
The 6 Dimensions Of Sleep (And Why They Matter)
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How Good Is Your Sleep, Really?

This is Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Director of Columbia University’s Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research.
The focus of Dr. St-Onge’s research is the study of the impact of lifestyle, especially sleep and diet, on cardio-metabolic risk factors.
She conducts clinical research combining her expertise on sleep, nutrition, and energy regulation.
What kind of things do her studies look at?
Her work focuses on questions about…
- The role of circadian rhythms (including sleep duration and timing)
- Meal timing and eating patterns
…and their impact on cardio-metabolic risk.
What does she want us to know?
First things first, when not to worry:
❝Getting a bad night’s sleep once in a while isn’t anything to worry about. That’s what we would describe as transient insomnia. Chronic insomnia occurs when you spend three months or more without regular sleep, and that is when I would start to be concerned.❞
But… as prevention is (as ever) better than cure, she also advises that we do pay attention to our sleep! And, as for how to do that…
The Six Dimensions of Sleep
One useful definition of overall sleep health is the RU-Sated framework, which assesses six key dimensions of sleep that have been consistently associated with better health outcomes. These are:
- regularity
- satisfaction with sleep
- alertness during waking hours
- timing of sleep
- efficiency of sleep
- duration of sleep
You’ll notice that some of these things you can only really know if you use a sleep-monitoring app. She does recommend the use of those, and so do we!
We reviewed and compared some of the most popular sleep-monitoring apps! You can check them out here: Time For Some Pillow Talk
You also might like…
We’re not all the same with regard to when is the best time for us to sleep, so:
Use This Sleep Cycle Calculator To Figure Out the Optimal Time for You To Go to Bed and Wake Up
AROUND THE WEB
What’s happening in the health world…
- Aspirin may make your breathing worse
- Taking naps for more than 30 minutes may raise your metabolic disease risk
- How to ease back into exercise after surgery
- Study provides evidence that breathing exercises may reduce your Alzheimer’s risk
- No one in movies knows how to swallow a pill
More to come tomorrow!
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Recognize The Early Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease
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Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative condition with wide-reaching implications for health. While there is currently no known cure, there are treatments, so knowing about it sooner rather than later is important.
Spot The Signs
There are two main kinds of symptoms, motor and non-motor.
Motor symptoms include:
- trembling that occurs when muscles are relaxed; often especially visible in the fingers
- handwriting changes—not just because of the above, but also often getting smaller
- blank expression, on account of fewer instruction signals getting through to the face
- frozen gait—especially difficulty starting walking, and a reduced arm swing
Non-motor symptoms include:
- loss of sense of smell—complete, or a persistent reduction of
- sleepwalking, or sleep-talking, or generally acting out dreams while asleep
- constipation—on an ongoing basis
- depression/anxiety, especially if there was no prior history of these conditions
For more detail on each of these, as well as what steps you might want to take, check out what Dr. Luis Zayas has to say:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Citicoline vs Parkinson’s (And More)
Take care!
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What To Do If Having A Stroke Alone?
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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 😎
❝Thank you for the video about what to do if you have a heart attack alone, what about what to do if you have a stroke alone?❞
(for anyone who missed that video, here it is)
That’s a good question, especially as stroke risk is rising in the industrialized world in general, and the US in particular.
However, let’s start with the caveat that if you are having a stroke, there’s a good chance you will forget what we are about to say, what with the immediate effects it has on the brain. That said…
The general advice when it comes to looking after someone else who is experiencing a stroke, is, “don’t”.
In other words, call emergency services, and don’t do anything else, e.g:
- don’t give them anything to eat or drink
- don’t give them any medications
- don’t let them go to sleep
- don’t let them talk you out of calling emergency services
- don’t let them drive themselves to hospital
- don’t drive them to hospital yourself either*
*This is for two reasons:
- an ambulance crew has skills and resources that you don’t, and can begin treatment en-route, and also,
- not all hospitals have appropriate resources to treat stroke, so the ambulance crew will know to drive to one that does, instead of driving to a random hospital and hoping for the best
So, flipping this for if it’s you having the stroke, and you’re cognizant enough to remember this:
- do call an ambulance; stay on the line and don’t do anything else unless instructed by the emergency services.
In order to do that, of course it’s important to recognize the symptoms; you probably know these but just in case, the mnemonic is “FAST”:
- Face: is there weakness on one side of their face?
- Arms: if they raise both arms, does one drift downwards?
- Speech: if they speak, is their speech slurred or otherwise unusual?
- Time: to call emergency services
It’s great to not get caught out by surprise, so you might also want to check out:
6 Signs Of Stroke (One Month In Advance)
Take care!
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Six Ways To Eat For Healthier Skin
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Sadia Badiei, the nutritionist-chef of “Pick Up Limes” fame, has advice:
More than skin-deep:
We’ll not keep them a mystery; here are the six points of focus:
1. Collagen and skin elasticity
Collagen is the structural protein that provides firmness and elasticity to the skin, but its production decreases with age, resulting in about a 1% annual loss starting at age 20. To support collagen, a diet rich in protein is essential, including foods like beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds. They can’t do their work alone though; vitamins C and E play a critical role in collagen production and repair, protecting against damage from sun exposure, pollution, and free radicals. Vitamin E can be found in almonds, sunflower seeds, leafy greens, peanuts, and avocados, while vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruits, bell peppers, and broccoli.
2. Skin healing and zinc
Zinc is critical for wound healing and reducing inflammation, making it particularly helpful in managing skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. Great dietary sources of zinc include nutritional yeast, pumpkin, sesame, and hemp seeds, as well as legumes and whole grains. However, zinc absorption can be hindered by phytate levels in some foods. Soaking, sprouting, or fermenting foods where possible can correct for that and improve zinc absorption.
3. Dry skin and hydration
Dry skin can result from many things, including dry air, hot water, abrasive soaps, and certain medications. While moisturizers provide external hydration, dietary omega-3 fats are essential for improving the skin’s barrier function, helping it retain moisture. Plant-based sources of omega-3s include walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and algae-based supplements. Staying adequately hydrated also supports overall health of course (everything runs on water in one way or another, after all), which indirectly benefits skin hydration, although drinking additional water only helps if dehydration is present.
4. Sebum regulation
Sebum, an oily substance that lubricates the skin, can cause issues like acne and blackheads when overproduced. Hormonal fluctuations and diet both influence sebum levels (in either direction). High glycemic index foods, such as sweetened beverages, refined grains, and sugary snacks, can lead to spikes in insulin, which in turn stimulates excess sebum production. In contrast, low glycemic index foods like vegetables, whole grains, tofu, nuts, and seeds regulate blood sugar and help manage sebum production, promoting clearer skin without an excess or a shortage of sebum.
5. Gut health and skin
The gut-skin connection means that imbalances in gut bacteria can contribute to skin issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Supporting gut health involves increasing the diversity of beneficial bacteria through probiotic-rich foods. Fermented options like plant-based yogurts, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, and kombucha not only improve gut microbiome health but also positively impact skin health by reducing inflammation and improving overall skin conditions.
6. Inflammation and skin health
Chronic inflammation is associated with so many health issues, and when it comes to skin, that includes acne, rosacea, and even wrinkles. Anti-inflammatory foods, especially those rich in antioxidants, can mitigate these effects and improve skin elasticity, smoothness, and color. Diets centered around fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods provide the necessary nutrients to combat inflammation, showcasing the significant role of nutrition in promoting radiant, healthy skin.
For more on each of these, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Undo The Sun’s Damage To Your Skin
Take care!
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5 Minute Posture Improvement Routine!
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.
McKay Lang walks us through it:
Step by Step
Breathing exercise:
- Place your hands on your lower abdomen.
- Take three deep breaths, focusing on body tension in the shoulders and neck… And release.
Shoulder squeeze:
- With your hands on your hips, inhale and squeeze your shoulders upwards.
- Hold your breath for 3–4 seconds, then exhale.
- Repeat two more times, holding the squeeze a little longer each time.
Upper shoulder massage:
- Massage your upper shoulder muscles to release tension stored there.
Overhead arm stretch:
- Raise your arms above your head, clasping each elbow with the opposite hand.
- Inhale deeply, stretch upwards, then exhale and release.
- Repeat, alternating elbows.
Neck and head push:
- Place your palms on the back of the head, and push your head into your hands (and vice versa, because of Newton’s Third Law of Motion).
- Do the same sideways (one side and then the other), to engage the other neck muscles.
Cool down:
- Gently unclasp your hands, bring your head upright, and massage your muscles. And breathe.
For variations and a visual demonstration of all, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
6 Ways To Look After Your Back
Take care!
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Eat to Beat Your Diet – by Dr. William Li
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We previously reviewed Dr. Li’s excellent “Eat To Beat Disease”, so you may be wondering how much overlap there is. While he does still cover such topics as angiogenesis, organ regeneration, microbiome health, DNA protection, and immunological considerations, and much of the dietary advice is similar, most of the explanation is different.
Because, this time, rather than looking at beating disease in general, there’s a much stronger focus on metabolic disease in particular, and yes, for those who want to do so, losing fat.
The scientific explanations are in-depth, such that you come way with not merely “I should eat an avocado once in a while”, but a comprehensive understanding of the body’s metabolic processes, from the chemistry to the organs involved, from the cellular to the systemic.
The style is on the hard end of pop-science. It’s approachably readable, while having a lot of densely-packed information with minimal fluff. You will be more than getting your money’s worth out of its 496 pages.
Bottom line: if you’d like to perk up your metabolism with a dietary approach that’s enjoyable and very restrictive, then this book will arm you with the knowledge to do that.
Click here to check out Eat To Beat Your Diet, and eat to beat your diet!
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Neurotransmitter Cheatsheet
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Which Neurotransmitter?
There are a lot of neurotransmitters that are important for good mental health (and, by way of knock-on effects, physical health).
However, when pop-science headlines refer to them as “feel-good chemicals” (yes but which one?!) or “the love molecule” (yes but which one?!) or other such vague names when referring to a specific neurotransmitter, it’s easy to get them mixed up.
So today we’re going to do a little disambiguation of some of the main mood-related neurotransmitters (there are many more, but we only have so much room), and what things we can do to help manage them.
Dopamine
This one predominantly regulates reward responses, though it’s also necessary for critical path analysis (e.g. planning), language faculties, and motor functions. It makes us feel happy, motivated, and awake.
To have more:
- eat foods that are rich in dopamine or its precursors such as tyrosine (bananas and almonds are great)
- do things that you find rewarding
Downsides: is instrumental in most addictions, and also too much can result in psychosis. For most people, that level of “too much” isn’t obtainable due to the homeostatic system, however.
See also: Rebalancing Dopamine (Without “Dopamine Fasting”)
Serotonin
This one predominantly helps regulate our circadian rhythm. It also makes us feel happy, calm, and awake.
To have more:
- get more sunlight, or if the light must be artificial, then (ideally) full-spectrum light, or (if it’s what’s available) blue light
- spend time in nature; we are hardwired to feel happy in the environments in which we evolved, which for most of human history was large open grassy expanses with occasional trees (however, for modern purposes, a park or appropriate garden will suffice).
Downsides: this is what keeps us awake at night if we had too much light before bed, and also too much serotonin can result in (potentially fatal) serotonin syndrome. Most people can’t get that much serotonin due to our homeostatic system, but some drugs can force it upon us.
See also: Seasonal Affective Disorder Strategies
Oxytocin
This one predominantly helps us connect to others on an emotional level. It also makes us feel happy, calm, and relaxed.
To have more:
- hug a loved one (or even just think about doing so, if they’re not available)
- look at pictures/videos of cute puppies, kittens, and the like—this triggers a similar response
Downsides: negligible. Socially speaking, it can cause us to drop our guard, most for most people most of the time, this is not a problem. It can also reduce sexual desire—it’s in large part responsible for the peaceful lulled state post-orgasm. It’s not responsible for the sleepiness in men though; that’s mostly prolactin.
See also: Only One Kind Of Relationship Promotes Longevity This Much!
Adrenaline
This one predominantly affects our sympathetic nervous system; it elevates heart rate, blood pressure, and other similar functions. It makes us feel alert, ready for action, and energized.
To have more:
- listen to a “power anthem” piece of music. What it is can depend on your musical tastes; whatever gets you riled up in an empowering way.
- engage in something competitive that you feel strongly about while doing it—or by the same mechanism, a solitary activity where the stakes feel high even if it’s actually quite safe (e.g. watching a thriller or a horror movie, if that’s your thing).
Downsides: its effects are not sustainable, and (in cases of chronic stress) the body will try to sustain them anyway, which has a deleterious effect. Because adrenaline and cortisol are closely linked, chronically high adrenal action will tend to mean chronically high cortisol also.
See also: Lower Your Cortisol! (Here’s Why & How)
PS: it is also called epinephrine, and chemically different but almost identical in most ways, noradrenaline or norepinephrine
Some final words
You’ll notice that in none of the “how to have more” did we mention drugs. That’s because:
- a drug-free approach is generally the best thing to try first, at the very least
- there are simply a lot of drugs to affect each one (or more), and talking about them would require talking about each drug in some detail.
However, the following may be of interest for some readers:
Antidepressants: Personalization Is Key!
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
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