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Daily Health & Wellness Brief · July 19th
storyflo · health and longevity
Jul 19, 2026 · 4 min listen · Last updated July 19, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Hi, it's Chloe. July 19th. Ten in health — the one that made me re-read the abstract is at the top. Let's get into it. First, from morethansweet. Golden Raspberry Tart. So, this recipe is for a Golden Raspberry Tart.
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Daily Health & Wellness Brief · July 19th
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Golden Raspberry Tart
So, this recipe is for a Golden Raspberry Tart. It's a sweet and summery treat that combines a shortcrust pastry shell with a toasted vanilla pastry cream, an apricot compote, and fresh raspberries. The tart shell is made with a mixture of butter, sugar, egg, and flour, then blind-baked until golden brown. The pastry cream is infused with vanilla and toasted to bring out its flavor, while the apricot compote is made by roasting apricots with honey and lemon juice. To assemble the tart, you spread a layer of apricot compote in the bottom of the shell, then fill it with the toasted vanilla cream and top with a pile of fresh raspberries. The author suggests using yellow or red raspberries, but notes that yellow ones are less acidic and sweeter. You can also experiment with different flavors, like rose water and honey roasted peaches, or dark chocolate. The tart makes one 20cm tart, and the author includes a note that you can freeze the pastry dough and the pastry cream for up to 3 months.
So, Peter Thiel was on a podcast talking about building a creative monopoly. He says that successful people find value in unexpected places because they think about business from first principles, not just following formulas. This means they're not just focused on short-term growth, but on creating something that will last a decade or more.
He also points out that having great sales and distribution can actually create a monopoly, even if the product itself isn't that unique. And he emphasizes that every great entrepreneur is a designer at heart, always looking for ways to create something new and valuable.
Thiel also talks about the importance of being a definitive person - someone who knows what they want to achieve and goes after it. This means being great at something substantial, and striving to be a monopoly of one. He also says that time is your most valuable asset, so you should be careful about how you spend it, especially on people who you don't see a long-term future with.
One thing that stood out to me was his comment that no company has a culture, every company is a culture. And he says that the most important task in business is creating new value, which can't be reduced to a formula or applied by professionals.
You know how sometimes you create something amazing, like a system or a vision for yourself, and it's all going great, but then you start to feel this restlessness, like it's becoming a cage instead of a castle? That's what's happening to a lot of people, actually. It's like they're stuck in this cycle of building and then destroying, and it's really tough to break free from.
Research suggests that this pattern is pretty common, especially among high-achievers. It's like they're constantly striving for this next big thing, but in the process, they're neglecting their own needs and desires. This cycle can be really damaging, both physically and mentally.
The thing is, this pattern isn't about being a failure or lacking motivation. It's actually about being highly sensitive and aware of the world around you. People who are prone to this cycle often have a strong sense of intuition and can pick up on subtle changes in their environment.
The key is to recognize this pattern in yourself and start to develop strategies for breaking the cycle. This might involve taking more time for self-reflection, learning to say no to commitments that don't align with your values, and prioritizing your own needs and desires. It's not always easy, but it's worth it.
Common antidepressant may ease long COVID’s crushing fatigue
So, researchers looked at a common antidepressant called fluvoxamine in a study of 399 adults with long COVID. They found that it significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life compared to a placebo. This is a pretty big deal because long COVID fatigue is a major issue for a lot of people, and there haven't been many effective treatments. The study was a randomized clinical trial, which is a strong type of evidence. The results are promising, but it's worth noting that this was a relatively small study, so more research is needed to confirm the findings.
We Didn’t Just Cut a Program. We Cut One of Our Best Early Warning Systems for Foodborne Outbreaks.
Foodborne outbreaks like the current Cyclospora one are notoriously hard to track down, and one reason is that we've weakened a crucial surveillance system. FoodNet, a network that actively looked for cases of foodborne illnesses, was created in the 1990s to help identify infections caused by pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Cyclospora. By working with hospitals, laboratories, and public health departments, FoodNet provided a clearer picture of foodborne illness trends and guided policy decisions.
The problem is that surveillance is what allows epidemiologists to notice unusual patterns, like a sudden increase in cases. Without strong surveillance systems, it's like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. Cyclospora is a perfect example of this, as it's a challenging organism to investigate due to its long incubation period and the complexity of the food supply chain.
The irony is that successful surveillance is often invisible, and public health is often judged by the disasters that everyone sees, not by the disasters that never happened because someone caught the warning signs early. Investing in public health infrastructure, including laboratories, data systems, and epidemiologists, is crucial for preventing illness before it spreads. By strengthening these systems, we can identify problems faster and protect the public more effectively.
What Happens When Women ACTUALLY Get State-of-the-Art Medical Care in Menopause?
So there's a new study looking at what happens when women get top-notch medical care during menopause. It's a two-year study with about 200 women, and it's not just focused on hormone therapy, but on overall health and preventive care. The researchers want to see if comprehensive care can minimize the health risks that come with menopause, like changes in fat distribution, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
The study is pretty thorough, with in-person evaluations, lab tests, and cardiovascular assessments. Participants will also wear a Fitbit to track their activity and sleep, and they'll have regular telehealth check-ins. Based on their individual health profiles, they might get recommendations for lifestyle changes, medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol, or hormone therapy.
What's interesting is that the researchers aren't assuming that estrogen is the only factor at play, or that hormone therapy is the only solution. They're looking at menopause as a chance to practice preventive medicine, and they're using all the tools they have to try to improve women's health. The study will track changes in the women's health over two years, including things like epigenetic aging and vascular function.
The goal is to close the gap between what we know about menopause care and what women actually receive. Right now, there's a lot of misinformation out there, and women often don't get the preventive care they need. This study is trying to change that, and it's asking a really important question: what if we actually paid attention to women's health risks during menopause, and used all the evidence-based tools we have to address them?
The study is recruiting women aged 45-55 who are in the late menopausal transition, and who haven't used hormone therapy recently. They need to have a smartphone and internet access for the telehealth appointments. If you're interested, there are three sites recruiting: the University of Colorado, the University of North Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
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