https://www.mbctmbsronline.com/free/2/sitting-meditation.html A recent article in Neuroscience News reviews various ways that meditation helps with memory function: An area of the brain known as the hippocampus, critical to memory function, tends to shrink with age. Reducing stress, to which meditation contributes significantly, slows down this process. a longer-term Meditation practice tends to make the thickness of … Continue reading Meditation Enhances Memory Function →

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37457-1 Most nutritionists would probably agree that eating more whole foods and avoiding overly processed foods is healthier for us. The problem is defining exactly what we mean by "processed". I tend to use a fairly loose definition, I count canned beans or frozen peas as "whole", and reserve "processed" for things like cookies or … Continue reading Detecting Processed Foods With AI →

My group ride was supposed to start at 10 this morning but there was an unexpected forecast of possible showers, unusual for us this late. I decided to put some rain gear on and ride anyway, I was pretty sure the group would cancel but I could just keep riding on my own. I headed … Continue reading Riding in Late Season Rain →

A friend of mine has been diagnosed with some regurgitation in a couple of his heart valves. We don't know the seriousness yet, and whether he might need replacements. This made me look into the state of the art in non-invasive procedures. When I was having my aortic valve replaced, there was a non-invasive procedure … Continue reading Update on Non-Invasive Heart-Valve Procedures →

Our friend Bob is rehabbing from his knee replacement about 5 weeks ago. So yesterday my group rode to see him. While we were there we visited (and fed carrots to) his two adorable donkeys, whose job is to mow his grass. This was a pleasant ride of just over two hours, with some challenging … Continue reading Riding To See The Donkeys →

No wonder it is tough to retrain our brains to like healthier stuff!

In her healthy living A to Z blog, Dr. Christine Rosenbloom posted "B is for Blue Zones", a summary of various "blue zones" around the world where people are healthier and live longer than the average for the rest of the world. They have a combination of healthy lifestyles and eating patterns that lead to … Continue reading Nice Summary Discussion About “Blue Zones” →

The American Heart Association published a simple introduction to lovingkindness meditation, shown in this infographic: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/loving-kindness-meditation-infographic I had discussed this form of meditation previously here (search for "lovingkindness" in that post). It is simple and effective, and many people find it pleasant. Two things stand out to me in the graphic, steps 1 and 4. … Continue reading Simple Meditation Instruction →

Yesterday my group did a brisk two-hour ride that went around Uvas Reservoir, headed out to the end of Casa Loma Road and back, then on the return went around Chesbro Reservoir. This has some climbing but not too steep so I took my recumbent. I was able to keep up at the front just … Continue reading Around The Reservoirs Plus Casa Loma Road →

Sunday was hpv fun day at Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose. This is arranged by a local couple Carol and George Leone who do it as a labor of love. They charge a fee for participating but it barely covers their costs. We had a beautiful late spring day for the occasion. The velodrome is … Continue reading Human-Powered Vehicle Fun Day →