SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2023--

This one looks like a solid candidate to join the ranks of our scariest films

Scientists have revealed the shocking impact of consuming ultra-processed foods in a short space of time. Two twin sisters were asked to switch up their diets as a part of a King's College London experiment for BBC Panorama. Aimee, 24, spent two weeks eating ultra-processed foods, while her sister Nancy was asked to consume the same amount of calories – but exclusively eating raw or low-processed foods. The results revealed that Aimee gained almost a kilo in weight, while her sister lost weight. The test also showed a difference in blood sugar and blood fat levels, with Aimee's worsening. So, what are ultra-processed foods? Some foods are considered "ultra-processed" under the NOVA food classification system developed by University of São Paulo researchers. They typically have five or more ingredients. The other three categories are unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed ingredients and processed foods. "They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life," writes British Heart Foundation (BHF). Foods include ham, sausages, crisps, ice cream, mass-produced bread, carbonated drinks, instant soups – and even some alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, gin and rum. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Stocking up on ultra-processed foods often leaves no room for healthier options. The BHF encourages people to swap out to make conscious choices, such as swapping out flavoured yoghurts for plain and adding fresh fruit. Instead of buying pre-made sauces, they suggest making your own and freezing the extra portions for another day. Porridge with fruits and nuts also makes a great alternative to sugar-filled breakfast cereals. "In the last decade, the evidence has been slowly growing that ultra-processed food is harmful for us in ways we hadn't thought," Professor Tim Spector of epidemiology told BBC Panorama. "We're talking about a whole variety of cancers, heart disease, strokes, dementia." BHF Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor said: "We already recommend people adopt a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes plenty of minimally or unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and whole grains. This, along with exercising regularly and not smoking, has been shown to be beneficial for lowering the risk of heart and circulatory disease.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

Protesters are gathering at the Iowa Capitol rotunda Tuesday as the Legislature convenes a special session on abortion restrictions

A single mum whose blood sometimes flows “backwards” has been left in excruciating pain and living “penny to penny” after a CT scan revealed she is likely to have pelvic congestion syndrome – but the next available appointment is not until 2024. Lolita Vaciete, 33, called the NHS in tears and begged them to expedite her treatment but was told she would have to wait a year before she could see a blood specialist about her condition, which is not life-threatening but makes everyday tasks like taking her eight-year-old son Jakob to school a logistical nightmare and means she runs the risk of passing out while on her period. While waiting for her appointment, Lolita, who has worked as a gourmet chef for 15 years, has been prescribed “strong painkillers” to help cope with the agony which she describes as like being “cut with a knife”. She was forced to take sick leave in March as she cannot stand up for more than a few hours at a time, and says the decision to postpone her treatment has “ruined her life” and that if her income continues to dwindle, she will be plunged into debt. Faced with no other option, Lolita is looking to raise money to afford private medical treatment as she fears Jakob is also suffering because of her condition. Pelvic congestion syndrome is a long-term condition where veins in the lower abdomen stop working properly, allowing blood to back up, causing the veins to become congested. Lolita, who lives in Milton Keynes, said: “Taking care of my son is what keeps me going and helps me find the strength to continue doing stuff, even though I can’t physically. “I feel like I’ve been locked in a box and told to just stay and wait. “I don’t understand how it can take 14 months for a blood specialist and gynaecologist to see me.” Lolita did not think it was “serious” when she started feeling pain around her abdomen in June last year. But over the next few months she rapidly lost weight and the pain intensified. “In the past year, I lost two stone without even trying,” she said. “Every time I moved, it felt like someone was cutting me with a knife in the right side of my abdomen. “I was very weak and couldn’t stand up for long without feeling dizzy. “I was constantly going to the toilet, like every half an hour.” In November, Lolita visited Milton Keynes University Hospital after the pain became unbearable and returned for a CT scan a month later which revealed she was likely to be suffering from pelvic congestion syndrome. “The scan showed my blood vessels were dilated,” she said. “They should not be more than 5mm and one of my veins was already 8mm.” She was told a meeting would be scheduled the following month with a blood specialist and gynaecologist to review the scan and confirm her diagnosis, but that never happened. She said: “I received a letter saying somebody will call me in a month’s time to schedule the appointment. “But I didn’t hear anything back, so I called them and received another letter saying my appointment had been delayed.” This went on until last month when Lolita received a letter saying she would not be able to see a gynaecologist until April 2024 and a blood specialist until June 2024. I feel like I've been locked in a box and told to just stay and wait Lolita Vaciete “I called them in tears and said it was urgent, but they could only move the gynaecologist to February 2024,” she said. “I can’t believe that it takes so long to see a gynaecologist.” While Lolita’s condition is not life-threatening, her world has been turned upside down and there is a chance she will have to have her uterus removed. “Whenever I get my periods, I have to stay in bed because I can pass out from losing too much blood,” she said. “If you look at who I was a year ago and who I am now, it has had a huge impact. “Everything I do has to be simplified and my life has become five times slower.” Even simple tasks like taking Jakob to school, a 20-minute walk down the road, have become an ordeal. “I am a single mum and I don’t have any support around me,” she said. “When my blood starts flowing backwards my blood pressure changes quickly, so I can be washing up and then I suddenly need to sit down.” Lolita was working as a fine dining chef until March but was forced to take sick leave as her condition got worse. “I was working full time but I’ve had to stop because I can’t be in a hot environment or standing for long hours,” she said. “I’m on sick leave but I’m getting paid less and less money. “If it continues I think that I will end up getting into debt this summer. “I’m literally living penny to penny to pay my bills.” Lolita says her condition is extremely severe and is also impacting her son who is not accustomed to seeing her so weak and does not fully grasp the situation. “I’m asking because I’m desperate for me and for my son,” she said. “I have noticed that he has been feeling a little down recently and I think it’s because he is used to seeing his mum as a strong woman.” While waiting for treatment, Lolita has been prescribed strong painkillers to help ease the agony. “That’s how they want to fix me, ‘here, take a tablet and carry on’,” she said. But there is nothing she can do to improve her condition other than avoid certain foods like vegetables which thin the blood. “It just feels as though my life isn’t important enough,” she said. Lolita says her GP suggested the backlog may be due to the NHS strikes announced in November. With nowhere else to turn, Lolita has set up a GoFundMe page and has raised more than £500 of her £4,000 target to pay for treatment called vein embolisation. “I looked at going private but the costs are too big, I just can’t afford it,” she said. “I spoke to my friends and they suggested I start a GoFundMe page. “This money will help me get treatment this year, and I will be able to make beautiful memories with my son this year. “My heart is breaking when he doesn’t understand why I am not the same. “I am suffering alone and losing hope.” To find out more about Lolita’s fundraising, visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-end-lolitas-pain. A spokesperson for Milton Keynes University Hospital said: “Ms Vaciete came in via our Same Day Emergency Care unit for urgent same-day assessment. Following triage by a clinician and a CT scan, Ms Vaciete was booked in for a non-urgent routine outpatient appointment. “This is currently scheduled for February 2024 as the next available appointment. “We are constantly reviewing our waiting lists and aim to bring appointments forward where possible, with patients being seen in order of clinical priority. If Ms Vaciete’s symptoms are getting worse, we would advise that she contact her GP.” Read More Gaining weight before 30 raises cancer risk decades later Teacher, 25, rushed to hospital with stomach ache diagnosed with terminal cancer Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The trending cinnamon roll recipe on TikTok makes the process of baking the rolls much easier than its traditional counterpart

A mother has spoken out about the horrifying moment that she discovered ticks inside her daughter’s ear. The parent, Jessic Loach, took to TikTok this week to share a photo montage about the experience. Loach’s video started off with a picture of her daughter’s ear, which appeared to have a black mark inside it. “I went to wash my daughter’s ears during bath time, and it looked like she had shoved something in her ear,” she wrote in the text over the photo. She went on to share another photo of her daughter, Averie, itching her ear and explained what she did next. “Immediately called her doctor and they said bring her in ASAP,” she wrote. Loach also included a photo of her child at the doctor’s office, sharing that her daughter “acted fine, except for when someone messed with or wanted to look in her ear”. She went on to share another photo of her daughter’s ear, which was red on the inside and appeared to have a scab in it. She addressed her fears over the situation, adding: “I had no idea what to expect and was so scared for our baby girl.” Loach then posted a picture of one of the ticks that the doctor “pulled” out of her daughter’s ear. She noted how the tick could have gotten in there, adding: “We had been working in the yard the day before…Our poor baby girl.” She concluded her photo montage with one last picture of Averie’s ear as it was healing. She said the child was doing better before urging fellow parents to be on the look out for ticks. “Her ear about five hours later,” she wrote in the text over the photo. “It bruised for about three days, but Averie is doing just fine now. Be sure and check your babies’ ears after playing outside. Ticks can crawl inside!!! Gross!!!” After Loach’s video quickly went viral, with more than 2.1m views so far, the mother spoke to People about the experience. “The removal process was very traumatising as you have to hold the child still to remove items safely,” she explains. “A two-year-old just doesn’t understand what the doctor is trying to do.” She added: “I had no idea it was a tick until the doctor started removing it from her ear.” The mother also said Averie has fully recovered one month after the incident occured. “I’m just glad she didn’t have any after effects,” she said. Since posting the video, Loach said that many parents told her about their experiences where ticks crawled onto their children. “I’ve learned it happens more than I could have ever imagined,” she added. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it’s important to properly remove a tick when found on one’s body. “There is a lot of folklore about how to take a tick out of your skin. Some people even talk about having a lighted cigarette close by, things like that,” said José Ribeiro, who is the chief of the Vector Biology Section of the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research in NIAID’s Division of Intramural Research. “The most important thing is just to use appropriate forceps such as tweezers. Grab the whole tick and pull it out.” The publication also noted that the best way to prevent ticks is by wearing clothes that cover ones’ arms and legs, when outside. People could also opt to tuck their pants into their socks to ensure that their bodies are completely covered, especially when in the woods or on a hiking trail. It’s also best to remove the tick as quickly as possible, as it takes about 36 hours for Lyme disease to be transmitted from a tick. Per NIH, this bacterial infection, which people can get from “the bite of an infection tick,” usually starts with symptoms like a rash, fever, or headache. If not treated early, the infection can impact a person’s heart and nervous system. The Independent has contacted Loach for comment. Read More A woman secretly recorded her husband at home. Now she’s divorcing him Watch: Mother ‘can barely move her hands’ after years of gel nails Mother claims using a miraculous eye cream has taken years off her in just weeks How has Camilla’s style evolved since she became Queen Consort? A woman secretly filmed her husband at home. Then she left him Mother shows off her glowing skin after using miraculous eye cream

Sri Lanka stood pat on borrowing costs for the first time in three meetings, after slashing the cash

Our eyesight is often something we take for granted – until there’s something wrong with it. Problems like short-sightedness (myopia) are rapidly increasing. In fact, research has predicted that by 2050 there will be 4,758 million people with the condition – nearly half (49.8%) of the world’s population – as experts are highlighting ahead of National Eye Health Week (September 18-24) In addition, new research by Macushield found 73% of Brits notice their eyes deteriorating with age, and the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Report on Vision has predicted a dramatic increase in the need for eyecare in the near future, pointing out that at least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment – and around half of these have vision impairment that could have been prevented. “Some people may not be giving their eye health the attention it deserves, occasionally missing out on annual eye tests, which play a crucial role in detecting conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration,” says ophthalmologist Dr Jørn Slot Jørgensen. “When identified and addressed in a timely manner, these issues can be managed effectively, helping safeguard our vision.” Jørgensen says the pandemic also played a role in worsening eye problems, particularly the increase in short-sightedness. “With the shift to remote work, people are now more likely to spend extended hours with their screens for work and leisure,” he says. “Prioritising eye health isn’t just a matter of convenience, it’s a fundamental aspect of our overall wellbeing.” Here Jørgensen, of the Laser Eye Clinic London, and Evelyn (Evie) Mensah, a consultant ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at Central Middlesex Hospital and member of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists council, outline seven ways people may be damaging their vision, without even realising… 1. Skipping eye tests Mensah says it’s advisable for people to have a sight test every two years, or more often if their optometrist recommends it. Jørgensen adds: “Failing to schedule regular eye tests can result in undiagnosed eye conditions. Conditions like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration often develop without noticeable symptoms in their early stages, but early detection through eye tests is crucial for effective treatment and vision preservation.“ Routine eye tests can also pick up early signs of underlying systemic health conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. 2. Prolonged screen time The widespread use of digital devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones has led to extended periods of screen time for both work and leisure, says Jørgensen. “This can result in digital eye strain, characterised by symptoms like dry eyes, headaches and blurred vision,” he explains. “In this age of digital technology, it’s advisable to relieve digital eye strain by using the 20-20-20 rule,” says Mensah – this means every 20 minutes, looking at something 20ft away for 20 seconds. “In addition, remember to blink when using a screen to prevent eyes from getting dry.” 3. Not wearing UV protective sunglasses Jørgensen says failing to wear sunglasses with adequate UV protection can lead to harmful UV radiation exposure, which may contribute to conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). “Protecting your eyes from UV rays, particularly in sunny conditions, is essential for preserving long-term eye health,” he stresses. Mensah says UV exposure can also increase the development of growths on the surface of the eyes called pterygia, and warns: “Not all sunglasses filter UV light, so ensure they carry the CE, UV 400 or British Standard Mark. And never look directly at the sun because this can cause a solar burn in the macula that can result in permanent visual loss.” 4. Poor diet and lack of nutrients Eating a healthy, balanced diet could help reduce your risk of sight-threatening eye disease such as AMD, which impacts central vision. Mensah explains that the macula – part of the retina which processes what you see directly in front of you – contains natural pigments such as lutein and zeaxanthin that are found in dark-green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. “Vitamins A, C and E are also helpful, so eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day,” she advises. “And if you have a family history of AMD, ask your GP about taking nutritional supplements.” Jørgensen adds: “A poor diet lacking essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals like zinc, can harm eye health, as these nutrients are vital for vision and overall eye function. To maintain healthy eyes, it’s crucial to consume a balanced diet rich in leafy greens, colourful fruits and vegetables, and omega-3 sources.” 5. Smoking If you’re a smoker, stopping is not only beneficial to your general health but also your eyes, says Mensah: “Smoking cessation is a modifiable factor that can reduce the risk of developing certain eye conditions such as AMD and cataracts.” Ask your GP for support if you are keen to quit – there are lots of helpful resources available. 6. Not wearing prescribed glasses Mensah says there’s a widespread misconception that wearing prescribed glasses worsens your eyesight. “This notion is inaccurate,” she stresses. “The primary reason for wearing prescribed glasses is simply because you require them. If you neglect to wear them, you run the risk of experiencing headaches.” 7. Inadequate lighting “Working or reading in areas with insufficient lighting can make your eyes work harder, leading to eye strain, discomfort, and poorer vision,” says Jørgensen. He points out that good lighting, often called ‘task lighting’, is vital for creating comfortable conditions for reading and working. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Celebrities mingle with royals at glam Vogue World party in London Sienna Miller bares baby bump at celebrity and royal-studded Vogue event See plus-size model Ashley Graham stun in Old Hollywood-inspired Harris Reed LFW show

Imagine letting a child or teen to see a movie without any guidance about the

Former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson has announced he is relaunching his talk show Tucker