Category: Health

Abdul-Rahman Edward Koroma was supposed to be in New York last week.

For months, the disability rights activist from Sierra Leone had been looking forward to his trip to the United Nations session. He had a busy schedule of meetings and official events talking about the challenges of living with a disability in his country, including showcasing a documentary about how the disability community is especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides associated with climate change.

But on June 5, he learned he couldn’t come. Sierra Leone was one of 19 countries where President Trump had banned or restricted the ability to travel to the U.S.

“Honestly, for me, it’s quite painful, and it’s quite disappointing,” says Koroma. “I hope the U.S. government will reconsider. The world is a global village, we all need each other, one way or the other.”

Why is Sierra Leone on the list? The Trump administration cites high levels of visitors to the U.S. who’ve overstayed their visa as the reason. Other countries were selected for national security reasons.

“We will restore the travel ban, some people call it the Trump travel ban, and keep the radical Islamic terrorists out of our country that was upheld by the Supreme Court,” President Trump said in a statement.

The administration banned travelers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela also face some restrictions.

More bans may be coming. A State Department memo first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by NPR suggests the administration may add 36 more countries, largely in Africa, to the banned or restricted list.

Consequences of the ban

Stories like Koroma’s will likely accumulate over the coming weeks and months, as global health researchers, workers and advocates from these countries are barred from coming to the U.S. to learn — and to share their expertise. Some global health specialists say the restrictions will ultimately harm U.S. interests by reducing our engagement with the world.

“We are closing ourselves off from the active participation of potential allies,” says Judd Walson, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. “That will only lead to negative consequences in the long term.”

Closing the U.S. off could ultimately open it up more to global health threats, says Walson.

The ban follows the administration’s cancellation of foreign aid and withdrawal of U.S. membership from the World Health Organization. Walson says these decisions are upending many of the institutions designed to detect and respond to disease threats worldwide.

“As we think about the new architecture of global health and how it can respond to the many crises that emerge around the world, participation from all these countries is critical,” says Walson, and ultimately benefits Americans.

He notes that new infectious disease threats could emerge from any of the banned countries.

“Our inability to engage with partners from those places, who can serve as eyes and ears on the ground to identify threats. just hampers our ability to have a coordinated response,”

Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University, is concerned future bans could hamper his team’s research on Marburg, a hemorrhagic fever virus. It’s normally found in bats, but can spillover into humans, sparking deadly outbreaks.

Karan and his team are trying to understand those spillover dynamics, in part by studying antibodies in people who live near past outbreaks along the Uganda-Kenya border.

“Part of the testing we’d do involves a test where there’s expertise in Uganda, at the Ugandan Viral Research Institute,” says Karan.

Uganda is among the 36 countries under consideration for future restrictions. If that happens, Karan worries his team may have restricted access to that expertise. While such restrictions wouldn’t preclude collaboration via Zoom, Karan says it’s just not the same as in-person.

“Many of the best conversations and ideas that we had happened during our drives, during meals or unplanned moments,” he says of interactions with foreign researchers in person. “Implementing these kinds of bans has a huge effect on research studies and really impedes progress.”

Scientific conferences often serve as the nexus for that kind of collaboration, where researchers gather to share research and connect with colleagues. Trump’s travel restrictions are already preventing some scientists from being able to travel to the U.S. for conferences.

“We need to have such participation and contact, but it’s now very difficult,” said a biomedical scientist from Yemen who requested anonymity because speaking out could draw negative attention that would cause her university to retaliate. The scientist was planning to travel to California this fall for a conference on cancer management but cannot because of the ban, noting:. “Such an absolute restriction for all people is not wise.”

The U.S. could also lose its global role as a key location for trainings and scientific conferences. The travel bans, coupled with broader tensions around immigration in the U.S., have already led organizers of these events to look elsewhere.

“Our research team decided to host a planning meeting in London as opposed to the U.S. due to concerns with visas and the overall climate,” says Walson. There are economic consequences if U.S. conferences are canceled, he says. And with a likely reduced U.S. presence at conferences held elsewhere, there could be more intangible impacts too.

“Diseases don’t respect borders, and infections travel faster than diplomacy,” says Walson. “Whether we want to or not, we have to understand the reality of the global community as it is today. If we don’t engage, we will suffer the consequences.”

“I just bought a new BPA-free tupperware set.”

This comment, coming from my friend Anna, caught me off guard.

Anna’s a highly competent law professional. She’s a critical thinker and she fights in the heavyweight division when it comes to cutting through BS.

But the Anna I knew was falling into some painful traps that seemed to be bypassing her inner hawk-like skeptic.

She’s wanted to lose around 15lbs for some time now and came to me to share how stuck she was feeling in this goal.

She brought up an avenue she was exploring: the new BPA-free tupperware set.

“Interesting. What inspired you to focus on that?” I asked.

“Well, I’ve been reading about how microplastics in food containers can mess up our hormones and cause weight gain,” she said.

I squinted.

To backtrack, this is right after she told me how she’d been struggling to be consistent at the gym, had been relying on takeout too often, and had been sacrificing boring old sleep for adrenaline-inducing doom scrolling.

So I asked:

“What about trying to get more consistent with your workouts, or prepping more homemade meals during the week?”

And Anna said:

“Yeah, but I’ve tried that a thousand times. If it were that simple, it would have worked already.”

We’ve all done this before.

Ignored or delayed those hard-but-worthwhile habit changes in favor of some ultra-specific, niche magic bullet that’s supposed to “change everything.”

Spent hours of research on the ultimate, most optimal workout instead of devoting those hours to just doing the basic workout you already know how to do.

Waited to feel more inspired, motivated, or just less busy.

Why do we do this?

Buying new gear or a popular supplement feels like making progress.

Consuming YouTube videos or articles about stuff you can change feels like you’re doing something.

And waiting until the “right time” feels, well, right.

Except, nothing actually changes until we take real, consistent action.

We’re clever, us humans. And we’ve come up with lots of sneaky ways to avoid the basic, unsexy, difficult actions we need to take that actually drive change.

In this article, we’ll explore how to take an honest and compassionate look at why you might be distracting yourself from taking impactful action.

You’ll learn:

• What the most impactful health habits actually are
• Three common barriers to making sustainable progress
• A 4-step process you can apply to start taking positive, productive action
• How to keep yourself consistent—and achieve your goals

The stuff you know you should do (but probably aren’t doing consistently)

We all know what those basic, fundamental health habits are:

▶ Exercising, ideally 30 minutes a day, putting in moderate-to-vigorous amounts of effort, with a mix of aerobic and resistance training.

▶ Eating mostly nutritious, minimally-processed foods. If 80 percent of your diet comes from whole or minimally-processed foods, you’re doing an excellent job. (Translation: “Perfection” isn’t required; pizza can be part of a healthy diet.)

▶ Eating enough protein to support muscle mass, appetite regulation, and body recomposition goals, if you have them. Aim for about 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (for most people, this adds up to about 4-6 palm-sized portions of lean protein per day).

▶ Prioritizing getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep. You can’t always control how well you sleep, but having some wind-down time before bed can help, as can waking up at the same time every day.

▶ Avoiding or at least reducing excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, including cigarettes. No fun, we know. But it’s for a good cause.

Easily, we could add stuff like prioritizing positive, nurturing social relationships, managing stress, and probably others, but just the above list is uncommonly met.

In fact, only six percent of Americans perform all five of the following basic health behaviors:¹

• Meet physical activity recommendations
• Don’t smoke
• Consume alcohol in moderation (or not at all)
• Sleep at least seven hours
• Maintain a “normal” BMI

If you’re doing the math, that means close to 94 percent of Americans aren’t doing the basics.

Yet, these foundational behaviors also help us achieve a long list of common goals, whether that’s reaching a healthy weight, improving athletic ability, or just living a longer, healthier life.

So why do we struggle so much to do them?

Here are three common barriers we see among clients (and coaches!), plus potential solutions to overcome them.

Basics Barrier #1: You have ambition overload.

Maybe you’ve decided you want to be healthier. So you declare that, starting Monday, you’re going to exercise for an hour everyday and “eat clean” at every meal and sleep eight hours every night.

(Currently, you don’t have a regular exercise habit, don’t particularly like vegetables, and regularly stay up past midnight.)

Now, let’s be honest: You’re asking yourself to change a lot of stuff at once.

And the last time you created an elaborate plan for overhauling your life…

… Did it work?

Probably not.

(And that’s okay.)

When we feel frustrated or stuck in our current situation, making a plan filled with idealistic dreams can provide us temporary relief.

And our brain has several (normal) cognitive biases that prevent us from judging the future accurately.

We often think we’ll have more time, energy, attention, and motivation in the future than we really do.^{2 3 4 5}

There’s a powerful, instantaneous comfort that comes with overloading our future self. (Because after all, we won’t start the plan until Monday.)

The problem with this is:

Big, complex plans often don’t fit into our already busy, complex lives.

We under-estimate how many smaller tasks are hidden in the bigger plans.

When we (almost inevitably) are unable to execute these ambitious goals, we blame ourselves, our personality traits, our “willpower” or “discipline,” and build a pitiable story about how we “struggle with consistency.” Or how living this way is “impossible”.

Then, sadly, we fulfill that prophecy.

Basics Barrier #2: You think only hardcore, “industry-secret,” or “cutting-edge” stuff works.

This barrier comes from the following common belief:

“If getting healthy just took eating, sleeping, and exercising moderately well, then everyone would be healthy.”

Because everyone knows they should eat their vegetables, get seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and stay active, right?

(We’d agree.)

But let’s go back to the previously mentioned statistic:

Only 6 percent of Americans are consistently performing the most basic health and fitness behaviors.

If we add on slightly more advanced—but still very basic—behaviors like eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, optimizing protein intake, and effectively managing stress, that number would shrink significantly.

So, the first thing is to believe that these simple behaviors work. Because they do. It’s just that most people (probably close to 99 percent of us) are not doing them all simultaneously and consistently.

The second thing is to accept that these simple behaviors are a little bit boring. Because they are. Part of the reason we’re attracted to new diets or “magical” supplements is because we just want something more interesting to try.

That’s especially true if we’ve already sort of tried the “eat more vegetables” thing and it didn’t “work” for us in the way we expected.

With something new and cutting-edge, there’s also the possibility of a new outcome, a new us.

And of course, that’s incredibly appealing.

Thing is, most hardcore, “industry secret,” or “cutting edge” tools and strategies are, respectively: unsustainable, inaccessible, or ineffective (or unproven).

They’ll take your effort, your time, and often your money, but without giving you a good return on your investment—all the while distracting you from the stuff that actually works.

Basics Barrier #3: You think your efforts (and your results) have to be perfect.

Another lie in the health and fitness industry is that you have to be “perfect” to maintain great health. You know, eat only organic salads and chia seeds, be able to run a marathon, and wake up at 5 am every day to meditate and write in your gratitude journal.

The truth is, perfection definitely isn’t required.

Depending on how you look at this, this could be a relief to hear, or a disappointment.

On the one hand, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to have it “all together” to be healthy—even above-average healthy.

On the other hand, many of us pursue better health with the belief that our optimal or even “perfect” self will one day, with the right plan or routine, be attainable.

But “perfect” health is an illusion.

Humans, even exceptionally healthy ones, get sick, get weird rashes, have digestive problems, need reading glasses, get into slumps, or just otherwise have a series of bad days.

None of us are “safe” from those life events, and accepting that can feel a little… vulnerable.

It’s much more comfortable to believe that if you just take this powdered algae supplement, or follow this specific morning routine, you’ll be immune to any kind of painful human experience.

The irony is, to achieve your realistic “best self,” you probably have to accommodate your “worst self” too. You know, the one who’d rather watch another episode of Love is Blind than work out, or eat a party-size bag of Doritos and call it dinner.

Because life happens.

Work gets busy.

Or your kid goes through a “phase.”

Or it’s pie season.

Any number of obstacles, distractions, and competing demands make it impossible for perfection to be maintained with any kind of consistency.

Which is why we need to let go of the illusion that a “perfect” self exists—the one who always has the energy, will, and option to make the ideal choice—and support what our real self wants and needs.

We’ve got four steps below to help you.

4 steps to start taking effective (and realistic) action

Now that we know what’s potentially getting in the way of taking productive action, here are four steps to get unstuck.

Step #1: Explore the why before the how.

Before you (or a client) start undertaking something you want to change, it’s helpful to understand your deeper motivations first.

Do a little investigating by asking questions like:

• What about this change is important to you?
• How serious or pressing is this for you?
• Why not continue doing what you’re already doing?

You can also go through one of our favorite motivation-mining exercises, The 5 Whys.

When you know why you want to change something, and you’re clear on the consequences of not taking action, you’ll be more likely to feel that deeper, more sustaining push to keep going, even when things get tough.

Step #2: Prioritize the most effective actions.

We can do all the things!! Really!! We just can’t do all the things… all at once.

Effective change means being able to realistically:

• Identify all the tasks, trade-offs, and commitments involved
• Prioritize what matters for the results you want
• Figure out what to do first

What are the essentials in relation to your goal? Regardless of all goals, they likely include a movement practice, a nutrition practice, and/or a recovery practice.

If you want some guidance on how to select the most effective action for your goal, check out our Skills, Practices, and Daily Actions Cheat Sheet.

Here’s how to use it:

▶ Start with the domain you’re most interested in improving (such as “Nutrition” or “Stress”).

▶ Then, get specific about what skill within that domain you’d like to improve (for example, “Eat well intuitively”), plus the practice that most appeals to you within that skill (say, “Eat to satisfied”).

▶ Lastly, choose a daily action from the list of examples under your chosen practice. (For example, “Record hunger and fullness levels at the start and end of meals.”)

Once you choose your action, make it work for you by following step 3, below.

Step #3: Make sure you can take action, even on your worst day.

“I like to challenge a client to set a pathetic goal. If it’s so pathetic, then obviously you can do it, right?” says Kate Solovieva, PN Super Coach and Director of Community Engagement.

Sound inspiring?

Maybe not.

But if you’ve been struggling with consistency, it’s exactly where to start.

Ask yourself:

• What can I do on my absolutely worst day where everything goes wrong? How much time, effort, or enthusiasm will I realistically have?

Five minutes of walking? 10 push-ups? One extra portion of veggies? Three conscious deep breaths before every meal? Nothing is too small; it just has to be something.

Now you’ve got your floor.

Then ask yourself:

• What can I do on my best day, when I feel on top of the world and circumstances are on my side? How much time, effort, or enthusiasm will I realistically have?

One-hour of all-out effort at the gym? Two hours of meal prep that will feed you and your family for the next three days? A 45-minute guided meditation?

This is your ceiling.

Now that you’ve identified your “floor” and your “ceiling,” you’ve defined a flexible range of actions that can adapt to your fluctuating, unpredictable, real life.

But applying this range requires a paradigm shift:

Your health habits aren’t an “on” or “off” switch; they’re on a dial.

When life is sweet and smooth, you can turn your exercise, nutrition, and sleep dials way up—if you want. Bust through your PRs at the gym, eat all the arugula, meditate like a monk.

But if life gets nuts, you don’t have to switch off completely.

Just turn the dial down a little.

The below is a visual representation of how this might work for exercise, but you can apply this same thinking to your nutrition, sleep, stress management, or whatever you’re working on.

The important part: Even if you do your “floor” or “dial level 1” action—even if it’s for days on end—it still “counts.”

You still get the gold star.

Doing the bare minimum isn’t failing.

It’s succeeding, in the context of a real, messy, beautiful life.

Step #4: Create an ecosystem that supports you.

Health and fitness professionals often forget how different their lives are from their clients.

For example, many coaches work at gyms, enjoy being physically active, and hang out with other active people. Exercising regularly is almost easier to do than not do, because, as Coach Kate says, “they’ve built a life that makes that habit seamless.”

So if you want to make your health goals more likely, Coach Kate offers this advice:

“Build an ecosystem that makes failing nearly impossible.”

When they want to make a change, many people assume that good intentions and willpower will be enough to carry them through. (And when they fail, naturally, they blame themselves for being “bad” or “weak.”)

We often forget about the context and environment that shapes our behaviors—making certain actions more likely or less likely to occur.

A recent review from Nature Reviews Psychology ranked different behavior change strategies and found that access was the number one influencer of people’s behaviors. (People who lived in neighborhoods with affordable grocers close by ate better, just like people who had to drive a long distance to the closest gym were less likely to exercise.⁶)

Not everyone can change neighborhoods, but most people have some degree of control over their more immediate environments, and can leverage this power to shape desired behaviors.

One example is the “kitchen makeover,” where you make sure foods you want to eat are washed, prepped, and at the front of the fridge, ready to eat on a whim. Meanwhile, foods that don’t support your goals get tossed, or relegated to the highest cupboard. (When you need a stepladder from the basement to reach the cookies, you might find you eat them less.)

(If you want to try it out, check out our Kitchen Set-up Assessment worksheet.)

Think about the goal you want to achieve, and the behaviors that support it. Then, evaluate how you might make small changes to your environment by:

• Using a trigger: Sometimes called a “cue” or a “prompt,” a trigger is simply a reminder to do a desired action. For example, you might block the door of your home office with a kettlebell, reminding you that, every time you leave or enter the office, you have to do ten kettlebell swings. If you’re trying to cut down on mindless phone time, you can install an app that reminds you to shut things down after 20 minutes on social media.
• Decreasing “friction”: Supermarkets put candy next to the checkout, making it easy to slip that chocolate bar into your cart while you’re standing in line, likely bored and hungry. You can be equally sneaky about encouraging positive behaviors too, such as putting fruit on your counter, ready for a quick snack, or packing your gym bag the night before, so it’s ready to grab on your way out the door before you change your mind.
• Constraining available options: Whether it’s deleting time-sucking apps off your phone, removing foods you know you lose control around from your kitchen, or heck, creating a capsule wardrobe so you waste less time in the morning getting dressed, constraint can actually free up a lot of time, brain power, and energy.

Invest your energy building the ecosystem that nudges you to make desired actions the obvious choice. This requires a little more work on the front end, but the payoff will be greater for less overall work.

Embrace C+ effort.

If you’re a perfectionist, or a former straight-A student, that line hurt to read.

(Don’t worry. This C+ won’t result in your parents telling you that they’re disappointed.)

But what all of the above barriers and solutions have in common, is that they recognize and work with our inherent imperfection.

None of us is perfect, and expecting as much often results in failure (or at best, short bursts of success, followed by a crash).

Adopt an attitude of compassion and acceptance towards your human self—who’s most likely trying their hardest—and work with your vulnerabilities, instead of constantly expecting yourself to grit your teeth against them.

There will be times you’re getting “A’s” in fitness. That’s awesome. And you also don’t need to aim for C+. Just don’t think of yourself as a failure when you have to dial it down.

Living a healthy, meaningful life means constantly striving to do our best—while also allowing for flexibility, mistakes, and bad days (or seasons).

You’ll be surprised at how much better “good enough” is than nothing. Especially in the long run.

References

Click here to view the information sources referenced in this article.

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

You can help people build sustainable nutrition and lifestyle habits that will significantly improve their physical and mental health—while you make a great living doing what you love. We’ll show you how.

If you’d like to learn more, consider the PN Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification. (You can enroll now at a big discount.)

It’s really common to have a baby shower for new parents. And while baby shower gifts and a new baby are always exciting, let’s not forget about the mom to be either! A postpartum gift basket is a great way to show a new mama (or seasoned mama) some love.

If you don’t have the time/money to do a large new mom gift basket, even just an item or two can show you care. Postpartum recovery can be tough, both physically and emotionally. And if the new mama is breastfeeding or had a C-section, those come with their own challenges. A postpartum care package is a great way for moms to get a little self-care and pampering.

Gifts like a journal to process postpartum emotions, a comfy robe, or nursing-friendly pajamas are all great ideas. Throw a water bottle or even a gift card in there too! I have lots of ideas in this postpartum essentials post.

DIY Postpartum Gift Basket Ideas

Some of the most affordable and thoughtful gifts are homemade ones. And if you’ve been a reader for very long, you know I love a good natural DIY recipe! The following DIY postpartum gift basket ideas are simple to make and make a great gift for any new mom and her little one.

Some of the recipes serve double duty and are great for other family members, not just moms.

Note: Be sure to double check before adding essential oils to any of the recipes, like lotion. For example, oils like peppermint can decrease breastmilk supply. Here’s a thorough list of which essential oils breastfeeding moms should avoid.

Soothing Postpartum Home Remedies

Pregnancy is an impressive accomplishment, but it can come with stretch marks, C-section scars, and other struggles. Here are some DIY postpartum gift ideas to help mom heal faster and soothe the aches that come with postpartum life.

• Soothing Postpartum Spray – Helps calm inflammation, relieve pain, and restore damaged tissue in the peri area.
• After Birth Sitz Bath – This soothing mix of herbs helps to make mama’s sore bottom less sore. The dry mix can be brewed as a tea and added to a sitz bath or a peri bottle.
• After Birth Bath Fizzies – These bath bombs feature nourishing herbs instead of essential oils for soothing relief.
• After Birth Tincture – As any seasoned mom knows, after birth contractions can be as painful (or more) than labor itself. Soothe the after birth pains with this homemade tincture.
• Rice Heat Packs – These reusable heating pads are a lifesaver when it comes to postpartum discomfort. Customize them with your favorite fabric and add lavender for added relaxation.
• Padsicles – These are a great way to relieve pain and inflammation in the peri area. It’s basically herbal tea frozen onto a pad.

Nourishing Foods

Building a baby takes a lot out of a mom, so it’s important to focus on good nutrition. And if they’re breastfeeding, they’re burning an extra 500-700 calories a day! Traditional cultures made sure new moms were getting plenty of nutrient dense, warming, and animal-based foods.

• Pregnancy Tea – I drank herbal tea when I was expecting, but many of the same nourishing herbs are also great for postpartum. They increase the nutritional value of breastmilk and help restore mom’s nutrient stores.
• Soups and Stews – Slip a jar of some homemade soup into their gift basket (for the freezer) or drop it off on their doorstep after baby arrives. Soups and stews can be a nourishing way to replenish vitamins and minerals.
• Sauerkraut – Keep things moving in the bathroom with some homemade sauerkraut! Great for the gut microbiome and offers a big probiotic boost.
• Bone Broth – Nourishing bone broth is a staple in our home and also great for postpartum moms.

DIY Bodycare

Making homemade skincare products is a great way to opt for clean, non-toxic ingredients. Plus, they’re fun to make! Many of these recipes use essential oils, so be sure to opt for breastfeeding safe ones or omit them.

• Homemade lotion – Soothing shea butter and coconut oil combine to make this luxurious lotion. Infuse the oils with herbs like calendula and chamomile for a gentle version.
• Whipped Body Butter – Similar to a lotion but even more moisturizing. This whipped body butter features cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil.
• Lotion Bars – Another one for team lotion. These portable lotion bars have all of the benefits of homemade lotion with less mess.
• Rosehip Facial Moisturizer – Pregnancy can cause skin changes, including melasma (dark patches) on the face. A face moisturizer can be a great way to help their skin bounce back better.
• Hair Growth Oil – Postpartum hair loss can be intense. Help moms take care of their locks and support stronger hair and hair growth with this DIY hair growth oil.
• Tallow Lip Balm – Tallow closely mimics our skin’s natural oils, making it a great option for moisturizing. And this tallow lip balm is simple with only 4 ingredients!
• Homemade Lip Balm – Want a more traditional Chapstick recipe? This hydrating lip balm is a great option for parched lips.

Nursing Moms Postpartum Gift Basket Ideas

If the new mom is breastfeeding, here are a few recipes to help her out. These are great whether she’s a first-time mom or a seasoned pro.

• Nursing Balm Nipple Cream – No one prepared me for how much breastfeeding could actually hurt at first! This nipple cream is safe for baby and helps soothe sore or damaged nipples.
• Nursing Mom Tea – This blend of herbs helps provide much needed nutrition and boost breastmilk supply. Plus it tastes pretty good too! Give her a jar full of dried tea mix along with a new thermos to keep it warm!
• Lactation Cookies – While nursing tea is certainly nice, who doesn’t like cookies? These lactation cookies are delicious and are a great way to naturally increase breastmilk.

Sweet, Sweet Sleep

Any mom with a newborn knows that sleep can be elusive (and sometimes non-existent). Helping baby stay healthy and supporting their nervous system (like through pediatric chiropractic care) can go a long way towards helping baby sleep at night. While a full night’s sleep isn’t always guaranteed, the following can help mom have a little more rest and relaxation.

• Relaxing Pillow Spray – This pillow spray uses calming and stress relieving essential oils like lavender and bergamot. While all of the essential oils used here are considered safe to diffuse around babies, use caution if using directly near co-sleeping babies sleep space.
• Sleep Lotion – Help relax and calm with soothing lavender and cedarwood lotion.
• Magnesium Body Butter – Most of us are magnesium deficient, and magnesium lotion can be a great way to relax and soothe tired muscles. I like applying this on the legs and bottoms of my feet before bed.
• Buckwheat Eye Mask – Make a DIY buckwheat pillow eye mask with added herbs.

What are some of your favorite items to have on hand postpartum? Leave a comment and let us know!

The announcement we made at Cisco Live represents Cisco’s most significant networking innovation in a decade—and the biggest partner opportunity we’ve seen in just as long.

The Network Reality Customers Can’t Ignore 

Today’s enterprise networks are being pushed to their limits—not just by what’s coming, but by what’s already here. As organizations rely more heavily on bandwidth-intensive, latency-sensitive applications like real-time collaboration, ERP, and CRM, performance expectations are rising fast. At the same time, AI workloads are introducing entirely new demands: bursty, unpredictable traffic patterns and massive east-west data flows that legacy infrastructure simply wasn’t built to handle.

This dual pressure—optimizing the performance of critical business applications now while preparing for the exponential demands of AI—is creating a strategic inflection point. And with many customers nearing end-of-service on key networking components, the urgency to modernize is real.

For our partners, this moment presents a unique opportunity: to help customers evolve from infrastructure that’s struggling to keep up, to a future-ready foundation that delivers today and scales effortlessly for tomorrow.

Beyond Hardware: Complete Architecture Sales 

What makes this announcement different is architectural completeness. While competitors focus on individual components, Cisco is delivering the full solution: next-generation hardware powered by our Silicon One technology, AI-driven management, built-in quantum-ready security, and end-to-end visibility with embedded ThousandEyes.

For partners, this means you’re not just selling switches and routers anymore. You’re selling business transformation. You’re offering the foundation that enables AI initiatives while ensuring operations remain secure and resilient. That translates to larger deal sizes, deeper customer relationships, and strategic advisor status.

The Differentiated Advantage: Built for What’s Next 

What sets Cisco’s AI-Ready Secure Network Architecture apart isn’t just what we’ve built—it’s how we’ve redefined what’s possible. This launch represents the only end-to-end architecture engineered for the AI era, across three foundational pillars:

1. Operational Simplicity Powered by AI

As enterprise networks face exponential demand from AI agents, real-time analytics, and dynamic workloads, traditional IT operations can no longer keep up. Cisco’s AgenticOps model transforms operations from reactive to proactive. Our AI Assistant and AI Canvas bring natural language diagnostics and cross-domain troubleshooting into a unified experience, while our unified Meraki Dashboard gives IT teams a single view and control across switching, wireless, routing, WAN, and industrial environments. This is AI managing AI—accelerating resolution and restoring confidence.

2. Scalable Devices Ready for AI

AI workloads require a new class of infrastructure—engineered for low latency, high throughput, and edge-ready computing. Cisco delivers purpose-built hardware across every domain: Smart Switches with sub-5 microsecond latency, Wi-Fi 7 access points for dense AI-device environments, and Secure Routers with integrated SD-WAN and quantum-ready encryption. These are not upgrades—they are foundational elements built for tomorrow’s digital operations, available today.

3. Security Fused into the Network

In the age of AI, the attack surface is expanding rapidly—and bolt-on security is no longer enough. Cisco embeds protection into every layer of the architecture, from quantum-safe Secure Boot at the device level to post-quantum MACsec encryption in transit and AI-aware segmentation that detects and stops lateral threats at machine speed. This is security that’s not added after the fact—it’s built into every connection, every flow, and every interaction.

When you walk into a customer meeting with Cisco’s AI-Ready architecture, you’re not pitching isolated products. You’re offering the only truly integrated, scalable, and secure foundation built for the AI-powered enterprise. That’s what gives you—and your customers—a competitive edge.

For a deeper technical dive into how this architecture addresses the fundamental challenges of AI-driven enterprises, I encourage you to read Anurag Dhingra’s blog on the AI-Ready Secure Network Architecture.

Your Competitive Positioning 

Most enterprise networks were designed for human-driven workflows—not for the speed, scale, and unpredictability of AI. As AI becomes central to business operations, legacy infrastructure quickly turns into a constraint. The real choice facing customers today is whether to modernize proactively to support their AI strategies—or wait until performance bottlenecks force a reactive upgrade. Cisco’s new architecture empowers customers to take control of this transformation on their terms, with confidence and clarity.

With Cisco’s new architecture, you help them choose the proactive path. The unified management platform simplifies their operations, AI-powered tools help their teams scale, and built-in security gives them confidence as they expand their digital footprint.

What This Means Right Now 

This technology is available immediately through Cisco and our certified partners. Customers are actively seeking solutions to support their AI initiatives, and many are facing hardware refresh timelines that create natural selling opportunities.

The businesses that move quickly to modernize their network foundations will gain competitive advantages over those that delay. Your role is to help customers understand that this isn’t just an infrastructure upgrade—it’s an enabler of their digital transformation strategy.

The AI-driven enterprise is here. The infrastructure to support it is ready. The question is whether you’ll be positioned as the trusted advisor who helps your customers navigate this transformation successfully.

Your success in the AI era starts with the right foundation. Today, we’re giving you that foundation and the competitive edge that comes with it.

 

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Federal officials on Wednesday appear to have “revoked” the layoffs of more than 400 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who had been abruptly dismissed months ago, which may reinstate the entire staff of a laboratory that tracks viral hepatitis and most employees in one of the CDC’s environmental health divisions.

The workers were among thousands that the Department of Health and Human Services laid off on April 1 as part of a reduction in force at the agency, most of whom are still out of work.

Employees of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention accounted for 214 of the staff “expected to receive the rescission of RIF notifications,” according to an email to the group from its acting director, Dr. Renáta Ellington, that was reviewed by NPR. The division’s two laboratories that dealt with viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases had been shuttered completely, despite the fact that some of those scientists performed disease surveillance work unlike any other labs in the world.

More than 150 people who worked for the National Center for Environmental Health were also among the reinstated workers, according to three CDC employees familiar with the cuts. The center’s Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, which includes employees based in Atlanta who work on asthma and air quality, environmental emergencies and lead poisoning prevention, may be almost entirely reinstated, two division employees told NPR.

At least 95 workers from other CDC divisions account for the rest of the employees who were notified on June 11, according to two CDC workers familiar with the cuts.

HHS notified CDC employees on Wednesday afternoon by email, copies of which were obtained by NPR. The email said the agency had “revoked” the “upcoming reduction in force” notices the workers had previously received. It did not explain the reason that HHS appeared to be reinstating hundreds of workers more than two months after it told many of them in another email that their jobs were “either unnecessary or virtually identical to duties being performed elsewhere in the agency.”

Ellington, the director of the group most affected by the HHS backtrack, told her staff that she herself did not know “what factored into the decision or why certain staff received the notification,” and advised the employees that the information might not be final.

HHS did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment regarding the reason that it revoked the employees’ notices. In April, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged that about a fifth of the cuts at HHS were made unintentionally and some people would be offered their jobs back.

By May, Kennedy announced that 328 formerly laid off workers at another division of the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, had been reinstated.

Reactions to the news from workers at the CDC were mixed. Some scientists told NPR they would be excited to do their jobs again. Other workers said they were confused about the meaning of the emails and apprehensive about the consequences of the decision.

“I think people are very tacitly hopeful that this means they can get their jobs back and continue serving in ways that they love,” said Kathryn Sisler, a health scientist at the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice who received the email on Wednesday. “But there has been so much instability and chaos that I think a lot of people would hesitate to say it is good news.”

Before Sisler was laid off in April, she worked with communities in several states to help people affected by the results of climate change, like increased heat. The turmoil that HHS had caused by shuttering her department two months ago already disrupted those efforts, she said.

“Some states and localities decided to already start laying people off because they weren’t sure if the grants were going to continue,” Sisler said. “Really just a lot of valuable data and information that was getting lost and not being utilized, especially as we look towards the heat season right now, which starts to get pretty deadly.”

Reversing the layoffs would also bring logistical challenges for some affected employees, Sisler said. She and some other members of the division already moved away from Atlanta, where they had lived to be close to their jobs at the CDC’s headquarters, she mentioned. Other employees had taken other jobs or had been offered them.

“It’s a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t feel like a victory that is on solid ground,” said Sisler.

Staff at the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention confirmed that the lapse in activity while employees were not working in April and May had also caused damage in some of their labs. At least one machine would need repairs, two CDC employees told NPR, and some disease outbreaks had not been properly tracked. Since late April, without help from the CDC’s hepatitis lab, health workers in Florida had not been able to confirm any additional cases as part of an ongoing hepatitis C outbreak in that state, said another worker at the CDC. The employees asked not to be identified because they said they fear retaliation.

Public health experts echoed the mixed sentiments of the employees.

“It’s great to see that there is some recognition of the importance of these workers and that being in those positions is critical for the public health of America and that they are being reinstated in order to continue their important work,” said Carmen Marsit, an environmental health researcher and professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

But “there’s still a lot of people that are not being reinstated,” he added. “And so I think there are still concerns about what is being missed.”

Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, a group that works closely with some of the labs that were previously shuttered, said he was “happily flabbergasted” to learn of the HHS emails.

“I am concerned about how many of the people have already moved on or might move on and the trauma that they really must be going through with the uncertainty,” said Beckler. “But all in all, it’s good news and I’ll take it.”

Yuki Noguchi and Selena Simmons-Duffin contributed to this report. 

If you have information about health projects that have been halted or any other story tips, you can send an email to the reporter of this article at [email protected]. You can also send an encrypted text message on signal to the reporter’s username: ceis.78.

Awards under $100,000 are not shown. Amounts shown are for the most recent fiscal year.

In his first months in office, President Trump has slashed funding for medical research, threatening a longstanding alliance between the federal government and universities that helped make the United States the world leader in medical science.

Some changes have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye, a New York Times analysis found. To understand the cuts, The Times trawled through detailed grant data from the National Institutes of Health, interviewed dozens of affected researchers and spoke to agency insiders who said that their government jobs have become unrecognizable.

In all, the N.I.H., the world’s premier public funder of medical research, has ended 1,389 awards and delayed sending funding to more than 1,000 additional projects, The Times found. From the day Mr. Trump was inaugurated through April, the agency awarded $1.6 billion less compared with the same period last year, a reduction of one-fifth. (N.I.H. records for May are not yet comparable.)

The impacts extend far beyond studies on politically disfavored topics and Ivy League universities like Columbia or Harvard. The disruptions are affecting research on Alzheimer’s, cancer and substance use, to name just a few, and studies at public institutions across the country, including in red states that backed Mr. Trump.

Use dropdown or start typing to search institutions

Scale is larger than in previous graphic.

“I think people should know that research that they probably would support is being canceled,” said Eden Tanner, a chemist at the University of Mississippi, who had been working with a colleague at Ohio State University to develop a novel approach for treating glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Their grant had been awarded through a program designed to diversify the biomedical workforce; in April, they were notified that it was being terminated.

“I would like to cure brain cancer,” Dr. Tanner said. “I think that’s not particularly controversial.”

Mr. Trump’s campaign against medical research has been carried out without congressional approval, and the legality is unclear. Lawsuits have challenged the slashing or delaying of funding.

Federal officials, who have accused the N.I.H. of wasteful spending, have attributed the cuts to changing scientific priorities.

The N.I.H. “regularly examines its research portfolio” to determine which projects are “the most meritorious,” Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email. “Regular reviews of ongoing activities will help us determine the most strategic balance of projects to support and the best way to manage them going forward, especially as we need to be responsive to the often-changing nature of biomedical scientific progress.”

Scientists fear that the sweeping cuts could do long-term damage to U.S. scientific research, which has long driven medical and financial progress for the nation. “The country is going to be mourning the loss of this enterprise for decades,” said Dr. Harold Varmus, a Nobel Prize-winning cancer biologist who served as the director of the N.I.H. during the Clinton administration and the director of the National Cancer Institute under President Barack Obama.

Publicly announced cancellations

The federal government has announced the termination of 1,389 awards, with more than $820 million in recent funding.

N.I.H. grants, awarded in a competitive process, are typically paid out in installments. A researcher with a $1 million four-year grant, for instance, will get about $250,000 a year. Scientists can use this money to buy equipment and supplies and to pay the salaries of the researchers who work in their labs, among other things.

From 2015 to 2024, there have been fewer than 20 terminations a year, on average, according to Jeremy M. Berg, former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the N.I.H. from 2003 to 2011. They were generally for extenuating circumstances, such as illness or research misconduct.

But since late February, the government has publicly announced the cancellation of 1,389 N.I.H. awards. The agency scoured grants for key words and phrases like “transgender,” “misinformation,” “vaccine hesitancy” and “equity,” ending those focused on certain topics or populations, according to a current N.I.H. program officer, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.

Studies focused on sexual and gender minority groups were among the first on the chopping block.

Katherine Bogen, a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, had been studying post-traumatic stress, alcohol use and intimate partner violence against bisexual women. The termination notice she received assailed studies “based primarily on artificial and nonscientific categories,” calling such research “antithetical to the scientific inquiry” and alleging that it was “often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.”

The language was “very insulting,” she said. “I get this letter that tells me, ‘Your research is not science. Not only is it ascientific, it’s a useless drain on resources, and, in fact, your research could be used to discriminate against ‘actual’ Americans or ‘regular’ Americans,’ or whatever they mean.”

The cuts spread to grants on health equity and racial and ethnic groups. Affected projects sought to improve access to mental health care for Latino, low-income and rural communities; to reduce maternal mortality among Black women; and to prevent gun violence in Asian American communities.

Tsu-Yin Wu, a researcher at Eastern Michigan University who led the gun violence project, said that community leaders and study participants were “greatly disappointed” by the grant cancellation. “Some felt betrayed that their voices and engagement no longer matter.”

The agency cut grants for research on vaccine hesitancy, disinformation and misinformation, including a Northeastern University study on cancer misinformation on social media.

It also axed research on Covid-19, including studies that could have helped the nation respond to many infectious disease threats. Among them: a grant to Emory University and Georgia State University, where researchers had developed three potential drugs that showed promise against many RNA-based viruses, including coronaviruses, Ebola, avian influenza and measles, said George Painter, a pharmacologist at Emory who was co-leading the research.

In April, the agency terminated, in part or in whole, more than 350 grants meant to support students, early-career scientists or researchers from groups underrepresented in science. Among these terminations were F31 diversity grants, awarded to Ph.D. students who were members of certain racial or ethnic groups, disabled or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Luzmariel Medina-Sanchez, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and Sierra Wilson, a first-generation college student from Utah, both had their grants canceled. “It’s not even about the work I’m doing,” said Ms. Wilson, who studies how liver cells respond to drug overdoses. “It feels like it’s about me.”

Ms. Medina-Sanchez, who studies how a microbe can help treat celiac disease, said she may leave science altogether. “I feel racially targeted,” she said. “I feel like I’m not going to be a professional in the field of science in America, because obviously my name is Luzmariel.”

(Ms. Wilson and Ms. Medina-Sanchez stressed that they spoke only for themselves and not for the university.)

Delayed funding

In addition to publicly announced cancellations, these are the nearly 1,100 grants that have been delayed, with nearly $740 million in funding.

Awards under $100,000 are not shown.

Besides outright canceling projects, N.I.H. failed to distribute annual payments to more than 1,000 grants, The Times found.

The delays have stifled research on drug discovery, blood vessel health and injury response. In some cases, scientists have cut staff, paused hiring, trimmed back supplies or delayed experiments. Health officials have not explained which projects have been held up, why or for how long.

The Times compiled a list of the delayed grants by searching N.I.H. databases as of June 2 for ones that were funded in 2024 and expected to last beyond 2025, but have not gotten disbursements on schedule.

In the past, annual renewals were routine. Scientists submitted progress reports; the N.I.H. reviewed them and usually continued funding them, occasionally with a week or two of delays. But longer delays have become much more common since Mr. Trump took office.

Joshua Kritzer, a professor of chemistry at Tufts University, investigates the basic science behind potential drug candidates, laying the groundwork for future medications. Most of his lab work is supported by a five-year N.I.H. grant that received $1.4 million over the past two years. But since February, he had been waiting for the third year of expected funding to come in. He slashed purchases of essential supplies and contemplated laying off crucial researchers on his team.

On Tuesday, Kritzer finally received word that his funding had been released, several days after The Times asked federal officials about his and other delayed awards.

“Every week that’s delayed, it’s easily probably three to four weeks to get that research back to where it was,” said Dr. Kritzer, who noted that he was speaking for himself and not for his institution.

Mr. Nixon, the Department of Health spokesman, said that the agency would not discuss deliberations about specific awards but encouraged grant recipients to “speak with the designated N.I.H. officials on their award notice when questions arise.”

In some cases, delays have lasted so long that scientists wondered whether their grants were subject to a “shadow termination.”

The delays stem in part from additional screening for whether the grants align with Trump administration priorities, N.I.H. officials said. Other renewals have been delayed as overstretched N.I.H. staff members work through backlogs in funding. And political appointees are now vetting some projects, too, slowing the process further.

N.I.H. officials said they feared being fired if they processed a grant renewal that the administration disfavored.

In early May, Jon Lorsch, a longtime N.I.H. institute director who was recently promoted to acting deputy director of the agency’s external funding arm, emailed staff members denouncing the renewal of grants “that focused on topics that are not supported under N.I.H./H.H.S.’s priorities,” according to a copy of the email seen by The Times.

“The consequences of approving an award that should not have been approved could be very serious,” he wrote.

But Courtney Griffin, who leads a lab at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and studies blood vessel development and disease, including complications due to diabetes, expressed confusion as to why her expected funding is not coming through. She and her colleagues were making contingency plans and looking for other sources of funding.

“It’s, ironically, a really inefficient use of people’s time to be in this guessing game,” she said, adding that the time could be better spent on biomedical research.

Months-long delays are also affecting new grants that were being vetted when the Trump administration cracked down on grant reviews.

A number of major Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers, some of which have operated for decades, have waited months for the Trump administration to decide whether to award them fresh five-year grants. The funding gaps have set back ongoing studies and curtailed efforts to take images of patients’ brains, though the N.I.H. has recently told some centers that they would soon receive funding.

“These centers have become a safety valve for people who can’t get a neurology appointment at a private center,” said Dr. Ann Cohen, a co-director of the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s center. Now, she said, things have changed. “There are fewer clinic appointments, fewer opportunities for these individuals to get brain imaging.”

The N.I.H. has also said that it will no longer fund projects in which U.S. researchers distribute some of their money to international partners, throwing the future of many global health projects into question and creating funding delays for ongoing research.

Beyond the disruption of individual projects, other proposed changes could undermine scientific research across the board, experts said. One would sharply curb funding for indirect research costs, such as building maintenance and administrative staff. And then there is Mr. Trump’s proposal to slash the N.I.H.’s total budget by about $18 billion, a cut of almost 40 percent.

A budget cut of that scale would be “truly draconian,” said Dr. Varmus, the former N.I.H. director, who said he hoped Congress would not approve such a sharp reduction. It could leave the agency without enough money to fund promising new work, drive some scientists overseas and prompt some up-and-coming researchers to leave science altogether, he said. “You can completely destroy the system in just a couple of years,” Dr. Varmus said.

Methodology

The Times’s analysis of cancellations is based on the list of terminated grant awards published by the Department of Health and Human Services as of May 30, 2025, and on records from RePORT, the National Institutes of Health’s registry of grants and projects, as of June 2, 2025.

Each circle in the graphics represents a grant award. The circles are sized by the total funding that N.I.H. authorized for each award. H.H.S.’s list of terminations includes a mix of main grant awards, supplements and amendments. The list also indicates a “total amount obligated,” but that figure generally is the total amount awarded to a grant over its lifetime, including any supplements and amendments, rather than the amount for the specific award terminated. The Times’s analysis above uses only the amount authorized for the specific award listed. In some cases, scientists had already spent much of the money they had been awarded before their grants were cancelled, but in others, they lost out on their entire awards. Award amounts and totals — including the year-to-year funding shortfall calculated by The Times — do not include N.I.H. grants administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, because their funding amounts are not available in RePORT.

The Times examined cancellations of grants intended to train and support research by groups underrepresented in science. These include the R25 education program; the T32 and T34 training programs; F31 diversity grants; R01 research grants under funding opportunity number PAR-22-241 and research supplements under funding opportunity number PA-23-189, both of which are specifically intended to promote diversity among grant recipients.

To identify grants with delayed funding, Times journalists used information about each grant’s planned duration and prior awards, focusing on those that were eligible for continuation or noncompeting renewal. To account for reporting lags in the RePORTER database, The Times limited this analysis to a time period from Jan. 20 to April 30. The Times excluded grants that appear on H.H.S.’s public list of terminations and grants that have been marked in RePORTER as terminated. Based on interviews and an analysis of historical renewal data, The Times found such grants typically receive a notice of award at roughly the same time each year. Each circle representing a delayed grant is sized by the amount its main award received in fiscal year 2024. This list may include a small number of grants whose renewals are not yet recorded in N.I.H. databases, and others whose renewals are expected to be delayed, because of conversion of grant status for an investigator changing roles or institutions.

To classify each grant’s area of research, The Times extracted the title, the public health relevance statement and the abstract from the N.I.H.’s RePORTER database and ExPORTER files. These fields were used as input for a series of automated prompts to a large language model.

The model generated a brief description of the grant’s research objective. The model also determined if grants were related to research in areas like chronic diseases, vaccines, pandemic preparedness, misinformation, sexual and gender identity, health disparities and certain ethnic and racial groups, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and then assigned categories.

Times journalists read the projects’ public health relevance statements and abstracts, and they checked the assigned categories for accuracy. They also checked hundreds of grant descriptions and edited them for accuracy and clarity. Only the project descriptions that have been edited by Times journalists are displayed in the article.

“I want to know I’m doing absolutely everything I can to preserve my health for as long as possible.”

We hear this kind of thing a lot.

People tell us they not only want to stay in good shape as they age, they also want to outlive their peers and age expectancies.

Imagine you could maximize your healthspan and lifespan, fend off disease, and generally remain fit, lean, and youthful into your 90’s, 100’s, and then some.

Sounds pretty compelling, doesn’t it?

There’s just one problem: Common longevity advice seems to involve an extraordinary amount of effort. And time. And money. And complexity.

Is all the effort necessary? Is it worth it?

And, will it even work?

In this article, we’ll explore:

And, we’ll help you weigh the pros and cons so you can make informed decisions about your health, your body, and your life.

The myths—and realities—of “optimizing” your health

Health and longevity advice is everywhere these days: podcasts, books, social media, that guy at the gym…

Plus, influential “figureheads” have given the movement outsized attention. Think: popular podcasters and health experts Dr. Peter Attia, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and Dr. Rhonda Patrick, and biohacker Bryan Johnson.

We understand the appeal of this kind of content. Who doesn’t want a longer, healthier life? (Not to mention the comforting sense of control that can come from designing and executing a “perfect” health plan.)

But for us at PN, where we’ve collectively coached hundreds of thousands of people with real human lives, we know that “optimal” is rarely realistic.

Not only that, optimal isn’t necessary.

Making modest, relatively consistent efforts towards health and well-being will likely give you better results than following an intense, highly “optimized” protocol.

If that sounds hard to believe, we get it. So let’s explore that bold statement, starting with the biggest myths surrounding longevity and health optimization.

Myth: The “basics” aren’t enough.

There’s an idea that getting and staying healthy must require a set of complex, “cutting edge” strategies—especially if your goal is to outlive the average American.

In reality, the “basics” work really, really well. (These are things like exercising regularly; eating a nutrient-rich diet; getting adequate sleep; managing stress; and staying socially connected. We’ll discuss these more later.)

Only, very few people do the basics consistently.

The real reason more people aren’t living as long, or as well, as they could be isn’t because they’re not taking ice baths or getting vitamin C infusions…

It’s because they’re not doing the (relatively) simple stuff, consistently.

If you’re really, truly doing a well-rounded set of health-promoting behaviors with 80-90 percent consistency, you’re probably already close to peak optimization.

Myth: More is better

If a handful of basic behaviors get results, then doing them perfectly and as much as possible will help you get, and stay, even healthier—right?

Not so fast. There’s a law of diminishing returns when it comes to health and fitness efforts.

Plus, in our experience, doing too many things or adding in too much complexity to your health and fitness regime can:

• Add risk factors that could actually make your health and fitness worse (such as chronic injuries or burnout due to overtraining, and/or nutrient deficiencies or disordered eating due to an over-preoccupation with “clean” or restrictive eating).
• Make it harder for you to sustain good habits. People who take on too much are more likely to burn out. Research shows people who try to accomplish multiple goals are less committed and less likely to succeed than those focused on a single goal.¹
• Make your life less enjoyable, which in turn compromises health. Striving to maximize physical health can interfere with mental, emotional, and social well-being, which plays an essential role in healthspan and lifespan. (One study showed people with high levels of happiness and life satisfaction lived up to 10 years longer than people with low levels.²)

And what’s the point of living longer if you’re not living a full, well-rounded, enjoyable life? While some effort is definitely important, past a certain point, more isn’t necessarily better.

Myth: Cutting-edge strategies offer significant benefits.

Let’s say you could put all those advanced, complex strategies into action without sacrificing consistency or life enjoyment, or compromising your overall well-being.

They’d have to pay off, wouldn’t they?

Not necessarily.

Much of the research on longevity optimization (so far) is either in mice, is observational, is theoretical, or has been tested on very small numbers of people for very short periods of time.

In fact, many of the fringe methods and supplements touted by influencers or biohackers are not only unproven but even potentially unsafe.^{3 4 5 6}

Point being: Put your efforts towards foundational health behaviors with proven track records (the kind we’ll cover in this article) before you invest in fringe efforts.

Myth: It’s all or nothing.

You might think, “Well, I’m not getting out of bed at 5 a.m. five times a week to go running for 60 to 90 minutes to optimize my VO₂ max, so I may as well just accept I’m not going to be a healthy person.”

Some folks feel overwhelmed by the idea of optimizing their health, so they figure they might as well do nothing.

However, our internal data shows that you can be far from “perfect” to get results.

In our year long PN Coaching program, even clients who practiced their (basic) habits less than half of the time got measurable results.

(Read more: Nearly 1 million data points show what it REALLY takes to lose fat, get healthy, and change your body)

Don’t let optimization culture convince you great health is beyond your capabilities.

Instead, we encourage you to…

• Consider your options. Review the facts, and get a clear understanding of which behaviors are most likely to give you the best bang for your buck.
• Get clear on the tradeoffs. Decide which things you are, and aren’t willing to commit to.
• Make decisions that align with your goals. Including what kind of lifestyle you want, and how you want to spend your time and dollars.

Keep reading and we’ll guide you through it.

The benefits—and tradeoffs—of a healthy lifestyle

Putting effort towards your health is great. But efforts come with tradeoffs.

Here’s a look at both the efforts, and the tradeoffs, to achieve the health you want for yourself.

A deeper look: The most effective health behaviors (and their optimal dose)

If you want to reduce your risk of chronic disease, and generally stay healthier for longer, what should you do?

As we said earlier, the issue isn’t that we need some highly detailed, cutting-edge protocol. The basics work. The issue is that most people don’t do them.

For example, as shown in the image below, most people don’t get enough fruits and veggies, sleep, or exercise. And the number of people who do all these things on a regular basis (while also avoiding tobacco and minimizing alcohol) is extremely low: likely a fraction of a percent.

Finally, let’s take a closer look at what these basics are, and the “sweet spot” of effort versus reward.

Foundational Health Behavior #1: Exercise regularly

All health experts agree: Moving your body is important.

Yes, exercise will help you stay lean, and improve mood, energy, and function, but it will also help you stay alive (and healthier) for longer.

In fact, a study of Harvard alumni found that any amount of physical activity reduces the risk of death from any cause. Exercise extended lifespan regardless of body weight, blood pressure, smoking habits, or genetic predisposition.⁷

Another study of 272,550 older adults found engaging in even low amounts of physical activity significantly decreased risk of death from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all causes.⁸

Specifically, steep risk declines happened when accumulating at least 7.5 MET-hours* of activity per week. The greatest increase in benefits came from achieving 7.5 to 15 MET hours. Increasing activity beyond that further decreases risk, but at a continually lower rate, as the graph below shows.

*MET-hours (Metabolic Equivalent Hours) measures the energy cost of activity, based on duration and intensity. Some examples: 2 hours of resting = ~2 MET-hours; 2 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity = ~8 MET-hours; 2 hours of moderate resistance training = ~7 MET-hours.

Increasing the intensity of exercise is an efficient way to rack up MET-hours, but plain old walking counts too: In a study of 28,000 adults, every 1,000 daily step increase was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of death. (This association began at 2,500 steps and continued up to 17,000 steps.)⁹

(Cool factoid: For folks concerned with dementia in particular, one study showed that getting just 3,826 steps per day was associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of dementia—and getting 9,826 steps per day was associated with a 50 percent lower risk!¹⁰)

Ideally, cardiovascular activity is paired with resistance or weight-bearing exercise.

Resistance training supports health and longevity in various ways: it can help preserve valuable muscle mass, maintain mental sharpness, improve odds of surviving cancer, support metabolic health, and generally help you stay alive.¹¹

Among older adults especially, falls are a leading cause of death.¹² Resistance training can both prevent the risk of falls–because of improved balance and muscle stability¹³—as well as reduce the risk of serious injury–because of better bone density.¹⁴

A sedentary lifestyle does the opposite, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer (breast, colon, colorectal, endometrial, and epithelial ovarian cancer), and all-cause mortality.¹⁵

In fact, two decades of sedentary lifestyle is associated with twice the risk of premature death compared to being physically active.¹⁶

▶ How much exercise should you do?

Standard exercise recommendations suggest:¹⁷

• 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (or some combination of both), plus
• 2 sessions per week of resistance training, targeting most major muscle groups

Getting up to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (or some mix of both) as well as three resistance training sessions per week provides further benefits.

▶ Are people getting enough exercise?

Most people are not.

Only 24 percent meet the recommendations for both aerobic and resistance exercise. And fewer than 47 percent of American adults meet recommendations for aerobic physical activity.¹⁷

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

For the most part yes, but past a certain point, more effort delivers less benefit—and potentially more risk.

Overtraining (and/or under-recovering) can disrupt hormone levels, mess with sleep and mood, cause excess fatigue, chronically elevate your heart rate, cause injuries, and more.^{18 19} Extreme volumes of endurance exercise training may be detrimental for the heart, and increase risk of myocardial fibrosis, coronary artery calcification, and atrial fibrillation.^{20 21 22 23}

So, the benefits of exercise exist on a U-shaped curve. (This is known as the “Extreme Exercise Hypothesis,”²⁴ as seen in the image below.)

A “high” amount of exercise is good for you, but the “highest” amount possible probably isn’t. (Health benefits likely max out around 7-10 hours of cardio, and 3-4 resistance training sessions per week.)

We like what one study concluded: “If the mantra ‘exercise is medicine’ is embraced, underdosing and overdosing are possible.”²⁵

Foundational Health Behavior #2: Eat a nourishing, nutrient-rich diet

Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a few key elements to nail down, and the rest is up to your own personal preferences and needs.

We suggest focusing on three nutrition fundamentals.

Nutritional key #1: Eat more whole and minimally-processed foods

Whole and minimally-processed foods are naturally nutrient rich—complete with fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals—and far less calorie-dense than highly- or ultra-processed foods (UPFs). They also have less sugar, sodium, and trans fats—the latter which is directly linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, complications during pregnancy, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity, and allergy.^{26 27 28}

These qualities contribute to their many health benefits; Diets rich in whole or minimally-processed foods are associated with lower rates of depression,^{29 30 31} heart disease,³² type 2 diabetes,³³ cancer,³⁴ and improved longevity.³⁵

The largest study on processed foods—which included almost 10 million participants—found UPFs are linked to 32 harmful effects, including type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.³⁶

Another study found that a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (four or more servings daily) was associated with a 62 percent increased risk of all-cause mortality. (For each additional serving of ultra-processed food, all-cause mortality increased by 18 percent.)³⁷

Not that you need to be plucking tomatoes straight off the vine.

Eating a minimally processed food diet is more about overall dietary patterns—and moving along the continuum of improvement—rather than rigidly avoiding all forms of processing.

▶ How many minimally-processed foods should you eat?

There currently aren’t any formal guidelines for the amount of minimally-processed foods to eat. In our experience coaching over 100,000 clients, we find people are most satisfied, and get significant health improvements, when 70 to 80 percent of their diet comes from whole or minimally-processed foods.

Any improvement counts though. If you’re currently eating very few whole and minimally processed foods, getting at least 50 percent of your diet from these foods would make a big difference to your health, energy, and longevity.

▶ Are people eating enough minimally-processed foods?

No.

Recent US data shows that Americans get about 28.5 percent of their calories from whole or minimally-processed foods, and 56 percent of their calories from highly- or ultra-processed foods.³⁸

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

Not beyond a certain point.

If you want to, consuming up to 90 percent of calories from minimally-processed foods will truly maximize your benefits, but beyond that there are likely no further benefits.

Besides, some processed foods enhance health rather than detract from it. Think about the protein powder that helps you meet your protein requirements, the commercial salad dressing that helps you eat your vegetables, or the weekly brownie à la mode you share with your grandkid that brings joy to both of your lives.

(Read more: What you should know about minimally-processed foods vs. highly-processed foods)

Nutritional key #2: Eat five fruits and vegetables

You’ve heard it a million times. We’ll be the nag and say it again: Eat your fruits and veggies.

A massive study involving over 1.8 million people showed that eating more fruits and vegetables was significantly associated with a decreased risk of death—with the benefits plateauing at five servings a day. People who ate five servings a day had a 13 percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to people who ate two servings per day.³⁹

Additionally, the consumption of fruits and vegetables very likely reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke; probably reduces the risk of cancer; and possibly prevents weight gain.⁴⁰

▶ How many fruits and vegetables should you eat?

A healthy target is five fist-sized servings of fruits and vegetables daily. (Generally, we recommend dividing that into three servings of veggies and two servings of fruit.)

For bonus points, try to eat a variety of colors.

The pigments in fruits and veggies come from various healthful nutrients (called phytochemicals or phytonutrients). Different colors mean different phytochemicals, giving you a diverse array of these beneficial compounds, which are likely responsible for a majority of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.

(Read more: What the colors of fruits and vegetables mean)

▶ Are people eating enough fruits and vegetables?

No.

Americans only eat an average of 2.5 servings of produce (fruit and vegetables combined) per day.⁴¹

Only 12.2 percent of people meet fruit intake recommendations, and less—9.3 percent—meet vegetable intake recommendations.

A mere ten percent of Americans get a full five servings of fruits and vegetables combined per day.⁴²

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

There are likely diminishing returns to eating more than the above suggestions.

In that massive study mentioned earlier that observed 1.8 million people, the life-extending benefits of fruits and veggies plateaued at five servings per day.³⁹

In other words, higher intake (beyond two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables) was not associated with additional disease risk reduction.

That said, there may be other benefits to eating more fruits and vegetables. For example, due to their fiber and water content, fruits and vegetables are filling yet low in calories, so they can support weight management—and they certainly aren’t going to harm your health.

Nutritional key #3: Eat enough protein

Protein is the most important macronutrient to get right, especially as we age.

Plant protein in particular is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and death from all causes.^{43 44 45}

In terms of animal proteins, the results are more mixed. (That said, research on protein intake and mortality is generally based on observational studies that don’t give us clear ideas about cause and effect.) Generally, minimally processed forms of fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy are the best animal protein sources.

To minimize health risks such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, limit processed forms of red meat (like bacon, hot dogs, deli slices, and pepperoni sticks). Even unprocessed forms of red meat should likely be limited to about 18 oz (~4 to 5 palm-sized portions) or less per week.^{46 47 48}

Nonetheless, regardless of the source, getting sufficient protein—at least 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight—significantly reduces the risk for sarcopenia (muscle loss), frailty, and neuromuscular decline.^{49 50}

Protein is also vital for maintaining and building muscle, keeping bones and soft tissues healthy, supporting immunity, and more. It’s also the most satiating macronutrient, and thus helpful for fat loss and/or body recompositioning.

▶ How much protein should you eat?

The current USDA recommendation for protein intake is at least 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight (0.35 g/lb). However, newer research suggests this is likely the absolute minimum amount, and only for relatively young sedentary individuals.

A better minimum intake for most is likely 1.2 g/kg (0.55 g/lb, or about 3 to 5 palm-sized portions of protein-rich foods), especially for older adults, as they’re at greater risk of muscle loss.

Protein intake for muscle growth and retention, and/or if performing resistance training or other vigorous exercise would be 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg (0.75-1 g/lb), or about 4 to 8 palm-sized portions of protein-rich foods.

▶ Are people eating enough protein?

That depends on how “enough” is defined.

Most adults eat at least 0.8 g/kg. However, up to 10 percent of young women and up to 46 percent of older adults don’t hit this mark.⁵¹ And, as noted, that recommendation is probably conservative compared to the ideal intake.

Protein is also especially critical for those on GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound) to help prevent the muscle loss they can lead to. Aiming for at least 1.2 g/kg is vital for this population, especially if they are also older. (Getting closer to 1.6 g/kg is even better, if possible.)

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

Once you get up to 1.2 g/kg, not necessarily. That amount is likely adequate for most, especially sedentary folks.

If you’re trying to build muscle and strength or recover from vigorous exercise, or are taking GLP-1 medication for fat loss, striving towards 1.6 g/kg would help you achieve that goal more easily.

If you’re trying to maximize strength and muscle gains, and/or are doing lots of strenuous exercise, consuming 1.6-2.2 g/kg is optimal (with the highest end of that range maxing out all benefits).

Foundational Health Behavior #3: Get adequate sleep

Research shows that men who get enough quality sleep live almost five years longer than men who don’t, and women who get enough live two and a half years longer.⁵⁴

Studies also show sleep is just as important for your heart health as exercise, whole foods, weight management, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar control.⁵⁵

Compared to 7 hours of sleep per day, a 1 hour decrease in sleep duration has been associated with an 11 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a 9 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes.⁵⁶

Older adults who sleep less than 6 hours per night are at higher risk for dementia and cognitive decline than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours.⁵⁷ (Deep sleep helps clear beta-amyloid plaques and wash out toxins from our brain, thought to be partially responsible for dementia.)

▶ How much sleep should you get?

Sleep experts agree that 7 to 9 hours a night on average—with at least 7 hours of sleep most nights of the week—is ideal for most.

However, the exact ideal hours may vary person to person.

Generally, the right amount of sleep for you is the amount that allows you to feel relatively refreshed shortly after waking up, and allows you to fall asleep relatively easily at bedtime, with relatively sustained energy throughout the day.

▶ Are people getting enough sleep?

About a third of US adults don’t meet the recommended amount of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.⁵⁸

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

Not necessarily.

It seems that 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night is ideal in terms of health outcomes.⁵⁶

Interestingly, longer sleep duration (over 9 hours per night on average) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overall mortality.^{59 60 61}

However, it’s not clear that these risks are caused by sleeping more. Just as likely, it may be other health problems (such as depression, sleep apnea, or heavy alcohol consumption) that lead to both longer sleep times and higher health risks.

(Read more: Transform your sleep—The scientific way to energize your body, sharpen your mind, and stop hitting snooze)

Foundational Health Behavior #4: Manage stress

When left unchecked for long periods of time (say, months or years without periods of recovery), stress can have negative effects on nearly every aspect of our health, as the below image shows.

Chronic stress—which tends to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation—increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.^{62 63 64} Additionally, long-term stress tends to worsen mental and emotional health, increasing the risk of anxiety and depression.⁶⁵ It can also make people more likely to turn to substances like alcohol as an attempt to cope.⁶⁶

That said… Not all stress is bad.

In fact, stress is a normal, natural, and even beneficial part of life; the right amount helps us feel motivated, purposeful, and engaged with life.

So, rather than avoiding or demonizing stress, it’s helpful to work with it, using it as an opportunity to develop healthy coping mechanisms, appropriate recovery strategies, and overall resilience.

And this doesn’t necessarily mean sitting on a cushion and meditating.

Stress management can include simple mindset shifts: Practicing self-compassion,⁶⁷ having a growth mindset,⁶⁸ and framing stress as a normal and even beneficial part of life⁶⁹ have all been associated with better coping under stress.

Basic self-regulation skills also help. This involves noticing and naming what you’re feeling, having good control over your actions, and using a broad range of coping skills to help yourself process emotions and recover from stress. With these skills, you build self-awareness and the ability to handle challenges better, because you know how to calm yourself down after an activating event—regardless of how it went.

The below image offers a spectrum of more—small and big—ways to regulate stress.

▶ How much stress management should you engage in?

Think of stress management and recovery as a thing you do in proportion to the stress and demands of your life.

We often use the analogy of a jug: When stress drains your tank, stress management and recovery practices help fill it back up again.

And, as with all of the foundational health habits we’ve discussed, every little bit counts.

Whether you’re experiencing a little or a lot of stress in your life, even three to five minutes of purposeful recovery—doing deep breathing exercises, some journaling or gentle stretching, or just stepping outside to get some fresh air and listen to the birds—can help fill your tank.

▶ Are people doing enough to manage stress?

Probably not.

In the US, over a quarter of people report that most days, they’re so stressed they can’t function.⁷⁰ In Canada, it’s similar: Just under a quarter of people say that most days in their life are either “quite a bit” or “extremely” stressful.⁷¹

Additionally, over a third of people say they don’t know where to start when it comes to managing their stress.⁷²

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

Not necessarily.

The goal is to find your stress “sweet spot.” Because we all enjoy and tolerate different types and amounts of stress, how you feel is actually a pretty good indicator of whether stress is too low, too high, or “just right.”

As the image below shows, if you generally feel bored and purposeless, stress is likely too low; if you feel energized and engaged, stress is probably close to your “sweet spot”; and if you feel panicky or so overwhelmed you’ve started to feel hopeless, stress is likely too high.

While having a routine for stress management is a smart idea, there’s likely a point of diminishing returns here too. If you’re in that stress “sweet spot” (energized/engaged, not bored and not overwhelmed), then adding more stress reduction techniques might not help further—and may actually add stress by giving you yet another task to do.

Foundational Health Behavior #5: Stay socially connected

You might not think of social connection as a health imperative, but it is.

Not only is the social and emotional support associated with improved well-being, it’s also associated with reduced risk of premature death.^{73 74} When relationships are strong, people have a 50 percent increased likelihood of survival during any given time.⁷⁵

In fact, one of the longest running studies—the Study of Adult Development out of Harvard Medical School, which has been tracking participants for over 87 years (and counting)—found that strong relationships were the biggest predictor of not only life satisfaction but longevity. (Relationships were more predictive of these outcomes than social class, wealth, IQ, or genetics.)⁷⁶

No surprise, not having a social circle comes with its own distinct risks.

Social isolation and loneliness can increase a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, suicidality and self-harm, dementia, and earlier death.^{77 78}

A frequently cited statistic highlights its profound impact:

The effect of social isolation on mortality is comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day⁷⁹—surpassing even the risks associated with obesity and physical inactivity.⁸⁰

▶ Are people getting enough social connection?

It seems many of us could use more friends.

About 1 in 3 adults report feeling lonely, and 1 in 4 report not having social and emotional support.⁷⁷

Eight percent of adults say they have no close friends, 53 percent say they have between one and four close friends, and 38 percent report having five or more friends.⁸¹

▶ How much social connection should you aim for?

Generally speaking, research finds that people who have three to five close friends they regularly interact with (one to three times per week, in-person or via phone call) get the most social benefit.^{82 83 84 85}

On average, interaction with a smaller group of people tends to provide more benefit than a large network of acquaintances.⁸⁶

That said, individual needs vary. If you feel authentically connected to others, have a strong sense of belonging, and generally feel socially fulfilled, that’s what matters most.

▶ Is getting more than the recommended amount better?

Likely not. Some evidence suggests that excessive social engagement (daily or multiple times daily) actually might increase mortality risk.⁸⁷ That’s probably because over-socializing can increase mental, emotional, and physical fatigue,⁸⁸ and often this level of socialization includes alcohol or other potentially risky behaviors.

Additionally, it can take away time and energy that could be put towards other life-building and health-promoting behaviors (like work, exercise, or sleep).

The takeaway? Strive for socializing that brings value to your life. No need to add so much that you wind up exhausted, or unable to keep up with other priorities.

Foundational Health Behavior #6: Minimize known harms

Minimizing activities we know to be harmful is a key part of looking after your long-term health, yet it can be easy to overlook these things. (Maybe because we’d rather keep doing them.)

Two of the biggest culprits are smoking and drinking alcohol.

Harm Avoidance Key #1: Don’t Smoke

We all know smoking is bad for us. But smoking is still relatively common:

• In the US, 10.9 percent of adults smoke cigarettes, and 6.6 percent smoke e-cigarettes.⁸⁹
• Globally, the trend is even higher: 22.3 percent of the world’s population use tobacco (36.7 percent of men and 7.8 percent of women).⁹⁰

The WHO estimates more than 8 million people die prematurely yearly from tobacco use (with an additional 56,000 people dying annually from chewing tobacco).⁹¹ This makes tobacco a leading (i.e. top 3) risk factor for premature death and all-cause mortality.⁹²

Smoking is also a risk factor for several chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and cancer.⁹³ (Globally, about a quarter of cancer deaths are attributed to smoking.⁹⁰)

Harm avoidance key #2: Limit alcohol

At this point, the research is pretty clear: Alcohol has negative implications for your health, especially past a certain point of regular use.

Alcohol plays a causal role in 200+ diseases, particularly liver diseases, heart diseases, at least seven types of cancers, depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorders, and dementia.^{94 95}

In 2019, 2.6 million deaths worldwide were attributable to alcohol consumption.⁹⁶ For people in the 15-49 age range, alcohol is the leading risk factor for death, with 3.8 percent of female deaths and 12.2 percent of male deaths attributable to alcohol use.⁹⁷

▶ How much alcohol is “safe” to drink?

US guidance on alcohol suggests keeping intake at moderate levels, or less.⁹⁸

A moderate intake means:

• Two drinks or less per day for men (14 or less per week), with no more than 4 at a single sitting
• One drink or less per day for women (7 or less per week), with no more than 3 at a single sitting

Importantly, a drink is defined as containing 14 grams (about 0.6 fluid ounces) of pure ethanol, which equates to:

• 12 ounces of regular beer (5% alcohol by volume)
• 5 ounces of table wine (12% alcohol by volume)
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (40% alcohol by volume)

▶ Are people limiting their alcohol enough?

In the US, people tend to drink more than the recommended guidelines.

In 2021, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported that the average American aged 21 or older consumed 2.51 gallons of pure alcohol over the course of a year—equivalent to about 10 standard drinks/week.⁹⁹ However, research suggests surveys typically underestimate consumption by 40 to 50 percent.¹⁰⁰ Further, other research shows that the heavier a person drinks, the more significantly they’re likely to underestimate and/or underreport their drinking.¹⁰¹

All that to say, the average American is likely having more (or even far more) than 10 drinks per week.

Add to that:

• In 2016, 36.4 percent of Americans (age 15+) said they had at least one episode of binge drinking (6+ drinks in one session) in the last month¹⁰²
• About 7 percent of the world’s population aged 15+ years have an alcohol use disorder⁹⁶
• Alcohol-related deaths have been rising: in the last five years, alcohol-induced deaths have increased by 26 percent¹⁰³

▶ Is more abstinence from alcohol better?

In 2023, the WHO released a statement saying no amount of alcohol is “safe.”¹⁰⁴ This interpretation is still debated, and data continues to emerge.

Here’s our take: An abstinence-only policy is likely a failed policy for many. Rather, we want people to be informed so they can make intentional decisions.

To be clear, alcohol is not beneficial for physical health; it’s a known human carcinogen. However, while alcohol does increase health risks, risk does not rise in a linear fashion with intake. Meaning, small doses are unlikely to have a significant impact on your health. But when you drink more heavily, the risks rise exponentially.¹⁰⁵

Drinking heavily can mean either:

• Having more than 7 drinks in a week for a woman, or more than 14 drinks in a week for a man, or
• Having 4 or more drinks in one sitting for a woman, or 5 or more drinks in one sitting for a man (binge drinking).

(Reminder: A single drink refers to those definitions mentioned previously. Pints of beer, and heavily poured wine glasses and cocktails are more than single servings… Just because it fits in a single glass doesn’t mean it counts as “one” drink.)

Ultimately, it’s about finding the level of risk you’re willing to tolerate relative to whatever benefits you feel alcohol provides you.

Our general recommendations:

• If you’re otherwise healthy and have no other alcohol-related risk factors, limit drinking to moderate levels or less
• If you’re otherwise healthy but have one or two alcohol-related risk factors (such as breast cancer history), limit drinking to light levels (1 to 3 or 4 drinks per week) with occasional moderate intakes on special occasions, or less
• If you have several alcohol-related risk factors (such as breast cancer history, family history of alcoholism, or contraindicated medications) abstain from alcohol entirely

Foundational Health Behavior #7: Do Basic Preventive Health Measures

In all the chatter about longevity optimization, it can be easy to forget about all the boring—but no less important—things that help you stay safe and healthy throughout your life.

These include things like:

• Getting regular check-ups, or seeing your doctor or healthcare provider if questions or concerns arise
• Getting recommended bloodwork, screenings, and vaccines
• Getting and keeping blood cholesterol, sugar, and pressure in recommended ranges as early as possible
• Regularly seeing your dentist, and regularly brushing and flossing
• Practicing safer sex
• Seeing medical specialists as recommended or appropriate (OBGYN, optometrist, ENT, dermatologist, etc.)
• Wearing seatbelts (Buckling up in the front seat reduces risk of fatal injury by 45 percent!¹⁰⁶)
• Wearing a helmet when cycling, skateboarding, or motorbiking
• Regularly wearing sunscreen (Used appropriately, sunscreen decreases risk of skin cancers by 40 to 50 percent^{107 108})
• Protecting your hearing (Untreated hearing loss increases risks for depression, social isolation,^{109 110} cognitive decline,¹¹¹ dementia,^{112 113} and falls^{114 115})

… And generally using common sense. (As in, avoid the “hold my beer” type stuff.)

Basic health maintenance and risk avoidance practices matter—a lot.

Notably, we can’t control every element of our environment. Some factors influencing our health are more structural and systemic, woven into the fabric of our societies.

These are called social determinants of health, and include poverty, racism, homophobia, lack of accommodation for disabilities, and displacement (as in the case of refugees). For some folks, doing the above protective behaviors—like visiting the family doctor, getting glasses, going to the dentist, or even walking safely down the street—will be harder, sometimes near impossible.

This isn’t meant to be a throwaway line that diminishes the difficult reality for so many people, but rather a gritty, realistic mantra: Do the best you can with what you’ve got.

▶ How much preventative health care do you need to do?

Generally speaking, aim to be consistent with the habits you know you “should” do.

You know the drill: Brush and floss daily; wear your helmet every time you ride a bike; wear your seatbelt every time you drive; put on sunscreen when you go out into the midday sun; don’t regularly blast your music at full volume; and so on.

And if you have lingering things on your “I should really do that” list (like getting that weird mole checked out, or that bloodwork done), go do it.

▶ Are people practicing enough basic preventative health measures?

We’ve offered a long-ish list of basic health practices that can protect health, so we won’t go into each in-depth.

That said, when looking at the above list, it’s probably fair to say most people will notice a few behaviors they might practice more consistently.

For example, while most of us are really consistent with our seat belts (usage is close to 92 percent!¹¹⁶), many of us could break out the floss more often (only 32 percent of Americans floss daily¹¹⁷).

And, research shows that only about half of cyclists and motorcyclists wear helmets when riding^{118 119 120} (and use is even lower among skateboarders and rollerbladers¹²¹).

Hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia,¹²² so make sure you also follow the “60/60 rule” if you like to pump up the tunes on your headphones: Listen at 60 percent of your device’s maximum volume for 60 minutes, then take a break. (And wear earplugs when you mow the lawn!)

▶ Are more preventative measures better?

Once again, there’s likely a law of diminishing returns when it comes to preventative health measures, just like everything else.

The point isn’t to become obsessed with eliminating all possible risks at every turn.

Rather, it’s that reasonable efforts towards protecting your health do count, and they‘re immeasurably more important for overall health than the latest optimization fads.

Still thinking about optimizing? Consider these additional tradeoffs

We hope it’s clear by now: You can take yourself really far with some solid basics (that will themselves take some decent time and effort!).

But, if you want to go even further, your effort might have to increase exponentially, just as those gains become less certain, and more marginal.

Here’s what to keep in mind.

First, it takes a lot of time (and money) to optimize.

Let’s compare the time and financial investment of two imaginary people.

The first person is what you might call a “healthy” or “medium effort” person. They’re someone who is pretty consistently meeting all of the above recommendations.

The second person is what you might call an “optimizer.” They do all the above recommendations, but to the max, and many of the fringe recommendations often discussed on health-related podcasts and books.

How much time and money might each of these people invest in their health efforts on a weekly basis? Here’s what that might look like.

On top of that, there are “optimizing” behaviors and assessments that might be performed less often—say, monthly, seasonally, annually, or even every few years. Of course, these practices will still require time and money, so even though they’re less frequent, they still have to be accounted for.

Here are some examples of those kinds of products, therapies, and tests:

• Dietary supplements (vitamin, mineral, and/or herbal supplements; “superfoods”; fish oil; probiotics, resveratrol, NAD+, NAC, curcumin, & more)
• Bloodwork testing (for advanced lipid testing, inflammatory markers, hormone levels, and nutrient status)
• IV therapy (for hydration, vitamins, glutathione, or NAD+)
• Infrared sauna sessions
• Plasma transfusions
• Gene therapy
• Stem cell therapy
• Medical tourism and therapeutics retreats
• Full-body MRIs
• Genetic testing
• Concierge medical services
• And more…

Though it’s hard to estimate the cost of these items, opting to do just a handful could easily cost an extra $10,000+ per year.

Overall, we’d estimate it takes at least three to four times the time, effort, and money to follow an “optimizer” type lifestyle, compared to a plain old “healthy” lifestyle.

As we’ve seen above, this 3-4x effort will likely translate to some extra benefits, but the medium-effort “healthy” lifestyle will likely get most people at least 80 percent of the results they’re after (such as improved lifespan, healthspan, and quality of life).

Besides, optimizing too much can negatively impact your well-being and quality of life.

The harder and more extreme someone’s fitness or health regime, the harder they typically fall off the wagon. So, taking on too much can actually put you more at risk of quitting the foundational health behaviors we mentioned earlier.

Even if you stick with it, over-focusing on health and longevity will almost certainly interfere with your ability to enjoy a full, well-rounded, meaningful life.

For example, if you get too focused on physical health, you may find other aspects of your deep health and overall wellbeing suffer, such as your relational, existential, mental, and emotional health.

Take this a step further, and “optimizing” can tip over into obsession. Sometimes, under the surface of “I just really care about my health” is disordered eating, orthorexia, or another mental health condition.

This, to us, is the heart of things: It’s important to not only stay relatively healthy, but also to enjoy your life while you’re living it.

In fact, enjoying your life isn’t separate from good health. It’s part of it.

What to do next

1. Clarify your goals.

Take a step back and consider what you really want most for yourself.

What kind of life do you want to have?

How important is it to maximize your healthspan and lifespan, and how does that line up with your other priorities?

2. Consider the tradeoffs.

Given what you want most for yourself, and the resources you have available, what’s realistic for you?

How much time, money, and effort are you willing to put in to achieve health and lifespan goals?

What are you prepared to give up? What aren’t you prepared to give up?

3. When looking to make improvements, start with the basics first.

Review the foundational health behaviors in this article. How many of them are you already doing? Consistently?

If you’re covering most of the basics, you might not need to do more. (Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re already elite!)

Or, maybe there’s some room for improvement and you’d like to step it up a bit. Great! For the vast majority of people, improving any of these behaviors will deliver real, tangible results. Start with these, before chasing faddish, fringe, “super-optimal” stuff.

4. Tune out the noise.

Those people you hear on podcasts or social media aren’t the experts on you and your life.

You get to decide what you want, and how to go about getting it.

Be honest with yourself, and make choices aligned with what matters most to you.

There’s plenty of advice out there, but remember: It’s your life. You get to make decisions that work for you.

References

Click here to view the information sources referenced in this article.

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

You can help people build sustainable nutrition and lifestyle habits that will significantly improve their physical and mental health—while you make a great living doing what you love. We’ll show you how.

If you’d like to learn more, consider the PN Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification. (You can enroll now at a big discount.)

What do you do for gifts when the man in your life is hard to shop for? I’ve been trying to answer that question for years. It always seems tougher to find good gift ideas for men than it does for women.

Men usually aren’t as happy with some herbal tea and a new skein of yarn for a knitting project. And motorcycles and football tickets are bigger ticket items. The best Father’s Day gift ideas are something they’ll enjoy and actually use!

This post includes some of the best Father’s Day gifts I’ve found over the years. It also includes unique Father’s Day gifts that other family members have enjoyed and items on their wishlists. You can also check out my Christmas gifts for men gift guide for even more ideas!

If you need a great gift idea for Dad (or father figure in your life) that isn’t a tie or golf balls, then read on.

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Your dad, husband, uncle, etc., probably doesn’t need a paperweight or another gift card. And a lot of gift guides for men recommend things like an Apple Watch, Airpods, and gadgets like Bluetooth speakers. These give off a lot of EMF waves that I’m not comfortable with.

If you’re looking for a gift he’ll use and love, here are some of my favorite ideas for men that I’ve given or that my dad mentioned he loves. You can even pair it with a heartfelt Father’s Day gift card.

Solo Outdoor Fire Pit

I got this amazing backyard fire pit as part of my backyard makeover (I also more recently built a backyard sauna!). I can’t say enough good things about it and it would make the perfect present for any dad! The Solo stove burns wood much more efficiently and directs heat exactly where you’d want it, without the smoke. It looks super sleek too.

Blue-Light Blocking Glasses

I’ve worn blue-blocking glasses for years. These glasses help reduce eye fatigue from computers and reduce blue light for better sleep. I put them on after the sun goes down each night to block the blue light from computer screens, television, and phones. These are some stylish blue-light-blocking glasses and I like that they’re metal instead of plastic.

A Good Knife

This folding knife is high-quality and something your husband or dad can use all the time. Many men carry knives that they use for anything and everything. It’s handy for opening boxes, cutting threads off a sweater when you’re out, etc. A folding knife (or any knife really) is a classic guy gift and a pretty safe bet he’ll love and appreciate it.

Another really great option is this Gasper 4 Knife from Rewild.

Good Wine + An Aerator

If your man is a wine drinker, wine (and maybe a decanter) is always a great gift option. It’s consumable and typically lends itself to spending quality time together. Sometimes, even just sipping wine on the back porch with your sweetie can be a great date night.

Just try to choose a high-quality organic wine. I always stick to natural wines whenever possible, which are organically grown and lab-tested to have no mold, mycotoxins, or additives. This wine aerator also improves the flavor of wine and removes sediment as you pour it.

And if Dad isn’t a wine person, then maybe he’d like these whiskey glasses instead. They come in a gift set that includes whiskey glasses, a wooden storage and gift box, granite cubes to chill, and cocktail cards.

Tumbler For Drinks

If Dad needs to stay hydrated on the go, then a nice water bottle or tumbler can be a good gift. I like this RTIC Tumbler. It performs as well as the high-priced Yeti, and I use mine all the time. Great for coffee, smoothies, and water.

This water bottle from Clearly Filtered is another great option. It has a built-in water filter so Dad can refill it from anywhere.

The Last Wallet He’ll Ever Need

Men are tough on wallets! My dad used to go through one every year or two. That was almost always what we knew we could get him for Christmas each year. If your husband or dad likes the best of things (that will last!) here’s a wallet from Amazon that will meet their expectations.

A Notebook or Journal

Every man needs a good notebook or journal. They’re perfect for jotting down thoughts and ideas, taking notes, setting goals, and keeping track of schedules. This dot matrix bullet journal is a popular option because it’s so nice and easy to use. It also serves as a journal, calendar, and notebook in one. And at under $15, it’s a great value too!

Another popular notebook he’ll love is the Moleskine. They have many different sizes and styles available.

Fitness Equipment Gifts For Men

It’s hard to come up with gifts that are both useful and fun. So when I saw this kettlebell in the shape of a gorilla (or Bigfoot!) I knew it was a winner.

Guys will also love Onnit’s digital bodyweight programs. What I’ve spent on fitness equipment doesn’t even come close to a gym membership. Plus, he’ll save time by working out at home.

In between (and during) workout days I like to get some sauna sessions in for better fitness too. Try gifting Dad this portable and compact sauna blanket from HigherDOSE (they also make great PEMF mats!). Use code WELLNESSMAMA15 for 15% off.

Some Good Ol’Fashioned BBQ

It’s a well-known fact that most dads consider the grill their domain. A grill upgrade or a new set of grilling tools is a classic Father’s Day gift. It’s the gift that keeps on giving in the form of delicious barbecue all summer long. And you can learn some tips for keeping grilling as healthy as possible here.

The Spice of Life

Looking for something small for the kids to give? These healthy BBQ sauces come in different flavors and have a list of ingredients I can get behind. Another option is Laila Ali’s spice blends. My friend Laili Ali (yes, the daughter of Mohammed Ali!) handcrafted her own line of delicious spices and seasonings with quality ingredients. Pick up some here and get 15% off with code WellnessMama15

You can even make your own gift box or gift set with a variety of seasonings, marinades, and unique yet healthy food items.

More Foodie Gifts for Men

If the man in your life likes unique, tasty foods, try some of these.

• ButcherBox – Forget the fruit of the month club (although I’m not hating on fruit!). Dad can get grass-fed and organic meat with a subscription box from ButcherBox.
• Coffee maker – Get him an espresso machine or a new French press for flavorful coffee. Try it with Purity Coffee for a smooth flavor without any of the toxins or pesticides found in regular coffee. And Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee is the perfect portable, convenient coffee mix that’s also healthy.
• Hot Sauce – Gift Dad some tasty (and healthy) buffalo sauce or steak sauce from Primal Kitchen. Or try some of this organic habanero hot sauce.
• Pizza Oven – This is a bigger item but it adds ambiance to your outdoor space. Ooni pizza ovens can be more affordable than the handbuilt brick versions and they cook the food on a stone surface for amazing flavor. They’re not just for pizzas, but they’re great for adding a smoky flavor to meat and veggie dishes too.

A Great Flashlight

Our family loves this Surefire flashlight and it goes with us when we travel. This flashlight is super bright and small enough to fit in a pocket. We’ve had this flashlight forever and use it for everything! It makes for a practical and functional gift for the dad in your life.

Clothing

Some dads really appreciate a pair of warm wool socks or a new cozy hoodie. Get Dad a new beanie hat, some comfy organic joggers, or a new sustainably made blazer jacket. This company sells organic cotton, linen, and hemp clothing with some really great options for Dad.

Better Shaving Tools

For men who have sensitive skin or really thick facial hair, natural shaving options are a great gift.

Disposable and conventional razors (even good ones) have a reputation for irritating skin. And then there are the toxic and synthetic chemicals in regular shaving cream. An old-fashioned style shave set is a unique gift many men will love!

Instead of a battery-powered trimmer, try gifting a classic double-sided safety razor with a badger hair brush, stand, and stainless steel bowl razor set. Dad will go from dreading shaving to actually enjoying it. You can make homemade shaving soap for him to go in the mug (recipe here). There are also some really good store-bought ones available if you don’t want to make it.

Skincare Gifts For Men

We often think of skincare when it comes to women, but men have skin too. If your man doesn’t shave, consider a high-quality beard oil like one of these. Or make your own DIY beard oil here.

He also might enjoy some homemade men’s lotion or good-quality organic skincare products from Alitura.

Air Filter for Office, Home Gym, or Basement

I added a Jaspr air filter to my bedroom and I’ve really noticed a difference in the air quality. I can tell from the filter how much dust and air particles it’s collected. Plus, it adjusts the filter according to how dirty (or smelly!) your space is. An air filter has also been a game-changer for us during allergen and pollen seasons.

Rumble Roller

The rumble roller is one of my favorite gifts of all time. Basically, it’s a deep tissue massage at home. It’s a lot cheaper than regular massages in the long run! The big spikes make it great for athletes and people who get stressed out/tense easily (me). The rumble roller is also the perfect gift for someone who doesn’t like taking an hour out of their day to get a massage.

It doesn’t take up much room and it’s wonderful for sore muscles! I use this regularly and it’s made a big difference in my muscle tension. Plus, it looks manly and tough, so men don’t mind using it. You can check out the different Rumble Roller options here.

Myobuddy Massager

If I had to pick one favorite gift on this list, this would be it. There are a lot of massagers out there, but the Myobuddy is like getting a professional massage at home. This has 3 speeds and uses heat and percussive technology to work trigger points and relieve sore muscles. It’s not only relaxing but is like getting a therapeutic massage at home.

Camping Gear Gifts For Men

These gifts are great because they combine a physical gift that leads to a camping experience as well. Camping is a great family activity with some major health benefits. One study found that a week of camping without artificial light drastically improved circadian rhythm and sleep. If your guy likes camping, here are a few great gear options:

Protective EMF-Blocking Laptop Board

If your guy works on a computer a lot, a protective laptop board is a great gift. This board makes it easier to work with a laptop on your lap. It also protects the legs and stomach from the heat and radiation. We use the Defender Pad and love it.

DIY Fleece Quilt (The Easy Way!)

If your husband or dad has a lot of old, sentimental t-shirts, here’s a fun way to get some more use from them. Instead of them sitting in a box in the closet for years, you can make a handmade keepsake quilt.

It uses a simple fleece backing and only takes a few hours on the sewing machine. This would be a great gift for a child or other relative as well! Get the easy tutorial and instructions here (it really is simple to make!).

A Drone!

The dream of flying is something most men have had at one time or another. A drone is a great way to experience it by flying his own personal aircraft. There are a lot of options available now, but this is one of the better affordable drones on the market and would make any man a happy camper!

And if you feel like splurging, you can see all of their drone options here with even more features.

“I Love You Because” Calendar

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly gift that’s also sentimental, try a scrapbook calendar. You can add your own photos from date nights, your wedding, family trips, etc., to each month. To make it extra special, you can handwrite a note for each day of the year with something you love about them. These can range from heartfelt and romantic to silly.

They’ll actually use the calendar and look forward to reading the reason you love them each day. You can make your own at Shutterfly. To be really budget-friendly, you could even make or print the calendar on your computer and write the reasons in.

I make photobooks from Mixbook for the kids every year and they’re a great way to document fun memories. Try making one for Dad or your significant other!

Experience-Based Gifts for Men

I firmly believe the best gifts are often things you can’t wrap. In our house, experiences always beat material gifts and we choose these whenever possible. They can also make a great last-minute gift since you don’t have to wait for shipping.

I share all of our favorite experience-based gift ideas here if you’re looking for some ideas. If you want to give a physical gift, just make sure it’s practical, useful, and long-lasting. This way, it doesn’t end up in the back of the closet or a landfill.

These are some experience-based gifts for Father’s Day or birthdays:

Time Off

One thing all parents need is some time off to recharge! Find some time in the schedule for him to camp, hunt, go hiking, or play sports. If you like, buy him some gear to go with the experience present so he has something to open.

Massage Classes

Can you tell how much I love a massage?! The Melt online massage course (all PG, I promise!), makes a great gift for couples. Pair it with some homemade massage oil. Get more details on the massage videos here.

An Adventure/Experience

Think fishing charter with his friends, a surfing or water skiing lesson if you live by the water, or if your guy is adventurous, sky diving! Scuba certifications can make a great couple’s gift too. You can go through the process together and end up with a great hobby to enjoy in the future.

Search your area for adventurous offerings like pole vaulting, fishing, diving, sailing, rowing, kayaking, or even juggling! Mixing it up keeps things interesting and could lead to a new date night idea or family pastime.

Something to Inspire a Hobby

If your man likes beer, get him an organic (or at least non-GMO) beer. You can also get him a homebrewing beer kit as a fun hobby. This book is a great guide for getting started and you can find the ingredients and supplies in-store from a local homebrew place.

You can get him a complete homebrew kit here with some organic hops to go with it.

Sports Gifts For Men

Sports-related experiences are a hit with many guys. One of my biggest gifts ever was gifting tickets to spring training for their favorite team. Tickets to go see their teams play are also a big hit. These all tend to be more expensive, but it can end up being an amazing and memorable experience!

Tell Him You Appreciate Him!

I suspect most husbands/dads would love to hear more that we appreciate them! A handwritten Father’s Day card and a big hug can go a long way when it comes to the perfect gift for Dad.

What gifts for men have been a hit in your experience? Which of the ideas above do you think he’d like? Leave a comment and share below!