Forget the myth that memory loss and mental decline are simply unavoidable parts of getting older. While your brain naturally changes with age, research shows that many daily habits can help you stay mentally sharp well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond. The key isn't finding one magic "brain game." Instead, experts say a combination of physical activity, lifelong learning, quality sleep, social connections, and healthy lifestyle choices gives your brain the best chance to stay

For years we've been told that every new health breakthrough would come from an expensive prescription or the latest miracle supplement. Sometimes, though, science ends up confirming what previous generations practiced without thinking twice: eat real food, stay active, and take care of yourself before problems begin. A new study examining more than 2,000 older adults suggests that people with higher levels of vitamin C in their blood tended to have healthier brain structures

When you've been around for a few decades, you learn something simple: life runs better when you have a routine. Our grandparents didn't need life coaches or productivity apps to tell them when to work, rest, or take care of themselves. They paid attention to what worked. Modern research has caught up with a lot of that old-fashioned wisdom. Here are a few practical ways to make better use of your day without turning your life into a science experiment. Step on the Scale Midw

As we get older, we tend to pay more attention to the habits that support healthy aging—eating well, staying active, getting enough sleep, and keeping up with regular medical care. But growing evidence suggests there's another factor that deserves attention: the people we spend time with. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people who regularly deal with individuals who create conflict, add stress, or make everyday life more

When I was growing up in the 1980s, nobody needed a social media influencer to explain what healthy living looked like. We ate dinner around the kitchen table, spent our evenings outside instead of staring at screens, and our grandparents passed down practical wisdom that had worked for generations. Somewhere along the way, we convinced ourselves that every problem required a new pill, a complicated diet, or a government-approved program. Meanwhile, chronic illness has become

Many of us start paying closer attention to our health after 50, especially when it comes to keeping our minds sharp. The good news is that healthier eating habits can improve brain function. The less encouraging news? New research suggests that years of eating a diet high in sugar may leave behind changes that aren't completely reversible. Researchers reviewed 27 animal studies to see what happened when rodents switched from unhealthy diets to healthier ones. While memory im

Most of us think of brushing and flossing as ways to keep our teeth healthy and our smiles bright. But growing research suggests that good oral health may also play an important role in protecting brain health as we age. Scientists are increasingly studying the connection between gum disease and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. While researchers have not proven that gum disease causes Alzheimer's, evidence suggests that chronic inflammation and harmful bacteria in the

In a culture that rewards productivity and efficiency, play can start to feel indulgent. But experts suggest the opposite is true: Play is a key part of how we regulate stress, build relationships, and stay mentally flexible over time—and it’s something adults never really outgrow. Here’s what play looks like in adulthood, and how to bring more of it into your everyday life in ways that support your mental health. What Counts as Play in Adulthood? One of the biggest misconce

When it comes to health benefits, eggs have had a fluctuating reputation over time. For years, a belief persisted that their high content of dietary cholesterol might negatively affect cholesterol levels in the human body. More recent studies, however, argue that dietary cholesterol from moderate egg consumption does not contribute to higher levels of “bad” cholesterol in the human body and thus does not heighten heart disease risk. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that

The sudden, urgent need to pee the moment you arrive home is a common phenomenon known as "latchkey incontinence." It is not a medical condition, but rather the combination of neurological (brain-related) and behavioral (conditioned) responses that allow you to hold it in until you are within reach of a toilet. How the Brain Controls Urination Urination is not a reflex—it's a carefully regulated process in which the brain constantly monitors how full your bladder is and decid

It’s not often that something simple, cheap, science-backed and easily accessible trends on social media. Against the odds, #WaterTok is all the rage right now, and as a registered dietitian, I’m not mad about it. Yes, it annoys me that there are influencers trying to sell you expensive electrolyte powders that you don’t need. (Don’t even get me started on the fact that one of the most popular powders contains 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is almost half the recommended d

Stress Long-term stress floods your body with cortisol, a hormone that plays a part in your fight or flight system. In order to refuel your body after a stressful encounter, cortisol makes you want to eat more. If stress is a near-constant state for you, those cortisol levels stay up and keep you reaching for the snacks. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Binge eating disorder (BED) is a category used in diagnosing eating disorders. It describes ongoing sessions of eating more food

You may fall asleep occasionally when you sit down if you don’t get enough high quality sleep. Falling asleep regularly when you sit down, however, may be a symptom of a sleeping condition that could require medical attention. Is falling asleep when sitting down a sign of a sleep disorder? Falling asleep regularly when you sit down may be a symptom of hypersomnia, a sleeping condition characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. According to the United Kingdom’s National He

Think about the last time you felt embarrassed over a simple mistake—maybe you tripped over a crack in the sidewalk or forgot the name of somebody you’d met before. Did you skulk off in humiliation, kicking yourself over the faux pas? According to a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , you’re better off shirking that sense of shame. What the Study Found Over the course of six online experiments, a total of 3,000 participants were asked

About Personality It's all the ways you think, feel, and act -- it's what makes you, well, you. It's your habits, quirks, and how you react to the world around you. Even though your moods change and you learn and grow over the years, there's still a certain you-ness to it all. But some health conditions can affect your personality and make you act in ways that are out of character for you. Alzheimer's Disease This illness affects your thinking, judgment, memory, and decision-

Fridge Smarts The fridge is the true workhorse of the kitchen — and many of us neglect it. Improper use and lack of care can lead to messes, wasted energy and even foodborne illnesses. While each fridge is a little different, here are some universal do's and don'ts to keep your fridge (and the food inside it!) in tip-top shape. Do Take Your Fridge's Temperature Keep the fridge set at a chilly 40 degrees F or below to slow harmful bacteria growth and keep your dinner leftovers

Also known as emotional eating, stress-eating involves using food as a coping mechanism to help you feel better. Typically, it has nothing to do with physical hunger and everything to do with soothing or suppressing uncomfortable feelings and situations. If you’re using food as a way to manage stress, you might be wondering why you want to eat when you’re stressed, how you can stop stress eating, and what you can do to reduce stress instead. Read on to learn why you eat when

Whether they’re hyping magnesium-based products like the “sleepy girl mocktail” or pink lemonade-like drink mixes, wellness influencers are adding to the longtime buzz around taking the mineral for sleep benefits. But do these supplements work? “Magnesium is actually an essential mineral that is needed for more than 300 processes in the body,” said Samantha Cassetty, a registered dietitian in New York City. “We need to get it from our diet, or supplements if we can’t get enou

One thing the pandemic made clear is that grocery store employees are essential—not just to the economy, but to daily life. They keep shelves stocked, organize fresh produce and, in many stores, prepare everything from butchered meats and fresh seafood to baked goods and ready-to-eat meals. It’s safe to say most of us rely on grocery store employees to help keep our kitchens running. For shoppers, a trip to the grocery store is a straightforward, weekly activity. Many of us a

Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising. Most people need 7 to 9 hours. Here are five reasons why getting more sleep can help support your body and mind. 1. May help you maintain or lose weight The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep per night. A 2020 analysis found that adults who slept

What Is Mental Exhaustion? It’s kind of like physical tiredness, except it’s your mind instead of your muscles. It tends to show up when you focus on a mentally tough task for a while. You might also feel this kind of brain drain if you’re always on alert or stressed out. Your job, caring for children or aging parents, and other things can lead to mental exhaustion. You’re Angry or Impatient Mental fatigue can put you in a bad mood. You may be short-tempered or irritated, sna

The evidence is irrefutable — a pile of drool atop a drenched spot on your pillow. As you awake with a start, you might even wipe that bit of spittle still dangling from your mouth. Drooling can be embarrassing, especially if you’re waking up to a newly minted lover beside you. But if you’re sleeping alone or next to a seasoned partner who isn’t disturbed by bodily functions, experts say it’s not a big deal — unless it’s a frequent occurrence. “Everyone drools at one time or

Whether you’re reading about treatment outcomes or simply trying to find a healthy diet plan, it can be hard to know if you can believe what you read on the internet or social media. No information you find online can replace a medical professional’s advice. But most healthcare professionals welcome you doing your own research and bringing it into the clinic to discuss. In fact, it’s always a good idea to ask them if your online searches have landed on trustworthy sources. Yo

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing for short periods while you’re sleeping. People with sleep apnea don’t take in enough oxygen. This causes them to gasp and often wake up. In many cases, people are unaware that they’ve stopped breathing, and believe that their sleep cycle is normal. Sleep apnea can sound like snoring. Sleep apnea can cause a number of health complications besides leaving you more tired in the morning. If left untreated, this sleep

Overall nutritious eating is well-associated with sleeping better, but some individual foods can make a difference as well. Certain foods can interact with the hormones that are responsible for regulating sleeping, making them more effective. Other foods can interfere with a good night's sleep. 1. Pistachios Pistachios contain the sleep hormone melatonin. They are also high in vitamin B6 (one ounce contains about 25% of the daily value), which is necessary for the production

Something unusual and exciting has been happening in Alison Lundberg’s household lately: Her landline has been ringing. There’s “an actual thrill that runs through our household when the phone rings,” said Lundberg, a San Diego-based communications executive. Part of the reason is that her family has no idea who’s calling since they don’t have caller ID. It had been decades since Lundberg had a landline. She got one recently to protect her 4-year-old daughter, Ava, she said.

When was the last time you tried something new? The idea might sound scary, but novel experiences can do wonders for your personal growth. It can also challenge you—in a good way!—and help you learn about your thoughts, strengths, habits, and emotions. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with familiar experiences, like regularly visiting a coffee shop or cooking certain meals. Such habits can establish routines and make us feel safe. But there’s also value in switching

While many factors may contribute to feeling tired all the time, certain nutrient deficiencies may also play a role. Vitamins and minerals support a variety of body functions, and having too little of some of them can impact your energy levels, making it harder to get through your day. 1. Magnesium Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in many chemical reactions throughout the body, including those that create energy. Magnesium also helps regulate your nervous system, k

Reading books benefits both your physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime. Even if you didn’t fall in love with reading as a kid, it’s never too late to start. Reading can even be a form of therapy for improving well-being. Bibliotherapy is a complementary therapeutic tool for emotional release and reduced stress and anxiety. Here’s how reading books can change your brain — and your body — for the better. Strengthens the brain Reading involves activi

Staying hydrated is critical for feeling good and operating at your best. Given that the body is made up of an average of 60 percent water (though this amount varies from person to person), it requires H20 to function on numerous levels. You need more than two hands to count the number of awesome things water does within your body, but some of its main jobs include removing waste and toxins, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, and improving cellular, tissue, and

Full-fat dairy is having its day in the sun. After years of promoting low- or no-fat options, new dietary guidelines now recommend choosing full-fat dairy, although still advising people to keep saturated fat under 10% of their daily calories. Amid the push for full-fat dairy, a recent study in the journal Neurology linked eating high-fat cheese and cream to a lower risk of dementia. The findings have drawn media attention, in part because health experts rarely highlight the

Scientists have discovered that poor sleep can limit the brain’s ability to clear toxins, raising the risk of dementia. A study — published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association — analyzed MRI scans from 40,000 adults in the UK Biobank, focusing on the glymphatic system. In a healthy brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced and flows through the glymphatic system, collecting waste and toxins and clearing them out of the brain. Researchers a

Some foods are better than others at boosting memory and cognition. While it probably isn’t surprising that a not-so-healthy diet isn’t good for brain health, there’s new research exploring which foods can help protect the brain from dementia. Think you’re too young to worry about dementia? Think again. “Brain healthy habits are best started early,” says Jessica Caldwell, PhD, director of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic. “Th

How To Eat With Your Mental Health in Mind While food certainly isn’t the be-all and end-all of health and wellness, what you eat has a big impact on both your physical and mental health. There’s so much talk about how different foods can impact your heart health, digestive health, energy levels and disease risk. What we don’t talk about quite as much is the role that food can play in your mental health and mood. Getting adequate nutrition helps brain function by supporting t

Snack on a Salad Leafy veggies like spinach and kale give you a vitamin B boost. Vitamin B is a part of your cells’ energy-making process. Guzzle Water If you’re feeling droopy, you might need to drink more water. One sign of dehydration is fatigue. Step Outside Not only will a change of scenery and some fresh air wake up your senses, the sun will help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day of natural sunlight -- an hour if you have insomnia. Exe

Short-term memory loss involves forgetting recent events, conversations, or information soon after they occur, usually within 30 seconds. It may stem from causes like sleep deprivation, stress, or even be an early sign of conditions like Alzheimer's, but it doesn't automatically point to serious health issues. What's Considered Short-Term Memory Loss? Short-term memory involves recalling things from the last 30 seconds. For example, you might decide to write a letter to a fr

Having predictable days can feel grounding when life gets stressful. But some quiet, overlooked habits can work against your well-being, causing physical or mental strain over time. Breaking these patterns starts with noticing them. Recognizing that a familiar routine may be harmful is the first step toward building healthier habits that support you in the long run. 1. You Skip Strength Training Cardio often gets the spotlight, but strength training becomes increasingly impo

Fear vs. Phobia Fear protects you from danger. Phobias have little to do with danger. More than 19 million Americans have a phobia -- an intense, irrational fear when they face a certain situation, activity, or object. With a phobia, you may know your anxiety and fear are not warranted, but you can't help the feelings. And they can be so intense they virtually paralyze you. See what makes some people afraid in the slides ahead. The Three Kinds of Phobia Hundreds of different

Think back to last January. Did you resolve to eat healthier, exercise more, or spend less? If so, you’re in good company. According to a YouGov poll, those three goals are among the top five most common New Year’s resolutions, along with focusing on self-care (sleep more or stress less) and reading more. Another quality those resolutions share is they’re all vague. This could be the reason 92% of people who set New Year’s goals never actually achieve them, according to resea

For some of us, smartphones have quietly taken over our lives. It wakes us up in the morning, keeps us entertained when we can’t fall asleep, and sits within our reach all day long. It's the last thing we see before we go to bed and it’s the first thing we pick up in the morning, but an increasing number of people are choosing to remove their phones from the bedroom and make the switch back to wind-up alarm clocks. Some sleep experts say that there are real health benefits to

Sleep can be a fickle thing: sometimes we succeed in staying off our phones and properly winding down before bed, but still feel groggy the next morning. If you’ve got your bedtime routine down and still aren’t feeling rested, there might be one key variable you’re overlooking: temperature. According to sleep doctors, the trick to improving sleep is not to bundle up and get cozy, but to cool the body down before bed. Keep reading to hear from experts about the importance of

High-fat cheese and cream may slightly protect the brain from dementia, according to a new observational study that followed nearly 28,000 people in Malmö, Sweden, for up to 25 years. High-fat cheeses such as cheddar, Brie and Gouda have more than 20% saturated fat, according to the research. Outside experts CNN spoke to, however, say the report fails to provide a strong case for eating more full-fat dairy. “Their finding for cheese was at the margin of statistical significan

With so much to do heading into the busy holiday season, is anyone getting enough sleep? Most sleep experts advise that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night for good health and emotional well-being (although that changes as you get older). And studies warn that sleeping for less than seven hours a day can increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and other issues that come with sleep deprivation. CNN has reported on those risks, too, includ

Choline is one of those underrated micronutrients we don’t hear much about—in fact, most Americans aren’t eating enough of it. But every nutrient, no matter how micro, is essential—and choline is no exception. It’s necessary for a healthy brain and nervous system and helps regulate mood, memory and muscle control, plus it’s essential for forming the membranes surrounding your cells. It’s also vital for the proper brain development of babies in utero and after birth. Besides b

Foods that keep you awake at night include fatty foods, sugary foods, cruciferous vegetables, and foods and drinks that contain caffeine and alcohol. Foods like turkey, eggs, milk, and chamomile tea contain compounds that may help you get a better night's sleep. 1. Caffeine Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world. Many people use caffeine to give them energy to help stay awake. However, taking in too much caffeine can cause a decrease in total sleep time

It’s normal to have moments of feeling down or stressed. Sometimes the reason is obvious. (You’re running late. Foul weather ruined a planned outing.) Other times, the culprit is a mystery. Either way, what you want is to turn the day around — fast. The good news is that there are many simple things you can do in the moment to boost your mood. Not only will you feel better, your overall health will reap the benefits, too. Finding meaningful ways to brighten your outlook

Tinnitus is the medical term for “ringing in the ears,” or the perception of sounds without an external noise or source of the sounds. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, more than 50 million people in the United States have experienced tinnitus. If you have tinnitus, you may hear more than just ringing. People commonly report hearing sounds like : buzzing roaring clicking whistling hissing music whooshing throbbing Tinnitus is not a co

You fall asleep at an appropriate hour, giving yourself enough time to rest before a big day ahead — only to be jolted awake by racing thoughts: Was your friend secretly offended by your joke? Are your kids safe when they’re at school? Will international conflict and political division ever end? Will you lose your job to artificial intelligence? The more your mental hamster wheel turns, falling back to sleep seems further out of reach. “Waking up in the middle of the night wi

In a recent outdoor therapy session, a client shared what she noticed while walking on the trail. The way the light shimmers on the water, the tree branches swaying, the leaves rustling and how the trees are different from each other. She felt calm. Relief. Belonging. Awe, looking around at how “big” the world is. Her problems felt slightly smaller on the walk back. For many people, this time of year can be hard on your mental health. The sun sets earlier as the skies get clo

The holiday season brings festive parties, family reunions, and time-honored traditions. It also ushers in cookies, egg nog, and pumpkin pie. As special occasions fill the calendar, myths about how this time of year harms your health swirl in real-life conversations and online. A lot of the so-called conventional wisdom about how to get through November and December without tanking your health goals simply isn’t true. We talked to nutrition and fitness experts to learn more a