The Two Worst Things For Cardiac Aging
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What do you think? There are some very reasonable top likely candidates!
Is it ultraprocessed food? It could be, on account of science such as: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and their circulating receptors predict cardiovascular disease mortality in older women
For more on that, see: Are You Eating AGEs?
It it, perhaps, alcohol? There’s a strong argument, as despite the popular myth of the “small glass of red per day”, any amount of alcohol increases mortality risk,, a comprehensive review in “Circulation”, a cardiovascular health journal, has suggested the French Paradox may not be so paradoxical after all, and is likely due to unrelated lifestyle factors, and historic under-reporting of cardiovascular disease by French doctors, and the World Health Organization has declared that the only safe amount of alcohol is zero: WHO: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health
It’s further relevant that alcohol also increases all-cause mortality at any dose (even “low-risk drinking”): Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Mortality Among Older Adults
For more on that, see: Can We Drink To Good Health? ← this is mostly about red wine and heart health
Could it be red meat? Definitely a fair contender. It’s… Bad:
- Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Red Meat Consumption in Comparison With Various Comparison Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
- Associations of Processed Meat or Unprocessed Red Meat Intake With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality
- Potential health hazards of eating red meat
- Red meat consumption, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Red Meat Consumption and its Relationship With Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Pathophysiology and Literature
For more on that, see: The Whys and Hows of Cutting Meats Out Of Your Diet
The very two top worst things
Researchers (Dr. Nazanin Rajai et al.) looked at this very question and found that the two biggest drivers of cardiac aging were…
*drumroll please*
Surprising many, financial strain and food insecurity emerged as the two strongest factors driving accelerated cardiac aging and higher mortality risk, outweighing many traditional clinical risk factors. It was a pretty comprehensive study, a cross-sectional analysis of 280,323 adult patients treated between 2018 and 2023, combining social determinants of health with AI-ECG* data and advanced statistical modeling.
*Dr. Rajai and her team used electrocardiogram technology combined with AI modeling to estimate cardiac age; a higher cardiac age gap means the heart is biologically older than the person**, and thus indicates a greater future cardiovascular risk.
**Notably, “biological age” is often thought of as one thing, but in reality, it’s an amalgam of many things, and different body parts/systems can age differently than others, within the same person’s body. We wrote about this here: Age & Aging: What Can (And Can’t) We Do About It? ← our mythbusting special on this topic
As for the factors that were looked at, this particular study looked at stress, physical activity, social connection, housing instability, financial strain, food insecurity, transportation needs, nutrition, and education.
That said, it’s worth taking into account that the other factors were important too; especially, social factors such as financial strain, housing instability, and physical inactivity predicted mortality risk at levels comparable to—or exceeding—some conventional cardiovascular risk factors.
You can read the paper in full, here: Interplay of Social Determinants of Health and Traditional Risk Factors in Predicting Cardiac Aging
This is consistent with what we wrote about previously, with a list of The Lifestyle Factors That Matter >8 Times More Than Genes
…and upon narrowing it down: 6 Lifestyle Factors To Measurably Reduce Biological Age
…and narrowing it further: Want To Age More Slowly? These 4 Social Factors Count The Most
And in particular, and especially relevant today: Heart Health vs Systemic Stress
As to how to address that? See: The S.T.E.P.S. To A Healthier Heart
Want to learn more?
You might like this book that we reviewed a while back:
Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart – by Dr. Jennifer Mieres
Take care!
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The Disordered Mind – by Dr. Eric Kandel
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We don’t generally include author bios in these reviews, but it’s worth mentioning that Dr. Kandel won the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, for studies related to the topics in this book.
The premise in this book is as per the subtitle: what unusual brains tell us about ourselves. He assumes that the reader has a “usual” brain, but if you don’t, then all is not lost, and in fact he probably talks about your brain in the book too.
Examining the brains of people with conditions ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia to Parkinson’s, or even such common things as depression and anxiety and addiction, tells us a lot about what in our brain (anatomically and physiologically) is responsible for what, and how those things can be thrown out of balance.
By inference, that also tells us how to keep things from being thrown out of balance. Even if the genetic deck is stacked against you, there are still things that can be done to avoid actual disease. After all, famously, “genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger”.
Dr. Kandel writes in a clear and lucid fashion, such that even the lay reader can quite comfortably learn about such things as prion-folding and inhibitory neurons and repressed transcription factors and more.
Bottom line: if you’d like to understand more about what goes wrong and how and why and what it means for your so-far-so-good healthy brain, this is the book for that.
Click here to check out The Disordered Mind, and understand more!
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How Much Can You Transform Your Body In 6 Months?
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Per personal trainer Elisi Wolf, it turns out that the answer is “quite a lot”.
Here’s how:
Get intentional
Wolf says that for her, the biggest body transformation came from following a well-phased, intentional training program, rather than random workouts.
Additional tips include:
- Prioritize progressive overload: many gym-goers sabotage their progress by failing to track and increase their intensity over time. So, don’t fall for that mistake.
- Use activation sets before targeted exercises: for example, performing single-leg Romanian deadlifts before sets like hip thrusts or Bulgarian split squats helps activate glutes and build neural pathways for better “muscle recruitment” during your workouts. On the topic of glutes…
- Focus on pelvic tilt: using a posterior pelvic tilt (like tilting a cup to drink) during glute exercises enhances contraction, especially for upper glute growth.
- Develop those neural pathways before adding weight: start with bodyweight exercises for 5–6 weeks (Yes! Really! That long!) to train the brain to recruit specific muscles before increasing load.
- Mindset matters: shift focus from lifting heavy to quality contractions and targeted muscle activation to control which muscles grow.
- Don’t fear upper body training: training upper body contributes to a toned, lean look and won’t make women bulky provided your hormone levels are healthy.
- Prioritize sustainable eating: enjoy food during vacations and events guilt-free, so long as you have (and follow through on) clear intention to return to your normal healthy routine afterward.
- Eat high protein: high-protein meals increase satiety and reduce cravings, helping maintain consistency and avoid binge-eating, as well as promoting muscle growth (and bear in mind, muscle mass increases one’s metabolic base rate and is the largest driver of one’s metabolism).
- Optimize digestion for aesthetics: aside from the general health considerations of one’s digestive system, bloating can distort physique—eating foods that support digestion can make a big visual difference too.
- “Clean eating” improves motivation: cutting processed foods and eating whole foods feels good and improves mental clarity, energy, and workout drive.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
Check out this trio of articles that’ll keep you on the right path:
- How To Plan For The Unplannable & Always Follow Through
- How To Avoid Slipping Into (Bad) Old Habits
- How To Keep On Keeping On… Long Term!
Take care!
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A Dermatologist’s Guide To Intimate Aging Skin Care
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.
Yes, the vagina is self-cleaning and indeed broadly self-maintaining in all ways, but that doesn’t mean that the vulva doesn’t deserve some love when it comes to skincare. Here’s how:
The first step is: paying close attention
Because often, especially after a certain age, it can go sadly neglected. Here’s what it’s good to know:
Vaginal and vulvar tissues are hormone-responsive (i.e. responding to estrogen and/or testosterone), so hormonal shifts during menopause can cause dryness, thinning, loss of elasticity, irritation, painful sex, infections, and urinary symptoms, collectively called genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).
But, hormonal changes are not the only factor: dryness and itching from reduced collagen and blood flow; shifts in vaginal microbiome increasing infection risk; urinary frequency and bladder control issues; sagging or pale labia; lowered clitoris; thinning or graying pubic hair; benign growths like seborrheic keratosis or melanotic macules; genital warts (re)appearing; and an increased risk of skin cancer in the vulvar area.
This latter is particularly important, as many women don’t examine this area, so issues like skin cancer may go unnoticed. Self-checks with a mirror, followed up by medical evaluation of new spots or growths, can make a big difference to catching a problem early.
While the vaginal microbiome is generally best left to look after itself unless there’s a clear problem, vaginal moisturizers (often hyaluronic acid-based) help with dryness and irritation; lubricants (water, oil, silicone, or hyaluronic acid-based) make sex more comfortable.
For even better results, prescription vaginal estrogen (cream, ring, or tablet) thickens tissues, restores lubrication, and improves suppleness with minimal systemic absorption if that’s something you wanted to avoid for any reason.
For more on all of this, as well as some in-clinic medical options, enjoy;
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Skin Care Down There (Incl. Butt Acne, Hyperpigmentation, & More)
Take care!
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Pinto Beans vs Soybeans – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing pinto beans to soybeans, we picked the soy.
Why?
Both are great, but there’s a clear winner:
In terms of macros, pinto beans have 3x the carbs and slightly more fiber, while soybeans have more than 2x the protein. While we tend to prioritize fiber over protein, the margins of difference involved here make the protein the more relevant consideration in this case, so we call this round a win for soybeans.
In the category of vitamins, pinto beans have more of vitamins B1, B5, B9, and E, while soybeans have more of vitamins B2, B3, B6, C, and K, so that’s already giving soy a marginal here on strength of numbers, and it’s additionally worth noting that the vitamin K difference is by far the biggest, which is another point in soy’s favor.
Looking at minerals, pinto beans are not higher in any minerals, while soybeans have more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, winning overwhelmingly in this category.
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for soy, but by all means do enjoy either or both (unless you have a soy allergy, in which case please stick to the pinto)!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Edamame vs Pinto Beans – Which is Healthier? ← noteworthy as edamame are young green soy beans, and while completely the same plant, have a somewhat different nutrient profile
Enjoy!
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Apricot vs Pear – 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 apricots to pears, we picked the apricots.
Why?
In terms of macros, apricot has 4x protein (but the numbers are still small, so this isn’t as much of a benefit as it sounds), while pears have more fiber and carbs (same ratio of these as apricots, though), so all in all, we’ll call this round a tie.
In the category of vitamins, apricots have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and choline, while pears have (slightly) more vitamin K, giving apricots an 11:1 win here.
Looking at minerals, apricots have more calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc, while pears have (slightly) more copper, giving apricots a 6:1 win in this round.
In other matters, apricots have more polyphenols and also some specific anticancer properties that pears can’t boast, so that’s one more round for apricots.
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for apricots, but by all means enjoy either or both, as diversity is good!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer
Enjoy!
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Legs Feel Weaker? This Is Probably Why
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Dr. Alyssa Kuhn shows us how it doesn’t have to be that way:
Time to step up
This exercise will, by itself, help build/restore the strength necessary for most leg-related tasks, including walking, ascending/descending stairs, lowering yourself to a seat or the floor, and rising from a seat or the floor.
- Beginner lateral step-up: stand sideways to a low step, place your inside foot on top, push through that leg to bring your other foot up, then step back down and repeat while adjusting your stepping foot slightly behind for less knee stress or parallel/in front if comfortable.
- Knee-safest form: if you have existing damage to your knees, a little extra care is needed for this one, so keep your stepping-down foot slightly behind your lead leg, to help keep your knee behind your toes, while taller or more forward positions can increase the knee-bend, and/but can still be fine so long as it feels comfortable.
- Minimum-risk version: step side to side on the floor, widening your step based on your hip mobility and speed to build coordination, endurance, and lateral strength with lower risk (start with this one if for example you have osteoporosis and/or poor balance)
- Intermediate march step-up: step sideways onto the stool with your inside leg, drive up, and lift your opposite knee into a march to challenge your core, balance, and single-leg strength, using light support if needed.
- Advanced weighted step-up: hold weights at your sides or shoulders, step up sideways while pressing through your heel, stay upright without leaning forwards, and increase difficulty with heavier weights or a higher step.
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Struggle to Get Up? The Strength Many People Lose First (Not Your Legs)
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:
- Beginner lateral step-up: stand sideways to a low step, place your inside foot on top, push through that leg to bring your other foot up, then step back down and repeat while adjusting your stepping foot slightly behind for less knee stress or parallel/in front if comfortable.
