Plastic Surgery Pittsburgh: Hunyo 2015

Martes, Hunyo 30, 2015

How to Do Shower Sex RIGHT

It can be as hot and steamy as you'd hope...if you follow these tips.

When you imagine having sex in the shower, what comes to mind? It might be beautiful, naked, soapy bodies exchanging steamy kisses—or maybe soap in your eyes, butts against cold tiles, and awkwardly slipping against each other as you trying to find a single stable position. The fumbling sex scene in 500 Days of Summer, where they fall out of the tub and rip out the shower curtain; that’s probably the most accurate portrayal of bathroom sex in recent memory.

The secret, as with many other sex situations, is to have fun with it all, says David Yarian, Ph.D, a Nashville-based sex therapist. You can’t expect it to work like normal intercourse, but you can find ways to make your bathroom your own sexual water park. Here are some of his best tips.

You might be completely aroused at the sight of your partner all slicked down, but that shower water could accidentally wash away all of your natural lubrication. “The number one thing that goes wrong is vaginal irritation and/or infection,” says Yarian. By avoiding the water, you can maintain your own wetness so that it doesn’t hurt when he’s entering you. And be really careful if that delicate southern skin gets irritated easily—you might want to avoid getting all soapy in that particular area during the act.

It’s really hard to open a condom with slippery hands, not to mention actually getting it on him. Get protected before you get wet—whether by birth control, IUD, or whatever your personal preference—or if you do want to use a condom, research the brand to see if it can stand up to water, says Yarian.

Do not, we repeat, do not put a foot on the edge of the bathtub. “There’s always the possibility of slipping and falling," says Yarian. One good position that keeps your feet planted firmly on the ground is doggy style. “If the female—or receptive partner—is bent over with both feet on the ground, they might be more stable, and then the man can stand upright behind her,” says Yarian. “I would not add extra acrobatics on top of slipperiness.” It’s an easy way to wind up in an ER. Not hot.

“I think intercourse is the least-safe thing you can do,” says Yarian. “It’s fun to fool around, soap each other up, caress and touch, be slippery together, and then have the actual intercourse outside the bathroom.” Play with the sensuality of the water, the hot air, the new feeling of each other’s bodies. That’s a really great time, too.

RELATED: How to Find Your Own G-Spot

Pause to appreciate and embrace the intimacy of the moment. You’re makeup-free, your body is bare, and you’re standing there together taking care of each other. “To have your partner groom you, shampoo you, soap you, it’s pretty intimate,” says Yarian. “It can be slow, and slow is often really sexy.” Give him an epic head scratch as you shampoo his fair, or let him wash you from head to toe, or carefully shave your legs. You might find sensitive spots you didn’t even know you had. Plus, you just crossed a task off your to-do list for the day! It’s a win-win.

Sabado, Hunyo 27, 2015

Caitlyn Jenner on New Docuseries: ‘We’re Going to Do Some Good’

Watch the emotional new promo for <em>I Am Cait</em>.

We don’t know about you, but we’re counting the days until the premiere of Caitlyn Jenner’s docu-series I Am Cait.

Jenner released one teaser for the series earlier this month in which she did her makeup and talked about her new life as a woman. “You go through all of this stuff,” she says in the trailer, “and you start learning kind of the pressure that women are under all the time about their appearance.”

She also talked about her hope for living a normal life as she drives with an unidentified passenger. “Isn’t it great that maybe someday you’ll be normal, just blend into society?” she says. “You are normal,” the passenger responds, to which Caitlyn says, “Put it this way: I’m the new normal.”

Now, there’s a new trailer out. In it, Jenner walks around in a gorgeous, flowy peach dress and talks more about her journey. Check it out:

“Why did I decide to do a series?” she says in a voiceover. “I’m telling my story.”

She adds: "People don't understand looking into the mirror and nothing seems right, putting on clothes that you just really don't identify with. This is about getting to be who you really are."

The trailer features shots of Caitlyn hugging several women—her daughter Kylie in one shot, and a group of unidentified women in another—as well as riding a dirt bike.

Caitlyn promises that she’s going to talk about “everything,” adding, “We're going to do a lot of fun things for the first time. We're going to go shopping for the first time. Maybe even some boy stuff, like ride a motorcycle—because girls do that, too!"

Says Caitlyn: “It’s going to be quite a journey. We’re going to do some good.”

I Am Cait premieres on E! on Sunday, July 26.

Why This Women's Soccer Player Got Naked for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue

"I'm proud of my body, I'm proud of my sport."

U.S. women’s national soccer team defender Ali Krieger is fit, strong, and one heck of an athlete:

But while her tenacity on the field is undeniable, she showed an entirely different type of courage when she decided to pose nude for the forthcoming ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue 2015 (on newsstands July 10):

Williams + Hirakawa/ESPN

“I'm proud of my body, I'm proud of my sport, I'm proud of being a female athlete,” she tells ESPN. “Being naked is just another aspect of that. It's real. It's raw. It's honest.”

Ali admits to harboring some insecurities (she's only human), calling her calves and thighs big. But she says that she embraces them: “I've trained since I was 6 years old to play soccer, and this is just the type of body I have,” she tells the publication. “I'm proud of my thighs because they've gotten me to where I am today and give me the power that I have to play my best.”

We love your body pride and honesty, Ali!

Ali and the rest of Team USA take on China in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Gif via giphy.com

5 Women Share Their Real-Life Honeymoon Horror Stories

It's not all champagne and great sex.

My husband, Chris, and I were pretty poor when we got married. We weren’t subsisting solely on ramen noodles and sitting on cardboard furniture, but we definitely didn’t have any extra cash to splurge on a splashy honeymoon.

Luckily, my parents stepped in and kindly offered us the use of their new, untested timeshare in Florida. It was a sweet gesture, and we really appreciated it. But the place was basically...how do I say this nicely?...a resort for old people.

Chris and I would hit the pool in the morning and would have to wait until the sunrise aqua aerobics class wrapped up, featuring the smooth moves of seasoned ladies who moved at a glacial pace. We regularly rubbed elbows with couples in walkers and wheelchairs, and nightlife in the area shut down by 8 p.m., leaving our entertainment options limited.

There was also a massive seaweed invasion in the ocean, making it impossible to jump in the water without resurfacing as a sea monster.

But despite the unusual environment, we had a great time and still managed to do plenty of the usual honeymoon-type stuff.

I recently chatted with some friends about their honeymoon experiences and realized I have zero to complain about. While some had the blissful honeymoon experiences you dream of, others definitely didn’t:

“I got sun poisoning on the first day of our two-week Maui honeymoon. It was on my scalp because my hair was parted. A couple of days later, my entire forehead was so swollen because gravity had brought the swelling and fluid down. It even looked like my eyes were crossed because the bridge of my nose was so swollen. We ended up having to go to urgent care and missed the best sunset of our entire trip. My husband will never let me forget it!” —Jenna

“We had a honeymoon surprise when we checked into our hotel room in Cancun. When my husband, Ryan, and I got settled in the room and hopped in the fluffy white bed, our make-out session was interrupted by an unwelcome sight: evidence of someone else’s hot sex in the form of a butt print on the glass partition dividing the bedroom from the bathroom. I am no forensics expert, but the two round greasy spots and the handprints higher up told the tale. Also on this trip, Ryan's slippers got doused with insecticide when the hotel sprayed our room for ants, we got so sunburned we spent one whole day in bed with aloe and 30 Rock DVDs, and some dude sent over Champagne to us at dinner when we told him it was our honeymoon, and then followed up that kind gesture by handing us some 'great pills' that would give us the 'best sex of our lives' on his way out the door. We did not consume these pills from this shady stranger. Ryan tossed them in some hedges after we left the restaurant because our route back to the hotel passed by the police station.” —Martha

“We took a cruise for our honeymoon, and my husband was seasick most of the time. When he wasn’t throwing up, he was laid up in bed. On one night, when they were having a fancy dinner on the ship that was like a prom, he rallied and got dressed up…and ended up having to leave to go puke. I stayed at the dinner alone.” —Liz

“My husband and I went to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon, and it’s one of those places where you’re not supposed to drink the water. We didn’t find out until later that it meant we shouldn’t brush our teeth with the water, either, so we spent the majority of our honeymoon running to the bathroom. It wasn’t exactly romantic.” —Katie

“We made the incredibly stupid move to schedule our flight for our honeymoon early the day after our wedding. We saved a few hundred dollars that way. Of course we missed our flight. I ended up in tears in the airport, which wasn’t exactly how I imagined the whole thing would start off. Luckily, we made it the next day, but day one of our honeymoon completely sucked.” —Sarah

...And that is why I’m now convinced that I had the best honeymoon ever.

Korin Miller is a writer, SEO nerd, wife, and mom to a little 2-year-old dude named Miles. Korin has worked for The Washington Post, New York Daily News, and Cosmopolitan, where she learned more than anyone ever should about sex. She has an unhealthy addiction to gifs.

The Food Swaps I Made to Lose Over 90 Pounds and Feel Healthier Than Ever

Tara LaJevic tried to avoid the scale and mirrors for as long as she could, but one day she'd had enough.

Before: 240

After: 148

The Lifestyle
Most of my adult life, I've weighed somewhere around 170 pounds. For someone who is 5'9", that's not the ideal weight, but I felt okay about myself. For the most part, I was eating things like cheeseburgers, fries, pizza, and pasta in Alfredo sauce, and I didn't really think about what I was putting into my body. Plus, I worked in the restaurant industry, where I was around unhealthy yet tasty food all. The. Time. But I worked out a lot and loved taking cycling classes, so my weight stayed pretty consistent.

When I got pregnant in my early twenties, I gained about 70 pounds and weighed 220 pounds. I stopped going to the gym and continued eating what I wanted. After having my daughter, I decided to join a weight-loss program, and it worked! I went back to 175 pounds.

Unfortunately, while I was on the program, I always felt hungry. So when I quit, I went back to my old ways and started putting the weight back on. By the time my daughter was in school, my weight had skyrocketed. Between 2012 and 2013, I'd gained 45 pounds and was too embarrassed to work out anymore. To make some extra money, I picked up another job and was working more than 50 hours a week—and of course, that was on top of taking care of my daughter. I began eating at the restaurants I worked at more frequently, and my weight continued to creep up. Eventually, I stopped weighing myself, began avoiding mirrors, and pretended like nothing was wrong.

The Change
One day at work, a news crew came to interview a few people about an incident that had happened in the area. After I was interviewed on camera, I was kind of excited to see myself on TV. But when the newscast aired, I couldn't believe how big I looked. I broke down. I actually went into a little bit of a depression. I felt really hopeless, but I tried to channel those emotions into researching how other people had lost weight. Those success stories inspired me to try to change my life.

My mom told me that she and my dad had used the Atkins diet to lose a lot of weight and that it might work for me—so I went for it. I started by cutting back on the amount of carbohydrates and sugar I was eating and by ramping up my protein intake. I'm not going to lie—it was really hard to avoid French fries at work and order lunches without any bread at first, but I knew that sticking to the diet would help me reach my goal. I actually learned how to stick with my eating habits when I ate out. I started ordering salmon with a side of veggies, scrambled eggs with chorizo, and salads.

After four weeks, I weighed myself and realized that I'd lost 20 pounds, bringing me to 220. When I reached 175 pounds about seven months later, I started going to the gym again. It felt so good to be active! I was surprised how easy it was to work out without the extra weight.

One year after deciding to change my life, I'd lost 92 pounds and weighed 148 pounds. For the first time in my adulthood, I wear a size six. I feel awesome!

The Reward
My favorite part about being this size is that I can go shopping and buy whatever I want. I think this is the first time I've worn shorts since I was 12. Now, I wear them every day.

Tara's Tips
Hold off on weighing yourself at first. When I began changing my eating habits, I didn't want to get discouraged if the pounds didn't come off right away. By waiting a few weeks to weigh myself, I stayed motivated during the hardest part of any lifestyle change. Now, I step on the scale pretty frequently to make sure I'm on track.

Know that you can change yourself. When I weighed around 180, I thought, "Well, this is how I look, and I can't change it." But nothing is permanent. When I decided to change my life for the better, I did it.

You don't have to starve to lose weight. Though I was cutting back on certain kinds of foods, I never felt like I was hungry after a meal. I felt satisfied by eating lots of protein and veggies—which helped me stay on track with my good habits.

6 Signs You Shouldn't Pack Up and Move to Be with a Guy

When it's smart to stay put

Relocating is something either you or your partner has to do at some point if you want to take a long-distance relationship to the next level; but how do you know if it's a good idea? Here are a few red flags that indicate you should probably stay put.

If the guy you're dating didn't for a moment consider relocating himself to accommodate your life—or decided to move on his own without asking you and making you part of the discussion, it's not a good sign, says Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., author of Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship and a professor of sociology at Oakland University.

His decisions affect you and the relationship, and failing to consult you about any major life moves shows that he's not taking your needs, wants, and preferences into account like he should be if you're going to make big changes to your life for him. "You want somebody who consults you and is interdependent with you," she says.

When the communication and the giving is a one-way street, it makes the relationship unbalanced, whereas those that involve equal parts of give and take on both sides are more egalitarian, says Ben Michaelis, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and author of Your Next Big Thing: 10 Small Steps to Get Moving and Get Happy. "These relationships tend to be stronger and stand the test of time."

If a guy doesn't bring you into his tight-knit world of family and friends, then he isn't integrating you into his life—and that points to a lack of commitment on his end and means he may not be actively planning for a future with you, says Michaelis.

"Partners who are more committed, happy, and stable are willing to talk and discuss what's ahead," says Orbuch. Other signs he sees things as serious (besides making sure you know the core people in his life) could range from planning a trip together to looking into buying a condo or house as a couple. If he changes the topic or just dismisses these types of conversations when you bring them up, you shouldn't follow him anywhere.

"One of the big predictors of stability and longevity in a relationship is being able to resolve conflict well," says Orbuch. But if you or your guy goes silent or shuts down during tough times, it's a bad sign, and you probably aren't ready for the stress of moving to a new place to accommodate his life. So if either one of you currently becomes quiet during conflict, it's best to table any talk about moving and focus on finding ways to vocalize your thoughts and feelings during disagreements first.

You don't have to be his one and only priority, but your significant other needs to think of you and your interests when it comes to issues both big and small. If he picks restaurants without thinking about what kinds of food you like or makes plans with another couple without consulting you—even though he knows you dislike them—he isn't giving you the consideration you deserve, says Orbuch. This applies to moving, as well. If your lease isn't up or you aren't prepared to leave your job just yet, he should help brainstorm ways to make the timing work.

While this may seem like a good thing, if your bond hasn't endured challenges, then you may not be ready for a serious step like moving to be with him, says Michaelis. Some relationships have only existed in a bubble and aren't exposed to certain pressures that determine whether it can survive a difficult situation, like a health problem or one of you losing your job. Couples who have already weathered a long-distance relationship because of a job, school, or military commitment often hold up well over time. And if you've seen your significant other through the loss of a loved one or something else serious, that's usually a sign that your bond will be able to stand the test of time.

For many couples, having the same key life values (such as religion, a focus on family, or a certain approach to money) is what solidifies the relationship over the long term, says Orbuch. If you and your partner don't see eye-to-eye on these things, it's probably not a good idea to relocate. One big issue you shouldn't ignore is how you allocate finances. If you pay all your bills on time and he prioritizes spending on fun stuff, it's a red flag that you need to have a serious money discussion. Ask him how he budgets his paycheck and what kind of saving or investing he does. If may seem unsexy, but it's an important conversation to have; if his answers don't align with your values, you may not want to make the move.

There is one situation in which you can feel good about moving even if one or more of the warning signs above describe your relationship: If you'd be genuinely excited to live in a new place even if he's not in the picture and you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can still consider it as an option, says Jane Greer, Ph.D., a New York-based relationship expert and author of What About Me? Stop Selfishness From Ruining Your Relationship. Just make sure you'd be okay living in your potential new hometown on your own since it may come to that.

Meet the 'Burn and Firm' Trainer Who Will Help You Incinerate Calories

Christine Bullock is one of our five Next Fitness Star competition finalists.

Voting is now open for our Next Fitness Star competition, and the search for the fittest female personal trainer is heating up! Check out the finalists' bios and videos all this week on WomensHealthMag.com, and head over to thenextfitnessstar.com to vote for your favorite until August 3rd (you can vote once a day).

CHRISTINE BULLOCK
Age: 33
City: Los Angeles, CA

Catch Phrase: "Breeeathel"
Spirit Animal: Swan

About Me: With crazy-busy schedules, I get that it feels nearly impossible to hit the gym. But you don't need a lot of time, money, or fancy equipment to score the shape of your dreams. My workouts focus on building power, strength, stability, and endurance—in as little as 20 minutes a day, using mostly just your body weight. That approach gets you lean and balanced, but more important, it's fun. I want you to smile, laugh, and finish your workout with an "I can't believe I just did that!" glow. Why? Because if you enjoy it, you'll keep doing it. If you keep doing it, it will become a habit. And eventually, that habit will become something you couldn't imagine your life without.

1. Quote that inspires you? Philadelphia Flyers coach Fred Shero said, "Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."

2. Body part that many women neglect in their training? A strong back helps accentuate your waistline and creates a tall, lean look. Plank dumbbell rows and inverted shoulder presses are great, but I think every woman should work on her pullups. Nothing sculpts your back better—plus, it feels super empowering!

3. Favorite time of day to exercise? I'm a morning person and I love to work out at 7 a.m. It makes me feel energized for the entire day. But sometimes I'll do two evening workouts each week—I think changing things up can help you avoid plateaus.

4. Go-to workout strategy while traveling? Keep it simple! Choose five or six basic body-weight exercises (mine are plank, bridge, squat jump, side plank, lunge, and pushup) and do 10 reps of each. Aim to do two or three total rounds.

5. Biggest fitness lesson you've learned? I used to work out for vanity—to look better in my skinny jeans or bikini. But a few years back, my health declined and I started to realize how deeply fitness and nutrition impact my life on every level. Now I take a more balanced approach and focus on what else I gain from being fit: I have all-day energy, I sleep better, my mood is balanced and positive, and my skin glows. I work out to boost my overall strength and athleticism and, in turn, my confidence.

Check out Christine's video below:

Check back for more Next Fitness Star finalists, and head on over to thenextfitnessstar.com to vote for your favorite!

The Supreme Court Just Ruled That Gay Marriage Is Legal in All 50 States

#LoveWins

Love is love is love. Marriage is marriage is marriage.

So says a historic decision this morning from the Supreme Court of the United States. SCOTUS ruled, 5-4, that same-sex marriage is a Constitutional right.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority and was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer.

The ruling reads:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.

It is so ordered.”

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel A. Alito, Jr. dissented.

Politicians and celebrities immediately began responding to the news. Some of the highlights:

Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015

All marriages at their root are about love. In America, our laws now recognize that simple truth. #LoveWins today & we couldn't be prouder.

— Vice President Biden (@VP) June 26, 2015

This decision recognizes the fundamental truth that our love is all equal. Today is a great day for America. #LoveWins -mo

— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) June 26, 2015

Proud. pic.twitter.com/9J44PCYeuQ

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 26, 2015

Today the Supreme Court fulfilled the words engraved upon its building: ‘Equal justice under law.’ #SCOTUSMarriage

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 26, 2015

Love won. #MarriageEquality

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) June 26, 2015

Today is beautiful

— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) June 26, 2015

It's a new day. Thank you Supreme Court. Thank you Justice Kennedy. Your opinion is profound, in more ways than you may know. #huzzah

— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) June 26, 2015

#MarriageEquaility!!!! A giant step towards our country being a better place to be!

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 26, 2015

Wow. So moved to hear such amazing news. What a beautiful day. Grateful to those who have worked so tirelessly for equality. #lovewins

— Ellen Page (@EllenPage) June 26, 2015

This momentous decision comes just a day after another big SCOTUS ruling that upheld Obamacare subsidies, essentially saving the healthcare reform.

It’s Scary How Easy (and Common) It Is for Doctors to Misdiagnose an STD as a UTI

Great.

Rushing to the ER with burning pee is pretty much the opposite of awesome, but it’s even less so when doctors misdiagnose you.

Unfortunately, it’s happening to a lot of women, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. And here’s the kicker: They’re commonly misdiagnosing patients who have sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with urinary tract infections (UTIs).

For the study, researchers observed the diagnoses of UTIs and STDs in women in emergency rooms over two months and found a ton of interesting information. Of the 264 women studied, 66 percent were diagnosed as having a UTI, and nearly 60 percent of those were treated without performing a urine culture to more accurately determine what was wrong with them. (Really, ER docs?)

Researchers also discovered that 23 percent of the women who visited the ER had at least one type of STD, and 37 percent of them didn’t receive treatment for STDs up to seven days after visiting the ER.

And get this: Nearly 65 percent of those women who had an STD were diagnosed with a UTI instead.

Er...what?

While it’s shocking to us, Jason S. James, M.D., chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baptist Hospital of Miami, says these findings are “not all that surprising.”

He breaks it down for us: First, many STDs have symptoms that mimic UTIs. Second, diagnostic tests that can give results at the same time as the visit aren’t readily available for a lot of types of infection. So while your gyno or a urologist may test you for an STD and call you when the results are back from the lab, ERs don’t work that way.

And third, women almost always test positive for UTIs when they give a urine sample because they’re usually contaminated by normal bacteria that live in the vagina. “ER doctors will then recommend treating this ‘UTI’ in order to avoid potential worsening of an infection,” says James.

Shutterstock

There’s also the rush factor in ERs, says urologist David Kaufman, M.D., of New York’s Central Park Urology. “In an office setting, the physician-patient interaction is more personal, less hurried, and more complete than what is typically encountered in an emergency department setting,” he says. “I would expect better outcomes as a result.”

So what are these STDs that have UTI-like symptoms? Experts say there are several of them, but genital herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are the most likely to cause the frequent need to go, as well as burning pee.

If you suspect that an STD might be the problem and you have to go to the ER, speak up. Some STDs are treated with antibiotics, so they could help you right then. And if you’ve been to the ER for burning pee and the frequent need to go and aren’t feeling better after 24 to 48 hours on antibiotics, call your doctor and get in for a follow-up.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), guys probably don’t have the same problem. Even though the study only looked at women, Kaufman says it’s just easier to misdiagnose STDs and UTIs in women versus men. “The discharge in men associated with STDs is more obvious and often the presenting complaint, making the diagnosis of STDs more straightforward in male patients,” he says.

Lucky guys.

Work Your Upper AND Lower Body in One Crazy Simple Move

Where has this exercise been all your life?

Join the Women's Health Weekend Challenge to help you meet your fitness goals fast and make your weekend workouts count. Thousands of women already have. Join them, and achieve your fitness goals faster!

Farmer's Walk: Your go-to workout move doesn't need to be complex to be effective. This uncomplicated move works your shoulders, arms, core, thighs, and calves—while you walk. Come on, people. It doesn't get much better than that. Now get walking!

SO…ARE YOU IN?!

Wanna take your fitness to the next level? Starting July 1, you can sign up for Degree's Get Moving Challenge for a chance to win a one-on-one workout with celeb trainer and transformation pro Chris Powell!

Biyernes, Hunyo 26, 2015

How to Throw a Kick-Ass Women’s World Cup Viewing Party

Smells like team spirit!

The FIFA Women's World Cup is in full swing right now, and tonight, the U.S.will face off against Norway in the quarterfinals. Invite your friends over to watch the games—we've got you covered with decorations, patriotic snacks, and fun activities.

How to Decorate
Set the scene for the gathering by turning your table into a soccer field using a plastic green tablecloth and white crepe paper (both are available at grocery stores or party stores). First, cover your table with the table cloth. Then, lay three pieces of crepe paper down the edges and center of the table to create the half-way line and the endlines. Add more pieces of crepe paper to create the lines for the penalty areas. Then, add the center circle (you'll need to cinch the crepe paper a bit, and it's helpful to use a plate as a guide while you're doing this). Use pieces of double-sided tape under the crepe paper to hold it in place.

Trick dianthus are green fuzzy flowers that look similar to grass. Fill a vase with several of these for an easy on-theme centerpiece.

Add an American Flag to the table to show your team spirit. And with July 4th just around the corner, patriotic plates are easy to find a grocery stores.

What to Serve

Individual yogurt parfaits make for a healthy red, white, and blue snack. Layer strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and vanilla yogurt, and top with a sprinkle of granola.

A guacamole soccer field doubles as a snack and a decoration: Just make or purchase your favorite guac (or other green dip), pour it into a rectangular tray, and use sour cream in a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to draw on the endlines, half-way line, and center circle. Square-shaped pretzels make perfect goals.

Create red, white, and blue salads by topping spinach with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and goat cheese and adding your favorite dressing.

Popsicles are the ultimate summertime cool-down treat, and patriotic ones are readily available at the grocery store.

If you really want to show your team spirit, bake store-bought sugar cookie dough into rectangular treats, then top them with ready-made cheesecake filling and fresh berries to create quick flag cookies.

Serve orange-infused water since most people who played soccer when they were younger remember their parents bringing orange slices for them to snack on after soccer games.

What To Do (Besides Watch the Game)

Get into the game by filling out a bracket predicting which teams will face off in the final match and who will go home with the 2015 Women's World Cup. Here's a printable version we made for you to use.

Place bets with your friends on who will score the next goal, get a penalty, etc.—and make people do 10 crunches or pushups when a goal is scored against their team.

Happy watching!

Kit Graham is a food blogger, restaurant lover, travel aficionado, social media maven, and a proud member of the Chicago blogging community. The Kittchen is the place to find Kit’s original recipes, restaurant reviews, and travel stories.

Huwebes, Hunyo 25, 2015

Check Out the Shades All the Cool Kids (Ahem, Us) Are Wearing This Summer

A collab for a cause

Women's Health and Steven Alan Optical teamed up to create a pair of exclusive, limited-edition sunglasses (our logos are etched—tastefully!—in gold on the inside of one arm). Shelling out for them means protecting yourself and others: Steven Alan Optical will donate 100 percent of the net proceeds to Eye Care America, a public service program that provides eye care at no out-of-pocket cost to medically underserved seniors who qualify.

We'll be celebrating the launch of the glasses tonight at Steven Alan's Chelsea location in New York City, but we couldn't wait to rock the shades. Check out some Women's Health staffers trying them on for size, and make sure to score your own pair before they sell out at select Steven Alan stores and stevenalanoptical.com.

Molly Nover-Baker, beauty director

Sara E. Culley, senior managing editor

Sascha de Gersdorff, deputy editor, and Lindsey Benoit, communications & special projects director

Jacqueline Azria, creative director

The Playlist That’ll Make Even Your Toughest Workouts Less Intimidating

Courtesy of Tone House

Every week, Your New Favorite Playlist introduces you to workout-worthy tunes from a different fitness brand. This week, Tone House shares a playlist from a recent class.

Tone House, a fitness studio that a former pro athlete opened in New York City last year, has a reputation...for being kind of terrifying. "It's dark, there's red lights, and we have our scary music going in the beginning, so a lot of people are instantly intimdated," says head coach Tamara Pridgett. "But then you speak to the people, and you're like, 'Oh, my gosh, these are quite possibly the best people I've ever met.' ... It's not even just the people you're working out with; it's the coaches." The supportive nature of the workout (you're instantly put onto a team) sets it apart from the ones at other studios, says Pridgett.

The routine mixes up explosive exercises, resistance training, speed training, and periods of active recovery to bring out your inner athlete—and each session starts and ends with a team chant. "Basically, it's a lot of learning how to use the muscle you have and become a functional athlete," says Pridgett.

Music is key in keeping you pumped up throughout the tough workout. "If we turn on a really fast-paced song, you just see everything change," says Pridgett. Here's the mix from a recent class:

You can download a similar playlist on Spotify. Not ready to sweat this second? Sample some of the songs:

Tone House is located in New York City.

The Chicest Way to Show Your Team Spirit at a Sporting Event

Look cute while you hoot and holler.

Recently, we had the (amazing!) opportunity to attend the Women's World Cup in Vancouver, Canada, with fourteen other inspiring women in the health and wellness world. One of the ladies in attendance: Lindsey Calla of the gorgeous style, fitness, and travel site Calla in Motion. So naturally, we took the opporutnity to ask what her favorite way to dress for sporting events is. Check out her response in this video (which we originally broadcasted live during the U.S. vs. Nigeria game via Periscope):

How do you like to show your team spirit when you're at a sporting event?

The Annoying Thing Nearly Half of Doctors Are Doing During Office Hours

So that explains the long wait time...

When you visit the doctor, you expect her to be laser-focused on the task at hand: diagnosing your issue and prescribing a treatment to make you better ASAP.

But it turns out your doc may have something else on the brain...something like Candy Crush.

According to a new survey about phone usage at work by the market research firm YouGov, 43 percent of doctors say they play games on their phone while they’re on the job (more than 1,200 adults responded to the survey).

Of course, it’s unlikely that they’re on the phone while performing heart surgery, but before and after? There’s a solid chance it’s going down.

Granted, doctors are just acting the same as the rest of us. Per the Observer, the survey discovered that nearly 70 percent of us are distracted from work by social media and texting a few times a day. Consultants did it the most (76 percent used their phones for social media and texting at least five times a day), followed by IT workers (59 percent), finance professionals (27 percent), and teachers (23 percent).

While you can probably get away with texting a few times during work with no repercussions, it can be potentially dangerous for doctors because gaming is distracting.

Why are we all so hooked? Chemicals in our brains make it hard to quit. “The power of the Internet supersedes any frontal lobe judgment,” said David Greenfield, founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, in the Observer. “When dopamine is activated in the brain, which is what happens with gaming, it overrides your judgment.”

Yup, even with doctors.

The results really aren’t shocking since doctors are people, too, but they do shed light on a problem.

The next time you’re stuck logging quality time in the waiting room at your doctor’s office, just keep this on the backburner: Candy Crush could be the culprit.

Gif courtesy of giphy.com

This Woman Did a Mud Run—and Went Blind in One Eye

Terrifying

When you register for a race, you sign a waiver for a reason: With fitness achievements come risks. That’s obviously more so the case for some races than others, though, and mud runs are definitely up there in the danger department.

We've reported on the perils of mud runs before—from fever and diarrhea to burns to paralysis. Now, unfortunately, another hazard has been added to the list: A young mom says that bacteria from a mud run left her blind in one eye.

RELATED: The Dangers of a Mud Run

Brittany Williams participated in a mud run in Texas with her fiancé earlier this month. Afterward, she started experiencing severe pain in her left eye, as well as vision loss, according to a GoFundMe page that has since been set up for her.

"My eye started hurting, like maybe I’ve got mud or some debris in there," she told CBS DFW. "When I opened my eye, it was just like white. The whole room was white."

According to her GoFundMe page, she learned from a visit to the emergency room that she had "several abrasions on her cornea and what looked like a chemical burn—that she had a very slim chance of ever seeing out of that eye again." She's since spent a week in the hospital and racked up $100,000 in medical bills, reports CBS DFW. (She has two jobs but opted out of health insurance.)

Watch Brittany further explain her injury—and see it for yourself—in CBS DFW's video below. Warning: It's pretty gruesome.

Still interested in giving a mud run a go? Make sure you know these facts and bring along these essentials first.

5 Places You're Guaranteed to Fight with Your Partner

And how to minimize the potential for conflict in each one

There are just certain situations and locations that seem to trigger fights between lovebirds. But it is possible to avoid issues even in the most conflict-prone places. Here's how.

While Traveling Together
Staying up late packing. Boarding an airplane with minimal sleep and even less leg room. Deciding on each day's itinerary. Any one of these scenarios can lead an otherwise mellow couple to a blowout.

When you're traveling, your normal routine is thrown off and you have little control over your surroundings. So when something goes slightly sideways, you're likely to blame someone—and your partner is the closest target, says relationship consultant Rhoberta Shaler, Ph.D., creator of coupleology.com.

But playing the blame game means nobody wins. Instead, Shaler suggests focusing on how to take care of the relationship in the current situation. So if your plane is delayed and you're irritated that you didn't pack a snack, tell your partner, "I'm hungry and don't do well when I'm stressed and starving." Then suggest getting something to eat as a couple. This put the spotlight on finding a solution in the moment. (You'll likely find that this will take the edge off and cause him to bicker with you less, too.)

At a Group Dinner
When you're sitting around a table with other happy couples and your partner says something snarky, you can't exactly call him out in front of everyone else—but you can pull him aside at your first opportunity and chew him out. Shaler says many people make a sarcastic remark or one-liner in these types of situations because they're either trying to be funny (and it comes at the expense of their partner) or they're bringing up something they know will upset their partner (but want to discuss) and think being in public will protect him from potential backlash.

The next time your beloved says something that rubs you the wrong way, resist the urge to continue the snark, take some deep breaths, and focus on yourself. Ask yourself what you're thinking: Are you feeling hurt? Surprised? Vindictive? Remember the specifics, and then share the details with your S.O. when you get home. Repeat what he said, how it made you feel, and why it's important to you that he understand how it affected you.

RELATED: 12 Fights EVERY Couple Has

At a Party or Wedding
Big social events can bring out the competitive side in some couples, making them prime spots for a fight. Seeing other twosomes in love can lead to drawing comparisons, like: Why aren't we as affectionate as Jeff and Sarah?

"When your partner doesn't live up to your expectations in a social setting, you can become upset," says Shaler. The solution? Take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself what you want to happen in the next five minutes. That will usually give you the clarity to realize that you don't actually want to create an argument at someone else's celebration. Focus on the event instead, and try to enjoy the happiness surrounding you. You can address whatever issues you're having as a couple the next day.

In the Car
Being stuck in traffic is another one of those situations when you almost can't help but take your frustrations out on the nearest person—your significant other more likely than not. Shaler suggests talking about the crappy circumstances out loud (without blame), talking about how they make you feel, and then asking your partner a question about them. Something as simple as: "This traffic is horrible. It's making me anxious. Is it stressing you out?" puts the focus on what you have in common in the moment.

Humor can also help. Try to laugh about how annoyed you are or listen to a funny Podcast. If you're not in a rush, you can even throw up your hands, pull over, and grab a cup of coffee together to defuse the tension, says Shaler says.

Around Your In-Laws
For some couples, simply being around each other's families is a recipe for a fight. Whether it's an overly critical mother-in-law or a brutally honest brother, a third opinion inserted into your relationship is usually not a welcome intrusion and can spark a dispute.

If you can escape to a separate part of the house or go for a walk just the two of you, it's a good idea to go clear the air. Shaler suggests using the following technique: Give whichever partner is feeling under fire the floor for a few minutes to share information about him or herself. The idea is for that person to only talk about themself and what they're thinking and feeling without insinuating anything about the other person or their family. (Avoiding using the words "you" or "your" can help with this.) If you're on the listening end of this, respond by saying, "Tell me more. How long have you felt that way?" Asking questions is the best way to make your partner feel heard and to get the information you need to understand what he's thinking and feeling.

If you're feeling like your partner should have defended you more and you're the one expressing your frustrations, try saying something like, "We're supposed to have each other's backs, no matter what. How can we make this relationship a safe haven for both of us?" The conversation sets things up to be about finding a productive solution—not about blame. Regardless of who's feeling attacked, resolve to have a conversation later about how to solve the larger issue.