The Science of Dreaming & Simple Rules That Could Add Years to Your Life

Summary

Podcast Summary: Something You Should Know
Episode: The Science of Dreaming & Simple Rules That Could Add Years to Your Life
Host: Mike Carruthers
Guests: Karen Van Kampen, Dr. Zeke Emanuel
Date: March 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores two core themes:

1. The fascinating world of dreams and their significance, featuring insights from health and science journalist Karen Van Kampen.
2. The essentials of longevity and wellness, discussed with renowned physician Dr. Zeke Emanuel, who emphasizes that living a long, healthy life can be surprisingly simple.

With practical advice, intriguing science, and myth-busting clarity, this episode aims to help listeners both understand their nightly mental adventures and cut through the wellness noise to focus on what truly matters for health.

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Segment 1: Why We Dream — with Karen Van Kampen

The Mystery and Meaning of Dreams

Timestamp: 05:55–28:42

• Why Are Our Dreams So Random?

  • Dreams often contain bizarre elements and memories from the distant past, sometimes with no obvious link to current events.
  • Karen explains: "To strengthen new experiences, new memories, one idea is that it associates new experiences with, say, old memories... that might be the reason why you have these sort of strange associations during dreaming." [06:38]

• Recency and Emotional Priority

  • Highly emotional waking experiences tend to “jump the queue” and appear in dreams more readily.
  • "If something emotional happens, it's almost like they jump the queue and they have priority to be dreamed about." — Karen [06:38]

• Recurring Dreams and Nightmares

  • Nightmares can become recurrent and affect well-being.
  • Karen shares her personal experience: "Since I was a kid, I've had this dream where... I trip and I'm falling. And just before I hit the ground, I always bolt awake." [10:27]
  • She recommends Imagery Rehearsal Therapy:
    • Consciously rewriting the nightmare’s ending during the day can help offer “another way out” the next time it recurs.

• On Dream Interpretation Skepticism

  • Mike questions whether universal symbols in dreams are legitimate: “If you ask 10 dream interpreters what a dream means, you'll get 10 different answers. So I don't really buy it.” [11:49]
  • Karen: “Ultimately we're the best interpreter of our own dreams.” [12:14]
  • She describes participation in a dream salon, highlighting the value of multiple perspectives while emphasizing personal meaning.

• Dreams Crossing into Reality

  • Discussion of dreams manifesting physically (e.g., talking, yelling): “What is that line that you cross when it stops being silent and it becomes reality?” [14:19]
  • Karen: Night terrors and the blend between waking and dreaming states.

• Lucid Dreaming and Creative Inspiration

  • Some people can become aware within dreams (lucid dreaming) and even attempt dream control, though it's not common or easy.
  • “Every time I'm in a dream and I realize I'm in a dream, I just wake up. I just... yes, I can't stay in it once I've made the determination that I'm dreaming.” — Mike [18:23]

• Dream Engineering

  • Emerging research on using technology (like voice recordings at sleep onset) to guide dream content for creativity or problem-solving.
  • “As you fall asleep, a voice recording will play... to try and guide your dreams to this new area that you want to explore.” — Karen [19:28]

• The Purpose of Dreams

  • Dreams help with memory consolidation, emotional processing, and even preparing for dangers—distinct from simply “sleeping.”
  • “We are as dream deprived as we are sleep deprived... Dreams help strengthen memories, they help us process difficult emotions, and they help us prepare for life's dangers.” — Karen [24:23, 26:16]

• Do Some People Not Dream?

  • Most people dream, especially during REM sleep. The most intense and memorable dreams usually occur in the later part of the night.
  • Even if you don’t remember dreams, your brain is still accruing their benefits.

Key Quotes

• “Ultimately we're the best interpreter of our own dreams.” — Karen Van Kampen [12:14]
• “We are as dream deprived as we are sleep deprived.” — Karen Van Kampen [24:23]
• “All dreams have that reflection of reality... and then it's mixed with these bizarre elements.” — Karen Van Kampen [26:30]

Notable Moments

• Karen’s “falling” nightmare and advice on rescripting dreams [10:27, 11:49]
• Mike’s recurring “radio station” dream: a vignette about lingering, seemingly irrelevant dream themes [22:25]
• Discussion of new science: dream engineering and the “creative sweet spot” at sleep onset [19:28]

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Segment 2: Six Simple Rules for a Long & Healthy Life — with Dr. Zeke Emanuel

Simplifying Health and Wellness

Timestamp: 31:29–49:14

• The Wellness Industrial Complex

  • Dr. Emanuel challenges the idea that health is complicated: “They want you to think it's complex so that you pay attention to what they're telling you and all the little adjustments. But my view is it's six things, and most people already know those six things.” [31:43]

• The Six Rules

  1. Don’t Take Unreasonable Risks:
     • Avoid behaviors like excessive drinking, smoking, and dangerous activities (e.g., climbing Everest).
  2. Be Social:
     • Regular positive social interaction is vital: “It's the best thing you can do for your wellness.” [31:43]
  3. Stay Mentally Sharp and Engaged:
     • Curiosity and cognitive engagement sustain health.
  4. Eat Well
  5. Exercise
  6. Sleep
     • The last three are “inundated with all sorts of information,” but the first three are less frequently emphasized.

• Diet: What Really Matters

  • Stop doing:
    1. Consuming sugary drinks —“140 calories, 10 teaspoons of sugar and zero nutrition” [32:48]
    2. Eating ultra-processed foods—aim for ~20%, not the ~60% typical for Americans.
  • Start doing:
    1. Eating fermented foods (yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi): improve the microbiome, which is “critical to good nutrition.”
    2. Increasing fiber intake via fruits and vegetables, for gut health and as prebiotics.
  • “Once you have these four elements under control… those four things, they'll get you pretty far.” — Dr. Emanuel [34:46]

• The Ice Cream Principle

  • Allowing pleasure and flexibility in eating is key to sustainability:
  • “If you make it all about self-denial and punishment and doing things you don't really want to do, you will not sustain it... Having an ice cream one or two times a week as a sort of nice dessert is something you can look forward to and it's got some health benefits.” [35:01]

• Dairy and Height

  • "Yes, if you look at the tallest people in the world, like the Dutch or the Danes, they're taller than Americans and they are big consumers of dairy..." [36:24]

• Protein and Meat

  • Americans get enough protein, but overconsume meat: “I make a recommendation that probably about 6 ounces, 6 to 8 ounces a week is in the right range, not 12 ounces a day.” [39:36]

• Social Connections = Physical Benefits

  • Social interaction reduces stress, impacts hormonal balance (e.g., cortisol, oxytocin), and is directly tied to physiological health.
  • Example: “When you interact with someone, you actually activate the hypothalamus pituitary axis. That decreases your stress hormone, cortisol, secreted by your adrenals.” [45:04]
  • Referenced research: Commuters forced to interact with others on transit “were much happier... after every commute.” [45:04]

• Exercise: How Much Is Enough?

  • 75 minutes/week of vigorous (heart-rate-elevating) exercise
  • Strength training “a few times a week”
  • “After about 150 minutes... you get no benefit in terms of wellness and longevity and you run the risk of repetitive motion injuries...” [47:23]
  • More is not always better.

• Philosophy of Fulfillment

  • “When you make wellness and living a long time the focus of your life, you're making a mistake. The focus of our life should be something bigger than ourselves, not just a sort of narcissistic obsession with I've got to live a long time.” [42:26]
  • Ben Franklin held up as a model for curiosity, moral growth, and usefulness.

Key Quotes

• “It's six things, and most people already know those six things.” — Dr. Zeke Emanuel [31:43]
• “Having an ice cream one or two times a week... you can look forward to and it's got some health benefits.” — Dr. Emanuel [35:01]
• “Social interaction actually is critical to wellness... and that's a big mistake” not to emphasize it. — Dr. Emanuel [46:35]
• “When you make wellness and living a long time the focus of your life, you're making a mistake.” — Dr. Emanuel [42:26]

Notable Moments

• Surprising advice that ice cream can be alright—“Celebrate with food, don’t punish yourself” philosophy [35:01]
• The Dutch height anecdote connecting nutrition, dairy, and population trends [36:24-37:36]
• Exercise plateau: after a certain point, additional exercise gives no further benefit [47:23]
• Citing Ben Franklin’s life as an example of living for broader contribution rather than just longevity [42:26–44:51]

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Segment 3: Practical Tidbits & Behavioral Quirks

Psychological Ownership & Habitual Seating

Timestamp: 03:05

• Humans often sit in the same spot due to psychological ownership and place attachment—it's about identity and comfort, not the physical object itself.

Pricing Psychology

Timestamp: 49:19

• Retailers use price endings (e.g., $59.99 vs $60) to exploit the brain’s left-digit bias—making purchases feel cheaper.
• Precise prices signal calculation and competence, while round numbers feel better for luxury or emotional buys.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Psychological ownership and seating habits: [03:05]
• Scientific exploration of dreams (with Karen Van Kampen): [05:55–28:42]
  • Lucid dreaming and dream engineering: [17:12–21:02]
  • Recurring dreams and nightmares: [09:28–11:49]
  • How to use dreams for well-being: [23:57–26:30]
• Simple rules for health (with Dr. Zeke Emanuel): [31:29–49:14]
  • Six rules explained: [31:43–32:31]
  • Dietary advice and myth-busting: [32:48–39:25]
  • Social connection and fulfillment: [44:51–47:13]
  • Exercise realities: [47:23–48:38]
• Behavioral economics of pricing: [49:19]

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Tone and Style

The episode is friendly, accessible, and practical. Both guests and the host balance science and everyday experience, with analogies, anecdotes, and gentle humor. Listeners are left with actionable tips—and the reassurance that, despite all the complexity, both dreaming and healthful living are more universal and manageable than we may believe.

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Recommended For:
Anyone curious about dream science, seeking clarity amid health and wellness noise, or looking for actionable and sustainable lifestyle principles.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Today on something you should know why we like to sit in the same place we sat before then the fascinating science of dreaming and the power and importance of your nightly dreams.

[C]

We are as dream deprived as we are sleep deprived and during sleep it's thought that dreams help strengthen memories, they help us process difficult emotions, and they help us prepare for life's dangers.

[B]

Also, an interesting quirk of the human brain that may be costing you money and a few simple things that could drastically improve your health.

[D]

First is stop drinking sugar sweetened beverages like sodas because there are 140 calories, 10 teaspoons of sugar and zero nutrition. Fortunately, the American public's been doing that, but we have to do more of it.

[B]

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[E]

something you should know Fascinating intel, the world's top experts and practical advice you can use in your life today. Something you should know with Mike Carruthers

[B]

when you walk into a room that you've been in before, there's a very good chance you will sit down in the same place you sat before. Why is that? Why do people do that? Well, that's what we're going to talk about as we begin this episode of something you should know. So this phenomenon of sitting in the same place you sat before is called psychological ownership. In it's that feeling that something is mine, even though you have no legal ownership of it. Research shows that people quickly develop attachments to physical spaces simply by occupying them repeatedly. Over time, the space becomes associated with comfort, familiarity and identity. Sitting in the same place reduces cognitive load because your brain doesn't have to process new environmental variables. It also creates a subtle sense of control and territorial security. There's also something called place attachment. It's a well studied phenomenon in environmental psychology. Humans form emotional bonds not just with homes or neighborhoods, but with microlocations, desks, chairs, corners of rooms. These spaces become predictable anchors in an otherwise variable environment, which explains why losing your seat to someone else can feel strangely disruptive. It's not about the chair. It's about the routine, control and identity. And that is something you should know. Every night you enter a world that feels real, sometimes joyful, sometimes terrifying, and often completely bizarre. You can fly, you can relive the past, you can solve problems. Or you can wake up shaken by something that never actually happened because it's all just a dream. But what are dreams really? For decades, scientists debated whether dreams are just random electrical noises in the brain or something far more meaningful. Why do some dreams feel trivial while others leave a deep emotional scar? Why do certain dreams repeat? And what is your brain actually doing during those hours when you're unconscious but your mind is very active? Karen Van Kampen is an award winning health and science journalist and author of the book the Brain never why we dream and what it means to our health. And she joins me to explore what modern neuroscience has uncovered about why we dream, what those dreams may be doing for us, and and how understanding them could change the way you think about sleep itself. Hi Karen. Welcome to something you should know.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

Well, this is such a fun topic because I think everybody has their own personal relationship with their dreams. And one of the things I wonder about is why I dream what I dream. Some things seem obvious, right? Something happened today and you dream about it that night or you're looking forward to something. But a lot of times dreams creep in that are about people. You haven't thought of, things that have never happened, things that seemed completely unconnected and Often very, very bizarre. You know, the sheep shows up and eats the car that flies into the elephant. You know what I mean?

[C]

Yep, for sure. I'm always as fascinated by, you know, the fictions of my dream as much as the reflections of waking reality. And some of the things that we dream about. It could have to do with recency. So let's say we had an experience. Let's say we're learning something new at school or at work. If something emotional happens, it's almost like they jump the queue and they have priority to be dreamed about. And then what's really interesting is that to strengthen new experiences, new memories, one idea is that it associates new experiences with, say, old memories that are, you know, filed, stored away in our brain in our catalog of memories. And that's. That might be the reason why you have these sort of strange associations during dreaming.

[B]

Well, what we dream about, like you say, if there's something important going on that. That jumps the cue. That's a great phrase to describe that. But so often the dreams just come of nowhere, it seems, or like you might dream about somebody you haven't thought about in a long time or a place, or like you wonder.

[D]

It.

[B]

It seems very random and probably difficult to figure out or study, but. But has anybody tried that was one

[C]

of the questions that made me want to write this book and made me want to research dreams is why is it that I'm going to suddenly dream of someone that I haven't seen for decades or someone from my past? And so one idea is that there might be some association, some unique association with this person or with this time in your past with something that's happened recently. So that's one idea. That's one possibility. That's what I've always been fascinated about. Why do we choose to dream certain things at different points in our lives?

[B]

Well, when you say choose, see, that's. I don't think I choose my dreams.

[C]

Oh, right. Why does the dreaming brain choose. Why does our brain choose to pick those thoughts or feelings or experiences to dream about?

[B]

But you make it sound as if the brain has its own brain. Like it's our brain. Right? It's our brain. So if our brain chooses it, we choose it.

[C]

So let's say we're. We're lying down, we're going to fall asleep, and there's things that are going through our minds as we're drifting off. Oftentimes something we're thinking about will jump the cue or it will be tagged in our brain, in our mind, and then we might revisit that idea or that experience later in our dreams.

[B]

Sometimes people have bad dreams. Well, everyone has bad dreams, nightmares. And sometimes they recur, they come back again and again. And what is that? And is there anything you can do about it other than just hope you stop doing that sometimes?

[C]

Nightmares, you can have recurrent nightmares and they can follow you for years. And it can affect people. People become afraid to fall asleep. They don't want to go to bed because they're afraid they're going to have a nightmare. The thing is, is that dreams can affect, have a, have a very powerful influence of how we feel the next day if we carry it with us into the next day. Just like, just like a waking experience. Our dream experiences can affect our well being and how we feel. So there's, there's several things that you can do for, for nightmares.

[B]

Great. So tell me how that works.

[C]

I, I so since I was a kid, I've had this dream where I just pictured myself, I was on the top of this metal scaffolding and then suddenly I trip and I'm falling. And just before I hit the ground I always bolt awake. And I was told by a dream researcher that that's the ultimate avoidance strategy because I'm never getting any resolution to the dream. So the nightmare lives on. So one way to combat nightmares is to do something called imagery rehearsal therapy. So during the day, oftentimes you don't want to do this, you don't want to think about your dream, your bad dream. But if you think about it, then you try and rewrite it, you re script whatever part of your distressing dream is upsetting you. So for me it's the ending. But for some people it could be a detail or a person. And so you reimagine your dream, you rescript your dream and you practice it. I think it's something, you know, a couple minutes a day, for a couple weeks, you think about this new version of your dream. And then when you have this nightmare again, the way I sort of see it is it's given you another way out. So you have a different, you have an alternative to the first version of your nightmare.

[B]

So I understand that dreams are very closely related to your life, but I get very skeptical when I hear about dream interpretation that if you were falling in your dream, it's because your life is out of control in some way. Because if you ask 10 dream interpreters what a dream means, you'll get 10 different answers. So I don't really buy it.

[C]

One way to look at it is ultimately we're the best interpreter of our own dreams. So if we just want to see a dream as, you know, face value what it is, or if we want to interpret it in a different way. I spoke with one dream researcher and he said that he often has these exam dreams before he's. Let's say he's preparing for a presentation or he's working on a grant. And he said one idea is that exams test our competency. So that might be a theme. But, you know, so I. The way I look at it is we can look at dreams and use our dreams however we'd like to, and ultimately we're the best interpreter of our dreams.

[B]

Well, I like that. I like that because it just seems so random to ask somebody, you know, what does my dream mean? And how would they know? How would they have any idea what it means?

[C]

It was interesting. I joined a dream salon in which I shared a dream, and then I had different people offer their thoughts and interpretations of the dream. So what happens is you share your dream and then people will say, you know, if it was my dream, I might think of this or this or this. And that was really interesting. And it gives you different perspectives on how you might see your dream. And then, you know, and then I think, you know, it's all. It's up to all of us, how we see our dreams and how we use our dreams. I mean, no one's telling us we can dismiss our dreams or we can focus on them and try and use them in our waking lives.

[B]

There's something about dreams where it crosses a line where, I mean, most of my dreams, you wouldn't be able to tell I'm dreaming if you looked at me sleeping. But sometimes I say something or I'll scream something or I'll. It comes into reality. My wife will wake me up and say, you're having a dream. Wake up.

[C]

Right?

[B]

What is that line that you cross when it stops being silent and it becomes reality?

[C]

You can have nightmares or night terrors, and sometimes if it's a terrifying dream, you might scream or bolt awake during a night terror. That's at different stages of the sleep cycle. I find it's interesting for me, I'm really fascinated when I dip in and out of sleep and I might notice something, you know, a noise, and then I dip back into sleep, and then I go in and out. And how the dreaming and waking world there isn't that sharp divide. It just it. It flows from. From wake, then into different stages of dreaming and sleep.

[B]

I should say we're talking about your dreams, why you dream, what you dream. And I'm speaking with Karen Van Kampen. She's author of the book the Brain Never Sleeps, why We Dream and what it means for our Health. Whenever you start something new, like a new business idea, you always doubt yourself. You think, ooh, this is exciting. But your brain says, yeah, but what if it doesn't work? When I started this podcast, I had no idea what would happen. But look, at some point, you either launch your idea or you don't. And that's why tools matter. Shopify is, is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses worldwide. They're behind 10% of all E commerce in the US from major brands to people just getting started. They let you build a professional online store with ready to use templates and they're packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions and page headlines so you don't have to do everything yourself. And if you get stuck, Shopify's award winning 247 customer support is always there, which makes those what if moments a little less scary. It's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.comSYSK go to shopify.comSYSK that's shopify.comSYSK

[F]

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[B]

so, Karen, you know that experience where you're having like a really great dream and then you wake up and you think, oh man, you know, I want back in, I want to get back in that dream. I can't do that. You can't get back in.

[C]

Exactly. So that is, I mean, I would love to be. I've never been able to do that either. But some people that goes into the area of lucid dreaming, right? So lucid dreaming is when you're in the dream state and you're realizing you're, you're dreaming as it's happening. So you can almost guide your dream thoughts. And then once you gain this awareness of the dream state, then you can try and start to, you know, control and guide your dreams. So I do know I met with some people and they would try and think of an idea as they're falling asleep. Like, oh, I really want to get back to that great experience or that great dream. And then once they're dreaming, they try and lucid dream. And so I have this. I'm able to recognize that I'm dreaming. Like, I'll sometimes talk to a dream character and say, oh, I know why you're doing that, because I'm thinking about this or something. And then the person will say, yes, but you still, you still have to keep going with the dream. And then. But I can't control a dream. I've never been able to lucid dream that way.

[B]

Well, every time I'm in a dream and I realize I'm in a dream, I just wake up. I just. Yes, I can't. I can't stay in it once I've made the determination that I'm dreaming.

[C]

I had this dream and I was in this bar and I had to pay for a drink and my credit card, like, I tried to tap and it wouldn't work. And so I said to the waiter, oh, I'm dreaming this because I'm planning a vacation and I'm concerned about money. And then the waiter said, yeah, you still have to pay me. So then it's right. But I wanted to, but. So I can't switch and try and control what's going to happen next. But it's definitely mind expanding.

[B]

Yeah, well, I've heard that. I've heard that dreaming can be a source of inspiration and creativity, but I've never been able to really. Sometimes I've had things happen in a dream, and I think, oh, this could be a good idea. But in the light of day, it turns. That wasn't such a great idea.

[C]

Right. So there's this area of this new sort of. I look at it as the next frontier in dream science, and it's called dream engineering. And one thing you can do is you can try. So it's all about guiding your dreams, learning to guide your dreams. And often it's using technology to do this. So as you fall asleep, one idea is, as you fall asleep, you're thinking of an idea, but then you do these voice recordings. And as you're going into sleep onset, which has been called, it's like a creative sweet spot. Dream researchers, group of dream researchers called it this creative sweet spot. So as you're going into sleep on set, a voice recording will play like you've created this voice recording. And it will say, you know, remember to think of whatever you want to, you know, get some creative inspiration about. And Then this recording will play at different times of sleep onset to try and, you know, sort of guide your dreams to this new area that you want to explore.

[B]

But why. Why would you be able to come up with something in a dream that you couldn't come up with yourself in reality? Because it's still you. It's the same thing. And I've asked this question before, like, I've never understood why you can be surprised in a dream. It's your dream, but you can be scared and surprised and shocked and like, I don't understand why you can't figure this all out.

[C]

I guess it's fascinating because you think, you know, like, we create these dreams, these, these reels, these fictions for our own, you know, curiosity and wonder. And we've created them. Yet as we're dreaming, they are. We are surprised. And it's because they're as real to us as waking experiences. So as we're having this dream experience, we just get taken along on this adventure that we've created for ourselves. I agree. That's. I find it so fascinating. And it makes me think, you know, when we're disconnected from all those demands and the distractions from the day, and our dreaming brain can. Can wander and maybe, you know, sort through this catalog of memories that we have stored, and it plucks all these different things and mashes them together and does almost like this highlight reel. That's what I just find it so fascinating what our. Our dreaming brain can come up with and create.

[B]

Do people. I don't know if anyone surveyed people to see, but my guess is that people have like one or two or maybe three recurring dreams. Is that pretty common?

[C]

Yes, recurring dreams are common. And recurring nightmares, recurrent nightmares are also common.

[B]

I have a recurring dream that is so weird because it is so irrelevant to me anymore. But years ago, I was a disc jockey on the radio. And this was back in the day when we had physical tapes that you put in a machine or a CD that you put in a machine. It wasn't all on computer. And I would come in and start. Be on the radio. And I couldn't find any songs to play. They were. Somebody had taken them and. And I'm freaking out trying to find a song to play. And it happens.

[C]

Right.

[B]

I have it over and over again. It has no relevance to my life today, but for whatever reason, I keep dreaming it.

[C]

Yes. So I. When I spoke with different dream researchers, you know, you can have this dream from years ago, and again, it brings up that, why did you dream it now and it makes sense. If it's something to do with it makes sense that it might find its way into your dreams. If it's something that you, the repetition, like if you, it's something you did all the time, if you were working in a certain place. But you can have these dreams that just reappear after many years. And it's really interesting to think, to try and ask yourselves why, like why is it appearing at this time?

[B]

So knowing what you know and you've researched about dreams, what, what do we do with all this information? It seems like we have so little control over this. What can we do?

[C]

You know, we spend, they say, about a third of our lives asleep and a great portion of that time dreaming. And you know, we can not pay a second thought to our dreams and just go about our lives. But you know, if we tap into our dreams and we look at them more closely, or if we try and use our dreams to improve our waking lives, there's many ways that we can use our dreams to improve our well being.

[B]

Well, I'd like to hear those.

[G]

Okay.

[C]

One idea is that dreams identify our waking preoccupations and concerns. So it's not that dreams are a replay of what happens in our waking life. It's almost like they're a highlight reel of what is weighing on our minds and is saying, hey, it needs more attention. So this could be an issue. It could be maybe something at work. Maybe it's a person that we maybe want that keeps showing up in our dreams. And so one easy way is to write down your dreams just before you, you know, before you get out of bed, when they're still swirling around in your head or maybe make a voice recording. And I found it really interesting. One dream researcher said, you know, connect it if you want. You can also do a journal if you keep a date, like a day journal and connect your dreams with what's going on in your waking life. And another thing is that it's really important. We talk a lot about how we're sleep deprived. But I read this study and it said we are as dream deprived as we are sleep deprived. And it made me wonder, you know, why do dreams matter on their own and during sleep? It's thought that dreams help strengthen memories, they help us process difficult emotions, and they help us prepare for life's dangers. Those are three ideas of benefits during dreams.

[B]

I've heard people say that they don't dream or they don't dream much. What does the science say about how much we dream? Who Dreams. Who doesn't dream all of that?

[C]

Most people dream. So we dream during non REM and REM sleep throughout the night. And our most vivid, intense, emotional dreams often happen during REM sleep closer to when we wake up in the morning.

[B]

And do everyone's dreams seem nonsensical to some degree? I mean, does anybody dream just perfectly normal like its reality? Or is everybody having those weird, bizarre dreams?

[C]

All dreams have that reflections of reality, fragments from our waking life and then it's mixed with these bizarre elements that seem to make no sense as well. And that's sort of that fiction part of our dreams. It's really interesting to. I'm always thinking, why did I come up with that? And it's almost, it makes me wonder, it's you're creating this, this story or this script and how did I come up with that? It's so interesting to think how our imaginations have created this.

[B]

What's your sense about people's involvement in their own dreams? Because I find this topic fascinating, but I admit I don't log my dreams or give them a whole lot of thought later in the day. But how do most people do this?

[C]

It's changed my view. It's almost opened up my own dream world to see how other people are thinking about and using their dreams. So yeah, you can just not even think about your dreams or there's many people who reflect on their dreams, try and understand maybe, you know, why was I dreaming that? I think a big thing is to know how important it is to get enough dream sleep to get enough sleep. But you know, the dreams that sleep offers, it's so important that we have enough dreams, enough dream sleep for memory consolidation and learning and processing emotions. That's a really big thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And you know, a lot of the benefits that we get from dreams happen whether we remember our dreams or not, happen whether we think about our dreams or not. We're gaining all of these different benefits from dreams.

[B]

Well, it's such a universal topic and yet it's also a very personal topic. Everybody has their own thing about dreams and I love to hear explanations as to why it is the way it is. I've been talking with Karen Van Kampen, she's an award winning health and science journalist and the book is called the Brain Never why We Dream and what It Means for Our Health. And there's a link to that book in the show notes. Karen, thanks for explaining all this.

[C]

Okay, thanks so much.

[G]

Eczema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with Epglis. A once monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema after an initial four month or longer dosing phase. About four in ten people taking EPGLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

[E]

Emplus Lebricizumab LBKZ a 250mg per 2ml injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. EBGLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have New Orleans or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Eglis before starting Ebglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection.

[G]

Ask your doctor about evglis and visit evglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-lillyrx or 1-800-545-5979.

[B]

Marvel Television's Wonder man an eight episode

[D]

series now streaming on Disney plus a superhero remake.

[B]

Not exactly what we'd expect from an Oscar winning director. Exit Sign Simon Williams Audition for Wonder Man I'm gonna need you to sign this. Assuming you don't have superpowers, I'll never work again.

[F]

If anyone found out, my lips are sealed.

[B]

Marvel Television's Wonder man all eight episodes now streaming only on Disney. Taking care of your health can feel overwhelming. One expert will tell you, cut carbs. Another says, lift weights. Someone else tells you fast track your sleep. Avoid this, do more of that, and don't forget your screenings. Well, it's no wonder people are confused. But what if living a long, healthy life isn't nearly as complicated as we've made it? What if, beneath all the noise, there are just a few core principles that truly matter? Rules grounded in solid medical evidence. Dr. Zeke Emanuel is an oncologist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the most widely cited voices in medicine and public health. After years of studying what actually extends life, he argues that we've over complicated the formula. He boils it down to six surprisingly simple rules that may challenge what you think you know about diet, prevention and even indulgence. He is author of the book Eat yout Ice, Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. Hey, doctor. Welcome to something you should know.

[D]

Great to be here. Thank you.

[B]

So you say wellness should be simple, but I don't think that's most people's perception of wellness, that it's simple. That sounds like it should take a lot of work. So explain what you mean by that.

[D]

Well, that's part of the wellness industrial complex. They want you to think it's complex so that you pay attention to what they're telling you and all the little adjustments. But my view is it's six things, and most people already know those six things. One is don't take unreasonable risks. The second is be social, interact with people. It's the best thing you can do for your wellness. Third is stay mentally sharp and engaged. Fourth is eat well. Fifth is exercise. And sixth is sleep. The last three, the diet, the exercise and the sleep, we already know. We get inundated with all sorts of information about those. The first three we might know a little less about, but intuitively we know what we should be doing.

[B]

So those last three, diet, exercise and sleep, as you say, we've heard a lot about it, but a lot of what we hear is contradictory, is changes. It's good for you this day but bad for you that day. So it's confusing as all get out.

[D]

I mean, just take diet. There are two things we should stop doing and two things we should probably focus most of our attention on. There are many other things once you have these four elements under control. The first is stop drinking sugar, sweetened beverages like sodas, because there are 140 calories, 10 teaspoons of sugar and zero nutrition. Fortunately, the American public's been doing that, but we have to do more of it. Second, we have to stop eating so much ultra processed foods. About 60% of our calories are ultra processed foods. The Italians are at 20, which is where most people should be. So that the most important thing is stop eating packaged cakes, cookies, pretzels and snacks. Those packaged items have increased to 500 calories a day for most people. So those are the two things we really have to stop, the things we have to start doing. The first, and that hasn't gotten a lot of attention, is eat fermented foods. Things like cottage cheese, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut. Those are really good for you. Not only do they give you protein and other items, but they improve your microbiome. And that is Critical to good nutrition. And the second thing I would say is 90% or more of Americans don't get enough fiber. We need to eat more fiber. Those are basically prebiotics. Those are the things that bacteria in your gut grow on. And we can easily do that by eating fruits and vegetables, not by going out and buying those expensive packaged prebiotics. And those four things, they'll get you pretty far.

[B]

All right, well, let's go back and talk about what you. Because you talked about snacks and things. The title of your book is Eat yout Ice Cream, which is not a healthy food typically in most people's minds. So reconcile that for me.

[D]

Well, ice cream is actually a dairy product. Yes, it does have a fair amount of sugar and if you eat it occasionally as a celebration once a week, it's fine. The dairy part of it is quite good. We know that dairy has associated with a decreased risk of diabetes. Even though it has some sugar. It's associated with decreased colorectal cancer, probably because of its impact on the microbiome. It also makes people taller. It's got a lot of advantages. It does have some disadvantages. It can raise some risks of some kinds of cancer. But net, net, it's actually a good thing. Plus, wellness is something you're going to have to do for years and decades. And if you make it all about self denial and punishment and doing things you don't really want to do, you will not sustain it. You have to make wellness a habit you like and a habit you can therefore integrate into your life and look forward to pursuing. Having an ice cream one or two times a week as a sort of nice dessert is something you can look forward to and it's got some health benefits.

[B]

Wait, wait, wait. Did you say a minute ago, did you say dairy makes you taller?

[D]

Yes. If you look at the tallest people in the world, like the Dutch or the Danes, they're taller than Americans and they are big consumers of dairy. And we know that the more dairy you eat, especially as young children, the taller you get.

[B]

Is there an explanation for that?

[D]

There are a variety of theories. No one knows for sure. Probably the proteins and the fats help. There's some theory that it might be the hormones in dairy because it typically comes from cows who have just had calves. But no one knows for sure. And we know that it leads to longer. The main way you measure heights across populations is by thigh length. But the Dutch, for example, in the mid 19th century were among the shortest people in Europe. They are among the biggest consumers of dairy they have a famous Gouda cheese. They eat a lot of yogurt, a lot of milk. They are now the tallest people in the world by a long shot. 3 to 4 inches taller on average than Americans.

[B]

Talk a little more about the microbiome because you said that eating fermented foods, but the list of fermented foods is pretty short, it seems, and not all of them sound all that delicious to me.

[D]

Well, here's an ideal breakfast for you. If you have a bowl of berries or some kind of fruit so you get your fiber in, you put on granola that's got oats and dried fruits. Add yogurt and hemp seeds. Both have protein as well as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. That is a pretty optimal breakfast. I personally have that every day, and I add to it egg and a half if I'm making an omelet or two. Eggs also comes with a lot of nutrients and especially 12 to 14 grams of protein. You have had pretty much an ideal breakfast to get you going in the day and a very healthy dose of fiber.

[B]

How does that help your microbiome?

[D]

So you've got the fiber from the berries. It helps the bacteria in your microbiome growing. And it's a variety of fibers. It's not just one over and over again, so that different bacteria need different kinds of fibers. And yogurt has bacteria in it and again improves the diversity of the bacteria in your gut. We also happen to know that yogurt is one of the leading foods for weight regulation and weight loss if you're on a diet.

[B]

So one of the things you didn't talk about in talking about diet was things like fats, saturated fats, meat, vegetarian, all that. So throw that in the mix.

[D]

Americans, almost all Americans, get enough protein. There are groups that don't necessarily get enough protein. Older individuals, when we're on the downward path and losing muscle mass, need a little more protein. If you're competing in races, you will need more protein as you prepare for that. But most of us who aren't doing those kind of things, we get perfectly fine amount of protein just by eating regularly. And we don't have to really count on our pro how much protein we're eating. We don't really have to focus on it. We eat too much meat. We eat about 12 ounces of meat per day per American. That is too much. You can get your protein in many other ways, whether nuts or beans. As I mentioned, eggs, yogurts and dairy products and meats have excessive amounts of saturated fats. And we also know that they're associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, increased risk of early mortality. So we should cut back on our meat. I make a recommendation that probably about 6 ounces, 6 to 8 ounces a week is in the right range, not 12 ounces a day.

[B]

So the first thing you mentioned was don't take unnecessary risks. Is that a big problem for people?

[D]

We still have a lot of smokers, we have a lot of people who drink too much. And we do a lot of things that are excessive in the risk category. Ride bicycles without helmets, play sports that are not very good for the brain, you know. And I think that there are lots of things people are pursuing, especially people who might have money, that are really on excessive risk. Just take climbing Mount Everest is one of the riskiest things you can do. You pay $100,000 to go up Mount Everest, and the chance of dying is for all comers, including Expert Mountaineers, is 1 in 100. And if you're over 59, it's 1 in 25. That strikes me as pretty schmucky move. Very unreasonable risks to do.

[B]

You know what I, what I notice is that there are people who, like, make this an effort. They're going to get fit, they're going to get well, so they're going to do things that they haven't done. And it's all very effortful. As opposed to people who more or less adopt it as part of their life. It becomes their life rather than fights their life.

[D]

Oh, I think that's a great way of putting it. When you make wellness and living a long time the focus of your life, you're making a mistake. The focus of our life should be something bigger than ourselves, not just a sort of narcissistic obsession with I've got to live a long time. That will not be a very fulfilling life. As a matter of fact, we know that part of what makes life fulfilling is not focusing on living a long time, but focusing on giving to the world. I talk about Ben Franklin, one of the greatest people who's ever lived, actually, and was world class in so many ways. World class scientist, world class diplomat, world class publisher, world class journalist, world class writer, world class politician. He was driven by three principles. One was curiosity. He was curious about the world. It kept his mind young. The second was moral growth. Recognizing he wasn't perfect. He made mistakes. He had prejudices and trying to overcome those flaws. And the third, and I think the most important thing is he was constantly thinking about how to be useful. And by useful he meant how do I make the world around me better? He was a consummate civic improver. He created the University of Pennsylvania. He created the first hospital in America, Pennsylvania Hospital. He created a lending library. He created an insurance company. He created a volunteer fire brigade. He created a learned society, the American Philosophical Society. He just made these civic items. Second, he invented at least 10 things we know him for. The bifocals, the lightning rod, but he also invented swim fins. He invented a urinary catheter, and interestingly, Mike, he never patented one of them. His view is, I'm giving these to the world. I've made some improvements. Other people will take my inventions and improve them even further and the world will be a better place. And that's what motivated him. That should be the goal of everyone. How do we make the world a better place? And that will make us much more fulfilled and also live longer.

[B]

There has been a lot of talk about this whole idea of social connection and as it relates to health, but I'm not sure I really understand the connection of how it makes you healthier,

[D]

that I think your puzzlement affects a lot of people. So we think, you know, social connection, it makes me feel happier. It's all in my head. Well, it's not all psychological. It's very much physiological. Just take one element. When you interact with someone, you actually activate the hypothalamus pituitary axis. That decreases your stress hormone, cortisol, secreted by your adrenals. That is a direct physiological response. Lowers your heart rate, lowers your stress levels, lowers your blood pressure. In addition, when you interact with someone, you actually get a release of oxytocin, the so called love hormone. In the brain, you get an increase in dopamine and serotonin, which also makes you happier. All of these things are actually quite important physiological responses to social interaction. And we know that human beings are social animals. We know that they like interacting. There's this very wonderful experiment by a professor from the University of Chicago, Nick Epley, where he took commuters before they got on the train and the bus and said, for the next week, force yourself to talk to someone on the commute. Not just to sit there and read your book or play with your iPhone, talk to someone. And it turned out that after a week, people were after every commute, but also after the week, people were much happier. They were much feeling much better, whether they were extroverts or introverts, by interacting with people. So it actually plays on your physiological and your brain. And that is why Social interaction actually is critical to wellness. And interestingly, most books on wellness, whether it's outlive or some of the others, do not talk about social interaction as important. And that's a big mistake.

[B]

So talk about movement and exercise because I think again, there's a lot of confusion of how much is enough and what do you do and all of that.

[D]

The amount you should get here are two important rules. Vigorous exercise. Getting your heart rate up to 75% of your maximum. So you're a little breathless. You should be doing that about 75 minutes a week. That's, you know, for me it's three to four 20 minute exercise sessions on a stationary bike when it's cold. Strength training you should do a few times a week. You want to get your muscles a little fatigue. Don't go overboard. One of the things I think the influencers want you to do is exercise more and more. You know, Peter Attia talks about 10 hours a week. That is excessive. After about 150 minutes, two and a half hours to three and a half hours a week of vigorous exercise, you get no benefit in terms of wellness and longevity and you run the risk of repetitive motion injuries and, and spending time that could be spent more productively doing other things on exercise. So there's a plateau of benefit, both physically but also in many other ways.

[B]

Well, with all of the complicated advice and contradictory advice that you so often hear, it's good to just hear the basics and hear it from someone with your credentials that make you realize it's just not that complicated. I've been talking with Dr. Zeke Emanuel. He's a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an oncologist who's regularly in the media and he is author of a book called Eat yout Ice 6 Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. And there's a link to his book at Amazon in the show notes. Zeke, thank you so much for being here.

[D]

Thank you so much.

[B]

You probably like to think you're pretty rational, but it comes to money. But sometimes maybe not. Take the price $59.99. Now, you know that's basically $60, but your brain doesn't process it that way. Research in behavioral economics shows that we anchor heavily on the digit farthest to the left. So that 5 of 5999 quietly tells your brain this is a 50 something purchase, not a $60 purchase. That tiny shift lowers what researchers call the pain of paying. But here's the twist. Not all prices work that way. Studies show that Precise prices like $29.87 that signals calculation and competence. People make the assumption that the seller did the math on this. That works as soon as especially well for practical purchases. But for emotional or luxury buys, round numbers are better. A $40 bottle of champagne feels right, so pricing isn't about sense, it's about cognition. Retailers aren't just adjusting numbers, they're adjusting your perception and your brain is doing most of the work for them. And that is something you should know. This podcast is produced by Jeff Havison, Jennifer Brennan, and the Executive producer is Ken Williams. I'm Micah Ruthers. Thanks for listening today to something you should know.

[H]

Oh the Regency Era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place or the time when Jane Austen wrote her books. But the Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the the worst king in British history. And on the Vulgar History podcast, we're going to be looking at the balls, the gowns and all the scandal of the Regency era. Vulgar History is a women's history podcast and our Regency Era series will be focusing on the most rebellious women of this time. That includes Jane Austen herself, who is maybe more radical than you might have thought. We'll also be talking about queer icons like Anne Lister, scientists like Mary Anning and Ada Lovelace, as well as other scandalous actresses, royal mistresses, rebellious princesses, and other lesser known figures who made history happen in England in the Regency era. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get. Podcasts

[G]

if Bravo drama, pop culture, chaos and honest takes are your love language, you'll want All About TRH Podcast in your feed. Hosted by Roxanne and Chantel, this show breaks down Real Housewives, reality TV and and the moments everyone's group chat is arguing about. Roxanne's been spilling bravo tea since 2000 and 10. And yes, we've interviewed Housewives royalty like Countess Luanne and Teresa Judice, smart recaps, insider energy, and zero Fluff. Listen to all about TRH podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. New episodes weekly.