Nico Hoerner started Friday afternoon’s game and doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, but he was lifted for pinch-hitter Matt Shaw in the bottom of the next inning. The Cubs later explained that it was due to tightness on the left side of his neck, which can understandably be difficult for a baseball player to endure. This should be a minimal issue that clears up quickly with treatment, but it’s always a little scary when you best all-around player has to leave a game. Maybe the Cubs should send their trainers home with him so they can ensure he doesn’t sleep in a posture that could cause this to happen again. The post Nico Hoerner Exits Early with Neck Stiffness appeared first on .

(NaturalHealth365) Most people think about exercise in terms of volume – step counts, minutes logged, and how many sessions they fit into a week. For decades, public health messaging has focused almost entirely on doing more. But a major Harvard study tracking over 111,000 people for 30 years has found that what type of movement you do – and how much you mix it up – may matter even more than how long you exercise. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal BMJ Medicine. They analyzed data from two large, long-running cohort studies across more than three decades. And the results challenge one of the most deeply embedded assumptions in mainstream fitness culture. Doing more of the same is not enough, researchers find Participants who engaged in the greatest variety of physical activities had a 19% lower risk of premature death than those with the least variety – even when total exercise time remained exactly the same. Furthermore, the benefits extended well beyond general mortality. People with the most diverse movement habits saw their risk of dying from heart disease drop by up to 36%, cancer by 13%, and respiratory illness by as much as 41%. Importantly, the researchers controlled for total activity volume throughout the analysis. In other words, the reduction in death risk came from variety itself – not simply from exercising more. Two people doing the same total minutes of movement per week produced very different health outcomes depending on whether they stuck to one activity or rotated through several. That finding directly challenges the widespread assumption that exercise is purely a numbers game. Why your body needs different kinds of movement The research team draws on data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study – two of the most rigorous and long-running nutrition and lifestyle research programs in the world. Together, they tracked 111,000 adult men and women through regular surveys on exercise habits, health history, and lifestyle factors every two years for over 30 years. The activities participants reported ranged widely – walking, gardening, running, swimming, cycling, weightlifting, yoga, tennis, and stair climbing. Researchers found that people who spread their movement across multiple activity types consistently outlived those who focused on just one or two, regardless of intensity. Lead researcher Dr. Frank Hu of Harvard noted that variety likely allows people to benefit from multiple dimensions of fitness simultaneously – cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and balance – in ways that any single activity cannot provide alone. What Western medicine still gets wrong about exercise Western medicine has long treated exercise as a single category – you either do enough or you don’t. Guidelines focus almost entirely on weekly minutes of moderate activity, with occasional mentions of strength training. But this research suggests that framing misses something fundamental about how the human body responds to movement. The body adapts to repeated stress over time. Doing the same workout consistently yields diminishing returns as the body becomes more efficient at that specific movement pattern. Moreover, different activities challenge different physiological systems. Aerobic exercise trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Resistance training builds muscle mass and supports metabolic health. Balance and flexibility training protect joints and reduce the risk of injury. And activities like gardening or walking in nature combine gentle movement, stress reduction, and time outdoors – factors that independently support immune function, hormonal balance, and longevity. Natural solutions for building a more diverse movement practice Treat movement variety as a health strategy, not just entertainment. Research suggests that deliberately rotating through different activity types produces longevity benefits that no single exercise, no matter how consistently performed, can fully replicate. Aim to include at least three to four distinct movement types each week. Combining aerobic activity, resistance training, and a flexibility or balance practice covers the foundational dimensions of physical fitness that this study links to reduced mortality risk. Add movement your body was designed for but rarely gets. Modern life has narrowed the range of physical challenges most bodies face. Research consistently shows that activities involving varied terrain, natural environments, and functional movement patterns – gardening, hiking, swimming, or carrying loads – engage muscles and coordination systems that gym-based exercise alone rarely reaches. Additionally, these activities tend to support stress reduction and mental well-being, contributing independently to longevity. Support recovery and cellular health between sessions. Exercise variety only produces its full benefits when the body can repair and adapt between sessions. Research suggests that magnesium supports muscle recovery and sleep quality – both of which directly affect how effectively the body responds to training. Organic anti-inflammatory foods, including wild-caught fatty fish, organic berries, and extra virgin olive oil, reduce the oxidative stress that physical exertion generates. Together, these strategies allow the body to fully absorb the longevity benefits of varied movement. The fitness conversation that is 30 years overdue A dataset of 111,000 people tracked over three decades provides some of the strongest evidence in exercise science. And what it shows is clear: variety in movement is a measurable driver of how long and how well people live. Yet most exercise advice – from physicians, trainers, and public health guidelines – still focuses almost entirely on minutes per week rather than the quality and diversity of movement. Jonathan Landsman’s Immune Defense Summit explores how the full spectrum of lifestyle factors – movement, nutrition, sleep, stress, and environmental exposure – interact to shape immune function and long-term vitality. The program covers the latest research on protecting your health from the ground up, including the lifestyle habits that evidence most strongly supports for a longer, healthier life. Click here to own the Immune Defense Summit. Sources for this article include: Bmj.com Sciencedaily.com Harvard.edu The post Overlooked exercise habit could add years to your life, 30-year Harvard study finds appeared first on NaturalHealth365.

If you like having Mother’s Day handled ahead of time, I pulled together all of my go-to gift ideas in one place. These are things... The post Mother’s Day Gift Guide: What to Get Every Type of Mom (All Linked) first appeared on Jenny Cookies.

Australia-based Woodside Energy is struggling to secure buyers for liquefied natural gas from its planned Louisiana LNG export facility, raising questions about pricing limits in a competitive global market, Reuters writes. Sources say the company’s liquefaction fees—initially pitched above prevailing U.S. rates—have deterred potential customers, even as demand for long-term supply agreements remains strong. So far, Woodside has signed just one major long-term deal, with Germany’s Uniper, covering a fraction of the project’s output. The company is offering 10-year contracts and has adjusted pricing, but negotiations have been slow as buyers weigh costs against competing U.S. suppliers charging lower fees. The $17.5 billion project is a key part of Woodside’s expansion into North America and is expected to begin deliveries in 2030. While executives maintain confidence in customer interest, the challenges underscore growing sensitivity to pricing and could signal a ceiling for LNG contract terms as new export capacity comes online. Read more from Reuters. Attracting growth Do you think passage of Amendment 4 would make Louisiana more business competitive? Yes No Not sure Δ

Spring produce just feels inspiring to me. Farmers market season has started back up and suddenly I’m coming home with way too many berries and... The post Farmers Market Desserts to Make with Fresh Spring Produce first appeared on Jenny Cookies.

St. Patrick's Day in Chicago | Wrigleyville Guide | Chicago Cubs MLB.com

What does it actually take to reform land at scale?

Celiac.com 05/01/2026 - This study explored how ethanol, a type of alcohol commonly found in food processing, changes the structure and behavior of a corn protein called zein. Zein is widely used in gluten-free foods because it can mimic some of the stretchy and elastic qualities of gluten. However, gluten-free doughs often lack the softness and flexibility needed to produce high-quality bread and baked goods. Researchers wanted to better understand why adding ethanol improves these properties and how different types of zein respond to it. What Is Zein and Why It Matters Zein is a protein found in corn and is made up of several subtypes that differ in structure and composition. The most common type is called alpha zein, but there are also beta and gamma types that contain different chemical features. These differences affect how the protein behaves when mixed with water and other ingredients. Unlike gluten, zein does not naturally form strong and flexible dough. Gluten-free breads made with zein and starch alone are often dense, crumbly, and less appealing. Because of this, improving the performance of zein is an important goal for developing better gluten-free foods. The Role of Ethanol in Gluten-Free Dough Ethanol is often used in food processing and is also naturally produced during fermentation. Previous research has shown that adding ethanol to zein-based dough makes it softer, smoother, and more stretchable. It can even increase the volume of bread. However, the exact reasons behind these improvements were not fully understood before this study. Most earlier research focused on very high levels of ethanol, where zein dissolves easily. In contrast, real food systems use much lower levels. This study focused on ethanol concentrations ranging from zero to fifty percent to better reflect practical conditions in gluten-free dough. How the Study Was Conducted The researchers examined three different forms of zein, each with varying amounts of alpha protein. They exposed these samples to different levels of ethanol and observed changes in their structure and physical behavior. By comparing these variations, the study aimed to understand how each type of zein reacts to ethanol. The scientists looked at how the proteins formed small particles, how they interacted with each other, and how their internal structures changed. This allowed them to build a detailed picture of what happens at the microscopic level when ethanol is added. Key Findings About Structural Changes One of the most important discoveries was that all types of zein formed tiny spherical particles when mixed with ethanol. As the ethanol level increased, these particles began to merge together. This merging was especially strong in samples that contained less alpha protein. Ethanol also caused the protein structure to loosen and partially unfold. This made it easier for the proteins to interact with each other and form networks. In particular, ethanol strengthened two types of interactions: hydrophobic interactions, which occur between water-repelling parts of the protein, and hydrogen bonding, which helps stabilize structures. However, not all types of zein reacted the same way. Alpha-rich zein was the most sensitive to ethanol, showing a significant decrease in its glass transition temperature, which is the point where the protein becomes more flexible. In contrast, zein with more beta and gamma components was more resistant to change due to strong chemical bonds called disulfide bonds. Differences Between Zein Types The study revealed that the composition of zein plays a major role in how it behaves. Alpha-rich zein relies mainly on weaker interactions, which makes it more responsive to ethanol and easier to soften. On the other hand, zein with more beta and gamma components contains stronger internal bonds that make it more stable but less flexible. This balance between flexibility and stability is important. While strong bonds can improve elasticity, too many can make the dough stiff. The study suggests that combining different types of zein in the right proportions may help create better gluten-free dough with improved texture. How Ethanol Improves Dough Structure Based on the findings, the researchers proposed a model explaining how ethanol enhances gluten-free dough. Ethanol causes the zein proteins to partially unfold, exposing areas that can interact more easily. These exposed regions then form stronger networks through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. This improved network helps the protein blend more effectively with starch, leading to a more uniform and stable dough. As a result, the dough becomes more stretchable and less prone to breaking, which improves the final texture of baked products. Why This Study Is Important for Gluten-Free Foods This research provides valuable insight into how gluten-free dough can be improved at a fundamental level. By understanding how ethanol affects different types of zein, food scientists can design better formulations that mimic the properties of gluten more closely. The study also highlights the importance of protein composition. Adjusting the balance of zein subtypes could allow manufacturers to fine-tune the texture of gluten-free foods, making them softer, more elastic, and more enjoyable to eat. What This Means for People with Celiac Disease For individuals with celiac disease, finding high-quality gluten-free foods can be challenging. Many gluten-free products lack the texture and structure of traditional baked goods, which can affect both taste and satisfaction. This study offers hope for improving these products. By revealing how ethanol and protein composition can enhance the structure of gluten-free dough, it opens the door to better bread, pastries, and other staples. These improvements could lead to foods that are not only safe but also more enjoyable and closer in quality to their gluten-containing counterparts. In the long term, this type of research could significantly improve the daily eating experience for people with celiac disease, making gluten-free diets easier to maintain and more satisfying overall. Read more at: sciencedirect.com

Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs Game Story, Scores/Highlights - 05/01/2026 MLB.com

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The necklaces are from my "Vision" necklace pattern which is found on the Free Patterns page of this blog. It's one of my very early patterns and recommended for experienced tatters. I recently updated it with some in-progress photos but the pattern is still difficult. What can I say? I love the design! The earrings pattern is also called "Vision" and is found in the "Boutique Tatting" book. But I have a confession to make :-OBack in the day (early 2000s) my tatting technique was different (less sophisticated) in that I always started a split ring with shuttle 1. That resulted in the split ring "turning itself over" after it was made. I haven't done it that way for years, but back when I wrote that book I still did. Even worse, many of the "reverse work" instructions in the written directions for that earring pattern don't make sense to my current method of tatting. The numbers and where to join are all correct, though. The photo diagram is correct. It's a cute design, just tricky!

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Ed Hooper says the Legislature will cover the increased costs for the health insurance and not require state employees to pay higher premiums during the next fiscal year. (Photo Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)Tens of thousands of state workers as well as those working for state colleges can expect their health insurance premiums to remain the same for another year, according to the Florida Senate budget chair. Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, made the comment this week while answering questions from reporters about the coming special session on the budget scheduled to start May 12. House and Senate budget negotiators have reached an agreement on budget allocations that dictate how much general revenue — which comes from various state taxes — will be available in separate spending categories for the 2026-27 fiscal year. House, Senate call 18-day budget special session for May 12-29 Hooper was asked whether there would be enough money for across-the-board pay raises for state workers. During the regular session, the Senate had proposed a 3% pay raise with a guaranteed $1,000 increase for all state workers. Hooper replied that it was “still a discussion item,” but added, “We decided to hold steady on any increase in the health insurance, the employee cost, which is a significant number.” Florida’s state group health insurance program has had employee premiums frozen for years even as the cost of coverage has continued to increase. The program is projected to have a nearly $363 million deficit in the fiscal year that begins July 1, growing to $1.6 billion by 2030. Many career service state workers pay $50 a month for individual coverage and $180 a month for family coverage. Senior state employees as well high-ranking agency officials and legislative staff pay lower premiums: $8.34 a month for individual coverage and $30 a month for family coverage. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE. SUPPORT GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

Jane Fonda didn’t mean to rain on Barbra Streisand’s Oscars tribute. After the Grace and Frankie star seemed to question the decision to have Streisand honor the late Robert Redford at the 2026...

I'm getting close to FI--just a couple years out. I have two young kids, a 3 year old and a baby. By the time I'm able to FI, at least my oldest will be in school. Can the community share with me about how to make FI feel worth it while locked into the school calendar? I have a good, high paying, relatively low stress, relatively engaging job. But at some point more money isn't very motivating. But if I don't have anything better to do with my time, why quit? I feel like with my kids in school, it'll really restrict my ability to do more extensive travel/time away from home. My kids also won't be home all day during work/school hours. I realize that there's probably plenty of ways to fill those hours, but wanted to hear from others how they plan to or have filled their hours in a family with school age kids? Part of me is just trying to wrap my head around what life with young school age kids feels like -- are you so busy with their activities that you don't even have time for your own things? What activities do you pursue that balance family time and self-fulfillment well? Thanks for your thoughts! submitted by /u/knee_on_a [link] [comments]

Best Molecular Hydrogen Water Tablets Investigated: The Ultimate H2 Quality-Tested Difference by GundryMD The Manila Times

ECRS Launches Retail Success Story Contest The Shelby Report

(NaturalHealth365) Most Americans don’t think of their grocery cart as a health risk. The packages look familiar. The labels list calories and nutrients. And many of these foods have been on shelves for decades without much alarm. But two major studies published in early 2026 are now painting a picture that is difficult to ignore – pointing directly at the processed foods most households buy every week. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Florida Atlantic University both released large-scale findings linking ultra-processed food consumption to dramatically higher rates of heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease. Together, the numbers reframe what many people consider ordinary eating as a serious and measurable threat to heart health. The numbers that stopped researchers in their tracks The first study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2026 Annual Scientific Session and published in JACC Advances, drew on the long-running Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis – one of the most rigorous cardiovascular research programs in the United States. Researchers found that people consuming around nine servings of ultra-processed foods daily faced a 67% higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, or death from coronary heart disease compared to those eating just one serving. Moreover, each additional daily serving increased the likelihood of a major cardiac event by more than 5%. The second study, published in The American Journal of Medicine and based on data from nearly 4,800 nationally representative U.S. adults, found that those with the highest ultra-processed food intake carried a 47% higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Crucially, both research teams made the same key adjustment: they controlled for total calorie intake, overall diet quality, and known risk factors, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. The risk remained. In other words, ultra-processed foods appear to damage the heart through mechanisms that go beyond simply eating too many calories. Why processed food harms the heart in ways nutrition labels can’t capture Ultra-processed foods are not simply foods with added salt or sugar. They are industrially manufactured products made from ingredients that the human body has rarely or never encountered in its evolutionary history – emulsifiers, artificial flavors, stabilizers, modified starches, and chemical preservatives – combined in ways that bear no resemblance to whole foods. In the United States today, these products make up nearly 60% of adults’ diets and approximately 70% of children’s diets. Western medicine has focused heavily on calories, saturated fat, and sodium when discussing heart risk. But these studies suggest that the degree of food processing itself is the more important variable. Researchers noted that ultra-processed foods drive inflammation, disrupt metabolic function, and appear to damage cardiovascular health through pathways that standard nutritional measures do not capture. Furthermore, the harm is not reserved for people who are already sick. The risk appeared consistently across participants regardless of their baseline health status. The foods most people never think twice about Ultra-processed foods span a wide range of products that most people consider normal parts of eating. Chips, crackers, breakfast cereals, packaged breads, frozen meals, processed meats, sugary drinks, flavored yogurts, and many products marketed as “healthy” or “low fat” fall into this category. The NOVA food classification system – the internationally validated framework used in both studies – defines ultra-processed foods not by their nutrient content but by their degree of industrial transformation. And the risk rises steadily. No safe threshold is identified in either study beyond which damage levels off. Each additional serving adds measurably to cardiovascular risk. For the roughly one in three Americans who routinely consume more than nine servings daily – which is easier to reach than most people assume – the findings carry a direct and urgent personal message. Natural solutions for cardiovascular protection Replace ultra-processed foods with organic, whole food alternatives, one swap at a time. Research consistently shows that the transition away from processed foods need not be sudden to be meaningful. Replacing packaged snacks with raw nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit removes multiple inflammatory ingredients simultaneously. Swapping processed meats for wild-caught fish, legumes, and pasture raised poultry shifts the dietary fat profile in the direction the evidence supports. Choosing steel-cut oats over boxed cereal and cooking grains and beans from scratch rather than relying on packaged versions dramatically reduces daily ultra-processed food servings without requiring a dramatic lifestyle overhaul. Support your cardiovascular system with anti-inflammatory nutrition. Research suggests that extra virgin organic olive oil, wild-caught fatty fish, organic dark leafy greens, and deeply colored berries deliver specific polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and nitrates that actively reduce vascular inflammation. Magnesium – found in pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and leafy greens – supports healthy blood pressure and arterial function. CoQ10 supports cellular energy production in the heart muscle and is depleted by both aging and statin medications. Together, these nutrients address the inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms that ultra-processed foods appear to activate. Read labels with a different question in mind. Most people scan for calories, fat, or sodium. But research suggests the more important question is: how far has this food traveled from its natural state? If the ingredient list includes emulsifiers, artificial flavors, modified starches, or additives with names that don’t resemble food, the product almost certainly qualifies as ultra-processed. Choosing foods with five ingredients or fewer – all of which are recognizable whole food components – is a practical and reliable guide for reducing cardiovascular risk at the grocery level. What Western medicine still isn’t telling patients about food Cardiologists routinely counsel patients on medications, procedures, and standard dietary guidelines. What is never discussed is the degree of food processing as an independent cardiovascular risk factor, separate from, and in addition to, the macronutrients listed on a label. These two 2026 studies suggest that the gap in the conversation is costing lives. Jonathan Landsman’s Cardiovascular Docu-Class goes where most cardiology appointments never reach. The program explores the dietary, inflammatory, and environmental drivers of heart disease that standard care consistently overlooks, including how the modern food supply is shaping cardiovascular risk in ways that blood pressure readings and cholesterol panels alone cannot reveal. If protecting your heart is a priority, this is the starting point. Click here to own the Cardiovascular Docu-Class. Sources for this article include: Acc.org Sciencedaily.com Sciencedaily.com The post The biggest heart risk found inside your grocery cart, two major studies reveal appeared first on NaturalHealth365.

Building an autonomous repair pipeline with Claude Code remote routines and GitHub ActionsContinue reading on Level Up Coding »

arXiv:2604.16652v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: We explore what may be deduced about the neutrino mass ordering problem from the observation of core-collapse supernova burst neutrinos in modern terrestrial detectors. We employ ternary plots in a novel way to visualize the time evolution of the flavor composition of various supernova neutrino flux models from the SNEWPY software package. Through our analysis of several models using a simplified unfolding process, we have explored potential robust discriminants between the normal and inverted mass orderings. We find that the normal and inverted mass orderings tend to occupy different regions in ternary space across different models.