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
A new way to fight Alzheimer's?
An underrated way to protect your skin and hair
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The problem with "good foods vs bad foods"
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.
On Our Radar
A New Hope in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s robs people of clarity, connection, and identity. However, in a new study, researchers observed a surprising shift, which may offer a reason for hope.
A pilot study found that creatine monohydrate improved cognitive function, memory, and attention in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers conducted an 8-week trial involving 20 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Each participant took 20 grams of creatine monohydrate daily. They wanted to determine whether creatine could reach the brain, enhance cognitive performance, and be tolerated by patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The results were promising: Serum creatine increased over 23-fold, and brain total creatine increased by 11 percent—a clear sign that creatine was successfully absorbed and reached the brain. Additionally, cognitive scores and memory also improved.
These improvements are meaningful, especially given that cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s typically worsens over time. Instead, these participants showed measurable improvement in as little as 8 weeks.
Creatine plays a key role in brain energy metabolism. In Alzheimer's, where energy production is impaired, boosting brain creatine may help neurons function more effectively. It could also reduce oxidative stress and improve mitochondrial health, two areas of dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease.
While this was a small and early-stage study without a placebo group, it sets the stage for larger clinical trials. The safety profile, compliance, and measurable brain and cognitive improvements are enough to spark real interest.
If you’re supporting someone with cognitive decline or looking to protect your own brain as you age, creatine might be worthwhile consideration.
Remember, the best source is creatine monohydrate, and you’ll want only to use products that are third-party certified.
If you want to improve cognition, research suggests using at least 10 grams per day. Although the new study suggests that higher amounts may offer more brain-boosting benefits, additional research is needed.
Together With Jolie
Does Your Shower Water Affect Your Hair And Skin?
Most tap water in the U.S. is treated and safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean it’s ideal for your skin.
You might not realize it, but research suggests most water contains chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants. Again, it’s safe to drink, but it can lead to dry skin, damaged hair, and rashes or irritation.
Short-term exposure to chlorinated water can lead to reduced skin hydration and increased inflammation, particularly in individuals with sensitive skin or eczema. Hard water builds up on the scalp and hair shaft, which weakens hair fibers, making them more prone to breakage, dullness, and poor hair quality.
You can buy many expensive products, but the simplest answer might be better, filtered water.
After all, residue from hard water may clog pores or interfere with the cleansing of skin care products, potentially leading to acne or dull skin. A filter is not essential for everyone, but it can make a noticeable difference for many.
That’s why so many people trust Jolie — the only showerhead that’s lab-tested and clinically reviewed to remove chlorine and heavy metals. Jolie’s advanced filtration system protects your skin and hair at the source, helping you get more from the products you already use.
As an APC reader, you get free shipping and a 60-day risk-free trial. You make sure the water you drink is good for your body; it won’t hurt to do the same for your hair and skin.
Adam’s Corner
Food Isn’t Just Food
The argument started over breakfast. Or rather, the absence of it.
My son sat at the table, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the empty plate in front of him like it had betrayed him. I had offered eggs. He wanted a donut. And instead of the sound of a satisfied boy, there was just a quiet tension, cracked open by hunger and morning fatigue.
He told me he didn’t know what he wanted to eat. I told him if he doesn’t know, then I don’t know, either.
He told me I always say that. So we sat. I hugged him. And told him I wanted him to enjoy his breakfast.
Ok, so there might have been a moment where I also thought of saying, “Do you know how lucky we are even to have food in the fridge?” But I didn’t.
Because I remembered being six years old and hearing something similar. It didn’t make me grateful. It just made me feel guilty. The guilt seems benign in the moment.
So instead, I sat down next to him. We stared at the plate together.
He asked if I don’t give him donuts because they are “bad for him.”
And in that moment, I realized this wasn’t just about breakfast.
What No One Wants To Admit About Eating
There’s a strange intimacy to food. It carries the weight of culture, comfort, and memory. And for many of us, it also carries a sense of shame. The skipped meals. The binges. The obsession with macros or the guilt of emotional eating. A plate is never just a plate. It’s a mirror.
Eggs are healthier than a donut. But donuts are not the worst thing in the world. We definitely eat them occasionally at my home. And yet, it’s almost too easy — and too common — for narratives designed to lead to healthier behaviors to backfire completely.
We’re told that eating is simple. Just fuel the machine. Admittedly, I used this language long ago. I wish I didn’t.
Because we are not machines. We are people—flawed, brilliant, anxious, evolving—trying to do the best we can in bodies we don’t always understand.
Only a few diet books stress the one thing you feel in your stomach:
Food is not just physiological. It’s emotional. And until you make peace with that, no plan will ever fully work.
For years, I tried to out-discipline my appetite. I thought if I could “get it right”—hit the right macros, time the meals, follow the rules—I’d finally feel free.
But the freedom came not from control. It stemmed from compassion, understanding, and reevaluating my perspective on perfection, restriction, and how I utilize nutrition to support my goals.
It came from the moment I stopped seeing meals as moral choices and started asking: Am I caring for myself or punishing myself with this decision?
It came when I realized that teaching my son how to eat isn’t just about carbs or calories—it’s about helping him trust his body and helping him listen before he obeys. Helping him respect himself without creating unrealistic expectations that would break anyone if enforced consistently enough.
It’s about knowing what’s good for your body, and also being mindful about how some battles can give people the wrong idea that lasts much longer than one meal.
The deal with my son: there’s always a time for donuts, but we don’t eat donuts all the time.
Instead of good and bad foods, it’s more about the foods we eat often and the foods we eat less often. And that even when we don’t eat food, it’s not because of shame and guilt, but more about serving your body.
He ate the eggs. And a few days later, we both enjoyed donuts.
So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
What if your next step toward better health wasn’t another plan to follow, but an old belief to let go of?
Maybe the food isn’t the problem. Perhaps the story you tell yourself about what it means to eat “right” is the weight you need to lose.
Start by noticing. The hunger. The judgment. The habit. The history.
And then…sit down next to it.
You don’t need to fix everything at once. Just don’t look away.
The plate should not be piled high with shame and guilt. It can nourish and support your healing. -AB
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
