Coffee drinkers may have a reduced risk of heart failure according to the latest research… as long as it’s caffeinated. The American Heart Association published the results showing that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk for heart failure – with the exception of decaf drinkers.
Prior to this research, people thought that coffee may not be great for the heart because its sometimes associated with palpitations or high blood pressure. So if you drink between 1-3 cups of caffeinated coffee, then you may be benefitting from this. But if you are not a regular coffee drinker, there is not enough evidence to suggest that if you increase your coffee consumption, that you would reduce your heart disease risk as much stopping smoking, losing weight, or exercising. This means the most high-impact action for someone wanting to minimize heart disease is to stop smoking, or lose weight or exercise regularly.
I’ve been Libby-ing (an app that reads you library books) Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s book, Keep Sharp- Build a better Brain at any age. And I’ve been thinking about the nutrition that helps fuel the brain. If we provide all that an organ needs, it serves as optimal fuel for optimal function, right?
So what fuel does our brain need for optimal memory and focus? And how does that translate into ideal foods for us to eat? I have to admit I don’t eat all these things, but understand the value of the basic nutrition in boosting brain function:
The first question about optimal fuel has to do with the brain and its composition. It’s 60% fat – so healthy sources of omega-3 fatty acids (the anti-inflammatory promoting fat) are a great idea! Caffeine shows positive effects on the brain, and antioxidants are helpful in neutralizing damage from free radicals. Vitamin C is key in preventing mental decline so that’s a powerful antioxidant to consume daily – it may even help protect against depression, anxiety, or Alzheimer’s disease. Also vitamins B6 and B12 help with regulating mood and memory.
The second question about which foods is listed here:
Fatty Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but if you don’t eat fist, then look to pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax seeds, spirulina, edamame, and beans.
Caffeinated Coffee or green tea may sharpen your focus and increase alertness. The combination of the caffeine and antioxidants are astounding. Just ensure that you don’t sugar up that brain boosting beverage. Sugar is not helpful to the brain.
Dark Chocolate also contains both caffeine and antioxidants. Studies show this is also useful with mental tasks and mood boosting.
Berries, especially blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
Turmeric or Curcumin (active ingredient in turmeric) has brain boosting aspects specifically with memory, mood, and cell growth.
Oranges are known for good vitamin C nourishment, and there are many more fruits that can provide it too.
Eggs are a good source of vitamins B6 and B12 which can support optimal brain function too.
If you are looking for help with creating an optimal meal plan for brain boosting, contact your local nutritional therapist or give me a quick email and we can talk more about how nutrition can help you be the best you! I look forward to your call!
A reported 5 million people have some form of lupus, an autoimmune condition causing pain, fatigue, hair loss, and cognitive & physical issues affecting every facet of daily life. One of the challenges for lupus sufferers is time spent in the sun creates inflammation on the skin as well as rashes for some folks.
In summers, many people avoid being outdoors during the hottest and fiercest sun of the day. Lupus sufferers MUST avoid the sunniest part of outdoor life. While this may seem logical, a study has shown that Lupus sufferers can use a sunscreen (UV protection) to lessen their usual inflammatory response in the sun. It can also reduce tissue/skin lesion damage – so win/win right?
The thing with sunscreens is that it only works if it’s still on! So read your sunscreen instructions, and ensure you REAPPLY when you need to. Some people prefer to lather up with a crème lotion version and then reapply with a spray. When reapplying ensure that your skin is glistening with it. Remember to use more than 35 SPF, and use waterproof if you are in the water.
Our brains have the capacity to continually improve regardless of age or deterioration. The following highlights some of the best strategies to improve your brain health:
Use it so you don’t lose it. Find new brainy activities to stimulate new connections between nerve cells. Learn a new language, do daily crosswords or jigsaw puzzles.
Shake it. Get moving by increasing the number of minutes you move or adding new ways you can move that body. Cardio activity allows the brain to be more efficient and “plastic” which means how it can adapt. While movement is so important, we must ensure that the head is protected – especially during contact sports.
Clean eating. Improving your diet impacts brain function. Studies show that eating more of a Mediterranean diet, focused on fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and plant-based proteins is most beneficial to the brain.
Relax. High blood pressure is associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline, so chill. Take deep breaths, and pamper yourself with something relaxing. This may also reduce the anxiety and depression tendencies which can lead to poorer cognitive function.
Be sweet enough. Diabetes can be a risk factor for dementia. So with clean eating, reduce the amount of processed sugars because you are already sweet enough…right?
Lower cholesterol. More focus is placed on plant-based proteins which can nourish those muscles yet keep the cholesterol intake very low. This helps since higher LDL cholesterol is associated with dementia.
Baby Aspirin. Check with your doctor, because this item is controversial and dependent upon your bio-individual health. Taking a baby aspirin may reduce the risk of dementia, so get the guidelines from your doc.
Don’t smoke. Avoid tobacco. (sweet, simple, concise, & no confusion on this message!)
Minimize alcohol. Excessive alcohol is a major risk of dementia. Limit yourself to 1-2 drinks/day.
Socialize. Now that people have more information and control over covid19 transmission, take the necessary precautions and LIVE life. That means meeting with other friends and family and networking with others again face to face. It’s time to feel normal again.
Many of us are dealing with an extra 10lb which came from covid19 differences. Where did those additional pounds land? Has your waistline expanded? Latest surveys show that the pandemic brought about an extra 1.5lb per month during the last year.
I bring this awareness to you to let you know that you are not alone. AND to let you know it’s time to take action. Stop the influx of weight gain, and begin making healthy eating and moving choices to begin reducing those unwanted pounds. If your waistline expanded, it’s time to tap into resources to determine how you can do reduce it. The healthiest ways gradually decrease extra calories and increase physical activity – a few extra minutes of walking each day and a few less spoons of empty calories.
Slow and steady is the key. If you want to work with a coach focused on weight loss through clean eating and gradual movement increases, my team has 2 great movement professionals that would love to guide you … just send me an email to get started on more information!
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