【推荐1】You may have been told that the amount of sleep that you need decreases as you get older, but this is not the case. All adults require eight hours of sleep per night, but changes in our sleep patterns as we age mean that this may be more difficult for the elderly.     1    Instead we sleep more lightly than when we were younger, meaning that we are more likely to feel more tired during the day.

As we get older, our sleep can be affected by changes in our bodies. Sleeping patterns among the elderly can be affected by medical conditions that include depression and heart failure. Medications used can also have an influence on our sleep quality as we get older. In turn, it works the other way round.     2    Sleep shortage among the elderly can not only increase the risk of injuries caused by tiredness, but a continued lack of sleep can also lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.     3    

Many elderly people suffer from the combination of “lighter” sleep at night because of health conditions, changes in bodies and getting up during the night to drink or to use the bathroom.     4    While this ensures that enough sleeping hours are obtained, it will also mean that there is no real routine to stick to, making it harder to get back to normal sleeping patterns.

    5    Ensuring that the bedroom is a relaxing place, getting regular exercise when possible and avoiding too much artificial light at night may help - along with limiting coffee, alcohol, large meals and spicy food before bed.

【推荐3】Running is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. It’s a convenient activity that can be tailored to your lifestyle and goals. Plus, a regular running routine can reduce your risk for disease.

Some people like to run on an empty stomach. They often do this in the morning, after at least 6 to 8 hours of overnight fasting. It’s sometimes called “fasted running”.

When you haven’t eaten, your glycogen (糖原) levels are low. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates. It’s what your body primarily uses for energy.

Fasted running is most known for its amazing effect on fat burn. The idea is that your body uses more fat as energy because your carbohydrate stores are low. The result is higher fat burn, or “oxidation (氧化)”.

In a small 2015 study of 10 male participants, exercise increased fat oxidation over 24 hours when the workout was done before breakfast.

The same scientists found similar results in a small 2017 study with nine female participants. According to the researchers, this is due to the body’s response to low carbohydrate levels. The lack of carbs stimulates genes that control fat oxidation.

If you’re trying to lose weight, fasted exercise may help control your energy intake. In a small 2016 study, 12 male participants who ran on an empty stomach consumed less energy over 24 hours.

Another small 2019 study with 12 male participants found that fasted exercise lowered energy intake over 24 hours. The scientists attributed this to the liver, which also stores glycogen.

Yet, running on an empty stomach may not be safe for everyone. It might even hold back your fitness goals.

【推荐2】Nowadays, the term “superfood” has become the nutritional buzzword. Simply put, these superfoods are those that provide large amount of nutrients through minimal calories.

The term “superfood” may have taken the modern food scene by storm.     1     Although only popular in recent years, the concept of certain foods with special nutritional qualities has been around for a long time. The nickname “superfood” gained widespread popularity in the early 2000s as health enthusiasts and the food industry sought to identify and market foods with special health benefits. Today, it is a trend in diet.

In an age when we share all kinds of superfoods on social media, ignoring the phenomenon is impossible.     2     It’s easy to understand. These nutritional superheroes offer a perfect combination of substance and style, tailored for the digital generation. Their lively colours, exotic origins and impressive nutrient profiles make them candidates for the next viral food trend.

    3     They offer a lifestyle that reflects the global shift towards a more health­conscious society. As the world wrestles with an increasing burden of diseases and the fast pace of modern life, people are seeking dietary solutions from superfoods.     4     They are rich in vitamins and minerals that can strengthen your immune system, avoid chronic diseases, and improve your overall well­being. Another remarkable benefit is their potential to promote heart health, helping you build a strong heart. Don’t forget their role in skin regeneration. The antioxidants (抗氧化物) can provide a natural glow, reduce skin ageing and fight against skin conditions.

    5     Superfoods, while nutritionally dense, should be part of a comprehensive diet rather than the only guarantee of our health.

【推荐3】Remember the time when summer holidays felt really long? But the older you got, the faster the days disappeared until months and years went by without you realizing it. So why does this happen?

Several explanations have been put forward to explain this phenomenon. The simplest of these is that it takes longer to encode new experiences than familiar experiences, and when you’re young, all experiences are relatively new, so time seems to go slower.

For example, if you are a five-year-old kid, then the past two years of your life represent 40% of all the life you’ve lived and can recall. But when you are a 50-year-old adult, then the past two years represent only 4% of all your recallable life. So, for a kid, two years might seem to last forever, but for an adult, those two years might not even seem long at all.

Another theory proposed by Professor Adrian Bejan is that it is related to the number of mental images the brain encounters and organizes and the state of our brains as we age. When we get older, the rate at which changes in mental images are perceived decreases because of several transforming physical features, including vision and brain complexity. Days seemed to last longer in your youth because the young mind receives more images during one day than the same mind in old age.

Just as a higher number of frames per second can give you a slow-motion video on a camera, life seems to go slowly when you’re young, and just as a lower number of frames per second can give you a fast-motion video, life seems to hurry by when you’re older.

It isn’t just age that changes our perception(感知)of time. Every single one of us has felt the seconds drag by when we’re bored and things seem to move in slow motion when we’re in life-threatening situations. But if we’re having fun, time flies by before we know it.