A Colorado man says he fell four stories from a hotel window after a counselor served him psilocybin tea during a therapy session and then left him alone, according to the lawsuit he filed this week.
Jacob Ramirez claims counselor Rachel McGuire left the &#8220;therapy session&#8221; in the hotel room while he was under the influence of psilocybin, commonly known as &#8220;magic mushrooms,&#8221; before he fell from a fourth-floor window onto concrete outside a Hilton Hotel in Colorado Springs last May, as reported by the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2026/07/10/psilocybin-therapy-lawsuit-fell-from-window/">Denver Post</a>. Ramirez miraculously survived but suffered severe head and chest injuries, racking up more than $2 million in medical bills. 
Ramirez is suing his counselor and her husband, Sheldon McGuire, along with their therapy companies, A Sparrow’s Way and Restoration Counseling. 
The lawsuit alleges medical and direct negligence, claiming McGuire was not licensed to administer psilocybin therapy and that her husband referred Ramirez to her despite that fact. 
“I think it clearly lends itself to somebody who is not used to taking these types of medications being left alone and freaking out,” Ramirez&#8217;s attorney Jared Mazzei said.
“It’s two parts,” Mazzei added. “There is whether she was even licensed, which she wasn’t — and the other part is did she even, at the very least, follow the procedures that you learn when you are obtaining your license, one of them being to actually stay with the patient the entire time, for this exact reason.”
Mazzei said that Ramirez endured blunt force trauma to his head, has no memory of the event, and experiences daily pain from his injuries. 
At the center of the chaotic legal battle is psilocybin, a psychedelic that Colorado voters chose to decriminalize in 2022 under the Natural Medicine Health Act. Under state <a href="https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/initiative%2520referendum_proposition%20122%20final%20lc%20packet.pdf">law,</a> the drug can be grown, consumed, and shared for personal use or can be utilized by healing centers for therapy. 
Colorado&#8217;s experiment is drawing interest from other states, including <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-north-carolina-lawmakers-say-psychedelic-research-bill-can-help-military-veterans/">North Carolina</a>, where Republican state Rep. Allen Chesser and Republican state Sen. Robert Brinson are backing legislation to fund research into psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. 
Brinson, who is the lead sponsor of the Healing through Evidence-based Access to Lifesaving Care (HEAL) Act, called the bill a &#8220;real investment&#8221; into &#8220;mental health innovation, research, and access,&#8221; particularly for those who have experienced trauma.
He believes “momentum is building” for legalizing psychedelics.
“These aren’t fringe ideas,&#8221; said Chesser. &#8220;They are on the path to becoming approved medicines.”
<a href="https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/two-years-after-ballot-defeat-house-revives-psychedelics-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a> lawmakers this week approved a five-year pilot program that would allow licensed mental health clinics to offer supervised psychedelic-assisted therapy, despite voters rejecting a broader legalization measure just two years ago. The proposal still requires Senate approval and the governor&#8217;s signature. It would help fund, facilitate, and expand research on &#8220;psychedelic-assisted therapies.&#8221;
Critics, however, are warning against the potential harms and unexpected risks that come with drug legalization. Organizations like the <a href="https://gooddrugpolicy.org/">Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions</a> and <a href="https://learnaboutsam.org/">Smart Approaches to Marijuana</a> (SAM) are among the few.
“Colorado was sold a miracle. Instead, we’re getting a warning label,” cautioned Kevin Sabet, who is president and CEO of both groups. 
“This lawsuit is a reminder that psychedelic mushrooms are not the harmless cure-all proponents promised. If states like North Carolina are considering going down this road, Colorado should serve as the cautionary tale — not the blueprint,” he added.

Mushroom Season Has Started In The Netherlands.

Bad Trip? Lawsuit Says ‘Magic Mushroom’ Therapy Ended In 4-Story Fall

Colorado

Drugs

Health

Lawsuit

Medical Research

Psychedelics

For years, millions of women were told they didn’t have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) because they lacked ovarian cysts. The recent rename to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) is a course-correct that admits medicine misunderstood the condition all along, and we could not be more pleased.
The &#8220;cystic&#8221; framing has misled patients and clinicians for decades. Women presented classic symptoms — high insulin, stubborn weight, acne, irregular cycles, and facial hair — only to be told their ovaries looked “normal” on an ultrasound, so they didn&#8217;t have PMOS. The diagnosis hinged on a feature that isn&#8217;t even the central problem, and countless women have spent years suffering with a real condition that was never properly named.
The rename puts the truth front and center. PMOS is a multi-system condition affecting metabolism, hormones, skin, and mental health, with insulin resistance at its core, and women will now be seen and diagnosed even when their ovaries look normal on a scan. Roughly one in eight women are diagnosed with this condition, but around 20% of women in their fertile years suffer undiagnosed.  
At its roots, PMOS is the same metabolic slowdown postmenopausal women experience with waning hormones and declining muscle, except it&#8217;s hitting women in their teens, twenties, and thirties, when their metabolism should be thriving.
To every woman with this condition, we see you and know what you’re facing. PMOS is chronic, but there is so much hope. Chronic doesn&#8217;t mean unmanageable, and for many women it can go into deep remission. 
My (Pearl&#8217;s) daughter Meadow was diagnosed as a teenager, and the standard advice of a strict low-carb diet actually made things worse. When she shifted to gentle, fiber-rich carbs, anchored her meals around lean protein, added movement and more veggies, and incorporated a supplement called myo-inositol, her insulin numbers dropped, her cycles normalized, and the condition went into deep remission. It&#8217;s an encouraging pattern we&#8217;ve seen with other women, too.
Some women need more powerful tools, and we’ll get to those. But for every woman with PMOS, lifestyle is the foundation to healing, and we believe four things consistently move the needle.
First, anchor every meal in protein, 25 to 30 grams four times a day. Protein is the body&#8217;s natural GLP-1 stimulator, the same incretin hormone the new weight-loss drugs mimic. Women with PMOS produce less GLP-1, and protein repairs the body. 
Second, don’t shun healthy carbs and get in wise fats. Do ditch sugar and processed foods. When anchored with protein, fiber-rich carbs like beans, legumes, and mid-glycemic fruits such as apples and papaya are an insulin-resistance weapon. 
A 2018 University of Saskatchewan trial found that women with PCOS who ate lentils, chickpeas, and beans saw <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/add-beans-chickpeas-lentils-improve-diet-1966215">significantly greater drops in insulin response</a> than those on a standard diet. Because insulin resistance makes blood sugar testier, go easy on higher-sugar carbs such as white potatoes, bananas, and grapes until yours is better controlled. Wise fats such as avocado, whole eggs, butter, and coconut oil (in moderation) are crucial for endocrine health. For fat loss, the Trim Healthy Mama approach effectively separates fat-focused and carb-focused meals while keeping protein in every one.
Third, add more veggies. Intramuscular fat droplets are one of the largest drivers of insulin resistance. Non-starchy veggies help scrub them out.
Fourth, move your body. You don’t have to boot camp yourself to exhaustion, but two to three strength training sessions a week turn muscle into a glucose sponge. Gaining back lean body mass is key to combating insulin resistance. Beware punishing cardio; it spikes cortisol and works against you. A simple rhythm of strength training paired with walking is doable and effective.
Finally, a word about the pill. The standard medical answer for PMOS has long been the birth control pill, and visible symptoms can seem to improve with it. But the pill doesn&#8217;t fix the underlying condition; it puts the ovaries into a chemically induced menopause. It raises C-reactive protein inflammation and the risk of depression, blood clots, heart disease, and breast cancer, while lowering libido. It can also worsen thyroid problems—a real concern for women with PMOS, who already trend low on thyroid and on the incretin hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar.
For women whose symptoms don&#8217;t yield to lifestyle changes alone, three tools are worth discussing with your doctor. First, get a full thyroid panel. Most doctors stop at TSH and T4, but women with PMOS need free T3 and Reverse T3 measured too. Restoring thyroid function with the right hormone support can be a game-changer. Second, ask about bioidentical progesterone, which <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740675720300165">some endocrinologists believe may</a> help the brain and body restore normal rhythms disrupted by PMOS, with the bonus of tamping down the hormonal cascade that drives acne. Third, a small, carefully prescribed dose of a GLP-1 medication can fill the gap when the body isn&#8217;t making enough on its own — a bridge, not a crutch.
Used wisely, these tools meet the body where it is.
PMOS is real. But so is the room to heal, and women deserve to hear that too.
***
Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison are the founders of Trim Healthy Mama and New York Times bestselling authors of the forthcoming title &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+seven+skills+to+lasting+health&amp;adgrpid=185689537145&amp;hvadid=779621993755&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvexpln=0&amp;hvlocphy=9210807&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvocijid=5550474026117812759--&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=5550474026117812759&amp;hvtargid=kwd-2460996756465&amp;hydadcr=15555_13842827_8870&amp;mcid=ef3debac22cb3f278916e22a279fd059&amp;tag=googhydr-20&amp;ref=pd_sl_1os91ya29f_e">The 7 Skills to Lasting Health</a>.&#8221;
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

Vertigo and dizziness sensation, multiple face effect

The Medical Myth That Failed Millions Of Women

Upstream

Women

“Ozempic ears” are all the rage in plastic surgery these days. They seem to be the new side effect of using GLP-1 meds such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Apparently, people are showing up with thinner, sagging earlobes and asking for fillers or reductions. The media have dutifully turned this into the latest reason to panic about weight-loss drugs. What the hysterics are missing, though, is that like most things in life, there are trade-offs. In this case, very, very big ones.
When I weighed 320 pounds at 5’4,” nobody cared about my earlobes. To be fair, they were one of my daintiest parts. Nobody worried about my jowls, whether my arms were toned, or whether my skin would someday sag. The message was simple: Lose weight. Now that millions are finally doing it, the media is hyping the side effects of weight loss with little discussion of what people are gaining.
I tried to play the weight loss and body image game for most of my life. As a kid, I survived the golden age of terrible weight-loss advice, programs, and how-to schemes. There were diet shakes, diet cookies, diet gum, diet pills, and enough public humiliation to fuel a lifetime of Gen X cynicism. I was the chubby kid who learned to fake being sick on school weigh-in days because at my elementary school, we were weighed in front of the entire class once a year.
I carried that weight into adulthood. Over the years, I tried physician-supervised programs, fad diets, fen-phen, Lap-Band surgery, and countless promises of easy fixes. Some worked for a while. Most didn&#8217;t. By my 40th birthday, I was over 300 pounds, unemployed, drowning in debt, and struggling physically and emotionally.
Eventually, after regaining weight following Lap-Band surgery, I made a different decision. I underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2018. That decision became the beginning of a long process of successful weight loss and lifestyle choices that include daily yoga, weightlifting, food tracking, accountability, and gradually building habits I can sustain. In total, I’ve lost 170 pounds in middle age, which makes me extra proud. I didn&#8217;t reach my high school weight; I reached my elementary school weight!
Now, having experienced all the “negative” cosmetic side effects of extreme weight loss myself, I find the latest panic over &#8220;Ozempic ears&#8221; fascinating.
According to recent reports, plastic surgeons are seeing patients concerned about thinner or sagging earlobes after significant weight loss from GLP-1 medications. Other cosmetic concerns have earned equally catchy nicknames: “Ozempic face,” &#8220;Ozempic breast,&#8221; &#8220;Ozempic butt,&#8221; and a growing list of body changes associated with fat loss.
As someone who has had them all and then some, I can say these are pretty good problems to have. 
For decades, obesity has been one of America&#8217;s most serious health challenges. We know excess weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, sleep apnea, and countless other conditions. And we know about it because we’re constantly bombarded with information and data and breathless reporting about how unhealthy Americans are — most of it weight-related.
Now that millions of people have access to medications that help them lose substantial weight and improve their health, the media present them with reasons not to do it. Fortunately, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/696599/obesity-rate-declining.aspx">U.S. adult obesity rates</a> have ticked down recently (from a peak of around 40% to around 37% in 2025), and some see it coinciding with wider GLP-1 use.
The cosmetic concerns are real. Significant weight loss changes the body. But here&#8217;s the part many people miss: These changes aren&#8217;t unique to GLP-1 medications. They&#8217;re part of major weight loss.
Whether someone loses 100 pounds through surgery, semaglutide, intermittent fasting, CrossFit, Weight Watchers, or sheer stubbornness, skin that stretched over years or decades doesn&#8217;t snap back.
This is one of the reasons I wrote &#8220;<a href="https://amzn.to/4oNpyAE">The Gen X Handbook for Middle Age</a>&#8221; after losing 170 pounds in my 40s. I didn&#8217;t wake up looking like a fitness influencer. When I looked in the mirror, I saw someone who was melting. There was loose skin. There were body parts that no longer matched the picture in my head of who I was (goodbye, boobs). There were reminders of every pound I had carried. There were pre-weight loss clothes I still wore because they covered my arms and apron belly. That’s what led me to plastic surgery: not vanity, but completion.
After saving money for years and several consultations with my surgeon in Austin, Texas, I underwent a brachioplasty (arm lift), thighplasty (thigh lift), mastopexy (breast lift), and an abdominoplasty with a 360-degree body lift over a period of a year. Every scar represents a choice I made to improve my health. Every procedure came after years of effort, setbacks, plateaus, and persistence. To be honest, I have a couple more on my wish list as 50 approaches.
This is why I get frustrated when the media hype weight-loss medications, suggesting they cause unique side effects and raising questions in people’s minds about whether weight loss is worth it. Ozempic gets clicks. It, and weight loss in general, also saves lives.
People who have never struggled with obesity often underestimate how difficult long-term weight loss can be. If a medication helps someone lose 100 pounds, lower blood sugar, avoid diabetes, reduce joint pain, and add years to his or her life, I don&#8217;t want users to care about what happens to their earlobes. It seems like pretty small potatoes. Would you caution a friend struggling with obesity not to lose weight because of saggy earlobes and loose skin?
If people choose to have a facelift, body lift, arm lift, or no surgery at all afterward, that&#8217;s their decision, too. The benefits of weight loss far outweigh the negative side effects puffed up by the media.
The best weight-loss plan isn&#8217;t the hardest one. It&#8217;s the one that works. For some people, that&#8217;s strength training and meal prep. For others, it&#8217;s GLP-1 medications. For me, it was gastric bypass surgery and lifestyle changes. Most of us end up using a combination of tools to maintain weight loss. The media are focusing on the wrong side of weight loss, be it Ozempic or anything else. The obsession with &#8220;Ozempic ears&#8221; misses the bigger story: People are finally reclaiming their health.
I’m Gen X. I survived public weigh-ins, SnackWell’s, Jazzercise, fen-phen, and “just eat less” lectures from strangers on the street. I’ll survive “Ozempic face.”
***
Lisa De Pasquale is an author, columnist, and the former director of the Conservative Political Action Conference. She’s a frequent guest on Fox News and Fox Business, the founder of <a href="https://getbright.substack.com/p/david-keene-a-conservative-og-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Bright” on Substack</a>, and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gen-Handbook-Middle-Age-Fulfillment/dp/B0F4PMD8J6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">author of</a> “The Gen X Handbook for Middle Age: The Pursuit of Health, Success, and Human Fulfillment.”
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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The Ozempic Freak-Out That’s Missing The Point

Ozempic

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
I am writing this between physiotherapy sessions, nursing a lingering tendon injury from running the Toronto Marathon — my first full marathon — and wondering how exactly I got roped into a hobby best summarized as being bad at something that also makes you miserable. I won’t reveal my finishing time, but I can assure you nobody crossing the finish line near me looked like they were born in Kenya.
It was Mick Jagger who got me into running. This sounds comical, not least because of all the hobbies one might plausibly inherit from the Rolling Stones frontman — from the music to his signature struts, to cocaine addiction — the one I picked up was much worse: long-distance running. But there he was, in an interview, explaining how he manages to stay in such preposterous shape well into his 70s while continuing to prance across stadium stages like a possessed aerobics instructor. His secret, apparently, is running.
What began several years ago as a few three-mile jogs gradually snowballed and most recently culminated in the full 26.2 miles. But before I rush to LinkedIn to humblebrag about how the marathon taught me everything I know about sales, I will share my experiences here.
Last year I ran a half-marathon and vividly recall thinking upon crossing the finish line: That is enough. I had tested the limits of the human body, or at least my human body — which, ideally, I would still like to retain some mileage on. It came as some surprise then, that when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-diamond-game">my fiancée</a> suggested we register for the full Toronto Marathon, I agreed. On second thought, why only do something halfway?
This, I have discovered, is the essence of running: making yourself miserable in pursuit of an arbitrary goal, suffering through it, feeling briefly proud, and then wondering whether you can do something even stupider next time. The often-cited “runner’s high” is a real phenomenon both during and after runs. Even if you are miserable during the run, you cannot quite escape the intoxicating feeling afterward that you might do it better next time.
When we signed up, we had months ahead of us. This should have been comforting, except that we live in Toronto, where the weather is often worse than shin splints. Summer runs are plagued by suffocating humidity, and winter runs bring ice, snow, and sub-zero temperatures. There is, mercifully, an indoor track at the nearby YMCA, where 15 laps are equivalent to one mile. So a modest 10-mile run requires circling the same track 150 times, an experience somewhere between exercise and psychological warfare.
The prevailing professional wisdom — or at least the wisdom of the sort of people who treat muscle pain by covering themselves in KT tape so they can keep running — is that marathon training should focus on total weekly mileage rather than attempting to run a full marathon before race day. You gradually build up to roughly 37 miles per week, with one “long run” serving as the weekly centerpiece of your training.
Beleaguered by uncooperative weather and lacking the willpower of a Navy SEAL to wake up at 5 AM to run before work, we topped out at around 20 miles as our longest training run. Come race day, this meant there were only another six miles or so our bodies needed to figure out how to cover. What could possibly go wrong?
The answer is — after the first 12 miles, which all felt great — my left knee. Then my right hip. Then my left foot. Then the right knee. The curious thing about marathon pain is that it does not arrive as a single predicament but as a sort of throbbing Lazy Susan, rotating through your body.
Much of distance running is, as they say, mental. You can run a lot farther than you think, even when you begin to feel the debilitating pangs of exhaustion weighing you down. Eventually, these pains begin to cancel each other out. After two hours, you need to go to the bathroom so badly that the musculoskeletal system becomes a secondary concern.
One of the consolations of running a marathon is people-watching. There are runners of every conceivable stripe and temperament. We saw one man running in a brown corduroy suit, presumably because dark gray wool would have been too formal for a 26.2-mile run. Another woman ran in a literal corset, which was not actually part of Alo’s latest collection. There was also someone dressed as Spider-Man, other couples like us in matching outfits, and, adding insult to injury, someone breezing by in flip-flops.
The spectators provide their own entertainment. Some hold encouraging signs; others shout the name printed on your bib, creating the fleeting delusion that you are some celebrated athlete rather than an amateur runner panting through mile 14. One of the better signs read, “ChatGPT can’t help you here.” Another offered, “Pain is French for bread.” A more cynical placard suggested, “Therapy was also an option.” Seeing friends or family along the course, there to support you, is also a welcome jolt of energy.
But the marathon photographers are the most diabolical. They possess the annoying and faintly evil instinct to position themselves at the midpoint of upward hills, the perfect vantage point from which to capture you at your most demoralized and downtrodden.
Then there is the food.
Your body needs fuel to run, and to run a marathon it needs a great deal of fuel. During the race itself, you fuel yourself with little packets of goo — sugary syrup you slurp down every three or four miles while running and trying not to vomit. The packaging has the sterile, futuristic look of astronaut food. And just like astronauts, we marathon runners will waste no opportunity to tell you we have run a marathon. I can write that now.
Training for a marathon is like taking on a part-time job, except instead of being paid a wage, you get blisters, sore legs, heaps of laundry, and piles of worn-out, expensive running shoes you need to replace. You can say goodbye to your indulgent social life as entire Sundays disappear into five-hour runs because the training plan says you need to cover 20 miles, and unless you’re a top-tier runner, this is no brisk feat. On one occasion, we left for a run in the morning, and a woman stopped us later that afternoon to ask if we had been running all day because she recognized us from hours earlier. Sadly, yes.
But completing the distance is, annoyingly enough, an incredibly rewarding feeling. It is the reason we undertake difficult things in the first place; they become meaningful precisely by being difficult. In his famous moonshot address, President John F. Kennedy said that “we choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Running marathons falls under “the other things.”
As we neared the final few miles, mustering what little energy we had left to run through the finish line, I began to understand why people keep doing this ridiculous thing — and why the marathon persists as the metaphor of choice for long and laborious undertakings like life itself. And now that it is finished, the only thing I can think about (aside from drafting that cringey LinkedIn post) is getting over this tendon injury so I can get back out there for another run.
***
Harry Khachatrian (<a href="https://x.com/harry1t6">@Harry1T6</a>) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner. He is a software engineer, holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, and writes about wine at <a href="https://www.betweenbottles.com/">BetweenBottles.com</a>.

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I Ran A Marathon. Here’s Why I’m Dumb Enough To Do It Again.

Exercise

Marathon

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
The Make America Healthy Again movement has Americans taking second looks at everything from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whats-actually-hiding-in-your-healthy-grocery-store-food">ingredient lists</a> to pharmaceuticals, but the fastest way to get healthy is much closer to home: our own recipes. And it turns out that upgrading tonight’s dinner plan is much easier than finding the latest superfood or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ozempic-side-effect-thats-changing-americas-morning-coffee">protein concoction</a>. 
Here are the everyday ingredient swaps to make your regular rotation of favorites meet the MAHA mark.
Seed oil. By now, everyone has heard about the evils of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seed-oils-the-hidden-toxins-in-vegetable-oil-making-us-sick-and-fat">seed oils</a> such as canola, soy, and “vegetable” oil: They’re potential <a href="https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/processed-oils-are-everywhere-destroying-causing-cancer-dementia">carcinogens</a>, hyper-processed, and as far from a real vegetable as possible. Fortunately, they’re easy to replace with another oil or fat. Shortening can be replaced with lard, butter, and — with a little troubleshooting — coconut oil, while liquid fats are easily replaced with olive oil or avocado oil. For the hardcore MAHA bakers, peanut butter, almond butter, or even applesauce are also easy one-to-one swaps for seed oil in baked goods, and though they will create a denser and less crispy finished good, your muffins, cookies, and pancakes will turn out extremely moist.
Deep frying. Speaking of seed oils, if you’re looking to ditch the extra oil calories altogether, then high-temperature roasting and air-frying are even better alternatives. For starters, there are no oil splatters and mess to clean up. Instead, it’s as simple as lightly spraying your French fries, chicken nuggets, or “fried” food of choice with a little avocado oil and roasting at 425 until cooked and crispy, flipping partway through. To cut out the oil completely, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or <a href="https://www.southernliving.com/parchment-paper-in-air-fryer-11942893">carefully line</a> your air fryer’s basket, being sure the paper’s edges do not reach up to the heating element. While roasting won’t have quite the same grease factor as conventionally fried, just think of how many more fries you can eat with the calories you’re saving — guilt free. 
White rice. With the advent of cauliflower rice, white rice has become a bit of a “bad” food, and while I’m not here to kick the grain when it’s down, it is an easy ingredient to replace with higher-fiber and higher-nutrient options. Brown rice is the obvious swap, and while it works perfectly in soups, rice bowls, and burritos, it’s not the only choice. There’s a whole world of other whole grains to explore: quinoa, barley, farro, and — technically not a grain, but still tasty — wild rice. If grains aren’t your carb of choice, then cubed and roasted potatoes are also an easy swap, with white and sweet varieties adding their own unique nutrients and flavors to stir fry, salads, bowls, and more. 
White flour. Like white rice, white flour is the more processed and lower-fiber version of its heftier sibling, whole grain flour. Whole wheat flour might ruin cupcakes or a fluffy white bread recipe, but in muffins, bagels, and sturdier breads, whole grain flours are a one-to-one swap for the classic “enriched wheat flour” many of us normally use. 
Sugar. While we’re trying to cut down on processed and high-sugar ingredients, white sugar is an obvious culprit in recipes from sauces to scones. For a move in the MAHA direction, swap out white sugar for a less processed cane sugar one-to-one in any recipe. Along the way, it’s also worth slowly reducing the amount of sugar in recipes since many taste just as good with a little less sweetener. For the committed MAHA cooks, honey and maple syrup are also natural alternatives to white sugar and may even have some <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-benefits-of-honey-how-to-incorporate-it-into-your-diet">health</a> <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10469071/">benefits</a>. 
Condiments. Even from-scratch recipes can call for ketchup, mayo, soy sauce, and other condiments. Whether it’s for a dressing, marinade, or side sauce, an otherwise healthy meal can be ruined by the corn syrup, seed oils, or MSG in our favorite condiments. Instead, reach for higher-quality options. Look for ketchup sweetened with sugar rather than corn syrup, avocado-oil mayo, and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, or look for certified organic or non-GMO options. 
More veggies. While not a recipe swap, bulking out the vegetable portions is one of the easiest ways to up the MAHA profile of your favorite recipes. There are plenty of tips online to “hide” veggies in everything from mac and cheese to brownies, but unless a picky eater is your challenge, it’s much easier just to embrace the veg. If stir fry is on the menu, pile in the cabbage and carrots. If burgers are for dinner, stack up the lettuce and onions. Or if soup is in season, double the carrots, celery, onions, or peppers. Most recipes are just as tasty with an extra cup or two of veg, so long as you also add a little extra broth, seasoning, or sauce as needed. As a bonus, this healthy hack will also stretch the more expensive ingredients, like meat, in a dish.
Among the sea of health tips and advice, there is always the latest and greatest trend. We’ve gone from low-fat to low-carb and corn-syrup crazy to anti-mystery corn ingredients. But the best diet advice is surprisingly simple: Eat real food. And as straightforward as it sounds, it truly is the healthiest way to make over your favorite recipes — with real, nourishing ingredients. 
***
Jordan Jantz is the assistant editor at IW Features as well as a freelance writer, editor, and website designer.

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Want To Eat Like MAHA? Start By Ditching These Pantry Staples

Food

MAHA

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Almost a year ago, when my doctor recommended I <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weight-loss-medication-may-have-dangerous-side-effects-i-dont-care">go on a weight-loss medication</a>, she asked what my goal weight was. After having six babies in nine years, I had trouble remembering what number the scale sat at before I started having children in my mid-twenties. Pregnancy, nursing, and the years of raising young children had blurred together. I could remember clothing sizes and life stages, but I rarely stepped on the scale.
I settled on what seemed like an absurdly low number, one I hadn&#8217;t seen in many years and wasn&#8217;t convinced I could reach. The truth, though, is that my real goal wasn&#8217;t the number on the scale at all; it was one in my bloodwork. Diabetes runs in my family, and after watching relatives struggle with the disease and seeing my own markers moving in the wrong direction, I knew I needed to act. If the end result was also looking better in family photos, I considered that a welcome bonus.
Months ago, I hit that supposedly impossible number. Now I&#8217;m faced with a different question: How low can I go? And, more importantly, when should I stop?
Like many women who have spent years pregnant or recovering from pregnancy, I carry the physical evidence of those years. There is extra skin and a pouch around my middle that no amount of wishful thinking seems capable of eliminating. Six pregnancies leave their mark, and no medication can entirely erase them. Could and should I continue losing weight in an effort to get rid of those reminders? Would I actually want to? That was the question my doctor posed last week as we discussed what to do next.
When I reached my goal weight, we moved from weekly injections to every other week. As we debated whether to continue on that schedule or space them out even further, I joked, &#8220;I&#8217;m not interested in looking like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/demi-moore-doesnt-look-toned-she-looks-like-shes-starving">Demi Moore</a>, Ariana Grande, or Kelly Osbourne.&#8221;
My doctor immediately understood what I meant.
My bloodwork is dramatically improved, I have more energy than I did a year ago, and I am now well within the range of what any reasonable person would call a healthy weight. At a certain point, however, continuing to lose weight stops being about health and starts becoming about something else entirely: vanity. Our society has always struggled to recognize where the line between health and vanity lies, but it’s particularly bad now that medications have made it possible for millions of people to keep shrinking long after the health benefits have largely been achieved.
If you&#8217;re old enough, you remember the last time this happened. The 1990s gave us heroin chic, a look defined by hollow cheeks, protruding bones, and bodies that were alarmingly fragile. Fashion magazines celebrated women who looked exhausted and underfed, and our culture largely went along with it. Eventually, there was a backlash when Americans grew tired of pretending that obvious signs of ill health were aspirational, and the pendulum swung dramatically in the opposite direction, swaying violently too far in the other direction, embracing “fat positivity.”
The rise of body positivity brought with it some necessary corrections, but a great deal of our culture lost the ability to acknowledge the obvious reality that obesity carries genuine health risks, not to mention that there might be meaningful distinctions between acceptance and celebration. Any discussion of weight became suspect, and acknowledgment of health consequences was treated as cruelty.
Then came Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and the rest of the GLP-1 revolution, and almost overnight, the culture lurched in a different direction. Celebrities who had spent years insisting they were perfectly happy carrying extra weight no longer had to maintain the fiction. The pounds disappeared, and with them disappeared much of the rhetoric about body positivity that had dominated the previous decade. For many public figures, the process didn&#8217;t stop when they reached a healthy weight, and, for once, our culture is raising red flags.
Every night, Ariana Grande posts photographs from her performances while she’s on tour, and every night the reaction is remarkably similar: many of her fans seem genuinely, and rightfully, concerned. She is clearly terrifyingly thin, all sharp angles and jutting bones, and it is difficult to imagine anyone looking at those images and concluding that this could possibly be healthy.
What&#8217;s striking is not simply Grande&#8217;s appearance but the public reaction to it. For years, Americans have been lectured that noticing physical reality is judgmental, that commenting on obvious signs of poor health is cruel, and that discussing weight at all is beyond the bounds of polite society. Yet despite years of elites lecturing ordinary people about politeness, we have retained the ability to recognize when something appears off, and when celebrities appear in public looking like the victims of a starvation campaign, the comments light up with truth-telling.
The comments sections underneath celebrity photos may be one of the few places where cultural sanity still survives. Americans are looking at bodies that would have been celebrated on fashion runways 25 years ago and rejecting them. They are looking at collarbones that protrude dramatically and faces that appear increasingly gaunt, and they respond, rightfully, with discomfort. That discomfort is not evidence of cruelty; it is proof that most people still possess healthy instincts about what human flourishing looks like.
There is such a thing as too thin. That shouldn&#8217;t be controversial, yet increasingly it feels as though it needs to be repeated. Just as there is such a thing as carrying too much weight, there is also such a thing as carrying too little.
Weight-loss medications have transformed millions of lives, including mine. I am healthier today than I was a year ago, my risk factors are lower, and I am deeply grateful that modern medicine arrived at exactly the moment I needed it. But these drugs have also created a question that many Americans have never had to confront before. For decades, the challenge was figuring out how to lose the weight. Now, for the first time, millions of people are having to decide when enough is enough.
Sitting in my doctor&#8217;s office this week, I realized that I already knew the answer. The number on the scale had stopped mattering months ago. The victory wasn&#8217;t fitting into a smaller size or reaching some arbitrary number from my twenties; it was improving my health, and I achieved that.
The loose skin will remain — as a reminder that my body spent nearly a decade growing and nourishing six babies. That&#8217;s fine. Not every mark of a life well-lived is a flaw that needs to be corrected.
A year ago, I was trying to lose enough weight to avoid becoming diabetic. Today, I find myself resisting a different temptation; I’m not fighting the food noise anymore. I’m fighting an unhealthy aesthetic that has been in and out of fashion for most of my life. Medicine helped me lose the weight, but I’m grateful for the wisdom of knowing when to stop.
***
Bethany Mandel (<a href="https://x.com/bethanyshondark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@bethanyshondark</a>) is a homeschooling mother of six and a writer. She is the bestselling co-author, with Karol Markowicz, of &#8220;Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation.&#8221; She <a href="https://themomwars.substack.com/">writes</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-wars/id1796727112">podcasts</a> at The Mom Wars.

83rd Annual Golden Globes – Arrivals

The Ozempic Question Nobody Wants To Answer

weight Loss

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Four years after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision seemingly opened the door to saving more lives, abortions are sadly increasing and countless women across America are suffering because of the growth of dangerous mail-order abortion.
The Food and Drug Administration’s rollback of safeguards, which previously ensured women saw a doctor to rule out life-threatening complications before taking abortion drugs, leaves women directly in harm’s way. The lack of safeguards also reinforces the false narrative that the science of mifepristone is settled and that mail-order abortion drugs are safe.
As an ob-gyn and medical director of four pregnancy centers in North Carolina, I regularly see firsthand that nothing could be further from the truth.
Increasingly, women are turning to our centers to get the guidance and medical evaluation they want and know they need when taking abortion drugs. They show up throughout the week with critical questions: Are the drugs they received in the mail real? Can we give them an ultrasound to rule out ectopic pregnancy or verify the gestational age of their pregnancy? Are the side effects they’re experiencing normal?
Women realize the need for ongoing medical care throughout the abortion process, despite the government and abortion advocates’ attempts to convince them they don’t need it. And a growing body of scientific data reflects their concerns about appropriate mifepristone safeguards.
A 2025 report found <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAafe2a973-3cd0-316a-3105-02144b43afba" title="https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/" href="https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw357SpZ2y-nPj_DyGqx6rG4">one in 10</a> women taking the drug will experience a serious adverse event. The FDA’s own data admits that <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAceddeb49-d441-4914-811b-79f906ce4ef8" title="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2kBIlZOo5UDeqYiKBbG9A2">one out of 25 women</a> taking mifepristone ends up in the emergency room. <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWA1e36e7ea-34c0-2543-f5a0-b2fda50a444f" title="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/" href="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0YUdxQNc3wcZ4-pLU5RYv1">Other data</a> reveal that mifepristone has four times the complication rate of surgical abortions and that serious adverse events from mifepristone may be up to <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAe28760d1-27b3-ccdd-f9bb-bc7c54c4beea" title="https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/" href="https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://eppc.org/publication/insurance-data-reveals-one-in-ten-patients-experiences-a-serious-adverse-event/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw357SpZ2y-nPj_DyGqx6rG4">22 times higher</a> than previously believed.
Obstetricians and gynecologists across this country treat women who have experienced the negative side effects of mifepristone — hemorrhaging, infections, or even needing a transfusion or emergency surgery. The drug devastates women physically and <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAb47d60e6-7217-1f93-68ed-b4c1914040ec" title="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-abortion-and-mental-health/" href="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-abortion-and-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-abortion-and-mental-health/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1RQNli77d0c3SvbR2rQ9Wr">emotionally</a>. I remember a patient who called and shared how horrible her experience was with chemical abortion in her dorm room. She told me, “I am going to need to see a therapist.”
The larger medical community refuses to acknowledge the growing evidence against mifepristone because it fears this will undermine its avid support for unrestricted abortion. Leading <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWA6251b325-6ee0-4854-69e3-b514939170eb" title="https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/amicus-briefs/2026/20260223_louisiana-usfda.pdf?rev=8a3aa82f29e3430f847dea56d7f65b0d" href="https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/amicus-briefs/2026/20260223_louisiana-usfda.pdf?rev=8a3aa82f29e3430f847dea56d7f65b0d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/amicus-briefs/2026/20260223_louisiana-usfda.pdf?rev%3D8a3aa82f29e3430f847dea56d7f65b0d&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2px2aAUfIiDIMNsZ1QByhF">medical groups</a> such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continue promoting the lie that a visit to the ER after taking mifepristone isn’t serious or that the science on mifepristone’s safety and effectiveness is “<a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWA0777e898-67cc-866e-925c-00bbc3281a77" title="https://www.rev.com/transcripts/senate-hearing-on-abortion-drugs" href="https://www.rev.com/transcripts/senate-hearing-on-abortion-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.rev.com/transcripts/senate-hearing-on-abortion-drugs&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1_VsKmHpm0jPZtb6xdG6DJ">longstanding and settled</a>.&#8221;
The women showing up at my clinics aren’t buying these lies. They are rightly concerned that they don’t have medical accompaniment when taking dangerous, high-risk drugs.
And as a medical professional with 28 years of experience working in women’s health, and who completed Ph.D. training in methods of scientific research, I am shocked at this distortion from fellow medical professionals.
The concept of questioning science and challenging assumptions has produced countless discoveries in medicine over the years.
I’ve witnessed many instances where the prevailing scientific consensus was later refined or even overturned after further studies. For example, medical professionals long believed that stress produced stomach ulcers, but further inquiry revealed that a <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWA2c7882b9-9e6d-256f-f200-8980034a691b" title="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01206-6/abstract" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01206-6/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01206-6/abstract&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2vpQn_afaaa2CWfe63TNAS">bacteria</a> called Helicobacter pylori was also related to the development of ulcers. Outdated ideas on <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAaa3d8696-15ee-1639-0072-bddc69288e92" title="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4026979/" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4026979/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4026979/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097896000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Y-ObQtsrjRN22_7ZGJYZ8">neuroplasticity</a> crumbled under renewed investigations revealing that contrary to popular belief, adult brains can reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life.
And in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, new studies have challenged prior knowledge and led to improvements in areas such as preventing preterm labor, labor after cesarean sections, and more. Rather than stifling investigation in each of these cases, scientists and medical professionals celebrated them as evidence that scientific discovery was ameliorating our health.
The pro-abortion medical community’s refusal to question or even consider the possibility that women may be <a id="m_-7804896960961876211OWAef1ea58b-de84-548c-c309-8b75cc58b5f1" title="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/" href="https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lozierinstitute.org/fact-sheet-risks-and-complications-of-chemical-abortion/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781872097897000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Q76X4xBM44uxIdouSxS50">harmed</a> by mifepristone is incredibly telling. Our responsibility as physicians is to minimize harm. The refusal to examine evidence honestly, particularly when data and experience reveal that abortion drugs endanger women, is a failure of our duty as healers to protect the women we care for.
The purpose of medicine is health and healing. It is ultimately the responsibility of the physician to protect our patients, not a narrative. Women deserve a medical community that examines evidence with humility and curiosity. In medicine, when complication rates or serious adverse events occur after clinical trials in real-world patients, we carefully reassess their use. Mifepristone should be no exception.
Obstetrics and gynecology is the most unique specialty in medicine because we care for two patients at the same time: a mom and her baby. Dismissing the risks of mifepristone and the plethora of data on its dangers exposes not only a bias but also a failure to care for both patients.
Women deserve rigorous medical guidance grounded in evidence, not politics. Medicine can and must do better.
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Dr. Susan Bane is a board-certified ob-gyn who serves as the medical director of four pregnancy centers in North Carolina. She is chair of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists Action.

GettyImages-2206981895

The Abortion Pill Story The Medical Establishment Doesn’t Want To Tell

Abortion

Dobbs

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Medical assistance in dying represents a civilizational shift: from medicine ordered toward healing to medicine authorized to end life. Proponents frame it as compassion, but it rests on a distorted understanding of dignity and suffering. It is often presented as a narrow, carefully regulated response to extreme cases — typically involving terminal illness and unrelievable pain. Framed this way, it appears as an act of mercy: a last resort in circumstances where medicine can no longer cure and suffering seems to have no meaningful end.
That framing is increasingly difficult to sustain.
Over the past decade, the debate has shifted from whether assisted death should be permitted at all to how broadly it should be applied. The question is no longer simply about end-of-life care but about the definition of suffering and who gets to decide when it becomes intolerable.
Recent developments throughout the Western world show that <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2026/03/23/around-the-world-assisted-suicide-laws-are-losing-support/">this is not a settled issue</a>. In England and Wales, the so-called “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill” failed to become law on a technicality after stalling out in the House of Lords. Such a proposal could be reintroduced as early as this month, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk0vz5e2zxo">BBC</a>. In France, the French Senate <a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2026/05/french-senate-rejects-assisted-suicide-bill-again">rejected</a> an assisted suicide bill in May, but its proponents still think it has a chance of passing. In the U.S., in 2024 <a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/11/06/west-virginia-voters-narrowly-approved-putting-medically-assisted-suicide-prohibition-in-constitution/">West Virginia</a> voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting medically assisted suicide, making it one of the first jurisdictions to enshrine freedom from euthanasia as a constitutional right. Conversely, <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/26/new-york-legalizes-doctors-prescribing-death/">New York</a> is set to join 12 other states and Washington, D.C., in enacting MAiD, and legislation is currently pending to legalize MAiD in Connecticut, Indiana, and other states.
These divergent outcomes point to a deeper uncertainty about what MAiD represents. In <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2024.html">Canada</a>, where MAiD now accounts for roughly one in 20 deaths, MAiD was initially limited to those whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable. It has since expanded to include individuals with non-terminal conditions, and policymakers are <a href="https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/c-218">debating</a> whether to extend eligibility further to those suffering from mental illness alone.
The rapid normalization of this practice is evident as the number of jurisdictions authorizing it has nearly doubled in recent years, while states like Oregon have already begun stripping away foundational safeguards — such as residency requirements — effectively turning end-of-life care into a form of “death tourism.” Developments in the U.S. point in a similar direction. As of April, more than <a href="https://compassionandchoices.org/resource/medical-aid-in-dying-utilization-report/">12,425</a> individuals in the United States have used MAiD since Oregon first legalized the practice in 1997. Each step has been defended as a reasonable extension of the original principle. Taken together, they illustrate how difficult it is to draw stable boundaries once assisted death is accepted in law.
Supporters of MAiD tend to emphasize autonomy: the idea that individuals should have the right to make decisions about their own lives, particularly in cases of profound suffering. Critics, by contrast, focus on the broader implications — especially for those who may feel pressure to choose death. The tension between these two perspectives becomes clearer when we move from policy to individual cases. The stories of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-tragic-case-is-forcing-new-questions-about-assisted-dying">Noelia Castillo Ramos</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/world-news/physically-healthy-actress-claire-brosseau-seeks-assisted-suicide/">Claire Brousseau</a> underscore how complex these situations can be. Cases like theirs raise uncomfortable questions: When someone seeks assisted death, are we witnessing the exercise of autonomy, or the failure of a system to provide adequate care, support, and meaning? The answer is not always obvious.
What complicates matters further is that suffering itself is not a fixed category. Terminal illness can be diagnosed with relative clarity. Suffering, especially when it is psychological, social, or existential, cannot. Expanding eligibility from the former to the latter introduces a level of subjectivity that makes consistent limits difficult to maintain.
This is what might be called the “expansion problem.” Once the underlying principle is accepted — that death can be a legitimate response to suffering — the criteria for its application tend to broaden. Not necessarily because of bad intentions, but because the logic itself invites it. If the justification is relief from suffering, and suffering is defined by the individual, then restricting access becomes harder to defend.
At a deeper level, this reflects a broader shift in how modern societies relate to human life itself. Life is no longer understood primarily as something to be received, with its limits, dependencies, and unpredictability, but as something to be managed, optimized, and, when necessary, ended. A culture increasingly oriented toward control over circumstances, outcomes, and the very terms of our existence will find it difficult to resist extending that control to death as well.
None of this means that everyone who supports MAiD is indifferent to human life. On the contrary, many are motivated by compassion and a desire to alleviate pain. But public policy must account not only for intentions, but for outcomes.
One concern is that assisted death, even when framed as a personal choice, can take on a social dimension. In aging societies with strained healthcare systems, the line between offering an option and suggesting a solution can become blurred. Individuals who already feel like a burden may begin to see assisted death not simply as a right, but as a responsibility.
This is not an argument about isolated abuses. It is an argument about trajectory. Medical practice has historically been oriented toward healing, or at least toward care when healing is no longer possible. Introducing assisted death into that framework changes its scope. It asks physicians to balance two roles that have not traditionally coexisted: preserving life and ending it under certain conditions. Whether that balance can be maintained over time is an open question.
What is clear is that MAiD is no longer a marginal issue. It sits as the intersection of medicine, law, and culture, and it forces societies to articulate what they believe about suffering, dignity, and responsibility. The debate, then, should not be reduced to slogans about compassion or autonomy. It requires a more careful examination of how principles operate in practice — and how they evolve once they are set in motion.
If recent developments are any indication, the central challenge is not simply deciding whether to permit assisted death in exceptional cases. It is determining whether the logic behind those exceptions can remain limited, or whether it will continue to expand in ways that are difficult to foresee — and even harder to reverse.
***
Cooper Moore is a 2026 Chesterton media fellow at New Guard Press. A graduate of Nicholls State University, he works in government affairs. Follow Cooper on X at <a href="https://x.com/cwmoore00">@cwmoore00</a>.

GettyImages-2154197503

Why This ‘Compassion’ Debate Is Taking A Dark Turn

Assisted Suicide

A recent study suggests that ultra-processed foods could be responsible for declines in attention and cognitive function.
The <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260608040017.htm">study</a>, which was published in Alzheimer&#8217;s &amp; Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment &amp; Disease Monitoring last week, analyzed over 2,100 individuals and found that ultra-processed food consumption was linked to worse attention and mental processing. Ultra-processed foods <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260459/">add</a> artificial ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, whey protein, flavor enhancers, and chemical-based preservatives. 
The study showed that even modest increases in ultra-processed foods, as much as the equivalent of one bag of chips daily, had negative cognitive effects. 
&#8220;For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person&#8217;s ability to focus,&#8221; the study states. &#8220;In clinical terms, this translated to consistently lower scores on standardized cognitive tests measuring visual attention and processing speed.&#8221;
The study was led by Dr. Barbara Cardoso from Monash University, one of the top 40 research universities worldwide, in partnership with researchers at the University of São Paulo and Deakin University.
Other studies from <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/cutting-back-on-ultra-processed-foods-linked-with-lower-dementia-risk">Harvard University</a>, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39863327/">Framingham Heart Study</a>, and one from <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9857155/">Brazil</a> have shown that ultra-processed foods increase dementia and Alzheimer’s risk and overall cognitive decline. However, these studies analyzed people from general population cohorts, which include people with unhealthy diets. The new study from Monash University shows that even those with a healthy Mediterranean diet also suffer from the cognitive side effects of consuming ultra-processed foods.
&#8220;Food ultra-processing often destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances like artificial additives or processing chemicals,&#8221; Dr. Cardoso said.
&#8220;These additives suggest the link between diet and cognitive function extends beyond just missing out on foods known as healthy, pointing to mechanisms linked to the degree of food processing itself,&#8221; she added.  

Ultra-processed foods make up large proportions of the diets of developed countries, consisting of the majority of the total dietary energy for the average person in America, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Most foods go through some sort of system of processing, whether that be for drying, crushing, freezing, bottling, refining, or pressing, and these processes are mostly benign as they do not add any extra sugars, oils, or fats, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition, a Cambridge University Press journal. 
Ultra-processed foods, however, &#8220;are typically high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals,” the study adds. Ultra-processed foods often include fast food, soft drinks, salty snacks, frozen meals, and plant-based milks found in vegan products.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made the fight against ultra-processed foods a central part of his MAHA movement. In a &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHO-TrjKJtI">60 Minutes</a>&#8220; interview earlier this year, he called ultra-processed foods “poison” and stated they were the cause of America’s obesity. Kennedy has also instructed the HHS and the FDA to phase out artificial dyes, a major component in ultra-processed foods.

Bowl of Potato Chips on Brown Background

Some Of America’s Favorite Foods Could Be Accelerating Its Cognitive Decline

The Trump administration is escalating one of its signature healthcare reforms ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, moving from promises of price transparency to active enforcement against hospitals that continue to hide costs from patients.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) <a href="https://x.com/hhsgov/status/2064408871527927856?s=46">announced</a> this week that the grace period for hospital price transparency compliance has officially ended, warning providers that fail to disclose actual prices that they could face penalties of up to $2 million annually.
The move marks a significant step in President Donald Trump&#8217;s long-running effort to force hospitals and insurers to publish real healthcare prices, allowing patients to compare costs before receiving treatment rather than being surprised by bills weeks or months later.
&#8220;For years, hospitals kept Americans in the dark about the true cost of care,&#8221; HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a video announcement alongside CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. &#8220;Families made medical decisions without knowing the price — and too often got hit with bills that drained their savings.&#8221;
&#8220;That ends now,&#8221; Kennedy added. &#8220;Under President Trump&#8217;s leadership, HHS is enforcing hospital price transparency with real consequences.&#8221;
Kennedy and Oz delivered a direct warning to healthcare providers: &#8220;Post your actual prices. Come into compliance immediately — or face serious consequences.&#8221;
The administration&#8217;s enforcement push comes as healthcare affordability remains one of the most pressing concerns for voters heading into the midterm cycle.
According to a March <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/707732/healthcare-reclaims-top-spot-among-domestic-worries.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=syndication">Gallup survey</a>, 61% of Americans say they worry &#8220;a great deal&#8221; about healthcare access and affordability, making it the top domestic concern in the country. Healthcare ranked above inflation, the economy, federal spending, and income inequality, underscoring the political significance of reforms to lower medical costs.
The issue has become a central pillar of Trump&#8217;s healthcare agenda. Shortly after returning to office, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to strengthen enforcement of existing transparency rules and require hospitals and insurers to disclose actual prices rather than estimates.
The administration and supporters argue that transparent pricing injects market competition into a healthcare system where consumers often have little idea what services cost until after treatment.
&#8220;President Trump&#8217;s position on &#8216;maximum&#8217; price transparency is clear: Hospitals must post upfront, actionable prices or face significant fines,&#8221; Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of <a href="http://patientrightsadvocate.org/">PatientRightsAdvocate.org</a>, said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Today&#8217;s action by Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz is a huge win for America&#8217;s patients and a strong warning to hospitals and insurers who have put profits over patients for far too long.&#8221;
Andrew Bremberg, who served as director of the Domestic Policy Council during Trump&#8217;s first administration, said the enforcement effort demonstrates the White House is moving beyond rhetoric and beginning to hold providers accountable.
&#8220;President Trump is doing what his predecessor failed to do and holding hospitals accountable,&#8221; Bremberg exclusively told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The Trump Administration has made maximum price transparency a pillar of their healthcare agenda and by beginning enforcement actions against hospitals, they are putting their policy in action and taking a giant step toward achieving a more affordable healthcare system that puts the American people ahead of hospitals and insurance companies.&#8221;
Bremberg added that transparency has become &#8220;a central focus&#8221; of the administration&#8217;s healthcare efforts and that stronger oversight is intended to ensure patients receive the pricing information they need to make informed decisions.
Advocates argue the stakes extend far beyond politics. More than 100 million Americans carry medical debt, while millions delay treatment because they do not know what care will cost beforehand.
&#8220;This is a major milestone for the MAHA movement,&#8221; said Ilaria Wheeler, director of research for PatientRightsAdvocate.org. &#8220;Price transparency isn&#8217;t a Republican or Democratic issue — it&#8217;s a patient issue.&#8221;
&#8220;By holding hospitals accountable and enforcing healthcare price transparency, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are making healthcare honest again and giving Americans the certainty they need to seek care without fear of hidden costs or surprise bills,&#8221; Wheeler added.

President Trump Participates In Swearing-In Ceremony For Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz

Americans May Start Seeing Healthcare Costs Decline Ahead Of Midterms Thanks To Trump Move

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Trump Administration

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Nothing felt amiss, but the more I spoke, the more I sounded like I might take a few detours on the drive home for animal specimens to examine at a later date. No offense to RFK Jr., of course. The scratching got heavier, my voice weaker, the pitch uneven. Not worrying too much about it, I flossed and brushed, washed my face, applied lotion, and went to bed. I was unbothered, moisturized, happy, in my lane, focused, flourishing. 
Then the morning came, and it became obvious that the rasp was the beginning of something more than a spot-on celebrity impersonation. Worse still, it was the deadliest of illnesses, the dreaded man cold, a condition for which there is no cure except for death. Or at least there was no cure save death until now. 
After depositing the one non-driving child at school, I went through my contacts and sent a text to the owner of a local IV clinic, one of those trendy places offering NAD+, hangover cures, and super mega doses of vitamin C. I asked about the vitamin C option, the “Not Today Sickness,” and received a reply that it was the clinic&#8217;s most popular offering. She asked what time I wanted to come in, booked it, and sent me the barrage of consent forms that lawyers have deemed necessary for our continuing survival. 
I was skeptical, but not so skeptical as to fail to give it a try. Some weeks can be lost to illness. This was not such a week. I needed to get back on my feet. As a friend told me bluntly, “they work,” my expectations rose, even as the owner had told me she wasn’t sure it would help with my voice. 
To say this place is bougie is to undersell it. There are roughly 25 of these wellness centers in my area — a region of about 650,000 — and at none of them does one merely lie on a table and take one&#8217;s drip. No, one reclines into a plush massage chair while the phlebotomist/host/attendant brings water and the optional eye massagers. (Naturally, I said yes.) Then one settles in for the better part of an hour as the fortified solution drips slowly into the bloodstream.
Once the bag finished emptying itself into me, shortly after I finished my second pass through the full-body massage, the phlebotomist/host/attendant removed the needle and told me to go whenever I felt ready. Not being bothered by needles, I was ready then, for I had found a vitamin and nutrient-dense smoothie just a half mile away during the final few minutes of my therapy. 
To say this smoothie was the most disgusting concoction I have ever ingested would be a stretch, but to say it was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever forced myself to finish solely because I’d paid for it would be accurate. If one were to try to make a smoothie as bland and chalky as this one was, one would be hard-pressed to do worse. To make a smoothie that contains maple syrup, banana, peanut butter, coconut milk, and cocoa taste bad is almost impressive. It is a feat to take inputs so sweet and reduce them into something resembling the daily rations offered to the inhabitants of a sci-fi dystopia where everyone engages in absolute hedonism … until they are killed and turned into smoothies. 
The IV, on the other hand, was vigilantly coursing through my veins. My voice remained a mess. I was still sick, but my energy was returning. Though not yet wholly unbothered, I was much less bothered than I had been that morning. As I’m a little bougie myself, wearing eye massagers while receiving new age care was very much in my lane. I’d slept and showered, so I was also rested and moisturized. I still wasn’t flourishing, though. 
But when I awoke the next morning? I was starting to feel it. My voice was returning. My white blood cells, freshly fed and on the march, were making tremendous headway. I was on my way back, baby. 
After one more sleep, the cold was almost an afterthought. There was still some coughing, but the productive kind, my body expelling the excess phlegm that had accumulated during the battle. I was prepared for my day, ready to take the youngest to school and to plan for the evening’s work.
The treatment was cheap, though it certainly seemed expensive. But such places do not accept insurance. As such, the costs are transparent. Nonetheless, when one is accustomed to paying an exorbitant amount every month in exchange for doc visits that cost “only” $35, dropping a few hundred seems excessive. Trust me, though, it’s never just $35. Wellness clinics for humans are more akin to veterinarians’ offices than those of general practitioners. We’re simply more expensive to maintain than Fido, particularly given that Fido objects to extras like massage chairs. 
The friend who told me the treatments work later shared that he gets one monthly, and it has greatly improved his overall wellness. I most certainly will follow his lead here and make receiving a bag of enhanced saline part of my routine. Maybe it’s mental. Maybe it’s medical. Maybe it’s both. Whatever the case, when it comes to reviving yourself when you’re in tough — but not dire — straits, the secret to your recovery is in the bag, though I’d include the eye massagers just to be safe. Without them, you’d not only look ridiculous, but your return to flourishing might even be delayed. 
***
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the <a href="https://cookinupastory.buzzsprout.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cookin’ Up a Story</a> podcast. Follow him on X <a href="https://x.com/rcromwell4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rcromwell4</a>.

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How A Bougie IV Clinic Actually Cured My ‘Man Cold’

Orange juice used to be a common breakfast staple in American households until it was demonized for its high sugar content. But did the health experts get this one wrong?
Like the low-fat craze of the 1990s, certain health trends make zero sense. But when it comes to orange juice, the final verdict isn’t so cut and dried. Freshly squeezed orange juice is full of antioxidants. And it’s perfect for pirates who want to avoid getting scurvy. One eight-ounce glass delivers a <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/">full day’s worth</a> of vitamin C for an adult with only around 110 calories per serving.
As The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/nutrition/how-healthy-is-glass-of-orange-juice/">reported</a>, a recent study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition confirmed that consuming 100 percent orange juice “significantly improves markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adults.” With 90% water content, it’s also hydrating and, as frequent OJ drinkers agree, is quite delicious.
But orange juice is not a perfect, nutritious treat and should be consumed in moderation. All those warnings about high sugar are accurate. Like all fruit juices, OJ is very high in sugar and for that reason will spike blood sugar even though it’s a natural source of the sweet stuff. It’s also low in fiber, which is unfortunate because a higher fiber count would help with those blood sugar spikes and crashes. 
Freshly squeezed orange juice may seem like the best option, the outlet noted, but the health benefits are negligible compared to more readily available — and convenient — not-from-concentrate options found in the supermarket cold section. Also, while it would seem that the full pulp version contains more fiber, in truth, the difference is not enough to suffer through the floating chunks in your juice if that’s not your preference.
Meanwhile, anything that says “orange drink” instead of orange juice should almost always be avoided as it does not have the same benefits or nutritional value. Don’t even think about Sunny D unless you’re attending a 90s-themed party.
Per <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/05/orange-juice-sugar-healthy/">The Washington Post</a>, the FDA sets a minimum standard for the sugar content in order to call a drink “pasteurized orange juice,” which is what’s sold in grocery stores without added sugars. Anything below that threshold cannot be called that, so be sure to check the label.
The bottom line is that orange juice isn’t the villain we’ve made it out to be and can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation.

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