In case you haven't met Avo yet, here's a superfast intro: Avo is Simple's AI-powered weight loss coach. It specializes in supporting, educating, and motivating Simple users to make diet and lifestyle choices that lead to sustainable weight loss and long-term health — and feel less stressed and more energized, confident, and empowered as they do so. This week brings a special moment in the Simple-verse — Avo's first birthday! To celebrate, we sat down with Avo for a chat to find out how things have been going.

The data is in: if you want to lose weight, the Simple app is proven to help you get significant results. We collaborated with esteemed academics from the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Chicago to analyze these results, and we're stoked — this is a big deal for us!

If you want to lose weight — should you snack? Snacks can be a tricky topic when you're trying to lose weight. Should you eat them? Should you not? If you do eat them, what can you choose that won't mess up your weight loss progress?

If you're trialing a new eating routine, it's like learning how to meal plan all over again: you have to come up with an approach that not only follows the routine's guidelines but also factors in your nutritional needs, health goals, and personal tastes. Talk about a lot of moving pieces!

There are many types of fasting, and the motivations behind them usually differ. Because of this, the rules can get confusing. Your friend fasts for ketosis, so she's cool with some coconut oil in her coffee in the morning. Your grandmother does the Daniel fast with her church for the new year so she can stick to vegetables and grains and maintain her fast.

When embracing a new lifestyle like intermittent fasting, you may notice some changes in the way you feel. Some good (hello, sleeping better and better blood pressure), some bad (dizziness, headaches, etc.), and some weird or unexpected –– like feeling cold –– wait, does fasting make you cold?

Is basal metabolic rate (BMR) the missing piece of your weight loss puzzle? Find your basal metabolic rate with our BMR calculator below and learn how to use this crucial metric to lose weight, get fit, eat healthily, and improve your well-being.

What does the Simple app have in common with an elite athlete? Yup, an unwavering commitment to using data to push for constant improvement. (Though, at Simple, we've less of a need for energy gels.) Your feedback fuels every improvement we make — and how we've improved Nutrition Scores is no different.

For the seventh year in a row, the U.S. News and World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet as the most health-promoting eating routine in the world. As nice as the Mediterranean Sea is, it's not just something in the water: there's a ton of research that reflects just why this eating routine — really more of a lifestyle than a diet — is so beneficial.

Aging is a beautiful privilege that not everyone gets to have. That doesn't mean it always feels like a piece of cake, however. Sometimes, it's something you'd rather not stomach at all.