Evidence-based articles on health, fitness, and metabolic science
Two people can weigh the same and look identical, yet carry very different health risks. The difference is usually visceral fat — the metabolically active tissue packed around your liver, pancreas, and intestines. Here's what makes it dangerous, how to estimate it with a tape measure, and what actually reduces it.
Read article →Waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio are both quick, powerful health metrics, but they answer different questions. Here's what each captures, the thresholds that matter, and why we lean on waist-to-height for cardiometabolic risk.
Read article →Smart scales, calipers, the Navy tape method, DEXA scans — they all estimate body fat differently, with very different accuracy. Here's how each works, what it costs in precision, and which to trust for tracking change.
Read article →Sleep is often treated as the optional pillar of health. The metabolic evidence says otherwise: even a few nights of short sleep measurably worsen insulin sensitivity, appetite hormones, and food choices. Here's what happens and how to protect it.
Read article →Your VO₂ max — a measure of how well your body uses oxygen — tracks closely with mortality risk. The research suggests improving your fitness may rival or exceed many medical interventions for extending healthy life.
Read article →Lifting weights is often framed as a way to look better. Its more important payoff is metabolic: better blood sugar control, preserved muscle with age, stronger bones, and a more resilient body. Here's the case for treating strength training as medicine.
Read article →Insulin resistance develops silently for years before it shows up on a standard blood test. Understanding it — and the cluster of signs called metabolic syndrome — is key to catching cardiometabolic risk early.
Read article →Most adults eat barely half the fiber they need. That shortfall affects blood sugar, cholesterol, appetite, and the gut microbiome. Here's how much you actually need, why it matters, and where to get it.
Read article →Conventional cardiovascular screening assigns a 10-year risk score from a handful of variables. The Institute for Functional Medicine's Cardiometabolic framework instead treats heart and metabolic disease as expressions of shared upstream dysfunction, and works backward to the modifiable causes. Here's what that means in practice.
Read article →Accurate circumference measurements are the foundation of body fat estimation, waist-to-height ratio, and body composition classification. Here's where to measure, how to measure, and what tools to use.
Read article →Waist-to-height ratio is a better predictor of cardiometabolic risk than BMI — but most people have never heard of it. Here's what it measures, what the numbers mean, and why it matters more than your weight.
Read article →You can eat the 'right' amount of protein each day and still leave muscle on the table if it's all concentrated in one meal. Here's what the research says about per-meal protein, the leucine threshold, and the practical sweet spot.
Read article →BMI has been the default measure of body weight status for decades — but it was never designed to assess individual health. Here's what body composition actually tells you, and why it matters more.
Read article →Your basal metabolic rate is what you burn at complete rest. Your total daily energy expenditure is everything you actually burn in a day. Knowing the difference — and how each is calculated — is the foundation of any sensible nutrition plan.
Read article →The standard protein RDA of 0.8 g/kg was designed to prevent clinical deficiency in healthy sedentary adults — not to protect muscle mass as you age. Here's what the research actually recommends for older adults, why the requirement rises, and how to hit the higher target with ordinary food.
Read article →Zone 2 — the conversational aerobic pace that barely feels like training — produces the mitochondrial adaptations most closely linked to metabolic health, fat oxidation, and longevity. Here's the physiology, how to find your zone, and how to structure a week around it.
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