Good morning. It’s Saturday, July 6th.

In today’s email:

• Think: Just One Bite

• Move: Squat Adjustment

• Watch: Little Empty Boxes

• Laugh: Staying Up Late

• Brain Games: Words

Check out the latest episode from the Thrive25 in 5 podcast!

Listen on: Spotify | Amazon | Apple

Stat of the Day

The number of hot dogs Americans will eat over the July 4th weekend. I mean there’s only 335 million Americans - so you do the math. But I guess that counts the men and women in the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating competition throwing down as many as they can in 10 minutes. This year’s winner ate 58 dogs. (source)

Revisit

This week we explored how minerals in our environment help improve our health.

Issue #363 - soil degradation impacts our nutrition with fewer natural trace minerals like copper and zinc

Issue #364 - understand UV risks and choose the best sunscreen to optimize your health with smart sun protection

Click HERE to check out the entire Thrive25 archive.

Think

Just One Bite

Ahh - July 4th. What’s better than a little BBQ with friends? Maybe a trip to the pool, beach or park with the kids - anything to just enjoy summer!

Someone asked me the question - how do I approach my health around these holidays?

Do I let go of all my longevity habits and just say “F*** it - let’s eat those ribs, apple pie, and all the chips and guac I can get”?

Or do I stick with doing everything possible to optimize my health?

The truth is - I’m not perfect every day of the year. And, a key point - most of what I do for my health, I don’t think of as a sacrifice. That would totally suck if every day you keep thinking “Well I can’t do X” or “I shouldn’t do Y” that’s a pretty awful way to live.

Instead, you gotta find the habits that work for you and make a big difference to your health.

Taking an hour in the morning to run on the beach or go for an ocean swim while on a short vacation with my family isn’t a sacrifice - I look forward to that time and how invigorated I feel afterwards. Sure, I hope it’s going to boost my longevity, but I feel better today so that’s enough of a win in itself.

Not drinking much alcohol anymore - again, for me, I’ve made the adjustment and am really finding that I can laugh and have fun with my wife and friends without the drinks (and the hangovers).

And desserts?

So here’s the thing that I heard on a podcast with Mark Sisson and I couldn’t agree more - think about how good that first bite of a dessert tastes. Doesn’t matter what it is - ice cream, cookie, cake, tiramisu, whatever.

The magic is in that first bite. It’s when you really taste all the flavor and just savor the experience of that dessert.

But every bite after is a little less awesome (hello diminishing returns!). You’ve already tasted it - so it’s more of the same. Until you finally feel full and push it away saying “uh - I can’t eat another bite.” Now you feel way worse than before you started the dessert.

The solution - don’t stop yourself from that first bite. But realize you don’t have to eat the whole thing. Whether you split it with someone else, or leave some on your plate, don’t feel the need to eat the entire dessert (no clean plate club awards here).

Going back to my take on the 4th. Look, I’ve got (hopefully) 50-60 more 4th of July’s left to celebrate. I’m not going to sit around making the next 50 miserable just so I can get another 10 after I turn 100 years old.

But I’m also not ok with getting old super fast so that I can’t enjoy the last 25 of them either.

I know what’s important to me for my health and what won’t feel like a sacrifice.

So go take that first bite (or sip) of whatever makes you happy (because life is short) and consider skipping most or all of the rest.

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Caraway designs kitchenware for the modern home cook - that’s you! Along with the cookware set (in navy), Max also bought a square grill pan in marigold and a bakeware set in “perracotta” - if inanimate objects can be sexy, then this is it. Oh, and functional - the design is beautiful, easy to use and clean.

Caraway Core Value #3: Thoughtful Design - featuring intentional design details and a variety of chic shades, Caraway kitchenware sets were built with the modern home cook in mind.

Move

Squat Adjustments

For too long I accepted the fact that I couldn’t really do squats the right way. But this was really just masking a bigger issue that I’m lacking mobility in my ankles and hips.

It isn’t just keeping me from doing squats - but it is putting me at risk of injury and potentially preventing me from staying active when I’m older. So I’m all about leg mobility now.

I’m doing a lot of bodyweight squats and trying to dip low - beyond 90°- for all my sets. Here are some helpful tips to start that journey.

Watch

Little Empty Boxes

Best-selling author Max Lugavere (“Genius Foods” and “Genius Kitchen”) started investigating how to stay healthy as he was watching his mom suffer from Alzheimer’s.

While he focused on writing and podcasting (The Genius Life), he was also filming his time with his mom - Little Empty Boxes. That turned into a documentary that won Best Story at the LA Documentary Film Fest.

It brings together the science of prevention for all of us wanting to keep Alzheimer’s at bay, while also sharing the connection between a mother and her son as she struggles with this awful disease.

Laugh

Stay Up Late

We’ve all been there…just remember “don’t stay up late for anything you wouldn’t set your alarm to do in the morning.”

Brain Games

Words

Based on the hint and available letters, figure out the right answer.

1) Agent or admirer

2) Instrument or piano

3) Bent wire or office

Credit: Brainzilla

** For answer, scroll to the bottom of the email

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Brain Games Answer

Answer. Reasoning.

1) Agent or admirer = SECRET

2) Instrument or piano = KEYBOARD

3) Bent wire or office = PAPER CLIP

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

To health!