5HT: 5 Healthyish Things, including the return of meat and grandma hobbies

We know hobbies are good for you. But did you know “grandma hobbies” might be even better? 👀

Turns out, knitting, gardening, pottery, bird-watching, and other cozy pursuits often associated with grandparents 👵👴 are also associated with better mental and cognitive health. Doctors say these cozy hobbies can spark fresh thought patterns, offer a calming way to reset, and deliver a quiet sense of accomplishment.

Science also says grandma was onto something. Studies show crocheting 🧶 and bird-watching 🐦 promote positive well-being, clay art therapy 🧱 can help treat depression in adults, and just 10 minutes of drawing 🖼️ can lift your mood. Meanwhile, gardening 🪴 has a happiness payoff similar to biking, walking, or dining out. 

So, yeah, take this as your sign to break out the yarn, the shovel, or the sketchbook.

For me, that hobby is LEGO. (And, yes, according to Good Housekeeping, it counts!)

Over this last year, I’ve done a handful of LEGO sets with my now almost-four-year-old. She’s my little assistant, and it’s great. I find the whole thing extremely calming. (Don’t tell her, buuut sometimes I keep building after she’s asleep.) Of course, I exclusively build castles. 😏🏰

For years, meat was the bad guy. Headlines warned it would clog your arteries, wreck the planet, and “red meat will seriously kill you.” Yet, a 2019 meta-analysis suggests there’s only low-certainty evidence that cutting back on red meat improves health outcomes. While some argue this downplays well-established links between red meat and chronic disease, the scientific tide seems to be turning. And so is consumer behavior.

In 2024, Americans (congrats America) bought a record $104.6B worth of meat. 🐄That’s up nearly 5% from the year before! Meanwhile, plant-based meat sales dropped 6.7%. (IMO, these ultra-processed alternatives are on their way out.)

Plus, meat’s redemption arc is now wearing organic labels. 

Consumers are increasingly interested in organic, grass-fed beef, and antibiotic-free claims, according to a report released by the Food Industry Association and the Meat Institute earlier this year. Organic meat sales topped $3B for the first time last year, up 14%. Organic beef led the charge with a nearly 26% jump.

What’s leading the vibe shift? Part of it is cultural: Protein has basically been crowned Prom King, and GLP-1s (Prom Queen?) 👑 are fueling the demand. Influencers have moved on from hair gummies and toward animal proteins. This year’s Expo West was full of meat products. 

Part of it is just nutrition: Protein is the most “satiating” macronutrient, and animal-based protein tends to beat plant-based in this department. Also, better absorption!

Plus, we’re rediscovering regenerative agriculture and cleaner farming practices. This is where the producer-direct foods trend I mentioned in last week’s 5HT has real momentum—and why independent and organic meat providers are gaining real ground.

Of course, processed meats like bacon and hot dogs are still a bigger health risk. But lifestyle matters. Exercise regularly and have the occasional bratwurst? You’ll probably be fine. Eat a burger for dinner every night and live a sedentary lifestyle? You may still want to check your vitals, unfortunately.

If organic meat isn’t hardcore enough for you, there’s also organ meat.

What was once fringe is now becoming premium as consumers realize these seemingly undesirable parts (think: Liver, heart, tongue, brain, kidney) are actually among the most nutrient-dense. 

To me, it feels like a natural evolution ever since bone broth became a thing. Organ meats are nutrient powerhouses packed with B vitamins and key minerals like iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. They also deliver fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Some say the liver is “nature’s multivitamin.” (Nice branding.)

Biohackers (like buddy Ben Greenfield) and carnivore influencers (like @steakandbuttergal) are pushing the trend, while ancestral health types like The Liver King built a cult-like following by eating raw organ meat 🤢—before getting called out for his steroid use. 

The good news: You don’t need to go raw to get the benefits. Get grass-fed liver capsules (like Ancestral Supplements or Heart & Soil), sneak ground heart into your burger mix, or hit up your local butcher for fresh cuts. Maui Nui (mentioned in 5HT 3x now 🥇) also makes products with organ meat. I regularly snack on their Peppered 10 jerky (10% liver and heart), it’s awesome.

Liver, laugh, love, anyone? (Sorry.)

As my weight loss journey has continued, I knew there’d be plateaus. So, at the beginning of April, I figured I’d add in walking every day.

My first step was to walk my dog around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, my dog is the worst dog to walk ever. 🙄 King Arthur (“Artie” to his friends) is absolutely not interested in walking and 100% interested in sniffing everything.

So, inspired by a bunch of folks I work with huffing it on Zoom, I decided to get a walking pad treadmill. After a ton of research, I got this one from Freepi. (Unfortunately, it doesn’t look available anymore, so the next best recommendation seems to be this one, which is currently 25% off on Amazon.) And then it sat in my office for months. But at the beginning of April, I finally put it under my Costco Tresanti (the best) and became that guy for 1.5 to 2 hours a day. 💁‍♂️

Physically, walking helps offset all the sitting we do. And science says it improves cardiovascular health, reduces stress, and enhances brain function. As a bonus, it’s also good for my bad back! A 2022 meta-analysis showed walking was as effective as physical therapy for some chronic lower back pain, so love that.

So far, it’s been great. I like it. It feels good, and I plan to keep going. But I’ll admit: I was reallyyy struggling with sweating at first. (And I definitely didn’t want my Healthyish Content team members to see me dripping in sweat on Zoom.) 🥵 So, I added a fan and played around to find my perfect speed. Turns out, that’s 1.6mph. (Yes, you’re supposed to “walk briskly” at a pace of 3 to 4.5mph… but I’m not.) At 1.6mph, I don’t sweat profusely, and I can actually take notes and stay present. A win!

It's not for everyone, but I love this clever hack to get steps in and stay productive. 💪

🚨Major news alert 🚨: Gwenyth Paltrow has reportedly broken up with Paleo. 

Our sources (aka CNN and BBC’s TikTok) say that Gwenyth is moving away from her yearslong Paleo diet and—wait for it—eating carbs and cheese again. 😱 She’s even had “a little pasta.” Nutrition experts are happy for her. I’m happy for her.

I started my first business, Greatist, partly in response to Gwenyth’s Goop getting so popular in wellness while (for?) portraying what I felt was an inaccessible, unachievable, discouraging lifestyle. It feels important news to share that even movie stars have pasta (they’re just like us).

Other things

• Speaking of protein, Google searches for "high-protein diet" peaked this January, setting up protein as one of the year’s biggest health trends.

• Nourish, a startup using AI-driven virtual nutrition care to tackle the root causes of chronic diseases raised $70M in Series B. Very hot space right now.

• The FDA is finally phasing out artificial dyes in foods like Skittles, Mountain Dew, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

• Eli Lilly is suing telehealth companies for selling compounded versions of tirzepatide. Annnd if you're wondering what “compounded” actually means, stay tuned—I’m breaking this (and more!) down in a special edition of 5HT later this month.

• Most clicked last week? The benefits of sphinx pose.

👋 Who are you again? I’m Derek Flanzraich—founder of two venture-backed startups in Greatist (👍) and Ness (👎). I’ve worked with brands like GoodRx, Parsley, Midi, Ro, NOCD, and Peloton. I now run Healthyish Content, a premium health content & SEO agency (among other things).

Every Thursday, I share 5 health things I feel strongly about so you can live healthyish. (Disclaimer: I’m more your friend with health benefits. None of this is medical advice.)

And oh, you also feel strongly about some health things? Hit reply—I’d love to hear it.