Simple guides to eat, move and sleep better

Fitness Food Friend is a small library of free, plain-English guides to eating well, getting stronger, drinking enough water and sleeping better. Every guide is written from trusted public sources such as the CDC, NHS, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and USDA FoodData Central, and lists them at the end.

These guides are general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before changing how you eat or exercise.

Protein and food

• High Protein Breakfast Ideas: 18 Quick Options With Grams

• High Protein Lunch Ideas: 18 Easy Lunches With Protein Grams

• High Protein Dinner Ideas: 18 Simple Meals With Protein Grams

• High Protein Meal Prep for Beginners: A Simple Weekly Plan

• Cheap High Protein Foods: 12 Budget Staples and How to Compare

• High Protein Vegetarian Foods: 25 Picks With Grams Each

• Complete Proteins: What They Are and Which Foods Count

• How Much Protein Is in Common Foods? A 30-Food Chart

• Post Workout Meal Ideas: 15 Easy Options With Protein Grams

• How Much Protein in an Egg? Sizes, Whites, Yolks and Meals

• Do You Need Protein Powder? When Food Is Enough

• Protein for Older Adults: Why It Matters and Easy Foods to Try

Strength training

• Dumbbell Workout for Beginners: A Full-Body Plan in 6 Moves

• Warm Up Before Lifting Weights: A Simple 10-Minute Routine

• How Many Sets and Reps to Build Muscle? A Beginner's Guide

• Progressive Overload Explained: How to Get Stronger Safely

• Push Up Progression for Beginners: From Wall to Full Push-Up

• How to Squat Correctly: Step-by-Step Form and Easier Options

• How to Do a Plank Correctly: Form, Mistakes and Hold Times

• How Many Rest Days Do I Need Each Week? A Simple Guide

• Muscle Soreness After Workout: Why It Happens and What Helps

• How to Do Lunges Correctly: Form, Mistakes and Variations

• Glute Bridge Exercise: How to Do It, Muscles and Progressions

• Strength Training vs Cardio: What Each Does and Why You Need Both

• Grip Strength Exercises: Simple Moves for Home and the Gym

• Balance Exercises for Seniors: Safe Moves Using a Chair

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: Form, Mistakes and Beginner Sets

• Dumbbell Row Form: One-Arm and Two-Arm Rows for Beginners

• Chair Exercises for Seniors: Easy Seated Moves to Try at Home

• Farmers Carry Exercise: How to Do It, Weights and Variations

• Cool Down Stretches After Workout: 8 Easy Moves and Hold Times

• Beginner Gym Workout Plan: A Simple 3-Day Full-Body Routine

Hydration

• Electrolytes vs Water: When Plain Water Is Enough

• Urine Color Chart for Hydration: What Each Shade Means

• How Much Water Should I Drink During Exercise? A Simple Plan

• Flavored Water Ideas Without Sugar: 20 Easy Combos

• Water Rich Foods: 25 Hydrating Foods With USDA Numbers

• Is Sparkling Water Hydrating? What the Research Says

• Drinking Water in the Morning: Benefits, Myths and a Simple Habit

• Dehydration in Older Adults: Causes, Signs and How to Help

• How Much Water Should Kids Drink? A Simple Guide by Age

• How to Stay Hydrated in Hot Weather and Avoid Heat Illness

• Does Tea Count Toward Water Intake? Caffeine and Sugar Facts

• Can You Drink Too Much Water? Hyponatremia Explained

• How to Clean a Water Bottle: Daily Wash, Deep Clean and Lids

• Is It Bad to Drink Water Before Bed? Hydration vs Bathroom Trips

• Hydration for Runners: Before, During and After Your Run

• Coconut Water vs Water: Nutrients, Sugar and When It Helps

• How to Stay Hydrated When Sick: Colds, Flu and Stomach Bugs

How your body works

• How Does Metabolism Work? A Plain-English Guide

• What Does Protein Do in the Body? 6 Key Jobs Explained

• What Do Carbohydrates Do in the Body? A Plain-English Guide

• What Does Fat Do in the Body? Roles, Types and Body Fat

• What Are Macronutrients? Carbs, Protein and Fat Explained

• High Fiber Foods List: 25 Foods With Grams Per Serving

• How Do Muscles Grow? Hypertrophy Explained in Plain English

• How to Make Bones Stronger: Food, Exercise and Daily Habits

• How Do Joints Work? Cartilage, Fluid and Ligaments Explained

• How Many Steps a Day Should You Walk? What Research Shows

• How Does the Immune System Work? A Plain-English Guide

• What Do Vitamins Do in the Body? All 13 Explained Simply

• How Does the Pancreas Work? Enzymes, Insulin and Glucagon

• How Does the Skin Work? Layers, Sweat, Vitamin D and Care

• How Blood Sugar Works: Glucose, Insulin and Glucagon

• How the Stomach Works: Acid, Churning and Digestion Time

• Gut Microbiome Explained: What We Know and What Helps

• How the Thyroid Works: T3, T4, TSH and Iodine Explained

• How the Lymphatic System Works: Lymph, Nodes and Spleen

Sleep and recovery

• Does Sleep Help Muscle Recovery? What the Research Says

• Is It Bad to Exercise Before Bed? What Studies Show

• Foods That Help You Sleep: What the Evidence Really Says

• How Long Before Bed to Stop Caffeine: A Practical Cutoff

• How Long Should a Nap Be? The Best Nap Length Explained

• Does Alcohol Affect Sleep? What a Nightcap Really Does

• Best Sleeping Position: Side, Back or Stomach Compared

• How to Sleep When It Is Hot: Simple Ways to Keep Cool

• Does Blue Light Affect Sleep? What Screens Do at Night

• Why Do I Wake Up at Night? Common Causes and What Helps

Life stages and habits

• Best Exercise During Menopause: A Simple Weekly Plan

• Bone Health After Menopause: Calcium, Vitamin D and Exercise

• Menopause and Sleep Problems: Causes and What Helps

• Does Exercise Help Nicotine Cravings? What Research Says

• Healthy Snacks for Nicotine Cravings: 15 Easy Ideas

• Weight Gain After Quitting Nicotine: What to Expect and Do

• Menopause and Muscle Loss: Why It Happens and What Helps

• What to Eat During Menopause: A Simple, Balanced Food Guide

• Does Nicotine Affect Sleep? Effects, Withdrawal and Tips

• Caffeine After Quitting Smoking: Why Coffee Can Hit Harder

• How to Help a Teen Quit Vaping: A Practical Guide for Parents

• Quit Vaping Cold Turkey or Taper? What the Evidence Says

• Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Vaping: What to Know

• Vaping Relapse After Quitting: What to Do After a Slip

• Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Menopause: 25 to Bring

• Irregular Periods in Perimenopause: What Is Normal, What Is Not

• Menopause Joint Pain: Causes, Movement and When to Get Help

• Menopause Weight Gain: Why It Happens and What Helps

Who makes this site

Fitness Food Friend is made by the independent developer behind Honest Little Apps, a set of small iPhone apps. Some guides end with a short note about one of those apps when it fits the topic. The guides are written to be useful whether or not you ever download anything.

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