Can the aroma of wood essential oils replicate the immune-boosting effects of walking in a forest? Studies on the effects of “forest bathing,” or shinrin-yoku in Japanese, “a traditional practice characterized by visiting a forest and breathing its air,” have found it “can induce a significant increase in the number and activity of natural killer […] More

The biggest game of the year calls for the biggest flavors of the year. So skip the tired veggie tray and bring out the All-Star MVP: protein. Questified Nacho Cheese Pizza Dip is hot, cheesy, loaded with marinara and mini pepperonis, and served with Quest Nacho Cheese Protein Chips for the ultimate game-day crunch. Grab […] More

Natural killer cells are one of the ways our body fights off cancer, and visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in both their numbers and their activity. I’ve previously shown how exposure to nature can have self-reported psychological benefits, but there was a dearth of data on changes in objective measurements, so I […] More

The book Dieting Makes You Fat was published originally in the 1980s and then repeatedly republished. Since most people who lose weight go on to regain it, there is a concern that there may be adverse health consequences of “yo-yo dieting.” This idea emerged from animal studies that, for example, showed the detrimental effects of […] More

I’m thrilled to announce that pre-orders are now open for The How Not to Age Cookbook, coming out on April 22. This much-anticipated culinary companion to my New York Times Best Seller, How Not to Age, is a beautifully-illustrated cookbook with more than 100 recipes developed again with Robin Robertson to help you age healthfully […] More

Is there a unisex chart for optimal weight based on height? We seem to have become inured to the mortal threat of obesity. If you go back in the medical literature almost a quarter of a century ago when obesity wasn’t run-of-the-mill, the descriptions are much grimmer: “Obesity is always tragic, and its hazards are […] More

While our ancestors relied on their senses to assess how they were doing, increasingly, we rely on gadgets. Today, if you’re curious enough, you can measure your heart rate, your step count, your exercise intensity, and your sleep quality—sometimes all on one sleek device. In the best cases, these devices offer a bridge between what […] More

How do we explain studies that suggest overweight individuals live longer? Martin Luther King Jr. warned that human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable, and the same may be true of the human lifespan. In the 1800s, life expectancy was less than 40 years, but it has been “advancing steadily” over the last two centuries, […] More