Month: June 2022

7 lifestyle habits which can halve your risk of dementia

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022
  • More than 55 million people live with dementia, and it is one of the biggest causes of death and disability worldwide.
  • Research shows a healthy lifestyle can cut the chances of getting dementia, even for people whose genes put them at increased risk.
  • Scientists have shown 7 healthy habits seem to stop up to 43% of people developing the condition.
  • Eating well, exercising and not smoking all play a big part in preventing dementia.

Researchers have found that people whose genes put them at increased risk of dementia can reduce their chances of getting the condition by up to 43% if they follow seven habits for healthy living.

It was already thought that a healthy lifestyle could cut the risk of dementia, but until now it has been less clear if this applied to people with genetic variants that make them more likely to develop the condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says dementia is the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases worldwide and is responsible for millions of older people enduring disability and dependency. With the proportion of older people increasing in almost every country, the WHO expects dementia cases to rise to 139 million by 2050.

Genetic risk

A study from the American Academy of Neurology investigated whether people with a higher genetic risk could reduce their chances of getting the condition. Researchers followed almost 12,000 people for 30 years and scored them on how closely they followed the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 – a list of lifestyle habits linked to good cardiovascular health.

7 ways to reduce risk of dementia.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce dementia risk, even for people genetically predisposed to develop the condition.

Image: American Heart Association

1. Manage your blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range reduces the strain on your heart, arteries and kidneys.

2. Control cholesterol. High cholesterol contributes to plaque which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke.

3. Reduce blood sugar. High levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

4. Get active. There’s strong evidence daily physical activity increases the length and quality of your life.

5. Eat better. A healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent cardiovascular disease.

6. Lose weight. Shedding a few pounds can reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton.

7. Stop smoking. Smokers have a higher risk of developing a range of serious illnesses including heart disease.

Participants in the dementia study were asked to score themselves on a scale of 0 to 14 depending on how closely they followed all seven healthy habits. Researchers also calculated their genetic risk, based on whether they had variants linked to a higher or lower chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease, which is a major cause of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Diesease, a result of rapid ageing that causes dementia, is a growing concern. Dementia, the seventh leading cause of death worldwide, cost the world $1.25 trillion in 2018, and affected about 50 million people in 2019. Without major breakthroughs, the number of people affected will triple by 2050, to 152 million.

To catalyse the fight against Alzheimer's, the World Economic Forum is partnering with the Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) to form a coalition of public and private stakeholders – including pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotech companies, governments, international organizations, foundations and research agencies.


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The initiative aims to advance pre-clinical research to advance the understanding of the disease, attract more capital by lowering the risks to investment in biomarkers, develop standing clinical trial platforms, and advance healthcare system readiness in the fields of detection, diagnosis, infrastructure and access.

Healthy lifestyle

The participants had an average age of 54 when the research started. Around 9,000 had European ancestry and 3,000 African ancestry.

By the end of the study 1,603 people with European ancestry and 631 people with African ancestry had developed dementia. Those with the highest scores for following a healthy lifestyle were much less likely to have dementia, including participants who had genetic variants linked to Alzheimer’s.

Study author Adrienne Tin, from the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in Jackson, says: “The good news is that even for people who are at the highest genetic risk, living this same healthier lifestyle [is likely to] lower risk of dementia.”

Alzheimer's disease mortality rate in the United States from 2000 to 2019 (per 100,000 population).

Alzheimer’s is among the 10 leading causes of death in the US.

Image: Statista/Alzheimer’s Association

Risk factors

In those with European ancestry, participants with the highest scores for living healthily were up to 43% less likely to get dementia than those scoring lower. For those with African ancestry, following the healthy habits was linked to a 17% lower risk of developing the condition. But the study’s authors say the smaller numbers of people with African heritage taking part means the findings are less certain for this group, so more research is needed.

Dr Rosa Sancho, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, told The Times: “Dementia risk depends on many factors. Some, like our age and genetic make-up, we cannot change, while others like diet and exercise, we can. This study supports the idea that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.”

If adopting these seven healthy habits can reduce the number of people who get dementia, it won’t just be individuals who benefit. The World Health Organization says dementia has high global social and economic costs too. Informal carers - including family and friends - spend an average of five hours a day caring for sufferers, and the global financial bill is expected to be more than $2.8 trillion by 2030.

There are many organizations around the world working to help accelerate advances in prevention and treatment of the condition. Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative is led by the World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease and is investing $700 million over six years into drug development and healthcare diagnostics.

Speaking at a meeting of the DAC Learning Laboratory in May 2022, its co-chair, George Vradenburg, highlighted the importance of remembering that Alzheimer’s can affect anyone, regardless of their economic, racial or geographic status.

“We are explicitly global in character. We want to make sure from the very beginning of this effort that we involve low- and middle-income countries and that we pay attention to all societies, all resource settings and all racial and ethnic legacies as we move forward on the path to cure Alzheimer’s.”




Written by

Simon Read, Senior Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Links: Mark Shields’ death; universal health insurance; free speech

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

Political columnist Mark Shields died last week. There have been many tributes, all of which focused not only on his sharp commentary but also on what a decent person he was, and the fact that he was interested in, not appalled by, encounters with people who saw the world through different lenses from the ones he used. That is to say, he was an intellectual liberal as well as a political one. Two years ago, when he retired, his sparring partner on PBS's "NewsHour," David Brooks, wrote a lovely encomium.

There is nothing liberal about billionaire libertarian Peter Thiel, whom The Washington Post's Elizabeth Dwoskin profiled in Sunday's June 19 paper. I knew some but not all of this, and was especially intrigued by the title of a biography of Thiel: The Contrarian. Huh? There is nothing contrarian about this ideologue. That is what is so frightening about ideologues: Their ideological framework levels all of life's complexities. In their framework, no one hits a bump in the road, and it is those bumps that keep us humane. He is a 21st-century Ayn Rand with gobs of money. How boring.

In The Guardian, a report on the cost of not having universal health insurance: A new study indicates that the lack of such universal coverage in the United States resulted in an additional 338,000 lives lost during the pandemic and an additional $105 billion in health care costs. So, the next time someone says we can't afford universal health insurance, point out that we can't afford what we have, morally or financially.

At The New York Times, Coral Davenport takes a thorough and bracing look at the potential danger to environmental protections, and other necessary government functions, posed by a forthcoming Supreme Court decision in the case West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. In this histrionic age, it is best to avoid the temptation to overstate the stakes in our various political and cultural battles. In this instance, to paraphrase a famous orator, extremism in the defense of common sense is no vice.

Politico looks at the challenges of changing newsroom cultures with a focus on the leadership of Sally Buzbee at The Washington Post, where she replaced Marty Baron in 2021. There is no way for democracy to function without a free press, and there are multiple dangers facing a free press today — some ideological, some financial, some cultural.

Relatedly, at The Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf looks at the recent struggle at Georgetown University Law School over the limits of free speech. Newly hired Ilya Shapiro tweeted something that was undeniably stupid and offensive. He apologized, was suspended and the university investigated the matter. Shapiro ended up resigning but he also objected to the investigation by campus bureaucrats. The case raises serious issues about the direction of higher education. As health-law scholar Gregg Bloche told Friedersdorf: "Fear of career-ruining responses to words that offend is chilling classroom discussions, faculty scholarship, and conversation among colleagues."

At Chicago Catholic, Cardinal Blase Cupich offers some advice about preaching on the Trinity, and he cites the book The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights, by St. John's University moral theologian Meghan Clark. At a time when too many reduce religion to ethics, it is wonderful to highlight the work of a theologian who recognizes the ways in which are dogmatic truths ground our ethical teachings, and even more when that work gets noticed by a bishop! I reviewed Clark's wonderful book here.

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Millions could lose health coverage if premium subsidies expire later this year, officials say

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

Absent Congressional action, many consumers will see health-coverage costs skyrocket next year, Biden administration officials warned Wednesday. 

The American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March 2021, temporarily expanded premium tax credits available to consumers signing up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Those expanded tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year, and extending them would require Congressional legislation. 

“Time is of the essence,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on a call with reporters Wednesday. As this fall’s open enrollment for 2023 marketplace coverage draws near, “we want to make sure that people know the subsidies will be in place,” she said. 

A record 14.5 million people signed up for coverage through the marketplaces during the open enrollment period that ended in January. The average monthly 2022 premium for HealthCare.gov enrollees was $111. Without the additional tax credits provided by the American Rescue Plan, that average monthly cost would have been 53% higher, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. 

If Congress does not act, more than 10 million people will see their premium tax credits reduced or lose them entirely, according to federal estimates, and about 3 million people could lose their health insurance. 

If lawmakers were to act by midsummer, marketplaces and insurers would have time to prepare for the 2023 open enrollment period, which starts in November, according to a recent report from the Urban Institute. The process of setting rates for 2023 plans has already begun.   

Congressional action later in the year could generate confusion as people are signing up for 2023 coverage, Brooks-LaSure said. “Of course we will pivot as quickly as we need to,” she said. But if action comes in the middle of open enrollment, it “would be so difficult for people to understand what was happening.” 

In addition to boosting premium tax credits for people who were previously eligible for subsidies, the American Rescue Plan expanded eligibility to people who were previously ineligible because their income was greater than 400% of the federal poverty level. An additional 2.8 million consumers received premium tax credits in 2022, compared with 2021, according to federal data. 

Without the American Rescue Plan’s enhanced premium tax credits, the average monthly 2022 premium in some states would have been roughly double what it is now. Among states that use the federal marketplace platform, the average 2022 monthly premium in Wyoming would have been 132% higher, according to federal data, while South Dakota average premiums would have been 95% higher.  

What Is Tofu? Nutrition, Health Benefits, Cooking Uses

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

Old thinking: Tofu is a lackluster source of protein that, in extreme cases, can give you man boobs.

New thinking: More recent research shows that not is tofu an excellent source of protein, but the phytoestrogens-gynemastia connection was completely overblown.

A healthy diet can include tofu and, actually, should.

"Eating various foods is one of the best things you can do for your health," says Brittany Lubeck, M.S., R.D., consultant for Oh So Spotless. "Eating different sources of nutrients regularly ensures you're getting all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and carbs your body needs."

And, Lubeck adds, tofu, which comes from soy, can be a great addition to anyone’s diet. Along with being a good source of protein, tofu has vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, selenium, iron, and zinc.

But seriously, what about those phytoestrogens?

"Tofu has received a bad rap for years, mostly because it contains phytoestrogens, compounds that are similar to the hormone estrogen," says Lubeck. "Because of this, many people falsely believe that tofu and other soy products would cause estrogen activity and levels to rise in their bodies," says Lubeck.

"In fact, the thought that soy products like tofu can lead to cancer has been debunked, and soy may even help prevent cancers like prostate and breast," she says. Lubeck elaborates that much of the negative research on soy products has been performed on animals or other subjects other than humans. "Human studies on soy tend to show positive results."

"Tofu is an extremely healthy source of protein for anyone, including men," echos Dana Ellis Hunnes Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., senior clinical dietitian at UCLA medical center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and author of the book Recipe For Survival.

"Tofu is a very high-quality protein that has all the amino acids in it and can be incorporated into many types of meals," Ellis Hunnes says.

If you want to learn more about this nutrient-dense "blank canvas" of a protein—from its nutrition stats to how it’s made—we got you.

What is the nutritional profile of tofu?

Pretty solid.

One-half cup of firm tofu contains 181 calories, 22 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of which are fiber, no added sugar, and 11 grams of fat.

In terms of micronutrients (if you're into that kind of thing), tofu has 861 milligrams calcium, 3 grams iron, and 299 milligrams potassium, among others.

    Let’s take an extra moment to appreciate that protein content: Just half a cup of tofu has just as much protein in it as a serving of most meats. “In fact, three ounces of beef also contains 22 grams of protein," Lubeck says.

    One more thing to note: The nutrition stats of tofu “depend on whether it is soft/silkened tofu, which has more water in it, or super-firm tofu, which has less water in it,” says Ellis Hunnes. “Firm tofus with less water have higher amounts of protein, and are a little higher in calories and fat ounce-for-ounce compared to silkened/soft tofus,” she says, noting that all types of tofus contain all the amino acids.

    How is tofu made?

    Tofu is made from soybeans which are soaked with water and then ground down to a cooked pulp. The soy milk is separated from the mixture before calcium or magnesium salts are added as a coagulant, which gives tofu its solid form. While you can make tofu at home, it’s a labor-intensive endeavor, so you likely want to buy it in pre-made blocks at the grocery store.

    Will tofu cause man boobs?

    Short answer? Nope.

    Longer answer: "Although a case study has been published noting that soy-eating resulted in gynecomastia (man boobs) and decreased libido, it was determined that this man eats a huge amount of soy daily that most people would not come close to consuming," says Lubeck. "In other studies, it has been proven that eating soy foods will not increase estrogen or decrease testosterone. Estrogen is a hormone primarily present in women, and testosterone is a hormone mostly present in men, although all genders have a bit of each."

    It has been proven that eating soy foods will not increase estrogen or decrease testosterone.

    While estrogen was found to be increased in the previously mentioned case study, says Lubeck, other reports using much larger participant fields found that estrogen levels did not increase after people consumed soy. "In short, eating normal, recommended amounts of tofu and other soy products won't cause hormone changes in men."

    Is tofu healthy?

    Yes.

    Along with countless plant-based foods like beans and lentils, tofu is in good company as a healthy choice to add in your diet. “Tofu and other soy products have impressive research behind them. Eating soy has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and prostate cancer. Soy has also been found to be helpful in the treatment of other issues like depression and skin health,” says Lubeck, adding that “soy has also been linked to improved cognition and prevention of dementia.”

    tofu cubes fried and served with black and white sesame in a bowl

    zoranmGetty Images

    Ellis Hunnes says some major health benefits of tofu include “lowering the risk of heart disease because of its fatty acid profile, lowering inflammation because it is a plant-based protein, and lowering the risk of cancers because it is a healthy plant-based protein that can help lower the risk of cancers."

    In terms of micronutrients, Lubeck reiterates that “tofu is an excellent source of calcium, selenium, and manganese,” sharing that people can get more than half their daily needs for calcium and manganese in just half a cup of tofu. “It's also a great source of magnesium, iron, and zinc,” she says.

    Lubeck also appreciates that tofu is low in carbs and contains no added sugar, making it a healthy choice for people with diabetes. “And the fact that tofu has a bit of fiber in it as well makes it even better, as fiber will help slow the digestion process and reduce the blood sugar response.”

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ELSE NUTRITION ANNOUNCES SIZE OF PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED MARKETED PUBLIC OFFERING OF UNITS

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES./

VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Else Nutrition Holdings Inc. (TSX: BABY) (the "Company" or "Else"), a leading producer of plant-based baby, toddler and children's food products, is pleased to announce that its previously announced marketed public offering (the "Offering") of units (the "Units") of the Company, which will be sold at an issue price of $1.05 per Unit (the "Issue Price"), will be for an aggregate of 6,940,000 Units for total gross proceeds of $7,287,000.

The Units will be offered for sale by the Company in the Offering, which will be conducted through a syndicate of underwriters (the "Underwriters") led by Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. as sole bookrunner.  Each Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") for a period of 60 months following the closing of the Offering (the "Closing") at an exercise price per Warrant Share of $1.25.

The Company has granted the Underwriters an option (the "Over-Allotment Option"), exercisable in whole or in part at any time on or up to 30 days after the Closing, to purchase, or to find substituted purchasers for, up to an additional 1,041,000 Units, equal to 15% of the number of Units sold pursuant to the Offering at the Issue Price to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes, for additional gross proceeds of up to $1,093,050, for total gross proceeds of up to $8,380,050. The Over-Allotment Option shall be exercisable for Units, Common Shares or Warrants (or any combination thereof).

The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund research and development including clinical studies, fund sales and marketing, acquire inventory, establish a manufacturing facility, and for general corporate purposes.

The Offering is scheduled to close on, or around, June 28, 2022 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX.

On June 21, 2022, in connection with the Offering, the Company filed a preliminary supplement (the "Preliminary Supplement") to its short form base shelf prospectus dated April 20, 2021 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus") with the securities commissions in each of the provinces of Canada, excluding Quebec.

The Preliminary Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus contain important detailed information about the Company and the proposed Offering. Prospective investors should read the Preliminary Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and the other documents the Company has filed before making an investment decision. Copies of the Prospectus Supplement, following filing thereof, and the Base Shelf Prospectus will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities to be offered have not been, and will not be registered under the 1933 Act or under any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws.

About Else Nutrition Holdings Inc.

Else Nutrition GH Ltd. is an Israel-based food and nutrition company focused on developing innovative, clean, and plant-based food and nutrition products for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. Its revolutionary, plant-based, non-soy formula is a clean-ingredient alternative to dairy-based formula. Else Nutrition (formerly INDI) won the "2017 Best Health and Diet Solutions" award at Milan's Global Food Innovation Summit. Else Plant-Based Complete Nutrition for Toddlers was recently ranked as the #1 Top Seller in the baby and toddler formula category on Amazon. The Company recently received the World Plant-Based Award for "Best dairy alternative product" in New York at World Plant-Based Expo in late 2021. The holding company, Else Nutrition Holdings Inc., is a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol BABY and is quoted on the US OTC Markets QX board under the trading symbol BABYF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol 0YL. Else's Executives include leaders hailing from leading infant nutrition companies. Many of Else advisory board members had past executive roles in companies such as Mead Johnson, Abbott Nutrition, Plum Organics, and leading infant nutrition Societies, and some of them currently serve in different roles in leading medical centers and academic institutes such as Boston Children's Hospital, Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, USA, Tel Aviv University, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Rambam Medical Center and Technion, Israel and University Hospital Brussels, Belgium.

For more information, visit: elsenutrition.com or @elsenutrition on Facebook and Instagram.

Toronto Stock Exchange

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "will" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements with respect to the anticipated dates for filing the Company's disclosure documents. Such forward-looking statements reflect current estimates, beliefs and assumptions, which are based on management's perception of current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. No assurance can be given that the foregoing will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements made in this press release assume, among others, the expectation that there will be no interruptions or supply chain failures as a result of COVID 19 and that the manufacturing, broker and supply logistic agreement with the Company do not terminate. Actual results may differ from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.   Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Else Nutrition Holdings Inc.

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Supersize Your Legs With This Lower-body Dropset Workout

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

You don’t have to have spent long around the fitness scene to have heard the apparent golden rule of the weights room: never skip leg day. On reflection, it’s a good rule.

But, if you’re short on time, working with limited equipment, or just unsure exactly where to start, leg day can seem a daunting proposition; which is precisely why we’ve come up with this low-kit, high-rep, leg day gauntlet.

This 250-rep dumbbell-only leg burner makes for the perfect low-tech lower body finisher, or quick-fire quad burner for days when time isn’t on your side.

muscular male athlete holding kettlebells in gym

Westend61Getty Images

Grab a pair of moderately weighted dumbbells or kettlebells, find some space, and after a thorough warm-up work your way through five rounds of our trouser-stretching crucible. Rest just as necessary to ensure sharp form, but keep it punchy: both your legs and your lungs should be putting in the work here.

weights, exercise equipment, kettlebell, arm, dumbbell, shoulder, standing, physical fitness, muscle, biceps curl,

1. Front Squat x 10

Clean your dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders (A). From here, drop into a squat, until your thighs pass parallel to the ground (B), pause here for a second before driving back up explosively and quickly repeat.

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2. Goblet Squats x 15

Immediately after your final squat, drop one of your dumbbells and hold the remaining bell below your chin, close to your chest (A). Sink your hips back and descend into a squat (B). Your elbows should come in between your knees at the bottom. Drive back up, tensing your glutes at the top. Repeat.

weights, exercise equipment, kettlebell, shoulder, standing, arm, muscle, chest, abdomen, fitness professional,

3. Air squat x 25

Drop your remaining bell and keep wracking up those squats with just your bodyweight. Take deep breaths and find a rhythm. Stand tall (A), keep your chest up and sink your hips back, before bending your knees to drop your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor (B). Drive back up and repeat.

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P90X’s Tony Horton Shared the Workout Tips He Uses to Stay Shredded

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

Almost 20 years after becoming a household name by telling P90X users to “bring it,” Tony Horton is still bringing it. The 64-year old lifts three days per week, does yoga on Saturdays, and spends the rest of the week out in his “yard”—climbing ropes, working on parallel bars, doing sprints, and training on his at-home ninja training course.

“Yesterday, we were out there for four hours, and I was able to do pretty well with the youngsters,” he says. “One of the things we did was up and down the 20-foot rope twice, timed. So you go all the way up, come down all the way, then hit it a second time. My buddy Scott did it in 14 seconds, Mine was 19.”

Even with six days of training, Horton finds time to work on his program, The Power of 4, design and appear in workouts for Tonal, and work on creating his own sports nutrition products, called Power Life.

With that kind of schedule, you’d think he’d burn out—and he almost did. In 2017, Horton contracted a type of shingles outbreak called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. He lost 25 pounds, and could have had permanent nerve and eye damage.

“I was burning the candle at both ends,” he says. So in addition to his grueling training and work schedule, Horton found time to add in mindfulness, too. But even when he did that, he was bringing it: “I don’t have to be listening to some esoteric stuff. If I’m feeling kind of funky, I just crank up the Zeppelin.”

Horton shared some of his strategies for doing it all—and then some, including his weekly cardio, his go-to post-workout shake, and a challenge he used with Ewan McGregor to prepare the actor for the new series, Obi-wan Kenobi.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

You’re in your 60s now. How has your training changed?

The short answer is this: I still weight train and I do a lot more bodyweight training. I do more HIIT training and I work as much or more so on speed, balance, range of motion and flexibility than I do just lifting weights and doing cardio. Because that's what keeps me young at 64—that variety.

I’ve got four different areas where I train. And so it has changed. I still lift. I have a Tonal, I'm on Tonal. So on those Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's indoor on the Tonal with the dumbbells and the bands. That's kind of a Tuesday-Thursday thing. Saturdays are yoga typically. But on Fridays and Sundays I'm out in the yard. I'm climbing the ropes and I'm on the rings and I'm on the ninja course and I'm on the parallel bars.

So that's where it has changed dramatically because those are more skill-based, athletic-type movements. A lot of people will train and train and train, but they're moving in these very linear ways. That's why I do plyometrics. I do plyo boxes on Friday and then I do regular kind of plyo like you'd see in P90X or some of my new programs—lateral jumps and high and low single leg jumps.

It's just like P90X—"muscle confusion," a made-up term that says, "What are the things you need to do to avoid boredom. Injuries and plateaus?" You learn more, you do more, you work on your weaknesses as much as your strengths, and you won't age at the same rate as everybody else who still is training hard but doing the same things over and over and over and over.

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Courtesy of Tony Horton

What are your conditioning or cardio sessions like?

On Cardio Night, which is tonight, I have nine different stations in my gym. So I do 3 minutes each and I just jump from one to another. A lot of people get on the Versaclimber for 50 minutes. I mean, if you're a robot man or woman, well rock on. But I do 3 minutes on the bike, 3 minutes on the Versaclimber, 3 minutes on the treadmill, 3 minutes on the heavy bag, 3 minutes on the rower, 3 minutes on the jump rope, 3 minutes on the skier and 3 minutes on the slideboard. Round and round I go, for about an hour, an hour and 10 minutes. I'm getting all that variety. I'm avoiding the injuries that come from just running. I break that sweat. I wear my heart monitor and I try to burn 500 calories or more.

Not everybody has that option—they don't have all that stuff. You can choose your own. And if it ain't nine things, it's two or it's three, and it's two minutes each, five minutes each, or 8 minutes each, whatever. Just kind of play with it, experiment with that.

That's what I do when I'm traveling. Even if there is no gym, I'll just do wind sprints in the parking lot—I'll walk, jog, run, sprint. I'll pick four different speeds and I'll just find some neighborhood or whatever.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are the big lower body, upper body days. And that's when I'll do the shake afterward, but not right away, because I don't have much of an appetite. I'm just not a guy who can just throw something down immediately after a workout. I just want to take a nap most times.

Do you have a protein shake for recovery after workouts like these? What’s in it?

I put basically the same things in there every time. So I put frozen blueberries in the bottom. Then I put walnuts and pecans—a little on top of that. Then I'll put a little spinach, a little kale. And then I'll put in like a fifth of a banana, just for the flavor. I don't like to put a whole banana in a shake. There's just too many sugar calories for me. The blueberries are enough. I get like six or eight [bananas] at a time. I cut them up in those little pieces and I put them in the freezer—I just throw them in every once in a while. I put in some whey protein—Power Life, chocolate. And then I put mint leaves, a substantial amount of little mint leaves. So you've got that blueberry chocolate banana mint.

You worked with Ewan McGregor to help him prepare for the new series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. What were the goals for that training? And how did you guys accomplish it?

They wanted him to look pretty sleek. There's an opening scene in that series where he's kind of beat up and hunkered down—and they wanted him to look pretty trim. So there was a lot of a lot of HIIT training, a lot of cardio training. A lot of what we were doing in my new program, called The Power of Four. Two different ab routines. A lot of martial arts, a lot of hook, elbow down, strike, sprawls. Things that equated to what he'd be doing in the series with all that sword fighting. And then a lot of it was dietary. He enjoys food like any human being. So we were kind of trying to come up with some healthier snacks and things that weren't as detrimental to his overall goals. So a lot of it was mobility stuff. A lot of it was speed stuff. There was still weight training, right? Because we wanted to we wanted to lift some weight. So he's burning calories 24/7.

He was here typically an hour. And then we had a little bonus thing called "five times five equals five." It was a jump rope/burpee sequence. The whole thing took less than 8 minutes.

wellness your way festival cincinnati day 3

Duane ProkopGetty Images

If someone wants to try that five times five challenge, what do they do?

Jump rope for a minute, then you do five burpees. And you do that five times.

You don't need a rope either. It's always nice to learn that basic skill. Just for a quick, "Man, I don't have any time. I want to get my heart rate up. I want to kind of activate some some muscles and do the heart/lung/leg part with a bit of jumping rope." It's kind of a nice twofer. And for a very quickie, it's a good one.

Speaking of challenges, is there an especially hard workout or challenge you’ve done that you can share for our readers to try?

I have a routine now in the Power of Four called "Triple Trouble Challenge." And P90X3 had one called "The Challenge." And "The Challenge" was a challenge because what you had to do was 16 total sets. There were eight sets of pushups and eight sets of pull ups—and the push ups and the pull ups changed ... wide, narrow, chin up, military. They changed, I think every three— three of one, three of the next variety. And the goal was to sort of estimate how many pull ups and push ups you're going to do before you even start. And the rep counts had to remain the same from start to finish.

When I first started doing this routine, I called it 30-15 when I was just doing this routine on my own. And I used to do 24 sets, not 16. So I would do 24 sets, 12 of push ups, 12 of of pull ups. And all my pull up sets had to be 15 repetitions, and all my push up sets had to be 30. My best ever was 40-20 when I was one strong son of a gun.

So the new one is called "Triple Trouble Challenge." You do three sets of pushups in a row, and then you do three sets of pull ups in a row, with a little bit more time in between because you need recovery. So with the "Triple Trouble Challenge," you do a set of push ups, you get about 30 seconds [to rest]. You have to repeat that same number. [Rest] 30 seconds, then you have to repeat that same number. And then you go to pull up bar and repeat it.

The idea there is just a different form of time under tension. You're doing back to back to back. So what's my number? If I'm going to pick 20, that means I've got to do 20, 40, 60 push ups. Wham. And then I put my numbers over here on pull ups. If it's 10, I'm doing 10, 20, 30 ... it will destroy you.

You’re known for helping people bring the intensity. In your opinion, is that the key that’s keeping guys from reaching their ultimate fitness goals?

It's intensity, but it's also the opposite of intensity. Because if you're going to push this hard, then you've got to also recover. And that's different for everybody. You've got a guy who's a 25-year- old ex-gymnast who's got 8 pounds to lose, his objectives are very different than somebody who's really not athletic and they've got 85 pounds to lose. The expression that I've trademarked, even though people like to steal it and put it on t-shirts, is called "do your best and forget the rest." And doing your best on any given day changes from day to day, from hour to hour, from exercise to exercise, from rep to rep. It's just paying attention to what's happening, making sure that whatever you're doing, you're maintaining and sustaining a certain amount of decent form.

And paying attention to to what ails you. If you keep training your shoulders and your shoulder has got a stinger that won't go away ... you know, what are you doing? Lighten the load, do some rehab. Go see your orthopedic person. Address these things.

It's not the intensity. The more important thing is consistency. Be the tortoise, not the hare. Keep showing up. Pay attention. You're going to have hero days and you're going to have maintenance days. Notice difference between the two. And then you just keep coming and coming and coming. I always say, people that want to work out 2 to 3 days a week thinking that's really going to have an effect ... you might as well just throw yourself down a set of stairs because you're going to be sore, but you're not going to see any kind of real results. Results come from showing up and showing up and figuring out what you're going to do on what day and what time and with whom.

P90X was a 90 day program, but, you know, this new one, The Power of Four, is also a 90 day program. But when the 90 days are up, you better have something planned for the next 90 on day 60 from the one before—I've got a month. I better figure out what the next thing is.

wellness your way festival cincinnati day 2

Duane ProkopGetty Images

You’re still doing all this stuff at 64. What should guys be adding into their health and fitness routines as they age—from 40 and beyond—to age like Tony Horton?

Yoga's gold. And too many dudes are still avoiding it for whatever reason. I don't understand it. It's it's more than sitting in lotus position and doing ohms. It's pretty intense, man. It has four things that are happening simultaneously that you almost can't get anywhere else. So you have the strength component—all the chaturungas and all the lunges and things like that.

There's the flexibility component—it's a moving stretch. There's the balance with all the one-legged, different things. Crescent pose in itself is a is a balance thing. And then you have that mindfulness component. Learning how to be in the moment, being present, being patient ... while you're also having your ass handed to you. There's just so much there. The feeling that I have after a ninja session is very different than I would have after a yoga session. Yoga is a very healing process, even though you'll get into a flop sweat and work really hard.

If you're my age, or in your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond—the yoga, the flexibility, the mobility, the strength, the balance ... that is really gold.

And what should those guys subtract?

What people need to get away from is their egos. Your ego will just kick your butt because your ego has nothing to do with how you feel about you. Your ego has everything to do with about what you think other people think of you. And by the way, other people. spend too much time thinking about themselves to really think about you. So get rid of that. And then there's there's a lot of pressure that comes off. You get to go be you.

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How a Social Support Network Can Help You Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

Everyone knows how difficult it can be to stick with a behavior change over the long haul, whether it’s eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking or any of the countless ways people work to improve their health and wellness.

Rearview shot of a senior couple out for a run in the park

(Getty Images)

It can feel easy in the early days, when your motivation is at its peak, but it’s essential that you have strategies to keep yourself on track when “life happens” and obstacles appear.

It’s Not About Willpower

People often think that behavior change is simply a matter of willpower and therefore blame themselves when they overindulge in sweets or miss a few workouts. The truth is, relying on willpower is a frequent recipe for failure, as it’s a limited resource and is easily overwhelmed by stress, fatigue or even enjoyment of things we know aren’t necessarily “good for us.” So-called failures are actually short-term lapses and an unavoidable part of the behavior-change process. Blaming yourself for these instances can lead to mental health concerns if you’re constantly criticizing yourself for a lack of discipline or willpower.

Social support from friends, family, coworkers and other important players in your life can be a strong predictor of how successful you will be in adhering to a behavior change over the long term. Friends and loved ones can influence your perceptions about health and health behaviors, as well as increase your self-efficacy and motivation.

A supportive social network can also help you address problems and provide emotional support when feelings of stress or other negative factors threaten to interfere with your quest to make behavioral changes. Another benefit of social support is that it’s a two-way street, meaning that you're providing that support in addition to receiving it.

Social Support Strategies

You can use the following strategies to build a mutually beneficial social support network. The examples given here are for developing an exercise routine, but these strategies can be used for any type of healthy behavior change.

  • Add a social element to the exercise program, such as arriving a little early to chat with friends before beginning a workout.
  • Ask friends and family members to be encouraging and positive about your exercise program.
  • Ask for reminders from friends and family members about your physical-activity goals or appointments.
  • Find an enjoyable activity that is based on being physically active with a group or club, such as dancing, hiking or playing pickleball.
  • Find an enjoyable and reliable exercise partner.
  • Set up fun “contests” with a friend that base rewards on meeting process goals, which are goals that are met by simply doing something rather than by meeting a measurable objective (e.g., a weight-loss goal). Meeting at the high school track for a scheduled walk 10 times without an absence is an example of a process goal.

Support Starts at Home

Social support inside the home, whether that’s from a spouse, children, parents or roommates, can be particularly impactful. Most of your decisions about what to eat and how to use your free time are made while at home.

The flipside of the importance of social support in successful behavior change is the acknowledgment that you may not always have the support you need or desire at home. In some cases, that lack of social support can even manifest as an unintended form of sabotage. For example, a spouse may bring home your favorite sweets in an effort to cheer you up when you’re struggling, or roommates may hassle you for skipping happy hour to go to the gym out of a genuine desire to socialize with you. In such cases, it’s important to remember that these people love you and are probably unaware that you need something different from them as you change your lifestyle.

Successful strategies

Consider the following strategies to bring the people you live with on board as you make a behavior change:

  • Be a role model: Those after-dinner walks may be solo outings in the beginning, but your family members will likely choose to join you eventually. Being a role model involves being consistent in your behaviors while inviting others to join you (rather than telling them to). “I’m leaving to take a quick walk. Anyone want to join me?” is a lot more welcoming than, “Our after-dinner walk is in 5 minutes, so everyone get ready and put your shoes on.”
  • Communicate: Explain how and why you want to change your lifestyle, being sure to stress its importance and explicitly ask for their support. It’s important that reluctant family members or friends understand that there is a difference between supporting the behavior change and joining you on that journey. You are not asking your spouse to change their own behaviors, for example, but instead to support you as you modify yours.
  • Include them in the process: Discuss activities or foods you both enjoy and then incorporate them into your behavior-change plan, even if they are not your top choices. Having that social support will likely be more important in the long run than you choosing every workout or meal.

  • Make small, incremental changes: Just because you’re ready to drink less soda, throw away all the cookies in the cupboard or take a short walk every day after dinner doesn’t mean others are on the same page. So, start making these changes over time and let those around you see that you are committed for the long haul. Patience is key here.

In Conclusion

Not everyone will find the support they need in every setting, whether that’s at home, at the office or in their social lives. Everyone’s behavior-change journey is unique, but that does not mean that the destination of improved happiness, health and overall well-being isn’t within reach. Use the strategies presented here to build the social support network you need to drive your personal success.

A Healthy Lifestyle Can Increase Breast Cancer Survival

Billie S. Dickenson June 23, 2022

<img width="696" height="342" class="entry-thumb td-modal-image" src="https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-696x342.jpeg" srcset="https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-696x342.jpeg 696w, https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-300x147.jpeg 300w, https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-768x377.jpeg 768w, https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-324x160.jpeg 324w, https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP-533x261.jpeg 533w, https://williamsonsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PIP.jpeg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" alt="Pretty-in-Pink" title="Confident woman standing in city for breast cancer awareness"/>

Your diet during your breast cancer journey plays a big role in how you feel and how your body responds to a possible recurrence. By eating well and staying active, you’ll not only feel better, but you can also increase the chances of survival.

Breast Cancer And Your Diet

Diet alone is neither the cure nor the cause of cancer, but recent studies have shown that diet could be linked to 30 to 40 percent of all cancers. The best way to reduce the risk of breast cancer or recurring cancer is thought to be a healthy diet and exercise.

Rich Nutrients

Fueling your body with nutritional foods gives everyone increased energy and improved quality of life overall, that follows true in breast cancer diagnoses as well. For those who have been diagnosed or survived breast cancer, eating well can help overcome treatment side effects, such as anemia or fatigue.

Some healthy diet choices you may want to consider:

  • Avoid sugary and processed food
  • Add in more fruits and veggies and avoid sugar-filled carbs
  • Limit or avoid alcohol
  • Increase the amount of fiber in your diet

The American Institute for Cancer Research has found links from high-fiber diets, diets high nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables, and low-carb diets to breast cancer survival rates.

Get And Stay Physically Active

Among breast cancer survivors, there’s a consistent link between physical activity and an overall lower risk of breast cancer coming back. Physical activity has also been linked to improvements in quality of life, physical functioning, and fewer fatigue symptoms overall.

In the past, breast cancer survivors with lymphedema were often advised to avoid certain arm exercises and vigorous activities. But studies have found that such physical activity is safe when done the right way. In fact, it might actually lower the risk of lymphedema, or improve lymphedema for women who already have it.

As with other types of lifestyle changes, it’s important to talk with your treatment team before starting a new physical activity program. Your team can help you plan a safe and effective program.

Support Through it All

Pretty in Pink Boutique is committed to supporting those with breast cancer and their loved ones through the entire journey. If you are looking for a compassionate ear that will listen or if you have questions, please reach out. We are committed to your well-being the whole way through and may be able to assist or provide resources to help you.

Please contact us via phone or email us and let us know how we can help. Call (615) 777-PINK.

Pretty in Pink Boutique Locations & Contact:

Maplewood Office Park
400 Sugartree Ln Ste 400
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: (615) 791-8767

Vanderbilt 100 Oaks
719 Thompson Ln Ste 25010
Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: (615) 866-4102

Northpoint Office Park
2231 NW Broad St Ste C
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Phone: (615) 866-4555

Hendersonville
131 Indian Lake Rd Ste 213
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Phone: (615) 866-4547

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