Ever considered that the key to a longer, happier life is not what you eat, how you move, or even how much sleep, but rather... your social circle? In this episode, we speak to Dr. Robert Waldinger, a Harvard professor and director of the longest study ever conducted on human happiness. As the author of The Good Life, Dr. Waldinger revealed the profound impact of relationships on health and longevity. We discuss the surprising connection between well-being and... well... connection. How does the quality of our relationships influence not only our mental health but also our physical health? It turns out that the most important health resolution you make this year is not your new diet or workout plan, but rather that weekly phone call you promised your parents.

There are a few things nutrition researchers agree on: Plants are "good" for us. Processed meats are "bad." But plant-based meat alternatives...? They raise some important questions: Are plant-based meat alternatives ultra-processed foods? Are processed meats any worse than processed meat alternatives? With the rise of Impossible Meat, the Beyond Burger, and growing concerns about the climate emergency, we tackle a complicated topic: if or when meat alternatives should replace meat. With Professor Christopher Gardener from Stanford University, we get to the meat of the issue.

How many times have you heard that we need to cut down on salt? But... do we actually? What does the science say about salt, our health, and who needs to worry about it? Is pink salt healthier than white salt? Is there such a thing as too low-sodium? In this episode, we chat with Dr. Robert Hunter, a nephrologist and researcher at the University of Edinburgh, to demystify the world of dietary salt. This is everything you need to know about sodium and the real challenge of reducing intake when it's hidden away in the places you least expect it. Get ready to shake up everything you thought you knew about your favorite seasoning.

Sugar is often among the first things people ditch in the New Year, and the most common replacement? Artificial sweeteners. But what if replacing sugar with its calorie-free counterpart is actually doing more harm than good? For this episode, we speak to Dr. Jotham Suez, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University, all about artificial sweeteners. How do they work? What are the metabolic effects of artificial sweeteners vs. sugar on our bodies? How do these sugar alternatives potentially negatively affect our microbiome, blood sugar control, and even cause weight gain? Turns out artificial sweeteners might not be so sweet after all.

Is there anything better than a piping hot cup of coffee on a frigid winter day, or the first cold brew of a beautiful summer? For a lot of us… likely not. Coffee is the way we kick off a day, pick up an afternoon, and rehash the work week with a friend on the weekend. Besides saving us an untold amount of cash, is there any health benefit to giving up coffee? Or is it actually making us live longer? Today we talk Professor Rob Van Dam from George Washington University and answer the question of caf, decaf, or no-caf: what science tells us about coffee, caffeine, and health.

A cocktail with your friends, a glass of wine after work, a beer at a barbecue–alcohol is everywhere. Undoubtedly, it’s been an integral part of our society for thousands of years. But when it comes to its effects on our health, results can feel more mixed than your favorite margarita. Is alcohol a “poison,” or maybe, in moderation, is it actually ok, or even good for us?

Donuts, cupcakes, lattes, and cookies–sometimes it seems like the best things in life are full of it: the sweet, delicious thing we call sugar. It’s one of the first places we look to when we’re trying to make a “lifestyle change,” and also one of the first places we look to when we need a pick-me-up. Some scientists say that sugar is akin to a poison, giving rise to diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Others say, it’s not actually that bad. So what’s the truth? This week, we talk to Professor Jim Mann from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Is sugar bad for us? Are all sugars the same? Should we even be giving up sugar at all? Find out on our sweetest episode yet.

We’ve all done it: you resolve to… go to the gym, eat healthier, save money. You’re excited and doing great, and then… It’s January 10th and you’re back to grabbing takeout, sitting on your sofa, and thinking, “Eh… I’ve got too much going on right now, next year!”

Well what if there was actual research conducted on New Year’s Resolutions and how we can maybe (gasp) actually keep them for once? It turns out–there is. This week, in the first episode of our Resolutions series, we talk to Professor Alexander Rozental and Martin Oscarsson from Stockholm University in Sweden. They published the largest study on the making, keeping, and breaking of New Year’s Resolutions. This week, we find out what kind of goals to set, how to set them, and what to do to ensure that “this year is (actually) different.