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

Sleep is the most active “inactive” part of your life.  Although your muscles are relaxed and still (sleep walkers excluded!), the rest of your body is working hard to rebuild your foundation for the next day. And doing so correctly requires a certain architecture. Sleep architecture refers to the three primary phases of sleep essential for this process; here's how they come together to build you a strong tomorrow.

Sleeping through your alarm. Showing up unprepared to a presentation. Forgetting an important birthday. Getting stressed out just reading? I can relate. But by making my InsideTracker goal ‘Reduce Stress,’ tracking certain biomarkers, and making some lifestyle changes, I’ve been able to find relaxation, mindfulness, and balance in my fast-paced daily life. 

Have you ever wished you could sleep all day without judgement from others, or even worse, yourself? We’ll admit – it’s certainly crossed our minds once or twice. With the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world out there, restful nights can be few and far between. 

So to help combat the imbalance between hours spent awake and those spent sleeping, we’ve created our “Sleep Better” goal. No, we didn’t quite figure out how to add hours to the day or turn ourselves into cats. But we did put together a comprehensive list of research-tested remedies. So all you self-diagnosed insomniacs, light sleepers, and chronic nappers, read on.

Most of us can recognize the symptoms of an off-kilter digestive system: acid reflux, bloating, stomach pains, discomfort, constipation, excess gas, etc. But once they set in, do you know how to get back to neutral?

Two foods that have been getting the limelight lately to help? Kombucha and kimchi. But are these ‘gut healthy’ foods just enjoying their 15 minutes of fame, or are they here to stay?

After a cold and snowy winter, at least here in Boston, spring has finally sprung! For many, that means the sun is shining and it’s time to do some spring cleaning. And our favorite type of cleaning starts in the kitchen with the cabinets. It’s the perfect time of year to focus on cleaning up your diet, and is peak season for soaking up some sunshine and vitamin D!

But did you know that the “sunshine vitamin” plays a big role in your night, too? If your vitamin D levels are on the lower end, it could actually be affecting your sleep. Worry not, though! Below, we’ll go over the evidence behind the effect vitamin D has on sleep and give you some suggestions for your best night of rest yet.

Here at InsideTracker, we aim to bring you content you can use everyday: in the gym, on the race-course, on the road, at work, and at home. That's why we're excited to welcome a new guest blogger to the platform: Joe DiStefano, better known as“Joe DI”, is Director of Sport at Spartan Race, and he's a longtime friend and user of InsideTracker. Over the next few months, Joe will be sharing some of his incredible training insight on our blog. Be sure to subscribe.  

In his guest blog debut, Joe DI discusses his unique and highly effective approach to recovery — specifically, sleep. Here’s what he had to say about sleeping like a pro…

The current market interest for sleep tracking devices is exploding, and that bodes well for the wearable manufacturers. Sleep tracking is nothing new, but it is growing because consumers are better educated on the value of sleep to the brain and body. But probably also because we are an affluent, self-centered society. We all want data selfies, not just selfies. And we want to know what we look like when we sleep, even if all we see is a bunch of numbers.

Athletes spend a considerable amount of time and money trying to find the right sports drink, nutrition bar, or protein powder that could give them the extra edge during a competition. Here’s a little secret: knowing your biomarker status might be a more efficient way of improving your athletic performance than any other product on the market. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, getting a sufficient amount of good sleep can help improve speed, accuracy, and reaction time.

Many people spend a considerable amount of time and money trying to find the right sports drink, nutrition bar, or supplement to possibly help them get through their day and feel more energized. Here’s a little secret: knowing your biomarker status might be a more efficient way of improving your sleep, memory, and mood than any other product on the market. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a busy parent, getting a sufficient amount of sleep can help improve your memory and mood, and that's where magnesium comes into play!

Inflammation is part of your body’s immune response: it influences the health of your cardiovascular system, affects how quickly your injuries heal, and plays a role in determining whether or not you catch a cold. Inflammation affects everyone—whether they are young, old, athlete, or non-athlete.