How to Boost Your Metabolism When Over 50

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Dr. Dawn Andalon, a physiotherapist, explains the role of certain kinds of exercise in metabolism; here’s what to keep in mind:

Work with your body

Many people make the mistake of thinking that it is a somehow a battle of wills, and they must simply will their body to pick up the pace. That’s not how it works though, and while that can occasionally get short-term results, at best it’ll quickly result in exhaustion. So, instead:

  • Strength training: engage in weight training 2–3 times per week; build muscle and combat bone loss too. Proper guidance from trainers familiar with older adults is recommended. Pilates (Dr. Andalon is a Pilates instructor) can also complement strength training by enhancing core stability and preventing injuries. The “building muscle” thing is important for metabolism, because muscle increases the body’s metabolic base rate.
  • Protein intake: Dr. Andalon advises to consume 25–30 grams of lean protein per meal to support muscle growth and repair (again, important for the same reason as mentioned above re exercise). Dr. Andalon’s recommendation is more protein per meal than is usually advised, as it is generally held that the body cannot use more than about 20g at once.
  • Sleep quality: prioritize good quality sleep, by practising good sleep hygiene, and also addressing any potential hormonal imbalances affecting sleep. If you do not get good quality sleep, your metabolism will get sluggish in an effort to encourage you to sleep more.
  • Exercise to manage stress: regular walking (such as the popular 10,000 steps daily) helps manage stress and improve metabolism. Zone two cardio (low-intensity movement) also supports joint health, blood flow, and recovery—but the main issue about stress here is that if your body experiences unmanaged stress, it will try to save you from whatever is stressing you by reducing your metabolic base rate so that you can out-survive the bad thing. Which is helpful if the stressful thing is that the fruit trees got stripped by giraffes and hunting did not yield a kill, but not so helpful if the stressful thing is the holiday season.
  • Hydration: your body cannot function properly without adequate hydration; water is needed (directly or indirectly) for all bodily processes, and your metabolism will also “dry up” without it.
  • Antidiabetic & anti-inflammatory diet: minimize sugar intake and reduce processed foods, especially those with inflammatory refined oils (esp. canola & sunflower) and the like. This has very directly to do with your body’s energy metabolism, and as they say in computing, “garbage in; garbage out”.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

Burn! How To Boost Your Metabolism

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  • Are GMOs Good Or Bad For Us?

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    Unzipping Our Food’s Genes

    In yesterday’s newsletter, we asked you for your (health-related) views on GMOs.

    But what does the science say?

    First, a note on terms

    Technically, we (humans) have been (g)enetically (m)odifying (o)rganisms for thousands of years.

    If you eat a banana, you are enjoying the product of many generations of artificial selection, to change its genes to produce a fruit that is soft, sweet, high in nutrients, and digestible without cooking. The original banana plant would be barely recognizable to many people now (and also, barely edible). We’ve done similarly with countless other food products.

    So in this article, we’re going to be talking exclusively about modern genetic modification of organisms, using exciting new (ish, new as in “in the last century”) techniques to modify the genes directly, in a copy-paste fashion.

    For more details on the different kinds of genetic modification of organisms, and how they’re each done (including the modern kinds), check out this great article from Sciencing, who explain it in more words than we have room for here:

    Sciencing | How Are GMOs Made?

    (the above also offers tl;dr section summaries, which are great too)

    GMOS are outright dangerous (cancer risks, unknown risks, etc): True or False?

    False, so far as we know, in any direct* fashion. Obviously “unknown risks” is quite a factor, since those are, well, unknown. But GMOs on the market undergo a lot of safety testing, and have invariably passed happily.

    *However! Glyphosate (the herbicide), on the other hand, has a terrible safety profile and is internationally banned in very many countries for this reason.

    Why is this important? Because…

    • in the US (and two out of ten Canadian provinces), glyphosate is not banned
    • In the US (and we may hypothesize, those two Canadian provinces) one of the major uses of genetic modification of foodstuffs is to make it resistant to glyphosate
    • Consequently, GMO foodstuffs grown in those places have generally been liberally doused in glyphosate

    So… It’s not that the genetic modification itself makes the food dangerous and potentially carcinogenic (it doesn’t), but it is that the genetic modification makes it possible to use a lot more glyphosate without losing crops to glyphosate’s highly destructive properties.

    Which results in the end-consumer eating glyphosate. Which is not good. For example:

    ❝Following the landmark case against Monsanto, which saw them being found liable for a former groundskeeper, 46 year old Dewayne Johnson’s cancer, 32 countries have to date banned the use of Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer. The court awarded Johnson R4.2 billion in damages finding Monsanto “acted with malice or oppression”.❞

    Source: see below!

    You can read more about where glyphosate is and isn’t banned, here:

    33 countries ban the use of Glyphosate—the key ingredient in Roundup

    For the science of this (and especially the GMO → glyphosate use → cancer pipeline), see:

    Use of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)-Containing Food Products in Children

    GMOs are extra healthy because of the modifications (they were designed for that, right?): True or False?

    True or False depending on who made them and why! As we’ve seen above, not all companies seem to have the best interests of consumer health in mind.

    However, they can be! Here are a couple of great examples:

    ❝Recently, two genome-edited crops targeted for nutritional improvement, high GABA tomatoes and high oleic acid soybeans, have been released to the market.

    Nutritional improvement in cultivated crops has been a major target of conventional genetic modification technologies as well as classical breeding methods❞

    Source: Drs. Nagamine & Ezura

    Read in full: Genome Editing for Improving Crop Nutrition

    (note, they draw a distinction of meaning between genome editing and genetic modification, according to which of two techniques is used, but for the purposes of our article today, this is under the same umbrella)

    Want to know more?

    If you’d like to read more about this than we have room for here, here’s a great review in the Journal of Food Science & Nutrition:

    Should we still worry about the safety of GMO foods? Why and why not? A review

    Take care!

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  • How To Avoid Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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    Avoiding Age-Related Macular Degeneration

    Eye problems can strike at any age, but as we get older, it becomes a lot more likely. In particular, age-related macular degeneration is, as the name suggests, an age-bound disease.

    Is there no escaping it, then?

    The risk factors for age-related macular degeneration are as follows:

    • Being over the age of 55 (can’t do much about this one)
    • Being over the age of 65 (risk climbs sharply now)
    • Having a genetic predisposition (can’t do much about this one)
    • Having high cholesterol (this one we can tackle)
    • Having cardiovascular disease (this one we can tackle)
    • Smoking (so, just don’t)

    Genes predispose; they don’t predetermine. Or to put it another way: genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

    Preventative interventions against age-related macular degeneration

    Prevention is better than a cure in general, and this especially goes for things like age-related macular degeneration, because the most common form of it has no known cure.

    So first, look after your heart (because your heart feeds your eyes).

    See also: The Mediterranean Diet

    Next, eat to feed your eyes specifically. There’s a lot of research to show that lutein helps avoid age-related diseases in the eyes and the rest of the brain, too:

    See also: Brain Food? The Eyes Have It

    Do supplements help?

    They can! There was a multiple-part landmark study by the National Eye Institute, a formula was developed that reduced the 5-year risk of intermediate disease progressing to late disease by 25–30%. It also reduced the risk of vision loss by 19%.

    You can read about both parts of the study here:

    Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS/AREDS2): major findings

    As you can see, an improvement was made between the initial study and the second one, by replacing beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin.

    The AREDS2 formula contains:

    • 500 mg vitamin C
    • 180 mg vitamin E
    • 80 mg zinc
    • 10 mg lutein
    • 2 mg copper

    You can learn more about these supplements, and where to get them, here on the NEI’s corner of the official NIH website:

    AREDS 2 Supplements for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

    Take care of yourself!

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  • One Cause; Countless Aches

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    What Is The Cause?

    Zac Cupples’ video (below) makes an appealing claim: 90% of movement issues and discomforts we experience daily come from one source: reduced joint space due to increased muscle tension.

    For Cupples, this could be causing anything from knee pain to foot pain to ankle pain to hip pain to generalized joint pain to…pretty much any sort of pain.

    So, why do we describe this as “appealing”?

    Well, if there’s just one cause, that means there is only one thing to fix

    Can This Be True?

    Whilst we normally stray away from oversimplifications, we found Cupples’ example quite powerful.

    Cupples defends his thesis by illustrating it with a simple wrist movement experiment: try moving your wrist in a circle with your palm open, and then do the same with your fist clenched.

    Did you notice a difference?

    When you clench your fist, movement (normally) becomes restricted and uncomfortable, illustrating how increased tension limits joint space.

    It’s a powerful analogy for understanding our body’s mechanics.

    So How Do We Fix It?

    To combat issues with reduced joint space, Cupples proposes a three-step solution: reducing muscle tension, increasing range of motion in commonly limited areas, and enhancing movement efficiency. He delves into strategies for achieving these, including adopting certain positions and breathing techniques.

    There are also some elements of strategic muscle engagement, but we’ll leave that to him to describe:

    How was the video? If you’ve discovered any great videos yourself that you’d like to share with fellow 10almonds readers, then please do email them to us!

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  • SMOL Bowl With Sautéed Greens

    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.

    Whole grains are good, and gluten is bad for some people. Today’s dish has four whole grains, and no gluten (assuming no cross-contamination, so look for the gluten-free label if that’s important to you). Breafast? Brunch? Lunch? Supper, even? This is good at any time of day, packed with nutrients and full of flavor!

    You will need (per person)

    • 1 cup mixed cooked grains of equal parts sorghum, millet, oats, lentils (SMOL)—these can be cooked in bulk in advance and frozen in portions, as it’s often good to used mixed grains, and these four are a great combination for many purposes.
    • ½ cup low sodium vegetable stock (ideally you made this yourself from vegetable offcuts you kept in the freezer until you had enough for this purpose, but failing that, low-sodium stock cubes can be bought at most large supermarkets).
    • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
    • 6 oz cavolo nero, finely chopped
    • 1 small carrot, finely chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
    • 1 tsp white miso paste
    • To serve: 1 lemon wedge

    Method

    (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

    1) Add the stock to a sauté pan over a medium heat, and add the onion, garlic, and carrot. Stir frequently for about 7 minutes.

    2) Add the cavolo nero and miso paste, stirring for another 4 minutes. If there is any liquid remaining, drain it off now.

    3) Warm the SMOL mixture (microwave is fine) and spoon it into a bowl, topping with the nutritional yeast and black pepper. Finally, add the hot cavolo nero mixture.

    4) Serve with the lemon wedge on the side, to add a dash of lemon at will.

    Enjoy!

    Want to learn more?

    For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

    Take care!

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  • Fast Burn – by Dr. Ian K. Smith

    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.

    Intermittent fasting seems simple enough: how complicated can “stop eating for a bit” be? Well, there are nuances and tweaks and hacks and “if you do this bit wrong it will sabotage your benefits” things to know about, too.

    Dr. Smith takes us through the basic essentials first, and covers each of the main kinds of intermittent fasting, for example:

    • Time-restricted eating; 12:12, 16:8, etc, with those being hours fasting vs hours eating
    • Caloric restriction models; for example 5:2, where one eats “normally” for 5 days a week, and on two non-consecutive days, eats only 500 calories
    • Day off models and more; for example, “no eating on Sundays” that can, depending on your schedule, be anything from a 24-hour fast to 36 hours or more.

    …and, most notably, what they each do metabolically.

    Then, the real meat of the book is his program. Taking into account the benefits of each form of fasting, he weaves together a 9-week program to first ease us gently into intermittent fasting, and then enjoy the maximum benefits with minimum self-sabotage.

    Which is the biggest stumbling-block for many trying intermittent fasting for the first time, so it’s a huge help that he takes care of this here.

    He also includes meal plans and recipes; readers can use those or not; the fasting plan stands on its own two feet without them too.

    Bottom line: if you’ve been thinking of trying intermittent fasting but have been put off by all the kinds or have had trouble sticking to it, this book may be just what you need.

    Click here to check out Fast Burn on Amazon and see what you can achieve!

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  • Exercise, therapy and diet can all improve life during cancer treatment and boost survival. Here’s how

    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.

    With so many high-profile people diagnosed with cancer we are confronted with the stark reality the disease can strike any of us at any time. There are also reports certain cancers are increasing among younger people in their 30s and 40s.

    On the positive side, medical treatments for cancer are advancing very rapidly. Survival rates are improving greatly and some cancers are now being managed more as long-term chronic diseases rather than illnesses that will rapidly claim a patient’s life.

    The mainstays of cancer treatment remain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy. But there are other treatments and strategies – “adjunct” or supportive cancer care – that can have a powerful impact on a patient’s quality of life, survival and experience during cancer treatment.

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Keep moving if you can

    Physical exercise is now recognised as a medicine. It can be tailored to the patient and their health issues to stimulate the body and build an internal environment where cancer is less likely to flourish. It does this in a number of ways.

    Exercise provides a strong stimulus to our immune system, increasing the number of cancer-fighting immune cells in our blood circulation and infusing these into the tumour tissue to identify and kill cancer cells.

    Our skeletal muscles (those attached to bone for movement) release signalling molecules called myokines. The larger the muscle mass, the more myokines are released – even when a person is at rest. However, during and immediately after bouts of exercise, a further surge of myokines is secreted into the bloodstream. Myokines attach to immune cells, stimulating them to be better “hunter-killers”. Myokines also signal directly to cancer cells slowing their growth and causing cell death.

    Exercise can also greatly reduce the side effects of cancer treatment such as fatigue, muscle and bone loss, and fat gain. And it reduces the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise can maintain or improve quality of life and mental health for patients with cancer.

    Emerging research evidence indicates exercise might increase the effectiveness of mainstream treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Exercise is certainly essential for preparing the patient for any surgery to increase cardio-respiratory fitness, reduce systemic inflammation, and increase muscle mass, strength and physical function, and then rehabilitating them after surgery.

    These mechanisms explain why cancer patients who are physically active have much better survival outcomes with the relative risk of death from cancer reduced by as much as 40–50%.

    Mental health helps

    The second “tool” which has a major role in cancer management is psycho-oncology. It involves the psychological, social, behavioural and emotional aspects of cancer for not only the patient but also their carers and family. The aim is to maintain or improve quality of life and mental health aspects such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, sexual health, coping strategies, personal identity and relationships.

    Supporting quality of life and happiness is important on their own, but these barometers can also impact a patient’s physical health, response to exercise medicine, resilience to disease and to treatments.

    If a patient is highly distressed or anxious, their body can enter a flight or fight response. This creates an internal environment that is actually supportive of cancer progression through hormonal and inflammatory mechanisms. So it’s essential their mental health is supported.

    several people are lying on recliners with IV drips in arms to receive medicine.
    Chemotherapy can be stressful on the body and emotional reserves. Shutterstock

    Putting the good things in: diet

    A third therapy in the supportive cancer care toolbox is diet. A healthy diet can support the body to fight cancer and help it tolerate and recover from medical or surgical treatments.

    Inflammation provides a more fertile environment for cancer cells. If a patient is overweight with excessive fat tissue then a diet to reduce fat which is also anti-inflammatory can be very helpful. This generally means avoiding processed foods and eating predominantly fresh food, locally sourced and mostly plant based.

    two people sit in gym and eat high protein lunch
    Some cancer treatments cause muscle loss. Avoiding processed foods may help. Shutterstock

    Muscle loss is a side effect of all cancer treatments. Resistance training exercise can help but people may need protein supplements or diet changes to make sure they get enough protein to build muscle. Older age and cancer treatments may reduce both the intake of protein and compromise absorption so supplementation may be indicated.

    Depending on the cancer and treatment, some patients may require highly specialised diet therapy. Some cancers such as pancreatic, stomach, esophageal, and lung cancer can cause rapid and uncontrolled drops in body weight. This is called cachexia and needs careful management.

    Other cancers and treatments such as hormone therapy can cause rapid weight gain. This also needs careful monitoring and guidance so that, when a patient is clear of cancer, they are not left with higher risks of other health problems such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that boost your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes).

    Working as a team

    These are three of the most powerful tools in the supportive care toolbox for people with cancer. None of them are “cures” for cancer, alone or together. But they can work in tandem with medical treatments to greatly improve outcomes for patients.

    If you or someone you care about has cancer, national and state cancer councils and cancer-specific organisations can provide support.

    For exercise medicine support it is best to consult with an accredited exercise physiologist, for diet therapy an accredited practising dietitian and mental health support with a registered psychologist. Some of these services are supported through Medicare on referral from a general practitioner.

    For free and confidential cancer support call the Cancer Council on 13 11 20.

    Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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