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What Do French People Eat That Keeps Them Healthy? Live Microbes

Emily Monaco — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

It’s not all those delicious baguettes and croissants that keep the French healthy — it’s foods rich in live microbes.

The evidence continues to stack up: Foods rich in live microbes are great for your health. In recent years, studies have linked consumption of fermented foods with everything from improved digestion¹ to reduced risk of depression². And according to new research, this might be part of why the French are so healthy.

According to the new research published in Nutrition Bulletin, dietary intake of live microbes is particularly high in France, with nearly all children (97.7%) and adults (98.4%) consuming between 100–200 grams of foods naturally rich in microbes every single day³. Meanwhile, research published in 2022 found that just 59% of children and 67% of adults in the U.S. consumed foods rich in live microbes⁴ — and this at around half the volumes consumed in France.

Why Does This Matter?

“As a gastroenterologist and microbiome specialist, this doesn’t surprise me at all, but it deeply concerns me,” says Dr. Savita Srivastava, a Yale-trained gastroenterologist, microbiome specialist, and author of First 1000 Days: How Your Baby’s Gut Microbes Shape Lifelong Health.

“The modern American diet is low in wholesome ingredients and high in ultra-processed ones,” she continues. “We have spent the last century leveraging hyper-pasteurization, chemical preservatives, and extreme food processing to extend shelf life. But this has its own downstream consequences: the decline in human health.”

While the widespread adoption of processes like pasteurization successfully eliminated foodborne pathogens, she explains, “they inadvertently got rid of the harmless, beneficial environmental microbes our ancestors consumed daily.”

The result? Less resilience, lowered immunity, and more chronic disease. It’s perhaps no surprise that the French consume as many live microbes as they do. In the land of pastry, dessert is a daily indulgence — but the French actually tend to close their meals not with pâtisserie but with gut-friendly yogurt, preceded by a portion of raw milk cheese. On the other hand, while current healthy living trends in the U.S. certainly indicate an uptick in the popularity of fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut, experts believe we might still be missing the mark.

The French love to finish their meals not with sweet dessert, but an array of cheeses — and this could be a huge win for their gut health. – Credit: Unsplash Edward Howell

“There is a massive disconnect between marketing and microbiology,” says Srivastava. “Well-intentioned consumers reach for ‘gut-health’ products that are actually doing little to sustain good health.”

Here’s what you need to know about the health benefits of microbe-rich foods — and how to make sure you’re integrating them into your diet in the most helpful, healthful way.

The Health Benefits of Microbe-Rich Foods

While for years, according to Srivastava, the standard advice for improving gut health was “just to eat more fiber,” landmark research published out of Stanford University in 2021 “changed the paradigm⁵.”

“Researchers found that while fiber is crucial, a diet rich in live fermented foods reliably and rapidly increases gut microbial diversity while lowering 19 distinct inflammatory markers (including Interleukin-6),” explains Srivastava. “In study after study, microbiome diversity is a marker of health, longevity, and vitality.”

Microbe-rich foods have been found to improve digestive function⁶ and gastrointestinal symptoms⁷, reducing constipation, bloating, and flatulence. And their impact on gut health is just the beginning. Consumption of these foods has also been found to reduce inflammation⁸ and have beneficial effects on mental health, thanks in large part to the gut-brain axis⁹. Notably, research published in 2024 in Environmental Health and Prevention found an association between a high dietary intake of live microbes and a lower risk of depression¹⁰.

Microbe-rich fermented foods could also have benefits for cardiovascular health, according to 2023 research in The Journal of Nutrition, which found that they were beneficial for plasma levels of glucose, insulin, and cholesterol¹¹. A 2026 study, meanwhile, showcased an association between the consumption of microbe-rich foods and a reduction in all-cause mortality in coronary heart disease¹².

The evidence is clear, according to Srivastava. “Ancient food wisdom, passed down through generations, is now being validated by modern science,” she says. “Live microbes are not a wellness trend; they are essential to human health.”

How to Reap the Benefits of Live-Microbe Foods

Perhaps the most beneficial live-microbe foods are fermented. These include dairy like yogurt, kefir, and raw milk cheeses, vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, and soy-based ferments like miso, natto, and tempeh. Given the ever-growing evidence of the health benefits, it’s no surprise that folks around the globe are refocusing on mindful consumption of such foods, with countries like South Korea even integrating them into national food policies¹³.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the American guidelines seem to lag far behind. The study authors note that the FDA “does not at this time recognize probiotics or fermented foods as a distinct regulatory category.”

Srivastava expresses her hope that this study may pave the way for a recommended daily intake of living foods in the U.S. “As microbiome science is rapidly evolving, a focus on fermented foods will drive new dietary recommendations with a laser sharp vision to build a robust and healthy microbiome,” she says.

In the meantime, American consumers are forced to be their own guides — and unfortunately, the misinformation is plentiful.

“In my practice, I often see people purchase products marketed as ‘gut-friendly’ but that contain added sugars or are pasteurized, without realizing they won’t bring the same health benefits as expected,” explains Sophia Guillot, a Registered Dietitian at TeamNutrition.

Here’s what you need to know about separating marketing mumbo-jumbo from the real deal.

Eat a Wide Range of Fermented Foods — and Feed them Well

Enjoying a wide range of fermented foods will add to the diversity of your gut microbiome and your overall health. – Credit: Unsplash Natalie Behn

Americans have an unfortunate habit of attempting to bottle holistic living advice into a single “magic potion,” from distilling the health benefits of turmeric down to a capsule to hyping a single “superfood” like açai, kale, or quinoa. And the same thing, according to Serena Pratt, MS, RDN, a Columbia University-trained dietitian and owner of the virtual private practice Serena Pratt Nutrition, is happening in the world of fermented foods.

“Many people are trying to ‘hack’ gut health with one trendy product or supplement instead of looking at how gastrointestinally supportive the overall pattern of the diet is,” she explains.

This is important because synergy is crucial to promoting better gut health — specifically between probiotics (aka the microbes) and prebiotics, the fiber they feed on. Research published in Food Bioengineering in 2024 showcased this crucial interplay¹⁴, and experts say it’s important to bear this synergy in mind when building a truly gut-healthy diet.

“The key takeaway from this study is that improving overall dietary patterns, not simply adding one ‘gut health’ product, offers the greatest potential for long-term health benefits,” explains Kristy Thomas, a Registered Nutritionist at Prowise Healthcare.

For Guillot, the first step is variety: Consume a wide range of fermented foods, such as plain yogurt with live cultures, kefir, and kimchi.

“Consuming a variety of these foods can be associated with better gut and overall health, in part because of their positive impact on microbiota diversity,” she explains, citing 2024 research published in Microorganisms¹⁵. Indeed, echoes Thomas, “Including a variety of fermented foods is likely to provide greater microbiome diversity than relying on a single source.”

Start Small and Stay Consistent

As you start to modify your diet, Pratt suggests starting with baby steps. “For someone who is new to fermented foods or has IBS, reflux, bloating, or food sensitivities, I would start small,” she says. “A few bites of fermented vegetables or a small serving of kefir may be more realistic than adding several new fermented foods at once.”

The key, adds Guillot, is to consume these foods regularly — and alongside fiber- and polyphenol-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

“Fiber is especially important because it helps feed beneficial gut bacteria that are already living in the digestive tract,” says Pratt. “Diversity of fiber-rich foods is important, eating a wider range of plant foods and fermented foods helps support a more diverse gut microbiome, which is generally associated with better overall gut health.”

Srivastava adds, “The magic happens when we combine the two: the live microbes from fermented foods remodel and diversify the gut ecosystem, while the prebiotic fiber acts as the nourishing food microbes need to thrive and produce gut-healing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).”

Minimize Sugar

Yogurt can definitely be a great food with live microbes to add to your diet, as long as it isn’t overly processed or sweetened. – Credit: Unsplash Vicky Ng Uy

Yogurt was perhaps the first probiotic-rich food to go viral in the U.S., and according to Pratt, it’s definitely a good choice — as long as you’re shopping smart.

“Yogurt can be a great source of live and active cultures, but some products are also very high in added sugar,” she explains. According to Srivastava, yogurt brands around the world have been shown time¹⁶ and again¹⁷ to contain enough sugar to counteract their health benefits.

“When yogurt is also packed with 20 grams of refined sugar, it completely undermines the live cultures inside it,” she continues. “That sugar fuels the exact pro-inflammatory, opportunistic bacteria you are trying to crowd out of the gut microbiome.”

She recommends choosing plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, kefir, or traditional labneh. Then you can feel free to sweeten it yourself slightly using fiber-rich berries or a touch of local honey.

Seek Out a Range of Naturally Fermented Foods — With Live Cultures

Pasteurization is crucial for food safety, but according to Pratt, “it can also reduce or eliminate the live microorganisms that may have been present in the food.”

“Not all fermented foods contain live microbes by the time they reach the consumer,” she cautions. “If a kombucha, sauerkraut, or fermented vegetable product has been pasteurized after fermentation, it may still be flavorful and nutritious, but it is not going to provide live microbes in the same way.”

Srivastava agrees. “I routinely see people buying shelf-stable kombuchas or commercial pickles sitting on warm grocery store shelves,” she says. “If fermented food is shelf-stable, it has been heat-treated or pasteurized, meaning the beneficial microbes are dead.”

While certain fermented foods like kombucha are great for your gut microbiome, the pasteurized and shelf-stable versions of those products won’t do much at all. – Credit: Unsplash Joanna Stolowicz

It’s worth noting that some research shows that “postbiotics,” which are produced when prebiotics are pasteurized, could convey some of the same benefits of their live cousins. According to a 2025 study in Advances in Nutrition, for example, some clinical trials have shown that consumption of both pasteurized and unpasteurized sauerkraut conveyed the same beneficial effects for patients with IBS¹⁸.

But for Srivastava, it’s best to stick to the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store when sourcing these foods.

“When reading labels, look for the words ‘Contains Live and Active Cultures’ or ‘Traditionally Fermented, Unpasteurized,” she recommends. This will help you zero in on the most beneficial options — and keep you from spending your well-earned cash on a version that may be lacking some of the benefits you’re looking for.

Bearing these guidelines in mind, consuming microbe-rich fermented foods as a regular part of your diet is a great (and delicious) way to promote a wide range of health benefits.

Sources:

The post What Do French People Eat That Keeps Them Healthy? Live Microbes appeared first on Organic Authority.

How Your Summer Diet Shows Up in Your Skin

Leigh Smith — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 01:16:24 +0000

Summer changes what your skin needs. A guide to the foods that support hydration, collagen, the skin barrier, and repair from the inside out.

Skin gets more attention in July than in any other month. You’re outside longer, sweating more, and reaching for more products to deal with the results. When your skin starts acting up, food is a factor that most people never consider. Summer is when that gap tends to show most clearly.

What Summer Actually Does to Your Skin

Three things shift when the temperature climbs. You lose more water and sodium through sweat. UV exposure increases, using up antioxidants stored in the skin faster than your body can replenish them.¹ And appetite drops, so meals get lighter and often carry less protein and fat than they did in January. Lighter eating is not a problem in itself. But if you find yourself skipping protein for four days running, you might not have the needed amino acids in reserves to draw on.

None of what follows replaces sunscreen or a decent moisturizer. But it will give your skin a better starting point than most summer diets provide.

Hydration Starts on the Plate

A meaningful share of your daily fluid comes from food rather than from a glass, and summer produce happens to be some of the most water-dense foods available (nature’s incredible like that). Watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, berries, oranges, and leafy greens all run high in water and bring potassium along with it.² Eat enough of them, and you are drinking without thinking about it. We have a roundup of the season’s most hydrating produce here.

But sweat also takes more than water out. It also pulls sodium and potassium, and plain water alone only replaces one part of that equation.³ If you are outside all afternoon, salted food and potassium sources like cantaloupe, beans, yogurt, and potatoes do more for you than another glass of water on its own. Hydration is a food problem as much as it is a drinking problem, and summer is the season that makes it obvious.

The Nutrients Doing the Work

A meaningful share of your daily fluid comes from food rather than a glass. Summer produce does double duty: high water content and potassium in the same bite. – Credit: Klara Kulikova Unsplash

Vitamin C and collagen

Your body cannot build collagen without vitamin C. It works as a cofactor in the process, so a shortfall shows up as slower repair rather than as anything dramatic or obvious.⁴Bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, citrus and broccoli are the reliable sources, and most of them happen to be summer staples.

One thing worth noting: vitamin C breaks down with heat, light and time.⁵ A pepper eaten raw this week delivers meaningfully more than one that sat in the produce drawer since last Thursday before going into a hot pan.

Carotenoids and cooked tomatoes

Lycopene and beta-carotene build up in skin tissue over weeks of consistent eating. Research suggests people who eat them consistently show a small measured increase in how long their skin resists UV redness.⁶ Small is the operative word. This is a background effect, not a reason to skip SPF.

Lycopene absorbs better from cooked tomatoes with a little olive oil than from raw ones, which makes a simple tomato sauce more useful than a salad for this particular purpose.⁷ Carrots, sweet potato, apricots and red peppers cover the beta-carotene side.

Omega-3 fats and the barrier

Fatty fish twice a week is the standard recommendation for skin barrier support (or the plant-based equivalent). The omega-3s in your diet feed directly into how well your skin holds water in. – Credit: Unsplash Micheile Henderson

The outer layer of skin holds water in, and the fats in your diet feed directly into how well it does that job.⁸ Fatty fish twice a week is the standard recommendation. Walnuts, flaxseed, and chia are the plant-based route, though the conversion of plant omega-3s in the body is inefficient, so quantities need to be higher to achieve a similar effect.⁹

Protein and zinc for repair

Collagen is built from amino acids, glycine and proline in particular, and you get those from ordinary protein rather than from anything special.¹⁰ Zinc supports wound healing and skin cell turnover, and is found in shellfish, beef, lentils, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds.¹¹

On a practical note: spreading protein across the day instead of loading it into dinner. Skin repair does not wait for one meal.

The gut angle, with a caveat

Fermented foods come up constantly in conversations about skin health. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi are the usual suspects, and the research linking gut bacteria to skin conditions is real, but it’s also early and most of it stops well short of saying that eating sauerkraut will clear your skin.¹² The gut-skin connection is worth paying attention to as the science develops, but it isn’t worth overstating where it currently stands.

What food will not do

No diet blocks UV rays. No diet replaces a moisturizer on skin that is dry and tight after a beach day. And nothing you eat fixes a product that irritates you.

Food builds the material your skin is made of. Products handle the surface, and sunscreen handles the part your diet simply cannot touch. Both matter and they work best when you aren’t asking either one to do the other’s job.

If you are buying for someone who takes their routine seriously, a Sephora gift card is worth considering for exactly that reason. Sunscreen, moisturizer or vitamin C serum are deeply personal. What works in February often starts working in July, and formulas vary enough by skin type that guessing rarely lands. Letting them choose is a more useful gift.

A Week That Supports Your Skin

None of this requires a meal plan or a complete overhaul of how you eat. A handful of consistent habits covers most of the nutritional ground your skin needs during the summer months.

These five habits cover most of it:

Put something water-heavy on every plate, whether that is tomatoes, cucumber or whatever fruit is in season.
Eat one raw source of vitamin C a day (since heat degrades it more quickly than most realize).
Cook tomatoes in olive oil once or twice a week to get the most out of their lycopene content, which research shows absorbs significantly better than raw.#
Eat oily fish twice a week for omega-3 support, or eat plant-based sources like walnuts, flaxseed, and chia daily if you don’t eat fish.
Salt your food properly when you have been sweating heavily to replace sweated out sodium.

The Short Version

Summer skin is easier to feed than it is to rescue. Water-rich produce, steady protein spread across the day, vitamin C you have not cooked to nothing, and fats that support the barrier will carry most of the load. What you put on topically is a separate job, and worth choosing carefully rather than guessing at.

Sources

The post How Your Summer Diet Shows Up in Your Skin appeared first on Organic Authority.

What Time Should You Stop Eating? Experts Weigh In on the Best Times to Eat

Emily Monaco — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Every day, we make decisions around what to eat — but it’s important to think about when we eat, too.

From meditation to intermittent fasting, yoga to high-intensity interval training, you’re already integrating loads of healthy living practices into your life. But did you know that when you do something is almost as important as the practice itself?

“Timing your wellness practices isn’t just a scheduling preference,” explains Valentina Lipskaia, Founder & Clinical Psychologist at Dzeny. “It has real neurological and psychological grounding, and getting it right can meaningfully amplify results.”

In this new series, we’re exploring the best time to take part in different wellness practices. We started things off with what many experts claim is the best way to start the day: meditation. For our second installment, we focused on different kinds of exercise and activity, whose benefits can change slightly depending on when you integrate them into your day. For the third and final installment, we’re bringing it all together with the fuel you need to make these and all of your body’s other biological processes possible: food.

From intermittent fasting to eating early dinners, how should you approach the timing of your meals? Is there a best time of day to focus on eating specific macronutrients? Is breakfast actually the most important meal of the day? As with all of the stories in this series, the recommendations below will vary depending on your individual body makeup.

“Hormone fluctuations (e.g., testosterone), loss of lean body tissue (muscle), and changes in caloric expenditure from training or competition can affect how/when meals are eaten and how to support recovery,” explains Kezia Joy, RDN. So be sure to balance the below with what you know about your own body and any advice given to you by your doctors, nutritionists, or other medical professionals.

Once you’ve digested all of that (pun very much intended), here’s the best way to get the ball rolling on a healthy approach to eating with your body’s natural circadian rhythm and needs in mind.

Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?

For years, we were told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Then, in the late 2010s, people started saying that skipping breakfast to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting could reduce inflammation, promote autophagy, and maybe shed a few stubborn pounds.

So what’s the truth? What is the most important meal of the day? As with so many things health and wellness, the answer begins with: It depends.

There’s a case for both skipping breakfast and loading up on a high-protein breakfast — here’s what the experts think. – Credit: Unsplash Monika Grabkowska

For Katherine Livingstone, Associate Professor at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University, eating with your natural circadian rhythm in mind means frontloading your calories towards the beginning of the day. This, she explains in an article for The Conversation, is “when your body can process it most efficiently¹.”

Since protein is digested more slowly than carbs or fat, Livingstone recommends starting the day with a combination of high-quality protein and fiber-rich whole grains — think beans with high-fiber toast or brown rice congee with an egg on top.

“When lunch rolls around, you may be less tempted to eat a large meal,” she writes, noting that while a big lunch doesn’t disturb your circadian rhythm, “it can still make you feel sluggish while you wait for your body to digest it.”

Beefing up breakfast is a particularly good idea for those adhering to a demanding exercise regimen, according to Ben Walker, Founder & Personal Trainer at Anywhere Fitness.

“If you are actively training, I would not recommend intermittent fasting, as it will malnourish the tissues of your body while in active recovery,” he explains. “After working out and breaking down the muscle fibres, the tissues need glucose to restore glycogen, and they also need amino acids (from protein) to help repair. Fasting the body through this process can actually counteract your fitness goals and leave you weaker than before, without the muscle recovering and growing, and left damaged before performing the next workout.”

The Case for Skipping Breakfast

Ben Greenfield, a longevity, biohacking, and human performance expert and producer of the new documentary, Boundless, which is centered on the emotional toll of seeking physical perfection, offers a different perspective. He believes what to eat before a workout may not matter as long as you’re not doing intensive exercise.

“Unless you are an athlete doing a two-a-day exercise routine, you do not need to eat before your morning workout,” he says. “A lot of people do better with that because their gut is empty.”

However, he does note a “subtle nuance” worth taking into account.

“For most of the people who I work with, we do the morning workout on an empty stomach, but with ketones and amino acids,” he explains. He recommends about 10 to 20 grams of essential amino acids and a liquid ketone shot to fuel your body during the workout while leaving the stomach “somewhat empty” — which many prefer during intensive exercise.

Intermittent Fasting Is Different for Women

Despite his advice as it relates to breakfast and working out, Greenfield notes that the benefits of an intermittent fasting protocol are very dependent on your sex. For men, he recommends a strict 12- to 16-hour fast, but for women — “particularly premenopausal women still in their fertile years” — he offers more cautious advice.

While there are reasons you might want to try intermittent fasting, women should take on a different protocol than men to reap the benefits. – Credit: Unsplash Roberta Sant Anna

“[Premenopausal women] do not do as well with a fast that exceeds 12 hours on a regular basis, because it downregulates hormones responsible for fertility, like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormones,” he explains. “So for premenopausal women, I recommend 10 to 12 hours.”

Postmenopausal women, he continues, can feel free to adhere to the same fasting guidelines as men. For those in perimenopause, meanwhile, it’s often a question of listening to your own body. “Most perimenopausal women do better on a 10 to 12 hour daily fast rather than a 12 to 16 hour daily intermittent fast,” he says.

Mark Gillilan, a former biologist with a B.S. in Biology and the founder of Kyoto Botanicals, agrees. “I absolutely recommend IF with a 16-hour fast beginning immediately post-dinner and extending through mid-morning the following day,” he explains. “Having worked closely with low-carbohydrate and ketogenic physiology during my time at Atkins, prolonged glycemic control and baseline brain chemistry restoration are the main goals. Sleeping through many of those hours makes the task a lot easier and then when you do start your morning, your brain is operating on a stable metabolic baseline, preventing the early-morning glucose crashes that negatively impact energy.”

The Downside of Intermittent Fasting

For other experts, the timing of your first meal is less important than the potential nutritional repercussions of skipping breakfast entirely.

“I do not recommend intermittent fasting based solely on the fact that it simplifies your diet,” explains Dr. Chad Larson, a Naturopathic and Chiropractic Doctor and the founder and CEO of The Adapt Lab. “It loses its usefulness if it causes a decrease in protein consumption, impairs sleep quality, diminishes athletic performance, or contradicts medication regimens and/or medical requirements.”

Joy agrees. “Ultimately, what you consume in your meals will have the most influence on your health rather than the time frame in which you consume those meals,” she explains. “Creating a consistent approach to your daily eating habits will also provide the greatest benefit in maintaining that approach over a prolonged period of time.”

An Early Dinner Is Best, Within Reason

Once you’ve handled (or skipped) breakfast, what’s the right approach for the meals that follow? What’s the best time to eat dinner, and what time should you stop eating? Having your final meal on the early side was once gauche, but it’s currently rising in popularity. And for good reason — eating your last meal several hours before getting ready for bed is the best way to encourage truly restful sleep. Greenfield recommends finishing dinner at least three hours before bedtime, particularly if it’s heavy or spicy. This, he says, ensures that your body temperature has time to drop post-digestion, paving the way for better sleep.

Livingstone agrees, noting that eating late at night can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle by causing insulin spikes and delaying the release of melatonin.

To reap these benefits, Greenfield notes that some push this advice to the extreme. “Guys like Bryan Johnson are finishing at noon,” he says. But he also notes that there’s balance to be found.

There are certainly benefits of an early dinner, but there’s a social trade-off that may not be worth it. – Credit: Unsplash Getty Images

“You can definitely make a case for better sleep when dinner is done well prior to bedtime,” he explains. “But I think you also have to balance that out with relationships, community, social activities.”

At home, he says, he compromises by having family dinner “at around 7:30, which is kind of late. But the happiness I derive from being able to sit down with the family and have dinner far exceeds any potential sleep-optimizing benefits of eating at 5 pm.”

What to Eat When

Once you’ve decided when you’re eating your meals, it comes time to decide what to eat. And for this, perhaps the easiest approach is to focus on the three major macronutrients — each of which, Walker explains, “performs a different function within your body.”

“Balancing them appropriately ensures there is enough energy to train, recover, and adapt to exercise, without gaining excess weight,” he says.

Protein

First up, the current darling of the health world: protein. Protein is essential for muscle growth, Walker explains, as it helps supply the amino acids required to repair and rebuild the microscopic muscle tears we seek to form when performing resistance training.

“Over time,” he explains, “this allows muscles to become stronger and larger and perform better.”

Protein, he adds, is “equally important during weight loss.” Not only does it help you feel fuller for longer, contributing to better portion control, but it also helps preserve lean muscle mass while the body is in a calorie deficit — something that’s of particular importance given the new prevalence of GLP-1 drugs.

Most people aim to spread out their protein intake over the course of the day, but front-loading it may be more effective. – Credit: Unsplash Olimpia Davies

Walker recommends that most adults consume between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight each day, which, he says, “provides an adequate target for supporting muscle maintenance and growth.”

Eating protein first thing in the morning helps you stay full all day, so aim for a high-protein breakfast. And if you’ve got a workout planned, Walker recommends consuming protein within 20 to 30 minutes after the fact. This, he says, encourages the muscles to absorb the macronutrient with enough time to recover for the next one. If you can front-load your protein, that’s a great strategy — but most people find it hard to hit their protein goals without spreading it out throughout the day.

Fats

Dietary fat has finally shed its erroneous poor image: We now know that healthy fats are crucial to all manner of processes in the body, and are particularly essential for brain health. Walker notes they also support the production of hormones involved in muscle growth and recovery, and help your body absorb certain vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

“When looking to cut weight, fat intake should not be very restricted, as doing so can negatively affect hormone production, recovery, and long term adherence to a healthy diet,” he explains. He recommends getting 20 to 30% of your total daily calories from healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, fatty fish, and coconut milk.

Larson notes that it’s beneficial to distribute your healthy fat consumption evenly among each meal of the day. Avocado at breakfast, a dense bean salad with tahini dressing at lunch, and a lovely piece of salmon at dinner can help you hit this goal easily.

Carbs

Carbs have long been demonized in nutrition circles — something that may well have contributed to America’s serious fiber problem. (TL;DR: More than 95% of Americans aren’t getting enough of this crucial substance.)

But now we know better, and we’re more than ready to see carbs return to the nutritional stage. After all, Walker explains, “carbs are the primary source of fuel during moderate to high intensity exercise.” He reminds us that this includes any activity that trains the anaerobic system, from hill running to resistance training, sprints to power lifts.

“Without adequate carbs, an athlete can feel weak if trying to perform repetitions in strength training, and feel exhausted if trying to do repetitive sprints,” he says. While he allows for the restriction or reduction of carbs alongside a more general calorie restriction if you’re looking to lose body fat, completely cutting them deprives your body of essential fuel. “Low glycogen stores not only lower performance, it also makes muscle recovery slower and maintaining muscle mass more difficult,” he explains.

To figure out how much of your diet should come from carbs, he recommends working backwards. First, establish your goal calorie intake, and account for the recommended protein and fat above. The remainder should be allocated to complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again — carbs are not the enemy, and they’re a critical part of a balanced diet. – Credit: Unsplash Patrycja Jadach

“This method ensures the body has enough protein to repair muscle tissue, enough fat to support hormones and overall health, and enough carbohydrates to fuel training, replenish glycogen stores, and aid in active recovery where the muscle cells repair,” he says.

Some experts, like Livingstone, recommend having carbs paired with protein first thing in the day, for a quick hit of energy. Greenfield offers the opposite advice, noting that saving the majority of your carbs for the end of the day is ideal, as it encourages cyclic ketosis: a gentler form of ketosis than the all-or-nothing approach of a fully keto diet.

Meanwhile, Larson suggests that “carbohydrates can be timed relative to periods of increased physical demand when energy expenditure is elevated.” In other words, eating carbs when your body needs them — right before a workout or other physical activity — is the best way to ensure your body has the fuel it needs.

But for Joy, what matters above all is balance. “Instead of thinking in terms of precise ratio of each food group, try to have as much nutritional ‘balance’ as you can with each meal,” she suggests. “Spread out your daily intake of protein to help maintain good muscle health; add adequate amounts of dietary fiber so that you can sustain a fairly consistent level of energy and digestive function; incorporate some amount of healthy fat into your diet to promote feelings of satiety (fullness); and vary how many carbs are eaten based upon how active you will be, because that is usually the time when they will provide the greatest benefit to your body.”

With a few small tweaks, you’ll be optimizing your diet in no time.

Sources:

https://theconversation.com/is-it-worse-to-eat-unhealthy-food-in-the-morning-or-later-in-the-day-and-what-if-you-skip-breakfast-282728?ref=refind

The post What Time Should You Stop Eating? Experts Weigh In on the Best Times to Eat appeared first on Organic Authority.

When Is the Best Time of the Day to Exercise? Experts Weigh In

Emily Monaco — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:12:13 +0000

From meditation to intermittent fasting, yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you’re already integrating loads of healthy living practices into your life. But did you know that when you do something is almost as important as the practice itself?

In this new series, we’re exploring the best time to take part in different wellness practices. We started things off with what many experts claim is the best way to start the day: meditation. For our second installment, we’re focusing on the best time to exercise and participate in different physical activities, whose benefits can change slightly depending on when you take part. And while, according to Lipskaia, “research consistently shows that late afternoon exercise — roughly 3 to 6 PM — aligns with peak muscle strength and cardiovascular efficiency,” she also notes that “exercise timing is where individual variation matters most.”

Dr. Chad Larson, a Naturopathic and Chiropractic Doctor and the founder and CEO of The Adapt Lab, agrees.

“Biological sex, menstrual cycle status, pregnancy, post-menopausal status and caloric availability impact your ability to fast, recover and engage in exercise,” explains Larson. That said, he continues, “these factors tend to vary from person-to-person much more so than they vary between genders.”

With these caveats in mind, when is the best time to workout? Here are some tips from our experts for optimizing your exercise regimen.

When to Practice Yoga

Yoga has been linked to a number of health benefits, including better balance¹, reduced arthritis symptoms², reduced stress levels³, and improved cardiovascular health⁴. And while a poll from the CDC reveals that more than 23% of U.S. women have already integrated a yoga practice into their daily routine, this is more than twice as likely as men (10.3%). Jenna Armitage, owner of GoodGood Studio in London, explains that for men, mobility, stretching, and yoga tend to be “the thing they avoid most — and it quietly causes problems down the line.”

Depending on what type of yoga you’re engaging in, a morning practice could set you up nicely for the rest of the day. – Credit: Unsplash Pablo Merchan Montes

She explains that research has connected lower testosterone in older men with poorer mobility, likely tied to weakened muscle and connective tissue. “Doesn’t mean stretching is some magic injury shield,” she cautions. “The research on that specifically is mixed. But the range-of-motion and quality-of-movement benefits are real, and men tend to neglect them completely.”

No matter your gender, according to Mark Gillilan, a former biologist with a B.S. in Biology and the founder of Kyoto Botanicals, yoga is something best practiced either in the morning or after work.

“From a biological perspective, the most impactful window for both meditation and yoga is during daytime transitions, specifically the transition zones between work and home,” he explains. He adds that this can help create a “buffer” and prevent work-induced stress from coming home with you.

Of course, this advice may vary depending on the kind of yoga you’re practicing. “Morning yoga can work beautifully if it’s gentler and movement-focused,” explains Lipskaia. But if you’re doing a more intense practice relying on a good deal of flexibility, “late morning or early afternoon tends to work well physiologically,” she explains. “Body temperature is rising, muscles are more pliable, and injury risk decreases.”

Larson agrees, noting that “more active forms of yoga such as vinyasa flow or ashtanga are better suited for earlier times of the day (prior to engaging in other activities),” while gentle or restorative yoga “is typically performed at night (as it helps release tension from the muscles prior to sleeping).”

“Morning practice tends to lean strength and activation,” echoes Armitage. “Evening practice tends to lean restorative and slow.”

When to Do Strength Training or HIIT

Much like yoga, strength training and HIIT workouts have been linked to a great number of health benefits, including improved brain health⁵, musculoskeletal health⁶, and metabolic health⁷. And in contrast to yoga, according to Armitage, it’s typically women who need to be most mindful of bringing these practices into their daily routines.

Timing your HIIT and strength training workouts may take a bit more planning than more low-intensity exercise. – Credit: Unsplash Kateryna Hliznitsova

“For women, lifting heavy is something I bang on about constantly, because osteoporosis risk climbs so much as we age,” she says. “Research shows very low-intensity activity like walking alone doesn’t move the needle on bone density the way loaded resistance training does.”

“If you’re a woman and you’re only doing cardio,” she continues, “you’re leaving a huge protective tool on the table.” But when it comes to these more intense forms of exercise, there are more factors at play than timing alone.

It Depends on When You Eat

HIIT and strength training both require a decent amount of energy. When we’re talking about the human body, this means one thing: calories. So should you eat before or after a workout?

Ben Walker, Founder & Personal Trainer, Anywhere Fitness, recommends eating a decent amount of natural carbohydrates, like a banana or some oatmeal, about one to two hours before working out. “Before performing high intensity intervals, it’s important to provide the body with the fuel it is going to use,” he says. “When the hard work is done, the body will completely perform within the anaerobic zone, where no oxygen is used, and all the energy must come from glucose.”

But Ben Greenfield, Longevity, Biohacking and Human Performance Expert and producer of the new documentary, Boundless, which is centered on the emotional toll of seeking physical perfection, offers a different perspective.

“In terms of eating before or after, there are two camps on this,” he explains. “One is that those are very glycolytic activities that burn a lot of sugar, so a carbohydrate-rich meal one to two hours prior, allowing for gut emptying, would be ideal.”

This, he says, is particularly true for people who are exercising twice daily. “That intense exercise is going to drain carbohydrates,” he says. But if you’re exercising just once a day, he says it’s not quite as important to be on the ball regarding a pre-workout meal.

A quick snack that combines protein and carbohydrates can make a big difference both for your workout and your recovery. – Credit: Unsplash Ivana Cajina

“Research has shown that unless you’re a two-a-day exerciser, you’ll naturally have carbohydrates in the muscles and liver restored after 24 hours of eating normally anyway,” he explains.

RDN Kezia Joy recommends fueling up after exercise on easily digestible carbohydrates with a small amount of protein, like yogurt paired with fruit. “Following the completion of physical activity, consume a combination of high-quality protein and carbohydrate in order to assist in repairing muscles and replenish the energy that your body expended,” she adds.

Ultimately, Greenfield urges everyone to listen to their own body when it comes to the question of to eat or not to eat. For example, those with sensitive digestion may find that they work out better on an empty stomach and can rely on post-workout meals to fuel up after exercise. For a deeper dive into how to time protein, carbs, and fats across your whole day, not just around workouts, it’s worth reading up on the best approach to meal timing.

Sleep Patterns Matter Too

If so many of our experts recommend that people take part in these more intense workouts in late morning or early afternoon, it’s not just a question of fuel. When you’ve just woken up, your muscles are less supple and flexible. Waiting a few hours before taking part in intense exercise can help reduce the risk of injury and even improve your performance.

“Typically, your body’s internal temperature increases throughout the course of the day, which provides additional support to your strength and endurance,” Larson explains.

And that’s not the only way in which your sleep patterns need to work in tandem with your exercise regimen. Intense exercise like HIIT may impact your ability to wind down at the end of the day, according to Greenfield, who notes that any form of exercise that pushes the heart rate to or near the lactic acid threshold “raises body temperature and also raises post-exercise metabolic rate.”

A general rule of thumb is to avoid high-intensity exercise around bedtime, although this can vary between individuals. – Credit: Unsplash Andrej Lisakov

“Both of those can disrupt sleep architecture,” he explains. “You’d technically want to finish them up about three hours prior to bedtime.”

When it comes to exercise before bed, Armitage agrees. “My general rule is to get any heavy training or HIIT done before dinner, not right before bed,” she explains, citing research that shows that intense workouts raise heart rate and cortisol. “Finishing at least 2 to 3 hours before bed gives your body time to actually cool down and switch off.”

“One study found that when high intensity exercise ended just an hour before bedtime, heart rate stayed elevated and sleep onset was delayed by around 14 minutes⁸,” she explains. “So it’s not just a ‘vibe.’ Your body is genuinely still in fight-or-flight mode if you train too close to lights out.”

So is it bad to workout before bed? Well, all that said, it’s still fairly unique to the individual. “You have to listen to your own body,” Armitage continues. “After a hard session, does it wind you up or can you switch off and sleep? That tells you everything.” In other words, if working out before bed works for your routine and has never given you problems falling asleep, carry on.

Consider Synchronicity

If you’re incorporating both types of movement into your daily regimen, consider how your strength training and flexibility practices work in tandem.

“If you are participating in a strength training or HIIT program, I would recommend doing these workouts earlier in the day, and performing yoga in the evening or shortly after work,” says Walker. This pattern, he explains, “aims to balance your strength training with recovery.”

“The resistance training programs break down the muscle fibres so that they can repair and become stronger,” he continues. “Yoga in the evening helps to increase circulation and sends more blood to these muscles and connective tissues. It also helps to increase range of motion and flexibility in the joints, which is extremely important when breaking down the muscle tissues on a consistent basis.”

Be Wary of Procrastination

Above all, whenever you’re considering when and how to integrate exercise into your daily routine, consider when you’re most likely to honor that commitment to yourself. And bear in mind that for many people, the later you push your practice in the day, the less likely you are going to actually make good on the promise. The best time to workout from a physical standpoint may not be the best time to workout from a practical or mental standpoint, which is just as important when it comes to actually committing to daily exercise.

Regardless of the optimal benefits, it’s important to simply pick a workout time that’s easy for you to consistently stick to and show up for. – Credit: Unsplash Getty Images

“From a psychological standpoint, when we’re talking about high-intensity exercise, there’s a certain amount of decision-making fatigue and willpower that wanes towards the end of the day,” explains Greenfield. “And it’s easiest for most people to eat the frog, so to speak, and get the intense activity done earlier in the day.”

Lipskaia agrees. “Sustainable wellness routines work because they reduce decision fatigue and create predictable anchors in the day — not because they’re perfectly timed,” she says.

Sources:

The post When Is the Best Time of the Day to Exercise? Experts Weigh In appeared first on Organic Authority.

What Causes Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers? A New Study Suggests It Could Be Pesticides

Emily Monaco — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:04:00 +0000

In disappointing news, if you make an effort to eat healthy, you may have a higher risk of lung cancer — even if you don’t smoke.

Our understanding of healthy eating and other habits was recently rocked by a recent study from the University of Southern California¹. According to the study, Americans under the age of 50 who had never smoked and consumed a diet rich in fruits and vegetables actually had a higher risk of developing lung cancer. But the study authors believe the culprit probably isn’t the produce — it’s the pesticides.

“The finding is surprising because it runs counter to the prevailing dominant nutrition narrative: eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and cancer risk will decrease,” says Dr. Nathan Goodyear, a nationally recognized physician specializing in integrative oncology, precision medicine, and emerging cancer therapies and co-founder of Williams Cancer Institute, which was not involved in the study. That said, he continues, “the bigger picture does not surprise me.”

“We have made the mistake of defining food only by what it is — a fruit, a vegetable, a grain — without asking what happened to that food before it reached the plate,” he says. “A food can be nutritionally healthy and still serve as a vehicle for an unhealthy exposure.”

The New Study is Observational but Promising

This study was carried out following a recent rise in lung cancer specifically among young non-smokers — and this in the midst of a steady decline in both smoking rates and lung cancer cases in the U.S. since the mid-80s. To better understand why, the researchers launched the Epidemiology of Young Lung Cancer Project, which analyzed the diets and lifestyles of 187 people who had been diagnosed with lung cancer by age 50.

While it sounds counterintuitive, the people who make an effort to eat a healthy diet that includes fruit and vegetables may be at a higher risk of lung cancer. – Credit: Pexels Fauxels

Their findings, while observational and preliminary, point towards pesticides being the cause. Their first clue: the form of lung cancer that developed in these young people is biologically distinct from the kind typically caused by tobacco use.

They also uncovered an intriguing gender bias, with young women showing a higher risk of developing lung cancer. This is despite the disease traditionally being associated with older men who smoke, reports Science Daily². This, the authors posit, may have to do with the fact that the women in the study tended to eat more produce and whole grains than their male counterparts, potentially increasing their potential for pesticide exposure.

Lung Cancer Risk Is Influenced by a Variety of Factors

Dr. Ayesha Bryant, MD, MSPH, Clinical Advisor of Alpas Wellness in Maryland, echoes the authors’ calls for more research before considering these findings anywhere near conclusive.

“Proving that a particular exposure caused lung cancer is very difficult,” says Bryant, who was not involved in the study. “The amount of risk associated with lung cancer is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, air pollution, work environment, passive cigarette smoke, and personal lifestyle choices. As such, observational studies cannot adequately control for all possible confounders.”

Goodyear agrees, noting that the study findings above all open more areas for conversation and research.

“Does this study prove that pesticide exposure caused these cancers? No,” he says. “Yet, it definitely raises the question. That is different from answering it. But it is a question and answer clearly worth pursuing.”

He suggests that next steps in research should include seeking out pesticide-specific mutational, epigenetic, and metabolic signatures. “That would begin connecting the dots between exposure and disease and move the conclusion from association to causation,” he says.

How to Control Your Exposure to Pesticides

As a non-smoker, one of the few ways you can reduce your risk of lung cancer may be to shop organic. – Credit: Unsplash Elaine Casap

While the causational link between pesticide exposure and lung cancer is far from proven, it doesn’t hurt to take steps to reduce the pesticide load of your food. Unfortunately, with the recent rejection of an amendment to the Farm Bill, it remains difficult to hold pesticide producers accountable for failing to warn consumers about the risks of their products. This means we as consumers continue to be responsible for taking our health into our own hands.

“Focusing on evidence-based strategies to decrease pesticide exposure in foods without generating undue anxiety would be the best approach,” says Bryant. Here are the steps our experts recommend people take to do just that.

Source Organic Produce

The first step in reducing your pesticide exposure is definitely buying organic, experts say. Toxic organophosphate pesticides still haven’t been banned by the EPA, so it’s more important than ever to invest in organic. Seek out the USDA Organic label when shopping at the supermarket, or source from small producers you trust.

“Local growers using organic, regenerative, or integrated pest-management practices are excellent options, even when they do not carry formal organic certification,” says Goodyear. In fact, they may even be safer than some imported products that do bear organic labels — like “organic” honey — due to loopholes in labeling requirements.

While it’s great to choose certified pesticide-free produce whenever possible, take particular care when sourcing fruits and veggies on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, which are more likely to carry higher loads of pesticides.

Diversify Your Diet

Another great way to offset exposure to pesticides is to consume a wide range of fruits and vegetables from a variety of sources, Goodyear explains.

“Eating the same food from the same source every day can repeatedly expose someone to the same chemical profile,” he says. Instead, choose a wide range of seasonal products, and vary your diet regularly.

Wash Your Produce Well Before Consuming

While washing doesn’t remove all pesticide residue, it can certainly help. Goodyear suggests washing produce thoroughly under running water and scrubbing anything firm. “Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables,” he adds. “Peel when appropriate, understanding that peeling may also remove valuable fiber and nutrients.”

Doing your best to wash your produce thoroughly could help minimize your pesticide exposure. – Credit: Unsplash Curated Lifestyle

That said, he notes, “washing is not a perfect solution. It may reduce surface residues, but it does not reliably remove systemic pesticides that have been absorbed into the plant.”

It’s for this reason that it’s a good idea to choose organic particularly when it comes to soft fruits like berries or stone fruit.

Don’t Cut Out Produce from Your Diet

Perhaps the most important piece of advice cited by both of our experts, however, is not to react to this news by panicking and avoiding produce altogether.

“Fears about pesticide residues should not deter consumption of fruits and vegetables,” Bryant says. “The overwhelming majority of epidemiologic studies continue to associate consumption of fruits and vegetables with enhanced overall health.”

“The message is by no means to ‘avoid healthy food,’” echoes Goodyear. “The message is ‘pay attention to the quality and source of healthy food.’”

“This is not about living in fear,” he continues. “It is about being informed and lowering the cumulative burden where we reasonably can.”

Sources:

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Are Bananas Good for You? The Nutrition Behind the Latest Food Trend

Staci Gulbin, Registered Dietitian — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:06:00 +0000

The world is currently going bananas for this fruit — but what does it actually do for our health?

Overnight, it seems like bananas have gone from sad, squished, bagged-lunch afterthought to social media darling. They’ve taken the food and beverage industry by storm, with the K-pop influence of Korean banana milk supercharging this humble fruit’s rise. Suddenly the flavor is everywhere, from Starbucks banana protein cold foam to Banana Nut Bread M&M’s and banana matcha recipes on TikTok.

But as everyone goes bananas for bananas, mixed messages online may make you wonder: “Are bananas good for you?” The answer is a resounding yes. Aside from their meteoric rise, bananas are a healthy fruit full of fiber and potassium, and their natural sweetness makes them a great addition to a whole range of recipes. Unlike the refined added sugar found in processed foods that can potentially harm metabolic health¹, this natural sugar comes packaged with beneficial compounds and antioxidants.

This portable fruit is easy on the gut, provides a sweet alternative to snacks like ice cream, and can add a boost of nutrition and flavor to smoothies. Let’s take a look at what nutrients and health benefits you can find in a banana, from the peel to the flesh to answer questions like: how many bananas should you eat per day? Are organic bananas worth it? Are there people who should limit their banana intake? Here we go.

What’s Actually in a Banana?

This simple fruit is rich in nutrients. Let’s take a look at banana nutrition facts to see what you can get from eating this delicious and versatile fruit².

Nutrition Facts per 100 g	Ripe/Slightly Ripe Banana
Calories	98
Protein (g)	0.74
Fat (g)	0.29
Carbohydrate (g)	23
Fiber (g)	1.7
Total sugars (g)	15.8
Potassium (mg)	326
Magnesium (mg)	28
Folate (mcg)	14
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.209
Vitamin C (mg)	12.3

How Healthy Are Bananas? A Nutrient-Benefit Breakdown

Bananas are not only nutritious, but they’re also a super versatile ingredient for everything from banana bread to smoothies. – Credit: Unsplash American Heritage Chocolate

So based on these numbers, are bananas healthy? If you’re not sure how to interpret the nutrition facts alone, let’s go through individual nutrients to understand how each of them translate into tangible benefits you can enjoy today.

Potassium and Heart Health

If you ask a range of people, “What are bananas good for?”, chances are most of them will mention potassium. Potassium is a vital mineral for maintaining heart health, supporting muscle contractions, and balancing body fluids³.

A 2024 study on fruit intake and health outcomes shows that a moderate intake of apples and bananas (around three to six times per week) was linked with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in those with hypertension⁴. A 2023 study review on bananas also shows that this antioxidant-rich fruit can help improve cardiovascular health⁵.

Potassium also helps regulate the signals that let your muscles contract and relax, making it a critical electrolyte for bodily functions. When potassium drops too low — otherwise known as hypokalaemia, or potassium deficiency — you may experience muscle spasms, cramps, or general fatigue. Bananas are a great potassium-rich snack to counteract these symptoms⁶.

Fiber and Digestion

Bananas are a good source of natural fiber that can support gut health. The potassium in bananas is not only good for heart health, but can also help maintain fluid balance and prevent constipation by supporting regular bowel movements⁷.

Adding banana to your morning smoothie is a great way to start your day with a bit of fiber. – Credit: Unsplash Elena Leya

Ripe bananas contain pectin, which is a soluble fiber that dissolves water in your gut and forms a gel to help your body pass waste⁸. Note that this is slightly different for green, unripe bananas — keep reading for more on that in a bit!

Bananas also act as a prebiotic, helping to stimulate growth of bacteria like Bifidobacteria⁹. This quality comes from the banana’s fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and resistant starch content. Not to mention that bananas’ gut health benefits extend to its role in the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast) recommended to people with indigestion and nausea.

Magnesium, Tryptophan, and Sleep

Bananas offer a moderate amount of magnesium per serving (about 10% of the daily recommended value), which may help you sleep better by relaxing muscles and calming the nervous system¹⁰. They also contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid involved in the body’s regulation of sleep through the production of melatonin.

A landmark study from 2024 looked at the effect of a bedtime banana on sleep quality. Results showed that people in the group that had one portion of ripened banana before bed had improved sleep quality index scores¹¹. The study authors believe that the sugar in the bananas helped release insulin, allowing tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier and promoting the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin — which ultimately improved sleep parameters.

B6 and Energy

One medium banana contains 25% of the recommended daily value of B6¹².Vitamin B6 is an antioxidant that plays a significant role in the breakdown of carbs, lipids, and proteins for energy¹³. This means that eating bananas on a regular basis could help your body unlock more energy from the foods you eat. Not only that, but vitamin B6 from bananas also shows potential to help reduce inflammation in the body¹⁴.

Green vs. Ripe: Does Ripeness Change a Banana’s Benefits?

While largely similar, a difference in the ripeness of your bananas can mean slightly different benefits. – Credit: Unsplash Ries Bosch

With all the banana health benefits to enjoy, we have good news: ripeness doesn’t significantly alter a banana’s nutrition facts. However, it does change its digestive qualities. This has to do with the resistant starch (RS) properties of bananas.

Green bananas have one of the highest RS content of any whole foods¹⁵. This is important because RS is a complex carb that acts as a prebiotic fiber that is fermented by bacteria in the colon. Experts say that unripe bananas have an even higher RS content. When RS is fermented in the colon, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) like butyrate are made. Butyrate can help reduce inflammation and support gut health by maintaining intestinal motility and preserving gut integrity⁷. Therefore, unripe green bananas may offer additional gut health benefits and even help with constipation.

On the other hand, ripe bananas have more total sugars than unripe bananas¹⁶.Some of these sugars include fructose, which may not sit well in those with fructose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Therefore, those with such intolerances and gut health issues should choose firm and unripe bananas instead¹⁷.

Who Should Be More Cautious — and How Many Bananas to Eat a Day

With all of these health benefits of bananas, you might be rushing to eat a banana at every meal. But before you start loading up on banana smoothies, how many bananas should you actually eat per day?

To reap the benefits while still leaving space for a diverse diet with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, I recommend consuming anywhere between three to six bananas per week. For those with conditions like kidney disease, these numbers should be treated as an upper limit. Because people with kidney disease are at risk of having potassium levels outside of the goal range, they should be careful to limit their intake of potassium-rich foods like bananas¹⁸. Always consult with your healthcare provider if you’re not sure what your daily potassium intake should be.

What About the Peel?

It’s not just the flesh of bananas that offers benefits — the peel is packed with nutrients, too. – Credit: Unsplash Louis Hansel

After you eat a banana, you normally just toss the peel in the trash. But you could be throwing away some lesser known health benefits.

Can you eat banana peels? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. It might have a grainy texture that isn’t the most appealing, but the peel of a banana is a rich source of fiber and antioxidants¹⁹. You can eat banana peels as is, but be sure to wash the peel well under warm water, cut the hard tip and bottom off first, and choose softer, more ripened peels. To avoid experiencing the off-putting texture, try blending them directly into a smoothie.

There are a few studies that use banana peels to make more palatable extracts. When made into banana peel extract, you can enjoy anti-inflammatory properties that could help protect brain health²⁰. There are also documented uses of banana peel to help reduce inflammation in ulcers, burns, and snakebites²¹. Other studies show that banana peel extract may help manage acne and skin hyperpigmentation and reduce skin aging, among other benefits^22,23,24,25.

Are Organic Bananas Worth It?

If you’re concerned about your exposure to cancer-causing pesticides and toxic organophosphates, you’re not alone. Luckily, you can rest assured that even conventionally grown bananas are unlikely to be a major contributor to your pesticide load. In fact, the banana is actually a card-carrying member of this year’s EWG Clean Fifteen™ — AKA the top 15 conventional produce items least likely to be contaminated with pesticides — due to its thick peel limiting pesticide transfer to banana flesh. (Of course, you run a much higher risk of pesticide exposure if you choose to eat the peel, so proceed with caution.)

However, beyond pesticide residue on your fruit, there’s also an ethical question around how your bananas are grown. Conventional banana farming still exposes farm workers to large amounts of pesticides that can cause gut health issues, skin and eye irritation, and far worse over time ²⁶.Without the proper protective masks and gloves, farm workers are also at risk for respiratory issues²⁷.

When it comes to investing in organic bananas, it’s largely a matter of worker safety and supporting organic farms. – Credit: Unsplash Keren Hu

Organic farming practices and Fairtrade organizations are working to help improve banana farming. While organic farming aims to reduce pesticide use, Fairtrade programs work to guarantee farmers a minimum banana price (even in the face of low market prices), protect worker rights, and provide community funds to workers that can help them with housing, healthcare, and education programs²⁸.

The challenge is that these certifications come with high costs that many farmers can’t easily absorb into their bottom line. Although the banana industry still has work to do to make banana farms better for both farmers and the environment, you can help now by purchasing bananas with the organic or Fairtrade labels to show your support for improving those conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bananas should I eat a day?

Most adults can eat one to two bananas a day, while those with kidney disease should stick to half of this amount.

Are bananas good for diabetics?

Bananas have a glycemic index of 55, which indicates a moderate effect on blood glucose levels after eating. As such, bananas are recommended by the American Diabetes Association as one of the fruits that has its place in a diabetes-friendly dietary pattern^29,30.

Do bananas cause constipation or prevent it?

Contrary to popular belief, bananas can help prevent constipation! Due to their inclusion in the BRAT diet (often used as part of a treatment protocol for diarrhea), many believe bananas have a constipating effect. However, the opposite is actually true — especially if you’re dealing with unripe green bananas.

Not only are bananas a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, they also include high amounts of resistant starch, which is a complex carb with fiber-like properties. In a randomized 2019 study on children and adolescents with functional constipation, green bananas were seen to cause a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients with Bristol Stool Form Scale ratings of 1 and 2, which indicate constipation³¹.

Can you eat banana peels?

Yes, you can add ripened banana peels to smoothies for extra fiber and antioxidants, or consume banana peel extract for additional health benefits like those for certain skin conditions. Note that if you’re dealing with conventionally grown bananas, the peels may come with a higher risk of pesticide exposure.

Do bananas help you sleep?

Yes, the magnesium and tryptophan content of bananas may help improve sleep quality. More studies are needed to confirm such findings.

Are bananas radioactive?

Technically, yes. Bananas are rich in potassium, and a miniscule fraction (roughly 0.01%) of natural potassium is actually a radioactive isotope known as potassium-40. One banana features roughly 0.1 microsieverts of radiation, or a banana equivalent dose (BED)³². Potassium-40 decays slowly and emits tiny amounts of radiation, but this amount is multiple thousands of times too tiny to have any harmful effects.

Your body also regulates the amount of potassium it maintains and excretes excess potassium, meaning the radiation dose from a banana is not cumulative and does not build up in your body. Other foods like Brazil nuts and carrots also feature natural radiation. It’s a fun fact, but nothing to worry about when it comes to your diet!

The Bottom Line

Bananas are both a delicious and nutritious fruit that can be enjoyed on their own or in a variety of sweet recipes. – Credit: Unsplash Olivie Strauss

Bananas are a nutrient-dense, portable fruit that can absolutely enhance your diet. From heart health to gut health, bananas provide antioxidants that offer meaningful benefits. Plus, they’re a versatile snack that’s easily incorporated into a wide range of meals, whether simply used as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, blended into smoothies, or baked into sweet treats. Although the flesh of conventionally grown bananas is low in pesticides due to its thick peel, you can still choose organic or Fairtrade bananas to support improvements in banana farm conditions.

For an affordable way to improve your health, move over apples — a banana a day is a great place to start.

Sources:

The post Are Bananas Good for You? The Nutrition Behind the Latest Food Trend appeared first on Organic Authority.

Is Glyphosate Harmful to Humans? Turns Out, It’s Even Worse Than We Thought

Emily Monaco — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Although modern legislation seems to suggest the opposite, a new study has found that most common pesticides can alter or damage human DNA.

For decades, the most common argument in favor of continuing to spray American cropland with toxic pesticides hasn’t been a denial of their toxicity; it’s been the claim that exposure in low doses isn’t harmful enough to warrant banning them. But a new study has just debunked this, showing that several common agricultural chemicals — including the ubiquitous herbicide glyphosate — can cause genetic damage to human cells, even at very low levels of exposure.

Evidence of the Toxicity of Common Pesticides

In the new study, which was published in Annals of Global Health, researchers tested ten pesticides of concern, prioritized based on previous European Union research on more than 200 different pesticides¹. The results were upsetting, if not shocking. They found that 80% of the chemicals tested could damage or alter human DNA. To make matters worse, every single one of the eight (out of ten) pesticides that showed toxicity are registered for use in the United States.

For some of the substances, including cyprodinil and deltamethrin, this was the first evidence of potential cell damage. In the case of glyphosate toxicity specifically, cell damage was perceptible even at extremely low doses, suggesting that there is nearly no safe level of human exposure to the widely used herbicide.

This new study reveals that when it comes to toxicity, a “low enough” level of exposure to pesticides may not exist. – Credit: Unsplash Getty Images

“Low-dose testing in toxicology is fundamental,” said senior author Daniele Mandrioli, a researcher and secretary general at Collegium Ramazzini. “Often effects of low doses are underestimated simply because they are not studied.”

What Is Glyphosate, and Why Is It Always in the News?

Glyphosate is a weedkiller most frequently marketed by Bayer (formerly Monsanto) as Roundup. It has been deemed a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization². As of June 2026, there were roughly 65,000 active lawsuits in the United States regarding the product’s potential for harm³.

Glyphosate has been in the news pretty regularly as of late. Bayer recently won an appeal in the Supreme Court following a Missouri court’s verdict in favor of John Durnell, a gardener who sued the company in 2019 for not warning him about the dangers of glyphosate. He alleged the glyphosate exposure caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and a jury originally awarded Durnell $1.25 million in damages. However, more recently, the case was overturned in the Supreme Court, which ruled that states do not have the power to impose labeling regulations on products that supersede federal law. Farm Progress reports that this decision could dismiss thousands of pending lawsuits against Bayer.

Sources:

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When Is the Best Time to Meditate? How to Choose the Right Time of Day for You

Emily Monaco — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:08:07 +0000

Any meditation is better than no meditation at all — but is there an optimal time of day to maximize the benefits?

From meditation to intermittent fasting, yoga to high-intensity interval training, you’ve been integrating loads of healthy living practices into your life. But did you know that when you do these things is almost as important as what you’re doing?

Claudia Armani, Health Coach and founder of The Healthy Gourmet, agrees. She cites natural circadian rhythms as a crucial component contributing to the regulation of sleep, hormones, metabolism, and other physiological processes.

“In a healthy circadian rhythm, cortisol is higher in the morning and lower in the evenings to facilitate sleep,” she continues. “Ideally, your wellness practices and eating regimen should align with them.”

In this new series, we’ll be exploring the best time of day to take part in different wellness practices (such as exercise). We’re starting things off with what many experts claim is the best way to start the day: meditation.

Meditate First Thing in the Morning

Meditation is a great way to gain focus and center yourself — and for most of our experts, this is ideally one of the first things you’ll do upon waking.

“Meditate before the day makes its first demand on you — otherwise you spend the whole day reacting instead of choosing,” explains Gio White, founder of Marcus, a Stoic practice app for iOS combining daily journaling, guided meditation, and reflection.

If you can get into the habit, first thing in the morning before you start your day is a great time to meditate. – Credit: Unsplash Getty Images

By taking a few minutes to meditate “before email, before the news, before anyone needs anything from you,” he explains, “you’re setting the terms of your attention instead of letting the day set them for you.”

Lipskaia agrees. “For meditation, morning tends to be the most effective window for most people,” she says. She cites the natural cortisol awakening response — a rapid increase in cortisol levels in the first half-hour after waking — as one of the core reasons why.

“Cortisol naturally peaks within the first hour of waking,” she explains, “and a brief mindfulness practice during this window helps regulate that stress response before the day’s demands take over.”

Jenna Armitage, owner of GoodGood Studio in London, is also a fan of the benefits of morning meditation. “Right when you wake up, cortisol spikes,” she says. “For a lot of people that’s exactly when the racing thoughts and tight chest show up, before they’ve even stepped out of bed.”

And this is all backed up by scientific research. Armitage cites a 2013 study showing that morning mindfulness meditation lowered cortisol levels in the blood in just four days¹.

“There’s also research suggesting morning cortisol measurements show the biggest response to meditation compared to any other time of day,” she says. “You’re training your nervous system to draw inward before the noise gets loud, and that gives you an anchor to come back to for the rest of the day.”

Meditate at the End of the Day

That said, there’s also an argument for meditating later in the day.

If mornings aren’t the right time for you, there’s certainly benefits to meditating in the evening. – Credit: Unsplash Sage Friedman

“Post-work meditation — around 5 to 6 PM — is genuinely underrated,” says Lipskaia. “It acts as a psychological ‘transition ritual,’ helping the nervous system shift out of performance mode.”

In her clinical work, she says, Lipskaia notices that clients who have a hard time sleeping, in particular, can benefit from an evening meditation practice. “It interrupts rumination cycles before bed,” she says.

Dana Kraszczynski, Founder of Dana Joyce Wellness, a Therapeutic Sound Bath Practitioner and meditation teacher, agrees. “If your primary goal for meditation is to help you unwind faster at the end of the day, then after work is the ideal time,” she says. And don’t forget the benefits of meditation for sleep! “If you are looking to improve your sleep quality, you might try meditation right before bed.”

For White, “the most durable practice is bookended: a short morning meditation to prime your intentions, and an evening reflection to review how you actually did.” And while he prefers this two-pronged approach, he advises beginners to approach it practically. “If someone can only do one,” he says, “I tell them to start in the evening, because it’s honest.”

“Morning meditation is aspiration,” he continues. “Evening reflection is accountability, and accountability is what actually changes behavior over weeks and months.”

Meditate Right Before Working Out

If you’re planning on working out, it’s not a bad idea to time your meditation session for just before you get your heart rate up. – Credit: Unsplash Polina Kuzovkova

For Ben Walker, Founder & Personal Trainer, Anywhere Fitness, the best time to meditate should also take into account the timing of another activity we’ll be exploring in this series: exercise.

Since meditation with slow, controlled breaths can help improve oxygen intake, he explains that the practice “can help regulate heart rate and keep the nervous system in a calm state.

“Going into a workout with high cortisol levels can contribute to higher heart rate and blood pressure during performance,” he says. “It will affect your concentration, increase blood glucose, and cause greater muscle tension. This increases the risk of injury and [affects] the ability of your body to recover faster post workout.”

Deep breathing and meditation, he explains, facilitates the body’s ability to perform cellular respiration during aerobic exercise, contributing to a better session and easier recovery.

How to Integrate a Meditation Practice Into Your Day

If you’ve not yet integrated meditation into your day, it’s easy to start, according to Armitage.

“Meditation gets way too much of a mystical reputation,” she says. “It’s not about sitting cross legged for an hour or ‘doing it right.’” She argues that a simple practice is best — especially if you want to be consistent.

“[Take] ten deep belly breaths before you touch your coffee,” she suggests. “Or just standing in the shower, eyes closed, really feeling the water hit your skin instead of thinking about your inbox. That’s it. That’s meditation.”

Once you’ve started your practice, White suggests adding a bit more introspection to your daily routine.

Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated — it can be as easy as just taking a few quiet moments with your morning tea or coffee. – Credit: Unsplash Getty Images

“[The philosopher] Seneca described lying in bed each night and asking, ‘What bad habit have you put right today? What fault resisted? In what respect are you better?’” he says. “The morning sets the aim; the evening checks the aim against reality. One without the other tends to drift.”

Meditate When The Spirit Moves You

So ultimately, when is the best time to meditate? Well, while there are certainly arguments for setting your meditation sessions at a specific time of day (especially if you have specific goals for the practice), don’t let the “perfect” schedule get in your way. For Kraszczynski, the most important factor in choosing a time is when you can be consistent.

“All of these suggestions come with the caveat that if you are always skipping meditation because the ‘ideal’ time doesn’t fit with your schedule, then it’s time to rethink your goal,” she explains. “The ideal meditation practice is the one that happens, and that happens consistently. So it is equally important to consider when you are most likely to practice daily.”

Kezia Joy, RDN, seconds this thought. “Many people are in pursuit of their perfect daily schedule; however, the importance of having a consistent routine greatly outweighs finding the perfect time,” she says. “Your best daily routine is one that you have been able to perform consistently on an everyday basis.”

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23724462/

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How The Ranch at Rock Creek Is Redefining Luxury Restorative Travel

Donna Sozio — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

If you’re looking for somewhere truly restorative for your next vacation, here’s our case for The Ranch at Rock Creek.

These days, luxury travelers are chasing something different. Not trendy suites, packed itineraries, or coveted reservations, but something far more rare: peace and quiet.

Burnout, digital overload, and the pressure of always being available have fueled the rise of restorative travel. According to Hilton’s 2026 travel trends report, the number one reason people are traveling now is to rest and recharge¹. It’s a telling shift. For years, it felt like vacations were measured by how much we could accomplish. We raced from attraction to attraction, checked destinations off lists, and returned home with hundreds of photos but very little actual rest. That quest for deep rest is what brought me to The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana.

How The Ranch at Rock Creek Is Different

The beauty of The Ranch is how it transports you away from the daily stresses of your life. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Tucked into 6,600 acres of mountains, forests, meadows, and pristine riverfront outside Philipsburg, Montana, this luxury guest ranch feels worlds away from everyday life. A sustainable working cattle ranch set on a nineteenth century homestead, the property combines Western authenticity with exceptional hospitality. And it has the accolades to back it up — it became the first guest ranch in the world to earn Forbes Travel Guide’s Five Star Award in 2014, and then it went on to win that award for 13 consecutive years.

If you’ve ever visited the state, you’ll know there’s no shortage of things to do in Montana. But what stayed with me wasn’t horseback riding, fly fishing, or even the spectacular landscape. It was how I felt. Within days, I was sleeping more deeply, checking my phone less often, and feeling more present than I had in months. Somewhere between casting a line into Rock Creek and watching the sun set beneath Montana’s famously vast skies, the mental clutter of everyday life began to fade.

By the time I left, I realized what set The Ranch at Rock Creek apart from other luxury vacations. It offered something many of us don’t realize we’re missing until we find it again: the space to finally exhale.

Access to Nature That Soothes Our Nervous System

Space may be the greatest luxury at The Ranch at Rock Creek. While many luxury resorts maximize occupancy, this ranch does the opposite. A maximum of just 125 guests are spread across 6,600 acres of protected wilderness, creating a sense of solitude that’s increasingly uncommon in today’s world.

By far one of the best things about The Ranch at Rock Creek is just the sheer amount of space — and the oneness with nature that comes with it. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

The scale is difficult to appreciate until you’re standing in the middle of it. Rolling meadows stretch toward distant mountain peaks, forests open into sweeping pastureland, and four miles of private frontage along Rock Creek wind through the property. Even during peak season, it’s possible to spend hours outdoors without seeing another guest.

There’s no competition for views, no crowded pool deck, and no race to reserve lounge chairs before breakfast. Instead, there’s room to spread out, breathe deeply, and move at your own pace. Deer and elk wander leisurely across open meadows. Bald eagles circle overhead. As daylight fades, stars emerge in astonishing numbers. Nature isn’t an activity here, it’s the backdrop to every moment.

Restorative Travel Can Still Be Action Packed

One of the biggest misconceptions about restorative travel is that it involves doing very little. At The Ranch at Rock Creek, I discovered the opposite can be true. Days were spent horseback riding through alpine meadows, hiking mountain trails, and exploring hidden corners of the property with guides who seemed to know every bend in the river and every ridgeline in the distance.

Fly fishing proved especially memorable. Rock Creek is considered one of Montana’s premier trout streams, and the ranch offers four miles of private access along its crystal-clear waters. As I stood knee deep in the river, focused on casting into the current, I realized my mind was quiet in a way I hadn’t expected.

Fly fishing while staying at The Ranch at Rock Creek will go down as one of my favorite, most unique travel experiences. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

What made the experience even more meaningful was the heartfelt support. I was terrible at casting and regularly tangled my line. Yet my guide was always there with patience, encouragement, and a sense of humor. Before I could become frustrated, he was already untangling a knot, changing a fly, or offering another tip. In a world where so much of life feels like it’s entirely up to us, being able to relax into an experience knowing someone has your back feels like its own form of luxury.

For those seeking a quieter communion with nature, Respite on Rock Creek may be the ranch’s most restorative offering yet. Guests arrive by mountain bike, horseback, e-bike, or on foot to secluded creekside hideaways furnished with hammocks, blankets, books, and refreshments. The concept is beautifully simple: spend an afternoon doing whatever feels good. Read, nap, or simply watch the creek move beneath the trees and listen to the breeze passing through the cottonwoods.

Slow Mornings in Luxury Cabins

Some of my favorite moments of the ranch reset happened before breakfast. Each morning, I woke to birdsong, fresh mountain air, and sunlight filtering through the trees outside my cabin. Instead of reaching for my phone, I wrapped myself in a fluffy robe, poured a steaming cup of coffee, and relaxed on a rocking chair on the porch. There was nowhere I needed to be and nothing demanding my attention.

The Ranch at Rock Creek offers 31 distinct accommodations tucked among mountains and meadows, ranging from lodge suites and converted historic barns to luxury log homes and canvas glamping cabins. While each has its own personality, all share the perfect blend of Western character and understated luxury. Antique furnishings, curated artwork, and handcrafted details create spaces that feel truly connected to the landscape.

The cabins at the ranch are all unique, but they share a Western flavor that makes you feel like a part of the landscape itself. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

The cabins are particularly special. Scattered throughout the property, they offer a level of privacy that allows guests to fully settle into ranch life. Rather than retreating to a generic hotel room at the end of the day, guests return to accommodations that feel like a natural extension of the experience itself.

Unhurried, Wholesome Farm Fresh Meals

Food plays an important role in the ranch reset, but not because of elaborate tasting menus or culinary theatrics. The ranch embraces a strict farm-to-table philosophy rooted in Montana’s agricultural heritage, with a menu anchored by seasonal produce, local ingredients, and regional flavors. Breakfasts were slow, hearty affairs over coffee and conversation; lunch followed mornings spent outdoors. Dinner became an opportunity to gather, share stories, and enjoy the company of people who had been strangers only hours before.

Meals at The Ranch are a big part of every stay, offering an opportunity to nourish yourself with local produce and connect with other guests. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Something about ranch life encourages connection. Guests arrive from different corners of the country and far-flung parts of the world — but after days spent relaxing and exploring together, conversations flow easily around the table. Laughter comes easily and friendships form quickly (especially while singing karaoke or bowling in the saloon). In an era when so much communication happens over screens, it’s refreshing to gather around a table making genuine face-to-face connections.

Say Yes to the Holistic Spa

After days spent horseback riding, hiking, and fly fishing (or skiing in the winter!), the spa is exactly what you need. The Spa at Rock Creek draws inspiration from Montana’s outdoor lifestyle, offering treatments designed to restore tired muscles and recharge both body and mind. Guests are invited to unwind in the cedar sauna, relax in the lounge, or choose from a menu of massages and wellness rituals tailored to active days spent outdoors.

Be sure to try out this unique massage experience while you’re visiting. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

One of the ranch’s most memorable experiences is the Creekside Conestoga Wagon Massage. During the warmer months, a beautifully restored wagon tucked beside Rock Creek becomes an intimate treatment space where the soundtrack comes courtesy of rushing water, birds singing, and rustling trees. It feels distinctly Montana-esque while still delivering the level of service expected from a Forbes Five Star property.

A Ranch for All Seasons

Another part of what makes The Ranch at Rock Creek so compelling is that the experience changes dramatically with the seasons. Spring brings rushing rivers, wildflowers, and trout fishing. Summer delivers long days filled with horseback riding, hiking, fishing, and outdoor adventures. Autumn transforms the landscape into a tapestry of gold and amber, while winter blankets the ranch in snow and shifts the focus to skiing, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, and evenings spent around crackling fireplaces.

Even skiing reflects the ranch’s relaxed philosophy. At Discovery “Disco” Mountain, you’ll never be met with overwhelming crowds, harrowing lift lines, or frantic races for fresh powder. Just mile after mile of gorgeous, nearly empty runs — even on a weekend. When you head back for lunch, the Ranch at Rock Creek will have pizza with a private chef waiting, complete with a cozy fire along the edge of a snowy forest.

Explore the unreal beauty of Montana from a different vantage point. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Skiing at The Ranch is a relaxed affair unlike any other ski resort. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Regardless of the season, the essence of The Ranch at Rock Creek remains unchanged. Yes, horseback riding is exceptional. The fishing is world class. The accommodations are luxurious. Yet the true luxury is found in the quiet moments between activities, in the space to think, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. At a time when travelers are increasingly searching for restoration rather than stimulation, The Ranch at Rock Creek offers a genuine reset of the mind, body, and soul. It’s the return of “me time,” and we’re here for it.

How to Get There

Reaching The Ranch at Rock Creek is easy and part of the adventure. Most flight options arrive through Missoula International Airport, about 90 minutes from the ranch. The drive from the airport to the ranch winds through scenic mountain valleys, ranchland, and historic Montana towns before you arrive for your ranch reset.

Getting to The Ranch at Rock Creek is just part of your adventure in Montana. – Credit: The Ranch at Rock Creek

Guests can also fly into Butte Bert Mooney Airport, approximately 75 minutes away, Helena Regional Airport, about two hours away, or Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, roughly two and a half hours from the property. Those arriving by private aircraft can use Bowman Field Airport in Anaconda, located about 45 minutes from the ranch, or Riddick Field in Philipsburg, just 25 minutes away.

To make the journey seamless, The Ranch at Rock Creek includes complimentary airport transfers from Missoula, Butte, and Anaconda. From the moment you’re greeted at the airport, you’ll begin to settle into Montana’s slower rhythm long before you pass through the ranch gates.

Sources:

https://stories.hilton.com/2026-trends

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Why Your Organic Honey May Not Be What It Seems: The Label Fraud Scandal

Emily Monaco — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:59:00 +0000

Your imported honey may taste delicious, but is it really organic?

If you’re spending top dollar on organic honey, take a closer look at its origins: Not all “organic” honey sold in the U.S. may be what it seems. At least, those are the allegations in a new lawsuit filed by Bruce Kaser, a certified organic farmer, activist, and attorney on behalf of American honey producers.

According to the suit, some imported honey, mostly from Brazil, bears the organic label without necessarily adhering to USDA organic standards. This loophole skirts federal regulations and has the potential to mislead American consumers.

“US consumers who rely on the USDA organic seal to guarantee honey is produced by bees feeding in an agrichemical-free environment are being defrauded,” said Kaser.

How American Honey Consumers Are Being Defrauded By Illegal Imports

The loophole that has allowed for such widespread honey fraud comes down to the way imported organic products are certified. While American farmers producing food that has been certified organic by the USDA must submit to annual inspectors by accredited certifiers, this isn’t the case for foreign farmers. This has contributed to well-documented instances of organic fraud, notably with “organic” grains, as the Washington Post reported back in 2017¹.

The same thing, the suit alleges, is currently transpiring in the world of “organic” honey. About 80% of all honey sold in the U.S. is imported, and most honey with the organic label comes from Brazil, where chemically intensive farming is even more widespread than it is in the United States. According to a 2023 study in Hygiene and Environmental Advances, Brazil is one of the world’s chief consumers of pesticides. The authors assert that this stems from a widescale trend of government permissiveness when it comes to the interests of big agribusinesses in Brazil².

USDA organic standards mean that there are strictly enforced regulations to protect U.S. consumers from pesticides — but these are hard to enforce when it comes to imported honey. – Credit: Unsplash Bee Naturalles

To protect honey consumers from the detrimental effects of pesticides, organic honey in the U.S. must be produced in an area with a 10-square-mile buffer between the nearest agrichemical use and their hives. But imported honey is not held to the same standards, in large part because organic certification for Brazilian honey comes not from on-premises inspections, but by way of an equivalency arrangement with Canada.

This matters because Canadian standards for organic honey production are a bit looser, notably with regards to the prohibition on synthetic fertilizers and chemical sprays. This makes it possible to site Brazilian beehives in environments that may mirror intensive conventional farms in the U.S. And it creates a loophole that not only misleads consumers but, as alleged by the suit, makes it impossible for American honey producers to fairly compete on the marketplace.

Other Instances of American Honey Fraud

This is not the only recent example of honey fraud in the United States. Given the increase in global demand, honey has become one of the most frequently adulterated foods in the world, according to recent data from the Journal of Food Protection³. This is particularly true when it comes to premium products like Manuka honey⁴, which has been attributed with a number of health benefits, including improved immunity and digestion⁵.

For example, unscrupulous producers looking to make good on honey’s healthy reputation have been found to dilute the product with cheaper sugar syrups. One European investigation found that nearly half of all honey imported into the EU between 2021 and 2022 had been adulterated with rice or corn syrup⁶, and an FDA investigation in April found that 4% of samples tested contained cheaper sweeteners⁷. And while we need more data to understand the full repercussions of this practice, one 2020 research review in Foods revealed that these sorts of adulterated honeys could cause blood sugar levels to rise more sharply than natural honey, potentially increasing the risk of metabolic disease or diabetes⁸.

Buying Trustworthy Honey

Choosing raw, unfiltered honey that is grown locally is the best way to guarantee it’s truly organic. – Credit: Unsplash Sticker It

Honey, particularly when raw, unfiltered, and local, has been attributed with a host of health benefits⁹, including improved allergy symptoms¹⁰, improved cholesterol levels, and improved metabolic health. Plus, it’s equally delicious as an ingredient in homemade granola as it is as a flavor enhancer for grilled carrots or this mustard-y baked salmon. But to best reap those benefits, you’ll want to source your honey from a trustworthy source.

Whenever possible, seek out local beekeepers selling raw, unfiltered honey. The cloudier the honey, the more likely it is to contain bits of pollen — which has been shown to add flavor and even polyphenol content¹¹. If you must buy from a larger store, look for certified organic honey made in the United States, where producers will have had to submit to actual inspections. Seek out brands that are transparent about their methods, like mission-driven Nate’s, which voluntarily submits to third-party tests to guarantee the purity of its product.

Sources:

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