Health hacks to help you power through the holidays

Holiday shopping. Family conflicts. Overheated parties. Congested travel. Endless lists. The most wonderful time of the year stresses most of us out.

So this week, we share effective tips to help you power through with energy, confidence and intention. Cheers to healthy, happy memory-making.

Your Checkup: 

• Sad about being single? Hatch a new holiday plan
• If you train hard, it might be time for a deload week off
• Why you probably need to clean your bathroom now
• How not to lose muscle when on weight loss drugs 
• A lab misplaced 300 hundred deadly virus samples!
• How to calmly respond to food shamers this holiday
• When/why surgeons can remove the wrong organ! 
• How to tell if you’re still contagious from a virus
• Top tips from Halle Berry’s Menopause Masterclass
• Power through the holidays w/ high-protein snacks

Primary Care

Healthy travel eats?

No surprise here. But a survey confirmed that locating healthy food at an airport is as complicated as puzzling luggage into overstuffed overhead compartments.

So a team of dietitians combed airport info to wheedle out tips: While packing, use apps like Veggl + HappyCow to locate healthy eats at your airport + destination. Then, lean into airport restaurant customization by adding veggie and protein-packed sides or snacks to your meal. Finally, reconsider grab-and-go or vending machine options—evidently, they’re getting increasingly healthier nationwide.

Get the full scoop at Eureka.

To tackle the list

If you’re overwhelmed by pre-holiday to-do lists, new studies suggest that you prioritize short breaks for movement.

One on adults 50+ found that exercising for 30 minutes and then getting six hours of sleep improved memory the next day! Another revealed that physical activity within three hours of a cognitive performance test increased response speed. So take an outside stroll, cold plunge or yoga class. Then check off that list! (Twice!)

Neutralize alcohol

Health experts worry that pandemic-induced binge drinking habits haven’t slowed. But this stat may surprise you: almost 40% of US adults don’t drink alcohol at all.

No matter which side of the cocktail-or-mocktail menu you fall on, HuffPost offers tips from food pros for e a safe + respectful gathering. Read the article for their personal details.

1. Choose for you. If you’re sober, “stick to your guns” — and remember you have to live with your decisions. If you drink, don’t try to coerce someone else into drinking. 
2. Take a beat. If someone offers a drink, it’s okay to walk away and distract yourself with a phone call, deep breathing or any form of a reset. As we’ve shared in this newsletter, distraction is a valid coping mechanism.
3. “I don’t drink” is a complete sentence. Stories about sobriety are often expected, but they’re not required. 
4. Question discomfort. If drinking around non-drinkers makes you feel uncomfortable, question why that is. Don’t transfer the responsibility onto their personal health or lifestyle choices.

Healthcare 911

As anger at UnitedHealthcare boils over, Americans pay more than ever for health insurance (CBS). Both employers and individuals are paying more for healthcare premiums—so it’s no surprise that over 80% of Americans report feeling dissatisfied with healthcare costs. Some insurers reject 1 in 5 of our claims—most now use AI to field them. And health-related dept is the top cause of bankruptcies in the US. The article doesn’t provide a silver lining. But Dr. B offers $15 online treatment for 30+ conditions and helps you find the lowest price nearby with our Drug Discount Card. Here’s how it works.

AI is top technology ‘hazard’ facing healthcare in 2025: report (Healthcare Dive). AI may soon assist in healthcare tasks, including patient scheduling, intake and appointment notation. Healthcare leaders claim this will reduce provider burnout and shortage. But health experts warn that the underlying data AI uses could encourage bias—increasing disparities and degrading care. Hallucinations (when AI delivers inaccurate or false information) are a risk, too.

We’re pandemic experts. Here’s what worries us most about bird flu (HuffPost). Key learnings: We should be concerned about the ease of infection in mice and domestic cats. Climate change is encouraging pandemics more robustly than most of us are probably aware. And despite Covid-19 pandemic learnings, we’re in societal denial that other pandemics are likely ahead and, therefore, not prepared to meet them.