Living Better In The Later Years

04/01/2026

Happy April! With a new month, we are introducing a new key: Stay Fit and Grow Stronger!

The living world responds to challenges. Organisms of all kinds fight, evolve, and thrive in the face of the most incredible circumstances. Your body is one of these organisms, ready to rise to any occasion yet willing to fall asleep and wither when demand is absent.

Challenge the body—muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, etc.—and it will respond.

Yes, eventually, it all goes to zero. However, adopting a mindset that keeps pushing back against Father Time can enhance the depth and breadth of a person’s physical capability and, thus, the quality of one’s life.

03/31/2026

Your body is entirely composed of what you have consumed, so you truly are what you eat.

A healthy diet needs to be a priority in your everyday life, as a better diet will help you:

- Maintain hydration
- Facilitate efficient and effective digestion
- Sustain bone density
- Feed (and grow) stressed muscles
- Limit unwanted body fat
- Reduce bodily inflammation
- Stabilize blood sugar
- Fortify the immune system

Achieving a healthier diet is all about making better decisions and behaving differently. Impulsive decisions often lead to poor choices. You need to make it easier to make the right choices—and little changes can have a huge impact on your ability to eat healthier.

On the blog, we’ve outlined modifications you can make to improve your eating decisions and lead a healthier dietary lifestyle: https://hubs.la/Q044XrHB0

Your body is entirely composed of what you have consumed, so you truly are what you eat. A healthy diet needs to be a priority in your everyday life, as a better diet will help you:  Achieving a healthier diet is all about making better decisions and behaving differently. Impulsive decisions often ...

03/30/2026

Condiments can be a significant source of unhealthy fats and chemicals, excess sugar and salt, and many calories. Be cautious when applying most brands of ketchup, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, jellies, and salad dressings. Be conscientious, or these food complements will take a toll on your health.

Where possible, work to wean yourself from poor-quality condiments. Not only will this prove healthier, but it will also restore your ability to taste, smell, and otherwise savor the natural flavor of food.

Consider using real butter, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and spices such as cumin, chili pepper, paprika, and turmeric to liven up your food when desired. Oh, can’t do without mayonnaise? Do yourself a big favor and buy a brand that uses avocado oil exclusively.

03/29/2026

Produce contains its maximum nutrient content the moment it is picked. Nutrient levels in produce can decay rapidly.

You might be shocked to find that some seemingly fresh foods can spend a year traversing from the harvest to your table. This can be especially true of imported fruits and vegetables. In fact, in some circumstances, frozen foods can contain higher nutrient levels than supposedly fresh foods that may linger on the shelf of your grocer or your home.

Shop for quality local produce to help ensure freshness and the highest levels of nutrition. Whenever possible, choose foods marked "local" at the grocery store, or consider a visit to the neighborhood farmer’s markets or deliveries of local farm fare from dedicated farm-fresh food services.

03/28/2026

Many foods get lots of press, but the lowly nut is less heralded. It is time to properly herald almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts.

Nuts contain healthy fats, e.g., omega-3, that can help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. These standard features of Blue Zone diets are also excellent sources of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin E. And did we mention they are tasty?

The regular consumption of nuts may also:
🥜 Improve artery health.
🥜 Reduce inflammation related to heart disease.
🥜 Decrease the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
🥜 Lower the risk of high blood pressure and early death due to heart disease.
🥜 Prevent clogged arteries by lowering triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol levels, i.e., low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

Warning: Nuts are high in calories. They make great snacks, but most nutritionists recommend eating only about 1 ½ ounces – a small handful – daily.

Need a tasty treat option? Toasted walnuts sprinkled with all-natural local honey. 🍯

03/27/2026

Guess what? As the name implies, antibiotics are killers of bacteria, including those helpful microorganisms found within the gut microbiome! Antibiotics can quickly destroy the healthy biome in your digestive tract, thereby affecting its function. So yes, fighting short-term infection can undermine your long-term gut health. Use antibiotics sparingly and only when and as directed by a physician.

When antibiotics are necessary, take the complete course of medication as prescribed. But importantly, create a plan to restore and/or improve your gut microbiome after any course of prescribed antibiotics. Try our 10-Day Gut Microbiome Recovery Plan: https://hubs.la/Q044Xlkf0

Have you just finished a round of antibiotics? Try this 10-day gut microbiome recovery plan to restore and improve your digestion. While antibiotics are helpful at attacking the harmful bacteria inside you, they also are killers of all bacteria, including probiotics! Antibiotics can quickly destroy....

03/26/2026

Sometimes we crave snacks that aren’t the healthiest choice—but that doesn’t mean you have to give in! There are plenty of delicious alternatives that satisfy your cravings without the guilt. For example, plain yogurt can be a perfect stand-in for ice cream, delivering twice the benefits while still tasting amazing.

03/25/2026

Avoid Food-borne toxins by:

🥦🍇 Fruits & Vegetables
- Clean: Rinse all produce under running water; scrub firm items like melons and cucumbers.
- Handle: Remove bruised or damaged areas. Keep separate from raw meats and use separate cutting boards.
- Store: Refrigerate perishable items, dry before storing, and keep ethylene-producing fruits apart.
- Choose Wisely: Buy fresh, undamaged, and organic produce when possible. Vary your plant foods to minimize toxin buildup—aim for up to 30 different plant products per week.

🥓🥩🥚 Meat, Poultry, Seafood & Eggs
- Clean: Wash hands and surfaces with soap; sanitize cutting boards; replace worn utensils.
- Handle: Keep raw foods separate and use clean utensils for cooked foods.
- Cook: Use a thermometer to reach safe internal temperatures; avoid raw or undercooked items.
- Store: Refrigerate promptly; thaw safely in the fridge, cold water, or microwave.
- Select & Buy: Prefer pasteurized products, check expiration dates, and buy fresh from reputable sources. Inspect packaging for damage.

03/24/2026

There is little to no nutritional value in sugar, and excessive sugar consumption leads to:
- Weight gain
- Increased risks of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes
- Accelerated skin aging and acne
- Cellular inflammation, leading to chronic body pain
- Impaired eyesight
- Accelerated dementia
- Depression

Oh my. Yes, sugar can provide a short-term energy and mood boost, but this effect is temporary and can lead to an increased desire for another fix, such as a flavored drink, doughnut, cookie, or piece of candy. 🍬

Worse, sugar is addictive. Yes, vulnerability to addiction varies from person to person, but it does not take much looking around to understand the extent of the problem. Become a student of finding and minimizing (if not eliminating) both the obvious and hidden sources of sugar, especially added sugar, within your diet.

Unfortunately, the Western diet is heavily laden with sugar. Before the 1700s, people ate little to no sugar. By the early 19th century, the average Westerner's annual sugar intake was 18 pounds. Today, that number is over 62 pounds annually! According to the American Heart Association, this is over three times the recommended amount.

Sugar adds to the indignity by undermining dental hygiene (e.g., cavities).

What is the worst form of sugar? Arguably, high-fructose corn syrup. Sadly, it is everywhere. Read labels carefully and avoid all foods that contain this additive.

03/23/2026

Of all the factors that can shorten your life, the consumption of harmful seed and vegetable oils is third, right behind severe obesity and heavy smoking. The process of manufacturing these oils involves heating, refining, bleaching, and deodorization, resulting in an unhealthy product that now constitutes a significant part of the typical diet.

Did you know that about 30% of the daily calories in the Western diet come from seed and vegetable oil? In the sixty-five-year period starting in 1920, the consumption of harmful seed and vegetable oils in the Western diet rose more than fivefold, as did obesity and diabetes—studies suggest causation, not just correlation. (Note: Sugar consumption rose approximately 5% during this same period.

Avoid using the following harmful seed and vegetable oils: canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. They are hidden in many foods and are prevalent in fast and processed foods. Read labels...and make smarter decisions!

Instead, opt for coconut, olive, and avocado oils for cooking, and use saturated fats like butter, ghee, lard, or tallow when your cholesterol profile allows it.

03/22/2026

Great news: the world of healthy eating is full of incredibly delicious offerings. Modern access to food from around the world provides us with a broad and deep array of delicious and nutritious options.

If healthy eating sounds like boring eating, you are dead wrong! Not only are there more delicious choices available than ever before, but once you break the sugar cycle (see best practice #13), you will be able to taste, smell, and enjoy each to a much greater degree. More enjoyable eating awaits you.

Ready to explore what the world has to offer? There are thousands of great-tasting, healthy options out there. Some Living Better favorites include:
- Hummus – if this isn’t in your snack profile, drop everything and make it so, but only if made with a healthy oil, e.g., extra virgin olive oil. This treat is easy to make at home and is the epitome of nutritious and delicious.
- Kimchi - a spicy alternative to a traditional salad.
- Pomelos - a far less acidic version of the grapefruit - a great addition to salads.
- Venison - a tasty source of lean protein that can be sustainably harvested.
- Kefir, or full-fat Greek yogurt - with honey, both make the greatest of desserts.

We encourage a principle that promotes “making every bite count.” A broader range of food offerings—some even a bit exotic—can help make every mouthful tastier, more nutritious, and more satisfying.

03/21/2026

Healthy eating should help maintain strong bones, build muscle and strength, boost brainpower, and nurture a healthy gut microbiome.

In the table below, find some of the best examples of nutritious foods that yield one or more of these four benefits. In the far-right column, take note of the Living Better favorites. These foods boast a high nutrient density, i.e., a high ratio of beneficial nutrition per calorie.