Newsletter: Cognitive Decline Is Not An Unavoidable Consequence Of Aging

Photo by Joshua Rao on Unsplash

Plus, can drinking apple cider vinegar help you lose weight

[Copy of my weekly newsletter] Here are my hand-picked 4 Most Valuable pieces of content that I found this week, to help you live longer better.

These four topics stood out to me (click the links in the body below):

1. Apple cider vinegar - does it really help weight loss?
2. How cognitive fitness makes it less likely that you will fall
3. The most powerful antioxidant has a clean bill of health
4. What to eat to give you more glowing skin

1. Can Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar Before Bed Help You Lose Weight?​

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been touted as a natural cure for just about everything. I've been taking it daily for 25 years.

The truth is, I once met an old man who told me he'd been taking it for decades. I just intuitively thought "good idea!". I had no factual basis.

The article explains research and conclusions about the benefits of taking ACV for your waistline. The studies are not conclusive, but some studies showed that ACV lowered visceral fat and improved cholesterol quality.

Action: Read the article, and if you decide to try remember to brush your teeth immediately after drinking ACV - it's not good for your enamel. I believe claims that ACV lowers triglyceride and total cholesterol levels - mine are very good. I mix ACV with a chopped half-avocado plus tumeric as a daily ritual.

2. The Role of Our Minds in the Avoidance of Falls (Harvard Health 2020)

Cognitive decline is not an unavoidable consequence of aging, says Harvard Health. On the other hand, older adults who are cognitively impaired are more than two times as likely to fall compared to those who are cognitively intact.

The basic requirement to mitigate falls is to maintain your skeletal muscle, and then add muscular endurance, balance and cognitive skills. Balance and reaction requires strong responsive muscles of the trunk, hips, legs, ankles and feet and responsive neurological pathways.

Action: Maintain your muscular mass, strength and endurance with regular exercise - particularly full body exercises. These include the basics such as planks, pushups, squats, glute-bridges, bent-over rows and use of resistance bands. Don't sit on the gym machines - they atrophy your brain and balance. Add in mind-body activities such as dance, yoga, running to activate your physical and mental coordination.

3. 5 Reasons to Take Astaxanthin Every Day​

Astaxanthin has been dubbed "king of the carotenoids". It's the stuff that turns salmon flesh pink. Over the last decade it has been promoted, and researched, and the results seem positive.

A 2014 article in Marine Drugs concluded that Astaxanthin was safe, with no side effects if consumed with food, and validated many of the health claims. A 2018 paper in Nutrients agreed that there was mounting evidence about Astaxanthin's nutraceutical benefits for the skin.

Its key benefits derive from it being a powerful anti-inflammatory. It provides pain relief and wards off fatigue. It also supports eye health and skin health. It is also a very powerful anti-oxidant 6000X more powerful than Vitamin C and 800X more than CoQ10.

Action: Take a look at the article, it is a 4 minute read. I bought 6 months supply, to check it out. It's soluble in fish oil, so buying those together is an option. Dose size seems to vary from 4 to 12milligrams, with studies showing that higher doses improve anti-inflammatory benefits.

4. 10 Zinc & Selenium-rich Foods You Should Eat More Regularly For Glowing Skin​

I noticed this article because I eat walnuts and brazil nuts daily. I also like to eat salmon regularly for the healthy fats.
Zinc and selenium are the "super skin minerals". They support our skin's clarity and firmness, and protect against the damage of oxidants.

Eating brazil nuts, salmon, chicken and peas will provide you with selenium. Beef, egg yolks, and dark chocolate will top up your zinc.

Action: Read the article and pick your favorite foods from the list of 10 and add them into your normal diet.

That's it for this week.

​PS Optimism is important but it is not the choice between it and pessimism that will help you succeed. My article on Medium explains why.

Three popular posts from our blog ...

How to go from on-knee to full pushups, and reap the benefits​
​Knowing your METS will help you stick with your exercise resolution for longer​
​Fun training challenges you can do with your kids in the park. Here's 6 to try​

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