Plant-based foods are widely touted for their health benefits, and many dietary guidelines now promote their consumption. But how much of our diet actually comes from plants? While neither plant- nor animal-based foods are inherently better than the other, they have markedly different nutrient make-ups, which makes this important to understand.
Zoos have long been treasured by the public, offering an up-close view of the world’s most incredible species. In addition to bringing joy to their human visitors, some zoos are also committed to conservation and host breeding programs for endangered species. But despite their best intentions, these programs aren’t always successful – especially when it comes to carnivores.
The dumpster-diving squirrel can be thought of as the unofficial mascot of city living. As fun as it can be to watch a squirrel wrestle a jar of peanut butter, rarely do people stop and think about how city living has impacted these familiar critters — or their gut microbiome.
Did you know that you can have Lyme disease without testing positive? Or that Lyme Disease symptoms can often mimic other conditions?
It turns out that this is especially true if you live with chronic illness. Inconsistencies in testing methods have made this debilitating disease notoriously difficult to diagnosis, and this can leave patients suffering for years without proper treatment.
For the last 30 years, a population of squirrels in southwestern Yukon has been closely watched by biologists, though perhaps never more closely than a recent investigation into the microscopic contents of their guts.
Have you ever stopped mid-way through a bag of potato chips and wondered, how did a potato become a potato?
Likely not.
Ontario’s Greenbelt is home to over 9 million people – including many of us here at the University of Guelph. But did you know that we also share the Greenbelt with a plethora of at-risk and endangered species such as the Jefferson salamander?
The Jefferson salamander is an endangered amphibian whose northern range extends into Ontario. It lives in isolated populations primarily within the Niagara Escarpment region, a highly urbanized and densely populated area.
How does a high-performance athlete get even better?
On the face of it, the answer seems simple: train harder. However, a recent study led by former PhD student Dr. Devon Frayne and Dr. Stephen Brown in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences suggests that a different approach may provide a more targeted form of training.
For most people, cycling across Canada is an unthinkable feat. For Steve Iseman, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago, it was that, and so much more.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition in which gait and balance are impaired and fatigue can be debilitating. While exercise can help alleviate some of the disease’s symptoms, patients often struggle to hit recommended physical activity targets.
With age, we often get smarter and wiser. Unfortunately, it is also true that the older we get, the more we are prone to slips and falls — and the debilitating injuries that can result.
Generating movement quickly is crucial in those first few milliseconds after a slip or trip, so that we can catch ourselves before injury occurs. But around the age of 40, our muscles’ ability to produce force quickly, or rate of force development (RFD), begins to decline, and continues to decrease as we age.