Issue #88: Keep it Clean
Good morning. It’s Monday, December 19th. Hanukkah started last night! So light the menorah to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights for 7 more nights. Happy Hanukkah! (Can't believe the Adam Sandler song is 28 years old)
Did you miss any of our issues on MOVEMENT last week? Catch up on Issues #83 - #87 here.
This week we're switching gears and talking about ENVIRONMENT, specifically a focus on personal care.
“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life.”
From the Lab: Why Face Wash
Take Action: Daily Routine
Speed Read: Hot Drinks for Winter
Monday Metabolic: All Things Push-Up Position
Monday Q: Feeling Good?
The time it takes the average person in America to get ready in the morning each day. That equates to 7.6 days each year. 38% of women and 21% of men spend more time than that, and 3% spend over an hour. (Read more)
From the Lab
Only 1 out of every 4 guys uses a daily face wash.*
I also doubt that only 1% don’t wash their face - but we’ll save the quality of survey data for another time.
*33% of women also don't use daily face wash
Why does it matter?
We touch our faces, on average 23 times per hour. So if you add up all the bacteria getting put on our face, plus all the dirt, and the millions of skin cells that we lose every day - well, your face needs a good wash before hitting the pillow and waking up with breakouts.
But...there’s a few problems just using regular soap:
The skin on our face has a pH level of 4.6. But most body soap has a pH of 12. Reducing our acidity dries out or face and kills the good bacteria we want/need - leading to acne, eczema, and other skin problems.
Soaps in the U.S. are poorly regulated - we allow more chemicals in our personal care products than 80 other countries (see map).
Check whatever soap you use on the EWG site to see if it’s got anything you don’t want on your face (see Old Spice example below) and look for alternatives that don’t have any parabens, sulfates, or artificial colors or fragrances - unscented is always best.
Check our your soap at the EWG Skin Deep Database.
The other thing that you should be washing off your face everyday is sunscreen.
Men are much more susceptible to age spots and 2x more likely to get melanoma by age 65 than women.
Yes - we need to get sunlight for Vitamin D. But that doesn’t mean we want to be constantly hit by UV rays all day on our face (yes, even in winter). ☀️
Take Action
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Messi Greatest Ever?: On June 6, 2019, Mongolia defeated Brunei 2-0 in the first qualification game for the 2022 World Cup. But none of the 929 games between 206 teams since were as exciting as this year's WC Final! Argentina took down France in penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw with extra time. Messi has the trophy and is considered the greatest ever - playing an epic tournament at the age of 35. But after this hat trick, Kylian Mbappe seems poised to be next in line to become the GOAT. (FOX)
Sweeteners and the Microbiome: A recent study found consuming sweeteners could impact metabolic markers and the microbiome. Saccharin and sucralose led to spikes in blood glucose levels, and all four sugar substitutes (also including aspartame, stevia) were linked to changes in the gut microbiome. Limit your use of artificial sweeteners, consider these alternatives from Issue #47.
5 Hot Drinks for Winter: During winter, we tend to consume less liquid. A study shows that our chance for dehydration increases during colder months - cold water’s no fun when it’s…cold. So try something warmer that doesn’t include the words “hot chocolate”: hot kombucha, steamed milk, bone broth, herbal teas and hot lemon water. (Outside)
Monday Metabolic
An entire workout from the push-up position? Yep - you'll work your chest, core, and legs with this one. Consider a cold plunge after (see end of video).
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Monday Q
Does your personal care routine optimize your confidence and your long-term health?
Product Recs
Huron - looking for clean products for your hair, body or face that get the job done. Check out these products specifically designed for men.
Badger - some of the best clean, mineral sunscreens available for adults and the kiddos.
*Thrive25 has NO affiliation with either of these companies
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.