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As desire for walkable streets grows across Cincinnati, is ‘road dieting’ the answer? It depends – WCPO

Aug 27th, 2017
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CINCINNATI -- The city's most recent road enhancement at the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive/Interstate 71 interchange resulted in a massive, nine-lane thoroughfare cutting through Avondale.

But not all Queen City road projects have widening in mind. Some roads are trimming the fat.

It's part of a growing trend in the country's urban centers as more city-dwellers are choosing to ditch their keys and look for alternatives to auto commuting.

Often referred to as a "road diet," the New York-based nonprofitProject for Public Spaces uses the more inclusive term, "rightsizing,"and the idea is pretty straightforward: Design a street for those who are using it.

That seems to be the logic behind theMLKinterchange project -- a busy exchange between two highways, one an interstate and the other a U.S. route, that sees a lot of auto traffic, including frequent use by emergency vehicles.

"It was problematic getting in and out of the area," said Brian Cunningham, with the Ohio Department of Transportation, referring specifically to ambulances and access to the multiple hospitals located in the vicinity.ODOTmaintains Martin Luther King Drive, which conveys U.S. 127.

There was some debate, though, over theMLKinterchange, especially among pedestrian and public transit advocates as well as neighborhood leaders.

"People are definitely not going to want to walk on the sidewalk with nine lanes running through there," said Cameron Hardy, president of local transit advocacy group, the Better Bus Coalition. "That seems extremely busy; that seems loud."

As more Cincinnati neighborhoods are looking to become more walkable and bike-friendly, that means road projects are bringing with them narrower -- and fewer -- lanes. This is where the idea of the "diet" comes in.

WCPOInsiders can read more about what a road diet is and where it has been effective so far.

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Extension Connection: Petscaping Your Yard – Canton Daily Ledger

Aug 27th, 2017
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A walk in the park or a scroll through Facebook quickly show how many people have cats and dogs.

A walk in the park or a scroll through Facebook quickly show how many people have cats and dogs. The American Pet Products Association estimated that approximately 44 percent of all households in the United States had a dog, and 35 percent had a cat in 2015-2016. These pet owners love to watch their furry friends frolic and roll in the lawn. They also cringe when the animals dig up, eat, defecate on, and sometimes destroy their yards.

Petscaping creates a yard where dogs and cats can safely live and play. Those who petscape avoid plants that are poisonous to pets and safely use yard and garden chemicals.

Petscapers might also include plants that are safe for pets to eat. Cat owners, for example, might landscape with catnip and valerian plants that cause intoxicating effects in some cats. Other plants cats like to eat (without getting them high) include cat thyme, cat grass, lemon grass and other mints. Dog owners might plant extra fruits and vegetables to supplement their kibble. Remember to always get your veterinarians approval before changing a pets diet.

Unfortunately, there are also plants to avoid in a pet friendly landscape. The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine website athttp://vetmed.illinois.edu/poisonplants/provides resources and lists regarding potentially poisonous plants.

Sometimes homeowners use chemicals to help plants grow, control Japanese beetles, kill dandelions or stop rose diseases. The best way to protect your pets from lawn and garden chemicals is to read and follow all label directions. This includes all fertilizers and pesticides, such as insecticides and weed killers. First, be sure the product is labeled for the location where it will be used. For example, lawn products often cannot legally be used on food gardens. Second, read the precautionary statements to see if the product is toxic to animals. In particular, check to see if there is a time period when pets should not enter the area after application (also called reentry interval). If no interval is listed, keep pets and people out of the area until the sprays have dried or the dusts have settled. Third, follow all directions for use. Do not use more product than directed on the label. Finally, store and dispose of chemical products properly. A locked cabinet or room is best to avoid accidental pet exposure.

When petscaping a dog-friendly yard you might include a designated potty area, exercise space, shade and water. Horticulture Educator Chris Enroths Dog Gone Lawn article in his Green Speak blog discusses this further and provides tips to keep dogs from tearing up the lawn. For links to both of these articles, as well as other petscaping sites, visit my ILRiverHort Blog atgo.illinois.edu/ILRiverHort.

Use petscaping ideas to be sure you and your pet enjoy the dog days of summer safely in your yard this summer.

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5 Tips For Traveling Safely With Food Allergies – POPSUGAR

Aug 27th, 2017
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I was diagnosed with a severe allergy to berries and red fruits when I was an infant, and I've also been on a gluten-free diet for the last four years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not celiac nor severely allergic to gluten, but intolerant, part of that group of people identified as "gluten sensitive." And guess what? I travel the world looking for the best places to eat and drink to write about . . . funny, isn't it?

Traveling with food allergies can be annoying and intimidating, leaving us and our travel companions with a constant sense of fear about what could happen if, accidentally, we end up eating something we can't have. So said, fear and anxiety don't control my life, and that's why every time I travel, I ensure I won't have problems or that at least I will be in control if something happens.

Let me be straight: it hasn't been easy, especially in the past, because there are many things you've got to consider when you travel with an allergy. But the more I experience and travel, the easier it gets, and this also boosts my confidence and my desire to enjoy the adventure.

Here are some tips on how to travel safely with one (or more!) food allergy.

Have a chat with your doctor and ask him or her to write you a note, signed, with all the things you're allergic to. Don't be picky; put everything on it, including the variations of one single type of food. Mine doesn't contain a general indication of "red fruits," but it details every single fruit I'm allergic to. If you're allergic to more than one food, put everything in the same document and make sure you carry a copy with you (in your wallet or bag) and you also have a copy to be left in your luggage. In the same doc, you can also add all the information about your health insurance, the drugs you can take in case of intoxication, and emergency contact numbers.

Make sure to bring food allergy translation cards to communicate your allergy to restaurant servers, in case you're not fluent in the language of the country you're going to visit.

Not only do you need a document, but you also need to add all your medical information on your smartphone so that in case of need, people can rely on your phone for more information (both if you travel solo or with someone else, be self-sufficient and make sure you can be saved in any situation!). I don't recommend wearing a wristband with allergy information because today the mobile phone can do everything and is not so invasive, while the wristband can really impact the life of a traveler (and imagine if you also wear jewelry and an activity tracker what a nightmare!).

FoodMaestro is a great app to look for the safest ingredients in every single product without reading the labels. Food Allergy Translate is ideal to translate your dietary needs in foreign languages.

Every time I travel, for work or for pleasure, I do my research to come up with a list of hospitals and local allergy associations. Sometimes I also get in contact with local associations asking for advice and this has proven to be one of the best experiences ever, because at the end of the day, people with allergies are a big community and everyone is happy to help others.

Make sure you also research the best restaurants, local grocery stores, and places able to cater to your needs, and don't be afraid to eat only what you recognize as safe for your health! When you order a dish, specify it doesn't contain the ingredient you're allergic to, always being clear (I always add, "I'm highly allergic, I could die by eating this food!"), and if your allergy doesn't allow you to eat food cooked or prepared near the source of your allergy, then your research phase must be even more serious to end up with a list of selected places where you feel, and are, 100 percent safe.

Do not forget to have a chat with the hotel you're staying in before or immediately upon your arrival, asking for information about its policy in case of allergy.

At least one week before leaving (but this depends on the airline), get in contact with the airline and make sure to request a special dish for your flight, but be prepared. Unfortunately, in most cases, you'll end up with a questionable dish, so follow my recommendation as a long-time traveler with (a good amount of) allergies: pack the right amount of food to be consumed on the plane, making sure you bring both sweet and salty food, and do not forget to pack extra safe snacks in case of delays or problems of any kind. If this sounds silly or makes you feel ashamed, just remember a serious allergy is not a whim, and if your allergy can compromise your life, you have all the rights to prevent it! Make sure you have a look at the International Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Alliance for information about international airlines and their policies in case of a severe allergy on board; just recently, I was on a plane with Aer Lingus and no peanuts were served because a passenger was highly allergic (if you're wondering, nobody complained at all!).

If your food allergy is severe, always bring at least two epinephrine injections, making sure they're properly labeled. Remember that they're a medical need, so they're allowed to be carried aboard.

Overwhelmed? Don't be. Just be confident and practice, and the more you travel, the easier it will get and you'll be able to have fun, no matter your food allergy!

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Bonnie Burke

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Cialis daily use dosage – Cialis for daily use 5mg cost – Laughlin Entertainer

Aug 27th, 2017
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Theres a lot to be said for being in the right place at the right time, but could Air Supplys long-time success be the result or a chance meeting or was the cosmos working overtime on a little something called destiny? Maybe, but one thing is for surenone of it would have been possible at all without their hard work and tenacity to make it happen.The two Russells, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, happened to be cast in the same Sydney, Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975, and everything changed after that.

Many an audience member has probably asked himself if a fine looking group of ladies about to take the stage could possibly do justice to one of the most popular rock bands in the world. Its a legitimate question considering its not easy music to play, so a person cant help but wonder if the music will be taken as seriously as the people in the audience do. However, once the guitars are plugged in and the girls dig into those first few chords, the obvious answer to that question is, oh, hell, yes.

Many a cook tries their hand at duplicating foods they love in restaurants and specialty shops, telling themselves, it cant be that difficult. Often times, theyre right. It can be doneand its pretty simple. However, sometimes, its not as easy as it looks.Mexican food for example looks easy because ingredients are simple, sauces are often slow-cooked and meat is marinated, making this comfort food one of Americas favorite. Recipes are often handed down and each time theyre prepared, a spice might be tweaked or flavor added, depending on taste and preference.

Its been 40 years since Elvis Presley died (August 16, 1977) and millions of people still have the date circled in red on their calendars. People still remember and they still mourn. Some internet sites have gone to the extent of estimating what he would look like now, if he were still here in the physical.This time of year Memphis fills up with more people than usual as crowds in large numbers make their pilgrimages to Graceland for visits to his home while tribute shows pop up all around the country to remember the huge icon that he was.

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Key chocolate ingredient may help combat diabetes: study – India Today

Aug 27th, 2017
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Washington, Aug 27 (PTI) Scientists have discovered certain compounds found in cocoa - the key ingredient of chocolates - can help the body release more insulin and respond to increased blood glucose better, an advance that may lead to new therapies to treat diabetes.

When a person has diabetes, their body either does not produce enough insulin or does not process blood sugar properly. At the root of that is the failure of beta cells, whose job it is to produce insulin.

The new study, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, finds beta cells work better and remain stronger with an increased presence of epicatechin monomers, compounds found naturally in cocoa.

However, rather than stocking up on the sugar-rich chocolate bars, researchers believe that they need to look for ways to take the compound out of cocoa, make more of it and then use it as a potential treatment for current diabetes patients.

"You probably have to eat a lot of cocoa, and you probably dont want it to have a lot of sugar in it. Its the compound in cocoa youre after," said Jeffery Tessem, assistant professor at Brigham Young University in the US.

Researchers fed the cocoa compound to animals on a high- fat diet. They found that by adding it to the high-fat diet, the compound would decrease the level of obesity in the animals and would increase their ability to deal with increased blood glucose levels.

The team then dove in and dissected what was happening on the cellular level - specifically, the beta cell level.

They found that cocoa compounds named epicatechin monomers enhanced beta cells ability to secrete insulin.

"What happens is its protecting the cells, its increasing their ability to deal with oxidative stress," Tessem said.

"The epicatechin monomers are making the mitochondria in the beta cells stronger, which produces more ATP (a cells energy source), which then results in more insulin being released," he said.

While there has been a lot of research on similar compounds over the past decade, no one has been able to pinpoint which ones are the most beneficial or how exactly they bring about any benefit?until now.

This research shows the epicatechin monomers, the smallest of the compounds, are the most effective.

"These results will help us get closer to using these compounds more effectively in foods or supplements to maintain normal blood glucose control and potentially even delay or prevent the onset of type-2 diabetes," said Andrew Neilson, assistant professor at Virginia Tech in the US. PTI MHN MHN

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The gut microbes of modern hunter-gatherers reveal one big problem with your diet – Popular Science

Aug 27th, 2017
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When we eat, we're not just feeding ourselves. The multitude of microbes that reside inside our guts get fed, too. These microscopic beings are crucial to our survival, yet we still know very little about how they keep us thriving. Understanding what makes a microbiome particularly healthy could help us cultivate the ideal colonies inside our stomachs. For now, all scientists really know is that it seems to be better to have a diverse group of microbes than a more homogenous bunchand that our internal critters change drastically in response to our dietary habits.

To better understand this, a team of scientists studied the microbiomes of a unique group of individuals: The Hadza people, a hunter-gatherer community living in Tanzania. They found that the gut microbiomes of this tribe are far more diverse than ours, and that they change with the seasons. So much so, in fact, that entire groups of microbes appear and disappear depending on the time of year. The research group published their results this week in Science.

We know that diet is one of the most impactful levers we have on altering the relative abundance of microbes in ones microbiota, says Sam Smits, a grad student in microbiology at Stanford University and lead author of the study.

If you want a group of people whose lifestyles are completely unlike those in the Western world, you can't get much better than the Hadza. Like our pre-agricultural ancestors, their days revolve around finding food. But despite their lack of access to medical care, they tend to live long, healthy, and productive lives. Because of this, researchers are fascinated by what they can tell us about how the human body functions.

The area of Tanzania where they live experiences a dry and wet season. The Hadza's diet changes accordingly; they consume mostly meat and vegetables in the dry season and mostly fruits and vegetables during the wet season. Smits and his team collected fecal samples from the Hadza community over several seasons, then analyzed the bacteria they found there. The team then compared those results to those of Americans who participated in the Human Microbiome Project.

It turns out that the microbiomes of the Hadza changes drastically with the seasons. Certain species of microbe disappear entirely from the gut as the season changes and reappear again when that season comes back. And as a whole, the Hadza's microbe diversity was far greater than that of the average American.

The most surprising component to me, however, was when we began to look at which species were disappearing and reappearing," Smits says. "It is in fact those microbes that are virtually undetected in industrialized populations surveyed to date."

In other words, they seem to periodically lose the microbes we ourselves have lost forever. Or until we figure out how to get them back, anyway.

But why is a gut chock full of diverse microbes so important? Our gut microbes do way more than you might think. They help us digest and break down food, releasing key nutrients that our bodies wouldn't otherwise be able to access. And there's increasing evidence that our gut bacteria are actually involved in nearly every organ system in the body, allowing us to establish a healthy immune system and knock out bad bacteria and pathogens.

Having a diverse microbiome helps us effectively defend ourselves from infections. Smits likens this to a typical home garden. If you blanket a small plot of dirt with just a few species, it will certainly not maximize the possible yieldand it also wont stand up well to pests. We know that diverse microbiotas maximize the utilization of available nutrients and consequently make it more challenging for invading pathogens to take up residence in our guts, says Smits.

Smits and his team surmise that the Hadza have an extremely fibrous dietand their food prep habitsto thank for their flourishing gut flora. Humans cant digest and break down most fiber, so a lot of it sits in the gut intact. That provides an excellent nutrient source for hungry microbes.

Surprisingly, the average Hadza microbiome is at its most diverse during the dry season, when their diet shifts to be heavy in meat. The researchers think thats because the Hadza prepare their food immediately after capturing it, which means they're more likely to consume all the microbes that lived inside that creature's gut.

How will this help us? As we continue to move further and further away from the diets that our ancestors evolved to thrive on, its becoming clear that our microbiomes are suffering. Understanding what a more diverse microbiome looks like will help scientists figure out what a healthy microbiome looks likeand how we can reverse engineer one.

But one thing is already clear to Smits and his team: Eating a more varied, fiber-rich diet is key to a healthy, diverse microbiome. We consume foods that are overwhelmingly low in fiber and now possess one of the least diverse microbiomes on the Earth, says Smits. Americans consume, on average 15 grams of fiber a day. By contrast, according to the authors, the Hadza consume about 100 grams, as their diets contain no processed food groups.

Smits and his team plan to continue to study the Hadza's gut bacteria. They also plan to study specific microbes effects on animal health using mice. More research is needed to understand exactly what species of microbe should be living inside of us. For now, the biggest takeaway is something you probably already knew: you likely aren't getting enough fiber. And the key to getting more is as simple as eating more vegetables and eschewing heavily process foods.

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How Conor McGregor’s Weight Loss Ahead of His Big Fight May Harm His Body – Scientific American

Aug 27th, 2017
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Before he faces off against undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, UFC champion Conor McGregor must conquer the scale.

And that could prove an even more dangerous opponent.

In pre-fight trash talk, Mayweather has claimed that McGregor looks extremely heavy and has been scrambling to try to drop 10 pounds. (Both fighters have to come in under 154 pounds at the weigh-in on Friday afternoon if their much-hyped bout is to proceed.)

The truth is, though, shedding 10 pounds in a couple days is no big deal for most MMA fighters.In the past, McGregor has reportedly cut more than 25 pounds in eight days time.

The key question is whether they can do it without damaging their health. And even the nutritionist charged with guiding McGregor to his fighting weight said thats a difficult balance.

Its nothing Id recommend to everyday people, George Lockhart, the nutritionist, told STAT in an interview. I always tell people if health was your number one priority, MMA is not the sport you should be going into.

MMA fighters are known to dehydrate themselves using everything from saunas to sweat suits, hot baths to water pills to shed up to dozens of pounds in the days ahead of a weigh-in. After making weight, they try to quickly regain it by eating food and drinking water in hopes of gaining the competitive advantage of size over their opponent.

Lockhart, a former fighter and Marineveteran, generally starts on the Tuesday before a weigh-in. He removes sodium from a fighters diet and offers herbal diuretics that include potassium to replenish lost nutrients. Hell also have a fighter taper water consumption over several days two gallons on Tuesday, one gallon on Wednesday, occasional sips when thirsty on Thursday. The day before the weigh in, Lockhart takes carbohydrates out of fighters diet and cleans out his or her intestinal tract. On that final night, fighters sometimes work out or take a hot bath.He monitors vitals, including body temperature and blood pressure, throughout the process.

Ten pounds in four days is like a hiccup, Lockhart said. What Floyds talking about, it just shows hes probably never cut weight before.

But dropping weight that fast even just 10 pounds draws concerns from doctors. Dr. Larry Lovelace, a ringside physician in California, told STAT several fighters have died over the past few years from the practice, which athletic officials have called the biggest problem in the sport today.

A 2013 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that 39 percent of MMA fighters studied experienced significant or serious dehydration before their fights. Lovelace said the body doesnt fully rehydrate for at least two days well after a fight ends. That means fighters could experience muscle cramps and loss in agility while in the ring, he said.

It only takes 2 percent dehydration to impair your performance, Lovelace said. Theres no way theyre going to recover, and its definitely going to affect their performance.

There are bigger health risks, too. They include:

The brain: When a fighter takes a punch to the head, the brain rattles off the front and the back of the skull. Thats not healthy in the best of conditions. Dehydration makes it worse. The brain is bathed in fluid, said Dr. Edmund Ayoub, vice president of the Association of Ringside Physicians. Without that fluid, the brain has less cushion. Therefore, the risk of injury could be greater for a fighter who spars during the process of weight cutting. The brain can hit harder against the skull, Ayoub said. You may have more [risk for] brain injury.

The heart: A fighters heart beats faster than normal when dehydrated. If you normally walk around with a resting heart rate of 72, now it may be 90 or 100, Lovelace said. So going into a cage to fight, there are potential cardiac risks.

In a 2013 interview with Vice Sports, ringside physician Dr. Michael Kelly said dehydration can impact how the body regulates sodium and potassium levels and, in turn, mess with the cardiac fibers conducting electricity inside the heart. So if those signals arent propagating along the channel correctly, Kelly said, the heart can go into an irregular heartbeat or fatal heart rhythm and wind up in cardiac arrest.

The kidneys:Nephrons, the tiny structures inside the kidney that produce urine to remove waste from the body, malfunction without enough water.Your kidneys literally dry up, Ayoub said. When kidneys get dried up, you can get kidney damage. In 2015, fighter Johny Hendricks had to be rushed to the emergency room after weight cutting led to intestinal blockage and a kidney stone. Doctors say theyre also at risk of sustaining chronic kidney issues due to the practice.

Ayoub thinks fighters would remain healthy if they made sure to lose no more than 2 percent of their body weight each week. If McGregor had to lose 10 pounds, for instance, he should aim to shed it over three weeks instead of just one, Ayoub said.

Lovelace, though, said there is nothing to be gained from the practice of weight cutting,in part because both fighters are often doing the same thing, canceling out any potential advantage from packing on pounds immediately after the weigh-in.

Lockhart, for his part, believes fighters will keep cutting weight no matter what. So he considers it his job to help them do it as safely as possible. Theres no degree for weight cutting, Lockhart said. You need people to show them how to do it in the proper way.

MMA writer Iain Kidd, who has observed Lockharts training methods for a forthcoming book, puts it this way: There are ways to do it safer but not ways to do it safely.

Republished with permission fromSTAT. This articleoriginally appearedon August 25, 2017

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Weight loss: This is the best trick YOU can do to lose weight without even trying – Express.co.uk

Aug 27th, 2017
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Weight loss can be made much more likely if you weigh yourself everyday, a new study has found.

While previous experts have recommend weighing yourself less for weight loss success, it now seems the reverse may be true.

Scientists at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania discovered that when women weighed themselves daily over the course of two years, they lost weight.

The study looked at 294 women at university, who were of different weights and body shapes, and measured their body fat percentage.

The scientists found that the women who weighed themselves everyday avoided weight gain and even experienced weight loss.

The losses in BMI and body fat percentage were modest, but still significant, especially keeping in mind that these women were not part of a weight loss program, said Diane Rosenbaum, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

We did not expect that, in the absence of a weight loss intervention, folks would be losing weight.

The study was published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Meghan Butryn, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel said: Regularly weighing yourself can motivate you to engage in healthy eating and exercise behaviors, because it provides you with evidence that these behaviors are effective in helping you lose weight or prevent weight gain.

Similarly, if you see weight gain on the scale, that information can motivate you to make a change.

An expert in body transformation has revealed some exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home to help reduce stomach fat.

Chris Wharton, a specialist in body transformation, said: He said: By carving out just 10 to 20 minutes a day to create a morning routine, you can make a profound improvement to your physique.

Now only will you look great, you will have a lot more energy, enjoy much better sleep quality and feel far happier in general.

Carol Kirkwood, a weather girl for the BBC, has revealed her plan for keeping slim.

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How Ellie managed to lose a whopping 115kg – NEWS.com.au

Aug 27th, 2017
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She used to smash burgers, now she smashes triathlons. Picture: Supplied

TWO YEARS ago, Elle Gooddall was a very different person.

My whole life was based around food, she tells Kidspot. I didnt do any physical activity at all. There were times when I tried I knew I needed to lose weight but it never lasted very long.

At her heaviest, Elle weighed 184 kilograms.

I ate McDonalds and KFC three meals a day and it wasnt just one meal for each sitting it was about three.

The now 29-year-old had diabetes and sleep apnoea. Doctors told her she wouldnt live past 40 if she continued with her unhealthy lifestyle.

At her heaviest, Elle couldn't reach to tie her own shoes and had to have others help her stand from a seated position. Photo: SuppliedSource:Facebook

When food is your life and its taken away

Elle knew she would have to do something drastic, but when her doctor mentioned a gastric sleeve, she was resistant at first.

I wasnt keen on surgery, she said. Id never had surgery in my life and the thought scared me.

With a gastric sleeve they cut out and remove half your stomach so whats left is quite small.

Elle first tried to lose weight on her own, but wasnt able to, and in the end decided to have surgery.

In preparation, she went on a shake diet to lose fat around her liver, saw a dietitian and psychologist too to make sure she was mentally prepared.

When food is your life, mentally you need to be able to cope. This thing you rely on is being taken away. Thats what the surgery is; it makes it so you cant eat anymore, she says.

At 184 kilograms, doctors were concerned Elle wouldn't live past 40. Photo: FacebookSource:Facebook

Losing more than 100 kilograms

It took Elle a year and a half to lose 115 kilograms.

It was quick, quicker that most people because of the changes I made along with surgery, Elle said.

Four weeks after surgery my doctor cleared me to exercise. I started working out, walking on the treadmill, doing weights.

Elle knew she didnt want to slip back into her old life, but it wasnt easy.

I was the worst person to be around. I was so angry. Id throw things across the room if my husband told me I couldnt have food, she said.

Eventually I started to learn about food and the amazing flavours you can get out of eating healthy. I started making my own soups, experimenting with herbs and spices.

The flavours were so much better than what I was getting from McDonalds.

Then one day she met a woman who had had the same gastric surgery.

Shed put all the weight back on and then some. I told myself, Thats not going to be me. I cant afford for this not to work, she says.

As a teenager, Elle loved to swim, and she returned to the sport after surgery. Photo: FacebookSource:Facebook

How to conquer an Iron Man

Cleaning up her eating and exercising for the sake of it wasnt enough for Elle.

I wanted to do something drastic, she says. I wanted to fall in love with something. I knew I wanted to find a sport, and because I used to be a swimmer, I thought swimming would have something to do with it.

One day she was at the lake and began talking with a stranger who had been training with the local triathlon club.

I said to her, I wouldnt mind giving that a go, but Im quite a big girl. It feels pretty extreme, she says.

The woman replied, If you want to do triathlon, you will and you can.

She became Elles coach. They set some short term goals with the ultimate goal to complete the Noosa triathlon. The distance is 1500 metre swim, 40 kilometre cycle and 10 kilometre run.

I started training and I havent looked back, she said.

Elle's ultimate goal is to race in the Kona triathlon world championship. Photo: FacebookSource:Facebook

When you cross that finish line, its all worth it

Weight loss was Elles motivation at first, but it quickly took second place to fitness as she began to love triathlon.

I dont have a weight goal now. I dont weigh myself anymore, Im not interested in that anymore, she says.

My story isnt a weight loss story, its a story of health and fitness. My goals are fitness goals. I want to get to the finish line of an iron man in December, and then get a position in Kona, which is the Hawaii world championship.

Its going to mean a lot of hard, hard work, but Im pretty determined.

This article originally appeared on Kidspot.

You don't need to go to the gym every day or go on a strict diet to lose weight. Here are some top weight loss tips from 'The Diet Doctor' Moodi Dennaoui and PT and former Survivor contestant Tegan Haining.

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Five ways to lose weight without trying – Daily Star

Aug 26th, 2017
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For someone who is obese or overweight, the thought of shedding pounds can be daunting.

But there are some simple things you can do to kick-start the weight loss process and they take no effort at all.

Because, after all, starting is the hardest part.

Click through our gallery on the best ways to burn calories without exercising

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Chew gum - A super-easy way to burn some extra calories is popping a few pieces of gum now and then. The act of chewing keeps your jaw muscles moving, andnot only will you be burning caloriesyoull stop yourself from consuming more calories.

Here are five ways to lose weight without trying:

1. Weigh yourself

According to the Journal of Obesity, weighing yourself regularly can help you learn how to lose weight fast.

Researchers found that overweight people who stepped on the scales each day for a year lost 5.7lbs compared to those who didnt and lost only 1.1lbs.

2. Eat before you shop

Before you go grocery shopping, have a healthy snack.

A recent study from Cornell found when people ate one piece of fruit before they got groceries, they bought 28% more wholesome produce and less junk food.

Plus, you will have a full stomach so are less likely to be tempted by the chocolate aisle.

Amazingly, these reality TV stars have lost more than 40st between them... all thanks to healthy eating and exercise

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Jennifer Ellison from Brookside loses three stone in weight

3. Play Tetris

Yes, really. These building blocks can actually stop your cravings, according to recent research.

The 2015 study published in the journal Addictive Behaviours found people who played Tetris for three minutes reduced their cravings by 20%.

That's because the game puts your cognitive focus elsewhere, which distracts you from thinking about food.

4. Go for a stroll

Introducing exercise doesnt mean joining the gym. Just put on some sneakers and go for a 30-minute walk every day.

A Chinese study found that by doing just this you could lose 1.6 inches off your waist in 12 weeks.

5. Get some shut eye

Sleep is crucial for keeping your cravings at bay, a Stanford University study found.

Lack of sleep can trigger the hormone gherkin which will make you want to eat more and lower the levels of the hormone leptin which tells your body when its full.

Read the original here:
Five ways to lose weight without trying - Daily Star

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