5HT: 5 Healthyish Things, including Ozempiquette and best cooking spray

#1 Hurkle-Durkle

Hurkle-Durkle: The 200-year-old Scots phrase I didn’t know I needed—and now can’t stop using. Basically it means lounging in bed long after you were "supposed” to wake up, soaking in all the warmth and coziness. A true masterclass in embracing that sweet half-asleep, half-awake state.

I put it to the test this weekend (ya know, for science 🤓), and I’m very into it. I think it’s the new Hygge.

Also, a general fun fact about me: I love Scotland. My wife and I were supposed to get married there (until COVID cancelled it). My daughters are named Isla and Nora Skye, both of which are islands in Scotland. I love shortbread. How The Scots Invented The Modern World is one of my favorite books. And now I can add hurkle-durkling to my long list.

I've been going to Expo West for yearsss, and it's always an amazing (but also overwhelming?) conference that showcases what's trending in natural, organic, and healthy products. 

Of course, not everything is healthy. Lots of things there are healthyish—and some are just unhealthy. (I ended up in a bread aisle for a while 🙃🍞). But what gets big at Expo West usually ends up on our grocery lists, so it’s worth paying attention to.

I shared some quick thoughts on LinkedIn (follow me for more fun stuff I post), but here’s my full take on this year’s trends:

• Supplements take new shape. Pills aren't out, per se, but more and more brands are leaning into gummies, liquids, and other new formats. Including me! I’m building a CPG business as a side hobby that delivers vitamins & supplements in a novel, new, TikTok-friendly way...but didn’t see my particular format at Expo West, which is promising. More on that soon! 👀

• Bevs, bevs everywhere. One in particular I thought was cool was Gym Weed, an athletic-focused drink with adaptogens and caffeine. It's a different kind of energy driver than your traditional energy-focused performance drinks (and tasted better than them, too).

• Meat is back. Jerky was everywhere. I saw way fewer plant-based options than in past years. Even Applegate was handing out “regenerative” hot dogs (which, while delicious, I still don’t know what that actually means. If you do, please reply and enlighten me 😅).

• Goodbye seed oil, hello beef tallow. Beef tallow cooking spray is something I keep hearing about, and Expo West confirmed: People want it. I grabbed this bottle from South Chicago Packing—more thoughts on that below.

• Protein is still very much king. Some very compelling (and actually clean) high-protein products are hitting the market. More macros are also being marketed around protein, which is great. (But, yes, I’m still struggling to get enough protein. 😩)

• Junk food is getting a rebrand. Tonssss of brands are offering healthyish versions of unhealthy snacks (think: donuts) or sugar-free (just use Stevia) versions of their products. Honestly? I don’t hate it. We know sugar is bad, and I’m glad we’re pivoting.

• Healthy food = a business opportunity. My awesome friend Tero (who started Four Sigmatic) was also there and wrote on LinkedIn about how business-minded people (mercenaries) have overtaken the % of mission-oriented ones (missionaries). I found that to be true, too, but I also agree with him that the quality of CPG founders and operators is much better than it used to be. 

• Oh, and longevity is trendy. (Can’t say I didn’t tell you.)

But it wasn’t all good. One trend I’m not into is “GLP-1 complimentary” foods.

I mean, what?! People aren’t stupid. But these kinds of labels treat them like they are. Slapping a “GLP-1-friendly” label on food feels icky and more like a money grab than a helpful solution.

#3 Ozempiquette

Speaking of GLP-1s… as the hype goes up, the stigma is coming down.  

Traditionally, discussing weight loss was considered taboo, but these medications are shifting the narrative. According to the latest stats, 12% of US adults use GLP-1s. (My guess is that number is probably closer to 20% at this point). Numbers aside, more people are open and proud about taking them, even among NYC’s bougiest social circles.

While I’m not in the Ozempiquette clique, I actually am currently microdosing GLP-1s. To be honest, I still feel a bit of stigma—and this feels like a big disclosure of some kind. Know that I did not start taking them without a lot of research, carefully weighing the risk versus reward. (Though yes, I’ve also been plenty curious). 

As y’all may remember, my big focus this year has been to get my back into a good place. Losing some weight has been a big part of that. I currently take 1.25mg a week, which is half of the starting dose of tirzepatide (Zepound)—and have been balancing that out with lots of strength training, protein, and fermented foods plus closely monitoring my blood biomarkers.

At the beginning of the year, I lost about 10 pounds on my own (through, duh, eating better and working out more). Now, with GLP-1s (prescribed by my PCP), I’ve lost another 10 and I’m almost at my goal weight. They’ve been very interesting! I’ve been lucky not to experience any side effects so far. 

The most interesting thing is I don't think about food at all. Like, the food noise is totally gone. Logically, I know I need it, but it's not something I actively think about. I still enjoy food when I eat it. I just eat a lot less. It’s pretty zen honestly. I’ll continue to assess things as they develop and don’t plan to be on them forever (unless dementia/Alzheimer’s prevention data continues to grow).

I’m not a medical expert (friendly reminder), but it does seem like many people could benefit from GLP-1s (except maybe college students?). I think it's a huge thing that’ll only get bigger, especially as access improves. And that’s definitely happening. Employers are increasingly offering coverage, and providers are lowering costs. Most recently, Novo Nordisk took a page from Eli Lilly’s playbook and is now selling Wegovy directly to patients, too. I expect we’ll see more of this “pharm to table” (genius) movement, too.

#4 Cooking spray

I've been trying to figure out the best cooking spray to use. So when I got an email from Heart & Soil (love the brand, very microplastic-free) listing the best options, I wanted to gut-check whether they got it right.

We know EVOO is really good for you, but it’s prone to oxidation when heated. Even the highest quality stuff has a smoke point between 350° to 410°F, which can oxidize and break down into bad stuff like free radicals and toxic byproducts. Not ideal. So, what’s better?

• 🥑Avocado oil: Rich in heart-healthy fats, non-stick, neutral flavor, smoke point 428°F

• 🥩 Beef tallow: High heat stability, savory flavor, rich in saturated fats, smoke point ~400°F

• 🧈 Ghee: Buttery flavor, lactose-free, packed with fat-soluble vitamins, smoke point 485°F

• 🥥 Refined coconut oil: Rich in MCTs, non-stick, mildly sweet, smoke point 400°F (unrefined doesn’t hold up as well to heat)

Obviously, what’s not on the list: Seed and vegetable oils. Heart & Soil claims these are so processed that even bugs won’t eat them—so maybe we shouldn’t either. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Personally, I’m a coconut oil fan. Ghee is a little intense for me—I don’t love the flavor—but, to be fair, it stays solid, is packed with vitamins, and gets great ratings.

I've also been experimenting with beef tallow lately using the brand I mentioned above. I've been using it for my eggs in the morning, and they are delicious. It's our favorite thing to add to the pan right now. And as long as it’s grass-fed, it comes with a solid nutritional profile.

What cooking oil or spray are you using? Send your suggestions🙏.

#5 Creatinis

Fancy enough for a cocktail party, functional enough for leg day. 

Other things

• Dr. Oz had his Senate hearing for CMS Administrator—and he was good?

• Since Expo West, I’ve continued to see other forms of vitamins—like Stack’s time-release vitamins and Biostrips’ dissolvable strips. Worth checking out!

• Women make up 51% of the population, buuuut only 4% of all biopharma R&D spending goes toward female-specific conditions 🫠. These companies are working to fill the gap in women’s health, and I think only more will follow.

• WHOOP can now estimate your VO2 Max—aka your body’s oxygen efficiency during exercise and a top predictor of long-term health. Pretty cool.

• Do muscles really get “knots?” 🤔 A medical massage therapist breaks it down on Reddit. (TL;DR Not exactly). 

👋 Who’s this newsletter from again? I’m Derek Flanzraich. Over the last 15 years, I've founded two venture health startups, one successful (Greatist) and one not (Ness). I’ve also worked with countless others you probably know (GoodRx, Midi, Parsley, Galileo, Ro, Elion, Oshi, Allara, Certify, Peloton, & NOCD). I also run a health content & SEO agency called Healthyish Content.

Every Thursday, I share 5 health-related things I feel strongly about. I explore, double-click, and curate healthy things so you can live healthyish. (Disclaimer: I’m more your friend with health benefits than an expert. None of this should be used as a substitute for real medical advice.) 

If someone forwarded this to you, subscribe here.

And oh, you also like/don't like some things? Just hit reply. I want to hear any healthyish stuff you feel strongly about, too.