Prevent, Reduce Depression Naturally

From eNewsletter 11/13/2024

DID YOU KNOW that there is a way you can combine walking with mindfulness?

Mindful walking is less about the destination and more about bringing awareness to this everyday activity. Like most mindful activities, it can be performed anywhere.

To the mindful, when in a state of appreciation, the experience of early morning sunlight hitting a dirty puddle on a city street is equal to the setting sun in a mountain scene. Rather than the outing to the local store being an annoyance to be hurried through, it becomes a restorative feast of the senses. A walk to the bus stop or taking the dog out, when combined with an appreciation of the here and now, becomes a ready-made mindfulness session.

How Do You Walk Mindfully?

As you walk, pay attention to the sensations of the body. How do your feet feel? How do the other muscles of your body compensate for changes in balance? Note how your arms swing as you walk.

Become more aware of your surroundings, not just practically, but with an open mind, enjoying the immediacy of the sights, sounds, and smells. Open up your senses.

Mindful walking benefits from its simplicity and is most successful when you are in the moment. No tools or equipment are required, only somewhere to walk. And it can easily fit into your daily routine.

To read the rest of today's issue please go to this page.

Your Age With or Without Sugar

From eNewsletter 11/11/2024

DID YOU KNOW that researchers have found a link between following a diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially one without added sugar, and having a younger biological age at the cellular level?

I know you know this, but is always nice to see in a journal like JAMA Network Open. Moreover, the study is one of the first to show a link between added sugar and epigenetic aging, and the first to examine this link in a heterogenous group of midlife women, including black, hispanic, and white.

Finally, they scored the women's diets against a measure they created called the Epigenetic Nutrient Index, which is based on nutrients (not foods) that have been linked to anti-oxidative or anti-inflammatory processes and DNA maintenance and repair. Vitamins A, C, B12 and E, folate, selenium, magnesium, dietary fiber and isoflavones were ranked highest. Moreover, adherence to the Mediterranean diet had the strongest association with lower epigenetic age.

Given this finding that epigenetic patterns can be reversible, the authors suggest that eliminating each 10 grams of added sugar per day is akin to turning back the biological clock by 2.4 months. With the amount of sugar the average American consumes daily, this can amount to a significant reversal of aging!

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Immune System & Your Heart

From eNewsletter 11/6/2024

DID YOU KNOW that vitamin D deficiency early in life is associated with a higher risk of autoimmune diseases?

During childhood, the thymus helps train immune cells to distinguish between the body's own tissues and harmful invaders. Vitamin D deficiency at that stage of life causes the thymus to age more quickly, according to the Science Advances study.

According to a study from Clinical Nutrition, low vitamin D level was negatively associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Maintaining a vitamin D level of approximately 50-60 nmol/L may contribute to longevity.

A study from Nutrition Journal purports that vitamin D supplementation may prevent acute respiratory infections when taken daily at doses up to 1200 IU/day during spring, autumn, or winter.

NOTE: One of the best ways to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is to maintain optimal vitamin D levels. Another effective therapy is to purchase a Light Therapy Lamp and use it daily.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.