In the U.S., one out of every four deaths are caused by heart disease. Staying active and getting exercise will help against risk for cardiovascular disease, but there are some diet tricks that can help – including eating one type of food three times a day.

Whole grains.

A new study over the last 18 years has shown that three servings of whole grains per day lowered hypertension, blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and weight gain.

The research showed how whole grains give us more vital nutrients – refined grains, as found in white bread, removes the vitamins, and leaves just starch. Plus, the fiber in whole grains makes us feel full longer, preventing overeating.

So, if you’re looking to replace refined grains for whole grains, it’s an easy substitution. One serving of whole grains can be anything from a slice of bread, a half cup of oat cereal, or a half cup of brown rice. And small changes in your diet now will make a huge difference over time.

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Most of us put off having to do household chores – but besides the fact that they need to be done, it can be great for your brain!

A new study shows that older adults who spent more time on household chores showed greater brain size, which is a strong predictor of cognitive health.

Scientists have known for a while that physical exercise has a positive impact on our brains, but they looked at those participating in the study who also did chores around the house – they considered the time spent on chores like tidying, dusting, meal prep, shopping, yard work, and home repair. Older adults who spent more time doing those activities had greater brain volume, regardless of how much exercise they did.

There are a few reasons why this might be the case:

Since heart health is closely tied to brain health, these household chores could have a similar effect a low-intensity exercise.

Also, planning out your chores and how to complete them effectively may be promoting new neural connections over time.

Finally, older adults doing chores forced them to be less sedentary, which counteracts negative health outcomes, including poor brain health.

So, if you’ve been putting off all those chores around the house, it may be time to do them – and to reap the benefits!

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This is the perfect weekend to take stock of things that you don’t need anymore. You might have some things hanging around the house that you can get rid of that will take a load off your mind, immediately helping your physical and mental well-being.

The new year is the perfect time to get rid of old documents – bank and credit card statements should be shredded, but also get rid of old takeout menus, junk mail, and expired coupons that you stuck in a drawer and forgot about.

Look through your cabinets – Tupperware you can’t find the lid for, or chipped drinking glasses should all go.

Open the fridge – it’s a new year, so any condiments that have 2024 (or older) can go right in the trash.

Look through your closets – clothes that are worn out, don’t fit, or was a gift you’ve never used can all be donated – if you’ve gone more than a year without wearing it, you probably don’t need it.

And finally look in the junk drawer – pens that don’t have ink, dead batteries, out of date phone chargers – you don’t need them.

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