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It can be tough to pinpoint what differentiates a great night of sleep from a not-so-great night of sleep, but you know the difference when you feel it. Understanding what you need to get your best sleep can help you set the stage for overall wellness.

Sleep allows the body to repair itself, consolidate memories, regulate metabolism, fight pathogens, and more. When you get the sleep you need, it's easier to make decisions, regulate your emotions, and perform at a high level at work or school. Prioritizing consistent, restful, high-quality sleep can help you work toward your full potential while also enhancing your quality of life.

Here, we'll take a look at why sleep is so important and how you can benefit from tracking your sleep. Plus we’ll share our favorite apps that can help you set the stage for healthy sleep, including meditation apps, sleep tracking apps, and sleep story apps.

Why sleep matters

Sleep is one of the most essential components of your health and well-being—but it's often overlooked. Sleep plays an essential role in helping you stay physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced.

Sleep isn't just important in the short-term—it also impacts your long-term health. Over time, sleep deprivation can negatively impact your body's metabolic processes, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a number of health conditions, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

When you get enough restful sleep, your body has the time it needs to regulate the production of stress hormones, like cortisol, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed. This can reduce the likelihood of depression and anxiety, while also helping you manage difficult emotions.

Sometimes, cutting your sleep short is inevitable. Whenever possible, however, it's important to prioritize healthy, restorative sleep. Thankfully, technology can help.

Meditation apps to support healthy sleep

Meditation can work wonders when it comes to improving the quality of your sleep. When you meditate, your mind calms, your body relaxes, and you may find that it's easier to fall and stay asleep.

Here, we'll take a look at some of our favorite meditation apps that can set you up for a restful night of sleep.

Headspace

Headspace makes it easy for you to practice guided meditation on your own schedule. The app offers more than 1,000 guided meditations designed by clinical experts and trained coaches to help you de-stress at any time of day. You can try the app for free, and if you decide to stick with it, you'll be able to choose between a monthly or annual subscription option.

Calm

The Calm app provides in-the-moment grounding exercises, breath work sessions, and meditations to help you ease stress during the day so that it's easier for you to fall asleep at night. You can try the app for free, then choose between an annual individual or family subscription.

Happier Meditation

This meditation app offers a personalized experience that evolves your practice offerings over time. Creating tailored plans based on your needs, Happier pushes you to new levels of calm by challenging your current meditation practice and helping you move to the next level. You can try the app for free, then choose between a monthly or annual subscription.

Breathwrk

Designed to support physical and mental health, Breathwrk offers breathing exercises and classes that can help you clear your mind in just a few minutes. Whether you're looking for breathing techniques that help you feel energized or breathing exercises that help you calm down and focus during meditation, Breathwrk can help. You can try Breathwrk for free, then choose between a monthly or annual subscription.

Sleep story apps

The ability to drift off to sleep while listening to a story isn't just found in little ones. Listening to a calming narrative as you drift off to sleep can help the stress of the day dissipate as you make your way from the day to pleasant dreams.

Try these apps if you're in need of a soothing story to help you ease into sleep.

Slumber

The Slumber app offers relaxing music, guided meditations to help you drift off to sleep, and stories that can help you de-stress as you begin to wind down. You'll be able to choose between a free version and a paid version that provides you with full access to the app's stories and meditations.

Calm

In addition to providing guided meditations, the Calm app also offers sleep stories and sounds to help you drift off when your mind is racing. Struggling to get your little ones to get a good night's sleep? You'll love Calm's sleep stories for kids, which feature favorite characters like Winnie the Pooh.

Headspace

Another double-duty app, Headspace is one of our favorites when it comes to sleep stories. The app offers sleepcasts that are remixed each night, so you can use them on a nightly basis without knowing what's about to happen next. Each sleepcast begins with a wind down technique (typically a breathing technique or meditation exercise) followed by a narrated description of a sleep-inducing landscape, helping your mind to focus on relaxation before you drift off to sleep.

Sleep tracking apps

In order to improve your sleep, it's important to know where you're starting. Using a sleep tracking app can help you understand the steps you can take to improve your sleep.

Try these sleep trackers to help you understand your sleep patterns.

Oura

The Oura Ring provides continual feedback on your energy, activity, and stress levels, providing you with information on how you shift behaviors to boost your energy levels and feel your best. You'll get information on your readiness for the day, allowing you to continue moving forward with behaviors that help you wake up well-rested and alert.

Apple Health

If you use an Apple Watch or have an iPhone, it's likely that you already use Apple Health to track some of your metrics. Your Apple Health app can help you set up sleep goals, track the amount of restful sleep you get each night, estimate your time in each sleep stage, and help you understand your sleep debt.

Samsung Health

If you wear a Galaxy Watch or use the Samsung Health app on your Android phone, you'll be able to get information on your sleep phases, how often you snore, and see a sleep score that shows how your sleep habits stack up among your peers. You'll also be able to get a personalized coaching program that gives you tips to improve your sleep.

Integrating sleep apps with Evidation

At Evidation, we use the health data that you choose to share with us to offer personalized, content-based insights that can provide you with the information you need to drive your health forward. When you integrate your sleep tracking app with Evidation, we aggregate your data with other health tracking information you provide (such as data from nutrition, exercise, and mood management apps). We use this information to help you see connections and make changes that help you feel your best.

Evidation: Here to help you get your best rest—and more

We're excited to support you in your journey to becoming your healthiest and happiest self. Whether you're just getting started with tracking your sleep and are interested in learning more about your sleep patterns, or you've been tracking your sleep for years and are curious about how your lifestyle affects your shut-eye, Evidation can help. Click here to learn more about what we do and download our free app today.

The idea of a juice cleanse is enticing: drink fruit-and-veggie loaded juices for seven days, feel amazing, get glowing skin, and drop some pounds along the way. Unfortunately, juice cleanses and other extreme diets tend to fail quickly. Here, we'll take a look at why so many people are curious about juice cleanses, the pros and cons of a juice cleanse diet, and healthier options that can help you move toward sustainable goals.

What is a juice cleanse?

A juice cleanse is a type of detox diet that claims to give the digestive system a break while flushing out toxins and boosting overall health. Many juice cleanses state that they leave the body more able to process nutrients, overcome fatigue, and heal immune system issues.

The problem? "They're just not likely to do what they say," says registered dietitian Kate Patton.

Why are juice cleanses so popular?

To Patton's point, many juice cleanses make claims that simply are not true. Many cleanse companies use marketing tactics that promise a quick fix to a wide variety of health problems by detoxing your system.

According to registered dietitian Kimberly Sasso, "There's a perception that juicing can 'cleanse' your intestines and 'reboot' your system." Despite these promises, Sasso says, "There is no current, clear evidence that shows any health benefits to juice cleanses."

Pros of juice cleanse diets

While dietitians generally caution people against trying juice cleanse diets, it's possible that you may experience some benefits if you decide to go this route. It's important to remember that these benefits are temporary, and positive effects associated with the juice cleanse will go away when you return to your normal daily lifestyle.

Possible benefits of juice cleanses include:

• Increased energy: Some people who go through juice cleanses report that they feel more energetic afterward. This is likely due to cutting out caffeine while taking in a higher level of vitamins and minerals than they would in their typical diet.
• Reduced dehydration: It can be tough to get all the water that you need to feel your best. A juice cleanse seriously amps up the water in your diet, making it easier for you to stay hydrated throughout the day.
• Improved gut microbiome: A 2017 study of the benefits of juice cleanses showed that people who completed a 3-day cleanse reported an increased well-being score. Researchers said this change could be attributed to the diet's positive effect on the gut microbiome.

Cons of juice cleanse diets

While there are some benefits that come with a juice cleanse, it's not a sustainable, long-term plan. In some cases, going through a juice cleanse can do more harm than good.

Some of the cons of trying a juice cleanse diet include:

• Developing unhealthy eating habits: Research shows that juice cleanses do result in fast weight loss, but most people gain the weight back shortly after they return to their normal eating habits. This restrictive plan can also lead to the development of disordered eating habits, which can lead to a binge-and-restrict cycle.
• May cause blood sugar issues: Many people who try juice cleanses report feeling dizzy, shaky, and weak. The extremely low number of calories consumed during a juice cleanse can cause low blood sugar, which can be especially harmful for people who have diabetes.
• May cause kidney stones: While many juice cleanse diets claim to cleanse the kidneys, they can actually cause harm to the urinary system. Juice cleanses are typically heavy on juices from beets and leafy greens, both of which contain oxalate. When consumed in high quantities, oxalate can cause kidney stones.

Healthier ways to reach your goals

While juice cleanses can be effective in the short-term, they don't do much to help you stick to a healthy nutrition plan over time.

Try implementing these healthy habits to improve your overall wellness:

Get moving. Exercise isn't just great for maintaining or losing weight—it's also great for your digestive, mental, and cardiovascular health. Wearing a step tracker can be a smart way to start getting more movement into your day. While it's great to aim for the recommended 10,000 steps per day, it can be easier to start small. If you typically walk 2,000 steps per day, make it your goal to hit 2,500 for the next week, increasing a bit more every week. Small, gradual changes can make a big difference.

Think about what you can add to your diet. Restrictive diets (like juice cleanses) often backfire, as they leave your body depleted of nutrients and energy. Instead of thinking about what you need to cut out of your diet in order to improve your health, think about what you can add. For example, rather than overhauling each meal, try adding a piece of fruit to breakfast and a serving of veggies to lunch and dinner. As you begin to add nutrient-dense foods to your diet, you'll likely find that your cravings for processed foods decrease.

Track your nutrition. It can be tough to figure out where your calories go each day, and using a nutrition tracker can help. Whether you're interested in gaining weight, maintaining weight, losing weight, or have a nutrition goal that's not related to weight change at all, you'll be able to input your goals and get information on steps you can take to move forward. We're big fans of MyFitnessPal!

At Evidation, we're here to help you reach your goals with healthy, sustainable methods

At Evidation, it's our job to support your long-term wellness. We want to help you create healthy habits that will stand the test of time, and we're excited to help you become your happiest, healthiest self. We use the health tracking data that you choose to share with us to offer personalized, content-based insights that give you the information you need to take your health to the next level. Whether you want to lose weight, stop eating processed sugar, or simply improve your overall health, we're here to help. Click here to learn more about how our free app works and get started today.

You may have heard the gut referred to as your second brain. The microorganisms in the gut (including viruses and bacteria) play crucial roles in many of our body's systems, including our mental health, skin health, immune system, and more. Gut problems can be tough to pinpoint, since symptoms can mirror other conditions.

If your doctor has diagnosed you with gut dysbiosis, you may be unsure of what steps to take to improve your gut health. Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to help you get your digestive microbiome back on track. Here, we'll explore the definition of gut dysbiosis, signs and symptoms of the condition, how gut dysbiosis can affect your health, and what you can do to help get your gut health back on track.

What is gut dysbiosis?

Gut dysbiosis is a digestive condition that results from an imbalance of the gut's microbiome. The gut normally contains a balance of "good" and "bad" microbes, and it's essential that each stays in balance with the other. When the balance is disrupted, gut dysbiosis can occur.

Signs and symptoms of gut dysbiosis

Symptoms of gut dysbiosis can vary widely from one person to another. Digestive issues associated with gut dysbiosis can include bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, and acid reflux.

As we mentioned, problems in the gut can affect many systems in the body. Many people who experience gut dysbiosis have mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and brain fog, as well as skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.

You may have symptoms that can be difficult to explain, such as unintended weight gain or weight loss, food intolerances that you didn't have previously, joint pain, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and a lowered ability to fight off infections.

It can take time for your doctor to diagnose you with gut dysbiosis, especially since symptoms tend to come and go over time. If you're experiencing digestive issues, your doctor may ask that you track your symptoms over a period of time to help them determine whether you may have gut dysbiosis. Your doctor may perform several tests to determine whether you have gut dysbiosis, including a breath test that can measure the amount of bacteria in your gut, organic acid tests that measure the amount of bacteria in your urine, and other tests that can provide your doctor with a comprehensive picture of your digestive health.

Moving forward: How do you flush bad bacteria from your gut?

If you've been diagnosed with gut dysbiosis, or you think you may be experiencing the condition, you may want to try some at-home remedies. Starting a healing gut dysbiosis diet can take some time, but it can be well worth it when you see how many aspects of your life are positively affected by a healthy gut.

Try these tips to begin a healing gut dysbiosis diet:

• Probiotics: These live bacteria can help to restore your gut's natural balance. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso, and other fermented foods.
• Prebiotics: These fiber-rich foods help to feed the good bacteria in your gut. Foods rich in prebiotics include garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus.
• Digestive enzymes: Often available in tablet form, digestive enzymes can help your body break down food, which can reduce symptoms of gut dysbiosis like bloating. Including these supplements as a part of your nutrition routine can help increase the amount of nutrients your body is able to absorb from the food you eat.
• Dietary changes: Limiting alcohol, processed foods, and artificial sweeteners can help to restore your gut's natural balance. Including high-fiber foods (like whole grains and vegetables), polyphenol-rich foods (like green tea and berries), and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon and walnuts) in your diet can help get your bacterial balance back on track.

An important note: it's important to talk with your doctor before adding supplements to your routine. Especially if you’re managing a health condition or taking prescription medications.

Stress and Your Gut

Chronic stress can make it harder for your gut to stay healthy. Practicing mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and getting regular exercise can help. If you're under a high level of stress, you may find that working with a therapist can provide you with individualized stress management techniques that can help to reduce your symptoms.

Tracking your nutrition

In order to understand how your nutrition affects your digestive system, it can be helpful to track your food using an app. MyFitnessPal, LoseIt!, and Lifesum can all help you learn more about how the foods you eat affect your health.

At Evidation, we use any data that you choose to share with us to help you understand more about your health. Since health conditions don't exist in a vacuum, our technology aggregates multiple health factors to help you understand how your health-related decisions increase or decrease your gut dysbiosis symptoms.

A few tips to help you get started with tracking your nutrition:

• For the first few days, simply get used to tracking everything you eat. Try your best to stay away from judgment. The initial phase of tracking your nutrition is simply about collecting information and recognizing patterns—not talking down to yourself.
• If you find it difficult to remember to log the foods you eat, you may find that setting an alarm on your phone a few times a day can help.
• Focus on progress, not perfection. If you forget to log a meal or a snack, you don't have to scrap your tracking for the day. Simply get back into it right away—don't wait for the next morning (or next week) for a fresh start.

At Evidation, we're here to help you feel your best

No matter where you're at on your health journey, the Evidation team is here to help you make the changes necessary to feel your best. When you choose to share your health data through our app, we'll analyze your information to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that help you gain insights into how your food choices, stress levels, hydration, and other factors affect your health.

Getting started with the free Evidation app is easy. Click here to learn more about what we do and download the Evidation app today.

Weight loss is hard work, and using technology to your advantage can take some of the stress out of the process of dropping pounds. At Evidation, we're here to help you meet your fitness goals. Whether you're looking to lose weight, run a faster mile, consistently attend yoga, or simply be more active throughout the day, Evidation is here to support you. Here, we'll take a look at the best fitness apps for helping you lose weight.

Best apps for planning and tracking workouts

Whether you're a newbie in the gym or you're a personal trainer, planning your own workouts can be time-consuming. When you use an app to plan your workouts, you'll get the benefit of a plan designed with the equipment you have that fits into the time you have available, all while supporting your weight loss goals.

Let's take a look at a few of our favorite workout planning apps that you can use in the gym or at home.

FitBod

This easy-to-use fitness app uses artificial intelligence to create routines based on your performance, utilizing progressive overload to help you make progress toward strength and weight loss goals. The app's library with hundreds of exercises ensures that you'll never do the same workout twice (unless you want to), and you'll be able to view videos and written instructions from trainers working through each move. FitBod's data-driven approach makes the app a great fit for experienced exercisers and newbies alike. Bonus: FitBod easily integrates with MyFitnessPal and Lose It!

8fit

Heralded for its ability to keep users motivated and engaged, 8fit offers customized exercise routines that include bodyweight exercises, HIIT workouts, yoga, and strength training to help you hit your goals. Workouts are quick, effective, and come with easy-to-follow recipes to help you refuel after you finish your workout. You'll love the progress tracking features of 8fit—you'll get to see yourself losing weight and getting stronger over time.

RunKeeper

Whether you hit the treadmill or prefer to pound the pavement throughout the great outdoors, RunKeeper offers countless tracking and motivational options to keep you pushing through, one mile after the next. Whether you're looking to lose weight, run a faster mile, or train for a race, the app can set you up with a training plan designed for your goals. At the end of each run, you'll get to see immediate stats that show how you're progressing, providing you with a sense of well-earned accomplishment for a job well done. Pro tip: Check out the coach-guided runs when you're in need of some extra motivation.

All the apps listed above—and many others—sync with Apple Health and other services that track your health at the macro level. When you connect your Apple Health, Google Fit, Oura Ring, or other tracking app to Evidation, you'll get the benefit of sharing your workout data (if you choose) to earn rewards and inform content-based insights within our app.

Best apps for tracking nutrition and weight loss progress

After you've dug your heels in and are on the path to weight loss, tracking progress can be exciting. For many of us, seeing a visual representation of how our weight and/or health has changed over time can be motivating, helping us to stay on track as we work toward the next goal.

Nutrition tracking apps typically provide easy-to-follow weight loss progress charts, along with estimations of how long it will take you to hit your weight loss goal. No matter how much hard work you're doing in the gym, it's nearly impossible to work off a sub-par diet, so using nutrition apps to track your efforts in the kitchen can help you stay on track. Thankfully, nutrition tracking apps make it easier than ever to understand how the food you eat affects your workout performance, weight, mood, and more.

Let's take a look at our favorite apps for tracking nutrition and weight loss progress.

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a time-trusted app that allows you to track your food intake and exercise, creating an accountability platform that can help you stick to your goals. Basic features of the app are available for free, or you can upgrade to a paid membership to access additional features. Many app users love the community support feature, which allows you to reach out to others with similar health and fitness goals to keep one another accountable.

Lose It!

Similar to MyFitnessPal, Lose It! is an app that offers food and exercise tracking. A few features that differentiate Lose It! from MyFitnessPal: the app offers a barcode scanner, recipe builder, and allows you to set a customized calorie budget based on your needs. You'll be able to choose between a free and paid version of Lose It! when you sign up for an account. Insider tip: Lose It! offers great deals on memberships regularly, so keep an eye out to save money.

Cronometer

Heralded for its nutritional accuracy, Cronometer is a food tracking app that also allows you to input custom foods and track exercise habits. Many people say that the reliable accuracy of the nutritional information in Cronometer's database makes it an ideal choice for people who have diabetes and other health conditions that require specific dietary plans. While Cronometer is a great fit for many, some users don't like that the app has a smaller database than competitors like MyFitnessPal and Lose It!

Lifesum

This food and exercise tracker doesn't just let you know how much you're eating—it gives you a Life Score, providing you with a rating based on your eating patterns and activity. If you're especially motivated by numbers, trying to hit your goal Life Score each day can push you to keep using the app while engaging in healthy habits. If you're interested, you'll also be able to check out the app's recipes and meal plans to help you shake up your nutrition.

At Evidation, we're here to help you move toward your weight loss goals, one pound at a time

No matter where you are on your weight loss journey, we'll be here to help you make the most of your hard work. With your permission, we use the health data you choose to share with us to offer personalized, content-based insights that give you the information you need to keep moving toward your goals. Click here to learn more about how Evidation works and download the app today.

Protein is vital for a number of bodily functions, including hormone production, muscle repair, healthy immune system function, and more. The amount of protein you need depends on many factors, including your physiology, health goals, and activity level. At Evidation, we're here to help you meet all of your health goals. Here, we'll explore how you can calculate your personal protein intake needs if you're working toward muscle gain.

Protein and gender

Gender can have an influence on protein requirements, but biological sex alone doesn’t determine the amount of protein that a person needs in order to gain muscle. While men typically have a higher amount of lean muscle mass than women, this isn't always the case. Individual protein needs can vary depending on muscle mass, goals, and life circumstances (for example, protein needs change during pregnancy and menopause). Men typically require more protein than women to gain muscle mass, but it's important to consider many factors to determine the right amount of protein for you.

Genes and the gym: How genetics play a role in building muscle

While your physical makeup is not solely determined by genetics, your genes play a significant role in your body's protein metabolism and ability to develop and maintain muscle mass.

Some genetic factors that can influence how much protein you'll need in order to gain muscle include:

• Muscle fiber composition: Muscles are mainly made up of two types of fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Each type is designed for different activities. Slow-twitch fibers are designed for sustained athletic efforts, like long-distance running or swimming, while fast-twitch fibers are designed for power and speed, and are used in activities like weightlifting and sprinting. The ratio of slow-twitch versus fast-twitch muscle fibers each person is born with varies from one individual to the next. The amount of slow-twitch (endurance) and fast-twitch (strength and explosive movement) muscle fibers you have influences the way your body repairs and recovers following a tough workout, which can influence the amount of protein you need to build muscle.
• Protein processing: Your genes can influence how well your body absorbs and uses protein. If your body is more efficient than others when it comes to digesting and using protein, you may not need a super-high protein intake in order to gain muscle.
• Body composition: People who have more lean muscle mass require more protein to both maintain and build muscle. If you naturally have a more muscular body type, you'll likely need to more drastically boost your protein intake in order to gain muscle than someone who has a less muscular body type.

Protein requirements for muscle growth: calculating your needs

You may need to go through some trial and error to figure out exactly what protein levels help you move toward your goals, but understanding general guidelines can be a good place to start.

It's recommended that adults consume .35g of protein per pound of body weight to maintain general good health. If you're physically active, it's recommended that you consume 0.5 to 0.9g of protein per pound of body weight. Many people swear by eating 1g of protein per pound of body weight to build muscle and help with satiety if you're eating a fairly low-carb diet. While this isn't a bad rule, it can take some time to work up to such a high protein intake.

Eating protein at the right time is just as important as eating protein in the right amount. If you want to build muscle, you'll want to consume 15 to 25g of protein immediately after your daily workout in order to stimulate muscle growth (this counts toward your protein total for the day).

Enjoying high-protein foods

Ready to boost your daily protein intake? We've got you. Try these foods to enjoy delicious meals while getting the protein you need to build muscle:

• Eggs (6.3g of protein each)
• Almonds (6g of protein per ounce)
• Pistachios (5.7g of protein per ounce)
• Chicken breast (26.7g of protein for half of a chicken breast)
• Cottage cheese (28g of protein per cup)
• Greek yogurt (20g of protein per 7-oz. container)
• Milk (8g of protein per cup)
• Lean beef (25g of protein per 3 oz. serving)
• Quinoa (8g of protein per cup)
• Ezekiel bread (6g of protein per slice)

Progressive overload: Making the most of your time in the gym

Once you start regularly eating a protein-rich, muscle-building diet, you'll want to make sure you're putting your hard work in the kitchen to good use fueling your workouts in the gym. Progressive overload—resistance training that gradually becomes more intense over time—continually challenges your muscles. When your muscles have to constantly adapt to new tempos, higher weights, or increased repetitions, you'll get to reap the benefits of your high-protein diet.

It's important to increase your strength training safely and gradually to ensure that your program meets you at the nexus of challenge and ability. Pushing yourself too hard can lead to burnout and injury. If you're new to strength training, working with a personal trainer can help you move through a progressive overload program at a pace that's appropriate for your needs. If you're experienced and ready to tackle progressive overload workouts on your own, you'll want to follow a workout program that increases time, weight, or workout intensity by 10% or less each week to keep you safe as your muscles grow.

At Evidation, we're here to help you hit your fitness goals

If you're ready to pump it up in the gym, we're here to support you! At Evidation, we analyze the health data you choose to share with us to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that help you make decisions to drive your health forward. We're excited to help you make the most of your health data. Click here to learn more about what we do and download our free app.

As we close out 2024, we’re reflecting on a year of inspiring achievements and milestones from the Evidation community. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey—your participation is driving innovation in health research and helping millions take control of their health. 

Here’s a glimpse into what we accomplished together this year:

By the numbers: the power of our community

Part of being an Evidation Member is receiving valuable health insights to help you make the most of your data. But as we reflect on the year as a whole, we wanted to share some community insights that are just for fun!

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In 2024, Evidation Members:

• Logged 554 billion steps—enough to walk to Mars and back!
• Recorded 17,618 years of sleep—equal to the time since the Earth’s last major ice age.
• Completed 4.5 million research surveys—making impactful contributions to health research.
• Received 7.3 million personalized insights—helping members stay informed and proactive about their health.

Our most active day? March 10th, when members averaged 7,572 steps. The least active day? November 28th (Thanksgiving), with an average of 5,242 steps—but hey, we all deserve a little rest!

New features and insights in 2024

This year, we introduced tools and programs designed to give you even more personalized insights into your health:

Here’s a peek at some of the new things we launched in 2024:

• My Health Dashboard: A personalized hub for tracking what matters most to you.
• Expanded Insight Types: From week-over-week activity changes to new sleep insights like the Sleep Debt and Sleep Regularity Index.
• Physical Activity & Sleep Recommendations: Easy-to-follow steps for better rest and a healthier lifestyle.
• Hypertension Factors: Tips and physical activity recommendations to help maintain healthy blood pressure.
• Bookmarking & Sharing Features: Save your favorite insights and articles and share them with loved ones.

Groundbreaking studies and programs

Your participation made 2024 a banner year for health research, including:

• FluSmart 2024: Thousands of members managed their health with personalized insights related to flu and influenza like illnesses.
• MigraineSmart: Helped members better understand and manage their migraines through better data and actionable insights.
• BARDA Study: Evidation Members participated in a large scale study to validate our wearable powered flu detection. 

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A personalized year in review—just for you

Be on the look out for your Personalized Year in Review report, giving each member a unique recap of their health milestones, activity trends, and progress. Haven’t checked yours yet? Head to your Evidation app and look in the My Health tab.

What’s coming in 2025?

2025 is here and we’re already gearing up for another great year with:

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• Healthy Habits Score: Your daily actions summarized into a single, actionable score.
• Smart Reminders: Smarter migraine reminders to help you stay ahead of triggers.
• More personalized articles and tips to keep you informed and inspired.
• New programs designed to empower you with deeper health insights.

Thank you for an incredible year!

Every step, survey, and sleep log contributes to a healthier future—for you and for all of us. We can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together in 2025.

Not an Evidation Member yet? Download the app today and kickstart your 2025 health goals!

Digestive health issues can be tough to talk about, but doing so can be life-saving. From problems in the bathroom to unexplained weight loss, the symptoms of digestive issues can vary. Eating foods to support a healthy digestive system isn't just important for your gut health—it's also important to keep all the systems in your body functioning properly. When your body is digesting food correctly, you're getting the nutrients that you need, providing you with fuel to propel your life forward. Here, we'll explore common digestive issues and foods you can eat to help your digestive system thrive.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a severe and chronic form of acid reflux. Usually, a circular band of tissue at the bottom of the esophagus relaxes to allow liquid and food to enter the digestive system. After the food or liquid has entered the stomach, the band of tissue closes again. In people who have GERD, the band does not close properly, allowing stomach acid to move into the esophagus.

While GERD can cause heartburn, it can also cause other symptoms, including:

• Regurgitation of food or stomach acid
• Chronic cough
• Chronic sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing

If you need to take antacids more than twice a week, or you're experiencing severe symptoms, it's important that you reach out to your healthcare provider. Left untreated, GERD can lead to serious health complications, including esophageal cancer.

Foods to eat to help your body heal from GERD include:

• Lean proteins, like chicken, turkey, and fish
• Whole grains, like oatmeal and brown rice
• Low-acid vegetables, like broccoli, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and green beans
• Low-acid fruits, like bananas, melons, and pears

Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, that can cause chronic inflammation throughout the digestive tract. Symptoms may come and go depending on stress levels, diet, and other factors.

Common symptoms of Crohn's disease include:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Rectal bleeding
• Weight loss

If you're experiencing ongoing diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained weight loss that doesn't resolve on its own, it's important to see your healthcare provider.

Thankfully, paying careful attention to your diet can help you manage your Crohn's symptoms, and in time, help you achieve remission.

Foods that can be helpful in managing Chron's symptoms during flare-ups include:

• Broths and soups
• Fruits without skin or seeds
• Lean proteins
• Low-fiber grains like plain pasta
• Well-cooked vegetables like carrots or zucchini

Celiac disease

Celiac disease is a condition in which the body's immune system has a serious reaction to gluten. While there isn't currently a cure for celiac disease, following a careful gluten-free diet can help you avoid symptoms.

Common symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Gas

Many people who have celiac disease also experience symptoms that aren't related to digestion, including headaches, fatigue, skin rashes, nervous system issues (like tingling in the hands and feet), mouth ulcers, anemia, and joint pain. If you have diarrhea or other digestive issues that continue for two weeks or more, it's important to talk with your healthcare provider about next steps.

If you have celiac disease, it's important that you eat a well-balanced, gluten-free diet. Foods that offer high nutrient density while still allowing you to avoid gluten include:

• All fruits and vegetables, including potatoes
• Meat, poultry, and fish (cannot be breaded)
• Rice and rice noodles
• Beans, legumes, and nuts
• Most dairy, including butter, cheese, and milk

While you'll likely notice many gluten-free processed foods in the health food aisle of the grocery store, it's a good idea to choose whole, natural, unprocessed foods as often as possible.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a common digestive condition that affects the large intestine and can cause regular gastrointestinal discomfort. There are many potential causes of IBS, including food moving through your digestive system too quickly or too slowly, stress, genetics, and oversensitive nerves in the gut.

Symptoms of IBS commonly include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Excessive gas
• Heartburn
• Lack of energy
• Changes in bowel habits (including constipation and/or diarrhea)

Lifestyle changes can help to alleviate the symptoms of IBS. If you notice a change in your bowel habits, or notice that your IBS symptoms are becoming worse, it's important to reach out to your healthcare provider.

Foods that can help to alleviate IBS symptoms include:

• Fruit, including strawberries, bananas, and blueberries
• Nuts and seeds (in small amounts—try to stick to 10–15 pieces)
• Lean protein, like beef, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs
• Vegetables, including bean sprouts, bok choy, carrots, chives, and cucumbers

Peptic ulcers

Peptic ulcers are small, open sores that develop in the stomach lining, and can be caused by long-term use of NSAIDs (like aspirin or ibuprofen) or by a long-term H. pylori bacterial infection.

Symptoms of peptic ulcers can include:

• Burning stomach pain (similar to the pain of heartburn)
• Nausea
• Weight loss due to loss of appetite

If you're showing signs of an ulcer, it's important to reach out to your healthcare provider for evaluation. Without treatment, peptic ulcers can create severe health issues. If you're experiencing severe abdominal pain, are vomiting a substance that looks like coffee grounds, or are experiencing black, tarry stools, it's possible that you're bleeding internally, and it's vital to seek emergency care right away.

Foods that can help provide comfort when you're experiencing a peptic ulcer include:

• Skinless poultry
• Fruits (you may need to avoid citrus fruits depending on how they affect your ulcers)
• Vegetables (avoid spicy peppers and tomatoes)
• Mild herbs and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger

Monitoring your digestive health with Evidation

When you choose to share health data with our team, we'll use it in tandem with your answers to our survey questions to develop insights about your health. We'll also give you the opportunity to participate in research studies that can help move medicine forward—allowing you to potentially contribute to health discoveries that can help you and others living with similar digestive conditions.

At Evidation, we're here to help you make the most of every day

When you feel healthy, it's easier to enjoy your day-to-day life, and at Evidation, our team is here to help! With your permission, our app uses the health data you're already tracking to offer personalized, content-based insights that can help you make decisions that move your health forward. We're excited to support you and help you start feeling your best, one healthy decision at a time. Click here to learn more about what we do and get started with our free app today.

Getting a good night's sleep sounds simple, but for many of us, it's anything but. If you're struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep, it's likely that you've started to look into some supplements that can help you get the rest you need to feel refreshed and ready to go in the morning.

Magnesium and melatonin are both commonly recommended for healthy sleep support. Whether your doctor has recommended that you look into supplementation to help with your sleep or you've done some research and are curious about adding supplements to your nighttime routine, we're here to help. In this article, we'll explore how certain supplements can support healthy sleep, the differences between magnesium vs melatonin for sleep, and how we can help you get insights from your sleep data that lead to a better night's rest.

Magnesium for sleep

Involved in more than 300 biochemical processes in the body, magnesium is a vital mineral that supports the body's energy production, muscle relaxation, and nerve function. There are many food-based sources of magnesium (including avocados, almonds, and bananas), but many of us struggle to get the amount of magnesium we need to fully support our nervous system. Magnesium supplementation can help.

Magnesium is vitally important for sleep, as it works to regulate certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA helps to calm the mind and body, reducing stress while promoting relaxation. Many people find that supplementing with magnesium makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.

While magnesium is a good fit for many people who struggle with falling and staying asleep, it can be especially helpful for people who are experiencing a magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of a magnesium deficiency can include fatigue during daytime hours, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, muscle cramps, and restless legs.

Magnesium supplements come in several forms, including tablets and powders that can be mixed into hot or cold liquids. Magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate are typically recommended, as these forms of magnesium are especially known for their calming effects. It's recommended that men get 400-420 mg of magnesium per day, while it's recommended that women get 310-360 mg per day.

Melatonin for sleep

Naturally produced by the body, melatonin is a hormone that's produced by the brain's pineal gland in response to darkness. Melatonin helps to regulate the body's circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) by letting the body know when it's time to sleep. Exposure to artificial light can disrupt the body's natural melatonin production, as can irregular sleep schedules.

When the body's natural melatonin production is disrupted, supplementation can help to restore healthy sleep cycles. Melatonin supplementation can help you adjust to a new time zone, fall asleep when living or spending time in an area with unusual amounts of daylight, or to manage sleep when working shifts on an atypical schedule. People who experience delayed sleep phase syndrome may also benefit from melatonin supplementation.

It can take some time to find the right melatonin dosage to help you fall and stay asleep without leaving you feeling groggy the next day. It's recommended to take 1 to 5 mg about half an hour before bed. Melatonin is available in gummy, tincture, capsule, and pill form.

Can you use magnesium and melatonin together?

Most people can use magnesium and melatonin together to maximize the likelihood of getting a good night's sleep. The two supplements have a complementary effect. As magnesium works to reduce the body's stress levels while calming the mind, melatonin signals to both the brain and the body that it's time to rest.

Be sure to follow the recommended dosages for each supplement, as taking too much melatonin can cause drowsiness, and taking too much magnesium can cause digestive issues. While it's usually fine to take both supplements in the same evening, you'll want to take magnesium an hour or two before you're ready to go to bed, followed by melatonin about 30 minutes before you'd like to fall asleep.

Which supplement should you use for better sleep?

Deciding between melatonin and magnesium depends heavily on your personal needs.

If you're struggling to sleep due to stress or anxiety, or if you're looking for a natural way to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality, magnesium is the way to go. If you're experiencing painful cramps after exercise, or you're dealing with restless legs, magnesium is also a good choice, as it helps to calm the nervous system and help your body relax.

Melatonin is better used for short-term sleep problems, such as adjusting to a new schedule or time zone, or for helping with occasional sleeplessness. While melatonin is not considered addictive, it has been shown to reduce the amount of time that it takes you to fall asleep. If you get used to taking melatonin at night, the extended time that it takes you to fall asleep can make it harder to rest.

smart sleep tips

Whether you choose to use supplements to support your sleep or not, implementing pre-sleep practices to calm your body and mind can help you improve the quality of your shut-eye.

Try these smart sleep tips:

• Create a routine. Taking time for your body and mind to wind down can make it easier for you to fall and stay asleep. Whether you choose to take a bath or a shower, spend some time reading a book, meditate, or spritz lavender oil on your pillow, create a routine that you can stick to.
• Just say no to screens before bed. An hour or two before you go to bed, it's important to stop looking at screens (including TVs, computers, and cell phones). By eliminating blue light in the late evening hours, you're signaling to your brain that it's time to prepare for sleep.
• Create a calming environment. Keep your bedroom free and clear of clutter (including laundry, work, etc.). Keep your room slightly cool and as quiet and dark as possible. If you live in an area where noise is inevitable, you might find it helpful to play a white noise machine.
• Keep a schedule. Try to go to sleep at roughly the same time during the week and on the weekends, and try to keep wake up times similar as well. Doing so can help your body stick to a natural sleep and wake rhythm.

Tracking sleep debt with Evidation

At Evidation, we understand the importance of getting great sleep, and our team is constantly working to deliver the insights you need to get the best rest possible. When you choose to share your sleep data with us, we use it to calculate your sleep debt score. Just like monetary debt, sleep debt adds up over time. By understanding your sleep debt, you can gain insight into how your nightly rest affects your well-being and use this information to make informed decisions that benefit your overall health.

Understanding your sleep regularity index

We also calculate your sleep regularity index, or SRI. This score is an indication of the consistency and regularity of your sleep-wake schedule, and can help you understand how the times you go to bed and wake up can affect your overall well-being. Once we calculate your SRI, we'll provide you with actionable tips you can take to boost your sleep hygiene.

At Evidation, we're here to help you feel your best

Whether you're looking to improve your sleep, get more exercise, boost your nutrition, or otherwise optimize your health, Evidation is here to help. With your permission, we use your health data to help you understand how multiple facets of your well-being—like sleep, nutrition, exercise, mood, stress management, etc.—coexist and interact. We provide you with personalized, content-based insights that allow you to make informed decisions that support your wellness. We're excited to support you and help you become your healthiest, happiest self. Click here to learn more about what we do and download our free app today.

Traveling can open your worldview, allow you to experience other cultures, and provide the opportunity for connection with family and friends. At the same time, it can wreak havoc on your well-being—if you're not careful. A little bit of careful planning can go a long way when it comes to keeping up with healthy habits while you're traveling.

Here, we'll take a look at why healthy snacking matters when you're traveling and explore easy-to-pack snacks that support your health and taste great.

The importance of healthy snacking while traveling

Healthy snacking is key to maintaining a healthy metabolism, supporting energy levels, and maintaining weight (or weight loss, depending on your needs and goals). When traveling, it can be easy to fall into the trap of all-too-convenient high sugar, high fat snacks that are packed with empty calories. Planning ahead can make it easier to avoid the nutritional pitfalls that seem to be around every corner when you're making your way from Point A to Point B.

Healthy snacking offers many benefits, including:

• Can provide a nutritional boost if you're unable to eat full meals due to traffic, short layovers, etc.
• Can provide additional fiber and nutrients to support digestive and immune health
• Curbs appetite, decreasing the likelihood of eating beyond fullness at the next meal
• Provides a coffee-like burst of energy if several hours have passed since your last meal

Healthy snacking can be a beneficial choice every day—not just when you're traveling. That being said, healthy snacking while traveling is certainly more difficult than healthy snacking when you're at home or in the office. Let's explore some simple healthy travel snack options.

Portable fruit and vegetable options

Loading up on fruits and vegetables before you hit the highway or the airport is a convenient, simple way to get the nutrients that you need.

Try these simple options for getting more produce into your day when you're traveling:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Berries
• Citrus fruits
• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Cucumber slices
• Snap peas
• Cherry tomatoes

An important note: it's a good idea to stay away from dried fruit while you're traveling. While it's delicious, it's super-high in sugar, and can leave you in the middle of an energy crash soon after the initial boost of energy wears off.

Protein-packed snacks for sustained energy

Protein-heavy snacks are a fantastic way to keep your energy up while you're traveling. That being said, most of us aren't interested in packing a day's worth of room-temperature chicken or turkey in our carry-ons.

Try these high-protein options to help you feel great as you move toward your destination:

• Nuts with healthy fats like almonds, walnuts, and pistachios
• Single-serving almond or peanut butter packets (pair with fruits for a fulfilling snack)
• Protein bars with 10-20g of protein
• Single-serving cottage cheese cups

Whole grain and fiber-rich snacks

Enjoying balanced nutrition while you're traveling can help to ensure that your body's systems—including your digestive system—are functioning normally. Whole grain and fiber-rich snacks can help to keep you feeling your best despite travel fatigue.

Try these options to keep your fiber and whole grain intake up while you're traveling:

• Whole grain crackers (look for options made with oats, quinoa, or brown rice)
• Popcorn
• Oatmeal bars
• Whole grain, high-fiber wraps/tortillas
• Fiber-rich muffins (look for recipes that require flaxseed, oats, or whole wheat flour)
• Roasted chickpeas
• Whole grain rice cakes topped with hummus

Hydration tips and healthy drink options

Dehydration can affect your mood and mental health, energy levels, and even your immune system function. Staying well-hydrated while traveling is key to feeling your best. Dry air, changes in climate, and changes in sleep schedules can all contribute to dehydration.

Try these tips to stay hydrated while traveling:

• Keep a water bottle with you and take advantage of water bottle refill stations at airports and rest stops.
• Drink at least 8 ounces of water for every hour that you're flying.
• Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, as both can contribute to dehydration.
• Enjoy hydrating snacks like watermelon, celery, cucumber, strawberries, and cantaloupe can help with hydration.

At Evidation, we're here to support your health no matter where you go

From sleep patterns to nutrition habits to stress levels, travel can take a toll on your body, and having support in place before you hit the road (or the sky) can help you feel your best from one destination to the next. Using wearable health tracking devices or inputting your health data into apps can help you keep unhealthy habits in check, even when you're rushing from one terminal to the next.

Consistent tracking of health data can show patterns and trends that might be hard to put together on your own. At Evidation, we take it a step further. Once you start tracking your health data, the Evidation team can put your hard work to good use. We aggregate the data you choose to share from multiple apps, allowing us to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that can propel your health forward.

At Evidation, we're here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life, no matter where your travels take you. Whether you're just getting started on your healthy lifestyle journey or you've been dedicated to feeling your best for decades, we're here to help you take your wellness to the next level. Click here to learn more about how Evidation works and download our app today.