How to know if you might be a junkie, plus small steps you can take to promote a healthier and longer life — Ultra-processed food, aka highly processed or junk food, now accounts for more than half of all calories consumed in the United States and the U.K., fueling soaring rates of obesity in adults and children and increasing the risk of physical disease, dementia and early death. But we just can’t get…

Can we talk about this unnecessary and harmful cloak of silence and end the stigma? — Few human conditions so seriously, surely, and yet unexpectedly affect the health of half the global population as menopause, marked by everything from hot flashes and night sweats to serious internal plumbing problems, poor sleep and notable ongoing health risks. …

Greater meaning in life, and better physical and mental health, can be cultivated by identifying what really matters to you and doing more of that — Strong sense of purpose — doing things that matter to you — is linked to better health, greater happiness and longer life. The benefits are found in studies of teenagers and retirees and everyone in between. Meanwhile, scientists are figuring out how any of us can proactively cultivate a greater…

How to spot abusive leaders, why they’re rarely fired, and strategies to cope or force change — Years ago I worked for a boss who was not just a bad boss, not just inept, but who verbally abused and threatened me and other employees on a regular basis. The whole place ran on fear and loathing. This boss was toxic. You know the type. Self-serving, egotistical, out…

Artificial sweeteners seemed so innocuous, but recent research raises important health questions — We’ve been going through a lot of monk fruit in our house, in an effort to cut back on added sugar, which is decidedly bad for health and poured copiously into store-bought cereal and bread and almost any foodstuff in a box. My wife keeps asking, though: Are monk fruit…

These nightmarish ‘parasomnias’ range from odd to downright dangerous — Common tips lists on how to sleep better can’t possibly illuminate all the impediments to falling asleep, staying asleep, and enjoying high-quality, restful and rejuvenating slumber. I know. I wrote a 321-page book about how to sleep better and barely mentioned some of the strangest and more obscure sleep disorders…

Pursuing passion for the sheer joy of it — This past Saturday, I ran a trail-based half-marathon. It was hard! And incredibly motivational. I want to share the experience not because you necessarily should run such a race, or even jog at all, but because I believe strongly that we all need to find our own personal mountain —…

I asked a bunch of people. And now I’m asking you. Because in order to be happy, we need to know what makes us so. — We humans focus a lot on sadness, grief, anger, worry and frustrations, what happened yesterday and what might come tomorrow. That’s natural. But science finds we’d be wise to spend more time thinking about what makes us happy and then doing more of that thing, right now, today. Easier said…

Show this article to your boss: Amid growing employee stress and burnout, the increasingly popular four-day workweek can boost worker health and morale and lift productivity and company profits. So why isn’t everyone doing it? — Joe Welch is not allowed to work on Fridays. …