Issue #310: Stave Off Cognitive Decline
Good morning. It’s Thursday, February 29th. Enjoy your Leap Day! I get to wait another day to turn 43.
Stat of the Day
The decrease in the amount of our time spent interacting with people we don’t live with since 2003. We used to spend over 20+% of our time with others - now that’s only 12-14%. (source)
Learn
Being Alone
One of the scariest things is losing our cognitive function.
On Tuesday (Issue #309) we talked about some of the ways to keep your brain sharp - like staying active and doing daily brain puzzles.
One of the other recent studies worth mentioning is the negative association between socialization and gray matter in our brain. People who spend less time with others aren’t as good at processing information.
Again, I want to call out - this is a correlation, not a causation study. But…it’s a big deal.
We’re spending one-third less time socializing. We’re not volunteering at the same rate or joining leagues/clubs like we used to either.
There’s plenty you can read on what this is doing to us as a society - but it’s also probably crushing our brains. Humans evolved as social beings and isolation is making us more pessimistic and more depressed - both of these are associated with faster cognitive decline.
These studies just validate what we already know and feel.
Sure, there are days I really get into the flow state with work - I’m heads-down strategizing, planning, writing, etc.
But the days I’m truly energized…the days when I pick up my kids from school with a bounce in my step…the days when I can’t stop telling my wife about my day - those are days when I’m around other people. And that’s for someone (hand raised) who’s an introvert.
Being social can mean different things.
For me - it’s tough to have a bad day when it starts off with a group of guys and a sunrise walk and talk. It puts the entire rest of the day in better perspective - I always get that healthy reminder that I’m not alone in my challenges as a dad, a founder, or just a human.
But getting these highs can also come from so many different options - working out with other people, simply grabbing a quick coffee with a friend before work, or even a brainstorming session with your team at work.
The time that’s displaced our socialization is time in front of the TV and phone. We spend 5x more time watching TV than we do socializing.
Now you might say most of this is at night and it doesn’t make sense to be out late with friends.
You might not think you’re naturally a morning person (find your chronotype HERE) - it’s not easy for me either.
But the healthiest, happiest, most successful people I know have made the switch from staying up late watching Netflix to going to bed earlier, trading in the screen for a book, and starting their day earlier.
Find (or create) your own crew for those morning walks, workouts, hikes, surf sessions, whatever.
Your brain will thank you.
Try
Get Out There
Connect with someone - in-person every day. I’m not talking about superficial conversations. I mean connect with someone. Ask them a question, be vulnerable, deepen the relationship.
But it can also mean making those trivial encounters - like talking about the weather with someone at work or simply giving your coffee order - and turning those into a more meaningful interaction. We’re given hundreds of opportunities to connect with people everyday - don’t miss out on them.
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Eat
Eggs
Eggs. Are they good, are they bad? Seems like an endless debate with research studies supporting both sides. And we all just want an answer.
Yes. That’s the answer? Yes, they are good.
Why eat eggs
The quality of egg protein (it’s got all the essential amino acids) is so high - scientists tend to use them as the standard for evaluating protein in other foods (and despite recent inflation, they’re cheap 💵 in comparison to other proteins)
Eggs are one of the best sources of choline - an essential nutrient that supports brain and nerve function
A study showed an improvement in muscle protein synthesis rates when eating eggs after resistance training
Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin contribute to eye health by reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts
What about cholesterol
A major concern about eggs is cholesterol. But, dietary cholesterol is very different from blood cholesterol. Finally even the government now agrees that dietary cholesterol is now a substance of “limited concern”
Some data shows that eating eggs can change “bad” (LDL) cholesterol to a less harmful form and also increase the ability of “good” (HDL) cholesterol to perform functions that protect the heart
And a longitudinal study found limited impact to heart disease and stroke
But you need to eat the entire egg, with yolk, to get all the benefits
If you are healthy without restrictions from a medical professional - then you should consider and we’d even recommend, on average, 1-2 eggs per day.
* Remember to check with your healthcare professional to determine your risk of heart disease, diabetes or other conditions
Cook
Thai Coconut Curry Ramen
Enjoy a bowl of exquisite red curry coconut broth ramen, where the rich flavors of shallots, garlic, and ginger meet the creamy goodness of coconut milk, all spiced to perfection with vibrant red curry paste.
This recipe is a winner at Max’s house. Our recipe includes some healthier substitutions: organic ground turkey for pork, olive oil for canola oil - but it still tastes amazing. The coup de grâce? The eggs (maybe you read the last section 😉). Max had never soft-boiled an egg and didn’t include the first few times he ate this with his family - adding them brought everything together. Enjoy!
In the News
Booze and the Microbiome: Curious what your favorite alcoholic drink does to your gut? Heavy drinking - not surprisingly - can contribute to inflammation and disease in our gut. This unhealthy gut may also contribute to alcohol cravings. (NYTimes)
Marry Me?: We’re still getting married - just a little bit later. In 1950, the average age of marriage was 20. In 1980, this increased to 25 for men and 22 for women. Today, the groom is 30 and the bride is 28. But the percent of Americans married or “partnering” is roughly the same as 75 years ago. (Source)
Cubicle Fitness: A 40-hour work week can make it very difficult to fit in healthy habits, let alone 80-hr ones. Many studies have linked working longer hours to decreased health and wellbeing. Check out these tips to increase your health and energy when you can’t get out of the office. (Source)
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.