Cheese is bad for your heart. Well, it’s complicated. Yes, most cheeses are rich in LDLraising saturated fats, says Brian St. Pierre, RD, CSCS, director of nutrition at Precision Nutrition. But certain cheeses contain "milk fat globule membrane," or MFGM. This lipid-protein structure may limit the harmful effects of saturated fats in cheese. Aged cheese has the most MFGM, fresh cheese has less, processed cheese has little. It’s addictive. Nope! “The theory comes from the fact that casein, a protein found in all dairy, releases opioid casomorphins as a digestive by-product,” says Kelsey Kunik, RDN, of Graciously Nourished. “But the amount of opioid peptides you get from eating a piece of cheese is nowhere near what medication provides.” (This is why cheese also won’t get you high, unfortunately/fortunately.) Eating cheese…

People who walk for a total of more than 100 minutes each day have a 23% lower risk of back problems than those who walk 78 minutes or less, say the findings of research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. It’s well-proven that exercise is good for your back, but until now it wasn’t clear whether the low-intensity walking we do through the course of a day also helps. The study involved attaching sensors to the thigh and lower back of over 11,000 participants to measure the volume and intensity of daily walking. Back and neck problems affect 11% of the UK population and cost the NHS around £5bn each year so any measures we can take to protect ourselves are worth serious consideration. The causes are many…

But perhaps it wasn’t ironic at all: perhaps it was, in fact, virtually inevitable. I’ve noticed time after time that I can keep going through the hard work and stress, but as soon as I stop, you’d better pass the tissues as I’m bound to be full of cold. Apparently, I’m not the only one. A survey of 2004 adults aged 16-65 by IU International University of Applied Sciences in Germany found that more than 70% suffered extreme fatigue, headaches, poor sleep or cold symptoms on days off or during holidays. So what’s behind it all? ‘When we’re under chronic stress, our body produces cortisol to help us cope. But too much, for too long, weakens the immune system,’ says life coach, certified breathwork teacher, and public speaker, Sam Adams.…

When I visited my elderly neighbor, Judith, on New Year’s Eve, I noticed a small list on her table and asked if those were her resolutions. “My mother always said it’s better to remember what we’ve accomplished—it helps us see where we want to go next,” she told me. On her list, she had written: I volunteered at the SPCA and I started going back to church. When I got home, I tore up my usual list of “lose weight” and “do better” goals and instead thought about the promotion I earned and how I went back to school part time. For the first time in a long while, the new year felt warm and full of promise. Get $50 Share your story and you could win a $50 gift card!…

I started my career as a news journalist, working in frantic newsrooms and reporting on key events. But my heart was always in health – I enjoy writing about things that benefit people, rather than simply letting them know what’s happening. So 25 years ago I switched to health and fitness, looking at food, exercise, mental health, relationships – you name it, I wrote about it. I tested bizarre exercise classes, including a pirate-based pilates class called Pirraahhhtees, interviewed world-leading experts and investigated supplements, while a never-ending stream of gadgets passed across my desk. Throughout the past couple of decades I’ve seen the same trends repeat themselves and seen even more fads fall by the wayside. But there are some incredibly helpful bits of info I’ve picked up that I…

I’d had my land development business for 20 years when, during the 2008 financial crisis, the whole thing fell apart, and I had to fight to stay out of bankruptcy. I was devastated. By 2012, most of my company was gone, and I turned to anything that numbed the pain. I started drinking and, of course, that just made matters worse. It started with a few beers a couple of times a day. Then I graduated to vodka. I used it to forget about my financial issues. The problem was, I’d wake up and not only were my financial issues still there, but I also had a wicked hangover on top of that – it wasn’t the solution. That’s when fitness became my therapy. I started running. I’d run in…

MY SMARTWATCH constantly dings with cheerful congratulations for steps taken, heart rate achieved, days rested to speed up my recovery. My shelves, meanwhile, groan with helpful books, my phone with apps, and my counter with supplements that promise to remedy any deficiency that might inhibit my peak human performance. So why, if my life is so optimized, do I feel so…meh? Maybe optimization—a trend that rose concurrently with our ability to track our body’s data—isn’t so optimal. We tend to overvalue what we can measure and undervalue the immeasurable. Yet much of what makes life meaningful and keeps us mentally healthy is not so easily captured in metrics. (See: There’s no tracking ring for contentment.) We worked with top mental wellness experts to ID what all our meters might be…

Bread Buns, baguettes, bagels… however you slice it, most dough-based products will send your blood sugar levels soaring. Opt for products made exclusively from wholegrains instead, such as Schneider Brot Organic Rye & Sunflower Seed Bread (waitrose.com). Energy drinks Sports drinks such as Lucozade have their place – specifically, when you’re an hour into a run and your body’s crying out for glucose – but otherwise they’re just adding unnecessary carbs. For a natural boost, green tea contains caffeine and recovery-enhancing polyphenols. Cereal It’s a breakfast staple, but even supposedly “healthier” options containing fruit and / or fibre can be brimming with sugar – a typical bowl contains up to 20% of your RDA. Porridge oats, on the other hand, provide slow-release energy to power your morning. Margarine One of…

TIRED Set Boundaries Around Your Bedtime. INSPIRED Add More Self-care to Your Day. Ever feel personally offended that a long day is over and you haven’t had one minute just for you? So you blow off bedtime, then wake up exhausted? You may be a “revenge bedtime procrastinator,” delaying sleep to carve out time for yourself. In one study of Chinese nursing students, researchers found that bedtime procrastinators were more likely to experience self-regulatory fatigue. Self-regulation is controlling your feelings and behaviors so they conform to what’s expected by your boss, family, friends, even the critical inner voice that says you should stop biting your nails. After 12-plus hours of meeting deadlines, answering your kids’ questions, and passing on dessert, you may be too burned-out to face one more “should.”…

1 Sun dial Just because you can join the 5am club doesn’t mean you should. Ask your chronotype – your body’s natural preference to be awake and alert at certain times, determined by your genetics and your circadian rhythm. Larks rise early – and will be more adaptable than the average night owl. But you can turn the dial on your personal clock by an hour or two, says University of Surrey sleep researcher Victoria Revell, who recommends sunlight first thing and a regular sleep-wake pattern. 2 Rude awakening Studies show that early risers have a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, plus lower blood pressure. But you only claim those perks if you’re not cheating your body out of sleep just to send pre-dawn emails. Sleep…

LOOK at any list of the most common New Year’s resolutions, and odds are you’ll see one about saving more money or otherwise improving personal finances. Especially after the holidays, when budgets stretch for buying gifts, traveling and participating in the season’s festivities, January feels like a good time for a financial reset. But accomplishing those goals isn’t so simple. According to a recent survey from Vanguard, nearly 75% of Americans fell short of their saving and spending resolutions in 2025. Still, hope springs eternal: Most are optimistic that 2026 will be their year for a “resolution rebound,” with 82% feeling somewhat or very confident in their ability to reach their financial resolutions in the year ahead. A key to making that rebound a reality is to set clear goals…

Wear sunscreen daily Yes, we sound a bit like a broken record but when it comes to daily musts, sun protection on your face is up there as one of the most essential steps in your routine. Even during the winter months, UVA and UVB rays can damage your skin, which can lead to premature ageing like wrinkles and sagginess, as well as pigmentation and dryness. Incorporating sunscreen into your skincare regime is easy, as these days there are plenty of lightweight products designed to be worn under make-up without any greasiness or white cast. Bubble Solar Mate Daily SPF 30, £19, Boots, can be applied after your usual skincare, and will keep you protected while hydrating and softening your cheeks. Dose up Collagen is a hugely important protein that’s…

“I hear a lot of women saying, ‘I’m getting old and that’s why my feet hurt, or my neck is painful, or my back is stiff.’ Pain can be due to injury or arthritis. But a lot of the time, it’s just that we’re not moving enough or in the right ways,” says Erin Motz, aka the Bad Yogi (@badyogiofficial). As a yoga teacher and personal trainer with specialisations in corrective exercise and women’s fitness, she’s been teaching women how to look after their bodies for 20 years. And her new book, Yoga Fix, is a practical, usable encyclopedia of moves to ease every place you might feel pain, from jaw, neck and shoulders to upper and lower back and hips. In our modern world, the most common source of…

No matter your age, expectations about what your sex life should look like can carry a lot of weight. From how often you should be doing it to what ‘it’ should even involve, outdated ideas can make you feel like a failure and be a barrier in the way of truly great sex. ‘Expectations restrict people from authentically exploring what they actually want their sex lives to be,’ says psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist Silva Neves. ‘They can also be what begins or maintains sexual problems.’ At any age, says Neves, having better sex is fundamentally about acknowledging that your mind, body and sexual needs are ever-changing. Researchers at the University of Manchester found that people who accept this and adapt their sexual approach throughout their lives are the most satisfied.…

She begins by moving her shoulders. Next, she starts swinging her arms, so that her limbs resemble a pendulum. She gyrates her hips, kicks out her legs and rotates her neck until her body is in the kind of full, wild flow that might encourage a passer-by to call for help. Aside from her unruly movements, the mom-of-one on screen looks put together, with a Pinterest board-worthy blonde fringe and on-trend wide-legged jeans; a well-watered and docile dog in her background. But her toddler simply won’t stop screaming. The solution? Shaking out her body, she tells her TikTok audience, in a video viewed almost 1m times, tagged #nervoussystemregulation. Regulators Round Up TikTok is positively reverberating with the belief that ‘regulating’ your nervous system is the key to optimum well-being, with…

TikTok Trend Alert The latest TikTok nutrition trend – chia seeds in water, plus a squeeze of lemon – got its name from the resemblance between the soaked seeds and frog larvae. But should you try it? Chia seeds provide more weight-for-weight protein than an egg and contain all nine essential amino acids, making them one of the richest plant-based sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. There’s also evidence to suggest chia seeds may help lower blood pressure and levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol. This is likely because chia seeds are especially high in fibre, more so than most other foods (just 2 Tbsp contains 6g, a fifth of your daily recommended amount). Fibre has many health benefits and chia seeds contain a type of fibre that swells, causing it to…

MAKE a smart New Year’s resolution — adapt healthy habits that will help your brain age more slowly. University of Florida researchers found that optimism, good sleep, social support and other factors were strongly linked with healthier brains — even in people suffering from the chronic pain of knee osteoarthritis. “These are things that people have some level of control over,” said lead researcher Jared Tanner, a professor at the University of Florida. “You can learn how to perceive stress differently. Poor sleep is very treatable. Optimism can be practiced.” In the study, 128 middle-aged and older adults, most with chronic knee osteoarthritis, were followed for two years. Using MRI scans analyzed by a machine learning system, the team estimated each participant’s “brain age” and compared it to their…

RAISE A feather duster if this sounds familiar: You’re scrolling CleanTok in bed once again and come upon your favorite influencer reorganizing the space under her bathroom sink, or maybe her pantry. Not only does it look easy to execute, but it also looks beautiful—even if it’s ultimately shut behind a cabinet door. Inspired, and frustrated with the constant clutter in your own home, you decide to reorganize. Then you run out of steam mid-project. Or you finish, but you find the shelves overflowing again a scant two weeks later. If you’re struggling to keep your home clutter-free, it isn’t because you’re not as organized as that social-media neatnik. The problem is that you haven’t taken the time to create a personalized (and sustainable) system. We spoke with two decluttering…

As you welcome in a fresh batch of energy – and, with it, a fresh set of fitness goals – your thoughts are probably turning to how you’re going to get there. And while turning up to training on even the most miserable of mornings will get you part of the way, a smart approach to fuelling is a non-negotiable. Here at WH, we’re firm believers in the power of piling your plate high with whole foods. But we also believe that smart supplementation can make your workouts work harder. With that in mind, we’ve enlisted the expertise of nutrition professionals – along with our editors – to bring you the products we rate, rebuy and rely on ourselves. See you on the start line… Meet the judges Jenaed Ruddock…

01 The Real Deal There’s a reason we roll out the same resolutions year after year. “The pressure to set these resolutions can drive us to aim for drastic changes,” says integrative therapist and author of Reclaiming You: Your Therapy Toolkit For Life’s Twists And Turns’ Abby Rawlinson. “As a result, we often set unrealistic goals.” By moving away from this mindset, she says, we can focus on setting more targets that are easier to achieve and maintain. 02 Short Notice A year’s a long time; instead, think in months, weeks or days. “This can help you break down objectives into manageable steps, creating a framework for growth,” adds Rawlinson. Next, make them “SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound,” says clinical psychologist Dr Kevin Chapman. Take the goal of creating more…

HOW OUR FOOD WORKS FOR YOU see page 00 REASONS TO EAT KIMCHI GUT HEALTH AND BLOOD SUGARS Because kimchi is fermented, it’s rich in probiotics – the “good” bacteria that support a healthy gut. A well-balanced gut microbiome has been linked with better blood glucose control, improved insulin sensitivity, and even appetite regulation. Pair that with kimchi’s fibre content, which helps slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream, and you’ve got a side dish that works in your favour when it comes to diabetes management. NUTRIENT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BOOST Fermentation can actually increase the nutritional value of vegetables, with bacteria producing extra vitamins and beneficial compounds along the way. Kimchi also provides plant polyphenols and antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation – another key factor in both diabetes…

Truth: they woke up like this. Some people really are more inclined to find joy in exercise. But! You can rewire your brain to join that ‘love it’ group, research shows. When experts measured the electrical connectivity in the brains of people who are recreationally active, they found that those who perceive themselves as being highly tolerant of physical effort had greater levels of “remembered pleasure” afterward, according to a 2024 study by Florida International University. Meanwhile, those who said they were not as tolerant had a certain amount of “anticipatory dread”, or negative feelings, before the work even started. The good news is that you can teach yourself to be more accepting, physically and mentally, of movement – which will help you feel excited about exercise in general and…