A blog to help you optimize your full-body and life performance

Did you know October 29^th is National Oatmeal Day? Well, with these recipes in hand, you’ll be well-prepared to celebrate in style with 5 distinctly delicious varieties.

It’s no secret that we love oatmeal at InsideTracker. It really is the ultimate “superfood” when it comes to your metabolism. Packed with soluble fiber, the impact on glucose and cholesterol can’t be beat!

Soluble fiber is a key factor of metabolic health. Unfortunately, it has been thrown to the wayside recently with the re-emergence of low-carb diet trends such as the Paleo Diet. But beware: its absence has a number of adverse effects.

Are you getting your greens? The USDA recommends that adults should eat 1 ½ - 2 cups of dark green vegetables each week, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly three-quarters of Americans miss the target for vegetables. This is a major problem because these green, leafy veggies provide a bonanza of phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals that help provide the nutrients that you need to stay healthy and perform at your peak. An InsideTracker blood analysis can tell you if you’re missing any key nutrients from dark, leafy vegetables, but it’s up to you to eat them!

Whether you enjoy a hot bowl of soup in the winter or a cool soup on a summer night, many people open a can of soup for a quick meal when they’re in a hurry. But how nutritious is that canned soup? 

When you think of chia seeds, you may think of chia pets, those clay figurines with sprouts of chia that resemble green fur. But did you know that chia seeds can be a healthy addition to your diet?

Chia seeds are from the desert plant Salvia Hispanica, which is a member of the mint family. They’re an unprocessed, whole-grain food that your body can digest as whole seeds. Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants. An InsideTracker blood analysis can tell you whether you need to increase your intake of any of these nutrients to optimize your well-being and performance. If you do, chia seeds might be a good choice for your diet.

As explained in our previous blog post, sugar is a carbohydrate used by your body for fuel. In this article, we’ll discuss the glycemic index, a method of distinguishing between different types of carbohydrates by measuring their effect on blood sugar, or glucose.

Avoiding foods with gluten has become a lot more common. You can find gluten-free breads, cereals, pastas, and crackers at most supermarkets, and an increasing number of restaurants offer gluten-free dishes. When you remove gluten from your diet, though, which nutrients might you be missing?