Christopher Gardner in his kitchen preparing to roast butternut squash, eggplant and tempeh. (Photo courtesy of OPS Productions) Christopher Gardner was once a junk-food-devouring teen. Today, he eats a whole-food, plant-based diet, works to improve the food system and encourages people to “be intentional about food choices. Think about them, ask others about them, discuss…

(South_agency/E+ via Getty Images) Lea en español Marcia Trenholm doesn’t need a scientific study to understand why volunteering is good for her. Two days a week, the retired insurance company auditor gives her time to the University of Massachusetts Boston Pension Action Center, helping clients track down lost benefits. Other times, she can be found…

(kupicoo/E+ via Getty Images) People who strongly adhere to a set of cardiovascular health metrics may live close to a decade longer than those who don’t, new research suggests. The study, published Monday in Circulation, found people with higher scores for cardiovascular health lived up to nine years longer on average than those with the…

Josiemer Mattei is an associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (Photo courtesy of Kent Dayton) Lea en español Long before she was a nutrition professional, Josiemer Mattei was a girl living in Puerto Rico. “I had the advantage and amazing experience of growing up near a farm, where…

(NatashaBreen/iStock via Getty Images) If you think of carrots as stodgy old tubers, something more fit for rabbits than healthy humans, you’re in for a bunch of surprises. Carrots can be a significant source of crucial nutrients, said Sherry Tanumihardjo, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These days, they’re popping up in…

(Bablab/iStock via Getty Images) People who lost weight through an intensive behavioral weight loss program saw health benefits, possibly even if they later regained some weight, according to a new analysis of more than 100 studies. Researchers found that compared with those who did not, people who went through an intensive weight loss program registered…

(aldomurillo/E+ via Getty Images) Exercise therapy is not only safe, it also may be more effective than medication in improving quality of life for many people with a common type of heart failure, according to a new report. The joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology said that…

(Arx0nt/Moment via Getty Images) Dates have long been a snack full of sweetness and significance. Cultivated for at least 6,000 years, the palm date tree plays a role in several religious faiths. Among Muslims, a taste of date is given to infants as a ceremonial first meal, and the fruit is prominent during Ramadan, a…

(Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images) Is the secret to happiness a warm puppy? A good marriage? A rewarding career? Or something else entirely? Happiness means different things to different people, but a growing body of research suggests keeping a smile on your face may help add years to your life by lowering the risk for…

(NickyLloyd/E+ via Getty Images) Research shows adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night for optimal health, and children need more. But what’s happening during those hours that’s so important, and what’s the danger of cutting sleep short? A growing body of research shows getting little or poor sleep doesn’t just make people…