Caregiver Wellness, Burnout, Stress Prevention, and Quality Of Life

When circumstances suddenly change, you're not just a sibling or parent. You're now a caregiver. Care giving is all about supporting an environment which fosters quality of life.This can be a satisfying role or one that can potentially go down hill very fast.Avoid burnout at every opportunity. The quality of your life is directly proportional to the quality of life your loved one will receive.

from Health and Fitness:Healthcare Systems Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mE0D6c

What To Expect During & After An Obagi Blue Peel Procedure

Obagi Blue Peel is a chemical peel that is used to rejuvenate damaged, tired-looking skin. The procedure is a relatively simple and quick one that does not require sedation in most cases.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lnMGJh

Five Questions to Ask Your Child's Pediatrician

Your child's pediatrician can answer important health-related questions. Here are five things to ask during a wellness visit.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lnm6jB

Pure Tilt Garcinia - Not As Great As The Hype Sounds

Searching for Pure Tilt Garcinia on Google? If you are grossly overweight or just trying to lose those stubborn last few pounds, you are an easy prey for over-hyped products on the weight loss market that sell like crazy, not because they work, but because people desperate to lose weight will often fall for tall claims without verifying the credentials or looking into the research.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lIdsIs

Jenné Claiborne Has Some Awesome Advice for Anyone Who Feels Defeated

Welcome to Behind the Confidence, a video series about the real, unfiltered journey to self-belief. We talked to four health and wellness pros who prove true confidence doesn't stem from a "like," nor does it magically happen overnight. It's about finding what makes you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Jenné Claiborne's bright smile is contagious. So when you scroll through her blog, Sweet Potato Soul, or her Instagram feed full of vegan creations and stylish snapshots, it's easy to assume she never has an off day. But the truth is: No one's perfect. "When I first started my journey as a vegan professional, it was hard," she says. "But everything I worked hard for... I'm really seeing the rewards."

In this video, Claiborne talks about the struggles she faced while following her dreams and the moments she actually lost her confidence. The best part: She's got advice for how you too can stick it out when times get tough.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2mj0Evg

7 Vegetarian Recipes That Are Better in a Bowl

Burn Calories Fast With Strength Training

Did you know that muscle naturally decreases with age? And unless that muscle is replaced with more muscle, fat will naturally replace it! Strength training should be a part of any good weight loss program in order to maintain lean body muscle.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mTxwrv

Before You Try Natural Remedies for Your Chronic Sinus Infections, Ask Your Doctor These 3 Questions

Sufferers of chronic sinus infections (chronic sinusitis) are an unlucky lot of individuals that deal with the swelling of sinus passages for as long as three months. More often than not, people tend to categorize their symptoms as nothing more than fighting seasonal allergies or perhaps staving off a cold or the flu. There is, however, a reason it's labeled as chronic as the symptoms just don't seem to go away.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lH0YRu

This 14-Minute Core Workout Will Help You Learn to Love Planks

You know what feels good? Checking lazy at the door and busting out a quick but killer core workout. This 14-minute abs routine is tough but will build serious core strength.

You might also like READ

This workout features nine different plank variations, which target every inch of your midsection, including the deep, side, and back core muscles. You'll perform a combination of static and dynamic moves to build strength and keep up your heart rate. We're not saying it's easy (you'll get a few breaks along the way!), but it's definitely worth it. Just grab an exercise mat to get started.

To recap: You can do this workout anywhere, no equipment needed. Each move will be performed for 20 seconds.

Plank
Plank With Hip Circles
Plank Jack
-Repeat-

3-Point Plank
Starfish Plank
3-Point Toe Touch
-Repeat-

Side Plank
Side Plank With Dip
Thread The Needle
-Repeat-

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!

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2lBURNp

A Beginner's Guide to Paleo for Anyone Curious About Going Caveman

So you get the text: Can we go out for burgers (no buns!) tonight instead of pizza? Oh no, is she on this caveman diet everyone’s been raving about too? You don't know whether to be mad or happy for her, but you can't help but wonder why the Paleo diet is getting all this hype. You’re intrigued. We don’t blame you. What is Paleo, anyway? Is it for you? Let’s discuss.

WTF Is Paleo?

A Paleo-friendly diet puts the focus on eating real, natural, whole foods that have gone through little or no processing to get on your plate. Simply put: You eat plants and animals. We’re talking meats, fish, eggs, greens, veggies, fruits, and nuts.

Sounds easy, right? Maybe for cavemen it was… because they weren’t tempted by the thousands of packaged foods we have access to. If they couldn’t hunt it or gather it, they didn’t eat it. Today the only hunting we’re doing is for good deals on food we can gather into our grocery carts. In the cart goes bread, cheese, yogurt, rice, candy bars, milk, chips, cereal, etc.

Paleo experts took note of our modern-day behavior and thought, if obesity and disease rates are rising as quickly as processed foods are flying off shelves, maybe we should go back to our roots and eat like our early ancestors did?

A Modern-Day Caveman

Before you grab a spear to go after tonight’s dinner, simmer down. It’s 2017, and grocery stores and farmer's markets are there to do the work for you. How convenient! (Well, finding parking is a b*tch, but we guess it’s better than fighting a buffalo.)

So your Paleo life can look something like this: Wake up in the morning to scrambled eggs with spinach, chicken sausage, and avocado, and a cup of coffee (yes, coffee is Paleo!) with a splash of almond milk. For lunch it’s all about the spaghetti squash and slow cooker Bolognese you made overnight. And oh, you can’t wait to dig your hands into shrimp stir-fry with cauliflower rice tonight. For dessert, it’s a few pieces of dark chocolate. Sounds good? That’s Paleo for ya. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the seriously good food that’s permitted on the plan.

What You Can Eat

• Chicken. Probably already a staple in your diet.
• Fish. BRB. Gone fishing to the fish market.
• Red meat. So many meatballs.
• Pork. Slow cooker Paleo pulled pork FTW.
• Eggs. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Vegetables. As if you thought you couldn’t eat these.
• Fruits. The less sugary ones (berries) are best.
• Nuts. Peanuts aren’t allowed, but go nuts on almonds.
• Natural oils. 'Cause ya gotta sauté the veg in something.
• Healthy fats. Because avocados.
• Natural sweeteners. Honey and maple syrup? YAS.

Pro tip: Prioritize organic, grass-fed meats and free-range eggs, and opt for wild-caught seafood and organic vegetables... when you can.

What’s Off-Limits

• Processed foods. Yes, even the natural, gluten-free, avocado oil-based chips.
• Refined sugar. Good-bye, Snickers. We’ll be making a Paleo version of you soon.
• Refined carbs. RIP Bagel Fridays.
• Legumes. Silver lining: Maybe you’ll have less gas.
• Dairy. But have you tried banana “ice cream”?
• Grains. Not even brown rice.
• Vegetable oils. Easy at home, tough when eating out.

Pro tip: Just like bad breakups, “out of sight, out of mind” works here too. Get these foods out of the house, and it’ll be easier to say good-bye.

What’s Up for Debate

There are tons of Paleo bloggers and experts out there, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned from them, it’s that there’s no such thing as perfect Paleo. Our friend Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo puts it well:

There isn’t just one definitive, monolithic, one-size-fits-all Paleo diet. Some Paleo eaters choose to go super low-carb, while others are happy to munch on a baked potato or a bowl of white rice every now and then. There are Paleo eaters who can’t imagine life without dairy, and more orthodox folks who refuse to touch even a pat of butter with a 10-foot pole.

So, really, there’s no debate. It’s finding the Paleo plan that works best for you. If that means adding a sprinkle of goat cheese to your baked sweet potato every now and then, or going out for ice cream on your birthday, we think that’s OK.

9 (Unofficial) Paleo Commandments

Since there really isn’t a Paleo rule book set in stone (age), we collected guidelines that most experts and bloggers follow. These will help any Paleo newbie understand what to expect when you’re going full (or even halfsie) caveman.

1. Eat plenty of whole foods.
   We can’t live without sweet potatoes, avocados, and eggs while eating Paleo.
   
2. Eat less processed foods.
   Packaged chips, cookies, breads, etc. are a no. While it might seem hard at first, you might find it harder to add them back into your diet once you start feeling better.
   
3. Just because it’s packaged doesn’t make it totally off-limits.
   We're definitely stocking our pantry with these Paleo-approved staples. And when we're on the road, we're bringing these travel-friendly snacks.
   
4. Avoid foods that don’t make you feel good.
   Even if something is “Paleo approved,” that doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Bolognese recipe calls for red meat but you're not a "red meat" person? Go for lean turkey instead.
   
5. Find what works for you.
   Some Paleo peeps eat rice on occasion (gasp!), while some won’t even say the word “rice” without flinching. Be your own caveman and create a plan that will help you succeed at feeling your best.
   
6. Don’t be too strict.
   We like to follow the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of the time we’ll eat Paleo, but 20 percent of the time we’re not saying no to pizza, rice, cookies, or cheese. The leniency makes it easier to stick to the plan the majority of the time.
   
7. Learn to love cooking.
   Since you’re eating less processed foods, you’ll be making more homemade meals. Don’t let it stress you out. Find easy recipes (like all of these), and ones you really love, so it becomes a joy, not a nuisance.
   
8. Don’t entirely say good-bye to your favorite junk foods.
   Paleo allows you to still enjoy pancakes, chicken tenders, and chocolate… as long as they’re made with Paleo-approved ingredients. Think coconut flour flapjacks, almond-crusted tenders, and three-ingredient chocolate.
   
9. If ya booze, ya don’t necessarily lose.
   Unless you and alcohol go together like oil and water, it’s hard completely giving it up. We’re not saying to drink three daiquiris at brunch, but wine, gluten-free beers, and hard ciders are OK on occasion. Even Paleo guru and author of The Paleo Solution Robb Wolf suggests a combo of soda water, lime, and 100 percent agave tequila for all of us lushes.

Why Go Paleo?

To get a six-pack, amirite? Just kidding. While this plan is popular for helping you whittle your waist and bulge your biceps, it’s so much more than a CrossFitter’s dream diet. Anyone who wants to clean up their eating and lifestyle habits can give it a go. Although further research is still needed, a number of smaller trials have suggested benefits in the weight loss and metabolism departments.

Experts from the Paleo Plan suggest the following results are what Paleo-ers most commonly experience:

• Weight loss
• Feeling pleasantly full for longer
• Less sugar cravings
• Clearer skin
• Increase in energy
• Physically more muscular
• Improved digestion
• Reduced inflammation
• Healthier relationship with food

Is Paleo for Everyone?

If you’ve already found a way of eating that makes you feel your best, then you should probably stick to that. If you're still feeling kinda (or really) crappy on a daily basis, then you may want to give it a try. Going Paleo and taking a break from grains, dairy, and soy might be the stepping stone you need to find out if eating more animal proteins and less processed foods (and the occasional glass of wine; oops we said it) is what you’re body needs.

Happy caveman-ing!

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2mSXbk2

Here's Why You Might Feel Sad After Finishing a Big Race

One evening in late October, I was catching up with a friend when I suddenly found myself breaking down.

"I’m going through a hard time," I told her, choking back tears. "I had the worst summer of my life."

The first statement was true, evidenced by my zombie-like daytime interactions and random, tear-filled outbursts on the subway (sorry, New Yorkers on the A train). But I'll admit that the second was pure melodrama, sputtered only in retaliation to how the event I had most been looking forward to all summer had played out: my first Ironman.

Here I am, still feeling that post-race glow.

Starting in May and continuing through September, I dedicated weekday mornings and full weekends to swimming, biking, and running to prepare for the 140.2-mile course of Ironman Maryland on October 1. I’ve run 10 marathons before, but I approached my training to this particular race with a new level of determination. I hired a triathlon coach, found a core group of training partners, and even upgraded my steel-framed bike to a triathlon-specific, carbon-fiber model from Specialized bikes.

I was dedicated. And come October, I was ready to crush the distance.

Unfortunately, the Ironman gods had other plans. On the morning of the race, the swim start was first delayed, then abruptly cancelled due to unsafe water conditions. We were left with only the bike and run portions of the course. While not insignificant feats, it was not the race course we had expected.

You might also like READ

Crossing the finish line of my first Ironman-sanctioned race should have spurred feelings of elation, victory, and pride for pushing through a difficult challenge despite unfortunate circumstances (not to mention terrible weather conditions). But I didn’t feel any of those things. Instead, all I could feel was an overwhelming, crushing sensation of sadness and the scary prospect of the unknown.

Now what?

I Lived the Post-Race Low

Once I returned home, I continued feeling lost. I tried to fill the void not training left me with, but couldn’t seem to find any motivation in what I was doing, whether it was in the gym or in my writing. I suffered through painful workouts when I should have been resting and spent way too many nights drowning my sorrows with a pint of beer.

I found myself questioning my self-worth and purpose, and I cried. A lot. I was beginning to wonder if something was seriously wrong with me. After all, triathlon is supposed to be a hobby.

Then I saw a post online from a member of the Facebook group Pathetic Triathletes who was experiencing similar struggles after her own race—one she was able to complete in its entirety, I may add. The sympathetic and relatable responses to her post got me thinking: Is it normal to feel sad after a big race is over?

Science Backs It Up: The Struggle Is Real

Bouts of post-race depression are more common than we think.

"Having a feeling of being let down, or even a short wave of depression, following a well-prepared race can be a normal experience," says Dr. Jeff Brown, author of The Runner's Brain and the Boston Marathon's lead psychologist.

Not only has your training regimen dictated almost every day of your life for several months, Brown reminds us, but your brain and body are used to meeting regular goals, navigating training challenges, and mentally preparing for a big event. Once that routine and goal are gone, feeling a little lost can be pretty standard.

Ben Olivia, M.Ed, a mental performance coach at SportStrata who specializes in working with athletes, cautions against using the word "depression" (he prefers the term "post-race low" instead), but he agrees that it’s totally normal for athletes to feel a certain way after a big event is over.

"When you’re training for a race, you wake up every day and have something to shoot for, and you're going to have positive feelings and energy that go along with that," Olivia says. "So the difference between normal sadness and that feeling athletes experience right after a big race is really a loss of energy and motivation."

It’s More Common Than We Think

After polling some of my friends, it turns out I’m not alone in having dark thoughts post race. After the 2016 New York Marathon, runner Chris Lopez spent a month feeling "sh*tty," plagued by thoughts that he had underperformed when he didn’t reach his goal time. After the 2016 Berlin Marathon, competitor Molly Kreter remembers feeling "let down and unimpressed," despite running a personal record.

It’s easy to understand Lopez’s frustrations with not reaching a much-coveted goal—one he’d worked hard pursuing. But in Kreter’s case, running her best marathon time didn’t exempt her from feeling down. According to Olivia, both of these post-race frustrations stem from the same place: a lowered motivation due to the lack of challenge directly ahead.

"It’s easy to recognize why you’re feeling low if the outcome of your race isn’t what you hoped for," Olivia explains. "But if you run a good race and then afterward you’re not feeling great, it’s a little more confusing."

Endurance athletes aren’t the only people affected by this phenomenon, says Jonathan Fader, PhD, director of Performance Coaching at SportStrata. There are lows associated with many other happy events, like giving birth, retirement, or even a big sports game.

You might also like READ

"What athletes [and non-athletes] don’t normally recognize is that oftentimes, the most enjoyable part of something is preparing for it," Fadera says. "When a training plan is over, not only is your body creating the physiological climate endorphins provide, but there’s often a social group associated with training that you’re no longer in constant contact with."

The good news is that whether or not your race went perfectly or you struggled throughout, there are ways to cope with life after the finish line. Olivia recommends athletes make a transition plan to recovery—just as they would prep for the race itself.

"Many times after a race, athletes ask themselves, ‘Is this normal? Should I be depressed?’ and the answer is, ‘Of course!’" Olivia explains. "While most people plan for their race, and their physical recovery from a race, it’s important to plan a mental recovery too."

By preparing, you can change that unhappy, isolated feeling into one that recognizes why you feel that way and what you can do to get back on track.

Here are eight ways to plan ahead and avoid falling into a similar rut after your next race:

1. Treat the race as a learning experience.

Criticizing yourself for not lubing your thighs adequately for the run portion of a triathlon won’t help you have a better experience, but knowing how much lube you’ll need for the next race is actually helpful, Olivia explains.

2. Go over what worked on the course—and what didn't.

Often, athletes can only focus on what went wrong during a race, sparking negative emotions. Fadera suggests scheduling a debriefing with your training partners and coach ahead of time to go over both the good and bad parts of the course a few days later.

"Take yourselves through the race and pick up all the different parts of the course, even the ones you maybe weren’t mentally present for," Fadera says. "You probably did a lot of things that were cool, but may have been overshadowed by that low."

3. Focus on the process rather than the outcome.

Sometimes, when endurance events don’t go the way we want them to, it can cause us to question whether all the effort we put into training is worth it, furthering our frustration. That’s why both Fadera and Olivia stress focusing on the process of training and the race itself.

"It’s the hike, not the destination, that’s actually enjoyable," Olivia says. "Most of the time, race day circumstances are not in your control. Discovering a way to find enjoyment in that, and being grateful for that experience, is a powerful way to transition away from the ‘Was this worth it?’ mentality. If the outcome is the only motivation behind what you’re doing, you can create very negative feelings if things don’t turn out with a gold medal or big trophy."

4. Keep your training partners close.

Friends you can grab drinks with are great (and necessary), but there’s nothing quite like a buddy who’s helped you through a 100-mile training ride.

"Find a way to stay connected with your training partners," Olivia says. "In the same way that they helped you train hard and work hard for the event, they can help you bounce back and remember the things you did well."

5. Remind yourself why you do what you do.

It’s helpful to remind yourself why you run or participate in the sport of triathlon in the first place. "Something really helpful for me on a personal level is going for a run without a watch or training regimen," Olivia says. "Those training regimens can be very intense, so ditching your watch can be really refreshing and a good reminder that running is enjoyable."

6. Embrace other activities and interests.

Preparing for any athletic event can be time-consuming, so embracing activities and even people you may neglect during training is a great thing to celebrate post race.

"Balance in your life is really important," Olivia says. "Mentally, it can be really helpful to balance the intensity of the training season with the activities you had to give up, or minimize, during that time."

7. Take some time off.

While many people feel guilty about taking a break from training even between races, Olivia recommends doing just that. "Mentally, you can come back a lot stronger if you’re willing to really take a break and give yourself permission to do so."

8. Sign up for another race.

Signing up for another race can certainly help you feel better, giving you a new challenge to work toward and an event to look forward to. But if you’re simply trying to avoid the feelings associated with your most recent finish line, Olivia cautions that you’ll be creating an unpleasant cycle that will continue to fulfill itself.

Once you’ve taken the time to rest, embrace neglected activities, and regroup, however, taking on a new challenge is perfectly normal.

"You can’t control what happened in that last race, but you can improve your training, your enjoyment, and your feelings during the process of preparing for your next event."

After many weeks of sleepless nights, sad Spotify playlists, and questioning my own sanity, I traveled with three of my friends—two of whom I’d trained with for the Ironman—to run the Philadelphia Marathon. Just six weeks after our Ironman, we treated the endeavor as more of a road trip than a race weekend. After all, we needed a relatively low-key race weekend after our experience in Maryland.

You might also like READ

After a Saturday spent laughing, playing practical jokes on one another, sharing a Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough beer, and generally goofing off, I ran my 11th marathon feeling relaxed, strong and confident. I even ended up running my second best marathon time ever.

Running a good race felt, well... good. But the best part was that I remembered why I loved endurance races in the first place. It’s not just about the race results or the God-awful-but-precious photos my mom got of me high-fiving my father on the course.

It’s the journey—the crazy endorphins and the friends I’ve made along the way (in this particular case, a congested drive to Philly and three men who make me laugh from my nose) that make me come back for more. If only I’d tapped a sports psychologist prior to writing this, I would have been smiling—and training confidently again—a whole lot sooner.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2mNEhfh

Qualities of Pine Pollen

Pine pollen is an intense herb acquired from a pine tree. The advantages of the pine pollen are far above the ground, which include a large number of health benefits as well.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lZBQYU

Cinnamon Water Benefits

Cinnamon water can lower your bad cholesterol (or LDL) also raises HDL (the "good") cholesterol. Cinnamon water treats the symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Cinnamon anti-inflammatory properties reduces both systemic and specific inflammation and treat certain types of pain and headaches, as well as arthritis pain.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lyd66t

9 Travel-Friendly Paleo Snacks So You Don't Buy Junk at the Airport

Weight Loss Plateaus: How to Get 'Unstuck'

Have you ever stepped onto the scale only to find that the needle isn't moving in any direction at all, despite your weight loss efforts? It can be really frustrating! A weight loss plateau is actually more common than you think and will eventually happen to most people on a weight loss goal.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2minAv3

Taking Proper Care of Sensitive Skin

Along with the rest of the problems in the world, another problem that has been teasing the human existence is the sensitive skin type. The fear of getting the skin scraped or getting red marks on it is a genuine fear. But this does not mean in any case that you stop taking care of your exfoliation or cleansing routine.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lhfN0Y

7 Veggie-Only Sandwiches That Prove You Don't Always Need Turkey

What It’s Like Being Trans and Pregnant

The author, in the pool with a pretty adorable companion.

Last year, I made an appointment to talk to my priest, Father H., and nervously told him my deal: I’m transmasculine, which means I can’t lay claim to being either a woman or a man; I’m somewhere in-between. But aside from getting an undercut haircut and slimming down, my transition has been mostly spiritual and personal, not physical—hormone treatments and surgery don’t interest me because they wouldn’t affect my ability to embrace and love myself. They wouldn’t make me happier.

For me, coming out helped me to settle into my chromosomally female body. Until then, I’d spent 27 years locked in combat with my body. I wished that being feminine and being happy weren’t at odds with each other, and hoped that wearing my makeup the right way would make me into a Real Woman. But I was trying to shove myself into a woman-suit without success—because I’m simply not a woman.

When coming out to my friends and family, I felt a sense of obligation to reassure them that very little about my transition was going to affect them, but the stakes were somewhat higher with my priest: I was coming out to Father H. in preparation to have my marriage blessed in the Church.

You might also like READ

"Well, you did always seem sort of androgynous," Father said, absolutely zero shock or discomfort on his face. "As long as it doesn’t interfere with your attraction to Michael or your openness to having kids, I don’t see why it would be a problem in terms of marriage." Try to imagine coming out to someone—your priest, no less—and receiving a response so reflexively cool, reassuring, helpful, and accepting. This, friends, is a man who’s good at his job.

But Father H.’s reaction stands in pretty sharp contrast with most of the responses I’ve received, even from people who are allies—or even members—of the LGBT community. An ideal reaction to coming out might be, "Cool. What can I do to help?" Or, as my brilliant husband Michael put it (perfectly) the first time I told him I wasn’t a woman: "As long as you still love me."

Sadly, many people’s reactions haven’t been so compassionate. When I came out, some people seemed immediately concerned with simply projecting the right image, while others acted dismissive of my transition because I’m OK with continuing to look physically feminine and keeping my traditionally feminine name. Either way, they were too concerned with their own discomfort to be a friend.

I get it: As a culture, we’re still in the baby stages of understanding transgender identities, so a lot of people now assume that a transition happens mostly on the outside. The most public transition of basically ever has been Caitlyn Jenner’s. She’s a woman who clearly needed to go the hormones-and-surgery route, but because she’s the only example many people are familiar with, a lot of folks seem to think that all trans people must want to change their appearance.

The truth is that one’s transition begins early, in your heart and mind and soul. Interventions like hormone replacement therapy and surgery are frequently medically necessary, because they are capable of easing the debilitating emotional suffering a lot of trans people go through. But HRT and surgery can’t change who you are—they can only validate you. This works for a lot of trans people, but for others, it isn’t the right path.

Rebecca and Michael on their wedding day.

Things were just settling down when, a few months after my wedding in the church, I found out that I was pregnant. I was immediately sidelined by hyperemesis gravidarum, a titanic version of morning sickness which is—I’m fairly sure—the only thing Kate Middleton and I will ever have in common. Soon after, the body I’d always been happy with starting changing dramatically: My boobs inflated, my butt became blazing hot at night (just my butt, nothing else), and I started hating the taste of ginger and the smell of cooking oil, potatoes, and toast. I couldn’t drink water without getting sick, so I had to drink Gatorade for five straight weeks. My skin cleared up on my face but got worse on my chest and back, and I started needing to take midday naps. Inevitably, my abdomen started to protrude enough that I had to give up on my jeans and start wearing what we’ll generously call "athleisure."

It’s cool: I wanted this. Well, not exactly—Michael and I wanted kids, and I happen to be the one who has a uterus, so I’m doing us a solid and gestating a baby. I never wanted to be pregnant, because it sounded like a nightmare, and to be honest, it is. Pregnancy is an absolute nightmare that I never want to go through again. That’s the case not least of all because, on top of a physical affliction that put me in the ER three times in a week because I couldn’t eat or drink, pregnancy has forced me into the hard realization that some of my friends and family must feel that I didn’t insist on my masculinity enough, or in visible enough ways, for them to respect my transition.

It’s fine when people I don’t know well call me "a pregnant woman," or "Mommy." How could they know who I am just from looking at me? But when my loved ones, with whom I’ve had multiple conversations about my transition, suddenly default to describing me as a woman, that’s a problem. To make matters worse, some have also encouraged me to accept the more odious gender roles that people ascribe to women in general, but especially when they’re pregnant. They're not uncommon complaints, even if they affect me a little differently than pregnant people who aren't trans: submission to people violating your physical boundaries by touching you without permission or giving unwanted attention to the way you look; accepting that people will talk to you as if you’re the child, not the one carrying the child; resignation to the "fact" that your baby is now your identity; or the insistence that mothers (and otherwise female-bodied parents) must follow the very narrow, strict codes of presentation and behavior that have plagued people like Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian after they had children.

Sometimes I feel like if I’d really committed to presenting as more masculine—like if I’d started asking people to refer to me as Rex and been really particular about pronouns, started dressing in a more masculine way, or gotten medical interventions—I wouldn’t have to deal simultaneously with pregnancy and gender dysphoria. Maybe I brought this upon myself by not living up to what other people want out of a transition. But if I’d gotten hormone treatments, regardless of the fact that I didn’t want to, would it have been so easy for me to get pregnant? And isn’t what my partner and I want for our future more important than whether or not I look not masculine enough to be happy with myself but masculine enough to convince other people that, yes, I’m really trans?

Being told to defer to other people’s expectations and feeling guilty are, I’d imagine, some of the few ways in which I share the emotional experience of pregnancy that women must go through. A friend said that his family was convinced he’d been a colicky baby because his mother had eaten spicy food once during her pregnancy. (I’ve been downing hot peppers like my life depends on it... should I be worried?) My sister told me she’d overheard a woman who was so paranoid about her eating habits that she opted out of coffee for her entire pregnancy even though you’re allowed to have one cup of coffee per day.

Between the horrifying morning sickness and my heartbreak over realizing that some of my loved ones didn’t seem interested in actually knowing me, I started feeling like I wasn’t ever going to ever be happy during this pregnancy. Maybe I was going to look back on it with regret, and maybe once the baby was born, I’d spend the whole rest of my life having to stand up for myself as both a person and a parent. Since one of the reasons I had wanted to have a baby in the first place was my faith, I met with Father H. again and told him how discouraged and deficient I’d been feeling.

"You know," he said, "I think that your willingness to embrace ambiguity is going to be a huge advantage for you as a parent."

If you aren’t sure you’ve ever experienced grace, think about any time in your life that someone said something elegant and simple to you that washed you in calm. That one sentiment reminded me that my experience as an individual and my experience as a parent are going to be reciprocal. When I’m my home with my husband, I feel total support, love, and perfect happiness with who I am and who we are. Whether or not anyone else understands my transition is irrelevant to the fact that I understand it and celebrate it myself, and that my husband, partner, and co-parent loves me for it. In raising a child, that happiness will be fed into my child and back to me; it will compound itself. And from what I understand, that’s the beauty of parenthood.

Rebecca Jeanne Vipond-Brink is a queer, trans, and Catholic writer, editor, and advocate. You can see more of Rebecca’s work at rvb.cool and connect on LinkedIn.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2lXgjQu

5 Strategies to Get Rid of Belly Fat

The belly fat may cause of a lot of issues for you. If you want to get rid of this fat, you can take a few steps. Usually, your waist circumference is measured to get an estimate of your belly fat. If your waist is 40 inches, you have abdominal obesity. Given below are some proven strategies that you can use to get rid of the love handles.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lBy4lJ

5 Strategies to Get Rid of Belly Fat

The belly fat may cause of a lot of issues for you. If you want to get rid of this fat, you can take a few steps. Usually, your waist circumference is measured to get an estimate of your belly fat. If your waist is 40 inches, you have abdominal obesity. Given below are some proven strategies that you can use to get rid of the love handles.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lBy4lJ

Get The Abs You Want At Home

The belly is the hardest part to lose fat and to replace it with lean muscle It can be upsetting to see layers of fat over your clothing or a muffin top sticking out from your jeans. You can work on toning that area of your body at home with the Wondercore Smart.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lqXBgw

Role Played by Hair Salons to Make You a Fashionista

The grooming business is playing a key role at present, especially in the area of the fashion and makeover. A few decades ago, if a man required a good haircut, he visited the popular barbershop. Women who wanted their locks trimmed or eyebrows threaded went to the nearest beauty parlor, typically for the 'ladies only' which was run by an entrepreneur. But the growth of the unisex store chains is altering all that. The style of the hair positively contributes to the charisma of your personality. These also require suitable care as well as pampering. To provide you astounding looks, there are a variety of hair salons that are proffering their services. With their best support, you can effortlessly add to the charisma of your individuality.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lcCgMF

Reasons to Have Semi-Permanent Make-Up Treatment

There are many reasons why people choose to have semi-permanent cosmetics. Maybe you have limited time in the mornings: you might be a busy mother getting ready for the school run, or you want to leave home early to miss the rush hour traffic. Or if perhaps you would rather spend the extra minutes in bed, then semi-permanent make-up could be what you've been waiting for! Some people it's simply about saving the time and hassle of applying make-up every day, others want to change or enhance their natural features.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mKGyXJ

23 All-Too-Real Thoughts That Go Through Your Head During Yoga

I don't know about you, but for me, doing yoga is like being on a roller coaster. My mind goes from pure zen to totally mildly anxious and back again faster than I can flow through each pose.

If you've ever had trouble focusing on a mantra or simply wanted to curl up into child's pose until savasana, then you'll definitely relate to these 23 thoughts that pop up in yoga class.

1. Arrive at the Studio

"Well, this is a lovely sanctuary. Is that ~eucalyptus~ I smell? This place is amazing. I want to come here every day."

2. Walk Into the Studio

"Where is the instructor? How does everyone already know what to do? I want to go home."

3. Find a Mat

"I will just sit here and pretend I know what I'm doing."

4. Lotus Pose

"OK, here we go. Focus. Breathe. It's so hard to focus when all I can think about is how bad I am at focusing. Maybe if I focus on not focusing that will count as focus?"

5. Plank Pose

"Light as a feather, stiff as a board."

6. Chaturanga

"Chat-a-what? I'm just going to lie facedown on the mat."

7. Upward Dog

"This isn't so bad. I forgot how crazy comfortable yoga clothes are. I wish I could wear this all day."

Partner

Like Savasana for Your Feet

Keep your Zen going long after you leave the studio with Sanuk's Yoga Sling. The super-comfortable sandal has a stretchy knit ankle strap and a squishy base made from actual yoga mat material.
Available at sanuk.com, $38-$45.

8. Downward Dog

"These $90 yoga pants were so worth it. My butt looks great.”

9. Warrior II

"Is everyone staring at me? Am I doing this right? Am I doing anything right? What am I doing with my life?"

10. Reverse Warrior

“Ahhh, this feels kind of good.”

11. Forward Fold

“This also feels goo—nope, ow, ow, ow, ow.”

12. Chair Pose

"This is nothing like sitting in a chair. Sitting in a chair is easy. This is hard. False advertising."

13. Twisted Chair Pose

"I'm about to create a new pose, the Tangled Woman pose."

14. Go Through a Vinyasa

“WHY DOESN’T ANYONE ELSE LOOK LIKE THEY’RE STRUGGLING?”

15. Extended Side Angle Pose

"OK, when do they serve the wine?"

16. Triangle Pose

"This is nice. I can hold this pose all day."

17. (Still) Triangle Pose

"How much longer do I have to hold this pose?"

18. Camel Pose

"Nah, thanks. I'm good."

19. Bridge Pose

"Now this I can do. I hope the teacher is watching."

You might also like READ

20. Wheel Pose

"Sorry, chief, I just don't bend that way."

21. Corpse Pose

"THIS is my purpose. This is the meaning of life."

22. Roll Out of Savasana

"No. No. No. I don't want it to end. Let's just stay here."

23. Leave Class

"Whew! I feel amazing. I think I'll come back again tomorrow."

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2msSFfW

12 Health Victories Worth Celebrating (That Aren't Just Weight Loss)

What Being in a Codependent Relationship Taught Me About Love

My college girlfriend and I were exact opposites. I was always an indoor kid; Dee was outdoorsy. While I listened only to whatever I could sing along to, she loved and knew about all kinds of music. She had a drive to explore and experience everything—in short, Dee challenged me. Unfortunately, rather than being inspired by her to explore new things, I just wanted to co-opt her qualities for myself.

Having been raised by a doting, single mother, I turned that same kind of single-minded attention toward my girlfriend. Her approval, like my mother’s before her, meant everything to me, but my constant affection nauseated my girlfriend's independent sensibilities. At the time, I thought our conflicts only made the relationship that much more thrilling. I used to look at her and think, "She's my world." I was right, for better and for worse.

In your early 20s, you should really be sussing out your own identity and purpose. But I’d made my whole identity out of Dee, and what’s worse, she made me feel whole, well-rounded, and accomplished, just by being with her. In my mind, I had the love of an unusual woman. What could I possibly be missing from life that was more important than that? Turns out, quite a lot.

You might also like READ

When the inevitable finally happened and she couldn't handle my codependence anymore, Dee put an end to it. At the time of the breakup, I was interning for what is now a major Hollywood production company. Being in that office was a childhood dream come true, but 90 percent of my attention was focused on my missing half. I squandered great opportunities, dropped the ball at work, and pretty much made all the mistakes you make when you're not fully present.

When the internship ended, I hadn’t made any contacts in the industry or connections in college (socializing outside of my two-person world hadn't exactly been a priority). So I moved back in with my mother. At first, the experience was just a series of heartbreak cliches. Here's the montage: sleeping alone on one side of the bed, flipping through photos stored in an old shoebox, drinking too much at a bar, waking up next to whomever.

It took time, but eventually I realized that I was missing something much more fundamental than an ex. The hole she'd left behind wasn't a hole she should have ever been filling—what I felt missing was my identity. I had no idea who I wanted to be.

I spent most of my time waiting tables at a couple of restaurants and hitting the bars afterward. I perceived the world around me as a cage, and I felt limited, certainly by money, but mostly, by a lack of direction in life. I also wasn’t doing anything to try to solve these issues. I just wanted to find something that would make me feel remotely like I had when Dee and I were together.

The hole she'd left behind wasn't a hole she should have ever been filling—what I felt missing was my identity.

Eventually, it finally occurred to me that having no definition meant that I was now free to define myself. In fact, I had to—or risk repeating the same mindless cycle of codependence over and over. This wasn't exactly a simple process, but it was the start of the biggest change of my life. While self-examination can be useful, once you get started, it can become difficult to stop yourself from examining everyone and everything at all times. Other people begin to feel transparent. While this stems from a heightened perception of human behavior, it can (and uh, did) lead to an egotistical series of presumptions… which made dating unromantic and tricky.

Now that I’m so aware of codependence, whenever someone shows interest—however harmless their intention—it can be off-putting. It leaves me with the distinct feeling that the person in front of me is missing a half and wants to try to squeeze me into its place. These days, I don’t miss being in a relationship. I don’t feel like I’m missing that half.

In relationships, the goal is—as far as I can tell—a sense of well-being, connectedness, intimacy, support, and a million other tiny slivers of positivity that all add up to that difficult concept: love. But when we attempt to construct our sense of well-being and purpose from our relationships with other people, that's where we fail ourselves.

You might also like READ

Right now, I'm single and I don’t know if my life is “better” or “worse” off for not having someone to call a partner. I think it would be very nice if someone were to come along whose own brand of “crazy” matches my own. This way of thinking about relationships certainly hasn’t opened any doors for me, but it has unburdened me of the that nagging, unconscious cling of desire for an abstract notion of "romance" or worse, a surrogate parent. It seems to me that people who don't examine these tendencies within themselves can end up repeating the same patterns of projection, attachment, and disappointment from one glazed-over interaction to the next, and I choose not to be part of that.

So for now, I’ll take being alone and the opportunity to know myself better. I might have ignored this critical part of growing up if I'd always had someone else’s life as a primary focus, and while it's been hard at times, this has been a good opportunity to learn overall.

Besides, I don’t live with my mother anymore, so… progress!

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2lpPJvJ

31 Lettuce Wraps That Aren't Just Skimpy Appetizers

Weight Loss - Believe In Yourself When You Need to Lose Weight

To say weight loss is difficult for most people is putting it mildly. However, can it be said it's easy for some? It would be better to say reasonable because weight loss is indeed open to reason and a doable feat. Like many things, losing weight successfully takes practice. It is not just a matter of eating less and doing more exercise. Yes, this is required but we are sure you can attest to all of the little intricacies involved if you have attempted to lose weight previously. You may be trying to shed some pounds right now, so losing weight may be on your mind. If so, we hope you will benefit from the advice we are about to offer.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2ms3mjc

What You Need To Know About Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Mini gastric bypass surgery development was designed to reduce operating time, reduce complications and simplify the surgical procedure for weight loss gains. It is considered to be more beneficial compared to the standard gastric bypass procedure and more people are considering the mini bypass to achieve their weight loss goals quick, easy and with reduced risks.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2llM2ax

The Pros And Cons Of Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Mini gastric bypass is a simple and short inexpensive technique in weight loss surgery. It is basically a simplified form of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. In the mini procedure, more of the intestine is bypassed compared to the standard gastric procedure. Your pre-operative weight, height and weight loss expectations that you have will help your surgeon decide the actual length of the bypass but it is usually between three to around seven feet. In the mini gastric bypass, bile and digestive enzymes are not diverted from your stomach.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mqld9U

The Guys Finally Making Body Positivity a Thing for Men

We're finally at a point where people aren't ashamed of their stomach rolls and are celebrating their mermaid thighs. This is true body positivity. Hashtags like #effyourbeautystandards and #allbodiesaregoodbodies are wildly popular on Instagram, and there are dozens of Facebook and YouTube pages committed to celebrating "real" bodies.

But almost every single body-positive blogger, Instagrammer, and celebrity is female. It's true that women's bodies have historically been subjected to more scrutiny than men's, and that has led to long-term consequences we're still trying to correct. But men also face pressures—to be stronger, taller, more masculine—and we need to make sure the body-positive movement fights against those too.

We've seen the first baby steps: Major fashion blogs like Chubstr and Notoriouly Dapper provide resources and community for men of all sizes. But compared to the size of the body-positive community for women, the representation for men just isn't there.

The most well-known body-positive bloggers—@bodyposipanda, @plankingforpizza, @yourstruelymelly—post in a universal language. Messages like "love your chub" and "every body is beautiful" apply to women and men, after all.

Still, there's a lot of value in seeing people who look like you tackle the same challenges you're facing in real time. It may seem silly to connect with a random person on the other side of the internet, but that's exactly how many people find the role models they need.

We've seen how successful representation can be. As the movement has grown, there have been real, tangible changes in the way society and media treats women. Aerie has sworn off retouching its advertisements, and models Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence walk runways and land the covers of magazines without anyone batting an eye. Actresses who aren't super skinny—Amy Schumer and Octavia Spencer come to mind—are getting interesting, complex roles in Hollywood, and more schools and parents are teaching young girls about body image from a young age.

It's time to do this for men too. That starts by building the community from the ground up, and luckily the process has already begun. Here are four men at the root of it all—they're actively representing different body types for men and calling for more body diversity in the media. Eventually we'll need more people like them, but for now, following these guys is a good start.

Zach Miko

Miko signed to IMG Models' newly minted "brawn" division in March 2016, making him the first plus-size male model to join to a major agency. He's seven inches taller than most other male models, and he's got a good three or four sizes on them.

Kelvin Davis

As a fashion blogger, body-positive model, and one of the brains behind the @EffYourBeautyStandards Instagram account, Davis is a busy guy. But he believes in what he's doing: One bad shopping trip made him pledge to never apologize for his body again, and he's encouraging other men to do the same.

Troy Solomon

Here's a guy who has cultivated an impressive Instagram following with his style posts and, presumably, totally relatable love of tacos. Solomon isn't shy when it comes to talking about (or showing off) his plus-size body.

Matt Joesph Diaz

On top of having a really inspiring story, Diaz writes a lot about the importance of expanding the body-positivity community. He believes it needs to be more of a priority, and obviously, we agree.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2lSWisB

13 Winter Essentials That Make Running in the Cold Way Less Miserable

Meal-Prep 5 Paleo Dinners With Just 8 Ingredients

Calling for delivery or going the restaurant route may sound like taking the easy way out on busy weeknights, but if you’re going Paleo, those may not even be viable options—pizza and pad Thai definitely aren’t on any caveman diets! Save yourself the hassle (and the money) of eating out, and enjoy healthier, cheaper, and still-tasty meals from Sunday to Thursday with this ridiculously easy plan. With just eight ingredients and a bit of prep on Sunday, you’ll have stress-free, Paleo-friendly dinners covered for the week.

STEP 1:

Head to the grocery store.

Jot down these eight ingredients to pick up on your Sunday grocery run. You may not be able to escape the lines, but with a list handy, you’ll at least zip through the aisles, knowing exactly what you need.

Shopping List

• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 6 ounces fresh shrimp
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 2 zucchini
• 1 avocado
• 3 cups baby spinach (you can always use a small fresh bunch but a bagged version saves you the step of washing and cutting thick stems)
• 1 small head cauliflower

Storage Containers

• 6 airtight containers (2 for cooked sweet potatoes, 1 for shrimp, 1 for chicken, 1 for spiralized zucchini, and 1 for cauliflower rice)
• Plastic wrap for avocado

Kitchen Staples

• Cooking fat (olive or coconut oil, ghee, etc.)
• Sea salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Lemon juice
• Hot sauce/red pepper flakes

STEP 2:

Prep ingredients in 30 minutes.

Take an hour or so on Sunday to prepare your ingredients. It may not sound appealing to use up precious weekend time to plan ahead, but trust us—you’ll thank yourself later in the week when you’re home from an exhausting day and can’t imagine cooking a meal from scratch.

1. Cook the chicken.
Use this foolproof method for moist chicken. The meat will last up to four days in the fridge, so make it on Sunday, and we’ll show you how to use it up by Wednesday. Store in an airtight glass container.
2. Cook the shrimp.
Peel and devein the shrimp (or save yourself a step and purchase them already prepped). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan and add the shrimp. Add salt and pepper. Sauté until the shrimp go from gray to pink. Cool completely and store in airtight containers. Cooked shrimp can keep for up to three days in the refrigerator; cook it right before you use it on Tuesday, and the leftovers will still be good to go on Thursday.
2. Roast the sweet potatoes.
Cube one potato and toss the pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Leave the other one whole. Place the whole tater, plus the cubes, onto a sheet pan, and roast for 30 minutes. The whole spud may need an extra 15-30 minutes. Store the roasted cubes and the baked sweet potato in separate airtight containers.
3. Prep the eggs.
Hard-boil four of the eggs and leave two of them raw. You can store the hard-boiled eggs for up to one week.
4. Dice and zoodle zucchini.
Dice one zucchini and spiralize the other (if you don’t have a spiralizer, just use a peeler to create noodle-like “strips”). You’ll use the diced veggies right away, but store the spirals in an airtight container.
5. Make cauliflower “rice.”
Break the cauliflower into florets and place them in a food processor. Pulverize until the florets resemble rice, then store in an airtight container.
6. Store avocado and baby spinach.
Bagged spinach is usually washed and ready to use, so no prep necessary there. Leave the avocado untouched until you’re ready to slice into it. Once it's cut open, add some olive oil to the flesh, then wrap in plastic so it lasts longer.

STEP 3:

Enjoy ready-made Paleo dinners all week long.

Now that you’ve prepped your ingredients, time in the kitchen during the week just got drastically slashed. This means more time to watch The Bachelor. Check out what’s on the menu from Sunday to Thursday.

Sunday "Brinner"

• 1/2 prepped cauliflower rice
• Diced zucchini
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 eggs

We promise this is the most cooking you’ll do all week! Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet and add two beaten eggs. Cook for two to three minutes before letting them cool and dicing into small pieces. Set aside. In the same skillet, heat up a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil, and add the zucchini. Stir for about four minutes until tender. Then add the cauliflower rice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir for another three to four minutes before adding in two cups of baby spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted. Store half the mixture in an airtight container for lunch tomorrow. Add eggs to the half remaining in the skillet. Feel free to jazz it up with any other favorite kitchen staples. Obviously, we are talking about hot sauce.

Meaty Monday

• 4 ounces chicken
• Roasted sweet potato cubes
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 cup spinach

How to eat: Warm up the chicken and toss it onto a bed of spinach, along with sweet potato cubes and diced avocado, for an entrée-size salad.

No-Taco Tuesday

• Rest of the cauliflower rice
• 3 ounces shrimp

• 2 hard-boiled eggs

How to eat: Warm up the cauliflower rice in the microwave. Cook the shrimp according to the instructions in Step 2 (above) and add half to the “rice.” Store the other half of the shrimp in an airtight container after it’s completely cooled. Add sliced eggs on top for ever more protein.

Workout Wednesday

• 1/4 avocado
• 4 ounces chicken
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Baked sweet potato

How to eat: Reheat the baked sweet potato in the microwave by wrapping it in a damp paper towel and nuking until it’s warmed through, two minutes or so. Dice the chicken and eggs, and stir into the mashed avocado along with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the heated sweet potato. Add a few (or 20) dashes of hot sauce.

Time-Saving Thursday

• 3 ounces shrimp
• 1/2 avocado
• Spiralized zucchini

How to eat: Mash the avocado with a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash each of lemon juice, garlic powder, and sea salt. Stir with the zucchini noodles (you can either leave the zoodles raw or give them a quick stir over the stove to get them tender). Top with the leftover cooked shrimp from Tuesday.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2m2uLae

How Being Selfish Actually Helps Everyone Around You

At the beginning of every flight, you hear the following safety instructions: “Please put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.”

But how many times do we reject such commonsense advice (by putting other people first when not at 30,000 feet), when it comes to our health, success, and general well-being? It’s absurd to think that putting other people's needs before our own helps anyone in life at all.

I once heard a life coach on The Oprah Winfrey Show echo this sentiment. She was met with a “boo!!!” from the audience. But she was misunderstood. And Oprah leaped to her defense. The coach wasn’t saying, “Leave your kids hungry and unsupervised and go party till 5 a.m.!” She was simply saying that a rested, fulfilled, healthy mother has more to give to her kids. Cause as the old saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Here are some ways to do you, so that you can enrich not only your own life experience, but impact those around you for the better too.

1. Take a day, a morning, or an hour for yourself to do whatever.

Whatever you can squeeze in—at least once a week. Maybe you;ll see a movie. Maybe you'll read a glossy magazine on your sofa or in the bath. Maybe you'll take a matcha latte to the park or catch up with an old friend for lunch and enjoy some hearty laughs together. Whatever it is, make sure it feels good and that you are unreachable (unless the house is on fire).

2. Spend some $ on yourself.

The other day I bought a pretty pricey pair of jeans on a whim and felt oddly guilty about it. I thought,WTF?!? Why do I feel the need to defend my purchase? I make money! As a regular bargain hunter who grew up poor and used to hand-me-downs, it’s still a new experience for me to splurge full-price on clothes.

But then I asked myself: What about this is making me feel bad? Why am I even defensive about making and spending money? My irrationality came from a fear of not having enough (which is not true) and of not feeling deserving (definitely not true). I had to check myself and decide instead to enjoy my new jeans and lighten the heck up! Treating yourself to nice things is a wonderful sign of self-love. Force it if you have to.

3. Make time for something new and fun.

What have you always wanted to try but don’t have time to do? Don’t overthink this! My husband wants to try a sensory deprivation tank. My client Carrie has always wanted to see the musical Wicked. I’ve secretly always wanted to try a Pilates reformer cause apparently Jennifer Aniston does it, though I’ve always been too intimidated. But, in fact, I just took an intro class (it hurt like hell) and bought a three-pack to keep trying!

You might also like READ

So how can you do you somehow? Book a tango class, Italian cooking course, or French lesson? Opportunities are everywhere when you just open your eyes and look. You’ll thank me later for the fun you had! And you might even make a new friend.

4. Think good thoughts about yourself.

Self-talk is everything. Everything. Did I say everything? That’s why I love affirmations so much. Every time you see a mirror or your reflection, repeat something nice to yourself. I say stuff like:

• You’re doing great!
• I love you, Susie.
• Life’s pretty sweet, isn’t it?
• I am strong and smart and confident.
• Good things are always coming my way.

Try this for just one month and notice how it elevates your self-esteem.

5. Go the extra health mile.

Can you spend $1 more on the organic blueberries? Could you push a meeting back 30 minutes to squeeze in a power walk? Could you sneak an inspirational book to bed 45 minutes earlier than usual for a little motivation boost and a more restful night?

Putting other people’s priorities before your own does not make you a good person. It does not make you selfless. By putting yourself in second place constantly, you indirectly harm others without even realizing it. When you’re burned out, exhausted, and resentful, you can’t be your best for anyone or anything.

The wisest thing you can do is be the fullest, happiest version of you. And that means some consistent, unabashed self-lovin’. It will also inspire others to treat themselves better too.

What will you do for yourself this week?

Susie Moore is Greatist's life coach columnist and a confidence coach in New York City. Her 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!

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2m2jS8r

Healthy Living: Secrets You Need to Know

Healthy living is a term which makes us think about a right balance and a perfect functionality of mental and physical health. In most of the cases, we find the health of both, mental and physical one, quite connected. Accordingly, when one gets poked, the other automatically.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lYyCF5

How Being the Weird Kid Helped This Vegan Chef Become Crazy Successful

Welcome to Behind the Confidence, a video series about the real, unfiltered journey to self-belief. We talked to four health and wellness pros who prove true confidence doesn't stem from a "like," nor does it magically happen overnight. It's about finding what makes you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Confidence isn't a new concept to Jenné Claiborne, the vegan blogger behind Sweet Potato Soul. It's something she's felt since she was a child. And not much has changed—she still stands out in a crowd and radiates self-assuredness. In this video, Claiborne talks about where her inner strength comes from and the moment everything clicked for her.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2lYiHa5

A Paleo Shopping List for Beginners (So You're Not Tempted to Buy Bread)

So you're trying this whole Paleo diet for the first time. The last thing you need is to step foot into the grocery store with no clue what to buy. If frustration kicks in, so will the bread aisle. Then your (grocery cart) wheels spin off. Stay calm and prepared by taking this Paleo shopping list with you the next time you head to the store. It's not everything on the Paleo-approved list, but it's the perfect start to this high-protein, low-carb, no-junk-food way of eating.

You're gonna eat *lots* of protein.

• Chicken. A Paleo-er's BFF.
• Eggs. So. Many. Eggs.
• Fish. All seafood, really.
• Pork. Just wait until you try Paleo pulled pork.
• Red meat. Especially ground, because meatballs.
• Turkey. Not to be confused with turkey sandwiches.
• Chicken sausage. A breakfast necessity.

Buy the ones you're actually going to eat (wilted greens are the worst).

• Acorn squash. Best enjoyed with a drizzle of honey.
• Beets
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts. News flash: They go great with bacon.
• Butternut squash
• Cabbage. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Mushrooms
• Leafy greens
• Onions
• Spaghetti squash
• Sweet potatoes. Swoodles, anyone?
• Zucchini. And zoodles, duh.

We like to think of these as nature's desserts.

• Apples
• Avocados. Stock up.
• Bananas
• Berries
• Cantaloupe
• Dates. Add a little almond butter for a sweet treat.
• Grapes. Freeze them for a post-dinner snack.
• Lemons
• Mango
• Pears
• Pineapples
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Nuts (and seeds) make the best 3 p.m. snack.

• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts

Wine isn't on the list, but if you ask us, it's not *totally* off-limits.

• Coffee
• Coconut water
• Club soda
• Kombucha
• ​Sparkling water
• Tea

What would this world be without nut butters and coconut?

• Almond butter
• Coconut milk
• Coconut oil
• Ghee
• ​Olive oil

A few staples that add some flavor.

• Coconut aminos. Tastes like soy sauce.
• Honey
• Hot sauce. Makes everything better.
• Maple syrup. For Paleo pancakes.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2m2ZzYT

9 Tips for a Cheap Fat Burning Diet

In a perfect world, we could all just stroll into our local supermarket and buy all the healthy foods that our hearts desire! But that world just doesn't exist, doesn't it? Instead, we have to settle for the reality of what our pockets can afford. And healthy food can be really expensive!

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mvMLHP

Give a Cupid Look to Your Eyes With Eyelash Extensions

Eyes are the first thing which one notices in the another person and also they help to put a great impression and to attract someone. Since, women are more concerned about their beauty, so the eyelash extension can help them look more beautiful and glamorous. And, if you are a person who belongs to the fashion industry, the lash extension can be one of the things towards your success.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2m2Kx5a

The Concept of Alkaline Water - Basics, Uses, Benefits and Side Effects

Wondering what good can alkaline water do to your body? Check this easy guide to know everything that is essential about this popular concept.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lgeOJG

The Life-Changing Surprises That Come From Not Drinking for a Year

Party girl meets the bright light of day. / Photograph courtesy of Pat Bourque

My name is Rachel, and I am not an alcoholic. (Hi, Rachel.) But I drank too much, so I decided to take a couple of weeks off. A couple of weeks came and went, and as I neared the end of a month, I still didn’t feel ready to jump back in. I was feeling better—my head felt clear, and I felt more in control than I had in a long time. So I decided to make it a full calendar year, just to see what would happen. Right now, I'm nine months in.

Most people go dry for a resolved month in January (kudos!), but the idea struck me, seemingly without warning, in early May of last year. My anxiety had started chewing away at random parts of my life over the last year or two, and everyday activities had started sending me straight into heart-slamming panic. So one afternoon, I was doing nothing more unusual than driving to PetSmart for cat food when I suddenly experienced crashing waves of anxiety, like a spaceship was going to zoom down at any moment and swoop me up. It shouldn’t be this terrifying to drive 20 minutes away from my house, I thought.

So I considered what, in my day-to-day life, I could change. Contributing to my anxiety that day was my hangover. I'd overdone it a little the night before, which had made me uncomfortable and physically ill, but more than that, it was interrupting my brain function. All those neurons and synapses were firing off fight and flight simultaneously, creating a mental cocktail for panic. In that moment, I realized there was no way to combat my anxiety without cutting out the booze in one hard line.

But my lifestyle was so steeped in cheap beer and sparkling gin and tonics that it was practically impossible to imagine fully separating myself from booze. See, my corporate career of nine years was in sales and marketing with one of those big, fat macro-breweries popular with hipsters, millennials, and celebrities who want to be seen drinking low-brow brew for a dose of street cred.

Jell-O shots, a.k.a. the stuff of nightmares.

"We’re all just functioning alcoholics," one red-faced boss said as we walked into a big stadium to negotiate a placement for the season. "Highly functioning alcoholics." His shirt looked like he paid someone to wrinkle it, and he'd wrapped electrical tape around most of his fingertips in a bid to prevent him from biting his cuticles and nails down any more than he already had. He looked puffy and untrustworthy.

When he said those words about us, I felt like I was being force-fed a half-dead rat.

"I’m not like you," I thought. And maybe I wasn’t. But the thought made it hard for me to just blithely go from happy hours to tastings to beer fests. In the beer biz, there was one irrefutable expectation, especially if you're among the rare women: You have to be able to hang.

You might also like READ

One morning, I met with a salesman to ride his route to try to sell his accounts on some new product we were pushing. He said he gets an early start, which I never do, so meeting him at a neighborhood bar in the morning was a stretch in every way. Still, it felt like a kind of adventure. Walking in, I realized that the bar was full from one end to the next—at 7 a.m. When a heavy glass tumbler full of Baltimore’s honey- and cinnamon-laced moonshine, which is called "Evil," came at me first thing with a clink, I thought, "Ugh," but tossed it straight down the hatch. It was just going to be one of those days.

Over the years, these days became less surprising and more and more common. Some salesmen lived this drink-all-day life every day, so it gave me a strange sense of perspective. I could separate my drinking, a whole cut above the rest, and think, "I’m still not like you." Comparatively, my relationship with alcohol was mild.

After I left the industry, I wish I could say I found greener or more holistic pastures, and at times I did, but I still drank. Drinking helps so much with everything from anxiety to stage fright… until it doesn’t. And when it isn’t helping, it’s one hell of a choker. But in the past nine months, I haven't had so much as a sip, drop, shot, or beer since the day I decided to try this on. The closest I’ve come is the odd dream here and there where, for some ungodly reason, I drink a warm, cheap beer out of a plastic cup, or an awful, fruity malt beverage—and immediately regret my actions. I wake up feeling so incredibly relieved that none of it actually happened.

So here are my key takeaways, just in case you’re like one of the many people I encounter whose curiosity about going sober for a time comes from thinking about calling it quits too.

No booze means no hangovers.

I didn’t realize how amazing never, ever getting a hangover would be. Yes, it's even better than the boozed-up confidence that encouraged me to wear that dress and dance at the soul night and talk to a boy. Not being hungover is gorgeous. The utter lack of hangover makes me feel like quitting drinking isn’t actually about cutting something out so much as putting something better in.

People aren’t really that scary.

OK, some people will always be scary, but without the social lube, the scary ones become apparent super quickly, and I can now move away from stranger danger like BAM instead of after half a dozen half-witted hangs in a dark bar, groping at intuition. Otherwise, people in grocery stores and audiences and meetings are just people instead of automatic heart attack prompters.

Sleep is amazing.

I get it now: Sleep is restful. My dreams are cray, but I had missed them so, so much. Pro tip: If I ever want a "sober drunk," I just stay up way past my bedtime and get all the delirious feels that come with a little sleep deprivation. It really works.

Your appreciation for basically everything develops.

I used to get antsy at concerts, and I couldn’t really appreciate a day at the museum, knowing there was a beer to be had at the bar after. "Portrait, portrait, war sucks, portrait, sculpture—got it! Let's go." My attention span for things I cared about was diminished, and so was my capacity to love. Love requires all kinds of stillness, genuine curiosity, and wonder, it turns out.

Your social life will experience ch-ch-ch-changes.

If I kept yammering on about all the amazing benefits of not drinking for a year, you might not believe me, and you’d be right: Some things aren’t easy. A number of my friendships revolved around partying—it’s just what we did and how we spent our time. So some of those connections didn’t hold up without the crutch. Alcohol can really rev up an argument for some people, but it can also cast a spell and make you think a connection is stronger than it is.

Damn, does the mirror become your friend.

In my experience, suddenly ceasing drinking means you’ll lose weight. Your face will look less tired. That stubborn belly fat ceases to be stubborn when you stop feeding it. IMO, you could exercise less and still look better if you quit drinking. But if you’re like me, you’ll end up exercising even more because you feel like it, because it feels good to be physically strong. Before, I often saw exercise as a way to balance alcohol's negative effects. Now it’s a simple matter of power.

My lifestyle was so steeped in cheap beer and sparkling gin and tonics that it was practically impossible to imagine fully separating myself from booze.

My life has been positively affected by quitting drinking in all of these ways and more. Most of all, putting down the bottle has helped me to build confidence, and I believe that a lack of confidence causes all kinds of trouble: It makes Sally anxious, and it makes Jon want to sabotage himself and others around him. It breeds dark, ungainly urges.

When you feel bad about yourself, chances are that negativity and doubt are gonna express themselves one way or another, and whether you throw yourself a pity party or use them to try to make someone else look bad, they’re going through you—making you age prematurely, that surly look on your face stick, your blood spoil. In short, it’s not a good look.

Drinking can ease insecurity and boost a kind of false confidence that starts unnecessary fires and leaves a trail of meanness that burrows a not-so-charming perma-link in your brain. And this kind of damage is not easily undone. If instead, in the clear light of day, you confront whatever monster is living in your head or your heart and telling you, "You aren’t good enough," you’ll be happier and have a more meaningful relationship with yourself and others.

In the end, I honestly can’t think of any good reason to drink anymore. The idea of the year off drinking was to change my behavior around, and relationship with, alcohol. I figured a year would be long enough to hold a variety of experiences—holidays, breakups, hopefully meeting the man of my dreams, rejections, sleepless nights, congratulations, throw-down fights—and that if I could manage all that without the hard stuff, I’d have a pretty good idea of who I really am, what I really want, and how to make it happen. And so far, it's working.

Rachel Anne Warren is a writer and wedding singer based in Baltimore, MD. Her debut memoir is about running away to join a circus when she was 19-years-old. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2mCgwpN