Walk off memory loss!
Been told your blood pressure numbers are starting to creep up? Noticed your memory is getting a little spotty? Is your blood sugar a bit high? Not to worry! Scientists have pinpointed easy, all-natural ways to reverse these pre-conditions, so you can enj
1 Thicken your bones with olive oil!
If routine tests reveal your bones are thinning, doing weight-bearing exercises like climbing stairs helps prevent fractures and osteoporosis. So will cooking with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)! ✤ It works! Regularly consuming EVOO cuts your risk of bone fractures 51%, reports the journal Clinical Nutrition. EVOO’S antioxidants slow the breakdown of existing bone and trigger the growth of new bone cells.
And drink tea!
Tea drinkers have thicker bones, reveal 16 studies. Tea compounds protect bone from wear and up collagen production!
2 Lower your blood pressure with whey smoothies!
Got prehypertension? (Your top number is between 120 and 139, or the bottom number is between 80 and 89.) Cut back on salt and stress, and have 1 tsp. of whey protein powder a day. Studies show it helps normalize BP in as little as eight weeks! ✤ It works! Whey compounds widen blood vessels much the way that Ace-inhibitor drugs do, by improving blood flow, which reduces pressure!
And take Pycnogenol!
A daily 150-mg. dose of this pine-tree extract can cure mildly elevated blood pressure within 12 weeks, reports the journal International Angiology. Antioxidants in Pycnogenol bolster the strength, elasticity and function of blood vessels. One option: Swanson Ultra Super Strength Pycnogenol, $27.99, Swansonvitamins.com.
3 Outsmart Type 2 diabetes with guacamole!
Even if you have several risk factors, new research reveals just cutting back 5% on foods high in saturated fats and carbs (such as donuts and French fries) in favor of foods high in healthy monounsaturated fats (such as avocados, nuts, seeds and fish) reduces your Type 2 diabetes risk 22%! And the more you do it, the more you benefit! ✤ It works! Consuming monounsaturated fats helps control blood sugar, lessening insulin resistance and fighting abdominal fat, the kind strongly linked with prediabetes and diabetes.
And take vitamin D!
Women who took 420 IU of vitamin D-3 daily had better insulin sensitivity and lower blood-sugar levels within 12 months, reports the journal Nutrition Research. D helps manage your hypothalamus, which plays a key role in regulating glucose and your body’s response to insulin.
4 Avoid arthritis with your watch!
Feel aches or hear your joints cracking and worry that painful osteoarthritis is just around the corner? Research reveals an easy, effective way to nip “pre-osteoarthritis” in the bud: Eat, exercise and go to sleep at the same times every day! ✤ It works! “Clocks” in cartilage cells can get out of sync if you don’t follow a schedule—which then can activate genes that up the risk of the damage behind osteoarthritis!
And adopt healthy habits!
The journal Nature Reviews Rheumatology reports that simply eating a nutritious diet and staying active is enough to block the onset of osteoarthritis! Healthy habits reprogram genes that keep cartilage thick, the key to pain-free joints!
5 Clear a foggy memory by walking!
If you frequently misplace your keys, blank on people’s names or experience other forgetfulness, and worry that it’s the first sign of memory loss, relax! Just walking briskly for 30 minutes four times a week can sharpen a hazy memory within three months, reports the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. ✤ It works! Moderate exercise helps grow healthy new neurons and thickens areas of the brain that manage memory!
And eat grapes!
Eating a little more than two cups daily helps reverse early memory loss and reduce Alzheimer’s risk, report scientists. Polyphenols in grapes boost blood flow and the production of a key memory compound—while Koing neuron-damaging inflammation!