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What’s really going on inside the brain of an altruist? Why do altruists care so much more for a stranger who needs help? Why are they so willing to give away a kidney? In this episode, host Cristina Quinn explores what it means to be an altruist with Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University. Together, they break down how altruists view their own actions and how others can become more altruistic too. Marsh offers insight into what scientists know about altruists and shares surprising findings from her own research. She also tells us how you can build the muscle of giving more in simple steps that fit your lifestyle. Read more about Marsh’s work on altruism here.  Also, read Washington Post Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima’s story on how doing good is good for you. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Donating money can induce anxiety if you’re not sure how to afford it or feel pressured into doing so by the people around you.  Host Cristina Quinn talks to Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary about how to give back, whether it’s through money or time. Singletary reminds us that there’s always a way to give. She explains how to think through where you want to give, how to afford it and how to commit to giving year-round.  Michelle Singletary also shares her personal experiences and passion for why she gives, how to make sure you’re giving to a legitimate charity, and what you will experience when you give back.  For more of her work, sign up for her Color of Money newsletter and follow her on Instagram.  Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Your brain does a lot of work. It’s processing and adapting to changing environments and routines throughout our lives. In this episode, host Cristina Quinn talks with The Washington Post’s “Brain Matters” columnist, Richard Sima, about our aging brains, what a healthy one looks like, and why we don’t necessarily have to worry about forgetting where we put our keys.  For more on brain health and aging, check out some of The Post’s reporting:  How does the brain age across the lifespan? New studies offer clues.How does alcohol affect your risk of dementia? Your brain health questions, answered.Is this dementia or normal brain aging? Here’s how to tell the difference.Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

As we age, we can develop a higher risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It may even run in our families for some of us. But hope is not lost: About half of dementia cases are potentially preventable.  Host Cristina Quinn walks us through the U.S. POINTER study led by Laura Baker, professor of gerontology and geriatrics at Wake Forest School of Medicine. This study is considered the largest clinical trial examining how simple lifestyle changes like eating healthier, staying socially engaged and moving more can slow down cognitive decline. Cristina also speaks with neurologist Monica Parker from Emory University School of Medicine.  Read more about Baker’s work with the U.S. POINTER study here. For more on Parker’s work, visit the Emory Healthy Brain Study.  For more on ways to reduce your risk of dementia, check out some of The Post’s reporting: Want to keep your brain sharp as you age? Science may have a recipe,4 vaccines linked to a lower risk of dementiaWant to lower your risk of dementia? Here’s what the science saysNo amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk, study findsSubscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

When we’re in constant stress, our brains become less resilient. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation of the brain — increasing our risk of cognitive decline.  Breathing exercises hold a lot of power for calming the body and brain. Host Cristina Quinn talks to Washington Post Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima, as well as neuroscientist and psychiatrist Helen Lavretsky from UCLA, about steps we can take to reduce stress and improve our brain health.  Sima unpacks what inflammation does to our brains and why this can lead to more cognitive decline in the future. Lavrestsky walks us through her research on breathwork, yoga and other practices that have shown positive impacts on brain aging and cognitive health.   For more on ways to reduce your risk of dementia, check out some of The Post’s reporting: How to calm your mind with breathing, according to scienceHow to use your voice to reduce your stress and feel calmerTeen brains aged faster than normal from pandemic stress, study says5-minute breathing exercises can improve your mood and reduce anxietySubscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Now that we’ve learned that chronic stress ages the brain, let’s put what we learned into practice. Join “Try This” host Cristina Quinn as she leads a 5-minute box breathing exercise. For more on ways to reduce your risk of dementia, check out some of The Post’s reporting: How to calm your mind with breathing, according to scienceHow to use your voice to reduce your stress and feel calmer5-minute breathing exercises can improve your mood and reduce anxietySubscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

What’s really going on inside your gut, and why should you care? In this episode, host Cristina Quinn explores the inner workings of the gut microbiome with Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Together, they break down what the microbiome is, where it lives, and how it influences everything from digestion to disease. Pasricha explains how the gut microbiome acts as a key player in our overall health and why fiber may be one of the most underrated tools in supporting it. She also offers insight into what science currently understands about gut function and what’s still being uncovered. Read more of Pasricha’s work, including 8 tips to improve gut health and why probiotics can be a waste of money. For more advice, follow her on Instagram. Now “Try This” has a newsletter! Think of it as a supplemental guide and sign up here. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

What you eat changes your gut, and your gut affects your metabolism. Host Cristina Quinn talks to researcher Karen Corbin about how your gut and metabolism work together to process certain foods, all while managing your body’s energy.  Karen Corbin, a nutrition and metabolism researcher at AdventHealth Translational Research Institute, walks us through her latest research on how our gut and metabolism respond to whole vs. ultraprocessed foods. Foods that optimize this gut-and-metabolism relationship allow your body to create and use up energy. To read Corbin’s study, click here. For more on her work, go to her page on AdventHealth Translational Research Institute here.  Now “Try This” has a newsletter! Think of it as a supplemental guide and sign up here. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts. An earlier version of this episode incorrectly stated that each participant in the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute study consumed a 2000-calorie diet. In fact, study participants were given customized menus so that the calories matched each person’s energy expenditure. This episode has been updated to reflect this correction.

Gut health advice can be overwhelming. But science suggests that supporting the gut doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode, Trisha Pasricha and Karen Corbin break down what research says about how to care for the gut in everyday life. They explain how to make gut-friendly choices at the grocery store, what to consider before taking a daily probiotic, and why it’s possible to support gut health without stress or strict rules. Their tips focus on what works and what’s less reliable.  For more on gut health, read the 8 tips to improve gut health and why probiotics are often a waste of money. Now “Try This” has a newsletter! Think of it as a supplemental guide and sign up here. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

The “Try This” podcast has a new companion – the “Try This: Gut Check" newsletter. It’s a five-part newsletter series that breaks down what science actually says about how to support gut health without stress, supplements, or confusing trends. In the newsletter, host Cristina Quinn explores questions like: What’s the deal with probiotics? Do fermented foods really help? How do you actually eat more fiber without overhauling your life? Each edition is practical, easy to digest (pun intended), and focused on what works. Sign up for the newsletter here. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Ever wonder why you can’t stop scrolling, even when you know you should? It probably comes down to dopamine, a key neurotransmitter that drives pleasure and motivation. In this episode, host Cristina Quinn talks to psychiatrist Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation,” about the neuroscience behind digital addiction. Anna explains how our devices keep us hooked by triggering dopamine surges — and why, over time, this actually leaves us feeling worse. She breaks down the “plenty paradox,” the idea that having unlimited access to pleasure might be making us more anxious and less happy. But the good news? We can reset our dopamine levels and regain control of our attention. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding the science behind our tech habits — so we can start making intentional changes. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Many of us are caught in a loop of instant gratification, driven by the brain’s reward system. In this episode, host Cristina Quinn talks with psychiatrist and addiction expert Anna Lembke about how to break free from compulsive digital habits and reset our dopamine levels. Anna explains how our brains become desensitized to pleasure over time, making us crave more and more stimulation. The good news? A 30-day “abstinence trial” can help reset our baseline and bring our dopamine levels back into balance. But quitting isn’t easy — temporary withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, irritability and boredom often surface before things improve. Through her own experience overcoming an unexpected addiction, Anna shares strategies to resist temptation, set up barriers to consumption and replace addictive behaviors with more fulfilling activities. Reclaiming our attention isn’t just about cutting back — it’s about learning to be present, engage with the world around us and rediscover what truly brings us joy. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

If you're ready to take back control of your attention, here’s where to start. Host Cristina Quinn chats with Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler about self-binding — creating intentional boundaries with your devices to reduce distractions and reclaim your focus. Geoffrey shares his own experiments and practical strategies, such as reorganizing a home screen and resetting algorithms. They also grapple with why traditional time limits on apps often backfire and how something as simple as moving an app off your home screen can shift your relationship with your phone. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

It’s not only about digital boundaries. Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler, in conversation with host Cristina Quinn, shares insights on physical and social boundaries we need to put in place to reclaim our focus. He offers tips like setting expectations at work and designating screen-free hours with family. And addiction psychiatrist Anna Lembke reminds us why breaking free from digital distractions isn’t just an individual effort, but a collective one. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a full tool kit of strategies to reclaim your focus, build healthier habits and create a more intentional relationship with your devices. Geoff recommends using Common Sense Media as a source guide for creating rules and boundaries around phone use for kids. They also offer a handy family contract which you can access right here. Watch the full conversation between Geoffrey and Cristina on YouTube.  Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Happiness, it turns out, comes down to a science — even though what makes each of us happy can vary pretty widely. Host Cristina Quinn talks to happiness scientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at UC-Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, about exactly what makes us happy and how much of our sense of joy is within our control. Drawing from the science of happiness, Emiliana explains that happiness isn’t about chasing fleeting positive emotions, but rather it’s about fostering an overarching sense of contentment, belonging and resilience. She also lays out how much of happiness is influenced by genetics, external circumstances and the choices we make. This course reminds us that happiness isn’t out of reach — it’s something we can cultivate every day. Emiliana and her colleagues at the Greater Good Science Center have been collecting data on happiness through the Big Joy Project, a seven-day online study where participants are assigned a micro-act of joy every day. Learn more about the project here.  For some extra happiness tips, read about trying new things for joy and embracing “joy snacks.” Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.