Summer is almost gone, fall is coming, but that does not mean that the UV radiation and the damage they cause to us and our animals, is going with it. Many people believe that during cloudy days, UV radiation can't pass through the clouds, but that is not true!
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Life After GreatistYou: Catching Up With Our Contestants
Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).
Can you believe it's over? Watching our contestants get through six weeks of personal goal-crushing has been inspiring, fun, and informative. We're proud of each and every one of them! Now it's time for one final check-in to see how they're doing.
- Darby and Adrienne (@greatistdanda) are still feeling that sense of accomplishment that comes from running a six-plus-mile race like it's nothin' at all. They hope to keep up with their running routine, as well as all the other healthy habits they formed.
- Brandon (@greatistbrandon) is trying to get back on track after a Panda Express run and a battle with his pants. Don't let your pants tell you how to live, Brandon; show them who's boss!
- Jasmine (@greatistjasmine) is loving every minute of her post-Whole30 brunch. But she's not straying too far from her new way of eating. Eggs and spinach over an English muffin is leaps and bounds better than, say, a big pile of syrup-soaked pancakes. Keep it up!
- Regina (@greatistregina) is finally relaxing after beating people up last weekend. She's long overdue for some rest, so we hope she spends the weekend chilling out with a Camelbak full of ice-cold white wine. Just kidding, you probably shouldn't do that. Probably.
Finally...
- Our beloved mentor, Jessi (@greatistmentor), came by Greatist HQ to chat with us about the first season. Check out the video to get her take on the competition.
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Seven Chakras and Seven Colors Interconnected
It is derived from two Latin words: mediatory (to exercise the mind, to think, to heal the nature), mederi means to cure. Its Sanskrit derivation Medha means Wisdom. Watching our breath with awareness and doing anything with awareness is meditation. By engaging with a particular meditation practice, we learn the outline and practice of our mind. It is the state of reflective, deep silence that occurs when the mind is calm and silent yet completely aware. It's the means of transforming the mind; it encourages and develops concentration and clearness, emotional positivity in our life. It's a way of living; it means the end of the thought process.
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Get Veterinary Surgical Instruments With These Buying Tips
Looking to buy veterinary surgical instruments for your business? Take your time to read these amazing tips on how you can scale the costs and purchases.
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How Adults Can Cope With the Fear of Doctors
The fear of doctors is an issue for many adults. The good news is there are many ways to cope with these fears.
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Five Things You Should Look For In A Medical Services Provider
There are few decisions more important for your health than picking a medical services provider. The most important thing is to pick the place that fits your unique health and body needs.
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This Burn Survivor Refuses to Let Her Scars Define Her
Andrea Grant suffered third-degree burns from a gas explosion as a child. Doctors said her her skin wouldn't be able to handle the stretching that happens to women's bellies during pregnancy, but Grant proved them wrong.
She has a 4-year-old daughter and another baby on the way. Now she's sharing pics from her pregnancy photo shoot to help anyone with scars realize they can feel empowered and beautiful.
Grant started the organization Beyond Scars for just that reason: to help burn survivors build self-esteem and confidence. This photo shoot practices exactly what she preaches—and it makes us think of the ways we could do a better job loving ourselves.
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A Beginner Flow for Anyone Who's Intimidated by Yoga
A yoga studio can be an intimidating place. Just imagine: uber-limber people standing on their heads talking about downward dogs and cat-cows. Cat whats? Exactly. Before you even head to a studio class, get to know the basics with this beginner flow.
This video focuses on one of the fundamental principles of yoga: connecting movement to breath. By doing so, you'll develop a proper practice and experience all of the mental and physical benefits yoga has to offer. Plus, the next time you're feeling stressed or low energy, you can use this breathing technique along with a few key poses to instantly chill out or perk up.
This video is the first in a 30-day beginner yoga series led by Grokker's Celest Pereira. The program is designed to introduce new students to the foundations of yoga by teaching the basic poses, postures, and sequences that will develop strength, flexibility, and balance. Just grab a mat and hit play.
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!
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Jessi Kneeland Recaps the First Season of GreatistYou
Welcome to GreatistYou, a new social experiment where we see what happens when five people decide to change their health—and broadcast their journeys for everyone to see. Four goals, five contestants, and six weeks to crush said goals for the promise of a better life (oh, and $1,000!).
The first season of GreatistYou is officially over, meaning you've got six weeks of running, sweating, punching, and dancing to catch up on. We invited Jessi Kneeland to Greatist HQ to discuss everything that happened over the past month and a half—and give some final advice to our contestants.
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Hey GQ, Women Are More Than Arm Candy for Rock Climbers
GQ is getting lots of flack for a photoshoot of "three premier climbers and a couple of cute friends" (what a nice way to refer to women!) at Joshua Tree National Park. The bikini-clad women are mere accessories to the men scaling the sides of boulders.
Thankfully, gear company Outdoor Research called out this casual sexism with photos of their own. Check out the original GQ images on the left and the Outdoor Research photos on the right:
Photo: GQ and Outdoor Research
Notice anything different?
Photo: GQ and Outdoor Research
Looks kind of funny when male models are striking the same sexy poses for a shoot about rock climbing, huh?
Seeing Outdoor Research shut down sexism is great, but the photos of badass female rock climbers are even better:
Photo: Outdoor Research 
Photo: Outdoor Research 
Photo: Outdoor Research
And they prove women are just as good at rock climbing as any guy.
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Reclaiming Yourself - 3 Healthy Changes You Must Make
Abandoning yourself for different things can leave you in a state of meaninglessness. The same are the results when you choose to work with a false-self system where you edit your thoughts and rehearse emotions and perform according to what you feel others expect from you. Hiding your true self or forgetting who you are will leave you more or a robot than a human and nothing good can come out of such a state.
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Tips for Getting Fit on a Bicycle: A Weight Loss Guide
Biking is one of the most effective - and not to mention, enjoyable - workouts out there. Others may find this intimidating. But it is not necessary to be thin for one to cycle. Yes, a lighter body helps a lot if you want speed, but it is not a requirement for you to enjoy it.
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Biking: How Long Until You Lose Weight?
If you have chosen a bicycle as a means to getting more active, fitter, and healthier, then you have chosen well. Biking is one of the most effective ways to lose weight, but it's important to put in some work before seeing some progress. But how much effort should one really put in before significantly losing pounds?
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9 Ways to Save Serious $ at the Grocery Store
Make a list. Don't hit the grocery store when you're hungry. Clip coupons. Buy stuff on sale. You've heard the same obvious grocery shopping advice before, but here's the reality: Your mad supermarket dash after work (or squeezed between brunch plans and a quick workout on the weekend) isn't always planned. These research-backed tips can make your next grocery run more efficient and way easier on your wallet.
1. Limit the number of aisles you cruise.
Pick the key aisles you need to hit (produce, meat, dairy, almond milk) and avoid those strolls down the spice, snack, or frozen-goods aisles just in case you "forget" something on your nonexistent list. Shoppers who hit most or all of the aisles in a store check out with plenty more impulse buys (researchers like to call this "in-store decision-making") than shoppers who visit fewer aisles, according to a study conducted for the Marketing Science Institute.
2. Scan your own groceries.
Remember when you were a kid and loved to play pretend grocery clerk? Your childhood dreams are coming true. Most self-checkout lanes aren't packed with tempting racks of candy, trashy novels, tabloid magazines, and novelty toys—impulse-buy items designed to grab your attention (and money) while you're waiting for the clerk to get a price check on a can of tuna. In fact, impulse buys dropped 32.1 percent in women and 16.7 percent in men using self-checkout lanes, according to a study from IHL Consulting group.
3. Plug in to your workout playlist.
Bring headphones and tune in to your most up-tempo, upbeat playlist while shopping. Why? It'll keep you zipping down the aisles quickly. The slow-paced easy-listening music played on store speakers actually encourages you to move slower, which can lead shoppers to buy 29 percent more, says Martin Lindstrom, author of Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy.
4. Skip the handheld basket.
You'd think small basket = fewer groceries = less money, but a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that pushing a full-size cart could help you make smarter food choices. (Who knew?!) In the study, shoppers holding the basket opted for more pleasurable impulse buys (like junk food). One possible reason? The uncomfortable sensation of holding a basket may prompt people to choose items that offer immediate gratification.
5. Buy fresh and whole vs. prepared.
Pre-cut fruits and vegetables; pre-shredded cheese; deli-prepared salads; and boneless, skinless chicken cutlets may be more convenient when you're cooking, but every extra step it takes to get food from the source to your basket increases its price. Example: The average retail price of a head of broccoli is $1.64 per pound. Cut broccoli florets average $2.57 per pound, and frozen broccoli averages $1.87 per pound. Pre-shredded cheese is not only more expensive per pound than block cheese (about $2.50 per cup compared to $1 per cup for basic cheddar), shredded cheese also contains additives like cellulose and potato starch to keep the cheese from clumping, and natamycin—a "mold inhibitor."
6. Skip the health and beauty aisle.
Items like toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and soap tend to be more expensive at your grocery store (where sales volume is low) compared to big-box stores like Target or Wal-Mart, where high volume sales keep prices lower. Of course, there's always Amazon.
7. Buy spices in bulk or at an international food market.
Ounce for ounce, tiny jars of ground spices in the grocery store are significantly more expensive than the spices in bulk bins. You can also buy the exact quantity of spice you need. (The longer a dried spice sits unused, the more it loses potency.) International food markets are great resources for inexpensive (and exotic!) dried whole and ground spices.
8. Look high and low.
Always check the shelves above and below chest-level height—grocery stores tend to stock higher-priced items where they're easiest to reach. One study states it clearly, "Eye level is buy level, indicating that products positioned at eye level are likely to sell better." Look up, down, and all around.
9. Think beyond grandma's coupon clipping.
Apps like Coupon Sherpa have changed the grocery-savings game —this is not the old-school coupon-clipping session from the Sunday newspaper. You can search for digital coupons as you're shopping or use the app to find other deals in the store. ShopSavvy, with a bar-code scanning function, makes price comparisons super easy. Scan the barcode, and the app searches for the lowest price at various local stores and websites.
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How Being a Photographer Helped Me Accept My Body, Flaws and All
I’m a freelance photographer, meaning the majority of my job is taking pictures of people who are not used to having their photo taken. I hear it all: “You can retouch me to look 10 years younger, right?” a stunning 30-year-old woman asks sarcastically.
“Can you smooth out my wrinkles?”
“I don’t like how my hair looks on this side. Can you make sure to always shoot from the left?”
“Ahhh! I have two chins!”
Hold on. Aren’t we supposed to be more accepting of our bodies these days? We've got Dove’s incredible Real Beauty campaign; all the body-positive, #nomakeup, #fatkini, and #realnotretouched movements on Instagram; and clothing companies like Aerie and Runway Riot trying to be more diverse in size, color, and shape. But a lot of times when I'm behind the lens, it seems like all of these efforts aren’t diminishing our negative thoughts about our bodies.
It seems like all of these efforts aren’t diminishing our negative thoughts about our bodies.
I’m guilty too. In sixth grade, I found out that I had frowth hormone deficiency, and most likely would only grow to about 4 feet 4 inches as an adult. I prayed to God every night, asking to grow taller. My prayers would come true—if I took growth hormone shots every day. After many tearful nights, I decided it was worth it.
My world became a blur of doctor visits, the constant smell of alcohol wipes, monthly blood tests, and small bruises that covered my body from the shots I took night after night. Eventually, I had to learn how to give myself the medicine, because my mom was not about to join me on every camping adventure and sleepover. I would sit in the kitchen, crying until I built up the courage to do it, and my parents would steer clear so that I could learn to calm down and not rely on them. I felt like I had no choice. I didn’t think I could be happy if I stayed 4 foot 4.
I grew almost five shoe sizes in one year and made it to five foot one, so you would assume I was content and happy with my height, but that was not the case. I could always find something to feel self-conscious about: my pale skin, the chicken pox scar on my forehead, how I have to wear shorts under my dresses because my thighs hurt when they rub together, or how my eyes can cross a little when I look at something close up.
The list goes on, but what finally helped me triumph over those insecurities was more than just saying, I’m going to accept myself. Instead, I started asking, Where does my worth come from?
Thinking I am ugly, not valuable, or unimportant only leads to self-hatred, depression, and insecurity. What changed it all was the process of intentionally seeking value in other people.
As a photographer in New York City, the capital of the fashion world, I understand how easy it is to feel defeated when seeing an unflattering photo of yourself. I understand why someone dislikes the way their nose looks from the side. I understand what it feels like when you don’t see more images of women that look like you in the media. I wish I could change all of it, but even if I take the most beautiful photo of you, it will only make you feel beautiful temporarily.
I get to share the magic found in normal people, magic that can be captured in anyone.
That is why photography is much more than taking a polished picture. Instead of selling a product, a physical feature, or an ideal, I get to share the magic found in normal people, magic that can be captured in anyone. Portraiture allows me to find dignity, power, and magic in the ordinary.
A young woman around my age said it best when I asked her what she thought about having her portrait taken:
“I've always been shy about having my picture taken: in part because it was a rarity for so long, but also because of how distorted my self-perception used to be. I was shocked when you asked to take my picture; I was shocked that the beautiful face you captured was mine. Having my picture taken reminded me that it's a healthy, and dare I say, holy practice to seek beauty in ourselves as well as others. If I think terribly of myself, then there's no telling who else I'm underselling.”
That is what being a photographer is all about for me. I get to intentionally create a space where someone knows that I find them worth photographing, worth getting to know, worth the time, and worth my attention. Stepping behind the lens has allowed me to see beauty in others time and time again, and ultimately reminds me of the beauty in my own life, even when I can’t see or feel it.
My life is important. The way I act, the work I create, the people I invest in, my faith, and the legacy that I leave are important. And that to me is way more valuable than growing six more inches. It's a continual fight of reworking what I interpret from the world and the media, but it's worth it. And each day I get to encourage myself as I encourage those who step in front of my camera: You are worth so much more than a photograph or what I can offer you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and for being part of mine.
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Powerful Weight Loss Strategies
This article is for people who have the desire to loss body fat. In this article, you will get tips, strategies, and ideas to really help you to maximise fat, around areas of your body that makes you unhappy.
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Ayurveda and Water Healing
About 2/3rd of the earth is covered with water, we all learn this from class 2 itself. Yeah! Its true 2/3rd of water and the rest is land. Water is the foundation of our existence; in Ayurveda we can find some important summaries about the water in Astanga Sangraha. Life without water is beyond imagination, it's very necessary for the survival of the living things. Early evolution began near the water sources, it's not only important for the living, drinking, transport, trade and cultivation.
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Serena Williams Talks About What It’s Like to Be a Black Person Behind the Wheel in 2016
It seems another instance of police brutality against a black man surfaces every week, and Serena Williams is no longer staying silent. She got super candid in a recent Facebook post, talking about the panic she felt after seeing a cop car in the distance while driving with her nephew.
She instantly thought of the Facebook live video that went viral in July of a woman sitting in the passenger seat next to her boyfriend who had just been shot and killed by the police. Could something similar happen to Williams? The sad reality is it could. Hopefully by sharing her story (check out the full text below), the all-star tennis player can help others better understand the worries black people have to deal with every day:
Today I asked my 18 year old nephew (to be clear he's black) to drive me to my meetings, so I can [sic] work on my phone #safteyfirst. In the distance I saw [a] cop on the side of the road. I quickly checked to see if [my nephew] was obliging by the speed limit. Then I remembered that horrible video of the woman in the car when a cop shot her boyfriend. All of this went through my mind in a matter of seconds. I even regretted not driving myself.
I would never forgive myself if something happened to my nephew. He's so innocent. So were all "the others."
I am a total believer that not "everyone" is bad. It is just the ones that are ignorant, afraid, uneducated, and insensitive that is affecting millions and millions of lives.
Why did I have to think about this in 2016? Have we not gone through enough, opened so many doors, impacted billions of lives? But I realized we must stride on—for it's not how far we have come but how much further still we have to go...
I had to take a look at me. What about my nephews? What if I have a son and what about my daughters?
As Dr. Martin Luther King said " There comes a time when silence is betrayal."
I
Won't
Be
Silent
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The Right Way to Microwave Food So It Doesn’t Explode
Don’t feel like planning ahead to reheat yesterday’s chicken and veggies in the oven? Can’t stand the thought of having to wash a pot for warming your soup or cooking oatmeal? With a microwave you don’t have to. The device exists to make things more convenient. And yet, when you have to waste time scouring the inside of your hotbox because your food blew up—again—they’re anything but.
Sure, you could be one of those people who ignores the mess and lets the crusty, old food build up like snow in a polar vortex. (It’s just gonna happen again, so what’s the point?) But instead of wiping down messes for the umpteenth time, why not prevent the disgusting explosions in the first place?
Why Foods Explode in the Microwave
Microwaves function differently than other heat-inducing appliances: Ovens and stovetops heat food from the outside in, but microwaves warm everything at the same time, Penn State experts say. The electromagnetic waves cause the water molecules to gyrate back and forth, like middle schoolers at a dance. All that motion generates friction, which generates heat. (The waves, FYI, do emit small amounts of radiation. But there’s no evidence proving that there’s enough radiation to actually hurt you. So go ahead and nuke.)
Things can start to go awry when that heat penetrates food with a high water content. With notorious exploders, “Water starts to turn into steam, which could get trapped and form a bubble,” explains Institute of Food Technologists Student Association president-elect Matt Teegarden. That bubble eventually ends up bursting, and you end up with @%#! all over your microwave.
How to Stop the Splatter
Microwaving burst-prone foods is all about keeping that wild water under control. The best way to do that? It depends on the item in question.
Potatoes
White and sweet potatoes both have a thick skin that traps steam. But making lots of little holes in the surface with a fork would allow that steam to escape easily, Teegarden says. I tried it with a sweet potato, and I heard a lot of scary hissing. “That’s the sound of the water getting hot and turning into water vapor,” Teegarden told me.
The verdict: Despite the horrifying noises, this worked like a charm. And it was a lot faster than baking the potato for an hour an the oven.
Eggs
With its steam-trapping shell, trying to hard-boil an egg is practically begging for an explosion. The most obvious way to prevent steam from building up is by pricking a hole in the eggshell with a pin. But that didn’t do much good for me: The egg still kablammed. Making a larger hole just caused the egg white to start leaking out. Some people say to cook the egg at 50 percent power, but the only way that my microwave rolls is full-throttle. So I decided to get rid of the shell altogether and make scrambled eggs instead. Stopping to stir the eggs every 30 seconds or so helped me achieve a fluffy, curd-like texture, rather than a mass of uniform egg.
The verdict: In my non-fancy microwave, it was impossible to make a hard-boiled egg. So I got rid of the steam build-up problem altogether by making scrambled eggs instead. It was easy.
Spaghetti Squash
A spaghetti squash is a lot like a potato, just with thicker skin... skin that’s too thick to prick with a fork. To deal with this, most recipes for microwaved spaghetti squash say to slice the squash in half horizontally and place the squash cut-side down on a microwave-safe plate. That allows enough steam to escape without totally drying out the squash flesh.
The verdict: This worked! The squash didn’t blow up, and the inside cooked up tender and moist. (Tip: Don't forget the microwave-safe plate like we did in the above GIF.)
Oatmeal
I came across a couple of odd methods that were supposed to keep big bubbles from forming in my oatmeal. Adding copious amounts of butter was supposed to make the oatmeal more slippery and less gel-like. Resting chopsticks on top of the bowl was supposed to break up bubbles before they got too big. Thankfully, there were also simpler options: Teegarden said I could stir the oatmeal frequently to promote more even heat distribution and stop bubbles from forming in the first place. Using a big bowl was supposed to reduce the likelihood of spillovers.
The verdict: The part of the buttery oatmeal that didn’t end up all over the microwave (about half?) was rich and delicious. Chopstick oatmeal was just plain messy. Stirring the oatmeal often in a big bowl worked, but I had to be vigilant. If I walked away for more than 30 seconds, I risked returning to a bubble on the verge of bursting.
Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce and oatmeal explode for pretty much the same reasons. So I figured that I could keep my tomato sauce tidy the same way as my morning porridge: Use a big bowl and stir the sauce frequently. And if that didn’t work? “The best thing might be to get one of those splatter shields,” he told me.
The verdict: As predicted, using a big bowl and stirring every 30 seconds got the job done. Yes!
The Bottom Line
You can end the cycle of endless microwave explosions by stopping steam from building up in your food. And maybe getting a splatter shield for extra insurance.
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Ladies Wigs - The Real, The Replacement and The Ridiculous
Ladies wigs are more common that what you think. Nowadays there are already a lot of manufacturers that make the different kinds of it. This is so that people with special requirements or has a preference on wigs can be able to get what they want. Wigs are also fun to wear, they can improve how you look and boost your overall image. But functionality wise, there are different kinds for you to choose from.
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Strange Tale of Hangover-Free Beer
Drinking beer on festival occasions has been a routine for Christians and other people. Then, there are habitual drinkers who just cannot escape the ecstasy it provides. However, the drink has hangover effect. A group has come out with a hangover-free beer. This article brings about the findings by the research group that has brought out this product.
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Why We Screw Things Up When Life Is Good
What!? Wouldn’t logic dictate otherwise? Curious, I Googled around and found many other articles, everywhere from Vogue to the New York Post, confirming this theory. (Halle Berry and Adrien Brody are two often-cited examples.) How can this be?
After more research, I made a connection to a popular self-help theory: Self-sabotage is most common when life is at its best. In The Big Leap, best-selling author Gay Hendricks calls this the “upper-limit problem.”
We do something—entirely subconsciously—that cools our bliss and halts our forward trajectory.
What this means is we only feel comfortable with things going really well in our lives for a certain period of time. When we hit our set threshold of happiness, something inside of us says, You don’t deserve to be this happy, and we do something—entirely subconsciously—that cools our bliss and halts our forward trajectory.
Here are a few common examples:
- A successful entrepreneur sells a company at profit and then announces he’s getting a divorce.
- A woman falls in love and gets married but experiences drama with family or close friends.
- A politician finally hits career milestone and then binges on drugs or alcohol, or has an affair.
This isn't intentional. Most people don't mean to screw things up on purpose. But sometimes, our sneaky, fundamental human fears get in the way. Hendricks says this type of self-sabotage is rooted in four hidden barriers that prevent us from fully enjoying success.
- Feeling fundamentally flawed: This belief tells you to play it safe because you don’t deserve to be rich/happy/successful. This way, if you fail at something, you fail small.
- Disloyalty and abandonment: This belief prevents you from reaching your full potential because it causes you to feel disloyal to your roots. Guilt over leaving behind people from your past or—despite being successful—failing to meet the expectations of your parents causes you hit the brakes and hold yourself back.
- Believing success brings a bigger burden: Whenever you have a positive breakthrough, the feeling that your success is a burden upon others dampens it.
- The crime of outshining: This barrier is common among gifted and talented children and continues into adulthood. Innate skills are accompanied by a feeling of, “Don’t shine too much—you’ll make other people feel bad or look bad.”
Do any of these feel familiar? Do you ever experience guilt for “doing better” than your parents, outshining a sibling or friend, or feel scared when things are going too well because deep down you may not “deserve it”? Knowledge of these fundamental fears allows us to help release their power over us.
Next time life is going swimmingly for you, but suddenly the upper-limit problem creeps up, ask yourself:
- How am I getting in my own way right now?
- How much love/success/happiness am I willing to let myself experience?
- What harmful belief(s) can I release in this moment?
This theory of the upper-limit problem has manifested in my own life more than once (now that I am aware of it). When my business is going great, I realize that I tend to initiate fights with my husband. Whenever I get great news, I tend to overindulge—in partying, shopping, or eating sugary stuff.
Now, I'm able to recognize the feeling of This is too good to be true—it can't last! and the inner pull to bring myself back to a familiar emotional set point of good instead of great. I try to identify my self-sabotaging tendencies as evidence of things going right, not wrong, in my life. This can provide a huge sense of relief!
Where can you increase your happiness tolerance right now? What part of your life can benefit from you kicking off the artificial lid of how good things can be? Understanding that we have limited ourselves can release a new energy in us. We view opportunities differently. We can see the present moment more clearly. We allow (and welcome) the flow of good feelings more fully.
Transcending your upper limits is possible. You can choose an upward spiral. Your very own big leap awaits.
Susie Moore is Greatist’s life coach columnist and a confidence coach in New York City. Her new book, What If It Does Work Out?, is available on Amazon now. Sign up for free weekly wellness tips on her website and check back every Tuesday for her latest No Regrets column!
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GreatistYou Confessions: Jasmine's Story
When GreatistYou came along, I was pretty excited about the idea of building healthy habits. In high school—and even college—I enjoyed working out. But in college I found I was only exercising to balance out my unhealthy diet. It's not that I dreaded working out exactly, but I had turned running into a way for me to burn calories fast. It was no longer something I enjoyed.
The first week of Whole30 was hard because I was just trying to gauge my energy levels, but by the second week I was ready to work out more. I started focusing on that idea of self-love and treating my body in a healthy way.
It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I think that's partially because I didn't count days until the challenge was almost over. With Whole30 you're also not supposed to weigh yourself, because counting things numerically is not a healthy way to think about lifestyle changes.
I also didn't want to view Whole30 as a punishment or limitation. Instead I saw it as a new way of looking at food and thinking about what I'm eating. I was very secure in the idea that this healthy lifestyle is something I want.
At times it was hard because my parents weren't just going to jump on a new diet. But when people see you making lifestyle changes or doing something a little bit healthier, they start to do it too.
My sister became my workout partner. And soon, my mom started eating Whole30 foods. She would let me cook for her; she would try out my "experiments," as she called them. Or if I hung out with a friend and I was eating fruits and veggies, they would say, "Let me have some of what you're eating," instead of filling up something like barbecue.
Toward the end of GreatistYou, I was honestly eating really well, but the last week, I was on a cruise—and it was super hard. I had already finished the diet, but it was so difficult to eat good foods. I had read there would be fruits and vegetables onboard, but they weren't good. I had to go out of my way to find things. I would go to the salad bar, and then go to another restaurant and ask them to put meat on it, because that meat was less oily than the meats I found in the cafeteria. I didn't expect it to be that tough.
But something I really appreciated was having people I could talk to. It's so helpful to have a support system when you're trying to accomplish new goals—especially fitness goals—because you're changing habits you've had for such a long time.
You can check out Jasmine's entire six-week journey on Instagram. Or catch up on all the GreatistYou action here.
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We Knew Women Spent More Time Getting Ready, But We Didn't Know It Was This Much More
Guys joke about how long it takes women to get ready. This video from Glamour compares the average amount of time women and men spend on their daily grooming routines, and unsurprisingly the stereotype holds true. But the video also forces you to confront the unreasonable expectations society places on the way women should look while mostly letting men slide by. All that time the average woman spends doing things like applying makeup, shaving her legs, styling her hair, or shopping for clothes adds up to days (yes, days!) every year. Something to think about next time you want to complain that a woman is taking so long to get ready.
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Makeup: The Truth Behind the "Truth"
The under-eye concealer that you are using now must match with the foundation you're using. How many times have you heard or read that? If you are someone who closely follows makeup tips and tricks on beauty magazines and websites, you must have come across so many professionals, who swear by this cardinal rule of makeup- your concealer and your foundation should blend perfectly with each other
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67 Percent of U.S. Women Are Plus Size. This Badass Campaign Asks: Why Are We Hiding Them?
Most of the women you pass walking down the street look like this:
Photo: Alexandra Gavillet/ Refinery29 
Photo: Instagram/ @psitsfashion 
Photo: Molly Cranna/ Refinery29
This is the average. This is what's normal. Two-thirds of American women wear a size 14 or higher, but only 2 percent of the images you see in the media show plus-size bodies. How messed up is that?
Refinery29 just took a huge step to buck that trend by launching The 67 Percent Project.
Photo: Refinery29
Starting today, two-thirds of the women you see on Refinery's website and social media pages will be plus size—you know, the way most people actually look. The fashion and lifestyle publication made the images available to any publisher, so hopefully we'll start seeing them on other sites too.
This tiny tweak makes a hugely important statement. Refinery29 is far from the first company to create a body-positive campaign, but it's a big deal that a top-notch fashion site, which covers an industry notorious for leaving out plus-size women, is taking a stand and asking the question: If plus-size people are the majority, why don't we see more of them?
This is the kind of beautiful (and real!) diversity that makes us want to get up and dance. Check out the The 67 Percent Project in all its glory by clicking below:
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Emma Watson Celebrates the Hurdles Women Have Overcome, Says We’ve Still Got Work to Do
Resident badass feminist Emma Watson is at it again. This time she's narrating a video of female athletes leaping over hurdles to show the major progress women have made in reaching gender equality. The video is all kinds of inspirational (Sia's "Chanderlier" playing in the background helps) and educational. Plus, it's peppered with facts like "62 million girls are still out of school" and "1 in 3 women still experience violence" to remind us our work is far from over.
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New Hairstyle Design Tips: Trendy Casual Hairstyles
Nonchalant, messy hairstyles are the most attractive of hairstyles for fall 2016. Here are new hairstyle designs tips for short and long hair.
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This Handy Graphic Has Instant Fixes for the Most Common Sleep Problems
It’s no real surprise that many Americans don’t get as much sleep as they need. But it's not like we're doing it on purpose. Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night (especially when we're next to a snorer!) or we can't fall asleep after overdoing it on caffeine. Thankfully, this chart has easy-to-follow solutions for the most common sleep troubles.
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Watch Celebs Shut Down Body-Shaming Trolls With Some Genius Comebacks
The Internet is full of great things (like cat videos), but it's got plenty of blemishes too (looking at you, body-shaming trolls). In this Lane Bryant ad, plus-size celebs Gabourey Sidibe, Danielle Brooks, and Ashley Graham read negative comments people have made about their bodies and respond with brilliant, sassy comebacks. It left us cheering, and we couldn't help hitting the replay button a few times.
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The Right Weight Loss Plan For Your Needs
When it comes to shedding pounds, you need the right weight loss plan to follow. You cannot just take advice from anybody because many people who claim to know about weight loss does not know anything. People like that are called "pretend experts.
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Weight Loss And Resistant Starch
Starch is a complex carbo-hydrate which converts to sugar in your body and will mostly be converted to fat. Typically found in rice, potatoes and grains. Resistant starch is the starch which is not absorbed in the small intestine and travels on to your colon where it can potentially feed the healthy bacteria.
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Obesity Is an Epidemic, Take Action
Obesity rates are rising faster than ever. This trend is the accumulative eating habits of individuals. Stopping these unhealthy eating habits can stop this unhealthy process which is taking over society. To begin this process you will need to take action and also influencing others around you.
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Weight Loss Guide: 5 No-No's for Bicycle Riders
Whether you're a first-timer on a city bike or a seasoned triathlete on a roadie, these few points should be avoided if you want to achieve that ideal fitness level while still having lots of fun: ? Skipping meals will burn more fat Most cyclists these days prefer hitting the road or nearby trails early to avoid the morning rush. If you are a seasoned cyclist, you would know better that leaving the house without even eating a slice of bread will not necessarily help you lose those stubborn fats. Although, studies have shown...
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Lose Weight by Learning How the Pro-Cyclists Eat
If you feel like you have been pedalling so much and still have not seen the improvement on your weight loss, then maybe it's time to examine what you have been feeding your body. Losing that extra weight will not only make you look and feel better, it will motivate you and also give you a larger room for progress with your cycling.
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13 Ways Non-Monogamy Has Made Me a Better Partner (and Person)
In our culture and many others, the typical relationship narrative goes like this: You date around a little, eventually finding one true soulmate—the one person you'll grow old with, raise children with, and the one and only person you'll have sex with.
But there are a lot of people who don’t subscribe to this narrative, myself included. The problem with the concept of “the one” is that it undermines each and every human’s capacity to love many different people in many different ways.
After I decided to try out non-monogamy with a former girlfriend, I realized how the standard concept of monogamy erases the complexities of sexuality, passion, and romance. Though I still loved her as deeply as ever after opening up the relationship, I also learned to love another person on a completely different level. With my girlfriend, the love was deep, full of history, and adventurous; with my second partner, the love was fiery and playful.
Non-monogamy gave me the opportunity to intimately learn about another person’s body and mind without restriction or fear, and ever since that relationship, I’ve practiced non-monogamy with all my partners. While it can look different for different people, in my case, I prefer having a primary partner—someone I can call my girlfriend, make a home with, and introduce to my friends and family. I'm also comfortable with us having other partners, whether they are sexual, romantic, or a combination, as long as there is open communication about all relationships. We make sure we're on the same page about what is and isn't OK.
What I've been most grateful for is how non-monogamy has made me a much better partner and person. Here's what I mean.
1. I’m not as jealous.
When someone hits on my girlfriend or when I see her express interest in someone else, I actually get excited for all the potential thrill and adventure that relationship could bring. This decrease in jealousy helps me fully enjoy my time with my partner and not question her use of time when we’re not together.
And when I do feel jealous, I handle it better than I used to. No relationship, whether monogamous, polyamorous, or non-monogamous, is totally exempt from jealousy. If you’re someone trying out an open or non-monogamous relationship for the first time, know that it’s totally normal and OK to get a little envious.
I like to sit down with my partner the moment I start feeling this way and ask some questions: Where is this coming from? Is it a little irrational? How can we work together to fix the problem now and avoid it in the future? By tackling these questions head-on, we avoid the nasty things that sometimes happen when people let jealousy fester.
2. I see partners as humans—not people I can control.
People in monogamous relationships often say things like “that’s my girl” or “you can’t talk to my man.” This reduces your partner to property, and though many people don’t mind this kind of language, I prefer to see, treat, and speak about my partner as her own person. When my partner is on a date with someone else, I am reminded that, though I love her, she’s not only mine to love.
3. I’ve completely stopped slut-shaming.
As I've come to understand that my partner’s body does not belong to me, I’ve become opposed to policing others' bodies. To me, bodies are about safety, health, and pleasure, and while I may feel bodily pleasure through exercise, sex, and deep-tissue massages, other people may feel that pleasure through different sensations and actions. Before I started practicing non-monogamy, I gave my friends who abstained from sex a hard time about their choices. But opening up that aspect of my romantic life has taught me all the nuanced ways people use (and don’t use!) their bodies, and I’m a better person for it.
4. I find joy in others' happiness.
Compersion is a term used in non-monogamous and polyamorous communities to describe the romantic or sexual pleasure that comes with seeing your partner loved or aroused by someone else. The first time I experienced compersion was during a threesome with one of my former girlfriends. I enjoyed watching the third person kiss her because I knew she enjoyed the kiss.
Compersion can cause an immediate surge of endorphins and arousal in sexual situations, but I’ve learned to translate the feeling into non-romantic and non-sexual situations as well. By embracing other people’s joy, I’m able to feel genuine excitement for their accomplishments (instead of jealousy) and happiness for their successes (instead of bitterness).
5. My sex life is way richer because I'm more open-minded.
Many people think non-monogamous people only open up their relationships for sex. While this isn’t always true, the improvement in my sex life has been undeniable. I’ve learned so much more about different ways human bodies feel pleasure, and I’m generally willing to act on fresh ideas in bed.
6. I can connect with diverse groups of people.
As a queer, non-monogamous woman of color, it’s sometimes hard to stumble upon communities who share all my identities and can intimately relate to my trials and triumphs. But when I do, the feeling is magical. Though I love my straight, white, monogamous friends, meeting a non-monogamous brown or queer girl like myself helps me expand my perspective on my own identities as well as empathize with (and learn from!) the perspectives of someone else in a position similar to mine.
7. I don't take my relationship for granted.
In a monogamous relationship, when an S.O. is expected to spend all their romantic and sexual energy on you, things can sometimes get a little stale and monotonous. When I opened up my relationship, I treated all the time we spent together like a gift and not necessarily an expectation. Despite what people may think, we didn’t spend significantly less time together. But on the nights she would be on a date with another person, I would have time to reflect on how much I loved her (and missed her!), so I was better able to cherish the time we spent together.
8. I’m a lot better at talking about my relationship.
From improvement strategies to big next steps (like moving in together or adopting a puppy) to simple check-ins, non-monogamy has made me a better communicator in general. I’m able to apply the same open communication principles to serious relationship talks, positive or negative.
9. I’m not quick to judge others.
It’s no secret that non-monogamy is unconventional and often frowned upon. As someone who takes pleasure in something society deems “unnatural” or “irregular,” I understand how important it is to approach any other lifestyles with an open and accepting mind (as long as those lifestyles don’t bring harm upon others).
10. I understand my own sexuality (and others') better.
When I was 17, I came out as a lesbian and understood my sexuality to be strictly one that aggressively favored women. But as I opened up my relationships and started sleeping with men, I found that though I still prefered women over men in every way, there was definitely room for men (both cis and gender non-conforming) and people who don’t identify within the binary. I started identifying as queer and learned that my own sexuality can be very fluid. Understanding my own sexuality helps me talk to my partners about theirs and ultimately helps me create safe spaces for friends and family to discuss the issue with me as well.
11. I take better care of my physical and reproductive health.
Having a variety of different partners means taking responsibility to ensure pleasant and safe experiences for everyone. I get tested for STIs more often and also make sure to tackle infections more quickly now that a variety of people may be exposed to them. Taking better care of my reproductive health contributes to better communication, since sharing sexual history with partners can be crucial in many non-monogamous relationships.
12. Saying “no”—without hurting someone's feelings—has become much easier.
Since I go on a lot more dates, I’ve become much better at sensing when I’m not compatible with someone. Because of this, it’s easier for me to tell people that things won't work out, which spares a lot of hurt feelings.
13. I’ve become more loving and open-minded overall.
As a final thought for anyone confused about non-monogamy or considering exploring it with a partner, I want to emphasize it is not just fueled by a desire to have sex with other people; in fact, people who are non-monogamous often seek to better their relationships with their primary partner and lead more understanding, open lives.
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GreatistYou Confessions: Brandon's Story
While in grad school in Missouri, I gained 20 to 25 pounds. So given my new job as a professor and my move to Sacramento, CA, I thought it was a good time to change some of my habits. And GreatistYou seemed like the best opportunity to push myself toward a healthier life.
My biggest challenge wasn't knowing what healthy choices to make; it was following through. There's a lot of stress in academia, and I’m an emotional stress eater, so I really struggled. And when I have a lot on my mind, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym. For me working out is torture.
It was really hard to balance my own life with GreatistYou and the goal I set. I had a weeklong orientation at the university, which was a week of free food—a great thing when you’re poor like I am, but I had to be aware of what I was eating and avoid desserts.
I also didn't have a support system during the contest, so that was a big challenge. I did make a couple friends, but I didn’t have anyone around to help me along the way or go to the gym with me. However the social media aspect of the competition was very motivating. Having people follow me and comment—that was really exciting.
One of the biggest healthy changes I tried to make was thinking more positively. If I didn't go to the gym three times in one week, I would tell myself that at least I had gone twice that week and that was better than nothing. If I didn’t eat well or if I binged one day, I would tell myself that it was only one day. I tried to cut myself some slack, which I had never really done in the past. I also reminded myself that this is a challenge and there’s a process to weight loss.
I didn’t want to be on a diet. I could have lost more weight more quickly if I went on a super-restrictive diet, but that doesn’t work for me. And obviously if you’re trying to make 20 changes at once, they’re not going to work right away. So I had to focus on a few challenges at a time and take it slow. I’m still trying to be gentler with myself. In the end I wish my goal had been a little bit different because the number on the scale dictated how I felt.
The last couple days, I totally f*cked up. I’m pretty sure I’ve gained back a few pounds. I have to get back on track. It’s hard because I’m really stressed out. I have a lot to do. I keep staying late at work, which keeps me from going to the gym. I have a dog to take care of. And it’s just hard. Life gets in the way.
I finished the competition at 155.5 pounds, and my ultimate goal was to get around 145 pounds. But I’m not as concerned with the number on the scale as I used to be. I’m definitely not in the physical shape I want to be in yet, but I plan to keep up with the good habits I learned during GreatistYou.
You can check out Brandon's entire six-week journey on Instagram. Or catch up on all the GreatistYou action here.
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