Sweet Spot for Brain Health – by Dr. Sui Wong

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At 10almonds we often mention that “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain”, but at least in part, it’s because (as this book makes very clear), “what’s good for the blood is good for the brain”. After all, our brain uses about 25% of our energy, and that energy is delivered there by the blood. And if it doesn’t get enough nutrients, oxygen, etc, and detritus isn’t taken away, then problems happen.

Dr. Wong discusses Alzheimer’s as heavily driven by metabolic problems such as diabetes and even pre-diabetes, and sets out to put in our hands the guidebook to not only not doing that, but also, actually making sure our brain gets proper nourishment without delivering that as intermittent sugar spikes because we opted for a something with very fast-acting carbs to perk us up energetically.

More than most books on the topic, she talks a lot about the neurobiology of glucose metabolism, so that’s something that really sets this book apart from many of its genre.

The style is narrative, explaining the body’s processes in a clear fashion, without skimping on science. There are definitely words that your average layperson might not know, but they’re explained as we go, and there are frequent recaps of what we learned previously, making for ultimately easy reading.

After all the information is given, there’s also a guided “12-week challenge” with a theme-of-the-week for each week, to integrate a new lifestyle adjustment each week in a progressive fashion so that without needing to drastically change many things at once, we get where we need to be in terms of healthy habits.

Bottom line: if you’d like to do right by your brain and while you’re at it say goodbye to blood sugar highs and lows, then this book is an excellent guide for that.

Click here to check out Sweet Spot For Brain Health, and enjoy a consistently-energized brain!

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  • Functional Exercise For Seniors – by James Atkinson

    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.

    A lot of exercises books are tailored to 20-year-old athletes training for their first Tough Mudder. Others, that the only thing standing between us and a perfect Retroflex Countersupine Divine Pretzel position is a professionally-lit Instagrammable photo.

    This one’s not like that.

    But! Nor does it think being over a certain age is a reason to not have genuinely robust health, of the kind that may make some younger people envious. So, it lays out, in progressive format, guidelines for exercises targeted at everything we need to build and maintain as we get older.

    The writing style is clear, and the illustrations too (the cover art is the same style as the illustrations inside).

    Bottom line: if you’re looking for a workout guide that understands you are nearer 80 than 18, and/but also doesn’t assume your age limits your exercise potential to “wrist exercises in chair”, then this book is a fine pick.

    Click here to check out Functional Exercises For Seniors, and build your stability, balance, strength and mobility!

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  • Children with traumatic experiences have a higher risk of obesity – but this can be turned around

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    Children with traumatic experiences in their early lives have a higher risk of obesity. But as our new research shows, this risk can be reduced through positive experiences.

    Childhood traumatic experiences are alarmingly common. Our analysis of data from nearly 5,000 children in the Growing Up in New Zealand study revealed almost nine out of ten (87%) faced at least one significant source of trauma by the time they were eight years old. Multiple adverse experiences were also prevalent, with one in three children (32%) experiencing at least three traumatic events.

    Childhood trauma includes a range of experiences such as physical and emotional abuse, peer bullying and exposure to domestic violence. It also includes parental substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, separation or divorce and ethnic discrimination.

    We found children from financially disadvantaged households and Māori and Pasifika had the highest prevalence of nearly all types of adverse experiences, as well as higher overall numbers of adversities.

    The consequences of these experiences were far-reaching. Children who experienced at least one adverse event were twice as likely to be obese by age eight. The risk increased with the number of traumatic experiences. Children with four or more adverse experiences were nearly three times more likely to be obese.

    Notably, certain traumatic experiences (including physical abuse and parental domestic violence) related more strongly to obesity than others. This highlights the strong connection between early-life adversity and physical health outcomes.

    PickPik, CC BY-SA

    Connecting trauma to obesity

    One potential explanation could be that the accumulation of early stress in children’s family, school and social environments is associated with greater psychological distress. This in turn makes children more likely to adopt unhealthy weight-related behaviours.

    This includes consuming excessive high-calorie “comfort” foods such as fast food and sugary drinks, inadequate intake of nutritious foods, poor sleep, excessive screen time and physical inactivity. In our research, children who experienced adverse events were more likely to adopt these unhealthy behaviours. These, in turn, were associated with a higher risk of obesity.

    Despite these challenges, our research also explored a promising area: the protective and mitigating effects of positive experiences.

    We defined positive experiences as:

    • parents in a committed relationship
    • mothers interacting well with their children
    • mothers involved in social groups
    • children engaged in enriching experiences and activities such as visiting libraries or museums and participating in sports and community events
    • children living in households with routines and rules, including those regulating bedtime, screen time and mealtimes
    • children attending effective early childhood education.

    The findings were encouraging. Children with more positive experiences were significantly less likely to be obese by age eight.

    For example, those with five or six positive experiences were 60% less likely to be overweight or obese compared to children with zero or one positive experience. Even two positive experiences reduced the likelihood by 25%.

    Children playing with basketballs
    Positive childhood experiences such as playing sports or visiting libraries can lower the risk of obesity. Getty Images

    How positive experiences counteract trauma

    Positive experiences can help mitigate the negative effects of childhood trauma. But a minimum of four positive experiences was required to significantly counteract the impact of adverse events.

    While nearly half (48%) of the study participants had at least four positive experiences, a concerning proportion (more than one in ten children) reported zero or only one positive experience.

    The implications are clear. Traditional weight-loss programmes focused solely on changing behaviours are not enough to tackle childhood obesity. To create lasting change, we must also address the social environments, life experiences and emotional scars of early trauma shaping children’s lives.

    Fostering positive experiences is a vital part of this holistic approach. These experiences not only help protect children from the harmful effects of adversity but also promote their overall physical and mental wellbeing. This isn’t just about preventing obesity – it’s about giving children the foundation to thrive and reach their full potential.

    Creating supportive environments for vulnerable children

    Policymakers, schools and families all have a role to play. Community-based programmes, such as after-school activities, healthy relationship initiatives and mental health services should be prioritised to support vulnerable families.

    Trauma-informed care is crucial, particularly for children from disadvantaged households who face higher levels of adversity and fewer positive experiences. Trauma-informed approaches are especially crucial for addressing the effects of domestic violence and other adverse childhood experiences.

    Comprehensive strategies should prioritise both safety and emotional healing by equipping families with tools to create safe, nurturing environments and providing access to mental health services and community support initiatives.

    At the family level, parents can establish stable routines, participate in social networks and engage children in enriching activities. Schools and early-childhood education providers also play a key role in fostering supportive environments that help children build resilience and recover from trauma.

    Policymakers should invest in resources that promote positive experiences across communities, addressing inequalities that leave some children more vulnerable than others. By creating nurturing environments, we can counterbalance the impacts of trauma and help children lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

    When positive experiences outweigh negative ones, children have a far greater chance of thriving – physically, emotionally and socially.

    Ladan Hashemi, Senior Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

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

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  • Experience life lessons with the powerful message of "Make Your Bed" beyond the comfort of a picture.

    Beyond “Make Your Bed”—life lessons from experience

    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.

    Beyond “Make Your Bed”—life lessons from experience

    This is Admiral William H. McRaven, a former United States Navy four-star admiral who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command.

    So, for those of us whose day-to-day lives don’t involve coordinating military operations, what does he have to offer?

    Quick note: 10almonds’ mission statement is “to make health and productivity crazy simple”.

    We tend to focus on the health side of this, and in the category of productivity, it’s often what most benefits our mental health.

    We’re writing less for career-driven technopreneurs in the 25–35 age bracket and more for people with a more holistic view of productivity and “a good life well-lived”.

    So today’s main feature is more in that vein!

    Start each day with an accomplishment

    McRaven famously gave a speech (and wrote a book) that began with the advice, “make your bed”. The idea here doesn’t have to be literal (if you’ll pardon the pun). Indeed, if you’re partnered, then depending on schedules and habits, it could be you can’t (sensibly) make your bed first thing because your partner is still in it. But! What you can do is start the day with an accomplishment—however small. A short exercise routine is a great example!

    Success in life requires teamwork

    We’re none of us an island (except in the bathtub). The point is… Nobody can do everything alone. Self-sufficiency is an illusion. You can make your own coffee, but could you have made the coffee machine, or even the cup? How about, grown the coffee? Transported it? So don’t be afraid to reach out for (and acknowledge!) help from others. Teamwork really does make the dream work.

    It’s what’s inside that counts

    It’s a common trap to fall into, getting caught up the outside appearance of success, rather than what actually matters the most. We need to remember this when it comes to our own choices, as well as assessing what others might bring to the table!

    A setback is only permanent if you let it be

    No, a positive attitude won’t reverse a lifelong degenerative illness, for example. But what we can do, is take life as comes, and press on with the reality, rather than getting caught up in the “should be”.

    Use failure to your advantage

    Learn. That’s all. Learn, and improve.

    Be daring in life

    To borrow from another military force, the SAS has the motto “Who dares, wins”. Caution has it place, but if we’ve made reasonable preparations*, sometimes being bold is the best (or only!) way forward.

    *Meanwhile the Parachute Regiment, from which come 80% of all SAS soldiers, has the motto “Utrinque paratus”, “prepared on all sides”.

    Keep courage close

    This is about not backing down when we know what’s right and we know what we need to do. Life can be scary! But if we don’t overcome our fears, they can become self-realizing.

    Writer’s note: a good example of this is an advice I sometimes gave during my much more exciting (military) life of some decades ago, and it pertains to getting into a knife-fight (top advice for civilians: don’t).

    But, if you’re in one, you need to not be afraid of getting cut.

    Because if you’re not afraid of getting cut, you will probably get cut.

    But if you are afraid of getting cut, you will definitely get cut.

    Hopefully your life doesn’t involve knives outside of the kitchen (mine doesn’t, these days, and I like it), but the lesson applies to other things too.

    Sometimes the only way out is through.

    Be your best at your worst

    Sometimes life is really, really hard. But if we allow those moments to drive us forwards, they’re also a place we can find more strength than we ever knew we had.

    Keep on swimming

    It’s said that the majority in life is about showing up—and often it is. But you have to keep showing up, day after day. So make what you’re doing sustainable for you, and keep on keeping on.

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  • The Exercise That Protects Your Brain

    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.

    The Neuroscientist In The Gym

    This is Dr. Wendy Suzuki. She’s a neuroscientist, and an expert in the neurobiology of memory, as well as neuroplasticity, and the role of exercise in neuroprotection.

    We’ve sneakily semi-featured her before when we shared her Big Think talk:

    Brain Benefits In Three Months… Through Walking?

    Today we’re going to expand on that a little!

    A Quick Recap

    To share the absolute key points of that already fairly streamlined rundown:

    • Exercise boosts levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (and, which wasn’t mentioned there, noradrenaline)
      • These are responsible for motivation, happiness, and focus (amongst other things)
    • Persistent exercise boosts certain regions of the brain in particular, most notably the pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampi*
      • These are responsible for planning and memory (amongst other things)

    Dr. Suzuki advocates for stepping up your exercise routine if you can, with more exercise generally being better than less (unless you have some special medical reason why that’s not the case for you).

    *often referred to in the singular as the hippocampus, but you have one on each side of your brain (unless a serious accident/incident destroyed one, but you’ll know if that applies to you, unless you lost both, in which case you will not remember about it).

    What kind(s) of workout?

    While a varied workout is best for overall health, for these brain benefits specifically, what’s most important is that it raises your heart rate.

    This is why in her Big Think talk we shared before, she talks about the benefits of taking a brisk walk daily. See also:

    Walking, Better

    If that’s not your thing, though (and/or is for whatever reason an inaccessible form of exercise for you), there is almost certainly some kind of High Intensity Interval Training that is a possibility for you. That might sound intimidating, but if you have a bit of floor and can exercise for one minute at a time, then HIIT is an option for you:

    How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)

    Dr. Suzuki herself is an ardent fan of “intenSati” which blends cardio workouts with yoga for holistic mind-and-body fitness. In fact, she loves it so much that she became a certified exercise instructor:

    Wendy Suzuki | IntenSati

    How much is enough?

    It’s natural to want to know the minimum we can do to get results, but Dr. Suzuki would like us to bear in mind that when it comes to our time spent exercising, it’s not so much an expense of time as an investment in time:

    ❝Exercise is something that when you spend time on it, it will buy you time when you start to work❞

    ~ Dr. Wendy Suzuki

    Read more: A Neuroscientist Experimented on Her Students and Found a Powerful Way to Improve Brain Function

    Ok, but we really want to know how much!

    Dr. Suzuki recommends at least three to four 30-minute exercise sessions per week.

    Note: this adds up to less than the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, but high-intensity exercise counts for twice the minutes for these purposes, e.g. 1 minute of high-intensity exercise is worth 2 minutes of moderate exercise.

    How soon will we see benefits?

    Benefits start immediately, but stack up cumulatively with continued long-term exercise:

    ❝My lab showed that a single workout can improve your ability to shift and focus attention, and that focus improvement will last for at least two hours. ❞

    ~ Dr. Wendy Suzuki

    …which is a great start, but what’s more exciting is…

    ❝The more you’re working out, the bigger and stronger your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex gets. Why is that important?

    Because the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus are the two areas that are most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases and normal cognitive decline in aging. ❞

    ~ Dr. Wendy Suzuki

    In other words, while improving your heart rate through regular exercise will help prevent neurodegeneration by the usual mechanism of reducing neuroinflammation… It’ll also build the parts of your brain most susceptible to decline, meaning that when/if decline sets in, it’ll take a lot longer to get to a critical level of degradation, because it had more to start with.

    Read more:

    Inspir Modern Senior Living | Dr. Wendy Suzuki Boosts Brain Health with Exercise

    Want more from Dr. Suzuki?

    You might enjoy her TED talk:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically

    Prefer text? TED.com has a transcript for you

    Prefer lots of text? You might like her book, which we haven’t reviewed yet but will soon:

    Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better – by Dr. Wendy Suzuki

    Enjoy!

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  • Altered Traits – by Dr. Daniel Goleman & Dr. Richard Davidson

    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.

    We know that meditation helps people to relax, but what more than that?This book explores the available science.

    We say “explore the available science”, but it’d be remiss of us not to note that the authors have also expanded the available science, conducting research in their own lab.

    From stress tests and EEGs to attention tests and fMRIs, this book looks at the hard science of what different kinds of meditation do to the brain. Not just in terms of brain state, either, but gradual cumulative anatomical changes, too. Powerful stuff!

    The style is very pop-science in presentation, easily comprehensible to all. Be aware though that this is an “if this, then that” book of science, not a how-to manual. If you want to learn to meditate, this isn’t the book for that.

    Bottom line: if you’d like to understand more about how different kinds of meditation affect the brain differently, this is the book for you.

    Click here to check out Altered Traits, and alter yours!

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  • 10 Lessons For A Healthy Mind & Body

    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.

    Sadia Badiei, food scientist of “Pick Up Limes” culinary fame, has advice in and out of the kitchen:

    Pick up a zest for life

    Here’s what she picked up, and we all can too:

    1. “I can’t do it… yet”: it’s never too late to adopt a growth mindset by adding “yet” to your self-doubt, focusing on progress and the possibility of improvement.
    2. The spotlight effect: people are generally too absorbed in their own lives to focus on you, so don’t worry too much about others’ perceptions.
    3. Nutrition by addition: focus on adding healthier foods to your diet rather than eliminating the less healthy ones to avoid restrictive mindsets. You can still eliminate the less healthy ones if you want to! It just shouldn’t be the primary focus. Focusing on a conceptually negative thing is rarely helpful.
    4. It’s ok to change: embrace change as a sign of growth and evolution, rather than seeing it as a failure or waste of time.
    5. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything: be mindful of how you approach small tasks, regular tasks, boring tasks, unwanted tasks—you can either create a habit of enthusiasm or a habit of suffering (it’s entirely your choice which)
    6. Setting goals for success: set goals based on actions you can control (inputs) rather than outcomes that are uncertain. Less “lose 10 lbs”, and more “eat fiber before starch”, for example.
    7. You probably can’t have it all at once: you can achieve all your dreams, but often not simultaneously; goals and desires unfold in stages over time.
    8. The five-year rule: before adopting a new lifestyle or habit, ask yourself if you can realistically sustain it for five years to ensure it’s not just a short-term fix. If you struggle with this prognostic, look backwards first instead. Which healthy habits have you maintained for decades, and which were you never able to make stick?
    9. Are you afraid or excited?: reframe fear as excitement, as both emotions share similar physical sensations and signify that you care about the outcome.
    10. The voice you hear most: speak kindly to yourself in self-talk to create a softer, more compassionate tone. Your subconscious is always listening, so reinforce healthy rather than unhealthy thought patterns.

    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:

    80-Year-Olds Share Their Biggest Regrets

    Take care!

    Don’t Forget…

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