Exercising Now Can Prevent Dementia Later

It's always hard to keep up a solid exercise routine during the holiday season, but I encourage you to stick with it!  Making a little time each day for exercise will benefit you for years to come.  As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

In a short radio interview, Dr. John Higgins, Sports Cardiologist, discusses a recent study published from Wales looking at effects of exercise on prevention of dementia and other cognitive impairments.  The link to the interview is provided at the end of this entry if you would like to listen first hand, but some of the highlights are as follows:

1. 2000 individuals were included in this study; they were between the ages of 25-49, and the study followed them for several years.

2. It was observed whether the participants exercised regularly, did not smoke, had a normal body weight, ate a healthy diet, and consumed alcohol rarely or in moderation.

3. It was found that regular exercise provided the strongest prevention against dementia or cognitive impairments later in life.  Participants followed the typical guidelines set forth through the ACSM of 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

This translates to 20-30 minutes of activity on 5-6 days per week.  Anything that increased the participants' heart rate could be included, and the exercise was cumulative throughout the day.  The bottom line...keep up that exercise routine; it increases blood flow to all your vital organs, including your brain.  This allows for better brain function both now and later.

Exercise in your 20s Wards off Dementia in your 70s

Fruits and Veggies, Good for Your Skin

Did you know that eating well even has benefits for your skin?  Eating fruits and veggies in particular can help delay wrinkle formation and get rid of acne.  They protect the cellular structure of your skin while also keeping it hydrated throughout the year; this becomes most important in Autumn and Winter when our skin dries out the most.

Some specific examples of fruits and veggies that help your skin are:

1. Apples - Vitamin C is found in these bad boys, which helps to firm and tone skin, and protect from signs of aging.  It is also plays a role in protecting against free radicals which cause damage to your skin on the cellular level.

2. Beets - Although possibly not the tastiest vegetable for everyone, beets have an antioxidant called anthocyanins which reduces inflammation and wrinkle formation, and slows down the aging process of the skin.

3. Pumpkin seeds - Eating these helps brighten skin complexion; it is loaded with zinc which is necessary to create new skin cells, protein synthesis, and formation of collagen.

4. Sweet Potatoes - These have Vitamin A, which helps to destroy bacteria that causes acne.  Along with the Vitamin C in these veggies, it helps to heal acne if you already have it.

This certainly gives more truth to the phrase "You are what you eat"!  What you put into your body really does matter, and will show up on the outside.  To read more, here is the full article: Nutritional Fruits, Veggies to Keep Acne at Bay.