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Today’s Health Upgrade

• The blood sugar broker

• Q&A with Arnold

• Weekend challenge

The Blood Sugar Broker

You might know probiotics for their benefits to your gut health. However, a new review of 24 studies suggests they might have another important benefit.

Researchers found that probiotics can help control and stabilize your blood sugar.  

Nearly 2,000 adults with diabetes participated in a study about how probiotics influence glycemic control. The meta-analysis tested the effect of probiotics in foods like bread, yogurt, and fermented milk, as well as supplemental forms such as capsules, powders, and tablets. Those who used probiotics improved their insulin, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR.

Based on the studies reviewed, scientists suggest that:

• Probiotics are more effective for people who struggle with their weight. 

• Probiotics from foods are more effective than supplemental probiotics.

• Bifidobacterium probiotics tended to be more effective than Lactobacillus. 

In general, the best results were found by those taking higher doses (>10 billion CFU) and using them for more than two months. Probiotics might create these positive changes by helping reduce inflammation and improving intracellular communication. This supports better glycemic control and leads to improved metabolic health.

Arnold Q&A

After being on the road for his book tour, Arnold was back in The Pump app, answering questions from the members. Here is a snapshot of some of the conversations.

Arnold’s Nutrition Method

Advice For A New Father

How To Create (And Refine) Your Vision

Weekend Challenge

This week, we finally launched the last feature in The Pump that we wanted to finish before we opened the doors to all of you. It is called the Action Plan, and it fulfills my vision of making The Pump more than a fitness app. You set your vision and actions based on your goals and schedule, and we help you make your routine a reality.

It’s a way for the whole village to do what I have challenged you to do in the first Pump Club newsletter on January 1 and several times since: think of your vision and then think of a daily action that will move you closer to that goal. Make a tally mark every day until it is automatic, then grow the action or create a new one.

I am beyond pumped up about this, so this week’s challenge is to do the New Year’s challenge again. You guys forget I’m a creature of habit, and that’s part of the reason I am successful. These aren’t 30-day challenges. These are lifelong challenges.

Sit down. Think about your vision. What lights a fire in your belly? Being the best parent? Let’s start with that. Now, write down a daily action that will bring you closer to that vision. No phone at dinner. No phone when you play with your child. Read to your child every day.

Maybe your vision is learning a subject you’ve always wanted to know. Then, your action can be studying for 15 minutes every morning before your day gets derailed. After that becomes automatic, you can make it 30 minutes.

Maybe your vision is being lean. Then your daily action can be moving at least 15 minutes a day, not snacking after dinner, having protein with every meal, having vegetables every day, you get it.

Now, you might be saying, “Arnold, 15 minutes? Come on.” I’m assuming that right now, you are starting at zero. You can’t go 0 to 60 too fast, or you will burn out. If you already train 30 minutes a day, then you can make your daily action 45 minutes. If you walk 7,500 steps, you can make your daily action 10,000 steps.

You want to stretch with these daily actions. You do not want to stretch so much you snap. Don’t set yourself up for failure. If you stretch enough that it makes you push a little harder every day, you’re more likely to have success. Then, in time, your daily actions will make those challenges automatic.

Sit down and think about your vision. Write down three daily actions. They can be for one vision or three. You might want to be the best dad who is lean and learns psychology, or you might want three daily actions that make you lean. This way, you’ll all be ready once we open the doors to The Pump app for all of you.

Thank you for joining us for another week. It’s truly an honor. We love building this positive corner of the internet, and we hope you all enjoy being a part of the village. Have a fantastic weekend!

-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell