Fall Cleaning for Your Health

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Verve Life 12/50 (12% of adults over 50 are m

etabolically healthy). One goal of this newsletter is to boost that percentage.

As the days grow shorter and the trees lose their cover, fall awakens a natural desire for outdoor walks and exploring.

Just like you wouldn't hesitate to do a fall yard clean-up before a long winter, it's the perfect time to give your health a refresh too!

This newsletter is packed with tips and tricks to help you fall clean your body, mind, and spirit, so you can blossom into your healthiest self this season.

IN THIS ISSUE

• Science News

• Tips & Tricks

• Feature Story

Science News

Archaeologists Uncover Lost Land Bridge That May Rewrite Human History

MIT’s “Stealth” Immune Cells Could Change Cancer Treatment Forever

They’re Smaller Than Dust, but Crucial for Earth’s Climate

Tips & Tricks

Here are three solid sleep hygiene tips:

1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule (yes, even on weekends) Your body has an internal clock that thrives on predictability. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day—including Saturdays—helps regulate your circadian rhythm. I know sleeping in feels like a weekend essential, but wildly different sleep schedules between weekdays and weekends can leave you feeling perpetually jet-lagged.

2. Create a "wind-down" routine and ditch screens before bed Your brain needs a signal that it's time to shift gears. Spending 30-60 minutes before bed doing relaxing activities (reading, light stretching, listening to music) helps ease the transition. The blue light from phones, tablets, and computers suppresses melatonin production, so try to avoid screens for at least an hour before sleep. If you must use them, enable night mode or use blue light filtering glasses.

3. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and reserved for sleep Your body temperature naturally drops when you sleep, so a cooler room (around 65-68°F or 18-20°C) actually helps facilitate this process. Darkness triggers melatonin release, so blackout curtains or a sleep mask can help. And here's the kicker: try to use your bed only for sleep (and intimacy). Working, scrolling social media, or watching TV in bed trains your brain that the bed is for being alert, not sleeping. Make it a sleep sanctuary, not a multipurpose workstation.

The Health Benefits of Having Someone Steal Your Fries

Let's talk about the perks of being in a relationship that doesn't make you want to fake your own death and move to Iceland.

When researchers study happy, healthy relationships, they find something remarkable: people in them tend to live longer, healthier lives. We're talking lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems, and reduced risk of heart disease. It's like having a gym membership, except instead of avoiding the treadmill, you're sharing a couch and arguing about what to watch on Netflix. The stress-buffering effect of a supportive partner is real—having someone to vent to after a terrible day literally helps your body calm down faster.

The mental health benefits are equally impressive. People in satisfying relationships report lower rates of depression and anxiety. There's something powerful about having a person who knows your coffee order, your deepest fears, and still hasn't changed the locks. This emotional security creates a foundation for better overall wellbeing. You're more likely to eat better (someone notices if you're having cereal for dinner three nights running), exercise more regularly (even if it's just walking the dog together), and actually go to the doctor when something's wrong.

Here's where it gets interesting: most research shows these benefits are remarkably consistent across heterosexual and same-sex relationships. A happy marriage is a happy marriage, regardless of who's hogging the covers. Studies comparing health outcomes find that relationship quality—not the gender composition—is what matters. Same-sex couples in committed relationships show the same cardiovascular benefits, mental health improvements, and longevity boosts as their heterosexual counterparts.

That said, some research suggests same-sex couples might actually have certain advantages. They tend to divide household labor more equitably and communicate more effectively about conflict, possibly because they're less constrained by traditional gender role expectations. When you can't fall back on "that's the husband's job" or "that's the wife's job," you're forced to actually negotiate—revolutionary, I know.

The takeaway? Being in a loving, supportive relationship where you can be yourself is fundamentally good for you, regardless of configuration. Whether you're celebrating thirty years together or just figured out whose side of the bed is whose, the health benefits of partnership are universal. The secret ingredient isn't gender—it's genuine care, mutual respect, and someone who'll tell you when you have spinach in your teeth.

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