Right now, Grant Bell is in the midst of running 2,300 miles of the Mississippi River Trail — a path that stretches from Minnesota to Louisiana. Bell’s goal is to complete the entirety of the trail in 70 days, meaning he’s running between 30 and 40 miles a day, every day. His reason? To raise money for childhood cancer research after his niece was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Read more about Bell and his effort here. And, if you’re so inclined, you can donate here (our editor has already chipped in).
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Nutrition & Food
Scientists Developed a Fart Chart to Measure Gut Health
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Breaking Wind: Let’s tackle one of life’s great unanswered questions: Am I farting a normal amount? It’s not something you might ask at the dinner table, but thankfully, science has stepped in where polite conversation won’t.
The Study: Researchers in Australia recruited 6,416 adults and asked them to log every “gas output” using an app delightfully called Chart Your Fart (yes, really). Participants recorded more than 360,000 flatulence events, creating one of the largest datasets ever collected on human gas. The results? Most people reported between two and seven gas episodes per day, with an average of about five. Men logged slightly more than women, and gas tended to peak in the morning, after lunch, and near bedtime.
The Takeaway: If you occasionally worry that you’re unusually gassy, you’re probably more normal than you think. This study gives us a much-needed baseline for what everyday digestive function looks like on a population level.
Keep in Mind: Researchers measured episodes, not individual farts. One “episode” could include multiple toots. Plus, participants self-reported their data, which means some emissions were almost certainly forgotten (or intentionally omitted). In other words, the true number may be higher.
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Courtesy: Vital Proteins
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Nutrition & Food
“Food Swamps” Are Expanding Across the U.S.
Karolina Grabowska/Unsplash
The Trend: You probably know about “food deserts,” (neighborhoods where there’s no or little access to healthy foods), but have you heard of a “food swamp”? It refers to an area where fast-food restaurants and convenience stores outnumber grocery stores, making healthy eating an uphill battle — and both food deserts and swamps are on the rise across the U.S. Between 2003 and 2023, the share of communities classified as food swamps increased from 80.2% to 88.5%.
What People Are Saying: Research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference found that people living in neighborhoods with more concentrated unhealthy food environments had 13% higher odds of stroke than those in neighborhoods with lower concentrations. Limited food access is also linked to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, with public transit users and people in lower-income communities often affected the most.
What to Know: Your zip code dictates food access in ways that have nothing to do with personal choices. But local governments can step in to reduce the “swamp” of less nutritious food options by supporting alternative outlets for nutritious foods, such as community-supported agriculture, mobile markets, and urban gardens.
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Cognitive Health
Could an Air Filter Boost Brain Function?
Midjourney
You Should Know: Tons of tips and products promise to improve focus, but here’s one you might not have heard before: air purifiers. New research suggests using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter could improve cognitive function.
Going Deeper: The study included 119 participants ages 30 to 74 living near busy highways with high levels of traffic-related air pollution. They were randomized to run HEPA filters in their homes for one month, no filters for one month, and then sham filters for another month, or in reverse order. Participants took cognitive tests assessing memory, processing speed, and focus both before and after the experiment. Younger participants experienced no significant change, but after using a HEPA filter, those aged 40 and older had a 12% improvement in their test scores — which is about the same cognitive boost seen with increased daily exercise.
Takeaway: We know that poor air quality affects the brain. Fine particulate matter in polluted air has been associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, and pollution exposure can increase the risk of mental health disorders, dementia, and poorer cognitive performance.
Bottom Line: Why HEPA filters helped older adults wasn’t explained, but reducing indoor air pollution is good for many aspects of our health.
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Quick Picks
2-For-1 — These 5 foods offer both protein and fiber.
Populaaar — Over 200,000 people say they love this supplement.*
Bottoms Up — How much water should you drink to support weight loss?
*Indicates a brand partnership
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What We're Cooking
Best Turkey Burgers
Courtesy: Allrecipes
Serves: 12 burgers | Cook Time: 30 minutes
Even die-hard burger fans will appreciate this lean alternative to a summer staple. These flavor-packed turkey patties, made with bread crumbs, egg whites, parsley, garlic, and onion make knock-out burgers — as well as meatballs or meatloaves. Cook them out on the grill, in the oven, or on the stovetop, then load them up with your favorite toppings, like tomato, red onion, pickles, bacon, cheese, or even a garlic aioli.
By clicking, you are agreeing to receive a daily recipe from Better Plates.
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This, Not That
The Better Midday Pick-Me-Up
THIS
NOT THAT
Jordan Gonzalez/Unsplash, Daiga llaby/Unsplash
This: A Short Walk Outside Not That: Another Coffee
That 2:30 p.m. slump doesn’t always require caffeine. Sometimes your brain just needs movement, daylight, and a break from staring at the same screen for four hours straight. A 10-minute walk boosts alertness without risking the late-day caffeine rebound.
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Sponsored
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Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Make a “Later List”
When a distracting thought pops up during work, write it down instead of chasing it. A later list helps your brain trust that the thought isn’t gone — it’s just parked.
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Final Thought
Forgiveness is the economy of the heart.... Forgiveness saves expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.”
