A gracefully aging face is a beautiful thing. It symbolizes experience and accomplishment. But if there is one part of aging most wish to slow, it’s the appearance of their face.

An aging face is the most prominent part of aging. Plenty of things happen to your face as you get older, and the changes aren’t always easily embraced. Some common changes include a larger forehead, hairline recession, longer ears, and a saggy nose.

There are also changes going on beyond stretching surface cartilage. Fat is often redistributed in the face as you get older. When you were young, face fat was evenly distributed in the forehead, temples, cheeks, and areas around the eyes and mouth.

This fat helps your skin look lifted and firm. Age, however, can lead to reduced volume in the fat. It can clump together and shift downwards, causing formerly round, smooth, and tight parts of the face to sag.

Age can also bring fat to new parts of your face. You may notice things getting a little baggy around the chin or jowly in the neck.

You may also notice the appearance of wrinkles. Deep wrinkles on your forehead are generally the result of continual tugging on the facial muscles just beneath the skin. The “expression” lines are creases caused from use.

Other wrinkles result from fat redistribution, sun exposure, smoking, or natural skin degeneration.

So, what can you do to slow the aging process? Some non-surgical options are:

Sun Protection: Sunscreen is one of the best and most affordable tools you can use to slow the skin aging process. Both UVA and UVB rays can damage skin cells and contribute to spots and wrinkling, so apply it before each outing, summer or winter.

Creams and Lotions: Moisturizers can plump up dry skin and temporarily relieve the appearance of wrinkles. Exfoliant creams can help clear away dead skin that doesn’t fall away as quickly as when you were younger.

Certain prescription creams feature retinoids, compounds related to vitamin A, which may reduce wrinkles and spots.

Diet: A healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and “good” fats can support skin cells.

There have been some big snow dumps this year. Extreme weather patterns have hit traditionally snowy areas with larger volumes, while parts of the country that rarely see snow have been buried.

A winter wonderland may look great and even feel special for a brief period. But it can also wreak havoc and pose a host of dangers to your health.

Particularly if you’re already at high risk for heart problems.

Shoveling snow is a right of passage in colder snow-covered communities, but it is also very strenuous and isn’t safe for everybody all the time. Even if you’ve been doing it for decades, the big dumps can be a different beast altogether.

High-risk groups for snow shoveling include those over 65, as well as younger folks who tend to overdo it. People in their 50s who think they might be in decent shape, but have heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, are also likely to end up in the ER from shoveling.

Some people may want to avoid shoveling altogether. If you’ve had a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery, or have a coronary stent, you’re one of them.

Assessing safety is very important to minimize the risk of shoveling snow. Here are some things you can do to reduce the chance of a heart attack:

• Avoid eating a big meal or drinking alcohol before shoveling.
• Assess the snow. If it is heavy and wet, it will be much more difficult to shovel than when it’s light and fluffy.
• Look at the forecast. See how much snow you’re going to get and plan shoveling. It may be wise to do it more than once.
• Don’t shovel large areas, like a driveway, all at once. Clear small sections one at a time and take regular breaks.
• Push the show using quick, short, strokes instead of lifting it. If the snow is deep, consider removing it in layers.
• Dress warmly with gloves, a hat, and snow boots. Layer up.
• If the snow is too much to handle, or you’re high risk, call a snow removal service or get a nephew, niece, or neighborhood kid to do it for you.

There is no question that diet plays an essential role in the health of your heart. One of the ways it helps is by promoting better blood flow.

Certain foods feature nutrients that enhance blood flow by reducing inflammation or relaxing veins. Regardless of how they help blood flow, the common denominator is that these foods are not processed. They are almost always plant-based and considered part of a “healthy” diet.

Dietary antioxidants play a vital role in blood flow. They may work by reducing inflammation on the arteries, potentially helping to produce nitric oxide and relieve arterial stiffness, so blood passes through more easily.

Nitric oxide is chemical that the body makes to help blood flow. Certain foods can prompt the body to produce more of it, allowing for short-term improvements in blood flow.

Continuously eating antioxidant-rich foods throughout the day, as part of meals and snacks, may help extend the benefits.

Antioxidant-rich foods like beets, oranges, grapefruit, blueberries, and more may all help to reduce inflammation, promote nitric oxide production, and promote better heart health.

Processed foods, on the other hand, produce almost the opposite result. They promote inflammation to make it more difficult for blood to pass. Long-term, these foods can lead to cholesterol deposits, arterial blockages, and stiff, rigid veins.

Choosing food with high nutritional value is the optimal way to keep blood flowing and make things as easy as possible on your heart.

Good circulation helps more than your heart. It helps ensure all of your cells and tissue are receiving adequate amounts of nutrient-rich and oxygenated blood so they can operate as best they can. This includes the brain, which needs a steady supply of blood keep you on your toes.

There is data to suggest that blood flow to the brain plays a key role in brain cell formation and longevity, as well as a lower risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline.

New information is leading experts to believe that lifestyle behaviors that can support heart health may also be beneficial for brain health. Diseases of the brain are on the rise, and they are often associated with many of the same risk factors that cause heart disease, including diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and tobacco use.

The rising prevalence of brain diseases, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia have led researchers to examine how to lower incidence in the global community.

Mitchell Elkind from the American Heart Association said, “The global rate of brain disease is quickly outpacing heart disease. The rate of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias rose more than twice as much in the past decade compared to the rate of deaths from heart disease, and that is something we must address.”

Globally, more than 54 million people had Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in 2020, which is a 37% increase since 2010 and a 144% increase over the past 30 years. This indicates that brain health is a growing concern that needs to be addressed.

Researchers believe that having cardiovascular disease can increase the chances of developing brain disease. In a meta-analysis, the risk for dementia was shown to be associated with heart failure nearly two-fold. Coronary heart disease was also associated with a 40% increased risk of poor cognitive outcomes, including dementia, cognitive decline, or cognitive impairment.

With this high association rate and the rising rates of brain disease, it is critical that patients understand the changes needed to improve health outcomes from brain disease and how to prevent them to begin with.

Lifestyle Behaviors

Experts say that maintaining a healthy weight, managing blood pressure, and following other heart-healthy lifestyle behaviours can help to support brain function. At Bel Marra, we understand how important it is to support both brain and heart health with essential vitamins and minerals.

Heart Rescue was designed to help support and promote cardiovascular health through a unique blend of 7 ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, magnesium, and hawthorn extract.

While some degree of cognitive decline is nearly inevitable as you age, some factors can take a toll on the ability of the brain to function at peak potential. The Smart Pill contains 9 ingredients to support, nourish, and maximize brain health and cognitive function and fight against any risk factors causing the brain harm.

With some easy lifestyle changes, including consuming a healthy diet, exercising daily, and getting essential vitamins and nutrients, you can help to protect the brain and heart.

A strong core is essential to a mobile, pain-free, and independent life. Yet most people completely ignore it.

Even fitness enthusiasts tend to get lazy when building core strength. Average people, especially those in middle-age and beyond, likely believe that paying any attention to their midsection is an exercise in futility.

But having a ripped set of washboard abs does not necessarily indicate a strong core. And if you want to reduce the risk of back pain, injury, or mobility trouble, as well as make it easier to perform daily activities, core strength is essential.

Your “core” muscles are the pelvis, lower back, abdominals, and hips. They work together to promote stability, posture, and balance. Strong core muscles can do everything from helping you put your socks on to reaching an overhead item.

There are several ways to work out your core muscles. If you like resistance training, simply standing and using free weights can help your core strength because they keep you stable.

But there are also specific moves that can help. Sitting on an exercise ball, planks, sit-ups, hip flexor movements, and even yoga can target your core muscles.

One of the best at-home core exercises is the bridge. It targets the lower back, abs, hips, and pelvis all at once and can be done in the middle of your floor.

Start by lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent to perform a bridge. Keep your back in a neutral position, ensuring it’s not arched or pressed into the floor.

Tighten your abdominals and slowly raise your hips evenly off the ground until they are aligned with your knees and shoulders (it should be a straight diagonal line starting at the knees, running down through the hips to the shoulders). Hold it for as long as you can without breaking form.

Performing this exercise daily can help build a stronger core to improve posture, reduce back pain, limit injury risk, and enhance independence.

If you take a calcium supplement every day for bone health, you’re certainly doing something right. But if you think that’s all you need, then you could be in trouble.

Several nutrients are important to bone health, and calcium is just one. But to do the best for your bones, you’ll want to be sure you’re getting enough calcium, vitamin D, protein, and more.

If you’re eating a healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, lean proteins, and seeds, you’re likely getting everything you need for strong, healthy bones. That said, the aging process may require a little extra effort in some areas.

Why? For a couple of reasons. One is that nutrient absorption can decrease with age. Another is that appetite goes down with age, so you literally might not be hungry enough to eat all the essential nutrients needed for bone health.

Here are the nutrients that might require a little extra attention:

Calcium: Calcium is one of the main ingredients for healthy bones and is also essential for your cells, heart, and muscles to function optimally. You don’t make calcium on your own and need to get it from food or supplements.

If you don’t have enough calcium in your bloodstream for all its functions, the body draws from the supply in bone. Over time, these withdrawals can lead to weak, soft, and thin bones if calcium is not being replaced.

Think of it like a bank account where withdrawals exceed deposits.

To keep calcium levels where they need to be, try and get 1200 milligrams (mg) per day for women, and 1,000 – 1,200 mg for men. You can supplement or get it from dairy, nuts, leafy greens, fruit, and seafood.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for bone health because it’s required for calcium absorption. The body only makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, which can carry some risk. And depending on where you live, it can prove challenging during specific periods of the year.

Supplements are the best source of vitamin D, with ideal dosing falling in the 600 – 1,000 IU per day range.

Protein: Proteins are the building blocks of life, helping to build and repair bones. They provide the scaffolding for your bones, while nutrients like calcium and phosphorus help stiffen and add volume.

Protein is highly available in lean meats like poultry, eggs,  dairy, nuts, fish, and beans. But it can also take a bit of an appetite to get enough. Try to have a serving of protein with every meal, and even consider a daily protein supplement.

Sleep disorder symptoms are a common issue, and medical experts continuously examine research to fill in knowledge gaps. With an estimated 50 – 70 million adults suffering from sleep disorders, more information must become available to help with prevention and treatments for those with insomnia or other sleep-related disorders.

One such study recently published in Scientific Reports suggests that prenatal exposure to nicotine and its by-products can produce long-term effects on sleep and stress response in some areas of the brain. Using an animal model, researchers were able to show how sleep in adults may be influenced by events that occurred in the early stages of life.

By exposing pregnant mice to nicotine and its by-products in the concentration of passive cigarette smoke, the researchers observed that their offspring, as adults, showed significant sleep issues. Most of these outcomes were found between the resting and the active phases, which corresponds to the morning awakening in humans.

Researchers also found an alteration of the expression of the glucocorticoid receptors (the stress hormones) in the hippocampus. This structure is the most sensitive to stress during brain development.

This study found two important points for sleep disorder analysis. First, exposure to nicotine and its by-products in the early stages of life can alter the expression and balance of corticosteroid receptors in the hippocampus. And second, glucocorticoid expression in the hippocampus is linked to sleep reduction.

Sleep Problems Are Common

Sleep problems are becoming a prevalent issue in the adult population, so it is vital to understand the root cause to address preventative measures. A healthy lifestyle balance can help those who suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders.

Sleep Sure Plus is designed to help with sleep and restfulness. Its unique formula includes some of the best ingredients known to support healthy, restful sleep.

Melatonin, one of the most important ingredients contained in Sleep Sure Plus, is a hormone that is vital for the regulation of the circadian rhythm (the internal clock of the body).

Another important ingredient, valerian, is one of the best natural ingredients for promoting rest and relaxation. These two ingredients combined with six others can help to provide well-rounded support for a restful night of sleep.

Although many have been doing it for years, there is a recent surge in the popularity of abandoning alcohol to begin the year. But is “dry” January really doing any good?

The short-term New Year’s resolution may actually offer some health benefits, particularly to heavy drinkers. Those who drink moderately, however, are unlikely to experience much benefit.

And, of course, if you do something for one month and then go back to previous behaviors, it won’t make a huge difference on overall long-term health.

But your liver still has something to gain by giving up, or at least reducing, alcohol consumption if you drink excessively.

Some noticeable benefits heavy drinkers may notice by giving up alcohol include better sleep, mental clarity, and weight loss. They may also be giving their liver a chance to recover.

Liver health isn’t something you actively notice. It’s a highly resilient organ that can endure years of abuse. However, abusing it with excessive alcohol leads to severe problems. And unfortunately, liver problems, like cirrhosis, are noticeable only when too late.

Liver damage doesn’t happen in a day. But for people who drink excessively, meaning more than two drinks per day for men and one for women, fatty deposits that lead to scarring can occur. This limits liver function and can lead to cirrhosis.

When drinking stops, two things happen. The first is that the absence of alcohol allows your liver to focus on, and optimize, its other jobs. It can better break down body toxins and metabolize fats and hormones.

The break also gives the liver a chance to repair itself.

So, the month off can do some good in the short term, but it is best to use the time to recalibrate alcohol consumption if you’re drinking excessively. Adjusting alcohol habits so you’re only drinking moderately can have a huge impact on the liver, and overall health.

What is moderate drinking? As mentioned, it is no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women. A “drink” is defined as:

• 12 ounces (341 millilitres) of 5% beer
• 5 ounces (142 ml) of 13-14% wine
• 3 ounces (86 ml) of sherry or port
• 5 ounces (43 ml) of liquor/spirits

According to new research from the American Stroke Association, women under 35 are more likely to have an ischemic stroke than their male counterparts. An ischemic stroke is a brief stroke-like attack caused by blocked blood vessels in the brain. Despite resolving within minutes to hours, it still requires medical attention.

For a new article in the second annual Stroke issue, researchers compiled articles to address the gap in knowledge of stroke among women. Since stroke affects more women than men each year, researchers want professionals to know about women’s latest research, prevention, and treatment of strokes.

Researchers analyzed the differences in stroke incidence among women and men in various young adult age groups for the article. We used population-based original studies to focus on young adults 45 years of age and younger.

The studies included data on any stroke type, including ischemic strokes, hemorrhagic strokes, cryptogenic strokes, and TIA, also called a mini-stroke. Most of the strokes in the review were ischemic, which account for about 87% of all strokes.

The authors identified sex differences in the incidence of ischemic stroke as the greatest and most evident among adults younger than the age of 35. There were an estimated 44% more women than men experiencing ischemic strokes within this group. Researchers could not identify the specific causes behind the higher prevalence of stroke in young women compared to young men.

It was also noted that young women who are survivors of ischemic stroke have worse outcomes with two to three times higher risk of poorer functional outcomes compared to their male counterparts.

Researchers say findings indicate that strokes in young adults may be happening for different reasons than strokes in older adults. This emphasizes the need for more studies of stroke in younger age groups to better understand what puts young women at a higher risk.

Heart Health

Heart health is important at any age. The heart works around the clock to keep blood pumping throughout the body, so a strong, healthy heart is vital for a high quality of life.

Heart Rescue can help protect the heart with its unique formula that has been designed to support and promote cardiovascular health. Using a variety of ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, magnesium, and hawthorn extract, Heart Rescue supports cardiovascular function as you age.

You might be aware that a blood pressure reading has two numbers. They are expressed as one over the other, with the top number being higher than the other.

Are they of equal importance or not?

For starters, let’s take a look at what they are. The “systolic” blood pressure is the top number you see when your blood pressure is read. It measures the pressure inside your arteries when your heart contracts.

The bottom number is called the diastolic. It is always the lower number because it measures the pressure in arteries in the resting period between heartbeats.

Both are important. However, systolic pressure receives far more attention. It has for some time.

High blood pressure occurs when systolic blood pressure is 130 or higher and diastolic is 80 or higher. However, past research has typically shown that higher diastolic blood pressure is more closely linked to stroke or other cardiac events.

In some people, particularly older people, high systolic blood pressure is more likely. This is because arteries tend to become less elastic and accommodating to larger surges of blood. Because there is less space to pass through, systolic blood pressure goes up, while diastolic may remain the same or even go down.

A 2019 study, however, suggested that diastolic blood pressure may not have as big of a role in cardiac outcomes compared to systolic, if it does affect risk independently of systolic pressure.

Put simply, it is worth paying attention to both.

If you check your blood pressure at home, pay attention to both numbers. And, of course, make sure you’re following the directions to get accurate readings.

Stretching and exercise are good for your body, but the benefits don’t stop there. Although all forms of exercise can stimulate improved health, yoga may offer some unique benefits.

With its emphasis on breathing practices and mediation, as well as movement, yoga might help reduce anxiety, depression, and stimulate improved cognitive function.

Yoga may develop new connections between brain cells and change brain structure in a way that improves skills like memory and learning. In particular, there is data to suggest it can strengthen parts of the brain that play crucial roles in memory, attention, awareness, and language.

Some studies using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology have shown that people who regularly do yoga have a thicker cerebral cortex than those that don’t. The cerebral cortex is responsible for information processing.

Research also suggests that people who do yoga have a larger cerebral cortex – the part of the brain involved in learning and memory – than those who don’t.

Yoga may even help slow the aging process. The cerebral cortex and hippocampus typically shrink as you get older, but research suggests that yoga could slow shrinkage. One study found that older people who do yoga show less brain shrinkage than non-practitioners.

Mood is another area of brain health that yoga may benefit. Although all forms of exercise are suitable stress relievers that reduce stress hormones and boost feel-good chemicals in the brain, yoga may go a step further.

Yoga may have a unique effect on a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is linked with a better mood and lower levels anxiety. This benefit may be exclusive to yoga compared to other forms of exercise.

There are plenty of places where you can begin learning yoga. Introductory-level classes exist, as do those targeted to specific ages and physical abilities. Start slowly to work your way to maximum benefits.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, middle-aged men who are anxious and worried could be at greater biological risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This research shows that these associations may be present much earlier in life than is commonly expected, potentially during childhood or young adulthood.

For the study, researchers tracked anxiety and cardiometabolic disease in 1,561 men who were an average age of 53 years. All participants were enrolled in the Normative Aging study founded at US Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Boston in 1975. All men completed baseline assessments of neuroticism and did not have cardiovascular disease or cancer at that time.

Neuroticism is a personality trait known to interpret situations as threatening, overwhelming, or stressful. Previous studies have shown that individuals with high levels of neuroticism are prone to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, and sadness more intensely and more frequently than those without the condition.

All men had physical exams and blood tests every three to five years until they either died or dropped out of the study. The research team also used follow-up data through 2015.

During the follow-up visits, seven cardiometabolic risk factors were measured, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, obesity, fasting blood sugar levels, and a marker of inflammation.

It was found that between the ages of 33 to 65, the average number of high-risk cardiometabolic factors increased by about one per decade, followed by a slower increase per decade after the age of 65. At all ages, participants with higher levels of neuroticism had a more significant number of high-risk cardiometabolic factors.

Higher neuroticism was linked with a 13% higher likelihood of having six or more cardiometabolic disease risk factors. These findings stayed true even after adjusting for demographic characteristics and family history of heart disease. Participants with higher worry levels were also associated with a 10% higher likelihood of having six or more cardiometabolic disease risk factors.

Treatment of Anxiety and Worry

Although more research is needed to confirm these findings in populations other than white males, researchers suggest that the treatment of anxiety and worry could help to lower your cardiometabolic risk factor.

Heart health should be taken seriously at any age. As this study helps to show, it is vital to understand risk factors so preventative actions can be taken. Heart Rescue has been specially formulated to help support and promote cardiovascular health using various ingredients, including CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and hawthorn extract.

Middle-aged men who have anxiety or worry could also be at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Our Healthy Blood Sugar Support formula uses several ingredients which have been shown in human clinical studies to help support healthy blood pressure. It can also help reduce excessive hunger or increased appetite, fatigue, and blood glucose spikes after meals.

The new advice from the Glaucoma Research Foundation is that you can eat right to protect your sight.

Really, this shouldn’t come as a massive surprise. Diet has such a massive impact on overall health that it should almost be expected that the right foods can help your eyes stay healthy and free of disease.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and also one of the eye diseases that good nutrition may help keep at bay. It is a group of eye diseases that can cause progressive vision loss by damaging the optic nerve.

Here are some of the foods that may help:

Fruit and Veggies: Really, any fruit or vegetable can offer the nutrients eyes need to stay healthy. Most are packed with vitamin A and C and other antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin.

Antioxidants help protect against stress associated with damage to the optic nerve.

Leafy greens may be especially useful in promoting eye health. Some research shows a link between higher kale and spinach consumption and a lower risk of glaucoma.

Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of vitamin E, which help keep cells healthy and protect them from damage caused by free radicals.

Fatty Fish: Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, tuna, sardines, and halibut, are linked with lower pressure in the eye.

Tea: There is also data to suggest that at least one cup of hot tea per day may lower the risk of glaucoma.

A healthy and balanced diet that is rich in nutrients is great for your eyes, too.

If you want to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, try walking! A new study published in Diabetes Care suggests that walking regularly at high intensity may help to prevent type 2 diabetes among 70- and 80-year-olds.

This study was one of the first to measure steps and pace among an older population. Researchers from multiple institutions came together to analyze data from the Women’s Health Initiative to characterize physical activity and cardiovascular health in post-menopausal women.

Participants in the study were 65 and older and did not have a diabetes diagnosis. All lived independently and were asked to wear a research-grade accelerometer for 24 hours a day over their right hip for one week. Their health was followed up for seven years.

The study’s primary aim was to understand the associations between total steps taken per day and the development of diabetes. Step intensity and cadence were also analyzed for any influence on diabetes risk.

The study concluded that those with a drop in physical activity were at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers estimate that if older adults add 2,000 steps per day, many could reduce their risk of developing diabetes.

Previous studies have found that regular physical activity with an improved diet can reduce the risk of diabetes in older adults. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Keep Blood Sugar Levels in Check

Along with diet and exercise, it is important to keep blood sugar levels in check. Healthy Blood Sugar Support uses various ingredients to provide comprehensive support of healthy blood sugar and overall health.

Its unique formula of ingredients has been shown in human clinical studies to help support healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure while also reducing excessive hunger or increased appetite, fatigue, and blood glucose spikes after meals.

With the rising numbers of diabetes in the older population, it is essential to take the steps necessary to help reduce the risk. Try to incorporate stepping into a daily routine, consume a healthy diet, and get the vitamins and minerals you need to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.