In a world of expensive medical diagnostic tests, there’s a free and convenient way to gain insight into your digestive (and possibly overall) health — paying attention to the frequency, size, consistency, and color of your poop. If your poop wouldn’t currently win any “best in show” awards, certain diet and lifestyle changes could make a world of difference — and give you healthier and more pleasurable bowel movements.

For many people, hiking is one of the great joys of life. During a hike, you immerse yourself in the natural world and can boost both your physical health and your emotional well-being. But a lot of traditional hiking food undermines both reverence for nature — producing a lot of waste and contributing to environmental deterioration — and personal health. In this article, we’ll explore healthy, convenient, and delicious plant-based hiking food options.

Research has shown that a colorful diet is a great way to boost your health and vitality. But how can you be sure that you’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs to thrive? In this article, we’ll look at the whole spectrum of rainbow nutrition to show how adding color to your plate could add years to your life (and life to your years!). There’s also a shareable rainbow foods infographic that can help you choose a diversity of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Berries are berry delicious — and they also have stunning health benefits, from helping to prevent cancer to protecting your brain from dementia. Just make sure that you aren’t subverting their inherent goodness by drowning them in sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. In this article, we’ll look at how to love berries in ways that love you back.

For decades, some health influencers have waged what’s practically amounted to a PR campaign against soy products. Because soy contains phytoestrogens, which are structurally very similar to the estrogen produced by the human body, these influencers argue that soy is a dangerous food that can cause cancer and other diseases by upsetting our natural hormonal balance. Recent research, however, increasingly shows that phytoestrogens may actually be good for you. So what’s the truth about phytoestrogens? What foods, in addition to soy, contain them? And should you include or avoid them in a balanced, healthy diet?

Have you ever wondered what you could do with food scraps instead of tossing them in the garbage? While the latter can be automatic for many of us, reducing food waste is easy — and even small steps toward repurposing food scraps can be instrumental for helping your health and the environment.

Pineapples can be a delicious part of a health-promoting diet. They’re sweet, flavorful, and versatile, and they contain a powerful enzyme that’s attracted the interest of the nutritional sciences. But are there ethical or environmental downsides to the “King of Fruits”?

If you’ve ever enjoyed the beauty and aroma of a floral garnish on your dinner plate, or perhaps in a refreshing drink, you may be wondering what flowers are edible and how to use them in your own kitchen. Here’s what you need to know about edible flowers, plus some recommended varieties and recipes.

We all want healthy-looking skin, but many of the “anti-aging” products on the market give you a temporary youthful appearance while actually compromising the health of your skin. Some could even be carcinogenic! A popular anti-wrinkle compound, retinol, shows great promise, but also comes with significant risks and side effects. Is there a natural and plant-based approach that actually works?

One of the three essential macronutrients, carbohydrates give your body the fuel it needs for energy. Despite this fact, many people fear carbohydrates and avoid foods that contain them, whether those foods are healthy or unhealthy. In this article, we’ll look at what the science says about carbs, and tell you which carbohydrates are the dietary heroes and which are the villains.