From Women's Health

Halle Berry says that her diabetes diagnosis drastically changed how she eats.

Since then, she's cut out sugar, white carbs, and conventional wine in order to manage her condition and feel as healthy as possible.

Today, Halle enjoys low-sugar berries, low-carb comfort foods like zucchini noodles and cauliflower mash, and organic keto wine.

As huge a part of my life as fitness is, I really believe that what we put in our mouths has the biggest impact on our health of any aspect of our lifestyle.

I've seen the profound power of food firsthandand throughout my life, I've made significant changes to my diet in order to support my health and well-being. Ever since being diagnosed with diabetes at 22, there are certain foods I just won't touch anymore.

People often ask me if it's hard to avoid certain foods and if I miss themand my answer? Not at ALL.

I'll admit, it's true that changing the way you eat is often incredibly difficult at first. (Believe me, I remember the mood swings and the cravings!) But after some timefor me, it was about three weeksthose cravings disappear and taste buds change. Honestly, I feel infinitely healthier and more vibrant after giving a few specific foods the bootand I wouldn't go back for the world.

Of course, everyone's journey towards their optimal health looks a little different, but saying goodbye to the following foods has made all of the difference for me (particularly in regards to managing my diabetes).

When I was 19 or 20 years old, right before I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was a complete sugar addict. I started the day with some sort of sugary cereal like Lucky Charms or Cocoa Puffs and I always, always had a candy bar or some sort of hard candy (Jolly Ranchers and Hot Tamales were my go-to's) on me. I was sugared-up all the time.

After my diagnosis, though, it was like a switch flipped. My health was on the line, so I went cold turkey on my sugar-filled ways. Out the window went the candy, the desserts, and even super-sweet fruit. At first, it was hard. I'd relied so much on sugar my entire life that I had headaches and terrible mood swings when I quit.

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Within a few weeks, though, I started to feel better. Eventually, my desire to eat sugar completely disappeared. I didn't even like the flavor anymore. Now, even if you put a giant plate of dessert in front of me, I am zero percent interested. The only time I eat sweets these days is on my kid's birthdaysand that's for them, not me! I'll snack on low-sugar fruits like blackberries and raspberries, but that's about it.

After giving sugar the boot, I quickly learned that the body breaks down refined carbs straight into sugar, so I swore off those in order to better manage my diabetes, too. I ditched rice (yes, even brown rice), pasta, and breadand never looked back.

I know some of you are wondering, how could you ever swear off bread? But just like with sugar, when you give your body enough time without it, your palette changes and it loses its appeal. (Bonus perk: I no longer miss out on a beautiful meal out at a restaurant because I've filled up on the bread basket.)

As I cut these white carbs out of my diet and learned more about a keto lifestyle, I began to cut back on high-carb foods further and swap in low-carb alternatives and plenty of healthy fats.

So, instead of having mashed potatoes, I make cauliflower mash with butter and salt. It's so delicious and creamy, my kids don't even know the difference. Or, when my kids eat pasta, I opt for zucchini noodles. These simple swaps make it easy for me to enjoy a meal with my kids and still nourish my body in the way that works for me.

For me, the final piece of the puzzle was wine. I have always loved wine, but as I upgraded the rest of my lifestyle to manage my diabetes and feel as healthy as possible, I wondered if there was a better way to enjoy my wine.

When I discovered Dry Farm Wines a few years ago, I was intrigued. Their natural, organic, and biodynamic wines don't contain any added sugars or chemicals, so they're low-sugar enough to be keto-friendly and don't have as much alcohol as the average bottle.

The earthier, hearty flavor of these wines took some getting used to at first, but now I'd rather drink them than anything. While conventional wines often got me buzzed fast and left me with a headache, these did not. Yet again, I wouldn't go back to the old stuff for a second.

Halle Berry is a producer, director, and actress. Now known as one of the fittest women in Hollywood, Halle recently launched rspin, a community for stories, conversations, and products for health and wellness seekers. In her weekly WH column and #FitnessFriday Instagram posts, she shares a personal look into her own health and fitnessalong with the tips, tricks, and advice behind her famously fit physique.

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Halle Berry Cut These 3 Things Out Of Her Diet Years Ago And Hasn't Looked Back Since - Yahoo Lifestyle

Working on the laptop all day? Try this one exercise regularly to avoid eye strain |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: The coronavirus pandemic led to lockdowns all around the world, as social distancing and staying at home became absolutely necessary to flatten the curve. As most workplaces were shut and people worked from home, the lines between working hours and non-working hours started to blur, so much so, that some people found themselves working for way longer than they are actually supposed to.

Apart from hampering personal and social life and disturbing the work-life balance, working on the laptops for long hours, almost the entire day has also led to significant damage to the eyes. Screen-time was already a matter of concern, even before the pandemic, but with nothing to do except work or look at your phone or TV, people's eyes seem to be suffering.

Experts suggest that certain exercises can help to keep your eyes healthy. While there is no scientific evidence that suggests that exercises can reduce the risk of weak eyes, it sure can reduce strain and stress, and may also delay the process. A healthy, balanced diet must also accompany these exercises, and one must make a conscious effort to reduce screen-time and give proper rest to the eyes. It is also important to wear your contact lenses or glasses if you have been prescribed their use, and also get your eyes tested periodically.

This exercise can be done while sitting, and in fact, can be a good break from your work and constantly looking at the laptop. To perform this exercise -

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Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.

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Working on the laptop all day? Try this one exercise regularly to avoid eye strain - Times Now

Billie Jean King, 76, is best known as the 12-time singles Grand Slam winner, between the years 1966 and 1975. The former world No 1 was diagnosed with diabetes in 2014, and has revealed her concerns about the condition.

King is one of the most successful tennis players of all time.

She won six Wimbledon singles titles, leaving her joint-fifth on the all-time table.

The US athlete also won four US Open titles, a French Open, and an Australian Open title.

But, the tennis legend was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes six years ago, despite her superb athleticism.

READ MORE: Diabetes type 2 - the 'weird' itchy sign you may be ignoring

King admitted that she was binge eating for around a decade, leading up to her diagnosis.

She also has a family history of diabetes, which led to her diagnosis in 2014.

King has had to change her lifestyle to cater for her diabetes, and is making sure to exercise frequently, while cutting back on the amount of carbohydrates in her diet.

But, she's still concerned about the complications of diabetes, and is subsequently making sure she keeps her blood sugar levels in check.

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"I've been really trying to cut down on [carbohydrates]," King told Health.com in 2016. "I'm trying to pay attention to my intake. Because I love to eat. I just have to deal.

"I have an eating disorder; I was a binge eater. I don't binge eat anymore, but for about 10 years, I was being very cruel to my poor little pancreas. Then I also had diabetes in my family.

"My blood sugar is pretty good most of the time - if I'm eating right, exercising, and taking my medication.

"I'm worried about what it can do if I don't take care of myself. I know it's the leading cause of blindness and I know there are other complications."

Diabetes is a common condition that affects more than four million people in the UK, and 90 percent of all cases are caused by type 2 diabetes.

It could be caused by the body not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the body not reacting to insulin.

Without enough of the hormone, the body struggles to convert sugar in the blood into usable energy.

It's crucial that if you think you have diabetes, you speak to a doctor as soon as possible.

Diabetes increases the risk of some deadly complications, including heart disease and strokes.

Many people may have diabetes without even knowing it, because the signs and symptoms dont necessarily make you feel unwell.

Common diabetes symptoms include having cuts or wounds that take longer to heal, having an unquenchable thirst, and passing more urine than normal.

Blurred vision, extreme tiredness, and having unexplained itchy skin could also be caused by the condition.

Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon will be broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday July 4 at 3.15pm.

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Billie Jean King health: 'I'm worried' - tennis legend explains symptoms of her condition - Express

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- In late March, Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock, Britains portly prime minister and its slender health secretary, both contracted Covid-19. Hancock had a mild case and was back to work a week later. Johnson was lucky to come out alive after a spell in intensive care.

Ever since then he has been on a mission. Johnson believes that being overweight was a factor in his contracting a more severe form of the disease, and a growing body of evidence backs that up. Ina study of 17,000 Covid-positive hospital patients, those with a body mass index of more than 30 (considered obese) had a 33% greater risk of dying than non-obese patients. A separate study of people in U.K. intensive care units for the condition found that 73% were either overweight, obese or morbidly obese.

The British prime minister once burnished his libertarian credentials by decrying sin taxes on producers of unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, but the coronavirus has changed him. The food industry should prepare itself for the consequences.

The same connection between weight and Covid-19 has been borne out in other countries. In France, a study of people admitted to intensive care units at Lyon University Hospital, published in the Lancet, found 25% of severe cases were obese. Researchers at New York Universityhad similar findings.

Scientists are still trying to understand the connection better, but obesity seems to be a risk on various levels. Being significantly overweight puts greater strain on the heart and lungs, which makes fighting the virus more difficult. The infection enters the body through the enzyme ACE2, higher levels of which are found in adipose, or fatty, tissue (which obese people have more of).

The immune response in very overweight patients also seems to be compromised, due to the way a particular type of immune cell, called macrophages, invade the fat tissue and can sendthe bodys immune system into self-destructive overdrive. Hospital care may also be complicated by a persons size and any underlying, but as yet undiscovered, health issues.

The Covid-obesity link was observed in China too, but its a bigger worry in Britain and the U.S., where many people are overweight. Nearly 40% of American adults under 60 have a body mass index over 30. Nearly two-thirds of U.K. adultsare overweight or obese, according to the National Health Service.Obesity is prevalent in 29% of adults and one in five children aged between 10 and 11.

Critically, many of the recent Covid-19 flare-ups are in more deprived areas, and obesity rates are higher there. In Britain, the most obese country in Europe (apart from Malta), obesity is twice as high in the poorest areas as the richest ones. In the U.S., obesity has been linked to levels of income and education, and to ethnicity.

The question is what to do about that. Given the complexity of environmental, biological and psychological factors, weight isnt an easy policy area. The vast majority of those who manage to lose a lot of weight find they gain back most of it. Researchers have made progress in understanding why thats so, and the way calorie-reduction regimens trigger countervailing increases in appetite that ultimately defeat even the most determined dieters.

Cultural stereotypes and stigmas havent quite caught up with the research. If you scroll down the comments of any social media feed on the obesity debate youll find typical rejoinders with some combination of the words willpower, diet, exercise or portion control. There are accusatory glances at parents who dont monitor the weight of their children.

Johnson has certainly played with those stereotypes. When he was its editor, the conservative Spectator magazine ran an article warning people not to hire a fatty for a nanny, suggesting they were likely to be unclean, lazy and derelict in their childcare duties. Even for a magazine that prides itself on being contrarian, the piece was unscientific and grotesque.

In a 2004 newspaper column, Johnson said it was peoples own fat fault if they were obese, a view he described last week as embarrassing.In his Toryleadership campaign, he vowed to end the continuing creep of the nanny state and roll back sin taxes.Now, however, he is weighing in on the side of the interventionists, distancing himself from his oldviews. The government hasnt specified how it will act, but it is considering a range of more aggressive measures.

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One is likely to be expanding the U.K.s sugar tax. While Britain has a limited levy on soft drinks, which seems to be having an impact, there are too many exemptions.

Even an expanded sugar tax is only part of the solution, as Sally Davies, the countrys former chief medical officer, has argued. Education is needed for younger children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to eat packaged and processed foods and Brits also need protection from the fire hose of junk-food advertising.So far, thats been a very uneven fight. A report from the Obesity Health Alliance a few years ago noted that the government had spent 5.2 million pounds a year on its healthy-eating campaign, while confectioners and purveyors of junk food spent 143 million pounds on ads.

New interventions would no doubt be greeted with angry howls from the food industry. But some of the old arguments against taking action especially that sin taxes dont workor affectthe poor disproportionately no longer hold up. Johnsons backing for action adds political weight, and muscle, to the other side.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Boris Johnson Has a Personal Stake in Fighting Obesity - Yahoo Finance

Lots of people shun carbs in a bid to lose weight. The idea that carbohydrates are calorific is widespread and has left people avoiding the whole food group. But should we really be switching to brown bread instead?Express.co.ukreveals how bread affects weight loss.

Carbohydrates are a wide category, including bread, pasta, beans and potatoes.

They are one of three macronutrients found in food, the others are fat and protein.

Obviously you cant eat bread all day every day, but many have taken to cutting the foodstuff out of their diet entirely.

So what is the difference between white and brown bread?Express.co.uktakes a look.

READ MORE- Veganism benefits: Should I go vegan? Will I lose weight?

No, carbohydrates will not make you put on weight if you eat them in the right quantities.

Hardly any foods contain only one nutrient and most are a combination of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in varying amounts.

They are important to your health because they give you energy and reduce risk of some diseases.

Carbs are not going to make you gain weight, unless you add butter and creamy sauces to them.

Carbohydrates actually contain fewer calories gram for gram than fat, making them a useful part of maintaining a healthy weight.

There are three different types of carbohydrates in food: sugar, starch and fibre.

The type of sugars that we tend to eat too much of is called free sugars.

They are often added to food or drinks such as biscuits, chocolate, and breakfast cereals.

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You are better off sticking to naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in honey, syrups, and smoothies.

Starch is found in foods that come from plants, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta.

Starch is good for you because it provides a slow and steady release of energy to keep you going all day.

Fibre is another important carbohydrate, and good sources include fruit and vegetables, wholegrain bread, and wholewheat pasta.

Significantly reducing carbohydrates from your diet could potentially lead to health problems.

Carbohydrates are the bodys main source of energy, and if you dont eat them your body will use protein and fat for energy instead.

It may be hard to get enough fibre without carbs, and fibre is crucial for digestion.

However, you should opt for healthier sources of carbohydrates such as wholegrain, potatoes, vegetables, fruit and legumes.

Brown bread is a healthier choice than white bread, according to a number of studies.

The NHS website says that wholegrain, wholemeal and brown breads give us energy.

They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, fibre, and a range of minerals.

White bread gives you some of this too, but not as much.

Brown bread, wholegrain and wholemeal are also lower in fat.

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Weight loss: Is brown bread good for weight loss? - Express

Authors: Sam T. Lawson, Julia C. Gardner, Mary Jo Carnot, Samuel S. Lackey, Nanette V. Lopez, and Jay T. Sutliffe

Corresponding Author: Jay Sutliffe, PD, RD Flagstaff AZ, 86011 Jay.sutliffe@nau.edu 928-523-7596

Sam T. Lawson is an undergraduate research assistant and student at Northern Arizona University.

Julia C. Gardner is a research coordinator with the PRANDIAL Lab at Northern Arizona University. Mary Jo Carnot is professor of Counseling, Psychological Sciences, and Social Work at Chadron State College in Chadron, NE.

Samuel S. Lackey is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Northern Arizona University.

Nanette V. Lopez is Assistant Professor in Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University.

Jay T. Sutliffe is Professor of Nutrition and Foods and the Director of the PRANDIAL Lab at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ.

Abbreviations HEI: healthy eating index g: grams mg: milligrams oz: ounces kcal: kilocalories std.: standard DGA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans USDA: United States Department of Agriculture RDA: recommended dietary allowance RM: repetition maximum

ABSTRACT

College students are notorious for having poor quality diets and student-athletes are no exception. Collegiate football student-athletes often fail to meet overall energy requirements necessary to meet activity demands (65). The research herein assessed diet quality, body composition and physical performance of selected student athletes following completion of a brief, 8-week nutrition education intervention. The participants consisted of 55 Division I collegiate football players, aged 18-24 years (mean age 19.81.2yrs). Results indicated that group education sessions on nutrition had minimal impact on outcomes, perhaps due to the voluntary nature of the training. However, independent of the intervention, there were significant changes across time for the total scores on the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), strength performance measures, and total body water. Participants with higher HEI-2015 scores versus lower scores did not differ on strength performance or body composition outcomes. Specific nutrients, including sodium, protein, and solid fats negatively impacted strength performance, especially for the bench press measures. At moderate altitudes, athletes may struggle to maintain sufficient hydration (41). In this study, athletes with higher hydration levels (based on total body water and extracellular water) improved performance from pre to post assessments of strength performance in bench press, back squat, and power clean. The results highlight the importance of nutrition on athletic performance, especially the negative impact of unhealthy choices. Educational sessions on nutrition designed to improve eating habits may need to consider social influences, including everyday eating situations, via a combination of group and individualized approaches.

Keywords: micronutrients, nutrition intervention, athlete, body-composition, moderate altitude

INTRODUCTION

College students tend to have poor dietary habits that include low micronutrient intake and high amounts of processed foods (36). Studies indicate that college students report low fruit and vegetable intake, with an average consumption of two servings of combined fruits and vegetables daily which fails to meet dietary guidelines (18, 21, 22). Although college students often adopt new dietary habits that are frequently maintained throughout life, their eating behaviors are typically unhealthy and include excessive consumption of processed foods, skipping meals, and/or eating at irregular times (62). Specifically, students who report following a Western diet consume the highest quantities of refined and energy-dense foods labeled high in fat and sugar, resulting in an increased disease risk (5). In this period of nutrition transition, college-aged individuals are consuming diets high in animal-source foods and eating more highly processed grains and carbohydrate rich meals resulting in lower fiber intake (53).

College student-athletes have higher energy demands due to exercise, training, and competition, but often consume nutrient intakes similar to or below recommended dietary allowances (RDA) (29), with many failing to meet energy requirements for their training style and intensity (46,60). Among those student-athletes who fail to meet their minimum energy requirements, football student-athletes have been identified in at least one study as having the greatest energy deficit (65). Research has noted that optimal nutrient intake along with supplementation, if needed, improves athletic performance and ultimately aids in recovery (11,30,63). Research has also noted that student-athletes who work with a sports dietitian have better dietary habits than those who seek nutrition knowledge from strength and conditioning coaches or athletic trainers (26). Among these positive dietary behaviors are consuming less fast food, not skipping meals, and eating a greater amount of whole foods (26).

To help student-athletes improve the quality of their diet, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 assessment which generates a diet quality score based upon nutrient intakes, is a useful tool (68). Developed with key recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), the HEI-2015 can be used to assess health risks among specific populations (58). For example, populations with adherence to a high HEI-2015 dietary pattern have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers (47).

Diet quality plays an essential role in desired weight gain as many micronutrients have synergistic qualities allowing for better nutrient absorption from a wide variety of foods (32). This factor can impact football athletes because of documented evidence that a proportion of coaches falsely believe that certain positions require maintaining a higher weight or specific physique (9,10). Deliberate weight gain by football athletes through consumption of unhealthy foods can lead to metabolic syndrome and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (6,15). Intentional dietary programming should be considered for football athletes, specifically offensive and defensive linemen due to their elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (69). However, athletes should be warned against the sudden or excessive gain in body fat as that may increase their risk for metabolic syndrome (67).

Student-athletes who receive nutrition counseling could have improved physical performance while increasing their lean body mass and maintaining a minimum threshold of energy (1). Many student-athletes receive nutrition information from athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches. Unfortunately, these individuals often lack nutrition knowledge, certifications, and/or adequate time to properly counsel student-athletes on dietary information. Therefore, consultations with a trained dietetics professional may benefit student-athletes (31). According to Hull et al. (27), student-athletes with access to a sports dietician reported improved dietary patterns such as eating before exercise, healthy post-exercise meals, and more nutrient dense meals while traveling; all of these dietary improvements may lead to improved performance and recovery.

The primary aims of this study were to improve diet quality hydration, body composition, and performance outcomes among football student-athletes. Exploratory aims included examining intake of specific nutrients and their impact on performance. Specifically, this study was designed to address the following hypotheses:

Materials and Methods

Participants Participants were recruited from the mens football team at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I program. These student-athletes primarily train, practice, and compete at 7,000 feet above sea level, which is considered to be at moderate altitude (14). A total of 65 participants were enrolled, with 10 lost to follow-up procedures, resulting in 55 participants who completed measures at both the initial stage and 8-weeks post-baseline period. Participants were 18-24 years of age (mean age 19.8 1.2yrs) and ethnically diverse, self-identifying as African-American (41.8%), Caucasian (49.1%), Southeast Asian (1.8%), and other (7.3%). No exclusionary health criteria were developed for this study, as all NCAA student-athletes are required to complete yearly athletic physicals to screen for possible health risks. Participants were informed of the minimal risks of the study and provided written informed consent. The experimental research procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board #982568.

Study Design By design, this was a non-randomized pilot study where each subject served as his own control for measurements completed at baseline and 8-weeks post-baseline. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of implementation for consideration of future studies with collegiate sports teams. Following the baseline body composition testing, all participants received a five-minute individualized nutrition education with specific dietary recommendations to help improve their body composition parameters. After completion of baseline measures, participants were encouraged to attend three optional nutrition education sessions. To minimize scheduling conflicts, nutrition education sessions were offered every other week, during the middle of the week and on weekends. Sessions occurring in the same week covered identical material allowing all participants to receive the information uniformly. Each 45-minute face-to-face session included a lecture-style presentation that began with a food demonstration, followed by a lecture with a slideshow presentation, and time for open discussion. Sessions started with 10 minutes of the food demonstrations, followed by 20-minutes of nutrition education and 15 minutes of open discussion which typically centered on personal questions about the participants diet. The food demonstration included a discussion about why a particular meal would be considered effective fuel for the athletes. The participants were made aware of the nutrition education sessions through a group messaging app utilized by the athletic department which contained a link for an online sign-up sheet for testing and nutrition education sessions. Reminders were sent to participants via text messaging and email.

Diet Quality and Assessment Undergraduate and graduate students, in conjunction with faculty, were trained to collect Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour (ASA24) diet recall, blood pressure, and body composition from each participant. Nasco food models/replicas, depicting serving sizes of commonly eaten foods, were used to confirm the serving sizes of food and beverages consumed during the 24-hour diet recalls. The ASA24 is a web-based tool developed by the National Cancer Institute to accurately collect 24-hour diet recalls, commonly known as food diaries (ASA24, 2019). Although the ASA24 is a self-administered program, to ensure completion and accuracy, the 24-hour diet recalls were performed by trained study personnel.

Dietary measures of kilocalories, sugar, fiber, cholesterol, total vegetable, total fruit, total grain, total protein foods, total dairy, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, sodium, and solid fat were collected via ASA24. The HEI-2015 was generated to provide an overall diet quality score from the data collected from ASA24. The HEI-2015 diet scores range from 0 -100, with 0 being the lowest diet score and 100 being the highest. An HEI-2015 score of 50 was chosen to represent a cutoff score since scores below 50 have been classified to represent a poor diet (23).

Anthropometric and Body-Composition Measurements Evaluation of body composition was conducted using tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) via the Seca mBCA 515 (8). BIA is an efficient and non-invasive technique that enables the determination of body composition based on the measurement of electrical characteristics of the human body over five body regions, including left and right arms and legs, and the torso. The data can be used to assess metabolic activity, energy consumption, energy reserves, fluid status, and abdominal fat. Phase angle (phA) in BIA is a validated measurement that correlates with the percentage of body fat (%BF), body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), and total body water (TBW) (37). A low phA is associated with increased morbidity and nutritional risk (39,51). Because phA is affected by body geometry, anthropometric measurements also need to be considered. Individuals with hydration outliers (i.e., unstable extracellular and intracellular water ratios) can obtain a phA measurement when using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, which uses the plot resistance and reactance normalized per height (35,64).

Nutrition Intervention Participants were offered the opportunity to attend up to three optional, in-person sport-specific nutrition education sessions. The sessions were conducted over 8-weeks with those who participated typically averaging one session, every other week. The first session focused on the sport-specific nutrition topics related to macronutrients, micronutrients, and timed-eating. Macronutrient content focused primarily on the importance of proper carbohydrate and protein intake while information on micronutrients stressed the necessary diet for a body under physical stress due to training. Participants were encouraged to achieve adequate macronutrient and micronutrient intake through the consumption of whole foods, due to their greater nutrient density compared to processed foods and supplements. The second session focused on supplementation for an anaerobic training style with topics ranging from dietary supplements (e.g., protein powder and fish oil) to performance-based supplements (e.g., creatine and caffeine). The last session addressed the relationship between hydration and performance, including awareness of dietary, physical, and environmental factors that may promote dehydration. Participants were also provided information on how to calculate sweat rate in order to help them stay adequately hydrated through practices and training sessions. As previously mentioned, each session included a short food demonstration for preparing meals containing micronutrient dense-foods that met the minimum number of calories recommended per portion for football athletes.

Strength Performance Assessment also included strength testing for participants in the study. The primary goal of winter off-season training for football players is to increase their absolute strength and muscular hypertrophy, or more commonly known as increasing muscle size. The testing included a micro-cycle started by using a 1RM test on the power clean, squat, and bench. At the end of the training cycle, the 1RM was repeated to measure strength gains in each lift. The tests were conducted on three separate days to allow time for full recovery between testing days. Power cleans were tested first, followed by back squat and bench press. The athletes were familiar with all testing protocols provided by the Head Strength Coach and the assistant strength coaches.

Statistical Analysis To address the hypothesis regarding the impact of educational sessions on macro- and micronutrient consumption, supplementation, and sport hydration, participants were grouped based on whether they attended any of the three optional educational sessions. Initial grouping was based on comparing those who attended any educational sessions (experimental) with those who did not (control). Strength training outcomes, diet quality, and body composition variables were measured twice, at baseline and at 8-weeks post-baseline. Multiple 22 ANOVAs with time as a within-subjects variable and education as a between-subject variable were analyzed. Because attendance at educational sessions did not result in significant effects, groups were collapsed to consider change across time, with the initial consultation with individual athletes considered an educational session. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare selected variables across the two time periods.

Additional analyses were performed on specific dietary, body composition, and performance variables measured at 8-weeks post-baseline. Independent samples t-tests used median split comparisons for sodium, protein, and dietary solid fat to compare high and low groups on fat-free mass and performance measures. The HEI-2015 total score of 50 (USDA, 2019) was similarly used to separate participants into two groups, who were then compared using independent samples t-tests for BMI, weight change, fat-free mass, absolute fat mass and phase angle. Median splits were also examined based on extracellular water and total body water to determine impact on performance measures. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 software (28).

RESULTS

Analyses from the 22 ANOVAs using educational session attendance and time as independent variables indicated few differences between experimental and control groups. This unanticipated pattern of results suggested that there might be preexisting differences in our groups, such as ethnicity differences. Participation in the educational sessions was not well attended. Out of the initial group of 65 participants, 60% did not attend any educational sessions. Twenty percent attended one educational session, 12.3% attended two sessions, and 7.7% attended all three. When groups were collapsed to compare measures at baseline and 8-weeks post-baseline using paired sample t-tests, significant changes were seen in phase angle (t(53) = -2.301, p=.025) HEI-2015 total score (t(54) = -2.046, p = .046), total body water (t(53) = -2.501, p = .015), bench press (t(54) = -6.420, p < .001), power clean (t(54) = -3.494, p = .001) and squat (t(54) = -6.006 , p < .001). Marginal changes (p < .10) occurred for calcium and energy deficit measures (Table 1).

Table 1: Outcome Measures Collapsed Across Educational Session Attendance

Note. One participant was unable to complete the BIA measures. *p<.05, ** p<.001 Abbreviations: mcg, micrograms; mg, milligram, g, gram; kg, kilogram; %, percent; kcal, kilocalorie; oz, ounces; sd, standard deviation; BMI, Body Mass Index, HEI-2015, Healthy Eating Index- 2015

Education (see Table 2) indicated a participant attended at least one of the three optional intervention sessions. For energy deficit, there were marginal but nonsignificant changes over time (p < .10) (Table 2). Number of education sessions attended had no significant effect on HEI-2015 total score (p > .05) (Table 2).

Table 2: Energy Deficit and Total HEI Score Differences Based Upon Nutrition Education Session Attendance

*p<.05, ** p<.001 Abbreviations: Ed education; HEI, healthy eating index; kcal, kilocalories; SD, standard deviation

Following the initial group comparisons, an analysis was conducted at week 8. The examination was intended to assess whether making healthier diet choices impacted performance measures. HEI-2015 total scores were examined, as well as specific nutrients (i.e., sodium, protein, and solid fats) using data from the ASA24.

A HEI-2015 total score of 50, data taken at week 8, was used to separate participants into two groups to compare 8-week body composition outcomes of weight change and performance outcome measures including, bench, power clean, and squat. Table 3 evaluated the relationship between the two groups differentiated by HEI-2015 total score and body composition parameters. There were no significant differences in outcomes between the two groups (Table 3). Additionally, the two HEI-2015 groups were compared on 8-week outcomes including BMI, fat free mass, absolute fat mass and phase angle (Table 3). There were no significant differences between HEI-2015 groups on any of these outcome measures.

Table 3: Diet Quality and Body Composition Assessment at 8-weeks

Abbreviations: HEI, healthy eating index; BMI, body mass index; kg, kilogram; std., standard

Median splits of sodium, protein, and solid fats were used to divide participants into two groups and compared on the outcome measures of power clean, squat, bench press, and weight change at week 8. Participants who consumed lower levels of sodium (< 7427.5 g daily) performed better on squat (t(49) = -2.147, p = .036) and bench press (t(49) = -2.390, p = .021) measures, and tended to perform better on power clean, although this difference was not significant (t(48) = -1.685, p= .098) (Table 4). Participants who consumed higher levels of protein (>186.9 g) were not significantly different in power clean (t(48) = -.835, p = .408), squat (t(49) = -1.539, p = .130) or bench (t(49) = -1.807, p = .077), although bench press measures had a non-significant tendency to be higher for those in the lower protein group (Table 4). Participants who consumed fewer solid fats (< 66.0 g) were not significantly different in power clean (t(48) = -1.453, p = .153) or squat measures (t(49) = -1.825, p = .111), but performed better on bench press measures (t(49) = -2.50, p = .014) (Table 4). Due to the moderate altitude location of the research, median splits on extracellular water and total body water were examined in respect to the effects on performance outcome measures. All differences in performance were significant indicating better performance outcomes for student athletes with higher extracellular water and total body water. Specifically, those with higher levels of extracellular water (21.7 %) had a better performance for the bench press (t(49) = 4.216, p < .001) , power clean (t(47) = 2.819, p = .007) and squat (t(49) = 3.420, p = .001). (Table 4). Additionally, those with higher level of total body water ( 56.4 %) had a better performance for the bench press (t(49) = 4.482, p < .001) , power clean (t(47) = 2.819, p < .001) and squat (t(49) = 3.419, p = .001) (Table 4).

Table 4: Strength Assessment and HEI Scores, Sodium, Protein, Solid Fat, Extracellular Water, and Total Body Water at 8-weeks

Note. a, median splits based upon participant results at week 8 Abbreviations: HEI, healthy eating index; mg, milligrams; g, grams; kg, kilogram; std., standard

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of sport-specific nutrition education on diet quality, body composition, and strength training performance. The results indicated (i) improvements in diet quality (ii) body composition parameters remained constant (iii) dietary intake of sodium, excessive protein, and solid fat negatively impacted strength performance, and (iv) increased hydration status have proven statistically significant and can positively impact strength performance.

Sugar, fiber, cholesterol, total vegetable, total fruit, total grains, total dairy, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium outcomes did not result in any significant improvement over time, and were not associated with strength performance. The nutrition education intervention did not significantly improve HEI-2015 total scores, but diet quality improved over time. Although prior research indicated dietary compliance and nutritional knowledge improved following an 8-week nutrition education intervention among adolescent swimmers (50), the majority of participants in the present study did not complete the optional sessions. In the current study, the nutrition education intervention did substantially decrease energy deficit. Prior research demonstrated that energy deficit among athletes was reduced following attendance at four nutrition educational sessions (55). It is possible that participants in the study herein may have been seeking nutrition information from different sources such as the Internet, coaches, family, and friends (13), resulting in increases in calorie consumption. In the current study, the nutrition education sessions intervention yielded mixed results on HEI-2015 total scores and energy deficit. However, all participants received a brief individualized dietary consultation following baseline measures. Therefore, brief individualized recommendations may be an effective intervention strategy to make improvements in diet quality and reduce energy deficit.

Dietary quality was not a predictor of body composition in this study. Participants with HEI-2015 total scores of 50 and above were comparable to those with scores below 50 on BMI, fat-free mass, weight maintenance, and phase angle. Results from a previous study indicate that a higher diet quality score was associated with positive body composition parameters such as, lower body fat in adult men (16), and weight maintenance among university students (38). Additional research indicates that diet quality was negatively associated with snacking processed foods, but positively associated with body fat (4). The negative impact of poor snack choices may explain why our participants who scored lower on the HEI-2015 had greater, although statistically insignificant, fat mass. However, in contrast to the results presented by a different study (71), phase angle was not a useful assessment for measuring nutritional status because participants with lower diet quality scores had higher phase angle scores.

Dietary intake of sodium was a negative predictor of strength performance as measured by power clean, squat, and bench press. Participants reported consumption of foods with excessive amounts of sodium which is common among college students who frequently consume processed foods in campus cafeterias or fast food restaurants (3,49). Previous research suggests that slightly elevated sodium intake above the suggested daily amount (i.e. 2,000 mg) may help improve athletic performance (34,43). However, sodium consumption is typically timed in accordance to exercise (12). In the current study, not only was excessive sodium consumption detrimental to physical performance, but consuming higher than recommended amounts of sodium (2,300mg/day) was identified as resulting in negative implications for future health, including increased risk for hypertension and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke (45), and death (42).

There is a common assumption that protein supplementation is associated with greater gains in muscle mass and strength. This study found a trend toward greater strength gains when protein was not consumed in excess (1.8g/kg). In fact, protein supplementation has been shown to have little to no effect on trained individuals when dietary protein needs are met (48,54), including attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage (17). Protein supplements are processed food products and lack many essential nutrients necessary to sustain a healthy lifestyle (56). Because of the nutrient deficiency of protein supplements, it is recommended that collegiate football student-athletes avoid intake if they are already meeting their needs through a healthy diet (54).

Dietary intake of solid fat was negatively associated with physical performance; athletes who consumed less solid fat had greater improvement in strength performance. Non-athlete, college students have also reported a high intake of dietary fat consumption (70). High intake of dietary solid fats, which are common in processed food and fast food, can hinder physical performance (7,2). Elite athletes showed the greatest increase in sport performance when their diet consisted of a high consumption of protein and carbohydrates, but limited consumption of dietary fat (2). Although not measured in the study, frequent consumption of fast food (e.g., French fries and pizza) among college students could explain the high intake of solid fats reported by participants in the current study (20,52). The fact that university students tend to rate the most important factors for food selection to be taste, value, convenience, and cost may explain the prevalence of consuming high-fat processed, fast food (66).

Hydration is a crucial aspect in sport, especially when athletes are competing at elevation. Increased hydration status appears to positively impact strength performance (44). Extracellular water and total body water can be used as hydration status indicators; a deficit of total body water is predictive of dehydration (19, 24). In a study conducted among college age athletes, increases in intracellular water, which constitutes 65% of total body water, were predictive of improved performance level (61). Insensible evaporation of water is higher at altitude, increasing the likelihood of hypo-hydration (33). To allow for positive training adaptations at altitude, hydration status needs to be optimized (57).

CONCLUSIONS

The number of nutrition education sessions attended had no significance on improvements in HEI-2015 total score. However, there were significant increases in HEI-2015 total scores from baseline to week 8, indicating that the individualized nutrition intervention that every participant received may have been an effective intervention strategy. The HEI-2015 total score may indicate the impact of unhealthy diets as it is a combination of all aspects of ones diet but the examination of specific nutrients may be a better indicator for how performance may be affected. These individual markers of performance could be hidden by a HEI-2015 total score as one part of a diet might be considered good while another portion might be poor resulting in what looks to be an average diet. The potential performance markers seen in this study were sodium, protein foods, and solid fats which, when eaten in greater amounts shown to have negative performance effects.

APPLICATIONS IN SPORT

High dietary intake of sodium, protein, and solid fat appeared to have a negative impact on strength performance. Although not measured in the current study, consumption of fast food and processed foods, which tend to be high in sodium and solid fats, should be limited in athletes due to their tendency to be detrimental to physical performance. A well-balanced diet should be encouraged as a variety in dietary intake improves performance and disease prevention (25,40,59). Participants with a HEI-2015 total score 50.0 had overall, though statistically insignificant, less fat mass, lower BMI, and better weight maintenance. Strength performance improved from baseline to week 8 in 1 RM power clean, squat, and bench press; athletes who consumed lower amounts of sodium, protein, and solid fat had greater physical performance than those who consumed higher amounts. Due to the lack of significant findings from the intervention, future research could consider using an equivalency trial to compare the effectiveness between an individualized nutrition intervention at baseline and a lecture/classroom style nutrition intervention conducted over time.

Strengths and Limitations

There were numerous strengths in this study, including expanding upon previously collected data from another research study (65). Participant follow-up was successful, despite the lack of incentives. Researchers assisting with data collection were blinded to nutrition education intervention status to avoid bias. Additionally, having the strength and conditioning staff perform data collection reduced potential bias from researchers. The established professional relationship with the strength and conditioning staff increased opportunities for nutrition-related research while assisting athletes improve their diet and performance.

However, this study was not without limitations. Dietary recalls were conducted over only one 24-hour period, which does not accurately represent a participants daily dietary intake. Additionally, reporting bias from participants may have resulted in lower reported amounts of less-nutrient dense foods, sweets, and alcohol. Limited variability in dietary intake reduced the likelihood of statistical significance. Lastly, nutrition educational sessions were optional, making it difficult to identify a clearly defined experimental group.

While scripted education at the time of testing body composition may impact athletes diet, there appears to be a disconnect from nutrition knowledge provided and what is actually implemented by athletes. Thus, application strategies for diet as opposed to knowledge enhancement may be more appropriate in determining the effect on performance. Individually reviewing the dietary analysis with each participant could improve understanding among the athletes regarding how their diet affects performance. Athletes who reside and train at altitude (e.g., 6,000 feet) are recommended to increase carbohydrate, hydration, and iron (on an individual basis) intake due to altered environmental conditions (41).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Northern Arizona University.

Consent for Publication Not applicable

Availability of Data and Materials The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

FundingThis research was funded by the Eric M. Lehrman 2015 Trust.

Authors Contributions Jay Sutliffe: secured funding; developed study design; collected data; wrote and edited manuscript

Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the PRANDIAL Lab at Northern Arizona University as well as the individual athletes who participated in this research. Special mentions go to Jason Farrow, Heather Marquis, Chris Stanley, Steven Stanley, and Hannah Olsen for their help during data collection.

REFERENCES

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Assessing the Outcomes of a Brief Nutrition Education Intervention Among Division I Football Student-Athletes at Moderate Altitude - United States...

Visceral fat, also known as belly or abdominal fat, rings alarm bells because of its proximity to vital organs, such as the liver and intestines. In fact, it makes up one third of the infamous trio called metabolic syndrome - a group of conditions that heighten your chances of developing heart disease. Despite the obvious health risks, some people find weight loss fiendishly difficult to achieve.

There are many complex factors that may complicate a person's weight loss journey but one is trying to do everything at once and then being let down when you do not see instant results.

Weight loss requires persistence but more importantly, it requires an acceptance that you have to tackle it in stages.

First you should attempt to get your diet in order.

There is no single solution to tackle visceral fat but evidence suggests certain items boast fat-burning properties which can make them essential for anyone looking to reduce the harmful belly fat.

READ MORE:How to lose visceral fat - the best exercise workout routine to get rid of belly fat

One of the most promising is rosehip extract, a herbal tea or supplement derived from the Rose plant.

Studies show that rose hips from the Rosa canina plant are high in an antioxidant called tiliroside, which may have fat-burning properties.

In a 12-week study in 32 adults with excess weight, taking 100 mg of rosehip extract daily significantly decreased body weight and visceral fat, compared with the placebo group.

Furthermore, in an eight-week study in mice prone to obesity, those fed a high-fat diet containing one percent rosehip extract gained significantly less body weight and stomach fat than animals that did not receive the supplement

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As Maya Aboukhater, senior specialist dietitian at Bupa Cromwell Hospital, Bupa explained, if you want to reduce your belly fat, youll need to burn more calories (energy) than you consume, and eat the right kinds of food.

She recommended the following:

The above dietary goals can be achieved easily by sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet.

In fact, many studies have shown that low-carb diets are more effective at reducing visceral fat than low-fat diets.

In an eight-week study including 69 overweight men and women, scientists found that people who followed a low-carb diet lost 10 percent more visceral fat and 4.4 percent more total fat than those on a low-fat diet.

Additionally, the ketogenic diet, which is a very low-carb diet, may also help reduce visceral fat.

Ketogenic diets drastically reduce carb intake and replace it with fat.

This can put you in a natural metabolic state called ketosis, suggests research.

A study including 28 overweight and obese adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more fat, especially visceral fat, than people following a low-fat diet.

Interestingly, they did so while eating roughly 300 more calories per day.

Any form of exercise will also help to beat the belly fat into submission but optimal benefits can be reaped by combining resistance (strength) exercise and cardiovascular exercise, according to Aboukhater.

She explained: "Resistance exercises are a great way of helping you to maintain your muscle mass and your glucose metabolism (the way your body processes sugar and uses it for fuel), which are important for managing your weight."

Read more:
How to lose visceral fat: Taking this extract daily led to 'significantly' reduced fat - Express

KALAMAZOO, MI - From the empty bleacher seats to masked players keeping their distance in the dugout, Wednesdays opening day for the Kalamazoo Growlers 2020 season had an unfamiliar atmosphere at Homer Stryker Field.

What was familiar -- the snap of a fastball into the catcher's mitt and the crack of the bat -- were things the 100 fans in attendance had been clamoring for since the coronavirus COVID-19 put a halt on the sports world in mid-March.

"It feels fantastic," said Mike Woodworth, who was attending his second Growlers' game. "I've been waiting for it for what seems like three months now to be able to go out and see a live sporting event."

With less than 3 percent of Homer Stryker's 4,000 seats filled, the stadium experience was strange, but not completely unpleasant for Kalamazoo native Bill Ferguson, who was taking in the game from behind the backstop in the Dugout Club.

"Frankly, it's a little odd to be out here with so few people, but man, it's almost like a personal performance," he said.

For their loyal fans, the Growlers delivered a 7-2 win over the first-year Kalamazoo Mac Daddies, who were formed when the Northwoods League decided to open its college summer baseball season with a few teams clustered around different markets.

That creativity gave the league's players a chance to get back out on the diamond after missing the bulk of their 2020 collegiate campaigns, and it was a move much appreciated by DeWitt, Mich., native Eric Nordmann, whose son, Trey, made his Growlers' debut.

"It's a great experience not for just myself, but also the kids and all the parents involved because it's been such a heartbreaking thing when you know your kid works so hard -- all of them do -- and the parents work hard at getting their kids to this level of baseball, and to have it taken away so quickly, it's heartbreaking," Nordmann said. "Now getting to come back out here in Kalamazoo, where these people put together a great facility and a show for these kids, it's great and hopefully it just takes off."

Originally scheduled to start their season on May 26, opening day was five weeks in the making for the Growlers, and fourth-year field manager Cody Piechocki said it was hard for him to fathom the season was actually happening until Wednesday morning.

"I don't think I got excited until this morning because it just didn't feel real," he said. "I don't think it sank in until I got in my truck to come the ballpark, and then those opening-day feelings hit, and that first pitch happened, and it's just a great feeling."

The Growlers proved ready for action from their first at-bat, when Western Michigan star Blake Dunn drove leadoff home run to the opposite field to give his team a 1-0 lead, but the Mac Daddies rallied for two runs in the second thanks to a double from Central Michigan's Garrett Navarra and single from fellow Chippewa and former Jenison star Kyle Nott.

The Growlers tied it at 2 in the fifth inning off an RBI single from Richland Gull Lake grad and current Ball State infielder Trent Quartermaine, and they took a 3-2 lead in the sixth thanks to a single from Stanford University freshman Brett Barrera, before putting the game away with four runs in the eighth inning.

Kalamazoo Hackett grad and Trine University pitcher Adam Wheaton got the start in his home town and struck out two, while allowing two runs and three hits in two innings.

Gull Lake grad and current Grand Valley State pitcher Nate Wargolet relieved him, and was one of seven hurlers to throw a shutout inning for the Growlers.

Social distancing protocols made a proper postgame celebration impossible, but the Growlers players had fun with it, as they gave each other air fives to avoid touching hands.

It's another example of how baseball looks different in the time of COVID-19, but Piechocki said he's happy with how his team, and the franchise in general, has adjusted.

"I thought our front office and the league, we did a lot of meetings with our training staff from Bronson (Hospital), and I think we did about four hours of meetings on what the differences were going to be," he said. "You still have to fight athletes from wanting to be next to each other, but our athletes did a really nice job tonight of following the protocols, so I thought overall I was really pleased with that."

The Growlers return to action at Homer Stryker Field on Thursday for a 6:35 p.m. matchup with the Battle Creek Bombers.

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College summer baseball in Michigan starts on July 1; heres what to expect

Kalamazoo Growlers will convert baseball diamond into drive-in theater

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Kalamazoo Growlers win on opening day in front of 100 fans happy to see baseball - MLive.com

When a Sudanese asylum seeker stabbed six people before being shot dead by police one week ago today, the horror put a spotlight on those who dream of calling Scotland home.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, was one of 100 asylum seekers temporarily placed in Glasgows Park Inn hotel at the start of coronavirus lockdown in March.

His victims who include 42-year-old police officer David Whyte survived.

But delays to the asylum process are being blamed for causing additional strain on vulnerable people, many of whom are fleeing war, violence and persecution in their homelands.

Adams death came two months after a 30-year-old Syrian mans suspected suicide in another central Glasgow hotel.

Campaigners say the Home Office must deal with cases more quickly. The process was already prone to delays but, like so much else, has virtually stopped due to lockdown.

Immigration lawyer Andy Bradley told STV News that a sizeable minority are failed by the system, blaming Home Office maladministration and red tape.

This can leave asylum seekers in a state of limbo for years often isolated and impoverished; unable to work or begin building a new life.

He added: If there are lengthy delays this can be sometimes very stressful. Now during that period where they are awaiting a decision, their ability to integrate into Scottish society or Glasgow society is very limited.

Many asylum seekers just now, theyve not been able to get any interviews for the past three months or so and that does appear to be adding to the problem.

When someone seeks asylum in the UK, they undergo an initial screening with an immigration official. They are photographed, have their fingerprints taken and given an asylum registration card.

This is followed by a substantive interview in which they must prove why they cant live in their own country due to persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political views or other criteria such as sexuality.

If successful, the applicant is given leave to remain in the UK for five years, which can become permanent.

Around 40,000 people apply for asylum in the UK each year with just under half of those being successful. The Home Office says a decision is usually made within six months. However, many asylum seekers wait much longer.

One such hopeful is a woman from Namibia. She says she fled from her violent father who was trying to force her to marry one of her cousins.

The woman, who we are calling Venu to protect her identity, has been in Scotland for more than two years but has not had a substantive interview possibly due to a lack of translators who speak her Otjiherero language.

Venu is heartbroken at being forced to leave behind her seven-year-old daughter. She also feels guilty as she cant open a UK bank account to send money to the friend caring for her daughter.

In broken English, she told STV News: I dont know whats going to happen next. Im really stressed. Im suffering from depression.

You have to support your child, you have to support yourself. Its very hard, Im telling you. I want to bring my baby and my friend, I miss them very much.

Another asylum seeker we have spoken to says that if she was forced to return home, it would likely result in her being murdered due to her political activity.

The woman, who we are calling Leena, fled after she and her son were allegedly targeted by armed gunman in her home nation in south-east Asia.

They have been in the UK for more than three years while their lives have been at a standstill unable to get a job or contribute to society.

They are appealing against a Home Office decision to reject their asylum bid, on the grounds they could not provide sufficient evidence.

She said: So I dont know what to do in that situation. I cant be filming, I cant be taking photos. That kind of evidence the Home Office want.

We quickly pack everything and we run away and flee to Scotland. We can contribute a lot to the country and also can help to lift up the economy by paying tax, by helping I dont know why the Home Office does not want to consider all these things.

Others experience hostility and racism with the Park Inn attack heightening tensions.

Hekma Yagoub, from Sudan, has been in Glasgow for more than two years and has won the right to remain. Since last weeks attack she and her friends avoid going into the city centre.

She added: Personally I dont feel safe. Normally I cycle around Glasgow and I feel I need to take extra precautions just to do that. Normally, for example, I dont take my phone with me.

But now I think twice before I plan to go out and obviously this is because of this incident.

While the Park Inn remains a crime scene, the 100 asylum seekers who were staying there have been placed in another hotel by Mears Group the company that was paid by the Home Office to house and support those seeking asylum. Mears Group declined to comment.

Asked about asylum delays, a Home Office spokesperson said: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, some decisions have been delayed but we are continuing to make decisions where we have sufficient information.

We have put in place a range of measures to support asylum seekers during this time.

The Home Office also reject some campaigners accusations that putting asylum seekers in hotels during lockdown is similar to being imprisoned, saying they would be destitute but are provided with free, fully furnished accommodation while applications are considered.

They added: Like everyone else in the country during the coronavirus outbreak, asylum seekers have been asked to stay where they are and to follow social distancing to help fight the spread.

As such, throughout the coronavirus outbreak, we have put in a range of measures to support asylum seekers who are affected, including standing up accommodation.

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Failed by the system? Asylum seekers wait to call Scotland home - STV Edinburgh

We have yet to identify the best explanations for countries varying success in controlling the pandemic, which obviously is enormously valuable when designing public-health strategies with potentially huge consequences. But knowledge does not advance just by formulating plausible hypotheses.

CAMBRIDGE Certainty is like a rainbow: wonderful but relatively rare. More often than not, we know that we dont know. We may seek to remedy this by talking to people who may know what we want to know. But how do we know that they know? If we cannot ascertain whether they actually do know, we must trust them.

With COVID-19 inflicting massive economic costs around the world, the two billion people working in informal sectors will be the hardest hit. But if these workers are brought into the fold of the global economy, they can tap into huge stores of wealth that already lie at their fingertips.

Historically, we have bestowed our trust on the basis of science, experience, or divine inspiration. But what if the knowledge we seek does not yet exist, and even science knows that it does not know what is being asked of it?

That is the situation we currently find ourselves in with COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes it. Our knowledge of the new coronavirus is rapidly increasing, but utterly inadequate. We have not yet learned much about how to treat the infected, much less figured out how to make an effective vaccine. We do not even know how to control the pandemic reliably through social-distancing measures.

True, some countries have been remarkably successful in reducing COVID-19 cases and deaths from terrible peaks. The four countries that have so far recorded the highest number of deaths per million inhabitants in a single week are Belgium, Spain, France, and Ireland. New cases in these countries have now declined by over 95.5% from their respective peaks (and by 99.1% in Irelands case), suggesting that their lockdowns actually worked.

And yet, while other countries that introduced legally stricter lockdowns (as measured by the University of Oxfords Blavatnik School) and reduced mobility more (as measured by Google) avoided early deadly peaks, cases have continued to grow exponentially. Countries in this category include India, Chile, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Kuwait, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. And another group, including Israel and Albania, have experienced a resumption of exponential growth after they lifted successful lockdowns.

It doesnt take long to devise many hypotheses from the mundane to the speculative to account for these differences. And, obviously, identifying the best explanations for countries varying success in controlling the pandemic is enormously valuable when designing public-health strategies with potentially huge consequences.

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For example, large households may facilitate intra-family transmission of the virus, while a lack of refrigerators in some countries may force people to go to the market often. The unavailability of running water may prevent frequent hand washing. The publics willingness to wear masks may vary. The size of a countrys informal economy, households financial capacity to abide by lockdown measures, and the generosity of social transfers may be contributing factors. The seriousness with which lockdown measures are enforced, the level of trust in government, and even features of a countrys national character seem relevant as well.

But knowledge does not advance just by formulating plausible hypotheses. We must find out which ones hold water. And we can shorten the list by applying the nineteenth-century British scientist Thomas Huxleys dictum that many a beautiful theory has been killed by an ugly fact.

To do this, we just need to collect more data and make it available for analysis. In the United States, for example, about 40% of COVID-19 deaths to date apparently are tied to nursing homes. Likewise, a recent study of more than 30 European countries by researchers from Tel Aviv University found a relationship between installed nursing-home capacity and COVID-19 deaths.

These analyses are not rocket science. In fact, if anything, they are extremely crude, because they use national rather than postal-code-level data. Moreover, these studies appeared only after tens of thousands of people had already died from COVID-19.

Rather than being a scientific triumph, therefore, such findings illustrate how unscientific public-health policies to combat the virus have been. If we had assumed from the outset of the pandemic that we know that we do not know, we would have created rapid feedback loops to learn as quickly as possible from experience.

Specifically, we would have focused on gathering simple data about each COVID-19 case the date when the infection was confirmed, the patients age, gender, home and work addresses, means of transportation, and contacts and supplemented this with additional data on hospitalization and outcomes as the disease progressed. These data may already exist in many cases, but are hidden from society and often from officials by overzealous or turf-minded health ministers, and are not being made available to the many trained analysts who could contribute to policymaking. And as the OECD has suggested, governments could also adopt approaches that use individual cellphone data, Internet searches, and rapid telephone surveys, with due regard for privacy concerns.

Many governments believe that this kind of data-driven strategy for tackling the pandemic is beyond their capacity, and decide to piggyback on what other countries have learned by adopting best practices. This is the wrong approach. The pandemics effect on countries differs in ways that we currently do not understand and need to discover. Are people living in Peru in households without refrigerators actually more likely to be infected, for example?

Moreover, each lockdown and social-distancing regime is different, reflecting the many degrees of freedom in their design. Finding out what works and what doesnt on a daily basis is now critical, especially as we try to find ways to open up economies while holding down infection rates.

The fight against COVID-19 is still in its early stages, and it is not too late to start this effort. After all, Socrates said that knowing you know nothing is a contradiction in terms. Let us therefore make our knowledge of our ignorance about the virus, and of our ability to overcome it, a source of strength. Lets set ourselves up to learn.

Originally posted here:
The Road to COVID-19 Enlightenment by Ricardo Hausmann - Project Syndicate