Top 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Hiking

Many fitness lovers know that jump rope, trampolining and hanging on the rock solid basketball goal systems (I mean playing basketball aggressively) are some fun ways to burn fat. However, today, I’m gonna show you another interesting way to maintain your fitness. Yes, it is Hiking. Hiking has some amazing health benefits that let you live a healthy and happy life.

Top 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Hiking : Wiki Health Blog

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Hiking is not a high intensity interval workout, but it’s the recreational form of walking. Walking is usually performed in the urban areas and hiking is enjoyed in the countryside which is longer than walking. There are a lots of hiking trails in the United States. Some of those trails are short and a few of them are even longer than 1000 km. PCT or Pacific Crest Trail is such a long trail. Okay, now let’s see the health benefits of hiking.

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Hiking:

From the recent study of the American Hiking Society, it has been proven that hiking is very effective to reduce the risk of colon cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, dying of coronary heart disease and it also helps to control weight. Here are the major benefits of hiking.

Hiking Increases Fitness:

What does fitness mean? To lose weight, to burn fat or to gain weight? I think, fitness refers to having a healthy and strong body and hiking is very effective to gain strength. Like to know how? Okay, hiking is a weight bearing activity which gradually increases your strength to handle more weight.

You have to carry a heavy weight bag on your back, you’ve to walk long ways and if the trail is in the mountain, then you’ve to step up the mountain. It has been proven that an hour of hiking can burn about to 500 calories or more depending on the level of difficulty of the trail and the weight of the pack on your back.

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Even, hiking is also more effective than running because hiking trails are softer than the concrete roads on which a lots of people run to burn their fat. Hard surface actually hampers our joints, but, softer surface helps our joints to get stronger. Moreover, if you go for the mountain trails, weight loss results will be even better. No unfit people can hike a long trail. So, if you like to achieve fitness, start your hiking on a short and easy trail which is only 2 - 3 miles long.

It Helps To Take Control of Your Workouts:

As you’ve already known that the difficulty level of the hiking trails is not same, so, you can easily chart your own course for your fitness. Slowly inclining scenic trails are easier than steep trails like Angels Landing, Utah. To achieve your dream fitness, you should set your own pace, maintain your own speed and choose the suitable distance which won’t be impossible for you to reach and complete. At first, select a 2-3 hours long trail, and then gradually choose the longer one. This way, regular hiking offers you to take full control of your workouts without listening to any bossy commands of the fitness trainers.

Hiking Helps Prevent And Control Diabetes:

You know, blood sugar causes diabetes. If you’re now free from diabetes, then regular hiking will save you from the diabolical diabetes. However, the good news is that hiking helps to control diabetes by lowering and maintaining the blood sugar level. Another amazing benefit of hiking is that this activity gives your muscles a moderate workout, which helps to move the glucose from your bloodstream to energy.

It Lowers The Blood Pressure and Cholesterol:

Trail hiking, weather short or long, on a daily basis or at least regular basis lessens blood pressure and cholesterol, which is very effective to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke for them who are even at high risk. Trails are usually somewhere steep and somewhere downhill and hiking downhill is very effective at maintaining blood pressure, blood sugar level and improving disease prevention ability.

It Fights off Disease:

Hiking also helps you to maintain your cardiovascular health. Regular hikers don’t need to practice high intensity cardio workouts. One of my friends, who is an oncologist, told me that hiking even accelerates the recovery of the cancer patients. A health column published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine shows that through hiking trips can improve the antioxidative capacity in the blood of the oncological survivors, which helps fight off a lots of diseases.

Hiking Reduces The Pain of Loneliness:

Hiking is very effective to diminish the painful feeling of loneliness as it’s one of the most enjoyable social activities. It is even suitable for the introverts. Hikers usually enjoy regular weekly meet-up, create plan to hit the new hiking trails, wish and inspire to hike longer. Being a member of a hiking community and regular interaction with the hikers encourage new hikers to engage with the fitness workouts as a lifestyle, rather than a pain of burning some fat, which of course inspires you more likely to stick with fitness for the long haul.

Hiking Increases Your Creativity To Lead a Healthy Life:

Trail hiking is a great outdoor activity and enjoying outdoor recreational activities increases our attention span and improves the creativity to solve real life problems by two times than the average jane. A group of researchers of the Graduate School of Education, Stanford University also found that “walking gets the creative juices flowing far more than sitting”.

It Improves Your Outlook:

Another awesome benefit of hiking is that it reduces the likelihood of the over analysis of the failure and negativity of life that some people, specially introvert people, do very often. Running on a treadmill is a great exercise to lose weight, but hiking through the nature is really better than treadmill running as it burns the fat as well as it offers to enjoy the beauty of the outdoor world and thus it improves your outlook to your life.

Unplug From The World:

Sometimes we feel bore of always being ‘switched-on’. Sometimes we wish to have a break from the chaos of the urban life and sometimes it becomes too important for us to have some refreshments to be energetic in executing our day to day job perfectly. Most of the times, we remain busy in staring at wide screens of our laptop and checking our phones. In other words, we always have to be plugged in to the network of the world. Hiking offers a break from the feeling of “stay connected” and always being ‘switched-on’.

Hiking Makes You Happier And Healthier:

Besides all the above benefits, the most amazing benefit of hiking is that it makes you happier and healthier. John Muir said that - “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Hiking offers the opportunity to walk with the nature, it also creates an opportunity to have a look at the different human culture of the backcountry people, it inspires to lead a more active lifestyle. That is how hiking makes you happier than ever and also healthier.

These are the most amazing benefits of hiking. So, it seems to me that next time you hear someone tell you, “take a hike,” you won’t ignore them and from my experience, I can assure you that, hiking with a group is much more enjoyable than solo hiking. But, you may enjoy solo hiking if it is on a short trail. However, you shouldn’t miss hiking if there’s a trail near you.

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6 Ways to Beat the Depression Syndrome During Pregnancy

A large number of pregnant women develop depression syndrome. It’s extremely important that they take the right measures for beating the problem. If left untreated, depression syndrome during pregnancy can harm both the unborn baby and the expecting mother. Some of the worse consequences include difficulties at birth, premature birth, low birth weight of the baby, etc. What’s even more alarming is that untreated depression might lead to substance abuse harming the mother and her baby even more severely.

6 Ways to Beat the Depression Syndrome During Pregnancy : Wiki Health Blog

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Are you wondering whether it would be a good idea to take antidepressants to deal with pregnancy induced depression? If you are suffering from mild to moderate depression, your doctor would mostly likely ask you to beat the situation with some natural approaches. He or she would prescribe antidepressants only when you are experiencing moderate to severe depression symptoms or if the natural approaches adopted by you don’t show any result.

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The section below includes six of the most effective ways of dealing with and beating depression syndrome during pregnancy.

1. Accept and let others know that you are not well

This is the first and possibly the most important step in the process of overcoming pregnancy induced depression. If you are feeling sad, and seeing your emotional state deteriorating with every passing day, don’t try to hide how you are feeling. If you ignore depression and keep pretending that you are hale and hearty, the consequences can be serious both for you and the unborn baby. Begin by admitting your exact mental state to yourself and then share your feelings with your spouse, BFF or a close family member. Also, don’t forget to inform your doctor about the problem.

2. Undergo medical AOK

Inform your gynecologist about the depression symptoms you are experiencing; he or she would help you identify the exact cause of the problem and then treat it effectively. There are certain medical conditions such as thyroid disorders, anemia, hypoglycemia, and diabetes that can trigger depression symptoms. Undergoing a few simple blood tests will allow you to find out whether you have developed any of the above mentioned conditions. If you are diagnosed with any of the above mentioned health issues, undergoing appropriate treatment for the same might be enough for beating depression syndrome during pregnancy.

3. If required, pay for help

If talking to a near and dear one doesn’t seem enough to get rid of depression, seek help from an experienced psychological therapist. One therapy that’s known for helping expecting moms with depression is cognitive behavioral therapy. Undergoing this therapy would allow you to cope with depression more efficiently. You will be able to transform all the ineffective and harmful thinking patterns into successful skills to cope with challenging thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.

4. Follow a healthy diet plan

Most women develop severe craving for dairy and gluten during pregnancy. Excessive consumption of dairy and gluten can be the cause of mood problems in pregnant women. Try to stay without diary and gluten for a couple of weeks (or if possible a month). If you see the depression symptoms improving, it’s confirmed that those food items were responsible for your mental health issues. In such situation, you should eliminate dairy and gluten from your regular diet. After going diary free, you must make sure that you are getting enough calcium from other food sources. To stay away from depression, also make sure that your pregnancy diet contains enough vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iron. Last, but definitely not the least, take the best over the counter prenatal vitamin called folate. Folate, other than preventing your baby from developing neural tube defects, will also improve your response to different antidepressant medications.

5. Include exercise and yoga into your daily routine

A recent study has shown that half an hour of exercise every day helps in preventing depression and reducing depression symptoms during pregnancy. Another study, on the other hand, has shown that attending yoga classes during pregnancy is capable of reducing depression, increasing mindfulness, and improving the bond between the mother and her newborn.

6. Undergo bright light therapy

Expecting moms are typically recommended a daily dose of 10,000lx for 30 to 60 minutes per day (you will have to use a lightbox). If you find that the above mentioned dose is resulting in a hyper mood, undergo the therapy for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also alter the frequency of the therapy and use it on alternate days.

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Blood Sugar Testing Tips For Diabetes Care

Blood sugar testing is a key aspect of diabetes care. The test helps you plan your treatment better and prevent long-term complications caused by the disease. In fact, you can buy glucometers and test your blood sugar at home. It’s a portable device designed to work as a glucose monitor so that people can check the level of sugar in the body or blood.   

Blood Sugar Testing Tips For Diabetes Care : Wiki Health Blog

Further, this device checks sugar level with a small drop of blood and hence, brings a great deal of ease and convenience to diabetes patients. The purpose of the device is to facilitate self-monitoring of blood glucose levels so that the task of diabetes management can gets easier. You do need to visit hospitals quite as often to know the sugar level in blood as you can measure this right at the home.


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Plus, a glucometer helps in gathering a lot of helpful information regarding your diabetes and lets you meet your treatment goals easily. You can easily monitor any ups and downs in the blood sugar levels and then plan the treatment accordingly. This is how you get to know whether the blood sugar level is high or low, and based on that, consult a specialist.    

When to test your blood sugar?

Many diabetes patients are not sure about when to test their blood sugar and face some inconvenience because of it. They should however know that without measuring their sugar levels, they won’t be able to achieve their treatment targets.

Let’s understand when to test your blood sugar level -

·       Your doctor will tell you how often to check the blood sugar level

·       This testing will depend on the type of diabetes and treatment plan

·       You need to test four to eight times a day if you suffer with type 1 diabetes

·       Type 1 patients need to test themselves before and after meals, snacks as well as exercise

·       You need to test yourself more frequently in case of illness, change of diet, medication or exercise schedule 

·       Two times a day testing is for those suffering from type 2 diabetes

·       If you take insulin, then also twice a day testing is often recommended

·       The testing will also depend on the amount of insulin one takes

Tips for blood sugar testing

So, you already have a blood sugar monitor and are now ready for the testing? You will have to take a small sample of blood, preferably from the fingertip (by using the taste strip) and check the readings. There are no predefined precautions only tips to take before doing the test.

Let’s look at some of these tips:     

·       Before taking the test, wash and dry your hands thoroughly

·       Now, insert a test strip into the device

·       The test kit will come with a needle and you have to prick the side of the fingertip with it

·       Massage the finger so that a drop of blood is produced for sampling

·       Now, take the edge of the test strip to the drop of the blood

·       Wait for a few seconds and let the meter show your blood glucose level

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12 Processed Foods You Must Avoid to Stay Healthy

12 Processed Foods You Must Avoid to Stay Healthy : Wiki Health Blog

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 What Is Processed Food?

Before we start with our list of processed food that you should avoid as much as you can let us tell you first what processed food is. Processed food is a term that applies to any food which has been altered from its natural state. Most of the food that we buy is processed in some kind of manner for example cheese, canned vegetables, bread, milk, chips etc. Freezing, baking, pasteurizing products, canning and drying are all food processing techniques. But processed food is not always a bad choice.
Foods like milk need to be processed to make it safe by pasteurizing it and other foods need to be processed to make them suitable for consumption like getting oil from pressing seeds. Pre-chopped vegetables or fruit canned in its own juice are examples of convenient processed foods. But not all processed food is healthy or good for you. Processed food can also contain high amounts of salt, fat and sugar. Here is a list of processed food that you should avoid at any cost.

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1.    Bacon

Bacon is full of sodium and saturated fat. Sodium can lead to high blood pressure while saturated fat has been linked to obesity and heart disease. Store bought bacon is extremely bad for your health as it is loaded with preservatives which can cause problems beginning from headaches to cancer.

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2.Hotdogs And Other Processed Meats

Hot dogs and other highly processed meats are rich in salt, mono sodium glutamate, sodium nitrate and many other preservatives plus they contain artificial flavors, unhealthy fillers and mechanically separated poultry and meat. Many people have no idea that mechanically separated meat is highly processed under extreme pressure and heat and therefore any nutritional value that it had is lost in the process.

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For example the proteins in the meat become denatured under the extreme conditions. Other lunch meats such as bologna contain similar ingredients.  If you really want a hot dog buy the ones that are organic and nitrate free and do not contain any preservatives or artificial flavors.

1.    Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets just like hot dogs are at the top of industrialized food. You may think that they are just proteins but in actual they are 50 percent fats and contain more carbohydrates than proteins. The carbohydrates present in them are unhealthy ones which are found in fillers and breading. Chicken nuggets are mostly deep fried and often in oils that contain trans fat. Trans fats cause deformation of cell membrane which contributes in developing metabolic diseases like type II diabetes. Most of the chicken nuggets also contain a lot of unhealthy additives like mono sodium glutamate and tertiary butyl hydroquinone.

2.    Granola Bars

Granola bar or cereal bar are stuffed with grains and come in packaging that features sunshine and mountains. But they are also containing loads of added sugars which digest very quickly and do not satisfy your hunger for long. Although they are marketed as a healthy product but they are far from having any good nutritional value. Their high quantity of simple carbohydrates and a list of ingredients that you cannot even pronounce make it a good enough reason to avoid them.

3.    Instant Ramen

College students mostly power through the finals week eating only ramen and drinking cheap coffee. Do not continue this habit after the senior year or better never starts with it at all and if you do have it still stop immediately. One packet of ramen contains almost 2000 mg of sodium which is 500mg more than the recommended daily intake. It boosts the blood pressure which can lead to stroke. In addition the other ingredients are mostly made up of simple carbohydrates. It also contains a lot of fat which makes it the unhealthiest meal there can be.

4.    Dried Fruits

Do you try to satisfy your sweet tooth with a handful of raisins or a few dried mango spears? Have you ever wondered why they are so satisfying? The reason is that they are high in calories and give you a high sugar punch. However they are a better option than candy as they have a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber in them. But be careful with the portion that you eat as a small portion is also high in sugar and calories and extra sugar means weight gain as the body stores it as fat.

5.    Flavored Nuts

Flavored nuts may seem to be good for you but they are absolutely not. Whether they are coated in toffee, have maple flavor or are dusted with wasabi these nuts are loaded with extra sugar and salt. This extra sugar and salt can cause weight gain, high blood pressure and diabetes. And as they are sweet and sticky that makes them not so good for your teeth either.

6.    Fruit Snacks

Fruit snacks are enemies of your teeth as well as your waistline. Their name is probably the most inaccurate name give to a food product as they are packed with cane sugar and fructose corn syrup and contain just a drop of the actual fruit ingredient. The sugar in them can lead to weight gain and increase your risk of diabetes. The sugar and gelatinous ingredients which stick to your teeth also provide ideal environment for bacteria in the mouth to make cavities.

7.    Margarine

Margarine was once considered the healthy alternative of butter. But in reality it is far from being anywhere near healthy. Margarine is packed with Trans fats that are the most unhealthy type of fat. Tran’s fats increases the bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol can lead to heart diseases and stroke. The link between Trans fatty acids and cancer is not clear but one institution which is Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests the cancer patients and cancer survivors to lower these fats in their dietary recommendations.

8.    Microwave Popcorn

Popcorn is not bad for you only if you go easy on salt and butter and microwaving food is also not bad. So why is microwave popcorn bad for you? The answer is in the bag. Perfluoroalkyls that are found in the microwave popcorn bag are just one class of the chemicals found in them. Perfluoroalkyls have been linked with health problems from kidney disease to poor quality of semen according to studies.

9.    Store Bought Cakes, Cookies, Muffins And Crackers

Health issues due to these products are similar. As we all know they have high levels of salt and sugar in them but most of them contain trans fats as well. Trans fats are used in them as they are cheaper than healthy fats, hence are more profitable and also because they prolong the shelf life and improve the texture of the product. As a matter of fact there are food science labs whose sole purpose is to figure out to use the trans fats and other industrial foods to get the perfect texture in these kinds of products. If you want to know whether the product has trans fats or not don't just read the label on the front. The manufacturers are actually allowed by the United States Food and Drug Administration to label their product as zero trans fat containing if each serving has less than 0.05gm of trans fat.

Therefore many manufacturers reduce the size of their serving to reach this number so that they can label their product zero trans fats, for example if the serving size is three cookies they will write one cookie to make it zero trans fat. If you want to know for sure if the product contains trans fats or not then read the ingredients if you find the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated in the list then the product contains trans fats.

10.    Ketchup

This favorite condiment is really bad news. A small dollop is not a problem, but slathering burgers and fries with it is a problem. The tomatoes used in making it are so diluted by sugars and salt that there is no natural value left in them. The calories in ketchup are mostly coming from the sugar so you may just sprinkle your fries with sugar.

11.    Soda Pop

Sodas have no nutrition only empty calories. But the worst part is that they contain substances that are actually harmful for you. Sugar is bad but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as sweetener is worse.  HFCS can damage liver and cause blood glucose to spike worse than table sugar. In United States soda pop is the primary contributor to obesity. It is also a powerful acid producing substance and therefore causes the naturally alkaline pH of the body to become acidic. Cancer cells grow in acidic environment and cannot survive in alkaline environment. Acidic body is more susceptible to bacterial and viral attacks as the natural defenses of the immune system are weakened.

12.    Frozen Dinners

After take outs frozen dinners are the next best thing. You get a complete meal on a plate straight out of the microwave. But these dinners are mostly packed with fat, sugar and sodium. These can lead to weight gain and heart issues. They can raise your blood pressure and put you in the danger zone of getting a stroke. If you do need to buy them then opt for the organic meals with a list of ingredients that you can recognize.

Author Bio

Marry Jojo is a freelance writer and blogger . She believes in healthy living and lifestyle. She promotes healthy food consumption and helps others to know how to stop eating junk food.

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Natural Remedies for Endometriosis

Endometriosis which approximately 176 million women as well as girls are suffering from worldwide, is a gynecological condition. Once the endometrium which is the tissue builds up the inside surface of the uterus, develops to the outside of the uterine cavity. It can develop on the ovaries, tissues in the pelvis as well as the bowel.

Natural Remedies for Endometriosis: Wiki Health Blog

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The dislocated endometrial tissue usually follow the menstrual period because of the hormonal changes in the body (grows, thickens and subsequently breaks down). Since it does not have way to exit, it is trapped inside and leads to irritation as well as scars and adhesions. This consequently causes severe pain and probably fertility issue, both of which might leave a massive consequence on the quality of life of the women. 

Regardless of age, women might develop this disease. However, those from age 25 to 40 are more prone to this problem. It has been discovered that retrograde menstruation as well as menstrual fluid might trigger the condition. Moreover, those factors such as genetics, weak immunity or hazardous environment might be the causes for this condition.

Those who are suffering from this condition might experience pelvic pain, massive pain during ovulation, strong cramping during menstruation, sore bowel movements or sex intercourse. Also, fatigue, infertility, heavy or unusual bleeding while on menstrual periods and swelling abdomen might be counted as symptoms of this condition.

The issue seems to get better once menopause starts. Nonetheless, to manipulate the severity of the condition and mitigate the major symptoms of endometriosis, you may want to take a look at several home remedies.

SITZ BATH

A contrast hot and cold bath might help you to significantly reduce the symptoms of the endometriosis. It is highly recommended by naturopathy practitioners. The hot bath will incredibly ease the pelvic muscles, thereby, cramping and pain are reduced.  On the contrary, the cold bath might help you to mitigate inflammation and alleviate the pain as well.

•     Fill up two bathtubs, one with cold water and the other with hot.
•     Put about 10 drops of rosemary oil, lavender oil to the bathtubs and stir
•     Soak yourself into the hot bathtub for 3 – 5 minutes
•     Subsequently change into the cold one for about 1 – 2 minutes
•     Repeat the process for several rounds and 2 – 3 times a week.

Note: Do not do this during menstruation.

CASTOR OIL

For centuries, castor oil has been used as an effective remedy to cure endometriosis. It helps the body to treat excess tissues as well as toxins. This should be used at the start of the period when the first cramping has been diagnosed. This will significantly mitigate the severity of the condition’s symptoms. 

•     Mix a few drops of lavender oil with some castor oil
•     Dip a washcloth in the mixture and heat it using a microwave
•     Put this warm cloth on your lower stomach
•     Place a piece of plastic on the cloth
•     Put a warm water bottle on that
•     Adopt this method once every half an hour to an hour
•     Wash it thoroughly after each application

Note: Do not adopt this method during menstrual flow.

FLAXSEED

Flaxseed are quite beneficial when it comes to treat endometriosis. It possesses antioxidant properties as well as omega – 3 fatty acids which helps to reduce the development of abnormal endometrial tissue. Moreover, flaxseeds decrease the harmful toxins in the body.

•     Dip some flaxseeds in one glass of water overnight
•     Strain and consume the solution.
•     Repeat the process on a daily basis until you notice the improvement.

TURMERIC

This is another effective method to treat endometriosis. Since the curcumin properties found in turmeric is an anti – inflammatory properties which is very effective at treating endometriosis.

•     Boil one teaspoon of turmeric powder and ginger powder in some water
•     Mix with some honey and lemon juice.
•     Consume this solution once on a daily basis till you notice improvement.

Note: Do not do this remedy when you are taking blood – thinning medicines. Treat croup by turmeric here.

PELVIC MASSAGE

Give your pelvic area as well as lower abdomen a massage with an essential oil such as sandalwood or lavender oil will significantly ease the muscles and soothe the pain caused by endometriosis.

•     Lay down on the bed and try to stretch out your body
•     Put some essential oil on the stomach and gently give it a massage.
•     Do this once on a daily basis however it is not recommended during menstruation.

WILD ASPARAGUS

Wild asparagus which is also called shatavari in Ayurveda, is extremely rich in folic acid. This substance can help to treat anemia and endometriosis associated with folic acid deficiency. Moreover, it also possesses vitamin E which can mitigate pain especially cramps. Otherwise, yo can use asparagus for fertility.

•     Mix some wild asparagus powder into a cup of warm milk
•     Consume the solution until you notice the improvement.

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