Life of Britain's greatest cyclist shattered

Quick note. This is how life can be so cruel. One minute you are on top of the world and the next it is the end of your world - literally.

Sarra and Chris Hoy. Image: Jane Barlow/PA Archive.

Chris Hoy Chris won a total of six gold medals at the Olympic Games. He achieved this feat at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics, making him one of the most successful British Olympians in history.

He was awesome as a sprinting rider. He is married to Sarra and they have two children, seven-year-old Chloe and 10-year-old Callum.

He has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. They found a lump in his shoulder and then cancer throughout his body. It is reported that he has 2-4 years to live.

Some weeks before his cancer diagnosis, his wife Sarra had tests on a tingling sensation in her face and tongue.

Then just before Christmas it was confirmed she had multiple sclerosis (MS) that was “very active and aggressive” and needed urgent treatment.

I take this to mean fulminating MS that is usually fatal within a few years. This is not stated in the news story but it looks like it.

I am a big admirer of Hoy. It looks like his life and the life of his wife will end in around 3 years. As I said. life is cruel. These things happen. Humans are vulnerable and fragile. Life is precious. It can end quite suddenly.

Hoy is strong and pragmatic as I would expect. He accepts his fate and will live life to the fullest for as long as he can. I am sure Sarra has the same viewpoint. A great couple.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Tea and coffee can improve your heart's health by suppressing inflammation

This is a piece of research which builds on previous studies and adds to mounting evidence which shows that caffeine in tea and coffee is good for overall health. This is due to its anti-inflammatory action as it binds with receptors on immune cells to suppress the production of inflammatory chemicals.

The study I'm referring to, the result of new research from Sapienza University in Rome and published in the journal Rheumatology, looked at 31 patients with lupus which is a condition in which the immune system attacks its own tissues raising the risk of heart disease.

In the study, it was found that caffeine appeared to promote the growth and regeneration of endothelial cells which line the inside of blood vessels in the heart. Having more of the cells helps to repair blood vessels and prevents the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries.

This study is the first according to the report in The Times to "demonstrate a protective role of caffeine".

Scientists have been debating the role of caffeine in heart health because some thought that it might cause heart palpitations and increased blood pressure.

However, as mentioned, the evidence now points to benefits to heart health for both coffee and tea drinkers.

The experts have suggested that drinking 2 or 3 cups a day could now be added to traditional recommendations such as losing weight to help improve heart health.

We can say with some conviction that daily tea and coffee drinkers have better heart health because of the anti-inflammatory benefits of caffeine.

Dr. Fulvia Ceccarelli, the study leader, said it highlighted the "possible role of diet in controlling the disease". They added that "It will be necessary to confirm the results to a longitudinal study, aimed at assessing the real impact of coffee consumption on the disease course."

To do with cats? Of course: better health by cat caregivers leads to better cat caregiving. Simples...

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Wrong arm position can overstate blood pressure. Infographic.

This is about human health; so important in order to be a good cat caregiver! The infographic explains how to avoid an overstated blood pressure check. It is down to the proper arm position. See the infographic. I have also found that a brisk walk before talking one's blood pressure results in a lower blood pressure which is something we all want. It is rare for the blood pressure to be too low. Normally it is too high because of a prevalence of obesity in Western societies.

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Image: Amazon (Omron). It shows the correct arm position.

Americans stunned after learning ingredients in US McDonald's compared to UK's. US men DIE YOUNGER.

American men have an average lifespan of  76.33 years. UK men have an average lifespan of 80.70 years. Although there are many reasons for this difference, one is diet including fast food differences. Take a look at this picture and a fuller written picture below.

Update October 3, 2024: The Times newspaper reports that "Middle-aged Britons slimmer and healthier than US peers". That said, UK residents are also pretty unhealthy with an obesity epidemic! However, a study found that middle-aged Britons are slimmer, healthier and less likely to suffer heart problems than their peers in the US. British adults are less likely to be obese and also have lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In the US, 40% were obese compared with 35% in the UK. 23% of Americans had high blood pressure and 11% had high cholesterol compared with rates of 19 and 8% respectively in the UK. There are many reasons for this, one of which is diet referred to on this page but there may also be an input from the health service available in the UK and in the USA. In my opinion, the problem is linked to obesity and overeating. That's the core of the problem because being obese carries with it numerous health problems. There is no doubt that it shortens life substantially on average.

Why do American men have a shorter lifespan than British men?

Note: below this section is one on diet which explores the facts in the image above.

The shorter lifespan of American men compared to British men can be attributed to several interrelated factors. Here are some of the key reasons:

1. Healthcare System

• Access to healthcare: The U.S. has a more privatized healthcare system, which can create barriers to accessing medical care, especially for lower-income individuals. In contrast, the U.K. has the National Health Service (NHS), which provides universal healthcare free at the point of delivery, allowing more consistent and early access to healthcare services for the entire population.
• Preventive care: Americans, particularly those without insurance, may delay or avoid seeking preventive care due to cost concerns. This can lead to the later detection of diseases and worse outcomes, which impacts life expectancy.

2. Obesity and Diet

• Obesity rates: The U.S. has higher rates of obesity than the U.K. Obesity is a significant risk factor for various health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, all of which can shorten lifespan. Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are more prevalent in the U.S.
• Dietary differences: Processed and fast foods, which are often high in sugar, fat, and salt, are more widely consumed in the U.S., contributing to chronic health conditions.

3. Income Inequality and Poverty

• Economic disparities: The U.S. has higher levels of income inequality than the U.K., which translates to disparities in access to healthcare, housing, nutrition, and other essentials. Economic stress and poorer living conditions can exacerbate health problems, increasing mortality rates.
• Social safety nets: The U.K. has more robust social programs that reduce poverty and provide support, such as welfare and housing assistance. These programs can help mitigate the adverse health effects of poverty and provide stability, potentially extending life expectancy.

4. Gun Violence and Homicide Rates

• Gun-related deaths: The U.S. has much higher rates of gun violence, including homicides and suicides, which disproportionately affect men. This contributes directly to lower life expectancy in American men, especially young and middle-aged men.
• Homicide rates: The U.S. has a higher homicide rate than the U.K., and this violent crime disproportionately affects men.

5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health

• Opioid crisis: The U.S. has faced a severe opioid crisis, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, primarily affecting men. Overdose deaths have significantly reduced life expectancy in certain regions of the U.S.
• Mental health: Mental health care in the U.S. can be expensive and less accessible, leading to untreated conditions such as depression and anxiety. The combination of untreated mental health issues and easy access to firearms may explain higher suicide rates among American men compared to British men.

6. Work-life Balance and Stress

• Work culture: Americans tend to work longer hours and take fewer vacations than their British counterparts, leading to higher levels of stress. Chronic stress is linked to many health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and weakened immune function.
• Social determinants of health: Factors like job security, income, and social status all play a role in life expectancy. The American work culture may expose men to more work-related stress, which negatively affects overall health.

7. Environmental Factors

• Air pollution: While both the U.S. and U.K. experience pollution, certain areas of the U.S. have higher levels of pollution, particularly in urban centers. Poor air quality is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, which can shorten life expectancy.
• Climate and geography: Some regions of the U.S. are more prone to extreme weather, such as heatwaves, which can be fatal, especially for vulnerable populations.

8. Lifestyle and Cultural Differences

• Smoking and alcohol consumption: While smoking rates have declined in both countries, the U.S. has higher alcohol consumption and binge drinking rates, which can lead to liver disease, accidents, and other health issues.
• Physical activity: Americans generally engage in less physical activity compared to British men, contributing to higher rates of obesity and associated diseases.

9. Maternal Mortality and Infant Health

• Infant and maternal mortality: The U.S. has a higher infant and maternal mortality rate than the U.K., which is indicative of broader healthcare system issues and negatively impacts overall life expectancy figures.

In summary, while both American and British men face many similar health challenges, systemic factors like the healthcare system, higher rates of obesity and substance abuse, more violence, and greater economic inequality contribute to the shorter lifespan of American men compared to British men.

The American Big Mac burger contains more calories, more fat and more salt and additives than the British version. Is this an indication of the underlying differences in diet?

Yes, the differences in the composition of the American and British Big Mac are indicative of broader dietary trends and food culture between the two countries. The fact that the American Big Mac contains more calories, fat, salt, and additives compared to its British counterpart reflects key underlying differences in diet and food standards that could impact health and life expectancy.

Here are some ways in which the difference between these two versions of the Big Mac highlights broader dietary contrasts:

1. Food Standards and Regulations

• Ingredient regulations: The U.K. and European Union (which governed U.K. food laws until Brexit) have stricter regulations on food additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. This can lead to lower levels of unhealthy additives in processed foods in the U.K. compared to the U.S., where food industry standards are more lenient.
• Trans fats: The U.S. historically allowed higher levels of trans fats, which contribute to heart disease, though these have been increasingly regulated in recent years. In the U.K., trans fats were banned earlier, reflecting a difference in public health priorities.

2. Portion Sizes

• Larger portions in the U.S.: In general, portion sizes tend to be larger in the U.S. than in the U.K., especially for fast food. The higher calorie content of the American Big Mac could be reflective of a cultural trend towards supersized portions, which contributes to higher caloric intake and obesity rates.
• Perception of value: U.S. fast food culture often equates larger portions with better value, which encourages overconsumption, while the U.K. typically favors smaller, more controlled portions.

3. Salt and Sugar Intake

• Higher salt and sugar levels: The American Big Mac contains more salt, which reflects broader dietary trends in the U.S. where high-sodium processed foods are more common. Excessive salt consumption is linked to hypertension and heart disease, which are more prevalent in the U.S.
• Hidden sugars: Processed foods in the U.S. often contain more added sugars, even in savory items. This has been linked to the rise in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in the U.S.

4. Obesity Rates and Health Outcomes

• Higher obesity rates in the U.S.: The U.S. has a significantly higher obesity rate than the U.K., with almost 40% of American adults classified as obese compared to about 27% in the U.K. The nutritional composition of fast foods like the Big Mac plays a role in these differences. The higher fat, calorie, and sodium content in American fast food reflects a broader trend toward energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, contributing to obesity and related diseases.
• Chronic diseases: The high fat and calorie content of processed foods in the U.S. is a major factor in the higher prevalence of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, which are key contributors to the shorter lifespan of American men compared to British men.

5. Cultural Attitudes Toward Food

• Convenience and fast food culture: In the U.S., fast food is a staple of the diet for many, often consumed more frequently than in the U.K. Americans tend to have a more fast-paced lifestyle, which encourages the consumption of quick, convenient, and often unhealthy meals. In contrast, while fast food is popular in the U.K., there is a stronger cultural emphasis on home-cooked meals and a more traditional approach to meal times.
• Food marketing: The fast food industry in the U.S. is highly competitive and promotes value meals and larger portions aggressively. This is less of a focus in the U.K., where there has been more public pressure on the food industry to promote healthier options.

6. Public Health Campaigns

• Health awareness: In the U.K., there have been stronger public health campaigns aimed at reducing sugar and salt consumption, particularly through government regulation and media. Initiatives like the sugar tax on soft drinks and clearer food labeling are more prominent in the U.K. These measures encourage healthier consumer choices, which are less emphasized in the U.S. until more recently.

7. Culinary Traditions

• Traditional diets: In the U.K., while fast food is available, traditional British meals, particularly home-cooked meals, are typically lower in calories and fat compared to the average American diet. The Mediterranean influence on European diets also emphasizes healthier fats (like olive oil) and more fresh produce.
• Processed foods: In contrast, the American diet often incorporates more highly processed foods, including ready-made meals and snacks, which tend to be higher in calories, unhealthy fats, and preservatives.

8. Pricing and Accessibility

• Cheap, unhealthy food: In the U.S., highly processed, calorie-dense foods are often cheaper and more accessible than healthier, fresh options. Fast food is often seen as a cost-effective option for many families, contributing to poorer dietary habits overall.
• Healthier alternatives: In the U.K., while price disparities exist, there has been a push toward making healthier food more affordable and accessible through government initiatives and market changes.

Conclusion

The nutritional differences between the American and British versions of the Big Mac are a microcosm of broader dietary patterns in each country. The U.S. diet tends to be higher in calories, fat, salt, and additives, which contributes to obesity, heart disease, and other health issues that reduce life expectancy. In contrast, 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Laughter can speed up recovery from illness. Study of sick kids in an Israeli hospital.

Being an old man, I am always interested in ways to improve one's well-being and overall health. It's important in many respects. In fact it should be a vital objective of all people. We should all be concerned with it and that includes people who care for a domestic cat companion. If a cat owner is ill it's unlikely they'll be able to discharge their cat caring duties fully. It affects the cat negatively. We create the cat's environment in all senses. I am not saying that being happy is easy becomes sometimes it is not!

Clown entertains sick child at hospital which speeds up recovery

With this in mind, it's a known fact that laughter can speed up recovery from illness. A recent study supports the findings of other studies and real-life experiences. In this instance it concerned children patients at hospital. They were seriously ill with pneumonia.

The researchers used a team of specially trained medical clowns with painted faces and the skill to entertain. They found that when they entertained the patients they cut the time they needed to be on intravenous antibiotics.

The researchers followed 51 children aged between 2 and 18 who had been admitted to hospital with pneumonia at the Carmel Medical Centre in Israel.

One group received standard care while the other received the same care plus a 15 minute session with a medical clown twice a day in the first 48 hours after admission to hospital.

The researchers employed three medical clowns from The Dream Doctors Project who use various techniques to relax patients. They employed music, singing and 'guided imagination'. They encouraged the children to drink and eat by themselves again.

The researchers discovered that the group who were visited by a medical clown had an average stay in hospital of 43.5 hours compared with 70 hours for the children who were not visited by the clowns.

Also, the children visited by medical clowns needed only two days of intravenous biotics compared with the usual three days for the control group.

The lead author of the study is Dr. Karin Yaacoby-Bianu. The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Vienna.

Looking wider, laughter is indeed a contributor to speeding up recovery from illness. It cannot be a cure on its own normally but other scientific studies have suggested that laughter because several positive effects on health and well-being.

For example:

• It boosts the immune system. It's been shown to increase the production of antibodies and activate T-cells which are essential for a healthy immune response.
• Laughter lowers the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. These can weaken the immune system and slowdown recovery.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins. These are the body's natural painkillers which make it easier to manage pain and discomfort.
• And further, laughter improves blood flow and cardiovascular function. These are essential for recovery and overall health.
• And finally, laughter can alleviate stress and depression thereby improving mental health which can be common during illness. A positive mental state can promote faster healing.

Laughter isn't a replacement for medical treatment but it can complemented and enhance recovery.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Man had wonderful dreams in a 16-day coma

It occurred to me that we don't know much about what is happening in the brain of people placed into an induced coma as a patient in hospital. To outsiders they appear to be almost dead. They are entirely unresponsive. What's happening inside their brain? Are they experiencing anything?

Craig Mackinlay, a brave British Member of Parliament (MP), suffered from an urgent attack of sepsis which put him in hospital in a life-threatening condition. This is him back at the House of Commons on his return where he enjoyed a long ovation.

It seems that most experts don't know the answer to those questions but today, we have a little bit of enlightenment on the topic because Craig Mackinlay, a brave British Member of Parliament (MP), suffered from an urgent attack of sepsis which put him in hospital in a life-threatening condition.

He was placed in a medical coma for 16 days. When the coma was terminated the surgeons partially amputated all four of his limbs. The sepsis had killed them off completely so they were entirely dead and useless.

He said that he experienced "wonderful" dreams during his 16 day coma. I think this is the first time that I've read in the news media about a first hand experience of a person being placed in a medical coma and thankfully, his experience was pleasant.

I guess there is no certainty that the dreams are going to be wonderful. What if they were terrifying? But perhaps the drugs that induce the coma prompted the wonderful dreams. If that's true then we can perhaps be reasonably confident that patients in hospital in a coma are least experiencing nice dreams.

We can't be sure of that but we know that this man, on this occasion, in a coma, enjoyed wonderful dreams and I think physicians and the experts should tap into this information and store it on their databases.

Below, is some more information about whether people experience dreams when in a coma as provided by Poe an excellent artificial intelligence chatbot with which I've chatted and in fact praised them for their good responses.

Dialogue with AI:

Do you know if people in an induced coma at hospital dream?

That's an interesting question. The topic of dreaming in patients in an induced coma is an area of active research and debate among medical professionals.

Here's a quick summary of what we currently know:

• Patients in an induced coma are in a state of deep unconsciousness, typically induced through the use of sedative medications to allow the body to rest and heal.
• The brain activity of patients in an induced coma is significantly reduced compared to normal waking consciousness.
• There is some evidence that patients in an induced coma may still experience some form of dreaming or dream-like experiences, though the content and nature of these experiences is not well understood.
• The ability to recall or report on dreams while in an induced coma is very limited, as the patient is completely unresponsive.
• Factors like the underlying medical condition, the specific medications used, and the duration of the coma can all influence the potential for dreaming.

Overall, the consensus seems to be that dreaming in an induced coma is possible, but it is a complex and not fully understood phenomenon. More research is needed to shed light on the brain activity and subjective experiences of patients in this state. Let me know if you have any other questions!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Headset which alleviates depression endorsed by NHS

We know that caring for a domestic cat can help alleviate depression. We know that it can help alleviate the feeling of loneliness and it can help people get through life particularly when they live alone. There are real, tangible benefits to living with a domestic cat and/or domestic dog companion but sometimes depression just sticks around. A cat owner cannot shake it off and if that's the case, which would be entirely understandable particularly in a more stressful world, this NHS endorsed headset might assist as well.

Flow headset superimposed on a model presenting depressive behaviour.

The Times newspaper, yesterday, refers to this device as a way to alleviate the emotional distress a person suffers when they break up with a partner. The headline for The Times was "£400 headset could help to fix pain of a broken heart".

But the pain of a broken heart includes depression, low mood and extreme sadness sometimes. So this device is designed to alleviate a low mood and it purportedly achieves this through very low level electrical signals sent through the brain with electrodes. That sounds a little bit shocking (excuse the pun) or it might to some people but as I said it endorsed by the NHS and its got some good reviews so I would like to mention it on this website.

The problem is this: a person who is sick or depressed cannot in all fairness and truth be a good cat caregiver. You got to be up to the business of cat caregiving to do a good job. It requires human input which makes this post relevant to the website.

The report is that "wearing the device for a few minutes a day with a mild electrical current may reduce feelings of misery, negativity and depression".

36 participants took part in a study. They wore the "transcranial direct current stimulation device".

The participants were split into three groups each wearing the headset for 20 minutes twice a day over five days.

In one group the current was aimed at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain linked with task switching, inhibition, planning and working memory.

In a second group, the stimulation was directed at the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex which helps people make conscious decisions according to their motivations. And in the third group the headset was switched off.

Sometimes the gentle electrical current can cause tingling.

The study is published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. The researchers concluded that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex stimulation was more efficient than the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex stimulation to deal with "love trauma syndrome". This includes distress, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings and obsessive thoughts.

The researchers were from Iran and Germany. They found that the device "significantly reduced LTS symptoms and improved depressive state and anxiety after the intervention, as compared with the sham group."

A month after the treatment stopped the participants said that they still felt better. The author of the study said: "These promising results require replication in longer trials."

In January of this year, and NHS trust said that it was offering a headset to deliver transcranial direct current stimulation treatment for patients with a diagnosis of depression. Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said that their patients use the Flow headset device themselves at home for 30 minutes five times a week for three weeks. After about three weeks they reduce the level of the treatment. They can then stop or continue to use it for as long as needed. It is designed to relieve depressive symptoms.

It's not cheap at about £400 in the UK. But if you are depressed and have tried a lot of things including drugs you might like to consider this as an alternative. I am not a doctor. I'm simply reporting what I read in the newspapers but I want to help people who are depressed and cat caregivers.

Flow headset in operation.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Bird flu blinds barn cats and kills half in days on Texas farm

This is a cross post because it is an important story. It is also a tragic story as half of the 24 barn cats on this Texas farm died quickly of bird flu which they contracted, it is believed, from drinking the unpasteurised milk from the cows with which they lived. 

Barn cats drink unpasteurised milk in a milking barn and caught bird flu which killed them. This is a fictional image please note based on the image on the internet. 

Their deaths were unpleasant and painful. The story was announced by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which revealed that at least 24 cats on this Texas farm experienced severe health symptoms such as depression, body stiffness, ataxia (loss of coordination), blindness, circling and extreme upper respiratory infection with excessive mucus from their eyes and noses.

Autopsies were carried out on the cats some of whom had died in as little as two days after they fell ill. The virus had spread to their entire body, lungs, brains, heart and eyes.

It also believed the cats contracted the disease from infected cattle by being in close contact with them. Clearly, the disease is a zoonosis (zoonotic disease) because it is transferable from one species of animal to another.

The disease can be transmitted in saliva, droppings and other body fluids and as mentioned in consuming raw milk (colostrum) from the cows.

CDC obtained the bodies of two of the cats as well as samples of milk from the cows. They also examined tissue samples from six of the cows. Three of the cows were euthanized and three had died of the virus.

All the animals were revealed to have been infected with H5N1 bird flu, specifically the one designated 2.3.4.4b, a highly pathogenic variety that killed a dolphin in Florida recently.

The cats had microscopic lesions in their brains, heart and lungs. They examined photographs of the barn where they lived and saw that they drank milk from a designated bowl as well as directly from cows.

It appears that the symptoms were first observed in the cats and so CDC tested the cows in which they found symptoms including tiny lesions in their memory glands.

The situation with avian flu designated A(H5N1) has become serious in America. It first emerged in 1996 but since 2020 the number of outbreaks has increased rapidly with tens of millions of poultry killed and wild birds and land and marine animals also infected.

Being a zoonosis, the disease can be transferred to people and earlier in the month a dairy farm worker in Texas became the second American to become infected with the virus. The farmworker contracted a mild infection with just one symptom which was an inflammation of the eye and recovered well. They were placed into isolation.

It is believed that they didn't transfer the disease to others and were being treated with the drug Tamiflu. This occurred in Texas as well and is believed to be the first case of a human infected by avian influenza from a cow.

The virus is mutating making it easier to jump posts as happened with the Covid-19 virus.

Protections

Cats can be protected from A(H5N1) if they are given a vaccination. However, it’s important to note that cats can still shed some of the virus, albeit in low numbers. If a cat is exhibiting symptoms, it should be put into isolation and kept indoors. Then, it should be taken to a vet for testing to determine the presence of H5N1. Additionally, here are some other preventive measures for cat owners:

1. Limit Contact with Possible Vectors: To prevent the spread of H5N1 among cats, limit their contact with other possible vectors such as birds and cattle. Cats should also avoid contact with fomites, such as milking equipment.

2. Avoid Unpasteurized Milk: Do not allow cats to drink unpasteurized milk, as this could be a potential source of infection.

3. Minimize Unnecessary Contact: If highly pathogenic influenza viruses are found or suspected in a cat, minimize unnecessary contact. Use gloves, a mask, and goggles for protection when handling the cat.

Remember that while the risk of cat-to-human transmission of influenza is low, taking precautions is essential to protect both cats and humans. If you suspect your cat may have been exposed to A(H5N1), consult with a veterinarian promptly.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Gut health linked to sexual health in the panda and perhaps us?

An interesting study published online in the journal Ecology and Evolution came to the conclusion that the health of a panda's gut microbiota can affect their libido. It can affect how keen they are to have sex.

Although the scientists haven't discovered a direct causation between the type of bacteria in a panda's gut and how keen they were to have sex, there is an association according to the study. And it is tentatively proposed that a similar finding could be made in respect of humans.

RELATED ARTICLE: How does a cat caregiver improve their cat’s gut microbiome?

It's known that in general the panda is not a very reliable stud. In general, my understanding is that they are not very keen on sex. Between male pandas, they can either be reliable studs which means 'capable of mating' or disinterested. 

They analysed the animals' gut bacteria and found that the gut bacteria of pandas in the group that were disinterested in sex was different to those who were capable of mating.

One difference was there was a low abundance of the bacterium Clostridium sensustricto. The researchers suggested that it was worth seeing whether dietary supplements alongside a wider range of bamboo might assist disinterested pandas perform to in the bedroom.

And they have further suggested that the same sort of improvements might occur in humans. In fact, a study from 2021 published in Translational Andrology and Urology use an almost identical methodology. The study looked at 60 men aged between 20 and 40 with and without erectile dysfunction.

They found that those that had problems with sex had a less diverse gut bacteria. A further study found that women with low libido had a gut bacteria "signature".

And we already know that the quality of a person's gut bacteria is very important to general well-being in various ways including supporting and enhancing their immune system to affecting hormones positively and behaviour and emotions. The scientists believe that gut bacteria can affect a person's sex drive.

The big caveat is that these studies have not proved causation meaning they have seen a pattern in terms of gut bacteria and libido in pandas but they have not found a direct causation between gut bacteria and low sex drive in pandas.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Touch your cat and let them touch you for health benefits both ways

A study is out on the Internet at the moment which probably states the obvious but it's always useful to restate the obvious and it might not be so obvious to some people. 😉😎

The conclusion of the study is that people benefit from touch. Yes, a simple act. Touching is part and parcel of the way of life of animals and people. People are animals. The human animal. Let's not kid ourselves that we are any different at a fundamental level which includes experiencing the benefits of touch.

Touch on the face and head is more beneficial than touch on the arm. We can be touched by a professional medical person or a non-medical person but someone we know and the benefits are going to be similar both mental and physical.

People who are ill benefit more than those who are not. Hugging people is touching people. The same benefits. Cuddling your cat is like hugging a person. The same benefits. It cuts both ways by which I mean the cat benefits from your touching and you benefit from touching your cat. Note: hug cats respectfully.

To stress the point, the study states that, "It is widely known that many animal species benefit from touch interactions and that engaging in touch promotes their well-being as well."

You can't really touch your cat enough. You can't overdo it but caregivers should respect the feelings of their cat. Petting your cat is good for both person and cat but different cats have different wishes and people shouldn't overdo petting. Sometimes cats have a limit to the amount of petting they wish to receive.

Notwithstanding that observation, cats enjoy petting and of course people enjoy petting their cats. This is a form of touching obviously and therefore both benefit from it.

Touching can help reduce pain, depression and anxiety in adults and children. In terms of newborn babies, touching helps them gain weight. This is a reflection of the general well-being incurred by the baby when being touched.

The study is titled: A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions. It is published on the Nature Human Behaviour website and the citation at the base of the article provides a link to it.

Overall, touch interventions were beneficial for both physical and mental health, with a medium effect size. Our work illustrates that touch interventions are best suited for reducing pain, depression and anxiety in adults and children as well as for increasing weight gain in newborns. 

The lesson to be learned from the study (if we need to learn a lesson on this topic) is that we should enjoy touching our cat. And our cat will enjoy it. It just needs to be done in a respectful way which means gently and up to the limits allowed by our cat companions. 

You will learn those limits as your cat will complain if you overdo it. Gentleness is a key. Sometimes people can handle their cats too roughly and forgetting that we are bigger and generally stronger. It's a two-way process at all times and interacting with our cat.

And don't treat your cat as a human baby but as a feline, a fine domesticated predator.

RELATED: Picture of Taylor Swift cradling Benjamin Button, her new cat, like a baby.

Citation

Packheiser, J., Hartmann, H., Fredriksen, K. et al. A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions. Nat Hum Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01841-8

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Differences in brain gray matter thickness between women and men due to inequality

A study published in May 2023 makes what I think is a remarkable finding but perhaps it isn't remarkable. Perhaps it is predictable. The study came to the conclusion that where there is gender inequality between men and women and specifically where women are treated unequally and granted lesser human rights and freedoms, they can have thinner brain cortices than men. This only happens in a country where there is gender inequality.

Image: MikeB under license.

Cortices

Note: you might just want to read the first paragraph of this section and then skip through to the next section. It's here to explain what part of the brain is affected by gender inequality as stated by this study.

For the sake of clarity: The cortices, or cerebral cortices, are the outermost layer of the brain, often referred to as the "gray matter." They are highly folded and convoluted to increase the surface area within the limited space of the skull. The cerebral cortex plays a crucial role in many complex cognitive functions, such as perception, attention, memory, language, decision-making, and motor control.

The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres, the left and right, which are connected by a bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. Each hemisphere is further divided into four lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe.

The frontal lobe is involved in executive functions, decision-making, planning, and motor control. It also plays a role in personality and higher-order cognitive processes.

The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information, including touch, temperature, pain, and spatial awareness. It plays a role in spatial perception, attention, and object manipulation.

The temporal lobe is involved in auditory processing, language comprehension, memory formation, and the interpretation of sensory input.

The occipital lobe is primarily responsible for visual processing and interpreting visual stimuli from the eyes.

Each of these lobes contains specialized regions known as cortical areas or regions that are responsible for specific functions. These areas often work together in complex networks to support various cognitive processes. The precise functions and interactions of different cortical areas are still an active area of research in neuroscience.

Mental Health

The study also found that gender inequality is linked to worse mental health and academic achievement in women. The latter is going to be linked to the above i.e. the thinner grey matter (cortices).

The study looked at a dataset of almost 8000 MRI scans from healthy adults living in 29 different countries. They came to the conclusion that "gender inequality is associated with differences between the brains of men and women: cortical thickness of the right hemisphere, especially in limbic regions such as the right caudal anterior cingulate and right medial orbitofrontal, as well as the left lateral occipital, present thinner cortices in women compared to men only in gender-unequal countries."

It is very technical but the way I understand it is that the grey matter of the brain is smaller, thinner; there is less of it, and it could be argued  - as one news media outlets says - that the brain shrinks.

Stress (and under-exercised?)

My thought about this for what it is worth is that if a brain is not exercised because it has not have the opportunity to be exercised because a woman is kept in a subservient role, it will possibly shrink and be smaller than that of a man's brain. It's about exercising the brain as one exercises muscles and the entire body. The scientist, however came to a different conclusion name is that stress is the cause of brain shrinkage (see below).

Gender-unequal countries

The study was based at Oxford University. Countries where there is the greatest inequality are, for example, India, Turkey and Brazil. The study concluded that the thickness of the grey matter of the right hemisphere of women's brains was between 3-5% thinner than men's in these countries.

Gender-equal countries

In countries where there is minimal inequality such as the Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Finland, there is no significant difference between the sexes in terms of grey matter thickness.

In the UK there is a slight difference which is surprising. They found that there is a 0.5% thinning in the right hemisphere of the brains of women which has been attributed to gender inequality in the UK.

Stress is the cause

The researchers think that the difference is due to the effect of "chronic stress in women's brains in gender-unequal environments. Stress affects neurons' connections. This "we would then see as thinning of the gray matter cortex in MRI studies".

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Three ways for the elderly male cat owner to improve their health and lifespan

Me and my girlfriend, Michelle. Touch wood I am healthy at 75. The frog?! Michelle loves him more than me. He is Jezza.

I am an elderly male cat owner! In The Times newspaper today, in a single publication which I think is unusual, there are three tips about one's health, one of which is directed at the elderly male and the other to anybody.

24-hour fasts

You may have heard that the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, likes to indulge in 36-hour fasts at the beginning of each working week. The man has extraordinary self-discipline. But he is convinced that it improves his health. He has a great BMI.

This ties in nicely with a story today in The Times about 24-hour fasts and how they may help to lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Regular periods of fasting with 24-hour is between meals could reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's according to a Cambridge University study.

This must interest elderly people or even younger people for that matter. In fact people of any age because a lot of old people die of Alzheimer's disease which is a form of dementia. My dad did for example.

And apparently it works like this. Fasting increases the production of arachidonic acid, a fatty acid. This fatty acid reduces the activity of an inflammasome specifically the NLRP3 inflammasome. And therefore there is less inflammation which is why a person is healthier. This particular inflammasome is very important in a number of major diseases such as obesity and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Kimchi

Daily kimchi is linked to leaner waistlines. This is a traditional Korean diet and has been for centuries. It's based on cabbage which is soaked in salt and allowed to ferment. Fermentation is when the bacteria that is naturally present in foods breaks down into their compounds providing a sour flavour and releasing lots of probiotic bacteria which can contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. There you go.

Get 3% fitter to cut the risk of prostate cancer by 33%

A study found that improving fitness by just 3% (a tiny amount) can reduce men's chances of developing prostate cancer by more than one third. There are numerous ways to get fitter by 3%! And prostate cancer is highly prevalent among older men. And it can kill men. The King has just gone to hospital to have his prostate shrunk. It was not a cancerous prostate but it was enlarged which is very typical for old men and it was stopping him peeing normally.

There you go, three little tips to improve health, two of which are for anybody and the third is for old men! I would recommend them.

I'm going to try fasting for 24-hours once per week but it will be very difficult for me. I try and keep fit by doing exercises and walking a lot and I will probably try kimchi but I do take probiotic tablets to ensure that my gut bacteria is in good condition! Good gut bacteria helps to maintain a good immune system. It is important.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

More and more Britons, especially the young and poor are overweight with dire consequences for the NHS (and cats!)

Intro: I believe that it is time for the British people and other Westerners to put aside the sensibilities of obese people and start to criticise them. I know it's difficult and I know it's troubling to do that in a woke world and we need to respect other people. I get all that but human obesity epidemic levels are having catastrophic effects on society and I would argue on our animal companions. 

I would argue quite strongly that obese people are less good cat care givers in general, and I stress "in general" (some are great), and they might be prone to normalising obesity in their cats and dogs. This I think is technically possible and is indeed quite likely. 

When people assess the weight of their cat and dog, if they get it wrong they tend to underestimate it. In other words, many cat and dog owners are incapable of recognising mild obesity in their cat or dog. They think that there cat and dog have correct weights when they haven't. Being obese yourself encourages this perception.

And the obesity epidemic is a much bigger problem than that. It is costing the NHS £19 billion a year in treating those who are too fat and the associated lost productivity costs the economy £15 billion annually. It is putting people out of work. But I believe obesity is a symptom of attitude. Obesity can be beaten with self-discipline and a good attitude. I touch on these matters below.

Note: there is an obesity epidemic among cats as well as people. People should take note of that. It indicates to me that there is a link between human obesity and feline obesity which supports my argument on this page that when people are obese they have difficulty in assessing their cat companion's obesity. It becomes normal. That's the critical point I wish to make.

"Consistent with previous studies, it has been observed that pet owners tend to normalize their pets’ body condition, leading to an underestimation in the case of overweight animals and an overestimation for underweight ones. What was once considered “overweight” now tends to be viewed as “about right”. This shift is further amplified by the influence of social media platforms, and a similar trend may be occurring in the context of pets, perpetuating the belief that overweight animals are the norm in today’s society." - study report: The Perception of the Body Condition of Cats and Dogs by French Pet Owners and the Factors Influencing Underestimation.

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Is the growing obesity epidemic among Westerners - and I am mainly referring to Britons - a symptom of a breakdown in society as we know it which includes laziness! Yes, at its heart this is all about a lack of self-discipline and one consequence of that failing is to become fat. Becoming fat is self-indulgent and sloppy. The papers don't talk about this underlying problem in British society. They just tell us as The Times does today that 3,000 ward admissions a day are linked to obesity in the UK. It is a horror story.

But the press and the government need to genuinely tackle the problem. There is a reticence to criticise people who are obese. I understand it but I am afraid that political correctness and the woke movement has contributed to obesity. Society has accepted it. It has become embedded and normalised.

The government allows food manufacturers to continue to produce unhealthy processed foods high in salt and sugar. Junk food abounds on the shelves of supermarkets. It is addictive food. It seems that many have lost the art of cooking from raw, healthy foods to create simple meals that are cheaper and healthier.

It is not enough to report on human obesity, there needs to be an examination of the underlying causes. These will be deep within society. But a lack of desire to work and to keep oneself in good physical condition must be major contributing factors.

"Hospital admissions linked to obesity have doubled in six years to more than 3,000 people per day according to NHS figures that highlight the extent of Britain's weight problem." - The Times.

I have expanded the geographical area where there is a weight problem to Europe and North America. But the same problem exists I believe.

Obese people are far more likely to become ill. Numerous serious illnesses are linked with obesity. Combine the illnesses that are a consequence of obesity and the obesity itself causing lack of mobility and you have a person who is much less able to be a good cat caregiver. Yep, it comes back to pet cats as well. And the truth is that people who are habitually obese tend to normalise it and believe that obese cats are normal-weight cats when they are not. The result? An obesity epidemic among the cat populations of North America and Britain. More ill-health which could and should be avoided with a bit of self-discipline.

What happened to self-discipline? Why has self-indulgence arrived in the scene so dramatically? Is it partly down to a lack of education? It seems that those who've had the benefit of a good education are less likely to become obese.

There may also be an ethnic demographic dimension to this story. Luton is cited as the municipality where there is the biggest health toll from obesity with one hospital admission linked to weight for every 20 residents last year. See the quote below on the ethic mix of Luton.

The white ethnic group makes up 45.2 per cent of the population of Luton meaning there is a non-white majority in the town. The next largest ethnic group is Asian which increased from 60,952 in 2011 to 83,325 in 2021. The Asian group makes up 37 per cent of the population of Luton.

Luton Borough Council

It is time for the UK government to be much bolder and stricter in tackling the obesity epidemic engulfing the country.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

NO EVIDENCE that using Facebook is bad for mental health - new study!

A lot of experts have consistently said over a long time that Facebook is addictive and bad for mental health especially for today's youngsters who can spend hours on the site daily. Now The Times reports that:

There is no evidence that the global adoption of Facebook is linked to psychological harm, a study has suggested.

So, you can go back on Facebook (FB) if you ever left it and check out some more funny cat pics or cat rescues! Seriously though I have to doubt this research. Oxford University said that Facebook users may even benefit from the social media site. 

Is this harmful or beneficial? Image in public domain.

The checked-out data from a million people in 72 countries. Facebook's owner, Meta allowed access to user data. But it took 3 years to get the information and write it up!

The researchers said that Meta did not fund the research. This information is intended to tell us that the report is not a Meta PR exercise. But is it?! It might be. Meta wants more research on the wellbeing of users. This study is certainly a boost to Meta's public profile.

Some earlier research found that FB is liked to increased incidences of mental health problems. The new research has been challenged by some campaigners.

The new study said that "evidence for harm is on balance more speculative than conclusive."

The lead author of the new study, Professor Andrew Przybylski, said that earlier studies have been proven to be inaccurate because they focused on the UK and USA over a short timeframe and relied on surveys from people about their social media use.

The professor added that "The best global data does not support the idea that the expansion of social media has a negative global association with wellbeing across nations and different demographics."

The study looked at 2 age brackets: 13-34 and 35-plus for the years 2008-2019.

There was a "small but significant" indication that FB users' wellbeing improved.

A critic, Fances Haugen said that "the study isn't well designed to assess the actual impact of Facebook". She said that people should be cautious about the finding that using FB is beneficial.

Another critic, the Molly Rose Foundation said that "the coroner at Molly's inquest...concluded that the torrent of harmful content that she was algorithmically fed contributed to her death". And "that Meta's own research has long found that Instagram [also owned by FB] has adverse impacts on the health and wellbeing of young people."

What do you think?

2 more ways to be a better cat caregiver by being healthier

Image in public domain,

Here are some more ways to be a better cat caregiver by being healthier. It is very difficult to be a good cat caregiver if you are unhealthy and feeling ill. And it's also difficult to be a good cat caregiver if you feel depressed. Depression is on the increase in the US and in the UK.

Previously, a separate report released in May from Gallup found a similar national prevalence of depression in the United States, also finding that about 18% of adults say they are depressed or receiving treatment for depression, a jump of more than 7 percentage points since 2015. - CNN report 15th June 2023.

I have recently written about some ways to improve one's health both in the interests of the caregiver and of the cat:

1. Infographic on 8 habits that could add 24 years to your life (and improve cat caregiving)
2. Be a better cat caregiver by being healthier in consuming olive oil and going vegetarian for 6 months.

Today I would like to address a couple more methods to improve one's health and welfare.

Handful of nuts linked to lower risk of depression

Eating a handful of nuts every day is linked to a 17% lower risk of depression according to scientists. Nuts contain nutrients that could help mental health. Data was gathered from the UK Biobank. This is an online database of medical and lifestyle records concerning half a million Britons. 

The analysis suggested that middle-aged and older adults who ate a daily 30 g serving of nuts including pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts were less likely to report to their GP that they were depressed and are less likely to be taking antidepressants.

The study has been published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. This is an observational study which means they saw this link but they don't explain why the link exists. But they speculate that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of nuts may act as antidepressant nutrients.

The scientists explained that nuts contain bioactive substances such as phenols or phytosterols. They also contain micronutrients, fibre, high quality protein, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids together with vitamins all of which could play a role in improving mental health.

The lead author, Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, a researcher at the Health and Social Research Centre at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, in Spain said: "Our findings highlight yet another benefit of consuming nuts."

The researchers looked at data from more than 13,000 people aged between 27-73 over the years 2007 to 2020. They did not report having depression at the start of the study. The researchers asked participants to complete questionnaires to assess nut consumption and they compared this to doctors' diagnoses of depression or antidepressant use which was recorded.

More than 1100 cases of depression were recorded representing 8.3% of the participants after a follow-up of more than five years. And they discovered, as mentioned, that those who ate 30 g of nuts a day had a 17% lower risk of depression compared to those who did not eat nuts.

Just 2337 steps a day can cut risk of disease

This is about something a lot of people know quite a lot about namely walking and measuring how many steps you take when you go for a daily walk. I'm told by The Times that in the lead up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, marketing executives started a campaign to promote a new pedometer and suggested that people should walk 10,000 steps a day. It has, since then, been touted as a good target to stay fit and healthy.

It is quite a high target. You have to go for about a 50 minute to 1 hour walk or more to reach that figure but a new study shows that if you walk the equivalent of 2,337 steps daily it's enough to reduce the risk of dying but the more you walk the more the benefit.

The scientists analysed information from 226,889 people involved in previous studies in many countries including Norway, Australia, America and Britain.

The daily average step count was recorded and compared to their likelihood of dying during a follow-up period averaging seven years. The study has been published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology. It confirmed what I have stated. The 2,337 steps a day has been identified as the minimum at which one can see a significant reduction in the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.

The lead author, Prof Maciej Banach from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland Said: "Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better. We found that this applies to both men and women, irrespective of age and irrespective of [where you live]. In addition, our analysis indicates that as little as 4,000 steps a day are needed to significantly reduce deaths from any cause, and even fewer to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease.

The NHS recommends that people should do at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity such as walking every week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity over the same period.

Be a better cat caregiver by being healthier in mind, body and spirit.

Typical day in Djokovic's diet plan. Banish obesity. Feel well.

This is not directly about cats either wild or domestic! But it is indirectly about them because it is important that cat caregivers remain healthy in order to discharge their solemn duty to care for their cats to a high standard 💔. And we know that there is a human obesity epidemic in America (too much great, cheap food!) and in the UK both among cat owners and even their cats.

Typical day in Djokovic's diet plan. Banish obesity. Feel well. Image: MikeB

This is why it is interesting and useful to study Novak Djokovic's diet. He is the GOAT of the tennis world. He's just won his 23rd major championship, the French Open. You must have heard about it. He is indestructible. I don't like him but I admire him.

It would seem that his great self-discipline as demonstrated in his amazing diet is one of his important attributes which have led him to becoming the GOAT of the tennis world.

He is very into ensuring that his body remains healthy for obvious reasons. He refused the Covid-19 vaccine for that reason, which probably cost him a couple of major championships. He was prepared to forfeit them in order to protect his body as he sees it.

He appears to be a vegetarian. Here is his diet as set out by The Times today, Tuesday, June 13, 2023:

Typical day in Djokovic's diet plan

Breakfast: warm water with lemon first thing out of bed. Followed later by two tablespoons of honey, muesli (including organic gluten-free rolled oats, cranberries, raisins, pumpkin or sunflower seeds and almonds).

Mid-morning snack: gluten-free bread or crackers with avocado and tuna.

Lunch: mixed-greens salad, gluten-free pasta primavera (including rice pasta, summer squash, courgettes, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and optional vegan cheese).

Mid-afternoon snack: apple with cashew butter; melon.

Dinner: kale caesar salad (kale, fennel, quinoa and pine nuts) plus dressing (including anchovies or sardines); minestrone soup; salmon fillets (skin on) with roasted tomatoes and marinade.

In addition to his amazing diet, Djokovic's training regime out of competition is as follows:

• 20 minutes of yoga or tai chi
• 60-90 minutes of tennis practice with a hitting partner
• stretching and sports massage
• lunch: 60-minute workout in the gym, using weights, resistance bands and roller exercises.

How about that! 👍😃.

The man is amazing. At 36 he is incredibly healthy despite the enormous stresses he puts his body through when competing. His game is partly dependent on great defensive play which entails fast running with stamina.

Subject to being injury-free he plans to go on until his late 30s and win a few more major championships. His obsession with diet and protecting his body has been a big part of his success.

Peeing too often due to an enlarged prostate can be alleviated by losing weight

I am an old man (almost 74). I am pretty fit but like all men I have the desire to pee more often than I used to. It is due to an enlarged prostate which seems to affect almost all men of my age.

I have worked on changing my diet for the past 8 years. Yes, it takes a lot of self-discipline and a long time (for me) to stabilise one's weight when you get old because of a lifetime of eating habits based on a higher metabolic rate. Metabolism slows but many old people eat the same amount as they did when much younger. 

By 'diet' I mean a wholesale change to one's eating habits permanently. This is not a flash in the pan fad diet. And it accompanies a lifestyle change too.

Note: I know that this is not about cats. Well, it is indirectly. If you are ill because you are overweight, you are less effective as a cat caregiver. And if you have to get up all the time at night to have a pee you disturb you cat who is on the bed with you!

There, I have linked the page to cats ✔️👍.

Good BMI to help men pee less. Image: MikeB.

Result: weight gain and for men a pot belly. I don't have a pot belly and I have a good BMI thanks to those 8 years of diet change 😎. That is not intended to be a boast. It is just a fact.

But I still decided to lose some weight and when I did, I found that I have the desire to pee less often. It was almost like going back to my old self. Well, not quite. I believe, now, that it pays to be thin in old age. The benefits are for all to see.

You have to really get rid of the belly fat which is mighty hard because old men are meant to have some belly fat, but it needs to be reduced to the smallest amount possible consistent with not being anorexic!!

Anyway, I looked up the possible link between losing weight and shrinking the prostate and peeing less. 

There is a study on this. Probably many. What better authority than the Prostate Cancer Foundation in New Zealand for some info on this. They say the following: 

"A study published in the Journal of Urology found that overweight men, especially men with a high amount of abdominal fat, have an increased risk of BPH. If you are looking to shrink the prostate, losing weight can help you reduce your prostate size and help relieve annoying and frustrating urinary symptoms."

If you don't believe me, please look it up yourself.

The benefits of losing weight and maintaining a good BMI are legendary. There are so many benefits. But sleeping through the night without the desire to pee is a wonderful thing. And avoiding type 2 diabetes is no mean benefit. And what about high blood pressure. That goes too. Mine is 120 over 70.

Both the last 2 health problems have many ancillary health problems, many severe.

And having a good BMI means you can walk more and because you can walk more you are more likely to lose weight and feel better mentally. It is an upward spiral. The opposite is equally true.

But this is about urinary tract and bowl function. 

I am not saying that losing weight always results in peeing normally for all men. I am just saying there is a link, and it may apply to you.

I recommend trying it. Be prepared for a hard slog of diet change. My diet now is unrecognisable compared to what it was 8 years ago. 

And I stopped drinking alcohol 8 years ago too. Completely stopped. That makes losing weight much easier.

Also, obesity is a risk factor for the development of prostate cancer (odds ratio 1.097–2.47).  The list goes on....