia, which can cause nausea, fatigue and, in the most severe cases, seizures or death. It’s more likely to happen if you have certain medical conditions such as heart, liver or kidney problems.

For athletes, it can happen if they drink so much fluid before, during and after long workouts that it dilutes the electrolytes in your blood. However, most sports drinks don’t contain enough sodium to prevent it, said Dr Da Costa.

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE?

Aside from the cost, experts say there’s little downside to consuming electrolyte drinks. As long as you’re otherwise healthy, they do not have enough electrolytes to overload your system (called hypernatremia), Dr Kenefick said. And the sweet taste could motivate you to hydrate.

Like most supplements, however, electrolyte products are not well regulated and can even be contaminated, Dr Hew-Butler said. In 2015, she and her team found unsafe levels of arsenic in Muscle Milk and Gatorade powders that had been provided to college athletes. The athletes showed no signs of having been harmed by the exposure.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/electrolyte-drink-effective-468616

Orthopaedic doctor Tushar Gupta emphasises that incorporating probiotics into your diet can alleviate joint pain and inflammation.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (microbes) that can have beneficial effects on or inside your body. Most popularly, consuming probiotic foods and supplements is known to have a beneficial effect on your gut health. But did you know they can also help control arthritis in your joints?

In a post shared on June 4, Dr Tushar Gupta, MCh joint replacement and arthroscopy (AIIMS), MBBS, MS Orthopaedics, talked about the importance of consuming probiotics on joint health. Sharing the video, the orthopaedic doctor wrote, “Probiotics treat arthritis.”

How does eating probiotics help with joint arthritis?

The orthopaedic expert stated in the Instagram video that adding probiotics to your diet can help you control your joint arthritis. He explained, “Having probiotics and an anti-inflammatory diet can control your gut-joint axis and prevent or control the rate of progression of arthritis. These dietary substances can modulate gut bacteria, leading to a healthier bloodstream and decreased inflammation throughout your body. They can also help control your joint-related pain.”

Which probiotics are effective?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, for a probiotic to have any benefit to your health, it must:

• Be of a variety that has proven benefits for your body.
• Be in a form that’s safe to consume or apply to your body.
• Contain viable microbes that have survived the commercial process.
• Be able to survive the journey through your digestive tract (if it’s an oral probiotic).

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/orthopaedic-doctor-says-adding-probiotics-to-your-diet-can-help-control-joint-arthritis-joint-pain-heres-how-101753776971524.html

Remona performed continuously for 10,200 minutes, taking only a 15-minute break every three hours

In an extraordinary celebration of dedication, endurance, and Indian classical artistry, Remona Evette Pereira, a BA student at St Aloysius Deemed to be University in Mangaluru, has etched her name into the Golden Book of World Records by completing a 170-hour Bharatanatyam dance marathon-a first of its kind in the world.

The record-breaking journey commenced on July 21, marked with a traditional prayer to Lord Ganesha, invoking blessings for an obstacle-free path. It culminated seven days later, on Monday afternoon, with a concluding tribute to Goddess Durga-symbolising strength, resilience, and feminine power.

Record-breaking Bharatanatyam

Remona performed continuously for 10,200 minutes, taking only a 15-minute break every three hours. During this marathon, she covered the complete vocabulary of Bharatanatyam-intricate footwork (adavus), facial expressions (abhinaya), hand gestures (mudras), and physical postures (karanas), demonstrating her technical prowess and spiritual connection to the dance form.

Her performance was not just a physical challenge; it demanded unwavering mental focus and emotional strength. Dr. Shrividya Muralidhar, her Guru, called it “a divine feat” and a monumental moment for Tulu Nadu and Indian culture.

A heartwarming celebration and community support

The final moments were emotional and festive. As she received her certificate on stage, her fellow dancers greeted her with a graceful Bharatanatyam procession, followed by a special tribute performance that reflected her remarkable journey.

Remona expressed gratitude to her mother Gladis Pereira, who stood by her side throughout, as well as her teachers, friends, and classmates. “They never stopped believing in me. Every time I felt exhausted, someone would remind me-you can do it,” she shared.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/mangalurus-remona-pereira-dances-her-way-into-golden-book-of-records-with-170-hour-bharatanatyammarathon 

Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio turned showstopper for Manish Malhotra at India Couture Week 2025, dazzling in a shimmery cocktail lehenga.

Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, renowned for her very successful career including her tenure as a Victoria’s Secret angel recently landed in Delhi for a very special event. As Manish Malhotra geared up to host his very first Couture party at India Couture Week 2025, the global designer enlisted Alessandra’s help to set the ramp ablaze with his exquisite collections. Draped in a shimmery lehenga, Ale looked every bit the supermodel that she is in Manish’s designer wear.

For the unversed, amid a sea of flashes at the gala event, Alessandra was unveiled as the muse of the evening, marking a standout moment in the Indian fashion calendar. She turned showstopper for Manish, stepping out on the ramp in a custom cocktail lehenga.

Alessandra Ambrosio walks for Manish Malhotra in a cocktail lehenga

An arresting fusion of global silhouette and traditional opulence, the lehenga was fitted in all the right places, boasting Manish’s signature shimmer that has the fashion world in a chokehold right now.

With a backless blouse that brought all the drama, a sleek bun that let the ensemble do all the talking and a plethora of jewels that brought Indian craftsmanship to the forefront, Alessandra was a picture of grace and elegance, dolled up in Manish’s signature flair.

This year, Manish Malhotra returned to the famed India Couture Week with a grand format shift. Rather than a classic runway, he hosted a full-fledged couture party, a night of fashion, music, and food, all under one luxurious roof.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/fashion/brazilian-supermodel-alessandra-ambrosio-sets-the-ramp-ablaze-in-cocktail-lehenga-at-manish-malhotras-couture-show-article-152354405

Endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility and affects one in 10 women of childbearing age in Singapore – yet many endure years of pain before a diagnosis. Patients share how the chronic illness has disrupted their lives, from infertility to emotional upheaval.

Mojisola Erdt’s excruciating menstrual pains began when she was 14 years old. After enduring almost 30 years of worsening symptoms, she underwent a hysterectomy in 2024 to remove her uterus.

The senior scientist, 44, had longed to conceive again after her daughter was born in 2016 but suffered multiple miscarriages over the years. The hysterectomy ended that hope.

“It was hard to accept that this is really the end. There was always this small hope that I could still get pregnant and everything would go well,” she said.

“You know how sweet it is to have a child, and you want another one but you can’t.”

Erdt has Stage 4 endometriosis, the most severe form of the condition. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It can cause menstrual, pelvic and bowel pain, and in some cases, infertility.

She is not alone in this struggle. According to the World Health Organization, endometriosis affects about 190 million women and girls worldwide.

In Singapore, about 10 per cent of women of childbearing age have endometriosis and around one-third of them are unable to conceive, said Dr Kelly Loi, an obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) specialist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Though prevalent, endometriosis is often overlooked, and many women endure years of agony. As a progressive condition, the delay in diagnosis can lead to more severe symptoms and challenges in family planning.

WHEN ENDOMETRIOSIS GOES UNDIAGNOSED

Erdt said the pain felt like “someone stabbing [her] and twisting the knife around”.

As her endometriosis progressed, complications arose. Her bowels and right ovary fused to her uterus due to the abnormal growth of her cells, which doctors said resembled “chewing gum”.

Her uterus also swelled to the size of a 16-week pregnancy due to adenomyosis – a condition where tissue that usually lines the uterus grows into the muscle wall. It often accompanies endometriosis, and can cause heavy, painful periods.

“[Since my hysterectomy], I’m trying to embrace the health I’ve regained. I had anaemia, having lost so much blood all the time, and inflammation affecting my joints,” Erdt said.

On average, women seek help about two years after symptoms appear, said Dr Ma Li, an endometriosis and reproductive health specialist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

“In Asian cultures, we are quite often told that it’s normal to have period pain … So a lot of girls try to tolerate the pain as much as they can,” said Dr Ma, who ran the endometriosis clinic at National University Hospital (NUH) from 2015 to 2024.

But even when they do seek help, endometriosis may still go undiagnosed. In some cases, doctors miss signs of the condition.

Dr Ma added that a common mistake medical practitioners make is performing ultrasound scans only in the uterus and ovaries. She found that in about 80 per cent of cases, endometriosis is found elsewhere in the body, including the bladder, bowels and lungs.

Due to limited awareness of the condition among doctors, some patients are also simply prescribed painkillers instead of receiving a proper diagnosis. “Painkillers just treat the pain. It doesn’t treat the disease, so it doesn’t stop it from progressing,” she said.

“DESPERATE AND HOPELESS”

Delayed diagnosis can be frustrating. Dr Eleanor Loh, 26, visited six doctors over a decade to find answers for her debilitating menstrual pain.

Describing the experience as lonely, the junior doctor said: “You feel desperate and hopeless when the doctors you see don’t know what to do with you, treat you wrongly, or just dismiss you outright.”

It wasn’t until 2021, after she was posted to Dr Ma’s O&G department at NUH, that she was finally diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis.

Another patient, Ivy Li, had such severe pain in her right abdomen that appendicitis was suspected and her appendix removed. It turned out that endometriosis was the cause.

The 44-year-old recalled others telling her after the surgery: “’It’s just removing something that’s useless.’ But it’s still a surgery. You’re still undergoing anaesthesia.”

Since then, she’s had a hormonal intrauterine device inserted into her womb to help reduce the pain and slow the progression of the disease. However, as her adenomyosis worsened, she eventually underwent a hysterectomy at age 42.

Dr Loi added that as endometriosis is a progressive disease, initial investigations may not detect any abnormalities.

Dr Ma noted that diagnosis is often delayed by an average of seven to eight years. “The message we want to bring across is that it’s not normal to have severe period pain. If you have that, please see a specialist.”

THE ROAD TO PARENTHOOD

The physical and emotional toll of endometriosis can influence decisions around having children, whether due to infertility or the potential risks associated with pregnancy.

As one of the most common causes of infertility, Dr Ma said about 40 per cent of endometriosis patients need fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilisation, to conceive.

She explained that endometriosis can reduce both the quantity and quality of a woman’s eggs, leading to “irreversible damage on fertility”.

Said Dr Loi: “Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility as it can distort pelvic anatomy, affect ovulation, trigger inflammation, and create an un-optimal environment for fertilisation and implantation.

“Removal of the endometriotic tissue and scar tissue often improves symptoms and fertility.”

Some women with endometriosis may also fear getting pregnant. “Getting pregnant would be a huge disruption to our reproductive organs,” said endometriosis sufferer Dr Loh.

“Some literature says endometriosis gets better but you never really know how you react on an individual level. And for us who have gotten some modicum of peace from treatment, taking the risk to potentially disrupt that by wanting a child is something that is not an easy to decision to make.”

Dr Ma, however, said it is rare for endometriosis to flare up during pregnancy, as hormonal changes tend to “quiet” the oestrogen-driven condition’s symptoms. Still, she emphasised that pregnancy is not a cure for endometriosis, and that symptoms may return after childbirth.

Endometriosis patients with daughters also worry about passing the condition on to them.

Li, for instance, has begun monitoring her 14-year-old daughter’s health since she started menstruating last year.

As for Erdt, the concern lies in how to broach the topic when her now eight-year-old daughter reaches puberty. “My experience and relationship with having a period affected my [acceptance of] becoming a woman. It was just a very painful, uncomfortable thing … And I’m trying not to pass that frustration onto her.”

FIGHTING FOR CHANGE

Although awareness of endometriosis has grown, societal and systemic challenges remain.

Namira Binte Mohamad Marsudi, who was 28 when diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis in 2014, said there’s been a shift in the public perception of intense menstrual pain since she began advocating 13 years ago.

The founder of non-profit organisation E for Endometriosis said that at the beginning, everyone she spoke to believed such pain was normal. Now, most people recognise that it’s not.

From the support group’s first talk in 2015 with just five attendees, E for Endometriosis has since grown into a network of over 2,000 volunteers, raising awareness and providing support for those impacted by the condition.

But the 39-year-old believes there’s still a long way to go.

“There is a buzz going on about endometriosis, and people are starting to learn what it is,” she said. “But it has to be on a constant basis … if we just let it die down, within just a year, people will start forgetting about it.”

This growing awareness, Namira added, needs to extend to the medical field as well. Even among healthcare professionals, there is a “lack of consensus on what endometriosis truly is”, let alone how best to diagnose or treat the condition.

“Raising awareness isn’t just about the public. It’s also about ensuring that those entrusted with our care are properly equipped with knowledge, empathy, and up-to-date understanding,” she added.

Professor Chong Yap-Seng, dean of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said that although endometriosis causes “massive loss of productivity” in women, there have been limited advancements in its treatment.

This reflects a larger global issue – the gender health gap, where women often receive inferior healthcare compared with men.

He explained that while women live longer than men, they often experience health loss earlier, sometimes as soon as they start their periods. This may be due to conditions associated with menstruation, including anaemia, migraines and endometriosis, which can cause “significant distress, discomfort and even disability in women”.

“This health loss doesn’t necessarily lead to premature mortality [so it’s] not taken as seriously or dealt with as efficiently as conditions that are more deadly,” he added, citing cardiovascular diseases and cancer as examples.

FROM ENDOMETRIOSIS PAIN TO PURPOSE

Despite the challenges, more women are turning their experiences into strength. Li, along with Dr Loh and Erdt, are active volunteers with E for Endometriosis.

Li said she is an “endometriosis warrior” who hopes to help others understand the condition is not “just in the mind”.

Dr Loh is hoping to specialise in endometriosis and aims to create a safe space for patients to share their struggles. During her three-month rotation at the O&G department, she helped treat more than 150 endometriosis patients and could relate to the women’s struggles.

“If they have made that step to come and seek help, they deserve to be heard and taken seriously,” she said.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/women/endometriosis-treatment-infertility-pregnancy-467956

Microgreens have become a buzzword in the food industry. They are highly nutritious and easy to grow at home. But are they too good to be true?

It’s a new day, and social media is once again telling us what to eat. This time, it’s all about microgreens. It is being said that these tiny plants are up to nine times more nutritious than regular greens. And it’s not just about eating them — Instagram is flooded with videos of people growing them at home, taking their kitchen garden to the next level.

But are microgreens really that healthy, or do they come with some red flags? Before deciding if you should add microgreens to your diet or not, first, understand…

What microgreens really are

“Microgreens are tiny edible green leafy vegetables harvested soon after the initial true leaves appear, usually within a couple of weeks after germination,” Edwina Raj, head of services, clinical nutrition and dietetics, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, tells India Today.

She mentions that microgreens are grown from different plants, such as vegetables, grains, and herbs. They possess an intense flavour and a robust taste, with bright colour, enriched with phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds.

The most popular microgreens are fenugreek leaves, mustard, tulsi, beets, cabbage, and amaranth. Additionally, grains like chickpeas, beans, barley, chia seeds, rice, wheat, and corn can also produce microgreens.

Dr Shabana Parveen, clinical nutritionist, Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram, agrees that microgreens are small but packed with flavour and nutrients, which is why they are popular in healthy diets and gourmet cooking.

Microgreens are not sprouts

Pavithra N Raj, chief dietician, Manipal Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, explains that microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables, grains, and herbs. “They are a type of plant that falls between a sprout and a baby green,” she adds.

The expert details that while microgreens are grown in soil or hydroponic medium with access to light, sprouts are grown in water or a humid environment without soil. Further, only stems and leaves are harvested when it comes to microgreens, and the seed portion is generally left behind. But with sprouts, the entire seed and seedling are eaten.

These tiny plants are also very different from regular greens, as they are immature plants that grow faster compared to green leafy vegetables, which are mature plants that generally take more time to cook.

“They are softer and have stronger flavours because they are picked early. Microgreens usually have more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than their full-grown counterparts. Also, unlike regular greens, which are used in large amounts, they are usually used in smaller amounts — more like a garnish or topping,” adds Dr Parveen.

Let’s talk nutrition

According to Edwina Raj, microgreens are considered to be highly nutritious, 30–40 times more than a matured plant.

“They are packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenols, vitamins (A, C, E), and minerals (copper, magnesium, and zinc). Microgreens are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-hyperglycemic properties,” she adds.

To this, Dr Parveen adds that because microgreens are so rich in vitamins and minerals, they make a great addition to any diet, especially for people who want to get more micronutrients without eating a lot.

The doctor states that these tiny plants support heart health, boost immunity, and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Not just this, but microgreens have a lot of polyphenols, which may lower the risk of cancer.

“They are good for your skin as well because they are filled with vitamins C and E. Microgreens are also great for keeping your weight in check because they are low in calories and high in nutrients,” Dr Parveen tells us.

Additionally, Pavithra N Raj shares that microgreens are a good source of dietary fibre, which is essential for healthy digestion, promoting regular bowel movements, and preventing constipation. They also help in detoxification, which may support liver function and detox pathways.

Know the risks

While microgreens can be easily grown with limited space and resources, their consumption involves health risks if affected by fungal or bacterial growth. They are highly susceptible to spoilage; hence, storing them becomes a task.

However, as per Dr Parveen, “Microgreens are safer than sprouts, because they are grown in soil or clean material, and only the leaves are eaten, not the roots.”

Additionally, those who are allergic to plants should also check what kind of microgreens they are eating to make sure they don’t have a reaction.

To the plate

Pavithra N Raj feels that microgreens are easy to add to your daily diet as they are versatile and flavourful. They can be added to salads, sandwiches, soups, or used as a garnish on various dishes.

For those who are desi at heart, microgreens can be a good filling for stuffed parathas and can also be used in chutneys. But you have to make sure that they are cleaned thoroughly before using them.

“Not just salads and sandwiches, microgreens can also be a part of your daily smoothies. They are great toppings for pizza, omelettes, pasta, rice bowls, and other foods. It’s best to add them fresh and uncooked because they are fragile and full of nutrients,” mentions Dr Parveen.

A little addition to the kitchen garden

Growing microgreens at home can be a good option as it is simple, affordable, and gives you access to fresh, chemical-free, highly nutritious greens all year round. These tiny plants grow in just 7–21 days with minimal tools and space. Apart from enhancing your gardening skills, it is also cost-effective.

You can grow microgreens on a windowsill, balcony, or kitchen counter with just a few things, like shallow trays, clean soil, and seeds.

Simply start by filling a shallow container with potting soil or cocopeat, then sprinkle seeds like mustard, fenugreek, moong, or sunflower evenly on top. Gently press them into the soil and mist with water using a spray bottle to keep the surface moist.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/food/story/do-microgreens-deserve-a-place-on-your-plate-2757729-2025-07-19

Milind Soman stuns in a white URA dress and Birkenstock boots for a magazine shoot, challenging gender norms and redefining masculinity.

Imagine being so secure in your masculinity that you rock a dress better than half the female population! Model, actor, and fitness icon Milind Soman is back to challenging gender norms, this time in a fitted knit dress that has the internet gasping for breath. In a striking photoshoot recently, the 59-year-old icon stepped out in an outfit that has sparked a fresh conversation around gender, style, and masculinity.

Decoding Milind Soman’s boundary-pushing look in a dress

Starring in a bold editorial spread this month, Milind was spotted confidently donning a white knitted dress from URA, a women’s clothing label known for its handcrafted and sustainable aesthetics. The gorgeous piece was fitted, sleek and boasted a bold slit on one side. Styling it with utmost panache, the handsome hunk paired the dress with black Birkenstock boots, exuding major style and understated rebellion with his wild new look.
It goes without saying that the look was far from a mere fashion statement. It was a cultural reset. As gender-fluid fashion gains mainstream visibility, Milind’s bold white dress single-handedly challenges the rigid binaries that have long defined menswear.

Milind choosing to wear a traditionally “feminine” silhouette in a high-profile shoot reaffirms that fashion has and should always be – limitless.

Known for pushing the boundaries, be it with his barefoot marathons, ageing without fear or rocking skirts on cover shoots, Milind Soman is no stranger to walking his own path. And yes, his latest move just adds another layer to his legacy – that of a man who wears his confidence like a second skin, regardless of what’s on his body.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/fashion/milind-soman-rewrites-the-rules-of-masculinity-in-a-daring-bodycon-dress-for-cover-shoot-article-152300146

When it comes to healthy eating, reducing sugar intake is often one of the first steps. So, when comparing dark chocolate and dates, which is the healthier pick? Experts reveal the sweet truth.

The world today is a paradox. We’re glued to our devices, yet determined to hit our daily step count. We aim to cut down on junk food and avoid gluten, but saying no to dessert is easier said than done. Even as sedentary lifestyles become the norm, there’s a growing wave of health-conscious choices sweeping through.

Of course, eating clean and healthy is essential, but it also entails a certain dilemma – what to eat and what not to? Reducing sugar intake becomes the first instinct, along with junk food. And when it comes to indulging in sweet treats, the debate often arises between the health benefits of dark chocolate and dates.

Both dark chocolates and dates offer unique nutritional profiles, but which is truly better for your health?

Sugar Content

Dark chocolate is considered a heart-healthy food, and experts agree. Now, the quantity of sugar may vary in different varieties, but when the cocoa percentage is higher, the sugar content is generally lower. Therefore, experts recommend dark chocolate, which is at least 70 to 80 per cent rich.

Meanwhile, dates are nature’s candy with a high glycaemic index. “Dates have natural sugar, which is approximately 68.84g in 100g, and may also trigger further sugar cravings due to their relatively high glycaemic load,” Vani Krishna, chief nutritionist at Manipal Hospital, Varthur tells India Today.

Antioxidant-rich

Dark chocolate is not just a treat but an antioxidant powerhouse. It has high flavonoid (plant-based antioxidant) content, especially when it contains over 75 per cent cocoa. This results in several heart health benefits, such as improved vascular function, lower blood pressure, and enhanced insulin sensitivity. These effects are attributed to the presence of compounds like epicatechin and catechin, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, the nutritionist explains.

In contrast, dates are rich in potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6 but their cardiovascular benefits are less pronounced due to their high natural sugar content.

Fibre and feeling of fullness

Dates are a rich source of dietary fibre, with about 3.3 grams per two medium-sized dates, making them excellent for promoting digestion and satiety.

Dark chocolate, too, can help keep your appetite in check. How? It contains polyphenols that stimulate the release of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and PYY, which aid in appetite control and reduce cravings. This makes it a viable option for those looking to maintain a balanced diet without overindulging in sugar.

Kapil Sharma has shocked his fans with his drastic weight loss transformation. The comedian’s fitness coach shares the mantra that helped Kapil achieve his goals.

Comedian and actor Kapil Sharma is making headlines again, but this time, it’s not for his impeccable comic timing or a new show. The 44-year-old comedian has undergone a dramatic physical transformation, shedding noticeable weight and embracing a healthier lifestyle. Behind this impressive change is fitness coach Yogesh Bhateja, who recently revealed the structured and surprisingly simple strategy that helped Kapil Sharma on his journey – a method he calls the 21-21-21 rule.

The transformation wasn’t sparked by a crash diet or extreme gym routine. Instead, it was built on consistent, mindful lifestyle shifts. “We started with changes that were easy to adopt and maintain,” says Bhateja. “That’s the whole idea – to build a routine that evolves every 21 days without overwhelming the person,” said the fitness coach in a video shared on the YouTube channel GunjanShouts.

What Is The 21-21-21 Rule?

The approach breaks down the process into three manageable phases, each lasting 21 days – ideal for those starting or struggling with consistency.

Phase 1: Move More, Eat Freely

The initial 21 days focused solely on physical activity. Bhateja encouraged Kapil to stick to basic movement – bodyweight exercises reminiscent of school PT sessions – without obsessing over food. “The idea was to bring the body out of inertia. No calorie counting, no restrictions. Just build a routine of moving daily,” he explains.

Phase 2: Tweak the Diet, Don’t Punish It

Once the habit of movement was set, attention turned to nutrition. Rather than imposing harsh restrictions, Bhateja guided Kapil to modify, not eliminate. This included mindful eating, tracking water intake, cutting down on dairy and refined sugar, and adjusting meal timings to suit energy levels. “This is where most people begin to feel the shift – more energy, better digestion, and mental clarity,” he says.

From onset to pain type, appendicitis and food poisoning can be easy to distinguish. Here’s what you need to know.

Appendicitis and food poisoning can present with similar symptoms, especially stomach pain, making it challenging to distinguish between the two. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Sanjay Khanna, co-chairman – Manipal Institute of Gastroenterology, hepato-biliary and pancreatic sciences, Manipal Hospitals Dwarka said, “Food poisoning can be alarming, especially if you are worried it might be something far more serious, like appendicitis. Appendicitis can affect everyone but is most observed in the age range of 5 to 45. The broad spectrum of age groups with the similarity in symptoms makes it difficult to determine the exact cause of abdominal pain.”

What is appendicitis?

The appendix is a tube-shaped tissue in the lower-right region of the abdomen. It helps the immune system when you are young, but the body no longer relies on it when you are an adult. Appendicitis is a condition that occurs when the appendix is blocked. In this condition, you may get symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and low-grade fever.

The pomodoro technique. Power poses. Planners. Denise Daskal has tried them all, searching for the right strategy to improve her executive functioning, or the mental skills used to manage time and pursue goals.

Daskal has spent hours hunting through TikTok, reading books and taking classes to become better organised and more focused both at work and in her personal life. But the long list of strategies, while somewhat helpful, has felt exhausting, she said.

“My mind breaks a bit when I get overwhelmed and I have too much coming at me all at once,” said Daskal, 63, who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a few years ago.

Conditions like ADHD, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression can impede executive functioning; so can the period of life when women transition in and out of menopause. Life circumstances such as parenting young children, getting a bad night’s sleep or even missing a meal can scramble a person’s ability to focus and complete tasks, too.

Here’s how to understand executive functioning, and figure out which coping strategies might work for you.

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING?

Executive functions are life management skills that help people “convert intentions into actions,” said Ari Tuckman, a psychologist in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and author of the The ADHD Productivity Manual.

In other words, if you plan to do something, executive functions help you do it at the right time and place because it will benefit you, either now or in the future, he added. These skills are essential for planning, solving problems, managing time, making decisions and initiating tasks, as well as controlling your emotions and attention.

Amy Dorn, 44, a mother of three in Evergreen, Colorado, who has ADHD, has trouble staying calm when her brain becomes overstimulated by too many things happening at once. It doesn’t take long before she becomes frazzled. Sometimes, she said, she’ll even “scream at the top of my lungs.”

There are no quick fixes, but the self-awareness that her brain is different helps her calm down faster, take a deep breath and say she’s sorry. “The kids call me the apologiser,” she said.

Her tendency to go from 0 to 100 may never go away, she added, so her family has found ways to prevent overstimulation from happening in the first place. Her husband changed his working hours, arriving home earlier to ensure that she has an extra hand shuttling the kids to activities. And they have limited their children to one sport per season.

MOVING BEYOND TIPS AND TRICKS

There’s no shortage of techniques to help with executive functioning, like the pomodoro method that Daskal tried, the gist of which is a 25-minute burst of focused attention followed by a short break.

But before trying one of these strategies, experts say, it may help to start with a brief self-analysis.

1. Identify which aspects of executive functioning are most problematic for you

Tamara Rosier, the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan and the author of You, Me, And Our ADHD Family, said that difficulty starting a task was the most common executive functioning issue for her clients. The to-do list can feel overwhelming, which may lead to frustration, anxiety and avoidance.

When Daskal planned to finally clean out her garage, for example, she was so paralysed by the prospect that she went out and adopted a dog instead.

Potty training a puppy seemed simpler than confronting the thousands of little decisions required to organise her space, she explained.

2. Next, look for solutions that address your problem

When my then-70-year-old mother was diagnosed with a hernia some years back, my first thought was: Has Mum been wrestling?

It wasn’t that farfetched for my mind to jump there when Dwayne Johnson’s triple hernia surgery after wrestling John Cena made the news then. If that doesn’t sound painful enough, the actor and WWE star also tweeted that his doctor “had to push my intestines back thru the tear in my abdomen”. Ouch.

Outside the wrestling ring and in real life, hernias are not as uncommon as you think. National University Hospital’s (NUH) Hernia Centre, for instance, treats over 500 new cases each year, said Professor Davide Lomanto, the centre’s director as well as the head and senior consultant with NUH’s Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre.

Doctors in private practice, such as general surgeon Dr Lee Chin Li from Gleneagles Hospital, also see “a relatively high incidence rate”. “Hernias affect approximately 15 per cent of the population in Singapore,” he said. “In my private practice, I typically see about five or six cases per month.”

Dr Reyaz Singaporewalla, another general surgeon in private practice as well as the senior consultant in endocrine and medical director of ACE Specialist Surgery & Endoscopy, has the same observation. “Hernias are relatively common in Singapore. At our centre, we typically see 15 to 20 new hernia patients a month.”

But if you’re thinking you’re off the hook because you don’t wrestle or aren’t that old yet, you might want to brace yourself – especially when you cough.

WHY DOES A HERNIA FORM?

A hernia occurs when tissue or organ bulges through a weak area in the surrounding muscle or tissue wall. “To understand the contributory factors for hernia formation, we need to understand the two main mechanisms,” said Dr Lee. “Firstly, weakened abdominal wall muscles; and secondly, increased intra-abdominal pressure.”

Your abdominal wall is made of muscles and tissues to hold your bowels and other organs in the abdominal cavity. But this wall isn’t impenetrable; there are natural openings such as the belly button, and in men, the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis, explained a JAMA Network report. Some of these natural openings don’t lead outside the body but within, such as the blood vessels that travel from inside the abdomen to the legs.

“Hernias generally begin with an increase in abdominal pressure, causing an organ like the small intestine, to protrude through a weakened muscle or tissue,” explained Dr Lomanto. This can be caused by genetics, weakened muscles through ageing or a collagen deficiency.

If you have a certain amount of weakness in your abdominal wall, you don’t have to wrestle like a WWE star or do very heavy lifting to develop a hernia. Any activity that creates pressure in the abdomen can push an organ through the weakened area like Play Doh through an extruder.

“Chronic coughing, smoking (which affects the production of collagen, increases collagen breakdown and causes chronic coughing), heavy weightlifting and being overweight are risk factors for developing a hernia,” said Dr Lomanto.

WHO CAN BE PRONE TO HERNIAS?

In Singapore, “most hernia patients tend to be middle-aged to older males,” said Dr Singaporewalla. “However, we also see younger adults, especially those engaged in manual labour or weight training, and women with a history of pregnancy or abdominal surgery.”

Dr Lee explained that “elderly patients may have a weaker abdominal wall due to ageing”, while “pregnancy will stretch the abdominal wall and thin it, in addition to increased abdominal pressure”.

WHERE ARE HERNIAS USUALLY FOUND?

Dr. Saurabh Sethi shares the worst everyday foods linked to cancer risk, from processed meats to sugary drinks and why they should be avoided.

While no single food directly causes cancer, certain dietary choices can significantly increase the risk. Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a California-based gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford University, highlighted this in a June 9 Instagram post, where he revealed what he considers the worst food for cancer risk.

“Did you know that some of the most common everyday foods are scientifically linked to increased cancer risk? Here are some major food culprits that you must reduce or eliminate from your diet, especially if you’re serious about long-term health,” Dr Sethi wrote in the caption. Let’s take a closer look at what he recommends:

Worst food for overall cancer risk: Ultra-processed meats

These include items like sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats. Rich in preservatives and additives like nitrates and nitrites, they have been classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organisation, the same category as tobacco.

Worst food for cancer progression: Sugary drinks

Regular consumption of sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages can spike insulin levels, lead to weight gain, and increase inflammation, all of which are known to support cancer cell growth and progression.

Worst food for inflammation: Deep-fried foods

Foods that are deep-fried in reused or heavily processed oils produce harmful compounds like acrylamide and trans fats. These not only promote inflammation but also create oxidative stress in the body, both linked to higher cancer risk.

Worst food for DNA damage: Charred or burnt meats

Cooking meats at high temperatures, especially over an open flame, can create carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been shown to damage DNA and potentially trigger cancerous mutations.

Worst food for hormone-related cancers: Alcohol

Even moderate alcohol intake has been linked to an increased risk of breast, liver, and colorectal cancers. Alcohol can disrupt hormone levels, particularly estrogen, and also produce a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/harvard-gastroenterologist-shares-worst-foods-that-could-raise-your-cancer-risk-here-s-what-to-avoid-101749530497798.html

It’s the miracle drug that promises to shrink your size — except where it matters.

Male Ozempic users say their penises have gotten bigger since they started injecting the weight-loss shot, with dozens of well-endowed fellas flocking to online forums to fawn over their expanded members.

“I recently measured myself down there and noticed I gained about one inch,” an anonymous user recently claimed on a Reddit thread.

“Now I think people will say it was because of the fat loss. However at the time I measured myself before (4 years ago), I was thinner,” the man claimed. “I also bone pressed during measurement before and also this time. Has anyone else noticed this change in themselves?”

Some men also admitted that they had noticed a size difference after taking Ozempic, but put it down to better blood flow and reduced fat around the pubic area.“Yes,” another happy Redditor responded. “I gained 1.5 inches in length. No joke. Like you I obviously know how long I was before I got very fat. Then after about seven months on Tirzepatide in my case I gained 1.5 inches in length. Definitely not all from weight loss.”

“I noticed that happen to me as well,” a third man remarked.

“Yeah, wife has definitely noticed a difference, was 278lbs down to under 200 lbs,” an additional commenter claimed.

Meanwhile, other men also claimed that they had noticed a size difference after taking Ozempic, but put it down to better blood flow and reduced fat around the pubic area.

Another Redditor responded saying the size difference was likely due to different external conditions during the before and after measurements.

“I feel like nobody is really reading what you are writing, that they blame the weight loss while you measured the first time when you were actually lighter,” the explained.

“Ozempic does not enlarge your penis, but an erect penis may change size considerably depending on time of day, temperature, and factors other than sexual arousal. So it’s probably just simply that.”

Source: https://nypost.com/2025/06/07/lifestyle/ozempic-penis-male-users-reveal-shocking-change-to-their-genitalia-after-injecting-weight-loss-shot/

Starting a low-calorie diet to lose weight and feel better? You might want to think twice. A massive new study tracking nearly 30,000 Americans has uncovered a startling conclusion: the people following calorie-restricted diets —the foundation of practically every weight loss plan — scored higher on depression screenings than those who weren’t dieting at all.

The research, published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, analyzed six years of national health data and found that men and overweight individuals took the biggest mental health hit from restrictive eating. While we’ve been told for decades that losing weight improves mood, this study reveals a darker side to diet culture that’s been hiding in plain sight.

When Cutting Calories Cuts Into Your Mental Health
Researchers from the University of Toronto examined data from 28,525 adults who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2018. They divided participants into four groups: those not following any diet, people on calorie-restricted plans, those on nutrient-restricted diets (like low-fat or low-carb), and individuals following established dietary patterns such as diabetic or DASH plans. Depression levels were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, where scores of 10 or higher indicate serious mood problems.

Among the study participants, about 8% followed calorie-restricted diets while roughly 3% stuck to nutrient-restricted plans. The results were eye-opening: calorie-restricted dieters scored an average of 0.29 points higher on depression scales compared to non-dieters. For overweight participants, the mental health impact was even more severe. Their depression scores jumped by 0.46 points when following calorie-restricted diets and 0.61 points when following nutrient-restricted diets.

Men faced particularly harsh consequences. Those following nutrient-restrictive diets showed higher cognitive-affective symptoms (problems with thoughts and feelings), while all three types of restrictive diets were linked to higher somatic symptoms in men. This included physical manifestations of depression like fatigue, sleep problems, and appetite changes.

The Laboratory vs. Real Life Problem
Previous studies showing that low-calorie diets improve mood came from carefully controlled research environments where participants received professionally designed meal plans with balanced nutrition. But real-world dieting looks nothing like these laboratory conditions.

“This discrepancy may arise because prior studies were primarily randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where participants adhered to carefully designed diets ensuring balanced nutrient intake. In contrast, real-life calorie-restricted diets and obesity often result in nutritional deficiencies (particularly in protein, essential vitamins/minerals) and induce physiological stress, which can exacerbate depressive symptomatology including cognitive-affective symptoms,” the researchers explain.

When people cut calories on their own, they frequently become malnourished and stressed, creating perfect conditions for mental health problems. Men appear especially vulnerable because they have greater nutritional needs to begin with. “Diets low in carbohydrates (glucose) or fats (omega-3s) may theoretically worsen brain function and exacerbate cognitive-affective symptoms, especially in men with greater nutritional needs,” the researchers note.

Why Overweight Dieters Struggle Most
The study found that overweight participants faced unique challenges with restrictive eating. While successful weight loss typically improves mood, many real-world dieters struggle with sticking to their plans, experience weight cycling (losing weight and then putting it back on), or fail to lose significant weight — all while dealing with the stress of constant restriction.

Rather than the promised mood boost from weight loss, many people end up trapped in a cycle where attempting to improve their health actually undermines their mental well-being. Interestingly, people following established dietary patterns like diabetic diets showed less consistent patterns, though those with obesity following such diets still had higher depression scores than healthy-weight individuals not dieting.

Rethinking Our Approach to Health
The results arrive as social media floods us with transformation photos and celebrity diet endorsements promising quick fixes. But this research reveals that our obsession with weight loss through calorie restriction might be missing something important: mental health.

“This study adds to the emerging evidence linking dietary patterns and mental health, raising important questions about whether restrictive diets which are low in nutrients considered beneficial for cognitive health, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, may precipitate depressive symptoms,” says Professor Sumantra Ray, Chief Scientist and Executive Director of the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, in a statement.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/diet-trap-low-calorie-weight-loss-plan-depression/

Spit, drool, and more recently, hawk-tuah… all choice words associated with some rather unsavoury situations that involve saliva.

As eek-inducing as this by-product of the mouth appears to be, your oral health would be in a very different state if not for your saliva. And your body knows that – it produces one to two litres a day, and enough to fill a bathtub in a year. In fact, during your lifetime, you could produce over 23,000 litres of saliva, according to Cleveland Clinic.

But what does your spit contain that makes it essential, other than to make swallowing easier? And should you see a doctor if you can’t control your saliva or if your mouth feels as dry as the desert? Here’s a look.

WHAT’S IN SALIVA AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

Saliva is made up of 99 per cent water, with the remaining 1 per cent comprising proteins, electrolytes and other substances, said Dr Ker Liang, an ENT surgeon and the medical director of Aglow ENT Centre.

Generally, your drool consists of two types of saliva: Serous saliva and mucous saliva. Serous saliva is primarily watery and contains enzymes like amylase, which aids in carbohydrate digestion. Mucous saliva is thicker and acts as a lubricant to protect your mouth and prevent tissues from sticking, such as your tongue gumming itself to the roof of your mouth.

It goes without saying that the function of saliva is multi-fold. It is secreted to pre-digest the rice, noodles or other carbohydrates in your mouth as you chew. In fact, without saliva, you wouldn’t be able to taste, according to Cleveland Clinic, as the food molecules must dissolve in saliva before they can be detected by your taste buds.

Other than pre-digesting food as you chew, saliva also “flushes out” the leftover food and drink in your mouth after you’ve swallowed, which can otherwise “erode the teeth and cause cavities or gum disease”, said Dr Ker. “At the same time, it helps to rebalance the pH disrupted by the foods and drinks we consume.”

That’s not all. Saliva’s microbe-limiting enzymes can protect against infection in the mouth, said Dr Ker. Certain substances in your drool can help prevent calcium loss from teeth as well as promote tissue healing (you’d know if you’ve ever accidentally bitten your tongue or the inside of your cheek).

But you might want to rethink pre-chewing your baby’s food or giving a dropped pacifier a quick suck to “clean” it. “There could have been an impression that a parent’s saliva contains non-harmful bacteria that can trigger a positive immune response when transferred to the baby, either by pre-chewing or even sucking on pacifiers to clean them,” said Dr Ker.

“While not wrong, parents who adopt this habit should consider the risk of transmitting bacteria from their mouths to their babies,” she said.

HOW IS SALIVA PRODUCED?

According to Dr Ker, there are numerous salivary glands that are in charge of saliva production. Among them, there are three pairs of major salivary glands:

• Parotid glands: The largest of the salivary glands, they are located in front of your ears. Each parotid gland is slightly smaller than your ear.
• Submandibular glands: These are found below either side of the jaw and together, they are about the size of a walnut.
• Sublingual glands: These almond-sized glands are found below the right and left sides of the tongue.

These glands are stimulated by taste, smell and the act of chewing, she said. “The amount and type of saliva produced can vary, depending on the type of stimulation, and are regulated by the nervous system.”

Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri was crowned Miss World 2025 in Hyderabad on Saturday. She won the title not just for her unmatched beauty but also for her sharp mind and intelligence. During the question-answer round, she was asked a poignant question by judge Sonu Sood and her answer won over all.

What was Miss Thailand asked?

Sood wanted to know what her Miss World journey taught her about the truth and personal responsibility in shaping how the stories are told.

Opal responded, “Be the person that someone or the other will look up to.”

“I always believe that no matter who you are and no matter how old you are, no matter what title you hold in your life, there is always a person next to you — whether it’s a child, whether it’s an adult, it could even be your own parents — that look up to you in a way. And the best way to lead people is to lead with their gracefulness in your actions. That is the best thing we can do to the people around us and in our world,” said the 72nd Miss World.

Opal was crowned Miss World Thailand 2025 on April 22, just a week before she departed to Hyderabad to participate in the 72nd edition of the Miss World. She has also represented her country in Miss Universe 2024, finishing third runner-up.

What were others asked?

Miss World first runner-up Hasset Dereje from Ethiopia is the first ever from her country too to have reached this far in the Miss World contest. Ethiopia started sending representatives from 2003 onwards, according to the Miss World website.

Answering a member of the jury, actor Rana Daggubati’s question on what it means to be a beauty queen, Dereje said she holds “so much pride” in being the first in her country to come this far.

“A lot of people think Miss World is just another pageant, another beauty contest. But it is more than that. There are so many children and mothers behind me that get so many things from me from standing here. I am the first ever Ethiopian to ever make it this far and I hold so much pride in it,” answered Dereje.

About Miss World 2025

The 72nd Miss World grand finale was a night of glamour, celebration, and purpose. Hosted by Stephanie del Valle (Miss World 2016) and Indian presenter Sachiin Kumbhar, the event brought together global icons and local stars in a dazzling ceremony.

Miss World 2022 Krystyna Pyszkova, who crowned her successor, took a moment to reflect on the power of ambition, urging young women everywhere to dream big and believe in those dreams. One of the evening’s most meaningful recognitions, the Beauty with a Purpose Award, went to Monica Kezia Sembiring from Indonesia.

Actor Daggubati took the stage to present the Miss World Humanitarian Award to Sonu Sood for his impactful contributions to society.

The esteemed panel of jurors included Sudha Reddy, Global Ambassador for Beauty With a Purpose 2025; actor Namrata Shirodkar; Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar; and Telangana’s Special Chief Secretary for Tourism, Jayesh Ranjan. Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman of Miss World, led the jury and revealed the new Miss World.

Entertainment lit up the stage as Bollywood stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Ishaan Khatter performed a vibrant medley of Hindi and Telugu hits, including the Oscar-winning number *Naatu Naatu*.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/what-was-the-question-and-miss-thailands-answer-that-won-her-miss-world-2025-crown-find-out-here-101748770912317.html

Most of us know that the best defence against tooth decay – or damage to the surface, or enamel, of your teeth – is to limit sugary foods and to brush and floss regularly. But once that damage has begun, or even progressed into a cavity, can you reverse it?

Online advertisements for products like cavity-undoing chewing gums and enamel-rebuilding toothpastes and tooth powders suggest that you can.

We asked experts if they work, and if it’s possible to backtrack on tooth decay in the first place.

HOW DOES TOOTH DECAY HAPPEN?

Your mouth is home to both good and bad bacteria, which adhere to your teeth in a sticky layer called plaque.

The bad bacteria love to snack on sugary, starchy foods – like sweetened sodas, gummy candies, pastries and fruit juices – and then turn them into acids that, over time, may pull important minerals from your teeth.

The more these bad bacteria eat, the more acids they produce that dissolve essential minerals like calcium and phosphate, said John Featherstone, a professor emeritus of preventive and restorative dental sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry.

This dissolution is called demineralisation, Dr Featherstone said, and it can weaken your enamel over months to years until it eventually caves in and forms a cavity.

How quickly this damage, or tooth decay, develops depends mostly on how much of these starchy, sugary foods you consume and how well you clean your teeth, he said.

CAN YOU REVERSE TOOTH DECAY?

Tooth decay is technically reversible, but only if it is caught early, said Dr Margherita Fontana, a researcher and professor of cariology at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

During the earliest stage of tooth decay, when some minerals have been lost just below the tooth’s surface but a cavity has not yet formed, you (or more likely, your dentist) might notice a white – or sometimes brown or black – spot on your tooth, Dr Fontana said.

At this point, you can reverse tooth decay by adding those important minerals back into your teeth – a process called remineralisation, said Dr Yasmi O Crystal, an adjunct clinical professor of paediatric dentistry at the NYU College of Dentistry.

Your saliva, which contains calcium and phosphate, naturally remineralises your teeth all the time, such as after eating a sugary snack, Dr Crystal said.

But because most of us eat many foods that bad bacteria like, we can’t depend on saliva alone to prevent or reverse decay, Dr Featherstone said.

The easiest, cheapest and most effective way to support remineralisation is to brush your teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride, Dr Crystal said. Fluoride not only reduces the amount of acid that bad bacteria produce, but it also helps saliva to more effectively replenish your teeth with lost minerals by attracting calcium and phosphate to them, Dr Crystal said.

The fluoride found in most drinking water also bolsters this process, Dr Fontana said, especially when paired with fluoride toothpaste.

This cavity-fighting duo is enough to reverse early tooth decay in most people, the experts said. But some, like those more prone to decay because they produce less saliva (such as smokers, older adults, postmenopausal women and people taking certain medications), may benefit from more concentrated fluoride products. These include prescription-strength fluoride toothpastes, as well as mouth rinses, varnishes and gels that dentists may apply during a visit or prescribe to use at home.

Chewing sugar-free gum, in addition to your regular oral hygiene routine, may also help reverse early tooth decay, Dr Featherstone said. Chewing produces saliva that, according to the American Dental Association, contains even more enamel-building minerals than the saliva your mouth makes without stimulation from food.

Gum may also prevent tooth decay by removing food particles from your teeth, Dr Fontana said.

Once tooth decay has caused a cavity, however, you can’t reverse it and the cavity should be filled, Dr Crystal said.

But you can stop a cavity from getting worse, said Dr Domenick T Zero, a professor at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. Regular dental cleanings and proper oral hygiene – brushing for at least two minutes twice a day and flossing once a day – will keep cavity-causing bacteria out of the hole and prevent it from building up on your teeth, he said.

DO THOSE SPECIAL PRODUCTS WORK?

Some limited research has suggested that some ingredients like xylitol and hydroxyapatite in products like remineralising tooth powders, toothpastes and chewing gums may help reverse tooth decay by adding minerals back to your teeth. However, all of the experts we spoke with said there wasn’t enough evidence to show that they’re more effective at reversing decay than fluoride, or that they work at all.

Among the handful of small clinical trials that have looked into hydroxyapatite toothpastes, for instance, at least two were funded by the product manufacturers. Dr Fontana also said that these products had been tested mostly on people who are not prone to cavities, so it’s challenging to know how effective they may be for people who actually develop tooth decay.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/prevent-tooth-decay-cavities-gum-toothpaste-tooth-powder-465576

Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri has won the 72nd Miss World title. She was crowned by Miss World 2024 Krystyna Pyszkova at the finale ceremony held at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad on 31 May.

While Ethiopia’s Hasset Dereje emerged first runner-up, Maja Klajda from Poland won the second runner-up title. Martinique’s Aurlie Joachim made it to the top four.

Who is Miss World 2025 Opal Suchata Chuangsri

Opal Suchata Chuangsri, who grew up in Phuket, is an international relations student and a model.

As they say, a healthy gut leads to a healthy and happy life.

Although gut health is often overlooked in the sea of other aspects of a health regime – it is of supreme importance. After all, who would want a wretched feeling in their stomach while building their muscles or toning their abs!

World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) is observed annually to raise awareness about digestive health and its impact on overall well-being.

Marked on May 29, the theme for WDHD 2025 is “Your Digestive Health: Nourish to Flourish,” emphasizing the importance of nourishing our digestive system to promote optimal health.

What is gut health?

Gut health refers to the overall well-being of the digestive system, encompassing its function in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. It’s also deeply intertwined with the complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, collectively known as the gut microbiome. These microorganisms play a crucial role in various aspects of health, including digestion, nutrient absorption, immunity, and even mental health.

Gut health is crucial for overall well-being because it plays a vital role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and mental health. A healthy gut supports the body’s ability to break down food, absorb nutrients, and defend against infections. It also influences mood, stress, and cognitive function through the gut-brain axis.

Improving gut health:

A healthy gut is essential for digestion, immunity, mental clarity, and overall vitality. Incorporating some simple habits in your daily routine can lead to significant improvements in gut health, contributing to better digestion, enhanced immunity, and overall well-being.

Here are five effective practices to consider:

Prioritize a fiber-rich diet

Dietary fiber is crucial in maintaining gut health by supporting digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Including a variety of fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds in your daily meals can help achieve the recommended intake of 25–30 grams of fiber per day.

Additionally, incorporating prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus can nourish beneficial gut bacteria, further enhancing digestive health.

Stay hydrated

Proper hydration is essential for digestion and nutrient absorption. Drinking adequate water throughout the day helps soften stool, prevent constipation, and maintain the mucosal lining of the intestines. Aim to consume at least 2–3 liters of water daily, adjusting based on activity levels and climate.

Engage in regular physical activity

Regular exercise stimulates the muscles in the digestive tract, promoting efficient movement of food and waste. Activities such as walking, yoga, cycling, or swimming can enhance gut motility, reduce inflammation, and support a diverse gut microbiome. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.

Practice mindful eating

Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating, including the taste, texture, and aroma of food. This practice can improve digestion by promoting thorough chewing, reducing overeating, and enhancing the body’s ability to process nutrients. To practice mindful eating, aim to eat slowly, chew each bite thoroughly, and avoid distractions such as screens during meals.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/world-digestive-health-day-2025-5-daily-habits-that-can-boost-your-gut-health/articleshow/121501470.cms

Date night done right.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly dropped a cool $400 on their dinner at Harry’s restaurant in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday after indulging in a number of delicious menu offerings.

Photos shared on social media showed the couple cozied up in a booth as they started off their meal with signature cocktails.

Per TMZ, the pop star was drinking the Malena, which features Wheatley craft vodka, passion fruit and organic vanilla, shaken and topped with bubbles.

Kelce, on the other hand, sipped on the Purple Rain, which is made of Hendrick’s Oasium gin, green tea, crème de violette and citrus, also shaken and topped with bubbles.

As for their entrees, the duo ordered a delectable spread that included an endive salad, cacio e pepe pasta, lobster risotto, Dover sole, a dry-aged burger, wagyu filet mignon, sautéed garlic broccolini and potato purée.

According to the outlet, Swift ate the Dover sole and nibbled at the lobster risotto.

Meanwhile, her NFL beau chowed down on the wagyu filet, burger and pasta in the midst of training for the upcoming football season.

The lovebirds — who have been dating since summer 2023 — shared the other dishes.

Security reportedly handled the $400 bill on the pair’s behalf at the end of meal.

The rare public sighting comes as Kelce has been renting a $20 million house in Boca Raton, Fla., in the offseason.

Earlier this month, a source told the Daily Mail that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been “putting in the work” to come back better than ever.

“If this is his final year in the NFL, he’s determined to go out on a high,” the insider said.

Swift and Kelce, both 35, have deliberately been keeping a low profile in recent months following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 2025 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/05/25/lifestyle/inside-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelces-400-florida-dinner-date/

A sobering new study has revealed that cancer deaths are on the rise across the United States.

The research shows that alcohol-related cancer deaths have nearly doubled from 12,000 a year in 1990 to more than 23,000 a year in 2021.

The study — which has not yet been published in a journal but will be presented this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago — identifies men aged 55 and older as the most at-risk group for these types of deaths.

While women only saw an 8% increase in cancer deaths due to alcohol during this period, for men, the spike was a shocking 56%.

“It was not surprising that it was higher in men, but it was certainly surprising how much higher it was in men versus women,” said lead author Dr. Chinmay Jani, chief fellow of hematology and oncology at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, according to NBC News.

The researchers theorize this disparity may be due to the earlier ages at which men begin drinking — especially since the effects tend to compound over time.

“The carcinogenic effect probably isn’t affecting you right away in your younger age, but as you continue to drink as you age, this carcinogen has an accumulative effect on the body,” Jani said.

Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

It has been linked to at least six types of cancer, including those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and breast.

Even moderate drinking can elevate cancer risk, challenging the long-held belief that light alcohol consumption is harmless.

In spite of this, public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains low.

A 2024 report by the American Association for Cancer Research found that while more than 5% of all cancer cases are caused by drinking alcohol, 51% of Americans are not aware that alcohol increases cancer risk.

In response to these findings, health officials are advocating for stronger warning labels on alcoholic beverages to inform consumers about these risks.

The US Surgeon General has also called for increased public education on the dangers of alcohol consumption.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/05/25/health/alcohol-related-cancer-deaths-have-nearly-doubled-this-group-is-most-at-risk/

The 78th Cannes Film Festival ended in style, with stars like Elle Fanning, Simone Ashley, Alia Bhatt, and Cate Blanchett dazzling in designer gowns at the glamorous closing ceremony.

The 78th Cannes Film Festival is officially over and a what a night it was. Apart from deserving films getting their flowers at the ceremony, celebrities certainly put their best foot forward, rocking up in designer wear and exquisite jewels. For one last time this year, divas walked the red carpet in Cannes, decked up in glamorous gowns and pretty dresses.

Best Dressed Celebs At 2025 Cannes Closing Ceremony

Here are all the celebrities who made a splash at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival:

Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley is a looker and knows it too. After her splendid white dress that broke the internet, the Bridgerton star went back on the final day, this time in a column dress crafted by Prada. She paired the look with sleek accessories and a slicked back bun.

Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt was, hands down, the best dressed at the event. Mostly because she rocked up at the event in Gucci’s first ever saree-inspired look. The outfit was dripping in Swarovski crystals with the iconic Gucci monogram thrown here and there in the mix. The look could easily be considered her best yet!

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2025-cannes-film-festival-closing-ceremony-red-carpet-alia-bhatt-elle-fanning-and-other-best-dressed-celebs-article-151713125

After slaying it in sindoor and saree, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made another strong sartorial statement at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. This time, in a black gown with a silver cape that celebrates India. Think Banarasi brocade and a Sanskrit shlok from the Bhagvad Gita inscribed on it.

Bearing bold red lips, parted beachy waves and her million-dollar smile, Cannes queen Aishwarya was dressed to impress in a Gaurav Gupta creation. She opted for a corseted black gown accentuated with starry-silver embellishments. A Banarasi silver cape, with a not-so-long train as per the new Cannes dress code, completed her look.

The embellishments, meanwhile, depicted an abstract rendition of the cosmos in bursts of silver, gold, charcoal and black, accented with micro-glass crystals to capture dimension and light.

In an Instagram post, designer Gaurav Gupta revealed that the Banarasi brocade cape, handwoven in Varanasi, is inscribed with a Sanskrit shloka from the holy Bhagavad Gita, a picture of which the designer exclusively shared with India Today.

As for jewellery, she skipped the heavy necklace in favour of multiple rings, including her signature inverted V wedding ring, and a striking pair of statement earrings. In a notable styling move, she traded her usual sleek, middle-parted hair for relaxed, side-parted beachy waves.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/fashion/story/exclusive-aishwarya-rai-bachchan-cannes-2025-gaurav-gupta-bhagvat-gita-sanskrit-shlok-banarasi-2729056-2025-05-22

For decades, some women have used talcum powder for genital hygiene to absorb odour and moisture. Know these 6 facts to avoid the risk of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries and goes undetected until it has spread, making it one of the more serious cancers in women. It is a silent killer, as the symptoms such as bloating, pelvic pain and frequent urination are ignored by a large number of women.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Salil Patkar, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Medicover Hospitals in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, shared, “Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and easily overlooked, which makes early detection difficult. They usually become noticeable only in the later stages, when the disease has already progressed.”

He revealed, “Its exact cause is unclear, but risk factors include age, genetics and hormonal factors. Many women lack awareness and believe in myths that prevent them from seeking prompt intervention. It is the need of the hour to bust the myths and encourage women to consult the doctor without any shame or embarrassment, instead of suffering in silence.”

Myth 1: It is IMPOSSIBLE to treat ovarian cancer

Fact: A big percentage of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in the later phases, which can lead to worse outcomes. However, it is possible to cure this cancer when detected in the early stages. Different treatment options are also available for early cancer stages. The treating doctor will decide the appropriate line of treatment for you.

From Hollywood icons to style mavens and rising stars, day 5 of Cannes Film Festival 2025 witnessed dreamy gowns, sophisticated details, and unforgettable style moments.

The glamour at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 continues to shine brighter with each passing day, and Day 5 was no exception. The red carpet turned into a runway of bold fashion, vintage charm, and head-turning elegance as celebrities from across the globe brought their A-game to the French Riviera.

From Hollywood icons to style mavens and rising stars, the event witnessed dreamy gowns, sophisticated details, and unforgettable style moments. Here’s a closer look at the fashion standouts who ruled the red carpet on Day 5:

Shalini Passi

The ‘Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives’ fame Shalini Passi looked like a real-life princess as she walked the red carpet in a dreamy pink gown. The fitted silhouette, designed by Fouad Sarkis and Ornelys Couture, came with a short train that flowed beautifully behind her. The real showstopper was her whimsical faux feather wrap draped effortlessly around her shoulders, adding perfect finishing touches to her debut look.

Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence brought timeless elegance to the premiere of her latest film, ‘Die My Love’. Styled by Jamie Mizrahi, the Oscar-winner turned heads in a revived Dior gown featuring a pleated strapless pattern and scalloped tiered layers. Cinched at the waist with a subtle belt, the look was inspired by a 1949 design named after composer Francis Poulenc.

Emma Stone

New research has identified 17 overlapping factors that affect your risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression, suggesting that a number of lifestyle changes could simultaneously lower the risk of all three.

Though they may appear unrelated, people who have dementia or depression or who experience a stroke also often end up having one or both of the other conditions, said Dr Sanjula Singh, a principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital and the lead author of the study. That’s because they may share underlying damage to small blood vessels in the brain, experts said.

Some of the risk factors common to the three brain diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes, appear to cause this kind of damage. Research suggests that at least 60 per cent of stroke cases, 40 percent of dementia cases and 35 percent of late-life depression cases could be prevented or slowed by controlling risk factors.

“Those are striking numbers,” said Dr Stephanie Collier, director of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. “If you can really optimise the lifestyle pieces or the modifiable pieces, then you’re at such a higher likelihood of living life without disability.”

Often, the risk factors for these diseases are interconnected, and addressing one – for example, getting more exercise by going for routine walks with a friend – can also help you address others, like excess weight and social isolation.

“If you’re starting to work on one of them, very often you’re actually improving multiple at the same time,” Dr Singh said. “That’s a great way to start.”

FACTORS THAT PROTECT AGAINST BRAIN DISEASE

The study, which looked at data from 59 meta-analyses, identified six factors that lower your risk of brain diseases:

• Low to moderate alcohol intake (Consuming one to three drinks a day had a smaller benefit than consuming less than one drink a day.)
• Cognitive activity, meaning regular engagement in mentally stimulating tasks like reading or doing puzzles
• A diet high in vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish and nuts
• Moderate or high levels of physical activity
• A sense of purpose in life
• A large social network

THE FACTORS THAT INCREASE YOUR RISK

The study also identified 13 health characteristics and habits that make you more likely to develop dementia, a stroke or late-life depression. (Altogether, the protective and harmful factors add up to 19 factors because two of them, diet and social connections, can increase or decrease risk, depending on their type and quality.)

• High blood pressure
• High body mass index
• High blood sugar
• High total cholesterol
• Depressive symptoms
• A diet high in red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and sodium
• Hearing loss
• Kidney disease
• Pain, particularly forms that interfere with activity
• Sleep disturbances (for example, insomnia or poor sleep quality) or sleep periods longer than eight hours
• Smoking history
• Loneliness or isolation
• General stress or stressful life events (as reported by study subjects)

The study only looked at risk factors linked to two or more of the three conditions. It did not prove that these risk factors directly cause the diseases; it only showed an association.

Trying to tackle all of these behaviours for brain health might feel overwhelming. But Dr Singh suggested treating the list like a menu of options: “Choose just a first risk factor and then take it step by step,” she said.

WHERE TO BEGIN

The study also identified which specific risk factors and protective habits have a particularly notable effect on brain health. Addressing those, doctors said, is a great place to start.

Lowering your blood pressure can have big benefits. The study found that high blood pressure was the greatest individual risk factor for developing any of the three diseases, in large part because it nearly triples the risk of stroke.

Another new paper, this one published in Nature Medicine, offers further evidence for that point. In a randomised trial of 34,000 patients in China, researchers found that patients who significantly reduced their blood pressure were 15 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those who did not.

Together, the findings suggest that getting blood pressure under control can have an outsized effect on brain health. To do this, you might start by lowering salt intake, exercising more or losing weight, said Dr Alison Moore, chief of the division of geriatrics, gerontology and palliative care at the University of California San Diego.

But those interventions aren’t always enough, she said, especially as we age and our blood vessels stiffen. That’s when medication can help.

Flex your physical and mental muscles. Bonus points if it’s with friends. Moderate and high physical activity substantially decreased the chances of stroke and dementia, as did having a large social network. The meta-analyses that were included defined these levels in different ways, but guidelines from the American Heart Association describe activities like walking and gardening as “moderate” intensity exercise, and running and swimming are considered “vigorous” or of high intensity.

Cognitive activity appeared to have the largest protective effect, reducing the risk of dementia by about 40 percent. But the researchers noted that this finding could be, at least in part, a result of “reverse causality” – when people who are already developing dementia do less cognitively demanding activities because of their symptoms.

Still, Dr Collier said the data reaffirm her advice to patients to engage in mental tasks that are “a little bit difficult” – such as reading, doing puzzles or learning a new instrument. Ideally, she said, you’d do those activities with somebody else, because conversation can be cognitively stimulating and because you get the added benefit of social interaction.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/dementia-stroke-depression-prevention-463871

Ayushman Bharat Diwas is observed every year on April 30 in India. The day is observed to spread awareness about the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which is one of the world’s largest healthcare schemes.

Ayushman Bharat Diwas is observed every year on April 30 in India. The day is observed to spread awareness about the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which is one of the world’s largest healthcare schemes. The aim of this special day is to remind people about the importance of good health and to make them aware of the benefits they can get through the government’s free healthcare services.

Origin of Ayushman Bharat Diwas

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana was launched by the Government of India in 2018 under the National Health Policy. It is also known as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The main goal of this scheme is to provide free health insurance to poor and low-income families. It helps them get treatment in hospitals without having to pay from their pockets. Each eligible family can receive up to Rs 5 lakh per year for hospital care.

Significance of Ayushman Bharat Diwas

Bollywood actor Rasha Thadani made heads turn during a recent event in Mumbai. She attended an event for makeup retailer Nykaa in a brilliant purple dress but all the internet could talk about was how tiny her waist looked in it.

Rasha Thadani’s stunning new look

Rasha wore a glittery purple dress with a cowl neckline and a draped look to it. It came with a corset that was synched tightly at the torso, giving Rasha an itty bitty waist. The look was most reminiscent of Victorian-Edwardian era fashion when ‘18-inch waists’ were all the rage.

Nestled in the City of Kingston, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Mordialloc Creek is a place of deep cultural and natural significance. For thousands of years, the Boonwurrung people, part of the Kulin Nation, thrived in this coastal area. During a month-long exploration of Mordialloc Creek and its surrounding beach, covering a stretch of about four kilometres, I discovered remnants of the past and gained insight into the Boonwurrung’s way of life, their food sources, occupations, and the thriving vegetation that still graces the area today.

The Boonwurrung connection to Mordialloc

The name “Mordialloc” is derived from the Aboriginal term “Moordy Yallock,” with “Yallock” meaning creek or water. Before British colonisation, the Boonwurrung people lived and worked along this creek, which was rich in fish and eels. These resources provided the Boonwurrung with a reliable food source, and the creek’s abundance still draws locals and visitors alike today. Fishermen continue to cast their rods from the pier that extends into the bay, while cyclists and dog walkers enjoy the area’s scenic paths.

The natural heritage of Mordialloc Creek

The creek’s surroundings are lined with Red River Gum trees, whose bark was invaluable to the Boonwurrung for making canoes, shelters, food containers, and other tools. As I wandered the area, I encountered visible scars on the trees, evidence of the Boonwurrung’s long history in the region. The coastal area was once a thriving ecosystem, home to kangaroos, emus, and opossums, although urban development has reduced these habitats. Today, the area is home to various species of water birds, such as seagulls, buff-banded rails, and purple swamp hens, and mammals like the common brush-tailed possum are frequently spotted at dusk.

Scarred trees: A window into the past

Along the creek, visitors can spot scarred trees, which are now protected as cultural heritage sites. These trees, marked by the Boonwurrung to remove bark for crafting canoes, shields, and temporary shelters, provide a fascinating glimpse into Aboriginal settlement practices. Archaeologists also study these sites to uncover stone tool scatters and middens, offering further insight into the area’s long history.

Spiritual & cultural significance

For the Boonwurrung, the land holds deep spiritual meaning. According to Aboriginal tradition, the land is protected by the creator Bunjil, the eagle, and by Waam, the crow, who guards the waterways. The Kulin Nation, to which the Boonwurrung belong, consists of several clans, each with its own flag. These clans continue to protect and preserve their cultural heritage, and there has even been advocacy for a separate Indigenous passport to acknowledge their identity and rights.

The arrival of European settlers

In the early 1840s, European squatters arrived in the area, drawn by the opportunities in farming and fishing. The safe mooring in Mordialloc Creek led to the development of a small fishing village. However, the arrival of European settlers had a devastating impact on the Boonwurrung population, as conflicts with whalers and sealers, along with the spread of disease, decimated their numbers. In 1841, a camping station was established for the Boonwurrung near the creek, where they continued to fish, gather yam daisy (a grassland plant with edible tubers), and hunt wallabies. This station operated until 1887, after which the remaining Boonwurrung people relocated to another Aboriginal station.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/lifestyle/travel/exploring-mordialloc-creek-3489517

That costs how much?

No traveler expects an airport to have affordable food and drink options. Even if you skip having a sit-down meal — and instead stock up on some snacks and water — no matter how you slice it, you’re not getting out cheap.

To further prove that point — Istanbul Airport has just been named the most expensive airport for food and drinks by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as reported by the Mirror.

Turkey’s primary airport has the nerve to charge voyagers $19.95 for a beer and a banana for almost $7.

If you ever find yourself in this European airport — don’t even think about buying the small three-ounce piece of lasagna they’re reportedly charging almost $28 for according to the Italian news website, L’Economia.

To make matters worse, the writer said the lasagna didn’t even look worth its high price tag: “It looks more like a piece of brick with a sprinkling of what looks like grated cheese and a pseudo-basil leaf.”

Chicken salad? Almost $20. A nice little croissant as a pre-flight snack? That can run you between $17 and $20.

One might get excited when they see an American fast-food chain like Popeyes or McDonald’s at this airport — but beware because those prices seem to be just as annoyingly high.

The Italian site also pointed out that a measly combo meal of four fried chicken wings, fries and a Coke costs almost $20. A McDonald’s Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder costs between $25 and $29.

And leave it to Reddit to join the complaints about the wildly high prices at the Istanbul airport. In a r/istanbul subreddit, one poster shared that the high food prices took away from the overall airport experience for them.

“The prices are more than exaggerated, with all respect to Istanbul, they are ridiculous. They are from 2 to 4 times higher than at Frankfurt Airport (my airport of reference, I always fly out of there),” they shared.

“The terminal is just amazing and magnificent, however, the prices unfortunately made the experience somewhat worse,” the user added.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/16/lifestyle/most-expensive-airport-has-20-beers-and-7-bananas/

Many of us choose brown rice over white believing it’s the healthier option. With its extra fiber, vitamins, and nutrients preserved in the bran layer, brown rice has earned a reputation as a nutritional powerhouse. But concerning research reveals this “health food” may harbor a hidden danger—significantly higher levels of toxic arsenic than its white counterpart.

A new study from Michigan State University researchers, published in the journal Risk Analysis, highlights an uncomfortable truth: the very part of brown rice that makes it nutritionally superior—the bran—also concentrates dangerous inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.

“Rice bran and brown rice are shown to have a higher arsenic content and inorganic arsenic concentration than the grain endosperm or white rice,” the researchers warn in their findings. This elevated concentration occurs because arsenic from soil and water accumulates primarily in the outer layers of the rice grain—precisely the parts removed during processing to create white rice.

For adults, the arsenic exposure differences between brown and white rice likely won’t pose significant health risks, researchers say. But the study sounds a particular alarm about young children—especially those under age 5—who consume relatively more food per pound of body weight than adults.

Children ages 6-24 months who regularly consume brown rice showed particularly troubling exposure levels, with inorganic arsenic intake potentially exceeding safety thresholds previously established by international food safety authorities. The researchers calculated that some infants and toddlers consuming brown rice might ingest arsenic at levels of 0.295 micrograms per kilogram of body weight daily—exceeding the recommended safe limit of 0.21 micrograms.

Rice naturally absorbs more arsenic than most crops, taking up nearly 10 times more arsenic from soil than other grains. This happens because rice grows in flooded paddies, creating conditions where arsenic becomes more bioavailable. Once absorbed through the roots, arsenic concentrates in the outer layers of the rice grain.

Scientists have identified several forms of arsenic in rice, but inorganic arsenic poses the greatest concern. This form is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by international health authorities and has been linked to various cancers, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health problems.

The researchers collected and analyzed data on rice consumption from the “What We Eat in America” database, which tracks the dietary patterns of a nationally representative sample of Americans. They then estimated arsenic exposure by combining this consumption data with arsenic concentration measurements from dozens of studies that directly compared arsenic levels in brown versus white rice.

Their analysis revealed that brown rice contained approximately 24% more total arsenic than white rice and about 40% more inorganic arsenic. Even more concerning, rice bran—the component that makes brown rice “brown”—contained arsenic concentrations roughly 10 times higher than the rice endosperm (the white interior portion).

Source: https://studyfinds.org/arsenic-levels-much-higher-in-brown-rice-than-white-rice-study-confirms/

Why do some people fall for conspiracy theories while others don’t? Research has typically focused on political beliefs and personality traits, but scientists have uncovered a surprising everyday factor that might be making us more susceptible to conspiracy thinking: not getting enough sleep.

Sleeping poorly is linked to no shortage of mental health problems, and now research shows it might fuel belief in conspiracy theories too. (© highwaystarz – stock.adobe.com)New research from the University of Nottingham, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, reveals that people who sleep poorly are likelier to believe conspiracy theories, especially after seeing conspiracy content. This link exists both for people with ordinary sleep problems and those with clinical insomnia, suggesting our sleep habits might affect how we process information.

Conspiracy theories increasingly affect public health decisions like vaccine uptake and our response to climate change. Figuring out why people believe these theories has become critically important.

The Research: Poor Sleep and Conspiracy Beliefs
Dr. Daniel Jolley and his team ran two studies with over 1,100 participants to see how sleep affects our thinking and mental state.

“We know a lot about the cognitive biases, social influences, and personal traits that explain why people believe in conspiracy theories. However, previous research has typically overlooked how sleep, especially poor-quality sleep, may impact conspiracy beliefs,” Jolley tells StudyFinds. “We also wanted to explore the potential mechanisms behind this connection.”

The team found that when we don’t sleep well, we get irritable and our thinking becomes fuzzy. This mental fog seems to make conspiracy theories—stories about secret plots behind major events—more convincing than they otherwise would be.

In their first experiment with 540 people, the researchers measured sleep quality and then randomly showed participants either a conspiracy theory about the 2019 Notre Dame Cathedral fire or a non-conspiracy explanation. Those who reported poor sleep and read the conspiracy version were much more prone to believing conspiracy theories about the fire compared to well-rested people. This effect was strongest in participants with terrible sleep.

The second study with 575 participants dug into the psychological reasons for this connection. Researchers measured their levels of anxiety, anger, depression, and paranoia. They also assessed their conspiracy mentality (a general tendency toward conspiratorial thinking) and belief in specific conspiracy theories.

Depression consistently linked poor sleep to conspiracy beliefs, while anger and paranoia showed some connection but less consistently.

This creates what the researchers call a “sleep cycle of conspiracy beliefs”—a worrying feedback loop where bad sleep hurts your mental health, making you more vulnerable to conspiracy theories, which might then make your sleep and mental health even worse.

Around 74% of people reported worse sleep quality over a recent 12-month period, according to polling data mentioned in the study. Unlike clinical insomnia (affecting 10-20% of people), garden-variety poor sleep is extremely common yet often dismissed as normal in our busy culture. This widespread sleep deprivation could be quietly feeding the spread of conspiracy theories across society.

The Psychology Behind the Connection
The link between sleep and conspiracy thinking works mainly through depression. When sleep suffers, so does our emotional balance, potentially leading to depressive feelings. For someone feeling low, conspiracy theories can serve as a coping mechanism—projecting bad intentions onto others that match their negative emotional state.

The paper notes that for people experiencing depression, conspiracy theories might align better with their worldview, making a conspiracy-filled world feel more coherent than alternative explanations.

Curiously, anxiety—often linked to both sleep problems and conspiracy beliefs in previous studies—didn’t emerge as a significant factor in this research. This unexpected finding shows how complex the relationship between sleep, emotions, and conspiracy thinking really is.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/poor-sleep-conspiracy-theories/

We’re living in a world of carefully curated selfies and picture-perfect Instagram feeds, but there’s something darker happening behind those screens. New research shows that social media isn’t just changing how we communicate—it’s becoming a breeding ground for full-blown delusions and distorted thinking in vulnerable users.

The study, bluntly titled “I tweet, therefore I am,” found something quite disturbing: the psychological disorders most strongly linked to heavy social media use all involve delusions. Think narcissism (where people believe they’re superior), body dysmorphia (obsessing over imagined physical flaws), anorexia (seeing an overweight person in the mirror despite being dangerously thin), and even erotomania (the false belief that a celebrity is secretly in love with you).

How social media creates ‘perfect conditions’ for false beliefs

Social media has completely transformed how we interact with each other, creating digital spaces where we exist as disembodied versions of ourselves. This might seem like no big deal, just part of our tech evolution, but researchers Nancy Yang and Bernard Crespi from Simon Fraser University spotted some troubling patterns.

Their review shows that people with psychological disorders involving distorted self-perception use social media at much higher rates than others. The researchers call this the “Delusion Amplification by Social Media” model, arguing that platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook create perfect conditions for false beliefs about ourselves to grow unchecked.

The scary part? In real life, other people’s reactions help ground us in reality. Online, we can create any identity we want. Unlike face-to-face interactions where others help shape who we are, digital identities can be entirely self-created. We filter photos, edit appearances, and curate an idealized version of ourselves. We can even throw away online personas and start fresh with new accounts whenever we want.

Who is most at risk?

For people with narcissistic personality disorder, this environment gives constant validation for their inflated self-image. Social media metrics—followers, likes, views—create measurable admiration that feeds narcissistic tendencies. These individuals flock to platforms like Instagram that let them self-promote through carefully crafted images.

People with body dysmorphic disorder find in social media a distorted mirror. In real life, other people’s reactions help challenge distorted perceptions. But online, users focus selectively on perceived flaws and search endlessly for validation of their skewed self-image.

The study found similar trends with eating disorders. Visual-heavy platforms reinforce idealized body standards, and comparing yourself to others online can worsen body dissatisfaction. People with eating disorders often use social media more, especially image-focused platforms.

Interestingly, one group tends to use social media less: people with autism spectrum disorders. They use these platforms less frequently and differently than others. While most people use social media to socialize, people with autism often prefer platforms like YouTube that focus on special interests rather than social networking.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/social-media-breeding-ground-for-delusions

During a recent half-marathon, I was taking a walk break when a man on the sidelines shouted: “Come on! Keep running!”

I was using the run-walk method, a plan that incorporates intentional walk breaks during runs, and this 30-second walk gave me a chance to catch my breath and take a sip from my water bottle before running again.

I knew that, for me, walking wasn’t a sign of struggle. Still, I couldn’t resist letting the spectator know. So I smiled and shouted back: “It’s a strategy!”

Many training plans recommend the run-walk method as an option for beginners – an on-ramp to continuous running. But for me, it has become the key to maintaining a running habit while navigating unpredictable work schedules, pregnancies and parenting.

I made the switch to run-walking a decade ago while training for my first marathon, and I have no plans to go back. It has made 20-mile (32km) training runs feel doable and has carried me across dozens of finish lines – at the same overall pace as when I ran continuously.

“The misconception is that it has to lead to continuous running,” said Pamela Geisel, an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. In fact, the run-walk method can be a lifelong practice.

WHAT IS THE RUN-WALK METHOD?

The run-walk method is a training strategy based on the premise that, by walking for short intervals before you get tired, you can avoid some fatigue and tackle longer distances. Because run-walking can be gentler on your body than continuous running, many people find they are able to recover faster in between runs, too.

The method was popularised by the Olympic runner Jeff Galloway in the 1970s. He was in a rut, facing injuries and disappointing race times. He began taking short walk breaks during long runs, and soon found himself feeling stronger – and finishing races faster.

During the 1980 Houston marathon, he took a brief walk break after every mile and finished in 2:16:35, faster than any marathon he’d run continuously. Soon, he began bringing his strategy to the masses; it is now popularly known as the Galloway method. (In the United Kingdom, devotees call it “Jeffing.”)

Over the last 50 years, the method has grown steadily more popular. The London Marathon recently began including pace groups for run-walkers, and some coaches of elite athletes have embraced variations of the method. Chris Twiggs, the chief training officer for Galloway’s platform, which includes a website and app, estimated that as many as 300,000 people have trained using their run-walk programs.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RUN-WALKING?

Though many coaches and athletes swear by the power of the run-walk method to reduce injury risk and speed up recovery, little scientific research has been conducted on the strategy.

One small study of 42 marathoners found that the run-walkers and continuous runners had experienced similar stress on their cardiovascular systems, when measured at the finish line of a marathon, but the run-walkers reported less muscle pain and fatigue after the race.

The run-walk method can be considered a form of interval training, or alternating between higher- and lower-intensity efforts, said DrT amanna Singh, the co-director of the Sports Cardiology Center at the Cleveland Clinic. She compared it to a spin class, which incorporates periods of fast or high-resistance pedalling and easier stretches. Regardless of the specific type of exercise, she said, the strategy has been shown to effectively condition both the cardiovascular system and the muscles.

It can also build endurance. When you exercise at your full capacity, you need to take in greater and greater amounts of oxygen to keep moving, which can strain your heart and lungs and, eventually, deprive your muscles of fuel, Dr Singh said. During walk breaks, “the heart doesn’t have to work as hard,” she added. This allows you to take in more oxygen, which helps your muscles refuel.

Walking before you feel tired can also help you maintain consistent running form, which may help prevent injury, said Stuart Warden, a professor of physical therapy at Indiana University.

As in Galloway’s experience, many coaches said that the method had helped their athletes improve their race times. Jim Vance, an endurance coach for elite athletes in San Diego, said the breaks had allowed his athletes to run faster intervals and net a faster pace overall.

Psychologically, run-walking can make training and racing feel less daunting, by promising regular respites. Bobby McGee, an elite endurance coach in Colorado who incorporates walk breaks into his training plans, said his athletes benefit from focusing on one running interval at a time, with each new cycle offering an opportunity to reset.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Before you head out on your first run-walk, make a plan for the ratio of running to walking you’ll do.

The Galloway website suggests different ratios based on your fastest one-mile pace – the faster you are, the more running you will typically do in a given cycle. (This online tool offers a more detailed breakdown.) Other groups, such as the virtual Slow AF Run Club, suggest a less prescriptive approach: Choose a run interval that ends before your legs get tired. And if you need more of a break, shorten your run interval instead of lengthening your walk.

But there’s no one single ratio that will work for everyone at a given pace. Coaches recommended experimenting with different ratios until you find what feels right.

During walking intervals, Dr Warden recommended moving at a brisk pace and keeping your elbows bent and close to your sides so you don’t lose momentum.

McGee advised using each walk break intentionally: Take the first part of each break for recovery, the next stretch to hydrate or fuel and the last few seconds to reset your mental focus before running again.

Source : https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/run-walk-galloway-method-461091

Taylor Swift has been named global recording artist of the year for 2024 by the IFPI, the fifth time she has won the honour from the organisation that represents the recorded music industry.
The megastar’s “The Tortured Poets Department” record also topped four IFPI charts – global album, global vinyl album, global streaming album and global album sales, the IFPI said in a statement on Tuesday.
It had a strong lead on the 2024 global album sales chart, which calculates physical purchases and full album downloads, with 5.6 million units. K-pop group ENHYPEN’s “Romance: Untold” took the second spot with 3.4 million units sold.

Swift’s record-breaking “Eras” tour, the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue, also boosted interest in her past records, with several appearing in the 2024 vinyl album and streaming album charts, the IFPI said.

“This has been a huge year for Taylor, and it has been incredible to see the extent to which fans all over the world are connecting with her superb catalogue of music,” IFPI Chief Executive Victoria Oakley said.
Swift was first named IFPI global recording artist of the year in 2014 and then in 2019, 2022 and 2023, the most times for any performer since the award was introduced 12 years ago.

Presented to whoever tops the IFPI global artist chart, the prize is calculated by looking at an artist’s or group’s worldwide sales for streaming, download and physical music formats during the calendar year and covers their whole body of work, according to the organisation.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/taylor-swift-wins-recording-artist-year-crown-fifth-time-2025-02-18/

In a world obsessed with cutting-edge fitness trends and high-tech wellness gadgets, an ancient practice is making a surprising comeback: conch blowing, or shankhnaad. Once reserved for religious rituals and battlefield announcements, this age-old tradition is now being embraced as a potential tool for respiratory strength and overall well-being. But is it just a passing fad, or does science support its supposed benefits?

Picture this: a deep breath in, followed by a powerful exhale through a beautifully spiralled conch shell. The sound that emerges is not just a mere echo of ancient traditions but, as some suggest, a therapeutic wave that could enhance lung function, improve focus and even reduce stress. With the resurgence of breathwork techniques in fitness and meditation circles, conch blowing is now being explored as more than just a spiritual exercise—it’s being hailed as a workout for the lungs, diaphragm, and mind.

The Power of ‘Shankhnaad’: How Actor Vidyut Jammwal Revived An Ancient Practice

“This can resolve 99.99 per cent of the problems,” declared action star Vidyut Jammwal, known for his high-intensity stunts in the Commando film series, as he passionately demonstrated the art of conch blowing at the Action Hero Fitness Awards 2024. His words carried conviction, and so did his powerful breathwork, as he showcased the practice on stage.

On January 1, 2025, Jammwal further fueled curiosity by sharing an Instagram post where he was seen blowing a conch, reinforcing his belief in its effectiveness.

Jammwal’s endorsement has sparked fresh interest in this long-overlooked tradition. His dedication to martial arts and extreme fitness regimens has made him a credible voice in the wellness community. But he isn’t alone in recognising the potential of shankhnaad as a fitness practice.

The Science Behind Conch Blowing: A Respiratory Workout?

Fitness experts and traditional martial artists are now reevaluating the mechanics behind conch blowing. It’s not as simple as just exhaling air into a shell—it demands controlled breathing, lung power, and precise diaphragm engagement. Arpit Singh, founder of Natural Shankh by Kalari Warriors and a mixed martial arts practitioner, has been advocating its benefits since 2012.

“During my kalari training, I realised the immense physical benefits of controlled breathwork and how it can be achieved through conch blowing. I saw it as a tool to build lung capacity and strengthen the diaphragm,” Singh explained to The Indian Express. Through his structured workshops, he takes participants through the biomechanics of the practice, explaining how it enhances respiratory strength and blood circulation. “I ensure that the workshops are structured as fitness-oriented sessions rather than religious or spiritual gatherings,” he added, ensuring a neutral and inclusive approach.

The Healing Power of Sound: What Research Says

Beyond its physical benefits, conch blowing is also believed to influence the mind and emotions. Sound therapy has long been studied for its effects on mental well-being, and conch resonance is now under scientific scrutiny.

According to the Research And Scientific Innovation Society (RSIS), the sound waves produced by a conch shell can stimulate positive psychological vibrations, leading to improved focus and relaxation. Some studies even propose that these sound frequencies can aid in reducing stress, anxiety, and insomnia. One such study analysed the impact of conch shell vibrations on brain waves using EEG (Electroencephalogram) data. Researchers recorded and processed brain wave activity before and after exposure to conch sounds, finding that the frequencies induced a meditative state comparable to the effects of mindfulness practices.

Furthermore, proponents of conch therapy argue that the vibrations may have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. By engaging in this breath-based activity, individuals could potentially experience improved lung capacity, better oxygen circulation, and reduced hypertension.

Source : https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/the-science-of-shankhnaad-how-conch-blowing-benefits-mind-and-body-9218711.html

Imagine it’s Monday morning, too cold and too dark, but once that alarm goes off, you know you’ve got to rally. The kids have to get to school. You’ve got to get to work. And, of course, your ever-growing to-do list hangs over your head like a dark cloud, somehow both too threatening to ignore and too threatening to start its tasks.

While you can’t escape the grind, you can transform it. The latest psychological research on the good life points the way: By shifting your mindset, you can make your day-to-day more interesting and create psychological richness within your life. Psychological richness describes a robust form of cognitive engagement. It’s distinct from happiness and meaning, but just as important to the good life.

In collaboration with Shigehiro Oishi and his research lab, I’ve investigated whether the field of positive psychology has largely overlooked an important dimension of the good life. As the philosopher on our team, I had two directives. First, I helped to define the concept of psychological richness and understand what distinguishes it from happiness and meaning. Second, I set out to explore why psychological richness is valuable.

Our initial studies found that people value experiences that stimulate their minds, challenge them and generate a range of emotions. Many would choose a life full of these experiences, which we describe as psychologically rich, over a happy life or a meaningful life.

This insight points to the important role psychological richness can play within the good life, but it stops short of explaining why it’s good and why people ought to make space for psychological richness within their lives. These are value-laden questions that can’t be answered through empirical research. Their answers are found instead through philosophical analysis.

My philosophical analysis suggests that psychological richness is good for you because it’s interesting. My book, “The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It,” shows how to add psychological richness to your life by making it more interesting.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by embracing a mindset characterized by curiosity, creativity and what I call “mindfulness 2.0.” When you bring these three perspectives to your day-to-day, you transform the grind into endless opportunities to experience the world as interesting. You develop the capacity to enhance your own life.

Mindfulness 2.0: Noticing without judging

What I call “mindfulness 2.0” means bringing nonevaluative awareness to the world around you – paying attention without judging.

Familiar from mindfulness practices, it’s a form of noticing that brings forth details you typically overlook: the texture of a houseplant’s leaves, the faces of the strangers you pass on the sidewalk, the differing heights of the cans on a store shelf. By bringing these details into your awareness, you stimulate your mind, allowing you to engage mentally with your surroundings in an active manner. Noticing things through mindfulness 2.0 is the first step toward having an interesting experience.

A good place to practice mindfulness 2.0 is during your morning commute. Because it’s routine, you probably don’t feel the need to engage much with the details of what you are doing. Instead you’ll find other ways to pass the time, such as listening to the news or your favorite podcast. These activities distract you from the otherwise boring commute by disengaging you from it.

But you can also get through the commute by engaging with it to make it less boring. Here’s where the power of mindfulness 2.0 kicks in. Through actively noticing things around you – be it the people clustered at the bus stop, or the traffic patterns created by a stoplight, or a flock of birds swooping overhead – you engage your mind and set yourself up to experience the interesting.

Curiosity: Exploring through questions

Curiosity isn’t just for kids. No matter how much you know, there’s always something to be curious about – especially if you’ve learned to notice the details through mindfulness 2.0.

Say you’ve noticed, during your commute, the group of people gathered around the bus stop. Now let your curiosity take off: Was that bus stop always there? How long has that exceptionally weird real estate advertisement been stuck on the seatback? So many people lined up this cold morning. You might wonder if you’d feel a little more connected if you were with them. But then you notice that no one is talking. Do they ride the same bus together, every day, without acknowledging each other?

Through asking questions, you ask your mind to consider something it hadn’t before. You create new thoughts, and if you let your mind keep going, you’ll have an interesting experience, all the while making that same commute. Even better, you’ll have created that interesting experience on your own. You’ve harnessed an ability to enhance your life, an ability that’s completely within your control.

Creativity: Trying something new

While people often think of creativity as a talent, native only to artists or inventors, everyone has the ability to be creative. Creativity is a skill that involves forming new connections with your mind. You’re creative whenever you do something new or different. Whether it is painting a brilliant landscape or wearing a new color combination, developing a new dish or simply tweaking a recipe, it all falls under the umbrella of creativity.

When you are creative, in big or small ways, you generate novelty within your life, and this puts you on the path toward experiencing psychological richness. Novelty all but forces the mind to think and feel in new ways, stimulating that robust form of cognitive engagement that brings the interesting.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/philosopher-strategies-to-help-you-attain-the-good-life/

The royal princesses and queens of the princely states of India were the original fashion icons—decades ago, long before the world of celebrities and Instagram influencers took over. These women of royal households led the fashion scene, and the one outfit they popularised, not only in India but abroad, was the saree. They had all the means and wealth, but it was their evergreen, classy style that made them unforgettable.

The one name that comes to mind the moment one hears the word saree is Maharani Gayatri Devi (1919–2009) of Jaipur. She was the driving force behind putting the delicate, light, and dreamy chiffon sarees on the fashion map of India in the 1940s. However, the late Maharani of Jaipur always credited her mother, Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar (1892–1968), for shaping her taste in sarees. Such was the mother-daughter duo’s love for sarees that they would have chiffon specially ordered from Lyon, a city in France renowned for its silk production. It was Indira Devi who had discovered the Lyon chiffon, and decided to make sarees with it. Indira Devi was known for pushing boundaries—instead of the traditional six-yard saree, she would order a nine-yard version. This innovation was a game-changer for the Indian fashion scene. Gayatri Devi’s signature draping chiffon sarees, in pastel and floral prints started a trend that is even followed today.

The two daughters-in-law of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, were Ottoman princesses. Princess Durru Shehvar Durdana Begum Sahiba (1914–2006) and Princess Niloufer (1916–1989) were counted among the most beautiful women in the world.

A photograph of Princess Durru wearing a jewelled saree (pictured above) offers a glimpse into the elegant style of the daughter-in-law of one of the richest men in the world. Princess Niloufer, who grew up in France, had a modern taste and would commission sarees that reflected her European sensibilities—the colours, patterns, and motifs. The sarees for both princesses avoided heavy borders; instead, special detailing was done on the pallu. Princess Niloufer even commissioned sarees from French designers such as Jeanne Lanvin.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/people/world-saree-day-the-royal-maharanis-of-the-six-yard-wonder-article-116509746

Ophthalmologists at Harvard Medical School and Mass Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital in Boston, found evidence that the active ingredient in weight loss miracle drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide, could, in rare cases, cause blindness.

Now, two different teams of researchers from the University of Southern Denmark released studies backing up the findings of Harvard Medical School’s ophthalmologists.

All three studies showed a link between GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and a rare eye disorder called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, for short. It causes sudden and permanent vision loss. NAION is caused by a reduction in blood flow to the optic nerve.

There are thousands of NAION sufferers; it is the second most common cause of optic nerve damage-induced blindness, following glaucoma. It has several risk factors, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and age. Its exact causes are not fully understood, but the three published studies that looked into it found a link between NAION and miracle weight loss drugs.

One of the Danish studies found a two to three-times increased risk of NAION in people taking semaglutide.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that these studies were observational, meaning they can’t definitively prove causality. A whole lot more research is needed with a whole lot of critical trials before a strong link between GLP-1 weight loss drugs and blindness caused by NAION can be firmly established. As of now, the benefits of managing diabetes and weight loss outweigh any potential risk of developing NAION.

Source : https://www.vice.com/en/article/ozempic-could-be-blinding-people-trying-to-lose-weight/

“Casio comes out with miniature version of its first digital watch—in ring form” was not on my bingo card for 2025. At least not in America. We tend not to get a lot of the most fun shit, so when Casio announced this baby for Japan, I wasn’t surprised that it was left of the U.S.’ dance sheet. But because 2024 has been a rollercoaster year of surprises, look at what just showed up for sale on these shores this December.

put a finger on that familiar design

If the display looks familiar, it’s because it mimics (in miniature) the iconic display of Casio’s first digital watch, the Casiotron QW02. It was 50 years ago in November 1974 that Casio unveiled this harbinger of the future that’d eventually become the bane of mechanical watchmakers all over the world. Once as futuristic as a Lamborghini Countach, the Casiotron itself has become a classic style to be emulated.

“Creating a ring-sized, full-metal version of the Casio watch’s complex form is no easy feat,” Casio writes. The case, case back, and ring itself are all molded in a single piece, and the whole thing is water-resistant. Casio seems particularly proud of that the part of the ring on either side of the display that encircles the rest of the finger faithfully reproduces the metal-link design of the Casiotron’s watch band. It’s a US-size 10.5 (an inner diameter of 20mm) and includes two size-adjusting spacers that are 1mm and 2mm smaller.

“We downsized the standard watch module by a factor of 10 and combined it with a small button battery to create a three-button digital watch that fits on your finger,” says Casio. It’s telling that Casio thinks of it as a tiny watch first and a ring second. The LCD display shows not just the time, but the date as well. You can enable dual time mode or stopwatch, too.

Limited Size, Limited Release

The CRW001-1, aside from desperately needing a new name, is already sold out on the U.S. Casio website. That’s thanks, in part, to its $120 price tag—a pleasant surprise because when brands play around with limited-release items like this, they’re usually accompanied by crazy high prices. Kudos to Casio for pricing this thing within the reach of normal people.

Source : https://www.vice.com/en/article/casio-ring-tiny-watch/

There’s no question that people are living longer today than centuries or even decades ago. However, a new study finds people may not be living very well in those extra years.

Picture this: You’ve just blown out 80 candles on your birthday cake, surrounded by family and friends. Instead of celebrating vibrant golden years, however, you’re navigating a landscape of chronic pain, mental health struggles, and persistent illness. Welcome to the new reality of aging in the 21st century.

The new study by a team at the Mayo Clinic reveals a stark truth that challenges our assumptions about longevity: We’re living longer but far from better. Researchers analyzing health data from 183 countries discovered that the additional years we’re gaining are increasingly overshadowed by disease and disability.

“The data show that gains in longevity are not matched with equivalent advances in healthy longevity,” says Dr. Andre Terzic, the study’s senior author, in a media release. “Growing older often means more years of life burdened with disease.”

The global numbers published in JAMA Network Open are sobering. While life expectancy has increased by 6.5 years over two decades, the years lived in good health have only increased by 5.4 years. On average, people now spend 9.6 years — a staggering 13% increase since 2000 — living with some form of chronic illness.

The United States emerges as the most striking example of this health paradox. Americans face the largest “health gap” globally, with individuals experiencing an average of 12.4 years of life impacted by chronic conditions — nearly 30% higher than the global average.

Perhaps most unexpected is the significant disparity between men and women. Globally, women experience a 2.4-year larger health gap compared to men. Specific disorders affecting women’s health include neurological conditions, musculoskeletal issues, and urogenital disorders.

“The widening healthspan-lifespan gap globally points to the need for an accelerated pivot to proactive wellness-centric care systems,” explains Armin Garmany, the study’s first author.

Mental health disorders, substance abuse, and musculoskeletal conditions emerged as major contributors to reduced quality of life, particularly in the United States. While people are living longer, these chronic conditions significantly diminish the quality of those additional years.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/living-longer-in-poor-health/

Q: I love perfume, but I’ve heard a chemical used in fragrances may be bad for my health. Is that true?

A: A spritz of perfume may feel like such a minor chemical exposure compared to the pollutants elsewhere in our environment – microplastics, air pollution, PFAS. But scientists and clinicians are increasingly raising alarm over a group of chemicals used in many personal care products: phthalates.

Phthalates – found in popular perfumes, nail polishes and hair care products – have been linked to numerous adverse health outcomes: insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and impaired neurodevelopment. A study published in JAMA Network Open found that higher urinary concentrations of phthalates from personal care products was linked to a 25 percent increased risk of hyperactivity problems among adolescents. Another study of the same cohort found that increased phthalate exposure was also associated with poorer performance in math.

The concerns about childhood exposure to phthalates are high enough that in the United States, certain types of the chemical are banned in children’s toys and items such as pacifiers and baby bottles.

For Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, who runs a laboratory studying the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the harms are clear enough that she advises everyone to try to reduce their exposure, especially parents starting a family and those with young children.

“I recommend avoiding added fragrances altogether – in perfumes, scented lotions and shampoos, even scented detergents and antiperspirants,” she said in an email interview.

What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals?

Our endocrine system is composed of multiple glands, including the thyroid and pituitary glands, that produce and regulate hormones – governing everything from our growth to reproduction. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, are in everyday products and can mimic and interfere with our body’s hormones.

According to the Endocrine Society, hundreds of chemicals may be endocrine disrupters – if not more. PFAS are a well-known group of chemicals considered EDCs, and others, such as phthalates and parabens, are more commonly found in soaps, shampoos and beauty products – though they’re also in plenty of other places. Phthalates are even in our food.

Switching personal care products to those without EDCs can potentially have a big impact over a short period. For instance, a 2023 study of 41 women found that after 28 days of switching to phthalate-free and paraben-free products, they not only had reduced levels of these chemicals in their urine, but also had reductions in gene expression associated with cancer in their breast tissue.

How to reduce your exposure

Make reasonable changes: “It’s frankly overwhelming to consider all the sources of potential endocrine disrupters and so I think to maintain your own sanity, I would focus on changes that are sustainable for your lifestyle and resources,” said Rebecca Jeun, an endocrinologist at the University of Louisville Health.

If switching all your beauty products isn’t going to happen, she advises considering other ways to minimize EDC exposure, such as reducing consumption of canned and ultra-processed foods and avoiding heating food or drinks in plastic.

Use phthalate-free products: Don’t want to go fragrance-free? See if the product’s website says it is free of phthalates and parabens, or check the language on the packaging. But keep in mind that looking at ingredient lists isn’t enough: Some products may just have the term “fragrance” listed as an ingredient – which can be a mask for a phthalate that’s not explicitly disclosed.

Adopt a streamlined personal care routine. If you have a skincare-obsessed teen, engage them in the conversation about choosing safer products.

“For older children who are interested in beauty or skincare products, I recommend celebrating them for practicing self-care and proactively helping them identify their favorite and safe gentle face wash, moisturizer (oil and fragrance-free), and sunscreen to be part of their daily wellness routine,” said Carol Duh-Leong, a pediatrician and assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in an email interview.

Why scientists find the data so convincing

Critics have argued that the data isn’t conclusive on phthalates and other EDCs. They say there hasn’t been an ideal randomized control trial in humans to effectively “prove” causation. And while that argument is often capitalized upon by manufacturers pushing back against further regulations, conducting such a trial would be “virtually impossible – and almost certainly unethical,” Gore said.

“This is why we’re dependent upon testing a chemical in cell lines and lab animals to prove a cause-and-effect,” she added.

Those kinds of experiments have shown “irrefutable evidence” that EDCs cause myriad health problems, according to a statement by the Endocrine Society.

“If a chemical has endocrine disrupting effects in animals, there is exceptionally high certainty that this is also the case in humans. The hormones of the endocrine system are structurally and functionally similar, if not identical, in nonhuman and human animals,” Gore said.

Source : https://www.newsindiatimes.com/fragrances-may-seem-harmless-but-the-research-is-raising-alarm/

Do you sleep on your back or on your side? If you’re looking for a bigger paycheck in 2025, a new survey has some surprising advice: sleep on your stomach with your arms raised above you!

As online searches for the “best position to sleep in” have skyrocketed by 250% in just the past month, researchers have found a connection between your nightly sleeping habits and professional career advancement. The survey commissioned by Bed Slats, involving 5,438 working professionals, has revealed that your sleeping position could be more than just a matter of comfort – it might be a predictor of your financial potential.

The Sleep Positions of Success

While many people curl up in the fetal position – with 29% of all respondents preferring this cozy stance – top earners tend to take a much different approach to bedtime. Surprisingly, several of the most successful professionals in the poll opt for the “freefall” approach, sleeping on their stomach with their arms up high — like they just jumped out of a plane!

“High earners are natural risk-takers,” says Inbaal Honigman, a celebrity psychic and body language expert, in a statement to StudyFinds. “They leap first and ask questions later.”

Meanwhile, 24% of all respondents go with the pillow hugger position, followed by the freefall position (14%), the thinker position (13%), and the solider position, where you lay on your back with your arms at your sides (10%).

“The most common sleep positions are both quite protective – the introverted fetal position, where people curl up to shield themselves, and the cuddly pillow hugger position where sleepers wrap themselves around their pillow (or partner) for comfort and security,” Honigman continues.

While there may be great comfort in sleeping like a baby, the research shows that nearly a third of the adventurous freefall sleepers are ending 2024 in the top 10% of earners.

Which sleeping position is likely to make you more successful?
Rank Sleeping position % of respondents in the top 10% income bracket
1 Freefall 29%
2 Soldier 23%
3 Fetal 21%
4 Pillow Hugger 13%
5 The Thinker 9%
6 The Starfish 2%
7 The Stargazer 2%
8 The Log 1%

More Than Just Sleeping – It’s a Lifestyle

The study uncovered more than just sleeping positions. Top earners also sleep an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes (22 minutes more than lower earners). Additionally, they wake up at 6:42 am, compared to the average worker’s 7:06 am.

“The sleep habits of high earners show they’re far more exposed and unprotected,” Honigman explains. “While most people tend to be cautious, top earners are made up of more fearless individuals.”

Source : https://studyfinds.org/odd-sleeping-position-success/

The Italian artist who created the banana duct-taped to a wall that sold this week for $6.2 million, said in an interview published on Friday that the work was a “provocation” and an invitation to appreciate the true value of art.

“Comedian”, by Maurizio Cattelan, was snapped up on Wednesday at auction at Sotheby’s in New York by Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun. It first rocked the art world in 2019 on its debut at Miami’s Art Basel.

“It’s a provocation that invites us to reflect on the value of art and the dynamics of (this) market, pushing us to question what this work says about us as viewers,” Cattelan told Italian daily La Repubblica.

The piece of art, whose first version was made with a banana that cost 25 cents, on Wednesday went from a starting price of $800,000 to $5.2 million, plus a buyer’s fee.

“It’s the market that has decided to take a banana stuck on the wall so seriously. If the system is so frail to slip on a banana skin, maybe it was already slippery,” Cattelan added.

The artist, 64, is known for his hyper-realistic installations and sculptures, which include a fake horse dangling from a ceiling, the late pope John Paul II being hit by a meteorite and a marble hand with a raised middle finger outside Milan’s Stock Exchange.

Cattelan also said he was fast asleep when his banana piece went under the hammer, dreaming that his favourite soccer team Atalanta would beat AC Milan at an upcoming Serie A home game.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/duct-taped-banana-artist-says-his-work-is-provocation-value-art-2024-11-22

A new small study suggests that hot water can help muscles repair themselves and become stronger.

Ice baths after exercise are hot, especially among influencers.

But a new small study suggests that recreational athletes perform better if they soak in a hot tub rather than a frigid one, especially if there are breaks in their workouts, such as halftime in football and soccer, according to a report presented Thursday at the 2024 Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference in University Park, Pennsylvania.

When you exercise vigorously, muscle fibers are damaged and the hot water can increase blood flow, which helps the muscles repair themselves and become stronger, said the study’s lead author, Mamoru Tsuyuki, a master’s student in sports and health science at Ritsumeikan University in Shiga, Japan.

“Also increasing muscle temperature is going to help improve power output,” Tsuyuki told NBC News in a Zoom call. “When you need to perform twice in the same day, such as in sports that have a halftime, heat is better. During the 15 or 20 minutes, if you can immerse yourself in hot water, you can probably perform better in the second half.”

That doesn’t mean there’s no value in icy soaks, Tsuyuki said, adding that other studies have shown that the frigid water can relieve muscle soreness. Moreover, ice is best if there is an injury.

Tsuyuki said he’d like to see more research comparing the benefits and disadvantages of both temperature soaks.

“We used endurance running, but the results might be different with other types of exercise,” he added.

Why is a hot soak better?

To take a closer look at the impact of hot and icy soaks, Tsuyuki and his colleagues rounded up 10 young men to perform in a three-part study.

The men performed 50 minutes of high-intensity interval running and then soaked for 20 minutes in a 59-degree tub; a 104-degree tub; or sat without immersing themselves in water.

All 10 men experienced all three conditions during the study.

One hour after the initial workout, the study volunteers were asked to jump as high as they could from standing and squatting positions. The height the men attained when jumping was lower after a cold soak than a hot one.

There was no difference in muscle soreness whether the men soaked in cold or hot water.

Source : https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cold-plunge-hot-bath-ice-benefits-workout-exercise-rcna181370

Just weeks after his death at the age of 91, renowned music producer and composer Quincy Jones was bestowed with an honorary Oscar by Hollywood’s film academy at a gala on Sunday.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, siblings and producers of the James Bond movie franchise, received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the annual Governors Awards ceremony, attended by stars including Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Kate Winslet.

Jones, who died on Nov. 3, worked with musicians ranging from Count Basie to Frank Sinatra and reshaped pop music with his collaborations with Michael Jackson over a 70-year career. In 1971, he served as musical director and conductor of the 43rd Academy Awards. He composed scores for “The Wiz” and “The Color Purple.”
“Even though he lived 91 years, still gone too soon,” actor Jamie Foxx said of Jones.

There’s an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. A new poll finds today’s parents are reinventing what it means to rely on their “village” when it comes to raising their kids.

According to a survey of 2,000 parents of children younger than six, 78% agree that the definition of a village — or their community and support system — is different today than when they were growing up. In fact, another 86% of parents say they have a different type of support system today than their own parents did.

Growing up, respondents recall spending the most time with grandmothers (60%), grandfathers (41%), aunts (51%), and uncles (41%), as well as their parents’ best friend (38%). In total, they can remember an average of eight different people being regularly involved in their lives as children, and a majority (86%) are still in some contact with their childhood village.

Today, parents rely on an average of seven different people, and fewer of them are relatives than ever before. Mothers (54%) and fathers (34%) still ranked at the top of the list, but today’s parents are more likely to lean on their friends (33%) or best friends (30%) than aunts or uncles (29%).

Still, 29% of parents find it difficult to make new friends today. Their inner circle most often includes the friends they made after having children (24%). Interestingly, parents are more likely to spend time with their childhood friends (15%) than they are with friends they made in adulthood before having children (14%), their teenage crew (9%), and even their college friends (6%). In fact, 83% say their child making a new friend results in building a friendship with their parents at least some of the time.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of The Goddard School, researchers found that four in five parents polled (81%) believe that it’s imperative to have a support system when it comes to raising their child, and another 43% believe parenting is more difficult today than it was for their own parents.

About a quarter of parents (27%) rely less on family members for support than their parents did for reasons such as not having a close relationship with their family (33%) or their family members having other responsibilities and being too busy to help (32%). A quarter (25%) made the conscious decision to do things differently than their parents and lean on their family less.

On the flip side, 47% choose to lean on their family more. Over four in 10 (41%) simply want a deep family connection, while others find it easier because both they and their partner work full time (31%) and it is more cost-effective (29%).

The good news is that parents are reaping the benefits of their new villages. The vast majority (87%) believe their support system has improved the development of their children’s social and emotional skills.

The added support also enables parents to spend more quality time with their child (36%), complete tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and errands (33%), and be a better or more present parent (31%).

“Raising children today is like steering a ship through a storm; it can be tumultuous and unnerving, and without a compass to guide your ship—or a strong support system to help you parent—it’s easy to lose your way,” says Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, in a statement. “I encourage all parents to take full advantage of their entire network, including their school and childcare provider, to help them navigate their parenting journey.”

Almost three-quarters (74%) of parents surveyed currently have their child enrolled in school or with a childcare provider. Of those parents, 89% say that their child’s school or childcare provider is now a part of their village, and they rely on them for support or guidance an average of 12 times per month.

Despite this, almost two-thirds (65%) wish their child’s school or childcare provider offered more opportunities to connect with other parents. Family gatherings and social events (45%), educational workshops for parents and their children (36%), and celebrations and cultural events (35%) topped the list of opportunities parents would enjoy.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/raising-children-takes-a-village

Eggs have had a complicated history when it comes to health and nutrition. First, they’re good, then they’re bad, then food scientists say they’re good again. Well, researchers are once again placing all their eggs in the “good” basket, finding that these controversial sources of cholesterol may be even better your our brains than we thought.

A team from the University of California-San Diego has discovered that older women who eat eggs each week may experience less memory loss and less decline in their executive brain functions over time. This is the latest research to suggest that eggs, a food often criticized for their high cholesterol content, could actually benefit cognitive health among certain groups.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, examined a group of 890 adults over the age of 55 from the Rancho Bernardo study in California. The participants kept track of their egg consumption from 1988 to 1991. They also underwent a series of cognitive tests during that time and once again between 1992 and 1996, measuring their global cognition, executive function, and semantic memory.

When the researchers analyzed the data by sex, they found that among women, those who ate more eggs each week experienced less decline in category fluency — a test of verbal abilities and executive function — over the four-year period. This association remained even after accounting for factors like age, education, lifestyle behaviors, cholesterol levels, and each participant’s calorie and protein intake.

Overall, researchers found that the magic number for older women appears to be five eggs per week. In other words, an egg a day may keep cognitive decline away.

“Women in the highest category of egg intake would have a half-point less decline in category fluency score over 4 years compared to women who never consumed eggs. Although small, this association was still significant after further adjustment for behaviors, cholesterol, and calorie and protein intake, as well as after additional adjustment for diabetes and hypertension,” researchers Donna Kritz-Silverstein and Ricki Bettencourt write in their report.

In contrast, the researchers did not find any significant links between eating eggs and brain changes among men. Kritz-Silverstein notes that this difference among the sexes is intriguing and warrants further investigation.

The exact reason that causes eggs to benefit cognitive health is not fully clear, but the researchers point to some promising clues. Eggs are rich in nutrients like choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which have been linked to better brain health in prior research. The high-quality protein in eggs may also help preserve neuronal structure and function.

Additionally, while eggs do contain dietary cholesterol, unlike meat, they have relatively low levels of harmful saturated fat. This may allow them to provide cognitive benefits without the potential downsides associated with high-cholesterol foods. The team also notes that eggs are relatively affordable and accessible, making them a cheap way to get important nutrients for brain health.

“The lack of cognitive decline with egg consumption is reassuring and suggests that despite having high levels of dietary cholesterol, eggs do not have a detrimental effect and may even have a role in the maintenance of cognitive function over time,” the study authors conclude.

Of course, this was an observational study, so more research is necessary to confirm a causal relationship. However, the results add to a growing body of evidence challenging the notion that eggs should be strictly limited in the diet, especially for older adults focused on preserving their mental sharpness.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/an-egg-a-day-womans-brain

In a significant development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday that the first confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza in a pig within the United States has been found.

The infected pig was part of the backyard farm that had a mix of poultry and livestock, and did not show any signs of illness, as per the press release. However, when tested as a precautionary measure along with four other swine, it was found to be positive. In total, five pigs were tested out of which two were negative, while two still have pending results.

“The livestock and poultry on this farm shared water sources, housing and equipment; in other states, this combination has enabled transmission between species,” the release noted.

The USDA said the farm in a non-commercial operation and not connected to commercial food supply. IT added that it did not have any bearing on the safety of the nation’s pork supply. The farm has been placed under quarantine to contain bird flu spread to others.

Experts warn that pigs, known as “mixing vessels” for flu strains, could pose new risks if the virus adapts for human transmission. This is because pigs are susceptible to both human and avian influenza. The farm is under quarantine as health officials ramp up surveillance efforts.

“There can be several different kinds of flu in swine at any given time, and they can exchange genetic material, creating new strains,” Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health told Fox News.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/first-ever-case-of-h5n1-bird-flu-in-pig-in-the-us-why-its-concerning/articleshow/114860630.cms

Want to sharpen your mental focus? A brief, intense workout might be just what your brain needs, according to new research.

While we’ve known for a long time that regular exercise can boost brain health over time, scientists from UC Santa Barbara have now found evidence that even a single workout session can enhance cognitive function – especially if you’re willing to break a big-time sweat.

In a comprehensive review published in Communications Psychology, researchers analyzed thousands of exercise studies conducted between 1995 and 2023, focusing on participants between the ages of 18 and 45. Their findings suggest that short bursts of vigorous activity, particularly cycling and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can provide immediate cognitive benefits.

“We found that vigorous activities had the largest effects,” explains Barry Giesbrecht, a professor in UCSB’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences and senior author of the study, in a media release.

Think of HIIT as the workout equivalent of sprint intervals – short periods of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods.

Perhaps surprisingly, shorter workouts packed more mental punch than longer ones. Sessions under 30 minutes showed stronger cognitive benefits than those lasting longer. The improvements were most noticeable in executive functioning – the mental skills we use to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks.

The research team discovered these brain-boosting effects were strongest when cognitive tests were performed after exercise rather than during the workout itself. However, Giesbrecht notes that the cognitive improvements, while consistent, were generally modest in size.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/intense-exercise-brain-health