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Daily Edition • Monday, Sept 21
SPONSORED BY
Daily Edition • Monday, Sept 21
SPONSORED BY
State officials and chefs in Massachusetts are trying to make flounder happen. The “Flat is Back” campaign aims to promote the flatfish, a common catch along the East Coast that’s less popular on restaurant menus and in grocery stores than staples like cod, which remain in demand despite declines in stocks in recent decades.
Part of the problem is that Americans can be pretty picky about their seafood: 2023 data found that more than 75% of seafood eaten in the U.S. came from just 10 species (think salmon, shrimp, and canned tuna). Flounder is a healthy, budget-friendly, and sustainable seafood choice — and you don’t have to be a Massachusetts local to broaden your seafood horizons. Trying less-popular species is a simple way to add variety to your diet and make more environmentally-friendly choices.
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Cognitive Health
Need to Ease Pain? Try Listening to Your Favorite Music
Ciocan Ciprian/Unsplash
Turn It Up: You don’t need a peer-reviewed study to tell you that listening to your favorite tunes puts you in a good mood or helps you run faster and lift heavier — though that phenomenon is indeed supported by science. Going further, a new study in PAIN Reports investigated how exactly music may reduce pain, looking for specific mechanisms that explain the positive effects.
The Study: Researchers analyzed data from 57 studies that looked at factors that could explain music’s effect on pain. They uncovered three key findings: listening to music you enjoy, listening to music you selected (rather than what someone else selected), and moving your body to the beat, such as engaging in the rhythm through tapping or drumming, all improved pain scores. Interestingly, they also found that listening to music you don’t like could make your pain worse.
Takeaway: Music appears to influence pain through multiple interacting brain and psychological pathways, but researchers say stronger causal studies — especially in people with chronic or clinical pain — are still needed.
Keep in Mind: Most of the studies reviewed involved healthy adults experiencing short-term pain in controlled environments, like submerging their hand in ice water. These results may not translate to chronic pain.
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Personal Growth
How to Turn Your Home Into a Longevity “Blue Zone”
Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash
Bring It Home: If you’ve watched the Netflix series about Blue Zones, you know there are a handful of places around the world (like Sardinia and Okinawa) where people commonly live past 100 with far less chronic disease. Researchers have traced the phenomenon to everyday habits like eating mostly plants and staying close to family and neighbors. With that in mind, you can still incorporate a version of this into your own home without relocating across the world.
How to Do It: The best place to start is in the kitchen, since a plant-heavy diet shows up across every Blue Zone. Wash and chop produce as soon as it comes home so it’s easy to grab, and keep beans and nuts in sight. As for exercise, researchers recommendfocusing on ordinary activity throughout the day, like doing chores, gardening, and walking to run errands. And in the living room, turn the seating to face each other so conversation beats the TV as the default.
The Benefits: Research has found that Blue Zone residents live seven to 10 years longer than the average American, with far less heart disease and cancer. So adding these simple habits may support a longer, healthier life and could reduce your likelihood of developing certain diseases.
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Beauty
How Safe Is Getting a Tattoo, Really?
Lucas Lenzi/Unsplash
You Should Know: In Western culture, tattoos used to be considered badges of rebellion and “deviance,” but today almost half of U.S. adults ages 30 to 49 have at least one. There’s the initial pain and potential for infection afterward, but are there any long-lasting health effects from getting inked?
Going Deeper: A tattoo needle plants ink one to three millimeters into the skin. The immune system could mount a response in the form of an allergic reaction even weeks or months later — with red ink historically associated with a higher number of reactions. Tattoos are permanent, but not every drop of ink stays put forever. Some ink will travel through the lymphatic system and can settle into lymph nodes where it can be taken up by and eventually kill immune cells.
Takeaway: Some researchers have been looking into whether tattoo ink could raise cancer risk — but there is no proof that it causes cancer. Some inks contain heavy metals and other chemicals, including pigments commonly used in manufacturing. Europe carefully regulates the ingredients in tattoo ink, while the U.S. has fewer specific regulations.
Bottom Line: Much more research is needed on any long-term impacts of tattoos. Skin infections and allergic reactions are more immediate concerns. Getting tattooed by an experienced artist who takes hygiene and sterilization as seriously as the art is a must.
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Quick Picks
Back to Basics — Here’s how to get enough electrolytes (without turning to supplements).
Foot Pain Fix — How a podiatrist-designed insole with real arch support could make everyday foot pain easier to manage.*
This Almond Croissant Baked Oats packs 27g of plant-based protein per serving. A hearty oat-and-hemp base gets its signature almond croissant flavor from almond extract, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a scattering of sliced almonds on top, while flax meal, hemp hearts, and almond butter bring healthy fats to keep you full. It’s a one-pan, meal-prep-friendly breakfast — bake it once at the start of the week, then slice and portion for quick mornings ahead. It’s the kind of breakfast that tastes like a treat but is built to fuel your day — just grab a square from the fridge, warm it up if you like, and go.
By clicking, you are agreeing to receive a daily recipe from Better Plates.
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This, Not That
Make Bedtime Less Negotiable
THIS
NOT THAT
Lute/Unsplash, Ephraim Mayrena/Unsplash
This: Set a wind-down reminder Not That: Waiting until you’re already exhausted
By the time you feel tired, you may already be deep in the scroll. Set a reminder 30 minutes before bed to dim the lights, brush your teeth, plug in your phone, or start closing tabs. The point is to make bedtime less of a surprise attack.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Make the Walk Too Easy to Skip
A walk does not need to be long to count. Set the bar at five minutes when you’re tired, busy, or trying to talk yourself out of it. You can always keep going, but the tiny minimum gets you out the door before your brain builds a legal case against movement.
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Final Thought
The greenhorn is the ultimate victor in everything; it is he that gets the most out of life.”
