The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

LOSE WEIGHT, FIX BRAIN FOG AND COOK LENTILS

January 8, 2016 4 Comments

lentil stew

I really overdid it this festive season, and a wobbly Christmas-pud-tum is the result. After Annabel’s post last week about the brain benefits of ping pong I’ll be dragging out our table tennis. But I suspect it’s going to take a little more than that. We’re anti-diet at Kale & Cocoa but the latest wonder diet has intrigued me. It’s known as the Sirtfood Diet and is rich in the polyphenols found in  dark green vegetables and red fruits, as well as other ingredients we love: buckwheat, tofu, green tea, dark chocolate and red wine. These compounds activate genes known as sirtuins in our bodies which influence our lifespan. So the more sirtfoods we eat, the longer we live. The side effect of this, it turns out, is weight loss. There are many overlaps between the Sirtfood diet and the Mediterranean diet – both aim for wellness, but the Sirt is a more specific regime that keeps the weight off. Sirting (now a verb) focuses on green juice made from kale and matcha (among other things) and a meal plan that’s high in protein and vegetables but low in carbs. The book was serialised in The Times this week (behind a paywall sadly but there’s a good summary here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/11591828/Could-chocolate-and-red-wine-be-the-key-to-weight-loss.html)
There are many similarities too between the Sirt and the diet suggested in a new book ‘The Brain Fog Fix’ by Mike Dow.  This isn’t a diet for weight loss, but part of a three-week strategy which promises to help us ‘reclaim focus, memory and joy’.  The book is aimed at the middle-aged ‘Scatterbrain’ –  that’s me, then. It’s a good, if rather repetitive, read. The diet focuses on cutting out flour and refined sugar and increasing fruit and veg intake to seven portions a day. The diet includes a daily portion of oily fish to boost Omega 3 intake. This  reduces inflammation and leads to better brain function (personally I think that’s too much fish but it’s only for a short time). The eating plan also advocates reducing Omega 6 intake: not all Omegas are created equal. Omega 6 increases inflammation.  Our Omega 6 to 3 ratio should be about 2:1, but in the USA (it’s an American book) the ratio can be as much as  25:1. Omega 6s are found in processed oils and factory-farmed meat and dairy so the author suggests switching to organic eggs and meat or getting more protein from plant-based sources. Other strategies for lifting the brain fog include minimising social media use, meditation, connecting to the world through community, friends and family and optimising sleep.
Ahhhh, sleep. Our most read post last  year was Annabel’s on ‘Is poor sleep the new killer?’ and I’m writing this in New Zealand where I am battling jet lag while visiting family. A new study – published in the journal Sleep last week to coincide with the January diet panic – reveals that a good night’s sleep does more than help clear the mind. Researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (a city where 68% of adults are overweight or obese!!) have discovered there’s a virtuous circle linking weight loss and sleep.  Their findings suggest that when people lose excess weight, they sleep better, so they feel more alert during the day, so they are more likely to exercise. The research was done on mice and within a week of switching them from a high fat diet to a regular one, their sleep quality improved.  In other words, they didn’t need to lose all the excess weight in order to benefit from their diets, they just had to START losing weight. Which is pretty good motivation to lose excess pounds.

 

This week’s recipe is full of hearty, warming lentils. This is a big year for lentils: the UN has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses to put these fabulous plant-based protein sources front and centre. We love them for their high-fibre content:  studies show that the more fibre people eat, the lower their risk of mortality from any cause – and they lose weight. And you know how we keep going on about our micro biome? Our gut bacteria ferments fibre and the by-products of this process nourish the lining of the colon and recalibrate the immune system. We try and eat beans every day.

The recipe also makes use of Sirtfood-friendly red wine and contains very little fat, except a little brain fog-busting olive oil, so tuck in and enjoy!

LENTILS IN RED WINE (serves 4)

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
250g puy lentils, rinsed
125ml glass of red wine
Vegetable stock or water
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sweat the first four ingredients in the oil, adding a little water if they start to stick. Stir in the lentils then add the red wine. Once it’s been absorbed by the lentils cover them with stock or water and simmer until cooked through but with a little bite, adding more liquid as necessary. Stir through the parsley and serve.
Susan

 

  • Meal Types: Dinner
  • Conditions: Brain and Dementia, Weight loss
  • Ingredients: Lentils, Wine
« 2016: THE YEAR TO CUT YOUR CANCER RISK AND PLAY PING PONG
BOWIE, BOOZE AND TOMATO & COCONUT CASSOULET »

Comments

  1. H A May says

    January 8, 2016 at 10:21 am

    As a vegetarian of almost 30 years, I noted that you suggest that it’s a good idea to restrict Omega 6 intake. I don’t eat fish, so would not be able to increase my Omega 3 intake in this way. Any suggestions for this?
    I’ve also found that restricting dairy in my diet actually has allowed my nails and hair to grow : they were virtually at a standstill, my nails flaking and my hair thinning until mu daughter suggested I cut out various foods to see what might work. Perhaps the way to go is partial veganism?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 9, 2016 at 6:47 pm

      Walnuts and flaxseeds are good vegetarian/vegan sources of Omega 3s. We’re not nutritionists but I’m a big fan of plant-based protein sources – beans and nuts – as they bring so many other benefits like fibre, vitamins and minerals. It sounds as if your diet is working well for you if your hair and nails are growing!

      Reply
  2. Sarah Thomas says

    January 8, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    Does this have grated cheese on top? It isn’t mentioned in the recipe, but looks as though it does from the photo. Sounds delicious and I will make it next week!

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 9, 2016 at 6:38 pm

      Hi Sarah, yes it does have grated cheese on the top for the pic but it really doesn’t need it for flavour! Do give it a go and let us know how you get on.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
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

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #menopause #menopausehealth #postmenopause #postmenopausefitness #postmenopausal #oestrogen #hormonalhealth
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. 

#mothersday #mothers #move #agewell #goodhealth #longevitylifestyle #longevity #walk
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. 

How far are you walking to age well? Let us know in the comments and there’s more on the power of walking on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
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 ❤️

#internationalwomensday #embraceequity #embracequity2023 ##longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #iwd2023 #madformidlife
We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many benefits when it comes to ageing well. 

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 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project