My mother thought that breakfast should be loaded with protein, and pancakes were no exception. Not only do these flapjacks have protein-rich cottage cheese, but they also contain 6 eggs in the batter.

Initially, Mom tried to sneak in a little brewer’s yeast (a rich source of B vitamins) into the batter, an ingredient that made the mixture smell like sour socks. But my brothers and I complained so much that she eventually scrubbed the smelly stuff.

Mom’s Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Yield: About 30 (3 1/2-inch) pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cottage cheese

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

1/4 cup reduced-fat milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

For greasing pan: nonstick spray or vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all the ingredients in blender (except nonstick spray or oil for greasing pan). Cover blender and whirl until well combined and smooth, for about 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray or heat about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (tilting skillet to cover with oil). Using a 1/4-cup measure, add batter to hot skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes or until dry around the edges, bubbles start to break and golden brown on bottom. Turn and cook until bottom is golden brown.

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

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By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took the stage at the U.N. on Wednesday to blast Israeli and U.S. attacks in June as inflicting “a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace in the region.”

His comments at the General Assembly are the first time he has spoken in a global forum since the 12-day Israel-Iran war over the summer that saw the assassination of many of the Islamic Republic’s highest military and political leaders.

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Pezeshkian is in New York as a series of crippling U.N. sanctions loom over Tehran if it does not make a deal with European leaders by Saturday. But before even landing in New York, any diplomatic efforts by Pezeshkian and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi were overshadowed when the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei rejected any direct nuclear talks with the United States.

Pezeshkian also repeated Tehran’s claims that it odes not seek a nuclear weapon through its domestic nuclear activities.

“I hereby declare once before this assembly that Iran has never and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb,” he said.

The president also criticized the Britain, German and France’s efforts to trigger the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reinstate sanctions — barring a last-minute accord — over Iran’s failure to comply with conditions of a 2015 nuclear deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

He said that the countries — known as the E3 — have operated in “bad faith” for years to dictate Iranian compliance with a deal that the U.S. abandoned in 2018. “They falsely presented themselves as parties of good standing to the agreement and they disparaged Iran’s sincere efforts as insufficient.

Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that 12 Austin-area schools with an “F” rating could be closed. For many families, this isn’t just a policy decision—it’s a direct threat to thousands of children’s educational stability and their communities’ future. 

The affected schools, all part of Austin Independent School District (AISD) received three consecutive failing grades under the state’s accountability system tied to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam. TEA ordered the campuses to submit improvement plans by mid-November, which could involve major staffing changes or closures. The schools include Winn Montessori, Barrington, Dawson, Linder, Oak Springs, Pecan Springs, Sanchez, Widen, Wooldridge, Bedichek, Martin, and Paredes. As education researchers and community advocates, we know that school ratings often reveal more about poverty than about student learning. Decades of research show that standardized tests don’t measure intellect, creativity, or resilience. They measure zip codes. Numerous studies also highlight the direct ties between the testing industry and the prison industrial complex.

The problem is clear: Austin’s “F” schools overwhelmingly serve mostly low-income African-American and Hispanic children. Closing them on the basis of a flawed metric sends one message: Your community does not matter. 

School buses in Austin (Shutterstock)

More specifically, data from the Texas Academic Performance Report outlines that the twelve Austin ISD campuses at risk of closure or major intervention serve predominantly low-income African-American and Hispanic student populations (see a full chart here): At these campuses, between 78 percent and 97 percent of students are classified as economically disadvantaged, with most schools exceeding 90 percent. This strongly suggests that socioeconomic status, not instructional quality, is the most consistent predictor of school ratings. Research has long demonstrated that poverty shapes educational outcomes through limited access to resources, higher mobility rates, and increased exposure to stressors outside of school. The racial and ethnic composition of these same schools is between 57 percent and 91 percent Hispanic, while African-American enrollment ranges from 1.9 percent to nearly 39 percent. The clustering of F-rated schools in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods highlights the racialized nature of standardized testing outcomes, aligning with scholarship that critiques accountability systems as mechanisms that reproduce racial and class stratification. 

TEA’s accountability system disproportionately penalizes schools that serve economically disadvantaged students of color. All twelve schools identified for improvement or closure received failing (“F”) ratings, yet their student demographics highlight structural inequities rather than deficiencies in teaching or learning. 

Parents and teachers have long known what research confirms: Standardized testing is a poor predictor of success. It rewards test-taking strategies, not curiosity. It privileges students with resources, tutors, and stability at home, while penalizing those navigating poverty, language barriers, or trauma. 

Standardized testing has become a billion-dollar business. In 2013, TEA awarded Pearson a $462 million contract, followed by a $280 million contract with Education Testing Services. Nationally, 45 states spend a combined $669 million annually on testing contracts. These corporations reap massive profits, yet there is no evidence that more standardized testing improves student learning or narrows achievement gaps. What these tests do measure—reliably—is the ability of corporations to siphon resources away from Texas students, teachers, and communities.

Instead of doubling down on testing, TEA should reduce the number of exams and provide real support. Before closing schools, the agency must engage communities in honest conversations about what children need to thrive—whether it’s more bilingual staff, smaller classes, or after-school programs. 

Austin’s children deserve more than a test score. Closing schools will not build stronger communities. Listening to them will. TEA must choose partnership over punishment. 

A growing body of scholarship urges states to move beyond single test scores and adopt multiple measures of accountability. Such systems better capture the breadth of student learning by incorporating graduation rates, college and career readiness, access to qualified teachers, and school climate. Authentic assessments—such as project- and portfolio-based evaluations—offer viable alternatives that measure higher-order thinking and student creativity while remaining compliant with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which explicitly authorizes states to integrate portfolios, extended performance tasks, and adaptive assessments into their accountability systems. Despite this flexibility, Texas continues to rely almost exclusively on high-stakes standardized tests, ignoring well-established recommendations for more equitable, comprehensive approaches to evaluating student learning and school quality. 

At the state policy level, Texas must fundamentally rethink accountability. Policymakers, TEA, and school leaders should establish school-based teams to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data, ensuring that decisions are grounded in the realities of students, families, and educators. 

These efforts must prioritize schools with the greatest needs and the fewest resources, offering sustained support rather than punitive closures. Specifically, TEA should end costly assessment contracts with for-profit corporations and redirect those funds into classrooms, counseling services, culturally relevant curricula, and community engagement initiatives that actually strengthen schools. 

The post Austin’s Children Deserve More than a Test Score appeared first on The Texas Observer.

It may not be age that is making your hair thin or fall out, but rather what you are eating and drinking.

New research shows certain foods contribute to hair loss, and others help with hair growth.

Sugar-sweetened beverages and alcoholic drinks are associated with a higher risk of hair loss, according to research published in Nutrition and Health, which analyzed 17 studies on diet and hair.

“When we consume high amounts of sugar, we get an insulin spike that promotes inflammation and can distort the natural hair growth cycles,” explains Laura Acosta, a registered dietitian and associate professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida. “With alcohol, it’s not that it necessarily directly causes hair shedding itself, but it does contribute to nutrient deficiency, nutrient malabsorption, liver stress, poor sleep, and systemic inflammation — all of which can wreak havoc on hair growth.”

Not consuming enough protein also can lead to hair loss. Acosta says a person needs to take in half a gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.

“We tend to be more protein-deficient than we think,” said Dr. Jila Senemar, a Miami menopause specialist who says hair shedding, hormones, and diet are all interrelated.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli help with stronger hair follicles. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Foods that can help with healthy hair and hair growth include soy-based nourishment like edamame or tofu, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, which can reduce the risk of hair loss. Nutritionists believe this is likely due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of their phytochemicals, such as isoflavones and carotenoids. Additionally,  persimmon leaf has been studied and found to be linked to improvements in both hair density and thickness. Persimmon leaf contains antioxidants like quercetin that improve blood flow to the scalp. You can drink it in tea or take an oral supplement.

While most studies in this new review primarily included women, one study involving 76 men with male pattern baldness found greater hair growth in a group that consumed 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil for 24 weeks compared to a placebo group. Researchers believe the reason for the hair growth may be hormonal — pumpkin seed oil may decrease dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone known to affect hair follicles and cause hair thinning.

When it comes to supplements, Vitamin D has been the most studied. At least five studies analyzed in this review found that higher vitamin D levels may be protective against hair loss. Acosta said 2,000 international units (IUs) would be a good dose to aim for, noting there is risk for toxicity if someone takes too much.

Another supplement to consider is iron. One study showed that iron supplementation (in the form of 100-milligram tablets) improved hair growth in women. Senemar, the Miami doctor, said if someone is iron-deficient and wants to take supplements, she suggests taking them with vitamin C, which can help increase iron absorption. She points out that certain foods are good sources of iron, including spinach, lentils and almonds.

Acosta recommends having your iron levels tested along with your zinc and biotin (Vitamin B7) levels because deficiencies can cause hair loss or thinning. Adults need 30 micrograms of biotin daily. It can be found in foods like meats, eggs, fish, seeds, nuts and vegetables like sweet potatoes.

“If you’re not biotin deficient, though, taking biotin supplements is unlikely to help your hair,” Acosta said.

Recently, research has been focused on collagen for hair growth. “There is some exciting research going on around collagen supplements that a few years ago I probably would have dismissed, but now it really has my attention,” she said.

For the newly published review, researchers scoured three big scientific databases — PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus — using keywords like “dietary intake,” “nutritional status,” and “hair growth.” In total, the studies involved 613,320 individuals, mostly females, ranging in age from 7 to 77 years old.

“These were observational studies, meaning that we see associations, but we can’t necessarily prove causation from these types of studies,” Acosta explained.

South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.