Happy Thursday!
Welcome to the wabi-sabi letter, the digital newsletter that promotes healthy living, wellness, mental health awareness, fitness, positive habits, and all around happiness. Clear your head and cleanse your inbox with a tiny space for wellness as you set your intentions for the day. Badabing badaboom.
3 Steps Toward Longevity from a Biochemist
Former biochemist and New York Times bestselling author Robb Wolf shares his tips on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. He fills us in on some surprising ways to increase longevity—that is, your lifespan and healthspan. "Lifespan is how long an organism is going to live," he says. "Healthspan is how functional that organism is over [the years]." The best part? He includes pretty simple steps.
1. Strength training.
According to Wolf, maintaining muscle mass is the No. 1 thing you can do to optimize longevity. "There's this guarantee of losing muscle mass, losing the ability for maximum power production, as we age that begins in our 30s," he explains. (Specifically, you lose 3 to 8% of muscle mass per decade after you turn 30, and at an even higher rate after 60.) It's a process called sarcopenia, or age-related muscle mass loss, that happens as you age; between the ages of 20 and 80, research has found you can actually lose 40% of your muscle mass.
2. Protein intake.
The how much protein should I eat conversation is a hotly debated one, but as Wolf mentions above, maintaining muscle mass is the most important factor to mind as you age. As such, adequate protein intake is crucial. Of course, the amount differs depending on the person (here's how to tell if you're not getting enough), but you want to make sure to meet your own threshold.
3. Adequate sun.
You've likely heard it a million times: Vitamin D is crucial for overall health and longevity. It's essential for a number of processes in the body, and research shows the sunshine hormone can even increase the activity of telomerase—or the building blocks of telomeres that protect cellular DNA from aging.
Action Item: Zero in on ways you can incorporate the above longevity concepts this week as part of your daily routine.
Reading for Better Brain Health
Neuroscientist and author of Biohack Your BrainKristen Willeumier, Ph.D., tells MBG Health, “Very simple lifestyle changes, if practiced consistently, will support your brain health for a lifetime,” she says on the mindbodygreen podcast. One of those simple changes? Burying your nose in a book for at least 15 minutes per day.
“The number one thing I think people need to do more of is long-form reading, 15 to 30 minutes of picking up any kind of book,” Willeumier says. According to the neuroscientist, reading is a long lost art—sure, you may read your fair share of texts or social media threads, but these are oftentimes short-lived experiences.
Rather, Willeumier wants you to crack open a book and become immersed in the pages, to really familiarize yourself with the characters and, you know, learn something new. “[When] the brain learns, [it] forms these cognitive maps,” she explains. “So the more reading you're doing as you age will still keep your brain sharp.”
There’s science to support: One study found that reading novels was associated with both short and long-term connectivity in the brain; another showed that those who engaged in mentally stimulating activities like reading had slower cognitive decline later in life. On a broader scale, research has also found that learning new things (like, say, from a captivating read) can enhance memory function in older adulthood.
Action Item: Crack open a book (or longform article!) instead of social scrolling. We have Vulture’s 35 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Summer: Featuring climate-change noir, time-travel romance, and a lot of furious women. (Things we can get on board with.)
Uncovering Mindful Moments in the Workday
Does it ever seem like mindfulness just comes easier to some people? You know the people I’m talking about—the ones who always seem calm, present, and engaged. I know a few of those folks, too. But I’ll tell you a secret: Mindfulness is both an inherent ability that we all possess, and a skill that can be strengthened with practice.
Mindfulness is both an inherent ability that we all possess, and a skill that can be strengthened with practice.
Jen Fisher of Mindful shares three of her top tips for incorporating the habits of mindfulness into a busy daily routine.
1. Show Up Fully for Breakfast
Eating is a basic human need, so we often don’t pay much attention while we’re doing it. But consider this: Mindful eating not only helps improve your mental state, it can also help you enjoy your meal more! Here’s how to do it.
Sit somewhere intentional whenever you’re eating, away from your laptop or mobile devices to limit distractions.
As you’re eating, try to notice what you’re tasting and name at least three flavors of your food.
2. Lighten Up Your Lunch Break
It’s lunchtime and maybe you decide to go for a walk. Here’s how to use it as an opportunity to tap into joy.
As you walk, start to mentally name the things (focus on what you can see, smell, hear, or touch) in your surroundings that bring you joy.
Extend your reach to the people and experiences in your day that are bringing you joy, too.
3. Create Space Between You and Your Work
Many of us may be struggling with all-virtual work environments and allowing ourselves to shut down at the end of the day.
Create a boundary by moving away from your workspace and take a moment to ask yourself, “What energized me today?”
Then connect with your loved ones at home by giving them your undivided attention.
Action Item: Practice makes perfect! Try to incorporate at least one of these mindful breaks into your daily routine.
Like us? Share the well(th) with your friends & family.
You're amazing. Enjoy the world today.
Love,
wabi-sabi team