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Daily Edition • Wednesday, June 10

Why Trauma Survivors Can’t Always “Talk Their Way Through It”

A woman in a yellow dress stands amidst colorful flowers and plants, with a brain illustration in the background.

Midjourney

Talk It Out: Or not. Talk therapy is a cornerstone of PTSD treatment, but it doesn’t work equally well for everyone. New research suggests part of the reason may be found in how trauma changes the brain.

The Study: Researchers scanned the brains of 136 people (70 with PTSD and 66 trauma-exposed people without PTSD) while they used cognitive therapy techniques to challenge negative beliefs about themselves. They found that people with PTSD showed weaker communication between the prefrontal cortex (involved in thinking and self-control) and the thalamus (a brain region that helps relay information). Those with the strongest negative self-beliefs showed the weakest connections, potentially making it harder to update those beliefs — even when presented with evidence that contradicts them.

The Takeaway: PTSD isn’t “all in your head.” Trauma can alter brain networks in ways that make it difficult for some people to benefit from traditional talk therapy. If one approach hasn’t helped, that doesn’t mean treatment won’t work; different therapies may be needed.

Keep in Mind: This study helps explain why therapy outcomes vary, but it doesn’t show that talk therapy is ineffective. Many people with PTSD improve substantially, and brain scans alone can’t predict who will respond best to treatment.

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Healthy Eating Just Got a Little Less Repetitive

Four colorful salad bowls featuring grilled chicken, veggies, grains, and dressings on a marble surface.

Courtesy: Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating

The hard part of eating well usually isn’t knowing what to do. It’s doing it consistently, especially when the same few “healthy” meals start to feel like a loop.

Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating is giving that routine a refresh. The dietitian-designed meal delivery brand is celebrating 40 years with its largest menu expansion yet, adding 47 new items, including 42 plant-based meals and five seasonal salads.

Its “Choose Your Own Meals” plan is also expanding nationwide, so customers can mix and match from a rotating weekly menu while still getting the structure SSHE is known for. Meals are freshly prepared, never frozen, chef-crafted, dietitian-approved, and ready in under 3 minutes.

Explore The Menu

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Nutrition & Food

Is Bovine Colostrum Actually Good for Your Gut?

A brown cow with ear tags stands in a green pasture, surrounded by trees and other cows in the background.

Claudio Schwarz/Unsplash

The Trend: Most people don’t know much about colostrum unless they’ve had a baby: It’s the thick, yellowish first milk that all mammals produce after giving birth. And bovine colostrum, in particular, is suddenly everywhere. Influencers are calling it an essential for gut health and, more ambitiously, a fountain of youth. Cows naturally make more than their calves need, so the excess gets collected and dried into a powder or capsule for human consumption, and a month’s supply can run you upwards of $120.

What People Are Saying: The clinical research about bovine colostrum is pretty interesting, as studies have found it may reduce gut permeability and help with certain GI conditions. A recent pilot study also looked at whether it could ease the GI side effects of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic.

What to Know: The evidence that the supplement can improve digestive health is promising but not conclusive — and there’s no standard dosage or FDA oversight. Plus, most studies have focused on specific populations with particular medical conditions, so how much bovine colostrum actually does for everyday gut complaints like bloating or constipation remains unclear.

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SPOTLIGHT

Exploring the Paradox of Consciousness

A smiling man with glasses sits, resting his chin on his hand, wearing a denim jacket and a collared shirt.

MICHAEL POLLAN
Author, Speaker

Courtesy: Michael Pollan

Science writer Michael Pollan has explored “the places where the human and natural worlds intersect” for decades. Earlier work examined how consuming plants can affect our bodies and (with some) alter our minds. In his new book, A World Appears, Pollan delves even deeper into what he calls “the deepest of mysteries”: human consciousness. Where does our sense of self come from? Why does each of us experience the world differently?

Pollan probes consciousness from a multitude of perspectives: science, literature, philosophy, and more. He talks to “plant neurobiologists” and learns plants can remember, adapt, and communicate. He looks at AI’s ability to process information but inability to replicate human emotion.

We may try to impose order on our consciousness, but we may never fully understand it. Science explains neural pathways, but it can’t allow us to experience the world the way others do. Even our own consciousness changes. On “The Ezra Klein Show,” Pollan said we “prune” our consciousness as we age. Children have “lantern” consciousness: taking in every experience at once. We later shift to “spotlight” consciousness to focus and complete tasks. The spotlight makes us more productive, but the lantern allows us to problem-solve and think creatively. Understanding that dynamic may not let us fully explain consciousness. But it might help us live with more of it.

READ | WATCH | FOLLOW

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Quick Picks

Shriveled Up — Why do your fingertips get wrinkly after a swim?

On the Go — This is how travel supports brain health.

Gut Check — This gut health trend is getting attention from gastroenterologists.*

Go With the Flow — Can you really drain your lymphatic system?

Off the Table — Here are 6 ways to cut added sugar at dinner.

^*Indicates a brand partnership

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What We're Cooking

Sumac Chicken With Yogurty Cucumber Salad

Sliced grilled chicken breast served with cucumbers, red onions, and yogurt, accompanied by a yellow-handled fork and knife.

Courtesy: Food52

Serves: 2 | Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Yogurt is the star of this chicken dinner, pulling double duty in the marinade and the sauce. It keeps the chicken tender and juicy while also forming the creamy base for a smash cucumber and red onion salad. Tangy sumac adds brightness to the marinade, which rests in the fridge for an hour while you prepare the salad (or take a break). The yogurt sauce is infused with cucumber juice and olive oil, bringing a fresh finish to this simple dinner that leaves you feeling light, but satisfied.

Get The Full Recipe

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This, Not That

Petite Plates

A person holding a plate with salad, colorful cherry tomatoes, greens, and a slice of savory pie, in an outdoor setting.

THIS

A hand with tongs serves a plate of food, including fries, grilled meat, pasta, corn, and vegetables.

NOT THAT

Getty/Unsplash, Tim Meyer/Unsplash

This: A smaller plate plus seconds
Not That: Automatically loading up once

Start with a little less and give yourself full permission to go back if you’re still hungry. It creates a natural pause, which can make it easier to notice fullness without turning the meal into a math problem.

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The Meal Plan With More Room to Choose

Healthy meal delivery works best when it doesn’t feel like homework. Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating now makes it easier to build a routine that fits your taste, with a nationwide “Choose Your Own Meals” plan and 47 new menu items.

That includes new plant-based options, seasonal salads, and the same dietitian-designed, calorie-conscious meals SSHE has been refining for 40 years. They’re freshly prepared, never frozen, and ready in under 3 minutes.

Build Your Meal Plan

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HEALTHY HABIT

Step Outside Early

Try to get a few minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking up. Morning light helps cue your internal clock, which can support better energy during the day and better sleep at night.

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Final Thought

Sunlight glistens on calm water near rocky shoreline.

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”

– Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Polina/Unsplash