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Healthy Choices
Peppery-Garlic Grilled Steaks
Makes 4 servings Prep: 15 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Grill: 12 min.
Ingredients...
4 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon dried thyme 2½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1½ teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons ground red pepper 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless beef chuck-eye steaks
Directions...
1. Process garlic cloves, lemon juice, and next 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Rub garlic mixture evenly over steaks, and place in a shallow dish or a large zip-top plastic freezer bag.
Cover or seal, and chill at least 2 hours.
2. Grill steaks, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) 6 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.
Greek Roasted Chicken With Rosemary Potatoes
Makes 6 servings Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 15 min.; Stand: 10 min.
Ingredients...
2 tablespoons Greek seasoning 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 (5-pound) whole chicken 2 lemons, thinly sliced 1 celery rib, cut into thirds 1 carrot, cut into thirds 1 small onion, halved 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided ½ teaspoon pepper, divided 2 pounds small new potatoes, halved ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary 2 cups chicken broth Fresh spinach leaves (optional)
Directions...
1. Whisk together Greek seasoning, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.
2. Loosen skin from chicken breasts and drumsticks without totally detaching skin.
Rub Greek seasoning mixture evenly under skin.
Arrange 3 lemon slices on each side of breast under skin; carefully replace skin.
Place remaining lemon slices and next 3 ingredients into chicken cavity.
Tie ends of legs together with string; tuck wing tips under.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan.
Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes.
5. Stir together new potatoes, rosemary, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
6. Remove chicken from oven; pour 2 cups chicken broth over chicken.
Arrange potato mixture in a single layer on wire rack around chicken; return to oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°.
7. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 175°, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before carving.
Serve chicken and potatoes on fresh spinach leaves drizzled with pan juices, if desired. (The hot pan juices will wilt the spinach
Pan-Grilled Salmon
This dish pairs well with the Orange-Ginger Couscous.
Makes 4 servings Prep: 5 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Cook: 8 min.
Ingredients...
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar ¼ cup soy sauce 4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks Garnish: orange rind strips Orange-Ginger Couscous (optional)
Directions
1. Combine brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish or large zip-top freezer bag, and add salmon. Cover or seal, and chill 2 hours. Remove salmon from marinade, discarding marinade. 2. Cook salmon in a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. Garnish, if desired. Serve salmon with Orange-Ginger Couscous, if desired.
Reader’s Digest Report:
THE BEST SNACK IN EVERY STATE
(Sweet or salty? Yes, please! )
BY Emily Goodman and Emily Tyra (with TASTE OF HOME)
ALABAMA
Golden Flake fried pork skins
Even rival Alabama and Auburn sports fans found common ground over their love of Golden Flake potato chips. Although Utz bought the brand in 2016, Golden Flake fried pork skins (also called chicharrones) are still sold under that beloved name and come in some of the same flavors, including crowd favorite Sweet Heat Barbecue.
ALASKA
Smoked salmon spread
Folks in the Last Frontier take pride in their fresh-caught salmon, which many Alaskans whip into a spread with cream cheese, herbs, lemon juice and horseradish.
ARIZONA
Cactus candy
Made at the Cactus Candy Co. in Phoenix since 1942, these pink gumdrop squares are flavored with the bright juice of the prickly pear cactus, which tastes of watermelon, bubble gum and lemon.
ARKANSAS
Cheese dip
What some call queso is cheese dip here, and both fancy and no-frills versions of the magic melty cheese are embraced all over Arkansas, which hosts an annual World Cheese Dip Championship in Little Rock each fall.
CALIFORNIA
Guacamole
In a state practically synonymous with avocado, it’s no wonder the guac is so good. Golden Staters mash up the green stuff with just a sprinkle of salt, a splash of citrus and perhaps a pinch of onion.
COLORADO
Green chili fries
Order chili cheese fries in Colorado, and your spuds will come not with the run-of-the-mill beef chili on top, but instead with chili verde—a rich and subtle pork stew made with green chile peppers—plus a mountain of melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
CONNECTICUT
Apizza
Slices of New Haven-style apizza (yes, apizza )—crispy, coal-fired and light on the cheese—abound at Connecticut’s popular pizzerias, several of which use “Apizza”in their names. The term is an endearing imitation of pizza said with a thick Neapolitan accent, a direct contrast to the pie’s signature thin crust.
DELAWARE
Slippery dumplings
Unlike traditional dumplings, these Delmarvalous ones are rectangular—and swimming in so much chicken gravy they’ll slide all over your plate.
FLORIDA
Chifles plantain chips
The potassium-rich crisps first took off in Tampa in 1963 and now do so regularly aboard JetBlue. The airline known for its unlimited snacks started passing out Chifles (pronounced ‘chief-less) to hungry passengers last year.
HAWAII
Spam musubi
A symphony of savory and sweet in a three-bite treat: pan-fried Spam (the canned lunch meat is beloved across the islands), teriyaki sauce and sticky white rice wrapped up with seaweed.
IDAHO
Finger steaks
Mylo Bybee created finger-length fried steaks and made them famous when he opened Mylo’s Torch Lounge in Boise in the late 1950s. Most folks enjoy these breaded delicacies by the basketful with cocktail sauce.
GEORGIA
Pecan pralines
While the original French recipe calls for almonds, authentic Georgia pralines are made with pecans. The state ranks first in pecan production, and bakers pack the nuts into these caramelized clusters with the consistency of fudge.
ILLINOIS
Popcorn Cracker Jack is beloved at ballparks, but Garrett popped corn is even more popular across Illinois—especially the caramel and cheddar mix.
INDIANA
Corn dog
Synonymous with summer nights in the Hoosier state, these battered-up, deep-fried hot dogs on sticks are also the namesake of Indiana’s newest pre-professional baseball team: The Lake County Corn Dogs.
IOWA
Walking taco
Skip the tortilla and shake your taco fillings into a bag of crushed Doritos or Fritos, and you’ve got a taco you can take with you. Whether this originated at the Iowa State Fair is up for debate. Hawkeyes’affinity for it is not.
KANSAS
Fried chicken
It falls off the bone at famed chicken houses Stroud’s, Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s. Smart Kansans fry up enough to leave leftovers to munch on the next day.
KENTUCKY
Bourbon balls
In 1936, candymaker Ruth Booe overheard someone say that the two best tastes in the world were Kentucky bourbon and her chocolate. So she whipped up a melt-in-your-mouth combination of both. Customers even gave Booe their sugar rations during World War II so she could keep making batches of the boozy truffles.
LOUISIANA
Zapp's potato chips
“Zapp’s are an iconic Louisiana snack food,”says Laura Herbage, a Community Cook at our sister publication Taste of Home . Her favorite flavors: Spicy Crawtator (crawfish), Voodoo (vinegar, BBQ seasoning and jalapeno), and Cajun Dill (dill pickle) Gator-Tators.
MAINE
Whoopie pie
At least three other states lay claim to the invention of this cake/cookie hybrid. But Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston seems to have sold them first. Now the official state treat, a Maine whoopie pie is a hearty handful. The joy of discovering one in your lunchbox would make anyone exclaim, “Whoopie!”
MARYLAND
Crab fries
These taters come topped with Old Bay seasoning, a sweet and spicy blend that goes on just about everything in Maryland: seafood, popcorn, even Bloody Marys. Some crabby consumers take crab fries a step further and add actual crabmeat and melted cheese to the mix.
MASSACHUSETTS
Fried clams
More than 150 craveworthy clam shacks dot the Bay State. Top favorite Woodman’s of Essex claims to be the birthplace of fried clams, having made the first briny batch back in 1916.
MICHIGAN
Better Made potato chips
In 1930, the Detroit company’s cofounders set out to make a better chip, hence the name. Of Motor City’s more than 20 original potato chip companies, only Better Made is still around.
MINNESOTA
Honeycrisp apple
Horticulturists at the University of Minnesota planted the original Honeycrisp seedling—a cross of Macoun and Honeygold apples—in 1962, with hopes of developing a winter-hardy tree that bore juicier, crunchier fruit. Consumers took their first bites of the lip-smacking, explosively crisp apple in 1992 and were instantly smitten.
MISSISSIPPI
Cheese straws
Before they had fridges, southern cooks would knead cheese into their leftover biscuit dough and bake it in strips. Mississippians kept churning out the crisps after kitchen technology caught up, including the Yerber family of Yazoo City, who founded the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory.
MONTANA
Jerky
Ranchers and outdoor-adventure seekers in Big Sky Country have long counted on seasoned strips of cured beef, elk or bison meat as the ultimate pack-along energy boost.
MISSOURI
Toasted ravioli
Strictly speaking, these pillows of pasta are fried, not toasted. But menus in Missouri were never the same after a notentirely-sober St. Louis chef dropped ravioli in the fryer and thought to salvage them with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
NEBRASKA
Runza
These stuffed bread bundles have German-Russian roots. Brimming with seasoned ground beef, cabbage and onions, the savory parcels are so beloved in Nebraska that we’ve named them the state sandwich and signature dish in previous years. The runza’s snack status was a shoo-in, too, considering that many fans call them the original Hot Pockets.
NEVADA
Shrimp cocktail
Landlocked, schmandlocked: Nevada goes through 60,000 pounds of shrimp a day, much of which hangs from the edges of martini glasses full of cocktail sauce. The Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas served the first glassful in 1959 for only 50 cents. These days you’ll find them all over the state—just not for that price.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Port City pretzels
These popular pretzels come in four flavors: Cinnamon Sugar, Feisty Hot!, Tangy Mustard ’N Honey and Tasty Ranch Dill. The company, based in Portsmouth, is women-owned, and the majority of its employees are disabled.
NEW JERSEY
Saltwater taffy
Boardwalk strollers know that stretching the colorful stripes of Atlantic City’s first (and most popular) souvenir is almost as fun as eating it. Almost.
NEW MEXICO
Biscochitos
Stacks of these fragrant shortbread cookies are holiday favorites, but they pair perfectly with a warm beverage any time of year. The lard in the recipe gives them a flaky texture, while notes of anise and cinnamon (plus a nip of rum or brandy) constitute their signature flavor.
NORTH CAROLINA
Krispy Kreme doughnuts
Tar Heels take a detour when they see the hot light come on, indicating that a fresh batch of original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts is ready to devour.
NORTH DAKOTA
Chippers
For those who can’t decide between sweet and savory, North Dakota has just the thing: potato chips covered in chocolate. Carol Widman’s Candy Co., which claims to have invented the treat, uses Red River Valley chips, another state staple.
NEW YORK
Buffalo wings
Though state officials designated yogurt as the official snack, New Yorkers know that Buffalo wings (or just “wings”if you’re in Buffalo) are far more fun. Most come with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side, but the Buffalo sauce steals the show. It’s a heavenly combination of hot sauce and more butter than any aficionado would care to admit.
OHIO
Buckeyes
This hand-rolled ball of peanut butter and chocolate is at every holiday gathering, church potluck or tailgate, says Taste of Home Community Cook Kristyne McDougle Walter. Leaving a small portion of the peanut butter balls uncoated when you dip them in smooth chocolate makes them resemble their namesake nut all the more.
OKLAHOMA
Fried okra
The top snack for Sooners gets fried in bacon drippings and Crisco, but an oven-baked version that uses canola oil cooking spray instead is A-OK with the American Heart Association.
OREGON
Hazelnuts
A handful of hazelnuts tastes great in a trail mix. And since 99% of the country’s commercial crop comes from Oregon, there are plenty of handfuls here to go around. But hazelnuts are even more heavenly when churned into ice cream. Portland-based Salt and Straw and the nationally known Tillamook brands offer flavors with Oregon-grown hazelnuts.
PENNSYLVANIA
Soft pretzels
Pennsylvanians prefer their pretzels big, soft and topped with mustard. “A true Pennsylvania Dutch snack,”says Taste of Home Community Cook Susan Bickta, though today they’re mostly made in Philadelphia, where there’s a vendor on virtually every corner and the knots look more like figure eights.
RHODE ISLAND
Calamari
Outside the Ocean State, calamari is commonly confused with octopus, but not by anyone who speaks Italian. ( Calamaro means squid.) Here, calamari comes deep-fried, sauteed in garlic butter and paired with hot peppers.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Boiled peanuts
The Palmetto State’s peanuts are unlike any other, and not even all that nutty. When boiled, they become beanlike in taste and texture. Southerners swear by them.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Chislic
Cubes of fried lamb or mutton come hot on a skewer or toothpick and sprinkled with garlic salt and hot sauce, with saltine crackers on the side. The state’s official “nosh”as of 2018, chislic has sizzled since long before South Dakota became a state.
TENNESSEE
Goo Goo Cluster
Some say the “Goo”in Goo Goo Clusters (chocolate candy filled with marshmallow nougat, caramel and roasted peanuts) is an acronym for Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. In fact, it was baby talk by the son of inventor Howell Campbell Sr. that gave life to its name, as well as its slogan: “It’s so good, people will ask for it from birth.”
TEXAS
Tortilla chips and salsa
The power couple just celebrated 20 years of being the official state snack of Texas. Whether hot with jalapenos or tangy with tomatillos, salsa flows as freely here as baskets of warm chips to the table.
UTAH
Fries with fry sauce
Made famous by local burger chain Arctic Circle, this zippy pink dip, a mix of mayo and ketchup, sometimes with spices, garlic and even pickle brine, is ubiquitous with fries across Utah.
VERMONT
Maple sugar on snow
Drizzle hot maple syrup over freshly crushed ice (using snow is the oldschool way), then twirl the sticky syrup onto a wooden pop stick. Serve it Vermont-style with a plump cake doughnut and a pickle on the side: Locals say the sour balances the sweet.
VIRGINIA
Ham biscuits
Whether it’s a cocktail-hour hors d’oeuvre or a nibble from the country store, these hand-sized ham sandwiches (with a dab of mustard, if you’d like)
WISCONSIN
Fried cheese curds
Also called squeaky cheese (because that’s the noise they make as you eat them), cheese curds transform into crispy, gooey decadence when beer-battered and deep-fried. Taste of Home editor Lara Eucalano says these golden nuggets, often dunked in ranch, are Wisconsinites’go-to at a brewery or while rooting for the Brewers or Bucks.
WASHINGTON
Rainier cherries
A cross between the Bing and Van varieties, Rainier cherries have some of the highest sugar levels of sweet cherries. If you miss their short growing season, you can always snag a bag of dried ones from Chukar Cherries.
WEST VIRGINIA
Pepperoni rolls
What began as a practical, easily packable coal miners’lunch has become an anytime Mountain State munch: pepperoni baked into bread dough. WYOMING Sunflower seeds Sunflowers flourish in Wyoming, and their seeds are fun to spit while you ride through the Cowboy State.
AICR Report:
Aspartame And Cancer Risk – What You Need To Know
Key Takeaways:
On July 14, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) published a joint evaluation on the potential health risks from the artificial sweetener aspartame.
For the first time, IARC has reviewed and assessed the evidence relating to potential carcinogenic effects of aspartame as part of its Monographs programme. It found limited evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic in humans; the evidence from animal studies and experimental studies was also limited. Therefore, it classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (group 2B using the IARC Monographs Hazard Classification).
Simultaneously, JECFA reviewed the general health and nutrition risks of aspartame at usual consumption levels. It found insufficient evidence linking aspartame to the risk of cancer or other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. JECFA concluded that the previously established acceptable daily intake of 0-40mg/ kg body weight should not change. This is the equivalent of between nine and 14 cans of diet soda per day, assuming no other intake from other sources.
Our Cancer Prevention Recommendation to limit consumption of sugar- sweetened drinks and to drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks (such as unsweetened tea or coffee; infused water with fruits, lemon or herbs) remains appropriate in light of these evaluations. Following this advice, along with our other Recommendations, will give people the best chance of avoiding a preventable cancer.
We support the Report’s recommendations that future research should focus on well-conducted studies to better understand the relationship between aspartame and cancer risk and for more experimental studies to explore potential biological pathways. To strengthen our understanding of how diet, nutrition, physical activity and body weight influence cancer risk, we will continue to support, and advocate for, better research in these areas.
AICR Impact
The American Institute for Cancer Research helps the public understand the relationship between lifestyle, nutrition and cancer risk. We work to prevent cancer through innovative research, community programs and impactful public health initiatives.
Physical Activity: The Essential School Supply
Summer is coming to an end, much to the dismay of many children. For parents though, this means BACK TO SCHOOL! It can be tricky to incorporate physical activity back into the school-day routine yet it’s important to encourage daily activity. There are many benefits physical activity offers children, including buidling strong bones and weight control. Developing healthy habits when young can also help kids grow into active adults, which lowers risk for adult cancers and other chronic diseases.
Let’s get active! Make sure to include both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities to work all parts of the body. Some aerobic activities to try include: swimming, brisk walking, jogging, running, bicycling, and jumping rope. Try gymnastics, hockey, soccer, volleyball or climbing stairs for a muscle-strengthening activity. There are so many options available for children to choose.
Government guidelines recommend children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Try to include 3 days of vigorous intensity activities to allow children to become familiar with variety.
Use these ten steps to get your child active.
1. Start them young.
2. Set a good example.
3. Make it enjoyable.
4. Trade screen time for physical activity.
5. Break it up.
6. Plan it out.
7. Encourage your children.
8. Don’t give up!
9. Choose age-appropriate activities.
10. Sleep counts.
Always remember to keep your child involved in choosing the activities they will do. Print this activity tracker and have your child make note of his or her daily activity. You can click the image below for a high-resolution pdf. Seeing their progress will help to keep them interested and encourage them to continue being active well into the future! Keep up with the latest research on children, tips for healthy families and more with our monthly newsletter.
6 Good Habits That Might Cause Premature Aging
When does something healthy become unhealthy? When you do it too much, to the exclusion of other choices
By
Leslie Goldman,
AARP
Updated August 17, 2023
Like most of us, you’ve probably been hit over the head for the past few years with the “power of habits”: the idea that locking in some simple, healthy everyday behaviors will set you on a course for greater well-being. And there’s a lot of truth to that conventional wisdom. But even healthy habits can benefit from a shake-up. When you take the same handful of ostensibly positive actions day in and day out, it often means you’re missing out on a variety of options and activities that could offer a wider array of benefits. We asked experts in medicine, nutrition, exercise and more about the healthy habits they wish people would take breaks from, especially those who want to stay in tip-top shape as they graduate from their 50s, 60s and 70s.
Habit 1: You walk every day for exercise
Walking is terrific. Everybody should walk more. It helps maintain strength in your heart, brain and joints, among other benefits. But with age, people often end up pigeonholing themselves into one type of workout — usually walking — and ditching different types of exercise because they fear injuring themselves or worry that they’re “too old” to run, lift weights or play a certain sport, says Claire Morrow, a senior physical therapist with Hinge Health, a digital clinic for back and joint pain.
Don’t let fear stick you in a rut. “Your body is made to move,” Morrow says, and that need “doesn’t diminish as you get older.” In fact, as you get older, the rate at which you lose muscle mass and joint mobility accelerates — unless you embrace exercise. Without strength training, for instance, the average person will lose between 3 and 8 percent of their muscle mass per decade after age 30; the rate steepens after 60. Muscle loss is associated with increased fall risk; cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia; diabetes and heart disease risk; and even premature death. And it’s not inevitable!
An effective exercise routine includes varied activities to challenge muscles, build endurance, keep joints feeling young and stave off chronic age-related conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity (water aerobics, doubles tennis, brisk walking) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous cardio activity (jogging, hiking uphill, swimming laps), plus at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities such as weight lifting, resistance bands or body-weight moves like lunges and push-ups.
Habit 2: You constantly wear supportive shoes
Most older adults wear shoes all day long, including slippers or house shoes when indoors. “They think it gives more support,” says Emily Splichal, a functional podiatrist in Chandler, Arizona.
But constantly encasing feet in shoes progressively weakens them by depriving them of the opportunity to work. “Our toes need to push into the ground to maintain balance, and our foot muscles contract to maintain balance and posture,” Splichal says. Supportive shoes and insoles do the bulk of the work, instead of the feet themselves.
Thick, cushiony soles also rob the bottoms of the feet of crucial sensory stimulation. “Part of your nervous system lives in your feet — thousands of nerves that are sensitive to texture, pressure, vibration and other stimuli,” Splichal says. They send information back and forth to the brain, helping you maintain proper posture, stay balanced and avoid falling. The more often you wear shoes, the less your brain practices those essential skills. Splichal says the nerves in our feet start to lose sensitivity in our 40s, requiring more stimulation to create the same response.
There’s a very simple solution. When home, go barefoot at least 30 minutes a day. Do that particularly when cleaning and cooking, when your movements are more varied (sideways, on your toes, bending, lifting and so on). You can also invest in a sensory insole that stimulates your feet, Splichal says. If you suffer from plantar fasciitis pain, however, check with your doctor about whether going barefoot sometimes at home is recommended.
Habit 3: You drink water when you’re thirsty
It’s not the water that’s the problem; it’s the thirst. By the time you get thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated.
Our internal mechanisms for triggering a sensation of thirst become less sensitive as we age. About 70 percent of adults between the ages of 51 and 70 may be chronically under-hydrated, according to San Francisco–area nutrition epidemiologist Jodi Stookey. Pound for pound, muscle holds more water than fat. If we lose muscle as we age (see above), we lose some of our ability to store water.
Chronic dehydration can put us at greater risk for urinary tract infections and may even increase the risk of diabetes and colon and bladder cancer, says New York City–based integrative internist Dana G. Cohen, M.D., coauthor of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.
“We’ve trained ourselves not to be thirsty because we don’t want to pee so much,” she says. That’s especially true in the evenings: Age-related decreases in a urine-concentrating chemical called antidiuretic hormone (ADH) can wreck sleep; by age 50, about half of adults wake up at least once a night to urinate. But that doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need hydration, even in the evenings.
Cohen recommends drinking enough water so that you feel the need to urinate every two to three hours during the day, and then honor that urge. Or eat more water. Plants are loaded with it, and their fiber helps keep the water inside the body for longer periods, while their minerals help the water penetrate the body’s cells. “A homemade green smoothie is more hydrating than a bottle of water,” Cohen says.
Habit 4: You stay out of the sun
Inside your brain lives a collection of cells that act like a clock for the body. Called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, it controls the body’s circadian rhythms, keeping nearly every organ and system on a 24-hour cycle. Its strongest signal? Sunlight.
“Like a rooster that crows to wake you up,” the bluish light of dawn entering your eyes “tells your brain, ‘Time to start the day!’ ” says Sara Mednick, professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine, and author of The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems. This has a domino effect throughout the day and into the evening, cuing your body to feel awake and energized for the next dozen or so hours and regulating appetite, mood and more. As the sun sets at night, its orange and red hues travel into your eyes, triggering your circadian clock to release sleep-promoting hormones. And you want to be sleepy, because sleep is when “you enter your most restorative mode,” Mednick says. “Muscles are repaired, energy levels are replenished, and your brain is cleaned of toxic by-products that build up during the day.”
But today people in their 50s and early 60s typically spend less than an hour a day in sunlight. Change that: At minimum, you should go outside for 15 to 30 minutes every morning, then again in the late afternoon or evening to take in those calming red and orange sunsets, Mednick says. This will give your circadian rhythm the oomph it needs. If mobility or caregiving issues limit your ability to get outside, Mednick recommends 15 to 30 minutes in front of a light box at a consistent early-morning time to boost energy, stay cognitively sharp and enhance sleep quality.
And you’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: Turn off your smartphone an hour or two before bed. Your phone mimics the “wake up” messaging of morning light, making a good night’s sleep more challenging.
Habit 5: You eat ‘nutrition’ bars
Ditching the candy bars for nutrition or energy bars may sound like a wise choice, but think again. They’re one of many “covert sugar bombs” that pose as health foods, says dermatologist Rajani Katta, M.D., author of Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet. Prepackaged fruit juices and smoothies and “healthy” breakfast cereals are also high up on the list; many foods that carry a healthy halo can deliver more sugar than a person should eat in an entire day.
And more sugar means faster aging. Excess levels of sugar in the blood can combine with proteins to create compounds called advanced glycation end products — AGEs, appropriately — that stiffen blood vessels and organs in a process “similar to making caramel, where you combine sugar and butter and end up with a sticky substance that then turns brittle,” Katta says. Besides contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease, this causes something called sugar sag, as “consuming too much sugar can accelerate collagen damage and lead to wrinkling and sagging of the skin.”
Plus, even the best nutrition bars are, in the end, processed foods. That means they’re not as rich in nutrients as whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and fish, meat and dairy. A nutrition bar when you’re rushing like mad? Fine. But not as a daily substitute for real food.
One stealth way to judge the healthiness of a packaged food, according to the authors of AARP’s best-selling diet book The Whole Body Reset: Take a look at the nutrition label and add up total grams of protein and fiber. Then look at the grams of total sugar. If the protein plus fiber number is higher than the sugar grams, you’re probably eating something healthy. If the sugar grams are higher? Keep shopping.
Habit 6: You avoid eating eggs
While it’s true that eggs are high in cholesterol, with about 200 mg in each large egg yolk, research has found the cholesterol in our diets is only weakly related to dangerous cholesterol in our bloodstreams. For years, health groups including the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended eating no more than three whole eggs a week, but those recommendations have changed. Since 2015, the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans have said eggs can be part of a healthy diet.
Eggs are nutritional powerhouses, containing choline, folate, vitamin D, lutein, B vitamins and high-quality protein. Lutein is especially important in the prevention of macular degeneration. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that have vitamin D, which can help prevent osteoporosis and lower diabetes risk.
More recently, in proposed new rules, the Food and Drug Administration has said that eggs can be labeled as a healthy food. These recommendations are based in part on new research. One 2018 study of half a million people in China found that eating up to an egg a day was linked with lower risk of heart disease. The AHA now recommends one egg (or two egg whites) per day for those who eat them, as part of a healthy diet, although the group says those who have high cholesterol should watch dietary cholesterol.
3 Snacks to Prevent Premature Aging
Nosh your way younger with this trio of workhorse snacks
Almonds: They contain loads of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects cells throughout the body from damage. That helps explain why people who eat nuts every day live longer than those who don’t. As a bonus, in one small study, eating a hefty dose of almonds a day led to significant reductions in the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation in postmenopausal women. Katta carries them in her purse.
Berries: Whether they’re blue, red or black, berries are loaded with natural jewel-toned pigments called anthocyanins, which are packed with memory-enriching compounds. Research has suggested that just a half-cup of blueberries or 2 half-cups of strawberries a week may help slow the rate of cognitive decline.
Greek yogurt: This creamy staple of the Mediterranean diet delivers calcium for strong bones, protein for maintaining muscle (often more than double the protein of conventional yogurt), and friendly bacteria called probiotics that nourish the gut microbiome to help promote healthy aging. Enjoy it sweetened with berries, or go savory with cucumbers and herbs mixed in.
Peppery-Garlic Grilled Steaks
Makes 4 servings Prep: 15 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Grill: 12 min.
Ingredients...
4 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon dried thyme 2½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1½ teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons ground red pepper 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless beef chuck-eye steaks
Directions...
1. Process garlic cloves, lemon juice, and next 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Rub garlic mixture evenly over steaks, and place in a shallow dish or a large zip-top plastic freezer bag.
Cover or seal, and chill at least 2 hours.
2. Grill steaks, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) 6 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.
Greek Roasted Chicken With Rosemary Potatoes
Makes 6 servings Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 15 min.; Stand: 10 min.
Ingredients...
2 tablespoons Greek seasoning 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 (5-pound) whole chicken 2 lemons, thinly sliced 1 celery rib, cut into thirds 1 carrot, cut into thirds 1 small onion, halved 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided ½ teaspoon pepper, divided 2 pounds small new potatoes, halved ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary 2 cups chicken broth Fresh spinach leaves (optional)
Directions...
1. Whisk together Greek seasoning, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.
2. Loosen skin from chicken breasts and drumsticks without totally detaching skin.
Rub Greek seasoning mixture evenly under skin.
Arrange 3 lemon slices on each side of breast under skin; carefully replace skin.
Place remaining lemon slices and next 3 ingredients into chicken cavity.
Tie ends of legs together with string; tuck wing tips under.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan.
Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes.
5. Stir together new potatoes, rosemary, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
6. Remove chicken from oven; pour 2 cups chicken broth over chicken.
Arrange potato mixture in a single layer on wire rack around chicken; return to oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°.
7. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 175°, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before carving.
Serve chicken and potatoes on fresh spinach leaves drizzled with pan juices, if desired. (The hot pan juices will wilt the spinach
Pan-Grilled Salmon
This dish pairs well with the Orange-Ginger Couscous.
Makes 4 servings Prep: 5 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Cook: 8 min.
Ingredients...
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar ¼ cup soy sauce 4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks Garnish: orange rind strips Orange-Ginger Couscous (optional)
Directions
1. Combine brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish or large zip-top freezer bag, and add salmon. Cover or seal, and chill 2 hours. Remove salmon from marinade, discarding marinade. 2. Cook salmon in a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. Garnish, if desired. Serve salmon with Orange-Ginger Couscous, if desired.
Reader’s Digest Report:
THE BEST SNACK IN EVERY STATE
(Sweet or salty? Yes, please! )
BY Emily Goodman and Emily Tyra (with TASTE OF HOME)
ALABAMA
Golden Flake fried pork skins
Even rival Alabama and Auburn sports fans found common ground over their love of Golden Flake potato chips. Although Utz bought the brand in 2016, Golden Flake fried pork skins (also called chicharrones) are still sold under that beloved name and come in some of the same flavors, including crowd favorite Sweet Heat Barbecue.
ALASKA
Smoked salmon spread
Folks in the Last Frontier take pride in their fresh-caught salmon, which many Alaskans whip into a spread with cream cheese, herbs, lemon juice and horseradish.
ARIZONA
Cactus candy
Made at the Cactus Candy Co. in Phoenix since 1942, these pink gumdrop squares are flavored with the bright juice of the prickly pear cactus, which tastes of watermelon, bubble gum and lemon.
ARKANSAS
Cheese dip
What some call queso is cheese dip here, and both fancy and no-frills versions of the magic melty cheese are embraced all over Arkansas, which hosts an annual World Cheese Dip Championship in Little Rock each fall.
CALIFORNIA
Guacamole
In a state practically synonymous with avocado, it’s no wonder the guac is so good. Golden Staters mash up the green stuff with just a sprinkle of salt, a splash of citrus and perhaps a pinch of onion.
COLORADO
Green chili fries
Order chili cheese fries in Colorado, and your spuds will come not with the run-of-the-mill beef chili on top, but instead with chili verde—a rich and subtle pork stew made with green chile peppers—plus a mountain of melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
CONNECTICUT
Apizza
Slices of New Haven-style apizza (yes, apizza )—crispy, coal-fired and light on the cheese—abound at Connecticut’s popular pizzerias, several of which use “Apizza”in their names. The term is an endearing imitation of pizza said with a thick Neapolitan accent, a direct contrast to the pie’s signature thin crust.
DELAWARE
Slippery dumplings
Unlike traditional dumplings, these Delmarvalous ones are rectangular—and swimming in so much chicken gravy they’ll slide all over your plate.
FLORIDA
Chifles plantain chips
The potassium-rich crisps first took off in Tampa in 1963 and now do so regularly aboard JetBlue. The airline known for its unlimited snacks started passing out Chifles (pronounced ‘chief-less) to hungry passengers last year.
HAWAII
Spam musubi
A symphony of savory and sweet in a three-bite treat: pan-fried Spam (the canned lunch meat is beloved across the islands), teriyaki sauce and sticky white rice wrapped up with seaweed.
IDAHO
Finger steaks
Mylo Bybee created finger-length fried steaks and made them famous when he opened Mylo’s Torch Lounge in Boise in the late 1950s. Most folks enjoy these breaded delicacies by the basketful with cocktail sauce.
GEORGIA
Pecan pralines
While the original French recipe calls for almonds, authentic Georgia pralines are made with pecans. The state ranks first in pecan production, and bakers pack the nuts into these caramelized clusters with the consistency of fudge.
ILLINOIS
Popcorn Cracker Jack is beloved at ballparks, but Garrett popped corn is even more popular across Illinois—especially the caramel and cheddar mix.
INDIANA
Corn dog
Synonymous with summer nights in the Hoosier state, these battered-up, deep-fried hot dogs on sticks are also the namesake of Indiana’s newest pre-professional baseball team: The Lake County Corn Dogs.
IOWA
Walking taco
Skip the tortilla and shake your taco fillings into a bag of crushed Doritos or Fritos, and you’ve got a taco you can take with you. Whether this originated at the Iowa State Fair is up for debate. Hawkeyes’affinity for it is not.
KANSAS
Fried chicken
It falls off the bone at famed chicken houses Stroud’s, Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s. Smart Kansans fry up enough to leave leftovers to munch on the next day.
KENTUCKY
Bourbon balls
In 1936, candymaker Ruth Booe overheard someone say that the two best tastes in the world were Kentucky bourbon and her chocolate. So she whipped up a melt-in-your-mouth combination of both. Customers even gave Booe their sugar rations during World War II so she could keep making batches of the boozy truffles.
LOUISIANA
Zapp's potato chips
“Zapp’s are an iconic Louisiana snack food,”says Laura Herbage, a Community Cook at our sister publication Taste of Home . Her favorite flavors: Spicy Crawtator (crawfish), Voodoo (vinegar, BBQ seasoning and jalapeno), and Cajun Dill (dill pickle) Gator-Tators.
MAINE
Whoopie pie
At least three other states lay claim to the invention of this cake/cookie hybrid. But Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston seems to have sold them first. Now the official state treat, a Maine whoopie pie is a hearty handful. The joy of discovering one in your lunchbox would make anyone exclaim, “Whoopie!”
MARYLAND
Crab fries
These taters come topped with Old Bay seasoning, a sweet and spicy blend that goes on just about everything in Maryland: seafood, popcorn, even Bloody Marys. Some crabby consumers take crab fries a step further and add actual crabmeat and melted cheese to the mix.
MASSACHUSETTS
Fried clams
More than 150 craveworthy clam shacks dot the Bay State. Top favorite Woodman’s of Essex claims to be the birthplace of fried clams, having made the first briny batch back in 1916.
MICHIGAN
Better Made potato chips
In 1930, the Detroit company’s cofounders set out to make a better chip, hence the name. Of Motor City’s more than 20 original potato chip companies, only Better Made is still around.
MINNESOTA
Honeycrisp apple
Horticulturists at the University of Minnesota planted the original Honeycrisp seedling—a cross of Macoun and Honeygold apples—in 1962, with hopes of developing a winter-hardy tree that bore juicier, crunchier fruit. Consumers took their first bites of the lip-smacking, explosively crisp apple in 1992 and were instantly smitten.
MISSISSIPPI
Cheese straws
Before they had fridges, southern cooks would knead cheese into their leftover biscuit dough and bake it in strips. Mississippians kept churning out the crisps after kitchen technology caught up, including the Yerber family of Yazoo City, who founded the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory.
MONTANA
Jerky
Ranchers and outdoor-adventure seekers in Big Sky Country have long counted on seasoned strips of cured beef, elk or bison meat as the ultimate pack-along energy boost.
MISSOURI
Toasted ravioli
Strictly speaking, these pillows of pasta are fried, not toasted. But menus in Missouri were never the same after a notentirely-sober St. Louis chef dropped ravioli in the fryer and thought to salvage them with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
NEBRASKA
Runza
These stuffed bread bundles have German-Russian roots. Brimming with seasoned ground beef, cabbage and onions, the savory parcels are so beloved in Nebraska that we’ve named them the state sandwich and signature dish in previous years. The runza’s snack status was a shoo-in, too, considering that many fans call them the original Hot Pockets.
NEVADA
Shrimp cocktail
Landlocked, schmandlocked: Nevada goes through 60,000 pounds of shrimp a day, much of which hangs from the edges of martini glasses full of cocktail sauce. The Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas served the first glassful in 1959 for only 50 cents. These days you’ll find them all over the state—just not for that price.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Port City pretzels
These popular pretzels come in four flavors: Cinnamon Sugar, Feisty Hot!, Tangy Mustard ’N Honey and Tasty Ranch Dill. The company, based in Portsmouth, is women-owned, and the majority of its employees are disabled.
NEW JERSEY
Saltwater taffy
Boardwalk strollers know that stretching the colorful stripes of Atlantic City’s first (and most popular) souvenir is almost as fun as eating it. Almost.
NEW MEXICO
Biscochitos
Stacks of these fragrant shortbread cookies are holiday favorites, but they pair perfectly with a warm beverage any time of year. The lard in the recipe gives them a flaky texture, while notes of anise and cinnamon (plus a nip of rum or brandy) constitute their signature flavor.
NORTH CAROLINA
Krispy Kreme doughnuts
Tar Heels take a detour when they see the hot light come on, indicating that a fresh batch of original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts is ready to devour.
NORTH DAKOTA
Chippers
For those who can’t decide between sweet and savory, North Dakota has just the thing: potato chips covered in chocolate. Carol Widman’s Candy Co., which claims to have invented the treat, uses Red River Valley chips, another state staple.
NEW YORK
Buffalo wings
Though state officials designated yogurt as the official snack, New Yorkers know that Buffalo wings (or just “wings”if you’re in Buffalo) are far more fun. Most come with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side, but the Buffalo sauce steals the show. It’s a heavenly combination of hot sauce and more butter than any aficionado would care to admit.
OHIO
Buckeyes
This hand-rolled ball of peanut butter and chocolate is at every holiday gathering, church potluck or tailgate, says Taste of Home Community Cook Kristyne McDougle Walter. Leaving a small portion of the peanut butter balls uncoated when you dip them in smooth chocolate makes them resemble their namesake nut all the more.
OKLAHOMA
Fried okra
The top snack for Sooners gets fried in bacon drippings and Crisco, but an oven-baked version that uses canola oil cooking spray instead is A-OK with the American Heart Association.
OREGON
Hazelnuts
A handful of hazelnuts tastes great in a trail mix. And since 99% of the country’s commercial crop comes from Oregon, there are plenty of handfuls here to go around. But hazelnuts are even more heavenly when churned into ice cream. Portland-based Salt and Straw and the nationally known Tillamook brands offer flavors with Oregon-grown hazelnuts.
PENNSYLVANIA
Soft pretzels
Pennsylvanians prefer their pretzels big, soft and topped with mustard. “A true Pennsylvania Dutch snack,”says Taste of Home Community Cook Susan Bickta, though today they’re mostly made in Philadelphia, where there’s a vendor on virtually every corner and the knots look more like figure eights.
RHODE ISLAND
Calamari
Outside the Ocean State, calamari is commonly confused with octopus, but not by anyone who speaks Italian. ( Calamaro means squid.) Here, calamari comes deep-fried, sauteed in garlic butter and paired with hot peppers.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Boiled peanuts
The Palmetto State’s peanuts are unlike any other, and not even all that nutty. When boiled, they become beanlike in taste and texture. Southerners swear by them.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Chislic
Cubes of fried lamb or mutton come hot on a skewer or toothpick and sprinkled with garlic salt and hot sauce, with saltine crackers on the side. The state’s official “nosh”as of 2018, chislic has sizzled since long before South Dakota became a state.
TENNESSEE
Goo Goo Cluster
Some say the “Goo”in Goo Goo Clusters (chocolate candy filled with marshmallow nougat, caramel and roasted peanuts) is an acronym for Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. In fact, it was baby talk by the son of inventor Howell Campbell Sr. that gave life to its name, as well as its slogan: “It’s so good, people will ask for it from birth.”
TEXAS
Tortilla chips and salsa
The power couple just celebrated 20 years of being the official state snack of Texas. Whether hot with jalapenos or tangy with tomatillos, salsa flows as freely here as baskets of warm chips to the table.
UTAH
Fries with fry sauce
Made famous by local burger chain Arctic Circle, this zippy pink dip, a mix of mayo and ketchup, sometimes with spices, garlic and even pickle brine, is ubiquitous with fries across Utah.
VERMONT
Maple sugar on snow
Drizzle hot maple syrup over freshly crushed ice (using snow is the oldschool way), then twirl the sticky syrup onto a wooden pop stick. Serve it Vermont-style with a plump cake doughnut and a pickle on the side: Locals say the sour balances the sweet.
VIRGINIA
Ham biscuits
Whether it’s a cocktail-hour hors d’oeuvre or a nibble from the country store, these hand-sized ham sandwiches (with a dab of mustard, if you’d like)
WISCONSIN
Fried cheese curds
Also called squeaky cheese (because that’s the noise they make as you eat them), cheese curds transform into crispy, gooey decadence when beer-battered and deep-fried. Taste of Home editor Lara Eucalano says these golden nuggets, often dunked in ranch, are Wisconsinites’go-to at a brewery or while rooting for the Brewers or Bucks.
WASHINGTON
Rainier cherries
A cross between the Bing and Van varieties, Rainier cherries have some of the highest sugar levels of sweet cherries. If you miss their short growing season, you can always snag a bag of dried ones from Chukar Cherries.
WEST VIRGINIA
Pepperoni rolls
What began as a practical, easily packable coal miners’lunch has become an anytime Mountain State munch: pepperoni baked into bread dough. WYOMING Sunflower seeds Sunflowers flourish in Wyoming, and their seeds are fun to spit while you ride through the Cowboy State.
AICR Report:
Aspartame And Cancer Risk – What You Need To Know
Key Takeaways:
- IARC classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans.’ They found limited evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic in humans.
- The previous acceptable daily intake of 0-40mg/kg body weight of aspartame has not changed. That’s equivalent to drinking between nine and 14 cans of diet soda per day, assuming no intake from other sources.
- AICR’s Recommendations include limiting sugar-sweetened drinks and choosing mostly water and unsweetened drinks (such as unsweetened tea or coffee; infused water with fruits, lemon or herbs).
On July 14, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) published a joint evaluation on the potential health risks from the artificial sweetener aspartame.
For the first time, IARC has reviewed and assessed the evidence relating to potential carcinogenic effects of aspartame as part of its Monographs programme. It found limited evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic in humans; the evidence from animal studies and experimental studies was also limited. Therefore, it classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (group 2B using the IARC Monographs Hazard Classification).
Simultaneously, JECFA reviewed the general health and nutrition risks of aspartame at usual consumption levels. It found insufficient evidence linking aspartame to the risk of cancer or other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. JECFA concluded that the previously established acceptable daily intake of 0-40mg/ kg body weight should not change. This is the equivalent of between nine and 14 cans of diet soda per day, assuming no other intake from other sources.
Our Cancer Prevention Recommendation to limit consumption of sugar- sweetened drinks and to drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks (such as unsweetened tea or coffee; infused water with fruits, lemon or herbs) remains appropriate in light of these evaluations. Following this advice, along with our other Recommendations, will give people the best chance of avoiding a preventable cancer.
We support the Report’s recommendations that future research should focus on well-conducted studies to better understand the relationship between aspartame and cancer risk and for more experimental studies to explore potential biological pathways. To strengthen our understanding of how diet, nutrition, physical activity and body weight influence cancer risk, we will continue to support, and advocate for, better research in these areas.
AICR Impact
The American Institute for Cancer Research helps the public understand the relationship between lifestyle, nutrition and cancer risk. We work to prevent cancer through innovative research, community programs and impactful public health initiatives.
Physical Activity: The Essential School Supply
Summer is coming to an end, much to the dismay of many children. For parents though, this means BACK TO SCHOOL! It can be tricky to incorporate physical activity back into the school-day routine yet it’s important to encourage daily activity. There are many benefits physical activity offers children, including buidling strong bones and weight control. Developing healthy habits when young can also help kids grow into active adults, which lowers risk for adult cancers and other chronic diseases.
Let’s get active! Make sure to include both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities to work all parts of the body. Some aerobic activities to try include: swimming, brisk walking, jogging, running, bicycling, and jumping rope. Try gymnastics, hockey, soccer, volleyball or climbing stairs for a muscle-strengthening activity. There are so many options available for children to choose.
Government guidelines recommend children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Try to include 3 days of vigorous intensity activities to allow children to become familiar with variety.
Use these ten steps to get your child active.
1. Start them young.
2. Set a good example.
3. Make it enjoyable.
4. Trade screen time for physical activity.
5. Break it up.
6. Plan it out.
7. Encourage your children.
8. Don’t give up!
9. Choose age-appropriate activities.
10. Sleep counts.
Always remember to keep your child involved in choosing the activities they will do. Print this activity tracker and have your child make note of his or her daily activity. You can click the image below for a high-resolution pdf. Seeing their progress will help to keep them interested and encourage them to continue being active well into the future! Keep up with the latest research on children, tips for healthy families and more with our monthly newsletter.
6 Good Habits That Might Cause Premature Aging
When does something healthy become unhealthy? When you do it too much, to the exclusion of other choices
By
Leslie Goldman,
AARP
Updated August 17, 2023
Like most of us, you’ve probably been hit over the head for the past few years with the “power of habits”: the idea that locking in some simple, healthy everyday behaviors will set you on a course for greater well-being. And there’s a lot of truth to that conventional wisdom. But even healthy habits can benefit from a shake-up. When you take the same handful of ostensibly positive actions day in and day out, it often means you’re missing out on a variety of options and activities that could offer a wider array of benefits. We asked experts in medicine, nutrition, exercise and more about the healthy habits they wish people would take breaks from, especially those who want to stay in tip-top shape as they graduate from their 50s, 60s and 70s.
Habit 1: You walk every day for exercise
Walking is terrific. Everybody should walk more. It helps maintain strength in your heart, brain and joints, among other benefits. But with age, people often end up pigeonholing themselves into one type of workout — usually walking — and ditching different types of exercise because they fear injuring themselves or worry that they’re “too old” to run, lift weights or play a certain sport, says Claire Morrow, a senior physical therapist with Hinge Health, a digital clinic for back and joint pain.
Don’t let fear stick you in a rut. “Your body is made to move,” Morrow says, and that need “doesn’t diminish as you get older.” In fact, as you get older, the rate at which you lose muscle mass and joint mobility accelerates — unless you embrace exercise. Without strength training, for instance, the average person will lose between 3 and 8 percent of their muscle mass per decade after age 30; the rate steepens after 60. Muscle loss is associated with increased fall risk; cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia; diabetes and heart disease risk; and even premature death. And it’s not inevitable!
An effective exercise routine includes varied activities to challenge muscles, build endurance, keep joints feeling young and stave off chronic age-related conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity (water aerobics, doubles tennis, brisk walking) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous cardio activity (jogging, hiking uphill, swimming laps), plus at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities such as weight lifting, resistance bands or body-weight moves like lunges and push-ups.
Habit 2: You constantly wear supportive shoes
Most older adults wear shoes all day long, including slippers or house shoes when indoors. “They think it gives more support,” says Emily Splichal, a functional podiatrist in Chandler, Arizona.
But constantly encasing feet in shoes progressively weakens them by depriving them of the opportunity to work. “Our toes need to push into the ground to maintain balance, and our foot muscles contract to maintain balance and posture,” Splichal says. Supportive shoes and insoles do the bulk of the work, instead of the feet themselves.
Thick, cushiony soles also rob the bottoms of the feet of crucial sensory stimulation. “Part of your nervous system lives in your feet — thousands of nerves that are sensitive to texture, pressure, vibration and other stimuli,” Splichal says. They send information back and forth to the brain, helping you maintain proper posture, stay balanced and avoid falling. The more often you wear shoes, the less your brain practices those essential skills. Splichal says the nerves in our feet start to lose sensitivity in our 40s, requiring more stimulation to create the same response.
There’s a very simple solution. When home, go barefoot at least 30 minutes a day. Do that particularly when cleaning and cooking, when your movements are more varied (sideways, on your toes, bending, lifting and so on). You can also invest in a sensory insole that stimulates your feet, Splichal says. If you suffer from plantar fasciitis pain, however, check with your doctor about whether going barefoot sometimes at home is recommended.
Habit 3: You drink water when you’re thirsty
It’s not the water that’s the problem; it’s the thirst. By the time you get thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated.
Our internal mechanisms for triggering a sensation of thirst become less sensitive as we age. About 70 percent of adults between the ages of 51 and 70 may be chronically under-hydrated, according to San Francisco–area nutrition epidemiologist Jodi Stookey. Pound for pound, muscle holds more water than fat. If we lose muscle as we age (see above), we lose some of our ability to store water.
Chronic dehydration can put us at greater risk for urinary tract infections and may even increase the risk of diabetes and colon and bladder cancer, says New York City–based integrative internist Dana G. Cohen, M.D., coauthor of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.
“We’ve trained ourselves not to be thirsty because we don’t want to pee so much,” she says. That’s especially true in the evenings: Age-related decreases in a urine-concentrating chemical called antidiuretic hormone (ADH) can wreck sleep; by age 50, about half of adults wake up at least once a night to urinate. But that doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need hydration, even in the evenings.
Cohen recommends drinking enough water so that you feel the need to urinate every two to three hours during the day, and then honor that urge. Or eat more water. Plants are loaded with it, and their fiber helps keep the water inside the body for longer periods, while their minerals help the water penetrate the body’s cells. “A homemade green smoothie is more hydrating than a bottle of water,” Cohen says.
Habit 4: You stay out of the sun
Inside your brain lives a collection of cells that act like a clock for the body. Called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, it controls the body’s circadian rhythms, keeping nearly every organ and system on a 24-hour cycle. Its strongest signal? Sunlight.
“Like a rooster that crows to wake you up,” the bluish light of dawn entering your eyes “tells your brain, ‘Time to start the day!’ ” says Sara Mednick, professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine, and author of The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems. This has a domino effect throughout the day and into the evening, cuing your body to feel awake and energized for the next dozen or so hours and regulating appetite, mood and more. As the sun sets at night, its orange and red hues travel into your eyes, triggering your circadian clock to release sleep-promoting hormones. And you want to be sleepy, because sleep is when “you enter your most restorative mode,” Mednick says. “Muscles are repaired, energy levels are replenished, and your brain is cleaned of toxic by-products that build up during the day.”
But today people in their 50s and early 60s typically spend less than an hour a day in sunlight. Change that: At minimum, you should go outside for 15 to 30 minutes every morning, then again in the late afternoon or evening to take in those calming red and orange sunsets, Mednick says. This will give your circadian rhythm the oomph it needs. If mobility or caregiving issues limit your ability to get outside, Mednick recommends 15 to 30 minutes in front of a light box at a consistent early-morning time to boost energy, stay cognitively sharp and enhance sleep quality.
And you’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: Turn off your smartphone an hour or two before bed. Your phone mimics the “wake up” messaging of morning light, making a good night’s sleep more challenging.
Habit 5: You eat ‘nutrition’ bars
Ditching the candy bars for nutrition or energy bars may sound like a wise choice, but think again. They’re one of many “covert sugar bombs” that pose as health foods, says dermatologist Rajani Katta, M.D., author of Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet. Prepackaged fruit juices and smoothies and “healthy” breakfast cereals are also high up on the list; many foods that carry a healthy halo can deliver more sugar than a person should eat in an entire day.
And more sugar means faster aging. Excess levels of sugar in the blood can combine with proteins to create compounds called advanced glycation end products — AGEs, appropriately — that stiffen blood vessels and organs in a process “similar to making caramel, where you combine sugar and butter and end up with a sticky substance that then turns brittle,” Katta says. Besides contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease, this causes something called sugar sag, as “consuming too much sugar can accelerate collagen damage and lead to wrinkling and sagging of the skin.”
Plus, even the best nutrition bars are, in the end, processed foods. That means they’re not as rich in nutrients as whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and fish, meat and dairy. A nutrition bar when you’re rushing like mad? Fine. But not as a daily substitute for real food.
One stealth way to judge the healthiness of a packaged food, according to the authors of AARP’s best-selling diet book The Whole Body Reset: Take a look at the nutrition label and add up total grams of protein and fiber. Then look at the grams of total sugar. If the protein plus fiber number is higher than the sugar grams, you’re probably eating something healthy. If the sugar grams are higher? Keep shopping.
Habit 6: You avoid eating eggs
While it’s true that eggs are high in cholesterol, with about 200 mg in each large egg yolk, research has found the cholesterol in our diets is only weakly related to dangerous cholesterol in our bloodstreams. For years, health groups including the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended eating no more than three whole eggs a week, but those recommendations have changed. Since 2015, the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans have said eggs can be part of a healthy diet.
Eggs are nutritional powerhouses, containing choline, folate, vitamin D, lutein, B vitamins and high-quality protein. Lutein is especially important in the prevention of macular degeneration. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that have vitamin D, which can help prevent osteoporosis and lower diabetes risk.
More recently, in proposed new rules, the Food and Drug Administration has said that eggs can be labeled as a healthy food. These recommendations are based in part on new research. One 2018 study of half a million people in China found that eating up to an egg a day was linked with lower risk of heart disease. The AHA now recommends one egg (or two egg whites) per day for those who eat them, as part of a healthy diet, although the group says those who have high cholesterol should watch dietary cholesterol.
3 Snacks to Prevent Premature Aging
Nosh your way younger with this trio of workhorse snacks
Almonds: They contain loads of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects cells throughout the body from damage. That helps explain why people who eat nuts every day live longer than those who don’t. As a bonus, in one small study, eating a hefty dose of almonds a day led to significant reductions in the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation in postmenopausal women. Katta carries them in her purse.
Berries: Whether they’re blue, red or black, berries are loaded with natural jewel-toned pigments called anthocyanins, which are packed with memory-enriching compounds. Research has suggested that just a half-cup of blueberries or 2 half-cups of strawberries a week may help slow the rate of cognitive decline.
Greek yogurt: This creamy staple of the Mediterranean diet delivers calcium for strong bones, protein for maintaining muscle (often more than double the protein of conventional yogurt), and friendly bacteria called probiotics that nourish the gut microbiome to help promote healthy aging. Enjoy it sweetened with berries, or go savory with cucumbers and herbs mixed in.
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