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

We've been taught what a general, baseline healthy diet is: lots of plants, sweet treats rarely, healthy fats and fiber, and a few other buzzwords. But the question remains: where do animal products fit into the puzzle? Does meat and cheese belong in what we consider a "healthy" diet, or is vegan truly the only way to go when it comes to physical health? We compared blood results from our vegan and non-vegan users to see who's really healthier. Here are a few areas that show distinct differences between the two groups.

As we wrap up National Heart Health Month (and our blog series dedicated to it), we're addressing a topic that affects millions of Americans, in fact, 1-in-3 of them.¹

High blood pressure can lead to extremely serious consequences like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death.² Yet, this health malady affects 1-in-3 Americans, with 1-in-5 over the age of 40 taking a daily statin to help lower their blood pressure (or cholesterol). Thus, statins are the most widely prescribed drug in the world.

So, what can you do to avoid joining, or perhaps, wave goodbye to the millions of Americans who make up these scary statistics?³ Well, there's no simple solution, but here are a few ways to maintain a healthy blood pressure – naturally.

As the second chapter of our three-part National Heart Health Month series, we're talking about a topic that can sometimes confuse even the best of us: the difference between fat in our diets and fat in our bodies (and the implications of both on our health).

When it comes to dairy products, skim milk reigns supreme as the epitome of health and dieting. Butter, on the other hand, elicits the opposite mental image.

But what if we told you that our collective aversion to dairy fat was unjustified? Well, recent research suggests exactly that. So, if you've been looking for an excuse to eat more brie or less fat free cottage cheese, keep reading. 

Big news for those of you who are concerned about your heart health: the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recently released revised cholesterol treatment guidelines that are designed to reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. The new guidelines, which were last updated in 2004, mark the most significant change in cardiovascular disease prevention in nearly thirty years!

We all know what it feels like to be stressed. Whether you have trouble sleeping as a looming deadline approaches or your hands start to shake before a big athletic event, a little anxiety seems to be an inevitable part of life. However, stress that is left unchecked can cause a whole host of health problems that range from heart disease to obesity. The good news is that there are certain biomarkers that are relevant for people who are chronically stressed, so knowing your blood status can be a powerful way to help you manage your anxiety! InsideTracker is a great tool for people who feel that they are constantly stressed because it combines blood analysis with a powerful algorithm to show the status of your unique blood biochemistry, so you know which biomarkers you need to improve in order to feel less anxious.

Do you have high cholesterol? While you may know that high levels of cholesterol don’t spell good news for your heart, cholesterol and inflammation often work hand-in-hand to damage your body.