Year: 2019

June 10, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC   Raise your hand if the only thing you know about potassium is that bananas have lots of it. (Not just me? Okay, cool.) Consider this your nutrition lesson for the day: Potassium is a mineral that the body needs to function properly—it helps muscles contract and plays a role in regulating your body’s fluid levels and blood pressure. Most people get enough potassium, per the National Institutes of Health (which for women, is about 2,300 milligrams per day), which is good because a deficiency can have some serious consequences. “Low potassium levels create an acidic environment in the blood causing increased bone turnover and bone weakness,” says Allison Aaron, RD, CN. “Potassium deficiency may impair kidney function, causing excessive urination and the formation of kidney stones as well as elevated blood glucose due to impaired carbohydrate metabolism.” Okay cool, but what does potassium actually do for the body? Can you get too much or can you eat 51 bananas a day and still be good? Aaron answers all of your burning potassium questions below.   What are the main potassium benefits? 1. Potassium balances out sodium. “Potassium’s main job is to balance sodium levels so that the body can function properly,” Aaron explains. “Having the right potassium-sodium ratio is important for electrolyte balance, which is essential for proper muscle contraction and nerve transmission, fluid balance—which promotes normal blood pressure—and acid-base balance for preservation of bone strength.” Potassium and sodium are both needed

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June 10, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Even if you actually are asking for a friend, some part of you is surely curious about whether or not a sexless relationship can be happy and healthy. After all, many folks are confused about why they’re just not, like seemingly ever, in the mood, which feels related. And to deal, many have “guilt sex” because they know sex matters a lot to the partner whom they do very much love, while others just trudge along through their dry spells. But is a situation of a totally sexless relationship cause for concern? To clear things up, we called upon sex experts—and good news, low-libido lovers: at least one pro says a sexless relationship can be totally healthy. “A relationship can be healthy if there’s not much sex happening if both partners are on the same page with their sex frequency,” says California-based sexologist Jill McDevitt, PhD. But, keep in mind that there’s no universally agreed upon measurement of “not much.” For one couple, that could mean once a week, while for another that could mean only on anniversaries—and no one is right or wrong in this case. “Folks shouldn’t look outside their relationship to determine if their sex lives are satisfactory and healthy. They should only do what works for them,” Dr. McDevitt adds. Fair point. ad_intervals[‘396476_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘396476_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Still, while there’s no universal formula for how much sex is enough for any

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June 10, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I remember when I got my first gym membership in a suburb of Dallas. I was a teenager, and started off fitness-wise by running around my neighborhood—so going to an actual gym was a big move for me. Walking in for the first time, I felt completely overwhelmed. Everyone around me was slaying their workouts and navigating the gym like a pro, and meanwhile I didn’t know my way around those weights machines or the cardio section—at all. Obviously, being a noob to the fitness world can be extremely intimidating, whether you’re starting a new gym membership or trying a workout class for the first time. There are machines to figure out, workouts to plan, and tons of people around you that seemingly know exactly WTF they’re doing. How’s one supposed to deal with all that on top of doing their exercise, which should be hard enough? In actuality, it’s all about your mindset—and your form. “A lot of people get intimidated when they’re going to do anything for the first time outside their comfort zone,” says Ryan Johnson, principal and co-founder of Homage Fitness.  “In particular, at the gym, there’s an added level of vulnerability because it has to do with the intimacy of your body. And we carry around this hyper-awareness and body consciousness of ourself, and, walking into the gym with that energy, you think that everyone is going to sense this.” ad_intervals[‘399607_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399607_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]);

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June 10, 2019 at 12:46PM by CWC While everyone in the locker room post-workout clamors for the blow dryers, I walk out scot-free with my wet strands because I’m an avid hair air-dryer. I stan air drying because a) it’s fast and, well, ultimately ideal for those who are lazy with their hair (like moi), and b) it lets your natural hair texture come through. And I just learned of another way to incorporate air drying into my beauty routine: post-cleansing. In the depths of a Reddit Skin-care Addiction subthread on “ways to clear up your skin that have nothing to do with your beauty products,” I read about someone’s success story when they started air drying their face after washing it, as opposed to patting it dry with a towel. I’m all too aware that towels can be a breeding ground for bacteria if you’re not washing them on the reg (c’mon—I can’t be the only one personally familiar with the “week old wet towel” odor), but I tapped a dermatologist to get her expert take on the matter. ad_intervals[‘399896_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399896_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); “Actually, air drying is a somewhat better way to dry your skin,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology… but notes that there are a few caveats to that statement. She explains that aggressively rubbing your face with a towel can cause irritation and inflammation, which won’t happen if you’re air drying, but

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