12/15/23: Cocoa brain, snooze button science, and Irish woods

Planet Health

• 🌳 IRISH WOODLANDS: The once forest-covered country of Ireland now faces one of the "lowest share(s) of land covered by forests in the EU," but there’s new urgency to restore biodiversity loss and forest planting efforts being addressed. Through fencing around ancient woodlands to prevent overgrazing, the reduction of invasive species, and engagement of rural farmers, Ireland’s government aims to bring forest cover from 11% to 18% over the next few decades.

• 🌻 LAWN TO MEADOWS: The Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources in Pennsylvania is setting aside funds to replace lawns of any size with natural native plants and wildflower meadows. This initiative strives to improve water use, reduce weed killer and fertilizer pollution, and decrease mowing needs. “You can hear the bees, and can see the bees and the butterflies — and the beauty that it has created on the edge of the property is just phenomenal,” says a community member of a revitalized lawn-less development.

• 🚀 LARGEST ENERGY PARK: Expected to be visible from space with enough energy output to power 20M homes, the world's largest renewable solar and wind energy project in a vast salt desert in India is under construction. Called the Khavda, "the project will be about as large as Singapore, spreading out over 726 square kilometers. The Indian government estimates it will cost at least $2.26B."

   

Human Health

• 🧠 ULTRA-BUMMER: Mood, cognition, and brain health are heavily impacted by ultra-processed foods like fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen meals, energy bars and candy, studies show. "Diets high in these foods were linked to a 44% greater risk of depression and a 48% higher risk of anxiety," according to the meta-analysis published in Nutrients. Designed to be addictive and highly palatable, “ultra-processed foods have more in common with a cigarette than foods by Mother Nature,” says Ashley Gearhardt, psych professor at the University of Michigan.

• 🍫 COCOA FOR COGNITION: For older adults with poor-quality diet habits, cocoa extract may help boost overall cognition. Potentially because it's rich in flavanols, it could help reduce oxidative stress or systemic inflammation for those with poor diets, but those with a high-quality diet saw no benefit from cocoa supplementation. Nutritionist Kristin Kirkpatrick says “I advise [clients] to get plenty of flavonoids amongst other plant compounds, etc., and often recommend cocoa [and] dark chocolate as a great option with abundant culinary variability.”

• 😴 SNOOZE BUTTON: Is hitting the snooze button detrimental to your sleep or health? In the Journal of Sleep Research, two studies on snoozing revealed it has "no impact" on cortisol levels, and drowsiness can occur immediately after ultimately getting up, whether you've hit the snooze button or not. "Right after waking, those who snoozed showed somewhat better performance on two cognitive tests," the article states. As long as you're getting enough sleep before the alarm goes off the first time, it seems that "snoozing is common and probably not that bad for you," says one of the study's researchers. Snooze on!

   

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Creature Feature

• 🌊 HALCYON DAYS: A shy seafaring bird, the kingfisher, is also known as a "halcyon." Did you know the unique name comes from an ancient Greek myth? "Halcyon" refers to a period of time in winter (usually beginning mid-December) when the weather is fair, the seas become calm, and Alcyon— the woman-turned-ocean-bird— can nest in peace while mourning her lover drowned at sea, according to the Greek legend. The kingfisher is an "unmistakable bright blue and orange bird" of slow-moving or still water.

Nutrition 101

• 💪TMG: Naturally found in beetroot, TMG (Trimethylglycine) is also referred to as betaine or betaine anhydrous. It's an essential compound that your body can produce by itself with supplementation or by consuming particular foods like beets. "TMG has been studied for many potential health benefits, including the ability to enhance heart health, boost athletic performance, promote healthy insulin levels, and protect against depression."

   

Last poll’s results

Did you go camping/glamping at any point in 2023?

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Yes! (44.5%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Not this year. (55.5%)