Has Healthmaxxing Gone Too Far?

Cineplex is trying to bring back family movie night, Canada’s time zones are about to become a mess, and I have a bone to pick with anyone who lets their sleep score control their lives.

October 13, 2026

Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving,

One of the true underdog long weekends that we get to enjoy in Canada. Thanksgiving typically meant reuniting with friends and family over food and drinks, while trying to absorb whatever time is left outdoors before commencing hibernation.

But a new trend has emerged that is slowly changing the way that people celebrate giving thanks… the sleep score.

We all know someone who lives and dies by the results of their health scores. They wake up and their day is already ruined because of the underwhelming score they received on their previous night’s sleep. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s your spouse. Or maybe it’s your colleague who doesn’t stop talking about their upcoming Hyrox race.

Regardless, whether you are using one or not, they are starting to have significant impact on the daily actions that people all around us are taking.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by Regina George your health monitor telling you your recovery was off.

October – What’s on tap?

Quarterly Newsletter (attached)

• Economic update; Inflation runs deeper
• Offset capital gains with tax-loss harvesting
• The season of giving; donations, charitable giving, donor advised funds and life insurance

Canada

• Canadians are tipping less, and workers are feeling it
• Homeownership is getting out of reach
• Canada’s time zones are about to get complicated

Life:

• Cineplex is introducing $3.99 movie night
• An anonymous donor gave the Princess Margarat Cancer Foundation $100 million
• Toronto’s best breakfast sandwiches around the city

Charts:

• Countries with the highest consumer confidence
• Number of All-Time Highs for the S&P500

A Note from Nick:

• A bone to pick with wearable tech

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or would like to connect.

Thank you for your time and enjoy the short work week!

All the best,

Nick

A Note from Nick – A Bone to Pick with Wearable Tech

The era of wearable health monitors is in full swing. As I take the GO Train to work or wait in line for a coffee in our building, there’s no shortage of Whoop bracelets, Oura rings, Garmin or Apple watches, and more.

Every quarter, major tech companies are releasing innovative new products and IPOs are now becoming daily headline news for markets.

How did this become so big?

The illusion of control - in an era when there is so much out of our control, the human body (for the most part) is entirely in our hands. It is a closed-loop system; what we put in will have a direct impact on the outcome. And we now have the ability to monitor this data in real time.

The health and wellness craze - we have all seen the rise in non-alcoholic drinks or ‘Buddha Bowls’ on the menus of our favourite restaurants. We all have a friend who has joined a run club. Or maybe you’re walking the dog your family got during the pandemic. People are becoming more active and there’s no denying it.

The reward system - everyone needs to close their rings. Hit that new record sleep score. Beat their friends who they can compete with.

What’s my take?

At the end of the day, if having these devices encourages a healthy and active lifestyle, then absolutely why not.

If it gets you moving more on a daily basis, paying more attention to your diet, and gives you the push needed to make healthier decisions in life, then I certainly think there is a place for these wearable tech devices.

But there is more to a healthy lifestyle than just listening to what your Apple Watch tells you.

I had an Oura Ring for over a year. I loved it at first with all the data it provides, and I made conscious decisions to try and alter my lifestyle in accordance. Little changes here and there to improve results such as going to sleep earlier or taking a day off of the gym when fatigued. Then larger decisions, like turning down a dinner with clients or night out to avoid lower scores.

While the data is great to know, and maybe the changes would have impacted my Oura Ring health scores, I am also Italian. And with this, comes the life goal of living in moderation. Il dolce far niente.

A healthy lifestyle to me is more than just a sleep score, calories burned and daily steps. It’s your time spent having a glass of wine with family, your cheat meal of carbs, and maybe going to sleep later than planned to catch up with friends.

I’d love to know, what’s your take?