One Question to Boost Your Longevity and Well-being

Having something to look forward to has many health benefits: Asking yourself one fun question could help boost your well-being and longevity.

A Simple Dietary Swap to Improve Health

The new year is a time to examine our habits. If you've resolved to improve your diet, here is a simple yet effective way to improve the quality of your food: For weight loss, replace processed foods with healthy, fiber-rich carbs. (gift article)

Chrononutrition

Another article from WaPo on why you should front-load your calories early in the day: Why timing big meals early in the day is better for your health. (gift article)

Chronobiology and Chronotherapy

Scientists are slowly learning the importance of timing of oral medications: Timing matters for medications – your circadian rhythm influences how well treatments work and how much they might harm you. Yet, the FDA recognizes the importance of timing in only a few medications: Dosing time matters | Science.

New Study Demonstrates Association between Healthy Eating and Reduced Mortality

JAMA published a study demonstrating the association between healthy eating and decreased mortality this week. Although the investigation suffers from the traditional caveats of nutrition research (food diaries, etc.), it differentiates itself by the size of the cohort and the length of follow-up (36 years). Healthy Eating Patterns and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality.

The Psychology of Procrastination

If one of your resolutions is to procrastinate less, here is an article to help you understand how to overcome inertia: What causes your brain to procrastinate and how to face it. (gift article). One of my favorite internet sites, Wait but Why, also has a series on procrastination:

• Why Procrastinators Procrastinate — Wait But Why
• How to Beat Procrastination — Wait But Why
• The Procrastination Matrix — Wait But Why^a26c07

ZOE Nutrition

Tim Spector founded a personalized nutrition company and wants you to know why: Go with your gut: scientist Tim Spector on why food is not just fuel. The test is a bit expensive but is likely a harbinger of nutritional trends to come.

The Daily Habits of Happiness Experts

The people that study happiness have some valuable habits we can all learn from The Daily Habits of Happiness Experts.

England Bans Single-Use Cutlery

In an attempt to reduce pollution, England has banned single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates, and trays. England Will Ban Single-Use Cutlery and Plates.

Scientific Stagnation

This year, a new study, Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time, reported any given paper today is much less likely to become influential than a paper in the same field from several decades ago. Science Has a Crummy-Paper Problem - The Atlantic

Hearing Aids and Cognition

Restoring hearing was linked with less long-term cognitive decline, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis showed: Use It, or Lose It: Hearing Aids Linked to Cognitive Benefit.

Cancer and Diet

Michael Greger has a great series of videos on food and cancer. In the latest, he offers his thoughts on what you should (and shouldn't) eat if you've already been diagnosed with cancer: The Best Diet for Cancer Patients.

How Music Casts its Spell on Us

Another excerpt from the book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. The article The Neurophysiology of Enchantment: How Music Casts Its Spell on Us, discusses the neurophysiology of music appreciation. +Jeff Beck, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, passed away this week. The NY Times published a list of his ten essential songs: Jeff Beck's 10 Essential Songs (gift article)

Covid and the Immunocompromised

Although most Americans seem done with Covid and Covid precautions, the risk is still high for those of us that are immunocompromised. Here is an opinion piece on how society could protect its vulnerable citizens: Opinion | We need to do more to assist the immunocompromised. (gift article)