To reach a goal in life, you need drive and determination, but new research shows how anxiety can impact that motivation. The study looked at how people have different responses to stress and found that motivation to obtain goals after stress exposure depended on the individual’s level of trait anxiety.

The study performed in rats showed that stress could motivate animals with low anxiety, but it hinders the capacity to exert effort in highly anxious animals. These behavioral differences are due to a cell group located in the cerebral region of the brain. The study shows that the expression of these cells is directly connected to the anxiety levels in the rats, leading to boosted or diminished motivation.

Researchers believe these results can help to explain individual differences in motivation when people are exposed to stress. Previous studies have shown that exposure to stress activates a group of responses that orchestrate behavioral changes for facing threats to one life, such as feeling frightened by a potential aggressor. However, exposure to situations of repeated stress can have adverse effects and trigger psychiatric problems such as depression that could alter motivation.

Studies on this topic have previously provided contradictory results. Some researchers believe that these results may be due to variations in the individual’s personality traits, such as anxiety and depression.

Since the pandemic began, studies on mental health have been at the forefront of understanding how stress may be affecting overall health. This study helps to highlight the possibility of stress hindering motivation for people to reach their goals.

Managing Stress Levels

By focusing on brain function and mental health by consuming a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and ensuring you are getting the proper nutrients and vitamins, you can help manage stress levels.

Anxiety Rescue is designed to help support mood balance and cognitive function using various ingredients to target multiple aspects of stress. With ingredients such as vitamin D, thiamine, and ashwagandha, it combines unique ingredients to help improve mood and reduce mental fatigue.

Many people live under an enormous amount of stress, and studies such as this are helping to recognize the side effects it may be having on the mind and body. By taking simple steps to help reduce stress and anxiety, you will feel better and stay more motivated to reach your goals.

Self-awareness is like multitasking: most think they have it, but few do. Of course, unlike multitasking, you may be able to teach yourself to improve self-awareness.

As far as multitasking goes, it’s best to just stick to one thing at a time!

Self-awareness – being in tune with your own emotions – seems pretty straightforward. But humans are emotional creatures, and the spectrum of emotions that are felt can be, sometimes, hard to fully understand.

Just because you might do a lot of laughing or cry easily, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re aware of your feelings or why you might be feeling that way.

Increasing self-awareness is one of the benefits of mindfulness. Becoming more aware of body sensations, for example, can boost emotional intelligence and help you better navigate feelings or reactions.

When you learn to recognize emotions, you’ll be better equipped to know why a feeling is arising and how to control it. It allows you to identify emotions you may not want to act on and act accordingly.

For example, being emotionally aware may help you avoid untimely arguments.

If you’re out with your spouse, and they say something upsetting to you in front of close friends, having emotional intelligence will allow you to feel and recognize the anger without necessarily falling victim to a knee-jerk reaction.

Instead, you will have the control to wait a few moments to think clearly before responding.

You can work on improving self-awareness by:

• Sitting quietly in a comfortable position with your eyes closed
• Think of something a little sad but not overwhelming
• Notice the location in your body when you feel the emotion
• Place your hands on that part of the body in a caring and soothing way
• Repeat the above steps using different emotions like anger, fear, and joy

Keeping a journal can help, too. Take time to write down how specific events or interactions made you feel and what you felt.

Muscle mass goes down with age. Strength and power do too. And it all may have begun much earlier than you think.

Age-related muscle loss, succinctly known as sarcopenia, can start around age 35 and occur at a pace of about 1 or 2 percent per year. After 60, that number is more likely to be around 3 percent.

Adults who don’t regularly perform strength training can lose 4-6 pounds of muscle per decade. Of course, you might not notice the numbers on the scale dropping: many times, that weight is replaced with fat.

Muscle loss can result in weakness and significant drops in speed. This can ultimately take a toll on independence and make struggles out of everyday activities. Walking, cleaning, shopping, or even getting dressed can become challenges.

Low levels of muscle mass, strength, and power can also impact your ability to cope and recover from illnesses or injuries. Some data suggest that disability is 1.5 to 4.6 times higher in older people with moderate to severe sarcopenia than those with normal muscle mass.

Falls and fractures are also a concern for aging folks. Muscle can be an instrumental factor in preventing falls and injuries. Strength can help keep you balanced, while muscle can also protect bones from impact.

Slowing, or even stopping muscle loss, is not as difficult as you might think. It takes some weight-bearing exercise a few times per week and a healthful diet with adequate amounts of high-quality protein.

To keep your muscles strong and active, you need to use them. Strength and power training can help as well as exercises to promote muscle mass. For some, walking more and doing more weight-bearing exercise can be a great place to start!

According to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, depression may be associated with more severe dry eyes disease and overall symptoms. Dry eye disease is a common condition that occurs when tears cannot provide enough lubrication for the eyes.

Tears are necessary for maintaining the eye’s health and for providing clear vision. Dry eyes can often be a chronic problem, particularly in older adults. When you blink, tears spread across the eye’s front surface, known as the cornea. Tears provide lubrication, washing away any foreign matter, reducing the risk of eye infection, and keeping the eye’s surface smooth and clear.

People with dry eyes may experience irritated, scratchy, gritty, or burning eyes. It may also give a feeling of something in the eyes, blurred vision, and excess watering. There are many known causes and risk factors of dry eye disease, but this new study sheds light on a new possible association.

The study published online in JAMA Ophthalmology examined the association between depression and the severity of dry eye disease symptoms and signs. These included markers of inflammation in a secondary cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of data from the dry eye assessment and management study. This study involved patients with moderate to severe symptoms and signs of dry eye disease. There were a total of 535 patients who were followed for one year.

The study found that patients who screened positive for depression had worse dry eye disease symptoms. Participants’ dry eye disease was based on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Brief Ocular Discomfort Index. A lower Mental Component Summary Score indicated depression.

Study authors concluded the study by saying, “Identifying depression and considering treatment, including systemic medications, may be useful in managing patients with dry eye disease. Patients with more severe dry eye disease concerns or sign measurements may benefit from comorbid psychiatric screening.”

More research is needed to understand the connection between depression and dry eye disease. There is currently no evidence to suggest that depression leads to dry eye disease or vice versa.

Eye and Brain Health

Studies such as this draw attention to the importance of eye health in an aging population. Poor vision can significantly affect every aspect of daily life. So, it’s essential to help support strong and healthy vision as you age. 20/20 Vision contains a unique formula of important vitamins and nutrients to help protect macular health and maintain eyesight. Luetin and zeaxanthin are two of the ingredients that can help give the eyes the nutritional support they require.

As this study goes to show, eye health may be related to mental health. The Smart Pill contains nine ingredients to support, nourish, and maximize brain health and cognitive function. This doctor-recommended formula includes ginkgo biloba, huperzine A, bacopa extract, rosemary extract, and a B vitamin complex. These ingredients allow The Smart Pill to help boost circulation, fight free radicals and provide the nutritional support needed to assist in cognitive function.

Technology can be great. It can put the world at your fingertips and put almost anything you could think of in your grasp, including joint pain.

Tapping and typing on smart devices or computers can irritate existing conditions like tendonitis or arthritis or lead to other drivers of joint pain like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Pain can be caused or irritated by the repetitive movement of your fingers on a keyboard or stretching them on a mouse. The repetitive tapping or grasping with a phone can also lead to problems.

Smartphones have recently given rise to cases of a condition known as texting tendinitis, smartphone thumb, or “trigger” thumb. Symptoms will generally flare-up while using the device and may lead to:

• Cramping in the flesh are between the thumb and index finger (called the thenar eminence)
• Numbing/stiffness in the thumb
• Clicking noise when moving the thumb
• Throbbing in the thumb

If you’ve been experiencing pain from too much tapping and typing, here are some things to try:

Stretch your fingers: Before using your device, lace your fingers together and push out your arms, so your fingers get a full stretch. You can also perform finger slides and other hand-focused exercises that may help reduce pain and improve range of motion.

Try a splint: Using a splint to help stabilize the joint can help keep your finger straight throughout the day.

Heat/cold therapy: Ice may help reduce inflammation, and heat may help reduce pain, too.

Put your phone down: Taking a break from your phone or screen time altogether can help give your fingers, thumb, wrist, and eyes a break. It might give your mind a rest, too. Start with an hour and try to work up to a day!

You can also try setting a timer to make sure you put your device down after a set time, as well.

Beautiful brunette young woman plus size body positive cooking in kitchen at home

Everyone knows that excess weight is bad for overall health, but a new study has found that overweight middle-aged people may face more health problems later in life. The latest information provides a compelling reason to shed those extra pounds.

The study included nearly 30,000 men and women and found that the more people weighed around the age of 40, the higher their risk of chronic health conditions after the age of 65. Obesity had particularly severe levels, cutting people’s lives short by approximately five years.

Morbid obesity refers to a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. These patients are at least 100 pounds overweight and often have health conditions including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Although the study found that obesity in middle age could be the most significant health threat, it is not the only one. Middle-aged people who had excess weight also faced serious health consequences later down the line. When it came to chronic health conditions, overweight people were worse compared to their healthy-weight counterparts. It was found that they typically spent an extra year of their lives with health conditions such as stroke, diabetes, or heart disease.

The study adds to mounting evidence that suggests you can benefit from losing a small amount of weight or preventing yourself from moving into the obese category. However, researchers caution that weight loss or maintaining weight loss isn’t easy. People also generally gain weight as they get older, so a middle-aged person trying to shed pounds may feel like they are fighting an uphill battle.

Try to keep in mind that it’s not all about the number on the scale. Health benefits can still come from eating well and exercising, even if the scale doesn’t seem to change.

Researchers suggest that people start with small changes in their diet and lifestyle. This could mean using the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around the neighborhood daily, or replacing sugary drinks with water.

Staying Healthy Throughout Life

For overall general health, it is essential to follow lifestyle behaviors that can help to reduce the risk of illness or disease. By getting plenty of exercise, eating a healthy diet, and making sure your body gets all the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs, you can help to ensure good health later in life.

65+ Superfood Essentials is a breakthrough formula that contains rare and clinically tested Indian gooseberry extract with two other time-tested superfoods. This combination of ingredients can support and promote cardiovascular and overall health, making it an ideal supplement to support health as you age.

It can be hard to jump out of bed and have a great day if your muscles and joints are stiff and creaky. But a little warm-up and stretch – before your feet ever touch the floor – can help you get up and running a little easier.

Stretching before getting out of bed can help wake your body up. It can loosen and lube muscles and joints while encouraging better circulation.

An in-bed stretch may also turn off the body’s parasympathetic nervous system – your rest and digestive system – to help put you in a relaxed state and set the tone for the rest of the day. In theory, it may also help prevent falls by enhancing body awareness when you step out of bed.

You don’t really need to worry about a warm-up when you’re stretching in bed – your body will be warm from being tucked in under the covers. All it takes is a few minutes of joint flexing before getting started.

Flex your lower limbs while you’re still lying down; put knees in the air, and when they are up there, raise and lower your feet. Roll your ankles and move them back and forth. Next, sit up in the bed and slowly look rotate your neck to the left and right.

Roll your shoulders a few times, and then do some air-bicep curls. Move your wrists around and open and close your hands.

Now you should be ready to stretch! Try holding each of the following for 30-60 seconds and try to remain stable. Here are a few you can try in bed:|

Single Knee Pull: Lie on your back with your legs extended, then bend your left knee. Grasp the back of your left thighs and pull the knee towards your chest. Flex your right foot and press the thigh and calf of that leg down towards the bed. You should feel a stretch in the front of your right hip and your right thigh. Return to the starting position and do the other leg.

Side-Lying Quadriceps Stretch: Lie on your right side with legs stacked and extended. Rest your right arm under your head. Bend your left knee and bring your heel towards your right buttock, reaching back with your left hand to grab your foot. You’ll feel the stretch in your right thigh and hip. Turn to your left and repeat.

Child’s Pose: Position yourself on all fours, with your knees hip-width apart, big toes touching, and your head and neck in neutral alignment. Slowly drop your buttocks back toward your heels as you extend your hands in front of you and rest your forehead on the bed. You should feel the stretch down your arms, shoulders, and back.

New research suggests that just a little bit of exercise can help keep your brain sharp as you get older. The work may be one of the first studies to look at exactly how exercise may interact with brain networks and functions.

The study is not saying you have to go out and start running marathons to get the reported benefits, either. It suggests that simply spending more time active, which could be just moving more around your home, can pay dividends.

The researchers believed that your brain networks are in constant communication. However, they are active at different times. Some networks may be active during restful periods, where others are active during activity.

It can be like a switch – when you start moving, some networks begin communicating while others shut down.

When these changes do not occur, or the various networks aren’t given the time to shut off or on, it may indicate that the brain is not functioning as well as it should be. It may, then, impact the ability to perform basic daily functions, like remembering important information of exhibiting self-control.

Researchers decided to measure the fitness and physical activity of adults of 51 older adults. They had their thinking skills measured with tests and cognitive functioning observed with MRIs.

They found that overall brain network functioning improves with physical activity.

You don’t need too much, either. Radical life changes are not required. Instead, it could involve things like parking a little further from the entrance at the grocery store, taking the stairs, or going for a walk each day.

It’s just about finding ways to feature more activity into your day doing the things you’re already doing.

Over the past decade, there have been many studies performed examining the relationship between sleep and dementia, but new information is now signalling a link between daytime napping and cognitive impairment. Daytime napping among seniors is a normal part of aging, but it may also foreshadow Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for those who do it often.

The new study was led by UC San Francisco and Harvard Medical School together with Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It departs from the original theory that daytime napping in seniors is purely to compensate for poor nighttime sleep. Researchers say this information points to work by other UCSF researchers that suggest dementia may affect the wake-promoting neurons in the key areas of the brain.

For the study, researchers tracked data from 1,401 seniors who were followed for 14 years. The participants’ average age was 81, and approximately 3/4 were female. Each participant was required to wear a watch-like device that tracked mobility. Each period of non-activity from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM was interpreted as a nap.

All participants also underwent a variety of neuropsychological tests to evaluate their cognition. At the beginning of the study, 75.7% of participants had no cognitive impairment, 19.5% had mild cognitive impairment, and 4.1% had Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers concluded that participants who napped for more than an hour a day had a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who slept for less than one hour a day. They also found that participants who napped at least once a day had a 40% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who slept less than once a day.

This research adds to the mounting evidence from a 2019 study that found older men who napped 2 hours a day had a higher odds of developing cognitive impairment compared to those who napped less than 30 minutes a day.

Yeu Leng, the co-senior author of the study, explained, “I don’t think we have enough evidence to draw conclusions about a causal relationship, that it’s the napping itself that caused cognitive aging, but excessive daytime napping might be a signal of accelerated aging or cognitive aging process.”

A Positive Approach

Taking a positive approach to brain function is vital as we age. Numerous factors can take a toll on the ability of the brain to function at peak potential, which can affect concentration, memory, and overall cognitive function.

While some degree of cognitive decline is nearly inevitable, it is possible to take steps to help reduce any risks. The Smart Pill contains 9 ingredients to support, nourish, and maximize brain health, including ginkgo biloba, huperzine A, bacopa extract, rosemary extract, and a B vitamin complex.

By following a healthy lifestyle, you can help to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment. Be sure to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, eat a healthy diet, and supplement with essential vitamins and nutrients that can help boost circulation, fight free radicals, and provide extra nutritional support.

Anxiety sure is growing. The pandemic has brought its fair share, that’s for sure. There’s also been some major protests, an insurgency, a global refugee crisis (and more problems caused by climate change), and now, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

If you’re feeling a little stressed by any of it, you are certainly not alone.

Managing anxiety seems to be a major factor for a growing number of people. If the global crises aren’t enough, making ends meet, paying bills, and finding the time to lead a fulfilling life can be major causes of anxiety.

The list of possible stressors never seems to get any shorter.

Thankfully, the list of treatment methods is growing too.

A new one on the scene is called a “breathing pillow.” It looks just like any other cushion, but when it is held close the body, it slowly pumps slow “breaths” to help mimic slow breathing – about 12-18 breaths per minute.

The product was tested on a group of students to see if it helped them cope with anxiety. Some said it was calming, soothing, or relaxing. Others said it “feels like breathing,” while others appeared to enjoy the sensation of holding it, comparing it to a cat.

More testing is certainly required to see if this is a viable option for relieving anxiety and how well it may fare in relation to other practices like guided meditation, mindfulness, and more.

If you’re feeling anxious these days, there are several things you can try outside of waiting for a breathing pillow. You can try to hold a regular fuzzy pillow to see if that offers some relief. You also try getting more activity, engaging with friends and family, or finding a hobby. Talk therapy and mindfulness are also worthwhile.

It’s also worth considering the source of your anxiety. If it is coming from your social media news feed, it may be worth taking a break to put your mind at ease.

Many people experience elevated blood pressure upon standing, and new research has found that it may increase the risk for heart attack. The study published in the journal Hypertension found that young and middle-aged adults with high blood pressure may have a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events.

An estimated 40% of people globally have high blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, people with hypertension in mid-life are five times more likely to have cognitive function problems and twice as likely to have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Systolic (top number) blood pressure falls slightly upon standing, but for this study, researchers wanted to examine the health outcomes of those who have a significant rise in systolic blood pressure upon standing.

The investigators examined 1,207 people who were part of a study in Italy that began in 1990 and included adults aged 18-45 years old with untreated stage 1 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension was determined as systolic blood pressure of 140 – 159 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 90 – 100 mm Hg.

All participants’ measurements were taken at various physical positions, including when lying down or standing up. Researchers compared heart disease risk factors, laboratory measures, and the occurrence of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, heart-related chest pain, stroke, and more.

During the 17-year follow-up, researchers noted that the most common major cardiovascular events that happened to participants were heart attack, heart-related chest pain, and stroke.

The study results showed a clear relationship between those who had high blood pressure upon standing and heart attack. People who had the highest blood pressure rate were twice as likely as other participants to experience a major cardiovascular event.

Keeping the Heart Healthy

This study helps to outline the importance of having healthy blood pressure levels throughout life. Healthy Blood Pressure Support uses a unique blend of ingredients that have been shown in human clinical studies to help support healthy blood pressure. Heart health is addressed by supporting cardiovascular health and healthy cholesterol levels.

Heart Rescue was also designed to help support and promote cardiovascular health using various ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, magnesium, and hawthorn extract. As the heart works around the clock to keep blood pumping through the body, it is vital to give it the support it requires.

By keeping blood pressure in check and providing the body with all the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs, you can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart attack.

Recent research suggests that women who experience prolonged or irregular periods may have an increased risk for liver disease.

The study found that women with irregular or long periods were more likely to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, than those with shorter or more consistent menstrual cycles.

NAFLD is a chronic condition caused by fat buildup in the liver. It is not associated with alcohol intake. However, it is closely associated with diet and weight. NAFLD has quickly become the leading cause of liver disease, affecting about 2 percent of U.S. adults.

The condition can progress to chronic liver disease and heavy scarring, which carries a very high risk of death. Diet and exercise are the current standards of care.

This builds on an existing data bank suggesting that menstrual cycle length and regularity can influence women’s health. Studies already exist to show it may impact type-2 diabetes and heart disease risk.

For the study, researchers looked at data from more than 72,000 women younger than 40. They found that 28 percent had long or irregular menstrual cycles, and seven percent had NAFLD. After four years of follow-up, new cases of NAFLD were diagnosed in 9 percent of the women.

So, what can you do? If you have, or had, long or irregular menstrual cycles, attempting to reduce the risk of NAFLD using lifestyle measures is highly recommended. It would involve limiting processed foods and other calorically dense and nutrient-deficient foods.

Opting for more plant-based, unprocessed foods, as well as lean proteins may offer some benefit. Living an active lifestyle with some dedicated exercise time, at least three times per week, may also help keep things in check.

Lifestyle factors like how much you weigh and how much you drink can play a big role in how healthy you are. New research suggests they may also be important to how well, and how long you see.

A study published last year suggested that moderate to heavy drinking, as well as poor diet and excess weight, can increase the odds for age-related macular degeneration, or AMD.

AMD is a condition that threatens sight and is the most common cause of blindness in Americans over 50. It is a degenerative condition that damages the macula, the part of the retina that is responsible for central vision. When sufficient damage occurs, it can make things like driving, reading, or seeing faces clearly, difficult.

Previous studies have shown that certain lifestyle choices may work to prevent AMD.

Researchers analyzed seven earlier studies about the relationship between booze and AMD for the new findings. They concluded that drinking could contribute to vision loss.

AMD currently affects more than two million Americans, but that number is expected to more than double by 2050.

If you want to hold onto your vision as best you can, it is worthwhile to focus on factors in your control. Some of the things that can reduce your risk include:

• Limiting alcohol consumption. Sticking to a maximum of one (for women) or two (for men) standard drinks per day.
• Eating a nutrient-rich diet high in leafy greens, colorful fruits and vegetables, and fatty fish.
• Managing body weight and heart health. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease are all risk factors for AMD. Exercise can help get these conditions under control.
• Quitting smoking.
• Visiting an ophthalmologist.

Healthy lifestyle factors can pay off across the board. By trying your best to live healthily, you may preserve better vision for longer.

For many, “springing forward” can be exciting and offer a strong sense of relief. It means the sun will be shining a little longer into the evening and that summer is coming.

But your body doesn’t share the same enthusiasm as your brain or emotions. Losing an hour of sleep is tough on your body and mind and can boost the risk for some trouble.

Aside from the brain fog and irritability that can come with losing an hour of sleep, the time changes can lead to changes in appetite. More car accidents are typically reported in the days following the time change.

People with existing heart conditions may be at an even higher risk for a major cardiac event. Studies have shown that hospital admissions for atrial fibrillation (a-fib) go up in the week following the beginning of daylight savings. The same issue is not seen in the fall when it ends.

Other studies have found heart attacks go up by 24 percent on the Monday following the springtime change, compared to a 21 percent reduction in the days following the end of daylight savings. Studies have also shown a boost in ischemic strokes.

Daylight savings time, in a way, is in direct conflict with your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Your body doesn’t really care what the time the clock says it is. Instead, it is regulated to its own clock, and manipulating the cycle with arbitrary time changes can be dangerous.

It might be a little late for you to do anything about this year, but you can always get ready for next spring. You can help your body’s natural rhythm by:

Getting as much sunlight as possible every day
Going to bed a bit earlier in the week or two before the time change
Avoiding caffeine to combat daytime fatigue
Avoiding naps in a week or two following the time change