Exercise Your Brain
Just as research has demonstrated how important physical exercise is to aging well, experts now say there are things we can do to reduce our risk of mental decline, or even reverse it. It's called the mental workout, and as baby boomers search for more ways to enjoy their longevity, interest in it is beginning to explode. As we age, most of us can live with a little bit of physical decline but we want to maintain our cognitive abilities. So what can we do about it?
That's a question that all of us should be asking. It's estimated that about 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, including 4.9 million people age 65 and older. The Alzheimer's Association predicts that by 2050, the number of people age 65 and over with Alzheimer's could range from 11 million to 16 million.
Fortunately though, brain plasticity studies have shown that the brain can “rewire” itself into old age, and even add new cells in response to stimulation. Researchers say some people may have a better shot of maintaining their brain health by adopting a few preventive strategies, such as using computer programs, learning a new language, playing chess, doing crossword puzzles, playing scrabble or leaning a new skill or craft.
Learning a new musical instrument, for example, has been found to have a protective effect against cognitive decline, even in those younger than 65, according to the 2001 report "Achieving and Maintaining Cognitive Vitality With Aging," sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Aging and the International Longevity Center-USA, among others.
So get excited about exercising your brain in ways that are fun and be sure to nourish your brain by drinking plenty of water and enjoying your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods at the same. Chocolate Some “chocoholics” who just couldn’t give up their favorite treat have inadvertently done their fellow chocolate lovers - and science - a big favor.
A study at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was focused on blood platelets and blood clots. The study participants, some of whom were fond of eating chocolate, were given a list of foods to avoid - the list included chocolate. It seems that some of them ended up indulging their cravings for chocolate during the study.
Amazingly, their indulgence led to researchers to an important discovery which is believed to be the first of its kind. Through biochemical analysis, the researchers are now able to explain why just a few squares of chocolate a day can reduce the risk of heart attack death in some men and women by almost 50%.
It turns out that the chocolate decreases the tendency of platelets to clot in narrow blood vessels. What these chocolate “offenders” taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack, says Diane Becker, M.P.H., Sc.D., a professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Becker cautions that her work is not intended as a prescription to gobble up large amounts of chocolate candy, which often contains diet-busting amounts of sugar, butter and cream. But as little as 2 tablespoons a day of dark chocolate - the purest form of the candy, made from the dried extract of roasted cocoa beans - may be just what the doctor ordered. Are you fond of eating chocolate? The Wholefood Farmacy has you covered, give Coco Cherry Phi a try! Exercise Is Important As We Age When it comes to living longer, a new study suggests that physical activity is more important than weight as we age. Ideally, all of us should be both slim and active, but this new study is a “light at the end of the tunnel” for so many who struggle with their weight as they age. Exercise expert Steven Blair of the University of South Carolina and colleagues tracked about 2,600 people age 60 and up, examining how physical fitness and body fat affected their death rates over 12 years. The study results are published in the December, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In short, the men and women who were fit, as judged by a treadmill test, but were overweight or obese had a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight but low fitness levels.
Those in the lowest fifth in terms of fitness had a death rate four times higher than participants ranked in the top fifth for fitness. The study showed that even a modest effort to improve physical activity can provide health benefits and lower mortality risk significantly.
The findings are particularly relevant as people in the United States and many other countries live increasingly sedentary lifestyles and obesity rates remain high. At the same time, the populations are aging in many nations.
"If you're obese and unfit and you start taking three 10-minute walks a day and you do that at least five days a week, you're not going to lose an enormous amount of weight; you’re going to still be heavy. But you're going to be much healthier if you do that," Blair said. Blair also stressed the importance of a healthful diet including lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Wholefood Farmacy foods are rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains - and - they are the perfect food to snack on before, during and after taking your walk. | 
