Health

You can reverse skin damage with this tip. 

To look younger, take a brisk walk! The journal Aging Cell found that aerobic exercise can reverse the signs of skin aging by reducing lines and wrinkles and plumping the skin. And it can be anything from a brisk walk to a bike ride. And it works even if you start later in life! 

What happens is, exercise increases the production of hormones that activate your mitochondria. Those are structures in our cells that generate energy. And simply by taking a brisk walk several times a week, your mitochondria can double in size, which helps the body produce more energy. 

It also prevents and reverses skin damage. And the more active your mitochondria are, the younger your skin cells behave. So before you get Botox or another cosmetic procedure, you may want to try getting more aerobic exercise. It can give you younger-looking skin!

Get ready to cancer-proof your life! Because, according to University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, all you need are 3 factors to cut your cancer risk by almost two-thirds!

Those factors are: Regular exercise, extra vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids.

To reach that conclusion, the hospital tracked nearly 2,200 healthy adults over age 70 for two years to see what preventive strategies, if any, could reduce their cancer risk.

And during the study, only one strategy made a measurable difference: People who got more exercise, vitamin D AND Omega-3 fatty acids saw their cancer risk drop by over 60%! And it didn’t matter whether their exercise was brisk walks, or household chores, like vacuuming, cleaning, and gardening.

And other studies back this up……

For example, a Harvard study found people getting plenty of vitamin D were up to 38% less likely to get cancer. Because “D” inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Research at Belgium’s Catholic University found the Omega-3s in oily fish stop normal cells from turning cancerous. So, think salmon, lake trout and herring.

Also, research from Australia’s Edith Cowan University shows exercise boosts immunity and reduces inflammation, which can slow or even prevent the growth of tumors.

When you put those 3 things together, the effect is magnified!

So, again the prescription for significantly reducing your cancer risk: Exercise regularly, and eat a diet rich in vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids.

When you’re leaving home, how often do you go to the bathroom “just in case” before you leave? Well, experts say it’s a habit we should STOP.

This comes from  Dr. Fei Zang, a pelvic floor therapist. She says, normally, when we have to “go,” it’s because receptors in our bladder have sent signals to our brain, saying our bladder’s “full.”

But when we regularly force ourselves to go – when our bladder’s NOT full – it can desensitize receptors in a way that makes our brain think we need a bathroom break, even if our internal tank is only at half, or even a-quarter, of its capacity. And that often leads to even MORE frequent urges to go.

Ideally, Dr. Zang says, if you can sleep all night without a bathroom visit, that’s a sign of healthy bladder control. And if you’re regularly hydrating throughout the day, it’s fine to go every two or three hours.

But here’s the bottom line: Forcing yourself to pee “just in case” is an unhealthy habit that could lead to bigger problems in the future.

Here’s good news if you’re thinking about your golden years……

Retirement can make you healthier! 

Researchers from the University of Sydney studied the lifestyle habits of over 25-thousand working adults over age 45. They looked at things like their activity level, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and sleep patterns.

Three years later, when around 11 percent of the participants had retired, they followed up to see how their habits had changed. And it was mostly for the better!

The researchers found that retirees were more active than those who were still working……and they sat less. In fact, on average, retired people got an additional 93 minutes of physical activity each week. They also got more sleep, sat one hour less each day – and women, in particular, were more likely to quit smoking after retirement. 

Why are you so tired today? It could be from all the sugar you ate yesterday!

Because, according to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, eating a lot of sugar is linked to lighter, more disrupted and less restorative sleep. In fact, the more sugar you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night.

And even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can prevent deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day. And the same goes for eating a bunch of refined carbs, like white bread and pastas. Because they turn to sugar in the body and delay the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

So, the journal scientists suggest we cut back on sugar and refined carbs and get more fiber in our diet. Fiber improves sleep because it digests slowly and keeps blood sugar steady. And a higher fiber intake is associated with more time spent in the deepest, most restorative stage of sleep.

Here are the top germ “hot spots” to avoid according to microbiologist Dr. Kelly Reynolds from the University of Arizona.

First, the absolute dirtiest spots in airports are the touch screens on self check-in kiosks! In fact, a study found the average airport touch screen contains over 200-thousand potentially illness-causing bacteria and fungal cells per square inch…… Which is FOUR TIMES MORE than the average household toilet seat!

Also, beware the reusable bins at the security checkpoint. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, HALF of those bins carry the viruses that cause common colds! And a “significant” number contain dangerous waste matter – due to all the shoes and bags loaded into them, which were recently touching the ground!

Finally, as you’re waiting to board your flight, try to avoid touching chair armrests at the airport gate. Research shows those are on par with public toilet seats when it comes to the amount of illness causing germs they contain. That’s because they get cleaned less frequently than the seats on planes…… and they’re constantly being touched by people who’ve just been eating food, changing diapers, or using the bathroom.

Right before your next big meal – take a brisk 5 minute walk.

Because 5-minute micro-bursts of exercise can boost your energy and decrease fatigue, and keep cravings under control. That’s according to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

That little bit of extra movement is enough to increase blood flow, which could play a role in helping you feel alert. Being active also suppresses hunger. Plus, aerobic activity before a meal can help keep levels of unhealthy triglyceride-rich proteins in check in the bloodstream.

The exercise encourages the body to release hormones that actually work to clear unhealthy particles from your bloodstream. It also makes your arteries more flexible.

So a short 5 minute power walk before a meal can keep your eating in check and your heart healthy.

Do you worry that you – or someone you love – is at high risk for age-related cognitive decline, like dementia or Alzheimer’s? Here’s an early sign to watch out for: Walking more slowly than usual.

A team from Monash University in Australia led by Dr. Taya Collyer kept tabs on nearly 17 thousand retirees over a 7-year period. Study participants took periodic tests to measure memory, mental speed, verbal fluency, overall cognitive decline, and walking speed. 

The result: Those walking at least 5% slower than the previous year, were at higher risk for dementia.

Dr. Collyer believes a declining walking speed is linked to shrinkage in the hippocampus, the brain area linked to memory, learning, and spatial navigation.

The good news is: We can slow the progress of age-related cognitive decline with consistent exercise! Psychologists from the University of Pittsburgh had seniors begin walking 10 minutes a day – and gradually increased it to 40 minutes a day. The result: Study participants increased the size of their hippocampus by up to 2%, which shaved 1 to 2 years off their brain’s actual age. 

Again, we now know one of the early signs of cognitive decline is a slower walking speed.