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Alcohol's effect on glucose is more complex than people expect — it often lowers blood glucose acutely (especially in fasted states), but the next-morning insulin sensitivity is worse. What the CGM and clinical literature shows.

Why fasting blood glucose can be higher first thing in the morning even after a perfect night without eating. The cortisol-and-growth-hormone story, what it looks like on a CGM, and when it matters.

Fasted training, fat oxidation, and the question of whether eating before exercise matters for body composition or performance. The literature is more equivocal than fitness blogs.

The viral claim that eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrate flattens the glucose curve has some real research behind it. Here's what the trials actually measured.

The wellness world talks about glucose spikes as if any rise after eating is bad. Here's what published CGM-based research in non-diabetic adults shows about normal post-meal patterns.

Starting from a warm shower, here is a slow build for people who have never done deliberate cold exposure, with the safety points the research repeatedly highlights.

Grip strength is one of the simplest measurements that predicts all-cause mortality and disability in older adults. A practical look at why it's predictive, what's measurable at home, and the limits of the inference.

The five-zone model maps training intensity to physiological adaptation. What each zone targets, how to find your zones, and why zone 2 plus high intensity beats endless zone 3.

The 10,000-step target was a 1960s pedometer marketing campaign, not a research-derived threshold. What recent step-count cohorts actually show about the mortality dose-response.

Time-restricted eating with a 16-hour overnight fast and 8-hour feeding window. What the human trials report on weight, metabolic markers, and the gaps that remain.

Two non-consecutive 'fast' days of ~500–600 kcal per week, with normal eating on the other five. What the trial evidence shows on weight, glucose, and lipids — and how it compares to daily 16:8.

ADF alternates ~500 kcal 'fast' days with unrestricted 'feast' days. What Krista Varady's trial series shows on weight loss, cardiometabolic markers, and adherence — and where ADF differs meaningfully from 5:2 and 16:8.

Sodium, potassium, and magnesium balance shifts during longer fasts. A look at why people feel rough on day two, what's well-established, and what's marketing.

A 5-day, low-calorie, low-protein diet designed to produce the metabolic signature of fasting without complete food abstinence. What the human trial evidence shows, the ProLon medical-food product, and what the longevity claims overrun.

Slow breathing at around 6 breaths per minute reliably raises HRV in the short term. Here's the mechanism, what the trials measure, and the limits of what that means for long-term health.

Using daily HRV to decide whether to train hard or easy is a growing practice in endurance sports. A look at the evidence for it, the limits, and the version most likely to help.

Timed light exposure at the destination is the most effective free intervention for jet lag. The phase-response curve, eastward vs westward strategies, and a practical day-by-day protocol.

10,000 lux light boxes are a common non-drug option for seasonal affective disorder, though NICE says the evidence for their efficacy is uncertain. Specifications, timing, and what the trial evidence supports.

Caloric restriction extends lifespan in many species. The CALERIE-2 trial — the largest human RCT — produced cleaner data on what CR does in non-obese adults. The benefits are real; the longevity claims still extrapolate.

Hormesis — beneficial adaptation to low-dose stress — is the implicit theory behind exercise, cold exposure, fasting, and sauna. A look at what the concept actually claims, where it's supported, and where it gets overextended.

Ashwagandha has accumulated a meaningful body of RCT evidence for stress and sleep — most positive but with quality concerns. What's actually replicated, the standardisation problem, and the contraindications.

The combination of caffeine and L-theanine has unusually solid behavioural-pharmacology evidence for a 'biohacking' stack. What the trials show, the typical dose, and the limits.

When to drink coffee for cognition without wrecking sleep, and the popular advice about delaying morning caffeine — what's actually supported by the chronobiology and pharmacology literature.

Creatine monohydrate is the most-studied sports supplement on earth. Recent research has expanded into cognition — sleep deprivation, cognitive load, and ageing. Here's what's actually there.

The KIHD cohort study has tracked Finnish men's sauna habits and cardiovascular outcomes for decades. A careful look at what the data does and doesn't establish.

How often and how long is enough to get the documented sauna benefits? A practical look at the dose-response in the published literature.

Light exposure timing is the most powerful free intervention for adjusting to a new time zone. A look at the phase-response curve, eastward vs westward asymmetry, and what to do day by day.

How long, when, and whether — what the published research says about nap dose, sleep inertia, the 'NASA nap', and why long afternoon naps may worsen night-time sleep.

A plain-English look at the sleep hygiene rules that hold up in research — consistent timing, light exposure, temperature, caffeine, and stimulus control — and the ones that don't.

Total sleep time, sleep efficiency, latency, and stage estimates — how reliable each metric is on consumer wearables, and which numbers are worth changing your behaviour over.

Ashwagandha is one of the few adaptogens with real RCT evidence — but the supplement aisle is messier than the trial literature. Standardisation, quality, the liver injury signal, and what to actually look for.

Most creatine research is in men, but a meaningful body of evidence in women shows benefits for strength, bone health, mood, and cognition — particularly across hormonal life stages.

Glycinate, citrate, oxide, threonate, malate — the differences between magnesium supplement forms in absorption, GI tolerance, and where the real differences lie.

Multivitamins are the most-taken supplement in the UK. The trial evidence on hard outcomes is more nuanced than most readers expect — small effects in specific contexts, none in well-nourished healthy adults.

EPA and DHA from fish oil are among the most-studied supplements. What the cardiovascular, cognitive, and mental-health literature actually says, and the dose ranges that come up in trials.

Apple Watch's ECG, AFib detection, sleep apnoea notifications, fall detection, and SpO2 — what's actually FDA-authorised or FDA-cleared as a medical feature, what's wellness, and what each does in practice.

Continuous glucose monitors are now sold direct-to-consumer for wellness use. What each product actually provides, where the value is, and the regulatory and clinical considerations.

Heart rate, HRV, sleep stages, SpO2 — what the published validation literature actually shows about consumer wearables versus laboratory reference measurements.

Three of the most popular sleep and recovery wearables, what they measure differently, and the validation literature for each.

Smart ring comparison 2026: UK prices, battery life, subscription costs, sizing and validation evidence for Oura Ring 4, Galaxy Ring, RingConn Gen 2 and Ultrahuman Ring AIR — who wins for sleep, budget and no-subscription use.