Nutrition & Diet
Why BMI Alone Doesn't Tell the Full Story
Body Mass Index has been the go-to metric for decades, but emerging research suggests we need a more nuanced approach to measuring health.
By Sarah Chen, RDN, MS·6 min read
Latest Columns
Lipoprotein(a): The Inherited Cardiovascular Risk Factor Most Adults Have Never Tested
Roughly one in five adults carries elevated lipoprotein(a), an inherited particle that drives heart attack and aortic stenosis risk independently of LDL — and a single lifetime test is enough to know.
James Whitfield·9 min read
Perimenopause and Hormone Therapy: How Two Decades of Evidence Reshaped the Conversation
Twenty years after the Women's Health Initiative scared a generation of women off hormone therapy, the data has been re-examined, the framing has shifted, and the women most likely to benefit are also the women most often turned away.
Dr. Anika Sharma·9 min read
What Heart Rate Variability Actually Tells You
Wearables have made HRV mainstream. The number that appears on your wrist every morning carries genuine physiological meaning, but most users are reading it for the wrong question.
Marcus Rivera·6 min read
PCOS and the Insulin Connection: Why Metabolic Treatment Often Outperforms Hormonal Treatment
Polycystic ovary syndrome affects roughly 10 percent of women of reproductive age. The textbook framing positions it as a hormonal condition with metabolic complications. Twenty years of clinical research suggests the relationship runs in the opposite direction.
Dr. Anika Sharma·6 min read
Bone Density After 50: Why Peak Mass Is Behind You and What You Can Still Do
Peak bone mass is reached in the third decade and declines for the rest of life. The decline is not uniform, not untreatable, and not as inevitable as the conventional framing suggests — but the window for meaningful intervention is narrower than most adults realize until it has already closed.
Robert Tanaka·7 min read
Insulin Resistance: The Decade-Long Warning Before Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes does not arrive overnight. It is the end point of a slow metabolic drift that begins years — sometimes decades — before a fasting glucose test catches it. The earlier markers are there to see, if you know to look for them.
James Whitfield·6 min read
Basal Metabolic Rate: Your Body's Hidden Engine
Your body burns most of its daily calories just keeping you alive. Understanding basal metabolic rate — and the factors that influence it — changes how you think about energy expenditure.
Marcus Rivera·8 min read
The Longevity Diet: Lessons from Blue Zones
Five regions around the world produce an extraordinary concentration of centenarians. Their dietary patterns share surprising commonalities that challenge modern nutritional assumptions.
Robert Tanaka·7 min read
Why Your Blood Pressure Numbers Matter More Than You Think
Blood pressure is the most measured vital sign in medicine, yet most people cannot explain what their numbers actually mean. That knowledge gap has real consequences.
James Whitfield·9 min read
Intermittent Fasting: A Balanced View from the Evidence
Intermittent fasting has generated enormous enthusiasm and equally fierce skepticism. The clinical evidence lands somewhere in between — and reveals important nuances about who benefits most.
Sarah Chen·7 min read
Cardiovascular Risk Factors You Can Control
Heart disease remains the world's leading killer, but the majority of cardiovascular risk factors are modifiable. Understanding which levers you can pull makes prevention actionable.
James Whitfield·9 min read
Walking 10,000 Steps: Myth or Medicine?
The 10,000-step target has become a global health mantra, but its origins have nothing to do with science. Here's what the research actually says about how much walking you need.
Marcus Rivera·6 min read
Daily Protein Intake: How Much Do You Really Need?
The recommended daily protein intake varies dramatically depending on who you ask. Here's what the science actually says about optimal protein consumption.
Sarah Chen·8 min read
Mindfulness vs Meditation: What Science Actually Shows
They're often used interchangeably, but mindfulness and meditation are distinct practices with different neural mechanisms, different evidence bases, and different optimal use cases.
Dr. Emily Park·9 min read
The Hidden Risks of Visceral Fat: Beyond the Scale
The fat you can't see — wrapped around your liver, kidneys, and intestines — may be the single most dangerous tissue in your body. Here's what the science says about visceral adiposity.
James Whitfield·8 min read
How Pregnancy Week Tracking Changed Prenatal Care
From Naegele's rule to real-time fetal monitoring, the way we track pregnancy weeks has transformed obstetric care — and redefined how expectant parents experience the journey.
Dr. Anika Sharma·9 min read
Strength Training After 40: A Complete Guide
After 40, muscle loss accelerates. But the right resistance training program can reverse the trajectory — if you understand the science behind programming for the aging body.
Marcus Rivera·9 min read
Mediterranean Diet in 2026: What the Latest Research Says
Decades of research have made the Mediterranean diet the most evidence-backed eating pattern in nutrition science. Here's what the latest studies add to the picture.
Sarah Chen·8 min read
Understanding Your TDEE: The Key to Sustainable Weight Loss
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the number that actually determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain weight — and most people have never calculated it.
Marcus Rivera·8 min read
The Science of Sleep Cycles: How to Wake Up Refreshed
Understanding the architecture of sleep — from light NREM stages to vivid REM periods — reveals why alarm timing matters more than total hours in bed.
Dr. Emily Park·7 min read