‘Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm’ Is Our March SELF Well-Read Book Club Pick – Lose Weight in Your Hips

Each month, the SELF Well-Read Book Club highlights a timely, delightful, and crucial book on a subject that helps readers live better lives. So far, we’ve covered everything from the politics of running to the state of modern motherhood. It’s more likely than not that you know someone—if not yourself—who has lived with an eating disorder; almost one out … Read more

What You Should—And Shouldn’t—Say to a Friend Going Through a Major Illness – Lose Weight in Your Hips

When a friend receives a life-changing diagnosis, it can be tough to know how to show up for them. Chronic illnesses—like multiple sclerosis and type 2 diabetes, for example—can completely upend a person’s world. So can finding out about infertility due to endometriosis, say, or a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. “A lot … Read more

Reporting on a Nine Month Self-Experiment in Taurine Supplementation – Fight Aging!

Today’s post is a report from the community on the impact of taurine supplementation on a few biomarkers of interest. Taurine is a dietary amino acid, and circulating levels of taurine influence any number of biological processes. Taurine levels decrease with age in a variety of species; in humans circulating taurine is halved by … Read more

How to Get Rid of a Canker Sore ASAP, According to Experts – Lose Weight in Your Hips

If you panic-googled “how to get rid of a canker sore” because you have one of these tender spots inside your mouth—or you feel one brewing—you’ve come to the right place. As tiny as they are, canker sores sure do pack a punch—they can make eating, drinking, kissing, and even just talking super uncomfortable. So … Read more

My Doctors Said I Had a Hemorrhoid—But It Was Actually Cancer. Here Are the Signs They Missed – Lose Weight in Your Hips

Tracy Robert, 49, was diagnosed with a hemorrhoid in her 30s. Years later, a colonoscopy revealed it was actually a malignant tumor on her rectum—she had colorectal cancer. Now, Robert uses her TikTok to shed light on the condition’s commonly overlooked symptoms—and why it’s crucial to catch them early. Here’s her story, as told to … Read more

12 Surprising Benefits of Strength Training You May Not Know – Lose Weight in Your Hips

Picking up some weights can help you get stronger, sure, but it’s not the only benefit of strength training—not by any stretch. (You’ll appreciate that pun more when you get to #9.) With strength training, you challenge your muscles by moving them against a form of external resistance, whether that’s a barbell, a pair of … Read more

Calorie Restriction Induces Plasminogen Production to Protect Muscle Tissue – Fight Aging!

Researchers here identify a mechanism by which the practice of calorie restriction promotes muscle stem cell function, and thus repair and maintenance of muscle tissue. In animal studies calorie restriction is shown to produce both (a) a short-term effect associated with improved regeneration, and (b) a long-term effect in the sense of slowing the … Read more

Interesting Insight into the Relationship Between TP53, Telomerase, and Telomere Length – Fight Aging!

Telomeres are repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes. A little of that length is lost with each cell division, and in this way telomere length acts as a countdown. Somatic cells become senescent or self-destruct when telomere length becomes too short, thanks in large part to the activity of TP53. This is a … Read more

Towards a Better Understanding of the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Alzheimer’s Disease – Fight Aging!

The balance of microbial populations making up the gut microbiome changes with age in ways that provoke chronic inflammation, as well as reduce production of beneficial metabolites. In recent years, researchers have shown that Alzheimer’s patients exhibit a distinctly dysregulated gut microbiome in comparison to other older individuals. This raises the question of whether … Read more