Latest news with #McCarthy
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
The Right Chemistry: Science shows carnivore diet is best left to lions
Jenny McCarthy, a former Playboy Playmate of the Year, is playing with science again. This time it is all about the 'carnivore diet.' Her first foray into the scientific arena was in 2005, when her son was diagnosed with autism. She began to 'do her own research' that led to Dr. Andrew Wakefield's publication in the Lancet, a prime medical journal, linking the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. That paper was eventually retracted, with Wakefield accused of submitting fraudulent data. His medical license in Britain was subsequently revoked, prompting a move to the U.S., where he found fertile ground for his anti-vaccine agenda. McCarthy, with her then-boyfriend, Canadian actor Jim Carrey, became a vocal questioner of the safety of vaccines. She now insists, à la Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that she was never anti-vaccine; she was just in favour of delaying certain vaccines and reducing the 'toxins,' such as the preservative thimerosal that some contain. This flies in the face of scientific consensus. One would think the plethora of scientific studies published since Wakefield's deceitful paper that have found no relationship between vaccines and autism would have put the issue to rest, but sadly that is not the case. Now McCarthy, 52, has opened another can of worms. Interestingly, the wriggling creatures would actually fit into the carnivore diet she currently advocates. Previously, she had been a vegan and even founded Formless Beauty, a 'vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free' cosmetic company. Why? Because she was 'sick of putting toxic products on her skin.' No eyelashes made of mink fur for McCarthy! Her vegan eyelashes are made from synthetic fibres such as polybutylene terephthalate, polylactic acid or nylon. However, her vegan diet did not go well. 'I became so ill, like I was literally dying. I was exhausted, fatigued, I was a mess.' Then her 'functional medicine' doctor came to the rescue and suggested she try the carnivore diet. Joy now reigns supreme! She does not hesitate to reveal that as a vegan she was pooping every 14 days, but thanks to dining only on grass-fed meat, it is now a daily occurrence. We are all relieved to know this. Her acne has also cleared up and she says she feels like a 25-year-old. What is this carnivore diet all about? Eat nothing but steak and eggs, snack on sticks of butter and abolish grains, fruits and vegetables. Why would anyone want to do that when a massive amount of research documents the benefits of a mostly plant-based diet? Because they have heard that feasting only on meat like a lion leads to weight loss, resolves arthritis, reduces inflammation, eliminates spikes in glucose, improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, stabilizes mood and enhances cognitive function. Who says so? Nutritional luminaries like controversial Edmonton-born psychologist Jordan Peterson, his daughter Mikhaila (curiously named after Mikhail Gorbachev), podcaster Joe Rogan and former orthopedic surgeon and anti-vegan activist Shawn Baker. Keep in mind, though, that diets come and go, and similar claims have been made for the Keto, Cookie, Blood Type, Cabbage Soup, Sleeping Beauty, Cotton Ball, Vision, Grapefruit, Master Cleanse and Tapeworm diets. The current advocates of feasting on red meat did not invent the carnivore diet. In the 18th century, Scottish military surgeon John Rollo concluded that a diet of meat was the answer to diabetes because meat contains no sugar. This was seconded a century later by Italian physician Arnaldo Cantani and American doctor James Salisbury, who claimed that beef drowned in gravy, the so-called 'Salisbury steak,' resolves various health issues. How and why Baker, with no expertise in nutrition, became the carnivore guru isn't clear. What is clear is that the fad is not supported by evidence. Quite the contrary. The lack of fibre increases the risk of colon cancer, imbalances the intestinal microbiome, and can lead to explosive diarrhea. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies red meat as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' and processed meat as 'known to be carcinogenic to humans.' A high-meat diet raises LDL cholesterol, the so-called 'bad cholesterol,' as well as blood levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a compound linked with cardiovascular risk. Meat also lacks vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, all found in plant foods. Then there is the issue of kidney stones. Too great a protein consumption can lead to both calcium-oxalate and uric-acid kidney stones, as exemplified by online influencer Eve Catherine, who ended up in hospital with severe pain after embarking on the carnivore diet. People generally swallow the carnivore bait after having been seduced by the purported 'evidence' that scoots around the blogosphere, almost exclusively anecdotal. Mikhaila Peterson compellingly describes her arthritis symptoms vanishing. Blogger Patrick Ensley describes how eating a 16-oz steak, a pound of ground beef and a half-dozen eggs every day allowed him to lose 140 pounds, cured his snoring and eliminated his brain fog. In his videos, he warns people about eating vegetables like spinach, broccoli and kale because 'these produce plant defence chemicals, so they don't want you to eat them.' Nonsense! Add to this the ripped body of Baker, Jordan Peterson's claims of relief of depression and Rogan speaking of putting on muscle and improving energy. These may be impressive anecdotes, but the plural of anecdote is not data. Neither do self-reported online surveys amount to evidence. Where we do find evidence is for the risks of excessive meat consumption and for the benefits of a Mediterranean type diet with lots of nuts, whole grains fruits, vegetables and little red meat. There is one condition that might be helped by a carnivore diet. A case report in the journal Frontiers of Nutrition describes 10 patients with either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis going into remission after starting a carnivore diet, with symptoms only returning when patients diverged from their diet. It's a very interesting report that should prompt further studies, but should not be taken to mean that the carnivore diet is generally beneficial. Baker asks: 'Why doesn't every wild animal that eats meat suffer from the chronic diseases modern humans face?' Maybe because the lion avoids the stress of having to listen to pseudo-scientific babble about diets by sleeping twenty hours a day.
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Vikings' Justin Jefferson: I Want J.J. McCarthy to be 'Confident' to Make Plays
Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings said "best to you and the Seattle Seahawks," but Aaron Rodgers never came walking through the door. In fact, he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers after being released by the New York Jets. And, as a result of those events, it's now J.J. McCarthy's show in Minnesota, and McCarthy's superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, is a believer in the young signal-caller. "As his teammate and as a captain of the team, just trying to make him dialed in every chance that I can," Jefferson said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. "Our lockers are right next to each other, so every chance that I get to talk to him about football, about anything that goes on outside of football. "Just try to get to know him as much as I can, because when the season comes and whenever we're locked in, I want him to be just as confident as I am of him to make the plays out there." Minnesota traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after playing three seasons at Michigan and starting the bulk of the last two, highlighted by helping the Wolverines win the National Championship in his junior season (2023). McCarthy's rookie season was derailed by him suffering a torn meniscus in the 2024 preseason, which ended the quarterback's rookie campaign. Darnold then became the Vikings' official starting quarterback, helping lead them to a 14-3 season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card round. In his final season at Michigan, McCarthy, who always presented a threat with his legs, totaled 2,991 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and a Big Ten-high 167.4 passer rating, while completing a conference-high 72.3% of his passes in a run-happy offensive scheme. As for Jefferson, the two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler totaled 103 receptions for 1,533 yards (14.9 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns last season. He ranked eighth among wide receivers with an 87.2 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. McCarthy inherits a stacked Vikings' offense that includes the aforementioned Jefferson, budding wide receiver Jordan Addison — who has averaged 66.5 receptions for 893.0 yards and 9.5 touchdowns per season over his first two NFL seasons — tight end and two-time Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones, who rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards, while tallying 408 receiving yards last season, among others. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Minnesota Vikings J.J. McCarthy Justin Jefferson recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Farrell believes 'mature' Joe McCarthy can lead Lions' challenge
Andy Farrell wants the 2025 British & Irish Lions to 'walk forward to the challenge' facing them in this Test series with Australia and he believes his young Ireland lock Joe McCarthy is the ideal character to show the way. McCarthy, 24, will partner Lions captain Maro Itoje in the second row for Saturday's first Test against the Wallabies after the head coach unveiled his starting line-up on Thursday. Skipper Itoje will lead by example, but Farrell sees McCarthy as the player who can embody what he is expecting to see from his side in this Test series, starting at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. 'We want to see a performance that does everyone proud and, when I say everyone, you're talking about thousands of people that are turning up,' Farrell said on Thursday morning Irish time. 'You're walking around town and you can already feel it heating up and it will only ramp up tomorrow, so it's making sure we do everyone proud here and at home with the type of performance that is one that's going to walk forward to the challenge and be the best version of ourselves. 'You can talk about everything that the first Test always is on a Lions tour, but it's making sure we're concentrating on the performance and that we attack it from the get-go. 'He (McCarthy) definitely will. He's that type of player. I've never really seen him take a backward step anyway, even when he came onto the scene as a youngster. 'He's certainly grown a lot since then as far as maturity's concerned but I've also seen his character and his attitude grow in the same vein and then we end up with him starting in a Lions series. It's fantastic to see.' Farrell believes has picked a set of forwards who can match McCarthy's fire, with a front row of Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, and a back row of Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan that can bring attitude, abrasiveness and aggression. 'Look at the pack that we have picked, it is not just Joe. You can see that throughout. You can also see that the quality of the bench of who's not there. You would take that over any given time in a Test match.' Farrell spoke with warmth about the progress and growth he had seen in McCarthy over the past two seasons with Leinster and Ireland. 'He's worked out the type of player that he wants to be. He always wanted to master the dark arts of a tighthead second row and we've had some learnings along the way. He's been mature enough to sort those out and that's why we're seeing him play his best rugby.'
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
The mother of an L.A. teen who took his own life is fighting for a new mental health tool for LGBTQ+ youth
Bridget McCarthy believes that if her son Riley Chart had quick and easy access to a suicide prevention hotline designed for queer young people, he might be alive today. Chart, a trans teen who had once endured bullying because he was different, took his own life at the family's home during the COVID-19 lockdown in September 2020 — two weeks after his 16th birthday. 'I truly believe that had there been an LGBTQ-specific [help] number right in front of him, he would've tried it,' McCarthy said. State lawmakers are set to vote in August on a bill that McCarthy and its sponsors say could save the lives of other young queer Californians. California Assembly Bill 727 would require ID cards for public school students in grades 7 through 12 and students at public institutions of higher education to list the free LGBTQ+ crisis line operated by The Trevor Project on the back, starting in July 2026. The Trevor Project is a West Hollywood-based nonprofit that the federal government cut ties with when it eliminated funding for LGBTQ+ counseling through the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8). The lifeline was expected to stop routing crisis calls to The Trevor Project and six other LGBTQ+ contractors Thursday. It's one of several actions in the second Trump administration that critics fear will roll back years of progress of securing health-care services for queer Americans. 'When the Trump administration threatened and then went through with their threat to cut the program completely, that told us that we had to step up to the plate,' said Democratic Assemblymember Mark González of Los Angeles, who said he introduced the legislation to ensure that queer youth receive support from counselors who can relate to their life experiences. 'Our goal here is to be the safety net — especially for those individuals who are not in Los Angeles but in other parts of the state who need this hotline to survive.' California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the L.A. LGBT Center and the Sacramento LGBT Center all have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. Gov. Gavin Newsom told Politico the Trump administration's 9-8-8 decision was 'indefensible' and that he also backs the bill. His office said the state's $4.7 billion Master Plan for Kids' Mental Health includes partnerships with organizations such as The Trevor Project. González said the bill originally included private schools but in response to conservative opposition, the mandate was amended so it would be limited to public schools. With federal funding for the LGBTQ+ crisis counselors who field calls through the 9-8-8 lifeline running out on Thursday, local nonprofits and elected officials have vowed to fill the void. L.A. County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey P. Horvath authored a motion to explore the impact of the cut and see whether the county can help to continue the service. The board unanimously approved it Tuesday. 'The federal government may be turning its back on LGBTQ+ people, but here in L.A. County we'll do everything within our power to keep this community safe,' Hahn said in a statement after the vote. About 40% of young queer people in the U.S. have seriously contemplated suicide compared to 13% of their peers, according to a teen mental health survey published last fall by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Trevor Project and other organizations have reported a rise in the number of people calling crisis lines to seek mental health support, both in California and nationwide. Trans Americans have been particularly shaken by the backlash against LGBTQ+ people and by the prospect of new restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare, according to new findings published this week by researchers at the University of Vermont. Their survey of 489 gender-diverse adults after the 2024 election, published Wednesday in JAMA Open Network, found that nearly a third of those interviewed would consider risky DIY hormone therapies if treatments disappear elsewhere. A fifth of respondents reported having suicidal thoughts. As the mother of a trans child who died from suicide, McCarthy said she wants to use the lessons she's learned to educate and advocate for other trans young people and their families in similar situations. McCarthy, who lives in Culver City, has started a memorial fund with The Trevor Project, organized suicide prevention walks in West L.A. and attended Pride festivals to hand out crisis line information. She remembers Riley as an artistic and warmhearted son who joined LGBTQ+ groups and built a network of friends while attending high schools in both Santa Monica and Culver City. Riley had a therapist for support living as a trans teen, but during the pandemic, he found it hard to cope with not being able to spend time in person with his friends. The confinement made him increasingly irritable. He was staying up later than usual and spending excessive time on his phone, McCarthy said. After Riley died, the family discovered that he'd texted a gay friend for help. 'The only other number in his phone was a 10-digit veterans hotline number — that he did not call,' McCarthy said. 'That's why you have to have a lifeline that speaks to different populations. A veterans hotline will not work for a 16-year-old kid who's struggling with their identity.' When Riley was 12, McCarthy took him to the Pride parade in West Hollywood hoping that he would experience the feeling of belonging that he seemed to yearn for. He loved it. 'Ry said he'd found his people,' McCarthy recalls, using the family's nickname for him. 'He was like, 'This is it — I'm home, mom.'' When Riley's mother took him to Pride a second time the following year, he bought a trans pride flag that became one of his prized possessions. 'He was wrapped in it when he went, when he left us,' McCarthy said. McCarthy spoke by phone from one of Riley's favorite places, Lummi Island in Washington state, near the U.S.-Canada border. The family laid Riley's remains on the island and McCarthy goes to visit the grave site four times a year to care for the maple tree planted in his memory, admire the painted stones his friends placed around it and talk to her son. McCarthy said she and Riley visited family friends on the island almost every year when he was younger. Especially during middle school when he faced bullying from classmates and issues over which restroom to use, the island served as a refuge where McCarthy saw her son at his most carefree. He loved climbing trees, swimming and herding cows, far from the pressures of being a kid in L.A. 'When you'd open the car door, it was just like opening the barn gate,' McCarthy remembers. 'Like a colt across a field, he would just run. It gave us a chance for some peace.'
CAF
2 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
Kenya President Ruto in surprise Harambee Stars visit, wants focus on CHAN title
Published: Thursday, 17 July 2025 Kenya's President, Dr William Ruto, has urged the Harambee Stars to aim for the title on home soil as they gear up for their debut in the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024. The Head of State made a surprise visit to the national team's training base at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani Annex on Wednesday evening, where they were wrapping up their first week of residential training. During his visit, President Ruto pledged full government support to ensure the team performs at its best. Kenya is co-hosting the biennial competition alongside East African neighbours Uganda and Tanzania. 'We are delighted as a country to host this tournament. We will be making history for Kenya,' said President Ruto. 'When I made the decision to have Kenya bid for both CHAN and AFCON, I believed we had the capacity and the ability.' Addressing the players, he added: 'You are going to represent more than 50 million Kenyans, and that is the weight of responsibility on your shoulders. "I have come here to tell you that we believe in your capacity and potential, and we will proudly cheer you to victory. "Know that the whole country is behind you. Let it be historic—if we are hosting it for the first time, then we must win.' The President also affirmed that Kenya is ready to welcome the continent, with the tournament's opening match set to take place in just under three weeks. Head coach Benni McCarthy expressed his gratitude for the visit: 'We are honoured as a team to have you grace us with your presence despite your busy schedule. We promise to give our best and work hard to deliver results.' The Harambee Stars will intensify their preparations in the coming days, as they gear up for a four-nation pre-CHAN tournament in Arusha, Tanzania, featuring fellow co-hosts Uganda and Tanzania, as well as Congo Brazzaville. The preparatory tournament kicks off on 21 July. Coach McCarthy has already trimmed his squad and made a few changes. Strikers Moses Shummah and Emmanuel Osoro have been ruled out of CHAN eligibility after signing professional contracts with Zambia's Power Dynamos. To bolster the squad, McCarthy has brought in Police FC midfielder Marvin Nabwire and Bandari goalkeeper Byrne Omondi. Kenya have been placed in a tough Group A where they will face two-time champions Morocco and DR Congo as well as Angola and Zambia.
