Healthy Living, Simplified

Is Watermelon Low Calorie?

Is watermelon low calorie? It's mostly water and about 46 calories a cup, so it's a light pick — though portion, sugar, and timing still matter more than the number.

a woman learns how vitamin b12 can help with muscle growth in the gym

Is Vitamin B12 the Muscle Nutrient You’ve Been Missing?

Most of us think of B12 as the energy vitamin for anemia. But new research ties it directly to how muscle cells make energy — especially as we age.

a woman eats a plate filled with vitamins that are good for gut health

What Vitamins Are Good for Gut Health?

10 Weeks to a Younger Brain

Turn Back The Clock: Humans spend an incalculable amount of money to stay ahead of the aging process, from skincare and supplements to cryotherapy and cosmetic surgery. But our brains also age. New research shows there may be a way to turn back the clock on age-related cognitive decline: mental exercise. The Study: Researchers studied 92 healthy adults aged 65 and over for 10 weeks. Half of the participants played computer games like Candy Crush and Solitaire for 30 minutes a day, while the other half spent 30 minutes doing more rigorous mental exercises in the cognitive-training program BrainHQ. After 10 weeks, levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) increased by 2.3% in the BrainHQ group. Researchers found no change in ACh levels in the other group. The Takeaway: ACh is important for memory, learning, attention, and communication between neurons. Low ACh levels are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. People naturally lose about 2.5% of their ACh each decade. So, a 2.3% increase rolls back roughly 10 years of cognitive decline. Keep in Mind: Brain games on only one platform were examined, so it’s unclear if similar exercises would produce the same results. Still, even experts who weren’t involved in the research […]

Cognitive Health

The Best Breads for Steady Blood Sugar

Told to swear off the bread basket? You probably don't have to. The right loaf barely touches your blood sugar, and here's how to spot it.

Fitness

Nutrition

Sleep

Early Birds and Night Owls Don’t Build Muscle the Same

Muscle O’Clock: When it comes to building and maintaining muscle, a new review suggests it’s not just what you do that matters — it may also be when you do it. Your circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, influences everything from hormone production to appetite, metabolism, sleep quality, and muscle recovery. And that could give morning larks and night owls different health trajectories over time. The Study: In a review published in Nutrients, researchers analyzed prior studies on circadian rhythms, muscle protein synthesis, exercise timing, sleep, meal timing, and metabolism. They found that people with an evening chronotype (“night owls”) tend to have behaviors linked to poorer muscle health, including irregular sleep schedules, later eating patterns, lower physical activity levels, and worse metabolic markers. These factors may make it harder to preserve muscle mass and strength over time. The Takeaway: The headline here isn’t that night owls are doomed to lose muscle. Rather, the review suggests that consistent routines are an important key to muscle health. Prioritizing adequate protein, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep — and avoiding irregular sleep and eating schedules — may help protect muscle health for evening chronotypes. Keep in Mind: Working with your chronotype, not against […]

The Smart Way to Exercise in Summer Heat

The Heat of Competition: The 2026 World Cup is just heating up — and we mean that literally. Recent headlines have spotlighted the extreme temperatures expected across North America, where the tournament is being hosted in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The heat is so concerning that 60 current and former players signed an open letter urging FIFA to update its heat guidelines. The Danger: The average soccer player runs between 5.2 and 8 miles in a 90-minute match. That level of exertion in high heat can impair performance and increase the risk of dizziness, cramping, dehydration, and, in severe cases, heat stroke. But you don’t need to be a professional athlete to take heat seriously. If heat and humidity are summer staples where you live, outdoor workouts require extra caution. What to Do: Safeguarding yourself isn’t complicated. There are a handful of best practices: Hydrate before and after exercise, wear lightweight clothing, train early or late in the day, take breaks, and scale back your intensity when conditions are brutal. Stay smart, and you can stay active without putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

The Brain Chemistry Behind the Elusive Runner’s High

You Should Know: That floaty, sometimes even euphoric, feeling some runners get after a workout usually gets chalked up to the body releasing endorphins. However, the more likely cause is endocannabinoids, your body’s own version of compounds found in cannabis. Unlike endorphins, these molecules are small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier, and levels of one type of endocannabinoid, anandamide, rise post run and stay elevated for around 30 to 45 minutes after a workout. Going Deeper: Differences in brain chemistry may help explain why some people get the feeling during most runs, while others rarely or never do. Surveys show that a majority of distance runners never experience it, and many feel drained or even nauseated at the end of a long run rather than blissful. Takeaway: Research on anandamide is also still early, with the most significant study so far conducted in mice, so it’s not yet clear how closely it maps onto humans. But a true runner’s high is most likely during steady, moderate-to-hard efforts rather than fast sprints. Bottom Line: Either way, running is great for your body, as well as your mood and mind. So if you’re up for doing it regularly, then treat any […]

New Strength Training Guidelines Say: Stop Overcomplicating It

Keep It Simple: If you want to get strong, lift heavy and lift often. It’s age-old advice, but because it’s unsexy advice, it often gets overlooked in favor of high-intensity circuits and concepts like “muscle confusion.” The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently released new guidelines that support simplicity in strength training. The Study: The 2026 ACSM Position Stand is a major evidence review of resistance training research. The authors analyzed 137 systematic reviews covering more than 30,000 participants to determine which training variables actually matter for strength, muscle growth, power, and physical function. The review found little consistent evidence that set structure, exercise complexity, time under tension, blood flow restriction, or equipment type (machines vs. free weights) meaningfully improve outcomes. Instead, total weekly volume, consistency, and progressive overload were the most important variables. The Takeaway: If you want, you can ditch the fancy-schmancy rep schemes like pyramid and compound sets. Just lift regularly, progressively challenge your muscles, accumulate enough weekly volume, and don’t worry too much about finding the perfect program. Keep in Mind: This guidance is aimed at the general population, not athletes or exercisers with specific goals. If you’re training for something specific, like a […]

The Best Breads for Steady Blood Sugar

Told to swear off the bread basket? You probably don't have to. The right loaf barely touches your blood sugar, and here's how to spot it.

a woman indulges in dark chocolate because theobromine benefits include slowing aging

Theobromine Benefits: Can Dark Chocolate Really Slow Aging?

Dark chocolate lovers, this one's for you. A new study links theobromine — the compound behind cocoa's bitter bite — to slower biological aging, but the research is more cautious than the headline. Here's what it actually found.

What Vitamins Are Good for Gut Health?

Your gut and your vitamins run a two-way street — certain nutrients feed it, and it returns the favor by making some of its own. Here's what vitamins are good for gut health, and why dietitians say to start with your plate before reaching for a supplement.

How Gross Is Double-Dipping, Really?

You Should Know: Warm weather means weekends will start filling with barbecues, picnics, and pool parties. The accepted etiquette is that you don’t double-dip your chips or carrot sticks in communal eating situations. But is double-dipping actually harmful — or just a gross social faux pas? Going Deeper: There hasn’t been a ton of research studying the effects of double-dipping, but a well-known 2009 study in the Journal of Food Safety found “significant bacterial transfer” after participants bit crackers then dipped them. Even beyond the germs, double-dipping can affect the quality and texture of our food: an enzyme found in saliva can break down chemical bonds in starch molecules, potentially leaving party dips extra watery and thin. Takeaway: The mouth is naturally teeming with more than 700 species of microbes — most of which are harmless and help maintain a healthy oral microbiome. Getting sick from sharing dip is pretty unlikely, though some germs — including norovirus — can be transmitted through saliva and contaminated food. But if someone at your party has a cold, you’re much more likely to catch it from coughs or sneezes than from the dip. Bottom Line: Stick to single-dipping, or spoon some onto your plate […]

How To Manage Jet Lag

On The Road Again: The FIFA World Cup has teams and fans traveling thousands of miles to and around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Something fans and players alike are at risk for: jet lag and travel fatigue. While there isn’t a hack that can sidestep the downsides of traveling across timezones, there are a few simple tweaks ahead of travel that will help you seamlessly sync with your destination’s clock. World Cup teams traveling across as many as four time zones during the tournament: take notice. How to Do it: Slowly adjust your sleep-wake schedule in 30-minute increments over four or five days. And, go outside without sunglasses: research shows bright light exposure can help shift your body’s circadian rhythm. Apps designed to help you beat jet lag (we like Timeshifter) can create routines personalized to your trip. The Benefits: While jet lag has no quick fix, research shows switching up your sleep schedule and the timing of light exposure before travel will help minimize fatigue. These small changes will help your body to adapt more easily when you land, ready for vacation.

Bad Dental Health in Childhood Linked to Heart Disease

Brush Up: The body is interconnected in funny ways. A stressful week in the office can lead to gut issues. A slight pronation in your foot can lead to back trouble. And, according to new research, poor dental health in childhood correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The Study: Researchers examined data collected and tracked for up to 23 years from a cohort of nearly 569,000 Danish people born between 1963 and 1972. They found that the more severe their childhood cavities and gingivitis, the higher their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Female participants with severe cavities as kids had a 45% higher incidence of ASCVD, and males had a 32% higher incidence. The Takeaway: It’s well established that regular brushing and flossing are good for the heart, as they can prevent infection. Poor dental hygiene is also associated with high blood pressure, thickening of artery walls, and systemic inflammation, likely due to the body’s inflammatory immune response to dental infections. Keep in Mind: The findings weren’t causal, and the data didn’t account for other factors, such as adult dental hygiene, smoking, and obesity, which are linked to poor oral and heart health outcomes.

Is Sleeping With Your Pet Ruining Your Sleep?

You Should Know: Roughly half of American pet owners sleep with their pets in their bed, according to a 2022 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Snuggling with a furry friend can feel ultra-comforting, but it may have some potential downsides for your health and sleep. Going Deeper: Close proximity to your pet for hours can increase disease transmission, but the risk of getting really sick from co-sleeping with your pet is low, experts say. Dogs tend to move around during the night (including an average of two minutes of “play,” one study showed), which can disrupt your sleep, even if you’re not aware of it. Takeaway: Though the research suggests co-sleeping with your pet can impact your sleep quality, it can also boost emotional wellbeing and security — and many pet owners perceive their sleep to be better when their pet is in the bed. Having a pet (especially a dog) can promote a consistent routine, get you out of bed early, and create a daily exercise habit — all of which promote healthy sleep. Bottom Line: Experts say it’s an individual choice, but if you’re not getting good sleep, try a few nights without pets […]

Is Your Airport Outfit Slowing Your Circulation?

You Should Know: Leggings have become a staple travel outfit for many passengers, but the combo of stretchy and snug that makes them so comfortable isn’t actually a great quality, health-wise, when you’re at altitude. Long periods of sitting already slow your circulation and cause swelling, and tight clothing around the waist and ankles compounds the problem. In more serious cases, that reduced circulation can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, where blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. Going Deeper: Why then are compression socks recommended to prevent this very problem on long flights? Medical-grade compression socks apply the most pressure at the ankle and gradually ease up the leg, which pushes blood back toward the heart. Leggings do the opposite, applying uniform pressure from ankle to waist, thereby impeding upward flow. Takeaway: Loose pants in natural fabrics (since synthetics are more flammable during an inflight emergency) are your best bet for a long flight. And if you’re concerned about circulatory support, pair compression socks with a relaxed-fit bottom.