This Supermarket Just Introduced A 'Quiet Hour' For Customers With Autism

There's a slow-growing trend of businesses creating special time slots for customers with autism where they can freely browse without having to worry about the hustle and bustle of crowds.

Like this Australian Zoo that opened an hour early for guests with autism. It was a huge success.

Now, Autism Spectrum Australia has teamed up with the popular supermarket franchise Coles to introduce a "Quiet Hour" so people with autism can shop in peace. During this time, radios in the stores are lowered dramatically and the lights are dimmed. PA announcements over the store's loudspeakers are stopped (barring emergencies), as are noisy shopping cart collections.

Coles put a ton of effort and research into the initiative, which will test run in all stores until October.

"We have invested in training for team members to increase their understanding of sensory overload and how to best respond to customer needs. Although we have modified some of the physical and sensory stimulators in store, we also hope to achieve a 'no-judgement' shopping space for people and families on the spectrum, where customers will feel comfortable and welcome," said Linzi Coyle, Aspect Community Engagement and Operations in an official statement.

And it seems like customers are very happy with the "Quiet Hour," as people are commenting on Coles' Facebook page to let the grocer know that their consideration is very much appreciated.

Emily Dive's full post on not having to worry about the "sensory land mine(s)" her son faces when they go shopping is great insight into the struggles parents of children with special needs deal with on a daily basis.

Today I walked out of our local Coles (New St,Ringwood) with my son, and a trolley full of groceries. We spent 40 mins in the store, casually walking up and down each aisle selecting the items that we needed. The entire time we were in there, I was fighting back the tears. Today was a milestone for us. We filled a trolley!!! No mad dash to get in and out as quickly as possible only grabbing a handful of items. Lachlan was provided with such a positive experience in an environment that is challenging. Crawling under shelves, running out of the store, screaming, running, and yelling are our "norm" when we visits the supermarket. Behaviours that are his way of communicating "I can't cope". Today, these were obsolete. Today we walked side by side for the entire shopping trip, and the hardest challenge he faced was to make a decision about choosing grain waives or tiny teddies. Kudos to you Coles for your quiet hour today, and acknowledging your environment for people entering your store can be a sensory land-mine for many to navigate.
Once we reached the checkout, and Lachlan was hit with the rest of the shopping complex's sounds, lights, smells and people, he was off like a shot into a quiet store he frequently visits adjacent to the supermarket, whilst I normally shop alone due to the chaos he faces when entering the store. In tears, I left. Passing the manager on the way out commending the efforts of everyone on providing a space that many don't think twice about having to walk into. We are so lucky to have our local store as a pilot for such a great initiative. Please know that your acknowledgment of those who require the simplest of changes to environments to assist in making them more comfortable, is respected and appreciated. Thank you! 

‘We’re not going to f*ck Nazi losers’: ‘Babe’ website flays ‘racist pieces of sh*t’ who say women owe them sex

A website which advertises itself as a voice for women “who do not give a f*ck” has responded to the sexual fantasies of neo-Nazis following violent demonstrations over a Confederate War statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Writing for Babe.net, author Dana Schwartz noted that the white supremacist website Daily Stormer had enourcaged the neo-Nazis and other racists who marched on Saturday night to “go out and enjoy yourselves” later that evening.

“If you’re at a bar in a group, random girls will want to have sex with you,” the Daily Stormer advised. “Because you’re the bad boys. The ultimate enemy of the state. Every girl on the planet wants your dick now.”

Schwartz summed up the feelings of “all women” with one word: “BAHAHAHAHAHAHA”

In her column titled, “We’re not going to fuck you, you Nazi losers”, Schwartz rips those who backed the white supremacist actions in Charlottesville as “khaki-and-New-Balance wearing Cheeto-breathed ogres with bad haircuts and worse facial hair who think white men have it harder than anyone else right now and think the only people who understand them are the YouTube gamers who think saying ‘faggot’ is edgy, and brave.”

“If you’re a 20-year-old pretending to be a Nazi, you’re not a bad boy; you’re a racist virgin so humiliated by his own sexual inadequacy and terrified at rejection that you’ll blame your feelings of weakness on some unseen Liberal Agenda,” she continued, observing the irrational thought process behind the Daily Stormer’s post:

The people with Nazi flags at this rally are actually liberals trying to make us look bad. A girl rejects you? She’s a cunt who’s just looking for some guy to cuck. You’re too alpha for that. People at your college don’t seem to be celebrating you for the free thinking rationalist genius you are? They’re all brainwashed idiots.

This is your community. You are an alpha male, and the feminists are trying to ruin it. And if you do Trump Supporter right, you’ll get all the best submissive blonde pussy you could ever want. How fitting that Trump would be their deity, a fat golden calf in his phallic tower on his third beautiful wife, like a cartoon drawing of Playboy’s target audience in the 1950’s.

Schwartz concludes: “And so, I take it upon myself to make it very clear that women do not want to fuck the neckbearded neo-Nazi who fancies himself an edgy anti-hero whose only hobby is the internet. We see you, and we are disgusted by you. We are laughing at you.”

“The community will come together to shame you: your bosses, your colleagues, the girl you’ve had a crush on since middle school who seems to ignore nice boys like you. She doesn’t ignore you because you’re “nice.” She ignores you because you’re a racist piece of shit who hasn’t showered in four days.”

Teen alleges man sexually assaulted her on United flight — and the staff just let him walk away

A 16-year-old girl is speaking out after, she says, she was sexually assaulted while traveling alone on a United Airlines flight from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey, last month. She and her mother asked us to protect their identities in an interview you will see only on "CBS This Morning."

It was a big trip for the teen. She had won admission to a prestigious young women's leadership academy at Princeton, but she says her red-eye flight soon took a traumatic turn, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner.

"I knew what was going on but like, I just thought I was dreaming or something, like, this cannot really be happening," she said.

Sleeping on the overnight flight, she says she woke up to find the stranger sitting next to her, touching her.

"I could feel his hand on my thigh, and one of his hands had like, came between my legs and he was rubbing in between my legs and then he tried to put his other hand underneath my pants and I kind of woke up and was like 'What are you doing?'" she said. 

She reported it to a flight attendant, who moved her to another seat a few rows up. Still, she was terrified.

"I just felt like he could see me. Like he could see wherever I was sitting," she said. "There was just still so much time, like, I couldn't just leave the plane. I didn't have anyone. I didn't feel like there was anyone on the plane that could protect me."

When the plane parked at the gate in Newark, the teenager says everyone simply walked off -- including the man she says sexually assaulted her.

"I literally thought I was going to die," the teen's mother said. "I'm 3,000 miles away. My child says she's been sexually assaulted and I'm asking her questions and she's like, disoriented, I'm like, 'Where is he? Do you see him?' And she said, 'He just walked by me.' And I said, 'Get the police! Get United!"'

But when the teen's mother finally got a United terminal supervisor on the phone, she says, "The supervisor told me that United did not follow their own protocols. She said, 'You are the first person telling me of your daughter's assault. I don't even have a manifest, I don't have a report. I don't even know who he is or where he is."

Later that day, police and the FBI, which handles incidents in the air, did track down a passenger and arrest him: Vijakumar Krishnappa, a visiting doctor on a fellowship, according to one medical center. He's charged with one count of abusive sexual contact on an airplane. His attorney says Krishnappa "adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man."

United did not answer CBS News' questions, including about its protocol for reporting sexual assaults, instead saying in a statement, "We take these allegations seriously" and are working with the authorities.

Family attorney Marc Lamber faults United. "The FBI wasn't waiting when the plane landed so the perpetrator, the man who engaged in sexual assault, walked off the plane with a free pass," Lamber said. The family is launching a campaign to raise awareness about incidents like these, the attorney said.

The FBI reports that, in 2016, it conducted 57 investigations into sexual assaults on airplanes, up from 40 in 2015. It's a statistic this mother never knew.

"If I had any inclination that she could be assaulted, I never would have put my daughter on a flight. I would have flown with her," she said.

"He had no right to touch me. He had no right. I guess I would say he took my peace of mind," the girl said. "I don't feel safe."

Krishnappa is out on bail and, if convicted, could face two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He could possibly be deported.

The FAA told CBS News airlines regularly summon law enforcement to meet planes for alleged crimes, but it appears in this case that may not have happened.

This Man Is On A Mission (6 pics)

You better stay hydrated or else this man will find you and make you drink water.

Here’s What Eating Late at Night Does to Your Body

Alright, we’ve gotta talk about it. That thing you do, late at night, by yourself, in the dark… Don’t be ashamed, eating late at night happens to the best of us.

Whether you eat a full meal or just a little snack, chowing down late at night can have some weird side effects on your health. For one, eating late at night throws off your body’s natural rhythms. You probably know that annoying feeling of being uncomfortably full and not being able to fall asleep, but your circadian rhythms and many other hormones in your body are affected by the calories you ingest. Basically, the later you eat, the less your body is prepared to sleep, which can wreck your memory and efficiency for the next day.

In fact, eating late at night may actually make you hungrier in the 24 hours following your evening eats. The hormone ghrelin, which controls how hungry you feel, uses the naturally occurring fast that happens from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day to reset itself. If you don’t give your body enough time to fast, then that biological pathway can’t occur. 

So you’ll feel way more hungry if you eat late at night, but even worse your metabolism will slow down. Studies show that the later you dine, the more calories you’re likely to eat, and the less sleep you’ll get. Less sleep equals a slower metabolism, and that means weight gain.

Finally, eating late at night can cause acid reflux. Your stomach takes a few hours to empty out after a big meal, but if you hit the sack and get horizontal right after you eat acid from your stomach can leak upwards into your esophagus.

So you know the nitty gritty of why you shouldn’t eat late at night, but let’s examine why you feel that need to rip open a bag of chips with your teeth long after the sun has gone down.

You’re not eating enough during the day

It might seem blatantly obvious, but if you’re hungry late at night, it’s possible you aren’t eating enough during the day. Try eating a bigger lunchtime meal and a lighter dinner to ensure that you’ve fully digested your food, and integrate more fiber into your last meal of the day to stay more full for longer.

Your blood sugar is going berserk

If your blood sugar levels are constantly shooting through the roof and abruptly crashing, your food cravings will feel more intense—and your willpower will go out the window. Processed foods and anything with sugar tend to be higher on the glycemic index and can cause blood sugar spikes. Try cutting the added sugar out of your diet for a few days and you’ll notice your evening food cravings disappear.

Cortisol and stress are causing you to snack

Maybe you’re not even hungry, but every weeknight you find yourself gravitating to the freezer for your nightly pint of ice cream. If you’ve been stressed and anxious for the entire workday, the stress hormone cortisol will be elevated. Cortisol increases your appetite for sugar and fat, hence the late night ice cream or cheese cravings. Combat stress eating by unwinding earlier in the evening: a detoxifying epsom salt bath will help your muscles relax, meditating and deep breathing can lower your blood pressure levels, and a little melatonin can help your body naturally prepare for bed and make it easier to fall asleep.

If you’re constantly battling the midnight munchies, it might be time to get serious about cutting out the habit. You may go to bed hungry for a few nights, but eventually your cravings will subside and your body will find its normal, natural rhythm, sans ice cream!

Added Sugar vs Fruit: What’s the Difference?

You know that excess sugar is harmful to your health, but what about the naturally-occurring sugars in fruit? Let’s talk about the differences between added sugar and fruit.

TABLE SUGAR VS. WHOLE FRUIT

Fruit sugar and table sugar actually have a lot in common, if you are looking only at the sugar content. Table sugar is sucrose, a combination of two sugars: fructose and glucose. Fruits contain both fructose and glucose as well, but that’s not all you get when you reach for a piece of fruit. Cyrus Khambatta points out at Diabetes Daily that whole fruits “also contain longer chain carbohydrates that take longer to digest and absorb.”

One of the most important differences between added sugar and fruit sugar is the fiber-to-sugar ratio. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar in your bloodstream, which helps prevent a blood sugar spike. When you eat a candy bar, you get little to no fiber. Compare that to something like an apple or orange, which delivers three to four grams of fiber per serving. 

Total volume of sugar also matters. Most sweets have a ton of sugar and little to no fiber. Fruit, on the other hand, contains less total sugar and gives you that fiber punch. In a recent article for NPR’s The Salt, Natalie Jacewicz explored the differences between whole fruit and other sources of dietary sugar. She points out that most fruit has maybe 20 grams of sugar, tops, per serving, while something like a soda packs in close to 40 grams.

And that sodapop doesn’t deliver any fiber or nutrients. It’s basically just sugar water.

NOT ALL FRUIT SUGAR SOURCES ARE CREATED EQUAL

Jacewicz also points out that you can’t give all sugar from fruits a pass. Fruit juice, for example, is not your friend, because it’s processed to remove the fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Without fiber, a glass of apple juice is not much better than a can of soda. That goes for foods sweetened with fruit juice as well.

Smoothies and dried fruit are also a little bit tricky when it comes to sugar. Both contain fiber, but they can also contain high amounts of sugar.

Spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Lauri Wright, told Jacewicz that if you do like smoothies, you should make a point to sneak some veggies in alongside all of the fruit. You also need to watch out for commercial smoothies. Smoothie chains often use frozen fruit that’s sweetened with sugar, which turns a potentially healthy(ish) treat into a sugar bomb. When it comes to dried fruit, Wright advises that you go easy, since it’s so easy to eat too much of it.

THE LONG STORY SHORT

Not all carbs are bad, and not all sources of sugar are the same. When you’re looking for a sweet treat, you are best off reaching for an orange, a handful of berries, or other whole fruit options over refined sweets like juices, soda, candy or cookies. Smoothies and dried fruit are better than refined sweet treats, since they do contain fiber and other nutrients. They can be high in sugar, though, so moderation is key.

You Only Have to Drink This Much Soda to Consume 39 Pounds of Sugar a Year

Most people are not aware about all the health dangers of drinking soda. In Mexico (currently the world’s most obese nation) the average person consumes 459 cans of soda per year (or about 146 liters). This is 2nd to only one nation, America, where the average person consumes 487 cans of Soda per year (or 170 liters). According to the Bloomberg Total Health Index, in 2017 Italy has the world’s healthiest people whom consume only about 46 liters of soda per year.

   

The correlation between soda consumption and rising obesity and diabetes rates are well established. But there are many other reasons why this beverage is bad for you. Unfortunately, the sweet taste and inclusion of caffeine, has many people addicted to soda and many consume several cans per day. Other people are confused and tricked into thinking they are drinking a healthy alternative when they choose diet soda. This is unfortunately false as the ingredients used in diet soda are in many cases worse than those in regular soda.

  

Let’s look closer at the health dangers of drinking soda and the impact of soda consumption and why you should think twice about drinking it or allowing your kids to.

Health Dangers of Drinking Soda

Tooth Decay: According to the American Dental Association, soda is a leading contributor to cavities and tooth decay, especially in children. In some places, like territories in the Appalachian Mountains, tooth decay from sodas (like Mountain Dew) are an epidemic. Excessive tooth decay can affect both the nerve endings and the roots of the tooth causing pain and even tooth loss. When you do drink soda, make sure to brush your teeth after doing so.

Renal Problems: Both the acids (like phosphoric acid) and sodium (like sodium bentonite) can cause kidney stones and other renal issues. If you have renal problems and consume soda on a regular basis, you should consider if it is contributing to your condition.

  

Obesity: This is the obvious one and very impactful as carrying extra weight can result in diabetes, heart problems, skeletal issues as well as severely lowering your life longevity. It is estimated that if you consume 1 can of soda per day, you will have consumed over 39 pounds of sugar that year!

Osteoporosis: This affects many women (in particular) and can be very painful as you age. The high levels of phosphate found in soda affect your mineral equilibrium and in-turn damages your bones.

Diabetes: Daily consumption of soda will raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 15% and promotes insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes can result in cognitive and cardiac impairment. One of the major epidemics in our society is the high rates of diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions in children.

Eliminating soda consumption would be the best way to reduce your children’s risk.
As you can see, when you drink soda there are many potentially harmful impacts to your body. Limiting (or completely eliminating) soda consumption will help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals faster, live a longer life and maintain overall health as you age.