IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: today is research from a school of nursing and medicine that finds more families have reported older adults with cognitive impairment and more.

MAKING CHANGES: Protecting your brain health begins with protecting your gut, mitochondria and getting sleep.

FACT OR FICTION: Why do camels have humps on their back? Is it water storage, food stores or insulation?

In The News

Researchers from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and East Carolina University Brody Medical School published finding that demonstrated a greater number of families have reported older adults with cognitive impairment over the past two decades.

Although the number of elderly are growing, the rate of dementia reported is growing more quickly. However, when the researchers looked at the racial and ethnic differences they found the increasing number of adults reported with cognitive impairment occurred most frequently in white respondents. They could offer no explanation for the differences, but believe these numbers are still underreported.

SOURCE: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180116123733.htm

Daily Health Tip

Cognitive impairment often leads to dementia which has a high financial, emotional and mental cost to the families and community.

Making Changes

Protecting the health of your brain may be supported by getting adequate amounts of QUALITY sleep. During sleep your brain clears toxins accumulated during the day from metabolism. Without this housekeeping, large amounts of toxins accumulate and damage your neurons, leading to dementia.

Sleep is essential, but not as easily acquired as you may have imagined. Although you are asleep, it doesn’t mean the sleep you get is quality rest. To ensure you protect your health, try some of these strategies.

1. Sleep in a completely dark room. If you can see your hand in front of your face, the room has too much light. Light reduces the amount of melatonin you produce, which in turn reduces the quality of your sleep.
2. Get exposed to bright light in the morning hours to signal your body to shut down your melatonin production and get ready for the next night.
3. Exercise during the day.
4. Cut off your caffeine intake after 2pm.
5. Take 15 minutes to unwind before going to bed.
6. Use your bed for sleeping or intimate relations with your spouse - and nothing else. Television, work, and other digital equipment should be left for another room.
7. Stop eating at least three hours before going to bed. Adding calories at a time when your body doesn’t need it increases your metabolism when it should be resting.
8. Use blue blocking lenses after the sun goes down to signal to your body that it’s time to start producing melatonin. Most digital equipment produces blue light which has the biggest effect on melatonin.
9. Adjust the temperature in your room - keep the thermostat between 67 and 70. As you fall asleep your core temperature begins to drop. Sleeping in a warm room disturbs your sleep.

Daily Affirmation

My sincerity shines in my words.
To put myself in a sincere frame of mind, I examine my motives. I check that my thoughts are free from resentments and anxiety. I ask myself what would serve the common good rather than just my own interests.
Fact or Fiction?

Camels are born without the characteristic hump on their back and can run within hours of their birth. They travel together in herd of up to 30 individuals in search of food and water. In Arabia the camels have one hump but in Asia they have two. But, contrary to popular belief those humps don’t store water. Instead they are filled with fatty tissue that store energy and insulate the rest of their bodies from the extreme heat.

Have a wonderful day!

Your Healthy Life America Team