Chronic stress triggers free radical storms Photo by Amie Dawson on Unsplash Our brain is negatively affected by chronic inflammation which is the metabolic imbalance caused by stress, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, or metabolic diseases. The bad news is that as we age our immune defence system becomes weaker, and we are more likely to develop chronic inflammation.
As we age we also exercise less, eat less variety of foods, go outside less often, and socialise less, which all contributes to accelerating chronic stress. The good news is that scientists have recently come to the view (2016) that a nutritional approach to controlling chronic inflammation "opens a new window for healthy brain aging".  Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash Brown fat prolongs our stress responseIt's well known that chronic stress is associated with a shorter and less healthy life. Until now, short-term stress was considered less harmful to health.
Scientists have discovered just how toxic short-term stress can be. It spikes diabetes.  Photo by Raychan on Unsplash If my wife were pregnant, I'd prefer she avoided ketoHigh-Fat Diets are becoming increasingly popular, especially skyrocketing at the beginning of 2018, according to Google Trends. A just-published research paper might take the gloss off their popularity.
 Photo by Erfan Amiri on Unsplash I'm drinking more tea since I learnt thisTea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water and is a major source of dietary flavonoids. Yet surprisingly, the way in which tea supports our health is still unknown (June, 2019). If you don't yet drink enough tea (I don't) then perhaps it is time to take up the habit. Here's why. For centuries, tea has been anecdotally linked to digestive health, and research studies have convincingly associated consumption of black tea with reduced cardiovascular risk. This benefit is attributed to substances called polyphenols, such as catechins. Breakdown of black tea improves our gut biomePolyphenols are also in other (non-black) teas and in orange skin, for example. What's different about the black tea polyphenols (BTP) is that they are heavier molecules and can resist breakdown in our stomach. In other words, BTPs are too large for direct bioavailability for our metabolism - like some fibres which are not readily digestible in our stomach. It takes the power of our colon break down these big boys, and when that happens, other magic happens associated with our gut biome. The microflora in the colon bioconvert the BTP to make the polyphenols available to other parts of our metabolism, and concurrently this breakdown improves gut microbial diversity. Hence, BTPs give us direct benefits associated with polyphenols from their anti-inflammatory and blood pressure-lowering properties. They also give us indirect benefits from the byproducts of breaking down in the gut, such as improvements in platelet and endothelial functions (which may be why black tea benefits diabetics). The interaction between the gut biome and the rest of our body is still far from understood. Humans are superorganisms, and the gut is part of our super-complicated system of how we stay healthy. Some studies suggest that the BTPs are even more effective when they are digested in conjunction with fibre and especially prebiotic fibres as in bananas. Nine reasons to drink tea plus one more for the brainTea's benefits are all great news for tea drinkers because black tea offers such an impressive array of benefits - including:
Also, evidence continues to emerge that tea may act to improve cognitive function. For example, a study showed that green tea increases brain activation in a key area that improves immediate language processing and short-term recall. Other research suggests that tea polyphenols may be useful for the prevention or treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. For smokers, however, it has been found that black tea does not confer many of these benefits. If you smoke, this is one more important reason to quit. How many cups should we drink daily?What we need to know is what "dose" is effective? Some studies have not found beneficial effects, and this has been put down to too low a dose of black tea. We need to know the "physiologically relevant dosage". We are looking for long-term persistent results, not just directly after drinking tea. In a study of dose, two healthy volunteers drank 4 cups of Lipton green tea every day for four days. Tests recorded levels of BTP, and its byproducts which were sufficient to activate the associated benefits. You want to get the most benefits without overdoing the caffeine. Therefore, consider drinking between 3 and 6 cups of tea per day. No sugar of course! Added sugar will do more damage than the benefits of the tea. I mix green and back in the one pot and drink 4 to 5 cups a day. I also cheat a little by emptying a teabag into my oats each night, which I then heat and cool to make them prebiotic. That way I get the fibre as well as the tea BTPs. Good luck. I'm off to have a cup of my mixed tea with lunch. > More posts to help you with EXERCISES > More posts to help you with DIABETES > If you are a @MEDIUM reader my publication Body Age Buster has hundreds of categorised posts which I have written especially for men and women over 50. Follow me on Quora for more health and fitness tips.
If you valued this article >> Follow me Leave a comment >> Share it >> Stay healthy If you have any questions email me and I will get back to you.  Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Swap snacks for these nuts and watch your weight benefitPistachio nuts are often regarded simply as a salty snack - calorie-heavy and salted to tempt you to drink more. That's unfortunate, as there is a lot more to pistachios than just being a great beer snack.
They are one of healthiest nuts that you can eat, along with almonds and walnuts and Brazil nuts. And they can help you better manage your weight.  Image Credit: beafunmum.com Up to 75% of lower extremity amputations are performed on diabeticsWhen it comes to health advice getting too much leads to indecision and inaction - we don't know what's best to do.
For example:
Et cetera. It's confusing, isn't it? I've provided answers to those questions at the end of this post. I’ve had diabetes for 20+ years — I don’t want you to get it too! The focus of this post is to provide you with the answer to this one critical question: Question: What is an easy, reliable way to predict my chance of developing diabetes? _(21600523679).jpg) (Solanum, nightshade, or potato family) » Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal | Image credit: Wikimedia Commons And it will help you make better food choices and lose weightAn ancient treatment may hold the answer to relieving your stress during the pandemic and improve your health afterwards - for the long-term.
Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as Ashwagandha or Indian Ginseng, possesses diverse biological functions. These include reducing anxiety, and reducing weight. That's a beautiful combination.  Photo by Lance Asper on Unsplash How to boost your brain for a better mood and less stressIn these times it is worth sticking with whatever exercise you can consistently do in the circumstances, as exercising regularly is linked to better eating habits. Conversely, a lack of social contact is linked to poorer eating habits and, over time, poor health outcomes.
A 2019 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, looked at 2,680 young adults who were not exercising regularly or dieting. Scientists found that after exercising for several weeks, formerly sedentary study participants were more likely to choose foods like lean meats, fruits and vegetables, while preferences for fried foods, sodas and other unhealthy options decreased.  Photo by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash Improving your heart and vascular health was never so easyI see a lot of people steering clear of foods like oats and dark chocolate -the former because they fear the carbs, and the latter because it isn't packed with sugar.
What if I told you that oats and dark chocolate are two of the more healthy foods that you can eat? I eat them every day, for breakfast. Here's how to combine to two into one tasty and healthy breakfast. Firstly, let's do a quick update on their health benefits. 
Image credit: The Auhor
How I learnt to love walnuts
I have been eating walnuts daily for many years for dietary reasons. But only today, I learnt that they have a positive effect on our fat-burning metabolism.
That's not an excuse to eat more of them, as all nuts are high-calorie snacks. But here's an exciting finding: "Studies show regular nut eaters don't appear to gain weight and that nuts may help with weight loss if they're eaten in an energy-controlled diet." |
ChoicesSince I was diagnosed at 50 with Type 2 diabetes I've been learning how to do bone-building fitness training which lowers my age. You can too. It's your choice. Walter 
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