Latest news with #Smithson
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Breakfast Can Reverse Insulin Resistance in Just 4 Weeks
Insulin resistance, which is when cells don't respond to insulin properly, is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, a health condition that occurs in one in three adults in the U.S. The reason why this is so alarming is because people with prediabetes are more likely to experience heart disease and stroke, which can be deadly. Ready for the good news? Insulin resistance is reversible. You can literally take control of your health and avoid prediabetes or type 2 diabetes by making some changes to the way you eat and live. One great place to start is with breakfast. How you start your morning is powerful; it sets the tone for the rest of the day. And eating a breakfast that can actively help reverse insulin resistance is easier and more delicious than you may think. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 If you have insulin resistance and want to reverse it, who is board-certified in internal medicine, anti-aging medicine and emergency medicine and is the medical director of Eternity Medicine, believes diet is the most important component to focus on. 'Exercise, some select supplements and medications, stress management and good sleep are also important, but food (and, in particular, carbohydrates), lead to insulin secretion. A key component of reversing or improving insulin resistance is to minimize insulin secretion and keep blood glucose levels steady,' he says. Dr. Simpson explains that the best way to reverse insulin resistance is to eat foods that keep insulin levels in check. 'There is no specific diet [for this]: vegan, keto, carnivore or low-carb can all accomplish this goal. That said, high carbohydrate and high protein are trickier to fit into a plan that limits insulin secretion,' he says. That means it's important to minimize consumption of sugary drinks, white bread and pastries, white rice and pasta. Related: , a registered dietitian and senior manager of nutrition and wellness at the American Diabetes Association, also says that many different eating plans can help reverse insulin resistance. 'There are seven healthy eating patterns that have been shown as an effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes. The seven eating pattern options include: The Mediterranean Diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Low Carbohydrate, Very Low Carbohydrate, Vegetarian or Vegan, Low Fat or Very Low Fat,' she says. With this diet advice in mind, what do the experts recommend eating for breakfast if your health goal is to reverse insulin resistance? 'Just like there is not one eating pattern for diabetes management, there also is not one food that will lower your risk of diabetes,' Smithson begins. However, she recommends choosing a lean protein (such as low-fat cottage cheese, eggs or tofu) or a healthy fat (such as avocado or nuts) and combining it with a nutrient-rich carbohydrate that is full of fiber (such as whole grain toast, a whole grain tortilla, fresh fruit or beans). She explains that the fiber helps slow the absorption of the carbs, which prevents glucose levels from rising to an undesirable level. 'If you would like to have a very low-carb breakfast, you can try an egg wrap filled with grilled bell peppers,' she adds. Related: Dr. Simpson adds to Smithson's advice, saying to prioritize low-glycemic foods at breakfast. 'Low glycemic foods such as eggs, avocados, [plain] yogurt, cottage cheese, seeds or nuts and meats such as bacon and sausage would be my preference for breakfast. Insulin naturally is higher in the morning and these foods will only have a minimal impact on insulin secretion,' he explains. In terms of breakfast foods to avoid, Dr. Simpson says to avoid cereals (unless it's a low-carb cereal, which most aren't), muffins, breads, fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages (like flavored coffees). Related: While following this expert advice when deciding what to make for breakfast can help reverse insulin resistance, Smithson emphasizes that one meal alone can't transform health; overall diet matters. 'Blood glucose levels fluctuate throughout the day so changing one meal won't ensure that blood glucose levels will stay in range throughout the day,' she explains. That said, if you follow their dietary advice, Dr. Simpson stresses it's possible to reverse insulin resistance in just four weeks. It's empowering to know you can change your fate when it comes to your health. Committing to a low-glycemic breakfast is the first step to reversing insulin resistance. Once it becomes a habit, you can commit to keeping your success going with lunch, dinner and snacks. With time, you will change your health, one meal at a time. Up Next: Dr. Graham Simpson, MD, functional medicine doctor board-certified in internal medicine, anti-aging medicine and emergency medicine and the medical director of Eternity Medicine Toby Smithson, MS, CDCES, FAND, RDN, registered dietitian and senior manager of nutrition and wellness at the American Diabetes Association
CBC
04-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Lithium company exploring N.W.T. hopes to refine material in Canada, not China
A lithium exploration company working in the N.W.T. says getting a mine ready for production could be anywhere from six to eight years away – but already, it's evaluating how it would get the material refined and battery ready without relying on China. "It's likely that Edmonton will be an obvious place for an energy hub for lithium processing in future," said David Smithson, Li-FT's senior vice president of geology. According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide demand for critical minerals – like lithium – is expected to double by 2040. Keeping the supply chain within Canada is one of the major tasks ahead. Li-FT's deposits, found in rock, can be crushed and separated but the material still needs to be converted into something that can be used in batteries – like lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, two final products typically used in lithium batteries. The two hard-rock mines producing lithium in Canada, Tanco in Manitoba and North American Lithium in Quebec, send their lithium to China for conversion. Right now Canada doesn't have a plant to do that work more locally, but Smithson expects that to change. "Companies that have resources are banding together to put their resources together and work together to try to bring in partners to build these kinds of things within Canada," said Smithson. Smithson said mining companies across Canada are working on projects to refine lithium from hard rock. In March this year, the federal government announced its partnership with Frontier Lithium Inc. to open what they say will be North America's very first lithium hydroxide conversion plant in Ontario. This year the Chinese commerce ministry proposed curbing exports on technology essential for battery components and critical minerals processing, so sharing refining tech between the two countries isn't looking like a likely option. Smithson said the current political landscape, especially between the U.S. and Canada, has further encouraged collaboration to get projects off the ground that could help secure energy security in the future. Another option There are also companies focused on extracting lithium from water. Unlike those extracting lithium from hard rock, these companies are trying to extract it from brines. Lithium mining company E3 in Alberta, for example, has developed the technology needed to take lithium out of the water from oilfield brines and to refine it themselves. E3 said it's on track to have one of the few projects in North America producing battery-quality lithium products by 2030. "The process that we have landed on for our first commercial facility is a process called adsorption. And it's basically an exchange type of system that works much like the water softener in your basement," said E3 CEO Chris Doornbos. Doornbos said adsorption involves adding a solid chemical, frequently referred to as a bead, to the water. The lithium attaches to the beads, which are then removed from the liquid. He said the beads are then rinsed with acid to release the lithium. Doornbos said in the current state of the industry, it's a unique advantage to not rely on secondary processing in China. "We're definitely the leaders in Canada, but there's a couple new U.S. development projects that are on the same path and time frame as we are." Doornbos said Canada's estimated demand for battery-grade lithium is about 200,000 tonnes a year, adding that E3 plans to scale up their facility to produce 36,000 tonnes a year.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With its executive order targeting the Smithsonian, the Trump administration opens up a new front in the history wars
I teach history in Connecticut, but I grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas, where my interest in the subject was sparked by visits to local museums. I fondly remember trips to the Fellow-Reeves Museum in Wichita, Kansas, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. A 1908 photograph of my great-grandparents picking cotton has been used as a poster by the Oklahoma Historical Society. This love of learning history continued into my years as a graduate student of history, when I would spend hours at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum learning about the history of human flight and ballooning. As a professor, I've integrated the institution's exhibits into my history courses. The Trump administration, however, is not happy with the way the Smithsonian Institution and other U.S. museums are portraying history. On March 27, 2025, the president issued an executive order, 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' which asserted, 'Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. Under this historical revision, our Nation's unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.' Trump singled out a few museums, including the Smithsonian, dedicating a whole section of the order on 'saving' the institution from 'divisive, race-centered ideology.' Of course, history is contested. There will always be a variety of views about what should be included and excluded from America's story. For example, in my own research, I found that Prohibition-era school boards in the 1920s argued over whether it was appropriate for history textbooks to include pictures of soldiers drinking to illustrate the 1791 Whiskey Rebellion. But most recent debates center on how much attention should be given to the history of the nation's accomplishments over its darker chapters. The Smithsonian, as a national institution that receives most of its funds from the federal government, has sometimes found itself in the crosshairs. The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846 thanks to its namesake, British chemist James Smithson. Smithson willed his estate to his nephew and stated that if his nephew died without an heir, the money – roughly US$15 million in today's dollars – would be donated to the U.S. to found 'an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.' The idea of a national institution dedicated to history, science and learning was contentious from the start. In her book 'The Stranger and the Statesman,' historian Nina Burleigh shows how Smithson's bequest was nearly lost due to battles between competing interests. Southern plantation owners and western frontiersmen, including President Andrew Jackson, saw the establishment of a national museum as an unnecessary assertion of federal power. They also challenged the very idea of accepting a gift from a non-American and thought that it was beneath the dignity of the government to confer immortality on someone simply because of a large donation. In the end, a group led by congressman and former president John Quincy Adams ensured Smithson's vision was realized. Adams felt that the country was failing to live up to its early promise. He thought a national museum was an important way to burnish the ideals of the young republic and educate the public. Today the Smithsonian runs 14 education and research centers, the National Zoo and 21 museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was created with bipartisan support during President George W. Bush's administration. In the introduction to his book 'Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects,' cultural anthropologist Richard Kurin talks about how the institution has also supported hundreds of small and large institutions outside of the nation's capital. In 2024, the Smithsonian sent over 2 million artifacts on loan to museums in 52 U.S. states and territories and 33 foreign countries. It also partners with over 200 affiliate museums. YouGov has periodically tracked Americans' approval of the Smithsonian, which has held steady at roughly 68% approval and 2% disapproval since 2020. Precursors to the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the Smithsonian took place in the 1990s. In 1991, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which was then known as the National Museum of American Art, created an exhibition titled 'The West as America, Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920.' Conservatives complained that the museum portrayed western expansion as a tale of conquest and destruction, rather than one of progress and nation-building. The Wall Street Journal editorialized that the exhibit represented 'an entirely hostile ideological assault on the nation's founding and history.' The exhibition proved popular: Attendance to the National Museum of American Art was 60% higher than it had been during the same period the year prior. But the debate raised questions about whether public museums were able to express ideas that are critical of the U.S. without risk of censorship. In 1994, controversy again erupted, this time at the National Air and Space Museum over a forthcoming exhibition centered on the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima 50 years prior. Should the exhibition explore the loss of Japanese lives? Or emphasize the U.S. war victory? Veterans groups insisted that the atomic bomb ended the war and saved 1 million American lives, and demanded the removal of photographs of the destruction and a melted Japanese school lunch box from the exhibit. Meanwhile, other activists protested the exhibition by arguing that a symbol of human destruction shouldn't be commemorated at an institution that's supposed to celebrate human achievement. Republicans won the House in 1994 and threatened cuts to the Smithsonian's budget over the Enola Gay exhibition, compelling curators to walk a tightrope. In the end, the fuselage of the Enola Gay was displayed in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. But the exhibit would not tell the full story of the plane's role in the war from a myriad of perspectives. In 2019, The New York Times launched the 1619 project, which aimed to reframe the country's history by placing slavery and its consequences at its very center. The first Trump administration quickly responded by forming its 1776 commission. In January 2021, it produced a report critiquing the 1619 project, claiming that an emphasis on the country's history of racism and slavery was counterproductive to promoting 'patriotic education.' That same year, Trump pledged to build 'a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live,' with 250 statues to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. President Joe Biden rescinded the order in 2021. Trump reissued it after retaking the White House, and pointed to figures he'd like to see included, such as Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Betsy Ross, Sitting Bull, Bob Hope, Thurgood Marshall and Whitney Houston. I don't think there is anything wrong with honoring Americans, though I think a focus on celebrities and major figures clouds the fascinating histories of ordinary Americans. I also find it troubling that there seems to be such a concerted effort to so forcefully shape the teaching and understanding of history via threats and bullying. Yale historian Jason Stanley has written about how aspiring authoritarian governments seek to control historical narratives and discourage an exploration of the complexities of the past. Historical scholarship requires an openness to debate and a willingness to embrace new findings and perspectives. It also involves the humility to accept that no one – least of all the government – has a monopoly on the truth. In his executive order, Trump noted that 'Museums in our Nation's capital should be places where individuals go to learn.' I share that view. Doing so, however, means not dismantling history, but instead complicating the story – in all its messy glory. The Conversation U.S. receives funding from the Smithsonian Institution. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jennifer Tucker, Wesleyan University Read more: From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools Trump has purged the Kennedy Center's board, which in turn made him its chair – why does that matter? Inside the collapse of Disney's America, the US history-themed park that almost was Jennifer Tucker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Do heat pumps work in old or large homes? Here's everything you need to know
Heat pumps are being sold to consumers as a way of cutting carbon emissions from homes - but are they suitable for where you live? For the indoctrinated, a heat pump is an electric-powered system that uses heat from the air or ground for hot water or heating. As there is a substantial upfront cost associated with heat pumps - even though there is a £7,500 Government grant available - some consumers remain unsure as to whether to take the plunge. But experts and people who have installed one say heat pumps can work, even where a traditional gas boiler might have struggled. Retired GP Richard Smithson, who lives with his wife in an Edwardian six-bedroom semi-detached villa in North Tyneside, made the switch from a gas boiler two and a half years ago, to 'reduce our carbon footprint and also to try and act as a pioneer, an example to other people that it can be done'. Their home already had double-glazing, but the installation, which cost £11,000 after a then-£5,000 government grant, involved underfloor insulation, replacement radiators and zoning the heating system. Mr Smithson said he was 'pleasantly surprised' at how easily the two-week installation was, and added: 'This house was never that warm with the gas boiler, I'd say it was warmer now with the heat pump.' Homeowners are advised to keep the heating on at a constant temperature all the time, enabling the building to store warmth in walls to reduce heat loss and enable the heat pump to run most efficiently. It means the heat pump works hardest overnight, when variable tariffs give Mr Smithson cheaper energy for charging his electric car. As a result, he says his electricity bill is less than they were previously paying for gas. He added: 'Some people say how long is it before you get your money back? 'That's irrelevant, if you're a retiring professional who's fairly well-off, which you will be if you live in this kind of house, and you get a big lump sum, do you spend it on a round-the-world cruise or do you spend it on a heat pump. 'To me there's only one answer – get a heat pump.' Nick Barr, who is renovating a detached five-bedroom Edwardian house in south London, said he really liked the efficiency of heat pumps, but 'I wasn't sure a heat pump could work on such a big or old house'. But his installer was an engineer who understood how to calculate the heating requirements and design the system, with correctly-sized radiators, pipework, and energy efficiency improvements. His heat pump is efficient, 'elegant' and extremely quiet, he added. 'It's not cheap, but if you're putting something in new or if you've got to replace a system, it does make sense.' And he said: 'The number one thing is to get a heat-loss calculation assessment for the building. That allows you to make the right, informed decisions going forward.' He said he has no regrets. Andy Balaam, a software engineer, opted for a heat pump for his family's detached, four-bedroom Victorian home in Surrey in 2021, to limit its climate impact. He said the installation was 'surprisingly OK', but they needed a good company which came back to adjust the system in the first couple of weeks to get it working properly. 'I was worried whether it was going to make the house warm, I was worried it was going to cost a lot of money and worried if it was going to be reliable,' he said. While the heat pump is 'not attractive and it's noisy', it is out of the way at the side of the house, and Dr Balaam said: 'It absolutely warms our house effectively, it's much nicer than it was before.' Leah Robson, managing director of Dr Balaam's installers, Your Energy Your Way, which primarily deals with clients whose properties are hard to heat with heat pumps, says the level of comfort is something people 'really don't expect about' them. ' People are genuinely concerned, often they're struggling to heat their home as it is,' she said. 'And when you turn up and say, 'yes, you can have a heat pump and yes, you will be able to run it all day and it won't cost you any more to run than your gas boiler', people are understandably a little bit sceptical.' She talks to customers about living with a heat pump, and conducts heat loss assessments and tests for draughts that can be easily fixed. The type of installations the firm carries out are 'not cheap projects', she said, and 'sometimes it's just not the right thing but, typically, even in a solid wall house, if it's got double glazing and reasonable loft insulation we can fit a heat pump'. That is backed up by a demonstration project led by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) which found heat pumps could be successfully installed in all types of homes. Some 8 per cent of the 742 homes which had heat pumps installed for the project were pre-1919 properties, the majority of which were detached or semi-detached, even though it was 'more challenging' to install in older homes because of the constraints of the project. Daniel Logue, from ESC, said monitoring found the house age and type did not have any impact on the efficiency of the heat pumps. 'If a trained installer says that your house could have a heat pump, and installs it correctly, it should perform well regardless of the type or age,' he added. David Cowdrey, acting chief executive at The MCS Foundation, which oversees the certification of home renewables, said: 'There is a lack of public information about heat pumps, leading to a proliferation of myths and misinformation about how and where they work.' He urged the Government to lead a public information campaign to counter myths and encourage uptake of heat pumps in all kinds of properties.
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Heat pumps: Can you have them in older, larger houses?
Heat pumps are seen as a key to cutting carbon emissions from homes, but experts say 'myths and misinformation' still abound about the technology. While cost is a barrier for many people, even with a £7,500 Government grant, homeowners in bigger, older properties with cash available may still have concerns, from disruption to whether the tech will work for them. But experts and people who have taken the plunge say heat pumps – electric-powered systems that use ambient heat from the air or ground for heating and hot water – can work, even where a traditional gas boiler might have struggled. Retired GP Richard Smithson, who lives with his wife in an Edwardian six-bedroom semi-detached villa in North Tyneside, made the switch from a gas boiler two and a half years ago, to 'reduce our carbon footprint and also to try and act as a pioneer, an example to other people that it can be done'. Their home already had double-glazing, but the installation, which cost £11,000 after a then-£5,000 government grant, involved underfloor insulation, replacement radiators and zoning the heating system. Mr Smithson said he was 'pleasantly surprised' at how easily the two-week installation was, and added: 'This house was never that warm with the gas boiler, I'd say it was warmer now with the heat pump.' Homeowners are advised to keep the heating on at a constant temperature all the time, enabling the building to store warmth in walls to reduce heat loss and enable the heat pump to run most efficiently. It means the heat pump works hardest overnight, when variable tariffs give Mr Smithson cheaper energy for charging his electric car. As a result, he says his electricity bill is less than they were previously paying for gas. He added: 'Some people say how long is it before you get your money back? 'That's irrelevant, if you're a retiring professional who's fairly well-off, which you will be if you live in this kind of house, and you get a big lump sum, do you spend it on a round-the-world cruise or do you spend it on a heat pump. 'To me there's only one answer – get a heat pump.' Nick Barr, who is renovating a detached five-bedroom Edwardian house in south London, said he really liked the efficiency of heat pumps, but 'I wasn't sure a heat pump could work on such a big or old house'. But his installer was an engineer who understood how to calculate the heating requirements and design the system, with correctly-sized radiators, pipework, and energy efficiency improvements. His heat pump is efficient, 'elegant' and extremely quiet, he added. 'It's not cheap, but if you're putting something in new or if you've got to replace a system, it does make sense.' And he said: 'The number one thing is to get a heat-loss calculation assessment for the building. That allows you to make the right, informed decisions going forward.' He said he has no regrets. Andy Balaam, a software engineer, opted for a heat pump for his family's detached, four-bedroom Victorian home in Surrey in 2021, to limit its climate impact. He said the installation was 'surprisingly OK', but they needed a good company which came back to adjust the system in the first couple of weeks to get it working properly. 'I was worried whether it was going to make the house warm, I was worried it was going to cost a lot of money and worried if it was going to be reliable,' he said. It absolutely warms our house effectively, it's much nicer than it was before Andy Balaam, homeowner While the heat pump is 'not attractive and it's noisy', it is out of the way at the side of the house, and Dr Balaam said: 'It absolutely warms our house effectively, it's much nicer than it was before.' Leah Robson, managing director of Dr Balaam's installers, Your Energy Your Way, which primarily deals with clients whose properties are hard to heat with heat pumps, says the level of comfort is something people 'really don't expect about' them. ' People are genuinely concerned, often they're struggling to heat their home as it is,' she said. 'And when you turn up and say, 'yes, you can have a heat pump and yes, you will be able to run it all day and it won't cost you any more to run than your gas boiler', people are understandably a little bit sceptical.' She talks to customers about living with a heat pump, and conducts heat loss assessments and tests for draughts that can be easily fixed. The type of installations the firm carries out are 'not cheap projects', she said, and 'sometimes it's just not the right thing but, typically, even in a solid wall house, if it's got double glazing and reasonable loft insulation we can fit a heat pump'. That is backed up by a demonstration project led by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) which found heat pumps could be successfully installed in all types of homes. Some 8% of the 742 homes which had heat pumps installed for the project were pre-1919 properties, the majority of which were detached or semi-detached, even though it was 'more challenging' to install in older homes because of the constraints of the project. Daniel Logue, Energy Systems Catapult Daniel Logue, from ESC, said monitoring found the house age and type did not have any impact on the efficiency of the heat pumps. 'If a trained installer says that your house could have a heat pump, and installs it correctly, it should perform well regardless of the type or age,' he added. David Cowdrey, acting chief executive at The MCS Foundation, which oversees the certification of home renewables, said: 'There is a lack of public information about heat pumps, leading to a proliferation of myths and misinformation about how and where they work.' He urged the Government to lead a public information campaign to counter myths and encourage uptake of heat pumps in all kinds of properties.
