• Is pain giving you inversion aversion? Correct your shoulderstand and get upside down today! (FitSugar)

• Check out these beautiful pictures of cancer survivors‘ “henna crowns” (TODAY)

• Fascinating read: how homelessness leads to obesity (HuffPost Healthy Living)

• Apparently, it’s National Burger Month–here are some healthier ways to celebrate (Daily Spark)

Post from: Blisstree

This is what Brad does with his spare time.

Today, BuzzFeed brought it to everyone’s attention that Brad Fischetti, of the boy band LFO (you know that song “Summer Girls”? About having a summer fling? That was them) spends his days lingering creepily outside of a women’s health clinic in Orlando, trying to talk women out of abortions…and Tweeting about it. Not cool, guy. Not cool.

The Tweets, which you can see on his Twitter account or on BuzzFeed, not only feature pictures of the outside of the clinic (which is how I figured out where the place is–it’s called Orlando Women’s Center) and some of the patients coming and going, but also the names of both patients and doctors. He also seems to make it a practice to try to convince men whose partners are inside for abortion services to talk the women out of their decision. I wonder if he also convinces the men to start using condoms and/or to stick around and be stand-up dads once the unwanted child is born?

Unfortunately, HIPAA laws don’t apply to the outsides of clinics–but it’s still a pretty huge violation of privacy. Oh, and he also seems unclear about what services the clinic provides.

Fischetti makes a mistake that a lot of non-uterus-having anti-abortion individuals make: he assumes that every woman going into the clinic is there for an abortion. When, in fact, the clinic he’s wandering about outside of also offers services like life-saving breast exams and pap smears, as well as annual exams, and birth control, which the vast majority of Americans (even Catholics!) think is morally acceptable, according to a Gallup poll from last week. Birth control to, you know, prevent unwanted pregnancy and, as a result, abortion. Which means he’s basically just offering very unsolicited and unwarranted advice to women in need of low-cost care and possibly preventing women from getting care that would prevent them from having to come back for an abortion. Classy, right?

Here are some of Brad's Tweets.

And even if every single women going into the clinic was there to get an abortion–which, sorry Brad, is their legal right as citizens and as women–the last thing they need is to be confronted by a former boy band member trying to talk them out of what is a private, personal (and, reminder, entirely legal) decision. What a vulnerable, horrible place to be picked on by some pious person who has absolutely no ability to empathize, because he will never be in that situation.

Women have already been conditioned to feel ashamed of their choices regarding reproductive health–consider the slut-ifying of Sandra Fluke, who spoke up about domestic violence victim’s need to have access to birth control–despite the fact that, you know, it’s the smart, responsible thing to do. A health care clinic should be a safe place, where women can find the resources they need when they need them. It should not be a place where we have to shuffle past men who are judging us and praying for us and telling us what to do with our bodies…and then Tweeting about it.

Images: Brad Fischetti’s Twitter account

Related posts:

• Why Rush Limbaugh And Sandra Fluke Matter For Your Health
• Hi, I’m A Slut (Or: I Use Birth Control For Non-Procreative Sex)
• Arizona Follows Texas’ Lead, Passes Law To Defund Planned Parenthood
• Planned Parenthood Rejects Money From Tucker Max; PETA Says They’ll Take It

Post from: Blisstree

Between the kids, the job, the house, the growing to-do list and that Blackberry or iPhone looming over you at all times, there’s little room for romance, and even less room for actual sex. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, I hope to inspire you to think differently and to take steps to get your “mojo” back. You may even be one of the millions of adults who experience sexual dysfunction, the incidence of which appears to be at an all-time high.

According to an extensive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the obesity epidemic is certainly not our only concern at this point. The results revealed that about 43 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men experience symptoms of sexual dysfunction, including lack of desire, arousal issues, decreased lubrication, inability to orgasm, painful intercourse or lack of enjoyment.

If you think sex has fallen away simply because you’re getting older, are not in a relationship or haven’t done it in a long time, think again. Pleasurable sex is something every adult should enjoy for a lifetime—with or without a partner. And remember, sex doesn’t mean intercourse alone. Masturbation (on your own or with a partner) and other forms of sexual play that get your hormones revving are definitely recommended.

Think and Become Sexy

Perhaps you are like so many women and men with a lowered sex drive (I know this is a common complaint or admission seen in my clinical practice). If so, the idea of “jumping” into an active sex life might be hard to imagine at this point. This can change, however, if you want it to. You can fuel sexual desire further with visualizations or small acts of intimacy. For instance, try thinking of positive words on waking—even if you don’t feel positive—like love, joy, peace, strength, happiness, beauty, etc. Next, tailor this simple exercise to help your lowered sex drive by adding words you find sexy—like hot, sensual, sultry or touchable. You can also slowly bring intimacy back into your life with activities to help you feel close and connected again, such as back rubs, foot rubs or date nights. I also recommend selected readings or DVD’s to stimulate your sexual thoughts or mood. Check out products that can be ordered online [at Good for Her or come as you are]. I also recommend the book Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel, especially for couples. Erotica stories can also be the catalyst behind driving your sex drive to another level; after all, most women are fueled by their imagination when it comes to intimacy. Pick up an assortment of stories and see what floats your boat. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Go Au Natural with the Right Remedies

If your sex life is stuck in neutral, you don’t have to live with it and you don’t necessarily need to turn to pharmaceuticals either. Here are a few simple tips you can try to get your love life back in gear:

Low Libido

Several supplements can be used to enhance the hormones involved in a healthy sex drive for men and women. Two herbs in particular, maca and ashwagandha, have shown promise for increasing libido in both sexes.

You can also consider a supplement from your health food store that includes one or more of these libido-boosting components:

• Deer Antler
• Tribulus terrestris
• Damiana
• Ginkgo biloba
• Horney Goat Weed
• Arginine
• Zinc

My previous supplement recommendations for increasing low testosterone or decreasing stress and high cortisol will also help to put your sex drive in gear. If your concern is associated with pre or peri-menopause, ask your doctor to check your progesterone on day 19 – 21 of your menstrual cycle and your estrogen on day 3 of your cycle. If low in one or both of those hormones (particularly estrogen), it may be the culprit. One study linked erectile dysfunction to Bisphenol-A, a chemical found in hard, clear plastic used to make everything from baby bottles to food packaging so performing a regular household and kitchen detox is a great step towards getting your love life back on track.

Vaginal Dryness

If you are currently experiencing vaginal dryness due to menopausal changes or low estrogen levels, the local use of an estriol cream or vaginal suppository can be very helpful. See your local compounding pharmacy, MD or ND for a assistance.

Personal Lubrication

Look for a personal lubrication that is free of harmful or irritating chemicals, such as glycerin, parabens, phthalates, petroleum, propylene glycol, synthetic fragrances and colours. Instead, select an all natural, water-based lubricant such as Hathor lube, which has libido boosting properties including Horny Goat Weed, Jujube Zizyphus and Siberian Ginseng.

Related posts:

• The Hormone Diet: Have More Sex and Less Sugar To Improve Your Health
• This Is What Relationship Sex Is Really Like: A Day In The Life Of 3 Sex Diarists
• The Hormone Diet: Ladies, Testosterone Is Your Friend
• Mattresses Might Improve Your Sleep; They’ll Probably Ruin Your Sex Life

Post from: Blisstree

Post from: Blisstree

Just as Southerners sometimes say “Coke” to mean any sort of soda, you often hear the term “birth control” used to refer explicitly to the pill. Hormonal, oral contraceptives are entrenched as the go-to way to prevent pregnancy in the United States, and not without some good reasons. But long-lasting birth control methods, like IUDs and skin implants could be a better option for many women. Not only can they cut back on certain pill-related side effects, but a large new study finds women are much less likely to get pregnant using one of these instead of the birth control pill, patch or vaginal ring.

If more women nationally were using these long-term methods, “there would be a very significant drop in unintended pregnancies, which would have far-reaching effects,” lead study author Brooke Winner said. Right now, only about 5 percent of American women on birth control use an IUD or implant.

The study, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, let 7,500 women and teens in St. Louis pick from a variety of free birth control methods, including “short-acting methods,” such as pills, patches or vaginal rings, and long-term but reversible methods like the IUD, hormone shots or implant. And what do you know? More women got pregnant using the birth control methods that required thinking about them daily or weekly.

In the three years that followed, participants had a total of 334 unintended pregnancies. Among the 1,500 who used a birth control pill, patch or ring, between 4 and 5% got pregnant each year—compared to only 0.3% of women using an implant or IUD. Very few women chose to get the once-every-three-months Depo-Provera shot, but of the 176 who did, only two became pregnant during the study.

According to Reuters, half of all pregnancies in the United States are now unintended, and about half of those are in women on birth control who either don’t use it properly, or the method fails.

Choosing the birth control method that works best for you, of course, is based on many factors (some women do just fine on the pill; some women have adverse reactions to IUDs). But in general, the IUD is safe and has few side effects. The major barriers to its widespread use seem to be mostly a) lack of awareness (either that it exists, or that it’s safe) and b) the cost. Because one IUD works for 5-10 years, it can actually be more cost-effective than the pill in the long-run. But the upfront cost is much greater, and some insurance companies still don’t cover it.

“One of the beauties of this study is that it shows that when you take cost out of the equation and you educate women objectively and effectively, about 75 percent of them chose a long-acting method,” Winner said.

Related posts:

• IUDs Could Be An HPV Killer
• 40% Of Young Adults Skip Birth Control; Believe ‘When It’s Your Time To Get Pregnant It Will Happen’
• Blood Clot Warning Added To Birth Control Pills Like Yaz: What To Know
• Sex (Re)Ed: The NuvaRing Made Me Crazy (And Sex Painful)

Post from: Blisstree

• What turned Arianna Huffington into a sleep evangelist. (HuffPost Healthy Living)

• 10 common superfoods in the world of endurance athletes. (The Blog Of Tim Ferriss)

• How yoga can make you successful off the mat. (MindBodyGreen)

• Could fevers during pregnancy cause autism? (The Stir)

• Baggu makes some of our favorite reusable grocery bags, and now: keychains. (Design Sponge)

Post from: Blisstree

According to this graphic, a typical fast-food burger weighed just 3.9 ounces in the 1950s. Now, it’s 12 ounces. That’s three times larger.

Likewise, an average order of fries has grown from 2.4 ounces to 6.7 ounces. And a soda has gone from 7 ounces to a whopping 42 ounces today (hello, Type 2 diabetes).

Did anyone go hungry from a typical meal in the 50s? Hardly. Americans have slowly just become accustomed to bigger portions–and bigger waistlines. It’s no wonder we have a health epidemic that is out of control due to poor eating habits. And it’s no wonder that 42% of Americans will be obese by 2030.

So what’s the answer here? Well, it’s been suggested here that you can order smaller meals, split a meal with a friend or take half of it home. But we have a better idea: How about just skipping fast food restaurants altogether? Because we already know that a lot of fast food doesn’t decay, even after two years, so why exactly are we putting it in our bodies to begin with?

Photo: nydailynews.com

Related posts:

• “Family-Style” Restaurants Worse Than Fast Food In Terms Of Calories, Sodium, Fat
• This Is What 2-Year-Old Fast Food Looks Like
• Taco Bell, Doritos Team Up To Make Fast Food Tacos Even More Unhealthy

Post from: Blisstree

• We can all take a lesson from America’s fittest cities (HuffPost Healthy Living)

• Huh…Meet the juice missionary who advocates for juice cleanses with an Evangelical spin (Well&Good)

• Uh-oh! More developments in the Case of the Tainted Tempeh (Food Safety News)

• Do you work from home? Stay motivated and healthy with these tips (Divine Caroline)

Post from: Blisstree

The world is abuzz with Snooki‘s announcement in In Touch magazine that she is having a boy. And while that’s all well and good (she said she’d have preferred a girl, but, you know, things happen), what’s really interesting in the interview is the 24-year-old Jersey Shore star’s very refreshing honesty about her pregnant self. Thank you, Snooki, for once again being a voice of reason (file that under “Sentences I Never Thought I’d Write”).

Though she’s obviously had her troubles, the small-statured Jersey girl has kind of been on fire lately when it comes to honest admissions and surprisingly wise words. Her V magazine interview revealed a lot about her inner turmoil, and she even had some great things to say about Tanning Mom. Now, she’s opening up about pregnancy–and people can’t wait to read it.

While new mom (and reigning queen of amazing pregnancies) Jessica Simpson couldn’t stop giving interviews about her insatiable appetite for sexytimes, Snooki is experiencing emotions that might be a little more relatable to many women who are expecting. From the interview:

“Our sex life is hardly there! I just feel too icky and gross,” Snooki confides. “I’m so not in the mood to do stuff.”

Being a little frisky during pregnancy is pretty normal–surging hormones and extra weight pressing down on the pelvis and whatnot–but so is feeling self-conscious about rapid weight gain. It’s a bummer that Snooki doesn’t feel awesome about her body right now, particularly since she’s battled with issues of self-esteem, body image, and even eating disorders, but she’s not alone.

Many women feel not-great as they adjust to their changing maternal figures, and the perpetual stream of naked pregnant ladies who rave about their voluptuousness and glow doesn’t do a lot to help them feel less alien. The myth of the perfect pregnancy body (and the perfect pregnancy self-esteem) just isn’t true for all women, and it’s nice to see a variety of perspectives from women in the spotlight.

In closing, Snooki has this to say:

“I’m not going to party hard anymore, even after the baby is born,” Snooki reveals. “Being a mom changes you.”

In her case, it seems to be for the better. We’re rooting for you, Snooki.

Image via

Related posts:

• Doctor Disses Jessica Simpson’s Weight; Stereotypes Pregnant Women As Fat Slobs
• Jessica Simpson’s Buttered Pop Tart Diet: Not Great For Pregnancy OR A Future Weight Watchers’ Rep
• Snooki Tells V Magazine: “I’m Overweight Because I Drink and Eat Bad For Show’
• Even Snooki Thinks Tan Mom Is Crazy, Giving Surprisingly Wise Skin Care Advice

Post from: Blisstree

Michaels made the official announcement in a People magazine article, which she shared on Facebook this morning with the following status update:

I am really happy to finally share with you that I have brought my daughter home AND I have a newborn son. The story is obviously to long for a Facebook post, but I gave it to people so if your are curious it’s all there. Thanks for sharing this long journey with me. I am so grateful.

Michaels has been waiting for news about her match since her adoption paperwork went through a year ago; it just happens that she was able to bring her girl home the same month that her partner gave birth, which means…a lot of babies, as she told People:

I don’t even answer email. I don’t have time to care about anything else. I want to be really present and enjoy all the nuances of their growth and development. I don’t want to rush any of it.

But once she’s back to work, we can’t wait to hear what she has to say about parenting, kids and health. Like many moms, we suspect the new additions to her family will get her even more fired up about health and, specifically, how to better support the health of families, mothers, and kids.

In the meantime, enjoy this adorable photo of Lukensia getting friendly with the paparazzi:

Related posts:

• Jillian Michaels Is (Almost) A Mom
• Jillian Michaels Leaving Biggest Loser for Motherhood
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Post from: Blisstree