Fast food is bad. That, generally speaking, is the stance most people who sign up for a health and wellness newsletter would take. And honestly, us too. But sometimes the convenience of a fast food chain wins out — whether you’re traveling, slammed during a busy week, or staring down an empty fridge. Thankfully, there are healthier options out there. We’ve rounded up 12 of them here.
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Sleep
Hot Summer Night? Try Frozen Socks for Better Sleep
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You Should Know: Extremely hot days are not only uncomfortable, but they can also be potentially dangerous. Plus, trying to sleep in a too-hot bedroom is nearly impossible. Socks might be the last thing you want to wear to bed on sweltering nights, but sticking them in the fridge or freezer to chill out first can bring you fast relief so you can sleep.
Going Deeper: Hands and feet both radiate heat when it’s hot and insulate heat when it’s cold. Their ability to thermoregulate is due to the wide, flat surface area, lack of fat, and amount of blood vessels in the palms and soles. When the blood in our hands or feet cool down, the rest of the body follows suit.
Takeaway: Your body’s core temperature needs to drop to induce sleep, and cooling your feet in hot weather helps to do this. Short of wrapping your feet in ice packs, wearing cold socks is the best way to keep feet cool for long enough for that temp drop to happen.
Bottom Line: Cooling socks in the fridge or freezer before bed (or any time you’re super-hot) is an easy, cost-effective method that’s even recommended by the Red Cross.
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Sponsored
Why More Home Cooks Are Rethinking Their Pans
Courtesy: Made In
Most people think about clean cooking in terms of what goes into the pan. But what about the pan itself?
The idea is simple: give home cooks access to the kinds of durable, chef-loved tools used in serious kitchens, without watering them down for the home aisle.
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Fitness
How Exercise Keeps Your Cancer Defenses Up
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Pumped Up: Your muscles do a lot more than help you lift things or power through a workout. New research published in Nature Communications found that healthy skeletal muscle releases tiny particles called extracellular vesicles that carry signals capable of suppressing tumor growth. So as our muscles weaken with age, the body produces fewer of these protective particles and the signals they carry become less potent.
The Study: Researchers focused on sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Using animal models, they found that sarcopenic muscle secretes fewer extracellular vesicles, and those vesicles contain lower levels of a microRNA called miR-7a-5p, which helps restrain tumor growth. Exercise appears to reactivate the biological pathway responsible for vesicle release.
The Takeaway: Staying active as you age may help maintain a biological defense system your body already has, one that goes well beyond what happens at the gym.
Keep in Mind: The research was conducted in animal models. Scientists plan to validate these findings in human samples before drawing clinical conclusions.
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Nutrition
Canned Cocktails Are Getting More Popular (And More Potent)
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The Trend: Beer once ruled the Fourth of July backyard barbecues, but the cooler is looking different these days. Canned cocktails have exploded in popularity over the past few years, evolving from simple hard seltzers into canned margaritas, espresso martinis, and vodka sodas. According to the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR), 2025 saw Americans consume some 11 billion servings of ready-to-drink cocktails.
What People Are Saying: Fans say convenience is a major factor in their switch to canned cocktails: they’re portable, require zero mixing, and mask the taste of liquor. Some industry watchers have sounded the alarm, saying that between the sugary flavors, bright packaging, and trendy marketing, canned cocktail brands are deliberately targeting young drinkers. Others worry the sweet flavors can disguise just how potent these drinks are, making it easier to consume multiple servings before the effects catch up.
What to Know: Many of these drinks pack far more alcohol than people realize — some single-serving canned cocktails contain 7 to 15% alcohol by volume (ABV). Before cracking one open, check the ABV and serving size. One can isn’t always one drink. To keep things enjoyable rather than regrettable, space out your drinks with plain water, and eat a healthy meal before the festivities begin.
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Quick Picks
Au Naturel — These 8 tricks can boost your mood, naturally.
This panna cotta strikes the perfect balance between decadent and light for when you’re craving a sweet treat or looking for a refreshing dessert at a summer gathering. This recipe centers around homemade macadamia-coconut milk, along with fresh vanilla bean and maple syrup. The result is a panna cotta that’s firm, but will still melt in your mouth. Serve with a drizzle of macerated strawberries for a sweet, tart kick to complement the creamy, airy base.
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This, Not That
Bathroom Counter Cleanup
THIS
NOT THAT
Clay Banks/Unsplash, Julian Tong/Unsplash
This: The bathroom counter reset Not That: Starting the day in product wreckage
Take 60 seconds to clear the sink, close the caps, and put things back after getting ready. It’s a tiny act of environmental self-respect, and it makes the next morning less overwhelming.
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HEALTHY HABIT
Put Your Phone Somewhere Annoying
If you’re trying to cut down on mindless scrolling, don’t rely on willpower. Put your phone across the room, in a drawer, or on a charger outside arm’s reach when you’re eating, reading, or watching TV. A little friction can go a long way.
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Final Thought
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
