Posts tagged with "Sleep"

Above, you're as young as you feel. (Photo source: Daily Mail)

The outlook is good: By 2033, age 90 will be the new 40

May 26, 2023

The creators of a new program that aims to “reboot” your biological age say that, within a decade, people who live into their 90s could feel as if they are in their 40s, thanks to rapid advances in the longevity field, reports Newsweek.

The program and accompanying app, which launched last September, were developed by Great Age Reboot, led by Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic, and by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Corey Bridges.

The aim of the program and app is to encourage users to develop healthy habits that will help reduce their physiological age—enabling them to feel younger than their calendar age.

“The goal of the program is to enable you to stay younger and stay on top of discoveries in the longevity field while not being misled,” Roizen, who is a best-selling author, told Newsweek. “The aim is to help you avoid doing things that aren’t healthy and to help you consistently do things that are healthy.

“Sometime in the next ten years, we think you’re going to be able to—because of the exponential advances in 14 areas of aging mechanism research—reboot yourself; so that if 60 is now the new 40, 90 will be the new 40,” he said.

Among the 14 areas of research that Roizen is particularly excited about is a technique called therapeutic plasma exchange, which involves removing blood plasma and exchanging it with donated blood products. In one notable study, this technique was shown to slow down several aspects of cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. In animal studies, it has been shown to reverse skin, pancreas, muscle, and cardiovascular aging.

In developing the app, the Great Age Reboot team analyzed thousands of scientific papers to help create the content, which includes short videos and articles, brain games, and other activities. Each user’s experience is customized to that person, and the app even includes a feature that enables physicians to monitor the progress of their patients.

“What we’re doing is building on Mike’s life mission,” Bridges told Newsweek. “It’s not about extending your life, so you have 30 more years in the nursing home. It’s about giving you 30 more years in your prime so you can do whatever it is that you love, whatever it is that fuels you.”

He continued: “The app is interactive in the sense that it learns about your progress, learns what your starting point is, listens to you about what you want to focus on in a prioritized way to turn back the clock. It seeks to inform and inspire you.”

The app focuses on improving habits in several major areas of life that research has shown are key to longevity, such as stress management, diet, physical activity, sleep and brain health.

When it comes to stress management, the most important thing, according to Roizen, is having “posse and purpose”—i.e., cultivating friends and having a purpose.

In terms of nutrition, Roizen said, “food is a relationship, so you should only eat food you love but that also loves you back.”

He continued: “And with that, eating in the right time, the right amount and doing five days every quarter of decreased food intake. So, five days of 750-calorie-intake resets your aging markers to a younger self—every one of them that we know of.”

other major component of the app’s focus is physical activity, which has been shown to make a difference in how long and well you live. Key activities include cardiovascular workouts, resistance training, and jumping, as well as walking, according to Roizen.

“There is validation in the 10,000 steps a day [goal],” he said. “It’s the inflection point on chronic disease development. Although it was developed by a Japanese pedometer maker, it actually has valid data.”

When it comes to brain wellness, Roizen said, there are more than 30 things you can do to slow your rate of brain aging, such as playing speed of processing games or consuming a tablespoon and a half of olive oil every day.

“And with that goes the component of sleep—getting rid of brain waste as you sleep longer and better,” Roizen said.

The longevity expert also pointed to several supplements that have been shown in randomized, controlled trials to have a benefit on physiological aging. One example of this is phosphocreatine.

“Phosphocreatine is used by young people to build muscle,” Roizen said. “It’s very rarely used by the elderly. But it’s been shown in randomized, controlled trials to not only build muscle in the elderly and help prevent the decrease in muscle mass as you get older but also to improve brain functioning.”

Subscriptions for the Reboot Your Age app cost $34.95 per month or $299.95 annually. You can try before you buy with a free ten-day trial.

Research contact: @Newsweek

Above, Patrick Schwarzenner and Maria Shriver, the founders of MOSH. (Photo source: MOSH)

‘We want to be the Nike of brain health’

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September 30, 2021

A new mission-driven startup founded by Maria Shriver and one of her sons with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, casts a spotlight on cognitive wellness, Food Business News reports.

 Los Angeles-based MOSH (which stands for Maria Owings Shriver Health) is debuting a line of protein bars formulated with adaptogens and nutrients linked to brain health. A percentage of sales supports Alzheimer’s research. 

Shriver—an award-winning journalist, author, and former First Lady of California—is a force in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, which a decade ago claimed the life of her father, American diplomat, politician and activist Sargent Shriver. Following his diagnosis, she penned the children’s book “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” and produced the documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project.”

 She published the groundbreaking Shriver Report—revealing that Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affects women—and subsequently launched the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, a nonprofit organization advancing gender-based brain health research.

 “We’ve learned so much in my two decades of advocacy about what actually impacts our brain health,” Shriver told Food Business News. “When I got involved with Alzheimer’s, people were only looking in one space; they were looking at plaques and tangles, and they were researching men.

 “Now,” says Shriver, “we know so much of what we do on a day-to-day basis starting in our 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, particularly with women who are perimenopausal and menopausal. How you sleep, how you exercise, and what you eat have a big impact on your brain functioning at its best.”

 Shriver and Schwarzenegger partnered with brain health experts and nutritionists to develop the protein bars, which are available in peanut butter, chocolate and peanut butter chocolate flavors. Ashwagandha, lion’s mane mushroom, collagen, medium-chain triglyceride oil, vitamins B12 and D3 and omega-3 fatty acids are among the brain-boosting ingredients included in the recipes.

 Nutrition plays a role in delaying or preventing cognitive decline. Recent research suggests the ketogenic diet may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, Shriver noted. She also cited research examining the effects of sugar on brain health.

“That’s why this bar is formulated with zero added sugar,” she said.

 Shriver, who often relies on protein bars to fuel her busy lifestyle, said the company plans to launch “a whole slew of products” in the future.

 “We want to be the Nike of brain health,” Schwarzenegger added. “We want to get consumers shopping in different categories that are good for brain and body—whether that is protein bars, whether that is hydration, whether that is different protein powders or supplements.”

 He said the protein bars had been in development for a year and a half. The team tested various iterations with scores of consumers. Supply chain disruptions and pandemic restrictions further delayed the launch.

 The bars, featuring packaging design inspired by a brain scan, are sold at moshlife.com. Proceeds from each purchase are donated to Women’s Alzheimer Movement.

 Research contact: @FoodBizNews

Above, Tom Brady and wife, Gisele Bündchen. (Photo source: Instagram)

How he does it: Tom Brady’s extreme diet and fitness routines

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February 9, 2021

On February 7, Tom Brady broke his own record as the oldest QB ever—at age 43—to win a Super Bowl; when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the reigning champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, on the Bucs’ home turf, defeating them 31-9.

According to NBC News, “The game was supposed to be an epic battle of the ages, pitting the all-time great Brady against Patrick Mahomes, 25, widely regarded as the best young quarterback in the game.”

But it obviously didn’t work out that way, as the Buccaneers took a decisive lead in the first half and never lost it.

Suffice it to say, The New York Post reports, “Brady is one of a kind, a phenomenon who shows no sign of slowing down any time soon in a sport where longevity is rare.”

But how does Brady do it? The Post notes that he follows a stringent diet, exercise, and study routine—not only to keep in shape, but to exceed expectations on every level.

Put simply, Brady is an obsessive—a man with a plan and the determination (and money) to execute it, as John Burns, CEO of Brady’s TB12 health and wellness organization, explains.

“Tom’s sustained success over the past 20-plus years is a testament to his incredible drive and his meticulous approach to everything he does.” Burns says. “It’s that mindset that allows him to keep going.”

Here’s how he does it, according to the Post:

Daily schedule

  • 5:30 a.m.:  Wake up, drink electrolyte water and smoothie
  • 7 a.m.: Breakfast with family
  • 8 – 10:30 a.m.: Hit the gym for strengthening and conditioning
  • 10 a.m:  Beach time
  • 11 a.m.:  Review game footage
  • Noon: Lunch
  • 3 -5  p.m.: Team practice or, in the off-season, surf and workout
  • 5-6 p.m.: Post-workout pliability session
  • 6 p.m:  Dinner with family
  • 7 p.m.: Review films, strategy w/ Coach, charity work
  • 7:30 p.m.: Family time, including reading to kids
  • 8:30 p.m.: Lights out and sleep

Fitness

It’s been said that trainer Alex Guerrero knows Tom Brady’s body better than the QB’s wife, Gisele Bündchen. As well as being his business partner in the TB12 health-and-wellness brand—including a chain of fitness centers that they plan to expand nationwide—Guerrero has  been described by Brady as his “body engineer,” the Post says.

He’s micromanaged the athlete’s training schedule month—and even year—in advance. An average day will begin early with a pre-workout “deep force” massage session with Guerrero. It only lasts four minutes, but targets 20 muscle groups for around 20 seconds each. It helps prepare Brady’s body for an intense workout, beginning with 40 minutes of resistance bands, to make muscles more pliable, soft, and resilient.

As the quarterback has aged, he works out less with weights, which could leave him prone to muscle tears. Now it’s all about planks, lunges and squats, followed by more pliability exercises, such as doing crunches with a vibrating roller beneath his back.

After, there’s another massage, this time with the focus of flushing out the lactic acid that builds up during exercise, to help improve muscle recovery time.

During the NFL season, he’ll work out with teammates in the afternoon. Off season, he might get in some surfing. There’s also another pliability session, to improve muscle recovery time, before bed.

Diet

First thing every morning, Brady has a smoothie. His favorite is made with blueberries and banana, hemp and chia seeds, walnuts, almond butter and hemp milk. He’ll also start drinking electrolyte water.

While there’s no denying that Brady’s spartan diet has played a major part in prolonging his playing career, some of his former New England Patriots teammates thought it obsessive and unappetizing — or as one put it, “that birdseed s–t.”

Caffeine is off the table. So is white flour, white sugar, dairy products and anything with gluten. He steers clear of veggies—tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, mushrooms —that could cause inflammation. Everything has to be organic. Brady each day tries to drink “a couple of hundred ounces” of water, usually enhanced with electrolytes. (He sells those, along with various nutritional supplements, through his TB12 site.)

Allen Campbell was Brady’s personal chef from 2013 to 2016; and helped him to create the TB12 Nutrition Manual, published in 2017. He told the Post that, at this time of year, “We focused on dark leafy greens, some grass-fed animal protein as well as legumes and whole grains.”

But that’s not what Brady will eat before the Super Bowl. His game-day meals are even more basic: a smoothie and a sandwich of almond butter and jelly.

It’s all a far cry from his rookie season in 2000; Brady admitted that his pregame snack used to be nachos while his default lunch was ham-and-cheese subs with onion rings and a large orange soda.

Brady sticks to an 80/20 (plant-based/animal protein) diet. Even his favorite ice cream is plant-based; made from avocado with a little cacao mixed in, so it tastes like chocolate.

Mind

Besides having worked with a life coach in the past,   Brady practices transcendental meditation, striving to become what Guerrero has described as “emotionally stable and ­spiritually nourished.”

He’s also had neuroscans so he can better understand the way his brain processes information and create strategies to improve that.

Brady exercises his brain using apps such as BrainHQ. Although the app was designed to help those with brain conditions such as cognitive damage or memory loss, Brady has used it to sharpen his reactions—working his way through two dozen brain games or more each day.

“Tom explained it like this,” said Henry Mahncke, CEO of the app’s creators, Posit Science. “When he gets the [ball], he remembers the play, then he has to scan the field, locate the receivers, figure out which ones are on their routes and which are open, and make the pass. All in about three seconds.”

Sleep

Finally, the Post reports, Brady loves sleeping. Before his first Super Bowl in 2002, he even took a nap in the locker room only to be woken up with just 12 minutes left before the Patriots were due on the field.

These days, he hits the hay at 8:30  each night and wakes at 5:30 a.m. But everything has to be right. From sleeping on a mattress with a layer of diamond memory foam to setting the bedroom thermostat to between 60 degrees and 65 degrees and shutting down all digital distractions at least 30 minutes before he retires, Brady is as obsessive about sleep as he is about, well, everything else in his life.

And then there’s his magic pajamas: bioceramic-infused sleepwear made by Under Armour to increase energy, promote recovery and improve performance. And you can, too, can sleep like Tom, although a complete set will set you back nearly $200.

Research contact: @newyorkpost