Your Blueprint for Lasting Health: Longer Sleep, Carb Cravings, and Tame Anxiety

Welcome to another edition of our health and longevity newsletter! Today, we’re diving into some fascinating aspects of how your body and mind work — and how you can optimize both. From sleep length with one of the most researched supplements in the world to understanding how your genetic makeup might be driving your cravings, we’re unpacking insights that could help you take control of your health. Plus, we’ll wrap it up with practical tips for calming those everyday anxieties. Ready to take charge of your wellness journey? Let’s get started!

Let’s jump into this week’s insights and learn how to strengthen both your body and mind.

In today’s email:

• Power Up with Creatine: Discover how this natural supplement can help build more than just muscle.

• Carb Cravings in Your DNA?: Learn how your genes might influence your taste for carbs.

• Taming the Tension: Practical, science-backed solutions to keep anxiety in check.

TOP STORY

Creatine – More Than Just a Workout Supplement

When people think of creatine, they often associate it with muscle growth and workout performance. However, creatine’s potential benefits go far beyond the gym, making it a supplement worth considering even for those who aren’t focused on fitness. Recent research shows that creatine may offer intriguing benefits for sleep, brain health, and even stress management.

Creatine for Workout Performance and Sleep Recovery
While creatine is commonly used by athletes for muscle energy and strength, it might also enhance sleep quality, particularly on days you work out. New studies suggest that taking 5 grams of creatine daily can lead to up to an extra hour of sleep after exercising. This extra sleep is crucial, as recovering better can improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. However, creatine doesn’t seem to affect sleep on rest days, so its benefits are tied to days when the body is under physiological stress from exercise.

Creatine’s Cognitive and Neurological Benefits
Beyond its role in physical performance, creatine may have a positive impact on brain health. Around 5% of the body’s creatine is stored in the brain, where it helps manage energy during periods of stress, such as sleep deprivation. Evidence suggests creatine could help with cognitive functions like memory and focus. It’s also being studied for its potential to support people with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and ALS, as well as for anxiety and depression.

One standout study found that taking high doses of creatine (30 grams) preserved certain cognitive abilities during sleep deprivation. This aligns with creatine’s role in providing energy to both muscles and the brain during times of stress, highlighting its usefulness beyond physical fitness.

The Surprising Sleep Benefit on Workout Days
In a recent six-week study involving women who were new to resistance training, those who took creatine saw a significant improvement in sleep duration on workout days. They averaged 50 minutes more sleep than those who took a placebo, getting 7 hours and 24 minutes of sleep compared to the placebo group’s 6 hours and 36 minutes. This improvement was only observed on workout days, suggesting creatine helps mitigate the physiological stress of training.

Although creatine didn’t directly improve sleep quality, which stayed the same for both groups, the extra time spent sleeping after exercise is still a big win for those looking to optimize both recovery and performance.

Final Thoughts
While creatine may not be a traditional sleep supplement, its ability to support recovery from stress—whether from exercise or sleep deprivation—makes it a valuable tool for overall health. Think of creatine as a daily support system, helping you manage life’s stresses and perform better in both body and mind. For anyone looking to enhance their well-being, creatine might just be the secret weapon you need.

The Genetic Twist Behind Your Carb Cravings

If you’ve ever found it difficult to cut down on carbs like bread, pasta, and other starchy foods, you may have ancient DNA to thank. Recent research from the University at Buffalo (UB) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has uncovered that humans have been carrying extra copies of a gene called salivary amylase (AMY1) for over 800,000 years, far earlier than the advent of farming. These additional gene copies help break down starch in the mouth and have shaped how efficiently humans metabolize starchy foods.

Key Insights:

• AMY1’s Role in Starch Digestion: AMY1 is responsible for breaking down starch into glucose, the body’s primary energy source. The more AMY1 gene copies you have, the more efficiently you can digest starch.

• Ancient Genetic Adaptation: The research team used advanced genome mapping techniques to show that ancient hunter-gatherers—along with Neanderthals and Denisovans—had multiple AMY1 copies, suggesting that humans developed these genes well before agricultural diets introduced more starch-rich foods.

• Evolutionary Advantage: The study suggests that early duplications of the AMY1 gene gave humans an adaptive edge as they encountered new environments and diets. Having more AMY1 copies allowed individuals to digest starch better, leading to increased energy and reproductive success.

• Impact of Farming: Over the past 4,000 years, particularly in Europe, people have seen a significant increase in AMY1 gene copies, likely due to the heavy starch intake in agricultural societies. This rise in gene copies has parallels in domesticated animals like dogs and pigs, which also have higher AMY1 gene counts.

• Genetics and Modern Health: Researchers believe that exploring this variation in AMY1 copies could reveal important links between genetics, metabolism, and health. Understanding these mechanisms might open doors to new insights into how our bodies process glucose and how this affects overall metabolic health.

This study highlights how ancient genetic adaptations still play a role in our ability to digest carbs today, potentially influencing everything from our diet preferences to our metabolic health and possibly influence our longevity.

Together with longevityfor.life

Conquering Anxiety: Science-Backed Solutions for Stress Relief

In today’s fast-paced world, stress and anxiety seem like constant companions. Whether it's due to work, family, or societal pressures, anxiety can trigger physical symptoms like muscle tension, sweating, and even heart palpitations. These reactions stem from our body’s natural fight-or-flight response, a survival mechanism intended to protect us from danger, though it often kicks in during less threatening situations, like giving a presentation.

When anxiety becomes chronic, it can wreak havoc on both mental and physical health. Chronic anxiety is linked to issues like high blood pressure, insomnia, and depression. The good news? There are science-backed strategies that can help manage anxiety before it escalates.

Key Solutions for Calming Anxiety:

• Eat Brain-Boosting Foods: Certain foods can help keep anxiety at bay. Complex carbohydrates (like whole grains) can have a calming effect on the brain. Foods rich in tryptophan, such as proteins, also support serotonin production, helping to stabilize your mood.

• Get Moving: Physical activity is one of the best ways to fight anxiety. Exercise not only burns off anxious energy but also releases feel-good endorphins. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, like walking or swimming.

• Deep Breathing: A simple breathing technique can activate your body’s relaxation response. Try inhaling deeply to the count of four, holding for four seconds, and then exhaling for four. This slows your heart rate and reduces stress hormones.

• Meditation: Studies have shown that regular meditation can be as effective as some medications for managing anxiety. It helps to calm the mind and reduce the symptoms of chronic stress over time.

• The 3-3-3 Rule: Ground yourself in the present by identifying three things you can see, three sounds you can hear, and three things you can touch. This technique can shift your focus away from anxiety and bring you back to the moment.

• Prioritize Sleep: Good sleep is key to reducing anxiety. Build a sleep-friendly routine by limiting screen time before bed, creating a peaceful sleeping environment, and avoiding caffeine late in the day.

• Spend Time in Nature: Just two hours a week in nature can significantly boost your mood and improve psychological well-being. Even a short walk in a local park can help reduce stress and improve your outlook.

While occasional anxiety is a natural part of life, these tools can help prevent it from becoming overwhelming. If you suffer from chronic anxiety, though, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional.

As you move forward, remember that optimizing your health is all about balance and intention. Whether you're aiming for increased sleep, figuring out carb cravings, or mastering stress management, each of these strategies can make a significant impact on your daily life and long-term well-being. The best part? You can start small and build from there—no need to overhaul everything at once. Just pick one area to focus on this week, and watch how it transforms your body and mind over time. Stay tuned for more insights on living better and longer, and as always, keep prioritizing your health. You deserve it.

This email was brought to you by Scott Ward

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

*Some links may contain affiliate and sponsorship associations to aid in newsletter support.

If you are loving the Beehiiv platform, try it out FREE for 30 days, plus 20% off your first 3 months!