Food costs have skyrocketed in the past year, but that doesn’t mean you have to forego healthy eating. With just a little forethought, there are ways to counter this increase. Here are some tips for maintaining  a nutritious diet without breaking the bank.  Think ahead  Take inventory. Before heading to the store or submitting your online grocery order, shop for your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Take inventory and plan to make recipes using what you have on hand first.  The most important tip is taking inventory and planning your menu accordingly. Have you ever tosse ..read more

RECIPE BY LEANDRA ROUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM EMMONS As you set about keeping your goals for the new year, consider how you fuel your brain for the day. Nutrition research shows people who consume breakfast do better in mental performance tests, have improved focus and even say they feel in a better mood when they have breakfast. What you eat matters too. Following a Mediterranean style of eating—which is rich in whole grains, pulses (like chickpeas), vegetables, fish, eggs, and olive oil, in addition to limiting saturated fats and sugars—has been found to protect our brain function as we age ..read more

As we head into a new year, it’s always important to reflect on the one gone by. 2022 was filled with highs and lows, wins and losses, learnings and celebrations. Above all else, it taught us that when we come together as a community, we can achieve great things such as the combined 47 trillion steps we took in 2022! If you find that impressive, you’ll want to keep reading because Fitbit researchers analyzed data from Fitbit users around the world and found some of your most outstanding stats to date. Read on to discover which countries were the top contenders for highest step count, best rest ..read more

Many people think that, when it comes to alcohol use, it’s all-or-nothing; you either pursue full sobriety or you drink whatever and whenever you want. But it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. There’s a movement aimed at helping people want to better understand their relationship to alcohol and make healthier choices for themselves without necessarily giving up alcohol completely. It’s called the sober curious movement. Let’s take a look at all things sober curious: what it is, how it differs from full sobriety or abstinence, and how (if you’re curious about it!) you can embrace the movement ..read more

The New Year is one of the best times of the year to set fitness and wellness resolutions. And one of the best ways to ensure you keep those fitness and wellness resolutions all year long? A mood board. Mood boards can be a great source of inspiration for making healthier decisions and moving towards your fitness and wellness goals. But what, exactly, is a mood board, how do they work,  and how can you use mood boards to become the happiest, healthiest version of yourself in 2023 (and beyond)? Sometimes called a vision board, a mood board is a collection of images, graphics, words, and o ..read more

Barre classes may do great things for your glutes, thighs, and core, but if you really want to be strong like a ballerina, consider a ballet workout. This total body exercise doesn’t just strengthen and lengthen muscles; it boasts some decided fringe benefits, like better posture, balance, and confidence, says Victoria Marr, director and co-founder of Sleek Technique Ballet Fitness.  What is a ballet workout, and how does it compare to barre? Read on to learn if this new spin on ballet is right for you.  What is a ballet workout?  “Ballet [workouts] take you through the entire ..read more

RECIPE BY LEANDRA ROUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM EMMONS  Hot Pot is a delicious family meal that is served with a steaming soup at the center of a table, where all guests can participate in flavoring the broth. This is a tradition that has been seen across Asia for thousands of years. Most notably in China (know as huǒguō), in Japan (known as Nabemono), and in Korea (known as Jeongol). It is a fun way to share a communal meal with loved ones, making it especially perfect for the  holidays.  To ensure this dish is tasty as it is healthy, we will show you how to make the broth light ..read more

Googler Zahra Barnes, an editorial content manager and contributor to the Google Keyword blog, was immediately intrigued by Fitbit Premium’s Sleep Profile feature when it launched in June—and the thought of understanding more about her sleep quality, not just quantity. That’s why, after being set up with a device by Fitbit, she decided to test out our Sleep Profile for the next two months.  Sleep Profile is determined by analyzing 10 key metrics identified by the Fitbit research team to be most important to your sleep health, including sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, sleep ..read more

Did you know that the famous 10K steps per day target wasn’t originally based in science? Manpo-kei, translated as “10,000-steps-meter,” was introduced by a Japanese pedometer manufacturer in 1965. As we know at Fitbit, a wide range of research has occurred since then, indeed suggesting that hitting this daily target can improve sleep duration and quality, have a positive impact on self-reported mental health, boost blood oxygen levels, and decrease resting heart rate.  Research shows that it’s not only step count, but also intensity that matters. Since 2020, Fitbit has inspired Fitbit u ..read more

The thick of the holiday season usually means long nights trying to meet end of year deadlines, searching for gifts, traveling, and attending holiday festivities. Although this is a joyous time of year, it’s also hectic, and getting good quality sleep can rank low on your priority list.   Plus, there has always been this consensus that sleep debt could be forgiven with a couple of longer, quality nights of sleep, so you might be thinking you can catch up on those Zzz’s in the new year when things settle down. However, a recent article argues that the idea of “catching up on sleep” i ..read more