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News and ideas worth your attention.
Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
Jul 20, 2026 · Healthy AgingAging Isn’t Just Wear and Tear - It’s Dysregulation — and it’s Time You Tame It
There’s the sympathetic nervous system that puts the body in high alert mode—raises body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, respiration, the works—and primes us for action. And then the parasympathetic system cools everything down, letting the body reset and repair. Together they make up our “autonomic nervous system” that either controls or at least strongly influences the physiology that operates below the level of conscious awareness. If we’re young and healthy, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems toggle back and forth almost effortlessly, responding to the day’s challenges and recharging at night. But as we get older, we tend to get stuck in high gear – the sympathetic system dominates – and we pay a price for that. The parts wear out; we generate more metabolic waste. We can’t sleep properly, compounding the damage. Net result: we age faster.
Jul 17, 2026 · MovementExercise Rewires Your Body — At the Molecular Level
Exercise affects health at the deepest level. Learn more.
Jul 15, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - Summer Hydration
As temperatures rise, keeping your body well-hydrated becomes more important than ever. Warmer weather increases the risk of dehydration, which can affect everything from energy levels and mood to digestion and brain function.
Jul 13, 2026 · NutritionThe Hidden Power of Resistant Starch—The Carb That Behaves Like Fiber
Though it may sounds strange, chilling foods like rice, potatoes, pasta, and even bread can transform some of their digestible starch into something called resistant starch—a form of carbohydrate that resists digestion and reaches the colon intact. There, it feeds beneficial gut bacteria, supports the microbiome, and may help improve blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and appetite regulation. In other words, yesterday’s leftovers might actually be better for you than a freshly cooked plate. Resistant starch offers a surprising twist in nutrition science: with a little kitchen chemistry, some everyday starches can become powerful allies for metabolic and gut health.
Jul 10, 2026 · NutritionCould Nutrient Deficiencies Be Causing Your Fatigue?
Always tired? Here’s what to do if a nutrient deficiency is contributing to your exhaustion.
Jul 8, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - Why You Should Dose Your Summer Sun
Here are some of the most important benefits of healthy sun exposure. Remember: limit exposure during peak hours, wear protective clothing, and use sunscreen to protect against harmful UV rays.
Jul 6, 2026 · Healthy AgingBeyond Resveratrol: The Surprising Second Act of Sirtuins
You may, or may not, have heard of sirtuins, a family of enzymes that influence the way our genes do their job of making the proteins that run our bodies. But I’d be willing to bet that most of my readers are familiar with resveratrol, the compound found in red wine. That’s because, about twenty years ago, the resveratrol/sirtuin story was front-page news. Since then, the excitement over resveratrol has cooled off somewhat. But, what’s taken its place is a more sophisticated conception of human aging, one that’s mediated by the balance between growth – new proteins, new tissues -- and cellular maintenance and repair.
Jul 3, 2026 · Health & WellnessCould Blood-Sugar Fluctuations Be Causing Your Fatigue?
Always tired? Here’s what to do if blood-sugar issues are the reason why.
Jul 1, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - 6 Ways to Help Protect Your Thymus
Understanding the thymus helps us better understand why immune health changes with aging — and why supporting this often-overlooked organ may be an important part of long-term wellness and longevity.
Jun 29, 2026 · Health & WellnessCalm In A Capsule: What Ashwagandha Can Do For Body And Mind
Ashwagandha, a mainstay of traditional Ayurvedic Indian medicine has been prescribed for a few thousand years to treat physical and mental fatigue. And over the past decade or two, Western researchers have been measuring its benefits across multiple health domains: stress-reduction; mood; sleep; brain; hormones; even physical strength. Pretty impressive for a shrub (technical name: Withania somnifera) grown all over Asia, the Middle East and Africa, whose Sanskrit name, Ashwagandha, translates roughly to “smell of the horse.”
Jun 26, 2026 · NutritionThe Best Foods to Balance Your Nervous System
What you eat directly affects your autonomic nervous system. Focus on these foods and nutrients to support neurotransmitter balance, stress resilience, and calm.
Jun 24, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - The Thymus-Longevity Connection
There is another organ that may play a surprisingly important role in how well we age: the thymus. Here's what you need to know.
Jun 22, 2026 · Healthy Aging10 Thoughts on How to Tap into the Anti-Aging Power of a Truly Good Night’s Sleep
I like to think of sleep as the essential “backstage” human function. The audience is paying attention to what’s going on on-stage – sword fights, great romantic gestures – but backstage is where the real drama takes place as sets, props, costumes are assembled for the next scene. Ditto sleep. While we’re lights out, the brain, our stage manager, juggles the hormonal and metabolic machinery responsible for cellular cleaning, repair, rebuilding. That’s what’s required for the show to go on the next morning and, we hope, for many decades to come. Call it aging well. When sleep goes off the rails – I’m not talking about the occasional bad night but an entrenched pattern of insufficient or fragmented sleep – it throws off the balance of all those moving parts –and rapid aging kicks into high gear.
Jun 19, 2026 · Healthy AgingWhat Happens to Your Metabolism As You Age?
Learn what really happens to your metabolism as you get older.
Jun 17, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip – Find Balance in Health
Take this supplement. Try that cold plunge. Walk 10,000 steps. Wear a CGM. Lift weights. Meditate. Sauna. Journal. Track your sleep. Get sunlight. Stretch. Do zone 2 cardio. Avoid seed oils. Try red light therapy. Do you ever feel overwhelmed?
Jun 15, 2026 · NutritionAn Acquired Taste with Benefits: The Curious Case of Nattokinase, The Gut and Heart Helper
So, what is natto anyway? It’s a traditional Japanese food, made up of soybeans fermented with the Bacillus subtilis bacteria. To most Westerners, it tends to look less than appealing – a dollop of reddish brown, mushy beans stuck together in a stringy cheesy goo that a biochemist would describe as a chain of glutamine amino acids. And it’s aroma and taste? Well, that can take a little getting used to, but it’s well worth the effort when it comes to boosting your heart and gut health.
Jun 12, 2026 · Gut HealthThe Surprising Link Between Your Gut Microbiome and Hormonal Health
Learn how gut health influences hormonal balance and overall well-being.
Jun 10, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - How to Increase Your SpO2 Naturally
If your oxygen saturation tends to run on the lower side, there are several natural ways to support healthier oxygen levels. Learn about them here.
Jun 8, 2026 · Healthy AgingThe Melatonin–Mitochondria Connection: What New Research Says About Aging Better
Research indicates that melatonin and mitochondria are intertwined. For starters, most of the body’s melatonin supply is actually produced inside the mitochondria, think of it as the oil that keeps the car engine running smoothly. And with age, not only does that engine (mitochondria) put out less power, and generate more exhaust (metabolic waste), but the oil levels (melatonin) drop as well. That creates a vicious cycle that, with the passing of the decades, make us look and feel older, not to mention becoming more prone to chronic disease. But when we really understand what’s going on, we have the tools and the opportunity to start to push back.
Jun 5, 2026 · NutritionHow Protein Affects Mental Health
Key for building muscle, this macronutrient is also important for your brain. Here's why.
Jun 3, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip – What is SpO2?
SpO2 can offer insight into lung function, cardiovascular health, sleep quality, recovery, exercise capacity, and overall resilience. Here's what you need to know.
Jun 1, 2026 · Healthy AgingMeet the ‘Spans’: The Smarter Way to Push Back on Aging
Longevity used to be a numbers game: he/she who lives longest, wins. But that idea is quietly fading. Today, the focus has shifted from sheer years to something more meaningful: how well those years are actually lived. First came “healthspan,” measuring life without disease. Useful, but incomplete. So, now’s the time to meet the spans, actually, the twelve individual “spans” – covering everything from energy to brain power to mobility to considerably more – which together, give us a clearer picture of our ‘peakspans’. By breaking it down to twelve, you’ll get sense of the breadth of our human physiology (and psychology), and how it can best be harnessed to add up to one long robust life.
May 29, 2026 · Health & WellnessThe Promise and Perils of AI in Healthcare
Learn how AI is currently being used in healthcare, along with its benefits and potential risks.
May 27, 2026 · Health Coach TipsHealth Coach Tip - How to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate Naturally
A lower resting heart rate (still within the healthy range) is often a sign that your heart is stronger, more efficient, and under less stress. Here's how to lower yours naturally.