【推荐3】For the past 3 years, about 6,000 middle-aged Australians have strived to rid stress with computer exercises, all in an effort to preserve (保护) their cognition (认知). They’re part of a called Maintain Your Brain, one of about 30 current or planned studies that test whether altering (改变) multiple aspects of participants’ lives improves brain health.

Although people can’t escape some mental decline as they get older, lifestyle forms a powerful influence over the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Last year, an international committee of scientists and psychiatrists known as the Lancet Commission on dementia (痴呆症) prevention and care estimated that so-called changeable factors account for 40% of dementia risk. Their report highlighted a dozen factors, including many familiar villains-diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise.

Researchers are still testing exactly how these risk factors steal people’s faculties, but they’ve identified some likely mechanisms. Lack of physical activity may do harm to cognition, for example, because exercise stimulates (刺激) formation of new neurons and soothes brain inflammation (炎症).

For decades scientists focused on developing drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but after several candidates recently failed in clinical trials (临床试验). “The climate has really shifted to focus on…prevention,” says neuropsychiatrist (神经精神病学家) Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco. Some researchers urge governments to step up dementia prevention with measures such as public health campaigns that encourage good habits. “We have knowledge about some of the actions to take for society to make a difference,” says psychiatrist Gill Livingston of University College London, who heads the Lancet Commission. “The time is now.”

The combined effect of lifestyle factors is strong, but researchers lack conclusive evidence that changing any of them spares the brain. “A many observational studies” point to factors that influence cognitive aging, Yaffe says, “Can we say, ‘Do X, Y, and Z and that will prevent Alzheimer’s disease?’ I don't think so.”

【推荐2】Who doesn’t love the beach? A visit to the sea is a treat of fresh salty air, soft surf, and sugary sand. The seashore offers far more than just relaxation; beaches are also a great place to improve your health and fitness. This does not require running up and down the coast.     1     . So put down your novel and walk along the shore to enjoy the self-healing benefits of the beach.

It offers strength training.     2     , especially the muscles between the back and the feet. This is especially important for the aging population. A study showed that participants aged 60 to 75 years experienced a significant improvement in their strength of the back and the feet after sand walking.

    3     . Muscle strengthening and the calories burned from beach walking offer both immediate and future benefits. For those with spinal arthritis, walks along the beach may help prevent degeneration(退化) from progressing. As soft sand is easy on your body, beach walks are ideal for those with knee, or back pain. Walking on sand puts less stress on your body, making it easier on bones and joints.

It offers relaxation. A beach walk is a great way to relieve stress and calm the nervous system. Whether it might be the soft rhythm of the waves or the majestic colors of a sunset, the beach is a calming place.     4     .

It is a therapeutic form of grounding.     5     . For example, doing this wellness activity for 20 minutes may make you feel happier, may improve any muscle soreness you have, and may even help you enjoy a better night’s sleep.

【推荐3】“Just think positively!”

“It could be worse.”

“You should look at the bright side!”

We’ve all heard (and maybe used) these phrases without much thought. But they could be contributing to a culture of toxic(有毒的) positivity. For those new to this term, it might sound like an oxymoron(矛盾修辞法). How can positivity be toxic? Isn’t it supposed to be helpful, or “positive”, as the name suggests?     1    

“Toxic positivity is when somebody avoids all negative thoughts or feelings, pretending everything is going well when it is not,” explains Melissa Dowd, a therapist at PlushCare, a virtual health platform for primary care and mental health services.Whitney Goodman, the author of Toxic Positivity describes toxic positivity as the “endless pressure to be happy and positive, no matter what the circumstances are.”     2     It’s also something we can cause other people to experience.

Expressing toxic positivity to others may look like offering them a simple solution to a complicated problem that we know nothing about, or not allowing people around you to appropriately express negative emotions.

Toxic positivity causes us to suppress our emotions, which can make them worse.     3     “Although it can be helpful to look on the bright side when facing challenges,” Dowd says, “not coping with negative feelings in a healthy way in the moment can lead to those feelings resurfacing later in different areas of your life or as a form of anxiety.”     4     “If I feel like you’re going to dismiss me, I’m going to stop sharing how I’m feeling,” Goodman adds.

    5     If you’re using toxic positivity against yourself, Goodman suggests remembering it’s OK if you’re upset about something. It’s valid if something annoys you. “Allow ourselves and other people to share when they’re going through a difficult time,” she says. Dowd adds that it’s essential that “we all learn to cope with and process our emotions in a healthy way as opposed to avoiding how we feel” as life’s stressors continue to rise. For example, instead of simply saying “Just think positively,” we’d better say “Sometimes bad things happen. How can I help?”