If you’re feeling more stressed than usual these days (and who isn’t?), there’s a simple way to feel better fast: Start stretching! Not only does stretching help ease achy muscles and joints and maintain mobility as we get older, it’s also a soothing way to unwind. “Stretching often is a neglected type of exercise, but it couldn’t be easier,” says Carol Ewing Garber, Ph.D., a professor of movement sciences at Teachers College, Columbia University. “You don’t...

Whether for health, ethical, environmental, or spiritual reasons, plant-based diets continue to grow in popularity, with nearly 10 million Americans adopting one. Here's what you need to know about plant-based diets and their potential risks and benefits. What is a plant-based diet? A plant-based diet consists of mostly plant-based food sources like fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and oils. However, some plant-based diets still include small a...

If you gained a couple pounds over the last year because of the pandemic lockdown, you're definitely not alone. What's hard to accept, however, is seeing the number on your scale increase even when you're on a diet, hitting the gym, and sticking to a semi-normal sleep schedule. What gives? Well, there are several surprising reasons why you might be gaining weight, some of which are directly related to the very things you're doing to try to lose weight. 1. StressUnfortunatel...

Have you ever felt hungry just a few hours after engorging in a calorie-rich meal? According to new research, there's a key reason why that's happening—and it has nothing to with your cravings. In fact, your blood sugar levels may be to blame. A new study from PREDICT (aka the largest ongoing nutritional research program in the world) recently published in the journal Nature Metabolism examined why some people struggle to lose weight even when they're following calorie-con...

Trying the popular, healthy Mediterranean diet could benefit not just you, but everyone you live with, new research suggests. Family members of people who followed a Mediterranean diet lost weight and improved their eating habits, even without doing a specific diet program themselves, according to a study published March 3 in the International Journal of Obesity. The Mediterranean diet, based on traditional eating patterns in countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece, is one of the most res...

Having a strong core is essential to all movement. A strong core helps stabilize your lumbar spine and pelvis, allows you to perform movements like twisting and bending, and can even improve your athletic performance. There are a plethora of ab exercises you can do to strengthen your core, and planking is one of the most popular. But while planks appear in countless workouts, it can be easy to do them with improper form. One of the most common errors people make when starting a plank i...

Starting a new fitness routine is nothing short of exhilarating. Within the first week, you’ll likely find yourself with more energy, better sleep, a boosted mood, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes along with knowing that you’re doing something good for your body. But while any sort of movement deserves to be celebrated, there are a few beginner workout mistakes a trainer wants you to stop making in order to reap the full benefits of your new regimen. Below,&...

What if we told you just one change a day could help you cut back on or eliminate sugar in your diet? Well, it’s not too good to be true, and this seven-day sugar challenge from the new Hearst Home book Sugar Shock by Carol Prager and Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D., will teach you how. Day 1: Nix the sugary snacks. Get rid of easy-to-grab sweets in your pantry or drawer—cookies, energy bars, muffins, candy—and you’re already slashing a bunch of unnecessary calories. A good rule o...

You probably think you already know what feeling stressed every day does to your body. Who isn't stressed these days? The feeling can lead to “brain fog, digestion issues, emotional issues, increased disease rates, and many other things,” according to Dr. Colin Bartoe. "Everybody is stressed out, life is changing, but this will pass at some point in the future, and life will get back to normal," says Steven Rosenberg, Ph.D., a psychotherapist and behavioral specialist in Phil...

If there's ever been a time when we've cranked the pizza, pasta, and cookies dial way up, it's been this past year. Carbs, carbs, carbs, how we love and hate thee. Looking beyond our love/hate relationship, we need to recognize that carbs are a crucial component of a healthy diet and a healthy body: "Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients we need to fuel the body. Carbs are actually the body's preferred source of energy," says Breanna Woods, MS, RD, co-creator of Blogilat...