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Olive oil is the health nuts worst-kept secret: Almost everyone, it seems, has been waxing ecstatically about the health powers of this Mediterranean staple for the better part of the past few decades. But now, the Internet is full of chatter about the potential benefits of giving your diet an oil change.

Black seed oil, also called black cumin or kalonji, has a long history of culinary and medicinal use in certain regions of the world, but it is fairly new to the American market. Even so, youll come across no shortage of self-appointed health gurus who are all too happy to gush about this oil and say that you should definitely run to your closest health food store and splurge on the stuff.

But what exactly is black seed oil, is it really that good for you, and how the heck are you supposed to add this mysterious liquid into your diet? We looking into the latest research to find out.

Black seed hails from Nigella sativa, a flowering shrub that grows abundantly in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. The seeds are a traditional Middle Eastern spice used in range of recipes including breads and salads. The tiny black seeds can also be pressed to extract their liquid fat.

Black seed has been used medicinally in its countries of origin for eons to help treat everything from asthma to an upset stomach to sagging energy levels. Its believed that archaeologists even found black seeds in King Tuts tomb, signifying their importance. But in recent years, black seed oil has gained popularity in the North American health food sphere as awareness of its believed health benefits spreads.

Beyond the anecdotal, a handful of scientific studies, primarily conducted on animals, have shown that there is a potential for the consumption of this new oil to aid in knocking our bodies into better shape.

[Want to fly up hills? Climb! gives you the workouts and mental strategies to conquer your nearest peak.]

Some research suggests that black seed oil may help slash the risk for diabetes by improving blood sugar control, help lower blood pressure numbers, enhance liver functioning, aid in fending off certain cancers, and work to improve blood cholesterol numbersmaking it a potential champion for heart health. A daily dose may even help bring a new generation of cyclists into the world by improving semen quality in infertile men. But to date, there are no studies that have addressed any connection between daily black seed oil usage and athletic performance.

Most likely, the potential diverse health benefits of black seed oil are owing to certain chemical compounds such as thymoquinone that may have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Like other edible oils such as olive oil, black seed oil is also a source of beneficial unsaturated fats. One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that replacing some of the saturated fat in our diets from sources such as red meat and dairy with unsaturated omega-6 fat, which can be found in seed oils, may improve heart health by reducing the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol particles.

As mentioned, though, there is a lack of long-term human studies to back up the purported benefits of black seed oil, so at the moment, its difficult to draw any definitive conclusions on its healing properties. And we dont yet know how much black seed oil you would have to take and for how long to reap the rewards. More research is needed.

When eaten, black seed oil has a slightly bitter flavor thats reminiscent of a combo of cumin and oregano. Its robust flavor and high price point, about $20 for an 8-ounce bottle, means that most people wont be using black seed oil as a go-to for dressing or stir-fry.

As with other strongly-flavored oils like hazelnut and sesame, its best reserved for light culinary use such as drizzling over finished dishes such as soups, curries, roasted vegetables, and pasta dishes. Start slow until you understand how the flavor of the oil changes the personality of your final dish.

The recommended daily dose for black seed oil is 1 to 2 teaspoons daily. For optimal freshness and to prevent rancidity, keep it in a dark, cool place away from heat and direct sunlight. The oil is also available in capsules making for a convenient option.

The bottom line: With its potential (though largely unconfirmed) health benefits, black seed oil seems like its worth the hype, but much more long-term research in humans (and athletes in particular) is necessary before we can say for sure that it should be a pantry staple.

Until then, its best to ignore the latest buzzy health trends and make sure youre following a nutritious, whole-food-based diet that includes other healthy (and more research-backed) oils like olive oil.

Originally posted here:
What is Black Seed Oil and Is It Better for You Than Olive Oil? - Bicycling

When Arsne Wenger arrived in England in 1996 he was alarmed at the diet or more accurately, lack of diet among his Arsenal players. Wenger banned chocolate immediately, causing senior members of the squad to bristle with resentment. He recalls the resistance en route to his first game: We were travelling to Blackburn and the players were at the back of the bus chanting: We want our Mars bars! Almost 25 years later, the landscape has changed dramatically in English football. Clubs now provide detailed nutritional advice to their players, with the richest clubs even employing full-time nutritionists.

Shortly after Jrgen Klopp moved to Liverpool in 2016, Mona Nemmer joined the club as head of nutrition from Bayern Munich, where she had worked with Pep Guardiola for three years. She quickly established individual dietary plans for every player in the first-team squad. Her sphere of influence does not stop at the clubs training ground, but extends to what players consume on the team bus, in the hotels they use for away games and even their homes. Some players like to cook for themselves, some like to take away a packed bag with food in, but here we like to react individually, she says. If the player wants a cooking lesson, or their wives or girlfriends do, we are free in the sense to help them with whatever they need. A Liverpool FC recipe book was even mooted but it has yet to see the light of day.

Some players go to the extent of hiring their own personal chefs. Harry Kane started working with his own chef a few years ago. It kind of clicked in my head that a football career is so short. It goes so quickly, you have to make every day count, he said in 2017. I have a chef at home to eat the right food, helping recovery. You cant train as hard as youd like when you have so many games, so you have to make the little gains elsewhere, like with food. Hes there every day, Monday to Saturday, and leaves it in the fridge for Sunday. I hardly ever see him because Im at training, but hell cook the food and leave it in the fridge. Weve got a good plan going.

Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gndogan, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba and Phil Jones are among the Manchester-based players who use the services of Jonny Marsh, a private chef who was trained by Raymond Blanc before working for billionaires and on private yachts. Marsh started working in football when Manchester City contacted him to ask whether he would make Christmas dinner for De Bruyne.

De Bruyne is particularly fond of carbonara, so Marsh spent a few months developing a recipe for the dish that tastes right but has none of the usual ingredients. The players love simple food. Kevin De Bruynes favourite dish is the Kevin Carbonara - which is not bad for you at all, writes Marsh in his food column for the Mirror. The attention to detail that goes into something that looks so simple is huge. Making sure Im using natural anti-inflammatory and recovery agents from food on specific days enables players to recover quicker, making sure that players with certain deficiencies are able to eat normal food without having to ram certain foods down them. I make sure that snacks, desserts and breakfasts, fuel, recover and aid them in their days.

The way it works is, I ask what they want that week and then me and my chefs will start prep on a Monday and get everything ready for everyone. Then we deliver all over the country to players. Its mad though word gets out if someones playing well and suddenly everyone wants to eat what they had.

Marsh liaises closely with club nutritionists, such as Tom Parry at Manchester City, to ensure menus are specifically tailored towards the players requirements. Nutritional advice will differ depending on the players age, metabolism, position and even taste, says Dr Mayur Ranchordas, a nutrition consultant who currently works with Wolverhampton Wanderers. We are dealing with a variety of different cultures and different tastes. So we create diverse menus suitable for a Mediterranean diet, as well as English or South American ones. You have to make allowances for that. Wolves employ several chefs to cater for the individual tastes in their squad.

Ranchordas has worked in football for decades and has noticed how attitudes have changed over time. Nutritional support was brought in as and when it was needed, rather than being a service that is required on a day-to-day basis, Ranchordas says. Nuno [Espirito Santo] is very open to anything we can do to help players from both a performance and recovery perspective. It has become more holistic. Ten years ago players would pay attention to what you were saying, but they werent that fussed about applying the info. Whereas now players are so much more receptive and open-minded as they realise what impact good nutrition can have on their performance, recovery and injury prevention and will act upon it accordingly.

The technology available to nutritionists has also improved, with everything from heart rate and body fat percentages checked and monitored at all times. I have continuous feedback and data, Ranchordas says. For example, when we do the bloods, we know if players are deficient in certain nutrients. So, some players might need vitamin D or Omega 3, or they might be lacking iron, so you can target the nutrition intervention through adapting their diet and providing supplements.

What players eat also depends on their position on the pitch. The players who cover a lot of distance such as full-backs or box-to-box midfielders expend more energy than centre-backs or goalkeepers so will need a lot more calories. Chris Rosimus, who has worked with Leicester City as well as the England cricket teams, says: For a footballer theres a huge emphasis on ensuring that the body is loaded with fuel before a match, mainly through carbohydrates so that they can perform and delay fatigue over those 90 minutes, Rosimus says. Whereas cricketers can be in the field for a long period of time for many days in hot conditions so its not highly anaerobic work. Although they might need comparable amounts of calories, the distribution of the carbohydrates, fats and proteins would be entirely different.

Most players will eat five times a day, Ranchordas says. Theyll have breakfast then train, followed by lunch, then after more training they will have a mid-afternoon snack followed by dinner and lastly a protein meal or shake with a bit of fruit before they go to bed. With nutrition what you eat before, during and after can have huge implications on how you perform and on how you feel.

If you think about how many meals a football player eats in a typical season, how many games they play, small changes in what and when they eat plus the quality of that food has massive implications on how they feel and how quickly they can recover so that is why nutrition is no longer overlooked or viewed just as a treatment but very much as a performance enhancer.

The days of the whole team eating the same meals together are long gone. When I first came into the industry there was pretty much a blanket approach, says Rosimus. But nowadays, although the food provision is roughly the same, how that is applied to individuals is very specific. So chicken and pasta will always be staples of a high-performance diet but how and when they are consumed is what makes it different.

Aside from providing guidance and healthy menus, nutritionists occasionally have to warn players off particular foods, as Ranchordas recalls. A few years ago a player came to me as he had been told by some of his fellow professionals that eating bulls testicles would increase his testosterone and he wanted to explore that. Thats probably the weirdest thing I have had to deal with during my time in the game. One imagines there were not too many protests when this particular foodstuff was taken off the menu.

Richard Fosters new book Premier League Nuggets is out now and you can follow him on Twitter.

See more here:
The evolution of football nutrition: from chocolate to 'Kevin Carbonara' - The Guardian

Eggs are one of the most versatile foods out there you can cook them in endless ways, they keep you full for hours and theyre a nutritional powerhouse loaded with protein and other nutrients that protect eye, muscle and bone health.

Despite all these benefits, eggs have gotten a bad reputation at times because of the high cholesterol found in their yolks. The information is confusing: One week the news will tell us eggs are perfectly healthy and the next were told to stop eating eggs. To find out how many eggs are healthy to eat, we reached out to medical and nutrition experts to help clear up some of the confusion.

Can eggs be part of a healthy diet?

If youre generally in good health and dont have heart disease or high cholesterol, eggs can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation. Eggs are good for us for a lot of different reasons theyre unprocessed, rich in protein, low in calories and contain healthy fats and other nutrients.

One egg provides 6 grams of protein about the amount found in an ounce of beef, turkey, chicken or fish along with other nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and small amounts of iron and vitamin D, all for only 77 calories, said Lisa Diewald, a registered dietitian and program manager at Villanova Universitys MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education.

Eggs are also relatively inexpensive compared with some other sources of protein, like meat, fish and nuts. In addition, they contribute to a feeling of satiety, which may keep you from reaching for snacks between meals.

But you can easily diminish the health benefits if youre not careful about what you pair eggs with. People often eat eggs alongside bacon, sausage and other processed foods.

There is substantial evidence that processed and highly processed foods are associated with overweight and obesity, as well as higher cardiovascular risk, said Artur Viana, a physician and clinical director of the Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Program at Yale Medicine.

How many eggs are too many eggs?

Theres no magic number when it comes to how many eggs you can each day. This depends on a lot of factors, including your biology and the other foods you eat throughout the day.

Nutrition research and recommendations consistently go back and forth on whether the cholesterol in eggs is bad for human health, and this can be seriously confusing.

Both the 2010 and 2015 versions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans (these recommendations are updated every five years) say a 2,000-calorie diet should include 26 ounces of meat, poultry and eggs each week as part of protein requirements (for reference, a large egg weighs around 1.7 ounces). Beyond that recommendation, there is no information in the guidelines about limiting egg consumption. Diewald said this is because there wasnt sufficient evidence to show a relationship between cholesterol consumption and its impact on blood cholesterol when the guidelines were released in 2015.

Maren Caruso via Getty Images

But things have changed a bit since then.

In a recent study in JAMA of close to 30,000 individuals, the consumption of larger amounts of cholesterol and/or eggs was linked with a modest increase in cardiovascular disease risk and death, Diewald explained, referring to the Journal of the American Medical Association. On the other hand, a large international prospective study published just this year found no significant associations between eggs and blood cholesterol, risk of death, or other cardiovascular events.

Pointing to the JAMA study and the fact that egg yolks contain saturated fat, Sean Heffron, a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, said its best to minimize egg consumption if you struggle with cholesterol. He also noted that eggs, like nearly any other food eaten in moderation, can be part of a heart-healthy diet.

Eating a dozen eggs a day is probably unhealthy, but a consumption within reason, such as two or three a day, is likely OK for people who dont struggle with cholesterol, Viana added.

But people with heart disease or high cholesterol need to be more cautious, Heffron said. If you dont like eggs, you can cut them out of your diet completely, he said. If you really like eggs, he suggested cutting down as much as you can, to possibly a maximum of one egg a day.

Some recent data suggest that even one egg daily can increase cardiovascular risk, Heffron pointed out. That being said, if the rest of the dietary saturated fat and cholesterol consumption from other sources is reduced, then less of a specific egg restriction might be reasonable.

The yolk of one large egg contains nearly 200 milligrams of cholesterol and we know that cholesterol in the foods we eat may raise levels of LDL cholesterol, which is often known as bad cholesterol because it can narrow arteries, reduce blood flow and cause other heart-health problems. The study Heffron and Viana alluded to found a significant association between higher consumption of eggs or dietary cholesterol and higher risk of cardiovascular disease. But other research shows that foods that are high in dietary cholesterol may not impact blood cholesterol significantly.

The Takeaway

Overall, Viana doesnt believe eggs are to blame for cardiovascular problems.

If somebody has a balanced diet that happens to include eggs daily and lives an overall healthy lifestyle with daily exercise, and no tobacco and only moderate alcohol use, it is unlikely that the cholesterol in eggs will have a major impact in their health, he said. Elevated blood cholesterol is associated with negative cardiovascular outcomes, but it is unclear whether cholesterol consumption, especially from eggs, is independently associated with that.

Another point to keep in mind is that not everyone responds in the same way to dietary cholesterol so what might work for one person may not for another.

Some individuals are genetically predisposed to making more cholesterol, so reductions in dietary cholesterol may not be enough to keep blood cholesterol levels in check, Diewald said. Others are hyper-responders, meaning increases in dietary cholesterol may quickly be reflected in blood cholesterol measures. Still others can pack away omelet after omelet and see no changes in cholesterol.

Rather than demonizing eggs or putting them on a pedestal based on the latest studies, Diewald suggests looking at the big picture. Eggs contain a ton of important nutrients, and yes, they also contain a large amount of cholesterol. For the most part, when consumed in moderation, eggs can be part of a nutritious diet alongside other heart-healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, other sources of lean protein and healthy fats. But keep an eye on your blood work, and always pay attention to what your doctor recommends.

Read more:
How Many Eggs Are Healthy To Eat? Experts Weigh In. - HuffPost

Jeff Lewis, a former chef, regained control of his health after an MS diagnosis by changing his diet and medication. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Lewis)

When Jeff Lewis first started to develop symptoms of multiple sclerosis, he brushed them off. I couldnt get my right and left leg in sync when I was walking my right leg was delayed, the Houston-area chef tells Yahoo Lifestyle. But I was a typical male and I ignored it for a very long time.

Things got progressively worse from there, Lewis says. It wasnt until his vision started deteriorating at a concert that he finally admitted something was wrong. I was at a concert and, whenever I looked at the exit sign, everything would shake, he explains. I later found out that I was going completely blind in my right eye and my left eye was trying to compensate. At this point, Lewis says, he finally told his wife that, something was wrong.

Lewiss symptoms would get worse from there. I also lost the ability to speak, he says. Lewis finally saw his family practitioner who referred him to a neurologist. He was given four different MRIs and, finally, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and usually progressive autoimmune disease that damages the sheaths of the nerve cells in a persons brain and spinal cord, according to theNational Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS patients can have symptoms like difficulty with balance, trouble walking and involuntary muscle spasms. They can also struggle with invisible symptoms like fatigue, numbness and tingling, weakness, pain, cognitive changes and bladder and bowel issues.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society reports that more than 2.3 million people have MS worldwide.

At the time of his diagnosis, Lewis had started his own catering business and was even cooking for NBA players. My diagnosis happened around the same time as my company took off, he says. I had also just had my son. I just thought, Why did this happen to me?

Lewis says he was initially shocked by the diagnosis but, I wanted to be strong for my family. But three days later, he says, he went on his porch and cried like a baby. I just didnt understand why this was happening, he says. I couldnt see and I could barely talk. MS symptoms can be exacerbated by heat and stress two factors that were common for Lewis in his job and his neurologist recommended that he stop his work as a caterer. My entire world was crashing, Lewis recalls. But that night, I just decided Im going to fight this thing as hard as I can and make sure that Im doing everything I can.

Story continues

Lewis started taking medication a shot he took every other day but it gave him flu-like symptoms. My quality of life sucked, he says. But he eventually transitioned to a newer medication that involved taking a pill a day, and didnt have the same side effects.

Despite his doctors recommendation, Lewis wasnt quite ready to give up his work yet. That came later, when he was cooking at the 2013 NBA All-Star game. While I was in the kitchen, it got too hot and my legs went out on me, he says. I had to stop and I sold the business.

Lewis eventually transitioned to working in real estate, but food has remained an important part of his life and treatment. I started eliminating a lot of the fried foods that I love, limiting my red meat intake and trying to have as many fruits and vegetables as possible, he says. Lewis also avoids processed foods and limits alcohol to social occasions. I was never a heavy drinker, so that transition was much easier for me, he says.

And, Lewis says, changing his diet has had its benefits. I feel like the combination of my diet and medication has helped. I can now see with both eyes and my speech is back.

While Lewis says he has symptoms from time to time,, he adds that, for the most part, my quality of life and outlook is so much better.

Lewis has also experimented with what he calls unconventional foods like Caribbean sea moss. A friend recommended it to me, he says. I take a tablespoon a day. It tastes horrible, but I genuinely feel like its helping me to stay afloat, along with eating better and taking my medication.

Experts generally recommend that patients with multiple sclerosis strive to follow the samelow-fat, high-fiber diet recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

While theres no set diet, a number of diets have been proposed, Amit Sachdev, MD, medical director for the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Most diets that people with autoimmune diseases adhere to are focused on limiting carbohydrates and processed foods, he adds. Those can include diets that are gluten-free, paleo, Atkins, ketogenic and even Weight Watchers. The key is to maintain a healthy body environment, says Sachdev. A healthy body is important for all organ systems, including the brain and spinal cord.

The role of diet in MS symptoms is still being studied in humans, but eating well can cause improvements in fatigue and improvements in quality of life, Barbara Giesser, MD, neurologist and MS specialist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Its generally recommended that people with MS also limit how much alcohol they have. Its not the alcohol affects MS per se, but its a neurotoxin in anybody, Giesser explains. Alcohol can also impair balance and coordination, which can be a problem for some people with MS anyway. It also doesnt interact well with some MS medications.

Processed foods should also be kept to a minimum, says Sachdev. Good nutrition is an important part of avoiding bad days, he explains. Getting the most out of your meal times is the most important part of good nutrition. Its far more important than trying to supplement afterward.

Lewis says its important for him to eat well to stay healthy. You are what you eat, and thats true with MS too, he says.

Now, he says hes trying to be flexible with what every day will bring. With MS, you dont know whats coming, he says. Im not fearful about it, though. I just do my best and go about my day.

See the original post here:
'You are what you eat': Why this former chef changed his diet after being diagnosed with MS - Yahoo News

Heres a look into the next generation of low-calorie sugar alternatives and continuous glucose ... [+] monitoring systems set to change the outlook for health in the U.S. and worldwide.

By 2030, almost 400,000 Americans a year will die of diabetes - many of them unnecessarily. Synthetic biology companies are working hard to ensure thats not the case. Heres a look into the next generation of continuous glucose monitoring systems and low-calorie sugar alternatives set to change the outlook for health in the U.S. and worldwide.

Diabetes is a health crisis on the rise with no signs of slowing down any time soon. By 2030, 54.9 million Americans are predicted to have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, which could mean almost 400,000 deaths annually. Many of these deaths are entirely preventable, with lifestyle factors such as body weight being a huge contributing factor in developing Type 2 diabetes.

Sugar is a major villain in the story. The high calorie, high kick sweetness that pervades our fast food and fizzy beverageseven sneaking into products that youd never expect. Thought that granola for breakfast was a healthy option? Think again. It can be laden with sugar, up to 18 grams (thats more than five teaspoons) per half-cup serving.

Surprise: A single tablespoon of ketchup has almost 4 grams of sugar.

We dont know for sure all the mechanisms behind how we develop Type 2 diabetes, but we do know that the global prevalence has doubled since 1980 - and lifestyle is largely to blame. Thats where biohackers and synthetic biology companies are stepping in.

Biohacking also known as DIY biology is a broad term that refers to people doing science outside of the usual academic and industrial settings. It can cover anything from exploring biological engineering through glowing yeast cells to experimenting on ones own body with the hope of boosting physical and cognitive performance (the latter of which I do not recommend).

Always forward thinking, biohackers are taking things into their own hands, attempting to head off disaster before it arrives at their front doors. A favorite tool is continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), a much preferable alternative to finger pricking thats normally used by those with diabetes. Unlike finger pricking, it also provides continuous read-outs of blood glucose levels rather than single point-in-time readings, providing people a better understanding of how their body responds to food, exercise, or stress, and enabling them to catch dangerous drops in blood sugar before they happen.

Biohacker Ella Mihov wrote on her Medium blog that most people in developed countries would benefit from the occasional insights of CGM, to see how your average diet and lifestyle is impacting your metabolism, and as a way to thwart progression toward chronic metabolic disease like obesity and diabetes.

Mihov is far from alone in this pursuit. The internet is teeming with examples rich in information for anyone wanting to hack and track their blood glucose levels. In combination with innovations such as Eran Segals groundbreaking microbiome-based method, which uses metrics on an individuals gut microbiota, blood glucose levels, and other physiological parameters to give users diet plans that avoid sugar spikes, such information really could help reduce the huge numbers of people who present with Type 2 diabetes in the long run.

Yet, even with enthusiastic adoption, the reality for Type 2 diabetics is that current CGM solutions cause pain and discomfort after repeated use, as well as posing an infection risk, according to a recent review of the current options.

In fact, the authors suggest that a genuinely non-invasive device for glucose measurement would represent a life-changing factor for millions of patients around the world. Due to a lack of sensitivity of truly non-invasive options, the field is open to many possibilities.

Enter Carbometrics, a specialist chemistry company set up after the Bristol-based team sold university spin-out Ziylo in a deal that could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, which is at the forefront of an incredibly disruptive new blood glucose-sensing solution: a tiny, glucose-sensing molecule that will minimize the size of an implant while providing accurate monitoring.

As Andy Chapman, CEO of Carbometrics, tells me, weve developed a synthetic molecule that binds glucose with unprecedented selectivity. With some clever design work, we can build versions of this molecule to determine blood glucose concentration. Were really keen to get it out there as a minimally invasive, longer lasting and cheaper solution for blood glucose sensing.

The realization of this technology would represent a breakthrough in developing that next generation of CGM the world is crying out for. The current options work for a matter of days, perhaps weeks. Carbometrics propose something much longer-lasting, which could perhaps self-dissolve like stitches - exciting news for diabetics and biohackers alike.

The company is also excited about taking on what is labelled the holy grail when it comes to diabetes: glucose-responsive insulin. This cutting edge idea in insulin therapy hopes to reduce the very real risk of hypoglycemia, improve overall blood glucose control, and require fewer injections.

Were trying to use our molecule to make a dimmer switch for insulin that is controlled by blood glucose level, says Chapman. The net result would be a substantial buffering of insulins potency, which would allow the patient to achieve better blood glucose control with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia. Its a massively complicated task, but we have the machinery and the concept.

Interestingly, as far as we know, sugar itself doesnt appear to directly cause Type 2 diabetes. But a diet high in added sugar does appear to increase your risk of developing the disease, as a number of studies indicate that have looked at the effect of sugary soda beverages.

So what about cutting out sugar from your diet and replacing it with alternatives? Youd better hope theyre the right alternatives.

Artificial sweeteners have been associated with the very same negative effects of sugar: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Research suggests that this could be due to changes in the gut microbiotathe microorganisms that live in your gastrointestinal tract, digesting fiber, producing vitamins, and warding off pathogens.

Stevia is a naturally sweet substitute for sugar, but can synthetic biology make it less bitter?

Stevia is a natural alternative, which research in mice suggests could even help prevent Type 2 diabetes in the first place, through action on a protein that is important both in taste perception and in releasing insulin after a meal.

Stevia is super sweet but unfortunately has a bitter aftertaste. Some synthetic biology companies are tackling this problem. Conagen, who after breaking stevia down into its different components are finding solutions that are much sweeter, such as their commercial product BESTEVIA. Amyris late last year launched a similar product, PURECANE, which CEO John Melo says brings the sweet out of sugarcane without the calories. And the protein and enzyme experts at Codexis have partnered with Tate & Lyle to use a breakthrough enzyme cascade system to achieve better-tasting stevia in TASTEVA M Stevia Sweetener.

The collaboration to develop jointly the breakthrough TASTEVA M process is the second successful food and beverage ingredient process innovation partnership between Tate & Lyle and Codexis, said John Nicols, Codexis President and Chief Executive Officer. Each of those projects rapidly progressed from concept to commercializable process and, in fact, partnering on the TASTEVA M process was initiated just over two years ago (link). We expect over time that our enzymes for TASTEVA M will become among our leading revenue-producing products in our Performance Enzyme portfolio.

Where Conagen, Codexis, and Amyris are improving Stevia, other companies are exploring yet more options. ARCITEKBio is a UK-based spin out of Aberystwyth University producing Xylitolanother natural sweetener with a $1.4 billion marketthrough converting agricultural waste such as wheat straw and wood pulp in an entirely renewable process.

Where even natural sweeteners struggle, however, is maintaining the structural integrity of solid foods such as cakes and pastries, which are another major source of high dietary sugar intake. STEM! Sugar, therefore, is working on ways to tackle that particular problem by developing alternatives to sugar that provide the functionality without the calories.

The sugar problem is not necessarily a problem of excess sugar but using the wrong type of sugars. Our ingredients are indeed sugars, but theyre a different type of sugars to those you squeeze out of a cane or beet plant. Our sugars are fiber-derived sugars, CEO Tom Simmons explains. They behave like sugars in food but work in the body like fiber - so without the negative health effects typically associated with sugar.

Even cakes, quite soon, might be an entirely guilt-free pleasure.

Whether youre a health conscious biohacker trying to prevent Type 2 diabetes or a patient living with the realities of having to monitor and control your blood sugar levels, these synthetic biology solutions point towards a much better prognosis.

With an increased acceptance of the deliciously sweet, zero-calorie alternatives already pervading the market, it will be interesting to see whether those predictions of 54.9 million Americans presenting with diabetes in ten years time will be diminished as we enter into a healthier, sugar-free future.

Follow me on twitter at @johncumbers and @synbiobeta. Subscribe to my weekly newsletters in synthetic biology and space settlement.

Thank you to Peter Bickerton for additional research and reporting in this article. Im the founder of SynBioBeta, and some of the companies that I write aboutincluding Conagen and Codexisare sponsors of the SynBioBeta conference and weekly digest heres the full list of SynBioBeta sponsors. Im also a partner at DCVC, which has invested in STEM!

Continue reading here:
Meet The Companies Waging War On Sugar And Diabetes - With Synthetic Biology - Forbes

Think of wellness and you may well think of Gwyneth Paltrows brand, Goop: modern, exclusive, quite possibly rubbish. But a lot of what would fall under that banner dates back centuries and has its roots in Europe, not California.

There is a unique wellness culture in Europe, says Beth McGroarty, the director of research at the Global Wellness Institute, a US nonprofit group. It dates as far back as Roman spas and the ancient Greek focus on preventing sickness, not merely treating it. Europe has its own ancient medical thinking and wellness traditions and we dont seem to pay any attention to them.

The continent is also home to some of the happiest, healthiest countries in the world, although the UK doesnt trouble the top 10. So, what can we learn from European wellness practices and traditions?

The siesta, a short afternoon nap, is believed to have evolved in Spain to allow farmers time to rest during the hottest hours of the day. The tradition persists in the country, with work hours extending later to accommodate the break.

A large study in 2007 found that heart diseases were less prevalent among people who regularly took a 30-minute nap, while research in 2010 discovered that an afternoon snooze could improve the brains ability to learn.

Even just slowing down for a short period of time allows you to disconnect from the world and subsequently boost energy, focus and creativity, says Paul Joseph, the founder of the travel company Health and Fitness Travel.

Iceland consistently ranks highly in metrics such as life expectancy and blood pressure, placing third in Bloombergs 2019 healthiest country index, behind Spain and Italy.

The Nordic diet shares some similarities with the life-extending Mediterranean diet, although it is lower in fruit and vegetables, advocating moderate consumption of fat and protein along with canola oil (a type of rapeseed oil), wild berries and root vegetables.

A diet high in fresh fish, and therefore omega-3 fatty acids, is considered key to a healthy diet in Iceland. Haddock, herring and cod including the cheeks and tongues, the most prized parts are all dietary staples. Fermented shark is a national dish.

It is also common for Icelanders to take a daily supplement of cod-liver oil during the winter months, when it is difficult to get enough vitamin D from sunlight alone. The benefits of fish oil and omega-3 are contested, but their proponents say they relieve joint stiffness associated with arthritis and improve the condition of teeth, nails, hair and skin.

Although the use of mud as a beauty treatment was documented in ancient Egypt, with clay from the banks of the Nile being applied to the face and skin to improve appearance and texture, it was popularised in Italy during Roman times fango is Italian for mud.

From there, fangotherapy spread with the Roman empire; mud treatments and wraps remain a common spa treatment across Europe and further afield.

While different types of mud (mixed with mineral or thermal water) are said to have different properties, fangotherapy is most effective as a gentle cleansing treatment and has relaxing, anti-stress effects. These should not be sniffed at: chronic stress affects the immune system and causes high blood pressure, fatigue, poor mental health and even heart disease.

Is there anything the Mediterranean diet cant do? It draws together common food types and healthy habits from several southern European countries, including Greece, Spain, southern France, Portugal and Italy. As such, there is no single definition, but it is typically high in fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, olive oil and unsaturated fats, with moderate dairy intake.

Its benefits have been found to be remarkably wide-ranging: it has been associated with longer life expectancy, a healthier gut, better heart health, protection from disease, lower risk of depression, diabetes prevention and alleviation and even improved athletic performance.

Sauna culture exists across Europe, but it is deeply ingrained in Finland, where there is one facility for about every two people, the Finnish Sauna Society says. The traditional experience is to push yourself to your limit in a communal sauna with a very high temperature, then to immerse yourself in cold water or snow and repeat.

The cold experience is crucial, says McGroarty, with the contrast between hot and cold thought to bring health benefits. She says: It seems to have a strong impact on cardiovascular health.

This is Europe is a new stream of Guardian journalism that investigates the big challenges that transcend national boundaries, and seeks out the solutions that could benefit us all. These are testing times, and crises are not limited by national borders. But then neither are we.

Scientific studies have found that the effectiveness of this contrast therapy (such as for treating athletes injuries) is questionable, but the physiological effects are such that it persists regardless. As no one knows better than the Finns, it feels good to be really hot, then really cold. As such, icy plunge pools and snow rooms are popular as a chaser to heated or humid experiences at spas worldwide.

Sophrology, a practice of dynamic relaxation, was developed by a Colombian neuropsychiatrist in the 60s, but it took root in France and Switzerland, where it remains wildly popular.

It combines eastern and western influences, meditation, breathing techniques, gentle movement, positive psychology and visualisation to give a sense of being calm and in control.

Although the practice is said to be more dynamic than mindfulness, it has similar benefits, and is said to be helpful in stress management, self-development, preparing for public speaking or even childbirth. French studies have recorded positive effects in helping cancer patients to manage their anxiety, stress and fear.

In the UK, sophrology is taught at clinics in London for about 100 an hour. In France and Switzerland, it is widely covered by health insurance, used by corporate high-flyers and professional athletes (including, reportedly, the French national rugby team) and taught in schools and hospitals.

It is gemtlich in German and gezelligheid in Dutch; in English, you might say smelly candles. But it was the parallel Danish concept of hygge that launched a global lifestyle phenomenon in 2016, with concerted cosiness the suggested solution to a turbulent year of Brexit and Donald Trump.

Hygge relates to a level of cosiness and conviviality that incites a feeling of wellbeing, says Joseph. The core of the practice is to live in the everyday moment and appreciate everything around you streaming the ideas of eastern mindfulness.

There is no easy English translation, but the Dutch word uitwaaien refers to spending time in wild, windy weather usually by going for a walk or a bike ride. By replacing bad air with good air, it is believed to leave you feeling clear-headed and refreshed.

It feels exhilarating wind is distracting, so its sort of meditative, in the sense you cannot think about anything else, says McGroarty.

Many northern European countries have an equivalent of the Japanese term shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), which refers to the restorative effects of spending time in woodland or parks.

Time spent outdoors in any capacity has recorded benefits, such as increasing vitamin D levels, improving mood and focus, encouraging incidental exercise and possibly reducing pain. A 2018 study found that exposure to green space can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, pre-term birth, stress and high blood pressure. Even as little as two hours a week may have an effect.

Comparable to the western coffee break, fika is another simple Scandinavian wellness philosophy that involves slowing down to prioritise social interaction. It is a meal or a meeting allowing for social interaction and stronger relationship bonds, increasing feelings of positivity, calm and creativity, says Joseph.

The meeting can happen at any time of day and preferably several times a day, advises the Swedish government. Although baked goods or sweets are often served, the key purpose is the social interaction.

This factors into other areas of life in Sweden. Herman Rutgers, a co-founder of the nonprofit organisation EuropeActive, notes that group exercise is popular in the country: They like to do things in groups, to be social and to drink coffee afterwards. The country has one of the highest rates of gym membership in the world 21% of the population are signed up to a fitness club.

Building a social component into exercise, by taking a fitness class or working out with a friend, has been shown to increase motivation and accountability and even improve performance. A University of Aberdeen study in 2016 found that people exercised more when they did so with a friend, due to the emotional support.

The concept of wellness tourism, valued by Bloomberg at $639bn, began in Europe centuries ago, says McGroarty. She points to the 200-year-old German tradition of the kur: a commitment to taking a longer break for the purpose of wellness.

From the late 18th century until the second world war, it was common to retire to a sanatorium or a spa for a weeks- or months-long programme of rest, fresh air, bathing and steam. McGroarty likens the best-known of these destinations Baden-Baden and Bad Ems in Germany, Bad Gastein and Bad Ischl in Austria, Bath in the UK to our Las Vegas of health: the places to be and to be seen. Composers and authors would go there to work, while others would go to recover from or avoid illness.

Even today, a two- or three-week-long kur can be prescribed and even paid for through the German (and Austrian) healthcare system, in recognition of the fact that healthy, rested workers are more productive.

The idea of taking a longer break just to be well is at odds with the modern fashion for shorter, high-impact holidays but the pendulum will need to swing back, says McGroarty. She predicts a trend for wellness sabbaticals, as people retreat for longer to recover from the busy world.

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From siestas to saunas: the 10 European wellbeing traditions everyone should try - The Guardian

Is it possible to go low-carb a plant-based diet? Eating fewer carbs is indeed harder when you're plant-based since when you first give up animal products, there's a tendency to pile on processed foods and carbs, and fill up on pasta, rice, cereal and crackers or chips. People tend to go overboard on the carbs when they go vegetarian, plant-based, or even flexitarian, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It.Its easy to fill up on our favorite food group. Hereshow to avoid the carb trap, and stay fit, healthy and lean on a plant-based diet.

One of the reasons plant-based dieters are likely to overdo the carbs is that theyre really easy to make, find, and eat, says Taub-Dix. Especially for people who are on the go. Muffins, crackers, bread or rolls are the kind of the foods thatyou reach for, because they're so easy, portable, and their prep is basically nonexistent.

In some cases, the economic ease of eating carbs is a factor. A carb-heavy snack like pretzelsis less expensive thannuts, or another plant-based snack. Of course seeds and nuts or a piece of fruit (even though it has carbs is full of fiber) would be a better choice.

One of the main reasons we all love carbs is that they are the king of comfort, says Taub-Dix. When you eat carbohydrates, especially carbohydrates that are pure, like a piece of whole-grain toast, the carbohydrates get absorbed and stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which provides comfort feelings. Thats why youre more likely to reach for a carb snack when youre feeling stressed, rather than carrots and hummus. Your body is wired to crave carbs for that serotonin release that will improve your mood.

When you first decide to reduce carbs from your plant-based diet, assess how many grams youre eating daily so you know how much you need to dial it back. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that 45 to 65 percent of your diet should be carbohydrates (about 225 to 325 grams per day). Thats if youre following a 2,000-calorie diet, which is often used as an example. If you're eating less than 2,000 calories, dial it down accordingly.

Not everyone needs a 2,000-calorie diet, says Taub-Dix. And for some people, 325 grams is a lot of carbs each day and not necessary. If youre trying to lose weight, experiment within the lower end of the range. Download an app that will help you track carb counts to find a range you feel satisfied with while creating balanced meals. We like MyFitnessPal, Carb Manager, Senza, and Macros to name a few.

Remember that carbs arent just grains, potatoes, pasta, and rice. Sources of naturally occurring carbs include fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Choose carbs that are high in fiber, unprocessed, and filling, like carrots, broccoli, artichokes, and beets.

The most important thing to calculate when choosing carbs are "net carbs" which are the carbs absorbed by the body. To calculate your net carbs, subtract the fiber in your food from your carbs. That is the number of carbs that your body uses as fuel, or if you don't use them (walking, running, commuting or just sitting at your desk) those carbs are the ones slated to be stored as fat.

To calculate net carbsin processed foods, subtract the fiber and a portion of the sugar alcohol on the label (which also does not get absorbed the same way as carbs) from the total carbohydrates listed. In general, most processed food is lower in fiber than natural whole foods, so if you're eating carbs, eat complex carbs in the form of grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Some plant-based meal delivery services allow you to choose meals that are lower in carbs, when you sign in and choose the menu choices, such asPurple Carrots Spaghetti Bolognese with zucchini noodles and ground beef crumbles, Macro-Mediterraneans Roasted Tomato and Black Walnut burgers on their weight loss program, or one of Thrive Foods Directs meals. Learn to cook this way as you go: Those zoodles have fewer net carbs than regular pasta because the fiber content in the zucchini counts in your favor.

Cutting down on your carbs without feeling like youre eliminating them altogether is the key to success. Just by slicing your current carbohydrate consumption in half and doubling up on vegetables, you'll add the necessary fiber to lower the carb impact on your body.

For breakfast, cook 1/3-cup of dry oats with low-carb fruits, like blueberries, to round out yourmeal and give you slow-burning energy to start your day.

Make your lunch sandwich open-faced and chooseabread that has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.Portion out a -cup of brown rice at dinner since brown rice has more than four times the fiber of white rice.

Youre patting yourself on the back for following a plant-based diet, but if most of your veggie intake is potatoes, corn, and peas, you could be making smarter choices. Pile your plate with leafy greens, peppers, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, and green beans. Lose thestarchy vegetables (potatoes) and instead opt for cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Choose avocadoes and berries as low-carb fruits instead of bananas which have 27 grams of carbs each.

In order for you to feel satisfied and full while reducing carbs, you may want to increase the amount of fat and plant protein youre eating. A study published in The Lancet found that study subjects who ate low carb diets and replaced their calories withcalories from animal-derived fat had a higher mortality rate. Those who replaced the calories with plant-based fats had a lower mortality rate.

To quote the study:

"Low carbohydrate dietary patterns favoring animal-derived protein and fat sources from sources such as lamb, beef, pork, and chicken, were associated with higher mortality, whereas those that favored plant-derived protein and fat intake, from sources such as vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, were associated with lower mortality, suggesting that the source of food notably modifies the association between carbohydrate intake and mortality."

So the bottom line is: choose carbs that have high fiber content. And round out your dietwith low-carb sources like nuts, seeds, tofu, nut oils, nut butter, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

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How to Lower Your Carbs on a Plant-Based Diet - The Beet

To keep your sight in the best of its ability, we bring you a list of sensible food and habit choices that can keep them healthy, wealthy and vivid!

March 3, 2020 4 min read

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Use to spending ample time on your mobile and laptop? Prolonged uses of these devices have become a part of our day to day lifestyle. While we cant avoid the same as our work-life revolves around it, we can surely make some alterations in our life for our good. With an increase in the usage of screen-time, taking care of your eye has become essential than ever.

Eyes are vascular; hence a healthy diet with low Trans and saturated fat is a must. Period!

In order to guard them from age-related macular degeneration (ARDM), one needs to intake food supplements rich in antioxidants. To keep your sight at its best ability, we bring you a list of sensible food and habit choices that can keep them healthy, wealthy and bright!

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9 Sensible Tips to Boost Eye Health and Maintain Sharp Vision - Entrepreneur

Its a combination of factors, say the pair, including the development of the food industry over the last century, which has taken advantage of our evolutionary desire for sweet, salty and fatty foods with their constant assault on our senses using hyper-palatable non-foods; the proliferation of people peddling various diets; and profiting off nutrition pseudo-confusion and our desire for a silver bullet as Bittman, an acclaimed food writer and advisor on food policy at Columbia University, puts it.

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Katz suspects that the authors of many nutrition books peddle misinformation on purpose because its highly profitable and then we all eat it up, wanting it to be true.

In most parts of the world where people obtain the greatest health and sustainability benefits of diet, there is no diet news. They eat the way generations have been eating, Katz says over the phone from New York.

The thing, I think, nutrition books get wrong and I think they get it wrong on purpose because its highly profitable is the idea that we should be waiting for some great big epiphany about diet that, if only the right study is done, everything we knew until yesterday would be proved wrong and there would be some new answer sprinkled in pixie dust...

Because were willing to be talked into any cockamamie theory about diet there is no shortage of cockamamie theories out there.

Their intention in writing the book, say the pair, is to have a grown-up conversation about nutrition and what both science and commonsense say.

Science doesnt work like a ping-pong match its not thats right, now this is right, Katz says. The way it works is you slowly accumulate an understanding of whats true and every new study that comes along needs to be put in the context of well exactly what question did they ask, exactly how did they go about trying to answer it and how does it fit with everything we thought we knew up until this morning?

While they dont profess to know everything about nutrition, the body of science does provide a decent picture of the various fads and fashions of food that we become fascinated by.

Intermittent fasting, for instance, may seem as though its endowed with some sort of metabolic magic, they say, but all the trials show it has almost exactly the same effects as if we simply controlled our energy intake by moderating portion sizes each day.

As for arguments for and against certain foods like dairy, they say it depends on the persons overall diet, what the food is replacing and broader arguments around the impact on the environment.

Diets like keto, which promote greater meat intake, are just silly, Katz argues, saying its absolutely critical we cut back for both environmental and human health reasons . Besides, he adds: We don't know that it's safe, we dont know people can stay on it and we dont know if it's good for health over the long-term ... Almost everything important, we dont know.

As for worrying about what our macronutrient breakdown should be, they say, dont bother, because we can have a really good or a really bad diet thats high or low in carbohydrates, high or low in fat and high or low in protein.

If you focus on foods and foods in balance, theres no way to get it wrong, Katz says. If you pick a nutrient to focus on... there seem to be innumerable ways to get it wrong.

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So where does that leave us? Ideally, deciding to ditch the pseudo-science and the seemingly contradictory findings of nutrition science headlines and returning simply to the basics of real food, in whatever combination we personally enjoy.

Its still not going to be easy because so much of our culture tries to talk you into doing the wrong thing; it tries to get you to buy a sequence of diet books, tries to peddle you an ever-changing variety of junk food. We used to get it right because the only food back in the day was real food and now weve invented all kinds of frankenfood, Katz says.

If you want to do it and you decide its important to you, you absolutely can do it. Real food is available to you. You absolutely can have a relationship with food where you love food and food loves you back and loves the planet back.

As soon as we all decide wed rather get it right for the lifetime rather than keep trying whats new and shiny in every news cycle, weve taken a great big stride forward.

Sarah Berry is a lifestyle and health writer at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

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Confused about what you should be eating? You don't need to be - The Sydney Morning Herald

How CrossFit Gave Robert Tingle the Confidence to Date | Morning Chalk Up

In December 2019, Robert Tingle found the courage to take the plunge. He signed up forCoffee Meets Bagel,a dating app, with the hopes of meeting a special person.

It was a significant moment for Tingle because it was symbolic of the confidence he had built since 2016.

500 Pounds on the Scale

Five years ago, he didnt have the confidence to date, let alone meet women on apps. At the time, Tingle weighed 500 pounds at 5-foot-11. Daily tasks were difficult, to say the least.

So he went to LA Fitness, a globo gym, and started to eat healthier. Having been a football playerin high school, he wasnt a total rookie in the gym, he explained.

Diet-wise, Tingle stopped drinking soda, stopped going to fast food joints two or three times a day and started cooking his own food for the first time in his life. He also started to read and research fitness and nutrition. Along the way, he stumbled across CrossFit.

A Fitness Journey

Tingle managed to lose 180 pounds on his own, but considering his starting point had been 500 pounds, he still had another 100 pounds to go. He knew he needed help, and he had grown bored of the gym.

He decided to giveDogtown CrossFitin Los Angeles, CA a try. Right away, it felt different.

Apart from the physical challenge of CrossFit, Tingle loved that he suddenly had a community of people in his corner, who cared about health, fitness and nutrition, and from whom he could learn.

This community allowed him to continue improving his nutrition, and more importantly, to start enjoying the process of working out for the first time.

A New Lease on Life

Today, four years since the day he stepped on the scale and saw 500 pounds, Tingle is down 265 pounds. Physically, hes a different person. He can do things he has never been able to do.

He added: I work as an engineer, and on the campus I work, I have to walk to a lot of meetings and climb stairs, and its so much easier now, too. His energy levels are also much higher.

But all of these physical changes pale in comparison to the way he feels about himself today. Hes happier and finally has the confidence to speak to women.

Well, one woman, at least.

Robert and Shauna

Two weeks after signing up for Bagel Meets Coffeeat the end of 2018, Tingle met a woman named Shauna for coffee on New Years Eve. It went well, and the next day, he took her out on what he called their first real date to see the LA Zoo Lights show.

He added: We didnt date very long before we knew we wanted to marry each other.

The two were engaged within a matter of months, and in September 2019, the couple married. They recently moved to Pasadena, CA and Tingle now goes to CrossFit Alhambra.

Tingle credits CrossFit for helping him, not justreclaiming his health and fitness, but for helping him build the confidence to put himself out there and get what he really wanted: the perfect partner for him.

Best of all, he knows fitness is here to stay.

Dogtown CrossFit, Robert Tingle, Transformation, weight loss

For a daily Digest of all things CrossFit. Community, Athletes, Tips, Recipes, Deals and more.

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How CrossFit Gave Robert Tingle the Confidence to Date - Morning Chalk Up

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