Wellness Journeys

08/22/2026

I love science. I am a scientist, and accordingly I am the most important of scientists because I taught (teach, online) science.

Every scientist had a teacher.

I have watched the entire series of The Big Bang Theory over a dozen times. Great writing, great acting, and I love how they've created a world of science (and pseudo science) because it's stimulated me to investigate further quantum mechanics. It's all very fascinating.

So I thought I'd teach a little bit about the Higgs Boson, or the Higgs field. I'll give it to you in one charged paragraph.

The universe is filled with the Higgs field, and when that field ripples, we detect a Higgs boson. The field is what gives particles mass. Without it, everything would move at the speed of light, unable to slow down, clump together, or form atoms — meaning no matter, no stars, no planets, no you.

That tiny ripple is what makes our universe real.

08/20/2026

August 12, 2026 — Oma’s Pride announced a voluntary recall of one lot of Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe (6lb bag) due to the possibility of Salmonella contamination.

The affected products being recalled are sold as frozen raw dog food in a 6lb gusseted stand-up pouch containing 12 individually wrapped, 8oz vacuum-sealed portions

Product: Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe, 6 lb bag
Bags Impacted: 639
Item / SKU: F-WOOFC-6
Lot number: BB012729
UPC: 8 7938400145 9
Manufacturing Date: 1/27/2026
Expiration / Best-by: 1/27/2029
No other Oma’s Pride products, sizes or lots are affected at this time.

08/18/2026

08/14/2026

Our readers (most of them) know about BACO, and the about the 20 years of research I put into learning all I could about it. They also know that it has been studied, and that all the studies have either vanished or went unpublished.

Well, we are actively looking for a Chemistry Grad Student who is in search of a subject for a dissertation. If you know of anyone, please feel free to have them contact me:

[email protected]

And this is the letter we're sending to the heads of graduate depts of chemistry:

I’m reaching out because I have access to a silver‑based aqueous solution that exhibits several unexplained behaviors — including distinctive droplet microstructures, UV‑induced darkening, and intermittent particulate formation. These effects have been observed repeatedly but never formally studied.

If a graduate student in your department is looking for a dissertation topic involving anomalous chemical behavior or radical oxygen systems, this material may offer a unique opportunity for characterization.

I’d be happy to share samples and documentation if there is interest.

08/11/2026

The latest 2026 research on coffee is unusually positive, and several major reviews came out this spring and summer.

The short version: moderate coffee intake (3–5 cups/day) is now strongly linked to better cardiovascular, metabolic, liver, and neurological health, as long as you’re not dumping sugar and cream into it.

1. Coffee’s bioactive compounds have strong antioxidant & anti‑inflammatory effects

A 2026 review in *Molecules* found that coffee contains polyphenols, melanoidins, phytosterols, carotenoids, and other compounds that activate the body’s Nrf2 antioxidant defense pathway, improving inflammation and metabolic health. [MDPI](https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/9/1404)

2. Up to 400 mg/day of caffeine (≈3–5 cups of coffee) is safe for most adults

The American Heart Association’s 2026 scientific statement says this level of intake is associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and some arrhythmias — when consumed without added sugars or cream. [American Heart Association](https://newsroom.heart.org/facts/caffeine-and-cardiovascular-disease)

3. Moderate coffee intake reduces all‑cause and cardiovascular mortality

A 2026 comprehensive review found that 3–4 cups/day correlates with lower risk of death from all causes, reduced heart failure risk, and improved metabolic homeostasis. [nutrition-evidence.com](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/544558/habitual-coffee-consumption-and-systemic-health-outcomes-a-comprehensive-review)

4. Coffee may protect against liver and prostate cancer

The same review identified chemo‑preventive effects, especially for liver cancer. [nutrition-evidence.com](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/544558/habitual-coffee-consumption-and-systemic-health-outcomes-a-comprehensive-review)

5. Coffee supports brain health

Evidence shows neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. [nutrition-evidence.com](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/544558/habitual-coffee-consumption-and-systemic-health-outcomes-a-comprehensive-review)

6. Coffee shapes the gut microbiome in beneficial ways

A 2026 Nature Communications study found habitual coffee intake positively alters the gut microbiome and improves host physiology and cognition. [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71264-8)

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What the studies also warn about

Energy drinks (40–69 mg caffeine per ounce) are not the same as coffee and increase cardiovascular risk. [American Heart Association](https://newsroom.heart.org/facts/caffeine-and-cardiovascular-disease)

Unfiltered coffee (like French press) can raise LDL cholesterol due to diterpenes. [nutrition-evidence.com](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/544558/habitual-coffee-consumption-and-systemic-health-outcomes-a-comprehensive-review)

Pregnancy: caffeine has a linear dose‑risk relationship with pregnancy loss. [nutrition-evidence.com](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/544558/habitual-coffee-consumption-and-systemic-health-outcomes-a-comprehensive-review)

Too much coffee: very high intake can cause arrhythmias or blood pressure spikes. [American Heart Association](https://newsroom.heart.org/facts/caffeine-and-cardiovascular-disease)
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Editor's Note: if you like it sweet and creamy, use allulose as the sweetener and powdered coconut milk as the creamer.

08/07/2026

Just posted this recipe. It's a pasta recipe, but with low-carb pasta.

Pasta Salad —Low CarbDavidAugust 7, 2026Recipes When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this was one of those things I missed: PASTA! It was long-haul COVID that kicked in my diabetes. High blood sugar runs in my family, and so I’ve been careful to take supplements to keep my A1c down. Then, ...

07/25/2026

Henri Matisse and art were never supposed to cross paths.

He was born into a humble family in a small provincial town.

His father, a grain merchant, wanted him to pursue a "serious" career and tried to discourage his drawing,

So they sent him to Paris to study law.

He graduated, and seemed set for a conventional life.

Then everything changed.

While recovering from appendicitis, he was confined to bed for weeks. To help pass the time, his mother gave him a box of paints. He picked up a brush. And discovered what would become his life's calling. His father was furious.

"Painting is for starving vagabonds," was one of the kinder things he said.

But this time, Matisse refused to follow the path laid out for him and a few years later, he was the most celebrated artist in France. And the wealthiest.

Even then, his father never truly accepted his choice.

Matisse didn't just defy his father. He defied conventional art.

He rejected academic tradition in favor of bold color, flattened perspective, and radical new forms.

He helped define Fauvism and spent his career constantly reinventing his style.

Critics dismissed much of his work as reckless experimentation.

He chose uncertainty over certainty, again and again. Modern art is impossible to imagine without him.

07/23/2026

There is a ginger ale recall, though most of you don't have to worry about it.

It’s not mainstream ginger ale brands like Canada Dry or Schweppes.

The case involved Weaver’s Brew LLC, which voluntarily recalled Goldenroot Yuzu Ginger Lemongrass Ginger Beer in Texas and California on February 11, 2026. The issue was that the ginger juice used in production was not properly pasteurized, raising food‑safety concerns. About 649 cases of 12‑oz bottles (UPC 8 50052‑32817 7) were affected.

But you can always make your own, as I did in this article. The ginger ale is down below. So go find it.

Healthy Soda PopDavidMarch 4, 2020Recipes Just in case you don’t know, according to the CDC, about one third of Americans consume sugary sweet beverages (lemonade counts) daily and they are mostly younger adults, men, black people, and people from lower education levels. The 18-24 aged group drink...

07/13/2026

Yes. Why?