Life Hacks

1 in 4 people suffer from arthritis and joint pain. And 60% of people who have arthritis are between the ages of 18 and 64. 

That’s a lot of people! So what can you do about it? Adopt a VEGAN diet! That’s according to new research in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

For this new study, arthritis patients were asked to rate the severity of their joint pain – on a scale from “no pain” to “as bad as it could possibly be.” Then, half the participants were put on a strict vegan diet for 4 months, while the other half stuck to their normal diet. And throughout the study, everyone was tested for C-reactive proteins, which are a common marker for the inflammation associated with joint pain.

The result? Without fail, those on a vegan diet reported significantly less severe pain over time. And the number of times their joints swelled to painful levels was cut IN HALF!

Researchers say it’s because plant-based diets lower the levels of C-reactive proteins, which are commonly produced by animal products, sugary foods, and refined grains. And C-reactive proteins are like “jet fuel” when it comes to triggering the inflammation that causes pain and swelling!

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a drug-free way to treat arthritis pain, with NO side effects, researchers say your new “prescription” is a vegan diet.

Here’s a memory trick that sounds bizarre – but works.

It comes from the journal Memory & Cognition. When you have something you need to remember – like a new password – imagine yourself writing it on a door and then OPENING that door.

Because a password gives you access, right? Or if you’re trying to remember someone’s name, imagine writing it on a nametag and sticking it on their shirt.

Or if you need to remember something at the grocery store, imagine putting it in your cart and then placing it on the conveyor belt at the checkout stand.

The point of that exercise is to link information you’re trying to remember to a related action. That helps to anchor it in your mind. 

Have you been feeling more blue than usual – for no apparent reason? It might be time to invest in blackout curtains for your bedroom! Because research now shows a strong link between depression and low-level exposure to light at night!

Dr. Kenji Obayashi is a professor at Japan’s Nara Medical University and in one of his studies he measured nighttime light levels in the bedrooms of thousands of adults. The participants were also monitored for symptoms of depression over a two-year period.

The result: The brighter the light levels in the person’s room, the more likely they were to be depressed.

Dr. Obayashi found that even a small amount of light at night reduces production of the sleep hormone melatonin, and that can lead to interrupted sleep. And Obayashi says if that happens night after night, it could gradually lead to depression.

So, if you want to sleep well, and lower your risk of depression – eliminate as many sources of light from your bedroom as possible. 

Do you have a good listener in your life?

If so, it can keep your brain younger, longer! That’s according to new research from NYU. They found that having someone to confide in, who will really listen, is a huge stress reliever – AND it improves brain health by slowing cognitive decline.

The study focused on people in their 40s and 50s……and those who DID NOT have a supportive listener in their lives had a cognitive age 4-6  years OLDER than people who did have a good listener.

That’s because conversations are like a workout for your brain……You have to get your points across, think of responses, and absorb what the other person is telling you.

To find the right listener, psychologist Dr. Kiki Ramsey says you want to find someone who gives you space to respond without interrupting and shifting the focus to themselves.

Find that person and you can turn back the clock on your brain age! 

If you’re having trouble sleeping, here’s something that might help: Try using sleep affirmations – where you pick a short, calming phrase like, “I am still,” or “I am relaxed” – and repeatedly think it or say it out loud.

Neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart says repeating an affirmation is a form of meditation. It gives you something specific to focus on, and helps over-write recurring negative thoughts, silencing your brain.

Repeating an affirmation can also quiet the brain area responsible for self-evaluation and rumination, which reduces stress and anxiety. And when you put that all together, it improves sleep quality. 

And there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You can sit quietly for 5 minutes, eyes closed, and repeat a phrase like “I am safe and secure.” Or simply repeat your chosen phrase silently while you’re getting ready for bed or lying in bed trying to fall asleep. 

Your best bet? Focus on the words until your mind believes what you’re telling yourself. Because, if you get to the point where you BELIEVE you’re feeling calm and relaxed, you’re more likely to actually sleep.

Try this self-test to check your balance.

Act like you’ve been pulled over for a DUI and walk in a straight line, putting one foot directly in front of the other – with the toes of your back foot touching the heel of your front foot.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Nancy Trevanian Tsai says, see how many steps you can take like that without wobbling off center. If you can’t take more than 4 steps, your balance needs work.

So try standing in that same position – one foot directly in front of the other – and raise your hands high above your head. Hold that position as long as you can. Because with good balance, you’re less likely to fall and injure yourself. And that’s important because 20% of elderly hip-fracture patients die within a year due to complications from the trauma.

You can also try tai chi. A study found that people who do tai chi once a week have much better balance 

Did you know that we tend to have our most creative ideas right around mid-morning.

That’s according to Cornell University neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter. And he recommends taking advantage of that creative brainpower surge by making your environment totally quiet for half an hour – between 10 and 10:30AM.

He says that half-hour of quiet will help increase communication between 11 different areas of our brain – which can boost our concentration and productivity by up to 67%. And as an added bonus, that 30-minutes of quiet can boost our mood for the next two hours.

So, grab a pair of earplugs – or noise canceling headphones – and get ready for a surge of creativity!