Today is, in fact, the first day of my 30s.
Not on purpose, I promise you.
I definitely did not choose to turn 30 today. I tried turning 29 for the second time but everybody keeps fighting me on it.
Apparently, that is not how ageing works. Who knew?
So today’s Research Update is a little different.
Here are the five things that have made the biggest difference in my health over the last 30 (ish) years.
1) Reduced brain-fog with cold-water, fatty fish:
70% of the population doesn’t get enough Omega 3s.
If you want to think clearly, handle stress better and have more energy - add a source of DHA (salmon / seaweed) to your weekly meals.
2) Reduced my stress levels in just 6 minutes:
Reading for 6 minutes a day reduces stress by up to 68% (2009 study from the University of Sussex).
3) Boosted energy levels with an anti-inflammatory smoothie:
The real secret is a combination of curcumin (found in tumeric) and black pepper.
The piperine increases the bioavailability of the curcumin by 2000% (Hewlings & Kalman, 2017).
4) Improved my sleep with bluelight blocking glasses:
The systematic review of 29 studies by Hester et al. in 2021 found strong evidence that it improved your ability to fall asleep quickly, with moderate evidence showing that it even improved symptoms of depression.
5) Improved my running by strengthening this one muscle:
Strengthening the hip flexors could improve sprint performance by up to 9% (Deane et al. 2005).
If you want faster athletes, one of the biggest levers you can pull is getting their iliopsoas stronger.
This might not stop you from getting older but hopefully we can use these 5 tools to fight the sands of time.
References
1) "More people and not enough fish: 70 per cent of the world’s population do not get the omega-3 they need". Bazilchuk, N. March 2020. https://partner.sciencenorway.no/agriculture-and-fisheries-aquaculture-consumers/more-people-and-not-enough-fish-70-per-cent-of-the-worlds-population-do-not-get-the-omega-3-they-need/1646202.
2) “Reading Can Help Reduce Stress.” Telegraph. 2009. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/5070874/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html
3) Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi: 10.3390/foods6100092. PMID: 29065496; PMCID: PMC5664031.
4) Hester L, Dang D, Barker CJ, Heath M, Mesiya S, Tienabeso T, Watson K. Evening wear of blue-blocking glasses for sleep and mood disorders: a systematic review. Chronobiol Int. 2021 Oct;38(10):1375-1383. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2021.1930029. Epub 2021 May 24. PMID: 34030534.
5) Deane RS, Chow JW, Tillman MD, Fournier KA. Effects of hip flexor training on sprint, shuttle run, and vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 Aug;19(3):615-21. doi: 10.1519/14974.1. PMID: 16095411.
Written by Kyle van Heerden
Online Educator at Research Raconteur
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