8 Foods to Eat for Healthier Hair Slideshow

Eggs

Eggs (particularly egg whites) are high in sulfur, which is sometimes called the “beauty mineral” because of its ability to promote blood circulation and stimulate hair growth.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt contains vitamin B5 (also known as pantothenic acid), which may help against hair thinning and loss. Pantothenic acid is a common ingredient in haircare products, and a lack of this vitamin can cause damage to the follicles.

Kiwi

Kiwi is rich in vitamins C and E — two nutrients that are most effective when consumed together. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, which is necessary for hair follicle growth, and it also improves circulation to the scalp. Vitamin E promotes scalp health and hair elasticity

Lentils

Lentils are rich in protein and iron, which are both critical to healthy hair growth. Protein helps fortify the root of the follicle (which comprises protein cells) and allows for longer strands of hair, while iron carries oxygen to the hair and stimulates hair follicle growth. Iron deficiency was found to be one of the most common reasons for hair loss in pre-menopausal women. One cup of cooked lentils offers 36 percent of your recommended daily intake of iron

Mackerel

Mackerel is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and unlike other fatty fish *for instance, tuna), it contains very little mercury. Omega-3 fatty acids support the oil glands around hair follicles, giving hair an added level of shine. (A vegan-friendly alternative , that's also high in Omega-3 fatty acids, is walnuts.)

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are naturally high in biotin, one of the B-complex vitamins that is a popular remedy for hair loss. Although the effects of biotin on hair health are yet to be substantiated by scientific research, hair loss often accompanies biotin deficiencies

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a healthy hair superfood because of the high amounts of zinc and copper they contain. Zinc is crucial for promoting cell growth and supporting the oil secreting glands in the scalp, while copper improves hair’s thickness. Too much zinc can hinder the body’s ability to absorb copper, but pumpkin seeds provide a well-balanced ratio.

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6 nutrients for healthy hair

The secret to thick, strong, shiny strands isn't an expensive shampoo or fancy salon treatment—it's all about your diet. Eating a variety of healthy foods will give you the mane you've always dreamed of. Fill up on these nutrients to begin growing your healthiest hair ever.-- By Hallie Levine Sklar, Health.com

Iron and zinc

Iron and zinc help hair follicles to grow, says Wilma Bergfeld, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic. She suggests eating lean red meat, which is rich in both nutrients, twice a week. Pair nonmeat sources, such as soybeans or lentils, with a vitamin C-rich food like an orange to boost iron absorption.

Vitamin D

Several studies have found that vitamin D may help activate hair growth. However, D is a tricky vitamin. Few foods contain it naturally, and although sitting in the sun for a few minutes a day can help your body produce more of it, many experts advise against it due to the increased exposure to harmful UV rays. Your best bet? Take a 1,000 IU supplement daily.

Protein

Protein is one of the building blocks of life, promoting cell growth and repair—and it boosts your hair strength, too! Women should get at least 46 grams a day (3 ounces of chicken has about 23).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Eat fatty fish (like salmon) twice a week for hydrated hair, or take up to 1 gram a day of a DHA and EPA supplement. In addition to silky hair, omega-3s may help relieve depression and are a proven heart-helper. 

Biotin

Eggs are rich in this B vitamin essential for growth. (They're also an excellent source of protein, choline, and vitamin D.)Not an egg fan? You could also take 30mcg supplement daily. This gallery originally appeared on Health.com.

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I Got Listeria From a Container of Sabra Hummus and Will Never Ignore a Food Recall Again

What is listeria

The listeria that we most commonly hear about is a bacteria called listeria monocytogenes. It's a food borne pathogen that causes the infection known as listeriosis. In the United States, listeria causes approximately 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths each year. These numbers are alarming, but they aren't even the worst news. It's reported that 20 to 30 percent of food borne listeriosis infections in high-risk individuals could be fatal.

Listeria most commonly attacks the central nervous system. This leads to the following symptoms: fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, dizziness, confusion, and loss of balance

 
© Christin Urso listeria vegetable hummus

How did it affect me

Listeria mainly affects the elderly, pregnant women, and people with a weakened immune system. Although rare, it can affect other individuals as well, which is what happened to me. Back in the spring of 2015, I was obsessed with Sabra hummus. So much so, that I would go through a container a week (sometimes two). Around late March, I started to feel weak and exhausted all the time.

My body ached constantly, which made the simplest of my daily activities difficult. My neck was always stiff and that contributed to many painful headaches. I even started to fall behind in my classes because I couldn't understand the material I had previously learned. On one terrible day as I was walking to class, I completely lost my lunch right on the sidewalk (like every other day, I had eaten hummus for lunch).

I couldn't look at hummus the same way after that day, and stopped my Sabra addiction cold turkey. I was absolutely exhausted from everything that my body was going through. Like every other dependent college kid, I called my mom and explained everything that had happened. After I talked her out of driving 500 miles on a whim to take care of me, she insisted I see a doctor to find out what was going on

 
© Annie Eng listeria coffee sweet
 

Throughout the period of about two weeks, I had seen three different doctors. Each doctor had a different reason for what was causing all my symptoms. Amongst the diagnoses that I was given were sinus infection and seasonal allergies. I was given an antibiotic for the sinus infection and sent on my way.

I've always trusted doctors' opinions, but I couldn't help but get more frustrated with every visit. Nothing they attributed my symptoms to seemed to line up with how terrible I felt. I've had my fair share of sinus infections and I've never suffered from more than mild seasonal allergies. In addition, these diagnoses didn't give me an answer for several of my symptoms, like muscle aches and difficulty focusing on my schoolwork.

I finally started to feel better about a week after taking the antibiotic. To put the timeline into perspective, I had been feeling ill for about a month. I was finally feeling more like my healthy self when I came home one day to my roommate freaking out while holding a container of Sabra hummus

Sterling Martin listeria candy sweet

I had no idea what was going on. She was going off about how she had eaten half of the container when she heard the news that Sabra had recalled their hummus for listeria contaminations. I had no idea what listeria was at the time, but I decided to look at the lot number on the container that I had bought before I quit eating it. Sure enough, my lot number matched the ones that were being recalled.

I quickly looked up the symptoms of listeriosis and everything matched my symptoms. I called my doctor to explain that I had eaten two to three tubs of contaminated hummus and asked if that could have been the cause of my illness. My doctor agreed that my symptoms aligned with those due to a listeria infection, likely because of the amount of contaminated hummus I had consumed.

He also went on to explain that because the listeria recall was announced after my exposure and visits, he had not even thought about that possibility. In addition, I didn't fit the typical profile of an at-risk individual. Nonetheless, the antibiotic that I had been given for a "sinus infection" had likely killed off the listeria bacteria.

You're probably wondering why I'm even bringing this up if it happened almost two years ago. The truth is that my listeria infection has had lasting impacts on my life. I didn't do as well in school that semester as I could have and it took my body months to recover. It was exhausting being sick and trying to maintain a job, school, and friends.

I haven't touched Sabra hummus since that recall. And ever since, I have been very cautious with what I eat and I pay close attention to recalls in the news

  © Jocelyn Hsu listeria seafood fillet
 

How can we prevent infection

On the consumer side, the easiest way to prevent infection is to listen to recalls and practice safe-handling, cooking, and consumption of food. Companies have been getting better at identifying contaminations before any illness cases are recorded. It's also important to check to make sure refrigerators and freezers are set to their appropriate safe temperatures. This ensures that foods are kept at safe cooling levels to prevent the growth of listeria.

Pay attention to the use-by dates on precooked or ready-to-eat foods. And don't leave them in the fridge past that date. By being smart with our food and listening to recalls, we can cut down on the spread of listeria and the number of infections

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Woman Drops 72 Lbs. Thanks to Her Instagram Followers: ‘I Couldn’t Have Done It Without the Support’

Lobke Meulemeester had always struggled with her weight, but she really began putting on extra pounds after her mother died in October 2013.

“I stopped caring about myself and my diet and health,” Meulemeester, 35, tells PEOPLE. “That why in January 2015 I reached my highest weight of 233 lbs.”

The U.K.-based professional translator says she didn’t think twice about eating unhealthy foods, and her diet consisted of bread with butter, cookies, chips, pizza and chocolate.

She knew she had to make a change when doing day-to-day tasks became difficult.

“I couldn’t walk a small distance without having back pain,” says Meulemeester. “Going up the stairs got me out of breath. Doing up shoe laces was impossible unless I would hold my breath due to my big growing stomach.”

In March 2015, Meulemeester joined Weight Watchers and bought a Fitbit to track her activity. She started out going for walks, and eventually started taking Zumba classes. She also completely overhauled her diet.

“I learned to control my food, made wiser choices, and ate more fruit and vegetables, but still had the occasional treat worked into my plan,” she says. “That way I never felt as if I was missing out on something.”

Meulemeester shared her progress on Instagram and credits encouragement from her followers with helping her stay on track.

“I really couldn’t have done it without the support of these people,” says Meulemeester, who now has 85.7k followers. “I have tried so many times to lose weight, but never succeeded like I have now. There have been many days when I felt like giving up but the support I have received has been so immense that it’s kept me going.”

She has now dropped 72 lbs. and still follows a Weight Watchers plan to stay on track. Along the way, Meulemeester has found a new appreciation for herself and her body.

“I have found more respect for myself, and I no longer beat myself up for how I look,” she says. “I like what I see in the mirror, and I am so proud of myself for accomplishing what I have so far. I enjoy clothes shopping, I am no longer paranoid when I walk on the streets thinking everyone is looking at me. I feel happier within myself and I am enjoying life again

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Having Trouble Hearing? Maybe It's Not Your Ears

TUESDAY, Nov. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who struggle to make out what people are saying around the dinner table or on a noisy street may have perfectly "normal" hearing. The problem could actually be in the brain, a new study suggests.

Trouble processing conversations in a loud setting may indicate that the brain's ability to quickly and easily process speech is diminished.

The findings demonstrate that "separately from any typical hearing loss that might occur as we age, our brains also get worse at processing the sound of talking when there are other sounds at the same time," said study co-author Jonathan Simon. He's an associate professor at the University of Maryland's Institute for Systems Research.

"The background noise may not even be considered especially loud by younger listeners," he noted.

But "the implication is that typical older adults need to exert more effort, and take more time, in order to understand what someone is saying to them when there's also noise, even only moderate noise, around them," Simon explained.

About one in three Americans aged 65 to 74 has some degree of hearing loss, according to the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. For those 75 or older, half have difficulty hearing.

The new study included 17 young adults (aged 18 to 27) and 15 older adults (aged 61 to 73). All had normal hearing and were dementia-free.

All had a series of hearing tests, some of which included background noise. All also underwent brain scans focused on two regions of the brain: the midbrain, which controls basic sound processing; and the cortex, which is critical to speech comprehension.

Younger adults performed significantly better than seniors in both quiet and noisy settings. But the researchers found that noisy settings were more challenging for seniors.

The scans suggested why.

Midbrain scans revealed that neurological signaling related to hearing was weaker among the older study participants. And cortex scans suggested that auditory information took longer to process among seniors than young adults.

Why? The study authors theorized that the problem could trace back to normal age-related nerve impairment that undermines signaling and communication between nerve cells in the brain.

Regardless, the bottom line was clear: seniors often have to expend more effort to hear, and often end up with worse results.

"Typical seniors who have difficulty understanding what someone is saying in a noisy room will have both kinds of degradation," said Simon, referring to loss of actual hearing function as well as brain-processing problems.

And that means that while hearing aids "may be an important part of any solution to general problems with hearing," they don't solve the whole problem, Simon said.

The solution, he added, could be a kind of physical therapy for hearing and speech recognition.

"There is -- in theory, not yet in practice -- a real possibility of restoring enough of the youthful aspects of the brain to help with this problem," Simon said.

Robert Frisina directs the University of South Florida's Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, in Tampa. Though he was not involved with the new research, he called "the Maryland study a good advance in this area."

"Now, it is pretty well accepted that neurodegenerative changes in the parts of the brain used for hearing play a significant role in age-linked hearing loss and speech perception problems, particularly in background noise," he said.

"As the aging brain is understood more and more at molecular levels, these molecular changes become the prospective targets for drug or medication interventions," Frisina added.

Future interventions may ultimately involve a combination of both hearing therapy and cutting-edge medicine, Frisina said.

The study was published recently in the Journal of Neurophysiology.

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Daily Aspirin Benefits Could Outweigh Risks

A new study from Cardiff University has examined the risks and benefits of taking aspirin daily. Researchers found that aspirin's potential side effect of stomach bleeding is less of a concern than the spontaneous bleeds that can happen in people who don't take the drug.

The study also showed that there's no increased risk of death from such bleeding, leading researchers to hope that the news will spur older people and those with conditions that aspirin treats, including heart disease, to use more of it. 

To reach their findings, the team used a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials, according to Medical XPress. This type of research draws on the most relevant evidence, therefore it provides “ the strongest evidence for drawing causal conclusions,” the publication reported. 

Low-doses of aspirin are an effective additional treatment for patients with cancer, according to recent research. Alongside chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, the drugs have proven to reduce the deaths of patients with bowel, and possibly other cancers, by a further 15 percent.

According to Medical XPress, research has also shown that a small daily dose of aspirin can reduce the occurrences of both heart disease and cancer by around 30 to 30 percent.

"With our study showing that there is no increased risk of death from stomach bleeding in people who take regular aspirin, we hope there will be better confidence in the drug and wider use of it by older people, leading to important reductions in deaths and disablement from heart disease and cancer across the community,” said Professor Peter Elwood from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, according to Medical XPress.

Source: Elwood PC, Morgan G, Galante J, Chia JWK, Graziano JM, et al. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Trials to Ascertain Fatal Gastrointestinal Bleeding Events Attributable to Preventive Low-Dose Aspirin: No Evidence of Increased Risk. PLOS ONE. 2016.

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3 Foods To Eat For Those With High Blood Pressure And Diabetes

This question originally appeared on Quora. Answer by MJ Thomas, Health and Nutrition Expert

What is the diet suggested for patients suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes

Chronic inflammation is an increasingly common health condition that contributes to heart disease,diabetes, obesity arthritis and metabolic syndrome. Caused by a number of environmental factors including eating processed foods, saturated fats, sugar, and chemicals, inflammation is a dangerous condition that mimics many other serious health issues.

Fortunately, there are a number of natural foods that reduce inflammation levels in the body - these include fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, and certain spices. Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is perhaps the most important step in preventing inflammation in the body

  Top Anti-Inflammatory Diet Foods

Ginger

With over 500 natural compounds, ginger has a number of health benefits - including calming an upset stomach, preventing motion sickness, and reducing inflammation. While science has yet discovered exactly how fresh ginger reduces inflammation in the body, it has been shown to reduce inflammation that contributes to arthritis and various cancers.

 Vitamin C

Found in grapefruit, oranges, lemons and many vegetables, vitamin C is most commonly known for its cold fighting abilities. However, vitamin c is also a powerful antioxidant that reduces the harmful effects of stress and teams with vitamin E to serve as a very effective anti inflammatory food.

Being water-soluble, vitamin C is not stored in the body; meaning it needs to be consumed throughout the day to maintain appropriate levels. Since the typical American diet is low in vitamin C, 1,000 to 4,000 mg (milligrams) a day through fresh fruit, vegetables, or supplement is recommended

  Omega-3 and Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and essential fatty acids are good, healthy fats that assist in preventing heart disease, joint pain, mental health issues, and inflammation. People typically consume most of omega fats from vegetable oil, however this is omega 6, and omega 3. Omega 3s are found in wild-caught fish, quality fish and krill oil, avocado, and olive oil.

The ideal anti inflammatory ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is 1:1, currently the average American diet contains a ration of 20:1. With significant research demonstrating omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and prevent significant health issues like diabetes and heart disease, it is recommended that 1,000 mg is consumed twice a day.

Inflammation contributes to many preventable health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. Make sure you eat a diet is rich in anti-inflammatory foods, including avocados, fish, oranges, lemons, and ginger - and prevent these dangerous health conditions.

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Woman gets pregnant twice within 10 days

An Australian mother of two little miracles has shared the story of the phenomenon that resulted in her daughters being conceived 10 days apart.

Kate and Peter Hill are one of only 11 reported human cases of superfetation in the world, which brought them their 10-month-old daughters Charlotte and Olivia.

Superfetation occurs when a woman carries on ovulating after conceiving, and the second fertilized egg successfully implants itself in the womb's lining. The Brisbane parents only had sex once during the period of conception, but Peter's sperm stayed alive for 10 days, meaning the second egg Kate released could be fertilized.

It's so rare that Kate’s obstetrician Dr. Brad Armstrong, from Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, had to Google it to find out more about it. "I could not find any literature in the medical review websites at all," he confessed.

Charlotte and Olivia's original due dates were 10 days apart: Dec. 20 and Dec. 30, but both were delivered two days before the C-section they'd originally planned.

Another case of superfetation made the news in 2009 when American mother-to-be Julia Grovenburg went for a routine ultrasound and was told by her doctor that next to the baby girl she was carrying was a little boy, conceived days after his sister.

Julia and her husband Todd then had to prepare for the arrival of two babies: a daughter on Dec. 24 and a son a fortnight later on Jan. 10. Both babies ended up arriving on the same day: Dec. 2 by C-section.

Despite being so rare, superfetation shouldn't be a case for concern, according to Dr. Robert Atlas, chairman of the obstetrics and gynecology department at Baltimore's Mercy Hospital. Although he has never come across a case of superfetation during his career, he told Time that superfetation babies should behave much as twins do (although they're not actually twins because they were conceived at different times), with the second baby being only slightly premature.

In the animal world superfetation is far more common, with many documented cases in badgers, buffalo, mink and panthers.

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Top feel-good stories of 2016

Family with sextuplets re-creates famous photo 6 years later

It's the photo seen around the world — re-created six years later. The Ohio-based McGhee family, who welcomed sextuplets in 2010, recently posed for an updated version of their famous photo, and it's clear a lot has changed.

For starters, those babies aren't so tiny anymore.

Siblings Elijah, Issac, Josiah, Madison, Olivia and Rozonno Jr., who turned 6 years old, huddled around their mom and dad for the photo, which was shot by Brian and Janine Killian of Peters Photography, the same photographers who took the original image.

"We knew that one was special," Brian Killian told TODAY of the first time he photographed the McGhees. "I think people still remember seeing it six years ago. To have six little babies asleep on their dad — that's a unique portrait

 Stranger soothes baby on a plane so pregnant mom can rest

A pregnant mom traveling with her young son on a recent flight got some unexpected help from the man sitting next to her.

"It was so uplifting," one passenger, Andrea Byrd, told TODAY. She snapped a photo of the man carrying the baby up and down the aisle and posted it on Facebook, where it's since gone viral.

The mom, Monica Nelson, who is pregnant, told TODAY she had been nervous about traveling alone with her 20-month-old son, Luke. When he grew fussy and wouldn't rest, the man seated next to them surprised her by offering to help, she said. He walked up and down the aisle holding the boy, soothing him to sleep.

 Homeless man hands out resumes instead of asking for money — and lands a job

Frederick Callison had been using his piece of prime real estate outside a Sacramento, California, grocery store to actively seek work for the past two years — when it finally paid off, with a little help from one man who brought attention to the effort.
Michael Marteen noticed Callison while shopping at a Smart & Final store with his fiancee, Sandra Canto, and two sons, Adrian, 9, and Santi, 1. Accustomed to seeing homeless people ask for food or money, Marteen found it refreshing to witness someone making an effort to find work despite difficult circumstances.
Callison had been sitting on a sleeping bag with multiple resumes neatly laid out, along with a sign that read "need work and food.” He also had his food handler's certificate, Social Security card and ID on hand to show that he was serious about finding work.
"When I asked if I could see his resume, he hopped right up to hand one to me and then started telling me all about his experience as if it were an interview," Marteen, 25, told TODAY. "I've been in situations where I had nothing and had to bust my butt to get work, and there he was doing that, so I have a lot of respect for him

 Couple receives mysterious wedding gift — and finally opens it 9 years later

Kathy and Brandon Gunn had never opened one of the gifts from their wedding: a mysterious box marked “Do not open until first disagreement.”
The package was from Kathy Gunn’s great-aunt Alison, a “surrogate grandmother” figure to whom Gunn is quite close.
Since Alison and her husband, Bill, had been married nearly half a century until he passed away in 2004, the Gunns assumed the box held some sort of profound secret — perhaps a heartfelt letter about struggles the older couple had faced and how they had overcome. “We didn’t want to ruin the importance of taking that in by opening it after a silly fight,” Kathy Gunn told TODAY.
Fast forward to that May 2016 brainstorming session. “We were talking about the gifts we had cherished … I looked at my husband and said, ‘We still have that box,’” recalled Gunn. “He said, ‘If we’ve made it this far, I don’t think we need the box to save us.’”
They decided to open it ... and burst out laughing when they saw what was inside.

Couple creates humongous bed so they can sleep comfortably with 8 rescue dogs

For Chris and Mariesa Hughes, it wasn't a question of should their dogs sleep with them — it was how to fit all eight pooches on the bed.
So they decided to create a humongous bed, the likes of which had never been seen before.
"At nighttime all of the dogs want to sleep on the bed and sometimes it becomes too cluttered, and we end up being pushed off of the bed or sleeping on the couch," Chris Hughes told TODAY. "So we built the megabed."
And what a thing to behold! The megabed takes two mattresses — a king up top and a full turned sideways below. It's is a hair shy of 14 feet long, and 7 feet wide. The headboard is 6 feet tall.

 Strangers surprise man who walks 16 miles to 2 jobs with a new car

Kyle Bigler walked a combined six hours a day to get to his two minimum-wage jobs for about a year — until one woman shared his story.
The 25-year-old has been walking a combined 16 miles a day to two minimum-wage jobs, where he often works 20-hour shifts. He tried looking for a job in his town of Gilford, New Hampshire, but establishments like McDonald's and Taco Bell wouldn't hire him.
Bigler has a learning disability and severe speech impediment that make it hard to find work.
"No places close to me would hire me and Dunkin' Donuts in Belmont did, so I took it and said I'd walk to work and work for them every day," he told TODAY. And for one year, Bigler quietly undertook the grueling commute, racking up miles each day — going largely unnoticed. But all that changed about one month ago, when customer Joanna Griffiths pieced together Bigler’s efforts after encountering him three times in one day.

Target cashier’s patience with elderly customer inspires others

A Target cashier's simple act of kindness has shown that, sometimes, just slowing down and showing patience can make all the difference.
Ishmael Gilbert, 19, was working at a Target in the Glendale section of Indianapolis on Jan. 12 when his kind gesture toward an elderly woman caught the eye of a mom in line with her children.
In a widely-shared Facebook post, Sarah Owen Bigler admitted she was initially frustrated when she saw the woman counting coins for her payment — until she saw the care Gilbert was taking in helping her out.
"I watched him help her count her change, ever so tenderly taking it from her shaking hands,'' Bigler wrote. "I listened to him repeatedly saying 'yes, mam' to her. When she asked if she had enough to buy a reusable bag, he told her she did and went two lines over to get one for her and then repackaged her items. Never once did this employee huff, gruff or roll his eyes. He was nothing but patient and kind."

6year-old boy has tear-jerking reunion with missing dog in Lubbock, Texas

A mother captured the tender moment when her 6-year-old son reunited with his beloved dog who had gone missing for over a month.
Paula Williams from Lubbock, Texas, said that Kahne had been heartbroken ever since the family dog, Kase, went missing. It wasn’t until a chance encounter a month later that Williams spotted the dog with a family who had taken him in.
What followed was the tear-jerking moment — captured by Williams on her phone — showing the 6-year-old sobbing with joy after reuniting with his beloved pet. "I missed you," says Kahne as he hugs his furry friend. The dog seems just as excited, licking his young owner on the face

  Couple spills secrets to their 82-year-long marriage

For Nicholas and Rafaela Ordaz, romance runs in the family.
The Tracy, California, couple celebrated 82 years of marriage last week, hot on the heels of Nicholas’ 102nd birthday. Rafaela turned 100 last October.
“Their parents lived to be 112 and 108, and they were also happily married. Divorce isn’t really something our family has experienced,” Leticia Ordaz, one of the couple’s many grandchildren, told TODAY. “Nurturing those relationships is a huge part of our culture.”
She added, “They’re still so in love. It’s quite remarkable. In every picture, they’re holding hands or trying to kiss each other

 

Tipsy patron leaves car at restaurant, returns to a surprise from the manager

When Paula Schultz and her husband decided they'd had one too many drinks while dining out at Original Joe's restaurant in Alberta, Canada, they made a sensible decision to call an Uber home.
But when Schultz came back to retrieve the car from the parking lot, there was something attached to the windshield. A ticket? A nasty note?
Nope! It was a letter congratulating her for doing the right thing (i.e. not drinking and driving) and a voucher for chicken wings at Original Joe's! Schultz told TODAY that the voucher was "the last thing I expected

 Emotional wedding haka brings New Zealand bride to tears

A series of chants, grunts and stomps from some wedding guests, along with chest thumps and tongue wagging, recently drove one New Zealand bride to tears.
It also prompted her and the groom to join their loved ones in the rousing ritual.
A large group of guests, led by the best man and groom’s brother, performed a traditional Maori haka at the recent wedding of Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong. The passion and emotion expressed during the dance moved the couple, who, along with the bride’s best friend and bridesmaid, joined in at the end.
“I wasn’t expecting to see so many men jump in. Just to see their love and their respect for us was quite overwhelming,” Aaliyah told TODAY. “That’s why we jumped in at the end to show our love and respect back

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5 steps that helped this mom lose 139 pounds and take back her life

After quitting drinking and cutting out carbs, a Texas woman lost 139 pounds and is inspiring others to live healthier lives.

After being incapacitated because of her weight, a Texas woman quit eating carbs and drinking alcohol — steps that helped her shed 139 pounds and enjoy life.

"I thought I was happy; I didn't know I was depressed," Misty Mitchell, 36, told TODAY. "What I thought was happiness was me just surviving."

In 2003, when she was 23, Mitchell's grandmother started hospice and Mitchell quit school to care for her. She sat around mindlessly eating, which led to a rapid 60-pound weight gain. Over the next four years, she slowly gained more, with her weight increasing to 285 pounds. Shocked, she started the Atkins diet and lost 110 pounds.

Mitchell kept the weight off until 2009 when she started eating carbs again and problem drinking. What began as too many drinks while out escalated to her guzzling a half liter of vodka a day, or about 11 drinks and 1,000 calories.

She knew she had a problem, but told herself it wasn't bad: She never passed out anywhere, drove drunk, or missed work

Courtesy of Misty Mitchell Misty Mitchell cut alcohol out of her diet and lost 139 pounds. As her weight ballooned to 296 pounds, the 5-foot-6-inch woman couldn't push the cart down the grocery store aisle without getting winded. Mitchell struggled to fit in her seat belt, bend over to put on socks, or care for her now 12-year-old daughter.
Then she experienced a herniated disk, causing excruciating pain.

"I was completely bedridden," Mitchell said. "I was close to 300 pounds. I can't even explain how terrible it feels to be stuck inside that body

 

  © Courtesy of Misty Mitchell Misty Mitchell cut alcohol out of her diet and lost 139 pounds. While disk surgery eliminated the pain, Mitchell realized her life "was in shambles." She had lost her job and had to sell her house. After a meal of Frito pie and a pint of ice cream, she decided she had to make a change.
"If I kept drinking what I was drinking, I wouldn't lose weight," she said.

In February 2015, Mitchell stopped drinking and started a ketogenic diet, eating less than 20 grams of carbs a day to keep her body in ketosis. She immediately lost weight, but struggled to control emotional eating and drinking

Courtesy of Misty Mitchell Misty Mitchell cut alcohol out of her diet and lost 137 pounds. "I was so pissed at my life, it kind of fueled my drive. Every time I would think of drinking — which happened a lot — or eating carbs, I remembered that anger," she said.
After losing 60 pounds in six months, that anger transformed into something healthier.

"I'm not plagued with those negative thoughts. I could just be happy," Mitchell said.

That motivates her to skip drinks and ignore emotional eating. But one piece was still missing — working out. She feared the gym, but found unexpected inspiration from watching the movie "Wild." Much like the main character, Mitchell decided to "take her life back."

Since November 2015, she's only missed two days at the gym, transforming herself from 60 percent body fat to 25 percent. Her goal weight is 148 pounds, which would mean she has lost half her body weight. She's currently at 157 pounds.

She hopes to inspire others with pictures on her social media account

Courtesy of Misty Mitchell After giving up junk food and booze, Misty Mitchell lost 139 pounds. At her worst, she was drinking more than 1,000 calories of alcohol. "I really like who I am now and it is who I always wanted to be," she said. "If I can do it, anyone can do it."

Mitchell used these tips to avoid the lure of emotional eating:

1. Drink water

People often confuse thirst with hunger. If, after drinking water, you still feel hungry the sensation is probably authentic.

2. Know the hunger

Did you feel hungry suddenly? There's a good chance it's emotional, not true hunger, which comes on slowly.

3. Paint your nails

Thinking that a pint of ice cream will help with that bad day? Paint your nails instead. It's tough to snack with wet nail polish.

4. Brush your teeth

Brushing teeth sends a signal to the brain that it's not time to eat.

5. Take a walk

Distracting yourself from cravings will help them dissipate and you'll get extra activity.

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