Month: July 2017

12 Underrated Parenting Products That Work

Post author By Mary Sauer
Post date July 27, 2017

I will never forget the first time I tried to put together a baby registry. I was expecting my first, and I had set aside an entire evening to scan all of my must-haves for my little girl. I prepped in advance with a list, thinking I had done the hard work already.
When I got to the store, however, I realized the hard work had barely begun. It hadn’t been enough to write “bottles” and “car seat” on my list, I now had to decide between countless brands and their various models. I was so overwhelmed that I left the store with just a handful of items on my registry.
A lot has changed since then. I’ve had three babies, and I’ve owned countless products and gadgets marketed at parents and their offspring. I’ve spent too much. I’ve bought things I never used and done without things that probably would have made life with a newborn much simpler. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that you can’t always trust marketing.
Some items seemed like a must-have, based on how heavily they were marketed online and in stores, but they just ended up taking up space in my home. Others were never marketed as must-haves but ended up being the life-saving parenting products I refuse to do without.
That had me wondering: Are there other products I’m missing out on simply because they’re underrated or don’t have endcap displays on the aisles at box stores? I did some digging around and found a whole list of products that moms and dads swear changed their lives.

1. The Solution to the Very Worst Rash

Most moms have a rash cream they love for everyday use, but when the worst of the worst rashes occur, complete with raw skin and blisters, not all butt pastes are created equal. Honestly, there are a lot of gimmicky products on the market, from expensive all-natural options to strange old wives tales like rubbing your baby’s bottom in egg white.
Don’t go searching for a fancy paste; sometimes simpler is better. Moms know that good old-fashioned Desitin is completely underrated. Desitin contains zinc oxide, a mineral that is completely safe for baby skin and speeds up healing.

2. Need an extra hand? This product makes that possible.

Babywearing isn’t reserved for “crunchy” moms; any mom who needs an extra hand can benefit from keeping a good carrier handy.
“Three of my four kids always wanted to be held,” mom Anna told me. “Currently, it’s the twins and it’s constant. I can get a lot done with them strapped to my body and they love it. Win–win and total life saver for me!”
Finding a good carrier is important. Meghen Jones, chapter president of Babywearing International Kansas City, explained what moms should be looking for when they’re shopping:
“I usually tell new parents is that the best carrier for them is the one that fits their body, their baby, and their budget. You want a carrier that holds baby snug and close. ‘Close enough to kiss’ is a good rule to remember.”
Some of the most popular options are soft structure carriers created by Tula or Lenny Lamb, ring slings by a brand called Sakura Bloom, and budget-friendly options by Ergo Baby.

3. Your New Best Friend the Next Time Your Baby Has a Cold

No one really tells you that you’ll leave the hospital with your baby and a random assortment of baby paraphernalia, from newborn diapers to a thermometer and a feeding log. As much as I appreciated these little gifts, there was one product I hated using—the bulb syringe. Wrestling a screaming infant to suck snot out of their nose isn’t for the weak.
When my second baby arrived, a friend bought me the NoseFrida, and I never looked back. This snot sucker allows Mom or Dad to gently clear Baby’s nose so they can breathe easier without all of the drama.

4. The Nursing Cover That Does It All

Babies come with so much stuff. Even when you stick with the essentials, it’s easy to feel like a pack mule, lugging diapers, spare outfits, and nursing covers from place to place. So whether you’re registering for baby gear for the first time or looking for ways to cut back on what you already own, a three-in-one product is something you can’t ignore.
The Milk Snob Cover is the multifunctional baby gear of every mom’s dreams.
“It’s a nursing cover, car seat cover, and stroller cover. You used to need three different products for those things and now you just need one!” Mallory, mom of two, told me. “It washes so easily and takes up so little space in the diaper bag.”

5. A $3 Purchase That Will Cut Your Laundry Loads in Half

If life as a mom were broken down on a pie chart, laundry would undoubtedly get a monster slice of the pie. Anything that will shrink that mountain of dirty clothes hiding in your closet is an essential.
Enter the KLADDIG Bib from IKEA. It’s more than a bib, really. It’s a poncho that protects your toddler’s clothes from everything from spaghetti sauce to those inevitable stains that watermelon leaves behind.
“Full-sleeve bibs are my holy grail item,” mom of three Lauren told me. “Saves me from doing so much laundry.”

6. Ignore the judgey moms and buy this for your “runner.”

Before you write this underrated parenting product off as inhumane or cruel, think about what you would do to keep your favorite 2-year-old from darting off into busy traffic. The kiddie leash has long been a controversial parenting product, and it may not be for everyone, but the moms who need it swear it has prevented a major catastrophe more than once.
“I judged the crap out of parents [who] used those,” mom of one Samantha, mom of one, confessed. “And then I had a runner. At the zoo.”
For mom of two Amber, it was a close call that convinced her a kiddie leash was an essential addition to her parenting product stash.
“We used a monkey backpack leash for a runner after experiencing the panic of losing an 11-month-old at a plaza full of people. My heart stops [just] thinking about it!”
Now, we know what you think when you hear the word “leash,” but products like this darling buckle-on backpack or this plush friend with an attached leash will likely result in fewer stares.

7. It’s finally time to catch up on sleep.

Some babies just don’t sleep. If you’re a sleep-deprived mom with a very young baby at home, a swaddle could be the solution to your 3 a.m. woes.
“Swaddling, when used correctly, can be a tremendous way to promote safe sleeping,” Hindi Zeidman, creator of the Ollie Swaddle, told HealthyWay. “The safe sleep guidelines from the American [Academy] of Pediatrics are clear: Swaddling helps to keep babies on their back, which is the ideal sleep position to assist in preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).”
In addition to safety, swaddling can also provide a better night’s sleep by improving colic and fussiness, increasing REM sleep, and preventing overstimulation.

8. The Diapering Product You Never Knew Was Missing From Your Life

Applying diaper rash cream is a necessary part of the everyday life of moms, but that doesn’t mean it has to be messy. The BabyBum Diaper Cream Spatula looks like it belongs in the kitchen, but its real place is in the diaper bag of every baby. Whether you’re applying paste on the go or just don’t want to deal with the mess, this diapering product is a can’t-miss addition to every baby registry.

9. A Simpler Approach to Expressing Breast Milk

Most working moms rely heavily on their electric breast pump to make it possible to breastfeed while working full time. For the part-time working mom or stay-at-home mom, an electric pump can be an unnecessary expense and a hassle to deal with.
A manual breast pump may seem like a return to the Stone Age of milk expression, but this parenting product is beyond underrated. The Lansinoh Manual Pump is inexpensive and low key, making it the perfect option for pumping on the road, pumping in the middle of the night to reduce engorgement, or quick expression on a date night. Medela’s Harmony Manual Pump is also incredibly popular among many moms.
“I always kept a manual in my car,” Jayne, mom of three, said. “There were so many parts involved with my electric for work and [without] fail I would always forget something I needed. Having a backup in the car was life saving for a working mom.”

10. Parenting is messy, but it doesn’t have to suck.

Okay, so a vacuum might not technically be a parenting product, but it is certainly a product parents can’t live without. And not just any vacuum will do.
“I love the lightweight cordless Shark vacuum,” mom of three Lacy told me. “My kids fight over who gets to vacuum now.”
If refereeing tiny housekeepers doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, Chaunie, mom of four, swears one product changed her mom life forever.
“Honestly, the Roomba. Maybe that’s not underrated enough, but I feel like it should be an essential with little kids. It’s absurd how much stress it’s taken from my life. I was vacuuming the floors after every meal and it made me crazy!”

11. It’s time for fewer midnight diaper changes.

There is nothing more frustrating than having to wake a soundly sleeping baby because they’re leaking through their diaper.
Betsy, mom of one, said diaper booster pads were the end of changing her son’s diaper multiple times each night. “He could make it through the night in one diaper with these, rather than getting him all woke up with a diaper change!”

12. This isn’t just for breastfeeding moms.

If you’ve ever breastfed a baby, you know lanolin is one of those lifesaving products you can’t do without. Don’t be so quick to throw this product out when your baby weans, though. Moms swear it has so many uses beyond healing nipples.
“It’s been almost 10 years since I had my first baby and we still use it for chapped noses and faces in the winter, rashes, burns, you name it,” Christi told me. “That stuff heals everything and it’s super safe to use around the mouth, not to mention it’s colorless, odorless, and flavorless.”
A quote that’s often attributed to Confucius says, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” I’m not sure he had building a baby registry in mind, but every new parent could benefit from taking this wise advice to heart before they make their next visit to Babies “R” Us.

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Lifestyle

3 Ways Movies Say You Can Die That Science Says Are False

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date July 27, 2017

We watch movies for their magic, not their realism. So it’s not surprising that they frequently defy the normal rules of the universe.

For instance, a bullet wound to the shoulder requires no more than a splash of disinfectant and some gauze. Knocking someone unconscious makes them sleep for a few minutes and no one seems to worry about potential brain damage when they wake up.

Although movies often understate the severity of some injuries, they overstate other threats. Here are three nasty ways people meet their maker in movies and why you shouldn’t stress about them.

1. Quicksand doesn’t suck you under.

From Lawrence of Arabia to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hollywood portrays this mixture of sand and water as impossible to escape without outside help. We’ve all learned by now that the more someone struggles in quicksand, the faster they sink.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam tested how deadly quicksand could be with an experiment. Their results showed that quicksand will not suck a person under.

The mucky substance can still be dangerous, though. Although quicksand won’t pull you under, it can immobilize you. If high tide comes in or a nearby river rises, a quicksand victim can drown due to being stuck in place.

2. Sharks aren’t out to get you.

Despite what you’ve seen in Jaws, Open Water, and The Shallows, sharks do not want to eat humans.

Yes, there are about 82 unprovoked shark attacks per year, but very few of those are fatal.

In fact, sharks don’t even break the top 10 of the deadliest animals to humans. Even if you remove mosquitoes, tapeworms, and other parasites, sharks aren’t in the top six. Snakes, dogs, crocodiles, hippos, lions, and elephants all fatally attack more people per year than sharks.

After reviewing the data, we have to ask. Where are the horror movies with hippos as the monster?

We guess if you’re cute enough, people will forget about the 500 people per year you fatally stomp, bite, or drown.

3. Five-point-palm exploding-heart technique requires perfect timing.

After Kill Bill’s three hours of carnage, it was fitting that Beatrix Kiddo dispatched Bill with a quiet flutter of her hand. Director Quentin Tarantino made the martial arts move even more mysterious by not showing Pai Mei teach it to Beatrix. Instead, the move comes out of nowhere to stop Bill in his tracks.

The “death touch” (also known as dim mak) has shown up in a variety of martial arts movies like Bloodsport, Clan of the White Lotus, and Executioners From Shaolin. While experts generally dismiss the fatal move as mythical, there is a little truth to it.

There are over 100 recorded instances of cardiac concussions, which occur when a baseball, hockey puck, or other hard object hits a victim in the chest at just the wrong moment of the heartbeat cycle.

The victim can collapse and perish immediately from ventricular fibrillation. While a ninja could apply the necessary force to cause this injury, they would have to rely on luck to strike the heart at the exact right moment within a 15 to 20 millisecond window.

There. You should feel safer already.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Here Are The Answers To All Of Your Questions About Sunscreen

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date July 26, 2017

It’s summertime, and the livin’ might be easy, but choosing the right sunscreen is not. An informal poll of family and friends quickly showed that most people know that sunscreen helps prevent sun damage and skin cancer but are less informed about how to use sunscreen correctly.
To try to set the record straight, we’ve got the answers to all your burning (pun intended) questions about safe sunscreen use.

What is sunscreen?

Let’s start with the basics. Sunscreen is a mix of chemicals that prevents ultraviolet rays from being absorbed by our skin. Two types of ultraviolet rays cause sun damage. UVB rays cause sunburn, whereas UVA rays are mostly responsible for prematurely aging skin and exacerbating the cancer-causing effects of sunburn.

The terms sunscreen and sunblock are often used interchangeably. Both protect against UV rays, but there is a difference between the two.
Sunblock typically contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, inorganic chemicals that literally block the sun, reflecting UV rays away from skin. Sunscreen, on the other hand, contains chemicals that absorb UV rays through chemical bonding before they can reach the skin.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the use of the word “sunblock” in 2011, because it believed consumers were led to overestimate the protective factor of UV-blocking products. Even if your spray or lotion is labeled sunscreen, you need to look at the ingredients to determine whether your sunscreen blocks or absorbs UV rays.

One isn’t necessarily better than the other. These days, most products contain a mix of inorganic and organic chemicals that both block and absorb UV rays for optimal protection.

Are the chemicals in sunscreen dangerous?

Short answer? No, the chemicals in sunscreen have not been proven to be toxic.
Although some studies have shown that nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide found in sunblock could cause inflammation, and some chemicals in sunscreen could damage the endocrine system, these studies are largely inconclusive.

Both studies used animal test subjects who ingested the chemicals directly at much higher amounts than are ordinarily used. Since sunscreen is applied topically in much lower amounts, there isn’t much evidence to support claims that sunscreen is harmful to your health. And most doctors agree that the benefits of using sunscreen vastly outweigh any associated risks.

What is SPF?

SPF, or sun protection factor, is the measure of how well sunscreen protects skin from UV rays.
If you normally get a sunburn after being out in the sun for 15 minutes, an SPF 15 sunscreen should protect you roughly 15 times as long.

So SPF 30 protects twice as long as SPF 15?

You’d think so, but the answer is no.
In reality, SPF 15 blocks about 94 percent of the sun’s UV rays. SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UV rays, which is only about 3 percent more than SPF 15.

No SPF can guarantee 100 percent protection from UV rays, which is why most dermatologists recommend sticking with SPF 15 or 30 and reapplying often. Anything with a much higher SPF is really just a marketing ploy.

How often should I apply sunscreen?

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, most people only apply about 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen. Yikes!

Any skin that is not going to be covered by clothing should get a layer of sunscreen. That especially includes places we often forget, like ears, lips, and toes.
Most dermatologists recommend liberal application. If you’re using a sunscreen lotion, it should be about one ounce. Spray sunscreens are a little more difficult to measure, but try to apply until an even sheen appears on the skin. If you’re sticky and shiny after applying spray sunscreen, you’re probably doing it correctly.

Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours—and more frequently if you’ve gotten wet or sandy or have just toweled off.

Do I only need to wear sunscreen in the summer?

NO! Sun damage can happen all year long.

You might not be able to see the sun, but those pesky cancer-causing UV rays aren’t blocked by clouds. That’s why you should wear sunscreen every single day.

Does sunscreen expire?

Everything has an expiration date. Sunscreen, if stored properly, will last about three years.
If sunscreen is stored in hot places (like beach bags placed in full sun), it could expire much faster.

But if you’re applying sunscreen daily like you’re supposed to, your sunscreen should never reach its expiration date.

What about kids?

Those adorable floppy hats exist for a reason! Babies who are under 6 months old should be kept out of the sun as much as possible. All other kids should have sunscreen applied any time you head outdoors.

The same application rules apply for kids, though. Make sure to liberally apply sunscreen every two hours (probably much more often if you’re at the pool or beach). If your kid gets sandy or sweaty, towel them down before applying sunscreen to ensure good coverage.
Lotion sunscreens are often simpler to apply because it is easy to see missed spots. If you’ve got a wiggler, though, it’s ok to use spray sunscreen.

Sunscreen is all I need for sun protection, right?

Nope.
Sunscreen does offer great protection against UV rays, but it isn’t 100 percent effective. Staying in the shade is the best protection of all, but that’s just not a realistic goal, unless you’re from Island County, Washington (the least sunny place in the continental U.S.)

Instead, the American Cancer Society recommends a handy acronym to help you remember tips for optimal sun protection:
–Slip on a shirt.
*Don’t be fooled by clothing that promotes an SPF. These clothing items actually don’t contain sunscreen. The SPF refers to the tight weave of the fabric.

Instead, you can check your regular clothing by holding it up to the light. If you can’t see through it, then it will provide sun protection.
–Slop on the sunscreen.
–Slap on a hat.
*Even if you applied sunscreen to your ears, nose, and lips, most people forget the top of their head and the back of the neck, thinking that hair is sufficient sunblock.

Protect your scalp by wearing a wide-brim hat that extends out past the nose for full-face coverage.
–Wrap on sunglasses
*All sunglasses are not created equal. Make sure to protect your eyes from UV damage by choosing sunglasses with a UV protection label. Remember, UV rays can pass through clouds, so even if the sun isn’t out, you should always wear sunglasses outside.

Does sun damage really cause cancer?

Yes, sun damage caused by UV rays really can cause skin cancers, including carcinoma and melanoma.
Even if you aren’t outdoorsy, short amounts of sun exposure are enough to cause skin cancer, especially if you’ve got fair skin.

Even if you never get a sunburn, tanning can cause melanin to build up in the skin, which is a sign of damage. Over time, this damage can lead to aging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer.
Skin cancer can also hide in unlikely places as a result of sun damage. For example, two of the sneakiest places skin cancer can develop are on the soles of your feet and under your nail beds from repeated UV exposure.

If I’ve never applied sunscreen, is it too late to start?

Definitely not! You may have spent your youth bronzing in the sun, but it’s never too late to start using sunscreen. In fact, a recent study showed that daily sunscreen use reduced signs of aging in participants regardless of their age.

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Nosh

12 Genius Cooking Hacks Directly From Restaurant Chefs

Post author By Mary Sauer
Post date July 26, 2017

Most home chefs don’t aspire to create a five-star meal; they just want to get a flavorful and healthy dinner on the table at the end of each day. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot we can learn from professional restaurant chefs about preparing food.
The training that professional chefs get from their time in culinary school and the years they spend in restaurant kitchens could actually have practical application for the Saturday-morning pancake flippers and those just throwing something together quickly after work.
Don’t miss out on these 12 cooking hacks shared by expert culinary artists. They just may change your taste buds for good.

1. This sweet idea will add more flavor to your food.

Health-conscious cooks will love this tip, but cutting back on processed sugar isn’t the only benefit to getting creative with sweeteners. The truth is, [linkbuilder id=”6715″ text=”alternative sweeteners”] can add new and unexpected flavors to your food, and we’re not just talking about desserts.
“Try maple syrup instead of sugar for a delicious, rich, nutty flavor that pairs well with savory foods like sweet potatoes, squash, and apples,” executive chef Ryan Kikkert of Roanoke Restaurant in Chicago advised.

[Maple syrup is] excellent in vinaigrettes, pancake batter, or for making sweet compound butters for fresh breads and pastries.

In addition to maple syrup, Kikkert suggested agave nectar, which is both sweet and tart and is amazing with fruits, yogurt, and even in chili. Honey has floral notes and a malty taste and is perfect for baking, making granola, or throwing in a sauce for chicken or pork.

2. Never accidentally crack a hard-boiled egg again.

When an egg cracks as it’s dropped into boiling water, it ruins the egg altogether. Avoiding this annoying occurrence is simple with this hack from executive chef Matthew Wilde of Joy District in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

“Rather than dropping the eggs in the water one by one or by the handful, use a towel as a lowering device,” he explained. “Place all of your eggs on a thin towel, grab the corners of the towel, and lower it into the boiling water. This will help to prevent cracking when eggs hit the bottom of the pan, and it also helps to increase efficiency.”

3. Avoid a visit from the fire department.

Leaping flames may be exciting if you’re visiting your favorite hibachi restaurant, but a fire is something no cook wants to face in their own home. There is one step many home cooks skip that puts them at risk for burning their food, according to Birnbaum.

Soak your skewers! Home cooks always forget this crucial step. Soak your skewers overnight so they don’t catch fire on the grill.

4. Holy guacamole, that was easy.

If you’re one of the avocado obsessed, you’re going to love Chef Wigglesworth’s hack for simplifying your guacamole prep, especially since a recent epidemic of avocado-related injuries has become a source of national concern.
“People often have a hard or messy time cutting the avocado and scooping it out of the skin,” he said.

A trick for expediting that process is to use a metal wire cooling rack, one that has a crosshatch pattern.

“Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed, keeping the skin on for now,” Wigglesworth continued. “Place the metal cooling rack over [a] bowl…place the avocado halves on the top, flesh side down…apply a little pressure, pushing the avocado against the cooling rack.”
Voila! Perfectly cut avocado without the trip to the emergency room.

5. Shake it up, baby.

Peeling garlic can be a time-consuming task that leaves many home chefs reaching for garlic salt instead of putting in the time to mince up the real deal. With this shortcut from Chef Wilde, garlic peeling doesn’t need to be a hassle.

“The easiest way to peel garlic is to put the garlic in a sealed container and shake,” he said. “You can also press on it with your palm or the back of a kitchen knife.”
Check out how it’s done in the video below, plus some helpful tips to peeling onions and hard boiled eggs too!

7. Streamline food preparation.

Coming home from work to a home-cooked meal is one of the most comforting practices of a busy week, but cooking from scratch each night simply isn’t realistic for most working parents. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re destined to eat microwave dinners Monday through Friday. With enough planning, home-cooked meals can be simplified. When you cook on your days off work, double or triple your favorite recipes.
“Make big batches and freeze small batches,” encouraged Birnbaum.

Big batches of marinara, pesto, Bolognese, etc… Pack them into small, tight-fitting Tupperware and thaw as needed.

8. There’s a simple trick for fresher meat.

A lot can be said for the flavor of never-frozen meat that you’ve sourced from a butcher in your own hometown. Keeping meat fresh can be a hassle for busy working parents, but there is one little-known hack that keeps meat from spoiling before you have time to use it in your home-cooked meal.

Instead of wrapping meat directly in plastic, Wilde instructs home cooks to wrap it well in paper towels and then cover it in plastic. This eliminates excess blood, which actually spoils much faster than the meat itself.

9. Stop spending so much on fresh herbs.

Confession time: When recipes call for fresh—instead of dried—herbs, I find it seriously tempting just to stick with what’s in the spice rack. Fresh herbs are pricey, and they’re packaged in large quantities, more than can generally be used before they go bad.
The solution to this dilemma is simpler than it may seem. Todd Birnbaum, owner and menu creator at the New York restaurant Clancey, believes growing your own herbs is an opportunity home chefs shouldn’t pass up.

“It’s easy to do and they pay for themselves,” he said. “Stores package herbs in a way that you generally only need 20 percent. When you grow them, you can snip as needed.”

10. Enjoy the luxury of homemade pizza without all the work.

There is no doubt about it; made-from-scratch pizza puts frozen options to shame. Of course, making pizza dough at home requires a lot of time and effort. Home chefs shouldn’t let this keep them from treating their family or guests to really great pizza from time to time.

“Buy pizza dough from your favorite pizzeria,” suggest Birnbaum. “Grill some pizzas, wrap hot dogs in it, or let the kids make their own pizzas!”

11. The fluffiest scrambled eggs are within your reach.

Scrambled eggs are a staple for breakfast lovers and a healthy enough option to became a part of the daily menu. Most home cooks, however, are adding an unnecessary step to the process, and it’s robbing their eggs of their fluff.
“People add cream, milk, butter, or some kind of dairy to the eggs before cooking. It will result in a creamy texture, sure, but it will not be as fluffy as it could be,” explained Dustin Wigglesworth, a sous chef at the Candy Apple Café in Jacksonville, Florida. “The extra proteins in the dairy actually weigh down the egg, making it denser.”

Instead of adding dairy, Wigglesworth suggests pulling out your blender to add extra air to your eggs. Crack them straight into the blender, turn it on for 15 seconds, and you’ll notice your eggs appear to multiply. Follow this by cooking them as normal—slowly, over low heat.

12. Here’s an eggselent approach to your next egg salad.

Don’t put your cooling rack away just yet; it just might make your egg salad prep easier than ever before. According to Wigglesworth, the exact approach described above can also be used for preparing an egg salad.

Just hard boil the eggs, peel them, and push the whole egg through the wire rack.

13. Speaking of hard-boiled eggs…

Let’s all be honest: Chopping hard-boiled eggs is hardly the biggest inconvenience when you’re making egg salad. Peeling eggs is a headache. Simplifying and cutting back on the mess requires an understanding of how to cook perfect hard-boiled eggs.

Fill a pan with cool water and add your eggs right away along with a heaping teaspoon of baking soda. Cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil. As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, turn it off and set a timer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, get an [linkbuilder id=”6714″ text=”ice bath”] ready. As soon as your timer goes off, halt the cooking of the eggs by transferring them to the ice bath right away. This recipe yields perfectly cooked, easily peeled eggs every single time.
There you have it: the best of the best cooking hacks straight from the people who know their way around a kitchen. Whether you’re planning a family get-together or simply preparing your next meal, these little nuggets of advice should prove to be invaluable.

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Lifestyle

Study Finds Second Children Are More Likely To Get In Trouble

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date July 25, 2017

A recent study shows that second-born brothers are more likely to develop certain behavioral issues.

The study, performed by researchers from several universities including MIT and University of Florida, followed thousands of brothers in Denmark and Florida.
“Despite large differences in environments across the two areas, we find remarkably consistent results: In families with two or more children, second-born boys are on the order of 20 to 40 percent more likely to be disciplined in school and enter the criminal justice system compared to first-born boys even when we compare siblings,” the study’s authors wrote.
“Across both of our locations, and across different estimation techniques, we find that second-born boys are substantially more likely to exhibit delinquency problems compared to their older sibling.”

Second-born children in both countries also performed worse on reading tests. In addition, Danish second-born children performed worse on math tests, although this wasn’t the case for the Floridian children.

Scientists aren’t sure why second-born children exhibit more behavioral problems.

The study’s authors ruled out health as a factor, since second-born children appear healthier. Other non-factors included schooling decisions and maternal employment.

One possible explanation is parental investment—both in terms of time and money. When parents have a single child, they can afford to lavish them with attention; this isn’t the case when additional children join the household, as the parents must split their time between their kids.
With later-born children, parents are also less likely to provide early cognitive stimulation at home, according to the paper. In other words, parents are generally less likely to read to or play with their second-born children.
The paper also makes the case that sibling influence may play a role.

“Later children, unlike first-borns, will have older siblings as role models,” the authors wrote. “In addition, older siblings may also benefit from teaching younger siblings and acting as such a role model.”

But there is some good news for second-born kids.

Another study from the University of Cambridge found that later-born children benefit from the sibling influence. They develop stronger social skills as a result of the peer effect.
“The traditional view is that having a brother or sister leads to a lot of competition for parents’ attention and love,” said Dr. Claire Hughes of the university’s Centre for Family Research. “In fact, the balance of our evidence suggests that children’s social understanding may be accelerated by their interaction with siblings in many cases.”

“One of the key reasons for this seems to be that a sibling is a natural ally. They are often on the same wavelength, and they are likely to engage in the sort of pretend play that helps children to develop an awareness of mental states.”
And if second children are less successful, they’re at least more likely to make friends.
“Second siblings do better in our tests and children who have better social understanding go on to be more popular in later life,” said Dr. Hughes.
There you have it: If you were born first, you’re more likely to be successful—but less likely to be popular.

Tags 50031066, care, hemingway

Lifestyle

Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date July 25, 2017

Mosquitoes seem to have very specific tastes.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, the insects won’t want anything to do with you (although they’ll probably feed on you if they can’t find a more appetizing dish). If you’re unlucky, you won’t be able to leave a barbecue or campfire without scratching dozens of bites.

What is it about some people that seems to attract mosquitoes? More importantly, how do we stop the bugs from ruining our summers?

It’s helpful to understand how mosquitoes hunt.

They rely on sight and smell, according to professor Jonathan Day of the University of Florida in Vero Beach. They’re highly visual creatures, so they start out by looking for their victims.

Mosquitoes can easily see dark colors, including black, blue, and red. Like most insects, they’re also capable of picking up movement, so they’re more likely to home in on active targets (there’s another reason for this, which we’ll get to in a moment).

After they’ve spotted their prey, mosquitoes start to sniff.

Well, not “sniff,” exactly, but they rely on their sense of smell to help them track their targets.

The insects pick up on carbon dioxide, and if you’ve ever taken a middle-school biology class, you’ll know that you put out large amounts of carbon dioxide with every exhalation.

But not all breaths are created equal; people who are exercising will breathe more, and they’ll therefore become more attractive targets.

Likewise, larger people take larger breaths, so they’re more likely to discover a few mosquito bites after spending time outdoors.

That’s not the only cue that mosquitoes look for.

They’ll also look for acetone, estradiol (which the body creates when breaking down estrogen), and lactic acid.

There’s some evidence that pregnant women have an especially irresistible mix of chemical signals; a study published in The Lancet found that pregnant women attracted twice as many mosquitoes as their non-pregnant peers. Mosquitoes also seem to be capable of detecting body heat, which may have contributed to the outcome of that study.

Oh, and if you’re at a barbecue, we’ve got some bad news.

Another study indicated that “beer consumption consistently increased volunteers’ attractiveness to mosquitoes.” The alcohol seems to be the attractant, although we’ll need more research to confirm that theory.

But even if you abstain from your favorite summertime beverages, you might still be a target. A study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology demonstrated that mosquitoes have a preference for type O blood. The creatures’ least-favorite blood type was type A, while type B was in the middle.

If you want to avoid itchy red bumps, we’d recommend wearing bright, tightly woven clothing when heading outdoors in the summer. Use a mosquito repellant with DEET and/or lemon eucalyptus, as these seem to be the most effective way to mask your scent (all repellents work by masking, by the way—not by actually repelling). Oh, and don’t bother with citronella; according to a paper from the Journal of Insect Science, citronella torches are pretty much worthless.

Tags 50030771, hemingway, nature

Nosh

Amazon's New Meal Kits Are On Sale, And Here's What They Look Like

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date July 25, 2017

Amazon seems poised to enter the home-delivery meal market.
The company filed a trademark application on July 6 detailing plans for “prepared food kits composed of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, fruit and/or and [sic] vegetables…ready for cooking and assembly as a meal, as well as primarily grain-based offerings.”

Now we’ve got a name: Amazon Meal Kits. The product’s tagline is “We do the prep. You be the chef.”
To be clear, the meal kits still seem to involve some prep work—consumers will still need to wash and chop their own parsley, for instance—but Amazon seems to be trying to differentiate its product by taking most of the prep out of the equation.

For months, investors have speculated that Amazon was considering this move. In early June, the company purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, instantly establishing a huge network of fresh food markets around the United States. That purchase drove down the stock value of Blue Apron Holdings (APRN), the largest and best-known provider of meal kits. Blue Apron’s valuation plummeted to $7.73 per share, down from $10 a week before.

But what will the Amazon Meal Kits actually look like?

Well, we may not have to wait long to find out.
According to GeekWire, the meal kits are already available in select areas. One of the website’s readers reached out to provide some pictures and info.

Apparently, the Amazon Meal Kits have been available since early June. The reader, 34-year-old Josh Chadd, ordered the steak au poivre, which sold for $18.99 on Amazon’s main site.
“The steak was an 8-oz. serving packaged by Corfini and was at least of USDA choice quality,” Chadd told GeekWire. “It was not an odd or awkward cut which is often the case with other services. The peas were very fresh with no blotches and tasted very sweet. The onion came pre-diced.”

“It also came with fresh green peppercorns which I’ve never seen in another service even with a similarly named recipe. Overall the finished meal was a 9 out of 10 for any meal I’ve made at home even with my own ingredients.”
“Everything about the meal was good, but the parmesan fries and the pepper cream sauce were the highlight for me,” Chadd added.

GeekWire reports that vegetarian Meal Kits are slightly cheaper, at $15.99 each.

We should note that there’s no indication that Amazon will keep the same pricing when introducing the product to a wider audience.
Currently, customers need to be subscribed to both Amazon Prime and Amazon Fresh (the company’s grocery delivery service) to access the meal kits.

Each ingredient arrives with a bright orange label, and some of the packaging appears reusable—a potential selling point, since Blue Apron’s kits have received criticism for using arguably wasteful packaging.
If Amazon brings their meal delivery service to a wide market, they’d have several immediate advantages over Blue Apron. We’ll have to wait to see whether this service is a flash in the pan (pardon the pun).

Tags 50030451, fuel, hemingway

Health x Body Wellbeing

Trump Just Quietly Slashed Funding To 81 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date July 25, 2017

Six months into the Trump administration, the president has outlined his spending priorities with a proposed budget for the nation’s next fiscal year.

While the budget still has a ways to go before it’s officially authorized by Congress, priorities outlined in the president’s proposal are filtering down to the state and local level—including community health centers.

Cutting the Cord on Teen Pregnancy Programs

Back in 2010, the Obama administration boldly funded 102 programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. These projects were funded with five-year grants. Over that span, according to the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH), “there were 102 grantees who reached about half a million youth, trained more than 6,800 professionals, and established partnerships with over 3,800 community-based organizations across the U.S.”
In 2015, impressed by these numbers, the OAH had even more ambitious goals for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, hoping to reach 1.2 million teens over the next five years.

Now it appears that the Trump administration is reducing the length of these programs to three—instead of five—years.
Reveal, a publication from the Center for Investigative Reporting, noted that 81 projects received five-year grants in 2015. In early July, Reveal obtained the annual grant award letters sent to these groups. While funding will remain intact for this coming fiscal year, the letters noted: “This award also shortens the project period to end June 30, 2018, at the end of this budget year.”
“In years past,” Reveal explained, “the award letters said the project period would end June 30, 2020.”

The Affected Organizations

Perhaps it’s not surprising that a handful of the organizations losing this funding are affiliated with Planned Parenthood, a group that receives a great deal of criticism for providing abortion services in a small number of their clinics. As Reveal noted, abortion counseling wasn’t part of any of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs.

Others set to lose funding include Native American tribal organizations, state-level departments of Health and Human Services (even in Republican states), prestigious research universities, and urban and rural health centers.
To complicate matters further, Reveal reports that a $2.9 million annual grant split among five organizations was cut immediately. This makes things even more challenging, as these groups helped other grant holders with necessary resources such as communications and training.
In other words, not only are these 81 organizations having their grant time reduced by 40 percent, but they’re immediately losing access to the organizations that helped to coordinate that work.
As Reveal reports, those five groups were told in their letters that their funding was “cut was due to changing program priorities and that the projects were no longer in the federal government’s best interest.”

New Priorities

The Trump administration isn’t completely moving away from talking to teens about the risks of pregnancy. They are, instead, proposing a huge increase in funding the questionable practice of abstinence-only education.

A line in President Trump’s proposed budget suggests ramping up spending to “Extend Abstinence Education and Personal Responsibility Education Program.” Over the next seven years, this budget proposes spending $277 million on this cause, more than $200 million of which is earmarked for fiscal years 2019 and 2020.
Many are attributing this shift in priorities to Valerie Huber, the Trump-appointed chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health. The Los Angeles Times describes Huber as having previously led Ascend, an organization that advocates for abstinence-only sex ed.

Fortunately, teen pregnancies have been on the decline for the past decade. Hopefully these proposed changes from the Trump administration don’t reverse that trend.

Tags 50030791, body, hemingway

Nosh

6 Bizarre Modern Diets Debunked

Post author By Mary Sauer
Post date July 25, 2017

It is pretty typical to feel pressure to lose weight. Whether you’re looking forward to a big day, like your wedding or next beach vacation, or you’ve just welcomed a new baby and want to “bounce back,” you’re certainly not alone if you want to drop some pounds. In fact, over half of the American population—53 percent to be exact—has dreams of losing weight, according to a 2016 Gallup poll.

Of course, it’s one thing to want to lose weight and another thing to make it happen. Weight loss is simple in theory, requiring burning more calories than you take in each day. In practice, it is much more difficult.

Between finding the time for exercise, sticking with strict nutrition plans and preparation of unprocessed foods, it makes sense that so many people are looking for an easy fix to their weight loss woes.

It isn’t all that uncommon for both men and women to turn to a diet that promises quick weight loss, but these fad diets seem to be specifically targeted at women. There are so many out there that make big promises of quick weight loss, but can they deliver on those promises? And exactly how healthy is it to embark on intense weight loss plans?

We put some of the most bizarre modern diets under the microscope, taking a close look at what they promise, what they deliver, and any side effects that may come along with the diet. Here’s what we found out.

1. The HCG Diet

The Promise: This approach has been around for half a century but has recently regained popularity as a fast way to shed pounds. The HCG diet promises rapid weight loss through calorie restriction and supplementation with a synthetic version of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone that is naturally produced by pregnant women. This diet is based on research that linked the presence of high HCG levels with loss of belly fat.

Users are encouraged to follow a very specific protocol, beginning with a “fat-loading” phase of a few days that is followed by up to 40 days of eating less than 500 calories a day, all while taking HCG drops three times daily.

The Results: You might be surprised to hear it, but this diet actually does work in the sense that those who follow the extreme protocol will lose weight. The truth is, any time you cut your calorie intake, you are going to experience weight loss.

Still, there isn’t any research to support the idea that taking an HCG supplement contributes to weight loss success, according to the Journal of The Academy of American Nutrition and Dietetics. The journal also raises other concerns, pointing out the nutritional inadequacy of an extreme, low-calorie diet and just how difficult it is to maintain for the long term.

2. The Master Cleanse

The Promise: Cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup, oh my! These three foods are the bedrock of the Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet. Over the course of 10 days, dieters are instructed to drink a tonic made from these three ingredients, combined with water, and then take a specific laxative before bed.

The creators of the cleanse promise that anyone who commits to this diet plan will see quick weight loss due to the metabolism-boosting effects of the ingredients along with healing of the digestive tract.

The Results: Any success experienced on the Master Cleanse can be attributed to extreme calorie restriction. The reality of this diet is that it is what Dr. Ed Zimney, columnist at Everyday Health, calls a “starvation diet.”

He insists there is nothing special about the suggested ingredients, except that the maple
syrup provides just enough sugar to keep your body going for 10 days. Zimney didn’t have anything positive to say about the diet, noting that he believes any weight loss experienced would be reversed as soon as the user reintroduces typical foods and that long-term maintenance of this diet could be deadly.

3. The Baby Food Diet

The Promise: If you’ve ever snuck a taste while feeding your baby, you know that jarred baby food isn’t the most flavorful meal. The blandness of baby food isn’t enough to scare off committed dieters, apparently, since an entire weight loss plan exists that encourages women to eat tons of jarred food for days on end.

The baby food diet is an unofficial program that suggests substituting breakfast, snacks, and lunch with jarred baby food as a means of cutting calories and controlling portion sizes.

The Results: Similar to many other fad diets, the baby food diet works in the sense that it allows dieters to restrict their calorie intake.

However, jarred baby food simply can’t meet the complex nutritional needs of an adult, according to WebMd. Following this diet for an extended period will likely result in nutritional deficiencies.

4. The Cabbage Soup Cleanse

The Promise: Losing 10 pounds or more in a single week is the enticing promise made by the cabbage soup cleanse. This is a low-calorie, high-fiber diet characterized by a very methodical day-by-day nutritional guide.

Dieters are discouraged by the diet’s creators from following this weight loss method for any longer than seven days, as they don’t believe it is a sustainable long-term plan.

The Results: One positive attribute of this diet is that the creators are fairly up front about the limitations of the diet. They admit on their homepage that the cabbage soup cleanse can’t be maintained for the long term and should be discontinued at day seven.

Unfortunately, even though this diet does result in weight loss, it probably won’t deliver a long-term change. Dieters are encouraged to eat under 1,000 calories a day and will lose weight very quickly but will also gain it back as soon as they return to a typical diet, according to Dr. Melinda Ratini of WebMd.

5. The Prayer Diet

The Promise: This weight loss plan is less of a diet and more a plan to pray for help to lose weight. The prayer diet promise originates with a website called Prayers for Special Help.

Readers are encouraged to use pre-written prayers—such as a prayer to resist cravings—to aid them in their weight loss goals. These prayers are intended to provide dieters with the extra strength they need, through connection with God, to commit to making changes to their lifestyle.

The Results: Of course, prayer alone won’t help you lose weight, but connecting to a higher power as a means of making lifestyle changes actually isn’t a bad idea.

Research has shown that meditation is helpful for those who want to lose weight because it helps individuals to set their intention on their goals each day. One could argue that prayer has the same effect and that by engaging in daily prayer about weight loss, individuals may become more motivated to achieve their goals.

6. The Cookie Diet

The Promise: Finally, a diet exists that promises lots of my favorite food and weight loss at the same time! The cookie diet is a low-calorie diet that is both high in protein and fiber. Dieters can’t eat any cookie they want, of course.

Instead they must purchase cookies created specifically for this program. Instead of meals for breakfast and lunch, dieters eat these cookies, which promise to keep hunger under control and achieve weight loss results. For dinner, a typical, balanced meal is encouraged.

The Results: Even though you will lose weight if you follow the cookie diet guidelines, you shouldn’t expect to be able to maintain the weight loss for the long term.

The real problem with diets that require purchasing pre-packaged foods, according to WebMd, is that dieters don’t learn how to make real lifestyle changes. Because of this, as soon as you are through with the diet, you won’t have tools for maintaining a healthy lifestyle moving forward and will likely gain any weight back.

Simply because these fad diets aren’t the right choice for sustainable weight loss that doesn’t mean you should give up your goals for a healthier lifestyle. The truth is, research has proven time and time again that a slow and steady approach leads to the most maintainable weight loss plan.

By honoring your body’s hunger by eating plenty of healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables you can lose weight through a healthy lifestyle you can maintain for the rest of your life.

Tags 50031156, fuel, hemingway

Lifestyle

Health Myths We All Need To Stop Believing

Post author By Anna Cherry
Post date July 24, 2017

A few days ago I gathered seven nearly full bottles of supplements, including apple cider vinegar capsules and a daily multivitamin, and put them in my trash can. I had just read some articles explaining that studies have linked vitamin supplementation with higher mortality rates.

Five minutes later, I worried that perhaps I was being too extreme, that maybe years down the road researchers would do some other studies that would show different results, or that in a few months I would realize that I needed one of these supplements for some reason and then would curse myself for wasting tens of dollars by throwing them away before their expiration dates.

I took them out of the trash and put them back in a drawer. I wouldn’t continue taking them, I told myself, but I would leave them there, just in case.

My back-and-forth is emblematic of the general public’s relationship with health advice. In short, many of us just don’t know what the heck to believe. It’s no wonder. We have

Pauling’s legacy like this:

“Although Pauling’s megavitamin claims lacked the evidence needed for acceptance by the scientific community, they have been accepted by large numbers of people who lack the scientific expertise to evaluate them. Thanks largely to Pauling’s prestige, annual vitamin C sales in the United States have been in the hundreds of millions of dollars for many years.”

Myth: Gluten-free is the way to be.

How many times have you heard about the evils of gluten (the proteins found in wheat)? Lots, yeah?

Let’s see if we can do this from memory: Gluten intolerance is at the root of a number of physical and mental problems for people in countries with many processed foods, because wheat is hiding in everything that we eat, and now we’ve screwed ourselves. The story goes something like that, right?

It makes sense. We are frequently tired! We have skin problems! We eat lots of wheat! Wouldn’t it logically follow that the best thing we could do would be to eat foods without gluten and give our systems a break?

Dr. Carly Stewart doesn’t think so. “Gluten-free foods are only healthier for you if you are allergic to gluten. If you aren’t, eating a gluten-free diet restricts the amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals you are able to consume,” she tells Lifehacker.

“A variety of foods that are high in whole grains (such as foods containing wheat, rye, or barley) also contain gluten, and these foods are an essential part of a healthy diet. Most people have no trouble digesting gluten.”

In other words: Making it harder on yourself to eat a varied, healthy diet isn’t recommended. Why put yourself through that if you don’t have to?

Tags 50031111, care, hemingway

Myth: Megadosing on vitamin C will help your cold.

Myth: Eating fat will make you fat.

Myth: Vitamin supplementation is healthy.