Kurt Hines has been coaching the Coronado High School (CHS) Islanders football team for the past five years where he has become a well-loved and respected figure in Coronado athletics. Hines leads by example with a philosophy of building meaningful relationships with his teams and coaching staff, and putting players first, to help them reach their potential on and off the field.

Hines grew up playing football but it wasnt until his first coaching experience in college that he considered pursuing it. One of my professors asked for volunteers to coach for a middle school special needs flag football team and I jumped at the chance, he recalled. Hines was pursuing a major in elementary education at a school in New Hampshire and saw this as a perfect opportunity to get first-hand experience teaching students around that age.

There was a young woman in sixth grade, I believe, that had Down syndrome, and she and I were tossing the football. She dropped it five or six times in a row but then the first time she caught it she just lit up, he continued. It was a moment Ill never forget, where I always knew I wanted to be a teacher (although school was always hard for me) but I never thought about coaching until that moment.

Hines went on to teach elementary school and a few years into teaching ending up getting his first official coaching job leading a freshman football program at the Souhegan High School. [The high school coach] came by with his team manager, and he showed up with a young man who had Down syndrome so that was kind of a cool connection, he noted.

After seven years leading the freshman program there and a season as varsity assistant coach at Goffstown High School, Hines went on to become head coach at Bedford High School. I was able to be a part of building a powerhouse, Hines described of his time at the, then, brand new school and program. Hines and his family then made the move from New Hampshire to San Diego to be closer to their eldest daughter, where Hines has continued to both teach elementary school and coach football.

This is my 25th year of coaching high school football and I just love everything about it, he commented. Hines takes a people first approach to coaching with an emphasis on building relationships. I asked him if there have been any people or moments that have influenced that approach and Hines told me about a player he had coached and worked with in the offseason who had taken his own life. The family asked me to speak at the funeral, and that incident didnt really change the way I coached per se, but it really emphasized more the importance of relationships and that as great as the game is, its a tool. Its a vehicle to empower people, bless people, and serve people, Hines said.

I try to share with our staff all the time that our number one job is to serve [our players], he continued. Yes, we want to make them better football players but we want to build relationships. Hines says his background in elementary education has also served him well as a high school coach. People think, Oh, those are so different, but they are so closely entwined because I think it really comes down to those relationships. Ive had parents tell me about how their kids hated math and now they love it, and I dont think Im a special teacher, I just focus on the relationships.

For Hines that means creating a space where his students and players know that their interests, their growth, and who they are is something being genuinely cared about and encouraged, and they feel comfortable to try and fail. We tell our players all the time that we want them to mess up in practice. If youre not messing up youre probably not getting reps, and if youre not getting reps in practice youre not getting them in the game, he explained. So we tell them, Mess up as much as you can, Monday through Thursday, so come Friday night you mess up less when it really matters.

Hines continued, Teaching also helps me [with coaching] because there are kids in my class who have IEPs or 504s for special education, and sometimes coaches forget on the football field that there may be a kid that you think is being disrespectful but they may have a learning disability or something else going on. And they may care just as much, but need a lot more teaching.

He mentioned one player hes coached who lost a starting position, pulling himself out with a minor injury. I talked to him after the game and then called him two days later and just asked him, Was it really this body part that was hurting that much or were you a little bit afraid? And it was over the phone and he could easily have just lied to me but he paused and then told me it was both, Hines said, explaining that its those moments where he can connect with a player or student on a level to help facilitate their growth and personal success that keeps him inspired as a coach and teacher day after day.

Hines recognizes that his teams have players of different athletic backgrounds, abilities, and familiarity with the game and he and his coaching staff strive to create a program that meets each player where they are. There are players on the team that are all character, all heart, all great athletes; its easy to love them. But when you get the players that dont fit the bill as much, cant put their helmet on straight, all that stuff, that fires me up, he told me.

I truly think a lot of other programs they would either be bullied by the players, coaches, or not even part of the team and I think we pride ourselves on having a football culture where every one of our players thrives on and off the field, Hines added, mentioning the example the coaching staff sets for these young players when they see that each player is treated with just as much importance and respect as another. We want to empower our players and we tell them, We want you to be great, but you have to be willing to go out there and make mistakes.

That mentality plays into Hines philosophy of how to grow a program overall that looks at every upcoming class, freshmen to senior, rather than relying solely on senior players for success. If theyre a stud we want to help them become even better, and if they can barely put their cleats and helmet on we want to help them learn how to do that and then, get one percent better every day is what we preach.

And for Hines, if his players can walk away from their time on the team knowing that their growth was more important than the game and that they were a part of something bigger than themselves, thats a win. As passionate as we are as coaches about the game, were more passionate about them, he explained. I think as simple as that is whether youre raising a family, or its sports, or business when people have relationships with others, theyre going to do more good and do the right things more often.

This years program has 70 players on the roster (up from 41 last year) that includes students from each class along with three female athletes suiting up this year. I love where were headed and think there is strength in numbers. If you have backups and players in practice challenging each other, its going to make us all better. And the more success we have on the field, the more its going to attract young men and young women and the more lives we can change.

One thing that will make this years season special for Hines as well is the opportunity to coach with his son, Brockton Brock Hines. It has been absolutely amazing, for me, Hines commented, adding how appreciative his is of this chance for them to share this experience and time together right now. My dad recently passed away and I used to call him every Saturday morning after football games for 25 years. And theres no doubt in my mind that hes looking down and seeing us, and its just been awesome.

Coming to Coronado, Hines was aware that the community wasnt necessarily a football town. One thing he hopes to do as hes grown the Islander program, especially as sports have been able to return in full, is to generate interest and excitement for the sport and continue to let more students discover the game. Community support for all sports is huge, he noted, adding how important youth sports is for helping students stay healthy, motivated, and in successful in school.

The Islander Football season kicked off on August 19 with a win against Montgomery High School. Varsity games will continue to be played on Friday nights where fans are welcome and encouraged. Visit maxpreps.com for further schedule details for both the varsity and junior varsity teams.

VOL. 112, NO. 37 - Sept. 14, 2022

Continued here:
Coaching Kickoff: A Conversation With CHS Football Coach Kurt Hines - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Ashton Gibbs is going from the preps to the pros.

As a coach.

The 32-year-old Scotch Plains, N.J. native and former Seton Hall Prep and University of Pittsburgh star has been hired as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks organization after spending the summer coaching on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit with the NJ Scholars 15U team. He will coach mainly with the College Park (Ga.) Skyhawks of the G League, but will spend training camp with the NBA club.

Ashton is going to bring youthful energy to our staff, Tori Miller, GM of the Skyhawks, told NJ Advance Media. Were really looking forward to having his strong player development background, as we believe he can use his playing experience to coach our guards in particular and help them develop on both ends of the floor.

Its quite an impressive jump for Gibbs, who has assistant coaching experience on the college level at Duquesne, and was also the head coach at The Phelps School, a prep school in Malvern, Pa.

This summer he coached the Scholars 15U team to the Final Four of their age bracket at the prestigious Nike Peach Jam. They notched a victory against Nightrydas Elite, which went on to win the 15U championship.

On that team, he coached the descendants of several former NBA players, including Olin Chamberlain, who is related to NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, Jaron McKie, the son of Temple coach and former NBA player Aaron McKie and Brandon Lee, the son of former Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and first Latin American-born athlete to play in the NBA.

I did a little bit of research on him and saw that he went to Pitt and everything, Chamberlain, a Class of 2025 guard from Harleysville, Pa., said this summer at Peach Jam. Everything he did as a player, playing for the USA [Basketball] team, everything he did I want to strive to do as a player, and try to be like him.

Gibbs said he isnt exactly sure if someone with the Hawks organization noticed him at Peach Jam, but he recently got a call from them and then did several interviews by phone.

They heard I was doing a good job and one thing led to another, they interviewed me a couple times and I did well in the interview process, Gibbs said Friday by phone. From what they told me, I was impressive in the interview process...and it was a quick process.

He heads to Atlanta Sunday and training camps starts Monday.

The Hawks have several New Jersey players in Englewood native Tyson Etienne and Malik Ellison, who attended Life Center Academy in Burlington and is the son of former Louisville star Pervis Ellison. A.J. Griffin, the former Duke star and the son of ex-Seton Hall standout Adrian Griffin, is also on the Hawks.

They actually have a good little New York/New Jersey bounce on the team, Gibbs said of the Hawks. They got a couple guys from the area.

Gibbs has big goals down the road.

I want to be a head NBA coach, thats the goal, he said. Anything could happen, but the NBA is the NBA, its the top of the top.

Rutgers assistant Brandin Knight, who coached Gibbs at Pittsburgh, believes he brings a lot to the table.

Ashton was one of the most dedicated players Ive ever coached, Knight said. He loves being in the gym and working on skill development. I think he has a lot to offer teaching the game as well. There will be things he will have to learn about the NBA game but Im sure he can do a great job in any role their asking him to fulfill.

And to think, this summer Gibbs was coaching 15-year-olds at Peach Jam.

No, I wouldnt have believed it, man, Gibbs said. And thats why I tell people all the time, you just never know whos watching, whos connected to who. Just give your best effort at all times and control what you can control.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription..

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.

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Preps to pros: N.J. native Ashton Gibbs gets coaching call-up from grassroots basketball to NBA - NJ.com

Social media account hackings or takeovers have increased dramatically since 2020, and NBC 5 Responds has found a key differentiating factor between users who get their accounts back, and others who do not.

Thieves are flocking to social media platforms now more than ever, and if youre not careful, you could be frozen out of your account.

Depending on what kind of user you are online may make the difference on whether you can get your account back.

NBC 5 Responds has been covering a rise in social media account takeovers in the last year, impacting thousands of users online.

And now, new numbers recently released are defining the trend.

In the 2021 Trends in Identity report from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the non-profit found a 1,044% increase in reports of social media account takeovers by bad actors, from the years 2020 to 2021.

The ITRC calls it an emerging scamdemic, with identity thieves flocking to social media profiles, leading to the highest number of personal identifiable information (PII) exposures from the accounts many use every day.

Compounding the problem is the fact that many users have said once their accounts were hacked into, they had no way of getting it back.

Recently, two Facebook/Meta users in the Chicago area contacted NBC 5 Responds, desperate for help.

At first blush, both users appeared to have much in common: Their pages were recently hacked, locking them out from years worth of memories, photos, and contact information for their family and friends.

But after inquiring on their behalf, only one user was able to get back into her account.

The different outcomes may be chalked up to two pivotal words: Business account.

I just never thought it would happen to me, Koren Utley told NBC 5 Responds after her Facebook account was taken over by hackers in July.

Korens Facebook account served two purposes: Connecting with friends and family, but also for her life coaching business.

Koren said her repeated attempts to contact Facebook for help had gone nowhere.

After NBC 5 Responds got in touch with Facebook staff, Koren successfully got back into her account.

But our same attempts to help another user, public school teacher Tracy Aleckson, went nowhere.

Why would someone want to hack a Facebook account? Aleckson asked. I was so incredibly frustrated. You have this billion-dollar company, and no way to contact them.

After NBC 5 Responds contacted Facebook for comment, the company helped Utley gain access to her hacked account, but did not help Aleckson.

The company did not respond to NBC 5s questions or requests for comment.

The reason NBC 5 Responds inquiry helped Utley, but had no effect for Aleckson, may be chalked up to the fact that Utley had previously purchased Facebook advertisements for her life coaching business.

Tracy had not made any purchases from Facebook.

The realization that not all users are treated equally is no surprise to cybersecurity analysts, like Alex Hamerstone of TrustedSec.

Its important for everybody to remember: If youre not paying for something, youre absolutely the product. Hamerstone said.

Hamerstone is not suggesting that we all buy ads, rather we need to understand the playing field, one that is growing riskier, day by day.

Analysts say the most common way for hackers to take over accounts is through social engineering techniques, through direct messages or by sending links that you should never click on.

Still, many users feel social media companies play a role in protecting their identities.

"You should not have to have a business account to be protected by Facebook, Utley said.Ever since getting her account back since the latest hacking, Utley said shes mostly stayed off of social media.

I don't post as much as I used to, Utley said. I honestly have lost the joy of sharing on Facebook to be honest with you. "

Many of the ways NBC 5 found to protect your social media accounts are preventative measures to take before anything like this takes place.

It all centers around your digital hygiene.

The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends using a strong and unique password, up to 12 characters or longer.

Don't use a password that you've used on any other accounts, Velasquez said. It can be a passphrase or something that you'll easily remember.

Also, setting up a two-factor authentication for profile changes, like passwords, can alert you to an account invasion, and prevent hackers from getting in.

Another important point to consider is storing your information in more than one place.

Having photos and other information you may need saved somewhere other than your account may help in the event something happens to your profile.

Do a health check of your social media accounts, Velasquez said. Make sure that you don't have data, photographs, contacts and things stored only [on your social media account] so that if the worst does happen, you have backups.

For the really meaningful photos, videos and important information, its also recommended to store those back-ups separate from your device.

If you only have your photos stored on Facebook, get a thumb drive, get a hard drive, store them somewhere else, so that you have a copy if something happens to that account, Velasquez recommends. It will definitely make it less traumatic if you aren't able to get the account back.

Some Facebook users are eligible for whats called Facebook Protect, an enhanced security feature that the company rolled out this past March.

Facebook Protect adds more security to a users account, including two-factor authentication and extra screenings by staff for hacking threats.

This feature is not available for all users. The companys website said it is a security program for groups of people that are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists, and government officials."

Its unclear whether Facebook plans to roll out the feature more widely.

To learn more about Facebook Protect and whether youre eligible to use it, click here.

Many Facebook users that contacted NBC 5 for help said their attempts to get through to Facebook for assistance after their accounts were hacked into were futile.

This has been noticed too by cybersecurity experts.

They don't have dedicated customer service. You cannot actually speak to a person, Velasquez said. That's fine when everything is going well. But when there is fraud or a significant dispute, that creates a real problem.

Users are encouraged by the company to visit this webpage to try and get their account back.

If your profile is a business account, or is used for your business, be sure to emphasize that when reaching out to Facebook for help. This can expedite a response on Facebooks end.

More helpful information from Facebook can be found here.

Experts also say users shouldnt feel embarrassed or ashamed if this happens to them.

We really want to encourage people not to be embarrassed or ashamed, not to think they should know or understand these things and to get help if they need it, Velasquez said. This is a really complicated space and not everyone can know everything about it.

To learn more about the Identity Theft Resource Center, including how to access its many free services and guidance, click here or call 1-888-400-5530

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Social Media Takeovers: As New Scam Emerges, Here's Why Some Users May Never Get Their Accounts Back - NBC Chicago

Its hard to say for sure which loss was worse, so completely interwoven as they were.

Obviously, the sudden death of Joshua Brooks as he rounded third was a blow that his baseball-loving brother, Luke, would never get over completely. Joshua and Luke lived for one thing: the game they loved. The game they always played together, almost as one person. And as their senior year rolled on, they were both on the brink of getting scholarships to keep playing the game, keep running the bases.

But Luke has barely begun to get on with his life when the other shoe drops: He learns that he has the same sudden-death heart condition his brother had. And that, his doctor tells him, means Lukes baseball days are over for good.

Adrift in a sea of grief and disorientation, Luke heads off to Evangel University. Its there, studying near the baseball teams practice one day, that he meets a coach whose providential words will redirect Lukes sense of calling:

You know, Luke, for those of us who love this game, its pain and glory, all wrapped up together. A few of us grow to resent it, because we cant find our place in it anymore. But others, well, we just keep searching until we do.

That inflection point will shape the course of Lukes life. And as the film jumps forward 20 years, we find Luke happily married to his childhood friend Jessica. And together theyre raising a high school baseball player named Josh (named after Lukes brother, of course).

Oh, and hes a dynamite baseball coach, too. Lukes acclaim as a baseball genius in his small Arkansas townwhere both he and Jess grew uphas started to leak out. Thats the kind of thing that happens when you win nine state championships.

And sure enough, one day a man comes calling. A man in a suita nice suit. A man named Michael Jamison with an offer Luke ultimately feels is Gods leading: To move to a 6A Texas school district thatll give Luke a chance to take his coaching to the next level.

He takes the offer and is, at first, thrilled about it. Its all starting to feel like happily ever after

until Luke says a prayer at home base one day and runs the bases in honor of his brother and of God before a game.

Read more:
Running the Bases - Plugged In

A coaching service for people in the music industry who have ADHD has been set up by a former manager at the Association for Electronic Music.

Tristan Hunt who himself has ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia has launched the service in response to increasing conversations around neurodiversity within the music industry. It sees him offer confidential online sessions, as well as a guide to peer-reviewed tools and strategies which are designed to help people with ADHD understand and manager their condition more easily.

Speaking about why he's launched the service, Hunt said: "I spent most of my twenty-year music industry career not knowing I had ADHD. So I know first-hand the struggles that artists and my industry colleagues face when working in the music business with the condition both pre and post-ADHD diagnosis. People with ADHD are often especially bright, yet there can be a great disconnect between their often huge accomplishments and shortcomings in their everyday life."

"Maybe they travel the world playing sell-out shows, or close multi-million-pound deals overseas. Then return home to a confused partner who struggles to understand how they can accomplish these big tasks, yet fail to do 'simpler' things, like paying their bills on time, remembering family appointments, or not sending out the invoices which get them paid.

"Helping these people my fellow ADHDers move past the shame that those disconnects can cause and helping them learn how to thrive with their incredible ADHD brain is hugely rewarding for me."

Before launching the service, Hunt held down the role of Regional Manager at the Association for Electronic Music for four years. He has previous experience of working as a mentor with Help Musicians UK.

For more information, you can contact Hunt via the email address [emailprotected] and visit his dedicated website.

Read DJ Mag's recent feature on the relationship between neurodiversity and dance music here.

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Coaching service for people with ADHD working in the music industry launches - DJ Mag

Sep 15, 2022

Eric GomezMexico writer

Canelo Alvarez will complete one of this century's most exciting boxing trilogies when he faces Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. The rivalry features hallmarks of some of the sport's all-time best -- explosive punching power by both fighters inside the ring, coupled with a fiery mutual dislike of each other outside of it.

Going into the trilogy, the fight also displays a subplot of its own: Alvarez's dalliance with a vegan diet, and a return to eating red meat following his most recent loss.

Before facing WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last May, Alvarez revealed he had adopted a near-vegan diet. He said he stopped eating red meat in 2018 following a positive test for clenbuterol, a banned substance sometimes fed illegally to cows in Mexico. Alvarez alleged he had come into contact with clenbuterol after eating tainted meat in his home country. Regardless, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended him for six months, delaying his second fight with Golovkin -- a fight the Mexican boxer won via split decision.

"I'm not complicated when it comes to food. I adapt quickly," Alvarez told ESPN earlier this year. "I eat [a vegan diet] all week now and if one day the opportunity presents to eat red meat, chicken or whatever, I'll have no problem with that. But I do try to keep vegan [right now]."

2 Related

The impetus behind Alvarez's change to vegan came after watching "The Game Changers," a documentary about athletes who incorporate plant-based diets. During training, Alvarez relied solely on vegan protein five days a week but ate fish and chicken on weekends.

"His output hasn't changed at all, physically he looks very strong and I don't see any change in him after he switched his diet," said Munir Somoya, who worked with Alvarez as part of his training team.

Come fight night, Bivol dominated Alvarez and retained his crown by way of unanimous decision. Bivol relied on his superior size and reach to hold Canelo to a career-low 84 punches landed over a full 12 rounds. Fighting at his preferred weight, Bivol used a two-inch reach advantage and taller frame, coupled with fluid movements and high energy output throughout to flummox Alvarez. In the later rounds, the usually durable Alvarez, who has won titles in four different weight classes, seemed sluggish and tired.

Alvarez's sudden dietary switch became a talking point after the fight. Among the critics, Alvarez's former promoter Oscar De La Hoya questioned the boxer's choices in the run-up to the Bivol fight.

"When you change something drastic like your diet overnight, you run the risk of it not working for your body, and it not adjusting properly," De La Hoya told reporters.

Since the loss, Alvarez is no longer training on a primarily plant-based diet as part of his fight plan to face Golovkin at super middleweight on Saturday.

"I tried to do it for some weeks and it's very complicated to change everything all of a sudden," Alvarez told the Associated Press in an interview. "So now, like I have all my life, I'm eating what I did before."

While Alvarez didn't use the diet to excuse his loss, his flirtation with veganism is notable in the sports world. In recent years, a number of elite athletes, including tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams as well as Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton have followed plant-based diets.

A consistent vegan diet over months or even as quickly as weeks can positively affect the maximum amount of oxygen a person's body can absorb and use during exercise, while maintaining strength through a similar level of plant-based protein intake. That's according to The Impact of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on Physical Performance and Molecular Signaling in Skeletal Muscle, an academic paper published in 2021 by members of the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Hildesheim in Germany. However, the authors admit "research on the influence of a vegan or vegetarian diet on exercise performance is scarce."

Because of the lack of research, it remains impossible to make any conclusive judgment across the board for any athlete who chooses to transition toward a plant-based diet. Any change -- whether plant-based or not -- can carry adverse effects for a high performance athlete, the experts say.

"In Canelo's case, going on a mostly plant-based diet shouldn't have been done so near to a fight," said Colette Gonzalez, a nutritionist from Alvarez's hometown of Guadalajara. "We can't change a high-performance athlete's diet in such a radical fashion and expect them to perform the same way."

Though Alvarez has made other dietary shifts during his career before fights he ended up winning, a vegan diet -- or even a near-vegan diet -- requires time to adapt, Gonzalez said. "There was clearly not enough time to gauge how the change would affect his muscle mass or his energy requirements for such an important fight."

As for the apparent fatigue Alvarez showed during later rounds in his last bout, Gonzalez says diet isn't entirely to blame. Higher weight and muscle mass requires the body to exert more energy, and though Alvarez had sparred and fought at 175 pounds before, a fast opponent with quick hands like Bivol simply outboxed him as time went on.

"Any time you gain weight, your body has to adapt. If your opponent is more accustomed to that weight, it's a disadvantage," Gonzalez said.

Combat sports in general can claim a few top-level ambassadors for vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. Former heavyweight champion David Haye famously took on a vegan diet in 2014 in defense of animal rights, and maintained his diet toward the end of his career. Haye's change in lifestyle, however, had come after the dwindling of his prime, fighting only in a handful of bouts on a plant-based diet.

"If you don't have any examples of plant-based athletes who are succeeding in your sport, you're going to think this doesn't work here," said Bryan Danielson, a pro wrestler for AEW who went vegan in 2009. "You need people who look like you or do what you do to succeed."

Danielson initially adopted the diet for health reasons -- while training for WWE events, he developed three staph infections over the course of a year. Before then, Danielson suffered through a weak immune system for most of his life. Shortly after the switch to veganism, the infections went away and the diet became permanent.

With the guidance of a trainer, Danielson -- known as Daniel Bryan during his WWE days -- reached peak physical yield under the diet. "I've deadlifted 518 pounds while on a full vegan diet," Danielson said. "There was no difference in my performance. The only difference was I instantly stopped getting sick."

When Alvarez chose to drop red meat prior to his second meeting with Golovkin, he still ate other types of animal protein. The shift was made in direct response to, arguably, his career lowlight.

Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol in 2018, a banned substance catalogued as a performance-enhancing drug. He claimed it had accidently entered his body via tainted meat. In Mexico, the illegal practice of feeding cows pulverized clenbuterol pills in order to stimulate their growth and obtain more meat has been well documented.

A six-month suspension followed, pushing his May bout to September, and leading to claims of foul play from Golovkin's camp. For his part, Alvarez espoused moving forward with an abundance of caution when it came to what he put in his body.

"After what happened to me, I've been very careful," Canelo told ESPN then. "Really, too cautious, I think, [to the point] of not eating meat."

3:36

Learn about the history and usage of Clenbuterol in cattle and the effects it can have on professional athletes.

When they finally clashed for their rematch on Sept. 15, Golovkin and Canelo staged The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year for 2018, with Alvarez narrowly coming out on top on two of the scorecards. The outcome did little to quell the debate over which fighter was better, as the controversy behind the draw in the first fight, coupled with Alvarez's previous doping suspension, created plenty of fodder.

Under the shadow of their third fight -- and as Canelo reels from the circumstances surrounding his second pro loss -- Golovkin continues to raise the issue, suggesting Alvarez's success might have less to do with diet and more with seeking unfair advantages.

"There are lab results," Golovkin told The Orange County Register in August. "And when asked, I said, 'Yes, I believe that he cheated.' And if somebody in his team didn't like my words, I believe it's their problem."

Alvarez will enter the ring at a dangerously unique point in his storied career. Coming off a loss for only the second time, he will stand opposite a man he has yet to beat convincingly -- whether in the scorecards or in the court of public opinion. Though Golovkin, who turned 40 in April, is likely in the latter stages of his career, a loss or even an unconvincing win will place detractors front and center.

Furthermore, Alvarez's flirtation with veganism will do little to subdue the debate as to whether a championship-level athlete in the most brutal of combat sports can thrive solely on a plant-based diet. Somoya is no longer advising Alvarez and has gone to work with another Mexican fighter, heavyweight Andy Ruiz.

"Someday, you'll have a fighter on [Alvarez's] level who wins championships and is on a vegan diet," Gonzalez said. "But that person will have likely been on the diet for years -- not just a few weeks."

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Why Canelo Alvarez moved on from a dalliance with a vegan diet after his recent loss - ESPN

A long, healthy life is the goal for many Americans, but according to astudy published in September 2022 in BMJ, the average life expectancy in the United States fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.1 in 2021, marking the steepest two-year decline in a century. Research shows that the risk of many chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis increases with age as well.

The news isnt all bleak, however. There are things anyone can do to lower their risk of many age-related diseases, add years to their lifespan, and make the dream of a long, healthy life a reality. The key is to start building those healthy habits now. Longevity experts share eight things you can do every day to make your golden years really shine.

Why Its ImportantRegular physical activity has been shown to counteract normal muscle aging and help preserve lean muscle mass, research shows.

How to Do ItTo get the most health benefits from physical activity, adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking or fast dancing) each week, as well as muscle-strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing push-ups, at least two days each week, according to guidelines issued by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness. Thats approximately half an hour a day during the workweek, and the activity does not have to come from just a single gym session. Even short bouts of activity add up, and many experts (as well as the guidelines) argue that its better to spread them out, says Laura Carstensen, PhD, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity in California.

Find something you enjoy doing that is sustainable over time, she recommends. When its something that you can do relatively easily, it becomes a habit. You might love to swim or take spin classes, but if getting to the pool or the gym takes too much effort, youll probably skip your workouts. You might be better off keeping some exercise equipment at home, where the barrier to using it is lower.

Why Its ImportantAccording to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, routine screenings can reduce your risk of early death because they help prevent illnesses or detect them earlier, when they are more treatable.

How to Do ItRachel Marquez, MD, a board-certified family physician at Kaiser Permanente in Virginia, recommends talking to your doctor to make sure youre up to date on your screenings. She says that depending on your age, gender, and other risk factors, you may need to be screened for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high glucose levels, osteoporosis, or mental health conditions. Its a good idea to familiarize yourself with the screenings that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Why Its ImportantLots of research has linked plant-based diets to longer lifespans. That doesnt mean you have to forego meat completely though. The evidence on meat is mixed, says Dr. Carstensen. Diets heavy in red meat are not recommended, but chicken and other meats are often recommended as good sources of protein.

Eating plans such as the Mediterranean diet and the Blue Zones diet, which emphasize seafood and poultry and minimizing red and processed meats, have been shown to reduce your risk of a host of conditions that can shorten your lifespan, such as heart disease, metabolic disorders, and some types of cancer, according to research published in Nutrients in 2021.

How to Do ItIf its more sustainable for you to switch to mostly poultry and fish rather than going full vegetarian, thats a step in a potentially healthier direction. Start by cutting back on beef and processed meats such as bacon, lunch meat, and sausage. Replace them with lean protein sources like fish, chicken, and turkey, as well as vegetarian sources like legumes and quinoa. It can help to experiment with healthy foods to find the ones you like, Carstensen says. If you need more help, or if you have some emotional eating challenges, finding a nutritionist could be beneficial.

Why Its ImportantAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), falls are the top cause of injury-related death in people ages 65 and older, and the death rate from falls is getting worse, especially in people ages 85 and older.

Core strength is central to balance, says Carstensen. Getting slightly off-balance is very common, but most of the time people dont even detect it because we automatically correct by using our core muscles. If your core is weak, you cant self-correct in this way and are more likely to fall.

How to Do ItExercise to strengthen your core. For an easy habit that can help, when you get up from a chair, use only the strength in your core and legs not your arms. Using your arms reduces the tension on your core muscles, Carstensen says. To strengthen your balance, try standing on one foot every time you brush your teeth. And talk with your doctor if you need more help: Working with a physical therapist could be beneficial, as most are trained to help with developing a fall-prevention routine.

Why Its ImportantSpending lots of time sitting increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes, even if you exercise, according to research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2019.

How to Do ItIf youre working from home, you may need to make an extra effort to add some movement to your day. You may not have those natural breaks where you walk into and out of the building, talk to colleagues in person, or move to a meeting room. So, you might want to walk around the block, take breaks for household chores like making your bed, or spend a few minutes doing some yoga poses. A meta-analysis published in March 2022 in The Lancet Public Health found that, in terms of reducing mortality risk, the ideal number of steps per day is between 6,000 and 8,000 for older adults and between 8,000 and 10,000 for younger adults. Even if you arent the fitness trackerwearing type, just developing a habit of walking more during the day is important, Carstensen says, even if its just for a minute every hour.

Why Its ImportantGood sleep predicts life expectancy, says Carstensen. And that doesnt just mean sleeping longer; it means getting the right amount of restful quality sleep for your needs. Onestudy found that getting fewer than seven hours or more than eight hours of sleep per night increased mortality risk by 24 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Official recommendations vary, and its not only the amount but also the quality of sleep that matters. The CDC recommends that adults ages 18 to 60 aim for seven or more hours per night, that those between ages 61 and 64 get between seven and nine hours a night, and anyone age 65 or older gets seven to eight hours.

How to Do ItSome components of good sleep hygiene include having a consistent sleep schedule, limiting caffeine and alcohol, especially before bed, and avoiding the use of electronic devices before bed as well, according to the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School and WGBH Educational Foundation. If you practice good sleep hygiene but still have daytime sleepiness, its a good idea to follow up with your doctor to rule out things like sleep apnea.

Why Its ImportantWhile the evidence examining the effects of gratitude practices on health is limited, being grateful could help you be more inclined to participate in healthy activities such as exercise and also more likely to seek help when you have a health concern, according to The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology.

How to Do ItCarstensen practices gratitude by taking time to sit and reflect and be grateful, she says. Breathe, and think about whats good in the world and what you appreciate. It calms you. Theres a kind of a reset to it that is very useful for mental health. It really does change your outlook.

Why Its ImportantHaving fewer friends is linked with negative health outcomes as well as loneliness, depression, stress, and anxiety. Having just two to four close friends can reduce your risk, according to research published online in Ageing and Society in July 2022.

How to Do ItReach out to your friends, whether by text or a phone call and make plans to spend time together. Make sure they know you care. If you let them know you care, they are much more likely to let you know they care too, so carving out time for those exchanges is really important, Carstensen says.

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8 Everyday Health and Wellness Habits Linked With a Longer Life - Everyday Health

As you age, your body undergoes many different changes. One common age-related shift is loss of muscle mass, which can happen at a rate of around 3% loss of strength with every passing year once you enter middle adulthood. This is also known as sarcopenia.

"Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, can begin as early as one's thirties and can result in a nearly 15% lean muscle loss due to aging throughout your lifetime," says Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements. "And while this isn't always avoidable, it can be slowed through our diet and lifestyle."

Fighting sarcopenia involves a focused balance of both movement and nutrition, with things like a sedentary lifestyle and lack of dietary protein being common culprits of accelerating muscle aging. But when it comes to diet, it may take more than just adding protein.

Read on to learn more about helpful eating habits you can incorporate to slow the aging muscle process, and for more healthy aging tips check out 6 Best Breakfasts to Slow Aging.

One of the most foundational eating habits to pay attention to when it comes to slowing muscle aging is making sure you're consuming enough high-quality protein.

"All animal food sources are complete proteins, and plant sources of complete protein include hemp seeds, quinoa, tofu, edamame, tempeh, nutritional yeast, and a combination of beans and rice," says Best.

A complete protein has all 9 essential amino acids, which our bodies do not produce on their own, meaning we need them from the food we eat. Most plant proteins like vegetables are considered incomplete proteins, but if you have a balanced diet, you should still be able to hit your required amino acid profile.

And while some people may feel they need an exact amount, Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author ofFinally Full, Finally Slim, and member of our medical expert advisory boardsays you may not need to focus as much on this."Rather than fixate on exact grams with people (which tends to confuse them), I advise being sure to include protein at each meal like milk, yogurt, eggs, chicken, fish, lean meat, nuts, and beans."

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According to Best, another crucial habit to get into for protecting your muscle strength is incorporating plenty of omega-3 fatty acids into your daily diet.

"Omega-3s are linked to muscle health due to their anti-inflammatory nature," says Best. "And the lower the rate of inflammation in the body, the less likely muscle cells are being broken down or damaged."

You can get omega-3s through many types of fish, seeds, and nuts, or you can supplement with an omega-3 pill.

RELATED:The #1 Best Omega-3 Supplement to Take, Says Dietitian

Vitamin D is important for your bone health, mental health, your body's calcium absorption, and your muscle health as well.

"Vitamin D is another important factor in your diet to prevent muscle breakdown because it assists in muscle protein synthesis and is also an anti-inflammatory in the body," says Best. "Many foods high in vitamin D are fortified with this vitamin and include juices, milk, yogurts, and cereals."

Similarly to omega-3s, if you feel you aren't getting enough vitamin D through your daily diet then you can supplement this as well. However, talk with a doctor before supplementing, as it's also possible you can have too much of this vitamin.

Your calorie intake, whether increasing it or decreasing it, can play a significant role in helping to fight sarcopenia as you age. Whether you need more or less entirely depends on what is recommended by your doctor.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

What we mean by this is that for some, it's a common struggle to not get enough nutrient-dense calories as you age because of age-related changes in appetite. This lack of nutrition can contribute to accelerated muscle aging. But for others, a calorie restriction plan may actually help with muscle aging.

According to a study published in the journal Aging, restricting calories without losing nutrients can possibly help with synthesizing muscle protein, delaying atrophy, and improving overall muscle strength. However, you should definitely talk with your doctor about your individual needs when it comes to your calorie intake.

Protein is certainly a crucial nutrient for your muscle strength, but it's important not to forget about incorporating healthy carbs, too.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, carbohydrates are necessary for building muscle strength because of the energy they provide your body for working out and getting enough exercise. Harvard Health also suggests combining a protein source with a carbohydrate after your workouts to help build more muscle.

In one study of over 800 elderly Korean adults, it was found that a combination of important nutrients like carbs, protein, fiber, and certain vitamins like zinc, vitamin B6, and carotene were helpful in lowering the risk of developing sarcopenia. When thinking of meals to cook for yourself that meet these nutrition suggestions, consider ways you can get plenty of protein while still consuming healthy carbs. An example would be a lean chicken breast with veggies and a sweet potato, or fish with rice and vegetables.

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5 Eating Habits To Help Slow Muscle Aging Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Is your belly fat bothering you? While excess fat of any kind is unhealthy, visceral fat is particularly dangerous. "Abdominal obesity not only increases your risk for a first heart attack or stroke, but also the risk for recurrent events after the first misfortune," says Dr. Hanieh Mohammadi of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "Maintaining a healthy waist circumference is important for preventing future heart attacks and strokes regardless of how many drugs you may be taking or how healthy your blood tests are." Here are five scientifically-backed ways to get rid of belly fat. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Exercise is a key factor in helping blast belly fat. "Health experts say consistent, moderate exercise by itself appears to help the body rid itself of vast amounts of deep abdominal fat even when your scale doesn't register a loss," says CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. "If you're at a good weight, but still have trouble losing that belly fat, make sure you're doing the right kind of exercise. While sit-ups only tighten abdominal muscles, studies show strength training can reduce belly fat. The American College of Sports Medicine agrees the best way to achieve a "six pack" of abs is to focus more on lowering total body fat through aerobic exercise and diet. ACSM also says ab exercises are most effective when tailored to your individual needs. So, consult a trainer who can help you design the best program for you to lose the belly fat."

Eating a diet rich in healthy, nutritious whole foods is important for losing belly fat. "Nutrition plays a vital role in reducing abdominal fat," says Bret Scher, MD. "Many diets that promote weight loss, including vegan diets and chronic caloric restriction, can help people lose belly fat. However, the key is finding a sustainable diet that provides adequate nutrition and still helps you lose belly fat. For many, a low-carb diet may be an effective option, and adding intermittent fasting is also promising."

Stress-eating may make belly fat worse, experts say. "It's not just a formula of calories in and calories out. What we eat and how much may determine our overall weight, but stress influences where that fat actually gets deposited on our body," says Elissa Epel, PhD. "We know that excessive exposure to cortisol can increase belly fat. So it's logical that stress reduction should minimize it."

Studies show that people who strength train have less belly fat, even if they don't lose weight from the exercise. "Stick with basic moves that work the major muscle groupsshoulders, chest, back, abs, butt, legs, and arms," says Sherri MacMillan, owner of Northwest Personal Training in Portland, Oregon. "As you get stronger, continue to increase your weight load to counter gradual muscle loss."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Research from the Mayo Clinic shows eating breakfast is linked to a decrease in belly fat. "For reasons that we don't quite understand yet, eating breakfast seems to be a marker of, No. 1, less likelihood of having gained weight recently, and, No. 2, a smaller belly circumference and less visceral fat," says cardiologist Dr. Virend Somers. "Those who ate breakfast very frequently put on less than 3 pounds in the past year. Those who ate breakfast maybe one to four times a week put on about 5 pounds. The ones who didn't eat breakfast at all put on about 8 pounds in the year prior to them seeing us."

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How to Remove the "Hidden Fat" in Your Belly Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

At the end of September, the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, the first such conference in more than 50 years. Its goal is to accelerate progress toward ending hunger, improving nutrition and physical activity, and reducing diet-related disease.

Given the ubiquity of contradictory and headline-grabbing information that can lead to confusion about what to eat or drink, progress on improving diets and the science underlying dietary recommendations is needed now more than ever. Take alcohol consumption. A 2021 news article reported that moderate alcohol consumption could benefit heart health. Eight months later, the same news organization reported that no amount of alcohol was beneficial for health. Examples of this sort of about-face in dietary advice abound; its no wonder many people are tempted to give up trying to follow dietary recommendations entirely.

To ensure that nutrition guidance and policies rest on a secure evidence base, nutrition research must be fully funded and optimally coordinated.

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Nutrition science is evolving, with a rapidly growing collection of methods and interventions. At the time of the first White House nutrition conference, in 1969, research focused particularly on isolated vitamins and minerals and their role in nutrient deficiency diseases like rickets and pellagra. Since then, the focus has switched from underconsumption to overconsumption, and the United States, along with many other countries, is now experiencing epidemic levels of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes that are linked to energy imbalance and obesity. Focusing on the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases has produced important gains in knowledge, but it has not been sufficient to stem increasing rates of these conditions. The burden is not likely to lessen anytime soon and there is much that scientists still need to learn.

Yet federal research efforts remain uncoordinated and there is no official accounting of all federal nutrition research funding. Politico, a media company, conducted its own analysis and found that the share of federal research spending dedicated to nutrition at the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has remained flat since the 1980s.

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The NIH is the largest funder of nutrition research in the U.S.: it spent just over $2 billion on nutrition research in 2021 (though this included some projects that also addressed tobacco, exercise, and other topics less directly related to nutrition). This funding supported almost 4,900 projects across at least 24 of NIHs 27 institutes, centers, and offices. If that sounds impressive, it amounts to just 5% of NIHs total funding. Just 1% of all projects supported by NIH in recent years have focused on the role of diet in the prevention or treatment of disease in humans the rest focused on basic science and preclinical research.

Compare this to the diet-associated cost of cardiometabolic disease in the U.S., which was recently estimated to be $50.4 billion per year. This outstrips the NIHs annual budget for 2021 and the combined annual appropriations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Over the years, the NIH has made sporadic attempts to coordinate the diverse nutrition research under its wing. In 1975, it established the NIH Nutrition Coordinating Committee in the Office of the Director, the highest level of leadership at NIH. But that committee was summarily shifted to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in 1993, and then relegated still lower within NIDDK in 2015, when it was renamed the Office of Nutrition Research.

In 2020, as Congress was considering whether to create a wholly new institute, the National Institute of Nutrition, the NIH released its first agency-wide Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research with a focus on precision nutrition. No new nutrition-focused institute has been created, though the Office of Nutrition Research was moved back to the Office of the Director in 2021.

The strategic plan and office reshuffling are unlikely to be sufficient actions in the effort to curb rising rates of diet-related diseases. Establishing a National Institute of Nutrition could bolster essential nutrition research and provide the coordination necessary to address increasingly complex and interdisciplinary issues. This institute would be integral to achieving the goals of NIHs strategic plan and developing a research blueprint for addressing chronic disease using a combination of basic science, clinical trials, epidemiology, and policy research.

Research coordinated by the National Institute of Nutrition could range from foundational, such as identifying new biomarkers of nutrition status, to cross-cutting, such as understanding links between nutrition, health, and the food system. It could leverage the agencys current research on cancer, aging, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and health disparities to drive research aimed at better understanding individual, social, and environmental determinants of nutrition and health and developing translational solutions.

But coordination beyond the world of research is also necessary. A recent Government Accountability Office report identified 200 diet-related efforts including research, education, clinical services, food assistance, and regulation scattered across 21 federal agencies. The report recommended that Congress direct a federal body to develop and carry out a strategy for such efforts with the goal of reducing chronic disease risk. Creating a White House Deputy Assistant to the President for Food and Nutrition Policy could harmonize these activities by leading a cross-agency federal food and nutrition working group. This group could coordinate between agencies and report to the President, the Cabinet, and Congress on issues ranging from nutrition, food access, and health equity to sustainability and climate change.

The cross-government cooperation required to address the ongoing infant formula crisis and the effects of climate change on and by the food system only highlight the need for such a body. The administration has, in effect, already created this working group in preparation for the White House conference as the need to organize topics of discussion and policy priorities across numerous federal agencies has arisen.

Coordination and investment in nutrition research at the federal level can take many forms. A new institute at NIH and a White House Deputy Assistant to the President are only the beginning of the solution. But their establishment, which should be a focus of the upcoming White House Conference, would be a positive step towards efficiently utilizing limited nutrition science dollars to combat the effects of diet-related disease.

Stephanie Rogus is a registered dietitian who leads the scientific integrity initiative for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Peter G. Lurie is a physician, the president and executive director of CSPI, and a former associate commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

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Federal nutrition efforts are in desperate need of coordination - STAT - STAT