The tough, stuck-on messes on your baking sheets require aggressive cleaning products.

Despite having ambitious fitness goals, or a desire to create a change in our lives, many of us are reluctant to give up alcohol. Surely it cannot affect our fitness routines and progress that much, just to enjoy a glass of wine, or a few beers at the pub? But, as Drinkaware explains, alcohol has a negative impact on physical performance, motor skills and brain function. So, what could going sober allow us to achieve health and fitness-wise? “Since going sober two years ago, my training performance, energy levels and mental clarity have skyrocketed,” says personal trainer Josh Davies, from Aimee Victoria Long personal training. So, how does it impact your fitness? Poor sleep and hydration Alcohol has plenty of detrimental impacts on our bodies that hinder our fitness performance. “Firstly, alcohol causes dehydration. We all know the importance of being hydrated when it comes to bodily function,” says Davies. “Secondly, alcohol has a huge effect on the quality of your sleep. Alcohol prevents the body from getting into deep and REM sleep – the part of your sleep that helps with recovery and restoration. “If you’re not getting adequate amounts of this type of sleep, you won’t recover between sessions and are unable to perform when working out.”Motivation and emotions A terrible hangover or consistent fuzzy feeling is not the best if you want to get up and go when it comes to fitness, and the result-restriction caused by drinking could be holding you back. “If you’re not seeing progression in training and you’re feeling tired from the effects of alcohol, your motivation levels are likely to wane,” says Davies. Similarly, its mood-lowering effects can make you want to do anything but workout. “Whenever I used to drink too much, I used to wake up the next day and feel awful. It would leave me not being the best version of myself and stop me from pushing myself to my limits with fitness. I’d feel low, depressed and all I’d want to do is stay in bed,” says Lauren White, addiction coach and former PT. “Alcohol would always make me depressed, I would isolate and want to be alone. I was always into fitness at a young age and knew I was good at it, but when I started getting into drinking too much, I stopped looking after my body and forgot myself and my identity,” she explains. Aids with weight loss Weight loss is not, nor should it be the only goal of a fitness boost, but if it is for you, giving up drinking may help. Nick Mitchell, CEO and founder of Ultimate Performance, says: “The problem with alcohol calories is they take priority as fuel in the body over other fuel sources, as the by-product of alcohol, acetaldehyde, is toxic and converts to acetate. “This means your body won’t start burning fat again until you burn those alcohol calories off. “In fact, alcohol consumption can be one of the major reasons that you are self-sabotaging your fitness goals. “Cracking open a can of beer or two to relieve stress – although it may seem a good idea at the time – will come back to bite you. It slashes testosterone levels in men and impairs muscle growth.“Beer, in particular, is terrible for anyone seeking to lose body fat, due to its high count of calories and its estrogenic effects. This latter point can’t be underestimated – hops are estrogenic and, as such, are the prime causes of many men, not just for beer bellies, but also for man boobs,” he explains.More time and money Quitting drinking will give you more time and money to focus that energy on goals such as strength training or distance running. “You could take up new hobbies and do things that stimulate your mind and give you that serotonin release that you feel from drinking. Furthermore, you can save a bucket load of money,” says Davies. “Alcohol is expensive and when you’re intoxicated, you lose clarity and can end up spending more and more money.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 of this summer’s hottest swimwear trends Teenagers with obesity should be offered weight loss drug, say experts Harry and Meghan ‘not contacted by royal family’ after car chase in New York

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World leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima have been treated to a belt-expanding tour of local gastronomical delights with a host of menus showcasing the best of Japanese fine dining.

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McDonald’s lovers had their minds blown after seemingly learning the purpose behind the buttons on the top of drink lids. This week, a video posted on the popular Twitter account Today Years Old went viral after it showed the reason for those fun-to-pop buttons on every McDonald’s soda. The plastic buttons – sometimes labelled “Diet”, “Cola”, “Tea”, and “Other” – allow workers to indicate what the customer ordered so that they’re given the correct drink. For example, if someone ordered a Diet Coke at a McDonald’s drive-thru, they’d be handed a drink with the “Diet” button pushed down on the lid, while the other buttons remained unpopped. However, true fast food fans will also notice the rectangular buttons on the plastic lid. In the viral video, which has more than two million views, a person shocked McDonald’s fans when they pushed down on the wrong circular button and used the rectangular one to correct their mistake. “I was today years old when…” they captioned the clip, which showed that if the rectangular button was pressed, the circle next to it immediately popped up. In the comments, many users concluded that the plastic lid is used like a “reset” button – if an employee accidentally indicates the wrong drink preference, they can use the rectangular button to make sure the customer is given the right drink. “What kind of sorcery is this?” tweeted one mind-blown person after discovering the purpose behind the plastic button. “This is a lie! This can not be true!?!?! Can it???” another user jokingly asked. “At this point I don’t even think I’m breathing correctly,” said someone else. Others took the opportunity to seemingly confirm the purpose of the button, with one person writing: “The cap is to mark what the drink is (let’s say the diff between Diet Coke and Coke) this allows you to redo if you pressed the wrong one.” “There is an undo function,” one person replied, while another said: “Whaaatt? Those were reset buttons?” Most recently, fans of the American fast food chain expressed their disappointment after learning “why McDonald’s fries taste different than everybody else’s fries”. TikTok user Jordan, who goes by @jordan_the_stallion8 on the app, revealed that McDonald’s beloved fries are cooked with “natural beef flavour”, making them not suitable for vegans. “It’s because McDonald’s cooks [its] fries with beef flavouring mixed within their vegetable oil,” Jordan said. “So that’s why the fries taste so good, but also so different from everybody else’s.” @jordan_the_stallion8 #stitch with @youraveragetechbro #fypシ ♬ original sound - Jordan_The_Stallion8 The TikToker then noted that the revelation was probably “bad news for vegetarians”. The realisation upset many vegan and vegetarian customers, with one person commenting: “Wait.. whaaaat!? I’m vegan and all I can eat from McDonald’s are fries.” “WTF. Never again,” another said. Others revealed that it is a well-known fact that McDonald’s fries are not vegan in the US. “I thought everyone knew this,” said one person, while someone else wrote: “This has been known for at least a decade.” The Independent has contacted McDonald’s for comment. Read More McDonald's found liable for hot Chicken McNugget that fell from Happy Meal and burned girl Woman shares dismay over ‘mouse-sized’ panini she purchased for $8 on vacation in Italy McDonald’s fans upset after ‘expert’ claims he knows why fries taste different What is coronation chicken? The story of the royal recipe and how to make it Woman shares dismay over ‘mouse-sized’ panini she purchased for $8 on Italy vacation Gordon Ramsay puts his spin on a traditional Maori dessert

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The Princess of Wales has stepped firmly into autumnal dressing with a forest green power suit for a tour of a heritage textile mill. Kate was visiting Yorkshire-based AW Hainsworth – which has a royal history going back to the 1953, when fabrics made by the mill were on display during the Coronations of Queen Elizabeth II. The 41-year-old wore a Burberry wide-legged trouser suit with gold button detailing and a bright white blouse. She finished the look with a chunky gold chain and matching green velvet block heels. It isn’t the first time Kate has worn the Burberry number – we first saw it in March during a meeting with Norwegian royalty at Windsor Castle. Unsurprisingly, it’s no longer available to buy online. The mum-of-three wore her caramel-highlighted hair loose with bouncy waves, the tone perfectly in keeping with the cooler season, for the tour – during which she was set to learn about the manufacturing process of textiles. Luxury British fashion house Burberry debuted its latest collection last week at London Fashion Week (LFW). It was creative director’s Daniel Lee’s second LFW outing, with celebrities including singer Kylie Minogue, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and actor Rachel Weisz on the front row. Modern interpretations of the classic trench coat and chic patterned shirts populated the runway, so we could see Kate in more new Burberry designs soon. Kate has a history of wearing chic trouser suits, though. Earlier this month she wore a double-breasted jacket by Holland Cooper during a visit to a Royal Naval Air Station in Somerset, with matching slim-fit trousers that grazed her ankles and chunky gold button detailing. Back in May she went for a colour blocking baby pink Alexander McQueen suit for a visit to the Foundling Museum – matching a pearl belt with court shoes. In Boston, in December 2022, she went for a burgundy suit by Roland Mouret – along with a pussy bow shirt and a Chanel bag that’s been seen on numerous occasions. She proved a sharp white suit can be casual for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, when she chose an Alexander McQueen suit to watch swimming at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre. And during a visit to University Magee campus in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in 2021, Kate went for a slim-fit Emilia Wickstead trouser suit in magenta, over a roll-neck jumper. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How can I boost my soil when I go peat-free? See Cate Blanchett champion sustainable fashion at glamorous Giorgio Armani show 7 gardening books you shouldn’t be without this autumn

A new moon solar eclipse is happening in Libra on October 14, causing a little bit of chaos and a lot of growth. We won’t sugar coat it: eclipse season can feel daunting. And, although unpredictable, it’s nothing we haven’t handled before. This particular event is called a “ring of fire” eclipse because of the moon’s distance from the sun: instead of completely blocking out the sun’s rays, we’ll see a fiery halo up in the sky.