My therapist loves to call out the words I use in our discussions. A choice verb, noun, or adjective can open up a whole line of discussion about my default beliefs about myself and the world. It can be annoying. But, if I’m being honest, those conversations are often some of the most fruitful.
That experience is one reason I’m so happy we’ve teamed up with Case Kenny to share his free 7-Day Mantra Challenge. Kenny has spent years studying the words we choose — and the things they can unlock in us. Now, he’s bringing those methods to our readers for free. Check out the challenge here.
— J.D., Editor
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Fitness
More Intense Doesn’t Always Mean a Better Workout for Blood Sugar
Pablo Merchán Montes/Unsplash
Work Smarter, Not Harder: When it comes to workouts, most of us have been told that more effort and pushing harder means more benefit. But a new study is challenging that logic, at least when it comes to blood sugar control. Instead, how a workout is structured might matter more than its intensity.
The Study: Researchers had participants complete four sessions. Two were hard workouts matched for total effort — one broken into intervals with recovery periods and the other was sustained at a steady pace throughout. They also included a moderate workout and a rest day for comparison. Both hard sessions demanded the same effort from the body, but only the interval workout improved insulin sensitivity compared with the rest day, and produced better results than both the moderate and high-intensity continuous workouts.
The Takeaway: Nonstop intense effort didn’t beat a workout alternating bursts of work with recovery. Thatinterval pattern (hard effort followed by recovery) may do more for insulin sensitivity than one sustained push, so you might not have to grind through an entire session at max effort to improve your blood sugar.
Keep in Mind: This was a small study of 10 healthy, already active adults, so researchers still don’t know if the pattern holds for people with insulin resistance or diabetes.
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Sponsored
The “Dessert” Blue Zone Costa Ricans Eat for Breakfast
Courtesy: Earth Echo Foods
Most of us think of dessert as something to enjoy after a meal. But in Costa Rica’s Nicoya blue zone, one surprisingly sweet staple has long been part of the morning routine—and researchers have taken notice of its connection to healthy aging.
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Personal Growth
The Quiet Cost of ‘Me-Maxxing’
Ahmed/Unsplash
The Trend: As life becomes more convenient and increasingly digital, we’re also interacting with one another less — and talking less, too. One new study found that, since 2005, the average person has been speaking roughly 338 fewer words each day for every year that has passed — adding up to a nearly 30% decline overall. The drop was especially pronounced among people under 25.
What People Are Saying: Some point to our increasingly “me”-centered culture, in which convenience and efficiency win out over everything else. Think about choosing self-checkout over a staffed register: It’s faster and easier, but it also removes one of those small, everyday opportunities for human connection. The shift extends into the workplace, too. Remote jobs have become increasingly desirable, but research suggests that all that solo screen time could be contributing to greater loneliness.
What to Know: If you constantly find yourself choosing convenience over interaction, you may be unintentionally siloing yourself into a bubble. Ordinary conversation has value beyond exchanging information. A chat with a cashier, coworker, or neighbor may feel inconsequential, but those small interactions help keep us socially connected. In an increasingly optimized world, a little inefficiency might actually be good for us.
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Beauty
Should You Stop Spraying Perfume on Your Neck?
Curated Lifestyle/Unsplash
You Should Know: An Instagram video of a cancer researcher cautioning people against spraying perfume on their necks because of proximity to the thyroid recently went viral, with more than 3 million views. But could a dab or spritz of fragrance on your neck actually be harmful to your health?
Going Deeper: The cancer researcher cited a 2025 review of studies of chemicals in cosmetic products and fragrances. She wrote in the video’s caption that because people often use several cosmetic products every day, frequent exposure has a potential cumulative effect on our hormones and cancer risk. She said the neck is “an area worth thinking about” because it’s close to the thyroid and has thin, vascularized skin, which could speed absorption. But she also wrote that there’s “currently no evidence” that spraying perfume on your neck damages the thyroid.
Takeaway: That’s correct. There is no such evidence. There’s also no solid evidence that perfumes disrupt the endocrine system, harm fertility, or raise cancer risk. The International Fragrance Association sets rules (based on research) of what ingredients manufacturers can safely use.
Bottom Line: It’s far more likely that perfume will irritate your skin or make you sneeze than cause cancer.
These breakfast tacos pack plenty into a small package: smoky mashed beans, soft scrambled eggs, creamy avocado, salty feta, and toasted pumpkin seeds, all tucked into warm multigrain tortillas. The beans and whole-grain tortillas give each serving a solid fiber boost, while eggs and beans bring the protein, making this the kind of breakfast that actually keeps you satisfied through the morning. A little smoked paprika and cumin give the bean mash plenty of flavor, and hot sauce brings the whole thing home.
Could a nutrient deficiency affect how well your heart muscle functions? Dr. Rick Cohen explores the connection between nutrition and heart health, including why some nutrient levels may not show up in standard blood work. The discussion takes a closer look at a natural nutritional approach and why it’s worth exploring.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Put One Useful Food in the Freezer
Your freezer can do more than hold mystery ice and emergency pizza. Keep one helpful staple around: frozen fruit, vegetables, edamame, cooked grains, soup, turkey meatballs, or veggie burgers. It gives future you a better option on the nights when cooking feels like a personal attack.
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Final Thought
Love is a strange master, and human nature is still stranger.”
