Studies have found that people do better on tests involving memory or attention after trekking through the woods than after walking in a city. People have increased vitality (that is, physical and mental energy) and a greater sense of well-being after walking through a tree-lined river path than after walking indoors. Other studies have even found that patients in hospitals tend to recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows.
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Health Facts
Health facts giving you accurate advice for healthy living.
Longevity Tip ~ Age Is Only a Number
In order to protect your body and mind, remaining active is important. This not only relates to physical exercise, but also mental stimulation. When you remain active, you essentially enhance your quality of life. It’s important to seek activities that you enjoy and challenge you. Physical exercise can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes daily. Once you’re in the habit of being an active individual both in your home and community, you’ll find that age is simply a number.
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Wellness Tip ~ Brain Power
Foods That Nourish Our Brains
Longevity Tip ~ De Stress
Unchecked tension doesn’t just put you in a lousy mood. It also boosts inflammation in the body, which can speed aging and make you more likely to get sick, according to a Frontiers in Human Neuroscience study.
In fact, findings suggest that the majority of diseases are related to chronic stress. Stress hormones like cortisol are also thought to negatively impact memory and contribute to brain shrinkage starting as early as our late 40s, according to a Neurology study.
Finding ways to unwind can make a difference—even if it’s only for a minute or two. “Even if you’re pressed for time, take a moment and take one restorative breath,” Dr. Kaiser says.
Have some more time to spare? Try working yoga into your day. In a study of middle-aged adults, performing yoga for 90 minutes, five days a week was found to lower levels of inflammation and stress hormones, as well as slow down the rate at which cells age.
Wellness Tip ~ Eat Your Veggies
A traditional Japanese diet today consists of some 11-15 servings of vegetables? Meanwhile, our USDA food pyramid recommends a paltry 3-5. Knowing that there’s a multitude of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients available in these rainbow colored foods should be all we need to hear to get us on the veggie bandwagon. These colorful plant foods also contain antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals (causing cell damage and aging), aid longevity and youthfulness, and fight cancer. They cleanse the blood, offer hydration and healthy sugars, support the liver, regulate cholesterol levels, and promote healthy elimination. It doesn’t hurt that they taste delicious either! Make it a goal to put a rainbow on your plate.
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Longevity Tip ~ Make Connections
Meet a friend for coffee, check out that photography class, or FaceTime with your grandkids. “Investing in meaningful relationships is one of the most important things we can do to increase our health, quality of life, and wellbeing,” Dr. Kaiser says. One big reason why? Social wellbeing is tied to lower levels of interleukin-6, an inflammatory factor involved in chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and some cancers, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
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Wellness Tip ~ Get Outdoors
Lack of time in the sun means you’re not getting your Vitamin D, which is necessary for many, many important functions in the body, including constructing all of our hormones. Being cloistered indoors leads to feelings of depression and stress. Meanwhile, a walk on the beach, or in the mountains, or in the woods, provides a plethora of negative ions that balance our circadian rhythms, slows our heart rate appropriately, and creates a sense of peace and well being in the body. Take a picnic lunch. Go for a hike on the weekend. Make it a priority to reconnect with the greater world beyond the one humans have made. It will increase your awareness of our interconnectedness and belonging to the Earth.
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Longevity Tip ~ Protein is Your Friend
Muscle loss is a normal part of aging, but eating enough protein can help you preserve what you’ve got—and even support your efforts to build more. How much should you get in a day? . . . Adults over 65 need 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight to support muscle health. (That’s at least 68 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound person.) Make sure to add a lean protein source to each meal, like fish, poultry, or beans. Think: Greek yogurt with fruit, hummus with veggies, or a protein-packed nutritional drink.
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Wellness Tip ~ Fighting Traveler’s Constipation
While estimates vary, traveler’s constipation is thought to affect as many as 40% of travelers. “Do this digestion exercise to help prevent falling prey to traveler’s constipation,” the Nutrition Twins said. “It will make your stomach flatter by helping to flush waste and toxins from the body by encouraging elimination of stool through the intestines,” they said. “Suck in your stomach as far as you can, then stick it out as far as you can. Meanwhile, breathe in when sucking in, and breathe out when pushing your stomach out. This small exercise helps blood flow to the stomach, aids in digestion, and exercises your abdominal muscles.”
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Longevity Tip ~ Stay Active
Being active doesn’t just help prevent chronic diseases. As we age, it can also lower the chance for serious injury. Regular exercise could also boost your brainpower. When sedentary adults performed three 45-minute exercise sessions per week for six months, they had improved executive function (the ability to focus and make plans) equal to someone nine years younger, found one Neurology study. So go ahead and lace up those sneaks.
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