How to stop anger from spreading | What to eat for a healthy gut

Plus: How a cat bite turned into a $48,000 hospital bill Ariel Davis for NPR [Anger Can Be Contagious, Here’s How To Stop Its Spread]( Even if you're not aware of it, it's likely that your emotions will influence someone around you today. A shared smile, or grimace, during your commute, or an exchange online. Emotions can spread through social networks almost like the flu or a cold. In social media, too often it’s the rage and trolling that spread. But sometimes it takes just one act of compassion to stop the vicious cycle. [Read the story of how one man turned his cheek]( turned a Twitter insult into a $50,000 gift. --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- In our series, [The Other Side Of Anger]( NPR explores the biology, psychology and cultural role of anger, shedding light on an emotion that can spur violence or become a force for good. [Read the rest of the series here.]( 4kodiak/Getty Images [How To Keep Your Gut Microbes Happy]( There's still a lot we don't know about the microbes that live in our intestinal track helping us digest. That fact hasn’t stopped the ballooning of the probiotics industry. While there’s little evidence most probiotic pills do us any good, in her new book, Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome, writer Katherine Harmon Courage argues that the right kind of diet can support a healthy microbiome. She looks to the ancient gut-friendly foods that have been integral parts of many food cultures. [Read on to learn about how to eat to best feed the friendly bugs within us.]( Angel Valentín for KHN [A Cat Bite Turned Into a $48,000 Hospital Bill]( Wildlife biologist Jeannette Parker stopped to help a sick cat wandering along the road outside of Florida’s Everglades National Park. The cat rewarded her with a bite that drew blood. Worried that she’d been exposed to rabies, she went to the ER at the local hospital for preventative treatment. In the moment of a medical emergency, it’s hard to shop around or say no to high prices. [Read on to learn what you can do to control your costs in a similar situation.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- [Got a crazy high medical bill? Share your story with us](. If you've had a medical-billing experience that you think we should investigate, you can [share the bill and describe what happened here.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- More of this week’s health stories from NPR [​How green space can protect kids' mental health]( [Car Talk Is Helping New Doctors Learn To Diagnose]( [Ask Your Surgeon This Question Before Surgery]( We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism on Shots]( and follow us for daily stories at [@NPRHealth.]( Your Shots editor, Carmel Wroth --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [shots@npr.org](mailto:shots@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]