Every morning, millions of people drizzle a golden oil over their food without giving it much thought. It’s a pantry staple, something their grandparents used, a flavor enhancer rather than a medicine. But that same oil has become the subject of serious scientific scrutiny. The human brain is the most metabolically active organ in the...
Most people take vitamin D without thinking twice about it. It sits beside the multivitamins on the counter, costs next to nothing, and carries a reputation for being almost universally good for you. Bone health. Immune support. Mood. The list of supposed benefits grew so long over the past two decades that vitamin D became...
Around 200 million adults worldwide use statins, making them one of the most prescribed drug classes on the planet. If you or someone you care about takes one of these cholesterol-lowering medications, you’ve probably heard a story or two about side effects. Maybe a friend quit their prescription after developing muscle aches. Maybe you’ve read...
Most people making plans for their 50s are thinking about retirement accounts, cholesterol panels, and whether it’s too late to pick up a new hobby. The to-do list for staying healthy in midlife tends to look the same: exercise more, eat better, get regular check-ups, lose the extra weight. Those things matter. But according to...
Most people living with high blood pressure have heard the same short list of causes: too much salt, too little exercise, weight gain, stress. Those factors are real, and managing them matters. But for a substantial portion of people, even doing everything right – eating well, taking prescribed medications, cutting sodium – the numbers on...
Most mornings, you get up, get going, and push through. That persistent fatigue, the low mood that’s hard to shake, the joints that ache a little more than they used to – you file it all under “just getting older.” But what if a single, measurable deficiency were quietly amplifying every one of those symptoms?...
Certified trainer Chris Freytag has spent more than 35 years in the fitness industry, coaching women through the physical changes that come with midlife. She started as a journalist by degree before becoming a certified health coach, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor, and has spent 35 years helping hundreds of thousands of women move...
A wellness writer and health columnist on Medium, Bridget Webber, recently published a personal account detailing 10 behaviors adults over 50 should stop for a happier, calmer life. The piece drew widespread attention from readers in midlife and beyond, many of whom recognized the patterns she described in their own daily routines. Webber’s core argument is...
We often think of over-the-counter (OTC) medications as harmless because they don’t require a doctor’s signature. They sit in our medicine cabinets, ready to tackle a sleepless night, a bout of hay fever, or persistent heartburn. However, emerging research suggests that common household drugs, specifically those with “anticholinergic” properties, could be doing quiet damage to...
For many, the idea of a Friday night without plans is a source of “FOMO”, aka Fear Of Missing Out. It may leave a lingering sense of inadequacy. However, for a significant portion of the population, that same silence is a sanctuary. While society often pathologizes solitude, labeling it as “loneliness” or “social withdrawal”, psychological...
Only 2 years after giving birth to her son, Gunnar, at age 44, Staci Marklin received a diagnosis that would change her and her family’s lives forever. In October 2024, she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 46 while living in Knoxville, Tennessee. To connect with others and challenge misconceptions about the disease, she began...
An estimated 1 billion people between the ages of 30 and 69 across the globe suffer from sleep apnea, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, according to a 2019 study. To treat sleep apnea, healthcare providers typically suggest using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device or neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), the latter of which keeps the...
