October 17, 2018 at 12:11PM As someone who’s had big boobs since puberty, the idea of spending most of my time in a non-underwire bra sounds like torture. But every once in a while I find myself sucked into a pretty repetitive dinner conversation with my friends. The argument usually goes something like this—someone insists that you need to wear a bra to combat what gravity is doing to your boobs i.e. sagging them down and stretching the skin. The other side asserts that you need to let your girls breathe—how else can you treat your boobs to regular massages or enjoy a breast orgasm? But what I really want to know is: Am I doing more harm than good by insisting on wearing a bra most of the time? In a word: No. There isn’t a medical or health-related downside to wearing or not wearing a bra according to plastic surgeon Neil Zemmel, MD, a contributing medical expert at Zwivel. But there are factors that should be considered before deciding to forgo the undergarment. “Overall breast shape is a complex equation that consists of the quality of a woman’s skin, the amount of breast tissue, the distribution of breast tissue, the footprint of her breast on her chest, the shape of her rib cage, the position and shape of her nipple and areola, and her overall height and weight,” says Dr. Zemmel. All of the above changes over time he adds. And Lyn Lewis, CEO of the lingerie line Journelle, agrees.
Month: October 2018
Burning question: Why does my UTI keep coming back?
October 17, 2018 at 11:43AM When you’ve got a urinary tract infection (UTI), it can feel like it’s never going to go away. The pain, the fatigue, the urgent and frequent need to pee—every hour is straight-up misery. What could be worse than that? Well, a recurrent UTI that actually does keep coming back, for starters. This kind of gynecological Groundhog Day scenario is actually quite common. Research finds that out of the 40 to 60 percent of women who experience at least one UTI in their lifetime, 1 in 4 is likely to have a repeat infection. According to Candice Fraser, MD, of New York City’s Trinity Medical Care, there’s a variety of reasons why a UTI might rear its ugly head again and again. (And, if you’re really unlucky, again.) “Some people may have structural differences in their urinary tract that make them more susceptible to recurrent or chronic infections,” she explains. Other factors can include certain types of kidney stones that can make a person more susceptible to recurrent or chronic infections, as well as bladder catheters. Your body’s bacterial balance can also be upset by factors that aren’t directly related to your bladder and urethra. Los Angeles-based OB-GYN Tristan Bickman, MD, notes that other risk factors for a recurrent UTI can include the use of diaphragms and spermicides, douching, and hormonal changes in menopausal women. Another issue that can lead to a higher chance of getting of multiple UTIs: GI conditions that result in frequent diarrhea or stool incontinence. “The anus is close
7 sexpert-approved ways to rev up your libido to the *most* satisfying heights
October 17, 2018 at 11:41AM Since everyone is different, there’s obviously no norm for sex-drive intensity. What is normal, however, is for your libido to fluctuate, says Emily Morse, sex expert and host of the Sex With Emily podcast. So, if you’re currently going through a dry spell of your own making, there’s no need to be alarmed—it happens! Still, the sich can be über-frustrating, especially if your partner is ready to go at all times despite knocking boots being the last thing on your mind. To help you get your mojo back, here, Morse shares seven ways to seriously rev up your libido. Read on for the sex expert’s 7 tips to push your sex drive into high gear. Photo: Getty Images/Kevin Kozicki 1. Seek a professional opinion (seriously) As a first point of entry, Morse suggests checking in with your doctor because a low libido can be a symptom or a side effect of a number of different medical conditions: unbalanced hormone levels, medications you’re taking, depression, anxiety, thyroid imbalances, or arthritis. So, to be safe, go see your MD for a chat and potentially some tests. 2. Reconnect with your body If your health checks out, the issue is may skew more psychological. “Women get aroused through thoughts,” Morse says. “If your brain is not onboard for sex, then your body is not going to follow.” One solution? Get down with yourself (yes, that means masturbating). Doing so will help you reconnect with your body again, and
Here’s how to give your avocado toast a Halloween makeover
October 17, 2018 at 11:12AM If your mornings typically involve waking up to avocado toast, same. While there’s nothing better than smashing the creamy green fruit on on a piece of bread and topping it with a squeeze of lemon and some of Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning, now’s the perfect time to learn how to give your go-to formula a Halloween twist. Colette Dike of the Instagram account Food Deco—which is always full of healthy eats—recently posted a mummy version of the brunch staple that’s almost too pretty to devour. After smearing on a base of pumpkin hummus and applying some perfectly-placed avocado ribbons as bandages, she added on some eyes made of mozzarella and balsamic, chili flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and rose petals. The result is the least scary-looking mummy, ever. View this post on Instagram Halloween inspiration (16 days left): Spicy Mummies on Toast – Toast with Pumpkin Hummus, Avocado Ribbons, Mini Mozzarella (eyes), Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Rose Petals, Chili Flakes and Balsamic Pearls (eyes). #halloween #avocadotoast # # with @avocadofruitoflife @avosfromperu A post shared by F O O D D E C O (@fooddeco) on Oct 15, 2018 at 7:50am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Sure, it might take you some extra time to mummify your avocado toast, but once you take a bite into all the different flavors—and get to post the impressive results to your ‘gram!—all the effort will be well worth it. Pretty soon, you’ll be decking out your breakfast to every holiday. Just imagine those
If you’re going to get a fast-food burger, choose one of these antibiotic-free options
October 17, 2018 at 11:10AM Sometimes, finding balance in your food choices means breaking a kale salad lunch streak with a juicy, made-to-order burger topped with all the fixins. But if you want that first mouth-watering bite to be as healthy as possible, the Chain Reaction scorecard—a national ranking of fast-food chains based on their antibiotics policies and practices—just knocked about 23 names off your drive-thru options. According to the report, which graded 25 of the country’s largest burger chains based on their use of antibiotics, road-trip mainstays including McDonald’s earned a big fat “F” from organizations like Center for Food Safety, Consumer Reports, and other organizations concerned with food health. And, on the other hand, Shake Shack and BurgerFi, came out as the frontrunners as the *only* two restaurants to earn an “A”. To reach these results, the food safety experts assessed each chain’s policies based on whether they raised the meat with or without the routine use of antibiotics, then gave out bonus points if the restaurant asked a third party to verify their antibiotic-free practices as well. About 43 percent of medically-important antibiotics sold in the U.S. are funneled into the beef industry. Munching on a patty made from such meat could make your body antibiotic-resistant. If you’re wondering why antibiotic-treated bovine is an issue in the first place, here’s why: About 43 percent of medically-important antibiotics sold in the U.S. are funneled into the beef industry (more than any other variety of meat). Munching on a patty made from such meat could make your body
How fashion solves its size inclusivity problem
October 17, 2018 at 10:10AM Last week the fashion industry took two major steps toward size inclusivity. Stuart Weitzman announced extended sizing for its immensely popular boots. And Universal Standard increased its range to become the first clothing line to carry women’s sizes 00–40 in the world. Both developments were newsworthy, sure. But the truth is, size-inclusive moments like these make news because they don’t happen that often. Most designers still top out at a size 12 or 14 (while the average American woman is a size 16–18). So why aren’t more fashion brands making clothes that fit consumers? I mean, from an equality standpoint, the idea of size inclusivity—the practice of representing a wide variety of body shapes and sizes—sounds obvious. But extending sizes isn’t just about doing the right thing. It also makes economic sense—at least from the outside looking in on the issue. Why limit your potential profits to 33 percent of the population and ignore the buying potential of the other 67 percent? In reality, though, it’s a lot more complex. The current state of size inclusivity in fashion To see what inclusivity could look like, look to Chromat, a clothing collection designed by Becca McCharen-Tran. Its fashion-week shows are among the world’s most diverse—with people of different sizes, ethnicities, body shapes, and abilities—and its sizing goes from XS to 3X, with 4X coming next month. “Size inclusivity means celebrating bodies of all different shapes and sizes both in our runway and campaigns and producing a
Get a energizing splash of an Asian superfruit in Trader Joe’s new sparkling coconut water
October 17, 2018 at 09:19AM Trader Joe’s is always coming through with unique sparkling water choices that give your love for La Croix a run for its bubbles. In the past, the healthy grocer has released niche flavors like rhubarb and elderflower, but the latest mix might just be the most impressive yet: It does contain a hard-to-find Japanese superfood, after all. According to a press release, you can now find Sparkling Coconut Water with Yuzu on store shelves, which features an exotic citrus fruit that’s essentially a combination of a lime, mandarin orange, and grapefruit. Mostly grown in East Asia, yuzu’s tart and bright flavor instantly makes you feel energized and refreshed when you taste it, which is why it’s often found in recipes for dressings and sauces. But this time, it’s combined with coconut water that’s free of any added sugars. The new sparkling water features yuzu, an exotic citrus fruit that’s essentially a combination of a lime, mandarin orange, and grapefruit. Aside from the drink’s hint of sour tang helping you feel a little more alert and awake, yuzu has some other notable benefits: Because of its super-high level of vitamin C, it could help boost your immune system and stave off illness and disease. And in a small study, the fruit was found to up mental health as well by lifting the moods of folks with PMS symptoms. Another study found the compound limonene—which is found in yuzu’s peel—could potentially help reduce inflammation. Basically, if you’re going to sip on some sparkling water, it might
How to decipher workplace harassment from just having a tough boss
October 17, 2018 at 08:36AM It’s common that the nine-to-five (or longer) workweek cycle gets sprinkled with a few tense emails from a manager. And those messages are bound to just get to you. But, receiving tough feedback from time to time and chronic unhappiness at work are hardly the same scenario—kind of like having one sleepless night compared to a full-on bout of insomnia. In fact, dreading your workplace is linked to a whole bunch of negative implications. Studies show that hating your job is correlated with weight gain, a compromised sense of well-being, a higher risk of diabetes, and more. Since research finds that workplace culture is actually a higher indicator of employee happiness than salary, it stands to reason that cultivating a solid, healthy relationship with your boss is a cause that’ll pay dividends in terms of mental health. But what’s the difference between a boss who simply harbors a no-nonsense approach to helping you improve your skills and get you to the next step in your career and one who’s flat-out harassing you, verbally or otherwise? Let’s take a closer look, so you can deal, no matter what the answer is. A tough boss is still on your side The simplest way to decode whether your boss is hard ass rather than an asshole? Decide whether they have your best interest at heart. Perhaps the underlying reason for their demeanor toward you is having high expectations. Maybe they just want you to reach your full potential. Stern and
Side stitches can wreck a workout (and quick)—here’s how to ditch them on the fly
October 17, 2018 at 08:24AM You’ve put in the work to get out and tackle a run: the Spandex is on, the sneakers are laced, and you even remembered to take your favorite fitness tracker along for the trip. But seven minutes into your morning miles, it hits you: the dreaded side stitch. Right up there with uncomfortable chafing (don’t worry: we’ve got a solution for you here) and getting lost, side stitches—commonly described as a sharp, nagging, cramping sensation in the right or left mid-torso—are a frequent annoyance for runners everywhere. Moreover, they’re an annoyance that a reported 60 percent of runners experience annually, 42 percent of whom say affects their performance, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Formally known in the medical world as exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), side stitches are most prevalent in runners, swimmers, and horseback riders, according to William Oswald, DPT, physical therapist at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation. Generally, the pain runners experience is an irritation of the abdominal lining. And the cause? Well, that varies. “Repetitive rotational movements—especially when the torso is extended—appear to aggravate the symptoms,” he says. “It occurs more frequently during competition and at higher intensities.” Not exactly ideal when you’re trying to crank up the volume on the regular. Still, there are some things within your control that you can do to avoid the discomfort. Skip out on high sugar drinks or fatty foods prior to activity, suggests Oswald, and make sure to take the time to
Let’s hear it for the drugstore mascara, which is having a *major* moment
October 17, 2018 at 07:28AM A little known (but important) fact about me, is that prior to becoming a beauty editor, I worked at Ulta in my hometown of Minnetonka, Minnesota. For a few hours each week—after school and on the weekends—my main job was to sell women in the Midwest all the latest cosmetics. But the best part? My discount. Which meant half of my paycheck was dedicated to purchasing whatever my heart desired. Back then, it was mostly nail polish, hair accessories, lip gloss, and, of course, mascara. It’s the one product I never leave my house without because it has so many benefits: It’s easy-to-apply, it travels well, and it adds an instant glam factor even if you’re rocking sweatpants. The best part, however? It’s a drugstore diamond. So amazing, so wonderful that Kristopher Buckle told Allure that he uses Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof ($9) on the queen of pop herself, Mariah Carey. Let’s here it for the best of the best drugstore mascaras. What I learned back then at Ulta has since been confirmed in my time as a beauty editor: Mascaras that you find in the aisles of CVS and Target are so good they can rival any pricier tube at the department store or Sephora. But why is that? I wanted to hear from cosmetic chemists and celebrity makeup artists alike on exactly why, with a kit full of options, drugstore mascaras still have a special place in their hearts—and counter space. Keep scrolling to read more. Photo: Getty