Starbucks is selling protein lattes. We need to talk.


In This Issue:

  • Starbucks is selling protein lattes. We need to talk. (~ 2 min)

Dear Reader ,

Every few years - sometimes every few months - there is a new hero ingredient. Probiotics. Omega-3s. Collagen. Vitamin D. Magnesium glycinate. And now, protein - everywhere, in everything, aggressively optimized. You can now order 30 g of it in your Starbucks latte.

When your morning coffee is a macro delivery vehicle, it might be time to ask whether we've lost the plot entirely.

Don't get me wrong; some of these have genuine merit. I recommend several of them to my own patients.

But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and the health trend cycle has a reliable blind spot: in elevating one variable, it quietly displaces another.

The most telling example these days is "protein maxxing". In the race to hit aggressive protein targets, fibre has become the quiet casualty. And fibre is not optional. The general benchmark is 14g per 1,000 calories consumed - yet upwards of 35g daily is recommended to lower cholesterol, support bowel regularity, improve IBS symptoms, and meaningfully reduce colorectal cancer risk. Most people chasing protein are nowhere near it. If you're curious about figuring out your daily fibre intake, check out this Fibre Content Calculator.

This is what health trends do. They offer a single lever and imply that pulling it hard enough will move everything. It won't.

Health is a system, and systems require balance - not optimization of one variable at the expense of the rest.

So before you add the next TikTok-endorsed supplement to your cart or act on whatever ChatGPT just confidently told you to take, sit with two questions:
​"What do I actually hope this will shift for me?" And - honestly, "Am I outsourcing responsibility for my health to a trending ingredient?"

The answer to both will tell you more than the supplement ever could.

Warmly,


P.S. Want to listen to the audio version of this newsletter? Click below.
​Perimenopause_ proof your body has been keeping score.mp3​

Dr. Dominika Zarzeczny

Naturopathic Doctor

​
πŸ“§
hello@drdominika.com​
🌐
www.drdominika.com
​
πŸ—“οΈ Schedule an Appointment​

​
​
Unsubscribe Β· Preferences β€’ Milverton Blvd., Toronto, ON M4C 1X4

Hi! I'm Dr. Dominika Zarzeczny, ND

First inspired by the work of Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Dominika has focused much of her career on helping her patients connect the dots between early adversity and trauma and their impact on lifelong health and well-being. She knows that the reversal of chronic illness involves the nervous system, and so she has dedicated her practice to helping patients master their own nervous system to positively influence their mind and body, behaviours and ultimately health outcomes. Her explanation of disease doesn't pathologize or blame, but is nuanced, humanized and filled with hope. She trained with various psychologists and experts in the field of psychological trauma. She incorporates the principles of neuroscience, attachment theory, mindfulness, Polyvagal Theory and compassionate inquiry in her approach with patients. Combining these with her naturopathic training, she likes to say that she works at the intersection of science and human experience.

Read more from Hi! I'm Dr. Dominika Zarzeczny, ND

Hi Reader ,This entry covers three topics that at first glance don't appear related: a recent fish oil trial which tells us about brain nutrition, what your thigh muscle size reveals about brain structure, and what dietary protein does for muscle quality and brain health even without exercise. Save and share: I packaged today's entry into an image so it is easy to right click, copy and share if you have a friend or loved one who is still relying on a fish oil capsule and skipping the weights...

Hi Reader ,It's worth asking yourself honestly: when you want to understand what's happening in your body, where do you turn first? For most women, the answer isn't their doctor. It's a podcast they trust, an Instagram reel that showed up at the right moment, a friend who swears by something that worked for her. These sources feel accessible, relatable, and immediate. And sometimes they point in a useful direction. But here's the problem. A TikTok creator, a wellness influencer, even a...

There is a moment when we’re stressed - in difficult conversations, when trying to meet a deadline, and everything in between - that something shifts. Your chest tightens. Your thoughts move faster but feel less clear. By the time you notice it, you're already past it. Understanding what is happening in that moment physiologically might be the most practical thing you do for stress management this year. Activation Runs Ahead Of Awareness When your Mind perceives threat, it activates a stress...