Fortune Well

Superfoods get a lot of buzz due to being rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. https://lnkd.in/gG2B7j5h Now, there’s another on the rise that might be a bit harder to swallow, though worth it: a microscopic alga that goes by its Latin name of Chlorella vulgaris. Found in freshwater, invisible to the naked eye, and residing at the very bottom of the food chain, this green microalga has been found to be rich in protein, carbohydrates, healthy lipids (fats), antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gG2B7j5h

For the 8th successive year, Finland ranks no.1 on the annual World Happiness Report. https://lnkd.in/e6iPzvsh The report, published on the UN’s International Day of Happiness, is based on analysis of how the residents of over 140 countries rate their quality of life. With 10 meaning someone is currently living the best possible life they can imagine, Finns came in first with an average score of 7.74. “They’re wealthy, they’re healthy, have social connections, social support, [and] a connection with nature,” Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics at the University of Oxford, leader of the Wellbeing Research Centre and editor of The World Happiness Report, tells Fortune. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6iPzvsh

New today for Fortune from the World Happiness Report: Finland is the world’s happiest country yet again. I spoke with an editor on the study to delve into the results. The report, published on the UN’s International Day of Happiness, analyzes a comprehensive sample size of residents’ perception of their quality of life in over 140 countries. Finland was followed by Denmark (no.2), Iceland (no.3), Sweden (no.4), and the Netherlands (no.5). While Mexico (no.10) and Costa Rica (no.6) joined the top 10 for the first time in the list’s history, the U.S. dropped to its lowest ranking at no. 24. Last year, the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the 2012 inaugural list. A few takeaways: - Young people in the U.S. are faring worse with life satisfaction and are lonelier, a large contributor to the declining placement - A seldom talked about predictor of happiness across the board: Benevolence. The researchers found a strong correlation between a resident believing in the kindness of others (having social trust) and their life satisfaction - Maintaining a strong sense of community with acts such as regularly dining with others, for example, improves social trust and happiness in a country, the report found (in the U.S., dining alone has increased by 53% since 2003) “In this era of social isolation and political polarization, it is absolutely critical to bring people back around the table together, because that's vital for individual and collective well-being." - Jan-Emmanuel De Neve Read more: https://lnkd.in/gB-ePmNu #happiness #worldhappinessday

Nestled in Silicon Valley, California, is America’s happiest city, according to WalletHub’s 2025 rankings. https://lnkd.in/gVu63N8v Fremont, Calif., a suburb of San Jose, topped the list because its residents have high rates of emotional and physical well-being, and life satisfaction, in addition to higher incomes than the national average. But beyond the metrics, there are several other factors that make Fremont America’s happiest city. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVu63N8v

“Whatever success I’ve had in life, has been more due to my meditating than anything else.” https://lnkd.in/eNQ_x2XQ In Ray Dalio‘s 2021 book about “the changing world order,” the investor and hedge fund manager emphasizes staying calm and connected in a world where government, technology, climate, and more are rapidly evolving. Amid uncertainty and chaos, Dalio has credited one daily practice to his ability to quiet the noise and succeed in the face of change: meditation. Dalio told CNBC in 2021 that he adopted the practice in 1969, years before he founded Bridgewater Associates. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNQ_x2XQ

ŌURA rings, which track biometrics from sleep to heart rate, are everywhere, on the fingers of folks from Kim Kardashian to Mark Zuckerberg. https://lnkd.in/e5dsiWZp Part of how the company broke through the crowded wearable tracker market, according CEO Tom Hale, is because the conversation around sleep had begun to shift right around the company’s 2015 launch. “The understanding of sleep has really come around, where people realize that if you want to perform at the highest level, you want to be as cognitively able as you can possibly be,” he said on this week’s episode of Fortune’s #LeadershipNext podcast. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5dsiWZp

In the sea of nutritional trends, Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, gut health expert, and co-founder of the London-based nutrition startup ZOE, is most frustrated by one that seems to have taken the U.S. by storm: an obsession with high-protein, low calorie diets. https://lnkd.in/eReH_4hQ “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in the last decade, as far as food trends go,” Spector tells Fortune. The problem with this way of eating, Spector says, is that people often choose ultra-processed foods advertised as high-protein and low-calorie, missing out on fiber-packed, gut-healthy plant foods. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eReH_4hQ

Well this one was fun :) Fortune https://lnkd.in/gaWDVzKk

“Today my lunch was chicken nuggets, some chips, and some ketchup.” https://lnkd.in/eZPMb8f9 A new study from National Institute of Health researchers relies on 24/7 measurements of patients to investigate whether ultraprocessed foods cause people to eat more calories and gain weight. Studies have linked ultraprocessed foods to negative health effects, but whether it’s the actual processing of the foods — rather than the nutrients they contain or something else — remains uncertain. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZPMb8f9

Ten years ago, Katerina Markov Schneider found herself pregnant and frustrated. She wanted a high-quality prenatal vitamin but was unimpressed with those on the market, many of which contained artificial ingredients and high levels of heavy metals. The solution, she decided, was to make her own. Fast-forward a decade and Schneider’s company, Ritual, sells a range of vitamins for men and women at all life stages. In 2024, the company made more than $250 million in gross revenue. What’s more, since its inception, Ritual has rigorously shared traceability details for every ingredient included in its products, despite this not being required of it in a supplement industry known for its loose regulation. “People deserve to know what they’re putting in their bodies,” Schneider, who serves as Ritual’s CEO, tells Fortune. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ebEKtjbq