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Wellness finds to live better, not perfectly

Registered dietitian Krista Linares wants you to consider the cactus. To eat. It may help lower blood sugar, can be heart-healthy, has a ton of vitamins and minerals, and it's a drought-resistant crop. Climate change is a health issue.

Linares is a first generation Mexican-American, and she says she loves recommending cactus to her clients. If you routinely default to kale and berries, it’s a healthy way to mix things up.

If you are maybe intimidated by the humble cactus because it’s spiky and you’ve never prepared it yourself before, it’s not that complicated or scary. Linares has you covered.

You can also buy consumer goods that incorporate the cactus, but they might not have all the added health benefits. If you want to try it in its purest form, look for nopales (the green paddles) or prickly pear (the colorful fruit on the edges of the paddle) at your local Latine grocery store or the Latine aisle at the closest market.

If you want to try the premade route, they likely will have some added fiber, and it’s still a more approachable introduction to the flowering plant. You can try Tia Lupita’s grain-free cactus tortilla chips, Nemi Snacks’ nopales sticks, or Pricklee’s cactus water, to name a few.

If you have a beloved cactus snack or beverage or recipe, please share it in a response!

Melanie, editor at Nessie Sightings

First Sightings 👀

I love my Seasons of Sunday Mental Health Market crewneck. Look at that content brain lounging amongst his produce, I love him

Stoggles makes anti-fog, UV-blocking protective eyewear that are Z87 certified, meaning they protect you from blunt impact, radiation, splashes and droplets, dust, and other small particles. The brand just dropped a new style in a square shape and brown fade and they are very cool

If you’re into Kayla Itsines’ athleisure style, P.E Nation has a new capsule collection up your alley

Always looking for new comfy cooling pillows

Into this cropped fleece hoodie from Outdoor Voices

There’s a sale on this Dusen Dusen full bath set

I am very intrigued by this Our Place silicone egg poacher, but it is designed to specifically fit the Always Pan, which I don’t have. Tempted to see how it does in my off-brand pan

Consider the countertop compost bin that The Strategist says “all the hot, environmentally-conscious New Yorkers have”

If you hear probiotic or microbiome and think “gut health,” you’re right, but there’s also a microbiome in the vagina, so this lube with an antibacterial acid to promote a normal pH balance knows what’s up

Three Wishes makes an even healthier version of the beloved Honey Nut Cheerios

The Sunnyside app is great if you’re sober curious—you can set mindful intentions around drinking without the pressure or judgment that comes with pushing yourself to hard stop

Finally tried my Dirtbag chewy chocolate snack bar and it met my expectations! It’s vegan with just dates, oats, dark chocolate chips, cacao powder, sunflower seeds, Himalayan salt, and coconut, and the taste really reflects that. Doesn’t drop until spring of next year but I highly recommend staying tuned

Wooden Spoon Herbs has a tincture to naturally help with menstrual cramping

Shoutout to our Scouts for this week’s tips! Adriane R. signed up for Obé for its Core Challenge and says she’s been loving the short workouts, minimal equipment needed, and diverse teachers. “And in the live classes they might even say your name. It seems silly but it gets me to their classes.”

And Daniela D. shared Saie’s reproductive justice campaign. (If you follow wellness influencers, you likely saw the haul of green beauty products.) A bunch of really cool clean beauty brands are participating in the campaign, and 100% (!!) of proceeds go toward nonprofits fighting for reproductive freedom. Like e.l.f. Cosmetics, Topicals, Alpyn Beauty, HATCH, The Nue Co, The Outset, and Nécessaire, to name a few

👀 Be one of our scouts! 👀

Did you spot a cool new health or wellness product? Are you a brand dropping something exciting soon?

In the wild 🌾

Sitting here wondering if I’m a totally different person

The hype for AI models in medicine is not (yet) real

Some days it seems like the best options are to move to a country where healthcare is universal or to marry an expert in medical billing

TikTok is the primary news source for a lot of people these days (yikes), and so if someone tells you to tape your lips shut while you sleep, do not do that please

The 10,000 steps a day challenge is fine, though

Climate anxiety and pop music

The healthcare system in England is going to prescribe activities like surfing, rollerskating, and gardening to anxious and depressed people

As I mentioned above, our increasingly hotter planet is taking a toll on our health and our incomes

The words we use when talking about addiction matter

Sometimes wellness is pain

A deal! 💸

Hu Kitchen, a reader favorite, is probably best known for its chocolate bars, but the brand also has cookies and crackers. It’s all about clean and responsible ingredients, centering the health and wellbeing of its consumers. Or humans. (That’s where the name comes from BTW.) You don’t have to buy into the ethos though to enjoy a healthier chocolate product, and our readers can get 15% off their purchase with the code NESS15

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We write for people looking for approachable health and wellness finds and insights. All products and services are independently selected to provide recommendations you can trust. We may receive commission on purchases made from some of our links, but that’s not why we’re here. We just want to help you find good stuff.