Issue #465: The Perfect Diet
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, August 5th.
A special birthday wish to my mom - who at 68 is still absolutely crushing it!
She’s constantly challenging herself with new fitness classes, and asking about the latest nutrition info. And I think is probably stronger today than she was most of her life. Here’s to the next 25 years for her!
In today’s email:
Learn: The Perfect Diet
Try: 3-Day Challenge
Eat: Plums
In the News: Curing Cancer via Gaming
Cook: Plum Smoothie
Stat of the Day
The increased likelihood of getting to age 70 in good health - no chronic disease, cognitive decline, or other physical limitations - by consistently eating a “healthy diet.” See study below.
Learn
The Perfect Diet
Food studies are typically not helpful. Getting people to adhere to a diet and being able to know everything else going on in their life makes the findings pretty weak.
But a new study came out from Nature Medicine is worth paying attention to because the research tracked a lot of people over a very long time - and the results make sense.
Over 106,000 people from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study participated in the research for more than 30 years (from 1986-2016).
The study compared participants’ adherence to 8 popular diets and looked at who reached age 70 in good health - meaning they had no major chronic conditions, cognitive decline, or physical limitations.
The Results
Regardless of which healthy diet people followed (Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, Plant-Based, etc.), the people who stuck with any healthy diet with some consistency were 25-43% more likely to reach age 70 in good health.
What’s interesting is that of all 8 diets - one stood out as being the best:
The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).
The best part - AHEI isn’t really a diet at all. It’s just a nutrition plan that makes sense.
✅ What to eat more of:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes
Nuts
Healthy fats (like olive oil)
Omega-3s (fatty fish)
🚫 What to avoid:
Sugar-sweetened beverages
Processed meats
Trans fats
Excess sodium
This wasn’t just a quick food survey or short-term trial. Humans are hard to study and it’s impossible to know whether they respond to study questions truthfully.
But this was longitudinal, lifestyle-shaping data across over 100,000 people of diverse genders, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
All that in an effort to tell us what we already know - eat real food and avoid sugar/processed junk.
Everyone is different - some people are more prone to nightshades or lectins or certain types of fiber that can impact our gut.
That just means within the healthy food groups - pay attention to how you feel and don’t eat what your body doesn’t want.
But let’s be honest…most of us don’t crush our nutrition plan at the farmer’s market.
We don’t crush it when:
We’re tired and grab fast food at lunch or on the way home for dinner.
We’re at happy hour and default to sugary cocktails (even most mocktails are just loaded with sugar) or those fried nachos.
We’re stressed and want some convenient comfort food - ice cream, pizza, whatever’s in the house.
We work through lunch and then overeat late at night.
We don’t plan ahead, and end up eating whatever’s around.
It’s totally cool to do this once in a while - life’s not fun if we think eating is just about what not to eat and we live by rules that we just want to break.
But it’s better to make that the exception. Here’s some tips to follow that AHEI nutrition plan more often than not:
Anchor your meals with protein + produce. Check out this Rockstar Dinner Recipe.
Upgrade one thing at a time - swap soda for sparkling water, chips for roasted almonds.
Stock your environment for success - fill your fridge and pantry with the foods you want to eat before your energy dips.
Batch cook or prep 1-2 go-to meals per week. No need to meal prep every container, just have a few fallbacks.
Give yourself a break - you don’t have to eat clean 100% of the time. But even 5 lunches a week and 5 dinners a week without a bunch of snacks in between is a huge longevity win.
Not saying it’s easy - even with all the planning and motivation.
Just saying - it’s worth it.
Because the people in this study didn’t just live longer - they lived better.
Fewer pills. More independence. Fewer hospital visits. More time doing what they love.
Food is how you can make 70 (or 80 or whatever is in the next 25 years) something to look forward to.
Try
The 3-Day Challenge
Want the right food plan - keep it simple:
For the next 3 days:
Add 2 veggies - one at lunch and one at dinner (frozen counts).
Eat 1 Protein at every meal - chicken, salmon, tofu, lentils, eggs, whatever works for you.
Swap out 1 processed snack or drink for a real-food option:
Sparkling water instead of soda
Fruit + nuts instead of chips or cookies
Dark chocolate square instead of candy
Bonus: Write down when your willpower dips during the week. That’s the time to catch yourself and figure out how to avoid the trap of bad food.
This isn’t about going paleo, vegan, or keto. It’s just about eating real food - consistently.
And don’t judge yourself - no one else is watching.
One of our company values is “Focus on the Gain, Not the Gap”. It’s never about perfection - it’s about being a little bit better today than you were yesterday.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Summer travel often means skipped meals, red eye flights, and way too many pastries.
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Subscribe to get AG1 + 10 free travel packs, and more—all for under $3 a day.
Eat
Plums
We’ve been on a huge stone fruit kick in our house this summer - my kids are obsessed with all the peaches, nectarines and plum varieties.
Plums have what’s called ferulic acid. It’s actually in a lot of skincare products - apparently great for your skin - but also good for blood circulation.
According to Dr. William Li - plums have 3x the polyphenols as peaches (great for our immune function and even fighting off some cancers) and are also good for our brain health.
So grab a basket of plums while they’re still in season this summer!
H&L in the News
Self-Control Isn’t Willpower: Self-control isn’t about white-knuckling through cravings. It’s a skill set. Learn science-backed strategies - from mindset shifts to daily routines - that help you build real, lasting discipline. (NYTimes)
Sun Smart, Skin Safe: 1 in 5 Americans will face skin cancer by 70. Learn how UV exposure - even through windows - adds up, and how year-round sunscreen, smart habits, and gear can help protect your skin. (Outside)
Game Your Way to a Cure: Video games aren’t just play - they’re powerful tools for solving real medical challenges. Discover how citizen science games like Foldit and EteRNA are unlocking breakthroughs in cancer research. (Big Think)
Cook
Plum Smoothie
This Plum Smoothie is a fiber-filled, antioxidant-packed way to start your day! Plums and oranges provide vitamin C and gut-friendly fiber, while Greek yogurt adds protein and chia seeds deliver healthy fats to keep you full and energized. With ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla, it’s naturally sweet, creamy, and perfectly spiced - no added sugar needed. Vegan option available! 🍑🍊
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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.
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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.