Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
Conflict resolution
Where are you cooking you food?
The art of productivity and success
Does fruit make you fat?
Arnold’s Podcast
Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Mindset
How Conflict Can Build Stronger Kids (And Adults)
We often think that arguments between parents harm kids. But new research suggests that it’s not whether parents fight — it’s how they fight that can shape a child’s emotional intelligence, stress management, and even their future relationships.
Children who witness constructive conflict — respectful, problem-solving conversations — tend to develop better emotional regulation, social skills, and mental health.
Researchers explored whether kids could learn something positive from watching their parents disagree. Specifically, they studied the effects of constructive interparental conflict, which includes calm tone, mutual respect, cooperation, and resolution — as opposed to yelling, hostility, or silent treatment.
They looked at how different styles of conflict impacted children’s internal and external behavior, stress response, and coping strategies.
Kids who witnessed constructive interparental conflict were more likely to display prosocial behavior, such as empathy and cooperation with peers. They also had lower levels of anxiety, aggression, and depression compared to kids exposed to destructive conflict.
Constructive conflict helped model problem-solving and emotional regulation, giving kids real-life scripts for managing their own future disagreements.
Not to mention, children who observed constructive conflict were better equipped to handle stress and had stronger relationships with both parents. In some cases, the positive effects were comparable to kids raised in households with little to no conflict at all.
Researchers believe this is because constructive conflict offers a “live demo” of how to navigate tension, stay respectful, and find resolution — all essential life skills. Unlike shielding children from all disagreements (which can be unrealistic), healthy conflict teaches that problems can be resolved and relationships can grow stronger because of it.
But this isn’t just for parents — it’s a reminder not to stress over every disagreement. Instead, focus on how you resolve it.
Stay calm, listen actively, and show mutual respect. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about being real, emotionally present, and solution-focused.
Together With Our Place
You Watch What You Eat—But What About Where You Cook Your Food?
You do everything you can to protect your health—eat whole foods, avoid processed junk, maybe even skip plastic containers. But there’s one thing most people forget: their cookware.
A recent review found that many materials that contact your food—including common nonstick pans—contain PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” These aren’t just trace contaminants. PFAS can leach into your food, survive cooking, and build up in your body over time.
It’s not that all non-stick pans are dangerous — it’s that they are vulnerable to conditions that can increase your exposure to the forever chemicals. For example, Teflon can release PFAS when exposed to very high heat or when it gets scratched or damaged over time.
PFAS have been linked to hormone disruption, gut issues, and long-term health risks. And even a tiny scratch in a Teflon-coated pan can release thousands of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into your meals.
You can’t completely eliminate all forever chemicals from your environment, and the poison is in the dose. However, you can reduce your risk with simple behaviors that can give you peace of mind and help you stress less.
That’s why we recommend upgrading to Our Place’s Titanium Cookware Set— nonstick pans made without any coatings, chemicals, or compromises. Just pure titanium, ultra-hardened for lifelong durability.
We changed because life is about controlling the controllables, and this decision is an easy swap. Our Place cookware has:
Zero PFAS: No coating. No chemicals. No leaching. Just clean cooking.
A Naturally Nonstick Surface: A pure titanium surface that won’t break down over time.
Quality Built to Last: 300% harder than stainless steel and safe for metal utensils, dishwashers, and even open flames.
If you’re focused on longevity and reducing your toxic load, your cookware matters. And this is a simple switch that makes a big difference.
As an APC reader, you receive 10% OFF your purchase when you use the code “APC” at checkout. You also get free shipping and free returns, so it’s completely risk-free.
Take control of your kitchen—and your health—with the safest cookware on the planet.
Better Questions, Better Solutions
How To Become More Successful
Sometimes, your biggest breakthroughs result form asking better questions.
Instead of asking: “How can I become successful?”
Ask yourself: “What will help me become more aware of my growth and progress?”
Most advice about motivation advice ignores the human side of how you operate. Researchers analyzed over 12,000 daily diary entries from 238 professionals working on creative projects across 7 companies and found something you might consider surprising.
The most productive and successful people were those who wrote down their small wins.
Research suggests that the secret weapon for better performance is based on what they call “inner work life.” It’s a combination of your emotions, motivation, and perception.
People did their best work on days when they experienced positive emotions, strong internal motivation, and a sense of progress. And they did this by tracking every little win, whether it’s checking off a task, solving a problem, or helping someone else succeed.
Small wins increase your perception of progress. That, in turn, makes you feel better about what you’re doing. And those two factors combined can lead to more motivation, which keeps you pushing and working harder.
It’s the ultimate domino effect to create momentum.
So instead of judging whether you get “everything” done on your checklist, focus on your awareness of what you moved forward in the day.
Or, as Arnold would say, “don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.”
Fact Or Fiction
Does Fruit Make Your Fat?
For years, fruit has been stuck in diet purgatory—caught between being nature’s candy and an unwanted sugar bomb. But what if we’ve been misunderstanding fruit’s role in fat loss all along?
A systematic review of 41 studies found that eating more whole, fresh fruit is linked to lower body weight, reduced calorie intake, and less belly fat—despite fruit containing natural sugars.
Across the board, the trend was clear: whole fruit doesn’t cause weight gain—it might help prevent it.
In fact, in studies, whole fruit intake reduced body fat, helped people feel fuller, and was associated with eating fewer total calories throughout the day. That’s because fruit delivers fiber, water, and volume—all of which help with satiety, or the feeling of being full.
Even when people consumed more fruit—despite the added natural sugars—they didn’t gain weight.
If you were worried, there’s no need to fear fruit. Instead of cutting carbs or sugar across the board, focus on where your sugar is coming from. There’s a big difference between a banana and a brownie.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
