Your Afternoon Crash Isn't From 'Caffeine Wearing Off.' Here's What Actually Causes It

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Want to eat less? Maybe you need an appetizer.

• More supplements ≠ better health

• Say goodbye to the afternoon crash

• The notes you leave, are a map to follow

Nutrition
The Appetizer That Helps You Eat Less (Without Trying)

Sure, salads are healthy. But there might be a big difference between eating one before your meal and eating it with your meal.

Scientists found that eating a big salad about 20 minutes before your main meal can help you naturally eat around 120 fewer calories without feeling hungry or restricted.

Researchers had 46 participants eat the same pasta meal under five different conditions: a large salad 20 minutes before, a small salad before, the same salads with the meal, or no salad at all. 

When participants ate the large salad before their meal, they consumed 11 percent fewer calories compared to when they skipped it. The smaller salad barely made a difference, and eating salad with the meal didn’t reduce intake at all.

The appetizer salad works because it unlocks how your body registers fullness.

A large, low-calorie salad (think: 2 cups of mixed greens and veggies with light dressing) fills your stomach and activates stretch receptors that tell your brain you’re satisfied. Waiting about 15 to 20 minutes before eating your main course gives those signals time to kick in, so you end up eating less overall.

And other research suggests that you don’t end up compensating too much later in the day, meaning a mid-day salad appetizer won’t just reduce how much you eat at lunch, but also can help ensure you eat fewer calories the rest of the day. 

When you add that up week over week, adding the salad is enough to make a noticeable difference over time without dieting.

Think of it as a “calorie buffer.” You’ll still enjoy your meal, but you’ll add extra veggies, and your body will help you stop when you’re full, not after you’ve had too much.   

Together With SuppCo 
Why More Supplements Don’t Mean Better Health

When it comes to supplements, many people think more pills mean more protection. But according to a major review in the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, taking too much — or the wrong kind — can actually work against your health.

Scientists found that if you don’t pay close attention to how you combine different products, the wrong supplement strategy can quietly harm your body while offering little benefit.

Researchers analyzed decades of clinical data, case reports, and controlled trials on vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and herbal supplements. Most nutrients follow a “U-shaped curve,” meaning if your blood work shows a need, too little causes deficiency, but too much can create toxicity, especially when coming from pills instead of food.

For example, high doses of vitamin A (even just twice the recommended amount) are linked to bone fractures, and excess vitamin D can cause kidney stones or heart rhythm problems. Minerals can be even trickier: too much zinc can block copper absorption, too much selenium can trigger hair loss, and iron pills are the leading cause of pediatric supplement poisoning.

The researchers emphasized that supplements are not inherently bad. They can be a great way to support your health goals, but they’re often misused. 

The real issue is the lack of regulation: companies don’t need to prove the safety or effectiveness of their products before selling them, leaving consumers as de facto test subjects. And the difficulty of understanding how different products work together. 

If you want to solve both problems, SuppCo is a free app that not only lets you find tested and certified supplements easily but also shows you whether the supplements you’re taking are setting you up for success or failure. 

They have researched more than 30,000 products and created a TrustScore quality rating system that reviews them based on 29 attributes, including product certifications, clinical studies, and ingredient safety. This helps you avoid the products that are nothing more than good marketing wrapped around a bad product. 

And SuppCo also lets you scan your entire supplement regimen and receive a personalized, comprehensive report card (out of 100) based on your needs and goals, even showing whether you’re taking too much of any individual ingredient.  

Your stack analysis is based on dosing and efficacy data from their head of science, a respected dementia researcher and professor who once led supplement testing at a university lab.

Because you shouldn’t have to guess about what’s safe or what works for your body. A tool that gives you clarity won’t just help you save money; it will ensure that your actions support your goals instead of creating unnecessary harm or risk.

SuppCo’s app is free, but APC readers can upgrade to their hyper-personalized Pro membership for 50% off using this link.  

Productivity
How To Outsmart Your Afternoon Crash 

If you love your morning coffee, a little bit of science might help give you a lot more energy throughout the day.

Recent research suggests that aligning your rest and caffeine habits with your body’s natural rhythm can dramatically improve alertness and help you stay focused without needing endless coffee refills.

Scientists created an algorithm that predicted when people would be most alert or fatigued based on three key factors: sleep history, circadian rhythm, and caffeine timing. 

The big takeaway: your biology isn’t one-size-fits-all. Two people with the same bedtime and coffee routine can have completely different energy patterns because of their chronotype, whether they’re naturally a morning person or a night owl. 

And caffeine’s timing matters just as much as dose: a 3 p.m. coffee is still about 50% active at 9 p.m., quietly sabotaging your sleep even if you “feel fine.”

Most people think the afternoon slump happens because caffeine “wears off.” But the crash you feel between 2 and 4 p.m. isn’t just from fading coffee; it’s your circadian rhythm doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

Here’s what’s really happening: Caffeine peaks in your bloodstream about 45 to 60 minutes after drinking it. It has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours (meaning half of it is still in your body), and a quarter-life of 10 to 12 hours. So, if you drink coffee at 8 a.m., it’s still 50% active around 1 to 2 p.m. and 25% active by 7 to 8 p.m.

That means your morning caffeine’s “masking effect” fades right when your biology dips, creating a double hit of fatigue. 

Instead of front-loading all your caffeine and having multiple cups to start the day, try splitting it up. 

For example, you might enjoy 8 oz coffee at 8 a.m., and then another 8 oz at 11 a.m. This steadier intake could help you avoid peaks and troughs, and help prevent caffeine tolerance, meaning you still get the boost without need more and more.

Or, if your crash is predictable, just plan ahead. Have caffeine 45 to 60 minutes before your usual dip (say, 1 to 1:30 p.m.) so it peaks when you need it most.

But don’t forget, if your crash is happening later in the day, that’s not an invitation to keep pounding caffeine. 

The goal is still to improve your overall sleep, which is what will really keep your energy levels consistent and crashes at bay. So remember to cut off caffeine about 8 to 10 hours before your bedtime. 

When you match your sleep, caffeine, and natural rhythm, you could turn the afternoon crash into a flow state. 

Adam’s Corner 
The Notes We Leave Behind Become the Maps We Follow

I wrote a letter last week, and I can’t stop thinking about what it taught me.

Last week was my daughter’s first birthday. This is my third child, so I know she won’t remember the cake, the candles, or how her face and hands were covered in so much blue icing that we had to toss her in the bath immediately.

I wanted to give her something she could revisit when she’s older. So I wrote her a note. 

I find that writing to my children is a way to preserve moments I can’t otherwise capture. My two boys have email accounts I’ve secretly been filling for years with small lessons that might help them one day.

Writing to someone you love deeply is a strange experience. You think you’re doing it for them. But really, in many ways, you’re writing to yourself, too. 

Because when you put your hopes on paper, you start to see your own reflection staring back. You see what you value, what you fear, and maybe most tellingly, what you’re still trying to figure out.

The morning after I finished her letter, even though it was for her, I kept thinking about what the letter said about me. And I wondered where else I should be looking for clarity.

Where else in my life am I leaving little clues about what I need to work on? At times, we all look for signs, and they are hiding in the words we write, the advice we give, and the love we express; they’re all trail markers pointing toward our unfinished work.

We tell our kids to slow down, to pay attention, to find gratitude. But how often do we take our own advice?

Life moves, as Ferris Bueller put it, pretty fast.
We chase deadlines and dreams, and sometimes we forget to notice the very things we swore we’d never take for granted.

So maybe the hard part isn’t knowing that we should be present. It’s knowing where and for whom we’re not.

When You Write Questions For Others, You Find Answers About Yourself

When my father was diagnosed with cancer years ago, I started sending him questions: emails about his childhood, his regrets, his favorite memories, because I knew one day I’d want answers I could no longer ask.

I didn’t get answers back. Near the end of his life, I finally understood why. He couldn’t face them. Not because he didn’t want to answer them or didn’t have thoughts. My dad wasn’t short on either. In his own way, not answering was how he fought back; how he cheated death for three years and lived fully. The only way to live his life was to act like the disease couldn’t end it. And that allowed him to shock all his doctors for years. 

But looking through those old emails this week, I realized those unanswered questions weren’t just about him. They were about me: about what I was really trying to understand, and what I didn’t want to lose.

That realization changed how I reread the letter I wrote to my daughter. There’s one passage that feels like the bridge between what I wanted from my father and what I hope my daughter will carry with her:

“As you grow older, you’ll ask the big questions: about who you are, what matters, and what this whole life thing is really about.
The truth is, life isn’t about finding meaning; it’s about filling your days with it.
Live fully. Be curious. Make things, help people, laugh often, and love deeply.
You don’t need to impress others; you just need to figure out who you are and who you want to be, and then stay true to yourself.
That is the flashlight that will light your path, no matter how dark or uncertain things get. It’s the greatest source of strength you’ll ever have.”

I wrote that for her.  But if I’m honest, I think I needed to hear it, too.

Writing has always been a truth serum. It doesn’t let me hide behind my busyness or distractions.

Good writing doesn’t require big words or style.
It demands honesty and authenticity.
My daughter brought that out in me. But I think sitting with pen and paper can unlock that vulnerability for anyone.

Because being positive and optimistic doesn’t mean ignoring struggles or weaknesses. In fact, if you want to get better, you have to be aware of what needs work.

And maybe that’s what makes self-awareness and self-improvement healthy. It’s not the obsession with change; it’s the courage to confront what comes out of you when you acknowledge who you are and what you want.

Because when you stop long enough to write down what you hope for someone else, you’ll often uncover the exact thing you’ve been hoping to find for yourself.

I truly believe that every one of us could benefit from sitting down and writing a note to someone we love. It’s not just a way to connect and tell them what we wish for their life, but to remind ourselves what still matters in our own.

That’s the quiet magic of a letter: You start out trying to leave something behind, and end up finding your way back to what’s been most important to you all along. -AB

WHAT DID YOU LEARN TODAY?

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell