Month: June 2017

Sweat

23 Lazy Girl Beauty Savers To Use Right Now

Post author By Jami Ganz
Post date June 7, 2017

There’s a difference between wanting to look your best and wanting to take literally hours to look your best. You shouldn’t have to spend all day trying to perfect your eyeliner. So take a look at these tips, meant for you ladies who want to look great, but save time and effort doing it.

Fix Too Dark Foundation

You know that feeling when you’re caught between two foundations? They’re the same brand, and maybe, to the naked eye, they’re even the same color. There’s a slight difference between the way each blends on your skin, though, with one looking a bit more subtle than the other.

You take it home and put it on, only to realize that, alas, it’s still too dark. Don’t panic, you don’t have to go around looking like you have a less-than-perfect spray tan. If you just combine a little moisturizer with your foundation, that can actually make it a bit lighter!

Three is the Magic Number

With contouring, there’s a ton of tips and tricks out there for how to make sure your face is perfectly on point. If you’re in a rush though, just trace from above your brow, to underneath your eye, and along your jawline, in the shape of the number three.

Line Using Your Curler

Your curler doesn’t have to be used just for your lashes. Try using your eyeliner to draw a line along the part that will crimp the top of your lashes. This way, the liner will transfer from the curler to your eyelid.

Cards for All

You’ve probably heard that you can use business or ID cards to help with evening your eyeshadow distribution or even to help ensure a straight line with your liner. Did you know that you can also use it for mascara?
Place the card behind your lashes and swipe up against it so the excess mascara lands on the card, not your lids.

Glitter Cover-Ups

If your bottom cuticle is ruining the aesthetic of your manicure, you can cover it up with some glitter polish. Ombre is still in, so Cosmopolitan suggests going for that sort of vibe. The same is true when your tips might be flaking away, just add some glitter and make it look like you were aiming for a revamped French all along.

Warm Up Your Mascara

Mascara works better when it’s warmed up, and a quick way to do this is to let it rest in your bra for a bit before you go ahead and use it, because, you know, body heat.

Tee vs. Towel

Towel-drying your hair might seem like a time saver, but really, it’s a time drainer. Use a t-shirt instead for significantly better absorption.

Match Foundation to Your Tan

If a darker foundation is exactly what you were looking for, because you’ve spent all month lying in the sun, just mix it with some bronzing powder.

Eyeshadow Works for Hair Too

Are you showing more of your scalp and not enough of your lustrous locks? Don’t worry, take some eye shadow that matches the color of your hair and brush it along your part to create the perfect illusion.

Band-Aids Can Help Your Nails Too

If you have some of those classic Band-Aids laying around with the tiny holes in them, try putting them over your already dry nails, and paint over the holes for a polka-dot look.

White Goes Pop

Did you know that white eyeliner can be used for more than just making your eyes look bigger or helping them to pop a bit? (That works by putting it on your waterline, for the record.)
It can also help to make your lips look a bit fuller, which we all know is a big concern amongst today’s women. Just put some light liner—you can probably stick to pencil liner for this—in the center of that pout you’ve got, and it will create the illusion that there’s more to your lips.

Bonus: swiping some white liner on your eyes (either the entire lid or just where you line it) can help any shadows or other liners you use to really make an impression.

Low on Sleep? Stock up on Highlighter

Apply your highlighter to the right places (the center of your forehead, the top of your nose, and the apples of your cheeks) so that you can look ready to go, no matter how little sleep you got the night before.

Hide Split-Ends

If you’re saving your money, and not ready to get another cut just yet, but you can’t help but cringe at your split-ends, hair oil might be your answer, according to Cosmopolitan. It can hide your split-ends from the judgmental eyes of others.

Master the Smokey Eye

Was there ever a time when the smoky eye was not regarded as the ultimate makeup look? Well, probably not since the 21st century got underway at least. Funnily enough though, there are still so many of us who have trouble perfecting this signature look.
That stops here! Just take “an eye crayon … and draw on a couple of criss-cross lines over the outer corner of your eyes.” Blend it with a brush meant for eyeshadow, and you’re done.

fFix Mascara

Is your mascara less than fabulous right now? Well, just take some contact solution, put a few drops in your mascara bottle, and mix it.

Highlight Differently

You don’t have to always use a typical makeup highlighter. Instead, you can go natural, and use an oil, like jojoba, according to Cali of DePasquale The Spa. Just put it on the same spots where you would your traditional highlighter and you should be all set.

Make Your Hair Smell Great

Is the perfume you spray on your body just not cutting it? Well if you want to stand out, then maybe add a little something extra to your hair.
You can just take a brush, spray some perfume on there, and the sweet scent will transfer onto your locks. Be sure that you don’t spray it right onto your hair though, because “the alcohol in the formula can dry [it] out.”

Easy Clean

Rather than choosing not to clean off all your makeup because you’re feeling exhausted or lazy after it’s been one of those days, just keep some makeup-removing wipes next to your bed.

Dry Shampoo Reliance

If you have a full schedule and even a shower is too much to squeeze in for the day, you your appearance doesn’t have to reflect your exhaustion.

Just use some dry shampoo; it’s an incredibly quick way to make your hair look presentable, at least until you have time to give your hair a really thorough scrub.

Cope with Less than Perfect Bangs

Do you spend half your time loving your bangs and the other half of the time wanting to chop them off? Well if they’re being incredibly stubborn, refusing to work for you, and you’re not in the mood to deal with the annoyance, there is a solution.

You can use them to your advantage by “[working] them into a style, like a headband braid or a boho twist.” It’s easier to achieve some sense of flair this way too, rather than just settling for putting some bobby pins in to keep them out of your face.

Double Up on Shower Caps

Did you know that if your hair is prone to frizzing in humid conditions, showering with two shower caps could actually help keep the effects of the humidity at bay?

Ice Water

Before your next D.I.Y. manicure, set out some ice water. If you’re in a rush (or you’re just really impatient when it comes to waiting for your nails to dry, because you have things that need to get done), you’ll only need to let the polish dry for a couple of minutes. Then just place your fingers in the water and it will help to “harden your polish the rest of the way.”

Turn Glossy Polish Matte

Have you ever wondered if there was a way that you could change your glossy, clear polish to matte? Well there is a way. All it takes is the addition of some corn starch. If you add it to your clear polish, the result should be closer to matte.

Tags 50014806, body, Commerce, hemingway

Wellbeing

8 Signs Of Infertility That Most Women Ignore

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date June 7, 2017

We all know that every woman’s body is different, but there are certain things that should never be left unquestioned. If you’re trying to conceive and haven’t been able to, these strange symptoms may be the key to why.

Fertility is often something women don’t think about until they’re actively trying to have children, maybe even after they’ve started having trouble conceiving. Most of us know by now that fertility challenges are incredibly common, with an estimated 6.7 million women in the United States alone who are unable to conceive.
It’s even estimated that 7.5 percent of American men under age 45 have discussed fertility issues with their doctors.

Overall, 10 percent of all American couples are affected by infertility in some way, and some of them never even find out why. Although there are many different reasons that both men and women may be dealing with infertility, here are some of the signs that can often point to infertility issues.

Your period is absent.

Whether you’ve never had a period at all or noticed at some point that your flow naturally started to fade, both can be a sign that you may have problems with fertility.

Either can mean that you’re not ovulating as you should, and ovulation is obviously a crucial aspect of pregnancy. Of course, there are other reasons that women stop getting periods, so it’s important to see a doctor if yours stops coming.

You suddenly break out…a lot.

If you start to experience sudden and strong bouts of acne as an adult, it can be a big sign that your hormones are out of whack. It could also indicate that you’re being affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone-related disorder that causes small cysts to form on the outside of the ovaries.

It’s estimated that up to 10 percent of all childbearing women in the United States have the condition, which occurs when women have an excess of “male hormones” (also known as androgens).
PCOS can either throw your ovulation off or cause it not to occur at all, resulting in infertility.

This imbalance of hormones can also cause an increase in acne, so it’s important to see a doctor if you have any combination of these symptoms. Fortunately, acne production and fertility aren’t always linked, but it’s worth talking to your doctor about a solution, regardless.

Your flow changes.

Whether your period flow starts becoming stronger or weaker, either can be a sign that something is off within your body. Heavy bleeding, which is also called menorrhagia, usually isn’t a cause of infertility on its own, but can sometimes be a symptom of health problems that are.

In fact, the most common reason the condition occurs is a hormonal imbalance that can affect your ovulation and fertility. Normally, when the ovaries release an egg it prompts the body to release progesterone, the hormone that keeps your periods regular.
When ovulation doesn’t occur to trigger this, however, it can result in a super heavy flow. This heavy bleeding can also be caused by using intrauterine devices (IUDs), taking certain medications, or pregnancy complications.

Even if you’re not trying to get pregnant, you should still talk to your doctor about any sudden changes to your period or flow. Infertility is just one possible reason it might be out of whack, and there could be a severe health issue behind it, such as a bleeding disorder.

Your period is irregular.

If your period sometimes starts a day earlier or later than you thought it would, that’s really not a huge deal. But if you find yourself with a full-blown period in what should be the middle of your cycle or you spot for an entire month straight, there’s definitely something going on.

An irregular period is often a sign that a woman isn’t ovulating or that she has irregular ovulation.
Also known as anovulation, irregular ovulation is said to account for 30 to 40 percent of all cases related to female infertility. Anovulation definitely isn’t the only reason why your cycle might be off, but fortunately there are treatments for it.

Ovulation issues may not be the reason a woman has irregular periods—some of the other common causes can include a stressful lifestyle, thyroid conditions, poor diet, and hormonal imbalances.

Your periods hurt.

We’re not talking about the average cramps that many women get during their cycles. We’re talking about pain so severe that you have to double over, hold your breath, or even vomit to try to ease the hurt you’re experiencing. While painful periods in and of themselves don’t automatically mean that a woman is having fertility issues, it can be a sign of them when coupled with other symptoms.

For example, pain during intercourse, irregular periods, and bloody urine or bowel movements along with severely painful periods can all be signs that a woman has endometriosis, a condition that causes uterine tissue to grow outside of the uterus.
It’s a condition that affects more than 7 million American women and one that’s also present in approximately 20 to 40 percent of women who struggle with infertility.

If you regularly experience any of the symptoms above and can’t conceive, be sure to speak with your doctor.

You’re getting hairy.

We only wish we meant that there was an increase of hair on your head. Because PCOS causes the body to produce an excess of male hormones, it can also cause you to sprout extra hair in a few different unwanted areas, including your face, arms, legs, abdomen, and back.

If you start noticing hair where you’ve never really had it before, it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor, as you could be dealing with PCOS that’s just been undiagnosed.
Like we said before, PCOS can lead to problems with infertility, although it is usually a treatable condition. With the right medication, those who have it often go on to have children, and it doesn’t always mean you’ll be infertile, anyway.

It can cause a lot of strange and annoying symptoms, however, so treatment can greatly improve your quality of life, even if you don’t want kids.

Or maybe you’re getting less hairy.

Yes, unfortunately, this time we are talking about the hair on your head. Just like strange hair growth is a sign that you may have PCOS, your hair becoming thinner or falling out can also be a symptom. That said, there are a lot of other conditions that can lead to hair loss or thinning hair in women, including anemia, thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, and even being pregnant.

No matter what the cause, though, losing hair is never an enjoyable experience, so it’ll only benefit you to figure out what’s causing it. If it turns out to be PCOS, medications can not only help your hair growth return to normal, but also regulate your cycle and have a positive effect on your fertility.

You’ve gained weight.

By now, we’re sure you’ve realized that PCOS is a condition that essentially comes with every symptom that no woman ever wants to experience, including unexpected weight gain.

The condition causes women to develop a resistance to insulin, which can then lead to gaining weight, even if there hasn’t been any change to the person’s activity levels or eating habits. This should be especially concerning if gaining weight unexpectedly has never really been an issue for you in the past.
Although women who experience any of these symptoms may not be infertile, it’s well worth speaking with your doctor to determine what is causing them.

Whether you’re trying to get pregnant or just looking for some relief, make an appointment sooner rather than later.

Tags 50020166, body, hemingway

Lifestyle

8 Trusted Home Remedies That Will Only Make You Worse

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date June 7, 2017

We all have our go-to remedies that we reach for when we need them, but did you know that certain home treatments could be hurting more than helping?

Obviously we can’t run to the doctor’s office for each and every little thing that happens to us, and it’s usually these small afflictions that have us searching for a quick and effective home remedy. But don’t assume that natural always means best—or that it works, either. We may not be doctors (and you should consult yours for personal medical advice) but there’s good reason to believe that these home remedies might be making your ailments worse.

Breast Milk

Let’s make one thing clear—we’re in no way saying that breast milk isn’t the magical, milky powerhouse for your kids that everyone says it is. What we are saying, however, is that it’s not a great idea to use it for everything else that could be going on, such as putting breast milk on your child’s pinkeye, skin rash, or open cut.

According to Dr. Sarah Yamaguchi, an OB/GYN at Los Angeles’ Good Samaritan Hospital, breast milk could take things from bad to worse in the right situations. “Breast milk can transmit infectious diseases such as HIV, and pumped breast milk, if not stored properly, can be contaminated and can actually introduce bacteria into an already infected area,” Yamaguchi says. Instead, make sure you keep any infected areas clean and dry, and just save the breast milk for babies’ stomachs.

Activated Charcoal

Most health enthusiasts have probably heard about the benefits of using activated charcoal as part of a health routine, and maybe some of you have even tried it yourself. People are taking it in pill form as part of detox regimens, adding it to mud masks, and even using it in its powder form to naturally whiten their teeth.

Although any of these things may not be harmful every now and then, too much charcoal isn’t good for you. Some of its most common side effects after ingestion include constipation, nausea or vomiting, and black discoloration of the stool—that last one may not be dangerous in its own right, but it would definitely be alarming, to say the least.

It is plain dangerous because it can cause life-threatening intestinal obstructions and severe dehydration,” says Svetlana Kogan, MD, a physician and author. For a similar detoxing effect, just drink plain ol’ water and try to eat a more nutritious diet.

Vitamins

Most people take some sort of daily vitamin, and doing so isn’t inherently harmful. But vitamin supplments are definitely not an ideal solution for giving your body everything it needs. You should be doing that with your diet.

Assuming that you eat a pretty balanced diet with plenty of protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, you’re already getting in everything that you should. Taking a daily multivitamin can become dangerous when you’re giving your body too much of any one particular supplement because you’ve already gotten enough of it naturally.

Yes, too many vitamins really can be a bad thing—for example, consume too much vitamin D and you could be causing issues with your heart and liver, whereas an excess of vitamin B6 can cause nerve toxicity. Believe it or not, too much vitamin A could actually cause an overdose that could kill you.

If you think you might be lacking in any particular vitamin or mineral, consult your doctor before you supplement on your own.

Licking Wounds

It’s just a natural reaction—you get a quick paper cut, and your finger goes straight in your mouth as if it were pulled by a magnet. Mothers might even use their own spit to wipe something off their child’s face or clean off a scrape, because what’s the problem? You gave birth to them!

Well, the problem comes down to bacteria, which can be introduced in an open wound through saliva, and it can take a simple cut and turn it into something much worse. “Our breath and saliva have tons of bacteria which can contaminate the wound and lead to an infection,” says Dr. Kogan.

So, what are you supposed to do in a pinch? The best option for anyone who doesn’t have access to a medical kit is to just find some fresh water. Whether you’re in an office building or in the park, there’s bound to be a water fountain or bathroom nearby that you can use to rinse out a cut in a hurry.

Burn Remedies

Whether you’ve burned yourself on a hot pot or accidentally touched your ear with a flat iron, getting burned is never fun, and the healing is usually painful. We’ve all been there—the burn seems like it’s only going to hurt initially, and then the searing pain starts to sink in.

There’s not much you can do to treat it other than putting the area under running water, so many people turn to things they have on hand, particularly what’s in their kitchen. This goes for a lot of other small ailments, too.

Sure, avocados can be good for softening hair and, yes, manuka honey can be used for a variety of different things, but food items shouldn’t be used to treat bodily injuries.

One common burn treatment that Dr. Kogan often has to dismiss is using raw egg whites to treat burns—even when organic, raw eggs contain tons of bacteria that should never be introduced to damaged skin. Instead, stick to water and over-the-counter pain relievers.

Mouthwash Gargling

Although it’s come to light that mouthwash might not be as great as many of us believe it to be, plenty of people still use it in their daily oral hygiene routine. Some people even step up their usage when they’re sick and gargle with it in the hopes that it’ll help speed their recovery along.

We get the logic: Mouthwash often contains alcohol, and alcohol kills bacteria and viruses, so it’ll kill your cold, right? Wrong. If your throat is already inflamed from a cold or flu virus, adding mouthwash to the mix is the last thing you should do.

“Gargling inflamed tonsils with mouthwash is actually very irritating to the area and does not have any effect on potential strep throat,” says Dr. Kogan.

The simplest and most effective solution is to drink plenty of warm liquids to soothe inflammation in the throat and try to get as much rest as possible.

Kava

Kava is a root that’s usually found on various South Pacific islands. Often the root is powdered and taken as a tea, but it can also be found as an extract that can be added to other things. It has been recommended that kava can be taken to soothe anxiety, and some even compare the effects of the herb to those of popular prescription anxiety medications.

One study even showed that taking the herb could, in fact, moderately decrease anxiety levels. Still, though, the study advised that taking kava should be a short-term solution, as it’s one that could cause side effects that aren’t worth only moderate anxiety improvement.

One of the biggest risks of long-term kava use is liver damage, although it’s not known whether kava itself causes liver damage or if it’s the use of kava in conjunction with other medications.

Still, it’s worth noting that 30 cases of kava-related liver damage have been reported in Europe, and consumer advisory for the supplement was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002 because of its risk for potential liver failure.

Castor Oil

Castor oil has many uses; it’s most commonly used as a natural laxative. Not only that, but many pregnant women use it as a way to speed up the birthing process when they’re desperate to bring their babies into the world.

While doctors are fine with using castor oil for constipation, just say no when it comes to delivering a baby. “Castor oil may help if you are
constipated and need to pass a bowel movement, but it’s not going to help you go into labor and tastes awful,” says Dr. Yamaguchi.

So, are there any safe ways to start the labor at home? Sure, there are plenty of things people swear have worked for them—being intimate, eating fast food, walking around a lot—but the truth is that there isn’t one thing that’s guaranteed to work for everyone.

Oh, and for constipation? Castor oil is fine, but you can also try drinking prune juice or just increasing your overall fiber intake.

Tags 50019546, care, hemingway

Motherhood

Bizarre Parenting Traditions From Around The World

Post author By Lisa Douglas
Post date June 6, 2017

Americans can be a bit quirky and bizarre. We’ve washed our babies in lard, made sure not to breastfeed when we’re angry in fear of ending up with colicky babies, and given our 3-month-olds liver soup.

Some of these have made sense, others are just downright weird.

Think the U.S. has the corner on the market when it comes to strange childrearing practices? Check out these bizarre parenting trends going on in other countries!

Solapur, India

This is probably as crazy as it gets! Every year for the past 700 years, babies up to the age of 2 months are tossed from the roof of a shrine to about 30 feet below. No worries, though!

They are safely caught and cradled (after one bounce) by “catchers” in a soft hammock. Legend has it that the tradition dates to when infant mortality was high and people were looking for any kind of hope. A saint advised the people whose children who were dying to show their faith in the Lord by trusting in him through this extreme ceremony.

The ritual became a tradition as an offering to a god who has the power to grant the child a long, healthy, and lucky life. Although the practice is now illegal under India’s children’s rights laws, some villages claim that no harm has ever come to a baby in the years that they have carried on the tradition and they continue to do so in private.

Bali

The birth of babies in Bali includes a number of very strange ceremonies. One of the oddest involves the baby’s placenta. Balinese parents believe that the placenta (or ari ari) has a life and spirit of its own and acts as the child’s guardian angel.

Because it’s got its own spirit, it must be buried. After the birth of a baby, the placenta is ritually put to rest in a special cemetery.

Another unusual Balinese ceremony involves newborns and the ground. In Bali, babies aren’t allowed to touch the floor until they are 3 months old. It’s believed that babies are pure, and any contact with the floor during the first three months of life will defile that purity.

Finally, at the 3-month mark, a ceremony is held by the family in which the baby sets foot on the unclean ground for the first time, and everyone celebrates the milestone.

Nigeria

In the Igbo tribe and Yoruba culture in Nigeria, a newborn is taken to the family’s ancestral house, where a relative (who is carefully chosen by the parents), chews up alligator pepper, spits it in their hand, and puts it in the baby’s mouth.

This ritual is considered a welcoming process for the baby and is thought to ensure that the child grows up to be as well spoken and articulate as the relative who blessed the baby.

Eastern Cape of Africa

Between the third and fourteenth day after a baby’s birth, the Sifudu (passing baby through smoke) ceremony is held. Leaves from a special tree are plucked and placed on top of a small fire in the middle of the hut.

The leaves, which have a strong aroma, burn and produce a good amount of smoke. The baby is held upside down and forced to inhale the smoke, which irritates their mouth, nose, and eyes.

The baby is then handed to their mother. She passes the child under one of her legs, then under the other. This ritual is to ensure that the baby will never be frightened, timid, or shy.

Greece

In Greece, evil spirits and bad luck are a big concern—so is the threat of the evil eye. According to Benjamin Radford of the American Folklore Society, “The evil eye is a human look believed to cause harm to someone or something else. The supernatural harm may come in the form of anything from a minor misfortune to disease
, injury or even death.”

In Greek culture, babies are thought to be especially susceptible to the evil eye. In order to ward it off, it’s customary to spit at a baby three times. The spit is said to insult the baby and take it down a notch, so that any harm by the evil eye is unnecessary.

Speaking of bad luck, it’s also considered to be bad luck if a child doesn’t cry during its baptism. Parents hope before the baptism that a normally cheerful baby will suddenly turn grumpy and glum during the ritual and let out a good wail.

Godparents (who hold the baby during part of the baptismal ceremony) have more than once been known to give the child a gentle push to tears by administering a loving but firm pinch on the leg. The temporary pain is believed to be the cost of a lifetime of protection!

Ireland

Some American couples save the top tier of their wedding cake for the celebration of their first year anniversary.

Irish couples have another plan and save it to bless their first child. At their child’s christening, the cake is served to guests and then some crumbs are sprinkled over the baby’s head for good luck.

Some Irish couple also save some of their wedding bubbly to pour on the baby’s head for even more good luck!

Vietnam

Having trouble potty training your children? Maybe you should try the Vietnamese way…using a whistle! Vietnamese parents discern early on the elimination habits of their children and whistle every time their child needs to “go.”

When the baby fusses and gives an indication that they need to go to the bathroom, the parents hold them over the toilet while they whistle.

By 9 months of age, most of these children are potty trained—almost a year faster than most children in the West.

Central America

In hot and humid countries like Guatemala, Mayan women bathe their babies in freezing water to fight the heat.

The icy water is believed to calm and sooth heat rashes and help babies sleep.

Although some children scream during the ritual, the moms don’t mind—they say that it really does cure heat rashes.

Kenya

In Kenya, Kisii or Gusii moms are extremely caring and carry their babies everywhere, but they don’t believe in indulging in play with their children, and they avoid eye contact with their children at all costs.

This culture believes that eye contact bestows a lot of power on the one being looked at, and power is not something these parents want to give their children. Interestingly, researchers have found that Kisii kids exhibit less attention-seeking behavior than Western or other children.

Mauritania

The Wolof people of Mauritania have a super special ritual that involves spitting on a baby’s face. They believe that human saliva can retain words and affect the development of children.

When a baby is born, women spit on a baby’s face and men spit in the baby’s ear for good luck. They then rub the saliva all over the baby’s head so that the blessings “stick.”

Tags 50025281, hemingway, parenting

Motherhood

8 Brilliant Ways Babies Are Way Smarter Than You Think

Post author By Lisa Douglas
Post date June 6, 2017

Ever wonder what’s going on in the mind of that cute and cuddly baby of yours? Well it’s a lot more that you might think! Researchers have found that babies don’t sit idly in buzzing confusion, but instead observe, explore, imagine, deduce, judge, and learn way more than we ever thought possible. As these studies have demonstrated, in some ways babies are actually smarter than adults!

Unfortunately, most programs that are developed to help foster and develop more intelligence in babies are modeled the wrong way; they mimic programs for older kids by centering their curricula on focus, planning, and specific instruction. Unfortunately, babies don’t learn this way.

Research has shown that babies’ intelligence differs from adults in that they are terrible at planning and learning in order to reach certain goals. Babies are much more scattered than that. They often have trouble focusing on one event and shutting out the rest, which in the past has led many to believe that they are less intelligent than they actually are.

Until recently, babies’ abilities have been underestimated, but new research has shown that babies can be intelligent without being goal oriented.

As Alison Gopnik, University of California, Berkeley, professor of psychology notes:

“The learning that babies and young children do on their own, when they carefully watch an unexpected outcome and draw new conclusions from it, ceaselessly manipulate a new toy or imagine different ways that the world might be, is very different from schoolwork.

“Babies and young children can learn about the world around them through all sorts of real-world objects and safe replicas. Babies can learn a great deal just by exploring the ways bowls fit together or by imitating a parent talking on the phone.”

Think you may be underestimating how intelligent your baby is? Here are eight ways that your baby is smarter than you think.

Babies understand how others are feeling.

According to a study published in Developmental Psychology, even infants who’ve never interacted with pets could match the different sounds that a dog makes to the corresponding facial expression and behavior.

For example, they could match angry growls to dogs displaying threatening behavior and friendly play sounds to licking and happy body language. A study at Brigham Young University found that infants could also detect mood swings in Beethoven’s music.

Young babies know what words mean.

It was always believed that babies couldn’t pair images with their corresponding names (for example pairing a picture of a dog with the word “dog”) until 1 year of age. But a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania found that babies as young as 6 months old can successfully do this—even before they can speak!

The researchers studied 6- to 9-month-old babies and had them look at pictures of foods and body parts while their parents gave them simple prompts such as “where are the eyes?” Surprisingly, the babies looked more at the item that was named than any of the other images, suggesting that they knew what the word meant.

Think that your baby isn’t understanding what you’re saying? Think again—and keep talking to her!

Babies know when proper punishment is necessary.

This revelation was quite surprising! A study at the University of British Columbia found that babies as young as 8 months old know when someone is doing something wrong, and they like when they are punished for their wrongdoing.

In the study, researchers used puppets to present different situations in which the puppets acted negatively or positively toward the other puppets. In response to their good or bad behavior, the puppets were either rewarded or punished by being given toys or having toys taken away from them.

The babies liked the puppets that punished the bad puppets for being naughty and disliked those that were nice to the bad puppets.

The researchers think that this may be the building block of the social behaviors that kids express later on in life, such as frowning and tattling on kids who aren’t nice or do bad things. Interestingly, these findings would indicate that this trait is related to nature and not nurture.

Babies value altruism.

Babies always seem to want or need things, and they often scream or wail until they get them. But a new study found that toddlers are actually happier giving things away than getting them.

In the study, researchers gave a group of toddlers goldfish crackers and instructed them to give them to a puppet. Then the toddlers were given an extra treat to give to the puppet (they could keep one and give one away).

The researchers found that the kids were happier when they gave away their own treat as opposed to the extra one originally designated for the puppet. This behavior exhibited one of the most innate, loving traits of human nature: the desire and joy derived from giving to and helping others.

Toddlers are affected by peer pressure.

Remember what you used to exclaim to your parents as they yelled at you for doing something wrong? “But Mom…Dave and Mike were doing it too!” Apparently there’s a reason why kids do things in groups—they’re affected by peer pressure!

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Cell Biology found that 2-year-olds copied the behavior (good or bad) of their friends, especially if three or more of them were doing it.

Young toddlers can gauge fairness.

Think you can pull the wool over your baby’s eyes and get away with it? Nope! You can’t. According to research done at the University of Washington, babies as young as 15 months know what’s equal and when something is not fair. In one study, scientists had babies watch videos in which milk or crackers were distributed equally or unequally between two people.

When the distribution was unequal (not fair), the babies paid more attention, indicating that they could tell that it was so. Even more interesting was the behavior of the babies who were the most sensitive to the unequal distribution.

After the study and in a subsequent one, these children were most likely to show signs of altruism and share their own toy—possibly trying to correct a wrong with a right?

Babies know when you’re speaking another language.

Scientists have known for a long time that infants and babies learn languages more easily than older kids and adults, but they never really knew why.

A study at the University of British Columbia shed some light on this in their findings that babies as young as 4 months can tell from visual cues (e.g., the shape and rhythm of the speaker’s mouth and facial movements) when a new language is being spoken.

According to the university, babies growing up in bilingual and multilingual environments have an advantage over children who only speak one language: They learn and maintain throughout their lives the discrimination abilities needed for separating languages and learning multiple ones.

Babies’ brains thrive when they play music.

You’ve probably heard for years about the positive link between music and IQ, but further research shows that even young babies benefit from the exposure to playing musical instruments and actually making music.

A Canadian study found that 1-year-old babies who took interactive music classes (in which they learned hand motions, “played” instruments, and sang songs) had better communication skills than babies who took a less active, less involved class.

The kids in the interactive class were more interactive themselves and showed this by waving goodbye, pointing to objects that they found interesting or wanted, and exhibited less distress in unfamiliar surroundings.

Tags 50025386, hemingway, parenting

Sweat

8 Untrue "Facts" About The Human Body That Everyone Still Believes

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date June 6, 2017

There are certain things about the [linkbuilder id=”6709″ text=”human body”] that we all think of as fact—but have we ever questioned them? It’s time we do, because it turns out they’re not actually true at all.
We often hear people say that they know their own bodies, mostly when it comes to how something makes them feel.

It’s true, for the most part—we all know what makes us feel good, what makes us feel bad, and everything in between. However, although you might know your body’s preferences, you might not know that much about how the body works in general.
For a long time, we’ve heard many “facts” about the human body that we’ve accepted and stored away somewhere in the 10 percent of our brain that we actually use (more on that later). Here are some of the most common myths about the human body that you might still think are true.

Eat late and you’ll gain weight.

Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight has probably repeated this myth to themselves at some point, especially at night as they hunt for a snack before bed. It’s not entirely untrue—studies do show that people who tend to eat more at night often weigh more than those who have consistent meals throughout the day. But the trouble lies not with when they’re eating—the problem is what they tend to eat.

Think about it—what do you typically search for when making yourself a midnight snack? We can almost guarantee the answer isn’t going to be a tiny cup of yogurt. “I think this is the real crux of the issue,” says Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a bariatric physician.
“At midnight, people will rarely make chicken and salad. They will eat ice cream or chips, the high-fat or high-sugar foods that our bodies store so effectively as fat.”

The bottom line? If you truly are hungry at night, go ahead and eat something. Just make sure it’s not junk. If you’re snacking for the sake of snacking, though, it’s best to fight the urge.

We use 10 percent of our brains.

This is an assertion that has baffled us all for years—that despite the intellectual capacity of humans, we can only gain access to a measly 10 percent of our brains. You’ll be pleased to hear that scientists find this “fact” laughable.

Sure, at certain moments we might only be using 10 percent of our brains, but that isn’t a constant. Most of the brain is still active all the time, but only certain portions of it may be actively used depending on what we’re doing. Brain damage can definitely take a toll on the brain’s ability to function properly, but it can often make do even then.

“There are people who have injured their brains or had parts of it removed who still live fairly normal lives, but that is because the brain has a way of compensating and making sure that what’s left takes over the activity,” says Mayo Clinic neurologist John Henley.

Urine is sterile.

Most of us have clung on to this myth for a time, particularly when we happen to be stuck in a desert with nothing else to drink or maybe when we’ve been stung by a jellyfish and we want a friend to pee on our leg (that doesn’t work, by the way).
There’s bad news, though, because your urine is definitely not sterile, even when it’s still inside your bladder.

A bacterial overgrowth anywhere within the urinary tract is undoubtedly bad, but there are low levels of bacteria within your bladder at all times, and that’s completely normal.

In fact, there really isn’t one place within your body that’s completely free from bacteria, but you have to remember that good bacteria also exist. Overgrowths and infections, though? Not okay.

Blood is really blue.

You might be looking down at your wrist right now proclaiming what idiots we must be because your veins are clearly blue. But they’re really not.

Your blood is actually red all the time, and you can thank light for the color change. Red and blue light sit at different wavelengths, and they penetrate your skin at different depths.

The colors that we end up seeing have to do with the wavelengths that are reflected back to us. Our veins look blue to us because that’s the wavelength color that is reflected instead of red.

Shaving causes thicker hair growth.

It’s a theory that’s the worst nightmare of women who shave their legs and maybe even parts of their face—that shaving hair makes it grow back much, much thicker.

You’ll be thankful to hear that this myth was actually debunked a long time ago, but it has somehow still persisted to this day. Why?
Although shaved hair won’t grow back thicker, it is often darker because it hasn’t yet been exposed to light. This darker hair makes it look thicker, which is likely why people still believe the hype.

Things like waxing will definitely help keep hair growth at bay longer than shaving does, but don’t worry about growing your own personal hair jungle if you pick up a razor now and then.

We all need eight cups of water daily.

For decades, the standard advice on water consumption has been that everyone needs a solid eight cups of the stuff each day. It’s a good goal to strive for—after all, water is super important for our health and way better for us than juices and sodas.

This really shouldn’t be considered a universal recommendation, though. How much water you actually need in a day depends on who you are and what you do each day. The person sitting at a desk for eight hours does not need as much water as the person working at a construction site in 90-degree heat.

For the average person, the current recommendation is about a liter each day to start with and then more as needed. One girl tried drinking a gallon of water, every day, for five days and finished with some very interesting results.

Gum takes seven years to digest.

We’d be willing to bet that at some point during your childhood, one of your parents told you that swallowing a piece of gum meant it would stay in your stomach for a full seven years. We all took it very seriously, of course, imagining that doing so must have pretty serious consequences if our parents warned us about it so much.

The myth isn’t entirely untrue, because there are certain ingredients in gum that our bodies can’t digest. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay in our bodies for long, especially not for years. Even the fiber from things like seeds and popcorn kernels can’t be fully digested in our stomachs.

Although gum isn’t exactly nutritious, it’ll be excreted just like anything else you eat if you accidentally swallow it.

Got oily Skin? Dry it out.

It makes sense in theory: If your skin is super oily, you’d want to do something that will dry it out, right? It’s true that you shouldn’t be adding products that contain oil to already oily skin, but using products that will actively dry your skin out isn’t the way to go, either.

When your skin is dry, your body thinks it needs to produce more oil to hydrate your skin. Yes, drying out your oily skin will only make it even more oily. Stop skipping the moisturizer and find one that has an oil-free formula instead.

Tags 50025026, body, hemingway

Motherhood

Meet The 8-Year-Old Who Fulfilled His Dreams Of Becoming A Fierce Drag Queen

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 6, 2017

Make-up artist Joey Killmeyer wasn’t scheduled to work the first Sunday of 2016, but he was filling in for a colleague when a unique client walked into his Tampa-area studio.

Eight-year-old Ethan really wanted to learn how to apply his own makeup. The young boy had been watching videos tutorials for men interested in applying their own glam, drag-style makeup and wanted a chance to learn for himself.

While Killmeyer has been working with cosmetics for years, he had only recently been certified by MAC to teach others how to apply makeup. Ethan was his first official makeup tutorial client.

Ethan’s mother was totally behind her son’s dreams.

“His mom is so supportive of him and is letting him discover who he is,” Killmeyer wrote in a Facebook post featuring a picture of the teacher and the student.

“He is a very artistic child and loves to express himself creatively, whether through drawing, gymnastics, or performing arts,” the boy’s mother, Season Wilwert, told BuzzFeed after Killmeyer’s photo went viral. Learning how to apply makeup, she said, “is just another form of that expression.”

“Me and his mom agreed that if that’s what he wanted, to go for it,” Killmeyer told BuzzFeed. “I treated him like I would any client. He just happened to be 8.”

Killmeyer said he taught Ethan by applying the makeup to one side of the youngster’s face and letting the boy match the technique on the other side.

“He did soooo great,” the makeup instructor wrote on his Facebook post. “He is a very talented guy. And I expect he will be a great artist in life.”

“I don’t remember the last time I saw Ethan so happy or so confident in himself,” Wilwert told BuzzFeed.

“I really respect the mom who is letting him be himself and discover who he is and what he wants to do in life,” the professional makeup artist wrote.

“Ethan is young and who knows what he will do in his life,” Killmeyer told BuzzFeed. “I posted the story because I was so touched that his mom was supporting him in what he wanted to do. As an artist, I love bringing joy to my clients and Ethan was so happy and confident when we were finished with the lesson. There are too many kids whose parents ignore or deter these things.”

“Our children should be encouraged to freely explore and discover their identities, not just be handed them,” Wilwert told her interviewer.

“This is a pivotal moment in my son’s development, and I know that by letting him just be Ethan, regardless of what others may think, that I am doing something right as his mom.”

Killmeyer felt that it “was meant to be” that he was unexpectedly scheduled to work that day and ended up meeting Ethan.

“It shows me the world is changing from when I was his age and that there is hope for kids who are different. And whether he is gay or not who knows.” And who even cares? The kid has talent.

Hopefully, these fabulous photos of Ethan help spread a message of acceptance.

Tags 50025771, hemingway, parenting

Wellbeing

6 Strange Things That You Never Knew Could Happen To Your Eyes

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 6, 2017

The eyes are undoubtedly one of the most important organs in the human body. Without our vision, we could not interpret the beautiful world around us through the sense of sight. Therefore, it’s important to know about the specific (and sometimes terrifying) conditions that can impact the eyes. The following are some strange eye issues that can completely ruin your vision.

1. Eye Paralysis

This condition occurs when your eye loses all sensory and motor functionality. Eye paralysis is often caused by an underlying medical condition that eventually impacts vision.
Some conditions that can cause eye paralysis include diabetes, peripheral artery disease, a tumor in the pituitary gland, or a cardiovascular problem. Thankfully, if the underlying conditions are effectively treated, the vision problems can also be cured.

2. Cat Eye Syndrome

Cat eye syndrome is a very rare chromosomal problem that affects people at birth and impacts them for the rest of their lives. It gets its name because this condition is caused by the absence of tissue in the eye, which causes the pupil to narrow and push itself into the iris.
Cat eye syndrome is often accompanied by a variety of other health issues, including problems with the kidneys, heart, ears, and skeletal system. As for the vision issues, they can be aided through the use of glasses. Unfortunately, this condition is incurable.

3. Eye Tumors

Most eye tumors appear behind the eyes, but in rare cases, they can actually appear on the eye itself. While they look somewhat frightening, they actually don’t impact vision in most cases.
Because eye tumors are so rare and don’t cause significant vision problems, doctors generally don’t recommend any treatment at all. Unless they start causing discomfort, most people can adapt and live with them.

4. Stars In The Eyes

A man in Australia went to the doctor after being punched in the eye, stating he was having vision problems. What the doctor found was the man had developed a cataract after being hit, which is not uncommon. What was uncommon, however, was the fact that his cataract was perfectly star-shaped.
It’s very rare, but cataracts can form in different shapes on the eyes, including stars. In most cases, these can be broken apart with a procedure and a person won’t suffer any long-term vision problems.

5. Heterochromia

While the vast majority of us are born with a single eye color, some of us are actually born with two different colored eyes. The condition is called heterochromia, and while it looks rather strange, a person’s vision is generally unimpacted.
There are actually different levels of heterochromia. In some cases, a person can have different shades of the same color in either eye. In extreme cases, a person can have two completely different colored eyes.

6. Haemolacria

Haemolacria is one of the strangest conditions involving the eyes, and it sounds like something straight out of a horror movie. In case you aren’t familiar, Haemolacria occurs when a person literally cries blood.
It’s an extremely rare condition, with only six documented cases worldwide. The underlying cause of this condition is generally another disease, such as a tumor in the lacrimal apparatus, injury, or bacterial conjunctivitis.

Tags 50025776, body, hemingway

Wellbeing

4 Fascinating Things That Happen To You When You Sleep

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 6, 2017

It sounds like a simple question: Why do we sleep?

But the answer is surprisingly complex. To many researchers, sleep is a bit of a mystery; we know that we need it to function, but we’re not sure why it’s totally necessary from an evolutionary perspective.
If you live a normal life, you’ll sleep for about a quarter of a century—25 full years. What’s happening to your body during all of that time?

1. First, your body temperature drops.

This occurs during the first stage of sleep. Your body temperature slowly drops, allowing you to access the deeper stages of sleep; if you’re in a cool room, the process is easier, which is why sleep experts sometimes recommend lowering your thermostat if you’re suffering from insomnia.
You’ll also gradually become disengaged from your surroundings. However, your breathing will remain normal until you reach the deeper stages of sleep.

2. You dream, and your brain might begin to practice different scenarios.

Some scientists believe that during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your brain runs through various situations in order to practice its responses. Unless you have a sleep disorder, your body is temporarily paralyzed while this occurs; you’re therefore allowed to dream without physically acting out those responses.
This isn’t a universally accepted theory, however. Some scientists believe that the brain uses REM to “reorganize” itself, discarding unnecessary memories to allow for most efficient functionality. In any case, you’ll dream about 3 to 5 times per night, although you won’t remember most of your dreams.

3. As you go into deeper sleep, you stop dreaming.

The deepest stages of sleep are restorative to your muscles and other tissues. At this point, your blood pressure drops significantly, and you breathe much more slowly. Your muscles benefit from increased blood flow, and they relax completely.
Your body also releases hormones to repair muscle tissue and promote growth. If you exercise, these sleep stages are absolutely vital, as without them, your body will be unable to effectively build new muscle.

4. The cycle resets.

While you might need that deep, restorative sleep more than light REM sleep, you won’t get it right away—your body cycles through the different stages of sleep, and you’ll spend the majority of your slumber in one of the lighter stages.
So, why doesn’t your body let you sleep deeply if that’s what you need? You may need to wake suddenly to respond to a threat, and because sleep induces a temporary paralysis at the deeper stages, your body wants to keep you relatively in the moment.
In the early hours of the morning, you’ll spend more and more time in the “lighter” stages of sleep. That’s why your alarm should wake you up fairly effectively—and why you’ll often wake up after a strange dream. REM sleep might also help you wake up, although researchers are still looking into that.

Most people should get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, although this number can vary with your individual biology. The main takeaway, however, is clear: If you’re not getting enough sleep, your entire day suffers.
Make sure you’re able to wake up feeling rested and ready to go—otherwise, your head might need to hit the pillow a bit earlier.

Tags 50025836, body, hemingway

Favorite Finds Motherhood

Parents Are Using This One Product To Help Their Baby Sleep

Post author By Staff Writer
Post date June 6, 2017

Parenting can be really hard sometimes, especially when your baby won’t sleep for longer than 15 minutes. This is because the baby has to adapt to its new sleeping conditions out of the womb before it will feel comfortable sleeping in a crib, meaning lots of sleepless nights for the baby and for you parents.

Swaddling a baby has been the typical solution to this problem. Swaddles mimic the womb-like protection that a baby is used to by wrapping the baby tightly so that they have limited movement, as they did in the womb.

However, there’s a problem with swaddles: Babies don’t like being constrained. They like to be able to move while still having that perimeter of space like they did in the womb. This leads to the baby breaking out of the swaddle, waking themselves up, and possibly scratching their face, which is understandable. Would you like to sleep with your arms and legs strapped to your body?

Sleeping Baby’s Zipadee-Zip is the new solution.

“The star-shaped pointed sleeves and starfish design” provides the safe, enclosed environment that the womb—or a traditional swaddle—gives while still allowing the baby to move around freely and comfortably.

It’s the perfect wearable blanket and stimulates a more sound sleep compared to that of a swaddle because of its slight resistance in the wing-span. It also looks so cute on your baby, so what more could you ask for?

Why is this necessary?

Babies like to have boundaries because of the “Moro” reflex. Because of this reflex, babies feel like they’re falling when they have too much space around them, like when you dream you’re falling and jolt awake. They can’t feel the edges of their space like they did in the womb, and it startles them, leading to frequent sleep interruptions.

This reflex is triggered when the baby stretches its arms and feels the wide open space, leading to endless cries and causing a sleepless night for all parties involved.

The Zipadee-Zip lets the baby roll and move their arms and legs safely. It aids in the “womb to swaddle” transition as well as in many other uses, so basically it’s a lifesaver for you tired moms.

Still not convinced?

Besides creating the enclosed sensation of the womb and allowing a full range of movement, the garment has many other beneficial uses for parents and babies.

The Zipadee-Zip keeps the baby’s hands warm through the night, and it teaches the baby to self-soothe to fall back sleep. This helps the baby know it doesn’t need to be held to fall back asleep, giving you parents more peace of mind when putting your baby down.

It’s also a time-saver in many ways. The simple zipper is way easier than taking the time to swaddle a baby. The Zipadee-Zip can also be easily removed when it’s time for a diaper change, and it’s a much easier alternative to pajamas when traveling. It also keeps your baby safe from germs that could get on the baby’s hands, meaning less sick babies!

Even better, the use doesn’t have to stop when the baby grows into a toddler. The Zipadee-Zip carries multiple sizes, so you’re covered from 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months, and above.

Of course, that’s not all; its design can even help keep older babies from climbing out of their crib. It can also always be used as a snug blanket or as socks and mittens on a cold day for your babies. Seriously—what can’t this product do?

With all of these uses, you’d think the functionality means sacrificing the fashion. But with over 10 different patterns, you can choose a cute design for your baby’s new best friend. The designs are categorized as “boy,” “girl,” and “neutral.” Pictured below are a few of or our favorite designs; we can’t decide which one we like the most!

Where did the idea come from?

Parents Stephanie and Brett Parker were having a hard time getting their daughter to sleep through the night, like most parents with young kids. She would wake up every 15 minutes because she was uncomfortable in her new open environment, causing a nightmare for the new parents.

Desperate and exhausted, Stephanie broke out her sewing machine and created the first ever Zipadee-Zip. Their daughter slept for a shocking 12 hours straight the first time she wore the Zipadee-Zip, meaning Stephanie and Brett also slept for 12 hours straight.

The Texas couple realized they could help other parents and kids actually get some sleep if they shared the genius idea, so they launched their online business, Sleeping Baby.

How has the business grown?

Stephanie and Brett utilized the ever-growing online community of moms to sell their product initially. They saw their business growing every day, and they knew they needed more support if they wanted to keep that growth flourishing, financially and professionally.

The Parkers went on the reality show Shark Tank, which allows entrepreneurs to present a business deal to five “shark” investors, who can choose to invest.

The Parkers explained how their business has grown and the amazing community they’ve created between moms, but they wanted the advice and investment of a shark to continue to grow their at-home business. They received three offers from the Sharks and ultimately decided to take Daymond John’s offer.

John has experience in the retail industry and knew he could grow the Sleeping Baby business while maintaining the personal connection between moms that the Parkers cherished.

During negotiations after the show, however, the Parkers and John came to some unavoidable disagreements. They backed away from the deal, grateful for the mentorship of John, and have since grown their business fully on their own (heck yeah strong parents). Now, they’ve grown to have more lines, more sizes, and more styles than ever!

Zipadee-Zip’s Impact

Sleeping Baby’s motto is “Inspiring Dreams One Night at a Time.” They want to provide a night of sleep to parents and babies across the world with the incomparable Zipadee-Zip while spreading inspiration to work on your dreams—like Stephanie’s dream of being able to afford to be a stay-at-home mom.

The Zipadee-Zip will provide the ultimate happy and healthy transition for your baby, and you’ll never have to worry about getting a full night’s sleep again. You’re also buying from an awesome, genuine family, who care about others. What else could you ask for?

If you still don’t believe us, there are tons of testimonials from moms who have succesfully used a Zippadee-Zip to make their baby get a better sleep. Here are some from Sleeping Baby, but there are also tons of videos showing how they used the product to make a daily routine easier.

The product and the company have been featured on Good Morning America, Forbes magazine, Parents, and Entrepreneur. With all of the real moms’ support, offers from most of the Sharks, features on a multitude of blogs and sites, and the positivity in the parent community, we think buying this product is a must.

Get your own Zipadee-Zip here for less than $37. With 11 colors and four sizes to choose from, it’s sure to work for your little one. Sleeping babies of the world, unite!

Tags 50025721, Commerce, hemingway, parenting