5 Healthyish Things, including David bars and full-body MRI scans

David protein bars offer 28 grams of protein, 150 calories, and no sugar. This jaw-dropping combo of macros (and a very shiny gold wrapper) makes them impossible to ignore. Plus they’re founded by Peter Rahal (legendary founder of RxBar—we worked closely with him & his team at Greatist and he invested in Ness) and Zach Ranen (ex-RAIZE), which basically means they know what they’re doing. They’ve launched—and launched big, with ads claiming they’ve built a “masterpiece.” (TBH that part’s a little much for me and feels too braggy/snobby to appeal in a mainstream way.) 

Before they became available to the public, the health community got a view of their ingredient label and many responses were yikes. RxBars basically got successful for their ingredient minimalism and simplicity… and these David bars are not that. Yes, their ingredients are better than your average protein bar (not saying much, to be fair), but there are definitely a lot of them. 

Anyway, I was lucky enough to get some of the first David bars publicly available and they’re… not for me. To my taste buds, they’re exceedingly sweet (with flavors like Cake Batter and Blueberry Pie) and I probably won’t be going out of my way to eat more of them. 😬

But hey, creating a true, mainstream protein bar competitor is not an easy feat. Something as clean as the RxBar was always going to have a limit on the audience it appeals to. I think David bars could become a popular option among average consumers, and one that’s definitely healthier than your average protein bar. IMO, creating something healthyish that the majority of people will like is still a win. I’m sure they’ll be successful, and I’m into innovation that leads to healthier options—even if, like, they’re not as healthy as not protein bars.

Influencers Logan Paul, MrBeast, and KSI recently collaborated on a new meal kit for kids called Lunchly, which they’re calling “healthier” than Lunchables. I—and many others—am calling their bullshit. Their argument is that their drink has electrolytes and their chocolate bar has less sugar… 🤨 But like, this being called “healthy” is ridiculous. I mean LOL:

Look, I think creating a healthy Lunchables alternative is a great idea. I first heard this idea from the one and only John Durant who wanted to do actually healthy dino-themed lunches for kiddos—and I still think he should do it!

But Lunchly is a bust. This isn’t like David bars in that they don’t live up to some CPG health perfection—this is literally pretending something is better when it’s not. And it’s extra upsetting to see a product like this promoted by influencers that kids follow and trust. Come on, MrBeast! I’m always disappointed when health-conscious celebs and influencers launch things that are unhealthy. It feels like a betrayal of that trust and a money grab. Their fans deserve better.

Full-body MRI scans are becoming more common as part of the ongoing movement towards individuals taking agency over their health. There are some controversies, like the concern over “false positives,” (which I strongly disagree with as a consumer… but totally get from a healthcare provider/payer POV). Overall, though, I think MRI scans are a promising part of this movement. 

For a price (we’re talking $1-3Kish out of pocket), companies like Prenuvo and Ezra offer comprehensive MRIs with a focus on cancer prevention to anyone who wants one. I’ve been quite impressed by my time with Prenuvo’s Founder & CEO Andrew Lacy, but because they’re not in Austin yet, I opted for Ezra and recently did my first scan.

The scan took about an hour in a local imaging center where the only Ezra thing I experienced was the swag shared afterwards. (Think Function Health, which uses national lab chains for their testing). Ezra claims to apply AI to MRI scanning and seemingly had a unique program for the MRI tech to follow. (Side note: MRI scans aren’t super fun. A friend even left his Ezra session because he didn’t think the claustrophobic feeling was worth it for his curiosity.)

That said, for me the outcome was fortunate since it concluded I’m cancer-free (at least for now). I also learned conclusively my bad back is getting worse (😭). Ultimately, I found this experience to be very validating and helpful. And, in some ways, having this information actually makes me feel more sympathetic and understanding to my body—an unexpected, but welcome win.

So, is spending an hour once a year stuck in a machine worth learning about and taking control of your personal health if you can afford it? I think so. Feel free to check out Ezra (this is a referral link that gives $150 off BTW) and LMK what you think.

I recently listened to a thought-provoking podcast with Whole Foods founder John Mackey discussing his new studio longevity concept Love.Live. I’m seeing more and more of these all-in-on longevity programs with full-service health care solutions, including the recently announced The Estate (a chain of high-end wellness resorts co-founded by Sam Nazarian and Tony Robbins). Imagine a gym, medspa, fitness studio, lab, doctor’s office, and more… all in a one-stop shop for high-quality care.

But is that good? IDKID.

Yes, I think there could very well be an audience for longevity solutions at this extreme price point (Love.Life membership runs $300-$750/month, or up to $50k a year, while The Estate will cost you $35k a year). But what makes me skeptical of this model is the all-in-one design. There are plenty of people living a lifestyle with all of these things, but my guess is few actually want a one-stop shop. Most people want to go to specific places they know and trust for specific things—their favorite Muay Thai class, that PT recommended by a friend, etc. Winning enough people over to an all-inclusive health destination might be difficult… but I do think the idea is cool.

Today, I view this as a very niche solution for people with lots of money—which is not a bad thing. And I do think it could be a challenge to get employers to sign up for this (a specific opportunity Mackey cited).This seems more nice-to-have than need-to-have, and proving the all-in-one solution is more effective than others is going to take time. But I never count folks like John Mackey out.

Also big shout out to The Heart of Healthcare, a digital health podcast where friends Halle Tecco and Steve Kraus are just crushing it with their interviews. Subscribe.

I’ve always hated the body mass index (BMI). It’s an outdated, load-of-crock stat that creates tons of confusion. The BMI can’t differentiate between body types, much less body fat and muscle, which seems obviously useless to me when it comes to determining health. So for a new method of measurement to come around? Count me in.

Growing evidence supports replacing the BMI with something called body roundness index. This sounds a little rude and upsetting (I’m in favor of a rebrand), but it’s just a very literal name for what is proving to be an accurate measurement of health. Bellies that are too big or too small indicate poor health and higher risk for health problems. The score ranges from 1-20, with people scoring under 3.41 or over 6.8 being at the highest risk of mortality. 

Finding new and better ways to measure and discuss health is a conversation worth having, whether it’s this “BRI” or the idea of using zip codes rather than race to identify certain health risks. I’m curious to follow along as we learn more about the effectiveness of both of these. And while I already think BRI could use a better name, it seems like a simpler, more consistent, and more effective way to measure health, which I’m into.