The Holistic Element

Coconut oil in coffee: what research says about MCTs, energy and focus, and how caffeine dose and timing can affect deep sleep and EEG.

Could eating nuts be linked to better brain health? A new study examined nut consumption, cognitive performance, brain volume and long-term health outcomes in adults from the Framingham Heart Study.

Could spending too little time in sunlight affect your brain? New research explores the relationship between daylight exposure, cognitive performance, attention, and the environments where we spend our days.

Can the spaces around us influence perception, emotion, and cognition? A new 2026 systematic review maps 121 studies and reveals what neuroarchitecture can—and still cannot—tell us about the relationship between buildings and the human mind.

 Why do some rooms feel instantly comfortable while others leave us indifferent? Explore how coherence, fascination, familiarity, openness, and architectural form shape the way we experience interior spaces.

Why do some small rooms feel surprisingly spacious while others feel cramped? Explore how light, visual boundaries, ceiling height, layout, mirrors, and sightlines can influence the way we experience architectural space.

Why can your body still feel tense when the stressful situation is already over? Explore why stress can linger, how the brain and body respond to repeated pressure, and how sleep, routines, surroundings, and everyday habits can influence our ability to truly switch off.

Can artificial intelligence really understand what you are thinking and feeling? Explore the psychology of talking to AI, why chatbots can feel surprisingly personal, and where the boundary lies between useful reflection and genuine human understanding.  

Smart homes, smartphones, automation, and endless convenience were supposed to give us something precious: more time. But what are we doing with it?

Could a simple tomato-based food influence attention and memory? A 2026 randomized crossover clinical trial found improvements in selective attention and associative memory after regular consumption of concentrated tomato paste. Here is what the study actually found—and what it does not prove.

 Could the street outside your home influence how you sleep at night? New research using artificial intelligence, street-view imagery, and environmental psychology suggests that features such as greenery, enclosure, walkability, and perceived safety may be connected with sleep health. But the findings are more subtle than the headline suggests.

For years, trans fat has been treated as one nutritional category. New research suggests the source matters. Here is what scientists found about naturally occurring trans fats in dairy foods, cardiovascular risk, and what the evidence really means.

 Xylitol has long been marketed as a lower-calorie alternative to sugar, especially in chewing gum, sweets, and oral-care products. But new research presented at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress has raised an unexpected question: could higher levels of xylitol in the blood be associated with cardiovascular risk? Here is what the study found, what it does not prove, and why the story is more complicated than the headline.

Why does time seem to pass faster as we get older? Explore the psychology of time perception, memory, attention, routine, novelty, and the way we experience life.

Why can a familiar smell suddenly transport you to another time? Explore the science of the Proust Effect, olfactory memory, emotion, nostalgia, and the surprising relationship between smell and autobiographical memory.

Do your eyes feel tired, dry, or uncomfortable after hours of screen time? Discover how blinking, glare, room lighting, viewing distance, and screen habits can affect visual comfort—and what research really says about digital eye strain.

Discover how color influences perception, emotion, behavior, architecture, branding, workplaces, and everyday environments through science and design.

What makes one place feel different from another? Explore the ancient idea of genius loci, Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture, and how understanding the character of a place can transform the way we design, inhabit, and experience architecture.

Coming home is more than crossing a doorway. The transition from work, traffic, noise, and daily demands into the private environment of home can influence how we experience the space and how quickly we mentally shift into a different part of the day. Explore the psychology of thresholds, personal rituals, and the role of architecture in creating a more restorative arrival.

Working through the night can change sleep, circadian rhythms, concentration, and everyday life—but human beings are remarkably adaptable. Drawing from more than a decade of personal experience and current research, this article explores both the challenges and unexpected benefits of night-shift work, and how adaptation, environment, and routine can influence well-being.