I’m excited to be back sharing this FREE 2021 expert brain health lecture series. You already know that much of my work is focused in this space. Well, this series is an incredible opportunity for you to advance your understanding of the brain and its marvelous ability to change and adapt. You’ll listen AT NO COST to four of the world’s leading brain health experts and pioneers, each TUESDAY evening in February (8:00-9:00 PM EST). Guys, these fab four are key insighters!
The lecture series is called “The Brain: An Owner’s Guide”.
Category Archives: Pillar: Socializing
Social health studies make socializing a KEY health pillar!
Summary: Time to share social health studies! Pleasurable, mind blowing, social connection is such a key part of the puzzle to long term health and wellness; do NOT overlook this social health pillar as it is the easiest to tweak, it’s benefits (decreased risk of cardiovascular, mammary tumor incidence and growth, high blood pressure, inflammation… — see the studies below) are cumulative, and implementing such is so incredibly mind blowing, joyful, and rewarding. And, not to be missed… in case you aren’t reaping the physiological benefits of a happy marriage, while there are associations of greater incidence of cardiovascular disease in both men and women in unhappy marriages, the benefits of staying in an unhappy marriage go disproportionately to men, not women, who have further increased cardiovascular ramifications.
Relationships influence health three ways: behavioral, psychosocial, and physiological; this post focus is physiological only.
Studies find socializing isn’t just good for the soul, it’s critical for your health and wellness. And it doesn’t need to be extreme activities. Last weekend, with a swipe of a “W’sup” text screen, a favorite couple downed a few extra drinks to delay their dinner among anxious dinners eyeing up their table to await our arrival an hour later. The energy generated from that chance camaraderie… all felt it well into the next day waking refreshed… two cross country skied, one ran 5 miles, and the last spun and weight lifted.
If you’re not upping your energy quotients by this simple social equation, you’re missing out on a whole lot of energy and health bonus points that clean diet and low toxin nutrient dense food living alone won’t provide.
While the studies are detailed below, it’s important to lay ground work for some key findings.
This 2016 study, is the first study to definitely link social relationships with “concrete measures of physical well-being such as abdominal obesity, inflammation, and high blood pressure, all of which can lead to long-term health problems, including heart disease, stroke and cancer. Researchers found that the actual size of a person’s social network, and building broad social relationships and social skills for interacting with others, was as important as diet and exercise during adolescence and late adulthood. Ranking relationship importance on par with diet and exercise means it is crazy important for our youth and aged! Makes me sincerely appreciate all those kido after school and weekend activities.
What about middle ages? Your social network size is not as important; the quality matters more. It’s what those connections provide in terms of social support or strain. How much loyal support and solidarity a close friend provided during both good times and bad times was important in this life phase.
Upcoming studies: The microbiome and relationships!
For almost 60 years, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), aka the “Happy Days Study,” has closely followed the life course of roughly a third (N=10,317) of Wisconsin high school graduates from the class of 1957. WLS is one of the most consistent, comprehensive and expansive studies of aging and health in America and has evolved to become one of the longest-running social science studies ever undertaken. WLS provides valuable information about the group’s ongoing education, employment, health medical and life histories including diseases, health-related behaviors, cognitive status, and psychological and physical well-being, family life, and aging status. The data can be mined by researchers and covers nearly every aspect of the participants’ lives from early life socioeconomic background, schooling, family and work to health, social participation, civic engagement, well-being, and cognition, and even includes detailed geographical data showing where subjects have lived over the course of their lives. This data is obtained from completion of highly detailed surveys (1957, 1964, 1975, 1993, 2004, and 2011).
Additionally, the WLS cohort contributes biological samples such as saliva, which can be genotyped. And now, WLS is being expanded to cover the microbiome; the cohort is providing fecal samples to allow exploring associations to the microbiome since environment and social interaction are now known to play such a large role in the composition and changes to the microbiome. –WLS Microbiome Samples are now Being Collected for this study, “A POPULATION BASED STUDY OF THE GUT MICROBIOME: A Pilot Project with the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.”
Check out the most recent May 2014 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Participant Report, especially pages 28 and 29 which details “Difficulty performing five common daily activities” which included: dressing, walking across a room, bathing or showering, eating, or getting in or out of bed. Seems US is near the bottom on the list with over 16% having difficulty with one or more of these activities!?! Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Belgium and Israel all fare better.
A practical example implementing positive tribe into your seasonal lovin lifetime activities amid media head bobbing: drop the buds
It’s WINTER in my part of this world and that means… SKI…. I’m going there, but wherever you are reading this post, substitute your season and the seasonal activity you’re lovin and move it tribal including your family and friends.