Vitamin B12 is a powerhouse. It helps make DNA, nerve and blood cells, and is crucial for a healthy brain and immune system. Your metabolism wouldn’t run smoothly without it. But B12 isn’t like other vitamins. It’s only found in animal products like eggs, meat, shellfish, and dairy. Up to 15% of people don’t get enough B12, and they’re more likely to be vegetarians, have celiac disease or other digestion problems, or be an adult over 50. The signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include exhaustion, rapid heartbeat, brain fog, and other symptoms, says Maggie Moon, RD, a Los Angeles–based nutritionist and owner of Everyday Healthy
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wellness
Wellness Tip ~ Smoking Kills
Don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke
The worst thing you can do for your health is to smoke. Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many types of cancer, including cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, colon, and bladder. No amount of smoking is safe—not even one cigarette a day. Breathing secondhand smoke also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
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Wellness Tip ~ Walking Outdoors
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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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
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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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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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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Wellness Tip ~ Healthy Changes
Asking ‘Is red meat good or bad?’ is useless,” said Meir Stampfer, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and senior author of the study. “It has to be ‘Compared to what?’ If you replace burgers with cookies or fries, you don’t get healthier. But if you replace red meat with healthy plant protein sources, like nuts and beans, you get a health benefit.”
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Longevity Tip ~ Drink Water
Staying hydrated is so important, regardless of age. Our bodies are made of approximately 60 percent water, we need to provide our body and brain with adequate amounts. When you feel thirsty, this is your body’s way of telling you that you’re already dehydrated. At this point, energy levels and cognition can be affected. From digestive health to cell function, water is a critical component of positive health. When you drink enough water, you’ll also support a healthy weight throughout adulthood. Try to consume half of your body weight in ounces daily – meaning, if you weigh 140 pounds, consume 70 ounces of water.
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