Click here to Subscribe

Practice of Wellness is on Substack

Check out my book The Phoenix Club on Amazon.

• Thank you to everyone who has grabbed a copy. Please spend just a few minutes and leave a review on Amazon to help give the book some credibility.

Here are your monthly wellness ideas:

April 2026

How scrolling destroys sleep

• I recently reconnected with a friend from medical school, Dr. Kamran Boka. Kamran is a pulmonary / critical care doc and engaging writer. Check out his Substack page. Start with this post about light and sleep. Put down the phones at night! 

Rain

• Ever feel a boost in your mood when it rains? As much as I love the sun, I also enjoy rainy days. Have you ever tried a “rain run?” 

• This BBC article explains the science behind the cool vibes of a rainy day. I knew about the negative ions and the geosmin. But I had no idea that “Humans are more sensitive to the smell of rain than sharks are to blood”! Thanks, Mateo for the link. 

Smart shopping

• Least expensive supermarket? … Costco! Whole Foods came in as most expensive. Trader Joe’s much lower in the list than I would have thought. 

• If you want to learn more about how awesome Costco is, check out this episode of the very successful podcast Acquired. If you are looking to buy some stuff you don’t need, check out the “carveouts” at the end of each episode. 

Gruns

• Ok I had to try these Gruns, an alternative to AG1 or other greens powders. Gummy form, so brings some added sugar; but also fiber. They taste solid and the price at Costco is very reasonable.

Are You Captain Purple?

• I loved this podcast on a unique time in a small town in southern Indiana. A caped altruistic hero had a brief run of good deeds back in 1983. See the description below. Thanks, Derek, for the recommendation. 

In the summer of 1983, Bedford, Indiana, was visited by a mysterious figure who left food, clothing, and handwritten letters at the doors of those in need. He left his gifts along with what would be his signature – a set of purple spray-painted footprints and called himself Captain Purple. For 43 years, his true identity has remained a mystery—until now? “Are You Captain Purple?” is an investigative podcast documentary series that revisits this hometown legend with fresh leads, never-before-published notes, and interviews with those who were forever changed by his generosity. Led by Emmy-nominated journalist Nick Storm and Bedford native Derek Ingersoll, the podcast explores not only who Captain Purple was, but why he did what he did—shining a light on the power of kindness, compassion, and community. 

Trailer – Are you Captain PurpleAre You Captain Purple2:58

Gell-Mann amnesia effect

• From a recent article by Ryan Holiday. Extremely important for reading news stories, internet articles, really anything – because with AI, hallucinations are all over the place. Pairs nicely with this (serious) article that is now 2 years old: “ChatGPT is bullshit.” 

Named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann, the Gell-Mann amnesia effect is the term for a familiar experience: You read an article about something you know well, and you recognize that it’s full of errors, it’s missing context, it’s grossly oversimplifying things. You can’t believe something so bad got published. Then you turn to an article on something you know little about—foreign policy, international affairs, the economy, pop culture—and believe every word. It’s not just that the media exaggerates and sensationalizes. It’s actually worse: Most of the time they don’t even know what they’re talking about. The same goes for AI, which is trained on many of those error-filled sources. I’ve had ChatGPT confidently butcher things I know well. Why would I unquestioningly trust it on things I don’t? The problem is we don’t know what we don’t know. Which means we don’t know when we’re being fooled. 

Quotes

I have given up newspapers in exchange for Tacitus and Thucydides, for Newton and Euclid, and I find myself much the happier.

– Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Adams

What we choose to fight with is so small; what fights with us is so large.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

Journal of Wellness

JWellness is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research and review articles in all areas of medical, physical and psychological wellness. Check us out on Twitter @JofWellness

Recent Newsletters