Health reboot: Easy diet and exercise tips for a healthier year

Each week our health columnists – dietitian Leslie Beck, fitness writer Alex Hutchinson and personal trainer Paul Landini – tell you how to live better, eat healthier and be more active.

Here they pick their top advice from the past year to kick-start your 2019.

How to start the year off right

Our health columnists share the one thing they would each change for a healthier 2019

From getting more whole grains to breaking up your sedentary time, our experts help narrow down the daunting amount of health advice to a few manageable tips that can lead to big results.

What to eat for better health

Want to eat healthier? Avoid these nutrition myths

Before you overhaul your diet based on questionable nutrition advice, take a moment to read the facts about five popular diet claims.

What to eat for brain health as you age

A large study has linked eating plenty of fruits and vegetables from middle to late adulthood to significant protection from memory loss – and certain fruits and vegetables were found to be especially protective.

Four nutrients you are probably lacking

Even the most disciplined eaters can be skipping out on key essentials, which can eventually drain energy and lead to health problems.

How to build an anti-inflammatory diet

Research has tied a pro-inflammatory diet to an increased risk of cancer. The North American diet is linked to higher levels of inflammation in the body, while a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with lower inflammation levels.

Is it worth taking sports supplements?

Although widely used by athletes and non-athletes alike, supplements’ benefits are often backed by flimsy or non-existent evidence and their downsides ignored. There are some rare exceptions – if you know where to look.

How to be more active

How running can help manage depression or anxiety

There’s solid evidence that over time, regular running produces two of the key changes thought to explain the effects of antidepressant drugs.

Grab life by the poles: Why you should take up cross-country skiing

The combination of high intensity and full-body involvement in cross-country skiing seems to be particularly potent in fighting heart disease.

How to perfect your pull-ups

No other exercise hits as many upper-body muscles – and strikes as much fear in the hearts of the uninitiated – as the pull-up. Here’s how to do them right.

How to fight toxic gym culture

Bullying and sexual harassment are the most obvious examples, but ageism, ableism, sexism, racism, fat-shaming, homophobia – if you train at a standard big-box gym, there’s a good chance this stuff is happening all around you.

Tips to avoid falling prey to fake fitness gurus

How to sift through the ocean of fitness information so you can make intelligent and informed decisions – and not place stock in the wisdom of false prophets.

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