John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged health · everything

Fast Company

3 Simple Habits That Can Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

This piece, written by neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart, argues that while brain aging is partly inevitable, lifestyle choices can meaningfully slow cognitive decline by promoting neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus. It offers a three-part plan built on aerobic exercise (ideally outdoors and socially engaging), intermittent fasting or calorie restriction after consulting a doctor, and consistent, high-quality sleep that supports the brain's glymphatic clearance of age-related toxins.

Permalink nutritionhealthagingbrain

www.goodhousekeeping.com

20 Best Snacks for People with Diabetes, According to Registered Dietitians

This article presents a comprehensive list of 20 snack options recommended by registered dietitians for people with diabetes or prediabetes, emphasizing foods high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats that help stabilize blood sugar levels. Each snack includes expert commentary explaining its nutritional benefits and practical tips for preparation or pairing—such as roasted chickpeas with spices, Greek yogurt, nuts, eggs, and plant-based options like hummus and edamame. The dietitians also emphasize that blood sugar-friendly eating doesn't require sacrificing cultural or traditional foods, encouraging people to enjoy flavorful snacks while maintaining stable glucose levels.

Permalink foodnutritionrecipeshealth

www.news-medical.net

Natural compound found in olives can lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss

A Virginia Tech study found that elenolic acid, a compound derived from olives, significantly reduced weight and improved blood sugar control in obese diabetic mice—with effects comparable to the injectable drug liraglutide and superior to metformin. The researchers identified that elenolic acid works by stimulating the release of metabolic hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) in the gut, which promote satiety and regulate blood sugar, rather than targeting metabolic tissues directly. While the natural concentration in olive products is too low to produce these benefits, the findings suggest elenolic acid could be developed into a safer and cheaper alternative to existing obesity and diabetes medications.

Permalink nutritionhealthweight lossscience

www.self.com

7 Legit Ways to Improve Your Gut Health, According to GI Doctors

While gut health has become a wellness obsession fueled by social media and a booming supplement industry, there's actually no single formula for a healthy gut—it varies significantly from person to person. Rather than relying on pills and potions, gastroenterologists recommend proven lifestyle habits: eating plenty of fiber and diverse plants, staying hydrated, exercising regularly, managing stress, getting adequate sleep, and using antibiotics only when necessary. These everyday practices support the growth of beneficial bacteria and the gut-brain connection that influences everything from digestion to mental health and immune function.

Permalink nutritionhealthwellnesssleep

www.foodandwine.com

Trump Officials Swear by the ‘Sauerkraut Diet’ — but Does It Actually Work?

The so-called [[sauerkraut]] diet, created by [[Sean O’Mara]], is a lifestyle plan popular with several members of President Trump’s Cabinet and highlighted in the [[Wall Street Journal]], centered on fermented foods, [[grass-fed meat]], extended fasting, brief high‑intensity workouts, and other hormetic practices. Advocates claim the regimen restores the gut microbiome, boosts immunity, and can trigger GLP‑1–related weight effects; doctors report common weight loss but emphasize the evidence is limited. Nutrition experts place value on fermented foods for microbiome diversity and reduced inflammation, yet warn the meat‑heavy approach can raise LDL cholesterol in susceptible people and fermented products can be high in sodium. The article summarizes existing small studies, offers fermented‑food shopping guidance, and underscores that the diet’s long‑term risks and benefits remain insufficiently studied. Readers should consult clinicians before making major dietary changes.

Permalink foodnutritionhealthweight loss

www.inverse.com

Evolutionary biologists reveal how exercise unlocks human longevity

Harvard evolutionary biologists propose that humans' exceptional longevity compared to other primates evolved because our ancestors needed to stay physically active and healthy into old age to provision and care for their grandchildren—a role requiring sustained energy expenditure that our bodies are biologically designed for. The research suggests that physical activity in later life evolved to regulate fat storage and reproductive hormones while simultaneously triggering cellular repair processes, and modern sedentary lifestyles create a dangerous mismatch between our activity-dependent biology and our desk-bound existence. The authors argue that maintaining lifelong physical activity, particularly in older age, is essential to preventing the chronic diseases of aging that plague industrialized societies where humans are uniquely inactive.

Permalink healthagingexerciselongevity

mindbodygreen

The Real Reason Fermented Foods Are Beneficial (It's Not Probiotics)

Fermented foods deliver health benefits through bioactive compounds created during fermentation—including peptides, short-chain fatty acids, and organic acids—that work together to support gut health, strengthen the intestinal barrier, and reduce chronic inflammation linked to metabolic disease. These compounds work independently of whether the bacteria survive digestion, meaning even pasteurized fermented foods retain functional benefits, and different fermented foods (dairy, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and teas) offer distinct compounds suited to various health outcomes. The most effective approach combines a variety of fermented foods with fiber-rich plants to fuel beneficial bacteria and maximize metabolic and immune benefits.

Permalink nutritionhealthfermentation

Outside

What Fireflies Teach Us About Sleep, Light Pollution, and Longevity

Dr. Ingrid Yang draws a parallel between declining firefly populations in Bali and human sleep disorders caused by artificial nighttime light. Through her encounter with conservationist Wayan Wardika, she reveals that both fireflies and humans rely on darkness for critical biological signaling—fireflies for mating via bioluminescence, humans for melatonin production and sleep regulation—yet artificial lighting disrupts both systems identically. Recent research showing that nighttime light exposure increases risks of cardiometabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and mortality suggests that restoring natural darkness cycles (through dimmer, warmer evening lighting and consistent sleep schedules) benefits human longevity in the same way it rescues firefly populations.

Permalink healthsleeptravelnature

YouTube

Scientific American

Can humans live forever? | Scientific American

Aging is not inevitable wear-and-tear but results from the declining effectiveness of our cells' repair and maintenance systems, which become damaged through interconnected biological processes including DNA deterioration, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. Scientists are pursuing multiple strategies to slow or reverse aging—from caloric restriction and drugs like rapamycin to more radical cellular reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, which can revert adult cells to an embryonic state and have shown promise in regenerating tissue in mice. While no biological law prevents life extension, the extraordinary complexity of aging and practical obstacles like side effects and regulatory hurdles mean dramatic lifespan increases remain unlikely, though evidence suggests diet, exercise, sleep and social connection can meaningfully improve healthspan.

Permalink healthsciencelongevity

YoPeak

the Guardian

The sleeping x eating secret: 15 ways to better rest, a healthier diet – and a happier life | Food | The Guardian

Recent research confirms that diet significantly influences sleep quality, with a Mediterranean-style diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats—offering the most comprehensive benefits, likely through anti-inflammatory compounds and gut-brain communication. Key sleep-promoting foods include nuts, seeds, tropical fruits, and tryptophan-rich proteins, while ultra-processed foods, high-glycemic-index carbohydrates, caffeine after midday, and alcohol (which disrupts REM sleep) all worsen rest. The relationship between sleep and eating is bidirectional: poor sleep alters hunger hormones to increase appetite the next day, particularly affecting men's ghrelin levels and women's leptin suppression, leading to an average 385 extra calories consumed and a preference for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

Permalink nutritionhealthwellnesssleep

HuffPost

Everything You Need To Know About The New COVID Vaccine | HuffPost Life

Updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting the JN.1 variant are now available at pharmacies nationwide at no cost under most insurance plans, with professional medical organizations recommending vaccination for older adults (65+), people with chronic conditions, pregnant women, young children, and those under 65 without underlying conditions who want protection. The CDC has not issued updated guidance this year due to the disbanding of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases Society of America have released similar recommendations, with doctors suggesting vaccination in mid-to-late September or October to build immunity before the winter surge, and noting that side effects should be mild and temporary.

Permalink healthadvicenewscovid-19

Food & Wine

Chicago Tribune

Marathon runners are training for a hotter world: ‘Our bodies don’t know pace, they know effort’

Climate change is forcing marathon runners to fundamentally rethink their training and race strategies as heat waves make traditional fall marathon seasons dangerously hot. Beyond gear like cooling headbands and moisture-wicking clothing, experts emphasize that the most effective approach is heat acclimation—training the body physiologically to handle extreme temperatures through sauna sessions, strategic timing of runs, and gradual heat exposure starting weeks before a race. Race organizers are responding by shifting marathon dates, allowing modified finisher criteria, and creating adjusted training paces based on real-time weather data, while researchers warn that the cooler conditions runners once relied on for major races are becoming increasingly rare due to climate change.

Permalink healthrunningtrainingmarathon

Martha Stewart

Food & Wine

Men's Fitness

GQ

The Peptide People Are Using to Fix Their Sleep

Piece traces the TikTok-fueled trend of using sermorelin, an unregulated growth-hormone-mimicking peptide, to fix poor sleep, following biohacker Joe Scugoza's experience alongside anecdotes from Huberman and online forums describing initial REM disruption that resolves after a couple weeks. Sleep doctors interviewed push back hard, noting the science is thin (mostly a single 1998 study), the compounded drugs are unregulated and potentially contaminated, and there are real long-term risks like accelerated tumor growth—concluding that proven alternatives like resistance exercise are safer bets than what one doctor calls "hype dressed in real biology."

Permalink healthwellnesssleeplongevity