http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
It’s time to get serious about your Thanksgiving menu.
Sure, there’s nearly a month still to go before the big day, but it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll be serving. Because let’s face it: Thanksgiving is intense. There’s far more cooking, bigger crowds, and weirder relatives than nearly any other meal of the year. This is the Super Bowl of home cooking. And there’s no better to place to find inspiration for it than in food magazines.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
From Apartment Therapy → Small Kitchen Design Ideas Worth Saving
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Despite my love for cooking, there are more nights than I care to admit when I have zero motivation, energy, or interest in cooking dinner. But I also don’t want to resort to frozen pizza or another night of takeout. It’s for these nights that I believe we all need a short roster of quick and reliable dinners to turn to when cooking feels like a monumental task. Here are 10 fast weeknight recipes I can whip up when I just don’t want to cook.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Like many, I’ve been a huge Ree Drummond fan from the start. Her recipes always yield unfussy food to feed a family. That said, during all the years I’ve been watching with eagle eyes as she’s grown her food empire, I’ve never noticed that she has one basic ingredient missing from her kitchen.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Friendsgiving is a must-have event if you can’t get home to your family for the holidays — or straight-up want a bonus excuse to hang out with your friends and eat more turkey! But because it’s usually potluck-style, and your friends probably have varying levels of cooking expertise, budget, and timeliness, the event can be sort of a mess without some organization.
If you’re hosting, you have three main responsibilities: Make the turkey, set the table, and organize the event. I will help you with the latter!
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
In a sea full of creepy and punny Halloween costumes, it can be hard to truly stand out. We’ve seen it all before, right? A quick scroll through Instagram under the #HalloweenCostume tag reveals that last night and this past weekend, a lot of people dressed up as clowns, ghouls, tacos, and Eleven from Stranger Things. All great costumes ideas! But nothing out of the ordinary.
That’s why I was totally blown away when I saw Apartment Therapy’s Assistant Lifestyle Editor, Brittney Morgan, and her friend Rebecca had dressed up as “brunch” for Halloween. Brittney dressed up as a Bloody Mary and Rebecca dressed up as food you would typically find at brunch. (I mean, are you seeing that cereal hair fascinator?)
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
One of the best things about fall is the return of soup season. There are few things more comforting on a chilly evening than a warm bowl of soup (and preferably some crusty bread to go along with it).
And soups are the ultimate weeknight meal. Why? Some are ultra-quick for post-work cooking; others simmer all day and wait for you in the slow cooker. But regardless of how long they take to cook, nearly every soup is wonderful made ahead. Make a big batch tonight and eat it all week to stay warm and toasty as the weather chills. To help you plan your meals this week, here are 25 of our favorite quick soup recipes.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
After years of attending Thanksgiving dinners in other people’s homes, it’s finally your turn, and you are pumped. You can’t wait to return some of the hospitality you’ve experienced over the years, and your Thanksgiving dinner will be the best one ever because you are pretty darn good at this. Or maybe you’re somewhat of a reluctant host. You got “volun-told” you were hosting because no one else in your family wanted to do it.
Either way, it can be tempting to blow your budget and buy everything you need, whether to amaze your guests with the most glorious Thanksgiving ever hosted or to save yourself the hassle of stressing out at the last minute. Resist! Thanksgiving is a time to get creative, borrow, or even rent, but don’t buy any of these things.
Here are five things you should never buy for one dinner.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
I try to wear pants with elastic waistbands as much as possible. I work from home most days, so that’s pretty easy to do. (Hello, pajamas from the waist down!) Usually, though, for nice family holidays — okay, really just for Thanksgiving — I put on some pants. I pull on a pair of jeans in the morning and, wait for it, wear them the entire day! As in, all day. I drink coffee, cook dinner, serve drinks, eat dinner, clean up, and lounge around — all while wearing jeans!
This is a big deal for me, mostly because all that eating and drinking makes jeans even less comfortable than usual. So when I stumbled across this quote from Kevin James on an episode of King of Queens, I just had to share it with you guys. Because I’m guessing more than a few of you feel the same way I do.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
A few weeks ago, I went over 7 of the most important longevity biomarkers to track. Today, I’m shifting gears a bit. The theme remains longevity markers, but the markers I’ll discuss today are subjective, logistical, and psychological ones. A couple involve physical sense but you can’t measure these with a blood draw or a lab scan. The only way to assess your standing is through some genuine self-experiment and honest soul-searching. Or by, in one case, running a mile.
So, as you read through today’s list, keep that in mind. Where do you stand—truly? Do any of these apply to you? Number of years aside, what do you really want your longevity gains to look like, feel like? What changes are you willing to commit to now that will make this a more probable reality—to live longer and live more while doing it? Here are a few markers to start with.
Let’s have at it….
I’ve extolled the virtues of the mile run before. It’s a nice blend of stamina and intensity. It’s over quickly, ideally in less than 10 minutes, so you won’t accumulate the damage associated with longer runs at similar intensities.
And research shows that your mile run time at age 50 is a good barometer for your heart health. Since it’s right around middle age that heart disease becomes a real issue, if you can go into your twilight years with a decent mile run and the confidence that your heart works well, that’s a big advantage.
If you’re a man in your 50s, aim for 8 minutes or less. If you’re a woman in your 50s, aim for 9 minutes or less.
Pharmaceuticals are getting better. The newest HIV drugs render the virus effectively non-lethal, for example. But we’re probably over-treating our elderly. We don’t need so many drugs, even if they work more reliably with fewer side effects than previous incarnations.
Am I going to say you should cut out the pills? No. Doing so may actually reduce your longevity, especially if they’re prescribed for a good reason. But if you find yourself filling prescription after prescription, perhaps you should take stock of the rest of your lifestyle…because something isn’t right.
Many prescriptions are given because doctors assume their patients won’t assume the responsibility to make lifestyle or dietary changes. This isn’t you. You’re different. Take your list of prescriptions to the next appointment and ask your doc which ones you can try replacing with lifestyle interventions. Maybe I’ll do a post on this subject.
This is a mix of objective and subjective. You can track your strength with PRs and reps, or you can observe how day-to-day life feels. Carrying groceries felt extra tough today? Are the stairs getting harder? Can you still toss your grandkid in the air? We all know when we’re getting weaker. The trick is to admit it to oneself.
What’s important is to be honest about your strength and to never accept its degeneration—because you can actively counter it with proper training, effort, and diet. Countering the loss of strength requires hard work, but it’s doable.
Aim to be one of those virile young Grandpas or Grandmas with an iron grip. You know the type. They look you in the eye as your hand withers in theirs. It’s here that actively countering this trend will prolong your life. Lift heavy things. Carry heavy things with your hands. Take the stairs whenever possible. Make sure you’re getting (more than) enough protein, since our ability to utilize protein degrades as we age. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t give an inch, or else the agents of aging will seize every opportunity to chip away at your lean mass (and, thus, organ mass).
The effect of retirement on mortality is context-dependent. In men pleased with their post-retirement lifestyle, it increases lifespan. In men dissatisfied with retirement, it decreases it. There are also links between early retirement and dementia, depression, heart attacks, and early death, though they’re riddled with potential confounders (are people with dementia-prone brains unable to stay productive and keep working as long as people with healthy brains?). Still, I think it’s safe to suggest that retirement isn’t always good for a person’s longevity.
Maybe it’s different in more laid-back societies with greater social and familial support. I can see the old Italian paterfamilias going gracefully into old age, retiring on the porch with his glass of homemade chianti, a wedge of pecorino romano, and perhaps a pipe as grandkids scuttle about at his feet. Me, when I think about retiring—which, financially speaking, I could do, I get antsy. I feel my soul slip away and my reason for getting up in the morning dissipating. Relaxation and repose is extremely important to me and to health, but so is having a mission. As lifespan extends so, too, must our engagement with the world.
I’m not saying every 70-year-old needs to start a business or even continue working. Retirement is fine. But if you do, when you do, don’t melt into the couch and gaze at your television. Get a side gig going. Have a hobby. Travel. Learn a skill. Read as much as you can. Be a regular caregiver for your grandkids. Just inject meaning into your life. One guy I know retired from a fairly hum-drum job and started haunting swap meets for old automotive promotional material and classic car tools and parts, which he now sells on eBay. He’d done it as a hobby before retiring, but it’s become a full-fledged side gig. Do something like that.
I once heard a very poignant piece of advice from an old acquaintance. It was a sad moment, a man nearing the end expressing the deepest regret. He said, “Stay in touch with your friends. I didn’t, and just look at me.”
Make that call. Send that text. Reach out on social media. Answer the phone. Attend the reunion. Don’t drift away. Some suggest the only thing in this world a person can count on is that they themselves exist. Or that this is all just a simulation and we’re bits of data being rearranged for the viewing pleasure of the software developer/god. I don’t buy it. And if I’m wrong and I am the only real entity on this plane of existence, that social circle I’m imagining certainly feels real. I reckon I’ll keep in touch.
Most research has centered on the effect of growing longevity on seniors’ financial security. A longer-lived population needs more money, especially given the retirement age was made in an era when people died much younger. I’m interested in the effect of financial security on longevity. I’d argue that a strong longevity marker is whether you feel financially secure.
Not riches. Security. This isn’t necessarily only about savings (although that, too) but maybe about income potential through later years (again, maybe thinking semi-retirement with that passion-fueled gig like I mentioned before).
Worrying about your finances as you head into old age is no way to live long and well. The fact is, financial insolvency is a strong risk factor for early mortality in cancer patients.
Sure, “negative” people are at a greater risk of early mortality. But many negative people don’t recognize that they’re negative, making this a difficult marker for people to track in themselves. In their estimation, they’re simply “realistic,” and their comments are honest observations of a dysfunctional and unfair world. Maybe. Or maybe you’re exaggerating. Maybe you’re making the world out to be a den of inequity and injustice because that makes it easier to give up and stop trying. If you can’t beat it, why strive?
A better marker is to observe the tenor of your self-talk. Are you denigrating yourself inside your own head? Are you thinking things that make you feel weak? Do you apply a fatalistic stamp to every new idea or enjoyable possibility that comes to mind?
An example of negative self-talk: “Ah, geez. Where’s my phone again? Looks like I’m getting old!”
If you’re going around grumbling at the world and bemoaning your place in it, your wish may come true sooner than you think.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of subjective longevity markers. These are simply the 7 markers I track in my own life, and I’m still kicking—and happy doing it.
What subjective markers do you use, consciously or not, to determine how well you’re living and how well you’re supporting your longevity prospects?
Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care!
The post 7 Subjective Longevity Markers to Track (and Fix) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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