⭑ Even decaf coffee improves your brain health ✔ To a point
⭑ Winning food synergies with bananas ✔ My favourites
⭑ Why max muscle counts less than active muscle for longevity ✔
⭑ Rare squat builds your strength and flexibility ✔ At the same time

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

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.

In a complex world I find that exercise helps steady my thinking - as long as I focus on the exercise and not the Youtube that might be playing.

I start my day at the local coffee shop with the 6am grizzly old men, my first coffee of the day. It turns out that this might be doing me more good than I imagined - see item #1.

Food synergies have my attention at the moment, and I love these food combinations which (greatly) boost the nutrient value of bananas - see item #2.

Our muscles aren't just for moving, they are crucial organs for maintaining our overall metabolic health. Quality counts for more than quantity - see item #3.

Then, in item #4, check out this one movement which solves the $64 question from your physiotherapist - is the problem your weak hips flexors or tight hip flexors? This cures both in one shot.
​

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01 Coffee’s Power Isn’t About the Caffeine

Many high-quality studies (including from American Diabetes Association) have found that regular coffee drinkers have about 15-20% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to non-drinkers.

One common finding recently caught my interest. The claim that decaf has similar benefits.

⇒ We think of coffee as caffeine in a cup but the real story is hiding in its plant origins.

Coffee is a major dietary source of antioxidants. Chlorogenic acids and other plant compounds in coffee help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation—two processes linked to aging and chronic disease development in both our brain and body.

What this means for you: A 2017 British Medical Journal study reported the benefits maximised at 3 to 4 cups a day, including the lowest risk of all-cause mortality.

⇒ Less than that, and more, saw the benefits plateauing and even slightly reversing i.e. raising the risk compared to non-drinkers.

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02 Beyond the Pane Di Casa and Banana - Try This

A forever favourite of mine is a thick slice of pane di casa with butter, honey and banana strips on top.
​
A few newsletters back I mentioned my new fascination with food synergies and its potential to dramatically boost the bioavailability of important nutrients for our healthspan.

It had to happen. While contemplating my banana on bread I checked the best food synergies. I was surprised at the potential to boost crucial bioavailability, and also pleased to see my choices were well regarded.

About 10 years ago I started using almond butter instead of butter, and I also started using slightly under-ripe bananas - still with green on the ridges.

Here's what I read: "For a 77-year-old active male, slightly under-ripe bananas (with a little green) are an excellent base because they are rich in resistant starch, lower in sugar than ripe bananas, and beneficial for gut health and glucose stability."

⇒ Then it gave me the three most potent synergistic food combinations designed for longevity, energy metabolism, gut-brain axis, and cardiovascular support:

What this means for you: Enjoy, and boost your healthspan.

1. Bananas (slightly green) + Natural Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter) + Cinnamon
-- Supports steady energy, muscle repair, and glycemic control — key for active aging and reducing sarcopenia risk.

2. Bananas (slightly green) + Greek Yogurt (unsweetened) + Ground Flaxseed
-- Optimises gut health, mitochondrial recovery, and vascular flexibility while reducing systemic inflammation.

3. Bananas (slightly green) + Dark Chocolate (85%+) + Walnuts
-- This combo targets brain perfusion, cardiovascular resilience, and mitochondrial energy efficiency, essential for maintaining vitality.

⇒ Best Timing:

• Morning (PB + cinnamon): Blood sugar stability and calm energy
• Post-workout (yogurt + flax): Recovery and gut-muscle axis
• Evening snack (dark chocolate + walnuts): Neurovascular repair and sleep prep (via magnesium + polyphenols)​​​​

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

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03 Muscles - Where Quality Counts More Than Quantity

We don't think about our muscles as "organs" but the truth is, they’re far more than just body parts that help us move.

Our muscles act as dynamic endocrine organs—meaning they communicate with the rest of our body by releasing important signaling molecules called myokines, especially when we use them.

As we get older, especially past 50, the quality of our muscles—how healthy and efficient their energy-producing mitochondria are, and how well they respond to insulin—plays a vital role in our overall health, energy, and even how we manage inflammation and blood sugar.

⇒ Poor muscle quality, on the other hand, is increasingly linked to metabolic syndrome and reduced vitality, independent of sheer muscle size.

What this means for us: To boost your muscle quality for better metabolism and energy focus on consistently making them work efficiently:

• Sprinkle in 'Movement Snacks': Short bursts of activity (like quick squats between tasks or a brief post-meal walk) throughout your day keep beneficial myokines flowing and muscles metabolically engaged.
• Time Activity with Meals: A short walk or a few light exercises just before or after eating can help your muscles manage blood sugar more effectively.
• Gently Build Endurance: Gradually increase how long you can sustain an activity (like walking at a steady pace) or the number of repetitions for an exercise. This supports your muscle cells' energy factories (mitochondria).

⇒ Taking care of your muscles isn’t just about staying strong or looking fit; it’s a key part of supporting your metabolism and living well as you age - even if they aren't massively large.​​​​​​​​​​​​

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04 A Rare Squat To Hip Freedom And Low Stiffness

This week's exercise is... the Prying Squat. Not a well known exercise that's for sure.

The secret of the "prying" squat is that it stretches our hip flexors while building strength. This solves your physiotherapists dilemma of whether your hip pain, difficulty in climbing stairs or getting up from the lounge, or running, is the result of weak or tight hip flexors or both.

⇒ The prying squat reduces your hip and groin tightness by lengthening stiff hip flexors and improving mobility, while strengthening weak muscles to ease daily movements like standing and climbing stairs. It also enhances joint stability and improves your gait. It also mimics the deep hip flexion needed for standing up from a chair or climbing stairs.

What this means for you: This means less hip stiffness, easier movement, and better balance—helping you walk, climb stairs, and stand up with less pain over time.

Watch this 31 second video and take careful note of the technique.

In short: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out, lower into a deep squat while keeping heels down (use support if needed), use your elbows to push knees outward and open the hips, then gently pry by shifting side-to-side or forward-back to increase mobility, holding for 20–60 seconds while focusing on deep breathing.

If you are up to the full power version Goblet Prying Squat then watch this video by StrongFirst Certified Instructors Pavel „Sinister“ Macek and Justyna Macková. This is next level - you can feel the benefits just by watching !​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

>> 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@walteradamson.com

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