Healthy Living, Simplified

Protein powder older adults use in a smoothie, though studies show it alone doesn't build extra muscle strength

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.

Overhead view of Green Goddess Salad with jammy soft-boiled eggs, chives, and cracked black pepper in a white bowl.

Green Goddess Salad with Jammy Eggs

A chopped salad that eats like a full dinner, thanks to soft-boiled eggs and a herby yogurt dressing.

Recipes

Fresh market produce including cherries and strawberries, flavanol-rich foods that support heart health

The Fruits and Veggies With the Most Heart-Protective Flavanols

a woman eating kimchi with chopsticks, representing fermented foods for gut health

8 Fermented Foods for Gut Health That Actually Do Something

Fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut deliver live bacteria that can boost gut microbiome diversity. Here are 8 of the best options and how to start adding them to your diet.

Cyclist on a road bike at sunset, illustrating the cycling and memory benefits highlighted in new brain research.

A 20-Minute Bike Ride May Give Your Memory a Boost

A new study found that a single 20-minute cycling session was linked to memory-related brain activity, offering a rare direct look at how quickly exercise affects the human brain.

Cognitive Health

Fitness

Nutrition

Sleep

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.

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 […]

Person kneeling outdoors and extending a leg wearing zero-drop toe shoes, incorporating foot strengthening exercises into an outdoor stretching routine

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.

Creatine Has Big Benefits — Even If You Don’t Exercise

Big Benefits: The list of creatine benefits keeps growing longer. It’s well-known for its positive impact on strength, power, and overall athletic performance, but those benefits have historically been associated with resistance training exercise. New research challenges the idea that creatine is only for exercisers, showing that supplementation may actually offer similar benefits even if you don’t work out. The Study: This trial examined whether creatine could help adults preserve muscle, improve fitness, and potentially support cognitive function. Researchers enrolled 73 healthy, sedentary adults ages 45 to 65; 64 completed the 12-week study. Participants either remained inactive or followed an exercise and diet program. Within each group, participants received either creatine monohydrate or a placebo. Those taking creatine consumed 10 grams daily. Supplementation increased lean tissue mass, strength, and muscular endurance, including among those who didn’t exercise. When combined with exercise and weight loss, creatine helped participants lose a greater percentage of body fat. The Takeaway: Creatine supplementation offers health benefits without exercise, but exercising appears to increase its efficacy. Creatine may also help preserve lean mass during periods of weight loss. Keep in Mind: This study focused on middle-aged and older adults, so it’s unclear if the same benefits […]

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 […]

Woman preparing fresh vegetables in her kitchen while following food safety mistakes at home prevention tips

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.

a woman eating a salad, representing low calorie meals surrounded by greenery

9 Low-Calorie Meals That Actually Keep You Full

Low-calorie doesn't have to mean bland. These 9 breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas pair protein with high-volume veggies for meals around 300 to 500 calories that actually keep you full.

A Better Work Lunch Starts the Night Before

Winning Lunchtime: Here’s a familiar experience at the office. Lunchtime rolls around, and you’re hungry with no real plan. Bringing something better from home sounds like the obvious solution, but you have to be organized enough the night before actually to make it happen. One study found that nearly a quarter of employed adults obtained food at work in a given week, whether from cafeterias, vending machines, or workplace events, and what they did eat tended to run high in sodium and refined grains. How to Do It: The best strategy for becoming one of those office workers who always plans ahead is to pick one lunch you love and can make without thinking, like a grain bowl or a wrap. Pick a protein-rich food like cooked chicken breast or steak, then add a veggie and a fiber-rich carb like quinoa or brown rice. Or, you can cook extra at dinner and pack lunch before you clean up, so tomorrow’s meal is already done. The Benefits: Research suggests people who plan meals tend to have better overall diet quality, and meal planning has also been associated with lower rates of obesity. Research has also found that cooking meals at home […]

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.

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.

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 […]

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 […]