4MV #210 How exercise boosts weight loss as we age ✔ profound benefits

⭑ Exercising while dieting does much more than help weight loss ✔ New study
⭑ While you can't buy better memory and learning, you can exercise ✔ Here's why
⭑ Almond meal - a sprinkle a day keeps the skin doctor away ✔
⭑ For a better gait and fewer ankle problems, this one exercise will help ✔

Hello,

All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Consciousness isn't.

I'd thought that our consciousness had more similarities between us than differences. As in - we all shared something in common.

I've only just realised that consciousness isn't shared. It is as diverse as every human being. It is tied to our unique sense of self and personal identity and our individual ability to reflect on ourselves and the world around us.

Perhaps consciousness is an aura that resonates, or not, with others?

Wow! Scientists have just identified the direct link between exercise and brain health. Not only better brain health but also how exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells - see item #2.

Exercising while dieting is often downplayed as not helping weight loss. But as we age, exercising while dieting plays an ever more important role in weight loss and metabolic health - see item #1.

01 Why Exercising While Dieting Is More Important As We Age

The article in the Washington Post started with this statement: "It’s long been known that exercise doesn’t help most people lose weight. So why should anyone trying to shed pounds still keep exercising?"

That's a very misleading statement because we know that our metabolism slows as we age. Regular exercise will slow that rate of decline or even reverse it.

If we diet without exercising the rate at which we lose weight will decline over time. Even more so if our body "down-regulates" our metabolism in anticipation of a food shortage triggered by dieting, i.e. if it goes into survival mode.

Exercise helps weight loss. Furthermore, a new study published in the journal Nature Metabolism found "profound metabolic benefits" from exercising while dieting for older adults.

Men and women with obesity and prediabetes who combined exercise with dieting showed twice the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared to those who only dieted.

⇒ Exercising while losing weight gives you the best odds of postponing metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This is because exercise improves visceral fat loss and the fat-burning rate via increased muscle mitochondrial activity.

PS I think the confusion about the lack of clear evidence that exercise assists weight loss is because research often confuses "activity" for exercise. Strolling around the block is a healthy activity but not exercise which will stimulate your metabolism.

What this means for you: Make time for exercise as part of any weight loss regime for both better weight loss and long-term health benefits:

Find activities you enjoy: Choose exercises you enjoy and can stick with them long-term. This will help you stay motivated and maintain a consistent exercise routine.
Include about an hour of moderate aerobic exercise, such as fast treadmill walking twice a week, resistance training once a week, and interval training once a week.
Gradually increase intensity: Start with exercises that match your fitness level and gradually increase the intensity over time. This will help prevent injuries and allow for steady progress.
Stay consistent: Consistency is key.

Doing this will not only help you lose weight but will also improve your entire metabolism.

Related - see this in last week's newsletter: "Our Mighty Mitochondria Found To Maintain Brain Health"

02 Exercise Rejuvenates Learning and Memory

Exercise is a wonder drug, and I'm not just talking about a "runner's high" (which is real and related to endocannabinoid neurochemicals).

Australian scientists have traced the biochemical pathway from exercise to reduced cognitive decline for the first time:

Exercise stimulates an increase in platelet count;
Exerkine CXCL4/Platelet factor 4 or PF4, is released from platelets after exercise;
PF4 stimulates production of new neurons in the hippocampus (the part of your brain important for learning and memory).

The production of new neurons is called neurogenesis.

⇒ Exercise promotes neurogenesis, enhances cognition, and counteracts age-related cognitive decline. Bang! That's a stunning combination.

What this means for you: Exercise is a must to maintain your optimum cognitive health as you age.

What is not yet known is the preferred exercise intensity for optimum neurogenesis. It should be moderate-plus but not strenuous to the point of inducing inflammatory responses, e.g. too many inflammatory cytokines.

If you don’t know what this means, follow the golden rule: start with exercises matching your fitness level and gradually increase the intensity over time.

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

03 Almond Meal Can Reduce The Aging Of Your Skin

Our intestinal tract is home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, and fungi, and is essentially a microbial organ that possesses over 150 times more genes than the human genome. This is known as the "gut biome".

These microbes have genes that help them digest food that our stomach is not able to break down e.g. "dietary fibres". Scientists are still unravelling the connection between our gut biome and our overall health, including our brain health.

What is known is that the gut biome is key to many aspects of our health including immune, metabolic and neurobehavioural traits.

Almond meal passes through our stomach and into the gut, where it has been found to stimulate gut health and promote microflora richness and diversity.

⇒ Recent well-designed and reliable trials have found that almond meal is associated with enhanced cognitive performance, improved heart rate variability under mental stress, and reduced rate of facial skin aging from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) B radiation.

What this means for you: Adding almond meal to your diet is easy:

Sprinkle on top of yogurt or oatmeal for added texture and flavour.
Mix it into smoothies or protein shakes.

If you dislike almond meal, eat the nuts - about 40g or 1.5 oz a day is effective. In this case, even better to add pistachio nuts - another 40g.

I put a teaspoon of almond meal in my breakfast mixture of prebiotic cereals and eat pistachios as nuts in the evening.

04 Step Up And Over - When Lunges Are A Step Too Far

Our exercise of the week is... ankle dorsiflexion.

Why? Doing this ankle dorsiflexion exercise will improve your balance, mobility and range of motion - leading to less likelihood of sprains, strains and tripping.

⇒ It will also help you walk properly and prevent your knee and hip muscles from weakening and consequent imbalance and referred pain, e.g. in your lower back.

What this means for you: Use a suitable strength resistance band to flex your ankle by pulling your toes toward you (dorsiflexion).

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
Secure the band around a chair or table leg, then wrap it around one foot.
Slowly point your toes toward you and return to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 10 flexes on each foot, three days a week.

Ankle Dorsiflexion - Pulling Toes Towards You

Level-up: Grab a side of the band in each hand and repeat the exercise, pulling on the band while slowly flexing your toes away from you in the same pattern as above. This is called ankle flexion and will improve your dynamic stability and reduce gait disorders, e.g. pronation.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you are not yet subscribed to my free exercise app, try now ↓↓↓ Free forever. Opt-out any time. Opt-in by CLICKING HERE PLEASE SEND ME THE EXERCISES. NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED TO SUBSCRIBE ONE TIME.

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@bodyagebuster.com

Walter Adamson @bodyagebuster Helping your live longer better

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Thanks To Magic 3 This Meditation I Learnt in Indonesia Calms Me Before Bed

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Brain Health Is Boosted By Eating Less, Often — Here’s How To Start

How To Find Purpose In Your Life Without Feeling Like You Are Endlessly Chasing Your Tail

As You Age Pistachios Can Help You Sleep Better

All Exercise Improves Your Mood - Five Theories Why And Six Steps To Get Started

The Exact Slow Pace You Must Run and Cycle To Max Fat-Burning

Dizziness And Cataracts - Is There A Link?

Why Using An Electric Toothbrush is Important For Longevity

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