Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity?

Tom Patriot

Scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered that drinking a cup of coffee can stimulate ‘brown fat’, the body’s own fat-fighting defenses, which could be the key to tackling obesity and diabetes. The pioneering study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, is one of the first to be carried out in humans to find components which could have a direct effect on ‘brown fat’ functions, an important part of the human body which plays a key role in how quickly we can burn calories as energy. Brown adipose tissue…

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HOW TO SOOTHE A SUNBURN AT HOME

Tom Patriot

Sunburns are the worst. Who hasn’t had a perfectly good vacation or beach day ruined by bright red, sometimes blistering burn at one point or another? Even though we know the importance of wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day — because prevention is by far the best defense against the sun’s harmful rays — no one is perfect. Sunburns happen and if one happens to you, you’re going to want to find a quick way to ease the pain and soothe the damage at home. Here’s how: SUNBURN TIP #1: COOL…

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Athletes Are Also Entrepreneurs: 3 Tax Lessons from the Women’s World Cup

Tom Patriot

One thing that is as uniquely American as income taxes, apple pie and reality TV is our country’s love of sports. Right now, our women’s soccer team is battling it out (and so far winning — go U.S.A.!) in the FIFA Women’s World Cup while the world watches. (See today’s U.S. match against France at 3 p.m. EST.) This has gotten me thinking about athletes and the fact that they are, essentially, entrepreneurs who face the same challenges the rest of us face, and have a lot in common with independent spirited businesswomen…

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Extreme exercise can strain the heart without causing permanent damage

Tom Patriot

Researchers have found no evidence of elevated cardiac risk in runners who completed a 24-hour ultramarathon (24UM), despite the transient elevation of blood biomarkers that measure cardiac health. According to the study in the journal Heliyon, published by Elsevier, trained runners were more likely than their novice counterparts to experience raised levels, reflecting the greater cardiac load and pituitary-adrenocortical response to extremely strenuous exercise. “Experienced runners performed with greater intensity and speed, which placed strains on their hearts. Novice runners ran with less intensity, which resulted in lower cardiac biomarker levels,”…

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