The first thing to realise is that new-year resolutions are a self-defeating sham inimical to the process of real and lasting change. The second thing to realise is that you will never change. But you can, maybe, eat a bit better. We all know, basically what that entailswillpower, produce, maybe some kind of juicer but its easy to get lost online, where counterintuitive, contradictory, and flatly absurd advice proliferates beneath every half-hearted healthy diet search. And so for this weeks Giz Asks, weve asked a number of experts to weigh in on the most healthy thing a person can eat.

Professor, Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard University

This type of question puts us in the realm of superfoods, a popular but poorly defined term that is typically more useful for marketing than nutrition guidance. While foods labelled as such may often have high levels of desirable nutrients, or may be linked to prevention of certain diseases, there are plenty of equally nutritious options that dont receive much hype. Variety in our diet is important not only to gain the benefit of eating a wide array of essential vitamins and minerals, but also to prevent one from eating too much (or too little) of a particular nutrient. It also keeps our meals interesting and flavorful.

Instead of getting too fixated on any individual food, zoom out to think about your diet as a whole, and the foods you include more and less often. In general, a healthy dietary pattern features abundant amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts; moderate amounts of seafood, poultry, and dairy products; and lower amounts of red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains. While this way of eating is typical in a traditional Mediterranean Diet, these broader categories provide plenty of options to incorporate the flavors of your favourite cuisines. Indeed, in the long-term, the healthiest dietary pattern is the one that you can stick to!

Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard University

All of the TV media medical darlings love the term superfoods. In this world of exaggerated and superfluous terms, superfoods is one of my absolute least favourites. Ironically, it may be more important to find foods to avoid then to focus only on a few foods we think are exceptionally beneficial.

For example, a diet rich in berries, coffee, fish, and lightly processed whole grains does not cancel out the impact of a dinner with a double bacon cheeseburger, ketchup, 60 french fries, and a soda. Foods are not like a drug which has a well-established molecular target with a direct treatment benefit. Foods are awesome because they represent hundreds of compounds with thousands of biological effects.

Even better is that a blueberry is different for you and for me, in part because of differences in our microbiome, but as important, I may have my blueberries on top of 1% yogurt and bran flakes and you may have yours on top of a full fat strawberry sundae with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Funny thing is that with our current technology and research, I dont know which of us would benefit more from the blueberries (or, ironically, which of us would enjoy this meal more!)

Professor, Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, whose research focuses on investigating the potential health benefits of various dietary components or food patterns

It can be confusing, and controversial to try to oversimplify food (i.e, this is the one best thing to eat), because some people try to game the system, eating poorly all day except for the one healthiest thing and feeling like theyre choosing well overall.

Rather than bickering over grains, red meat, dairy, or other tribal issues, Ive been trying to think more aspirationally.

Human health is one issue. Taste is critical and shouldnt be left outwe need to bring the pleasure and joy back to food. Environmental health is another issue that is gaining momentum in the food world (GHG, water usage, land usage/biodiversity). And there are many social justice issues that are relevant (e.g., fair wages for people working in agricultural settingscrop harvest, slaughterhouses). So, my aspirational goal is for people to look into these different areas and find the foods or dishes that are in the sweet savoury spot at the intersection of human health, great taste (unapologetic deliciousness), environmental health, and social justice.

And for this, there are hundreds of examplesalthough, to be fair, getting it right means finding out who grew the food, where, how, etc.

Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and the author of Food Politics, among other books

One of the main principles of healthy eating is varietyconsume a wide variety of relatively unprocessed foods. No one food meets all nutritional requirements. Some foods have more of required nutrients than others, which is why its good to mix and match. With that said, vegetables! Eat the ones you like.

Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco, Research Scientist at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, and founder of the Health from the Soil Up Initiative, who studies the connections among health, culture, and agriculture

Your lawn.

Its an easy recipe: first, stop using herbicides and fertilisers on your lawn. Next, read Gaias Garden:AGuide to Home Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway, and start making soil lasagne (or sheet mulching, as he calls it). It can swiftly transform the lifeless dirt beyond your front door into carbon-rich soil, exploding with microbes and worms. All you need is manure, leaves, your neighbour's discarded Amazon cardboard boxes, and water.

Then plant a garden.

What to plant? Spices like oregano or thyme are rich in anti-inflammatory phytonutrients (antioxidants) so put them everywhere. Plus they repel noxious insects. Tomatoes are chock full of lycopene (good for the prostate and breast) and carrots have lutein (good for the eyes), while kale is an excellent source of iron and good chow for the healthy microbes in your gut. Basically, plant a rainbow on your lawn and dont worry about the weeds, because most of them are even better for you than the vegetables. Oxalis, or sourgrass, a common garden weed, is high in vitamin C, and mallow, another garden invasive, is super tasty and has more calcium than kale!

And there are other reasons why an edible lawn is the healthiest thing you can eat. Researchers in Colorado found that planting food next to sidewalks and on front yards, strengthens neighbourhoods, cuts down on crime, and builds what is calls collective efficacy. In general organic food has more nutrients than conventionally grown food, and you can be sure that no chemicals have entered your edible lawn. Researchers in Europe and the US discovered that children exposed to soil on sustainable farms are less likely to develop things like eczema, allergies or asthma. There is no reason why your edible lawn cant confer this same benefit.

One specific type of microbe, isolated from healthy soil, seems to trigger nerve pathways that improve mood and promote a sense of wellbeing. And then theres all the exercise: the squatting and lifting required to build good soil and grow vegetables.

Happy digging!

Featured image: Illustration: Benjamin Currie (Gizmodo)

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What's the Healthiest Food? - Gizmodo UK

A sustainable lifestyle is all about being responsible & conscious of your choice. Lets begin the journey with understanding the different terms associated with it

Eco-friendly, organic, sustainability, green, recycled and non-toxicyou have certainly come across these terms when reading about planet-friendly products, practices or brands.

But do you know that they are not always interchangeable?

If you were ever confused about the claims made by companies or want to be better informed, keep the information below, handy.

Today, an increasing number of products, as well as people, are going green in a pursuit to do their bit for the earth.

But what does this mean?

Well, the phrase is a euphemism for someone who possesses adequate knowledge, experience or expertise to choose products, adopt practises and follow a lifestyle that has minimal adverse effects on the environment.

One example of a green practice is to replacing commercial cleaners with bio-enzyme cleaners at home. Smitha Kamath makes these green cleaners, packs them in used plastic bottles for sale. You can check out her products here.

Eco-friendly is a term that literally translates to being environmentally friendly. These are products that dont harm the planet, use any plastic, are biodegradable and make use of minimum resources to be manufactured.

Often, green and eco-friendly are used interchangeably.

Sustainability goes a step ahead. A sustainable product or practice is not just green or eco-friendly but also conscious about the future. In addition to being eco-friendly, such products can be reused over a long period of time, eliminating the need to purchase new products frequently. Carrying a glass or steel bottle everywhere instead of purchasing a mineral water bottle is a classic example of sustainability.

Want to live a planet-friendly, sustainable lifestyle? Heres a range of products that will reduce the plastic in your life!

Often misunderstood, recycling, upcycling and downcycling do not mean the same thing.

While upcycling and downcycling are offshoots of recycling, a process where the product material is reused to make a different, useful product. When the original product is recycled to make another of lesser value, the process is called downcycling.

For instance, if papers from a notebook are recycled to make toilet paper, it is downcycled. If a plastic bottle is scrapped and made into another plastic bottle, it is recycled.

Upcycling is the process of reusing an existing waste item to make one of higher value. It goes up the cycle. Making flower pots or bird feeds from empty plastic bottles is an example of this process.

Incorporate more upcycled, recycled products in your home to make it a sustainable living place. Click here for a variety of your favourite upcycled lifestyle products.

Consider a bio-enzyme made at home with food waste. You did not add any synthetic chemicals to it. Does that make the eco-friendly cleaner chemical-free? No, because the citric acid, jaggery and water together produce organic chemicals that act as cleansing agents. So although the bio-cleaner contains no man-made elements, it is still not chemical-free. It is natural.

When you use the word organic, it means that no synthetic chemicals were used right from the first step of production.

For example, if your juice claims to be organic, its manufacturing processright from the fruit that is pluckedshould be completely free of chemical additives. The term organic is usually used for food and beverages.

Chemical-free, on the other hand, is reserved for personal care products, home improvement items, dyes and colours. It means that no synthetic chemicals were added in the production of the final item.

Eat healthy, eat chemical-free. Heres a range of organic foods to kickstart your journey towards good health!

Clean and non-toxic are very closely related terms. In the Indian context, a clean product contains non-synthetic ingredients that are not harmful to your skin or health. Non-toxic products are those that may contain synthetic ingredients, but they are not harmful to you or the environment.

When a product is labelled as ethical, it goes a step ahead and assures you of ingredients that are non-toxic as well as free from practices like animal testing, child labour and promise free trade.

Ready to contribute to free trade practices? Check out our range of ethical products by clicking on this link.

You may also like: 10 Trailblazing Brands That Turn Waste Into the Lifestyle Products You Love!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Confused Between Organic, Sustainability, Natural? Here's What It Means - The Better India

A party-list lawmaker on Wednesday pushed for the adoption of organic farming to promote food production and eliminate the degradation of farm soil that chemical fertilizers may cause.Deputy Speaker Conrad Estrella III of Abono Party-list group said the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and Food has created a technical working group to consolidate the proposals that aim to strengthen and promote organic farming in the country.Estrella, author of the proposed Expanded Organic Agriculture Act, seeks to amend Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 to enhance its efficacy as an instrument for promoting, propagating and developing not only the practice of organic farming but also other sustainable agriculture practices.The practice of organic farming and other sustainable agriculture practices must be geared not only towards increasing farm productivity but, as importantly, towards increasing farmers incomes, Estrella said in pushing for the enactment of his bill.Experience, again, has taught us that increases in farm productivity do not necessarily result in higher incomes for our farmers. We have long focused our attention to ensuring that farms produce morebut we have sadly neglected the dire need of farmers to earn more and live better, he added.Estrella said organic farming and other sustainable agricultural practices will help the farmers to augment their income. We need to prioritize small farmers and their organizations because they need support and assistance most. For organic farmers to produce more and earn more, consumer base for organic food and non-food products must be expanded. Thus, we are proposing a nationwide educational and awareness campaign among the benefits of consuming organic products, he said.By having his bill enacted, Estrella said: We are also proposing that in the promotion and establishment of facilities, and processing plants to accelerate the production and commercialization of organic commercialization of organic fertilizers, the production and commercialization of bio-pesticides and bio-herbicides be included.Estrellas bill proposes that the composition of the National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) shall be reformed so as to ensure that only those who are actually and actively engaged in organic farming and other sustainable agricultural practices become members of the board.The bill also empowers the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (BAFPS) to act as the Secretariat of the NOAB, to coordinate the implementation of the National Organic Agriculture Program promulgated by the NOAB, and to maintain a database and showroom of all available organic products and technologies in the market which can be readily accessed by the public, he said.The bill, Estrella said, also proposea a new provision that will institutionalize participatory guarantee systems (PGS) that are locally focused quality assurance systems engaging associations or groups of those that are actually practicing organic agriculture.

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Party-list solon seeks adoption of organic farming in PH - manilastandard.net

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published: December 26, 2019 7:00:57 pm If you did not join the sustainability bandwagon this year, you can still do it next year. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

This year was all about sustainable living. Amid all the cry for a greener planet and eco-friendly living in the backdrop of climate change many interesting alternatives made the news. They not only promised respite, but also encouraged an ethical and conscious way of life. Here is a quick recap of all the different trends that caught our attention this year, and why we are going to carry them to the next.

Sustainability at home

Change begins at home. If you are keen on doing your bit for the environment, start with your own house first. This year, we learnt about the many trends that promised us an eco-conscious living space; how everything from lights and furniture, to flooring can be environment-friendly. When it comes to lights, the use of lighter hues can save energy, and the colour of the walls and curtains can minimize the need for lights. When buying furniture for the house, opting for a recyclable material that is free of plastic and polyester is the key. The use of wool, cotton and jute for pillows, bedding, upholstery, carpets, etc., is a smart thing to do.

ALSO READ |Meet the tribe of Indians trying to live plastic-free and sustainably

Sustainable food

Did you know that your choice of food can contribute to the environment, too? A great many people have switched to the organic way of life, because organic food items are free from harmful components. Pesticides and chemicals such as fertilisers and herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides are majorly used in conventional agriculture. But, these are dangerous for health, especially for children and pregnant women, as they can cause serious health issues like cancers, brain tumours, leukemia, immune disorders, infertility, cardiac disease, hypertension, Alzheimers disease, to name a few.

A switch to organic food ensures you get a more nutritious meal that is better in taste, and sustainable in the long run. Organic vegetables, fruits and dairy products do not have pesticides and other harmful chemicals. They do not, therefore, contaminate the soil they are growing in. If anything, organic farming increases soil fertility, conserves water and reduces pollution.

Green gifts

Owing to the relentless pollution that engulfed parts of the country this year, many people opted for unique gifts to give to their loved ones. Thus began a new trend: of giving and receiving air-purifying plants to combat the ills of pollution. Kept indoors, these plants are known to help you sleep by cleaning the air around you. Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Money Plant, Spider Plant, Aloe Vera and Bamboo plant are some of them. Not only do these plants add a pop of green to your house, they also keep you healthy. And even if the governments decide to do something about the smog in the coming year, this lasting trend can continue.

Using RO and AC water

Every drop of water counts. Especially in a country like India that is part landlocked. Of the many ways of minimising water wastage, the smart use of RO and AC water was especially talked about this year. Instead of letting it go waste, you can use the water coming out of AC compressors and RO purifiers to water indoor and outdoor plants, wash utensils, mop the floor, etc. Some people have been using the water to clean their doors and windows, and patio furniture. This trend definitely needs to stay with us in the years to come.

ALSO READ |Bombay Durga Bari Samiti welcomes eco-friendly Durga idol this year

Travelling smart

Who does not like to travel? A quick getaway is what everyone yearns for from time to time. And, you can make the process both enjoyable and ethical. When you find yourself in a new place, carry your own bags when you go shopping so you can cut down on single-use plastic. Additionally, instead of buying a bottle of water every day, refill your own. Explore and experience the public transport system of a new place. Stay at an eco-friendly property, which follows green living practices, and try using the hotel-provided linen for the longest time, unless you absolutely need fresh towels. Do your bit and save natural resources.

Eco-friendly weddings

This year, the discussions around happily ever afters revolved around more and more couples consciously choosing to go green on their wedding day. Doing away with all kinds of decorative waste, many couples opted for a more sustainable approach. They went digital, ditching regular paper invites, limited or eliminated the use of plastic cutlery and crockery, opting for recyclable and compostable alternatives such as those made out of steel, bamboo, leaves, and other reusable materials instead. Additionally, many even chose to have recycled decor, instead of letting the vendor throw away leftover decorations. This trend can stay in the coming years, because it has its own charm. It is easy on both the pocket and the environment.

ALSO READ |Thinking of going plastic-free? Here are some places you can seek inspiration from

Plogging

Recently, model and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman, too, declared that he would be plogging once a week, meaning he would be carrying a bag of garbage while running. In an Instagram post he wrote that it is okay to pick up other peoples garbage, because it is still our world.

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Trends 2019: Sustainable living trends that caught our attention this year - The Indian Express

The regular season comes to a close this week, and just like every year, bettors have to wade through motivational questions with many of the matchups in Week 17. If these games were played on any other week of the season, some of these lines would be not just a few points different, but even a touchdown or more.

Each week, I break down what you need to know about each game from a betting angle before you lock in your picks. I'll talk about big line moves, teasers and parlays to consider and more. But with the motivation angle to think about in each game, I'm not sure it does any good to tell you which lines DVOA disagrees with, or what the biggest line moves are when they're tied solely to motivational circumstances changing. So instead let's go game by game and try and figure out where we can get an advantage.

If you want to know which sides I like, you can find that info at the SportsLine link below, where all my rated plays appear during the season along with my five SuperContest picks each week and plenty of great analysis from a fantastic collection of experts. You can also check out where all our CBS Sports staff lands on each game each week right here.

Over at SportsLine, I'll beposting my picks for Week 17 throughout the week. Join now and use promo code WHITE for $1 on your first month and you can get mine and every SportsLine expert's picks throughout the year, as well as my SuperContest picks each Saturday.

Motivation:Positive for Titans, potentially negative for Texans. The Titans are obviously going all out, as they make the playoffs with a win. Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he won't be resting players, but can we believe him? The Texans will know when they kick off whether they can jump to the No. 3 seed, which will be in play if the Chiefs lose. But if the Chiefs win as expected, we can't expect Deshaun Watson and other key players to see action for the entire game. If both teams were equally motivated, you'd figure the Texans would be three-point favorites or more, so the market is not buying O'Brien's claim.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Texans -1, which is basically staking the middle ground between equal motivation and no motivation. DVOA thinks the Titans are the much better team, and my metric accounting for weighted DVOA projects this line at Titans -2.5 if both teams were going all-out. Unless you think the Chiefs are going to lose, the Titans look like a great value. If you can get a moneyline parlay on Chargers and Texans at plus odds, that has a huge correlation as a Chargers win over the Chiefs would presumably swing the Texans to being favored in this game. As of Wednesday, that parlay would pay around +950.

Motivation:Neutral for both teams. If anything, the Bengals might have a slight motivational edge, as a win does nothing for their draft status and the Browns seem to be dealing with turmoil week in and week out with players reportedly unhappy.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Browns -3, but the edge in this game comes again in weighted DVOA, which doesn't see too much difference between these teams. The metric would make Browns -1 on a neutral field, so in Cincinnati you would expect the Bengals to be favored, likely by only one point since they don't have a great home-field advantage. Despite that, the Browns are getting 80% of the tickets, so score another point for the Bengals via our fading the public strategy.

Motivation:Positive for Bears, negative for Vikings. Though Minnesota is locked into the No. 6 seed, Mike Zimmer indicated on Tuesday that he hasn't decided whether to rest key players. But because it makes sense to do so, the market has priced it into the line, as the lookahead was Vikings -7. But why would the Bears have positive motivation? Getting a win would make them 8-8 as opposed to 7-9, and avoiding the losing season should be something to get up for after this team fell short of expectations. Matt Nagy seemed to be considering resting some players early in the week, but with nothing but the offseason ahead, I don't expect to see much of it from the Bears.

Other factors:The Bears defense has absolutely shut down the Vikings since the start of 2018, giving up just 222 yards and six points in the early matchup this year after holding Minnesota to 164 yards and 10 points in the season finale last year as well as 268 yards and 20 points in their first meeting of 2018, though all but three of those points in that first game came in the fourth quarter. The Vikings are a super public team in the early going, getting 82% of the tickets.

Motivation:Positive for Colts, neutral to negative for Jaguars. Technically the motivation factor is neutral for the Jags, but anyone that has watched this team in the second half has failed to see any signs of motivation in general. So if the Jaguars play to form, we shouldn't expect much life from them. The Colts should have some motivation to finish 8-8 and avoid a losing record, which would say something about a team that dealt with a lot of injuries during the season after watching its quarterback retire a few weeks before the start of the season.

Other factors:The Jaguars were one-point favorites on the lookahead line, so this line has swung 4.5 points after the Colts dominated a similarly awful team in the Panthers last week. The Jaguars haven't reach 300 yards on offense since November, and their defense has allowed 500-plus yards in two of their last three. Weighted DVOA thinks this line is underselling the difference between these two teams, projecting the line to be about Colts -6.5.

Motivation:Neutral for Falcons, neutral for Bucs. The Falcons have been playing hard over the second half of the season, and we should expect them to keep doing so and close out on a four-game win streak. The Bucs should also play hard to get to 8-8 in Bruce Arians' first year. I don't think we have an edge either way.

Other factors:This line is saying the Falcons are clearly the better team, and the margin is enough to cover the Bucs' homefield advantage. But my power ratings have the Bucs as the better team on a neutral field, as aside from turnovers (which have been a major issue) they've been dominating teams statistically, including a 435-229 yardage edge in the loss to the Texans last week that ended their own four-game win streak. Weighted DVOA also has the Bucs as the clearly better team and projects a line of Bucs -6.5, which isn't quite enough to cover a pick-six by Jameis Winston and subsequent extra point.

Motivation:Neutral for Redskins, positive for Cowboys. While a loss would lock Washington into the No. 2 pick, I'm not sure that's a major factor for a coaching staff that won't be around next year anyway. The Cowboys are obviously at max motivation needing a win and an Eagles loss to get into the playoffs.

Other factors:Dak Prescott's injury clearly looked like a factor in the loss to the Eagles, and he's now topped 40 pass attempts in five of his last seven games. You have to figure this game will feature a heavy run focus to give him some type of break. Washington is also dealing with QB injury issues, but is the move from Dwayne Haskins to Case Keenum a downgrade? I would say it's not, and I would also say Keenum has the extra motivation to show potential free-agent suitors what he's got heading into the offseason. Despite all of that, the line moved 3.5 points from the lookahead of Cowboys -7.5.

Motivation:Positive for Saints, neutral for Panthers. The Saints are playing for a first-round bye and need to get this win to have a shot at it. The Panthers have collapsed after Kyle Allen's initial undefeated run early in the year, and they head into this game playing for an interim head coach with seven straight losses in the bank and a rookie QB making his second start.

Other factors:Despite the massive line for the road favorites, weighted DVOA says it's justified, as the gap between these two teams is bigger than in any matchup between any teams during the 2019 season. The lookahead was only Saints -10.5, but I can't see anyone playing against that line move.

Motivation:Positive for Eagles, neutral for Giants. The Eagles win the division and make the playoffs if they beat the Giants, while they'll likely be out of the postseason with a loss as the Cowboys are double-digit favorites in Week 17. The Giants haven't given up on the season, with three straight covers and two of their last three going to overtime.

Other factors:The Eagles continue to be beset by injuries with Zach Ertz the latest skill position player to get hurt. The lookahead was also Eagles -4.5, while the weighted DVOA metric projects the same, but if Ertz can't play and Lane Johnson and Nelson Agholor are still out, we likely have to downgrade Philadelphia.

Motivation:Positive for Steelers, negative for Ravens. Because the Ravens have the No. 1 seed locked up and will rest players while the Steelers are playing for a playoff spot, this line is way off where it would be in a normal week. I project a normal line between these teams to be about Ravens -14.5, so we're talking about a ton of adjustment based on motivation and rest.

Other factors:NFL rosters aren't infinitely big and you can't rest everyone, and the market is putting a lot of trust in Duck Hodges going on the road and beating what has been a fantastic Ravens defense. Teams also don't "rest" their coaches, and you can bet John Harbaugh will be playing to win with the players that are on the field.

Motivation:Neutral for Jets, negative for Bills. The Bills are locked into the No. 5 seed, but Sean McDermott announced that Josh Allen will play in this game. However, he's definitely not going to be out there all four quarters, and that'll likely be the case with some other key players. If you're betting the Bills, make sure you do it in the first half. In a normal week, I'd project a line of Bills -7.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Bills -4.5, which again was playing the middle ground between full and no motivations for Buffalo. Weighted DVOA is much more bullish on the Bills in this matchup and would have them as 10-point favorites in a normal week.

Motivation:Neutral for Dolphins, positive for Patriots. New England needs a win here to lock up the No. 2 seed, and they would sink to No. 3 if they lose and the Chiefs win. The Dolphins could improve their draft outlook with a loss, but nothing we've seen in December indicates they're trying to tank.

Other factors:No movement from the lookahead line, and weighted DVOA thinks the line is about right.

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Motivation:Positive for Packers, neutral for Lions. The Packers are playing for a first-round bye and potentially the No. 1 seed depending on what happens in the Sunday Night Football game. The Lions have moved into position for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft after eight straight losses.

Other factors:The Packers were only 9.5-point favorites on the lookahead, but their impressive road win over the Vikings has bumped their value up three points in the market. Weighted DVOA doesn't fully buy into Green Bay, however, projecting this line at Packers -8.

Motivation:Neutral for Chargers, positive for Chiefs. The Chiefs have a shot at getting a first-round bye if they win and the Patriots lose, and they also could slip to No. 4 if they lose and the Texans win. They should be focused on getting the win and seem like a great teaser team to get under a field goal. The Chargers have lost five of their last six as they stumble to the finish line.

Other factors:The lookahead was just Chiefs -7, but weighted DVOA says the adjustment hasn't been big enough, projecting a line of about Chiefs -11.5. The public also loves the Chiefs, with 88% of the tickets. I wouldn't be shocked if they close as double-digit favorites in this matchup.

Motivation:Neutral for Cardinals, neutral for Rams. Nothing to play for with regards to either team, though the Rams could lock in a winning season if they get the W. But it appears the Rams are planning to rest key players in this one, and it's even possible Jared Goff doesn't play the entire game to shield him from hits in a meaningless game. Most books haven't posted a line as of Wednesday, though the Circa had moved down from Rams -8 at midday Tuesday to Rams -3.5 by Wednesday afternoon.

Other factors:Weighted DVOA has these teams close, so even if both were playing all out the metric would project a line close to Rams -3. The lookahead line was Rams -7.

Motivation:Positive for 49ers, positive for Seahawks. The NFC West title is on the line in this matchup, with the 49ers going for the No. 1 seed. The Seahawks could also get a first-round bye but would need help even if they get the win, and they'll know by kickoff whether they got that help. While I expect the Seahawks would want a home playoff game either way, it's fair to wonder whether they have a better chance of beating the NFC East winner on the road rather than the Vikings at home.

Other factors:Injuries are key on both sides, so we'll see through the week how the injury report shakes out. The lookahead line was pick 'em, so the loss to the Cardinals had a major impact on this matchup. Weighted DVOA, which isn't taking into account the injury status of both teams, says the Seahawks should be one-point favorites.

Motivation:Positive for Raiders, neutral for Broncos. The Raiders still have an outside shot of making the playoffs with a win, and even if they don't get in they'll have an 8-8 record in reach. The Broncos don't have any motivation but have played well over the last month with Drew Lock at quarterback.

Other factors:The Broncos were 4.5-point favorites on the lookahead line, but with the Raiders still alive it appears this line has tightened up a little. You could tell me any final score in this matchup and I'd buy it.

Bengals +130 vs. Browns Ravens +110 vs. Steelers Jets +105 at Bills

We start with the Bengals, a team that has played better than people realize over the last month despite their awful record. Weighted DVOA projections say they should be the slight favorites in their matchup. The Ravens are home 'dogs because they'll be resting players, but I'm not sure we can trust Duck Hodges and that Steelers offense to go on the road and win. And the Jets have a great shot at beating a Bills team that will presumably be resting guys in the second half. This parlay pays around +900 if it hits.

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Chiefs -2.5 vs. Chargers Giants +10.5 vs. Eagles

If you can tease the Chiefs under a field goal, that should be as much of a lock as you can get with them playing like one of the best teams in the league and the Chargers continuing to lose against mediocre opponents. You can definitely take the Ravens and Jets as a leg in a teaser, but rather than double up with our moneyline parlay, I'm going with the Giants. The Eagles are so beat up on offense that I can't see them beating anyone on the road by double digits right now unless they get an unexpected defensive TD at the end of a close game like they did against Washington.

The teaser of the week is just 8-8 this year after a 12-5 run in 2018, but we got a win last week thanks to the Bengals rallying to send their game into overtime. We easily hit the Packers leg of our teaser.

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Week 17 NFL bets: Lines adjusting for motivation factors, plus parlays, line moves and more tips - CBS Sports

Hearts are struggling down the Premierships basement right now- but finding extra spirit to face Hibs shouldnt be a problem Craig Halkett believes.

The Jambos head into the crucial Edinburgh derby bottom of the league. A negative result and outcomes elsewhere could leave Hearts as many as seven points adrift in the relegation places.

Its not a nice situation to think of and one Hearts fans could only picture in their worst nightmares. The reality is now though that the clubs embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Every point is vital right now and every game is crucial. The match with Hibs is no different and Halkett believes its the perfect opportunity to bounce back from adversity.

If boys look at the table and see we are bottom and three behind, hopefully it gives them a shake if it hasnt already done so, said Halkett. It is hard to look at and it isnt a pretty sight.

Hopefully we can react to this and get three points on Thursday and you could say Hibs is the perfect game to change things. It is a massive game for everyone connected with the club, not just the fans. We need the three points more than ever because we are bottom.

If you cant get up for these sort of games than I dont know what games you will get up for. We havent said it is only halfway through the season or anything, we know now we are in a relegation battle.

We are bottom of the league and three points adrift of the next team. We need to sort it and quickly.

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No extra motivation should be needed for Hearts Hibs duel says Halkett - Not The Old Firm

If the one thing that seems to be missing from your weight loss efforts is the motivation to get started on a plan or to stick with it, you might be surprised at how much control you have when it comes to this seemingly mysterious, fired-up feeling.

While motivation seems like it comes and goes whenever it pleases, its not a random force. Maintaining motivation is a skill, and you can get good at that skill, explains Liz Josefsberg, who is the author of Target 100 and has been a weight loss coach to thousands of people, including Charles Barkley and Jennifer Hudson. And the discipline to stick with it doesnt have to be any kind of unpleasant struggle, either (more on that later).

To get your motivation where you want it, you have to let go of what motivation isnt. Its not this thing outside of your control, and its not going to be high all the time. Its supposed to have peaks and valleysthats what being human is, she says. And when you hit a valley, all isnt lost. You can move it toward the peak again with some simple steps.

If youve already been on a weight loss program but youre not as excited about what youre doing as you used to be, the first step to getting your momentum back is actually identifying that your motivation is waning. Sounds obvious, but too many people berate themselves or try to power through this feeling without stopping and noticing that its happening, and then trying to figure out why its happening. This doesnt have to be a major investigation. Just ask yourself whats up. Most people dont identify it, says Josefsberg. They dont recognize that theyre bored, or that something has changed. What has changed could be something as simple as you dont like going to the grocery store any longer because theres construction on the way and it takes forever to get there. And it can be worked with.

If the way youve been doing things isnt working any longer, change it a little bit. Dont be afraid to get away from the one program fits all mentality. Ask friends what theyre doing and see if any of their principles or recipes make sense for you.

You dont have to make dramatic changes to get your weight loss motivation going again. For instance, if keto is really working for a friend, you dont have to go all in, but you might try a keto recipe or two. Or ask yourself what aspects of a keto lifestyle you might want to play around with, Josefsberg says. Similarly, if intermittent fasting appeals to you, try skipping breakfast for a week and see how it goes. Instead of berating yourself over whats not feeling right at the moment, experiment with new strategies that might get you excited about weight loss again.

Once you play around with something appealing, put it into practice and see what happens. Doesnt work? Try something else. The process is an exploration of trying new things so you look forward to your plan again. It sounds simple, and thats the best partit can be. You dont have to do something drastic in order to get your motivation on the upswing.

Once you have that motivation rolling again, all it takes is discipline to keep it going, right? I think discipline is highly overrated, Josefsberg says. Sometimes, what gets you to do the healthy thing is simply remembering to do it.

It sounds oversimplified, but you have schedules and alarms for everything else you do, so why not set up your weight loss strategies that way, too? Suppose you want to stop cruising the office at 3 PM for somethinganythingto snack on. Set your alarm for 2:50 and go to the fridge to get the healthy snack you packed (because you set a reminder on Sunday night to put it in a container so it was ready for work on Monday).

It doesnt have to be complicated. Andanother myth busted hereit doesnt even have to require a lot of discipline. When it comes to being healthy, discipline is totally overrated. The trick to sticking with something is to set up your environment to support your decision to be healthier, says Josefsberg. Its about being a little bit prepared and creating an environment for success.

In other words, you dont have to have the discipline to resist cookies if there arent any in the house. You also can bias your healthy life to success by indulging your natural tendencies in setting up this environment. That means if youre not the type to do one big shopping trip for the whole weekno matter how many people on Instagram it works fordont do it if you dont like it. Want to grab a few things a few times a week? Theres your plan.

All of thisunderstanding whats going on behind the scenes with weight loss motivation and disciplinehelps you the kind of short- and long-term weight loss success youre looking for.

Link:
Tips to Get Motivated and Have Discipline to Lose Weight - menshealth.com

When trying to decipher who to play in Week 17 of the NFL season, we first need to look at motivation, then health and then whatever scenarios you can build in your head that will likely end up being incorrect. Below I take a look at each teams motivation to win in Week 17.

The Ravens will rest their starters according to John Harbaugh. They have the No. 1 seed clinched. There is a chance a player like Justice Hill could see good run and has some value, but no matter what we hear, we cannot trust any Ravens player to play all game.

The Texans have a slim chance to move from the No. 4 to No. 3 seed but that can only happen if the Chiefs lose to the Chargers at home in the early game. Kansas City still has something to play for, as they want to keep the No. 3 seed and they could take the No. 2 seed if they win and the Patriots lose to the Dolphins, so they will go all out and should dispatch with Phillip Rivers and company.

Bill OBrien says they will play to win, but his backups can play to win just the same as the starters. DeShaun Watson was hobbling much of last week and I doubt he plays unless he is 100 percent and the Chargers pull an upset in Kansas City.

The Bills are locked in to the fifth seed with no reason to risk injuries in Week 17 against the Jets. They may end up playing starters like a preseason game or sitting them completely.

The loss on Monday night to the Packers locks theVikings into the No. 6 seed. They may end up playing some of their starters after an awful offensive performance against the Packers but we cant rely on them playing the whole game.

The Titans play the Texans who will probably sit some key players. The Titans will play all out, as a win means they get into the playoffs as a sixth seed and a loss means they are likely out. They rested Derrick Henry last week so he would have a better chance at being healthy in this must-win game and theyve played great offensively of late and could see a disinterested Texans defense.

The Steelers need to beat the resting Ravens and have the, possibly resting Texans, beat the Titans. That isnt likely, but they will play to win with that chance to make the playoffs on the line. Their defense is probably the only fantasy play you can feel good about this week though, as Devlin Hodges has looked awful and James Conner could miss due to an injury.

The Raiders will play with minimal playoff hopes on the line, as they need to beat the Broncos and get wins by the Ravens, Texans and Colts and another win from one of the Bears, Lions, Chiefs or Patriots. All of that is to say they will play to win but will also likely miss the playoffs.

If the Eagles beat the Giants in Week 17, theyre in the playoffs. They can get in with a loss by Dallas as well, but the Cowboys are favored to win at home over Washington and will play at the same time as the Eagles. Carson Wentz and company will play all out and in a good matchup for fantasy and DFS. Dwayne Haskins and Case Keenum combined to put up 291 yards and three touchdowns on the Giants last week, so there should be DFS and run of the mill fantasy points to be had on both sides.

The Cowboys will need the Giants to beat the Eagles but they wont know the outcome of that game, as they play at the same time. They will play all out at home against Washington, in what should be a good game to mine for fantasy upside. The Cowboys offense is still strong, especially at home against Washington, who just gave up five touchdown passes to Daniel Jones.

The 49ers currently own the No. 1 seed but they face the Seahawks this week and have already lost to them earlier in the season. That means, if they lose again, they will drop from the No. 1 seed and its precious bye week and home field advantage all the way down to the 5th or 6th seed and a road game in the wild card round. That is a precipitous fall and one they will try their hardest to avoid.

The Seahawks face much of the same trouble as the 49ers. If they lose to them, they stay in the wild card round but if they win, theyll win the NFC West and move up to the No. 2 seed and get a bye week. The 49ers arent a cupcake defense but theyve been giving up big points of late and this game could end up being a boon of fantasy points.

The Saints hold the No. 3 seed after the Packers beat the Vikings on Monday Night Football. The Packers win hurt their chances at a playoff bye but they still can get the No. 2 seed if Seattle can beat the 49ers and they beat the Panthers. The 49ers/Seahawks game is in the evening, so the Saints will need to make sure they win, and against the Panthers, that could mean a lot of fantasy points.

With a win over the Vikings, the Packers set themselves up for the No. 2 seed if they can beat the Lions in Week 17. They will also have a chance to take the No. 1 seed if the Saints lose to the Panthers. If they lose to the Lions, they would likely also lose their bye week and drop to the No. 3 seed. Theres no-doubt they will play to win and in a good matchup with a weak Lions defense.

The Patriots, like any team in their position, want a bye week instead of needing to play in the wild card round. They can get that done with a win over the Dolphins in Foxboro. The Dolphins arent good and they will likely be beaten by the Patriots but they have played well enough offensively to possibly make it a game. Either way, the Patriots get a good matchup for their offense and they should give us some fantasy points in the process.

The Chiefs need to win to keep from possibly falling from the third seed to the fourth seed and to possibly move up to the No. 2 seed. The latter scenario is one worth making sure you take care of business, as the No. 2 seed is accompanied by a bye and a home game. They would need the Patriots to lose to the Dolphins at home but this Patriots team is more vulnerable than other Patriots teams of the past. Patrick Mahomes and company should have decent upside at home against a defeated Chargers team.

Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New York Giants and Washington.

All of these teams have players on them who will be useful for fantasy this week, but we can expect any player with an injury, disclosed or undisclosed, to sit for a backup in a meaningless game.

A player like Christian McCaffrey needs 67 yards receiving to joint the 1,000/1,000 club, so we can feel good about him playing. Joe Mixon needs 25 yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards while Phillip Lindsay needs 42, and Saquon Barkley needs 89 to hit that arbitrary number.

Tyler Boyd, D.J. Chark, George Kittle, Mike Williams, Odell Beckham Jr., Austin Ekeler, A.J. Brown, and Terry McLaurin all need under 100 receiving yards to top the 1,000 yard mark. As long as these players are healthy, their team should let them reach for those milestones.

We also may get more information as the week goes on of bonus incentives that players are reaching for in 2019. Its hard to duplicate the drive for an extra 100k in the stocking.

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NFL Team Motivation: Which teams have the most to play for in Week 17? - DraftKings Nation

DES MOINES, Iowa A trial has been scheduled for an Iowa woman accused of hate crimes in the Des Moines area, including intentionally running over a girl she thought was Mexican.

Nicole Marie Poole is charged with assault in violation of individual rights in connection with an incident at a convenience store and is scheduled to go on trial Feb. 3 in Des Moines. Court documents indicate she also goes by the name of Nicole Franklin.

She remains in custody, pending $1 million cash bail.

Poole went to a convenience store Dec. 9 where she threw items at a clerk and directed racial epithets at him and customers, West Des Moines police said in a court document. She also was charged with operating under the influence, second offense. Poole has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Her attorney didnt immediately return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.

Police have said Poole went to the store after a hit-and-run in the Des Moines suburb of Clive. Authorities said she drove her SUV onto a sidewalk there to hit 14-year-old Natalia Miranda. The girl was hospitalized for two days.

Clive Police Chief Michael Venema has said Poole told officers she targeted Miranda because the girl is Mexican.

A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled for Monday.

Poole also is charged with attempted murder for driving over a Des Moines curb on the same day to hit a 12-year-old boy, the records said.

Des Moines police spokesman Paul Parizek told The Des Moines Register the boy is black and said that looking at the other two incidents, the hate-filled motivation is apparent.

The collective voice of metro law enforcement, and the communities we serve, is sending the message that if you commit biased-based crimes, we will charge you with the most serious offense applicable, with the most severe consequences, Parizek said. In this case, that charge is attempted murder.

After the first charges were announced Sunday, Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, called for a hate crime charge against Poole in the attack on Miranda.

Joe Henry, president of the groups Des Moines branch, echoed Garcias call and told the Register it would be wrong if Poole were not charged with a hate crime.

It would give the green light to anybody to do this type of terrible thing, Henry said.

But Polk County Attorney John Sarcone told the newspaper that a hate crime charge against Poole in the hit-and-run wouldnt necessarily achieve the justice the community is demanding.

I cant specifically talk about her case, Sarcone said. All I can say is attempted murder is a Class B felony. Thats a 25-year sentence 17.5 are mandatory. Its five times any sentence you would get on a hate crime.

Sarcone said that under Iowa law, a hate crime charge enhances other charges, such as arson and assault, but wouldnt apply to attempted murder.

It may sound nice, but it doesnt help anything, Sarcone said. When its appropriate to enhance, well do it.

He didnt immediately return an AP call on Tuesday.

Link:
Trial set for Iowa woman accused of bias-motivated hit-and-run - St. Paul Pioneer Press

Wagner added that the addition of Lynch definitely gives the team a little energy to see a guy like that, a guy people look up to, a guy who has so much history here, so much history throughout the leaguenot just on the field but off the fieldto have a guy like that come in the room and watch him run the ball again, itll be fun.

Luke Willson, who played with Lynch for three seasons, recognized that Lynchs signing is affecting more people than just those who will go to work with him this week.

Im sure the citys buzzing right now, as they should be, Willson said. Its going to be really exciting on Sunday to see 24 rolling. Itll be pretty sweet.

Added Carroll, Im not surprised, about how Seahawks fans have celebrated this news. He has impacted a lot of people around here, people who love the Seahawks. He has been something very special, so Im thrilled for the fans that theyre having fun with it and all of that, and Ill be really thrilled if he knocks out about 110 in the ballgame.

As for what is realistic for Lynch and Turbin this week, Carroll said he needs to see them in practice this week before knowing that, but also noted that rookie Travis Homer is ready to take on a bigger role, as he was forced to do last week when Carson and Prosise left the game with injuries in the second quarter, leaving Homer as the only available running back the rest of the way.

Travis is ready to go, Carroll said. Hes knows everything. Hes been through our system for the whole year. He showed that he was ready to play football and he did a good job in the game. We lean on him because of his background with us and his toughness and his speed and his play making. Were pleased to have that opportunity. Thats good fortune to have him ready to go. Well just fit the guys in. Give me a couple days here. This is the first day.

The Seahawks have changed offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches since Lynch and Turbin last played for Seattle, but Carroll said that while terminology has changed, there are enough similarities in the two systems that they should be able to get up to speed quickly.

Theres a lot of similarities, Carroll said. For the most part, its similar. Its more similar than it isnt. Theres terminology thats tacked onto stuff in motions and formations and things like that that are some new things that he has to pick up. The fundamental part of it, its very much the same.

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Seahawks Counting On Highly Motivated Marshawn Lynch Helping Them Down The Stretch - Seahawks.com