Every weekday, we help you make sense of the complex world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and providing quick tips designed to help you stay healthier in under 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
A natural mental health boost
A new way to maximize recovery during sleep?
Adapt and thrive
The problem with “best of” lists
An APC subscriber bonus
From hope to action
Heath
The Natural High (That Improves Mental Health)
You don’t need to move to the countryside or live by the beach to improve your mental health, but if you find a way to experience nature, you will feel the difference.
Researchers found that spending time outdoors is consistently linked to better mental health.
That was the key finding from an 18-country study involving more than 16,000 people. The scientists measured three outcomes: positive well-being, mental distress, and use of depression/anxiety medication. Participants reported their residential access to green space (forests and parks), inland-blue space (rivers and lakes), and coastal-blue space (oceans).
The scientists found that visiting nature, not just living near it, made the biggest difference. People who felt a stronger emotional bond with nature had better mental health and were less likely to use depression medications. And the benefits persisted across seasons. Even in winter, visiting water or green areas was associated with improved well-being, proving you don’t need perfect weather to reap the benefits.
If you want to feel better mentally, go for a walk, sit by a lake, or find your favorite park bench. Even one extra visit per week can move the needle.
Together With Magtein
A Surprising Way To Improve Stress and Recovery
Most supplement studies promise better sleep or sharper focus, and then rely on how people say they feel. But a new study stood out for a different reason.
A specific form of magnesium improved overnight heart rate and heart rate variability, two important markers of stress resilience and recovery.
Scientists examined the sleep of 100 adults who either took a placebo or 2 grams per day of magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®). The researchers examined cognition, sleep, and physiology with wearable devices worn overnight.
But here’s what made this study stand out: Instead of asking participants to rate their stress or recovery, researchers looked at something harder to fake: what the heart was doing during sleep.
Two important signals changed in a meaningful way. During sleep, the resting heart rate decreased, and HRV increased in the magnesium group.
HRV reflects how well your nervous system shifts into “rest and digest” mode. Higher HRV and lower resting heart rate during sleep are consistently linked to better recovery, stress tolerance, cognitive performance, and long-term cardiovascular health.
Higher HRV is associated with better prefrontal brain function, which is responsible for focus, decision-making, and mental speed.
Magnesium supports calming neurotransmitters, limits stress signaling, and helps regulate the nervous system. But these findings went beyond what you normally see with magnesium. The researchers believe it’s because magnesium L-threonate — Magtein® in particular — is designed to deliver magnesium to the brain more efficiently.
If you’re already working on sleep, stress, and training balance, Magtein® could make a meaningful difference in your sleep and recovery, especially if your HRV tends to run low.
To learn more about the science behind magnesium l-threonate, visit magtein.com
Mindset
The Discipline Trap: How To Adapt And Thrive (In Any Situation)
Most people believe that strict rules and unwavering willpower are the keys to lasting change. But an analysis found that rigid discipline can also work against you.
People who adapt their approach based on circumstances — rather than following strict rules — experience significantly better mental health, job performance, and overall well-being.
As Jon Goodman points out in his new book, Unhinged Habits:
There are times when structure serves behavior, and other times when spontaneity is better. The magic lies not in choosing one over the other but in understanding when to shift gears. Structure creates the container that makes meaningful spontaneity possible. Spontaneity provides the raw material that makes structured seasons productive.
Researchers analyzed 151 studies on "psychological inflexibility" and whether the tendency to rigidly stick to plans regardless of context affects quality of life. Inflexibility led to a decrease in well-being, meaning people with more rigid mindsets consistently reported worse outcomes across mental health, work, and daily life.
Earlier research found similar results: psychological flexibility — defined as the ability to shift mental resources and balance competing demands — led to better job performance, mental health, and even pain tolerance.
Rigidity backfires because life rarely cooperates with our plans. When your only option is "perfect or nothing," you're constantly fighting reality. Miss one workout? Eat one unplanned meal? Rigid thinkers often spiral into giving up entirely. Flexible thinkers adjust and keep moving.
This doesn't mean abandoning structure. Structure helps. But the most effective people use structure when it serves them and release it when circumstances change.
If you want to train a more flexible mindset, when you miss your ideal behavior, ask "what can I do right now?" instead of waiting until Monday.
It might be cliché, but progress doesn't require perfection. It requires knowing when to hold tight and when to let go.
If you want to learn more about which habits push you forward — and which hold you back — we recommend picking up a copy of Unhinged Habits.
Foods Are Super
Why "Healthiest Vegetable" Rankings Are Misleading
You've probably seen the clips floating around social media: watercress is the world's healthiest vegetable. Spinach is a superfood. Kale beats everything. These rankings feel satisfying, like someone finally cracked the code on what to eat. But there's a problem:
Besides the study having significant flaws, being healthier does not depend on finding the “best vegetable”; it’s about finding a way to eat servings of any vegetables consistently.
Researchers created a classification system ranking 47 foods by "nutrient density,” which just means they measured how many vitamins and minerals each food provides per 100 calories.
Watercress scored 100 (the highest possible), followed by Chinese cabbage, chard, and spinach. Sounds helpful until you notice what didn't make the cut: an endless list of perfectly healthy options such as blueberries, raspberries, garlic, and onions. None of these qualified as "powerhouse" foods.
That should raise an eyebrow. These foods have strong research supporting their health benefits.
The ranking only measured 17 vitamins and minerals, while completely ignoring other variables, such as phytochemicals, the compounds that give blueberries their brain benefits and garlic its heart-protective effects.
The scoring also favored extremely low-calorie foods (watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams), which skewed results away from nutrient-rich options like sweet potatoes. And perhaps most importantly: the scoring system wasn’t tested against actual health outcomes. No one has shown that following these rankings improves anything.
Instead of comparing healthy foods, eat fruits and vegetables you enjoy, from different color categories, in a way that you can sustain. That’s what will support your health while also reducing stress from overthinking.
Pump Club Bonus
For APC Readers Only
We love sharing special perks with APC readers. Our friends at GORUCK are giving you 20% OFF anything for the next 48 hours. We love our custom-made APC rucks, but the code is valid with any purchase.
To access your discount, use the codes below (Active until January 30th):
US | JANPUMP20
EU | EUJANPUMP20
The Positive Corner
From Hope To Action: Meet Danielle
On Monday, Arnold promised to share stories of people who turned hope into action and inspired him. This continues a week-long collection of real people who turned hope into action and changed their lives with the Pump Club.
Yesterday, you met Jeremi. Today, you’ll meet his wife, Danielle.
Tell us about yourself:
I am a 39-year-old wife, mom of 2, Elementary Principal. I grew up playing sports and always outdoors, one where school was my safe place and my friends’ houses were more like home. Health wasn’t ever something in my life until Jeremi and I decided to do a bodybuilding competition in 2016. We did it without coaches. I learned a lot about food, but earned a great case of body dysmorphia and a terrible relationship with food!
How long did you hope things would get better before they did?
I was a yo-yo/fad dieter for YEARS! I had my kids very young, so I wanted to do anything I could to get back to my pre-baby body. I would go to extremes only to gain everything and then some back. So I would easily say that cycle lasted 17 years.
What actually made things get better?
The knowledge that I learned through the app actually made things get better. I utilized workouts with Jeremi when it first started, he’s a founding member. I didn’t join the app until March 2025- don’t ask why, I have no legit reason. When I joined and had access to the articles, community, and tools, it just clicked.
Danielle overcame 17 years of diet frustration to finally figure out something that worked for her.
What was your plan?
For years, I wandered aimlessly. When I started the app, I said I wanted to be my healthiest by my 40th birthday. That gave me almost 18 months to find success. I didn’t need 18 months! Shortly after joining the app, I found the Fubar diet plan and things just took off! I wouldn’t call it a diet in comparison to what I had previously tried. All it was was eating real nutritious foods in moderation! It was what my body finally needed to “fix” the years of broken dieting. I legit didn’t feel hungry for the first time in years, I felt full from nutritious foods, I craved fruits! It was INCREDIBLE!
How did you show up on the days when you didn’t feel like it?
Having Jeremi “following” the same plan always makes it 10x easier. We help hold one another accountable. In life, I’ve learned the only thing you truly have is your word, and that includes to yourself. Growing up, I didn’t have people who kept their word to me, now as an adult, I have realized I’m important enough to do so. Keeping my word to myself has helped my internal dialogue, confidence, and how I function in all areas of my life. There’s ZERO reason for excuses — if you want it, you’ll figure it out.
What’s been the hardest part about change?
There are many aspects that could be considered hard. Juggling my daily schedule to ensure I get my workout in — most days it happens at 4:15 am because I’ve found I don’t have anything left once I’m home. Eating has also been one of the biggest challenges; many days, I don’t get an actual lunch break. I have set things up to ensure I have access to protein on the go so I’m not tempted with the other stuff. If you’ve ever worked in education, there are CONSTANTLY treats. Saying no to those while getting silent judgment is hard, but I know my goals. Those around me, not my close inner circle, don’t understand why I can’t just have a little or why I choose to follow my habits — to me, it’s a nonnegotiable because I’m keeping my word to myself. It’s hard to explain to someone who wants the quick fix and isn’t willing to be uncomfortable for what they want.
Did you notice that what you learned with this success translates to anything else in your life?
As I said earlier, it comes down to keeping my word. I refuse to make excuses and let things get pushed to the back burner because it may make me uncomfortable. This is how I function in day-to-day life. As an Elementary Principal, my staff can count on my word and that I will do what I say. I will figure out a way to make something work, and excuses will never be a part of my answer. I’m committed.
Better Today
Take any of these tips from today’s email and put them into action:
1. An 18-Country Study Reveals Getting Outdoors Is A Mental Health Boost That Works Year-Round
A study of more than 16,000 people found that visiting green spaces, lakes, or coastlines — not just living near them — was linked to better mental well-being and lower use of depression and anxiety medications. The benefits held across all seasons, and people with stronger emotional connections to nature showed the greatest improvements.
2. The Specific Form of Magnesium That Improved Heart Rate Variability During Sleep
New research found that those who took 2 grams daily of magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) showed lower resting heart rate and higher heart rate variability during sleep, two markers tied to stress resilience, recovery, and long-term cardiovascular health. Unlike most supplement studies, researchers measured physiological changes with wearables rather than relying on self-reported feelings.
3. The Discipline Trap: Research Shows When Willpower Works Against You
A meta-analysis of 151 studies found that rigidly sticking to plans regardless of context (psychological inflexibility) led to worse mental health, lower job performance, and reduced well-being. People who adapted their approach based on circumstances consistently outperformed those who followed strict, all-or-nothing rules.
4. The Problem With "Healthiest Vegetable" Rankings (And What Actually Matters)
A widely shared study ranked 47 foods by "nutrient density," which was never tested against real health outcomes. Eating a variety of colorful vegetables you actually enjoy matters more than chasing rankings.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
