What’s Changing (and What’s Not) at HealthHippieMD
A new format, the same mission—and a podcast experiment on the horizon
Hi there,
Every week for almost three years, I’ve published HealthHippieMD as a labor of love—sharing what I’m reading, learning, and thinking about in wellness, science, and technology. No sponsors. No clickbait. Just thoughtful, curated insight from someone who believes the human body—and mind, and the world around us—are far more interesting than most headlines make them out to be.
Until now, things have been mostly free. And while I’ve been grateful for the growing readership (and my current paid subscribers), the time and effort it takes to do this well—to sift through resources, distill them into plain English, and offer useful takeaways—is no small undertaking. I want to keep going, but I must also make this sustainable.
A few weeks ago, I floated the idea of a Sam Harris–style model: everything is paywalled but free on request, with no questions asked. Since then, Sam Harris has stepped away from that model himself. It just wasn’t viable. Too many people opted for the no-pay option, and it became unsustainable.
That gave me clarity.
Here’s the new format—starting next week:
Moving forward, each edition of HealthHippieMD will include 10 curated summaries of recent research and articles, each tagged to one of the 8 Pillars of Wellness (Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Environmental, Occupational, Social, and Financial). The resource will remain what you’ve come to expect: accessible, narrative, reflective, and grounded in science.
Free subscribers will receive the first five summaries.
Paid subscribers will receive all ten summaries, including direct links to the original articles, deeper commentary, a compiled list of the week’s Microdoses, and occasional bonus content. Plus, an audio overview of all ten summaries. For more information on the audio, see below.
To give you a sense of what the new format will look like, here’s a sample of the first article from this week’s newsletter:
01
Exercise and the Gut Microbiome
A brisk walk might do more for your microbiome than your waistline.
Pillar: Physical
Source: Scientific American — A new article highlights how aerobic workouts reshape the gut microbiome, particularly by boosting butyrate-producing bacteria that support immunity and metabolic health.
Article Context and/or Study Findings:
Exercise increased the diversity and activity of beneficial gut bacteria, especially those that produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. These compounds help regulate insulin sensitivity, reduce systemic inflammation, and reinforce gut lining integrity. Participants who exercised saw measurable gains in these metabolites, but the improvements vanished quickly when they stopped.
Why It Matters:
We tend to think of exercise in surface-level terms: burning calories, building muscle, boosting cardio. But this study reframes movement as a conversation with your microbiome—an ongoing negotiation between your choices and the bacterial ecosystems inside you. What’s remarkable is how immediate and responsive this relationship is. Movement doesn’t just benefit your body—it feeds a molecular language that influences inflammation, metabolism, and even mood. And like any relationship, it thrives on consistency. The moment you stop, the benefits fade. This isn’t just about fitness—it’s about staying in conversation with the microscopic community that keeps you alive and well.
Paid subscribers: Read the full article in Scientific American →
Next week’s edition will use this format. While I’m away on vacation, I’ll be collecting feedback on the change. What works and what does not. I’d love your thoughts on this new structure: Do you like the summaries? Are five enough? Too much? Are you craving more depth, links, or diversity across the wellness pillars? Hate the change? Miss something? Have other suggestions? Please let me know by emailing me directly or messaging me on Substack.
There will be no newsletters or Microdoses the week of June 8 or June 15, but I’ll return with a fresh newsletter on June 22. Microdoses will return on June 23.
And one more thing… the podcast
I’ve been experimenting with a HealthHippieMD podcast behind the scenes. I’ll test out a mix of free and paid content in the coming months. Some episodes will be public, others might include exclusive segments or bonus commentary for paid subscribers. More on that soon. For now, paid subscribers will still receive an audio summary of the week’s articles.
As always, thank you for being here—whether you’re a free reader, a paid subscriber, or someone who occasionally clicks in out of curiosity. This is still a labor of love. Your attention makes it possible.
Warmly,
Jeff