Wise Selfishness

"....a truly enlightened self-interest also means recognizing that acting in great and altruistic ways makes you happier than solely being out for yourself." I enjoyed reading The Benefits of Being Selfish.

Nobody Has My Condition But Me

We often think that in modern medicine all maladies have been cataloged. That is far from the truth. Nobody Has My Condition But Me is about the trials and tribulations of a woman with a unique condition.

Recycling Plastic

More on recycling of plastic: Is plastic recycling a scam? Here's the truth about the common practice. We have a long way to go....

David Crosby's 15 Essential Songs

Another rock icon passed away last week. The NY Times published a list of David Crosby's best songs: David Crosby's 15 Essential Songs. (gift article)

10 Myths in Nutrition

An interesting article for both the myth-busting and the experts consulted: 10 Nutrition Myths Experts Wish Would Die (gift article)

The Microbiome and Thermoregulation

This summary article had a wealth of provocative information:

1. The presence or absence of certain bacteria was associated with the body's temperature response in sepsis (in both humans and mice).
2. Mice without a microbiome have a lower basal body temperature than conventional mice.
3. The administration of antibiotics lowers basal body temperature.

The authors of the study opine that changes in the microbiome may account for the reduction in basal body temperatures of humans over the last 150 years: Gut Microbes Control the Body's Thermostat

Mixed Feelings

Feeling conflicted can feel worse than feeling bad and can bring with them a great deal of distress. Mixed Feelings Can Be Worse Than Bad Ones offers advice on how to overcome the distress.

Amazon is Happy to be Your Pharmacy

Here's an article on Amazon's RxPass, the newest service from Amazon. With a Prime Membership, you can receive as many of the 80 generic medications the service offers for a flat fee of $5 (assuming you have insurance and are not on Medicare or Medicaid). Amazon Will Now Be Your Pharmacist, If You Subscribe to Prime

Food Compass

A relatively new system aims to demystify identifying healthy and unhealthy foods. Parsing which foods are healthy and which are less so isn't always straightforward – a new rating system aims to demystify the process explains.

Gene Snippets from Mother Shape a Baby's Microbiome

A recent study published in Cell demonstrated that it's not just pure bacterial transfer between mother and baby that's important in developing a newborn's microbiome. Small pieces of DNA called mobile genetic elements hop between maternal and newborn bacteria and ultimately influence the baby's microbial development: Mobile Genes From the Mother Shape the Baby's Microbiome.

Odors Change Purchasing Decisions

I did not realize there was a body of research on the sense of smell and consumerism. How body odors influence your buying behavior explains the latest research.

Yerba Mate

Although Yerba Mate is a staple of South American dietary traditions, traction in the U.S. has slowly evolved. The recurrent description of the taste, "like freshly cut green grass," will not help to stimulate demand. The Coffee Alternative Americans Just Can't Get Behind

The Universal Aging Clock and GrimAge

Aging research is all the rage. Here is an interesting article on Horvath's Clock, GrimAge, and the effects of umbilical and young blood plasma transfusion: The Universal Clock of Aging. I learned about the GrimAge metric. I'm continuing to keep a close eye on this body of research.

The Benefits of Yoga

Another article on the benefits of yoga: Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice. For the latest science: Yoga: What You Need To Know | NCCIH

Adding New Life to Friendships and Relationships

TED had an article with helpful information on how to revitalize interactions with the people most important to you: How to add new life to your relationships (even your best ones!) |

Neurocognitive Testing for Aging Physicians

An interesting interview tackling the subject of competency exams for physicians: Age Competency Exams for Physicians -- Yes or No? For the record, I think it's a good idea.

Physicians Open Notes

Being able to read what your physician writes about you in your chart is a good thing, right? Not so fast. Why Reading Your Doctor's Notes Can Be Painful covers some of the issues.