⭑ Too hard to understand food labels? ✔ Here's my perfect solution for you All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Hello,Weeks! My apologies; I meant to say "weeks" in the formula last week for how long it will take for someone to notice that you are getting fit or in better shape. I said, "AGE divided by the NUMBER OF TIMES YOU EXERCISE EACH WEEK", but omitted to say that this gives you the number of weeks. For example, you are 50, you start exercising twice a week, it will take 25 weeks. Thanks to you who pointed this out. Today, I am off interstate to Queensland with my daughter, who was invited by West Ham United (the English Premier League club) to join their four-day Australian residential camp. We'll be away for 6 days. You asked about my "300 kettlebell swings" that I mentioned last week. I do this once weekly. See Item #4, where I extol the virtues of single-handed swings, particularly the hand-switch swing. Also, last week, I referred to an article that stated that short breaks reinforce our memory of things we have just learnt. I did some further research and here's what I found — see Item #2. Having further "graded-up" my AI training by passing my certification as a Black Belt Certified AI Enablement Trainer - the culmination of 10 weeks work - I thought I should alert you to the phenomenal power of ChatGPT to help you choose the right food at the supermarket (or anywhere else) — see Item #1 below. // 01 How To Use ChatGPT To Improve Your Food Choices In last week's newsletter and many previous ones, I highlighted the better choices we need to make about avoiding ultra-processed food, such as industrial food. My recommendations usually include a variation of "read the label", and I have provided links to government food safety websites. That's kind of hard. ⇒ ChatGPT can make your life a whole lot easier and potentially a lot healthier. It is dead simple, and I think you'll enjoy it. What this means for you: Here's what to do at the supermarket:
I have cut and pasted ChatGPT's reply verbatim below. You can see that you now have your food safety and ultra-processed food avoidance device in your pocket! The product shown is Massel Chicken-Style Stock Powder, which is typically used to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, and other dishes. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients to consider:
Recommended Alternatives:
In summary, the main concerns with this product are the high sodium content and the presence of processed ingredients like maltodextrin. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, consider using homemade stock or an organic, low-sodium stock powder. -- end of quote -- Voila! ⇒ think of all the other very unique-to-you questions you can now ask and get instant answers while you are in the supermarket aisle! Related: Skipping Breakfast May Make You More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Research // 02 Short Breaks DO Reinforce Our Memory and Learning! Last week, I wrote about how taking short rests after reading or learning something was said to improve retention - "Unlocking Memory Retention Beyond Sleep". It intrigued me, so I researched it, and the evidence is there. It turns out that rest and mindfulness aren’t just about relaxation—they’re essential for enhancing memory consolidation, our brain’s process of stabilising and strengthening new information. Recent studies reveal that quiet rest and mindfulness can boost memory retention, whether you’re a student, professional, or lifelong learner. Understanding these practices can improve your learning and productivity. Here are two research-backed benefits of rest for memory:
Why Mindfulness Works ⇒ When we engage in mindfulness, our brain transitions from an active learning mode to a restful state, which is an essential state essential for consolidating new memories. What this means for you: You don’t need to meditate for hours or schedule lengthy rest periods. Here are some easy ways to apply these insights:
By integrating rest and mindfulness into your day, you’ll not only reduce stress but also strengthen your memory and ability to retain new information. ⇒ To me, this sounds like a good idea - an easy way to help consolidate things as I learn them. Related: Thanks To Magic 3 This Meditation I Learnt in Indonesia Calms Me Before Bed @Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life // 03 The Limitations of BMI and the Importance of Body Composition BMI has been used effectively forever as a simple tool for assessing health risks associated with weight. These days, in our new world of having to anticipate whose feelings may be hurt, BMI has found itself in the firing line. For example, the media quotes athletes who find themselves categorised as obese, while "folks with higher body fat percentages can be deemed healthy". And this, "experts argue that it fails to consider key factors such as muscle mass and fat distribution". Guess what? There is no need for experts to argue their case. It's a simple fact that BMI does not account for muscle mass or fat distribution. BMI is a gross population statistic, and that's all it ever claimed to be. Enter the Body Roundness Index (BRI), a measure of how round or circle-like your body is, but not your weight. Knowing your body shape seems less upsetting than knowing your weight. Adding the BRI to the mix, including the BMI, makes sense because visceral fat—fat stored in our abdominal cavity—poses significant health risks, including insulin resistance and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Unfortunately, proponents of the BRI have ditched the insensitive BMI and shown it the door. ⇒ The BRI is useful but very subjective compared to the BMI - how round are you, for example? BRI, on its own, is more of a fad. The reality is that a well-programmed generative AI (ChatGPT) questionnaire could do better than the BMI and BRI combined, i.e. more precise and accurate, with better diagnostic explanations and reliable personalised recommendations. I could do it myself, and I might do that. What this means for you: Ask your doctor to consider both your BMI and BRI if you are interested in a better diagnosis than one or the other. You might find a polite way to suggest that they get with the times and implement an AI version, which should cost you 10% of the cost for the diagnosis (and then you only pay to have your doctor check the AI recommendations). Related: Measuring Your Waist Will Tell You If You Are On Your Way To Diabetes // 04 What About My 300 Kettlebell Swings - Why? Our exercise of the week is... about my kettlebell swings. Some readers asked about my remark last week that I do 300X kettlebell swings (12 kg, 26 lb) once a week, so I'll break it down. Before I do, as always with kettlebells, my #1 piece of advice is to get professional instruction from the best specialist kettlebell coach you can afford. ⇒ The very dynamic forces that are the reason kettlebells are so effective are the same forces that can swiftly damage your shoulders, lower back and hamstrings unless you have the correct form every time. My 300 swings comprise the following pattern:
I do 7 sets of #2, making 280 swings, plus the 20 at the start, means 300 reps. Why? Kettlebells build tendon strength, balance, lower back strength and grip strength - and more - all in a dynamic high-cardio workout. The hand-switch swing, where the kettlebell is tossed between hands mid-swing, offers unique benefits compared to traditional one-handed and two-handed swings:
What it means for you: Compared to traditional kettlebell swings, the hand-switch kettlebell swing will further improve your coordination, core stability, and grip strength. ⇒ Whether you do standard one-handed swings or hand-switch swings matters less than not doing one-handed kettlebell swings at all. One-handed swings offer materially better benefits for longevity and healthspan. Related: This One Exercise Will Reshape Your Body And Your Brain, If You’re Game 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 '4 Most Valuable' is a weekly newsletter from Walter Adamson. If you like it, please forward to a like-minded soul. Someone forward this to you? You can subscribe from this page. Each of these weekly emails has 4MV in the subject line to help you filter them and search for previous ones. |
"I empower mid-life men and women to make the choice to live as actively and as independently as they can, for as long as they can", Walter Adamson Get access to my weekly research that I don’t share elsewhere. “My wife and I both read your articles each week, and I have to say there is so much confusing data out there, but yours is a great source, well researched, scientific and always relevant.” — Steve Ridgway, subscriber.
⭑ Doing to much too soon will derail your exercise program ✔ Take a step back⭑ Skipping warm-up and cool-down stresses your joints ✔ Allow time⭑ Plateaus are natural, longer when you're older ✔ Learn to love them⭑ Good posture and controlled movements get you the best return on exercise ✔ All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Hello, I trust you're well and staying active. The newsletter is a different format today, just one item, with 10 hints to avoid mistakes that can reduce your gains...
⭑ Maintaining muscle health is one key to healthspan ✔ Three tips⭑ Inflammaging - what is it and how to tame it ✔ Gets worse as we age⭑ You can track your body's capacity to resolve stress ✔ I find it interesting⭑ Healthier back shoulders and biceps with the dumbbell row ✔ All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Hello, I trust you're well and keeping active. Summer's here down under. We’ve had some weird nights with the highest temperature for the day at 5 am! Perhaps that's why my...
⭑ These doctors will fact-check your medical queries ✔ For free⭑ How walnuts improve your brain health and your blood pressure ✔ Research⭑ Regular bad dreams? Talk to your doctor about it, here's why ✔⭑ The squat-calf raise combo is a fabulous muscle builder - not difficult ✔ All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Hello, I trust you're well and keeping active. Ouch! Running for the train last Wednesday I tore my nearly repaired hamstring again - set me back a few months. The irony was that...