Month: October 2017

Categories
Motherhood

Things We Need To Stop Saying To Dads

Modern dads are expanding the definition of fatherhood.

I’ll explain: As the father of a toddler myself, I am constantly in a state of growth. I operate with the best parenting knowledge I can find, and I’m always trying to learn more. I do the best I can for my daughter and try to balance the parenting workload with my wife.
That desire to learn distinguishes me, and all modern dads, from our paternal predecessors, many of whom operated on a set of guidelines that were born before their country was. More on that later.
So it stings when others see us through an antiquated lens. They make comments and observations that aren’t just off-putting, but inaccurate and counterproductive. We’re not saying we’re perfect by any means, but we deserve some credit for evolving over the years.

“I actually had people laugh at me while trying to change a diaper.”

So, let’s discuss how fatherhood has changed over time, why dads shouldn’t be held up to old paradigms, and finally, what comments modern dads really hate to hear.

How Fatherhood Has Changed Through The Ages

Today’s dad is not the stereotypical breadwinner of the 1950s. You know the guy—he’s still in countless TV shows and movies. He came home from a long day at work just in time for dinner (which he expected the wife to have prepared for him). He was the provider of financial stability, the disciplinarian, and that was pretty much it.

HealthyWay
Red Foreman, the oft-gruff father character in the Fox sitcom “That ’70s Show,” only shows compassion when there’s no other choice. (via Hitberry)

Jennifer L. Baker, clinical psychologist specialist and founder of Good Dads, a fatherhood resource in Springfield, Missouri, explains that “20th century fathers often thought their role was to earn a living for their family … they did not think in terms of emotional support or instrumental support.”
A 2014 Cornell University paper states that this view began to form in the 18th century. As America became an industrial country, the paper states, fathers spent more and more time working away from their families. After industrialization, “a man’s worth was often based on his ability to provide for his family.”
HealthyWay
In “That ’70s Show,” Red often looked down on the bumbling Bob Pinciotti. Bob, the butt of many jokes, showed much more affection toward his child. (via That ’70s Wiki)

Things started to change in the late 1970s, though, when “encouraging parenting participation for less involved fathers became a primary focus of national policy makers,” the paper says. Men began engaging more with their children, and today, the “the new nurturant father” (“a father who still financially provides for his family, but is also nurturing and emotionally involved…”) is even more prominent in society.
Dads are “spending a much larger proportion of their time with their children than their dads did,” Baker says.
A 2013 Pew Research Center survey offers further insight, with the responders stating it was extremely important that fathers were involved in four “necessities,” including (in order of priority): values and morals, emotional support, discipline, and income.
We should also note how age correlated in the study: respondents under the age of 65 were far more supportive of fathers having increased roles in providing emotional support, illustrating the split in opinion among generational lines.

Breaking Dad Stereotypes

Despite these changes, negative images of fathers persist. If you watch the average sitcom today, the father is likely to be a bumbling doofus, an overgrown kid who is outmatched mentally and physically by his wife and children.

HealthyWay
Phil Dunphy of ABC’s “Modern Family” is a classic example of the “bumbling dad” character trope. (via TimeOut)

These portrayals suggest that masculinity is somehow threatened by the very act of parenting. That being involved with your children makes one look weak or silly. This notion isn’t just offensive, it’s flat out untrue.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that being a well-rounded father is actually a sign of emotional and mental strength. Indeed, the most involved fathers showed “positive psychological adjustment characteristics (e.g., high self esteem, lower levels of depression and hostility, and coping well with the major tasks of adulthood).”
HealthyWay
iStock

The study also found that a father’s love is integral to a child’s development, both cognitively and emotionally. In addition, children with affectionate fathers are less prone to substance abuse or behavioral issues.
Baker founded Good Dads to create a supportive environment to encourage this nurturing aspect in fathers.
“I just saw how overlooked men were and how they are so important to almost every social problem we have in the United States,” she says. “I wanted to be able to do something where we could reach out to any dad [and help them] to be more engaged with their children.”
HealthyWay
Dads and children gather at a breakfast put on by the Springfield, Missouri, chapter of All Pro Dads, a non-profit fatherhood organization. (Good Dads)

So, fatherhood has clearly changed. Let’s cover what things we need to stop saying to dads in lieu of these changes. First…

“You can change a diaper?”

For some reason, seeing dad change a dirty diaper is comedic to observers, but it can be aggravating to the dad on diaper duty.
Father David Dierksen has first hand experience with this frustration.
“I actually had people laugh at me while trying to change a diaper,” he says. “These were folks from my parents’ generation.”

HealthyWay
iStock

“There was nothing funny about the situation. I wasn’t struggling or making a face—I was doing just fine,” he continues. “I don’t think they were mocking me. It was more that their minds were blown that a dad would actually be changing a diaper … Changing a diaper shouldn’t be impressive in this day and age. It’s part of the job.”
It’s key to note that these observations often come from other dads who feel these types of tasks are beneath them.
Changing diapers is part of a being an involved, capable parent. It’s not rocket science; it simply comes with the territory.

Saying “You’re Such A Great Dad!” For Doing The Bare Minimum

Compliments on how we raise our children are always welcome. But patting us on the back for basic dad duties can be insulting.

“This isn’t 1966 anymore.”

“It’s condescending, not encouraging, to be praised for mediocre work,” says psychologist Eva Glasrud. “It reinforces the idea that ‘I don’t belong here and I’m not expected to do well.’”
She also says that it can put strain on the family unit.
“It’s not just bad for dads,” she says, but “it’s bad for kids, too. They’re expert social learners, and when they hear you say this, they’ll begin to form a rigid sense of gender roles.”
Russ Johnson, a father of two, says that modern dads performing parenting tasks shouldn’t surprise anyone.
“This isn’t 1966 anymore. Mothers work and have to contribute to the household income, so fathers should also be expected to play a bigger role in the child rearing. I enjoy being around my kids, so it’s not a task. And I am pretty sure my father’s generation would have thought so, too, if they had more time to be involved.”

“Being a stay-at-home dad must be easy.”

A 2014 Pew Research Center poll showed that the number of stay-at-home fathers has risen from 1 million in 1989 to 2 million in 2012. Despite this more widely accepted phenomenon, the American Psychological Foundation says many “stay-at-home fathers are routinely confronted with stigma due to their flouting of the social norms surrounding masculine behavior.”

“I’m a stay at home dad to three kids. I worked for years… Now, everyone thinks I’m on vacation.”

Baker expands upon this.
“I think it’s hard for stay at home dads to know just exactly where their place is. Mothers who have been staying at home for a long time make play dates with other moms … so where does dad to go for support?” she says. “That’s one of the reasons we founded Good Dads lunches … they really like talking about being a dad [and] they get some ideas about how to be a better father. Otherwise, there’s very little opportunity for them to get together with other dads.”
One of the biggest misconceptions of being a stay-at-home dad is that it’s easy. Travis Larkin made the transition from 9-5 dad to stay-at-home pop, and while wouldn’t trade it for anything, he gets profoundly irritated when someone thinks he’s got it easy.

HealthyWay
iStock

“I’m a stay at home dad to three kids,” he says. “I worked for years paying all the bills and getting my wife through school. Now, everyone thinks I’m on vacation. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s a lot of work!”
As someone who has spent some time as a stay-at-home father myself, I can attest to this. It’s rewarding and often amusing, but it can be just as draining as a day on the job.

“He didn’t get that from me.”

This one’s for spouses.

Pointing out personality traits that your child has clearly picked up from their dad can be illuminating, endearing, and hilarious. But attributing every negative trait to him can poison a relationship (not to mention making the child feel self-conscious).
Watching a child’s personality bloom is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a parent, and one can over-personalize commonalities your kiddo shares with his dad. Keep in mind that your child has their own distinct persona, full of positives and negatives. If there’s a negative trait you want to discourage, make it a team effort rather than pinning the blame for the unwanted behavior on the spouse.
This jab goes both ways, though, so dads should make sure not to make the same mistake.

“You’re not doing it right.”

“One of the things that mother should avoid saying is ‘here let me do it, you don’t know how,'” Baker says. “Men like to be thought of as successful. If they’re feeling like they’re a failure if they don’t do it exactly right, they won’t necessarily take instruction. They’ll just avoid and withdraw.”
She suggests it’s more effective that moms offer direction as opposed to offering too much criticism when talking to their husbands.

HealthyWay
iStock

“Gatekeeping is one of the major issues that may prevent many fathers from engaging even more in active and equal fathering,” says Dr. Joyce Nuner, associate professor in Family and Consumer Sciences and Child and Family Studies at Baylor University. “Men do things differently—not better, not worse, just different.”
“Don’t undo and then redo something dad has already done,” she says. “You may think he doesn’t notice, but he does, and so do your children. By giving fathers space to parent in their own way, you are showing your children that you are a team that works together. ”

“Be Careful!”

That stereotype of dad being a big kid who values play above all else can make it seem like he doesn’t take the safety of his child seriously.

HealthyWay
iStock

While I can’t speak for all dads out there, I can attest that I’m a bit of a worrywart when it comes to my daughter’s well-being, whether it’s obsessing over car seat straps, freaking out when she gets a persistent cough, or monitoring who she interacts with when we’re out in public.
In other words, we may be up for a fun time with our kids, but we want to keep them just as safe as moms do.

So, the next time you’re talking to a dad, try to keep those pointers in mind.

Just because we’re doing anything at all doesn’t mean we’re extraordinary; we’re simply doing what a modern parent should. That said, being a dad isn’t always easy. We’re still a work-in-progress, but the emphasis is on progress.
And just because we do things differently doesn’t mean we’re doing them wrong; sometimes there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Give us a chance to show you what we can do.
Yes, we can always improve, but for the most part, we’re just trying to stay ahead of the curve when caring for our kids.

Categories
Motherhood

7 Parenting Habits That Didn't Age Well

Parents are always trying to get the best advice on how to provide their children with the security, support, and discipline they need. The people they often turn to first are their own parents.
It’s always good to learn from experience—“With age comes wisdom,” as they say. The thing is, some advice comes with an expiration date.

HealthyWay
iStock

Parents from prior generations don’t always impart the best advice because they were often working with information that was faulty—and sometimes downright bizarre. Parenting is a work-in-progress practice that has (mostly, and thankfully) been refined over time.

Whether it’s dealing with how to discipline, feed, or talk to their children, times have changed drastically, and largely for the better.

With that in mind, let’s look at some parenting trends from past decades that turned out to be wrong.

Physical Punishment

Of all the entries on our list, hitting a child is the most controversial and emotionally charged aspect of parenting in today’s society. Where once spanking was a widely accepted form of discipline, it has largely fallen out of favor.
Sarah Jean Baker, assistant professor and chair of early childhood education at Concordia University, says the primary reason we’ve moved away from spanking is that our views on children have changed.

HealthyWay
iStock

“We used to view children as sinful beings that needed to be dominated … This developed from when our country was being settled by the Puritans and preachers talking to parents about ‘whoever spares the rod hates their children,'” she says. “But then we moved to this idea that they’re these innocent, cute little beings. So as our view on children has changed, our ideology has also changed.”
While parents some parents still spank their kids, it’s on the decline. Research shows that corporal punishment, in addition to causing physical injuries, leaves emotional scars as well—children who are frequently spanked tend to have increased aggression and other mental health issues later in life. A 2012 study also showed that the act of spanking is less effective than placing a disobedient child in timeout.
HealthyWay
iStock

School counselor Donna Taylor cites Don Dinkmeyer and Gary McKay’s “Four Goals of Misbehavior” as another turning point for parents. The parenting course (which originated in the late 1970s) popularized the use of natural consequences rather than physical punishment to correct behavior.
Taylor says another change began when both parents joined the workforce in greater numbers.
“Sometimes parents tell me they are lenient when it comes to discipline with their children because they feel guilty being away from their children so much,” she says. “They did not want the time spent with their children centered around punishment.”

Dated Nutritional Advice

Dietary habits are one of the most fluctuating facets of American life. There’s an oft-maddening collection of contradictory elements to parse through. We’re still trying to figure it out.
Much of the advice experts used to give for kids’ diets is now seen as decidedly unhealthy. During a 1976 senate hearing, nutritionist Nathan Pritikin stated his belief that one could reduce risks of heart disease with diet changes—particularly a reduction in eating fatty foods. It started a sea-change in the American diet.

HealthyWay
iStock

So from the late 1970s through the 1980s and 1990s, families were obsessed with feeding their children low-fat foods. Many products that claimed to be low-fat did a bait-and-switch, though, by dramatically increasing the sugar levels in place of the fats. In short, many “low-fat” foods contributed to weight gain—in children and adults
There was also the belief during that time that eating more starches was effective for weight loss, which also contributed to bigger waistlines. Yes, it’s true—experts thought you could shed pounds eating tons of pasta and potatoes!
HealthyWay
iStock

And let’s not forget McDonald’s Happy Meal, which got millions of children hooked on fast food.
We’re still dealing with an obesity epidemic (and eating more than we should), but with the advent of the organic food movement, families growing their own vegetables, and programs like Kids Eat Right, there are strides being made.

Clean Your Plate

Whether you’re a baby boomer or a millennial, you probably remember being forced “clean your plate” before you could get up from the table.

Sound advice, right? Well, not really.

Turns out this tactic can have a very undesirable result: it encourages overeating. Unfortunately, while this an old-school tactic, many parents still utilize it. In a 2013 study, researchers at the University of Minnesota found that between 50 and 60 percent of polled parents required their children to clean their plates. About half as many told their kids to keep eating after they said they were full.

HealthyWay
iStock

A 1999 study found obese respondents remembered more pressure from parents regarding eating rules than those of healthier weight, with “cleaning their plate” the most commonly recalled phrase.
So instead of piling your kids’ plates and expecting them to wolf it all down, trust them when they say they’re full. You can save them from a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits.

Sending Your Child to Bed Without Dinner

This old-school form of punishment for children was an ineffective tactic, according to clinical psychologist specialist Jennifer L. Baker: “Sending your child to bed without dinner is a cruel act that [doesn’t] have the desired results. … I think parents are learning [that there are] other ways [to discipline] that work better and don’t involve a lot of coercion and overpowering.”
She says the tactic essentially amounts to saying “I’m bigger and stronger than you, so you’re going to have to do what I want,” which lead more to resentment than behavioral change.

HealthyWay
iStock

In place of such hardball tactics to get kids to eat, Baker notes today’s parents provide more options for meals.
“Parents actually engage their children in dialogue,” she says. “They tend to ask them questions like ‘what would you like for dinner?’ Where, in the past, you got what was put in front of you. … Modern parents are thinking more about the child’s perspective.”

Washing Their Mouthes Out With Soap

Forever immortalized in the holiday classic A Christmas Story, washing your child’s mouth out with soap is an arcane, literal approach to stopping a child from using “dirty words.” It’s a punishment for lying and mouthing off, too. And while seeing Ralphie sucking on a bar of soap for cursing was funny on film, it’s less so in real life.

While this concept may seem to be a work of fiction, this was a rather common practice during the 19th and 20th centuries. Doing it in the 21st century, though? Thankfully, not so much.
In fact, parents who practice this form of punishment often have to face jail time: in 2009, a married couple in Palm Bay, Florida were imprisoned and lost custody of their daughter after she was hospitalized from an allergic reaction to the soap she ingested, and in 2017, parents in Jacksonville, Florida faced similar charges.

Letting Your Baby Sleep on Their Stomach

For parents of prior generations, a major concern with infants was the risk of choking by regurgitation in their sleep. As a result, many worried mothers were told to let their babies sleep on their stomach.
This trend began to change however, when a 1992 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended babies sleep on their back. Why? To reduce the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

HealthyWay
iStock

While we still don’t understand the full mechanics of what makes this position more effective, the statistics speak for themselves: since the recommendation was made, the annual SIDS rate has fallen by over 50 percent.
It’s still important for babies to have “tummy time,”as it helps them develop stronger muscles; just make sure they’re awake and active during the sessions. They should last no more than three to five minutes and happen two to three times per day.

Letting Babies Sleep With Blankets and Pillows

Placing babies on their backs to sleep isn’t the only change parents have made to babies’ sleeping habits. As recently as a decade ago, parents made sure their sweet bundles of joy were bundled up in a baby blanket, with a pillow to cushion their head. We now know this is another health hazard, as it increases the risk of suffocation.
Researchers from both the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that in 1993, seven out of eight parents were using blankets and bedding for infants. By 2010, it had only dropped to a little more than half, so there is still more educating that needs to be done.

HealthyWay
iStock

In an effort to do just that, the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development publicized the “Safe to Sleep” campaign in 2012. In addition to avoiding blankets, soft toys, and crib bumpers, they recommend babies only sleep in bassinets and cribs.
For parents concerned about their little ones getting too cold, onesies can take the place of a blankie.

The trick to being a great parent is to always be open to new information…

Just remember that the prevailing thoughts today may be tossed out tomorrow. It can be exhausting distinguishing between trusted tactics and terrible ideas, but learning the difference is vital in doing right by your child.

HealthyWay
iStock

If you’re feeling truly overwhelmed with difficult decisions, reaching out to a child psychologist or pediatrician is your safest bet. Fumbling in the dark does both you and your child a disservice.

Categories
Health x Body Wellbeing

Essential Oils 101: Aromatherapy And Beyond

Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

A few years ago, a friend who had been struggling with depression told me she was feeling “basically cured” and gave most of the credit to her newfound study and practice of aromatherapy. My interest was definitely piqued, as I’m constantly looking for green and natural ways to boost health and happiness. Still, even as an open-minded wellness nut who’s willing to try almost anything once (and someone who has used natural products containing essential oils for years), I saw her claims for what they were: an anecdote from a friend, not definitive proof of healing properties.
Of course the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Egyptians all used oils in their healing practices. Even Hippocrates—the guy who pretty much invented Western medicine—was said to be an expert in the medicinal application of botanical oils. But then, of course, anyone who tells you that essential oils will completely fix your life just might be trying to sell you snake oil.
[related article_ids=1003959]
So is there modern, objective evidence that using essential oils in natural remedies, aromatherapy, topical beauty applications, and green cleaning products can produce real, beneficial results? Yes there is.
It’s time to explore what you stand to gain by adding essential oils to your life. It’s important to consult your doctor about any serious medical issues you may have, rather than attempting to self-medicate exclusively with essential oils (or any other at-home therapy), but empirical evidence suggests that adding essential oils could be a major win for your wellness.

The Top 5 Essential Oils Beginners Need to Know

You may already have a few essential oils rolling around in your bag of tricks, or you might be a novice. Either way, learning how to incorporate these classic essential oils into your healthy living practice safely (more on the importance of dilution to come!) is easy even for beginners.

1. Lavender

You already know it smells amazing and that sleeping with a sachet of dried lavender under your pillow can bring you sweet dreams. Kac Young, PhD, a naturopathic doctor and author of The Healing Art of Essential Oils (which I recently read and loved), says in her book that if she could only use one essential oil, lavender would be her choice. She cites lavender’s extra long list of beneficial properties, which range from it being antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory to being a powerful relaxant, while still being “one of the most gentle.”

Multiple studies have found that lavender oil can help with an array of issues in addition to its well-known use for encouraging sleep. Research shows it facilitates wound-healing and can help calm dementia patients. I sometimes pour a few drops into my nighttime bath to help me unwind, then sleep like a baby. Zeyah Rogé, a massage and mental health therapist (as well as yoga instructor) who has long incorporated essential oils into her practices says lavender is one of her top favorites because of its helpfulness “for nervous system balancing,” as well as being good for the skin, “particularly in healing burns.”

Try This:

Itchy skin from a bug bite, bee sting, or even a chronic condition like eczema? Young advocates dabbing a bit of diluted lavender oil right onto the itchy spot, then waiting calmly for the soothing relief to roll over you.

2. Peppermint

In addition to affording us minty-fresh breath and the flavor of our favorite Christmas candies, peppermint has been proven useful for a slew of holistic uses. From relieving nausea and stomach pains (think of all those minty antacid tablets on the market) to improving focus and lowering fevers, the therapeutic uses are well documented. In fact, peppermint oil is one of the best medicines we have for treating irritable bowel syndrome. It’s important, however, if you’re using peppermint as a topical or orally ingested treatment that you stick to using it in diluted form, as it is possible to use too much.
Rogé uses this fresh-smelling oil for its antibacterial properties, and Young inhales the stuff directly, or in steam, to soothe respiratory issues during a cold or flu. Think Vicks VapoRub.

Try This:

Can’t stop snacking? Peppermint can act as a mild appetite suppressant. “Inhale peppermint essential oil to stave off the munchies,” says Young.

3. Lemon

It turns out that lemons are good for so much more than spritzing in a refreshing summer beverage or bringing a hint of acid to your dinner. According to Young’s book, it’s known to have “antiseptic … antimicrobial, antibacterial … and even antifungal” properties. The essential oil of lemons is the most concentrated way to harness their disinfectant power as a kitchen and bathroom cleaner, a natural skin-brightener, or even an at-home wart remedy. Perhaps the best use for lemon essential oil is its proven ability to boost happiness, alertness, and general clarity of mind when inhaled. So if you’re feeling down or dull, lean in and take a whiff!

Try This:

Sore throat? Add a drop of lemon oil and a bit of honey to your hot tea for a soothing and antibacterial home remedy.

4. Tea Tree

Known for its long list of uses related to clearing up troubled skin, this multitasking oil is one of my favorites (and both Young and Rogé agree). I’ve been using this stuff on mild acne flare-ups since I was a teenager, and I know it works for me.
“Tea tree oil is a known antiseptic and antifungal and is great for treating skin infections,” says Rogé, who opts to add a little tea tree oil to her lotions. Young writes that tea tree oil can be used as a treatment for nail fungus, thrush, and eczema, and a recent study shows that tea tree vapor can prevent the spread of influenza A virus and E. coli phage M13. And if you want to try something simple, you can even boil the leaves to make a healing beverage (thus the origin of its name).  

Try This:

Burned your hand while cooking? “Apply two to three drops of diluted tea tree essential oil to soothe minor burns (think first degree). It will also help prevent scars from forming,” says Young.

5. Eucalyptus

Besides having the evocative smell of the Northern California eucalyptus groves I used to play in as a kid, this pungent oil is known as something of a cure-all in the home remedy world.
You can use the oil from this Australia-native tree in mouthwash to freshen breath or as a salve to heal minor burns and wounds or relieve pain from bug bites or bee stings. Rogé even puts some in her home cleaning products because of its well-known germ-killing powers.

Try This:

After a long work week followed by a night of dancing in heels on Saturday, you might have developed some nasty blisters. Instead of popping them or toughing it out with Band-Aids, Young recommends putting “a drop or two of diluted eucalyptus essential oil on a blister to alleviate the swelling and to disinfect the area.” Then you can bandage as normal.

Dilution: an Essential Oil Must

Essential oils shouldn’t be used in their super-potent, concentrated forms. To avoid injury, they need to be diluted into gentler “carrier oils” like jojoba or sweet almond oil, or even just water or alcohol if you’re using a plug-in diffuser.
In her book on the subject, Young recommends “a 2 percent dilution (two drops of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil, or 10 to 12 drops [of essential oil] per ounce [of carrier])” which is thought to be “ideal for most adults in most situations.” However, children and elderly folks should use even gentler concoctions. In their cases, it’s best to start with the lowest dilution possible, which would be “a 0.25 percent dilution (one drop per four teaspoons of carrier oil).”
If in doubt about using oils on babies, kids, or even yourself, it’s always best to consult with a trained aromatherapist.

Aromatherapy: Do you need a boost?

Are there any particular smells that take you straight back to your childhood or a particularly happy time? For me, it’s the scent of jasmine flowers in the summer, and I even go as far as carrying a vial of jasmine oil to sniff throughout the day if I’m stressed.
As Rogé puts it, “Aromas leave a strong imprint on the brain and connect us to memories and emotions.” I visited her massage practice in Portland, Oregon, where she uses a series of essential oils mixed with the massage oils at different points during the treatment in addition to an aromatherapy diffuser. She explains, “During sessions it can be helpful to include aromas so that there is a smell associated with the positive healing experience. When the client is needing self-care outside of their session they can take a whiff of the aroma and get a ‘hit’ of the goodness of our previous session.”
Think of how a bad smell in your environment can totally disgust and overwhelm you―spoiled fish in your kitchen trash or a pet mess on the carpet, for example. It’s not such a stretch that the positive impact of pleasant scents might be just as powerful.

And when it comes to self-care and mental health, there are some specific oils that have science backing their benefits. But each person is different, and Rogé puts it like this: “My biggest advice for selecting essential oils for self-care is to do a test: simply smell an oil and see how it makes you feel. Notice how your energy shifts, how you breathe, what memories come up. If it is all pleasant then you have yourself a nice self-care essential oil. If you feel anxious, aggravated, or annoyed, well…it clearly isn’t the right one for you.”

Add Essential Oils to Your Self-Care Rituals

Hair

Do you struggle with annoying “snowflakes” falling onto your otherwise polished, black blazer shoulders at work? “Add two to three drops of peppermint essential oil to your regular shampoo and conditioner to stimulate the scalp and help remove dandruff,” Young writes in The Healing Art of Essential Oils. Similarly, Rogé says she loves adding rosemary oil to her homemade conditioner, saying “rosemary oil is great for hair care!”

Skin

Contrary to what you believed in your awkward teenage years, oil is not always bad for your skin. In fact, the oils you’ll use for dilution, like jojoba or argan, make great facial moisturizers because they contain vitamins and fatty acids that can safely hydrate even sensitive skin. Also, consider using diluted rosemary oil as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory for acne and pimples.

Happiness

Studies show that sniffing essential oils containing limonene (a compound found in citrus oils such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, bergamot, and lemongrass oils) made participants felt increasingly “comfortable,” “soothed,” and “natural.”
Rogé even divulges that she gets a happiness boost by using a scent like diluted rose oil as perfume in order to “feel fancy.”

Relaxation

Can’t sleep? Rub a few drops of diluted lavender oil into your hands and inhale, then smooth any extra onto your pillowcase before bedtime. Young says this also works with wakeful kiddos who are six months and older.

Heal your home.

Years ago, I heard that ants hate the smell of mint, and I’ve been spritzing diluted peppermint and spearmint oils around my kitchen ever since. It turns out my belief wasn’t just an old wives’ tale. Young specifically recommends peppermint and citronella oils in places like your basement, attic, or outside sitting areas where you need a bit of help “keeping bugs at bay.”
For areas in your house that have a special purpose, like bedrooms or the linen closet, she recommends incorporating a few aromatics to set the right moods, such as “rose, ylang-ylang, neroli, patchouli, or clary sage” in the bedroom if you “want a night of passion.” And lavender-soaked cotton balls in closets and dressers “not only keep them fresh-smelling but also to repel bugs, moths, and spiders.”

Rogé says she puts lemongrass or eucalyptus (which both have antimicrobial properties) in her all-purpose cleaning supplies.

Stay safe, naturally.

Just because essential oils are 100 percent natural doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful substances that must be used with care. Doctors say it’s important to let them know what essential oils you’ve been using, since there may be potential for drug interactions. Also, if you are pregnant or have certain health conditions, it’s best to consult a professional before starting an essential oil practice.
Rashes or flare-ups are possible even on healthy skin if you’re sensitive to a particular oil, especially if you use them straight or with not enough dilution. As Rogé cautions, “While essential oils have cleared [my] skin problems, putting too much oil directly on my skin has created a rash. And so, my advice is to respect these oils and listen to your personal response to them to guide your use.”

Like a Boss: How to Make Your Own Oil Diffuser

My favorite way to practice aromatherapy is to use an electronic oil and water diffuser to fill a room with scent. I keep one of these in my living room, bedroom, and kid’s room, and (when I have the wherewithal) switch out the oils for different times of day: lavender or sage for a restful night or lemon for a morning pick-me-up. But if you’d prefer a cheaper or lower-tech way to get the benefits of aromatherapy, Young says it’s super easy to make a simple reed diffuser at home.
You’ll need a bottle or jar (the prettier the better, of course) and a handful of bamboo skewers, which you can find at a kitchen or craft store or with the barbecuing supplies at the supermarket. “Combine ¼ cup hot tap water, ¼ cup alcohol or vodka, and 30 drops of your favorite essential oil,” Young writes. Clip the tips off both sides of the skewers and pop them in the jar with the mixture, then simply wait for “the scent to permeate the room.” If you feel the scent is diminishing before the mixture runs out, “flip the sticks every other day to keep the smells active,” Young advises.
As long as you respect the power and strength of essential oils and use them carefully, they have a lot of positive potential and very few drawbacks.
When you’re ready to get started, there really isn’t one specific brand you need to buy. There are lots of reputable essential oil producers, but it is a good idea to check the label to make sure you’re getting the real thing and not a synthetic product. Young tells HealthyWay she “strongly suggests you purchase only organic or 100 percent pure essential oils.”
This article from Sustainable Baby Steps also has a good list of what to look for as you start incorporating essential oils into your day-to-day routines.

Essential Oils Products You’ll Love:

Categories
Happy x Mindful Wellbeing

To Bother Or Not To Bother: Finding Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type

“I think Chloé is an ENFP,” I said. “Or maybe she’s an ENFJ, like me.”
“Well, Cole is definitely an introvert,” my roommate Nadia chimes in. “We’ll ask them to take the test before they move in.”
It’s a game my housemate and I play, and one that might resonate with you as well. We guess someone’s Myers-Briggs type and then we make them take the test to see whether we’re right. In this case, we were guessing the types of two friends we’re about to move in with.
You might have seen four letters, like ESFP, in someone’s Tinder bio, or you might have been given a quiz before being hired or promoted. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator—commonly known as MBTI or the Myers-Briggs personality test—is nearly ubiquitous, it seems.
The MBTI has been around for nearly eight decades, and its popularity has grown over the years. The test is used by employers and human resources departments to manage and select employees. It’s also a tool used by online dating sites, life coaches, and eager-to-help friends. According to the Consulting Psychologists Press (CPP), the official publishers of the MBTI, their tests are used by 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
But the MBTI has been met with a lot of criticism from researchers, who often disregard it entirely. Is it worth taking the test, or is it something better off ignored? And is it helpful when it comes to dating, career choices, friendships, choosing future housemates, or finding your life’s purpose?
Understanding the Myers-Briggs at a deeper level can help you decide how to use it—or if you want to.

Myers-Briggs Origins and Abbreviations

The personality test was developed by Katharine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, during World War II. Myers and Briggs were both self-taught enthusiasts of psychometrics, and their work was heavily influenced by Carl Jung’s ideas about personality types. They created the indicator to help women entering the workforce who weren’t sure of what career path they should pursue. The first version of the MBTI—then named the Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook—was published in 1944.
From 1975 onward, the official MBTI has been owned by the CCP. Although the CCP charges for administration of the test, you can take the test for free on a number of other sites. The result of your test will have four letters. There are two different possibilities for each of the four letters, meaning there are a total of 16 combinations or so-called personality types.
The letters represent the following:
Extroverted (E) or Introverted (I): Where do you get and spend your energy? Do you learn by interacting with others and focusing on the outside world? Or is your focus more internal?
Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N): How do you take in information? Do you use your senses and observe the world around you or do you tend to look at the bigger picture? Intuitive types tend to daydream, thinking about patterns rather than paying careful attention to the individually distinct things around them.
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): How do you make decisions? Thinking types value logic and reason over people’s personal feelings, whereas feeling types think about people’s emotions, motives, and responses when making decisions.
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P): How do you prefer to organize or plan your day? Generally, judging types prefer organization and perceiving types prefer a flexible, spontaneous work environment.
All traits identified by the MBTI are said to have their own strengths and weaknesses. And although they seem like binaries, the traits are actually thought of as existing on a spectrum. Few people tend to be extreme extroverts or extreme introverts, for example. Many of us linger around the middle of the spectrum, and the test will tell you how much of a preference you have for certain traits over others.
I’m classified as an extrovert, for example, but according to the test, I only have a 65 percent preference for extroversion over introversion.
Different Myers-Briggs types are given different names and profiles based on their tendencies. Certain types tend to gravitate toward certain careers. INFJs, or “advocates,” are generally compassionate people concerned with justice and kindness. ESTJs are called “executives” and demonstrate strengths related to managing people and projects. ISFPs, or “adventurers,” are curious artsy types who find beauty and adventure in the world around them. ENTPs, or “debaters,” are said to enjoy an intellectual challenge and often try to spark controversial and interesting conversations.
It’s believed that your type can indicate your ideal work environment. But I’m an ENFJ, and despite my extroversion, I prefer to work alone. According to the foundational philosophy of the Myers-Briggs, my tendency toward judging (rather than perceiving) means I prefer structured, organized plans, but I actually value the flexibility of working from home as opposed to going into an office where I might have to follow a specific routine.
I like the idea behind MBTI, but like many, I’m skeptical of whether it’s truly helpful.
In a viral LinkedIn post, Adam Grant, professor of management and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, outlines some of the criticisms of Myers-Briggs. “When it comes to accuracy, if you put a horoscope on one end and a heart monitor on the other, the MBTI falls about halfway in between,” Grant writes. Indeed, criticism like this coming from many psychologists and behaviorists over the past few decades has emerged for valid reasons.
AJ Marsden, PhD, assistant professor of psychology and human services at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, and an expert on organizational psychology, notes that using tests like the Myers-Briggs for employment purposes is potentially problematic. “Using personality tests for selection is rather controversial,” she says.
“The predictive validity of personality tests in general is only about 20 percent, which is rather low compared to the predictive validity of other types of selection assessments.”
According to Marsden, Myers-Briggs in particular is “not very predictive of future behavior and our results can even change depending on our mood and environment.” For this reason, she believes the test shouldn’t be used to hire or promote employees.
“It was never validated for those purposes,” she adds.
First, the “science” behind the Myers-Briggs isn’t actually so scientific. Jung’s observations relating to “personality types” were based on observation, not solid evidence. Moreover, Myers and Briggs—who weren’t trained psychologists—didn’t test Jung’s theories. In subsequent years, many psychologists have argued that the Myers-Briggs doesn’t really hold up to the standards of social science.
“In social science, we use four standards: Are the categories reliable, valid, independent, and comprehensive?” Grant writes. “For the MBTI, the evidence says not very, no, no, and not really.”

Psychologists Weigh in on Myers-Briggs

The reliability of the Myers-Briggs is often questioned by its critics. “Personality tests are scientifically valid if they provide reliable measurement, meaning that if you take the test today and a year from now you should get about the same score,” Tara Well, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Columbia University’s Barnard College, says. “This shows that the personality trait is relatively stable and doesn’t change with the situation or over time.”
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen with Myers-Briggs. Certain statistics suggest that if you retake the test after a five-week period there’s a 50 percent chance that your result will change. Marsden says that our results might change because of our mood and environment.
Well tells HealthyWay that your result is more likely to change if you’re near the middle of the spectrum on certain traits. “One person may have 9 extroverted answers and 11 introverted answers, so they’re considered an introvert. Another person may have 2 extroverted answers and 18 introverted answers—they are also considered an introvert” she explains.
“The first person is more likely to change from an introvert to an extrovert over time because their two scores are closer.”
But what if your result is fairly reliable? My housemate consistently tests as an INFJ, for example, but even in light of that consistency, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything specific for her career or dating life.
Often the test is used to measure whether people are suitable for certain jobs—but our Myers-Briggs types might have very little to do with how good we are at our work.
“Although there are data suggesting that different occupations attract people of different types, there is no convincing body of evidence that types affect job performance or team effectiveness,” Grant writes. He points to research that suggests there’s very little correlation between someone’s efficiency at a particular job and their Myers-Briggs type. Another paper concludes that “there is insufficient evidence to support the tenets of and claims about the utility of the test.”
Even if MBTI were an accurate measure of personality, it’s not the only thing we should consider when it comes to work and relationships. Personality is important to take into account when deciding on a career path, but so are your skills, talents, and interests—none of which is measured by MBTI.
“It’s important to note that MBTI doesn’t assess ability or skills,” Well says. “So you may have the same profile as famous scientists or architects as in the sample of INTJ, but if you don’t have the math aptitude and analytical skills, you probably won’t be all that successful.”
The test also won’t indicate whether you’re a hard worker, whether you have enough knowledge to perform well, or whether you’ll enjoy the work—all factors that influence how well suited you are to your career (and vice versa).
Similarly, personality isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to dating. Your date’s Myers-Briggs type won’t tell you whether they’ll cheat, whether they have the capacity to take on a relationship, or whether their political views will mesh well with yours.
It’s not the best indicator of whether I’ll get along with my future housemates, either, because the MBTI won’t tell me whether they’re messy or clean, whether they respect the boundaries of others, or whether they’ll pay their bills on time.

Is the Myers-Briggs Test Meaningless?

So the question remains: Is the test meaningless? It depends on what meaning you’re looking for. No personality test can entirely define who you are in your essence. All evidence suggests that we shouldn’t make a major life decision based only on the test—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful at all.
Marsden notes that the Myers-Briggs can be used for entertainment purposes. A big reason why my housemate and I like to predict others’ types is because it’s fun: It’s the same reason why flowchart quizzes and horoscopes are popular.
But the Myers-Briggs offers more than just that: Taking quizzes can promote self-awareness.
“Personality tests are not only fun to take, but they help us become more self-aware,” Well says. “When we understand ourselves better, we make better life choices.” Marsden agrees, adding that the test can be used for developmental purposes and to help employees understand their own personalities a bit better.
The quiz itself encourages you to be introspective because you have to think about yourself in order to answer the questions. Much like an online quiz might prompt you to think about your favourite way to consume potatoes or your ideal date, Myers-Briggs quizzes prompt you to think about how you process the world around you. In that sense, the very act of taking the test can encourage you to become more self-aware.
It might also help you better relate to those around you. MBTI can remind you that we don’t all operate the same way. Just as we can’t all be Princess Jasmine on a “Which Disney Princess Are You?” quiz, we need to remember that other people receive, digest, and act on information differently. Your frustration with your friend’s lack of planning might be because you’re a J (that’s for judging!) while she’s an extreme P (perceiving all the way!)
This doesn’t mean she’s flaky, but rather that she has other positive characteristics, like flexibility, that might benefit her, you, and your mutual interactions. Remembering that we all have different learning styles and preferences can help us get along with our differently typed co-workers, partners, and—in my case—housemates.
The bottom line? Geek out on Myers-Briggs if you’d like. Use it to become more self-aware or for entertainment purposes, but take it with a pinch of salt. After all, we’re all so much more complex than a four-letter abbreviation.

Categories
Wellbeing

Catching A Break (With A Catch): Careers In Which Women Have An Advantage

While there are quite a few perks to womanhood across the societal board, employment isn’t an area we’d normally associate with those perks.

… across the American jobscape, women make 79 cents for every dollar men make.

Gender inequality in the work place has been around for decades, and it hasn’t improved dramatically as of late. A few industries, though, seem to give women an advantage—or at least a break. But not without adversity.
Dr. Suzanne L. Holt, professor of women’s studies at Kent State University, believes that philosopher and feminist theorist Marilyn Frye’s ideas of a double bind— or “situations in which options are reduced to a very few and all of them expose one to penalty, censure or deprivation”—help explain what women are up against in the workplace.

HealthyWay
iStock

“There’s a cost to playing the ‘woman card,’ to rolling with gender rules,” Holt says. “Women at work, if they hope to take on leadership roles or advance ‘up the proverbial ladder,’ face predictable predicaments.”
Holt argues that women are measured by “masculine” standards. If they underplay their gender, they aren’t “female enough.” If they play up their gender, they typically fail at their jobs. Essentially, women are presented with no-win situations.
“It’s the ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ double-bind,” says Holt. “The language of gender insists on extremes and opposites: and we buy it too often.”
With all the news of harassment and discrimination in the workplace, it sounds impossible that women can actually have an advantage over men when it comes to employment. Here, though, are two industries that are making that happen…somewhat.

Jobs Where Women Have the Advantage

Producers and Directors

Hollywood may not be as generous towards its female actresses as it is towards males, but there is one area in which the ladies are cleaning up: behind the scenes.
According to CBS News, female producers and directors earn 106.2 cents for every 100 cents made by their male counterparts. Annually, that adds up to about $66,226 for women and $62,368 for men.

HealthyWay
Patty Jenkins, right, will become the highest paid female director in history when she heads Wonder Woman 2, according to The Telegraph. She will make between $7 million and $9 million (via The Playlist)

This is significant, as across the American jobscape, women make 79 cents for every dollar men make.
Even though women in these positions are making it rain, men still dominate the field. Only 21 percent of film producers and directors are female.
A study conducted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media revealed that women are poorly represented onscreen, as well.

Only 31 percent of speaking roles are given to women, and when they are, women are typically portrayed as less than powerful—at least when it comes to the professional world. Women represent only about 15 percent of onscreen business executive, STEM employee, and political figure roles.

Iron Working

Let’s just say that if you didn’t want to throw on an over-sized sweater and dance around while wearing a welder’s mask after watching the 1983 film Flashdance, you were among the few.

HealthyWay
Paramount (via NBC)

Actress Jennifer Beals inspired women just about everywhere to become welders when she portrayed Alexandra “Alex” Owens, an 18-year-old ironworker with a dream of becoming a professional dancer. And although Beals’ character was only using welding as a means to reach her goal, the women in the industry aren’t going anywhere, and in fact, the powers that be want more.
As such, the Iron Workers Union announced it will offer up to an eight-month paid maternity leave to pregnant women and new moms. This is just part of a larger push from male-dominated industries to draw in women, per the Denver Post.

My primary advice to women entering male-dominated industries is [to] count the cost and be prepared, find your steel, and don’t forget who you are or why you wanted this work.

This new desire to hire female employees in traditionally male-dominated industries is primarily the result of a wave of baby boomers retiring. Positions that were historically held by men in industries like automotive repair, trucking, and construction are becoming vacant. Millennials are forgoing trade careers and leaning more toward technology when they enter the workforce.
Applicants often fail drug tests, making them unhirable, and by the numbers, men are more likely to overdose on illicit substances than women. In a time when the nation is in the grips of a devastating opioid epidemic, male-dominated industries are feeling the tragic effects.
While increased perks might lure women to the trades, keeping them on the payroll might be tough. A study conducted by the US Department of Labor found that 88 percent of female construction workers experienced on-the-job harassment. And as women take over male dominated fields, that field’s pay drops, according to The New York Times.

HealthyWay
iStock

These are two likely reasons why women only make up 1.6 percent of their trade’s 130,000-member union, reported Slate, and only 3 percent of the trade workforce as a whole.

Entering a Field as a Gender Minority

The simple fact is, some professions are dominated by women. Teaching, child care, nursing, administrative work: positions in these industries are largely filled by them. Have you ever wondered why young women are often drawn towards some careers more than others?

HealthyWay
iStock

“I think it’s this: instinct, adaptability, and—finally—a nascent toolkit for getting a good read on reality, the risks as much as the possibilities,” says Holt. “Females have thousands of years’ old legacies of adapting, having to get a good read on what they’re facing, having to weigh the differentials of their power and their vulnerability. Women have much at stake in their decisions. Women know that.”
Armed with this knowledge, however, are women making good choices when they decide to enter male-dominated fields? The answer isn’t so simple.
“I think it’s more a matter of courage that spurs women to enter these fields,” says Holt. “However, I believe that, once there, wisdom is paramount.”
HealthyWay
iStock

“Women whose callings take them into hostile workspaces really do face the giant challenge of playing their hands and making their choices wisely and well: open-eyed, clear-headed, true to themselves, focused on goals,” she continues. “My primary advice to women entering male-dominated industries is [to] count the cost and be prepared, find your steel, and don’t forget who you are or why you wanted this work.”

Why Do Some Female-Dominated Fields Pay Men More?

It’s probably not a surprise that women dominate the nursing field in terms of their presence. In fact, out of the 2 million registered nurses, only 10 percent of them are men.
But what may (or may not) be a surprise, however, is that female nurses actually earn less than men in the field do.

HealthyWay
iStock

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, male nurses earn more than female nurses in just about every specialty, including ambulatory care, chronic care, and cardiology.
The pay gap for male and female nurses averages about $5,000 per year. Though it may not seem like much, over the course of a long career this difference could total about $150,000.
HealthyWay
iStock

How do companies get away with paying men more when they are in female-dominated fields?
“It’s significant that wherever women are the majority, those jobs are not highly valued,” says Holt. “So, males enter such spaces. They bring their male prestige. They add value. Our culture has been slow and reluctant to own how deeply embedded are our ways of valuing men and women—and how deeply habitual are our practices of esteeming men’s work as the real deal—the standard against which we measure. In a profit-driven society, men add value. It’s that simple. Value is our bottom line.”
HealthyWay
iStock

No matter what type of employment a woman takes on, one thing is clear: whoever hires her will have access to the perks that being a woman has afforded her.
“I’m going to say, however, that there are advantages for women in one critical way,” says Holt. “Life provides a range of experiences to girls and women that boys and men often miss; those distinct experiences add cool dimensionality to work women do.”

From a Man’s Perspective

The love of educating and inspiring youngsters isn’t something that discriminates upon gender. However, more than three-quarters of all teachers from kindergarten to high school are women, and more than 80 percent of elementary and middle school teachers are.
Teaching was once an industry that was dominated by men. In the 1960s, however, when women entered the workforce, that all changed. Women began taking over the teaching and nursing fields. Over a half century later, ladies hold the vast majority of teaching post. And although they do an incredible job, the diversity that having male teachers brings is still needed.

HealthyWay
iStock

Bradford Sweet, a middle school teacher and STEM coordinator in Linthicum, Maryland, has taught for a little over eleven years. In his time educating, he says he hasn’t received any flack for his career choice, and uses his position to serve as a positive male influence to others.
“Students need compassionate teachers who really want to inspire young minds,” says Sweet. “It’s important that our schools have a diverse population of teachers and staff to give students an educational experience that will hopefully expose them to a wide variety of positive role models. Students need to be aware that there are amazing people from all walks of life.”
They do. But they also need to be aware that amongst middle school teachers, women only make 87 cents to every man’s dollar.
[related article_ids=1005702]

Categories
Sweat

Has Your Workout Sabbatical Lasted A Little Too Long? This Is How To Ease Yourself Back In

Isn’t it interesting that when you’re in the groove with your fitness routine, it’s so much easier to keep it going? But when you you decide to skip the gym one night after work, it becomes that much easier to sleep through the yoga class you planned on making it to, Saturday morning.
Falling off the figurative exercise horse is easy to do, and starting back up again can feel surprisingly daunting.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to be.
If you’re out there trying to reignite your routine, rest assured that it happens to everyone. Even the most committed fall off from time to time, because life happens.
So instead of becoming totally overwhelmed and just giving up, consider these tips for getting back on track in a few, simple steps.

First and foremost, figure out what happened.

There are a lot of reasons why people may abandon their usual fitness regimens, and it’s important to carefully consider which factors contributed to your specific situation so that you know how to move forward. If you view this period of inactivity as a learning experience, you’ll give it a purpose: increased self-awareness can help prevent similar patterns from repeating themselves in the future.
Before you jump back in, though, make sure a doctor has given you the green light and that, if so, you understand any conditions or limitations she may have prescribed.
Once you know that it’s safe to work out again, you have to consider whether the workout itself led to the illness or injury in the first place. More and more, people are gravitating toward higher intensity programs, but going too hard, too fast when your body isn’t used to it is a recipe for disaster. So if you suspect that the high demand and stress of your workout may have actually caused your setback, make sure that in returning to physical activity you seek assistance with proper technique and give yourself adequate rest.
And remember, not every activity is right for every person, so think about whether or not your body might respond better to a new fitness modality altogether.
Take a moment, too, to brainstorm ways in the future you can stay physically active to some degree even if you’re not quite feeling your best. Again, you’ll want to consult a physician and go slowly, but oftentimes even sickness and certain injuries can benefit from gentle yoga or stretching, walks outdoors, and perhaps isolated weight machines that are better equipped for protecting injured body parts.

Consideration Number Two: Were you on stress overload?

Let’s be real: everyone these days is busy; everyone these days is stressed. Sometimes, life really does get insanely chaotic and putting too much pressure on yourself to work out on top of it all can do more harm than good. We do need to slow down and rest, and if that means occasionally skipping out on or toning down the physical activity, then that’s what happens.
However, it’s crucial to be honest with yourself about whether you’re truly dealing with unmanageable life stress, or if it’s more accurate to say that you’re not prioritizing physical activity over other responsibilities. Are you saying yes to too many things that aren’t necessary, important, or personally meaningful? Are those things crowding out the activities and responsibilities you’d rather be doing, including working out? What can you start saying no to that will allow you to prioritize your health, either right now or moving forward?
Another important consideration is whether physical activity would make your stress better or worse. Although it’s important to rest and practice self-compassion in challenging times, there are also high-stress situations that can be managed or ameliorated by a good sweat session. Think about some activities that might actually help you sort through that stress more effectively. Kickboxing and running are great options for letting out some steam, while yoga and neighborhood walks can be great for clearing your head and approaching a challenge feeling refreshed.
These workouts don’t need to be marathons to be effective, either. Shorter workouts can fit into hectic schedules more easily and still provide substantial health benefits. Plus, even short workouts are more effective than no workout at all.

Consideration Number Three: Did your initial enthusiasm wear off?

If you don’t enjoy a particular activity or you lose touch with your motivation, then of course you’re going to eventually stop doing it!
Step back and reconnect with why you want to work out, anyway. I mean, really, why bother? Exercising takes time and effort. It doesn’t have to be but can be expensive. It’s not always comfortable in the moment. And, like any new habit in general, it’s hard to establish as a long-lasting routine.
But there’s a reason why you chose to start working out. You know, before you fell off the horse. A lot of times, the initial motivator is external: your doctor tells you it’s a good idea, or you want to drop a pant size or two, or you think you’ll impress your secret crush with a new, hot bod. These external sources of motivation can help us get started, but they don’t last all that long. They lose their sparkle when the going gets tough.
As external motivators become, well, less motivating, work on cultivating more internally-focused ones. How does working out make you feel, not just in the moment but overall in life? What types of activities and pastimes do you enjoy doing? What are your goals in life and how does fitness relate?
Now would be a good time to do a solid, thoughtful, painstakingly detailed goal setting session. Rewind to when you first started working out and why, and build onto it by incorporating all of the new benefits you’ve discovered along the way. And if you just plain hated the exercises you were doing, try something else! Physical activity isn’t punishment. If it feels like that, you probably haven’t yet discovered your ideal program.
In the end, no matter the reason for your newfound physical inactivity, the only way forward is to wholeheartedly forgive yourself. Nothing good will come of beating yourself up about a past decision. It’s done. Learn your lesson and keep moving. Or, well, start moving again!
Ok, so your workouts are suffering, but that doesn’t mean all aspects of your health need to. In fact, if you know that your usual level of physical activity is just out of the question for a period of time, it becomes even more important to practice self-care elsewhere. Make sure that you’re staying hydrated. This not only helps with, you know, literally everything your body does all day long, but it can be easily overlooked when you’re not getting your sweat on all the time. It’s quite easy to keep up with the water when you’re working out because your body’s thirst signals will likely be extra ramped-up; but when you’re calm, cool, and collected, water isn’t always at the top of your mind.
Pair all of that wonderful water with a nutrient-dense diet. That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, more whole grains than refined ones, less processed meals prepared outside the home, high quality protein, and adequate, heart-healthy fats. It also means being conscious of any tendency to eat out of habit, routine, or peer pressure when you aren’t truly hungry. Your body doesn’t really like to change weights in either direction, so you probably won’t see any immediate changes on the bathroom scale (if you use one) just by a decrease in activity levels. However, if you constantly eat for emotional rather than physical reasons, you’re giving your body energy that it isn’t asking for, and at some point, it’s going to have to store it. Inside of you. It’s not magic; it’s science.
You’ll also want to pay attention to your sleep patterns, stress levels, and social interactions. Plus, even if you’re not officially working out, you can still do simple stretches to keep those muscles engaged and flexible until you can get back into your usual routine.

When you’re finally ready to get started again, don’t overthink it.

We’ve actually done quite a bit of thinking in this article up to this point, but that’s only going to get us so far. In the end, we just have to do it, and for that to happen, we have to make physical activity really, crazy, stupid-simple.
Let’s start with walking. Like, around the block or on a treadmill or to your mailbox. Walk to a nearby store. Walk upstairs to ask your spouse or kid a question instead of hollering through the house. Walk to your coworker’s desk instead of sending an email. Walk around the block after dinner. Get off one bus stop early. Walk around the office during your lunch break. Walk from a far-away parking spot to the mall. Be that person who walks up escalators. Hop on a treadmill, if you have one, during that television show you know you’ll be watching anyway; or go window shopping one night instead of flipping on the television in the first place. Stop thinking. Just walk.
Basically, forget dedicated exercise (for now) and embrace physically active living.
You might be surprised that one day, out of nowhere, you get a sudden urge to do something a little more “official.” The workout that broke my five week dry spell came from a random, undeniable urge to just run one sunny afternoon, so I laced up my sneakers and hit the pavement. If you have a similar whim that seems to come out of nowhere, seize it! Again, don’t overthink it. Did I push myself to hit my best time ever? No way. Was I way more sore the next day than I would normally feel after such a small burst of activity? You bet I was. But that’s ok. It also felt awesome, largely because I didn’t have any expectations, nor did I pressure myself to make it happen. I simply felt antsy, got the idea to run, and I ran. (And then I stretched really, really well afterwards.)
Stop thinking. Start doing.

Back, back, back it up.

I would have been sorely mistaken on top of feeling so physically sore if I had viewed that one urge to run as a floodgate opening for all that I used to do. Muscle memory is pretty persistent, but strength and cardio start declining much more quickly. Think about it like this: once you learn how to ride a bike, that muscle memory will last a lifetime; but if you haven’t cycled in years, you’re probably going to be super sore and out of breath by the end of your first time back on that bike. It’s the same with any exercise.
That’s why most of what I’m doing now revolves around something much lower-impact: yoga. I actually began with meditation, then spent some time practicing my breathing technique. From there, I combined the two, and practiced a ten minute savasana every day. This helped me to re-establish a routine, practice my technique, and start to get used to making time for activity once again.
Now, yoga might not be the answer for you; it’s just what worked for me. But even if I hadn’t gone with yoga, I wouldn’t have wanted to go straight from my newfound physical inactivity to my usual high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routines.
This is not the time to dive in head-first to anything. Start with something gentle; you’ll get to the higher intensity options in time. Walking or, for some, jogging can be good options. For me, like I said, yoga has been a tremendous help. Stretching goes along those same lines. You can also explore more isolation-based training, like planks and bent-arm hangs; if you do go through ranges of motion, do so slowly.
Over time, you can increase the duration, frequency, and intensity of your sessions. Five or 10 minutes just once or twice a week is seriously a great place to start! Lower intensities can be achieved with lighter weights and lower impact (like a boxer shuffle instead of high knees, or walk-out burpees instead of the most advanced version). It’s much better to build up your confidence with small successes than it is to leap straight to huge, ambitious resolutions.

Once you get the hang of the gentler movements, it’s time to take it to the next level.

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of short sessions just a few times a week, work on progressing your goals. Tack on one more day per week, extend a session by a few minutes, or start upping the ante when it comes to intensity and impact.
Throughout this process, tune in closely to your body. Everyone is different, and only you know how you feel. If you’re just not feeling it, back off or take a break. Be patient and, again, forgiving. Remember, you’re re-forging a habit; it’s a lot like starting from scratch. It takes time.
On the other hand, you still want to challenge yourself. If you’re feeling good, start testing out those higher intensities and longer durations! Sometimes we get so caught up in patting ourselves on the back for reaching one mile marker that we forget it’s just one of many along our journey. Keep moving forward! You can always dial it back if you start to feel as though you’ve reached your limit. Again, listen to that body. It’s going to tell you what you need to know.

Lastly, know that it’s probably going to happen again.

You can anticipate and troubleshoot to your heart’s content; you can minimize how long of an exercise “drought” you experience each time; but something, somewhere along the way, is going to happen.
My workout hiccup came in the form of a demanding move to another state, and all of the packing and unpacking involved in that process. (Hauling all of those boxes up and down several flights of steps, however, was no laughing matter!) One of my clients this year had a very different kind of hiccup, when three close family deaths in the span of a few months knocked her off her workout game. A different person may have found exercise in that moment to be therapeutic, but for this individual, she needed to take a step back. There is no right or wrong answers here. There is no judgment. There is only introspection, careful consideration, and trial and error.
The bottom line is that no matter how long it’s been since your last workout, you haven’t failed. You haven’t gone wrong. You haven’t even really “fallen off the horse” despite what the language in this article suggests. Your circumstances changed and you’re now getting a feel for how your fitness routine needs to shift to accommodate it.
So stop and think about it; and then actually stop thinking, get out there, and start doing (again)!
Categories
Favorite Finds Nosh

Coconut Vinegar: The Next Big Thing Or A Trend Worth Skipping?

You already love apple cider vinegar, coconut water, and coconut oil. So, how excited are you at the prospect of receiving some of the benefits of both apple cider vinegar and coconut in one tasty liquid? Very, right? The advent of [linkbuilder id=”2259″ text=”coconut vinegar”] in the States has health and beauty bloggers buzzing, but we want to know if the scientific community is ready to make big promises to back up the hype.
Without a doubt, coconut vinegar is the hip, trendy thing, and this newcomer on the Western healthy living scene shows potential to be touted as a hot new “superfood.” But as yet there aren’t enough studies about the use of coconut vinegar to make any scientific conclusions about whether it works the way we hope it does.
While we wait for the results of more research to roll out, experts are looking to coconut vinegar users’ reports of benefits and to data from experiments involving similar substances—such as apple cider vinegar (ACV) and coconut sap—to explore and inform their exploration of the many ways coconut vinegar (CV) might help you [linkbuilder id=”5219″ text=”live your best life”].

So, what is coconut vinegar?

If you’re familiar with ACV, then coconut vinegar won’t seem too foreign to you. Coconut trees and their flowers produce a sap that naturally ferments over time when stored in the right conditions. Vinegar makers like Wilderness Family Naturals (which describes the process of producing CV) then bottle the fermented goodness and voila! A seemingly all-purpose health and beauty elixir makes its way onto a shelf at your favorite [linkbuilder id=”2264″ text=”grocery store”].
While it’s long been used for cooking in South Asian cuisines, it’s a relatively recent import to the United States. So depending on your local grocer’s stock, you may have to head to a health food specialty store or try shopping online to nab it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t released precise CV nutrition information yet, but you can look at the info for coconut sap, its source material, to get an idea of what you’re in for.
Word on the street is that coconut vinegar may offer all the benefits of ACV, but with even more promising results. As Claire Martin, a former esthetician-turned-nutritionist who now specializes in holistic nutrition and wellness, explains, “Coconut trees grow in highly nutritious coastal soil [which] gives its vinegar a higher nutritional value than apples … it’s loaded with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, including B12 and acetic acid.”

According to Martin and beauty blogs like Holistic Vanity, coconut vinegar can be used in the same ways ACV can—from topical beauty treatments to home health remedies, cleaning, and, of course, cooking.
Given all these uses, it would be easy to jump on the bandwagon and invest our hopes in getting big results from coconut vinegar. But when it comes down to it, although there is evidence that apple cider and some other vinegars actually live up to their proponents’ claims, there just aren’t enough studies about coconut vinegar for scientists to tout it as the same or better than other well-researched vinegars.
As nutrition expert Michael Joseph wrote in an article for Nutrition Advance, “The distinct lack of studies on coconut vinegar makes it difficult to provide a fair assessment.” That said, the nutritional content of coconut sap is a bit more impressive than the nutritional content of apples, so it’s not far off to conclude that CV would work similarly to “ACV” with some extra oomph.
Joseph also notes that “despite the lack of specific studies, coconut vinegar is relatively new, and studies will likely appear as it grows more popular in the future.”

Is coconut vinegar worth your time (and money)?

Many sources say CV is worth a try for lots of uses. And given what the experts have to say, it seems like a viable health remedy when it comes to ingesting it, but using coconut vinegar in cosmetic and cleaning applications requires a bit of caution. Read on to find out how you can use CV, when to avoid it, and why.

Healthy Habits

Like other vinegars that have proven health benefits, coconut vinegar is a raw, fermented food, meaning it contains various enzymes that benefit gut health. It functions as a strong probiotic, which is another buzzword in the healthy living community that does actually hold up to the hype surrounding it. So if promoting good bacteria balance in your gut is important to you (and it should be), then go ahead with the vinegar!
If you’re already an ACV user, you likely know that it’s famous for aiding diabetes patients, as several studies have suggested it can help the body regulate blood sugar. Since it’s the acetic quality in vinegar that’s thought to create this effect, and we know that coconut vinegar has a higher acetic content than the apple cider variety, it makes sense to conjecture that coconut vinegar might be equally—if not more—effective, although no studies have proven that yet.

When it comes to known upsides of coconut vinegar specifically, a major one pertains to its taste. According to Martin, it has a “milder, sweeter, and brighter flavor,” than other vinegars, and “doesn’t taste as acidic as apple cider vinegar even though it is higher in acetic acid … which is commonly used to supplement [linkbuilder id=”2261″ text=”weight loss efforts”].”
In fact, in addition to being a calorie-free jolt of flavor that’s great in in tea, marinades, and salad dressings (read on!), Martin explains that “coconut vinegar is loaded with 17 amino acids, vitamins like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus and minerals like B1, B6, B12, and inositol. Inositol increases insulin resistance and lowers blood sugar. B vitamins are a building block for good health, playing a key role in keeping you energized and [maintaining healthy] metabolism.”

Beauty Bonuses of Coconut Vinegar

ACV is already a well-known tool in many green beauty kits, and Martin says it’s safe to use coconut vinegar just like you would employ its apple cider cousin in your beauty routines. She also says it’s great to use for “hair conditioner or a facial toner” but advises being “careful to patch test because CV’s acetic acid content can be harsh for certain skin or hair types.” Try it out first in a diluted form (mixed with water or another beauty product you know your skin or hair tolerates well), to make sure it’s right for you.
Try this: Soak a cotton ball with one part coconut vinegar to three or more parts water and apply as a homemade toner. Or for a hair conditioning rinse, add a few tablespoons vinegar to a cup of water. Apply to hair and let sit for a couple of minutes, then gently rinse.
Tons of of anecdotal evidence (even from dermatologists) abounds about ACV’s ability to freshen your complexion—and if ACV, why not coconut vinegar, too?  Of course, if you want published, scientific proof, you’ll have to wait patiently for research to confirm the testimonials. Still, Women’s Health suggests that vinegar’s pH is ideal to combine with your bathwater for a 15-minute soak to restore the natural balance of your skin. Just make sure not to use it without diluting, as you could come away with a bad reaction.

We do know that ACV has proven antifungal properties, in part because of its acetic content, which means even more acetic CV could help with [linkbuilder id=”2266″ text=”yellowing nails”], athlete’s foot, and even dandruff.

Home Hacks with Coconut Vinegar

Most of my friends (and most definitely my husband and daughter) know me as a bit of a clean freak. In fact, I’d say, for better or worse, my relaxation and happiness are often tied to my sense of whether my home is clean, pleasant, and presentable. Still, I worry about the harsh chemicals that most of the really effective cleaning products on the market contain, so I’m excited about the possibilities of using coconut vinegar as a natural home cleanser that’s safe to use (diluted) around kids and animals.
As Martin tells me, “it’s high acetic acid content” makes it a great booster to “add to your next batch of gym clothes laundry,” or you can “mix with some water for an all-purpose cleaner” that you can store in an easy-to-use spray bottle. My former cleaning lady swears any white vinegar also works as an ant deterrent in the kitchen, but I haven’t found it to be noticeably effective for that.
A 1997 study found straight vinegar in general to be somewhat effective in killing E. coli and Salmonella, and later studies found it to be a good killer of some waterborne bacteria involved in burn infections. But as CNN recently noted, “will apple cider or other vinegars sanitize or disinfect your home? Probably not enough [on its own] to make you feel germ-free.”
So it seems like the evidence for coconut vinegar being a powerful nutritional additive is strong (I’m on board), but the potential beauty and cleaning uses are still not tested enough to convince the likes of me.

Steal a nutritionist’s routine

Martin says she “like[s] taking coconut vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar as a daily tonic during allergy season because of its lighter flavor.” But she warns against drinking it “straight up,” as its high acetic makeup (which is one of the reasons it’s so effective) can literally burn your throat and cause indigestion and (you’ll definitely want to avoid this) flatulence. If you’ve had these problems with ACV before, Martin says she “would not recommend coconut vinegar as a daily tonic because it has an even higher acetic acid content.”
But if you’re up for a little dose of tang, Martin also makes a killer raw salad dressing, and she shares her recipe with HealthyWay:

  • 1 part ground turmeric
  • 1 part coconut vinegar
  • ½ part minced garlic
  • 2 parts tahini
  • 3 parts olive oil
  • 2 parts water
  • Dashes of salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne

Mix all ingredients until “smooth and creamy,” and you’ve got what Martin calls “a great nutritional powerhouse for cool weather problems like muscle aches, low blood circulation, or colds.”

Vinegar Throwdown: Coconut or Apple Cider?

Okay, here are the basic comparisons:

  • The two are similar in cost.
  • Apple cider vinegar is a cloudy light brown (just like unfiltered apple cider), while coconut vinegar is a cloudy white liquid.
  • Apple cider vinegar is more readily available in brick and mortar stores, but coconut vinegar can be purchased online easily, and as it gains in popularity, it will likely make an appearance at your local grocer.
  • Many people, including Martin, say that coconut tastes a bit sweet and is more palatable than apple cider vinegar.
  • Still, it’s vinegar! Don’t expect it to be sugary or taste exactly like coconut.
  • Bottles of both contain a cloudy blob of goop called the “mother,” which according to Martin is really a colony of bacteria and yeast that contains “beneficial vitamins, minerals, and bacteria.”
  • CV seems to come out on top nutritionally. As Martin notes, “If compared side by side, the raw ingredients of coconut vinegar (coconut sap) beat those of apple cider vinegar (apples) in every one of the 17 amino acids, minerals, and vitamins that occur in each vinegar.” It’s important to note, though, that some brands of coconut vinegar are made from coconut water instead of sap, and these are not as nutritious, according to Martin. Be sure to check the label before you buy.

Just because something is new (to you) doesn’t mean it’s bad or scary, but the reverse is true as well. Coconut vinegar may be a hot trend, but so far, there’s no evidence that it’s anything close to a cure-all. When it comes down to it, CV is likely just as safe as ACV, and there’s a possibility that it may have some advantages over ACV because it comes from a more nutrient-dense source. It also has a greater acetic content, which might increase its health benefits but could also make it more irritating to people with sensitive skin or digestive systems.

If you’re the type to wait for scientific evidence to weigh in on health and [linkbuilder id=”2265″ text=”fitness trends”], we suggest sitting it out a year or two until the scientific community has a chance to conduct thorough coconut vinegar research. Or if you’re an intrepid explorer who loves to be on the cutting edge of nutritive wellness trends, we say go for it and try adding coconut vinegar into your healthy living practice.

Categories
Nutrition x Advice

Wondering What To Eat? Try This Before (And After) Your Next Workout!

Opting to squeeze in a last-minute workout during your lunch break instead of munching on your power bowl seems like a good idea, right? Not so fast. The truth is, you’re missing out on some major benefits if you aren’t complementing that sweat sesh with the right foods. The thing is, nutrition makes up about 80 percent of the big picture.
Our bodies directly reflect what we put in them, and missing the opportunity for proper pre- and post-workout fueling can take a major toll. With the importance of timing and nutrient specification, we’re here to break it down for you.

Food is fuel.

A healthy and balanced diet is crucial for maintaining optimum health. As everyday Wonder Women, we know how important it is to stay energized and on the go. Food is first-line, preventive medicine—the foundation on which everything else is built.
Food is made up of building blocks called micronutrients and macronutrients. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals, and macronutrients are the well-known carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Our bodies use these nutrients to develop and repair cells and tissues, to protect against and fight sickness, and to provide enough energy for all of our activities, from juggling the chaotic workload to carpooling the kids to soccer practice.
When we throw working out into our daily routine, food becomes even more important. If kept on point, it fuels us during the exercise, allows us to develop muscle, promotes quick recovery, and even supports lean body mass. If your diet isn’t balanced, then your body won’t be either!
Consuming enough of each macronutrient is crucial, but many individuals find themselves slipping on one in particular. Protein! When you’re an avid sweater, you can’t neglect the protein. For most individuals, 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient. But if you’re resistance training and working toward weight loss, bump the intake up to 2.3 to 3.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
It’s one of the most important factors in what we’re about to lay out for you, and you’ll see why. Let’s dig in.

Pre-Workout: Setting You up for Success

It may seem convenient to train on an empty stomach, but skipping out on that pre-workout meal can actually lead to increased catabolism (more on this later) and cortisol production. Not good, friends! Without adequate stores and readily available nutrients, your body has to rely on drawing out protein from your kidneys and liver.
This means that essential areas of muscle are lost, which can ultimately slow your metabolism down as a result—keeping you from that weight loss goal you’re going after. Instead of moving into muscle-building mode, your body has retreated into starvation mode with the high demand. Not to mention, without that boost of energy from a well-timed meal, you’ll be lacking enough energy to push through your workout with the highest intensity.
Before exercising, imagine dishing out a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein, and aim for a 1- to 2-hour window for the most benefits.
Because fats take longer to digest, try to minimize these during your pre- and post-workout meals. You want the carbohydrates and protein immediately shuttled to the muscles you’re about to torch. Mix both simple and complex carbs in this meal. The combination will give you the fast-acting energy to get you going and the lasting energy to crush your entire training session.
For simple carbs, reach for granola, toast, or a piece of fruit. Our favorites? Bananas and berries. Why not get in an added dose of those beloved micronutrients? For complex carbs, make some sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, or quinoa. When deciding on a protein, choose leaner cuts of meat (like chicken or turkey breast), fish, or eggs. If you’re in a fruity mood, make yourself a yummy bowl with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt.

Post-Workout: Recovery Mode

After exercise, your body is wiped and begging to be replenished. You’ve emptied your glycogen stores pushing through those last few burpees, and supplying your muscles with nutrients is crucial. Protein is more important now than ever! It’s the difference between catabolism (muscle breakdown) and anabolism (muscle building).
During a workout, we make microtears in our muscles. A sufficient dose of protein helps repair those tears, stimulate further muscle growth, and keep the metabolism firing. When reaching for a carb source, make sure it’s complex. The carbs in this meal are responsible for refilling your glycogen stores and giving you an extra boost of energy to make it through that evening grocery haul and kiddo roundup.
In the same way you did with your pre-workout meal, minimize fats to ensure a quick breakdown of food and thus sustained anabolism. The key with your post-workout meal is eating (or drinking) it within a 1-hour window of finishing up. Stack your plate with some brown rice or quinoa, steamed veggies, and ultra protein sources like fish, chicken breast, or tempeh. If you’re on a time clock and rushing out of the gym, gulp down a smoothie to get the job done. We have a quick and delicious option below!

Time to Grub

Here are a few examples of meals and snacks we’re loving. Remember, there’s no need to get fancy. Just nourish your body with the foods it needs to flourish. Make these items in bulk ahead of time so they’re easy to grab when you’re on the go.

Pre-Workout

  • Cinnamon-baked sweet potato + chicken breast
  • Oatmeal with a handful of fresh blueberries + hard-boiled eggs
  • Plain Greek yogurt + a sprinkling of granola + banana

Post-Workout

  • Brown rice + steamed broccoli + lemon-baked salmon
  • Quinoa + black beans + tempeh
  • Ezekiel toast + tuna salad (opt for hummus over mayo to keep it clean!)
  • Smoothie: Oats + strawberries + cacao powder + plant-based protein powder (with a bit of water or almond milk for your desired consistency)
Categories
Nosh

You Can Achieve A Healthy Gut (Even If Yogurt Isn't Your Thing)

Let’s play a game of word association! If I say “probiotics,” you say…what?
You might say, “healthy,” “supplement,” or even “antibiotics.” But I’ll bet many would automatically reply, “yogurt.”
Yogurt is a particularly famous source of probiotics, but what if you don’t like it? Are probiotics really that important?
Well, yes. Not to sound hyperbolic or anything, but they’re possibly the most influential piece of the health puzzle that we are only just starting to comprehend. If you’re not convinced, this article is for you.
Probiotics are live bacteria that colonize in our guts, mostly the colon. We actually have 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells in our bodies!
However, if we aren’t diligent about caring for these beneficial bacteria, they won’t survive in our intestines, and the pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria will start to take over. Unfortunately for us, the Western trifecta of chronically high stress, widespread antibiotic use, and highly processed, low fiber diets creates a hostile environment for these bacteria.
So, we definitely need a healthy gut, and one of the biggest ways we do that is by regularly populating it with probiotics.

Before you reach for that cup of yogurt, however, consider this:

Yogurt can be part of a nutritious diet, but too often it’s glorified, low fat, liquid ice cream. Plus, some people can’t or choose not to eat dairy, and others may simply dislike yogurt’s texture. For this last group, there are some non-yogurt, probiotic dairy products (kefir, yakult, and filmjölk) but you do still have to keep an eye on the sugar.

In reality, dairy is far from the only game in town.

Sure, you could try a non-dairy yogurt, but these are often low in protein and high in sugar; or you could go for a supplement, but these are frighteningly unregulated and pretty expensive. There are much more exciting ways to get your probiotic fix!
Fermentation is the process that turns milk into yogurt, and cultures across the globe have been finding their own ways to ferment foods for centuries that have nothing to do with dairy.
In Russia, they drink kvas, made from fermented beets or grains. You can buy it here, but many brands are little more than sugar water, so make sure you’re getting the real thing.
And of course, there is kombucha, the fizzy, yeasty tea that anyone who’s anyone has tried. Its Chinese origins date back 2,000 years, and it’s still trending strong today. If you’re feeling brave, you can try making your own.
In Germany, there is sauerkraut (which actually dates back to the Mongols in China) and in Korea there is kimchi, both fermented cabbage. Be wary of commercial, canned varieties, as the bacteria don’t often survive the processing. Making your own is quite easy; or you can seek out craft varieties in stores.
Then there is fermented soy: namely, miso and tempeh. These products confer health benefits (including probiotics) beyond non-fermented soy products, like edamame and tofu. Miso can add a wonderful umami flavor to dishes, while tempeh offers a tasty alternative to animal protein.

But wait! That’s not all!

We can kick back probiotic foods all day, ‘erry day, but if we don’t set up a nice, cozy environment in our colons for the bacteria to live, they won’t stay very long. This is where prebiotics come into play.
Prebiotics are non-digestible plant compounds which stimulate the growth and activity of our little, bacterial friends. A lot of companies have isolated these prebiotics to fortify their products; you’ll see them in the ingredients list as inulin, lactulose, maltodextrin and wheat dextrin, acacia gum, arabinose, and fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides. These ingredients may not be tolerated in large amounts, and besides, why not just get them from the foods they’re naturally found in?
You can find inulin in garlic, onions, and Jerusalem artichokes; oligosaccharides in bananas, berries, and legumes; dextrin in whole grains, especially wheat; and arabinose in nuts and seeds, to name a few.
Together, these probiotics and prebiotics are known as synbiotics because they’re far more powerful in combination than either one is on its own.
Healthy bacteria also thrive when you generally practice good self-care. Keep your diet high in fiber and based largely in whole, minimally processed foods. Find ways to destress and break from sedentary routines. Oh, and you might consider eating some high quality dark chocolate, because your gut bacteria may in fact be chocoholics, too!

To make a long story short: nope, you definitely do not need yogurt to have a healthy gut.

Sip on some kombucha while making your own sauerkraut. Stir some cocoa powder and sliced bananas into your oatmeal.
Basically, eat a high-fiber, plant-based diet, with a few [linkbuilder id=”3770″ text=”fermented foods”] thrown in, and you (and your gut) will be just fine!
Categories
Fitness Advice x Motivation Sweat

Why Every Woman Belongs In The Weight Room

From practiced yogis to cardio junkies, we’re all familiar with the importance of physical activity. However, many women shy away when the conversation turns to weightlifting. Shoes are laced and feet are hitting the pavement before a barbell is given a second thought. For many of us, there’s a fear of “bulking up” and putting on too much muscle.
Every woman has heard that old fear floating around—“Lifting makes you manly.” Well, it’s time to dispel those nagging weightlifting myths and take back the power, because one fundamental step in achieving any set of fitness goals is strength training, and women are still considerably less likely to make lifting a health and wellness habit.
The truth is, the claim that women will bulk up with weightlifting holds no ground. Physiologically, women are incapable of putting on the same amount of muscle as men. This is due to the significantly lower levels of anabolic hormones (which are crucial for building muscle) in female bodies compared with male bodies.
The truth is, a date with the weights is the answer you’ve been waiting for.
Read on for insight on how to strut over to the weight rack with confidence.

The benefits are waiting, and you’re going to burn baby, burn.

While beneficial, cardio doesn’t offer the same rewards as weightlifting. And despite differing levels of growth hormones, regardless of sex, people experience far greater muscle development when strength training than their friends who are tied to the old treadmill. Lifting helps individuals burn fat while building muscle, as opposed to cardio, which cannot boast toning-related gains.
This is especially noteworthy because muscle needs significantly more energy to perform its basic functioning than fat does. This means that with more muscle, an individual’s body will naturally have a higher resting metabolic rate. And the benefits don’t stop there! That muscle will also help individuals reshape their bodies to achieve a more balanced look.
An increased metabolism and perky behind? Yes please.
According to a recent study, individuals who took part in a weight training regimen developed significantly less belly fat than their counterparts who engaged in aerobic exercise alone. There are many factors at play here. One of the most important takeaways is that although cardio can contribute to weight loss, it doesn’t have the same lasting effect on the body as resistance training does.
A runner only burns the total calories expended during their run, but a weightlifter experiences caloric expenditure during their workout as well as an increased metabolic rate during the next 48 hours. This means that exponentially more calories are burned by weightlifters over time.
So if you’re longing for that flat tummy, weightlifting may be the trick.

Performance Perks

You can hit peak performance with a little help from the weight rack. Stronger muscles mean greater power and exertion across the board. From participating in a local duathlon to acing an inversion yoga flow, once you start weight training, you’ll notice yourself moving with greater efficiency. Your core, arms, and legs will be better equipped to keep you speedy and balanced.
This is why runners and yogis alike often cross-train with weightlifting. From pounding through the last few miles to perfecting a crow jumpback, your muscles will be prepared to support you.

Here’s to Longevity

Women are far more prone to bone and joint degeneration than men are as they age, and weight training actively works to lessen this risk. A prime example of this is weight training’s effect on osteoporosis. Research has shown resistance exercise like weightlifting provides “the mechanical stimuli or ‘loading’ important for the maintenance and improvement of bone health,” which means lifting enough weight actually helps stimulate bone growth and improve bone density, preventing or even reversing damage related to joint and bone degeneration.
And while cardiovascular activity often gets all the attention when it comes to heart health, strength training also plays an important role. In fact, it may offer greater benefits due to the improved blood flow to active muscles during weight training. Resistance exercise produces unique blood vessel responses, specifically in that it stimulates improved blood flow in the limbs. It also contributes to a lasting drop in blood pressure following the workout that cannot be paralleled by aerobic exercise.

Reach for those dumbbells.

Fear not, cardio bunnies! You don’t need to give up that runner’s high. For the widest range of benefits, combine a few sessions of aerobic exercise with three to four sessions of resistance training each week. Don’t know where to start? Build on the fundamentals and treat form as your highest priority as you get into your new groove. As a good reminder, make sure to establish and maintain full range of motion before moving on to heavier weights.
Once your technique is mastered, shoot for three to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. Between those sets, keep rest at a maximum of one minute for the greatest benefits. There are hundreds of helpful resources floating around the internet, so don’t hesitate to continue your research. For visual guides, find videos of coaches performing the exercises. However, make sure those sources are credible. T Nation and Bodybuilding.com are both great places to start since they’re brimming with expert advice and workout templates.
As you map your plan, aim to rotate upper body and lower body days to keep your initiation into weight training simple. For example, an average week could look like this:

Monday: Upper Body

Try these! Lat pull-downs, pull-ups, chin-ups, dumbbell rows, dumbbell bicep curls, dumbbell triceps kickbacks, push-ups, military presses, and lateral raises.

Tuesday: Lower Body

Try these! Back squats, goblet squats, leg press, walking lunges, lying leg curls, leg extensions, hip abduction, cable hip adduction, and standing calf raises.

Wednesday: Cardio

Take to the streets, gym, pool, or court for the cardio activity of your choice.

Thursday: Upper Body

Follow the same upper body routine as you did Monday, focusing on your form as you become more comfortable with the exercises.

Friday: Lower Body

Revisit Tuesday’s lower body routine with a focus on form.

Saturday: Yoga

Drop into your favorite once-a-week class or unfurl your mat and get your stretch on at home.

Sunday: Cardio

Enjoy your go-to cardio activity, or switch it up with something else you like but didn’t have time for on Wednesday.