Latest news with #Essentia
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Can a mattress help you live longer? Biohacker partners with Essentia and Oura to launch a mattress system for longevity
Biohacker Dave Asprey has teamed up with organic sleep brand Essentia and Oura Ring to build a EMF-shielding mattress and measure how it improves sleep outcomes. On a mission to live for 180 years, Asprey has optimized his sleep routine for longevity and sleeps on an Essentia mattress, which he claims is the best mattress for his sleep needs and life-extending health goals. In collaboration with the brand, he's revamped the Classic REM5 Active and Dormeuse REM9 Active mattresses with electromagnetic field (EMF) protection foam and a graphene-infused cover for improved thermal regulation, improved comfort and cleaner sleep. The proposed outcome of this upgrade? Better quality sleep with more time spent in REM and deep sleep stages — an essential factor in any longevity strategy. Asprey and Essentia will put this to the test in a 22-week-long sleep study. The new sleep system is an upgrade on the Classic REM5 Active at Essentia and Dormeuse REM9 Active mattress at Essentia. New materials will include EMF protection foam, which will help shield the body from the effects of EMF radiation. Some studies link exposure to EMF to increased risk of Leukemia, cancer, brain tumors and other health problems. Similarly to some of the best organic mattresses we've tested, the upgraded mattresses will feature natural latex. Essentia have conducted a study involving 75 professional athletes to prove their Beyond Latex Organic Foam, which will feature in the new mattresses, can improve time spent in REM and deep sleep by 20% to 60%, maximizing your rest and recovery for better longevity. Finally, the graphene-infused organic cotton cover is naturally antimicrobial, helping to fight off allergens and bacteria that accumulate in your bed. As a high conductivity element, graphite in mattresses also helps thermal regulation. It can move heat away from the mattress surface providing hot sleepers cooling relief. The Essentia and Dave Asprey sleep study will examine the impact the Dave Asprey Upgrade has on individuals' sleep quality. Participants will track their sleep data with the Oura Ring 4 before and after transitioning to their new Essentia mattress. Anyone can sign up to join the study, providing they have $5,000 to spare. For this lump sum, you'll get a the Dave Asprey Upgrade by Essentia on your choice of the Classic REM5 or Dormeuse REM9, an Oura Ring (usually costs up to $499) and one-year subscription to the Oura App (worth $69.99). The study will run over 22 weeks, beginning with a 12-week baseline data collection phase where participants will continue sleeping on their existing mattresses while collecting data with Oura. Once the handcrafted Dave Asprey x Essentia mattress arrives approximately 12 weeks after ordering, participants will switch their sleep set up. They are required to continue collecting data with Oura Ring, and sharing it with Essentia, for 10 weeks. Data points collected will include sleep duration, sleep stage duration, heart rate variability, body temperature and wake periods. From these metrics, Essentia will investigate sleep quality outcomes.
Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
What is the Essentia Venti Organic Latex mattress and should you buy it?
Essentia released the Venti Organic Latex mattress back in February, promising a dual sided mattress to appeal to a wider range of sleepers. And right now, there's 25% off all sizes of the Essentia Venti at Essentia in the brand's early Memorial Day sales, taking a queen down to $1,274.25 (MSRP $1,699). That's a generous discount for a new mattress, but should you buy the Essentia Venti Organic Latex mattress? It's not unusual to see latex used in many of this year's best mattresses that we've tested, but the dual sided design is a more unusual feature. This dual construction gives the mattress two usable sides and two firmness levels, meaning that it has a broad appeal for sleepers of all styles. With many Memorial Day mattress sales already live, this could be the perfect time to invest in a new mattress. But is the Essentia Venti Organic Latex the right fit for you? Let's find out… Like many of the best organic mattresses, the Essentia Venti is constructed with natural latex foams. Standing 8' high, the mattress' USP is its dual sided construction that allows sleepers to choose between a soft and firm side to suit sleeping preferences. Unlike most organic mattresses though, the Essentia Venti contains nothing but GOLS-certified organic latex, along with a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover. Both the soft and firm sides use high-density latex foams but employ different levels of elasticity to create the differing feels. Latex is also naturally breathable and hypoallergenic, making this a great choice for hot sleepers and allergy sufferers alike. As you might expect from a fully organic latex mattress, the Essentia Venti isn't cheap – a queen comes in at $1,699 full price. Alongside this you'll get a 120-night trial, 20-year warranty and free shipping via FedEx. Since the mattress was only launched in February, you'll struggle to find reviews – there's one on the Essentia website though that gives it 5/5, which is a promising start. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Essentia Venti Organic Latex Mattress: was from $1,199 now from $899.25 at EssentiaEssentia's most affordable mattress currently has 25% off all sizes, taking a queen down to $1,274.25 (MSRP $1,699). You'll also get a free gift with your purchase – a latex cloud pillow with a twin, twin XL or full mattress, and a GOTS certified organic sheet set with a queen or king mattress. This is a fantastic offer on a new mattress, plus you'll also get a 120-night trial, 20-year warranty and free shipping. The Essentia Venti Organic Latex mattress is the brand's cheapest model, although it's still firmly in the premium bracket even when discounted. Here are the MSRPs for the Essentia Venti: We don't expect to see the 25% off mattress sale being offered for Memorial Day to increase, so now is a great time to snap this mattress up, particularly as you'll also get a free gift alongside it. In addition, you'll also get a 120-night trial, 20-year warranty and free shipping. If you want to upgrade to white glove shipping, this will cost you an extra $299. This is a little disappointing for a mattress from one of the best luxury mattress brands, particularly when you consider that many of its organic rivals offer a full year's trial, lifetime warranty and white glove shipping for free. As you'd expect with a luxury organic brand, this mattress boasts plenty of mattress certifications proving its quality. With its flippable design, you might think that the Essentia Venti is quite complicated. But, in fact, it's relatively simple. Starting at the top, you'll find a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover, designed to protect the mattress and be breathable to prevent heat from becoming trapped. The cover can also be removed for washing. Underneath this is a nontoxic flame barrier. Next up, depending on which way round you have the mattress, is the comfort layer of high-density latex foam. On the soft side, this has elasticity with more contouring to help eliminate and soothe pressure points. On the firm side, there's less contouring to give a more supportive feel and help to keep the spine aligned. A layer of organic latex transition foam then sits on top of the supportive organic latex core of the mattress. This layer gives the mattress structure, as well as helping to ensure good lumbar support. As you'd expect, all the latex used in the mattress is GOLS certified. We haven't yet slept on the Essentia Venti, but we anticipate that this mattress will appeal to a wide range of sleepers due to its dual sided design. The soft side should appeal to side sleepers, with the greater elasticity allowing the latex foam to contour around the pressure points at the shoulders, hips and knees. Lighter weight back sleepers may enjoy the soft side. On the flip side, the firmer feel will give good support to back and stomach sleepers, helping to keep the spine aligned and hips lifted. We'd also expect this to be backed up by a strong support core, with the latex offering good lumbar support. Latex is quite a bouncy material, so those who share their bed with a restless sleeper may find that there's a little too much motion transfer through the bed. But this would be an excellent choice for hot sleepers, as both latex and cotton are naturally breathable, helping to prevent heat from becoming trapped in the mattress. If you're unsure whether latex is for you, read out 5 signs that you should buy a latex mattress instead of memory foam. ✅ You want a choice of firmness options: If you're undecided on what firmness will suit you best or just want the option to try out different feels, this could be an excellent choice. ✅ You sleep hot: Latex and cotton are both naturally breathable materials, meaning this could be a great choice if you're a hot sleeper. ✅ You suffer with allergies: Latex is hypoallergenic, making this a great choice for sleepers with allergies. ❌ You share your bed with a restless sleeper: Latex is a bouncy foam, meaning there could be a little motion transfer on this mattress. Instead, opt for one of the best memory foam mattresses, known for motion absorption. ❌ You're on a budget: Even with discounts, the Essentia Venti is still a premium mattress with a price tag to match. Consider the Birch Natural for a lower priced organic mattress. ❌ You want plenty of sinkage: You'll sleep on top of a latex mattress, rather than sinking into it so, if you want plenty of sinkage, this isn't the best choice. A softer organic option is the Naturepedic Concerto Pillow-top mattress, perfect for side sleepers.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Mass. State Police Sergeant convicted of extortion in CDL scheme
BOSTON (WWLP) – A former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant was convicted by a federal grand jury on Friday for giving out false passing scores to numerous Commercial Driver's License (CDL) applicants in a years-long conspiracy. Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was charged in a 74-count indictment in January 2024, in addition to three other state troopers and two civilians. Charging documents stated that between February 2019 and January 2023, Cederquist arranged for him and his co-conspirators to give at least three dozen CDL applicants passing scores regardless of whether or not they had passed. Agawam man charged with possession of child pornography At this time, Cederquist was in charge of MSP's CDL Unit, which included former troopers 64-year-old Calvin Butner of Halifax, 64-year-old Perry Mendes of Wareham, and 56-year-old Joel Rogers of Bridgewater. These troopers conspired to give passing scores to some applicants in exchange for bribes, using the code word 'golden handshake' or 'golden' to identify those they would give special treatment to regardless of actual performance on the test. The CDL applicants included six MSP troopers who did not perform actual Class A skills tests but were falsely reported with passing grades. Cederquist was able to accomplish this offense by conspiring with 44-year-old Scott Camara of Rehoboth, who worked for a truck-driving school in Boston. The charging documents further stated that Cederquist gave false passing scores to applicants affiliated with a water company by accepting bribes of free inventory from the company. This was arranged through 48-year-old Eric Mathison of Boston, who worked for the water company. Mathison would deliver Cederquist's bribes to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. These bribes included cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS, and Essentia water, cases of Arizona Iced Tea, coffee and tea products, and boxes of Twizzlers and Swedish Fish. Cederquist also accepted much larger bribes from Mathison in exchange for his services with the water company, including a $750 granite post and mailbox, a new driveway costing over $10,000, and a snowblower costing nearly $2,000. Many of the applicants who were given false passing scores by Cederquist and his co-conspirators were described as poor drivers, using phrases such as 'brain dead,' 'no idea what he's doing,' and 'should have failed about 10 times already,' but were still granted CDLs in exchange for bribes. Cederquist was convicted of: 2 counts of Conspiracy to Commit Extortion 1 count of Extortion 6 counts of Honest Services Mail Fraud 3 counts of Conspiracy to Falsify Records 19 Counts of Falsification of Records 17 counts of False Statements Butner, Mendes, Camara, and Mathison have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Cederquist is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairview Health Services opposed UMN, Essentia merger
Fairview Health Services told its employees in a Wednesday letter that it does not agree to a proposed merger with the University of Minnesota and Essentia Health as part of a new health care organization announced in January. The U and Duluth-based Essentia Health in late January announced the partnership to develop a new nonprofit health care organization to include a $1 billion investment in the next five years. In a proposition to Fairview on Feb 10, University and Essentia officials further suggested that they and Fairview combine into a single organization called Newco. But, in the letter, Fairview CEO James Hereford and Board of Directors Chair John Heinmiller said that while the organization supports the University's endeavor to partner with Essentia, it would not agree to a merger. 'We have stated this clearly to the University: while we are open to a partnership, when it comes to a proposed merger between Fairview, the University, and Essentia — our answer is no,' the letter said. Hereford and Heinmiller said in the letter that they believed maintaining Fairview's independence and commitment to its patients is essential over joining the proposed company called Newco. 'Additionally, we continue to support the University's — or NewCo's — purchase of the academic assets, as laid out in the University's original five-point plan and reiterated in the (letter of intent) we both signed early last year,' the letter stated. If a new contract is not in place with the University by early 2027, Fairview would continue to own and operate the academic hospitals, and academic physicians would continue to practice there, according to the letter. Fairview officials also emphasized in their letter that Essentia's willingness to support the University was a good development, calling Fairview's current level of financial support of the school 'unsustainable.' With Fairview and the University's partnership set to expire in a couple years, a solution to sustain that commitment is urgently needed, said Chris Gade, University of Minnesota vice president for communications. But, when the University made an offer, Gade said, it received a negative response from Fairview and no counter-offer. That's when University officials shared their plans with Fairview to begin exploring alternative options, leading to the proposed solution that included the three organizations, Gade said. In the Feb. 10 proposal to combine the three organizations, the University laid out plans for a 22-member board that would initially include six appointees from each organization, board appointees and a non-voting Newco CEO. 'Newco will be the most comprehensive health care system serving Minnesota — the system with the broadest geographic coverage and reach, serving the most communities, and offering a complete range of care from basic primary care through the most complex, multispecialty care,' the Feb. 10 proposal states. Gade said U officials would like an opportunity to more fully explore the proposal with Fairview. 'And now today, what we're hearing is that they have chosen to say no to that solution that we believe is in the best interest of Minnesota. And that's perplexing to us because we have not had the level of conversation that we believe is possible about that solution and we would just welcome the opportunity to explore it more fully,' Gade said. 'And what we're proposing is a solution that alleviates from Minnesota putting the University's medical school at risk. And without a solution, we don't believe we can successfully educate and train the workforce.' The U medical center, which educates some 70% of the doctors and nurses in Minnesota, was sold to Fairview in 1997. What the University is proposing closely aligns to feedback from stakeholders across the state, as well as the governor's task force, Gade said. 'And what we've heard back from Fairview is, 'We would not like to pursue a transformational solution. Instead, what we're proposing is a transactional relationship,' and actually even doing that at rates lower than what they're currently providing to the university. So I think the option for Minnesota is transformational solution or a transactional relationship,' Gade said. Describing Fairview's level of investment made into the University as below average, Gade said that the health care provider's decision would not be good for patients or providers. 'And it's important for people to recognize that and to ask questions about it. Why has it been below average? I think that's a question that merits exploration and understanding. Our commitment at the University is to fulfill our commitment to the state of Minnesota and to our land grant mission and to patients and the healthcare workforce in Minnesota,' Gade said. 'And the other kind of important part of this is, this solution, as we proposed it, really will sustain existing patient relationships that patients have with their providers. What Fairview is saying, 'Let's break up those relationships.' And that's not good for patients, and that's also not good for the caregivers.' Fairview is Minnesota's third largest employer with more than 34,000 employees, more than 1.2 million patients in Minnesota and more than $8 billion in revenue, according to the provider. Fairview previously failed to persuade U officials to back a proposed merger with Sanford Health, based out of state in Sioux Falls, S.D. Sanford proposed combining their 58 hospitals, but announced in July 2023 that the deal failed after pushback from key stakeholders and regulators. Since February 2024, the University and Fairview have been in conversations about a new model of care agreement, and the two signed a letter of intent at that time with plans for the University to purchase the four academic health facilities that make up the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, with the U assuming full ownership of the facilities by Dec. 31, 2027. Essentia operates 14 hospitals and 80 clinics in Minnesota, including St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. 'Essentia Health's overriding goal has been and remains ensuring patients across Greater Minnesota and our entire service area have access to affordable, high-quality care – today and well into the future,' said an Essentia Health spokesperson in a statement Wednesday. The University's Board of Regents is expected to discuss the proposal for the new healthcare organization during its Academic Health Committee meeting Thursday and its full board meeting on Friday. Health | With federal money at risk, UMN, MNSCU stress high stakes of state budget debate Health | Education Department rescinds Biden memo that threatened to upend college NIL payments Health | Literary calendar for week of Feb. 9: Celebrations for 'Gatsby,' Kao Kalia Yang and more Health | University of Minnesota, Essentia Health announce partnership, nonprofit Health | Minnesota allocates funding to help U researchers monitor bird flu in wildlife
