NYTimes: “All plant-based foods have both soluble and insoluble fiber, but lentils are one of the richest sources of both, said Chelsea Didinger, an independent nutrition researcher and founder of the website, “A Legume a Day.” Half a cup of cooked lentils has about 8 grams of fiber, which is around 20 percent of the daily recommended amount for men and 30 percent for women. Fiber isn’t broken down and absorbed like other nutrients. Instead, it remains largely intact as it travels through the digestive system. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance that binds to “bad” LDL cholesterol and helps clear it from the body. Insoluble fiber works to bulk stool and prevent constipation, keeping the body’s waste disposal system humming. Together, both types help manage blood sugar and keep your heart healthy. The fiber in lentils also acts as a prebiotic, feeding the “good” bacteria in your gut and producing compounds called short-chain fatty acids that are thought to fight inflammation, Ms. Hamshaw said.””
Economist: “The magic of borrowing comes with a temptation. If this goes on for too long, governments start to face pushback. The bond markets which meet their need for debt start to charge them more. New borrowing gets harder—and so does rolling over old debts. If governments do not then tighten their belts, the country’s all-important creditworthiness erodes in a way which can easily spiral out of control. Historically such debt crises have mostly been a poor-world problem. Yet today the biggest, richest countries have fallen into a dangerous pattern of borrowing ever more. Debts have reached vertiginous highs and bond markets are showing resistance. This special report will predict what happens next.”
WSJ: “China is gripped by an insidious problem that is eroding its economy: It is trapped in a cycle of competition so fierce that it is destroying profits, driving a brutal rat race among workers and fueling a deflationary spiral. This is “involution,” a once esoteric term that has come to define life for many in China and capture the biggest problems in the world’s second-largest economy. Involution, simply stated, means that, even as China pursues global dominance in industries of the future—artificial intelligence, renewables, robotics—much of its economy is in a race to the bottom that threatens to devolve into widespread stagnation. Price wars and excess supply are also increasingly a geopolitical liability. China is now entering its fourth year of falling factory-gate prices, and consumer prices have barely budged, a sign of inadequate demand. Squeezed at home, Chinese manufacturers are exporting more and more, while governments around the world are complaining about an influx of cheap Chinese goods hurting local industries.”
SaaStr on a Cleverbridge research report: “Friction doesn’t end after the first sale — it poses a big risk to retention, too. While 91% of sellers say they’re confident in their post-purchase experience, nearly 8 in 10 buyers report frustrations, from confusing renewal terms to difficulty cancelling to slow customer support. More so, 63% of sellers admit at least half their churn is involuntary, caused by failed payments and other preventable errors. Customer support is another key factor in churn prevention, with 31% of buyers expressing frustration in that area. The message is clear: focusing on renewals, billing, and support is just as critical as fixing checkout.”
