10 Tips to Start 2020 Living Incredibly

It’s a new year and a new decade - what better way to kick start that healthy living plan you’ve been thinking about for months. To help, we’ve put together 10 tips for you to have an incredible start. 1. Get more sleep According to the National Sleep Foundation, younger adults (18-64) are recommended an average of 7-9 hours each night. Older adults (65+) have a recommended sleep range of 7-8 hours. The National Sleep Foundation also provides the following sleep tips, which can help you make sleep a priority in 2020: •Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends. •Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. •Exercise daily. •Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light. •Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. •Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like alcohol and caffeine. •Turn off electronics before bed. 2. Drink more water Water is over 60% of the weight of the human body. The risks of dehydration can carry both short term and long term side effects. But how much water should you be drinking each day? According to the Mayo Clinic, an adequate daily fluid intake is: •About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men •About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women These recommendations vary based on weight and activity. The Mayo Clinic also offers the following tips for staying hydrated: •Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal. •Drink water before, during and after exercise. •Drink water if you're feeling hungry. Thirst is often confused with hunger. •Are you thirsty yet? 3. Listen to your body It’s SO easy to ignore that aching shoulder, or creaky knee. But make a vow in 2020 to stop! Solutions are out there, and there’s no reason to not be enjoying your workout because your body isn’t cooperating. See your chiropractor or your PT, try a joint supplement, try a knee brace or elbow sleeve. This is a great place to start. 4. Be active 20 minutes each day For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines: Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Greater amounts of exercise will provide even greater health benefits, but even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions. 5. Go on more vacations Less vacations = more work = more stress. Neuroscientists have found that too much stress can actually alter your brain structure, contributing to depression and anxiety. For 2020, promise yourself just a little bit more time off. In doing so, you can improve your productivity, focus, sex life, relationship and sleep quality. Health benefits also include reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity and preventing illness. 6. Recover Taking time off to recover properly is important to keep yourself at your best. Whether it’s working through a muscle ache or sprain, or just catching up on sleep, building recovery time into your program will help you: •Prevent overtraining •Repair, rebuild and strengthen muscles •Adapt to training stress •Reduce inflammation Don’t forget to ask your chiropractor for recommendations. 7. Eat More Greens Eating greens aren’t just low in calories, but they’re packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Some even have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Chowing down on a varied selection can also reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and cognitive decline. In general, the darker the green the healthier they are. Here are our 5 favorites: •Sprouting broccoli •Spinach •Kale •Collards •Brussel Sprouts 8. Stretch more Stretching isn’t always the most exciting, but its benefits pay off tenfold. Taking just a few minutes to stretch can help improve muscle tone, flexibility and reduce the likelihood of injury. 9. Make a Bucket List (and tick some off!) Life happens quickly. Make the most of it and help make some of your dreams a reality by writing them down in a bucket list style. Not only does it get your brain thinking and give you something to strive for, it’s also great for your mental health and creativity knowing you have something to work for and look forward to. 10. Take steps to live pain free Pain can be a deterrent to living a healthy, active lifestyle. If you or someone you know is struggling to manage pain, consider natural alternatives to prescription medications and surgery. At Beck – Thibodeau Chiropractic, we believe that pain relief can be a reality. We help patients reduce pain every day. Share this with friends and family .... and have a Happy, Healthy New Year. Source: austin medical, 1/14/20.

10 Healthy Habits For 2020

Youthfulness, vitality and a long, prosperous life have been sought after throughout human history. And now, it seems scientists may have discovered one of the keys to turning back the hands of time. Researchers from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University have made a breakthrough discovery in plant DNA that could lead to stopping cancer cold and slowing the aging process. The research involves telomerase, an enzyme that produces the DNA of telomeres, which have been shown to play a role in the aging process. As your telomeres lengthen, they protect your cells from aging. Centenarians Share Their Secrets There are a number of things you can do now to improve your health span, according to one of the co-authors. In interviews and surveys with centenarians, certain themes came up time and time again when they explained why they've lived so long. The 10 most common reasons they gave for their long lives were: 1. Keeping a positive attitude 2. Eating good food 3. Participating in moderate exercise like walking, gardening swimming, etc. 4. Living clean (not smoking or drinking excessively) 5. Living independently 6. Having family to interact with 7. Having a circle of friends 8. Being born with "good" genes 9. Having faith/spirituality 10. Staying mentally active and continually learning Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the U.S population, with numbers doubling every decade; by the year 2050, the number of people who will have reached the century mark is expected to pass 1 million. Centenarians have 60% lower rates of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, yet scientific explanations for their health and longevity remain elusive. As a group, they are happy and optimistic and have extremely low rates of depression and other psychiatric problems, suggesting you may live longer by maintaining the right attitude. Hopefulness and Positivity Affect the Heart There are compelling links between cardiac health and mental health. For example, having untreated depression or anxiety disorder increases your odds of having a heart attack or developing heart disease. Stress hormones are again a primary culprit. According to Julia Boehm, author of earlier Harvard studies looking at optimism and cardiovascular disease (CVD): "The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive. We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of CVD regardless of such factors as a person's age, economic status, smoking or body weight." With a later study, author Eric Kim told The Harvard Gazette: "While most health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference. Our new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges." The Significance of Sound Sleep Getting adequate sleep is an important part of both mental and physical health. Too much or too little can lead to metabolic issues, as well as changes in mood and your ability to focus. Your circadian rhythm, which affects your sleep/wake cycle, holds implications for your brain, body temperature, hormones and cell regeneration among other things. "Irregular rhythms have been linked to various chronic health conditions, such as sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder," say scientists from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Italian researchers found that deletion of a specific gene related to aging also affects glucose homeostasis. According to their article, published in the journal Glia, "Disruption of the circadian cycle is strongly associated with metabolic imbalance and reduced longevity in humans." Telomeres and telomerase activity are also controlled by your circadian rhythm, making proper sleep an important part of longevity. In a 2007 study involving 21,268 adult twins, Finnish researchers found that adults who slept more than eight hours per night, or less than seven, showed increased risk of death. Of course, the quality of your sleep is also important, not just the quantity. Good quality sleep, in the appropriate amount, can improve how you think and adapt to the demands on your time and changes throughout your day. There is evidence suggesting that a calm mind and active body are two important ingredients for longevity. The meditative technique known as "mindfulness" has even been shown to have a beneficial effect on genetic expression. According to a 2018 article in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, meditation has also been found to affect the enzyme telomerase, which some researchers believe is actively involved with the process of aging. After Resting, Be Sure to Refuel Additionally, there are many other strategies you can implement to improve your health and extend your life span. To live longer, you need to counteract the progressive loss of muscle mass by increasing your protein intake as you age. The elderly, bodybuilders and endurance athletes typically have higher than normal protein requirements. It's also important to cycle high and low protein intake. Ideally, combine protein restriction with time-restricted eating, followed by increased protein intake on strength training days. Fasting 16 to 20 hours each day is likely ideal, as this allows your body to more thoroughly deplete the glycogen stores in your liver. Benefits of fasting include the suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the activation of autophagy, both of which play decisive roles in disease prevention and longevity. You'd also be wise to avoid eating two to three hours before bed, as late-night eating will decrease your nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) level, which is crucial for health and longevity. Late-night eating will also make you pack on unwanted pounds, as the excess calories will not be burned but stored as fat. Preventing Cognitive Decline Naturally, if you're going to live longer, you'll want to be healthy for the remainder, and that includes maintaining your cognitive function. Specific nutrients that can help prevent dementia and cognitive decline include vitamin D, DHA, folate and magnesium. Additional nutrients of notable interest, which are readily available in supplement form, include: •Astaxanthin — Commonly called "king of the carotenoids," is a potent anti-inflammatory from specific types of microalgae and may be useful for treating joint and muscle pain. It also supports healthy vision and can be used as an "internal sunscreen." •Ergothioneine — Found in porcini mushrooms, ergothioneine appears to play a specific role in protecting your DNA from oxidative damage. Along with glutathione, it may offer protection against age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease. •PQQ — Particularly important for the health and protection of your mitochondria, PQQ has been shown to help protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. It also works synergistically with CoQ10, producing better results than when either one is used alone. Celery, parsley and kiwi are dietary sources of PQQ. Kick the Chemicals to the Curb There is also the issue of toxic exposures, which can take a toll on your health, so avoiding toxins is a given, right along with eating a wholesome diet of organic, unprocessed foods. This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides and insecticides. A group of scientists from Southeast University and Changzhou People's Hospital in China recently published a study about the role of plastics in our environment and how long-term exposure affects our health. They found that high concentrations of nanoplastic particles reduced the life span of roundworms. They believe that different levels of exposure may have effects on locomotion and immune response, indicating that nanopolystyrene is likely toxic to all types of organisms. "Our results highlight the potential of long-term nanopolystyrene exposure in reducing longevity and in affecting health state during the aging process in environmental organisms," they wrote. Source: mercola, 1/3/20.