Author: Megan Senseney

Sweat

The Link Between Older Women And Conceiving Twins

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date February 10, 2017

Most people tend to think that having twins just comes down to the luck of the draw, but did you know there’s actually way more to it than that? In fact, a woman’s age could play one of the biggest roles when it comes to seeing double.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two weeks, we have no doubt that you’ve heard the news—Queen Bey is having twins. She made the announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, with an epic glamour shot photoshoot that looks like it was taken by Deb from Napoleon Dynamite herself, and we mean that in the best way possible.

Her fans were nothing but overjoyed to hear this type of news in what many of us are considering to be a pretty dark time in our nation.

Now, we’re not suggesting that Beyonce is old in the slightest bit, but having twins over the age of 30 is something that’s pretty significant for any woman.

However, it’s not as if having twins is uncommon—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has actually reported that the birth rate for twins has been on the rise since 1980, especially for mothers over age 35. Is it just sheer luck, or is there something going on in the mid-30s female body that makes it more of a possibility?

As it turns out, there are actually a few different factors that make having twins more common among women who are 35 years old or more.

Some of the reasons are:

Their hormone levels tend to fluctuate more often, particularly their levels of follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), the hormone that is responsible for stimulating ovulation and egg production.
As women get older, they tend to rely more on fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility-increasing medications, both of which can make it easier to conceive multiple babies.

Women in their mid-30s who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more may also be more likely to conceive multiple babies, fraternal twins in particular. This is thought to be because heavier women produce more luteinizing hormone, which is what causes ovulation. It is said that women who are overweight may actually release up to two eggs during each monthly cycle.

As women get older, they tend to be subject to more prenatal screenings than younger women, and this is especially true for women who conceive twins at an older age. It definitely makes sense, as the risk of experiencing pregnancy complications increases when a woman gets pregnant when she’s older, especially when she’s carrying more than one baby.

Carrying twins at any age isn’t easy, and women who carry twins when they’re older are more likely to give birth to their babies prematurely. They may also:

Give birth to babies with low birth weights, even if they aren’t born prematurely
Be more likely to develop gestational diabetes, as there are obviously different dietary needs for women carrying multiple babies

Be more likely to develop high blood pressure because of the additional placenta and increase in hormone production
Have issues with the placenta like placenta previa, which leads to excessive bleeding either before or during birth

In general, older women who become pregnant at all tend to feel everything pregnancy has to offer pretty intensely, much more than a younger woman would. Unfortunately, it really does have everything to do with age—the body doesn’t handle stress as well as it ages, and just isn’t as well-suited for pregnancy as a younger body would be. Additionally, mothers of any age might experience certain symptoms more intensely while they’re pregnant with twins, including:

General achiness, pain, and fatigue throughout the entire body
Much more fetal movement
Increased constipation, indigestion, heartburn, and general digestive upset
Strong feelings of nausea, no matter what time of day it is

Many of these exacerbated symptoms occur because of the extra hormones produced during a pregnancy carrying with twins, along with the extra weight that comes along with it. The bright side, though, is that double the babies doesn’t always mean double the pregnancy trouble—ultimately, every woman is different.

So, are there any other factors that can increase the chance that a woman of any age will conceive twins?

In general, women with a history of twins in their family will be more likely to have twins themselves.
Women who have been pregnant before are more likely to conceive twins during later pregnancies.

Women who are vegan or vegetarian, along with women who typically follow a fairly low-fat diet, are much less likely to conceive twins. It is thought that these types of diets can alter women’s hormone levels, and those who don’t consume a lot of fat will probably have a lower BMI.
Apparently lightning can, and may, strike twice—women who have had twins before are also more likely to conceive multiple babies at once in the future.

Black women are most likely to conceive twins, followed by white women. Asian or Hispanic women are the least likely to have twins, but obviously anything is possible.

Prenatal care is definitely an incredibly important aspect of a twin pregnancy, especially for older women with twins. These women will typically be scheduled for more appointments with their doctor, even if their pregnancy is completely normal, to ensure that no complications are developing with either baby.

It’s also pretty vital to make sure that the mother is eating enough, eating the right things, and gaining enough weight to support each baby.

A doctor can help you to determine what you should be eating more of, what you should be eating less of, and how you can safely gain weight throughout your pregnancy to ensure that you avoid complications like gestational diabetes.

Many of the guidelines that apply to pregnant women in general also apply to any women carrying twins, they just recommend more of certain things. For example, women with twins will require more protein and iron than a woman carrying a single child.

When complications occur for any pregnant woman, the symptoms can definitely be alarming, and it’s especially true for an older woman pregnant with multiple babies. They tend to feel all of the pregnancy-related symptoms much stronger than others, so it can be difficult to determine if a random ache is just a bout of gas or something they should really be worried about.

Depending on where a woman is in her pregnancy, certain symptoms may be more or less alarming, but it’s important to talk to your doctor if:

You don’t really feel the babies moving or kicking anymore after they have already started to move around regularly.
You have strong and persistent pain in your abdomen.
You begin to notice spotting or more severe vaginal bleeding.
You start to produce more discharge than normal, or if you notice any changes to what you normally produce.

You begin to feel intense lower back pain or pressure in your pelvic area.
You don’t urinate as much, or feel pressure and pain when you do.

Of
course, certain complications can happen no matter what you do to avoid them, but there are certain steps women carrying twins can take to keep their pregnancy as normal and as healthy as they can.

Start taking folic acid supplements as soon as you can—we’re talking the day you find out you’re pregnant. Women with twins naturally need more of it, and studies show that folic acid can reduce the chance of a fetus developing any sort of neural tube defect.
Make sure you’re eating! It is recommended that women carrying twins add 1,000 extra calories to their daily diet. As a comparison, women carrying only one baby are only supposed to add an extra 300 calories to their daily intake.

If you suffer from frequent morning sickness, try to keep a small snack handy all throughout the day to help ease it. Fresh fruit, crackers, protein shakes, and yogurt are all good options to keep around.
Keep chugging water throughout the day. You won’t be happy when you’re running to the bathroom every five seconds, but your body will need the extra fluid to make sure all that extra blood is flowing as it should be.

Tags 50014261, body, hemingway

Sweat

Victoria Beckham Admits She Regrets Implants…And She's Not Alone

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date February 10, 2017

Breast implants have been a huge trend in the beauty world for quite some time, but it might be time for their legacy to come to an end. The new kid on the block in the world of the plastic surgery has become known as the “un-boob job,” and it’s become so popular that even celebrities are now sharing their stories about why implants weren’t right for them anymore.

Admit it—we all do things when we’re young that we end up regretting when we’re older. For some people it’s getting a tattoo, for others it’s getting pierced somewhere other than their ears. For many women, however, those regrets come in the form of getting breast implants.
In fact, many of those woman who confidently get breast implants during their younger years regret them so much during their adult years that they actually get rid of them.

One celebrity, Victoria Beckham, recently decided to speak out about her decision to get rid of the breast implants she got when she was 18 years old. The process of getting breast implants removed has actually become so common that the trend has even been given a name: the “un-boob job.”
Of course, Beckham and any other women who have their implants removed have their own personal reasons for doing so, but did you know that they often extend far beyond looks?
Beckham penned a letter to her younger self in January’s issue of British Vogue, which included many pieces of advice she wished she could’ve given herself back then. She said she wished her younger self would’ve had more fun with what she wore, celebrated the unique aspects of both herself and others, and kept a diary to make sure she could keep track of her most memorable moments.

She also told her teenaged self not to, “mess with your boobs,” and to, “just celebrate what you’ve got.”
We can only speculate as to why Beckham got her implants in the first place—maybe due to insecurity at a young age or just wanting an enhancement for fun—but she confirmed in 2014 that she had them removed.

“I don’t have them anymore,” she told Allure magazine. “I think I may have purchased them.” Though she didn’t give specifics about why she made the decision, she did say it wasn’t due to pain.
Beckham won’t be the first or last woman to make the decision to remove her breast implants—in fact, Health magazine noted that approximately 24,000 made the decision to say goodbye to theirs in 2014.

While there are plenty of reasons why that may be, one doctor says a big factor for many women is the amount of upkeep that implants actually require—though most of us know that sometimes implants might burst or deteriorate, they still require some maintenance even if nothing goes wrong.
“Implants are not lifelong devices,” said Janette Alexander, MD, one of the FDA’s plastic surgery medical officers in its division of surgical devices. “The longer a woman has them, the more likely it is that she will need additional surgery, which could include replacement or removal.”

For many women, this could mean going through thousands of dollars in additional medical procedures just to maintain the look and quality of their implants.
Besides what essentially comes down to the inconvenience of breast implant upkeep, there are plenty of physical reasons why women choose to take them out.

For some, it’s because they leak or rupture, which can become incredibly dangerous if the damaged implants go without treatment or removal.
Other women begin to experience significant back pain, most likely due to getting implants that are too large for their frame. In many cases, however, women get their implants removed because they are just too hard to live with, even if they do like the way they look.

For some women, everyday tasks become too hard to perform with implants, whether it’s because they’re too heavy or because they’re not positioned well. “I was unable to do an unmodified push-up without feeling like my boobs were about to explode,” said a fitness instructor who eventually made the decision to have her implants removed.
So, how do you know when it’s time for your implants to go? If you’re making the decision simply because you feel like they’re not for you anymore, you really don’t need a better reason than that.

In fact, you could walk into the doctor to have them removed or reduced and potentially leave a mere three hours later. There are, however, a few signs that it might be time for your implants to go, even if you don’t necessarily want to part with them.
-If your implants are too large for your frame, they can cause significant pain that will probably continue until you take them out or make them smaller.
-You might experience something called capsular contracture, which means that your scar tissue has become stiff. It can make your breasts look misshapen or hard.

-Your implants might rupture, which could allow the implant material to leak into your body.
How can you tell if your implants have ruptured? At first, you might not notice anything at all. When an implant gets placed inside of the body, a type of fibrous tissue called capsule will begin to grow around it.

When an implant ruptures, it can be what is called a silent rupture, which means that all of the leaked material gets absorbed by the capsule, so you feel nothing. However, when left for long enough, this tissue can eventually become inflamed, which can then lead to:
-Breast pain
-Breast lumps
-Breast swelling, or severe changes to the shape and size of the breast
-Breast tissue that feels either harder or softer than normal

If you think you may have a ruptured implant, it’s definitely a good idea to see your doctor as soon as possible. Women with silent ruptures may be able to just wait and see what happens with their situation, but anyone who’s actually experiencing symptoms will probably have to have their implants removed via surgery.
Whether your implant has leaked just a little or it has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be replaced, the goal of your surgeon will be to remove the material they need to through the smallest incision possible.

Doctors can use what is essentially a small vacuum attached to a syringe, which can removed any leaked implant material through a fairly small incision. The best part of this kind of technique is that it doesn’t require anything sharp to remove the material, so there’s less of a risk that the implant will get punctured again and leak even more.
If an implant needs to be fully removed, doctors can use the vacuum device to suck the remaining material out of the implant and then remove the actual implant once it’s empty.

For women who don’t have ruptured implants, a doctor will probably be able to remove them whole, usually through the incisions that were made to put them in.
Whether you have implants and are ready for the “un-boob job” to take place or you’re thinking about getting some for the first time, there are a few things you should think about before you take the plunge.
– Consider this—if you were to get breast implants at age 22, their placement and proper maintenance over the next 25 years would cost you a whopping total of $46,000.

– When looking for a plastic surgeon, a bargain is never the answer. Make sure you find a doctor who’s board-certified, and make sure that their certification is actually in plastic surgery—believe it or not, some doctors won’t specify this up front. One doctor, Daniel Mills, MD, said, “When a revision patient of mine had gone for her original consultation, she asked a staffer if the doctor was board-certified. The staffer said yes but didn’t bother to add that the doctor was board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, not plastic surgery. When she came to see me, her implants had dropped like they were in tube socks, down to her belly button.”
– Make sure you get a good idea of what your plastic surgeon’s “style” is. Many will make recommendations based on what is popular where you live, or try to sell you on what they had in mind, as opposed to really listening to what you want.

– Don’t skip trying on tester bras with different sized implants to get a feel for what a particular cup size will look and feel like on you.

Tags 50014226, body, hemingway

Sweat

Body Hacks You Wish You'd Known Forever

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date February 3, 2017

These days, it seems like we all experience some random annoyance each and every day, whether it’s feeling tired or getting the occasional sore throat. Thankfully, there are some helpful life hacks out there for all of the unexpected things that can happen in a day.

Eye Strain?

If your eyes start to burn or blur after too much time spent in front of the computer, try a technique known as “tense and release.” Just tighten all of the muscles in your face for a few seconds while relaxing the rest of your body, then relax your face. Repeat the process again for a few minutes and you should feel good as new.

Can’t Hear?

We’ve all been there—you’re at a packed club or noisy concert, someone tries to tell you something and, despite them being an inch away from you, you can’t hear a single word. The next time you find yourself in this situation, lean in with your right ear. This ear is better suited for processing and understanding information.

Caffeine Overload?

Did you know that your personality type can affect how you respond to caffeine? Introverts should drink their daily mug later in the day, while extroverts should have theirs first thing in the morning.

Stressed Before A Test?

If you’ve studied day and night but still can’t stop worrying that you’ll fail your upcoming test, try writing down how you’re feeling. According to a study done in 2011, students who tried this very trick saw their test scores improve.

Job Interview?
Before you go into any important meeting or event—a job interview, board meeting, a big test—try practicing a “high power” pose and hold it for five minutes. Doing so will increase your testosterone levels by 20 percent, boosting your confidence, and decrease your cortisol levels by 25 percent, relieving your stress.

Grease Burn?

No one likes an unexpected burn from a hot pan or pop of bacon grease, but there’s an easy way you can treat one with something you definitely already have in your fridge.

After you get burned, just coat the area with yellow mustard, let it sit for a minute or two, then wash it away to prevent scarring and blistering.

Toothaches?

If an unexpected toothache is giving you trouble, try rubbing an ice cube on the top of your hand between your thumb and index finger. You can also try applying pressure to this area, as it a pressure point often used in acupuncture.

Stub Your Toe?

The next time you stub your toe as you close a door or bang your elbow on the kitchen counter, just curse. Research shows that yelling out a profane word after getting hurt can help reduce the amount of pain you feel.

Jet Lagged?

If you do a lot of travelling, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of jet lag from time to time, and it can be hard to overcome. Starting a few days before you’re going to leave, try eating your meals at the time you would in the location you’ll be traveling to. It’ll help your body adjust to the changes and make them less noticeable.

Feeling Sad?

If you’re feeling a little gloomy, try holding a pencil between your teeth. Doing so activates the same muscles in your face that smiling does, so it essentially tricks your brain into thinking you’re happier than you are, which’ll give you mood a boost.

Feeling Weak?

If you haven’t worked out in a while and aren’t feeling as strong as you normally do, it’s because our bones actually get thicker the more we but stress on them. It’s why boxers have super [linkbuilder id=”3099″ text=”strong bones”] in their hands and arms, and why runners have them in their legs.

Make some time for a little strength training and you’ll feel your body getting stronger again in no time at all.

Annoying Blister?

We all get the occasional blister on our heels from shoes that are way too tight, and sometimes it happens at the worst time. If you don’t have any Neosporin handy, you might have mouthwash and, in this case, it’ll work just as well.

Mouthwash usually contains similar ingredients, so it’ll work in a pinch when you need to keep germs away from an open wound.

Day After Dizziness?

If you had a wild night and the room feels like it’s spinning even after you’re laying flat in bed, there’s a simple trick you can do to make yourself feel more stable. Just let one leg fall over the side of the bed and put your foot on the ground.

Scared of Needles?

Even people who aren’t afraid of shots don’t necessarily like getting them, so it can be quite the traumatic event for someone who hates needles. While it might not sound like the best idea to cough while you’re getting a shot, doing so can actually reduce the pain you feel from the needle. Just, you know, do it gently.

Sleeping on a Full Stomach?

From time to time, we all make the not-so-great decision of filling up before we go to bed, and it’s not always comfortable to sleep on a full stomach. The next time your find yourself in this situation, make sure to lay on your left side.
Laying on your right can make it easier can allow stomach acid to flow into your throat, because it makes it so that your stomach is elevated.

Need a boost?

We’re sure you know about the importance of getting enough water each day, but did you know just how much it can do to perk you up? Start your day off with a glass of water to wake up all of your organs and improve your digestion throughout the day. A glass before bed can also help prevent having a heart attack.

Nose Bleed?

If you’re prone to nosebleeds, place a cotton ball or cotton bad on the sections of your gums that lie below the right side of your nose and press down firmly. Apparently most of the blood from a nosebleed comes from behind this area, so it can help stop the bleeding.

Swimming?

If you want to try holding your breath for longer periods of time, don’t take one huge breath and go underwater. Instead, take a few shorter breaths—it’ll trick your body into believing it has a little more oxygen than it does, so you can hold out for a few more seconds.

Hiccups?

Everyone has their own remedy for hiccups, but some of them don’t seem to work no matter how hard you try. This one might be worth a shot, though—try breathing into a plastic bag for about 30 seconds.
The key to getting rid of hiccups is apparently raising the level of carbon dioxide in your blood.

Motion Sickness?

If you’re feeling nauseous from a boat trip or a long car ride, you won’t always have medicine or patches to help. Next time, try pressing down on the middle of the inside of your wrist—there’s a pressure point there that can help you feel better.

Sore Throat?

When your throat is unexpectedly scratchy and you don’t have the energy to run out for cough syrup, just make some at home. Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and honey, and just take a tablespoon of the mixture a couple of times each day. It definitely won’t be the best thing you’ll ever taste, but it’ll help destroy your virus and help your throat heal.

Arm Fall Asleep?

It might sound weird, but you can help restore feeling to an arm that’s fallen asleep by gently rocking your head from one side to the other. It’ll help loosen any tension in your neck, which will then help ease the numbness in your arm. The best thing to do when your leg is asleep is just to walk it off.

Nauseated?

If you suddenly find yourself gagging for no explainable reason, all you need to do to make it stop is to make a fist. Just place your thumb inside of your fist and squeeze your hand as tight as you can.

Tags 50013251, body, hemingway

Lifestyle

This Is The Real Difference Between Breast Milk And Formula

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date February 3, 2017

Moms everywhere talk about the benefits of breast milk but, at first glance, it looks identical to formula. Is there really that much of a difference? One mom decided she wanted to take a much closer look.

When it comes to parenthood, everyone seems to think their way is best but, in reality, different ways work for different people. The never-ending debate about whether baby formula is just as good as breastmilk is one that mothers tend to have pretty strong opinions on, and it’s easy to see why. Although natural, breastfeeding isn’t always as easy as it seems, and many mothers often feel like they’re made out to be inadequate if they’re unable to do it.

The mothers who can breastfeed without much hassle endlessly—and rightfully so—tout its many benefits, like increased immune support, decreased risk of allergies, and less baby blowouts. That’s not even taking into consideration that it’s also completely free!
However, as many benefits as breast milk seems to have, have you ever wondered what the big difference is when it comes to formula? Is it actually that much better for your baby?
One mother, Jansen Howard, recently decided to find out for herself what the real difference between the two actually is.
Her father is a blood microscopist and, because her mother has cancer, he often uses his tools to take a closer look at her white blood cell count. Howard once read that breast milk can change to give babies what they need at the time, so she was interested to see what hers looked like at a time when one of her babies was sick.

When Howard’s father placed a drop of her breast milk on a slide and viewed it under the microscope, the entire family was amazed with what they saw—the liquid almost looked like it was alive. She later placed the video online for others to see, and it’s been viewed more than one million times already.

“You guys… this is SO COOL!!!!!!!!,” she said. “This is the living liquid gold we call breast milk in motion!!!!” The bubble-like shapes in her video are molecules of water and fat, along with white blood cells.
The video becomes even cooler when you consider all of the things present in breast milk that we can’t see in this sample, including: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Vitamins and minerals, Amino acids, Antibodies, and Enzymes.
Howard decided to investigate a little further, mixing up a small amount of formula so she could see what it looked like under the microscope, as well. The difference was definitely noticeable, as the formula sample looked with more dull with none of the large fat molecules and white blood cells that the breast milk sample had.

Look closely and you can see that the formula sample does contain some much smaller bubbles, but they aren’t all as uniform as they seem to be in breast milk. Amy Oyler of The Scientific Mom also did her own comparison between the two, and noted that the formula sample she examined also contained small globs of undissolved formula that were present in each sample she made, whether they were shaken, stirred, or swirled around.

So, does this mean that breast milk and formula contain vastly different things just because they look so different next to each other? We obviously wouldn’t expect baby formula to contain white blood cells that miraculously appear when our babies are sick, but is it pretty much the same in most other aspects?
In some ways, the answer is “yes.” Formula does contain the essentials like fats and carbohydrates but they’re often far from natural—carbohydrates in formula might include corn maltodextrin, while fats might include palm or soybeans oils.
For most parents, these types of ingredients are far from ideal, but the trade-off comes in the form of convenience. Ultimately, baby formula is designed to give your kids everything they need, and they can get it from anyone at any time.

Though there are benefits to formula feeding, the benefits of breastfeeding are clear and more numerous. Yes, formula is designed to mimic breast milk and it contains most of the same things, but the difference is that breast milk often contains way more.
For example, you might find two different types of amino acids in formula, whereas breast milk might contain 20 different amino acids. Breast milk is also much easier babies to digest, and doesn’t leave babies as gassy or constipated as formula can.

The benefits of breastfeeding can even extend beyond a baby’s nutritional needs. Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed often have higher brain function, and it can even lower their risk of death from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) within their first year of life.

Breastfeeding can also pay off later on in life, as it can reduce a child’s risk of being overweight, and developing a number of common conditions such as: Type 1 and Type, 2 diabetes Asthma, High cholesterol, Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s disease.
As if that wasn’t good enough, breastfeeding is also extremely beneficial for mothers, as well. Not only is it one of the best ways to bond with your new baby, but it can also help mothers shed weight postpartum, in addition to lowering a woman’s risk of breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis.

With all of the benefits associated with breastfeeding, many moms couldn’t fathom feeding their children in any other way. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively during the first six months of their lives, and then continue breastfeeding for at least another six months.

Related Products:

It’s not always as easy as it sounds, though.
Many mothers have trouble producing an adequate milk supply due to no fault of their own and, even when they do, it can be a struggle for the baby to latch on properly, or even for mothers to pump their milk on their own. The struggles can definitely outweigh the benefits for some, and they’re forced to switch to formula to make sure their baby gets everything it needs.

Though the saying “breast is best” might definitely still be true, many mothers are choosing to adhere to the saying “fed is best.”
Whether you’re a new mother who wants to breastfeed or you’re someone who’s suddenly experiencing trouble when breastfeeding, there are a few things you can try to either help your baby out or increase your own supply.
Ask For Help When you’re still in the hospital after giving birth, don’t hesitate to ask for help with breastfeeding. There are plenty of people there who are there to help you make breastfeeding work for you and your baby.

Diet Matters Believe it or not, what you eat can affect your milk supply as well as its quality. Breastfeeding mothers should drink plenty of water, avoid caffeine, get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid breastfeeding for two hours after consuming alcohol.
Take Your Time Many mothers don’t expect breastfeeding to be as hard as it can be, and it can be incredibly discouraging. Not only that, but it can also be exhausting, as newborns typically like to eat every few hours. It’s important to remember that women usually produce more milk the more they breastfeed, and the more they breastfeed the easier it tends to become. If it’s not easy at first, keep trying and there’s a good chance it’ll all start to work out eventually.

Unfortunately, breastfeeding doesn’t always work for everyone, no matter how many different tips and tricks they try. For these moms, formula is really the only other option available, and it can be hard to pick one that’s both affordable and high-quality. Here are some tips for finding something that’ll work for you and your baby.
Go For Cow’s Milk Soy milk is everywhere and, while many adults choose to drink soy milk regularly, it shouldn’t be the first choice for your baby. Try to start off with a formula made with cow’s milk, as they’re usually affordable and don’t tend to cause digestive problems for babies.

Try Soy Next Of course, not all babies will respond well to cow’s milk formula, so you can give soy formulas a try if the cow’s milk variety gives them a rash, diarrhea, or any other negative side effects. However, be sure to discuss the change with your baby’s pediatrician first before you jump in and make any drastic changes.
Use Brand Names Your baby’s formula really isn’t the best area to try searching for a bargain, as tempting as it may be to buy a knockoff brand. Bigger companies can afford to put more research into their formulas and ingredients, and it can be difficult to know if an off-brand formula is good quality.

Age Does Matter Just like breast milk can change based on a baby’s needs, formulas are also created to give babies what they need at a particular age. If you give a toddler formula that’s meant for a newborn, they’re definitely going to miss out on key nutrients.

Tags 50013241, care, Commerce, hemingway

Wellbeing

A Man Took A Pregnancy Test As A Joke And Ended Up Finding Out Something Awful

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date January 30, 2017

You probably never thought you’d read about men taking pregnancy tests, but it’s now happening around the world—for a good reason, too.

It all started out as a joke, but what happens when the punchline ends up being something incredibly serious? When one man decided to take a pregnancy test he found in his medicine cabinet, he never expected the result to be positive. The real surprise, though, is that the positive result wasn’t just a mishap, a faulty test, or a joke from an evil pregnancy test manufacturer. No, for this man, the positive result actually meant something.

ept pregnancy test — Ernesto Andrade / Flickr

Taking a pregnancy test can fill people with a wide range of emotions—happiness, sadness, excitement, fear, hope. Some take them hoping for a positive result after months of negatives, while others take them praying to see a single line instead of two.
No matter the person’s situation, however, there’s usually one thing all pregnancy tests have in common: they’re taken by a woman.
Why would a man take a pregnancy test? Most of us would guess it’d be out of sheer curiosity about what would happen, on a dare from a friend, or just for a laugh while you’re bored. The latter is exactly why one man said his friend took a pregnancy test.

He found it in a cabinet from his ex-girlfriend who had moved out. No big deal—at least they never had a pregnancy scare to deal with, right? Unfortunately, this little joke, which the man thought would turn out to just be a funny story, turned out to be a lot more than what he bargained for. And imagine how shocked he was when it came back positive!
A positive pregnancy test is usually a happy time. Surprise or not, most women are excited about the new life developing. This man, though, has a different story to tell.

pregnancy test strip — iStock/Getty Images

And after he shared the story on Reddit, men across the world are now taking pregnancy tests as well.
Why? To screen themselves for something no man wants.
Let’s go back to the beginning: It all started off innocently enough. A Reddit user, who has since deleted his account, decided to make a crudely drawn comic about his male friend’s decision to use a pregnancy test.

The test had apparently been left behind in his medicine cabinet by his ex-girlfriend, so he decided to give it a try for a laugh, thinking nothing would really happen. Much to their surprise, however, the test came back positive.
The two clearly didn’t think the positive result meant anything, but thought the outcome was hilarious nonetheless, so they decided to use it to gain some karma on Reddit.

What they got, though, was tons of advice that actually ended up saving the life of this user’s friend.
After the comic was posted, comments flooded in that suggested whoever took the test needed to see a doctor immediately.

Comment from discussion Pregnant man rage.

There were so many that he decided the advice couldn’t be ignored, and the friend went to the doctor shortly after. Believe it or not, doctors actually detected a small tumor in the friend’s right testicle—because it was caught so early on, it was small enough that it hadn’t spread to any other areas of his body and could be treated right away.
The Reddit user later posted a follow-up comic to thank everyone for giving him the advice that saved his friend from a much worse fate.

He urged other men to check themselves for testicular cancer regularly, and reminded women to give themselves at-home screenings for breast cancer every now and then, too.
But how, exactly, did a pregnancy test detect testicular cancer?
As it turns out, it’s all about the hormones.
Pregnancy tests are designed to detect the presence of a very specific hormone in the urine known as beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (hGC), which is produced during pregnancy.

Though you’d probably never expect it, there are quite a few varieties of testicular cancer that also produce that very hormone—aside from testicular cancer and pregnancy, there aren’t really any other reasons why this hormone would appear in the body.
According to the American Cancer Society, however, men shouldn’t rely on a pregnancy test to tell them if they have testicular cancer or not. As with women, false positives are always possible, and there’s always a chance that men with testicular cancer aren’t producing enough of the hormone for a pregnancy test to pick up.

Though it might feel a little strange to follow the advice of someone on Reddit, he was correct in telling men to screen themselves for the disease often. And yes, that means self-exams. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Read on.
While performing a self-exam for testicular cancer might feel a little awkward at first, it’s a necessity for men of all ages. That’s right—testicular cancer can affect men of all ages, not just those who are middle-aged or elderly.

Fortunately, it’s a disease that’s usually easy to treat and cure, especially when you discover it early on.
It’s best to perform a self-exam right after you get out of the shower of bathtub, so that the skin in your nether region is softer and more relaxed. You’ll take one testicle at a time gently roll it between your thumbs and fingers, using both hands. You’ll be feeling for any hard lumps or bumps, abnormal swelling or changes in size, and areas that feel thicker than the rest.

Rest assured, though—it’s not abnormal for one testicle to be larger or for one to hang lower. Once you begin checking yourself regularly, it’ll be easier to tell what feels normal for you so you’re aware of any changes.
Finding a lump on one of the testicles is what most people think of when they think of testicular cancer, but there are other signs to look out for, too. Unfortunately, a lot of them might now show up until the cancer is advanced, but it might not show many symptoms even then. The additional signs you need to look out for include:

– A testicle that becomes large or swollen, even if you can’t feel a lump
– Pain in one of the testicles, or a general feeling of pain or heaviness in the scrotum or lower abdomen
– Male breast growth, or feeling sore in your chest
– Early puberty in young boys, including hair growth on the face and body, and the voice getting deeper

If your cancer has spread beyond the testicles, you can also develop other symptoms that will vary based on where the cancer has spread.

– Testicular cancer that spreads to the lymph nodes or liver can cause pain in the lower back or abdomen.
– Testicular cancer that spreads to the lungs can cause chest pains, breathing difficulties, coughing, and coughing up blood.
– Testicular cancer that spreads to the brain can cause confusion and headaches.

For any women out there wondering if pregnancy tests can detect anything other than pregnancy in women, the answer is actually yes.

Though ovarian cancer is somewhat rare in the United States, it’s also possible that a pregnancy test could detect the presence of this type of cancer in a woman’s body. It would do so in the same way that it would for testicular cancer in men—by picking up on the presence of beta hGC produced by the tumor.
The only obvious caveat for women is that a positive pregnancy test could also very well mean there’s a pregnancy happening so, if you find out you’re not pregnant after a positive pregnancy test, the threat of ovarian cancer is worth exploring.

We all know, however, that false positives are a thing, so it really is best to just discuss the outcome with your doctor before you assume the worst.

Tags 50012701, body, Commerce, hemingway

Lifestyle

The Surprising Safety Hazards That Can Hurt Your Kids

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date January 27, 2017

As parents, we know that kids tend to get into everything, but somehow we always end up being surprised when our children find a new way to get themselves hurt.

Believe it or not, there are some unexpected things in your home that are way more dangerous than you ever thought they could be.

Dishwashers

Parents know that kids love to climb, and a dishwasher handle might as well come with an invitation for them to pull on it. Doing so could immediately result in the dishwasher door crashing down on their heads, but there are far worse consequences, too.

Any kids that do manage to get the door open could immediately have access to sharp knives and pointy forks, as well as tons of glass items that could easily break if dropped.

There’s also the danger of dishwasher detergents and powder packs, which could cause severe irritation if they make contact with the skin and eyes, and eat away at the mouth and throat if swallowed.

The solution?

When loading the dishwasher, make sure your forks and knives are pointing down. You should also avoid putting any liquid or powder detergents into the machine until you’re actually ready to run it.

If you can latch your dishwasher closed when it’s not in use, make sure you do.

Later in this article, you’ll learn about more household appliances that are dangerous in ways you wouldn’t think.

Cribs

You’d think that something meant for a baby to be for extended periods of time would be pretty safe, but that’s not always the case.

For the most part, cribs aren’t usually dangerous on their own unless parents forget to adjust them as their child grows—instead, the real trouble lies in the things parents put into them.

It may seem intuitive to surround your baby in plush, cozy blankets and pillows while they sleep—hey, it’s what we like as adults, right?—but these items can easily form-fit to your baby’s face and cause them to suffocate. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that at least 900 babies die each year due to suffocation from plush bedding.

The solution?

Babies should sleep on their backs on firm mattresses—use sheets and mattress pads if you want, but only if they’re tight-fitting.

Keep toys, comforters, and pillows out of the crib until they’re at least a year old, and only use bumper pads that aren’t super thick. Any blankets you use should be lightweight, but you can avoid using them at all by putting your baby in a sleeper suit before bed.

Hand-Me-Downs

Hand-me-down clothes and toys can be a lifesaver for any new parent, but using them means you could be inheriting any problems these items have.

Used baby equipment from years past might not be up to current safety standards, and it’s not always easy to tell if something is broken or missing a piece—that is, until it unexpectedly breaks while your baby’s using it. Even something as small as a loose safety strap could allow your baby to wriggle out of their seat or swing and get stuck.

The solution?

Before using any baby items given to you from a friend or family member, look over them carefully to make sure everything is still being held together as it should be and no crucial pieces are missing.

Any cords or straps should be around seven inches or less in length, and any fraying strings should be removed. You should also keep children away from older toys that are painted or made of metal, as the paint could be lead-based.

Bathrooms

There are tons of products out there designed to make it easier to give your baby a bath, but they’re probably not as safe as you’d think they are.

Bath rings and seats are both popular items that help keep babies sitting upright while they’re in the tub, and some parents who use them probably think they can walk away from the tub for a few seconds without anything going wrong.

In reality, though, the suction cups that are often used to hold the seats in please could easily come loose, allowing your baby to tip the seat over in just a few seconds. In fact, the CPSC reported that 106 babies drowned because their bath rings tipped over from 1983 to 2003.

The solution?

Just because your baby is sitting in a bath seat or ring doesn’t mean they’re completely protected from harm. Parents should not leave their babies unattended while they’re in the bathtub, no matter how secure they seem at the time.

You should also make sure any bath products you have are out of your baby’s reach so they don’t accidentally ingest them.

Pets

You might think that your family pet will take no issue with your newest addition, but this isn’t always the case.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) has reported that around 100,000 children end up in the emergency room annually due to dog-related injuries.

Young kids don’t know any better when it comes to pulling Fido’s tail or sticking their little hands into his food bowl, and there’s no guarantee he’ll take kindly to either. Not to mention that your baby might find it interesting to eat your pet’s food or chew on its toys, both of which could be a potential choking hazard.

The solution?

Introduce your baby to your pets gradually, and never leave the two alone together. It’s also important to continuously teach your kids to be gentle with animals, including no hitting, no tail pulling, and leaving them alone while eating.

You should also keep toys and pet food off the floor when they’re not being used, and try to avoid buying smaller toys until your child is older.

Car Windows

We can all probably remember a time when we were kids and decided that playing with the automatic windows in the car was a good idea. You put your fingers over the glass, seeing how long you could hold them there before chickening out as the window came higher up.

Though daring, it’s definitely not a smart move—it shouldn’t be any surprise that hundreds of kids end up at urgent care each year for crushed arms and fingers. There’s also the immense danger that comes when kids lean out the window and accidentally hit the switch, getting their torsos, necks, and heads stuck.

According to the nonprofit group Kids and Cars, approximately 28 children have reportedly died in this very way.

The solution?

Child locks are there for a reason—use them! The window lock feature has become an increasingly common feature in cars, and they could easily help prevent something tragic from happening.

If you have all of the windows rolled down, make sure you ask your kids to bring their hands, arms, and heads inside before you roll them up.

Purses

Women often joke about the wide range of things you can find in their purses, and that’s exactly why you should keep the prying hands of kids out of them. However, there are many people who wouldn’t think about the harm that could come from a child digging in their bag.

Purses can contain medicine, hard candies, cosmetics, safety pins, pens—all things that could easily cause a child harm within seconds.

Children could even potentially try to grab a purse strap and cause the whole bag to crash down on their heads. Grabbing at a purse hanging off the side of a chair could even send that toppling over in the blink of an eye.

The solution?

Keep your bags in a room your child can’t enter or on some type of hook that they can’t reach. When you have guests over, make sure to keep all of the bags and coats in a separate room and keep the door closed so curious kids stay out.

Kitchen Appliances

We already know that the dishwasher isn’t as innocent as it seems, but what about everything else in your kitchen?

Aside from the basics—you know, keeping your child away from a hot stove and making sure cleaning products are out of sight—there are plenty of things to look out for in this room of your home.

It’s important to prevent your kids from climbing on appliances as they could easily knock something over if it’s not properly secured. When cooking, kids could even make a grab for an exposed pan handle and accidentally douse themselves with hot water, oil, or sauce.

The solution?

In addition to teaching your kids that appliances aren’t for climbing, install anti-tip bracket systems on your appliances if you can so they won’t topple over if your kids decide to briefly experiment with fridge climbing.

You should also keep kids at a safe distance while you’re baking or cooking to prevent spills and burns.

Tags 50012641, care, hemingway

Wellbeing

Some Psychologists Say You Should Stop Telling Your Kids "No" And This Is Why

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date January 24, 2017

It’s one of every parent’s worst nightmares: the day when their sweet, innocent child learns the word “no.” Suddenly, the answer to everything becomes “no,” even when they weren’t being asked a question that the word could be a valid answer for.

When you think about it, though, it’s not hard to figure out where they’ve picked up the word and why they seem to say it so often—it’s because they heard it from you. For parents of young children, “no” is a word that’s used often and easily.
“No, you can’t eat that crayon.”
“No, you can’t ride the cat.”
“No, you can’t scale the fireplace.”
Young children just don’t know their boundaries yet and there are a lot of things they’ll try to do, even though it’s obvious to you that they can’t.

“No” is the word that naturally escapes any parent’s lips when they see their child doing something that could very easily land them in the hospital, but did you know that saying it too much could be giving them a negative outlook on life?
For most parents, “no” tends to be a quick response and one that comes to mind with such ease that most probably don’t even realize how often they say it. It’s also a response that tends to come without any further explanation, meaning that kids know that what they’ve done is somehow bad, but they have no idea why.

Without any reasoning behind it, the word “no” can lead to confusion, frustration, and even anger, which can lead to a variety of reactions from a child.
-Mumble “no” to your child then walk away, and your kids will probably stop taking the word seriously at some point in time because it comes without any consequence to them.
-Blurt it out with no explanation enough times and your child might take it upon themselves to find out what’s wrong with what they did, and they’ll do so by testing you until they get the answer they crave.
-Eventually, the word might even make them feel bad enough that hearing it will result in an automatic, explosive temper tantrum.

So, what’s a parent to do? There are obviously some boundaries that have to be set, and a world without “no” would result in a child who behaves as if they were raised by wolves. However, a home without “no” doesn’t have to mean it’s a home without any rules, boundaries, or discipline. In fact, there are plenty of ways to put your foot down without it.

Kara Carrero is a blogger and mother of three who says that how you say things to kids is the key to helping them understand you. “The way we are hard wired as humans is to listen to the sentence structure,” she says .
“We sometimes hear the first part of a sentence, almost always hear the last part, but rarely hear the middle unless we have our complete attention on the person talking to us. And really, what young child is giving us their undivided attention at all times?”

Using this method, instead of saying “We can’t play now,” you might say “We can play after dinner.”

The result?

Even though you did truly tell your child “no” to their request to play, it was done in a way that sounds less harsh to them and they’ll feel better because they know they’ll be given time to play later. The answer also gives them a brief explanation as to why you’re saying no to them—because dinner’s almost ready.

In addition to feeling more positive, responding to children with more than just “no” can even help them out later on in life. We all know that life doesn’t always work in our favor and, by teaching children that there are other options when the answer is “no,” they’ll be better prepared to find solutions and alternatives to their problems when they’re older.
After all, no one likes a screaming, sulking toddler—why would anyone appreciate those behaviors in an adult?
Here are some other tactics for telling your child “no” just a little bit less.

Be Positive

One of the most important things we teach our children is the art of “please” and “thank you,” and it’s just as crucial to say these words to them, too. You may also have more luck cutting out negatives like “don’t” and “stop” from your sentences.

Instead of saying “Stop running,” try using “Please walk in the house.” The message is still conveyed directly and will probably sound a little bit nicer to them, as well.

Share Your Feelings Too

When your child has just hit you in the head with a plastic bat for the fifth time in a row, it can be easy to yell out “Quit it!” in frustration. Children don’t often respond well to sudden outbursts, though, so you’ll need to put your request in different terms.

Next time, try explaining how their actions make you feel—”It hurts when you hit my head. Please be more careful with your bat.”

Give Choices

Shutting down a request from your child can often leave them feeling frustrated, so giving them different choices instead of saying no can help them reevaluate what they want.

Let’s say today’s request is candy before dinner. Instead of telling them no, give them an option—”Dinner’s almost ready, but it seems like you really want candy, so it can be your choice. Would you rather have one piece now or have two after dinner?”

Make Suggestions

The next time you want your child to stop doing something you don’t want them to, it may help them feel better if you also give them alternatives.

For example, we all know kids love to throw balls in the house, but it’s not something that really ever ends well. Instead of telling them to stop, try saying “Please throw the ball in the backyard or out on the driveway instead of the house.”

Make It Fun

If you can’t think of any alternatives to what your child wants to do, try making a fun game out of their request.

If your child is asking for candy for the third time in a row, put on your best monster face, curl your hands into claws, and pretend you’re on the lookout for kids who eat candy before dinner. You can give them a chase around the house, and they’ll probably forget what they were asking for because you’ll be having too much fun.

Use Past Examples

Sometimes kids do something bad once and learn a lesson, and other times it takes them a few times to realize that something isn’t the greatest idea. The next time they go for it, try giving them a gentle reminder of what happened last time. “Remember when you got sick the last time you ate a cookie before dinner? How about we save it for dessert this time?”

A word of caution, though—it’s best not to use this technique when it comes to something they got in trouble for, as it could make them upset to relive it.

Try Sportscasting

When it comes to your kids, sportscasting is a term that refers to verbalizing your observations in a factual way to help your child understand different experiences.

When you see your child pushing food on the floor, you might say “You’re throwing your food on the floor instead of eating it. Since that tells me you’re done eating, I’ll put the food away now.” By stating these facts, you help your child understand what message their actions are conveying to you.

Just Agree With Them

When you’re met with a plea for cookies before dinner, you might find success with acknowledging the request—with a catch, though.

“Sure, you can have a cookie–after dinner,” is definitely denying your child’s demands in the moment, but it’s a compromise that works out for both of you in the end. We can’t guarantee it won’t be met with more pleas and whining, but at least you have plenty of other options if it is.

Tags 50012251, hemingway, mind

Nosh

Food And Medication—What Should You Avoid?

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date December 20, 2016

Chili and chocolate. Maple and bacon. These are just a few examples of incredible food combinations that you might not expect to work well together. However, while you can often combine two foods together for an unexpectedly great result, the same isn’t usually true of many different food and drug combinations.
Most people are aware that there are some things you shouldn’t mix, usually because the warning is usually right on the medication label, but there are a few terrible combinations out there that aren’t well-known.
Additionally, what many people don’t know is that you don’t have to be taking a prescription medication for it to interact badly with another substance, even another medication. Over-the-counter drugs can be just as likely to cause negative interactions with certain foods as prescription drugs and, in some cases, the effects of either type of interaction can actually be fatal.

According to Jack Fincham, a professor at the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in Clinton, South Carolina, “This is a big issue and a lot of people aren’t aware of it.”
Because so many of these combinations aren’t well known, it’s important to speak with your doctor about any potential interactions a new medication might have with any other substances, whether it’s the smoothie you plan on drinking for breakfast or the migraine pill you take before bed.
In some cases, it could just be that a certain combination makes your medicine less effective, while other mixes could actually be causing you harm.
Fortunately, the solution could be as simple as a quick change to your diet—well, simple depending on what it is that you’re going to have to cut out. Here’s what you need to know before taking that next pill.

1. Cough Syrup and Limes

Most people have heard that grapefruit can cause a variety of unwanted reactions when taken with certain medications, but did you know that’s true for many different citrus fruits? Thankfully, the standard naval or Valencia orange aren’t typically culprits, but another common citrus fruit is—the lime.
Along with Seville oranges and pomelos, limes can react with certain cough medicines by blocking the production of a particular enzyme that breaks down dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant. This causes the medication to build up within the bloodstream, which can then increase your risk of certain side effects from that medication, according to Mary Ellen Gullickson, a Marshfield Clinic pharmacist in Wisconsin.

For dextromethorphan in particular, these side effects can include drowsiness and hallucinations. If you eat limes while taking this type of medication, any of the gnarly side effects you experience could last for at least a day, so it’s best to just avoid the combination altogether.

2. Black Licorice and Heart Medications

Thankfully, there aren’t a lot of people out there who actually enjoy black licorice, but those who do need to be careful if they take certain medications. Digoxin is a medication that is typically given to patients with heart failure and issues with heart rhythm.

Black licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin which, when combined with digoxin, can lead to an irregular heartbeat—consume enough of the compound and the effects could even be fatal. In addition, the compound can make other medications less effective, including certain types of birth control, pain relievers, and blood-pressure medications.
Artificially flavored black licorice candy won’t have any effect, however, so a digoxin user is free to consume this to their heart’s content.

3. Caffeine and Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators, more commonly known as inhalers, are devices that are used to treat a number of different conditions, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. The medication they contain is used to relax the person’s airways during an asthma attack so they can breathe without any obstructions.

It should be a no-brainer, but something used to relax your body mixed with something used to energize your body isn’t the best idea. For those that use inhalers for whatever reason, it’s best to avoid caffeine as much as possible, but especially after you’ve taken your medication.

4. Dairy and Antibiotics

When taken with dairy products, certain antibiotics can bind to things like iron and calcium in the dairy and prevent the medicine from being properly absorbed by the body. If the antibiotics you’re taking aren’t fully making their way into your system, they’re not going to be as effective when it comes to fighting an infection and it won’t go away as quickly.

Two specific classes of antibiotics, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, are most well-known for interacting with dairy, so it’s important to avoid things like milk, yogurt, and cheese two hours before and after you take your medication. Supplements that contain calcium and iron can also have the same effect, so be aware of when you take those, too.

5. Soy and Thyroid Medications

Soy doesn’t necessarily interact with thyroid medication itself, but instead interacts with the actual thyroid gland. Compounds contained within soy can have a wide variety of effects on the thyroid gland, causing it to function either too much or too little, though the exact reason why this happens isn’t well understood at this point.

Soy is also considered to be a goitrogen, which means that it can enlarge your thyroid gland to the point that it’s considered a goiter. For people taking thyroid medications, eating too much soy can affect how your body absorbs those medications, even rendering them useless.

6. Smoked Meat and Antidepressants

This one might sound a little strange, but a certain amino acid often found in smoked foods can interact with a specific class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which includes medications like Nardil, Emsam, and Parnate. Smoked foods contain tyramine, an amino acid that can interact with these medications and cause an increase in blood pressure that can sometimes be life threatening.

Foods that are out? Smoked salmon, summer sausage, aged or smoked cheese, and soy sauce, among others. Fortunately, many newer antidepressants aren’t really affected by tyramine according to Nicole Gattas, and assistant professor at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy just be sure to ask your doctor about your specific medication.

7. Chocolate and Ritalin

Chocolate not only contains caffeine, but it also contains another stimulant called theobromine. For those who take ritalin for conditions like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combing a stimulant medication with a food that contains two other known stimulants can easily lead to serious side effects, including extremely erratic behaviors and even seizures.

The good news when it comes to coffee and chocolate for those who take ritalin is that you can still have it you may just have to have to test yourself to find out how much you can handle before you start to feel shaky, irritable, or nervous. Every person is different, though, so tread lightly at first.

Apple Juice and Allergy Medication

If allergies have you running for your bottle of Allegra, you’ll need to avoid apple juice for about four hours afterwards, according to Gullickson. Why? When you take this type of medication, your body produces a peptide that helps transport the medication into your bloodstream.

Apple juice, however, will prevent this peptide from being produced and prevent the medication from having an effect. In fact, it can make the medication up to 70 percent less effective when it comes to putting a stop to your symptoms. Gullickson also says apple juice can affect other medications that are absorbed using the same peptide, including antibiotics, asthma medications, and thyroid medications.

Cinnamon and Blood Thinners

If you’re taking a blood-thinning medication like warfarin, you might want to skip that morning bowl of cinnamon-dusted oatmeal, as delicious as it may be. Well, depending on what kind of cinnamon you have, that is. Cassia cinnamon is rich in a compound called coumarin that also acts as a blood-thinner, and it can lead to excessive bleeding when it’s mixed with a blood-thinning medication.

Eric Newman, M.D. of Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center recommends that anyone taking this type of medication use only Ceylon cinnamon, which contains far less coumarin than cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon might be a little bit harder to find than cassia, but it’ll be worth the search if you just can’t give it up.

Grapefruit and Statins

Statins are a type of prescription drug that are typically used to lower cholesterol. They work by preventing your body from making cholesterol and helping the body to reabsorb what cholesterol it already has. For those who take two specific statins, Zocor and Lipitor, it’s important to avoiding eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice.

Grapefruit contains furanocoumarin, a chemical compound that can prevent the body from absorbing statins, which means that they stay in your bloodstream longer. When this happens, it makes them less effective and can also cause side effects like digestive issues, liver damage, and high blood sugar levels.

Bananas and ACE Inhibitors

Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are a type of drug that treat certain heart conditions, mostly congestive heart failure and hypertension. These medications can cause an increase in your potassium levels, which can eventually cause someone to have an irregular heartbeat or develop heart palpitations. For anyone taking this type of medication, it’s important to avoid eating too many foods that are known to be high in potassium, one of the most common being bananas. Other foods to avoid include oranges, salt substitutes, sports drinks, and leafy greens.

Kale and Blood Thinners

We can understand why someone might want to add a daily kale smoothie into their diet, but make sure to have a talk with your doctor first if you use blood thinners. Kale is touted as the king of all superfoods, so you might not imagine that there are any downsides to eating it. However, anyone who takes blood-thinning warfarin should stick to romaine lettuce in their salads, because kale could make the medication less effective.

In addition to kale, foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and cabbage contain large amounts of vitamin K, which can interact with warfarin and make it less effective at thinning the blood. Depending on your condition, this could lead to severe complications, including blood clots.

Walnuts and Thyroid Drugs

Walnuts are another great-for-you food that aren’t so great when mixed with certain thyroid medications. Walnuts are fairly high in fiber, which most people would consider to be a pretty great benefit. However, high-fiber foods can prevent your body from absorbing thyroid medications like levothyroxine, meaning that you’ll need more of the drug for it to be effective. Other high-fiber foods that can cause a similar effect include soy flour and cottonseed meal.

For those who need thyroid medications but aren’t too keen on changing their diets, studies suggest that the medications will be better absorbed if you take them before bed, rather than taking them in the morning before eating.

St. John’s Wort and Various Medications

Supplements can interact with different medications just as food and drinks can, and St. John’s Wort is one that can cause negative interactions with a few different substances. When mixed with certain antidepressants, migraine medications, and over-the-counter cough medications, St. John’s Wort can cause a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome.

When it’s severe, serotonin syndrome can cause extreme symptoms including confusion, drastic changes in blood pressure, seizures, unconsciousness, and even death. Along with St. John’s Wort, it’s important to tell your doctor about any supplements you are taking before you begin taking a new medication to avoid any serious complications.

Tags 50007411, fuel, hemingway

Nosh

Expiration Dates: Are They Really Set In Stone?

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date December 8, 2016

You’ve probably been in this situation before—you come home looking for a specific snack or you reach for a particular ingredient for a recipe, and you notice that the expiration date says it’s gone bad. Most of us grew up thinking that an expiration date was basically a set-in-stone deadline for when our food needed to be thrown out, and that anyone brave enough to try something past its prime was essentially giving themselves a one-way ticket to the bathroom. However, that’s not the case at all. Unfortunately, expiration dates are a large contributor to the millions of pounds of food waste that Americans create year after year. Coupled with the fact that one out of every six people in the country go without food every single day, it’s astounding to think of the amount of perfectly good food that we probably throw away each week.

Truthfully, expiration dates can refer to the date that a product with begin to spoil, but they commonly point to the date that a product will start to lose quality when it comes to flavor. Common sense goes a long way when it comes to determining if something has actually gone bad, and one simple rule to follow is that if you’re really not sure if something’s still fresh, safe is always better than sorry. If it smells terrible or starts to look noticeably different, there’s no question that it’s time to toss. Thankfully, there are a few different foods and drinks that are typically safe to consume after their noted expiration date has come and gone—and, yes, you can just slice that moldy spot off your block of cheese and keep on snacking.

Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt

Milk is one of those things that, when it’s gone bad, it’s not hard to tell. We hope you’ve never been unfortunate enough to take a swig out of the gallon of milk in your fridge, only to discover it’s gone bad after it’s already hit your tongue. However, milk is something that typically stays food for at least a few days after the expiration date printed on the container, though you’ll still need to give it a good examination before you use it. Milk that’s gone bad usually has a noticeably sour smell, might look slightly yellow in color, and may even develop a chunky texture. If it’s still good, though, you really shouldn’t smell anything when you give it the sniff test, or really notice anything off about it.

If you’ve got any expired yogurt on your hands, you can pretty much check it for freshness the same way you would milk—just make sure it smells normally, check for spots of mold, and then make yourself a smoothie if it’s all good.

Cheese is another dairy product that has an amazing shelf life, and it makes sense once you think about how cheese is actually made. Though it contains additional ingredients, cheese is essentially just aged milk, and most cheeses can last for up to four weeks past their expiration dates even if they’ve already been opened. Pieces of brick cheese that develop a mold spot can still be eaten, just as long as you make sure to cut the mold away before you eat it—moldy shredded cheese might be a different story, though, as it could be a little more difficult to make sure you’ve actually removed all of the mold.

Meat

Most packages of fresh meat you’ll see in the grocery store will come stamped with a “sell by” date, which is essentially what lets a retailer know when it needs to pull that item off its shelves. When it comes to keeping fresh meat in your fridge, like steaks or chicken, it can typically be kept fresh for a couple of days after the date on the package before it’ll need to be either cooked or frozen for later use. Contrary to what you might think, fresh meat that begins to look a little discolored after a few days isn’t necessarily bad—for example, raw ground beef often turns slightly brown after a few days due to exposure to light and air. Just like milk, if you suspect your meat has gone past a certain point, the truth will lie in the way it smells.

Fresh meat that’s still good can be put into the freezer to prevent it from going bad, and it’ll actually make it last for much, much longer. When it’s stored correctly, meat that’s been frozen can be stored for a year or more, so it’s never a bad idea to stock up on your favorite products when you see there’s a sale going on. Processed meats like hot dogs and bologna can sometimes last beyond their expiration date, especially if they haven’t been opened yet. It’s best to consume these types of products within 10 days after the sell-by date, and within three to five days once the package has been opened. When something like this has gone bad, it’ll typically take on a pretty funky smell and might even look sort of slimy on the outside.

Eggs

Would you believe us if we told you that Americans are some of the only people in the world that actually bother to refrigerate their eggs? It’s pretty much required to due widespread factory farming practices, as well as certain regulations that require eggs to be washed a certain way before being sold. Because salmonella isn’t uncommon in many factory farm setting, eggs must be power-washed before being sold, and it’s this process that removes the natural barrier the egg has when it’s first laid. Like an food product, eggs always come with an expiration date, but you can use it as more of a guideline for when your eggs are actually bad, as opposed to a concrete date of when they should be tossed. Typically, raw, whole eggs will be good until about four to five weeks after the date that is printed on the carton.

A good way to tell if an egg can still be used is to place it in a bowl of water—you can still eat it if it sinks to the bottom, but it’s time to get rid of it if it floats to the top. Once an eggs has been hard boiled, you typically have about one week until it won’t be good anymore. Peeling can also affect this timeline, as a hard boiled egg that has been peeled with often go bad up to two days before a hard boiled egg that still has its shell on. It’s not recommended to keep pre-scrambled, raw eggs in the refrigerator for more than a day or two unless you bought them pre-packaged, as this type of product is typically made to last a while.

Bread

Who hasn’t reached for the loaf of bread on their counter, the one they just bought three days ago, only to find that one of the slices has mold on it? It’s easy to think that bread goes bad fairly quickly, but that’s actually not the case when it’s stored properly, and you can eat whatever bread you have as long as it’s not moldy or hard. Packaged bread should be stored out of the sun and away from any potential sources of moisture—it’s when moisture makes its way into the bread bad that mold has a chance to form a ruin an entire loaf. Those who live in high-humidity environments often store their bread in the refrigerator to keep the moisture at bay, though the fridge can easily dry the bread out. Freezing bread, however, is typically the best option, as it won’t dry your bread out and it will actually help it keep for a much longer period of time.

If your family goes through a lot of bread each week, definitely consider stocking up the next time you see a sale at the store and freeze what you can’t use right away. For anyone who’s thought about checking their local bakery or farmers market for a great deal on day-old bread, you can rest assured that they’re not selling old bread because there’s something wrong with it. In fact, it’s often cheaper because it’s not as fresh as something baked that day, but it has plenty of uses, many that work even better when you’re using bread that’s a little more dry. Day-old, crusty bread is excellent to use when it comes to things like French toast, croutons, or bread pudding.

Pasta

You might not think too much about your box of pasta expiring, and that’s because pasta can be used way past the date printed on the side of the box. This is definitely good news for all of us, as most people use just half a box of dried pasta for a recipe, and then end up throwing what’s left back in the pantry until they need it again. Because pasta is considered a dry good, it is typically given a shelf life of around one to two years, though it can last far beyond that because it doesn’t contain any water. As long as it’s stored in a place that’s both cool and dry, it can actually last for up to another two years before you’d want to consider tossing it out. Who are we kidding, though—does anyone actually let pasta go unused for that long?

If you do have any dried pasta that’s been sitting around the house for a while, there’s a simple way that you can test the pasta to see if it’s got much life left in it—just give it a quick glance to see if it’s discolored, smell it to see if it smells off at all, and try cooking a few pieces to see if the texture feels off. You should also never store dry pasta in the refrigerator, as that could help it absorb moisture and cause it to spoil. Fresh pasta, however, should always be refrigerated, and has a much shorter shelf life than dry pasta. Fresh pasta will typically last for a couple of weeks past the date on the package, though it’s important to toss it out if it starts to smell funny or discolor.

Condiments

Condiments often get pushed to the back of the fridge for weeks at a time, or they’re only bought for a specific recipe and then never used again. It can sometimes be tough to use condiments by the time their containers say they expire, especially for a single person trying to make it through something like a squeeze bottle of fancy mustard all by themselves. Thankfully, most condiments will still be good for up to three to four months after the expiration date listed on the packages if they are opened and have been properly refrigerated. However, just make sure to give anything you plan on using a quick sniff before you eat it, and also check for spots of mold, dryness, or discoloration. Condiments that are still sealed can be stored in your pantry for quite a long time as well, since oxygen is not able to enter the package.

For anyone who keeps condiment packets from fast food and takeout restaurants, those also have a shelf life, too, though any expiration dates will typically tell you when they will start losing flavor.Things like ketchup and mayonnaise packets should be tossed out after about a year if you want the best flavor, but they won’t necessarily be bad after that. Condiment packets for things like hot sauce, mustard, and parmesan cheese should be used within two years for the best taste. No matter what’s in them, these little packets do have real expiration dates, though they’re listed on the box that was sent to the restaurant, not the packet itself. It’s probably best that, if you don’t actually remember when exactly you got one of the packets, you should probably toss it out.

Canned Goods

Canned food was invented as a way to ensure that food products could still be consumed long after they were done processing. These days, using canned food often gets a bad rap for many reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the actual food itself. Though there are some who aren’t too fond of the texture and flavor of canned food, others choose to stay away because of the materials in the cans themselves, including BPA (bisphenol A). In addition, frozen produce is often just as affordable as canned, which leads people to buy people the food that they perceive to be fresher. However, it’s worth noting that studies have shown canned foods to contain just as much fiber and just as many vitamins as their fresh and frozen counterparts, and sometimes even more. Fortunately, we have some good news for anyone who’s a fan of canned goods—their expirations dates are pretty much meaningless.

Food that has been canned will typically for last for years after label says it expires, because there is no way for oxygen to enter the can and affect the food. This is exactly why so many people like to keep plenty of canned food on hand in case of an emergency—you just have to make sure to remember a can opener. Believe it or not, there’s also a proper way to store canned goods, even if they’re not open. Cans should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark place for the most effective storage, and should never be frozen. Meat and fish that has been canned will typically not last longer than one year, and shouldn’t be kept for more than a few days once opened.

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Lifestyle

Medieval Hygiene: Practices Of The Middle Ages

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date December 8, 2016

We were all taught about basic hygiene by our parents, from brushing our teeth every day to maintaining our [linkbuilder id=”6567″ text=”body hair”], whether on our head, face, back, or anywhere else. In fact, we live in a world where good hygiene is a huge priority, as evidenced by the endless rows of shampoos, face masks, razors, and perfumes in our favorite stores. No matter who you are, the basics are always there—showering, combing your hair, brushing your teeth—but everyone has their own special twist on their daily routine.
For girls, it might be a full face of makeup or a spritz of dry shampoo every other day. For guys, maybe it’s a fresh shave every single morning or finally remembering to use deodorant on a daily basis. Regardless of what each of us choose to do to prepare for the day, these routines are what we use to prepare ourselves to enter the world—and how others in it perceive us.

Imagine for a second, though, that all of the hygiene products that you use today—the toothpaste, the shaving cream, the expensive shampoo—were all gone. Imagine that none of these modern creations existed or were replaced with something that was similar, but far less effective—and maybe just a little bit gross.
The people who lived in the medieval period of history definitely had quite a different idea of what good hygiene meant, and it’s clear to see when you take a look at how they kept themselves fresh back in that day. When you see exactly what people of that time were dealing with when it comes to hygiene, we guarantee you’ll never take your private shower or running toilet for granted ever again.

1. Chamber Pots and Privies

Believe it or not, widespread use of indoor plumbing wasn’t all that common until recently. If you were unlucky enough to be poor in the Middle Ages, you were basically forced to clear your system where you could, and if you were dealing with anything solid, you were tasked with burying it after you were finished. If you were wealthy in some fashion, your situation got a little bit better, though not by much.
In many Tudor houses you’d find something called a privy, otherwise known as an outhouse. In the best-case scenario, a privy would be a small shack that would afford you some privacy, though it’d still consist of a slab of wood over a hole in the ground. The waste would immediately plunge into a moat where, fortunately, it would be carried away for you to never see again.

If your privy happened to be outside of your home, there’s a slim chance that you’d want to trek outside in the middle of the night just for a quick bathroom break. In this situation, you’d use something called a chamber pot, which was essentially a decorative bowl that served as your toilet during the night. While not exactly a bad idea, the thought of our own waste sitting in a room with us the entire night is definitely foreign to all of us today.
What happens after a chamber pot has been filled is even worse. The waste would eventually be tossed straight out of a window down onto the streets below. Those who were in charge of that task for the day often yelled out “garde loo,” which was the warning for anyone down below to get out of the way.

2. Nosegays

With the presence of human waste in the streets, you can imagine that those living in the Middle Ages probably got used to a certain stench in the air, meaning they probably couldn’t tell if they were smelling particularly ripe themselves. Indoor toilets weren’t even a common occurrence, so you can probably guess that showers were non-existent, and baths weren’t too common, either. Couple that with the fact that deodorant wasn’t even a thought yet and…well, we’re sure you can imagine what an entire town of extremely dirty people might smell like, though you probably won’t want to.
They had to keep the odor at bay somehow, but with their limited resources, there weren’t a lot of ways to do it—enter the nosegay. A nosegay was typically a small bunch of flowers or herbs, whether fresh or dried, that was held in someone’s hand, tied around their wrist, or pinned to their clothing.

While we’re assuming that they actually did very little to combat the strong and constant stench of body odor, they essentially served as a personal air freshener for people as they went about their days. A nosegay was especially helpful when walking through a dense crowd of people, as you could pull the bouquet to your nose for a whiff of flowers while you were in a sea of smelly bodies.
There’s even a mention of nosegays in a nursery rhyme that’s apparently far more sinister than you might think. Though its origins have been disputed, “Ring Around the Rosie” is said to be about the Black Death, a plague that killed millions of people. The line “pocket full of posies” is said to reference people who carried flowers in their pockets to combat the constant smell of death in their cities.

3. Laundry Detergent

Just like those in the Middle Ages didn’t bathe as often as we do now, they definitely didn’t wash their clothes as frequently, either. Unlike today, clothing had to be made by hand and couldn’t be mass produced in any way, meaning that people typically had fewer items of clothing to their name. They often wore specific items for weeks or even months until they decided they couldn’t go without a wash any longer.
When did they wash them? Well, you might be surprised to hear that they did have something that resembled laundry detergent back then, though it was far from any Tide or Downy products we have now. If you were just doing a general load of laundry, you’d probably use something called soapwort, a flowery herb that’s like nature’s own little bar of soap—add some water and it actually lathers.

Anyone who’s into eco-friendly solutions will be pleased to know it’s something that you can still grow today to work into your own laundry routine. Stain removal was a different story, though, and it typically involved some unsavory substances that most of us would probably never even want to touch, let alone work into our clothes. They might include ashes mixed with lye, crushed green grapes, chicken feathers, or—worst of all—urine.
We can guess that, even when doing laundry, large amounts of water probably weren’t too readily available, meaning that anything you put on your clothes to “clean” them probably didn’t get rinsed out very well. Couple that with the fact that most people didn’t change their clothes very often, and you have just another reason why no one smelled that pleasant back then.

4. Makeup

For some, makeup is an essential part of their daily lives, and something that they don’t even consider leaving the house without. Today, there are many formulas available—from tinted moisturizers to full-coverage foundations—but we can guarantee that all of them are free from at least one nasty ingredient: lead.

In the Middle Ages, lead was actually a common ingredient in a type of makeup called Venetian ceruse, a substance that was essentially a combination of makeup and skin whitener. For those who were born as upper class citizens, extremely pale skin was considered to be beautiful and fashionbable, most likely because it helped distinguish them from laborers, who would have tanned skin from their time spent outside in the sun.
However, what many believed made them beautiful also made them incredibly sick, as the lead within their makeup absorbed into their skin and caused lead poisoning, something they apparently weren’t aware of at the time. The constant use of white lead in face makeup would cause drastic symptoms such as hair loss and severe skin damage—and even death when worn long enough.

Things like eyeshadow and eyeliner were often used during this period, along with lip products like lipstick and lip balms. Most lip products were made with either oil or beeswax combined with natural dyes made from wine or plant matter, like flower petals. Eyebrows were also just as big of a deal then as they are now, though there wasn’t really a quick solution like an eyebrow pencil available. Instead, those who were looking for a little more fullness used mouse hair to fill in areas of their brows that weren’t looking so hot.

5. Wigs

Wigs gained popularity for a number of reasons: some practical and some…gross, as the video explains below.

6. Sewers

It should come as no surprise that sewer systems were basically non-existent in the Middle Ages, so the people who lived in that period had to make things work with what they had available. Those who had privies had to empty them at some point, though the process essentially consisted of putting the waste into a larger hole called a cesspit.
Cesspits were often found in cellars or out in gardens, though many people placed them further away from their homes, for obvious reasons. However, most people didn’t empty their cesspits nearly as often as they should, which left quite a job for the person that was hired for the task. These men were often called “gongs” or “jakes” and fortunately were paid very well for the job given to them.

When it came to water, only the richest of the time could afford to pay privately owned companies for the water they needed, whether for drinking or otherwise. Peasants, however, weren’t as lucky, as their main source of water often came out of a pipe system that was lined with lead.
Though no water source back then would be considered high quality, peasants had it the worst, as the water within these lead tanks and pipes often became stagnant, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. As this was not a time of great scientific innovation, little was done to filter water the water people used. There were even numerous rumors that people in the Middle Ages didn’t drink water at all, although they have been disproven at this point.

7. Medicine

Kiss the modern medicine cabinet goodbye, because everything you know about taking care of cuts, scrapes, and sickness would be pretty much unheard of in the Middle Ages. Though medical practitioners did believe that diet could play a role in restoring health, they also believed in using the resources around them to the fullest extent possible, sometimes in some pretty weird ways.
One of the best-known treatments from the Middle Ages was the use of leeches for a process called bloodletting, a way to remove a person’s blood to help cure them of an illness. The doctor would attach a leech to the patient’s skin in the area that seemed to be most affected by whatever was ailing them, and then the leech would feed on their blood until it eventually fell off.
Cupping is another type of therapy they used that has actually made a comeback recently—the technique involves placing heated cups over certain areas of the skin to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation in the body.

For things like scrapes and burns, plants and herbs were often used to create salves and ointments that could be applied much like Neosporin is today. Certain herbs and barks were brewed into teas that could be taken internally to help with things like fever or headache.
Many of the plants and herbs used during this time can still be found today and are typically used for cooking or as essential oils. Just think that the next time you chop up some basil in the kitchen or rub some myrrh essential oil on a paper cut, it’s almost like taking a quick step back in time—just without the actual Middle Ages part, fortunately.

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