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WOULD YOU GIVE UP CARBS FOR A HEALTHY OLD AGE? AND MASSAGED KALE SALAD

September 15, 2017 4 Comments

susans kale salad copy

Where do you fall on the carb-spectrum? Can’t get enough of them, haven’t touched one since 1994 or somewhere inbetween? Annabel and I definitely love carbs, but – since starting our Age Well journey – they’ve been wholegrain ones rather than refined. We’ve read well-researched report after well-researched report telling us that wholegrain carbohydrate will fuel us into a healthy old age. And we’ve frequently blogged about our mission to minimise our intake processed carbs.

But there is a school of thought that all carbs – wholegrain or not – send our brains and bodies on a roller coaster of fluctuating blood sugar levels and insulin spikes which could lead to the inflammation that can cause an unhealthy old age. And there’s more research being published which appears to support this. Last week two new studies were published simultaneously in the journal Cell Metabolism which indicate that extremely low-carb diets may have the power to improve memory in old age and increase lifespan.

Both studies tested the “keto” (ketogenic) diet on mice. This diet is extremely low in carbohydrate but high in fat and includes plenty of protein – the Atkins Diet was the first keto-based diet to go mainstream, the Fast-mimicking Diet we wrote about recently is another form. These diets work by allowing your body to use up its store of sugar so it has to run off stored fat: a process known as ketosis.

But back to the mice. Both of the recently published studies found better memory and increased life expectancy among older mice who were put on a ketogenic diet. In fact, the oldies who were ‘ketoing’ had better memories than younger mice. “The older mice on the ketogenic diet had a better memory than the younger mice. That’s really remarkable,” says the leader of the project at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California, Dr Eric Verdin. The research team believe this may be down to the fact that the diet can raise the concentration of a ketone made in the liver called beta-hydroxybutyrate acid, which improves memory function.

The second research team – also in California, but this time at UC Davis – had similar findings in terms of memory but also found that the keto mice were stronger and more coordinated that the control group.

As someone who has cared for a relative with dementia, and who would do almost anything to reduce my own risk of developing the disease, I’m not sure whether I find this kind of research reassuring or not. It’s great that such giant strides are being made in our understanding of ageing and memory loss. But, at the same time, do I actually want to live my life without the delicious – carb-laden – foods I love? I’m not sure I have an answer for that just yet!

This week’s recipe is endlessly adaptable for low-carbers and grain-lovers alike. Serve with grilled protein (but leave out the cranberries or sun-dried tomatoes) for a keto-ish meal, stir through some cooked grains for a comfortingly carby vegan supper.

Massaged Kale Salad (serves 4 as a side dish)

  • 200g bag chopped kale or cavalo nero (Annabel used cavalo nero for the photo)
  • Scant teaspoon of sea salt flakes or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2tbs/30g dried cranberries or chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 30g walnuts, crumbled

Put the kale in a large bowl, add the salt and oil. Remove any large stalks. Stick your (clean) hands into the bowl and massage the kale. Sounds weird but within two-three minutes the kale will wilt. It’s quite therapeutic. Stir in the lemon juice, cranberries/tomatoes and walnuts. Leave to sit for a few minutes – half an hour if you can – and serve.

Susan

 

 

 

 

 

  • Meal Types: Dinner
  • Conditions: Ageing, Brain and Dementia
« HOW TO AVOID RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS – SPAGHETTI WITH SARDINES
GET THEE TO A FOREST (ON FOOT) AND HERBY COURGETTE/ZUCCHINI SOUP »

Comments

  1. Saskia says

    September 15, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    I can’t imagine a life without carbs

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      September 16, 2017 at 4:54 pm

      I know, Saskia, I can’t either!

      Reply
  2. Kellie@foodtoglow says

    September 18, 2017 at 3:30 am

    Great post. I’ve been flirting with keto for a bit, having also read the research and wanting especially to protect my husband as dementia runs strongly in his family (both paternal grandparents AND his father, now in mid-stage). But my goodness, it’s hard to live a normal, sociable life. What I’m doing, and hoping it in some way helps, is not getting into ketosis but having one or two completely carb free days a week. (I’m not great with going high fat as it makes me very queasy.). I also have been eating in an 8 hour window for most days, the latter being remarkably easy to do. If we lived in lab conditions, keto would be a snap!

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      September 18, 2017 at 9:12 am

      You’re so right Kellie! We don’t live in lab conditions so many of these diets are hard to do. That’s part of the reason we started Kale & Cocoa, to find way through all the advice. And to find a way to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Carb ‘cycling’ is a great way to go, as is 16-hour-fasting. Good luck!

      Reply

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Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points to a time (for women at least) in their mid-60s when the chronic conditions of ageing, like diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are - statistically - more likely to kick in. 

And we know that our reproductive hormones do so much more than prepare us to have periods and babies, we have receptors for them throughout our bodies and brains. 

Oestrogen, in particular, helps keep bones strong, blood vessels flexible, brains firing and inflammation levels low. Essentially, it wraps us up in a cosy protective cloak to keep us safe and healthy while we're able to reproduce, but once the eggs have run out - we're on our own! 

Between the average age of menopause at 51, and that time in our 60s when the chronic conditions of ageing are more likely to kick in, we have a decade or so in which it’s vital to focus on our health.

And how to do that? It’s on the blog - link in bio

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If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic he If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic health you might want to thank your Mum today. Recent studies have found that women who move around during their reproductive years and during pregnancy and then breastfeed for a bit pass on a compound in their milk called 3SL which provides lifelong protection against poor metabolic health. The offspring of moving, breastfeeding Mums appear to have a lower lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic disease. Even gentle strolling during pregnancy and while nursing can produce this compound. So today we thank our Mums for that - as well as everything else.  Susan’s mum in the hat. Annabel’s mum in the pony tail. 

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There’s been lots of good news for walkers recen There’s been lots of good news for walkers recently. A study published last month found that over-60s who walked between 6000 and 9000 steps a day cut their risk of heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks) by 40-50 percent, when compared to a more typical 2000 steps a day. In fact this study found that for every additional 1000 steps walked, the risk fell still further. 

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A big hug from us to you to mark International Wom A big hug from us to you to mark International Women’s Day! 

The campaign this year reminds us to embrace equity as a way to recognise that each of us has different circumstances, and we need different resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Of course, this is as vital in ageing and health outcomes as in every other field.  

So we’re embracing our age and hoping to grow older in a more equitable society ❤️

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If you’re not sure how to start or are worried about looking silly (we were) - there are lots of tips on the blog, link in bio. 

If you’re a backwards walker, let us know in comments below! 

If you’re planning to start, save this post for when you’re ready for some reverse walking 

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