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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
Have you tried the new fat loss supplement? (It’s not what it appears to be)
Why you should rethink your non-stick cookware
Let’s talk about leftovers
Embrace the struggle
Your Money Is No Good Here
This “Miracle” Fat Loss Supplement That Isn’t
Every January, the promises get louder. Faster fat loss. Easier weight control. One more supplement that claims to flip a metabolic switch and finally make the scale move.
Astaxanthin is the latest ingredient riding that wave — marketed as a powerful antioxidant that can help burn fat and shrink waistlines — but the results are not worth your attention.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effect of astaxanthin supplementation on weight management and fat loss. Doses ranged from 6 to 20 mg per day, and some studies went as long as 4 months, focusing on different types of individuals, ranging from healthy adults to those with obesity, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and older adults.
The results were clear and consistent: Astaxanthin does not lead to meaningful weight loss or BMI reduction, regardless of dose, duration, or population.
Only one study reported weight-loss benefits, and that trial had major limitations, including unclear randomization and high dropout rates.
So why does astaxanthin sound so promising? In animal and cell studies, astaxanthin influences fat cells, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. But the researchers point out a familiar pattern in nutrition science: mechanisms don’t guarantee real-world results. In humans, those pathways simply didn’t translate into measurable fat loss.
That doesn’t mean astaxanthin is useless. Other meta-analyses suggest it may modestly improve HDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, or support exercise recovery at higher doses. It’s just not a weight-loss tool.
If fat loss is your goal, skip the expensive shortcuts. Focus on the boring basics that actually work:
Eat more protein and fiber to control hunger
Create a small, sustainable calorie deficit
Lift weights, move daily, and sleep consistently
Together With Our Place
The Hidden Tradeoff of Non-Stick Cookware (And What to Use Instead)
Non-stick cookware makes cooking and cleaning a breeze, but recent research suggests it might also be adding unwanted ingredients to your food.
Research suggests that a small scratch on a Teflon-coated pan can release thousands to millions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles during cooking.
Researchers investigated the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from non-stick cookware. Using Raman imaging (a technique that scans surfaces), they analyzed both new and used Teflon-coated pots and pans. The study simulated cooking processes by using utensils such as steel spatulas and wooden turners on the cookware surfaces.
A single surface crack on a Teflon-coated pan could release approximately 9,100 plastic particles. More extensive damage led to the release of up to 2.3 million microplastic and nanoplastic particles.
These particles, derived from the Teflon coating, are concerning because Teflon belongs to the PFAS family, often referred to as "forever chemicals" for their persistence in the environment and potential health risks.
The researchers believe that the mechanical action of cooking utensils on the non-stick surface dislodges these particles. Over time, as the cookware wears, the Teflon coating degrades, accelerating particle release.
While the health implications of ingesting these microplastics and nanoplastics can be very overstated (you don’t need to panic), one thing is certain: any time you can minimize potential exposure — such as not microwaving food in plastic containers — it can provide additional safety.
We recently decided to test out different cookware and set strict criteria:
No forever chemicals of any type
No coatings (which could scrape off with wear and tear)
The ability to cook over high heat (a problem for some cookware with chemical exposure)
Easy clean-up
The best of the bunch was Our Place Titanium Cookware Set. It’s nonstick cookware with zero coating, which means zero forever chemicals and a surface that doesn’t degrade. Instead of relying on coatings that break down, it’s made from pure titanium, ultra-hardened for lifelong durability. It combines the best of stainless steel, cast iron, and nonstick.
We tried it out under all conditions for three months, and it held up. The best part? It’s both oven and dishwasher-safe. So it’s easy to prepare any meal, and clean-up is not a problem.
If you want a cookware set that actually lives up to the hype, Our Place is kicking off 2026 with a special offer for APC readers. You can save up to 35% off everything.
All APC readers also get a 100-day risk-free trial, free shipping, and free returns so that you can shop with total confidence. Just click here to access the sale, and no code is needed at checkout.
Fact or Fiction
Is Leftover Rice Bad For You?
Are your leftovers secretly making you sick? Thanks to social media, there’s a movement against enjoying a second helping of rice at a later date.
Before you toss out yesterday’s takeout, leftover rice is safe to eat, as long as you follow one simple rule.
Unlike many social media trends, there is some science to back up the theory.
Bacteria naturally found in soil enter rice (and other grains) during growth and harvest. It’s a normal and mostly unavoidable process.
When you boil or steam rice, you kill the active bacteria, but it produces protective spores that can withstand high heat. They're essentially dormant seeds waiting for the right conditions.
So if you leave rice at room temperature for too long, you give the bacteria the conditions they need to survive and regrow.
To keep your rice safe, the enemy isn’t refrigeration. Don’t let it sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It’s the slow cooling-off process at room temperature that can activate the spores. Throwing it in the fridge is not the same and doesn’t activate the bacteria.
Leftover rice is perfectly safe to eat once you put it in the fridge, and it should be good for 3 to 4 days.
Adam’s Corner
The Struggle Is The Path
I used to think the struggle was a flaw.
Something broken. Something to fix. Something to outrun.
For many years, I felt lost, misguided, frustrated, and confused. Probably very similar to most people in their 20s.
I would tell myself that when I was where I wanted to be, I’d have balance and the struggle would disappear.
But then, when things started to “work” — when I found my wife, built some stability, tasted success — there was still something unsettled inside me. A low hum of unease. Like I was doing the right things but asking the wrong questions.
Today, I still have my demons. I still struggle. But there is calm now. A steadiness. A sense of peace in the storm.
And it came from a simple realization that took me years — and more than a few scars — to understand.
It’s A Hard Knock Life
I remember the first time I heard the statement, “hard choices, easy life.” It was from World Champion weightlifter Jerzy Gregorek.
It’s so simple and makes perfect sense. But there’s a truth to this that goes deeper than I realized.
We say we want a life we love.
A life we’re proud of.
A life that feels meaningful, and maybe even worthy of modeling for others.
But many of us romanticize a path to that life that is misleading, misguided, and misdirected.
Because almost everything good I’ve ever had came after something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
It’s not just about the choices we make that are hard. It’s the life we live, the mistakes we make, and the things that don’t go our way that can all be a part of the DNA of the good — we just can’t see it in the moment.
When I got into the best shape of my life, it followed breaking my back twice. Two brutal rehabs. And a lifetime of lessons, pain, and wisdom to ensure I’d never return to that place again.
My career in health and fitness? That came after getting rejected by every job I applied for and having to reconsider who I was.
My wife and our children? I had to be engaged to the wrong person first. Had to fall into a dark hole. Had to question everything I believed about myself and rebuild my identity from the ground up.
Building this business with Arnold? That followed the loss of another business I poured years of my soul into, and a period that tested my family in ways I would never willingly repeat.
None of that was part of the plan. But all of it was part of the path.
We spend so much time teaching people how to be successful and happy. There are courses and retreats and books filled with formulas you can copy and paste. And to be fair, many of them offer some useful lessons.
But they leave out the most important part.
If you want happiness, you have to live. And if you truly live, you will hurt, make mistakes, and question yourself.
The gift and the curse of life is that it teaches you seemingly expensive lessons, but if you see it as an investment instead of a cost, the reward is waiting for you.
The pursuit of success and deeper fulfillment is not paved by optimizing your way around difficulty.
You will struggle.
You will fail.
You will sacrifice.
And I don’t mean that in a negative way.
You can’t have it all. Or at the very least, you can’t have it all at once. Or you can’t have it at the exact moment when you want it.
However, the things you want can be yours.
Sometimes you have to give and give before you get anything back.
Sometimes you need imbalance before you find balance, or just to realize that balance is rarely a 50-50 proposition.
Sometimes heartbreak is the tuition for real love.
When we spend our lives trying to avoid these realities — when we search for the path of least resistance — we often end up denying ourselves the very things that create clarity: grit, resilience, perspective.
At some point, discomfort becomes a choice.
Not a fun choice. Not a permanent one. But a necessary one.
The examples are everywhere. When you want to lose weight, the beginning can be miserable. Hunger increases. Progress stalls. And even when the scale moves and the clothes fit differently, many people still don’t feel better about themselves.
Because the body changes faster than the story you tell yourself.
That negative narrative — the one built through years of frustration and self-blame — takes longer to rewrite than your physical form. And no one really prepares you for that.
None of this is wrong.
None of it is bad.
But it isn’t talked about enough.
It Won’t Be Easy, But It Will Be Worth It
We are that we have created the “positive corner.” But the most positive thing you can do for anyone is tell them the truth.
That’s why I wrote about inversion last week. Talking about how you’ll fail isn’t pessimism; it’s preparation. It’s realism. It’s respect for the fact that life will push back.
Your job isn’t to avoid the storm. It’s to enter it. To let it shape you. Teach you. Strengthen you.
Because this is how focus becomes clear.
When you truly want something — when you truly love something — you will suffer for it.
Suffering, it turns out, is a signal. It tells you what matters.
And that means some suffering, when it feels so wrong, might be a signal that your time, effort, or energy is being invested in the wrong things.
So as you look ahead to the new year, I want to do something different.
I don’t wish you hardship. But I do wish you meaningful struggle.
The kind that clarifies.
The kind that gives shape to your values.
The kind that defines love instead of avoiding pain.
The kind of struggle that takes in the moment, but gives back for the rest of your life.
Because more than any framework, formula, or shortcut, those are the experiences that build the life you want. -AB
Better Today
Take any of these tips from today’s email and put them into action:
1. Why Astaxanthin Doesn't Work for Fat Loss
A meta-analysis of astaxanthin doses from 6 to 20 mg daily over periods up to 4 months found no meaningful weight loss or BMI reduction among healthy adults, people with obesity, people with type 2 diabetes, and people with PCOS. While astaxanthin may support HDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation, it's not a fat-loss tool.
2. Your Scratched Teflon Pan May Be Shedding Millions of Microplastics Into Your Food
Research using Raman imaging found that a single crack on a Teflon-coated pan can release approximately 9,100 microplastic particles, and extensive scratching can shed up to 2.3 million particles derived from PFAS, the "forever chemicals" linked to potential health risks. While there's no need to panic, minimizing exposure by switching to coating-free cookware is a simple way to reduce risk.
3. Leftover Rice Is Safe (If You Follow the 2-Hour Rule)
Leftover rice is perfectly safe if you refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. The danger isn't the fridge, it's letting rice sit at room temperature where heat-resistant bacterial spores can reactivate and multiply. Once properly stored, rice stays good for 3-4 days.
4. The Uncomfortable Truth About Building a Life You're Proud Of
The path to a fulfilling life doesn't run around difficulty; it runs through it. The struggles you'd never choose often become the investments that pay off for years: building grit, clarifying values, and reimaging the stories that hold you back as the experiences that propel you forward.
—
Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
