Best stroke of luck: Physical activity
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke and, according to the American Heart Association, between 10 percent and 15 percent of those happen to folks 18 to 50 years old. In the past 10 years, incidents of stroke in younger people have skyrocketed by 40 percent.
Why? Increasing obesity, high blood pressure, high lousy LDL cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, smoking (or vaping) and lack of physical activity in younger people. For example, obesity affects around 44 percent of those age 40 to 59. And over 60 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the minimum recommended amount of activity; 25 percent aren’t active at all.
That’s why knowing how to best recover from a stroke is increasingly important to millions of Americans. A study published in JAMA Network Open shows that doing four hours of physical activity a week doubles patients’ chances of recovering well by six months after a stroke. It’s
DR. ROIZEN
effective, the researchers say, because physical activity improves recovery at the cellular level — by boosting muscle strength and well-being and reducing the risk of falls, depression, and cardiovascular disease — and at the brain level by increasing brain size and improving functioning and repair processes.
Eating away stress
A poll by the American Psychiatric Association reveals that Americans say that work (70 percent), family stress (68 percent), exercise (65 percent) and social habits (61 percent) have more impact on their mental health than their diet does (58 percent). But I suggest that’s because they can’t see that the deep-fried pork sandwich or sugar-loaded soda they downed is causing changes in their gut biome that make brain neurons misfire, triggering increased anxiety and stress. That’s significant because stress is the number one cause of accelerated aging.
Anti-anxiety foods are those that fight inflammation, don’t cause blood sugar spikes and deliver calming nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are all beneficial since they’re loaded with phytochemicals and fiber. Specifically, magnesium is known to calm — so give it a try by increasing your intake of leafy greens like spinach and kale, as well as nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Zinc is also linked to reduced anxiety. It’s in cashews, blackberries, avocados, pomegranates, and some seeds and nuts. Another study suggests that fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut) may ease symptoms of social anxiety.