Slow Down and Live
Our brain signals when we are full and should stop eating. The message doesn’t come from the stomach but the intestines. If you eat fast, you don’t get the signal to stop eating until after you finish. If you eat slow, the intestines start to fill and give you the message to stop eating. This may be why slower eating is linked with weight loss. Try to be the last one to finish your meal.
Water Pressure
Our blood pressure varies throughout the day, depending on what we are doing. Something as simple as drinking a bottle of water can raise your blood pressure as much as 10 points. This is especially true in older people. This effect lasts more than an hour. And the more water you drink, the more your blood pressure goes up. Don’t stop drinking water, but if you’re wondering why your blood pressure goes up and down, it might be that glass of water.
Sick Brain
When we are sick, we don’t think as clearly. We know that sometimes people in ICU will get frantic or confused. But even a cold or flu can slow down our mental processing. It is likely due to hidden inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to depression. When you are sick, your thinking is not as clear, and your reactions are also slowed---this is important to remember when driving.
Shrinkage
As we age, we shrink. One reason is our muscles, especially our trunk muscle, get weaker, and we don’t stand up as straight. Also, the discs between our back vertebrae get thinner. Even our feet lose their flexibility, and our foot arch flattens. But size matters. It is natural to lose up to three-quarters of an inch in height. If you are losing more, it could be bone loss. Get screened for bone density if you’re over 50 or over 60 for men.
A Little Exercise for Weight Loss
A small amount of exercise can help you lose weight. Extreme amounts of exercise might make you hungrier, and you might even eat more calories than you burn off with exercise. Some simple, daily exercise built into your routine can help you lose weight without making you hungrier.
Bone Broth
Real beef stock or chicken stock is full of essential nutrients. Bone broth or stock contains a lot of easy-to-absorb minerals. They even contain glucosamine and other compounds like collagen that are good for joints. Real broth also has a lot of healthy protein compounds that build the immune system as well as feed the healthy gut bacteria farm. But it has to be the real thing made from simmered bones, just like the old times. Chicken soup is good for the soul and the body.