5 Healthyish Things, including Costco finds and other people’s smart takes

If you're new here, every Thursday I share 5 health-related things I feel strongly about. I explore, double click, and curate healthy things so you can just live healthyish (and spend less time scrolling).

Over the past few years, I've founded 2 health companies (Greatist & Ness) and worked with countless others you probably know or should know (GoodRx, Midi, Parsley, Galileo, Ro, Elion, Oshi, Commons, Allara, Peloton, Propel, & NOCD).

This Thanksgiving I thought I’d throw a little light reading your way. Today I’m sharing my top five Costco picks (FYI I am a Costco stan), plus five fresh takes from others in the health space on LinkedIn. Enjoy the reading (and the leftovers).

Five Costco Picks I Like

#1 Kirkland cold brew

I’ve already raved about Kirkland’s 100% Colombian Kirkland cold brew before, so will keep this short. At something like $1-2 per can, this hidden gem competes with any fancy La Colombe cold brew you like. I’ve been trying Cometeer recently (even tried the Birch Coffee cold brew I used to love), but I’m planning to go back.

#2 Single-serving dips

Most people keep ridiculously busy schedules (🙋‍♂️) which can make healthy eating feel less accessible. I try to plan ahead so I can snack with intention (instead of making hangry decisions). For that, I love these single-serving Kirkland Signature Organic Hummus cups and Wholly Guacamole Classic Guacamole Mini Cups. Both come in packs of 20 so a box keeps me stocked for a few weeks. Plus, opening a cup means you don’t ruin the whole bowl (looking at you, guac) or eat the whole bowl, either (looking at you, hummus).

#3 Frozen fruit for smoothies

I drink smoothies almost every day for lunch (yes, straight from my Vitamix 😎) and all of them with frozen berries from Costco. Fun fact: Frozen fruits and vegetables sometimes have MORE nutrients than fresh ones. Anyway, I always keep freezer bags of Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberries and Blueberries, and Smart Harvest Organic Sweet Dark Cherries in rotation.

#4 Packaged snacks

Here, we’re talking clean ingredients and truly easy to just grab (or spoon) and go. My faves:

#5 For the kids (and sometimes me)

There’s a lot of crap, buuut Costco also has a decent selection of no-sugar added fruit snacks that we feel good about keeping around the house. Our kitchen stays stock with the following—all kiddo-approved!

Costco makes my life easier and the deals are nothing to scoff at either. 

Fun fact: I recently learned you can buy $500 Southwest Airlines gift cards for $429 at Costco right now (there’s a limit of five per purchase). Pretty good deal!

Ok, now on to… 

Five Takes I Like from LinkedIn

#1 Women’s health deserves better

Amazon recently shut down a "secret project to develop a fertility tracker." It’s beyond belief women’s health keeps getting treated as a “side project” when it affects half the population. If there’s anyone who’s committed to changing this pattern, it’s Joanna Strober, CEO and Founder of Midi Health (for whom I am a consultant). Here, Joanna weighs in on why “women's healthcare needs dedicated companies with singular focus.” 👏

#2 Lead your own equity financing

CEO and Co-founder of Myodetox Scott Marcaccio recently wrote about Myo’s choice to lead their own equity financing rather than lean on investors. “Skin in the game sharpens decision-making, heightens focus, and forces us to operate with the urgency, intensity, and vision,” he writes. Love this power move. 🙌

#3 Helping people not die of heart disease

Union Square Ventures Investor Jared Hecht recently shared his thinking and research behind preventing people from dying of heart disease. And he takes an even deeper dive on “Ticker” here. It’s worth the longer read!

#4 Why American health insurance sucks

Ever wondered why health insurance is the way it is? Thatch CEO Chris Ellis shares a brief history. An interesting, short read!

#5 GLP-1 “off-ramp”

Could Virta Health be a means to sustain weightloss post-GLP-1s? CEO and Founder Sami Inkinen recently shared promising research which suggested Virta’s methods could help patients keep off weight for 18+ months post-GLP-1s. Seems critical to find a way to “off-ramp” here.

Oh, you also like/don't like some things? Just reply back. I like feedback. I like hearing any healthyish stuff you feel strongly about. But I don't like email drafts, so press send!

If someone forwarded this to you (thank them for me!), subscribe here. If you don't find this valuable, unsubscribe below anytime and I won't be mad (just heartbroken). Oh—and worth saying I’m more your friend with health benefits than an expert. None of this should be used as a substitute for real medical advice.

The Healthyish League

Building something in health? I love to help and love to recommend others who help, too. Here are a few of my carefully selected recommendations, all of which I’ve personally worked with (and some of which I have a formal relationship with): Herman-Scheer (branding & creative), Aequitas Partners (exec & board recruiting), Healthyish Content (my SEO & content agency), Perceptual Advisors (comms & public affairs), Right Side Up/Lantern/Matchnode (growth marketing), Verbose (embedded lifecycle marketing), Titan (exec coaching), and Lakehouse (pre-seed venture capital). Email me anytime for intros.