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Saturday is Chocolate Covered Nut day – and it’s even good for you
This piece from Harvard Health Publishing suggests that dark chocolate is good for your eyesight because of a link between your retina which has lots of blood vessels and the increased blood flow produced by the flavonols in cocoa – Can dark chocolate improve vision?
The American Journal of Optometry sounds a word of caution – most commercial chocolate has been refined to remove the bitter flavonols and points to a small-scale study that found no measurable effects – Sorry, chocoholics, dark chocolate doesn’t improve eyesight
Luckily nuts turn out to be good for your eyes because of their high vitamin E content – Are Nuts Good for Your Eyes?
The solution may be to make your own so you can use delicious (and healthy) dark chocolate and cut out plastic packaging too – I’m going to try this recipe myself 😉 Chocolate Covered Almonds
Decision fatigue?
While you’re wondering which chocolate nut recipe to try, you’re probably not doing what you were ‘supposed’ to be doing. I’ve been talking to a lot of healthcare providers about lighting – and how it should just be there in the background so they can get on with what they do best – or simply shop for chocolate nuts! Please join me to talk about what efficient lighting looks like with scientists and healthcare providers from around the world. It’s free and online – Tuesday 7th of March. Link to register – Innovators in Residential Healthcare
These papers offer an excellent review of recent literature –
– Influence of chromatic and lighting on the visual environment of the elderly: A critical literature review – Influence of chromatic and lighting on the visual environment of the elderly: A critical literature review
– Buying time: a rationale for examining the use of circadian rhythm and sleep interventions to delay progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease – Buying time: a rationale for examining the use of circadian rhythm and sleep interventions to delay progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease
Exam revision
There are so many links between the response to light in older adults with dementia and students with special educational needs. This free platform has lots of brilliant material – including the recording of the recent SEND event hosted by Abbie Morton and the team at Education Estates. I presented alongside Iain Macrae, Shane Cryer and Peter Hazard.
It’s very easy (and free!) to register in a few easy steps:
1. Firstly, click on the ‘SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE’ button in the top right corner of your screen
2. Fill in your details and select your preferences
3. Once your registration has been reviewed and accepted you will receive an email leading the full access of the Learning Hub
4. Enjoy the Podcasts!
Connecting the Built Environment Community
Designing for our future selves
If you’re in London, please drop by this brilliant free exhibition. It showcases 10 projects from the Design Age Institute. Take 2 minutes 40 seconds from your busy day to enjoy a 24-hour circadian cycle of light and dark – a collaboration with Speirs Major, Clarion Futures and the Design Age Institute. I’ll be there on the 1st of March from 10-11am. Do send me a message if you’d like to drop by to say ‘hi’!- Designing for our Future Selves