#i looked it up. it's a combination of heart rate. blood oxygen. and movement

[sudoscience]

I got about 1.5 more hours of sleep last night than the night before, so why am I more tired today than I was yesterday?

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Medical Instruction Vd 1″

First day back at school, so forgive me for being short :) 

“Before we get started, I just wanted to make sure that it is known that all parties involved in these videos have agreed to let me use their footage for training purposes, though they may not be used for anything else in accordance with Human Medical Privacy Laws. These tapes will go directly to the intergalactic college of interspecies biology and medicine. Those who are found to use this footage in any way contrary to its original purpose will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law”

-

The camera turns on shaking form side to side over the floor spinning quickly from the right and then to the left before finally leveling out on an image of a hallway. The Vrul scuttles along the floor with great purpose small fleet clattering against the cold metal. He turns to look at the camera, “I just got a call up the Medical bay for a human in significant respiratory distress also complaining of chest pain, so we are going to head up there and see what is going on. Now I have been the operational medical officer aboard this ship for a while now, and I have seen almost everything there is to see. Doing medicine for humans is…. Well it’s a wild ride simply because of their combination of durability and breakability. They break horribly easily and in horrific ways, but are able to live through it when they do, and that leaves it up to the medical staff to make sure that they  are quickly treated so that the shock of their injuries doesn’t send them down the road of you know…. Not being alive.”

They hurried up a hallway following after the little doctor pausing for a few seconds before the medical bay doors which opened with a hiss. A wave of sound washes over the camera, people talking and someone breathing rather heavily. The camera pans up to show a group of humans gathered around a third sitting on the edge of one of the hospital beds. They are breathing fast and heavy a hand on their chest eyes wide panicked.

The crowd opens up as the little doctor walks in.

“What do we have?”

“30 year old male with racing heart, difficulty breathing, tingling hands, dizziness, and chest pain.”

The human was breathing even harder now looking around frantically, “I….I….I’m dying….. I think I’m having a heart attack…..I can’t breathe.”

“Alright, let’s get an EKG going first thing.” The little doctor gets to work very quickly all four arms working as he begins to speak, “Now the obvious worry here is the case of chest pain, which in humans can be an indication of a heart attack. Now the heart is a very major organ in a human, and acts as a pump to move blood around the body. The blood contains oxygen and infection fighting cells etc. With a heart attack one of those little vessels in the organ is blocked, usually by plaque or fatty deposits causing death in parts of the heart muscle. Now this human is generally too young and too fit for any of that to happen…” He turns to the human, “Is there a history of heart attack or heart disease in your family?”

The human shakes their head.

“Has this every happened to you before?”

Another head shake.

The doctor ripped off a couple of sticky white circles and attached them to the human’s chest, “Now this will give us a good look of what is going on in there.” There was a pause for a minute as they continued working.

The doctor glanced at the instruments once the information began coming in, “Alright, so this is good news, the heart IS beating fast, but there does not appear to be any blockage, and it is not fast enough to be considered tachycardia. Also their blood oxygen level is within acceptable range meaning that it isn’t likely to be some other issue. Now that leaves our post likely option as being a panic attack.”

He walked over to the human to get their attention, “Do you have a history of anxiety disorder in your family?”

“A few …. Uncles.” He panted, “But it has to be…. A heart attack.”

“Well your heart is actually fine. I think in this case you ARE having a panic attack, now you are alright, this can happen to anyone not just people with a disorder, ok. Now just humor me, and I and I want you to take in one big breath counting to seven, hold it for five and then blow out at five seconds.” The human looked very skeptical, but at the order of the doctor they began.

He left the instruction to one of the other attendees, “You see, this is actually quite common in humans. Emotional functions are very closely intertwined with their physical functions mostly due to their greatly superior fight or flight mechanism. Humans have a very quick physical reaction to panic that causes the heart to beat faster, digestion to shut down and the pupils to dilate. The breathing will also speed up as you have seen. The problem is the human body reacts to the stress of being chased by a predator in the same way it reacts to, social stress, or an approaching deadline.

In this cause stress, and an elevated heart rate could have trigged a panic attack, where the body is having these physical symptoms despite the brain, and now they are trying to figure out an explanation. They generally assume they are having a heart attack or that something else horrible is about to happen, even if it is not.

He turned back to check on the human, whose heart rate had gone down a bit. They were looking a little better, but there still seemed to be a way to go.

“We are just going to have him continue this breathing exercise which is designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm down the feelings of anxiety and panic. I always find it interesting that the one thing that makes humans the best and dealing with extreme stress, is also the one thing that makes them crumble under more mild states of stress.

***

“So we have been called in again this time, we have a 25 year old male presenting with, extreme abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and a low grade fever.” The doctor walked in wearing more protective gear than he had last time. The camera pans up to another human lying on one of the beds curled into a ball moaning, face screwed up in pain, hands clutched around his middle rocking slowly back and forth in a writhing sort of way. One of the other doctors had placed a metal bowl by the human’s head as they groaned.

The doctor moved forward and had the human roll onto his back, though the human did not seem as if he wanted to. The alien doctor listened to the human’s innards, and then began lightly pressing on the abdominal cavity. As soon as he did, the human yelped in pain and curled up again looking as if he was about to be sick.

“Abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant, I would wager to say this is probably a case of appendicitis.” The doctor motioned for one of the orderlies to grab a machine and roll it over, “Now the human appendix is a part of the intestines that was long thought to be useless or a vestigial structure that humans used more when they had to clear large amounts of plant material through their digestive tract. In many cases it acts as a blind pocket that sometimes collects bacteria and then becomes inflamed. You CAN fix it with antibiotics, but the general consensus is removal.” He pulled the machine into position, using a short wand covered in cold gel to pass over the human’s skin just above the problem spot.

“Ah, just like I thought, you see that right there.” He pointed to the screen, “This right here is the inflammation being caused by the infection, and the reason that the human is going to be in so much pain right now. I would suggest at this point that we just go in and remove it with a simple laparoscopic appendectomy. As far as procedures goes, this one is actually relatively easy and should take no more than a few minutes for me to perform.  Now before you go questioning me about the time frame for this surgery, I do remind you that I am the most experienced surgeon in the galaxy. I guarantee the prep for this surgery will take longer than my ability to actually preform it.”

The human groaned.

“Don’t worry, we will have you fixed up almost immediately.”

***

“I find that there are a few general things you want to look for when treating humans. The first big one is energy level. Your average human is going to be very…. Sharp you will see it in the eye and head movements, they will, or should be very energetic with their head and arm movements, especially around the chest and shoulders. Humans like using their hands to talk. A lot of the time you can tell something is wrong with a human when they are listless and slow to respond. You may see their eyes wandering and they won’t focus on you, now some humans behave that way, but your average human will generally try to make eye contact with you at some point. Watch to make sure they are supporting their own heads, or does it seem to be bobbing or tilting in one way or another. A few other things is a general change in appetite from what is considered usual. A stressed or sick human may eat too little or too much. If your human appears confused or is having trouble answering simple questions, you will want to check them over straight away. As I said before, a sick human might appear listless, lethargic, they will tend to sleep a lot, and they may be irritable. I would make it a point to warn most students about that fact when dealing with humans, sometimes in cases of serious injury  humans tend to act in anger to pain, so they might try to fight you off or to get away, especially if the pain is really bad, they are sort of resorting back to their more baser instincts. Occasionally you may have to strap them down, or even sedate them , while there are a few humans who like comfort when they are in pain, there is a large group of them who do not like to be touched or talked to when they are. I would say that is also an important thing to note, both psychological and physical pain can cause a human to isolate themselves form you, so just make sure you are watching for those signs because they can be indicators that something is seriously wrong.”

[rayraywrites]

Title: Just keep breathin’

Characters: Miyuki Kazuya, Sawamura Eijun

Relationship: Miyuki Kazuya & Sawamura Eijun | Miyuki Kazuya x Sawamura Eijun

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences 

Total Word Count: 2539

AO3

Summary: Feel my blood runnin', swear the sky's fallin' I keep on breathin'

breathin' by Ariana Grande

His chest shuddered, a painful tug on his lungs as he struggled to bring in air. Hands scrambled against the wall, with his nails digging into the tiles in order to give him a point of anchor as he pressed back further. A stray sob made its way up his throat, catching at the base of his neck and leaving a painful lump. He tried to clear his throat, shifting the noise away and letting the life-giving oxygen in, but no matter what he tried, he failed. 

“Did you hear about Miyuki?” The voices whispered to each other loudly. 

The gasps came out louder and more scratchy as his vision blurred; stars danced in front of his eyes. His head felt heavy, but if it had been clear he would have surely chuckled. Having lived in Tokyo for his whole life, this was the most star-lit sky he’d ever seen. And his eyes were closed.

“Heard he won’t be playing any matches any time soon! Wonder what that does to a team?” It had been after class, two girls whispering to each other in the hallways. Uncaring as to who could hear them. 

His legs came up against his chest, one hand and then the other shakily reaching around his knees and twining together tightly. He pushed his head into his legs, trying to use the smaller space to force air into his nose and mouth. For a few minutes the stall was silent aside from the forceful gasping. It worked, albeit slowly and not as effectively as he would have liked. But he could feel himself beginning to breathe cleanly. There were still shallow gasps escaping his mouth, nevertheless he began to relish the inhalations that were followed by shuddering exhales. When he finally reduced his breathing to a functioning but still laboured status, he pulled his head out of the proverbial box it had been shoved in. 

Broken. Damaged. TIme away from the team. Healing. Replace the captain, catcher, and clean-up. Screw-up. 

Eyes watered from the influx of light, but that was quickly blocked again as he slammed them close. For a moment he considered the thought of standing up, leaving the bathroom and heading to the privacy and confines of his room. He even tried to force himself up, pushing against the wall until he was half crouched on shaky legs. But his knees buckled under his unstable stance, fatigue draining him of all energy.

His mind might have felt like he was wading through gravy, a slow trudge to make any thought formulate, but even then he could tell that he was about to slam down onto the ground, knees first. But no pain came, no jarring slam to his legs which would leave the rest of his body to rattle like a shock absorber. Instead hands suddenly appeared under his arms and hoisted him up. They were familiar, a combination of rough, well-worn skin and a heat that seeped into his aching muscles. His eyes flashed up, locking with angry golden ones. 

For a moment there was a stalemate between them. One was essentially crippled by his love of baseball until it left him injured beyond compare. The other feeling a righteous anger at being forgotten, but also a blend of guilt and concern surging through him that kept him mum on his grievances. 

They continued to stare at each other until he couldn’t help the grunt of pain that leaked from his throat. The support to his body, while welcome, was pulling on his sides. And the ribs that he’d ignored for the sweet bliss of air entering his body now began to cry out their sorrow and hurt. He gasped again, involuntarily ripping himself away from the other’s grasp to crash back against the wall. The sudden movement was apparently unexpected as he moved quickly away and the cold feel of tile chilled his heated body. A soft moan escaped his lips at the juxtaposed temperatures. His head lolled forward as he took another shaky breath. Sawamura’s grunt of surprise reminded him that he wasn’t alone in the bathroom. 

He whipped his head up, ignoring the vicious crunch that came as his head slammed into the wall from his speed. As he made eye contact with Sawamura again, he felt himself flinch at the emotions flashing across the other’s face. Anger. Sadness. Desperation. More that he couldn’t give a name to, but it still left him with a heart-wrenching pain in his chest. Moreso than any lack of air, the punch to his gut he felt as he watched Sawamura try and wrestle his negative emotions back under a semblance of control was enough for Kazuya to break. Harsh sobs ratcheted through his chest as he grappled for a way to get out of the room. His hands, usually on his side in all other situations of his life, failed him as he tried to push himself up off the floor once more. 

He could feel his heart trying to beat itself out of his chest, so he raised one hand to his chest to try and assuage some of the pain. But as he approached his side, he felt an unexpected urge to grasp at his injury. This time his fingers cooperated, as they easily danced their way towards his bandaged ribs. With no patience or gentleness considering the severity of the injury, he rubbed the wound. The blossoming of pain made him grit his teeth hard, but the saccharine voice inside him felt satisfied.

Maybe if you can handle this pain, they’ll let you back onto the field. Maybe you’re not as broken as you think?

But what he hadn’t accounted for, so lost in the haze of his own pain and panic, was Sawamura. Sawamura who had yet to leave, who had toppled back when he’d ripped himself away, but had not left. Sawamura who had remained frozen as he’d began his self-inflicted punishment of failure. Sawamura who had learnt how to deal with his anxieties over years of support from friends and family. Sawamura who knew getting through to Miyuki would be difficult but would try anyways. 

Sawamura who was fighting back tears as he watched someone he cared for, admired, respected, and more, break down like this.

Kazuya, barely staying conscious in his cloud of pain-induced endorphin release, blinked wearily as his ears picked up a constant stream of words coming towards him. They were soft, but firm in their conviction. 

“Miyuki I want you to pay attention to my voice, to follow my breathing. Don’t worry, we’ll do this together, and I won't leave your side for a moment. I just need you to focus on my voice, because it is so important we get through this together now.”

As he struggled to open his eyes again, he found himself flinching at the sudden onslaught of stimuli. From the brightness of the lights, to the scratchiness of the skin around his injury. But the voice was soothing, enough to pull his attention to the one point. With a shaky breath, he felt the heaviness of his chest lighten just a bit as he followed Sawamura’s breathing pattern. Watching as that pulled a small smile to the other’s lips was even more validating. The stream of consciousness that seemingly never ended continued to spill from Sawamura’s lips. 

“Good Miyuki. That’s really good. Just keep breathing with me. In. hold. Out. Again.” 

Sawamura’s hand appeared in his vision. For a moment he tensed up again, chest freezing in it’s slow return to normalcy. But all it did was come to rest on his shoulder. Seemingly ignoring the fingers that continued their assault upon his side. Instead the hand only placed a steadying pressure onto his shoulder. Unbidden, tears built up in the corner of his eyes. The hand only squeezed his shoulder tighter, while another came up to brush the tears gently away.

“You’re doing fine senpai. Just keep breathing. Focus on my voice.” Sawamura’s voice remained steady, the volume only a fraction of its usual vibrancy. 

The hand on his face came up to his hair, the fingers running through the sweat-soaked strands as another soothing balm. Slowly but surely, his breathing was starting to come back to normal once more. The fog in his head began to clear, but he still felt exhausted. The weary sigh that escaped his lips was coupled with a collapse of his shoulders as he succumbed to the tiredness inside. As his head lolled forward, Sawamura came closer, becoming a physical support. As his head pressed up against Sawamura’s chest, his fingers lost their vigour and he felt them slip away. The pain spiked from the momentary loss, wires twisted in his head as his brain struggled to deal with the loss of pain receptor activation. But as all humans are wont to do, his brain compensated quickly. The pain began to fade away slowly, until it was only a pulsating thought in the back of his mind. Sawamura was quick to act, arms rushing to wrap around his chest until he was propped up against the pitcher’s chest comfortably. 

“Senpai, I’m going to let you go for just one moment.”

He flinched.  

“I’m not going anywhere. I just want to grab you a shirt. You might not feel it right now, but your skin is ice cold Miyuki.” Sawamura’s voice became jumpy as he spoke, as if his conviction was beginning to fade in the face of Kazuya’s fear. 

With some careful maneuvering, he managed to push himself off Sawamura, leaning back against the tiled wall. Sawamura stood up, his motions more exaggerated than normal. Somewhere in his hazy mind he realized that it was for his own benefit. The pitcher was efficient, and returned within moments with a familiar shirt. A white tee with red sleeves. It had a worn look to it, unsurprising as Kazuya had owned it for a few years by that point. But interestingly, and he only registered this subconsciously, the shirt had been missing for a few weeks, while Sawamura had seemingly gained a red tinge to his face whenever it had been brought up.

With a struggle he attempted to raise his arms enough to slip the shirt on himself. But finding that he had no energy in his arms he let them collapse again. He felt the bone-tired exhaustion seeping through his entire body even as he struggled to work, to function. It felt as if every nerve ending was on fire with all synapses active, response signals sent out, but no effectors responded. His arms just shook lightly on the ground. Staring at his unmoving fingers, and then towards Sawamura’s concerned looks, it took all that he had not to lash out. Not that he had the energy to even speak. 

However, there was no pity in Sawamura’s eyes or his actions. Instead, it was filled with efficiency. He managed to pull the shirt over Kazuya’s head with little to no hesitation, slowing down only when he raised the right arm. In a way it felt better that there was a brusqueness to Sawamura’s actions rather than any sympathy. 

Once the shirt was on, he could feel how chilled his skin was. With the shirt on he felt a bit of normalcy bleeding back into him. His side was still burning, but the pain had mostly returned to the throbbing it had been since the injury. His breathing was nearly stable, though his chest continued to heave from the previous exertion. 

“Senpai, do you think that maybe we can stand up and go towards your room?” Sawamura’s voice had returned to the gentle tone it had started with, the firmness gone and replaced with a slow cadence designed to soothe and calm.

Kazuya’s nerves were shot, and he barely had any energy to respond, but he managed a weak nod before Sawamura simply came closer and pulled him up. Again there was a care not to pull on his right side as he was picked up. Some stumbling and Sawamura bearing much of his weight, but they managed to make their way to his room without too many hiccups. He hadn’t really let himself acknowledge how much help Sawamura had been.

At the pause outside his room he leaned his head on Sawamura shoulder for a moment, ignoring the twinge of pain at pulling on his side. A whispered word of "thanks Sawamura" put a smile back onto Sawamura's face, even as his behaviour remained the calm surety it had been the entire evening. The pair danced their way towards the bed, so intertwined were their bodies, before Sawamura helped him lay down. A hand settled into Kazuya's hair once more, gently rearranging the messy strands back to normalcy. The extra weight on his head was a comforting pressure, and he couldn't help the sigh of pleasure that escaped as Sawamura continued his ministrations. Another hand came to remove his glasses, and for a moment he felt lost again, but they returned quickly back to his face, the tears and sweat wiped away. 

As Sawamura made to stand up, seemingly to leave and let him decompress from the attack, he found himself feeling lonely. Kazuya, the boy who had not relied on anyone for so long, found himself wishing that maybe Sawamura wouldn't leave. His hand caught onto the fabric of the pitcher's sweats. It was enough to get his attention, to stop his departure.

"Stay." Kazuya's voice was barely above the whisper it had been before, but the note of desperation that lined the monosyllabic word relayed more than the volume of his speech could have. He could no longer see Sawamura's face, instead looking at his back. He watched as the muscles of his shoulders tensed, before forcibly relaxing, and then finally slumping as the other came to a decision. He wanted to jump out of his bed and offer to catch for Sawamura. He wanted to have the energy to simply sit up and wrap his arms around Sawamura. He wanted to tell Sawamura how disastrous his day had been, how hearing those girls had sent him spiralling the entire day but he'd held it together until then, how he feared that even after he healed that the coach would be hesitant to let him go all out. He wanted to shout about how scared he was when he had gotten injured, how the thought that maybe that was the last time he'd play baseball crossed his mind. 

He wanted to tell Sawamura Eijun that when he had gotten hit, the only thought that mattered was that he couldn't let his pitcher down, he couldn't let anything hurt his pitcher.

But instead all he could do was wait, and watch as Sawamura turned around, as he came back towards Kazuya and crouched near the bed again. One hand rested beside his pillow, the other beside him. Summoning more energy from somewhere deep inside he reached over and tangled their fingers together. The sad smile on Sawamura's face began to flicker as tears built up inside the pitcher's eyes, but all Kazuya could do was say it again.

"Stay."

[usfwspacific]

Ice, Ice Baby! Chilling with the Fish at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery

Blogger’s note: It may look like a quiet winter wonderland but cold weather doesn’t stop conservation at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery in Leavenworth, Washington. Julia Pinnix, our visitor services specialist at the facility, takes us behind the scene in this installment of “Fish Tales” which appeared recently in The Wenatchee World. All photos credit US Fish & Wildlife Service.

Hatcheries in winter are just as busy as in summer, but in different ways. At Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (LNFH), the eggs of August have transformed, growing through the alevin stage, when they have yolk sacs on their bellies and can’t swim well, into tiny fry. By the first week of March, 1.2 million of these wee fish will fill 124 tanks in the nursery, and will need to be fed up to seven times a day. It’s chilly in the unheated space, especially with the moving water generating a draft, so I have to wear a coat to spend much time observing.

What’s the worst thing about working at a hatchery in winter? “Monitoring water flows and breaking ice for several nights in a row is the least desirable part about winter conditions, but keeping the water flowing is critical, and most rewarding after a cold snap,” is Craig Thomas’s answer. He is the assistant manager at LNFH. Fish need water the way humans need oxygen. A couple of hours without fresh water pumping into the ponds, and they will die. So a freeze-up of the pipes or ice clogging the intake is a full-on emergency. On January 16 and 20, ice on the Entiat River broke up and clogged the intake system for Entiat National Fish Hatchery. Staff spent hours clearing ice and keeping water flowing to their summer Chinook.

Photo: Ice accumulates around the intake system.

Fish are cold-blooded, so as the water chills, everything slows down: metabolism, heart rate, movement. “We feed them about once a week right now, whenever the ice opens up,” says Biological Science Technician Darren Hemmer from LNFH. Sara Reese, assistant manager at Winthrop National Fish Hatchery (WNFH), reported, “Cold temperatures during the middle of January brought river temperatures to 32 F...brr! There was no fish feeding for about a week and a half during this, as the raceways were 37 F (this is due to a combination of river and ground water).” Craig noted, “We generally don't feed when the water is below 36 degrees. Even then it is a reduced ration. The fish have a difficult time processing the food during cold temps, nor do they require much food.”

While fish in the outside ponds are at the mercy of the weather, younger fish in the nurseries are deliberately cooled to slow down their growth. This allows hatcheries to manage when young fry are moved outside, for instance. At LNFH, spring Chinook salmon smolt are released in April, and the raceways thoroughly cleaned before bringing fry outside. The well water used inside the nursery is relatively warm (46 degrees F), and if not chilled, would mean the fry are ready to go outside before there is room available.

Photo: Leavenworth is a place for work and play as visitors ski on trails around the hatchery grounds. 

At WNFH, steelhead kelts are overwintered in circular tanks in a special building. Kelts are steelhead that have survived spawning, something other salmon cannot do. These fish are being nurtured for re-release, fed a diet of krill and surrounded by netting to mute light and screen the activities of the humans that tend them. This project is run by Yakama Nation Fisheries, who are also at work at LNFH prepping ponds for coho fingerlings to arrive in March, delivered from the Columbia Gorge by truck.

Screens used outside to prevent predators from eating hatchery fish are compromised by snow and ice. Sara said, “Staff are busy with snow removal when storms come through, and building some new pond cover structures.” At LNFH, the raceways that are not roofed are covered with fencing on hinges, which can be raised for feeding or cleaning, and lowered to protect the fish. During heavy snowfall, they must be left raised so they don’t collapse under the additional weight, leaving the fish vulnerable to predators. Craig listed as problems, “Ducks (mallards seem to be the most common), crows, ravens, kingfisher, otter, mink, great blue heron, osprey… Just about everything that can get into the raceways.”

Although most visitors come to our hatcheries in summer, a winter visit still offers plenty to see. Each of our three locations (Winthrop, Entiat, and Leavenworth) offers trail access for snowshoeing and views of adjacent rivers. As the days lengthen, I look forward to spring releases of salmon smolt along with the arrival of migrating birds and emerging wildflowers. On the increasingly warm, sunny days of this season, it doesn’t seem long to wait.

[tisfan]

Dear Spite Siren: if I beg you to never ever write Tony/Bucky space mermaid AU pining, does that mean you will write twice as much of it. Asking for a friend.

You asked for it, you got it...

Title: Call andAnswer by tisfanLink: AO3Square Filled: S2 -

Ship: Bucky/TonyRating: TeenMajor Tags: space AU, mermaid AU, no, I’m not kidding, Jarvis is a good bro, space library, the library at Alexandria was asiren, really dubious use of bad science, crack taken seriously, author has regrets, this isn’t one of them, author is a spite siren, take that you little entitled goblinSummary: A hundred years ago, the siren, Bucky, sent a call into the carelessstars for help… today, someone finally answered.Word Count: 3,128Created for @tonystarkbingo

“Good afternoon, sir,” Jarvis saidas the sleep capsule cracked open and the lights started coming up all aroundthe ship. Systems whirred to life and the oxy was pouring in from theventilation systems. “Trip log: Day 49, arrival to outer edge of the Scorpioussystem. Scanners are active, showing evidence of multiple crystallinesilicates, crystalized ice water, and multiple extra-solar carbonites. Thegreatest concentration of these, which may indicate a life form, or cluster oflife forms, is rapidly approaching the dark lane of the nebula. Interiortemperatures for that region are well outside our shield’s tolerances.”

“In other words,” Tony said,dragging himself to a seated position, “if you’re going to do something, do itfast. Estimates on time to object loss.”

Everything hurt. His head ached,not abnormal coming out of a seven week hypersleep. The remnants of thesleepmask, which kept his mouth and eyes and nose moist during hibernation wasclinging to him. He scraped it off; yuck. He would have supposed that aftercenturies of space travel, some enterprising company might have developed asleep mask that woke him up with minty-fresh breath, instead of being coated insleep gunk.

If you want something done right,do it yourself. He taggedthe thought and let it slide back into his data chip. The neural interface wasa little sluggish. Not unusual, either.

He had muscle cramps in his legs,pain in his joints. The balls of his feet were tender. Annoying, but notworrisome.

What was of concern was the ache inhis chest, the way sizzling lines of pain etched out from his heart. Breathingwas a strain. “And while you’re at it, what’s the blood toxicity level?”

“Estimated thirty-one hours untilthe potential life-form is out of reach, blood toxicity level is at seventypercent. With minimal exertion, you have a waking lifespan of twenty-six days.With each level of increased activity, you lower your remaining time by twelvepercent. Recommend delegating all physical tasks to Dum-E and U. Remain inmedbay, sir, and allow us to--”

“Yeah, no, that’s not gonnahappen,” Tony said. “Look, if this fails, I’m done and dead anyway, J, you knowthat. I’m not going to risk fucking it up because Dum-E cannot be trusted to doextravehicular excursions.”

“As you say, sir,” Jarvis relented.Dum-E, as if responding to his name, was already wheeling in Tony’s direction,a carafe of coffee in his claw. He didn’t have a mug, but that was okay, Tonycould drink out of the pot. He’d done if before.

He pushed at his chest; thearc-reactor set directly over his sternum hurt. It was the sort of pain thathe’d gotten used to. Steady, aching pressure these days, where it had once beenunimaginable agony. He supposed a body could get used to anything, given enoughtime. U was there, too, bringing bandages and a sterile robe. Tony took a fewsips of coffee, unwrapped the sleep dressing. The light from the arc-reactorlit up medical, a cold blue glow, like a frozen star.

Tony was cold, but his skin wasalso tingling as his blood pumped; the itches were another symptom ofhypersleep. He waved off the offered robe. There was no one to see him in theship, wandering around in his underwear and a handful of bandages. “Jarvis,warm it up in here,” he ordered. “Get me visuals on the object, and any anglesof approach. Get the suit online, update any environmental maps.”

“May I suggest breakfast, sir?”

“You may not,” Tony snapped, takinganother sip of coffee. “Stop trying to mother me, J.”

“Sir, I have studied all availablematerials around your history, and I must say, I am nothing likeyour mother,” Jarvis responded, a bit snippy. But he was already raising theair temperature in Tony’s small ship, so that was good.

“That’s true, Jarvis,” Tony said.“Tell ya what, give me time to object, and if there’s a large enough gap, I’llhave a waffle.”

“If you will direct your attentionto the starboard porthole, sir,” Jarvis said, “You will see the object inquestion.”

“It’s a dot,” Tony said, but he staggeredover to the porthole and touched the high index clear plastics that made up theviewport.

“Of course it is, sir,” Jarvissaid. “We are in space; space is very, very big.”

“Magnify,” Tony said. He strokedhis fingers over the plastics. Like he could just reach out and grab what mightbe his only remaining hope. “I’m not sure what I’m seeing here, Jarvis.Analyze.”

He didn’t really listen to Jarvis,aside from the part of his brain that was always listening, analysing,considering. Instead, he leaned closer to the magnification to squint at it.

Tony was pretty sure of what he wasseeing.

A man-sized.

Space.

Fish.

more below the cut

Bucky was awake. There was a shipnear. By certain sense of the word near. The vastness of space covereddistances that even a siren’s voice couldn’t reach. But this one was actuallyin range. He could be heard.

He raised his song; a siren’s voicewas a combination of movement for the dust particles that made up the tiny bitsof matter between the stars, and an electronic signal that would echo throughany organized carbon; life forms or intellectual designed space-faring vessels.It was a call and a cry, a lure and a longing. Irresistible. Sometimes it wouldmimic a beacon of civilization, or a distress signal, or just an unnamable desireto be there.

If there was anything in a thousandlight years in any direction, he would be heard.

And then, would they come, wouldthey care, would they help?

Bucky didn’t know, but all he coulddo was sing.

Trapped by an accident so long agothat time had ceased to mean anything to him. His left arm was pinned, and evenhis strength wasn’t enough to move the object off him, held in place by thelaws of motion; a collision that pinned him between the asteroid where he’dbeen resting and the meteor that crashed, driving Bucky’s resting ground intodeep space at speeds that pushed and fought and held him down.

His arm was crushed, useless, andstill, he didn’t have the strength or leverage to tear himself free, leave thearm behind. There was nothing in reach that he could have used to cut himselfloose.

He was stuck.

He was starving.

And, based on trajectory, he wasonly hours from burning up in a nebula. Even his space-worthy skin wasn’tstrong enough to resist the heat death of a pair of dying stars.

Come to me, he sang. Come to meand I will give you knowledge. Come, come and I will give you ease. Come to me,and I will grant all your dreams.

Time passed.

He wasn’t sure what he was seeing;a brilliant figure in red and gold, a light shining out of its chest like astar.

The creature was flying, almostdancing through space, graceful. By design.

Bucky song changed; welcome, pity, help me, please. Anything you want,I’m dying.

“Jarvis, give me a cutting laser,” thecreature said, an electronic medley of a voice. Emotionless, but somehow… Buckycould hear it, vibrations on the stone around him, particles in the air,reverberating in his head.

Bucky turned to look up at thecreature, reached for it with his one free hand. Help me.

The red and gold creature -- somesort of armored pressure suit, Bucky decided. A space combatant -- held outmetal fingers, touched Bucky’s palm. “Don’t be afraid,” it said. “I’m not goingto hurt you. I’m gonna get you out of there.”

Bucky, a creature who had livedmilenia among the stars, who’d survived centuries pinned under a scrap of spacedebris, wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t.

Or at least, he wasn’t afraid ofthe creature. He was afraid of his reaction to the creature. Gratitude floodedhim, affection, curiosity.

Nothing he’d ever known. There wasthe song in space, there was knowledge, and there were meals.

He’d never had a companion, as hevaguely understood the concept from the civilizations whose knowledge had beenpreserved by the sirens. They sang it to each other across the stars. Thesirens were the keepers of magic, the dreamers of dreams. They knew manysecrets.

The red armored creature used abeam of light from the star at his heart to cut the rock free, dug the injuredBucky from the rubble. Pulled Bucky up to cradle him against the creature’schest. “Autopilot, J, back to the ship.”

One wish, Bucky sang. I willgrant you.

“Get us out of here, J, and bringup medical, I want everything you--”

“Beg your pardon, sir,” Jarvis interrupted,“but there are-- ma..siive… data…”

“Come on, don’t do this to me,buddy,” Tony said. He carried the creature back toward medical, peeling backthe suit’s faceplate as soon as he’d cleared the airlock.

The being in his arms appeared tobe humanoid, with a fish tail, thick gill slits at the throat, webbed fingers.Everything that old earth legends about mermaids were supposed to look like.Except that it was quite obviously living -- albeit, barely -- in space. Nopressure suit, no oxygen. The thing shouldn’t be alive at all, and yet it was.

Well, and its arm was crushed,broken and useless, the skin on the fingers of the left hand were frozen andnecrotic besides.

The rest of the suit peeled off,leaving Tony standing around in his underthings, but they were warmunderthings, at least, and the itching from hypersleep was down to a basicmaybe I should take a shower range of annoyance. The mermaid -- well, what elsewas Tony supposed to call it, it’s not like it had introduced itself beforepassing out -- filled almost one entire cot just for the top half of it, andthe tail was ridiculously long; requiring Tony to set up a sling to hold thething level. Or, at least, Tony assumed it would be comfortable laying flat.Maybe it wouldn’t.

But at least for the time being,flat it was.

“So, uh, Jarvis, buddy, you okay?”

“Yes sir, my apologies, there wasquite a surge of data transfer just as you boarded with our guest. Theinformation is optimally compacted for storage, but, well, there’s a lot, sir,”Jarvis said. “How can I be of assistance now?”

“What is this… person?”

“I believe, sir, that it is boththe source of the data delivery via a previously unknown optimal transspacemethod, and the answers you were seeking. Consider this person, sir, a livinglibrary. A repository of data from every civilization in its sphere ofinfluence, and that sphere is vaster than even I can comprehend.”

“Well,” Tony said. “See if you cancudgel the data into behaving, get me some biological and medical data on ourguest, and while we’re at it, get us the hell away from that nebula before Iget a tan.”

“Of course, sir.”

When Bucky woke up again, there wassomething heavy attached to him. Attacking him. Taking over-- he clawed at theoffending thing, bright and silvery and it was part of him, and--

“Hey, hey, hey, shhh, shhh, it’sall right,” the creature said. Except that it wasn’t the creature, it wassomething else. Save for that brilliant star in its chest, but maybe that wasindicative of race; Bucky had never seen an alien like that before, but theuniverse was vast and even as much as he knew, there was always more to learn.“I’ve got you, it’s all right. I know, it looks weird, but I didn’t know whatelse to do, you were dying. The dead tissue was poisoning you.”

Bucky looked up at the creature andit had a face, hair, mouth, and upper body like Bucky’s own, even if that starin its chest was new and unusual. Lower, and it was split, one of thosecreatures confined to the land, with legsand feet.

“Yeah, they’re pretty weird too, Iguess,” the creature said, gathering the surface thoughts up from Bucky,somehow. “Don’t worry about that, either. You just linked in with my ship’ssystems when I brought you on board. And this-- well, you gave me the designsfor it, so I thought you wanted to-- I’m sorry.”

Bucky actually looked, looked atthe thing, and it was a silvery replica of his arm, all the way down to thedelicate webbing between his fingers. He shifted, moved it. The arm respondedto his every thought, like it was a part of his own body, and it had been solong since he’d been able to move at all that he suddenly keened, crying outthe shame and terror and loneliness he’d had for so, so very long.

The creature holding him grimaced,its brown eyes filling with liquid. “Well, that’s a dirge, isn’t it? It’s okay.I’m going to help you, keep you safe. I promise.” The liquid spilled down thecreature’s face and Bucky reached out to touch it. What a strange thing, this--he tasted it. Saline fluid, filled with hormones and… you’re sad?

“Yeah, tears. That happens.Emotions, and then we sort of leak out the eyeballs to get rid of the excess.It’s not a very efficient system, more proof against intelligent design, butyou know how that goes. Food pipe and airway right next to each other, theplayground between the sewers. No tail, which we really should have, based onthe agonizing amount of back pain we suffer. God was an idiot.”

Why?

“I thought I was helping, your ownarm, oh, sugar, it was pulverized. I… we can’t repair that sort of structuraldamage. It had to come off, or you were going to die. So, I built you a newone; your data gave us the connections, really, once I saw the plans, it wasalmost too easy, but… I didn’t want to frighten you.”

What are you?

“I’m a man, a human, terran,terrestrian, whatever you want to call me,” the creature, the man, said. “FromEarth, third rock from our sun, Sol. Here, Jarvis, give me a display. Formally,Anthony Stark, head of Stark Industries. Less formally, just Tony is fine. Isthere something I can call you?”

Bucky. It was the least of his names, Singer of Songs, Keeper of Tales,Protector, Dreamer, Mover, Thinker.

“That’s a very informal name, butit’ll do,” Tony said. “Bucky it is. Nice to meet you.”

You have saved my life. For that, Igrant you one request.

“You’re what I came out here tofind,” Tony admitted. “I need-- I’m so sorry, I thought you might be a library,or a data store, it never occured to me that you might be a person, and ifyou’re a person, then it’s my duty to save you, like I would do for any otherperson. You don’t owe me anything. I helped you, because you needed to behelped.”

What did you hear of me?

“Knowledge, that could be foundbeyond the stars,” Tony said. “Romantic. Garbage, probably, but I’m… well, whatcould it hurt? I came.”

You came because I called you. Ahundred years ago, I cried for help and you came.

“Yeah, you got the wrong guy,” Tonysaid. “A hundred years ago, I wasn’t even born.”

But Bucky was seeing clearly now,unclouded by fear and uncertainty. Ahundred years ago, your forebear started on the path, bringing new technologyto your planet, created a vast store of wealth. Your mother, before yourmother, her discovery of the hyperdrive. It came to her in a dream to reach thestars. Your father, pushing you harder, further, faster, until, you. Creatingthe star in your chest that let you live long enough to reach me. A series ofcoincidences. God is an idiot.

“You don’t look much like God,honey,” Tony said.

And so I’m not, but I called andyour family, your purpose, your entire life, has been drawn here. You havesaved my life because I called and you heard that call. You answered it. Youare here. Ask your wish. Whatever is in my power.

Tony’d barely skimmed the surfaceof the technological wonder his guest had brought on board; endless, renewablepower, the ability to cross galaxies in mere moments, to spread all across theuniverse and to--

Do what humans always did. Destroy.Steal. Conquer. They were a race of explorers, true, but with greedy at theirback.

Tony could live, find a replacementfor the core that made up his arc-reactor. And he could take everything hisguest had given him, return home. He would be the most powerful person in thegalaxy. And… he would still be alone. The friends he had, some would be loyal,but most would want something from him, would require, would demand and ask andexpect, and frankly, it was one of the things he’d loved about his quest. Alonein space, no one could be let down.

He turned to his guest, who was, itseemed, at ease within Tony’s ship. And was offering him riches untold.

“I think… I’d like to stay, ifthat’s all right. Explore the universe with you.”

You are dying.

“In a few weeks,” Tony said,shrugging. “I came out here looking for a cure. I think I’ll take what’s behinddoor number two, Monty.” At the mermaid’s confused look, he clarified. “I’lltake the adventure. Show me everything, for the rest of my span. I’ll diehappy.”

Bucky reached out and tapped thearc-reactor. The core, acidic and corroded, spat out into the metal hand thatTony had fashioned. The rest ofyour span.

With a flick of his wrist, Buckydiscarded the core, and Tony was dying, he was just doing it a hell of a lotfaster now. The arc-reactor stuttered and his heart was being torn to pieces,and--

Bucky took a single scale from histail and slid it into the arc-reactor, where the core had been.

There was a brief, sub-audiblethump, like the entire universe took a step to the left.

Tony’s heart stopped, thenrestarted, beating merrily, as if he’d never been wounded at all, never beenforced to build a machine inside his chest, never been sick and desperate and--

“What did you do?”

Extended your span. Stay, for therest of it. I will show you the stars and the spaces between them.

Tony reached, and Bucky took hishand.

“You called me…”

And you came for me.

[raja-blogs]

Health and Fitness

Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health, but you can't really enjoy the benefits of exercise with perseverance. Today, Dr. Hello wants to share with you the ten benefits of regular exercise that have been confirmed by research. In addition to letting everyone understand the importance of exercise and how much it is beneficial to our health, I hope that people will start to develop regular exercise from now on. Habit!

1. Exercise helps you lose weight

Many people who are inactive are also obese or overweight group In fact, the weight loss effect of diet control and exercise are incomparable, because in addition to promoting metabolism and making the body healthier, exercise can also increase the metabolic rate, help burn more calories and burn fat, and the higher the exercise intensity, the more calories burned. Efficiency is also higher.

If you can't find time to exercise, you can remind yourself to take advantage of the opportunities in your life to be more active, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or speeding up your daily walking speed, etc. Movement is better than no movement. Combining aerobic exercise with weight training or resistance training can also help maintain muscle mass, and the higher the muscle mass, the higher the basal metabolic rate, which means the body naturally consumes more calories. More, the weight loss efficiency will be higher.

2. Improve mood

Exercise stimulates the brain to release endorphins, which make people feel relaxed and happy, and regular exercise can help boost self-confidence in addition to reducing stress . The study confirmed that exercise can reduce the symptoms of depression (depression, also known as depression) and anxiety disorder (Anxiety syndrome) in patients with "In both groups, people in the "stop exercising" group after two weeks were more likely to have negative emotions

3. Improve sleep quality

Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. One study found that doing 150 minutes of moderate-to-intensity exercise a week can improve sleep quality by 65%. Another study showed that exercising for 16 weeks improved subjects' sleep quality and helped insomniacs fall asleep earlier, sleep longer, and feel more energized during the day. But be careful, don't exercise before bed, so as not to make it more difficult to fall asleep.

4. Improve skin condition

Excessive exercise will generate a lot of free radicals in the body, which may cause oxidation in the body and affect the skin quality. However, if you exercise regularly and moderately, it can promote the body to produce natural antioxidants (Antioxidants) to protect the cells in the body. Because exercise can stimulate blood circulation and allow skin cells to adjust, it can help delay skin aging.

5. Help you to be more "sex"

In addition to helping you look better with regular exercise, your sex life will also be happier. Regular exercise in women can increase arousal, while men can improve sexual function and reduce the chance of dysfunction. Because exercise improves blood circulation and increases muscle and body flexibility, all of which can help improve sex life..

6. Improve brain function

Exercise can improve memory and thinking because it increases the heart rate and promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. In addition, exercise not only stimulates the body to secrete hormones that promote brain cell growth, it has also been shown to increase the Hippocampus, which aids memory and learning, and reduces the risk of Alzheimer 's disease and schizophrenia.

7. Increase physical strength

After you develop the habit of exercising, you will gradually feel that many things in life are easier to do, and you will feel better. One study found that after six weeks of regular exercise, long-term fatigue was improved in all 36 healthy subjects. In addition, exercise can significantly improve the physical strength of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

8. Helps strengthen bones and muscles

Exercise is important for bone and muscle strength because it helps secrete hormones that increase the ability of muscles to absorb amino acids. As you get older, muscle mass and function decline, making injury more likely. Regular exercise can reduce muscle loss and maintain strength. In addition, regular exercise can increase bone density and help prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis

9. Prevent chronic diseases

Exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity , lower blood pressure and blood lipid levels, increase good cholesterol (HDL) in the body, reduce triglyceride levels , improve blood flow in the body, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease . Therefore, regular exercise can help prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (Metabolic syndrome), high blood pressure (Hypertension), Type 2 Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes), and reduce the risk of stroke (Stroke).

10. Relieves Chronic Pain

For many years, the treatment of chronic pain has mostly been more rest and less activity. But in recent years, studies have found that exercise can help relieve chronic pain! Several studies have shown that exercise can help manage pain associated with various health conditions, such as chronic low back pain, Adhesive capsulitis (Adhesive capsulitis , and Fibromyalgia. In addition, exercise can improve the body's pain tolerance and reduce pain.

There are only ten benefits of exercise listed above, but the benefits of exercise are actually countless. Regular exercise not only makes people healthier and stronger, but also a good remedy for many physical and psychological diseases.

[painandinjury]

A Look into George Floyd’s Cause of Death, From an Anatomical Perspective

On May 25, 2020 an African-American man named George Floyd was apprehended by four police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  During the apprehension, a police officer named Derek Chauvin placed the handcuffed Floyd prone on the street, then knelt over him, placing his left knee on top of Mr. Floyd’s neck.  From the image circulated in the media, it appears that Chauvin exerted his full weight over his bent knee.  He kept his knee in position for 8 minutes and 46 seconds despite please from Floyd that he could not breathe.  Tragically, Mr. Floyd died at the scene.  Two autopsies on Mr. Floyd ruled the death a homicide.  The county version “revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation” while a private autopsy ruled he died of “asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.”  Asphyxiation is the deprivation of oxgyen to the body, resulting in death.  Chauvin was fired and arrested shortly after the incident, and charged with 3rd degree murder and second degree manslaughter.

This tragic and awful case spurred protests and civil disobedience throughout major cities in the U.S., against systemic police brutality and racism towards African-American men, which continues as I write this.  It is also a case that has drawn interest in the medical and forensics community, as to how exactly George Floyd died.  This is important to investigate, as it has consequences for the trial and also provides information to police forces to help them determine which types of restraints should and should not be used.

Before discussing the medical aspects of Mr. Floyd’s death, I want to emphasize that the most important thing about this incident is that a man unnecessarily lost his life to a trusted law enforcement officer, in a most inhumane way.  It is especially bad because of the systemic racism element to it, and the fact that Chauvin had several opportunities to get off of him in time after being warned by another officer at the scene and multiple witnesses, but failed to do so.  This was a textbook lesson on how not to subdue a person, and the price of this lesson is going to play out for weeks to months and will be costly to society in more ways than one.

That being said, I will discuss the anatomical and physiological factors involved in Mr. Floyd’s death.  There is some controversy over how he died, which will determine what sentence, if any, Derek Chauvin will receive.

As you will see, the neck contains several structures directly tied to sustaining life, which is why the neck is a logical target when it comes to martial arts/ self-defense, and yes, murder.

Mr. Floyd was lying prone (stomach down) with his hands handcuffed behind his back and neck turned to his right.  So when Chauvin placed his knee over his neck it contacted the lateral (side) aspect of his neck and some of the anterior portion.  The critical structures found at the side of the neck include the vertebral arteries, cervical nerve roots, carotid arteries, jugular veins and lymphatic vessels.  Attached to the carotid artery is the carotid body, a cluster of special cells that detect oxygen saturation levels in the blood leaving the heart, and passes the information to the brain, which the brain uses to regulate heart and breathing rates accordingly.

Inside the cervical spine (the neck bones) there is the spinal cord which is comprised of the neuron axon bundles that control body movement and sensation; and lying just outside and against the cervical spine is the sympathetic chain ganglia, which play a role in innervating the heart, lungs, adrenal glands (adrenaline secretion) and other organs during “fight or flight” moments of stress.

The critical structures found in the anterior neck are the esophagus, trachea (wind pipe), larynx and thyroid gland.  Also present but not critical to life are the vocal cords.

The contact area on Mr, Floyd’s neck, based on the typical size of a bent knee, was about 4 square inches.  Chauvin weighs about 170 pounds, so I estimate that the force placed on Mr. Floyd’s lateral-anterior neck was (.9)(170 lbs)/4 in sq. =153 lbs/ 4 in sq. = 38.25 lbs./in sq.  So imagine four, 40 pound dumbells stacked and resting on the side of your neck for nearly 9 minutes.

What I believed happened is blood flow to the brain was cut off, making Mr. Floyd unconscious after a few minutes, as would happen in a martial arts choke hold.  We can assume the loss of consciousness due to restricted blood flow to the brain occured the moment he stopped talking.  Chauvin kept his knee in place for nearly 3 minutes after Floyd stopped moving.  If there was any chance of resuscitation, that chance ended with this additional time of compression.

The pressure also activated Mr. Floyd’s sympathetic chain ganglion, which caused a surge of adrenalin– a neurotransmitter secreted by the adrenal glands of the kidneys that prepares the body’s response to stress.  This increased his heart rate, increased blood pressure by vasoconstricting his arteries; dilated his pupils, and attempted to increase breathing rate.  However, with Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, the increased respiratory rate did not result in more oxygen getting to the body and the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle that pulls down and expands the lungs for breathing may have spasmed as it fought against the air blockage.

Most of Chauvin’s knee was over the side of the neck, but the front (anterior) was subject to some compression.  This likely partially collapsed the trachea, restricting air flow.  Mr. Floyd was initially able to express his inabilty to breathe, suggesting that his trachea was still patent, but his words became less and less as the seconds ticked.  Perhaps Chauvin’s knee shifted forward with his weight, slowly closing off the trachea.  This makes sense, as the neck has a curved contour which would promote such slipping.

As the knee hold persisted cutting blood flow to his brain, Mr. Floyd’s blood rapidly turned acidic as all oxygen was used up (the brain has a high metabolic rate and therefore a high rate of oxygen consumption) and CO2 levels were rapidly rising (CO2 is a byproduct of cell respiration).  This may have affected his speech center, which is supported by the fact he stopped talking a few minutes after the knee hold.  The apneustic (breathing) center in his brainstem was starting to break down as well from the hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), hampering his breathing further.

It’s not clear at what point Mr. Floyd expired.  Coroners define time of death at the point when brain activity ceases.  But the nature of Mr. Floyd’s death was so prolonged, it is likely he experienced irreversible brain damage and would have been in a vegetative state even if Chauvin had gotten off of him a little earlier and Mr. Floyd was given immediate medical attention.

One of the tell-tale signs of asphyxia by strangulation is ruptured blood vessels in the conjunctiva (whites of eyes) and face, called petechial hemmorhaging.  This information, as far as I know, is not available to the public.  If there was no evidence of this, I can see why the county autopsy reached the conclusion that he did not die of asphyxia.  In this case, it would suggest that Mr. Floyd’s primary cause of death was something else; perhaps sudden stoppage of the heart due to a breakdown in the cardioregulatory system.  But, it is not clear if you can die from asphyxia from “gradual” strangulation and not have petechial hemmorhaging.  It could also be that death was from a combination of both asphyxia and heart stoppage.

The autopsy did not mention fractured cervical vertebrae, which I could see happening if it were a smaller-framed person.  The force Chauvin exerted on the neck appears enough to break one or several neck bones, especially if the person had osteopenia (bone thinning).  Fractured neck vertebrae often result in spinal cord damage and paralysis.

Conclusion

George Floyd’s tragic death is a wake-up call for police forces across the country.  Knees to the neck to restrain someone must be prohibited.  There are too many ways for this to go wrong, given the high concentration of structures critical to maintaining life that reside in the neck.  I understand that safety to police officers is important and fully support it, but it must not be accomplished by jeopardizing the safety of the person being restrained.

[sparklytastemakerwitch]

Why you need beauty makeup mirrors? Why handheld mirror and vanity mirror are important?

Let’s face it ladies, most of us don’t have access to a personal on-call makeup artist. We do the best we can to cover any imperfections and enhance our looks, it’s a daily ritual. When it comes to the choice between a lighted and an unlighted makeup mirror, there’s really no contest. Today’s LED lighting technology is so advanced, that it’s as close to true daylight as you can get without stepping outside your front door. In this article, we will discuss the importance of lighted beauty makeup mirror.

1. We Need Lights

You never know if there will be sufficient lighting when you travel. A lighted mirror will show us the imperfections we will not see otherwise. A stray hair, too much foundation or uneven eyeliner. The light on the mirror is critical to applying cover ups and foundations so you can see everything is blended perfectly and to make sure the colors are right.

2. We Need To See Every Detail

A 10x magnification mirror is also great for shaving. The magnification allows you to zoom in on the area you’re shaving, so you make sure you get every last hair. These mirrors can be especially useful if you’re used to using a mirror that’s far away, like a traditional vanity mirror. The magnification allows you to see without having to hover over a big mirror. Moreover, if you don’t wear contacts, you may not put on makeup at all because you just can’t see anything when you take off your glasses. With a magnification mirror, you can put on a face full of makeup without ever needing to put on your glasses. A 10X lighted makeup mirror will give you the perfect lighting for flawless makeup application.

3. Makeup Anywhere At Anytime

If you choose a compact mirror, you can apply your makeup anywhere and anytime. The lighting allows you to see your face clearly even if the lighting in the room is poor. Apart from lighting, you may get sweaty and oily in summer, this is when you need to refine the makeup on a car or at a cafe. With a portable and light makeup mirror, you can wear a flawless makeup everywhere. If your makeup mirror is Tri-fold, you are also able to adjust the angle and height of the mirror.

4. Not Limited To Beauty

Who said magnifying makeup mirror is only for young ladies? Magnifying mirrors and LED lights are also helpful to the elderly and those who have relatively weak eyesight. With 10X or 7X magnification, they can clearly see their faces and eyes. Very helpful and user-friendly to those in need!

We all want to look gorgerous and stunning with a perfect makeup. If that's your case too, a beauty makeup mirror is definitely what you need. You can choose a portable handheld mirror with LED lights and magnification. You can also choose a vanity mirror with 10X magnification for daily makeups. At GadgetiCloud, we have what you wish for! Check out our makeup mirrors now!

Neck Massage Benefits

I am sure we have all experienced it once, if not more. You encounter a hindrance in your normal routine, are forced to drop everything, and then painfully set your way back to your real track. Do you know what that is? Of course, neck pain! While not everyone takes it seriously, some people have experienced it. As the U.S. national institute of health statistics mentions, every 15% of Americans face neck pain.

15% of Americans are Troubled By and/or Experience Neck Pain. How Zarifa Massage Helps

Massaging routinely with Shiatsu Massagers helps with keeping your body free from pain. Aside from other pains, particularly neck pain, this massage works by focusing on the upper back and shoulders.

Additional Massage Benefits

Relief from neck pain is not the only benefit that is offered by neck massage. With regular massaging your joints stay limber, there are reduced chances of muscle pulls near you neck and shoulders. Regular massaging improves posture and flexibility, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, increases motion range, encourages relaxation, relieves stress, and leads to a healthy mindset.

What are the benefits of neck massage?

Since neck pain is a common concern that most people face, the solution to it is also rather simple. Applying some pressure on the neck and shoulder muscles reduces muscular tension and can help deal with regular stress and pain. Here are some benefits offered by a neck massage.

Muscle soreness recovery

Massaging sore parts of the body can improve the flow of oxygen and blood help reduce inflammation and soothe the pain. Additionally, this massage encourages the release of endorphins which are the natural painkillers of the body. Neck massage then helps improve muscle soreness and better the range of motion.

Read more : Why does pressing on sore muscles feel good?

Strengthens the immune system.

Regular neck massager also improves the level of lymphocytes and white blood cells that help to fight infections and illnesses. Massaging the area encourages activation of the lymphatic system that removes and filters harmful materials from the body. With harmful substances out of the body, your body remains healthy and strong.

Encourages positive moods.

Neck massage does not just benefit your body, but it also elevates your mood greatly. Studies show that massaging improves dopamine and serotonin levels greatly. So, when your body relaxes, does your nervous system. As our heart rate and breathing are lowered, massaging helps to realign your entire body. Regular massage treatments are offered by companies to improve their health, mood, and job satisfaction.

Reduces eye strain and migraines.

Being a natural alternative to medications for migraines and eye strains, massages do not have any side effects. Regular massaging can help relieve muscle spasms and improves blood circulation. With better blood circulation, pressure in the head is reduced that helps to reduce migraines. With massaging, people experienced a decrease in the headache, and pain associated with the shoulder, and the neck.

What is sonic cleansing?

Let’s start by explaining what “sonic cleansing” is. The term originally comes from the fact that the bristles on the head of the cleansing brush oscillate at a precision-tuned sonic frequency (which happens to be 127 Hz, if you’re keeping score at home). The first “sonic” skin care device was the Clarisonic brush which was created by the key inventor of the Soni-care toothbrush which used oscillating bristles to clean teeth.

The basic idea is that the rapid movement of the brush bristles gently deep cleans skin by removing makeup residue, clearing pores, and lightly exfoliating skin. In addition, some products claim that they increase the absorption of skin care ingredients.

You need to understand, however, that not all “sonic” cleansers are really sonic and that there’s not a lot of evidence that these expensive devices are much better than a simple wash cloth.

Oscillating nylon brushes

There are three basic types of sonic facial cleanser. We’ll describe each type and give a few examples.

The most common ones consist of a nylon brush that is driven by a battery operated motor. The biggest difference between these is whether the brush oscillates or rotates. There are also non-brush type cleansers. But let’s start with the oscillating brush.

This type uses a combination of moveable and stationary nylon bristles which are 10mm in length. The bristles move back and forth at a rate greater than 300 motions per second. This movement generates enough force to deep clean skin without damaging it. The true sonic cleansers are the ones that oscillate.

Clarisonic Clarisonic is the “mother of all sonic cleansers.” It’s the most expensive brand but they offer the widest range of products. They vary by speed and power and by which products and accessories they come with.

Their face cleansing collection starts with the Mia for $99, the Mia 2 for $149, the Plus for $225 and a Pro model that’s apparently only for sale to dermatologists and aestheticians. The main claim for the product line is that it “Cleanses 6x better than hands alone.”

They also have a special version designed to work with their skin brightening cream. It claims to provide “10x reduction of hyper pigmentation vs manual treatment.” But of course it’s sold with health care products and personal care products that works against hyper pigmentation so it’s not just the brush the provides the benefit. They also offer the Pedi Sonic which is designed for your feet. It has a smoothing disk like a buffing stone which is designed to work on tough calloused skin.

Lastly there’s the Opal for $185. Instead of a simple cleanser this is a “sonic infusion” device that’s designed to improve the penetration of anti-aging ingredients.

Clinique Sonic System Phillip mentioned the Clinique sonic system which, at $135, is slightly less expensive than the some of the Clarisonic line. It features an oscillating brush with a dual angled head and its claim to fame is its gentleness. See their website for a video showing it’s gentle enough to use on a flower.

Nutra Sonic Cleansing brush And, finally, if you want true oscillation at a bargain then look for the Nutra Sonic brush which retails for about $100. Now let’s look at the rotating brushes.

Rotating nylon brushes

The rotating brush also uses 10mm nylon bristles but these move in a circular motion rather than back and forth. These products tend to be much cheaper and people have raised concerns whether they work as well.

Spa Sonic As we explained the “sonic” name comes from the oscillation frequency. Of course that only applies to the oscillating brushes, not rotating brushes like this one. This is one of the pricier rotating brushes at $50 but their website claims it’s been tested and is comparable to the Clarisonic.

Proactive Deep Cleansing Brush At $30, the Proactive Deep Cleansing brush is an affordable alternative although there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the claims it makes.

Ulta Dual Action Cleansing system Similarly, there’s the Ulta version for $25

Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System This one costs anywhere between $20 to $50 depending on which products you purchase with the brush.

Conair Facial Scrub Brush Our final example of rotating brushes is the Conair Facial Scrub Brush which has the dubious distinction of allowing you to rotate the brush clockwise or counterclockwise. I don’t know WHAT difference that would make – it’s not like your skin can tell the difference. You can pick this up for only $15.

Non-brush cleansers

There are also “Non-brush” cleansers. These are less common – instead of a nylon brush they channel pulsations through soft silicone filaments or some sort of non woven pad. So even though the technology is different these are probably more similar to the oscillating brushes.

Using a fan in warm weather can make even a long day at the desk or on the porch almost bearable, even with plenty of beverages on hand. However, you don't always have one available to you, or you may not have batteries.

Fortunately, a fan is a relatively easy machine to make, as it is just a motor attached to a power source with some kind of blade attached to the motor. It also helps to have some kind of stand. You can make a homemade fan out of nearly anything you may already have on hand.

For reference, a mini fan is really no more than a mini vacuum cleaner with the air directed the other way owing to the orientation of the curve of the fan blades in relation to its direction of rotation. Nevertheless, the invention of the electric fan preceded the invention of the vacuum cleaner in its more-or-less present form by a number of years. Build a set of fan blades which attaches to the armature on your motor. For example, cut a piece of cardboard so that it has symmetrical blades, or make a CD blade as outlined in the "CD Blades" section, or find a fan blade template online. Make a hole you can attach to the armature on the motor. Build a small stand out of wood or coat hanger so that you can mount the fan blade and point it toward you when in use. Mount the motor on top of the stand. Glue or tape the fan blades to the armature of the motor. Attach wires to the positive and negative terminals of the motor. Push the bare ends of the wires through the terminals on the motors, then twist the bare wires back around themselves. Attach the wires to a power source. Tape or glue them to batteries, with the positive terminal on the positive end of the battery, and vice-versa. Alternately, strip the USB wires with the male end, then cut off all except for the black and red wires. Attach the red wire to the positive terminal on the motor, the black to the negative.

CD Fan Blades

Cut eight lines into the CD at regular intervals, cutting only the shiny part, but not the clear plastic ring in the middle. Light the candle and hold the clear plastic ring over it. This will warm up the CD allowing you to bend and twist it. Bend all of the blades to about a 30-degree angle. Don't hole it over too long or it will melt completely. You may need to spin the CD over the candle a few times to successfully make the shape. Hold the CD and let it cool for a few minutes. Piece the center of the cork with a needle to create a hole for the armature. Use a needle about the same size as the motor's armature. Push the cork into the hole in the center of the CD. Glue the cork into place, and you now have a device you can attach to your motor.

What are gold facial roller?

Face rollers are tools that some people use to massage the face. They often have a smooth, cool surface and are available in a variety of materials, such as:

crystal, including jade, rose quartz, and amethyst

stainless steel (sometimes known as ice rollers)

plastic

Some of these materials are more durable than others. For example, crystal can chip or crack over time.

A person uses a face roller by holding the handle and rolling the massage head over their skin.

People claim that face rollers have a variety of benefits for the skin and a person’s overall well-being. While there is not much scientific evidence for the benefits of using face rollers, limited evidence suggests they may:

improve blood flow to the face

reduce puffiness

boost mood

temporarily tighten the skin

Here is what the research says about face rollers and their benefits.

Improved circulation

According to a small 2018 study, using a roller to massage the face can increase blood circulation in the face.

The study looked at how short- and long-term massage treatments affected circulation. After one 5 minute massage with a face roller, researchers noted increased blood flow to the immediate area. After 5 weeks of regular facial massage, they recorded increased vasodilation in response to heat.

This suggests that regular massage could improve circulation overall.

[thestoryofme13]

Saving Me

Prequel to Saving Me: The Spiral

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

This chapter is really dark

Warning: self-harm (Freezing water and cutting), intrusive thoughts, panic attack, trouble breathing, uselessness, hopelessness, suicide, thinking of death, minimal blood, anxiety, crying, failure, body image

A/N: This is my attempt at an AU, but please look out for the warnings before each chapter, this is going to be triggering and I am going to do my best to tag all of them but I will need your help to make sure I don’t miss anything. I want you as readers to be safe. This was inspired by @ilovemygaydad and their fic Friends in Dark Places, which I highly recommend, you can see the all the chapter links and my thoughts on the story as a whole here.

It had been two weeks since the first post-it note. Every day it would be something new but always written on the electric blue paper. So far Virgil’s favorites were “PUPPIES,” “BOYS,” the day after boys he got one that said, “GIRLS,” then the following day he got, “Or whoever you’re attracted to or no one at all!” These notes while very cute and silly, helped a lot. Virgil had started a collection of notes on the inside of his closet door and anytime he felt like self-harming he would look at the notes. Sometimes this worked and other times on particularly bad days, it didn’t work, and he would slam the door closed. At least with the door closed he wouldn’t feel like such a failure. Virgil knew that whoever was writing him these notes would be disappointed anytime he relapsed so anytime he did, the closet door would have to be closed, “out of sight out of mind,” right?

There was one particularly bad day, nothing really stood out to make it worse, but it was probably the worse he has ever gotten. Virgil had started to count on those post-it notes, they were his lifeline, obviously, he knew that was stupid and that he couldn’t count on them forever, but it was all he had for now. Then one day a note didn’t show up, he figured the writer, had finally given up on their project and decided that Virgil was a lost cause. He would have to agree with that, if he was holding onto sticky notes from stranger to get him through life then maybe he was a lost cause.

That day when he got back home after not receiving a note, no amount of looking at the wall of sticky notes, was curbing his urge. He finally gave in and went to go take a shower. He had told his mom that the cold water was being fickle after the first time he was unable to get the temperature he wanted, she had called a plumber and they took care of it. While the freezing cold water worked in his shower, today it did nothing for him in helping to quiet his mind, no amount of time under the water that pricked him like needles was helping. Once he figured out that his usual tactic would not work, he stepped out only after about 30 minutes under the freezing water.

Usually, the freezing water turning off his brain would give him energy, but this shower seemed to do the opposite. Upon exiting the shower Virgil was completely drained, he opted for sitting on the floor in his towel, much to his intrusive thought’s delight there were nail clippers within an arm’s reach. Virgil grabbed the nail clippers, his heart rate steadily increasing, his breathing becoming more ragged, his hands shaking, every part of his mind and body giving him signs that he should stop but his intrusive thoughts were “louder.” Without even thinking about it he moved his fingers so that the metal nail file connected to the nail clippers was exposed, his mind was beyond reason. Auto-piolet had kicked in, it felt like someone else was in charge of his movements, as he moved the towel up to expose his thigh.

All the words that Virgil could think of that made sense to carve into his porcelain skin were too long, “useless.” “worthless,” and “hopeless,” all of these words while very fitting were compromised of too many letters. Virgil also knew his pain tolerance was very low, so maybe just one letter for each time he failed. The tip of the nail file was dull, which meant he would have to apply more pressure, but if this would stop his thoughts and dull his pain for even just a moment, then it was worth it.

Slowly, his hands shaking from adrenaline or maybe anxiety, but eventually, the dull tip made contact with his pale thigh. The tears fell silently from his face whether it was from fear or possibly regret, even Virgil couldn’t tell. His breathing hitched at the exposure to the cold point of the metal. He hesitated for a second as the tip of the file made contact with his skin, but without overthinking his action he forcefully pushed down and began to carve a “u,” once he finished that letter he could barely breathe. The breathes were coming in rapid and short, not quite filling his lungs, or giving his brain enough oxygen.

The carving didn’t draw much blood, it hurt and would likely scar but luckily for Virgil the blood was minimal, or at least a lot less than he thought. Somehow the intrusive thoughts that had urged Virgil to this display, had forgotten the fact that the sight of blood, made him dizzy. His shortness of breath combined with the minimal amount of blood, caused black spots to form at the edges of his vision. Virgil dropped the nail clippers and placed both hands palm down on the cold tile floor hoping that it would ground him and bring him back to reality.

He knew that he should place his head between his knees, but he could not bring himself to be in that close of proximity to his failure. Failure was a good way to describe this new mark. He had failed the person who gave him notes because obviously, they were under the misguided impression that Virgil was somehow worth the space he took up. He failed his mother, by not living up to her expectations and if she ever knew, she would likely be more disappointed than worried. He was her only child, and he was meant to be this perfect child but no he was just a fuck up. Virgil guessed he had also failed himself in a way. He was supposed to be taking care of these feelings he had but no he couldn’t deal with them, so he found ways to escape just like the coward he was.

Those sticky notes in his closet seemed to mock him as if to say “haha, knew you couldn’t do it.” What was the point in having reasons to live when he would disregard them in search of relief from his? From his place on the floor, Virgil silently cursed the sticky notes, it was their fault, he was like this! The notes had such high expectations, they were suffocating him. Those damned notes were asking too much of him, they wanted him to stay alive! He wasn’t even sure he wanted to die! All he wanted was for his life to go back to normal. He wanted his best friend and confidant back, the loneliness was starting to get to him. While Virgil knew there was no good reason to self-harm he knew damn well that a lack of a person in his life was not a good enough reason. Virgil couldn’t help it though, he needed this escape, probably more than anyone would ever understand.

The series of events and emotions masked the pain and the hell that his life had been, even the panic that he felt now was a much-needed break from the thoughts. Through the panic was a nagging voice that urged Virgil to take care of his new failure. While he wanted to be numb and stop thinking, he didn’t see any reason that it should have to get infected.

He had to be rational, he had to take care of himself. He could not give in to the part of him that said to give up. He may have made some bad choices but he wasn’t ready to die, not yet! Although the part of him that said, “give up,” was much louder than the part of him that said, “continue on.” Even though everything sucked right now and his life had pretty much always sucked, he wanted to live, right?

Tag list: @fandomsandanythingelse@justanotherpurplebutterfly @nyxwordsmith @michealawithana @fanfictionsideaccount@bubblycricket @moose-1967  @electricdaisycat @sanders-sides-fic-archive

[onlymorelove]

fic: We are made to bleed (and scab and heal and bleed again)(3/4)

Title: We are made to bleed (and scab and heal and bleed again)(¾) Fandom: Teen Wolf Relationship: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken Characters: Theo Raeken, Liam Dunbar Summary:  What doesn’t bend, breaks. (Liam and Theo both have questions.) Rating: T Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms,  Liam Dunbar needs a hug, gratuitous Florence + The Machine references Chapter Title: “The laws of physics bend, when you touch my hand.” A/N:  Thank you, @tabbytabbytabby & @eclecticklutz , for giving me song suggestions when I was looking for additional angsty tunes. :)

Read under the cut or on AO3.

The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin But as the embers of the summer lost their breath and disappeared My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded from within But then he rose, brilliant as the moon in full And sank in the burrows of my keep And all my armor falling down, in a pile at my feet And my winter giving way to warm, as I’m singing him to sleep

— Fiona Apple, “Pale September”

Early September, and the summer heat that had girls and guys alike turning bare shoulders and legs toward the sun eases into crisp hints of the fall chill still to come. If Liam closes his eyes, it bites at his nose, the faint, bitter scent of rot and decay wrought by dry, crumbling leaves and broad swaths of grass that have gradually shifted from the brilliant green of a lacrosse field to dull brown.

Green. Brown. The mix of which Liam finds in the quicksilver flash of Theo’s eyes.

Seasons turn; civilizations die. If there’s anything history has taught Liam it’s this: change and death are the only constants in an inconstant world. And yet— 

Without the sun’s rays to warm him, goosebumps rise on Liam’s bare forearms. When his bedroom started to feel too small, shoving against each one of his boundaries; when all the oxygen in the atmosphere seemed to have fled, and his lungs struggled to pull in the air his brain said his body needed; when that scalding ball of rage started simmering in his stomach, he’d opened his window, jumped out, and run.

He’d only been wearing a loose pair of sleep pants. The fact that he was shirtless hadn’t mattered at the time. But slowing down enough to think instead of just acting on impulse when he’s angry hasn’t been one of his strengths for a long, long time, if ever. Now he’s cold, even wearing the t-shirt Theo had forced on him. He’s grateful to the other boy for loaning him a shirt. For saving his ass, yet again.

Why does Theo even bother? What anchors him to Beacon Hills? He could go almost anywhere, and the thought of having that kind of freedom—the freedom to choose—fills Liam with sour jealousy.

Scott never asked him if he wanted to be a werewolf, something to be feared, hated, and threatened by a slavering mob; he bit him when they were still strangers and then offered hollow platitudes like “The bite is a gift!” after the fact.

(Nor did anyone ever ask Liam if he wanted an asshole for a fa— He’s not thinking about that. Nope, not going there.)

The shirt Theo tossed him to wear smells like cheap laundry detergent and Theo’s truck, and Liam really, really doesn’t want to think about what it might mean that as he stands in the darkness and drinks in the combined scents like a man who’s been wandering in the desert for a hundred years, throat parched, skin blistering, his wolf whines piteously and throws itself against the bars of its cage in an effort to get closer to Theo.

Theo, for his part, watches him, hands in his pockets and head angled down the slightest bit because of the few extra inches of height he has on Liam. He holds his body perfectly still except for the slight furrow between his eyebrows.

Questions curl in the night air around them, in the space between one breath and the next. But Theo doesn’t voice them. His gaze glides skyward for a moment, luring Liam’s attention to the sleek line of his throat. Then he looks to Liam again, endlessly patient in a way most people stopped being ages ago, if they ever bothered in the first place. That patience is a dangerous thing because it catches in Liam’s throat and his hands; makes him yearn to forget caution and tell Theo things—important things.

Theo had called himself a murderer and a liar. Liam saw no use in arguing against that. But since Liam had released Theo from his underground prison, he’d risked himself to help. When he rinsed the blood from Liam’s battered hands, his touch was gentle, even careful. Is a person merely the sum of his sins, or is there room for a more complicated calculus of morality in their supernatural world? Just thinking about it makes Liam (more) tired.

Moonlight carves harsh lines and casts strange shadows onto the unreadable mask of Theo’s face. All the color has leached from his skin, leaving him pale as a marble statue. As untouchable, too.

Liam shivers. Not from the cold that’s seeped into his bones, though. From holding back.

He wants to touch.

Theo’s pulse thuds even and regular, giving away nothing. Not panic. Not fear. Not awareness of the war raging within Liam.

Must be fucking nice, Liam thinks with no small amount of resentment rising inside him in a bitter, towering wave, to be able to hide what you’re thinking so completely. His hands curl into fists at his sides. The movement sends small glimmers of pain jolting through Liam’s almost-healed skin and bones. A confusing tumult of feelings Liam doesn’t want to name riots inside his chest, making his breath sough a touch faster. To name something is to give it meaning and power; Liam is tired of things having power over him. His IED. The moon. His alpha. Hunters. The Anuk-Ite.  

Nevertheless, he wants— He wants to draw closer to Theo. He wants to plant his hands against Theo’s chest just long enough to feel the throb of his heart and the hot tide of blood rushing through his veins under his palms, and then shove him back until he stumbles. He wants to set his hands to the hard planes of Theo’s cheek and jaw; wants to slide his fingertips over that skin like he’s reading braille and check for the rasp of overnight stubble. He wants to hear Theo’s heartbeat stutter. He wants to make it stutter—in shock; in arousal; in something.

In his chest …  In the whorls of his fingertips … In the storm-heavy electric pressure behind his eyes, Liam wants.

Above all, Liam wants to claw through Theo’s composure and leave him as wrecked and bloody and off-balance as he feels. Why should he get to stand there and look like nothing and no one can touch him or hurt him or make him feel, when Liam is an open wound spilling blood and guts out on the uncaring ground at his feet?

Liam’s body doesn’t feel big enough to hold everything itching and clamoring beneath the surface of his skin. With his breath held, he watched Theo take a dying Gabe’s pain. Tributaries of black swam up Theo’s corded arms, and now, Liam wishes Theo would take his pain. Wishes he could.

He’s not oblivious to how Theo watches him. Watching: he’s always watching Liam. There’s a quiet, patient quality to the way he watches Liam. Theo studies him like a scientist. He observes Liam with those kaleidoscope eyes, as if just the act of looking is enough. As if Theo knows that if he simply bides his time and waits long enough, Liam will act.

(Theo’s not wrong.)

Be careful; he knows you. Liam doesn’t want to be known like this. Liar. He doesn’t want to be understood. Liar liar, everything on fire. Sometimes Liam wonders exactly what Theo knows and understands about him from all the watching he’s done.

What is Theo waiting for? Liam is exhausted from all the waiting and being watched.

One sharp exhale and Liam stands in the sacrosanct bubble of Theo’s personal space, hand stretched over his breastbone. Things crack and splinter inside Liam as he listens to Theo’s heart and feels it, too, in stereo. He taps his fingers against Theo’s chest in time with his pulse, gratified when the tempo increases.

Finally, the scientist is gone. What’s left in his place is a boy looking down at Liam with ancient, shadowed eyes growing slowly wider the longer Liam tap tap taps.

“You first, Theo. Why do you keep trying to save me?”

Theo hesitates, then takes a deep breath. Another. If Liam didn’t know better, he would say Theo’s calming himself.

*** Liam is the warning prick of claws against the carotid arteries in Theo’s neck. A single swift slash and Theo’s blood would jet in a brutal crimson arc. 

Theo’s prime directive is survival. In spite of that, he doesn’t know how to step back from Liam.

A hand at Theo’s chest, Liam’s hand, holds him in place. His fingertips drum in time with the cadence of Theo’s heart. Through a layer of cotton, through strata of skin, Liam’s touch scalds. It transforms fabric and flesh alike to ash, burning through every one of Theo’s defenses, until Liam’s hand curls around Theo’s naked, pulsing heart. Around the heart Theo stole from his sister.

“Because you saved me,” Theo replies, voice hoarse, and speaking the words is like vomiting shards of glass. Liam’s mouth draws down in a frown. “How?” He leaves one hand resting on Theo’s chest, but the other drifts to Theo’s jaw, strokes lightly, the motion seemingly absentminded.  A sigh breaks from Theo’s lips. “You know how, Liam,” he answers, wondering if there’s blood dripping from his mouth. 

“No, Theo, I really don’t. You know why?”

Theo shakes his head.

“Because you don’t talk.”

“I talk plenty, Liam.”

Liam’s fingers stop their stroking and flick Theo in the chin. “Not about yourself, you don’t. So talk to me now.” Command and plea twine in Liam’s voice, jerking at the choke collar that circles Theo’s neck.

Bile rises in Theo’s throat, thick and sour. Theo closes his eyes; he can’t look at Liam while he says this. He can’t bear to see the horror and condemnation that are sure to follow, even though he knows he deserves it all—and more.

“That heart you feel beating under your hand? It’s not mine. It’s … It’s my …” Coward. “It’s Tara’s. It’s my sister’s.” Theo coughs and attempts to gather the tattered rags of his courage around him. “I killed her.”

“I know you did.”

“You asked, Liam. Let me finish.“ The brusqueness in his tone, he almost regrets it. But he has to finish this while he still can. “It was winter— The creek was icy. She begged me to help her. But I … I just stood there and let her die so the Dread Doctors could give me her heart.

“When Kira split the ground open with her sword, Tara pulled me down. She wanted her heart back. She came for it. Again and again and again, she ripped it out of my chest. It’s hers.” Theo’s shoulders snap up and down in a shrug he hopes appears careless. “She wanted it back.” He laughs, the sound wet and humorless. “She still wants it.” Though his voice remains steady, Theo’s body is anything but. He’s quivering, unbalanced, teetering on a serrated blade. “That’s what you saved me from, Liam.” That’s why I’ll do almost anything for you, he thinks but doesn’t say.      

Theo clasps Liam’s hand, intending to pull it from where it still sits against Theo’s chest. Being touched like this feels nearly unbearable. He doesn’t deserve it, and as soon as Liam’s head clears enough for him to process the immutable reality of what Theo’s done, surely he’ll regret touching him at all. Better to get it over with now.  

But Liam’s grip tightens, and Theo is left holding their joined hands to his own chest.

“Open your eyes, Theo. Look at me.”

A/N: I swear I’m going to put these guys out of their misery and end this in the next chapter. If you’re up to commenting, I would love to hear what you thought. Should you feel like it, you can tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly; it’s all okay. :) Regardless, thanks for reading. 

Click here for my Thiam fic Masterlist post.

[bestsoftblog]

12 Best Smartwatch for Exercise of 2020

Are you looking for the best smartwatch for exercise that delivers health and fitness trackers as well as tools with an eye-catchy design?

In today’s world, there are dozens of the best smartwatches, running watches, and fitness trackers for your exercise.

If you are someone that love to track your activities in the course of workouts, workdays, vacations, and everyday exercise — then you need the best smartwatch for exercise to track your activity, give you access to apps, relay your phone notifications while keeping your phone in your pocket.

12 Best Smartwatch for Exercise of 2020

If you are in a hurry and don’t have all the time to read reviews, here are the best smartwatches for your exercise.

Apple Watch Series 5 — Best Smartwatch for iPhone

FitBit Charge 3 — Best Fitness Tracker

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Best Android Smartwatch 2019 & 2020

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro — Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers

Garmin Vivoactive 4 — Best Fitness Smart Watch

Garmin Forerunner 25 — Best Fitness Smartwatch

Garmin Forerunner 645 — Best Smartwatch (Best GPS Running Watch)

Garmin Forerunner 35 — Best Fitness Smartwatch 2019

FitBit Versa Lite 2 — Best Smartwatches for the money

TicWatch E2 — Best Smartwatch for Andriod with fully loaded Wear OS

TicWatch Pro — Best Smartwatch for Exercise with two screens

Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatches — Works with iOS and Android

What is the Best Smartwatch for Exercise

Best Smartwatch for Exercise

Let’s dive into each of the top smartwatches for exercise.

1. Apple Watch Series 5 — Best Smartwatch for iPhone & Exercise

Apple Watch Series 5 is a top wearable on the market with an always-on screen and compass feature to track your workouts during exercise whether you’re indoor or outdoor.

It works seamlessly with Apple’s iPhones and comes with either 44mm or 45mm sizes.

The smartwatch includes a variety of top-rated features like GPS tracking, ECG monitor, impressive heart rate monitoring system and lots more.

It’s noise app alerts lets you know the levels of sound that can impact or affect your hearing.

The screen has OLED panel and it is superb, sharp, bright, responsive and stretched edge-to-edge.

This Apple Watch Series 5 smartwatch for exercise has excellent fitness and activity features such as sleek design, updated display, fitness tracking and strap options combine into iPhone 11 accessory.

Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) features get you connected with your Apple Watch to make and receive phone calls, reply messages and get notifications even without your iPhone with you.

Don’t Miss: 7 Best Smartwatch for Athletes in 2020 — Top Picks for You

Features

iOs compatibility

OS: WatchOS 6

1.78” OLED display

Band sizes varies based on watch size

Apple S5 Processor

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE connectivity

Wireless Charging method

32GB onboard storage

IP rating: water-resistant to 50 meters

1 day to 36 hours battery life

GPS

Heart rate tracking

Optional cellular capabilities

Smartphone alerts

Music storage

Available sizes: 40mm & 45mm

Colors: dark grey, gold, black, silver

Pros

More storage

Always on display

Built in ECG

All day battery life

Apple Pay

Emergency calling

Optional LTE

Cons

Still pricey

Lack sleep tracking

Battery not really incredible

2. FitBit Charge 3 — Best Fitness Tracker

FitBit Charge 3 is an excellent smart watch for your exercise workout and has the features for tracking your fitness, heart rate, sleep and daily activity.

This smartwatch comes responsive touchscreen display, well-designed menus and, app that records a wide range of activities accurately and automatically.

It is easy to use and customize and can sense, identity and record your workouts — biking, running, walking after about 10 minutes of tracked movement.

Fitness Charge 3 is the best fitness tracker and swim-proof and can track laps in the pool. This smart watch device comes in 3 sizes and can accommodate all sized of wrist.

With an sp02 sensor, the FitBit Charge 3 Smartwatch for exercise can diagnose breathing disturbances while you sleep.

It has a week-long battery life and you’ll require a smartphone to connect to GPS.

Features

7 days battery life (rated)

No GPS — You need to connect to a phone

Excellent Swim proof

Reliable heart rate monitor

Sleep tracking — Yes

Sizes: One size, with S. M. L bands

Waterproof: Yes and 50 meters

Pros

Swim-proof

Touchscreen display

Sp02 sensor

Cons

No on-board GPS

Heart rate monitor needs improvement

3. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Best Android Smartwatch 2019 & 2020

The Samsung Galaxt Watch Active 2 smartwatch is designed to work for office and the gym goers.

These wearables boast of a large screen and automatically track seven exercises as well as let you log dozens of other exercises manually.

It is one of the top smartwatches that can track your sleep, monitor your heart rate during exercise, workout and while you are sleeping.

Some of its key features include all-day battery, NFC payment, military grade durability, optional cellular capabilities and IP68 water protection.

This smartwatch is slimmer, comfortable, and lighter and included excellent features such as LTE version and rotating digital bezel.

It features a 1.2 inch 360×360 display that is bright and you can strap around your wrist due to its beautiful small size.

Overall, its top-end fitness features include 39 workout modes, ECG sensor, a heart rate sensor, and health app that monitor your stress and sleep.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is available in two sizes and offers 5ATM water resistance, GPS, digital rotating bezel, ECG and a compact and stylish lightweight design for your exercise.

It is one of the best true smartwatch packed with excellent features.

Features

WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity

Tizen OS

50m IP rating

Android, iOS compatibility

Wireless charging method

1.2” 360 x 360 super AMOLED display

2 days battery duration

1.15 GHz Dual core processor

4GB onboard storage

20 mm band sizes

NFC payment

Pros

High-end design

Rotating digital bezel

Lightweight, compact design

2–3 days battery life

Optional LTE

Automatic activity tracking

Built-in NFC, GPS

Water-resistant up to 5ATM

Cons

Limited functionality with iOs

Pricey

Tizen OS Learning curve

Mediocre third-party app support

4. Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro — Best Water Proof Fitness Trackers

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is a smart watch fitness tracker with a touchscreen display, available in large and small sizes and has a 1.6 inch color curved AMOLED display steps, calories and sleep with a 5 days batter life.

Its water resistance rating of up to 50 meters allows you to go from jumping into the shower to swimming laps after your workout exercise.

Whether you choose open water or the pool, the SpeedOn app developed for Gear Fit2 Pro tracks your stats and summarizes it for you.

If you want to stay fit during your exercise, you need to wear the slim, lightweight Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro that comes with built-in GPS and a stylish display.

The most exciting feature that I like is when this watch detects that you’re underwater, it will go into Water Lock Mode, which does not allow water bubbles to interact with or activate your screen.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Smart fitness band allows you to reach your exercise goals and it’s swim-ready and durable.

It syncs with fitness apps and tracks your stats while playing music and connect you with the world.

Features

Compatible with Android and iOS top smartphones

Music storage

Fitness apps powered by Uder Armour

Up to 5 days battery life

200mAh Li-ion battery type and size

Water resistance up to 50 meters

Pros

Excellent dynamic workout

Easy to navigate interface with well-designed menus

Under armour fitness tracking

Water-resistant

Streams Spotify and connect to your world

Stores 500 songs on the go

Water lock mode avoids errant screen

Cons

Smaller wrists would find it a little bulky

No Apple Music or iOS support

To register your heart rate requires a tight fit.

5. Garmin Vivoactive 4 — Best Fitness Smart Watch for Exercise & Workout

Garmin Vivoactibe 4 Smartwatch is a stylish fitness tracker with excellent GPS, sleep tracking, a heart rate monitor and an NFC clip that enables you to make mobile payments easily.

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 gives you better smartwatch aspirations with its on-screen animations for workouts including cardio, pilates, yoga and strength-training exercises.

It can also track blood oxygen saturation levels with its respiration tracking and pulse oximeter (pulse OS sensor). It has on-board music storage and 7 days battery life which could decrease with the use of GPS.

The best fitness smatchwatch, Garmin Vivoactive 4 allows you to choose between a smaller 40mm to 45mm each with built-in GPS to map outdoor runs without carrying your phone and its watch is up to 50m waterproof.

The Boby Battery checks your energy level by collecting essential metrics that helps you schedule your rest time and workouts for all types of exercises.

Features

Sizes: 40, 45mm

7 days battery duration

Built-in GPS

Tracking sleep

Built-in swim-proof

Monitors heart rate

On-screen animation for workouts and exercise

NFC chip for mobile payments

Rate monitor

Excellent swim proof

Pros

Two button navigation

Support Sportify

Built-in music storage

Comes in two size options to fit your wrist

Up to 8 days of battery life

Gorgeous design

NFC for Garmin pay

Activity and sleep tracking

50m waterproofing

Built-in GPS

Heart rate monitoring

Cons

Expensive

45mm size option comes with few colors

Convoluted app installation process

Occasional syncing issues

6. Garmin Forerunner 25 — Best Fitness Smartwatch on a Budget

Garmin Forerunner 25 is the best budget fitness tracker for runners with intensive outdoor exercise and gym goers who need smart watches that are inexpensive, accurate, speed and pace and GPS that tracks distance and notifies you at every time while running.

Although, Garmin Forerunner 25 lacks a touchscreen, color display and a heart rate monitor, it’s a deal breaker for the price and costs less than $100.

The smart watch has up to 10 hours of battery duration when using GPS and up to 10 weeks of battery life in watch mode.

This basic GPS capable tracker watch offers standard smartwatch features like a connected app and smart notifications so you can track workouts without carrying a phone while on the run.

The main key features include GPS, smart notification, all-day tracking and others.

Features

A single size with adjustable strap

8–10 hours battery life using GPS and heart rate (rated)

8–10 weeks in watch mode

Built-in GPS

No sleep tracking

No heart rate monitor

Excellent swim proof

Pros

Inexpensive

Waterproof

Long battery life

Cons

Lacks sleep tracking

No heart rate monitor

7. Garmin Forerunner 645 — Best Smartwatch 2019 & Best GPS running watch

Garmin Forerunner 645 Smartwatch is a sleek, slim feature-loaded wearable timepiece is easy to wear and use and measures your heart rate accurately from the wrist.

This GPS watch is the perfect deal for runners who feel confident with a heart-rate based training without using a separate strap.

It’s easy to customize and you can wear it 24/7 and feel comfortable due to its attractive design. It’s the best watch for the serious triathlete and runners.

Features

Detailed sleep tracking

Smartwatch notifications and apps

Available colors: slate, black, rose gold, cerise, sandstone.

Accurate wrist-based heart rate monitoring and tracking

Built-in GPS

8. Garmin Forerunner 35 — Best Fitness Smartwatch 2019

The Garmin Forerunner 35 is a basic GPS-capable watch that is ideal for serious athletes and runners.

It is a slim and lightweight wearable device perfect for racing, daily runs and training exercise.

With its built-in wrist based heart rate monitoring and tracking, Garmin Forerunner 35 watch does not require any chest strap or phone to capture your stats. All of your activity stats are accurately captured by the watch.

Its built-in GPS tracks your distance, interval, pace and measures every mile you go while on the run.

Key Features

Built-in GPS

9-day battery duration

Smart notifications

All-day tracking

Built-in heart rate monitor

9. FitBit Versa Lite 2 — Best Smartwatch for the money

The FitBit Versa Lite 2 is one of the best smartwatches for its compelling price that gives you top-notch activity tracking and so many features like water resistance, 6-day battery life and NFC pay.

This wearable device, FitBit Versa 2 is part fitness tracker and part smart watch that brings excellent upgrades to the original FitBit Versa, including slim body.

The FitBit Versa 2 is a good option for wearable workout athletes and gym goers because its more affordable than some smartwatches on the market.

Features

FitBit OS

Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Wi-Fi connectivity

Android 7+, iOS 11+ compatibility

Water resistant IP rating

300×300 AMOLED display

Up to 5 days battery life

2.5GB Onboard storage

Magnetic connecting pin charging method

Pros

Good battery life for the money

Always-on display option

Lightweight and easy to use

Cons

Lacks third-party health apps support

Lacks GPS

10. TicWatch E2 — Best Smartwatch for Android with fully-loaded WearOs

The TicWatch E2 smartwatches offer access to a budget friendly wearable device with the benefits of Wear Os in a stylish package.

It has in built GPS, a heart rate monitor and swim-proof that offers swim tracking while you’re in the pool or shower.

The TicWatch E2 is great for casual fitness fans and offers a solid smartwatch experience with enhanced fitness tracking and battery life.

It’s a fancy device with US military grade durability and a better option for people who are into strenuous outdoor, extreme sports and open water swimming activities.

The TicWatch E2 smart watch comes with built-in GPS, sleep tracking and an accurate heart rate sensor and with a great battery life at affordable price.

Features

1–2 days battery life

iOS and Android compatibility

Heart rate monitor

Runs on Google’s Wear OS

Excellent swim tracking

46mm watch case

5ATM water resistance

1.39 inch, 400×400 AMOLED display

Built-in GPS

iOS8+, Android 4.3+ compatibility

Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi Connectivity

1.39” 400×400 OLED Display

IP67 IP rating

Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor

4GB onboard storage

Magnetic connecting pin charging method

Around 48 hour battery duration.

Pros

Tracks swims and surf

Affordable

Up to 2 day battery duration

Cons

Does not provide in-depth fitness data

No NFC for mobile payments

Bland design

11. TicWatch Pro — Best Smartwatch for exercise with two screens

The TicWatch Pro is a top-end smart watch with dual screen which you can use either with an Android phone or iphone.

This wearable watch comes with two displays and one layered on top of the other.

With a premium design and mid-range price, the TicWatch Pro has both a power saving FSTN LCD screen and a high resolution AMOLED screen to empower you with up to 30 days of battery life. It has Essential Mode and Smart Mode to adapt and customize to your needs, styles and optimize your battery usage.

TiCWatch Pro is one of the best smartwatches for exercise and workouts with built-in GPS, WiFi and excellent optical heart-rate sensor.

Its innovative screen technology and waterproofing, make this smartwatch to satisfy fitness fans desire to work with an Android smartphone or iPhone.

It’s protected to the IP68 standard and you can submerge this wearable smart watch to 1.5m in fresh water for up to half an hour.

With TicWatch Pro, you can track your achievements, various activities, set workout goals, and start your exercise without a phone.

The Fitness watch face will display your current health information like heart rate, calories burnt and steps.

The top layer is a transparent LCD display that can display your heart rate and the time when the battery runs low.

Below is a bright and bold full color OLED screen that gives you Wear OS benefits that can last two days with some features available at low battery while the low power mode can last up to 30 days.

Its smartwatch features have GPS, Bluetooth for listening to music, NFC for Google pay and the top Qualcomm snapdragon Waer 2100 chipset that runs the watch.

Features

IP rating IP68

iOs 8+, Android 4.3+ compatibility

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC connectivity

OS: Wear OS

1.4” 400×400 OLED paired with LCD screen display

Magnetic connecting pin charging method

Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor

Battery duration: up to 48 hours, 5 extra days in Essential Mode

4GB Onboard Storage

Pros

Long battery duration in Essential Mode

Innovative Screen technology

Premium design and strap design combing silicone and leather

Cons

No LTE features

Limited app

Low quality battery in smart mode

12. Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatches — Top Smartwatches that work with iOS and Android

The Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches are one of the best smartwatches for exercise that have heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, Google Pay to make mobile payments, a swim-proof design, a speaker that lets you play music via head phones, and make calls from your wrist.

Fossil Gen 5’s watches have smart capabilities that enable you to hear Google Assistant responses via headphones.

It is one of the best looking Wear Os watches that is reliable, has activity tracking, Google Assistant, Waterproof, Google Pay and GPS that lets you track your workouts without bringing your phone with you.

There is also an improved battery with 3 days of usage and IGB of RAM that boosts Google’s Wear OS platform performance.

Features

24 hours battery life

Best with Wear OS and works with iOS and Android

NFC for Google Pay

44mm case

Built-in speaker to make calls and play music

Silicone stainless steel and leather straps

8GB storage / 1GB RAM

3ATM (swim-proof) water resistance

Qualcomm snapdragon Wear 3100

Pros

Built-in GPS

NFC for Google Pay

Excellent performance from top-notch technology

Stylish and functional

Swim-proof

Heart rate sensor

Cons

Expensive

Display could be improved

Lacks sleep tracking

Best Fitness SmartWatches in 2020

Here are some of the best smartwatches of 2020 that have eye-catching design with integrated powerful tracking and fitness tools.

Samsung Galaxy Watch — Best Oversized smartwatches for exercise.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 — Best Overall Exercise Smartwatches

Apple Watch Series 5 — Best Premium Fitness Smartwatch for 2020

Withings Move — Best Value Smartwatches

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Best Upgrade Options for Exercise Smartwatches

Fitbit Versa 2 — Best Fitbit Smart Watch for Fitness and Exercise

Frequently Asked Questions — FAQsWhich fitness tracker is best for GYM?

The best fitness tracker comes from the best activity brands that offer you accurate data to stick to your fitness resolutions.

These fitness trackers are your electronic watchdog for your health such as monitoring and checking your quality of sleep and outdoor activities.

Here are the fitness trackers that are best for GYM or exercise.

Garmin Vivofit

Fitbit Charge 4

Amazfit Bip

Fitbit charge 3

Xiaomi Mi Band 4

Garmin vivosmart 4

Honor Band 5

Huawei Band 3 Pro

Garmin vivosport

Fitbit inspire HR

Which fitness tracker is the most accurate?

Fitbit charge 3 is the most accurate of all the fitness trackers for measuring heart rate and steps.

With its accuracy, it is the simplest to use.

It correctly identifies, reliably sense, and records your workouts such as biking, running, or walking after about 10 minutes of movement.

Does fibit count steps if arms aren’t moving?

Will my fitbit device count steps if my arms aren’t moving?

Your wrist based fitness device like fibit will count your steps if you’re pushing a shopping cart or stroller.

But the total counts may be lower than usual running or walking.

However, if you are running or walking outside, a GPS enabled fitbit device is the best to capture your distance, pace, and route of movement.

Does Apple watch count steps if arms aren’t moving?

The Apple watch does not track simple arm movement.

It would not count steps if one of your hands is on your pockets.

For examples, Apple watch doesn’t register or count steps while someone is pushing a pram.

Does moving your arms count as steps?

If you have a tracker on your wrist and move your arms, the sensor will detect accelerations and count as steps even if you’re not taking any steps.

A wrist based tracker may not record any activity while your arms remain motionless whether you are pushing a stroller, cycling or lawnmower.

Does fitbit count step on a treadmill?

The best fitbit model comes with in-built treadmill mode that does count or track steps and heart rate during workout session while the GPS functions are disabled.

What is the Best SmartWatch for Working Out?

The best fitness smartwatches for your workouts include:

Apple Watch Series 5 — Best Premium option

Garmin Vivoactive 4 — Best Value

Samsung Galaxy Watch — Best Oversized Option

Withings Move — Best Value

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Best Upgraded Pick

FitBit Versa 2 — Best FitBit Smartwatch Pikc

Amazfit GT5 — Best Battery

Fossil Gen 5 — Best with Wear OS

What is the Best Workout Watch?

Amazfit Bip — Smartwatch fitness tracker

FitBit Charge 3 — Best Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 — Xiaomi’s budget tracker

Garmin Vivosmart 4 — Best Energy Monitor Smartwatch

Honor Band 5 — Cheapest SMartwatch Option

Huawei Band 3 Pro — Best Stylish Smart Watch on a budget

Garmin Vivosport — The Best Sportier Smart Watch for Garmin

FitBit Inspire HR — Best Smart Watch for off the sofa (outdoor workouts)

Garmin Vivofit 4 — Cheapest Garmin’s Smart Watch for the money.

Honor Band5 Sport — Best Honor’s Latest Wearable Smartwatch

What is the Most Accurate Smart Watch?

Garmin makes the most accurate smart watches with built-in GPS for your health monitoring and accurate heart rate sensor and sleep tracking.

This wrist wearable smart watch monitors your heart rate and breathing, and provides the most accurate sleep reading and tracking.

You can choose any of these Garmin suites of smartwatches.

Garmin Vivoactive 4

Garmin Forerunner 645

Garmin Forerunner 35

Garmin Vivosport

Garmin Vivofit 4

What’s the best smartwatch 2019?

Fossil’s Sport Smartwatch was the best smartwatch and a good for exercise.

Fossil’s Sport smart watch was highly rated and capable smartwatch for 2019.

Considered the company’s best smartwatch to date, Fossil’s Sport is powered by Android OS, has 4GB onboard storage and 2 days of battery life.

Conclusion

This review process for the best smartwatch for exercise takes into consideration the features, design, battery life and all the most important fitness or workouts features you’d expect these smartwatches to have.

I’ve reviewed dozens of smart watch wearables to help you buy the best smart watch for your budget, lifestyle, fitness tracking etc.

Again, here are the top smartwatches that make the list of my recommended picks for the best smartwatch for exercise you need to have during your workouts and daily activities.

Apple Watch Series 5 — Best Smartwatch for iPhone

FitBit Charge 3 — Best Fitness Tracker

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Best Android Smartwatch 2019 & 2020

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro — Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers

Garmin Vivoactive 4 — Best Fitness Smart Watch

Garmin Forerunner 25 — Best Fitness Smartwatch

Garmin Forerunner 645 — Best Smartwatch (Best GPS Running Watch)

Garmin Forerunner 35 — Best Fitness Smartwatch 2019

FitBit Versa Lite 2 — Best Smartwatches for the money

TicWatch E2 — Best Smartwatch for Andriod with fully loaded Wear OS

TicWatch Pro — Best Smartwatch for Exercise with two screens

Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatches — Works with iOS and Android

Culled from Bestsoft Nigeria: https://www.bestsoftnigeria.biz/blog/best-smartwatch-exercise/#ixzz6YgWulQhO

[i-heart-camsten]

Fic: Frisky Business (Stitchers, Camsten, M, Romance/Humor)

Title: Frisky Business

Author: IHeartCamsten (yes, I have a new name! Yay!)

Fandom: Stitchers

Pairing: Duh, Camsten.

Rating: M

Spoilers: Up to and including 3x01

Summary: She slept in his bed a dozen times... she ignored the feel of him pressed against her first thing in the morning each time. This morning would be very, very different.

Disclaimer: Not mine. My muse has loved many a man in her day, but not even she was smart enough to combine them all into the character that makes up Cameron Goodkin.

Author's note: Right, so, I asked for prompts, I got prompts... a smut request right out of the gate. Kelly ( meepmeepers), this one is for you. A little frisky Kirsten first thing in the morning to fill the prompt "S3, After e1 and before e2 E rating? (Lol pls don't kill me) camsten".. and believe me, I don't kill for smut prompts! ;) Um, yeah, heads up tho, it got a little away from me... so this is less pwp and more whoops look a blow job grew a plot.

~~~?~~~

A slow smile edged across Kirsten Clark's face as she snuggled deeper into the warm blankets, each seemingly innocent movement sliding her bum across the press of hardness against her soft curves. Her eyes rolled inward in pleasure as she slowly moved her body against his, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she purposely cataloged each sensation, thrilling in the rush of blood to her cheeks, the way her heart skipped beats, the catch of breath in her throat and the warm, slick rush that coated the thin scrap of fabric that lay between her legs.

This wasn't the first night she'd slept in Cameron's bed, with or without him; she'd lost track of the number of times she'd slid between his sheets late in the night. At first, it was a way to avoid Camille and Linus. Her roommate was entirely too vocal during sex for Kirsten's comfort, and for some reason the pair gravitated to Kirsten's house rather than Linus's more often than not. After three nearly sleepless nights listening to them invoke gods that Kirsten wasn't entirely sure ever existed, she found herself on Cameron's doorstep, kicking him out of his bedroom and taking refuge under his two thousand thread count sheets. Soon after, however, Cameron had killed himself, forcing Kirsten to stitch into him and reawakening feelings in her that she no longer had any power to control. The first night she'd dragged him into his bed with her it had been from sheer desperation. She needed his chest beneath her ear to listen to the rhythmic beat of his heart, calming herself with the knowledge that the weakened muscle continued to pump blood and oxygen through the body that had given her so much comfort and yet asked for so little in return. The nights that followed she couldn't explain as easily, but she was drawn to the deep rest she received in his arms, the dreamless, sweet sleep and the lazy awakenings that always followed a night spent curled up next to his warm form.

She'd felt the press of him against her nearly every morning, his hot arousal trapped between their bodies as he held her to his chest, wrapped around her from behind, his warm breath against her neck. Each morning, she'd force herself to turn away from his desire, shifting him to his back, closing her mind against the low burn in her belly as she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes against the dawn of light. Each morning, he awoke thinking they'd slept in that position throughout the night and that his aching desire for her remained hidden in amongst his own thoughts and dreams, while she lay sleeping through his internal alarm.

This morning, as much as she wanted to lay in his arms forever, flaming the heat in her blood as she arched and curved into the feel of his erection, she allowed herself one final catlike stretch against his body, glorying in the feeling of pure power that washed over her before turning in his arms and with a practiced hand pressed against his shoulder, lowering him to his back. Something warm tugged at her heart when even in his sleep, his arm draped out across the pillows, inviting her to his chest as she'd come so many mornings before... before Nina... before her father... before her mother... before Blair dared to shake everything she'd managed to build her foundations upon.

Instead of following her normal morning routine, however, Kirsten instead slowly pulled the sheets from Cameron's body, leaving him splayed out on his back, naked but for his boxer shorts, and a mischievous grin crossed her lips. Cameron fully believed that Kirsten had no idea why he was such an early riser, finding his way to the shower before she was fully awake. This morning, she decided she'd bring his lie out of the darkness and do something about it.

When she tugged at his tented boxer shorts, his body shifted, his hand coming up and running through his hair, a stretch lifting him from the sheets just enough for her to pull the offending fabric from his body, tangling them at his ankles before throwing her leg over his calves and blowing a rogue strand of long blonde hair from her face, drinking in the sight of him. Much as it had hit her the night before as she kissed him, claimed him the moment he'd told her he would wait forever for her, it struck her again like a veritable ton of bricks – how could she not have seen it for so long? How could she not have seen him?

His hair was a disaster, more so than normal, spiked out in every direction from where he'd shifted through the night. His chest was perfectly toned, smooth, strong, marred only by the still dark scar that divided him, but even that was perfect where Kirsten was concerned. That scar didn't represent weakness but the strength that Cameron possessed even as a child to counter what nature had in store for him. That scar represented the fight inside Cameron that few people ever actually saw – few people beyond Kirsten. She saw the fight, the life, the beauty in his soul, even if it had taken her far too long to acknowledge it. He was made for her; just as much as her father had designed the stitch program entirely around Kirsten, she now understood that Cameron had to have been created with her in mind. Even when she was barely human, Cameron put her first in his world, something no one aside from Ed Clark had ever done. His heart was hers and it was perfect, just as his chest was with the scar that kept that heart beating until she could claim it. Shaking herself from the deep revery, she allowed her eyes to trail lower, to his toned stomach, his slim hips, his proud cock jutting forward, dark, hard and weeping from her entirely intentional tease. She licked her lips slowly, fingers digging into the sheets beneath his hips, her own body rocking unconsciously towards him, against him, as she allowed the now familiar burn to warm her body.

Carefully she lowered her head, hair falling to either side of his hips as she breathed out slowly against his cock, watching as it twitched and pulsed from just the gentlest brush of warmth. Under her, Cameron groaned softly, hips twitching upwards, knees parting, thigh coming up between her legs and pressing against her liquid heat. She had to swallow her own groan of response as her body naturally moved against him, waves of pleasure spiraling out from her already dripping core.

Not wanting this to be about her pleasure, she redirected her attention back to his swollen cock, lowering her lips until the very tip pressed between them, her tongue darting out to catch the dribble of precum that escaped him. The whimpering groan that passed his lips this time pulled a soft grunt from her own throat, and with one smooth motion she slid him past her teeth and deep into her mouth, surrounding him with heat, her tongue tracing up the underside as she took him deeper.

Her nimble fingers trailed across his hip, fisting around the base of his cock and squeezing him gently as she suckled at his length in her mouth. For a few long moments she dragged him between her lips, sliding up until the tip threatened to pop free and then lowering until she could take no more. She kept a slow even motion, fingers squeezing in time to the deep suckling sensation of her lips and mouth. When his fingers found their way to her hair, wrapping through the blond tresses, nails scraping across her scalp, a slow, teasing grin curved her lips and she pulled all the way back, tongue dragging up inch after inch of sensitive flesh until he was free. A whimpering, desperate groan escaped him and his fingers tightened in her hair as her grin widened. With slow, deliberate movements she allowed his knee to press against her warm, liquid center and watched his green eyes blow black as she took a long moment to pleasure herself against his body.

"K..K..K..Kirs..."

Her grin grew to an exhilerated smile as she breathed against his wet cock, warm air against damp flesh, and deliberately vocalized her own pleasure as he struggled to put words together.

"God, Stretch, wha.. what're you doing to me?"

She giggled, a sound that until last night hadn't escaped her in over sixteen years, and she rolled her eyes as her fingers tightened around his flesh, pumping him slowly. "I thought that would have been kinda obvious, Doctor Goodkin, unless you missed the chapter on sex ed in medical school?" She cocked her head to the side and flashed him a teasing grin. "Awe, am I your first?"

Chuckling, he dropped his head back onto the pillow, his hands freeing her hair as she grinned up at him with one eyebrow cocked. "How about we discuss our numbers after I've finished waking up?" he managed, wrapping his own hand around hers, forcing her to stroke him a little faster, a little harder.

She cocked her head to the side, "Oh, now you want to finish?"

"Kirsten!"

With another giggle on her lips, Kirsten took him back into her mouth, sucking him in deep. Teeth and tongue moved along stretched, sensitive skin as he swelled between her lips. His hand fell from hers, moving back to her head and holding her onto him with trembling pressure.

The gurgling, groaning noise that escaped him was more animalistic than human when she slipped her thumb from his base to his sac, stroking up the seam with her fingernail. With her thumb pressed against him, she felt his balls tighten as his cock swelled instantly thicker. His fingers tightened, her eyes rolled as he tugged her hair sending pleasurable streaks of pain through her as she pushed him deeper, tip teasing the back of her throat.

"Christ.. shit! Gonna... Kirst!"

She peered up his body as she purposely took him that tiny bit deeper, scraping her nail up his sac and squeezing the base in time until his hips arched under her and warmth suddenly filled her throat. She had to force herself not to laugh at the cursing coming from Cameron's lips as he emptied himself into her, his body shaking with the aftermath of orgasm. Slowly, gently she sucked his softening cock, wringing every last moan and shudder from him before releasing him. With a stretch and a grin she rolled off of him, landing next to him with a bounce.

"Good morning, Cameron." She gave him a sly smile.

He panted softly, running his hand through his hair before turning to face her, unable to control the grin that broke over his entire face.

"Good morning to you, Sunshine. Gotta say, you've never seemed the morning, uh, frisky business kind of girl before."

"Frisky business? Seriously?" She laughed outright before leaning over and kissing him gently. "That's because you are normally the early... riser in this relationship." She winked at him before straddling him, stealing a second kiss and bouncing off the bed. Her hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned back to shrug and leave off with a final tease. "Guess it's my morning for a brisk shower."

"You knew?!" he called after her, unable to decide if he was embarrassed or still too boneless to care.

He settled on embarrassed when her teasing answer came through the half open door. "I hate to break it to you, baby, but you don't do subtle well when you're pressed up against my ass at four in the morning."

He covered his eyes and laughed ruefully, shaking his head. "Christ, I'm still the girlfriend in this relationship, aren't I?"

Her laughter warmed his entire body even as it was drowned out by the water starting in the shower. "Aw, don't take it so hard. Maybe after my shower I'll let you play doctor... Doctor. You can catch up on the chapters that you missed!"

Naked, splayed out on his bed with sex hair and his boxers tied around his ankles, Cameron threw back his head and laughed. As much as he already loved her, this morning felt like meeting Kirsten for the first time and his mind wouldn't stop racing towards the future that suddenly laid out before them.

"The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles," he murmured to himself, one of his favorite Doctor Who quotes of all time.

He startled when Kirsten stuck her head out of the bathroom with a grin, blushing slightly at his own nerdiness. "What did you say, boyfriend?"

His heart expanded five times in his chest. What the hell did he do to deserve her? He smiled and shook his head. "Just being a geek."

"Ah, so status quo."

Cameron Goodkin could do nothing else except laugh. It was a beautiful morning.

~~~Fin~~~

Remember, much like magic, all muses come with a price. Don't make this muse have to stitch into you to get her payment, seems like an awful waste all around the board, doesn't it?

[writerzmagazine]

5 Common Running Roadblocks

  We all want to run faster on the track, but we often to come to hurdle from where it seems that we could not finish the race, whether it is physical or psychological. In the past, it was believed that the lactic acid is the reason for fatigue in the muscles, but now science has revealed most of the working of the inner system of the body. So, we bring in this article the 5 common hurdles that a runner found in its way.  

"I can’t Catch my breath"

Primary Cause: Oxygen Deficit When It Occurs: Shortly after running Why does it happen? The common problem with a new runner, after running for some distance they could not get a hold on their breath. During the first repetition of a run, it always feels hard, you are gasping for air, your hearts starts pounding. Although the next repetition is a bit easier, your breathing rate does not fall and you are a kind of settle into it. What is happening inside your body is that there is a temporary mismatch between the oxygen your legs require and the oxygen that your heart and lungs are able to deliver. When a person starts running his muscles oxygen demand immediately spikes upward. Your body takes time to respond to the immediate demand of the oxygen which is governed by your body’s oxygen kinetics or response time. When there is an urgent demand of oxygen this oxygen deficit triggers the signal that causes your breathing and heartbeat to speed up. Your blood vessels dilate and activate the oxygen processing enzymes in the muscles. As a result of all this, your muscle’s starts getting extra oxygen supply within 2 or 3 minutes. But this 2 or 3 minutes delay has lasting implications for that oxygen deficit. To meet this oxygen shortfall, your muscles tap their supply of anaerobic fuel stores. This system produces metabolic byproducts that make your muscles fatigued. It also leaves you with less energy for the final anaerobic sprint at the race. So what you have burned during your first couple of minutes is never going to replenish until you slow down or take rest. Solution How To Overcome: A warm-up, including a sustained burst of intense running. To overcome this, you have to apply priming. By this, you will get your fatigue out, before the race. 10 to 20 minutes before the race include a sustained burst of intense running in your warm-up. Run for 45 to 60 seconds at 5K race pace. This priming run will activate enzymes and will dilate the blood vessels, well before the race. This will allow you to you with enough time to recover before the race.  

"I am Running Harder But I Am Not Speeding Up"

Primary Cause: Inefficient muscle fiber recruitment When It Occurs: Sustained medium effort like 10K to half marathon Why does it happen? The first part of a half marathon is often pretty easy. At this point in time, you are not running so fast to accumulate high levels of lactate and other metabolites. Whereas, in a marathon, you run so far as to empty your fuel stores. So, why it gets hard to run. Well, the reason again is in the oxygen kinetics. To run at a pace of half marathon and to that distance, the amount of energy (and for that oxygen too) needed to maintain that pace gradually spikes up. By the end of 10 to 20 minutes of the race, your oxygen consumption can reach as high as 25%. So gradually it makes it harder for you to run. This is the result of a shift to less efficient muscle fibers. During the start of the race, the body automatically recruits mostly slow twitch muscle fibers, those are suited for a long distance running. The reason is that they are efficient and take a long time to fatigue. As the race goes on, the individual fibers begin to fatigue and are in deficit of fuel. So, replace them, your body recruits fast twitch fibers, those of which demand more energy and oxygen to deliver the same output. Solution How To Overcome: train yourself with fast-twitch fibers to be efficient To solve this problem you have to train your fast twitch fibers, which are usually deployed for explosive movements to be more efficient. During 2.5 hours run even at a slow pace will eventually deplete slow and steady power.  

"My Legs Are On Fire"

Primary Cause: metabolic byproducts accumulation in your muscle triggers signal to your brain When It Occurs: 5K races, finishing sprints Why does it happen? In research at the University of Utah, a team of researchers injected a cocktail of metabolites (the chemical byproduct that builds up in your muscles during intense physical workout) into 10 volunteers thumb. The result that came out was that it created a sensation of fatigue in subjects, not moving a muscle. For many years scientists and athletes have talked about the lactic acid burn triggered when doing an intense workout out. When a person works hard, his body will reach a point where his aerobic system - the ultra-efficient fuel supply system that relies on oxygen delivered by the heart and lungs – are not able to supply the needed energy to the muscles quickly enough. Your body then turns to anaerobic (oxygen-free) energy sources, which provides the much-needed energy but also generates metabolites that build up in your muscle. Lactate is one of the metabolites, lactate is closely related to lactic acid, but lactate alone does not make you tired. In the research at the University of Utah, the researchers injected three metabolites: lactate, protons and adenosine triphosphate which is a form of cellular fuel. When they injected these three metabolites alone or in pairs, nothing happened. But when they injected all three the volunteers reported about fatigue and heaviness in their thumbs, but when they injected a higher dose that will correspond to all-out exercise. The sensation of “fatigue” shifted to “hot”, that why the term lactic burn. So, the research shows that regardless of what it feels like, your muscles are being dissolved by the lactic acid. But it only happens when special receptors in your leg muscle detect a particular combination of metabolites, that trigger distress signal that travels to your spinal cord, which brain interprets as a burning sensation in legs. Solution How To Overcome: short, fast interval workouts Train your receptors to be less sensitive by repetitively triggering them in training. First time when you will do this you will feel like dying, but after one or two workouts you will feel better.  

"I can hardly lift my legs"

Primary Cause: metabolites accumulation hinder muscle contraction When It Occurs: Near the end of hard races Why does it happen? The lactic burn is the just the burning sensation in the brain caused by the triggering by nerve sensors in the muscle. So, can the muscle themselves can keep on going indefinitely if an athlete somehow ignores those signals? The researchers from the University of Utah injected a nerve blocker called fentanyl into the spine of the volunteers. This prevented the signals that travel up from the leg muscles to the brain. They asked the volunteers to ride 5K as hard as they can on a stationary bike. The result which came out was amazing. When the first volunteer finishes the workout and tried to step off the bike, he nearly collapsed on the floor. All volunteer were helped to get off from the stationary bike. Not a single volunteer was able to walk. All of the volunteers who were actually athletes were able to do the workout because they have the ability to push as hard as they wanted without feeling the pain or fatigue. That’s why now they were paying the price. Despite the volunteers showed superhuman capacity but they did not ride faster than when they received a placebo injection. The volunteer felt great at first. The volunteers, when they were riding the bike felt great at first but they looked puzzled because their legs were no longer responding to the commands sent by their brains. The advantage that they have from their fast start soon disappeared because their legs stopped responding. Solution How To Overcome: Prudent pacing So, in this case, the fatigue really is in the muscles than the brain. The fatigue that was produced by the metabolites is not all in their head, instead, the volunteers have an experience which is a mix of central (inside the brain) and peripheral (inside the muscles) fatigue during hard runs. If you push hard at the start of a race, you will discover how real those peripheral limits are.  

"I Give Up"

Primary Cause: Effort overload When It Occurs: Anytime you are pushing in a race Why does it happen? During the last phase of the race, it becomes so hard to push forward because it hurts too much. But this is not all true. The feeling of pain is not what holds you back. In research in the Great Britain University of Kent, used a technique called Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in which they passed an electric current through their brain of volunteers to dull their sense of pain. But it did not improve how a volunteer felt during the exercise or how they have performed in a ride on a stationary bike to exhaustion. All the things including fatigue, metabolite accumulation, oxygen deficits, overheating, dehydration, muscle damage, and fuel depletion are the contributor to the overall sense of how hard it would be to maintain the pace. It includes all the fatigue signals that emanate from every corner of the body. Runners spend most of the time of their training to make their heart, muscles, and lungs stronger. If they alter the subjective sense of effort in another way to run faster. Solution How To Overcome: train your brain Studies done earlier had altered effort and endurance such as: Subliminal messages – smiling faces are flashed for a fraction of a second Electric brain stimulation – when electrodes are positioned to alter perceived effort instead of pain. Motivational self talk – feeling good Brain endurance training – computerized tasks completed while exercising on a stationary bike.  

Conclusion

Still, one question is unanswered that is what is an effort? Is it a psychological state? Or it the overall sense of how hard its to maintain a race speed. We have learned a lot as to what happens in our body when we run hard. The sensation that we feel and the limits, that we encounter.     Read the full article

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Everything You Need to Know About Detoxing

Detoxing is a concept that seems to hold permanent space in the wellness and nutrition worlds. What is often misconstrued, however, is the fact that many different things are meant by this one word, “detox.” So what is detox really? Where should it fit into your healthy lifestyle? And how do you do it the right way?

Your Body Is Always Detoxing

Detoxing is something that is always happening, whether you’re aware of it or not. The body contains organs specifically devoted to removing waste and keeping our body as toxin-free as possible. The liver is the primary detox organ, but is supported also by the kidneys, intestines, lungs, and skin.

Detoxing happens when toxins are collected within the body and removed. This can happen through filtration via the blood and then elimination through the bladder, the colon, and even the skin through sweating.

The idea of needing to “do” a detox is one that is popularized by many wellness leaders in our culture, but the reality is that detoxing is always happening. Most commercial ideas for detoxes include highly restricted diets, reduced calories, specific food combinations, liquid-only diets, or supplement programs. While these can sometimes have positive impacts on the detox organs, the reality is that detoxing is so much simpler than these programs make it out to be.

Is Detoxing the Same As Cleansing and Clean Eating?

So we’ve already mentioned that detoxing is the involuntary process that specific body organs use to rid our bodies of toxins and other substances that find their way into our bodies from environmental and food sources. We can either help or hinder the detox process, but we aren’t really in control.

So how does “clean eating” differ from “cleansing,” and are either of them the same as detoxing? Yes, but mostly no.

Clean Eating

This is the simple act of eating food that is “clean,” which usually refers to organic, unprocessed foods. Paleo by nature is a clean eating diet from many viewpoints. Keep in mind, however, that there are numerous ways to define how food is actually “clean.” For example, vegetarians and vegans won’t consider Paleo clean eating, since it includes numerous animal products.

Clean eating is a vague term that doesn’t really have any direct bearing on your health. You can eat cleanly and still be taking in processed foods, foods you’re sensitive to, or foods that are not actually helping you meet your health goals.

Cleansing

This term is often used interchangeably with detoxing, however cleansing is actually something that we are in charge of. When someone decides to do a cleanse, they remove specific things from their diet, and they eat or drink foods or beverages that are aimed at having a cleaning effect.

When someone chooses to do a cleanse, they may remove stimulants, sugars, or other non-nutritive foods. They may also choose to eat foods or take supplements that will have a specific cleansing effect on the intestines and colon. However, the idea that we can force our bodies to detox as a result of a cleanse is a flawed one.

While you can definitely have total control over what you eat, even if you take laxative supplements and have a bunch of bowel movements in a single day, all you have done is poop a lot. You don’t actually know if your liver collected more toxins than normal and sent them on their way. In fact, you can’t really force the liver to work more quickly, although we can bog it down. This cleanse really just meant that the food we most recently ate exited the body faster than usual, which may have meant that the nutrients typically absorbed in the intestines during and after digestion weren’t extracted as thoroughly. Also, forced cleansing like this can upset the digestive tract, and can have a negative impact on the good bacteria that resides there, keeping us healthy.

Cleansing, Cleaning Eating, or Detoxing?

So you might be thinking that there isn’t any point to clean eating if the body does the detoxing entirely without you.

While I would say that clean eating is a vague statement and certainly not a requirement in and of itself, I would also say that you’re probably best to steer clear of forcing a cleanse onto your body.

As far as detoxing goes, we can hinder or we can help, and there are many ways that we can assist our detox pathways in doing their jobs. So while the body will always continue to detox whether we help it or not, our overall health will be best when we are aware of the process, and we understand that there are specific foods and nutrients that can make our bodies more efficient at taking out the trash.

Paleo and Detoxing

The Paleo diet is not one typically associated with detox. It includes meat, fat, and the opposite of calorie restriction. It focuses on nutrient dense meals and ditching artificial ingredients and highly processed foods. The fact is, Paleo is actually the most detox friendly food plan that there is because it specifically promotes the foods that naturally help to support the function of the detox organs.

While some who initially switch to a Paleo diet may experience the “dreaded detox,” most will quickly feel better than they ever have. By removing processed foods, grains, and refined sweeteners, people are actually doing their detox organs a bigger favor than they’ll ever know.

After we remove factors that can be a hindrance for our detox organs, we can also focus on specifically adding in the foods that actually help to promote natural, healthy detox.

10 Foods That Nourish Detox Outlets

Eating a basic Paleo diet can work wonders on a person’s health, and many detox-friendly foods are effortlessly worked into a Paleo meal plan. Keep an out for these foods that specifically nourish detox organs.

Asparagus

This stalky vegetable is rich in vitamin K and folate, and specifically nourishes the liver through both phases of detox. In phase one, toxins are collected and filtered from the blood. In phase two, these toxins are paired with molecules to prepare them for elimination. If phase one isn’t efficiently working, toxins will continue circulating through the bloodstream.

Dandelion

While not your typical Paleo vegetable, dandelion greens are widely available (make sure they’re not treated with weed-killing lawn chemicals!) and are rich in vitamins K, B1, and folate. They too support both phases of liver detox and also support healthy red blood cells thanks to iron.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like spinach, watercress, beet greens, romaine, and kale are all rich in vitamins A, C, and K that naturally support healthy blood and combat the damaging effects of toxins thanks to their antioxidant superpowers. They also support kidney function and protect them from damage, and help to promote proper and regular elimination via the colon thanks to fiber and roughage.

Matcha

This green tea powder is renowned for many things, and natural detox support should be at the top of the list. Matcha is rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, and contains most of the B vitamins which help to nourish the nervous system and reduce inflammatory effects.

Onions

Any way you peel them, these tear-jerking root vegetables are super detoxifiers. They’re loaded with minerals like manganese and copper and they can actually bind with heavy metal toxins and help remove them from the body.

Garlic

While garlic may be an acquired taste for many, it’s such a rich source of vitamin C that it can be an effective natural cold remedy to eat it raw. While most won’t go that far, roasting garlic or tossing it in with recipes will give you added boosts of copper, selenium, and manganese along with vitamins C and B6.

Beets

Red beets are an up-and-coming popular Paleo food, and for good reason. They’re rich in manganese and potassium, full of fiber, and they’re great for reducing blood pressure, purifiying the blood, and increasing the ability of cells to take in more oxygen, making them antixoidant powerhouses.

Turmeric

The golden child of Paleo, turmeric is finding its way into all sorts of recipes, ranging from golden milk to flatbread to roasted cauliflower. It plays well with almost every flavor palate and it supports both phases of liver detox, along with kidney function, and being an overall potent anti-inflammatory ingredient.

Ginger

The cousin of turmeric when it comes to anti-inflammatory spices, ginger is also soothing for everything from nausea to headaches to other aches and pains. It supports digestive health, boosts metabolism, and helps keep the colon healthy.

Parsley

While most wouldn’t associate parsley with detox, it’s actually a great anti-inflammatory food that specifically supports bladder health thanks to high amounts of vitamins C and A, as well as folate and iron.

10 Non-Foods Ways To Support Natural Detoxing

While the foods you eat can have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of your detox organs, there’s so much more to life than food alone. Chronic stress can contribute to inflammation that can decrease the effectiveness of our detox organs (and the whole body), so promoting relaxation and a calm mind through focused lifestyle choices can make or break your nourishing efforts.

Movement

Everyone knows that exercise is good for them, but did you know that your body’s organs actually work more effectively when regular movement is a part of your routine? Exercise and physical fitness isn’t just for fitting into smaller clothes or looking good, it’s literally essential for total body wellness and maintaining homeostasis, which is balance within the body.

Yoga, Pilates, barre exercise, and walking are all restorative fitness programs that not only promote wellness and physical fitness, but also relaxation and stress relief. CrossFit, strength training, swimming, jogging, and running are all also essential for total health as these increase the heart rate and help to move lymph throughout the body, aiding in the detoxing and cleansing process.

The most important aspect of movement, other than doing it regularly, is that it should also be enjoyable. We don’t often participate in things that we don’t enjoy, and the mental and emotional benefits of exercising in ways that are fun for us are dramatically increased.

Sunshine

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because it has hormonal properties—it can literally be produced within our bodies as a response to skin exposure to direct sun rays.

Vitamin D is essential for immunity, mood, and hormone balance within the body, so it’s safe to say that it’s fairly essential for our total body wellness. Beyond the benefits of getting vitamin D, being outside in the fresh air and sunshine has many mental and emotional benefits that can’t be overlooked.

Meditation

Whether you do it indoors or outdoors, in a class or alone, religiously or not, taking quiet time to focus and calm your mind is going to produce healthful results within your body. Our thoughts create the energy that flows through our bodies, and that energy on a cellular level can influence our health, our nervous systems, our mood, our digestion, and more.

Even if you don’t believe in mystical “Energy,” all life at the cellular level is highly energetic. Everything that we are can be broken down into those tiny components, and meditation or quiet time can allow for us to refocus where and how our mental energy is impacting our physical energy.

Counseling

Seeing a counselor or attending therapy doesn’t mean that you’re weak, broken, or unstable. Whether you’ve been through something traumatic or difficult or not, living the human life will always have its difficulties and speaking to someone who is unbiased and who will confidentially listen to whatever is on your mind can be very freeing and cleansing.

To reap the benefits of counseling, you don’t even have to attend regularly, but allowing yourself the possibility of opening up when needed can do wonders for your total body wellness. We can never underestimate the value of not only being heard, but validated.

Creativity

If you make the rounds of social media circles, you’ve likely heard of the comeback of coloring and how it’s actually therapeutic for adults. The same is true for other creative outlets like journaling, composing, painting, drawing, writing, sewing, designing, photographing, cooking, and more.

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a “creative” individual, you can still gain some serious emotional and mental benefits from having an outlet that allows you to think outside the box and utilize the right-brained creativity center of your mind. Since there’s no right or wrong way to create, this time should be spent free from judgment. This means if you want to color outside of the lines in your trendy coloring book, you certainly should, and if you want to color with markers that bleed through onto the next page, no one’s going to tell you that you’re doing it wrong.

Acupuncture

Many people have phobias of needles, and therefore they avoid acupuncture as a form of unconstitutional torture. The fact is that acupuncture needles are so very tiny that if you close your eyes you wouldn’t even know they were being used. Additionally, they barely touch the surface of your skin and certainly don’t leave needle marks when they’re removed. It’s as if they were never there.

Now that that’s out of the way, you should consider acupuncture as part of your detoxing and cleansing routine, even if you only go once a month, because it has some serious stress-reducing potential. Want to improve your fertility, sleep better, or fix digestive issues? Acupuncture can help with all of those, and more. It’s a great anxiety buster, too.

Skincare

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and largely related to the removal of toxins via sweat. Exercise and saunas, both which give us the chance to perspire, are excellent regular habits for wellness, but you can also aid in cleansing by regular epsom salt soaks and dry brushing your skin.

Another way to care for your skin comes from removing all toxic body care products from your routine. It may seem trivial or unrelated, but by addressing the health of your skin, and removing toxic products that get absorbed through your skin, you’re actually reducing your body’s total toxin burden.

Massage

Who doesn’t love a good excuse to get a massage? Well, massage can actually be an important tool for helping the body to detox, repair, and restore. It can also stimulate blood flow to your organs and extremities. Even if you’re not keen on a total body massage, getting regular foot massages can help to address sleep issues, stress, and even digestion.

Laughter

It takes more muscles to form a frown on your face than it does to laugh, and yet these days it sure seems easier for most people to be unhappy than it is to be joyful. Even if you have to work at finding things to laugh at, time spent watching funny cat videos on YouTube, favorite TV show reruns on Netflix, or hilarious home videos is not wasted.

You should laugh every day, and often. Laughter is contagious and even when we aren’t in a good mood, can actually influence the energy within our bodies and can help to transform the cellular landscape within our bodies. Mind/body health is a legit science, and I think most of us can agree we’d rather be on a steady diet of laughter than refillable pharmaceutical prescriptions.

Digital Detox

Ahh, the age of technology. While the internet, smart phones, laptops, tablets, and the like have certainly done much to improve our quality of life, they’ve also equally degraded it. With all of the technology that we have that allows us to be better connected, we are becoming more isolated than ever.

Even if it’s not a permanent change, taking some time each week or month to be free from your cell phone, the internet, and any non person-to-person contact is something that is beneficial for your health on every level. Connect with the people in your life, focus on the present, and see what’s actually around you in the real world. Cyberspace will be there when you get back, but the moments you have with loved ones shouldn’t be taken for granted.

16 Recipes That Naturally Support Detox

If you’re not convinced that detox-friendly foods can be delicious, or you’re not sure how to naturally weave them into your life, try adding these to your weekly meal plan.

1. Beets and Berries Smoothie

2. Sweet Potato Turmeric Muffins

3. Asparagus with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

4. Collard Greens

5. Turmeric Coconut Flour Muffins

6. Asparagus Salad

7. Matcha Smoothie Bowl

8. Butternut Squash Soup with Pears and Ginger

9. Sauteed Kale with Walnuts

10. Beet Soup with Coconut Milk

11. Carrot Noodles with Turmeric Pesto

12. Roasted Curried Cauliflower

13. Asparagus and Avocado Salad

14. Kale Salad with Chicken

15. Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup with Zoodles

16. Ginger Turmeric Smoothie

PS: Want even more Paleo recipes? Subscribe to our weekly meal plan here.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Detoxing appeared first on Paleo Plan.

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Exercise Guru Taryn Toomey Explains Her “Wacky” In-Flight Routine

(Bloomberg) — At Bloomberg Pursuits, we love to travel. And we always want to make sure we’re doing it right. So we’re talking to globe-trotters in all of our luxury fields—food, wine, fashion, cars, real estate—to learn about their high-end hacks, tips, and off-the-wall experiences. These are the Distinguished Travel Hackers.

Taryn Toomey is the founder of Class, a workout program that combines various techniques (yoga, high-intensity interval training, cardio) with cathartic mantras and encouragement to discharge toxic energy. Think of it as fitness for both the brain and the body in a single, 60-minute session.

Read this: Travel Secrets by Hanli Prinsloo: You’ll Never Travel The Same Again

She logs around 50,000 miles per year and flies regularly on JetBlue to the West Coast. But Toomey doesn’t have any loyalty to a  particular airline. “I move with the tide, depending on if I just had a nightmare situation with customer service,” she laughs.

Starting in mid-October, she will take her unique approach to fitness around America via a seven-city tour featuring live drumming from Caleb Spaulding. Ahead of the tour, we asked her to give us her tips for fighting jet lag, how to stay refreshed on the road, and how the lymphatic system is integral to the body’s overall wellness.

Wake up the old-fashioned way—with a real alarm clock

I have a no-phone policy in the bedroom. So I always bring a portable, battery-operated alarm clock so I can turn my phone off and put it away at night to prevent any interference with my sleep. I’ve created a ritual each night of turning my phone off 30 minutes before getting into bed. This allows my body to fully shut down and prepare for sleep.

Read this: Scared to Travel to ‘Dangerous’ Places? Don’t Be: Tyler Cowen

I find it especially important to do this when traveling and adjusting to a new time zone and environment. At times, I’ll schedule a backup wakeup call from the hotel, but I find them to be so jarring, especially in a pitch-black room. I think a little wooden alarm clock is a gentler way.

There’s actually a lot less space for error—I mean, I’ve had my phone not reset to the right time zone when I’m traveling before.

When you travel, pray for rain

When you’re somewhere traveling for 10 days and it rains for a couple of days, that feels like a gift, because you get to settle in more. On a trip, at times, you have that feeling that you should be in action every day—sightseeing, or going to a restaurant, or fill in the blank.

Read this: Why You Should Not Sleep on Planes: Emmitt Smith

A rainy day is permission from the universe to stay in and have an introspective, quiet, beautiful day to relax. Stay in your bathrobe, shut down, and let your nervous system decompress. We were just down doing a retreat in the Dominican Republic, and in the middle of the morning class, it rained; the skies just opened up and poured all day. And it felt like such a cleansing.

Everyone went back to their rooms, and when we finally reunited for dinner, everyone said they spent that day reflecting, resting, journaling, taking a bath. That’s serious restoration there.

Embrace your inner eccentric

I have a wacky in-flight routine: I rub rollers on my face to massage it—the Jillian Dempsey gold vibrating wand. You start on your neck and push it up. It just feels so good; I have a facial device obsession. Then I put on a hyaluronic serum from Barbara Sturm. I have tried all these different ones, and this is the one that works. My skin looks plump and glow-y after I use it. I’m a weirdo with those face tools, and I think people wonder: “What is wrong with this woman?”

She has a unique, multistage practice to beat jet lag …

I’m a big fan of understanding the lymphatic system. It doesn’t run on a track like your circulatory system, but instead it lives in the tissues, and the only way to get it moving is through movement. A run, of course, will activate that system, but you should do something else before you go running.

Go into your bedroom and do a series of dry-skin brushings; you can also use a hard wash cloth. From your feet, do a series of circular motions toward the belly, up the legs. Spend a lot of time on the stomach, then move up to your arms, hands, and shoulders.

I’ll end with a lymphatic drainage on my face. Take the flat hand from your chest and swoop up under your chin toward the lymph node by the ears. Then make a small, very light fist with your hand and perform tapping actions in the exact same places.

The dry brush is for your skin, which is the largest organ, then the tapping action gets down to the muscle. It’s a double whammy and takes all of three to seven minutes.  When you’ve done that, go on a run to get your heart rate [moving], so the circulatory system can bring fresh oxygen to the blood.

… and it isn’t just a pre-run ritual, either.

Once you’re back from your run, get in the shower and do the same thing to get the circulation going. And perform some hydrotherapy. Stand in the shower for a minute with the water as cold as you can, hitting the brain and the heart.

Then turn it to warm, and stand for another minute. Repeat this three times. Because when you’re in the cold, all of the blood moves toward your organs, and when you do the hot water, it expands the blood and pushes it toward the surface.

You’re doing contraction-expansion to get the body flushed out. It should really help wake you up.

The best wellness destination in the world is in South America

When I think about the ultimate mind-body-spirit experience, I would say the Sacred Valley in Peru. You go out at night, and there’s more stars and sky; I’ve always found it very grounding. I used to stay at this place called Hanaq Pacha, which means “Where Heaven Meets Earth.” It was a woman, Mama Kia, who passed away; she had adopted 25 children, and it was created to fund it. Now the Niños Del Sol children’s home works with a local hotel nearby to host their guests instead.

Check in with your psoas muscle next time you’re on a flight

I will do some seated pigeon-pose stretches while I’m in the seat—I do try to always fly business class if I’m doing a big trip—where you just kind of cradle your leg and rock it back and forth, feeling the ball socket of your femur joint rolling around in your hip joints. It’s helpful to release your psoas muscle, which wraps from your inner thigh all the way through the outer hip into the lumbar spine. It’s the width of a filet mignon. When people’s backs feel really achy, they have a tendency to assume it’s their back, and oftentimes it’s that muscle, super tight.

Refuse that in-flight meal 

My friend [nutritionist] Dana James told me to always fast on flights to help with jet lag. I’ll eat right before I take off, or right when I land. But I notice the amount of air in your digestive system—just from the altitude and the way that the system processes anything you put into it—is expanded. When we’re up in the air, we get bored, and there’s this constant bombardment of food and snacks. The first time I tried fasting on a flight was from New York to Los Angeles, and when I landed, I found that I didn’t feel like my stomach was sticking out five feet wider than it usually is. And I wasn’t as swollen in my fingers and my toes.

The post Exercise Guru Taryn Toomey Explains Her “Wacky” In-Flight Routine appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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Why Does Your Body Crave Exercise?

The modern world is where the human being has mastered one art above all others to perfection. Being sedentary, spending hours sitting, whether it be whilst driving, at work, watching television or eating meals.

Movement to our ancestors was a necessary part of survival, yet today it is optional or discarded completely. Due to this growing phenomenon the human body has to pay a price.

A global epidemic of gross obesity. Look around at the ‘flabby people’ with their bodies pushed and folded in all directions. Sadly this includes children, yet they can not be blamed, for in this case it is the sins of the fathers (and mothers) in feeding them the WRONG food. Do you feel guilty yet? You should!

Take a look at it from the muscular skeletal aspect. When muscles are not properly engaged in vigorous exercise, they become weaker. All of that affects the bodies capacity to work efficiently. In time this will translate to the bones too. Bones also need physical activity in order to keep them strong. If you choose to ignore this, it will lead to the strong possibility of osteoporosis in later life. Exercise is not just for the young, but for everyone. Daily exercise, as little as 30 minutes for the rest of ones life. The benefits are immune, allowing a better quality of life.

Today humans are full of excuses, why they can not exercise. Not enough time. Too tired after work, etc, etc. Put aside those prejudices and take a fresh look at exercise. Make a commitment to a plan of action 5 days out of 7. Have you got what it takes? Then choose a program that suits you. A good time to exercise is first thing in a morning, such a peaceful and delightful time. Get up an hour earlier than normal.

If you need company get others involved or join a gym, but only if you make a promise to yourself to keep it up.To learn more about the necessity of exercise visit “Nutrition and Diet Planner.”

The masses are suffering from inertia, a disposition to remain inactive or inert. What will it take I wonder to get adults and children motivated to move their bodies and bring them alert and in tune to the world around them?

Seriously, daily exercise will bring you alive, you will be full of energy, have vitality, and a lean body mass. Which by the way does not mean you have to kill yourself to get down to a 6.8 or 10, for quite simply we are not always meant to be that small. Exercise itself will take you to where your own body mass says it should be.

Do not carry on seeing your legs getting more flabby, your stomach wobbling around as though it has a will of its own. Upper arms jiggle. Time for action.

Daily exercise advances disease. Please understand that your body was born to move, it craves the exercise, which you are condemning it. Have longevity, improve your appearance with fitness and good health.

Exercise or be in the front of the queue, when it comes to heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes. A much shorter lifespan. There are so many different types of exercise to choose from, there is one waiting for you, such as yoga, pilates, tai chi.

Aerobic exercise – for a healthy heart, this activity uses oxygen, raises heart rate and makes you slightly breathless. Combine this with healthy eating and you will certainly be on the right track of sustained weightloss.

Strength (resistance) exercise, which includes strength training in your exercise program, may help improve posture and give your body a more toned look. Muscle burns more calories than inactive tissue even when you are resting.

Flexibility exercise stretches the muscles, if you do not do this on a regular basis, muscles are in danger of becoming shorter and less elastic. Should this occasion it reduce how much you can move your joints and will increase stiffness. Aim to do some flexibility exercises for a few minutes a day, this will stretch all the major muscles in your upper and lower body.

Note: Make sure you do your own research before you begin a daily exercise regime.

Nutrition and Diet Planner suggest that you start an exercise period and continue five days out of seven for six months solid. We guarantee that you will never go back to being a sedentary big person ever again!

Benefits include improving stamina, strengthening and toning, enhanced flexibility and weight management.

Source by Nina Bagnall

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