The Internet’s Best Baby Thermometer: A Quest

Let’s talk for a minute about baby thermometers.  When my son was going to the doctor frequently as a newborn, they used a rectal thermometer, and that seemed to be the preferred method of getting his temperature. Frida makes a Quick-Read Rectal Thermometer, but if you’re like me, there is little to no chance I’m reaching…More

A Scientist Living Through the Pandemic

Bobby Warren believes that the frustration and anger some Americans harbor toward scientists and science is misplaced. He describes how important data and peer review are for demonstrating scientific results that people should trust. But, many people don’t trust scientific results, scientists, or individuals deemed “experts,” even though their title and academic history suggests that…More

Education Opens Our Minds – And Our Hearts

Dr. Kathryn Marker is an educator through and through. She’s also a manager of people, and the pandemic has shown her more than ever that you “should not assume that you understand what your colleagues are thinking and worried about.” She is frequently in thoughtful conversation with her mother, who has lived with Kathryn’s family…More

Perspective 2020: Podcast Trailer

Welcome to the show. This is what it’s all about. In this podcast, I’m seeking self-awareness, honesty, genuine dialogue, and (as the name suggests) perspective. The coronavirus pandemic makes it clearer than ever that we let the differences between us overwhelm our ability to be decent, understanding, compassionate human beings. And it’s time for that…More

CBD is a Phytocannabinoid: One of Many

CBD? Let’s clear the air. Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one phytocannabinoid of over 80, and researchers are uncovering more phytocannabinoids all the time. CBD is everywhere (CBD beers and kombuchas, CBD for dogs, CBD gum, you name it), but do you have an accurate understanding of what it really is?  I’ll just tell you right…More

Why Do I Love Parentheses So Much? (Because They’re So Useful)

I’ll just jump right into it. Yes, the statement in parentheses used in the title of this blog post should really be between “Much” and the question mark, not after the question mark. But sometimes it looks so much better for the parentheses to occur after the first statement. I couldn’t help myself. But today’s…More

PREDICT 2 Study Experience: Reflecting on Recruitment

On June 10, 2019, I read a New York Times article that immediately drew my attention and inspired me to take the first step of my personal nutrition journey. Authors Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley were writing about a new nutrition company called ZOE and a series of studies ZOE was sponsoring to investigate individual…More

My DNA Has a Story to Tell, So I Gave it a Pen and Paper

I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m a hundred percent that health nerd who’s definitely gonna blog about it…  Thanks to a serendipitous sequence of events, I procured two DNA test kits right around the time I began the PREDICT 2 study in early September 2019. Genetic factors are an important piece of…More

PREDICT 2 Study Experience: Day 7-10

This blog post is the eighth in a series on my participation in the PREDICT 2 study. Click the links below to read earlier parts of the series: Forging the Future of Personalized Nutrition: My Experience, My Contribution PREDICT 2 Study Experience: Set-up Day + The Study Pack PREDICT 2 Study Experience: Day 1 Reflection…More