Senior Meetup Groups Combating Loneliness

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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!

In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

So, no question/request too big or small

“I would like to read more on loneliness, meetup group’s for seniors. Thank you”

Well, 10almonds is an international newsletter, so it’s hard for us to advise about (necessarily: local) meetup groups!

But a very popular resource for connecting to your local community is Nextdoor, which operates throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and large parts of Europe including the UK.

In their own words:

Get the most out of your neighborhood with Nextdoor

It’s where communities come together to greet newcomers, exchange recommendations, and read the latest local news. Where neighbors support local businesses and get updates from public agencies. Where neighbors borrow tools and sell couches. It’s how to get the most out of everything nearby. Welcome, neighbor.

Curious? Click here to check it out and see if it’s of interest to you

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  • Healthy sex drive In Our Fifties

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

    As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

    So, no question/request too big or small

    Q: What’s a healthy sex drive for someone in their 50s?

    A: If you’re happy with it, it’s healthy! If you’re not, it’s not.

    This means… If you’re not (happy) and thus it’s not (healthy), you have two main options:

    1. Find a way to be happier without changing it (i.e., change your perspective)
    2. Find a way to change your sex drive (presumably: “increase it”, but we don’t like to assume)

    There are hormonal and pharmaceutical remedies that may help (whatever your sex), so do speak with your doctor/pharmacist.

    Additionally, if a boost to sex drive is what’s wanted, then almost anything that is good for your heart will help.

    We wrote about heart health yesterday:

    What Matters Most For Your Heart?

    That was specifically about dietary considerations, so you might also want to check out:

    The Knowledge That Harvard Medical School’s Clinical Instructor Dr. Monique Tello Thinks Everyone Should Have About Heart Health

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Almond Butter vs Cashew Butter – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing almond butter to cashew butter, we picked the almond.

    Why?

    It’s not just our pro-almonds bias! And of course exact nutritional values may vary depending on the recipe, but we’re using the USDA’s standardized figures which should represent a reasonable average. Specifically, we’re looking at the USDA entries for “[Nut] butter, plain, without salt added”.

    In terms of macros, almond butter takes the lead immediately with nearly 2x the protein and over 3x the fiber. In contrast, cashew butter has 1.5x the carbs, and the two nut butters are approximately equal on fat. An easy win for almond butter so far.

    When it comes to vitamins, almond butter has more of vitamins A, B2, B3, B5, E, and choline, while cashew butter has more of vitamins B1, B6, and K. Thus, a 6:3 win for almond butter.

    In the category of minerals, things are closer, but almond butter has more calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium, while cashew butter has more copper, iron, zinc, and selenium. So, a 5:4 win for almond butter.

    In short, these three wins for almond butter add up to one total win for almond butter, unless you have a pressing reason to have different priorities in what you’re looking for in terms of nutrition.

    Enjoy both, of course! Unless you are allergic, in which case, please don’t.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Edam vs Gouda – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing edam to gouda, we picked the edam.

    Why?

    There’s not a lot between them, but there are some differences:

    In terms of macros, their numbers are all close enough that one may beat the other by decimal place rounding, so we’ll call this a tie. Same goes for their fat type breakdowns; per 100g they both have 18g saturated, 8g monounsaturated, and 1g polyunsaturated.

    In the category of vitamins, edam has slightly more of vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3, while gouda has slightly more of vitamins B5 and B9. A modest 4:2 win for edam.

    When it comes to minerals, edam has more calcium, iron, and potassium, while gouda is not higher in any minerals. A more convincing win for edam.

    In short, enjoy either or both in moderation, but if you’re going to choose one over the other, edam is the way to go.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Can Saturated Fats Be Healthy?

    Take care!

    Share This Post

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  • Most People Try The Wrong Way To Unshrimp Their Posture (Here’s How To Do It Better)

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Many people try to correct posture by pulling the shoulders back and tucking in the chin, but that doesn’t work. Happily, there is a way that does! Kinesiologist Kyle Waugh demonstrates:

    Defying gravity

    The trick is simple, and is about how maintaining good posture needs to be unconscious and natural, not forced. After all, who is maintaining singular focus for 16 waking hours a day?

    Instead, pay attention to how the body relates to gravity without excessive muscle tension, aligning the (oft-forgotten!) hips, and maintaining balance. The importance of hip position is really not to be underestimated, since in many ways the hips are a central axis of the body just as the spine is, and the spine itself sits in the hips.

    A lot of what holds the body in poor posture tends to be localized muscle tensions, so address those with stretches and relaxation exercises.

    For a few quick tests and exercises to try, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

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    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Food Fix – by Dr. Mark Hyman

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    On a simplistic level, “eat more plants, but ideally not monocrops, and definitely fewer animals” is respectable, ecologically-aware advice that is also consistent with good health. But it is a simplification, and perhaps an oversimplification.

    Is there space on a healthy, ecologically sound plate for animal products? Yes, argues Dr. Mark Hyman. It’s a small space, but it’s there.

    For example, some kinds of fish are both healthier and more sustainable as a food source than others, same goes for some kinds of dairy products. Poultry, too, can be farmed sustainably in a way that promotes a small self-contained ecosystem—and in terms of health, consumption of poultry appears to be health-neutral at worst.

    As this book explores:

    • Oftentimes, food choices look like: healthy/sustainable/cheap (choose one).
    • Dr. Hyman shows how in fact, we can have it more like: healthy/sustainable/cheap (choose two).
    • He argues that if more people “vote with their fork”, production will continue to adjust accordingly, and we’ll get: healthy/sustainable/cheap (all three).

    To this end, while some parts of the book can feel like they are purely academic (pertaining less to what we can do as individuals, and more on what governments, farming companies, etc can do), it’s good to know what issues we might also take to the ballot box, if we’re able.

    The big picture aside, the book remains very strong even just from an individual health perspective, though.

    Bottom line: if you have an interest in preserving your own health, and possibly humanity itself, this is an excellent book.

    Click here to check out Food Fix, and level-up yours!

    Don’t Forget…

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    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • How to Fall Back Asleep After Waking Up in the Middle of the Night

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Dr. Michael Bruce, the Sleep Doctor, addresses a common concern: waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back asleep.

    Understanding the Wake-Up

    Firstly, why are we waking up during the night?

    Waking up between 2 AM and 3 AM is said to be normal, and linked to your core body temperature. As your body core temperature drops, to trigger melatonin release, and then rises again, you get into a lighter stage of sleep. This lighter stage of sleep makes you more prone to waking up.

    Note, there are also some medical conditions (such as sleep apnea) that can cause you to wake up during the night.

    But, what can we do about it? Aside from constantly shifting sleeping position (Should I be sleeping on my back? On my left? Right?)

    Avoid the Clock

    The first step is to resist the urge to check the time. It’s easy to be tempted to have a look at the clock, however, doing so can increase anxiety, making it harder to fall back asleep. As Dr. Bruce says, sleep is like love—the less you chase it, the more it comes.

    It may be useful to point your alarm clock (if you still have one of those) the opposite direction to your bed.

    Embracing Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)

    Whilst this may not help you fall back asleep, it’s worth pointing out that just lying quietly in the dark without moving still offers rejuvenation. This revujenating stage is called Non-Sleep Deep Rest (otherwise known as NSDR)

    If you’re not familiar with NSDR, check out our overview of Andrew Huberman’s opinions on NSDR here.

    So, you can reassure yourself that whilst you may not be asleep, you are still resting.

    Keep Your Heart Rate Down

    To fall back asleep, it’s best if your heart rate is below 60 bpm. So, Dr. Bruce advises avoiding void getting up unnecessarily, as moving around can elevate your heart rate.

    On a similar vain, he introduces the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which is designed to lower your heart rate. The technique is simple:

    • Breathe in for 4 seconds.
    • Hold for 7 seconds.
    • Exhale for 8 seconds.

    Repeat this cycle gently to calm your body and mind.

    As per any of our Video Breakdowns, we only try to capture the most important pieces of information in text; the rest can be garnered from the video itself:

    Wishing you a thorough night’s rest!

    Do you know any other good videos on sleep? Send them to us via email!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails: