How to Make Peace with Your Feelings

How Leaning Into Negative Emotions Can Help Your Mental Health (gift article) is about accepting negative emotions for what they are: part of the human experience. What you do with the experience strongly influences your health and well-being.

Generative AI in Medicine

Wired had a story about ways generative AI will impact medicine, along with several caveats: ChatGPT Can Help Doctors—and Hurt Patients.

The Two Personality Traits that Predict Well-being

If you lack either (I'm strongly introverted, not extroverted), hope is not lost. Study Finds 2 Personality Traits Predict Well-being — But Don't Worry if You Don't Have Them.

The World's Rarest Eye Colors

Do you have one of the six rarest types of eye color? Read What Is the Rarest Eye Color?.

Is Alcohol in Moderation Good for You?

The Great Alcohol Health Flip-Flop Isn't That Hard to Understand—if You Know Who Was Behind It is an interesting article on how the supposed health benefits of a small amount of alcohol have been turned on its head, again.

What You See Is Not Always What You Get

The NY Times had an article about a recent publication in JAMA focused on melatonin gummies: "A team of researchers analyzed 25 melatonin gummy products from different brands and found that 22 contained different amounts of melatonin than what was listed on their labels; one contained only 74 percent of the advertised amount of melatonin, while another had 347 percent of the labeled amount. Yet another product contained no detectable melatonin at all." 22 Out of 25 Melatonin Products Were Mislabeled, Study Finds. (gift article) See also: ConsumerLab: Independent Testing of Supplements and Botanicals.

Hope

The Atlantic had an interesting article, Why Economists Should Study Hope, that discusses why hope is so important and how to cultivate more.

The Quest for Longevity

The Quest for Longevity Is Already Over is an interesting read. One of the points I strongly agree with in the article is that extending healthspan (the length of time one is healthy) is far more important than extending longevity (the length of time one lives).

Oura Partners with Best Buy

I love my Oura smart ring. I've worn mine for years. The hardest part of the purchase process was the sizing. Sizing will be less of an issue as you can soon walk into Best Buy and find a fitting station. The article Oura Is Proof That Smart Rings Are Here to Stay discusses the Oura Ring and some of the upcoming competitors.

Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Delta-8 THC / Delta-10 THC

Cannabis-derived products like delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC have flooded the US market – two immunologists explain the medicinal benefits and potential risks is a quick overview of some of medicinal and side effects of cannabinoids. The article discusses hemp, cannabis, and a few of the cannabinoids.

Creativity / Rick Rubin

I enjoy writing words and music. I'm not good at either, but the process brings me joy. Rick Rubin's new book is about the creative process: The Creative Act: A Way of Being: Rubin, Rick. I've been a big fan of Rubin's Broken Record Podcast. I also enjoyed watching Rick Rubin: The 60 Minutes Interview - CBS News and hearing him interviewed on Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great. I'm adding the book to my "must-read" list.

Brainstorming with ChatGPT

Wired had an article on how to brainstorm better with the generative AI platform: 6 Tips for Using ChatGPT to Brainstorm Better

What Can We Learn About Aging from Centenarian Excrement?

The longest-living people have a more diverse microbiome than their less healthy peers. A study published this month, Longevity of centenarians is reflected by the gut microbiome with youth-associated signatures looked at the gut microbiomes of centenarians — individuals who've reached or surpassed a century in age — and compared them against old, middle-aged, and young adults. Their results showed, "regardless of health status, the centenarians had a unique enterotype that is a combination of the two found in young adults aged 20 to 44 — Bacteroides — and older adults — Escherichia and/or Shigella." Read the study synopsis here: Centenarians Have Super Healthy Gut Microbiomes — Can This Help Us Live Longer?

Pill Popping Polypharmacy

"Getting people off drugs is unfamiliar terrain for modern health systems, mostly set up to put patients on them. But that is beginning to change. Doctors, pharmacists, and nurses are setting up "deprescribing networks" to try to spread the word." The Economist published an article on the overprescription of medication: Too many people take too many pills.

FDA-Approved Video Games

Much of my research at Duke focused on using video game technology in healthcare and healthcare education. It was fantastic to read this synopsis of Akili [^1] and EndeavorRX, an FDA-approved video game for treating ADHD. I can think of many more uses of the platform. The story behind an FDA-Approved Video Game Treatment for ADHD

[^1]: I am an Akili Interactive shareholder.

Phages and Multi-Resistant Bacteria

What will we use when traditional antibiotics are no longer effective? Many believe we will use phages: In the War on Bacteria, It's Time to Call in the Phages

Prebiotics > Probiotics

Probiotics are not the panacea the industry would lead you to believe: Probiotic supplements claim to boost gut health, but may do opposite (gift article). See also Are Probiotics Making You Fat? probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented food — HealthHippieMD

Telehealth Facility Fees. Really?

I read an interesting story about facility fees. It doesn't seem right patients are charged a facility fee, even if they don't visit the facility. Making a telehealth appointment? You might still pay a facility fee. (gift article)

Hiccups and Cancer

Here is an article with everything you'd like to know about hiccups and a few things you might not: Hiccups have a curious connection to cancer

The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences

What is the science behind spiritual experiences, and how do they work from a neuroscientific standpoint? I learned quite a bit from the video: The neuroscience of spiritual experiences +More on mysticism and spirituality: The psychedelic origins of ancient mystical rites

Dad Jokes

Ever wonder why dads are singled out for their groan-worthy humor? This article is for you: What Makes a 'Dad Joke'?

Humor's Impact on Happiness

Here are some valuable hints on humor and happiness from the "How to Build a Life" Series: You Can Tell Bad Jokes and Have a Great Sense of Humor

You Could Care Less

"Humans, by nature, are social beings who crave connection, intimacy, and relationships. Caring about what others think of us is part of that desire to make connections and feel accepted." But what if you put too much weight on what others think? How to Not Care What People Think: 15 Expert Tips. See also: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) - Wait But Why

Tofu

The New York Times tackles tofu. Is it healthy or not? Is Tofu Good for You?

How Psychedelics Influence Depression

Psychedelic psychotherapy is all the rage now. What is the science behind psychedelics' potentially beneficial effects on mental health? How psychedelic drugs may help with depression | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Xenopharmacology

I'm fascinated by this topic, especially for pharmaceutical-dependent areas of medicine such as anesthesiology. As always, Scientific American publishes scientific ideas on the cutting edge. Further kudos to SI for featuring a neighbor (Matt Redinbo) in their article: How Gut Microbes Shape Our Response to Drugs

Animals and Childhood Allergies

An article in the Economist summarized a recent study published in PLOS One. "Children in households with dogs, the researchers found, had lower rates than average of allergies to eggs, milk, and nuts. Those cohabiting with cats seemed more tolerant of eggs, wheat, and soybeans. However, children whose parents kept "turtles" (terrapins, in particular, are popular pets in Japan) appeared unaffected. And, curiously, those exposed to hamsters appeared more likely than average to be allergic to nuts." More evidence that animals reduce childhood allergies

FDA's Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database

"To help manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of dietary supplements stay informed about recent developments and locate information on FDA's website quickly, we have put together an "ingredient directory" with links to FDA's actions and communications concerning particular dietary ingredients and other ingredients used in products marketed as dietary supplements." Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory

Tripping in the Bronze Age

"A new study based on strands of hair found in a Spanish burial cave reveals that humans living about 3,000 years ago used hallucinogens, likely derived from local plants, as part of their rituals." Tripping in the Bronze Age

On the Topic of Earworms

Everything you'd like to know about the musical phenomenon of Earworms: Song Stuck in Your Head? What Earworms Reveal About Health

Pet Head-Tilts

Dogs have many endearing behaviors. One of my favorites is the head-tilt: Why do dogs tilt their heads? It may signal intelligence.

Finland: The Happiest Country on Earth?

Finland once again led the list of the world's happiest countries. The why is far from cut and dry: "It turns out even the happiest people in the world aren't that happy. But they are something more like the content." Why Is Finland the Happiest Country on Earth? The Answer Is Complicated.

Getting to the Bottom of Fatigue

Fatigue is an important sign. Here is what to pay attention to Fatigue can have many causes. There are ways to ease it. (gift article)

Spring Cleaning (Your Brain)

Here are some tips from WaPo on using the Spring to revamp your life: How to spring clean your brain (gift article)

Play, Video Games, and Learning

Much of my research over my last years at Duke had to do with the use of video games in education and patient care. Here is a look at state of the art in the field: To Supercharge Learning, Look to Play [^1] See also Education is Broken and my other lectures at Presentations on my ePortfolio.

[^1]: I own shares of Akili Interactive whose EndeavorRx is mentioned in the article.