If you’ve ever felt completely exhausted but somehow still unable to relax, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of being a little too “on.” Between work, notifications, the news, and the thousand other things competing for our attention, it can be surprisingly hard to get your body to downshift. One simple thing that can help: slowing down your breathing, particularly by making your exhales a little longer than your inhales. Try breathing in for four counts and out for six, five times in a row. And if you want to go a little deeper, this free seven-day course we built can help you practice calming your nervous system in about five minutes a day.
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Nutrition
A Common Plastic May Be Hurting Your Liver
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Plastic, Not So Fantastic: Rates of fatty liver disease, which happens when excess fat accumulates in liver cells, have climbed sharply over the past three decades, a trend often attributed to rising obesity and diabetes. According to new research, however, everyday plastic exposure may also be adding to the trend.
The Study: Researchers at Texas A&M studied how polyethylene (a specific type of plastic) affects liver tissue. On its own, polyethylene increased signs of fatty liver disease, and the effect intensified when paired with a diet high in fat, fructose, and cholesterol. The damage appeared to involve PPAR-alpha, a protein that regulates fat production in the liver.
The Takeaway: Polyethylene was long considered one of the more harmless plastics, but now it appears that diet and plastic exposure may compound each other’s effects on liver health. Curious about how exposed you are to microplastics? Take our two-minute assessment.
Keep in Mind: This research is early, and scientists don’t yet know how it translates to long-term liver disease in humans.
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Health Tech
AI Griefbots Could Make Grieving Even More Complicated
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The Trend: What if you could text someone you’ve lost — and they texted back? That’s the promise of AI “griefbots,” or “thanabots”: systems trained on a deceased person’s texts, emails, photos, videos, social posts, and voice recordings to generate a digital imitation of how they might speak and respond. Generative AI makes these bots increasingly convincing, and startups are already selling versions of the technology.
What People Are Saying: There’s an obvious appeal. Hearing a familiar voice or having a conversation could offer comfort, help someone revisit memories, or provide a way to work through unfinished feelings. Some therapists and researchers see potential for working through grief, but the science is young, and experts are cautious. There are also thorny questions: Did the deceased consent? Who gets to decide what “version” of them the bot creates? And could repeatedly interacting with a convincing simulation make it harder to accept that the person is gone? Researchers have specifically called for consent and safeguards against unhealthy emotional dependence.
What to Know: Grief isn’t a problem to solve, and it doesn’t have a timeline to complete. It’s a process of learning to live with an absence. Continuing bonds with someone who died can be part of that process. AI may eventually have a place in that landscape, but for now, it’s wise to see griefbots as an experimental technology at best.
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Sleep
Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Bed First Thing
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You Should Know: Making your bed may give you a sense of accomplishment and order to start the day, but there’s a case for leaving it unmade for a little while. Overnight, your body releases moisture through sweat and breathing (as much as 700 mL!), and immediately covering that damp bedding can create a warmer, more humid environment where dust mites thrive. Experts suggest pulling back the covers and letting your bed air out for 30 to 60 minutes before making it.
Going Deeper: The gross-out factor may be bigger than the actual health threat. Dust mites are microscopic creatures found in many homes, and their droppings and body fragments can trigger allergies and asthma, but they don’t generally make healthy people sick. The bigger concern is for people who are sensitive to them, like those with severe allergies. Keeping indoor humidity below 50%, washing bedding weekly, and using allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers can help reduce exposure.
Takeaway:You don’t have to choose between a tidy bedroom and a healthier sleep environment. Simply make your bed later — after you’ve showered, had coffee, or have otherwise given your bedding some time to breathe.
Bottom Line: Making your bed isn’t unhealthy. But waiting a little while before doing it is an easy way to keep the ritual without trapping overnight moisture under the covers.
Bedtime Snack — This nut could help you fall asleep.
Cool as a Cucumber — Stay hydrated during a heatwave with these 5 foods.
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What We're Cooking
Cowboy Caviar
Courtesy: Simply Recipes
Serves: 8 | Cook Time: 15 minutes
This colorful and filling cowboy caviar is a great all-around option for snacking, scooping, or meal prep. Black beans and black-eyed peas are tossed with corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, and red onion. A smoky chipotle-lime dressing adds heat and brightness for a fresh dip that gets even better as it sits in the fridge.
This: Eat before you grocery shop Not That: Letting hunger write the receipt
A hungry grocery run is how you end up with three snacks, no dinner plan, and a suspiciously expensive cart. Have a small snack before you go, then shop from a list. Your future meals will have a better chance when your stomach isn’t making executive decisions.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Create a Better First Hour
The first hour of the day doesn’t need to be optimized into a wellness montage. Just make one thing easier: water before coffee, light before phone, breakfast before inbox, or a few minutes of movement before sitting. A better morning can be modest and still count.
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Final Thought
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.”
