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#1 My cold prevention stack
Between the weather turning and the holidays in full swing, it’s that time of year when everyoneee is getting sick 🤧. It finally feels like winter here in Austin, and my whole family has had scratchy throats and on and off coughs.
Whenever I get that first tingle in my throat, I go into prevention mode immediately because I do not want to get sick 🙅. So here’s my cold-prevention protocol to fight off the sniffles.
🥷 First: Lotsss of hydration. Water, obviously—but I also get some evening ginger tea with honey on.
🥷 Next: Zinc lozenge. Some research suggests zinc may reduce cold duration by ~2.25 days. I use Cold-EEZE (easy to find basically anywhere). For me, these lozenges replace that telltale tingle with numbness.
🥷 Then: Vitamin C and Echinacea. These are like a littleee more proven to fill in the gaps in your immune system. Vitamin C supplementation, especially, can reduce cold duration by ~8% in adults (12% in kids). I take Priority One Bio Vegetarian Immune System Support—a family reco—which includes the above and more.
🥷 After that: Propolis. I’ve been going deep on this one. Propolis (more on this below!) is a natural compound bees produce, and early research indicates antiviral effects against respiratory tract infections. I get it mostly in a throat spray, but it comes in a bunchhh of different forms (even lollipops for the kiddos).
🥷 Don’t forget: Chicken soup. A classic for a reason…
This stack is generally solid—and definitely effective anecdotally. It’s a little more Grandma science 👵 than science, science 🧑🔬, but it works for me. I’ve kicked colds in a day or two so far this season, so we’ll see if the streak continues.
#2 Propolis
Okay, let’s talk propolis.
Propolis is a buzzy (literally 🐝) natural ingredient made by bees that turns out to be more legit than it soundzzz. It’s basically a resin-like mixture bees make by combining beeswax with plant oils. Often called “bee glue,” bees use it to seal and sterilize their hives—keeping out bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In human terms, think of it as a built-in disinfectant wall.
It also has a loooong history as a natural remedy. In ancient times, Greeks and Romans used propolis as a mouth disinfectant and antiseptic. The Incas used it to reduce fever. Assyrians put it on wounds and tumors to fight off infection and speed up healing. Bees basically invented a natural Gladiator-style shield 🛡 to guard against infection. So cool.
It wasn’t until 1908 that propolis made its debut in scientific research. And while we still need more research, what we know about the bee byproduct so far seems promising. For one, propolis contains 500+ compounds (!) and has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that may help your body manage inflammation and fight oxidative stress, among other things. That’s a lot of “anti” bad things and I’m pro-that, you know what I mean? 😀
There’s also some (not super convincing, but some!) evidence from small trials showing propolis—especially when paired with honey 🍯—may help reduce symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and sore throats. Beyond immunity, some experts think it may support diabetes management, help heal cold sores, and even ease some oral side effects of chemotherapy.
You can find propolis in basically every format. Think: creams, ointments, lotions for your skin, and capsules, tablets, or liquid extracts if you want to take it orally. I’ve been getting mine from Beekeeper’s Naturals, a startup making health-boosting products from beehive ingredients. I think of them as having helped create the space. My old friend Carly started it, and during cold and flu season, their stuff is basically a staple in my house.
My personal go-tos: the Propolis Throat Spray (amazing the second that tingle shows up—and great for travel) and the Propolis + Vitamin C Liposomal, which tracks with the liposomal trend I wrote about earlier this year. Their Superfood Honey is also delicious.
But their kids’ products might be my ultimate rec. They’ve got a kids’ version of the throat spray (and my kiddos like this wayyy more than the typical fake cherry-flavored stuff 🥴). Another winner: the Throat Soothing Pops—lollipops made with elderberry, propolis extract, vitamin D, zinc, and wildflower honey. It’s basically a way to let your kids think they’re getting candy… while secretly soothing their throat.
Ultimately, these all feel very grounded in bee-ology, and I’m into it. 👍
#3 LesserEvil Popcorn
Another thing that gets my thumbs up and I’m currently obsessed with is LesserEvil Popcorn 😋. I first picked it up on Thrive Market while hunting for healthy snacks for my kiddos, and now it’s my go-to anytime I want something savory.
FWIW, popcorn is an underrated healthy snack. First, it’s a natural, whole grain. Like, every popcorn is the whole grain. Plus, it’s got fiber, antioxidants, all the good stuff. But LesserEvil’s snack packs are the real MVP ⭐: 50 calories a serving, 2g of fiber, zero added sugar, and literally three ingredients: popcorn, coconut oil, and salt. Simple. Clean. Delicious. Highly recommend it for a quick ‘lil snack—and I find myself eating more of them than my girls now. 😆
(Yes, of course you can cover popcorn with all kinds of unhealthy-ish stuff. That typically makes it not such a healthy snack. But it can still be delicious.)
They’ve got a buuunch of flavors, but we keep restocking Pink Himalayan Salt and Himalayan Gold (big butter energy). We buy them in 24-packs, but they’re also sold at Costco in 28-packs 🤷. There’s even a chocolate candy cane version if you’re feeling festive? 🎅
Bottom line: I’m a huge fan, annnd apparently so is The Hershey Company, which just scooped up LesserEvil to bulk up its salty snack portfolio for a cool $750M. Talk about a pop-ular choice. (Sorry.) 😆
#4 Spotify Wrapped
ICYMI: Spotify Wrapped came out yesterday, and everyone on the Internet is sharing what age Spotify tells them their listening habits are.
Mine? 75! How’s that for longevity? 😆 (Given my bad back, this made me chuckle.) 😅
#5 Top health newsletters
I’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again: One of my favorite parts of working in health and wellness is, hands down, the people leading it. This space is full of smart, curious, and genuinely good humans—and a lot of what you read in 5HT comes from conversations with these fellow founders, builders, and friends.
And since our recent reader survey showed 61% of you spend 30 minutes to 2 hours (!) on health content every week and 46% subscribe to 4+ newsletters, I figured you might like to learn from them too. Sooo, I rounded up 20+ expert-led newsletters that get my thumbs up. 👍
Whether you’re into mental well-being, longevity, or the business of health, there’s almost definitely a new inbox bestie in the mix (after 5HT, of course 😏).
Did I miss any? Hit reply with your rec.
⚡ Neural signals
Okay, you now know what I’m curious about—but here’s what everyone else is Googling, according to a few trusty platforms.
1️⃣ Manscaped. This men’s grooming company is riding the wave of more guys trimming body hair—and they even scored their first Super Bowl commercial.
2️⃣ Aphantasia. It’s the condition where people can’t form mental images in their mind’s eye (who knew!) and new findings show there are wide variations in how it shows up.
3️⃣ Pilates socks. Pilates was the fastest-growing workout modality this year, and people are actively searching for the best pilates socks for better grip and stability.
4️⃣ Green noise. Move over, pink noise. Searches are spiking for “green noise,” a nature-like sound some people say helps them sleep.
5️⃣ Active listening. People are looking up this popular communication technique—and, honestly, I think 2026 would be better for it, but I’d love to hear your take (see what I did there?).
🍿 Brain snacks
Grüns is launching a pre-work gummy very aptly named Jüced. Love the bear holding a dummbell, so fun.
There’s growing talk about Klotho, a protein your body makes that may help shape long term cognition and Alzheimer’s risk and progression. Given my personal connection, I’m looking into this one more closely. (Thanks for sharing, Cory Z.!)
In not so great news, nearly one in 10 Americans have been diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime according to Gallup. Doesn’t that sound crazy high?!! 🙁
This national campaign is calling for women to get vulnerable in their OOO messages.
Apparently, a “fart walk” can help ease the pressure after a big meal. 😂 Technically, it’s in reference to Thanksgiving, buuuut figure the advice could apply to all holiday feasts!
A new “give-to-get” model is emerging in healthcare according to Nikhil Krishnan from Out of Pocket. I’ve noticed this, too. Would you swap access to your DNA or donate your blood, etc. for insights and free data? 🤔
This podcast episode was shared by 5HT+ Slack member, Jill R., and features a convo between Dax Shepard and an immunology researcher who had a rare disease and put himself into remission using off-label medication.
NYT is, er, very late to the game in talking about how people are uploading medical records to ChatGPT 😅. (FWIW, we talked about it in 5HT back in June.)
Oh—and a simple reminder to be kind and that we’re all going through our own invisible battles. 🫶
Most clicked last week: A suuuper close call between the VersaClimber’s Home Climber and Ikigai pill cases (still on sale!).
Want in on 5HT+? Two referrals get you in. Share your unique code with that one coworker who is always catching a cold or the friend whose Spotify Wrapped is most definitely suspicious, and join the chat. → {{ rp_refer_url }}
👋 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.