They sound simple, right? All you have to do is accept people for who they are, listen to them, respect them, trust them, encourage and support them, and negotiate any differences you may have. But, like most of what’s worthwhile in life, the caring habits are a little harder to put into place than you might think, especially if they represent an about-face for you. Run a reality check. How did you talk with the people you live with this morning?...
Here’s the Cliff Notes version via The Week. This recount of the drama in the House blames Republican infighting as the reason why you may be going to work and not getting paid at the end of week. Does The Shut Down Mean The Affordable Care Act Is Finished? Republicans wrestled Washington to closure in a push to stop the health-care law says The Atlantic. And now that the shut down is here, does it mean that the law is now doomed?...
Muse is a headband outfitted with seven EEG sensors that track brain activity. It communicates with a companion smartphone app that guides the user through meditative exercises, and promises that daily use will lower stress and improve productivity. The first time I tried the device my performance wasn’t stellar, but I did reap some benefits. Even though the app reported that I spent only 5% of the session with a calm brain, that’s better than nothing....
The research: Researchers at the University of Wroclaw in Poland collected the height and weight measurements of 90 healthy men ages 18 to 34. They also took nasal and throat swabs to collect bacteria samples from each participant. Men with potentially disease-causing bacteria (like those responsible for staph infection, strep throat, or the flu) in their nostrils were more likely to have higher body mass indexes than men whose nasal passages were free of the harmful bugs....
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When 24 volunteers were exposed to lamps with UV rays, researchers found that they had higher levels of nitric oxide and lower blood pressure, according to the research presented this week at the International Investigative Dermatology 2013 conference in Edinburgh. What’s more, this didn’t hold true when UV rays were blocked. (Note: The reduction in blood pressure can’t be attributed to vitamin D—the levels stayed the same.) The conclusion: Researchers believe the heart–healthy effects may outweigh the risk of skin cancer....
How It Works During each 60- or 90-minute session, you lie either fully clothed or in your underwear, according to your comfort level, on a massage table as the therapist very gently lifts, rocks, cradles, and stretches different body areas. To treat headaches, for example, a practitioner works to ease muscle tension in the head, neck, upper back, and shoulders. The therapist also teaches simple do-at-home exercises that help you re-create the relaxation experienced during the session....
The phenomenon is commonly referred to as “afterburn,” and it’s a nice incentive for feeling proud that you got your butt out of bed and prioritized working out. But why is your body burning excess calories if you’re not breaking a sweat? And what kinds of workouts deliver the greatest afterburn effect? There are differing opinions out there, and the research is far from set in stone. “We have a long way to go before we understand this, and there are times when it’s almost—for me, from a scientific standpoint—it’s almost overwhelming,” one lead researcher and professor in the field told BuiltLean....
Workout basics: These exercises emphasize light stretching and toning, ideal for mornings when you feel groggy. The workout takes about 15 to 20 minutes and requires a book, bath towel, and washcloth. Upper-Body Fan Warms torso and facilitates breathing by opening shoulders and upper chestA. While lying on your back with arms outstretched to sides and palms up, bring knees up and roll them to right side. Turn head to left....
[sidebar]This Flamingo exercise is gentle on the joints, while helping elongate your lower body. It’s a graceful move that’s designed to tone the thighs, slim the hips, and improve your posture in minutes a day. For more Pilates moves, check out Women’s Health Big Book of Pilates! So go ahead and take a break from squats and lunges and give the Flamingo a try. Watch as Pilates expert Erika Bloom shows you how to get the most out of this amazing lower body exercise....
The six exercises below, on the other hand, are specifically designed to harness the power of walking to boost your behind. Perform one workout every day of the week, with one day of rest, to see results in 8 weeks. (Walk off 22 pounds in just 8 weeks and get an MP3 player!) Power Endurance Walk With this routine, you’ll sustain a challenging pace over an extended period of time with little to no fluctuation in speed....
Never heard of miso butter? Basically, it’s crack in the form of a sauce. Spread it on vegetables, toast, fish, or anything your heart desires. It has that irresistible umami flavor that makes you want to eat it with a spoon right out of a jar. If you’ve never tried it before, I insist that you buy a bunch of summer vegetables, make some miso butter, and slather your veggies with it right now....
Chia-butter waffles: Chia pudding is everywhere, but—let’s be honest—the gelatinous texture of this still-trendy breakfast-snack-dessert is an acquired taste. The seeds’ thickening power is less noticeable in smoothies and oatmeal, no doubt. But swirl them in your favorite nut butter (maybe with a drizzle of honey), then spread the mixture on toast or waffles, and there’s no way you can stay a hater. Chia Moxie takes it up a notch with flavors like chocolate and coffee mixed in....
This is why even the thought of being hungry may send you running to the mini-mart for sustenance. If you want to lose weight , however, you must tune in to your body’s signal to eat. “Hunger is a physical cue that you need energy,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet. It can be your best diet ally and if you listen to your body, you’ll instinctively feed it the right amount....
Researchers surveyed nearly 5,000 people and found that domestic physical activity accounted for over 35% of moderate intensity exercise. And the more time people spent doing housework, the more their weight went up. How come? The researchers speculate that heavier people may perceive their around-the-house duties to be more intense. Chores often tax smaller muscle groups, which causes more perceived exertion with less of a boost to your metabolism. In other words, if your shoulder muscles are sore after vacuuming, you might feel like you got a better workout than you really did....
Sure, you pull that umbrella out of the closet when skies are stormy. But have you ever considered reaching for it on sunny days, too? As it turns out, carrying an umbrella on warm summer days can protect your skin from harmful UV rays, according to a new pilot study from Emory University School of Medcine. Researchers evaluated the abilities of 23 different umbrellas at blocking UV radiation, and found that all of the umbrellas blocked at least 77% of damaging rays....
You know all-too-well that straining to read a dinner menu can be, alas, just part of getting older. But for a growing number of us, the culprit for changes in vision might actually be more serious. Visual impairment is on the rise among American adults, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected in 1999-2002 and 2005-2008, and found that rates of visual impairment increased a whopping 21% between those two periods....
