Bringing wholesome healthy tips
Longevity is the capacity to live significantly longer than the typical life expectancy. For example, American-born men and women may expect to live to 75 and 81, respectively. Exceeding 85 to 90 is increasingly viewed as achieving longevity, with 100+ being the milestone for centenarians. How to live that long is a question that often leads to discussions about diet, including whether to eat meat. Decades of research have sought to answer…
Physical performance encompasses the ability to efficiently perform physical tasks, from daily activities like walking to athletic feats, and relies on factors such as strength, endurance, speed, flexibility and coordination. If I asked you when a person’s physical performance begins to decline, you’d likely say it happens somewhere in their 60s. But you’d be off by about 30 years, as the results of a 47-year study have revealed. Researchers found…
Thyme is a Mediterranean aromatic herb widely used in cooking. Beyond culinary use, thyme is a potent antioxidant, containing high levels of phenolic compounds, including thymol, carvacrol and lutein, which combat oxidative stress. Thyme also possesses anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Although in small amounts, thyme contains vitamins C and A, as well as potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium, which support the immune system and overall health. That means while most…
I’ve been a fan of smoothies before there was even a name for them. That’s how “old school” I am. But after all these years, and numerous smoothie variations, a raw cacao powder and banana smoothie is still my favorite. Every time I have one, I feel supercharged. It’s not all that surprising, considering cacao has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries. (However, blueberries and their brain-boosting benefits are nothing…
Microplastics are now everywhere — in our food, water and even the air we breathe. Frighteningly, studies have confirmed that not only do these microplastic ‘magnets’ deliver poisons to your bloodstream, but they’ve also been linked to heart failure and found to build up in both blood clots and artery-clogging plaques. Up until now, scientists considered them an equal opportunity threat. However, that’s all changing. A biomedical team at the University of California has revealed research that…
As we age, our skin changes in ways that can have a direct impact on our health. The skin produces less collagen and elastin, and its cells reproduce more slowly and less efficiently. This results in skin that’s thin, fragile and prone to injury. As the epidermis (skin’s outer layer) thins, skin barrier function is greatly reduced. That doesn’t just mean loss of moisture. We lose the ability to heal,…
The kidneys are vital organs, and unfortunately, two of the most common modern-day scourges, diabetes and high blood pressure, are putting a lot of Americans at risk for kidney failure. When the kidneys begin to fail, the body does not properly filter waste products from the blood and excrete them in urine. Over time, this build-up of waste can cause permanent damage to the kidneys, reducing their effectiveness. Once the…
When my mother first started taking statins for her high cholesterol, she was blindsided by absolutely crippling pain deep in her leg muscles. It was so bad that she stopped taking the medication without talking to her doctor first (never a good idea). Yet, when my husband had to start taking a statin because of his cholesterol, he didn’t have any muscle pain at all. I wondered what the difference…
How old is your brain? That may seem like a simple question. After all, isn’t it just the number of years you’ve lived? However, the truth is, your brain may be younger or older than you think, depending on your health and lifestyle. In fact, it’s well known that chronic pain actually accelerates brain aging, increasing your risk of cognitive decline. But the reverse is also true: certain lifestyle factors…
According to doctors at Northwestern Medicine, “Most U.S. adults have a ‘heart age’ several years older than their chronological age — sometimes by more than a decade.” Sadly, this epidemic of advanced cardiovascular aging leaves many struggling as their heart cells give out and the organ struggles to pump efficiently. Daily tasks, like going up a flight of stairs, become more difficult, dizziness and shortness of breath set in, and…