June 4, 2025 • 26 mins
Can the Mediterranean diet help protect your vision? Is weekend-only exercise enough to prevent chronic disease? And can just ten minutes outside really improve your mental health?
In this “Science You Can Use” episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian unpacks three studies that offer real-world, science-backed guidance. You'll learn how to support long-term eye health, reduce your disease risk with weekend workouts, and improve focus and mood with quick doses of nature. Three fresh studies that connect directly to how we spend our 1,000 waking minutes each day—through what we eat, how we move, and how we restore.
Whether you're a health enthusiast, a professional, or simply curious about living better (without doing everything perfectly), this episode offers useful insight, grounded science, and inspiration to build a well-lived day.
WE DISCUSS:
(4:20) Study 1: Mediterranean Diet & Vision — How eating for your eyes may help reduce the risk and slow the progression of macular degeneration
(12:15) Study 2: Weekend Warrior Wins — Why weekend-only workouts can still lower disease risk
(16:58) Study 3: Nature’s Mental Boost — Just 10 minutes outdoors may improve mood, focus, and stress
(22:10) 3 Simple Shifts — What to try this week from the science we covered
(24:05) An invitation to share with others
CONNECT WITH WENDY:
Follow on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit the website: wendybazilian.com
Email me: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.
REFERENCES:
Ahmadi, M. N., et al. (2024). Weekend Warrior Physical Activity Patterns and Risk of 200+ Diseases. Circulation, 151(15), 1063–1075. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.068669
Bettmann, J. E., et al. (2024). Nature Exposure, Even as Little as 10 Minutes, is Likely to Yield Short-Term Benefits for Adults with Mental Illness: A Meta Analysis. Ecopsychology. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2023.0063
Merle, B. M. J., et al. (2025). The Mediterranean Diet and Age-Related Macular Degeneration Risk. Nutrients, 17(6), 1037. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/6/1037
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Today, we're talking about how
the food on your plate
could help protect your eyesight,
why your weekend workouts may
be more powerful than you
thought, and how the beauty
and impact of just 10
minutes outside can shift your
mood and mindset.
This episode brings the science
and the strategy to your
waking minutes.
(00:21):
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
(00:42):
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ Welcome back to 1,000
(01:08):
Waking Minutes.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
I'm grateful that we can
share some of our waking
minutes together today.
This is one of our
'Science You Can Use' episodes,
where we take a few
meaningful studies and explore what
they actually mean for your
real life.
Because science isn't just about
(01:31):
the headlines and the hype,
or for health professionals.
It can really live in
our own kitchens, in our
own calendars, in our mindset
and our mood, and within
our habits.
And it's even better if
it's something we can actually
do something with, the science
that is.
(01:51):
And I've been reading quite
a few studies lately, as
always, and there's a few
that have really piqued my
interest.
So I hope you'll find
them interesting too.
These episodes are where I
talk about a few studies
that I've sort of bumbled
into.
And it's designed to bring
the research to life and
(02:11):
within your reach, our reach
together.
So it's science to strategy
I like to think about.
And hopefully you can see
how science does evolve and
it's not all hype and
headlines.
And hopefully there's a little
humanity within it too.
And I always want to put
it into practice.
So I want you to
(02:32):
leave saying like, I could
see myself doing that in
a few moments of my
waking minutes of a day.
So today we're going to
explore three recent studies that
caught my attention.
And they might shape how
you spend a few of
your 1,000 waking minutes a
(02:52):
little more intentionally.
So first we'll take a
look at what we eat,
sort of the EAT WELL
theme, and how something as
simple and delicious as the
Mediterranean way of eating, you
don't have to live in
the Mediterranean as I've said
before, in order to do
that, something as simple as
delicious could support your vision.
(03:13):
We're talking eyesight today over
the longterm.
Then we'll move into movement.
So our move daily and
how being a Weekend Warrior,
a weekend bursts of exercise
can actually offer surprising protection
against chronic disease.
And it sort of goes
not against, but in contrast
(03:34):
to some other thinking previously.
So I wanted to bring
that to you.
And our third pillar, be
healthy. Eat well, move daily,
be healthy.
We're going to step outside.
And I mean, literally, just
10 minutes in nature might
offer big mental health benefits,
(03:56):
including reduced stress and improved
focus.
Who couldn't benefit from that?
Three studies, three ways to
make our minutes in our
day work for us.
And this isn't about pressure,
but more about being thoughtful
and in a get curious
(04:16):
kind of way.
So let's move into our
studies.
First is the Mediterranean diet
and eye health.
So this one surprised me
a little bit.
Not surprising that there's even
more research that keeps building
around the Mediterranean diet, but
a recent study, a 2025,
just this year's study published
(04:37):
in Nutrients found that people
who followed a Mediterranean style
eating pattern had a 34%
lower odds of developing
macular degeneration.
That's age-related vision loss.
And that's the kind that
affects our central vision where
people can't see the things
(04:57):
as well or at all,
eventually, the things that are
directly in front of them
and that we start to
see around the periphery.
My grandfather, my maternal grandfather,
Doc Rader, had macular degeneration
called AMD, that's the acronym
for it.
And it really does start
(05:19):
to compromise one's quality of
life, especially if they've lived
a life relying on their
sight for so many things
as so many of us
do.
I remember so many impacts
that came from it and
there's so many accommodations today,
but we may have some
clues at how to further
reduce the risk as this
study is showing.
(05:40):
This is not a small
number I'm talking, that's the
surprising part.
It means that our food
choices can quite literally help
us see the future.
I mean that poetically, but
also literally, more clearly.
So we can see the
future and live in the
future, seeing more clearly, potentially.
Studies have shown that people
(06:02):
who stick on a Mediterranean
style diet, this was a
systematic review and meta-analysis,
so this is many studies
compiled and analyzed, but these
studies have shown that following
this type of diet, they
have a lower chance of
their macular degeneration getting worse.
So this is about progression
(06:23):
as well.
So in this review of
reviews, which in effect helps
synthesize and analyze the existing
science and evidence on a
topic, in this case, the
relationship and potential link between
the Mediterranean diet style eating
patterns and the development of
(06:43):
macular degeneration or the progression
of it.
What the researchers looked at
were the case control studies
and perspective studies where they
saw, they ended up seeing
and reporting significant differences and
risk and odds ratios related
to this.
They looked back at the
(07:04):
habits and they looked at
the habits over time.
And this comes from tracking
cohorts of people over time
and they found these significant
findings.
The review of both types,
so case studies look back
and perspective studies sort of
follow people over time, both
showed significant benefits.
(07:26):
There was a 23%
lower risk from the studies
that were tracking people over
time moving forward and even
a greater 34% lower
odds from the case controlled
studies.
No matter what, even if
that sounds confusing to you,
like what's the difference?
It's significant, statistically significant, scientifically
(07:47):
significant, and it's a big
relationship from something that we
can do through diet and
nutrition and certainly worth trying.
So why does this all
matter?
Well, my grandfather had macular
degeneration, but it's one of
the most common causes and
it's likely that you may
know someone who also suffers
(08:08):
from this diagnosis and to
slow its progression means big
improvements, big staving off and
maintaining quality of life over
time.
And it's one of the
most common causes of vision
loss as we age.
And while many of us
do think of eating for
energy or skin or mood,
(08:29):
digestion, heart health, all those,
we might not always be
thinking about eating for our
eye health.
And just to frame this
up statistics for you, there
are about 20 million individuals
in America, 40 and older,
living with some form of
age-related macular degeneration.
(08:51):
I'm going to use the acronym
AMD, but macular degeneration today.
So, you know, nearly 20
million by the most recent
statistics I could find.
And about 1.5 million
of these individuals have advanced
vision threatening from this condition.
So it does progress.
And what's interesting too is
(09:12):
that the progression with age
is so stark.
In the age range between
40 and 44 years old,
it's only about 2%
that have AMD.
But by the time individuals
are 85 and older, about
46% is the statistic.
(09:32):
And to frame it up
yet another way just to
understand the impact, by age
75, about one in three
people in the US will
have some form of AMD.
And one in four, so
about 25% will have
sort of the vision threatening
late stage form.
So this is really important.
(09:53):
What are some of the
risk factors?
Well, some of them are,
you know, the uncontrollable, like
age, when you're over 50,
it's a risk factor.
There is family history.
So genetics do play a
significant role.
So it's good to be
aware if you do have
family members who have diagnosis
of AMD or who had
(10:15):
AMD.
Smoking, smoking actually triples the
risk of AMD.
That is something you can
control and have so many
benefits that go beyond eye
health.
Being overweight or obese and
having hypertension, high blood pressure,
puts us at increased risk.
(10:36):
And then there's poor diet.
So especially ones that are
low in antioxidants, think rainbow,
think our produce, and low
in omega-3s put us
at increased risk.
So what helped in this
review of reviews?
It wasn't just one food
or super food.
(10:57):
It was a pattern.
It was really about more
fruits and vegetables, more of
those good fats, the healthy
fats, like olive oil, nuts
and seeds, fish, and fewer
ultra, ultra processed foods.
So let's think about that
incorporating more idea for our
(11:17):
eye health.
Roasted vegetables drizzled with olive
oil.
Think of a handful of
walnuts or almonds.
Having that chia seed pudding,
maybe incorporating more colorful salads
and soups that are abundant
in the produce.
Maybe some grilled salmon with
(11:38):
lemon and herbs.
Our herbs, our spices, dried
and fresh are abundant sources
of antioxidants.
These foods actually support the
retina in our eye and
they reduce inflammation.
They're both important for eye
health.
So we're thinking about the
antioxidant rich and the anti
(12:00):
-inflammatory foods.
So yes, that Mediterranean style
plate that you might love
already, it's helping more than
your heart and more than
your gut.
It's also supporting your sight.
Moving on to study number
two, we're going to be
talking about the Weekend Warrior
approach to working out.
(12:22):
And amazingly, and I was
a little surprised at this,
it can still work wonders.
Now I know that any
kind of exercise works, but
there have been some concerns
in the past on joint
health, on recovery, on muscles
when you go all out
on the weekend or trying
to get all your exercise
(12:42):
in on the weekend.
For example, if you're someone
who counts your steps and
maybe you set that
10,000 step goal, and we
can talk about how relevant
that really is in terms
of the actual number, but
it's almost impossible to capture
70,000 steps just on
(13:02):
the weekend and forget about
the rest of the week.
That's why we always talk
about move daily and getting
movement in and the recommendations
to move your body throughout
the week.
But this study actually made
me smile a little bit
because real life is busy.
And sometimes we need permission
(13:23):
to let go of the
all or nothing mentality or
recognize that just some weeks
it's not going to happen during
our work time or our
school week with our children
or our own lives because
of travel or other things.
So a recent study that
was published in circulation from
(13:45):
the American Heart Association followed
over 100,000 adults and
found that people who only
worked out on weekends, so
Weekend Warriors, I like to
think of them, still had
but had significantly lower risk
of over 200 chronic diseases,
including heart disease, diabetes, and
(14:08):
even some types of cancer.
So I want to repeat that
again.
People who just squeezed in
their movement just on Saturday
or Sunday, just once or
twice a week, still reaped
major benefits.
So this really matters.
Many people feel like they
can't do it every day
and if they can't do
(14:29):
it every day, it doesn't
count.
And I'm all about giving
you credit for everything that
you do.
But this study actually said
otherwise.
It does all count.
It said just what I
like to know and believe
and that the research is
building on, everything counts.
It validates those of us
(14:50):
who do have irregular schedules
or caregiving duties that come
up, travel, just life.
And it also shows us
that being healthy isn't reserved
for the perfectly organized individual.
So whether it's like a
Saturday hike or a long
(15:11):
bike ride or a couple
hours of gardening, it counts.
So in the recommendation to
get 150 minutes or more
of exercise a week, it
could be done over the
course of just a couple
days.
So this is about disease
risk reduction.
(15:31):
This isn't going to train you
well for a marathon or
give you new skills in
performance per se, but it
definitely counts towards reducing the
risks of chronic disease.
So what are some things
that you can try on
the weekends or on those
two days that you are
reserving on a busy week?
(15:54):
You might try scheduling a
movement date once a weekend.
So sort of like an
appointment that you protect with
a friend, with a spouse,
with a child, but a
movement date, something you do.
You might plan on doing
something you really love that's
moving, whether it's active gardening,
(16:16):
dancing, swimming, playing at a
playground with the kids.
And if the weekdays just
don't allow it this time,
don't sweat it, just let
it be okay.
Because when you're on purpose
toward moving daily, it doesn't
always have to be about
structured exercise as we've discussed
(16:37):
before.
And you can still protect
your health.
And it's not just ticking
a box and saying, I
got it done, but building
it in meaningfully and purposefully
in a way that's a
little more gentle.
So I really loved that
study and wanted to share
it with you today.
The final study of today,
(16:59):
study number three, is another
one that I've sort of
been so excited to share.
And it's about nature and
how just 10 minutes in
nature, more is welcome, but
just 10 minutes in nature
can boost our mental health.
That may sound obvious, but
hear me out here and
(17:21):
listen to this one.
It's powerful, I think it's
like poetic.
In a 2024 meta-analysis,
they showed that just 10
minutes in a natural setting,
so think a walk in
the park, it could be
just outdoors walking somewhere to
get to somewhere else, sitting
under a tree, even just
(17:41):
being by an open window
and maybe hearing the birds
chirp, which I'm going to
encourage you to do if
you have birds around.
This led to measurable improvements
in mood, in stress levels,
in focus and attention, and
a lot more.
10 minutes, this was accidental
(18:03):
exposure to nature, incidental exposure
to nature, intentional exposure to
nature, and they all matter.
So let's do more of
this on purpose.
The researchers looked at studies
that were water-based, that
were outdoor wilderness activities, urban
(18:23):
outdoors, so you can be
in a city, at farms,
at camps, when gardening, at
walking, you name it.
They all showed to be
impactful.
In fact, I want to
read a quote from the
paper.
Analysis of all studies showed
that affect, anxiety, cognition, depression,
(18:46):
mental health, mood, negative emotions,
quality of life, and stress
all showed evidence significant effect
size indicating the positive effect
of nature exposure on these
domains, end quote.
That quote, analysis of all
studies about affect, anxiety, cognition,
(19:09):
depression, mental health, mood, negative
emotions, quality of life, and
stress all showed positive effect
of nature on these domains.
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
And in as little as
just 10 minutes.
That's incredible.
So why does this matter?
(19:29):
Well, I mean the obvious
reasons, but I want to
set it for real for
you today.
In a world where we
feel like everything has to
be optimized or scheduled or
ideal, it's nature that invites
us to just simply be.
Think about it, nature, being
outdoors, the air, the breath,
(19:50):
the birds, the trees, anything
around you.
This really isn't about logging
in the steps and your
exercise.
It's not about planning your
meals and getting it exactly
right.
It's not about tracking stats
and seeing how you're doing.
It's really about restoration.
Some have described this sort
(20:10):
of as 'sips of nature',
and I'm definitely among them
now.
And I love that idea
because I've said this about
movement also, like sips are
a great way to think
about small but purposeful ways
to build moments into your
day.
Think about sips of water
toward hydration, toward your goal,
(20:32):
sips.
Just like we might sip
our tea or our water,
we can sip stillness, green
leaves, sunlight.
So think about opening your
window and trying to listen
for those birds as I
told you we would be
thinking about.
Think about stepping outside barefoot,
do you dare, you know,
in your yard for a
(20:53):
few minutes.
Some people love it.
Some people haven't been barefoot
in a long time unless
they're at the beach or
something like that.
Maybe take a call while
you're outside.
You could be walking among
trees or on the street
or even just sitting outside.
And even a 10 minute
stroll without headphones and just
(21:13):
being with the outdoors counts.
So this is simple and
sometimes simple can be really
profound.
So those are the three
studies.
They each offer hopefully insights
into how we might spend
our waking minutes a little
more intentionally.
And of course we can't
fully generalize the findings beyond
(21:34):
the study participants or what
the researchers showed but these
practices are generally safe and
worth considering.
Plus they really add to
the growing body of research.
Think of the Mediterranean diet.
There's hundreds and hundreds of
studies on the benefits to
overall health.
We've challenged the previous notion
(21:55):
about Weekend Warrior exercise patterns
and we're highlighting what I
think is inherently known but
"I love when science shows
what Mother Nature knows," the
restorative power of nature.
So three small science-backed
practices and ideas you can
try.
(22:15):
Think about coloring your plate
up.
So the rainbow, the Mediterranean
style, the olive oil, the
leafy greens, the colorful avocado
and tomatoes and carrots and
watermelon as it comes in
season and corn on the
cob, all the good stuff.
Think of beans and nuts
and seeds.
Eat with your eyes, in
(22:36):
other words, and eat for
your eyes.
Remember to let your weekend
workouts count.
So stop disqualifying that or
feeling bad about not getting
in a workout during the
week, a long walk or
a family bike ride or
just being active on the
weekend.
It all matters.
(22:58):
And then take a 10
minute - or more - but take
a 10 minute nature break.
Find your version.
Maybe it's laying on your
back on the green grass
and looking at the clouds
go by.
Have you done that lately?
Oh, I have such memories
of that in the summertime.
Enjoying breathing in the air,
going by a water source
(23:19):
like a lake or a
river or the ocean and
enjoy that and sip it
in almost like a sip
of fresh water.
So as always, thank you
for sharing some of your
1,000 waking minutes with me
today.
I hope this episode gave
you something useful, not an
overhaul by any means but
(23:40):
to inspire a few small,
meaningful shifts.
These moments, how we eat,
how we move and how
we connect to nature, they're
more than tasks.
They're more than ticking off
something on a to-do
list.
They're the ways we can
build a well-lived day.
One minute, one choice, one
(24:00):
breath at a time and
they become cumulative over time.
So if you found this
episode helpful, I'd truly be
grateful if you'd share it
with someone who you care
about.
I'd love it if you'd
share a kind review and
subscribe if you haven't so
you won't miss any future
episodes.
You can always connect with
(24:22):
me at wendybazilian.com or
write me an email at
1KWM@wendybazilian.com.
I love hearing from you.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, your host
of 1,000 Waking Minutes.
Eat well, move daily, be
healthy. And until next time,
(24:43):
be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriela Escalante in particular.
To the ultra talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
(25:04):
Preis Photography and Design.
To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,
Joanna Powell and of course
my family and everyone working
tirelessly behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes, that's us,
(25:27):
a five-star rating and
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Please follow and stay connected
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Your support helps us grow
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Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
(25:48):
1,000 Waking Minutes each day.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ ♪ I'm saying yes
(26:09):
to better days, yes ♪
♪ I'm on my way,
yes, it's gonna be okay,
yeah ♪
Today, we're talking about how
the food on your plate
could help protect your eyesight,
why your weekend workouts may
be more powerful than you
thought, and how the beauty
and impact of just 10
minutes outside can shift your
mood and mindset.
This episode brings the science
and the strategy to your
waking minutes.
(00:21):
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
(00:42):
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ Welcome back to 1,000
(01:08):
Waking Minutes.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
I'm grateful that we can
share some of our waking
minutes together today.
This is one of our
'Science You Can Use' episodes,
where we take a few
meaningful studies and explore what
they actually mean for your
real life.
Because science isn't just about
(01:31):
the headlines and the hype,
or for health professionals.
It can really live in
our own kitchens, in our
own calendars, in our mindset
and our mood, and within
our habits.
And it's even better if
it's something we can actually
do something with, the science
that is.
(01:51):
And I've been reading quite
a few studies lately, as
always, and there's a few
that have really piqued my
interest.
So I hope you'll find
them interesting too.
These episodes are where I
talk about a few studies
that I've sort of bumbled
into.
And it's designed to bring
the research to life and
(02:11):
within your reach, our reach
together.
So it's science to strategy
I like to think about.
And hopefully you can see
how science does evolve and
it's not all hype and
headlines.
And hopefully there's a little
humanity within it too.
And I always want to put
it into practice.
So I want you to
(02:32):
leave saying like, I could
see myself doing that in
a few moments of my
waking minutes of a day.
So today we're going to
explore three recent studies that
caught my attention.
And they might shape how
you spend a few of
your 1,000 waking minutes a
(02:52):
little more intentionally.
So first we'll take a
look at what we eat,
sort of the EAT WELL
theme, and how something as
simple and delicious as the
Mediterranean way of eating, you
don't have to live in
the Mediterranean as I've said
before, in order to do
that, something as simple as
delicious could support your vision.
(03:13):
We're talking eyesight today over
the longterm.
Then we'll move into movement.
So our move daily and
how being a Weekend Warrior,
a weekend bursts of exercise
can actually offer surprising protection
against chronic disease.
And it sort of goes
not against, but in contrast
(03:34):
to some other thinking previously.
So I wanted to bring
that to you.
And our third pillar, be
healthy. Eat well, move daily,
be healthy.
We're going to step outside.
And I mean, literally, just
10 minutes in nature might
offer big mental health benefits,
(03:56):
including reduced stress and improved
focus.
Who couldn't benefit from that?
Three studies, three ways to
make our minutes in our
day work for us.
And this isn't about pressure,
but more about being thoughtful
and in a get curious
(04:16):
kind of way.
So let's move into our
studies.
First is the Mediterranean diet
and eye health.
So this one surprised me
a little bit.
Not surprising that there's even
more research that keeps building
around the Mediterranean diet, but
a recent study, a 2025,
just this year's study published
(04:37):
in Nutrients found that people
who followed a Mediterranean style
eating pattern had a 34%
lower odds of developing
macular degeneration.
That's age-related vision loss.
And that's the kind that
affects our central vision where
people can't see the things
(04:57):
as well or at all,
eventually, the things that are
directly in front of them
and that we start to
see around the periphery.
My grandfather, my maternal grandfather,
Doc Rader, had macular degeneration
called AMD, that's the acronym
for it.
And it really does start
(05:19):
to compromise one's quality of
life, especially if they've lived
a life relying on their
sight for so many things
as so many of us
do.
I remember so many impacts
that came from it and
there's so many accommodations today,
but we may have some
clues at how to further
reduce the risk as this
study is showing.
(05:40):
This is not a small
number I'm talking, that's the
surprising part.
It means that our food
choices can quite literally help
us see the future.
I mean that poetically, but
also literally, more clearly.
So we can see the
future and live in the
future, seeing more clearly, potentially.
Studies have shown that people
(06:02):
who stick on a Mediterranean
style diet, this was a
systematic review and meta-analysis,
so this is many studies
compiled and analyzed, but these
studies have shown that following
this type of diet, they
have a lower chance of
their macular degeneration getting worse.
So this is about progression
(06:23):
as well.
So in this review of
reviews, which in effect helps
synthesize and analyze the existing
science and evidence on a
topic, in this case, the
relationship and potential link between
the Mediterranean diet style eating
patterns and the development of
(06:43):
macular degeneration or the progression
of it.
What the researchers looked at
were the case control studies
and perspective studies where they
saw, they ended up seeing
and reporting significant differences and
risk and odds ratios related
to this.
They looked back at the
(07:04):
habits and they looked at
the habits over time.
And this comes from tracking
cohorts of people over time
and they found these significant
findings.
The review of both types,
so case studies look back
and perspective studies sort of
follow people over time, both
showed significant benefits.
(07:26):
There was a 23%
lower risk from the studies
that were tracking people over
time moving forward and even
a greater 34% lower
odds from the case controlled
studies.
No matter what, even if
that sounds confusing to you,
like what's the difference?
It's significant, statistically significant, scientifically
(07:47):
significant, and it's a big
relationship from something that we
can do through diet and
nutrition and certainly worth trying.
So why does this all
matter?
Well, my grandfather had macular
degeneration, but it's one of
the most common causes and
it's likely that you may
know someone who also suffers
(08:08):
from this diagnosis and to
slow its progression means big
improvements, big staving off and
maintaining quality of life over
time.
And it's one of the
most common causes of vision
loss as we age.
And while many of us
do think of eating for
energy or skin or mood,
(08:29):
digestion, heart health, all those,
we might not always be
thinking about eating for our
eye health.
And just to frame this
up statistics for you, there
are about 20 million individuals
in America, 40 and older,
living with some form of
age-related macular degeneration.
(08:51):
I'm going to use the acronym
AMD, but macular degeneration today.
So, you know, nearly 20
million by the most recent
statistics I could find.
And about 1.5 million
of these individuals have advanced
vision threatening from this condition.
So it does progress.
And what's interesting too is
(09:12):
that the progression with age
is so stark.
In the age range between
40 and 44 years old,
it's only about 2%
that have AMD.
But by the time individuals
are 85 and older, about
46% is the statistic.
(09:32):
And to frame it up
yet another way just to
understand the impact, by age
75, about one in three
people in the US will
have some form of AMD.
And one in four, so
about 25% will have
sort of the vision threatening
late stage form.
So this is really important.
(09:53):
What are some of the
risk factors?
Well, some of them are,
you know, the uncontrollable, like
age, when you're over 50,
it's a risk factor.
There is family history.
So genetics do play a
significant role.
So it's good to be
aware if you do have
family members who have diagnosis
of AMD or who had
(10:15):
AMD.
Smoking, smoking actually triples the
risk of AMD.
That is something you can
control and have so many
benefits that go beyond eye
health.
Being overweight or obese and
having hypertension, high blood pressure,
puts us at increased risk.
(10:36):
And then there's poor diet.
So especially ones that are
low in antioxidants, think rainbow,
think our produce, and low
in omega-3s put us
at increased risk.
So what helped in this
review of reviews?
It wasn't just one food
or super food.
(10:57):
It was a pattern.
It was really about more
fruits and vegetables, more of
those good fats, the healthy
fats, like olive oil, nuts
and seeds, fish, and fewer
ultra, ultra processed foods.
So let's think about that
incorporating more idea for our
(11:17):
eye health.
Roasted vegetables drizzled with olive
oil.
Think of a handful of
walnuts or almonds.
Having that chia seed pudding,
maybe incorporating more colorful salads
and soups that are abundant
in the produce.
Maybe some grilled salmon with
(11:38):
lemon and herbs.
Our herbs, our spices, dried
and fresh are abundant sources
of antioxidants.
These foods actually support the
retina in our eye and
they reduce inflammation.
They're both important for eye
health.
So we're thinking about the
antioxidant rich and the anti
(12:00):
-inflammatory foods.
So yes, that Mediterranean style
plate that you might love
already, it's helping more than
your heart and more than
your gut.
It's also supporting your sight.
Moving on to study number
two, we're going to be
talking about the Weekend Warrior
approach to working out.
(12:22):
And amazingly, and I was
a little surprised at this,
it can still work wonders.
Now I know that any
kind of exercise works, but
there have been some concerns
in the past on joint
health, on recovery, on muscles
when you go all out
on the weekend or trying
to get all your exercise
(12:42):
in on the weekend.
For example, if you're someone
who counts your steps and
maybe you set that
10,000 step goal, and we
can talk about how relevant
that really is in terms
of the actual number, but
it's almost impossible to capture
70,000 steps just on
(13:02):
the weekend and forget about
the rest of the week.
That's why we always talk
about move daily and getting
movement in and the recommendations
to move your body throughout
the week.
But this study actually made
me smile a little bit
because real life is busy.
And sometimes we need permission
(13:23):
to let go of the
all or nothing mentality or
recognize that just some weeks
it's not going to happen during
our work time or our
school week with our children
or our own lives because
of travel or other things.
So a recent study that
was published in circulation from
(13:45):
the American Heart Association followed
over 100,000 adults and
found that people who only
worked out on weekends, so
Weekend Warriors, I like to
think of them, still had
but had significantly lower risk
of over 200 chronic diseases,
including heart disease, diabetes, and
(14:08):
even some types of cancer.
So I want to repeat that
again.
People who just squeezed in
their movement just on Saturday
or Sunday, just once or
twice a week, still reaped
major benefits.
So this really matters.
Many people feel like they
can't do it every day
and if they can't do
(14:29):
it every day, it doesn't
count.
And I'm all about giving
you credit for everything that
you do.
But this study actually said
otherwise.
It does all count.
It said just what I
like to know and believe
and that the research is
building on, everything counts.
It validates those of us
(14:50):
who do have irregular schedules
or caregiving duties that come
up, travel, just life.
And it also shows us
that being healthy isn't reserved
for the perfectly organized individual.
So whether it's like a
Saturday hike or a long
(15:11):
bike ride or a couple
hours of gardening, it counts.
So in the recommendation to
get 150 minutes or more
of exercise a week, it
could be done over the
course of just a couple
days.
So this is about disease
risk reduction.
(15:31):
This isn't going to train you
well for a marathon or
give you new skills in
performance per se, but it
definitely counts towards reducing the
risks of chronic disease.
So what are some things
that you can try on
the weekends or on those
two days that you are
reserving on a busy week?
(15:54):
You might try scheduling a
movement date once a weekend.
So sort of like an
appointment that you protect with
a friend, with a spouse,
with a child, but a
movement date, something you do.
You might plan on doing
something you really love that's
moving, whether it's active gardening,
(16:16):
dancing, swimming, playing at a
playground with the kids.
And if the weekdays just
don't allow it this time,
don't sweat it, just let
it be okay.
Because when you're on purpose
toward moving daily, it doesn't
always have to be about
structured exercise as we've discussed
(16:37):
before.
And you can still protect
your health.
And it's not just ticking
a box and saying, I
got it done, but building
it in meaningfully and purposefully
in a way that's a
little more gentle.
So I really loved that
study and wanted to share
it with you today.
The final study of today,
(16:59):
study number three, is another
one that I've sort of
been so excited to share.
And it's about nature and
how just 10 minutes in
nature, more is welcome, but
just 10 minutes in nature
can boost our mental health.
That may sound obvious, but
hear me out here and
(17:21):
listen to this one.
It's powerful, I think it's
like poetic.
In a 2024 meta-analysis,
they showed that just 10
minutes in a natural setting,
so think a walk in
the park, it could be
just outdoors walking somewhere to
get to somewhere else, sitting
under a tree, even just
(17:41):
being by an open window
and maybe hearing the birds
chirp, which I'm going to
encourage you to do if
you have birds around.
This led to measurable improvements
in mood, in stress levels,
in focus and attention, and
a lot more.
10 minutes, this was accidental
(18:03):
exposure to nature, incidental exposure
to nature, intentional exposure to
nature, and they all matter.
So let's do more of
this on purpose.
The researchers looked at studies
that were water-based, that
were outdoor wilderness activities, urban
(18:23):
outdoors, so you can be
in a city, at farms,
at camps, when gardening, at
walking, you name it.
They all showed to be
impactful.
In fact, I want to
read a quote from the
paper.
Analysis of all studies showed
that affect, anxiety, cognition, depression,
(18:46):
mental health, mood, negative emotions,
quality of life, and stress
all showed evidence significant effect
size indicating the positive effect
of nature exposure on these
domains, end quote.
That quote, analysis of all
studies about affect, anxiety, cognition,
(19:09):
depression, mental health, mood, negative
emotions, quality of life, and
stress all showed positive effect
of nature on these domains.
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
And in as little as
just 10 minutes.
That's incredible.
So why does this matter?
(19:29):
Well, I mean the obvious
reasons, but I want to
set it for real for
you today.
In a world where we
feel like everything has to
be optimized or scheduled or
ideal, it's nature that invites
us to just simply be.
Think about it, nature, being
outdoors, the air, the breath,
(19:50):
the birds, the trees, anything
around you.
This really isn't about logging
in the steps and your
exercise.
It's not about planning your
meals and getting it exactly
right.
It's not about tracking stats
and seeing how you're doing.
It's really about restoration.
Some have described this sort
(20:10):
of as 'sips of nature',
and I'm definitely among them
now.
And I love that idea
because I've said this about
movement also, like sips are
a great way to think
about small but purposeful ways
to build moments into your
day.
Think about sips of water
toward hydration, toward your goal,
(20:32):
sips.
Just like we might sip
our tea or our water,
we can sip stillness, green
leaves, sunlight.
So think about opening your
window and trying to listen
for those birds as I
told you we would be
thinking about.
Think about stepping outside barefoot,
do you dare, you know,
in your yard for a
(20:53):
few minutes.
Some people love it.
Some people haven't been barefoot
in a long time unless
they're at the beach or
something like that.
Maybe take a call while
you're outside.
You could be walking among
trees or on the street
or even just sitting outside.
And even a 10 minute
stroll without headphones and just
(21:13):
being with the outdoors counts.
So this is simple and
sometimes simple can be really
profound.
So those are the three
studies.
They each offer hopefully insights
into how we might spend
our waking minutes a little
more intentionally.
And of course we can't
fully generalize the findings beyond
(21:34):
the study participants or what
the researchers showed but these
practices are generally safe and
worth considering.
Plus they really add to
the growing body of research.
Think of the Mediterranean diet.
There's hundreds and hundreds of
studies on the benefits to
overall health.
We've challenged the previous notion
(21:55):
about Weekend Warrior exercise patterns
and we're highlighting what I
think is inherently known but
"I love when science shows
what Mother Nature knows," the
restorative power of nature.
So three small science-backed
practices and ideas you can
try.
(22:15):
Think about coloring your plate
up.
So the rainbow, the Mediterranean
style, the olive oil, the
leafy greens, the colorful avocado
and tomatoes and carrots and
watermelon as it comes in
season and corn on the
cob, all the good stuff.
Think of beans and nuts
and seeds.
Eat with your eyes, in
(22:36):
other words, and eat for
your eyes.
Remember to let your weekend
workouts count.
So stop disqualifying that or
feeling bad about not getting
in a workout during the
week, a long walk or
a family bike ride or
just being active on the
weekend.
It all matters.
(22:58):
And then take a 10
minute - or more - but take
a 10 minute nature break.
Find your version.
Maybe it's laying on your
back on the green grass
and looking at the clouds
go by.
Have you done that lately?
Oh, I have such memories
of that in the summertime.
Enjoying breathing in the air,
going by a water source
(23:19):
like a lake or a
river or the ocean and
enjoy that and sip it
in almost like a sip
of fresh water.
So as always, thank you
for sharing some of your
1,000 waking minutes with me
today.
I hope this episode gave
you something useful, not an
overhaul by any means but
(23:40):
to inspire a few small,
meaningful shifts.
These moments, how we eat,
how we move and how
we connect to nature, they're
more than tasks.
They're more than ticking off
something on a to-do
list.
They're the ways we can
build a well-lived day.
One minute, one choice, one
(24:00):
breath at a time and
they become cumulative over time.
So if you found this
episode helpful, I'd truly be
grateful if you'd share it
with someone who you care
about.
I'd love it if you'd
share a kind review and
subscribe if you haven't so
you won't miss any future
episodes.
You can always connect with
(24:22):
me at wendybazilian.com or
write me an email at
1KWM@wendybazilian.com.
I love hearing from you.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, your host
of 1,000 Waking Minutes.
Eat well, move daily, be
healthy. And until next time,
(24:43):
be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriela Escalante in particular.
To the ultra talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
(25:04):
Preis Photography and Design.
To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,
Joanna Powell and of course
my family and everyone working
tirelessly behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes, that's us,
(25:27):
a five-star rating and
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Your support helps us grow
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Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
(25:48):
1,000 Waking Minutes each day.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ ♪ I'm saying yes
(26:09):
to better days, yes ♪
♪ I'm on my way,
yes, it's gonna be okay,
yeah ♪
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