How the odd beer, a ready smile and kiwi fruit hold the keys to midlife bliss

In the second part of our exclusive serialisation of a new book on how to age well, two midlife mothers reveal the best ways to beat menopausal sleep problems — and how smiling, drinking beer and seeing friends can help you live a long and healthy life . . 

When we read that switching to a healthy lifestyle in midlife may reduce our dementia risk by 90 per cent, we knew we had to make changes. After watching family members succumb to heart disease, cancer, dementia and diabetes, we were prepared to do anything not to suffer the same fate.

But, as busy working mums with six children between us, how on earth would we find the time?

Together, we started a blog to catalogue our scientific discoveries and spread the word about the simplest, quickest, most effective changes you can make to boost your vitality and protect against disease.

Susan Saunders and Annabel Streets, pictured together, have offered advice on how to improve health get a better nights sleep which includes eating two kiwi fruits before bed

Susan Saunders and Annabel Streets, pictured together, have offered advice on how to improve health get a better nights sleep which includes eating two kiwi fruits before bed

All our advice is manageable, backed by research, and tried and tested by us. We don’t follow prescriptive diets, exercise regimens or supplement programmes. Instead we cook, dance, hike, play table tennis and fill our houses with greenery.

The best bit? We discovered that taking responsibility for your health doesn’t mean a life of denial or angst. We still love a late-night party, cocktail or ice-cream — pleasures to be enjoyed in moderation and without guilt.

You have one fleeting, splendid life — here’s how to make it a long, happy and healthy one . . .

SET YOUR ALARM AT NIGHT 

Going to bed on time each night is great for long-term health (file picture)

Going to bed on time each night is great for long-term health (file picture)

It’s easy to fritter away the evening watching yet another episode (or an entire series) on Netflix or replying to emails. Bedtime gets pushed later and later.

The solution? Go to bed! It sounds ridiculously simple, but going to bed at the same time each night is great for long-term health. Try setting two alarms each day: one for morning and one for evening. Your night-time alarm reminds you to start winding down.

Susan has an alarm at 9.30pm to turn off screens, and another at 10pm for bedtime.

PRIORITISE SLEEP

Studies have linked poor sleep to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, obesity, depression, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, poor memory and a shorter life. We’ve also learned that good sleep means improved immunity and better skin. So tackling our sleep problems was a priority.

Annabel had always been a terrible sleeper, rarely enjoying more than four hours at once; with a stressful job, Susan had learned to live with little sleep. This had to change.

PREPARE FOR BED

Annabel has transformed her sleep by adopting a ‘wind-down’ routine. She used to eat late, watch the ten o’clock news, have a glass of wine and fiddle with emails. 

Now she eats earlier, saves wine for special occasions and never watches the evening news — current affairs should be consumed in the morning, when we’re positive and energised.

An hour before bed, Annabel switches on an essential-oil diffuser (containing lavender and vetiver), puts her phone and laptop away, dims the lights and reads.

Susan, too, has learned to prepare for sleep, rather than just throwing herself into bed and hoping it happens.

WAKE UP? GET UP!

In midlife, it’s infuriatingly common to drop off easily and then wake in the early hours of the morning. If this happens, don’t lie awake worrying. Why not get up?

Annabel wrote a first draft of a novel in those early hours; now she listens to audiobooks (someone else’s story stops her mulling over her own). Our friends do yoga or housework.

Annabel has transformed her sleep by adopting a ¿wind-down¿ routine and nowputs her phone down an hour before bed (file picture)

Annabel has transformed her sleep by adopting a ‘wind-down’ routine and nowputs her phone down an hour before bed (file picture)

Take comfort from the theory of biphasic sleep, which suggests we were never designed for a single eight-hour stretch.

Historic accounts show our ancestors socialising, walking and working in the middle of the night.

MAGICAL KIWI FRUIT

Our most peculiar experiment was with kiwi fruit. Research from Taiwan’s Taipei Medical University found that volunteers eating two kiwis before bed for four weeks fell asleep more quickly, slept more deeply and for longer.

As kiwi fruit is inexpensive and ubiquitous (plus rich in antioxidants, serotonin, fibre and vitamin C), we tried eating a couple every night. After two weeks, in tandem with less alcohol, sleep-friendly foods and daily exercise, we noticed a definite improvement in our sleep.

SMILE IN THE STREET

Staying sociable is one of the best ways to fend off the ageing process. This doesn’t mean throwing wild parties every weekend, but it does require cultivating and nurturing a social network.

Social isolation is linked to a 32 per cent higher risk of stroke, 40 per cent greater risk of dementia and 29 per cent higher risk of heart disease.

We both live in busy households, where family, friends, neighbours and pets come and go. Susan’s work as a TV producer involves a constant stream of meetings. Even Annabel’s life as a writer involves meeting editors, agents and publicists.

But we won’t always be this busy, so we’ve upped our game in preparation — greeting people, striking up conversations, smiling more. We opt for the social version of any activity and look for opportunities for fun.

American neuroscientist Professor Robert Provine says laughter is inextricably linked with socialisation and confers huge health benefits by bringing people together.

Studies link

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