Is “Cortisol Belly” really a thing? For the un-initiated (or, simply, those who do not spend too much time on TikTok), the term refers to weight gain around the abdomen brought on by high amounts of stress. In some ways, the term makes a kind of sense. Stress, for some, triggers anxious eating. Anxious eating, in turn, causes weight gain. But the direct connection between the stress hormone and weight gain may not be as simple as influencers may lead you to believe. Read our full breakdown here.
♔
Personal Growth
Gen Z Is Bringing Birdwatching Back
Giulia Squillace/Unsplash
The Trend: Teens and young adults are flocking to a new hobby: birdwatching. A recent UK study found a 1,088% increase in birding among Gen Zers in Britain since 2018. In the U.S., the number of birdwatchers has more than doubled between 2016 and 2022. So why is Gen Z so into this traditionally grandparent pastime?
What People Are Saying: The birdwatching boom took off during COVID, as people looked for outdoor or at-home activities. Birding influencers on social media also got more popular. Gen Z birding aficionados say it allows you to spend time outdoors doing something that requires focus, quiet, and a slower pace. It’s another analog “grandma” hobby that Gen Z has embraced, like knitting, crocheting, baking, and gardening.
What to Know: Birding actually has legit health benefits. Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to relieve stress. It can reduce cortisol levels and lower heart rate and blood pressure. You’re also practicing mindfulness while you’re doing it by slowing down, getting out of your own head, and focusing on the present moment. Doing it with friends or joining a birding group builds connection, which is great for mental health.
✲
Sponsored
Hair Care Is Moving Beyond the Shower
Seljan Salimova/Unsplash
Shampoos and serums get most of the attention, but stronger, fuller-looking hair also depends on what’s happening beneath the surface. That’s why more hair routines are adding targeted nutritional support.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
❁
Cognitive Health
Getting More of This Vitamin Could Protect Your Brain
Midjourney
Forget Me Not: Dementia is influenced by a long list of factors, some of which we can’t control, like age and genetics. One area you can control — and that’s increasingly thought to play a major role in dementia prevention — is nutrition. New research adds vitamin B12 to the list of nutrients worth paying attention to.
The Study: Published this month in Frontiers in Nutrition, the study analyzed electronic health records from more than 258,000 adults ages 50 and older. Researchers compared people with persistently low B12 levels (below 300 pg/mL) with those whose levels were between 300 and 900 pg/mL. Over up to 10 years, the low-B12 group had a 33% higher hazard of dementia. In absolute terms, dementia was diagnosed in 2.93% of people with low B12 and 2.31% of those in the reference group. The association was even stronger among people with outright B12 deficiency (defined as below 200 pg/mL).
The Takeaway: If you’re concerned about your long-term cognitive health — something we should all be tuned into — B12 status is something to discuss with your healthcare provider, particularly if you have risk factors for deficiency.
Keep in Mind: This was a retrospective observational study. Even though researchers used statistical matching to make the groups more comparable, other differences between people with low and normal B12 could still explain some of the association.
✾
Nutrition
The Science Behind Brain Freeze
Dmitrii Shirnin/Unsplash
You Should Know: It’s ice cream headache season. When something cold hits the roof of your mouth, the blood vessels there can shrink super fast and trigger nearby nerves, causing that icepick-to-the-forehead feeling (also known as brain freeze). It sends a pain signal through the trigeminal nerve originating in the brainstem, which explains why the ache shows up in your forehead even though the cold food or drink only touched your mouth.
Going Deeper: People who get migraines seem especially prone to intense brain freeze, since they tend to have a more reactive trigeminal nerve. And kids may get it more often than adults, but probably because they haven’t learned yet to eat and drink more slowly to avoid it.
Takeaway: Some of us are more likely to experience brain freeze than others and may need to pay particularly close attention to eating ice cream slowly to avoid the pain.
Bottom Line: If an ice cream headache still sets in, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth to warm it up. The pain should then pass pretty quickly.
This pollo asado stands out for its inventive finishing touch: a savory sauce made by blending the reserved chile marinade with rendered chicken fat for extra richness and flavor. The marinade builds complexity with charred chiles, garlic, onion, and warming spices, creating a smoky, slightly fruity flavor profile without overwhelming heat. Cooking the chicken over moderate heat helps the skin crisp while keeping each piece juicy and tender. A final squeeze of lime brightens the dish, making it a flavorful centerpiece for tacos, rice bowls, or a summer cookout.
By clicking, you are agreeing to receive a daily recipe from Better Plates.
☞
This, Not That
Keep It On Ice
THIS
NOT THAT
Oscar Ramirez/Unsplash, Patrycja Jadach/Unsplash
This: Keep frozen vegetables on hand Not That: Letting fresh produce die in the drawer
Fresh vegetables are great, but frozen ones are the weeknight safety net. They’re affordable, last longer, and can be tossed into pasta, rice bowls, eggs, soups, or stir-fries with almost no planning. The healthiest vegetable is often the one you’ll actually use.
✲
Sponsored
The Hair-Care Step You Don’t Use in the Shower
HairMax’s Actonis supplements take an inside-out approach, combining biotin, Lustriva, saw palmetto, zinc, and other nutrients designed to support healthy follicles and fuller-looking hair. Just two capsules a day fit neatly into an existing routine.
Right now, buy one month and get a second month free, a $130 value for $65.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! They help us keep All Healthy free.
❦
HEALTHY HABIT
Keep a “Good Enough” Grocery List
A healthy week does not require a perfect grocery haul. Keep a short default list of staples you know you’ll use: eggs, yogurt, greens, fruit, beans, rice, frozen vegetables, chicken, tofu, whatever works for you. When you’re tired or rushed, the list makes the decision for you.
★
Final Thought
The duty to be alive is the same as the duty to become oneself, to develop into the individual one potentially is.”
