All posts tagged: levels

France’s record heatwave pushes champagne alcohol levels to historic high

France’s record heatwave pushes champagne alcohol levels to historic high

Published by Sam Flores

Drinking this year’s champagne might give you a heftier headache as France’s record heatwaves are forcing some producers to up the alcohol levels, industry officials said Wednesday. French authorities have allowed champagne houses to make their bubbly with alcohol content of up to 15 percent, a historic first for a wine usually limited to 13 percent. Read moreFrench wine yields drop to new historic low after searing summer heat Growers had to harvest exceptionally early this year as extreme heat sped sugar buildup – and hence natural alcohol production – in the grapes, according to the Comite Champagne industry association. Nonetheless, “the crop already has all the hallmarks of producing great, perhaps even exceptional, wines”, the group said in a statement. Authorities have also allowed a temporary easing of strict rules for making several types of cheese after heatwaves scorched grazing pastures. France is the world’s second-largest wine producer after Italy, and this summer’s heat and drought have deepened fears for many growers about how they will cope with climate change. The 2026 harvest was the earliest …

Zoe Ball returns to radio with a brand new show: ‘Excitement levels are peaking’

Zoe Ball returns to radio with a brand new show: ‘Excitement levels are peaking’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Zoe Ball launched her new show on Greatest Hits Radio on Monday, thanking fellow presenter Ken Bruce and explaining the reason behind the first song she played. Ball stepped down from her BBC Radio 2 show in December last year, when she was replaced by Emma Willis – the new co-host of Strictly Come Dancing. She returned to the airwaves for her new show, Zoe Ball in the Afternoon, promising that her first song would be “big… Big production, big sound, big feels.” Ball, 55, went for “I’ve Got the Music in Me” by the Kiki Dee Band, playing it after sharing some of the guesses from her listeners – including “Rock‘n’Roll” by Led Zeppelin, “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John. Zoe Ball has launched her new show on Greatest Hits Radio (Greatest Hits …

Diabetes can affect how your body reacts to exercise—a trainer explains how to adapt your workouts to manage blood sugar levels and work out safely

Diabetes can affect how your body reacts to exercise—a trainer explains how to adapt your workouts to manage blood sugar levels and work out safely

Published by Jenni Sidey

Not knowing what to lift or how hard to push yourself during a workout is a common issue for those new to exercise. But it’s all the more daunting for the 40 million or so Americans living with diabetes. People with this chronic condition—representing around 12% of the US population according to the CDC—can find their blood sugar levels are too high because their body is unable to produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively. Latest Videos FromFit&Well While exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, promote glucose metabolism and maintain blood sugar levels at a healthy level, too strenuous a workout could trigger glucose levels to rise or drop rapidly, leading to potentially dangerous side effects. Despite these implications, certified strength and conditioning specialist Garett Reid of the BetterMe app says there is “no inherent reason” why someone living with the condition can’t train exactly the same as anyone else. You may like “You just need to take adequate precautions and learn how your body responds to exercise over time,” he says. Reid was speaking …

People With High Levels Of Emotional Negativity Usually Say 11 Phrases In Casual Conversation

People With High Levels Of Emotional Negativity Usually Say 11 Phrases In Casual Conversation

Published by Jenni Sidey

We’ve all been around someone who is high in emotional negativity when talking about pretty much everything. Regardless of who it is, when you have to sit idly by and listen while they complain it can be exhausting. This isn’t just annoying, it’s bad for you. Research has even shown that complaining changes people’s brains, negatively affecting the person listening, too. And while most emotionally negative people don’t always realize they’re doing it, it’s something that needs to be addressed. People with exceptionally high levels of emotional negativity say these 11 phrases in casual conversation: 1. ‘It’s not fair’ MAYA LAB / Shutterstock Understandably, people may have a lot to complain about with the cost of living at all-time highs. Surely anyone struggling will say “It’s not fair” to express their frustration from time-to-time. However, there’s a difference between saying this once in a while and saying it anytime any little thing goes wrong.  They never know when to ignore their negative thinking and instead put themselves in a self-defeating situation, as negative thinking can lead …

AI maps ice levels beneath the world’s glaciers – could raise global sea levels by over a foot

AI maps ice levels beneath the world’s glaciers – could raise global sea levels by over a foot

Published by Jenni Sidey

The world’s glaciers hold enough ice to raise sea levels about 32.3 centimeters, and a new machine-learning model maps that ice in greater detail. IceBoost v2.0 learned from more than 7 million thickness measurements and 26 glacier characteristics to estimate ice depth around the world. The improved maps could sharpen sea-level and freshwater projections while showing scientists where more direct glacier measurements are still needed. The world’s glaciers hold enough ice to raise global sea levels by about 32.3 centimeters if they melted completely. A new study now offers one of the clearest maps yet of where that ice sits and how thick it is. The work uses more than 7 million ice-thickness measurements. It combines those records with 26 physical and geometric variables to estimate thickness point by point. A Sharper Map Of Hidden Ice Glaciers may look simple from the surface. You see white ice, broken crevasses, gray rock and meltwater streams. But the most important part often remains hidden below. The World’s glaciers (cyan), divided into the 19 regions of the Randolph …

The Ceuta border incident shows how EU migration can be ‘weaponised’ – but overall levels are declining

The Ceuta border incident shows how EU migration can be ‘weaponised’ – but overall levels are declining

Published by Sam Flores

It took one night in Ceuta to end a relatively quiet summer on Europe’s southern border. Over 70,000 people entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco between July 30 and 31, most of them swimming around the heavily guarded border fences. For comparison, at the peak of the 2015-16 migration crisis, Italy received over 180,000 irregular migrants across an entire year. This was roughly a third of Italy’s busiest year, compressed into a single day. Most of those who crossed have since returned to Morocco. But the episode has already become an EU-wide political crisis. By the end of the day, Italy had suspended its Schengen free-movement agreement with Spain. This choice was primarily political, but short-sighted. It ignored the fact that most people crossing at Ceuta have little interest in going to Italy. And just as new EU migration rules mandating “flexible solidarity” come into force, it sets a precedent for turning away from frontline states – Italy included – the next time they face migratory pressure. Who is to blame for Ceuta? Spain’s prime …

Politics Home | MPs’ Staff Report Record Levels Of Psychological Distress From Their Jobs

Politics Home | MPs’ Staff Report Record Levels Of Psychological Distress From Their Jobs

Published by Sam Flores

6 min read15 min A majority of MPs’ staff are experiencing psychological distress as a result of their work, according to a new survey of employees working in Parliament and constituency offices. An annual survey carried out by the MPs’ staff Wellness Working Group, shared with PoliticsHome, has shown a record level of distress experienced by MPs’ staff since the survey began in 2000. From a record 627 staff responses, the survey found that 50.9 per cent of MPs’ staff working across both Parliament and constituency offices are experiencing psychological distress. This is the highest level recorded to date, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sixty-four per cent of respondents also reported difficulty meeting the demands of the job within expected timescales and 34 per cent said their working hours negatively affect their family relationships and friendships. The survey found MPs’ staff reporting a ‘tsunami’ of casework, with offices struggling to cope with constituents’ increasingly complex demands. Constituency caseworkers are also exposed to an increasing level of abuse, threats, traumatic disclosures and suicide-related casework. …

Should You Worry About Your Cortisol Levels?

Should You Worry About Your Cortisol Levels?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Cortisol gets a bad rap. Commonly referred to as the “stress hormone,” we’ve come to think of cortisol first and foremost as a catalyst for weight gain, poor sleep, and a host of other negative effects—basically, something that should be reined in at all costs. But while significantly high cortisol levels can be disruptive, cortisol in itself is not inherently bad. It’s all about maintaining a healthy balance. “Healthy levels of cortisol have beneficial effects,” says Sophie Trotman, a nutritionist and workplace wellbeing consultant. The hormone plays a key role in vital bodily functions ranging from regulating your metabolism to keeping your circadian rhythm on the rails. “It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help in the management of minor injuries or immune responses,” Trotman says, and can “enhance focus, memory, and resilience, making it easy to perform well under pressure.” So what’s the trick to managing your cortisol? Well, among other things, doing the right kind of exercise, monitoring stress factors with wearable technology, and taking supplements can all be helpful. Here’s everything the …

Low water levels: EU clears old Nazi warships from the Danube

Low water levels: EU clears old Nazi warships from the Danube

Published by Sam Flores

Persistent heat is causing water levels in the Danube to drop in many places, bringing relics from the past to light. Near Prahovo in Serbia, numerous wrecks of German warships become visible every year; some of them are to be salvaged in the coming years, others have already been hauled ashore. Earlier this week, the magazine “Fokus” was the first to report on this. Witnesses to the advance of the Red Army The story of the wrecks begins more than 80 years ago, towards the end of the Second World War. In the autumn of 1944, the Wehrmacht retreated before the advancing Red Army, on land and on water. Hitler’s soldiers had orders not to let any usable military equipment fall into enemy hands. That applied to the naval squadrons of the Kriegsmarine on Europe’s second-longest river as well. As a result, crews scuttled their ships in the Danube. The plan was to use the wrecks to block the shipping lane and thus stop the Red Army from moving upstream along the Danube. This blockade …