Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we help you make sense of the complex world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and providing quick tips designed to help you stay healthier in under 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
The gut-brain combo
What’s in your dog food?
Foods are super: the brain booster
The cost of clutter
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On Our Radar
The Gut-Brain Combo
What if improving your mental health wasn’t just about targeting your brain?
A new study suggests that probiotics might supercharge the effects of antidepressants and reduce depression symptoms more than medication alone.
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers studied adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder and using prescribed antidepressants. Half received a daily probiotic supplement alongside their medication for 8 weeks. The other half received a placebo with the same medication.
The group receiving probiotics saw a statistically significant improvement in depression symptoms.
While this study didn’t pinpoint a biochemical mechanism, previous research suggests that probiotics influence gut health in ways that can reduce inflammation, modulate neurotransmitter activity, and improve mood regulation via the gut-brain axis. In other words: a healthier gut might lead to a healthier brain.
If you're struggling with depression and already taking antidepressants, talk with your doctor because adding a probiotic supplement could be a helpful, low-risk way to enhance your recovery. The probiotic capsules used in the study contained Lactobacillus helveticus (R0052) and and Bifidobacterium longum
Just remember: probiotics aren’t a replacement for medication, and you should always work with your doctor before making any changes.
Together With Sundays For Dogs
What You Feed Your Dog Matters More Than You Think
If you want to improve your health, you focus on eating real, high-quality food. So why would it be any different for your dog?
Research suggests that the type of food you feed your pup doesn’t just affect their energy levels—it impacts digestion, gut health, and overall well-being.
Researchers compared the effects of three different diets—extruded kibble, mildly cooked food, and raw food—on adult dogs’ macronutrient digestibility, blood markers, urine health, and gut microbiome.
Dogs fed mildly cooked and raw diets had higher macronutrient digestibility, meaning they absorbed more protein, fats, and essential nutrients compared to kibble-fed dogs.
And, blood chemistry and urinalysis showed no negative effects from feeding raw or mildly cooked food, debunking myths that fresh diets might be harmful. Dogs eating lightly cooked and raw food also had a healthier gut microbiota, which plays a key role in digestion, immune function, and overall vitality.
Most commercial kibble is heavily processed, reducing nutrient availability and making digestion harder for dogs.
If you want to give your dog the best nutrition possible, we’ve been on a mission to find higher-quality options to make sure your animals get the nutrient support they deserve.
Sundays for Dogs offers the perfect combination of health and convenience with air-dried, human-grade ingredients that are shelf-stable and ready to pour.
And it’s not just our opinion — Sundays beat traditional kibble 39-0 in a third-party taste test, featuring recipes with short lists of meats, fruits, and veggies you’d recognize.
And because you’re busy, Sundays For Dogs provides meals that require no fridge, no prep, and no cleanup. Just scoop it into a bowl and let your dog do the rest.
Sundays is all about raising the bar for your best friend’s diet. This isn’t just dog food—it’s human-grade nutrition made simple.
That’s why Sunday received the APC approval. Use the code PUMPCLUB to get 40% off your first order and discover the food your dog deserves.
Foods Are Super
Spinach: The Brain Booster
Spinach is rich in iron, magnesium, and potassium—all critical for energy, muscle function, and blood pressure control. If that’s not enough, maybe this will convince you to find a way to sneak in a little more green:
One daily serving of leafy greens may slow brain aging by over a decade.
Researchers tracked nearly 1,000 adults over almost five years to examine how the consumption of green, leafy vegetables—specifically spinach, kale, and collards—impacted brain health.
The thinking skills and memory of those who ate about 1.5 servings of spinach per day aged at a rate equivalent to being 11 years younger than those who ate little or no greens.
To better understand why, researchers examined key nutrients found in leafy greens. Six compounds—vitamin K (phylloquinone), lutein, folate, α-tocopherol (vitamin E), nitrate, and kaempferol—were all independently linked to slower brain aging.
Each of these nutrients helps with antioxidant protection, anti-inflammatory effects, and support for neural signaling, all of which help protect the brain from age-related damage.
If you don’t love spinach, try blending it in a smoothie. It will change the color, but it barely influences the flavor and offers an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet without having to figure out how to tolerate the taste.
Lifestyle
Your Clutter Might Be Costing You More Than Space
Most people think clutter is just a mess. But it might be a mirror.
Research suggests that how cluttered your home feels—not just its appearance—can significantly predict your overall well-being.
Scientists explored how different aspects of the home environment — such as clutter, self-expression, and decluttering habits — relate to positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement.
They found that subjective clutter—the feeling of being overwhelmed or disorganized in one's home—was more important than the actual messiness of the space. People who felt their homes were cluttered reported significantly lower well-being. On the other hand, those who viewed their homes as a safe, self-expressive space—a concept known as “psychological home”—reported higher well-being.
The physical space we inhabit isn’t just about design or tidiness. It’s about identity, safety, and control. The researchers suggest clutter becomes harmful not because of what it is, but how it makes us feel about our lives. And that feeling can affect everything from mood to motivation.
So, while TikTok decluttering trends and minimalist mantras might seem like surface-level fads, this study suggests they’re tapping into something deeper: the home as an extension of the self.
If you want a mental boost, start by decluttering a small area that causes stress, like your nightstand or entryway. Don’t aim for perfection—aim for calm. And ask yourself: does this space feel like me?
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
