“The real secret to total gorgeousness is to believe in yourself, have self confidence and try to be secure in your decisions and thoughts,” says Kirsten Dunst, the German-American actress best known for her role in the Spider Man trilogy. 50 Love Quotes We Adore You see it all the time: that average-looking person at a dinner party, holding the conversation and chatting up the hottest guys or girls. What makes this person so immediately attractive?...
However, fasting isn’t for everyone. Here are the pros and cons of the two main types of fasting. Alternate-Day Fasting: On fast days, you can eat only 500 calories. Alternate days have no food or calorie restrictions. Pros: Eat what you want, every other day.You only have to count calories on your fast days.The method is well-tested and proven safe and effective in numerous human trials.Fasting every other day decreases cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure....
Many women find long, lean sexy legs hard to get. One reason is that before menopause, most of us store a disproportionate amount of fat in our lower bodies, particularly in our hips and thighs. Thousands of years ago, excess hip, butt, and thigh fat served an important purpose. During drought and long winters, women burned this fat to fuel both pregnancy and lactation. Women with more lower body fat tended to survive harsh conditions and consequently passed on their genes to their children, whereas women with more slender proportions did not....
The key to calming your cranky skin—for good—is to address what the issue is really stemming from, says Cates. Here, we get to the root of 5 complexion woes that go more than skin deep. Breakouts can start in your gut. Recent research suggests that an imbalance of bacteria in your gut—too many harmful bugs, too few of the healthy kind—leads to a leaky lining in your intestines. That can release toxins into your bloodstream that cause inflammation in your entire body, which shows up in your skin as a minor breakout or all-out cystic acne, Cates says....
Everyone tosses and turns for different reasons Your husband is on his third cup of coffee—and it’s not yet 8 am. Your teen is so bleary-eyed and grumpy that you want to run in the other direction. And you’re so tired you can barely remember your middle name.If your family is like most, everyone is seriously sleep deprived. A study from the CDC found that only 1 out of 3 Americans gets enough sleep all month long....
A new study in the journal BMJ Open links even the occasional use of prescription sleeping pills, also called hypnotics, to an increased risk of death and cancer. Researchers looked at the medical records of more than 10,500 people who took prescription sleep aids—such as Ambien and Restoril—and compared them to people who didn’t take the meds. The findings? Those who took as few as eight pills a year had about a 350 [sidebar] percent increased risk of death....
Researchers at the University of Kansas reached that conclusion after a series of experiments on 170 participants. Individuals were asked to hold chopsticks between their teeth in different positions—each designed to force the mouth into either a smile or a neutral expression—before undergoing frustrating or physically painful experiences. In both instances, the heart rates of smiling participants recovered more quickly immediately following the experience than those who didn’t bear a grin....
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Many women try yoga for stress reduction, but they stick with it because it makes them feel—and look—younger, says Larry Payne, PhD, a yoga director at Loyola Marymount University and coauthor of Yoga Rx. Unlike traditional exercise, yoga blends moves that improve circulation, balance, flexibility, and strength with meditative techniques such as deep breathing. “My students call yoga a natural face-lift,” he says. “It cleanses, relaxes, and restores.” (Use yoga to sculpt a strong, sexy core with the Flat Belly Yoga DVD!...
A warm-up should slowly increase your heart rate and breathing. A warm-up is not solely a time to stretch. Don’t hold your stretches at this point and move your body gently to get going. The perfect warm-up is to do a lower intensity version of whatever exercises you are about to do. If you are about to go running, start with a slow walk and build the intensity. If you are about to take a long bike ride, start cycling slowly on a flat surface before you hit the hills and high speeds....
The research: The study team analyzed seven diet studies featuring roughly 1,200 participants. Their goal: Find evidence that the advice to eat more produce could help people lose weight. The study team came up empty, at least for those hoping fruits and vegetables are a secret, waist-slimming diet ingredient. What it means: A fruit or vegetable calorie is still a calorie, explains study coauthor Kathryn Kaiser, PhD, a microbiologist at the University of Alabama Birmingham....
We’ve all read the stories: A seemingly healthy teenager dies suddenly on the basketball court or the football field, leaving behind heartbroken parents and puzzled doctors. The phenomenon, known as sudden death (SD), is a frightening prospect for any of us with kids keen on playing sports. But while the ubiquity of news items on SD can make the phenomenon seem like an epidemic, new research offers some comfort: The risk of SDs due to cardiovascular problems in young people is actually exceedingly rare, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Sessions....
Researchers at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn studied 60 cat owners: 29 with moderate allergy symptoms, 14 with mild symptoms, and 17 who had no symptoms at all. Those with moderate symptoms were more likely to own dark-colored cats than those with mild or no symptoms. In fact, the odds of having moderate symptoms were six times higher with a dark kitty. Dark cats might have higher concentrations of antigens, the proteins that prompt allergic reactions, in their fur, says lead researcher Sumera Hussain, MD, a fellow in the hospital’s allergy department....
Fried chicken, bacon bits, and sugar-filled dressing—that’s what. These days, we’re getting the message loud and clear: The salad is often the biggest calorie bomb on a restaurant’s menu. However, there are some good options out there—you just have to know what to look for, says Jennifer Glockner, RD, a dietitian in Los Angeles and author of Teddy Tries a Veggie, the first book in the Smartee Plate e-book series for kids....
Truth is, most fast-food smoothies are seriously bad for you. Don’t get us wrong, they taste delicious, but they’re high in calories and often loaded with added sweeteners and super-sweet juice concentrates instead of actual fruit. Some even top 100 grams of sugar per serving—that’s like an entire pint of ice cream! (Why not make your own healthy smoothie recipe with one of these options?) But don’t despair: For every sugar bomb, we found a healthier swap with no or minimal added sweeteners....
Living paycheck to paycheck isn’t just bad for your bank account. Earning low wages could put you at risk for hypertension, upping your chances of developing a slew of health problems like heart disease and stroke, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Public Health. Researchers examined the health data for 5,000 people ages 25 to 65, whose information was collected every 2 years from 1999 to 2005 and who didn’t have high blood pressure at the beginning of the study....
Bones get thin After bone mass peaks around age 30, you start to lose 1 to 2% of bone a year; the pace accelerates to 3 or 4% annually in the first 5 to 7 years after menopause, when declining estrogen offers less protection against cells called osteoclasts that break down bone. This puts you at high risk of both osteoporosis and fractures, its most serious consequences. Muscle fibers shorten and weaken Around age 40, muscles start shrinking and losing energy-producing mitochondria in their cells....
