Opinion: Steer clear of difficult people and eat more berries

Yahoo

20 hours ago

This week, I've read a great deal of particularly useful health reports in various newspapers and scientific journals.
So, I thought I'd pop some of the material into this column in the hope you'll benefit from it too.
Research over the past 20 years has shown repeatedly how important it is for us to maintain a good social network as we grow older, because loneliness and isolation are seriously bad for our mental and physical health.
In fact, it's often said they are as dreadful for us as smoking.
We're aware therefore that we should meet people face to face as much as possible – especially if we live alone.
And one of the best ways of doing that is to join a number of clubs and societies.
Last month, I gave positive ageing talks at both Colchester and Royston U3A branches.
U3A is a terrific association for older people, and I highly recommend it.
Every one of their groups I've spoken at – and there have been a lot – has been packed with bright, enthusiastic, engaged, friendly, proactive individuals living later life to the full.
My recent reading revealed there is now even more good news about getting together with like-minded people in groups, because a new study has shown that belonging to such organisations can protect us against cognitive decline.
It doesn't matter whether we sing in a choir, or sit on the parish council, or go to a book group, drama club, the WI, a horticultural or music appreciation society, or join a Spanish class, all these group activities and countless others, are great for our brain power.
So, if you don't do anything regularly with other people who have similar interests, do consider becoming a member of something you'd enjoy.
I think the protective element against cognitive decline may well be intensified by the sense of belonging we feel when we are part of something.
There is something about saying "we" rather than "I" that tends to lift our spirits and give us a warm glow of being part of a community rather than alone.
Another thing I learned in the past few days was that unpredictable and difficult people can adversely affect our own health.
I've often mentioned in the past how helping others and being kind, compassionate and caring to them increases our own sense of self-esteem and improves our mood.
This is because these actions generate the production in our brain of more of the chemicals serotonin and dopamine, often called the "happy hormones".
But it turns out that not everyone we try to help, or be with, is good for us.
Last week saw the publication of research which stated that we should steer clear, when we can, of people who are always negative, or hassle us, or puzzle us because one day they seem friendly and loving and another, out of the blue, ignore us or even become hostile.
I'm sure we've all known folk like that and probably tried to help them.
But this new American study claims that contact with such individuals can trigger a chronic inflammatory response that makes us more prone to heart disease and other ageing illnesses.
So, we need to remember that, and do all we can to surround ourselves with positive people who enhance our lives, rather than mix with those who distress or drag us down.
Finally, I've been reading about fruit, and berries in particular.
I don't know how long ago it was that we were first advised to eat five fruit or veg every day.
But apparently, only a quarter of men in the UK actually achieve this target.
And plenty of women miss it too.
I found this surprising because there is so much information these days about how fruit and veg are great for gut health, increasing vitamin levels, and providing us with essential polyphenols and antioxidants, which protect our cells from damage.
Not just that, they're good at improving our skin, and surely everyone wants that.
At this time of the year, we're surrounded by berries – strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and so on – and the advice is that we should eat our fill of these because berries are the fruits most nutritionists value above all others.
Not only are they delicious but they provide an impressive list of health benefits.
They're low in calories, they protect our bodies against harmful inflammation, they're commonly believed to help lower our cholesterol levels and they add much-needed fibre to our diets.
But what I also learned this week is that you don't have to confine these fruits to the summer months, and you shouldn't, because their frozen versions, available all year round obviously, are often even fresher than the ones we're buying currently from greengrocers or farmers' markets.
The reason being that frozen food companies routinely freeze berries on the very day they're picked.
And there's a further benefit; typically, a portion of frozen berries costs less than half the price of fresh ones.
It's a win-win situation!