“Always fresh, never frozen.” That is the motto of the west coast’s beloved burger chain In-N-Out. But is frozen food really less healthy than eating something fresh? We would assume that some nutritional value is lost in frozen peas, but the real answer is a bit more nuanced. Find out what researchers have to say here.
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Personal Development
The Hidden Cost Of Trying To Optimize Yourself
Midjourney
Maxxing Out: In the era of fitness trackers, productivity hacks, and “maxxing” culture, a constant pursuit of self-improvement sometimes feels less like a choice and more like a requirement. But new research suggests that our growing obsession with optimization may come with hidden mental health costs.
The Study: Researchers analyzed data from more than 82,000 college students in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. collected between 1989 and 2024. Published in the Psychological Bulletin, the study found that perfectionism has risen substantially over time. The largest increases were seen in socially prescribed perfectionism — the belief that others expect you to be perfect — as well as self-oriented perfectionism, which involves setting excessively high standards for yourself. Some other, undesirable things increased alongside perfectionism: indecisiveness, uncertainty, and sensitivity about making mistakes.
The Takeaway: This data suggests that young adults are not only holding themselves to higher standards as time goes on, but also that they feel others hold them to ever-increasing standards — and it’s taking a toll on collective mental health.
Keep in Mind: Striving for self-improvement and achievement is good. Beating yourself up when you feel like you fell short of perfection isn’t.
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Sponsored
Your Water Bottle Might Be Missing Something
Courtesy: Pique
Most hydration advice stops at “drink more water.” But the more interesting question is what helps your body actually use it.
That’s the idea behind Pique’s Deep Hydration Protocol, a two-part daily ritual designed to support hydration from morning to night. B·T Fountain starts the day with electrolytes, ceramides, and ultra-low molecular weight hyaluronic acid to support cellular hydration and calm energy. R·E Fountain closes it out with Pique’s Triple Biomaxed™ Magnesium to help support relaxation and restorative sleep.
There’s no sugar, no fillers, and no artificial flavors, just a cleaner ritual built around the rhythms your body already follows. And once you see why Pique splits hydration into morning and night, the usual “just drink more water” advice starts to feel a little incomplete.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
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Mindfulness
How To Quit Doomscrolling (Without Ditching Your Phone)
Vardan Papikyan/Unsplash
Wired In: If you’ve got a phone, you’re probably doomscrolling at least some of the time. It’s estimated 64% of people doomscroll. Gen Z is doomscrolling the most (81%). Cases of anxiety among Gen Z have nearly tripled from 2019 to 2023, and experts say social media use and, more specifically, doomscrolling play a big part. Doomscrolling moves beyond just wanting to be informed and comes from a natural desire to feel more in control in an unstable world. Even though it often makes us feel bad, doomscrolling can be a hard habit to break.
How to Do It: Swap passive doomscrolling for more engaged activity, like playing word games or practicing a new language. Doomscrolling can be isolating, so use screen time to foster friendships and engage with a community by joining a hobby-based online group or playing a game with friends. Instead of just consuming content, try using apps to make your own art, music, videos, or writing. How-to videos and teaching apps can help you tackle a new skill you’ve been dying to learn.
The Benefits: Ditching doomscrolling for more active screen time can improve problem-solving, creativity, and neuroplasticity, while also building confidence and nurturing relationships.
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SPOTLIGHT
Thinking Inside The Box
DAVID EPSTEIN
Author, Speaker
Courtesy: David Epstein
After stints at Sports Illustrated and ProPublica, journalist David Epstein went freelance once two of his books became New York Times bestsellers. He suddenly had the freedom to work on any project that interested him. But for two years, he dealt with paralysis of analysis. Every idea felt negotiable, and he worried something better existed elsewhere.
That paradox became the subject of his latest book, Inside the Box. While researching it, Epstein discovered that limits often fuel rather than stifle creativity. Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table while racing to finish a textbook deadline. Dr. Seuss invented his most famous work while restricted to a limited vocabulary. Isabel Allende has written for decades by starting a new novel every January 8th.
These examples inspired Epstein to rebuild his own life around deliberate constraints. He creates obligations that others depend on him for. He joined group meetups and the board of an early childhood education center in his neighborhood. With his calendar full of real commitments, he blocks off uninterrupted time for writing. He discovered that he became most creative exactly when he stopped being free to chase everything at once.
This bright, herby green sauce is the kind of flexible staple that makes almost anything taste fresher. Tender herbs like basil, dill, or parsley get blended with garlic, serrano chile, capers, lemon, olive oil, and nutritional yeast for a sauce that’s creamy, punchy, and deeply savory without much effort. A few ice cubes help keep the herbs vibrant while giving the sauce a smooth, light texture. Spoon it over vegetables, fish, chicken, grains, or whatever needs a quick hit of flavor.
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This, Not That
Sad Salads Begone
THIS
NOT THAT
Monika/Unsplash, Getty/Unsplash
This: A salad that's actually filling Not That: A sad desk salad
Add rotisserie chicken, crispy tofu, roasted chickpeas, tuna, eggs, or leftover steak to make a salad feel like an actual meal. Greens are great, but lunch should not leave you emotionally browsing the snack drawer 40 minutes later.
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HEALTHY HABIT
End With a Shutdown Ritual
At the end of the workday, close tabs, jot down tomorrow’s first task, and step away. A clear stopping point helps your brain understand that work is done — even if the work itself never really is.
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Final Thought
Those who have endured some misfortune will always be set apart but that it is just that misfortune which is their gift and which is their strength.”
