Making cents

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Science confirms it - gratitude goes a long way toward a healthier life, intermittent fasting gets a closer look and comes up short, and David Lee Roth is hitting the road 😎

Let’s get into it!

Psychologists have advocated for the positive benefits of practising gratitude for years, but the scientific backing of such claims extends beyond the field of psychology.

New research from the American Brain Foundation suggests gratitude can improve emotional resilience, drive healthy eating habits, and stave off the conditions that increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression, along with other conditions related to poor mental health.

Spanish psychologist Rafael Santandreu, who’s a top proponent of practising gratitude daily, suggests journaling or even just outwardly expressing thanks to others is a good habit to form. He also emphasizes there’s never a bad time to start.

“Many people think that the best stage of life is childhood or youth. But I’ll tell you something: the best stage is when you start to think clearly,” he said in an Instagram post.

“When you stop complaining, stop dramatizing, and start to truly appreciate everything you have: your body, your freedom, your loved ones, the simple fact of being alive. That’s when true happiness begins. And the best part is that it doesn't depend on age. It can start today!”

The theory behind intermittent fasting is that it improves metabolic health by giving the body more time to extract and process all the nutrients in a person’s diet. However, a study published recently in Science Translational Medicine found no measurable metabolic improvements for those practising “time-restricted eating” (TRE).

The researchers tracked 31 overweight or obese women for two weeks, splitting them into two groups: one group eating only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (eTRE) and the other group eating between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. (lTRE).

Each participant maintained the same caloric intake that they consumed prior to entering their TRE regimen.

After two weeks, the researchers identified no meaningful changes in the participants’ insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, blood fats, or inflammatory markers. In other words, metabolic health wasn’t improved.

“Our results suggest that the health benefits observed in earlier studies were likely due to unintended calorie reduction, rather than the shortened eating period itself,” said Olga Ramich, a co-author of the study and Head of the Department of Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke.

Pre-dawn auctions at Tokyo’s fish markets resemble the New York Stock Exchange at the height of the 1980s. Tourists will often flood the galleries at 5 a.m. to witness the organized chaos, and those at the Toyosu fish market on Monday were treated to history.

Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Corp (which operates sushi chain Sushi Zanmai), once again broke his own record for highest price paid for a bluefin tuna.

Kimura is appropriately referred to as the Tuna King. He paid 56.5 million yen for a bluefin tuna in 2012 and 155 million yen in 2013, both of which were records at the time. In 2019, he upped the ante again and paid 333.6 million yen (US$2.1 million), setting a new record for a third time.

The king had no interest in abdicating the throne on Monday, and paid 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million) for the first bluefin of the year.

"The year's first tuna brings good luck," he proclaimed after admitting he spent more than he expected to.

"I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it," he said.

The tuna was sliced and diced shortly thereafter, and distributed across various Sushi Zanmai locations for the enjoyment of the international chain’s loyal customers.

David Lee Roth ain’t talkin’ ‘bout retirement any time soon, except to say it’s not on his agenda this year.

"We've reached the end of my first retirement," he said during the debut of his new eight-piece band at last May’s M3 festival. "How many retirements did Rocky have, nine?"

And he isn’t slowing down. Diamond Dave, 71, just announced a 30-date North American tour, which gets under way on Apr. 16 in Airway Heights, WA.

The tour will take the original Van Halen frontman across the United States throughout spring and summer, heading north of the border once for the lone Canadian date in Niagara Falls on May 21, before several more U.S. dates to round out May and June.

June 20 in Milwaukee is currently slated as the second last stop, with a big gap separating it from Aug. 7 in Sturgis, SD. DLR notoriously refuses to cover Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen songs, so while he won’t be playing Summer Nights, maybe he will be playing some other summer nights?

Say you want a resolution

It’s a new year and you know what that means! Lots of folks are making resolutions. So that gave us an idea. And you know what that means, don’t you!

In today’s trivia we’re quizzin’ you on characters, lyrics, and scnenarios all about resolutions. This one’s gonna be fun!

Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Amazon Card ;)

Winner will be notified on Thursday afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox and don’t forget to check your spam folder!*