Written by Jane E. Brody

The childhood admonition to refrain from swimming for an hour after eating, ostensibly to avoid cramp, is not nearly long enough for me anymore. I now have to wait at least two hours before attempting any vigorous activity, or chores that involve bending over, to avoid the miserable sensation of acid reflux, commonly recognized by its frequent symptom of heartburn.

Ive also found that a favorite breakfast food peanut butter is especially troublesome, along with smoked fish, pickled herring or brewed coffee on an empty stomach.

How common is acid reflux?

Acid reflux is among the most frequent health complaints of American adults, and may have become even more common in the wake of pandemic-related stress and weight gain. Late last year, pharmacies reported an unprecedented run on antacids by people described as having a pandemic stomach, leaving those with serious ailments that required such products often out of luck.

Even before the pandemic, an online survey from 2019 of more than 71,000 adults found that nearly a third reported that they were affected at least weekly by the discomforting symptoms of acid reflux, in which a small amount of stomach contents reverses course and backs up into the esophagus.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include a burning feeling in the chest, a sensation of a lump in the throat, belching and bloating, and regurgitation into the mouth of highly acidic, partially digested food from the stomach. Reflux can also affect the respiratory tract, resulting in hoarseness, wheezing, postnasal drip, cough or asthma.

But persistent acid reflux is more than just annoying. If it occurs too often and persists for too long, it can erode the lining of the esophagus and increase the risk of developing a deadly cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma.

5 ways to reduce your reflux risk?

A Harvard research team recently reported that many people could avoid this misery by adhering to an anti-reflux lifestyle. The researchers analyzed periodic health surveys over 12 years from more than 40,000 nurses and identified five lifestyle characteristics that helped keep acid reflux at bay.

The more of these behaviors the nurses adhered to, the lower their risk of developing GERD, the popular acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease, the most persistent and potentially serious form of acid reflux. Following all five behaviors reduced the overall risk of developing GERD symptoms by 37 percent.

1. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT: An analysis of the medical literature led by Dr. Jesper Lagergren of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that GERD affected about 22 percent of people who were classified as obese, compared with about 14 percent of those who were not obese. After you eat, a muscular sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus opens to let food enter the stomach, and then closes to keep it from reversing direction. An oversized abdomen can put excess pressure on this sphincter and may prevent it from closing when it should, allowing contents from the acidic stomach to leach into the esophagus.

2. DONT SMOKE: Dr. Lagergrens team found that tobacco can extend the time it takes for acidic foods to leave the esophagus. In an analysis of 30 studies, GERD affected about 20 percent of smokers, compared with about 16 percent of nonsmokers.

3. EXERCISE: Those who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day were less likely to develop symptoms of GERD, the Harvard team reported.

4. CUT DOWN ON COFFEE, TEA AND SODA: The risk of GERD was reduced among those who consumed no more than two cups of coffee, tea or soda each day.

5. FOLLOW A HEART-HEALTHY DIET: Those who followed a Mediterranean-style diet, for example, featuring fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry and whole grains, but little or no red meat and other sources of saturated fats, were less likely to develop acid reflux.

Genetics can also affect ones risk of developing acid reflux, so people with a family history of the problem would do best to avoid the risks highlighted above. Doing so will also help protect against leading killers like heart disease, diabetes and many forms of cancer.

How to manage symptoms

If you already have acid reflux, theres much you can do to minimize symptoms and perhaps avoid them entirely. Instead of consuming large meals, eat smaller ones more often. Minimize fatty foods and skip fried and fast foods entirely. A friend uses an air fryer to achieve a crispy skin on chicken, but I prefer grilled chicken and skip the skin. Choose lean meats (if you eat meat) and low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. Also, try sleeping as if on a recliner, with the head of the bed propped higher than the foot.

Foods that many people with GERD find most irritating include tomatoes and citrus (like oranges and grapefruit) and their juices, coffee (even decaf for some people), alcoholic and carbonated beverages, spicy foods, garlic, chocolate and peppermint. I long ago switched to low-acid orange juice, consuming only a few ounces a day to dissolve a fiber supplement. Ive also found instant coffee to be less irritating than brewed, and drink the latter only with food to help protect my digestive tract.

To counter an occasional unexpected attack of heartburn, many people use a quick-acting antacid like Tums (calcium carbonate) to help neutralize stomach acid. A more modern remedy, an H2 receptor blocker like Pepcid (famotidine), can relieve symptoms within about 20 minutes by blocking the histamine receptors in the stomach that trigger acid production.

But chronic reflux sufferers may find the most effective relief with medications called proton pump inhibitors, or P.P.I.s, that shut down acid production in the stomach. Popular brands, sold over-the-counter and in higher doses by prescription, include Nexium (esomeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole) and Prilosec (omeprazole). Theyre among the countrys top-selling drugs.

However, like any medication, drugs that fight reflux can have side effects, so trial-and-error may be needed to find a product that works best for you. Also, the drugs should be used only as long as needed to control symptoms. Taken long-term, the P.P.I.s have been linked to a small increased risk of developing serious complications, including kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, C. difficile infection and pneumonia.

Thus, your best bet in avoiding or controlling acid reflux might be to combine the lifestyle factors described above with a course of doctor-prescribed medication for as short a time as needed.

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5 diet and lifestyle measures to ward off heartburn - The Indian Express

Jeremy Clarkson will host ITVs Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? tonight at 8:30pm. The car fanatic became the hosts show in 2018, taking Chris Tarrants place.

They just have a better diet out there.

Plus I had a bicycle rather than a car.

Cycling is not a good thing to do, Im all broken as a result of it but I did lose a lot of weight.

Where I was staying was separated from the small town by a mountain but it was much bigger than Everest.

Although he cycles, Jeremy does not enjoy going to the gym or running.

He has previously compared his lifestyle to Her Majestys, telling The Sun in 2019: The Queen doesnt go to the gym, and she doesnt run, and shes 93 and shes all right.

Apparently, she only has a forkful, she only has a tiny bit, thats what Ive heard.

Shell sit down and just have one little bit of mousse and bit of a lettuce leaf.

Although Jeremy admitted he put on a few pounds during lockdown, he has managed to maintain his slim frame by being outside, walking, and working on his farm.

Clarksons Farm was broadcast on Amazon this year and documents Jeremys attempts at running a farm in Oxfordshire.

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Jeremy Clarkson weight loss: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? star on losing 2st in weeks - Express

During the previous several decades, as scholars interested in the life and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, we have had the privilege to work in the archives of the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad the most important repository of the correspondence to and from Gandhi and to walk around the hallowed ground of the Ashram, the residence of the Mahatma and his wife Kasturba, from 1917 until he departed from there on the historical Salt March to Dandi in 1930.

We have wondered what direction the Ashram could take in the 21st century. Over the years we have imagined, in particular, what the Sabarmati Ashram might become and how it could play its role in spreading the message of Gandhi, how it could be ensured that the most effective use is made of this unique world-significant location. Of course, it has a large role to play as one of Indias most historical sites, as a museum and as a pilgrimage place that inspires the quest for truth and teaches the observant visitor about the value of nonviolence and simplicity in a period of threatening environmental collapse and very present economic inequality. For these reasons, the lessons taught by Gandhi, and embodied in the Ashram, are just as important now as ever before.

The ethos of the Ashram is conducive to the higher-level ways of thinking and being that Gandhi modelled. So powerful are the present simplicity and orderliness of the surroundings that they cannot but affect the thoughtful visitor. In the late 1970s, the revolutionary thinker Ivan Illich, talking of Gandhis hut at Sevagram, noted, This hut of Gandhi demonstrates to the world how the dignity of the common man can be brought up. It is also a symbol of happiness which we can derive from practising the principle of simplicity, service and truthfulness. Of course, he could just as easily have been talking about Hriday Kunj, the basic but inspiring home of Gandhi and Kasturba at the Ashram. But such happiness requires time, a slower than usual pace, and quiet reflection something impossible among huge crowds.

It seems to us that there are two possible ways to make sure that the Ashram remains relevant into the future. One of them seems obvious, but we feel would create more loss than gain. If the press reports of the proposal to redevelop the precinct are accurate, the Ashram could become a mass tourist hub, with a large car park, food court, shops, a VIP lounge, that could reclaim the visual wholesomeness, tranquillity and uncluttered environment of 1949, while becoming a world-class tourist destination. This would generate money for the state and, perhaps, make the Mahatma known to a far greater number of people.

One must ask, however, whether there is not a higher purpose in preserving the Ashram in its striking simplicity and as a relatively hard-to-access place without food outlets on the grounds, and without lounges for important visitors (what would Gandhi say about this!).

A potential Disneyesque Gandhi theme park (and what would Gandhi say if he could re-visit Dandi?) may be popular among those wanting to take a selfie and tick a bucket-list box. However, there may be another approach, one that allows the Ashram to become (or, indeed, remain) something harder to envisage but where one can feel the Gandhian ethos. It was here that Gandhi conducted his experiments to observe and infer ethical action, where communal living and dining meant that caste divisions were done away with, where ashramites learned that they could take on the might of an empire.

Would the proposed makeover not end up obliterating Gandhis ideas and message? Would one still be able to feel Gandhis spirit? The loss would be intangible, but huge. When Gandhi was asked why he did not visit America, he expressed the fear that people would come to see him out of idle curiosity: Lets see this animal in the Indian zoo. He wanted those who had an interest in him to really understand what he was trying to do and invited them to come to the Ashram and make a detailed study of his teachings.

Instead of a tourist hub where Gandhi could become a mere tourist attraction, here is a chance for India to ensure that the Ashram where the Mahatma walked and worked, and where one can still feel his spirit in the gardens, homes, and prayer ground, remains a living, breathing means for the world to understand Gandhi and his message.

Of course, as scholars of Gandhi, we may have a narrow perspective. In addition to attracting true seekers, could the Ashram also be positioned so that it ensures that its outstanding collection of Gandhiana is shared by scholars and peace workers in a way that helps to promote first-class Gandhi scholarship and considered Gandhian praxis, and possibly to help create a worldwide community of like-minded Gandhi inspirees? While the Gandhi Heritage Portal of Gandhi-related documents and information is provided electronically by the Ashram, could the Ashram be the site of an international Gandhi research hub in India? It could become the most important place in the world for scholars and seekers to come and work, to meet other scholars and seekers, to share information and discuss ideas. It could foster greater contact among Gandhi experts and ensure that Gandhi scholarship is carried out at the highest level and that an understanding of a Gandhian ethos is not lost. Could it be a place where Gandhi scholars and sincere seekers from around the world come and work with the best of local scholars and activists who could inspire each other?

Having access to documents, whether in hard copy or digital form, is not the same as having a group of like-minded people working in one place. And if the place had a Gandhian atmosphere (such as the Ashram could provide, but simple academic libraries and archives, no matter how good they are, cannot) it would be a wonderfully unique atmosphere and, through the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram, India could serve the entire world as a beacon for the seeker of truth and nonviolence.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 25, 2021 under the title Gandhi Ashram of the future. Weber is author of On the Salt March: The Historiography of Gandhis March to Dandi, DiSalvo of The Man Before the Mahatma: M.K.Gandhi Attorney at Law, and Dalton of Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action

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The future of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

The Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati has always attracted universal reverence in India and outside. It has received and welcomed a wide range of individuals, many of whom come here as pilgrims.

The Ashram is not a project, or Gandhijis home, or a tourist spot. It is where our history of achieving freedom for millions with non-violent means was made. It is where we experimented with a future way of living. The Ashram is not a mere memorial of objects and artefacts but a place that inspired satyagraha and carved pathways inner and outer to peace. It is our common and shared responsibility to protect, preserve and promote. All of us. Including our government.

What we have to preserve is the sanctity of the Ashram. We have to preserve the simplicity, logic and spirit of Gandhijis ideas and values. And we have to do so with consensus, and in full collaboration with each other. I insist that any change to the Ashram, or the proposal to redevelop it, is made with consensus and any process for this change is collaborative.

So far, all have been open, welcoming, and cooperative in discussing ideas and plans. The suggestions and protest letters about the redevelopment plan are most valuable and welcome. I have faith that we will all continue this open and peaceful process to achieve a consensus.

And, therefore, there is hardly any possibility of the governmentalisation of the Ashram, we believe. We will continue our efforts to protest, protect, and promote this Ashram with peaceful means.

Non-violence, to me, has never been a lack of action or timid acceptance, it has been a force of its own that is connected with wider day-to-day political, social, and economic struggles for the freedom of the poor and women workers. Gandhi Ashrams will not work for the betterment of Indias society nor its citizens if they are not more and more aligned to the Gandhi way.

This is not to take Gandhi too literally. Let us conceive of Gandhi as a way of thinking about our society, economy and politics. The Gandhi way is self-reliance at the local level, and full employment at the household level. It is a way towards sustainability and near-zero carbon footprint. It implies local ownership of the means of production. It calls for a broad-based and inclusive social and economic democracy. The Gandhi way is to build peace at home, in the neighbourhood and in the world. And in this, Dalits, minorities, Adivasis have a leading role to play. Women and workers will be the engines.

As a society, we seem to be rushing towards mass suicide, with investments that lead to no jobs, and infrastructure that pollutes air, food and water faster than we can clean or preserve them. If the majority turns on minority communities, cultures or ideas, in the end we will leave no one alive.

Unless the ashrams take the economy and the citizens to self-reliance, to full and meaningful employment, to sustainability, and to local cooperative control of the means of production, they will not deliver what they promise widespread long-term prosperity and samullas for every Indian.

The Ashram is not made of the four walls that protect Gandhijis artefacts and archives needless to say they are priceless to us all but of an endless set of doors that open us to the Gandhi way. Let me give a personal example. What touches me at the Ashram is the recurring memory of my grandfather, Dr Manidhar Prasad Vyas, from Desai ni Pole, Khadia, Ahmedabad, joining the Salt March and being hit by police sticks that broke his teeth, weakened the bones in his limbs for the rest of his life, and transformed him from a successful medical doctor into a lifelong satyagrahi.

Gandhiji would have been puzzled by his people caring for the Ashram precincts but not moving ahead to the peaceful, Gandhian constructive way of building a mutually nurturing society.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 23, 2021 under the title Open doors, not walls. The writer is Sewa founder and chairperson of Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust

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It is not enough to protect the precincts of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

Ma Anand Sheela, the controversial former aid to Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh (later known as Osho), has commented on the two rival biopics being made about her; one, a film starring Priyanka Chopra, and another a show, reportedly starring Alia Bhatt.

In a new interview, Ma Anand Sheela said that she hopes the two projects are able to avoid focusing only on the scandals that she has been involved in.

Asked about the narrative projects being made about her, she told journalist Puja Talwar, "Well, I sometimes chuckle. Sometimes they will have to do deep searching into my character. They have to move a little bit away from scandal. And I don't know if they can. And if they don't, I take it as an impression of me they are doing."

Sheela rose to prominence after appearing in the 2018 Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, which focused on the ashram that Rajneesh set up in Oregon with Sheela's assistance, and the massive scandal that forced them to shut down, and caused irreparable damage to their relationship.

Sheela also appeared this year in Searching for Sheela, a one-hour documentary executive produced by Shakun Batra. She said that she hasn't seen it in its entirety, but only fast-forwarded to her own portions, to ensure that her words weren't misrepresented.

Shakun Batra is the man behind the purported Alia Bhatt project. He spoke to Hindustan Times about it earlier this year, and said, "It's an ambitious show, it's something that's very close to my heart..." He said that he was ready to 'jump back into development' on the show after completing work on his upcoming film, starring Deepika Padukone.

Also read: Ma Anand Sheela hasnt given Priyanka Chopra permission for the biopic, says Alia Bhatt has the necessary spunk to play her

Sheela had previously said that she hasn't given Priyanka permission to play her on-screen. She told Hindustan Times, "I told her I do not give her permission to do [the] film because I have not chosen her... In Switzerland, we send legal notices very simply. I sent her an email which is accepted there as legal." Asked if she'd heard back, she said, "No, never. Not even a courtesy letter that they received my notice but thats not an issue, maybe she never had the opportunity to meet me or make time to meet me and it is no big issue... not everybody has the time to meet me."

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Ma Anand Sheela's advice to Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt if they want to play her: 'Move away from scandal' - Hindustan Times

The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality.

My first encounter with Arundhathi Subramaniams writing was as a college student in the first decade of this century. Her poetry gave me an opportunity to engage with the inner lives of pilgrimage and postcolonialism in an idiom suited to my curious, restless mind. Her prose showed me a way to inhabit the present moment without apology, while being open to the guidance that might come from those who have asked the same questions before me.

Her new book Women Who Wear Only Themselves is a reminder of her enduring interest in exploring spiritual life when it is a subject that many of her contemporaries only scoff at. Perhaps it is comforting to inhabit the familiar language of cynicism that flows easily from the tongues of those like myself who have been taught to think critically. It takes courage to see things as they are, and not merely to spot what is problematic and how it can be fixed.

Published by Speaking Tiger, this book offers four essays bound together by the authors enquiry into the sacred journeys of four fellow travellers all of whom are women. In the Preface, she writes, These women made no effort to impress. They were gracious enough to share their life journeys, without trying to flaunt their attainments, win recruits, or garner publicity. I am a seasoned listener, and instantly alert to subtle attempts to broker deals.

The first essay, titled Clothed in Emptiness, is about Sri Annapurani Amma who resides in an ashram in the village of Chinnalambadi in Tamil Nadu. She wears no clothes, except during public satsangs and television interviews. Her guru is an 18th century saint named Sadashiva Brahmendra, whose compositions still suffuse the repertoire of Carnatic musicians. He may not be around in a physical human form but he continues to be a living presence for Amma.

Her devotion to him may come across as a disappointment if you equate surrender with subjugation. However, an open heart can help you perceive that their relationship is not bound by codes of obedience and punishment. She refers to her guru as thatha, the Tamil word for grandfather. There is a profound sense of security in knowing that you are being led and looked after by someone who craves no validation and desires only your well-being.

The second essay, titled The Reluctant Guru, is about Balarishi Vishwashirasini whose hermitage lies deep in the palm-fringed road from Coimbatore to Palakkad. Thrown into gurudom because of her stunning gifts as a child prodigy, she is now maturing as a teacher of nada yoga. The author explains, The idea of offering sound to the divine appealed to me. I like the idea of the spoken word as libation a sensual and aromatic gift to the gods.

The experience of being one with Shiva is what gives meaning to this teachers existence. The awareness that she has miles to go before she sleeps has taught her to wear the guru role with joy and lightness. She tells the author, When confronted by questions I cannot answer, I learnt to say, I dont know, and simply offer the person a cup of coffee or tea It is not my role to satisfy people. I now realize that. I can only give them what I am capable of offering.

Arundhathi Subramaniam

The third essay, titled What It Takes to be a Redwood Tree, is about writer-filmmaker Lata Mani whose former life as a Marxist and feminist intellectual was turned upside down by a brain injury from a road accident. She is based in California. I was not looking for the divine, she came looking for me, she says while describing her relationship with the path of Tantra that has transformed her understanding of trauma, pain, illness, disability and death.

She believes that understanding the social basis of gender counts as essential work towards spiritual liberation because men, women, boys, girls, intersex and trans persons, each carry particular burdens. In her view, struggles and spiritual journeys are shaped by class, caste, culture, race, etc. She says, The trick is in learning how to simultaneously understand, honour and take distance from that which we have assumed has made us who we are.

The fourth essay, titled The Leap into Monkhood is about Maa Karpoori whose transition from marriage to monastic life was catalysed by a yoga class that she had no intention of joining but was cajoled into by her former husband. It was there that she met her guru, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Eventually, she picked sangha over samsara, and walked into a life of voluntary simplicity in an ashram near Coimbatore. The shift was rewarding but not easy.

Arundhathi Subramaniam, who is also the author of the book Sadhguru: More Than a Life, writes, Her guru, once a close friend and guide, was turning into a larger-than-life figure. Access to him was growing more difficult. A small band of fellow disciples was growing into a large bustling ashram. A spiritual path was getting systematized. It was unnerving. She found ease in silence and sanyas, dropping the need to have a personal relationship with her guru.

Each essay has a different flavour because each quest is moulded by a unique set of causes and conditions. The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality. Being able to tell the difference can be an impossible task if you keep trying to forcibly sift reality through preconceived categories of analysis. You cannot be free while being caught up.

If you need a concrete takeaway from this book rather than the chance to sit and contemplate at leisure, read the Afterword. Tying up all the connecting threads, she writes, On one level, they are part of a quietly growing chorus one that recognizes the importance of honouring a woman-nourished, woman-vitalised, woman-inclusive spirituality on this planet. On another, they are just fingers pointing, as so many have before, to the moon.

*

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based writer who tweets @chintan_connect

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Book review: In Women Who Wear Only Themselves, an h..al life through the sacred journeys of four travellers - Firstpost

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Rupert Grint, 33; John Green, 44; Dave Chappelle, 48; Steve Guttenburg, 63.

Happy Birthday: Take the initiative to make things happen. Dream big and explore whats possible. Question shortcuts, and be prepared to implement last-minute changes that will save you time and money. Focus on building a strong foundation for whats to come. Dont back down when patience and expertise are gateways to success. Believe in your ability to finish what you start. Your numbers are 9, 16, 24, 26, 32, 38, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Self-improvement projects will pay off. Focus on fitness, emotional and physical strength, and what you can do to enjoy life. Consider your relationships with others and the benefits and liabilities you face, then make the necessary adjustments. Romance is encouraged. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make the changes that suit your needs. Dont sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to make the first move. Use your intelligence, and turn your ideas into something concrete. Keep life simple, be direct and finish what you start. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Digest whats going on around you and decide who is on your team and who opposes you. Its OK to think big, but you are better off living within your means. Discipline and hard work will bring the best results. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Spend more time finding unique ways to up your game or make your surroundings less stressful. Be creative, and consider changes that wont break your budget. Call on someone with experience, and youll be offered insight into how to cut corners. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Uncertainty is a warning that you arent satisfied with a proposition or situation. Rethink your steps, and consider the pros and cons. Be resourceful and check out other opportunities that may be a steppingstone to something new and exciting. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Interact with experts. Gather information, formulate a strategy and take on something that will help you achieve your dreams. Speak up, share your intentions and move forward with enthusiasm and confidence. Embrace change, and exciting opportunities will follow. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Play to win, figure out what you want and negotiate with finesse. Do whatever it takes to stabilize your personal life. Make your space inviting and convenient. Rethink your spending habits, and be generous with love and affection, not expensive gifts. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do something eccentric, adventuresome or creative. Become the topic of conversation and the go-to person when others need advice. Explore new possibilities, and stretch your mind to accommodate new options. Use your skills distinctively, and youll influence future trends. 5 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dont lose sight of your objective. Be suspicious of anyone trying to take over. Information will be sketchy and require verification before you pass it along. Spend more time on personal improvements and less on trying to change others. Love yourself. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take advantage of a moneymaking opportunity. A financial gain is apparent. The experience you have will help you instinctively know when to make your move. A positive change at home or with your assets is within reach. Monitor physical indulgence carefully. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be secretive about financial, medical or contractual dealings. Pay more attention to the way you look and present yourself to others. Set trends instead of adopting what others are doing. Romance is on the rise. Make a promise to someone you love. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Youll gain respect if you follow through with your plans. Find a way to manage money efficiently, and it will loosen up cash flow and encourage you to invest more in your future. Update your skills and gather information. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are aggressive, intuitive and wise. You are resourceful and practical.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.

2 stars: You can accomplish, but dont rely on others.

3 stars: Focus and youll reach your goals.

4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.

5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

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Taurus: Make the changes that suit your needs - Main Street Nashville

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Watch: Mike Norvell talks after FSU football practice 8/24

The FSU head coach talked briefly about looking back at the scrimmage footage and the areas he believes the team can improve after Tuesday's practice.

Curt Weiler, Tallahassee Democrat

The Florida State football team held its 15th of 25 preseason practices Tuesday morning.

This means the Seminoles are 60% of the way through their preseason preparations ahead of their season opener against No. 7 Notre Dame Sept. 5 at Doak Campbell Stadium.

This week marks the endof preseason camp in a traditional sensebefore game week begins next Monday. But FSU is treating this week as a bit of a head start on the Fighting Irish, getting a jump on preparing for itsfirst opponent.

"Tuesday will start a modified game week," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after Sunday's scrimmage.

"Well still get some good on good work as we prepare, but start getting an early introduction into Notre Dame as our guys prepare for whats ahead. I like where were heading."

FSU recruiting coverage: Florida State 2022 commit Devaughn Mortimer draws comparison to former Seminoles great

More FSU football coverage: Key questions to address as the Florida State Seminoles wrap up fall camp

FSU roster news: Florida State defensive back Brandon Moore no longer on the football team's roster

This duality was on display at Tuesday's practice, the first of five consecutive practices this week. While there was some Notre Dame work -- and more may be happening behind the scenes in the film room -- theSeminoles got plenty of work pitting the first-team offense against the first-team defense at their first practice of the week.

"It's exciting. We're still in fall campthis week so we're still focused on fall camp, getting better as a team, but we're starting to implement Notre Dame as well," FSU wide receiver Joshua Burrell said.

"It's great getting to get close to the season, playing an opponent, but we're still in fall camp, we're still working. We're just coming in day by day, getting ready to work."

The Notre Dame game will be quite a challenging opener for the Seminoles. Even though the Fighting Irish are replacing their starting quarterback and four starters off their offensive line, they return plenty from a team that made its second College Football Playoff appearance in three years last season.

The betting line has moved into the Seminoles' favor since it opened, dropping from Notre Dame being favored by 10 or 10.5 points to 7.5 points as of Tuesday afternoon according toBetOnline.

Norvell knows some preparation for Notre Dame -- which beat FSU 42-26 last year in South Bend -- will be necessary and is already underway. However, he is also well aware that the path to an FSU upset to kick off the season with a bang also goes through pushing his team and continuing to focus on the Seminoles' self improvement.

"You come into camp and you want to establish an identity. The identity that we need from this football team is one thats willing to work..." Norvell said after Saturday's scrimmage.

"These guys going through 14 practices made it challenging. We want them to be uncomfortable throughout this camp. Its early mornings, long nights. These guys, they just continue to get up and go and push. Were not exactly where we need to be, weve got to do a great job the next two weeks to help get ourselves there, but were taking positive strides.

"Were still a young team, were still an emotional team at times. But being able to control those emotions and go out and play at a high level, at a controlled level with tremendous passion and investment in the work were going to do, and how much it means to you. So Im pleased with where we are two weeks in, but we have a lot of work to do moving forward ahead of Notre Dame."

Watch: FSU WR Joshua Burrell talks preseason camp

The freshman wideout discusses getting acclimated to FSU's offense, his relationship with his twin brother, who is a freshman defensive back at Army.

Curt Weiler, Tallahassee Democrat

Perhaps the biggest bit of work left is determining the starting lineups and how many players the team can get on the field on both sides of the ball against the Fighting Irish.

The most notable of these questions is who emerges from FSU's quarterback battle, but there are still definitely playing time battles happening across the depth chart. This includes but isn't limited to running backs, wide receivers, defensive linemen and in the secondary.

While some of these battles may linger into game week, many should be settled this week. Because once Notre Dame prep ramps into high gear, the depth chart, which is expected to be released at the start of game week, will be more set in stone.

"Those depth charts, they're happening. That was the point (of the second scrimmage) when we break camp going into Tuesday," FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said.

"There's gonna be some good on good where we're gonna mix some people, but when we get going into Notre Dame prep, like when we say (the starters), that'sthe group that comes, and (second-team) go in and then when you get some sub-packages, maybe the depth charts change a little bit specifically to the skills, but it gets set.

"Ithink it needs to be set so guys understand rolesand they can understand what they need to be prepared to do."

Reach Curt Weiler at cweiler@tallahassee.com or follow him on Twitter@CurtMWeiler.

No one covers the Noles like the Tallahassee Democrat.Subscribe using the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.

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FSU football beginning to implement Notre Dame prep, but still focused on self improvement - Tallahassee Democrat

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Rupert Grint, 33; John Green, 44; Dave Chappelle, 48; Steve Guttenburg, 63.

Happy Birthday: Take the initiative to make things happen. Dream big and explore whats possible. Question shortcuts, and be prepared to implement last-minute changes that will save you time and money. Focus on building a strong foundation for whats to come. Dont back down when patience and expertise are gateways to success. Believe in your ability to finish what you start. Your numbers are 9, 16, 24, 26, 32, 38, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Self-improvement projects will pay off. Focus on fitness, emotional and physical strength, and what you can do to enjoy life. Consider your relationships with others and the benefits and liabilities you face, then make the necessary adjustments. Romance is encouraged. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make the changes that suit your needs. Dont sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to make the first move. Use your intelligence, and turn your ideas into something concrete. Keep life simple, be direct and finish what you start. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Digest whats going on around you and decide who is on your team and who opposes you. Its OK to think big, but you are better off living within your means. Discipline and hard work will bring the best results. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Spend more time finding unique ways to up your game or make your surroundings less stressful. Be creative, and consider changes that wont break your budget. Call on someone with experience, and youll be offered insight into how to cut corners. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Uncertainty is a warning that you arent satisfied with a proposition or situation. Rethink your steps, and consider the pros and cons. Be resourceful and check out other opportunities that may be a steppingstone to something new and exciting. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Interact with experts. Gather information, formulate a strategy and take on something that will help you achieve your dreams. Speak up, share your intentions and move forward with enthusiasm and confidence. Embrace change, and exciting opportunities will follow. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Play to win, figure out what you want and negotiate with finesse. Do whatever it takes to stabilize your personal life. Make your space inviting and convenient. Rethink your spending habits, and be generous with love and affection, not expensive gifts. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do something eccentric, adventuresome or creative. Become the topic of conversation and the go-to person when others need advice. Explore new possibilities, and stretch your mind to accommodate new options. Use your skills distinctively, and youll influence future trends. 5 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dont lose sight of your objective. Be suspicious of anyone trying to take over. Information will be sketchy and require verification before you pass it along. Spend more time on personal improvements and less on trying to change others. Love yourself. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take advantage of a moneymaking opportunity. A financial gain is apparent. The experience you have will help you instinctively know when to make your move. A positive change at home or with your assets is within reach. Monitor physical indulgence carefully. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be secretive about financial, medical or contractual dealings. Pay more attention to the way you look and present yourself to others. Set trends instead of adopting what others are doing. Romance is on the rise. Make a promise to someone you love. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Youll gain respect if you follow through with your plans. Find a way to manage money efficiently, and it will loosen up cash flow and encourage you to invest more in your future. Update your skills and gather information. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are aggressive, intuitive and wise. You are resourceful and practical.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but dont rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and youll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Horoscopes Aug. 24, 2021: Dave Chappelle, take the initiative to make things happen - Fort Bragg Advocate-News

August 24, 2021 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Many people think it is possible to change their thought processes by setting a goal and then commanding themselves to be more focused, patient, present, or self-disciplined.

Theyre wrong. And anyone whos ever broken a New Years resolution knows it.

As I learned while researching my forthcoming book,Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World, people usually fail to change because they seek to control what they cannot. Most people realize that they cannot fully control the economy, culture, or what other people do. But not everyone realizes that we cannot even fully control ourselves.

Why cant we control ourselves? Its because each of us is a complex adaptive system that demonstrates emergent properties. That jargon is how complexity scientists explain that you are more than the sum of your parts.

Your bodys biological systems, your minds psychological feedback loops, and the social and economic systems in which you participate all shape and influence you. Attempts to directly control these systems to achieve a specific goal often produces unpredictable and complicated results. And the bigger the attempted change, the more feedback from your existing systems as they resist change.

Fortunately, youcancontrol what you pay attention to, even if what you do is driven by habit. This ability to focus your conscious mind on what you are doing, it turns out, is a powerful lever for changing yourself.

No one will make you pay attention. You might choose to drift, like a leaf on the river of influences around you. If the systems that surround you are supportive and positive, this might turn out "fine" in the sense that you might have a comfortable, prosperous, and outwardly successful life. Yet many people dont have healthy systems around them.

And no matter how supportive and nurturing an environment, we are most fulfilled as humans when we consciously improve both ourselves and the systems we participate in.

Improvement starts with paying attention. Rather than drifting through life, we should start by observing and evaluating how our influences shape our actions.

One practical way to test and change your influences is to consciously shape your environment.

As a young teen, I delivered the local newspaper to approximately fifty of my neighbors on our suburban block in upstate New York. Every day I would cut through one neighbors yard by stepping on a bare space in the ground cover that bordered her sidewalk. One particularly philosophical day, I wondered if I stepped there every day because it was bare or was it bare of ground cover because I stepped there every day?

And I suddenly realized that both are true. I shape the world and it shapes me back. Pretty heady stuff for an afternoon of slinging papers.

Likewise, we can change ourselves in sustainable, reinforcing ways if we make the conscious effort to create bare spots in our environment that will encourage us to return. If we can lay down steppingstones one at a time, heading in the direction we want to go, then well naturally find ourselves taking that path.

The idea of shaping our environment to shape ourselves becomes more approachable if we think of habits as part of our environment a special part of the environment that is more pliable and directly subject to our influence.

When we form habits, we move something from our conscious decision-making process into our environment. This unconscious formation, the emergent nature of habits, is what makes them so powerful and dangerous. They're powerful because our brains can assemble a massive amount of data into a useful routine that saves time and energy.

But habits are also dangerous because they remove conscious control over certain decisions and actions. This can lead us to feel like we are out of control of our own actions.

Because habits are the result of an emergent process, they take time to build one step on the paper route, repeated each day, eventually forms the bare spot. But once established, habits are very resilient to changed conditions. We keep stepping in that spot.

When we recognize ourselves as complex systems with emergent properties, it becomes easier to see that self-improvement isnt achieving a series of goals but the outcome of improving our own conscious and unconscious processes and systems our habits.

Ultimately, improving ourselves starts with understanding what we can and cannot control. Sheer willpower isnt enough for significant change. Instead, we must work persistently and incrementally to turn the behaviors we desire into habits, relieving our conscious mind and setting a path for our future selves to follow.

If we increase our awareness of what we do and think of improvement as a process rather than an outcome, we can build better habits, shape our environment, and change ourselves.

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3 Ways That Chaos Can Help You Break Bad Habits - Entrepreneur