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FINDING THE SWEET SPOT – CUCUMBER SOUP

September 14, 2018 1 Comment


Over the last 4-5 years of our Age-Well Project we’ve tried hard to uncover longevity sweet spots, by which I mean the right balance or the perfect quantity of something. We’ve always considered a balance of protein, carbs and vegetables/fruit as the optimal way of eating. So we were thrilled with the big study that appeared over the summer hailing the balanced diet: protein, carbs and lots of vegetables. Goodbye low carb diets, high fat diets, low fat diets, high protein diets, cabbage soup diets – and so on!

Our bodies are built for balance and moderation according to Professor Roberta Anding, whose course on nutrition I’m currently half-way through. It’s a point she makes repeatedly, urging us all to return to a more old-fashioned way of eating.

And it’s not just the food. It turns out that almost everything has a sweet spot. Even booze. Back in June I wrote about the alcohol sweet spot – the amount we need to consume for a glass of wine or beer to be protective rather than damaging. Since then, a huge meta-analysis has been published in the Brain journal confirming that both being teetotal and drinking more than 14 units a week (that’s a maximum of 7 medium glasses of wine per week) are associated with dementia. Even after stripping out factors that might skew the data, a little alcohol was found to protect the brain.

So, for brain (and heart) health the alcohol sweet spot is somewhere between 1 and 7 glasses a week. It’s thought to be less for cancer. So I’ve devised my own sweet spot (more of a quota really) of 4-5 glasses a week, which gives me a little leeway if I fancy it. It’s a lot less than I used to drink but I’m perfectly happy with it. We’re all different so your own quota might be lower or you might opt for the full seven glasses.

Research over the summer also reaffirmed the role of coffee in longevity: several cups a day appear to be protective, anything from decaff to instant to espressos, suggesting it’s not the caffeine but a micronutrient in the coffee bean. This report claimed up to eight cups a day was fine, but previous studies suggest a sweet spot of 3-4 cups a day. Again, I’ve set my own sweet spot based on personal physiological reaction and a desire to leave some drinking room for other goodies like green tea.

Exercise also has a sweet spot. When I read, over the summer, of the early death of Scottish ultra-runner, Donald Ritchie, I was saddened but not surprised. He died at 73 suffering from diabetes, heart and lung problems. He should have been hugely fit and healthy – all that exercise, all that fresh air.

Richie began running, then became a marathon runner, then an ultra-distance runner, often running 150 miles a week. One of his world records included a 100-mile run in 11 hours and 51 minutes. This is too much exercise – even for the fittest, best trained individual in the world. Richie was way over the sweet spot! In her study of telomeres (the caps that sit on the end of our cells like the plastic tips of shoelaces protecting our cells from, and now considered a bio-marker of ageing), scientist Elizabeth Blackburn explains that too much exercise shortens our telomeres, making it almost as bad as too little exercise. Another report I’ve come across (although it’s not yet published) shows that doing more than 30-40 minutes of very vigorous exercise in one go actually does more harm than good.

For sleep the sweet spot is thought to be between 7 and 8 hours: the summer also saw headlines linking over 8 hours of nightly sleep with a greater risk of mortality (yes, that means dying). Other studies show that less than six hours, night after night, are linked to greater mortality. But we’re all different and a new book on sleep (which I’ll review in my next post) argues that our sleep-need is genetic and urges us to ignore daft headlines which suggest we may die if we sleep for more than eight hours.

Social media and digital stuff also has a sweet spot, although it’s likely to be different for each of us. New research suggests digital distraction (scrolling through social media or simply being in the presence of a screen – even a teeny weeny one) is affecting our ability to concentrate, empathise, and enjoy life. We’re expecting a deluge of research on this subject, so watch this space.

There’s still enough warmth in the air (in the UK at any rate) to enjoy a cool summery bowl of cucumber soup. We ate this a lot over the summer – easy, quick and delicious.

CUCUMBER SOUP (serves 6)

2 cucumbers, roughly chopped skin, seeds and all
1 lemon or lime, juiced
2 cloves garlic
½ cup cold water
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 bunch mint
2 tsp salt

Put everything in the blender, blend until smooth, adding more water if you need it. Add plenty of fresh pepper, a swirl of olive oil then top with small cubes of cucumber and as many of the following herbs as you have: basil, mint, fennel fronds, chives and/or chive flowers, parsley.

You need fresh flavoursome cucumbers for this. Farmer’s market or home-grown are ideal if you have them.
Annabel

  • Meal Types: Soups and Salads
  • Conditions: Ageing, Alzheimer's, Brain and Dementia
  • Ingredients: Cucumber
« AGEING WELL INTO AUTUMN
DEMENTIA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW, and black bean burritos »

Comments

  1. Pravin says

    September 14, 2018 at 7:59 am

    Nice one

    Reply

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Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the northern hemisphere at least) by going on a scented walk!

Our olfactory bulb (the cluster of smell cells at the top of our nostrils) more receptive in spring and summer, and not only are plants more likely to be in full perfumed bloom, but the warmer air also traps these molecules for longer. 

Now, here’s the interesting bit. Loss of smell has been linked to neurodegenerative disease, with some researchers suggesting that smell tests should be routinely offered by doctors. A 2022 study found that loss of smell (known as anosmia) was an important early sign of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment.

But there’s no need to panic, because studies also show that our olfactory system is much like a muscle – use it or lose it. So get out there and sniff the air! There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #alzheimers #preventalzheimers
What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ T What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ 

This interesting question came from Rebekah Rotstein, who has worked with the Royal Osteoporosis Society and is founder of movement system Buff Bones @gotbuffbones when Susan interviewed her for The Power Decade. 

We thought the answer was that we wanted them to be dense, because that would protect them in the years ahead. Rebekah invited us to view this another way, ‘Your goal is not just to have high bone density,’ she explained. ‘Your goal is to not fracture and to live a full, independent life. You do this by strengthening your bones and body. But you also need to maintain and improve your balance and responsiveness to avoid falls because falls lead to fractures.’

We’re big fans of the ‘brushing your teeth standing on one leg’ trick to add extra age-well benefits to this most regular of tasks by improving balance. When we do it, we can feel movement – and a bit of a wobble – in our feet. Rebekah explains that this movement is also a form of calibration, helping us maintain balance. She urges us to try this barefoot because, as we age, we lose dexterity in our feet: we want to be able to feel the messages they’re sending us.

There’s more on better bone health on the blog - link in bio

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Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip to Jordan, Annabel started her day with foul, made from fava beans. 

The Jordanians mash the cooked beans and serve them warm from a swan-necked vessel using a Harry Potter-ish long-handled ladle.  The beans are then drizzled and scattered with various spices, sauces and olive oil. 

Full of protein and fibre, it’s a great way to start the day. The (super-simple) recipe is on the blog, link in bio 

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Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to better sleep and mood - but needs progesterone to produce it. This is why post-menopausal women are more likely to experience insomnia and anxiety. 

But there are actions we can take to produce more GABA naturally. Save this post for future reference and check out our GABA blog post - link in bio

And save this for future reference 😊

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A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @ob A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @obsmagazine extolling the benefits of walking, and of being outdoors. Just in case you’ve had your fill of the coronation… ´Walking is freedom, an escape for the mind and the body.’ 

Hear hear!
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