Getting Up Without Hands Could Signal A Longer Life

By Annie Hauser

If you're able to sit and rise from the floor with just one hand -- or better yet, no hands -- you likely have a lower risk of death from any cause, new research published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention finds.

Researchers in Rio de Janeiro tested adults ranging from age 51 to 80, asking them to "try to sit and then to rise from the floor, using the minimum support that you believe is needed." The subjects were tracked from the date of the baseline test in 2002 until their death or October 2011. At the end of the study period, participants who needed additional support to get up from the floor were overwhelmingly more likely to die, across age, gender, or body mass index.

Researchers say this simple fitness test might "reflect the capacity to successfully perform a wide range of activities of daily living, such as bending over to pick up a newspaper or a pair of glasses from under a table." They note that is the first study to demonstrate the value of the sitting-rising test.

The sitting-rising test also demonstrates the importance of muscle strength, flexibility, and power, researchers write in the study, as opposed to just cardiovascular fitness.

This finding is also a ringing endorsement for functional fitness, a workout trend that uses exercises designed to parrot everyday movement -- and make everyday tasks easier. With functional fitness, you work your upper and lower body at the same time, often adding core-strengthening moves, rather than focusing on a particular set of muscles. (Think a wide-legged squat with an overhead weight lift, meant to mimic the action of lifting heavy things, like bags of groceries or your kids.)

Another recent study also correlated strength to a longer life. After a study of more than 1 million men, Swedish researchers found that a lack of muscle strength in teen years can be as dangerous to longevity as well-known early-death risk factors like obesity or high blood pressure. Plus, the strongest teens had a 20- to 30-percent lower risk of death before age 55 from suicide and 65 percent less likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia or other mental health disorders.

"Rising From the Floor Unassisted Linked to a Longer Life" originally appeared on Everyday Health.

Eating crisps is like drinking oil

Eating one packet of crisps a day is the equivalent of pouring almost five litres of cooking oil down your throat every year, a heart charity said yesterday.

The shocking statistic was revealed by the British Heart Foundation as it launched a hardhitting new advertising campaign.

It features a young girl drinking from a bottle of cooking oil with the caption: ‘What goes into crisps goes into you.’

More than half of British children eat a packet of crisps a day, it warned. One in five munches their way through two packets or more – the equivalent of nine litres of cooking oil a year.

Prof Peter Weissberg, the charity’s medical director, said: ‘Having a daily dose of such a highfat, nutritionally poor product is a threat to children’s long-term health.

Rising rates of childhood obesity and cases of type two diabetes paint a particularly grim picture for the future.’

The Food4Thought campaign aims to expose the amounts of hidden salt, fat and sugar within many foods, ahead of World Heart Day on Sunday.

About 2,500 British schools will be sent teaching aids in the shape of over-sized burger boxes to educate children about the dangers of fast food.

‘The BHF wants to expose the truth lurking within these foods and to help children and parents make healthier choices,’ added Prof Weissberg.

Fats, what to look for and how to stay trim

by Kyn

When you are eating foods that are high in fat you need to look for what else comes with the fat. If it is a whole food like an avocado, coconut, steak etc then it will provide much more than fat calories. There are fat soluble vitamins dissolved in that fat. There is also protein, minerals and water soluble vitamins.

If the fat is heavily refined during extraction or treatment it tends to lose fat soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E, K and K2. Oil can also become damaged. Damaged fatty acids tend to have an inflammatory effect in the body, as the body attempts to make them safe or to eliminate them. As damaged fatty acids change the property of the cell membrane, of cells to which they are incorporated, this can be extremely damaging because it affects the stability of the cell and the distribution of vital proteins in the cell membrane, that are important in regulating what passes into and out of cells, and receptors that detect hormones etc.

The essential fatty acids come in two groups omega 3 and omega 6. You will need these from the diet. These need to be balanced 1:1 or 1:2 respectively. The number one method to increase omega 6 fatty acids is to consume foods that are a concentrated source of omega 6. This sounds obvious but many of the foods we consume like grains, tubers, terrestrial meats, nuts and most seeds are better sources of omega 6 than omega 3. The best sources of omega 6 are bottled vegetable oils like corn, sunflower, cottonseed. Here the oil component is concentrated because it has been removed from the whole food. (It is better to eat the whole food than the oil because you will get protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals. The oil in the whole food is also more stable and does not become rancid as easily as when it has been separated into bottles.)

There are exceptions to the foods. There is flaxseed which is a much better supply of omega 3 than 6. Seafoods also tend to be better sources of omega 3 than 6. For instance oily fish, shellfish. Green leafy vegetables also tend to be better sources of omega 3.

So to balance omega 6 with 3, it is best to limit consumption of bottled vegetable oils (you can replace this by eating the whole food from which it comes) and increase consumption of omega 3 rich foods.

Fats are an energy source in the body much like carbs. In diets that are high in fat, very low in carbs and moderate in protein the body is forced into burning fat more efficiently. However, just adding some more carbs will interfere with fat burning. The body definitely favours burning carbs. (Even people that have relied on a fat rich, carb poor diet have discovered that fat burning slows or stops when carbs are eaten in sufficient quantity.)

In terms of fat loss, it does not matter whether you lower calories in fats or carbs. Provided you consume less calories than you use - there will not be any net storage of fat. The body sees both fats and carbs as fuel. (Although some fatty acids are not solely used for fuel because they are important for building signalling molecules in the body, cell membranes, hormones.)

The modern diet of processed oils mixed with sugar has made a food that is extremely high in calories, addictive and easy to eat yet low in protein, vitamins and minerals. The body has requirements for these other components as well. If you choose to make a diet high in these dangerous foods the body can only signal hunger as it becomes deficient in what nutrients it requires. Eating more calorie dense nutrient poor foods only makes this problem worse and promotes fat storage.

This is not to say you should not indulge in these calorie dense foods but it is true you should only do so sparingly. Whole foods are where you should derive most of your nutrition. Whole foods will always provide more nutrients than purified foods - that only concentrate one component.

Providing enough nutrition can help silence the hunger signals your body sends out for good. Helping you stay slim for all time.

How to Get Stronger, Without Getting Bigger

by Sabina Skala

I Don't Want To Get Bulky

Can you get stronger without getting bigger and heavier? Most combat athletes need to cut weight before the fights. Weight control is often crucial for them, so this question of size versus strength becomes important. Therefore my focus in this article is to give you simple training tips of how to get stronger without getting bigger.

You can find thousands of articles on neuromuscular adaptations to strength training. The adaptations are called neuromuscular for a reason. A lot of people associate strength with size. If I tell you that X is the strongest man I have ever met, what picture comes to your head? Would it be big man with huge muscles protruding through his clothes, or medium-built, athletic guy? Probably the first one. It may be, but does not necessarily have to be true. Size matters if you want to be the strongest man on earth. Strongman competitors are big for a reason. However, if you remember my fellow countryman Mariusz Pudzianowski, five time World’s Strongest Man winner, you will know that he was probably one of the smallest guys out there.

Strength Is A "Skilled Act"

Your body adapts to training and gets stronger/bigger/faster/smaller because of the neural, muscular, hormonal, and skeletal changes that are the result of chosen training stimulus. Is it possible, then, to get stronger without getting bigger? Yes, it is. It all depends how strong one wants to be. I came across an article on the Internet a while ago. The author described strength as a “skilled act.” I really liked this description, as it implies you can teach your body to be strong.

To start, let us focus on sports that require great amounts of strength and/or power and at the same time involve weight limitations - combat sports (i.e. boxing, MMA, BJJ), gymnastics, ballet (Yes, I do consider ballet dancers athletes), ice skating, and climbing.While sports like boxing or MMA have explicit weight groups, in other sports like ice-skating, climbing, dance and gymnastics the lighter and stronger you are the better off you are.

Training all of the above, or even training women (“I don’t want to get bulky” is probably what personal trainers hear first from most female clients) should focus mostly on the neural adaptations to strength training. Let me make it clear – research shows it is not possible to induce onlyneural or only muscular changes. Both always take place, but there are certain protocols that allow increases in strength with minimum increase in the muscle cross section.

The initial strength gains when you start strength training come mostly from neuromuscular adaptations rather than hypertrophy. If you notice your muscles “pump up” during or shortly after the session, don’t panic or be too happy (depending of what your goal is). This is a short term increase in size caused by fluid retention. It should fade away within 60-90 mins after the training.

Lets look at the main mechanisms of neural adaptation:

1. Increased Motor Unit Recruitment

This means neural adaptation to training that rapidly increases the strength of a novice who hasn’t yet experienced hypertrophy. What is a motor unit? A motor unit is made up of a single motor neuron, as well as all of the muscle fibers that neuron activates. This refers to our skeletal muscles, which are made of hundreds of thousands of fibers. These muscle fibers are activated by motor neurons when they receive signals from the brain to contract the muscle. A single motor neuron can control several hundred muscle fibers at a time, depending on the size and function of the muscle.

Why is it good to recruit more motor units and how does it relates to strength gains? Even when you engage in very low intensity activities, like lifting a glass to your mouth, your brain recruits motor units that have a smaller number of muscle fibers to allow you to lift the glass. However, when you are lifting something extremely heavy or applying a lot of force your body will contract more available motor units to allow you to perform the activity.

Your brain is a very clever mechanism. Imagine what would happen if your brain told your muscles to contract fully when lifting a glass up. You’d be knocking yourself in the face every time you wanted to have a drink. Motor unit recruitment is a trained andlearned ability. The more motor units you can recruit, the more muscle fibers you can activate. The more muscle fibers you can activate, the more force you can apply.

2. Coordination of Motor Unit Recruitment

As mentioned above – as the athlete training progresses, his or her ability to utilize multiple motor units increases. Please note that each muscle fiber in a motor unit is functionally identical, which means it is either slow twitch or fast twitch, never both in the single motor unit. Training increases the total number of motor units that affect a muscular contraction. In other words, trained individuals can recruit more motor units than novices.

3. Increased Frequency of Firing

The frequency of motor unit firing increases with the training, as well as the total number of motor units that affect a muscular contraction. More motor units work together and they fire more rapidly (faster).

4. Improved Technique and Skill Acquisition

Out of the two similarly sized men, the one whose technique is competent will be able to generate more force than the novice. Also, he will do so in a safer manner.

5. Cross Education

Increased involvement of the neural pathways contributes to strength gains, too. For example, an untrained arm will gain significant strength in concert with a trained arm because of interaction between the nerves of either arm at the spinal column. This cross-education is one of the clearest demonstrations of neural adaptation.

Best Exercises for Strength Development

So now you understand the theory and you want to put this into practice. What exercises are best for this sort of strength development? My six fundamental exercises are:

1. Deadlift
2. Front Squat
3. Overhead Squat
4. Pull Up (weighted or not)
5. Military Press
6. Push Up (weighted or not)

• + (extra / optional) Bench Press

Reps, Sets, Rest, and Load Percentages For Strength Gain

Once an athlete’s form is proficient in all of the above, then we can start playing with variations. The chart below (taken from Mel Siff’s Supertraining) will explain the repetitions range you should be aiming for depending on what your goal is.

Variable	Strength	Power	Hypertrophy (mass gain)	Endurance (local muscle endurance)
Load (% 1RM)	80-100	70-100	60-80	40-60
Repetitions	1-5	1-5	8-15	25-60
Sets	4-7	3-5	4-8	2-4
Rest btw sets (minutes)	2-6	2-6	2-5	1-2

Even more detailed guidelines as per The Kinesiology of Exercise by Michael Yessis:

• 1-4 reps per set @ 2-4RM increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
• 4-9 reps per set @ 5-9RM increase strength together with muscle mass
• 10-15 reps per set increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
• 16-30 reps per set increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
• 31-50 reps per set or circuit increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
• 50-100 reps per set or circuit increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat) but absolutely no increase in strength

For Best Training Results, Consistency Is Key

With all the guidelines above, just remember to stick to the numbers and be consistent and honest with your training. Be honest with yourself. If poor technique or mobility hinders you from lifting heavier, don’t stack more weight on the bar. Work on technique and mobility, as this is the problem. Changes will happen, as long as you are smart about your training and forget about the ego.

Top 3 Myths About Plant-Based Protein (And Why They're Wrong)

BY BRENDAN BRAZIER

A common misconception about plant-based diets is that they lack protein. That’s simply not true. I've achieved top-level athletic performance and sustained huge health gains by switching to a plant-based diet. That’s why I created Thrive Forward, a website dedicated to plant-based education for health and sports performance. It provides short educational videos, clean eating recipes and tips to support day to day life. 

Whether your goal is to lean out, build muscle mass and strength, or just improve your health, plant-based proteins play an important role. Here are the top three myths I hear about plant-based proteins:

Protein Myth Number 1: You Can’t Get Enough Protein From Plant-Based Diets

The idea that plant-based diets lack sufficient protein isn’t true. Here are five benefits of eating plant-based proteins:

1. Low in saturated fat

High levels of saturated fat in the blood raise cholesterol and contribute to clogged arteries. If your diet is rich in saturated fats (found mostly in meat, dairy and eggs), you are more likely to suffer from heart disease in the years to come. Unsaturated fats (found in nuts and seeds) are the alternative and help to keep your heart healthy. 

2. Free of the growth hormones and antibiotics found in animal proteins.

Modern meat production uses growth hormones and antibiotics. This will always be a major topic of discussion and while you can find antibiotic and hormone-free meat, plant-based proteins are the best option to avoid this altogether.

3. Alkaline-forming.

A good indicator of whether a food is alkaline-forming is the presence of chlorophyll—the greener the food, the better. The typical North American diet is acid-forming (meat, bread etc…) which is not helpful in maintain your body’s naturally alkaline pH. Adding more alkaline-forming foods with a clean, plant-based diet can help you combat inflammation, reduce stress, and protect bone health.

4. Easy to digest.

 

Whole plant-based foods, especially those that are raw, are easy for your body to digest. They contain fiber, which is crucial to proper digestion. Less time spent on digestion means more energy to use throughout your day. 

5. Better for the environment.

We all hopefully want to reduce our personal carbon footprint. Diet affects the environment even more than your commute. Because it takes more water, energy and fuel to produce animal products, switching to plant-based foods offers the planet less harmful consumption and has a huge environmental impact.  

Protein Myth Number 2: Plant-Based Proteins Aren't Complete

Once I explain some of the benefits of plant-based proteins, I’m likely to hear, “Well, they still aren’t complete proteins.” 

A complete protein has all essential amino acids — the ones your body can’t produce itself. While essential amino acids are just that, essential, your body can combine different foods to get all the amino acids it needs. 

When choosing a variety of beans, grains, and vegetables, for example, you don’t have to worry about which ones are complete or not. 

But just to prove the point, here are three examples of complete proteins: 

1. Hemp Seed

Not only is hemp seed a complete protein, it's also rich in omega-3s. Adding hemp seeds to salads and smoothies is a great way to increase your protein intake.

2. Quinoa

While it tastes like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed. This gluten-free alternative is not only higher in amino acids than many grains, but it also contains essential fatty acids. Swapping out brown rice for a side of quinoa is a good option to get a complete protein boost. 

3. Sea Vegetables

Seaweed, kelp, and other algae have been protein staples to many coastal civilizations for thousands of years. Try swapping kelp noodles for regular pasta, and adding wakame to soups and salads. You can also add chlorella or spirulina to smoothies. 

Protein Myth Number 3: Animal Protein Is The Only Protein That Builds Muscle

I’m always telling people that adding plant-based proteins won’t make you lose muscle. Athletes of all types, from body builders to Crossfiters, yogis to runners, can build incredible muscle strength and bulk with plant-based proteins. 

I've worked with professional athletes and celebrities to educate and provide direction on nutrition, helping to build while keeping their eating clean and the result always helping them thrive in their sport. Formulating Vega One, along with the Vega Sport line of performance products only cements that plant-based protein can provide anyone with the grams needed to build muscle in a clean, digestible way.

It’s all about choosing the right kind of protein that can help you build and sustain muscle. The best protein comes from whole food, alkaline-forming sources, such as lean, plant-based protein — found in sprouted nuts, seeds, or pseudo-grains. Not only will you be getting complete proteins, but plant-based proteins are rich in antioxidants which help to reduce the inflammation caused by exercise, helping you to recover faster from your training.

There are a lot of myths out there about protein, but I've found tremendous benefits from adopting a plant-based diet. Adding more of these nutrient-dense protein sources, you’ll begin to adapt and form a sustainable, clean-functioning body. 

Insulin Insight: The All-Important Hormone Insulin Can Be Your Best Friend Or Worst Nightmare

What’s one of the most written and talked-about hormones in the body, yet one that utterly confuses the average person? Insulin. As the hormone that drives glucose into cells (including muscles), it used to be discussed only in regard to diabetes. But insulin is so much more than a mechanism for controlling glucose; because it’s highly anabolic, it’s critical for bodybuilders.

By Jim Stoppani

Insulin Factor

Yet insulin has a dark side, too: It increases the storage of bodyfat. Fact is, you need to spike insulin to grow but also blunt it to stay lean. It can all get a bit confusing, and it’s high time we set the record straight. Make sure you know all the facts about insulin specifically, how and when to use it and avoid it to build a lean, muscular physique. Our insider’s guide will give you all the must-know details.

Getting To Know Insulin

Insulin is actually a functional protein very similar to growth hormone. Like all other proteins, it’s a chain of amino acids, but the way insulin’s chains are folded makes it act as a signaling mechanism. Here’s how it works: When you eat carbs and/or protein, insulin is produced by and released from the pancreas, enters the bloodstream and travels to various tissues, including muscle. Muscle fibers (or cells) are lined with insulin receptors, which resemble a docking station. Once an insulin molecule “docks” onto the receptor, it signals the muscle cell to open “gates” that allow glucose, amino acids and creatine to enter the muscle.

It also instigates biochemical reactions in the muscle that increase protein synthesis the building of muscle tissue from the amino acids that are entering the cells. But wait, there’s more: Insulin also reduces muscle breakdown, further promoting growth.

Quick Question

So if insulin is so important for building muscle, how can it also be detrimental to bodybuilders and non-bodybuilders alike?

Answer: Because it builds up fat cells, too. When insulin is unleashed from the pancreas, it releases a signal that tells the body that it has just been fed. Since the body is always trying to spare energy, it halts the burning of stored fat for energy in favor of using the nutrients that have just been ingested. And when insulin docks onto fat cells, it increases the uptake of glucose and fats, causing the body to store more fat.

More Important Notes

High insulin levels can hurt you in another way. When insulin spikes, it clears out the majority of the glucose in the blood by pushing it into muscle and fat cells. This causes blood glucose levels to drop severely, a condition known as hypoglycemia. As a result your energy levels crash, which is bad news because your hunger soars, causing you to overeat, especially carbs. In addition to increasing nutrient uptake, hypertrophy and body fat, insulin has other lesser-known functions. It relaxes the muscles of the blood vessels, which causes them to dilate, allowing more blood to reach the muscles. This makes it easier for nutrients like glucose and amino acids to get to the muscles, which is one reason bodybuilders pound simple carbs on contest day.

Not only does the corresponding insulin spike drive carbs into the muscles to keep them full, but it also boosts vascularity.

In addition, insulin may play a role in aging. Research has discovered that when insulin is maintained at a low level in animals, they live about 50% longer. Although the precise mechanism for this anti-aging effect is undetermined, it’s believed that the insulin signaling in cells makes them less healthy over time, decreasing overall longevity. Therefore, keeping insulin levels low lessens the need for insulin to signal within cells, perhaps maintaining healthier cells for a longer life.

How To Rule Insulin

Since insulin has good and bad sides, bodybuilders need to know how to use its positive effects to gain muscle while avoiding its effects on fat gain. Follow these five rules and you’ll be good to go.

#1 Know The GI

The types of carbs you eat can make or break your ability to insulin. Carbohydrates can be categorized in two ways: high-glycemic index and low-glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) refers to how fast the carbs increase glucose in your bloodstream. High-GI foods (fast-digesting carbs) pass rapidly through your digestive system and into your bloodstream. They drive up blood glucose levels, which in turn causes insulin to spike. Low-GI foods (slow-digesting carbs) pass more slowly through the digestive system and enter the bloodstream gradually, which keeps insulin levels low.

#2 Know Your Carbs (And Their Exceptions)

Typically, simple sugars such as table sugar (sucrose) are high-GI, while most complex carbs such as sweet potatoes are low-GI. Yet there are many exceptions. For example, fruit is high in the sugar fructose, yet most fruits are very low-GI carbs. The reason is twofold. One, most fruits are high in fiber, which slows their digestion. Two, fructose can’t be used by the muscles for fuel; it must first be converted into glucose by the liver. This process takes time, which is why most fruits are in the low-GI category. The exceptions are cantaloupe and watermelon, which tend to be higher on the glycemic index than other fruits.

#3 Go Low (Most Of The Time)

At almost every meal of the day, you want to focus on low-GI carbs. This will keep insulin low, helping to maintain energy levels throughout the day and enhance fat-burning.

 One of the most critical times to choose low-GI carbs is right before workouts. For years bodybuilders ate high-GI carbs before training, figuring that they needed fast energy. Problem was, that fast energy ended before the workout did, killing their intensity midway through. Not to mention it halted fat-burning during training. Go with 20-40 grams of low-GI carbs within 30 minutes preworkout in addition to 20 grams of protein powder such as whey.

#4 Know When To Go High

There are two times of day when high-GI carbs are the rule. The first is within minutes of waking up. You’ve just endured 6-8 hours of fasting, which causes your muscle and liver glycogen (the storage form of carbs in the body) to drop. This signals your body to tear down muscle tissue for fuel the worst possible situation for any bodybuilder. Taking in about 40 grams of fast-digesting carbs as soon as you get out of bed will boost insulin and quickly restock your glycogen levels to stop the onslaught on your muscles. Be sure to take those carbs with 40 grams of fast-digesting protein such as whey to restore muscle lost during the night. The second time to take in high-GI carbs is within 30 minutes postworkout; shoot for 40-100 grams along with 40 grams of protein powder. At this time, the high-GI carbs will spike insulin, which will drive those carbs and amino acids from the protein, as well as creatine (we really hope you take creatine), into your muscles.

These carbs are critical for restocking the muscle glycogen used during training, the amino acids will boost muscle growth and the creatine will further enhance hypertrophy. In addition, the insulin itself signals the muscles to kick-start growth processes and halt their own breakdown.

#5 Get Help From Protein

As mentioned, you’ll want to consume some protein, particularly whey, when you take your high-GI carbs. This is important not only because its amino acids are used to build muscle but because protein, especially whey, helps to further boost insulin levels.

Research confirms that when you take high-GI carbs along with fast-digesting protein after workouts, insulin levels soar even higher than when only high-GI carbs are consumed.

Author: Jim Stoppani
References:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
http://www.flexonline.com/
COPYRIGHT 2010 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group

Jellyfish: It's What's For Dinner

With populations seemingly on the rise, is it time to think of these weird, watery sea creatures as food? October 03, 2013

By Willy Blackmore

It happened again last week, this time on the southeastern coast of Sweden: A bloom of moon jellyfish was sucked into the cooling-water intake pipes of a nuclear reactor. The jellies clogged the system, forcing engineers to shut down the boiling-water reactor—the largest such plant in the world.

While they have yet to shut down a stock exchange (as a squirrel managed to do in 1987), jellyfish are in many ways akin to the chief terrestrial disruptors of human activity. Just as squirrels regularly chew through power lines and blow transformers, jellyfish-caused power-plant shutdowns are increasingly common. The watery, ethereal sea creatures also manage to wreak seemingly unlikely havoc by clogging fishing nets, infesting the bilge water of ships, and causing tourist beaches to close with their stinging presence.

Concern over the rising, havoc-wreaking population has some asking if eating more jellyfish could help keep the growing horde in check.

At the Swedish plant, engineers cleared out the pipes and were preparing to restart the reactor when spokesman Andres Osterberg spoke to the New York Times on October 1. He said pressure in the filtration system likely killed the jellies, not the superheated water near the reactor’s core. “There will be no dinner of boiled jellyfish,” Osterberg told the paper.

While boiling—especially in reactor water—isn’t the preferred method of preparation, jellyfish are edible, and throughout Asia the crunchy texture and bland flavor are just the kinds of things diners get super excited about. More than 900 million pounds of jellies are purposefully netted for human consumption on an annual basis. Gelatinous zooplankton, the scientific catchall term for jellyfish, have been drifting in the ocean for some 400 million years—they’re the oldest multi-organ animal—and humans appear to have first figured out they made for a good meal around 1700 years ago, in China.

Despite millennia of relatively peaceful jellyfish-human cohabitation—though box jellyfish have killed their fair share of humans throughout the ages—there's a growing sense that the jellyfish threat has moved beyond concern over individual stings and into something bigger. 

Wildly Delicious: 10 Invasive Pests You Should Be Eating for Dinner

“If I offered evidence that jellyfish are displacing penguins in Antarctica—not someday, but now, today—what would you think?” biologist Lisa-Ann Gershwin writes in her new book, Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean, “If I suggested that jellyfish could crash the world’s fisheries, outcompete the tuna and swordfish, and starve the whales to extinction, would you believe me?”

While jellies appear to be growing their ranks, humans are working to develop anti-jellyfish weapons. Well, at least the Koreans are. Scientists at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have designed a robot capable of dispatching any infringing swarm with an array of fan blades. The Jellyfish Elimination Robotic Swarm is capable of pureeing 900 kilograms of jellyfish per hour (there's video). 

Both Gershwin and researchers at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations endorsed the “if you can’t beat them, eat them” approach in the past year. And in Georgia, where shrimping boats have been spending part of the year trawling for Cannonball jellyfish under a pilot program since 1998, they had their first official season for a full-fledged commercial fishery in 2013.

The catch, the third largest in the state behind shrimp and crabs, is exported to Asia.

In the FAO report, which focuses mainly on increased blooms in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the authors suggest that “the development of conservation and packaging practices to sell them where they are appreciated might be a wise strategy.” Since they’re nearly three-quarters water, jellyfish require processing unlike other seafood: they’re covered with salt and alum, which helps suck out the liquid, and then allowed to dry. In light of their unique nature, the FOA also recommends “adapting the fishing fleets and the commercial network behind them to take advantage of sudden abundances of this product-to-be.”

The “sudden abundances” appear to be subject to debate, however.

Well, Great Lakes, It Was Nice Knowing You. Asian Carp Have Arrived.

“The recent jellyfish pulse might thus be a snapshot within a long series of natural cycles,” Laura Poppick writes for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. A recent study of jellyfish sightings from 1874 to 2011 conducted by MBARI suggests that the blooms follow a cyclical pattern, one that peaks every 20 years. Throughout the 137 years examined by the marine biologists, only the past 40 years show a rise in jellyfish population—a “weak statistically significant rise.” They’re even declining in some areas, like off of the coast of India, “where increasing culinary interest in the floaters threatens the sea turtles that feed on them,” writes Poppick.

The Research Institute’s sister organization, the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, doesn’t issue a rating for the Cannonball fishery in Georgia or the other Southern states where jellyballs, as locals call them, are caught.

“Usually we treat brand new untapped fisheries with extreme caution due to a lack of data,” Seafood Watch’s Erin Hudson writes in an email. “It’s hard to apply sustainable fishing pressure if you don’t have a full understanding of the target species population size, bycatch species and gear type interactions with the surrounding habitat.” Which is to say, you can't fairly judge the impact a fishery will have on the fish (or jellyfish), other species that may be affected, and the envoirnment they live in without looking at statistics over a period of time. 

As in India, sea turtles depend on jellies off the coast of Georgia too, and the state’s Department of Natural Resources does require jellyfish trawlers to be equipped with a “federally approved” Turtle Excluder Device that’s modified to keep large leatherback sea turtles out of their nets.

Hudson does allow that an offense-minded jelly fishery would operate somewhat differently than one that’s desperately trying to keep stocks of cod or salmon from crashing. “We recognize however that some fisheries such as the invasive lionfish may have different goals than traditional fisheries (eradication instead of sustainability),” she writes, “and so we are currently working on adding additional criteria that would evaluate invasive species and other non-traditional fisheries. This may allow us to evaluate some of the invasive jelly species in the future.”

Jim Paige, a biologist at the Georgia DNR, makes it clear that they aren't taking a Jellyfish Elimination Robotic Swarm approach to managing the fishery. The state has 30-year dataset of jellyball populations to check the stock against. “We use that to look at the jellyball population itself to see if things are looking ok or if they aren’t looking ok,” and can adjust regulations accordingly, says Paige.

If Seafood Watch looked at Paige's data and gave the fishery a good raiting, would sustainable cred turn Georgia’s jellyballs into the new local darling of Atlanta’s dining scene? They are long on protein and collegen, which help lure the kale-and-quinoa crowd. But at the end of the day, it’s the bland flavor and texture that, outside of Asia, are the biggest hurdle to get past. Thornell King, who catches jellyballs in Georgia, told Voice of America last year, “Actually they taste a little like the gristle of a chicken bone.” Which, even in this nose-to-tail era of dining, might be a tough sell.