Tom's Health & Inspiration Hub

02/13/2026

Rocky’s Road
Thursday, February 12
7:00pm

02/12/2026

🧠 In this episode:
- How circadian rhythm affects digestion, immunity, and inflammation
-Why morning light is the strongest signal for gut health
- How jet lag, shift work, and irregular mornings disrupt the microbiome
- The ideal morning routine to support gut motility and energy
- Why consistency matters more than perfection

Podcast Episode · The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee · 02/12/2026 · 55m

02/12/2026

In all blue zones, people continue to garden even into their 90s and 100s. Gardening is the epitome of a blue zones activity because it engineers more mindless movement into our lives. But did you know that gardening is good for your mental health, too?

7 BENEFITS OF GARDENING ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

YOU CAN DEPEND ON IT: Studies show uncertainty affects our mental health. A neatly cut lawn or a yard full of blooming flowers can put some normalcy and certainty back into your life.

GREEN IS GOOD: Just being outside in a green space is good for your mental health and can result in reduced stress.

BETTER NUTRITION: It's no secret that healthy eating boosts your mental health. Plant an array of colorful vegetables such as sweet potatoes, eggplant, green beans, and swiss chard for a healthier menu.

GARDENING AS EXERCISE: It’s not just running and biking that gets the endorphins going. Researchers say gardening counts as exercise, too. Just a few minutes of gardening can help lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

GARDENING AS CONNECTION: Caring for a living garden, or better yet a community garden, can reconnect you with a sense of purpose, and keep you surrounded by like-minded people.

BEING MINDFUL: Activities such as pruning roses or cutting back bushes, afford you the opportunity to practice being in the moment. It’s a practice that has proven mental health benefits.

PRIDE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT: Don’t have a big plot of land? Create a balcony garden or kitchen herb garden to improve your mental health.

Read more: https://www.bluezones.com/2022/06/7-benefits-of-gardening-and-yardwork-on-your-mental-health/

Illustration:

02/12/2026

Some great insights on how to cook (or not cook) vegetables without losing, or maybe even increasing nutritional value

Podcast Episode · Nutrition Facts with Dr. Greger · 02/12/2026 · 10m

02/09/2026

Addicted to food? It’s not your fault! And there is somethingyou can do about it

Podcast Episode · The Dr. Hyman Show · 02/09/2026 · 32m

02/07/2026

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-exam-room-by-the-physicians-committee/id1312957138?i=1000748640401

02/02/2026

“Genes only contribute 20% of aging process, 80% is within our control.” Professor Rose Anne Kenny, medical gerontologist and Regius Professor of Physic and Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin.

Podcast Episode · Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · S9, E619 Bonus · 2h 12m

01/27/2026

Here's why you should include berries in your daily meals, especially on days you exercise.

Delayed-onset muscle soreness is the discomfort that starts the day after a particularly grueling workout. This pain is thought to be due to inflammation caused by muscle cell damage, little micro-tears in the muscle.

If it’s an inflammatory reaction, might anti-inflammatory phytonutrients help? Ramping up our diet with phytonutrients, such as anthocyanin flavonoids found in berries, may help with the inflammation.

To study effects on exercise-induced muscle damage, a randomized crossover study compared a blueberry smoothie and an antioxidant-matched placebo smoothie 5 and 10 hours prior to exercise, then 12 and 36 hours afterwards. The blueberry smoothie was about a cup and a half of frozen blueberries, a banana, and apple juice; the placebo smoothie was made without berries but had dextrose and vitamin C added to match it for calories and antioxidant power. What were the results?

The blueberries worked better at mopping up damaging free radicals. Without blueberries, oxidative stress went up and stayed up, but with blueberries, it went down and stayed down. A day later, there was significantly faster restoration of peak muscle strength, demonstrating that blueberries can accelerate recovery—something that may be especially relevant to athletes who compete over successive days.

Interestingly, while the absorption of these phytonutrients can help with exercise, exercise may also help with the absorption of these phytonutrients. The thought is that intense physical activity may change the activity of the good bacteria in our gut, which then boosts the bioavailability of these phytonutrients.

Other foods that may be helpful for muscle soreness after an intense workout include watermelon, cherries, spinach, and ginger.

Learn more on NutritionFacts.org:
"Watermelon for Sore Muscle Relief" at see.nf/watermelonmuscles
"Berries for Inflammation and Osteoarthritis Treatment" at see.nf/berriesforinflammation
"Reducing Muscle Soreness with Berries" at see.nf/soreness
"Ground Ginger to Reduce Muscle Pain" at see.nf/gingerforathletes
"Foods to Improve Athletic Performance and Recovery" at see.nf/foodsforathletes
"Whole Beets vs. Juice for Improving Athletic Performance" at see.nf/nitrates
PMIDs: 22111516, 22341015, 2072832, 26016863, 21776454, 22564864, 22980781, 27455316, 24921623, 26200194, 23862566

01/26/2026

01/26/2026

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2025/03/six-hazardous-contaminants-drinking-water

U.S. tap water should be safe.