High-Protein Lunch Ideas That Pack 25 Grams or More
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Carbs Have a Bad Reputation, but Whole Grains Might Help Your Heart
Go With the Grain: Carbs have a pretty bad reputation in nutrition spaces. Whole grains are carbs too, though, and they may deserve a better one when it comes to heart health. The tricky part has always been figuring out how much you need and how often to eat them to see results. But a big new analysis finally puts a number on it. The Study: Researchers pooled 87 randomized controlled trials involving more than 6,500 people, and they landed on a sweet spot of 60 to 100 grams (dry weight) of whole grains a day. At that level, the perks showed up across several heart risk markers, from LDL cholesterol to blood pressure. Smaller benefits appeared at 30 to 40 grams. The Takeaway: For a visual, 60 to 100 grams is roughly a third to a heaping half cup of dry quinoa or steel-cut oats. Trading refined grains for minimally processed whole ones is an easy first step, and a sandwich on whole-grain bread counts, too. Keep in Mind: Most trials lasted about eight weeks, so the long-term picture still isn’t clear. The study also tracked risk factors instead of actual heart events, so future research will need to […]
Nutrition 
So Long, Kegger. Hello, Wellness Darty.
The Trend: Instead of rolling out of bed at noon and reaching for a beer, university students are now getting up early for yoga, Pilates, group runs, cold plunges, and matcha. Welcome to the wellness “darty” (daytime party): same social energy, fewer hangovers. Videos from campuses including the University of Florida, Alabama, and Syracuse show students swapping the keg for ice baths while keeping the music, outfits and all-day-party spirit intact. What People Are Saying: Naturally, the internet has thoughts. Some see the trend as a refreshing alternative to getting gloriously wrecked before dinner. Others are less enthused by the idea of turning college partying into a giant group wellness retreat. And there’s a fair amount of generational eye-rolling: Partiers of days past joke about today’s kids wanting to spend Saturday morning voluntarily exercising. What to Know: The wellness darty is less a rejection of partying than a remix of it. Gen Z is drinking less alcohol than previous generations, although plenty of college students still drink, and binge drinking remains common — around 26% of full-time college students ages 18 to 25 reported past-month binge drinking in 2024. Wellness darties aren’t replacing college partying so much as offering another […]
Personal Growth 
The Fruits and Veggies With the Most Heart-Protective Flavanols
Nutrition 
Food Safety Mistakes You’re Probably Making at Home
Most of us never had formal food safety training, so it's easy to pick up bad habits without realizing it. This guide breaks down the store-to-kitchen habits that actually keep your food — and your family — safe, from shopping and storage to cooking, serving, and leftovers.
Nutrition 
Why Almonds Might Be the Healthiest Nut You Can Eat
Other nuts still deserve a spot in your diet, but almonds may be one of the healthiest of the bunch.
Nutrition
Fitness
Nutrition
Sleep
Does Protein Powder Actually Help Older Adults Keep Muscle?
A new clinical trial found that older adults already getting enough protein saw no extra strength benefit from protein powder or supplements. Exercise, not extra protein, was the real driver of muscle preservation.
Fitness 
Can’t Hit 10K Steps? A New Study Says to Pick Up the Pace
Some Pep in Your Step: If you struggle to hit 10,000 steps every day, don’t sweat it too much. First of all, the 10K magic number originated from marketing, not science. You can still get significant benefits with fewer steps. On days when you can’t get lots of steps, the secret could be to walk faster instead of longer, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The Study: Researchers analyzed data collected from activity trackers worn by more than 100,000 middle-aged participants in the UK Biobank. The trackers measured both the quantity and intensity of their steps. Participants were grouped into four categories, based on how many steps they took. The Takeaway: Getting fewer than 5,000 steps a day at a cadence of at least 80 steps a minute equaled a much lower risk of death — comparable to those who took 5,000 to 7,500 steps at a 60-steps-per-minute pace. While the lowest risk of death was in those who got 7,500 to 10,000 steps a day, 30 minutes of brisk walking a day may be the “sweet spot” for sedentary people. Keep in Mind: The study was observational, so it didn’t find causation.
Fitness 
Why Yoga’s Having a Rough Stretch in Fitness
The Trend: Trends often follow what’s in, but this one is about what’s out: Yoga. Lots of people are still practicing yoga, but it doesn’t quite have the stranglehold on the wellness and fitness worlds as it once had. So what’s the reason for yoga’s decline in popularity? What People Are Saying: Boutique fitness studios were growing leading up to 2020, but the COVID pandemic was not kind to them. Studios rely on consistently full classes to make money, and many yoga studios never recovered after the lockdown. More recently, there’s been a shift toward team sports and “tougher” workouts, including HYROX, marathon and trail running, and strength training. Pilates has also nibbled away at yoga’s market share, with Pilates participation up by about 11% and yoga’s growth staying flat. In fact, fitness booking sites ClassPass and Mindbody both reported that more yoga studios are adding Pilates classes and reducing yoga classes. What to Know: The fitness landscape is always changing, and yoga simply might not be the hottest workout trend of the moment. But the shift away from yoga may also reflect a growing focus on “fitness-maxxing,” and physical optimization, as “the cultural ideal seems to have shifted from […]
Fitness 
What Foot Training Can Do For Strength and Balance
Foot health plays a bigger role in mobility than most of us realize. Here's how toe spacers and simple strength exercises can help your feet stay strong, stable, and balanced as you age.
Fitness 
Could Your Hot Fall Drink Actually Cool You Down?
You Should Know: Now that it’s officially fall, you’re probably swapping your iced tea and coffee for hot versions. Cupping your hands around a steaming latte may keep those fingers toasty, but what about the rest of your body? It seems obvious that drinking something hot will warm you from the inside out, but that’s not necessarily the case. Going Deeper: Theoretically, yes, a hot drink can cool you down. Drinking something hot raises your body temperature, and your body starts to sweat as a result to cool itself down. When the sweat evaporates from your skin, it takes excess heat with it. That’s great in the summer, but maybe not so much when it’s cold outside. Takeaway: How well your body cools down from sweat depends on the environment in which you’re sweating. Sitting outdoors on a warm, breezy day with bare skin? The sweat will evaporate faster and cool you down better. Curled up indoors wearing a sweater and wrapped in a blanket? Sweat can’t easily evaporate, so the heat stays put. Bottom Line: How a hot drink affects your body temperature is situational, determined by how well (or not) sweat and heat are able to leave your […]
Nutrition 
The Best Yogurt for Gut Health
Not every yogurt on the shelf delivers real gut health benefits. Here's how to spot the difference, from live cultures to the best types to buy, plus tips for getting the most probiotic benefit at home.
Nutrition 
Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Affecting Your Muscles, Too
Pain Points: Plenty of research has linked diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other health problems. Now, a study published earlier this year suggests eating more UPFs may also be associated with poorer muscle health. The Study: The study included 615 adults who participated in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, an NIH-sponsored research program studying knee osteoarthritis. Participants were at risk for knee osteoarthritis but had no signs of the condition on X-rays and no knee or hip pain. Their average age was about 60, their average BMI was 27, and UPFs made up roughly 41% of their diets. The Takeaway: Researchers found that the more UPFs participants ate, the more fat infiltration they tended to have in their thigh muscles. The association remained even after researchers accounted for factors including total calorie intake, physical activity, and BMI or waist circumference. Greater fat infiltration in muscle has been associated with poorer muscle quality and knee osteoarthritis in other research. Keep in Mind: This was a cross-sectional observational study, so it can’t prove that eating UPFs caused the changes in participants’ muscles. Diet was also self-reported, and the researchers studied people […]
Nutrition Food Safety Mistakes You’re Probably Making at Home
Most of us never had formal food safety training, so it's easy to pick up bad habits without realizing it. This guide breaks down the store-to-kitchen habits that actually keep your food — and your family — safe, from shopping and storage to cooking, serving, and leftovers.
Nutrition 
How to Block Nighttime Light for Better Sleep and Heart Health
Lights Out: Plenty of us drift off at night with a streetlight glowing through the blinds or a phone lighting up the nightstand. But new research suggests even all-too-common dim light while sleeping could be bad for your heart. In a study of more than 70,000 adults, sleeping with light about as bright as a nightlight was linked to more heart problems years later. Luckily, darkening your bedroom is pretty easy. How to Do It: The easiest solution is an eye mask because it blocks out most of the light, although a little can still slip in around the edges. So add blackout curtains to take care of any streetlight. Also, switch off the hallway light or close the door and add a draft stopper. And the notifications flashing on your phone can disrupt your sleep without ever waking you, so turn off or cover your devices before bed. The Benefits: Over eight to 10 years, people with high nighttime light exposure had a 24% higher risk of heart attack than those with none. Shorter sleep seemed to explain part of that link, and earlier studies have tied light during sleep to depression and blood sugar problems.
Sleep 
Better Sleep Without Melatonin: Habits That Actually Help
You don't need a supplement to fall asleep faster. These nighttime habits, like limiting screens, cooling your room, and sticking to a consistent schedule, support better sleep naturally.
Sleep 
More People Are Ditching Melatonin for Magnesium. But How Does It Help With Sleep?
You Should Know: Melatonin was the go-to sleep aid for a long time, but more people are now reaching for magnesium instead. Magnesium’s surge in popularity is potentially connected to recent research linking melatonin supplements and heart risks. Plus, melatonin can make some people feel groggy and cause vivid dreams or nightmares. Both supplements can help with sleep, but do they affect your body in the same way? Going Deeper: The body needs both magnesium and melatonin to function properly. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and induce sleep. It’s produced in the pineal gland, increasing production when it’s dark and decreasing production when it’s light. Magnesium is a mineral that plays a role in hundreds of bodily functions. Takeaway: Magnesium may improve sleep by balancing the effects of excitatory and relaxing neurotransmitters, including GABA, serotonin, and cortisol. It can also calm the nervous system and treat restless leg syndrome. Bottom Line: Experts say magnesium is likely safe for healthy people, but not every type is good for sleep — so choose magnesium glycinate or L-threonate to catch some Z’s. And remember that taking sleep aids too often could mask more serious conditions, such as chronic […]
Sleep 
2 Science-Backed Ways to Recover From a Bad Night of Sleep
Counting Sheep: We all deal with a bout of bad sleep now and then. Functioning properly the next day can feel impossible, as both our brains and our bodies feel sluggish and exhausted. But new research suggests there are two effective ways to help our brains work better the next day (and not one involves downing a pot of coffee). How to Do It: Researchers kept 54 adults awake for 30 hours, and split participants into three groups. After the bout of sleep deprivation, one group took a 90-minute nap, one group cycled for 20 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity, and the other group sat on a stationary bike, neither napping nor pedaling. Then, all of the participants were shown several images — three days later, they all took a memory test on those images. The nap and exercise groups both performed better than the no-intervention group, though the neural mechanisms driving this differed between the two groups. The Benefits: Napping and exercising after being sleep-deprived protected memory in different ways. Exercising appeared to help the brain encode new information more efficiently, due to increased attention from physical activity. Napping decreased mental fatigue and sleep pressure before the […]
Sleep
Mindfulness
Beauty
Personal Growth
A Flow State Can Boost Focus & Ease Stress. Here’s How to Find Yours
In the Zone: If you’ve ever lost yourself in a project — even lost track of time while doing it— you know how fulfilling a flow state can feel. Writers, artists, and musicians talk about creating in a flow state, but, according to Hungarian-American psychologist (who first introduced the idea) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, anyone can enter a flow state. He researched intrinsic motivation by studying how artists immerse themselves in a painting for weeks, months, or longer, later shifting his focus to how athletes, chess players, surgeons, and dancers also get into flow states. Reaching a flow state creates the optimal conditions for creation and productivity. The key is that your actions and your awareness unite, resulting in singular focus and concentration, allowing you to let go of fear and self-doubt. How to Do It: You’re more likely to lose yourself in something you enjoy doing, and it should be something that’s just challenging enough to keep it interesting. Start the work with a specific goal to keep you motivated, and focus on just one thing — multitasking is the opposite of flow. And remember to remove or shut off distractions (like your phone). The Benefits: Beyond productivity, studies have found […]
Mindfulness 
Somatic Therapy Is on the Rise. Can It Really Help With Trauma?
The Trend: Nervous system “resets,” TikTok sages, and a “Workout Witch” who teaches movements designed to release “trapped emotions” are bringing somatic practices to the mainstream. The ideas behind somatic therapy aren’t new, but they’ve found new life recently as Americans increasingly seek out care beyond traditional medical institutions. Unlike talk therapy, which focuses on your thinking patterns, behaviors, and experiences, somatic therapy focuses on the body and the physical manifestations of trauma. Workouts like somatic yoga are linked to these principles, using slow movement and focusing on paying attention to physical sensations as they arise. What People Are Saying: Many people were first introduced to somatics from the book The Body Keeps the Score, which explores the idea that trauma is held in the body. Somatic therapy uses a body-first “bottoms up” approach — the goal is to release the emotions from the body, which practitioners say can relieve pain and muscle tension, improve sleep, and generally allow the brain and the body to let go of lingering trauma. What to Know: Somatic therapy hasn’t been as widely researched as other therapy modalities, but it does show promise for helping people with PTSD, anxiety, grief, and depression. Finding an […]
Mindfulness 
How To Use This Neuroscience Principle To Rewire Negative Thoughts
Mindfulness 
Forget Healthspan. What About Your “Hotspan”?
The Trend: Cosmetic surgery, Botox, and fillers aren’t just for young people trying to maintain their youth. A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has found that more adults aged 66 and older are going under the knife and the needle, too — an increase of 24% and the biggest jump for any age group. The most popular procedures? Liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks. What People Are Saying: There’s a lot of talk about lifespan and healthspan, but there’s such a thing as “hotspan,” too: the desire (and pressure) to stay hotter, stylish, and vibrant for longer. Experts say the focus on GLP-1 drugs and weight loss has spurred a lot of consultations among older patients, with a goal of subtly restoring the body to its younger version: “tweakments,” not transformations. Plus, more women are feeling better in their bodies as a result of these weight loss treatments, experts say, so they’re getting a nip here or a tuck there to boost their confidence even more. What to Know: The uptick in cosmetic procedures isn’t happening in New York or L.A., surprisingly. The Southeast is the main hotbed, stretching from D.C. down to Florida.
Beauty 
How Safe Is Getting a Tattoo, Really?
You Should Know: In Western culture, tattoos used to be considered badges of rebellion and “deviance,” but today almost half of U.S. adults ages 30 to 49 have at least one. There’s the initial pain and potential for infection afterward, but are there any long-lasting health effects from getting inked? Going Deeper: A tattoo needle plants ink one to three millimeters into the skin. The immune system could mount a response in the form of an allergic reaction even weeks or months later — with red ink historically associated with a higher number of reactions. Tattoos are permanent, but not every drop of ink stays put forever. Some ink will travel through the lymphatic system and can settle into lymph nodes where it can be taken up by and eventually kill immune cells. Takeaway: Some researchers have been looking into whether tattoo ink could raise cancer risk — but there is no proof that it causes cancer. Some inks contain heavy metals and other chemicals, including pigments commonly used in manufacturing. Europe carefully regulates the ingredients in tattoo ink, while the U.S. has fewer specific regulations. Bottom Line: Much more research is needed on any long-term impacts of tattoos. Skin […]
Beauty 
What Are Skin Tags — and Should You Worry About Them?
Beauty 
“Punk Wellness” Is Pushing Back on Optimization Culture
The Trend: Wellness culture has turned daily life into an optimization project: track your sleep, perfect your supplement stack, train in zone 2, wear a red light mask, repeat. Now, “punk wellness” is pushing back. The term, which first gained traction in China, describes a more irreverent approach to feeling good — one that acknowledges that real life includes stress, late nights, and less-than-perfect choices. In China, that has spawned “barmacies,” where Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners offer consultations and herbal cocktails in bar-like settings. What People Are Saying: The appeal is less about abandoning health than abandoning the pressure to maintain the perfect wellness routine. Fitt Insider points to Wiz Khalifa as an unlikely example: He has paired a very public running habit with cannabis use, even inspiring the tongue-in-cheek “weed speed run club.” Critics, though, might reasonably question whether mixing alcohol or cannabis with “wellness” makes them healthy. What to Know: Punk wellness is ultimately a cultural reaction to optimization fatigue. There’s value in making healthy habits enjoyable and sustainable rather than treating every choice as a test of discipline. But “anti-optimization” shouldn’t mean ignoring evidence. Feeling less guilty about imperfection is one thing; calling habits like alcohol consumption […]
Personal Growth 
“Stinkfluencers” Are Skipping Showers in Hopes of Better Dates
The Trend: Move over looksmaxxing. A new crop of “stinkfluencers” is promoting “pheromone-maxxing” — skipping showers, ditching deodorant, wearing sweaty clothes, and otherwise letting body odor linger in hopes of becoming more sexually attractive. The idea has spread across social media as a supposed dating hack. What People Are Saying: Pheromone-maxxers base their logic on evolution, though it’s a misunderstanding of science. Animals use pheromones — chemical signals that trigger specific responses in members of the same species — to communicate things like mating status and territory. So why wouldn’t humans’ natural scents work the same way? Well, humans lack the physiological ability to receive pheromones, which, contrary to popular belief, do not always have a smell. Not to mention, scientists have yet to identify a specific pheromone in humans. What to Know: Human body odor can influence how we perceive one another, but that’s not the same thing as a pheromone that innately triggers attraction. So far, there’s no solid evidence that accumulating deliberately skipping showers will make you more desirable. And truthfully, it might have the opposite effect you’re looking for.
Personal Growth 
The Heart-Health Measurement You’re Probably Not Checking
Personal Growth