“Regulating the amount of light in our environment is crucial for a good night's sleep and a good mood the next day. Habits such as using blue light-emitting electronics close to bedtime can reduce melatonin production by as much as 20 percent, impairing sleep.”
“Exercise is a huge driver of how well we age because it induces profound molecular shifts that support immune health and might even protect our telomeres – indicators of aging. Exercise might help forestall certain age-related diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, too.”
“Although alcohol may help us feel calm and ready to sleep, it has surprising effects on REM sleep and maybe our waking behaviors too. In this Aliquot, Dr. Matthew Walker, Tim Ferriss, and I discuss some of the risks and surprising effects of alcohol on human health and behavior.”
“Roughly one-quarter of people living in the US carry a genetic variant of the apolipoprotein E gene, called APOE4, the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Many lifestyle behaviors can mitigate risk, especially sleep hygiene, which provides an opportunity to rid the brain of toxic metabolic byproducts that can contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk.”
“Dietary fiber is a broad term that refers to the non-digestible components of fruits and vegetables. Gut microbes break down certain types of fiber, releasing micronutrients trapped in the fiber matrix and producing beneficial metabolic byproducts, such as short-chain fatty acids.”
“Sugar substitutes are food products or additives that provide the sweet taste of sugar, without the calories. Evidence suggests that sugar substitutes have surprising effects on human metabolism and these effects vary person-to-person, based on the overall makeup of an individual's gut microbiome.”
“The benefits of HIIT include improvements in muscle tissue oxidative capacity, enhanced insulin response, improvements in heart function, and increased lactate – an important source of fuel for the heart, brain, and muscles.”
“Late-night eating can have negative effects on our health. But time-restricted eating limits the daytime window during which a person eats to take advantage of the time when metabolism is optimized, improving health and even promoting weight loss.”
“Building muscle mass in one's early years is essential for staving off the age-related loss of muscle mass and may promote longevity. In this Aliquot, Dr. Stuart Phillips discusses the importance of building muscle through resistance training and why starting early is important.”
“Having sufficient muscle mass markedly reduces a person's risk of dying prematurely. Although some studies suggest that eating less protein promotes longevity, those studies might not take into account the periods of disuse and disability that often occur in real life.”