Egypt blackouts become symbol of malaise a decade after Sisi's rise
By Aidan Lewis and Hatem Maher CAIRO For Egyptians grown used to a decade of reliable power supplies
1970-01-01 08:00
Lionel Richie joked he tried to 'bribe the pilot' after postponing gig due to stormy weather
Lionel Richie has apologised to his New York fans after he pulled his concert an hour after it was due to begin.
1970-01-01 08:00
China Evergrande to delay creditors' meetings amid fresh restructuring plan
Embattled property developer China Evergrande Group on Wednesday resolved to delay its meetings for the Hong Kong CEG
1970-01-01 08:00
Edmunds: Tesla wins the EV charge plug format war
You may be familiar with previous technology format wars, whether it be VHS versus Betamax or Blu-ray versus HD DVD
1970-01-01 08:00
Star Chef Jamie Oliver’s Businesses Are Returning to Profit
Jamie Oliver’s businesses have reported an increase in profit and revenues after falling over the last few years.
1970-01-01 08:00
Stop Trackers Dead: The Best Private Browsers for 2023
Online privacy is a major concern for everyone, and by far the biggest personal privacy
1970-01-01 08:00
Hinge reveals the top 25 prompts of all time that will 'guarantee conversation'
Some may argue that the most difficult part of dating apps is putting a profile together – well, one of them at least. That's before the love bombing, ghosting and a string of other modern dating behaviours come into play. For the first time since 2020, Hinge has revealed the 25 most successful Prompts, based on how often they lead to a conversation. The insight is a fun look into dating today and the creative way daters are expressing themselves on their profiles. It showcases some of the ways daters are stepping out of their comfort zone to show their most authentic selves. Before we launch into them, Hinge's director of relationship science, Logan Ury (she/her) offered three tips to get the most out of your online profile. Try using your voice if you're struggling with what to write Hinge’s Voice Prompts feature is one of the most authentic ways you can express yourself on your profile. 64 per cent of daters feel a potential match’s voice is an important factor in determining if they like them and almost half (49 per cent) of users have become more attracted to someone after hearing their voice. Be Yourself Successful profiles include a mixture of both humour and vulnerability, so lean into both your silly side and your more serious one. If you want to use the ‘The Way to Win Me Over’ Prompt, dig deep and think of something original and unique to you. Stop talking about your love for “The Office” and start telling us about your secret hobby as a herbal tea connoisseur. The Perfect Prompt Answer the Prompts in a way that encourages more in-depth conversation and leads to more meaningful connections. In other words, no one-word answers, please! Whatever it is you love about who you are, make sure other people can see it. This will help you present your authentic self. Your profile should be an extension of your personality. Ideally, your Prompts should give someone a sense of what you’re like and what it would be like to date you. Paint a picture of who you are by mentioning specific quirks or pleasures can help create a vivid image of who you are and help them picture what a relationship with you would be like. Still not sure where to start? Try using one of the following most successful prompts on the platform: The way to win me over is My simple pleasures I go crazy for Together, we could My most irrational fear We'll get along if I'm looking for This year, I really want to Typical Sunday A life goal of mine My greatest strength Dating me is like I’m convinced that I want someone who Unusual skills The key to my heart is First round is on me if What if I told you that I’m weirdly attracted to My Love Language is All I ask is that you I’ll fall for you if I won’t shut up about The one thing you should know about me is I bet you can’tSign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
This Morning’s Dr Zoe Williams: Why gut health could be more important than you think this summer
We tend to be more aware of aspects of our health that we can see – but your gut, and how you look after it this summer, could have a bigger impact than you think. “Although we can’t see our gut, it does influence the way that our bodies look on the outside as well,” said GP Dr Zoe Williams, one of the resident doctors on ITV’s This Morning. The health of our gut isn’t just about digestion, either. It’s closely linked to just about every system in the body, including skin, immunity, mood, and weight management, Williams explained. Signs of poor gut health can include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal discomfort. However there maybe less obvious signs too, Williams noted, such as general fatigue, feeling sluggish, low or lacking in energy, or your skin feeling unhealthy. According to new research by Activia, 82% of Brits agree it’s important to look after gut health, but nearly a half (47%) don’t know where to start. There’s growing evidence around the links between general health and the gut, and experts believe getting good sleep and regular exercise play a part. But, what else do you need to know? Gut health, weight and diet “Gut microbiome – the community of largely bacteria but also other microbes, like viruses, fungi, parasites that live in our gut – produce chemical signals which communicate with our brain and other parts of our body, and actually can send hunger signals as well,” said Williams, 43. “The make up of that microbiome can even influence hunger and food choices. “If we feed our gut microbiome well – with a diet that’s high in fibre with a diverse range of different types of plant fibres, including as many different varieties of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes as possible – those ‘gut bugs’ actually ferment fibre on our behalf, because humans can’t digest certain types of fibre.” Gut health and stress In our modern lives, we tend to have micro-doses of stress many times throughout the day, every day, Williams noted: “And as human beings, we’re not adapted to deal with that very well”. She using breathing techniques to stay calm during her work as a GP. “When we’re in that calm side of our nervous system (the parasympathetic), our body is better able to digest our food. Breathing exercises are something people can do multiple times a day. And it’s something I do between patients actually, I often do box breathing.” With this method, you breathe in for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, exhale for four counts, and then hold after your exhale for another four counts. It’s a two-way street when it comes to stress and the gut – and improving your diet can also help with stress. “The gut and the brain are physically connected by a nerve called the vagus nerve, [which] sends chemical messages to each other,” Williams added. “By making changes to improve your diet in order to try and support your gut microbiome, that in itself can actually also have an impact on on stress.” Summer travel can play havoc When it comes to travel, Williams said: “Some people are more affected than others, but it can really upset the gut.” From different time zones and foods, to having more alcohol and the effects of flying, it’s no surprise if you get more gut symptoms abroad. “I’m absolutely not the sort of person to say, ‘Don’t have a glass of wine or don’t have those extra croissants’, but you can try and combat it but making sure you’re really well hydrated and making sure you’re still getting in lots of fruit and vegetables,” Williams added. And if you’re travelling to a different time zone? “Try and get onto that time zone earlier. Sometimes people stay on a UK time until their second day, but if you can start living life according to the time zone you’re travelling to before you set off, your gut is more likely to adapt to that.” The power of a good diet Guts are creatures of habit, so while you may want to overhaul your diet, it’s a good idea to make changes gradually. “They don’t really like things to change too quickly, and they thrive when we have a very regular eating pattern and a good window of fasting, so it’s best to try not eat for at least two hours, ideally three hours before you go to bed at night,” suggested Williams. The main way to improve gut health is increasing dietary fibre intake – with a focus on variety. “We should be able to get 30 grams of fibre a day, and less than 10% of us actually manage that,” said Williams. “If you do it regularly, it can make a huge difference”. Switch up everyday staples – like white rice for brown rice, or kidney beans for mixed beans. “Include probiotics in your diet, yoghurts and kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, certain types of cheeses… you can use kombucha to make a salad dressing,” she added. “In summer, with the warmer weather, berries can really support your gut health. I love to eat berries in the summer.” Hydration also plays a part Williams continued: “If you’re eating lots of fibre and all the right types of foods, and you’re putting some probiotic foods in there, your body requires enough water to do the mechanical action of breaking it all down, and then to help it travel through the gut in the way that it should. “If you’re putting all that effort into your nutrition and exercising and sleeping and you just don’t have enough water, then you might not be getting the full benefit,” she warned. “Any drinks that are non-alcoholic count towards your fluid for the day, but watch out for sugar and artificial sweeteners.” Most people need between one-and-a-half to two litres of fluid a day to stay hydrated, but in hot weather or if you’re very active, then you may need more, Williams noted. Women can be more prone to gut issues “What we see clinically is that a lot of [gut] symptoms tend to affect women more,” explained Williams. There’s no definite answer as to why, but women have fluctuating hormones, which she says can cause gut symptoms too. Prostaglandins, the hormone that causes the womb to contract before menstruation, can make your bowel contract as well. “A lot of women get looser, diarrhoea or some discomfort the week before the period.” In addition, the postnatal crash after high oestrogen levels during pregnancy can impact gut health. “When you’ve had a baby, trying to have any form of routine yourself in that first few months, eating regularly and sleeping regularly is practically impossible,” Williams added. “The postnatal period is a really important time for people around the mother to ensure that she is well-nourished with really good quality food, and given time by other people to get the time she needs to rest as well.” Dr Zoe Williams is working with Activia to coach people on the A-Z of gut health and raising awareness of the gut as fundamental to your overall health. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Holly Willoughby’s Wylde Moon website has started an important conversation about ‘orgasm anxiety’ – here’s why it matters Vitamin D intake ‘may reduce cancer mortality in the population by 15%’ – study Men who cycle, jog or swim could cut risk of nine cancers – study
1970-01-01 08:00
Aymeric Laporte assessing options after Man City receive bid from Al Nassr
Man City have received an offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr for Aymeric Laporte, but he wants to consider his options first with Aston Villa still interested.
1970-01-01 08:00
Tribunal says Georgia teacher who read book on gender identity to her fifth grade class should not be fired
A three-person tribunal has recommended against the firing of a Georgia teacher who is at risk of being terminated after reading a book about gender identity to her fifth grade class, according to the teacher's attorney.
1970-01-01 08:00
Vegan diet can reduce hot flashes associated with menopause, study suggests
Plant-based diets with a sufficient amount of soy can reduce hot flashes while also aiding weight loss, according to the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS) trial. A study published by the North American Menopause Society in the journal Menopause found that a diet intervention is about as effective as hormone replacement therapy for reducing menopausal hot flashes, without the associated health risks. “We do not fully understand yet why this combination works but it seems that these three elements are key—avoiding animal products, reducing fat, and adding a serving of soybeans,” explained lead researcher Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine. “Our results mirror the diets of places in the world, like pre-Westernized Japan and modern-day Yucatán Peninsula, where a low-fat, plant-based diet including soybeans is more prevalent and where postmenopausal women experience fewer symptoms.” To conduct the study, researchers recruited 84 postmenopausal women that reported episodes of hot flashes two or more times per day. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups. One group was an intervention group that was on a low-fat vegan diet consuming half a cup of cooked soybeans daily, while the other was a control group with no dietary changes for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, researchers found that those on a vegan diet had a 88 per cent decrease in moderate to severe hot flashes and had lost an average of eight pounds. This is about the same success rate as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is usually 70 to 90 per cent effective against hot flashes. The trial was split into two parts, the first being published in 2021 and the second being published this year. It successfully addressed the point that there may be positive changes seen in menopause relief due to seasonal temperature variations. The first trial, which was conducted during the autumn season raised the question of whether this symptomatic improvement might have been attributed to cooler temperatures. But women who began the study as the weather warmed up in the spring had the same benefit, ruling out the effect of the temperature outside. “These new results suggest that a diet change should be considered as a first-line treatment for troublesome vasomotor symptoms, including night sweats and hot flashes,” explains Dr Barnard. Dr Barnard and the team agree said their results not only support putting diet and lifestyle at the forefront of the conversation with hot flash relief during menopause but also for other common complications such as weight gain and chronic disease implications. “This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a dietary intervention for menopausal symptoms,” Dr Barnard said. “As well, it is precisely the diet that would be expected to reduce the health concerns of many women reaching menopause: an increasing risk of heart disease, breast cancer, and memory problems.” The findings are published in the journal Menopause. Read More What are the symptoms of menopause and how can they be relieved? What’s the link between the menopause and anxiety? Menopause affecting your mental health? Experts reveal what to do What I gained (and lost) by walking 10,000 steps each day for 5 months Raven-Symoné details cosmetic surgeries she had before she turned 18 Nearly half of US adults are interested in taking weight loss prescription drugs
1970-01-01 08:00
Analysis-Country Garden undone by promise to bring 5-star life to China's hinterland
By Clare Jim HONG KONG China's financially beleaguered property developer Country Garden promised "five-star living" to the masses
1970-01-01 08:00
