Two best friends in Florida got to experience one of life’s most meaningful experiences together — becoming mothers — and it was caught on camera.

It started in May 2024, when Carolynn Shada announced her pregnancy to her best friend, Kali Gaynor — only to get a surprise of her own when her friend said she was also expecting.

“Our due dates were eight days apart, so we always joked around with the idea that we all could be at the hospital at the same time,” she wrote on Instagram.

ATLANTA COUPLE’S CONJOINED TWIN DAUGHTERS, FUSED AT THE HEART, LIVED FOR JUST 1 HOUR: ‘GIFT FROM GOD’

“NEVER did we ever think our BOYS would be born on the same day.”

Yet that’s exactly what happened — in August, the best friends went into labor and delivered their baby boys on the same day, in the same hospital.

“Her precious baby boy was born a bit after 12AM on Tuesday,” Shada wrote of her friend. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“The hospital we were at was at a max capacity, so a few hours after she birthed her baby they moved her to triage. As morning rolls around, I head to the hospital and was placed in the EXACT room she delivered her baby in. My son was born later that afternoon with the same midwife group.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

“You can’t make this stuff up!”

Fox News Digital reached out to Shada and Gaynor for comment.

It’s well known that Ben Franklin was a morning person. In his “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” he famously said, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” 

But what did Ben Franklin do when he got up early? What was his morning ritual? 

That is less well known. In his autobiography, Ben Franklin wrote that the first thing he did when he woke up each day was to ask himself the following question: “What good shall I do this day?” (See the video at the top of this article.) 

CAKE AND DEMOCRACY ARE A ‘SWEET’ COMBINATION, SAYS BESTSELLING AUTHOR: ‘FREEDOM IS A TREAT’ 

I love Ben Franklin’s ritual. 

For most of my adult life, my default morning thoughts included questions such as, “What annoying tasks do I have to do this day?” and “What terrible things have happened in the world that I’ll read about when I open my laptop?” 

Nowadays, I try instead to do what Ben Franklin advises: I ask myself, “What good can I do today?” 

Written on a piece of paper, it now hangs over my desk as a reminder. 

This new habit is the result of the year I spent recently trying to live like the Founding Fathers. I wrote about the wisdom I learned in my new book, “The Year of Living Constitutionally.”

“The Founders’ idea of virtue meant public-mindedness. A virtuous person puts the interests of others before their own interests.”

As Franklin’s morning ritual implies, the Founders were obsessed with the idea of virtue. 

Nowadays, the word “virtue” has a bit of a cringey and fusty ring to it.

MAKING STUFF BY HAND TAPS INTO THE GREAT TRADITION OF AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM

I hear the word most often used in the phrase “virtue signaling,” which is not a compliment. 

“Virtue signaling” refers to someone who is ostentatiously trying to show off how righteous they are by, for instance, loudly asking a waiter about the living conditions of the bees that produced the honey for their oatmeal.

“The Founders’ idea of virtue meant public-mindedness,” said Jacobs. “A virtuous person puts the interests of others before their own interests. A virtuous person focuses on those two key words in the Constitution’s preamble: ‘General Welfare.’” (A.J. Jacobs; iStock)

In the Founders’ era, the word virtue had no such mixed connotations. 

Virtue was a cherished ideal. In his book “First Principles,” Thomas E. Ricks writes that the Founders used the word virtue about 6,000 times in the collected writings from the Revolutionary era. 

That’s more often than the word “freedom.” 

“I almost wish the Constitution had a Bill of Responsibilities.”

The Founders’ idea of virtue meant public-mindedness. A virtuous person puts the interests of others before their own interests. A virtuous person focuses on those two key words in the Constitution’s preamble: “General Welfare.”

IN AN ELECTION YEAR, AMERICANS NEED FEWER HOT TAKES AND MORE COOL-HEADED REASONING

I think we’re due for a resurgence of virtue. I know I could use more of it. 

As a rule, I’m too focused on my individual rights. Rights are wonderful, and I’m grateful that I live in a country that puts an emphasis on individual rights. But rights come with responsibilities. 

I almost wish the Constitution had a Bill of Responsibilities. 

A.J. Jacobs, pictured at left with members of his family, “lived” the Constitution for a year — which included sharpening his own quill pen, at right, and growing closer to the meaning and intent of the Founding Fathers.  (A.J. Jacobs)

The idea of public responsibility, I believe, was more ingrained in the 18th century and didn’t need to be spelled out. You were expected to sacrifice for your community.

If there was a fire, you were expected to be part of the bucket brigade, helping to save your neighbor’s house. If you were a man, you were expected to be a part of your local militia. 

 “If I’m depressed, I find the best thing to do is to help others. It gets me out of my head.”

When my wife and kids and I wrote a Constitution for our family — an exercise I fully recommend — we included a Bill of Rights, but also a Bill of Responsibilities. 

WHY AMERICANS NEED MORE FACE-TO-FACE CIVIL DISCUSSIONS ‘WITH FOLKS OUTSIDE THEIR OWN BUBBLE’ 

It’s not about being saintly. 

Service actually wasn’t opposed to happiness. It was integral to it. 

Jacobs is shown with an “Election Cake” offering as part of his “Year of Living Constitutionally,” the title of his most recent book. He writes that service to others “wasn’t opposed to happiness. It was integral to it.” (A.J. Jacobs)

As Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, has said, “Happiness wasn’t about feeling good. It was about doing good.” 

I find this observation to be true in my own life. If I’m depressed, I find the best thing to do is to help others. It gets me out of my head.

Jacobs, pictured here with his wife, spent a year living “constitutionally” — and wrote about it in his new book.  (A.J. Jacobs)

That piece of paper over my desk serves as a moral North Star and helps tamp down my Larry David side. 

When I start to get angry about something silly — such as my Instagram post didn’t get enough likes — I can look at the phrase and get a reality check. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

It reminds me of the big picture.

“The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning” by A.J. Jacobs (2024) is published by Crown.

Super-processed, packaged foods have become prevalent in U.S. diets — and experts are warning of the potential effects.

Recent research has shown that 60% of Americans’ daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

A study published by the BMJ revealed that exposure to UPFs was associated with 32 poor health outcomes, including mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and metabolic complications.

THESE 6 ‘HEALTHY’ FOODS WON’T HELP YOU LOST WEIGHT, NUTRITIONIST WARNS

Some of the linked conditions include cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.

While America’s diet is 60% ultra-processed overall, registered dietitian nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein warned that consumption among American kids is even higher than that.

“With children, it’s actually over 70%,” the Los Angeles-based expert told Fox News Digital. “That is really wild when you think about it.”

“What we eat defines how our cells work, how our organs work, and we’re seeing a strong decline in mental health and well-being.”

Muhlstein explained that people are not consuming the vitamins, minerals or healthy fat sources as previous generations.

LEAN, MEAN PROTEIN: HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU BE EATING? NUTRITIONIST REVEALS ANSWERS

Instead, today’s kids are ingesting “plenty of fat” that comes from ultra-processed seed oils, fried foods and sugary foods, she said.

“We’re actually seeing that this next generation might be the first generation to … have a shorter lifespan than their parents due to nutrition and lifestyle factors,” Muhlstein said.

Studies have shown that consuming ultra-processed foods is associated with 32 poor health outcomes. (iStock)

Studies have shown that providing children with a nutritious diet improves their mental well-being, behavior and academic achievement, noted Muhlstein, who teaches a kids’ nutrition course called “Raising Balanced Eaters.”

The goal isn’t necessarily to get to 0% ultra-processed foods, Muhlstein noted, as that would likely be unrealistic.

2 SURPRISING FOODS FOR FALL THAT ARE DELICIOUS, HEALTHY AND EASY TO PREPARE

“But right now, if we’re seeing that kids are eating about 70% ultra-processed foods and only 30% of their calories are coming from whole foods, the goal would be to reverse that.”

The nutritionist encouraged parents to follow the “80/20 rule” when feeding their kids, which would include 80% of whole foods like eggs, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, and 20% of not-so-nutritious foods like chips, cookies and ice cream.

Healthier alternatives for kids

Muhlstein listed a few alternatives for ultra-processed foods that are popular with kids.

This includes using marinara sauce instead of ketchup on foods like chicken nuggets and French fries.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“[Marinara] has fewer ingredients [and is] much lower in sugar,” she said. “You actually see chunks of tomato, some basil, maybe it’s made with some olive oil or another healthy oil and some salt.”

Substituting ketchup with marinara sauce is a simple way to transition kids away from an ultra-processed diet. (iStock)

“It’s still creamy, it’s still red, it’s still tasty, and it’s one step closer to less processing.”

For popular processed foods like chicken nuggets, which have been “all blended up and mechanically separated,” Muhlstein suggested switching to chicken strips and gradually moving toward baked rather than fried.

Even at a barbecue, the expert recommended the simple, healthier decision of choosing a hamburger over a hot dog.

DRINKING SOY MILK COULD REDUCE RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE, RESEARCH SHOWS

“Hot dogs are usually made with nitrites and nitrates,” she cautioned. “We actually have incredible research to show that they increase the risk of certain cancers.”

“When you can go from a hot dog to a hamburger, that’s usually just ground beef … with some seasoning,” the expert went on. “It’s already a nice step in the right direction of less processing overall.”

When feeding kids, a hamburger is a healthier choice than a hot dog, the nutritionist said. (iStock)

Muhlstein encouraged parents to take these transitions “one step at a time” and to “be really joyful” about the experience to boost their child’s attitude.

Failing to address a child’s eating habits and assuming they might “grow out of it” could cause long-term consequences, she warned.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health

“If you’re not exposing your kids to flavors and textures beyond chicken nuggets, sugary yogurts, French fries, hot dogs and pizza, it’s very unlikely that they are going to establish a better palate and a healthier relationship with food moving forward.”

The nutritionist encouraged parents to follow the “80/20 rule” — 80% of whole foods like eggs, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, and 20% of processed foods like chips, cookies and ice cream. (iStock)

The expert recommended sitting down for family meals, noting that it’s one of the most “well-researched” ways to reduce eating disorders.

This includes turning off the TV and electronics during dinner, she said, as studies show TV-watching during meals leads to higher consumption of UPFs.

“Only three to five family meals a week can lower a person’s risk for eating disorders,” she said. “It’s [proven] to bring a healthy, positive relationship around food, especially if you can make the conversations lighthearted … keep it somewhat positive.”

“It’s a great way for the family to connect, for the kids to see their parents eat a wholesome meal, and for everyone to return to more meals and less mindless snacking.”