The Optimism of the Produce Aisle

Good Morning

At the grocery store, the possibilities seem endless. There will be salads. Fruit will replace snacks. Nothing will be forgotten in the back of the refrigerator.

Then Thursday comes around.

Every crisper drawer contains a small gap between the week we planned and the week we actually had.

Fortunately, there’s always next week.

Have a great weekend.

Longevity

Every day in The Long Game (below), we look at one small piece of how we age: a question, a habit, a finding from the research. The Longevity Index is the bigger picture: a 4-minute personalized assessment across six science-backed pillars including nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, social connection, and purpose. You'll get a score, see where you're strong, and see where there's room. It's free, private, and built on peer-reviewed research.
Get my score →

The Long Game
One small thing for a longer life

Did You Know

Regularly sleeping six hours or less in your 50s and 60s is linked to a higher risk of dementia later.

In a study that followed nearly 8,000 people for 25 years, those who consistently slept six hours or less in midlife were about 30% more likely to develop dementia than those who got seven, even after accounting for heart health, mental health, and genetic risk. The findings add to growing evidence that how we sleep in midlife may matter to brain health decades later.

Sleep is one of the six factors that shape how well we age. The Worthyest Longevity Index measures all six in 4 minutes. Yours, personalized. Get my score →

Source: Sabia et al., Nature Communications, 2021 (Whitehall II, 7,959 adults, 25-year follow-up; persistent short sleep of 6 hours or less in midlife linked to ~30% higher dementia risk).

The Curiosity Edit

Today’s Insight: Cancer Research

Smart Nanoparticles Light Up Brain Cancer and Destroy What Surgery Misses

One of the hardest parts of treating brain cancer is what surgeons can't see. Researchers are developing a new approach designed to help find those hidden cells and deal with what remains after surgery. Read the full story here.

The Bright Side

There’s plenty of noise in the world, but here we focus on the good. The Bright Side is where positivity, progress, and proof of human kindness take center stage. Because no matter what’s happening out there, there’s always light to be found.

Woman Can See Again After World’s First Transplant of a Central Retina

After years without sight, a woman in Italy underwent an operation surgeons had never attempted before. The result gave her something she hadn't seen in years: the faces of those closest to her. Read the full story here.

Modern Living:

Human Behavior

Why Does It Bother Us So Much When Someone Doesn’t Like Us?

It can be surprisingly difficult to shrug off someone's disapproval, even when their opinion shouldn't matter very much to us. There may be more behind that reaction than simply wanting to be liked. Read the full story here.

Health & Wellness

What New Research Is Teaching Us About Health

Some health questions begin with a surprising study. Others arise when we're faced with a test result, a diagnosis, or a decision about our own care. This collection looks at exercise, longevity, weight-loss products, medical information, and how disease progresses.

Adolescents Are Using Weight Loss Products in High Numbers, New Study Shows. Here's What Parents Need to Know.
Weight-loss products aren't only attracting adults. New research suggests their use among adolescents is widespread enough to raise concerns, and experts explain what parents should know about the trend.

3 Minutes of Sprinting Does Something 90 Minutes of Exercise Does Not
A few minutes of intense exercise and a much longer moderate workout don't necessarily produce the same response inside the body. Researchers compared the two and found striking differences in what happened in the bloodstream immediately afterward.

Researchers Found a Surprising Longevity Risk for Older Men
The factors associated with living longer extend beyond diet, exercise, and other familiar measures of health. New findings point to a less obvious risk that could be particularly important for older men.

Should You Read Your Lab Results Before Your Doctor Does?
Patient portals can put test results in your hands before your doctor has had a chance to explain them. Experts weigh the advantages of immediate access against the confusion and anxiety that can come from interpreting medical information on your own.

How Lung Cancer Spreads: Tracking Metastasis Paths
When lung cancer spreads beyond the lungs, it tends to follow certain patterns. Understanding where it commonly travels, why it happens, and which symptoms can appear can help patients make sense of what doctors are monitoring.

The Conscious Plate:

Food, Nutrition & Elevated Living

What’s Worth Adding, and What’s Worth Avoiding

Eating well isn't only about choosing nutritious foods. It also means knowing when more isn't necessarily better, what may be hiding in packaged foods, and how the timing of a meal could play a role in health. This collection looks at supplements, inflammation, protein bars, cognitive health, and an easy recipe worth keeping around.

What Happens to Your Kidneys When You Take Too Many Supplements
Supplements can seem harmless because they're easy to buy and often associated with better health. But taking too much of certain nutrients can create extra work for the kidneys and, in some cases, cause problems.

4 Ingredients That Can Ruin a Healthy Protein Bar, According to Dietitians
A protein bar can look like a smart choice until you take a closer look at what's inside. Dietitians point to four ingredients worth checking before deciding which bar belongs in your bag.

The Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Some of the foods associated with lower inflammation are probably already familiar, while others are easy additions to an ordinary meal. Dietitians explain which foods to emphasize and which ones may be worth eating less often.

Eating at This Hour May Preserve Healthy Cognitive Function, Finds New Study
What you eat has long been part of the conversation about brain health, but researchers are also investigating when you eat. A new study suggests meal timing could have an interesting connection to cognitive function later in life.

The Easy Quiche I Make Every Weekend (It’s So Good, I Eat It for Dinner!)
Quiche can turn a few basic ingredients into breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but the crust adds time and extra steps. This crustless version keeps the part people love and makes the whole thing considerably easier.

Final Note

This is what we leave you with. A thought to end the day, carry in your pocket, or come back to later. Nothing big. Just something to reflect on.

The Dessert Effect

Everyone becomes slightly more interested in dessert when someone else orders it.

You were finished. Completely satisfied. Dessert wasn't even under consideration.

Then someone at the table orders the chocolate cake.

Now you're not ordering dessert. You're just curious what theirs looks like.

Then it arrives with four forks.

And somehow the table has made a decision you don't remember participating in.

Pass It On

Sometimes a thought, an idea, or a perspective connects at just the right time. If something here feels like it might resonate with someone you know, share it with them.

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