Snacks and Naps: Lessons on Healthy Aging from Toddlerhood
Exhausted and cranky from a cereal-fueled, long morning of looking at books, chasing the dog, breaking a cup, and a quick car ride, it was definitely time for a nap. A few sliced strawberries later and shhhh…finally snoozing as the early afternoon sun peeked through the shade’s gaps in the darkened room.
Oh the terrible twos…“two years away from 68” that is. Is that even a thing? I’m making it a thing because this is not a description of a sweet toddler in my life. This IS my life.
There are many “new to me” experiences that define The Precious Days. And two of the most recent involve an afternoon snack and a snooze. I think the afternoon naps began last winter. Usually sometime between 2:00 and 4:00, I’d find myself prone on the couch, book in hand, and within 5 minutes…buh bye. I’d sleep anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, but it felt like hours. Raring to go, I needed a snack to get me through to dinner. The snack left me feeling a bit guiltier than the nap, since I have tried for years not to eat between meals. But I have strategized that I can use this snack for something I am not getting enough of on any given day. What might that be? Fruit? Some nuts? Veggies? Protein? It varies from day to day. It also has to be a snack-size portion, not a prelude meal to dinner (I’ve always had to watch that, too).
The naps are definitely a new treat. My husband naps, but with a purpose: to stay up later for a sporting event. But like that inner two year old, I have resisted napping in the past. During my years of work, a nap at between 2:00 and 4:00 was out of the question. I had bosses who frowned on that (go figure). But at work, I did often have a snack — just not always the healthiest choices. You know what work breakrooms can be like. Someone’s extra Christmas cookies, meeting donuts, second loaf of banana bread, left-over birthday cake, old Halloween candy…suddenly we became gulls at the dump. These days, I make better choices by design and desire to age as healthy as possible. The virtues of retirement….
So I’ve recently made peace with my snacking because it’s become part of my brain health arsenal. That’s right, I can potentially snack my way to better cognitive health. It turns out brain health experts have some recommendations for afternoon-slump snackers that will not only satisfy retirees, but the workforce, too.
Many of the recommendations come from Dr. Annie Fenn. I follow her on Instagram. I also use her cookbook, The Brain Health Kitchen. She’s a guru of mine for sure. In the article she co-authored that appeared in Parade Online entitled, A Neurologist and Alzheimer's Expert Share Their Go-To Snacks for Brain Power, she recommends “foods (that) contain either flavonoids, unsaturated fats or fiber—all nutrients the experts say support brain health” to combat the slump. These are the little something-somethings I tend to seek out for my snack after a nap. Some good choices are a few whole grain crackers and hummus or mashed sardines (my favorite), some berries, a hard boiled egg, a handful of nuts and seeds, or some minimally-processed peanut butter on whole grain toast (I love Ezekiel). Not a Peanut M&M in sight — processed and high in sugar foods are no go’s. Digging in a little deeper, the article notes: “…when (Fenn) needs an energizing snack, she incorporates foods high in unsaturated fats, like nuts, avocado or olive oil. She also chooses foods that contain flavonoids—bioactive substances found in colorful foods important for memory and focus. Dr. Fenn explains that flavonoids fight inflammation in the brain and spark circuits that improve memory and focus. “I’ll eat a small packet of olives, a cup of blueberries, half an avocado drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, an apple or pear dipped in almond butter, or one of my homemade blueberry banana hemp muffins,” she says, listing some of her favorite snacks for brain power.” You all know many of these things already, I’m sure. But it’s the intentionality of doing something good for your brain. Pairing the snack with a nap? Ring all the bells.
Now more about those naps and their effect on the brain. Neuroscience News reported that “habitual daytime napping could help preserve brain health and slow down the brain shrinkage that comes with aging.” A heavier brain? That’s one area that I would welcome the extra weight. The online article entitled A Power Nap a Day May Keep Brain Aging at Bay, further explains that the sleep study in focus revealed that “while the researchers did not have information on nap duration, earlier studies suggest that naps of 30 minutes or less provide the best short-term cognitive benefits, and napping earlier in the day is less likely to disrupt night-time sleep.” Early afternoon seems like a good choice for me.
So there you go. The new dynamic duo for your afternoons… drum roll… SNACKS AND NAPS! So watch and learn, current and future grandmas. Who knew those grand-toddlers would be teaching us the secrets of healthy aging?
Are you an napper or a snacker? What fuels your choices? If you have any tips, please share in the comments. Let’s be a community of super agers!
