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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  • Most adults will gain half a kilo this year – and every year. Here’s how to stop ‘weight creep’

    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.

    As we enter a new year armed with resolutions to improve our lives, there’s a good chance we’ll also be carrying something less helpful: extra kilos. At least half a kilogram, to be precise.

    “Weight creep” doesn’t have to be inevitable. Here’s what’s behind this sneaky annual occurrence and some practical steps to prevent it.

    Allgo/Unsplash

    Small gains add up

    Adults tend to gain weight progressively as they age and typically gain an average of 0.5 to 1kg every year.

    While this doesn’t seem like much each year, it amounts to 5kg over a decade. The slow-but-steady nature of weight creep is why many of us won’t notice the extra weight gained until we’re in our fifties.

    Why do we gain weight?

    Subtle, gradual lifestyle shifts as we progress through life and age-related biological changes cause us to gain weight. Our:

    • activity levels decline. Longer work hours and family commitments can see us become more sedentary and have less time for exercise, which means we burn fewer calories
    • diets worsen. With frenetic work and family schedules, we sometimes turn to pre-packaged and fast foods. These processed and discretionary foods are loaded with hidden sugars, salts and unhealthy fats. A better financial position later in life can also result in more dining out, which is associated with a higher total energy intake
    • sleep decreases. Busy lives and screen use can mean we don’t get enough sleep. This disturbs our body’s energy balance, increasing our feelings of hunger, triggering cravings and decreasing our energy
    Woman sleeps
    Insufficient sleep can increase our appetite. Craig Adderley/Pexels
    • stress increases. Financial, relationship and work-related stress increases our body’s production of cortisol, triggering food cravings and promoting fat storage
    • metabolism slows. Around the age of 40, our muscle mass naturally declines, and our body fat starts increasing. Muscle mass helps determine our metabolic rate, so when our muscle mass decreases, our bodies start to burn fewer calories at rest.

    We also tend to gain a small amount of weight during festive periods – times filled with calorie-rich foods and drinks, when exercise and sleep are often overlooked. One study of Australian adults found participants gained 0.5 kilograms on average over the Christmas/New Year period and an average of 0.25 kilograms around Easter.

    Why we need to prevent weight creep

    It’s important to prevent weight creep for two key reasons:

    1. Weight creep resets our body’s set point

    Set-point theory suggests we each have a predetermined weight or set point. Our body works to keep our weight around this set point, adjusting our biological systems to regulate how much we eat, how we store fat and expend energy.

    When we gain weight, our set point resets to the new, higher weight. Our body adapts to protect this new weight, making it challenging to lose the weight we’ve gained.

    But it’s also possible to lower your set point if you lose weight gradually and with an interval weight loss approach. Specifically, losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain – periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight.

    People chink wine glasses
    Holidays can also come with weight gain. Zan Lazarevic/Unsplash

    2. Weight creep can lead to obesity and health issues

    Undetected and unmanaged weight creep can result in obesity which can increase our risk of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and several types of cancers (including breast, colorectal, oesophageal, kidney, gallbladder, uterine, pancreatic and liver).

    A large study examined the link between weight gain from early to middle adulthood and health outcomes later in life, following people for around 15 years. It found those who gained 2.5 to 10kg over this period had an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, obesity-related cancer and death compared to participants who had maintained a stable weight.

    Fortunately, there are steps we can take to build lasting habits that will make weight creep a thing of the past.

    7 practical steps to prevent weight creep

    1. Eat from big to small

    Aim to consume most of your food earlier in the day and taper your meal sizes to ensure dinner is the smallest meal you eat.

    A low-calorie or small breakfast leads to increased feelings of hunger, specifically appetite for sweets, across the course of the day.

    We burn the calories from a meal 2.5 times more efficiently in the morning than in the evening. So emphasising breakfast over dinner is also good for weight management.

    Man shops for vegetables
    Aim to consume bigger breakfasts and smaller dinners. Michael Burrows/Pexels

    2. Use chopsticks, a teaspoon or an oyster fork

    Sit at the table for dinner and use different utensils to encourage eating more slowly.

    This gives your brain time to recognise and adapt to signals from your stomach telling you you’re full.

    3. Eat the full rainbow

    Fill your plate with vegetables and fruits of different colours first to support eating a high-fibre, nutrient-dense diet that will keep you feeling full and satisfied.

    Meals also need to be balanced and include a source of protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and healthy fat to meet our dietary needs – for example, eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado.

    4. Reach for nature first

    Retrain your brain to rely on nature’s treats – fresh vegetables, fruit, honey, nuts and seeds. In their natural state, these foods release the same pleasure response in the brain as ultra-processed and fast foods, helping you avoid unnecessary calories, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.

    5. Choose to move

    Look for ways to incorporate incidental activity into your daily routine – such as taking the stairs instead of the lift – and boost your exercise by challenging yourself to try a new activity.

    Just be sure to include variety, as doing the same activities every day often results in boredom and avoidance.

    Man with tennis racket
    Try new activities or sports to keep your interest up. Cottonbro Studio/Pexels

    6. Prioritise sleep

    Set yourself a goal of getting a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and help yourself achieve it by avoiding screens for an hour or two before bed.

    7. Weigh yourself regularly

    Getting into the habit of weighing yourself weekly is a guaranteed way to help avoid the kilos creeping up on us. Aim to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time and in the same environment each week and use the best quality scales you can afford.

    At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can register here to express your interest.

    Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney

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

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  • Serotonin vs Dopamine (Know The Differences)

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    Of the various neurotransmitters that people confuse with each other, serotonin and dopamine are the two highest on the list (with oxytocin coming third as people often attribute its effects to serotonin). But, for all they are both “happiness molecules”, serotonin and dopamine are quite different, and are even opposites in some ways:

    More than just happiness

    Let’s break it down:

    Similarities:

    • Both are neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and monoamines.
    • Both impact cognition, mood, energy, behavior, memory, and learning.
    • Both influence social behavior, though in different ways.

    Differences (settle in; there are many):

    • Chemical structure:
      • Dopamine: catecholamine (derived from phenylalanine and tyrosine)
      • Serotonin: indoleamine (derived from tryptophan)
    • Derivatives:
      • Dopamine → noradrenaline and adrenaline (stress and alertness)
      • Serotonin → melatonin (sleep and circadian rhythm)
    • Effects on mental state:
      • Dopamine: drives action, motivation, and impulsivity.
      • Serotonin: promotes calmness, behavioral inhibition, and cooperation.
    • Role in memory and learning:
      • Dopamine: key in attention and working memory
      • Serotonin: crucial for hippocampus activation and long-term memory

    Symptoms of imbalance:

    • Low dopamine:
      • Loss of motivation, focus, emotion, and activity
      • Linked to Parkinson’s disease and ADHD
    • Low serotonin:
      • Sadness, irritability, poor sleep, and digestive issues
      • Linked to PTSD, anxiety, and OCD
    • High dopamine:
      • Excessive drive, impulsivity, addictions, psychosis
    • High serotonin:
      • Nervousness, nausea, and in extreme cases, serotonin syndrome (which can be fatal)

    Brain networks:

    • Dopamine: four pathways controlling movement, attention, executive function, and hormones.
    • Serotonin: widely distributed across the cortex, partially overlapping with dopamine systems.

    Speed of production:

    • Dopamine: can spike and deplete quickly; fatigues faster with overuse.
    • Serotonin: more stable, releasing steadily over longer periods.

    Illustrative examples:

    • Coffee boosts dopamine but loses its effect with repeated use.
    • Sunlight helps maintain serotonin levels over time.

    If you remember nothing else, remember this:

    • Dopamine: action, motivation, and alertness.
    • Serotonin: contentment, happiness, and calmness.

    For more on all of the above, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Neurotransmitter Cheatsheet

    Take care!

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  • Pistachios vs Brazil Nuts – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing pistachios to Brazil nuts, we picked the pistachios.

    Why?

    In terms of macros, pistachios have more protein, carbs, and fiber, while Brazil nuts have more fat. The fats are mostly healthy, although it is worth noting that Brazil nuts have not only more total saturated fat, but also more saturated fat proportionally to total fats. All in all, Brazil nuts’ macro balance isn’t bad, but we say pistachios have it better.

    When it comes to vitamins, pistachios have a lot more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and C, while Brazil nuts have more vitamin E. An easy win for pistachios here.

    In the category of minerals, it gets interesting: pistachios have more iron and potassium, while Brazil nuts have more calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. Sounds great, but… About that selenium:

    • A cup of cashews contains 38% of the RDA of selenium. This will go towards helping your hair be luscious and shiny (also important for energy conversion).
    • A cup of Brazil nuts contains 10,456% of the RDA of selenium. This is way past the point of selenium toxicity, and your (luscious, shiny) hair will fall out.

    For this reason, it’s recommended to eat no more than 3–4 Brazil nuts per day.

    We consider that a point against Brazil nuts.

    Adding up the sections gives us an overall win for pistachios. Of course, enjoy Brazil nuts too if you will, but in careful moderation please!

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts

    Take care!

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  • 5 Steps To Beat Overwhelm

    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.

    Dealing With Overwhelm

    Whether we live a hectic life in general, or we usually casually take each day as it comes but sometimes several days gang up on us at once, everyone gets overwhelmed sometimes.

    Today we’re going to look at how to deal with it healthily.

    Step 1: Start anywhere

    It’s easy to get stuck in “analysis paralysis” and not know how to tackle an unexpected large problem. An (unhealthy) alternative is to try to tackle everything at once, and end up doing nothing very well.

    Even the most expert juggler will not successfully juggle 10 random things thrown unexpectedly at them.

    So instead, just pick any part of the the mountain of to-dos, and start.

    If you do want a little more finesse though, check out:

    Procrastination, And How To Pay Off The To-Do List Debt

    Step 2: Accept what you’re capable of

    This one works both ways. It means being aware of your limitations yes, but also, of your actual abilities:

    • Is the task ahead of you really beyond what you are capable of?
    • Could you do it right now without hesitation if a loved one’s life depended on it?
    • Could you do it, but there’s a price to pay (e.g. you can do it but it’ll wipe you out in some other life area)?

    Work out what’s possible and acceptable to you, and make a decision. And remember, it could be that someone else could do it, but everyone has taken the “if you want something doing, give it to someone busy” approach. It’s flattering that people have such confidence in our competence, but it is also necessary to say “no” sometimes, or at least enlisting help.

    Step 3: Listen to your body

    …like a leader listening to an advisory council. Your perception of tiredness, pain, weakness, and all your emotions are simply messengers. Listen to the message! And then say “thank you for the information”, and proceed accordingly.

    Sometimes that will be in the way the messengers seem to be hoping for!

    Sometimes, however, maybe we (blessed with a weighty brain and not entirely a slave to our limbic system) know better, and know when it’s right to push through instead.

    Similarly, that voice in your head? You get to decide where it goes and doesn’t. On which note…

    Step 4: Be responsive, not reactive

    We wrote previously on the difference between these:

    A Bone To Pick… Up And Then Put Back Where We Found It

    Measured responses will always be better than knee-jerk reactions, unless it is literally a case of a split-second making a difference. 99% of our problems in life are not so; usually the problem will still be there unchanged after a moment’s mindful consideration, so invest in that moment.

    You’ve probably heard the saying “give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe”. In this case, that can be your mind. Here’s a good starting point:

    No-Frills, Evidence-Based Mindfulness

    And if your mental state is already worse than that, mind racing with threats (real or perceived) and doom-laden scenarios, here’s how to get out of that negative spiral first, so that you can apply the rest of this:

    The Off-Button For Your Brain

    Do remember to turn it on again afterwards, though

    Step 5: Transcend discomfort

    This is partly a callback to step 3, but it’s now coming from a place of a clear ready mind, so the territory should be looking quite different now. Nevertheless, it’s entirely possible that your clear view shows discomfort ahead.

    You’re going to make a conscious decision whether or not to proceed through the discomfort (and if you’re not, then now’s the time to start calmly and measuredly looking at alternative plans; delegating, ditching, etc).

    If you are going to proceed through discomfort, then it can help to frame the discomfort as simply a neutral part of the path to getting where you want. Maybe you’re going to be going way out of your comfort zone in order to deal with something, and if that’s the case, make your peace with it now, in advance.

    “Certainly it hurts” / “Well, what’s the trick then?” / “The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts”

    (lines from a famous scene from the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia)

    It’s ok to say to yourself (if it’s what you decide is the right thing to do) “Yep, this experience is going to suck terribly, but I’m going to do it anyway”.

    See also (this being about Radical Acceptance):

    What’s The Worst That Could Happen?

    Take care!

    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:

  • 5 Self-Care Trends That Are Actually Ruining Your Mental Health

    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.

    Ok, some of these are trends; some are more perennial to human nature. For example, while asceticism is not a new idea, the “dopamine detox” is, and “bed rotting” is not a trend that this writer has seen recommended anywhere, but on the other hand, there are medieval illustrations of it—there was no Netflix in sight in the medieval illustrations, but perhaps a label diagnosing it as “melancholy”, for example.

    So without further ado, here are five things to not do…

    Don’t fall into these traps

    The 5 things to watch out for are:

    1. Toxic positivity: constantly promoting positivity regardless of the reality of a situation can shame or invalidate genuine emotions, preventing people from processing their real feelings and leading to negative mental health outcomes—especially if it involves a “head in sand” approach to external problems as well as internal ones (because then those problems will never actually get dealt with).
    2. Self-indulgence: excessive focus on personal desires can make you more self-centered, less disciplined, and ultimately dissatisfied, which hinders personal growth and mental wellness.
    3. Bed rotting: spending prolonged time in bed for relaxation or entertainment can decrease motivation, productivity, and lead to (or worsen) depression rather than promoting genuine rest and rejuvenation.
    4. Dopamine detox: abstaining from pleasurable activities to “reset” the brain simply does not work and can lead to loneliness, boredom, and worsen mental health, especially when done excessively.
    5. Over-reliance on self-help: consuming too much self-help content or relying on material possessions for well-being can lead to information overload, unrealistic expectations, and the constant need for self-fixing, rather than fostering self-acceptance and authentic growth. Useful self-help can be like taking your car in for maintenance—counterproductive self-help is more like having your car always in for maintenance and never actually on the road.

    For more on all of these, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read, and yes these are pretty much one-for-one with the 5 items above, doing a deeper dive into each in turn,

    1. How To Get Your Brain On A More Positive Track (Without Toxic Positivity)
    2. Self-Care That’s Not Just Self-Indulgence
    3. The Mental Health First-Aid That You’ll Hopefully Never Need
    4. The Dopamine Myth
    5. Behavioral Activation Against Depression & Anxiety

    Take care!

    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:

  • Black Pepper’s Impressive Anti-Cancer Arsenal

    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.

    Black Pepper’s Impressive Anti-Cancer Arsenal (And More)

    Piperine, a compound found in Piper nigrum (black pepper, to its friends), has many health benefits. It’s included as a minor ingredient in some other supplements, because it boosts bioavailability. In its form as a kitchen spice, it’s definitely a superfood.

    What does it do?

    First, three things that generally go together:

    These things often go together for the simple reason that oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer often go together. In each case, it’s a matter of cellular wear-and-tear, and what can mitigate that.

    For what it’s worth, there’s generally a fourth pillar: anti-aging. This is again for the same reason. That said, black pepper hasn’t (so far as we could find) been studied specifically for its anti-aging properties, so we can’t cite that here as an evidence-based claim.

    Nevertheless, it’s a reasonable inference that something that fights oxidation, inflammation, and cancer, will often also slow aging.

    Special note on the anti-cancer properties

    We noticed two very interesting things while researching piperine’s anti-cancer properties. It’s not just that it reduces cancer risk and slows tumor growth in extant cancers (as we might expect from the above-discussed properties). Let’s spotlight some studies:

    It is selectively cytotoxic (that’s a good thing)

    Piperine was found to be selectively cytotoxic to cancerous cells, while not being cytotoxic to non-cancerous cells. To this end, it’s a very promising cancer-sniper:

    Piperine as a Potential Anti-cancer Agent: A Review on Preclinical Studies

    It can reverse multi-drug resistance in cancer cells

    P-glycoprotein, found in our body, is a drug-transporter that is known for “washing out” chemotherapeutic drugs from cancer cells. To date, no drug has been approved to inhibit P-glycoprotein, but piperine has been found to do the job:

    Targeting P-glycoprotein: Investigation of piperine analogs for overcoming drug resistance in cancer

    What’s this about piperine analogs, though? Basically the researchers found a way to “tweak” piperine to make it even more effective. They called this tweaked version “Pip1”, because calling it by its chemical name,

    ((2E,4E)-5-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-1-(6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1 H)-yl)penta-2,4-dien-1-one)

    …got a bit unwieldy.

    The upshot is: Pip1 is better, but piperine itself is also good.

    Other benefits

    Piperine does have other benefits too, but the above is what we were most excited to talk about today. Its other benefits include:

    Enjoy!

    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: