Health

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.

Do This to Cut the Risk of Heart Disease and Depression

You will love this trick for cutting your risk of heart disease and depression, and it can even help you lose weight: Take 2 minutes twice a day to massage your scalp! 

According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, scalp massages stimulate acupressure points linked to our adrenal glands……

Those are the glands that pump out the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline. And two daily 2-minute head massages, for 2 weeks, can cut stress hormone production by 33% or more. 

So do one scalp massage when you’re getting ready for the day – like, in the shower while you’re washing your hair……and try another before bed. 

You’ll reduce the production of stress hormones long-term and it’ll help you relax.  That, in turn, will lower your risk of heart disease and depression – and less cortisol means your body won’t hold onto excess fat. Just remember: two 2-minute head massages a day for 2 weeks.

Why Should You Eat Fish Twice a Week

How many times have you heard that fish are brain food?

Well, we’re saying it again – and we have more proof. This time, it comes from the Fatty Acid Research Institute. 

Their research found that people with high blood levels of the Omega-3 fatty acid, called DHA, were nearly 50% less likely to develop dementia of any kind, including Alzheimer’s. 

And other research shows a link between the fatty acid DHA and improved cognitive performance and increased brain volume.

The reason? Because DHA limits the production and accumulation of a brain toxin linked to Alzheimer’s. 

The fish that contain the most Omega-3 DHAs are: Mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, and oysters. And you should aim to get two servings a week.

Why It’s Important to Declutter Our Home

Clutter doesn’t just make your home look like a mess – it messes with your mental health! That’s according to the journal Personality and Social Psychology. 

For the study, researchers from USC asked families to record videos while touring their own homes and discussing their belongings. Their stress hormone levels were also recorded. 

The conclusion? People who perceived their homes as cluttered had unhealthy levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and felt more stress as the day went on. 

The researchers say it boils down to the feeling of never-ending work and obligation, and our brains don’t like the weight of all that responsibility. But when we de-clutter, our brains actually do relax.  That’s because we feel more in-control of our lives. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. 

So now we know, clutter can seriously mess with our mental health.

Do you want to make some changes, and shake up your life? 

Like, losing weight, finding a new job, or jumping back into the dating pool. 

The best time to do it is when there’s a new beginning…Whether it’s the first day of the week, the first of the month, or your first day back at work after a vacation. 

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School call it the “fresh start effect.” Because big, repeating moments – like birthdays, holidays, and back-to-school – are landmarks in our lives. They make us step back and look at the big picture, and re-adjust our goals accordingly. 

But any time you realize you’re losing focus on your goals, all you have to do is set your sights on the next “new beginning,” whether it’s a Monday, or the first of the month……And start fresh all over again.

Have you heard about  “green noise.” 

According to neurologist and behavioral sleep specialist, Dr. Christopher Winter, it’s technically defined as any frequency around 500 hertz – which is the center of the frequency spectrum. And, coincidentally, that’s where most nature sounds fall!

White noise typically sounds like an air conditioner, vacuum, fan, or even an airplane engine. But green noise is more of a soothing nature sound, from wind to water.

So why are people so obsessed with green noise lately? Because multiple studies have shown that nature sounds promote relaxation. And according to Dr. Winter, nature sounds are also proven to help people fall asleep…… including anything from the sound of ocean waves crashing on a beach, to the gentle sound of a waterfall. 

If you’d like to check it out for yourself, there are plenty of YouTube videos now offering hours of uninterrupted green noise.

How the speed of our eating determines our weight.  

According to the British Medical Journal, people who switched from wolfing down their food, to eating at a more relaxed pace, consistently lost weight. So how slow do you have to go? Aim for about 30 chews per mouthful. The average person chews their food only 15 times before swallowing. Or stretch your eating time from 11 minutes, which is the average time it takes to finish a meal, to at least 20 minutes. 

And here are a few other tricks for slowing down your eating from registered dietician Toby Smithson:

• Choose “active” snacks. That means snacks that take work to eat……Like shelling peanuts. Having to crack nuts creates a delay……and seeing the shells is a visual reminder of how much you’ve eaten, making you more mindful. 
• At meals, eat more vegetables. They’re harder to chew. But chewing more, until food is mushy in your mouth, allows the body to absorb more nutrients. So fill half your plate with vegetables.

Finally, give yourself a pausing point, by putting down your fork between each bite. And don’t pick it up again until you’ve chewed 30 times and swallowed.

Are you constantly misplacing things – like your keys or cellphone? 

Here’s how to find things faster: 

First: Memory expert Dr. Irene Kan suggests closing your eyes to block out your visual sense and thinking back to the last time you deviated from your typical routine. Because that’s when we’re more likely to misplace something. 

Another trick for finding lost items. Slowly and methodically look within an 18 inches of their usual location. Most lost items are in an 18-inch radius of where they should be. 

Also, we frequently look down for lost things, because we think they must have fallen. But numerous studies show we’re more likely to place things at eye level when we’re distracted.

Finally, repeat the name of whatever you’re looking for, like: “Keys, keys, keys.” 

Repeatedly saying what you’re missing boosts concentration, and increases the odds you’ll remember exactly where you left it!