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

Don’t get us wrong, after this long New England winter, we're definitely ready for longer days and warmer temps. But our favorite part of spring? The re-opening of local farmers markets that showcase all of the season’s juicy and crisp produce ripe for fresh, healthy meals.

This guide will help you navigate your neighborhood market and showcase some new staples of your springtime menu. As an added bonus, these top choices are from a study done in 2014 that ranked the top 41 “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” based on their ability to reduce chronic disease, so you know they pack a healthy punch.¹ 

So you missed Earth Day last week, huh? Don't worry, just because we only celebrate once a year, that shouldn't stop you from taking action year-round! Whether you do your part by recycling, using public transportation, walking or biking to work, shopping with reusable bags, or turning off lights and faucets – a big thank you from us fellow Earth dwellers! There are many ways that we can protect the environment, and most of them can actually protect our health too. One of the most significant ways to reduce your carbon footprint AND likelihood for chronic disease is to reduce or limit your consumption of animal products, specifically meat. However, while eating less meat has plenty of benefits, it also requires some special considerations, like vitamin B12.

Are you eating a meatless diet? Many people are opting for plant-based diets either to prevent cruelty to animals or to help save the resources (land, energy, and water) used to produce meat. Others avoid meat for health-related reasons. For example, a recent study found that the life expectancy for vegetarians was greater than for meat-eaters. Vegetarians in the study had lower rates of heart disease than participants who reported eating meat. Vegetarian diets tend to be higher in fiber and important nutrients such as potassium, folate, and antioxidants.

Aging is no excuse to stop exercising and eating healthfully! In fact, it is even more essential to maintaining your well-being, especially because your body’s ability to metabolize some nutrients changes as you age. This post discusses the role of vitamin B12 in the body and how important it is to monitor this nutrient as you get older.

Now there’s another reason to eat your fruits, vegetables and whole grains – to get phytochemicals —plant chemicals that have been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. Because they are common in plant based foods, you’re probably getting plenty of phytochemicals without even knowing it! An InsideTracker plan can tell you if you need to consume more of certain nutrients, and recommend plant-based foods that will help to improve your diet. Here is a breakdown of what phytochemicals can do for your body.

Are you lactose intolerant? Are you vegan? If you follow a low- or no-lactose diet, there are some key nutrients that you might be missing as a result of excluding dairy foods. To find out what nutrients you should increase, you can sign up for InsideTracker blood analysis and get dietary recommendations that benefit your physical performance and overall wellness while simultaneously helping you avoid lactose.

Many people associate granola with health foods, but is it really good for you? Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Some types of granola can make a healthy breakfast or snack, but many varieties contain as much calories and sugar as a candy bar! Read on to find out what to look for in your granola.

There are several reasons why people decide to adopt a vegetarian diet; some do so for health reasons (vegetarian diets have been shown to lower cholesterol over time), some for environmental reasons (animal production is far more resource-intensive than plant food production), and some for ethical reasons (relating to the treatment of animals in concentrated feeding operations).

Vitamin B12 (or cobalamin) is a one of eight B-vitamins, each of which plays a unique role in cell metabolism. Specifically, B12 aids with brain and nervous system function and the formation of blood (all good things). For men and women over the age of 14, the recommended intake is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) per day, an amount that you could meet by eating about 3 ounces of canned tuna.