The Forgotten Diet Study That Will Change How You Think About Carbs

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• The hobby that protects your brain

• The cost of being disorganized

• Fact or fiction: White rice makes you gain weight

• Adam’s corner: About those trackers…

Health
The Hobby That Keeps Your Brain Sharp

We've all heard that exercise is good for cognitive health, but most studies focus on traditional workouts. What about the millions of people who prefer getting their hands dirty over hitting the gym?

New research suggests that gardening is associated with a significantly lower risk of cognitive decline.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 135,000 adults older than 45 and compared three groups: non-exercisers, gardeners, and people who did other forms of exercise. They measured subjective cognitive decline — when people notice their memory or thinking isn't as sharp as it used to be — which often precedes more serious cognitive issues.

Gardening was linked to a 28 percent lower risk of subjective cognitive decline and a 43 percent lower risk of cognitive-related daily difficulties compared to people who don't exercise.

The researchers controlled for age, income, education, overall health status, and other lifestyle factors to ensure that gardening itself was making the difference.

If you’re not into gardening but want the benefits, the study left clues about how you could replicate the outcome. Gardening burns calories and gets your body moving in ways that support brain health, and the higher energy expenditure explained 39 percent of the cognitive protection. Depression status accounted for 22 percent of the benefit, likely because gardening provides stress relief and mood enhancement. And gardening led to eating more fruits and vegetables, possibly because people are more likely to eat the (literal) fruits of their labor. 

If traditional exercise feels overwhelming, consider gardening a legitimate brain-strengthening activity. Start with just 15 to 20 minutes a few times per week — whether it's tending houseplants, growing herbs on a windowsill, or maintaining a small outdoor plot. You're not just growing plants; you're cultivating cognitive resilience.

Together With YETI
The Hidden Cost of Disorganization

You've heard it a thousand times: successful people make their beds, wake up at 5 AM, and crush their workouts before sunrise. Follow these exact habits, the gurus promise, and success will inevitably follow.

But here's what they're not telling you: it's not about the bed-making or the pre-dawn sweat sessions. Those are just the visible symptoms of something much deeper.

Researchers studying peak performers discovered something fascinating: the most successful people don't just have great habits, they have systems that make those habits inevitable.

The real game-changer isn't forcing yourself to wake up earlier—it's creating an environment where the right choices become the easiest choices. When you’ve built your surroundings to help your behaviors become a reality, your mind is free to focus on what matters most. 

When everything has its place, decision fatigue disappears. When your tools support your vision instead of fighting against it, consistency stops feeling like a constant battle.

That's what leads many people to completely rethink their everyday carry. After testing dozens of options, one bag stands out not for its flashy features, but for how it disappears into your routine while making everything flow better.

The YETI Cayo isn't just built tough—it's built smart. The laptop sleeve protects your tech without adding bulk. The organizational system gives everything a place without overwhelming you with unnecessary pockets. And the comfort? You'll forget you're wearing it, which means your focus stays where it belongs: on the work that matters.

That's the difference between gear that works for you versus gear that works against you. When your backpack becomes an extension of your preparation mindset, every day starts with quiet confidence instead of frantic searching.

Don't let a lack of planning sabotage your best intentions. Build a system, get tools that support more organization and less stress and thinking, and then let your goal behaviors become habitual behaviors. 

If you don’t have a bag that gives you everything you need to show up ready each day, the YETI Cayo has your back. Because tomorrow's success starts with today's preparation. 

Fact Or Fiction 
Does White Rice Make You Gain Fat?

The next time someone tells you that you must avoid rice, keep this in the back of your mind: One of the most aggressive and successful weight-loss strategies in science relied almost entirely on rice and fruit.

No matter what you might have heard, white rice doesn't make you gain fat—eating more calories than you burn does, regardless of the source.

In 1975, researchers published findings of a study that today would go wild on social media.

In the study, 106 obese patients each lost at least 100 pounds (45 kilograms) using the “Rice Diet”—a restrictive regimen built around rice, fruit, vegetables, and minimal sodium.

The results were remarkable: Every participant lost significant weight, and many experienced dramatic improvements in metabolic health markers—even those with diabetes and heart disease.

Why did a diet based on white rice work so well? The researchers believed the success came from strict calorie control, high satiety from fiber-rich whole foods, and elimination of processed foods and excess sodium. The dramatic sodium reduction helped control blood flow and regulate immune response, while the high intake of potassium-rich fruits helped rebalance electrolytes and promote cardiovascular health.

As a result, the program also led to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels—even in patients with co-morbidities like heart disease and diabetes.

Researchers recently looked back at the diet from a modern lens and concluded that the program would likely still be effective today, as long as the caloric restriction wasn’t too extreme.

Studies consistently show that people in rice-consuming cultures like Japan and parts of Asia have lower obesity rates than those in Western countries. The difference isn't the rice—it's the overall eating pattern and total calorie intake.

While the rice diet isn't practical or sustainable (and we would not recommend such extreme restriction), its success highlights that carbs like white rice aren't the enemy—excess calories are.

If you enjoy rice, include it as part of a balanced approach. Pair it with protein and vegetables to create satisfying meals that fit your calorie goals.

If you’re struggling with high blood pressure or metabolic issues, you don’t need to go on a rice and bananas diet. Reducing sodium, prioritizing fruits and vegetables, and limiting ultra-processed foods can all help lower your risk and improve your numbers.

Adam’s Corner
The Pebble Problem

It happened in the middle of the unmistakable chaos of a children’s birthday party. Food was everywhere, kids in every mood imaginable, while parents stood in clumps — half watching, half calculating how long until cake meant we could leave.

That’s when a man noticed the strap on my wrist.

“Do you like your Whoop?” he asked.

Before I could answer, he smiled, as if he already knew my response.

 “I used to wear one, but it stressed me out. Then I realized all that mattered was what my grandma told me — eat more fruits and vegetables, move every day, and don’t eat too many sweets.”

He said it so casually I almost missed the weight of it. Advice so simple it could fit on a fortune cookie. Advice that’s lasted generations not because it’s cutting-edge, but because it works.

And it made me think: technology isn’t just advancing our health tools; it’s quietly numbing the instincts that used to guide us.

The more I thought about it later, the more I realized exactly what we’ve become experts at forgetting.

We used to notice the lightness in our legs and the hunger in our lungs, and that was enough to know it was a good day to train. Now we check a recovery score and decide to rest because a number tells us so.

We used to know we were thriving when we moved often, ate well, and spent time with people we loved. Now we buy “biological age” tests that can’t actually tell us how long we’ll live. (Take them if you want, but they are not built on the evidence they claim.)

We used to sharpen our thinking by reading, debating, and asking questions. Now we scroll for promises of genius in a bottle or capsule.

This isn’t a new problem — just a shinier one. In every era, we’ve mistaken novelty for truth and progress. 

In fitness, dumbbells were once “dangerous.” (Arnold can tell you all about this) Then, machines weren’t functional.
Carbs were bad, then fat, then protein…and then gluten, dairy, breakfast, and who knows what’s next.

The villains keep changing; the habit of chasing them never does.

Years ago, I wrote about moving boulders instead of pebbles — focusing on the big, obvious actions that create real change, instead of fussing over details that barely move the needle. It’s not that pebbles are worthless; it’s that most people spend their time rearranging them and wonder why the mountain never moves.

And the real trouble is, “pebbles” — the promises of better health and a competitive advantage — are seductive. They’re small, shiny, easy to hold. And technology has given us more of them than ever.

Readiness scores. Glucose monitors. DNA diets. There’s nothing inherently wrong with most of them — but chasing those numbers doesn’t replace the behaviors that matter. (Keep in mind, I use a wearable myself.)

It’s worth repeating: There’s nothing wrong with tools, tests, or data — until they become a substitute for the behaviors that matter. Or, if they create more stress and fear that permeate every action or behavior.

Your health is built on the things you know you need to do. And it’s time to get back to pushing boulders first, and using tech second.

Arnold has mentioned many times that habits should be as automatic as brushing your teeth. But here’s the part you might miss: brushing works because we know exactly what happens if we don’t.

With health, we know the truth — that skipping workouts, eating poorly, and never sleeping will erode us — but we tell ourselves the damage isn’t urgent. We wait until problems find us. It’s like waiting for your teeth to fall out before picking up a toothbrush.

The irony is, health has never been complicated. It’s painfully simple.
Eat nutritious food. Move your body. Sleep. Push yourself where your heart rate gets higher and you sweat. Manage stress. Connect with people. Have fun and smile. Do those behaviors for as long as you can.

The hard part isn’t knowing. It’s doing — especially when the boring things don’t light up our phones with a score or a graph.

Technology can help us get better, but it can’t replace the doing.

The real breakthrough won’t come from another hack or test result or convincing yourself that a “48 percent recovery score” is too low to exercise. It will come from making those simple healthy habits feel so inevitable, so woven into your days, that you can’t imagine a life without them.

So before you chase the next shiny tool, pause and ask yourself:
Is this a boulder that will truly move me forward? Or just another pebble keeping me busy at the base of the mountain? -AB

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell