Evidence-based health, fitness and wellness advice
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Seasonal Allergies Affect 50 Million Americans — and Most People Treat Them Wrong The CDC reports that 7-8% of adults have hay fever (allergic rhinitis), with symptoms ranging from a stuffy nose to asthma flares, sleep loss and fatigue. Many people treat it as a cold, or wait until symptoms are severe before starting medication. … Read more
Sleep Is the Most Underrated Weight Loss Tool — and You Are Probably Not Getting Enough The CDC reports that 1 in 3 adults do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep. Multiple NIH-funded studies show that people who sleep 5 hours per night lose 55% less fat on the same diet, and gain … Read more
Most Back Pain Is Not Serious — and Bed Rest Makes It Worse The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) reports that 80% of adults will experience lower back pain at some point, and 90% of episodes resolve within 6 weeks without surgery or imaging. Yet the old advice (rest, ice, painkillers, wait … Read more
Walking Is the Most Underrated Form of Exercise — and the Most Effective The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. A brisk walk meets that definition. A 2022 meta-analysis in The Lancet found that walking 7,000-10,000 steps per day was associated with a 50% lower risk of early death. Walking requires no … Read more
Mental Health Is Built in Small Daily Habits — Not in Big Breakthroughs The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that 1 in 5 adults lives with a mental illness. Most people will experience periods of anxiety, low mood or burnout. The good news: research in positive psychology shows that small, consistent daily habits … Read more
The Mediterranean Diet Is the Most Researched Eating Pattern on Earth The PREDIMED trial, a Spanish study of 7,500 people, found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts reduced major cardiovascular events by 30% compared to a low-fat diet. The diet is linked to lower rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 … Read more
Intermittent Fasting Works — but It Is Not Magic, and It Is Not for Everyone Intermittent fasting (IF) cycles periods of eating with periods of fasting. The most popular version is 16:8 (fast 16 hours, eat within an 8-hour window). Research in JAMA Internal Medicine and Cell Metabolism shows that IF produces modest weight loss … Read more
You Do Not Have to Choose — But You Do Need Both The American College of Sports Medicine recommends both aerobic exercise and strength training for health. The old either-or debate (cardio burns fat; strength builds muscle) misses the point: each does different, complementary things. People who do both outperform people who only do one … Read more
Sleep Is When Your Brain Processes Emotion — Poor Sleep Wires You for Anxiety The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that 60-80% of people with depression have insomnia, and sleep problems double the risk of developing depression later. The relationship runs both ways: anxiety and depression disrupt sleep, and poor sleep amplifies anxiety … Read more
Yoga Is Not Flexibility — It Is Strength, Breathing and Awareness The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reports that yoga reduces lower back pain, anxiety and chronic stress across dozens of studies. Yet beginners avoid it because they think they need to be flexible, wear special clothes, or stand on their heads. … Read more