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The Olive Oil Hunter News #88

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Prosciutto Wraps Recipe and How to Evaluate Health-Related Information for Credibility Based on National Institutes of Health’s Criteria

My quest as the Olive Oil Hunter is to bring you the freshest olive oils possible, not only because of their intense and wonderful flavors but also because we know the freshest oils have the most polyphenols, those naturally occurring plant chemicals at the heart of the amazing health benefits of olive oil. How do we know this? We always turn to studies. But not just any studies. We use studies from trusted scientific sources, such as leading researchers at top institutions who do peer-reviewed work with vetted results.

In this issue of The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter, I want to share some of the criteria from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that we use to evaluate the research on the benefits of olive oil and the other health studies that we share with you every week—you can use the very same criteria to judge any type of health information you read about, whether in print or online, on any topic.

National Institutes of Health Criteria for Assessing Health Information

Here’s what the NIH recommends:

“The internet makes finding health information easy and fast. Much of the information on the internet is valuable; however, the internet also allows rapid and widespread distribution of false and misleading information. You should carefully consider the source of information you find on the internet and discuss that information with your healthcare provider…[The following] can help you decide whether the health information you find on the internet or receive by email, text, or social media is likely to be reliable.

“Online resources such as web and social media sites should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site and its information. On the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) website, for example, the ODS is clearly noted on every major page, along with a link to the site’s homepage.

“It costs money to run web and social media sites. The source of a website’s funding should be clearly stated or readily apparent. For example, the US government funds websites with addresses ending in .gov, educational institutes maintain .edu sites, [and] noncommercial organizations’ addresses often use .org. 

“Many health and medical websites post information that the owner has collected from other websites or sources. If the person or organization in charge of the site did not write the material, they should clearly identify the original source. For social media sites, it is also important to consider whether the source of the information is reliable, that is, what is the background and expertise of the person posting the content?

“Websites should identify the medical and scientific evidence that supports the material presented on the site. Medical facts and figures should have references (such as citations of articles published in medical journals). Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that is ‘evidence based’ (that is, based on research results). 

“Health-related websites should give information about the medical credentials of the people who prepared or reviewed the material on the website. For example, the ODS website contains fact sheets about vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements. These documents undergo extensive scientific review by recognized experts from the academic and research communities.

“Experts should review and update the material on websites on a regular basis. Medical information needs to be current because medical research is constantly coming up with new information about medical conditions and how best to treat or prevent them. Sites should clearly post the most recent update or review date. Even if the information has not changed in a long time, the site owner should indicate that someone has reviewed it recently to ensure that the information is still valid.”

Remember that there are many government agency websites you can go to in order to check on health claims. 

“The Food and Drug Administration (fda.gov) regulates foods, including dietary supplements. The FDA monitors the marketplace for potential illegal products that may be unsafe or make false or misleading claims. FDA publications that can help you evaluate health information include Tips for Dietary Supplement Users and Health Fraud Scams. 

“The Federal Trade Commission [ftc.gov] enforces consumer protection laws, regulates dietary supplement advertising, and investigates complaints about false or misleading health claims posted on the internet. 

“The Office of Dietary Supplements [ods.od.nih.gov] . . . supports research on dietary supplements, distributes the results, and provides educational material on dietary supplements . . . and other reliable health information.”

Adapted from “How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers,” National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, reviewed May 4, 2022. 

Prosciutto Wraps

  • Prosciutto Wraps with Brie Prosciutto Wraps

    As I settle into the dog days of summer, I plan my menus to get the most taste for the least amount of cooking, and these wraps fit that to a T. Thin slices of prosciutto are the perfect alternative to flour-based wraps—more flavorful and practically carb-free. I love the creaminess of the Brie and avocado “stuffing,” but you can roll up goat cheese and figs, cheddar and apple slices, mozzarella and tomatoes, or your own creative combination.

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces Brie
    • 2 ripe avocados
    • 8 very thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto 
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Balsamic vinegar
    • Maldon or another coarse sea salt 
    • Black pepper to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Cut the avocados in half and use a spoon to carefully remove each half from its peel; cut the avocado into thin strips.

    Step 2

    Cut the Brie into thin slices. Bundle 2 or 3 pieces each of avocado and Brie at one of the short ends of a prosciutto slice and roll it up. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto.

    Step 3

    Place two wraps on each of four salad plates and drizzle with olive oil and a few drops of the balsamic.

    Step 4

    Top with the salt and a grind of black pepper.

    Yields 4 servings

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #87

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The Ultimate 4th of July Potato Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Vinegar and Finishing Salts, Improving Your Time Management and Eating Less May Lead to Longer Life

To me, July 4th marks the pinnacle of summer, and a great day to get together with family and friends. Taking personal time is important, and something we don’t do enough, as you’ll see in this issue’s “For Your Best Health” report. Couple that with new research on longevity, and it’s also a good moment to think about a priority re-balance: Read on for great ideas to maximize life satisfaction rather than work productivity.

The Ultimate 4th of July Potato Salad

  • Potato Salad The Ultimate 4th of July Potato Salad

    Potato salad is the quintessential summer side dish, and I love mine done to the max. This variation includes not only hard-boiled eggs, but also crispy bacon, all dressed in a vinaigrette—so good you’ll want it for your main dish!

    Ingredients

    • 8 eggs
    • 8 ounces bacon
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, more to taste
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, more to taste
    • 4 pounds red new potatoes
    • 6 scallions, rough chopped
    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Hard-boil the eggs, peel them under running water, and then cut into large diced pieces; set aside. Cut the bacon strips into 1″ pieces and sauté in a large skillet until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. 

    Step 2

    In a large serving bowl, whisk the vinegar and Dijon together, and then slowly whisk in the olive oil; set aside. 

    Step 3

    Cut the potatoes into large diced pieces and cook in boiling water until easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 7-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for only about 5 minutes; then fold them into the dressing (doing this while the potatoes are still warm helps them absorb all the flavors).

    Step 4

    Gently fold in the bacon, eggs, scallions, and herbs. Taste and add salt, pepper, and more Dijon and/or olive oil as desired. Serve at room temperature with a final sprinkle of coarse salt. 

    Serves 8

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Vinegar Delights

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Vinegar Delights 

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar—it’s a match made in heaven. When whisked together for a vinaigrette, the acid is the perfect complement for the richness of the oil. But that’s just the beginning. The two combine beautifully for marinating meat before grilling, for creating a sauce enhanced with herbs, for turning steamed green beans or other vegetables into a flavorful side dish, and for just drizzling over foods, from cheeses to berries. Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know I’m such a fan of vinegar that I started creating curated selections from around the world last year (the next collection is coming soon!). 

Here are more ways vinegar can boost the flavor of dishes:

  • Add a tablespoon to a stir-fry in the final minute of cooking.

  • Whisk a teaspoon into hearty soups and stews before serving.

  • Add a tablespoon to your favorite homemade gravy recipe for added zest.

  • Boil down a cup of balsamic or fruited vinegar by 50 percent to make a reduction to spoon over grilled meat.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: Finishing Salts

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Finishing Salts

These coarse-grained sea salts are great for adding taste and texture to finished dishes. While Maldon salt with its pyramid-shaped crystals is my go-to, I also love two French favorites, sel gris (coarse grey sea salt) when I want more of a mineral taste and the very strong yet more artisanal fleur de sel, which is exceptional with caramels and chocolate desserts. Wonderful finishing salts are even being made in the USA. Portland, Oregon–based Ben Jacobsen makes a flake finishing salt from the waters off the Oregon coast. Having a collection allows you to experiment, and since you use only a few grains at a time, it’s a worthy investment.

For Your Best Health: Improving Your Time Management

For Your Best Health

Stop and smell the roses

That expression originated in the 1960s but is even more true today as we spend more and more hours working and even playing without taking time to appreciate our surroundings. We’re more concerned about time management than about time for ourselves, so I really appreciate the work done by Oliver Burkeman, author of “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals,” named after the average person’s lifespan. 

A self-proclaimed recovering productivity geek, he explains how trying to maximize every minute leads not to better work productivity but to more stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed. His suggestion is to embrace the fact that we have a finite amount of time on this earth and to accept that we won’t accomplish everything we set out to do—this can actually free you up to focus on what really matters to you. Here are practical ideas from his book that can help:

Forget multitasking—it’s a misnomer anyway. Focus on one task at a time and do it well. You’ll do it faster, too. 

Pick something to fail at. Cross something off your to-do list and don’t look back. For example, get rid of those years-old supplies for a craft you never got to learn, and be free of the stress and guilt of not having mastered it. This frees you emotionally for things that have true meaning for you. 

Keep a “done” list to counter all the to-dos. There’s immense satisfaction in reviewing what you’ve accomplished. 

Spend 5 minutes a day doing nothing. It’s harder than it sounds! Set a timer and let go of everything—don’t even focus on deep breathing. This acts as a calming reset.

Fitness Flash: Eat less, live longer

Fitness Flash

Eat Less, Live Longer

Many studies have found that one lifestyle change can increase longevity: eating fewer calories. Now, according to a new report from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute published in May 2022 in the journal Science, eating only during the hours when you’re most active can help maximize the effect. 

Investigator Joseph Takahashi, PhD, a molecular biologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and colleagues were able to extend the lifespan of mice on a reduced-calorie diet by 35 percent by feeding them only at nighttime, when mice are most active. This is substantially greater than the 10 percent extended lifespan resulting from a reduced-calorie diet alone. Since humans are active by day, a comparable plan would be to restrict eating to daytime hours, such as 7 am to 7 pm.

The research helps disentangle the controversy around diet plans that emphasize eating only at certain times of day, says Dr. Takahashi. Such plans may not speed weight loss in humans, as some studies have shown, but they could promote health benefits that add up to a longer lifespan.

Scientists are just beginning to understand how calorie restriction slows aging at the cellular and genetic level. As an animal ages, genes linked to inflammation tend to become more active, while genes that help regulate metabolism become less active. Dr. Takahashi’s work showed that calorie restriction, especially when calorie intake was timed to the mice’s active period at night, helped offset these genetic changes as mice aged.

Dr. Takahashi hopes that learning how calorie restriction affects the body’s internal clocks as we age will help scientists find new ways to extend the healthy lifespan of humans. That could come through calorie-restricted diets or through drugs that mimic those diets’ effects. In the meantime, he is taking a lesson from his mice: He restricts his own eating to a 12-hour period. 

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #86

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Endive with Pears and Gorgonzola Recipe, Spotlight on Endive, How to Vet Vinegar, Improving Your Emotional Outlook and Exercise and Knee Arthritis

I love creating dishes that have distinctive flavors yet are easy and quick to assemble. Pairing endive and mild Gorgonzola with pears is just that. I’m also sharing important news about exercise—often called “free medicine”—which studies show has even more wide-ranging benefits than we thought!

Endive with Pears and Gorgonzola

  • The Olive Oil Hunter News #91 Endive with Pears and Gorgonzola

    If you’ve shied away from strong blue cheeses in the past, Gorgonzola dolce, sweeter than regular Gorgonzola, is a great introduction! The walnuts and pears add to the sweetness, a great counterbalance to the endive

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup walnut halves
    • 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
    • 6 ripe Seckel pears or another small variety, halved through the stem ends 
    • 1/2 cup pear nectar
    • 1/4 cup pear balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
    • 2 teaspoons honey, or more to taste
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 6 heads endive or radicchio di Treviso, or 3 of each
    • Six 1-ounce wedges of Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese

    Directions

    Step 1

    Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant, and then transfer them to a small bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat the oil. Use a small melon baller to remove any seeds from the pears and then place them, cut sides down, in the oil and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and reserve. 

    Step 2

    To make the vinaigrette for the salad, use the same pan, increasing the heat to medium high. Add the pear nectar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture is reduced by half, then whisk in the honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 1/3 cup of olive oil. Taste, adding more vinegar, honey, salt, and/or pepper as needed. 

    Step 3

    Trim the endive and remove the leaves from two of the heads; arrange them on 6 salad plates. Slice the 4 remaining heads crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and divide among the plates. On each plate, arrange 2 pear halves, a wedge of Gorgonzola, and a few of the walnuts. Lightly drizzle each dish with the vinaigrette. 

    Yields 6 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Endive

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Excellent Endive

Native to Belgium and typically referred to as Belgian endive, this slightly bitter green is now cultivated in the US, notably in California. Its unique growing process makes it available almost year round. 

Endive is part of the chicory family of greens and actually starts from chicory seeds under typical field conditions. But once it grows into a plant, the leafy part is cut off and the deep roots are dug up and put in cold storage for a dormant period. Those roots then undergo forcing in a dark environment, somewhat like mushrooms, during which the oval-shaped heads with yellow-tipped leaves are formed.

Other relatives in the chicory group include red-purple radicchio, which can either be a small cabbage-shaped head or the endive-shaped radicchio di Treviso with distinctive color striations along the leaves; escarole, which has broad leaves with wavy edges; and curly endive or frisée.

When you’re selecting endive, the heads should be tight and feel heavy in your hand for their size. The leaves should be crisp and white at the base, with pale yellow edges and tips. Store them in your fridge’s crisper drawer for up to a week. 

When lightly brushed with extra virgin olive oil and grilled, whole endive make a great accompaniment to any protein. Besides using the leaves raw in salads, you can gently separate them and use them instead of chips to scoop up dips. The leaves also make a healthy alternative to crackers and bread slices when you’re making canapés—just pipe or spoon your favorite fillings down the center of each leaf. 

Tons of research has done little to settle the debate over whether it’s better to reach for full-fat, fat-free, or something in between when it comes to dairy. What we do know is that dairy has many important nutrients and that yogurt is especially good for you, thanks to its beneficial bacteria. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: How to Vet Vinegar

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

How to Vet Vinegar 

As with extra virgin olive oil, you have to do your due diligence before buying vinegar, especially flavored types. You want to avoid commercial brands that have been produced on a mass scale. They’re likely to be nothing more than artificially flavored distilled vinegar and contain a host of ingredients that you’d never find in finely made and often well-aged varieties. 

Fruit vinegars in particular should have as their base the actual fruit in their name, fruit that has been allowed to ferment and turn into alcohol before special bacteria are added to turn it into vinegar. Such artisanal vinegars typically cost more, but to be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for, always read the fine print to know exactly what’s in the bottle. (The first vinegar selection from the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club was so well received that we’ll be announcing the second one in late summer!)

I love using vinegar to enhance a primary ingredient in a recipe, which is why I suggest pear balsamic for the endive and pear salad above. 

For Your Best Health: Improving Your Emotional Outlook

For Your Best Health

Improving Your Emotional Outlook

It’s no secret that depression rates soared during the pandemic. Among Americans adults, they tripled from 8.5 percent before the pandemic to a staggering 27.8 percent in 2020. Research done at the Boston University School of Public Health showed that this high rate not only persisted into 2021, but even worsened, climbing to 32.8 percent. The truth is that depression can affect people for any number of reasons and at any time, and it’s a challenge to treat. That’s why taking lifestyle steps that help prevent it is so important. 

Research has already shown that exercise reduces depression risk, one of the many reasons it’s called free medicine. Recently, an international team of scientists sought to identify the right dose to get the strongest protection. They reviewed 15 different studies and found that the greatest preventive effect was seen in people who get the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise every week—they lowered their depression risk by 25 percent. Their analysis, published in JAMA Psychiatry, also found thatthere are benefits even for people who exercise less. For instance, those who got half the recommended amount of exercise had an 18 percent lower risk of depression. The researchers deemed these results as significant mental health benefits and concluded that “health practitioners should therefore encourage any increase in physical activity to improve mental health.”

Fitness Flash: Exercise and Knee Arthritis

Fitness Flash

Exercise and Knee Arthritis

Researchers in Denmark have added to what we know about the benefits of exercising to improve the symptoms of arthritis. Their study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, looked at knee osteoarthritis in particular and the advantages of following an 8-week program of exercises and education. Program participants reported less pain on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaire compared to a group of participants who had a placebo treatment. 

According to the American College of Rheumatology, exercise is an important part of osteoarthritis treatment because it can ease joint pain and improve function. If you’re in pain and unsure how to get started, or have let an exercise program lapse, work with your doctor to get moving again.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #85

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Grilled Lamb Skewers With Tzatziki Recipe, Spotlight on Yogurt and Mint, and the Top Five Habits for Living Longer

I’m always surprised at how underappreciated lamb is in the US. Whether raised here or in Australia or New Zealand, it’s the red meat most likely to be produced under humane conditions, with so many of the herds being grass-fed. I invite you to try lamb (or try it again if earlier experiences have led you to shy away from it) with a simple yet savory preparation. I’m also sharing the latest findings on a wide variety of topics, from healthy dairy to the top five habits for living longer.

Grilled Lamb Skewers With Tzatziki

  • Lamb Skewers Grilled Lamb Skewers With Tzatziki

    Few foods are as quick to cook and delicious as grilled lamb cubes. Known as arrosticini in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy, it’s one of the most beloved foods, served with olive oil-soaked bread that has also had a quick sear on the grill. In Greece, Turkey, and other countries around the Mediterranean as well as throughout the Middle East, lamb cubes are often called kebabs and slipped from skewer onto pita or another flatbread. No matter what country lays claim to them, adding a dollop of Greek-inspired tzatziki adds creamy zest to this succulent meat.

    Ingredients

    For the tzatziki:

    • 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
    • 1 medium cucumber

    For the lamb skewers:

    • 1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of any sinew and silver skin 
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • Coarse salt to taste
    • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary needles, chopped (optional)

    Directions

    Step 1

    To make the tzatziki, in a large bowl, fold together the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, dill, and mint. Grate the cucumber using the side of a box grater with large holes or in a food processor outfitted with the grating disc (I like to leave on the skin for the extra fiber and nutrients). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the grated cucumber onto three or four stacked paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, and roll it all up, squeezing out as much of the remaining water as possible to avoid diluting the tzatziki. Then fold the cucumber into the yogurt mixture. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice as desired. Keep the tzatziki refrigerated until needed. Right before serving, drizzle the top with olive oil.

    Step 2

    To make the lamb, cut it into 1-inch cubes and transfer them to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and rosemary if using; toss to thoroughly coat the cubes. Thread the cubes onto skewers close together (sides touching). Light your grill and preheat to medium high. Arrange the skewers on the grill grate, working in batches if necessary. Grill until the lamb is cooked through and has picked up some color, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the heat of your fire. Transfer the skewers to a platter. Serve with coarse salt, olive oil to drizzle, the tzatziki, and your choice of bread.

    Yields 4 appetizer servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Yogurt

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

What’s the “Best” Yogurt?

Tons of research has done little to settle the debate over whether it’s better to reach for full-fat, fat-free, or something in between when it comes to dairy. What we do know is that dairy has many important nutrients and that yogurt is especially good for you, thanks to its beneficial bacteria. 

I like the way that a recent Consumer Reports article featuring Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, summed it up:If you’re eating one or two servings a day, it probably makes little difference whether it’s nonfat, low-fat, or full-fat. In addition, trading full-fat for low-fat can backfire. “When people switch from whole-fat to low-fat dairy, they don’t reduce their caloric intake,” Mozaffarian says. “Over months and years, they just naturally make up for that decreased fat by eating more carbs. And arguably, dairy fat is better for you than starch and sugar.”

There’s also some evidence that yogurt does help with weight control…and universal agreement that when you reach for yogurt, it should be plain with no sugar added—adding your own fresh fruit is far better for you than fruit-added commercial varieties. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: Mint Magic

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

The Magic of Mint

If your tastebuds have been turned off by the overpowering taste of artificial mint in many foods, experiencing the fresh herb will come as a revelation. Whether spearmint, peppermint, or any of the other 23 species, mint has a deep aroma yet a light, refreshing taste that adds a sweet note to drinks and dishes. 

Mint is integral to many cuisines. Some of my favorite dishes enhanced with mint are Middle Eastern tabbouleh with bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, and cucumbers; Vietnamese summer rolls with shrimp, red pepper and carrot strips, and cilantro; Thai chicken and peanut salad; and North African couscous with pine nuts and raisins. Have fun making your own mint tea by simply steeping a few leaves in boiling water—then enjoy it hot or cold! A perennial plant in many zones across the US, mint is one of the first herbs to rebloom in the spring, so consider adding it to your garden.

For Your Best Health: Diet for Longer Life, Healthier Brain

For Your Best Health

A Diet for a Longer Life, a Healthier Brain

Many studies have looked into the secrets of longevity, and many others have sought ways to preserve brain health. New research published in the journal BMJ investigated both by tracking the impact of healthy behaviors on improving life expectancy and on forestalling Alzheimer’s during those extra years of life. The 2,449 participants were women and men over age 65 involved in The Chicago Health and Aging Project, a study started in 1993 to assess the risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia in the general population.

The researchers developed a healthy lifestyle scoring system based on five modifiable lifestyle factors: following the MIND (the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet for brain health, which has been significantly associated with a slower cognitive decline and lower risk of Alzheimer’s; doing cognitive, or brain-healthy, activities; engaging in moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least 150 minutes every week; not smoking; and drinking alcohol in moderate-or-lower amounts (that’s 1 to 15 grams a day for women and 1 to 30 grams a day for men). Participants were given a score from 1 to 5 based on how many of the five lifestyle habits they followed. In addition to filling out regular questionnaires, they had neurocognitive tests every three years, up to six times throughout the study. 

The findings are impressive. As the researchers state, the results “suggest a healthy lifestyle could increase life expectancy among men and women. A healthy lifestyle might also increase the proportion of remaining years lived without Alzheimer’s dementia.”

Here are the key specifics: “On average, the total life expectancy at age 65 in women and men with four or five healthy factors was 24.2 and 23.1 years, of which 10.8% and 6.1% were spent with Alzheimer’s dementia. For women and men with zero or one healthy factor, life expectancy was shorter—21.1 and 17.4 years—and more of their remaining life expectancy was spent with Alzheimer’s dementia (19.3% and 12.0%, respectively). At age 85, these differences were even more notable. This investigation suggests that a prolonged life expectancy owing to a healthy lifestyle is not accompanied by an increased number of years living with Alzheimer’s dementia.”

Fitness Flash: Cognitively stimulating activities

Fitness Flash

Choices Abound!

Just what brain and body activities added up to the above results? Cognitively stimulating activities include reading, visiting museums, and playing games like cards, checkers, crosswords, and puzzles. Excellent moderate or vigorous physical activities are walking, gardening or yard work, calisthenics or general exercise, bicycle riding, and swimming. As many wellness experts say, finding activities that you can become passionate about is the key to sticking with them, so explore as many as you can to see what piques—and holds!—your interest.

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