Health Benefits of Apples and Recipes

This article builds on the previously summarized health benefits of apples and the latest findings on their polyphenol content. It is an update incorporating practical apple recipes alongside. The recipes focus on maximizing polyphenol intake (e.g., retaining the peel) and include simple, nutritious options suitable for everyday use. Summary of the Article (Original, September 26, […]

Health Benefits of Apples

I found this interesting article in The Epoch Times: Apples Protect Against Stroke and Feed Your Gut—How to Get the Most. The article, published on September 26, 2025, and updated on October 3, 2025, explores the historical significance and modern health benefits of apples, emphasizing their role in American culture and nutrition. It highlights key […]

Synbiotics and Short-Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) Production

Synbiotics are combinations of probiotics (live beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics (non-digestible fibers that feed them), designed to synergistically improve gut health. They enhance SCFA production—primarily acetate, propionate, and butyrate—more effectively than probiotics or prebiotics alone by providing both the microbes and their preferred substrates for fermentation in the colon. This synergistic combination boosts microbial diversity, […]

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Prebiotics vs. Probiotics: Key Differences and Benefits Both prebiotics and probiotics support gut health in complementary ways: Probiotics introduce live beneficial bacteria, while prebiotics nourish existing ones. Often combined as synbiotics for enhanced effects, they promote microbiome balance, which is linked to digestion, immunity, and more. Below is a comparison based on recent expert guidance.  […]

Dietary Sources of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

You may wonder what the dietary sources of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are, since they are so important in promoting overall health and longevity. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—primarily acetate, propionate, and butyrate—are mostly produced endogenously by gut bacteria through the process of dietary fiber fermentation. However, small amounts are available directly from certain foods. Direct […]

Sources of Dietary Fibers

Knowing the sources of dietary fibers that the Gut Microbiome ferments into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can change your life and health. Our gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, through the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates, including soluble and fermentable dietary fibers. These fibers are found in various plant-based […]

Living the Good Life

Aristotle’s view of the good life, or eudaimonia, is living virtuously in accordance with reason, fulfilling one’s potential through moral and intellectual excellence, and finding balance in all things. His principles are part of the Harvard Medical School’s Lifestyle and Wellness coaching program as well as the DreamBuilding® Life Transformation program. To live the good […]

Sleep and Your Body

Sleep involves a complex interplay of physiological processes that restore and regulate the body, orchestrated by the brain and influenced by hormones like melatonin. Below, I’ll outline the key body processes during sleep, the role of melatonin, and address whether organs are “updated” at specific times. Our Body Processes During Sleep Sleep is divided into […]

Smoking is bad for you

Smoking is bad for you, no matter what new, fancy, and fashionable ways they invent to keep us hooked in an illusion of prestige and feeling good about ourselves. It mainly starts in childhood (the best victims are children) from a desire to look older, and it is a totally addictive habit that should never […]

Social Relationships and Microbiome

Positive social relationships and connections have been linked to improved microbiome health, particularly in the gut, through increased microbial diversity, richness, and the presence of beneficial bacteria. Studies show that individuals with stronger social ties tend to have more diverse and similar microbiomes to those in their networks, which is associated with better overall health […]