You might expect I would share my experience running this Hawaii-based marathon as someone over 60.

However, here’s the thing: you can also participate in a 10K run at the event.

Did you know that walking is an option too?

Or that you could walk it?

If that hasn’t captured your attention yet, there’s more: high school students cheerfully offer scrumptious malasadas (Portuguese donuts) as a reward for completing the event.

While I didn’t formally train for my 10K walk, I seized the opportunity to experience the Honolulu Marathon in my way.

“With a little harder work, a more organized training plan, I could …”

That is true, but I did not formally prepare for my 10K walk; I embraced the chance to experience the Honolulu Marathon.

Today, I’ll share why I prize experiences over things.

(Or, you might think, use an essay to share some recent photos from my recent Oahu adventures.)

Borges on Life

First, a bit from Borges:

Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone. Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is. — Jorge Luis Borges.

Why Borges?

The Argentinian writer was a “literature man.”

But mathematicians, philosophers, and philologists all admire him.

Is it his perfect language?

Extraordinarily broad knowledge?

The universality of his ideas or originality of his fiction?

No matter. Just read him.

Consider exploring Ficciones, a collection of short stories exploring motifs such as dreams, chance, labyrinths, infinity, libraries, mirrors, fictional writers, and mythology.

Doing the Honolulu Marathon

Last week, I did the Honolulu marathon.

It’s the fourth largest even in the United States (after New York, Chicago, and Boston).

There is no time limit, and everyone is allowed to finish.

Fireworks preceded sunrise, and the race began at 5 a.m.

Diverse Experiences Promote Happiness

There is a link between new and diverse experiences, enhanced happiness, and increased brain activity.

Writing in Nature Neuroscience, researchers note this:

We feel happier when we have more variety in our daily routines.

Going to novel places and having many activities in my daily routine facilitates joy.

The reverse is also true: I am much more likely to seek out rewarding experiences when I am positive.

Study Details

This study examined whether having various experiences in your day-to-day life makes you feel more positive.

Researchers tracked people’s locations in New York and Miami for a few months and asked them about their feelings.

They found that people who visited more places and spent time in different locations reported feeling happier and more positive overall.

Then, they imaged (with MRI) the brains of some participants and found something interesting.

The people who seemed to benefit from this variety had more activity in certain brain areas (the hippocampus and striatum) linked to experiencing new things and feeling rewarded.

Final Thoughts

I finished my 10K, received a participation medal, and joined my fellow runners and walkers in the festival area in Kapiolani Park.

Not everyone can travel to Hawaii, but we can stretch to do diverse activities.

The post Why Your Comfort Zone is Killing Your Happiness (and What to Do About It) appeared first on Medika Life.

I often wonder how much walking I need to do to combat the blues. It turns out that even small volume increases in physical activity can reduce your depression risk or symptoms.

A new research study demonstrates that even small increases in physical activity can reduce your risk or symptoms of depression.

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say, “My tooth is aching” than to say, “My heart is broken.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.

Let’s briefly look at how movement can help us feel better. First, though, let’s pivot to the origins of the word “blues.”

The Blues

African Americans created the blues, a secular folk music, in the early 1900s, primarily in the American South.

Although instrumental accompaniment is nearly universal in the blues, it is essentially a vocal form.

Blues songs are usually lyrical rather than narrative because expressing feelings is foremost.

As a musical style, the blues is characterized by expressive “microtonal” pitch inflections (blue notes), a three-line textual stanza of the form AAB, and a 12-measure form.

Initial Use of “Blues”

But we need to go back to find the initial use of the term blues.

In the 1800s, the English phrase “blue devils” meant upsetting hallucinations precipitated by severe alcohol withdrawal.

“Blue devils” was later shortened to the blues, describing states of depression and upset.

Now that you have kindly indulged me in exploring the origin of the term “blues,” let’s move on to the new research findings.

The Mood-Boosting Minimum

I always feel better after walking for 30 minutes during my lunch hour. Could this be enough to provide a mood boost?

Scientists recently analyzed over 4000 individuals in the Republic of Ireland over a decade. The subjects were at least 50 years old.

The researchers wanted to know the minimal dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) associated with a reduced risk of depression and depressive symptoms in older adults with and without chronic disease.

Key Findings

Can you walk your way to a better mood? The answer is yes, and with fewer steps than you might think.

Researchers from the University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin discovered the following:

A physical activity dose equivalent to 20 minutes a day (five days a week) of moderate-intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, was linked with less risk of depressive symptoms and odds of major depression.

About 400 MET minutes (MET = metabolic equivalent task) — about 100 minutes of low-intensity exercise (think a walk) or approximately 50 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise — provides significant mind protection.

Moreover, the more exercise you perform, the less likely you are to experience depressive symptoms. But you begin to accrue benefits with very little physical activity.

The presence of chronic disease did not affect the findings.

Dose-Response Curve

The investigators discovered a dose-response relationship between exercise volume and the risk of depression.

More moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was linked to greater depression protection.

Thirty minutes of exercise was associated with a small (seven percent relative risk reduction) improvement in the chances of developing depressive symptoms. However, the odds of major depression dropped by nearly one-half (44 percent).

Doses equivalent to 60 minutes daily of physical activity were associated with a 16 percent lower chance of depressive symptoms and 41 percent lower odds of major depression.

Finally, those getting 120 minutes of daily exercise were linked to a 23 percent lower probability of depressive symptoms and a halving (49 percent) of the odds of major depression.

Study Details

The team used ten years of Irish Longitudinal Study On Ageing data.

The scientists analyzed more than 4,000 older individuals over ten years.

The database included information on depression, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and other key health-related variables such as disease, lifestyle factors, and socio-economic status.

They controlled for health-related factors, including age, biological sex, alcohol and smoking use, obesity, and antidepressant use.

My Take

There is growing evidence that physical activity promotes neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to adapt and reprogram.

Many depressed individuals have psychological inflexibility, which occurs when they get stuck in a feedback loop of negative thoughts and emotions.

Exercise, and you may re-route neural pathways. The result? More positive emotions, improved stress resilience, and less anxiety.

Physical activity at lower doses than World Health Organization recommendations for health appears to offer protection against depressive symptoms and Major Depression.

Aim for 20 minutes daily of moderate-intensity activity at least five days per week. Do more to get even more benefits.

Do you feel better after a short bout of exercise?

The post Unleash the Happy Hormones: The Surprising Magic of Just 2 Hours a Week to Beat the Blues appeared first on Medika Life.

Even as researchers are making some progress in their various hypotheses regarding Alzheimer’s, we are still contending with a very troubling one: it might be an infectious viral disease. But there might only be sporadic instances of this form of SDAT (Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type). If that’s the case, there may need to be multiple treatment modalities for Alzheimer’s and not one drug. Two broad categories of SDAT have been designated: familial and sporadic, with the latter being poorly understood.

Now, more focus is being placed on factors that were previously thought to be unrelated to AD, such as diet, lifestyle choices, and gut microbiome. Studies have shown that these factors all affect the progression of AD, which raises the possibility that these factors could be key to combating the disease.

Recently, there has been speculation that the gut microbiota-brain axis, a bidirectional communication link between the GI tract and the central nervous system (CNS), may have a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of AD. There may be a link between this axis and the disruption of certain metabolisms or clearances by microbes, the increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, changes in the neuroinflammatory response, and the blocking of vital hippocampal neurogenesis needed for memory maintenance. These changes in this axis may help explain how AD develops.

Think about how certain foods can alter the gut microbiota, which may lead to changes more in line with the onset of Alzheimer’s. The analysis of the fermented food research has shown promising effects on amyloid-β metabolism, inflammation, and cognitive impairment in animals and humans. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease emphasizes the role of the gut-brain axis, and studies examining the use of fermented foods are showing promising new research routes. But there’s even more research outside the plumbing of foods and lifestyles.

Globally, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment, which ranges from 7 % to 25 % in adults aged 60 to 84, continues to increase with advancing age.

Depression, an emotional change seen in Alzheimer’s patients, deserves more attention than it has received in the past. I can remember asking researchers why they weren’t going further in studying depression in these patients. The answer? The patients had depression because of the changes it brought to their lives. Little thought was given to depression as a signaling area of potential research. How might depression, in the biological sense, be involved in this disease? Now that area is opening up to study.

Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to explain the bidirectional relationship between depression and AD. Evidence suggests that midlife depression may be an AD risk factor, while a chronic course of depression in late life may be a sign or symptom of dementia.

There are possible explanations for the possible reciprocal relationship between MCI and depressive symptoms. One is the scarring theory, which holds that depressive episodes make people more vulnerable to cognitive deficits that frequently persist long after affective symptoms have decreased. But, even here, there is a more nuanced approach to both depression and AD and it lies in one hormone, known as the “happiness hormone,” serotonin.

In one study, it was discovered that MCI patients had up to 25% lower serotonin transporter levels in brain regions specifically linked to executive function, emotion, and memory than healthy controls. In addition, the MCI patients had higher levels of plaque material.

Foods that contain preservatives may also play a role in the regulation of serotonin, appetite suppression, and cognition. Sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulfite have the potential to increase serotonin production, which would activate calorie restriction, prolong life expectancy, and improve cognitive performance. Unfortunately, highly processed foods that may contain these two preservatives can bring on other health issues.

Are “happiness” and Alzheimer’s related in some way, as are the foods that aid the gut-microbiota-brain axis in regulating mood and, potentially, Alzheimer’s? The jury is out on this one, but important evidence is being accumulated that may bring new hypotheses and treatments early on in the disease or, potentially, halt it in its tracks. Maybe the lowly pickle will pave the way to a new understanding of fermented foods’ involvement.

The post Is Happiness Related to Alzheimer’s and a Specific Hormone? appeared first on Medika Life.

No, it’s not simply getting out of doors in the fresh air and sunshine, there’s more to it than that, and the “more” is hidden from the human eye. But there’s even more we are learning about our physical senses and how they affect us in ways previously unknown.

For example, think of research that is now indicating we may pick our friends via a sense of smell that we both share. Is this too fantastic for words? The researchers indicate, Because humans seek friends who are similar to themselves, we hypothesized that humans may smell themselves and others to subconsciously estimate body odor similarity, which, in turn, may promote friendship. Are perfumes and other scents a subconscious acknowledgment of this feature of olfaction? Do we try to deceive in this way?

I don’t care for the term “body odor,” and I prefer “personal scent” in its place. Each of us does have a certain scent all our own and it runs in families which would mean it’s a function of our genetic inheritance.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of human experience that we deny is that we, much like other animals on the planet, use our sense of smell in ways we never anticipated. Who would have thought that we might be prompted to initiate a friendship based on an unrealized scent that that person projects in the air around them. Of course, we laugh at this and call it absurd.

We’re not like dogs, cats and other animals that sniff out which one is going to be a friend and which one a foe. No, we are far superior to them; after all, we are the apex predator or whatever you wish to call us. We assume we are superior in every way and yet we’re not.

Research is now proving that our out-of-awareness ability to detect various scents in other persons promotes friendships or more intimate relationships. The hypothesis is that we gravitate toward those who have a scent that is similar to our own and there are areas in our brain that respond to this.

If scents are inducers to promote relationships, do they also provide an additional layer of understanding about that person’s emotional state at any time? Do scents vary over time according to emotions being experienced? Perhaps they do and this might also initiate in us feelings of empathy or concern regarding safety. We don’t have to ask someone to know how they are feeling if we can use our sense of smell, our olfactory receptors, to pick up the unseen that is present.

We are now considering something called chemosensory communication which may influence our human emotions such as friendship or a wish for closeness to someone else. The area has not been well studied up to the present time, but it is now receiving much more attention because of more sophisticated monitoring systems which we can engage. These chemical signals are seen as social cues, providing information that meshes well with our interests and can significantly affect how we act toward others.

One interesting fact in medicine, which had become apparent in the least 30 years, is that persons who are developing Alzheimer’s disease often experience a loss of smell initially. The test for it is now called the “peanut butter test.” Such a test for the sense of smell may indicate an area of the brain that is deteriorating. In fact, one of the tests that had been used in Alzheimer’s research previously had a rack of small vials containing a number of different scents.

I recall a woman coming in for our Alzheimer’s protocol who had no sense of smell. Why? Being a fastidious homemaker, she used a combination of cleaning ingredients that destroyed her nasal receptors almost completely.

There is also the thesis that the sense of smell can be used in a navigational sense. Utilizing this facility would be most important in detecting dangerous odors that might not be apparent to others and this brings up the question of personal sensitivity. Are some persons more sensitive to the scent of others? It may seem like an academic question, but it has interesting aspects to it.

Are you aware of the profession where people are referred to as a “nose?” A nose is a person who has such acute olfactory senses that they are utilized in the creation of scents for personal grooming. I suppose we could say that they could also be used for creating scents used in a very in a variety of other activities such as hunting or seeking out certain types of vermin. Hunters do use manufactured scents to attract certain animals.

Research begun in the 19th century by Paul Broca, discovered that there is an area in our brain that does provide signals regarding what our nostrils perceive. However, Broca also believed that humans are what is known as anosmatic, meaning that scent has little meaning in the lives of humans outside of perfumes, food, outdoor scents, flowers, etc. He foresaw a limited range for our sense of smell and this bias was passed down to us until the 20th century.

Another interesting fact of science is that although we have approximately 800 olfactory receptor genes that may detect one trillion olfactory stimuli, most of the receptors are non-functioning because of evolutionary change and our need to survive. While we may require fewer of these particular receptors, lower animals, such as dogs, have an extraordinary number. Dogs possess about 800 million receptors, making them especially keen to be able to pick up scents that are not in the human range.

We now know that chemosensory cues, usually associated with taste, are introduced to us through our mother’s milk and it is believed this is where the sense of bitter and sour originates. But what if the mother’s smell, is something that precipitates the initial priming of brain cells in the olfactory brain center regarding our interactions with others? Is that how family bonding begins? That’s a question that may be left for future researchers. But it does pique my interest.

The sense of smell is essential to us since it can provide pleasure and security and help us choose friends and mates. One researcher has hypothesized that we could have a more acute sense of smell if it had not been for evolution which negated the need for all these receptors. Of course, if something is still present, albeit not utilized, the potential exists for us to sharpen that sense and use it more in line with current culture.

Where will our sense of smell go in the future? Only the scientists involved in the research may provide the clue we seek.

The post Smell Your Way to Better Health and Happiness? appeared first on Medika Life.

However, the upside to gratitude is that it will not only allow you to lead a happier, more successful life, but you will also experience moments and events the way they are meant to be experienced. Presently, with your full focus and attention, and full of joy. In this article, I’ll attempt to explain to you just a few of the science-backed reasons you should be grateful. With evidence, of course.

1.) Gratitude can make you happier.

In one study from 2003, keeping a weekly or daily gratitude journal for 10 weeks was linked to increased feelings of happiness. In this study, participants were assigned to one of three groups: one group kept note of their hassles, one group listed things they are grateful for, and another group kept track of neutral life events or social comparisons. The study participants also kept records of their daily or weekly coping strategies, health behaviors, physical symptoms, and overall life appraisals.

In another related study, people with a neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to a gratitude group or a control group. The gratitude groups in both of these studies exhibited higher levels of well-being across all of the domains measured. The results of the studies suggested that a conscious effort to be positive and a focus on blessings had not only interpersonal and personal benefits, but also social and emotional benefits as well.

As Charles Dickens once said:

“Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

2.) Gratitude can boost your self-esteem.

In another study from 2014, investigators measured self-esteem in athletes in response to gratitude. What is self-esteem? It is a [positive] evaluation of/towards oneself that can facilitate optimal psychological and physical functioning. Oxford defines self-esteem as confidence in one’s own worth or abilities, or self-respect.

In the study, athletes’ self-esteem, measures of gratitude, and affective trust in their coaches were measured at the beginning of the experiment and again six months later. It was demonstrated that the athletes who had higher levels of gratitude increased their self-esteem over time, if they had higher affective trust in their coaches. Affective trust is the confidence one places in a partner, such as the relationship between an athlete and his/her coach, based on feelings of level of concern and care said partner demonstrates in a relationship over time. It is a direct measure of the perceived level of security and trust that the relationship is based on.

3.) Gratitude can help you get better sleep.

In a 2009 study, participants were examined on their sleep quality in relation to their gratitude. Personality, including the big 5 traits (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), can influence how we sleep and the quality of sleep we get. However, in this study, gratitude was associated with less negative pre-sleep thoughts that impair sleep and more positive pre-sleep cognitions that promote good sleep.

More specifically, sleep was measured on objective qualities such as total sleep quality, sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep on average), and sleep duration as well as subjective traits such as subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction. The bottom line? When falling asleep, more grateful people are more likely to think positive, happy thoughts and have better sleep because of it whereas less grateful people are more likely to experience negative thoughts and poorer sleep, in all aspects.

The post Why It Benefits You to Be Grateful appeared first on Medika Life.

In the COVID pandemic age, I have thought a lot about the emotional well-being of my patients and others. I have also been looking at Blue Zones, areas in the world where we will find the longest living people.

You are probably wondering where I am going with this thought thread. Today, I want to briefly explore how giving (and being a part of a community) can boost your physical and psychological well-being.

Blue zone — Nicoya (Costa Rica)

This Central American nation isn’t that far from the United States, but it is well ahead of us in life length.

While there are many contributing factors to the longevity of the Nicoya region of Costa Rica, the good folks at bluezone.com note that Nicoyan centenarians “get frequent visits from neighbors. They know how to listen, laugh, and appreciate what they have.”

Community matters: Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit with neighbors, and they tend to live with families who provide support and a sense of purpose.

The theme of robust communities extends to the other Blue Zone communities, including Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia, Loma Linda (USA), and Ikaria (Greece).

Giving is good for health

Do you volunteer for a hospital, soup kitchen, or other organization? Did you know that you are getting psychological and physical health benefits? These upsides may include:

• Improved self-esteem, mood, and stress levels
• Lower blood pressure
• Greater levels of satisfaction
• Longer life

Volunteer, and you stimulate your brain’s reward centers. Joggers have their “runner’s high,” and the charitable experience a “giver’s high.”

Three brain chemicals are essential drivers of happiness: Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin neurochemicals can boost your mood. Volunteer, and you create a happiness trifecta.

Dopamine is associated with our motivation and arousal. Serotonin is linked to learning, memory, appetite, digestion, and sleep.

Finally, oxytocin — the so-called cuddle hormone — affects blood pressure, sexual arousal, empathy, and bonding. Abonus of oxytocin surges? Reductions in pain and better wound healing.

Did you know that we can positively impact the brains of others? Mirror nerve cells (neurons) in our brains are powerful: Smile and others smile as you trigger their mirror neurons.

Get creative with your acts of kindness. Happiness researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon Sheldon discovered that individuals who performed a variety of acts of kindness throughout the week had more significant happiness increases than those who performed the same activity repeatedly.

RAKtivists

I was delighted to run across the term “RAKtivist,” or a “Random Acts of Kindness activist” in a recent CNN piece. Spread kindness, and you will not only help others feel good about themselves. You also get a boost in health, and happiness is a great bonus.

What does this mean from a practical perspective for me? I am writing more old-school notes (handwritten) to folks about whom I care, reminding them of how much I value them. I randomly positively respond to online posts. We have too much negativity in that space. Of course, I must do much more.

Do you do random acts of kindness? If so, what do you do? Thank you for joining me today. I genuinely appreciate that you took the time to read this piece.

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