Remember less as the years go by? You’re not imagining things: Your memory declines about 2 percent each decade because your hippocampus (the part of your brain that stores memories) literally shrinks. But you can even the playing field by keeping up with regular exercise, says neurologist Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D., director of NeurExpand Brain Center, and author of Boost Your Brain. “A third of your brain is made up of blood vessels, so it makes sense that your physical fitness impacts your brain health,” Fotuhi says. “Research shows that after a yearlong exercise program, the size of the hippocampus increases by about 2 percent, which effectively reverses age-related brain loss.”
Optimistim
Live your life looking for the best in everyone and everything.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Do You Eat at Least 7 of the Top 10 Healthy Veggies?
Top 10 Healthy Veggies
- Kale
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Broccoli Rabe
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Peas
- Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- Green Bell Peppers
🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ Add a Bit of Generosity to Life
Being Generous Kicks Up the Feel Good Feeling
You don’t even have to be really generous. According to a 2017 study published in the journal Nature Communications, even being a tiny bit more generous than you already are can make you happier in life.Â
🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ Hang Out With Your Dog
It’s nearly impossible not to be happy around your cute, slobbery pup, right? In a 2017 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found that simply being around your dog amps up your levels of oxytocin, one of the chemicals that makes you feel happy. So take your furry best friend for a walk, cuddle up for a movie, or play fetch. It’ll lift both of your moods.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Another Benefit of Healthy Food
Healthy Food Might Help Reduce Depressive Symptoms
Switching from an unhealthy diet to a healthier one, even for a short amount of time, leads to fewer symptoms of depression . . . [In a] study researchers split a group of 76 university students who exhibited symptoms of depression into two groups. The first group made healthy changes to their diets, such as eating more fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil rather than processed foods. The second group didn’t change their diets at all. After three weeks, the healthy eaters had fewer depressive symptoms, with depression scores moving into the normal range. The control group, on the other hand, saw no changes.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Chill Out
Feeling Stressed?
When you are facing an overwhelming issue, it is easy to get into a cocoon and feel like shutting everything down. But, sometimes all you need is to take a break and listen to some relaxing music. Music can be calming and is known to have a positive effect on the body and the mind. It can lower blood pressure, balance hormones, and reduce cortisol. If you do not have a favorite type of music, you may listen to some nature sounds. It may sound cheesy, but these two have the same relaxing effect as classical music.
🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ Choose the Right Friends
Feel Good About Yourself Today
Be sure the people around you make you feel good about you — no matter what your size or health condition. In addition, if close friends encourage you to smoke, overeat, or drink too much, find some new friends who have good health habits and also want a healthier you.
🍎 Health Hack: Want to Live Long? Floss
Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. “I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits,” says Perls.
🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ It’s All it the Smell
If you’re not a fan of citrus, it might be time to change that. A 2005 study in the journal Chemical Senses found the smell of clementines made participants feel ridiculously happy and stimulated, so having one for a snack will give you a cheerful buzz. Plus, eating the fruit can also give you a major dose of vitamin C. It’s a win-win.
🍎 Health Hack: 5 Tips for a Healthy Gut
For Better Gut Health
- Eat slower. Chew your food well before swallowing. It may help you swallow less air and better sense when you’re full.
- Enjoy smaller meals. Eat in moderation to avoid overfilling your stomach and encourage digestion. A packed stomach may also cause reflux, or your food to come back up.
- Set a bedtime for your gut. Try to limit how much you eat after dark. Your GI tract is most active in the morning and daytime.
- Manage stress. Learn healthy ways to reduce stress like relaxation breathing, mindfulness, and exercise. Stress makes it harder to digest your food well.
- Create a routine. Try to eat around the same times each day. Your GI system may do best on a schedule.
