If you want to live longer and feel better, stop chasing food fads.

Every few months, a new “miracle” plan — keto, intermittent fasting, carnivore, raw — promises to fix everything. Most don’t. Even those that show modest benefits rarely deliver results worth the time, effort, and mental energy they demand.

As an Harvard-trained oncologist and world leader in health policy, I’ve spent decades researching what actually improves health outcomes. The answer to a longer life is so simple: Good nutrition is about building about habits you can sustain for years, not weeks.

While you should consult your physician before changing your diet, as individual needs vary, here are six nutrition myths I wish more people would let go of.

The average adult consumes nearly 500 calories a day from snacks, much of it from ultra-processed foods like chips, cookies and packaged desserts. These foods are engineered to encourage overeating.

In one study, participants eating ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and gained two pounds in just two weeks compared with those eating whole foods, even when calories were matched. These foods are also linked to higher all-cause mortality.

Not all snacks are harmful. Research shows that healthy snacks can improve overall diet quality. Nuts, fruit, yogurt, hummus and vegetables provide fiber, protein and healthy fats that promote fullness without blood sugar spikes.

Most Americans already consume enough protein. Recommended intake is roughly 0.75 to 1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (about 45 to 70 grams for most women and 55 to 90 grams for most men).

Protein powders aren’t a solution either. In one analysis, two-thirds of tested protein powders contained unsafe levels of lead. There are exceptions:

• Adults over 60, who lose muscle mass with age, may benefit from about 1.2 g/kg
• Athletes or people recovering from illness may need up to 1.5 g/kg

For everyone else, whole-food sources (beans, lentils, yogurt, fish) are safer and more beneficial than supplements or excessive red meat.

Only about 7% of American adults meet recommended fiber intake, and that’s a serious problem.

High-fiber diets are linked to lower risk of colorectal cancer, reduced rates of Type 2 diabetes, and a 31% lower risk of death from coronary heart disease.

But fiber supplements aren’t a perfect shortcut. Most contain just one type of fiber and don’t replicate the complex, diverse fibers found in whole foods. Only a small fraction show meaningful clinical benefits.

Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains remain the most effective way to support gut health.

Dairy consumption is associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and improved growth in children — regardless of fat content.

The idea that higher-fat dairy causes weight gain isn’t supported by evidence. In fact, studies show children who consume whole-fat dairy have lower odds of overweight and obesity than those consuming low-fat versions. Adults show similar trends.

Fat content alone doesn’t determine health. Whole-fat dairy can fit into a balanced diet, especially when it replaces ultra-processed “low-fat” alternatives.

Choose the version you enjoy and can sustain.

For decades, Americans were told fat makes you fat. This has been proven wrong. Yet as dietary fat intake declined, obesity and diabetes rates surged.

Healthy fats are essential. Many calorie-dense foods — nuts, olive oil, full-fat dairy, even dark chocolate — are associated with less weight gain than processed grains and sugary snacks.

Liquid plant oils, especially extra-virgin olive oil, have strong evidence behind them. Even half a tablespoon per day has been associated with a 19% lower risk of death over nearly 30 years.

Fat isn’t the enemy. It’s the ultra-processed, low-fiber, high-sugar foods that drive weight gain and metabolic disease.

Many people believe an extra workout can cancel out unhealthy eating. Unfortunately, you can’t. There’s more than a grain of truth to the saying, “you are what you eat.”

A recent study found that humans burn roughly the same number of calories per day regardless of activity level. Exercise improves health, but it doesn’t provide the calorie “bonus” people expect. What and how much you eat is what moves the needle on weight.

That said, exercise is still essential. It improves sleep, mood, cognition, bone density and social connection. Walking, especially with other people, is one of the most effective and accessible forms.

Good nutrition is simply about designing a life where healthy choices are ones that are easy and that you stick to for years: whole foods like fruits, nuts, and vegetables, modest portions and meals shared with people you like.

Skip the detoxes. Keep the olive oil. And yes, sometimes eat your ice cream. 

Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel is an oncologist, Vice Provost and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of “Eat Your Ice Cream: 6 Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” Previously, he was chair of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Emanuel received his MD from Harvard Medical School.

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Karl Bushby was 29 when he left his home city of Hull, England and took off for the adventure of a lifetime. With $500 in his pocket and some survival gear, he went on a mission that no one else in history had ever completed: walking an unbroken path around the world.

Bushby’s journey, called the “Goliath Expedition,” began in 1998 in Punta Arenas, Chile, a city near the southern tip of South America. It’s brought him across continents including the Americas, Asia and Europe, and ultimately ends with the goal of arriving back in the United Kingdom.

“The objective was simply to get home unassisted by any form of transport,” Bushby told CNBC Make It.

Throughout the journey, Bushby has followed two rules: He can only walk or swim, unassisted by any form of transportation, and he cannot return home to Hull, England, until he arrives entirely on foot.

“These sounded like two simple rules from the early days, but you know, once those two rules meet the reality of the real world, things can get mighty complicated, especially [with] visas and difficult governments and regimes and some of the controversial borders that [I’ve] had to cross,” he said.

After walking about 30 kilometers a day, along with some unexpected setbacks, Bushby has now made his way into Europe and expects to complete his journey and return home to England next year, he told CNBC Make It.

Bushby has always been an adventurer. He says he used to go explore all day with his brother before returning home for dinner.

Growing up in a military family, he was inspired by his father who served in the British army. Bushby also joined the army at age 16 and served as a parachute regiment for about 12 years before taking off on his expedition.

At a certain point during his tenure in the British army, Bushby got bored.

“I spent my 12 years in the British army waiting to go somewhere we never really went, other than Northern Ireland,” he said. “We happened to be living through one of the most peaceful times in history,” he said.

“So we got bored and tired and became wondrous and mischievous,” he said. “At some point, I started drawing lines on maps and daydreaming about great distances and distant horizons, and one thing led to another.”

One day, Bushby drew a line from the United Kingdom over Europe and Asia, through Siberia, over the Bering Strait, into North America and through to the bottom of South America.

“Once I got that on a map, there was kind of no going back … The old hairs on the back of your neck stand up,” he said.

So, in 1998, Bushby left the British army to begin the long journey. He took a military flight from the United Kingdom to the Falkland Islands, then a civilian flight to Punta Arenas, Chile, which was the starting point of his expedition.

“That first day you step onto the road [is] a memorable one, because at that point, you’re a long way from home. You’ve burned all the bridges. You told everyone you’d rather die than come home,” said Bushby.

“You got like 500 U.S. dollars in your pocket, no support, no idea how it is going to work out, just absolute faith that you can somehow make it work. And you’re on a road that is about 36,000 miles long, with very little idea of what’s coming. I mean … you’re further than a man mission to Jupiter at that point,” he said.

Bushby’s journey over the last 27 years has brought him through many close encounters.

He has famously crossed the Darien Gap, been detained by Russian authorities, jailed in Panama, nearly frozen to death in Alaska and swam across the Caspian Sea over a 31-day-period.

On top of all of this, he’s gone days without food after walking for many miles, relied on strangers for medical help and ended many nights by himself in a tent he pitched on the side of the road.

“The psychology of hunger is interesting. It’s not something that most of us are really used to. When you have no idea where your next meal will come in, you just become obsessed with finding things to eat,” said Bushby.

“You’ll see food everywhere, every shadow, every rock, looks like something you can eat. You’ll end up running around, chasing hallucinations most of the time,” he said.

Despite all of the challenges he’s overcome, one of the biggest lessons he discovered throughout his journey didn’t have much to do with physical pain or endurance. Rather, it was about happiness and how it ultimately comes from your relationships.

“If you would ask me, what was the hardest thing you’ve done over the last 27 years – that is losing the women that you fall in love with hands down. That’s the toughest thing you will deal with… The physical stuff – pain is easy, suffering is different,” said Bushby.

On the other hand, he said: “The happiest of times was when I [was in] those relationships. When you’re with somebody.”

He’s also learned that people are generally very kind, across all cultures and regions in the world. Many times throughout his journey, he says he’s been taken in, fed and cared for by strangers who ask for nothing in return.

“You don’t even speak the same language, so it’s just about smiles and nods and then they send you on your way … It’s just one story after another, and it’s across every culture, across every country,” he said.

“This world is hell of a lot friendlier and nicer than it might appear.”

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If your portfolio is invested in exchange-traded funds, you may have had a very good 2025. The S&P 500 — the index tracked by the three largest ETFs on the market, per ETF Database – returned about 16% in 2025.

But in theory, depending on which funds you held, you could have done quite a bit better.

The MicroSectors Gold Miners 3X Leveraged ETN, a fund which tracks the price of a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, finished the year up 796% — the best of any U.S. traded ETF, according to data from FactSet analyzed by CNBC. You could have also earned a huge return had you bought other ETFs focused on metal mining or Korean stocks.

While it can be fun to fantasize about what your returns could have looked like had you chosen one of last year’s big winners, you should think twice before choosing one as a major building block of your investing strategy, says Jeff Ptak, managing director for Morningstar Research Services.

“They should play very little, if any, role in your portfolio,” he says. “Most of what you see at the top of these lists is niche, hyper-volatile, gimmicky. These aren’t words I would associate with prudent, long-term investing.”

Prudent, long-term investing is generally the name of the game if you’re hoping to build wealth, investing experts say. So what makes some of the 2025 winners unsuitable?

Leveraged funds

One common theme on the list is the use of leverage, the practice of buying or selling derivatives to amplify a fund’s return. Rather than seeking to track the return of an index, funds with 2X or 3X in the name aim to deliver multiples of that same return. This makes them highly volatile, and likely candidates for year-end best-of — or worst-of — lists, says Roxanna Islam, head of sector and industry research at TMX VettaFi, an investment research firm and index provider.

“I don’t think it’s surprising to see leverage at the top,” she says. “With two or three times [returns] they’re most likely going to be in the top at some point.”

The problem with these funds, for long-term investors, is that they aim to produce 200% to 300% of the index’s return on a daily basis, resetting for each trading day. In other words, they’re for day traders, not investors, says Islam.

“These are basically used as short-term trading instruments. They’re intended to be held for one day,” she says. “They’re not something to hold for a whole year, even though you see a high [2025] return.”

Volatile areas of the market

Another common theme among winning 2025 ETFs: precious metals mining funds.

It’s no surprise that some companies that mine for the shiny stuff did well last year. Gold prices spiked by about 65% in 2025 and silver rose by more than 140%. These firms, some of which have more well-established mining operations than others, benefit from rising precious metals prices.

While owning precious metals — often as a portfolio diversifier or an inflation hedge — is a common investment strategy, says Ptak, investing in miners is “a whole other kettle of fish.”

That’s because, in addition to fluctuations in metal prices, these firms’ stock prices move based on changes to the underlying business, which can be volatile and highly indebted, says Ptak.

″[Mining ETFs] are only slightly less speculative than something that’s got 2X or 3X in the name,” he says.

Overall, when considering adding any high-performing fund to your portfolio, you’d be wise to consider its long-term track record as well as how its objectives fit within your investment strategy, says Islam. It may be wise to do this with the help of a financial professional.

And when browsing year-end lists, remember that you’re looking for consistent, long-term returns rather than short-term wins, says Islam.

“Past performance does not equal future performance, especially when you’re looking at a lot of these smaller themes, smaller ETFs,” she says. “A lot of them don’t tend to show significant outperformance year after year, the same way holding a broad stock market ETF would.”

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Many people think that getting someone to say “yes” is about persuasion, making the perfect argument, choosing the right words, or asking nicely.

But decades of research suggest something counterintuitive: One of the most reliable ways to get to a “yes,” is to give the other person permission to say “no.”

Studies have shown that across all kinds of situations, from marketing to negotiations to everyday requests, simply adding a line like, “but you are free to accept or refuse,” makes people far more likely to comply.

It taps into one of our deepest psychological needs: autonomy. When people feel pressured, they resist. But when they feel they have a choice, they tend to engage more willingly and push back less.

I’ve spent the past decade advising Fortune 500 companies as an educator and behavioral researcher, and I’ve seen this principle outperform the hard-sell. Here are four simple phrases you can use to put this principle into practice.

When you explicitly tell someone they don’t have to agree, it immediately lowers defensiveness. Their nervous system relaxes, and the decision shifts from compliance under pressure to a choice made voluntarily.

When to use it at work:

• Asking for time from a busy senior leader
• Requesting help from a colleague
• Asking for participation

When to use it at home:

• Asking for emotional availability
• Raising a sensitive topic
• Making plans when the other person is stretched

Examples:

• “Would you be open to reviewing this for me today? You’re free to say no.”
• “You’re totally free to say no — would you be open to talking later tonight?”

This phrase reduces social pressure, which is a hidden driver of resentment and avoidance. Research shows that people push back when they feel expected or pressured to do something. Even cooperative people can resist when a request feels like an obligation.

When to use it at work:

• Asking for favors across teams
• Asking someone to do more than what’s in their job description 
• Following up on something that isn’t mandatory

When to use it at home:

• Asking for support
• Making requests that could inconvenience the other person
• Discussing emotional needs

Examples:

• “I’d really appreciate it if you could help with the report I need to prepare by tomorrow, but please don’t feel obliged.”
• “I could use your support this weekend, but please don’t feel obliged.”

This phrase is particularly effective in moments when you are on a clock, or a performance evaluation is a factor. 

When people feel they are being rushed into agreement, they make worse decisions, then regret them more afterwards. Removing that pressure improves satisfaction with the outcome.

When to use it at work:

• Setting deadlines that are flexible
• Making decisions that require some reflection
• Having sensitive career conversations

When to use it at home:

• Having relationship discussions
• Making parenting decisions
• Making big financial or life choices

Examples:

• “No pressure at all. Take your time thinking about it, and we can talk whenever you’re ready.”
• “If you’re open to it, I’d love your input this week, but no pressure.”

This phrase protects both the mental and emotional bandwidth of the recipient. Feeling obligated to respond, even to small messages, creates low-level stress. Removing that expectation reduces avoidance and increases genuine engagement.

When to use it at work:

• Sharing optional resources
• Sending reflections instead of action items
• Providing information without requiring feedback

When to use it at home:

• Checking in on someone going through a hard time 
• Sharing thoughts without requiring immediate dialogue
• Giving someone space

For example:

• “I wanted to share this just in case it’s useful. No need to reply!”
• “No need to reply. I was just thinking of you.”

These phrases all offer a sense of autonomy the exact moment it is most likely to feel threatened. In return, the people you engage with will follow through more reliably, feel more respected, and respond with more honesty.

Shadé Zahrai is an award-winning peak performance educator, behavioral researcher, and leadership strategist to Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of “Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success.” She earned her doctorate from Monash University. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Beginning January 1, 2026, an estimated 6.1 million more Americans will be eligible to open and contribute to Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, according to National Disability Institute.

ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts designed for Americans with disabilities. Created by Congress in 2014, ABLE accounts allow beneficiaries to save for qualified expenses like education, housing, health care and more without affecting their Medicaid or Social Security income eligibility.

Previously, beneficiaries had to have a qualifying medical condition that began before their 26th birthday, but that cut-off rises to age 46 as of January 1 due to the ABLE Age Adjustment Act passed in 2022. The expanded age requirement brings the total number of Americans eligible to open ABLE accounts up to around 14 million, per NDI’s estimates.

ABLE accounts are “a powerful wealth planning, financial and tax planning vehicle,” Juliana Crist, head of ABLE programs at Vestwell, a financial technology company that manages 19 of the country’s ABLE plans, tells CNBC Make It. Crist describes it as “kind of a super-powered Roth” individual retirement account.

As with Roth IRAs, contributions to ABLE accounts are made with after-tax dollars. Beneficiaries can invest the money in a portfolio which grows tax-free, and qualified withdrawals are not subject to income taxes. But with ABLE accounts, beneficiaries can set aside more money per year and can use the funds whenever they want, rather than needing to wait until they hit a certain age.

ABLE account withdrawals for qualified expenses are not taxed as income. However, withdrawals for non-qualifying expenses are subject to income tax and a 10% penalty.

Account holders can have up to $100,000 saved in an ABLE account without losing access to Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits. Individuals with savings exceeding $2,000 in regular savings or other investment accounts risk losing those benefits.

Here’s how ABLE accounts work and who can open one.

ABLE accounts are available to U.S. citizens in all 50 states who are either eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance or can self-certify that they have a qualifying medical condition.

“A lot more people can qualify for an ABLE account than realize it,” Crist says. “People hear that this is an account for people with disabilities, and that person might actually have a qualifying medical condition, but they don’t think of it as a disability … a lot of our eligible people just don’t realize that this could be a tool they could even use.”

To self-certify, individuals must have a written diagnosis of a qualifying condition signed by a licensed physician that also confirms the onset of the condition was before the individual’s 46th birthday.

Qualifying conditions include blindness, as defined by the Social Security Administration, along with a variety of other physical and mental conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Individuals do not have to provide proof of diagnosis when opening an ABLE account, but they need to certify that they have one, according to ABLE National Resource Center.

Beneficiaries can contribute up to $20,000 a year into an ABLE account in 2026. Individuals who work but do not contribute to a workplace retirement plan can contribute an additional amount equal to the individual poverty threshold — $15,650 in 2026 — or up to their employment earnings, whichever is less. That limit rises to $19,550 for Alaska residents and $17,990 for Hawaii residents in 2026. 

Virtually anyone can contribute to a beneficiary’s ABLE account including parents and other family members or employers. But total contributions may not exceed the annual limit.

Nearly every state and Washington, D.C. sponsor ABLE accounts and most allow out-of-state participation, according to ABLE NRC. Four states — Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin — don’t have their own plans. Depending on where you live and your personal financial situation, it may make sense to shop around between different states’ plans — a search which could benefit from the help of a financial professional.

If you’re looking to open an ABLE account, Crist suggests starting your search with your home state’s plan if one is available. That’s because some states offer state income tax deductions for ABLE account contributions.

Plus, “sometimes it’s easier and more familiar to be able to reach out to a person in your own backyard if you have questions or you need support,” she adds.

From there, you’ll want to compare investment options and costs for different ABLE accounts. Generally, ABLE accounts have management fees that can run around $30 a year, Crist says. The plans also may charge a fee equal to 0.1% to 0.3% of assets in your account she says. Some plans offer more investment options than others, which could be a deciding factor.

“Some states have much larger investment menus, like 15 options to choose from, as opposed to some states only offer four investment options to choose from — simple versus complex, so that can appeal to different types of savers and investors,” Crist says.

If you want a debit card attached to your account, some plans offer that as well, but not all, she adds.

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