I love checking things off of my to-do list, but sometimes those lists can turn into an unorganized, never-ending mess of chores and errands that ends up making me feel bad about myself till I finally give up and toss it in the recycling bin. If your lists have you feeling overwhelmed, here are 10 tips to expedite your day and make sure those “to-dos” actually get done.

1. Two-Minute Rule

We all have those tasks we avoid doing even though we know they won’t take long. We probably spend longer thinking about doing the thing than it would actually take to do it. If there’s anything on your list that would take two minutes or less to accomplish, do it right away. Don’t even bother writing it down (unless you’re into that). It’ll give you an instant sense of accomplishment.

2. Time Travel

Jump into your DeLorean and fast forward to a time when you’ve completed your to-do list. Okay, we might not have that technology yet—but try imagining how you’ll feel once you’ve finished your tasks and you’re free to enjoy the rest of your day. Feel motivated yet?

3. Schedule Your To-Dos

This one’s pretty self-explanatory: Try assigning specific tasks to a certain time of day. This works best when you already have a pretty normal daily routine in place.

4. Automate

Automate what you can. For instance, if you’re like me and coffee is something your household needs to keep in constant supply, you might consider signing up for a coffee subscription service. Whatever your “thing” may be, automating it makes it one less thing for you to worry about!

5. Ask Yourself Why 

Why do I want to look for a new set of knives? Because our knives are old and dull. Why does it matter that our knives are old and dull? Because it means I spend an unnecessary amount of time on dinner prep. If you keep asking and answering this question in regard to each task on your list, you’ll eventually uncover a core value that you hold, which will help you prioritize the task in question.

6. Digital Or Paper?

Figure out which to-do list format works best for you and stick with that. If you know you get sucked into looking at Instagram if you keep your to-do list on your phone, then stick to good ol’ pen and paper. (It may still be best to keep long-term goals in a digital format so they don’t get lost among everyday tasks.)

7. Set A Time Limit

Try setting a time limit to keep yourself focused on the task at hand and get through more of the items on your overall list. You can always add the unfinished task to tomorrow’s list or come back to finish it later. You can also time yourself to get a better idea of how long your tasks take, then see if it’s possible to shorten that time (e.g., cut out time spent scrolling on your phone).

8. Write Your List The Day Before

Visualize tomorrow: What do you need to accomplish? Writing your to-do list the night before can help you organize your thoughts and prioritize what’s most important. 

9. Check Your Supplies

If any of your tasks require specific supplies, make sure you have (or buy) them before putting the task on your to-do list. The acquisition of said supplies might need to go on your list before the task itself. 

10. Create A ‘To-Don’t’ List

For those who have a hard time concentrating on a single task, keep a running list of things that tend to sidetrack you throughout the day. Put those on a “to-don’t” list to check back on later. Mindfully avoid letting those things distract you and try to cultivate healthy habits, concentrating on the things you want to get done first.  

We know a healthy lifestyle is important for warding off disease and having a better quality of life as we get older. But what if there was one easy diet change you could make to actually slow down the aging process? A study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests that proper hydration may play a key role in doing just that.

A Look At The Study

The aim of the study, published in eBioMedicine in January 2023, was to find preventive measures that could slow the aging process. According to researchers, lifelong water restriction in mice actually decreases their lifespan and contributes to degenerative changes. So in this study, researchers tested the hypothesis that optimal hydration in humans could actually slow down the aging process.

“It is known that some people age faster than others, some people live into old age disease-free, while others develop age-related chronic diseases,” the study’s background reads. “With a rapidly aging population and an emerging chronic diseases epidemic, finding mechanisms and implementing preventive measures that could slow down the aging process has become a new challenge for biomedical research and public health.”

Researchers used data from an ongoing prospective cohort study titled Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC). From 1987 to 1989, 15,792 men and women between the ages of 45 and 66 from four different U.S. communities enrolled in the ARIC study and were followed up with for more than 25 years. 

Using serum sodium as a proxy for hydration habits, the researchers calculated participants’ biological ages. As opposed to chronological age, biological age is calculated using factors like eating habits, lifestyle, blood sugar levels, and other biomarkers to approximate of how much life one likely has left. In addition to this, researchers also assessed chronic disease and premature mortality risks to estimate the relative speed of aging.

Serum sodium levels are used to assess the amount of sodium in the blood. The less hydrated you are, the higher your levels, with a normal range being 135 to 145 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

However, after analyzing the data, the study found that middle-aged people with serum sodium levels above 142 have an increased risk of being biologically older, developing chronic diseases, and dying earlier. Consequently, staying hydrated and thereby maintaining lower serum sodium levels may help extend your life and keep you feeling younger for longer.

We should point out, though, that researchers also said “intervention studies are needed to confirm the link between hydration and aging.” Still, these initial findings could help healthcare providers identify at-risk patients and work on plans to address hydration.

Hydration Isn’t Just About Drinking More Water

As we’ve explained previously, although water consumption is obviously very important to one’s overall hydration levels, there’s a little more to it than that.

Your body’s hydration is maintained by electrolytes, which include potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and chloride, which most water will contain in trace amounts. But if you drink too much water, you run the risk of completely flushing those vital minerals out of your system. If you aren’t eating a balanced diet filled with electrolyte-rich fruits and veggies, the more water you drink, the thirstier you’ll become. 

Ultimately, proper hydration levels are key. Electrolyte powders and mineral drops can boost those levels and help you feel more hydrated. You can also get your water intake from coffee, tea, the food you eat, and even low-alcohol beer.

If you’re not getting them from your diet alone, you can replenish essential minerals in your body by adding highly-concentrated drops like these to filtered drinking water. With more than 72 ionic trace minerals, these drops will help support vital functions in the body, restore pH balance, and regulate bowel function, sleep, and mood.

Trace Minerals recommends taking 10 drops daily for the first three days, then gradually increasing your serving to eventually take roughly ½ a teaspoon once or twice a day. All-natural with low sodium and no added preservatives or sweeteners, you can feel good about what you’re putting in your body.

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Available in 12 different flavors (including Appletini and Coconut Piña Colada), this electrolyte powder from Ultima will satisfy your taste buds while keeping you hydrated. Just dissolve one scoop in 16 ounces of water to give your body the nutrients it needs with no calories, sugar, or carbs. This powder works especially well to make drinking water more appealing and to help you restore your body after working out.

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For every decision a woman makes, there’s usually someone to tell her that decision is wrong. It’s 2023 and people are still judging (and passing laws about) what women can and cannot do. If a woman makes the decision not to get married or have kids, her personal choice should be celebrated—not questioned, mocked, or discussed at length. 

Therapist Aishia Grevenberg uses her platform to talk about a variety of topics. She often makes posts about dating for pleasure, weaponized incompetence, and toxic relationships, among other subjects. In a recent post, she had the perfect response to a misogynistic podcaster who had some … interesting things to say about the “rich auntie lifestyle.” 

The podcaster claimed that the rich auntie life is “an excuse for a woman [who’s] not ready for responsibility or commitment.” Grevenberg responded by laying out her reasoning for the way she lives her life, with many comments commending her.

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A post shared by Aishia Grevenberg (@mytherapistlife)

It’s ridiculous that she even had to make a video explaining her life choices in the first place. But until women can live their lives however they see fit without question, we’ll likely continue feeling the need to defend our decisions. 

Grevenberg began her reel by saying, “I’m literally just trying to live my life, my rich auntie life. Let me help you understand what that is.” Her reasons were concise and perfectly understandable.

1. “I Don’t Have Children (Because I Don’t Want Them)”

There are so many reasons a woman might make the deeply personal choice not to have children. Grevenberg got straight to the point: She doesn’t have kids because she doesn’t want to have kids, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any responsibilities.

Along with being a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, Grevenberg dedicates time to giving her dog Sage “her best life.” She added that she’s not married because she doesn’t want to be married to “nobody’s dusty-ass son.” Grevenberg then explained that she dates for pleasure (a frequent topic of her posts) rather than for marriage. 

2. “I Have A Lot Of Money [And] I Spend It On Me”

Grevenberg said that living a “rich auntie life” is about living for your own happiness: doing whatever you want to do when you want to do it with no apologies. As she put it, “A rich auntie lifestyle is about saying, ‘I have made a deliberate, conscious choice that marriage is not for me and children are not for me. I am for me’ … That’s what a rich auntie is.” We applaud her for knowing what she wants and what she doesn’t want.

Naomi Watts has always been open about her experiences with hormonal changes and encourages all women to be confident in their own skin. In fact, she’s been an advocate for positive change in this arena for over 40 years!

Watts just posted a fantastic side-by-side image on her Instagram. On the left, we see a throwback photo from a tampon commercial she did as a teenager with the caption “When can I start using tampons?” On the right appears a photo of the actress in a similar pose, asking a similar question about lubricant.

Watts, 54, asked in the post, “Why is it that we can talk about periods and puberty with ease, but when it comes to menopause, and yes, dryness… we all get a little skittish…. I created this post in an attempt to capture a woman’s hormonal bookends.”

However, as women age, so do their bodies. For far too long, menopause has been a taboo topic, but Watts wants to change that. In reference to the current-day photo of herself, Watts said, “[This] is a take on what it could look like if we tackled midlife hormonal challenges with the same kind of boldness.”

The actress is no stranger to hormonal changes in midlife. In fact, Watts experienced perimenopause in her 30s and was shocked to find a lack of resources and community on the topic.

She decided to do something about that by talking openly about her experience. As she said in the post, “When it comes to the ‘adult version’ of hormonal changes we’re thrust into the shadows of secrecy and shame… with a total lack of information, plus misinformation!”

But the actress is more than just talk. In fact, Watts founded Stripes, a company that believes that menopause isn’t a dirty word. The brand offers resources, education, and most importantly, a community to women who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

After all, as Watts pointed out, “More than 1 billion people worldwide will be menopausal by 2025.” That’s a lot of people who can support one another and break the stigma of menopause.

We’re thrilled to see Watts come full circle from promoting period protection as a teen to providing resources and a place for women to openly talk about menopause. It’s a cause we’re eager to get behind.

Life has a funny way of getting in the way of our health goals; there never seems to be enough time or motivation. Consequently, achieving our mental and physical goals can begin to seem more and more impossible.

But what if video games could help with this lapse in progress? The computer, video, and mobile gaming industry is as massive as it is varied. Even if you’ve never considered yourself a “gamer,” there’s likely an entire category of games that would cater to your specific interests and preferences. 

And while you certainly can use games simply as an entertaining way of passing the time, they also have the potential to help us reach our physical and mental wellness goals. Here’s how.

Stressed, Anxious, Or Overworked? Try Cozy Gaming

On the opposite end of the spectrum from prevailingly popular, intense, violent video games is the concept of “cozy gaming.” GamesIndustry.biz wrote that “the essential nature of cozy gaming is that of helping other people through non-violent means, often by nurture and generosity. Self-expression is core to the games’ progression goals, which tend to be open-ended.”

This genre can trace its roots all the way back to a 1985 game called “Little Computer People” and Natsume’s “Harvest Moon,” which came out a little over a decade before “Farmville” took our Facebook feeds by storm in 2009. More recently, “Animal Crossing” and “Stardew Valley” cemented their place as cozy game staples. 

By offering a non-threatening, low-stakes environment to explore and enjoy, cozy games offer a much-needed respite from the stress and anxiety of everyday life. And considering just how much of our physical health is related to our stress levels, these calming games offer dual benefits for both mental and physical wellness. 

Cozy gaming is a great way to decompress, de-stress, enjoy a feeling of community, and explore one’s curiosities in a safe, comfortable setting. As gaming writer Melissa Brinks wrote for Forbes, cozy gaming eliminates the need for gamers to meet their characters’ most basic needs (shelter, thirst, hunger, and safety), leaving them with a sense of “connectedness, self-reflection, and mastery.”

TheGamer listed some of the best cozy games as “Unpacking,” “Spiritfarer,” and, of course, the wildly popular and equally cute “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”

Want To Exercise But Hate The Gym? Try This Instead

Physical fitness goals can be particularly difficult to attain for a number of reasons—but working out doesn’t have to suck, we promise. Remember when everyone and their grandma was playing either “Wii Fit” or “Dance Dance Revolution?” Well, those types of games haven’t gone anywhere, and they’re even better now.

The rise of virtual reality gaming has brought about even more immersive exercise experiences, from the music-driven “Beat Saber” to the sci-fi obstacle courses in “Sprint Vector.” And yes, “Just Dance” is still a thing (and just as fun as ever). For some individuals, these games can be an even better option than regular exercise.

A March 2019 press release published in Lifespan covered the results of a study led by behavioral scientists from The Miriam Hospital’s Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Rhode Island. The study itself had sedentary individuals participate in either traditional exercise or video games that involved moderate-to-intense aerobic activity.

“People who played the physically active video games continued to do more exercise than the standard group because they got more enjoyment, better management of stress and depressive symptoms, felt more engaged in physical activity, and were more confident about their ability to exercise than people doing standard exercise,” reported Dr. Beth Bock, the study’s lead scientist.

TheGamer cited “Nintendo Switch Sports,” “Zumba Fitness: World Party,” and “Ring Fit Adventure” as some of the best fitness video games of all time. “Ring Fit Adventure” in particular was difficult to find at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Nintendo Switch game becoming a popular way of working out during lockdown.

Get The Most Out Of Your Gaming

According to FinancesOnline, 64% of U.S. adults play video games on a regular basis. And despite common stereotypes of gamers being that of 20-something, Dorito-eating dude-bros, gaming is becoming increasingly popular with women at many stages of life.

Whether you’re a pro gamer or a total video game novice, finding ways to use games to your advantage is a fun, highly motivational way to reach your overall wellness goals. After all, you’re the main character of your own life. So what’s stopping you from taking the controls and completing your personal objectives?

Hot flashes, bloating, abdominal pain, mood swings—these symptoms are all common among women going through menopause or perimenopause, and they all suck. But as it turns out, there may be an easy way to tame those pesky symptoms by sipping on a tasty (and nutritious) beverage.

Research has found that probiotics may be a helpful tool when it comes to combating menopause symptoms, and one great way to get more of those in your diet is by sipping on the super trendy kombucha.

Kombucha is an age-old fermented beverage made with tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast—it might sound gross, but it’s delicious, we swear! But best of all, it’s brimming with probiotics that are beneficial for our microbiome. 

The human microbiome essentially consists of all the microorganisms that reside within the body, specifically in the gut, mouth, and vagina in women. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is crucial to one’s overall health.

Women experiencing menopause may have problems maintaining a healthy microbiome due to the interaction between gut microbiota (a community of microorganisms) and estrogen, which decreases during menopause. Fortunately, the gut microbiota, which regulates estrogen levels, can be helped with a healthy dose of probiotics.

Menopause-Related Or Not, It Helps Ease Gut Discomfort

It’s not uncommon to experience digestive issues such as abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel movements during menopause. A lack of estrogen and progesterone hormones during menopause and perimenopause can lead to gastrointestinal (GI) issues, which ultimately affect digestion. This can lead to a lot of discomfort.

The hormonal fluctuations of menopause can also worsen symptoms in women who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fortunately, probiotics can help promote healthy digestion and get you back on track. Enjoying kombucha regularly can replenish your gut’s probiotic supply and ease GI discomfort significantly. 

Whether your GI distress is related to menopause or not, probiotics can help restore gut bacteria and promote colon fermentation—basically, they’re just really great for helping you feel better.

It Can Boost Your Brain Health And Mood

Feeling short-tempered, angry, and impatient? If your mood swings have those around you walking on eggshells, you’re not alone. Although more common in perimenopause, sudden mood swings in menopause are a troubling symptom that many women wish to overcome. 

Luckily, probiotics have been shown to possibly improve mood and cognitive health as well. A whopping 95% of the body’s serotonin, a key hormone that affects mood and emotion, is regulated in the GI tract via the vagus nerve that connects to the brain. 

This relates to a concept researchers refer to as the gut-brain connection, which looks at not only how the brain can affect the gut (like stress causing a stomach ache), but also how gut health can impact our mental health.

While traditionally scientists have believed that our brain has a bigger impact on our gut, more recent research is suggesting the inverse may be true. This means treating gut issues could be key to improving our mood and overall well-being.

For example, in one March 2019 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, participants showed marked improvement in mood, sleep, and feelings of anger following the consumption of probiotics for six weeks. 

It May Help With Hot Flashes And Night Sweats

Menopause is synonymous with hot flashes and night sweats, and though they may seem unavoidable due to their overwhelming prevalence, they’re not impossible to remedy. Once again, probiotics may be able to come to the rescue.

Research has shown that a healthy microbiome can also help control vasomotor symptoms (VMS) such as hot flashes and night sweats.

A July 2020 study published by the Journal of Clinical Medicine involved supplementing the diets of women aged from 40 to 60 with Lactobacillus acidophilus, a certain kind of bacteria often used to ferment kombucha. The findings showed that the bacteria helped alleviate a number of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, and even vaginal dryness.

A Word Of Caution

Kombucha is a good example of how too much of a good thing can be harmful. Drinking an excessive amount of kombucha can cause nausea, headaches, upset stomachs, and possibly even ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition when acid builds up in the bloodstream. 

As a general rule, it is recommended to drink four ounces of kombucha a day. Still, kombucha has many health benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’re looking to start incorporating kombucha into your diet, Health-Ade and Remedy Kombucha are two brands we recommend.

With Health-Ade’s delicious variety starter pack, kombucha beginners can kick off their journey to a healthy gut with sensational flavors such as Pink Lady Apple, Pomegranate, and Bubbly Rosé.

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And if you’re looking for a sugar-free option, Remedy Kombucha offers their fan-favorite 24-pack in flavors like Raspberry Lemonade, Ginger Lemon, Mixed Berry, and Peach.

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Now that Dry January is over, many people are sober-curious and wondering what to do after abstaining from alcohol last month. As more women become mindful drinkers, they’re starting to discover the “damp lifestyle.” Here’s what it’s all about and why it may work better than a sober month.

A ‘Damp Lifestyle’ Accounts For Moderation

In January 2022, TikToker Hana Danly decided to be a mindful drinker and coined the term “damp lifestyle.” It’s a moderate drinking technique that Danly opted for instead of going dry last January.

In the now viral video, the TikToker shared, “We talk about being sober. We talk about being drunk. But how do we successfully follow a ‘damp lifestyle?’”

For Danly, going damp has offered a drinking option that many people don’t discuss: moderation. In another video, Danly shared how this option is often overlooked in a society that promotes drinking alcohol.

“The damp lifestyle is internalizing the fact that drinking culture and your relationship with alcohol does not have to be black and white, all or nothing.”

Since going damp is a lifestyle choice and not just a 31-day challenge, it may work better for people who aren’t addicted to alcohol and simply want to reduce their intake.

OBGYN Karina Celaya recently told InStyle, “Going damp may be helpful for those who want to find a middle ground, one that would allow for consumption of alcohol in moderation.”

According to a study published in Health Psychology, moderation can be a more effective way to decrease drinking than simply going cold turkey. In fact, one-third of people who try to do Dry January end up drinking at some point during the month.

It’s a lifestyle choice that more and more women are making. After a spike in alcohol use during COVID-19 lockdowns, many are coming to terms with their relationship with alcohol. Lauren Manaker, a 43-year-old registered dietician-nutritionist, is just one woman who escalated her alcohol intake during COVID-19. 

Manker told InStyle, “I was getting in the habit of pouring a glass of wine every day around 5 p.m., and if I felt stressed, I would lean on wine to help myself unwind. Getting to the point where you need a drink is not OK,” she admitted. “I wanted to get away from that feeling.” 

Even so, the dietician-nutritionist enjoys social drinking and “having a glass of wine with friends at happy hour or enjoying a spicy margarita on taco Tuesday.”

Once she opted for the “damp lifestyle,” Manaker recognized that she had been drinking out of habit and became more mindful about her alcohol consumption.

While Manaker wanted to rid herself of needing a drink, Danly started drinking less as a way to improve her mental health.

In the past year, the TikToker has had some major mental and physical health gains since living the “damp lifestyle.” Some of the domino effects she says she has experienced include better mental health, more energy, sleeping more, better skin, and being happier.

Although going damp has worked for her, Danly is quick to point out that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Some people do need to be sober due to alcoholism or alcohol use disorder. In fact, a recent study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows that many Americans drink an unhealthy amount of alcohol.

For those who aren’t sober or working towards sobriety, the “damp lifestyle” is a great way to practice mindful living. Here are a few ways you can go damp this year.

Use Your Motivating Factor

Danly encourages everyone to know their motivating factor and focus on their why. For the TikToker, her why includes mental health struggles. She first went damp after realizing that alcohol was the “common denominator” when she had mental health challenges.

Start With One Or Two Small Goals

The TikToker also says that people should start with just a couple of small goals. For Danly, drinking water in between drinks, having only one alcoholic drink at a restaurant, and going to an event sober were small ways she began living the “damp lifestyle.”

Stick To Alcohol-Free Days And Times

Once you’re able to sustain your small goals, you can move on to bigger goals such as not drinking during the week, only drinking socially, and abstaining from hard liquor. 

Compassion Is Key

With any change, offering yourself grace and compassion is necessary. Dr. Jill Carnahan, M.D. told InStyle, “Don’t be too hard on yourself if you fail to keep your commitment. If you are creating a new habit, it may take an average of many tries to successfully ingrain the new habit into your subconscious.”

If you’re sober-curious, trying out the “damp lifestyle” may just be the key to living more mindfully this year.

According to Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right. But what does that mean? Happiness is an incredibly difficult thing to describe and quantify—despite the research that’s been done on the subject.

Gallup conducts annual self-reported happiness surveys in which people anonymously rate their life satisfaction level. Every year, in more than 160 countries, they ask people this question:

“Please imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?” 

Researchers in various studies try to find associations between happiness, behavior, and personal characteristics. They also use the data to compare the happiness levels of different countries—which is why we often hear that Denmark is the “happiest” place on the planet. That statistic comes from the Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index, which uses Gallup’s data for the emotional well-being portion of its reporting.

Even though happiness is difficult to describe, we need to have some way of measuring it ourselves using something other than a Gallup poll or data gathered by other external sources. 

That’s the opinion of happiness researcher and author Arthur Brooks, who said, “In order to understand and manage your own happiness, you need more nuanced self-tests, of which there are many.”

Brooks wrote in The Atlantic that his favorite self-test is the PANAS, or the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. It measures “the intensity and frequency of positive and negative moods and feelings,” which he said clearly shows that positive and negative feelings aren’t incompatible.

Using PANAS, Brooks has outlined four categories people tend to fall into, each with its own fairly self-explanatory nickname:

1. Mad Scientists: high positive affect and high negative affect.
2. Sober Judgers: low positive affect and low negative affect.
3. Cheerleaders: high positive affect and low negative affect.
4. Poets: Low positive affect and high negative affect.

(“Affect” as it’s used here refers to the experience of feelings, emotions, and moods.)

The key, said Brooks, is to remember that self-reported happiness tests are simply a source of information we can use to understand ourselves better and to make positive changes. 

Brooks also noted that you shouldn’t feel down on yourself for, say, being a Sober Judge when you may want to be a Cheerleader. All four types of people are essential for creating balance in the world, and anyway, it’s important to remember that the enemy of happiness is social comparison.

Using PANAS to measure the frequency and intensity of your feelings and moods is a good way to identify the vital role you play in the world. Understanding that may better equip you to be gentle with yourself and improve your well-being.

And if you want to improve your happiness, cut out the comparisons. You can never go wrong by spending less time scrolling and more time focusing on yourself and the important people and relationships in your world.

For many people, choosing whether or not to have kids is difficult. It’s not a decision that’s typically taken lightly—which is certainly a cultural shift.

In the past, people didn’t necessarily choose to have kids; they were simply expected to do so. However, as gender norms become more fluid, societal expectations change, and more women have financial freedom, many people are opting out of parenthood.

COVID Is Not Fully To Blame

As an elder millennial, I’m part of the generation that is having fewer babies than any other in American history. A 2015 study from The Urban Institute found that from 2007–2012, birth rates declined by more than 15 percent for women in their 20s.

Since 2007, birth rates have continued to fall, and a COVID-19 baby bust even occurred in 2021. While the pandemic may be one reason why birth rates are on the decline, there are plenty of other factors at play.

Financial stress is one major reason why millennials are opting out of parenthood. According to a 2020 survey from Morning Consult, nearly 3 out of 5 millennials without children chose not to have kids because it’s just too expensive. From childcare costs to education and even basic everyday items such as groceries, raising a kid certainly takes a financial toll.

Plus, let’s not forget how much it costs just to have a baby! For couples and single parents, birthing costs can put a strain on their wallets. According to the University of Michigan, the average mother in the U.S. paid over $4,500 for labor and delivery in 2020—and that’s with health insurance!

Even when finances aren’t a struggle, some people choose to forego having kids due to environmental concerns and overpopulation. Although I’m a parent to three girls, I opted out of childbirth partially due to overpopulation concerns. Since there are plenty of children who already need a home, adopting domestically was the route I chose.

While overpopulation, famine, war, and the state of political affairs are just a few reasons why some choose to remain childless, many people remain childless because it makes them happier. Although this outlook is often seen as self-centered, it’s more than a valid response. In fact, some people are simply more fulfilled without the extra stress of parenting.

As it turns out, data proves this to be true. Behavioral scientist and happiness expert Paul Dolan has previously shared evidence that young women are happiest without children or a spouse. More than 50 years earlier, a 1977 study published by Carnegie Mellon University said that couples without children tended to be happier than those with children.

One person who admits to not having kids because she’s happy without them is author and journalist Anne Helen Petersen. The author shared on her own website that her primary reason for being childless is due to our society “being incredibly hostile to mothers and working mothers in particular.”

However, she went on to say, “The other reason is that I am also very happy without kids.” It’s a sentiment more and more people have.

While being childless makes some people happy, others opt out of parenthood due to their mental health. In fact, some millennials choose to remain childless because they don’t want to pass their genes to the next generation.

How Does Mental Health Factor Into The Decision?

When The Atlantic asked readers to divulge if their mental health has been a factor in deciding to have kids, one reader shared, “As an adult, I realize that I inherited [my mothers’] same level of anxiety—but I have spent a lifetime developing strategies and practices to manage it…Nevertheless, I am fairly certain, just based on how much I worry about our dogs, that having children would exacerbate my anxiety in ways I would probably not be able to control, and in a way that is likely to burden my children.”

Perhaps another reason that’s often overlooked is the way most people parent today. Instead of fitting a child into their life, parents often find themselves fitting themselves into their child’s schedule.

From soccer games to piano recitals and chess tournaments, parents often schlep their kids around in the family minivan for what feels like a never-ending road trip. Plus, it’s a daunting task for anyone to figure out how to dedicate so much of their time to a child, let alone multiple children. 

The thing is, as more and more millennials and Gen Zers opt out of parenthood, there aren’t enough babies to keep up with the current rate of population growth. In 2020, the CDC released data showing that women now have 1.71 children, though the optimal number is 2.1 babies to maintain the population.

As millennials begin to enter midlife, only time will tell if Gen Z will pick up the slack to maintain America’s population. Then again, maybe a population decline is on the horizon.

Period products have slowly evolved throughout the years, but there are now more options for period care than ever before (yay!), and the Thinx brand had a lot to do with the market’s growth. 

Thinx launched their revolutionary period underwear in 2013, followed by their bladder leakage underwear, Speax, in 2015. They seek to make products for periods and incontinence more sustainable, comfortable, and accessible. 

However, Thinx has had its fair share of controversy. As The Cut reported, there were allegations of sexual harassment against former CEO Miki Agrawal in 2017 (the case was eventually settled and the complaint withdrawn). There have also been complaints of a toxic work environment. 

But apparently, that’s not the only thing that’s toxic. As reported in NPR, Thinx has now settled a class-action lawsuit claiming their underwear contains human-made chemicals called per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAs).

There are two types of PFAs, short-chain (containing fewer than eight carbon atoms) and long-chain (containing more than eight carbon atoms, also referred to as “forever chemicals”). The brand has marketed its underwear as organic and non-toxic; however, according to third-party testing, certain varieties of underwear contain short-chain PFAs.

Besides being difficult to break down, PFAs have been linked to a wide range of health issues. According to a November 2020 study published in Environmental Research, cancers, thyroid problems, hormone disruption, infertility, and cardiovascular disease are among the issues related to PFA exposure.

Thinx has denied that PFAs were intentionally added to their products, telling NPR, “The settlement is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing by Thinx.” Thinx also pledged to take measures to ensure PFAs aren’t intentionally added at any stage of production. 

The settlement covers underwear bought between November 12, 2016, and November 28, 2022. Consumers who purchased underwear from Thinx between those dates may be entitled to financial compensation and can submit a claim here.

There are a few alternative brands if you’re rethinking Thinx, but some of these brands have also come under scrutiny. According to ClassAction.org, Knix was faced with a class-action lawsuit in April 2022 over their products containing PFAs.

Meanwhile, Mamavation, a source that claims to conduct “eco-wellness product investigations for moms,” found that Cora products also contained PFAs. But in that case, while the number of PFAs found in Cora underwear was detectable, it was likely the result of contamination rather than having been intentionally added. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind when deciding whether or not to purchase.

On the other hand, The Period Company’s website claims that third-party testing found their fabric to be free of PFAs. On their product pages, they write, “We are proud to be one of the few period underwear brands that do not use any toxins in our products, because who wants chemicals near the most sensitive part of their body? Not us. Or you.”

Their high-waisted heavy-period underwear is affordable and fantastic for even your heaviest flow. They’re also ideal for women going through perimenopause and postpartum.

The Period Company Heavy Period High-Waisted Underwear

$12 Shop Now at The Period Company

Their period sleep shorts are made with organic cotton and built-in five-layer padding to provide a leakproof night’s sleep. We also love the brand’s inclusive sizing—from XS to 6X.

The Period Company Sleeper Period Shorts

$24 Shop Now at The Period Company

Fat is without a doubt one of the hottest topics in the world of health and wellness, but did you know there are multiple types of fat cells that our bodies store and use in different ways?

Many of us have a negative perception of fat based on its association with serious health risks and obesity. However, while some types of fat are more harmful in excess, others can have certain benefits. The amount of each type of fat and the way your body stores that fat can have a big impact on your overall health.

What Is Brown Fat?

In general, white fat is what we think of when we talk about fat. These large white cells are stored in multiple locations throughout the body, and their primary function is to store energy for later use. White fat helps to maintain health, but too much can be harmful.

Brown fat is much less common than white fat and is mostly found in infants. Nonetheless, adults still have it, and its primary function is to help keep us warm. It also helps to regulate the metabolism of sugar and fat, which is why researchers have been particularly interested in brown fat in recent years.

There is also beige fat, which as you might have guessed, is a combination of white and brown fat cells. Aiding in regulating body temperature, scientists have also been intrigued by beige fat cells ability to convert white fat into brown.

Brown Fat Can Impact Our Metabolism

While the research into brown fat is still relatively new, findings on how brown fat can help us achieve a healthier weight look promising.

In an August 2019 study published in Nature, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that activated brown fat can help burn fat. 

An analysis of glucose, fats, and amino acids was performed in 33 healthy young men. At room temperature, 17 of the men had high brown fat activity while 16 had low activity. They were then exposed to cool temperatures (not enough to make them shiver) for two hours.

Participants with high levels of brown fat activity were found to have reduced levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), essential amino acids that provide energy during exercise. Interestingly, past studies have shown an increase of BCAA in participants with serious health risks such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

Scientists also discovered that brown fat produces a protein called SLC25A44 (what a mouthful) when it’s exposed to cold environments, which then helps convert BCAAs into energy and heat. Blocking this process caused obesity and diabetes in rodents. Using these findings, researchers were able to better understand how brown fat affects metabolism and interacts with BCAAs. 

At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a June 2014 study published in Nature found that cold exposure affected human fat and metabolism.

Over the course of a month, participants were exposed to mild cold for at least 10 hours at a time while wearing standard hospital attire and bed sheets. By the end of the study, participants had increased their brown fat volume by 42% and their fat metabolic activity by 10% in addition to improving their insulin sensitivity. 

How To Activate Brown Fat

You might have noticed that both studies used cool temperatures to activate brown fat. That said, you don’t need to stand outside shivering your butt off to potentially see results. Here are a few possible things to try instead.

1. Get Outdoors While It’s Cold 

Try making a habit of taking brisk morning walks or cool evening strolls. You could also go hiking with the family or finish some long overdue yard work in chillier temperatures. Staying indoors may be tempting, but as the UCSF study demonstrated, that cold exposure will help activate your brown fat cells and could lead to overall fat loss.

2. Crank Down The Temps At Night 

In addition to saving you money on your heating bill, keeping the thermostat at a low setting overnight may also crank up your metabolism. As noted in the VCU study,  sleeping in a cooler room can improve your overall health due to the activation of brown fat.

3. Get A Healthy Dose Of Meat Or Nuts

If you dislike the cold (can’t say I blame you), you’ll be glad to know there are some other options for boosting brown fat production. A June 2022 study published in Pharmaceutics found that L-arginine—an amino acid found in whole grains, dairy products, nuts, fish, and meat—effectively accelerated the transformation of white fat into brown fat after seven days.

4. Try Adding A Supplement To Your Diet

We get it, making changes to your diet isn’t always easy or possible. As an alternative, you can always supplement your diet with … well, supplements, like the NOW L-arginine Supplements. To maximize metabolic management, take two tablets of 1,000 mg per day.

Research published by the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry in September 2015 also suggested that curcumin (a substance in turmeric) may help turn white fat brown, in which case supplements such as the Qunol Turmeric Curcumin Capsules could come in handy. Taking two 1,000 mg capsules daily is recommended for best results.

Valentine’s Day may seem like it’s only about romantic love, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! The holiday is also a wonderful opportunity to practice self-love. If you’re single this Valentine’s Day, we think we’ve found the perfect way you can treat yourself.

SinglesSwag Products Are Designed With Single Women In Mind

One easy way to be your own valentine this February is to order a box from SinglesSwag. The company is all about encouraging women to love their single selves.

In fact, SinglesSwag doesn’t subscribe to cultural norms or relationship expectations that are typically put on women. Instead, they believe that “a woman’s happiness is determined by her outlook and attitude, not by her relationship status.” We’re all about this outlook and think more people should celebrate their singleness.

SinglesSwag makes it easy for women to love themselves, carefully crafting boxes that contain anything from organic bath and beauty products to trendy fashion accessories, books, and even jewelry items. SinglesSwag’s items empower and inspire women to live their best life. 

What’s more, the company puts its money where its mouth is—a portion of its proceeds even goes toward breast cancer research!

Although you can purchase single items, the best way to treat yourself or any single woman in your life is through their affordable monthly box subscription that’s full of exciting surprises.

Of course, you can opt for the monthly plan and cancel at any time if you want a one-off Valentine’s Day treat, but if you choose a multi-month or annual subscription, you can save even more. That’s good news since you’ll probably fall in love with just the first box.

You can even opt for one of two sizes, making their monthly very budget-friendly. The large box comes with seven to eight full-sized products, while the smaller option contains four to five full-sized items.

Since the products are hand-selected exclusively for fun and fabulous single women, you’re sure to enjoy each box, no matter which option you choose.

Perfect for any single woman on Valentine’s Day, their February box is full of amazing items. Just a few of the highlights from the kit includes Lisa Currie’s book The Positivity Kit, a fabulous cold therapy ice roller, a Vitamin-C repairing serum that’s perfect for the winter months, and a mani-pedi treatment set that will keep your nails and feet happy during the cold weather.

One Subscriber Says It’s ‘Like Christmas In A Box’

But don’t just take our word for it. According to reviews, SinglesSwag has plenty of happy customers. One subscriber calls the box the “best subscription ever.”

Many people also agree with one happy customer who said, “SinglesSwag is like Christmas in a box! It’s become my favorite reminder to be myself, love myself, and celebrate my singleness.”

A SinglesSwag subscription is the perfect gift for you or any single woman in your life. Plus, it’s the gift that will keep on giving every month, so you can celebrate yourself year-round.

If you’re looking for a unique way to show up for yourself this holiday, SinglesSwag has you covered.

Coca-Cola and Simply Orange Juice are facing a class-action lawsuit after it was revealed that their supposedly all-natural juice is actually contaminated with toxic PFAS at levels “hundreds of times” above federal advisory limits for drinking water.

The suit was filed in New York and is asking a judge to order the company to pay the plaintiffs damages. Their complaint points out that Simply Orange’s claims of using “all natural ingredients” with “nothing to hide” are false. 

By saying the company uses “filtered water,” the company leads “reasonable consumers to believe that additional care has been taken to remove any incidental chemicals or impurities,” the suit states.

“In reality, testing has revealed that the product contains [PFAS], a category of synthetic chemicals that are, by definition, not natural,” it continued. The suit also alleged that third-party testing found two of the most dangerous types of these chemicals, which have been phased out of products in the U.S. but continue to contaminate the environment. 

What Are PFAS And Why Are They Dangerous?

So, what are PFAS? The letters stand for “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.” It’s a class of chemicals that are typically used to make certain products resistant to water, stains, and heat. They’re commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they don’t naturally break down. They have also been linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and other serious health issues.

Water is usually how people are exposed to PFAS, but they have also been found in certain foods. The FDA has taken few steps to address the dangers of these chemicals, and researchers say the organization is falling behind when it comes to testing for PFAS. 

“As we get better and better able to measure PFAS at lower levels and the FDA falls further behind on what it is testing … then you’re going to keep seeing these lawsuits pop up,” said Tom Neltner, a chemicals policy director with the Environmental Defense Fund. This organization is a non-profit that is working to pressure the FDA into taking action on the topic of PFAS. 

It’s unknown how or why these PFAS ended up in Simply Orange—it could have been through the water that is mixed with the juice, the packaging, or the fruit itself. Hopefully, this lawsuit will lead companies to take a closer look at the products they are putting on shelves.

Many people have started the new year strong with a new take on the power of positive thinking. From TikTok stars to cognitive behavioral therapists, people are gushing over the power of “lucky girl syndrome.” But can this latest technique work for you?

Although the idea of positive thinking became famous in the 1990s, it’s been around for millenia. Even 2,000 years ago, Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” But thanks to social media, “lucky girl syndrome” is a new take on the ancient idea.

The Latest Way To Manifest Positive Outcomes

As the name implies, “lucky girl syndrome” is one way to manifest positive outcomes. The term began to trend a few weeks ago after Laura Galebe posted a viral video about the power of positive thinking.

She said, “The secret is to assume and believe it before the concrete proof shows up.” Wanting to prove her point, she showed up with receipts.”I get the most insane opportunities thrown at me out of nowhere,” she explained in the video that has 3 million views. “I just always expect great things to happen to me, and they do.”

While the TikTok star only shared what “lucky girl syndrome” is, others commented on the video that action is often required to manifest positive outcomes. Plus, as one TikToker remarked, “There is also an amount of privilege that helps out.”

Actions Speak Louder Than… Thoughts?

Another person who is all about manifesting positive outcomes is cognitive behavioral therapist Chamin Ajjan. In a recent interview on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna, the therapist shared that she has some of her patients manifest what they want through both thoughts and action.

“You have to have positive thinking to be able to manifest. Positive thinking is a part of manifestation but it’s not the whole thing,” Ajjan shared. “If you put the action behind it, that is where the real magic happens.”

As the therapist also pointed out, “There’s plenty of research that validates the power of positive thinking.” In fact, at least one study shows that positive thinking can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

Whether you refer to it as positive thinking, “lucky girl syndrome,” or manifestation, Ajjan shared that the key is to identify what you want, set an intention, create an action plan, and then review what’s working every week. If you’re ready to make a few changes this year, thinking positively is certainly worth a try!

Many of us prefer to get our daily dose of calcium from what we eat and drink—things like dairy, leafy greens, almonds, and salmon. But according to the Mayo Clinic, many Americans don’t actually get enough calcium in their normal diets. 

Our bodies need calcium for more than building and maintaining strong bones; your heart, muscles, and nerves need calcium in order to function properly. There have even been studies that suggest calcium—along with vitamin D—could possibly protect against cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, the full health benefits of calcium have yet to be confirmed. 

Getting enough calcium is especially important for adults over 50, as low calcium levels can lead to osteoporosis. Regarding women in particular, bone loss increases dramatically during menopause due to depleting levels of estrogen.

It’s no wonder calcium multivitamins and stand-alone supplements are popular. If you don’t get enough calcium, you’re at a higher risk for health problems related to weak bones. But if you do take a calcium supplement, there are other health risks to be aware of.

The Potential Risks Of Calcium Supplements

We should start by saying that much more research is required on this topic. Still, it’s best to approach taking calcium supplements with caution because there are potentially serious risks involved. If you’re concerned about not getting enough calcium in your diet, the ideal course of action is to confer with your doctor.

1. Cardiovascular Disease

In a February 2021 study published in Nutrients, researchers at the National Cancer Center in Korea found that calcium supplements were “significantly associated with the increased risk of [cardiovascular disease] and [coronary heart disease] by 15%, specifically in postmenopausal women.” 

That’s not the first time research has linked calcium supplements to cardiovascular disease. A July 2010 study published in The BMJ found that more test subjects who took calcium supplements had heart attacks or strokes or even died than those who took the placebo.

“Calcium supplements (without co-administered vitamin D) are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction,” the study read. “As calcium supplements are widely used, these modest increases in risk of cardiovascular disease might translate into a large burden of disease in the population. A reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the management of osteoporosis is warranted.”

The correlation here is plausible, but causation hasn’t been proven.

2. Dementia

A small 2016 study published in Neurology set out to determine whether calcium supplements could be associated with the development of dementia in women over a five-year period. 

The study observed 700 dementia-free women aged 70 to 92 years and concluded that calcium supplements “may increase the risk of developing dementia in elderly women with cerebrovascular disease.” Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of conditions that affect blood flow and the blood vessels in the brain.

Researchers noted that because the study was so small and observational, their findings needed to be confirmed with further research.

3. Side Effects And Drug Interactions

If you take or plan to take a calcium supplement, the good news is there are little to no side effects. The worst appear to be gas, constipation, and bloating. 

There is a possibility, though, that your calcium supplement could interact with any prescription medications you take. The Mayo Clinic indicates that you should consult your doctor if you take any of the following: “blood pressure medications, synthetic thyroid hormones, bisphosphonates, antibiotics, and calcium channel blockers.”

How Much Daily Calcium Do You Actually Need?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily amount of calcium for adult women under 50 is 1,000 mg. For women over 50, that number increases to 1,200 mg. The best sources of dietary calcium come from dairy products.

Dark green leafy vegetables like broccoli and kale are also great sources of calcium, as are fish with edible soft bones (sardines and canned salmon), and calcium-fortified cereals, fruit juices, and soy products.

To absorb calcium, your body needs sufficient amounts of vitamin D. You can get that from sun exposure and vitamin D-fortified foods, like egg yolks and canned salmon (with bones).

In addition to a daily diet filled with the proper amount of calcium and vitamin D, exercise can go a long way toward keeping your bones healthy. The risk of osteoporosis is higher in those who aren’t physically active. Weight-bearing daily activities like walking, jogging, and climbing stairs help to build strong bones and slow bone loss.

It seems like every day, new information comes out about a diet or a weight loss trick that’s a foolproof way to shed some pounds. One of the latest trends is intermittent fasting, but a new study has uncovered some surprising information about the potential efficacy of this dieting method. 

The study looked at the eating habits of almost 550 adults (with an average age of 51) in the Maryland and Pennsylvania areas. The researchers were specifically looking at the impact of the timing of food consumption and its relationship to weight gain. 

Timing food consumption (also known as intermittent fasting) is a new weight-loss trend that encourages people to stop eating for a specific period of time each day or week.

For example, some people alternate their fasting from day to day, eating normally one day and eating nothing the next. Others decide to stop eating at a certain time each day and don’t eat again until the next morning. 

Dr. Wendy Bennett, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and one of the co-authors of the study, discussed its findings with Today.

According to Bennett, study subjects used an app to track their eating, sleeping, and exercising habits. So, what were the findings? 

Does Intermittent Fasting Really Affect Weight Loss?

According to the study, the findings of which were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the timing of meals had almost no impact on someone’s weight. The main cause of weight gain? The amount of food eaten.

The study explained that they “found an association between the eating of more frequent and larger meals per day and weight increase, indicating that total overall caloric intake is the major driver of weight gain.” 

They also added that the results of the study “did not support the use of time-restricted eating as a strategy for long-term weight loss in a general medical population.” 

That said, it should be noted the findings were largely based on self-reported eating habits. Additionally, caloric intake was documented by approximate meal sizes (a slice of pizza equating 500 calories, half a pizza reporting a meal between 500 and 1,000 calories, and a whole pizza indicating 1,000 or more calories).

Additionally, Dr. Holly Loften, director of the NYU Langone Weight Management Program, and Dr. Ann Lala, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Health, both spoke to Today questioning the methodology and data presented to draw such conclusions.

While intermittent fasting (IF) may or may not be the ideal diet choice for weight loss, it should be noted that there are documented health benefits of practicing IF, especially for women near or in menopause. Studies have noted that intermittent fasting can help with lowering blood pressure, lowering LDL cholesterol, reducing diabetes risk, and potentially making the body more resilient to diseases.

Many midlife American women suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) issues. In fact, more women than men in the United States suffer from certain gut problems, with some studies suggesting that women’s GI systems behave differently partly because of “sex-related features in the brain.”

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are characterized by inflammation of the GI tract. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, persistent diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue. 

Now, a December 2022 study published in Nature Communications claims there’s a common food ingredient in the United States that might trigger IBD. 

This Common Food Dye Could Be The Culprit

While the causes of IBD haven’t yet been pinned down, possible culprits include genetic factors, dysregulated immune responses, and environmental factors. One environmental factor, in particular, is the typical American diet: red and processed meats, lack of fiber, sugar—and red food dye.

Allura Red (AR) food dye, also known as FD&C Red 40 and Food Red 17, is a synthetic dye made from petroleum. It’s long been a commonly used ingredient in the American diet. It shows up in foods like cereal, pastries, fruit bars, dairy products, condiments, candy, soft drinks, and more.  

It’s an FDA-approved dye for food, drugs, and cosmetics (even cosmetics meant to be used around the eye area). Research suggests it’s one of, if not the most widely-used artificial food dye in grocery store items. 

You may have heard of the potential link between red food dye and ADHD in some children. Red Dye No. 2 was even banned in the U.S. in 1976 after a Russian study linked it to cancer, a connection that’s never been fully proven or disproven.

However, research regarding AR’s effect on gut health has been lacking in recent years. This new study has changed that, finding evidence of a link between the two.

The Potential Dangers Of Allura Red

The study, conducted by McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, found that Allura Red can cause inflammation and increase serotonin in the gut (leading to colitis). It can also affect certain allergies, immune disorders, and behavioral problems in children. 

Senior author Waliul Khan, Ph.D., along with a team of researchers, studied the effects of common food colorants (including AR) on serotonin production in mice. The mice were then split into three different groups and fed either a standard diet, a diet that included AR every day, or a diet that included AR once a week.

Following 12 weeks of these diets plus a buffer week afterward, the mice were exposed to a chemical to induce colitis. The mice that only consumed AR once a week didn’t appear to have an increased susceptibility to colitis, but the ones who consumed AR on a daily basis developed mild colitis. This led to worsened intestinal nutrient absorption along with a boost in serotonin levels.

Furthermore, the researchers did a similar study on four-week-old mice and found that early AR exposure induced low-level colonic inflammation.

As Dr. Khan told Science Daily, “What we have found is striking and alarming, as this common synthetic food dye is a possible dietary trigger for IBD. This research is a significant advance in alerting the public on the potential harms of food dyes that we consume daily.” 

It’s important to note these foods do not cause IBD but exacerbate IBD symptoms. More research with human subjects at clinical and experimental levels is needed to further explore the link between IBD and Allura Red food dye. 

If you suffer from GI issues, your healthcare provider can help you make decisions about lifestyle changes.

However, while some GI issues can be mitigated by certain foods and drinks, IBD is a serious medical condition. You should consult your healthcare team to help you decide the best action plan for you. 

Not all diets are created equal, but among even the zaniest of fad diets, certain nutritional ideas seem set in stone. For example: protein is good, grains should be whole, and too much saturated fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

But listen up, cheese lovers: that last tidbit of advice might not be as sound as we once thought. A December 2022 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that saturated fats from cheese, milk, and other dairy products might have more benefits than downsides. 

Read on to learn about the science behind why cheese and other dairy products are so gouda for us (sorry, we had to).

Not All Saturated Fats

The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats found in cheese, red meat, other animal-based foods, and tropical oils. “Decades of sound science has proven it can raise your ‘bad’ cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease,” the AHA’s website says. 

But researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine wanted to dig into the idea that all saturated fats are bad. Their study argues that “current dietary guidance recommends limiting intakes of saturated fats. But most fail to consider that saturated fats from different food sources may have different health effects.”

The study looked at 2,391 adults over 30. Researchers evaluated the associations of saturated fats from dairy and nondairy sources with body fat, inflammatory biomarkers, and lipid particle size and concentrations.

The Big Cheddar Of Saturated Fats

Researchers compared women in the highest and lowest 20% of dairy saturated fat intake and found some unexpected differences. First, those in the highest intake group had significantly lower body fat and percentage of fat mass.

Additionally, blood tests revealed that those who ate more saturated fat from dairy had higher HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides. Researchers did not find these positive associations with nondairy saturated fats. 

The study’s findings suggest that while some saturated fats can negatively impact our cardiovascular health, saturated fats from dairy seem to be the exception. However, there are some caveats to consider with these findings. 

First, these cardiovascular benefits were seen less often in female study participants. Second, this was an observational study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition prefaces the study by saying these associations aren’t definitive proof of a causal relationship. However, the study serves as a good jumping-off point for further research.

Pass The Cheese, Please!

As with anything, saturated fats—even those from dairy—are still best consumed in moderation. But this study provides a glimmer of hope for cheese lovers by suggesting that maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t necessarily mean banishing your favorite cheddar and brie.

During her 2018 book tour for Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama admitted that as women, we actually can’t “have it all,” at least not all at once.

And while some women may have felt relief from the pressure of trying (and oftentimes failing) to have it all, others were likely confused. We’ve been told for decades by our parents and by society that we’d be able to simultaneously have a family, a successful career, a well-kept home, etc.

But while having it all is nice to think about in theory, it hasn’t panned out quite the way we grew up believing it would. If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that the bulk of the housework, childcare, and planning/organization typically falls to women. And this is in spite of women making strides in the professional realm as well.  

So why is there such a stark imbalance? 

Did Baby Boomers Equip Their Sons To Be Married To Successful Women?

A Reddit post from r/TwoXChromosomes claims that Baby Boomers may have accidentally raised their sons to be “man-children” while raising their daughters to be career-oriented women.

The post was based on a tweet from @jfitzgeraldmd that read, “Baby boomers did a pretty good job teaching their millennial daughters that they could be anything they wanted to be and a pretty terrible job of preparing their sons for what that would mean for them as husbands and fathers.” 

Equally applicable to Gen X as to millennials, the concept basically states that older generations didn’t sufficiently prepare their sons to take on more responsibilities within the home as more women entered the workforce and therefore had less time and energy to handle the domestic duties on their own. 

This isn’t meant to be a blanket statement, however. There are certainly men who’ve stepped up to the plate and become team players alongside their partners. In regards to my own husband, we both do household work, we both take care of our child, and I’m eternally grateful my husband’s parents raised a capable, caring, thoughtful human.

However, reading through the responses, it seems many women haven’t had the same experience.

Redditors Chime In

“Over the past 100 years we’ve completely changed the life expectations for women and what it means to be a woman and we’ve done little to nothing to change the expectations of men or what it means to be a man,” one user wrote. “Some of that work is starting but it’s long overdue.”

This concept was illustrated by a single mom who wrote, “[I] keep trying to find a guy to date who doesn’t seem like one extra dependent … but [I’m] still single seven years later. If a man can’t bring as much as he takes, and yes that means cleaning up after himself, why would I want to add that to my already full plate?! I already juggle work and kids! Come back when you have adulting skills and are ready to do half the work.”

Another user commented how her dad is guilty as charged. “My dad certainly fits this model, though my brother miraculously never followed suit,” they wrote. “Brother and his wife now have two kids, and my dad is simply beside himself witnessing how hands-on my brother is as a father. Constant little comments like, ‘in my day, dads were expected to go back to work right away,’ and my personal favorite, ‘in my day, dads didn’t change diapers!'”

Another commenter shared a Gloria Steinem quote that resonated with many: “Though we have the courage to raise our daughters more like our sons, we’ve rarely had the courage to raise our sons like our daughters.”

What Can Be Done?

Nowadays, it’s more common for families to instruct their sons to become more aware of their emotions and feelings, teach them how to cook and clean, and even allow them to play with toys traditionally aimed toward girls, helping prepare them for a future when they’ll to take on more responsibilities around the home.

However, we still hold out hope for the less responsible male partners of Gen X and millennial women to start lending more of a helping hand. Weaponized incompetence is becoming a more widely-recognized phenomenon, and an increasing number of women have begun to set boundaries when they encounter it. 

Still, as one frustrated Redditor pointed out, “The onus of educating late Gen X to early Gen Z men is now falling on their female peers, to everyone’s frustration. And despite the rational discourse being presented, there’s still a faction of them who refuse to listen and consider a woman’s POV on the topic of women, because poor behavior was modeled for them early on.”

You may have heard about couples sleeping in different bedrooms to improve their waking relationship, but could the same be said for living in a completely separate home?

According to data from the Census Bureau (as reported by the New York Times), the number of married couples “living apart together” (L.A.T.) increased in the year leading up to the pandemic. That number went down during the pandemic, but now that the pandemic has waned, it’s begun to rise again.

In 2022, there were 3.89 million Americans living separately from their spouses, which shakes out to 2.95% of all married adults in the country. The numbers don’t include those who are living apart because they’re contemplating divorce, but they do include those who are forced to live apart by their jobs (like military families).

As highlighted in the above-cited New York Times article, the decision to live apart from a spouse is often led by women who feel they need to find out who they are beyond being caretakers and who feel the need to have their own space.

One woman told the outlet that she moved into her own home away from her husband during the pandemic to be closer to a major city as life on their rural farm was a drain on her. As it turns out, she found that the distance worked for her relationship, saying it made her and her husband feel as though they were back in the dating phase of their relationship.

She added that having her own home helps her remember who she is by herself and what she likes doing by herself, which she called “a lovely gift.”

From October 2021 to June 2022, Sana Akhand lived 30 minutes away from her husband in New York City so she could create the life she’d dreamed of as a young girl, which included establishing a successful career.

Having been married since 2015, Akhand said she felt she was losing her “independent nature” as she fell into culturally-driven gender roles, like what it means to be a wife.

While living on her own, Akhand was able to redirect the time and energy spent worrying about her husband to her own priorities, which resulted in her first book deal. It also helped her realize what she needed in the relationship when they finally moved back in together, including a space of her own where she can meditate, work on fulfilling projects, and just blow off steam dancing.

It’s all too easy to fall into the notion of what a marriage should look like: dinner on the table by 6, trips to Home Depot on Saturday mornings, or binging the same new hot series on Netflix on Friday evenings. It appears that the couples profiled by the New York Times found the experience of living separately as an opportunity to take a step back and focus on what matters to them as individuals as well as challenging traditional concepts of what a marriage should be.

While most of the couples eventually moved back in together, the time apart let them figure out how to make their marriage stronger. Additionally, especially for the women, it allowed them to find their identity that was starting to fade with weekly chores, weekend soccer matches, and daily cooking.

So while financially living separately might not be feasible for many, perhaps a brief hiatus of spending every day together could be just what you need to find yourself again and bring a better version of yourself back to your marriage.

Did you make a lofty list of resolutions or goals you wanted to achieve in preparation for the beginning of the year? I’m no different, but as the weeks have rolled by, I’ve realized (as I have every year) that the new year isn’t some magical restart. We are still just ourselves, living our regular lives.

To achieve our goals or to even just get started on our to-do lists, we need to prioritize. Time management is something many of us struggle with. We want to be productive, but without the right tools, we can fall right back into our less-than-ideal routines. 

If you’re a human being, you probably struggle with procrastination or focusing your attention when you want to get things done—or you might just be overwhelmed with your daily tasks. Whatever the case, here’s an easy, clever, time-tested method to help you better manage your time. 

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late ’80s when he was just a student. When he realized he wasn’t getting enough done in his study sessions, he grabbed a timer, which happened to be a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro is Italian for tomato), and set it for a short amount of time.

After a bit of trial and error, he found that 25-minute focused work sessions separated by short breaks effectively helped him accomplish more. He’s since written a book on the method and now works as a consultant with top companies around the world.

How To Follow The Pomodoro Technique

1. Choose a task.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
3. Focus on the task until the timer goes off.
4. Take a short break (two to five minutes).
5. Repeat four times (these bursts of productivity are called pomodoros).
6. Take a longer break after four work sessions (15-30 minutes).

This method helps by breaking up your tasks into smaller segments, keeping you from feeling overwhelmed by something that feels too large or unmanageable.

I’ve adopted the technique for writing this article, and so far, I’ve noticed that I do feel more focused than normal. Knowing that I have a break coming up has helped me stay concentrated on the task at hand and not on what else I could be doing.

The Pomodoro Technique can also help stave off mental fatigue. Some people push through their tasks just to get them done, even if they’re stressed and tired and the work isn’t their best. This method is likely to improve the quality of your work while ensuring you don’t get burned out.

Other benefits include breaking the habit of multitasking, improving motivation, and increasing your willpower.

Whatever your goals, to-do lists, or resolutions entail, the Pomodoro Technique might be just the thing you need to start off on the right foot.

There are so many elements of getting older, most of which no one told me about. But I did hear a whole lot about skincare and makeup. For women, the aspect discussed the most—in the media, social media, and even among friends—is how we look as we age.

In a column for The Cut, Amil Niazi explored this social dilemma and she really got me thinking. Does our focus on the physical aging process prevent us from truly contending with the feeling and experience of middle age in an honest way?

Look Good, Feel Good?

The vast majority of aging tips online and in magazines focus on looking younger. And having a carefully-curated skincare routine to prevent lines and wrinkles is big business. 

Anti-aging products, along with cosmetic procedures like Botox and filler are wildly popular among Gen X, older Millennials—even Gen Zers are getting in on the act as a preventive tactic. 

Meanwhile, older women are told they’re too old for glittery eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner, false eyelashes, and brightly-colored lipsticks. Don’t show too much skin, don’t wear anything form-fitting or too colorful or too black or too white.

Act your age but please don’t look your age.

The stunning lack of women over 50 in pop culture is no secret. We also know that’s not a reflection of real life. And the disconnect leaves older women feeling like there’s something wrong with their very existence. 

You Can’t Outrun Heartbreak

Despite some inroads when it comes to the representation of older women, youth worship is pervasive. The messages we receive from every corner of our lives often leads to spending a lot of time and money in attempts to remain as youthful-looking as possible. 

The thing is, as Niazi points out, by concentrating so much on looking good, we forgot to make sure we’re feeling good. Once you make it to your 40s and older, a whole new set of personal issues can emerge. What you can’t outrun, she says, is what it means to really age. And how time actually “reshapes” us.

Niazi hit the nail on the head when she wrote that “no amount of Botox, cryo baths, or epigenetic age-reversing can stop that heartbreaking moment when you have to decide how to care for an elderly parent.” That task is going to be daunting no matter how young you look. 

In addition to aging parents, you might see old friends popping up on your social media feed announcing a cancer diagnosis or going through a divorce.

Maybe you are going through a divorce and are suddenly all alone with three kids. Or, your career isn’t where you want it to be and you are thinking about making a change. Life in middle age is difficult, and it can also be beautiful if we pay attention to more than just looking beautiful.

One thing is for sure—not having wrinkles isn’t going to prevent you from going through the hardships that come with getting older.

Aging Is A Gift

As Niazi writes in her piece, “Aging is a privilege, a measure of fullness, a gift of time, even when it takes as much as it gives.” But all our conversations about this inevitable process seem to focus entirely on the physical.

Getting older might be much more enjoyable if we removed the emphasis on physical appearances and allowed people to just be. To experience our lives and focus on what really matters without constantly worrying about how we look.

Instead of worrying about makeup tips for looking younger or the latest trendy hairstyle, if women in middle age were fed at least as much information about their careers, making new friends, or the challenges of dating after 50, we might be a little better prepared for what’s to come.

I just bought a house and would love to know about paying off my mortgage as fast as possible and retiring debt free. I’d also like to have conversations about the weird feelings at this stage of my life about choosing to not get married and have kids. Being a strong, independent woman in her 40s isn’t as easy as it looks.

Honestly, the older I get, this focus on youth is starting to mess with my head. It’s time to change the middle-age narrative.

Youth skews our perspective of age. When we’re young, our parents are inherently ancient (let’s ignore the fact that today’s kids probably feel the same way) and equally indestructible. But as we enter our 40th, 50th, and 60th decades, we’re faced with an unsettling fact: We might not live as long as our parents did. 

That’s because, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics, the average U.S. life expectancy has reached its lowest point in 26 years. When we account for this country’s wealth and other resource access, the problem grows even worse. 

Even more surprising is that this dip in life expectancy isn’t caused by any of the usual culprits, like cardiovascular disease or cancer. This is far more systemic.

The Root Cause Of The Drop

When the average life expectancy dropped with the introduction of COVID-19, it was disturbing but not surprising. But two years after widespread immunization decreased the number of COVID deaths per year, our average life expectancy remains at its lowest since 1996 at 76.1 years.

As independent healthcare analyst Joshua Cohen argued in an article for Forbes, the U.S. can primarily blame its low life expectancy on insufficient healthcare and political systems.

1. Maternal Mortality Is Rising

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation where maternal mortality is rising. There were 17 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births as recently as 2018. That’s more than double that of most other high-income countries.

The country’s infant mortality rate is also higher than expected for one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Infants from rich and poor socioeconomic backgrounds alike had a higher mortality rate than their European counterparts.

Meanwhile, postpartum Medicaid coverage is not a nationwide benefit. Many states offer no such medical coverage, further adding to the problem.

2. Widespread Lack Of Insurance

Speaking of a lack of coverage, a lack of health insurance is a significant public health issue in the U.S. Roughly 30 million Americans—around 8% of the population—have no access to health insurance.

An oft-cited statistic on uninsured deaths comes from the Institute of Medicine, which estimated that 18,314 Americans die annually because of a lack of health insurance. However, this data was collected nearly 20 years ago.

A 2009 study used this statistic as the basis for an analysis of death rates related to lack of insurance and found that those without insurance were 1.4% more likely to die than those with insurance.

3. Obesity With No New Solutions In Sight

Obesity affects one in three adults and one in six children in the United States. Health experts call these alarmingly high rates of obesity a national epidemic—one that leads to a slew of other health issues.

The correlations between obesity and many common diseases are well-established and include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and cancer. Yet the government seems to be doing little to intervene.

Not only have federal budget documents revealed a stagnancy in nutrition science funding, according to POLITICO, but food deserts, long work days, poor physical wellness resources, and increased stress also contribute to the problem.

4. Increased Gun Violence

An analysis in Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open found that the United States lost 12.6 million potential years of life between 2009 and 2018 due to firearms alone. Within that time frame, firearm deaths increased by .72% every year.

Gun violence causes an increased mortality risk in multiple ways. Researchers calculated that white males lost the most years of potential life because of suicide by gun, while Black males lost the most years by gun-related homicide.

The Gun Violence Archive recorded 648 mass shootings in 2022, and less than a month into 2023, they’ve already recorded more than 20.

5. Illicit And/Or Accidental Fentanyl Use

Provisional data from the CDC estimated that more than 107,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2021. Out of those deaths, 75% involved an opioid—illicit fentanyl being the major culprit.

Fentanyl is a type of synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. While it’s legally prescribed for severe pain, many illegal drug markets use fentanyl to cut other drugs, like heroin or cocaine.

Mixing fentanyl with other drugs drives addiction and attracts repeat buyers. However, it also puts hundreds of thousands of people at risk of accidentally overdosing on a drug they didn’t even realize they were taking.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Based on these contributing factors, it would appear that our best chance to increase our average life expectancy as a whole is to make a more concerted effort toward improving our public healthcare systems.

Increased access to medical resources, including mental and postpartum care, greater research into nutrition and obesity prevention, decreased gun violence, and better access to drug safety resources like fentanyl test strips and supervised consumption services are all excellent places to start.

We can’t speak to whether these issues will be of any major concern in the political arena this year. But for the sake of U.S. life expectancy rates and the chance to enjoy a version of the American dream like the one our parents had, we hope they will be.

Since the pandemic first hit three years ago, it seems like life stresses have only continued to stack year after year. News headlines, toxic social media posts, and times of uncertainty just added to the daily stresses life can already bring.

All that negativity can take its toll on both our emotional and physical health. Luckily, there are small changes we can make to help turn the tide when it feels like it’s all too much.

Author and meditation teacher Barb Schmidt and her daughter, Michelle Maros, are dedicated to sharing wellness advice on their social media accounts and through their nonprofit Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life.

Starting the new year right, the duo shared a video detailing “4 Tips For Becoming Unbothered,” and it’s definitely advice we can get behind.

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A post shared by Barb Schmidt (@peaceful_barb)

1. Not Everything Needs An Emotional Reaction

Responding emotionally to everything in your life can be exhausting. If you feel like other people’s actions are affecting your emotional state, it could benefit you to take a step back before responding.

Recognizing patterns and triggers can take time, but realizing that other people’s actions don’t have to change your mental state is empowering. Barb advised to “reclaim your power” by not allowing other people’s choices to affect your experience.

2. Don’t Make Assumptions

The second tip from the mother-daughter team is to stop making assumptions. Michelle said, “I’ve saved myself a lot of unnecessary stress by working up the courage to ask direct questions instead of making assumptions.”

This can be difficult, especially for those who hate confrontation. However, asking open-ended, friendly, clarifying questions (hopefully) shouldn’t end in conflict.

3. Avoid Personalizing What Other People Do

If someone is disrespectful of you or your time, try to keep in mind that it has more to do with them than with you. Taking things too personally can become damaging to your self-esteem.

Of course, there’s a balance—if the person intended to belittle or hurt you, then prioritize time away from that person. But if you notice you get your feelings hurt regularly by different people, it could mean you’re taking things too personally on a deeper level. Be sure to set boundaries with people who are constantly taking advantage of you.

4. Know Your Limits

Hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness can all contribute to becoming more easily triggered or annoyed, according to the pair. Knowing when you need to recharge and take some “me” time is vital for your mental health and for your relationships.

Becoming “unbothered” in the new year doesn’t mean disconnecting or ghosting other people, but it does mean prioritizing your mental health. Here’s to becoming more at peace in 2023!

Among the thousands of dietary supplements on the market, it can be difficult to decide which ones are right for you. Some can offer real health benefits, while others are just unnecessary despite the hype. 

The latest supplement fascination on social media and beyond is biotin, or vitamin B7, which is purported to improve hair, skin, and nail health. But despite its popularity, physicians are rarely inclined to recommend this in-vogue supplement.

Why? Evidence that biotin supplements can actually improve hair, skin, or nails is lacking. Since the supplements industry is more loosely regulated than prescription drugs, not much research is available.

We do know that at best, too much biotin can be unnecessary but harmless, while at worst, it can be problematic for your health.

Unless It’s Doctor-Prescribed, You Probably Don’t Need Biotin

Biotin is important because it helps break down fats, carbohydrates, and protein in our food. It also plays a role in helping your body produce keratin, a type of protein that is found in our hair, skin, and nails.

It is likely this latter bit that has led to the notion that taking biotin supplements can make nails stronger, support hair growth, and keep skin looking young. This is misleading for a few reasons.

To start, studies show taking a biotin supplement is only effective for those with an actual deficiency, which is quite rare.

You likely already consume plenty of biotin in your diet anyway. In fact, it’s difficult to avoid biotin throughout the day because it’s so readily available in many foods including eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and vegetables. Biotin is also found in many multivitamins.

The daily biotin requirement for adults 19 years or older is 30 micrograms (mcg). That’s substantially less than common supplements on the market that boasts biotin levels of 10,000 mcg (or even more).

Moreover, there is very limited evidence that popping a biotin capsule every day will help you grow thicker, stronger hair.

One study from 2012 showed that women who took a supplement that contained biotin reported a visible increase in hair thickness and growth compared to a placebo group, but there were multiple caveats with this research.

In addition to being a small pool of participants, the supplements given also contained ingredients such as zinc and iron, which could have played just as much if not more of a role in the, again, self-reported results. It was also noted that participants could have had a nutrient deficiency that was inadvertently corrected during the study.

Other research has shown more promising results for biotin supplements aiding in preventing hair loss, but this seemed to be in individuals who had a deficiency.

The Potential Cons Of Taking Too Much Biotin

While biotin supplements are usually unnecessary, high doses of biotin are not typically toxic given that it is water-soluble (aka excess biotin will just end up in your urine). But taking higher doses is not without risk. 

Excessive biotin in the bloodstream can interfere with lab test results, leading to misdiagnoses or missed diagnoses.

An excessive amount of biotin can cause a false negative on a blood test that measures troponin levels, used to diagnose heart attacks and strains. Too much biotin can also hamper blood tests that measure thyroid hormones, reproductive hormones, and vitamin D levels. 

Other documented symptoms of taking too much biotin include insomnia, excessive thirst, and excessive urination.

Moreover, there have been self-reported claims that taking too much biotin can cause you to break out, but there are no scientific studies to back that up.

At the end of the day, chances are that the biotin gummy you’re taking is just money flushed down the toilet (literally). If you suspect you have a biotin deficiency, which can include symptoms such as hair loss, extremely dry skin, dry eyes, loss of appetite, or a swollen tongue, it’s always best to consult with a doctor first.

As the saying goes, nothing in life is black and white. Habits widely considered to be vices are often vilified—but are they really that bad?  

Rationalizing is one thing, but it turns out science actually shows that some of our so-called bad habits might actually be good for us (or at least not harmful). Below are the top five bad habits researchers recommend you stop feeling guilty about. See if any of yours made the list.

1. You Probably Don’t Need To Cut Back On Coffee

Your morning coffee might feel like too much of a good thing. But indulging in coffee is not a bad habit unless it’s rich in sugar, creamers, and other additives, which are the real culprits. In fact, coffee has significant health benefits. 

Past studies linked drinking coffee with serious health conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. But as it turned out, most of those study subjects were smokers, so the results were unreliable.

In more recent studies, researchers found that coffee and tea consumption actually improved health. One study found a substantial reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease when you drink two to three cups of coffee daily, whether ground, instant, or decaffeinated. 

Pairing coffee with tea may further boost its benefits. In recent studies, drinking both tea and coffee has been found to significantly lower stroke and dementia risks.

And if you worry that drinking all that caffeine will make you dehydrated, think again. Contrary to popular belief, drinks with moderate amounts of caffeine give the same level of hydration as drinks that don’t contain caffeine. 

2. Don’t Discredit Daily Movement If You Can’t Get In A Workout

Finding the time to get to the gym can be daunting, as can the thought of an intense workout. The good news is that you don’t need a solid hour of intense exercise to reap significant benefits.

Researchers have found that around 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily goes a long way toward offsetting the negative health risks of sitting most of the day. This can include things like a cleaning session or a brisk walk.

Even better news, a study from 2022 found that even just minutes of vigorous-intensity activity throughout the day (like going up a couple of flights of stairs) can have a significant impact in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality.

3. You’re Getting More Water Than You Think

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no reason to feel guilty if you can’t down eight glasses of water every day. There is actually no scientific evidence that says that’s necessary or even that more water is healthier.

Staying hydrated is no doubt important, but you don’t need to force it into your diet. Your body will tell you when it needs water. Plus, much of what we eat and drink (think coffee, tea, and even beer) contains water, which helps us remain hydrated. 

Another common myth is that your pee needs to be as clear as possible. A good goal should be a pale yellow (think the color of a standard sticky note). If you find yourself going to the bathroom more during the day than you like, then it may be OK to even cut back on your water consumption.

4. Your Weekly Gossip Session With Your BFF Has Benefits

It turns out that being a blabbermouth at your weekly get-together is not so bad as long as your gossip doesn’t aim to hurt anybody. While gossip is generally considered to be a negative form of communication, one study found that it can be quite beneficial.

According to the study, it found that gossiping can help people learn from others’ experiences while also bringing them closer. Spilling tea also involves a bit of trust, which ultimately bridges a social bond and solidifies further ties.

5. Unless You’re Lactose Intolerant, Cheese Isn’t The Enemy

Dairy products, including cheese, have long been criticized for their high saturated fat and sodium content. But the tide is turning. In addition to being rich in calcium and proteins, studies suggest that cheese consumption may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers have found that calcium and conjugated linoleic acid are two nutrients in cheese that can benefit the heart. Also, the saturated fatty acids in cheese may have different effects on the heart than red meat.

Cheese can certainly be part of a healthy diet, but the way you consume it is key. Similar to when you add a bunch of sweeteners to your morning cup of joe, enjoying cheese on top of garlic bread or pizza can negate the health benefits.

If you’re like me, you find intentionally carving out time in your day for something you don’t want to do—like exercise—to be extremely difficult.

But what if I told you just a few minutes of daily activity could lower your risk of death? A 2022 study published in Nature Medicine found that even short bursts of exercise in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle actually lowered the risk of “all-cause” mortality.

In other words, just a couple minutes of activity a few times each day can lower your risk of dying from any cause.

Over the course of seven years, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D., and his colleagues studied more than 25,000 older adults who didn’t exercise. Participants in the study cohort came from the U.K. Biobank and included 14,178 women and 11,063 men with an average age of 62.

The study was exclusive to participants who didn’t regularly exercise, meaning they didn’t have a regular fitness routine, didn’t participate in any sports, and walked recreationally no more than once a week.

Researchers found that those who engaged in what they labeled VILPA (vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity) three times a day (with each bout lasting one to two minutes each) “showed a 38%–40% reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality risk and a 48%–49% reduction in [cardiovascular disease] mortality risk” compared to those who engaged in no VILPA.

For reference, VILPA is defined as short, sporadic moments of “vigorous-intensity physical activity” that occur during daily life. This could be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or rushing to catch the train.  

Even more exciting, these results were in line with an analysis done with participants who regularly exercise, suggesting that whether you can’t (or simply don’t want to) hit the gym, you can still reap health benefits moving where you can during the day.

That seems to be quite the return on a very small investment. 

Dr. Stamatakis told MedPage Today that the research team was aware of the benefits of repeated and intermittent vigorous activity prior to the study, but that the outsized magnitude of the benefits for such little activity came as a surprise.

Time For Healthcare Professionals To Get Involved

The results of this study mean that doctors can now encourage patients to fit in small amounts of exercise throughout the day to make significant health gains. 

Dr. Stamatakis noted that physical inactivity is one of the main driving forces behind the “unending pandemic of lifestyle-related chronic disease” the world is currently experiencing. He said that as a trusted source of information, healthcare systems and professionals have a key role in spreading this good news.

Unfortunately, he added that most healthcare professionals are not trained or educated to offer physical activity advice. Dr. Stamatakis also pointed out that the bar for leisure-time exercise programs has been set incredibly high because they often demand high levels of motivation, time availability, and the capacity and willingness to travel to a gym, fitness center, or park. 

These study results suggest that those rigorous conditions don’t need to be met to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so healthcare professionals can take a different approach when they advocate for physical activity. They can identify opportunities that exist in their patients’ everyday life for short bursts of VILPA. 

These opportunities could include maximizing your walking pace for a minute, parking farther away from your destination, carrying your bags of groceries to your car instead of using a cart, or using the stairs instead of an elevator. If this kind of behavior becomes ingrained in your everyday life, it will almost certainly result in health benefits—including lowering your risk of death.

Girls are often raised to be polite, quiet, and sweet. As they become adults, pent-up emotions and aggression can become difficult to deal with. Hormonal changes often exacerbate the issue: menopausal rage anyone?

And because it often doesn’t feel OK to be anything other than “ladylike,” unhealthy coping strategies can plague women in midlife—impulsive spending, rumination, and drug and alcohol abuse are just a few ways in which women avoid uncomfortable emotions.

Exercise is a well-known prescription for mental and physical health, especially as we age. But we also might feel we need to be gentler with ourselves and stick to walking or light stretching as we get older—a medical professional (or mother-in-law) may even have told us as much.

RELATED: New Study Shows How Much Exercise You Need To Offset The Health Risks Of Sitting All Day

But middle-aged women around the world are showing that a little aggression is alright, and even can be downright therapeutic for our bodies and brains.

Catharsis Through Punches And Hooks

Humans of New York profiled a woman named Detra in the summer of 2022. Her boxing coach is a perfect example of how sometimes trainers do double duty as therapists.

She arrived at the gym one day upset about an interaction with her husband, whom she described as psychologically abusive. Her coach, Martin Snow (who has also appeared on Real Housewives Of New York), insisted that every time she threw a cross she should say, “Fuck that shit.”

She was uncomfortable with the rough language at first. But with each cross, Martin encouraged her to say the phrase louder. She complied, and the exercise became about much more than the interaction with her husband.

“The psychological abuse in the marriage. The sexual abuse as a child. All the guilt I’d been made to feel, all the shame. Fuck. That. Shit. It was wrong,” she told Humans Of New York. “I’ve known it was wrong my whole life. But I never defended myself. Or if I tried, it was: ‘Get back in your place.’ But now I was doing something. I was fighting back. At the end of the day when I walked out the door, I felt relieved of so much pain.”

Detra is far from the only midlife woman using boxing as a therapeutic tool. Forty-something abuse survivor and writer Alexis Strum’s therapist suggested she take up boxing. And although she said she was stunned by the recommendation, she knew she had to do something about the rage eating her up inside.

RELATED: Trauma-Induced Loneliness Is An Invisible Epidemic Among Midlife Women

So she followed her therapist’s advice and said that while boxing got her in amazing physical shape, her mind has become more fit as well. “I felt exhilarated, high on endorphins,” Strum wrote in The Independent. “I had never sweated so much, not even during a two-hour Zumbathon or a 10k run. Not even during childbirth,” she wrote about her first boxing class.

“The silence in my head was a liberation. There was no space to think, only to count—1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4—as I worked my way through the combination of punches and slips. In a world where all the windows in our heads are permanently open and the lure of the scroll is constant, it was a relief to finally switch my brain off. I was entirely present.”

Strum also noted that the “in the moment” nature of boxing stimulates different parts of the brain and helps build and maintain hand-eye coordination and build strength.

Should You Get Hooked On Boxing?

Boxing trains you to focus, strategize, and coordinate your mind and body. It improves cardiovascular fitness, tones and sculpts muscles, and increases strength. Combined with the mental perks, boxing has a whole lot to offer, especially for midlife women.

It may seem extremely intimidating to walk into a boxing gym, but many women say the camaraderie they feel in the sport is also an important benefit, saying they feel included and accepted even as beginners.

Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise routine—perhaps especially with boxing since the risks include a punch in the nose. But if you’re looking for a new exercise, boxing may be just the thing to try in midlife and beyond.

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Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to be healthier. These resolutions typically include eating better, exercising more, and losing weight. But shedding those extra pounds can be difficult, especially when menopause sets in. Although weight loss can be daunting as we get older, one doctor is revealing how she lost 100 pounds in her 50s.

Even though she’s been a doctor for decades, Dr. Emi Hosoda (better known as Dr. Emi on TikTok) knows the struggles of living a healthy lifestyle. In an interview with TODAY, the doctor admitted that she reached her heaviest weight of 235 pounds after having kids in her 30s. 

Although Dr. Emi was able to lose the extra pounds at the time, she was unable to keep the weight off for very long. As she continued to age and experienced menopause, weight loss seemed impossible.

The doctor explained, “Perimenopause hit around 2010 and I started working nights in a hospital, then all bets were off. So I gained pretty much all of my weight back.”

RELATED: How One Indigenous Athlete Is Lifting Up Native Women Through Running

The doctor decided to invest in a new fitness routine and different eating habits. Eventually, she lost 100 pounds due to her discipline and commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. In fact, Dr. Emi continues to focus on these changes since her energy has returned.

Although diet and health needs vary for each person, Dr. Emi recently revealed the five things she always does to keep the extra weight at bay. And some of these tips are easy enough for most of us to follow!

1. Stop Counting Calories

The one that we can all get behind is to stop looking at calories! Yes, you read that right. Instead of looking at the calorie count, Dr. Emi shared that we should be looking at the sugar value instead. Surprisingly, Dr. Emi even revealed, “I don’t really care about calories at all.” 

2. Take The Right Supplements

The doctor also shared that we should take the right supplements for our genetics and hormones. Then she mentioned the one thing most of us know: “drink enough water.”

3. Drink Water Based On Your Body Weight

How do you know if you’re drinking the right amount of water? According to Dr. Emi, “Each of us should be drinking a half ounce to an ounce of water per pound of body weight depending on how active we are.”

The caveat is that people with medical conditions should check with their doctors to find out how much water they should be drinking.

4. The Magic Of Magnesium For Menopause

Next, Dr. Emi shared that magnesium was a huge game-changer for her, and could be for women over the age of 35. Apparently, magnesium can help with sugar cravings and sleep. That’s good news for anyone who is menopausal or perimenopausal!

5. Strength Training Is Key

Lastly, Dr. Emi revealed that aerobic exercises aren’t enough. Strength training is also important, especially for those over the age of 50. However, this takes discipline even for Dr. Emi. In fact, she wakes up at 4:00 a.m. at least three times a week to work out. Her exercise routine includes 30 minutes on a stationary bike and then one hour of weightlifting.

If you’ve resolved to be healthier and want to follow Dr. Emi’s tips, check with your doctor to be sure these steps are right for you.

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If you’re unfamiliar with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, allow me to introduce you to the best friend and medical guru you’ve always wanted if you’re over 40. Haver is a board-certified OB/GYN physician who provides valuable medical and wellness information to midlife women on social media.

Haver’s new book, The Galveston Diet, will be available on January 10, so mark your calendars.

In particular, she is a big proponent of intermittent fasting, especially for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

First, A Quick Run-Down On Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to a pattern of fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Haver’s conversation centers around a 16:8 pattern, which refers to a 16-hour fasting and an 8-hour eating period. Alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily-time restricted eating are other forms of IF. 

Our bodies convert what we consume into glucose, which we use as our primary energy source. Once these glucose reserves deplete in the fasting period, the body switches to burning fat for fuel. While this can aid in weight loss, Haver said this is not just a weight loss program. 

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Rather, IF is a supplement to well-balanced nutrition and exercise that can increase metabolism and, yes, promote weight loss. Additionally, Haver cites several studies that show IF can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, preserve muscle mass, improve general well-being, and reduce inflammation.

Why Is It So Beneficial For Menopausal Women?

Perimenopause and menopause bring about several physical and mental changes that can feel overwhelming when piled on top of the obligations of everyday life. Intermittent fasting can fortify our bodies, building resiliency to annoying menopause symptoms and improving our quality of life.

Haver breaks down each benefit of IF and how it pertains to menopausal women.

1. Decreased Heart Disease Risk

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, even for women,” Haver said. “Not cancer.”

She cites a 2018 study published in Obesity where researchers found IF benefits including lower blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), and lower triglycerides in overweight and obese premenopausal (but still middle-aged, between 40 and 51) women.

Haver notes that these results were seen in obese women, and other women who have heart disease risk factors may need intervention beyond diet changes, such as medication.

2. Lower Diabetes Risk

A review of research published in Diabetes Spectrum in 2020 collected studies showing IF can reduce the risk of diabetes by lowering insulin levels and blood glucose and decreasing insulin resistance.

Haver mentions that obese women have achieved significant reductions in insulin resistance after six months of intermittent fasting.

3. More Muscle Mass

Compared to a calorie-restricted diet, one study published in Obesity in 2018 suggested that IF can promote lean mass retention (read: muscle mass).

Haver said the old-fashioned “less calories in than out” dieting method can result in faster loss of muscle mass, which can create a slower metabolic rate, leading to more weight gain—something Haver calls a “negative feedback cycle.”

4. Disease Resilience

Haver also references the work of Dr. Mark Mattson, a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, on the effects of intermittent fasting on the brain and cellular function.

His research shows that IF can make us more resilient to disease by causing cells to “undergo just enough stress to start making physiological changes to make them more resilient to disease and injury—almost like working out,” Haver explained.

5. Increased Longevity

Finally, Haver explains that IF has been shown to increase longevity in animal models. Because IF is a relatively new concept, IF research in humans is limited. But animal studies do show an improvement in both longevity and quality of life.

Intermittent Fasting Might Not Be Right For You If…

This form of fasting does have a few caveats. Haver warns that those who have suffered from an eating disorder and would find restricted eating triggering should avoid intermittent fasting.

Those with type 1 diabetes, certain cases of type 2 diabetes, who are currently under a doctor’s care or on medication, or who have a history of hypoglycemia should consult with their physician before starting an IF regimen—and that’s probably a good idea for just about anyone.

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Great, Now, How Do I Start?

If it sounds easy, it’s because it is. Intermittent fasting is as evolutionarily natural to us as sleeping and breathing, Haver said.

“[Our bodies were] not evolutionarily developed to have access to food 24/7. Our bodies were primed not to have food available at all times. It’s more natural to fast from time to time than to have food filling your body 24/7.”

Moreover, IF is cheap, requires no extra apps or equipment, and can be adjusted to fit your schedule. There is no hard and fast rule for delineating your 16 hours of fasting and eight hours of eating. As Haver puts it, “the only program that’s going to work is the one that’s going to work.”

Haver recommended going slow—push back your fasting period after waking up by half-hour increments until your body feels adjusted. She said it took her around six weeks to become fasting-adopted.

Whatever discomfort you experience by limiting your eating windows, the mental, emotional, and physical benefits may well be worth the effort.

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Welcome to the Age of the Selfie: the perfect confluence of digital photography, social media, and rampant smartphone usage.

We take a lot of pictures of ourselves, but this inward focus isn’t always positive. If you’re a living, breathing human in 2023, chances are you’ve taken a photo of yourself and immediately scoffed in disdain at least once in your life. Because despite how much we love taking selfies, we rarely love the snapshots themselves.

Hating pictures of oneself is a widespread phenomenon, and no, it isn’t because we’re all unphotogenic. On the contrary, there are several reasons why our brains are hardwired to dislike our own photos.

I reached out to several mental health experts (and even an art historian) to get the scoop on our selfie scorn.

1. You Aren’t Use To Seeing You

One major reason why we hate our selfies so much is that we’re not used to seeing ourselves—not the real us, anyway.

“The face you see in the mirror isn’t your true face (the one that everyone else sees),” says Tyler Woodard, wellness expert and founder of Edensgate.

“It’s a mirror image,” Woodard continues. “It’s the same thing that happens when you hear your voice on a recording, and you don’t recognize it. Despite your face belonging to you, you actually aren’t familiar with your own face as you’ve only seen a reversal of it.”

“Because your face isn’t symmetrical, this can add to the confusion when looking at a non-mirrored image of yourself. This is made even more confusing when you factor in Snapchat and any image-altering apps that can leave you believing you look one way when, in reality, your face is perfect just the way it is.”

2. They’re Low Effort And Easy To Criticize

Liam Davis, an art historian at the Academy of Art History and Editor-in-Chief at Artfile Magazine, poses another idea for why it’s so easy for us to disregard selfies: they’re easy to take (and retake, and retake, and…you get the point).

“They’re low effort,” Davis explains. “We often call something we made ‘bad’ because they’re easy to do over.”

“It only takes a couple of seconds to snap a selfie, and you can take dozens of them in one go. That means you can always do another one if your previous one looks bad. This raises our standard when taking selfies, sometimes to unreasonable heights,” Davis says.

In the era of disposable (and thanks to photo editing software, unrealistic) content on social media, it can become even easier to assume you have a better selfie in you—whether that’s because you have an extra few minutes to take another ten snaps or because you’re comparing them to someone else’s selfie.

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3. They Carry A Lot Of Weight

However, as easy as it is to take selfies, these self-portraits tend to carry a lot of responsibility.

“We may be able to understand why we initially hate our selfies when we think about the concept of representation,” says Emma Loker, mental health specialist from Healthy Minded.

“Representations are symbols and signs that index, stand in for, or represent us to others. [They] become even more important when they take the form of self-representations, such as selfies. When we post them on social media, they inform others’ views of us and the reach we get on the platform.

“Self-representations form a part of our identity—the things, people, norms and conventions, and practices we identify with and collect throughout our lives serve as our identity. This makes whatever we choose to stand in for us—to represent us—incredibly important, which may explain why we notice the tiniest of imperfections in our selfies.”

4. The Power Of Perspective And Time

Finally, there are two powerful forces at play to consider: perspective and time.

“Our self-esteem, or how we view ourselves, can influence how we feel about photos of ourselves. If we have low self-esteem, we may be more critical of our appearances and less likely to view pictures of ourselves favorably,” explains Alyssa Roberts, Doctor of Psychology and senior writer at Practical Psychology.

“When we look at a photo of ourselves, we often do so from a third-person perspective, which can be disorienting and even distancing. This can make it challenging to connect with the person in the photo and may lead to a negative reaction,” Roberts continues.

“When we look back on the same images later on, however, we may have a different perspective and be more able to see the beauty and value in the person we see in the photo. We may see ourselves through the lens of nostalgia and be more able to appreciate our younger [even by a few months] selves in a way that we couldn’t when the images were first taken.”

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We mustn’t underestimate the limiting nature of our immediate perspective. As Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek put it, “one day, you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say, ‘dear God, I was a beautiful thing!’”

While it might be tempting to write off a lousy selfie as a personal case of un-photogenicism, there is a whole slew of reasons why you might dislike the picture—none of which have to do with the presence or absence of beauty.

So, go ahead and snap away. Even if you don’t like the selfies you took today, you might look at them more fondly tomorrow.

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So you walk past a window and notice your body’s silhouette in the reflection. Maybe your dress feels a little more form-fitting than it did last year. Or maybe you want to look good for the attractive passerby on the street. What’s your next move? If your answer is “suck in your stomach,” join the club, sister. 

Sucking in one’s stomach, or “stomach gripping,” to create a flatter, smoother-looking midsection is an almost involuntary instinct many of us know all too well. It can become an uncomfortable norm—we might even spend the whole day tensing our abdomen without realizing it.

According to Cleveland Health Clinic chiropractor Adam Browning, the practice is more than an exercise in vanity. All that sucking in could be doing far more physical harm than good.

The Side Effects Of Stomach Gripping

Browning shared his insights into stomach gripping and a resulting problem called “hourglass syndrome” in a blog post on the Cleveland Health Clinic’s website. He defined stomach gripping as chronic, repeated contractions of the abdomen and stated that this eventually alters the movement patterns of four distinct muscle areas.

Chronic stomach gripping can result in a malfunction of our “six-pack” abs, internal obliques, transversus abdominis, and diaphragm. The upper abdomen muscles remain hypertonic or tight, while the muscles in the lower abdomen become weak. 

Our core is critical to overall physical function, so it’s not surprising that incorrectly training and working this area can result in a myriad of unsavory health issues. (None of which, by the way, seem worth a slightly flatter-looking tummy.)

Signs Of Hourglass Syndrome

Hourglass syndrome refers to a varying set of symptoms, including muscle pain, pelvic floor problems, and even breathing problems. Here are a few of the adverse side effects of too much sucking in.

1. Breathing Problems

When we suck in our stomachs, the contents of our lungs and stomach are pushed higher into the rib cage via intra-abdominal pressure.

Normally, our diaphragm moves downward when we take a deep breath. This creates empty space that the lungs can fill as they expand with air. But hourglass syndrome causes the opposite effect, forcing the diaphragm to move upward. According to Browning, this can reduce your oxygen intake by as much as 30%.

2. Neck And Back Pain

Similarly, stomach gripping will affect the movements of the muscles in our neck, upper back, and lower back. Instead of these muscles supporting our upper body, they are forced to compensate for the improperly flexed abdominal muscles. This results in muscle stiffness and pain.

3. Pelvic Floor Issues

It’s fairly common knowledge that childbirth, menopause, and aging can wreak havoc on your pelvic floor. But guess what? So can sucking in your stomach. Stomach gripping weakens soft tissues by keeping them in a state of constant stretch. A weak pelvic floor can cause urine leakage, incontinence, and painful sex.

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Do You Have Hourglass Syndrome? If So, What Next?

Any of the three physical symptoms above can be an indicator of hourglass syndrome. But other clues include a slightly upturned belly button, horizontal lines around or above your belly button, and firm definition in your upper abs with a significantly softer lower ab region.

Hourglass syndrome is treated through psychotherapy and physiotherapy, which can help restrengthen muscles. Diaphragmatic breathing can also help loosen tense ab muscles and make your body more comfortable with being in a relaxed state. 

Sucking in one’s stomach, just like any other bad habit, can be hard to break—but it’s possible. Practicing self-love, working the muscles correctly, wearing clothes that make you feel comfortable, and being patient with yourself can help retrain your body to relax, not flex.

And with time, you might be able to lessen your hourglass syndrome symptoms and, most importantly, learn to feel a little more comfortable in your skin.

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Worrywart, nervous Nellie, fretting Fran—whatever you call someone who worries excessively, I consider myself to be one. And if you’re like me, you can rest assured we’re not alone. The American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2022 report paints a bleak picture of a country riddled with anxiety and dread. 

If you don’t feel like scrolling through the whole report, allow me to summarize: We’re all worried about something. Shocker, right? While it might be tempting to lean into more avoidant solutions, clinical psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist Dr. Ali Mattu recommends diving headfirst into your distress with scheduled “worry time.” 

But again, if you’re anything like me, worry time is all the time. So what’s the difference? I sat down with Dr. Mattu to find out.

What Is Worry Time?

“Worry time” has no prerequisites or rules regarding subject matter; no concern is too big or too small if it’s negatively affecting your mental, emotional, or physical health. However, there are a few recommended guidelines to make the most of this time.

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“To do worry time right, pick a time of day when you’re not distracted by other demands [and you can] get a bit emotional,” Mattu said. “In other words, don’t do worry time before an important meeting or before going to sleep. Then give yourself 5-10 minutes: less time if this scares you, more time as you become comfortable with it.”

He continued, “During this time, allow yourself to write down all your thoughts about everything you dread—all your worries, everything that’s on your mind right now. Then, during the rest of the day, if your mind starts to focus on the things you dread, remind yourself that you have worry time to focus completely on these thoughts. 

“Worry time can work because it helps you get unstuck with your thoughts and focuses your attention on what really matters. As you revisit the things you wrote down, you might start to see patterns that help you gain a more accurate view of the things you dread.”

Worried About Your Worry Time?

As someone with little to no wiggle room in my daily schedule, the idea of adding time to worry (instead of worrying 24/7, which is far more efficient to my mind) is laughable. So I asked Mattu about that, too. “If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably giving your worries a LOT of your time,” he responded. 

“All I’m asking you to do is try a different way of approaching your thoughts instead of ruminating about them in your mind. Even just one minute of worry time could help. And we can all find one minute somewhere in our lives—during a commute by recording into your phone, while waiting for a kettle to go off, or while sitting on the toilet.

“Our thoughts always reflect our emotions,” he explained. “When we’re anxious, our thoughts focus on disaster; when angry, everything is an injustice, and when happy, life looks great. So your thoughts are really just this background noise of the mind. Sometimes there are good bits in there, but a lot of the time, it’s just noise.”

Mattu concluded by saying, “You can’t control what thoughts your mind produces, but you do have some control over how much focus you give them. Techniques like worry time can help you learn how to give your thoughts a bit less of your time and focus on what really matters—the stuff going on outside of your head.”

So I suppose there’s just one thing left to worry about—when will you schedule your worry time?

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An inability to get to sleep isn’t just a nighttime nuisance, it can also have disastrous consequences on our mental and physical health, from an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure to a higher likelihood of depression. If you’re a woman, these risks become even greater. 

While there are many reasons why someone might suffer from inadequate sleep, the hormonal changes women experience during perimenopause and menopause are significant culprits. Who wouldn’t have trouble sleeping when your body suddenly feels like a furnace at 3 am? 

Considering how important proper sleep is to maintain all facets of our health, it’s essential we find adequate solutions to help us get snoozing faster. That’s where psychologist Dr. Aric Prather’s new book, The Sleep Prescription, can help.

Old School Sleep Solutions

Trouble sleeping is nothing new, and there are multiple tips, tricks, and techniques available on the market. Some people take OTC melatonin or melatonin-like supplements. The “State of Sleep in America” report by Gallup and Casper (yes, the mattress company) surveyed more than 3,000 respondents in 2022 and found that 8% of adults use a prescription sleep aid, and women are 42% more likely to have trouble falling asleep than men.

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Others prefer non-medicinal methods like using pink noise machines or choosing to sleep in separate rooms from their partner. (The latter is a technique often used by the royal family.) Still, these solutions don’t work for everyone. That’s why Prather developed a seven-day “sleep prescription” to reset your internal clock for deeper, more restorative sleep.  

Prather’s sleep solutions involve a wide range of non-medicinal practices and techniques, including rewatching your favorite comfort shows, moving in the middle of the night, and even sticking your head in the freezer.

Can’t Skip Screen Time? Choose A Comfort Show

It’s no secret that the blue light of our smartphones and other devices negatively affects our sleep cycle. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that many of us sleep better when we can fall asleep to something on our TVs or laptops. If you can’t resist a bit of late-night screen time, Prather recommends opting for a comfort show you’ve rewatched several times.

Thrillers and mysteries encourage us to stay up later as our minds and bodies react to the fear and suspense. Watching a new show we’ve never seen before can also cause us to stay up late, as we want to be able to watch what happens next. That’s why Prather recommends choosing a calming show or movie—preferably one you’ve already rewatched several times before so your brain can tune out and switch to sleep mode more easily.

Move, Even If It’s The Middle Of The Night

We often associate sleepless nights with tossing and turning in bed, staring at the ceiling. However, Prather encourages individuals to give themselves 20 minutes to try and fall asleep. If they can’t do so in that amount of time, then he recommends switching spots.

Head to the living room to do something quiet, like reading, knitting, or meditating. Ideally, you want to associate laying in bed with sleeping only—not struggling to sleep. If your body gets used to feeling restless in bed, then it will be even harder to fall asleep in this position. Once you get sleepy again, then you can return to the bedroom.

Turn The Lights And Temperature Down

As all perimenopausal women can attest, sleeping in high temperatures is next to impossible. This is because the ideal sleeping environment is dark and cool, prompting our body’s core temperature to drop as it naturally does during sleep.

Prather recommends investing in blackout curtains or a high-quality sleep mask to block out any unwanted light while you sleep. Don’t underestimate the power of a nightlight, bright electronic light, or other rogue light sources to disturb your slumber. Moreover, setting your thermostat between 60 and 68 degrees can create the cool environment you need for deep sleep.

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Stick Your Head In The Freezer

As tempting as it might be to reach for some extra caffeine during an afternoon slump, that 4 pm latte will still be in your system when you try to fall asleep later that night. Thus, Prather advises against caffeine intake and recommends finding an extra energy boost elsewhere. 

This can come in many forms: a brisk walk, focusing on a non-work task for around ten minutes, or even sticking your head in the freezer. Prather says the brief shock of cold activates the body’s arousal system, reinvigorating your brain sans Starbucks run. 

Other solutions include decluttering your bedroom, giving your brain adequate time to shut down and go into “sleep mode,” and carving out time for scheduled worry.

Finding a better sleep routine is an easy way to simultaneously improve your mental and physical well-being. And with the help of Prather’s book, a restful night of sleep is only seven steps away.

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You’ve likely already heard of your star sign, and you might have even taken your Myers-Briggs personality test to figure out your type (hi, INFP here). But how much do you know about your Enneagram type? 

The Enneagram of Personality refers to nine distinct ways of thinking, feeling, and acting in the world, which are represented by numbers one through nine. The nine enneagram types are organized around three centers: the body (Types 8, 9, and 1), heart (Types 2, 3, and 4), and mind (Types 5, 6, and 7). 

The Enneagram can help us better understand our subconscious selves, which can be especially useful when navigating midlife. However, finding your Enneagram type may be a bit more nuanced than any free online quiz might lead you to believe. 

So, I sat down with Enneagram professional Jim Gum to dive into what the Enneagram is and why finding your type can be so beneficial.

First, What Is An Enneagram?

Gum, who has been an Enneagram practitioner for over 30 years, said the Enneagram reveals our “unconscious ways—patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior.”

“At its simplest, the Enneagram is this: how people think, feel, and behave,” Gum continued. “Some people think [or feel or act] too much, some people don’t think [or feel or act] enough, and some people are out of touch with what they think [or feel or do].” 

“Imagine a lighthouse. It has a beam of light, and it rotates. If my beam of light is rotating, I can see everything. The Enneagram would teach my beam of light that it’s gotten stuck and is no longer rotating. What I pay attention to is a narrow slice of reality. The Enneagram describes nine distinct slices of reality. 

“And because we all look at a narrow slice of reality, we make two mistakes. One, we think our light’s going around, and we see everything. And secondly, we believe everybody sees things exactly as we do. It also describes why we have a shadow self because there are things that we’re blind to or we choose not to look at.”

Midlife Personality Shifts

The unrest many people feel in midlife often has to do with our battling selves, Gum explained.

“You have to develop a personality to survive the first part of your life. It got you through surviving your family, picking some direction in life—that’s the first half of life. But by your late 20s, early 30s, all that strategy [you used] to make your way through the world—your way of being—is limiting. It’s not sufficient.”

Thus, the question of midlife becomes: do I continue to be the automatic self that brought me far enough to survive childhood, find a partner, and maybe have kids? Or do I recognize that my automatic self is no longer sufficient or not as fulfilling as I once thought?

Gum quoted Carl Jung: “‘We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning.’ That’s the two halves of life.”

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Midlife is a time for figuring out what parts of our distinct ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are working for us and, more importantly, which ones aren’t.

“That work is really hard work. We have to be honest with the things that aren’t great,” Gum said. The Enneagram provides us with a framework for this type of self-reflection.

Learning To Embrace Light And Dark

“For every type, there are some really great things about that type. Then, there’s a whole page of crappy stuff,” Gum said. “Some people don’t like to focus on their weaknesses; some people focus on it too much—which is a function of type. I think the second half of life is [about] embracing the light and dark within myself.

“The work of midlife is to embrace the light, hug the darkness, and own it. Don’t let it control you because if you deny it, it just gets stronger.”

Gum uses Type 2 (the helper or female archetype) as an example. “What happens so often is they overhelp. That’s their strategy.

“But it can be invasive and obtrusive, and people say, ‘Hey, back off.’ But all they want to do is be seen by being helpful. That’s a huge emotional crisis. It’s not ‘do I help or not,’ which would be easy to solve. It’s, ‘when is helping coming from a healthy place—a good heart,’ and ‘when is it me needing to be needed?’ Every type has one of those dilemmas.”

Finding Your True Enneagram Type

When we are familiar with our Enneagram type, we can identify these urges and desires so we can control them accordingly, as opposed to them controlling us.

But unlike your run-of-the-mill online personality quiz, your Enneagram type delves deep into your unconscious motivations. For this reason, it can be difficult to determine your type without a deeper understanding or competent guide.

“The Enneagram is hard to figure out because there’s not a definitive test [like with the Meyers Briggs’ personality types],” Gum said. “It’s about shadow work, which is hard for everybody. How can you own the things you don’t see or want to see?”

An Enneagram practitioner helps reveal your inner shadow self more clearly. 

“As an Enneagram professional, I can make a lot of progress with someone over the core issues that keep tripping them up but they don’t know what’s behind it,” Gum explained. “It’s just hard to look at that stuff. You have to be both open to looking at it, and you have to be kind to yourself and others. But the amount of insight in a short amount of time is huge.” 

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“The Enneagram is about our automatic routines. It’s how we do our life,” Gum said. “The work of consciousness or being aware of that. The Enneagram is a shortcut to understand both what motivates us and where we get stuck.” 

In addition to Enneagram coaching, Jim Gum hosts Story Enneagram, a podcast featuring stories, interviews, and reflections, and pens the Story Enneagram blog.

Each of these online resources provides valuable information on finding and understanding your enneagram type so that you can navigate midlife and beyond more thoughtfully, positively, and successfully. 

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We all know someone who, no matter how long they think things through, still can’t figure out what they want. Whether ordering at a restaurant, making a lifestyle change, or taking action in a relationship, this person will spend hours hemming and hawing. Maybe you’re that person. 

If you are, a June 2022 study from the University of Cologne and the Hochschule Döpfer University shows you might have less to worry about than you think (because let’s be honest, you’re already doing enough worrying). While indecisiveness can vary from sometimes inconvenient to full-on debilitating, research shows this wishy-washy trait could be a sign of higher intelligence. 

Read on—or don’t. The decision is yours, after all.

Just How Indecisive Are You?

One of the most common ways to measure someone’s indecisiveness is the Frost Indecisiveness Scale. The scale presents 15 declarative statements, such as “I try to put off making decisions” and “I always know exactly what I want.”

An individual then rates these statements on a scale of one to five, one meaning they strongly disagree and five meaning they strongly agree. The higher your score, the more indecisive you are.

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Research using this measurement system found that indecisiveness is often a byproduct of perfectionism. An aversion to the shame and guilt associated with an incorrect or negative choice causes these individuals to put off making a decision altogether.

It’s also a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, as found by the creator of the Frost Indecisiveness Scale, Randy O. Frost.

Now, How Ambivalent Are You?

Whereas Frost’s research focused on indecisiveness in general, the more recent study found a better, more accurate metric to use: trait ambivalence. This is defined as one’s ability to remain ambivalent or have mixed feelings. 

More specifically, the study observed trait ambivalence in the context of confirmation, which is the tendency to prefer information that’s in accord with our preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, regardless of the information presented. Confirmation bias, correspondence bias, and self-serving bias can color our decision-making. 

The study found that this form of biased thinking is also less accurate overall. When was the last time you regretted a hasty decision? Many of us are guilty of jumping to conclusions before weighing out all the options. This is essentially the opposite of indecisiveness and arguably just as detrimental in some instances.

The Cost Of Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias prevents us from thinking rationally, blinding us to evidence that doesn’t align with our beliefs. It can create dogmatic or overly-simplistic thinking, but it isn’t the only cognitive maladaptation we frequently use. Correspondence bias is equally as guilty of pulling the wool over our eyes. 

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Correspondence bias differs from confirmation bias in that the former involves connecting two unrelated things without considering the context. This can be something like assuming someone’s a bad driver because they got into a car accident without considering whether the road conditions were bad. 

Similarly, self-serving bias allows us to see what best serves us (and little else). All these types of cognitive dissonance cause us to think and act on misinformation. The study suggests trait ambivalence protects individuals from this way of thinking.

The Perks Of Seeing Pros And Cons

Researchers determined the relationship between trait ambivalence and confirmation through a meta-analysis of multiple studies. The researchers read brief scenarios in each study to assess participants’ biases and assumptions, if applicable. 

Researchers found that trait ambivalence “leads to increased associative breadth, higher cognitive flexibility, more accurate judgments, and more awareness and effectiveness in decision-making.” 

As long as your indecisiveness isn’t causing fearful paralysis, there’s merit to be found in mulling things over for a bit.

So go ahead and think on it a little while longer. But maybe set a rumination timer, so you don’t go too far down the rabbit hole.

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The Food and Drug Administration has not updated its guidelines for what constitutes “healthy” food for 30 years, and it’s safe to say that food science has come a long way in those three decades. A much-needed update could finally happen next year thanks to some proposed changes.

The Biggest Changes

The FDA recently proposed an update that would redefine healthy to be “consistent with current nutrition science and federal dietary guidance.” The update would be consistent with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the upgraded nutrition facts label that debuted about a year ago when the FDA began listing added sugars, vitamin D, potassium, and more on the nutrition label.

The focus of this new categorization would be on food groups rather than individual nutrients, and foods will need certain qualifications to be labeled healthy.

This new definition would line up with what healthcare professionals already tell their patients when it comes to focusing on overall health: eat good fats, avoid saturated fats, and limit added sugars.

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Specifically, the FDA’s proposed change would require the following qualifications to be met for a food product to get a healthy label. 

1. It must “contain a certain meaningful amount of food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups (e.g., fruit, vegetable, dairy, etc.) recommended by the Dietary Guidelines.”

2. It must contain a limited amount of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. “The threshold for the limits is based on a percent of the daily value (DV) for the nutrient and varies depending on the food and food group. The limit for sodium is 10% of the DV per serving (230 milligrams per serving).”

The change will no longer account for a food’s total fat. Research has shown that low overall fat shouldn’t be the goal of a healthy diet—it’s about eating enough healthy fats and less unhealthy (saturated) fats.  

Under the current guidelines, fatty fish and avocados don’t qualify as healthy, but they will with the new guidelines. Other foods that will be considered healthy include nuts, seeds, eggs, tuna, anchovies, and olive oil. Nutritionists say it’s all a huge step forward and a long-overdue correction

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“Under the proposed definition, raw whole fruits and vegetables would automatically qualify for the ‘healthy’ claim because of their nutrient profile and positive contribution to an overall healthy diet,” the FDA explained in a press release.

On the flip side, foods like white bread, cereals, and yogurts that are high in sugar currently qualify as “healthy,” but with these changes, they no longer will.

Making Healthy Eating Easier

The FDA’s goal is to make healthy eating less complicated by educating and empowering consumers. 

“The proposed rule is part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to helping consumers improve nutrition and dietary patterns to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity,” according to the FDA press release.

And the FDA hopes the new guidelines will “help foster a healthier food supply” and encourage manufacturers to develop more nutritional products.

The agency is also working on a new healthy symbol to appear on foods that meet their criteria. Here again, the aim is to help shoppers easily identify nutritious choices.

For many of us, these changes will confirm what many of us already know—that nutrient-rich foods are good for us. But these new guidelines and symbols will add the government’s stamp of approval, plus a visual cue.

In the future, the FDA also hopes to develop a front-of-package labeling system to make nutritional information even more obvious both at the supermarket and online.

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Your brain is a glucose-hungry organ containing nearly 86 billion cells called neurons. The brain compartmentalizes these neurons into different regions and sub-regions that perform a specific function. Neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals delivered over junctions called synapses. 

These specialized areas are responsible for our growth and development from birth to old age. And according to a review published in Psychophysiology, the way the brain links and communicates undergoes a significant “rewiring” starting in midlife. The changes in connections have an impact on our cognitive abilities and may be the brain’s solution to function as efficiently as possible with aging “hardware.”

A Systematic Review: 1986-2021

Australian researchers from Monash University examined scientific literature on the brain to better understand what contributes to cognitive decline with old age. They looked at 144 studies including tens of thousands of brain scans. 

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The brain scans revealed which parts of the brain “light up” or activate in response to certain stimuli. The data illustrated the brain’s interconnectivity, and the researchers could determine how these connections changed with age. 

They found that in our younger years, the brain appears to have many separate regions with robust inner connectivity, which make specialized processes—like learning a sport or a language—easier. Around the mid-40s, the brain shows fewer connections between these separate regions and rather broader connectivity as a whole.

This would explain what researchers noted in how we think about and view the world as we age.

“Older adults tend to show less flexible thinking, such as forming new concepts and abstract thinking, response inhibition, as well as verbal and numeric reasoning,” researchers noted. “These findings are also consistent with a decline in executive functions but maintenance of primary information processing in ‘normal’ aging, which implies an underlying compensation mechanism in aging to support higher-level cognitive functioning.”

Working With Dwindling Resources

So, why does the brain decide to reroute its connections in midlife? The simple answer is a simple sugar: glucose. Glucose is the brain’s primary energy source, using 20% of the body’s overall glucose supply while only accounting for 2% of the total body weight. 

As we age, our brains become less efficient when metabolizing glucose. The less glucose our brains can “eat,” the less efficiently it can supply enough energy to maintain highly-specialized, internally-connected brain regions. Thus, the connections become broader, more generalized, and less specifically functional. 

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Imagine a piece of woven cloth. The tighter and more plentiful the strands, the sturdier and less prone to wear and tear the material becomes—but creating this weave is labor-intensive. Alternatively, the same fabric can be woven more quickly and with less effort by using longer, looser strands. But this type of fabric is also flimsier and more prone to damage. 

How To Keep Your Mind Sharp

The brain certainly changes in many ways as we age, but they aren’t all negative. For example, researchers found that tasks relying on “predominantly automatic or well-practiced processes are less impacted by age or may even increase slightly across the lifespan.” This includes areas of brain function responsible for vocabulary and general knowledge. 

Speech and language processing tend to be relatively stable with age, the study said, although a generalized reduction in processing speed may make response times slower in older adults. And generally speaking, there are several things you can do to keep your mind sharp well past your 40th birthday. 

A proper diet (nutrients are vital for proper brain function), regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices can prevent the severity of cognitive decline with age. The scientists who worked on this review said further research is needed to better understand the inner workings of the brain’s rewiring phase and, in turn, how to avoid its more adverse side effects. 

So, before dogging yourself for your third “senior moment” or “menopausal brain fog” incident of the day, remember that your brain is rerouting its entire roadmap. Give yourself grace while you experience and respond to these changes.

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Between home life, work, chores, and (if you’re lucky) sleep, there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything we’d like. This is especially true when it comes to maintaining friendships, old and new. 

Schedules never seem to align; something always distracts you from reaching out when you think of it—it’s a lot, and it can conjure up a lot of guilt. Days can slip into weeks and months in the blink of an eye. And before you know it, years have passed. 

Suddenly, the idea of reaching out to someone you once spoke to every day seems awkward. Will they even want to hear from me? Have they secretly resented me for not reaching out earlier? Maybe they’ve moved on. 

Before you go down that anxious rabbit hole, consider a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research found that not only should you reach out, but the other person will likely appreciate it far more than you think.

Should I Call? 

Dr. Peggy Liu of the University of Pittsburgh led the study, titled “The Surprise of Reaching Out: Appreciated More Than You Think.” Liu and her team of researchers conducted 13 experiments with 5,900 participants. The participants included men and women ranging from young to mature adults. 

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First, researchers measured how much people assumed friends or acquaintances would appreciate them reaching out. Then, they measured how much those on the receiving end actually appreciated it. The team compared the data to determine whether the first group’s assumptions were correct. 

Across the 13 experiments, the researchers used various methods of connection and strengths of relationships. Some participants called, while others texted or sent a small gift. The study included both weak (acquaintances) and strong (lifelong friends) relationships.

Small Moments Make A Big Difference

The study found that across all types of friendships and methods of communication, those reaching out significantly underestimated how much those on the receiving end would appreciate the gesture. And that underestimation is often what leaves us swirling around in those anxious, “what if I shouldn’t?” rabbit holes.

One potential reason for this cognitive dissonance is that those contemplating initiating contact don’t appreciate the power of surprise. The researchers outlined previous data that found surprise intensifies emotions, both good and bad.

In this study, they found that when the relationship had been positive, even if they hadn’t spoken in a long time, the person answering the phone or receiving the small gift had a positive response that was made even more positive by the surprise of hearing from an old friend or relative.

But those reaching out are usually more focused on their own nervous feelings about how their gesture will be received. The researchers write that if we better understood the positive effect of surprise, we’d be less hesitant to reach out.

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The Liking Gap

Unsurprising to anyone who suffers from social anxiety, we often navigate relationships through an invisible—yet emotionally tangible—phenomenon called the “liking gap.”

A “liking gap” refers to the idea that we often underestimate how much someone else likes us. “[Individuals] often focus on their own internal monologues, which can be self-critical and negative after social interactions. However, others do not perceive them with such a critical or negative lens,” the researchers wrote. 

This phenomenon prevents us from appreciating that others like and value our presence more than we think. And this goes beyond friendships. Our negative internal monologues can even lead us to underestimate the power of small acts of kindness, which other studies have proven to have enormous positive impacts. 

So, that feeling you have that surely that old friend wouldn’t care if they heard from you or not? Science says you’re wrong. Not only is it not true, but the friend you’re considering reaching out to is likely feeling the same way.

Reach Out And Touch Someone

It turns out the old Bell commercial had it right: “Wherever you are, you’re never too far, they’re waiting to share your day! Reach out and touch someone.” The people in your life (whether past or present) want to hear from you more than you think. 

“For those treading back into the social milieu with caution and trepidation, feeling woefully out of practice and unsure, our work provides robust evidence and an encouraging green light to go ahead and surprise someone by reaching out,” the study concluded. “Such reach-outs are likely to be appreciated more than one thinks.”

Even a quick text or Facebook message can make an impact. And with the new year just around the corner, what better time to celebrate both silver and gold friends than right now?

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Today I’m delighted to introduce you to Melissa Urban, creator of the original Whole30. She’s passionate about an anti-inflammation, doctor-endorsed lifestyle and how it helps our bodies, skin, and brains function at their best—especially in midlife. If you’d like to join the upcoming January Whole30, you can sign up at Whole30.com. — Kristen Philipkoski

In 2008, I was in physical therapy yet again for chronic shoulder pain. I’d struggled with tendinitis off and on for a few years, exacerbated by workouts, typing on the computer, and just sleeping the wrong way.

Nothing I did seemed to help; I woke up with a serious ache every morning, had pain doing everyday activities, and was limited in the gym. I’d grown resigned to the idea that it was just something I’d learn to live with.

Six months later, my chronic pain was completely gone. I didn’t do anything different in physical therapy, my workouts were the same, and I still slept curled up on my side. The only thing I changed was the food on my plate, as part of a self-experiment now known as the Whole30.

How It Started

Back then, I considered myself a healthy eater–lots of whole grains, low-fat dairy, and whey protein shakes. But in 2009, I attended a nutrition seminar about the potentially “inflammatory” properties of certain foods–specifically sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, and even beans.

Researchers suggested that eliminating these foods from your diet could have health-promoting effects. It sounded wild, but when my friend (and physical therapist) suggested we try it for 30 days, I thought, “why not?” 

It turns out my tendinitis and my love of everything bagels with low-fat cottage cheese were, in fact, connected. 

Silent Inflammation

You’ve probably heard of the term “silent inflammation” or “systemic inflammation,” but what does it mean?

Inflammation is the immune system doing its job; your body’s protective attempt to halt injury and initiate recovery, whether you’re fighting bacterial invaders, an overuse injury, or physical trauma. But what starts out as a healthy process can do serious damage if it persists for too long or spreads too far. 

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Chronic systemic inflammation is ongoing, long-term inflammation throughout your whole body.

Systemic inflammation has been clearly implicated as a causative factor for many lifestyle-related diseases, from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke to IBD, psoriasis, arthritis, and neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. And it’s often referred to as silent inflammation, because unless you know what you’re looking for, you may not even realize your body is dealing with it.

Chronic systemic inflammation can come from a variety of sources: lifestyle factors like sleep or stress, smoking, health conditions, or environmental toxins. And, it turns out, diet. 

The Food Connection

I learned that the foods I’d believed were “universally healthy,” like whole wheat, low-fat dairy, soy, and sugar substitutes, can be problematic for some people, especially if your gut health is already compromised.

These foods, along with sugar and alcohol, can cause blood sugar dysregulation, digestive distress, or promote inflammation, which can manifest in a number of ways: skin issues like acne or eczema, migraines, asthma, allergies, joint pain and swelling, high cholesterol, autoimmune diseases, and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

During my first Whole30, I eliminated all forms of grains, replacing my bread, pasta, and cereal with fruits and veggies. I ditched the dairy; upped my intake of healthy fats from avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds; and eliminated all alcohol and added sugar. I already wasn’t eating beans or soy, but I did give up peanut butter. (That made me sad, but I told myself, “it’s just 30 days.”)

During those 30 days, I experienced some shocking changes.

I went into “Energizer bunny mode” around day 14, easily sailing through the usual mid-afternoon slump. I was falling asleep easier, sleeping more deeply, and waking up refreshed. My digestion was more regular, my mood was better, my performance in the gym improved, and I noticed that I hadn’t thought about the scale even once. I developed new coping mechanisms to handle stress, my taste buds changed dramatically, and I felt an unprecedented sense of self-confidence. 

At the end of the month, when I tried my beloved whey protein, cottage cheese, and low-fat yogurt again, I realized that was the cause of my regular digestive distress. (I never noticed before–it’s amazing what you’ll come to accept as “normal.”)

Bagels and toast taught me that gluten left me bloated, and was at the root of my breakouts. I discovered I did much better with peanut butter than almond butter, that corn was fine in small doses, and diet soda tasted disgusting–bye-bye, 10-year soda habit.

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I felt so good, I kept eating the Whole30 long after the 30 days were over. Then at some point a few weeks later, I realized my shoulder pain had disappeared. No more pain, no more soreness, no more limitations; it turns out pulling those foods out of my diet was what I’d been missing all along.

To this day, it’s never returned. 

As we age, inflammation plays an even bigger role in our health and risk for disease. Now that I’m in my late 40’s, my doctor believes that learning which foods work best for me (along with my commitment to healthy movement and sleep) are a big part of why I’m smoothly transitioning into peri-menopause.

As my body, hormones, and life continue to evolve, I am using the skills I built through the Whole30 to adjust my diet and lifestyle in a way that works best for me.

Start Your Own Experiment

Today, more than 13 years later, I still eat mostly Whole30, because it’s easy and I know it helps me feel my best. But I also eat rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and peanut butter, because those foods also work well for my body. I can also now eat cheese and sour cream with no issue, as long as I don’t eat too much, but gluten still makes me break out, so it has to be worth it. 

Every dietitian in the world says, “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to diet, you have to figure out what works for you.”

The Whole30 isn’t a prescriptive approach or an “eat this, not that” plan, it’s a program designed to help you discover what works for you, and whether the foods you’ve been eating are having a negative effect in ways you’d never associate with your diet. (For context, elimination diets have been around since the 1920’s and are still considered by many doctors to be the gold standard for identifying food sensitivities.)

The Whole30 doesn’t categorize any foods as good or bad, we don’t count or restrict calories, we don’t promote weight loss, and we don’t tell you how you should eat when your 30 days are over.

Instead, we give you the tools, community, recipes, and support you need to determine your own ideal diet, based on your goals and your definition of health.

Join the Whole30 and discover how the foods you’ve been eating are impacting your energy, sleep, digestion, mood, pain, fatigue, and other symptoms; then take what you’ve learned to build the perfect, sustainable diet for you.

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The January Whole30 starts January 2nd, and there’s never been a better time to start. Join millions of people across the globe for a guided, supported, community-based experience with new resources on YouTube, Instagram, and our newsletter. Learn more at Whole30.com.

If the idea of planning 30 days’ worth of Whole30 meals feels daunting, there’s a resource for that too.

Preview an exclusive one-pot Whole30 recipe below, then start planning your Whole30 meals—customized to your tastes, schedule, and kitchen tools, including automatic shopping lists, Instacart connections, and plans for leftovers—in just five minutes with Real Plans.

With more than 1,000 Whole30 recipes in its database, Real Plans has recipes that fit your time, schedule, budget, and lifestyle. Click here to join Real Plans and start your Whole30 journey.

Chicken Thighs And Baby Potatoes With Chile Sauce

From The Whole30 Slow Cooker Cookbook, available exclusively at Real Plans.

The sauce for this chicken dish is essentially salsa verde—savory and tart, with the lemon–green apple flavor of tomatillos and lime and just a touch of heat from green chiles. Serve it with a simple slaw of grated jicama dressed with lime. 

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 25 minutes
• Slow Cook: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
• Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-1⁄2 pounds baby red or gold potatoes
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total), skin removed (see Tip)
• 1 can (4 ounces) Whole30-compatible diced green chiles
• 1⁄2 cup Whole30-compatible chicken broth 
• 2 medium tomatillos, husks removed and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper 
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lime 
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Arrange the chicken over the potatoes.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the green chiles, broth, tomatillos, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Pour over the chicken and potatoes in the cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
5. Drizzle the chicken and potatoes with the lime juice and sprinkle with the lime zest and cilantro.

Instant Pot Variation

1. Follow the directions in the first step using a 6-quart Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place.
2. Select Manual and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.
3. Use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
4. Follow the remaining directions. 

Tip: To remove the skin from chicken pieces, use a paper towel to grip the skin and pull it away from the flesh. For drumsticks, start at the meaty end and pull toward the bony end. Then use kitchen shears to cut the skin at the joint.

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Menopause can include a lot of symptoms we expect (e.g., night sweats) and some we don’t (genitourinary syndrome, burning mouth syndrome, and perimenopause rage). As menopause and its symptoms have historically been a taboo subject, so have the products and treatments to deal with these symptoms.

Luckily, many women have started speaking out about them, and thanks to them we’ve made a number of truly innovative discoveries this year.

1. A Genius Cooling Mist For Hot Flashes

Hot flashes have a habit of showing up at the absolute worst times—like right in the middle of a busy workday. But honestly, is there ever really a good time for a hot flash (maybe if you happen to be outside during a blizzard when one strikes)? 

This common menopause symptom can affect your whole body and your mood, and it can be detrimental to your work performance. To get some relief when you start to feel that heat creeping up your neck, try the Kindra Cool Down Mist. 

It will instantly reduce the intensity of your hot flash, and within 20 minutes you’ll feel its therapeutic effects. A total game-changer.

2. The Perfect Snack For Mitigating Menopause Symptoms

Entrepreneur, author, and business coach Julie Gordon White spent the pandemic baking sweet treats for her sons, which she of course also helped herself to. Combining that with her menopause-related hormone changes, White soon found herself gaining weight.

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She started experimenting to find the perfect sweet-and-salty snack with natural ingredients that could also help with menopause symptoms. This is the Bossa Bars origin story, and it’s also how White discovered maca, a root that helps balance hormones and blood sugar.

Bossa Bars

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• Amazon: 12-pack Toasted Vanilla Almond.
• Bossa Bars: 4-pack, 12-pack, or 24-pack Double Decadent Chocolate or Toasted Vanilla Almond.
• Use Promo Code SUGGEST10 at bossabars.com to receive 10% off your order.

3. A Line Of Cooling PJs For Night Sweats

According to Laura Musall, no one understands just how serious night sweats are until you experience them yourself. She’s the 50-something founder of Cool Revolution, a line of cooling PJs for night sweats—or, as Musall calls it, “next-level sweat.”

She looked everywhere for cooling PJs made for women but couldn’t find anything that was comfortable or flattering. So Musall enlisted her friend Mindy Ford, and they contacted women’s health experts, designers, and developers before developing the perfect fabric.

“This is going to sound really gross, but I wore them multiple times to see how many days in a row I could sweat in them,” Musall laughed. “I just wanted to know.”

Cooling Pajama Tank And Shorts Set

$87 Shop Now at CoolRevolution

And these PJs aren’t just for bedtime. Musall’s clothing line includes pieces that are perfect for daytime too, just in case those frustrating hot flashes show up unannounced as they’re wont to do.

4. A Menopause Brand Created By Naomi Watts 

The Watcher star Naomi Watts was blindsided when she started experiencing perimenopausal symptoms in her 30s. Watts was surprised to discover a lack of community and wondered why no one was discussing the issue of transitioning into menopause.

RELATED: No, You Won’t Be Sweaty Forever: Debunking 10 Common Menopause Myths

That’s why the 54-year-old recently launched the brand Stripes, which provides menopause-related products, education, resources, and a community for women who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

5. Scientifically-Backed Foot Massages

Sleep disturbances are a common menopause symptom. They affect our mood, concentration, immunity, and stress tolerance. But as we found out this year, the non-hormonal solution to poor sleep could be a foot massage.

The body tends to produce less serotonin during menopause, which means it can’t produce as much melatonin to prepare the body for sleep. Massage therapy restores those serotonin levels, which in turn increases melatonin production, thus allowing you a better night’s sleep.

6. Skincare That Caters To The Unique Needs of Mature Skin

As we transition into menopause and our estrogen levels plummet, most of us will see significant changes in our skin. Mature skin has unique needs and requires beauty products that specifically cater to those needs. That’s why No7’s new line of five skincare products for menopausal skin should be part of your daily skincare routine.

No7 Menopause Skincare Instant Radiance Serum

$17.99 Shop Now At Amazon

This collection is a must, as it addresses six key menopausal skin concerns: dryness, dullness, sensitivity, lack of firmness, uneven skin tone, and lines and wrinkles.

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For the longest time, all anyone talked about when it came to menopause were hot flashes and weight gain. Now we know there are so many more symptoms, side effects, and challenges women should know about before they enter “The Big Change.” Here we’ve rounded up 10 of the most surprising menopause discoveries we made in 2022.

1. It’s Harder Than Starting A Family

A 2022 survey found that working with menopause symptoms was considered more difficult than starting a family. Employers are at risk of losing high-level talent—and women are being forced to make difficult midlife career choices—because offices typically aren’t very accommodating when it comes to menopause. Some employers, though, are starting to take note and make changes.

2. Burning Mouth What?

Most women entering menopause will experience a constellation of symptoms that range from mood swings to sexual dysfunction. One of the lesser-known symptoms is burning mouth, which often presents as a burning sensation on the tongue, roof of the mouth, or lips. It can also affect the throat.

3. It Even Brought Oprah Down

It doesn’t matter how successful or how strong you are—menopause will likely throw you for a serious loop. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has done it all over the course of her career, but even she wasn’t prepared for the life-altering transition into menopause. In her late 40s, Winfrey started experiencing some concerning symptoms like sleeplessness and heart palpitations. Her doctor suspected heart disease, but she would soon discover (on her own) that the physical and mental changes she was experiencing were due to menopause. This helped her chart the course to taking her life back, as well as encouraging other women to speak up about their own experiences.

4. Your Pre-Menopause Menstrual Cycles May Help Determine Your Heart Disease Risk

A new study found that women who saw an increase in their cycle length two years before their final menstrual period had better measures of vascular health than those who experienced stable cycle lengths during this time. This means that differences in cycle length could help predict which menopausal women are at greater or lesser risk of cardiovascular disease.

5. Genitourinary Syndrome Is A (Big) Thing

Half of all menopausal women have genitourinary syndrome caused by estrogen loss, which is associated with vaginal dryness and burning, painful sex, painful or difficult urination, discharge, and recurrent urinary tract infections. Despite the overwhelming evidence that this condition affects a large percentage of menopausal women, it’s still underdiagnosed.

6. Foot Massages Are A Great Treatment For Insomnia

Foot massages could serve as a non-hormonal alternative for combatting menopause-induced insomnia. A recent study found that a daily 20-minute foot massage can lead to less fatigue and stress as well as better sleep.

RELATED: Dandruff Caused By Menopause Needs A Different Solution Than Your Standard Bottle Of Heads & Shoulders

This therapeutic activity can be an effective substitute for melatonin supplements, hormone medications, or just staring at your ceiling and counting sheep.

7. The Reason Why ‘Frozen Shoulder’ Is A Pretty Common Symptom

The loss of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause can lead to a common symptom known as “frozen shoulder.” Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a prolific and popular doctor who uses social media to focus on menopause, explained in a TikTok video that estrogen is an anti-inflammatory hormone. Gradually losing estrogen during midlife causes inflammation that can lead to pain and stiffness in the shoulders. Even Jenny McCarthy chimed in on the post with how she found a remedy to her case of “frozen shoulder.”

8. Menopause Can Make Us Really Mad

One of the lesser-known symptoms of perimenopause is rage. If you’re in your 40s and experiencing bouts of anger, lashing out, and making enemies out of lifelong friends and family members, perimenopausal rage could be to blame.

Mood changes are much more common in perimenopause compared to menopause, which is reached one year after your last normal period. Hormone fluctuation makes perimenopause a time of vulnerability for women. The overwhelming rage some experience may be related to the body’s changes in estrogen levels combined with other stressors.

9. One Particular Type of Menopause-Related Fat Is Worth Worrying About

Visceral fat is the type of menopause-related fat you should worry about, and there’s an easy trick to find out if you’re at risk. Visceral fat is located deep within the abdomen, so it’s not the kind you can pinch with your fingers on your arms, tummy, hips, or butt. Rather, ensuring your waist-to-hip ratio is .85 or less is the way to go.

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Scientists believe visceral fat is the culprit behind a variety of diseases and chronic conditions, like cardiovascular disease, dementia, asthma, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer.

10. Those ‘Weird’ Emotional Symptoms Are Actually Pretty Normal

Perimenopause and menopause have a wide range of mental and emotional side effects. When you’re experiencing it, it can feel like you’re crazy, overreacting, or both. Thousands of women on the r/Menopause subreddit have been discussing the emotional toll menopause can take.

Seeking the support of other women can help you feel less lonely during this unfamiliar time in your life.

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A good sense of balance is essential in our daily lives for basic activities like walking or climbing stairs, and it plays a key role in dynamic exercises and movements like playing sports. It’s easy to take good balance for granted in our younger years, and as we age, it can be difficult to notice our balance declining.

While a lack of balance can increase the risks of falling as we get older, studies have also tied poor balance with serious health issues.

The good news is, with some simple self-tests you can determine whether or not your level of balance is something to be concerned about. And there are things you can do to improve your balance even after you’ve started to get wobbly.

What Is Balance?

Balance can be a bit tricky to define. It’s maintained by multiple systems in the body coordinating and working together. From nerves, muscles, and movement receptors within your joints to eyesight, the inner ear, and the sensory system—all of these things work together to maintain balance. And it’s not something we’re born with; it’s an ability we gain early in life and slowly lose over time.

Technically, balance is the body’s ability to maintain its center of mass and distribute body weight over the base of support, especially during movement. And according to The American Heart Association, balance is one of the four types of exercise that should be incorporated into everyday activity, along with strength, endurance, and flexibility.

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Studies have shown that a lack of balance can be associated with serious health problems and an increased risk of falls as we age. Earlier this year, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published a decade-long study involving more than 1,700 middle-aged participants. The study found that an inability to balance nearly doubled the risk of impending death.

The researchers asked volunteers to stand on one leg with their other leg pressed against it, arms by their sides, eyes fixed straight ahead. Subjects were allowed three attempts to hold the position for 10 seconds. The inability to do so was found to be associated with an 84% increase in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years.

With numbers like that, focusing on prevention is crucial. Luckily, there are (literally) steps you can take to prevent serious problems.

What Causes Lack Of Balance?

Balance issues are often blamed on a lack of activity. But aging, slowing nerve signals, impaired vision, dips in blood pressure, and declines in other systems can also contribute to a decline in balance.

Whatever the cause, once balance starts to fail, it tends to accelerate into a downward spiral. If you’re unable to easily walk around your home—or if you’re afraid to—you’re unlikely to try more strenuous activity to keep your muscles robust. Further imbalances can develop as your muscles atrophy, which, in turn, increases the risk of falls. 

As Benjamin Franklin famously said centuries ago, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And that couldn’t be more apropos when it comes to balance. 

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George Locker, author of Falling Is Not An Option and a long-term tai chi practitioner told The Guardian that the loss of balance very clearly begins at 45 and is difficult to reverse later in life. Prevention starting in midlife, he said, is imperative.

What You Can Do Now

Locker recommends taking up what he called “bent knee and ankle sports” such as ice skating, skiing, surfing, paddle boarding, or inline skating during your middle years to prevent balance problems.

If that sounds daunting, don’t worry. Tai chi is an extremely low-impact exercise that can bolster balance. You could even try something as simple as standing on one leg while brushing your teeth—but Locker recommends doing it with a bent leg to get your postural muscles firing.

As little as 15 minutes of balance exercise a day can be extremely beneficial. Start out with something easy, like the toothbrushing balance challenge. From there, try incorporating stationary or walking lunges. Once you’re feeling stronger, try using a box or step to do step-ups by pushing through your heels.

The important thing is to get started with some type of exercise to improve balance before symptoms become too debilitating. Your life could depend on it.

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Climate change has begun to measurably and observably impact the world around us. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are causing damage to every continent on the planet. It’s also prompting couples to reimagine if, when, and/or how they will have children.

The effects of climate change vary greatly in severity, but even something as small as your glass of wine will be affected by climate change in the future. And now we’ve learned that your seasonal sniffling and sneezing could get significantly worse in the coming years as well.

According to a study published in October in Frontiers in Allergy, two potent allergens—ragweed and oak pollen—may start earlier in the season, last longer than normal, and become more widely distributed as the climate continues to change.

This information comes to us from a study conducted by the Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute. Using computer models, researchers simulated how climate change will affect the distribution and potency of certain allergens. The study concluded that by 2050, the two most prevalent allergens will be more common in areas where pollen is currently uncommon.

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The researchers adapted a computer model called the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system, which is an open-source tool managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Alarmingly, even a moderate temperature increase resulted in significantly higher pollen concentrations.

According to the model, the Northeast and Southwest regions of the U.S. could see a 20% increase in ragweed and a 40% increase in oak pollen concentrations. Parts of Nevada and northern Texas could potentially experience a 100% increase in oak pollen by 2050, and Massachusetts and Virginia are predicted to have a 20 to 80% increase in airborne ragweed pollen by the same time.

Those who suffer from seasonal allergies or who have other chronic conditions like asthma are likely to suffer the negative health effects of a changing climate. Currently, more than 50 million people deal with various types of allergies. And of the 25 million people in the U.S. who have asthma, 60% of those have allergy-related asthma, making it the most common type.

However, even those without allergies or asthma will likely be affected by the increase in allergens. According to the study, pollen exposure can also increase susceptibility to respiratory viral infections like the flu and COVID-19.

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We all know that ultra-processed foods with little nutritional value have a negative impact on our overall health. Namely, a poor diet has been linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Now, there is growing evidence that ultra-processed foods can be even more damaging to the body, specifically when it comes to cognitive function as we age.

In a recent study published in JAMA Neurology, middle-aged adults who consumed more ultra-processed foods were more likely to suffer from cognitive decline.

Researchers in Brazil analyzed 10,775 subjects over the course of eight years. The mean age at the study’s onset was 51 years old. Additionally, 54.6% were women, 53.1% were white, and 56.6% had a least a college degree.

During the study, scientists asked participants to complete a food frequency questionnaire. Based on the NOVA classification system, the questionnaire classified foods into separate categories indicating the extent to which they were processed.

Cognitive tests were also conducted in conjunction with this data to determine any possible cognitive impairments. In conclusion, the study revealed some eye-opening results.

How Ultra-Processed Foods May Affect Cognitive Health

There is no doubt that chips, cookies, and sugary drinks are not the healthiest choices, but this study shows that these guilty pleasures can be so much more harmful than only a few extra calories.

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To start, the study found that individuals who consumed 20% or more of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods demonstrated a concerning 28% faster rate of “global cognitive decline” over the study duration compared to those who consumed less than 20%. Among the many mental abilities related to global cognitive functioning are learning, thinking, reasoning, recalling information, language, and solving problems.

The effects didn’t end there as researchers also discovered that the same group showed a 25% faster rate of “executive function decline” as well. Having poor executive functioning makes it difficult to plan, multitask, and focus attention. 

Researchers noted that while there was clearly a link between consuming ultra-processed foods and both global cognitive and executive function decline, the linear association was small. In layman’s terms, linear correlation is simply a measurement of the association between two variables. Nevertheless, deviations from the norm cannot be ignored. 

“Intact cognitive function is key to successful aging,” the authors wrote. “Therefore, despite the small effect size of the association between [ultra-processed food] consumption and cognitive decline, our findings are meaningful to cognitive health.”

Additionally, these findings support a similar study published by the American Academy of Neurology in September 2022 that found an increased risk of dementia in those who had a diet higher in ultra-processed foods.

A Closer Look At Your Diet

Many of us probably feel comfortable saying we eat less than 20% of our total daily calories from ultra-processed foods. But you may be surprised at just how quickly that quick snack or treat throughout the day can add up.

Corresponding with MedPage Today, study author Natalia Gomes Gonçalves, Ph.D., demonstrated just this.

“Considering a person who eats a total of 2,000 [calories] a day, 20% of daily calories from ultra-processed foods are about two 1.5-ounce Kit Kat bars, or five slices of bread, or about a third of an 8.5-ounce package of chips,” she said.

Moreover, what some of us consider ultra-processed foods might differ from researchers’ definitions.

While the usual suspects—foods that are high in added sugar, salt, and/or fat and lacking in fiber or protein—like ice cream, chips, and soda come to mind, this category can also include items with food additives or contaminations from packaging that can also have a negative impact on cognitive health. As reported by MedPage Today, this can include canned tomatoes, ketchup, and even packaged guacamole.

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A lot of the complication stems from how to cleanly define foods as unprocessed, minimally processed, processed, or ultra-processed. Factors such as differences in levels of processing across brands and the ingredients used play into the final healthiness of a product that doesn’t always fit nicely in one box.

Small Changes Can Add Up

While obviously much easier said than done, evaluating and working to improve your diet during midlife can make a big impact on your future year. And it doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. Hell, it doesn’t even have to happen during midlife.

“Middle age is an important period of life to adopt preventive measures through lifestyle changes since the choices we make at this age will influence our older years,” Gomes Gonçalves said. “This does not mean that older adults will not have benefits if they adopt a healthier lifestyle. Research has shown over and over again that we benefit from healthy choices at any age.”

Looking back at the study examining the link between ultra-processed food consumption and increased risk of dementia, researchers found that individuals who swap about 10% of ultra-processed foods for healthier alternatives were able to lower their dementia risk by an astounding 19%. 

Healthy lifestyle choices can be made at any age and in any amount. It’s all about one step at a time.

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For many of us, dark chocolate is a tasty treat that we feel good about eating. According to the National Library of Medicine, the benefits of eating chocolate include several cardiovascular benefits, such as “regulation of blood pressure and insulin levels.”

In fact, some studies even show that “cocoa plays a role in treating cerebral conditions, such as stroke.” We also know that the darker the chocolate, the lower the sugar level.

With all the health benefits of dark chocolate, is there any reason not to eat this treat that ancient Mayans called the food of the gods? Turns out, there may be some dangerous health consequences to eating dark chocolate. In fact, we may be ingesting some metal with our dark chocolate.

A new study by Consumer Reports shows that there are concerning levels of heavy metals in certain dark chocolate products on the market. While we’re enjoying our tasty treat, we may just be ingesting high levels of lead and cadmium.

The Dark Side Of Dark Chocolate

The study tested a variety of brands, including some smaller companies and ones that many of us know, such as Dove, Hershey’s, and Ghirardelli. As the report found, “For 23 of the bars, eating just an ounce a day would put an adult over a level that public health authorities and [Consumer Reports] experts say may be harmful for at least one of those heavy metals. Five of the bars were above those levels for both cadmium and lead.”

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Apparently, the risks associated with eating these levels of heavy metals are very dangerous. “The danger is greatest for pregnant people and young children because the metals can cause developmental problems, affect brain development, and lead to lower IQ,” according to Tunde Akinleye, the Consumer Reports food safety researcher who led the study.

Although pregnant women and young children are at the highest risk, all people are susceptible to health problems from too much exposure. Some of the more severe risks include “nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage, and reproductive issues.”

With all the potential health risks of heavy metals found in dark chocolate, should we stop eating the succulent treat? Thankfully, the answer is no. The best thing to do is to be more mindful about the specific dark chocolate we’re eating and to reduce the intake of our midday energy booster. 

Want to know if your favorite dark chocolate bar is unsafe? Take a look at the list. Some of the brands may surprise you!

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In 2017, textile marketer Louise Nicholson founded Fifty One Apparel, aptly named for the average age of menopause. Her clothing collection is designed to mitigate your menopause symptoms, and she uses spacesuit technology to do it.

Nicholson created a specially-insulated fabric made with technology once researched by NASA to help regulate astronauts’ temperatures when wearing a spacesuit—specifically, their gloves.

Back in the 1980s, research into space gloves resulted in NASA developing Certified Space Technology®. It was never actually used, but it did inform the creation of future space gear. That technology eventually evolved to become Outlast®, which is what Fifty One uses to make their menopause-friendly clothing.

From NASA To Nightwear

As Fifty One Apparel explains on its website, the cutting-edge Outlast® technology is a “phase change material that is continuously working to absorb and release excess heat.” So no matter what you’re doing, the material is consistently working to regulate your temperature.

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Instead of wicking away sweat, Fifty One Apparel’s fabric controls the production of moisture before it starts, which in turn keeps your body temperature stable to allow you the ultimate comfort.

Independent studies show that Outlast®’s thermo-material significantly reduces the amount of sweat by up to 48%. But what really makes this material impressive is that if your body temperature falls again due to something like decreased activity, the natural wax releases the stored heat so you can continue enjoying a wonderfully balanced climate.

According to Fifty One Apparel’s site, “The fabric we use is made up of Thermocules™, which are tiny polymer shells in which the Outlast® phase change materials are enclosed. This encapsulation process makes the Thermocules™ durable and allows our clothing to regulate your skin’s microclimate.”

Think of this material as ice cubes in a drink. As those cubes melt, they absorb heat and cool the drink to keep it at a preferable temperature for longer. Wearing clothing made of this Outlast® material helps to “put the freeze” on hot flashes and night sweats.

With a variety of day, lounge, and nightwear available, their clothing can be worn anywhere: at home, the office, the gym, and in bed.

Casual, Cooling Comfort

Fifty One Apparel’s breathable tops are “created for stylish women with cooling in mind.” The temperature-regulating technology is featured in all their designs to keep you comfortable in any situation. 

One such design, the Clara Relaxed V-Neck, has a three-quarter length sleeve that flatters the arms. The classic style combined with the fabric’s soft drape makes it super versatile. It’s available in three colors and sizes small to x-large.

“Keeps you cool and comfortable even on the hottest days. Great relaxed fit with the perfect length, flattering sleeves. Very happy customer, thank you,” one reviewer shared.

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Fifty One Apparel’s collection of bottoms ranges from lounge pants to shorts, and each one will keep you cool and effortlessly stylish. All the designs are relaxed, and the body-regulating tech is ideal for mitigating your menopause symptoms so you can lounge in comfort.

The Georgie Cropped Pants are new to the Fifty One Apparel line, and they feature a flattering cropped wide-leg style that looks equally good with sneakers or flats. They have an elasticated waist with a drawstring cord, and the fabric is made from cellulosic yarns to give the pants a beautiful drape and luxurious feel. These pants are available in grey marl and black and in sizes 8 to 18.

During menopause, it’s perhaps most important to have a way of keeping cool and comfortable at night, and that’s exactly what Fifty One Apparel’s nightwear provides. Featuring a material that absorbs, stores, and releases heat for optimum comfort, this menopause-friendly line of PJs is still stylish and trendy. 

This nightwear combination is made up of the brand’s Rachel Lounge Pants and Charlie Vest, which can also be purchased separately. This set, which is available in two colors and in sizes 8 to 20, can just as easily be worn to the gym as it can be in bed.

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If you’re aiming to make 2023 the year you take charge of your physical health, here’s a super manageable way to start. Dr. Jill Zimmerman, a physical therapist based in Charleston, South Carolina, is the creator of the “Treat Yo’ Self” DIY at-home exercise program, which provides basic tools to help you move better.

In a recent Instagram video, Dr. Zimmerman showed an 84-year-old woman named June getting on and off the floor from the kneeling position. She can get off the ground better now than she was able to 20 years ago, Dr. Zimmerman wrote.

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If you have time for only one exercise, this is it.

“Get on and off the floor several times a day, every single day,” she wrote. “I don’t care how much help you use to start. But as time goes on I want you to use less and less support. It’s one of the biggest bang for your buck movements you can do.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr. Jill Zimmerman, DPT, CPT (@jillzimmermanpt)

This single movement addresses balance, stability, mobility, strength, coordination, and function. 

Balance is crucial when it comes to prolonging your life, and movements like this one are perfect for improving yours. As the doctor points out, “If longevity is your goal, this is how.”

The movement of getting on and off the floor from the kneeling position sounds deceptively easy, but it requires some technique and awareness. Always place padding under your knees, and start off by using support if necessary. For example, place your hands on your knees, or lean on a table or chair. 

If the movement is too much for you even with support, Dr. Zimmerman suggests starting small by getting in and out of a chair without using your hands. Whatever method you try, over time try to decrease how much support you use.

And do it every day. It only takes a minute or two, and this simple movement could add valuable months and years to your life. Then when you do make it to the age of 84, you won’t actually feel like you’re 84.

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Love is … a battlefield. A mystery. All around you. All you need. There are so many clichés about love, we’d never be able to list them all. Countless songs, poems, and movies explore what makes love grand and sometimes heartbreaking.

But is who you end up with a matter of fate and destiny or something else entirely? What if the odds of your relationship succeeding could be boiled down to mathematical equations? We’d be skeptical, to say the least.

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According to doctors John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, clinical psychologists who’ve studied marriages and relationships for more than 40 years, there’s a mathematical equation that will determine if you’ll stay together with your partner—and it’s surprisingly accurate.

Figuring Up The Numbers

The research began in the ’70s at the University of Illinois and continued at the University of Washington. Researchers in “The Love Lab,” as it was coined, began studying and interviewing couples (hetero- and homosexual) and came up with an equation that can reliably predict (with 94% certainty) the future of a relationship.

In the Gottmans’ new book, The Love Prescription: 7 Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy, the pair have broken down the data, outlining a multistep process for a better relationship. Professor and bestselling author Brené Brown said, “This book feels so hopeful because it’s direct, it’s really honest, and it’s so actionable.”

Thousands of couples were studied. Researchers assessed their facial expressions, heart rates, blood pressure, skin conductivity, and words exchanged with their partners and noted how many positive and negative interactions occurred.

Out of this research came a “magic ratio.” For every negative interaction during conflict, there needed to be a counterbalance of five positive interactions to maintain a “low-risk” relationship. When the researchers checked back up on couples six years after the study, they found that couples who had a five-to-one ratio or higher during conflict were more likely to still be happily together.

What Does That Mean, Exactly?

So what constitutes a positive or negative interaction? Positive interactions during conflict include expressions of validation and joy. Simply smiling, saying something affirming (e.g., “I understand”), and working together to problem-solve are all positive interactions during tough conversations.

However, Gottman describes certain negative interactions as “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” These interactions include contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling. Blaming or shaming the other person, disengaging, and making hurtful comments are all, of course, considered negative interactions.

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The researchers also found that outside of conflict, the required ratio was higher: In everyday life, there needed to be 20 positive interactions for every negative one. Negative interactions are far more impactful and harder to recover from, which is why the ratio is so imbalanced. Accumulating several small positive interactions over time help make a relationship healthier.

What To Keep In Mind

The authors eventually concentrated on one word—kindness.

“The difference between the extremely unhappy couples and very happy couples boiled down to one simple thing: The happy couples were kinder when they spoke to each other,” wrote the Gottmans.

While it may seem like an odd concept (would you even want to keep track of how many positive to negative interactions occur in your relationship?), it’s actually kind of reassuring. Even just starting to take note of your behavior during disagreements and adjusting your reactions accordingly can start to shift your ratio in a positive direction.

It also means relationships don’t require perfection. Conflict is inevitable; this method focuses on managing it rather than erasing it. It’s the way we respond during conflict that really matters.

If worked through properly, conflict can ultimately strengthen your relationship. Responding with empathy instead of annoyance, showing an interest in the other person’s passions, and “turning toward” the other person can help improve a couple’s connection.

So find time each day to give a genuine compliment and emotionally connect with your partner, because it’ll add up in the long run.

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Selenium is an essential mineral that facilitates normal cellular function, helps make our DNA, and protects us against infections, cell damage, and other health problems. 

It’s also vital for thyroid health. Getting healthy amounts of the mineral has been associated with a reduced risk of Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease, and thyroid cancer.

Clearly, selenium is essential. But that doesn’t mean you need a ton of it. In fact, our bodies only require a tiny amount of selenium—you can get plenty by eating a single Brazil nut per day.

On the flip side, eating too much selenium-rich foods or taking too much via supplements can cause some pretty serious health issues.

Selenium deficiency is extremely rare in the United States because our soil is rich in the mineral. Most Americans get plenty of it in our food, and a supplement could easily put you well over the daily limit.

Nevertheless, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, nearly one-fifth of the US population takes a daily supplement that contains selenium. The recommended dietary allowance for adults over the age of 19 is 55 micrograms every day. The only exception is women who are pregnant and lactating—they require approximately 60 and 70 micrograms daily, respectively.

That’s a pretty easy range to hit with most regular diets—and it means if you take a supplement that contains selenium, you could get too much without realizing it.

In one study that investigated an outbreak of selenium toxicity, researchers found that the source was a liquid dietary supplement that contained 200 times the labeled concentration of selenium. 

Partly because the supplement industry isn’t regulated like the pharmaceutical industry is, this mislabeled product made it onto store shelves.

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Any amount of more than 400 micrograms daily for adults (including pregnant and lactating women) can cause health problems including muscle tremors, upset stomach, lightheadedness, hair loss, and respiratory distress. In severe cases, chronically high intakes of selenium can cause a heart attack or kidney failure.

If you’re a fan of Brazil nuts, be especially careful that your supplements don’t contain extra selenium. Brazil nuts contain the highest amount of selenium of any food, and eating just one (a single nut has 96 micrograms) will put you over the recommended daily amount.

That can be a good thing if you’re concerned about thyroid health, but eating too many Brazil nuts on a regular basis can cause your body to reach toxic levels. 

Other foods high in selenium include seafood and organ meats. Protein foods from animals are also good sources of selenium, as are breads, cereals, poultry, red meat, and eggs.

Bottom line: it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before taking any supplement, and to read the ingredients list carefully.

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