Can you remember the last time you were tricked? Maybe it was something simple, like thinking you’d picked up a loaf of bread from the grocery store, only to come home and realize you hadn’t. Or maybe it was more explicit — like getting fleeced for a few bucks by a street performer who invited you to play three-card monte. If you’re anything like us, you likely chalk these up to a distraction. But according to a new study, that may not be the whole story.
✾
Nutrition & Food
Are Protein Sodas Worth The Hype?
Courtesy: Proda
The Trend: Protein-rich drinks were once solely marketed towards gym rats, athletes, and bodybuilders. But as the macronutrient gained popularity over the past five or ten years and the U.S. federal dietary guidelines were updated to recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, the number of people looking for easy ways to supplement their daily intake has grown. So much so, in fact, that a niche category within the protein world — carbonated drinks — is expected to grow in value from $1.2 billion to $4.1 billion by 2033.
What People Are Saying: The expanding field of protein sodas has not been universally well received. But there are some winners. A couple of years ago, the protein Diet Coke went viral for being both tasty and an easy way to increase protein intake. More recently, new entrants to the category like Proda have gained some traction for balancing a healthy nutrient profile with great taste (btw, this is our favorite flavor).
What to Know: As Christine Byrne, MPH, RD, LDN told PS, “There’s nothing inherently wrong” with protein soda, “but there’s no magic benefit either.” It’s simply another way to make sure you hit your macronutrient goals. So you may as well make sure you enjoy the taste.
Lab testing has become more accessible, but the experience is still incomplete. Most platforms cost hundreds and stop short of helping you connect those numbers with what’s actually happening in your body.
That’s why KINSYN takes a different approach. Their lab testing measures 50+ biomarkers for just $99† — but the real value is what happens after.
You can review your results 24/7 with a licensed provider who will help you translate your insights into real actions and recommendations.
Right now, head to KINSYN.com and you can save 10% off your first lab purchase with code ALLHEALTHY.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
♔
Personal Development
The Microplastics Problem Might Be Smaller Than We Thought
Getty/Unsplash
You Should Know: Microplastics have been showing up in increasingly alarming places, and all the new science around them has felt pretty hard to escape. But a new University of Michigan study is raising a wild question about how we've been measuring them in the first place. One study found that the disposable gloves that scientists typically wear while doing microplastic research may be contaminating the samples, potentially leading to a big overestimation of plastic particles in the environment.
The Study: The team was originally trying to measure microplastics in the air when their particle counts came back thousands of times higher than expected. After ruling out other lab variables, they traced the problem back to the gloves themselves. Disposable gloves are coated with soap-like particles called stearates during manufacturing, and those stearates transfer onto any surface the gloves touch. The problem is that stearates are structurally nearly identical to polyethylene (the most common plastic found in the environment), making them nearly impossible to distinguish using standard lab tools.
Keep in Mind: Even if environmental microplastic levels are lower than previously reported, researchers are firm that any amount still warrants concern given the documented effects on human health and ecosystems.
✥
Fitness
How To Deal With a Side Stitch
Kate Trifo/Unsplash
Stitch, Please: It’s April — that means flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and starting guns are going off for springtime 5ks, 10ks, and marathons. Even if you haven't signed up for a race this spring, if you run at all you’ve likely experienced one of running’s most annoying uninvited guests: the side stitch. About 70% of runners experience one each year, and while it won’t cause lasting damage, it can sideline a good run fast.
How to Manage Them: Give yourself at least two hours after a large meal before you run and gradually warm up. Even just a 10-minute ab workout two or three times a week can help strengthen your core so your diaphragm can resist fatigue. And be sure to stay hydrated. If a stitch hits mid-run, slow your pace, switch to deep belly breaths, and press firmly on the painful spot. Try the 2:3 breathing trick — inhale for two steps, exhale for three, so you alternate which foot strikes as you breathe out.
This: Hummus or guac Not That: Ranch or cheese dip
Creamy dips often come loaded with refined oils and heavy fats — and not much nutritional value. Plant-based options like hummus and guacamole bring fiber, healthy fats, and real nourishment to the party. They’re still satisfying — just not empty calories in disguise.
✾
What We're Cooking
Sheet-Pan Chicken and Asparagus With Olive-Yogurt Sauce
Courtesy: Serious Eats
Serves: 4-6 | Cook Time: 40 minutes
Chicken thighs are underappreciated. In our opinion, they’re more flavorful and juicer than chicken breasts — and in this recipe, they develop a mouth-watering crispy skin alongside charred asparagus and fresh fennel. The drippings transform into an easy, flavor-packed sauce, and the whole dish is served over a creamy olive-yogurt combo that adds richness, without feeling heavy. The result is a meal that looks restaurant-worthy, yet comes together in just a handful of steps.
By clicking, you are agreeing to receive a daily recipe from All Healthy.
✲
Sponsored
California Just Greenlit a Housing Breakthrough
California’s building regulations are some of the strictest in the world. So when the state clears a new kind of housing model, it has the potential to send ripples through the $10T global market. 3,200+ homebuyers are already signaling demand for Geoship’s bioceramic dome homes. You can invest in Geoship as they deliver their first homes in 2026.‡
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
❦
HEALTHY HABIT
The Social Touchpoint Habit
Reach out to one person each day with a low-stakes text, voice memo, or quick call. Strong social ties are linked to longer lifespan and better mental health, and they’re built through small, consistent touchpoints — not grand gestures.
★
Final Thought
How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is.”
