Արդարադատության նախարար Գրիգոր Մինասյանը հայտարարել է հրաժարականի մասին՝ ասելով, որ խորհրդարանական կառավարման մոդելում չի կարող արդյունավետ լինել նախարարի աշխատանքը, եթե կառուցողական չէ հարաբերությունը գեթ մեկ պատգամավորի հետ, իսկ նրա հրաժարականի պահանջով ստորագրահավաքին միացել է ՔՊ 27 պատգամավոր: Շատերն են, թերևս, հիշում այս իրադրության նախապատմությունը: Գրիգոր Մինասյանը շաբաթներ առաջ փոխնախարար նշանակեց Սիրվարդ Գևորգյանին:
Անմիջապես շրջանառության մեջ հայտնվեց համացանցում նրա լուսանկարը՝ Ռոբերտ Քոչարյանի կենսագրական գրքով, Ռոբերտ Քոչարյանի դստեր հետ: Սա դարձավ աղմուկի պատճառ, որի մեջ նաև բարձր հիշատակության արժանացավ և այն հայտնի փաստը, որ ավելի քան երկու տարի պաշտոնավարող Գրիգոր Մինասյանն էլ Սերժ Սարգսյանի փեսա Միքայել Մինասյանի եղբայրն է: Հետո մամուլում հայտնվեց տեղեկություն, որ խորհրդարանի ՔՊ մեծամասնության պատգամավորները սկսել են ստտորագրահավաք՝ Մինասյանի պաշտոնանկության թեմայով:
Առժամանակ պատկերը հանդարտվեց, բայց ահա, երբ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը Նյու Յորքում էր՝ ՄԱԿ ԳԱ մասնակցելու նպատակով, Հայաստանում հայտնի դարձավ նշանակված փոխնախարար Սիրվարդ Գևորգյանի հրաժարականի մասին: Այդ մասին հայտնում էր նաև Գրիգոր Մինասյանը՝ ասելով, որ քաղաքական խարդավանքները հաղթեցին պրոֆեսիոնալիզմին: Մինասյանին արձագանքեց ՔՊ պատգամավոր, պաշտպանության հարցերի հանձնաժողովի նախագահ Անդրանիկ Քոչարյանը:
Ակնառու էր, որ հազիվ թե Գրիգոր Մինասյանը պահպանի պաշտոնը: Ավելին, դեռ այն ժամանակ, երբ նա հայտարարեց, որ հաղթեցին քաղաքական խարդավանքները, տրամաբանությունը հուշում էր, որ պետք է լինի նաև իր հրաժարականը: Բայց Մինասյանը հրաժարականի մասին հայտարարում է մի քանի օր անց միայն: Դա նշանակում է, որ, այդուամենայնիվ, եղել է ներիշխանական պայքար, քննարկումներ: Ի դեպ, շատ ուշագրավ է այն, որ Գրիգոր Մինասյանը հրաժարականի մասին հայտարարում է ի վերջո նախօրեին մամուլում տեղ գտած մի «արտահոսքից» հետո, որ իրավապահների ձեռքում է հայտնվել նրա եղբոր՝ Միքայել Մինասյանի 2009-14 թվականներին իշխանության մեջ եղած գործունեության վերաբերյալ համակարգչային տվյալների բազան:
Սա դեր ունեցե՞լ է Մինասյանի հրաժարականի որոշման հարցում, թե՞ եղել է պարզապես զուգադիպություն: Միարժեք ասելը բարդ է, սակայն կասկածից վեր է մի բան՝ տեղի ունեցողը հազիվ թե լինի պարզապես ներիշխանական դիմակայության դրվագ: Ըստ ամենայնի՝ խոսքն առավել խորքային քաղաքական իրողությունների դրսևորման մի դրվագի մասին է: Հետևաբար, առանցքային է հարցը, թե այդ ամենում ինչպիսին է Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի դերն ու դիրքը, նա վերահսկե՞լ է նկարագրված պրոցեսները, թե՞ դրանք կարող էին ծավալվել նրա վերահսկողությունից դուրս: Ի դեպ, հատկանշական է, որ կուլմինացիան փաստորեն սկսեց հասունանալ նրա՝ Նյու Յորքում գտնվելու ընթացքում:
Դա, իհարկե, չի նշանակում, որ Փաշինյանը չէր կարող կառավարել այդ գործընթացները հեռվից: Մյուս կողմից, եթե կառավարողը նա չէր, ապա հարց է առաջանում, թե ո՞վ էր: Կա՞ Հայաստանի կառավարման ներկայիս համակարգում ավելի ուժեղ մեկը, որը կարող է փաստի առաջ դնել Փաշինյանին և, ըստ էության, ստիպել նրան ընդունել այդ փաստը: Մի բան աներկբա է՝ թերևս լուրջ չի լինի մտածել, որ խորհրդարանում կա պատգամավոր, որը կարող էր առանց Փաշինյանի՝ նախաձեռնել գործընթաց արդարադատության նախարարի դեմ, ինչպես որ նախարարը հազիվ թե առանց Փաշինյանի կատարեր «աղմկոտ» նշանակում:
Միաժամանակ, կասկածից վեր է՝ եթե վերահսկողը վարչապետ Փաշինյանը չէր, ապա կնշանակի, որ կա Հայաստանի կառավարման համակարգի հանդեպ նրանից ավելի մեծ ազդեցություն ունեցող սուբյեկտ: Ո՞րն է այդ սուբյեկտը, այն Հայաստանի ներսո՞ւմ է, թե՞ Հայաստանից դուրս: Իսկ եթե ամեն ինչ եղել է Փաշինյանի վերահսկողության ներքո, ապա հարց կառաջանա, թե որն է դրա նպատակը: Թիմի «վերադասավորում» և թարմացո՞ւմ, իսկ գուցե նաև այսպես ասած արտաթիմային միջավայրի: Այն, որ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը ձեռնամուխ էր լինելու ներթիմային վերադասավորումների, ինքս արտահայտվել եմ դեռևս նախորդ տարի՝ նկատելով, որ ներկայիս թիմով Փաշինյանը չի կարող իշխանություն պահել ևս մեկ անգամ, լինի հերթական, թե արտահերթ տարբերակով: Միևնույն ժամանակ, նա, իհարկե, ունի այդ հարցում ճկունության խնդիր, որովհետև հասարակական-քաղաքական դաշտում շատ մեծ է բևեռացվածության աստիճանը: Դրա նվազեցումն է, որ Փաշինյանին կարող է թույլ տալ ավելի շարժունակ լինել այսպես ասած թիմային վերադասավորումների հարցում:
Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey there, it’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.
Last week, New York Times Cooking celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its incredibly successful cooking app. In truth, the app’s success was more like 20 years in the making. The Times had wanted to digitize its vast recipe archive since the early 2000s, but due to a lot of internal to-ing and fro-ing (something the Times specializes in), it took more than a decade to take the leap. The extended maceration has proven worthwhile—they got it right. They understood their readership’s long held desire for inspiration, recipes they can trust, and a place to be heard about it. The app shines not only because of the breadth and quality of its content but because of the wacky and endearing commentary from its readers.
Photo by Amanda Hesser
Photo by Amanda Hesser
It may seem odd to highlight one of our competitors, but Food52 owes some of its origin to the Times (where I worked for 11 years), and I’ve always believed in rising tides and all that. I was working on The Essential New York Times Cookbook, a compendium of the most noteworthy recipes from the Times’s 170-year-old archive, when Merrill, my co-founder, and I decided to start Food52. One of our inspirations was the Times’s bountiful recipe coverage from the 19th century: It was generated almost exclusively by readers. As part of my research, I’d also put a notice in the Times asking readers for their “most-stained recipes.” I received thousands of detailed and colorful responses, many of which are sprinkled throughout my book.
These two signals—the desire for home cooks to have their recipes celebrated in a respected publication and then to be able to chat about their cooking experiences—helped shape Food52.
NYT Cooking hasn’t yet embraced publishing its reader’s recipes; it sticks to recipes and resists having an aesthetic or point of view about lifestyle, or getting into how recipes fit into a larger whole, with products and other home content. Those are the things that we do! There is room for both approaches. I’m a loyal NYT Cooking fan. Maybe you are, too. But you’re here for something else.
Now, before I lose my job, let’s move on to some of those other things that you come here for:
Photo by James Ransom
As part of our monthly ceramics series, All Fired Up, we’re featuring Bombabird, whose scalloped serving bowl and soap dish I have my eye on.
Photo by James Ransom
Photo by James Ransom
We’re doing a pre-sale this week on this season’s advent calendars—we are competitive about maintaining our reputation for having the best selection, so see what’s in store.
Chef Jeremy Salamon from impossible-to-get-into Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn came by to show us how he makes his Chilled Buttermilk Borscht.
César, from our Test Kitchen, roasted a garlicky, herby pork tenderloin while it was nestled inside a baguette. He says not to call it a sandwich…but it is!
Photo by Schoolhouse
Photo by Schoolhouse
Our Schoolhouse team recently joined interior designer Katrina Hernandez in her Santa Monica shop for a chat with local designers about product collabs and interiors trends. They left the menu in the good hands of Amy Holt, the photographer, food stylist, and recipe developer behind Peas Thank You, who shared her sunny California Morning Ritual with us.
Photo by Amanda Hesser
Photo by The New Yorker
Before I go, I leave you with a cartoon and a recipe to make when you don’t feel like cooking. Step 1: Open tinned fish. Step 2: Open box of crackers. Step 3: Slice lemon.
Cheesy, saucy, rich and hearty Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a favorite in my house. Whether you serve them on their own, with a side of rice or potatoes, or chopped up and tossed with pasta (that’s my favorite way to enjoy these for lunch leftovers!), these zucchini boats are likely to be a win with your whole family.
Zucchini Boat Recipes
I stumbled across these Cheddar and Sausage Zucchini Boats from The Garlic Diaries a while back and I couldn’t get them out of my head. They were absolutely delicious!
To make this recipe, fresh zucchini is hollowed out and roasted and then filled with cheesy sausage and vegetables. Loaded with plenty of great flavors, this is a terrific way to make the most of the summer’s harvest.
As I mentioned above, I especially enjoy these recipes when I chop up the leftovers and toss them with angel hair pasta. I usually add a splash more marinara sauce over the pasta.
I reach for the zucchini and start filling them with chicken, pork, or beef as soon as they are in season each year. In all seriousness though, the leftovers are some of my favorite lunches and I’ve been known to bake some of these just to have them on hand for lunch.
Zucchini Boats with Sausage
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
medium zucchini
olive oil
salt and pepper
sausage
onion
red bell pepper
mushrooms (optional)
garlic
Italian seasonings
marinara sauce storebought or homemade
shredded mozzarella
Not a fan of mushrooms? Skip them and mix in a different vegetable. Sausage isn’t your favorite? Switch it up with ground chicken, turkey, or beef!
Just a note though, if you decide to switch out the sausage, be sure to heavily season the meat with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. Taste it when after cooking and make sure there is plenty of flavor there.
How to Make Zucchini Boats
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about 1/4-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. Warm a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage. Cook and crumble into very small pieces. Transfer the cooked meat to a plate, leaving any grease in the pan.
Add the onion to the empty skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Continue cooking for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are tender. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
Return the sausage to the skillet. Add the marinara sauce and spices. Stir to combine and taste the mixture. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add about ⅔ of the cheese and stir once more.
Generously fill each zucchini half with the filling, pressing it firmly into each zucchini. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve warm.
What To Do With Zucchini
About 12 years ago, I was the person asking, “What am I supposed to do with all the zucchini?!” We were planting our first garden and Sean asked me how many squash plants I wanted him to plant. In total cluelessness, I answered, “you can’t plant too many squash plants for me!” HA! Live and learn.
60+ squash plants later… I had far more squash than I knew what to do anything with! As a simple side dish with zero prep and minimal effort, I learned that broiled zucchini is a great simple way to go.
If you too have an abundance of squash in the house, you can check out all 30 Zucchini Recipes I came up with that year as we baked it, roasted it, sauteed it, stir-fried it, dehydrated it, slivered it, chopped it, and spiralized it.
Round zucchini are awesome for stuffing with all kinds of deliciousness. I love this Round Zucchini Stuffed with Lemon Butter Orzo. And the fillings for these Mexican Stuffed Peppers and Spicy Italian Peppers work beautifully in zucchini too.
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Servings: 6servings
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about 1/4-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. Warm a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage. Cook and crumble into very small pieces. Transfer the cooked meat to a plate, leaving any grease in the pan.
Add the onion to the empty skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Continue cooking for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are tender. Season with remaining salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning.
Return the sausage to the skillet. Add the marinara sauce and spices. Stir to combine and taste the mixture. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add about ⅔ of the cheese and stir once more.
Generously fill each zucchini half with the filling, pile it on top to use all the filling. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Babar’s second stint at the captaincy saw Pakistan lose seven matches and has coincided with a poor run of his batting form.
Babar Azam has resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball cricket captain for a second time in 11 months, citing a need to lessen his workload and focus on improving his game.
Babar stepped down as captain of all three formats last year after Pakistan failed to make the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, before returning as white-ball skipper in March ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the United States (USA) and West Indies, where Pakistan did not make it past the opening group stage.
“It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role,” Babar wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.
“Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it’s added a significant workload. I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy.
“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth.”
Dear Fans,
I’m sharing some news with you today. I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB and Team Management last month.
It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus…
Pakistan won just six of the 13 Twenty20 international (T20I) matches they played under Babar in his second stint. Pakistan have not played a one-day international (ODI) match since the 2023 World Cup.
Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan briefly in the T20 format but was removed from the captaincy after Pakistan lost 4-1 to New Zealand.
Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), reappointed Babar as white-ball captain in March, but he could only win a bilateral series against Ireland 2-1.
Pakistan drew the home T20 series against New Zealand 2-2 before losing 2-0 to England just before the Twenty20 World Cup, where the 2009 champions were involved in the tournament’s biggest upset when they were beaten by hosts and debutants USA.
Pakistan will host England in three Tests starting Monday, before travelling to Australia for ODI and T20 matches in November.
Babar has seen a dip in his batting form across all formats and has failed to score an international fifty in his last 10 innings.
The 29-year-old has been named in Pakistan’s squad to face England in a three-match Test series, which begins in Multan on October 7.
Test captain Shan Masood, who took over when Babar quit in November, has backed Babar to be among the runs in the upcoming series.
“We all know Babar is one of the top batters in the world and despite not scoring big runs the good thing is that he is not out of form, we have to back him,” Masood said in his pre-series news conference on Monday.
The PCB is expected to name a new skipper after the Test series as Pakistan’s next white-ball tour will be against 50-over world champions Australia next month.
If you’ve spend any time online lately, you’ve probably seen social media content promoting hydrogen water, fat burning foods, hormone balancing salads, Oatzempic, and a lot of other things that sound..well…strange.
They were probably described in sciencey-sounding verbiage, with lots of anecdotes like, ‘X caused me to lose 30 pounds in 2 weeks!’ or, ‘Y is going to prevent Alzheimers!’
Unsurprisingly and unfortunately, a recent survey on 2000 millennial and Gen Z across the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia, done by My Fitness Pal and Dublin City University, revealed that most of the nutrition content on social media is inaccurate.
Honestly, I think we as consumers are just becoming used to ‘miraculous’ cures and hyperbolic claims being thrown in our faces on a regular basis. Half the time, I feel like we don’t even react to them anymore. But when we do, it can be detrimental to our health. Reliable nutrition information on social media is really hard to find at this point.
As a dietitian, I’ve been trained to understand how the body works, how to read and interpret research, and how to break down complex nutrition processes so laypeople can understand them.
I’m also held to standards of ethics and professionalism by my regulating body. Yes, I can use the occasional spicy language in posts. No, I can’t sell fat burners and tell people that they work for weight loss.
Too bad not everyone is held to the same standards as a regulated health professional
Read my VShred review here.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of content creators aren’t held to the same standards, and as a result, a lot of the nutrition content we see online is garbage. A lot of creators are going beyond the available evidence in order to sell a narrative and usually, a product.
Interestingly, much of this content is promoted under the guise of ‘wellness’ or ‘health.’
Wellness doesn’t look like handfuls of supplements or misinformation or micromanagement or viral trends. None of that makes any of us any healthier.
True wellness is allowing your body do what it does naturally, and not feeling the need to intervene unless it’s medically necessary.
True wellness is being able to eat and live your life without anxiety around food.
True wellness is focusing on your life as a whole, not micromanaging or ‘hacking’ every bodily function or meal.
The nutrition qualifications that many of these creators have are made up, or given by unaccredited online programs that don’t truly prepare anyone to provide health information.
Titles such as ’nutrition therapist,’ ‘hormone expert,’ ‘nutritionist,’ and ‘juice therapist’ are meaningless, but they sound professional, giving a sort of credibility that the layperson may not know is just an illusion.
It’s yet another level when someone has an actual health issue and is looking to find nutrition advice online to help them feel better. The internet has never been kind to the vulnerable and desperate, who are more likely to jump on ‘quick fix’ solutions, cures for the incurable, and the promise of a miraculous outcome from some supplement or another.
The contradictions run deep:
Oatmeal is either healthy or poison because it’s ‘drenched in glyphosate. (wrong)
Alcohol is healthier if it’s ‘natural’ or organic. (wrong)
Seed oils are toxic and basically to motor oil. (wrong again)
The situation gets murkier when professionals we have always thought we can trust for accurate health and nutrition information – RDs, MDs, Nurse Practitioners, for example – are also spreading pseudoscience.
Oh hey, Dr. Gundry.
Dr. Gundry is a major food shaming offender
Read my Dr. Gundry review here.
Don’t even get me started on those people who aren’t medical doctors, but still use the word ‘doctor’ to lend themselves legitimacy.
Mindy Pelz is one of them.
Read my Fast Like a Girl review here.
In the study mentioned above, preliminary findings suggested that out of that over 67,000 videos analyzed, only 2.1% of them were accurate when compared to public health and nutrition guidelines. The rest were determined to be inaccurate, partially accurate, or classified as uncertain due to a lack of support by scientific evidence.
Let’s look at that 2.1% stat in a different perspective: If you scroll by 100 posts on social media, only 2 of them will have accurate nutrition information. But how many of those posts will catch your eye? How many of them will you watch, and how many of the captions will you read?
Out of those 100 posts, how many will plant a seed in your mind that will impact your nutrition choices, anxiety levels, or make you question your current habits?
How many of those posts will you believe simply because the poster has a lot of followers, a credential that sounds legit, or an authoritative way of delivering the information?
It’s hard to step back and be critical about social media content because we’re served so much of it at once. It’s like drinking from a fire hose.
Even if something seems ‘off,’ people are still willing to try it. The study surveyed TikTok users, and found that despite the potential risks of some TikTok trends, 30% of participants tried them anyhow, and 31% of those people experienced adverse effects from a ‘fad diet’ trend.
This woman took fellow TikToker Lil Sipper’s advice and was hospitalized from it
Of those who are influenced by nutrition and health trends on TikTok, 67% report that they adopt at least one of these trends a few times a week.
It’s human nature of want to take the path of least resistance. It’s also in our nature to want to follow the crowd, test boundaries, and to be part of a community. People seem to feel like it’s a flex to engage in a trend that seems ridiculous and potentially has negative consequences. (enter the Tide Pod challenge)
It seems like the allure of possibly going viral is overtaking the peoples’ ethical responsibility to share accurate information. Thousands of views > the actual truth. Why are we entrusting our health to random people?
So, how do we know who’s giving good information and who isn’t?
Go with the scientific consensus.
Use common sense. If the science says that eating more plants is associated with lower disease risk, avoid the contrarian who tells people that chickpeas and other plants are ‘trying to kill us.’
Cross-check the content if you’re unsure about whether it aligns with the consensus.
Also, if something seems too good to be true (aka ‘natural Ozempic’), it probably is.
Reliable nutrition information sources are rarely contrarians who want to buck convention. Sorry to say, most accurate nutrition info isn’t trendy or exciting.
Be suspicious of oversimplification.
Avoid content that suggests that one single food is responsible for all of our health issues, or that one single food can cure them. Allergies and intolerances to any food can exist, but they’re the exception, not the rule.
By the same token, beware of anyone pushing a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, aka ‘everyone needs to remove gluten and dairy from their diets.’
Emotion sells.
It’s Marketing 101: make people feel something in order to make a sale. Even if you’re the smartest person on earth, you can still fall prey to a good ‘rags to riches’ (or ‘unhealthy’ to ‘healthy’) story that stirs your emotions. The suggestion of a ‘transformation’ or a cure for something you know is incurable are both predatory techniques that prey on your emotion.
Take a step back a consider when you’re being marketed to in this way.
Red flag words include ‘toxins’; ‘clean’ where it relates to food; ‘cleanse’; ‘chemicals’ (everything is a chemical); ‘natural solution’; ‘fat burning’; ‘appetite control’; ‘transformation’; ‘integrative’ or ‘functional’ medicine.
Here are my issues with some functional medicine practitioners. Read here.
Follow people you know you can trust.
Here are some of my fave reliable sources for nutrition information on Instagram:
Avoid accounts that always seem to be selling something.
Be suspicious of anyone who is trying to sell you their brand of supplements, a multi-level marketing product, or a diet or meal plan.
In my opinion, it’s fine to promote products occasionally, but someone’s reputation should be established outside of that. It’s disingenuous when the sale of products is their entire brand.
It’s not all about followers.
Number of followers is not a good indicator of people who are reliable nutrition sources, and neither is a blue check.
I think since it became possible to buy verification on Instagram, a lot of quack accounts have done it to seem more legitimate.
If you go to ‘About This Account’ on their profile page, you’ll see when the page was verified. If it was after March 2023, and they’ve changed their profile name numerous times, these are red flags.
Food equity is a plus, elitism is not.
Content creators who seem to imply that the only way to be healthy is to invest in expensive food and supplements are off the mark. Mark Hyman is a repeat offender with this.
A healthy diet looks different for everyone, but it rarely needs to include more than the basics – beans and legumes, fruits and vegetables (no need to buy organic), a good mix of fats, whole grains, and lean animal proteins/fish if you want.
Also: no foods are off-limits. That, too.
There’s no secret.
A lot of content will market a product as a ‘secret’ or ‘groundbreaking science’ that nobody else knows about.
In reality, if it was that simple, it not only would have been discovered by scientists, it would be regulated by the FDA and used in mainstream medicine.
It wouldn’t be sold via MLM or found in your kitchen.
Also: avoid content that uses fear or conspiracy theories (the mention of Big Pharma or Big Food is a huge red flag) to persuade you to change your food choices.
Weight loss and nutrition isn’t ‘effortless.’
Weight is complex, and so are the food choices we make.
It’s easy for content creators to tell us to change our habits, or that their program/supplement is a ‘simple’ solution, but that’s a huge red flag.
Social determinants of health, genetics, culture, trauma, and so many other things play into how and what we eat, what we weigh, and our health as a whole.
When we’re told that something is ‘easy,’ it sets us up for shame when we fail to complete the task (which is why the diet industry exists…diets are meant to fail and keep up coming back).
Work with a registered dietitian if you’re interested in a healthy, individualized approach to weight and/or health that isn’t steeped in shame and misinformation.
Time and temperature are two extremely important points to remember when keeping foods safe from micro-organisms.
Does the temperature range of 41° F to 135° F mean anything to you? Probably not – unless you work in the culinary field.
41° F to 135° F is the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) meaning that micro-organisms grow rapidly on foods when left out in this temperature range for more than two hours. Room temperature falls smack-dab in the middle of the TDZ! If it’s a hot, sunny day, food will spoil even faster.
Be honest, how many of you leave perishable foods at room temperature for hours and hours – especially when you are entertaining? Cheeses start to “sweat”, meat becomes dried out, salads wilt, pies get soggy. Doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it?
Hot foods must be served at a temperature ABOVE 135° F. If that means using a chafing dish with Sterno or a hot plate, so be it.
Cold foods must be kept BELOW 41° F. Place cold food platters on beds of ice.
Remember this saying and all will be safe…
Keep hot foods hot and cold food cold.
For more information on temperature and other food safety tips from the USDA, click here
Losing your iPhone can be a stressful and frustrating experience. Scammers are often ready to exploit the anxiety of distraught iPhone owners searching for their lost devices. These unscrupulous individuals have developed various schemes to take advantage of the situation and make a quick profit. This context is crucial in understanding the concerns raised by Donald, who wrote to us regarding lost iPhone scams. Donald from Saginaw, Michigan, shared his experience:
“I lost an Apple iPhone 6 and found numerous online scams claiming they could locate it for just 89 cents. They promised to get back to me in three hours, but instead, I received a bill for $48.00 in yearly dues.”
In addition to the scam Donald encountered, there are also scammers who falsely claim to have found or purchased your lost or stolen phone and offer to delete your sensitive data for a small fee.
While you cannot control the loss of your iPhone, there are several proactive steps you can take to facilitate the recovery of your device or data. If your iPhone is lost for good, you can still take measures to protect your personal information.
iPhone with security on the home screen(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Steps to protect yourself if your iPhone is lost or stolen
While various methods exist to locate a lost iPhone, many security features require access to another device or your iCloud.com account. Always ensure that location services are enabled and that you have set up “Find My iPhone” and other built-in security features on the iPhone as soon as you activate your phone. Taking these steps will maximize your ability to recover your iPhone should it get lost or stolen. Below are the steps you can take to protect yourself if your iPhone is lost or stolen.
1) Activate and use ‘Find My’ app
If you have the “Find My” set up on your iPhone, you can use another Apple device or log in to iCloud.com to locate your phone. Need a step-by-step guideline on how to use “Find My” to locate your iPhone? Check out how to find your lost iPhone.
If you’ve enabled “Find My” for your iPhone, you can log onto iCloud.com or another Apple device and under your iPhone profile you can select “Play Sound.” If your iPhone is nearby, you can listen for the sound playing from your iPhone to help you locate it.
Play sound on iPhone (Apple)(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
If you’ve enabled “Find My” for your iPhone, you can log onto iCloud.com or another Apple device to mark your iPhone as lost. When you select “Mark as lost” under your iPhone options, it will lock your phone and display a message with your contact information.
Mark As Lost on iPhone (Apple)(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
When you turn on “Find My” for your iPhone, you automatically turn on “Activation Lock” for your device. As long as “Find My” is on your iPhone, even if someone finds your lost phone or steals it, “Activation lock” will ensure that no one can activate your iPhone without your Apple ID or passcode. This is true even if your data is wiped or phone is factory reset.
iPhone Locked To Owner (Apple)(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
“Stolen Device Protection” can give you an extra layer of protection. This feature gives you an additional layer of protection when your iPhone leaves a familiar location, such as work or home. If you have this feature on and your device is away from your familiar locations, it will require Face ID or Touch ID for biometric authentication to access sensitive features of your iPhone, such as passwords or credit card information. Additionally, it will activate a security delay so that outside of your familiar locations, there is an hour delay in taking security actions, such as changing your Apple ID password and then using Face ID or Touch ID authentication. Here are the steps to set up “Stolen Device Protection” on your iPhone.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone
Tap on Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode for older models)
Enter your iPhone’s passcode to access the settings
Scroll down and find the Stolen Device Protection option. Tap on it and toggle it on
Stolen Device Protection on iPhone(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
6) Check Google Maps timeline
If you’ve enabled location history on Google Maps app on your iPhone, you might be able to see the last known location of your iPhone by logging into Google Maps on your desktop or another device. You can retrace your steps and hopefully recover your iPhone. Here are the steps to check your Google Maps Timeline.
On a desktop or another device, open the Google Maps website or app
Log in with the Google account that is linked to your iPhone
On the desktop, click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner
Select Your timeline from the menu
You will see a map with a timeline of your location history.
Use the calendar feature to select the date your iPhone was lost
Look for the last recorded location of your iPhone on the map
Note the time and place to retrace your steps
Visit the last known location to search for your iPhone
If the location is a public place, ask around or check with lost and found services
7) Contact authorities
After attempting various methods of finding your lost iPhone or being contacted by or experiencing suspicious individuals or activities, you may come to the unfortunate realization that your iPhone is now stolen. Either way, you should report your lost or stolen iPhone to the local police station. If it is turned in or found, it gives you a greater chance of being reunited with your device. If it has been stolen, the police can help protect you from further issues.
A woman on her iPhone(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
8) Contact Carrier
Contact your carrier as soon as possible so that they can either help you locate your device or freeze access to your account, as well as limit the use of your device.
An iPhone is an expensive investment that doesn’t just perform a utilitarian function. It also houses private personal information. That’s why losing your iPhone can induce panic and feel like a massive loss. Activating the security features built into most new iPhones, such as “Find My” and “Stolen Device Protection,” can go a long way in helping you either recover your iPhone or, at the very least, minimize the risk of your data falling into the wrong hands. If you find out that your iPhone has gotten into the hands of a thief or scammer, make sure to take the issue and any evidence directly to your local law enforcement and reach out to your carrier.
Do you have any of these built-in security features turned on? Have you ever lost or had your iPhone stolen? What did you do once you found out that your iPhone was lost or stolen? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
BROOKLYN — There’s a reason why no professional basketball team has completed a three-peat since the Los Angeles Lakers did it in the early 2000s. After Tuesday night’s Game 2 loss against the New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon shed light on what makes keeping a championship-level attention to detail for three consecutive seasons so difficult, acknowledging how human nature comes into effect.
“Quite frankly, we haven’t had the edge,” Hammon said. “We found it in the last month, I feel like we’ve gained a lot of ground. But, the feel was different from the jump.”
A lack of an edge is something that Hammon has spoken about a number of occasions this season. It seemingly played a role in why the Aces began the year with a 6-6 record, and and why they dropped Game 1 — a loss that Hammon deemed effort-related. And, while the effort was better in Game 2, Hammon acknowledged that the performance still left a lot to be desired.
“The amount of layups we gave up was obscene,” Hammon said after the 88-84 loss.
Though the Aces finished the regular season with an undeniably better focus than they began it, they still weren’t the same team that dominated the WNBA en route to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
Now, they find themselves in an 0-2 hole in the semi-finals, a deficit that no WNBA team has ever overcome — though it’s not one the team believes is insurmountable.
“I love being in the history books,” said Chelsea Gray, the Aces’ 2022 Finals MVP. “Might as well kind of start there.”
Still, the clutch-time Barclay’s Center loss was a full-circle moment for Las Vegas
Last year, the Aces secured the WNBA championship on the road, defeating the Liberty in four games and clinching the series with a one-point victory at Barclay’s Center. That came despite the absences of Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes — both rotation players who were lost to injury — and ended with Courtney Vandersloot airballing a potential game-winning jumper in the waning seconds.
The heartbreaking loss has famously served as fuel for New York all season, and Hammon and the Aces have continuously acknowledged that Liberty came back better this season — both improving an individual level, and adding rookie standout Leonie Fiebich, who has been a seamless fit in the starting lineup.
“New York is a lot better than they were last year, plain and simple,” Kelsey Plum said ahead of the semi-finals match-up. “If you go down the line, like pound for pound, individually — all of them are better.”
After the Game 2 loss, Hammon acknowledged that while other teams improved, her team dealt with distractions in the wake of their prolonged success.
“The field was different from the jump, and this is why three-peating is hard,” Hammon said. “Let’s be real, the whole league has been pissed off for the last eight months, and my players are in commercials, and this, and that, and being freaking celebrities — and you get distracted. That’s why it’s hard, because human nature is distracting.”
Hammon also drew a parallel between the 2024 Liberty-Aces semi-finals rematch and the 2014 Finals rematch between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. Hammon, who served as an assistant coach under Greg Popovich, watched the Spurs fumble a championship when they failed to secure a defensive rebound at the conclusion of Game 6 of the NBA Finals in 2013, allowing Heat sharpshooter Ray Allen to sink a corner three when the series would have otherwise ended.
The Heat ultimately secured the title in the subsequent Game 7, one of the more shocking comeback wins in modern professional basketball. But, the Spurs came back to decisively win it all the following year.
“They lose an absolute heartbreaker, in Miami, off a basic thing, [an] offensive rebound, kick out three,” Hammon said. “We [the Spurs] should have walked away with the title that year. The next year, they came back. They came back with so much drive, so much discipline, so much focus, that there was no way somebody beat them in 2014.”
Hammon likened the Liberty’s 2023 loss to the Spurs’— and also compared the two teams’ responses to the heartbreak.
“I still think we [the Aces] were the better team, but we were dealt a really freaking tough hand last year in the Finals, losing Chelsea [Gray] and Kia, so I’m sure they feel like something was stolen a little bit.”
This season, the Liberty are 5-0 against the Aces, including the two playoff wins.
“At the end of day, in two years, we’ve won here one time,” Hammon said. “Game 4. Other than that, they’ve kicked our ass.”
Still, the Aces aren’t done yet
One interpretation of Hammon’s postgame comments may have been that the decorated head coach was coming to terms with the fact that a three-peat might not be in the cards.
But, she made certain to state the series was far from over — and that Las Vegas was going to put up a fight.
“At the end of the day, we haven’t either lost, or won a championship. Nothing has been won tonight,” Hammon said. “Now, do we have an uphill battle? Absolutely, we do. There’s no doubt about that. However, all New York did was do what New York should do, which is defend their home court. It’s a series. We fully intend on pushing it five games, but we got to take it quarter by quarter — can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
The Aces will head home to the Michelob ULTRA Center for Game 3, which will take place on Friday at 9:30pm ET. A win would extend the series to four games. A loss would end the quest for a three-peat, once and for all.
“Let there be no doubt,” Hammon said, wrapping up an impassioned 13 minutes at the podium. “We’re in for a war. And a big one.”
South Korea has shown off its most powerful ballistic missile for the first time in an annual military parade which signals the country’s readiness to respond to North Korean threats.
The Hyunmoo-5 – which analysts say is capable of carrying an 8-tonne conventional warhead that can penetrate deep into the earth and destroy underground bunkers in North Korea – was the centrepiece of the Armed Forces Day parade at a Seoul airbase which also included some 5,300 troops, 340 types of military equipment and aircraft flypasts.
A second, smaller parade took place on the streets of Seoul, drawing large crowds.
“If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the [South Korea]-US alliance,” President Yoon Suk-yeol told thousands of troops who gathered at the base on Tuesday. “That day will be the end of the North Korean regime.”
“The North Korean regime must abandon the delusion that nuclear weapons will protect them,” Yoon said.
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has revived the tradition of annual military parades as part of his strategy of “peace through strength”, and has backed a stronger military alliance with the United States as well as closer cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
This year’s parade also included a flypast by a United States B-1B strategic bomber for the first time, while the US Eighth Army band and an armoured Stryker brigade also took part.
Dubbed a “monster missile” by South Korean media, the Hyunmoo-5 was tested successfully last year.
The military introduced the weapon as the “ultra high-power Hyunmoo ballistic missile”, which was positioned on two nine-axle transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicles.
The Hyunmoo-5 is categorised as short-range, but if topped with a 1-tonne warhead – typical for ballistic missiles – its range can exceed 5,000km (3,107 miles), according to Yu Yong-weon, a lawmaker on South Korea’s parliamentary defence committee.
Yoon’s office said the missile plays a key role in the country’s “three-axis” defence system aimed at neutralising North Korea’s nuclear provocations, including war plans that call for preemptive strikes if necessary.
Hours before the ceremony, Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s vice defence minister, criticised the B-1B’s planned flypast and also accused Washington of conducting a “reckless military bluff” by recently sending a nuclear-powered submarine to South Korea.
Last month, North Korea released images of its uranium enrichment facility. It has also continued to conduct regular test launches of weapons in defiance of international sanctions.
Olive oil is one of the healthiest kitchen basics you can have around. Few other simple ingredients have so much scientific evidence backing their efficacy when it comes to long-term health.
No matter what diet you’re on, you should include an ample amount of olive oil in your daily cooking. Olive oil has been proven to improve long-term health by reducing your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, and its benefits extend to gastrointestinal health and metabolic health too.
Here’s everything we know about the most important health benefits of olive oil.
Olive oil benefits
1. Olive oil is a super-fat with incredible long-term health benefits
In a nutritional environment where fats and oils have been blamed for everything from heart disease to obesity, olive oil rises above the fray to the point where it might be labeled as a superfood.
We’re talking about extra virgin olive oil, not the cheap imitators diluted with more refined versions of the real thing; more refining means fewer nutrients, and sometimes chemical residues, so it’s important to buy the good stuff if you want the benefits.
2. Olive oil can help with ulcers
With qualities across the board to protect against common health issues, extra virgin olive oil can even aid in avoiding ulcers by creating an environment discouraging to the bacteria that cause this common problem (1). In fact, it only took 30 grams a day for two weeks in a test group with ulcers to eliminate the bacteria for up to 40% of participants (2).
Olive oil is composed of 26% saturated fats, rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Another 73% is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat known for its anti-inflammatory properties and positive effects on C-Reactive Protein (CRP) readings (3).
3. Olive oil is stable at relatively high heats, which makes it a good choice for cooking
After heating olive oil for 36 hours at 350˚F, researchers concluded the oil held its molecular structure and remained safe to consume (4).
When you check out oils for health properties, you may find coconut oil comparably impressive, but extra virgin olive oil is loaded with antioxidants, antibacterial agents, anti-inflammatory properties, and even anti-cancer compounds.
4. Olive oil contains potent antioxidants
Rich in biologically active antioxidants, olive oil can help fight serious diseases, increasing your chances of staying healthy. At least 30 phenolic compounds help your body protect itself against imbalances that can lead to physical degeneration (5, 6).
Preventing the cholesterol in blood from becoming oxidized may contribute to dropping the risk of developing heart disease. (7) In one trial, young women with high blood pressure lowered the numbers through improving endothelial function in blood vessels, cutting their chances of heart disorders.
Laboratory studies show the compounds in olive oil actually kill cancer cells in test tubes (7), The polyphenols thought to be responsible for offing breast cancer cells in the lab show promise for the development of medication that could be used for women at high risk for the disease (8).
5. Olive oil fights off bad bacteria in your stomach
Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria resulting in stomach ulcers that can lead to stomach cancer, backs off in the presence of olive oil, as do other potentially harmful bacteria (9).
6. Olive oil reduces inflammation
The association of chronic inflammation with serious diseases is well known, and the antioxidants in this oil suppress the expression of genes linked to inflammatory response (10).
People following a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil have historically enjoyed overall good health at much higher rates than those who didn’t use olive oil; to ferret out the reasons for this, many studies have been done.
Reviewing these conclusions from trials and studies will illustrate why extra virgin olive oil could be a wise choice in your diet.
7. Olive oil reduces risk factors for heart disease
It is effective for lowering blood pressure, which is a reliable predictor for an elevated risk of developing heart disease (11, 12). Another benefit includes the presence of oleocanthol, the component scientists believe keeps the LDL cholesterol in the blood from oxidizing (13, 14).
8. Olive oil might preserve brain function as you get older
Results from a randomized clinical trial with subjects consuming a diet high in extra virgin olive oil identified multiple beneficial effects on brain function. (15)
Another study on mice indicated compounds in olive oil help dissolve amyloid plaques that accumulate inside brain cells, and are linked with Alzheimer’s disease. (16) Mice also navigated mazes more efficiently and showed signs of improved memory when fed olive oil. (17)
9. Olive oil also helps prevent metabolic disease
A diet rich in olive oil has been shown to cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 40% (18). Several studies confirmed positive effects on blood sugar levels, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity (19).
10. Olive oil won’t make you gain weight
When 7000 Spanish college students ate even more olive oil than usual over 2.5 years, the change in diet could not be correlated with weight gain (20). Another study spanning 3 years with 187 adults showed increased antioxidant levels as well as a drop in weight (21).
Peripheral dietary factors may exert some influence on results in studies like these, but all conclusions were reached with subjects eating generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil.
For centuries, the process for extracting oil from olives has remained reassuringly simple: ripe olives are pressed with mechanical force between stone surfaces, then the oil is separated from vegetable matter and fluids before bottling.
11. Olive oil can fight inflammation
Olive oil has long been suspected to have strong anti-inflammatory properties, because many of the chronic diseases it combats (like heart disease) are linked to long-term systemic inflammation.
Recent work published in the prestigious journal Nature undertook a detailed analysis of the biochemical effects of olive oil as it relates to inflammation (22).
Researchers were able to demonstrate that, although olive oil contains different molecular compounds, the effect is the same: an inhibition of specific enzymes linked to an inflammatory process in the body that might explain part of the anti-inflammatory effects of olive oil.
Of course, you can’t get the same benefits of olive oil by just taking ibuprofen every day, so olive oil clearly offers more than just this specific enzyme inhibition.
12. Olive oil could help protect your liver from fat accumulation
One of the biggest health threats from a poor diet is the gradual accumulation of fat in your liver—a condition called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, also known as fatty liver disease.
But, with the rise of Western diets, doctors began to see the same disease in people who were not alcohol abusers: nutritionists link it to the negative effects of the kind of high-fat, high-sugar, high-refined-carbohydrate diets now common in Western countries.
Emerging research now suggests that olive oil could help protect your liver from the kind of liver damage found in fatty liver disease (23).
Olive oil side effects
Olive oil is safe, but make sure you’re getting pure olive oil. Some modern manufacturing plants use chemicals to extract olive oil, so it’s important to make certain you know what you’re getting. Mixing quality olive oil with inferior oil processed in undesirable manners is one way to increase profits, and in these cases, the end result will not deliver the antioxidants and substances associated with the health benefits listed above.
Even if a product is labeled “Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” it may be diluted with chemically extracted oils, it’s well worth it to spend more time and money, if necessary, and get the right stuff.
Many of the fats and oils available in today’s marketplace deserve a bad rap, including trans fats commonly found in junk food and certain highly processed seed and vegetable oils, like canola oil and grapeseed oil.
Olive oil usage
Most studies recommend at least one to two fluid ounces per day. From both observational research and from intervention studies, where olive oil is “prescribed” as a treatment to reduce the risk of chronic disease, we have a pretty good idea of the minimum amount of olive oil needed get a benefit for your health.
Studies that have found benefits from olive oil interventions typically use “dosages” of between 25 and 50 mL (about one to two fluid ounces per day) (24). That dosage translates to about two to four servings of olive oil per day.
There is no upper limit on olive oil intake. There doesn’t seem to be an upper limit on olive oil intake; participants in an ongoing study on a Mediterranean diets and heart disease receive a full liter of olive oil every single week, and are instructed to use it “liberally” in cooking and as a salad dressing (25).
Observational research generally suggests that more olive oil consumption is better as well. While it’s less helpful than a specific amount, when it comes to olive oil, more is better. Shoot for at least 40 mL or 1.4 fluid ounces every day.
Olive oil benefits FAQ
Q: How much olive oil should you get per day?
A: Scientific research indicates that, at a minimum, you should strive to get 25-50 mL of olive oil per day. That translates to around one to two fluid ounces of olive oil per day.
Critically, this is the minimum amount, not the recommended amount. As there seems to be no upper limit for the health benefits of olive oil, the rule for now should be that more is better.
Q: Is olive oil bad for you?
A: Quite the opposite, actually. Virtually every aspect of olive oil is beneficial, and it’s hard to name a domain of health where there isn’t some evidence that olive oil exerts a positive benefit.
Olive oil is most heavily-studied as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease, but other research has found that it preserves cognitive function in older adults, combats obesity, improves liver health, and reduces inflammation. So far, research has not identified any upper limit to olive oil consumption, so feel free to use it liberally on a regular basis.
Q: How long does olive oil last?
A: Olive oil, when taken care of, can last for at least several months even after being opened. To make sure your olive oil stays as fresh as possible, and retains as much of its antioxidant properties as possible, buy olive oil that comes in an opaque or tinted container, and store it in a cool, dark place.
Q: Can olive oil help digestion?
A: Some of the most exciting frontiers of research on olive oil usage actually related to less-common applications such as addressing digestive problems. A very interesting study published in 2013 used olive oil in combination with probiotics to combat indigestion in a small group of volunteers (26).
The scientists in charge of the study hypothesized that the antioxidant properties of olive oil contributed significantly to the improvements in symptoms, but the interaction with probiotics is the most important takeaway.
Though more research needs to be done, taking olive oil alongside probiotics could be a great way to reduce indigestion without the side effects of some of the more common treatments for indigestion.
Direct sunlight, oxygen, and heat are the main enemies of the antioxidants in olive oil, so avoid exposing the oil to these whenever possible.
Related: Our best olive oil picks
Summary
When it comes to long-term health benefits, olive oil is hard to beat. Pretty much any diet can benefit by adding olive oil, and it’s especially useful for swapping out unhealthy fats with the healthy fats in olive oil.
Good scientific evidence indicates olive oil can reduce your risk of heart disease, and it’s also been studied for improving glucose control, sustaining healthy cognitive function, and cutting down on inflammation in your body. Because of these long-term health benefits, it’s well-worth your time to seek out a high-quality olive oil and incorporate it into your diet on a regular basis.
