Can your daily food choices improve both your health and the planet’s? Can movement help your memory more than you realized? And is just sitting under a tree—without even moving—actually medicine for your mood?

In this “Science You Can Use” episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian shares three recent high-quality research studies that reveal how small, daily choices can deliver meaningful benefits. From the foods you eat to how you move and where you spend time, these studies offer a compelling look at how to live well in today’s world—with clarity, purpose, and grounded optimism.

No pressure, no perfection. Just timely, real-world takeaways backed by science. These aren’t just data points—they’re doorways to feeling more connected, resilient, and inspired in your waking minutes.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(4:31) Study 1: The Food Environment Matrix – How 30 foods rank for human and planetary health

(15:42) Study 2: Movement and Cognition – What more than 2,700 studies reveal about memory, focus, and low-intensity activity, including active video games

(22:48) Study 3: Nature and Mental Health – How tree-lined sidewalks and parks reduce anxiety and lift mood

(32:14) Tips to bring these ideas into your life this week

(34:25) Gratitude and where to find links, follow, and connect

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

Follow on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit the website: wendybazilian.com

Email: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT:

If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow:

• Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop

• Rate & Review the show—your feedback helps others find the podcast

• Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting on social media

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:

Study 1 – Food Choices That Shape the Future

A new “food environment matrix” compares the health and environmental impact of 30 food groups. Whole plant foods were among the most beneficial, while certain processed meats and sweetened beverages had the highest toll on health and the planet.

Takeaway: Eat more from the green zone. Plants are powerful—for you and the world.

Berardy A, Fresán U, Abbaspour N, Sabaté J. A matrix approach to visually communicate simultaneously the environmental and health impacts of foods. Front Nutr. 2025 Aug 5;12:1572297. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1572297. PMID: 40837428; PMCID: PMC12361189. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12361189/ 

Study 2 – Movement That Boosts Brain Power

A massive umbrella review shows that yoga, tai chi, and even interactive games can improve memory and cognitive function—even more so than intense workouts.

Takeaway: Low to moderate movement, especially when mentally engaging, supports brain health across all ages.Singh, B., Bennett, H., Miatke, A., Dumuid, D., Curtis, R., Ferguson, T., 

Brinsley, J., Szeto, K., Petersen, J. M., Gough, C., Eglitis, E., Simpson, C. E., Ekegren, C. L., Smith, A. E., Erickson, K. I., & Maher, C. (2025). Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 59(12), 866–876. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108589

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40049759/

Study 3 – Green Space as Medicine

Spending time in nature—even in cities—was shown to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and increase well-being. Surprisingly, even passive time (like sitting quietly on a park bench) had measurable benefits.

Takeaway: Just 10–15 minutes of “green time” makes a difference. No need to go far. Just go outside.

Li, Y., Mao, Y., Mandle, L., Rydström, A., Remme, R. P., Lan, X., Wu, T., Song, C., Lu, Y., Nadeau, K. C., Meyer‑Lindenberg, A., Daily, G. C., & Guerry, A. D. (2025). Acute mental health benefits of urban nature. Nature Cities, 2, 720–731. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00286-y 

Ji, J.S. Urban nature and mental health. Nat Cities 2, 683–684 (2025). 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00297-9 

William Shakespeare wrote, "one touch

of nature makes the whole

world kin."

And today we'll explore how

that connection shows up in

our everyday lives.

We'll look at how green

spaces, even in cities, can

help ease anxiety and stress.

How movement, such as yoga

or interactive games, can support

brain health, and a new

tool that helps us make

food choices that nourish both

our bodies and the planet.

This is 1,000 Waking Minutes,

and science you can use.

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 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

♪ Hello, I am Dr.

Wendy Bazilian, and this is

1,000 Waking Minutes.

So glad you could be

with me today.

This is an episode that

I like to call in

a series, Science You Can

Use.

Sort of the evidence for

everyday life.

When I walk through a

few, three to be specific,

recent peer-reviewed studies and

how they connect to our

real everyday lives.

So whether it's what you

eat, what we eat as

a community, in our families,

how we move, or how

we pause, reset, and restore,

we're going to look at

three studies that sort of

look at those particular areas.

Because you know that my

sort of professional and personal

mantra is eat well, move

daily, be healthy.

But this isn't to add

more to your to-do

list, to sort of offer

some perspective, maybe reinforce and

validate some things that you're

already doing, and hopefully offer

some fresh ideas that you

can feel good about in

your life.

So these are insights that

are organized around those pillars

today.

I have an eat well

study, a move daily study,

and a be healthy study

to share.

One of them, the first,

is about personal and planetary

health.

So it has a visual

matrix, a really cool visual.

So I'll be sure to

get that available to post

as well as to show

it if you look on

YouTube here.

But it sort of connects

nutrient density, nutrient quality with

environmental impact.

The second study is about

how movement, including yoga and

Tai Chi, even games that

you do when you're moving

can support cognition and executive

function, making decisions in our

brain.

And the third is about

how spending even short amounts

of time in nature, in

particular in urban green spaces,

can help reduce anxiety and

boost our mood.

So you'll hear about this

research, why it matters, and

some simple ways to bring

it into your 1,000

waking minutes today, if you

like.

So this is all about

intention and stacking benefits and

investing in small moments, like

even a couple minutes or

15 minutes, into your choices

you make every day and

the ripple effect it can

have on your life and

on your overall health, for

your energy, our clarity, our

resilience, and even our joy.

So whether you're out walking

while listening, if you're folding

laundry, if you're working, commuting,

or just taking a break,

I'm certainly glad you're here

today.

So first up, we're going

to start with food, our

eat well pillar.

And today we're zooming way

out.

It's a countrywide perspective, but

it's sort of looking at

a global topic.

A new study just published

just out in the last

couple of weeks in Frontiers

in Nutrition, the journal, looked

at a big question, a

global question.

How does our global food

system impact human and planetary

health?

So the researchers, and I'll

tell you about the researchers

in a second, but the

researchers created a kind of

matrix.

I actually have it here.

I'll show it.

And it compares how different

foods affect two major things.

Our health, number one, things

like health condition support, chronic

disease risk, even mortality risk,

and also environmental impact, like

carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions,

and land use.

So it's a visual matrix.

I'm trying to put it

up on the screen for

those of you who might

look on YouTube, and I'll

post it, but a visual

matrix.

And here's what they found.

Some foods deliver what the

researchers sort of termed win

-win outcomes.

They're good for us and

good for the planet, or

they're healthful, nutrient-dense for

humans, and have lower environmental

impact.

And others are more toward

a lose-lose, but I

don't want to go that

far, maybe not so good

for our health, according to

research, and less positive or

rather more taxing on the

environment.

And then there are the

in-between foods where things

get a little more nuanced.

So what comes in the,

this was set up like

a traffic light sort of

signal because we sort of

all know green means go,

red means stop, or in

this case, perhaps limit or

pause enough to think about

it.

And the yellow is sort

of like in-between, what

do you do?

You got to make your

own smart choices for yourself.

So up in the green

include the whole plant foods.

So some of this was

very intuitive.

In fact, the researchers called

it an intuitive visual matrix

because some of it seemed

like, ah, that sort of

makes sense, or I've heard

that before.

So whole plant foods like

vegetables and fruits and legumes,

whole grains, nuts, minimally processed

plant oils.

A lot of those came

up in the best or

better for human health, less

taxing on the environment.

They were associated with lower

chronic disease risk and mortality,

and they had lower environmental

impact.

So a win-win for

us and the planet, in

other words.

Those that fell into like

the red area tend to

be things like processed meats,

some of the red meats,

which we have to recognize

that their carbon footprint may

be higher.

And there's been research that

when in excess or when

not in combination with other

health-enhancing and health-supporting

foods, they may be detrimental

to health, as well as

things like, no surprise, sugar

-sweetened beverages like soda pop.

And those things being linked

in science to higher mortality

risk and environmental harm.

So this was data that

was aggregated from meta-analyses

and reviews about the carbon

footprint and health effects of

30 food groups, just to

sort of set that out,

in the US.

So this is US.

And then the data was

used to categorize foods as

favorable, neutral, or unfavorable to

health, and low, medium, or

high for carbon footprint or

environmental impact.

So this is coming from

research, not like self-assessment.

And every food landed somewhere,

but not every food landed

clearly and cleanly in some

boxes.

For example, some animal-sourced

foods like dairy and eggs

were neutral, or even modestly

beneficial for health, but carried

moderate environmental risk.

So there is nuance here.

Certain seafoods showed positive health

effects, while the environmental impact

depending on how and where

they were produced could be

dramatic.

So it gives us a

helpful framework.

That's what I really love

about this.

And it's not about, however,

villainizing or moralizing.

Foods do not have morality.

It's not about good or

bad in that kind of

sense, but helping us make

more health-inspired choices and

a way that we can

sort of stack our benefits

for our bodies and the

broader world.

So this is the kind

of lens that drew me

into nutrition and public health

in the first place.

And this is where we

get to one of the

lead investigator here on this

study and his colleagues.

When I was doing my

doctoral work, I had the

opportunity to study with Dr.

Joan Sabaté.

He was a pioneering researcher

that I knew about already.

And he had published in

1993 in the New England

Journal of Medicine, a paper

on walnuts and heart health.

And this single study was

part of the shift toward

viewing food, not just as

fuel, but also as function.

And not just for individuals,

but for the communities in

the planet.

And this study, it was

about cholesterol reduction.

It was sort of bridging

the idea that certain foods

and walnuts and then put

sort of nuts on the

map from going from like

a fatty food, a baking

ingredient, a forbidden food to

a plant food that has

substantial benefits, not only to

heart health, but as we

found over the many years

since then through hundreds of

papers, cognitive health, certain types

of cancer risk reduction, male

fertility, a number of ones

that I could go into

in some detail.

But at any rate, when

I read this new study,

I couldn't help but think

about the sort of arc

of that work from nutrient

-focused to food-focused to

systems-focused.

What Dr. Sabaté, who is

the author, the investigator on

this study I'm telling you

about now about the environment,

he calls this environmental nutrition.

And it's something I first

heard him say in a

classroom almost 20 years ago

now about how our daily

food choices, one meal at

a time, really do ripple

outward and the intersection between

the environment, planetary health, and

human nutrition.

So of course, a few

key takeaways from this study,

eating more plant foods continues

to be one of the

most evidence-based steps toward

personal and world planetary well

-being.

You don't have to go

all or nothing.

So the researchers emphasize shifting

diets.

It sort of supports that

idea of small steps accumulate

over time toward big shifts.

And it also suggests, and

we start hearing about this

more and more, and I

think the newest generation is

really going to be the ones

who spearhead this movement in

a grander way, that dietary

changes alone, without changes to

the production, the processing, our

policies around food won't be

enough.

That this is about systemic

action and personal choice.

Today, it's about your personal

choice, but getting familiar with

this and this matrix, and

I'll show it again for

those of you who now

understand it a little bit

more, this matrix up on

the screen here.

And I'll post it, share

it, write me, I'll send

it to you.

This matrix, it maps out

common foods based on two

things, our impact on our

health and their impact on

the environment.

So how can you use

this in your daily life?

Just a few simple things.

Leaning to foods that land

in the green zone.

So maybe you use the

matrix and you say, do

I have these represented at

most meals, most snacks, fresh

produce, whole grains, beans, nuts,

seeds, even water, which can

be nutrient rich and planet

friendly.

And think about that.

These are the everyday sort

of power players on your

plate.

And they do a lot

of good without asking much

in return.

So some foods land more

in the middle, things like

our eggs and dairy, our

coffee, our tea, and they

have such a great place

in our diet.

I can't give mine up

and I love them, you

know, but they come with

a slightly higher environmental impact.

So being familiar, it's not

a reason to avoid them,

but cue them in to

enjoy them, like with a

little more intention.

And then there's the ranking

lower foods.

You know, I hate to

put the red stop on

them because it seems so

admonishing at times, but it's

about a bigger carbon load

or our processed meats, our

sodas, even beef, moderate in

those, or be mindful of

those, I think are the

two words I was trying

to put together, mindful and

moderate.

It's not about shame, but

it's about awareness and choice.

Where are they fitting on

your plate?

When are they fitting on

your plate?

Where are they coming from?

Do you know the source

of your food?

And it's certainly not about

being perfect or, you know,

making an overhaul to your

plate.

The tool is a guidepost.

It's sort of like a

compass, maybe a directional compass.

That'd be cool if it

was sort of designed like

a little compass.

I'm helping us navigate a

little bit toward perhaps some

more healthful food choices.

So I just thought I'd

mention that, and remembering, we

talk about plant-based a

lot.

And plant-based, some people,

if you're sort of making

shifts from a more meat

-based diet, think that that's

like vegan.

You know, they go all

in, you know, that's vegan.

Plant-based isn't about being

100% vegan, but it

means putting plants more at

the center of your plate.

And these individual choices may

seem small when you're making

them, but they do remind

us that every bite we

take can make a small

difference.

So it's kind of cool

when we get opportunities in

the published research to see

when researchers are able to

sort of dig in with

the tools of science and

give us a perspective on

this in the peer-reviewed

literature.

Okay, so let's move into

our second study today.

This one falls under our

Move Daily pillar.

Researchers conducted what they call

the largest and most comprehensive

umbrella review to date, wasn't

about raining, looking at exercise

and cognitive function.

It was published in the

British Journal of Sports Medicine

in 2025, just recently.

And it pulled together a

huge body of research, 133

systematic reviews, and it covered

more than 2,700 randomized

controlled trials and over 258

,000 people of all ages

and backgrounds.

So what were they looking

at with this umbrella review?

An umbrella review is a

review of reviews of reviews.

It's a review of reviews.

What were they looking at?

They examined how different kinds

of exercise, everything from aerobic

to resistance training, yoga, tai

chi, dance, even exer games,

exercise games, games that you're

playing.

When, you know, last generation

may have done the Wii,

you know, there's a lot

of different exer games that

exist now.

But they were looking at

how all these different kinds

of exercise impact three aspects

of brain function, general cognition,

memory, and executive function, which

includes things like planning and

problem solving and focus.

And here's what they found.

Across the board, exercise helped.

I'll stop there.

Across the board, no matter

the exercise, exercise helped these

areas of brain function.

And it significantly improved all

three areas, not just in

one group of individuals.

It worked across children, adults,

older adults, and even people

with clinical conditions, because again,

this was an umbrella review,

but clinical conditions like ADHD

and dementia.

But here's what really stood

out to me and that

they shared in this review

of reviews.

It wasn't the most intense

workouts that made the biggest

difference.

In fact, low and moderate

intensity activities delivered greater cognitive

benefits than the more vigorous

exercise.

I'll let that sink in

a minute.

Low and moderate intensity activities

delivered greater cognitive benefits than

the more vigorous exercise.

And even shorter interventions, so

studies that lasted just one

to three months were the

most effective over the longer

ones.

The researchers had some ideas

about why that might be.

But short interventions, big benefit,

significant benefit.

And some of, this is

the fun part.

I've read this study 20

times and I've been talking

about it, so I'm glad

to be talking about it

with you today.

Some of the most powerful

brain boosts came from activities

like yoga and tai chi,

which improved memory.

Think about what you're doing

with yoga and tai chi,

even if you've seen people

do it.

And exergames, interactive video games

that get you physically moving

and mentally engaged.

They were especially beneficial for

overall cognition.

So we talk about the

digital world a lot and

taking breaks and doing stretches.

But incredibly, when you do

activity through sort of video

game format, especially beneficial for

overall cognition.

The researchers suggest that it

may not just be the

movement, but the mental engagement,

get this, of these activities

that really moves that needle

for our brains.

They also found that people

with ADHD had especially strong

improvements in executive function, which

was a fascinating and really

hopeful finding.

So let's break that down

a little bit.

This wasn't one new study.

This was an umbrella review,

a review of other systematic

reviews and meta-analyses, all

focused on randomized control trials.

The strength of this kind

of review is in its

scope, really.

It helps us see patterns

across populations and types of

exercise, which makes the findings

sort of more universal.

We can never completely generalize

a study, of course.

We can't generalize a study

beyond the participants and me

telling you about it.

But it certainly makes it

closer to us being able

to say this will help

you too, but there's no

harm in trying because so

many benefits were seen.

And this gives this type

of review and these findings

give it a high level

of credibility here.

So thinking about this, if

you want to support your

memory, your focus, or just

give your brain a boost,

think about this.

You don't need to run

a marathon.

Thank goodness for that, because

I'm not doing that in

the next month, two months,

probably in the year.

But what could you do?

You could maybe swap a

screen break, you know, where

you're sitting down with a

magazine or something like that,

which is wonderful.

Reading is great for our

brain too.

But maybe for 10 minutes

of light movement, maybe some

stretching or walking or a

short dance session, and your

brain will benefit.

Maybe you try yoga on

a video.

We've been doing yoga videos.

My daughter and I recently

have been doing those together,

which has been so much

fun.

And they're kid-based yoga,

but I'm the one who's

really benefiting.

Alongside her, or maybe a

Tai Chi class, either in

person or online.

This gentle movement includes breath

work, a mental focus, because

there's choreography.

And that was one of

the things that the research

has suggested, like sort of

the mental engagement of working

on our brain while we're

working on our body and

movement.

And they're powerful for our

memory.

If you do have a

game system, consider an exercise

game, an exer game, they're

called.

Like a dance game or

fitness game or agility game,

sports.

That gets you moving while

thinking.

Or play along with a

child when they're doing it.

Because this really counts.

The research showed it.

And remember that shorter is

still effective.

Just a few weeks of

consistent and light to moderate

movement can make the real

difference.

Think about that.

I think that's just incredible.

Okay, our third study for

today under be healthy.

When we talk about what

it means to be healthy,

we're not just talking certainly

about lab results or our

fitness goals, even though those

matters.

We're talking about our whole

person, right?

So our mental clarity, our

emotional health, our sense of

connection to each other and

to the world.

So take a deep breath

in.

No, this isn't a doctor's

office.

We're going to step outside

about this last research that

I found so interesting and

I'm excited to share.

So the question was, what

does spending time in nature,

in cities, urban environments actually

do for our mental health?

So I wanted to start

with a quote by William

Shakespeare, because I think that

this really tells it all.

The research paper did not

have this quote, but I'm

going to share it.

He wrote, "one touch of

nature makes the whole world

kin."

One of the most powerful

underrated ways that can support

the full picture of health

is spending time in nature,

stepping outdoors.

And the research suggests that

it matters even very much

in an urban environment, which

is where most of us

live these days.

So in a just published

global meta-analysis, one of

the, again, largest and most

comprehensive of its kind, today

I'm sort of focusing on

those, these sort of big

studies.

It looked at nearly 450

studies and synthesized the results

from 78 field-based experiments,

they were called, to assess

how different types of urban

nature, meaning real-world exposure

in city environments, like people

spending time in urban parks,

forests, greenways, even tree-lined

streets, for example.

And they measured the effects

on their mental well-being

and the findings were eye

-opening and they were significant,

meaning statistically significant, scientifically significant,

and also practical.

So that's why I want

to share them with you

today.

So the researchers set out

to understand what's the impact

of spending time in nature,

specifically in cities, on mental

health.

What's the impact of this

on mental health?

And they found that urban

forests, green parks, even these

tree-lined streets, helped reduce

symptoms of depression and anxiety

while improving mood and the

sense of overall mental well

-being.

Guess what?

These effects showed up across

all age groups and particularly

with strong effects with young

people, I thought was interesting.

So this may feel intuitive

to you, especially if you

like nature already or you've

felt the effects recently.

But having that many studies

to back it up, that

becomes pretty powerful.

There's a saying that comes

out every once in a

while that I first exclaimed.

Maybe I've told this before.

I can't remember because I've

told it many times.

But I once exclaimed on

a big stage, I was

giving a talk to a

sales team.

There was like a couple

thousand people, a sales team

of a major food company,

flavor company.

Those of you who know

me might know where that

was.

And I just sort of

was getting all excited about

reporting the news, the science,

the tips, the things I

was talking about.

And I exclaimed, "I love

when modern science shows what

Mother Nature knows!"

I feel like that's especially

appropriate.

And clearly I wasn't planning

to share that this moment,

but I'm exclaiming it right

now.

I love when modern science

shows what mother nature knows.

You know, this might feel

intuitive, but it's so cool

that studies are showing this

very thing.

So what was one of

the most striking findings of

this paper?

You might be wondering, pondering,

asking yourself.

Well, listen to this.

Even passive contact with nature,

meaning you're not jogging.

You're not doing yoga in

the park.

You're just being there.

Maybe you're on the ground

looking at the clouds, if

you can imagine that.

Just being there, it still

helped.

Sitting on a bench, walking

slowly, taking it in.

That kind of gentle contact

with nature still led to

measurable statistically significant improvements in

mood and mental health.

So this is such a

good reminder to me too.

You know, and I live

in a climate where I

get to step out, but

to remember this, that being

healthy doesn't always mean doing

more.

Sometimes it means just being

still and noticing.

It means finding ways to

include the green moments in

your day.

So it reminds me that

health isn't about the doing

more always.

Be where you are, notice.

And it also reminds me

and hopefully you that nature

isn't just nice to have,

especially in our cities.

It is part of the

infrastructure of mental well-being.

Being in urban nature, even

in small pockets of green.

I don't know if you've

ever seen, you know, those

little pockets of green on

a big city street or

the trees that just poke

out of like an impossibly

small little patch of dirt.

They help, in fact, a

lot.

So you don't need a

trip to the national park

to benefit.

The most accessible, close to

home green spaces, the pocket

parks, some will call them,

urban trails, neighborhood greenways.

They showed the meaningful benefit

and that's what you need

to seek out frequently.

So in the spirit of

our 1,000 waking minutes and

bringing a little green into

our days, a little patch

of nature, here are some

tips.

So number one, start small.

Add 10 or 15 minutes

a few times a week

outdoors in a green space.

Even if it's down the

block, your local park, bring

something that you were going

to do inside, outside.

And even if it's scrolling

on your phone, you know,

get yourself outside, preferably not

scrolling on your phone.

Maybe bring a good book

or a magazine or bring

nothing and just listen to

the air.

There aren't any birds.

Maybe swap one errand a

week for a walk in

the park.

Maybe can you, you know,

sort of align your errands

or assign them to someone

else and just swap it

all together or swap an

indoor task for an outdoor

one.

So we can't give up

our errands and our tasks

sometimes, but could you swap

it or take it to

another place or do something

outside instead that you've been

meaning to or that you

need to do.

Also, maybe take a lunch

break outside, even if it's

just near a tree or

a patch of grass.

Is there somewhere, even if

you're sort of in an

urban office environment, is there

somewhere there where there's a

tree where you could go

hang out by or down

the block or even hop

in the car for a

minute and go down the

block if it takes that

or just take a walk

outside and look for something

green.

And then certainly change the

view.

So step outside to take

a call, look for a

bench surrounded by trees, you

know, change the view and

find maybe a window with

a view of trees.

And if you work on

a laptop or if you

have things that you need

to notate or correct or

get some thoughts down on

paper even, get near something

where green is like in

your vantage.

Look, even if you can't

have that at natural landscapes,

there was a time when

we used to plaster posters

on our wall.

There's all kinds of cool

images.

You could probably search one

and print it out.

Research suggests that that can

even help too.

So remember, nature isn't just

a nice to have, it's

necessary.

Think of green space as

part of our mental health

toolkit.

I think that that's really

incredible.

I mean, think about it.

You go outside, you take

a deep breath of air

and instantly you can almost

feel it.

Some of the tension lifts.

This research suggests that it

can have an impact on

overall wellbeing, boosts in mood,

remember, and reducing some of

those symptoms of stress and

anxiety and even depression.

So think about that.

Invite in the moments of

green where you are, even

and especially in the urban

spaces.

And you don't need hours,

you just need minutes here

that can offer these measurable

and meaningful benefits.

So that's it for the

three studies.

Today, we explored how the

evidence for every day, real

current science can guide some

of our choices in our

1,000 waking minutes.

And we looked at how

a new food environment matrix

for one can help us

connect what's good for our

bodies and for the planet.

So that was pretty fun

and cool.

Love to have that tool.

Thank you, Dr. Sabaté and

colleagues.

We talked about how movement

like Tai Chi and yoga

and those exergames, the video

game exercising, they can support

memory, focus, and brain health.

And we saw how these

urban green spaces, whether a

local park or a tree

-lined sidewalk or street, it's

one of the things I

love when I go back

to New York City, the

commitment to those along some

of the little avenues and

streets, especially as you get

a little more south and

into the Greenwich Village area.

I love that about the

city.

And I guess I love

it because it feels good,

right?

It supports mood, reduces anxiety.

Even in just minutes.

Even in a very busy,

loud city environment.

And because insight is only

as powerful as what we

do with that, some things,

remember, that you can try.

Eat with both nutrition and

nature in mind.

So maybe we think nutrition

and nature as a way

to get at ourselves as

well as the planet.

Choosing foods that nourish us

and maybe have a little

less impact on the environment

while we're sort of being

guided into our plate and

for meals and snacks.

Certainly move with intention.

So carving out a few

minutes of your day.

We have those 1,000

waking minutes.

Can a few of those

be something that stretches your

body and your mind like

yoga or tai chi?

And then seek a touch

of nature.

You can be in the

busiest cityscape, step outside, look

up, feel the air.

Air is nature.

Even a short pause near

something green can make a

difference.

And we all need this

experience because it's universal and

it allows us to experience

the very grounding, word choice

intended, grounding power of nature.

So thanks for sharing a

few of your waking minutes

with me today.

If you're finding some tips

for your life and the

episodes are meaningful, I'd be

grateful if you'd share it

a friend or someone who

you might think would benefit

or that you could connect

about on this because it

is about connecting and a

community.

If you'd leave a kind

comment on whatever your podcast

platform is, if you are

enjoying it, it truly helps

others find the show, certainly

helps us grow into a

thoughtful community that has some

width and depth and more

people on board because we're

strength in numbers here.

And you can always find

links and a short summary

of each episode in the

show notes that sometimes I

get questions about this.

They usually fall right below

or there's usually a clickable

icon on your podcast platform.

If you don't know to

find the show notes for

the day and you can

always find me at wendybazilian.com

or write me at

1KWM@wendybazilian.com to

get those.

If you can't, for some

reason, find them.

I'll do my best.

Not only to send them

to you, but to direct

you on how to find

them next time.

And I'd love it if

you'd join me on Instagram

at @1000WakingMinutes.

This is 1,000 Waking Minutes.

I'm Wendy bazilian.

And until next time, be

well.

Thank you for tuning into

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

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,

a five-star rating.

And please hit subscribe on

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever

you enjoy your podcasts.

Please follow and stay connected

at wendybazilian.com.

And don't forget to share

with your friends.

Your support helps us grow

and bring you more great

content.

Until next time, find some

simple opportunities to optimize those

1,000 Waking Minutes each day.

I'm saying YES, it's gonna be okay.

I'm on my way.

It's gonna be okay.