Tag: body

8 Beauty Trends In America That Seem Weird To Other Cultures

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date June 5, 2017

In a number of ways it seems as though we’re broadening our horizons every day, but Americans tend to have preferred standards when it comes to beauty. As with so many other cultural norms, some people in other countries don’t understand them and actually think they’re just plain weird.
Each and every country has its own standards when it comes to beauty, and the United States is no different. In fact, it’s often one of the first things people from the States notice when visiting other countries—that those who live there don’t pay as much attention to things that we wouldn’t leave the house without doing.

Believe it or not, people from other countries not only don’t focus on these aspects of beauty, but they also think it’s pretty strange that we do. Here are some of the most common trends when it comes to American beauty standards that other countries just don’t understand.

Tanning

Some Americans wouldn’t even dream of leaving the house without some sort of color to their skin, and the thought of going to a big event without getting a tan first is basically unimaginable.
Although using a tanning bed has been deemed unsafe for many years, we’ve found our way around it with inventions like at-home tanning kits and spray tan salons. With something that is such a huge industry in the U.S., you might be surprised to hear that people in some other countries think artificially tanned skin is pretty strange.

In particular, many Japanese women find it weird that American women would actually want tan skin. Pay a visit to any Japanese beach and you’ll notice that women are often wearing long sleeves and hats, not to cover themselves up for modesty, but because they don’t want their skin touched by the sun.

The same standard of having creamy-looking light skin is also present in countries like Thailand and South Korea, where women also think tanning is basically insanity. In fact, you might be hard pressed to find skincare products that don’t have some kind of lightening agent in them.

White Teeth

There are a million different products out there to help with getting whiter teeth—from strips to gels, pastes, and even teeth-brightening devices.
If you use Instagram, you’ve also probably noticed that any Insta-famous person you follow will likely promote some type of whitening gadget every now and then because it’s something that’s become that important to us. Other countries, though? Not so much.

Americans often have preconceived and judgmental notions about British teeth. So it may come as no surprise that Brits also have their own thoughts about American teeth—mainly how straight and blindingly white they tend to be.
The American standard is obviously based completely on looks, because it’s actually been proven that teeth that are a bit yellow are actually stronger and healthier than super white teeth.

Extremely Thin Bodies

For as long as most anyone can remember, super thin has been the body type to strive for in America. Models are generally always waify, and it seems like almost the only celebrities who actually make it big are the ones who are very lean.

But this isn’t the standard of perfection everywhere. Beauty expert Michelle Phan has said that in certain countries, the obsession with being stick thin is unheard of.
In the African country of Mauritania, for instance, Phan she says that being a little bit overweight is actually preferred. It’s something that’s often associated with wealth and fertility, which makes it a more ideal body type in that culture.

We want t0 be clear that we’re not telling anyone what their body should or shouldn’t look like, but don’t think that being thin is the only way to live your happiest life.

Full Lips and Big Butts

In our Kardashian-obsessed culture, it’s not that surprising that lots of women are constantly working toward a bigger butt, smaller waist, and fuller lips.

It’s actually become somewhat normal to see even “regular” people adopt this type of aesthetic, because there are endless tips, products, and procedures to help us get this look. There are many cultures out there that aren’t into it, though.

South Korea is one country that just doesn’t understand the hype surrounding lush booties and full lips. There are even reaction videos in which Korean people look at images of the Kardashians, and they appear to be pretty shocked because it’s not at all what they’re used to seeing.

Heavy Makeup

There are many American women out there whose goal is to have makeup that’s done so flawlessly that it looks professionally airbrushed.

Although it’s not necessarily a bad look—or even a bad thing to want, other countries tend to go for a more natural look and find the obsession with daily glam makeup a little weird.
Laura Mercier, owner of the French skincare line of the same name, has seen the differences between makeup in France and America firsthand. “It really astonishes me the way American women wear so much makeup,” she said.

“French women are not flashy. They must be subtle. The message must not be, ‘I’m spending hours on my face to look beautiful.’”

Revealing Clothing

It’s no secret that there are many women in America—and around the world—who love to wear clothes that show off the goods.

We say flaunt it if you feel comfortable doing it, but there are some countries that don’t know how to react when someone dons something revealing.

In Japan, for example, if you run into an older man while you’re wearing a tank top, it’s likely that he won’t meet your eyes. Even a visible collarbone might be considered too sexual for some.

Overly Groomed Brows

There’s no doubt that your eyebrows really complete your face, and a bad shape can change your look for the worse.

Americans, however, seem to have taken their brow routine to the extreme, drawing on and carving out brows so sharp that you might be afraid they could cut you. This isn’t the style everywhere, though.
That’s not to say that women elsewhere don’t groom their brows at all, but they do tend to strive for a more natural look.

People in many other countries, such as South Korea, don’t go for an intensely arched brow, instead going for a brow that’s straighter. Thicker brows are still popular in places like Indonesia, but women tend to keep them more natural and dense looking.

Salons for Everything

It seems like any city in America truly does have a salon that’s dedicated to anything and everything you could want. From a salon that just does eyebrow threading to another that just does blowouts, the possibilities are endless when it comes to finding a professional to fulfill any grooming-related needs you have.

When it comes to something like a blowout, though, other countries aren’t on board. According to British writer Suzanne Jannese, Americans “seem to spend an unholy amount of time being groomed: blow-dry salons and making time in your day to get your nails done and hair coiffed. Why? You’re just gonna sleep on it and wake up with a bird’s nest the next morning.”

We can definitely understand it to some degree. Sometimes you just want to look bomb, but you don’t have the necessary hairstyling skills to do it yourself. For a special occasion, it can be worth spending more to save yourself the stress. Getting a blowout just to get one, though? Yeah. We’ll save our money for something that’ll last a little longer.

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Sweat

Stylist Tricks That Will Make You Look 10 Pounds Thinner

Post author By curtis.strite
Post date June 5, 2017

Want to lose 10 pounds in an instant?

Well, that’s impossible. But what you can do is throw on the right outfit, highlight your wardrobe with the right accessories, and instantly look a few sizes smaller. Here are the secrets that celebrity stylists use to keep their clients camera-ready.

1. The Magic Of Monochrome

You don’t have to rock one color from head to toe, but do try matching colors for your shoes, skirt, and leggings. For the most slimming look, go with classic black.

If that’s too boring for you, keep your skirt and leggings matched, and incorporate bright shoes for a fun pop of color.

2. Speaking Of Skirts, Go Pencil

Pencil skirts that don’t hug the hips all the way down are naturally slimming. They create a long, lean appearance that will make you love the way you look in the mirror. Try it!

3. The Right Pants

These tips about skirts are all well and good, but what if you’re more of a jeans-and-slacks kind of lady? Pick pants that have a flat front rather than pleats—this slims the stomach and, as an added bonus, makes you appear taller.

For even more slimming power, choose pants that have at least some flare. Boot-cut is the new stretch denim. Use that to your advantage.

4. Pick Perfect Prints

Prints can be slimming or, well, the opposite, depending on one thing: the size of the print itself. Larger elements make you look bigger, but if you can find some prints where the design is nice and petite, you’ll look a lot smaller yourself.

5. Define The Waist You Want

You could look great in a potato sack with the right belt, worn just so. Pick a belt that has a bit of stretch to it. That will help to define the center of your hourglass. It may seem paradoxical, but a wider belt will create a skinnier look.

6. Throw On A Statement Necklace

You may doubt that a simple accessory can make you look thinner, but statement necklaces are designed just for the task. A long, chunky U-shape down the front of your top will make your torso look tall and thin. Besides, statement necklaces are totally in right now.

7. Use What You Have

Pick your favorite feature and dress around it. If you love your waist, wear a fitted shirt. If you’re proud of your long legs, wear tight pants. The trick here is to offset the focus by going bigger elsewhere. When you go with the tight jeans, set it off with a long top. When you wear a skin-tight shirt, pair it with flared jeans. You see what we’re getting at here?

8. Cardigans For The Win

Throw a long cardigan on to complete your slimming look. Layering is key to a stylish appearance, and cardigans that stretch at least to your waist will make you look taller and thinner. This is one of the many reasons why we’re obsessed with autumn.

9. When All Else Fails, Go Scarlet

A bright red dress has a way of accentuating the good stuff while guiding the gaze away from problem areas. Long story short, red is magic. Research even shows that men are more attracted to women who wear red, so what do you have to lose?

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Wellbeing

Teen Saves Her Mom's Life After Learning THIS In School

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 5, 2017

Katie Murphy is a 14-year-old from Wisconsin. Recently, she was helping her mother when she noticed something was off. She thought back to something she had recently learned in school, and it proved to be a valuable lesson. In fact, it saved her mother’s life.
Christa Murphy, Katie’s mother, was starting her day when she was having some difficulty performing simple routine tasks. She was struggling with tasks like putting toothpaste on her toothbrush. Finding this odd, she called Katie into her room for help.

When Katie came to help, she noticed that her mother’s speech was all jumbled as well. Katie quickly realized that her mom was trying to tell her what was going on but wasn’t making any sense. Katie thought back to a science class that she had just two days prior and immediately called 911.
It turned out, her mother was having a stroke. Katie knew that because she thought it was “cool and weird” that a person’s speech got mixed up when having a stroke. That mental note would come in handy. Thanks to Katie’s quick thinking, Christa was rushed to the hospital where doctors were able to stabilize her.

Strokes occur when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked or bursts open. When this happens, parts of the brain are deprived of oxygen and begin dying after just a few minutes. Strokes typically occur in people 60 or older.
Considering Christa is only 45, she had no idea that a stroke was even a real possibility. Thankfully her daughter knew exactly what to look for and reacted quickly. Doctors are urging everyone to learn the symptoms of a stroke so they can act quickly, just like Katie did.

The mnemonic device for what to look for in a stroke is FAST. F stands for facial drooping, which typically happens to one side of the face. The A stands for arm weakness, or the inability to raise the arm above one’s head. S stands for speech difficulties, like the kind Christa suffered. And the T stands for time, meaning a person should act quickly because time is of the essence during a stroke.
This is important for all people to know because strokes are happening in younger and younger people. It was typically something that only happened to elderly people, but doctors are seeing more strokes in young people, even as young as 18.

The reasons for this are varied, but strokes in young people are related to hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use, and obesity. Because these young people don’t regularly see a doctor, they may have no idea they have high blood pressure and are at risk for a stroke. It’s only after one occurs that many people realize they have something wrong with their body.
In order to reduce your chances of a stroke, doctors recommend routine exercise, quitting tobacco, managing your weight, and regularly seeing your doctor. Considering strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, it is important to do everything possible to reduce your chances of having one.

Tags 50025601, body, hemingway

Health x Body Wellbeing

This Is What Pippa Middleton Eats To Maintain Her Famous Figure

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 5, 2017

Pippa Middleton has one of the most famous figures in the world. This petite brunette leads a healthy, active lifestyle that focuses on eating the right kinds of foods in order to maintain her weight.
But with so many fad diets, juice cleanses, and other options for healthy eating, many people have wondered just what does Pippa eat to stay so slim and fit? The answer might surprise you.

Kate Middleton, Pippa’s older sister, is someone who swears by the Dukan diet. This high protein, low carbohydrate diet seeks to identify essential foods that ensure a person gets all the nutrients their body needs throughout the day. While this works for her sister, Pippa takes a different approach to staying healthy.
Because Pippa leads such an active lifestyle, she actually eats more calories than people might expect. Her diet changes depending on any activities she may have coming up. If she’s preparing for something more strenuous, she makes sure to get the nutrients her body needs to store the energy she’ll need to compete.

In general, Pippa believes that everything should be done in moderation. She tries to eat a healthy, balanced diet that focuses on portion control. She also tries to get regular exercise to keep her body healthy.
She does not, however, deprive herself of what she calls “the naughty stuff.” In a recent interview with Hello! magazine, Pippa revealed that she’ll eat some chocolate on occasion, enjoy a glass of wine from time to time, or even eat some potato chips. The trick is to limit those “naughty” items instead of overindulging.

Along with her balanced diet, Pippa tries to get regular exercise. While she’s a very busy woman, she strives to get between three and five exercise sessions each week. That could mean a thirty-minute run, a game of tennis, or a swim. She says this exercise “boosts my mood and energy, and helps me sleep and digest better…so I make it a priority, whatever the weather or my work schedule.”
If she has a big activity coming up, such as the Birkebeiner Ski Race, a 33-mile cross-country ski race in Norway that she recently completed, she’ll adjust accordingly. The week before a race, she’ll generally cut out any sweets or alcohol and eat three balanced meals a day. She focuses on eating whole grain, high-energy carbohydrates to ensure that her body is ready for the latest endurance test.

As for what she eats specifically, Pippa says it includes “lots of brown rice, lentils, quinoa and sweet potato, and for breakfast, porridge and rye toast.” Those are excellent sources of healthy energy for anyone, but especially someone looking to push their body.
If you’d like a body like Pippa’s, try to follow her similar routine. Make sure you’re getting enough exercise (150 minutes of moderate exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or a combination of the two per week), focus on eating three healthy meals a day with nutrient-rich foods and try to keep the unhealthy habits to a minimum. If you can follow this simple plan, you should begin to see results almost immediately.

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Sweat

Tongue Rolling And 5 Other Oversimplified Genetic Traits

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date June 2, 2017

Eye color, hair color, whether someone can roll their tongue or not—they’re all traits that are often said to come down to genetics. As it turns out, though, we’ve been oversimplifying the reasons behind these traits for decades.

For anyone who can roll their tongue, it seems almost unfathomable that someone couldn’t do this simple trick. It’s actually something that up to 81 percent of all people on this planet are able to do, after all. If it’s so easy, though, why are there still so many people who aren’t able to do it?

The answer that’s been passed around for decades is that it’s genetic, but as it turns out, that explanation isn’t exactly correct. And the truth is more complicated than you might realize.

Way More Complicated, Actually

The story usually goes something like this: People who can roll their tongues were lucky enough to have inherited an awesome (but ultimately pretty useless) tongue-rolling gene from their parents. Those who can’t, of course, are then free to bother their parents about it forever, wondering why they were destined for such a cruel fate.

However, according to John H. McDonald, a University of Delaware professor in the department of biological sciences, there’s more to it. “If that were true, you could never have two non-rolling parents that having a tongue-rolling kid,” he explained. “Yet people have looked at families and find you do see that.”

McDonald says this common explanation is grossly oversimplified. It originated with a study that took place in 1940, but its findings were debunked pretty quickly. “By the early 1950s, people knew pairs of twins where one could roll and one couldn’t,” he said.

“That pretty clearly tells you it’s not all genetic. Yet I ask even today my students, ‘how many of you have been told that tongue rolling is a simple genetic characteristic?’ and most raise their hands.”

So, what’s the truth?

Ever heard of nature vs. nurture? You know, how as you move through life, certain things are said to be influenced by your heredity and genes and others are influenced by your environment?

McDonald says it’s the true driving force behind why some people can roll their tongues with ease and others find it impossible. In some cases, he says something as simple as your positioning as a fetus in the womb could prevent the trait from developing, whereas others are able to overcome the odds and teach themselves how to do it.

Why has this inaccurate reasoning persisted, then? It’s not really clear, but McDonald wants to put an end to it. “It is an embarrassment to the field of biology education that textbooks and lab manuals continue to perpetuate these myths,” he said. “If students took it seriously, a large proportion of students would look at mom and dad and conclude that the mom was sleeping around and dad wasn’t really their dad.”

Believe it or not, it’s not just tongue rolling, either. As it turns out, this type of oversimplified explanation applies to a lot of things we’ve learned about throughout our lives.

Eye Color

Does anyone else have vivid memories of going over the Punnett square in high school while learning about genetics?

Eye color is one of those things that’s talked about a lot when it comes to making genetic predictions, and there are certain things we all think are true when it comes to this type of science. For example, it’s long been said that it’s impossible for two parents with blue eyes to end up with a kid whose eyes are brown.

The Truth?

It’s actually very possible, because something like is eye color isn’t determined by just one single dominant or recessive gene.

“Eye color is determined by variation at several different genes and the interactions between them,” McDonald said. “Thi
s makes it possible for two blue-eyed parents to have brown-eyed children.”

Hair Color

Hair color is usually another popular topic when it comes to discussing genes. Teenagers studying biology often try to figure out how they got the hair color they did or the color hair their kids would have if they ended up marrying their crush of the moment.

When it comes to red hair in particular, most people are under the assumption that red hair will always be a trait that runs in the family, and any baby with at least one redheaded parent will end up with it.

The Truth?

Although there is one main gene that controls whether someone will end up with red hair, it actually has quite a few different variations. Not only that, but it can be easily influenced by other genes, particularly the ones that would give someone brown hair.

Despite what you’ve heard, parents who both have red hair can definitely produce a child that’s either blonde or brunette.

Attached vs. Detached Earlobes

Most of us have probably heard that there are two main types of earlobes we can have—attached and detached.

An attached earlobe will be one that’s actually connected to the side of your head, whereas one that’s detatched will be separated, causing it to dangle slightly. Like many other traits, it is said that one gene determines which you end up with.

The Truth?

There really aren’t just two categories of earlobes at all. Instead, there’s actually a wide range of how attached or detached a person’s earlobes can be.

Not only that, but it’s still not even completely clear which trait is considered to be more dominant than the other.

Hitchhiker’s Thumb

Yes, even something as simple as your thumb shape has been a topic of debate. Anyone who has a thumb that bends backward at the knuckle is said to have a hitchhiker’s thumb and everyone else is just…normal?

If you’ve got them, it’s frequently said that it’s because of a single variation within just one gene.

The Truth?

“If the myth were true, two parents with hitchhiker’s thumb could not have a child with a straight thumb,” McDonald said. Not only that, but there’s also no clearly defined line or angle that dictates what is a hitchhiker’s thumb and what isn’t. Everyone is different when it comes to flexibility, including their fingers, so it can be difficult to determine if someone even has the trait.

“It’s completely arbitrary where you draw the line between straight and angled,” McDonald added.

Hand Clasping

Yes, even the way you clasp your hands is often believed to come down to biology.

Apparently a single gene is responsible for whether you clasp your hands with your right or left thumb on top.

The Truth?

That’s really not the case. It’s been determined that even twins seem to have their own preferences when it comes to the position of their hands when they’re clasped. Not to mention that your preferences might change throughout life, and another position may feel more natural and comfortable at some point in time.

So, what’s the bottom line here? Although there are certain ways we can predict genetic traits, genes are actually way more complicated than we’ve been led to believe in our high school biology classes. For anyone i
nteresting in learning more, McDonald actually suggests studying cats instead of other humans.

“Cats do have a number of traits—long versus short hair, orange versus black hair, white boots or not that—that are nice, simple, one gene-traits,” he said. Oh, and: “Everyone either has a cat or knows someone else’s cat,” he added.

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Wellbeing

Curious Facts Our Eyes Reveal About Our Biology

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 1, 2017

The old adage is that the eyes are the windows to the soul. While this may or may not be true, one thing is for certain—your eyes can also reveal certain facts about your specific biology. You won’t believe your eyes once you read the following surprising facts.

1. All blue-eyed people share a common ancestor.

Blue eyes are very rare, found only in people with a northern European background. But it might surprise you to learn that these eyes can be traced back to an even more specific region. In fact, the blue-eyed guys and gals of the world owe their unique eyes to a single person.

When humans first evolved, everyone had brown eyes. That all changed due to a mutation in the OCA2 gene, which led to less melanin production in the iris. This specific mutation would have occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago somewhere in the Baltic Sea region. This person would then pass down that trait to millions of people.

2. Certain eye colors are prone to cataracts.

Cataracts occur when the lens of the eyes develop a clouding that impacts vision. It’s comparable to looking through a foggy piece of glass. Some people are more susceptible to developing cataracts than others.

Those with lighter eyes tend to be more prone to developing cataracts, maybe even two and a half times more likely. Researchers believe that people with lighter eyes have less protection from sunlight which can eventually lead to vision problems. However, this claim requires further research as the results are not entirely certain.

3. Cataracts actually aren’t caused by any disease.

Some people might think that cataracts are caused by a virus, bacteria, or other health issues. However, they’re actually caused by aging.

As we age, proteins clump together and harden, clouding our vision and eventually leading to significant vision impairment and potentially blindness. The only way to treat cataracts is to remove them from the eye through a surgical procedure.

4. Brown-eyed people may have faster reaction times.

Researchers have actually tested the reaction times in dark-eyed people versus light-eyed people and found that there actually is a difference. Those with brown eyes performed the best when it came to reacting quickly.

While brown-eyed people had better immediate reactions, those with blue eyes did better on other tests. Blue-eyed people were better at complex tasks like game theory. The differences aren’t major, but they are definitely there.

5. The cornea is actually without blood vessels.

Our corneas are unique in that they don’t contain blood vessels. In fact, that’s the only place in our body that doesn’t get blood. The cornea receives its nutrients from tear ducts and from the aqueous humor.

This is actually an evolutionary trait to ensure we have perfect vision. If we had blood vessels in the cornea, they would obscure our otherwise perfect vision.

6. Our optic nerve creates blind spots.

There’s a blind spot in the eye where the optic nerve attaches so that visual information can be transmitted from the eye to the brain. Because we have no rods or cones in that particular spot thanks to the optic nerve, we all technically have a blind spot in our vision that we cannot detect.

You don’t notice this blind spot because our eyes work together to provide unimpeded vision. The retina of one eye compensates for the blind spot in the other, and vice versa.

Tags 50025276, body, hemingway

Wellbeing

The Main Injuries Doctors See Most On Summer Weekends

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date June 1, 2017

Summertime is here and that means trips to the local pool, hiking with friends, and partaking in various sports activities during the weekends. Unfortunately, it also means putting ourselves at risk for injuries. Here are some of the most common injuries doctors see at the Emergency Room during the summer months.

1. Heatstroke

Unsurprisingly, heat-related illnesses are some of the most common doctors encounter during the warmer summer months. When people become dehydrated or suffer from heatstroke, they can experience symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headaches, and confusion. While these illnesses are generally mild, they can become serious if not treated promptly.

In order to prevent these problems, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day (especially if you’re enjoying some adult beverages by the pool or at the beach). Also, make sure that you get out of the sun for a bit and sit in a shaded area to prevent over-exposure.

2. Swimming Injuries and Drowning

Spending time in the water is one of the joys of summer. Sadly, it also results in some of the most serious injuries doctors have to treat. And what’s even sadder is the fact that the majority of drowning deaths happen to young children.

If you’re going to be around water and you have a young child, make sure you are always aware of the pool. Children can run off and be in the water in an instant. By constantly monitoring your child and the pool and ensuring that they are wearing the proper floatation devices, you can immediately respond if something goes wrong.

3. Food Poisoning

Hot summer days and barbecues are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This leads to a spike in food poisoning that is certainly not pleasant to deal with.

When cooking outside, make sure that meat is cooked all the way through. An easy way to ensure that your meat is cooked to the proper temperature is to utilize a meat thermometer. If you’re going to leave food like fruits, veggies, or potato salad out, try to keep it as cool as possible (or at the very least, try to keep it out of the sun). And before eating the fruits of your grilling labor, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly.

4. Sports-Related Injuries

It’s no surprise that people injure themselves more in the summer months where various sports teams are more active outdoors. Many of us love to get out with our friends and shoot some hoops, play in a softball league, or just toss the football around for exercise. This leads to more sprained ankles, knee injuries, and other problems.

Many sports injuries can be treated at home with the RICE method: rest, ice, compression, elevation. If a problem does not seem to be getting better or you worry that something may be broken, see a medical professional right away.

5. Insect Bites and Skin Irritation

Spending time outside means exposing yourself to a variety of insects and plants that can causes rashes. Most of these bites and rashes are relatively harmless, but some actually carry some serious diseases.

Ticks and mosquitos are two insects you need to watch out for. Ticks can carry Lyme disease and mosquitoes might carry Zika. Therefore, it’s always a good practice to use bug spray if you’re going to be outside (especially if you’re around a body of water). If you worry about using bug sprays that contain DEET or other chemicals, certain essential oils can naturally keep these bugs away. As for plants, do your best to avoid poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and other that can cause an allergic reaction. If you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.

Tags 50025271, body, hemingway

Wellbeing

The Way You Hold Your Phone Could Be Changing The Shape Of Your Hands

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date May 31, 2017

It’s called “smartphone pinky,” and it’s got some people terrified.

People on social media (especially Twitter) began posting last week about the strange injury, and if you use your smartphone regularly, it’s an alarming idea.

Here’s what happens, according to internet lore: You hold your phone while sticking out your pinky. The finger provides stability so that every tap doesn’t send your device tumbling to the floor.

But over time, the weight of your phone starts to affect a change on your body. Your muscles begin to adapt to the position; soon, it’s permanent.

And Twitter users claim to have proof.

“I have an actual #iphone injury,” wrote one Twitter user (@lucypurnell). “My finger has bent & will not straighten. Need to change the way I hold my phone.”

I have an actual

We can’t deny that the pictures appear to show some sort of musculoskeletal issue, but we wondered whether there’s any science to explain the condition.

Popular Science tracked down an expert to determine if, in fact, our hands are reshaping themselves to our phones. The verdict: probably not.

“It would be pretty hard to deform any of your fingers just by holding a cell phone,” Rachael Rohde, the chair of the Public Education Committee for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, told the magazine.

“As a hand surgeon, I think it’s more likely there’s something going on here to begin with, another condition, that they didn’t realize [they had] and thought it might be related to the phone.”

For a second opinion, The Sydney Herald@Foreigndre_ / Twitter

reached out to Dave Parsons of Curtin University’s School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work.

Parsons agreed that smartphone pinky probably wasn’t real.

“It would take a minimum of around six hours a day of an applied force on soft tissue to evoke change,” he told the paper. “If someone was on their phone for more than six hours, it is plausible, but it is still pretty unlikely.”

“[Smartphone pinky] can be cumulative over the day, but obviously longer sustained periods would increase the susceptibility.”

Gabriel Saldana via Flickr, CC by SA 2.0

Parsons noted that while this probably isn’t a real issue, regular smartphone usage can be detrimental to your hands. He noted that thumbs are particularly susceptible to repetitive stress injuries from smartphone use, since most people use their thumbs for scrolling and tapping—sometimes for hours at a time.

Whether or not you believe in the “smartphone pinky” injury, there are steps you can take to protect your hands from repetitive stress injuries. Take frequent breaks when using your smartphone for extended periods of time, stretch out your fingers, and if you feel pain, see a physician right away. Our smartphones certainly don’t have to hurt our pinkies—or any other part of our bodies, for that matter.

People talk about #smartphonepinky like it's a new thing. I've had it all my- family trait. https://t.co/SAFGuJGDB1 pic.twitter.com/1SDvPGPotQ

— Heather Redfern (@RedfernHeather) January 28, 2016

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Wellbeing

Bedtime Habits That Will Actually Help You Lose Weight

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date May 31, 2017

Losing weight while you sleep sounds too good to be true, but there are actually ways to make this happen. If you’re looking to drop some pounds, here are some tips for you to follow before you get into bed. Whether it’s upping your metabolism or just helping you get a good night’s sleep, these tips will give you amazing results.

1. Eat some dairy late in the evening.

Many of us crave a late night snack before climbing into bed. If that’s you, eat some cheese, some Greek yogurt, or just drink a glass of milk. This dairy will kick your metabolism into gear.
This because dairy is full of casein, a slow-to-digest form of protein. Eating dairy before bed, combined with strength training, will help you build lean muscle while you sleep. Lean muscle is the key to being slim.

2. Sleep with the temperature turned down.

Many of us like sleeping in a room that’s a little chilly. That’s actually good because it will help your body burn fat while you sleep.
The idea temperature for your room is reported to be 66.2 degrees. At that temperature, your body converts white fat into brown fat. That’s important because brown fat is used to heat the body while white fat is used to store energy.

3. Make sure you have the right lighting for your room.

Sleeping in a dark room ensures that your body gets the melatonin it needs to get refreshing sleep. This refreshing sleep ensures that your metabolism is working the way it should.
It’s not just enough to sleep in total darkness, however. As the sun begins to set, you should begin to dim your indoor lighting. This allows your brain to begin producing melatonin, ensuring that you [linkbuilder id=”6764″ text=”fall asleep”] quickly.

4. Do some yoga before bedtime.

Heavy exercising before bed is a bad idea because it gives your brain and body tons of energy right when you’re trying to wind down. Doing some yoga or some stretching, however, can help you relax.
While you’re doing this, you should pay close attention to your breathing. Doing deep, diaphragmatic breathing activates your “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. This reduces stress and helps you to quickly fall asleep.

5. Avoid the alcohol.

Many of us like to have a glass of wine to unwind and help us fall asleep. While this might be effective in making you tired, it actually prevents you from getting the refreshing sleep you need.
When you drink before bed, your body spends the night metabolizing the sugar in the liquor. That impacts your sleep cycles, interferes with your REM sleep, and causes you to wake up feeling groggy the next day.

6. Make sure you wind down.

Before getting ready for bed, take some time for yourself. Whether this is reading a book, meditating, or engaging in any activity you enjoy, this can help you get quality sleep.
When you take some time unwind, you help your brain relax. This relaxation results in more fulfilling sleep that will keep your metabolism humming throughout the day.

Tags 50025176, body, hemingway

Nosh

9 Things You Didn't Know Make You Bloated

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date May 26, 2017

Stomach bloating is something we all deal with. While it’s natural, it’s also exacerbated by certain foods or drinks. If you want a bloat-free belly, here are some foods you may want to avoid.

1) Cruciferous vegetables

Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale are all types of cruciferous vegetables. Although they’re very good for you, they also can cause bloating.

That’s because they contain a carbohydrate called raffinose, which our bodies can’t digest. We lack an enzyme to do so, which results in the raffinose mixing and fermenting with bacteria in our gut. This fermentation leads to bloating.

2) Foods That Are High in Sodium

Most Americans eat too much salt. This is a problem because that excess salt causes our bodies retain water, resulting in bloating. Foods to avoid include deli meats, processed foods, canned soups, and pre-made sauces.

For reference, you should only be eating about 2,300 mg of salt per day. You should eat even less if you have diabetes, have high blood pressure, or are over 50.

3) Alcohol

Unfortunately, alcohol leads to bloating. If you’re trying to look and feel your best, you’ll need to cut out the booze entirely (or severely limit your intake).
Like high-sodium foods, alcohol causes you to retain water, making you look puffy and bloated. It can also lead to constipation, which makes people feel bloated.

4) Watermelon

It seems strange that watermelon could make you feel bloated because it’s mostly water. Unfortunately, it’s true.

That’s because of the fructose found in watermelon—and in all fruits. Our bodies can’t completely absorb fructose, and this leads to bloating. Although any fruit can cause this, watermelon is especially bad. This is disappointing news because it’s so refreshing to eat at the beach or around the pool!

5) Flavored Yogurt

Plain yogurt actually helps fight bloating. The probiotics help with digestion and are good for gut bacteria.

Flavored yogurt, however, contains loads of sugar, which counteracts those probiotics. The sugar ferments in your stomach, making you feel bloated.

6) Carbonated Beverages

Whether it’s regular soda, diet soda, sparkling water, or whatever, if it’s carbonated, it’s going to cause bloating.

The bubbles in these drinks cause your stomach to inflate, making you feel bloated.

7) Onions

Onions cause bloating because they contain a carbohydrate called fructan. The body has trouble digesting this carb. When it’s not digested, it’s stored in the intestines and retains water, or it ferments in the gut. Either way, it’s a recipe for bloating.

8) Artificial Sweetener

Many people love artificial sweeteners because they contain no calories. Sadly, they can lead to bloating because they are difficult for the body to digest.
When they sit in the body, they lead to us retaining water. As noted above with several foods, retained water leads to bloating.

9) Popcorn

Most of us love a good bag (or tub) of popcorn at the movies. That popcorn, though, will leave you feeling bloated.

There’s actually nothing in popcorn that makes you feel bloated, it’s just the sheer volume that we eat that leaves us bloated. Our bodies already have difficulty digesting corn. Throwing a lot of it into your stomach at once is a recipe for bloating.

Tags 50024946, body, hemingway