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Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Here’s a daily digest 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

• The 3-Flight Rule

• Supplement Trouble

• Recipe of the week

The 3 Flight Rule

The next time you take an elevator or escalator, we hope you keep this in mind:

Research suggests taking the stairs just three times per day is enough to improve cardiovascular health.

The scientists had sedentary adults climb a flight of stairs — about 135 steps — three times per day, with a 1 to 4-hour break between each climb. They continued this for six weeks, and by the end of the experiment, the researchers discovered that three flights of stairs per day led to significant increases in endurance. What’s more, they also experienced improvements in lower body strength.

If that doesn’t motivate you, additional research found that people who climb a few flights of stairs daily have healthier brains. Climbing three flights of stairs per day was associated with brains that looked 1.5 years younger than those who didn’t climb stairs. And each additional two flights of stairs could remove another year of aging from your brain.

Supplement Trouble

Some supplements are great. Many are not. But the biggest problem with the supplement industry might be how little you can trust the ingredient labels.

A recent study found that 89% of supplements analyzed did not accurately list the ingredients. And, more than 10 percent of the supplements tested had illegal ingredients hiding in the product.

A 2022 study showed that buying supplements from Amazon wasn’t a guarantee of quality, either, even though Amazon began requiring quality control documentation from supplement sellers in 2020.

Testing the supplements you buy is unrealistic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t protect yourself. Before you buy, follow this two-step process to ensure your safety.

Step 1: Look for third-party certification. That means the brand pays for a reputable lab to verify the accuracy of labels and the safety of the product. Two of the most respected certifications are NSF for Sport and Informed Sport, both trusted by professional athletes.

Step 2: Compare the ingredients list to the Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) scorecard. Every question is not black or white, but it offers a simple way to assess supplements and help you make a more informed purchase.

Recipe of the Week

Protein, veggies, and fiber. It’s the holy trinity of fullness and the three components you can easily add to any sandwich or wrap. While bread-based meals have a bad reputation, we’ve repeatedly shared that carbs are not bad, which means there’s no need to avoid these foods. Try this recipe from my latest book, and you’ll discover that healthy eating can be quick, enjoyable, and filling.

Honey Mustard Chicken BLT Wrap

Servings: Makes six wraps

Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon

• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded, or two 12.5-ounce cans of chicken breast

• 1/3 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard

• Himalayan salt, to taste

• Ground black pepper, to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

• Six 8-inch whole wheat or sprouted grain wraps

• 2 cups mixed greens

• 1/2 tomato, cut into six thin slices

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the turkey bacon until crispy, about five minutes. Remove from the pan, crumble into small bits, and set aside.

2. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and break up the pieces with a fork. Add the yogurt, mustard, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crumbled bacon. Mix well to combine.

3. Heat a wrap in a warm oven or microwave for 10 to 20 seconds to soften. Add approximately 1/6 of the chicken salad to one corner of the wrap. Add 1/3 cup of the mixed greens and a tomato slice. Roll up and repeat to make the rest of the wraps. Give it a try and enjoy!

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell