Category: Health

I was 13 when I went on my first diet.

I had been struggling with my weight for about six years, and my obsession with how I looked was starting to dominate my life.

I only had two to three shirts that I felt comfortable in. The only thing that mattered was that they didn’t make me “feel fat.” Even those chosen shirts were always under my West 49 sweater, for extra coverage.

The cherry on top of this presentation was my slouched shoulders—a defense mechanism to protect against exposing my “man boobs,” the body part that had dynastic reign for being my biggest insecurity.

The way I viewed my body governed my self-worth.

I felt that my body held me back from enjoying countless moments of my life, and by the ripe age of 13, I decided I was sick of it.

I figured the only way I could change this purgatory was by changing my body.

I started exercising three to four times a day. For my first two meals a day, I drank a sludge of water mixed with “weight loss smoothie powder” (really just a glorified protein shake). Whenever I “cheated,” I punished myself the next day by eating even less or exercising even more.

In about 5 months, I lost 60 lbs. One third of my body weight to be exact.

This was how I spent the summer transitioning from elementary school to high school. Counting calories over making memories.

To no surprise, this was met with endless praise. And it felt good. Scratch that, it felt incredible.

I had experienced both sides now: One where I felt valueless because I was in a fatter body, and one where I felt accepted and prized because I was in a thinner body.

In another version of this story, I might’ve learned something from my newly widened perspective: I might’ve gained empathy, seeing the unfair stigma projected at people in larger bodies. I might’ve gained bravery, advocating for more body acceptance, regardless of someone’s size.

But instead, I participated in the problem.

I built up the identity of being a “former fat person” who is proof that “anybody can lose weight.”

However, as this script typically goes, over the next few years, I gained a lot of the weight back.

This sent me into a depression. I felt like I had lost my value; like I had won the lottery and blew through my fortune.

That was the pattern I repeated for almost 15 years.

Until I stumbled on something called “body neutrality.”

For me, adopting a more body-neutral approach created a paradigm shift—it offered a way to uncouple my appearance with my happiness. It also caused me to ask some deep questions about my body, and the kind of life I wanted.

Questions like:

“Do I want my self worth to be defined by my external appearance?”

“Do I want to continue this cycle—and potentially pass it on to any future kids I might have?”

“What would my life look like if I fought to value myself for who I am as opposed to what I look like?”

My answers weren’t immediately clear. But body neutrality created an opportunity to step off the hamster wheel of chasing aesthetic goals—and finally, truly reflect.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of adopting a more body neutral approach to your own self image and self-care.

You’ll learn:

• What body neutrality is
• How to think about your body and your health—in a way that isn’t dependent on appearance
• Five actionable, body neutral strategies you can apply today—if you want to stop letting your weight, size, or shape dictate your happiness

Let’s begin.

What is body neutrality?

Body neutrality is a mindset that encourages you to value how your body functions and feels over how it looks. This perspective helps you develop self-acceptance, while still working to care for yourself in ways that promote overall health.

In practice, this looks like:

✅ You exercise and eat nutritiously—not because it makes you look a certain way—but because it makes you feel good.

✅ You still have treats (because life is too short to be deprived of pizza!) but you don’t eat them to excess because they don’t make you feel the best, physically.

✅ You wear clothes and celebrate your appearance in ways that feel authentic, but how you “display” yourself isn’t the foundation of your self-worth.

✅ You don’t always love all aspects of your body, but you don’t let that stop you from enjoying your life; Improving your appearance doesn’t “earn” you the right to be happy.

✅ You might still care about how you look, but you broaden your self-concept so it also includes your values and your inherent worthiness as a human.

I value seeing friends and family. I value playing rec sports. I value new experiences.

When I’ve been heavier, I’ve neglected these things in favor of isolating myself.

“I’ll do them again when I lose weight” is something I’ve uttered to myself more times than I can count.

Body neutrality helped me realize I still deserved these things—no matter how I looked.

Everyone can benefit from body neutrality.

Body neutrality isn’t just for people in larger, or otherwise marginalized bodies.

It’s also useful for people with “ideal bodies,” who’ve been the recipients of validation and privilege because of the way they look.

“I’ve worked with clients who are fairly satisfied with their appearance, but they still struggle with their body image because their self-worth relies on it,” says Shannon Beer, registered nutritionist and body image coach.

People with idealized bodies sometimes aren’t living the life they want either, because they have to exhaust their energy to maintain an image of “perfection.”

(If you want to know what kind of sacrifices it takes to meet those “ideal” standards, check out: The cost of getting lean: Is it really worth the trade-off?)

“The ‘meh’ is the magic.”

That’s a quote from Jessi Kneeland, body neutrality coach and author of Body Neutral: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues, when they sat down with some PN coaches to talk about body-neutrality.

(Want to listen in on the whole conversation? Watch it here: PN Coaches discuss body neutrality and negative self-talk)

The goal with body neutrality isn’t to love your body and all of its parts all of the time. Nor is it to be so toxically positive that you ignore real—and sometimes negative—feelings about your body.

That just isn’t realistic for most people.

Instead, an underrated goal is to feel sort of… meh.

You’re not overly glorifying or criticizing your body; its appearance just doesn’t hold that much importance.

In practice, you may love certain parts about your body—but also feel ambivalent or mildly negative about other parts.

For example, you may see your stomach and feel ashamed because you don’t like what you see.

This feeling is uncomfortable, but it’s not “right” or “wrong.” You just don’t want that feeling to dictate your behavior. (Such as seeing your stomach and then saying, “Alright, I’m not going out tonight,” or, “Diet starts tomorrow!”)

To give you a personal example:

As a dude living in North America, I feel pretty ‘meh’ about being 5’9” tall.

Would I love to be 6’2”?

Sure.

But I’m not 6’2”—and I can’t change that. My height won’t ruin my day and I surely won’t be depriving myself from the things I enjoy most in this life because of it.

5 things you can do today to be more body neutral

Congratulations: Just setting the intention to step away from an appearance-centric approach to health and fitness is a great start.

But, ultimately, it’s only action that creates deep, lasting change.

So, here are five tangible strategies you can work on immediately to develop a more body neutral approach.

Strategy #1: Do the things you love today.

Stop waiting to achieve the “ideal” body in order to be able to enjoy your life, and start doing more of what you love now.

Start with something easy that you tend to stop yourself from doing when you feel insecure about your appearance.

When I was in my worst spots, I stayed inside too much—even though I love being outside. It might sound silly but even reading outdoors in nice weather was helpful for me.

The point is: It can be that small.

Find one thing you’ve deprived yourself of in the past and do it—even if it’s a small dose, regardless of how you feel. Re-teach yourself that you don’t need a certain body shape or size to allow joy into your life.

(If you want more ideas on how to stop thinking you’re simply [insert thing you think you need] away from being happy, check out: “I’ll be happier when I lose weight” is a recipe for regret. Here’s the counterintuitive solution)

Strategy #2: Set body-neutral goals.

This is a gamechanger in my coaching experience. I’ve seen clients transform their relationship with exercise when they focus more on what they can do as opposed to how they look. “I feel so much better but I haven’t lost any weight,” is a sentence I’ve heard repeatedly.

When you’re overly appearance-centered or focused on weight, you risk missing other indicators of progress—like how good you feel.

If your fitness goals tend to be aesthetic-centric, try setting a goal that has nothing to do with how you look.

This can look like:

▶ Setting strength and performance goals in fitness (such as beating a deadlift PR, or a sprint time)

▶ Practicing slow, mindful eating at more meals (if you usually inhale your meals in seven minutes tops, see if you can make a meal last 20 minutes, chewing your food well and savoring each bite)

▶ Working to develop a new a skill in the gym (like your first pull-up, or a cool Olympic lift, like a clean and jerk)

None of these depend on your appearance; They’re all focused on what you can do. (And chances are, you’ll feel more empowered than ever when you start achieving them.)

Strategy #3: Curate your environment.

Take control of the parts of your environment that feed the body-image obsessed wolf. Starve that beast wherever you can.

Here are some ideas:

▶ Unfollow social media accounts that prey on insecurity or promote unrealistic ideals. Follow more that are body-neutral, or inspire other aspects of your personality (like comedy, or crafting).

▶ See what it’s like to reduce your exposure to your own appearance. This can look like having fewer mirrors (or covering some up for a period of time), or turning off the self-view on Zoom.

▶ Consider ditching the scale. Most people struggle to stay “neutral” about whatever number that shows up.

▶ Set boundaries around body talk. Some environments are rife with commentary about body hang ups or goals. If someone begins talking about their new weight loss diet or “disgusting gut,” try changing the topic, or just exit the conversation. Eventually, people will realize you’re not the right audience.

Strategy #4: Find your people.

Body neutrality won’t be the most common approach you’ll run into in the fitness world.

But, intentionally seeking out and surrounding yourself with more body neutral folks can keep you from constantly getting sucked back into an appearance-centric mindset.

There are body neutral, body positive, or HAES (health at every size) community groups all over social media and the internet, and this can be parlayed into finding local groups near you too.

Seeking out these spaces will only provide more support—and positive momentum—as you pursue a more body neutral approach.

Strategy #5: Strive for improvement, not perfection.

You don’t need to be a body-neutral icon or master. The expectation is not that you 100 percent divest from focusing on your appearance.

Body neutrality exists on a continuum.

Assess where you are right now in terms of how appearance-centric you are when it comes to health and fitness. If all your eggs are in the “aesthetics basket,” then even taking one metaphorical egg out (and say, putting it in the “gardening” basket) is progress.

Use the list of suggestions above to set some small goals, and just begin where you can.

You might always care about your appearance (maybe even more than average), but if it’s progress from where you started, you’re winning.

What life on “the other side” looks like

Even after sharing all of this, I won’t sit here and lie to you by saying I’m pure-bred body-neutral, all the time.

But I like to think I’ve grown a lot since my days of hiding out inside during “fat days.”

I’m better at doing the things I love, even when I don’t feel confident in my body.

I’m better at wearing comfortable clothing when I don’t feel good about my body— instead of cramming myself into something that’s too tight and suffering all day.

And, I’ve expanded the way I see fitness for myself and my clients, focusing more on feel and function, rather than achieving a certain look.

For me, this is progress.

Yours might look different.

Be kind to yourself, and acknowledge that you might be working through decades of programming. Body neutrality sure isn’t a quick fix, but the lasting freedom, joy, and genuine sense of self-worth it offers is worth it.

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.)

Ever wondered if you could turn back time? While we can’t literally stop the clock, there is a way that we can slow down aging. And the good news is that doing everyday, simple habits can make a big positive impact. 

I keep track of my health through lab testing with Function Health. One test I recently took with them gave me a fascinating look into something called biological age. As it turns out, it’s very different from your actual age in years. My chronological age is 38, but my biological age came back as 21.7. 

And of course, the results piqued my interest! I looked into the different factors this test looks at and what I may be doing that contributes to a lower biological age. The bottom line is that there are things we can do to improve how our cells age as we get older. 

An Overview of Biological Age

In this post, I’ll walk through what biological age really means and how it’s measured (especially in the test I did). I’ll also dive into the lifestyle factors I believe contributed to a lower biological age. Whether or not you ever take a test like this, I truly believe we all have the ability to support cellular health and age with vitality.

Biological Age vs. Chronological Age: What’s the Difference?

Chronological age is just the number of birthdays we’ve had and is a fixed number. Biological age, however, is a measure of how well our body is functioning at a cellular level. It takes into account how fast (or slow) we’re aging on the inside.

The gold standard for measuring biological age is a DNA methylation test. This looks at how your genes are expressing themselves based on chemical markers. While this test is fascinating and considered very accurate, it’s also relatively expensive and not super accessible yet.

The Function Health test I did doesn’t use methylation, but instead analyzes a wide range of biomarkers from a simple blood draw. While it’s not the gold standard, I like that it’s comprehensive, repeatable, and still offers very helpful insights. It also lined up with what I know about my own health journey and how I feel on a day-to-day basis.

How I Measured My Biological Age 

The biological age test I did looked at nine different biomarkers that together give a snapshot of how the body is aging. These include markers related to liver and kidney health, inflammation, immune response, nutrient status, and blood sugar regulation.

Albumin

The first one is albumin, a protein made by the liver that plays a role in transporting nutrients and maintaining fluid balance. It’s something hospitals often monitor in recovering patients, and it turns out it’s also a useful marker for overall cellular health. 

I suspect that things like getting enough high-quality protein and staying hydrated with minerals played a big role in my healthy albumin levels. I also do a lot of liver support through things like sauna, castor oil packs, and bitter herbs. 

Creatinine

Another key marker was creatinine, which gives insight into kidney function. This one may be influenced by hydration and toxin load. Over the years, I’ve been really mindful of focusing on getting enough minerals, staying hydrated, and reducing environmental toxins. I choose clean household and beauty products, filter our water, and use gentle detox supplements like Zeolite. 

I also make it a point to sweat daily, either through exercise or sauna. Plus, I pay close attention to hydration by adding minerals to my water throughout the day.

Blood Sugar

Glucose was another important factor, since blood sugar regulation plays a major role in aging. I’ve shared before how I prioritize protein at every meal, especially in the morning. I also try to avoid refined sugars and opt for balanced meals. Movement after meals, particularly walking, makes a huge difference for me. 

I’ve also noticed that sunlight, especially morning light, supports better blood sugar regulation for me. Sunlight helps set our circadian rhythms, which positively influences insulin sensitivity.

Inflammation

Inflammation is also a big piece of the puzzle, and one of the markers the test looked at was high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This is one of those numbers you want to keep low, and this test is more sensitive than a standard CRP test.

For me, regular sauna use has made a noticeable difference. I also use anti-inflammatory foods and supplements, occasionally fast, and rotate in omega-3s and other anti-inflammatory tools like Fatty15. These practices aren’t just about lab numbers, they’re about feeling good and giving my body a break from low-grade inflammation.

Lymphocytes and Immune Health

There were other markers too, like lymphocyte percentage (an indicator of immune function). I focus on gut health and make sure I’m getting enough fiber and leafy greens to help with this. Just Thrive’s probiotic is my go-to supplement for gut health. Vitamin D from the sun and getting enough zinc also play a big role in supporting a good immune system here.

Other Health Markers

Another marker the test measures is MCV, which reflects nutrient status, like B12 and folate. I think eating nutrient-dense foods plays a key role in this one. The test also looks at RDW, red blood cell variability that may point to stress or micronutrient issues. Supporting gut health, getting enough sun for natural vitamin D, and including a variety of nutrient-dense foods have all likely helped keep those numbers in a healthy range.

The test also looked at white blood cell count for immune health. Factors like sleep, stress, and detox support are key here. And lastly, they look at ALP, which points to liver, bone, and bile health. I’ve been using bitters lately (also from Just Thrive), which help support the liver and detox. NAC and glutathione may also be helpful for those ALP numbers. 

What I Believe Helped Me Lower My Biological Age

Looking at all the data and thinking back on what I’ve done in recent years, a few key patterns emerge. I didn’t add all of these things at once, far from it. It’s been a slow layering of habits over time, with plenty of trial and error. But a few principles really stand out.

Nutrition

The first is nutrient density. I focus on getting a lot of protein and micronutrients in the morning, ideally within an hour of waking and before caffeine. I’ve found that when I hydrate with minerals, get natural sunlight, and eat a nourishing breakfast early in the day, everything else seems to fall into place more easily—my energy, my blood sugar, even my mood.

Another important piece is blood sugar regulation. Imbalanced glucose levels can indicate inflammation in the body. For me, that means eating plenty of protein and cutting out processed foods and refined sugar as much as possible. I also make movement after meals a regular part of my day. 

I’ve experimented with wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to see what works for me, and it’s been eye-opening. I now know that even small changes, like walking after lunch or not snacking late at night, can have a big impact.

Solar Powered

Sunlight might be one of the most underrated tools in our wellness toolbox. I like to joke and say that I’m solar powered! Morning sunlight helps set circadian rhythms and improves energy, mood, and hormone balance. Midday sun supports vitamin D and mitochondrial health. 

I try to get outside first thing in the morning and again around midday whenever possible. And no, I don’t overdo it or burn, but I also don’t fear the sun the way we’ve been taught to.

Movement and Exercise

Movement is another huge pillar. I walk daily, sometimes with a weighted vest, and I lift weights a few times per week. Strength training has been a game-changer, not just for how I look but for how I feel. As Dr. Gabrielle Lyon says, “Muscle is the organ of longevity,” and I’ve come to really believe that.

Then there’s recovery. I sauna a few times per week, support my sleep like it’s my job, and make time for joy, relationships, and rest. I’ve also worked hard to learn how to slow down, enjoy life, and not always be in “go” mode.  I believe this has had just as big an impact on my biology as anything else.

Supplements For Healthy Aging

On the supplement side, I focus on quality supplements and rotate based on what my body needs. Methylated B vitamins, minerals from all sources, broad-spectrum magnesium, omega-3s, glutathione, and collagen are my staples. I also support methylation with choline-rich foods and supplements and sometimes trimethylglycine or zinc, depending on my labs and how I’m feeling.

Mind-Body and Epigenetics

We’re learning more and more about how our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs affect our biology. Books like The Biology of Belief explore how powerful our minds are when it comes to gene expression and overall health. I’ve seen this in my own life too. When I’m more grounded, grateful, and emotionally balanced, my physical health reflects it.

We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can create habits, routines, and internal stories that support our biology instead of working against it. I really believe that our emotions, relationships, and mindset are part of the health equation. Maybe even one of the most important parts.

Aging Well From the Inside Out

Biological age is just a number, and while it’s exciting to see that number go down, what really matters is how we feel and function. For me, tracking things like HRV, glucose, and inflammation has been helpful. However, it’s not about perfection; it’s about tuning into what helps me thrive.

I’ll likely retest every 6 to 12 months to see how my biological age shifts with different habits and seasons and to keep a pulse on things. But no matter the number, I’ll keep focusing on the basics: nutrient-dense food, good sleep, sunlight, joyful movement, real connection, and rest.

If you’re interested in trying a biological age test, you can check out the one I used through Function Health. But you don’t need a test to start supporting your health at a cellular level. Begin with what’s simple and sustainable. Hydrate (with minerals!), eat real food, get sunlight, sleep well, and move your body. The rest can be layered in over time. 

Ultimately, age is really just a number and how we live matters more than how many candles are on our birthday cake.

Have you ever tested for your biological age? Leave a comment and let us know!

As more organizations adopt DMARC and implement domain-based protections, a new threat vector has moved into focus: brand impersonation. Attackers are registering domains that closely resemble legitimate brands, using them to host phishing sites, send deceptive emails, and mislead users with cloned login pages and familiar visual assets.

In 2024, over 30,000 lookalike domains were identified impersonating major global brands, with a third of those confirmed as actively malicious. These campaigns are rarely technically sophisticated. Instead, they rely on the nuances of trust: a name that appears familiar, a logo in the right place, or an email sent from a domain that’s nearly indistinguishable from the real one.

Yet while the tactics are simple, defending against them is not. Most organizations still lack the visibility and context needed to detect and respond to these threats with confidence.

The scale and speed of impersonation risk

Registering a lookalike domain is quick and inexpensive. Attackers routinely purchase domains that differ from legitimate ones by a single character, a hyphen, or a change in top-level domain (TLD). These subtle variations are difficult to detect, especially on mobile devices or when users are distracted.

Lookalike Domain	Tactic Used
acmebаnk.com	Homograph (Cyrillic ‘a’)
acme-bank.com	Hyphenation
acmebanc.com	Character substitution
acmebank.co	TLD change
acmebank-login.com	Word append

In one recent example, attackers created a convincing lookalike of a well-known logistics platform and used it to impersonate freight brokers and divert real shipments. The resulting fraud led to operational disruption and substantial losses, with industry estimates for comparable attacks ranging from $50,000 to over $200,000 per incident. While registering the domain was simple, the resulting operational and financial fallout was anything but.

While any one domain may seem low risk in isolation, the true challenge lies in scale. These domains are often short-lived, rotated frequently, and difficult to track.

For defenders, the sheer volume and variability of lookalikes makes them resource-intensive to investigate. Monitoring the open internet is time-consuming and often inconclusive — especially when every domain must be analyzed to assess whether it poses real risk.

From noise to signal: Making brand impersonation data actionable

The challenge for security teams is not the absence of data — it’s the overwhelming presence of raw, unqualified signals. Thousands of domains are registered daily that could plausibly be used in impersonation campaigns. Some are harmless, many are not, but distinguishing between them is far from straightforward.

Tools like threat feeds and registrar alerts surface potential risks but often lack the context needed to make informed decisions. Keyword matches and registration patterns alone don’t reveal whether a domain is live, malicious, or targeting a specific organization.

As a result, teams face an operational bottleneck. They aren’t just managing alerts — they’re sorting through ambiguity, without enough structure to prioritize what matters.

What’s needed is a way to turn raw domain data into clear, prioritized signals that integrate with the way security teams already assess, triage, and respond.

Expanding coverage beyond the domain you own

Cisco has long helped organizations prevent exact-domain spoofing through DMARC, delivered via Red Sift OnDMARC. But as attackers move beyond the domain you own, Cisco has expanded its domain protection offering to include Red Sift Brand Trust, a domain and brand protection application designed to monitor and respond to lookalike domain threats at global scale.

Red Sift Brand Trust brings structured visibility and response to a traditionally noisy and hard-to-interpret space. Its core capabilities include:

• Internet-scale lookalike detection using visual, phonetic, and structural analysis to surface domains designed to deceive
• AI-powered asset detection to identify branded assets being used in phishing infrastructure
• Infrastructure intelligence that surfaces IP ownership and risk indicators
• First-of-its-kind autonomous AI Agent that acts as a virtual analyst, mimicking human review to classify lookalike domains and highlight takedown candidates with speed and confidence; read how it works
• Integrated escalation workflows that let security teams take down malicious sites quickly

With both Red Sift OnDMARC and Brand Trust now available through Cisco’s SolutionsPlus program, security teams can adopt a unified, scalable approach to domain and brand protection. This marks an important shift for a threat landscape that increasingly involves infrastructure beyond the organization’s control, where the brand itself is often the point of entry.

For more information on Domain Protection, please visit Redsift’s Cisco partnership page.

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CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Last September, Alton Fry went to the doctor concerned he had high blood pressure. The trip would result in a prostate cancer diagnosis.

So began the stress of trying to pay for tens of thousands of dollars in treatment — without health insurance.

“I’ve never been sick in my life, so I’ve never needed insurance before,” said Fry, a 54-year-old self-employed masonry contractor who restores old buildings in the rural Appalachian community he’s called home nearly all his life.

Making sure he had insurance was the last thing on his mind, until recently, Fry said. He had been rebuilding his life after a prison stay, maintaining his sobriety, restarting his business, and remarrying his wife. “Things got busy,” he said.

Now, with a household income of about $48,000, Fry and his wife earn too much to qualify for Georgia’s limited Medicaid expansion. And he said he found that the health plans sold on the state’s Affordable Care Act exchange were too expensive or the coverage too limited.

In late April, a friend launched a crowdfunding campaign to help Fry cover some of the costs. To save money, Fry said, he’s taking a less aggressive treatment route than his doctor recommended.

“There is no help for middle-class America,” he said.

More than 26 million Americans lacked health insurance in the first six months of 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The uninsured are mostly low-income adults under age 65, and people of color, and most live in the South and West. The uninsured rate in the 10 states that, like Georgia, have not expanded Medicaid to nearly all low-income adults was 14.1% in 2023, compared with 7.6% in expansion states, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

Health policy researchers expect the number of uninsured to swell as the second Trump administration and a GOP-controlled Congress try to enact policies that explicitly roll back health coverage for the first time since the advent of the modern U.S. health system in the early 20th century.

Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — budget legislation that would achieve some of President Donald Trump’s priorities, such as extending tax cuts mainly benefiting the wealthy — some 10.9 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2034, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office based on a House version of the budget bill.

A Senate version of the bill could result in more people losing Medicaid coverage with reductions in federal spending and rules that would make it harder for people to qualify. That bill suffered a major blow Thursday when the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan official who enforces the chamber’s rules, rejected several health provisions — including the proposal to gradually reduce provider taxes, a mechanism that nearly every state uses to increase its federal Medicaid funding.

The number who could lose insurance could rise to 16 million if proposed rule changes to the ACA take effect and tax credits that help people pay for ACA plans expire at the end of the year, according to the CBO. In KFF poll results released in June, nearly two-thirds of people surveyed viewed the bill unfavorably and more than half said they were worried federal funding cuts would hurt their family’s ability to obtain and afford health care.

Like Fry, more people would be forced to pay for health expenses out-of-pocket, leading to delays in care, lost access to needed doctors and medications, and poorer physical and financial health.

“The effects could be catastrophic,” said Jennifer Tolbert, deputy director of KFF’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

A patchwork system

The House-passed bill would represent the largest reduction in federal support for Medicaid and health coverage in history, Tolbert said. If the Senate approves it, it would be the first time Congress moved to eliminate coverage for millions of people.

“This would take us back,” she said.

The United States is the only wealthy country where a substantial number of citizens lack health insurance, due to nearly a century of pushback against universal coverage from doctors, insurance companies, and elected officials.

“The complexity is everywhere throughout the system,” said Sherry Glied, dean of New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, who worked in the George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations. “The big bug is that people fall between the cracks.”

This year, KFF Health News is speaking to Americans about the challenges they face in finding health insurance and the effects on their ability to get care; to providers who serve the uninsured; and to policy experts about why, even when the nation hit its lowest recorded uninsured rate in 2023, nearly a tenth of the U.S. population still lacked health coverage.

So far, the reporting has found that despite decades of policies designed to increase access to care, the very structure of the nation’s health insurance system creates the opposite effect.

Government-backed universal coverage has eluded U.S. policymakers for decades.

After lobbying from physician groups, President Franklin D. Roosevelt abandoned plans to include universal health coverage in the Social Security Act of 1935. Then, because of a wage and salary cap used to control inflation during World War II, more employers offered health insurance to lure workers. In 1954, health coverage was formally exempted from income tax requirements, which led more employers to offer the benefit as part of compensation packages.

Insurance coverage offered by employers came to form the foundation of the U.S. health system. But eventually, problems with linking health insurance to employment emerged.

“We realized, well, wait, not everybody is working,” said Heidi Allen, an associate professor at the Columbia School of Social Work who studies the impact of social policies on access to care. “Children aren’t working. People who are elderly are not working. People with disabilities are not working.”

Yet subsequent efforts to expand coverage to all Americans were met with backlash from unions who wanted health insurance as a bargaining chip, providers who didn’t want government oversight, and those who had coverage through their employers.

That led policymakers to add programs piecemeal to make health insurance accessible to more Americans.

There’s Medicare for older adults and Medicaid for people with low incomes and disabilities, both created in 1965; the Children’s Health Insurance Program, created in 1997; the ACA’s exchange plans and Medicaid expansion for people who can’t access job-based coverage, created in 2010.

As a result, the U.S. has a patchwork of health insurance programs with numerous interest groups vying for dollars, rather than a cohesive system, health policy researchers say.

Falling through the cracks

The lack of a cohesive system means even though Americans are eligible for health insurance, they struggle to access it, said Mark Shepard, an associate professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. No central entity exists in the U.S. to ensure that all people have a plan, he said.

Over half of the uninsured might qualify for Medicaid or subsidies that can help cover the costs of an ACA plan, according to KFF. But many people aren’t aware of their options or can’t navigate overlapping programs — and even subsidized coverage can be unaffordable.

Those who have fallen through the cracks said it feels like the system has failed them.

Yorjeny Almonte of Allentown, Pennsylvania, earns about $2,600 a month as an inspector in a cabinet warehouse. When she started her job in December 2023, she didn’t want to spend nearly 10% of her income on health insurance.

But, last year, her uninsured mom chose to fly to the Dominican Republic to get care for a health concern. So Almonte, 23, who also needed to see a doctor, investigated her employer’s health offerings. By then she had missed the deadline to sign up.

“Now I have to wait another year,” she said.

In January, Camden, Alabama, resident Kiana George, who’s uninsured, landed in an intensive care unit months after she stopped seeing a nurse practitioner and taking blood pressure medications — an ordeal that saddled her with nearly $7,000 in medical bills.

George, 30, was kicked off Medicaid in 2023 after she got hired by an after-school program. It pays $800 a month, an income too high to qualify her for Medicaid in Alabama, which hasn’t expanded to cover most low-income adults. She also doesn’t make enough for a free or reduced-cost ACA plan.

George, who has a 9-year-old daughter, said she “has no idea” how she can repay the debt from the emergency room visit. And because she fears more bills, she has given up on treatment for ovarian cysts.

“It hurts, but I’m just gonna take my chances,” she said.

Debating the high cost of care

Researchers have known for decades that a lack of insurance coverage leads to poor access to health care, said Tom Buchmueller, a health economist at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

“It’s only more recently we’ve had really good, strong evidence that shows that health insurance really does improve health outcomes,” Buchmueller said.

Research released this spring by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that expanding Medicaid reduced low-income adults’ chances of dying by 2.5%. In 2019, a separate study published by that nonpartisan think tank provided experimental evidence that health insurance coverage reduced mortality among middle-aged adults.

In late May, the House narrowly advanced the budget legislation that independent government analysts said would result in millions of Americans losing health insurance coverage and reduce federal spending on programs like Medicaid by billions of dollars.

A key provision would require some Medicaid enrollees to work, volunteer, or complete other qualifying activities for 80 hours a month, starting at the end of 2026. Most Medicaid enrollees already work or have some reason they can’t, such as a disability, according to KFF.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has defended the requirement as “moral.”

“If you are able to work and you refuse to do so, you are defrauding the system. You’re cheating the system,” he told CBS News in the wake of the bill’s passage.

A Senate version of the bill also includes work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid recipients.

Fiscal conservatives argue a solution is needed to curb health care’s rising costs.

The U.S. spends about twice as much per capita on health care than other wealthy nations, and that spending would grow under the GOP’s budget bill, said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a think tank that supports less government spending on health care.

But the bill doesn’t address the root causes of administrative complexity or unaffordable care, Cannon said. To do that would entail, for instance, doing away with the tax break for employer-sponsored care, which he said fuels excessive spending, high prices, and ties health insurance to employment. He said the bill should cut federal funding for Medicaid, not just limit its growth, to reduce excessive health care prices and spending.

The bill would throw more people into a high-cost health care landscape with little protection, said Aaron Carroll, president and CEO of AcademyHealth, a nonpartisan health policy research nonprofit.

“There’s a ton of evidence that shows that if you make people pay more for health care, they get less health care,” he said. “There’s lots of evidence that shows that disproportionately affects poor, sicker people.”

Labon McKenzie, 45, lives in Georgia, the only state that requires some Medicaid enrollees to work or complete other qualifying activities to obtain coverage.

He hasn’t been able to work since he broke multiple bones after he fell through a skylight while on the job three years ago. He got fired from a county road and bridge crew after the accident and hasn’t been approved for Social Security or disability benefits.

“I can’t stand up too long,” he said. “I can’t sit down too long.”

In February, McKenzie started seeing double, but canceled an appointment with an ophthalmologist because he couldn’t come up with the $300 the doctor wanted in advance. His cousin gave him an eye patch to tide him over, and, in desperation, he took expired eye drops his daughter gave him. “I had to try something,” he said.

McKenzie, who lives in rural Fort Gaines, wants to work again. But without benefits, he can’t get the care he needs to become well enough.

“I just want my body fixed,” he said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF.

Reviewed by Denise Asafu-Adjei, M.D., MPH

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A few years back, PN co-founder John Berardi, PhD, posted a shirtless photo of himself on his 47th birthday.

He called it his “anti-regress pic” and thanked 30 years of squats, deadlifts, presses, and chin-ups—among other exercises—for his chiseled six-pack, pumped chest, and bulging biceps.

The question many commenters posed:

“Are you on testosterone?”

Dr. Berardi explained in a follow-up post that while he wasn’t against testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for people who needed it, he himself was not on this therapy, and his testosterone levels were boringly “normal.” He also offered some thought-provoking ideas about testosterone and aging.Dr. Berardi’s take is the opposite of what you generally hear, especially these days when…

• The mainstream opinion seems to be that declining testosterone is a harbinger of aging, frailty, and impotence—not to mention a threat to masculinity.
• Increasing numbers of middle-aged men are ditching traditional medical checkups for men’s-focused telehealth clinics that specialize in testosterone enhancement.¹
• Reddit communities have popped up solely to obsess over neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s supplement recommendations for optimizing testosterone.
• Media outlets pump out story after story about “testosterone boosting” foods to eat and “testosterone lowering” foods to avoid.

Whether you’re a coach who fields the “How do I optimize testosterone?” question from clients—or just a regular dude hoping to age well—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused by the conflicting information.

Are declining testosterone levels normal?

Do testosterone-boosting supplement regimens actually work?

Who benefits from testosterone therapy—and who doesn’t?

In this story, we’ll explore those questions and more.

What is testosterone?

Secreted by the testes, testosterone is the sex hormone responsible for male sexual characteristics such as big muscles, deep voices, and hairy chests. It’s a chemical messenger that plays a key role in various processes throughout the body, including sperm production and bone density.

(In women, who also need testosterone to keep various processes humming, testosterone is secreted by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Their bodies just make much less of it; about 10 to 20 times less than men.)

Possibly because of its relationship with muscle growth and sex drive, a lot of cisgender men think of testosterone in binary terms, with lower testosterone being bad and higher testosterone being good.

However, it’s more accurate to think of the relationship between testosterone and health as a continuum that goes from too low (problematic) to too high (also problematic), with the healthy range falling between the two extremes, says Denise Asafu-Adjei, MD, MPH, urologist, men’s health expert, and assistant professor of urology at Loyola University Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine.

As the chart below shows, the dangers of extremely low testosterone are similar to the risks of extremely high amounts (typically only achievable with the use of anabolic steroids).

Problems associated with extremely LOW testosterone	Problems associated with extremely HIGH testosterone
Brittle bones Reduced body and facial hair Loss of muscle mass Low libido (sex drive) Shrunken testicles Erectile dysfunction Low sperm count Gynecomastia (increased breast tissue) Irritability Poor concentration Fatigue Depression	Blood clots Heart damage High blood pressure Shrunken testicles Low sperm count Enlarged prostate Acne Fluid retention Increased appetite Insomnia Headaches Irritability Mood swings Impaired judgment

Low testosterone vs. lower testosterone

Testosterone levels naturally ebb with age, with most men losing about 1 to 2 percent annually starting around age 40. By age 75, most men have 30 percent less of the hormone than they did at age 25.²

(Fun fact: Between ages 25 and 80, men can expect their testicles to shrink 15 percent.³)

However, age-related drops in testosterone are not the same thing as “low testosterone.”

Hypogonadism is the medical term for low testosterone levels, and it affects about 35 percent of men older than 45 and 30 to 50 percent of men who have obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to the Endocrine Society, one of the professional public health organizations that sets hypogonadism treatment guidelines.

Not only can overly low testosterone make you feel fatigued and do a serious number on your sex drive, but it can also harm your bone and cardiovascular health, says Dr. Asafu-Adjei.

“You need testosterone for good bone strength,” says Dr. Asafu-Adjei. “As you get older, you’re already dealing with weaker bones, so having lowered testosterone isn’t going to help.”

Alternatively, bringing levels up to normal seems to offer cardiovascular benefits, she says. (The big caveat here is up to normal—not far above it.)

The importance of referring out

What if you or your client have most of the hallmark symptoms of hypogonadism but still have blood levels of testosterone in the normal range?

“Many men over 30 who feel down or low energy will now automatically blame their testosterone,” says Dr. Asafu-Adjei. “Their symptoms might be related to testosterone, but they also could be related to not sleeping, stress, or some other factor.”

That’s why seeing a healthcare professional specializing in men’s health and testosterone management is so important.

Such a physician can screen you or your client for dozens of other problems (like stress and poor sleep) and conditions (like diabetes, obesity, or sleep apnea) that either mimic the symptoms of hypogonadism or interfere with the production or signaling of testosterone.

In other words, supplemental testosterone is the answer for some men with symptoms of hypogonadism, but not all of them. An extensive workup is required.

“There are overlapping symptoms with low testosterone as well as a lot of nuances around hormone treatment,” says Dr. Asafu-Adjei.

“For example, outside of your total testosterone, we also look at your testosterone-to-estrogen ratio and other related hormones. That’s why it’s so important to go to someone who knows what they’re doing. They’ll take a deeper dive to figure out the root of the problem.”

So, if you specialize in coaching middle-aged and older men, get a urologist or endocrinologist in your referral network.

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7 evidence-based ways to optimize testosterone… naturally

On the Internet, if you look for ways to boost testosterone through lifestyle, you’ll quickly become inundated with supplement recommendations and lists of T-boosting and T-harming foods.

However, research-supported ways to optimize testosterone generally center on the fundamental dietary and lifestyle measures you’ve long heard are good for you.

They include the following:

Testosterone optimizer #1: Make sure you’re eating enough.

Your body prioritizes thinking (your brain) and movement (your muscles) above sex (your reproductive organs).

Think about it this way: If there was a famine, the last thing you’d need is another mouth to feed.

So, when you chronically burn more calories than you consume, hormone levels generally drop. (This is true in both men and women.)

“A lot of men in their 20s and 30s come to me about their low testosterone levels and their low testosterone symptoms,” says Dr. Berardi. “These are mostly guys who prioritize exercise. They work out a lot and watch what they eat. In other words, they are men experiencing mid- to long-term negative energy balance.”

Dr. Berardi’s advice is often not what men expect.

If their eating and exercise routines suggest they’re in a chronic negative energy situation, he simply recommends they eat an extra healthy snack or two a day.

“In situations like this, adding a couple hundred extra calories of high-quality protein and carbohydrate often fixes everything,” he says.

Those added calories could come from a couple scoops of whey protein mixed in milk with a nut butter and banana sandwich on the side, he says.

Another favorite snack of Dr. Berardi’s: A bowl of steel-cut oats with protein powder, cacao powder, dates, raw nuts, and nut butter.

Keep in mind: Eating too much (and gaining fat) can also affect testosterone, as we’ll cover soon. Use our FREE nutrition calculator to ensure you’re consuming the right amount of calories and nutrients to support hormone production.

Testosterone optimizer #2: Prioritize sleep.

Testosterone production has its own circadian rhythm: It’s higher in the morning and lower at the end of the day.

As you sleep, levels rise again, peaking during your first segment of rapid eye movement. This may explain why various sleep disorders—including sleep apnea—are associated with testosterone deficiency.⁷

A handful of small studies have looked at what happens to hormone levels when men skimp on sleep.⁸ In one of these studies, participants slept just five hours a night for eight days, resulting in a 10 to 15 percent drop in daytime testosterone levels. ⁹

The right amount of sleep varies from one person to another. However, if you routinely get fewer than seven hours and wake feeling exhausted, it’s a good bet you’re not getting enough. If you wake unrefreshed or struggle to sleep soundly, our 14-day sleep plan can help.

Testosterone optimizer #3: Maintain healthy body fat levels.

Body fat secretes aromatase, an enzyme that can convert some testosterone into estrogen.

According to some research, men categorized as overweight or obese tend to have slightly higher levels of estrogen, as well as the stress hormone cortisol. ^{10 11}

More research is needed to know whether these slightly higher estrogen levels are enough to contribute to hypogonadism.

In the meantime, however, a healthy body composition is vital for overall good health and may also help to optimize testosterone.

Keep in mind, as we said above, that too little body fat can also negatively affect testosterone levels. To ensure your body fat levels are in the optimal zone, use our FREE body fat calculator.

Testosterone optimizer #4: Get moving.

Regular exercise is associated with elevations in testosterone. It can also help you sleep more restfully and keep body fat in check.

Resistance training offers more of a testosterone boost than endurance exercise. (Two to three sessions a week is a great benchmark.)

However, endurance exercise can also help, providing you exercise at the right intensity, finds research. (That’s 30 minutes of rigorous activity, four to five times a week.¹²)

Overtraining without enough recovery can lead to the opposite effect though, potentially causing gains to plateau and suppressing testosterone.¹³

(See our FREE exercise library for 400+ expert how-to videos and a 14-day at-home workout program.)

Testosterone optimizer #5: Consume a well-rounded, healthy diet.

In addition to helping you avoid nutrient deficiencies that can drive down testosterone levels, a healthy diet protects your blood vessels.

That’s crucial for getting erections.

A study of 21,469 men found that those who consumed foods consistent with the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction over ten years compared to men who didn’t follow the diet.¹⁴

“Mediterranean diets are also known to promote heart health,” says Dr. Asafu-Adjei.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and healthy fats from foods like olive oil, eggs, and fatty fish. It de-emphasizes red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sodium.

However, eating patterns that center on minimally processed whole foods likely offer the same benefits.

Many fruits, veggies, and other minimally processed whole foods are rich sources of flavonoids, a plant chemical that helps to improve blood flow and testosterone production.

(This visual eating guide can help you choose the best foods for your body.)

Testosterone optimizer #6: Avoid chronic emotional stress.

When you’re under stress, your body produces cortisol and other hormones that prepare you to fight, flee, or freeze. As these stress hormones flood your body, they suppress the production of reproductive hormones like testosterone.¹⁵

This high-cortisol, low-testosterone phenomenon is a likely consequence of millions of years of evolution.

Early humans who were more interested in mating than fleeing from sharp-clawed wild animals didn’t usually live long enough to pass their genes to the next generation.

However, not all short-term stressors dampen testosterone. Some can raise it temporarily, including exam stress or exercise.¹⁶

So, aim for the stress sweet spot where you feel energized and engaged with life but not so busy and harried that you have no time to relax, sleep, or enjoy life.

(Learn more: How to tell the difference between good stress and bad stress.)

Testosterone optimizer #7: Prevent zinc deficiency.

As a certified health coach, it’s out of your scope of practice to recommend supplements to treat a condition like hypogonadism.

In addition, the boost someone might get from a supplement pales in comparison to the six pieces of advice above, or to testosterone therapy.

With that important caveat out of the way…

There is a correlation between low zinc intake and low testosterone levels.^{17 18}

However, to benefit from supplementation, someone must truly be deficient in the mineral. Simply topping off someone’s already adequate zinc stores likely won’t lead to a testosterone boost, and may even cause harm.

Checking for and treating a mineral deficiency requires the expertise of someone trained in medical nutrition therapy. If you lack this training, encourage clients with low testosterone to talk to their healthcare professionals about whether a zinc supplement might help.

Use the Deep Health lens

Let’s circle back to Dr. Berardi’s hypothesis, first mentioned at the beginning of this story:

Some evolutionary biologists have indeed theorized that men evolved to have higher testosterone levels when they’re younger (to encourage mating) and lower levels when they’re older (to encourage parenting).¹⁹

However, this is more of a theory than a certainty.

What we can say with certainty is this: There’s no one-size-fits-all protocol for healthy testosterone levels.

When testosterone drops after middle age, some men feel lousy.

Even when they do everything right in the lifestyle department—exercising, eating a healthy diet, sleeping enough, and so on—they’re unable to raise testosterone into the normal range. For these men, a healthcare professional, thorough evaluation, and, if warranted, testosterone therapy can be life-changing.

At the same time, plenty of other men continue to thrive well into (and past!) middle age.

Sure, they may be unable to pack on muscle like they used to. But, if they’re paying attention, suggests Dr. Berardi, they might notice other pluses. Maybe they’re more patient, nurturing, and empathetic, for example.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’d be very unhappy with an inappropriate or clinically significant lowering of my hormone levels,” says Dr. Berardi. “However, if I can stay in the normal range and symptom-free with good lifestyle practices, I don’t think I have too much to worry about.”

Dr. Berardi recently turned 50.

“I’m at this stage where I see an interesting fork in the road,” he said.

“Will I gracefully accept aging and see this as a new season—or will I fight against it? I could color my hair, do hair transplants, top up my T levels, and get Botox injections. Or I could accept that there will be some eventual decline and ask, ‘What am I getting in return?’”

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.)

Turmeric is a wonderful spice with so many benefits. I love using it in cooking, natural beauty recipes, and especially this refreshing lemonade! We keep this turmeric lemonade recipe on hand as a festive drink for summer barbecues, park picnics, and friends just stopping by.

Easy Turmeric Lemonade

We mostly know turmeric as a cornerstone of Indian cuisine and curry powders, mustards, and more. Unfortunately, many of the foods I love adding turmeric to, like soups, stews, and warm golden milk, don’t sound as good in hot summer weather.

This turmeric lemonade recipe is the ideal solution and a family favorite. I’ve been making it often for the kids so they can rehydrate while they’re playing outside and spending days at the beach. It’s incredibly easy to make and tastes great!

The turmeric provides a gorgeous color, but its earthy taste is mostly hidden by the tang of the lemon. I like to use liquid stevia to sweeten this, although any natural sweetener would work. Honey or maple syrup are some delicious options!

Benefits of Turmeric

So why is turmeric so great? Health experts often recommend turmeric as a way to help lower inflammation in the body. Thousands of studies show its benefits in promoting heart health, mental health, reducing inflammation, and ensuring balanced blood sugar. Turmeric also supports digestion, liver function, and is high in beneficial antioxidants as well.

You’ll also find turmeric in many of my beauty recipes and natural health remedies thanks to its external benefits. Turmeric can improve skin, whiten teeth, and even soothe rashes when added to a poultice. For a full list of turmeric’s benefits and uses, see this post. 

One of my favorite ways to get my daily dose of turmeric is with this easy, superfood lemonade.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Optional Flavor Boosts:

• Add a few thin slices of fresh ginger before blending
• Use a pinch of sea salt for hydration
• Use coconut water instead of plain water for electrolytes
• Try adding sparkling water after blending for a fizzy version
• Use lime juice instead of lemon, or orange juice (use 1 cup orange juice and reduce the water by 1/2 cup).

FAQ For Turmeric Lemonade

Why Drink It Immediately?
Turmeric tends to settle, and the fresh lemon juice may oxidize over time. Also, the crushed ice melts quickly, diluting the flavor and changing the texture. For best taste and benefits, enjoy right away.

How to Store it
If you need to make this ahead, store the lemonade in an airtight container in the fridge and shake or stir well before drinking. It’s best consumed within 24 hours.

How Much Sweetener to Use?
Adjust the sweetener to taste. Start with a little and increase as needed depending on your preference or your lemon’s tartness. 

Other Healthy and Delicious Summer Drinks

Looking for some more yummy drinks to keep you cool and hydrated this summer? Give some of these a try!

What’s your favorite way to use turmeric? Leave a comment and let us know!

In the same way that modern navigation systems have transformed how we travel, a robust and seamless network has become the essential guide for businesses in the modern age. Imagine trying to navigate a busy city with outdated maps or relying on a GPS system that doesn’t adapt to new routes. That’s the reality many organizations face when their networking solutions aren’t flexible, secure, or scalable enough to keep up with the evolving business landscape. 

Now, imagine having a GPS that’s constantly updated, reliable, and capable of guiding you effortlessly through any traffic or detours. That’s what Cisco SD-WAN delivers—an intelligent, secure, and simplified solution to help businesses stay on track, adapt to changing environments, and protect their users, data, and devices everywhere. 

This blog kicks off our Simpler, Smarter, and Safer series—a look at how Cisco SD-WAN helps customers build networks that are: 

• Simpler to manage, minimizing operational overhead and complexity while maximizing efficiency. 
• Smarter in decision-making, harnessing AI-powered intelligence to drive superior outcomes with enhanced performance and unwavering assurance. 
• Safer against evolving threats, ensuring consistent protection everywhere without compromising performance. 

During Cisco Live, we unveiled the latest updates to our SD-WAN solutions, showcasing Cisco’s ongoing commitment to innovation. These advancements are designed to empower businesses with seamless network management while delivering secure and resilient connectivity.  

One Security Service Edge (SSE) Foundation That Powers It All 

Today’s enterprises need consistent, cloud-delivered protection, no matter how users connect or where apps reside. Cisco Secure Access delivers exactly that, serving as the common SSE foundation powering secure connectivity across every Cisco SD-WAN fabric. Whether you’re using Catalyst SD-WAN, Meraki SD-WAN, or Cisco Secure Firewall (FTD), Cisco Secure Access ensures seamless, cloud-delivered security designed for modern distributed environments.  

Cisco Secure Access is tightly integrated into the Cisco SD-WAN fabric, delivering advanced threat protection for internet-bound traffic from remote and branch users. At the same time, sensitive inter-site traffic continues to leverage the SD-WAN overlay, with security enforced at SD-WAN edges; further strengthening the distributed security enforcement model. 

What it means for our customers: 

• Unified Policy Management: Create and enforce a single access policy with Catalyst SD-WAN, Meraki SD-WAN, and FTD, simplifying operations and reducing complexity. 
• Seamless Hybrid Work: Enable secure, reliable connectivity for remote, in-office, and branch users with consistent Zero Trust principles. 
• Consistent Security: Deliver uniform security controls across all fabrics, protecting users, devices, and branches wherever they connect. 
• Distributed Enforcement: Enforce security policies across the fabric, closest to users, devices and applications – eliminating traffic hairpinning. 
• Simplified Operations: Manage policies and share security objects from a single platform, reducing tool sprawl, minimizing configuration errors, and improving efficiency. 
• Cost-Effective Integration: Implement SSE capabilities using existing Cisco infrastructure without major investments or changes. 

Secure, Seamless Access to Private Apps—Anywhere 

The remote work revolution has changed how organizations interact with their networks. Employees now need seamless access to private applications hosted in the data center, regardless of their location. However, with this shift comes the critical challenge of maintaining security while providing access to sensitive resources. 

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Private Application Access gives remote users secure connectivity to data center applications with the confidence that only authorized users can get in. It inspects and enforces traffic based on security policies, reducing risk and improving performance. 

What it means for our customers: 

• Enhances security by ensuring only authorized users can access private applications. 
• Provides remote users with a seamless and reliable experience, by selecting the most optimal path, keeping productivity high.  
• Simplifies setup with automated policies and identity-based access controls. 

The result: secure access that’s seamless for users—and fully controlled by IT. 

Unified Security Management with Security Cloud Control 

Managing firewalls and SD-WAN security policies across locations can create operational drag. This complexity often makes the process prone to configuration mistakes, which Gartner forecasted would account for 99% of all firewall breaches by 2025.Cisco simplifies this with deep integration between Catalyst Secure WAN and Cisco Security Cloud Control (formerly CDO). 

What it means for our customers: 

• Create and push consistent security policies across multiple enforcement points—including Catalyst SD-WAN, Secure Firewall, Secure Access and Multicloud Defense. 
• Build a foundation for reusable security objects across platforms- starting with centralized policy creation in phase 1 
• Monitor logs and events from Catalyst and Firepower firewalls in a single dashboard— boosting visibility and speeding response. 
• Minimize policy mismatches and configuration errors with integrated workflows and centralized management. 

The result: smarter security means fewer manual tasks—and more time for what matters. 

A Seamless Path to SASE with Meraki SD-WAN and SSE Integration 

For Meraki customers, SASE just got easier. Cisco Secure Access will be integrated into Meraki SD-WAN, giving customers cloud-delivered security without extra tools or added complexity. This integration enables Meraki customers to enforce security policies for remote and branch users with Cisco Secure Access. 

What it means for our customers: 

• Activate Zero Trust security directly from the Meraki dashboard. 
• Apply consistent security policies across branches, users, devices, and remote workers. 
• Extend SSE benefits to Meraki-managed networks—no heavy lifting required. 

The result: integrated security that reduces risk and complexity—by design. 

Simpler, Smarter, Safer—Your Network, Transformed 

With these latest updates, Cisco SD-WAN continues to deliver on its promise of helping organizations build networks that are simpler to manage, smarter in operation, and safer against evolving threats. From enabling seamless remote access, to unifying security management, and integrating cloud-delivered security natively into Meraki SD-WAN, Cisco provides the tools businesses need to thrive in a hybrid, cloud-first world. 

And this is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, we’ll dive deeper into how Cisco SD-WAN delivers on each of these three pillars—Simpler, Smarter, and Safer—so stay tuned for more insights. 

Ready to Learn More? 

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In southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, clouds billow above the towering mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range. A chorus of blackbirds whistle, as they flit among the reeds of a wildlife refuge. Big circular fields of crops, interspersed with native shrubs, give it a feel of bucolic quiet.

Despite the stark beauty in one of the state’s most productive agricultural regions, there’s a sense of unease among the community’s leaders as Congress debates a budget bill that could radically reshape Medicaid, the government health program for low-income people.

“I’m trying to be worried — and optimistic,” said Konnie Martin, CEO of San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa. It’s the flagship health care facility for 50,000 people in six agricultural counties — Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache.

The numbers out of the bill about deep Medicaid cuts were “incredibly frightening,” Martin said, “because Medicaid is such a vital program to rural health care.”

Martin’s hospital is not alone. “I think in Colorado right now, nearly 70 percent of rural hospitals are operating in a negative margin,” in the red, Martin said.

Across the hall from her office is Shane Mortensen, the chief financial officer. “The bean counter,” he said with a slight grin.

The hospital’s annual budget is $140 million, and Medicaid revenues make up nearly a third of that, according to Mortensen.

The operating margin is razor thin, so federal cuts to Medicaid could force difficult cuts. “It will be devastating to us,” Mortensen said.

Lifeline for health care

The region is one of the state’s poorest. Two in five of Alamosa County’s residents are enrolled in Health First Colorado, the state’s Medicaid program.

It’s a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn’t otherwise have easy access to health care. That includes low-income seniors who need supplemental coverage over and above Medicare, and people of all ages with disabilities. More than 2,500 working age adults in the county with incomes lower than $20,820 a year also qualify, and would be among those most likely to lose coverage under current proposals.

Envisioning a future with deep cutbacks leaves many patients on edge.

“I looked into our insurance and, oh my goodness, it’s just going to take half my check to pay insurance,” said Julianna Mascarenas, a mother of six. She says Medicaid has helped her cover her family for years. “Then how do I live? Do I insure my kids or do I keep a roof over their head?”

Mascarenas works as a counselor treating people with substance use disorder. Her ex-husband farms, potatoes and cattle, for employers that don’t offer health insurance.

“So those moments that I was a stay-at-home mom and he’s working agriculture, what would’ve we even done? I don’t even know,” she said, when asked what would have happened if Medicaid wasn’t there. “Now that I think back, what would have we done? We would’ve had to pay out of pocket.”

Or go without. Across the state, Medicaid covers one in five Coloradans, more than a million people.

That includes children in foster care.

“We’ve had 13 kids in and out of our home, six of which have been born here at this hospital with drugs in their system,” said Chance Padilla, a foster parent. “Medicaid has played a huge part in just being able to give them the normal life that they deserve.”

He and his husband, Chris, who are both clinic managers, get reimbursed by Medicaid for the costs of providing for the kids that have lived with them. “These kids require a lot of medical intervention,” said Chance Padilla.

The program also covers mental health services for foster children. “At one point, we had a preteen that needed to be seen three times a week by a mental health professional,” Chris Padilla said. “There’s no way that we could have done that without Medicaid.”

What happens to cancer and maternity care? 

San Luis Valley Health’s lobby is modern, built of red brick and glass. Down a hallway is the cancer center where patients come for chemotherapy transfusions. Nurse Amy Oaks demonstrates how they ring a ceremonial bell, to celebrate each time a patient finishes a course of treatment.

“It’s just a happy time,” said Oaks. “It’s exciting. It gives you the chills, makes you cry.”

But hospital staff and administrators wonder whether federal cuts would make it hard for the hospital to keep the cancer center running.

“It could be pretty dramatically affected,” said Dr. Carmelo Hernandez, the chief medical officer.

Hernandez’s specialty is obstetrics and gynecology. The hospital has its own labor and delivery unit, the type of service that other rural hospitals across the U.S. have struggled to keep open.

“If we don’t have obstetric services here, then where are they going to go?” Hernandez asked. “They’re going to travel an hour and 20 minutes north to Salida to get health care, or they can travel to Pueblo, another two hour drive over a mountain pass to get health care.”

Tiffany Martinez, 34, works with kids who have disabilities. She was recently forced to think about that possibility after giving birth to her fourth child, Esme, three weeks ago.

Her pregnancy was high risk, requiring twice-a-week ultrasounds and stress tests at the hospital. She’s enrolled in Medicaid and said it’s critical for many moms in the valley.

“Everything down here is low pay,” said Martinez. “It’s not like we have money to just be able to pay for the doctor. It’s not like we have money to travel often to go to the doctor, so it’s definitely beneficial.”

About 85 percent of the hospital’s labor and delivery patients are covered by Medicaid. As the program has expanded over the years, many of the patients who got added were married women from working families.

“It impacted the whole family because of course that’s a little nucleus then that grows with the care of the family and the well-being of the family,” said Christine Hettinger-Hunt, the hospital’s chief operating officer.

Hospital heals, and also employs

With 750 workers, the hospital is the valley’s largest employer. One of those employees is Dr. Clint Sowards, a primary care physician. He grew up in the region, went away for school and came back to a good-paying job.

Sowards is focused on the fact that fewer Medicaid funds will make it harder to attract the next generation of doctors, nurses and other health providers.

Certain medical specialties might no longer be available, Sowards explained. “People will have to leave. They will have to leave the San Luis Valley.”

Dr. Kristina Steinberg is a family medicine physician with Valley Wide Health Systems, a network of small clinics serving thousands. She said Medicaid covers most nursing home residents in the area. “If seniors lost access to Medicaid for long-term care, we would lose some nursing homes,” she said. “They would consolidate.”

The program also pays for vaccines for children. In two nearby communities, Colorado recently recorded its first cases of measles this year, which is highly contagious.

“If you are on Medicaid, you don’t have any insurance, you pretty much qualify for free vaccines for children,” Steinberg said. “And I can see our vaccines dropping off dramatically if people have to pay for vaccines, because some of them are very expensive.”

Medicaid sustains a local level of health care that is then available to the wider population, including patients on Medicare and commercial insurance, according to administrators and clinicians.

“We really utilize Medicaid as sort of the backbone of our infrastructure,” said Audrey Reich Loy, a licensed social worker and the hospital’s director of programs.

“It doesn’t just support those that are recipients of Medicaid, but as a result of what it brings to our community, it allows us to ensure that we have sort of a safety net of services that we can then expand upon and provide for the entire community.”

Seeking more efficiency

Republicans in Congress say they want to save money and make the government more efficient. Their budget would cut taxes by trillions of dollars — and possibly cut social safety net programs like Medicaid.

Many in this region voted for President Trump — in Alamosa County, he topped 54 percent. Hernandez admits Medicaid cuts could give people here second thoughts.

“He’s potentially affecting his voter base pretty dramatically,” said Hernandez, noting politics is a sensitive topic that he mostly doesn’t discuss with patients. “I can’t imagine that hasn’t crossed some people’s minds.”

Sowards, the family medicine physician, says he’s baffled by the idea of potentially slashing Medicaid spending. He understands that some people believe the Medicaid system is ailing and costly. But he has grave doubts about the proposed cure.

“Just because we fall and break our wrists and our wrist is broken, doesn’t mean that we need to cut off our arm, okay?,” he said. “Losing Medicaid would have drastic repercussions that we can’t foresee.”

Local economy depends on health care

Deep Medicaid cuts could pack a punch for the wider regional economy as well.

The small city of Alamosa is the hub of the San Luis Valley. It has a main street in the midst of revitalization. It has hotels, restaurants, shops and a coffee shop called Roast Cafe.

On a recent Wednesday, barista Ethan Bowen prepped a specialty drink called a Drooling Moose. “It’s a white chocolate mocha with a little bit of caramel in there,” he said.

The coffee shop and its adjacent brew pub do pretty good business here — in part because of foot traffic from nearby San Luis Valley Health, which is a “huge part of the local economy,” Bowen said.

Joe Martinez is president of San Luis Valley Federal Bank, the valley’s oldest financial institution. It’s on the next block.

He said the valley is home to three of the poorest counties in the nation. A lot of its people are enrolled in Medicaid “and the individuals that partake in the program don’t necessarily have the financial means to travel outside of the San Luis Valley for health care.”

Cuts would hit hard

The hospital’s regional economic impact is more than $100 million a year, with Medicaid accounting for a major part of that, Martinez said.

Any Medicaid cuts would hit the hospitals hard, but also affect small businesses and their employees. The region is already feeling economic stress from other changes, like recent cuts the Trump administration made to the federal workforce.

The San Luis Valley is home to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Great San Dunes National Park and other federally-managed lands.

Martinez said recently laid off federal workers are already coming to banks, saying, “‘Can I find a way to get my next two months mortgage payments forgiven? Or can we do an extension? Or I lost my job, what can we do to make sure that I don’t lose my vehicle?’”

Ty Coleman, Alamosa’s mayor, traveled to Washington, D.C., in April to talk to the state’s Congressional delegation. He said his message about Medicaid cuts was straightforward: “It can have a devastating economic impact.” Coleman put together a long list of possible troubles: more chronic disease and mortality, longer wait times for care, medical debt and financial strain on families.

“It’s not just our rural community, but the communities, rural communities, across Colorado as well and the United States,” Coleman said. “And I don’t think people are getting it.”

Cuts would create ripple effect

Medicaid cuts indirectly can impact other economic sectors, like education.

“One of the biggest factors driving state higher education funding down is state spending on health care,” said David Tandberg, president of Adams State University in Alamosa. The college has roughly 3000 students and is next door to the hospital. It’s the region’s second-largest employer.

If federal cuts are made to Medicaid, Tandberg said, the state of Colorado will then be forced to pay more to maintain health care services. This year, Colorado is facing a billion-dollar budget deficit. Public universities like his will find they’re competing with medical institutions for precious state funding. “So anytime I hear about Medicaid cuts, it makes me nervous,” he said.