What’s up Warriors? Summer is definitely winding down. We are in full scale back to school mode around here. So today I have another round up of things that have caught my eye these past few weeks.
As usual, there is nothing sponsored here. Mostly it’s just me pointing out things that I’ve noticed. And since it is back to school and my husband and I both teach at the university level, I’ve got an unusual number of links and scientific studies in this round. Let’s dive in!
If you, like me, feel like you are just growling through your day sometimes then count yourself in the majority. Irritability can affect Mental, Emotional, Social, and Physical Health. And this article points out some surprising things that may be adding to our day to day levels.
Part of my purpose here on MMW is to illustrate the benefits of exercise and regular movement beyond body size, shape, and weight. Well, there have been a bevy of scientific studies out as of late backing me up, specifically as it relates to Mental Health. This article and this article describe links between exercise and brain function, both as we age and for individuals who may deal with mental health conditions like depression.
And for those of you who are younger, have kids, or are more inclined to engage in sport based activity, those assist with cognitive function, too. At least according to this research.
Given all of that, many of us still have weight loss as a primary goal for exercise. But it pays to remember that trying to estimate calorie burn is an imprecise science at best and a blind guess at worst. Yes, even with a fitness tracker.
Which brings me to my nutrition based soapbox section of the post. We’ve all experienced cravings before and how eating something else just doesn’t satisfy. Well, this research suggests that cravings may be based, at least in part, on our gut microbiome.
To tie in with my previous points about exercise affecting more than just the physical, new research also suggests the same for our diets. This team has linked a diet flush with highly processed foods with cognitive decline.
Whew. A lot to digest (pun!). If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be updating my course syllabi to include these. Until next time, be well friends!
