Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube For roughly twenty years, I wasn’t particularly happy. Not depressed in a clinical sense — I had a good life, a career I cared about, people I loved. But there was a persistent low-level flatness that never quite lifted. Dysthymia, it’s called. I tried psychotherapy. I meditated seriously. I read, […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube Massage and acupuncture are two of the most widely used complementary health therapies in the country. According to the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, 11 percent of U.S. adults used massage in the prior year, and 2 percent used acupuncture. At roughly $100 a session each, that is a lot […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube You’ve seen enough misleading headlines to be skeptical, you’ve heard the promises that didn’t pan out, and you’re aware that the wellness industry is very good at selling things that may not work. And yet — you still feel something shift when you pick up a product labeled “all natural.” […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube Nearly half of American adults — 49%, according to a 2023 Gallup poll — report they frequently experience stress. That number has risen 16 percentage points over the past two decades, reaching the highest level Gallup has ever recorded. And the wellness industry is ready for you. There’s a supplement, […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube It’s a question worth billions of dollars. Companies want to sell you tests that reveal your “biological age.” Genetic tests promise to predict your dementia risk decades in advance. Your doctor calculates your 10-year probability of a heart attack. A recent Wall Street Journal article explored longevity calculators simply to […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube If you’ve ever taken time off work to see “the doctor” and instead been greeted by a nurse practitioner or a physician associate/assistant, you’re not alone. I hear this from patients and friends all the time, and it raises real questions: Is this a bait-and-switch? Is your care worse—or just […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube Got a scratchy throat or a kid sniffling on the couch? Before you stock up on “miracle” cures, let’s separate cozy folklore from what actually moves the needle. Today, I’m pairing the best clinical evidence with something many of us grew up with: Grandma’s wisdom. Where the science supports her, […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube You’ve just had a baby, you’re holding this tiny new human, and a nurse walk in and says, “Time for the hepatitis B vaccine.” For over 30 years, that’s been standard for almost every newborn in America. But in December 2025, a federal vaccine advisory committee voted to change this […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube If you’ve felt a rising unease about microplastics, you’re not alone. They’re turning up in water, food, indoor air—and yes, in human tissues. The science is early and imperfect, but a few signals deserve our attention while we keep our cool and focus on pragmatic steps. First, a quick level […]

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podcast Index | Overcast | YouTube We’ve all been there. A French fry tumbles from your plate and lands on the kitchen floor. You glance around, grab it within seconds, and tell yourself it’s fine—the five-second rule means bacteria haven’t had time to transfer, right? Not so fast. Let’s dig into what the evidence actually tells […]