Issue #439: Health Starts...In Texas?
Good morning. It’s Friday, March 21st.
In today’s email:
Focus: Health Starts…in Texas?
Think: Spring Break
In the News: The Great Gender Divide
Brain Games: Wordplay
Stat of the Day
The increased percentage of people under 50 diagnosed with cancer between 1990 and 2019. (JAMA Network)
Podcast Roundup
So far this year I’ve been fortunate to join multiple podcasts and talk about how we can take control of our health. If you listen at 1.5x - it’s a quick 20 min listen during your next car ride.
Lifestyle Medicine for the Cost of Netflix with “2DocsToc” (w/ Abbass Shafii, MD and Rob Hoyer, MD)
Live Longer and Better on “Home of Healthspan” (w/ Andrew McConnell)
Optimizing your Health on “JonesingLife” (w/ Eric Jones)
Nine Things to Thrive on “SkilledDad” (w/ Zach Reeser)
More to come!
Focus
Health Starts…in Texas?
Maybe there is hope after all.
This month the Texas senate passed two bills aimed to improve our health - specifically for kids.
Senate Bill 25 has three key provisions that every state should get behind:
1. 🏃🏽 Daily Gym Class
Students from Pre-K to 8th grade will be required to have 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity every day. No more of this 2x per week nonsense.
Hopefully schools take this seriously too and don’t just have kids play kickball with the majority of kids standing around or sitting waiting their turn - but instead we really get them to understand how to move and push them to be athletes.
As part of this requirement, schools cannot take away recess from any student as a punishment for bad behavior or poor academic performance. Give kids time outside!
2. 🥦 Nutrition Class
Med students, nursing school students, and current MD’s taking continuing education classes will now be required to take nutrition as part of the learning.
This has become a running joke (well not really a joke) that doctors don’t take basic nutrition in med school.
Hey doc - what should I be eating to really optimize my health??
It’s why when my wife gave birth to our second kid - within a couple of hours they served her a bagel and sugar-loaded yogurt with orange juice. No protein, no healthy fats - nothing to help restore her body after such a traumatic experience.
But don’t worry - there was a McDonald’s downstairs in the hospital if I went to go buy her breakfast myself.
One of the keys to the bill is who makes up this nutrition curriculum. The five-person committee must include a:
Metabolic health expert
Certified Functional Medicine Doctor
Texas Dept of Ag representative
Rural Community member
Urban Community member
And everyone has to disclose current or past connections with any food, beverage, or pharmaceutical company.
It’s far from perfect - but it’s definitely a start.
3. ☠️ Warning Labels
Food companies will be required to include a warning if the product includes an artificial color, food additive, or chemical ingredient that is banned by Canada, Europe, or the UK.
Apparently we’re not ready to stop selling poison - but at least we’re going to tell you about it.
Senate Bill 314
The state senate also passed a bill to ban seven chemicals from any food served in the free or reduced price school breakfast/lunch program.
Students will no longer be eating food with the following:
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) - excessive accumulation can damage our brain and thyroid. The FDA actually made it illegal to sell food or drinks with BVO, effective Aug 2nd, 2025.
Potassium bromate - known for years to cause cancer, this chemical still shows up in much of bread we eat.
Propylparaben - this preservative can mimic estrogen and impact our fertility, mess up our hormone levels, and potentially increase the risk of breast cancer.
Azodicarbonamide - a bleaching agent in baked goods. It creates urethane, a carcinogen - but don’t worry we should just go on eating it until the FDA finally gets around to banning it in 2029.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) - most likely a carcinogen for humans it’s already been “under review” since 1979 and it’s only a matter of time until we actually act on the risk here.
Red Dye #3 - the FDA just banned this dye on Jan 15th of this year after linking it to negative effects on the brain in kids.
Titanium Dioxide - it might be ok to be in your sunscreen, but not your food. Associated with DNA damage and immune system toxicity, this is banned in the EU but still in at least 13,000 foods as a color enhancer in the U.S.
We need more states to follow this lead - because if we keep waiting for the FDA to finally get around to doing it, that 79% increase of cancer for people under 50 will only continue to increase.
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Think
Spring Break
Winter slows us down. Spring wakes us up.
As the days get longer and the world around us comes back to life, it’s the perfect time to reset - shake off the winter habits, step outside, and embrace renewal.
What do you want to change this year? A mindset shift? A new habit? More adventure? Spring isn’t just a season - it’s an opportunity.
What’s your next move? 🚀
H&L in the News
Longevity’s Great Gender Divide: Women outlive men worldwide, but why? Genetics, hormones, behavior, and societal factors all play a role. Scientists are unlocking these secrets to help everyone live longer- and healthier. (NYTimes)
Climb Smarter, Not Harder: New research confirms steeper slopes save energy when hiking or running uphill. If speed matters, take the direct route - your legs (and lungs) will thank you. (Outside)
Microplastics Are Everywhere - But Are They Killing Us?: Tiny plastics are in our blood, brains, and hearts - are they harming us? Scientists are racing to uncover the truth while policymakers push for change. Here’s what you need to know about microplastics and your health. (Big Think)
Brain Games
Wordplay
We played this game a long, long time ago.
Altering one letter at each stage (1 to 9) to form a new word every time, change the word on the top to the word on the bottom. Good luck!
Credit: Lovatts Puzzles
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
Product Recs
Please consider the following brands - when you purchase products we’ve tried and trust, you’re not just investing in your health - you’re also supporting Thrive25’s mission to make health & longevity accessible for everyone (we do earn a commission).
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🌎 Zero Acre Farms - seed oils can have real negative effects on our health - but they’re in almost everything we eat. Made by fermentation, not deforestation, Zero Acre Farms cultured oil uses 85% less land than canola oil, emits 86% less CO2 than soybean oil, and requires 99% less water than olive oil. Get 15% off your order with code THRIVE25 today!
Thanks for another great week!
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** Brain Games Answer **
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, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.