There’s a “my favorite person” trend making the rounds on TikTok, where people highlight someone they love. Pets count, and I could wax rhapsodic about Twinkle, our tiny turtle, for days. But psychologists suggest people take it a step further: What if you were your favorite person? The idea is to turn some of that appreciation inward, which may help boost self-compassion and quiet your inner critic. A little cheesy, sure. Still, it made me wonder what I could do to show up for myself more. Here’s where I landed:
Get pickier about my feed. My social media could use a declutter. The litmus test for who stays: If this person called me right now, would I answer?
Let September be a fresh start. Researchers have determined that we’re more likely to pursue goals after a “temporal landmark,” like a new month or school year. I’ve taken that as permission to reset my priorities for fall.
Add tea to the rotation. A new study found that older women who drank tea had slightly higher hip bone density. It doesn’t prove the drink deserves the credit, but I’m happy to make room for a cup, especially this cold-brew tea latte.
— Anna “Just Send Me a Heads-Up Text, K?” Davies, writer
Cardiologists share the small regular habits that protect your heart. Yes, getting up every hour counts.
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Sugar Sugar, How You Get So High?
Veggies before carbs. A walk after dinner. Maybe a glucose monitor stuck to your arm. Blood sugar has become another thing wellness culture wants us to optimize. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have long helped people manage diabetes. Then, in 2024, the FDA cleared the first over-the-counter CGM, which gave people without the chronic condition easier access to their glucose data. Now CGMs have joined the wellness-wearable rotation, with influencers like Jessie Inchauspé, aka Glucose Goddess, turning highs and lows into Instagram art. This year, The British Medical Journal charted their rise beyond diabetes care, thanks in part to social media.
There’s good reason to care about blood sugar: More than 2 in 5 US adults have prediabetes, and 8 in 10 don’t know it. But a post-lunch uptick isn’t inherently cause for concern. Blood sugar normally elevates after you eat, and there’s little evidence that CGMs improve health for people without diabetes. Experts also warn that constant data can make normal fluctuations look like problems to solve. So while metabolic health matters, a perfectly flat glucose line isn’t necessarily the goal.
Zoom out from the graph. A CGM can show how your glucose responds to a meal, but it can’t diagnose diabetes. If you’re concerned about your risk, ask your doctor about testing rather than trying to reverse-engineer your health from an app.
Keep the boring stuff. You don’t need a live feed of everything you eat to support metabolic health. Regular movement and a balanced diet still matter, and if you have prediabetes, lifestyle changes can cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half.
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The More You Know
After a stretch of poor sleep, which may help protect your memory?
Soups, chilis, creamy risottos — a pressure cooker is basically the unhinged chef who takes whatever random stuff is in your fridge and turns it into real food. If you’ve never used one, it’s peak low-effort. A three-hour simmer can become 20 minutes, so dinner actually happens before you give up and order takeout.
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Your Gut May Be in Your Head
We’ve heard plenty about the gut-brain connection, but much of what we know comes from animals. Now, a small study offers a new clue in humans. Researchers compared stool samples with brain scans from healthy young women and found links between certain bacteria and brain chemicals that help cells communicate. The findings don’t prove that microbiome changes will affect your brain, but they offer a closer look at how the two may be linked. While experts work out the details, a few habits can help keep your gut healthy.
Mix up your menu. Your gut microbes like variety. These lunches pack in fiber-rich plants, whole grains, legumes, and fermented foods.
Take a beat before you eat. A healthy gut depends on more than your plate. A few deep breaths pre-meal and thorough chewing may help your body shift gears for digestion.
Back-to-school season is a good excuse to rethink lunch, even if no one packs it into a tiny bento box for you. Consider this a midday reset for anyone whose current routine involves a granola bar and whatever’s left in the office snack drawer.
First, respect the sandwich. There is apparently a correct way to build one so it doesn’t become a damp little disappointment by noon. Lettuce can make a good barrier, tomatoes may need to go on the side, and thinly sliced cold cuts offer a better bite.
Need more than sandwich science? These 35 lunch ideas may be geared toward kids, but Buffalo chicken wraps and taco pinwheels have no age limit. If your meal-prep ambitions tend to disappear by Sunday afternoon, Costco can take it from here, with lunches that require more assembly than actual cooking.
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Written by Anna Davies. Edited by Jordan Galloway and Margaret Wheeler Johnson. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone and Sara Tardiff.
Photos by: Ana Tavela, SB, Victoria Gaskin / DupePhotos.com, Emilija Milenkovic, Getty Images / Well Aware, and Brand Partners.
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