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CAN FASTING EXTEND YOUR LIFE? HERE’S WHAT SCIENCE SAYS.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore whether intermittent fasting really helps, learn which moldy foods to toss or eat ... and learn about the 7 principles of Kwanzaa.

Foods for a five-day diet mimicking a fast on a black background

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASPER DOEST

Too much eggnog, holiday cookies, and family feasts?

Time to push away the plate? Is fasting an option? Research shows real health benefits.

But how, practically, to go about it? A diet (such as one pictured above) that tricks your body into thinking that it’s fasting may have similar benefits. What does science say?

HERE’S THE STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

The quest for the Holy Grail began long before King Arthur

Today is Boxing Day. (What is Boxing Day?)

How early Islamic medicine advanced science

Can magnesium really help with sleep, anxiety?

Work is done. Where these Santas go to blow off steam.

What is lucid dreaming—and how can you learn to do it?

Why we’ll never find Noah’s Ark

HOLIDAY SEASON

Friends and family join hands to share Kwanzaa blessings before eating special dishes prepared by Maisie McNaught at her home in Miami Gardens, Florida.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN VANBEEKUM, MIAMI HERALD/MCT

How Kwanzaa came to be: Today is the first of seven days of Kwanzaa, the African American holiday that was born amid the tumult of the 1960s. The celebration is rooted in principles that anyone can adopt and practice year-round. What are the 7 principles of Kwanzaa– and why do they matter? (Above, friends and family join in blessings at a South Florida home.)

AN EVOLVING CELEBRATION

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Two people hold hands while they watch the northern lights above a mountain range on Iceland's south coast.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN HORTON, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

What could we expect from the northern lights in 2024? As the sun reaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, look for some of the most intense solar activity in the past decade. Translation: more sun storms, and as a result, more impressive shows from the Aurora Borealis (above, over Vik, Iceland.)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

LAST GLIMPSE

Moldy fruit in various stages of rot, arranged in a 4x4 grid.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JON SNEDDEN, CAMERA PRESS/REDUX

What’s in your fridge? When mold fuzzes its way onto carrots or hard cheese, you can just cut around it. But with softer or moister foods (above), it’s time for the compost pile. Most mold is harmless, but some can poison and cause kidney or liver damage.

DON’T MESS WITH MOLD

Today’s soundtrack: Peaches, The Presidents of the United States of America

Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Nishita Naga, Nancy San Martin, and David Beard. We'd love to hear from you: [email protected].

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