• When I was a kid, I thought adults follow the same path: fall in love, buy a house, and have kids.
• By the time I was 30, I hadn't reached any of those milestones.
• I've slowly realized the life plan never worked for me, and I'm OK with where I'm at now.

I have been a hopeless romantic for as long as I can remember. Not just in relationships, but in how I imagined my life would unfold.

Growing up in Mexico, I had a very specific idea of where I would be at 30. I thought I would be married with three kids, living in a big house in my hometown, surrounded by family and a stable routine.

Sometime in my 30s, I realized I had built a life completely different from the one I had planned. And that's OK.

I built my expectations based on what I saw growing up

As a kid and teenager, adulthood felt structured and predictable. The path was clear. You studied, built a career, found a partner, and settled down. Most of the adults around me followed or aimed for the same sequence. It created a sense of certainty.

My family reinforced those ideas in practical ways. Stability and staying close to home were important. Building a life that looked familiar to previous generations was seen as success. There was no formal pressure, but the expectations were always present in conversations, decisions, and examples.

Pop culture added another layer. Movies and television consistently showed people reaching major life milestones by their early 30s. Marriage, children, and home ownership were presented as the natural progression of adulthood. It made it feel universal.

For years, I made decisions assuming I was moving toward that outcome. I focused on education and career choices that would give me stability. I saw my 20s as preparation for the life I expected to have in my 30s. I did not question the plan because it felt like the only one available. But something started to feel off.

The further I went, the less the plan made sense

The shift did not happen all at once. It came through a series of decisions and realizations over time. Looking back, a lot of it came from following a playbook that was not written for me. It was shaped by a different generation, in a different economic and social context.

The more I tried to apply that model to my own life, the less it worked. The markers of success I had grown up with did not feel as accessible or even as relevant. Still, I kept moving forward, thinking that if I did enough of the right things, I would eventually arrive at the life I had imagined.

That belief shaped major decisions. I traveled around the world, moving from Mexico City to New York and later to London, partly driven by ambition and partly by the idea that progress meant getting closer to that version of adulthood.

But each move did the opposite. It created more distance from the life I had originally planned, while also exposing me to entirely different ways of thinking about work, relationships, and success.

By the time I reached my 30s, the gap was clear. I was not married. I did not have children. I did not own a house in my hometown (or anywhere else). At first, that difference was difficult to ignore. I compared myself to the timeline I had in mind and felt behind. Letting go of that comparison took time, especially because it was tied to how I had learned to define success growing up.

The differences forced me to define success on my own terms

Over time, I realized that the life I had planned was not actually built for me. It was assumed that my priorities would stay the same and that the world around me would not change. In reality, both had shifted.

Those decisions changed me. I am not the same person who dreamed of that plan. I no longer rely on inherited playbooks to guide my choices. I became more intentional about how I spend my free time and who I spend it with. Relationships became less about proximity and more about effort. Career decisions became less about following a linear path and more about building something sustainable and meaningful.

I also started to measure success differently. Instead of focusing on specific milestones by a certain age, I began to look at whether my daily life reflected what I valued. That included the type of work I was doing, the relationship I was building, and the environment I was living in.

My life is less predictable than I expected it to be at 30. I do not have the fixed structure I once associated with adulthood. However, I have more control over my decisions and a clearer understanding of what works for me. I know who I am. And I have peace. That's the best thing that could ever happen to me.

This 'as-told-to' essay is based on a conversation with Juli Ford, a 57-year-old real estate agent and certified senior advisor based in Massachusetts. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When my children were young, we saw my parents all the time.

We lived very close to each other in South Plymouth, Massachusetts, and my parents always helped with the kids. From the time they were born, Wednesdays were Grammy and Grampy Day.

My dad got sick in 2005. When we learned in the summer of 2011 that he probably didn't have much time left, we talked about what life would be like after he was gone, including where my mom would live.

When he passed in December 2011, my mom was not ready to live with us. At 68, she had never lived on her own. She'd been with my dad since she was 15.

Then, in April 2015, a house in Pembroke, Massachusetts, about 30 minutes from South Plymouth, came on the market. The second I saw it online, I thought, "Oh, this is perfect."

The house had a beautiful in-law apartment

The house is 4,300 square feet, and the basement is about 800 square feet. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

My mom fell in love with the home's basement apartment. It's full of beautiful natural light. It's one bedroom with a den, a full kitchen, a fireplace, its own laundry, 1.5 baths, its own outdoor patio, and two entrances.

We made an offer within two days. We bought the house in April 2015 for $630,000.

My mom had no interest in ownership. Instead, she made a financial contribution toward the down payment equal to what she would have paid in rent for the next five years.

She also gave us money every year for utilities. Last year, she started making a bigger monthly contribution to help cover household expenses. She essentially has not had to pay rent for 10 years, and as the house gets older, the cost of maintaining it grows.

It was a dream when we first moved in

My mom helped me a lot with my kids, especially with their schooling. My kids were 10 and 11 when she moved in, and they were homeschooled. We drove around a lot because we were going to museums and other activities in Boston. She sometimes helped with driving, and she became their English teacher because her first career was teaching English.

Grammy Wednesdays continued when we moved into the house, and my kids, who are 20 and 22 now, would go down and visit her on their own.

My mom has exceptionally good boundaries. I'm sure we did things differently than she would have done with our kids, but she's always been very good at keeping her opinions to herself.

My mom is still independent, but needs our help now

At 82, she's a bit less independent than she was 10 years ago because of health issues. Still, she has privacy: I don't know everything that she does all the time, and we can go days without seeing each other. Other times, we see each other a lot more often.

We have had a few medical emergencies with my mom, so I got in the habit of keeping my phone next to my bed. There have been a few times that she's had to call me.

I cannot imagine how much harder it would be to be a daughter of an aging mom if we weren't in the same house. I would be so much more concerned about her being alone and getting lonelier. It would be more time-consuming for me if I had to go somewhere else to support her.

The house gave us other financial benefits

In the beginning, the only financial benefit I really thought about of combining households was that we could get a nicer house than my husband and I could afford on our own.

Around the time we got this house, my brother's family went through a foreclosure after his wife had been hit by a drunken driver and had a traumatic brain injury. They had a lot of housing instability during that time because she was unable to work and had massive medical bills. They were not sure where they were going to live.

Because we combined households with my mom, we were able to tap into the equity in this house to help them. We took out a home equity loan and bought a small, lovely house, and rented it to them. We weren't really making any money on it, but the rent was paying the bills.

Within two years, they recovered their credit enough that they purchased the house from us. They were able to rebuild their financial well-being in that house.

We used the proceeds from the sale to buy a vacation property in Vermont, which we turned into an Airbnb for four years. When we sold it, we paid off our kids' student loans.

We were all able to build wealth because we combined households with my mom. We feel so proud and grateful. It's not something I saw coming 11 years ago.

I see multigenerational living as one of the most compelling solutions to our elder care and affordable housing crises. Bringing families together around this is really an underutilized solution.

A man with a mysterious case of full-body hives in Abu Dhabi. A Californian rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening allergic reaction. A fit, gym-going man in Texas with soaring blood sugar — inexplicably headed for pre-diabetes.

Doctors working on the bleeding edge of longevity care in high-end clinics around the globe — from concierge practices in wealthy enclaves of California to premier longevity centers in the Middle East — say they're seeing an uptick in both interest in, and injuries from, injectable peptides.

A peptide is simply a short chain of amino acids, too short to be called a protein. We have thousands of them in our bodies. Some are hormones like insulin, some help our muscles grow, some aid in healing. Injectable peptides promise people a boost on top of what nature delivers, such as deeper tanning, better fat burning, greater muscle growth, and improved wound healing. Still, rigorous human studies on these claims are often lacking.

As more people attend peptide "parties" and inject unknown substances sourced from friends or online dealers, doctors are sharing horror stories about some of the worst-case DIY peptide scenarios they've seen.

Many say they are putting out "fires" and dealing with bizarre, unexplained health issues that, after some medical investigation, end up being tied to unauthorized, grey-market peptide use. Injuries they've seen range from simple to serious, including minor injection site reactions and major hormonal disturbances.

Recently, at Dr. Nicole Sirotin's Institute for Healthier Living longevity clinic in Abu Dhabi, practitioners linked a case of full-body hives to an at-home peptide injection.

"These kinds of immune reactions," Sirotin said, "people might not be associating with the peptides."

That makes it hard to gauge how widespread peptide injuries are — from simple injection issues, to contamination, or improper dosing. Anecdotally, however, doctors say there's been a huge uptick in peptide use over the past year, fueled by influencers touting their benefits on social media.

Business Insider spoke to seven doctors, including some who use peptides in their practice and some who don't recommend them. They're concerned about growing interest in and willingness to experiment with unauthorized peptides.

Hives, messed-up hormones, and insulin resistance issues

People are drawn to peptides because they promise targeted, almost "shortcut" fixes for weight loss, muscle gain, and antiaging — often with little oversight from doctors.

They act like messengers in the body, influencing or acting as hormones that control growth, metabolism, and other key functions. Because these substances mimic normal hormonal processes in our bodies, they've developed a reputation as safe and "natural," though there are very few rigorous human studies to support that claim.

The effects of "stacking" multiple peptides into a daily or weekly regimen, including ones for fat loss, muscle growth, tanning, better hair and skin, have also not been studied.

Originally, bodybuilders were drawn to peptides for muscle gains and the promised benefits to physique. Then, post-COVID, biohackers were attracted to this style of do-it-yourself medicine, and now doctors told Business Insider that antiaging enthusiasts and affluent patients can't get enough of this stuff.

In Texas, Dr. Farhan Abdullah, the medical director at Magnolia Functional Wellness in suburban Dallas, said that over the past year, he's seen an uptick in moms, housewives, and "white collar people who are kind of approaching middle age" taking an interest in peptides.

"You look at RFK, and you look at what's going on, and you would think it's just a bunch of gym bros that are interested in peptides, and it's really not," he said.

There are dozens of peptides to choose from, and doctors stress that each should be evaluated individually.

Abdullah's patients tell the board-certified physician that they're often skipping the pharmacy, and sourcing their peptides online, or getting them secondhand from friends, like an injectable drug version of a Tupperware party.

In his worst-case scenario to date, one patient, who he described as a young "fit" man, developed early insulin resistance from a growth hormone-stimulating peptide that had him charting a course toward early diabetes. Because growth hormone and insulin counterbalance each other, excess stimulation may lead to insulin resistance, a risk not well studied in peptide use.

"This guy with no family history, he was a fit dude, he was jacked, he was working in the gym, had early insulin resistance," Farhan said.

Dr. Meena Verma, who runs Blue Coast Longevity clinic in Newport Beach, California, said one of her patients had a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to a peptide shot and landed in the hospital "that night."

"Obviously, we see it all over social media — Instagram influencers — everybody is pitching peptides," she said. "Where the patients are getting their peptides is a big concern."

Dr. Lisa Cassileth, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said the worst issues she has seen so far have been minor, such as injection-site redness from unsterile pokes or improper storage of peptides. Other issues with peptide injections can stem from contamination issues.

Not all doctors are entirely against peptides, especially when used in controlled settings. Cassileth prescribes some peptides to her patients when they are recovering from surgery, but wouldn't recommend injecting them all the time or obtaining them from online sellers.

"Peptides are just going to be another drug," Cassileth, founder and CEO of The Practice Healthcare, said. "We just have to learn how to use them correctly."

Cassileth uses the very popular "Wolverine" peptide BPC-157, a compound that will be up for debate at a July FDA meeting. It is often sold online "for research purposes only," meaning it's not human-grade.

Cassileth sources hers from state- and federally-regulated compounding pharmacies, licensed as "503A" and "503B," which are held to a higher standard. She said she often uses BPC-157 on her patients after surgery as it's marketed to promote faster wound healing and tissue repair, but said it's not something people should take every day. She called it a "one-week" peptide.

"There's no hormone or enzyme in your body that just hits you nonstop in high doses," she said.

While she believes that the anti-inflammatory and reparative benefits outweigh the risks for short-term use, she wouldn't put someone on it indefinitely. "Don't do excess because you don't know what it does yet," she said.

Cassileth is hopeful that the practice of using peptides will develop into a well-studied approach for various conditions and be marketed by major pharmaceutical companies.

"Pharmaceuticals — go for it," she said. "Please save us from this thing being in some kind of weird space where only functional medicine people prescribe it."

Could peptides solve aging? Maybe someday.

Other longevity-focused doctors take a more measured stance on peptides and said far more research is needed in humans before doctors start prescribing these substances.

Dr. Andrea Maier, a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore who runs the Chi Longevity Clinic at the Four Seasons there, said that the clinical evidence simply isn't there yet for a lot of these peptides.

"At the moment, we are hearing that peptides could solve the aging trajectory — and I think it might be right," Maier said. "I think we should study it well, to give it in a very well-regulated way."

When she hears of "peptide parties" and "peptide festivals," she worries about the potential for harm, where something is being injected with only "a thought that this might help."

Her concerns aren't just theoretical. Regulators are increasingly scrutinizing the fast-growing peptide market. The FDA has restricted several peptides over safety concerns and warned companies against selling unapproved versions online. In September, the agency announced it was cracking down on imposter versions of the weight loss shots semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide being imported from abroad.

Canadian authorities recently warned that unauthorized peptides can lead to hormonal imbalances, mood swings, blood sugar issues, organ damage, and tumor growth.

GLP-1 is the darling peptide

There is one all-star peptide that experts across the board said they endorse, use, and would like to study further for its effects on aging and longevity: GLP-1, the hormone-mimicking peptide behind Ozempic and Mounjaro.

"I have like 80% of my patients ask me about GLP-1s and 5% about peptides," Dr. Nima Afshar, a physician at Private Medical San Francisco, told Business Insider. "Even people that are pretty healthy, boy, they're thinking about [GLP-1s] because my patients are rational and they understand this is evidence-based, and it does seem to have some longevity benefit."

He doesn't broadly recommend the entire class of compounds, though. When his patients ask, "Should I be on peptides?" or say, "I've heard peptides can help" for things like an energy boost, improved muscle mass, or better libido, he generally says "no." Though he's open to adjusting that stance in the future as more data comes in.

Dr. Evelyne Bischof, who runs a healthy longevity medicine practice in Shanghai and Tel Aviv, said she is not "radically against" peptide use, but her patients only use FDA-approved peptides like Ozempic, "and only from very reliable providers." She has concerns about unauthorized peptides causing allergic reactions, or including extra substances that aren't listed on the label, like steroids.

"I don't think any scientists would be anti-peptide," Sirotin, the longevity doctor in Abu Dhabi, said. "We're just anti-self-experimentation with random molecules that are research-grade."

"Partly, the reason I think it's so concerning is because these are presumably healthy people who want to be healthier," she said. "The problem is you might be entering a one-way door, and you damage your liver, or you damage your kidneys."

• High-protein drink options have been expanding, from shakes to chips and even beer.
• I ranked 14 high-protein drinks and thought Fairlife's Core Power, OWYN, and Nesquik were the best.
• Some of the drinks had as much protein as a chicken breast.

It looks like the protein craze is here to stay, whether to help achieve personal fitness goals or to preserve muscle mass while taking GLP-1 medications.

Over the past few years, high-protein products have taken over grocery store aisles, from pasta to chips, and they don't seem to be slowing yet.

The US government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released earlier this year, emphasized the role of protein and dairy products in its recommended daily diet, although dietitians have cautioned against protein-maxxing at the expense of other nutrients.

More people are reaching for ultra-high-protein products, and if you remember the 1990s' meal-replacement milkshake craze, these drinks might feel a bit familiar.

Nutritional shakes — whether they're used by athletes seeking nutrients on the go, parents to supplement their growing children's diets, or adults with dietary needs seeking to pack in as many nutrients in a compact, easily digestible form — aren't new to everyone's diets.

To better understand the high-protein drinks on sale today, I visited two New York City grocery stores and picked up every drink that advertised its protein content, with the lowest having 12 grams of protein, which is as much as two eggs.

I tried every brand's chocolate flavor to best compare their tastes and ranked all 14 based on flavor, as well as considering their nutritional content and price-to-value.

In general, I looked for drinks that tasted chocolatey, were sweet enough to serve as a sweet treat without going overboard, and were overall enjoyable to drink on their own.

It's worth noting that many shakes on the market are considered ultra-processed foods, which the new government guidelines recommend avoiding.

Here's how I ranked them, from lowest to highest.

14. Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 210 calories

Protein: 16 grams

Added sugar: 7 grams

The taste of the Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake was what I could best describe as healthy.

The date-sweetened drink is packed with plant-based ingredients, including adaptogens like ashwagandha and maca root powders as well as tapioca prebiotic powder.

But taste-wise, they weren't as sweet-treat-like as some of the other shakes. It tasted strongly of cacao, but it felt a little chalky, and seemed saltier than it did sweet.

While I liked the drink's ingredients, I really disliked the taste. If you're looking for a plant-based, adaptogen-full drink that will also help you reach protein goals, this could be an option for you — but don't go into it expecting a sweet chocolate milk type of drink.

Flavor rating: 1/10

Overall rating: 6/10

13. Muscle Milk Zero Sugar Chocolate Protein Shake

Cost: $3.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 25 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar shake, I noticed just how dark and thick it was. Tasting it, I found that it was way too sweet for my taste. This, combined with the thick texture, made for a pretty interesting drinking experience — I had to wash down the shake with some water to follow up the sweet taste left in my mouth.

Although I couldn't finish drinking the small taste I'd poured myself, it also had the fewest calories and grams of sugar in the ranking, the highest fiber, and I felt like the protein payoff was great, which made the overly sweet taste feel more like a trade-off.

If you're trying to get half of your daily protein in as few calories as possible while also watching out for sugar content, this drink might be good to have on your radar … but you'll have to remind yourself of the nutrients in every sip.

Do it for the protein, bro.

Flavor rating: 3/10

Overall rating: 6/10

12. Koia Cacao Bean Protein Shake

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 190 calories

Protein: 18 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to some of the other protein drinks, I found Koia's Cacao Bean protein shake to be very thin and light in color when I first poured it.

Its flavor, as the name would indicate, is very cacao-bean forward. To me, it tasted exactly like cacao nibs, which can lean more nutty and earthy than chocolate-y.

In a statement to Business Insider, Koia said the Cacao Bean protein shake is "crafted to highlight cacao's naturally bold, slightly bitter profile rather than masking it with excessive sweetness or artificial flavoring," resulting in a flavor that "may be less sweet than traditional protein shakes."

The almond-based, monk-fruit-sweetened drink, which isn't too sweet and packs in plant-based ingredients like rice, pea, and chickpea protein and a prebiotic blend, wasn't one of my favorites for taste, although it was fairly competitive with the other options in terms of nutrients.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 5/10

11. Chocolate Sport Shake

Cost: $2.00 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 350 calories

Protein: 12 grams

Added sugar: 39 grams

I found the flavor of the chocolate Sport Shake to be one of the most enjoyable in the ranking, and it reminded me a lot of plain chocolate milk — it was very, very sweet. I also liked that it didn't taste too much like dairy, something that bothered me with other drinks in the lineup.

However, the drink's sweet and tasty flavor was overshadowed by its ultra-high added sugar content of 39 grams, or more than 9 teaspoons.

While the drink has some fiber in it, coming in with 3 grams, and it was the cheapest of the ranking, I couldn't justify that much sugar. I will probably not reach for this again.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 1/10

10. Nesquik Chocolate Low Fat Milk

Cost: $2.50 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

I was shocked when I learned that Nesquik's classic chocolate milk could be considered a nutritional drink.

At 14 grams of protein, as advertised on the bottle, the drink has more grams of protein per serving than other drinks labeled as protein drinks.

Tasting it was just as nostalgic as expected. Compared to some of the other drinks, however, I noticed it had a stronger dairy taste and was very sweet, with a total of 18 grams of added sugar.

I also noticed that the bottle recommended a portion of half a bottle, probably due to the drink's high sugar content, which would also result in half the protein intake overall.

I probably wouldn't have reached for this in adulthood if not to compare it here, and I probably won't really reach for it again.

Flavor rating: 6/10

Overall rating: 4/10

9. Muscle Milk Pro Knockout Chocolate Protein Shake

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 220 calories

Protein: 40 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

Like its low-sugar version, the Muscle Milk Pro looked dark and thick. Taste-wise, the drink was sweeter than chocolate-y, and I didn't love the flavor.

Although the drink packs an impressive 40 grams of protein in 14 ounces and 220 calories, has the highest ratio of protein to fluid ounces, and also has the highest fiber content in the list, the taste was one of my least favorites, and I had to wash it down with some water after tasting, as it had such a lingering flavor on the tongue.

When considering the nutritional aspects of the drink, however, I felt like the taste was a solid trade-off for one of the most protein-efficient drinks in the ranking, having the second-highest amount of grams of protein in a single bottle.

But if you're strictly going for the ultra-high-protein option, the Fairlife Core Power Elite — which comes later in this ranking — might be a better bet for flavor.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 7/10

8. OWYN Pro Elite Chocolate Protein Shake

Cost: $4.49 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 200 calories

Protein: 32 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the OWYN — which stands for Only What You Need — Pro Elite Protein Shake, it looked much thicker than some of the other drinks in the ranking.

It tasted vastly different from the others, too. The ingredients gave some clues as to why: The main ingredients — water, pea protein, pumpkin protein, and flaxseed oil — were completely different from the other shakes.

The plant-based, dairy-, soy-, and wheat-free drink, which contains 3 grams of prebiotics, uses monk fruit extract to sweeten its cocoa-heavy flavor, and also has a greens blend that includes spinach, kale, and broccoli.

I figured that the odd flavor I experienced was perhaps due to some of its most health-forward ingredients, like the greens blend.

In a statement to Business Insider, OWYN said that the exclusion of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols in the formula "sometimes means a more natural, earthy taste profile," when compared to their regular shake, which uses a blend of organic cane sugar and monk fruit.

Ultimately, I wasn't a fan of the taste and probably wouldn't reach for this drink again, although nutrition-wise, it was a solid ultra-high-protein plant-based option.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 6/10

7. Fairlife Core Power Elite Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 230 calories

Protein: 42 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

One of three protein shakes in Fairlife's line, the Core Power Elite shake was a bit thinner than many of the other drinks I tried.

It was less sweet than Fairlife's regular chocolate milk, which I didn't mind. However, it had a much stronger dairy taste — I don't love the taste of dairy milk, so this worked against the drink for me.

Still, its insane amount of protein — as much as a whole chicken breast — earned it extra points in my ranking.

This drink was something I didn't mind drinking, even if I wouldn't usually go for it. Even as a non-gym-bro, I would probably reach for this drink if I were trying to get well over half of my needed protein for the day in a single serving.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 8/10

6. Chocolate Nutrament

Cost: $2.50 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 330 calories

Protein: 15 grams

Added sugar: 29 grams

When I poured the chocolate Nutrament, I noticed its consistency was among the runniest in the ranking.

The drink, the second-cheapest drink in the lineup, tasted just like chocolate milk, although it was still a bit too sweet for me.

I also noticed it had a long ingredients list with many unfamiliar terms, but on closer inspection, some seemed to be added vitamins and minerals. The drink also had the second-highest added sugar content at 29 grams.

The high sugar and comparatively low protein knocked this drink down a few points for me, and although I enjoyed it, I probably wouldn't reach for this.

Flavor Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Fairlife Chocolate Ultra-filtered Milk

Cost: $3.29 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 23 grams

The second in Fairlife's line, its chocolate ultra-filtered milk, was another nostalgic offering.

It was very sweet, but if I were craving chocolate milk, this is definitely the option I would choose.

While it's not marketed as a protein drink, it contains 23 grams in a 14-ounce bottle and has the second-lowest cost per gram of protein.

Flavor rating: 7/10

Overall rating: 7/10

4. Rich Chocolate Boost Plus Nutritional Drink

Cost: $18.99 for a six-pack of 8-ounce bottles (or $3.17 for 8 fluid ounces)

Calories: 360 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

While some of the drinks in this lineup are aimed at the ultra-protein-efficient crowd and others are more directed at children, the Boost nutritional drink line is marketed toward adults with specific nutritional needs. The Boost Plus product, specifically, is aimed at adults hoping to gain or maintain weight.

Taste-wise, this was one of my favorites. The sweet and rich drink was very chocolatey, and it felt like a nice sweet treat.

With the product's purpose in mind, the drink's higher calories didn't bother me, and I was pleased to see its nutrition label flooded with vitamins and minerals.

Out of many of the options, this is one I could see myself reaching for solely based on its taste, even though I wish it had a higher protein content.

Flavor rating: 9/10

Overall rating: 7/10

3. Nesquik Protein Power Chocolate Milk Beverage

Cost: $3.00 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 290 calories

Protein: 23 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

When I poured this drink, I was surprised by how runny it was compared to some of the other options. I really enjoyed the taste, even if it wasn't exactly the same as the nostalgic chocolate-milk flavor of Nesquik's classic option.

In fact, I actually liked this one more, even before factoring in the added nutritional value. It was adequately sweet, not too dairy-tasting, and it didn't have the aftertaste that had put me off the classic option.

With 23 grams of protein, this drink could compete with some of its more nutrition-leaning counterparts. At $3 for a bottle, it was also one of the cheapest options with the highest protein content.

I could totally see myself reaching for this.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 8/10

2. OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake

Cost: $4.29 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 180 calories

Protein: 20 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to the higher-protein drink on OWYN's line, the regular protein shake wasn't as dark or as thick when I poured it.

While the OWYN Pro Elite had a taste I didn't like, the OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake had a simpler flavor that reminded me of chocolate milk.

It was very tasty and chocolatey, and I liked that it also had 3 grams of fiber.

Overall, this felt like a very solid option that I could see myself reaching for. It was also my favorite plant-based drink.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

1. Fairlife Core Power Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake

Cost: $4.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 26 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

While this drink didn't exactly feel like a dessert or chocolate milk since it leaned more chocolatey and cocoa-tasting than sweet — and it did have somewhat of a dairy taste — I still found it very enjoyable and a very nice pick for both taste and protein.

Tied with the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar for the lowest calories in the ranking, I found the Fairlife Core Power shake much more enjoyable and even winning by a gram in the protein category.

Overall, this drink had the best balance between flavor and nutrition, and I can see myself reaching for it whenever I need a quick post-workout pick-me-up or just want to get a significant portion of my daily protein on the go.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

• Meta and YouTube were found negligent in a landmark social media addiction trial.
• The case centered on a woman who said social media harmed her mental health from a young age.
• The case is viewed as a key test of how juries may see dozens of similar pending lawsuits.

Meta and Google were found negligent in a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, potentially setting the stage for dozens of similar lawsuits that have been brought against Big Tech companies.

The case centered on a 20-year-old woman, identified as KGM, who said her use of social media from a young age was detrimental to her mental health and accused the companies of knowingly engineering their products to addict kids.

After nine days of deliberation, the jury found Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google, which owns YouTube, negligent. In a 10-to-2 vote, the jury also ruled that the two companies knew their design was "dangerous" but failed to warn the plaintiffs.

The jury awarded the plaintiff $6 million. That's $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive damages.

The jury determined Meta was responsible for 70% of the harm, while YouTube was responsible for 30%. That means the total damages owed by Meta is $4.2 million, while YouTube owes $1.8 million.

The plaintiff's lead counsel, the Lanier Law Firm, called the verdict "a referendum" in a statement. "For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features," the statement said.

Spokespeople for Meta and Google both said the companies disagreed with the verdicts and plan to appeal.

"Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app," a Meta spokesperson said. "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."

"This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site," the Google spokesperson said.

The Los Angeles state court trial has been viewed as a bellwether, offering a key test of how juries may see similar personal injury lawsuits brought by over 2,000 individuals. Meta has said potential damages in certain cases could reach into the "high tens of billions of dollars."

TikTok and Snapchat were also defendants, but settled the lawsuit before the trial began.

Meta executives testified at the trial last month, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, drawing large crowds of media and concerned parents, including some involved in other social media addiction lawsuits. YouTube's VP of engineering, Cristos Goodrow, also testified.

The companies have argued that plaintiffs' struggles are due to myriad reasons and can't necessarily be linked to social media.

During Meta's closing argument at the Los Angeles trial, Paul Schmidt, one of the company's attorneys, said the plaintiff needed to prove that if Instagram were taken away from KGM, her "life would be meaningfully different."

"The evidence has shown just the opposite," Schmidt said.

In January, Meta warned investors that its mounting legal battles related to youth safety could "significantly impact" its 2026 financial results. Attorneys for more than 100,000 individual arbitration claimants have "sent mass arbitration demands relating to 'social media addiction'" since late 2024, the company said in a 2026 10-K, specifically noting the case in Los Angeles, as well as a separate case in New Mexico.

The New Mexico case, which occurred at the same time as the Los Angeles trial, addressed different legal and technical issues.

On Tuesday, a jury in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375 million after a verdict came down in the state's lawsuit against the company about sexual exploitation.

Meta said it would appeal the case.

• Mathilde Turco was unhappy with the appearance of her skin at 34.
• She considered cosmetic surgery and decided on a mini-facelift.
• The New Yorker flew to Seoul for the procedure, which, she said, gave her the desired result.

This interview is based on a conversation with Mathilde Turco, 34, a content creator and sales professional for an electrical contracting company from Brooklyn, New York. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Four years ago, when I entered my 30s, I began to notice sagging on my face and a general loss of elasticity, making me appear older than I was.

It really bothered me, especially when I was making videos as a content creator or having on-camera meetings in my sales job.

I'd pull my skin taut when I looked in the mirror, and it became a habit. As a perfectionist, I became a little obsessed and started thinking of ways to make my skin look younger.

The surgeons recommended a mini-facelift

Initially, I tried treatments such as resurfacing lasers and fillers, but I was still very aware of fine lines, especially around my mouth.

In the summer and fall of 2025, I consulted some cosmetic surgeons in New York about facelift surgery, and none of them said I was too young for it.

Instead, they recommended a mini-facelift, which is far less invasive than the deep-plane one I originally thought I needed, to also tighten my jawline. This would have involved a deeper scar.

Still, I was on a tight budget, so I widened my search abroad. I had online consultations with clinics in Tunisia, Colombia, and my native France before deciding on a place in the Gangnam district of Seoul.

South Korea attracted my attention because its cosmetic surgery industry uses innovative, high-tech techniques. I liked the natural look of the results.

I told my fiancé about my plans, but didn't tell too many other friends or family. I thought they'd be scared or tell me to wait until I'm older, but it's a very personal decision.

I'm a grown woman who can make up my own mind. I didn't want to worry them for no reason.

My girlfriend and I flew to Seoul a week before the surgery on February 9, 2026, and stayed for a total of a month.

I needed painkillers

One surgeon performed the mini-facelift — including an endoscopic forehead lift — and another doctor did my breast implants at the same time. The operation lasted around seven hours.

I woke up with some discomfort, but it was manageable with painkillers. There was a minimal incision around the hairline, and it started healing pretty quickly.

I was very careful and only ventured outside when the medical team said it was OK. Once the swelling and bruising had receded, I was able to go sightseeing with my friend again.

Back in New York City, I've been taking things easy as I fully recover. My eyebrows are still high, but they're settling back into place as each day and week go by.

The surgeon told me it would probably take up to six months for all the sensations in your temple area to return.

It's boosted my confidence

I did this for myself, and it's obviously not about him, but my fiancé seems to have appreciated the results. He's pleased that I'm pleased.

I look at my reflection and am so glad I went ahead with the procedure. I don't see those smile lines as much. It's given me a lot more confidence.

Some people have said, "Oh, you don't look that much different," which is fine by me. I want it to look as natural and as subtle as possible.

Jatee Kearsley built Je T'aime Patisserie in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with a mission to make high-quality French desserts accessible to everyone, including customers who pay with EBT.

A self-taught pastry chef who learned from YouTube and years of industry work, Kearsley went from losing money to tripling her sales after going viral. Despite the high ingredient costs, steep New York City rent, intense pressure, and emotional burnout, Kearsley has been dedicated to prioritizing community over profits.

• Candace Parker says one habit makes hectic mornings more manageable as a mom of three.
• "I'm a big Peloton person, so I like to do that and lift. I also use the sauna quite a bit," she said.
• The former WNBA star says even small beauty choices can reflect how she's feeling.

Candace Parker, 39, says she relies on one habit to get going on hectic days.

"I love slow mornings, but if I need a jolt because obviously the kids have school and work and all those things, I usually get up and work out," Parker told Byrdie in an interview published on Saturday.

The former WNBA player is a mom to three kids. She shares daughter Lailaa with her ex-husband, Shelden Williams, and sons Airr and Hartt with her wife, Anna Petrakova.

On those busy mornings, Parker often turns to a mix of cardio and strength workouts to get going.

"I'm a big Peloton person, so I like to do that and lift. I also use the sauna quite a bit," she said.

From there, she gets ready for the day and says even the smallest beauty choices can reflect how she's feeling.

"It's so funny because my friends can tell if I'm having a great day or not by whether my baby hair is done," she said.

Parker says her approach to wellness has evolved over the years. Looking back, she says she would've given her younger self more grace.

"As most athletes do, I kept moving the goalposts. Sometimes, it's okay to stop and smell the roses and realize this is what you worked your whole life for. This generation actually does that better — prioritizing mental well-being and self-care. It's inspiring," Parker said.

This isn't the first time Parker has spoken about how she stays fit.

Before retiring in 2024, Parker told Boardroom in 2023 that she prioritized working out even during the offseason, focusing on "really taking care of my body and making sure I'm getting my lift in."

In 2023, Parker also told Essence that Pilates challenged her more than she expected.

"Pilates is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she said. "I walked in there like, 'I'm strong! I lift weights.' This grandma [instructor] killed me, so I have tremendous respect for Pilates.'"

• Peng Lin Hua, 86, taught physics in China before retirement.
• He still leads an active life — in his 50s, he started doing headstands with his wife.
• Now, he exercises daily, enjoys brisk walks, and can do flips on a pull-up bar.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peng Lin Hua, an 86-year-old retiree in Singapore. It has been translated from Mandarin and edited for length and clarity.

Before I retired, I taught physics at a secondary school in China. While working as a teacher, I met my wife at an event. She was a chemistry teacher, and we hit it off right away.

We were as active as the students we taught, spending our free time playing badminton, basketball, volleyball, and table tennis.

In my 50s, I began practicing headstands after learning about the exercise from a Taiwanese health guru. I was already fit, but I was looking for a way to build strength and stave off aging-related illnesses.

Retirement didn't slow us down. My wife and I kept playing sports, and I continued long-distance running.

Most days, I wake up at 5:30 a.m., blend fresh apples into a puree, and have it before heading downstairs with my wife to exercise. We begin with a walk and gradually pick up the pace, incorporating light exercises like stretching along the way.

In the afternoons, at home, I like to sing with my wife. She plays the violin and the erhu, a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument.

Before I turned 65, I went running every morning. After that, my heart could no longer handle the strain, so I stopped and switched to brisk walking instead.

After that, I focus on building my core and upper-body strength with a series of exercises on the horizontal and parallel bars. I finish off my routine by doing headstands with my wife.

About 20 years ago, my wife and I began traveling regularly to Singapore to visit our daughter, who lives here with her family, and to spend time with our grandchild.

Our granddaughter has since graduated from university and no longer needs looking after, which means we are free to head out for walks and explore on our own.

About 10 years ago, I was exercising at a fitness corner, doing pull-ups and dips on the bars, when a man approached me and struck up a conversation. He joined me for my workout, and we got to know each other.

He told me he was part of a fitness group for older adults and encouraged me to join. That was how I became a member of Team Strong Silvers. We are a group of older adults committed to keeping our bodies strong as we age.

A lot of people don't expect us to move the way we do, so we're sometimes invited to healthy-aging workshops and exercise sessions to demonstrate our workouts and inspire fellow seniors to keep moving.

Now, my wife and I split our time between the two countries, typically spending half the year in Singapore during China's colder autumn and winter months, and returning to China in the spring and summer.

Staying active has spared me many of the aches and fatigue that often trouble older travelers. I rarely feel stiff on long flights or worn out after a full day of walking, and I credit years of regular exercise for that resilience.

• Olympic gold medalist and soccer star Abby Wambach said a colonoscopy at 35 likely saved her life.
• The test found polyps that, with her family history of cancer, put her at high risk.
• Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths under 50. Early screening is crucial.

At the height of her soccer career, Abby Wambach felt invincible.

A FIFA world champion, two-time winner of the Olympic gold with the US women's national team, and a record-setting goal scorer, she was at the top of her game and racking up awards.

"I was fit. I was capable. I was one of the best in the world, and I had medals to prove it," Wambach told Business Insider.

But when Wambach was 35, her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. Considered at risk because of her family history, Wambach underwent a colonoscopy. The procedure found she had polyps, abnormal growths in the colon that can become cancerous.

At the time, the recommended age for colon cancer screening was 50. While not all polyps become tumors, 15 years could have been more than enough time for Wambach to develop cancer, potentially at a stage too late for treatment.

"If I didn't get that screening and waited, that absolutely could have killed me," she said.

Now, as colon cancer has become the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths in Americans under 50, Wambach is urging others to get screened.

She and her fellow Olympian, soccer champ, and podcast co-host Julie Foudy are raising awareness by partnering with Cologuard, a non-invasive, at-home stool test for adults 45 and older at average risk.

"It's one of the most preventable forms of cancer if you get screened," Foudy said. "Even if you feel fine, you have to get screened. It doesn't take that long."

Colon cancer cases are rising in young people

Wambach said colon cancer can affect anyone. As a pro soccer star, she was used to being in tune with her body to perform at an elite level. She never expected to have an abnormal colonoscopy, and she almost couldn't believe the results.

"When the doctor came and told me when I'm coming back from anesthesia, I was like, 'This can't be true,'" Wambach said. "It doesn't matter who you are; this can happen to anyone."

Early detection of colon cancer is key because the disease is highly treatable in the initial stages.

Symptoms of colon cancer often occur only in later stages, when the disease has spread elsewhere in the body, and the odds of survival are significantly lower.

"If you are feeling symptoms from colorectal cancer, it is too late," Wambach said.

That means it's crucial to understand potential risk factors, such as family history. Wambach said her mom's diagnosis was a turning point for the whole family to get screened.

"I just remember vividly the process that she went through, how scary it was, and how important it was for all of us to learn this," she said.

Colon cancer screening should start at age 45 for most people, according to the American Cancer Society. That's five years earlier than previously recommended, due to the growing number of early-onset cancer cases.

However, anyone with colon cancer risk factors, such as a genetic history or symptoms such as rectal bleeding, should get screened earlier.

A colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer testing. Still, simple at-home stool tests like Cologuard are available for people 45 and older who are at average risk. Stool tests need to be done more frequently — every three years — and abnormal results require a follow-up colonoscopy.

Foudy, 55, has used the test herself. She said it's conveniently done in about 10 minutes at home and should be standard practice, but many women her age aren't up to date on screenings.

"I'm around active, healthy women all the time. I had a friend the other day who said, 'I've never gotten screened,'" she said. "What are you doing? This is too easy. Go get it."

• I took my first Peloton cycling class ever — in person.
• Led by Jess King, the 30-minute workout flew by and felt like a party.
• Despite the popularity of its virtual classes, Peloton is finding other ways to grow its business.

Admittedly, I missed out on the pandemic-era Peloton hype.

Even though most of my friends couldn't fit the iconic exercise bikes into their cramped New York City apartments, they still enjoyed the perks of a membership.

They'd do audio-only classes and keep up with the brand's rising stars. By osmosis, I knew who Ally Love was, and that she was teaching a themed ride to celebrate her wedding.

Years later, Peloton has had to adjust to a changing market. It reopened its in-person classes in 2022, launched AI-powered coaching features, and recently announced the launch of commercial gym bikes and treadmills.

After a pandemic-era subscriber surge and subsequent slowdown in growth, Peloton worked to find new ways to compete with in-person gym offerings, while also dealing with direct at-home workout competitors like Echelon and Tonal.

Amanda Hill, Peloton's SVP of Global Content Strategy and Programming, told Business Insider that the brand plans to triple its in-person events in 2026, including collaborations with SXSW, F1, and the London Marathon.

"Human connection is an essential part of our magic formula," Hill said. "Stoking community fuels our strong membership retention."

So when I got an invite from Culturelle Probiotics to try an in-person cycling class with Jess King, their chief wellness ambassador, I was intrigued. Having never taken a Peloton class before, I was curious: Would the experience feel as dazzling to someone who hadn't developed an attachment to its instructors?

I was starstruck despite being unfamiliar with Peloton

Before the class, the group of journalists and wellness influencers received a brief tour of Peloton's facilities. It has the feel of a traditional gym and polished content operation — where small, in-person classes double as live broadcasts to its global subscriber base.

Located in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan, the studio spanned two floors and was probably the most pristine gym I've ever been in.

We glimpsed into one production room for the brand's virtual yoga class, a lone mat in front of loads of film equipment.

I could imagine the excitement of someone who took years of Peloton classes — to them, this would be the equivalent of a Hollywood tour.

The class felt like a production, too. The lights were dimmed to a universally flattering purple, and a Peloton employee adjusted everyone's bikes and helped them lock their shoes to their pedals.

Before King, who's one of the brand's stand-out personalities, emerged, an announcer mentioned going on the "ride of our lives." I turned to the woman next to me, who blurted out exactly what I was thinking: "This is like Disney World."

While I'm personally used to a lot less fanfare in my fitness classes, the intentionality felt nice. This wasn't just another workout squeezed in between waking up and hustling to work. It was 30 minutes of intense cycling mixed with the brand's signature affirming energy.

Peloton fans who attend these classes typically register up to six weeks in advance. The ones visiting New York treat signing up similarly to getting rush tickets to Broadway, employing all the tricks to ensure they snag a spot to see their favorite Peloton stars.

It isn't a class: It's an event, after all.

The class flew by because it felt like a party

Never having taken a virtual class with King, who, before Peloton, was a professional dancer and even a finalist on "So You Think You Can Dance," I still felt like I was in the midst of a celebrity when she entered the stage in fully bedazzled cycling shoes.

King seamlessly walked us through how to adjust our bikes' resistance with the muscle memory of someone who's done this since 2014. She possessed the same charisma and discipline of a seasoned actor. King also emphasized letting go and having fun with her EDM soundtrack — a less common gym class instruction, in my experience.

The 30-minute class zoomed by. Even as a complete newbie, the gear was easy to use, and there was enough variety to keep the class neither too boring nor tediously challenging.

King's words of encouragement, delivered with the cadence of a fitness star, also helped everyone relax into the workout.

It was a well-oiled production, which, ironically, is what made it feel so organic and fun.

Peloton isn't building more studios anytime soon

That being said, at this time, the brand isn't investing in building more studios outside its existing ones in New York and London.

I can understand the move. As someone who's attended my fair share of classes at both luxury gym franchises and mom-and-pops, many have fallen into the same trap: wanting to make more money through rapid expansion at the expense of gym-goers.

Eventually, this can lead to more squished and precarious circumstances. Three people sharing a strength training station. Rushing to snatch the last pair of dumbbells that work for you. Suddenly, you feel less like a member and more like a body to stuff into a studio.

Peloton exploded in popularity because of its personalities and how safe they made their fans feel during an otherwise unstable time in their lives. I appreciate Peloton holding on to that magic like a card to its chest — even when it's tempting to just be like every other fitness brand.

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Colon cancer just got younger

Do you know the subtle signs and symptoms to look out for if you have colon cancer? Would you want to know, based on the research?

Even before March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by the way, Business Insider has been laser-focused on covering how colon cancer not only affects our bodies, but our wallets. Our reporters and editors have spoken with over 100 patients, clinicians, researchers, and economists to analyze and document how this disease affects families, careers, and financial stability in younger patients.

This effort comes as colon cancer has officially been named the deadliest cancer in the US, replacing breast cancer and lung cancer, and shocking cancer researchers. And while the absolute number of colon cancer deaths in people under 50 is still small, the trend for young people with colon cancer is "going in the wrong direction," health correspondent Hilary Brueck writes.

Researchers believe that an unidentified change is driving the rise in colon cancer diagnoses. "It's some either environmental or behavioral exposure that was introduced in the last half of the 20th century," cancer epidemiologist Rebecca Siegel told Business Insider. "Whatever this change in exposure was, it's having a much larger influence on cancer development in the rectum."

To lower your risk, here are a few resources to read and bookmark:

• Take these steps to lower your risk of colon cancer at any age
• The early taboo symptoms millennials are afraid to tell their doctors about
• Colonoscopies are no fun. These at-home colon cancer screenings offer a shortcut.
• What colon cancer really costs in your 30s
• 5 young colon cancer patients share their lessons from living with the disease

• A "worry window" involves scheduling time to worry each day to prevent stress consuming our lives.
• The goal is delaying worrying to stay in the present moment, giving you more control.
• Health reporter Kim Schewitz felt more productive after trying it, but the pay-off wasn't big enough to keep going.

They say the only constant in life is change, but in my case, worry is on the list too.

How will I get my to-do list done in time? What if my alarm doesn't go off in the morning? Did I wish my cousin a happy birthday last month? Do my friends secretly hate me? Besides being relentless, taunting, and stressful, listening to my internal monologue is, frankly, time-consuming.

It feels like it robs hours of my life, draining my energy, and taking me out of the present moment. That's why, when my editor said she was looking for someone to try a technique designed to ease stress called a "worry window," I volunteered.

The technique involves making a note, mental or physical, when worries enter your mind throughout the day, and deferring thinking about them until a designated 15 to 30 minute window in which your only job is to, well, worry.

The aim is to delay worry and redirect attention to the present, over time giving you more control over anxiety.

There is no set way to do the worrying, but psychologists I spoke to recommended writing or typing out worries at around the same time each day in a relatively comfortable spot, but not in bed (you don't want to associate bedtime with worry).

"The muscle to build is to recognize you've written it down, it's going to be saved for your structured worry time, and then to redirect your attention," Dr. Simon Rego, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, told me.

In his experience, pretty quickly, people realize that if they defer worrying and stay in the moment, the anxiety starts to die down.

The worry window draws on key strategies used in cognitive behavioural therapy, rooted in the idea that our thoughts and actions impact how we feel, Rego said. Through discussion with a therapist and practical exercises, CBT is "a way of not getting stuck in just how you feel, but learning to see how what you feel is influenced by, and influences, your thoughts and actions," Rego said.

The worry window was created for people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, he added, but can be helpful for anyone experiencing stress.

I had found myself more stressed than usual. Fretting constantly over my seemingly never-ending to-do list and struggling to relax at the end of the day. I was skeptical that the technique would make any difference, but I was willing to give it a shot.

I worried for 10 minutes a day for 2 weeks

For two weeks between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., I sat at my desk with a notebook and pen, and set a timer for ten minutes.

I spent most of the time writing out a list of everything I needed to do, and dividing it into urgent (to be done today) and less pressing (in the coming days). I also noted down approximately how long I thought each task would take, to help me plan.

I spent the rest of the time writing about my stress-related thoughts and feelings.

In retrospect, I probably should have done the suggested 15-minute minimum, since studies testing the efficacy of worry windows used 15 to 30-minute sessions, but that felt unrealistic for me at the time.

As my insurmountable to-do list was a big part of my stress, I didn't set any rules or intentions, to make my worry sessions as stress-free and fluid as possible.

Knowing I would worry later helped me dismiss worries in the moment

Pretty soon after I started using the worry window, I noticed some small but tangible differences in how I coped with stress.

Writing down everything on my mind during the day helped me figure out what to prioritize, and I often realized I was making a mountain out of a molehill. It turned out that remembering to fold laundry or reply to a friend's message did not warrant triggering my fight-or-flight response.

I feel like I got more done during the two weeks than I usually would. Instead of spending time worrying about my to-do list, scheduling tasks reassured me they were taken care of. I was able to identify and do what was urgent, and let go of what wasn't. Similarly, when a pang of stress randomly hit me during the day, I often found that reminding myself I had already worried about this thing, or was scheduled to, helped me to dismiss it.

I also found myself using other CBT techniques I learned in the past, like analyzing thoughts, during the worry window. For example, I would write down the more existential worries I was having or negative self-talk, and that would help me see how mean I was being to myself and notice familiar patterns. That helped me unhook from those thoughts and feel better.

It's wasn't fun

The biggest challenge was sitting down and doing my worry window every day, because it wasn't particularly enjoyable.

It was another daily task and, after a long day, I generally just didn't feel like it. Admittedly, there were a few days when I was in the office and had a social plan after work that I ended up not completing my worry window.

Dr. Sarah Berger, a psychologist based in Bethesda, Maryland, who specializes in CBT and anxiety and often uses worry windows with clients, told me that my experience is common. "The major downside of this technique is getting people to do it," she said, "nobody enjoys this activity. It's not fun. It's not supposed to be fun."

But people who practise regularly typically get great results, she said. She recommended committing to a "short, almost training period of 'let's try this every day for two weeks and see how it works,'" she said.

Next time, I'll follow the rules strictly, for longer

After my two-week experiment, I stopped scheduling time to worry. I felt like I hadn't seen enough of an improvement to muster the discipline required to do a fairly unpleasant activity every day. However, after speaking to experts, my perspective on this changed a little.

As someone with entrenched worrying habits, I would probably need to follow the rules more strictly and continue for longer to see significant, long-lasting results.

Rego said to ask yourself: "How chronically have you worried in your life? Is it new? Does it seem to have emerged in the last few months, or have I been a worrier for my entire life?'

"Some of those factors can influence the amount of time required to really retrain the way you think," he said.

Initially, I thought of the worry window as a potential life hack, but, as with most things good for our health, it's not a quick fix.

"It's a short-term sacrifice, like going to the gym where you're going to feel some pain today for the long-term gain of making progress towards some sort of life balance or worry control," Rego said.

I plan to try again when I'm ready to fully commit.

• Srdjan Stakic vibe-coded a security camera system for his parents to ensure their safety.
• Stakic used vibe-coding platform Lovable to get started, as well as popular AI chatbots.
• His vibe-coded software became the basis for his AI-assisted startup Alvis.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Srdjan Stakic, 49, a former film producer who vibe-coded an AI system to monitor his elderly parents and detect falls. He's now launching a company that aims to offer the technology to others. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was diagnosed with stage four cancer two years ago, AI became essential.

Everything was happening so quickly: The doctors would talk to me for 15 minutes and leave me with more questions than answers. AI gave me an objective way to document and make sense of what was happening.

I'm now in remission. As my health improved, my parents' health declined, and I began helping them with cooking, cleaning, and medical appointments.

English was not their first language, and communicating with healthcare providers was tough. I recorded our conversations with their doctors and compared them to the after-visit summary using AI. I would put together all this information and translate it into Serbian for them.

But I soon wanted more than what the chatbots could offer. I wanted a system that could observe what was happening with my parents, or any other patient, and assess it through the lens of safety and dignity. I would think of how much guilt I'd feel if something happened and I wasn't there. What kind of son would I be?

I had never coded before, and I didn't have millions for an initial investment

I don't have a background in coding. I have a doctorate in health education and a master's in film production, and I have produced some films of my own.

I started outlining my idea with Gemini and ChatGPT to examine it from a tech and ethical standpoint. I built this document of what I wanted to achieve. I kept asking my family how they wanted to be treated in each scenario — like a fall or medical emergency — and I wanted to make the system flexible.

Then I transferred to Lovable. Lovable gave me a live development environment where I could describe what I wanted, see it built in real time, test it, and iterate. It connected the pieces, the frontend, the backend, the database, the authentication, the integrations, things I did not even know I needed until they were there. The chatbots helped me plan. Lovable helped me build.

I uploaded hundreds of training videos for nurses and healthcare providers to train the AI. I created a high-fidelity validation pipeline and a labeled dataset. I labeled real-world caregiving footage with established clinical benchmarks, like Stanford's C-I-CARE framework. When you approach a patient and introduce yourself, you tell them why they're there, you ask the patient's name and pronouns, and you introduce what you're about to do. You explain next steps and see if they have any questions or concerns.

I also started building an AI equipped with cameras to identify falls. I would fall in the middle of my living room and see whether the system recognized that and how long it would take.

It took me a few months to make it work

I tried different cameras and protocols, but ultimately, I had to hire an IT company to help me connect multiple cameras. The system can now identify a fall and send notifications to loved ones or EMS, and provide their location with a brief summary of their health records. The system also analyzes interactions between caregivers and my parents. It's sophisticated enough to analyze in real time — based on audio and video — if a caregiver is being rude or unprofessional. My parents have felt safer since I built this. I also built a feature that scans their environment for any trip hazards, such as cables.

I don't want to spy on my family, so I don't actively review all the video footage. When a concern is flagged, the system clips approximately 30 seconds around that moment and notifies mewith a summary of what it observed and why. It can also generate an advocacy letter from that same analysis: what was said, what was done, and how the interaction compares to the C-I-CARE framework to evaluate caregiver conduct.

I launched a company to offer this tech to others

This all started as an idea for my family, but the more I talk about it, the more people tell me they wish they had this for their parents. So I decided to launch a startup, called Alvis, to make this system available to others.

It detects falls in real time, recognizes when a caregiver goes above and beyond, and generates advocacy letters when something goes wrong. It's in private beta and accepting waitlist applications for our pilot cohort, launching April 13. The model will be a monthly subscription, similar to what families already pay for camera cloud storage, with a premium tier for AI-assisted analytics.

This week, my mom was hospitalized, and I used AI in four ways

First, I used it as a real-time medical interpreter: Every lab result went straight into Claude, so I understood what was happening immediately, not the next morning when a doctor was free.

AI was also my clinical advocate. When a history and physical exam understated her cancer history, Claude caught it. When her glucose started climbing from steroids, Claude flagged it.

Third, I used AI to translate updates into patient-friendly language in both English and Serbian.

Finally, Alvis — the camera system I designed — was running live in her hospital room all night, with her permission and a nod from her care team. It picked up her saying in Serbian, quietly, that she had endured too much. It flagged when I visited, and we recorded ourselves together.

It's amazing to see how vibe coding is democratizing access to AI tools. You can build a company that helps a very niche group that needs a specific thing. I still don't fully understand code or the extent of what I built, but it seems to be working.

• A dietitian created a simple template that helps her build balanced but enjoyable meals.
• Hailey Gorski anchors her meals in satiating protein and micronutrient-packed fiber.
• She focuses on what she can add to her plate rather than what she can remove.

Hailey Gorski has a simple rule for making delicious meals that fit her nutrition goals: PPP, or produce, protein, portion.

The 28-year-old dietitian based in Los Angeles anchors her meals in protein, to help her feel full, and nutrient and fiber-packed produce, such as veggies and beans.

To portion her food, she takes a plate and fills about half with produce, about a quarter with protein, and high fibre carbs and maybe some healthy fats for the remainder, she said. PPP can be applied to any meal.

"That's kind of how I visualize my plate and then I reverse engineer my meals from that," Gorski told Business Insider.

She developed the simple template to help her clients who want to lose weight, because she noticed they would often fall into the trap of adopting an all-or-nothing mindset, which was tripping them up.

Clients thought "either I'm super healthy and I'm eating at home, or I'm dining out and eating fast food and junk food and more convenience foods, and I'm being 'unhealthy,'" Gorksi said.

"When you give people a template 'produce, protein portion,' it makes it a lot easier to find healthy options that align with your goals," she said.

Following this template helped Gorski lose 20 pounds in 2016, without cutting out her favorite foods.

"What's great about it is it helps you build the plate, but also helps you shift from the deprivation to the abundance mindset," Gorski said.

When it comes to weight loss, eating balanced, nutritious meals that don't feel restrictive is crucial to long-term success, she said.

PPP rule-approved meals Gorski eats on repeat:

High-fiber, high-protein pasta

• High fiber pasta (portion)
• Ground beef in marinara sauce (protein)
• Three different frozen vegetables added into the sauce (produce)

Low-lift wraps

• High-fiber tortilla wrap (portion)
• Turkey slices (protein)
• Guacamole and arugula (produce)

Grain bowls

• Grilled chicken (protein)
• Tomato, cucumber, red onion salad (produce)
• Wholegrain pita, hummus, olives (portion)

• My wife and I moved to New York City with hopes of building a vibrant community.
• When my son was born, our priorities shifted, and we eyed a house near my in-laws in Delaware.
• We left New York City behind and couldn't be happier.

Two years before our son was born, my partner, Liv, and I moved to New York City to immerse ourselves in the city that never sleeps. She was working full-time and pursuing a master's degree at Columbia, while I was figuring out what it meant to be human after I quit my tech job.

We dreamed of the community and opportunity that awaited us in that glorious place of concrete and glass. After the loneliness COVID brought, I fantasized that we'd meet other adults who shared enough of our values to create a tight community in New York City, one that was more than just friends.

But everything changed after our son was born.

We moved to New York City to live our dream life

My sister-in-law, her boyfriend, and a handful of friends already lived in New York City. The region's high population density came with the promise of new close relationships.

Within six weeks, we sold our house in suburban Maryland and moved into a New York City apartment, sight unseen.

Living in NYC is like gripping life's volume knob with both hands and cranking it up past the breaking point. The city offers an unmatched variety of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings to the privileged people who can afford it.

Some nights over the next year, I sat on our windowsill, admiring the twinkling cityscape teeming with life. I was making new friends, but I wasn't seeing a path to the fantastical relationships with other adults that I thought would come easily.

The question of whether or not to expand our biological family also hung heavily in my mind.

After an errand to the Financial District, I shared a transformative conversation with a tourist couple from rural Germany. We talked about their children, and I revealed my ambivalence about having my own.

The man's response was warm and adamant: Having children is the best. There's never going to be a right time. Just do it.

We hugged, took a selfie, and parted ways. Six months later, having learned countless lessons from the city and its people, Liv was pregnant with our first child.

Our priorities shifted after the birth of our son

Shortly after our son was born and I became a stay-at-home dad, our family reached a decision point. We could not afford to live in New York City and enjoy our preferred lifestyle. We needed more space and more help.

A house in my in-laws' neighborhood was put up for sale at an attractive price. Liv's desire burned for this home and the comfort of neighbor-parents, but I was unconvinced. Leaving my community and moving to Slower Lower Delaware felt like a massive downgrade.

As our son's eyes opened and he began to crawl, my priorities shifted toward my growing family. Whenever my mother-in-law trekked up to the city to help with childcare, I felt rested and loved. If we moved, her love and nurturing spirit would be just down the road.

I chose to be excited about the move, focusing on the reasons it felt good, like the familial help, lower financial pressure, and quieter calm.

We bought the house and moved after our son's first birthday.

An unexpected step toward a dream come true

I am fortunate enough to both love and like my family, including the family I inherited from Liv. With this type of love comes a web of commitment to the well-being of all members of our system. Societal norms make the depth of this commitment far more accessible to family than it is to friends.

In an alternate universe, there's a version of myself whose hyperlocal community consists of friends and family, where our children have sprawling chosen families and roam freely between homes. In this imaginary village, shops and services are walkable, and what we make transcends money. I thought we might make this happen in New York City. Maybe it can for others, but it didn't for me.

Perhaps that idealized universe is actually this one, only set a few years in the future. The open-door policy we happily share with my in-laws is a part of the dream made real.

• Dani Aravich is a 29-year-old Paralympian who grew up playing sports.
• After college, Dani was introduced to the possibility of competing in the Paralympics.
• She now competes for Team USA in the Paralympic Games in track and field and cross-country skiing.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation Dani Aravich, Paralympian and cofounder of Culxtured. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Boise, Idaho, playing all the typical sports — soccer, basketball, softball — and eventually got recruited to a Division I school to compete in track and field.

After college, I worked for an NBA team. And while working there, I learned about the Paralympics for the very first time. It had never really been on my family's radar growing up, so it never felt like an option for me as a kid.

Learning about the Paralympics also meant being introduced to the disability community in a way I never had before. I hadn't grown up around many people with disabilities, and suddenly I was meeting all these athletes who, like me, had disabilities and were fiercely competitive in sport.

It was a little overwhelming at first, but also really exciting.

I started thinking about the Paralympic Games

I started diving into everything I could find about the Paralympics and eventually learned that I actually qualified for a classification.

That's when the dream began to form. Maybe I could make the Trials for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

In 2019, I started running again, mostly training on my own while working full-time. I went to my first para track meet that year and met other women who were missing a hand or had arm impairments like mine. For the first time, it felt like I might truly be competing on an even playing field.

But that same day, I nearly walked away from it all.

I was running well until I fell on the track with 10 meters left in the race. I remember thinking maybe that was my sign to quit and go back to the traditional career path I had been on.

My mom — who had actually been hesitant about me stepping away from my business career in the first place — was the one who told me I had already put months of work into this goal. I owed it to myself to at least see it through and not let one fall end the dream.

So I kept going.

I decided to focus on Nordic skiing

Not long after that, I was invited to try Para cross-country skiing at a camp. I had downhill skied before, but cross-country skiing is a completely different sport.

In 2021, I competed in the T47 women's 400m at the Tokyo Paralympic Games (which were delayed a year because of COVID). Just six months later, I competed again at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

After that, I made the decision to step away from track and focus fully on Nordic skiing, leading into the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy.

And here I am now.

The dream of becoming a Paralympian came much later in life for me than it does for a lot of athletes. Mostly because I didn't even know it existed growing up. I had never seen it in the media, never heard about it as a possibility.

This year, I've been in Europe since early January, first for the World Cup season, now the Paralympics.

One of the things that's made these Paralympics especially meaningful is being able to invite friends and family to come watch in person. Four years ago, that wasn't possible because of Covid restrictions.

I love seeing kids watch us race

For Nordic skiing, we're based in a tiny town in Italy, which is pretty remote from some of the other venues. But the town has completely embraced the Games. One of my favorite moments has been watching local school kids come out to watch us race.

And it really does feel like the Paralympics are growing.

More people are watching. The media is paying attention to the drama and intensity of the competition. Online engagement is growing. It finally feels like the world is starting to see these athletes the way we've always known them to be — elite.

Once people watch the Paralympics, they realize the competition is just as intense as the Olympics. And once they see that, they're hooked.

More broadly, I think society is shifting in a really positive direction when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Humanizing disability and making it something we talk about openly — rather than something hidden away — is incredibly important.

Not just for the Paralympics. But for society as a whole.

• At the weekend reading retreat I attended, our intergenerational group bonded over more than books.
• We had thoughtful discussions, did a guided meditation, and went on a hike in the woods.
• I came home inspired by the other retreat members and our shared connection.

In my 30s, I joined a book club but soon dropped out. Between juggling work and family, the last thing I needed then was another deadline, even a read-for-fun one.

Flash forward decades: I'm in my 60s now, the kids have flown the nest, and I have more downtime and love all things outdoorsy.

So when a friend suggested All Booked, a luxe reading retreat for women in New York State's Catskill Mountains, I was excited to try book clubs again, especially this one-off weekend version.

When I signed up, I imagined lengthy chats surrounding the retreat's featured trending book: "Mother Mary Come to Me," a memoir by prize-winning author Arundhati Roy. We certainly had those.

But what made the literary getaway especially meaningful were the casual connections we shared as total strangers — eight women in our 20s to late 60s — about life, love, and living with intention.

The retreat's luxe cabin was the perfect place for book chats and a reset

Tucked among 12 wooded acres in Windham, New York, the weekend retreat's luxury log cabin was straight out of Airbnb central casting, complete with pine exposed beams, stone floors, and a dramatic great room with soaring vaulted ceilings and cozy reading nooks.

The first night, we met our host, Suzanne, a former New York City journalist who headed to the Catskills a few years ago and never left.

We introduced ourselves with a favorite book recommendation over an Indian-inspired dinner of delicata-squash salad and curry-marinated chicken, a nod to featured author Roy, who calls New Delhi home.

After changing into our PJs, we gathered on yoga mats in the cabin's loft for a guided meditation before padding off to our log beds.

Introductions continued the next morning over a breakfast of blueberry scones and homemade granola.

Among us were two 20-something bookstagrammers, each with her own daunting stack of extracurricular romantasy novels to speed-read.

Their tripods and ring lights triggered the multitasking question that seemed to trail many of us these days wherever we went: Should we turn an experience into shareable content or power down and just enjoy it, conceivably leaving likes, followers, and revenue (from somewhere) on the table?

Aside from planning to snap a few photos, I am Team Commune with Nature.

Our multigenerational group bonded over books, nature, and a lively debate

After a morning of quiet reading time, our group met at the Windham Path for an afternoon of forest bathing, which turned out to be a slow-motion hike led by Beth, our certified forest therapy guide.

Beth, who left a corporate job to embrace her calling as a forest therapist, invited us to wander off and "connect with a tree you are drawn to."

After appreciating the bark, treetops, and stillness, we reunited with a tea ceremony. Beth poured tiny cups of tea steeped from pine needles from an insulated kettle.

Before sipping the sour reddish liquid, we were instructed to pour some on the ground to give back and thank the forest for its sustenance.

During Saturday night's dinner, Suzanne moderated our discussion of "Mother Mary Comes to Me," about Roy's complicated relationship with her mother, Mary, which eventually led to this question for the group: Is it OK to go no-contact with your parents if they upset you?

The 20-somethings were Team No-Contact, while those of us in midlife and beyond disagreed because bad-parenting moments come with the territory, and well, family is family.

Our POV tracked with the memoir's theme: Roy remained stubbornly devoted to her mom despite their lifelong turbulent relationship.

The connection and community I found that weekend reminded me that life is full of possibilities

The next day, I came home intoxicated with pine-scented fresh air and nurtured by the experience.

Confession: In this chapter as an empty nester, I often feel nestless. It's almost like I'm back in my 20s, asking fundamental questions again, such as: What should I do now? Where should I live now that I don't have to be tied to a good school system?

However, spending the weekend with retreat members, including Suzanne and forest-bathing Beth, who've made bold midlife moves, reminded me that life is an open book, filled with exciting possibilities.

Meanwhile, I've been really noticing the trees during my daily walks, brushing up on my vlogging skills (inspired by the bookstagrammers' industriousness), and seeking out even more ways to meet new friends of all ages.

• Winston Hall works out seven days a week and spends up to five hours a day outside on his bike.
• The 77-year-old has been super-fit since he was drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War.
• He wants other seniors to follow his lead by gradually increasing their movement.

This interview is based on a conversation with Rena Clare, 67, a retired professional photographer from Omaha, Nebraska. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I wasn't particularly sporty in high school. Golf was just about it. The whole idea of fitness or having a healthy lifestyle wasn't much of a concept.

Then, in 1969, I was drafted into the US Army, assigned to the First Cavalry Division, and completed basic training before being deployed to Vietnam.

I enjoyed running

In basic training, you had to run three miles before breakfast. Then, during the day, you were always on your feet.

I found that I really enjoyed running and looked forward to doing it. It made me feel more energetic. But I hadn't really connected the dots when it came to food. I ate a standard American diet, including red meat and potatoes.

After three years in the military, I returned to my college studies before becoming a full-time professional photographer. My workplace was nine miles from home, and I'd usually cycle there. I found it fun.

Meanwhile, my father was having severe health issues, and I didn't want to go through the same thing. I started thinking more about the role of diet and stopped having meat altogether.

Still, midway through my career in the late 80s, I realized I was getting out of shape. My job took me around the world, and I stayed in hotels where it was hard to choose what to eat.

I became more focused through exercise

I knew I felt better and more focused after exercising, so I'd use the hotel gym. If it didn't have one and I couldn't get outside, I'd run around the parking garage.

It could be 8 p.m. or later, and the security guards would stop me and ask what I was doing.

Movement became a regular part of my life. I ran or biked as much as I could to expend any pent-up energy. After a while, I started doing more endurance cycling and running in biathlons.

One of the best things I've done is go on bikepacking trips. They're exhilarating, like an adventure. I have a small, lightweight tent which I keep in a pannier. It compacts nicely until you set up camp for the night.

I have a household gym

Last summer, I went to Colorado and would ride from the campground every day to visit new places. I also bicycle a lot in my home state of Nebraska, as well as Minnesota, Iowa, and Kansas.

Back home, I have a gym on the lower level of my house, where I work out seven days a week. Also, when the weather is good, I can spend up to five hours outside on my bike, particularly along gravel trails on disused railway tracks.

I weight train three days a week before moving to the treadmill or stationary bike. On the other four days, I do isometric-type exercises and core work.

I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet — part vegetarian, part vegan — and enjoy cooking for my wife, Sharon, and me. Typically, I'll have two meals a day.

Breakfast is usually between 10 and 11 a.m., consisting of oatmeal with chia and hemp seeds, soy milk, and fresh fruit.

Society can ignore people my age

I don't snack in the afternoon. Then, around 5:30 p.m., I'll either prepare a salad with beans for protein or a dish like rice and beans. I like to finish eating at least three hours before going to bed.

Recently, I was thrilled to learn that Senior Planet, an AARP initiative, appointed me as one of its 2026 Sponsored Athletes, working to redefine what it means to stay active in later life.

Society has somehow bought into the idea that, once we reach retirement, we're irrelevant, disappear, and no longer contribute.

And many people my age let themselves go, thinking it's the beginning of a decline.

Firstly, I don't believe that's true, and it's a great opportunity to make the most of the time you have on your hands. Secondly, I want to inspire and motivate older people to get out and about and find adventures.

You don't have to start big. It's good to increase your movement gradually. Please believe me when I say it's never too late to get healthy — and feel more alive — through diet and exercise.