By Nicole Cain, ND, MA Psychobiotics are probiotics that confer mental health benefits to the host when ingested in a particular quantity through interaction with commensal gut bacteria.1 Although psychobiotics operate through a variety of mechanisms, it is believed that gut-brain benefits primarily result through influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, healthy immune and inflammatory …
Do you know if your kindergartener or first grader is developing as expected as a reader, writer, and speller? You may want to check out these K-1 literacy milestones. Here are a few key facts. Learning to read, write, and spell in English takes time. English has a more complex alphabetic coding system than languages …
K-1 Literacy Milestones Based on 5 Science-Based Facts Read More »
Do you remember the first time you heard a recording of your voice? Chances are that if you are like most, it was a bit disconcerting. For most of us, what we sound like to ourselves is different than what we hear when a recording of our voice is played back. As a result, you …
By Jane A. Foster, Ph.D. Trillions of microbes living in our guts play an essential role in health. Remarkably, crosstalk between gut microbes and the body influences brain and behavior. Microbes include viruses, fungi, parasites, protozoa, and bacteria — but at this time, most research has studied gut bacteria in relation to mental health. Curiosity …
King George III Source: Allan Ramsay (1713–1784); National Portrait Gallery: US Public Domain July 4th is traditionally a day for Americans to celebrate our independence from an autocratic king and to reflect on America’s democracy, constitution, and continuing aspiration to form “a more perfect Union.” Martin Luther King, Jr., reassured us that “the arc of …
Here’s a secret pediatric dietitians know: The healthiest eaters aren’t necessarily those who eat the most vegetables and least sugar — they’re the ones who have a good set of eating skills, or what researchers refer to as eating competence. Building eating skills isn’t just a more effective strategy for raising healthier eaters; it’s an …
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King George III Source: Allan Ramsay (1713–1784); National Portrait Gallery: US Public Domain July 4th is traditionally a day for Americans to celebrate our independence from an autocratic king and to reflect on America’s democracy, constitution, and continuing aspiration to form “a more perfect Union.” Martin Luther King, Jr., reassured us that “the arc of …
Autocracy Versus Democracy | Psychology Today United Kingdom Read More »
The internet seems to hate Chris Pratt a lot. And the hatred is so visceral that it kind of seeps into your brain too. But when you sit with it, you begin to realize that it’s a whole lot of nothing, and you are being told to hiss at someone who you exclusively know via …
Source: ThoBel-043 / Wikimedia Commons There are some interesting things about psychological concepts. One is that they are often referred to as “constructs.” This appears intended to indicate that they are created by researchers, conveying a conservative stance in which their correspondence to reality should not be assumed. Warning: Constructs Ahead May Not Be as …
What You Should Know About the Labeling of Psychological Concepts Read More »
How can you know if you are really sick? Like life-threatening, need-to-get-help-right-away sort of sick. In my Emergency Department, life-threatening illness is often spotted as easily as pornography and poor fashion sense — we know it when we see it. But for most people, in most situations, sorting out true illness can be difficult. Many …
