⭑ Do you strength-train in the morning? ✔ Research supports your choice
⭑ Nuts help you control your appetite ✔ Along with many other benefits
⭑ More support for strength training improving brain function ✔ New research
⭑ 6-rep Deadlifts ✔ The best "use it or lose it" exercise for seniors

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

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.

Exercise timing, nuts and strength training grabbed my attention this week.

One study found that just 24 weeks of strength training resulted in improved communication and coordination between multiple brain networks - see item #3.

A study on nuts, specifically tree nuts, reinforced why we should make an effort to include them in our daily diet - see item #2.

And one which surprised me - doing strength training in the morning was found to benefit our brain better than doing it after noon - see item #1 below.
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Your podcast of this newsletter is here (15 min).

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01 Exercise Timing For Better Brain Health

I would have never guessed this one.

A groundbreaking study from the Journal of Neurobiology of Aging reveals that morning exercise may have superior cognitive function benefits for us (e.g. older adults).

The research showed a 23% improvement in executive function when exercise was performed before noon. Executive function refers to the cognitive processes involved in planning, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and task management, which generally decline with age.

The study doesn’t claim any direct causative reasons. However, it's known that exercise boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that supports brain plasticity and cognitive function. Morning exercise might optimise BDNF release, leading to better brain health.

As well, exercising in the morning may improve sleep quality, which in turn supports cognitive function. Poor sleep is a known risk factor for cognitive decline. On the other hand, some studies show aerobic exercise in the evening also improves sleep quality.

What this means for you: the bottom line is that whatever time fits best with your lifestyle and helps you keep it up is the best time to exercise.

However, if you are very flexible and open to it, consider shifting your main exercise to the morning, as you have nothing to lose.

⇒ Here's a kicker: other research shows that activities that require simultaneous physical and cognitive effort, such as walking while solving arithmetic problems or balancing on one leg while reciting a poem, significantly boost executive function in older adults. Do this in the morning.

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

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02 Tree Nuts - Not Just Your Ordinary Snack

Tree nuts are often overlooked as simple snacks, usually because people are blindsided by the "calorie count" of nuts. However, a few extra calories from nuts are a lot better for us than fewer calories from industrial foods.

And, in fact, nuts are proven over and over again to help with weight control. Common tree nuts include almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, and chestnuts (excluding peanuts, which are legumes).

⇒ In general, peanuts (not a tree nut) are less beneficial than tree nuts.

Debunking Myths About Nuts:

• Nuts Are Fattening: Although high in fats, regular nut consumption does not contribute to weight gain. Their high fibre content helps us feel full longer, holding our appetite at bay for longer.
• Nuts Are Solely Heart-Healthy: Beyond cardiovascular benefits, nuts also positively influence insulin sensitivity and cognitive function.
• Roasting Nuts Retains Nutritional Value: Roasting can degrade some beneficial compounds. Opting for raw or minimally roasted nuts will deliver you the best metabolic value.

Scientific Insights:

• Cardiovascular Advantages: Walnuts and pistachios have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol while improving HDL cholesterol levels, effectively reducing heart disease risk. The Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts has resulted in a 30% decline in heart-related issues.
• Managing Diabetes: Studies have found that replacing 10-20% of daily caloric intake with nuts can regulate blood sugar levels and decrease HbA1c in Type 2 diabetes patients. Almonds and pistachios, in particular, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce fasting glucose levels in diabetic patients.
• Anti-inflammatory Benefits: Nuts are high in polyphenols that help mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation, which are critical for preventing chronic diseases such as cancer.

Regular nut consumption may slow cellular aging by preserving telomere length - this is still being investigated.

What this means for you: choose your favourite tree nuts and:

• Aim for Daily Servings: Add 1-2 ounces (30-50 grams) of raw or lightly roasted nuts into your daily routine.
• Make Smart Swaps: Instead of unhealthy snacks like chips, reach for a small handful of nuts to satisfy your hunger.
• Diversify Your Choices: Different nuts offer distinct health benefits—walnuts are rich in omega-3s, whereas pistachios support eye health with lutein.
• Choose Unsalted Options: Select unsalted varieties whenever possible to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Making tree nuts a regular part of your diet will help boost your healthspan without adding weight.

Related: ​​​​​​How Many Pistachios Should I Eat For Sleep and When?​​​

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

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03 24 Weeks Resistance Training Boosts Brain Health

This does not surprise me, but having the evidence is helpful.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a condition that raises the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI progress to Alzheimer's at a higher rate than those without MCI. Approximately 10-15% of people with MCI develop Alzheimer's annually, compared to 1-2% of the general population. While not all MCI cases progress, the risk is significantly elevated.

Previous studies have established that physical exercise serves as a protective factor against the progression of dementia in MCI patients.

Our brain is organised into networks, each responsible for specific functions. A recent study investigated how 24 weeks of resistance training led to enhanced functional connectivity in critical brain networks.

⇒ This is important for all us, as it further demonstrates how exercise, in this case strength training, slows progression towards general cognitive impairment.

What this means for you: strength training is an integral part of your path to a better healthspan, for your body and your mind.

Start slowly, get advice, watch reputable Youtube videos such as this Channel and this one, and prioritise exercises like squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, overhead presses and reverse lunges. These engage multiple muscle groups and build your functional strength. Bodyweight exercises are fine also - lunges, squats, push-ups, planks.

⇒ In my opinion, you don’t need bench presses. We already have too many press exercises and not enough pull exercises, which is why you observe so many mid-life crisis gym-goers with awful and badly rounded shoulders.

Level-up: add in more pull exercises, pull-ups, rowing machine, cable machine face pulls, single-arm dumbbell rows.

Related: ​​​​​​​​​Why Using An Electric Toothbrush is Important For Longevity​​​​​​​​​​

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04 Low Reps Strength Training - Deadlift

Our exercise of the week is ... the deadlift.

If you are over 50, the deadlift is a “use it or lose it” exercise.

Deadlifts help maintain functional strength for daily tasks (e.g., lifting, bending), combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and bone density decline, improve your posture/joint stability, boost heart health and metabolism, and enhance your mental resilience—all critical for active, independent aging.

Unlike isolated machine exercises, deadlifts train neuromuscular coordination, teaching your body to work as a unit—a critical capability for maintaining your independence.

What this means for you: In this program, you only need to do 6 reps, 2 times a week. Start by picking a weight with which you can do about 10 reps.

Then follow these steps, or watch this very explanatory video with many good tips.

Do 6 reps. When you feel you could do more than 10 reps with the weight, increase it.

Setup:

Feet inside your shoulders, toes angled out 15–20°. Bar ~2cm ~1" in front of shins, centred over mid-foot. Hands just outside legs on barbell knurling.

Position:

Bend knees until shins touch the bar (do not move the bar). Squeeze back flat: Chest forward, hips back (no lowering hips).

Brace:

Take a deep breath and hold. This is IMPORTANT.

Lift:

Drive through heels, stand tall while dragging the bar up legs. Keep bar in contact with legs throughout.

Lockout:

Finish upright, chest up, shoulders down (standing "at attention").

Lower:

Stay tight; slide bar down legs in a controlled motion. Exhale once bar is on the floor.

Important:

1. Never move the bar during setup.
2. Vertical bar path is critical.
3. Maintain full-body tension and contact with the bar.

PS the idea behind only doing 6 reps is so that you can move to other exercises and complete your exercises program without it taking so long that you start to become discouraged.

Related: ​​​​​Are You Ab-Wheel Rolling To Back Pain? I Was — Not Now​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

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

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