Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. No one likes to feel tricked, especially about their health. That’s why every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness with 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
Stat of the week
How to reduce your hunger
Time to double the Viagra?
Weekend challenge
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.
Stat of The Week: 5-6-7
If you’re still not getting enough sleep, consider this your end-of-the-week motivation to make it a better habit.
Five: Research suggests that people who get less than 5 hours of sleep on average are twice as likely to get dementia.
Six: Research has also found that people who sleep fewer than 6 hours per night are 15 percent more likely to be overweight.
Seven: People who sleep at least 7 hours per night can live up to 5 years longer than those who don’t get enough shuteye.
If you’re looking for more ways to improve your sleep, we’ve shared many tips in these emails, but the “Ted Lasso Sleep Trick” has been one of our more popular techniques.
If you choose to use a supplement, we don’t recommend melatonin. Instead, focus on ingredients that help you wind down, relax, and help you fall asleep — and stay asleep — longer. Our favorite product is the Sleep Pack. But remember, the foundation of better sleep is still going to bed and waking up at consistent times, moving during the day, winding down at night, cutting off food and electronics a few hours before you sleep, and doing activities that help calm your brain.
How To Reduce Your Hunger
You might not be able to out-exercise a bad diet, but you could use exercise to help you eat fewer calories.
Research suggests a moderate or high-intensity workout can be a powerful appetite suppressant.
Scientists examined how exercise affects hunger compared to those who are sedentary. They found that hunger was reduced significantly within 30 minutes after a hard workout.
And the more intense your exercise, the longer you might feel satisfied. Higher-intensity exercise appears to reduce hunger for at least two hours, and other studies suggest that the hunger reduction can last even longer. One reason is that exercise helps trigger the same hormone (GLP-1) targeted by the latest generation of weight loss medications (think Ozempic and Wegovy), but not in such a concentrated dose (it’s why exercise is great, but it doesn’t as dramatic of an effect as the medications).
And the more extra weight you carry, the more your appetite could be suppressed by high-intensity exercise.
The best approach for long-term health and weight loss is to consider exercise and diet as two indispensable pieces of the puzzle. Diet is undeniably the most important factor for pure weight loss, and exercise helps you burn fat (and not muscle), changes how your body uses calories (to make you more efficient), and prevents weight regain.
If you want to control your hunger and cravings, here are several techniques that can work:
Exercise at a higher intensity at least two or three times per week
Aim for 30 grams of fiber per day
Eat protein at each meal
Drink water before and after every meal
Prioritize sleep
Don’t completely restrict all foods you love (no flexibility will likely make you desire certain foods even more)
On Our Radar: Is It Time To Double The Viagra?
If you want to know the weirdest and most interesting study we read this week, here you go:
New research suggests that Viagra could lead to a 70 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
Before we go any further, this was not a cause-and-effect study. Scientists analyzed the health insurance claims of 7.2 million people. They found that those who took the medication Sildenafil (the ingredient in Viagra) were much less likely to develop Alzheimer’s during a six-year period compared to those not taking the medication.
Is it the drug, the increase in sex, or some other variable that connected Viagra users? We don’t know. But with an audience that big (7.2 million people) and a correlation that strong (70 percent difference is hard to ignore), we expect more research to investigate if the powerful pill might have another powerful benefit. We’ll keep you updated if any new information develops.
Weekend Challenge
Sometimes, the thing you’ve been avoiding is exactly what you need in your life.
Research suggests that the more meaningful conversations you have, the happier you are and the more you feel a sense of purpose.
So why don’t more people have deeper conversations? On one hand, it’s difficult. But, more importantly, research has found that most people underestimate how much others want to have deep conversations and are willing to listen.
This weekend, we challenge you to have a deeper conversation with a friend or family member. Ask them about something you’ve always wanted to know. Tell them about a time you’ve struggled or a moment that caused you pain.
Part of building the positive corner of the internet is creating the space to have difficult conversations and seeing that people are there for you.
Give it a try this weekend. It might not be easy, but — like most challenges in life — you might be surprised to find out how rewarding it is.
Thank you for joining us for another week. We hope it’s been a great start to 2024, and we wish you all a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
