Latest news with #Buettner
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Delhi leg of Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour could be cancelled because of lack of interest from sponsors
The fourth leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour, scheduled to be held in Delhi from September 17 to 24, could be moved to another venue outside India because of lack of interest from local sponsors, The Indian Express has learnt. 'We've always communicated that we'll only go to foreign countries or other cities where local sponsors are willing to contribute significantly. India would have been a great place because there are so many great players and we love all the players. But I am wondering why despite a lot of rich people in India and a lot of interest in chess, nobody has come forward yet,' Jan Henric Buettner, the man behind the Freestyle Chess tour, said on Friday. 'In Las Vegas, we're getting around $2 million from sponsors. But in India, despite my efforts to generate interest, no one has come forward to support the event. Without financial backing from India, there's no reason for us to go,' Buettner, a German entrepreneur, told The Indian Express. The relationship between the Freestyle Tour organisers and FIDE, the global chess body, is strained. FIDE had objected to the unauthorised use of official titles like 'World Champion' in the Freestyle Tour. FIDE also has a strong relationship with the All India Chess Federation (AICF) as former five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is the world body's vice president. After the first two legs in Weissenhaus and Paris legs, the tour will move to its third leg in Las Vegas from July 16 to 20. It will be preceded by a three-day 'Chesstival' starting July 13, featuring a knockout-style celebrity chess tournament with current and former NBA stars. The Freestyle Tour in the U.S., set to take place at the Wynn Las Vegas, will also allow fans to watch the event live at the venue for the first time. The Freestyle Tour recently raised $20 million from investors, including former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who will participate in the Las Vegas Chess Festival. Buettner explained the costs and partnerships expected from host cities. 'One Freestyle Grand Slam event costs about $4 million. Right now, we're covering 50% through sponsorships in the U.S., but from the next event, we'll aim for 60-65%,' he said. Buettner is still hopeful of generating sponsorship money from India. 'If a sponsor in India is willing to contribute $2.5 million… either in cash or kind… we'll cover the remaining $1.5 million. We'd also let the Indian sponsor handle regional marketing and keep all local revenue. We would not take any part of the revenue from the regional revenue in India,' he added. Buettner said that there is 'interest' from other countries willing to host the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour 'I've just stated facts… not disappointed at all. I'm very happy to go to India but first, I need somebody from India to raise their hand and say here we are, we do it together. We have a lot of other interests from the Middle East, from China, and from other countries and cities where we would expand next time like Australia, for example,' said Buettner. As earlier reported by this newspaper, the U.S. leg will feature 45-minute games with a 10-second increment per move, instead of the previous 90-minute games with a 30-second increment. The shorter format aims to condense the event from eight days to five, with both legs of a round played on the same day. Players will now compete in two 45-minute games with reversed colours in a single day, rather than spreading them over two days. The Paris leg featured four Indians — D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi — among the 10 players. Germany's Vincent Keymer won the Weissenhaus leg, while Magnus Carlsen dominated Paris to claim the second event and lead the tour after the first two legs.
Western Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Dan Buettner shares how popcorn could help you live to 100
Buettner, 64, is the founder of Blue Zones and the presenter of the popular Netflix documentary 'How to Live to 100'. The National Geographic fellow studies the world's 'blue zones' - otherwise known as areas on our planet where a high proportion of people live well into their old age. The author analyses everything about these areas including their diets and exercise routines to their work habits and relationships within their communities. What snack to eat to live to 100? Popcorn that is air-popped is packed with fibre, complex carbs, and more polyphenols than many vegetables, Buettner says. In an Instagram post, he states: 'It's the best longevity snack might already be in your pantry. 'It's affordable, easy to make, and most importantly it's delicious. Centenarian-approved.' Posted alongside a video clip, Buettner goes on to say how the snack is affordable. 'It's the best snack you can eat to live to 100 but you can also afford,' he adds. 'It's easy to make and store and it's delicious.' Discontinued UK sweets/chocolates What nutrients are in popcorn? Popcorn is a nutritious and relatively low-calorie snack when air-popped and consumed without excessive toppings like butter or salt. High in fibre Low in calories Rich in whole grains Antioxidants Recommended reading: Popcorn contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants with potential health benefits, such as improved blood circulation and digestive health. Buettner is an American author, explorer, storyteller, longevity researcher and public speaker. He co-produced the three-time Emmy Award winning documentary TV mini-series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023) based on his book by the same name.
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Dan Buettner shares how popcorn could help you live to 100
Buettner, 64, is the founder of Blue Zones and the presenter of the popular Netflix documentary 'How to Live to 100'. The National Geographic fellow studies the world's 'blue zones' - otherwise known as areas on our planet where a high proportion of people live well into their old age. The author analyses everything about these areas including their diets and exercise routines to their work habits and relationships within their communities. A post shared by Dan Buettner (@danbuettner) Popcorn that is air-popped is packed with fibre, complex carbs, and more polyphenols than many vegetables, Buettner says. In an Instagram post, he states: 'It's the best longevity snack might already be in your pantry. 'It's affordable, easy to make, and most importantly it's delicious. Centenarian-approved.' Posted alongside a video clip, Buettner goes on to say how the snack is affordable. 'It's the best snack you can eat to live to 100 but you can also afford,' he adds. 'It's easy to make and store and it's delicious.' Popcorn is a nutritious and relatively low-calorie snack when air-popped and consumed without excessive toppings like butter or salt. Recommended reading: Popcorn contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants with potential health benefits, such as improved blood circulation and digestive health. Buettner is an American author, explorer, storyteller, longevity researcher and public speaker. He co-produced the three-time Emmy Award winning documentary TV mini-series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023) based on his book by the same name.
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Eat this snack if you 'want to live to 100', longevity expert says
A cinema favourite snack could be the secret to a long life, according to s longevity expert. Dan Buettner claims popcorn is the 'best snack to live to 100', citing its high fibre and polyphenol content, affordability, ease of preparation, and storage convenience as reasons for its 'longevity snack' status. Buettner has gained fame through his research into Blue Zones - regions around the world where people enjoy unusually long and healthy lives. These zones are scattered globally, from Okinawa in Japan to Sardinia in Italy. So why popcorn? "The best longevity snack might already be in your pantry," Buettner revealed. "Air-popped popcorn is loaded with fibre, complex carbs, and even boasts more polyphenols than many vegetables. It's budget-friendly, simple to prepare, and most importantly, it's scrumptious. Centenarian-approved." He further elaborated: "The best snack to live to 100 that you can also afford - it's popcorn. Air-popped popcorn is incredibly rich in fibre, it's packed with complex carbohydrates, and it even surpasses many vegetables in polyphenol content. People didn't realise that. "People can afford it, it's easy to whip up and store, and what's the most crucial factor? It's delicious." Instagram What exactly is popcorn? Popcorn is a whole grain maize product. It originates from a wild grass known as zea mays everta, and it is the only variety of corn that pops. A significant portion of it is cultivated in the Mid-West of the United States. The process of preparing popcorn involves harvesting, drying, and removing the kernels. Once dried, it's cleaned, separated, and packed, ready to be cooked and eaten. When heated and the kernel's internal temperature hits between 400-460F, the moisture inside turns into steam, causing the kernel to burst open - creating the globally loved snack. But why is it considered healthy? The American Heart Association labels popcorn as 'an efficiently healthy snack'. Air-popped popcorn contains a mere 30 calories per cup, and only 35 if cooked with oil. Even lightly buttered popcorn has just 80 calories per cup, making it a low-calorie treat. Being a wholegrain and complex carbohydrate, popcorn takes longer to digest, keeping us feeling satisfied for longer. It typically lacks artificial flavourings or additives, and does not contribute to our cholesterol or saturated fat levels. It is rich in folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6, A, E and K. A single serving provides about 8 per cent of the daily value of iron. It also offers 1.15g of fibre per cup - a handy step towards the UK's recommended 30g per day. More than 90 per cent of Brits do not consume enough fibre daily. Lastly, there are the polyphenols that Buettner mentioned. These antioxidants, commonly found in vegetables and fruit, are believed to help lower cancer risk and boost overall health. But are there any negatives? It is worth noting that the popcorn you munch on at the cinema is likely a far cry from what you pop in your own kitchen. "When prepared well, popcorn actually is a pretty good snack," explained Maya Vadiveloo, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island. "It's stable. It's inexpensive. It's fairly tasty. For people who might be struggling to eat adequate fruits or vegetables or other whole grains, it's a low-risk snack to start. Popcorn at the movies is very different than popcorn made at home." A single serving of movie theatre popcorn can pack a whopping 1,090 calories and a staggering 2,650 milligrams of sodium. "Even a small movie theater popcorn has significant calories and is very high in salt," Vadiveloo pointed out. "Sodium is one of the leading risk factors for hypertension and stroke in general, so it's something we do care about from a perspective of heart disease." Cinema popcorn is often popped in less-than-healthy oils such as canola oil, and that is before even considering the added sweeteners and chemicals. One chemical in particular, diacetyl, which adds a buttery flavour to some microwave popcorn, has been associated with a condition known as popcorn lung, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath and wheezing. Although diacetyl is also present in cheese, butter, yogurt, and wine, and is not harmful when ingested, it is dangerous when it is inhaled in substantial quantities. In the year 2000, a cluster of popcorn factory employees in the USA contracted the disease, which led to its nickname 'popcorn lung'. The workers were exposed to Diacetyl, a flavouring agent used in popcorn, through inhalation.
Irish Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Expert shares nine habits of people who live to 100
There are five regions globally where people tend to outlive the rest of us, and these areas have been dubbed 'blue zones'. Explorer Dan Buettner and his team of scientists identified these longevity hotspots. Their mission was to find communities worldwide where people not only lived longer but also enjoyed a high quality of life in their twilight years. They pinpointed five such regions: Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in the US, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Okinawa in Japan. Despite being scattered across different continents, the inhabitants of these regions share traits that contribute to their long and fulfilling lives. Buettner firmly believes that their secret to longevity lies in their lifestyle choices and dietary habits, leading him to compile a list of common factors found across these five communities, , reports Surrey Live. Here are Dan's top 9 tips for a longer life. Buettner noted that the world's longest-living individuals don't "pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms". Instead, they reside in environments that promote daily physical activity, such as maintaining gardens and performing household chores manually rather than using machines. According to Buettner, this can add up to seven years to your life expectancy. While we all grapple with stress, those who clock up the most birthdays have routines to "shake off" the tension. For example, Ikarians catch forty winks, Sardinians enjoy a tipple during happy hour, and Loma Linda's Adventists turn to prayer. This is key as stress can trigger chronic inflammation. Folks residing in regions boasting the highest life expectancies typically tuck into their smallest meal in the late afternoon or evening, and then don't raid the fridge again that day. Okinawans live by the mantra 'hara hachi bu', which translates to halting your munching when your belly is 80% full. According to Buettner, this "could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it,". For the majority of centenarians, their plates are piled high with beans, while meat only makes an appearance about five times per month. Apart from the Adventists, folks in the other Blue Zones enjoy a moderate and regular tipple. The secret, Buettner reckons, is to savour one-to-two glasses of vino daily with mates and meals. Over in Sardinia, they sip on Cannonau wine, known for its flavonoid content that packs an antioxidant punch. Studies have revealed that showing up at faith-based gatherings four times a month can tack on an extra four to 14 years to your lifespan. It's no fluke that all but five of the 263 centenarians interviewed by Buettner and his crew were part of a religious community. Folks who enjoy longer lifespans often put families at the centre of their lives, with grandparents and parents living close by or even under the same roof. People in these communities make a dedicated commitment to their life partners and pour "invest in their children with time and love" into their family life. Individuals blessed with longevity tend to surround themselves with friends who encourage good health habits, vital because studies have proven that behaviours like smoking, obesity, happiness, and loneliness can actually spread through social groups.
