Living Better In The Later Years

Living Better In The Later Years Helping you thrive in your later years ✨ Tips for healthy aging, connection & longevity.

We make decisions every day, some big, some small. Take the opportunity to reflect on those decisions and ask key questi...
05/29/2026

We make decisions every day, some big, some small. Take the opportunity to reflect on those decisions and ask key questions. Get the list of questions here: https://hubs.la/Q04gP9GS0

Remember Key #3: Enjoy Healthy Eating. 🍎Key #3 is the second of three keys designed to help you build a strong physica...
05/28/2026

Remember Key #3: Enjoy Healthy Eating. 🍎

Key #3 is the second of three keys designed to help you build a strong physical and mental foundation. A healthy diet will optimize brain function and prevent dementia – a double plus.

Consider the following brain-healthy diet guidance:
💦 First, stay hydrated: Dehydration can negatively affect cognitive performance. Drink adequate water throughout the day to sustain proper brain function.
🍓 Second, regularly consume foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants (e.g., flavonoids, polyphenols), Vitamins B6/9/12, C, D, and E, minerals Mg, Fe, Zn, and Choline. For a healthier brain, consume more of these delicious, brain-healthy foods.
❌ Third, minimize the consumption of inflammatory foods that can undermine cognitive performance and dramatically raise the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. Such foods include the following:
👎🏻 Foods produced with manufactured seed oils
👎🏻 Ultra-processed foods
👎🏻 Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Beverages
👎🏻 Refined Carbohydrates made with processed white sugar, flour, and rice.

The Mediterranean diet is a reasonable proxy for a brain-healthy diet.

Be fearless in challenging your current level of understanding and reasoning. Seeing things from various angles and diff...
05/27/2026

Be fearless in challenging your current level of understanding and reasoning. Seeing things from various angles and differing viewpoints yields new insights and a deeper understanding.

To gain perspective, try the following:
✔️ Do not be afraid of being wrong. At the very least, concede that, at a minimum, your point of view presents both pros and cons and could be optimized.
✔️ Read books and articles from a variety of sources.
✔️ Define, then examine alternative viewpoints – be bold enough to ask yourself, “What are the positives of this philosophy, perspective, or approach?”
✔️ Listen carefully to others whose thoughts and opinions differ from your own.
✔️ Read books and articles from sources with points of view different from your own.
✔️ Explore other disciplines. Few issues of significance have a narrow and limited impact. They often have multidimensional ramifications, including one or more of science, economics, society, and technology.
✔️ Listen to a podcast featuring someone whose views you disagree with.
✔️ Watch, judge, or participate in structured debates.
✔️ Travel to different places and experience other cultures to help expand your worldview.
✔️ Gain empathy by working to see things through others' eyes.
✔️ Apply analogous experiences to deepen understanding and create empathy for the plights of others. Be alert when others say, “You cannot possibly understand my journey,” because you may. Be fearless in challenging your current level of understanding and reasoning. Seeing things from various angles and differing viewpoints yields new insights and a deeper understanding.

Expand your perspective to become more open-minded, adaptable, and empathetic. Doing so can improve your decision-making and problem-solving skills.

A Paradox is a statement or situation that appears to contradict itself but, on closer inspection, reveals a deeper trut...
05/26/2026

A Paradox is a statement or situation that appears to contradict itself but, on closer inspection, reveals a deeper truth or insight. A simple example: The statement "less is more" is a paradox because it seems to contradict itself, but upon reflection, it reveals the idea that simplicity and minimalism can be more effective and impactful than excess or abundance.

Closely related is dialectical thinking, in which two apparent opposites can both be true simultaneously. An example: One can accept oneself as one is, and still work to change. Such higher-order thinking emphasizes a “both‑and” perspective rather than “either‑or.”

With experience and examination, one finds that our world is seldom “black and white.” Our lives in this world abound with paradox. Embrace paradox with rigor and open-mindedness to create understanding and gain wisdom.

Experiential learning is gaining knowledge and skills through doing rather than through traditional methods such as lect...
05/25/2026

Experiential learning is gaining knowledge and skills through doing rather than through traditional methods such as lectures or reading.

The four essential elements of experiential learning are…
📗 Active Participation - Learners are directly involved in the experience. Examples include internships, simulations, hands-on projects, and fieldwork.
📗 Reflection - After the experience, learners analyze and evaluate their work, identifying insights and areas for improvement.
📗 Application - Lessons learned are applied to new scenarios, reinforcing understanding and adaptability.
📗 Feedback - Constructive feedback helps learners refine their approach and grow.

The lesson here is that if you are willing to learn from your mistakes, the more you do, the more you know!

Many people remember visual information better than words. To represent information, try creating diagrams, charts, or m...
05/24/2026

Many people remember visual information better than words. To represent information, try creating diagrams, charts, or mind maps. Use different colors and shapes to make the visuals more memorable. This technique works well for both studying and problem-solving.

The human design provides two ears and one mouth. The designer clearly anticipated a problem! 🦻🏼When you speak to others...
05/23/2026

The human design provides two ears and one mouth. The designer clearly anticipated a problem! 🦻🏼

When you speak to others, you are sharing… but not learning. Information and understanding are learned when listening. The more constructively you listen, the more efficiently you learn.

Attempt to:
✅ Face whoever is speaking. If culturally appropriate, use eye contact to demonstrate engagement.
✅ Be attentive and stay relaxed.
✅ Ignore your phone or similar interruptions.
✅ Demonstrate interest using small verbal and/or nonverbal cues, such as an open posture, nods, smiles, and perhaps the occasional “uh-huh.” Lean in to signal greater attentiveness.
✅ Keep an open mind.
✅ Attempt to visualize what the speaker is saying.
✅ Do not interrupt. During a pause, ask clarifying questions as needed to ensure your understanding.
✅ Resist the urge to jump in with advice or opinions.
✅ Communicate empathy where needed, e.g., “That sounds tough.”
✅ Consider what is not being said.
✅ Do not feel obligated to solve someone's problem; listening is respectful and often more than enough.
✅ Paraphrase or summarize what the speaker has said to confirm understanding.
✅ Avoid passing judgment, even if you disagree. The goal is to understand, not to debate or criticize.

There is no need to remember everything. Decide on your priority. What areas of recall will improve the quality of your ...
05/22/2026

There is no need to remember everything. Decide on your priority. What areas of recall will improve the quality of your life? The names of others? Technical information at work that will enhance your efficiency? Or maybe terms tied to your favorite hobby? Spend your effort on these areas… Look up the rest as needed.

Below are simple, evidence‑backed best practices that meaningfully improve retention and recall of what you read. These ...
05/21/2026

Below are simple, evidence‑backed best practices that meaningfully improve retention and recall of what you read. These are practical habits supported by findings from cognitive and educational psychology.

📚 Read with a question in mind
📚 Pause and recall—don’t reread
📚 Use short, periodic content reviews
📚 Turn ideas into questions
📚 Explain it out loud
📚 Take structured notes
📚 Connect new ideas to what you already know
📚 Read digital material more slowly
📚 Accept struggle

Depending on the type of material (fiction, non-fiction, technical, etc.) or medium (paper, digital, etc.), try one or more of the techniques outlined above to enhance your comprehension and recall. Find one or ones that work for you, and then try a simple retention test. After reading, challenge yourself as follows:
- Can I summarize this in 3 sentences?
- Can I explain it without my notes?
- Can I recall it briefly tomorrow?
If you answer yes, it’s likely retained!

There are lifestyle behaviors and practices that help protect the physical brain and enhance its function. Such can both...
05/20/2026

There are lifestyle behaviors and practices that help protect the physical brain and enhance its function. Such can both preserve and improve your intellectual capacity and capability. If you follow Living Better closely, you will not be surprised by the following:

💤 Quality sleep—allows for restorative processes
🍎 Healthy eating—provides needed nutrients and energy (glucose) to the brain
🏃🏻‍♂️ Exercise—promotes circulation and thus provides food (oxygen and nutrients) and cleansing blood flow to the brain
🧠Moderation—the avoidance of excess in those habits that are known to hamper short and/or long-term physical brain integrity and function

Learn more through our Key #5 articles: https://hubs.la/Q04gNXBS0

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