We offer advanced health and wellness treatments and new advanced therapies
Did you know that according to the CDC, obesity prevalence in the U.S. increased from 30.5% to 41.9% from 2017-2020? In that same time, the prevalence of severe obesity jumped from just over 4% to over 9%. It only takes a quick glance at these numbers to understand that we have an obesity issue in the United States. That's true for people of all ages, many of whom have tried fad diets and every weight loss regimen under the sun, only to get mediocre results. For older men and women, obesity can be concerning, too, especially when their bodies are going through hormonal changes associated with female and male menopause.
Being overweight has many negative effects on the body. From an aesthetic standpoint, many people hate being overweight because clothes don't fit well, being mobile and active is often hard, and people just seem to stare. From a health and wellness standpoint, however, the consequences of obesity are much worse. Some overweight people must face life-changing problems such as:
For people who have been struggling with their weight for years, it can seem like no help is available. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, with innovative weight loss solutions like peptide therapy for weight loss in Crystal, MN.
LX Medical's weight loss program has helped numerous patients achieve their weight loss goals, live a healthy life, and enjoy total well-being for years. At LX Medical, we believe that weight loss shouldn't be centered around a one-size-fits-all mentality. Our doctors and practitioners create custom weight loss programs that are tailored to your unique body, rather than creating plans based off of someone matching your age or weight. With our team's support, you can achieve real results and start living life without the extra pounds.
That's important in the modern world, where maintaining good health and fitness has become more important than ever. Research has shown that viruses and diseases are more likely to affect people who are overweight and unhealthy. Unfortunately, there are many "miracle" supplements and unhealthy diet plans that mislead people into thinking that weight loss is not beneficial. Furthermore, weight loss "experts" often offer unstructured and unsupervised programs that do more harm than good.
At LX Medical, we prioritize the well-being of our patients when it comes to weight loss. Our approach is patient-centric, focusing on personalized treatments. Our doctors first evaluate your lifestyle habits, and we work with you to replace negative patterns with positive, personalized lifestyle changes. This is crucial for achieving optimal wellness and weight loss. Benefits of losing weight include:
However, losing weight is only the beginning. To keep weight off permanently, adopting a healthy, active lifestyle is essential. At LX Medical, we help you achieve this by implementing manageable, positive lifestyle changes that jumpstart your weight loss journey. By making healthy behaviors a part of your daily routine, you can achieve your weight loss goals and become the best version of yourself.
One of the most successful treatments we offer to help patients shed pounds safely is peptide therapy for weight loss in Crystal, MN. In fact, peptides for weight loss, such as semaglutide (also known as Ozempic and Wegovy, MOTS-C,) and AOD-9604, have been proven to be effective and have helped countless men and women live life at a healthy weight.
Consisting of amino acids, peptides help regulate the biological processes and functions in your body. As the building blocks of protein, they are crucial for your overall health. Unfortunately, however, many men and women suffer from peptide deficiency. Peptide therapy gives your body the peptides it needs, improving your ability to:
Peptide therapy is often used alongside other treatment plans from LX Medical, such as our custom weight loss plans. That's where peptides like semaglutide and AOD-9604 come into play.
Peptide therapy is often used to boost hormones and support our total well-being. Different types of peptides can target different areas of our health. For example, some collagen peptide supplements can help make our skin, hair, and gut healthier. Other peptides, like semaglutide and AOD-9604, can help facilitate healthy weight loss.
Peptide therapy works in a different way than vitamin supplements. When we take a multivitamin for our hair, skin, and nails, our body must absorb the nutrients. But sometimes, our body can't absorb all the nutrients, so they just leave our body through our urine. Peptides, on the other hand, are part of the proteins in our bodies, making them easier to benefit from and absorb.
But what about peptide therapy for weight loss? The truth is there are various peptides that have different effects, including some that facilitate weight loss. However, weight loss is a nuanced process that involves multiple factors such as diet, exercise, age, genetics, and lifestyle. While peptides can assist you in achieving your weight loss goals, they are most effective when combined with improvements like a healthier diet, more frequent exercise, and better life choices. If you've tried various weight loss plans and diets, but haven't had any success, peptides like semaglutide and ADO-9604 may be the extra boost you need to experience true weight loss.
A recent study in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that people who used peptides in conjunction with a weight loss plan experienced incredible results. More specifically, patients reported a 14% reduction in body fat on average. Two of the most popular peptides for weight loss also happen to be FDA-approved and, when appropriate, part of your weight loss journey with LX Medical.
Those peptides are semaglutide and AOD-9604 and are touted for their therapeutic benefits and long-term safety profile. If you're looking for a little extra help to lose weight and keep it off for good, peptide therapy for weight loss could be for you.
Looking to shed some pounds and keep them off for good? Diet and exercise are crucial, but for busy adults and parents, sticking to a routine is easier said than done. If you need extra help losing weight, consider semaglutide. This injection, approved by the FDA for diabetes and obesity, can stimulate GLP-1 receptors in the brain to aid in quicker weight loss and long-term health.
Semaglutide works in several ways. First, it acts as glucagon in your body, which helps tell your brain that you're full and don't need to eat anymore. Secondly, it slows down the time it takes for food to transit out of your stomach. This process reduces unnecessary eating and snacking throughout the day. Perhaps more importantly, it reduces glucose spikes after you eat, which causes a litany of issues like inflammation.
Semaglutide also helps your pancreas secrete insulin while making you insulin sensitive. This regulates glucose levels in your body and how your body metabolizes that glucose. Additionally, by reducing inflammation in your body, you benefit from powerful anti-aging and longevity properties.
When combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, semaglutide can provide:
Unlike other weight loss clinics, at LX Medical, you can enjoy the benefits of semaglutide from the comfort of your office or home. Injections are administered once a week. Once you've met your weight loss goals, you can reduce your intake to a minimum dose for additional positive effects like ongoing weight management. You can also quit taking semaglutide entirely. If you opt to stop, our medical weight loss team can chat with you about other types of peptide therapy for weight loss in Crystal, MN.
This peptide, which is often used in conjunction with semaglutide regimens, stimulates the breakdown of fat while inhibiting lipogenesis and supporting your tendons and cartilage. It has grown in popularity because of its ability to boost your metabolism, which helps burn fat. What's great about AOD-9604 is that it stimulates the pituitary gland but does not affect tissue growth or blood sugar. Perhaps most impressive is that this peptide can burn fat without you feeling the need to overeat as a result.
In fact, AOD-9604 activates your body's fat-burning processes using its own unique mechanism without needing an HGH receptor. It also releases obese fat cells and reduces new fat cell accumulation. One of the most notable benefits of AOD-9604 is its ability to regulate blood sugar and manage insulin levels, which can lead to reduced inflammation and weight loss. Additionally, AOD-9604 can aid in building muscle, similar to growth hormones. Its benefits extend beyond fat loss, as it contains regenerative properties that may be beneficial for individuals with various conditions, such as:
With the ability to reduce fat that is stored in your abdominal region, this weight-loss peptide is very popular for older people with stubborn belly fat. It is also often used by people who have tried other diets and weight loss plans but had little or no success.
At LX Medical, our doctors offer a range of peptide therapies for your health and well-being. Peptides like semaglutide and AOD-9604 are often used as part of a comprehensive peptide therapy plan, crafted by LX Medical specialists for your body. If you're interested in losing weight, gut health peptides like BPC-157, Thymulosin Alpha, Thymulosin Beta, and GHK-Cu can be incredibly beneficial along your weight loss journey.
This naturally occurring peptide, sometimes called the "Body Protection Compound," is secreted in your gut and helps repair its lining. It works by helping your body be in a constant state of restoration and repair, providing powerful anti-inflammatory effects. This process helps with issues like:
When it comes to losing weight, BPC-157 is often included in peptide therapy for weight loss in Crystal, MN, because it can help reduce pain and inflammation resulting from new or increased exercise efforts. As noted previously, exercise and diet are key in long-term weight loss, and BPC-157 can make those efforts easier.
This peptide is injected once a day, with courses ranging from 30 to 60 days. After you finish the injection course, consider BPC-157 oral supplements to maintain its benefits.
Thymosin Alpha-1 is a powerful immune system modulator that helps you resist infections, illnesses, and disease. By naturally stimulating T cells to locate and eliminate viruses, bacteria, and even tumor cells, this peptide prompts your body to respond to these invasive organisms, making your immune system naturally stronger and more effective.
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Thymosin Alpha-1 in regulating immunity and inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other conditions. Recent clinical studies have also shown promising results in using this peptide to fight lung, colon, breast, and other types of cancer. By reducing inflammation in your body and enhancing your immune system, you can optimize your body as you lose weight with the help of LX Medical.
Patients inject this peptide every day for two weeks and then continue three times a week for 2.5 months.
Thymosin Beta-4 is a peptide consisting of 43 amino acids that is known to promote healing in the body and has anti-inflammatory properties. It occurs naturally in higher concentrations at injury sites and is a water-soluble protein that can regulate cell migration to a site. It is also very good at repairing tissue damage. The substance is not only beneficial for wound healing and skin repair but can also aid in the repair of the brain, spinal cord, and heart. Medical professionals consider Thymosin Beta-4 to be a safe and potent substance in both its natural and synthetic forms.
Like its Alpha counterpart, this peptide can be beneficial for individuals undergoing weight loss, and can help reduce the inflammation and pain associated with exercising and more.
Patients inject this peptide every day for two weeks and then continue three times a week for 2.5 months.
Research suggests that GHK-CU functions as a feedback signal when tissue damage occurs. This peptide is effective in shielding damaged tissue, reducing inflammation, and replacing scarred tissue with healthy tissue. Although further research is necessary to determine its effectiveness on a larger scale, GHK-CU has already been proven to play a role in wound healing and inflammation reduction. Like other peptides for weight loss in Crystal, MN, GHK-Cu supports your gut health and weight loss efforts by lowering inflammation in your body, which often happens from changes to your diet or exercise regimens.
Patients should take this peptide for 20-30 days, especially when used for wound healing or as part of a more robust peptide therapy package.
At LX Medical, we're proud to make better care possible.
We are a physician-led team of doctors, nurses, and health experts, advised by a panel of top healthcare leaders who are revolutionizing the power of house calls. In fact, all of our peptides for weight loss in Crystal, MN, can be applied in your home or office without having to wait in long lines or uncomfortable waiting rooms.
We offer exceptionally robust and personalized weight loss plans for patients who can't seem to lose extra weight. To do so, we use innovative weight loss medications such as semaglutide and AOD-9604. To supplement our patient's success, we bring with us advanced diagnostic technology, IV fluids, and medications, with access to outpatient imaging and lab centers. Unlike some weight loss centers, we only staff highly-trained medical professionals and advanced practice providers with experience and compassion.
Are you sick and tired of the way that you look and feel every day? Is your health getting out of control? Are you ready to break out of your cage and lose weight the right way? If you're ready to begin your journey to weight loss success, our team is here to guide you along the way. Contact LX Medical today to get started.
612-662-5448
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. -- Dry, hot summers can lead to toxic algae blooms on Minnesota lakes. We've already seen a few pop up in the Twin Cities this year, but a Robbinsdale lake is getting ahead of the problem."As far as I know, in some ways, this is a one-of-a-kind operation here," said Mike Sorensen, water resources specialist for the City of Ro...
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. -- Dry, hot summers can lead to toxic algae blooms on Minnesota lakes. We've already seen a few pop up in the Twin Cities this year, but a Robbinsdale lake is getting ahead of the problem.
"As far as I know, in some ways, this is a one-of-a-kind operation here," said Mike Sorensen, water resources specialist for the City of Robbinsdale.
Crystal Lake is home to a flocculation plant -- a system typically used for treating drinking water, but here, it's been key in the battle against blue-green algae.
"Blue-green algae is very opportunistic," said Sorensen. "It can bloom and increase in the lake rapidly and that's when we start to see problems."
That's because it's toxic for pets and people. The facility is proactive, not reactive. It pulls in water from Crystal Lake and removes pollutants, like phosphorous, that are main ingredients for algae blooms.
There's a settling tank, also known as a clarifier, that's 12 feet deep. It allows 500 gallons of lake water to run through the system every minute.
Once water is in the tank, a chemical called Aqua Hawk causes the pollutants to clump together and then they're pushed into the sanitary sewer and away from the lake.
The plant has been around for 10 years, but there's renewed interest in it due to the hot, dry weather.
"We are talking about 50,000 pounds of algae that this facility can keep out of the lake each year," said Sorensen.
Sorensen believes this plant, along with the removal of invasive carp and other efforts, has made Crystal Lake a poster child for water quality.
"I will see people walking by daily. And some of them will stop me and say they've lived on the lake for 20, 30, 40 years and they've never seen the water clarity as great as it is this summer," said Sorensen.
Because of blue-green algae concerns, Sorensen began giving public tours of the plant this spring. He says also given tours to leaders from other cities, who share a concern for algae blooms and water quality.
John Lauritsen is an Emmy award-winning reporter from Montevideo, Minn. He joined WCCO-TV in late-July of 2007. Two days after he started, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.
Sitting in front of a wall made of pink silk flora and illuminated by bright pink neon lights, Elizabeth Raygoza fixed her hair one last time before posing for the camera.“Smiling, classic—you can’t go wrong,” Raygoza said. “They always say it’s in the legs, you know,” she added of how to strike a perfect sitting selfie pose.Then Raygoza headed behind the counter. After all, she had work to do, serving an ever-increasing customer base at La Michoacana Rose, her ice cream shop at 6322 Ba...
Sitting in front of a wall made of pink silk flora and illuminated by bright pink neon lights, Elizabeth Raygoza fixed her hair one last time before posing for the camera.
“Smiling, classic—you can’t go wrong,” Raygoza said. “They always say it’s in the legs, you know,” she added of how to strike a perfect sitting selfie pose.
Then Raygoza headed behind the counter. After all, she had work to do, serving an ever-increasing customer base at La Michoacana Rose, her ice cream shop at 6322 Bass Lake Road in the suburb of Crystal.
The shop offers traditional Mexican ice creams, sorbets, popsicles, bars, and other frozen treats, along with fruits, chips, and corn.
But it’s just as popular for its appeal as the perfect site for a selfie.
About “My Work”: This ongoing Sahan Journal series highlights Minnesotans’ experiences in the workforce, from profiles of small business owners to up-close portraits of people in various jobs. We aim to share stories that reveal how Minnesotans of color contribute to the state’s workforce.
Want to share your story with us or know someone we should write about? Email labor reporter Alfonzo Galvan at agalvan@sahanjournal with the subject heading “My Work.”
White tables and chairs line a colorful mural-covered wall. The attention getter, however, is the pink floral wall in the corner, fronted by a wooden bench. A neon sign on the wall spells out the business’s name.
Owner Raygoza, 28, has worked at the store since it opened in November 2019. Since then, La Michoacana Rose has expanded to three locations:
Raygoza, most often found behind the counter at the original location, also works occasionally at the other two sites.
An entrepreneur at heart, Raygoza said she saw the need for a Mexican ice cream shop after arriving in the Twin Cities from Nayarit, Mexico, 20 years ago.
“The biggest thing that I realized when I moved here was there’s nothing like this,” she said.
After a brief stint in college in her late teens and working various jobs, Raygoza decided to make her dream a reality.
It started with the name. Rose is her 5-year-old daughter’s middle name. The little girl was also the inspiration behind the business’s logo.
Then, Raygoza needed to add a bit of herself into the business.
She added the murals and floral walls because they’re similar to flourishes she enjoys seeing while eating out. And like many among her clientele, Raygoza is always looking for a good selfie spot.
“I am younger, compared to most [in business], so this is kind of the stuff that I look for,” she said. “I wanted to make a similar space here where a lot of younger generations can come in and have a snack and feel comfortable.”
Raygoza’s desire to offer more than counter-service Mexican snacks to her clientele has resulted in a boom in business.
“I have specific people that come in,” she said. “Sometimes they ask me to move the table so they can take a picture by the mural wall.”
Her shops’ floral walls and murals have become go-to spots for social media influencers and young people. Tik Tok and Instagram posts bring in new customers looking to re-create photos they’ve seen online.
“We definitely see customers in here that come in right away to take their pictures,” Raygoza said. “In the summertime we have lines out the door.”
Raygoza said the social media publicity has shaped her clientele. Many are younger and non-Latino, so coming to her shop allows them to experience a different culture.
It’s also becoming a tourist attraction. One recent Instagram post was from a Brazilian woman who visited the ice cream shop while in the Twin Cities.
“She saw it from someone else, a flower wall, and then there she was, taking her own photos, hanging out on the swing,” Raygoza said.
Newer customers who may not be familiar with Mexican treats often watch what others in line order or reference social media for information about the food, she said.
“They show me pictures other people have posted and ask for the same thing,” Raygoza said.
Now, three stores in, Raygoza said her focus isn’t on expanding or opening new shops but rather on improving customer service at her existing locations.
And on staying up-to-date on social media and on trends embraced by her younger customers.
“Those are the ones that I’m more worried about, because they’re smart,” she said. “They have access to so much, and they’re our future.”
Minnesota Transfer Beanie Bishop Projected to Come to LouisvilleThe University of Louisville football team has received a crystal ball for Minnesota cornerback and Louisville native Shannon “Beanie” Bishop. The prediction came from 247Sports journalist and Louisville Insider Michael McCammon on Friday, March 10th.Beanie Bishop grew up in Louisville, Kentuck...
The University of Louisville football team has received a crystal ball for Minnesota cornerback and Louisville native Shannon “Beanie” Bishop. The prediction came from 247Sports journalist and Louisville Insider Michael McCammon on Friday, March 10th.
Beanie Bishop grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) High School in 2018. He played at Western Kentucky from 2018-2021 and earned a Conference USA All-Conference first-team selection in 2021, finishing the season with 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions.
In December 2021, Beanie Bishop announced that he would be transferring to the University of Minnesota. During the 2022 season, he appeared in all 13 games for the Golden Gophers and totaled 29 tackles, one sack, and one pass breakup.
Bishop announced his decision to enter the portal as a graduate transfer on February 23rd via Twitter.
Thank you Minnesota. I have entered the portal as a graduate transfer. pic.twitter.com/HxKctnfkm4
— Beanie Bishop (@_sbx2) February 23, 2023
Less than a week later, the hometown kid received an offer from the University of Louisville.
Blessed to receive an offer from @LouisvilleFB pic.twitter.com/IWH8KdddeJ
— Beanie Bishop (@_sbx2) February 28, 2023
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound defensive back also holds offers from Purdue, West Virginia, Charlotte, Kent State, and Western Kentucky. The 2023 season will be Bishop’s final year of eligibility.
Like Beanie Bishop, UofL Head football Coach Jeff Brohm was born and raised in Louisville. He graduated from Trinity High School in 1989 and went on to play quarterback for the University of Louisville. Since taking over the program in December 2022, Brohm and his staff have done a fantastic job utilizing his ties to the community in order to land some of the top talent from the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky.
In fact, the first commitment Jeff Brohm landed as head coach of the UofL football team was Micah Carter, a 3-star defensive lineman from Louisville’s St. Xavier High School and the state of Kentucky’s No. 1 overall recruit for the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. Carter had previously been set to play in the Big Ten Conference with Purdue for the upcoming season, but flipped his commitment and decided to stay home after Brohm accepted the job with the Cards.
On December 11th, just one day after Carter’s decision, class of 2023 3-star defensive lineman and fellow Purdue commit Saadiq Clements decommitted from the Boilermakers, and announced he would be joining Jeff Brohm at the University of Louisville. Clements attended Henderson County High School in Henderson, Kentucky and is ranked as the No. 4 overall recruit in the state from his class.
The Cards also received a commitment from 3-star defensive tackle William “Woo” Spencer in early February. Spencer previously attended Louisville Male High School and was the No. 1 player in the state for the class of 2023 before transferring over to New Albany High School in Indiana for his senior season. Coach Brohm managed to win the recruiting battle despite serious interest from Kentucky and Michigan State.
Jeff Brohm and his staff also landed two more players from the state of Kentucky in the 2023 transfer portal: Stanford defensive end Stephen Herron Jr. and Baylor cornerback Devin Neal Jr. Stephen Herron Jr. was a 4-star prospect and No. 2 overall in Kentucky for the class of 2019, and he graduated from Trinity High School, Brohm’s alma mater. Meanwhile, Devin Neal Jr. was a 3-star prospect and No. 8 overall in the state for the class of 2020, and he graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Louisville football team has also received commitments from a number of local prospects who intend to join the program as preferred walk-ons. This includes Bullitt East quarterback Travis Egan, St. Xavier linebacker Jaxon Panariello, DeSales offensive tackle James Glover-Tyson, Ballard defensive back Jaden Minkins, Trinity punter Carter Schwartz, and Eastern offensive tackle Quintez Thomas.
Brohm’s early recruiting success in his home state is a great sign for the Louisville football program. In recent years, the Cards have been unable to land plenty of high-quality players from their own city and state (Rondale Moore, Milton Wright, Michael Mayer, Wan’Dale Robinson, etc.).
However, with Jeff Brohm at the helm, the days of UofL football constantly missing out on elite talent from the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky appear to be over.
New foods at the Minnesota State Fair include paletas in two flavors from La Michoacana Rose: dill pickle lemonade and mini donut.CRYSTAL, Minnesota — When Elizabeth Raygoza moved to Minnesota, she was missing the sweet taste of home."I lived in Mexico when I was younger so I used to go to a small little Michoacana in the state of Nayarit in Tuxpan... I always looked forward to that. So when I came to Minnesota and realized we really didn't have anything like that, it was a little bit of a culture shock," Raygoz...
New foods at the Minnesota State Fair include paletas in two flavors from La Michoacana Rose: dill pickle lemonade and mini donut.
CRYSTAL, Minnesota — When Elizabeth Raygoza moved to Minnesota, she was missing the sweet taste of home.
"I lived in Mexico when I was younger so I used to go to a small little Michoacana in the state of Nayarit in Tuxpan... I always looked forward to that. So when I came to Minnesota and realized we really didn't have anything like that, it was a little bit of a culture shock," Raygoza.
In 2019, Raygoza decided to open her own Mexican ice cream shop called La Michoacana Rose in Crystal.
The logo is of Raygoza's daughter and "Rose" is her daughter's middle name.
The logo is of Raygoza's daughter and "Rose" is her daughter's middle name.
"She does inspire me in every way... I do everything for her," Raygoza said.
Along with her husband, the family now operates three locations: Crystal, Spring Lake and Edina.
"It's been amazing. I've learned a lot. It's a lot but... it's exactly where I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing. It's not even work," Raygoza said.
La Michoacana Rose's offerings include paletas — a Mexican frozen treat made from fresh fruit.
"It's all homemade. So it's all handcrafted. All of our paletas, we're individually cutting the strawberries... which is what's really different about Michoacanas is that we're using a lot of fresh fruits, a lot of fresh ingredients, rather than artificial flavoring," Raygoza said.
La Michoacana Rose's Mangonada
La Michoacana Rose is known for its Mangonada which includes mango sorbet, chamoy, tajín, and fresh pieces of mango.
They also offer food including walking tacos and Mexican street corn.
Currently, Raygoza is preparing for their second year at the Minnesota State Fair.
They plan on offering their Mexican frozen treats on-a-stick in five flavors at the Hamline Church Dining Hall. Two of their flavors made the new foods list for 2023: dill pickle lemonade and mini donut.
Credit: Heidi Wigdahl
A dill pickle lemonade paleta and a mini donut paleta.
"I actually don't eat pickles but I was surprised how yummy it was," Raygoza said.
They are in full swing preparing for the fair at the end of the month.
"Kind of seems like you're in a dream just because you have to prep. It's a lot," Raygoza said. "You have to be ready. It's a high-demand time for those two weeks. So it's craziness but it's a blessing too."
Check out La Michoacana Rose during the Minnesota State Fair at the Hamline Church Dining Hall on the north side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper Streets.
You can also visit La Michoacana Rose, open daily in Crystal, Spring Lake Park and Edina.
Know a local business we should feature for our Behind the Business segment? Email Heidi Wigdahl at hwigdahl@kare11.com.
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“This is the 30th Green500,” said Wu Feng, custodian of the Green500 list, at the list’s SC21 birds-of-a-feather session. “You could say 15 years of Green500, which makes it, I guess, the crystal anniversary.” Indeed, HPCwire marked the 15th anniversary of the Green500 – which ranks supercomputers by flops-per-watt, r...
“This is the 30th Green500,” said Wu Feng, custodian of the Green500 list, at the list’s SC21 birds-of-a-feather session. “You could say 15 years of Green500, which makes it, I guess, the crystal anniversary.” Indeed, HPCwire marked the 15th anniversary of the Green500 – which ranks supercomputers by flops-per-watt, rather than just by flops – earlier this year with its 29th list. But strangely, six months later, quite a bit has changed in the landscape: the exascale era is (somewhat) officially here; the list has reached a significant milestone; and its reigning champion is doing anything but resting on its laurels.
Exascale growing pains
Looming over the Top500 list this year are the conspicuous absences of the two now-confirmed Chinese exascale systems, Sunway’s OceanLight (reportedly landing at 1.3 exaflops peak) and Tianhe-3 (reportedly landing at 1.7 exaflops peak). But these systems didn’t dominate the Top500, instead sitting it out entirely, sparking concerns from the HPC community: if the top two systems don’t report to the Top500, how useful can the list be?
The Green500 – which began to operate under the umbrella of the Top500 some years ago – accordingly suffered the same fate this cycle, with both of the now-known exascale systems absent from that list as well. While the Green500 historically does not have the same level of participation as the Top500, the omission of the exascale systems still stings for reasons beyond the optics of participation.
The Green500 organizers are consistently interested in the flops-per-watt of not just the most efficient systems, but also the most powerful systems; Fugaku, for instance, is the current top-ranked system on the Top500 and places relatively well (26th) on the Green500 – but its November rating of 15.4 gigaflops per watt falls well short of Green500-topper MN-3, which delivers more than twice the efficiency at 39.4 gigaflops per watt. Without knowing the efficiency of the world’s most powerful systems, though, it becomes harder to suss out the divide between the most powerful systems and the most efficient systems.
Approaching key thresholds
Nevertheless, MN-3’s chart-topping achievement – nearly 40 gigaflops per watt – marks a significant waypoint for supercomputer efficiency. “If you were to naively extrapolate [that efficiency] linearly to an exascale supercomputer, you’d get a 25-megawatt supercomputer for an exaflop,” Feng said. “If you reach … 50 gigaflops per watt – which, right now we’re almost at 40 gigaflops per watt – the 50 gigaflops per watt signifies being able to have an exascale supercomputer in a 20-megawatt envelope.” This 20-megawatt envelope has long been an ambitious target of the U.S.’ plans for exascale, and one that Feng had, to date, been quite bearish about.
At SC21, he sounded decidedly more optimistic. “Back in 2008, the projected power extrapolation [for exascale systems] was on the order of gigawatts,” Feng said. “But you can see how it’s come down, and right now the MN-3 … extrapolated out for an exascale supercomputer would come in at 25.4 megawatts.” (It should also be noted that about a month after the June Green500 list, HPCwire reported that the U.S.’ first exascale system, Frontier, is likely to meet the 20-megawatt target.)
Still, he noted, the top ten systems on the Top500 were “quite a ways away from exascale in either a 40-, 30-, or 20-megawatt envelope” – and the median of the Green500 list was far from those targets, too. “The rate at which the energy efficiency is improving at the top end of the Green500 list is much faster than what you see the median is improving,” Feng said.
This growth in efficiency has largely been driven by accelerated systems. “If you look at 2021, the median energy efficiency of a heterogeneous accelerated system is far outstripping the energy efficiency of homogeneous supercomputers,” Feng explained, adding that “ten out of ten in the top ten” Green500 systems were accelerated. AMD is also continuing its broad winning streak, nabbing eight of the top ten spots.
The dominance of MN-3
MN-3, though, is one of the two Intel systems in the top ten – but the system, operated by Preferred Networks, relies predominantly on the MN-Core accelerator, a custom accelerator designed by Preferred Networks for deep learning (and manufactured on TSMC’s 12nm process) that delivers a theoretical peak of 32.8 double-precision teraflops (131 single-precision or 524 half-precision teraflops) in a 500-watt wrapper.
MN-3, which contains nearly 200 of those MN-Core boards, is not a newcomer to the Green500 list – far from it. The system, which initially reported a Linpack rating of 1.6 petaflops for the Top500 in June 2020, topped that cycle’s Green500 list with (at the time) 21.1 gigaflops per watt. That November, it slipped to second place, but increased its reported efficiency to 26.04 gigaflops per watt. By June 2021, it was back on top of the list with 29.7; and by last month, it had demolished its previous records with 39.4, easily winning the crown for a third time. Over that same time, its Linpack rating increased from that initial 1.6 Linpack petaflops to 2.2, and it jumped from 393rd on the Top500 to 301st.
In an interview with HPCwire at SC21, Yusuke Doi – vice president of computing infrastructure for Preferred Networks – attributed the system’s dramatic improvements to the learning process inherent in working with new, in-house hardware. “If you use an Nvidia GPU, you have a lot of experience on that architecture,” he said. “Our architecture is the very first one, so we have to know about the processor itself to make it run efficiently. So it takes time!” In fact, he said, he was surprised when MN-3 placed in the top spot on the Green500 that early in its lifetime, when its efficiency was still – in their eyes – relatively low.
Preferred Networks – a newcomer to the scene – is still working out how to leverage MN-3 and the MN-Core accelerator beyond in-house use for deep learning. “We need plenty of computing resources [to accelerate our own business],” Doi said. “Our [business] strategy is not yet decided. One reason we came here [to SC21] is to find business strategies that fit to this field, because initially we are focusing on our internal usage, [but] we are open to people who want to use this kind of accelerator.”
But no, Preferred Networks won’t just keep improving MN-3 ad infinitum: they expect that their next accelerator, MN-Core 2, will reach running state in 2023, at which time Doi said they would have a “totally different system” to showcase the new hardware.
The future of the Green500
From the beginning, the Green500 has been aimed at “raising the awareness and encouraging the reporting of energy efficiency of supercomputers,” Feng said. “We wanted to do this to the point that we were driving energy efficiency – or greenness, if you will – as a first-order design constraint that’s on par with performance.”
Over time, the Green500 organizers and the Energy-Efficient HPC Working Group (EEHPCWG) have worked together to evolve the Green500’s reporting methodology in service of those goals. The Green500 now uses three levels of reporting, from level one (which requires only average power use across one phase on part of a system) to level three (which requires full, real energy use across the entire run on the whole system).
Feng reported that eight sites made higher-quality submissions this year, including high-profile submitters like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and JAMSTEC. Preferred Networks, for its part, initially reported at level two but opted to increase its reporting to level three. “At that time, we were not satisfied because we got number one position at that time [and] we thought the number one system should be a more precise measurement,” Doi said.
Now, the Green500 seems pulled in two directions: in the face of major systems opting out of even the Top500, the less-ubiquitous Green500 might feel a need to allow low-difficulty reporting wherever possible; but on the other hand, some of its more prominent adopters have been calling for more intensive requirements, such as carbon footprint reporting or mandatory power reporting for Top500 submissions.
For the time being, it is unclear which direction the Green500 will lean toward. The EEHPCWG is planning to begin a process of reviewing – and possibly revising – the Green500 methodology based on the recommendations for improvements received over the past years. “We’re hoping that the revised document will ultimately be adopted by the Green500 and the Top500,” said Natalie Bates, lead of the EEHPCWG.
Header image: Wu Feng (left) presenting a Green500 winner certificate to Yusuke Doi (right) at SC21.
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