my health journey

11/5/24 - Two traits centenarians share

11/4/24 - Six tips to boost your mood

10/28/24 - Health(ier) junk food

9/30/24 - 15 daily habits of successful people

9/23/24 - 15 simple lifestyle changes

9/21/24 - what makes a good life?  Make friends, keep friends, treasure friends.

9/15/24 - Cardiologists avoid these foods: red meat, white bread, instant ramen, salt, processed meats, chips, energy drinks, diet soda, cereal

9/11/24 - The healthiest people in the world play this sport

9/1/24 - 1 simple thing could help you live longer

8/16/24 - 5 Foods to Eat to Help Manage Your Cholesterol: oats, fatty fish, nuts, legumes, avocados

7/22/24 - food and inflammation

7/20/24 - health benefits of grapes

7/15/24 - Is red wine good for you?  yes yes maybe yes and no maybe questionable no

7/14/24 - How to store apples

7/13/24 - worst foods for your brain

7/9/24 - 10,000 steps?

6/25/24 - Is fish oil beneficial?

6/25/24 - Foods for clean arteries

6/22/24 - Wisdom From People Who Lived to Be 100

6/22/24 - 12 New Habits to Reinvent Your Health: sleep, walk, read, meditate, nature, foods, water, alcohol, smoking, socialize, electronics, hobby

6/22/24 - Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to being overweight or obese.

Losing weight and adopting healthier eating habits can have a significant impact on the progression of the disease.

Some of the most effective dietary strategies for putting type 2 diabetes into remission include:

Low-carbohydrate diets: Reducing carbohydrate intake can help lower blood sugar levels and insulin demand. A low-carb diet minimizes the consumption of bread, pasta, rice, and sugary foods.

Calorie restriction: Consume fewer calories by cutting back on portion sizes and avoiding high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like processed snacks, fast food, and sugary drinks.

Intermittent fasting: This dietary approach involves controlled periods of fasting. There are many different methods, such as the 16/8 method (fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window) or the 5:2 method (eating normally for five days a week and restricting calories to about 500-600 for two non-consecutive days).

Mediterranean diet: This diet is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats (such as olive oil), and low in processed foods and added sugars. A Mediterranean diet can help improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Plant-based diets: This dietary approach focuses on consuming whole, plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while minimizing or eliminating fatty animal products, such as red meat and processed meats.

6/12/24 - A far better idea is to store your apples in your refrigerator. But don’t just toss them on the shelf next to the milk and Tupperware leftovers; place your apples in the crisper bin, where they can last for — wait for it — up to 10 times as long as they would on your counter.

5/29/24 - There's no real scientific evidence to show that you need to bathe or shower after a certain period of time — it's mostly a matter of personal preference, Dr. Angela Lamb, director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Faculty Practice tells Shop TODAY.

5/27/24 - According to [Stephanie] Harrison, based on the available research, happiness actually impacts longevity a lot more than we might realize.

"Some of the most compelling research into happiness and longevity comes from the Harvard Grant study, one of the longest-term studies that followed a group of men for over eighty years," Harrison tells Parade. "Researchers discovered that good relationships are strongly correlated with physical health and well-being."

5/6/24 - NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) -- Consuming olive oil could help reduce the risk of dying from dementia, regardless of overall diet quality, a new study of U.S. adults suggests.

"Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain," the study's lead author, Anne-Julie Tessier, a registered dietitian and research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told UPI via email.

In a Mediterranean diet, olive oil "appears to have a beneficial effect against cognitive decline," said Tessier, who has a doctorate in human nutrition. "Higher olive oil intake was previously associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but its association with dementia mortality was unknown."

Researchers evaluated olive oil intake every four years with a food frequency questionnaire. They categorized consumption as never or less than once per month; greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 grams per day; greater than 4.5 grams per day to less than or equal to 7 grams per day; and greater than 7 grams per day.

During a 28-year follow-up, 4,751 dementia-related deaths occurred. People who inherited from both parents the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele -- a risk gene tied to late-onset Alzheimer's disease -- were five to nine times more likely to die from dementia, the study showed.

Meanwhile, adults who consumed at least 7 grams of olive oil per day, or half of one tablespoon, had a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death compared with those who never or rarely ingested olive oil. The results held steady after the researchers adjusted for APOE ε4.

3/6/24 - Eye exercises

3/5/24 - Brush teeth before breakfast

2/6/24 - whole wheat bread and diabetes: "Whole-wheat can have positive effect on blood parameters, such as blood sugar and fat profiles, in patients with diabetic."

11/14/23 - If you want to live a long, healthy life, there's good evidence that a healthy diet with enough fiber is key. 

Foods rich in fiber, including plenty of carbohydrates, are featured prominently in diets in the Blue Zones, areas of the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives.

10/19/23 - Pressed juice contains almost all the nutrients of full fruits and vegetables, minus one particularly good vitamin: fiber. When the fruits and vegetables are pressed, they lose the fiber that makes them crunchy or chewy.

10/9/23 - This article mentions that pistachios can help lower blood sugar.  These article from Healthline and this article from A1Cguide have more details.  I think I'll buy some pistachios from Costco as my net nut snack.  At first I was buying mixed nuts, then lately cashews.  This article mentions that cashews might be good for cholesterol while not raising glucose levels.  While this article says that cashews may be beneficial.

8/28/23 - Saw Barramundi (a type a fish) on sale at Costco, so I'm trying it out instead of my usual salmon.  Is it any good?  Here's what WebMD says, "Barramundi is a healthy type of fish to start including in your diet. It's nutritious sea bass with great texture, taste, and nutrition. 

Barramundi is low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a great source of essential nutrients. Some consider barramundi one of the healthiest seafoods. This fish is great for your cardiovascular system.

... Barramundi is sea bass with moist flesh and large flakes. It has a sweet taste that makes it easily adaptable for most recipes. Barramundi complements most flavors and recipes. You can cook it in most ways except for poaching. The barramundi is a versatile fish and is a good alternative to salmon due to its nutrition and sustainability."

8/8/23 - What about eggs?  This article from Cyrus Khambatta, PhD says "Eating eggs increases your risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, diabetes complications, and all-cause mortality. To maintain a low risk for these conditions, limit your egg consumption as much as possible."

7/13/23 - Interested in knowing the differences between a DASH diet vs. a Mediterranean diet? Both can offer the same types of heart and cardiovascular health benefits. But they both have their own unique differentiations as well!

This article will discuss the differences between a DASH diet vs. Mediterranean diet, their benefits, and how to decide which would be better for you!

6/21/23 - Certain foods, like oatmeal, nuts, and fatty fish, help to keep your cholesterol levels in check. And not all high cholesterol foods are bad for you. For example, eggs are high in cholesterol, but they’re also packed with protein and other nutrients. It’s the foods that are high in saturated fat that you need to worry about, because they can raise your cholesterol levels AND make you gain weight.

What are the worst foods for high cholesterol? Red meat, fried foods, and baked goods are notorious for raising levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the sticky kind that builds up in artery walls.

6/20/23 - Unlike many other foods that are high in carbohydrates, black beans don’t cause a spike in blood sugar. Studies have actually found the opposite. When people eat black beans with rice, their blood sugar levels tend to be lower than if they only ate rice. For people with diabetes, adding beans to a healthy diet can improve blood sugar control while reducing heart disease risk.

6/19/23 -  Due to increasing research around celery and celery juice, many nutritional experts consider celery to be a superfood. Like many superfoods, celery packs a nutrient-dense punch and offers a long list of both short and long-term health benefits despite being a common, everyday food item.

Many of the specific nutrients looked for in superfoods include fiber, antioxidants, and fatty acids, which are all closely linked to good health and longevity. Other superfoods include avocados, leafy greens, berries, and cinnamon.

6/18/23 -  Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for maintaining good heart health. They help lower triglycerides, reduce inflammation, and prevent the formation of blood clots, all of which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Omega-3s also help lower blood pressure, which is another significant risk factor for heart disease. Therefore, if you have a history of heart disease or are at risk for developing it, taking Omega-3 supplements every day could be beneficial.

Sammo Hung

A feature story on Sammo Hung from The Hollywood Reporter

Tokyo: Kung Fu Legend Sammo Hung on His Seven-Decade Career, Working With Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen

Hung popularized comedy-martial arts flicks, created the horror-kung fu genre and broke ground as an East Asian lead in the CBS series 'Martial Law.'

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Hong Kong action movie legend Sammo Hung has seen a lot, and moreover, his body has been through a lot. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the 72-year-old use a cane as he took the stage for a masterclass session at the Tokyo International Film Festival. But as he captivated an appreciative audience, the confidence and humor that have seen Hung through his illustrious career in martial arts movies shone bright.

Born into a showbiz family, Hung’s career began as a child actor while at the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera school in Hong Kong. He made his film debut in the early 1960s, aged nine. A slightly grainy, black and white clip of the film showed a fresh-faced boy Hung, to coos from his assembled admirers. “Training at the school was very severe. We learned all the fundamental movements. By the time you’ve graduated, you can do nearly any move,” said Hung.

One of his big breaks came when he fought Bruce Lee in the opening scene of 1973’s seminal Enter the Dragon. Lee’s death that year left Game of Death unfinished, and in 1978, Hung was charged with the fight choreography for the reshoots.

“I didn’t really get to spend much time with Bruce Lee. But his artful cinematic work made a big impression on me,” recalled Hung. “I was heartbroken when he died so young. It shocked people not only in Hong Kong, but all around the world. His fans and those of us in the industry who respected him so much were devastated.”

In his 1977 directorial debut The Iron-Fisted Monk, in which he also starred, Hung incorporated more of the comedy touches he had noticed audiences reacting well to in previous films. It helped kick off a trend for comedy kung fu flicks, made famous by rival and collaborator Jackie Chan in classics such as Drunken Master.  “And Hong Kong films at that time were mostly in Mandarin, but we used Cantonese [for The Iron-Fisted Monk], and from then on decided to do all our films in Cantonese,” said Hung.

His 1978 Enter the Fat Dragon, which he again directed and starred in, was released in Japan as Moeyo Debu-gon. All of his subsequent films have included Debu-gon (fat man) in their Japanese title, explained film critic and producer Jun Edoki during his introductory remarks.

Hung was also instrumental in creating the jiangshi genre of horror kung fu in the 1980s, inspired by his childhood love of ghosts and monsters. “I was always thinking about new elements that I could add to my action movies,” he said. “I barely took any time off during that golden era of Hong Kong cinema. I was still young and could go at that pace. Making movies was preferable to resting.”

While the 1990s didn’t see Hung reach the heights of previous decades at home, he starred in two seasons of CBS’s Martial Law from 1998 to 2000, making him a rare East Asian lead on a U.S. broadcast network show. Co-starring with Arsenio Hall, the show was a surprise hit, despite Hung’s dialogue being limited by his English ability.

“The hardest part of it all was the language. When people asked me if there was anything I would like to change about America, I told them I wished everyone would learn Chinese to make it easier for me,” said Hung with a big laugh.

Next up was a clip of the iconic table-top fight scene between Hung and Donnie Yen in Ip Man 2 (2010). Hung was asked if it was difficult to shoot the combat sequence with the athletic Yen, known for his martial prowess and training across multiple disciplines.

“It wasn’t hard work with Donnie, he’s very skillful, and I’m also very skillful. We could do a lot of those in one take. Donnie is incredible, but I’m even more incredible,” smiled Hung, to laughter and applause from the audience.

R.I.P. 2024

11/3/24 - Quincy Jones

10/29/24 - Teri Garr

10/23/24 - Jack Jones

9/29/24 - Ron Ely

9/29/24 - Kris Kristofferson

9/29/24 - Josh Ashton

9/27/24 - Maggie Smith

9/18/24 - JD Souther

9/15/24 - Tito Jackson

9/9/24 - James Earl Jones

9/6/24 - Sergio Mendes

9/1/24 - Teresa Bright

8/21/24 - John Amos

8/19/24 - Phil Donahue

8/15/24 - Wally Amos

8/15/24 - Peter Marshall

8/14/24 - Gena Rowlands

7/18/24 - Lou Dobbs

7/18/24 - Bob Newhart

7/17/24 - Cheng Pei-pei

7/14/24 - James B. Sikking

7/14/24 - Shannon Doherty

7/13/24 - Richard Simmons

7/13/24 - Ruth Westheimer

6/28/24 - Martin Mull

6/26/24 - Bill Cobbs

6/21/24 - Taylor Wiley

6/20/24 - Donald Sutherland

5/24/24 - Morgan Spurlock

5/17/24 - Dabney Coleman

5/11/24 - Roger Corman

4/11/24 - OJ Simpson

3/29/24 - Louis Gossett Jr. 

3/27/24 - Joe Lieberman

3/7/24 - Steve Lawrence

2/28/24 - Richard Lewis

2/19/24 - Emme Tomimbang (obituary)

2/2/24 - Carl Weathers

1/23/24 - Charles Osgood

1/4/24 - Glynis Johns

quotes

7/13/24 - positive thinking

7/13/24 - Eastern proverbs

7/9/24 - advice from centenarians

7/9/24 - Einstein's rules of life

6/26/24 - forgiveness

the minimalists

Most of us can only handle stacking, storing and stepping over our stuff for so long before we start to feel claustrophobic. We go on a cleaning spree and give (or sell) it all away. But that's only a temporary fix. Living small requires a more permanent shift. You might find it hard to believe, but there is a growing demographic of people convinced that no person needs a house full of possessions to survive. These aren't tent-dwelling hippies, but successful, intelligent individuals and families who have rejected the stuff-cluttered life for something more meaningful. Here are some of our favorites.

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus - The Minimalists

On the brink of turning 30, Millburn and Nicodemus (pictured above) discovered that working 70-80 hours a week for a corporation and buying more stuff didn’t fill the void. "In fact, it only brought us more debt and stress and anxiety and fear and loneliness and guilt and depression," writes the duo. So, they quit their jobs and took back control using the principles of minimalism to focus on what’s important in life. Since then, they've written hundreds of articles aimed at helping others embrace a life that's free from material and emotional cumbersomeness. Millburn claims to own around 288 things (even though he doesn't really count his stuff).

[via facebook]

***

6/15/24 - 14 quotes to inspire a minimalist lifestyle

6/22/24 - Ann Edgerton's minimalist home

6/25/24 - Becoming a minimalist was intoxicating

Blue Zones

[8/31/23] Dan Buettner, the man who popularized the idea that there are five Blue Zones around the world where people live some of the longest, healthiest, happiest lives, says people living in those zones all share five common traits.

"It is this interconnected web of characteristics that keep people doing the right things for long enough, and avoiding the wrong things," Buettner said.

Blue Zone residents, whether they're home in Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; or Nicoya, Costa Rica, all eat very little meat. Instead, they subsist on a largely plant-based diet filled with beans, nuts, and cruciferous vegetables, which Buettner has written about in a new book, "The Blue Zones secrets for living longer."

Blue Zone diets, which bear many resemblances to the healthy Mediterranean diet, are only about 50% of the Blue Zones longevity equation,  Buettner estimates.

"It's the scaffolding, this collagen," Buettner previously told Insider. "That keeps people eating the right way for long enough."

Here are the other four core principles that sustain life in the Blue Zones.

Move regularly, about every 20 minutes

Going to the gym is not a Blue Zones tradition.

"They don't exercise," Buettner said. Instead, people in Blue Zones are "nudged" into movement in little bursts throughout the day, by force of habit and, also, necessity.

"They're walking, or they're in their garden, or they're doing things by hand," he said.

In Buettner's home state of Minnesota, he credits shoveling the walks in winter, digging, weeding, and watering a garden in the summer with keeping him spry.

"I don't have a garage-door opener — I open it by hand," he said. "To the extent that I can, I use hand-operated tools."

He turned the inside of his house into a little mini Blue Zone, where he's getting up and moving all year round.

"I put the TV room on the third floor," Buettner told me, "So every time if I want a snack, I'd go up and down stairs."

The technique is one he's honed by studying life in the Blue Zones.

"It's being mindful of how to engineer little bursts of physical activity," he said.

Research has shown that such little energetic busts throughout the day can do a lot for overall fitness. One study published in 2019 showed that even 20-second, vigorous stair-climbing exercise "snacks" spread out over the course of a day could improve fitness.

"It's a reminder to people that small bouts of activity can be effective," study author Martin Gibala told Insider when his team's research came out. "They add up over time."

Live with purpose

In Japan they call it "ikigai," and in Costa Rica it's a "plan de vida." The words literally translate to "reason to live," and "life plan," respectively, and both concepts help residents of the Blue Zones feel there's a reason to get up and do what needs to get done each morning.

Studies also suggest that a sense of purpose in life is associated with fewer strokes and less frequent heart attacks among people with heart disease, as well as more use of preventive care.

One 2017 investigation from researchers at Harvard concluded that a sense of purpose in life is associated with better "physical function among older adults," including better grip strength and faster walking.

Enlist help from your friends 

Good health and happiness can be contagious, and obesity can too.

In Japan's Blue Zone, people form social groups called "moai" to help them get through life.

"Parents cluster their children in groups of five, and send them through life together," as Buettner explained in a video. "They support each other, and share life's fortunes and woes."

The trend is not unique to the Japanese. In Loma Linda, California, Blue Zoners (many of whom are Seventh-day Adventists) are more likely to share home-cooked, vegetarian potluck meals than meet one another over a Chipotle burrito or McDonald's fries.

Make 'the healthy choice the easy choice'

Buettner has created 75 Blue Zones "Projects" across the US, where cities and towns enact policies that change the entire environment people live in.

"We're genetically hardwired to crave sugar, crave fat, crave salt, take rest whenever we can," Buettner said. "We've just engineered this environment where you don't have to move. You're constantly cooled down or heated up ... and you cannot escape chips and sodas and pizzas and burgers and fries."

In cities from Minnesota to Texas, he's helped create healthier communities where policies favor fruits and vegetables over junk food, people form walking groups to move around town and shed pounds together, and many quit smoking, too.

All of this, he said, adds up to troupes of "biologically younger" people, who not only weigh less but suffer fewer health issues as they age.

"At every decade, you have more energy," he said.

This story was originally published in 2019, when Buettner's Blue Zones Cookbook was released. It has been updated.

Read the original article on Insider

[9/1/23 - Now I see there's a series on Netflix called "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones".]

***

[9/29/23] Here's another good article on the Blue Zones diet.  It's by Stephanie Thurrot writing for Today.

[8/30/23, posted 9/29/23] ABC News interview with Dan Buettner

[9/29/23] Here's Dan's original National Geographic article from November 2005, "Secrets of Long Life"

[2/25/24] Four Blue Zones

[6/22/24] People Who Live the Longest Swear by These 9 Rules

3 ways to tackle a clutter-filled space

Circular

Start from one side of the room and work your way around, organizing one space before moving on to the next.  Lorie and Linda took passes at her kitchen: first using labels to decide what would go where, then moving the contents cabinet by cabinet.

Outside-In

Step one: Clear up your surfaces (counters, tables, dresser tops) to get the most satisfaction for the least effort.  Next, tidy the floors (now you can move around!).  Finally, hit your "insides" (such as drawers) -- an easier chore if there's space to spread out.

Centralized

Best for collectors like Pam, this method has you take everything out of the storage spot (cupboards, closets) and get it into one place, like the middle of the floor, an adjacent room or the top of a bed, so you're forced to think hard about each item before it goes back in.

Women's Day, June 2013 [posted 5/21/22]

***

4/14/23 - Ten Genius Organizing Tips

2/12/24 - closet organizing tips (actually not just for closets)

4/3/24 - The Core 4 method

4/28/24 - Marie Kondo quotes

6/13/24 - Swedish Death Cleaning

Pat Sajak signs off

Pat Sajak hosted his final episode of Wheel of Fortune on Friday, and took time to thank the viewers of the enduringly popular game show he’s hosted for more than 40 years.

“The time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said during the episode. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all of you watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade. I’ve always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half hour a safe place for family fun — no social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”

Sajak, 77, announced a year ago that he would step down as host of Wheel of Fortune. Ryan Seacrest will take over as host of the syndicated game show starting with the 2024-25 season; he’ll be joined by Sajak’s long-time co-host, Vanna White, who will remain with the show for the time being.

Star Trek

[5/26/24]  This ia a two year old article that popped up on my phone titled "The beginner's guide to Star Trek: what to watch first".  The author ranks the TV series and it's pretty much the opposite of how I rank them.  [He ranks Picard worst and Deep Space Nine the best.]  Still the article was interesting.

learn anything faster

Science proves there are six ways you can learn and retain something faster.

1. TEACH SOMEONE ELSE (OR JUST PRETEND TO)

If you imagine that you’ll need to teach someone else the material or task you are trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more, according to a study done at Washington University in St. Louis. The expectation changes your mind-set so that you engage in more effective approaches to learning than those who simply learn to pass a test, according to John Nestojko, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology and coauthor of the study.

“When teachers prepare to teach, they tend to seek out key points and organize information into a coherent structure,” Nestojko writes. “Our results suggest that students also turn to these types of effective learning strategies when they expect to teach.”

2. LEARN IN SHORT BURSTS OF TIME

Experts at the Louisiana State University’s Center for Academic Success suggest dedicating 30-50 minutes to learning new material. “Anything less than 30 is just not enough, but anything more than 50 is too much information for your brain to take in at one time,” writes learning strategies graduate assistant Ellen Dunn. Once you’re done, take a five to 10 minute break before you start another session.

Brief, frequent learning sessions are much better than longer, infrequent ones, agrees Neil Starr, a course mentor at Western Governors University, an online nonprofit university where the average student earns a bachelor’s degree in two and a half years.

He recommends preparing for micro learning sessions. “Make note cards by hand for the more difficult concepts you are trying to master,” he says. “You never know when you’ll have some in-between time to take advantage of.”

3. TAKE NOTES BY HAND

While it’s faster to take notes on a laptop, using a pen and paper will help you learn and comprehend better. Researchers at Princeton University and UCLA found that when students took notes by hand, they listened more actively and were able to identify important concepts. Taking notes on a laptop, however, leads to mindless transcription, as well as an opportunity for distraction, such as email.

“In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand,” writes coauthor and Princeton University psychology professor Pam Mueller. “We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.”

4. USE THE POWER OF MENTAL SPACING

While it sounds counterintuitive, you can learn faster when you practice distributed learning, or “spacing.” In an interview with The New York Times, Benedict Carey, author of How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens, says learning is like watering a lawn. “You can water a lawn once a week for 90 minutes or three times a week for 30 minutes,” he said. “Spacing out the watering during the week will keep the lawn greener over time.”

To retain material, Carey said it’s best to review the information one to two days after first studying it. “One theory is that the brain actually pays less attention during short learning intervals,” he said in the interview. “So repeating the information over a longer interval–say a few days or a week later, rather than in rapid succession–sends a stronger signal to the brain that it needs to retain the information.”

5. TAKE A STUDY NAP

Downtime is important when it comes to retaining what you learn, and getting sleep in between study sessions can boost your recall up to six months later, according to new research published in Psychological Science.

In an experiment held in France, participants were taught the Swahili translation for 16 French words in two sessions. Participants in the “wake” group completed the first learning session in the morning and the second session in the evening of the same day, while participants in the “sleep” group completed the first session in the evening, slept, and then completed the second session the following morning. Participants who had slept between sessions recalled about 10 of the 16 words, on average, while those who hadn’t slept recalled only about 7.5 words.

“Our results suggest that interweaving sleep between practice sessions leads to a twofold advantage, reducing the time spent relearning and ensuring a much better long-term retention than practice alone,” writes psychological scientist Stephanie Mazza of the University of Lyon. “Previous research suggested that sleeping after learning is definitely a good strategy, but now we show that sleeping between two learning sessions greatly improves such a strategy.”

6. CHANGE IT UP

When learning a new motor skill, changing the way you practice it can help you master it faster, according to a new study at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In an experiment, participants were asked to learn a computer-based task. Those who used a modified learning technique during their second session performed better than those who repeated the same method.

The findings suggest that reconsolidation–a process in which existing memories are recalled and modified with new knowledge–plays a key role in strengthening motor skills, writes Pablo A. Celnik, senior study author and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“What we found is if you practice a slightly modified version of a task you want to master,” he writes, “you actually learn more and faster than if you just keep practicing the exact same thing multiple times in a row.”

-- from the Feeding Curiosity newsletter, 5/19/24

Google Maps features

 Google Maps can remember where you parked

gift economy websites

We all love a deal and it doesn't get much better than free.  There's a growing number of neighborhood free exchange apps and websites out there, which are helpful whether you're looking for stuff or getting rid of it.

Buy Nothing: The best known of the free exchange sites started in 2013.  Buy Nothing primarily focuses on their new app, but also exists in location-based Facebook groups.

Freeya: This app shows listings based on geolocation and handles many logistical parts of coordinating pickups -- including contractin the next person if the first person doesn't show.

Freecycle: This site, founded in 2003, boasts nine million members in 5000 towns worldwide.  If your town doesn't already have a Freecycle group, you can even start one.

what's on (and off) streaming? (2)

1/11/24 - well my entry got unpublished again.  It must be due to a link I included.  But I don't know which one.   All the links look legitimate to me.  So I'll just include the latest entry this time with no links and see what happens.  I wish they would tell me specifically what's in violation.

1/5/24 - Noticed Xena and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys are now on Amazon Prime.  As well as the five Hercules movies (see separate post).

Xena and Hercules

[6/6/10 9:03 PM] Hercules and Xena were two of my favorite TV shows when they aired over a decade ago. I think I liked Hercules/Xena because it was like a comic book come to life (and I used to like to read comic books). Kind of a cross between a comic book and a kung fu movie.

Anyway, I notice Costco is carrying Hercules Season 1 and Xena Season 1 for $16.99. It's a new set put out by Universal released on April 20. The original sets were from Anchor Bay, no longer in production, but sold on ebay.

Apparently the video wasn't that good on some of the early episodes. And apparently it hasn't been improved on this set, but the major feature is that this Universal set contains subtitles, while the Anchor Bay version didn't.

The Xena set is a better deal than the Hercules set. Season 1 of Xena contains 24 episodes on 5 DVDs. Season 1 of Hercules contains only 13 episodes on 3 DVDs. The Anchor Bay version of Hercules also included the 5 movies which preceded the series. So that's a better deal too. Plus the Anchor Bay version contained commentary on certain episodes by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst and others. The major drawback is that the Anchor Bay version doesn't include subtitles (or closed caption either on the first couple of seasons.)

No extras either on the Xena or Hercules, but the Anchor Bay Xena Season One was light on extras too (only on a separate CD-ROM).

Oddly Amazon is selling Hercules for $26.98 and Xena for $22.99. So Costco at $16.99 is clearly the better deal, even with the tax. But who knows how long Costco will be carrying them? (Hey, I saw they're selling the Three Stooges Collections again too! Sam Raimi and friends loved the Stooges.)

I couldn't resist the deal and picked up Xena today. Who knows how long it'll take me for me to finish watching? Still haven't finished Monk Season Two or Get Smart Season One, or Kung Fu Season One, or Bob Newhart Season Two (or did I even finish Season One yet)? I barely got started with V: The Complete Series (didn't even watch one complete episode yet). Evidently I'm more of a collector than a watcher!

... Well, I opened it up and started watching Cradle of Hope. I noticed the picture was pretty rough. But I guess still better than my VHS tapes off of Channel 2 or whatever channel it played on after that. I stopped that and went to episode 1, Sins of the Past, which looked pretty decent. Maybe it was because I was watching from farther away this time, but it seemed OK even when I got closer. I dunno. Maybe it's my eyes going bad.. Anyway, it looked OK on my standard 27" TV. But probably wouldn't look very good on a large screen (if you're sitting too close).

[6/9/10] Yep, it looks pretty blocky when looking at it closely on my 27" Panansonic. But passable on my Commodore 1702 monitor even up close. I think the video on V: The Complete Series is worse. But Kung Fu was pretty good IIRC.

Anyway, it was fun watching it again.

I think I might want to get Hercules LJ Season Two since I believe that played concurrenrly with Xena Season One. Let's see. The first episode of HLJ Season 2 was The King of Thieves (in which Bruce Campbell made his debut as Autolycus) and it aired 9/4/95 (that long ago?) The first episode of Xena (Sins of the Past) aired 9/4/95. Bingo.

Wow, talk about your Xena fanatics. Check out Whoosh! (from where the kung fu link above came from). Here's a few :) more links.


DVD Talk Reviews

Hercules, Season 1
Hercules, Season 2
Hercules, Season 3
Hercules, Season 4
Hercules, Season 5
Hercules, Season 6

Xena, Season 1 (wow, list price was 99.95 back then)
Xena, Season 2
Xena, Season 3
Xena, Season 4
Xena, Season 5
Xena, Season 6
Xena, Series Finale
Xena, 10th Anniversary Collection


Who sells the Anchor Bays new on eBay (do a search for Xena 10th Anniversary)? Let's see...

swashbuckle64 (generally sells them for 16.99 with free shipping)
featurepresentation2010
outthewazoo
Xenaversity2 (12/28/10)

[It looks like all of the above are now strangely inactive. The current seller is now legendaryheroes.]

***

[10/24/11] Noticed that Xena is available on Hulu Plus. But strangely not Hercules. Young Hercules is though.

Ah, apparently it's because Hercules is available on NetFlix. And Xena too. What about Kung Fu? Just on DVD. Get Smart? Just on DVD too. Charmed is available streaming and DVD. Bob Newhart on DVD and on Hulu Plus. Dick Van Dyke: streaming and DVD and free on Hulu!. Mary Tyler Moore: DVD, but free on Hulu too!. Everybody Loves Raymond: DVD with a few episodes available at TV Land. King of Queens: DVD. Batman? apparently nowhere legal (except on HUB)

***

[7/4/12] Apparently you can watch Xena and Hercules for free at Project - Free TV.  Quite possibly illegally though.

***

[9/14/12] They've now started showing Hercules: the Legendary Journeys on HUB.  The high def feed zooms in and cuts off the top and bottom of the picture.  The resulting picture isn't very sharp.

***

[9/23/13] Now that I have Netflix and access to all the episode of Hercules and Xena (well not the Hercules movies or the animated movie, but they do have Young Hercules too), I wonder if there is an order suggested to view them (mainly because the shows were on simultaneously for much their run).  Here are two suggestions (and another).

***

[1/5/24] After not being available for a while, Hercules and Xena are now on Prime Video (well SyFy had been showing Xena off and on, but all the episodes have expired from my YouTube TV library, so it's been more than 9 months).  They're also have the five Hercules movies. 

R.I.P. 2023

12/31/23 - Shecky Greene

12/26/23 - Tom Smothers

12/12/23 - Andre Braugher

12/8/23 - Ryan O'Neal

12/6/23 - Norman Lear

12/1/23 - Sandra Day O'Connor

11/29/23 - Henry Kissinger

11/28/23 - Charlie Munger

11/19/23 - Rosalynn Carter

10/28/23 - Matthew Perry

10/24/23 - Richard Roundtree

10/18/23 - Burt Young

10/15/23 - Suzanne Somers

9/29/23 - Diane Feinstein

9/25/23 - David McCallum

9/7/23 - Nadine Kam

9/2/23 - Bill Richardson

9/1/23 - Jimmy Buffett

8/26/23 - Bob Barker

8/17/23 - Bruddah Waltah

7/31/23 - Paul Reubens

7/26/23 - Sinéad O’Connor

7/21/23 - Tony Bennett

6/13/23 - John Romita Sr.

5/26/23- Ed Ames

5/24/23 - Tina Turner

5/19/23 - Jim Brown

4/27/23 - Jerry Springer

4/10/23- Al Jaffee

3/25/23 - Gordon Moore

3/9/23 - Robert Blake

2/19/23 - Richard Belzer

2/15/23 - Raquel Welch

2/13/23 - Phil Arnone

2/9/23 - Burt Bacharach

1/30/23 - Cindy Williams

most fondly remembered Oahu restaurants

I often write about restaurants that shined brightly in our island skies, but, sadly, are no longer with us. This time, I decided to do something different. Last week, I asked readers to vote on their top ten “gone but not forgotten” Oahu restaurants.

Over 150 of you responded, including Gov. Josh Green. I’ve tallied the votes in this 2023 snapshot of the 25 most-fondly remembered Oahu restaurants. This week, I’ll count down from number 25 to 13. Next week, I’ll reveal the top 12.

***

Last week, I unveiled No. 25 down to No. 13. They were: The Bistro at No. 25, Waikiki Lau Yee Chai, King’s Bakery, Indigo, Third Floor, Keo’s, KC Drive Inn, Kuhio Grill, Haiku Gardens, McCully Chop Suey, Yum Yum Tree, Like Like Drive In and No. 13, Patti’s Chinese Kitchen.

12.  Wisteria

11.  Ranch House

10.  Canlis

9.  Pearl City Tavern

8.  Fisherman's Wharf

7.  John Dominis

6.  Swiss Inn

5.  Alan Wong's

4.  Flamingo

3.  Columbia Inn

2.  Tahitian Lanai

1.  The Wiillows

The Greatest Song of All Time

Pythagoras, one of the major figures of Ancient Greece, claimed that music was the language of maths — that there was a science to making sequenced sounds appealing to the human ear. He effectively discovered that harmonics are a feature of physics, and ever since, scholars have been delving into the science of songs. In essence, there is theoretical correctness to perfectly composed music.

Within this, there are various knowns and unknowns. We know what notes are harmonious on musical scales. But then there are the unknowns that we might not be able to pin down, but we can still study the effects. You don’t have to think too much about Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ to know that you’re listening to the cry of a lovelorn fellow—even a babbling baby could somehow tell you that. The sounds simply invoke a weepiness from our psyche, and given we can monitor things like dopamine releases, this too can be scientifically mused (even if tribes are now throwing curveballs into our understanding of this).

So, with science able to analyse the various facets of music, both in terms of mathematical musicology and the emotive side of it that makes us ‘feel’, what song has been deemed the greatest? Well, Gizmondo gathered a team of neuroscientists and music experts to get to the bottom of this, and, naturally, ‘Africa’ by Toto came out on top. Genuinely. In an age whereby science has increasingly borne the scorn of society’s troubling conspiratorial revolution, you have to wonder whether this verdict is a helpful one.

“Toto turns out to be remarkably good and sophisticated according to musicians,” Dave Poepell, the Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, explains. “Toto was a group of hardcore, highly respected studio musicians. They crafted those songs pretty carefully and were incredibly successful with those four albums. And musicians actually really love Toto.”

Largely, this is determined through very natural means. “The best way to test a song is still a human,” Neuroscientist Daniel Glaser explains. “We can measure how people respond to songs in a bunch of ways, including brain scans, measures of chemicals in the brain, including dopamine (which is associated with the internal reward system reward perhaps you give yourself a pat on the back for selecting a great playlist). Actually measuring foot tapping or the smile muscles is probably just as good as most more ‘scientific methods’.”

However, while ‘Africa’ may well have been declared the winner as a bit of fun. Ultimately, despite music’s mathematical grounding, it is so much about response; aural beauty is still very much in the ear of the eloper. As Amy Belfi, who studies the brain’s reaction to music, explains: “The challenge in psychology, but especially when we’re looking at music, is the fact that there’s individual differences. Taste is so varied in terms of music. In several studies about musical chills or really positive responses to music, they have the participants in the study bring in their own music to listen to. So you would have to have a comparison of highly pleasing music versus non-pleasing music. So the highly pleasing music is totally different from one person to another.”

clear your stuffy nose

Winter is fast approaching, which means it won't be long before you wind up catching a cold. Even if it isn't severe, you'll still likely have to deal with one of the most miserable parts of being sick - the stuffiness. Having your nasal airways blocked is not only frustrating, it's painful since it causes your head to throb from all the pressure on your sinus cavities. You can try nose sprays or decongestants for relief, but it takes time for them to work, if they even do - the FDA recently revealed many are useless. So where does that leave you? Well one doctor is sharing his method on how to clear out clogged sinuses and nostrils in mere seconds.

His name is Dr. Mandell and he posted a video on YouTube that details how you can quickly drain your sinuses, using just your hands. All you need to do is place your thumb on your cheekbone and push in and then outward, all while pulling on your ear. A few seconds of that exercise and your misery should be over.

As for how to help with a stuffy nose, you'll need to squeeze your nose closed while taking in and holding a deep breath as you tilt back your head. According to the doctor, this action sends a message to your brain that triggers a reflex that drains and opens up your nasal area.

The doctor says the method works "like magic" and notes that you can do it as often as it is needed.

Find more tips from Dr. Mandell at his YouTube channel.

SAG-AFTRA reach tentative agreement with Studios

After a grueling 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios, a move that is heralding the end of the 2023 actors’ strike.

The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced. The strike will end at 12:01 am Thursday. On Friday, the deal will go to the union’s national board on Friday for approval.

SAG-AFTRA’s strike, coming as it did amid an ongoing writers’ strike in July, gave the union an unusual amount of leverage early on in its talks with the AMPTP. Almost immediately, most remaining unionized U.S. productions that were operating without writers shut down, including Deadpool 3 and Venom 3. An as the months of the work stoppage stretched on, a strategist at the Milken Institute has estimated that the strikes have cost the California economy alone at least $6 billion.

Now and Then

The day has finally arrived: The Beatles' final song "Now and Then" is here, and it's 46 years in the making. The song made history by having its radio debut across iHeartRadio stations nationwide across multiple formats.

In 1977, John Lennon recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home at the Dakota in New York City. In 1994, his wife Yoko Ono gave the recording to the band's surviving members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” The latter two were completed as new Beatles songs and respectively released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of The Beatles Anthology project. The trio also worked on parts for "Now and Then" but technology at the time restricted them from separating Lennon's vocals from the piano, and they were unable to achieve the clear mix they needed to release it.

Fast forward to 2021, and Peter Jackson's team behind The Beatles: Get Back docuseries found a way to de-mix the film's mono soundtrack. They applied the same technology to "Now and Then" and were able to isolate Lennon's vocals. The next year, McCartney and Starr set out to complete the track, which includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by Harrison, who passed away in 2001; Starr’s new drum part; and bass, guitar and piano from McCartney that matches Lennon’s original playing. McCartney also added a slide guitar solo inspired by Harrison, and he and Starr contributed backing vocals to the chorus.

“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional," McCartney said in a statement. "And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”

“It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out,” Starr added.

George's wife Olivia Harrison spoke about his contributions, saying: "Back in 1995, after several days in the studio working on the track, George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani and I know he would have whole-heartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now And Then.'"

John's son Sean Ono Lennon also spoke about the track, saying: “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that Dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”

"Now and Then" will be released as a double A-side single along with The Beatles' very first single, "Love Me Do," making it a truly full circle moment. It will also be the final track on a new version of The Beatles' anthologies 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and Blue albums. The latest edition of the anthologies, featuring 75 tracks, will be released on November 10.

Listen to "Now and Then" below.

***

The Beatles are ready to tell the story of "Now And Then," the final song to feature all four members of the band, ahead of its iHeartRadio World Premiere on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday afternoon, the band released a short film explaining the genesis of John Lennon's "Now And Then" as a potential Beatles song, the technical hangup that forced George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to abandon work on it in 1994, and the recent breakthrough that made it possible to finish the song and produce it with a quality befitting the Fab Four.

You can watch the film via the player above!

The documentary includes exclusive footage, as well as commentary from Harrison, McCartney and Starr, as well as Sean Ono Lennon and filmmaker Peter Jackson.

The best diet for life (Mediterranean Diet)

[8/23/09] The Mediterranean diet is among the most highly recommended eating plans. But which of its components brings the biggest benefits? In a recent study in the British Medical Journal, researchers tracked 23,000 adults in Greece. They found that eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes (like beans and peas) had the greatest impact on increasing longevity. Also associated with a longer lifespan: consuming moderate amounts of alcohol and less meat. Surprisingly, a high intake of cereals and seafood had little to no positive effect.

[11/1/23] How to follow the Mediterranean diet in 6 easy steps, according to a Spanish dietitian

98.6

Over the past few decades, evidence has been mounting that the average human body temperature is not really 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, most people’s baseline is a little bit cooler.

The standard of 98.6 was established over 150 years ago by the German physician Dr. Carl Wunderlich, who reportedly took over a million measurements from 25,000 people. Temperatures ranged from 97.2 to 99.5, and the average was 98.6. Dr. Wunderlich also established 100.4 degrees as “probably febrile.”

However, a study published in September that evaluated the temperatures of more than 126,000 people between 2008 and 2017 found that the average is closer to 97.9 degrees. Other modern-day studies have reported similar numbers. 

Feel Good Movies

Vanity Fair has a list of 31 feel good movies.  I'd agree with three of them: Princess Bride, Sister Act, Akeelah and the Bee.

Personally, my two favorites are Oh God!, and Heaven Can Wait (Warren Beatty).

strengthen your knees

My left knee has been bothering me lately, so this article may be just what the doctor ordered...

How to Strengthen Your Knees If You Have Aches and Pains from Running

 It’s hard to talk to non-runners about running without having them ask the inevitable question, “What about your knees?” It makes sense: The repetitive impact of running can be tough on your lower body, and running has long had a bad rap when it comes to knee injuries.

But running on its own isn’t as bad for the knees as people previously thought. Runners who logged the most mileage in a study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research actually had less knee pain than the other participants.

That said, “the knee is the anchor of our running gait, thus taking on the brunt of the impact with every step of our run,” says Bethann Wittig, an RRCA-certified running coach, NASM-certified personal trainer, and Fitness and Personal Training Coordinator at Rutgers University.

Knee injuries are still common—they account for 28 percent of injuries in runners, according to data published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. “The most common knee injuries are overuse injuries: too much distance, intensity, frequency, or a significant change in terrain that overstresses the tissues around the knee,” says Ben Reuter, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., author of Developing Endurance. And given its location halfway between your hip and your foot, your knee is susceptible to problems in both areas.

That’s why “strengthening the muscles that surround our knees is key to stability and injury prevention,” says Wittig. “The knee is involved in the full running gait cycle: When we flex it, the hamstrings contract; to extend it, the quadriceps come into play. All of these interconnected muscles need to be strengthened in order to protect that knee.”

When there are weakness or imbalances in those muscles, it can lead to issues like runner’s knee, or pain under your kneecap (which accounts for approximately 25 percent of running-related injuries, according to research from Orthopedic Reviews); patellar tendinitis, or pain below your kneecap and at the top of your shin; and iliotibial band syndrome, or pain on the side of your knee.

Your knee isn’t working independently from the rest of your body, so a consistent, whole body resistance training program is important for strengthening all your muscles, so they can withstand not just the repetitive muscle contractions or running, but also be better able to absorb the forces that come with each foot strike, says Reuter. 

How to use this list: Wittig and Reuter both recommend incorporating knee-strengthening exercises twice a week to get the full benefits. If you’re feeling any knee pain, take a day or two off of running and do these moves instead. If you’re looking to use them as a preventative workout, perform this workout on an easy running day or rest day. Start with your body weight and then add weight once you're feeling confident with your form. Perform each exercise for the reps and sets listed. They are demonstrated by certified personal trainers so you can learn the perfect form. You will need a towel and a resistance band.

Squat

person standing

person squatting

How to do it: Stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, and hands clasped at chest. Sending hips back, then bend knees to lower down as far as possible while keeping your chest lifted. You should lower down until thighs are at least parallel to floor. Press through heels and engage glutes to return back to the starting position. Repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 

Why it works: “A squat is a compound movement that strengthens the knee by focusing on large lower body muscles: the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes,” says Wittig. This move helps improve knee mobility and strength.

Reverse Towel Lunge

person standing

person lunging forward with one leg

How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart with a towel or slider under right foot. Slide right foot back as you bend left knee, allowing left hip to flex, and lowering left knee to floor. Press left heel into the floor, then drive upwards to return to standing. Do 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each side.

Why it works: Reverse lunges focus on balance and stability through the knee joint. “They’re great for the knee because your front leg remains safely anchored while the exercise improves stability with the unilateral movement,” explains Wittig.

Single-Leg Deadlift

person standing

person leaning forward with one leg back

How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Lift right foot just off of the floor, making sure not to let right hip shift out to the side. With a microbend in left knee, hinge at hips as right leg lifts straight out behind you and lower chest toward the ground. Continue until chest and right leg are nearly parallel to the floor in a straight line. Pause, then squeeze glutes to return back to starting position. Do 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each leg.

Why it works: Single-leg deadlifts improve stability and strength through the posterior chain (your back, hips, glutes, and hamstrings)—which will protect the knee joint—as well your core and ankles. “Single-leg exercises work your balance, are specific to running, and are less likely to overload the body,” says Reuter.

Lateral Banded Walk

person crouched

person crouched and walking to side

How to do it: Loop a resistance band around your ankles. Starting with the feet shoulder-width apart and the knees slightly bent, take 15 steps to the right, then 15 steps to the left. That’s 1 set. Move slowly, stepping wide enough to feel the band’s resistance, and think about pushing the knees out (rather than allowing them to collapse inward). Complete 2 to 3 sets of 30 total reps.

Why it works: You’ll feel these in your glutes—specifically the gluteus medius, which helps stabilize your hips and pelvis while running, which is important for equal transmission of forces from the heel through the knee to the spine during training, says Wittig. “Glute activation is shown to reduce the rate of knee injuries,” she adds.

Lateral Lunge

person standing

person lunging to the side

How to do it: Start in a standing position, then step to your left foot way out to the left, send hips back and bend left knee until hamstring is about parallel to the floor as right leg stays straight. Push off the right foot and return to the starting position, then repeat on the left. Complete 20 total reps, alternating legs. Do 1 to 2 sets.

Why it works: Runners move in the sagittal plane (forward and back), but training in all planes of motion decreases the risk of overuse injuries, says Wittig. “Lateral lunges train the frontal (or side to side) plane of motion while strengthening the muscles around the knee,” she explains. They also “put less direct load on the knee joint compared to traditional squats and lunges.”

Step Up

person standing holding weights in front of a small boxperson standing on box with one leg lifted

How to do it: Stand in front of a step or bench. Step up with right foot, then drive the left knee up toward your chest so hip and knee form a 90-degree angle. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 8 reps on each side. Repeat for 3 sets total. Add a set of dumbbells for an extra challenge as you progress.

Why it works: Another compound movement, step ups—when controlled with a slow lowering (or eccentric) movement—are key for building deceleration of the leg for the running gait cycle, says Wittig. “This is the job of the posterior chain, including the knee joint,” she explains.

Split Squat

person standing with leg on box behind them

person squatting with one leg

How to do it: Stand a foot or two in front of a bench, box, or step. Reach right foot back and place the toes on the bench. Bend left knee to lower as far as you can with control. Push through left foot to return to standing. Do 2 or 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg.

Why it works: This kind of resistance training for the knee and hip joints moves you beyond the range of motion that you generally move through while running while challenging your stability and strengthening your lower leg muscles, says Reuter.

Ashley Mateo is a writer, editor, and UESCA- and RRCA-certified running coach who has contributed to Runner’s World, Bicycling, Women's Health, Health, Shape, Self, and more.

spiritual wisdom

In 1445, Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type, individual letters that could be moved around a printing press to change what words were transferred to the blank page. Empowered by this revolutionary technology, he printed the very first book ever published: the Bible. Before the printing press, monks painstakingly hand-copied every edition of the Bible, often taking three years or more to complete the task. Gutenberg could produce 180 copies of the book in the same amount of time.

After Arabic movable type was produced, the first printed edition of the Quran rolled off the presses in Venice, Italy, and was exported to the Ottoman Empire in 1538. By the early 1800s, Hindu scripts were likewise being mass-produced. As religions the world over embraced Gutenberg’s invention, sacred books became more available, and less expensive, than ever before.

For centuries, religious texts were often the only books in a household. Children learned to read by tracing their fingers down the pages, and in the evenings families would convene to hear stories of faith, love, and devotion. Collected here from a variety of religious texts are words of deep wisdom from cultures around the world, made ubiquitously available online through technology that Gutenberg never could have dreamed possible.

***

When there is harmony between the mind, heart, and resolution, then nothing is impossible.

~ Rig Veda

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

~ The Bible, James 3:13

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

~ Tao Te Ching

Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.

~ Tao Te Ching

Michael Keaton's Batman - what could have been

Michael Keaton's Batman was originally set to appear in multiple projects after The Flash, but those appearances will no longer happen.

Three Stooges channel

Noticed the other day that there is now a free Three Stooges "live" channel on Freevee (actually accessed with the Prime Video app).  They only show the public domain Three Stooges episodes, but also have some movies with Ted Healy, some standalone shorts with Shemp, and some cartoons.

Apparently it's also on Sling.  Yep, it's in the Comedy section.  Even better on Sling, is that you can watch the shows and movies on demand.

Dick Van Dyke Show turns 60

 This was the feature story in Parade on Sunday, October 3, 2021.

are you recycling properly?

This quiz will help you sort it out

anti-inflammatory foods

The term "inflammation" might sound scary, but it's a completely normal biological response. In fact, inflammation is essential for staying healthy. However, not all inflammation is good for your body—which is why eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods is so important.

Here's a quick explainer: Inflammation happens when your immune system responds to tissue damage, like injuries or infections, says registered dietitian Maddie Pasquariello. It triggers a cascade of cellular responses, which work to heal wounds and fight germs. This process also causes symptoms like swelling and pain, which signal to you that something is amiss, says Pasquariello. This type of inflammation is temporary or "acute"—but when it becomes chronic or severe, it can contribute to conditions such as arthritis, dibaetes, and cancer, says Pasquariello.

There's where lifestyle habits, such as diet, come in. In addition to staying active, managing stress, and limiting alcohol, eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods can help manage inflammation and potentially reduce the risk of chronic disease. Generally, this involves eating foods high in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and unsaturated (or "good") fats. But which foods check these boxes? Ahead, discover the best foods for reducing inflammation, according to registered dietitians.

Berries

Berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are teeming with anthocyanins, or plant pigments that give fruits and vegetables their purple-red color. According to Pasquariello, these anthocyanins can reduce inflammatory molecules, thus managing inflammation. "Anthocyanins are also antioxidants, helping to scavenge for free radicals. [This also lowers the risk of] chronic diseases that can produce inflammation," says Pasquariello. Additionally, berries contain noteworthy levels of vitamin C, another nutrient with anti-inflammatory actions.

Fatty Fish

Inflammation is no match against fatty fish, from briny sardines to buttery salmon. The lean protein contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have an inflammation-lowering effect on the body, says Pasquariello. Omega-3 fats can even change the composition of cell membranes and prevent pro-inflammatory mechanisms from being activated in the first place, she adds. The American Heart Association recommends eating two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish per week, which you can easily do with tasty dishes like salmon patty wraps.betes, and cancer, says Pasquariello.

Olive Oil

In case you need another reason to drizzle olive oil on your next salad or sandwich, the ingredient is particularly helpful in quelling inflammation. "Olive oil has many anti-inflammatory components, but the most well-known are omega-3 fatty acids," says Amy S. Moyer, M.Ed., RDN, LDN, CCMS, registered dietitian and assistant professor at University North Carolina at Greensboro. Olive oil also contains polyphenols, plant compounds with anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric

Turmeric is another anti-inflammatory ingredient that deserves a shout-out. This is due to curcumin, the main component in the spice. Not only does curcumin give turmeric its iconic yellow color, but it offers potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well. "However, curcumin has poor availability, meaning it's poorly absorbed and quickly metabolized and excreted from the body," says Moyer. "Fortunately, combining curcumin with black pepper resolves the problem, [as it significantly increases] the bioavailability of curcumin in the body."

With that in mind, be sure to add a bit of black pepper to your next golden latte or turmeric-infused soup to get the most out of the spice.

Avocado

Whether you prefer avocado spread on toast, mashed into guacamole, or blended in a smoothie, eating the creamy fruit will help manage inflammation. According to Pasquariello, avocados are rich in inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, "avocados are a good source of vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory properties," says Moyer. The best part? Avocado oil offers these same benefits, giving you another way to reap the food's inflammation-busting benefits. Try using it in homemade vinaigrettes or high-heat cooking methods, such as roasting.

Nuts

"Nuts contain many micronutrients—like proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and stilbenes—as well as omega-3 fatty acids, all of which can help reduce inflammation," says Pasquariello. They also provide phytosterols, which may work against some of the body's inflammatory pathways. "Almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts are especially high in these [phytosterols]," says Pasquariello. To take advantage of these anti-inflammatory nutrients, try tossing a few nuts into your next snack or salad, or use nuts to coat your go-to protein.