Health articles
100 plain-English guides, organised by topic.
- Weight & Body Composition 13
- Nutrition & Diet 13
- Fitness & Exercise 12
- Heart Health 12
- Diabetes & Blood Sugar 12
- Pregnancy & Family 13
- Sleep & Mental Wellbeing 13
- Lifestyle & Prevention 12
What Is BMI and What Does It Really Tell You?
BMI is a quick screening number. Here is what it measures, where it falls short and how to use it sensibly.
Weight & Body CompositionHow to Find a Healthy Weight Range for Your Height
There is no single perfect weight. Learn how clinicians use ranges and several formulas.
Weight & Body CompositionBody Fat Percentage Explained
What counts as lean, average or high body fat, and how to estimate yours at home.
Weight & Body CompositionWhy Belly Fat Matters More Than Weight
Visceral fat sits around organs and drives disease risk. Here is how to measure and reduce it.
Weight & Body CompositionHow Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?
Work out a deficit that is effective without being extreme.
Weight & Body CompositionWhy Weight Loss Plateaus and What to Do
Stalls are normal. Understand why they happen and how to restart progress.
Weight & Body CompositionWhat Is a Safe Pace of Weight Loss?
Aim for 0.5 to 1 kg per week and learn why faster is not better.
Weight & Body CompositionCan You Build Muscle While Losing Fat?
Body recomposition is possible, especially for beginners. Here is the approach.
Weight & Body CompositionHow to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way
A steady calorie surplus with strength training builds muscle rather than just fat.
Weight & Body CompositionHealthy Body Fat Levels by Age and Sex
Body fat rises naturally with age. See what ranges are reasonable.
Weight & Body CompositionWaist-to-Hip Ratio: Apple, Pear and Your Health
Where you carry fat influences disease risk. Learn how to measure and interpret the ratio.
Weight & Body CompositionBMI for Athletes and Older Adults
Why standard BMI cut-offs can mislead if you are muscular or older.
Weight & Body CompositionBody Frame Size and Why It Changes Ideal Weight
Small, medium and large frames carry weight differently.
Understanding BMR and Your Metabolism
Basal metabolic rate is the energy you burn at rest. Learn what raises and lowers it.
Nutrition & DietWhat Is TDEE and Why It Matters
Total daily energy expenditure is the foundation of every calorie plan.
Nutrition & DietMacronutrients Explained: Protein, Carbs and Fat
What each macro does and how to set a split that suits you.
Nutrition & DietHow Much Protein Do You Really Need?
From 0.8 g per kg for health to 2 g per kg for athletes. Find your number.
Nutrition & DietFiber: Benefits, Sources and Daily Goals
Most adults eat only half the fiber they need. See why it matters and how to add it.
Nutrition & DietSalt and Sodium: How Much Is Too Much?
Excess sodium raises blood pressure. Learn the limits and how to cut back.
Nutrition & DietHow Much Sugar Is Too Much?
Know the limits for added sugar and where it hides.
Nutrition & DietPlanning Meals: How to Spread Calories Through the Day
A balanced distribution can steady energy and appetite.
Nutrition & DietHow to Read a Nutrition Label
Serving sizes, percent daily values and the numbers worth checking first.
Nutrition & DietThe Mediterranean Diet: Basics and Benefits
One of the best-studied eating patterns for heart and brain health.
Nutrition & DietHealthy Eating on a Budget
Eat well without overspending by planning meals around cheap, nutritious staples.
Nutrition & DietDoes Meal Timing Matter?
What science says about breakfast, late dinners and intermittent fasting.
Nutrition & DietHidden Calories in Drinks
Liquid calories add up quickly and do not fill you up.
Heart Rate Zones Explained
Train smarter by understanding the five zones and what each does.
Fitness & ExerciseHow to Find Your Maximum Heart Rate
Compare the common formulas and learn why they are only estimates.
Fitness & ExerciseWhat Is VO2 Max and How Can You Improve It?
Aerobic capacity is one of the strongest predictors of longevity.
Fitness & ExerciseOne-Rep Max and Smarter Strength Training
Use percentages of your max to plan safe, effective lifting.
Fitness & ExerciseRunning for Weight Loss: What to Expect
How many calories running burns and how to make it sustainable.
Fitness & ExerciseThe 10,000 Steps Goal: Myth and Facts
Where the number came from and how many steps you actually need.
Fitness & ExerciseRace Pacing: Predict and Plan Your Times
Use a recent result to forecast other distances and pace yourself.
Fitness & ExerciseCycling for Fitness and Weight Loss
Low-impact cardio that burns plenty of calories.
Fitness & ExerciseMETs Explained: Measuring Exercise Intensity
A MET compares the energy of an activity with sitting still.
Fitness & ExerciseHeart Rate Recovery: A Window into Fitness
How fast your pulse falls after exercise reveals heart health.
Fitness & ExerciseHow Much Exercise Do You Really Need?
The evidence-based weekly targets for adults and older adults.
Fitness & ExerciseWarm-Up, Cool-Down and Injury Prevention
Simple habits to keep training consistently.
Understanding Blood Pressure Readings
What the top and bottom numbers mean and the categories that guide care.
Heart HealthHow to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Lifestyle changes can cut systolic pressure by 5 to 10 mmHg or more.
Heart HealthMean Arterial Pressure: Why Clinicians Use It
MAP shows whether organs get enough blood flow.
Heart HealthCholesterol Numbers Explained
LDL, HDL, triglycerides and what a lipid panel shows.
Heart HealthNon-HDL Cholesterol: A Better Risk Marker?
Non-HDL captures all the harmful particles and needs no fasting.
Heart HealthTriglycerides and Insulin Resistance
A high triglyceride to HDL ratio often signals metabolic trouble.
Heart HealthThe QT Interval and Medication Safety
Why some medicines affect your heart rhythm and how QTc is measured.
Heart HealthCardiac Output Explained
How much blood the heart moves each minute and why it matters.
Heart HealthResting Heart Rate and Longevity
A lower resting pulse is generally linked with better health.
Heart HealthPulse Pressure and Artery Stiffness
The gap between the two blood pressure numbers carries information.
Heart HealthA Heart-Healthy Habits Checklist
Seven daily habits that protect your heart.
Heart HealthHome Blood Pressure Monitoring: Getting It Right
Home readings often predict risk better than a single clinic visit.
HbA1c Explained: What Your Result Means
A1C shows average blood sugar over about three months.
Diabetes & Blood SugarPrediabetes: Can You Reverse It?
Lifestyle changes can cut the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes by more than half.
Diabetes & Blood SugarFasting Blood Sugar Ranges and Units
Normal, prediabetes and diabetes ranges in mg/dL and mmol/L.
Diabetes & Blood SugarInsulin Resistance: Causes, Signs and Fixes
When cells ignore insulin, the body compensates until it cannot.
Diabetes & Blood SugarHOMA-IR vs QUICKI: Which Insulin Test?
Two simple indices estimate insulin sensitivity from fasting labs.
Diabetes & Blood SugarCarb Counting Basics for Diabetes
How people on mealtime insulin match doses to carbohydrate.
Diabetes & Blood SugarGlycemic Index vs Glycemic Load
Two ways to rank foods by blood sugar impact.
Diabetes & Blood SugarTime in Range and Continuous Glucose Monitoring
CGM metrics that go beyond A1C.
Diabetes & Blood SugarType 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
Know which risks you can change and which you cannot.
Diabetes & Blood SugarLow and High Blood Sugar: Symptoms and Action
Recognise the warning signs and know when to get help.
Diabetes & Blood SugarHow Clinicians Estimate Daily Insulin Dose
Starting doses are calculated by weight, then adjusted to the person.
Diabetes & Blood SugarManaging Blood Sugar with Exercise
Movement lowers glucose and improves insulin sensitivity for up to 48 hours.
How Pregnancy Due Dates Are Calculated
Naegele’s rule, ultrasound dating and why only 4 percent of babies arrive on the day.
Pregnancy & FamilyOvulation and the Fertile Window
Timing intercourse in the six days before and on ovulation boosts chances.
Pregnancy & FamilyHealthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy
How much to gain depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI.
Pregnancy & FamilyEating for Two? Pregnancy Calorie Needs
You need extra calories only in the second and third trimesters.
Pregnancy & FamilyGestational Age vs Fetal Age
Why you are "four weeks pregnant" at conception plus two weeks.
Pregnancy & FamilyIVF Pregnancy Dating Explained
Embryo age at transfer lets doctors date the pregnancy precisely.
Pregnancy & FamilyUnderstanding Your Menstrual Cycle
Phases, normal length and when to see a doctor.
Pregnancy & FamilyBreastfeeding Nutrition and Calories
What to eat and drink while nursing.
Pregnancy & FamilyBone Health for Women
Build and protect bone at every stage of life.
Pregnancy & FamilyPredicting Your Child’s Adult Height
The mid-parental method and its limits.
Pregnancy & FamilySafe Medicine Dosing for Children
Dose by weight, use the right measuring device and know when to call a doctor.
Pregnancy & FamilyHow Much Should a Baby Eat?
Typical feeding volumes and the cues that matter more than numbers.
Pregnancy & FamilyKids’ Sleep and Screen Time: Healthy Limits
How much sleep children need and how screens get in the way.
Sleep Cycles and How to Wake Up Refreshed
Why timing your alarm around 90-minute cycles can help.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingHow Much Sleep Do Adults Need?
Seven to nine hours for most adults, and the cost of shortchanging it.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingCaffeine and Sleep: When to Stop
Caffeine lingers in the body longer than most people think.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingChronotypes: Are You a Lark or an Owl?
Your internal clock influences when you feel best.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingPower Naps: The Science
When and how long to nap for the biggest benefit.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingUnderstanding the PHQ-9 Depression Questionnaire
What the nine questions measure and what the score means.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingUnderstanding the GAD-7 Anxiety Questionnaire
A seven-item screen for generalized anxiety.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingRecognising and Managing Stress
Signs of chronic stress and evidence-based ways to cope.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingBurnout: Signs and Recovery
Exhaustion, cynicism and reduced efficacy are the hallmarks.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingScreen Time and Mental Health in Adults
Quality and context matter more than raw hours.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingBuilding Habits That Stick
Why 21 days is a myth and what the research really says.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingMindfulness and Breathing for Calm
Simple practices you can do anywhere.
Sleep & Mental WellbeingSleep Hygiene: Ten Habits for Better Nights
Small changes to routine and environment improve sleep quality.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
The "eight glasses" rule is a guide, not a law.
Lifestyle & PreventionAlcohol Guidelines and Health Risks
There is no completely risk-free level, but some is safer than more.
Lifestyle & PreventionBlood Alcohol Content: How It Works
Why the same drinks affect people differently.
Lifestyle & PreventionCaffeine: How Much Is Safe?
Up to 400 mg a day is considered safe for most adults.
Lifestyle & PreventionQuitting Smoking: Benefits and Savings
Health improvements begin within minutes and the savings are large.
Lifestyle & PreventionSun Safety and Sunscreen Basics
Prevent sunburn and lower skin cancer risk with simple habits.
Lifestyle & PreventionKidney Function and eGFR
Understand eGFR, creatinine and when kidney disease is diagnosed.
Lifestyle & PreventionElectrolytes and Common Lab Tests Explained
Sodium, calcium and anion gap in plain language.
Lifestyle & PreventionFever in Adults and Children: When to Worry
Fever is a symptom, not a disease. Know the red flags.
Lifestyle & PreventionLung Cancer Screening and Pack-Years
Who should have low-dose CT scans.
Lifestyle & PreventionPreventive Screening by Age
Common screenings and the ages they usually start.
Lifestyle & PreventionBuilding a Sustainable Walking Habit
Gradual progression is the secret to lasting activity.