Healthy Living

Your brain needs a certain amount of fat to function properly. Fats provide energy, help the body absorb essential vitamins, and protect nerve cells and connections. But there are good and bad fats, and too much of the wrong kind throws a monkey wrench into the works, speeding the formation of beta-amyloid plaques. Omega-3 is good fat.   According to new research, cold-water fish is the number one brain-healthy food. To survive in the cold water, the fish need a high concentration of fat, which is why they are full of omega-3 fatty acids 🐟 Besides fish, there are lots of yummy ways to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. How do you ensure your brain is getting beneficial omega-3s?   For ideas for prepping your pantry and fresh ways to cook at home, go to Brain-Healthy Home Cooking.

If you're looking to jumpstart your weight loss and improve your overall health, you may want to consider the Only Meat Diet. This diet is based on the premise that by eating only meat, you can lose weight quickly and effectively. And while it may sound too good to be true, there is science to back up the claims. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at how the Only Meat Diet works and provide some tips for successfully following the diet.(1) Why the Only Meat Diet is Effective for Weight Loss.The only meat diet is effective for weight loss because it is a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. When you consume fewer carbohydrates, your body has to burn more fat for energy. This process, known as ketosis, can lead to rapid weight loss. In fact, one study found that people who followed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet lost an average of 11 pounds in 12 weeks .(2) How the Only Meat Diet Works.The only meat diet works by reducing your overall calorie intake while simultaneously i

Do you often feel stressed out thinking about your daily to-do list? Do you get distracted by your thoughts? It’s so easy for us to get caught up in our own heads, and often we don’t even realize we are doing it.   Research studies indicate that regularly practicing meditation and mindfulness can help with focus, stress and overall well-being. Mindfulness is a technique that can lend order to the chaos. It is cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way, and it’s usually easier said than done for most of us! Having a guide of some sort is often very helpful. Mindfulness lets us see our emotions, acknowledge them and move on. This allows us to live more in the present.   Do you practice mindfulness? What tools do you use to become more self-aware and brighten your outlook?   Discover what you can learn in just 15-minutes with the Being Present Challenge. It’s a great starting point for anyone looking to understand their emotions and how they affect you

Not seeing family or friends. Losing your job or watching it transform beyond recognition. Getting a life-threatening disease or fearing you will. Having someone you know pass away.   Psychiatrists consider any of these events — which were especially common during the pandemic — to be potentially traumatic. For some, such high levels of prolonged stress may leave deep and lasting psychological scars, with the most extreme of these effects being post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.   Trauma is an incredibly common yet misunderstood human experience. The good news is that healing from trauma and PTSD is possible. Creating a self-care ritual is an excellent way to deal with the emotional, mental and physical tole of trauma and PTSD. And there are so many ways to incorporate self-care into your routine!   From hiking to meditation, to cooking and eating nutritious foods, there's an abundance of ways to make self-care an enjoyable habit. We all deserve moments of joy and

Kicking a bad habit is about rewiring your brain. Most bad habits are driven by our feelings of anxiety or fear. They serve as a way to distract you from something that feels uncomfortable.   Get inspired to reframe your mindset and develop positive habits! Is there something you've always wanted to try, but just...haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days.   Looking for other ways to engage your brain? Play AARP Staying Sharp games!

Managing your emotions may help you think more clearly and stay centered, so that you can be the person you want to be. Learn about the roots of emotion and the pathways to emotional agility in The Power of Emotions Challenge, one of four challenges in the Staying Sharp® Mental Well-Being Challenge Series. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information.

Resilience means having the ability to rebound from hardship and approach each day with determination that you'll thrive. Resilience comes from within, but you can learn ways to build resilience through practice. Explore the Building Resilience Challenge, one of four challenges in the Staying Sharp(R) Mental Well-Being Challenge Series. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information.

We could all use a little optimism, especially when negative thoughts enter our thinking patterns. Learn more about the ABCDE strategy to help reverse negativity. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information.

Wake up workout 🏋️‍♀️ drink water , and be Happy best tip ever 

Joy doesn't happen by accident. Learn about habits that experts believe may increase happiness — from connecting with others to practicing kindness with The Pursuit of Happiness Challenge. It's one of four challenges in the Staying Sharp(R) Mental Well-Being Challenge Series. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information.

While everyone talks about lowering prescription drug prices, Mark Cuban stepped up and started Cost Plus Drug Co. to be the low-cost provider of prescription drugs. More drugs are being added each month to the list of medications being offered at discount prices. Go to costplusdrugs.com to find out if you can benefit from the low prices being offered.

There are many physical benefits to exercising regularly. Exercise can elevate your mood. It can foster social connections. Regular physical activity also helps fight depression and anxiety.   Get inspired by Dan Buettner as he shares how the world's "Blue Zones," communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age, find the path to long life and health. In his talk, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100.   How do you incorporate exercise into your regular routine?

Have you cut back on how much meat you eat? Are you considering a more plant-based diet? If so, you’re part of a worldwide trend. People in many countries are interested in diets that skip — or at least scale back — meat and other animal products. Read this article to learn some reasons for rethinking a meat-centric diet, including environmental and animal welfare concerns, as well as better health. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health information.

We all know that exercise is good for us, but it’s often hard to fit it into a busy schedule. Just a 30-minute walk can have major health benefits for your brain and body. Taking a walk three times a week has been shown to help improve your brain’s ability to plan, concentrate and regulate emotions. Watch this video for helpful ways to squeeze in a nice brisk walk. Your brain will thank you. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health information.

We all know exercise is good for our health, but that doesn't mean we have to use a yoga mat or exercise ball to get moving. Consider learning a new Latin dance or, if you want something slower, perhaps learn Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese practice, sometimes referred to as “moving meditation". What's your next 'move'? Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on ways to get moving.

Life throws curveballs, such as health crises, natural disasters, and even a global pandemic. It can also mean dealing with a job loss, sickness, or loss of a close friend. Read this blog to learn how building mental resilience can help change your attitude and thought patterns and make it easier to bounce back from life's setbacks. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health information.

Sitting for hours each day is doing your brain and body no favors. Everything from your memory to your muscles to your life span itself is negatively affected by long stretches of inactivity. Read this blog to learn three ways too much couch time may affect your health. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® and take control of your brain health.

From soft jazz to hard rock, discover music’s mental, social and physical benefits with this collection of engaging articles and videos. Take control of your brain health with AARP® Staying Sharp®. Learn More.

Stress produces the hormone cortisol, which can weaken your sex drive. Stress can also lead to headaches, depression, loneliness, fatigue and even, yes, indigestion — all of which dampen desire. Check out this blog to explore three stress-busting options that may improve your sex life. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health tips.

Research shows that twisting your lips into a real smile may help you feel happier in the moment, enjoy tasks that you’re engaged in and feel less stressed. It helps if your smile is an accurate reflection of your mood, but researchers say even a forced smile helps in some situations. What are other things you do to turn a bad day into a good one? Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health information.

Join Stephen Perrine, author of The Whole Body Reset, starting March 30th to answer your questions about diet and exercise as you age. Learn why standard diet and exercise advice stops working for us as we approach midlife—and how simple changes to the way we eat can halt, and even reverse, age-related weight gain and muscle loss. Learn more about this event here.

I'm finding that cutting my calories even a little makes it very difficult for me to sleep at night. Though I feel just a bit hungry during the day, I lay in bed feeling very hungry at night and can't get to sleep. When I eat more, I sleep really well. OTC herbal and/or sleeping meds don't work for me when I'm hungry and I wake up with a bad headache and feel terrible all day. I'm not sure what to do, losing sleep feels very unhealthy. Any suggestions? 

Red light and NIR (near infra red light) therapy for healing and anti-aging  I have just started using it and want to know if anyone else is also, and if they have had any success with it.

Everything tastes better with salt--right? Not so fast! Check out this easy recipe to replace salt with six simple spices, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more recipes with healthy ingredients.

Learn how you can manage age-related weight gain in this live conversation with the authors of AARP’s new book "The Whole Body Reset" when you register for the free AARP Celebrates You! event March 24/26. You can register for the Lose the Weight and Keep the Muscle session 3/25 at 2pm ET by logging into your AARP online account or creating a new one. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information about brain health.