⭑ 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 my travel card would not open the turnstile, and the train departed without me while I desperately searched for another one :(

I was pleased to see an article about a medical site run by doctors who would check and list their answers to your medical questions - fact-checked, for free - see Item #1.

More than pleased: I was excited to see new research about walnuts, and even more so when I dug deep into the details about how they help our cognitive health - see Item #2.

Sleep keeps popping up as playing such an important role in longevity, and new research shows that it can also predict dementia. Not actually sleep itself, but the type of dreams we have — see Item #3.

Growing your big muscles adds total muscle mass most effectively. This exercise isn't too tough and has proven benefits for your longevity — see Item #4.

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01 Free Trusted Source of Medical Fact Checking

This is an unusual lead article but given the increasing amount of medical misinformation about I thought that this might be valuable news for you.

A paper published in the BMJ Evidence-based Medicine Journal notes the establishment of iHealthFacts - a website where the public can request medical fact checks.

It was established in response to the increased spread of misinformation, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, where an "infodemic" of false health claims emerged.

⇒ The review team includes two "patient representatives" who presumably help translate the medical response into a more digestible form.

You can submit a question here (they assess each question for wider interest so not all questions will get a response): https://ihealthfacts.ie/ask-a-question​

What this means for you: The answers to questions are all available for public viewing, which means this is a trustworthy, free medical resource.

Here is the public page with answers to all the questions: https://ihealthfacts.ie/questions/​

Related: ​​​How Bananas Benefit Your Bones - And Brain​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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02 Walnuts' Benefits Are More Than Skin Deep

This is the kind of research paper I love, especially because I have not been eating many walnuts lately and this paper poked me in the eye - better get back to it !!

Published in Life by Dóra Járai and A. Koller 5 November 2024.

I jumped into it because the research emphasised the benefits for cardiovascular health, as related to the health of our endothelial cells - the inner lining of blood vessels - and thus lower blood pressure and lower risk of heart attacks or strokes.

However, digging deeper, I found something really special. The research points to the beneficial impact of walnuts on various cellular membranes beyond just endothelial cells. This is really striking.

Think of the blood vessels in your brain. Walnuts don't just improve the tone of these blood vessels as they pass though our brain, they pass nutrients through the blood vessel lining and into surrounding cells.

⇒ The research suggests that the bioactive components in walnuts—such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), phenolic compounds, and vitamin E—are integral to the proper functioning of all cellular membranes, including those of mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, and the nucleus.

The Golgi apparatus is the traffic control system for the dispatch of proteins and lipids to the right places in our body, especially for the secretion of immune-related proteins. Our immune system and cognitive health are compromised if it is not functioning well.

What this means for you: For me, it means getting back to eating walnuts every day. I hope that it does for you too. Here's the program:

1. Daily Intake: About 1 ounce (28 grams) of walnuts daily. This portion equates to about 14 walnut halves and provides a beneficial amount of PUFAs and antioxidants without excessive calorie intake.
2. Incorporate into Meals: Add chopped walnuts to your morning oatmeal, salads, or yogurt. They can also be blended into smoothies or used as a topping for roasted vegetables.
3. Smart Snacking: Replace processed snacks with a handful of walnuts. Keep a container of fresh walnuts handy (I do this with almonds).

⇒ Add a half avocado to this daily and I think you'll see the improvement at your next blood test.

Related: ​​​​Holy Mackerel! Researchers Confirm Walnuts Help Your Muscles Stay Stronger ​

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

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03 Dreams & Dementia: Is Your Sleep Telling You Something?

During our lives, we spend about six years dreaming, literally - which equates to about a quarter of the time we sleep.

A recent study found that frequent nightmares may be an early indicator of dementia, especially among older men. The study analysed data from three large U.S. studies involving over 3,200 participants aged between 35 and 79 years:

• Older study participants with weekly nightmares were 4X more likely to experience cognitive decline over the following decade.
• Older men reporting weekly nightmares were 5X more likely to develop dementia compared to men without bad dreams.
• Older women who reported weekly nightmares were 41% more likely to develop dementia compared to women without bad dreams.

⇒ Participants were dementia-free at the start of the study and were followed for an average of nine years for middle-aged individuals and five years for older ones.

What this means for you: It's a little tricky to know what it means for you because the study researchers state that they don't know if the bad dreams potentially accelerate cognitive decline or vice versa.

But since acknowledging and addressing nightmares may not only improve your sleep quality but also potentially slow cognitive deterioration and enhance overall brain health, it's best to talk with your doctor if this is you.

⇒ Bad dreams are a signal which you might want to discuss on your next annual checkup, especially men.

Related: ​Why Walnuts Lower Heart Disease and Help You Sleep Better​​​​​​​​

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04 Squat-Calf Raise Combo - Building The Big Muscles

Our exercise of the week is the ... the squat-calf raise combo.

The squat-calf raise combo exercises our large muscles. It's important to maintain muscle mass as we age because the muscles, as a whole, as an organ, perform essential metabolic functions beyond just supporting our skeleton.

Since we can only grow the muscles we have, targeting the biggest ones will grow the most mass per unit of exercise we put in.

The squat-calf raise combo strengthens your key lower body muscles, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, while improving balance and stability to reduce the risk of falls.

⇒ This exercise also enhances your joint flexibility, boosts bone density, increases functional fitness for daily activities, and can promote cardiovascular health if you do it at a higher rate of repetition.

What this means for you: Add this into your exercise program 3 to 4 times a week.

Start by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as close as possible). Squeeze your glutes and push through your heels to return to a standing position. In a fluid motion from the standing position, rise onto your tiptoes and flex your calf muscles, then lower slowly into the next squat.

​This video is clear and just 37 seconds.

Here's a guide for reps:

• Beginners: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.
• Intermediate/Advanced: Aim for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
• Rest: Allow 30 to 60 seconds of rest between sets.

Tip: Be careful to keep your gaze ahead of you, avoid leaning your upper body forward, and prevent your knees from bowing inward or outward.

Big Tip: SLOW down 5 seconds, push up squeeze glutes hold 5 seconds - this will 2X the value for you.

⇒ You should never be on your toes while performing a squat.

Related: ​How To Go From On-knee to Full Pushups, and Reap The Benefits​​​​​​​​

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

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