Good morning. It’s Tuesday, October 22nd.

In today’s email:

• Learn: Dangers of the Desk

• Try: 2 Min Breaks

• Measure: Uric Acid

• Laugh: Alternate subtitles

• In the News: U.S. vs. The World - Not a Fair Fight When it Comes to Food

Check out one of my recent LinkedIn posts about 5 things I’m doing to boost my longevity right now:

Stat of the Day

The amount of time it takes to get a mental uplift from exercise. Just another reason that working out is for your brain as much as your body. (ASICS State of Mind Study, 2024)

Learn

Dangers of the Desk

ASICS (yes the running shoe company) ran a study across 22 countries to help connect the dots between exercise and mental health.

Fun Fact: I never knew that ASICS was an acronym for “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” which in Latin translates into Sound Mind in a Sound Body.

Anyway, their study looked at 10 traits that made up a State of Mind:

With each trait getting 10 points for a total of 100 points.

You’ll notice that none of these traits are directly connected to physical abilities - it doesn’t include strength, or speed, or flexibility.

Yet, the difference in the scores from people who exercise vs. those that don’t is pretty significant:

So working out more than 2.5 hours a week leads to much higher scores when it comes to your “state of mind.”

But the even crazier part is that the changes happen with really small amounts of movement.

It’s not just about working out - it’s about not sitting all day long. Sitting at a desk for four hours will increase our stress levels by 18%.

Just 15 minutes of movement during the workday increases our State of Mind (in that moment) from a 62/100 to a 76/100.

And in just one week of getting consistent movement throughout the day - study participants had the following results - remember this is just after one week:

• 14.7% lower stress

• 33.2% productivity boost

• 28.6% increased focus

• 33.3% more relaxed

We’ve been saying it for a long time - sitting at a desk is literally killing us.

Now Brian Cox is saying it too:

Try

2 Min Breaks

Get up every hour for 2 minutes and move. Can be anything - walk around the room, do some squats or push-ups - just move!

Need more inspiration - here are all the ideas of what you can do in those two minutes:

• 10 push-ups

• 25 squats

• 20 reverse lunges

• 25 jumping jacks

• 15 Good Mornings

• 200 meter walk (around the office, to the mailbox, around the backyard)

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Max and I are hooked on Caraway cookware - it’s a game-changer. After trying everything from stainless steel to non-stick, we finally found a brand that lives up to its promise.

Why Caraway?

• Non-Toxic Cooking: Caraway’s kitchenware is free of harmful chemicals, so you can cook with confidence.

• Sleek Design: Thoughtful, beautiful design that fits any kitchen.

• Cleaner, Healthier Cooking: Caraway ensures your food stays as pure as possible.

We can’t imagine cooking without it - get your set now and experience the difference.

By purchasing Caraway’s products, you’re not only enhancing your cooking experience - you’re also supporting Thrive25 in our mission to make health and longevity approachable.

Measure

Uric Acid

One of the most important - but relatively unknown - biomarkers for our metabolic health is uric acid. It’s actually a waste product from when we break down specific amino acids (purines). Purines are found in many foods - including shellfish and red meat.

Uric acid also increases with high consumption of alcohol and/or fructose.

Extreme levels of uric acid cause gout and kidney problems.

But it’s not the only time it’s a problem. Even slightly elevated levels of uric acid increases inflammation and turns off nitric oxide (NO), which is essential for healthy blood flow. Increasingly, research links high levels of uric acid with metabolic health problems and heart disease risks. (see the book: Drop Acid)

So next time you’re getting your blood panel (which should be every year!) make sure to request your doctor include URIC ACID as one of the tests.

When you get the test - here’s the results you want to see:

Men

• Optimal: 2.5-5.5 mg/dL 

• Normal up to 7.0 mg/dL

Women

• Optimal: 2.0-4.0 mg/dL 

• Normal up to 6.0 mg/dL

Here are the two best ways to lower Uric Acid:

1. Stop drinking anything with fructose (e.g., soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, etc.)

2. Stop drinking beer*

Next Steps

Want the best insights for all your lab test results??

👉 Sign up for Early Access to the Thrive25 Personal Longevity Advisor

You’ll finally be able to actually understand what’s going on inside your body and what you can do to optimize your health and longevity!

* Beer has way more purines than other alcohol and has the highest correlation with elevated uric acid levels

Laugh

Alternate subtitles

Oldie, but still funny - you brought your potion right?

officialbluechevyrider

View more on Instagram

H&L in the News

Not Banned in the U.S.A.: Some additives in U.S. processed foods - banned elsewhere for potential health risks - are still on the shelves. Learn about these ingredients and why avoiding ultra-processed foods can protect your health. (Levels Health)

Are Sleep Trackers Overhyped?: New sleep trackers are more accurate than ever, but do athletes really benefit from all this data? Learn why analyzing your Zzzs might be more complex - and potentially misleading - than you think. (Outside)

No Topic is Off Limits: Struggling to discuss controversial topics? Discover three essential rules - respect, constructiveness, and inclusiveness - to navigate tough conversations and find common ground in today’s divided world. (Big Think)

Thrive25 Referral Program

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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!