Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. 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
How to turn around a bad day
The surprising cancer-fighter
Money doesn’t fix everything (the scientific proof)
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.
Instant Health Boost
The 2-Minute Trick That Can Flip a Bad Day
When life feels like it’s crashing down, there’s a simple way to pull yourself out of the spiral—and it takes less time than brewing your coffee.
Writing down what you’re grateful for can reduce negative emotions.
Scientists found that people who paused to list five things they were thankful for experienced an immediate mood boost and a measurable decrease in anxiety. Researchers compared the effects of counting blessings versus focusing on burdens, and the gratitude exercise consistently produced a near-instant boost in emotional well-being.
It might seem almost pseudoscientific, but shifting your focus from what’s wrong to what’s right can rewire your brain’s stress response and interrupt the negative thought loops that fuel overwhelm. This simple act helps you regain a sense of control and perspective, almost like flipping a mental switch.
So the next time you feel frustration, stress, or sadness creeping in, grab a pen—or your phone’s notes app—and write down three good things happening in your life. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. Within minutes, you could feel your emotional state lighten and your mind clear.
Even more interesting? These changes didn’t require a daily practice. Just once a week was enough to see meaningful results.
If you need a place to start, at the end of each week, jot down 3 to 5 things you’re grateful for. It could be your morning coffee, a compliment from a friend, or simply that you made it through the week.
Because gratitude doesn't ignore the hard stuff—it helps you rise above it.
Together With Momentous
Can Creatine Lower Your Cancer Risk?
The more research we read, the more we’re convinced that the muscle-building potential of creatine — while still notable — might have been overstated. But the list of other potential benefits is likely understated.
Scientists have recently discovered that creatine may help reduce the risk of cancer.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 25,000 adults aged 20 and older to see if there’s a relationship between how much creatine people eat (mostly from meat and fish) and their odds of being diagnosed with cancer.
As you might expect, the older you get, the higher your risk of cancer increases, which is part of the reason why there are more diagnosed cancers compared to prior decades. Our ability to live longer, diagnose earlier, and fight cancer better results in more cancer diagnoses overall, but that also means our ability to fight, prevent, and thrive is greater than ever.
The most surprising part of the research? Higher dietary creatine intake was linked to a lower risk of cancer, especially in people who are overweight and those who are older.
The researchers pointed to creatine’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulating properties as potential mechanisms. These qualities could help protect DNA, reduce oxidative stress, and support immune surveillance — all factors that can lower the chances of cancer development.
This was an observational study, so it can’t prove cause and effect. People who eat more creatine-rich foods might also have other healthy habits or lifestyle factors that reduce cancer risk.
But the real twist is that whole foods do not provide as much creatine as a high-quality creatine supplement (unless you want to eat pounds of red meat every day, it’s hard to get 5 grams).
It’s why more people are adding creatine to their daily health routine, because it seemingly acts like a multivitamin for your brain, muscles, and overall health.
In thousands of studies, creatine has repeatedly shown high levels of safety (don’t believe the myths that it causes kidney damage — there are no published studies to support this claim).
If you don’t eat animal products, talk to your doctor or a dietitian about whether a creatine supplement might make sense for you, especially if you’re older or concerned about muscle or cognitive health.
The biggest concern with creatine is not whether it works, but whether you are buying a reputable brand that provides the type of creatine that delivers results. The only way to guarantee the safety and purity is to buy a creatine that is third-party certified (like NSF for Sport or Informed Sport).
That’s why we recommend Momentous Creatine. It’s not just that they use research-based creatine sources and doses; it’s that they have invested in ensuring that each batch meets the highest standards of quality, purity, and safety. The supplement industry can be the Wild Wild West, but Momentous is leading the way in setting a higher standard that puts your health first, and every other supplement brand would be better off if they followed their lead.
As an APC reader, you get up to 35 percent off your subscription (or 14% OFF any single product). If you want to try creatine (or stock up), here’s the exact product we use.
Lifestyle
Proof That Money Doesn’t Fix Everything
Economic growth is often seen as a sign of a thriving society. But there’s a catch.
Countries with the highest income don’t always have the highest sense of meaning. In fact, they can have the lowest.
Researchers found that financial security and flourishing don’t always go hand in hand. The researchers discovered that developed nations, such as Japan, Sweden, and Israel, reported high levels of financial well-being and life evaluation, but scored much lower on measures like purpose, generosity, and relationship quality.
Meanwhile, middle-income countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, and the Philippines, scored higher on meaning and social connection, despite having lower economic indicators.
Across all countries, the data revealed a striking inverse relationship between meaning and gross domestic product per capita.
In other words, prosperity without purpose may leave people feeling empty.
This doesn’t mean money is bad—it’s still linked to security and life satisfaction. But it’s not a guarantee of fulfillment. The most flourishing societies find ways to pursue both economic success and deep meaning.
To build a more meaningful life, prioritize purpose-driven work, relationships, and acts of service. Fulfillment isn’t found in your bank account—it’s found in what you do with your time.
—
Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
