Category Archives: Health is Wealth

MCT Oil

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MCT oil is a supplement from coconut and the molecules are smaller than those in most of the fats you eat, absorbed into the bloodstream quickly leading to higher energy level and more.

MCT Oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides) Benefits:

  • Promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria, which strengthens the intestinal barrier.
  • Anti-Inflammatory
  • This oil can promote fat loss by increasing your metabolism, reducing body fat
  • Powerfully reduces appetite

Adding it to your morning cup of coffee, in your salad dressing, smoothies, and other non-cooked foods (it has a low smoke point, so avoid using MCT oil where heat is involved). Do not cook with it. Drizzle it over proteins and vegetables.

For beginners, start with 1 tsp.(4 grams) and scale up to 1 tbsp. (15 grams) per day.

Bulletproof Coffee

✔️ Brew a cup of high-quality coffee
✔️ Add 1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
✔️ Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil
✔️ Blend until frothy and creamy

Benefits:
✔️ Boosts mental clarity and focus
✔️ Sustained energy without the crash
✔️ Helps with weight management
✔️ Enhances cognitive performance

Quality matters! Use top-notch ingredients for maximum nutrients and effects.

Lifestyle Changes to Diet, Sleep, and Exercise—Paired with interventions Like Relaxation Exercises Could Reverse the Aging Process

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A group of mature women lowered their biological age by an average of 5 years in just 8 weeks by lifestyle change consisting of exercise, healthy diet and adequate sleep. 

In the United States, dix in ten adults have at least one chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more [1]. These diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and they put a significant burden on the U.S. healthcare system as well as the society at large [2].

Aging has been identified as a common driver of chronic diseases and an important target for extending Americans’ healthspan [3]. Life expectancy for Americans has increased dramatically, although not all of the years gained are healthy. It has been estimated that if we improve Americans’ collective healthspan by just one year the calculated savings are worth $38 trillion dollars, and if by 10 years those savings jump to $367 trillion dollars [4].

Biological age clocks, based on DNA methylation marks, have become important surrogate markers to assess the effectiveness of interventions at reducing biological age, with the expectation that biological age reductions will compress morbidity and extend mortality [5, 6].

Lifestyle changes to diet, sleep, and exercise—paired with interventions like relaxation exercises and supplements—could reverse the aging process, according to new research.

Six women between the ages of 46 and 65 underwent an eight-week program that included alterations to diet, sleep, and exercise. They were also given relaxation guidance, probiotic and phytonutrient supplements, and nutritional coaching.

Blood tests showed a reduction in biological age of up to 11 years in five of the six women, with the average participant experiencing a 4.6-year decrease, according to the study, published in March in the journal Aging.

References:

  1. About chronic disease. Center for Disease Control. 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm.
  2. Woolf SH, Schoomaker H. Life Expectancy and Mortality Rates in the United States, 1959-2017. JAMA. 2019; 322:1996–2016. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.16932[PubMed]
  3. Kennedy BK, Berger SL, Brunet A, Campisi J, Cuervo AM, Epel ES, Franceschi C, Lithgow GJ, Morimoto RI, Pessin JE, Rando TA, Richardson A, Schadt EE, et al. Geroscience: linking aging to chronic disease. Cell. 2014; 159:709–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.039[PubMed]
  4. Scott AJ, Ellison M, Sinclair DA. The economic value of targeting aging. Nat Aging. 2021; 1:616–23. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00080-0
  5. Bergsma T, Rogaeva E. DNA Methylation Clocks and Their Predictive Capacity for Aging Phenotypes and Healthspan. Neurosci Insights. 2020; 15:2633105520942221. https://doi.org/10.1177/2633105520942221[PubMed]
  6. Belsky DW, Caspi A, Corcoran DL, Sugden K, Poulton R, Arseneault L, Baccarelli A, Chamarti K, Gao X, Hannon E, Harrington HL, Houts R, Kothari M, et al. DunedinPACE, a DNA methylation biomarker of the pace of aging. Elife. 2022; 11:e73420. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.73420 [PubMed]
  7. https://fortune.com/well/2023/05/17/how-to-lower-biological-age-lifestyle-changes-diet-exercise-relaxation-probiotics/
  8. https://www.aging-us.com/article/204602/text

13 Habits Linked to a Long Life

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13 Habits Linked to a Long Life (Backed by Science) from Healthline.com

Eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly may increase your life expectancy. Other factors, like overeating and drinking more than a moderate level of alcohol, may reduce your risk of certain diseases.

Magnesium

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Magnesium helps your body function properly, especially as it pertains to your muscular system, bones, and nervous system.

Magnesium matters.

  • 7 out of 10 Americans are below the Dietary Reference Intake for Magnesium, according to a USDA Agricultural Research Report
  • Sufficient magnesium intake is important in helping to maintain the function of the heart, muscles, and nervous system, support learning and memory performance in aging adults,  absorb and utilize potassium and calcium properly
  • Magnesium is also critical for athletes’ endurance in order to help maintain electrolyte and energy levels.
  • Adults with certain health concerns or who are taking medication may need magnesium supplementation. Magnesium can be found in foods such as green and leafy vegetables, halibut, nuts, such as almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Magnesium is a mineral that’s essential for making proteins and promotes normal nerve cell communication, muscle contraction, and a normal heart rhythm.

It’s estimated that up to 70 percent to 90 percent of the population are magnesium deficient, according to some findings.

This means that the majority of people living in industrialized nations, even many who think they eat a mostly “balanced diet,” are missing out on the many benefits of magnesium. These include its ability to help manage pain, decrease digestive issues and support quality sleep.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and assists with more than 300 bodily reactions that occur constantly. About 50% of magnesium is found in bones, and the other half is divided among cells that make up your tissues and organs.*

A mere 1% of the magnesium in your body circulates in the bloodstream, but that small fraction doesn’t accurately convey magnesium’s importance there, as the body makes maintaining blood magnesium levels a high priority.*

Magnesium is important because it assists in the movement of calcium and potassium across cell membranes, magnesium plays a mighty role in promoting normal nerve cell communication, muscle contraction, and a normal heart rhythm. Magnesium also helps to maintain the strength of cell membranes and bones. Diets that provide recommended levels of magnesium are considered beneficial for bone health.*

Magnesium is an essential mineral that’s very important for many aspects of health, since it’s involved in hundreds of bodily functions, including:

  • Blood pressure regulation
  • Protein synthesis
  • Energy production
  • Blood sugar control
  • Digestive processes like moving stools through the intestine
  • Regulation of heartbeat rhythms
  • Neurotransmitter functions, including those involved in sleep and mood stabilization
  • Balance of nitric oxide in the body
  • Growth and development in babies and children
  • Functions of nerves, muscles and tissue
  • Production of stomach acid

Source: https://www.centrum.com/learn/vitamins-minerals/magnesium/

Positive Beliefs About Aging are Good for Memory Recovery

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From WebMD.com

Older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more likely to recover their function if they feel good about aging, compared to those who have negative emotions about it, a new study from the Yale School of Public Health says.

MCI is a common form of memory loss. Positive beliefs about aging give older people a 30% better chance of recovering normal thinking.

“Researchers also found that these positive beliefs also enabled participants to recover their cognition up to two years earlier than those with negative age beliefs,” Neuroscience News reported. “This cognitive recovery advantage was found regardless of baseline MCI severity.”

More than 1,700 people over age 65 participated in the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open.

“In previous experimental studies with older persons, positive age beliefs reduced stress caused by cognitive challenges, increased self-confidence about cognition, and improved cognitive performance,” study authors wrote. “We therefore hypothesized that older persons with positive age beliefs would be more likely to recover from MCI and would do so sooner compared with individuals with negative age beliefs.”

“Older persons in the positive age-belief group who started the study with normal cognition were less likely to develop MCI over the next 12 years than those in the negative age-belief group, regardless of their baseline age and physical health,” Neuroscience News reported.

“Considering that positive age beliefs can be strengthened, our findings suggest that age-belief interventions at individual and societal levels could increase the number of people who experience cognitive recovery,” the study said.

References:

  1. Jay Croft, “Positive Beliefs About Aging are Good for Memory Recovery”, WebMD.com, April 13, 2023. https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20230413/positive-beliefs-about-aging-are-good-for-memory-recovery

Health: There are No Limits

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“Once you pass the age of fifty, exercise is no longer optional. You have to exercise or get old.” ~ Dr. Henry S. Lodge. M.S., Younger Next Year, pg. 113.

People tend not to exercise because they are tired at the end of the day, But, in reality, people are tired at the end of the day not because they get to much exercise of physical exertion, explains Dr. Henry S. Lodge. M.D., leading NY internist and Columbia Medical School Professor. Instead, people are tired at the end of the day because they do not get enough exercise and as a result, they are not fit.

People are mentally, emotionally and physically drained and exhausted from being sedentary, states Dr. Lodge. Study after steady demonstrates that productivity increases and an individual functions better each day when they are fit. In short, time spent exercising and getting fit is life enhancing and extending.

So, make daily exercise a habit or routine like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. In short, your body craves the body’s chemical reaction resulting from exercise and movement.  So it’s important for you to “Do Something Everyday”.

Start exercising at a level that matches your current level of fitness, Dr. Lodge urges. Start out a level that is hard enough to make you sweat like walking at a brisk pace for twenty to thirty minutes. But, before you get started, check with your medical doctor.

Getting and staying fit is wonderful if you’re healthy, but it’s essential and life saving if you’re not healthy. Your life will improve dramatically once you commit to the habit of regular exercise.

Your long term endurance exercise goal should be to do long and slow aerobic exercise for three hours or more at 60% to 65% of maximum heart rate for three hours without getting exhausted.  You should be able to do something like an all morning bike ride for three hours or more well into your sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties.  You should make a real commitment to do something like that at least once a month

If you can get to the level of three hours or more of endurance exercise and stay there, life will be good, says Chris Crowley, New York Times bestselling co-author of “Younger Next Year”. Crowley recommends that you:

  1. Exercise six days a week for at least 30 minutes for the rest of your life.
  2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.
  3. Do serious strength training, with weights or body weight, two days a week for the rest of your life.
  4. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Quit eating crappy food like refined sugar, refined carbs and processed foods.
  5. Maintain close relationships and social connections.
  6. Get adequate sleep and reduce stress.
  7. Have an attitude of gratitude.  Always be grateful.

“Open heart surgery is hugely popular these days, apparently because so many guys prefer it to learning about aerobic exercise and working out.” ~ Chris Crowley, Younger Next Year, pg. 116.

Crowley believes that it’s possible that Americans, as a society, “can be radically healthier, more energetic, more fit, more optimistic and effective by making modest, behavioral changes. Putting off 70% of today’s aging is a simple matter: Move a lot more!…quit eating crap!…connect with others!, he emphasizes.” The combination of sedentary lifestyle  and the crappy food we eat is wrecking Americans lives and ruining the economy. The nation spends “20% of our national income on health care”. Half of the amount spent on healthcare could be saved “because 50% of our bad health is simply the result of the ridiculous way we eat and live.”

Final thoughts…staying deeply connected with and caring about family and friends and others are essential for healthy aging and longevity. Staying in touch… caring… is hugely important.

References:

  1. Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D., Younger Next Year, Workman Publishing, 2nd Edition, New York, December 24, 2019.
  2. https://www.youngernextyear.com/bios/

“Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart―Until You’re 80 and Beyond” – According to authors Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry S. Lodge, M.D., men 50 or older can become functionally younger every year for the next five to ten years, and continue to live like fifty-year-olds until well into their eighties. To enjoy life and be stronger, healthier, and more alert. To stave off 70% of the normal decay associated with aging (weakness, sore joints, apathy), and to eliminate over 50% of all illness and potential injuries.

Mindset of Building Wealth

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Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation or circumstance. It means that what you believe about yourself impacts your success or failure or happiness or wealth.

Simply, your beliefs shape your mindset. Mindset is a collection of beliefs and thoughts. It is a way of thinking:

“Mindsets are those collection of beliefs and thoughts that make up the mental attitude, inclination, habit or disposition that predetermines a person’s interpretations and responses to events, circumstances and situations.”

According to Stanford psychologist and best selling author Dr. Carol Dweck, your beliefs play a pivotal role in what you want and whether you achieve it. Dweck has found that it is your mindset that plays a significant role in determining achievement and success.

Mindsets can influence how people behave in a wide range of situations in life. For example, as people encounter different situations, their mind triggers a specific mindset that then directly impacts their behavior in that situation.

Your mindset plays a critical role in how you cope with life’s challenges. With a positive growth  mindset, adults are more likely to persevere in the face of setbacks. Instead of throwing in the towel, adults with a positive growth mindset view it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

In short, your mindset not only impacts how you perceive the world around you, but also how you see and believe in yourself and your abilities.

Gratitude Mindset

It’s important to be grateful for everything you have in life. For having a roof over your head, a paying job, a family, a good supply of food and water. Simply, gratitude is the “affirmation of goodness”.

Gratitude is a super power! It has been scientifically proven to be good for your health, your well-being, your building wealth, and your relationships.

Psychology research has demonstrated that practicing gratitude is good for improving your health, your well-being, your building wealth, and your relationships.

We often forget to be thankful for what we have…have a mindset and attitude of gratitude.

If you can be grateful for what you have, you won’t take anything or anyone for granted in your life, and you’ll be wealthier and happier in the long run.

Your mindsets have a lot to do with self-confidence, self-esteem as well as self-development and the desire for self-improvement and being grateful.

References:

  1. https://sourcesofinsight.com/what-is-mindset/
  2. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-mindset-2795025
  3. https://wealthygorilla.com/15-different-types-mindsets-people/

Cacao Flavanol Cognitive Benefits

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Compounds in dark chocolate, called cacao flavanols, have recently been linked with improved cognitive (thinking) skills.

There is a wealth of data supporting the benefits of daily cacao flavanol consumption on cognition, mood, and cardiovascular health. And the majority of the studies come from world-renowned research institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern.

A common thread among most flavanol studies demonstrating positive outcomes is the consumption of between 500mg and 1,000mg of cacao flavanols daily,

In fact, one study published in 2012 showed that daily consumption of cocoa flavanols was associated with improved thinking skills in older adults who did have thinking problems, a condition called mild cognitive impairment, according to Harvard Medical School.

After eight weeks, the study demonstrated that people who consumed medium and high amounts of cacao flavanols every day made significant improvements on tests that measured attention, executive function, and memory.

And studies found that cacao flavanols were associated with reduced blood pressure and improved insulin resistance.

Flavanols in cocoa have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, prevent blood clots, and fight cell damage.

The best way of getting cocoa flavanols is through cacao powder or dark chocolate with at least 80% cocoa that is as natural as possible and has not been processed through the Dutch method, which reduces the content of flavanols. Such cocoa powder or dark chocolate will be bitter.

“The benefits of cacao flavanols on cardiovascular health are well established, and for the general population a daily intake of 200 mg of cacao flavanols is starting to emerge as a potential target within the context of a balanced diet,” says Dr. Alonso-Alonso.

The benefits of cacao flavanols are worth looking into further. The benefits of cocoa flavanols include:

  • Improvement and lowering of systolic and diastolic blood pressure 
  • Lowering of insulin resistance 
  • Improvement in cholesterol and lipid markers
  • Improved cardiovascular function
  • Improve brain health and cognitive function  

To find quality dark chocolate with at least 80% cocoa, follow these tips:

  • Avoid Alkalization or the “Dutch Process” : If this word appears in the ingredient list, avoid that chocolate. Alkalization removes healthy flavonols.
  • 70% Or More Cacao: Cacao beans come from the cacao plant, unlike “cocoa,” the powder made from roasted, husked, and ground cacao seeds.
  • Short Ingredient List: The ideal bar has only 3-4 ingredients—like cacao beans, cocoa butter, sugar, and a natural flavoring.
  • Other Ingredients to Avoid: Hydrogenated oils, Cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), and vegetable oils.

Bottomline, Cacao is rich in antioxidants called flavanols. These antioxidants have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Studies suggest that consuming cacao may help to improve cardiovascular health, protect against sun damage, and even improve cognitive function.

References:

  1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cocoa-sweet-treat-brain-201502057676
  2. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/101/3/538/4569408
  3. https://www.cacultured.com/blog/cacao-the-ultimate-superfood-for-health-and-wellness

Box Breathing

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Box Breathing is a good tool if you’re feeling anxious or highly stressed. It is a very useful technique to help slow down your breathing. It is also a technique used a lot by first responders and even Navy seals to help them remain calm and improve their concentration in order to respond to difficult and stressful situations.

Box Breathing works when you feel stressed or anxious by helping to distract the mind, as it’s focused on the deep breathing and counting, which then in turn helps calm the nervous system, lower your blood pressure and calm the heart, as well as helping you think and behave more clearly and rationally.

May be an image of text that says 'Box breathing Hold for Hd4 4 counts Benefits of box breathing: counts 4 for Inhale 1. Brings balance to your mind and body 2. Regulates your natural rhythm 3. Effective in dealing with stress, anxiety and anger Exhale for 4 counts Hold for 4 counts'

How does it work?

  • Breathe in through your nose for the count of 4
  • Then hold for the count of 4
  • Exhale for the count of 4
  • Again, hold for the count of 4

Repeat as many times as you need to until you begin to feel relaxed and calm.

Breathing properly brings more oxygen to your brain, helps your body and your mind to relax and heal, expands and strengthens your lungs, and calms your nerves. Box Breathing done consistently, first thing in the morning, a few times throughout the day, and right before bed can and will work wonders!

The Wisdom of Steve Jobs

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“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” ~ Steve Jobs

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” ~ Steve Jobs

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” ~ Steve Jobs

Finally…

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” ~ Steve Jobs

“When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” ~ Steve Jobs

References:

  1. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/steve-jobs-quotes