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We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-marchese-1271636">Laura Marchese</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-livingstone-324808">Katherine Livingstone</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> If you’re thinking about buying plant-based foods, a trip to the supermarket can leave you bewildered. There are plant-based burgers, sausages and mince. The fridges are loaded with non-dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt. Then there are the tins of beans and packets of tofu. But how much is actually healthy? Our nutritional audit of more than 700 plant-based foods for sale in Australian supermarkets has just been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157524000516">published</a>. We found some products are so high in salt or saturated fat, we’d struggle to call them “healthy”. <h2>We took (several) trips to the supermarket</h2> In 2022, we visited two of each of four major supermarket retailers across Melbourne to collect information on the available range of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products. We took pictures of the products and their nutrition labels. We then analysed the nutrition information on the packaging of more than 700 of these products. This included 236 meat substitutes, 169 legumes and pulses, 50 baked beans, 157 dairy milk substitutes, 52 cheese substitutes and 40 non-dairy yoghurts. <h2>Plant-based meats were surprisingly salty</h2> We found a wide range of plant-based meats for sale. So, it’s not surprising we found large variations in their nutrition content. Sodium, found in added salt and which contributes to <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/bundles/healthy-living-and-eating/salt-and-heart-health">high blood pressure</a>, was our greatest concern. The sodium content varied from 1 milligram per 100 grams in products such as tofu, to 2,000mg per 100g in items such as plant-based mince products. This means we could eat our entire <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/salt">daily recommended sodium intake</a> in just one bowl of plant-based mince. An <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09637486.2022.2137786">audit</a> of 66 plant-based meat products in Australian supermarkets conducted in 2014 found sodium ranged from 316mg in legume-based products to 640mg in tofu products, per 100g. In a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/11/2603">2019 audit</a> of 137 products, the range was up to 1,200mg per 100g. In other words, the results of our audit seems to show a consistent trend of plant-based meats <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09637486.2022.2137786">getting saltier</a>. <h2>What about plant-based milks?</h2> Some 70% of the plant-based milks we audited were fortified with calcium, a nutrient important for <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/calcium">bone health</a>. This is good news as a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1254">2019-2020 audit</a> of 115 plant-based milks from Melbourne and Sydney found only 43% of plant-based milks were fortified with calcium. Of the fortified milks in our audit, almost three-quarters (73%) contained the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/milk-yoghurt-cheese-andor-their-alternatives-mostly-reduced-fat">recommended amount of calcium</a> – at least 100mg per 100mL. We also looked at the saturated fat content of plant-based milks. Coconut-based milks had on average up to six times higher saturated fat content than almond, oat or soy milks. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1254">Previous audits</a> also found coconut-based milks were much higher in saturated fat than all other categories of milks. <h2>A first look at cheese and yoghurt alternatives</h2> Our audit is the first study to identify the range of cheese and yoghurt alternatives available in Australian supermarkets. Calcium was only labelled on a third of plant-based yoghurts, and only 20% of supermarket options met the recommended 100mg of calcium per 100g. For plant-based cheeses, most (92%) were not fortified with calcium. Their sodium content varied from 390mg to 1,400mg per 100g, and saturated fat ranged from 0g to 28g per 100g. <h2>So, what should we consider when shopping?</h2> As a general principle, try to choose whole plant foods, such as unprocessed legumes, beans or tofu. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in dietary fibre, which is good for your gut health and keeps you fuller for longer. If opting for a processed plant-based food, here are five tips for choosing a healthier option. 1. Watch the sodium Plant-based meat alternatives can be high in sodium, so look for products that have <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/eating-well/how-understand-food-labels/food-labels-what-look">around</a> 150-250mg sodium per 100g. 2. Pick canned beans and legumes Canned chickpeas, lentils and beans can be healthy and low-cost <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/getmedia/71522940-decf-436a-ba44-cd890dc18036/Meat-Free-Recipe-Booklet.pdf">additions to many meals</a>. Where you can, choose canned varieties with no added salt, especially when buying baked beans. 3. Add herbs and spices to your tofu Tofu can be a great alternative to meat. Check the label and pick the option with the highest calcium content. We found flavoured tofu was higher in salt and sugar content than minimally processed tofu. So it’s best to pick an unflavoured option and add your own flavours with spices and herbs. 4. Check the calcium When choosing a non-dairy alternative to milk, such as those made from soy, oat, or rice, check it is fortified with calcium. A good alternative to traditional dairy will have at least 100mg of calcium per 100g. 5. Watch for saturated fat If looking for a lower saturated fat option, almond, soy, rice and oat varieties of milk and yoghurt alternatives have much lower saturated fat content than coconut options. Pick those with less than 3g per 100g.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222991/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-marchese-1271636">Laura Marchese</a>, PhD Student at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-livingstone-324808">Katherine Livingstone</a>, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-looked-at-700-plant-based-foods-to-see-how-healthy-they-really-are-heres-what-we-found-222991">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

Priscilla Presley's reaction to movie based on her life

Priscilla Presley has shared how "emotional" she became after watching the new movie based on her life with her late rock star husband. The 78-year-old attended the premiere of the new film Priscilla, which was based on her 1985 memoir Elvis & Me. Priscilla took to the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4th alongside director Sofia Coppola and the cast. "It was very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love," she explained at a media call following the premiere screening. "Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could," she added. Priscilla went on to explain why she thought her love story was so intriguing to a public audience, as she spoke about the early days of her relationship with the late rock star. "It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why, and I really do think [it was] because I was more of a listener," she said. "Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection." She continued, "Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life, not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, 'Oh, it was sex.' No, it wasn't. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old." Euphoria star and Aussie actor Jacob Elordi plays Elvis in the new film, with Cailee Spaeny in the title role of Priscilla, which traces Priscilla's early years and relationship with the music icon. Elvis Presley estate officials reportedly slammed the movie, with <a title="TMZ" href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/06/22/elvis-presley-estate-officials-slam-priscilla-movie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a> claiming unnamed officials were displeased with news of the production, labelling it a "money grab." Image credits: Getty Images

Movies

Many people are tired of grappling with long COVID – here are some evidence-based ways to counter it

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyle-b-enfield-1409764">Kyle B. Enfield</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-virginia-752">University of Virginia</a> A patient of mine, once a marathon runner, now gets tired just walking around the block. She developed COVID-19 during the 2020 Christmas holiday and saw me during the summer of 2021. Previously, her primary care doctor had recommended a graded exercise program. But exercise exhausted her. After months of waiting, she finally had an appointment at our post-COVID-19 clinic at the University of Virginia. She is hardly alone in her extended search for answers. Studies suggest that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01214-4">from 10%</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101762">45% of COVID-19 survivors</a> have at least <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html">one of the following symptoms three months after recovery</a>: fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, difficulty with daily activities or mental fogginess, otherwise known as “brain fog.” There are many names for this condition: <a href="https://theconversation.com/long-covid-stemmed-from-mild-cases-of-covid-19-in-most-people-according-to-a-new-multicountry-study-195707">long COVID</a>, long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and chronic COVID. Patients report that their symptoms, or the severity of them, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007004">fluctuate over time</a>, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/deciphering-the-symptoms-of-long-covid-19-is-slow-and-painstaking-for-both-sufferers-and-their-physicians-164754">makes diagnosis and treatment difficult</a>. <h2>A response to infection</h2> Researchers and doctors have seen <a href="https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2694">similar recovery patterns from other viruses</a>, including <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html">Ebola</a> and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, <a href="https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/middle-eastern-respiratory-syndrome-mers">or MERS</a>, which is another coronavirus. This suggests that the illness we see following a bout with COVID-19 may be part of a patient’s response to the infection. But doctors and researchers do not yet know why some patients go on to have persistent symptoms. My clinical practice and academic research <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2022&q=Kyle+Enfield&hl=en&as_sdt=0,47">focus on critically ill patients</a>. Most of my patients now are people who had COVID-19 with various levels of severity. I often tell these patients that we are still learning about this disease, which wasn’t part of our vernacular before 2020. Part of what we do at the clinic is help patients understand what they can do at home to start improving. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ype9O4rD3Gk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>For millions of Americans, COVID-19 is still a part of their lives.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Dealing with fatigue</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95565-8">Chronic fatigue</a> can greatly affect quality of life. Exercise limitations can have their roots in problems with the lung, heart, brain, muscles or all of the above. Graded exercise therapy works for some but not all patients. Graded exercise is the slow introduction of exercise, starting slowly and gradually increasing in load over time. Many are frustrated because they feel more exhausted after exercising or even doing the routine tasks of daily living. The lack of progress <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109893">leads to feelings of depression</a>. The condition of feeling more exhausted after exercise <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/healthcare-providers/clinical-care-patients-mecfs/treating-most-disruptive-symptoms.html">is called post-exertional malaise</a>, which is defined as physical and mental exhaustion after an activity, often 24 hours later, that is out of proportion with the activity. For example, you feel good today and decide to go for a walk around the block. Afterward you are fine, but the next day your muscles ache and all you can do is lie on the couch. Some patients don’t even have the energy to answer emails. Rest or sleep do typically relieve the fatigue. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment; the severity and frequency of post-exertional malaise varies from person to person. <h2>Signs and symptoms</h2> Fatigue following any illness is common, as is exercise intolerance. So when should you see a medical professional? Diagnostic testing for post-exertional malaise exists, but it’s not readily available to all patients. These questions may provide clues to whether or not you are experiencing it: <ul> <li>Does it take more than one day to recover to your usual baseline activity?</li> <li>Do you feel unwell, weak, sleep poorly or have pain when recovering from activity?</li> <li>Are you feeling limited in your ability to do your daily tasks after activity?</li> <li>Does exercise activity affect you positively?</li> <li>Do you have soreness and fatigue after nonstrenuous days, or mental fatigue after strenuous or nonstrenuous activities?</li> </ul> All of these can be clues to discuss with your primary care provider, who may want to do additional testing to confirm the diagnosis, such as a <a href="https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Two-day_cardiopulmonary_exercise_test">two-day cardiopulmonary exercise test</a>. Before your appointment, there are a few things you can do at home that may help. <h2>Taking it easy</h2> One of those techniques is pacing, or activity management, an approach that balances activities with rest. The <a href="https://www.rcot.co.uk/">Royal College of Occupational Therapists</a> and the <a href="https://ics.ac.uk/">Intensive Care Society</a>, both in the U.K., developed what they call the <a href="https://www.rcot.co.uk/conserving-energy">3Ps – Pace, Plan and Prioritize</a>. Pacing yourself means breaking down activities into smaller stretches with frequent breaks rather than doing it all at once. An example would be to climb a few steps and then rest for 30 seconds, instead of climbing all the stairs at once. Planning involves looking at the week’s activities to see how they can be spread out. Think about the ones that are particularly strenuous, and give yourself extra time to complete them. This helps with prioritizing – and recognizing those tasks that can be skipped or put off. <h2>Focusing on the breathing</h2> Some patients with long COVID develop abnormal breathing patterns, including shallow rapid breathing, known as hyperventilating, or breath-holding. Either of these patterns can make you feel short of breath. Symptoms of abnormal breathing patterns include frequent yawning, throat-clearing, experiencing pins-and-needles sensations, palpitations and chest pain. Don’t ignore these symptoms, because they can be signs of serious medical problems like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htm">heart attacks</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm">abnormal heart rhythms</a>. Once those are ruled out, it is possible to relearn to breathe properly. You can <a href="https://longcovid.physio/breathing-pattern-disorders">practice these techniques at home</a>. The simple version: Find a comfortable position – either lying down or sitting upright with your back supported. Place one hand on your chest and the other over your belly button. Exhale any stale air out of your lungs. Then breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen, creating a gentle rise in the belly. You should feel the hand resting on your belly button move up and down. Try to avoid short, shallow breaths into the upper chest. Slowly exhale all the air out of your lungs. The goal is to take around eight to 12 breaths per minute. Focus on a longer exhale than inhale. For example, inhale as described for a count of two, then exhale for a count of three, as a starting point. If you take one breath every five seconds, you will be breathing 12 breaths per minute. As you get more comfortable with this, you can increase the time to further reduce your breaths per minute. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tEmt1Znux58?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Box breathing is easy to learn and you can do it anywhere, anytime.</figcaption></figure> A more advanced tool <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7uQXDkxEtM">is called box breathing</a>: Breathe in for a count of four to five, holding your breath for a count of four to five, breathing out for a count of four to five and hold that for a count of four to five. Long COVID patients who use these techniques show improvement in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00125-4">symptoms of breathlessness and sense of well-being</a>. <h2>The road to recovery</h2> The patient I referred to earlier did all of these things. As we worked with her, we discovered she had multiple reasons for her symptoms. In addition to overbreathing and symptoms of post-exertion malaise, she had a new cardiac problem, possibly related to her COVID-19 illness, that made her <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.121.024207">heart work less well during exercise</a>. Now she is recovering; while not back to marathon running, she is feeling better. Currently there is no cure for long COVID, though we hope research will lead to one. <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=long+covid&term=&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=">Clinical trials looking at potential therapies</a> are continuing. In the meantime, people should be cautious about using medications that are not proved to help – and if you’re having symptoms, get evaluated.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201451/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyle-b-enfield-1409764">Kyle B. Enfield</a>, Associate Professor of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-virginia-752">University of Virginia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-people-are-tired-of-grappling-with-long-covid-here-are-some-evidence-based-ways-to-counter-it-201451">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Body

Hollywood’s 15 best movies based on kids’ books

Steven Spielberg’s recent film The BFG is the 12th adaptation of a Dahl book (11th, if you discount an animated “BFG,” done for British television, that aired in 1989). And because they have captured the imagination of people such as Spielberg and Tim Burton (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Nicolas Roeg (The Witches), they tend to turn out quite nicely, thank you. As I see it, two of them belong on anyone’s short list of truly excellent big-screen interpretations of kid-lit classics. Fantastic Mr Fox and James and the Giant Peach make my cut here among the 15 best of all time. There are talking animal stories on my list, there are kind wizards and evil witches, there are boys and girls who must find the courage to fend for themselves. There are horses that can run like the wind, a robot from outer space. If your favourites aren’t here, apologies. And let me know what they are. Like a certain green ogre whose tale I include, your BFFC (big, friendly film critic) is all ears. This is a subjective list, after all. But it’s a list that abounds with magic and adventure, danger and delight. Babe (1995) From Dick King-Smith’s 1983 children’s book The Sheep-Pig (published as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the US.), the film, co-written by Mad Max’s George Miller, received seven Oscar nominations, including one for best picture. It’s the tale of a pig who believes he is better-equipped to herd sheep, and who is befriended by a duck (who thinks he’s a rooster), a border collie and an ewe. James Cromwell is farmer Hoggett, and thanks to some innovative CG lip-synching and animatronics, Babe and company walk and talk without a hitch. A charmer. The Black Stallion (1979) Based on Walter Farley’s 1941 classic and directed by Carroll Ballard, this beautiful horse-and-his-boy adventure begins with a dramatic shipwreck off the coast of North Africa. The boy (Kelly Reno) and the horse (an Arabian stallion) bond on a desert island, are eventually rescued, and find their way to America, where Black – thanks to the help of an old, forgotten jockey (Mickey Rooney) – proves himself lightning fast on the track. As the race announcer says, “He could be the greatest sensation in racing history!” The Brave Little Toaster (1987) Jerry Rees’ animated feature, adapted from Thomas M Disch’s 1980 novel The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances, answers the oft-asked question: Do household appliances have souls? OK, maybe not so often asked, but the film - nominated for the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - answers anyway, with wit and whimsy, as the title character and four best buds (a vacuum cleaner, a lamp, a radio and an electric blanket) go on a quest to find their owner. David Newman wrote the score, Van Dyke Parks contributed songs, and influences from Busby Berkeley to Walt Disney to General Electric are homaged. Coraline (2009) From Neil Gaiman’s 2002 Hugo-winning novella, a glorious - and gloriously spooky - story about a misfit girl who discovers a parallel and seemingly idyllic universe through a small door in her family’s creaky new home. Henry Selick, of The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed the stop-motion animated gem. Moral: Beware of loving moms with buttons for eyes. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) Wes Anderson’s meticulously staged, magically realised stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1970 book, about a wily fox, his painter wife, and an alliance of forest critters forced to do battle against some menacing farmers. Nominated for the animated feature Academy Award, it’s unique in modern-day ‘toons for Anderson’s decision to record his cast (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray among them) together, in an outdoorsy, woodsy setting, rather than isolate each voice actor in a sterile studio sound booth. The chemistry and spontaneity is palpable, the detail of the scale-model sets astounding. And is there a more dapper dresser than Mr. Fox? We think not. <img src="../media/27268/kids-movies-in-text_498x245.jpg" alt="Kids Movies In Text" width="498" height="245" /> Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) The third entry in the film franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s series of boy-wizard best-sellers is the first to fully capture that Hogwarts magic on the big screen. Thanks go to Alfonso Cuaron, who took over the directing job from HP 1 and 2’s Chris Columbus. Cuaron’s skills as a visual storyteller are out of this world, a fact borne out by his best director Oscar win in 2014 for the space odyssey Gravity. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) A young woman, a witch’s curse, a heroic wizard, an ambulatory steampunk castle - the fairy-tale elements come together with the grace and beauty that Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki is known for. An immersive and imaginative take on Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 book. The Iron Giant (1999) Ted Hughes wrote the 1968 novel (called The Iron Man in the UK), about a humongous robot from outer space and the Earth boy who befriends him. Brad Bird, who would go on to direct Pixar’s The Incredibles and Ratatouille (and the rollicking live-action Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), oversaw the traditionally animated adventure, injecting energy and emotion into the Ike-era tale. James and The Giant Peach (1996) Roald Dahl’s surreal yarn - first published in 1961 - follows our boy hero as his parents are killed, and he is sent to live with two impossibly cruel aunts. A man with a bag of magic crocodile tongues comes along, a withered peach suddenly swells to gigantic proportions, and James meets a septet of talking insects who live inside the fruit. What’s next? A trans-Atlantic journey – by peach – to view the skyscrapers of New York, of course. Henry Selick’s terrific stop-motion animated adaptation, with a soundtrack courtesy of Randy Newman. A Little Princess (1995) “I am a princess – all girls are!” a defiant Liesel Matthews tells a severe Eleanor Bron in Alfonso Cuaron’s dazzling screen reading of the 1905 Frances Hodgson Burnett novel. Matthews plays Sara, a girl sent to boarding school when her father goes off to World War I. When news comes that he has been killed, the headmistress played by Bron makes the pampered schoolgirl scrub and toil for her keep, and sends her to a cold, uncomfortable space in the attic to live. But the stories Sara spins in secret captivate the other schoolgirls, and goodness and kindness win the day. National Velvet (1944) Elizabeth Taylor is 12-year-old Velvet Brown, an English girl who wins a horse in a contest, and who - with the help of a wanderer played by Mickey Rooney - trains the gelding to compete in the Grand National Steeplechase. Nothing can stop the girl and her horse - not even the fact that girls can’t be jockeys, and when the rider’s true identity is found out, well, who knew Enid Bagnold’s 1935 novel was a stealth feminist tract? Pinocchio (1940) Walt Disney’s adaptation of the 19th-century Carlo Collodi tale about a wooden puppet-turned-real-life-boy is one of the great cartoon features to emerge from the House of (Mickey) Mouse. Fun and frightening, an allegory about self-realization and social assimilation, the landmark animated film is full of iconic moments - the terrifying transformation on Pleasure Island, Geppetto’s journey with(in) Monstro the whale - and classic songs (“I’ve Got No Strings,” “When You Wish Upon a Star”). As Jiminy Cricket says, let your conscience be your guide. Shrek (2001) William Steig’s smart and snappy 1990 picture book - about a profoundly ugly ogre who must win the heart of an equally unsightly princess - experienced a fairy-talelike transformation of its own, losing the book title’s exclamation point, but gaining kazillions of dollars as a DreamWorks Animation megahit. With Mike Myers’ supplying the voice of the big green galumph, and Cameron Diaz as the princess, Fiona (no longer ugly, at least not during daylight hours), and Eddie Murphy as the wisecracking tagalong “steed” (a donkey), the eye-popping, computer-animated film mashes up a bookshelf of fairy tales, and also merrily bashes up (as in parodies) the tropes and traditions of its more-established competition, the Walt Disney Studio. Diehard fans of author/illustrator Steig’s original work grumble about the liberties and lampooning going on in the movie, but it’s hard not to laugh - a lot - at what the filmmakers have wrought. Watership Down (1978) Quiet and gentle and yet fierce in its depiction of how death shapes us all, the British animated hit based on Richard Adams’ 1972 novel follows a small band of rabbits on the run, forced to find a new warren before “the terrible thing” happens. The animals have their own laws, their own mythologies - and the voices of some wonderful British actors, including Denholm Elliot, Michael Hordern, John Hurt and Ralph Richardson. Set in rolling English countryside, with meadows and woods, with dangers from beast and man, this talking-animal cartoon has a poetry, and a profundity, that feels very real, indeed. Bonus points if you know the lyrics to Watership Down’s signature song, Art Garfunkel’s “Bright Eyes.” The Wizard of Oz (1939) Not just one of the best film adaptations of a children’s book ever, but one of the best films ever, period. With a teenage Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, the Kansas lass who rides a twister all the way to a magical Technicolor land, populated by Munchkins and flying monkeys and a seriously wicked witch. L. Frank Baum’s 1900 fantasy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz provided the rich source material, and Victor Fleming (with assists from several other directors) provided the Hollywood vision, casting a trio of unforgettable sidekicks - Ray Bolger’s Scarecrow, Jack Haley’s Tin Man, and Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion - to join Dorothy on her journey down the yellow brick road. Iconic. Which of these films was your favourite? How about your grandchildren? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Steven Rea. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Images: Shutterstock

Movies

10 worst movies based on TV shows

There was a time when Hollywood executives were convinced that television would end the movie industry. They were certain no-one would want to pay for entertainment when there was free TV to watch. Both the film and television worlds not only survived but also thrived. To keep up with the growing demand for new products to film, the movie executives turned to the same industry they once feared. Television programmes were adapted into big screen productions. The trend continues with Baywatch being the latest feature film to draw on a TV show for inspiration. Some of the efforts worked while others should have been cancelled before being released. The following list includes some of the worst movies based on a TV show. The list is long but here are 10 of the worst: 1. CHiPs (2017) Dax Shepard and Michael Pena should have been arrested for grand theft for their part in this robbery of the movie-going public. The effort to make this movie a spoof of the beloved TV show that ran from 1977-1983 might have worked had they had even one funny joke. No such luck as all the pair had to work with was a script - by Shepard - that banked on a running joke about masturbating to generate laughs. Shepard and Pena. Both are talented performers, but even those with skills can't milk laughs out of a script that is a lot like Los Angeles traffic. Most of the time it's moving at a slow pace but there are more moments when it just comes to a dead stop. 2. The Honeymooners (2005) It was a monster mistake to make a film version of the 1955 series starring Jackie Gleason. As much as 75 per cent of what made the original Honeymooners such classic entertainment was Gleason. It was his bigger-than-life personality that made the show a classic. Cedric the Entertainer has skills but not enough to be a modern Ralph Kramden. This movie should have been sent right to the moon instead of into theatres. 3. Lost in Space (1998) The biggest problem director Stephen Hopkins faced trying to adapt this '60s sci-fi series into a movie was that the original TV show never had a clear identity. In a span of three seasons, the TV show went from a serious space adventure to a cosmic goof. And, the film is just as big a cosmic goof. The casting of Gary Oldman as Dr Smith (the Snidely Whiplash of space hitchhikers) was smart but that's where the clever thinking left orbit. A convoluted script mixed with a bland Matt LeBlanc as Maj Don West should have forced the studio to have the prints lost in the space of a landfill. 4. The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) Few films based on TV shows have featured so much talent and potential only to end up missing the mark so much. Director Penelope Spheeris was coming off her massive success with Wayne's World and put together a cast that included Diedrich Bader, Jim Varney, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. The one thing everyone forgot was that the TV comedy, which started in 1962, was a painfully light sitcom that relied on juvenile jokes and backwoods humour. That's OK when it's free on TV and there are other shows to watch but not worth the cost of a ticket. This was a wee-doggies of a film (with the emphasis on dog). 5. Inspector Gadget (1999) The only way this live-action version of the creative animated series could have been any worse is if the vanilla version of comedy, French Stewart, had played the robotic detective rather than Matthew Broderick. At least Broderick tried to bring the same kind of dry humour to the role that Don Adams had infused in the original series. Try being the operative word. Other than helping push some toys sales, Inspector Gadget had little worth. It was so bad that Broderick didn't return to the role for the sequel and was replaced by... French Stewart. 6. Car 54, Where Are You (1994) It was impossible to figure out the audience this movie was trying to attract. The big screen version of the TV show came along more than 30 years after the original went off the air. The goofball script didn't come across as being aimed at an audience that would remember the TV cop comedy. And the youth target market would have only heard of the series from their parents. The only good thing to come out of it was that John C McGinley was able to rebound seven years later to help make the TV comedy Scrubs a hit. So far, no word on a big screen version of that medical sitcom. 7. Dukes of Hazzard (2005) The entire movie comes across like star Johnny Knoxville is pulling a Jackass stunt on the audience, with a lack of funny jokes, good acting, interesting situations, human-like dialogue, anything really hazardous and the presence of Jessica Simpson. 8. Starsky & Hutch (2004) Ben Stiller had to have a place on this list and it was his forgettable work with Owen Wilson that earned him the honour. Watching the two stumble along as the big screen versions of the cool TV detectives ended up being a form of police brutality. The only saving grace was... OK, there was no saving grace. A shootout with the Dukes of Hazzard guys wouldn't have been enough to save this disaster. 9. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) The cast from the original films - which included John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, Rick Moranis and Rosie O'Donnell - was replaced by the likes of Mark Addy, Kristen Johnston, Stephen Baldwin and Jane Krakowski. It's the best decision ever made by the original cast members to consider the franchise to be extinct. The replacements helped push this franchise back into the Stone Ages of movies. 10. Land of the Lost (2009) What would such a list be like without one Will Ferrell movie? He almost made the list by ruining the big screen version of Bewitched but it was this monumental stinker that was the worst. Written by Rick Bentley. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Images: Getty

Movies

7 research-based resolutions that will help strengthen your relationship in the year ahead

The new year is going to be better. It has to be better. Maybe you’re one of the <a href="https://www.finder.com/new-years-resolution-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">74% of Americans</a> in one survey who said they planned on hitting the reset button on Jan. 1 and resolving to improve. Those <a href="http://maristpoll.marist.edu/marist-poll-national-results-analysis-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Year’s resolutions most commonly focus on</a> eating healthier, exercising, losing weight and being a better person. Admirable goals, to be sure. But focusing on body and mind neglects something equally important: your romantic relationship. Couples with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00393.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">better marriages report higher well-being</a>, and one study found that having a better romantic relationship not only promoted well-being and better health now but that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2020.1838238" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those benefits extend into the future</a>. The lesson is clear: Your relationship is important. Resolve to get it right. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. But here are seven resolutions based on recent psychological research that you can make this New Year to help keep your relationship going strong. <h2>1. Set yourself up for success</h2> Adjust your mindset so you see your relationship as a key <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00373.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">source of positive experiences</a>. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=v2ai_5wAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychologists like me</a> call this boosting your social approach motivation. Instead of merely trying to avoid relationship problems, those with an approach motivation seek out the positives and <a href="http://peplab.web.unc.edu/files/2020/11/Don-Fredrickson-Algoe-JPSP-In-press-Approach-Paper-In-Press-.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use them to help the relationship</a>. Here’s how: Imagine a conversation with your partner. Having more of an approach motivation allows you to focus on positive feelings as you talk and to see your partner as more responsive to you. Your partner gets a burst of positivity, too, and in return sees you as more responsive. One partner’s good vibes spill over to the other partner, ultimately benefiting both. After a year when your relationship may have felt unprecedented external strains, laying the foundation to take advantage of any positives is good place to start. <h2>2. Be optimistic</h2> While things in the past may not have always gone how you wanted, it’s important to be optimistic about the future. But the right kind of optimism matters. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 research study</a> from <a href="https://cns.utexas.edu/directory/item/84-human-dev-family-sci/3008-farnish-krystan?Itemid=349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krystan Farnish</a> and <a href="https://cns.utexas.edu/directory/item/14-human-ecology/259-neff-lisa-a?Itemid=349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Neff</a> found that generally looking on the bright side of life allowed participants to deal with relationship conflict more effectively – as they put it, better able to “shake it off” – than did those who were optimistic specifically about their relationship. It seems that if people focus all their rosy expectations just on their relationship, it encourages them to anticipate few negative experiences with their partner. Since that’s unrealistic even in the best relationships, it sets them up for disappointment. <h2>3. Increase your psychological flexibility</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try to go with the flow</a>. In other words, work on accepting your feelings without being defensive. It’s OK to adjust your behaviors – you don’t always have to do things the way you always have or go the places you’ve always gone. Stop being stubborn and experiment with being flexible. A 2020 study by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karen_Twiselton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Twiselton</a> and colleagues found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12344" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when you’re more flexible psychologically</a>, relationship quality is higher, in part because you experience more positive and fewer negative emotions. For example, navigating the yearly challenge of holidays and family traditions is a relationship minefield. However, if both partners back away from a “must do” mentality in favor of a more adaptable approach, relationship harmony will be greater. <h2>4. It’s OK to put ‘me’ before ‘we’</h2> It’s easy for some people to play the self-sacrificing martyr in their romantic relationship. If this sounds like you, try to focus more on yourself. It doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad partner. When you’re psychologically healthy, your partner and your relationship also benefit. Researchers have identified <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four main traits that are part of good mental health</a>: openness to feelings, warmth, positive emotions and straightforwardness. These traits help with being more clear about who you are, feeling better about who you are, expressing greater optimism and less aggression, exploiting others less and exhibiting less antisocial behavior. You can see how what’s good for you in this case would be good for your partner too. <h2>5. Do something for your partner</h2> But it’s not all about you. Putting your partner first some of the time and catering to your partner’s desires is part of being a couple. A 2020 study by <a href="https://carleton.ca/psychology/people/johanna-peetz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johanna Peetz</a> and colleagues found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12357" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prioritizing your partner</a> makes you feel closer to them, increases positive feelings, reduces negative ones and boosts perceived relationship quality. In the new year, look for ways to give your partner some wins. Let them get their way from time to time and support them in what they want to do, without exclusively prioritizing your own wants and needs. <h2>6. Don’t be so hard on yourself</h2> So many New Year’s resolutions focus on body image. Aspirations to eat better and work out often stem from the same goal: a hotter body. Yet, research from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xue_Lei8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xue Lei</a> shows that you may not really know what your partner wants you to look like. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women tend to overestimate how thin</a> male partners want them to be. Similarly, men believe that female partners want them to be more muscular than women say they do. It may seem harmless, but in both cases individuals are more critical and demanding toward themselves, in part based on misreading what a partner truly desires. <h2>7. Stay in touch</h2> I saved the easiest item on the list for last: Touch your partner more. When <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cheryl_Carmichael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cheryl Carmichael</a> and colleagues followed 115 participants over a 10-day period, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620929164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they found that initiating and receiving touch</a> – things like holding hands, cuddling, kissing – were associated with both a boost in closeness and relationship quality. Importantly, being touched by your partner has the added benefit of making you feel more understood and validated. Who couldn’t use more of that in the coming year? This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-research-based-resolutions-that-will-help-strengthen-your-relationship-in-the-year-ahead-152349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

AI-based traffic control gets the green light

At the end of my Melbourne street there’s a new system being installed for traffic management. I hadn’t even noticed the extra cameras, vehicle and pedestrian sensors, LiDAR and radar on the intersection, but these tools are all part of a larger system, with researchers hoping that a 2.5km section of Nicholson Street, in Carlton, will eventually be run by an artificial intelligence (AI). This might sound a little nerve-wracking to the average commuter, but these “smart corridors” are popping up around the world – systems that promise to provide us with less traffic and better safety. “Many cities around the world have dedicated corridors or smart motorways that are equipped with sensors, CCTV cameras and AI for predicting the traffic flow, speed, or occupancy at a specific moment in time,” says Dr Adriana-Simona Mihaita, an AI infrastructure researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, who was not involved in the research. “Accurate predictions will provide transport operators with the means to make informed decisions and apply new control plans, or adjust the current ones according to ongoing traffic or eventual disruptions.” Even without AI, <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/traffic-and-road-use/traffic-management/traffic-signals/how-traffic-signals-work" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our current traffic light systems are complex technology</a>. Detectors under the road surface clock the presence of vehicles and determine whether the lights change, and how long the green lasts for. The “push button” changes the green walk display, and some detectors even determine how fast or slow the pedestrians are moving. This is all controlled – in Australia at least – by a system called SCATS, or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Coordinated_Adaptive_Traffic_System" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System</a>. This is an “intelligent transport system”, but it’s not machine learning or AI. Think of it as a calculator, but the values being input are cars and pedestrians, not numbers. And SCATS does have its flaws. To start with, it’s unable to see cars coming – only registering them once they’ve arrived on the detector. And the system is also not particularly good at including other modes of transport such as trams, cyclists and pedestrians. This is where Nicholson Street – home to plenty of cyclists and the 96 and 86 trams – will come in handy. “With SCATS there are loop detectors that tell us how many cars are in the queue from all directions, but we don’t really see the number of cyclists, or pedestrians, and we don’t take their delays into account,” explains one of the researchers on this Nicholson Street project, University of Melbourne transport engineer Dr Neema Nassir. “As long as we build our environment around cars, and prioritise their right of way over other modes of transport, we are promoting people using that mode of transport.” Using 180-degree high-definition cameras, as well as a range of detectors (including the normal SCATS detectors), Nassir and the team of researchers are currently testing the AI system using this real-world data in a computer simulation. When the AI eventually starts testing and directing traffic in the real world, it will be done using “edge computing”. This means that the AI-based traffic optimisation will happen at the intersection or “node” rather than at a central system. With the sensors taking and analysing the data almost instantly, the lights might change if there are more pedestrians waiting, or a tram might get right of way if it’s running behind schedule. Nassir hopes the intersections will be safer, trams will run more evenly, and there will be less stopping for cars on the road. However, there might also be some hiccups on the way. Safety is the top priority for the system, with efficiency coming in second. This means that the AI will be more likely to cause traffic jams than accidents. “If everything goes wrong with the algorithm and with the computations, it’s more likely that we may end up with a gridlock as opposed to safety concerns,” Nassir says. “We’re talking about an intersection that is designed to be robust enough that it can operate even when the traffic lights are off.” <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> The AI will be more likely to cause traffic jams than accidents. </blockquote> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p197191-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> Having humans in this scenario, who are able to stop if required, is actually helpful. Unlike an autonomous car, which needs to function in an almost <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVkLI9pPd24&t=166s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unlimited number of circumstances</a> without a human behind the wheel, traffic systems are comparatively simple. And, if something was to go wrong, humans are able to make a judgement and stop or swerve if required. Plus, because SCATS is already automated, it means that that the commuters coming through Nicholson Street might not even notice the change. But that presents another dilemma – is it okay to record all this extra information and send it through an AI to make decisions? “The most important type of sensors are high-definition cameras,” says Nassir. “These are mounted high on poles and have 180 degrees of coverage, up to 50 metres down each approach. These are coupled with image-processing software that can help us detect and register and classify different types of passengers. “We also work with the data from key cards on public transport . There are tight regulations and rules regarding this personal data. It is always anonymised and protected.” <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> Because SCATS is already automated, the commuters might not even notice the change. </blockquote> Nassir says the cameras are not capable of being used for facial recognition. In a world where facial recognition is happening every time you <a href="https://mashable.com/article/police-try-to-unlock-handcuffed-man-iphone-face-id" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open your phone</a> and <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/consumers-and-data/data-collection-and-use/how-your-data-is-used/articles/kmart-bunnings-and-the-good-guys-using-facial-recognition-technology-in-store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in stores like Bunnings and Kmart</a>, traffic lights are probably not the place we need to be too concerned about our privacy being invaded. “Several phone applications that are currently in use today are already collecting private mobility data, together with personal preferences and route choice patterns, which represent a deeper concern for daily transport choices,” says Mihaita. “Similarly, public parking areas in large shopping malls have automatic plate recognition capability and store daily information on all vehicles entering/exiting the malls, which could be seen as personal information shared with the consent given while entering the parking area.” But ethical issues don’t just stop at these records. According to Professor Toby Walsh, an AI researcher from the University of New South Wales, there’s a number of ethical questions we should be aware of as these systems become integrated into our daily lives. For example, if our traffic systems know who we are, it might not just be a case of prioritising cars over other forms of transport, but instead the rich over the poor, or the paying verses the non-paying. “At stake are fundamental issues of fairness and justice,” Walsh explains. “You might start having to trade off my journey time against your journey time. Who gets priority? “Then there’s an environmental ethical issue: are we encouraging people to make more individual car journeys by improving traffic flow? Should we actually be trying to discourage people from getting in cars, and encouraging them to Zoom for work or get public transport?” Although the Nicholson Street AI project is trying to balance the priorities of trams, pedestrians, cyclists and cars, <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2022/march/worlds-smartest-traffic-management-system-launches-in-melbourne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easing urban congestion</a> is also an important part of the project, and as Walsh says, “Traffic is like an ideal gas that expands to fill the roads available.” <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> “You might start having to trade off my journey time against your journey time. Who gets priority?” <cite>Professor Toby Walsh, UNSW</cite></blockquote> Despite these questions, Walsh argues that even if AI isn’t perfect, humans are worse. He has been involved in the research for another AI intersection – a particularly busy roundabout in the south-west of Sydney. “A thousand people are going to die in Australia in the next year, caused by traffic accidents. Almost all of those accidents are caused by human stupidity. Almost all of those accidents wouldn’t happen if we ceded our human control and all of our misjudgements – all of our texting and drinking and driving – to machines,” he says. “There’s always going to be unintended consequences – random shit happens, and the death rates are never going to be zero. But it would be a small fraction of what it is today.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=197191&title=AI-based+traffic+control+gets+the+green+light" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/ai-based-traffic-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jacinta-bowler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jacinta Bowler</a>. Jacinta Bowler is a freelance science journalist who has written about far-flung exoplanets, terrifying superbugs and everything in between. They have written articles for ABC, SBS, ScienceAlert and Pedestrian, and are a regular contributor for kids magazines Double Helix and KIT. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

12 movies that were better than the books they were based on

The Notebook (2004)The reason that the film adaptation of The Notebook eclipses the bestselling Nicholas Sparks book is simple: It’s impossible to capture the sizzling chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.The Canadian duo – and former couple – star in the popular romantic drama as Allie and Noah, a young couple who fall in love in 1940s South Carolina. Meanwhile, in the modern day, an elderly man reads their story from a notebook to a woman in a nursing home. Chances are, you already know how this moving story ends, which means you also know that its tear-jerking ending hits harder on-screen than it ever could on the page.The Devils Wear Prada (2006) Meryl Streep may not have won an Oscar for her role as intimidating fashion magazine editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada – but she should have. While Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel is reportedly inspired by her experiences working as Anna Wintour’s assistant at Vogue, Streep portrays the role with much more nuance than she’s presented with in the book. Anne Hathaway also shines as Andy Sachs, a fashion industry-averse journalism grad who nevertheless hopes to jumpstart her career as Priestly’s assistant. Plus, it’s more fun to see Devil’s countless elegant outfits – from Chanel to Fendi – on-screen.The Shawshank Redemption (1994)It’s a credit to Stephen King’s talents that this ‘90s classic remains beloved today. King, of course, is mostly known for his horror writing, but this Oscar-nominated drama – about a man (Tim Robbins) who, despite his professed innocence, is sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife and her lover, and his friendship with a fellow prisoner (Morgan Freeman) – closely follows the material from his novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. But the film also takes the opportunity to expand on the story, telling it in such a rich, compelling way that sticks with viewers long after the credits roll.Jaws (1975) We all know the story of Jaws: a string of shark attacks at a summer resort town leads a police chief, marine biologist and shark hunter to go off in search of the great white responsible for the havoc. But we know the story because of Steven Spielberg’s renowned blockbuster, especially thanks to the filmmaker’s instinct to focus on the shark hunt and introduce new material that wasn’t in the novel. There’s also John Williams’s unforgettable score and the ingenious decision to suggest the shark’s presence, rather than show it on-screen, to build tension.Crazy Rich Asians (2018)Kevin Kwan’s 2013 bestseller is a fun, dizzying multi-generational novel that revolves around the wedding event of the year in Singapore, told from five different perspectives. The plot of Jon M. Chu’s rom-com centres on the same event but zeroes in on the sweet love story between Rachel (Constance Wu) – an economics professor raised by a single mother – and Nick (Henry Golding), who is secretly a member of one of Singapore’s richest families. Viewers get to spend more time with the main couple and become more invested in their relationship, set against a lavish, visually stunning backdrop.Mean Girls (2004)Did you know that Mean Girls was based on a 2002 self-help book called Queen Bees and Wannabes?Luckily, Tina Fey switched up the genre – and incorporated her own high school experiences – for her screenplay. The result is an endlessly rewatchable, incredibly quotable movie about cliques and bullying that also includes one of the all-time great teen movie casts, thanks to fantastic performances from Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan and more.The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 - 2003)Fans of The Lord of the Rings may consider its inclusion on this list somewhat controversial – J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high-fantasy novel is beloved by many, after all. But with a length of 1200 pages and a handful of slower-paced sections, it can also be hard to get through. Though Peter Jackson’s influential film trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King – is also quite long, it does a great job of condensing Tolkien’s dense and detailed mythology, making for a vivid, immersive and immense moviegoing experience.The Godfather (1972)This one is pretty obvious. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is widely considered one of the best films ever made, with everyone involved – from Coppola to cinematographer Gordon Willis and stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall – delivering career-best work. Author Mario Puzo’s source material, on the other hand, with its pulpy prose and out-of-place subplots, never reaches the same operatic heights.Election (1999)Before there was Big Little Lies’ Madeline Martha Mackenzie, there was Tracy Flick. This fantastic early Reese Witherspoon role saw the star playing a super intense, Type A high school overachiever set on winning a class election. Tom Perrotta’s black comedy novel of the same name – which finds Tracy going toe-to-toe with a jealous teacher (Matthew Broderick in the film) who wants to sabotage her campaign – is an interesting read, but on the shorter side. The novel’s satire is drawn out better on-screen, making each drama-filled scene that much juicier.Jackie Brown (1997) Jackie Brown is the only Quentin Tarantino film based on a book – and it’s also one of his best. Adapted from prolific crime writer Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch, Jackie Brown takes the opportunity to get creative with its source material. Case in point: the titular flight attendant-turned-smuggler (Pam Grier, in a critically acclaimed performance) was a white woman in the novel. The result is a slick, lively homage to the ‘70s Blaxploitation films that Grier helped make famous.A Simple Favor (2018)Author Darcey Bell’s debut novel, A Simple Favor, is written as a tense, Gone Girl-esque thriller that’s more of a pale pastiche of the genre than a gripping page-turner. For the film adaptation, director Paul Feig reinvented the story, and instead made the tale – about a small-town vlogger searching for her missing, enigmatic friend – a sharp and twisty black comedy. Stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are dynamite and deliver on the laughs. And we can’t forget the many covetable suits Lively dons on screen that sparked a thousand memes!Legally Blonde (2001)Elle Woods (another iconic Reese Witherspoon role) is a perfect protagonist. She’s smart, funny, ambitious and surprising on her quest to battle stereotypes and conquer Harvard Law School. On the other hand, the novel is inspired by writer Amanda Brown’s own pretty negative experiences at law school, making it…kind of a drag. It’s more mean-spirited and, frankly, less empowering than the film to the point where it feels like everything you love about the charming movie is missing from the page. Thankfully, the movie took a different approach, which we can all be grateful for the next time we re-watch the “bend and snap” scene.Image credits: Getty ImagesThis article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/12-movies-that-were-better-than-the-books-they-were-based-on?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Movies

How do pigeons find their way home? We looked in their ears with a diamond-based quantum microscope to find out

Homing pigeons are known for their uncanny ability to find their way home – navigating complex and changing landscapes. In fact, they do this so well they were used as a source of secure communication more than 2,000 years ago. Julius Caesar <a href="https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2017/11/not-just-birds">reportedly sent</a> news of his conquest of Gaul back to Rome via pigeons, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/255b75e0-c77d-11e2-be27-00144feab7de">as did Napoleon Bonaparte</a> following his defeat by England in the 1815 Battle of Waterloo. We know pigeons use visual cues and can navigate based on landmarks along known travel routes. We also know they have a magnetic sense called “magnetoreception” which lets them navigate using Earth’s magnetic field. But we don’t know exactly how they (and other species) do this. In <a href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2112749118">research</a> published today in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, my colleagues and I tested a theory that attempts to link magnetoreception in homing pigeons with tiny lumps of iron-rich material found in their inner ears. By using a new kind of magnetic microscope, we confirmed this isn’t the case. But the technology has opened the door for us to investigate the phenomenon in several other species. <h2>The current hypotheses</h2> Scientists have spent decades exploring the possible mechanisms for magnetoreception. There are currently two mainstream theories. The first is a vision-based “free-radical pair” model. Homing pigeons and other migratory birds have proteins in the retina of their eyes called “cryptochromes”. These produce an electrical signal that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03618-9">varies depending on the strength</a> of the local magnetic field. This could potentially allow the birds to “see” Earth’s magnetic field, although scientists have yet to confirm this theory. The second proposal for how homing pigeons navigate is based on lumps of magnetic material inside them, which may provide them with a magnetic particle-based directional compass. We know magnetic particles are found in nature, in a group of bacteria called <a href="https://theconversation.com/magnetic-bacteria-and-their-unique-superpower-attract-researchers-100720">magnetotactic bacteria</a>. These bacteria produce magnetic particles and orient themselves along the Earth’s magnetic field lines. Scientists are now looking for magnetic particles in a range of species. Potential candidates <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00114-007-0236-0">were found</a> in the upper beak of homing pigeons more than a decade ago, but <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11046">subsequent work</a> indicated these particles were related to iron storage and not magnetic sensing. <h2>A peek inside a pigeon’s ear</h2> The new search is now underway in the inner ear of pigeons, where iron particles known as “cuticulosomes” <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213004338">were first identified</a> in 2013. Single cuticulosomes have been located within distinct regions in the pigeon inner ear where other known sensory systems exist (such as for hearing and balancing during flight). In theory, if there were a magnetic sensing system in pigeons, it should be located close to other sensory systems. But to determine whether iron cuticulosomes can act as magnetoreceptors in pigeons, scientists need to determine their magnetic properties. This is no mean feat, since cuticulosomes are 1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. What’s more is they are only found in 30% of the hair cells within the inner ear, making them difficult to identify and characterise. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431870/original/file-20211115-6434-uzv76r.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431870/original/file-20211115-6434-uzv76r.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Diagram showing a homing pigeon's inner ear, with labels for hair cells and magnetic particles." /></a> We conducted quantum magnetic imaging of iron-organelles in the pigeon inner ear. Robert W de Gille, Author provided To tackle this problem our group at the University of Melbourne, together with colleagues from Vienna’s Institute of Molecular Pathology and the Max Planck Society in Bonn, turned to a new imaging technology to explore the magnetic properties of iron cuticulosomes in the pigeon inner ear. We developed a magnetic microscope that uses diamond-based sensors to visualise delicate magnetic fields emanating from tiny magnetic particles. <h2>Disproving the theory</h2> We carefully studied thin sections of the pigeon inner ear placed directly onto the diamond sensors. By applying magnetic fields of varying strengths to the tissue, we were able to gauge the magnetic susceptibility of single cuticulosomes. Our results showed the magnetic properties of the cuticulosomes were not strong enough for them to act as a magnetic particle-based magnetoreceptor. In fact, the particles would need to be 100,000 times stronger to activate the sensory pathways required for magnetoreception in pigeons. However, despite the search for the elusive magnetoreceptor coming up short, we are extremely excited by the potential of this magnetic microscope technology. We hope to use it study a host of magnetic candidates across a variety of species including rodents, fish and turtles. And by doing so we can focus not only on cuticulosomes, but a range of other potentially magnetic particles.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171738/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-simpson-1289933">David Simpson</a>, School of Physics, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-we-looked-in-their-ears-with-a-diamond-based-quantum-microscope-to-find-out-171738">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Your favourite chore, based on your zodiac sign

Which chore suits you best? As much as well all moan and groan about chores, we all have one that we really don’t mind. After all, how satisfying is cleaning up a burnt pan you thought was destined for the bin? Or even getting rid of the fingerprints that always seem to appear on your stainless steel appliances? Find out what chores are best suited to you. Aries (March 21 – April 19): taking out the rubbish You’re a leader, not a follower, Aries. So if you think you’re going to wait around for someone else in your family to take out the overflowing rubbish (or recycling), think again. You’re the type that will do it before anyone even asks/notices/reminds you. Taurus (April 20 – May 20): watering the plants If you’re a Taurus, chances are you have a special bond with Mother Nature, meaning you have more of a green thumb than your fellow star signs. So any chores that involve nature – like watering the plants and gardening – are likely to be on your to-do list. Gemini (May 21 – June 20): washing the car Friday night dinner with friends? A church potluck? Your colleague’s birthday party? You RSVP yes to all of the above, Gem. To keep up your social butterfly status, you’ll need your car to get from place to place – so take care of your chariot by washing it often. Cancer (June 21 – July 22): vacuuming If we had to define you in one word, Cancer, it would be homebody (and that’s not a bad thing!). And since you love where you live so much, dirty floors just aren’t going to cut it. Hence, if you had your choice of chores, you’d likely grab the vacuum cleaner. Leo (July 23 – August 22): washing dishes You like to be in control in every aspect of your life, Leo – including when it comes to household chores. One task you aren’t willing to delegate? Washing the dishes. You’re convinced no one does it as well as you do (and you’re probably right!). Virgo (August 25 – September 22): organising Some call it OCD, some call it being a Virgo. Regardless, your perfectionistic tendencies mean you like everything to be in its proper place. Libra (September 23 – October 22): making the bed You’re a lot of great things, Libra: charming, happy, optimistic. But you’re also not that interested in housework. That means you like to 1) spend a lot of time in bed and 2) spend very little time doing chores. So changing the sheets and making your bed is about the extent of your chore duties. Scorpio (October 23 – November 21): dusting The only thing that’s more mysterious than a Scorpio? How so much dust can accumulate on your furniture (and your baseboards) in just a week. Uncovering what’s beneath the grime is similar to the way people have to peel back your layers to get to know you, Scorp. Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21): cleaning the bathroom Everything you do, you do enthusiastically, Sagittarius. And of all the spots in your house that deserve such a thorough cleaning the bathroom is number one (the toilet! the bathtub! the floor!). Capricorn (December 22 – January 19): scrubbing the floors It takes an admirable amount of self-discipline to remember to scrub the floor every week, let alone motivate yourself to actually do it. But thanks to your incredible work ethic, Cap, you’re on it – and as a result, your floors are sparkly clean. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18): laundry Why fit in when you can stand out? That’s your motto, Aquarius, and one way to express your originality is through what you wear. All those clothes need to be washed before your next party, though, so laundry is something you’re probably pretty good at. Pisces (February 19 – March 20): cooking You love getting creative in the kitchen, Pisces, so cooking dinner for the fam hardly feels like a chore to you. Whether you’re experimenting with a new air fryer recipe or whipping up everyone’s favourite comfort food, you’re always mixing it up (figuratively and literally). Written by Amanda Tarlton. This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-tips/your-favourite-chore-based-on-your-zodiac-sign" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Shutterstock <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Home Hints & Tips

Revealed: Who this Lord of the Rings orc was based on

Elijah Wood, the actor who played Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, has revealed that one particular orc <a rel="noopener" href="https://happymag.tv/lord-of-the-rings-orc-harvey-weinsteins-appearance/" target="_blank">was modelled</a> after a real person in an act of revenge. Appearing on Armchair Expert, hosted by actor and comedian Dax Shepard, Wood shared that it was the orc named Gothmog, who made an appearance in Return of the King, after Jackson was threatened to be replaced if he didn’t condense the trilogy into one film. But who was the subject of the revenge? “One of the orc masks - and I remember this vividly - was designed to look like Harvey Weinstein as a sort of f**k you,” Wood said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844672/orc-weinstein.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2b7b8ba14511436eb31235973ddb06b5" /> Gothmog the orc (left) appears to be the character that most resembles Weinstein (right). Image: New Line Cinema, Getty Images According to Wood, it was a way for the film’s production team to take revenge against the entertainment mogul and convicted sex offender after he made their lives hard during production. Initially, Weinstein’s company Miramax was set to produce The Lord of the Rings. But, Weinstein refused to make three movies, demanding that director Peter Jackson condense them into just one. Weinstein then threatened to pass the film on to fellow directors Quentin Tarantino or John Madden if Jackson didn’t do as he asked. After Jackson reportedly asked for permission to get a different producer, Weinstein agreed but only gave him one weekend to do so. “The window of time was insane,” Wood said. “They shopped it around town. Peter made a pitch video that’s pretty impressive, taken to a variety of places. Most people were balking at the notion of doing more than one film. The popular opinion was, ‘No, you have to see how [the initial movie] does and then invest the rest of your money’.” The franchise was later scooped up by Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema. “I think the lore is that they were coming with two and it was Bob Shaye who said, ‘We have to do three,’ which is insane,” said Wood. The trilogy would go on to make $2.92 billion at the box office, and is considered to be one of the most successful franchises of all time. Image: New Line Cinema

Movies

"Get off my lawn!": Man cops spray for hose-based deterrent

A man has gone viral on TikTok for showing his controversial way of preventing people from cutting across his front lawn. Thomas Lyons' house is located on the corner of two streets, with many using his unfenced front yard as a shortcut to the adjoining street. Thomas was sick of people trespassing on his property and trampling all over his perfect grass, so he devised a cunning plan to stop people using it as a thoroughfare. Thomas has repeatedly asked those who frequently cut across his lawn to stop and use the footpath, but his warnings have since gone unheeded. Taking matters into his own hands, Thomas installed sprinklers that go off whenever they detect any motion, leaving trespassers soaking wet and having to run to the footpath as quickly as possible. Thomas shared a video of his unique methods to his TikTok account, after also posting videos of people trampling on his perfectly maintained lawn at all hours of the day and night. Many people have divided opinions on his tactics, as the video has quickly racked up an impressive 40 million views. Many of his followers have praised his efforts, with one person commenting, "There's a sidewalk 10 feet away... constantly walking over the grass will kill it." "I was always taught not to walk on people's grass but I never knew why," another person says. "Also, if they tripped and fell on the grass and broke their leg, I'm assuming they would sue the owner," says another understanding user. While many commenters were quick to praise Thomas' efforts, there were also a lot of comments wondering why he went to such extremes to install a sprinkler system when he could've built a fence around his property instead. "The level of petty," says one person. "These are school kids," comments another. "You could just put a stone path. It's just grass, kindness means so much more." Image credits: TikTok @tgunz81

Travel Trouble

Plant based diets could prevent type 2 diabetes

Eating a diet high in plant foods with little or no red meat has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in the most comprehensive scrutiny of this connection so far. This protective effect is even stronger for diets high in healthier plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Diabetes has been called “the fastest growing health crisis of our time”. At the same time, plant-based diets are gaining popularity. Therefore, the researchers thought it was important to quantify their link with diabetes risk, says first author Frank Qian from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, US – especially given the large variation in these diets. The analysis, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, included nine studies with more than 300,000 participants – of whom 23,544 had type 2 diabetes – over two to 28 years of follow-up. In the primary evaluation, Qian and co-authors focussed on an overall higher intake of plant-based foods along with little or no animal-based foods. Therefore, this included vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns. They found that people with the highest adherence to predominantly plant-based diets had a 23% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest consumption of plant foods. But these dietary patterns didn’t exclude plant-derived foods that have been linked to higher diabetes risk, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates. When narrowing the analysis to four studies that defined a plant-based diet as the healthy whole food options, they found a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. While it must be noted that the studies are observational, most, if not all, adjusted for well-known risk factors, including body mass index (BMI), gender, smoking status and family history of diabetes, among other potentially confounding variables. Several factors could explain the associations, the authors say. Plant-based diets typically include healthy plant foods packed with nutrients, polyphenols and fibre, which can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and help maintain a healthy weight. All of these can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Conversely, eating red and processed meat has been linked to higher risk. Because the studies controlled for BMI, and excess weight and type 2 diabetes are a deadly duo, the authors suggest the associations they found could underestimate the actual degree of protection conferred by the diets. “Overall,” says senior author Qi Sun, “these data highlight the importance of adhering to plant-based diets to achieve or maintain good health.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=26041&title=Plant-based+diets+could+prevent+type+2+diabetes" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/nutrition/plant-based-diets-could-prevent-type-2-diabetes/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/natalie-parletta">Natalie Parletta</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

5 blockbuster movies you didn’t know were based on books

So many books have been turned into movies that the question of which was better has become quite divisive. While it can be pretty obvious which books most film adaptations are based on, there are some that can overshadow their source material and come as quite a surprise. Here are five movies you may be surprised to know were based on books. 1. Nothing Lasts Forever became Die Hard Nothing Lasts Forever, written by Roderick Thorp, was inspired by The Towering Inferno which also features a skyscraper on fire. The main character, retired NYPD detective Joe Leland, was chased through the ashes of the skyscraper by a group of gun-toting terrorists. When it was later adapted into Die Hard, there were a few changes made. Though both stories feature NYPD detectives facing off against terrorists inside a skyscraper on Christmas Eve, the film changed the protagonist’s name from Joe Leland to John McClane, featured a younger version of the character and changed the ending to a happier one. 2. From The Short-Timers to Full Metal Jacket Stanley Kubrick took the 1979 novel The Short-Timers and adapted it into Full Metal Jacket. Though both stories are set during the Vietnam War and feature soldiers going from boot camp to the frontline, Kubrick’s film rearranged the novel’s structure to create a more cohesive and tragic story. 3. There Will Be Blood came from Oil! The Academy Award-winning movie There Will Be Blood is a loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel Oil! While director Paul Thomas Anderson was a fan of the book, he only used the novel’s first 150 pages in the film. Instead, he took the story in a different direction to focus on self-made oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, rather than the tycoon’s son. 4. Mrs. Doubtfire: Alias Madame Doubtfire The hit comedy Mrs. Doubtfire was adapted from British author Anne Fine’s young adult novel Alias Madame Doubtfire. Both share a similar plot, where a man who has gone through a messy divorce and has limited time with his family, dresses like an old woman and takes a job as his kids’ nanny. 5. Psycho to Psycho After paying $9,500 for the film rights to Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho in 1959, Alfred Hitchcock even bought every available copy of the book in the US to keep the general public in the dark. The studio was against the adaptation, feeling its source material was highly offensive, so Hitchcock used his own money to finance the film, his own crew to make it, and decided to shoot it in black-and-white to keep costs down.

Books

Five things for over-65s to consider when switching to a plant-based diet

There are plenty of reasons people switch to a plant-based diet, including ethical and environmental reasons. However, a growing number of people are shunning meat for health reasons. Evidence shows that plant-based diets may help support the immune system, lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, and may be good for overall health. While a well-planned plant-based diet can support healthy living in people of all ages, our nutritional needs change with different life stages, so people over the age of 65 may need to take more care when opting for a plant-based diet. They may have specific nutritional needs and may need certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Here are some things over-65s may want to consider when switching to a plant-based diet: 1. Eat enough protein Older adults need more protein compared to the general adult population in order to preserve lean body mass, body function and good health. While most adults only need around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, it’s recommended that healthy older adults should increase their daily protein intake to 1.0-1.2g per kilogram of body weight. This is even higher for older adults who are malnourished or have a severe illness, as these conditions trigger a hypermetabolic state, where the body needs more energy and protein to function. To ensure adequate protein intake, make sure meals and snacks contain plant-based proteins, such as chickpeas, tofu, black-eyed beans, kidney beans, lentils, quinoa, wild rice, nuts and seeds, nut butters and soya alternatives to milk and yoghurt. Eggs and dairy products are also good protein sources if you’re including these in your diet. 2. Include calcium and vitamin D Calcium and vitamin D both play an important role in maintaining good bone health, which is extremely important in older age as osteoporosis and associated fractures are a major cause of bone-related diseases and mortality in older adults. Most adults need 700mg of calcium per day. However, women past the menopause and men over 55 should have 1200mg of calcium per day. There’s a wide range of non-dairy food products that contain calcium for those who are plant-based, including calcium fortified soya milk and almond milk, calcium fortified cereals, pitta bread, chapatti and white bread. For those who include fish in their diet, fish such as whitebait, and sardines and pilchards (with bones) contain good amounts of calcium per serving. Older adults are also recommended to get 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D daily. Not only is vitamin D important for bone health, it’s also one of the nutrients involved in supporting the immune system and helping it to function properly. Older adults are more vulnerable to deficiency as they may have less sunlight exposure, and their skin is less able to synthesise vitamin D. Mushrooms grown in sunlight, fortified spreads, breakfast cereals, and dairy alternatives are all good sources of vitamin D. Having said this, it’s hard to get vitamin D from diet alone, so a supplement of 10mcg a day (especially in the winter for those who may not get outside often), is recommended. It’s worth noting that some vitamin D supplements aren’t suitable for vegans, as they may be derived from an animal source, so vitamin D2 and lichen-derived vitamin D3 may be used instead. 3. Get your vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is essential for making red blood cells, keeping the nervous system healthy, and providing energy. Older adults need 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day, similar to younger adults. But many older people may be at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, affecting an estimated one in twenty people aged 65 to 74 and one in ten people over 75. Those who don’t eat meat, fish or eggs may not be getting enough vitamin B12, as it’s found abundantly in animal-based food sources. Some plant-based sources of vitamin B12 include fortified breakfast cereals, yeast extracts (like Marmite), soya yoghurts, and non-dairy milks. People may consider taking a Vitamin B12 supplement. Taking 2mg or less a day of vitamin B12 in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm. However, they should consult their doctor or registered dietitian first. 4. Eat iron-rich foods Low iron intake can be an issue for those who don’t have a varied diet, especially for men aged 65 and over living in residential care homes and women over 85. Iron is essential for making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It’s also essential for physical performance, wound healing, supporting the immune system, cognitive development and function and thyroid metabolism. Older adults need 8.7mg of iron a day. Foods containing vitamin C – such as citrus fruits – may help the body absorb iron better. Alexandra Anschiz/ Shutterstock Plant sources include wholegrains, green leafy vegetables like spinach, seeds, pulses and dried fruits. Since iron in plant foods is absorbed less efficiently compared to iron in animal proteins, having vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, green pepper and broccoli can help iron be better absorbed. 5. Make every bite count Some people find their appetite decreases as they get older. This can be caused by difficulties with chewing and swallowing, constipation, acute illness, impaired taste, vision and smell. But reduced appetite can contribute to unintentional weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. It’s therefore important to find ways to get adequate nutrition in every meal, especially when plant-based, such as: <ul> <li>Including protein in each meal.</li> <li>Eat small meals and snacks in between throughout the day.</li> <li>Include plant-based milks (such as soya, almond, or coconut milk) in your tea, coffee or smoothie.</li> <li>Add olive, vegetable or sunflower oil to your favourite meals.</li> <li>Mix plant creams or vegan cheese in mashed potatoes, soups and stews.</li> <li>Add nut butters to bread, dairy-free yoghurt and smoothies.</li> </ul> No matter your age, switching to a plant-based diet may have many health benefits if planned properly. Consulting with a registered dietitian before making the switch may help you develop the best plant-based diet tailored to your specific needs. Written by Taibat Ibitoye. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-diet-five-things-for-over-65s-to-consider-when-switching-to-a-plant-based-diet-144088">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

Plant-based Goan curry

Warm up your dinner table with this gluten-free, dairy-free curry. Ingredients: Spice blend <ul> <li>1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground cumin</li> <li>3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric</li> <li>1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger</li> <li>5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed</li> <li>1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar</li> <li>1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar</li> </ul> Curry <ul> <li>3 tablespoons coconut oil</li> <li>2 (300g) brown onions, peeled and cut into quarters, leaving the base of the onion intact</li> <li>250g cherry tomatoes, some halved, some left whole</li> <li>600ml coconut milk</li> <li>2 green chillies, slit lengthways in quarters, seeds removed</li> <li>400g firm organic tofu, cut into 2cm pieces</li> <li>1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds</li> <li>1 cup coconut flakes</li> <li>To serve: fresh coriander or toasted curry leaves, basmati rice, extra steamed vegetables</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>To make the spice blend: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.</li> <li>To make the curry: Place a sauce pan on low to medium heat, add coconut oil and spice blend and cook, stirring frequently for about 90 seconds.</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>Add the coconut fat from the top of the coconut milk can (this is the solidified part of the coconut milk, under which you’ll find more watery substance) with the onion and cook with the lid on for about 5-6 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the remains of the coconut milk (the more watery part), chilli and mustard seeds, cover and bring to the boil for about 5 minutes.</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>Add tofu, tomatoes and 1/4 cup water, cover and bring to the boil, then remove lid and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Just prior to serving, gently stir through the coconut flakes, garnish with your choice of coriander or curry leaves (make sure you give these a quick dry fry in a pan if you choose to use them), season with sea salt and black pepper and serve with basmati rice and extra steamed vegetables.</li> </ol> Recipe by Jacqueline Alwill

Food & Wine

7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety

As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues its global spread and the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases continues to increase, anxiety related to the outbreak is on the rise too. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jlev7ekAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a psychologist</a>, I am seeing this in my practice already. Although feeling anxiety in response to a threat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.105.2.325">is a normal human reaction</a>, sustained high anxiety can undermine constructive responses to the crisis. People who already suffer from anxiety and related disorders are especially likely to have a hard time during the coronavirus crisis. The following suggestions, based on psychological science, can help you deal with coronavirus anxiety. 1. Practice tolerating uncertainty Intolerance of uncertainty, which has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2018.1476580">increasing in the U.S.</a>, makes people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1586/ern.12.82">vulnerable to anxiety</a>. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12058">study during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic</a> showed that people who had a harder time accepting the uncertainty of the situation were more likely to experience elevated anxiety. The solution is to learn to gradually face uncertainty in daily life by easing back on certainty-seeking behaviors. Start small: Don’t text your friend immediately the next time you need an answer to a question. Go on a hike without checking the weather beforehand. As you build your tolerance-of-uncertainty muscle, you can work to reduce the number of times a day you consult the internet for updates on the outbreak. 2. Tackle the anxiety paradox <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2014.07.001">Anxiety rises</a> proportionally to how much one tries to get rid of it. Or as Carl Jung put it, “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/C-G-Jung-The-Basics/Williams/p/book/9781138195448">What you resist persists</a>.” Struggling against anxiety can take many forms. People might try to distract themselves by drinking, eating or watching Netflix more than usual. They might repeatedly seek reassurance from friends, family or health experts. Or they might obsessively check news streams, hoping to calm their fears. Although these behaviors can help momentarily, they can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2010.01213.x">make anxiety worse</a> in the long run. Avoiding the experience of anxiety almost always backfires. Instead, allow your anxious thoughts, feelings and physical sensations to wash over you, accepting anxiety as an integral part of human experience. When waves of coronavirus anxiety show up, notice and <a href="https://www.newharbinger.com/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-workbook-second-edition">describe the experience</a> to yourself or others <a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/body.cfm?id=22&iirf_redirect=1">without judgment</a>. Resist the urge to escape or calm your fears by obsessively reading virus updates. Paradoxically, facing anxiety in the moment will lead to less anxiety over time. 3. Transcend existential anxiety Health threats trigger the fear that underlies all fears: <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393350876">fear of death</a>. When faced with reminders of one’s own mortality, people might become consumed with health anxiety and hyperfocused on any signs of illness. Try connecting to your life’s purpose and sources of meaning, be it spirituality, relationships, or pursuit of a cause. Embark on something important that you’ve been putting off for years and take responsibility for how you live your life. Focusing on or discovering <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1095">the “why” of life</a> can go a long way in helping you deal with unavoidable anxiety. 4. Don’t underestimate human resiliency Many people fear how they will manage if the virus shows up in town, at work or at school. They worry how they would cope with a quarantine, a daycare closure or a lost paycheck. Human minds are good at predicting the worst. But research shows that people tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00355.x">overestimate how badly they’ll be affected</a> by negative events and <a href="http://bit.ly/3cFFkIk">underestimate how well they’ll cope with</a> and adjust to difficult situations. Be mindful that you are more resilient than you think. It can help attenuate your anxiety. 5. Don’t get sucked into overestimating the threat Coronavirus can be dangerous, with an estimated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2002032">1.4%</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.2648">2.3%</a> death rate. So everyone should be serious about taking all the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-really-works-to-keep-coronavirus-away-4-questions-answered-by-a-public-health-professional-132959">reasonable precautions against infection</a>. But people also should realize that humans tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1539-6924.00276">exaggerate the danger of unfamiliar threats</a> compared to ones they already know, like seasonal flu or car accidents. Constant incendiary media coverage <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp061">contributes to the sense of danger</a>, which leads to heightened fear and further <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00461.x">escalation of perceived danger</a>. To reduce anxiety, I recommend limiting your exposure to coronavirus news to no more than 30 minutes per day. And remember that we become more anxious when faced with situations that have no clear precedent. Anxiety, in turn, makes everything seem more dire. 6. Strengthen self-care During these anxiety-provoking times, it’s important to remember the tried-and-true anxiety prevention and reduction strategies. Get <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.2810">adequate sleep</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.05.012">exercise regularly</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.12.002">practice mindfulness</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/anxiety-and-depression-why-doctors-are-prescribing-gardening-rather-than-drugs-121841">spend time in nature</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-8-41">employ relaxation techniques</a> when stressed. Prioritizing these behaviors during the coronavirus crisis can go a long way toward increasing your psychological well being and <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-strong-immune-system-helps-ward-off-colds-and-flus-but-its-not-the-only-factor-99512">bolstering your immune system</a>. 7. Seek professional help if you need it People who are vulnerable to anxiety and related disorders might find the coronavirus epidemic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-015-9701-9">particularly overwhelming</a>. Consequently, they might experience anxiety symptoms that interfere with work, maintaining close relationships, socializing or taking care of themselves and others. If this applies to you, please get professional help from your doctor or a mental health professional. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.002">Cognitive behavioral therapy</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/msj.20041">certain medications</a> can successfully treat anxiety problems. Although you might feel helpless during this stressful time, following these strategies can help keep anxiety from becoming a problem in its own right and enable you to make it through the epidemic more effectively. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jelena-kecmanovic-472294">Jelena Kecmanovic</a>, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/georgetown-university-1239">Georgetown University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-science-based-strategies-to-cope-with-coronavirus-anxiety-133207">original article</a>.

Body

5 surprising benefits of a plant-based diet

Many of the important benefits of a plant-based diet – particularly for <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-the-meat-on-your-plate-is-killing-the-planet-76128">climate health and animals</a> – are well known. Yet despite the science being very clear, there remains confusion about the impact on human health. We have long known for example, that a diet centred around whole plant-foods – fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, beans, nuts and seeds – significantly reduces the risk of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109717375216?via%3Dihub">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039">type 2 diabetes</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/110/3/574/5498644">obesity</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.31593">certain cancers</a>. In fact, a low fat plant-based diet is the only diet to have been shown to actually <a href="https://dresselstyn.com/JFP_06307_Article1.pdf">reverse</a> established coronary artery disease. It has also been seen to reverse <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677007/">type 2 diabetes</a>, enable effective and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nutd20173">sustained weight loss</a> without portion control or exercise, and arrest the progression of early stage <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18602144">prostate cancer</a>. Here are five additional benefits of a plant-based diet that may surprise you. 1. Improves mental health and wellbeing Diet choices can have a major impact on mood and mental health, and there is a very good reason for this. Diet affects the health of our gut bacteria, which produce many of the hormones active in the brain. Gut bacteria thrive on fibre, which is only found in whole plant foods. So it is no surprise to find that a plant-based diet can benefit mental health. In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24524383">one US study</a> conducted at a large insurance company, participants who were overweight or had a history of type 2 diabetes were either prescribed a low-fat vegan diet or asked to continue their usual diet for 18 weeks. The results showed a significant improvement in mental health, wellbeing and work productivity in those on the vegan diet, as well as lower levels of depression and anxiety. 2. Reduces arthritic pain <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/">Osteoarthritis</a>, the painful breakdown of cartilage in the joints, appears to be an inevitable consequence of ageing. It is not reversible but it is manageable, usually with pain medication and sometimes surgery. So what role could a plant-based diet play here? One <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/arthritis/2015/708152/">small study</a> looking at the diet’s impact showed a significant improvement in self-reported pain and functioning in people with osteoarthritis. One reason for this could be the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/association-of-vegetarian-diet-with-inflammatory-biomarkers-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis-of-observational-studies/ED9F562A1AEC0E65B90A092A0427C093/core-reader">anti-inflammatory properties</a> of the micro-nutrients present in plant foods, as inflammation is the main cause of pain in arthritis. Meat-based diets have the opposite effect and, in general, increase the level of inflammation in the body. 3. Improves period pain in women So if a plant-based diet can improve arthritis pain, could it also perhaps improve other types of pain? Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10674588">research</a> suggests it could help with period pain in women. For this study, women swapped to a low-fat vegan diet for two menstrual cycles, and then back to their usual omnivorous diet for their next two. Pain duration and intensity and pre-mentrual symptoms were recorded and levels of a hormone affecting oestrogen levels were measured. On the low-fat vegan diet, women reported less pain duration and intensity, shorter duration of premenstrual symptoms and tests showed a lower level of oestrogen. People are often surprised to hear that diet can impact hormone levels in the body. This study shows exactly that, and how lower oestrogen levels can benefit women’s health in a number of ways. 4. Reduces the risk of urinary tract infections Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/189953.php#causes">most common</a> causes of infection in the general population with the bacteria Escherichia coli (E coli) often being the culprit. Infection can occur because E coli from the intestine finds its way into the urinary tract. But UTIs can also be caused by E coli strains commonly found in farm animals such as chickens and pigs, so eating contaminated sources of meat can lead to infection. Given the link between E coli and UTIs, It might seem obvious that those on a plant-based diet who avoid meat might have a lower risk of infection, but whether this was the case was not known for sure until recent research came out. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58006-6">The analysis</a> of several studies shows that vegetarians have a 16% lower risk of UTIs compared to non-vegetarians. This confirms previous data suggesting that meat-bourne bacteria are a major contributor to the risk of UTIs. Increasingly these food borne bacteria are displaying antibiotic resistance. 5. Saves on hospital costs So if those following a health plant-based diet have a lower risk of ill health then surely this will save on health costs. In a <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03204552">large Taiwanese study</a>, vegetarians were found to have a lower rate of outpatient visits, which translated into a 13% lower outpatient expenditure and a 15% lower total medical expenditure. So it is interesting to hypothesise the health economic impact of a plant-based diet on the UK’s cash-strapped National Health Service. In 2017, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthcaresystem/bulletins/ukhealthaccounts/2017">spending on healthcare</a> in the UK totalled £197 billion – approximately £2,989 per person. If everyone in the country shifted to a vegetarian diet, this could (using the 15% reduction as a guide) reduce healthcare expenditure by £30 billion. Plant-based diets then, not only have the potential to dramatically improve human and planetary health, but could have significant benefits for the health of the economy too.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130902/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shireen-kassam-873292">Shireen Kassam</a>, Visiting Professor, Health and Wellbeing Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-winchester-743">University of Winchester</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-surprising-benefits-of-a-plant-based-diet-130902">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

How plant-based meat is stretching New Zealand’s cultural and legal boundaries

Earlier this year, the New Zealand-based pizza chain <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/78790234/the-history-of-hell-pizza">Hell Pizza</a> offered a limited-edition “Burger Pizza”. Its customers weren’t told that the “meat” was plant-based. Some customers <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113824494/hell-pizza-covertly-dishes-up-beyond-meat-burger-patties">complained</a> to the Commerce Commission, which enforces consumer law in New Zealand. Yet, <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113867599/scorned-hell-pizza-customers-bitter-over-fake-burger-meat">others</a> did not mind – or even appreciated – the move. The Commerce Commission, however, warned that the stunt likely breached consumer protection law. Hell Pizza’s ruse should catalyse discussion around the scope and purpose of consumer law, the culture of meat consumption and the future of animal farming. Under current law, “teaching through deception” is not possible. But we argue that consumer law needs to adopt a more nuanced approach. Traditional legal approach In October, the Commerce Commission <a href="https://comcom.govt.nz/case-register/case-register-entries/the-depths-lp-ta-hell-pizza/media-releases/commission-warns-hell-pizza-over-burger-pizza">warned</a> the pizza chain that it had probably breached the <a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0121/latest/DLM96439.html">Fair Trading Act 1986</a>. In particular, it had likely made false or misleading representations. The Commerce Commission <a href="https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/178792/Warning-letter-to-The-Depths-LP-trading-as-Hell-Pizza-Redacted-25-September-2019.pdf">stated</a> that a “burger traditionally includes a patty of minced beef” and “medium-rare is a term associated with meat, usually beef”. As a result, the pizza chain advised it had <a href="https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/178792/Warning-letter-to-The-Depths-LP-trading-as-Hell-Pizza-Redacted-25-September-2019.pdf">no intention</a> of engaging in this kind of campaign again. Interestingly, the pizza company has recently announced that the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbaEo19Oc9k">Burger Pizza is back on the menu</a>. Australia’s consumer law around misleading and deceptive conduct is notably similar to New Zealand’s. In Australia, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-15/push-to-ban-milk-meat-seafood-labels-on-plant-based-produce/11513754">debates</a> around the meaning of the terms “milk”, “seafood” and “meat” are taking place. These discussions present an opportunity to rethink some of our conventions. When is meat meat? The traditional need to protect consumers from deceptive practices is clear. That said, it is perhaps also time to nudge consumers to reconsider their preconceptions and consumption of meat. Hell Pizza said it launched its plant-based meat product out of concerns for the future of the planet. According to the company, <a href="https://hellpizza.com/wickedpedia/2019/07/03/burger-pizza-statement">80% of consumers did not have an issue with being duped</a>, and 70% would order the pizza again. There are a few good reasons to reduce the amount of meat we eat. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19339402">Research shows</a> that meat consumption is putting pressure on the environment. The amount of food and water required to raise animals for consumption <a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/us-could-feed-800-million-people-grain-livestock-eat">exceeds</a> the nutrient value humans get from consuming meat. Further, livestock create <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.11034">waste and emissions</a> that contribute to climate change. Plant-based meat may be more environmentally friendly. It also eliminates concerns around animal rights. Additionally, it is often perceived as a <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cf90/d287aa226b483aed430ff4f0432081bfd3d7.pdf">healthier alternative</a>. Future foods The plant-based meat industry faces two immediate challenges. The first is taste. If meat substitutes do not taste as good as animal-based meat, people will be <a href="http://freakonomics.com/podcast/meat/">less willing to consume them</a>. The second main challenge is cost. If plant-based meat is significantly more expensive than animal-based meat, consumers may opt for the latter. The cost of plant-based meat has become affordable enough for prominent market players, such as <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/116767086/dominos-adds-plantbased-meat-to-its-pizza-menu">Dominoes Pizza</a> and <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/116657991/burger-king-finds-recipe-for-success-with-its-impossible-whopper">Burger King</a>, to offer plant-based products. Hell Pizza was not the first New Zealand company to offer its consumers plant-based meat products. In another controversy, Air New Zealand offered plant-based burgers in the business cabin on selected flights. This led to some criticism, including the deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, who was acting prime minister at the time, complaining that it was a “<a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/105216779/air-nzs-impossible-burger-criticised-by-former-primary-industries-minister">bad look</a>” for the airline not to promote New Zealand meat. Such a response is short-sighted. Animal farming is an important industry in New Zealand, <a href="http://www.environmentguide.org.nz/activities/agriculture/">contributing significantly</a> to the economy and social fabric. Because of its importance, New Zealanders should take seriously the potential impact of plant-based meat and the consequences of this emerging market. Market disruption Some companies have already stated their aspiration to completely <a href="http://freakonomics.com/podcast/meat/">replace animals as a food production technology</a> by 2035. The meat industry is likely to use its power to protect its interests. But these interests are not the only ones that should be voiced and considered. Instead of merely criticising companies that offer meat alternatives and use innovative marketing tools to do so, we should embrace these initiatives as an opportunity to rethink some of our conventions. We need to adapt to new realities in ways that make our societies more ethical, while also encouraging consumers to be more mindful of the environment and health-related aspects of their foods. The boundaries of consumer law should reflect this. The law regulates against misleading and deceptive conduct mainly because it is purportedly bad for consumers. However, the law should adopt a more holistic approach - one that considers the motivation for the allegedly misleading behaviour. Protecting consumers from deceptive conduct is not an end in itself. Perhaps the degree and context of the misleading behaviour should be considered against other legitimate objectives. We believe that such legitimate objectives include caring for the environment, minimising animal cruelty and advancing public health. Written by Samuel Becher and Jessica C Lai. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-plant-based-meat-is-stretching-new-zealands-cultural-and-legal-boundaries-127901">The Conversation.</a>

Legal

You can now get travel recommendations based on your ancestry

There is a common wisdom that says travelling is about finding yourself. That can soon be reality, with a new partnership between Airbnb and genetic testing company 23andMe. The two companies are looking to tap into the heritage travel industry by helping tourists connect to their roots and plan a visit to their homelands. “We’re proud to team up with 23andMe, the leader in helping people learn about their genes and ancestry, to make it easier for travelers to plan trips as unique as their DNA,” said Joe Gebbia, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Airbnb. According to <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airbnb-and-23andme-will-help-plan-a-trip-to-your-homeland">Condé Nast Traveler</a>, this is how it will work: you can take a DNA test with 23andMe, and in three to five weeks Airbnb will recommend a custom mix of accommodations, tours and classes based on your results in the countries your genes trace back to. For example, if you were found to have Southern Italian ancestry, you might be suggested to stay at a trullo in the region of Puglia. On the other hand, those with Mexican roots could receive recommendations to go on a mezcal tasting journey in Mexico City. If you have taken a similar genetic testing before this, worry not – you can still access the recommendations. The website has opened dedicated pages that correspond with 23andMe’s genetic populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and West Asia, Central America and Mexico, South America, East and South Asia, and the Caribbean and Europe to allow travellers to “easily plan an end-to-end heritage trip”. Airbnb said more and more people are taking trips related to heritage or ancestry, with 500 per cent increase in travellers using the online platform to trace their roots since 2014. The growing popularity of at-home genetic tests like 23andMe also helps make it easier for people to explore and learn more about their ancestry. The move could be seen as an example of the changing face of travel, where personalisation and service convergence are the main considerations for travel merchants in designing travel experience for customers. According to a <a href="https://us.epsilon.com/pressroom/new-epsilon-research-indicates-80-of-consumers-are-more-likely-to-make-a-purchase-when-brands-offer-personalized-experiences">2017 Epsilon survey</a>, 87 per cent of people say they are more likely to do business with travel websites or apps that offer personalised journeys.

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We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found

Priscilla Presley's reaction to movie based on her life

Many people are tired of grappling with long COVID – here are some evidence-based ways to counter it

Hollywood’s 15 best movies based on kids’ books

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Your favourite chore, based on your zodiac sign

Revealed: Who this Lord of the Rings orc was based on

"Get off my lawn!": Man cops spray for hose-based deterrent

Plant based diets could prevent type 2 diabetes

5 blockbuster movies you didn’t know were based on books

Five things for over-65s to consider when switching to a plant-based diet

Plant-based Goan curry

7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety

5 surprising benefits of a plant-based diet

How plant-based meat is stretching New Zealand’s cultural and legal boundaries

You can now get travel recommendations based on your ancestry

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Travel

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Lifestyle

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Entertainment

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Keep up to date

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We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found

Priscilla Presley's reaction to movie based on her life

Many people are tired of grappling with long COVID – here are some evidence-based ways to counter it

Hollywood’s 15 best movies based on kids’ books

10 worst movies based on TV shows

7 research-based resolutions that will help strengthen your relationship in the year ahead

AI-based traffic control gets the green light

12 movies that were better than the books they were based on

How do pigeons find their way home? We looked in their ears with a diamond-based quantum microscope to find out

Your favourite chore, based on your zodiac sign

Revealed: Who this Lord of the Rings orc was based on

"Get off my lawn!": Man cops spray for hose-based deterrent

Plant based diets could prevent type 2 diabetes

5 blockbuster movies you didn’t know were based on books

Five things for over-65s to consider when switching to a plant-based diet

Plant-based Goan curry

7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety

5 surprising benefits of a plant-based diet

How plant-based meat is stretching New Zealand’s cultural and legal boundaries

You can now get travel recommendations based on your ancestry

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