Browse the evidence

Incorporating almonds as 15% of energy intake within an energy-restricted diet promotes greater weight loss and limits weight regain compared to carbohydrate-rich snacks.

To potentially aid weight loss, replace 15% of your daily calories with almonds (about 30g minimum) six days a week while maintaining a calorie deficit. This strategy aims to improve satiety and limit weight regain compared to eating carbohydrate-rich snacks.

Providing individualized Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Respiratory Quotient (RQ) data from indirect calorimetry during a weight management program is hypothesized to improve weight loss outcomes compared to standard care using predictive equations.

This paper describes a trial, not a finished result. However, the proposed method suggests that using a metabolic test (indirect calorimetry) to determine your exact resting energy needs, rather than using a standard formula, might help tailor your diet more effectively. The goal is to create a personalized energy deficit (up to 30% below your total burn) to improve weight loss success.

Screening for vitamin D deficiency is recommended for individuals at risk but not for the general population, with deficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D below 20 ng/ml.

If you have risk factors like obesity, dark skin, malabsorption issues, or are elderly, get your Vitamin D levels checked. If you are generally healthy with no risk factors, routine screening is not recommended by current guidelines.

Moderate-intensity physical activity between 150 and 250 minutes per week prevents weight gain greater than 3% in most adults.

To stop gaining more than 3% of your body weight, aim for 150 to 250 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. This equals about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. You don't need to do it all at once; breaking it into smaller chunks works.

Physical activity increases weight loss when combined with moderate diet restriction, but adds no benefit when combined with severe diet restriction.

If you are cutting calories moderately (500-700 kcal deficit), adding exercise will help you lose more weight than dieting alone. However, if you are on a very strict, severe diet, adding exercise won't give you extra weight loss benefits because your body adapts metabolically. Stick to moderate restriction if you want to maximize the benefit of exercise.

Resistance training alone does not promote clinically significant weight loss, but it increases fat-free mass and reduces fat mass.

Don't rely on resistance training alone to drop significant weight. It won't do it. However, do it to build muscle and lose fat. This improves your health markers and body composition, even if the total number on the scale stays relatively stable.

Regular physical activity, including both aerobic and resistance training, improves blood glucose control and insulin action in individuals with type 2 diabetes, with benefits lasting 2-72 hours post-exercise.

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise per week, spread over at least 3 days, with no more than 2 consecutive days of inactivity. Add resistance training 2-3 days per week. If you take insulin or certain medications, monitor your blood glucose and consult your doctor to adjust medication or carbohydrate intake to prevent hypoglycemia.

Psychological and behavioral therapies, specifically stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation, paradoxical intention, and cognitive-behavior therapy, produce reliable and clinically significant improvements in sleep parameters for individuals with primary or comorbid insomnia.

If you struggle with persistent insomnia, prioritize evidence-based behavioral therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) over long-term medication use. These therapies, which include stimulus control and sleep restriction, are proven to improve sleep quality and allow many patients to discontinue hypnotic medications safely. Consult a sleep specialist to access these empirically-supported treatments.

Replacing carbohydrates with protein (approx. half from plant sources) or unsaturated fat (predominantly monounsaturated) in a diet reduced in saturated fat further lowers systolic blood pressure and improves serum lipid profiles compared to a carbohydrate-rich diet.

If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, try swapping some of your carbohydrates (like bread, rice, or pasta) for more protein (especially plant-based sources like beans and nuts) or unsaturated fats (like olive oil and avocados). This change, while keeping total calories and saturated fat low, can lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels more than sticking to a high-carb diet alone.

Lower levels of objectively measured physical capability (grip strength, walking speed, chair rising, and standing balance) are associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in community-dwelling populations.

Use simple physical tests like grip strength, walking speed, or how quickly you can rise from a chair as early warning signs for your long-term health. If your performance in these areas is declining, it may signal a higher risk of mortality, prompting you to consult a healthcare provider for targeted interventions like strength training or lifestyle adjustments.

Fat intake should range from 20% to 35% of total energy intake, and consuming less than 20% of energy from fat does not benefit performance.

Ensure that 20% to 35% of your daily calories come from fat. This helps you absorb vitamins and provides energy. Don't go below 20% as it doesn't help performance. Include healthy fats from sources like nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if an athlete consumes adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight, but may be appropriate for those with specific deficiencies or dietary restrictions.

You likely do not need vitamin or mineral supplements if you eat a balanced diet with enough calories to maintain your weight. However, if you are dieting, restricting food groups, or have a known deficiency, a supplement may be appropriate. Consult a sports dietitian for personalized advice.

Higher BMI (overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity) is associated with a significantly increased lifetime risk of incident cardiovascular disease and a greater proportion of life lived with cardiovascular morbidity compared to normal BMI, despite similar or slightly higher all-cause longevity in the overweight group.

Maintaining a normal BMI (18.5-24.9) is associated with the lowest lifetime risk of developing cardiovascular disease and the most years lived free of heart conditions. While being overweight might not shorten your total lifespan as much as obesity, it significantly increases the number of years you will spend living with cardiovascular disease, reducing your quality of life and increasing healthcare burdens.

Among never smokers, the lowest all-cause mortality risk is associated with a BMI of 23-24, indicating that overweight (BMI 25-29.9) is associated with increased mortality risk.

If you are a never smoker, aiming for a BMI between 23 and 24 appears to offer the lowest mortality risk based on this large-scale evidence. If you are currently overweight, this data suggests moving toward that range may reduce mortality risk, contrary to claims that overweight is protective.

Resistance training performed three times per week significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c) in older adults with type 2 diabetes, comparable to aerobic exercise.

Add resistance training to your routine three days a week. Focus on major muscle groups, doing 3 sets of 8-10 reps with a weight that feels challenging but manageable. This significantly lowers blood sugar and is safe even if you have heart disease risk factors. Start with supervision to ensure proper form.

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (exercise plus education/psychosocial support) significantly reduces total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, whereas exercise-only interventions do not significantly affect these lipid profiles.

If your goal is to lower cholesterol, exercise alone may not be enough. You likely need a comprehensive program that includes education and psychological support alongside exercise to see significant improvements in total and LDL cholesterol.

Closed kinetic chain (CKC) quadriceps exercises are preferred over open kinetic chain (OKC) exercises in the first 6 weeks after ACL reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) grafts, as OKC exercises may increase graft laxity.

If you had your ACL reconstructed with a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft, avoid open kinetic chain exercises (like straight leg extensions) for the first 6 weeks. Instead, focus on closed kinetic chain exercises (like squats or lunges) as they are safer for your graft and lead to better knee function. If you had a hamstring graft, you might be able to start limited open chain exercises after 4 weeks, but only within a specific range of motion.

Blood pressure targets for most nonpregnant adults with T2DM should be <130/80 mmHg, with stricter targets (<1.8 mmol/L LDL-C) for those with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Manage your blood pressure to below 130/80 mmHg. If you have heart disease, aim for even lower LDL cholesterol (<1.8 mmol/L). This integrated control is crucial for preventing heart and stroke complications.

Automated, semipersonalized text messaging interventions significantly improve multiple cardiovascular risk factors (LDL-C, blood pressure, BMI, physical activity, and smoking cessation) in patients with coronary heart disease compared to usual care.

If you have heart disease, receiving regular, personalized text messages about diet, exercise, and smoking can help you lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight, and quit smoking. This simple, low-cost tool works by keeping healthy habits top-of-mind without requiring complex apps or smartphones. It is most effective when combined with your usual medical care.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults, regardless of comorbidities, and can be delivered face-to-face or digitally.

If you have chronic insomnia, seek Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as your primary treatment. It can be done in person with a therapist or via a guided digital app. This is the most effective first-line treatment for adults, even if you have other health conditions.

Benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, and daridorexant are recommended for short-term treatment of insomnia (≤ 4 weeks), while orexin receptor antagonists may be used for up to 3 months or longer in some cases.

If CBT-I doesn't work well enough, your doctor may prescribe short-term sleep medication (like benzodiazepines or daridorexant) for up to 4 weeks. Do not exceed this duration without medical advice due to tolerance and dependence risks. Orexin antagonists may be used for up to 3 months in some cases.

Regular physical activity, specifically at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise combined with resistance training, improves blood glucose control and insulin action in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

To manage type 2 diabetes, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) per week, spread across at least 3 days, ensuring no more than 2 days pass without activity. Add resistance training (weights or bands) 2-3 days a week. If you take insulin or certain diabetes medications, monitor your blood sugar and consult your doctor about adjusting your dose or eating carbs before/during exercise to prevent lows. If you are sedentary, get a check-up before starting intense exercise.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) significantly reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high cardiovascular risk individuals, independent of weight loss or energy restriction.

If you are at high risk for heart disease or diabetes, switch to a Mediterranean diet pattern and add about 4-5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil daily. You do not need to restrict your total calorie intake or lose weight to see a significant reduction in your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The key is the quality of fats and the overall dietary pattern, not caloric deficit.

Timed melatonin administration is indicated to reduce symptoms of jet lag disorder and improve sleep following travel across multiple time zones, with immediate-release formulations in doses of 0.5 to 5 mg showing efficacy.

Take 0.5 to 5 mg of immediate-release melatonin daily. Start up to 3 days before your flight and continue for up to 5 days after arriving at your destination. This helps reset your body clock and improves sleep quality during travel.