Sunday · 7:44 AM ET · Better Habits. Healthier Habitat.
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The 7:44 Reset
Before you read, take a slow reset.
Every 7 days, we begin here with 4x4 box breathing.
Soften your jaw. Let your tongue relax from the roof of your mouth. Drop your shoulders. Take one round, or stay for a few until you feel grounded.
Inhale 4 sec · Hold 4 sec
Exhale 4 sec · Hold 4 sec
Inside the Nest
Welcome back to The Nest
National Farmers Market Week begins today. As August arrives, it’s a fitting time to see what’s in season, support local growers and bring something fresh to the table.
A line to carry
“The whole world is just mothers and their kids.”
In today’s digest, we’ll be discussing:
Cyclospora and produce
Ultra-processed toddler foods
Heavy periods
Sparkling water and dental health
Food safety
Why the Cyclospora Outbreak Has Shoppers Rethinking Produce
Photo by nrd on Unsplash.
If the produce aisle has felt a little less inviting lately, you are definitely not alone. Cyclospora, a parasite usually spread through contaminated food or water, has sickened thousands and hospitalized hundreds across the country. It can cause watery diarrhea, cramping and fatigue that may last for weeks, disappear and then unexpectedly return.
Investigators believe there may be multiple sources involved beyond the recalled iceberg lettuce, and the seven-to-10-day delay before symptoms appear makes tracing the outbreak especially difficult. Apparently, that uncertainty has been enough to change the way America shops: four in 10 Americans now say they are buying or eating less produce because of it.
Takeaway: The outbreak deserves attention, but produce panic is not the answer. Cyclospora remains uncommon, so avoid items specifically named in recalls, follow official updates and call your doctor if watery diarrhea keeps disappearing and returning. Stay cautious, not scared of the salad aisle.
Nutrition
Four in Five Toddler Foods Are Ultra-Processed
Stephen Andrews via Pexels.
Packaged foods marketed specifically to toddlers may look carefully designed for young children, but a new grocery-store audit found that 81% were ultra-processed. Researchers reviewed 2,783 products sold across 21 Texas stores, and nearly half failed at least one World Health Organization nutrition benchmark.
Many products contained more sugar, sodium, fat or calories than expected from food positioned for toddlers. Fruit pouches and snack bars were often high in sugar, while products such as snack puffs, meat sticks and boxed meals frequently exceeded other benchmarks. The study evaluated packaged products, not children’s complete diets, so it does not show that eating one of these foods will harm a child.
Takeaway: The toddler food findings are a reminder that child-focused packaging is not the same as balanced nutrition. Compare added sugar, sodium and ingredient lists, and treat packaged snacks as convenient options rather than automatic everyday staples.
Women’s Health
Heavy Periods Are More Than an Inconvenience
Sora Shimazaki via Pexels.
For too many women, “heavy periods” has become another way of saying, “Just deal with it.” But bleeding through products, passing large clots, waking up throughout the night or planning your life around the nearest bathroom is not something that should automatically be brushed off as normal.
Heavy menstrual bleeding can be linked to fibroids, endometriosis, bleeding disorders or hormonal changes. It can also quietly drain the body’s iron stores, leaving women exhausted, dizzy, short of breath or struggling with headaches and brain fog long after their period ends. Because the decline can happen gradually, it is easy to blame stress, poor sleep or a busy schedule instead.
Takeaway: A period may be common, but it should not regularly run your life or leave you feeling depleted for the rest of the month. The health effects of heavy periods deserve attention, including checking iron levels and looking for an underlying cause instead of simply learning to tolerate them.
The Nest Check
Which of these summer fruits can continue to ripen after it has been picked?
A. Cherries
B. Peaches
C. Blueberries
D. Watermelon
Answer below ↓
Oral health
Is Sparkling Water Secretly Hurting Your Teeth?
Pixabay via Pexels.
If your fridge looks like a sparkling-water showroom, you can exhale. The bubbles do make sparkling water more acidic than still water, which has raised concerns that every can could be slowly wearing away tooth enamel. But new preliminary research suggests plain, unsweetened sparkling water is much less threatening than its fizzy reputation.
Researchers tracked mouth acidity after 20 adults drank still water, two types of sparkling water and sugary soda. Enamel can begin to dissolve when mouth pH falls below roughly 5.5, but sparkling water never pushed participants into that danger zone. Acidity rose briefly and returned close to normal within 20 minutes, while soda caused the strongest and longest-lasting drop. The study was small and measured short-term acidity rather than years of enamel wear, so frequency and added ingredients still matter.
Takeaway: Plain, unsweetened sparkling water is not still water’s evil twin. It appears to be a far more tooth-friendly way to get your fizz than soda, but flavored versions with sugar or added acids are a different drink entirely, and slowly sipping any acidic beverage all day gives your teeth less time to recover. See what the bubbles actually do.
Around the Nest
👟 Recovery just became wearable. Nike and Hyperice’s new Air Zoom Hyperslide delivers three levels of heat and vibration in 15-minute cycles, bringing recovery technology into an everyday powered slide.
🍵 Matcha may offer more than a gentler caffeine lift. Its combination of caffeine, L-theanine and antioxidants may support focus, brain health and steadier energy, adding to the case for the green tea powder.
🍬 The first 1,000 days may shape brain health decades later. Lower sugar exposure from pregnancy through age 2 was linked to a 27% lower dementia risk and 46% lower Alzheimer’s risk in a large long-term analysis, highlighting how early nutrition may influence health far into adulthood.
🥗 The Mediterranean diet may support mental well-being too. Adults over 50 who followed the eating pattern more closely reported better psychological well-being, suggesting its benefits may extend beyond physical health in a new observational study.
😴 Your go to sleeping position may affect more than comfort. Side sleeping may support an open airway and reduce acid reflux, while back and stomach sleeping come with different trade-offs for snoring and spinal alignment in this sleep-position guide.
Creator of the Week
Prissy Maae
Prissy Maae is a content creator and women’s health advocate whose work covers PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, and the realities of navigating women’s health. Her page feels like a conversation with a friend, blending health, food, low-tox living, faith, fashion, relationships, and everyday life. She is also the creator of Architect Your Health, a hormone-friendly grocery guide designed to make healthier choices feel more manageable.
Why follow: She makes health experiences that can feel complicated or isolating easier to talk about. Her content is personal, encouraging, and practical while still leaving room for style, humor, and the lighter parts of life.
The Answer
B. Peaches
Peaches can continue ripening after harvest, while cherries, blueberries and watermelon generally need to be picked when already ripe.
Try this week:
Let a firm peach soften at room temperature, then refrigerate it once ripe.
In Season
Seasonal Produce to Look For in August
Fruit
🍑 Peaches · 🍒 Cherries · 🫐 Blueberries · Blackberries · Raspberries
🍉 Watermelon · 🍈 Cantaloupe · Nectarines · Plums · 🍇 Grapes · Figs
Vegetables
🍅 Tomatoes · 🌽 Sweet corn · 🥒 Cucumbers · 🫑 Bell peppers · 🍆 Eggplant · Green beans · Zucchini · Summer squash · Okra · 🧅 Onions · 🌿 Fresh herbs
Seasonal availability may vary by region and growing conditions.
Share The Nest
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Choose Next Week’s Quote
If this week’s quote resonated with you, reply with one of your favorites.
We’ll choose one reader submission for next week’s line to carry.
We’ll see you next Sunday at 7:44 AM ET.
In good health,
Take care from The Nest!