In partnership with

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 30th.

In today’s email:

• Favorites: Jet Lag App

• Focus: Staying Healthy in Paris

• Explore: Finding Fall Foliage

• In the News: AI Viruses That Kill Bacteria

Stat of the Day

The number of minutes it takes for your gut to communicate to your brain - through hormones like Ghrelin, leptin - that you’re full. That’s why it’s easy to overeat before our body tells us that’s enough. (Live Science)

Favorites

A few things I’m loving this week…

1. Perfect Amino Bar 🍫 - with a nutritional profile (and taste) that’s way better than David Bars, these were key for my recent trip across the pond. Based on the science that not all proteins are equal (it’s about the amino acids and peptide bonds) - these bars create a combination of these aminos without sugar, sugar alcohols or other junk in the ingredients. Great option when in need of some energy or meal replacement while traveling.

2. Time Shifter App ⏱️✈️ - I found out about this app from a LinkedIn post from Nico Rosberg (former F1 champion turned investor). The app customizes a plan (light, sleep, caffeine, and melatonin timing) to help you adjust quickly to new time zones. It’s really simple stuff, but it works - like waking up 1 hour earlier and then 2 hours earlier than usual on the days before my trip going east were great to help avoid jet lag. Big fan after feeling back on schedule in just a couple days being back home.

Note: No affiliation with either product - just personal recommendations.

Focus

How I Stayed Healthy During a Week in Paris

After seven years of no trips without the kids my wife and I planned a trip to Paris - just us. I was super excited for the break. And I wanted to experience “all things Paris” (croissants, bread, wine, late night meals) - but I know these aren’t part of my normal routine and I didn’t want to come back feeling crushed in my gut and like I’d completely fallen off the health wagon.

Health Starts Before the Trip

Do your best to get your body ready to fight off all the bugs on the plane and in all the crowds. It starts the week before you head out - here are a few tips:

1. Immune prep. Humidity on the plane is less than the Sahara Desert (under 20%) drying out mucus that is essential for keeping out viruses and bacteria. So I doubled down on whole foods and added daily zinc supplements 7 days before the trip.

2. Time zone shift. I used the Time Shifter app (built on circadian rhythm science) to start waking up earlier before we left. It made the jump to Paris mornings - and the return to U.S. time - way smoother.

3. Mental agreement. The biggest one: I made a deal with myself to truly unplug from work. Research shows we actually stress more when we’re not working but still thinking about work. So I set that aside - no ruminating, no mental distractions. Just being present with my wife.

Health On the Trip

It was weird not packing running shoes - but since that probably wouldn’t fit the schedule, I focused on ways to feel fit without trying to “fit in workouts” that would only get in the way of our schedule together.

1. Mini-routines. Every morning: 50 push-ups and squats. Every night: 10 minutes of mobility/stretching. Just enough to keep strength and flexibility tuned without disrupting the trip.

2. Walk everywhere. We averaged 20,000+ steps per day - and nearly 30K one day. Why Walk? Way better than riding a bus or Uber to get around. Most of the highlights on the trip were from finding unplanned cafes or streets not on our original itinerary. Pro Tip: break in those shoes and get in those steps before you go so you don’t end up with blisters or sore legs after day 1.

3. First bite rule. Borrowed from Mark Sisson: the best bite of dessert is the first one. That’s when the flavor tastes the best. I indulged in the pistachio croissant, I ordered the crème brûlée, but I didn’t feel compelled to finish it all. Enjoy the taste, skip the gut bomb.

Coming Back

Too often we get back and feel like a zombie for days. I made two commitments:

1. Time shift (again). Back on the Time Shifter protocol to sync to U.S. time. I can’t afford a week without 100% focus and energy. Most of us underappreciate the significant symptoms of jet lag - being tired, like really tired, crushes everything.

2. Break a sweat. I couldn’t wait to get a real sweat. Walking is great - but daily temps in the 50’s doesn’t substitute for going all out in the hot Florida sun. Felt great to get after it the first morning we were back. Don’t judge your time or performance on that first time back - just enjoy being back out there.

Bonus: Takeaways from Paris

I didn’t see many gyms and second-hand smoke was a killer - shocked that nearly every table next to us lit up a cigarette during a meal. But it was obvious that obesity was much lower and there were some things we should definitely be doing here in the U.S. for our health:

1. Not Rushing. It seemed frowned on to get food as take out. The cafés are made for lingering, savoring, and actually having a conversation. There’s a practice of setting your fork down between bites - a simple way to remember to chew your food, not overeat, and to actually enjoy the meal.

2. Real challenges. I doubt many Parisians do cold plunges. They don’t need to invent challenges - because they build it into their everyday life. It was crazy seeing the number of people biking to work in the cold rain. It was not a comfortable temp - yet, it didn’t stop them from being out there. People still ate outside without heaters, walked everywhere - didn’t let the elements affect their day. Winter is coming - embrace the resilience of real life.

3. Better ingredients. I had more than my fair share of bread, cheese, and wine every day - yet no gut issues. Why? Their food is made differently. At an amazing ramen shop, the server proudly explained their noodles came from organic wheat grown on their own farm. Quality ingredients matter. Let’s keep making this a priority in the U.S.

Be sure to bookmark this issue for your next big trip!

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Still up? Still scrolling? It’s time to turn off.

From the team behind AG1 and AGZ...

Tired of tossing, turning, and scrolling? Pick up the phone.

1-855-TURN-OFF is the first all-night hotline designed to turn you off.

It's simple: dial in, press a button, and hear the sweet science behind AGZ whispered directly in your ear. From magnesium for sleep support, to adaptogens for stress, to L-theanine for relaxation - every call leads to better rest.*

What are you waiting for? Click here for a toll-free and melatonin-free time.

1-855-TURN-OFF

_{* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.}

Explore

Finding Fall Foliage

Paris was great, but you don’t need a passport to find beauty around you. Nature’s putting on its own world-class show a little closer to home. Leaf season isn’t just eye candy - it’s a health upgrade. Cooler temps + golden trails make it easier to move more, lower stress, and dial in sleep. Natural light helps anchor your circadian rhythm; “awe walks” boost mood, focus, and heart-rate variability. Bonus: softer terrain = joint-friendly miles, and crisp air nudges you to go longer without overheating.

Quick Wins:

• Pick a local loop with 300-800 ft gain; walk it at talkable pace

• Schedule a “golden hour” stroll (30-45 min) to lock in better sleep

• Pack a thermos + protein snack to skip the sugary pit stop

• Snap three “awe shots” (skyline, canopy, close-up leaf) to train attention

• Invite a friend - connection = consistency

Wanna get away? Aim for mountain towns with mixed hardwoods and a mid-Sept to late-Oct peak. Your lungs, legs, and nervous system will thank you - and the views aren’t bad either.

H&L in the News

How to Live to 117: Maria Branya Morera was the oldest living human when she passed away last year. She allowed scientists to run extensive tests on her for the last 3 years of her life. She had great genetics to prevent disease - but also ate a Mediterranean diet, lived an active life and ate yogurt for a healthy gut microbiome. (Smithsonian)

AI Virus Kills Bacteria: Thanks to AI, scientists can now find DNA sequences to create replicable viruses that can target specific bacteria - it’s all part of the road to using this tech to find game-changing ways to improve our health. (Singularity Hub)

Sleeping at Work?: The office “sleep pod” market is expected to grow to $550M by 2033. Are companies just trying to keep people at the office longer or are they really focused on the health of their teams? (Yahoo Finance)

Thrive25 Referral Program

Thanks for being part of the Thrive25 community! Want to further support our mission of transforming science into digestible insights to support our health & longevity. Earn Thrive25 swag and other rewards from our Sponsors via our referral program:

Thanks for joining us today!

• Want to see what we’re up to? Sign up for early access to our platform

• Missed an issue? No problem, check out our newsletter archive

• Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here

• Someone send you this email? Sign up here

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!