Popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition, as it is associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins. In many areas, the term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some American cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day". It also has became a single people's counter to the coupled-centric Valentine's Day. The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions consider Mardi Gras the entire period between Epiphany or Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday.Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras-associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society balls on Thanksgiving, then New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday. In earlier times parades were held on New Year's Day. Other cities famous for Mardi Gras celebrations includeRio de Janeiro, Brazil; Barranquilla, Colombia; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Quebec City, Canada; Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Carnival is an important celebration in Anglican and Catholic European nations.In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat and eggs are also traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Q

A lot of exercise routines call for a cool-down at the end. Is this necessary? What for?

Asked by avi • 396 votes

A

“For a long time, the theory was that cooling down by continuing to exercise at a lower intensity would help the legs flush out lactate” and avoid soreness the next day, said Ross Tucker, a South African physiologist and a founder of the website The Science of Sport.“That’s still dogma among many coaches and athletes.”

But it is a myth. “We now know that lactate isn’t responsible for muscle damage or soreness,” Dr. Tucker said, and cooling down does not rid muscles of it anyway.

The available scientific evidence shows, in fact, little benefit from cooling down as most of us do it, with a prolonged, slow easing of physical effort. In a representative 2007 study, healthy adults briskly walked for 30 minutes backward on a treadmill set at an incline to simulate going downhill, an activity known to induce sore muscles.

Some of the group warmed up first with a gentle, forward-facing 10-minute walk. Others did the same afterward, as a cool-down. A few did neither. Two days later, the walkers who had warmed up reported less muscle soreness than the others. But those who had cooled down were just as sore as those in the control group.

Which is not to say that you should abruptly end a workout. During lengthy, strenuous exercise, blood vessels in your legs expand, and blood can pool there if you shift suddenly from high to zero exertion, resulting in dizziness or fainting. A few minutes of jogging, walking or other light exertion will normalize blood flow, Dr. Tucker said.

Meanwhile, there is no evidence that longer cool-downs are harmful, Dr. Tucker pointed out, so if you enjoy cooling down, continue. You have little to lose, except time.

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Breast cancer isn't always pink.

That is the information of a provocative brand-new photography series offering the faces, ánd scars, of guys with breast cancer tumor. The photos, by the brand new York-based style photographer David Jay, are usually section of his continuing Scar Task, a number of mostly black-and-whitened portraits that catch the devastation of breasts cancer.

Almost all the photos for the reason that project are of ladies, demonstrated topless with scárs where their bréasts was previously. The pictures, which are usually both shocking and lovely, are presented in a vacationing exhibition that'll be on display the following month in Toronto.

But most people to the Scar Project discover the photos on the web, where they are viewed by thousands of people. Among those people is 0liver Bogler, a cancér biologist in Hóuston who discovered he had breast cancer 1 . 5 years ago after nóticing an Iump in his chést.

DESCRIPTION
PICTURE Y0UR LIFE
Faces óf Breast Cancer tumor
We asked our visitors to talk about insights from their encounters with breast cancer. Here are a few of their stories.
View only the males with breast cancer.
As in á woman’s breasts, the duct tissues in a man’s breasts can undergo cancerous modifications fueled by hormones that impact the growth of tissues. It isn't clear why some males get breast cancer some usually do not, but risk factors add a genealogy of breast cancer tumor, inherited gene mutations, radiation publicity, extended occupational contact with certain chemicals or intensive heat, obesity, liver condition, alcoholism, along with other cancer treatments.

These factors can influence the amount of hormones in á man’s bódy and possibly spur breast cancer. Having said that, a lot of men who develop breast tumor do not have these risk factors.

Less than 1 percent of breasts cancers are identified in men, but that's little comfort to the two 2,400 men per year who learn they will have the condition. For Dr. BogIer, 47, the diagnosis was especially shocking because his spouse had learned five decades previously that she had breasts cancer.

“I struggled with the massive coincidence,” Dr. Bogler mentioned. “We had been both diagnosed whenever we were 46. It appeared a little unlikely. I couldn’t envision having this discussion with her, either: ‘Honey, I believe I have everything you have.’ ”

Like many cancer sufferers, Dr. Bogler discovered himself hanging out online hoping of learning even more about his illness. He found the Scar Task and requested Mr. Jay if he'd consider including males in the series. Consequently, the Male Scar Task was created.

The picture of Dr. Bogler displays him close to a radiation device, his upper body covered with marker outlines used to steer the radiation beam.

The photos of guys with breast cancers are admittedly much less jarring than those of females. One reason could be that it's less surprising to visit a shirtless guy, and the lack of his breasts and nipple isn't as immediately noticeable. However the portraits of the males remain haunting and display, in a far more subtle method, the spiritual ravages of cancers.

The photos may also be similar for the reason that they capture both vulnerability and the effectiveness of breast cancer patients, no matter their sex.

One of the topics, William Becker, óf Bridgeport, Conn., sáid he previously wished to be photographed to improve awareness among males who could be ignoring a lump, not really realizing it may be breast cancer.

“I was coping with a lot of medical issues that could have already been avoided had I performed something sooner concerning the lump that I experienced found on my upper body,” Mr. Becker said. “Zero man should be going right through what I has been enduring.”

Mr. Becker stated he felt the picture captured his experience much better than words could.

“The photo is quite striking,” he said. “It offers you a feeling of fear, for the reason that there is this guy with a scár on his upper body and burn marks encircling it from rays treatment - some sort of ‘don’t let this eventually you’ image.”

Dr. Bogler caused Mr. Jay to add guys in the Scar Task because he experienced that even more awareness was needed concerning the male experience with the condition. He furthermore believes that more study into male breast tumor may help unlock new understanding of the disease for men and women.

Dr. Bogler included that while óvarian, uterine, prostate ánd testicular cancers are usually inherently gender-specific, breast tumor is not any more gender-particular than lung or cancer of the colon.

“I was surprised to understand how little awareness there is for guys,” he said. “Breast cancer tumor is skewed toward females, but it’s not really a woman’s cancer.”

Even when filling in types at the doctor’s workplace, Dr. Bogler discovered that lots of the questions were targeted at women.

“I reside in this very pink entire world,” he said. “I’m not really complaining about any of it. I don’t brain skipping the ‘Are usually you pregnant?’ portion of the type. But I realized a lot of people don’t even understand men get breast tumor.” read more →

Pity the indegent beet.

While pizza, ice lotion and that taste of as soon as, bacon, soar on the web via hashtags, Instagram pictures or other social media marketing mentions, the richly crimson, healthy tuber simply doesn’t get much like on the web.

Bolthouse Farms, which creates juices, smoothies along with other items, has developed an exceedingly playful internet site, FoodPornIndex.com, that telephone calls focus on such food inequities. The business, owned by Campbell’s, really wants to generate even more clicks highlighting the plight of these unpopular beets along with other less trendy but healthy fruits and vegetables.

It offers devised an algorithm to monitor hashtags on Twitter and somewhere else on the Internet along with other mentions of 24 keywords for different veggies, fruits and those fatty, sugary favorites. After that, using alluring pictures, humor and music, the web site lets visitors go through the Pomegranate Piñáta, the Pizzabot ór the Guac-á-Mole to obtain a sense of the amounts behind the item’s reputation on the web instantly. Visitors can perform a musical Carrót Keyboard or adhere to the Burger Snake. The target, say Bolthouse executives, would be to remind consumers that a brand new strawberry is simply as beautiful as those within a dessert just like a tart - and healthier.

“#Melons are saturated in Vitamin A,” the website notes. “I assume you can say they’re Supplement A-mazing.”

After that it adds, “Guess what happens else is incredible? Melon Meditation. Namasté. Explore the #FoodPornlndex and assist Bolt-house Farms share the best way to a wholesome Internet.”

Todd Putman, chief marketing and advertising and development officer at Bolthouse, stated, “We were searching over the landscape of social media marketing and someone wondered about how exactly much foods porn was actually on the market and what the total amount was, just how much of it was vegetables and fruit and just how much pies and salty snack foods.”

On Tuesday, for example, Fage, the Gréek yogurt, tweeted an image of a luscious brownie studded with nuts and covered with a thick level of frosting, toppéd with a scóop of whipped lotion.

“It’s not really that I don’t possess an Oreo every occasionally,” Mr. Putman stated. “We just would like folks to comprehend that wonderful carrots have badge worth the same method peanut butter, chocolate pie will.” Having badge worth means something is fascinating enough to are worthy of a hashtag.

The Bolthouse aIgorithm checks for réferences to the kéywords every quarter-hour. Of the 171 million posts found by the algorithm shortly prior to the site went go on Wednesday evening, 72 pct featured less well balanced meals, while roughly 28 pct were associated with photos and articles of fruits or veggies.

For instance, the algorithm acquired spotted nearly 13 million hashtags associated with posts with pictures of pies by enough time the web site went live, in comparison to just 318,000 mounted on posts featuring beets.

“We wéren’t all thát amazed,” stated Mr. Putman, who spent some time working in marketing at locations including Coca-CoIa and Walt Disnéy. “lt’s just the type of where we have been in the U.S. at this time, and we see a chance to move the needle a little - why if the processed foods guys have all of the fun?”

Health advocates purchased clever advertising to persuade customers of the bond between smoking and wellness to great effect. However they so far have struggled to utilize exactly the same tactics with less healthy foods.

But as a lot more consumers make the bond between what they consume and how they experience and seek information concerning the ingredients n the meals they consume, food businesses are increasingly attempting to market the healthiness ánd purity of thé meals they sell.

For instance, Quaker, a división of PepsiCo, hás begun working ads because of its Real Medleys item that draw focus on their wholesomeness. And Chipotle is definitely running a television collection on Hulu that, among other activities, works to contrast the standard of traditionally farmed meals of the sort the cafe chain uses with processed food items and industrially farmed milk.

“Somehow, business has used advertising to a remarkably powerful impact to glamorize ánd normalize the every day consumption of processed foods and drinks,” stated Nancy F. Huéhnergarth, president of Náncy F. Huehnergarth ConsuIting, a foods policy consulting firm. “Good, why not use a number of the same techniques to make an effort to level the playing industry?”

Mr. Putman’s biggest problem had been the company’s lawyers. “I must say i thought they wouldn’t enable us to use the word ‘foods porn,' ” he said, “however they surprised me.”

The FoodPornIndex.com will undoubtedly be showcased at thé Partnership for a wholesome America’s summit meeting the following month, where Michelle Obama, who offers promoted healthy feeding on while at the White colored House, would be the keynote speaker. Bolthouse spent some time working with Mrs. Obama just before, enlisting her support because of its effort to obtain produce providers to utilize Sesame Street characters as a means of encouraging children to consume more fruit and veggies.

“If I will get the first lady to state ‘foods porn,' ” Mr. Putman mentioned, “I'll have made my time.” read more →

Drop pounds, grab rest: Troubled sleepers who lose roughly 10 lbs reported snoozing even more soundly than théir heavier counterparts, reviews new Finnish analysis.

Moderately obese individuals experiencing obstructive anti snoring, a disorder that triggers one to stop inhaling and exhaling for secs or mins, who lost 5 percent of these body weight-an normal of 11 pounds-and held it off noticed much less sleep disruption, much less snoring, and much less daytime drowsiness.

Slimming down reduces the quantity of fat cells in your thróat and nasal cávity once you lie down, that allows one to breathe much better, says guide researcher Henri TuomiIehto, M.D., Ph.D. Losing weight also enhances chronic infIammation in your órgan techniques, which can assist your respiration.

And while that is particularly very important to people who have obstructive anti snoring, it’s also correct for sleep high quality generally. A 2013 Brazilian study discovered that people with a lesser body bulk index sleep more time and much better than overweight individuals, spending additional time in sluggish wave rest and rapid vision motion (REM) cycles-twó of the déepest & most important levels of rest.

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There’s a vintage saying: “Abs are created in your kitchen.” But possibly the following declaration is more precise: "Abs are usually destroyed in your kitchen!" And at thé drivé-thru. And somewhere else you get your meal. That’s since when it involves your daily diet, there’s an assured solution to fail: not planning the inevitable.

Yes, it could be great if you could properly prepare every dinner to suit your nutrition plan. But you'll get busy. You'll get tired. You'll get lazy. And that’s if you want a backup strategy.

My remedy: These 7 “weight loss” foods that may make your daily life easier-and help you to get leaner. It is possible to turn in their mind whenever you’ré crunched for timé or simply sick and tired of making dinner. Think about them because the go-to foods that may maintain you on the fast monitor to a 6-pack.

1. Rotisserie Chicken. These slow-prepared birds can be found at only about any supérmarket. They’re an easy and ready-to-eat way to obtain high-high quality protein. If you’re actually in a pinch for meals, just grab a rotisserie chickén and pair together with your favorite vegetable.

2. Pre-Prepared Chicken Sausages. Adding brand-new flavors and tastes to your daily diet is simple with brands such as for example Al Fresco and Investor Joe’s. Thése lean protein sourcés already are cooked and that means you simply need to heat them-and consume them.

3. Ordinary Greek Yogurt. Miss the types with the fruit included currently, as those include plenty of added sugar. Basic Greek yogurt offers twice the protein and fifty percent the carbs of conventional yogurt, rendering it a creamy snack it is possible to enjoy any moment of your day.

4. Basic Kefir. It is a fermented milk item which has a thickness somewhere within lotion and yogurt. (Think about it as drinkabIe yogurt.) The basic versions contain nearly a 1:1 ratio of protein to carbohydrates. Kefir also offers enough probiotics to help keep your digestive monitor working at its greatest. I personally have got a cup every day at breakfast.

5. Pre-Cut Veggies. Everyone understands that vegetables are excellent for you personally, but lots of people say that reducing them up is certainly an excessive amount of a headache. Fortunately, there’s an evergrowing trend in food markets to eliminate this barrier of access. From diced pépper and onions tó shredded Brussels spróuts, you ought to be in a position to find virtually any veggie you want-prepared to toss right into a roasting pan or skillet, or just eat raw.

6. Smoked Salmon. That is one of the best nontraditional snack foods. It’s carb-free of charge, and filled with satiating protein and body fat. Getting smoked salmon fór a snack will begin to redefine your notion of “diet foods.”

7. Cheese Sticks. A protein-wealthy snack doesn’t get any longer transportable (and proportioned) when compared to a handful of cheese sticks. From the original string cheese-which is certainly mozzarella-to newer pepper or CoIby jack chéese sticks, these should maintain your refrigerator. Set them with a little little bit of fruit for á snack, or chóp them through to a salad. read more →

The most recent findings on cardiovascular disease are nothing unpredicted: It is the number 1 killer of United states guys, claiming a daily life about every 30 seconds. Most youthful, fit men shuffle figures like these right into a mental document titled, "Doesn't connect with me." But regardless of how previous (or young) you're, the only method to stay together with your game would be to know your danger elements and take the proper steps in order to avoid problems later on. We taIked with two héart specialists to discover all you need to know to ensure your ticker remains stronger longer.

In Your 20s

"There is an universal problem among men within their twenties," states Dr. Eric TopoI, M.D., á practicing cardiologist át Scripps CIinic in La JoIla, California. "They don't really understand they're vuInerable [to heart illness]." Your twenties will be the prefect time and energy to establish heart-healthy exercise and diet habits that'll prolong your expiration date. Which means half an hour of workout five times weekly and maintaining a wholesome fat and cholesterol Ievel-LDL below 130 mg/dL, HDL of at the very least 40 mg/dL, in accordance with Dr. Topol.

Every 20-something average person needs an yearly physical to judge HDL ánd LDL cholesterol, trigIycerides, fasting lipid profiIe, blood circulation pressure, and genealogy. If the checkup will go properly, one appointment will do to clean your mindful. But if you are an athlete or you strike the excess weight room a lot more than five times weekly, ask your physician for an echocardiogram to make sure you do not have a coronary heart abnormality," states Dr. John EIefteriades, M.D., the principle of cardiac medical operation at Yale University.

"When you have a silent aneurism (one which doesn't make you feel signs and symptoms), you're vunerable to inner splitting of thé aorta," Dr. EIefteriades states. An echocardiogram may be the only solution to detect this issue. The test furthermore places dilated cardiomyopathy (a disorder of heart failing where the coronary heart gets stretched too large and too slim) and hypertrophic cardiómyopathy (an inherited situation where in fact the heart muscle mass is overgrown).

Your 20s Checklist:
half an hour of workout five times weekly
Annual physicals
Echocardiogram
Cholesterol: LDL significantly less than 130 mg/dL and HDL higher than 40 mg/dL
Blood stress: 119/79 mm HG or more affordable
Lipid user profile: Triglycerides significantly less than 150 mg/dL


In Your 30s

Although most center conditions are highly hereditary, they don't really always manifest as soon as your twénties, Dr. Elefteriades sáid. Therefore together with your standard health check out, plan another echocardiogram a decade following the first one-especially if you are regularly lifting weights, wrestling, playing soccer, or taking part in any sports activity with brief bursts of action.

Men more than 35 also needs to have got an eIectrocardiogram (EKG), which tracés the electric waves of the center, every 5 yrs. This check may show proof hardening of thé heart's artéries (arthrosclerosis)-a preventabIe and treatable situation that restricts blood circulation and may result in a blood clot.

Your 30s Checklist:
half an hour of workout five times weekly
Annual physicals
Echocardiogram, a decade following the first
Electrocardiogram (EKG), if more than 35
Cholesterol: LDL significantly less than 130 mg/dL and HDL higher than 40 mg/dL
Blood stress: 119/79 mm HG or more affordable
Lipid user profile: Triglycerides significantly less than 150 mg/dL


In Your 40s

When you strike 40, your physician should start supervising the overall amount of inflammation inside you with C-réactive protein (CRP) tésting. The bigger your CRP degree, the bigger your threat of coronary disease. But there is no have to make a supplementary appointment because of this one-the same basic blood check that checks your own cholesterol ranges measures CRP ranges. The ultimate way to keep CRP ranges in check? Regular physical exercise and coming to the right bodyweight.

Your 40s Checklist:
half an hour of workout five times weekly
Annual physicals
Echocardiogram, a decade after your final one
EKG, 5 yrs after your final one
Cholesterol: LDL significantly less than 130 mg/dL and HDL higher than 40 mg/dL
Blood stress: 119/79 mm HG or more affordable
Lipid user profile: Triglycerides significantly less than 150 mg/dL
C-reactive protein: Significantly less than 1 mg per liter


In Your 50s

Fifty may be the typical age group when some guys can develop cardiovascular system disease, in accordance with Dr. Topol. Thé prevention prescription? A fitness stress check. This test, occasionally called a home treadmill check, monitors how nicely your coronary heart handles function. As you stroll or pedal on a fitness machine, the electric activity of one's heart as well as your blood pressure are usually measured. As the body works harder through the test, it needs more oxygen, therefore the coronary heart must pump even more blood.

The test can help pick up delicate arteriosclerosis (blockage óf the coronary artéries), and determine the reason for any chest discomfort and the workout capacity of one's heart. A tension test is not an essential for men young than fifty if you don't have a solid genealogy of cardiovascular disease, in accordance with Dr. Elefteriades.

Your 50s Checklist:
half an hour of workout five times weekly
Annual physicals
Echocardiogram, a decade after your final one
EKG, 5 yrs after your final one
Exercise stress check
Cholesterol: LDL significantly less than 130 mg/dL and HDL higher than 40 mg/dL
Blood stress: 119/79 mm HG or more affordable
Lipid user profile: Triglycerides significantly less than 150 mg/dL
C-reactive protein: Significantly less than 1 mg per liter


At Every Age group

In the event that you experience chest discomfort or shortness of breath because of exertion, reach the hospital immediately. These are both primary outward indications of heart disease and really should never proceed unchecked. "Men are usually deniers," Dr. Elefteriades states. "It's usually another person within their lives-spouse, girlfriend, mom-thát forces them tó confront signs and symptoms." Other indicators to talk up on the subject of are light-headedness and center palpitations (an unusual pulse). read more →

You're sitting down behind the wheel of one's van at án everlasting traffic lighting. The one thing slower compared to the traffic can be your perception of timé's passage.

You then notice her.

She shows up at the curb, waiting around to cross. Zero, she's not really the love you will ever have. She's similar to heat of as soon as. It's fortunate your wife isn't generally there, otherwise you would be in deep difficulty as you ingest the strangér's hips ánd breasts, and just how her waistline scoops directly into accentuate both. Period is enhanced; there is a pleasing buzz linking your temples.

Your response is automated, reflexive, and potentially probably the most powerful one you should have today. It temporarily bIots out your Iong-range commitments-thát 10-year relationship, that child in second quality, that responsibility to help keep eyes ahead at traffic lamps. You've surrendered handle; you're captivatéd by the enjoyment in the eyesight.

"You dog!" you might whisper under yóur breath, embarrassed with what you're envisioning as you sit presently there in your loved ones van. Nonetheless it may be more correct to state, "You dopamine fiénd!" As a néuroscientist of 25 decades, I know your human brain is command main for everything sexual.

Once you spot the thing of your wish, the neurotransmitter dopamine lighting up areas heavy within the mind, triggering emotions of pleasure, inspiration, and prize. (Cocaine acts exactly the same way.) You are feeling a rush, as well as your heartbeat quickens. Appeal, too, is really a powerful drug. The mind stem also enters the action, releasing phenylethylamine (PEA), which boosts the stream of info between nerve tissues. It's no question your throat and eyeballs monitor her every motion.

But she's not really gawking back again at you, and it's really not only because you're traveling a family group bus with a color scrape on thé fender. Her mind acts quite differently from yóurs. You're kéyed directly into beauty, form, fantasy, and obséssion; on some bioIogical degree that she could be unacquainted with, she's troIling for a maté who'll sire healthy kids and protect and offer on her behalf and thém. And yes, maybé actually buy them a family group van.

Her goals are usually programmed for the long variety; yours tend to be shockingly short-term, right up to ideas of pedestrianophilia. And she understands it, which explains why she presses those short-phrase buttons shotgun-design: She never ever knows whenever a suitable mate may be looking.

The whole experience can keep you quivering with satisfaction, longing for more.

Additionally, it may hijack and ruin your daily life.

And between your "walk" and "dón't walk" indicators of delight and disaster, the human brain is sorting details, making options, spurring actions. Nevertheless, you don't desire to passively take all that, specifically because all of your life is definitely riding on the options you make.

That is where I can be found in. I know the mind procedures behind the témptations, and I can assist you stay away from trouble. In the end, that girl in the crosswalk could help recognize your destiny, ór derail it completely. Even more reason to access understand that big intercourse organ in the middle of your ears so that you can control small, less important a single in the middle of your legs. read more →