How to Pack a Cooler to Keep Everything Icy Cold All Day

Continued from page 2 what you want.

Next, add a layer of ice cubes/loose ice on top of the drinks, then add another layer of drinks or food items.

Keep layering ice and drinks until the cooler is filled to the top. This will minimize airflow, causing ice to melt faster.

CLOSE THE LID

It might be tempting to leave the cooler’s lid propped open as a convenience, but that’s the worst option if you want the food and beverage contents to stay icy cold for hours on end.

Instead, make certain that you -- and everyone else using the cooler -- closes the lid quickly and tightly after every use. Keeping the warm air out means the ice will remain frozen longer, and the cooler contents are icy cold.

And there you go -- how to pack a cooler to make sure everything in there stays icy cold!

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BY CHARLYN FARGO

Many of us know all too well the devastating effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. My father-in-law suffered from it for eight years. Can what we choose to eat make a difference in our risk? Unhealthy eating alone can lead to heart disease, which can cause brain issues including memory problems and dementia.

Here are a few things I’ve found that can help.

Reduce your stress. Most of us know stress takes a toll on our health -- it can affect cardiovascular disease, sleep problems, accelerated aging, a weakened immune system and even cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. A study assessed the level of perceived stress of nearly 25,000 participants ages 45 and older at baseline and again at a follow-up visit. Cognitive function was also assessed at the start of the study and annually throughout the study period. Researchers found an association between higher levels of perceived stress and the development of cognitive impairment. Higher levels of perceived stress were associated with a 40% higher risk of poor cognitive function.

Eat more berries. Research shows adherence to the MIND diet -- a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets called the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) -- can lower your risk of dementia by 53%. New epidemiological research published in JAMA Psychiatry finds that among 242,185 middle-aged and older adults, those who adhered most strongly to the MIND diet had a lower risk of dementia. The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is good for your brain, too. It stresses whole grains, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, fish, nuts, olive oil and other healthy fats such as avocado, keeping red meat to a minimum. The DASH diet fo-