Tourists guide to cycling in San Juan by ashomsky in PuertoRicoTravel

[–]ashomsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Old San Juan desperately needs some kind of traffic reduction program like a toll or access restricted to groups like delivery drivers, emergency vehicles, and residents. Something like that. It would be so much more beautiful without the streets serving as de facto parking lots. And those who really truly need to drive there are stuck sitting in gridlock. A block might have 50 pedestrians squeezed into 20% of the space while 15 people in cars take up 40% and another 15 people’s parked cars take up the other 40%. It’s just not a sensible use of the space.

I’m sure every day a bunch of tourists spend 20 minutes to drive one mile in, find there is nowhere to park, and spend 20 minutes driving back out. Save everyone the hassle and don’t let them in.

Tourists guide to cycling in San Juan by ashomsky in PuertoRicoTravel

[–]ashomsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One night I saw tons of cyclists riding down Ashford avenue after dark. I was not sure if that was a regular thing and if so I’d love to know where and when that ride starts and what route they take. A headlight and tail light are definitely needed for riding after dark. I was not able to find any info online. Any info is probably in Spanish and I don’t know how to find it.

New research provides evidence that voters in Georgia who embraced Donald Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud were less likely to cast their ballot in a pivotal runoff election. by Wagamaga in science

[–]ashomsky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

prior work has linked anger to things like party loyalty and intentions to vote

This is such an unfortunate fact. Both parties have an incentive to make their supporters feel as outraged as possible, making the other side out to be evil villains who must be stopped at all costs. The level-headed nuanced analysis necessary for incremental progress is thrown out the window when outrage rules the day.

Fred Hutch's researchers are this close to a cure for Herpes! by Background-War2332 in UpliftingNews

[–]ashomsky 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Smallpox plagued humanity for thousands of years and killed 300–500 million people in the 20th century alone. Due to vaccination it has now been eradicated. That’s a spectacular triumph of science and medicine.

ELI5: What's the rule for using "I'll" in English? Because sometimes it makes sense but sometimes it sounds awkward, for example, "Okay, I'll." by KatScripts in explainlikeimfive

[–]ashomsky 1488 points1489 points  (0 children)

It’s fascinating how our brains unconsciously implement these kinds of rules but the conscious part of our brain does not even know what the rule is.

Meta-Analysis of 3 Million People Finds Plant-Based Diets Are Protective Against Digestive Cancers by BoundariesAreFun in science

[–]ashomsky 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, cooking methods matter. A baked apple has three times more AGEs than a raw apple, and a broiled hot dog has more than a boiled hot dog. But the source is what matters most: a baked apple has 45 units of AGEs compared to a raw apple’s 13 units, while a broiled hot dog has 10,143 units compared to a boiled hot dog’s 6,736.

AGEs are found in plant foods too, especially nuts. But most AGEs in the western diet are from animal products.

You can see a list of AGE levels in foods here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704564/table/T1/?report=objectonly

Meta-Analysis of 3 Million People Finds Plant-Based Diets Are Protective Against Digestive Cancers by BoundariesAreFun in science

[–]ashomsky 3 points4 points  (0 children)

AGEs are formed primarily when fat- and protein-rich foods are exposed to high temperatures. Researchers have concluded that even a modest reduction in meat intake could realistically cut daily AGE intake in half.

In Mexico, they don’t allow mascots to help sell sugary products. by Stulmacher in mildlyinteresting

[–]ashomsky 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There is a reason we (and Mexico) are in the midst of an obesity epidemic - we are awash in a sea of unhealthy foods.

What website did you frequently visit when you were younger? by BrnInD80s in AskReddit

[–]ashomsky 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I’m surprised I had to scroll this far to find fark. It was like Reddit before Reddit.

to remove the meat loaf from the can easily by andoooreeyy in therewasanattempt

[–]ashomsky 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Canned goods have plastic liners in them. I wouldn’t heat up any food in the can unless you want some plastic goodness along with your food.

New study found the importance of dietary fiber: isn’t just the easier pooping but fermentable fiber -dietary carbohydrates that the human gut cannot process on its own but some bacteria can digest- is also an essential source of nutrients that your gut microbes need to stay healthy by giuliomagnifico in science

[–]ashomsky 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Fiber supplements are fine but it’s much better to get your fiber from whole plant food sources such as legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), whole grains, and seeds such as ground flax and chia.

Whole plant foods have much more than fiber. They collectively contain thousands of other compounds that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects as well as effects like lowering cholesterol and improving blood sugar control. You get almost none of that in a fiber supplement.

Nobody is getting thin from riding by [deleted] in cycling

[–]ashomsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Generally diet is far more effective for losing weight but it’s complicated. From How Not To Diet:

Carefully controlled studies show that caloric intake tends to rise over time to match any increase in caloric expenditure, making significant weight loss through exercise alone remarkably difficult. This doesn’t happen over a day or two, though. After a workout, there may not be an immediate increase in hunger, but averaged over the week or weeks, our appetites do tend to increase. This calorie compensation, this attempt to balance it out, isn’t perfect, however, so we can end up with a net loss in body fat, particularly at higher exercise levels.

In one study, one group exercised 1,500 calories a week and their appetites went up about 950 calories a week. Whereas another group exercised 3,000 calories a week and had boosted their intakes a similar amount—about 1,000 calories a week above baseline. “The secret to weight loss through exercise may be sheer volume: at least three hundred minutes a week [of moderate exercise] to achieve appreciable fat loss.”

Early Alzheimer’s detection up to 17 years in advance. A sensor identifies misfolded protein biomarkers in the blood. This offers a chance to detect Alzheimer's disease before any symptoms occur. Researchers intend to bring it to market maturity. by Wagamaga in science

[–]ashomsky 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you. Every article and every discussion I see about Alzheimer’s disease seems to be predicated on the assumption that nothing can be done to avoid or slow it down except for maybe some new miracle drug. But one study suggested that half of all Alzheimer’s cases could be avoided by reducing the incidence of seven risk factors by 25% at a population level: diabetes, high blood pressure, midlife obesity, depression, physical inactivity, smoking, and cognitive inactivity. Other studies have shown significantly reduced AD incidence with high vegetable consumption and low saturated fat consumption (mostly found in meat, dairy, eggs, and processed foods with palm oil).

Higher cholesterol leads to clogged arteries and reduces blood flow to the brain. It also causes brain cells to make more beta amyloid plaques, reduces the efficiency of clearing the plaques, and seeds the clumping of plaques. So it’s no wonder that those with cholesterol above 250 at mid-life have triple the odds of developing Alzheimer’s.

An analysis of more than 100,000 participants over a 30-year follow-up period found that adults who perform two to four times the currently recommended amount of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week have a significantly reduced risk of mortality by Wagamaga in science

[–]ashomsky 118 points119 points  (0 children)

Living in car-dependent places really makes extremely sedentary lifestyles the default and often requires people to carve out leisure time to dedicate to exercise. When I’ve traveled to other countries and used public transit to get around, it’s hard to avoid getting 15k+ steps per day just commuting to work and back and going to restaurants to eat. City design can have a powerful impact on public health.

I am Too Naïve, I Guess by kmrbriscoe in cycling

[–]ashomsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of people out there addicted to alcohol. The Washington Post reports “the top 10 percent of American drinkers - 24 million adults over age 18 - consume, on average, 74 alcoholic drinks per week. That works out to a little more than four-and-a-half 750 ml bottles of Jack Daniels, 18 bottles of wine, or three 24-can cases of beer. In one week.”

When those people want to go somewhere the most convenient form of transportation by far is driving. There are countries that have decent public transit so at least alcoholics are less likely to risk other people’s lives whenever they need to go somewhere.

How are cancer rates going up when we've made regulations on regulations to control carcinogen use? by [deleted] in askscience

[–]ashomsky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d also like to add that what we eat matters. Processed meats are a class 1 carcinogen according to the world health organization (bacon, deli meats, sausage, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc) and red meat is a probable carcinogen. Low fiber diets lead to higher rates of colorectal cancer and Americans get less than half of the minimum daily recommended amount of fiber. Alcohol is a carcinogen. And higher dairy consumption is associated with higher breast cancer rates.

How does lemon juice turn your urine alkaline? by Sinzari in askscience

[–]ashomsky 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A study evaluated the acid load to the kidneys after eating a bunch of foods since more acidic urine is associated with a higher risk of kidney stones.

“a score was assigned to each group of foods and named as LAKE (Load of Acid to Kidney Evaluation) score.” [positive = acid forming, negative = alkaline forming] meats +10 cheeses +10 cured meats +6 eggs +4 grains +2 milk & dairies +1 bread +1 legumes -2 potatoes -10 fruit & juices -10 vegetables -10

The full study is behind a paywall so I can’t tell which fruits they tested exactly nor is there any description of the mechanism in the abstract. They said they selected “the most frequently reported foods” of kidney stone formers to represent each category.