Acai, Goji, Maca, Spirulina, Moringa, Camu Camu…the list keeps growing of foods we’ve never heard of that we’re told we must eat to be healthy. Where did these come from? Are these foods actually super? Do they have superpowers to reduce my crow’s feet, because I’ll Amazon subscription that shit. right. now.
These superfoods are trending big time and not just on Twitter. Every juice bar and froyo joint has acai plastered all over its menu. But what makes superfoods worthy of the SUPER title? Health experts define superfoods as a food that is highly nutrient dense. Meaning, these food provides a substantial amount of nutrients in very few calories. Example, you’d have to eat like ten oranges to get the amount of vitamin C in one teaspoon of camu camu powder. So, it’s superpowered, sure.
Read More
The scale sucks. It’s triggering. It’s uncooperative. No matter how much I eat right and exercise the scale stares back at me with the same shitty number. I do everything I’m supposed to be doing. I eat zoodles for god’s sake. But the ultimate judge-y metric - the bathroom scale - continues to represent my failure.
The ultimate goal is not to imbue the scale with any special powers. I’m not there yet. The scale still messes with my head and can prompt me into unhealthy behaviors out of spite.
I realized I needed a break from the scale when all we did was fight. I needed a few health wins that didn’t depend on weight. So, I went to my doctor, Dr. Kristen Bodine-Zeller, for advice. I point blank asked her, what numbers I could focus on instead?
She gave me a boatload.
Read More
We’re an overweight, sick and depressed society. We spend inordinate amounts of money on prescriptions that may or may not really help, therapy to work through all our baggage, and repeatedly jump on the latest and greatest diet schemes—keto, anyone? Yet here we remain, physical and emotional messes.
Here’s an idea that might set us all free: hiring a personal trainer.
It sounds terribly indulgent, doesn’t it? A personal trainer is something for J.Lo, not you! You have kids, a job, a partner, bills, debt, college funds. You can’t be spending on such frivolity!
Read More
We like treats. It’s science. The human brain has reward systems. When it gets a treat, it produces the neurotransmitter, dopamine. Dopamine feels great.
So, although water can be gloriously quenching and treat-like after an intense workout, or at 3 am after a salt-riddled Indian feast, typically drinking the recommended daily amount of water, about 2 liters, is a taxing, annoying, endless, non-treat chore.
So, I hacked it.
The typical “water glass” is wide mouthed and drinking from it feels like homework. Don’t ask me why. A wide mouthed glass with water just feels like someone is punishing you for something you didn’t even do. Whereas a frosty cup of something icy and refreshing from a coffee shop while enjoyed with a straw, feels exciting. Like anything is possible. Like you’re finally the hero of your own story.
Read More
It’s always been such a hassle to get birth control, and if you’re currently taking or have ever taken it, you know the struggle. By the time you’ve gone to the doctor’s office for your appointment, gotten your prescription, then to the pharmacy to pick it up, the entire day has disappeared. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Now you can skip that mess altogether, and order your birth control online and have it delivered straight to your door (in discreet packaging) or to your pharmacy.
To order through an online service, you’ll just have to answer a few questions about yourself, complete a medical history questionnaire, and add your insurance info (if applicable). Some require video visit with a doctor. But you’ll never have to step foot outside your home, and you can receive your birth control within a few days. Yes, it’s really that easy! Some accept insurance and offer low cost birth control options, so you won’t have to pay much, if anything, out of pocket. You can even order prescriptions for other medications through these same services, like Latisse, tretinoin, hair loss medication, contacts, and lots more.
This is particularly helpful in states with contraception deserts, where reproductive healthcare funding has been cut and access to low cost clinics is non-existent, or for women whose employers have opted out of birth control coverage on religious or moral grounds. In six states (Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, and South Dakota), pharmacies have the right to refuseto fill your prescription for religious or moral reasons.
Though the United States may still be living in the dark ages when it comes to women’s reproductive rights, these online services make access to birth control a little easier and a lot less stressful.
Check out this list to see which services are available in your area.
Read More
In 2019, the word trauma is basically a national catchphrase.
The news is traumatizing; children being ripped from their parents at the border is traumatizing; reading about the assaults on #MeToo victims is traumatizing; learning about yet another mass shooting at a school, church, or music festival — that’s traumatizing. And yes, living as a woman, an immigrant, a person of color or a queer person in America can increase your risks of trauma a hundredfold or more. But before any of this, there was an event that was potentially much more traumatizing than what you read on your Twitter feed.
Your childhood.
Read More