'Downtown Cedar Keys is under water' - resident who stayed for Hurricane Idalia
Michael Bobbitt chose to stay on the island community off Florida's Gulf coast as the hurricane hit.
2023-08-30 23:23
Factbox-Stocks to watch as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida
NEW YORK Millions of Florida residents evacuated to higher ground after Hurricane Idalia, an "extremely dangerous" Category 3
2023-08-30 22:47
TikTok has gone wild for adult gymnastics – here’s what you should know
Have you always wanted to be able to do the splits or a backflip? Maybe you’ve watched your kids do a gymnastics class and thought, ‘Wow, that looks so fun’. Adult gymnastics is gaining some serious popularity online, with the TikTok hashtag #adultgymnastics getting over 209.5 million views. Influencers such as Anna Archer – who has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and creates content surrounding lots of different fitness experiments – and stunt woman Corinne Nicewick have shared clips of their experiences of trying out gymnastics as an adult. Nicewick, despite being a talented stuntwoman, has shared clips of how challenging she has found the sport, with viewers finding her attempts both funny and encouraging. Gymnastics has put some famous faces in good stead for other fitness-related challenges, with gymnast Beth Tweddle winning the 2103 series of Dancing on Ice and Ellie Downie, GB gymnast taking on the gruelling SAS: Who Dares Wins reality show in 2023.So, what do you need to know before you get involved? How does adult gymnastics work? Can anyone do it? Classes have been steadily cropping up across the UK encouraging adults of all abilities to get involved in gymnastics, and unless you have a health problem or injury that may restrict you from doing so, anyone can get involved. It is not so dissimilar to exercises you may already do like plyometrics (explosive body weight resistance exercises like box jumps), CrossFit or yoga. “Gymnastics is a series of different exercises that test your strength, mobility, flexibility and agility,” says Sofia Zolobova, instructor and gymnastics expert at Gymbox. “It’s also a lot of fun, incorporating lots of different floor, beam and hoop exercises,” she explains. This element of variety can bring a more fun, playful element to your workout routine. What are the health and wellbeing benefits of adult gymnastics? Gymnastics will give your body a really different workout and improve your strength, mobility and balance. “Strength and mobility are both very important as we grow older,” says Zolobova. “Gymnastics uses your own body weight, so not only do you get stronger, you move better. For example, to be able to execute a hand stand you need great shoulder mobility,” she explains. “With our modern tight shoulders, gymnastics can be helpful in improving our posture.” How do you get past being scared? As a kid, doing a cartwheel and taking a tumble doesn’t seem so threatening, but as adults we are all a bit more scared of getting hurt. Instead of falling into the trap of fear, embrace the playfulness of it. Zolobova says: “It’s a really fun way to exercise. It includes handstands, cartwheels and frog jumps, letting you unleash your inner child. It empowers you to do cool tricks as an adult and work up to a certain goal. It’s also a great fear fighter – sometimes you just have to let go and trust yourself.” What should we be careful of in adult gymnastics? Your fitness and flexibility may not progress as quickly as they might have done as a child. “Children are naturally more flexible than adults, so when undertaking gymnastics for the first time keep this in mind. Take things slow and one step at a time – you can always build up strength and flexibility with consistent practice,” explains Zolobova. How do we protect our backs and joints? Putting your back out or hurting your joints is a very real fear as an adult. Zolobova says: “Stretching should never be skimped on and should be thorough and dynamic [involving movement]. It’s also very important to make sure the body is warmed up before undertaking any gymnastic moves, a light jog and jumping jacks are great ways to get the muscles warm fast.”
2023-08-30 21:47
US airlines cancel over 850 flights as Hurricane Idalia makes Florida landfall
Airlines in the United States canceled more than 850 flights on Wednesday as Hurricane Idalia made landfall in
2023-08-30 21:19
Explainer-How climate change is fueling hurricanes
By Gloria Dickie (Reuters) -Hurricane Idalia's arrival on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday signaled activity in the Atlantic's hurricane alley
2023-08-30 21:16
Russia sees biggest drone assault on its own territory since invading Ukraine, as Kyiv strikes back through the skies
Russia has seen the biggest drone assault on its territory since it launched its war on Ukraine while Moscow killed two men in a near-simultaneous bombardment on Kyiv, as the aerial intensity of the conflict ratcheted up.
2023-08-30 20:53
Man explains why he swapped veganism for raw meat diet: ‘I feel great’
A 20-year-old has swapped veganism for raw meat, eating uncooked items including beef, chicken, heart and liver on a daily basis for the past four years, and claims he has “never gotten sick”. Jones Hussain, from Stockholm, Sweden, has eaten raw chicken as well as raw cuts of beef, minced meat and fish, without batting an eyelid – even if they are brown or smell slightly. He says he would happily eat any kind of meat provided it is good quality, from “wild boar to camel” but that he prefers minced beef because it is cheap, accessible and does not smell compared with chicken. Jones took the decision to eat raw meat just a few months after quitting veganism in 2019 “in the name of health” after he watched a YouTube video with the late American alternative food nutritionist, Aajonus Vonderplanitz, whose “Primal Diet” has inspired people worldwide. Health has always been important for Jones, who supplements his raw meat diet with fruit and juiced vegetables. He said he would not eat cake for £10,000 because of the sugar and claims to have not had a slice since the age of 13. “If any food safety expert looked at the food I eat, I think they would have a heart attack because the beef is sometimes brown, the liver looks green, the chicken stinks,” Jones told PA Real Life. “But I eat that and then nothing happens. “I did the experiments on myself to see whether what we have been led to believe is actually true and surprise, surprise, it wasn’t.” Jones, who said he has always been driven by “health”, came across the raw meat diet plan in 2019 a few months after quitting veganism. “My starting point has always been health,” he said. “So I’ve experimented with a bunch of things in the name of health.” The diet was designed by Vonderplanitz, who touted the benefits of eating raw foods, in particular meat and dairy. “I found one of his lectures on YouTube and started listening,” he said. “At first, I was just as shocked as anyone would be to see someone eat such a diet.” But Jones said he found Vonderplanitz’s arguments to be “honest and convincing” and so decided to give it a try. “I ate raw meat for the first time in November 2019 and I felt great,” he said. “It was just a straight cut of raw beef.” Having not fallen ill, Jones then decided to try raw ground beef. “That was the scary part because that’s when you enter into uncharted territory,” he said. “I was like, if I get sick then I won’t do this anymore. “Lo and behold, again, I didn’t get sick, so I started eating raw ground beef because it’s much cheaper than straight cuts.” To start with, Jones would flavour the raw meat with spices and garlic. “But then I felt that I didn’t need them, even from a taste perspective,” he said. “So I just started consuming it by itself and ever since then I’ve eaten raw ground beef almost every day.” By the summer of 2020, Jones had become accustomed to eating all types of meat. “I had no problems eating raw chicken because I had found a fairly good source in the supermarket so I ate it like KFC,” he said. “I also started buying raw liver here and there, and eating a small amount every day.” The raw meat Jones kept in his fridge soon started to turn “green”, but this did not stop him from eating it. “Since I was so convinced about what Aajonus was saying, I was not worried and just consumed it,” he said. “But if there was any white mould, then I got rid of the batch, although this did not happen very often.” Jones has continued eating raw meat ever since, although his family prefers ground beef to chicken because of the smell. “Nowadays I don’t so much eat raw chicken because it stinks up the house,” he said. In a single sitting, Jones said he is capable of consuming around 400g of raw liver. He said he believes dumping veganism for raw meat has improved his gut health and helped get rid of his acne. “The thing with raw meat is that the nutrients are more easily absorbed and unaltered,” he claimed. “It’s not that raw meat has some kind of special super power, it’s just that by not cooking it, I get more nutrients and no byproducts.” NHS guidelines, however, state that “cooking meat properly” kills harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning. Jones had been a vegan for two years, from 2017 to 2019, before eventually converting to the primal diet. “It’s not that I was struggling to get enough nutrients,” he said. “It’s that a human being cannot survive on a vegan diet successfully. “Of course you can take supplements but it’s not the same thing, because they are processed. “There is no other way of getting these nutrients naturally other than by eating animal products. “So veganism on that basis, falls on its face.” Jones also eats raw fish such as salmon and tuna and said he is happy to eat any type of meat provided he can find a reliable supplier. The Primal Diet also includes fruit and vegetables, all of which are consumed raw. “I eat cucumbers and tomatoes, as well as oranges and apples when they are available to me,” he said. “The philosophy is don’t cook the food, but there is a variety.” Jones’ unusual diet often shocks people, including his parents who are concerned for his wellbeing. He explained: “Usually people have the same reaction, at first they think what the hell is this guy doing? He’s going to die in a few days. “Then they speak to me and find out that I’ve been doing it for three and half years, that I’ve never gotten sick, that my arguments are logical and that I look healthy. “They are like all right, that’s a new perspective that I had not heard before.” People behave differently on social media, however, said Jones, who has his own YouTube channel, Excellent Health. He also works part time at an elderly day care centre and has written a book titled The 6 Health Commandments. “The only time I ever got food poisoning was from a frozen bag of raspberries before I started eating meat,” he said. “I decided not to act out of fear, but to see what is true and what isn’t true.” To find out more about food safety, visit www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cooking-your-food. Read More Eating a raw vegan diet almost killed me Study reveals one thing to focus on if you want to live to 100 Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-30 19:19
Zimbabwe media guide
An overview of the media in Zimbabwe, including links to broadcasters and newspapers.
2023-08-30 17:19
Drinking alcohol does not result in ‘beer goggles’ making people look more attractive, study says
When it comes to approaching someone you like at a bar, it may be more a case of alcohol giving you liquid courage than “beer goggles”, researchers say. A new study suggests drinking alcohol makes people more likely to approach someone they already find attractive, but does not make others appear more attractive. Some people argue that intoxication makes others seem better-looking – but according to the researchers, this has not been systematically studied. Past research typically had people simply rate others’ attractiveness while sober and while intoxicated based on photos. But the new study added the possibility of meeting the people being rated. The study, led by Molly Bowdring of the Stanford Prevention Research Centre, Stanford University, in the USA (affiliated with University of Pittsburgh at the time of this study), and her dissertation adviser, Michael Sayette, involved 18 pairs of male friends in their twenties. The men were brought to the laboratory to rate the attractiveness of people they saw in photos and videos. They were also told that they may be given the chance to interact with one of those people in a future experiment. After the ratings were given, the men were asked to pick those who they would most like to interact with. Pairs of men visited the lab on two occasions – on one occasion they both received alcohol to drink – up to about a blood alcohol concentration of .08 per cent, the legal limit for driving in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the United States, and on the other occasion, they both received a non-alcoholic drink. Friend pairs entered the lab together in order to mimic social interactions that would typically take place in a real drinking situation. The researchers say they did not find evidence of beer goggles – whether or not the men were intoxicated had no effect on how good-looking they found others. Professor Sayette, from the University of Pittsburgh, said: “The well-known beer goggles effect of alcohol does sometimes appear in the literature, but not as consistently as one might expect.” However, according to the findings, drinking alcohol may affect how people react to those they find attractive in a different way. The researchers found it impacted how likely the men were to want to interact with people they found attractive. When drinking, they were 1.71 times more likely to select one of their top-four attractive candidates to potentially meet in a future study compared with when they were sober. The researchers suggest alcohol may not be altering perception but rather enhancing confidence in interactions, giving the men liquid courage to want to meet those they found the most attractive. According to the researchers, the findings could have implications for therapists and patients. Prof Bowdring said: “People who drink alcohol may benefit by recognising that valued social motivations and intentions change when drinking in ways that may be appealing in the short term, but possibly harmful in the long term.” The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Read More Yewande Biala thought she was unique in never having had an orgasm – then she made a film about it The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake Woman adopts husband’s ex-wife’s son after growing up in foster care herself Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-30 15:28
Chandrayaan-3: What has India's Moon rover Pragyaan been up to since landing?
Pragyaan has had an eventful week - dodging craters, taking the Moon's temperature and checking for sulphur.
2023-08-30 15:26
G20: Delhi tries to scare monkeys away from summit
Authorities have installed cut-outs of langurs at various locations in the Indian capital.
2023-08-30 15:25
Jamaica media guide
An overview of the media in Jamaica, including links to broadcasters and newspapers.
2023-08-30 14:26