health and wellness

A doctor in a white coat uses a stethoscope to examine the nutrition label on a frozen food package in a grocery store freezer aisle.

Decoding Nutrition Labels for Heart Health

On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I found myself comparing food labels.  I compared meatballs: Trader Joe’s Chicken Meatballs vs. their Meatless Meatballs.  I wondered which of the two options was the better choice from a heart health standpoint, and why? Debates around diets can be touchy, and frankly, exhausting.  Everyone seems to have

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Sleep Better: Three Simple Tips to Less Stress and a Better Mood

Good sleep is a crucial component of heart health. Our previous article, “Sleep Smarts | Sleeping Your Way to Good Health,” highlighted how sleep affects blood pressure, inflammation, atherosclerosis, and cortisol levels, emphasizing the importance of getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Like many, my sleep quality fluctuates with my stress levels

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A hand holding an iPhone with the Apple Health app logo displayed on the screen, with a red heartbeat line and a medical icon in the background. The text "Apple Health" is visible, along with the tagline "Your Health in the Palm of Your Hands."

Apple Health 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracking Your Health

When it comes to staying healthy, focusing on the basics—exercise, a good diet, and quality sleep—is essential. Apple Health helps you track all these wellness metrics, from fitness tracking features like steps, heart rate, and activity levels, to monitoring your sleep and more.  But staying healthy goes beyond just fitness. Equally important is visiting your

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Improve Mind and Heart Health With Insight Timer

In his insightful New York Times best-selling book From Strength to Strength, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks discusses how, as we age, our focus naturally shifts from pursuing external achievements to seeking inner peace, fulfillment, and happiness. He highlights the transition into the later stages of life when cultivating spiritual and emotional well-being becomes paramount.  Brooks

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A woman running on a treadmill while wearing a VO2 max testing mask, in a laboratory setting, indicating the measurement of her cardiovascular fitness during intense exercise.

Understanding VO2 Max: The Key to Heart Health and Longevity

For those of you who were around in the early 2000s, you may recall Lance Armstrong’s name being mentioned enthusiastically as he mounted his pursuit of seven Tour de France wins. His name was unmissable, even if you weren’t a fan of bicycle racing.  His story of overcoming testicular cancer and ultimately dominating what is

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Understanding the Link Between Sugar and Heart Health

Recently, my 6-year-old and I made chocolate chip cookies. These weren’t just any chocolate chip cookies; they were the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookies—the perfect texture, the perfect combination of semi-sweet and dark chocolate, and just the right amount of Maldon sea salt.  These are the kind of cookies that you would find sold in

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