The 1970 Loogootee Final Four team will join in a 50th anniversary celebration Friday.(Photo: Courtesy Brian Bruner)

LOOGOOTEE Brian Canada and Jim Trout grew up down the street from each other, two grades apart in the tiny hamlet of Crane, Indiana, attending separate schools in Loogootee, 17 miles away, in Martin County.

But when St. Johns was destroyed by afire, Trout and other students from the parochial school joined counterparts at nearby Loogootee High School.

"It burned down and at the last minute they decided to consolidate," said Canada, then a sophomore. "We had a few guys coming back and we pulled Jim and a couple of other guys from St. John's."

After playing pickup basketball together for years, now they were teammates. Once they joined forces, Loogootee was nearly unstoppable. The Lions knocked off No. 7 Memorial and No. 2 Seymour in the 1970 Evansville Semistate at Roberts Stadium.

"No doubt, we were the heavy underdog," Canada said. "Jim was 6-foot-7 and RexSager was 6-5 and we had Tony Smith playing guard."

Trout said he was more like 6-6 and 160 pounds.

"I was a stick," said Trout, who averaged a double-double, along with Sager.

Loogootee finally fell to Mr. Basketball Dave Shepherd and Carmel 71-62 in the states Final Four at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. East Chicago Roosevelt then ousted Carmel 76-62 in the state championship game. All teams of all sizes were in the same tournament --there was no class format until 1997-98.

"Back then, we didn't give it a thought about the size of a school," Canada said. "They had five guys on their team and we had five guys on our team. We laced 'em up and got out there and played the game."

Canada, who now lives in St. Augustine, Florida, and Trout, who lives in Franklin, Kentucky, will return to Loogootee on Friday to take part in the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1970 Final Four team as the current edition of the Lions host Wood Memorial at Jack Butcher Arena. A reception, to which the general public is invited,will begin at 4 p.m. CST. The 1970 Lions will be honored between the junior varsity and varsity games against Wood Memorial; the varsity game is scheduled to begin at 7 CST. Afterwards, those age 21 and older are invited to the Loogootee VFW.

"We are also asking everyone to wear white for the game that evening," said event organizer Wayne Flick. "One of the 'memories'from the tourney run is that the cheer block would all wear white tops for the games.We want to have a 'whiteout'honoring our 1970 heroes and also let the current team know we support them."

Trout said the media billed Loogootee vs. Carmel as "David vs. Goliath."

"Loogootee had an enrollment of about 400," said Trout, who won the Trester Award, which celebrates mental attitude and scholastic achievement. "It wasn't quite the Milan story."

Jim Trout receives Trester Award.(Photo: Courtesy Jim Trout)

However, Trout and Canada did their part, scoring 19 and 18 points to lead the Lions against Carmel. Five years later, the Lions almost pulled off a "Hoosiers," reaching the single-class state championship game, losing to Marion 58-46 the first year the finals moved to Market Square Arena.

Entering historic Hinkle in '70, Canada said it "looked very large. It was pretty exciting. it was a privilege and it was exciting to be there. They had Dave Shepherd, butwe felt we could beat them. At one time, we had a nine-point lead, but we lost by nine."

Before consolidatingwith St. John's,Loogootee had never won a regional title.

"It was Jack Butcher's 13th season -- lucky 13," Trout said.

Coming over from St. John's, Trout had heard all the horror stories about the legendary coach, but didn't see it.

"I saw an individual who was a stern disciplinarian -- that's the way people coached back then," he said. "You couldn't pull the wool over his eyes. He was a smart man."

Loogootee celebrates winning the 1970 Evansville Semistate title.(Photo: Courtesy Jim Trout)

After all these years, Trout recalled the "Go, Fight, Win" cheer in the Evansville Semistate. Rooting for Loogootee, Milltown fans chanted "go," then Memorial fans chanted "fight" and Loogootee fans chanted "win" as they implored the Lionsto stun Seymour -- whichthey did.

"It's like three-quarters of the gym were rooting for Loogotee, Trout said. "It was like surround sound, all around the arena."

Butcher, who retired in 2002as the states all-time winningest coach with 806 victories, was finally surpassed by Bloomington Souths J.R. Holmes last February.

Canada described Butcher as strict andstructured, but fair.

"If you would miss a free throw (in practice), you'd run," Canada said. "We would run 'suicides' to get in shape. But he was very fair. He was an excellent coach. He was a tough coach, very disciplined and no-nonsense. I would say I loved the man. He was very helpful to me."

Canada is surprised and humbled to remainLoogootee's career scoring leader with 1,496 points. Both Trout and Canada played collegiately for Indiana State. Canada underwent knee surgery midway through his freshman year and wasnever the same. He married his high school sweetheart, Diana, a former Loogootee cheerleader, his junior year at ISU. Theycelebrated their 45th anniversary lastMarch.

Canada, 65, retired last Feb. 1 after working in safety management for a paper manufacturing company in Cumming, Georgia, and moved to St. Augustine. Trout, 67, worked many years for Caterpillar in Kentucky. Heearned the nickname of "Scuffer" when he lived with a few friends in Florida after graduating from ISU, where he played baseball as well as basketball.

"Someone said I scuffed around in the morning," said Trout, a standout pitcher whoearned a tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It was the spring after Roberto Clemente was killed (in 1972)," Trout said.

Both Canada and Trouthave tons of stories about that magical 1970 run. Canada remembers the caravan of vehicles to Indy -- some had wooden Lions mounted atop of their cars.

"It's a great time to go back," Canada said. "Unfortunately a lot of folks, a lot of our fans, are no longer with us."

He noted that Steve Beasley and Paul Bruner, members of the '70 team, have passed away. But their memory lives on inLoogootee, a town with a population of 2,714.

"You run into people -- and good Lord -- it's like it happened yesterday," Trout said.

Contact Gordon Engelhardt at gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com or on Twitter @EngGordon

More: Tradition-rich Loogootee makes basketball coaching hire, pulls Ryan Haywood from Big Eight

See the original post here:
Loogootee celebrates 50th anniversary of 1970 Final Four basketball team - Courier & Press

Lil Nas X is getting real about his personal struggles and the costly price of fame.

On Sunday night, the Old Town Road rapper shed his usual witty and happy-go-lucky attitude for a more somber one as he reflected on the sudden passing of up-and-coming hip hop artistJuice WRLD.

For those who might have missed it, the star whose real name was Jared Higgins died after an apparent seizure suffered at ChicagosMidway Airportearly Sunday morning.

Related: Rapper Juice WRLD Dead At 21 After Apparent Airport Seizure

Juice WRLDs career glow-up mirrored Lil Nas Xs rise to popularity in many ways, and his death clearly affected him.

In a series of messages posted to Twitter, the Panini rapper got deeply honest with his followers about the 21-year-olds unexpected death, starting with this touching tribute:

Despite the performers monumental year which saw him dominate Billboard charts and capture the hearts of fans everywhere, the 20-year-old admitted to his fair share of tough times and explained he often grapples with difficult moments alone:

I usually deal with my sad times in private because i dont like for my fans or family to feel sorry for me. This year had a lot of very high ups and extremely low downs. When u get to that hotel room and its just you, you do a lot of thinking. Small things become so BIG.

In a follow-up tweet, Nas acknowledged how good he is at acting like everything is fine but then revealed how hard it is to block out all the noise that comes with his celebrity status, adding:

I like to pretend hate and s**t dont get to me, but subconsciously it eats away at me. Feeling like u have the world and knowing it can all go away at any time is scary.

The young star ended his heart-to-heart by encouraging others to enjoy every precious moment of life while they can. He wrote:

With all this being said I want anybody who cared enough to read this to just live in the moment. Love u guys.

Wow, what a poignant and powerful admission. Its surely sad to hear the talented artist has been keeping those troubling emotions bottled up inside

We applaud the transparency, though, and hopefully he can learn to lean on loved ones and harness his inner strength while navigating the challenges that come with a skyrocketing career. Its okay to not be okay sometimes, but as the recent tragedy suggests, life is way too short to suffer in silence in this way.

Related: Lil Nas X Says He Used To Pray The Gay Away As A Teenager

As our readers will recall, Lil Nas X shared another deeply personal moment with fans earlier this year when he came out of the closet.

The star later explained why he chose to tell the world about his sexuality in conversation with Ellen DeGeneres, noting:

Just knowing it was something that I should have [already] done But I was [previously] in a position where I had to worry about family and friends and how they would react. But in the past year, Im on a new level, so it doesnt really matter, I guess.

He added:

And,also just how it would be good for the youngunslistening to me right now, who are going to have to go through stuff like this in the future, to know that its all right.

Were so glad this generation of music fans has someone as thoughtful and relatable as this to look up to.

Our hearts remain with both entertainers and all those affected by the tragedy during this difficult time.

[Image via WENN/Instar/YouTube]

Link:
Lil Nas X Opens Up About The Struggles Of Fame In Wake Of Rapper Juice Wrlds Sudden Death - PerezHilton.com

Because giving can improve mental health and loneliness

We were visiting grandparents. Grandma was busy-bodied as usual, walking up and down checking on everyone, asking what we needed. She held up a packet of bread. Do you have enough bread for tonight? she asked. I replied that we did. Some eggs? she asked again, looking around her kitchen. Are you trying to get rid of us? I asked, laughing, Weve just come to chat. Come, sit down. She sat down for a second, then asked grandson, Have you eaten? Do you want some toast? He shook his head.

She rubbed granddaughters head and admired her hair, then stopped short, Have YOU eaten? Let me see what I have

Giving was on his mind. As part of a lovely tradition, his school takes students to three destitute homes annually, where they contribute to the lives of under-privileged groups through song, conversation and physical gifts. Children are encouraged to bring living essentials (not comforts) to school which is then handed over on the visits.

Just going through the list of suggestions is an exercise in introspection. When children read toothpaste, soap, dal, rice, they realise that these things cost; and that there are people who need to ASK someone to get these simple things for them. Its making them think a lot. So, this time around, Im not grabbing from my own grocery stock and sending packages. Im actually going to take a few minutes to let the children help me decide what to give, meaningfully. If we dont spend time thinking about it, we will end up detached, and cold to the cause. What a waste of an experience.

Suddenly, Mr. Dad made a contribution. You know, he said, I was reading today, that Hebrew people dont believe in charity. We were all ears. I expected an opportunity for critical thinking a parenting must, so that you raise children who can think in more than one (opinionated) direction.

He continued, They give a lot and call it justice. Because thats what it really is. Sharing and giving is the just and right thing to do. Make things equal, or at least do your part to prevent people suffering from lack.

Whoa!

Ready to start giving? Youre in the right season! This is not just about your cupboards getting lighter, so you can stock up more. Its about giving so you make someone else feel that people care. Yale University professor, Laurie Santos, says that giving increases gratitude. One totally selfish reason why you should!

Giving improves your own mental health. True too.

But here are a few things to check en route that giving journey.

* Your attitude when an opportunity to give arises. Even when reading and reacting to circulars that children bring n Your understanding of value.

Check deeply - most stem from our past/parents. Yeoww!

* Attitudes are contagious. Make sure yours doesnt stink! I know a few blissfully unaware parents who wonder why their kids behave weird. I stifle giggles in my head.

* Dont force children to give. Dont guilt trip them (every parents no-fail tool). Just do it yourself. They will follow. I promise

Link:
Parentry: The season of giving and kids - Bangalore Mirror

There is little to separate the best crossfitters in the world. Not only are they all physical freaks, but they have the same access to equipment, nutrition, supplements and training plans. Each time they do a rep, they are pulling on the same bar as everyone else.

So, on the day of a competition, what separates the winners from the also-rans? Those other factors being equal, it must be what goes on between the ears writes, Jim Taylor, PhD sports physiologist, in his book Train Your Mind for Athletic Success.

And its for this reason CrossFit athletes around the world should be shaking in their boots at the prospect of a confident Sara Sigmundsdttir. The Icelander has been among the fittest on earth for years, and has proved herself by winning the Open three times (2018, 2019 and 2020), but she is yet to be named The Fittest on Earth by winning the Games.

That could change. She has already qualified for the 2020 Games via the Open, and then, in November, won the first of the seasons Sanctionals in Ireland in dominant fashion. Sigmundsdttirs performance even surprised her, as she was using the Sanctional as a test to see where she was in her seasons progression and did not expect herself to be so far along.

What was the difference? Was it more training? Heavier weights? A new diet or a different cardio programme?

No. It was her mind. Ive just been trying to believe in myself a little bit more and slowly proving to myself that I can [do it], she said.

The role of the brain in sport is tough to measure. But there is no doubt that confidence plays a huge role in performance. And now that Sigmundsdttirs is armed with a new attitude, the skys the limit for the CrossFit superstar.

When the heat is on at the Games, its the intangible mental toughness that separates the winner from the other physical specimens. But no one is born mentally tough.

In their 2018 paper Mental toughness latent profiles in endurance athletes, Joanna and Robert Zeiger hypothesise that confidence and self-belief were two of seven factors that contributed to mental toughness in endurance athletes.

The two PhD statisticians point out that mental toughness is flexible and therefore can be trained. Of the seven factors that make up mental toughness confidence, constancy, control, determination, visualisation, positive cognition, self-belief self-belief had the highest effect on improving mental toughness.

Confidence and self-belief is a feedback loop. Sigmundsdttirs new-found belief helped her win in Ireland and the Open, and now those results will have reinforced her new mindset and given her more belief.

She is heading to Dubai next week for another Sanctional. The snowball is rolling and if she puts in another performance her confidence and self-belief will grow further. Who knows where it will end, but maybe on top of the CrossFit Games podium.

View original post here:
Will Sigmundsdottir be crowned the Fittest on Earth in 2020? - South China Morning Post

It's that time of year again, Thanksgiving. How do you show your thanks and appreciation?

In addition to winter sports beginning to enter full swing, the holiday season has also arrived. Its the time of year when families sit down, have a wonderful dinner, and be thankful for all the things that have happened throughout the year.

Many times around the holidays, or even in everyday life we forget to have a little perspective in life. We are all guilty of this. Life moves so fast and we have so many things going on with seemingly less and less time each day. We all have the same amount of time each day, we all just prioritize it differently than others. There is nothing wrong with that. However, Thanksgiving can tend to give a brief reminder to have an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful for the things we have in life, the ups and downs, the challenges in life. Perhaps even the things in life that come easy, we can be thankful for, as that allows us to put our minds at ease and keep our mental health in check, without going insane.

There are a few things that Iforget to show appreciation for that mean a lot to me. Family. We all have our families to be thankful for. Family is the foundation. Whether it be grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces and grandkids. We all have a piece of our family we are thankful for.

I will keep it short this week, but Ichallenge you all to make a list of gratitude. Mentally, on a sheet of paper, wherever. Make a list of things you are thankful for this year. Maybe not just this year, but everyday. Whether it be a roof over your head and a floor beneath your feet, or whether it be friends and family, a pet, good health, etc. Write down a list of everything you are grateful for. Dont get caught in the trap of social media and the perception that everyone has it better than you. You will eat yourself alive doing so. Be thankful for what you have; youll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you dont have, you will never, ever have enough. If you made a list of all the things you could be thankful for, the list would undoubtedly be longer than your misfortunes.

I close it out with a quote from JFK, As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

See the original post:
Balls and Streich(s): The attitude of gratitude - Monte News

We have all heard the old saying "The luck of the Irish," so the real question is whether the Irish are luckier than people from other countries?

Well, it all depends on who you ask. Ask a lucky Irishman and he will no doubt confirm the sayings authenticity. Ask an unlucky Irishman, however, and he will no doubt scoff at the saying and will probably throw in a few choice swear words for good measure.

In other words, luck is in the eye of the beholder. Think about it. How often do people attribute luck to things or circumstances when they are going well, or when things just happen to work out? The answer is too often to count.

Likewise, many people attribute bad luck to situations that havent gone their way or when things or circumstances havent worked out.

But as to the question of whether the Irish are in general luckier than people from other countries, the answer is a categorical no sorry to burst your bubble. That is except for one lucky fella who had a life-changing visit from Lady Luck.

When trained chef Sean Doyle of Newcastle, County Down in Northern Ireland logged into his favorite online slots casino like those featured on this popular site, little did he know that he would soon be given the chance to exchange his knives for close to 5 million.

For the plucky Irishman, Mars Attacks' online slot game (based on the 1996 Hollywood film of the same name) turned out to be his lucky charm in February this year when he won its eye-watering 4.86 million progressive jackpot at his favorite online casino.

Surprisingly the 33-year-old did not resign from his job immediately after racking up the windfall but turned up for work the next day to help feed diners who were celebrating St Valentines Day. Perhaps Mr Doyle has what it takes to be a saint.

But back to the question of where did the saying the luck of the Irish come from? Well, thats an interesting story in itself and one that originated believe it or not in the United States of America of all places, way back in the mid-19th century.

It was a time when gold fever reigned supreme and intrepid miners from all over the globe traveled long and far to be a part of the latest gold rush, including the one that gripped the U.S. state of California between 1848 and 1855.

Miners made their way to the U.S. from all over including Ireland. So it came to be that many Irish miners struck it rich during the California Gold Rush. This was the cause of much jealousy among the mining population, spawning the now infamous phrase.

While Californias gold rush is long forgotten and solely the domain of the history books, museums, and Wikipedia, that saying has continued to not only live on but to thrive and propagate. Perhaps the reason is the large contingency of Irish Americans in the United States today.

That and the fact the Irish are renowned for many other luck-related icons, beliefs and folklore.

For instance, ever heard the expression the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Well, that is also Irish and is closely connected to the magical and mystical leprechaun.

Leprechauns have always been depicted as elusive little bearded men usually dressed up in green coats, matching hats and black buckled shoes, always with a ready smile and a mischievous glint in their eye.

As the legend goes, leprechauns are very successful shoemakers who like to hide their profits (in gold coins) in great big pots at the end of rainbows on account of how hard they are to find.

If ever a leprechaun is caught by a human he has to grant said human three wishes in exchange for his freedom. The trick, however, is to get hold of a leprechaun because they are notoriously difficult to catch.

Hence it is believed that to catch a leprechaun or indeed discover one their pots at the end of a rainbow, would make one a very lucky person indeed.

A four leaf clover is said to bring the holder luck.

Another symbol connected with Irish luck is the four-leaf clover. There is little doubt that the association was made because of the similarity to the shamrock, a young three-leaf clover sprig and a well-known symbol of Ireland.

The reason for the four-leaf clovers fame is the fact that it occurs much less frequently than the regular three-leaf clover. In fact, according to a recent survey just one out of 5,000 clovers has four leaves which makes them very rare, and thus especially lucky for the people that come across them.

In some quarters it is even believed that four-leaf clovers grant their finders the ability to see fairies. (Perhaps with the help of a glass or ten of Guinness or at least a few shots of absinthe).

Incidentally, while the four-leaf clover is considered to be particularly lucky, the three-leaf clover is also highly regarded in Ireland on account of it being a symbol of the holy trinity in the Christian religion.

Although lucky horseshoes may not have originated in Ireland, they are prevalent in the Emerald Isle. The story of how a horseshoe nailed on the door (typically with the open end pointing skyward) has to do with the Devil himself.

As the tale goes, Dunstan, a 10th-century saint and one time Archbishop of Canterbury, was a blacksmith before he found his calling. One day the Devil entered Dunstans forge and asked him to shoe his horse. Dunstan complied, but recognizing the Devil, he could not pass up the chance to nail the shoe to Satans foot instead of that of his horse.

Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe (which was causing the Devil excruciating pain) in exchange for a promise from Lucifer that he would never enter any house with a horseshoe nailed to the door. That is why until today many superstitious folks in Ireland and beyond have horseshoes decorating their doors.

In addition, horseshoes with 7 holes are considered to be especially lucky on account of 7 being perceived as one of the worlds luckiest numbers.

As to the even bigger question of what is luck, many people define it as success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions. For our two cents, however, luck has everything to do with a positive mental attitude and hard work than most people realize.

Read the original here:
Is there really such a thing as "The Luck of the Irish" - IrishCentral

EATON The act of gratitude is the act of focusing on the good in life. If we perceive our current life to have more good, we will also believe our future life to have more good. Optimism is correlated with gratitude because those with an optimistic disposition are biologically more likely to focus on the good (gratitude) than on the bad (personal disappointment, anxiety, etc.).

A grateful person takes kindness at face value, believing themselves to be a person worthy of receiving no-strings-attached kindness. Being on the receiving side of gratitude and kindness can be challenging. Which beckons the inquiry how good are you at receiving? Keep this question in the back of your mind as we move forward on this path of gratitude.

There are a million reasons why to be grateful. The research has been done time and time again listing the benefits of gratitude. Basically, when you choose to be grateful, you are choosing to be happier. In a heated moment, an angry, sad or emotional moment find your path to gratitude. In a moment of stress, or not getting your way, find the path to gratitude. That being said, I feel its best to practice paving the path to gratitude so you can easily and efficiently get to it when you need it.

When it comes to your personality gratitude strengthens your emotions, makes us more optimistic, reduces materialism, increases spiritualism, makes us less self-centered, and increases self-esteem. As for gratitude and your health it improves your sleep by increasing sleep quality, reducing the time required to fall asleep, and increases sleep duration. Basically, gratitude helps with insomnia. Gratitude also helps you stay away from the doctor, lets you live longer, increases your energy levels, and makes you more likely to exercise (What?!?!? Gratitude can make me more likely to exercise? I may have to do a little personal research on this one). Those who engage in gratitude practices have been shown to feel less pain (which beckons the question, do you want to feel less pain?), have lower blood pressure, and be less likely to develop a mental disorder.

Emotionally, gratitude helps us bounce back, makes us feel good, and makes our memories happier (that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling). Socially, gratitude reduces feelings of envy, helps us relax, makes you friendlier, helps your marriage, makes you look good, gratitude helps you make friends, and deepens friendships.

Last, but not least gratitude in your career makes you a more effective manager, helps you network, increases your goal achievement, improves your decision making, increases your productivity, gratitude is no cure-all, but it is a massively underutilized tool for improving life-satisfaction and happiness.

Overall, gratitude makes us happier humans, people like us, we are healthier, and we get a career boost when we are grateful. I invite you to take the time in your daily life to work your gratitude muscle, begin practicing gratitude by thinking, writing and speaking what you are grateful for, I am grateful for I invite you to be willing and able to receive gratitude and kindness as well. As for those of us at the Senior Activities Center, we are practicing gratitude this month, stop in and practice gratitude with us.

Resource: http://www.happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/ To stay up to date on all of our activities, trips and senior news sign up to receive our bi-monthly newsletter the Senior Scene. Membership at the Senior Center is $10 a year. In addition to other benefits, members automatically receive our bi-monthly Senior Scene newsletter which features all our latest news and activities, additional benefits are discounts on trips and select activities. Like our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/preblecountycouncilonaging/ or give us a call at 937-456-4947. Visit our fabulous new website at http://www.PrebleSeniorCenter.org.

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Read the original:
Senior edition: 'The Attitude of Gratitude' - Register-Herald

SAFFRON BARKER was unanimously voted off Strictly Come Dancing last night and thanked her partner AJ Pritchard for taking her out of my shell.

The 19-year-old YouTube star had been in the dance-off against CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual with his partner Amy Dowden.

Saffron told Strictlys Tess Daly: Its been amazing. Id like to thank AJ so much. When I look at what I was like on week one I was so embarrassed and shy.

Hes really taken me out of my shell. Thank you so much for everything.

AJ praised Saffrons positive mental attitude, adding: Youve inspired so many on your own social media too.

Their elimination came after the pair finished joint last on the leaderboard in Saturday nights show, alongside Alex Scott and Neil Jones.

Earlier in the series, Saffron and AJ reigned supreme at the top of the leaderboard and were considered among the favourites to win. But after performing their samba again, the judges told them it was time to leave.

Karim and Amy were praised for having the best dance by Craig Revel Horwood. His fellow judge Bruno Tonioli said they had proven to be the strongest both technically and artistically when compared to AJ and Saffron. Amy and Karim are in the final five, against Alex and Neil, Chris Ramsey and Karen Hauer, Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse and Emma Barton and Anton Du Beke.

Next Saturdays musical special airs at 7.10pm on BBC One.

Read more from the original source:
Vlogging off! Saffron Barker exits Strictly Come Dancing with a tribute to AJ Pritchard - Metro Newspaper UK

After a recent death in the family, a friend asked me, Would you rather die from a physical cause such as a heart attack, or face a mental decline with Alzheimers Disease? It was an awful decision to make, and it dawned on me, does it have to be either one?

There is a great deal of focus in the wellness world on physical fitness, but still very little on mental fitness. As someone who is in perfect health, but has a family history of neurodegenerative disorders on both sides, this is an area I am passionate about researching. In my job as a Director of Spa and Wellness, Im also passionate about sharing what I learn with guests. The Rancho Valencia Wellness Collective is based on the science of epigenetics (the study of biological mechanisms that will switch genes on and off), and I love the feeling of empowerment this science creates, just knowing that potentially 95 percent of disease is preventable through lifestyle.

The latest research shows that it is possible to grow and strengthen your brain through exercises, creating cognitive fitness. After all, humans have both a physical age and a mental age. The goal of these exercises is to improve longevity, and decelerate mental aging. The brain has an amazing ability to change and adapt based on the exercises it is given.

Ive been profoundly inspired by a wonderful book called Boost Your Brain, by Majid Fotuhi, M.D. Ph.D. In the book, he talks about the Core Four ways to grow your brain: Build synapses, bolster the brains highways, nourish and grow blood vessels, and promote the development of neurons. Fotuhi discusses how a bigger brain is critical to peak mental fitness in three main ways: improving memory, clarity and creativity.

Cognitive stimulation helps the hippocampus (which plays a major role in learning and emotions) grow, and increases levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a critical protein in the formation of long-term memory.

A larger network of connectivity (synapses, neural highways, blood vessels and neurons) in the brain improves creativity, and the ability to solve abstract problems in the cortex, the area of the brain where higher cognition takes place.

Our Wellness Collective is based on the most impactful lifestyle factors for preventing disease, and I was overjoyed in my research to learn how beneficial they are to preventing cognitive decline as well. Here are some key microsteps that we use in my own work, and how you can adapt them at home to improve your own cognitive fitness:

Exercise

Exercise has many preventative benefits, from increasing BDNF to improving blood and oxygen flow to the brain.

Myelin is an insulating sheath around the axon of the neuron, which increases the speed at which messages are conducted. Oxygen is essential to the helper cells which keep the myelin intact. Physical exercise boosts oxygen flow to the brain and optimizes these highways.

Exercise also helps create new mitochondria, which help fuel the growth of new cells, synapses and small blood vessels.

To experience the benefits yourself, strive to get at least 30 minutes of blood-pumping cardio five days per week, and five to fifteen minutes of strength training three days per week. You can also get the benefits of cognitive exercise by playing puzzles such as Sudoku, crosswords, and board games involving strategy.

Building community

Fotuhi likens social interaction combined with exercise to cross-training, since it doubles the cognitive stimulation benefits. At Rancho Valencia, our goal is to create a community feel, with ample occasions for social connections. We do that with activities like pickleball, group fitness classes, social gatherings, wellness workshops, and other group activities. I get most excited when I see the added cognitive fitness bonus of someone making a new connection while also experiencing something new, like a crystal grounding grid, or yoga with sound healing! Learning a new activity and challenging the brain creates new synapses and neural pathways.

In your own life, focus on building community to experience the same brain benefits. Invite neighbors over for a potluck, frequent your local farmers market, bake more than you think your own family will need and share with neighbors, or try volunteering. I also love Meetup.com for both meeting new people and trying new things.

Get perspective

In my work, we invite our guests to pause and intentionally bring joy into each day. Thats something everyone can benefit from. This simple practice can alter brain activity, and create an automatic positive response to life challenges. Studies show that just thinking about happy times boosts serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is essential for the proper functioning of your prefrontal cortex, which governs self-reflection and the regulation of emotions, helping it to override old negative patterns.

Try this yourself. Put life in perspective by focusing on what you can control rather than dwelling on what you cannot. By practicing choosing a positive reaction, it will become your natural response. Focus on having an open mind and an attitude of curiosity about the world.

Sleep

Sleep is prime time not only for the repair processes of the body, but also for memory consolidation. Poor sleep shrinks the hippocampus and leads to unhealthy decisions in other areas such as choosing junk food and skipping a workout. Sleep-deprived people also tend to have higher stress levels and tense relationships. Are you seeing how this is all interrelated?

To improve your own sleep quality, keep your bedroom dark and cool. Unplug an hour before bed, as bright light is one of the biggest triggers to our brains that its time to be awake and alert. And practice deep breathing exercises such as Pranayama to balance the autonomic nervous system and calm the mind.

Nurture your body with quality nutrition

Plant-based foods may help slow cognitive decline. To boost your brain, choose foods rich in vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta carotenes, such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.

Foods containing flavonoids, such as berries and apples increase blood flow to the brain, boost BDNF, and create new nerve cells.

Omega-3s, ideally from fatty fish or flaxseed oil, have been linked to lower blood levels of beta-amyloid, the toxic protein that creates synapse-damaging results in the brains of people with Alzheimers Disease.

Nuts such as walnuts and pistachios are rich in omega-3s as well. Pecans and pistachios also contain choline, which increases the memory-related neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

At Rancho Valencia, we focus on what we can do more of instead of deprivation. I think thats a very important nutrition principle. If you slowly incorporate the foods above into your diet, you will be surprised at how easily this simple change can inspire other healthy actions.

Practice meditation

When we are stressed, our adrenal glands release cortisol, which is a natural response as part of the fight-or-flight mechanism. Persistent elevated brain cortisol level interferes with memory, raises blood pressure, and makes it more difficult to sleep. Chronic stress also causes neurons in the prefrontal cortex to shrink and lose connections and reduced BDNF levels.

Meditation can help, and its easy to get started. This practice strengthens the neural highways, creates more synapses, improves blood flow to the brain, increases the size of the hippocampus, and boosts BDNF.

Remember that your genetic makeup does not have to define your destiny. Even if a person inherits the APOE 4, a risk-factor gene, it does not mean that a person will absolutely develop Alzheimers Disease. Simple, sustainable changes to your daily lifestyle and improved cognitive fitness can lead to optimal physical and mental performance. I remind myself of that often empowerment is the key to a life well lived.

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How to Improve Your Cognitive Fitness - Thrive Global

BUDAPEST, Hungary It was the one wed all been waiting for: a straight fight between and for victory. A five-time world champion, arguably the greatest driver of the modern era, versus the man who will spend the next decade chasing down his records.

Up until now they have been the two star drivers of the 2019 season, albeit separated by a significant car advantage for Hamilton. But in Hungary, the track suited the rapidly improving Red Bull, and we finally saw the two best drivers in F1 go head to head. Needless to say, it didnt disappoint.

So what can we learn from the encounter? Is Max a genuine threat to Hamilton, and will Red Bull have the car to match his talent after the summer break?

On the face of it, Mercedes decision to pit Hamilton on lap 49 won him the race. From that point onward, he pushed flat out on fresh tyres, found the time he needed to catch Verstappen and executed a fairly straightforward overtaking move on lap 67 of 70. On the face of it, it looked like Red Bull had simply been caught napping, but deeper analysis showed Mercedes forced their rivals into a Catch 22 situation.

The roots of the strategy were based in Mercedes decision to leave Hamilton out as long as possible in the first stint. It initially cost Hamilton time (he was 1.3 seconds behind when Verstappen pitted on lap 25 and 5.9 seconds behind when he emerged from his own pit stop on lap 32) but the extra six laps of tyre life gave him a stronger hand in the second half of the race.

Initially, Mercedes plan was to pass Verstappen on track. Hamilton had a pace advantage of between 0.3s and 0.5s when he reemerged after his first pit stop, but as we saw on lap 39, that kind of advantage wasnt quite enough to force an overtake. It did, however, result in some great racing as Hamilton put Verstappen out of position in Turns 1, 2 and 3 before braving a move around the outside of Turn 4. But when Verstappen covered him off and the overtaking move came to nothing in the run-off area, the realities of modern F1 set in and Hamilton was forced to back off with overheating brakes.

Max Verstappen vs. Lewis Hamilton was a battle defined on the track and in the pits and is one we are likely to see a lot more of in the future.Charles Coates/Getty Images

Although largely overlooked at the end of the race, the brake issues were a key factor in dictating how Sundays race panned out. Traditionally, the Hungaroring is not a circuit where brakes are a concern, but the threat from Red Bull over the weekend was so great that Mercedes had to push every element of car setup to the limit.

In a fight like this with other cars, youre always trying to optimise the aerodynamic package and close up as much as you can, and the brakes are part of that, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained after the race. Thats why you will sometimes have races which are outliers where you have 70 laps on the gearbox of another car where brakes and various engine components can overheat.

I was thinking about it in the race; maybe we should have opened up the brakes a bit and lost 10 milliseconds in qualifying and be less compromised in the race. But if you lose out in qualifying by 10 milliseconds, you will kick yourself. So that is the strategy we took, and we know that sometimes we can run into difficulties like we did.

At first it seemed as though the overheating brakes had brought an end to one of the most exciting duels of the season, but some quick thinking from Mercedes pushed the race into a new, equally compelling phase.

Saunders:

Mercedes strategists realised that the medium tyre had been good for 30 laps of respectable pace in the opening stint if managed correctly, meaning it could probably take 20 laps of abuse at the end of the race once fuel loads had come down and reduced the strain. But with only 20 laps to make the difference, Hamilton would have to find a second per lap and overtake Verstappen to make the difference.

Considering he had only been between 0.3s to 0.5s when pushing hard on like-for-like tyres just after his first pit stop, Mercedes was relying on the mediums to offer 0.5s to 0.7s of pace advantage throughout the final stint.

It took a degree of bravery from the pit wall to commit to the strategy not least because it was only a week since the strategy calls at the German Grand Prix saw the team throw away a victory. Crunching the numbers was chief strategist James Vowles, who could see the pace the car had while stuck behind Verstappen and ultimately made the decision to bring his driver in on lap 49.

It was a brilliant execution by the strategy team, Wolff said. We had discussed all variations in the morning, and the two-stop seemed uncompetitive. But then they reacted in the right way and all the learnings we took from Hockenheim with the radio discipline and the protocol that the strategists in the background came up with James Vowles was evaluating it all.

Initially it looked like Lewis could overtake Max on the hard tyre, but we were too marginal on the brakes, and we couldnt continue to follow him in that way. So the only option to avoid finishing second was to take a risk in the hope that the medium tyre would create an offset. At first it didnt seem very good, but from the moment Lewis sniffed the opportunity, there was no going back.

Hamilton celebrated with his Mercedes team members immediately after his win. It was their strategy that set the platform for Hamilton to win.ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images

The huge gap to the Ferraris in third and fourth was key to the strategy, allowing Hamilton to pit without losing second position. Had and been more competitive, the strategy wouldnt have worked, as Hamilton would have gotten stuck behind the Ferraris. But the relentless pace of the front two drivers earlier in the race had presented him with the opportunity to find some clear air and unlock the true pace of his Mercedes. What followed was a race by proxy as Hamilton was set the target of lapping a second faster than Verstappen for the remaining 20 laps.

At this point, its important to look at Verstappens strategy options. The Red Bull pit wall had identified Mercedes strategy before it happened but believed a counterstrategy i.e., pitting Verstappen just before or just after Hamilton would not work.

It was all to lose, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained. Because if we had stopped before and they had done the opposite, they had what looked like more of a pace advantage as they had six-lap fresher [hard] tyres, so I dont think we would have caught Lewis at the pace that he caught us.

Its frustrating there were no other drivers in the mix, because if he had dropped behind a Ferrari or even his teammate, it wouldnt have been an option open to him. But with the two cars so far ahead of the rest of the field, and the pace they had in the Mercedes, strategically it was the obvious thing for them to do to roll the dice.

Reacting with a pit stop on the following lap was also off the agenda. After Hamilton made his switch to medium tyres, Verstappen needed at least a 20-second advantage to do the same, but by the time he was back at the pit entrance on lap 50, the gap between the two was already 19.2s, meaning he would come out behind the Mercedes.

They had a good pit stop, and halfway round his outlap, Hamilton was already neck and neck [with Verstappens pit stop window], and by the end of the lap, he was ahead, so we didnt have the ability to cover on the next lap because it would have conceded track position, Horner added.

So at that point, your bed is made to get to the end of the race, and that meant Max started to use the tyre harder than he would have liked.

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Possibly more than at any other point this year, the underwhelming performance of Verstappens teammate came into focus. Had Gasly been in touch with the front two even by as much as 20 seconds he could have acted as a blocker for Hamiltons strategy and helped protect Verstappens lead. It was a factor not lost on Horner after the race.

The problem is he is not in the mix at all, so its not like if Lewis pitted he was going to come out behind him or anything like that, Horner conceded. But today, both Mercedes and Red Bull had one-legged races with the teammates out of contention.

Obviously not having two cars running at the front does hurt us, particularly in the constructors championship where we scored the same amount of points as Ferrari today on a track where we should have taken more out of them.

At first, it looked like Verstappen had the pace to hold Hamilton off. He was lapping in the high 1:19s as Hamilton was only managing middling 1:19s.

We were very much in doubt [that the strategy would work] because we knew we had to catch up a second a lap, Wolff said. There was a stage when Max was turning up the engine and he was matching Lewis pace and you could almost hear the disbelief in Lewis voice why we did the second stop.

Even though the numbers werent stacking up, Hamiltons race engineer Peter Bonnington kept telling his driver it was possible. There was a degree of hope that Verstappen would run out of tyres and drop off, but there was no guarantee. Mercedes had no real idea how fast Hamilton could go if he really pushed, but after seven years working together, they knew misleading their driver about the gap could make all the difference.

Somehow Lewis put himself back in the right frame of mind and probably we motivated him over the radio, Wolff said. One thing Lewis father once said to me is that theres just one sentence you need: You can do it.

Even though the plan said we were running out of laps, we thought that by telling him he was catching him we could help. And thats exactly what happened.

From lap 58 onward there was a steep change in Hamiltons lap times as he suddenly started lapping in the mid 1:18s. At the same time, Verstappen started to run out of tyres, and the gap went from 13 seconds to one in the space of just eight laps.

I had to put all doubt and all question marks out of my mind and go for the best laps I could do every single lap consistently and not drop any time whatsoever, Hamilton explained. I had one of the most consistent period of laps that Id had I dont know if he had traffic or mistakes or whatever, but the gap started to chop down quite quickly.

I think with four or five laps to go I had him four seconds ahead, and I could see him in my sights, so maybe he was struggling with his tyres. So after that I was like, OK, weve got a serious race on here.

It felt like the steepest wall to climb when you come out that far behind, but the team had relaxed faith that we would do it, and Im grateful for their hard work and the decision.

The result was Hamiltons 81st career win and an insight into the mental attitude of the greatest drivers of a generation.

For Max Verstappen and Red Bull, attention is already turning towards building for 2020.Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hamiltons victory has all but secured his sixth world championship at the midway point of the season, as he now leads teammate Valtteri Bottas by 62 points. Verstappen is a further seven points behind Bottas with 239 left to play for and, even though the Red Bull has come on strong at recent rounds, it is not yet in a position to challenge for wins at every round.

I think Lewis is now over 70 points ahead [sic], which is close to a three-race advantage with nine to go, Horner said on Sunday night. So basically Lewis would have to not turn up for three races, if his cough comes back or something, or he gets athletes foot, but its hugely unlikely.

They would have to f up by gargantuan proportions not to win this championship. But our target for the rest of the year is to close that gap at races, and as we get more performance on the car and Honda make progress, this is very much a building year as we go to 2020.

But championship math aside, the progress made by Red Bull has been impressive at recent rounds. The advantage Mercedes held at the start of the year on tracks with low-speed corners has been whittled away by the team from Milton Keynes, while Ferrari is still likely to be a threat to Mercedes at high-speed circuits.

Red Bulls improvement has accelerated since an update package at the Austrian Grand Prix, and in that same period Verstappen has outscored Hamilton by 18 points. Part of that is down to the nature of the circuits and the conditions at the races favouring Red Bull, but there is little doubt that the team has made a breakthrough since the start of the season.

I think that the regulation change over the winter definitely hurt us with the way we work the front wing, Horner added. I think as the team has gained more understanding and been able to use these regulations better, we have managed to recover the balance and characteristics of the car.

And of course, the regulations change was combined with a tyre construction change as well, and those two elements hit us quite hard on the chassis side over the winter. But I think we have made really good progress over the last few months and hopefully in the second half of the year we have got a good vein of development that should continue to help with that.

As a result, Red Bull is targeting Ferrari in the constructors championship rather than Hamilton in the drivers. Yet with Gasly continuing to underperform, the 44-point gap to the Italian team wont be easy to overhaul.

I think this track doesnt play to their strength, Horner added. When we are sitting down in Spa and Monza it will be different. The next two tracks coming up look like Ferrari territory, which is what makes today frustrating. At one point, Sebastian was the next car to be lapped by Max, so it was frustrating not to have outscored them by more points in the constructors.

But while the championship may be all but over, after four thrilling races in a row there is hope of more exciting races to come in the second half of the year. Whats more, with the Honda engine in the back of the Red Bull improving at a rapid rate, there is hope that 2020 could finally see what the Hungarian Grand Prix teased: a genuine title battle between Verstappen and Hamilton.

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Hamilton vs. Verstappen lived up to the billing - Denton Daily