The Power of Lifestyle Choices in Preserving Cognitive Function

The growing field of lifestyle medicine holds the key to maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of dementia. In a recent podcast episode, Dr. Tommy Wood, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, provided an enlightening discussion about the power of lifestyle choices in preserving cognitive function. In the podcast, we did deep dives into: Nutrition Physical Activity Sleep Community [embed]https://youtu.be/1MHT14Gx898[/embed] Nutrition Nutrition plays a crucial role in cognitive health. Dr. Wood emphasizes the importance of a nutrient-dense diet, one that avoids ultra-processed foods and focuses on the overall quality of food. High-nutrient foods and a quality diet have been linked with long-term brain health. For example, essential nutrients like B vitamins, choline, and creatine may affect long-term dementia risk. Dr. Wood also discussed some fascinating research that indicates our belief in what we're eating could impact our blood sugar levels, adding a psychological aspect to nutrition's role in cognitive health. To illustrate this, he references a paper where 2 groups of diabetes were given a protein drink and were allowed to read the label. One group noticed a higher spike in their blood glucose levels even though both groups had the same drink! The difference is that one group had a label that referenced a high sugar content! Physical Activity We also discussed the importance of physical activity for brain health. Regular physical activity helps regulate blood sugar levels, which is essential as we age, especially after the age of 40. Tommy noticed that the more physically fit and strong you are, the better your cognitive function will be. A combination of aerobic and resistance training has been associated with improvements in brain structure and function, and he goes into detail about what that could look like; it might be less than you think. Sleep Sleep and its effect on cognitive health cannot be understated. Dr. Wood shed light on the consequences of sleep deprivation and sleep apnea on brain function. He also discussed the potential benefits of sleeping with a sleep mask to reduce the impact of light exposure during sleep. Additionally, he touched upon the fascinating aspect of how the perception of time can influence our sleep and stress levels. He quotes a study where people were allowed to sleep for 8 hours but were told they only had 5. Cognitively, they performed as though they had 5 hours of sleep. Conversely, people who did have 5 hours of sleep but were told they had 8 performed better! Community The episode also underscored the role of social interaction in reducing dementia risk. Research shows that social support and stress can directly impact our physiology, which in turn can increase our risk of developing chronic diseases in the long term. Social interaction helps to build and repair the brain, especially in early development and in the elderly. Moreover, cognitive function peaks around the time formal education ends, underscoring the significance of mental stimulation in preserving brain health. Concussion Creatine, choline, and omega-3s were highlighted as potentially beneficial for concussion prevention and recovery. These nutrients can help improve outcomes after a concussion and improve overall cognitive health. It is recommended that those with early symptoms of cognitive impairment get tested and supplement these essential nutrients that may be difficult to obtain on a plant-based diet. Lifestyle medicine offers a wealth of strategies for enhancing cognitive function and preventing dementia. A combination of nutrition, physical activity, adequate sleep, and social interaction can significantly impact brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. With lifestyle medicine, we can all hold the keys to preserving our cognitive health and adding healthspan to our lifespans.

Recovering from a Calf Injury

When dealing with a calf injury, it's crucial to follow a specific routine before jumping back into your favorite sports or running activities. A tear or strain in the calf muscle is painful and can lead to chronic issues if not properly rehabilitated. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you recover and regain your strength effectively.

Understanding the Calf Injury

A calf injury typically occurs at the weakest point of the calf, where the muscle meets the tendon. This can happen on the calf complex's inside (medial side) or the outside (lateral side). Either way, it's essential to improve mobility and realign the collagen matrix and muscle fibers for the healing process.

The Rehabilitation Process

Rehabilitating a strained or torn calf muscle involves several key steps:

Mobility Improvement: Add tension to the muscle while it heals, facilitating the alignment of collagen matrix and muscle fibers. This sets the foundation for the healing process.
Strengthening Exercises: Incorporate exercises in all three planes of motion to rehab the tendons effectively. Strengthening the calf muscles is vital for a full recovery and a triumphant return to doing whatever it is you love to do.
Endurance Building: Calf muscles are multi-joint muscles, moving in various directions simultaneously. They endure different forces during activities like running or sports. One way to test your readiness to resume activity is to skip on your toes with the injured leg. You might be ready if you can sustain it for 10 minutes without pain. If it hurts or you can’t skip, it’s not time to return to running just yet. What this video of how I rehabilitate people with a calf injury: [embed]https://youtu.be/Nuxd36P-Z8w[/embed]

Integrating Specialized Exercises

To enhance your recovery process, integrate the following exercises into your routine:

Foot Exercises: Work on your foot's flexibility and strength. Check out this video for guidance.
Foot Core Strengthening: Strengthen your foot core to support the calf muscles effectively. Here are some foot core strengthening exercises to try.
Hip Exercises: Incorporate hip exercises into your routine to improve overall lower body strength. Watch this video for practical hip exercises. Also, ensure your hips are working as well as they can. Find a whole stretch routine for tight hips here.

By following these steps and exercises diligently, you can effectively recover from your calf injury and prevent it from becoming a chronic issue. Rushing back into sports or running without proper healing can worsen the injury and lead to long-term problems. As anyone who has injured their calf knows, these muscles play a significant role in your mobility and athletic performance. Taking care of them after an injury is crucial. By focusing on mobility, strengthening, and endurance, you can ensure a full recovery and reduce the risk of future injuries. So, be patient, stay consistent with your exercises, and soon you'll be back on your feet, stronger and more resilient than before. Stay tuned for more tips and exercises to keep you active and injury-free!

High Cholesterol Might Mean You Live Longer

I'm captivated by the study of longevity. I'm not suggesting I want to live forever, but as I recently turned 46 (yes, it was my birthday a few days ago), I'm contemplating the possibility that I might only be halfway through life. This realization underscores my responsibility to maintain my body in optimal condition for another four decades or so if I want to lead a healthy, active, and fulfilling life until the end. None of us can predict exactly how many years we have left. However, unless there are genetic or environmental factors that shorten our lifespans, most of us have the potential to reach the age of 100 and beyond. To put it differently, if we can glean insights from studies like this, they might help us age without succumbing to common ailments such as diabetes, dementia, kidney dysfunction, or heart disease. This is why the research conducted in Sweden is so intriguing. The study involved 44,000 individuals born between 1893 and 1920. Researchers began tracking them from their 65th birthday, examining blood markers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, as well as indicators for malnutrition and anemia. Specific markers they measured were:

Uric acid measured inflammation.
Total cholesterol (TC) and glucose indicated metabolic status/function.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) gauged liver function.
Creatinine assessed kidney functioning.
Iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) indicated anemia.
Albumin was used for nutrition.

Of these individuals, 1224 (84.6% female) reached their 100th birthday. Among them, only 2.6% had heart disease, compared to 8.7% of non-centenarians. Merely 0.02% suffered from dementia, compared to 1.1% of non-centenarians, and 0.5% had diabetes, as opposed to 3.2% of their counterparts. These individuals, at least on paper, weren't burdened with lifestyle-related diseases like others. What did their blood markers show? Cholesterol, as you might know from my previous blogs, plays a crucial role in the body as a fundamental building block for hormones and various bodily processes. Interestingly, those who lived the longest didn't have low cholesterol; they actually had high total cholesterol levels after the age of 65. While this might be specific to the Swedish population, it's essential to note that this study represents the most extensive examination of longevity and associated biomarkers to date. Consequently, it demands our attention. Could this challenge our current understanding of cholesterol? In the researchers' words, "We found that a higher total cholesterol level was associated with a higher chance of becoming a centenarian, which contradicts clinical guidelines regarding cholesterol levels but aligns with previous studies showing that high cholesterol is generally favorable for mortality in very old age." Another significant finding was that individuals who lived the longest had remarkably low serum glucose levels. In essence, those with higher glucose levels in their blood did not live as long. The researchers summarized their findings in the discussion, stating, "Higher levels of total cholesterol and iron and lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, ASAT, GGT, ALP, TIBC, and LD were associated with a greater likelihood of becoming a centenarian." What the study doesn’t show is what type of lifestyle these people led. The good news is that we already know that paying attention to and optimizing the 6 aspects of lifestyle medicine will help all these markers. Nutrition Physical Activity Sleep and Recovery Managing Stress Avoiding toxic substances Maintaining strong community If you have had a recent blood test and noticed something isn’t right, if you want to learn how to optimize your lifestyle to add a health span to your lifespan, hit me up. I help people via goal-orientated lifestyle optimization coaching that can help them live a long, purpose-filled life. Sources: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-00936-w

Health Alert: The Side of Coffee You Can’t Ignore

You might know I don't drink coffee if you have followed me for a while. I have my reasons (see here), but I always find it interesting to read in the popular press about coffee's supposed health benefits but rarely about the negative health effects. My friend, Dr. Terry Wahls, a health crusader, recently wrote an article about some of the negative effects of coffee, and I’ve copied it below for you to read as well. You will find it enlightening - pay attention to the part about bone loss and hormones! In the end, she also recommends an alternative. Over to you, Terry…. Bet you didn't know that there are benefits to letting that cup of joe go in exchange for something else—Something that will be more beneficial to your overall health. We all know that feel-good boost that comes from a cup of coffee, but that coffee rush can cause Increased heart rate, panic attacks, dehydration, and high blood pressure. Even small amounts of caffeine will cause these things for those more sensitive to caffeine. Consider these health benefits of quitting coffee:

Lower anxiety & lower blood pressure

We all know that caffeine comes with its signature burst of energy. However, that energy also stimulates our “fight or flight” hormones (1). This may cause an increase in anxiety (2), nervousness, heart palpitations, and even panic attacks, especially for those already prone to these conditions, as caffeine can further exasperate these symptoms. Additionally, higher caffeine intake has been linked to increased chances of depression in adolescents (3). Quitting coffee may also help lower your blood pressure, as caffeine has been shown to raise blood pressure levels due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system (4).

Better Sleep

Your caffeine habit could be affecting your sleep. Studies show daily coffee intake can alter your sleep cycle, causing restless sleep and daytime drowsiness(5). This can be especially true if you consume caffeine less than six hours before heading to bed (6). Besides a more blissful and undisturbed night’s rest, those who are caffeine-free may find it takes much less time to fall asleep in the first place (7). This adds up to waking up better rested and ultimately having more energy throughout the day.

It’ll help with vitamin and mineral absorption.

Quitting coffee may help your body better absorb some nutrients. Research shows that the tannins in caffeine can cause depletion of essential nutrients, like vitamin B6, and interfere with nutrient absorption of essential minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, by partially inhibiting their absorption by the body. It can also inhibit the amount of calcium absorbed through the intestinal tract and deplete the amount retained by the bones (8). This can be especially true for those with a very high caffeine intake, an already imbalanced diet, or the elderly, who are most at risk for bone loss. No caffeine consumption can help you get all the nutrients from your diet (9).

It may help balance your hormones.

Women may particularly benefit from going caffeine-free. Caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and soda can alter estrogen levels (10). Changing estrogen levels can be particularly concerning for people with conditions like endometriosis, which can be affected by hormone imbalances related to estrogen. Caffeine has also been shown to worsen certain menopause symptoms, making giving up coffee an excellent preventative measure for minimizing these uncomfortable symptoms as much as possible(11).

Sip Herbals is an excellent coffee alternative with fantastic health benefits!

Quitting coffee can seem difficult and like giving up something you love. But Sip Herbals coffee substitute is a fantastic alternative to your daily cup of joe that is equally as satisfying without the side effects. Sip Herbals contains pure roasted herbs in their whole form. Herbs like dandelion, carob, and chicory. When brewed as a hot beverage, dandelion root has some resemblance to coffee in appearance and taste and is, therefore, often considered a coffee substitute. In fact, using the dandelion plant as a beverage dates back thousands of years! Dandelion root may lower blood pressure due to its diuretic effect and potassium content (12). This is compared to coffee, which often raises blood pressure due to its caffeine content. Dandelion is also high in inulin—making it a good source of prebiotic fiber, which can improve gut health and aid digestion (13). Carob is often used as a cocoa substitute. It is high in polyphenol antioxidants that may reduce the risk of heart disease and several other essential vitamins and minerals. Like dandelion, carob is also high in fiber, making it beneficial for gut health and digestion (14). Like dandelion and carob, chicory root is high in inulin fiber, which can improve the health of your gut’s microbiome. It may also improve bowel function and reduce constipation—making it a perfect alternative to drink while transitioning away from coffee. Made from roasted chicory root instead of coffee beans, chicory coffee is often considered a New Orleans staple(15). _______________________________________________________ Personally, I like some of the mushroom teas on the market, but to be honest, I’m so impatient that I don’t have the patience to wait for the water to boil and then wait for it to cool down again, so I tend just to drink water. Ultimately, a glass of room temperature water is absorbed far faster into our body than anything that contains plant extracts and, if taken at the right time, has an almost medicinal effect on the human body. For me, it’s water for the win! Ed References Coffee substitute recommended by Terry Wahls

What people say

Susan Terra

"Oh My Gosh- I am ALREADY feeling relief after a few days! I used to wake up 2-3 times a night with shooting pain that anti inflammatories couldn't touch. Now I have been waking up just because I want to notice what it feels like to lay in bed pain free- THANK YOU!."

Sue Plumtree

"When I first started with your program I was experience a lot of pain. Walking was difficult. I had to stop and catch my breath every few minutes and lean against a wall for support. Now when I walk with my husband we go for over an hour. I never had to sit down and stop...and, hardly any pain!!! 😊😊 I can’t thank you enough."

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