October 18, 2018 at 09:21AM Despite the fact that a doctor can alleviate pain and even save lives, the sad truth is that many people will do just about anything to avoid visiting their healthcare provider. And it goes beyond the needles and speculums—a lot of people simply don’t feel comfortable being open and honest with a stranger in a white lab coat. This is especially true when it comes to the OB-GYN. Women of all genders have complicated feelings around going to the gynecologist: A 2003 study that surveyed women between the ages of 18-71 found that around two-thirds of women experience anxiety around visiting their OB-GYN. In some cases, this comes down to a straightforward issue, like shyness or the fear of receiving bad news. But it could also go deeper—think a previous sexual trauma or a not-so-great gynecologist who made them uncomfortable in the past. And a lot of patients just aren’t sure how a doctor will perceive them and their sexuality or gender. “I only date women, and I’ve avoided the gynecologist for a lot of my life because it makes me uncomfortable. Plus, I don’t need a birth-control prescription so it’s always felt like pointless misery,” says Lisa, a 31-year-old living in San Francisco. “When I have gone, the experiences haven’t exactly been pleasant. I live in a really liberal city, and it still feels like OB-GYNs have no idea what to make of me.” While the guidelines around how often we need to go
Month: October 2018
Everyone harbors implicit biases—here’s how to manually override yours
October 18, 2018 at 09:16AM No one wants to believe they have biases or are bigoted against other human beings. And yet, scientific research tells us that prejudice is built into who we are on a neurological level from the moment we begin interacting with the world, whether or not we’re aware of it. (To be clear though, this is not an excuse to discriminate. But more on that later.) Implicit bias is the preferred term for “unconscious bias” among psychologists, and in its most basic definition, the Perception Institute—whose mission is to create solutions to reduce discrimination—notes it occurs “when we have attitudes towards people or associate stereotypes with them without our conscious knowledge.” For example, studies show that white people tend to associate black individuals with criminality without being consciously aware of the link. And voters have been found to undervalue female candidates in elections (ugh). “Being socialized in American culture means that when people encounter a person from [a minority or marginalized] group, that association might spring to mind automatically.” —psychologist David Amodio, PhD “Even if a person doesn’t consciously endorse these ideas, the fact that they experience the associations by being socialized in American culture means that when they encounter a person from [a minority or marginalized] group, that association might spring to mind automatically in the head,” says David Amodio, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at New York University whose work focuses on behavioral regulation. “It can bias their judgment a little bit—even if they don’t realize
Moisturizers require this one ingredient to *really* benefit your skin
October 18, 2018 at 09:15AM Shopping for moisturizers can be seriously stressful. With an endless amount of options to choose from with all sorts of different ingredients that offer up a long list of promises—whether that’s watermelon juice or your own blood (seriously!)—how in the world are you supposed to figure out which is actually worthy of taking up prime space in your #shelfie? Well, one key component might be more important than the rest: good ol’ H2O. In a recent thread on Reddit, users were discussing what makes a moisturizer, and it turns out water is what you should be looking for on the ingredients list. It’s nothing fancy, but it makes a big difference when it comes to hydrating your skin. According to Lana Pinchasov, a dermatology-certified physician’s assistant in New York City, every moisturizer needs to have a base that the other ingredients are mixed into—and that’s usually water or oil. While oil-based moisturizers are great for anyone who needs to “replenish the oil that serves as a protection barrier of the skin,” it’s not going to be nearly as beneficial for your complexion as water. “Applying a water-based moisturizer helps your skin lock in moisture and replenish nutrients.” —Lana Pinchasov, dermatology-certified physician’s assistant “Oil-based moisturizers will still moisturize—you just wont get as many as the added benefits that a water base will give you,” she explains. “When you’re feeling dehydrated, you drink water so your body can rehydrate, and the skin uses water to rehydrate, too. Applying a
We’ve found the one crunch that’ll never leave you bored
October 18, 2018 at 09:00AM When it comes to core work, crunches tend to unleash a wave of boredom the quickest. You can only handle so many up-and-downs until your brain is like “enough already!” There is one exception to the repetitious exercise, though, and the Pilates-based move will challenge your body and your mind. Pilates instructor Theodora Magkou recently posted an abs workout using an exercise ball that involves your entire body—not to mention a whole lot of coordination as you take turns transferring the piece of gym equipment between your arms and legs. “It’s a simple but fun way to utilize the ball for extra weight and challenge. It will kind of remind you of the double leg stretch with legs straight,” she writes. So, how do you go about doing the exercise at home? View this post on Instagram Grab a #fitball l to work your #abs, coordination, and a couple other things . Keep pressing the ball with straight arms/legs: Squeeze the ball with your inner thighs on the way down to engage lower abs and adductors Squeeze the ball with your palms to engage shoulders and chest . When your arms/legs are not carrying the ball, the range of motion is bigger: Try to touch your fingertips to the floor to work on shoulder flexibility Try to touch your feet to the floor to work your hip flexors . Torso remains stable, abs engaged throughout. It's a simple but fun way to utilise the ball for extra weight and challenge.
I snoozed on a collagen-embedded pillowcase because…beauty sleep
October 18, 2018 at 07:31AM I’ve been sleeping on a collagen-infused pillowcase for the past week. No, this isn’t some bizarro rendition of Sleeping Beauty—these pillowcases do exist and they’re here to literally make sure you’re getting, well…beauty sleep. The brain child of the brand Buki, collagen-embedded clothing and pillowcases are meant all meant to infuse collagen peptides into your body “making it feel softer and plumper in less than a minute,” the company says. Pillow cases aren’t alone: They similarly can do this via turtlenecks, shirts, a hoodie, scarves, and a pillow cover, which contain marine-sourced collagen powder that lives within a fiber that’s one component of the collagen fabric. Your brain may be going a mile a minute with questions—and I don’t blame you, but if you’ll remember back a few years, the collagen-pillowcase isn’t alone. Lotion jeans were a thing for a while, promising to help hydrate skin with built-in moisturizer and so were silver-inlaid towels, which aimed to help deal with acne-provoking bacteria. Needless to say, as soon as I received an email about the skin-boosting fabric, I was interested…if a bit skeptical. First of all, collagen is notoriously complicated when it comes to penetrating your skin. Some derms say your complexion can’t absorb it topically since the molecules are too large, so to reap the benefits of the skin-boosting protein via fabric seems to be a reach. “The collagen peptides in the pillow cover can soften and hydrate your skin while you sleep,” says Joey Rodolfo, Buki’s co-founder. “[They’re]
The Ayurvedic reason to eat roasted celery all winter long
October 18, 2018 at 07:19AM When you think of celery, maybe you imagine tossing it into your juicer or slathering a few stalks with peanut butter. What you probably don’t think about is popping it in the oven alongside your other favorite roasted veggies. It might seem weird to turn up the heat on the typically raw-eaten roughage, but doing so can leave you with some impressive body-boosting benefits—not to mention a delicious side dish. This is especially true if you’re practicing Ayurveda, an ancient form of holistic medicine from India, and eating for your dosha. (That’s your personal energy type, i.e. vata, pitta, or kapha, btw.) “Roasted or stewed celery is excellent during the colder months,” says Divya Alter, certified nutritional consultant and owner of Divya’s Kitchen in New York City. “Cooked celery is definitely easier to digest for people with airy digestion, IBS, or other inflammatory gut problems,” she explains. “Roasted or stewed celery is excellent during the colder months. Cooked celery is definitely easier to digest for people with airy digestion, IBS, or other inflammatory gut problems.” —Divya Alter By contrast, raw celery has a cooling, metabolic effect and “dry, rough, and light” qualities, which makes it work for some doshas but not others. “It’s great for balancing pitta [fiery] and kapha [earthy], but it’ll increase and imbalance vata [airy],” she says. Because of that, Ayurveda doesn’t recommend eating raw celery in the cold season. When you cook it, though, everything changes—something Kiernan Shipka, the star of the new Netflix series the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, recently discovered. Turns out,
Dating someone with anxiety? Here’s a cheat sheet for how to be effectively supportive
October 18, 2018 at 06:51AM I, along with 6.8 million American adults, have generalized anxiety disorder, and it’s not going away anytime soon—in fact, I imagine it’ll always be part of who I am. I take medication for it, and while some days I feel in control, on other days it controls me. Since it’s something I personally struggle to deal with, finding a supportive significant other is especially tough. I spent the last few years of my life in a relationship with someone who never fully supported that part of me the way I needed. And in retrospect, this was totally fair; I didn’t communicate effectively. It’s hard for me to articulate how a partner can best be there for me, so of course it’s hard for them to actually do it. Being a mindreader is obviously not a prerequisite for being a great partner. Thankfully, two accredited mental-health pros (who apparently moonlight as relationship superheroes) have come to the rescue with a checklist of ways to support an S.O. who struggles with anxiety. Check out 4 must-know tips for supporting a partner with anxiety. Photo: Getty Images/Ned Frisk 1. Do the research First, give into to your cravings, and log online. “Do the thing we all love to do: Google,” says licensed mental health counselor Jessica Feldman, services director of New York City’s National Alliance on Mental Mental Illness chapter. Researching your partner’s condition is a great way to ensure you can empathize and provide worthwhile support to an
How to marathon train without eating a ton of carbs
October 18, 2018 at 06:12AM From the throwback days of high school spaghetti dinners before game day, we’ve long been trained to carbo-load before a day of physical activity. And there’s a valid reason for that: the body uses carbs more readily for fuel than other sources, like protein and healthy fats. But if you’re following a low-carb diet or they just don’t make you feel great, it can throw a wrench into training for something super intense, like a marathon. So what do you do? “Athletes involved in endurance sports have seen benefits specifically around sustained performance for extended periods of time,” Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN of Maya Feller Nutrition, says. However, she notes, carbo-loading is not a must. “I had carb-loaded for six marathons when I didn’t have a clue about nutrition,” Ariane Hundt, a clinical nutritionist and trainer says. When she began training for an Ironman, she decided she didn’t want to experience the same outcomes as she had when carbo-loading for marathon training: “weight gain, muscle loss, becoming flabbier, softer, and more bloated—and slightly depressed from too many carbs affecting my blood sugar.” Fortunately, there’s a way around it. Find out how to train for a marathon without loading up on carbs. Photo: Getty Images/Geber86 What happens when you cut carbs while endurance training “Years ago, many runners thought that if they increased their carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to a big race—think breads, pasta, and rice—they would have increased energy stores, glycogen,
The new Karl Lagerfeld x Puma collab is the closest thing to Chanel streetwear right now
October 18, 2018 at 03:07AM Need more evidence of streetwear’s increasing influence on high fashion? Look no further than the Karl x Puma collection, which drops online today and in stores tomorrow. The 13-piece capsule is the closest thing you’ll get to Chanel streetwear this season as the French fashion house’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld designed it. (He even superimposed his face into its label so you won’t forget.) Really, it’s a subtle touch for a designer known for his OTT aesthetic at both Chanel and Fendi. By contrast, for his first partnership with Puma, Lagerfeld kept things relatively basic. He reimagined streetwear staples, including a sweatshirt, track pants, and tee—plus three unisex accessories: a backpack, ballcap, and sneakers. (The collab is in part to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Puma’s Suede Classic.) Photo: Puma The entire line is produced in black and white—Lagerfeld’s signature color palette. And it plays into the ’90s logo fever on the rise right now. Here, it’s taken the form of label taping along the sleeves and legs of tops and bottom, plus fonts splashed across the front of shirts that are big enough to see from space (or at least across the street). Speaking of logos, at first glance it appears for theirs Lagerfeld and Puma took style cues from Virgil Abloah and the wildly successful collaboration between his label Off-White and Nike. They opted to lock theirs in a similar fashion. (We see you.) What is unique to the collection, though, are less
I’m On A Plant-Based Keto Diet. Here’s What I Actually Eat In A Day
October 18, 2018 at 12:30AM It’s easier than you think. Continue Reading… Author William Cole, D.C., IFMCP | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue