Latest news with #Albuquerque
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Whole wheat bread vs. white bread: Discussing the health benefits
In today's food-centered world, bread remains one of our most cherished culinary staples. Whether toasted for breakfast, used to contain sandwiches at lunch or dipped into soup at dinner, it's easy to reach for whatever loaf or slice is closest without giving much thought to what's inside. And with a wide variety of options like white, multigrain, sourdough, wheat and rye crowding grocery store shelves, the decision of which kind to bring home often comes down to cost, convenience or habit over any nutritional considerations. But the bread you choose matters, and if you're not reaching for whole wheat very often, you could be missing out on a host of health benefits. What is whole wheat bread? Whole wheat bread is made from flour that includes 'the entire wheat kernel – the bran, germ and endosperm,' explains Shelley Rael, a registered dietitian based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That's important because including all three parts of the grain not only gives whole wheat bread its signature brown color, nutty flavor and dense texture, it also determines its nutritional value. White bread, by contrast, has very little nutritional value because it has been stripped of its bran and germ, leaving behind mostly starchy endosperm. At the same time, breads labeled simply as 'wheat bread' may still contain refined flour and lack the full nutritional profile of whole grain varieties. The same goes for breads like sourdough or rye. While they may be trendy and offer appealing textures or flavors, if they're not made from whole grain flour, they don't carry the same health benefits. Ditto for 'multigrain' breads. Despite sounding healthy, even these are often made from refined grains unless the label specifically states otherwise. It's the 'whole' part of the bread that delivers the vital nutrients that are often lost or artificially added back into processed white or wheat varieties, explains Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In case you didn't see: How does white bread stack up to wheat and whole-grain bread? Poorly. Why is whole wheat bread good for you? Whole wheat bread earns its reputation as a nutritional powerhouse largely due to its high fiber content. A single slice typically contains around 2 grams of fiber, which plays a key role in digestion, heart health and blood sugar regulation. 'Its fiber content means whole wheat bread usually raises blood sugar more slowly than white bread, which reduces the chance of a blood sugar spike,' says Smith. Fiber also promotes a feeling of fullness, which can help with healthy weight management. And whole wheat bread contains essential B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin that are critical for energy production, red blood cell formation and nervous system function. It delivers important minerals, too. These include iron, zinc and magnesium, which support immunity, oxygen transport and muscle performance. While other breads may have some of these nutrients naturally or through fortification, 'whole wheat bread is usually higher in them than refined breads,' Rael says. This nutrient profile is one reason whole grains are often associated with lower risks of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and even certain cancers. Whole wheat also provides anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that support a healthy gut microbiome. See also: What is the healthiest bread to eat? One is best, but you've got plenty of options. Is whole wheat bread actually healthier than other breads? Among the sea of bread options, these benefits are why whole wheat consistently ranks among the healthiest. It's especially an improvement over white bread, which lacks the higher fiber and nutrient density of whole grains and is typically made from refined flour that digests quickly and spikes blood sugar. But even white bread is probably preferable over heavily processed varieties like sweetened sandwich loaves or potato bread, which are often stripped of even more fiber and can be packed with added sugars and preservatives. Even popular alternatives like sourdough or rye usually don't measure up to whole wheat bread unless they're made from whole kernels. That doesn't mean they're unhealthy though. In fact, sourdough may aid digestion due to its fermentation process, and rye generally produces a better glycemic response than white bread, says Leslie Bonci, a registered sports dietitian and founder of Active Eating Advice. And other options like sprouted grain breads can also be great choices "depending on a person's individual nutrition needs and budget,' adds Rael. Despite not being the only healthy bread option, 'whole wheat bread still stands apart as one of the healthiest choices,' Rael says, and your body will thank you for choosing it more often – as long as you're not overdoing it, that is. 'Just because a food is labeled whole grain doesn't mean it's free to eat in unlimited amounts,' cautions Smith. 'Whole grains are nutritious, but they still have calories and carbs, so it's important to enjoy them in sensible portions.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is whole wheat bread good for you? What experts say.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Wall Street delighted with Microsoft as it spends $100bn on AI
Microsoft, the world's second-most valuable company, is dumping enormous sums of money into its artificial intelligence efforts. At the same time, the company is earning money hand over fist. Investors are thrilled. The enterprise software giant reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that exceeded expectations on Wednesday as the company races to acquire data centers and talent, which continue to be investigated by investors. The company predicted its capital expenditure for the next fiscal year would top $100bn, a 14% increase from the year prior. It's the fifth quarter in a row that Microsoft has beaten Wall Street's expectations. Shares in the company, which is celebrating its 50-year anniversary since it was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 1975, are trading a near record of $513, up 22% since the start of the year. The software giant's stock rose more than 7% in extended trading Wednesday. Microsoft, like rivals Alphabet/Google and Amazon, is in an all-out race for data center capacity to meet demand for AI. Last week, Alphabet announced it will $85bn in capital expenditures in 2025, a $10bn increase on what it estimated at the start of the year. Amazon is looking to spend $100bn over the same period. 'Cloud and AI is the driving force of business transformation across every industry and sector,' said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. 'We're innovating across the tech stack to help customers adapt and grow in this new era, and this year, Azure surpassed $75bn in revenue, up 34%, driven by growth across all workloads,' Nadella said in a statement. Microsoft reported revenue of $76.4bn, against consensus estimates of $73.81bn, and earnings per share of $3.65, against estimates of $3.37. That corresponds to revenue growth of 18% year-over-year. Revenue in the same period a year earlier came in at $64.73bn. The extraordinary spending on data centers, necessary to power AI products, comes as companies are increasingly outsourcing their computing demands to the cloud. Before the earnings were released, Dan Ives, a financial analyst at Wedbush said Microsoft was on track to $4tn market value 'shortly', and $5tn over the next 18 months as shares moving up to $600 as companies accelerate their adoption of AI technologies. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion 'This was a slam-dunk quarter for MSFT with cloud and AI driving significant business transformation across every sector and industry as the company continues to capitalize on the AI Revolution unfolding front and center,' Ives said in a statement after Microsoft's numbers were released. The extraordinary cost of hiring top AI talent is also coming into focus. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said Meta was offering $100m in signing bonuses to recruit talent from his company. Facebook parent Meta also reportedly offered a senior Apple engineer $200m to join its 'superintelligence' team. Microsoft, meanwhile, is reported to be offering high-level engineers a yearly salary of as much as $408,000, not including a one-time stock award of as much as $1.9m, plus an annual stock award of $1,476,000, according to Business Insider.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Safe space program for homeless struggles under 'red tape'-- could a change in law save it?
Jul. 28—The Safe Outdoors Spaces program was intended to let community members, businesses and churches help those experiencing homelessness outside their doors by giving them a place to sleep off the streets, tucked away on private property. Instead, applicants say the process is covered in red tape. "We've over-regulated it such that it doesn't even work," Mayor Tim Keller said at a Monday news conference. A new amendment working its way through City Council could help break down some of those barriers and increase safe spaces across the city at a time when those experiencing homelessness are under additional scrutiny from the federal government. Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order, urging cities to break up encampments of homeless people and institutionalize them through a process called civil commitment. The order also axed federal funding for safe spaces and harm reduction programs, claiming that they promote drug use and "deprioritize accountability." In Albuquerque, where there are an estimated 2,740 people experiencing homelessness, safe spaces have struggled to get off the ground. As of April, New Creation Church on Zuni is the only safe outdoor space approved by the city in the three years since the program's inception. Every other site was denied or withdrew their application, according to a city map. The city law, as it stands, requires a permitted safe space to maintain 24/7 staff, and offer food, mental and physical health services. The first requirement in particular is prohibitively expensive for most, said New Creation Church Pastor Jesse Harden. "If you pay someone minimum wage to be there 24/7 it's over $100,000 a year, so that, right there, eliminates 99% of people who try to do it," Harden said at the Monday news conference. Quirky Books owner Gilliam Kerley is one of those 99%. Outside of the used bookstore off of Central, about 15 people camp each night in 10 tents in the store's parking lot. After receiving complaints from one local business and other callers, the city gave Kerley a choice: clear out the encampment in two weeks or pay a $1,500 fine for ordinance violations. Kerley paid the fee. For his business, Kerley said, the requirements to operate a safe space above board are too expensive and labor intensive. "Someone who is simply providing a place for people to camp shouldn't be required to be a complete wraparound social services provider," Kerley said. New amendments would lessen that requirement, mandating that safe spaces offer a minimum of three social services, which can include peer support or recovery groups, connecting residents with housing resources or offering GED assistance or adult education. The new amendments would diminish the staffing requirement from 24/7 to weekday business hours, though one person must remain on-call at all times in case of complaints or emergencies. The amendments were proposed by City Councilor Nichole Rogers at the request of the mayor's office. For those experiencing homelessness, a safe space can be a second chance. "We fell victims of circumstance, and then the financial bind and we ended up not having enough money to stay in the hotels anymore," said Michael Maldonado. "And then we found Jesse." In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, members of the New Creation Church saw an increase of people experiencing homelessness outside their doorstep, Harden said. The church pastor decided to do more. In April, the church became the first safe outdoor space approved by the city. "It's been a blessing," Maldonado said. "I'm grateful there's places like this that can help people and make the transition in a safe environment." Solve the daily Crossword
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Villain of 2008 crisis gets new life in Europe's push for growth
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the role of villain partly fell on securitization, turning it into a long-term pariah in Europe. Since then, the market of packaging different loans into products to sell to investors has weakened, made so costly by post-crisis rules that outstanding debt has almost halved from the 2009 peak of €2.3 trillion ($2.7 trillion). Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Public Policy Finance Healthcare Data Science CXO Digital Marketing Data Analytics Degree MBA PGDM Cybersecurity Operations Management Others Technology Design Thinking Management MCA Leadership Data Science others Artificial Intelligence Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Months IIM Calcutta Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Economics for Public Policy Making Quantitative Techniques Public & Project Finance Law, Health & Urban Development Policy Duration: 12 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate Programme in Public Policy Management Starts on Mar 3, 2024 Get Details Now, it's being cast as a potential hero for a troubled Europe facing trade tariffs, increased defense spending needs and bloated budget deficits. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote 'Europe needs growth — and growth needs investment,' the European Union's finance chief, Maria Luis Albuquerque, told Bloomberg. 'To mobilize capital at scale, we must use every tool available.' The pitch is cheaper funding for lenders, which could cut borrowing costs for industry and consumers, broader investment opportunities for insurers, as well as more income for advisors and traders who'll keep the market flowing once it takes off. Live Events Loss of Trust It's a tough sell in some quarters. The market for pooling loans boomed before the 2008 financial crisis, but alongside that came a sharp drop in quality control. When the house of cards came down, the results were massive losses, economic turmoil and a collapse of trust in the system. In June, the European Commission unveiled proposals to make it cheaper for banks to issue securitizations, both in terms of the cost to balance sheets and the paperwork involved. It's also looking at easing regulations for insurers who want to invest. Europe hasn't set out any market growth targets for its reforms, but some investors have predicted trillions of euros of investment could be unlocked. 'With better rules, we can make Europe's securitization market a driver of prosperity — not complexity,' Albuquerque said last week. Bloomberg Slow Progress The Brussels finance lobbying community – and their bosses in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York – went into 2025 with high hopes of an imminent watershed moment, several industry insiders and officials told Bloomberg News. But despite the commission's push, the redemption story has further to go. Securitization still needs to win over politicians and navigate a complex path to legislation. That means many months of intense lobbying and horse-trading. 'We're really just firing the starting gun,' said Shaun Baddeley, managing director of securitization at finance lobby group AFME. 'A lot can change between the commission's proposal and the end game.' Markus Ferber, a European Parliament member for Germany attached to the center-right European People's Party, says some lawmakers, particularly on the left, remain skeptical of the asset class. 'The file will be quite controversial in the parliament,' he said. 'That will certainly make finding a compromise difficult, so I doubt it will be a swift procedure.' Aurore Lalucq, chair of the parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, who sits with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, has already voiced her opposition. Better Finance, which represents private investors and savers, has also come out against it, saying it's a 'gamble on financial stability.' Finance Push For the finance industry, securitization is just one element in a wider push to get Brussels to loosen the reins, arguments that are amplified by complaints about US banks having an unfair advantage because of EU regulation. While the European securitizations market declined sharply after the financial crisis, the US market grew from $11.3 trillion in 2008 to $13.7 trillion at the end of 2023. Banks want it 'to reduce their balance sheet, and capital charges,' said Karel Lannoo, head of European policy think tank CEPS. He added that the industry is less enthusiastic about aspects of the EU's capital markets push which could curtail inducements or limit fees. Industry insiders and watchers agree that the commission package is by far the EU's meatiest attempt to address structural issues in the market. And reports of impending changes for insurers are also seen as broadly positive. But there's disappointment too about what some see as missed opportunities. Banks are concerned the measures don't do enough to incentivize them to hold other lenders' securitizations on their balance sheets, something they must do in their role as market makers who buy and sell securities, ensuring liquidity. AFME, which represents a wider cross section of finance, has criticized several aspects of the plans, including 'disproportionate penalties' for investors who fall foul of due diligence requirements. While lobbyists will be pushing for improvements, regulatory opposition may pull things in the opposite direction. Insurance Money Insurers are seen as a critical source of demand for securitizations, since they have the financial firepower to buy big. Their overseer, EIOPA, remains skeptical about any reforms that would cut the capital requirements for insurers holding the asset class. Patrick Hoedjes, head of EIOPA's Policy and Supervisory Convergence Department, told Europe's finance committee last month that the regulator would have a 'strong concern' about any attempts to change requirements. Another question is whether insurers even want the assets. An EIOPA official told Bloomberg News insurers would be more keen to buy assets with longer duration, to match their liabilities. Linking securitization to Europe's economic revival will be critical to the Brussels debate. The idea that insurers may not even want to buy the assets, and that other initiatives are more important, will make the zero-to-hero narrative harder to sell. Some policy makers argue the true status is somewhere in between. 'Securitization is not a silver bullet, but it can play a role in supporting Europe's economic development,' said Verena Ross, chair of Europe's markets supervisor ESMA. 'When used appropriately and maintaining a focus on investor protection, it can help to share risk between banks and other actors in the capital markets.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
SkyMD inaugurates clinic in New Mexico to provide dermatology services
Dermatological services provider SkyMD has inaugurated a new clinic in New Mexico, US, enhancing specialised skin care accessibility for the local population. The Albuquerque-based facility introduces a hybrid model of care by providing in-person appointments, as well as virtual services for tele-dermatology. Local patients can now access direct consultations with board-certified medical doctors at the clinic, which complements SkyMD's telehealth platform. This care approach provides flexible options for individuals seeking expert dermatological care, ranging from routine skin checks to complex conditions and outpatient surgical procedures. SkyMD has a focus on skin cancer, with the new clinic employing dermatologists proficient in the diagnosis, early detection, and treatment of different skin cancer types. These include basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. SkyMD CEO Bart Calame said: "We are thrilled to bring SkyMD's patient-centric approach and specialised dermatology services to Albuquerque. "Our mission is to provide exceptional, accessible skin care. By opening this new clinic, we are not only expanding our footprint but also offering a unique hybrid model that combines the convenience of telehealth with the personalised care of in-person visits, particularly for critical areas like skin cancer detection and treatment. We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Albuquerque healthcare landscape." The Albuquerque clinic's range of services includes cosmetic, general, and surgical dermatology, along with specialised procedures, with a particular focus on skin cancer screenings and medical dermatology. All health insurance plans available in the state are accepted by SkyMD. "SkyMD inaugurates clinic in New Mexico to provide dermatology services" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
