Our mission is to advice, and to make the people of the world healthier through the power of information.
We could barely tie our shoes in first grade, but 6-year-old Jaliyah Manuel isn't your average kid: She's a fitness sensation. This video of her performing insane dribbling skills while doing a one-hand plank or a split between two chairs is giving us some serious motivation. And we love her dedication! This girl means business, especially in our favorite part of the video where she says, "No days off, baby." Too cute.
What do you think when you see someone with Down syndrome? In this moving video celebrating World Down Syndrome Day, a teen with the disorder describes how she sees herself: She's a daughter, a sister, someone who laughs until she can't breathe, and someone who cries sometimes too. Olivia Wilde beautifully portrays the teen's story, but the most powerful moment is when the narrator, AnnaRose Rubright, appears on camera and asks, "How do you see me?"
Fun fact: Humans are the only mammals with thick, coarse pubic hair. Most of us don't like keeping our bush au naturel, so we resort to shaving or waxing. But there's a reason pubic hair stuck around as we evolved: Scientists believe it traps pheromones and attract mates. Plus, it prevents friction when we get it on. Shaving or waxing can make skin itchy, red, and irritated—or, even worse, result in ingrown hairs or tiny tears where bacteria and STDs can enter. So if you're cool with it, there are some serious upsides to letting your pubic hair grow freely.
When it comes to the human body, hormones affect everything. From sleep cycles, moods, and sex drive, to appetite and even mental health, hormones are involved in virtually all of our physical and mental activities.
Yet hormones are hardly a primary component of the national conversation about health. Alisa Vitti, a women's health specialist, founder of FloLiving, and author of WomanCode, seeks to change that. We connected with Vitti to talk about hormones, health, and how you can change your health with food.
"For so long women have brushed aside and failed to take seriously the symptoms that we attribute to our hormones, such as PMS, cramps, and acne,” Vitti says. Yet strong evidence points to the fact that hormones are important—for both men and women—at every stage of our lives.
Some of the most convincing evidence comes from a 2009 study that was funded by the NIH. The study yielded two primary findings: One, that women who experienced untreated hormonal issues—such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and infertility—prior to menopause were more likely to develop diseases of inflammation (such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer) later in life. And two, that women can improve their hormonal balance with diet and lifestyle changes.
Armed with this knowledge, Vitti is on a mission to “turn women on to how powerful their bodies are.” Instead of joking about crankiness and chocolate cravings at a certain time of the month, Vitti wants women to get in touch with their menstrual cycles—to figure out what's out of balance and how to make changes to improve overall health.
To that end, Vitti created the WomanCode System—an online platform designed to help women permanently balance their hormones via education, eating plans, personal counseling, and symptom tracking. (She also published a book by the same name.) The idea is to use the program to enhance standard medical care. “Every meal, every day, you need a system that’s going to help you succeed [in your health goals]," Vitti says.
The easiest way to learn about what’s going on with your body, according to Vitti, is simply to look before you flush. The color, consistency, flow, and timing of menstruation can all yield insight into your current state of health. Other markers of hormonal imbalances—many of which are considered par for the course for menstruating women—include breast tenderness, moodiness, acne, dandruff, constipation, eczema or rosacea, and changing energy levels.
No surprise here, these issues are remarkably common. An estimated 85 percent of menstruating women experience at least one symptom of PMS each month, while approximately 10 percent of women in the U.S. struggle with infertility issues, and as many as one in 10 suffer from PCOS.
All told, Vitti says, more than 20 million women in the U.S. alone struggle with menstrual and other hormonal health issues. As Vitti sees it, these hormonal imbalances are caused by what she refers to as “flow blockers"—pesticides and chemicals in our foods, cosmetics, and home and work environments, which, according to some studies, have been linked to hormonal disruption.
Hormones are also affected by what we eat. “The primary function of the endocrine system [which relies on hormones for proper function] is to safeguard the transport of sugar throughout the body,” Vitti says. Thus she asserts it’s vital to maintain blood sugar stability. In some ways, the idea is nothing new: Experts have long advocated that people avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes, primarily by avoiding refined carbs. What's unique about Vitti’s approach is the special emphasis she places on the connection between blood sugar and hormonal balance.
Of course, stress also plays a role in hormonal activity. And while we can't always control external stressors, such as a job loss or family tragedy, Vitti is confident we can control internal stressors, such as blood sugar, exposure to pesticides, and lack of micronutrients, simply by refining our food choices. These choices can, in turn, promote a healthier hormonal cycle—which Vitti sees as essential to overall wellness.
In addition to dietary changes, Vitti advocates establishing a lifestyle that meshes with the hormonal cycle. “The four-week menstrual cycle is a creation cycle,” Vitti says. Indeed, some research supports the idea that hormonal cycles are tied to creativity. Vitti views the follicular phase as a highly creative, idea-generating phase; during ovulation, women may excel at communication skills; during the luteal (or, loosely, the premenstrual) phase, focus may improve, providing energy for administrative tasks (e.g., organizing a shoe closet or finishing a project); and menstruation is a time for “evaluation and course correction.”
Rather than fighting against or powering through these phases, Vitti says people should (quite literally) surrender to the flow. She points out that no person (of any gender) can act exactly the same way every single day but rather experiences cyclical shifts in energy and focus. By observing these patterns, people can create optimized schedules that sync up with our energy and needs.
“Let’s figure out how our body is communicating data to us in real time every day so that we can kick ass in every area of our lives,” Vitti says. “That, for me, is what it is for a woman to get in the flow.”
The views expressed here belong exclusively to Alisa Vitti and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or thoughts of Greatist.
Originally published April 2013. Updated March 2016.
Even if you follow the best morning workout tips, sometimes an a.m. sweat session just isn't in the cards. Luckily, if you need to sleep in rather than work out, you've got other options.
This week's yoga routine is designed to be done after a long, stressful day. You'll start with a short meditation to help focus your mind, then move into soothing downward dogs, twists, and hip openers. After you've released the tension from head to toe, you'll finish with calming savasana. There are modifications for every level, so grab a yoga mat and press play to get started.
Looking for more short and effective at-home workouts? Grokker has thousands of routines, so you’ll never get bored. Bonus: For a limited time, Greatist readers get 40 percent off Grokker Premium (just $9 per month) and their first 14 days free. Sign up now!
Airplane food gets a bad rap (whatever you do, don't order the fish!), but it's partly your fault the meals are less than five star. As this video from SciShow explains, humidity, air pressure, smell, and even sound can all impact the way food tastes to you.
The double whammy of dry air and low pressure gives most people dry mouth and makes it harder to taste and smell flavors. But all hope isn't lost: While sweet and salty foods taste blander when you're flying, scientists have found that some flavors, like tomato, actually get bolder in the air. So now you have an excuse to order a Bloody Mary on your next flight.
Our morning cup of joe is usually just another rushed part of the day, but in many European countries, coffee breaks are a moment to hit the pause button and de-stress. Swedes, in particular, take a twice-daily respite (usually around 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) for coffee and snacks. It's such an ingrained ritual that they even have a name for it: fika. And it's likely a reason Sweden is one of the least-stressed countries.
Viveka Adelswärd, a professor at Linköping University, tells Quartz these breaks may actually make workers more productive by allowing them to socialize with one another and return to work more focused and relaxed. Unlike grabbing Starbucks while you scroll through emails on your phone, fika is a way to actually talk to your colleagues and leave everything work related behind, no multitasking allowed.
So take a few minutes to hang out with your coworkers—you'll probably get more work done anyway.
(h/t Quartz)
YouTube is full of giggling baby videos, but we've had this one on repeat all day and just had to share. Plus, it features vegetables! Little Brooklyn can't get enough of the asparagus slipping out of her dad's mouth, and her hysterical cackle makes us laugh right along with her. If only everyone got this pumped about healthy eating.
As the temperature creeps high enough that we only need a light jacket outside, we finally emerge from hibernation ready to explore the great outdoors. We’re game to be one with nature (meditating in the park, practicing yoga on the beach, or just reading a good book on the nearest patch of grass), so long as we don’t have bugs crawling all over us, and we leave without sand or mud on our backside.
We’re really low maintenance, we promise. We just need to remember to bring along the Matador Pocket Blanket. As the name suggests, this blanket is so compact you can fit it in your back pocket. It unfurls to about the dimensions of a twin bed, so it’s perfect for one and cozy for two.
The designers really thought of everything: It’s super light (just 3.5 ounces) but comes with weighted corners—so no need to worry about it flying away. And it's made from a durable, waterproof material that won’t puncture, no matter how many pebbles you accidentally lay on top of. When you’re done, remove any dirt with just a few shakes, then fold it up into a carrying case that’s the size of most wallets.
It's pretty hard not to smile at videos of delightful seniors, but this clip of older athletes killing it at the Penn Relays, the longest running track meet in the U.S., has to be one of our favorites. The video is a bit long, but it had us grinning the whole time and ready to lace up our sneakers by the end of it.
If you don't have the full 10 minutes to watch, here are the best parts to fast-forward to:
Being a baby rocks. People coddle and fawn over you, and your day revolves around sleeping and eating. Too bad most of us don't remember those times because of a little thing called childhood amnesia. As this video from SciShow explains, we don't forget everything from our diaper days (that's when we learn to walk and talk after all). But we do forget specific events—what scientists call episodic memories—because it's a time when our brains produce new neurons at lightning speed, and our hippocampus (the area of our brain where these memories are stored) gets crowded, making it harder to store and recall things later.
We're taught to hide our scars—both the physical and emotional kind—because they make others uncomfortable. Michelle Elman, a body confidence coach, knows this all too well. She felt ashamed of her body, especially her scars from 15 surgeries. Then one day last year, she got fed up and posted a photo of herself in a bikini on Instagram. Her post quickly went viral, and now she's back with a video in which she talks to others who have joined the #ScarredNotScared movement. Their struggles with scars and hopeful thoughts for the future give us all the feels.
Ever walk into a restaurant or see food that's been left out at work and instantly start licking your lips? The mouthwatering sensation some people experience when they see or think about something delicious is actually a reflex—you can't control it. All it takes is a whiff or just the thought of food, and bam, you start to salivate. The only caveat is that you have to believe there's a chance you'll get to eat the food. So scrolling through your favorite food blogger's Instagram feed may make you hungry, but it won't be (literally) mouthwatering.
This listing (which has since been removed) for a pair of plus-size shorts from Wish has the Internet up in arms. As commenters have pointed out, the photo of a thin model wearing one leg of the shorts as a skirt is not only offensive, it's also not helpful to people who actually want to buy them.
Many people have called out Wish for its outrageous ad, but British fashion designer Christina Ashman's reply is our favorite:
Ashman posted this photo next to the original listing on her Facebook page with the caption: "I don't have any formal qualifications in marketing, but if plus-size ladies buy shorts based on how one leg looks on a whole petite woman, then maybe smaller ladies will buy skirts based on how the whole thing looks on one pretty thunderous thigh."
Her in-your-face response to this upsetting ad made us laugh, but it's also an important reminder that we still have some serious work to do as a society.
The other day, as I glanced in a floor-to-ceiling workout studio mirror while doing pelvic tilts on a yoga ball, a thought skittered across my mind: “Ugh—you’re disgusting.”
Let’s just say there was mucho jiggle going on, both in the belly and the bum. I’ve been a body image and eating disorders advocate for years now, and I was surprised and kind of horrified by that negative self-talk. I mean, how dare I? There I was, strengthening my transverse abdominis and creating healthy space in my lower spine, and all my brain wanted to do was bag on my looks? Not OK, inner mean girl, not OK.
The crazy thing was, the thought was so fleeting that I doubt that I would’ve even noticed it if I hadn’t just attended a lecture about body image given by Anne Poirier, the program director at Green Mountain at Fox Run, a non-diet mind/body wellness center in Ludlow, Vermont. In her talk, Anne had shared a metaphor about how negative reactions to our bodies become like well-worn pathways through a meadow of really tall grass. It’s easy and automatic to travel the same ground over and over—but to go in a different, kinder, and ultimately healthier direction, we have to make a conscious decision to wade out into the weeds and create a new path.
That can take awhile, of course, but in the meantime, here are three ways all of us can feel a little bit better about our bodies right frickin’ now.
A single exercise session makes women and men feel more attractive, despite the fact that their bodies haven’t changed at all, a meta-analysis of research done by the University of Florida, Gainesville found.1 The more often people exercised, the better they felt about their looks, no matter how long or how intensely they sweat it out. "You would think that if you become more fit that you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that's not what we found," Heather Hausenblas, the study’s author, said in a press release. "It may be that the requirements to receive the psychological benefits of exercise, including those relating to body image, differ substantially from the physical benefits."
An interesting study done in 2013 showed that mindfulness of one’s own body—the kind that happens during a heartbeat meditation—can help people stop thinking of their bodies as objects, and therefore improve their body image.2 The researchers, from the University of London, asked young women to try to detect their own heartbeats simply by "listening" to their bodies, and found that the more accurate the women were, the less they reported caring about attractiveness and body measurements. Instead, they cared more about things such as health and energy levels. "There is a danger that some women can develop an excessive tendency to regard their bodies as 'objects,' while neglecting to value them from within, for their physical competence and health,” Manos Tsakiris, Ph.D., one of the study’s lead authors, said in a press release. “Women who 'self-objectify' in this way are vulnerable to eating disorders and a range of other clinical conditions such as depression and sexual dysfunction."
After noticing the harsh thought I’d had about my body in the exercise studio, I immediately tried something Anne Poirier had suggested during her talk: I replaced the negative comment with something else that was true about that area of my body. I looked at myself in the mirror again and silently said, “This gut has amazing intuition.” Then, “those hips have been chairs for your two babies!” (For those of you who don’t hold babies very often: When you hold a kid with one arm, they sort of sit on your hip. My husband and I call that part of my body my “baby shelf.”) I actually chuckled happily as I continued to pelvic tilt, feeling my belly pooch and oh-so-generous baby shelf move back and forth.
Until that moment in the studio, I didn’t believe that such simple “affirmations” could work. But boy, was I wrong. And the next time I catch a body-bashing thought coming into my head—no matter how fleeting—I’m going to combat it again, with the same kind of healthier, positive truths.
Our parents invented some pretty wild stories to prevent us from swallowing things we weren't supposed to. Now that we're older (and wiser), we know watermelon seeds won’t actually sprout a tree in our stomach. But what about the tales of gum sticking around in our digestive tract for years?
Gum has been around for a long time. Thousands of years ago, during the neolithic period, people chewed on birch bark tar (yum!), which actually kept their gums healthy. Fast-forward to the 1860s, when gum—made from chicle, a form of tree sap—first arrived in the U.S. When manufacturers realized the number of trees they could tap was limited, they started making gum out of rubber. Yes, the gum we chew today is completely synthetic, so it's no wonder our bodies have trouble digesting it.
“Your gut can handle all kinds of things like carbs and proteins because it has special enzymes to break them down into molecules,” says Mark Larson, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. “But your stomach’s digestive enzymes can’t break down the rubbery substance found in chewing gum.” So your body breaks down the sugar and other flavoring in gum, but the actual rubbery substance goes straight through your system. In other words, it kindly exits your body via your poop.
And that gum doesn't spend years just chilling in your digestive tract, says Anish Sheth, M.D., a gastroenterologist and author of What’s Your Poo Telling You? Everyone’s transit time is different, but gum should pass through your system in three days, just like any other insoluble fiber (like a corn kernel).
So go ahead and swallow it—Larson says he's been doing so his entire life. “I just hate the idea of taking it out and putting it somewhere,” he says. “And I know it’s safe, so it’s just something I’ve always done.”
But there must be some reason parents tell their kids not to swallow gum, right? “The concern with kids is that they may develop a bezoar, which is essentially a large wad of gum that would block the digestive tract,” Sheth says. This is especially important since kids’ digestive tracts are smaller than adults. Kids would have to swallow a lot of gum (likely packs) for this to happen, but both doctors we spoke with said it's best for parents to play it safe, especially since gum can be a choking hazard for younger children.
Kids aside, there is also a risk associated with swallowing gum for people who have preexisting stomach problems. “If someone’s stomach isn’t working properly to begin with, they have stomach emptying problems, or they’ve had intestinal blockage in the past, swallowing multiple pieces a day could cause a problem,” Sheth says.
When it comes to swallowing gum, Sheth says there are two important things to consider: quantity and size. For most adults, downing a stick of gum per day shouldn't be an issue. You also need to think about the size of your digestive tract. If you have kids (or younger relatives), you should err on the side of caution and tell them swallowing gum is a no-no (at least for now).
The slightly NSFW trailer for Sausage Party, an animated movie with a star-studded cast (Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, and James Franco, to name a few), made us chuckle but also left us a little confused. The clip starts off like Toy Story, but instead of action figures coming to life, it's food. And these groceries are in for a rude awakening when they find out what happens in the kitchen.
We were somewhat horrified by the ridiculous scene in which fruits and veggies watch their potato friend (with an Irish accent, of course) get pared. But the trailer also made us think a little more about what we eat. (Watching anthropomorphized produce being peeled, boiled, and munched on isn't exactly appetizing.) We're not totally sure how groceries rising up against evil home chefs is a feature-length film, but we're excited to find out.
These days you can get avocados and melons all year round (even when it's snowing outside!), but that doesn’t mean they taste great.
Vox published a set of super-helpful graphics (check 'em out below) that show what to look for to find the best fruits and veggies. The secret? Use all five senses. Yes, even sound. Artichokes, for example, squeak when they're fresh. And don't worry about finding perfectly shaped produce: A vibrant color, smaller size, and intact stem are better indicators of flavorful fruits and veggies.
Another pro tip: Saturday is the best day for shopping. Stores know this is a popular day to buy groceries, so they make sure lots of fresh produce is available.
Here are a few of Vox's handy guides:
Photo: Vox The camera is zoomed in on the nose of a man identified as Mr. Wilson. From this angle it looks more like a sandy mound with peaks and valleys speckled with dark spots. Those spots are blackheads, and soon the hands of Sandra Lee., M.D.—better known as Dr. Pimple Popper—appear on screen. She’s holding a comedone extractor, and as she slowly presses it onto the blackheads, white puss oozes out.
The video has more than 7 million views, and the Dr. Pimple Popper channel has nearly a million subscribers. While some people shudder at the thought of watching explosive cysts and massive blackheads, it’s clear Lee and her zit-popping videos have struck a chord with a corner of the Internet. And the experts we talked to agreed: Some of us are hardwired to love this kind of stuff.
"There's some level of fascination with things we don't really experience," says Alex Skolnick, Ph.D., a psychology professor who specializes in the emotion of disgust. "A lot of people wouldn't actually pop their own pimples, but watching someone else do it is a way to accommodate this gross experience into your mindset."
Still cringing at the thought of the videos? Skolnick's research has found that people tend to be either low disgust (meaning you're not grossed out by that much) or high disgust. We don't know why people fall into one camp or another, but it's pretty unlikely you'll go from despising these types of videos to watching them on repeat.
There's also a reason we can't easily forget pimple-popping videos (besides the ick factor). "Visual memory in particular is very salient for humans," Skolnick says. "It's the same thing with odors. I bet if we could send each other nasty odors online, we would."
Dermatologists like A. Yasmine Kirkorian, M.D., see these videos as a good thing if they allow people to get their fix without popping their own pimples. "There is a misconception that popping a pimple makes it go away," she says. "What many people who have popped their pimples know is that you can often actually make the pimple worse and turn it into a cyst."
Lee is a certified dermatologist who uses sterilized instruments in her videos, but most people trying it at home aren't wearing gloves and may have dirt on their hands, which can infect the pimples.
Even though dermatologists tell you to steer clear from at-home pimple popping, they know patients still do. But the better route (if good old soap and water doesn't work) is to opt for over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide gels or overnight creams to dry your pimples out, says Nazanin Saedi, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist. You can also put a drop of Visine on your skin to ease redness (it works the same way it does on your eyes!).
With period underwear ads plastered on New York subways and companies offering paid menstrual leave, periods aren't as taboo as they used to be. Period Piece is here to remind us that it's pretty great being an ovulating woman in 2016 (minus the tampon tax, of course). The humorous video series explores menstruation throughout history—from proper Victorian women cursing their cramps to 1920s Brooklynites shyly purchasing pads—showing the struggles and superstitions surrounding it.
Here are more of our favorite Period Piece videos:
"Be yourself." You hear it all the time. But are we really meant to be ourselves, all of the time? What about on a first date? A job interview? When you have a meeting with an intimidating manager or client, or lunch with your in-laws?
Being yourself can get confusing—and it's not always possible. As an energetic extrovert, I love new social encounters but have to tweak my style often. I have to gauge when I can truly “be myself” versus when I need to tone it down and show a more conservative side.
On the other hand, I coach a lot of introverts on how to dial their personality up and how to decide exactly when they need to. (If you're more of a quiet type, check out the introvert's guide to owning any social situation before your next big event.)
However, there's no rule book for figuring out how much of your true self to reveal on a day-to-day basis (if only!). We only have our common sense to judge which version to present in any scenario.
Below are five tips for putting this popular yet fuzzy advice into action.
Some days you will be more upbeat than others. Some days you will feel more confident than others. Some days more subdued, and others more excitable. This is a good thing: It gives us great flexibility to amp up certain elements of ourselves when appropriate—like letting our fun-loving side out at a bar with more exuberant colleagues, then dialing it down at a dinner party with the boss.
You are a beautifully unique, complex individual with many different aspects to your personality. Allowing your full spectrum to exist matters. This is what makes the world is so interesting and colorful.
Most people know if they are introverted, extroverted, or an ambivert (which is a blend of the two). Give yourself permission to own this and know when you either need alone time, or more time with other people, to fuel your soul. No one way of being is superior to another.
Knowing who you are simply puts you in a position to make choices that complement your preferences. While an extrovert may thrive by filling up their social calendar, an introvert might benefit from prioritizing some nights in to Netflix and chill. Both are awesome!
Don’t let your personality type be an excuse for not making an effort. Maturity means taking stock of the situation you are in and making others around you feel comfortable. For example, if an introvert is at an important networking event, speaking to the one person they know in the corner all evening may appear rude to the host or planner. An extrovert may piss people off by being the loudest or most outspoken person at a gathering where the focus is on someone else’s birthday or engagement. If you are unsure, ask yourself, “Which is the coolest and kindest version of myself to be right now?”
As mentioned in point one, everyone's personality contains a variety of aspects. However, you should never have to try to be someone you're not or go against your personal values or authentic self.
So you don’t want to smoke, go skiing, or hit up a nightclub this weekend? Then don't. You don’t have to do something just because that’s what your friends are doing. People respect those who are authentic to who they are. And you should appreciate yourself for making your desires the priority that they deserve to be.
Life is a journey of becoming the highest version of who you are, and no one gets it right every time. We all have bratty moments. We all have generous moments. We all go through ups and downs and experience scary new encounters.
But you can always come back to who you are, because your true essence never wavers. In moments of fear or uncertainty, give yourself a gentle nudge and say, “I’m enough no matter what. So which 'myself' is the most suitable and loving to be right now?”
And rock being that.
Susie Moore is Greatist’s life coach columnist and a confidence coach in New York City. Sign up for her free weekly wellness tips on her website and check back every Tuesday for her latest column!
Dietary supplements can seem pretty attractive. (You mean all I have to do to stay healthy is pop a multivitamin?) But researchers say they're a waste of money. As this story from Vox shows, dietary supplements promise a slew of health benefits (weight loss, improved digestion, clearer skin), but study after study has found that these claims are exaggerated. Another problem? There's little government oversight, so you can't be sure exactly what's in each pill. Vox found that more than 850 supplement products contained illegal ingredients or ones not listed on the bottle.
The takeaway: If your doctor tells you to take a supplement for a specific deficiency, go right ahead. The rest of us should focus on eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet instead. To check out Vox's in-depth investigation, click the button below.
Processed food is a bad-for-you buzzword we hear all the time, but ultraprocessed is what we really need to worry about. Especially since a new study found that ultraprocessed foods make up more than half our daily calories and account for 90 percent of the added sugar we consume.
The "ultra" distinction is important because some healthy foods, such as Greek yogurt, multigrain bread, and frozen peas, are considered processed. Ultraprocessed foods, on the other hand, have added flavors, colors, or sweeteners.
The new U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that fewer than 10 percent of the calories we consume come from added sugars, but the participants in this study averaged closer to 14 percent. Added sugar typically gets broken down faster than the kind that naturally occurs in foods like fruit, so it leaves you hungry and wanting even more of the sweet stuff—a vicious cycle.
Everyone's diet is different, but here's an easy way to lower the amount of ultraprocessed foods and added sugars in your diet: Limit (or totally cut out) the number of sodas and sugary drinks you consume. They're packing a lot more sugar than you think!
(h/t The Atlantic)
We love Lane Bryant's #ThisBody campaign, which shows curvy women strutting their stuff and celebrating their bodies with empowering mantras like this body is made for breaking the mold. But the ad won't run on two major networks (NBC and ABC). When asked about its decision not to air the ad, NBC said the rough cut didn't comply with indecency guidelines.
After watching the 30-second spot, we couldn't help but think of similar lingerie ads (see below) that showed the same amount of skin, sultry voiceovers, and black and white photography—albeit with slimmer models. This double standard isn't new. Lane Bryant faced a similar issue with ABC and Fox Family in 2010.
Sit-ups and crunches aren't the only options when it comes to building core strength. In fact, there are plenty of exercises that activate more of your abdominal muscles than crunches alone. Whether you have a medicine ball or just a mat, want to target your lower abs or perfect your plank, the moves below will help shake up your routine.
