Chrisy Trudeau

The Essential Guide For many of us, coffee is more than a beverage—it’s a switch we flip every morning to wake up and feel ready for the day. When we repeat that ritual day after day, coffee may do far more than boost alertness for a few hours. Research has linked regular coffee drinking to changes in the gut microbiome, your cognitive function, and even your liver health. What exactly is going on inside your body when coffee becomes an everyday habit, and how can you optimize that effect?

Many of us would do well to choose the slower type of pleasure that is the byproduct of a life well-lived. Lately our 9-year-old son has been moodier than usual. It’s not like him to complain of being bored or not wanting to do ordinary tasks such as chores and schoolwork—but both my wife and I had independently noticed the change. For a while, we chalked it up to him growing up and experiencing new emotions, since he couldn’t articulate anything specific.

Your doctor says high cholesterol can kill you. Social media says it might help you live to 100. Who’s right? A Swedish study that followed participants for 35 years found that older adults with higher cholesterol were more likely to live past 100. But there’s a catch: Cardiologists call this the “lipid paradox.” In older patients, very low cholesterol is often a red flag for hidden illnesses such as frailty, malnutrition, or chronic disease that can independently increase the risk of dying.