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Pregnancy Week By Week: Here’s What To Expect In Every Trimester

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date July 31, 2019

Just found out you’re pregnant? Congratulations! You’ve probably already subscribed to a dozen week-by-week pregnancy guides and purchased all the pregnancy books in your local bookstore lest you miss some crucial piece of pregnancy-related information.
But if you’re overwhelmed by all that and you’re just looking for a brief breakdown of each trimester, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for an incredibly detailed week-by-week pregnancy guide, this isn’t it; instead, you can tape this to your fridge so you know what’s coming up as you grow your little bean.
Here’s a handy overview of what you can expect for the next 40(ish) weeks.

Pregnancy Week by Week: The First Trimester

Remember the iconic scene in Saved By The Bell when Jessie Spano takes all the caffeine pills and she’s so excited, until all of a sudden, she’s really sick and a little scared? That’s sort of what the first trimester is like. Here’s what the first 13 weeks have in store.

Weeks 1 and 2 of Pregnancy

“Your due date is calculated by adding 40 weeks (roughly 280 days) from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), which is why you’re technically pregnant before you conceive,” explains Tami Prince, MD, an OB-GYN, occupational medicine physician, and author practicing in Georgia. (This crazy math is the reason that I had to patiently explain to my extremely conservative grandmother that no, I was not pregnant at my wedding.)

Pregnancy Symptoms in Weeks 1 and 2

The first two weeks of pregnancy are technically the first 14 days of your cycle, from the first day of your period through ovulation. While you won’t be experiencing pregnancy symptoms quite yet, it is completely normal for some women to experience pelvic pain during ovulation.

Things to Keep in Mind in Weeks 1 and 2

“Take prenatal vitamins while attempting to conceive as well as throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding or until your physician tells you to stop,” says Prince. “The idea behind taking prenatal vitamins before pregnancy is to prevent neural tube defects. By the time most women realize they are pregnant, the neural tube has already formed so the vitamins are less effective to prevent defects. Even so, the vitamins also contain other important nutrients such as iron, calcium, and vitamin D so they are still important to complement a healthy diet.”

Week 3 of Pregnancy

After ovulation, your fertilized egg is growing and soon will attach itself to the wall of your uterus. Implantation of the egg to the uterus signals pregnancy hormones to begin secreting.

Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 3

Although you won’t be getting your period (because you’re pregnant, even if you technically don’t know it yet), you’re probably feeling symptoms similar to PMS this week, as your pregnancy hormones surge.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 3

Keep taking those horse pills—er, prenatal vitamins!

Week 4 of Pregnancy

This week, you may have officially peed on a stick and found out you’re pregnant. Yippee! It’s hard to believe, but the little clump of cells that has recently made your uterus its home will eventually become a baby. For now, though, it’s known as an embryo.

Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 4

“Nausea, vomiting, intolerance to smells or certain foods, breast tenderness, abnormal bleeding or spotting are all common early pregnancy symptoms,” says Mercy Medical Center’s Janelle Cooper, MD, FACOG.
This week you may be experiencing the dreaded nausea that often accompanies the first trimester. Prince advises eating small, frequent meals and bland foods to keep nausea at bay. Just know that somewhere around week 12 to 13, the nausea will start to subside. Until then, hang in there, mama!

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 4

You’ll want to call your OB-GYN this week and let them know you got a positive pregnancy test. They’ll probably want you to come in sometime between six and 10 weeks to confirm the pregnancy and update your medical information.

Week 5 of Pregnancy

Hooray! You’re officially one month in! At this stage, that cute little embryo is about the size of a jellybean and has a heartbeat, though it’s probably not detectable on an ultrasound yet.

New Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 5

Early in pregnancy, blood flow to your kidneys actually increases by up to 60 percent! All that extra pressure means you’ll have to pee more than usual. Like a lot. Especially in the middle of the night. The good news is that this typically peaks early in the second trimester. Unfortunately, you’re probably still feeling nausea, fatigue, and bloating during week five.

Pro Pregnancy Tip

Even though you’re making five bajillion trips to the bathroom a day, don’t forget to drink extra water, which is how key nutrients (you know, the ones you’re taking daily in your prenatal vitamins) are delivered to the embryo.

Week 6 of Pregnancy

At six weeks, the embryo is going through rapid development. The heart and brain are now complex organs, and a little heartbeat can probably now be heard through an ultrasound.

New Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 6

Nausea, fatigue, and bloating are probably still in full swing, and you may add one more symptom to the mix: constipation. You may experience constipation as you struggle to adjust to the pregnancy hormones that are surging through your body. Do you love being pregnant yet?
For constipation relief, Cooper says, “I recommended starting with natural remedies such as increased water intake, increasing fiber in the diet (fruits and vegetables), prune juice. If that’s not successful, then a mild laxative such as Miralax daily, or in severe cases a laxative suppository.”

What’s New in Week 6?

Sometimes during pregnancy, you have to talk about scary stuff. While most of it is unlikely to happen, it’s still good to know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Deep vein thrombosis is a rare but serious condition in which a blood clot forms deep within a vein, usually in the calf. You’re most likely to clot in the first trimester, and if a clot is released it can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism. Luckily, there are some telltale signs you may have DVT.
Prince says that compression stockings (yes, like your grandma wears) can decrease the risk of DVT by increasing circulation. But if you notice that your calf is red or swollen and extremely warm to the touch, call your OB-GYN to get checked out.

Week 7 of Pregnancy

During week seven, your baby probably looks like a little black-and-white blob on an ultrasound screen. In reality, your little embryo looks a little bit like Lord Voldemort when he’s that gross man-baby; the embryo has developed little slits where a cute nose will eventually form, eyes (which won’t open for quite some time), and even has little limb buds!

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 7

Even though you may not have gained weight yet, during the first trimester, the bloat is real. If none of your clothes fit due to pregnancy bloat, it’s okay to bust out maternity clothes already. No judgment! Just remember that your belly is going to get much, much larger, so buy clothes that will fit your currently barely there bump and when you’re 40 weeks preggo.

Week 8 of Pregnancy

By week eight, even though the embryo is just about a half inch long, all the most important body parts have formed. Baby’s heart beats at around 150 to 160 beats per minute, which is almost twice that of the average adult.

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 8

The term morning sickness is such a lie! Pregnancy nausea can strike anytime, day or night. But there is good news! Morning sickness is actually nature’s way of protecting you from eating things that could harm the baby. While you’re in the worst of it now, it won’t be long before the nausea subsides for good.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 8

One thing people forget to tell you about pregnancy? This early in the first trimester, ultrasounds are typically done vaginally to calculate the most accurate due date, Prince explains. It’s a bit uncomfortable, sure, but I like to think of a transvaginal ultrasound as your initiation into pregnancy. I won’t spoil the surprise, but compared to some pregnancy-related procedures, a transvaginal ultrasound is a total breeze.

Week 9 of Pregnancy

If you could see a close-up image of the embryo during week 9, you’d clearly see a teeny-tiny bobblehead of a baby with a disproportionately enormous head, about half the length of the entire body at this point! Don’t worry, your baby’s head-to-length ratio will even out a little over halfway through pregnancy.

New Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 9

There’s a reason your breasts have been sore and tender; they’re preparing for their starring role as milkmaids 1 and 2! You’ll also notice that your breasts have grown substantially larger over the past few weeks. By the end of the second trimester, your breasts will be completely ready to produce milk.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 9

Now that you’re nearing the end of the first trimester, you can start thinking about how you’d like to tell friends and family you’re expecting, if you haven’t already. Here are some great ideas for cute photo announcements.

Week 10 of Pregnancy

We’re in double digits, people! At 10 weeks, the placenta is forming, taking the place of the yolk sac. Once the placenta is fully formed, it will supply the nutritional needs of your baby until birth.

New Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 10

“As the uterus begins to grow during the transition to the second trimester, the round ligaments which hold the uterus in place are stretched and can cause pelvic and or vaginal pains,” Cooper says.
That’s why toward the end of the first trimester, you might experience achy pelvic pain, especially if this isn’t your first pregnancy. To alleviate pelvic pain you can do some stretches, take a pain reliever (ask your doctor which ones are safe!), or soak in a warm bath.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 10

Sometime between weeks 6 and 10, you’ll probably have your first OB appointment. During the appointment, you can expect to give a urine sample, get your blood drawn, and get a pelvic exam. Your weight and blood pressure will be checked, a Doppler ultrasound will be used to check the baby’s heartbeat, and you’ll meet with the doctor to discuss any questions you may have.

Week 11 of Pregnancy

Your baby is currently weighing in at a hefty quarter ounce, but by the end of the second trimester, he or she will weigh about two pounds!

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 11

People mean well when they urge you to “eat for two,” but Prince explains that “excessive weight gain too early in the pregnancy can lead to adverse outcomes such as macrosomia (larger than average babies) and diabetes mellitus. Ideally, weight gain is determined by pre-pregnancy weight.”
While every pregnancy is different, Prince says pregnancy weight gain should go something like this:

Women with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 19.8 (underweight) should aim to gain 26 to 40 pounds.
Women with a BMI of 19.8 to 26 (normal BMI) should aim to gain 24 to 35 pounds.
Women with a BMI of 26 to 29 (overweight) should aim to gain 15 to 24 pounds.
Women with a BMI greater than 29 (severely overweight) should aim to gain 15 pounds or less.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 11

If you are considered a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor may recommend cell-free DNA testing to check for chromosomal abnormalities that indicate an increased risk of certain conditions.

Week 12 of Pregnancy

Your baby is officially a little fetus! And even though you can’t feel it, baby will wiggle and squirm if you press on your belly.

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 12

As promised, your nausea should start subsiding around week 12. That is unless you have hyperemesis gravidarum.
“Hyperemesis gravidarum is due to extremely elevated hCG levels and may also be associated with hyperthyroidism,” says Prince. “Signs and symptoms of hyperemesis include severe nausea and vomiting where women may not be able to hold down water, causing weight loss, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance.” If you have hyperemesis gravidarum, your doctor will likely recommend lots of fluids to keep you hydrated.”

Week 13 of Pregnancy

You made it, mama! You officially reached the end of the first trimester! Woo hoo! At the end of the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage is less than 1 percent, so it’s the time when most people feel comfortable sharing news of their pregnancy. Still, you can share (or not share) any time you want—your baby, your body, your business!

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 13

You should be feeling pretty good right about now. The nausea and fatigue of the first trimester should be abating, and you’ll soon be getting a brief reprieve from the water retention that’s causing bloating.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 13

By week 13, your doctor will probably have already done genetic testing to screen for certain chromosomal abnormalities; your blood will be tested for abnormalities that could indicate conditions like Down syndrome.

Pregnancy Week by Week: The Second Trimester

A few pro tips for the second trimester: From now on, do NOT look at the scale during weekly weigh-ins at the OB’s office, and definitely do not weigh yourself at home (unless your doctor advises you otherwise, of course). On a related note, enjoy looking at your manicured toes while you still can. Also, teach your partner to paint your toenails. It’s a skill they’re definitely going to need.

Week 14 of Pregnancy

Your baby is roughly the size of a lemon, an avocado, or a single scoop of ice cream if you’re into food comparisons. Your doctor, though, does not measure your baby’s growth by digging through their refrigerator. During the first and second trimester, baby’s growth is measured from “crown to rump” using advanced ultrasound imaging.

New Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 14

Sometime during the second trimester, you may notice melasma, a darkening of certain parts of your body like the nipples, face, and abdomen, says Prince. She goes on to explain that “this darkening is due to the increased production of melanin by the placenta.” While there’s not much you can do to prevent melasma, you can mitigate the effects by always wearing sunscreen, which you should be doing anyway!

Week 15 of Pregnancy

Feeling little flutters down low? It might be gas brewing (pregnancy farts are nothing to mess around with, ladies), but it’s probably your baby swimming around! Those little flutters that sort of feel like a bubble popping inside you aren’t visible to the naked eye yet, but they’re signs your baby is happy and healthy.

What’s New in Week 15?

By week 15 or 16, your uterus as expanded up and out of your pelvis, and while co-workers and friends may not notice, you will probably see a very visible (if small) baby bump!

Week 16 of Pregnancy

By week 16, your little fetus can swallow and might even get the occasional case of hiccups (which, by the way, is totally adorable the first time you notice it—but not so much at 40 weeks when you’re trying to sleep).

What’s New in Week 16?

You might start to feel suddenly sexy again in the second trimester as your pregnancy symptoms begin to subside, which is why the second trimester is commonly called the “honeymoon trimester.” Sex during pregnancy is not only totally okay, it’s encouraged. So throw on some John Legend (or whatever floats your sexy boat) and get to it!

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 16

Now is also the time to start planning a babymoon if you want to take one. The second trimester is the best time to plan a trip before baby arrives: You feel great, you’re not huge and uncomfortable yet, and air travel isn’t off limits.

Week 17 of Pregnancy

At week 17, baby is measuring around 5 inches long and weighs about 3 ounces. Around this time, baby also learns to suck his or her thumb (adorable!) in utero.

Things to Keep in Mind in Week 17

Somewhere between 15 and 20 weeks, you’ll have another screening to test for chromosomal abnormalities as well as neural tube defects like spina bifida. A blood panel is usually taken in your doctor’s office and sent to a lab for analysis.

Week 18 of Pregnancy

You’re officially four months pregnant and almost at the halfway point of your pregnancy! Your uterus is roughly the size of a honeydew melon and is sitting just below your belly button.

What’s New in Week 18?

While the sex of your baby was determined at conception by the presence (or lack of) a Y chromosome, that’s now easily identified on an ultrasound scan! But, Prince cautions, “While baby’s [sex] may be identified between 18 and 20 weeks, it does depend on the positioning of the baby, and an ultrasound at this time is not performed solely to find out the baby’s sex but to assess fetal growth and well-being.”

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 18

How do you want to find out the sex of your baby? Do you want to stay #TeamGreen and keep it a secret? Do you want to find out with family and friends at a party? Or would you rather it’s just you, your partner, and the ultrasound tech? Decide how you want to find out before you schedule an anatomy scan so there are no mishaps!

Week 19 of Pregnancy

Baby is slowly morphing from Voldemort into a more human-looking little being, but they’re still very skinny at this stage. Baby won’t start storing fat until the end of the second trimester, so he or she still looks like a tiny (but cute!) Skeletor.

What’s New in Week 19?

Hip and back pain may become your constant companions during the second and third trimester because your center of gravity shifts as you carry increasing weight in the front. Luckily, your doctor can most likely prescribe physical therapy to help alleviate some of the strain, and in between visits you can try these pregnancy stretches to soothe an achy back.

Week 20 of Pregnancy

Most pregnancy apps and books will tell you that at 20 weeks, baby is as big as a banana, even though in week 19, baby was as big as a mango or an heirloom tomato. One of those things is long and skinny whereas the others are round and plump, so what gives? Well, right now, baby is more on the banana side of the scale: long, skinny, and still weighing in at under a pound.

What’s New in Week 20

You’re probably feeling like it’s impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep, and when you do, you may be waking up with terrible leg cramps, which can be caused by poor circulation, not drinking enough water, or even magnesium and potassium deficiencies.
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“To ease leg cramps,” Prince advises, “add magnesium to your diet by eating nuts and add potassium by eating a banana, as well as staying hydrated with water.”

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 20

What’s in a name? Oh, everything! Now that you (probably) know the sex of the baby, you can start trying out baby names. My advice? Try yelling possible names out loud as if you were calling your kid down from across a crowded park. If you can’t say your kid’s name with a straight face, then mark that name off the list ASAP.

Week 21 of Pregnancy

Remember those cute little flutters back in week 15? Well, now it probably feels like your baby is doing interpretive dance in your uterus.
“You may notice fetal movement more at night due to nocturnal nature of the fetus, as well as the fact you also have decreased movement at bedtime, making baby’s movements more noticeable,” Prince explains.

What’s New in Week 21?

During your mid-pregnancy anatomy scan ultrasound (the one in which you usually find out the sex) your doctor will also check the location of the placenta. If your placenta is lying too close to the cervix or covering the cervix completely, you may be diagnosed with a condition known as placenta previa.
Placenta previa is pretty rare (roughly 1 out of every 200 pregnancies), and most women diagnosed with placenta previa early go on to have completely uneventful pregnancies, with the condition correcting itself before the third trimester. If the previa persists in the third trimester, your doctor will likely put you on bed rest, and you may need a c-section when it’s time to deliver to reduce the risk of postpartum complications.

Week 22 of Pregnancy

Finally! Baby’s starting to look like a baby instead of an alien creature using your body as a host. Even though the fetus still weighs less than a pound, baby basically looks like a teeny-tiny newborn with clear facial features and well-formed limbs.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 22

Now’s a good time to start your baby registry. Talk to veteran moms to get the scoop on which items to purchase and which ones to skip.

Week 23 of Pregnancy

Want to know a secret? Television “newborns” are covered in grape jelly and cream cheese to simulate just being born. In reality, your baby may be born covered in a white, waxy substance called vernix caseosa, which already coats your baby’s skin in the womb. At this point, the vernix is almost completely developed. Vernix protects your baby’s skin and may even have antibacterial properties, which is why most doctors advise delaying bathing newborns for at least 24 hours.

What’s New in Week 23?

You got a brief reprieve from having to pee every five minutes, but now that the weight of your uterus is right above your bladder, you’ll probably have to pee frequently again. Or, you might (okay, probably will) pee on yourself. More than once. Ah, the joys of pregnancy.

Week 24 of Pregnancy

Week 24 is a milestone week. Going forward from this point, if baby were born prematurely, they would have a 50 percent chance of survival, which increases with each passing week.

New Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 24

Did you know there’s such a thing as fake contractions? They’re called Braxton Hicks contractions, and they’re essentially practice contractions to help your body prepare for real labor. Braxton Hicks are typically painless, irregular, and don’t increase in intensity.

Things to Consider During Week 24

Sometime between weeks 24 and 28, you’ll have a glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes, a condition that causes high blood sugar in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes can be managed during pregnancy and usually goes away after birth.

Week 25 of Pregnancy

Baby is growing, growing, growing! Baby has regular waking and sleeping hours and is as big as a head of iceberg lettuce.

New Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 25

Your other organs, like your stomach, get squashed to make room as your uterus expands. All this smushing means one thing: heartburn. If you get occasional heartburn during pregnancy, try to avoid trigger foods like spicy dishes. If you get daily heartburn, talk to your doctor to see if certain medications may work for you.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 25

Now is a good time to schedule a pregnancy and childbirth class if you haven’t already. Most local YMCAs and hospitals offer these classes free or at a minimal cost. You’ll learn the basics of caring for baby as well as what to expect during labor and delivery.

Week 26 of Pregnancy

By week 26, baby can hear you and your partner’s voices. Don’t feel silly if you want to talk out loud, sing, or read to your baby while he or she is still in the womb. It’s how they’ll recognize your voice when they’re born!

What’s New in Week 26?

So, another scary topic: pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that causes extremely high blood pressure in pregnant women. If your blood pressure has been normal throughout your pregnancy but suddenly skyrockets or you experience headaches and swelling in your extremities, call your OB-GYN to get checked out. Pre-eclampsia is a serious but manageable condition, but if it isn’t addressed early, it can lead to other more, severe conditions, like HELLP syndrome.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 26

Now is a great time to pre-register at the hospital where you’ll be delivering. You’ll fill out all the registration information (that you will definitely not want to fill out when you’re trying to breathe through contractions) and get a tour of the rooms where you’ll be delivering.

Week 27 of Pregnancy

You’re six months pregnant, and you’ve probably gained about 15 to 20 pounds. But it’s all worth it for that little stinker who’s currently using your bladder as a recliner.

Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 27

So, we covered constipation early on, but we didn’t talk about constipation’s best friend, hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can be ultra painful and can be exacerbated by labor and delivery. If you have hemorrhoids, do NOT be embarrassed to speak to your doctor about treatment. In most cases, hemorrhoids can be treated with a simple cream.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 27

Now’s a great time to choose your pediatrician, since baby will need to be seen a day or two after hospital discharge. Overwhelmed by the thought of choosing your child’s doctor for the next 18 years? Here are the key questions you need to ask to find a pediatrician you and your baby will love.

Week 28 of Pregnancy

It’s officially the end of the second trimester! Baby currently weighs about 2.5 or 3 pounds and can now see light as it’s filtered through your body.

What’s New in Week 28?

From now on you will have office visits starting every two weeks, instead of just once per month. Additionally, as you enter the third trimester, you can start doing kick counts to monitor your baby’s activity. To do a kick count, lie on your side in a quiet room during a time when your baby is likely to be active. You’ll want to count baby’s movements and record 10 movements within one hour. If baby doesn’t move, try drinking a small glass of juice and try again. If you still don’t feel movement, there’s no need to panic, but you should still let your doctor know so you can get checked out.

Pregnancy Week by Week: The Third Trimester

Here we go! Home stretch! Less than three months to go! You’ll need this wave of enthusiasm to give you a boost when you’re feeling super tired and uncomfortable as your baby and belly continue to grow. During the third trimester, all the focus will be on preparing for labor and delivery as the big day approaches, but don’t forget to take time for self-care.

Week 29 of Pregnancy

By week 29 or 30, your baby is likely in a head-down, birth position and is not likely to flip right side up at this point. Sometimes though, a baby will be breech, or head up.

What’s New in Week 29

Your doctor can tell whether baby is breech by doing an ultrasound or a physical examination. If baby is currently breech, don’t panic! Baby is still relatively small and may spontaneously turn head down on his or her own. Or there are many techniques you can try (with your doctor’s approval, of course!) to coax baby to turn.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 29

Now that you’re in the third trimester, it is probably a good idea to write down your birth plan if you choose to have one. Having a birth plan can help you work through any pre-birth anxieties you might be having as you plan for all the what-ifs.

Week 30 of Pregnancy

Roughly 10 weeks to go! Baby weighs about 3 pounds, and his or her brain is rapidly developing every day.

Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 30

Remember how your organs are being squashed by your growing uterus? This includes your lungs, which is why you’re probably short of breath after walking up a flight of stairs. Don’t push yourself, and take a break anytime you feel like you need one.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 30

Week 30 is a good time to start putting together your nursery. Things are stressful enough when bringing home a new baby, so you definitely want to make sure all your essentials (crib, changing table, etc.) are set up well before baby arrives!

Week 31 of Pregnancy

Baby is rapidly developing at week 31 and still has a lot of growing to do over the next nine weeks!

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 31

Remember all those pregnancy symptoms you thought you left behind in the first trimester? Well, many of them, like frequent urination and fatigue, are back! If you’re feeling tired and just plain down, take a few minutes to yourself and try to meditate. Even just a minute or two can be enough to help!

Week 32 of Pregnancy

Baby is still surrounded by quite a bit of amniotic fluid (about 2 pints), but the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease as baby gets bigger.

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 32

Did you pee yourself or are you leaking amniotic fluid? Usually amniotic fluid is colorless and odorless and may come out in a trickle or a gush. On the other hand, urine usually smells, well, like urine and is not usually colorless. If you suspect you’re leaking amniotic fluid, call your doctor immediately. This could be a sign of preterm labor.

Pro Pregnancy Tip

“If you suspect that you’re leaking amniotic fluid,” says Prince, “use a pad. If the pad is soaked within one hour, call your OB-GYN.”

Week 33 of Pregnancy

In week 33, baby is putting on his or her finishing touches. You might notice baby is less active these days; that’s because there’s a lot less room in the womb. But you should still be doing daily kick counts to monitor baby’s activity levels.

What’s New in Week 33?

Let’s talk about stretch marks. Some women get them, some don’t, but most doctors agree that there’s little you can do about stretch marks. Still, staying hydrated and keeping your skin extra moisturized may reduce their appearance.

Things To Keep in Mind During Week 33

If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to pack your hospital bag! Bring along shower supplies, a robe that opens easily for frequent feedings, and a plush towel (because hospital towels are the worst).

Week 34 of Pregnancy

It’s the final countdown! You have six weeks (or less) to go, sister! Baby is rapidly gaining weight and settling deeper into your pelvis to get ready for birth.

What’s New in Week 34?

Braxton Hicks contractions may be occurring more frequently by week 34. As you get closer to your due date, you may even experience false labor contractions, which are a more intense type of Braxton Hicks. With false labor, your contractions may be painful and come regularly but will not increase in intensity and may subside without warning. If you’re experiencing contractions this close to your due date, it’s always a good idea to let your OB know what’s going on.

Week 35 of Pregnancy

Baby’s still growing! You’re still pregnant! Hang in there!

What’s New In Week 35?

“Group B strep is a type of bacteria that can lead to a fatal infection in the baby soon after birth,” Cooper explains. That’s why at around week 35, you’ll probably get a vaginal swab to check for Group B strep. Group B strep is is a bacteria that is found in the vaginas of about a quarter of all healthy women. If you have Group B strep, you’ll be given antibiotics during delivery.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 35

Your doctor will soon have you come in for weekly cervix checks now that you’re just a few short weeks away from delivery. During a cervix check, your doctor is looking at two things: how much the cervix is dilated and how effaced the cervical membranes are. These checks aren’t usually painful, but they’re not all that pleasant either.

Week 36 of Pregnancy

At this point, your baby is putting on the final pounds to reach his or her birth weight, their brain is still developing like crazy, and they’re typically perfectly content to continue residence in utero.

What’s New in Week 36?

Have you been keeping up with your vaginal discharge during pregnancy? If not, now’s the time to do so. As we mentioned earlier, if you notice a watery discharge, you could be leaking amniotic fluid. But if you notice a mucousy/blood-tinged discharge, that could the be the mucus plug, which protects the opening of the cervix from bacteria. Labor is on the horizon when you lose your mucus plug, though it could still be days or weeks away.

Week 37 of Pregnancy

Baby would probably not have to spend time in the NICU if he or she were born during week 37, but it would still be considered an early term birth.

What’s New in Week 37?

Your doctor may offer to do a membrane sweep in the upcoming weeks to get the labor process started. Membrane stripping isn’t the most pleasant procedure, but you can read more about the risks and benefits here to decide if it’s a good option for you.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 37

Now’s the time to brush up on what you learned in childbirth class. Practice your breathing and other coping techniques with your birthing partner, and try to relax as you wait for labor to begin. After all, it could be tomorrow—or it could be three to four more weeks!

Week 38 of Pregnancy

Baby’s probably reached his or her birth weight and would officially be considered full-term if born between 38 and 40 weeks.

What’s New in Week 38

You know how Braxton Hicks contractions feel, but do you know what real contractions feel like? Real contractions feel more like intense period cramps that become more frequent and intense as they progress. If you’re having real contractions, start timing their duration and frequency. Typically, you’ll follow a 5-1-1 rule: head to the hospital when contractions are five minutes apart, last one minute each, and continue for at least one hour.

Week 39 of Pregnancy

It’s two weeks until your official due date, and you were probably officially over being pregnant weeks ago. But hang in there, mama: The end is in sight and it won’t be long until you’re soaking up all the baby snuggles you can stand.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 39

One thing I recommend? Make homemade padsicles to put in your mesh hospital undies when you get home, because they feel heavenly on stitched-up, swollen lady parts post-delivery. To make a padsicle, take a heavy, overnight pad, and saturate it with aloe and witch hazel. Fold it neatly back up, place back in its packaging, and stick in your freezer.

Week 40 of Pregnancy

Pregnancy Symptoms During Week 40

Totally. Over. It. That’s it.

Things to Keep in Mind During Week 40

Pregnancy is a marathon, and you’re at the finish line! You got this, mama!

Weeks 41 and 42 of Pregnancy

What’s New in Weeks 41 and 42?

Oh, did we forget to mention that your baby most likely won’t be born on his or her due date? In fact, in a 2013 study, 41 percent of the women surveyed said their doctors recommended induction since they had gone past their due date. And if you’re a first-time mom, chances are even more likely you’ll still be pregnant past 40 weeks.
Now, while most babies do tend to make their appearance around week 41 if they haven’t already, some like the womb a little too much, and those babies need to GET OUT.
According to Prince, “After 40 weeks, an ultrasound, as well as a non-stress test is likely to be performed to assess fetal well being. Your physician may also begin the discussion about inducing labor if labor is not spontaneous or the ultrasound and non-stress test show decreased fetal well-being and decreased amniotic fluid levels. The good news? Delivery of your baby will definitely be prior to 42 weeks!”

Tags 9/31/18, Publishupdate, search

Health x Body Wellbeing

Why Herbalism, And What It’s Like To Work With A Registered Herbalist

Post author By Linsey Stevens
Post date July 5, 2019

Herbalism popped up on my radar a few months back, when I was considering visiting a chiropractor or acupuncturist to address some ongoing health-related issues. I’m all for eating, drinking, and working my way toward my own personal definition of wellness, but until recently I hadn’t considered herbal medicine as an approach to managing chronic headaches, allergies, or reproductive health issues.
If you’ve ever found yourself in Whole Foods feeling completely overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar herbs and supplements you could stock up on, or if you’ve wondered what it’s like to take tinctures or use herbal teas medicinally, here’s my tell-all, plus a Q+A with Zoe Kissam of Traditional Medicinals—whose products you’ll enjoy even more once you know how they’re made and who they’re supporting.

How Herbalism Found Me

Last fall I reconnected with Charis Boke, a Cornell PhD candidate I met eight years ago at Cornell’s Intensive Nepali Language Program. I was immediately enamored with Boke. Her Nepali was awe inspiring; she was well read, well traveled, and well spoken (in the this-is-social-justice-in-action kind of way); and she taught me how to pour a beer.
Boke’s research interests have changed since we last saw each other. She studies and writes about herbalism and self-identifies as “a scholar–practitioner, an environmental and medical anthropologist who takes plant medicine and its practitioners seriously and practices herbalism herself.” In addition to her research and teaching—and leading student groups in the Himalayas—she was willing to talk herbalism with me when we reconnected.

Why Herbalism Piqued My Interest

We covered a lot of ground during our Skype session, from herbal teas and infusions to fermented foods and digestive aids. The way Boke speaks about plants and food on the level of metaphor—Roses are beautiful, but they have thorns. They have boundaries, right?—is exciting.
I also appreciated the judgment-free space she created, which wound up carrying over into my initial consultation with Kristine Brown, an American Herbalists Guild registered herbalist who practices over the river on the Illinois side of the Saint Louis metro area, where I live.
Like Boke, Brown was completely unperturbed by my self-disclosure of not-so-fun female health issues and having participated in intense group therapy sessions in 2017. (We’re talking everything from anger- and shame-release techniques involving boxing gloves and punching bags to practicing guided meditation.)
Meeting with Brown, I got to see how and where an herbalist works, which wound up being an important part of my introduction to herbal medicine. She welcomed me into her study—the front room of a saged-out farmhouse piled high with books and adorned with eclectic artwork and animal bones—and we settled in for a most interesting (and thorough) intake visit.

Interested in seeing a registered herbalist? Here are my recommendations based on my initial consultation.

Dear Curious, meet the American Herbalists Guild.

Boke told me in our Skype session that she recommended I see an herbalist in person, given the extent of my health concerns. She pointed me to the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), a non-profit organization that “promotes clinical herbalism as a viable profession rooted in ethics, competency, diversity, and freedom of practice” and “supports access to herbal medicine for all and advocates excellence in herbal education.”

Poking around the Herbalists Guild site took the edge off my concern that herbalism might just be the kind of woo-woo that deserves the cynic’s raised eyebrow. It should be noted that in many states, anyone can call themselves an herbalist as an extension of their free speech, but becoming a registered herbalist (or RH) through the AHG involves years of study, casework, and mentorship.
It was through the Guild’s site that I found Brown, who runs Luna Farm, Luna Herb Co., and Herbal Roots Zine (meaning she is a farmer, writer, and educator in addition to being a practicing herbalist). Brown has trained under Leslie Alexander, PhD, a registered herbalist with a background in laboratory science and environmental epidemiology (all of which sounds decidedly less woo than my background in the humanities).
Long story short: If you’re ready to graduate from curious about herbalism to consulting with an herbalist, visit the AHG’s list of practitioners.

Set aside some time to complete the intake paperwork.

After scheduling my initial appointment, I printed out Brown’s 15 pages of intake paperwork, which included information about her relationship with the American Herbalists Guild and dozens of questions about my family history, physical health, childhood, dietary habits, the state of my emotions and feelings, and my impetus for seeking out an herbal consultation.
One Saturday afternoon I curled up with my lapdesk and a trusty pen and got to work. I answered the questions as honestly as possible and was impressed by how effortlessly they guided my thoughts on my experience of health. I was able to really get a sense of how herbal medicine approaches the mind–body connection, which prepared me for a raw and real discussion.
I suggest giving yourself a chunk of alone time to complete your herbalist’s paperwork because it will require concentration and a great deal of self-honesty about your relationships (both with your body and the other people in your life). For me, it was akin to a journaling experience—not something you want to be doing over breakfast with your SO, while paying bills, or when you’re responsible for supervising kiddos’ playtime.

Invest in a snazzy calendar or notebook.

Or prepare to get cozy with Google Calendar or a favorite diet-tracking app. I’ve always shied away from this exercise because it seems so nitpicky, but Brown’s intake paperwork featured a lot of questions about diet, and I wish I’d started tracking my eats prior to scheduling my first appointment.
If you’re considering seeing an herbalist but haven’t set something up yet, start logging your snacks and meals today; it’ll make the intake paperwork and initial consultation that much easier. If you’re off to see an herbalist tomorrow, know that they will likely encourage you to log your diet in addition to whatever herbal teas and other herbal supplements you wind up incorporating into your self-care routine.

Forget palm reading: Prepare to have your tongue read.

Yes, you read that right. One of the ways an herbalist might evaluate your overall health is by having a good look at your tongue—and diagramming it. “Stick out your tongue” is something most of us have heard since the days of pediatricians with popsicle sticks, but when it came time for my tongue reading (which I was expecting after reviewing Brown’s consultations page), I realized I shouldn’t have sipped mint tea during the drive from the office to her place. I wanted to have fresh breath for the appointment but wound up muddling things a bit.
[pullquote align=”center”]Herbal medicine emphasizes emotional well-being just as much as it does the use of herbal remedies for physical ailments.[/pullquote]
Among other things, Brown noted a green film on the underside of my tongue, which she told me could be from the tea or an indication of certain nutritional deficiencies. My takeaway: Stick to water the day of your appointment.

It’s not the therapist’s couch, but…

Get ready to answer some questions you haven’t been asked by your GP and to explore some unexpected ideas. I was surprised by many of Brown’s questions and my own responses, and I learned that herbal medicine emphasizes emotional well-being just as much as it does the use of herbal remedies for physical ailments.
Going into your initial consultation, you can take heart in the American Herbalists Guild code of ethics, which features a confidentiality statement:
“Personal information gathered in the herbalist/client relationship will be held in strict confidence by the AHG member unless specifically allowed by the client.”
Brown’s paperwork went so far as to reference HIPAA privacy regulations, so between that and the professionalism and open mindedness she exuded, I felt comfortable telling her anything I would share with a doctor or even a shrink. And ultimately my openness with her led to creative and insightful recommendations that went far beyond herbal supplementation.

Know that herbalism isn’t either/or.

While herbalism might seem super crunchy or “far out,” herbalists aren’t anti-MD or against allopathic medicine. According to a peer-reviewed study that included 479 naturopaths and Western herbalists, 99 percent consider documented, traditional evidence to be essential or important. The study’s conclusion: “Naturopaths and [Western herbal medicine] practitioners accept the importance of scientific evidence whilst maintaining the importance and use of traditional evidence.”
Anecdotally, during my initial visit, Brown discussed how helpful it can be to have the results from recent bloodwork, and her intake paperwork makes it clear that she’s supportive of clients having an MD in addition to working with an herbalist. Also, I did not turn to herbalism for a diagnosis.
[pullquote align=”center”]I see herbalism as a new way to approach my body that allows me to move from asking “What’s wrong with me?” to “What more can I know about myself?”[/pullquote]
I understand my symptomatology in light of diagnoses from healthcare providers including an allergist, a geneticist, and a wonderful women’s health nurse practitioner and see herbalism as a new way to approach my body that allows me to move from asking “What’s wrong with me?” to “What more can I know about myself?”

Starting the Herbal Regimen

Herbal medicine isn’t a quick fix. I would love to say I’m less hustle and more flow, but I tend toward a third descriptor: the less-sexy antsy. It takes time for an herbalist to put their recommended protocol together, but I’m used to a world where I can swerve through the pharmacy’s drive-through and have a prescription in my hands 30 minutes after leaving the doctor’s office.
When I received Brown’s recommendations via email—six days after we met—I felt like a long-distance lover pining for an emotionally charged airport reunion. It was go time!
Or not…because incorporating herbal medicine into your routine is predicated on having herbs, which in many cases means ordering them, waiting for them, and preparing them (sometimes overnight or throughout the day), all of which makes herbalism just as much ritual as it is remedy.
In between receiving my protocol from Brown and getting the herbs to put the plans into action, I had plenty of time to think about her recommendations, which fell into four categories: herbal, supplement, dietary, and lifestyle. I’ll share the basics to give you a taste, but note that dosage information is omitted since it will differ significantly depending on a person’s needs, symptoms, size, and sensitivities.

Herbal Suggestions

Herbal Extracts

Also known as tinctures (such a cool word, right?) extracts are essentially herbs in alcohol or another solvent that are dispensed from a little dropper bottle. Brown recommended a vitex, aka chasteberry, tincture for rebalancing my never-sure-how-it’s-feeling female reproductive system, and she suggested New England aster drops for addressing my allergies and asthma.
While there’s plenty of research on the use of vitex for female reproductive health (it’s formally approved for the treatment of PMS in Germany), New England aster is a more obscure treatment that’s being revived by herbalists including Brown and jim mcdonald, who both have wonderful articles on their experiences with the strong, flowering plant.
I purchased my herbal tinctures directly from Brown, who makes them herself, and they’re the first thing I got my hands on because they were available locally. I picked them up one morning before work and excitedly hauled them into the office.
Brown told me some people squirt tinctures directly into their mouths, and I’m a fan of sour, bitter, and bold flavors. So seated comfortably in a bathroom stall thinking Go hard or go home, I leaned my head back and took the dropperful of vitex straight—no chaser. It was potent, but not unbearable. Next up was the New England aster tincture, and whoa mama, I don’t recommend that.
My eyes were watering, my throat burned, and I was worried that my co-workers would think I’d had a two-martini breakfast. I learned then and there to dilute my herbal tinctures in a splash of water or the end of a cup of herbal tea.
In addition to diluting tinctures, I also recommend keeping dropper bottles of them easily accessible wherever you’ll be taking them to cut down on the hauling back and forth. For example, I take them first thing in the morning, after lunch, and before bed, so I have dropper bottles of both herbal tinctures at home and on my desk at the office, which has made following the regimen significantly less stressful.

Herbal Infusions

I wouldn’t call myself Tincture Girl (though following the regimen has gotten easier), so I was pretty excited to see if the infusions were more my jam.
What’s an infusion? Think an overnight or all-day tea. Instead of steeping a bag or infuser of loose leaf for a few minutes before sipping, you let larger quantities of dry ingredients—for example, a cup of dry herbs in four cups of water—soak while you sleep. In the morning, you have an herbal infusion you can drink throughout the day.
Brown recommended I rotate infusions of linden, milky oat tops, and nettle: one infusion a day each day of the week. According to her protocol, “Milky oats is nourishing to the nervous system; nettle is full of vitamins and minerals, gives energy, and can decrease allergic reaction to various types of allergies over time; linden is another nervine and also supportive of the heart, both physically and emotionally, and increases circulation,” all of which sounded excellent, especially considering I have a cold constitution (think perpetually chilly hands and feet).
[pullquote align=”center”]I went from pouring myself a cup to panicking that I wasn’t going to be able to follow the infusion regimen.[/pullquote]
The pound of linden—leaves and flowers from the linden or lime tree—arrived first. The night the package came I boiled a kettle full of water before bed, dumped the goods in a trusty thermos, and let ’er steep. In the morning, I went from pouring myself a cup to panicking that I wasn’t going to be able to follow the infusion regimen. I’m not a fan of the term mouthfeel, and the linden infusion did not have a good mouthfeel. Thick and gelatinous sums it up, and I was pretty much choking it down.
The oat top infusion was pleasant (and tea like), but on day three, I found the nettle infusion disturbingly strong, like straining the liquid off of sauteed spinach and slurping it down.
I felt like a failure. Had I messed up the ratios? Did I just have a weak stomach that would forever get in the way of my healing?
I texted Brown, who encouraged me to try diluting the linden infusion and turning to another herb, peppermint, to mask the “green” flavor of the nettles. The next time I made the linden tea, I used a third of the amount of dry herb she’d initially recommended; a bag of peppermint tea per cup of nettle infusion has made it my favorite-tasting herbal remedy so far.
Planning on incorporating herbal infusions? You’ll want to have plenty of mason jars on hand, and get yourself a wide-mouth funnel and a strainer set to ensure your infusions make it from vessel to vessel seamlessly.

Supplement Suggestions

I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency years ago and take a vitamin D supplement daily. Brown recommended I stay on that and add a magnesium supplement, which she said helps with vitamin D absorption.
Although she noted that powdered magnesium, which you’d mix with water and drink, is the most bioavailable form, I asked her to recommend a capsule. Between the tinctures and infusions, I wasn’t excited about adding one more liquid (that wasn’t coffee or LaCroix) to my routine.

Dietary Suggestions

Bone broth, cinnamon, and lentils were among Brown’s dietary suggestions, though I was pleased to get her overall stamp of approval on my flexitarian approach to eating.
I’ve definitely noticed that I’m drinking more water and fewer sugary beverages since incorporating the herbal infusions into my everyday, and I do put cinnamon in my overnight oats regularly since receiving the protocol. At this point, bone broth is still on my to-try list, and I see myself continuing to turn to various curries for the boost of turmeric associated with the lentil dish Brown recommended for weekday lunches.

Lifestyle Suggestions

Ecotherapy

I’m not a cold-weather person, and I’m not going to lie: The dreary winter months meant many nights on the couch with Carrie, Mr. Big, and the ladies of Sex and the City. During my intake visit, I told Brown I take a walk to the grocery store or around a park or my neighborhood about once a week, but that may have been fudging a bit. Her recommendation: more time outdoors for the sake of my mental health.
“Start by doubling what you do now. Instead of one walk a week around the block or in the park, try twice a week. Even a walk around the block at lunchtime is good. Make a point to seek out natural environments during the walk: Focus on birdsongs, plants emerging, flowers blooming, trees leafing out. Gradually work on increasing this until you are walking four to five times a week.”

Alone Time

This recommendation was the clincher. After hearing about my home life and routines that mean I’m out of the house a lot while my husband works from home, she suggested I “work out a schedule for alone time in the house” while my husband is gone, “so you have time to just be with yourself.”
As a married person who struggles with codependent tendencies, this was a tall order, but it wound up leading to a fruitful conversation and more of what I need. (Not sure where to start when it comes to prioritizing self-love and alone time when you’re in a relationship? Check out these tips.)

Concerned about cost? Here’s what you can expect to invest in herbal products and consultations.

According to a University of Minnesota Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing resource, initial herbal consultation fees range from $30 to $60, and a monthly supply of herbs can cost between $30 and $60.
These numbers echo the investment I’ve made so far, and unlike chiropractic care and acupuncture, which are sometimes covered by insurance, consulting with an herbalist and purchasing bulk herbs and extracts based on their recommendations likely involves an out-of-pocket expense.
That said, the American Herbalists Guild’s code of ethics espouses humanitarian service, stating that members should not make monetary compensation their primary consideration. In addition to individual consultations, many herbalists offer more affordable group workshops that might put herbalism within reach regardless of your current financial situation.

Unsure about diving head first into working with an herbalist? How about a nice cup of (herbal) tea instead?

While following an herbalist’s recommendations has been an interesting and high-impact experience for me (nice to meet you, noticeably gentler monthly cycles and fewer headache days), when Boke and I first chatted herbs, she pointed out that many people incorporate herbalism into their daily routine without even knowing it. If you’ve ever sipped on a lemony brew when you’ve had a sore throat or peppermint tea for an upset stomach, you’ve treated yourself to a mugful of herbal medicine.
As my exploration of herbalism unfolded, I reached out to Traditional Medicinals—the most popular seller of wellness teas in the States and an American Herbalists Guild member institution—and was treated to a Q+A with Zoe Kissam, Traditional Medicinals herbalist and marketing manager of innovation.
Despite there being many barriers to herbalism and other complementary approaches to health, Kissam points out that “tea is a really accessible and unintimidating way of introducing people to herbs.”
I also appreciate and want to note that:

Regardless of your locale, odds are you can find quality herbal teas at your go-to grocery store.
If cost is a barrier, herbal teas may be more accessible than supplements, tinctures, and infusions. They require a modest initial investment—typically less than $10 for a box or tin of about 20 servings.
While items that have “a Supplement Facts label [are] considered a supplement and [are] not eligible for SNAP purchase,” some herbal teas, including certain Traditional Medicinals products, can be purchased using SNAP/food stamps.
You can take teas on the go. By throwing a few bags of your favorite herbal teas in your purse, diaper bag, or coat pocket, you can enjoy an impromptu tea time whenever you have a moment for yourself and access to hot water.

Herbal Tea Q+A

Kissam is a Sonoma County, California, native who first started incorporating herbs into her wellness routine as a teenager. She worked at a health food store, grew her understanding of what it meant to live a holistic lifestyle, and went on to earn her certification in herbalism and her clinical certification. As of 2018, she’s worked at Traditional Medicinals for 11 years (and counting).
Publisher’s note: This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

HealthyWay: Who were you educated under and what traditions inform your approach to herbs?

Kissam: I studied at the California School of Herbal Studies, which focuses on Western herbal medicine but touches on a myriad of traditional herbal medicine practices like Chinese medicine and Ayurveda and even Native American herbal medicine.

What is Traditional Medicinals’ process for determining its herbal tea blends?

New products come to our innovation team in a number of ways. Our herbalists consider the need state or benefit that the tea should provide and then look at traditional formulations or modern phytotherapy that will support the best and most rational herbal formula to meet those needs. All formulas are reviewed through our [research and development] team for safety, as well as through our supply chain to make sure we can find enough high-quality herbs to meet demand.

What are Traditional Medicinals’ most popular blends and why?

Smooth Move is our best-selling laxative tea for occasional constipation. It is loved by tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers alike because of both its reliability and its gentle action in the way it works.
Throat Coat is one of our original formulas, featuring soothing slippery elm, licorice, and marshmallow root promote throat health.

Turmeric With Meadowsweet and Ginger is one of our new kids on the block but is quickly becoming a top seller because of its unique combination of well-known turmeric and herbalist-loved meadowsweet and ginger. This tea is an herbal trifecta of ancient wisdom and soothing relief that promotes healthy digestion and supports a healthy response to inflammation associated with exercise.

What different types of professionals does Traditional Medicinals have on staff, and what is it like working with these different people—and learning from them—to make and market herbal products?

Traditional Medicinals employs over 180 people that support our mission-driven different company in so many ways.
We have eight herbal experts that span the company from [research and development] and marketing to quality control. Collectively, they have over 100 years of combined experience during which they have authored more than 25 books, led a wide variety of industry groups and panels, and helped a vast number of people improve their health and wellness with plant medicine.
But we have a belief that the plants call people to work in this company, and all 180 of those employees are herb nerds in some way or another. It is this group of impassioned people that truly believe in serving our mission that embraces sustainability, ingredient purity, and social and environmental activism.

Why do you think people are comfortable with teas, and what role do you see Traditional Medicinals playing in making herbal medicine accessible?

Well tea itself, referring to the Camellia sinensis plant which produces green and black tea, is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. For me, it’s a personal connection—my mom drank a cup of tea every night after dinner and my grandmother and her friends always served tea with dessert.
Many people have rituals around drinking a cup of hot tea and may not even think about it. Many associate herbal tea with relaxation, which is an obvious reason why some of our teas for tension and stress are so popular and why chamomile tea itself, for all brands, is the number one selling herbal tea in the health and natural foods channel.
Tea, as a form, is warm, comforting, and inviting. The fact that it can also have a benefit is icing on the cake. This is why we believe tea is a really accessible and unintimidating way of introducing people to herbs.

Are your teas as potent as tinctures or infusions?

All of our teas are formulated to provide benefits and support the claims we make. There are some herbs that are more beneficial in capsule or tincture form because they are not water soluble. However, all of our blends use herbs that are quite appropriate in tea—digestive teas getting right where they need to go, Throat Coat tea coating the throat as it is consumed, and so on. Anyone drinking these teas should feel very confident that they are getting an appropriate dose of the herbs that we blend with.

What types of teas, if any, do you recommend for pregnancy, anxiety, and depression, and why?

For pregnancy, depending on the stage of pregnancy you are in, there are many herbs that can be supportive.

Ginger can help with morning sickness.
Raspberry leaf can help in the second trimester and beyond to tone the uterus and get the body prepared for labor.

For occasional anxiety we have several formulas that are great to take, and honestly just sitting down and slowing down and having a cup of tea can be really helpful.

Our Chamomile With Lavender tea settles your nervous system and relaxes your digestive system, [so it’s] especially good when stressed or tense.
Our Stress Ease Cinnamon tea features a favorite herb of herbalists, skullcap, which relieves stress and irritability and promotes relaxation, plus it’s really tasty! I love drinking it in the late afternoon on a hectic day or right before my cycle starts and I’m feeling a little, let’s say, “edgy”?

Do you have any recommended regimens for regular consumption or drinking during an illness, PMS, or menstruation?

Our teas support various functions of the body and aid in conditions like occasional constipation, getting a good night’s sleep, or heart health. We have over 60 that are supportive for digestion, relaxation, seasonal care, women’s health, et cetera.
For PMS and menstruation we have a range of teas that can offer support during different phases of a woman’s life.

Healthy Cycle is a blend of herbs that can help regulate the menstrual cycle and can even help with cramping.
Weightless tea is helpful for water retention.
Raspberry Leaf tea also helps support regular menstrual cycles.
Stress Ease Cinnamon can help support irritability and promote relaxation and can be really helpful during PMS.

Is it safe to combine Traditional Medicinals’ teas with other medications? Are there any specific teas that should be approached with caution?

Everyone should check with their doctor or healthcare practitioner before using herbs in combination with other medications. All of our teas include cautions and warnings on the box that are different depending on the products and should be referenced.

Are there any teas women should avoid while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Because every pregnancy is different, always check with your healthcare practitioner prior to using herbs while pregnant or breastfeeding. We find that some moms commonly enjoy the following teas during pregnancy or breastfeeding. For use of other teas during these times, please speak with your healthcare practitioner.
Pregnancy: Ginger tea, Pregnancy tea, Raspberry Leaf tea, Lemon Balm tea
Nursing: Mother’s Milk, Mother’s Milk Shatavari

Are all your teas organic? How does Traditional Medicinals decide where to source ingredients from?

95 percent of our teas are organic. We source our organic and high-quality herbs from the environments where they can be grown at a medicinal grade. This helps to ensure that the active constituents are in the right amounts so that you get a consistent benefit from our teas, cup after cup.

Traditional Medicinals is making a Throat Coat “Just for Kids.” How does it differ from Throat Coat, and do you recommend any other teas for children?

Just for Kids Cold Care is formulated specifically for children featuring lower doses of herbs and a [sweetener-free, 100 percent herbal] taste kids enjoy. Currently this item is only available for purchase online, via Amazon or other retailers. For other teas, always read the side panel. Teas not suitable for children will indicate they are for adults only and may list age restrictions.

Any tips for preparing and enjoying herbal teas?

First, check the back of your Traditional Medicinals tea box and read the instructions to see if there are any unique suggestions, such as adding milk or sugar. Each of our teas will also have a suggested steeping time, which depends greatly on the herbs inside. These practices often improve the taste of the tea and effectiveness of the herbs.
Boil water and pour into your teacup with the tea bag placed inside.
Cover your teacup and allow the herbs to steep. After a few minutes, it’s not just water that is acting on the herbs. The water itself changes as the herbs infuse into it. Depending on what compounds are first released, the water can become a mild acid or base, which in turn affects the release of other compounds in the herbs.
The act of covering your tea ensures warmth, a full extraction, and that the essential oils of the herbs, which are very beneficial, stay in your cup. This is why the recommended steeping times on our tea boxes range from five to 15 minutes for full potency.

I’ve been poking around Plant Power Journal and noticed that Traditional Medicinals has a number of other outreach and educational efforts.

Traditional Medicinals is committed to social development projects funded in sourcing communities—and women and girls are some of the greatest beneficiaries.
One of Traditional Medicinals’ programs is the Revive Project, which focuses on water security interventions in the senna-growing villages of Rajasthan, India. In 2009, Traditional Medicinals, Traditional Medicinals Foundation, and WomenServe launched the project in the Thar Desert, one of the driest places on earth, where temperatures can reach as high as 122° F. Women and girls must walk miles for hours each day in search of water for their families, crops, and livestock.
In an effort to overcome these challenges, the Revive Project’s initiatives have so far benefitted six communities with around 12,000 villagers. The project has desilted and expanded six large community ponds, dug and rebuilt 145 agricultural rainwater catchment systems, and constructed 510 taankas (underground rainwater catchments) for families in need. These taankas provide year-round water security, eliminating the need for women and girls to walk thousands of miles each year and providing them with the opportunity to attend school and trainings, engage in income-generating activities, and become empowered village leaders.

Anything else you’d like readers to know?

While tea is an accessible and familiar way to introduce people to the power of plants, sometimes people need something more portable. That is why we are very excited to debut our new line of products for new moms and moms-to-be that are convenient, on-the-go versions of our well-loved teas: Morning Ease Lemon Ginger Lozenges, Mommy to Be Raspberry Leaf Chews, Mother’s Milk Chocolate, Fruit, and Nut Bars, and Mother’s Milk Lemon Chews.
Want to learn more about Clue, the app I’ve used to keep track of my cycles, energy, and activity since implementing Brown’s recommendations? Check out “6 Femtech Apps That Are Changing How Women Handle Their Health.” Interested in adaptogens? Read up on reishi, ginseng, ashwagandha, and where to get high-quality herbs here.

Tags 9/5/18, Commerce, Publishupdate, search

Nosh

12 Popular Foods That Are Complete And Total Frauds

Post author By Scott Bender
Post date May 5, 2019

Cooking using all-natural foods is a wonderful way to know what you’re eating, but it’s also a great way to spend a lot of money. Not everyone has the financial resources or time required to craft a 100 percent farm-to-table menu at home, meaning most of us opt for something a little easier with relative frequency.

But it might be time to rethink our eating options, especially considering that these 12 foods are notorious frauds.
Portions of this article were updated on Oct. 23, 2018.

1. Red Velvet Cake

Everyone loves red velvet cake. What’s not to love? There’s cake, there’s cream cheese, usually there are some sprinkles on top, and it’s delicious. #treatyoself. The thing is, we also love red velvet cake because the taste is comforting and decadent, even though the color indicates something, well, unnatural is probably going on.

Red velvet cake is really just chocolate cake with some food coloring (some people use beet juice for a natural coloring effect). During the Great Depression, a Texas company began selling food coloring and flavoring extracts that were purported to cut down on the costs of cooking. One recipe that Adams Extracts brought to life was the red velvet cake.
The story is mentioned in the 2014 New York Times article titled “Red Velvet Cake: A Classic, Not a Gimmick.” It goes like this:

After Congress passed the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 1938, shoring up regulations for food coloring, Mr. Adams [the company’s founder] figured he could sell a lot more extracts and dyes, and a red cake would be just the way to do it. Sometime in the 1940s, the company tricked out a mahogany cake [popular at the Waldorf Astoria where Adams and his wife enjoyed it] recipe with food coloring, printed it on cards and began plans to merchandise it alongside bottles of vanilla, red dye and artificial butter flavoring, which was popular when butter was rationed during World War II.

Today, red-velvet themed products from pancakes to candles are available all over, and it’s still a favorite, even if it really is just dyed chocolate cake. Want to make your own? You can find a red velvet cake recipe here.

2. Wasabi

If you go out for some sushi, you know you’re going to mix that fiery hot green wasabi in with some soy sauce (or just smear a dollop of it on top of every single bite of California roll, if you’re a real heat seeker). The catch is, real wasabi is incredibly expensive and the stuff we’re typically served at our local sushi joint isn’t actually wasabi.

The Daily Meal states, “The wasabi you’ve most likely had differs quite a bit from the real thing. Wasabi roots are difficult to grow, and a pound can cost up to $100, so a substitute is often made by combining mustard, horseradish, and food coloring to give it its iconic light green hue.”
The biggest difference is that, as with almost all culinary cost-cutting methods, the flavor of the product is compromised. Real wasabi has more of a pleasurable kick at the end, whereas the cheaper concoction will give you that runny-nose burn. That said, most of us will happily endure a little short-term pain over the alternatives: a long-term loss of money we’d have to spend on the real thing, or sushi without that signature spiciness we know (isn’t real) and love.

If you’re set on trying the real thing, here are a few ways to make your own genuine wasabi-flavored condiments at home.

3. Crab Meat

Hold on tight for this one, because if you don’t already know about this, then what you’re about to read will essentially do what Supersize Me did for the McDonald’s chicken nugget.

In Japanese, those iconic crab sticks (pictured above) are called surimi, which actually means “ground meat”—and they’re essentially the oceanic version of the hot dog.
HuffPost explains, “Surimi is made of different kinds of fish, which are ground together [and pulverized] into a paste. According to SF Gate, manufacturers add starch, artificial flavors, sodium and sometimes MSG.” Then, of course, it is dyed with orange food coloring to give it that authentic, crab-like look.

Unless you’re averse to food colorings, this might not seem like a big issue. And while it’s not as bad for most consumers as eating an actual hot dog, the HuffPost article points out that, “Because starch is often made from wheat, imitation crab meat is not gluten free. True crab meat, on the other hand, is safe for the gluten-averse.”
“On most nutritional counts,” it goes on to note, “this processed seafood pales in comparison to the real thing.”
In our opinion, it’s best not to ingest imitation anything, so try to go for the salmon, tuna, or yellowtail when eating sushi—or opt for vegetarian and vegan options like mushroom rolls and delicious inarizushi. Also, we are not listing a recipe for making your own fake crab meat because doing that at home could be…disastrous.

4. White Chocolate

White chocolate is hit or miss with most people (our favorites, though, include white chocolate Crunch bars and Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme). The funny thing about white chocolate, of course, is the fact that it’s hardly chocolate at all.

As described in this Greatist article, “Real chocolate contains three must-have components: chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa solids (often in addition to other ingredients). But the white kind lacks chocolate liquor and cocoa solids—which means it’s also missing flavanols, the antioxidants that give the authentic stuff nutritional benefits.”
So, not only does white chocolate lack much of what makes chocolate chocolate, it is void of the few healthy components that come with chocolate, too. In 2004, the FDA got involved and mandated a law that required white chocolate to have a minimum of at least 20 percent cocoa butter and no more than 55 percent sugar or other sweeteners.

That way companies couldn’t basically put sugar on a stick and call it white chocolate. In case you’re curious, here’s a recipe for making white chocolate—not sure why you’d want to though!

5. Pomegranate Juice

You should probably be a little cautious about anything labeled “juice” or “fruit drink.” It is worth checking the ingredient list since more often than not, you’ll find some oddities in there—along with an insanely high dose of sugar.

That said—we know that pomegranates are incredibly healthy and do amazing things for your heart and cholesterol levels, but the problem with buying the “juice” version is that you might not be getting that healthful beverage you were after. Unfortunately, it’s not just off-brand companies trying to claim their products offer you the benefits of the pomegranate; magnate corporation Coca-Cola was actually sued by Pom Wonderful because they were putting out a drink and calling it “Blueberry-Pomegranate Juice.”
Yet, as discussed in this article from The New York Times, “the blend, sold under Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid brand, is made almost entirely from apple and grape juice. [The juice] is made up of 99.4 percent apple and grape juices, 0.3 percent pomegranate juice, 0.2 percent blueberry juice and 0.1 percent raspberry juice.”

The lesson here is to check your labels, or, to be extra safe, make your own juice. Interested? Learn how to seed and juice a pomegranate here.

6. Breakfast Syrup

Unless you’re putting the tap into a tree and getting the maple syrup yourself, it’s tough to say exactly what you’re eating when you drizzle Aunt Jemima (or any other) syrup over your waffles. Most likely, unless it’s labeled as 100 percent pure, authentic maple syrup, it’s probably a mixture of corn syrup, cane syrup, and a slew of natural and/or artificial ingredients and sweeteners.

Some people take this blasphemy very serious, so much so that there was a law being pushed forward that would make it illegal to sell fake maple syrup. The Huffington Post reported that “legislation would make the sale of fraudulent maple syrup a felony offense with up to a five-year maximum penalty. Currently, it is only a misdemeanor. The MAPLE (Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement ) Act aims to protect the producers of maple syrup.”
While it’s best to go with a natural fruit topping for your favorite breakfast items, we know that is not going to always happen. The next time you’re at the store, it might be worth spending the extra couple dollars to get something authentic rather than a jug of artificial (and clawing) sweetness.

Since maple syrup is all natural, here is a link to buy your own tap kit. Note that it does not come with a flannel shirt or wool beanie.

7. Bacon Bits

Bacon is one heck of a trendy culinary pick right now. And it’s earned its stripes—it is delicious. You can put bacon on just about anything and it will increase the flavor and texture while boding well for foodie photos. However, you have to be careful when eating it because while some products may be called bacon, there’s a possibility that they’re something else.

Enter bacon bits. Shockingly enough, those little nibs of goodness are actually vegetarian! Greatist explains what they’re made from: “Lacking any animal products, these crispy bites are made of artificially flavored textured soy flour and other ingredients including caramel color, maltodextrin, yeast extract, and flavor enhancers called disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.”

So technically, if you’re vegetarian or even vegan, you could eat these little toppers, but we warn you, it may not be the best idea. If you’re really craving some bacon, you could always buy an actual package, cook it, and then refrigerate the leftovers for use when needed.

8. Supermarket Sourdough

Sourdough bread is a classic baked good that has a long history and a tanginess that’s won it a place in the hearts (and stomachs) of many a carb connoisseur. Unfortunately, if you’re grabbing your sourdough off a grocery store shelf, it might not be sourdough at all.

Matt Bowler, founder of Bowler Organics, explains: “Sourdough bread and pasta set themselves apart from quick-rise products, and even some ‘sourdough’-labeled products because of the presence of lactobacillus, a type of bacteria which naturally produces lactic acid during the fermentation process.”
“Some of the more prevalent ‘sourdough’ products will leverage acid as an ingredient added to the dough rather than allowing the lactobacilli to work their magic.”

Even if you’ve been satisfied with the flavor of your go-to faux sourdough, you’re missing out on some other key benefits of genuine sourdough, according to Bowler.
“Quick-rise breads utilizing commercial yeast products—whose rise-time may be less than two to three hours—essentially cheat the process during which those nutrients and enzymes are unlocked. This results in fewer readily-available nutrients our bodies can use.”
On the contrary, “fermentation with sourdough cultures, which tends to last between six and 36 hours, ensures active microbial colonies are working to break down grains and allow the finished product to be much easier for our bodies to process.”

Plus, all the lactobacillus in real sourdough starters means it’s full of probiotics, right? Not so fast! “Sourdough bread is not a probiotic product due to the high temperatures reached while baking,” says Bowler. “Enzymes are effectively deactivated between temperatures of 120 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit.”
That doesn’t mean sourdough isn’t great for your gut. Here are Bowler’s tips for buying bread that’s the real deal:

Always look at the ingredients label first. Yeast should never be listed as an ingredient for naturally-leavened, true sourdough bread.
No acids should be listed as an ingredient in a genuine loaf of sourdough. Sourdough is very simple and consists of only base two ingredients: water and flour. Salt is added during the process to facilitate fermentation and influence flavor. So, generally speaking, you should look for a basic loaf of sourdough to contain only flour, water, and salt.
Other grains can be added while still allowing the bread to be classified as sourdough.

To find out if the sourdough bread at your grocery store is legit, “check the labeling, and if you have questions or suspicions, don’t be afraid to ask the bakers about the fermentation process,” Bowler says. “Ask how old their sourdough starter, or ‘mother,’ is and if they proof their dough at room temp or in the fridge, or both. A quick-fermented sourdough loaf will typically undergo between two and four hours of bulk fermentation and an additional two to 24-plus hours of during final fermentation. Cold-fermentation is usually performed during the final stage and will dramatically increase the sour flavor of the dough.”
Once you get your hands on a legit loaf, Bowler—who’s been nurturing his first sourdough starter, affectionately named “Josh,” for a year—has the following advice: “When experiencing sourdough products, I really enjoy tasting them plain first. No butter, cheese, honey, et cetera. There is a depth of flavor achieved by simple fermentation which sets legit sourdough apart from all other types of bread.”

“What’s more,” he says for the bakers out there, “your favorite style of bread can most likely be made with sourdough by substituting commercial yeast with some sourdough starter as an ingredient and modifying the process to account for longer fermentation and rise times.”

9. High Fiber Options

Fiber is an important part of any diet, and according to “High In Fiber: Everything You Need To Know About A High Fiber Diet,” a previous piece by HealthyWay, it’s essential to the health of our gut microbiomes. So rather than reaching for a slice of red velvet cake or even a bottle of real pomegranate juice when we need a little something sweet and tangy, we ought to opt for a high-fiber snack, right?

Registered dietitian Rachel Fine says this isn’t so cut and dry: “When it comes to packaged foods claiming to be high in fiber, it’s important to examine more than just the number on the label.”
She goes on to say that “plant-based, minimally processed foods are going to be your ideal source for naturally occurring intact fibers—such as beans, veggies, whole fruits, and whole grains. These foods offer significantly more nutrition per bite, and there is sufficient research supporting the wide array of health benefits behind intact naturally-occurring fibers.”
“Highly processed foods,” she says, pointing to ice cream treats, high fiber protein bars, and high fiber powders, “contain processed fibers, which are created in a lab from isolated starches. The research behind these fibers remains limited.”

She also stresses that “processed fibers lack additional nutrients and bioactive substances found in naturally occurring high fiber foods.”
Want a high fiber option that doesn’t contain isolated starches that hail from a lab? Rachel urges you to “compare a grain salad to a highly processed packaged food that is not usually high in fiber, e.g., cakes or brownies. Bottom line: If you’re trying to increase the fiber from your diet, do it from whole food sources.
Need some recipes to get you going? Check out the links in this piece on pulses.

10. Bottled Teas

Tea. It just sounds healthy. But odds are, if you’re reaching for sweetened flavored iced teas to quench your thirst, you’re actually sipping on what the FDA calls a sugar-sweetened beverage, or SSB, which in many cases includes sugar as the second ingredient (after water), along with preservatives and other unidentified natural flavors.

According to a resource from the State of Rhode Island Department of health, “the calories in sugar sweetened beverages can contribute to weight gain and provide little to no nutritional value. …Those extra calories can lead to other health risks including obesity, tooth decay, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”
Not exactly what you had in mind when you decided on tea rather than soda.
Zoe Kissam, herbalist and marketing manager of innovation at Traditional Medicinals—the most popular seller of wellness teas in the U.S.—says, “Quality matters when you are buying tea. While there currently isn’t an FDA standard definition for products labeled as ‘tea,’ our products fall into the dietary supplement and food categories, which are both highly regulated. In addition to our teas being formulated by herbalists, they also use medicinal grade herbs whenever possible, which simply means that our products deliver on their intended health benefits.”

Of course, this isn’t necessarily what you’re getting when you grab a bottle of tea on the run.
Kissam’s advice: “If you are trying to make healthy decisions, it really doesn’t matter if you are purchasing brewed/steeped at home or bottled iced teas. The best thing to do is read the labels so you know what you are getting. There are options for healthy and clean products in most categories—you just have to be conscious about what you are buying.”
Want to ensure you’re consuming the highest-quality iced tea (rather than an SSB)? Kissam says, “We have a range of teas that work really well as iced teas, including Hibiscus, Raspberry Leaf, Green Tea Matcha, Nettle, Stress Ease, and Roasted Dandelion Root.”

Traditional Medicinals even has a recipe for roasted dandelion iced “coffee” that Kissam says is one of her favorites—it’s pictured above.

11. Sugar-Free Snacks

Registered dietician Paige Penick says, “One of the things that drives me nuts is when labels say ‘sugar free’ on the front, because it’s very misleading.”
Working to cut added sugar out of our diets isn’t the problem. Penick says “sugar-free” packaging is deceptive because companies “usually make up for the lack of actual sugar by adding in something artificial, which may or may not give people—to put it nicely—gastrointestinal discomfort. There are more pleasant and healthful ways to address your sugar cravings.”

The Vermont Department of Public Health hosts a simple and informative resource that can help consumers identify different types of sweeteners in their foods. It also points out that:

There are two types of sweeteners found in food and beverages: sugars and sugar substitutes. Sugars provide calories, or energy, for our bodies and increase blood glucose, as well as overall calorie intake. All carbohydrate-containing foods, such as breads, fruits, vegetables, milk, and yogurt, increase blood sugar, even if they do not have added sugars.

Depending on your nutritional needs and goals, some sugar-free snacks might be right for you, but you may also want to explore options that contain no added sweeteners—sugar or otherwise.

12. Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be an extremely satisfying (and quick) breakfast option. And even if you’re a fan of steel cut or overnight oats, let’s be honest, almost everyone has their favorite flavor of single-serve instant oatmeal, too.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Kelsey Peoples says, “Instant oats come in a massive range of flavors now and often have little bits of fruit like raisins, apples, peaches, and dates.” So what’s the controversy?
“You may want to double check the ingredient list, as those little fruit chunks aren’t always what you’d think. One titan of the oatmeal industry has both Peaches and Cream and Strawberry and Cream [flavors] that use dehydrated apples with coloring and fruit flavoring—but no actual pieces of the fruit listed in the title.”

The cream? Well, she says that refers to “a ‘creaming agent’ made up of maltodextrin, plant oils, corn syrup solids, whey, and casein.” Looks like it might be best to add your own fresh or dried fruit and cream to plain instant, steel cut, or rolled oats after all.

Tags 5/5/17, 50022801, Commerce, fuel, hemingway, Publishupdate

Wellbeing

8 Remarkable Body Features That You Probably Don't Have

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date April 27, 2019

The human body is pretty incredible.
But some bodies are, shall we say, more incredible than others. Your genetics can give you a superpower—even if it’s a really, really dumb superpower. You’d want to know about something like that, right?
Sure you would. There’s nothing cooler than having a useless ability. We’re talking about stuff like…

1. Some people really don’t need to sleep very much.

If you’re lucky enough to have a specific variant of the BHLHE41 gene, you might be genetically resistant to the effects of sleep deprivation.

To put this another way, you can sleep less than most people while still enjoying all of the benefits of a full night’s rest.
People with this condition are called familial natural short sleepers (FNSS), and they get about two hours less sleep per night than the average person (so six hours instead of eight).

Many famous people, including Margaret Thatcher, are believed to have “suffered” from this unusual condition.

2. Tibetans are actually genetically mutated for high altitudes.

Tibetan sherpas are renowned for their ability to survive at high altitudes. They’re very aware of what it takes to survive on an elevation like that of Mount Everest—but recent research suggests that they’ve gotten a bit of a hand from evolution.

Researchers tested 50 Tibetans, along with 40 Han Chinese (Tibetans split off from the lineage of the Han Chinese some 2,750 years ago).
They found that 34 of the Tibetans had different genes from the Han Chinese. What’s more, one of those genes “codes for a protein involved in responding to falling oxygen levels and is associated with improved athletic performance in endurance athletes,” according to The Guardian.

One of the most amazing parts of the story is that the mutation appears to have become commonplace less than 3,000 years after the populations diverged. That makes this one of the fastest evolutionary mutations ever recorded in humans.

3. Some people have a second row of eyelashes.

Many people consider long, full eyelashes to be quite desirable, but who knew that there’s actually a defect that could cause this? Watch the video below to find out more about distichiasis—and which famous figure had the defect.
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4. The palmaris longus is a fascinating evolutionary remnant.

You can find out whether you have this tendon by pressing your thumb and pinky together and looking at your wrist. If you see a big tendon sticking out, congratulations—that’s your palmaris longus.

: Vox / YouTube

Apart from being an awesome band name, the palmaris longus has no real significance. It’s thought to be a remnant of a tendon that we used to climb trees earlier in our evolution.
If you’ve got this structure, there’s some good news: If you ever need a wrist tendon graft, that’s the tendon they’ll use. It doesn’t affect grip strength in any noticeable way, so it’s a purely pointless part of your body. Still, about 14 percent of people don’t have it, although that percentage varies greatly depending on your lineage.

Wikimedia

The preauricular sinus may be another vestigial feature from evolution. This is a tiny hole on your ear; some believe that it’s a remnant of gills, and one study makes a fairly convincing case.

5. You might be able to see more colors than most people (but probably not).

Your eye probably has three cones, which are structures that allow the eye to collect information about color and transmit it to the brain.

If you’re colorblind, you’ve only got two cones, and as a result, you see fewer differences between certain similar colors.
But some people are born with more. Tetrachromats have four cones in their eyes, allowing them to see 100 million distinct colors. Could you be one of them? Test how well you see color with this quiz:

Scientists have trouble tracking down tetrachromats, since these people rarely realize that they’re different. As a result, they may never “train” their eyes to look for the additional colors, which prevents them from seeing them (vision is kind of complicated). However, Popular Science was able to track down Concetta Antico, an artist who’s believed to be tetrachromatic.
So, what’s it like to have this gift?
https://www.instagram.com/p/Byk_L2GBhRQ/
“It’s shocking to me how little color people are seeing,” she said. “You might see dark green but I’ll see violet, turquoise, blue. It’s like a mosaic of color.”

6. One of the most eye-popping abnormalities is globe luxation.

Literally. Globe luxation is a rare condition in which your eyes can pop out of your head.
There’s no real advantage to this (although you can probably do a really, really good impression of the trucker from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. It’s mostly just a party trick that could possibly damage your eyes if you’re not careful.
It’s not all fun and games, however. One study notes that common causes of the disease include “thyroid eye disease, shallow orbit, and floppy eyelid syndrome.”
After you’re done snickering at the magnificent English phrase that is “floppy eyelid syndrome,” we’ll sadly inform you that globe luxation can also be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. With that in mind, if you’ve got this condition, you should probably see your doctor.

7. Perfect pitch certainly isn’t common, and there’s debate over whether it’s a natural gift.

Perfect pitch is the ability to identify and differentiate musical notes based on specific frequencies. In other words, you could hear a C# and correctly identify it as a C#.

If you’re not a musician, you might expect this to be a pretty common ability, but it’s incredibly rare. Fewer than 1 in 10,000 people has perfect pitch, and there’s been significant scientific debate as to whether it’s a natural ability.
For a long time, researchers believed that humans were either born with perfect pitch or they had to develop it at a very young age. Past a certain point, if you don’t have it, you won’t pick it up.

But recent research indicates that adults may be able to develop perfect pitch. That means that with enough training and perseverance, you, too, can immediately identify the key of your favorite Justin Bieber song.

8. You almost certainly don’t have an outie belly button.

You’re either an “innie” or an “outie,” and unless you heard differently, you probably assumed that it was about a 50/50 mix. That’s not quite the case; one study found that only 4 percent of adults have an outie. That percentage is significantly higher in children (for reasons that we’ll get into in a moment).

You might have also assumed that the shape and size of your belly button was dependent on how your doctor cut your umbilical cord, but this isn’t really the case. Most outies are caused by an umbilical hernia.
Basically, your inner parts push through your outer parts, but it’s not such a big deal—after all, your umbilical cord is kind of the best possible place for a hernia to occur.

Even so, doctors might eventually decide to close larger umbilical hernias. Most of these hernias close on their own by the time a child turns 5.

Tags 4/27/17, 50021246, body, hemingway, Publishupdate

Favorite Finds Motherhood

24 Underrated Parenting Products That Actually Work

Post author By Lisa Douglas
Post date March 31, 2019

Parenting can be really tough sometimes. The pacing, the lack of sleep, and the seemingly endless loads of laundry that pile up. Add to that the stress of the cost of raising a kid in the 21st century.
According to a report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average middle-income family will spend more than $12,500 per year on child-related expenses. Many of these expenses come from buying products that are supposed to make parenting easier—or your baby happier. Sometimes they’re great…other times they’re not. It’s so frustrating as a parent to spend money on something (and get excited about what it offers) that doesn’t live up to its claim.
Let us help you save time and money! If you’re in the middle of “baby central,” or if you’re preparing for it, here is a list of must-have products (according to other parents) that will put your hard-earned money to good use, because they really work!

1. Sleeping Baby’s Zipadee-Zip

Babies aren’t known for being good sleepers (though if yours is, we’re jealous!). Fix that problem with the sleep sack to end all sleep sacks: the Zipadee-Zip.
https://twitter.com/amorr9/status/1103742913836650496
Promising Review: “Great concept, I love that I can dress baby for a nap and reinforce the “sleep routine ” quickly and without changing her into pjs. Bonus, she doesn’t scratch herself in her sleep anymore.” –Elsie
Get yours here—definitely worth it for nights full of good sleep!

2. NoseFrida’s “The Snotsucker”

This is an absolute must to have on hand. One bad baby cold and you’ll realize the reason why this product is a necessity.

Top 50 Reviewer on Amazon said: “Hands down this is one of the best inventions for babies ever. A friend had one on her baby registry years ago and I thought it sounded disgusting. I bought it (a Nosefrida) and she showed me how it worked. In no way does the snot get anywhere near your mouth, ever. It works so much better than those awful bulb things you can buy from the stores or what the hospital sends you home with.” –Caley G
Pick one up here.

3. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste

If you’ve never seen or experienced [linkbuilder id=”6675″ text=”a baby having”] a bad case of diaper rash, you’re lucky, because it’s just awful—and something that you’ll do anything to avoid ever happening again.
https://twitter.com/martinrickman/status/1070021715395112960
Promising Review: “2oz is the perfect size for my diaper bag. We buy the bigger 4 oz tubes locally but needed travel size. We have only gone through two large tubes so far and my baby is almost 7 months. She would get baddddd diaper rash as a newborn. ” –Rive Reviews (Lone Wolf of 1)
Get a 16-ounce tube here.

4. Oball Classic Ball

This fun plastic play toy is inexpensive and easy for little hands to hold (which strangely enough is not true of a lot of baby toys).
https://twitter.com/finditatfilibi/status/1051378845901680641
Promising Review: It is soft and the open Oball form allows an infant to hold it and explore it. I gave it to my grandson when he was just 3 months old and he loved it. –Mouffette
Get one here.

5. BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush

Baby butt cream works well because it’s thick and doesn’t allow moisture to penetrate. These same properties make getting butt cream off your hands a nightmare. Enter BabyBum Brush!
https://twitter.com/CaseyAcree/status/1117489544335638531
Use this to apply the cream on your baby’s bottom and save yourself hours of scrubbing at the sink.
Promising Review: “I have been a nanny for over 5 years now, and that means I’ve applied diaper cream with my fingers (yuck!) probably hundreds of times. It’s one thing I’ve always hated because the cream would get stuck under my finger nails and I had to spend time washing it out after each diaper change that required cream.” –Brianna
Get it here.

6. Back Seat Mirror by Cozy Greens

Hours of frustration, wails from a child, and hundreds of car “pullovers” were avoided with the invention of this simple tool.

The mirror goes on the back seat so you can see how your baby is doing and baby can see and be comforted by you.
Promising Review: “I was so tired of the mirrors sliding off the headrest every time I took a turn (I have leather seats) and not to mention the mirror cracking after a few months. I finally decided to spend the extra money and get a good quality mirror.” –mamapanda
Get one here.

7. Adan + Anais Baby Muslin Blankets

These are like the SUVs of blankets. They pretty much do it all: swaddle your baby, act as a burp cloth, dry your baby after a bath, or wipe up spit up.

They’re soft yet super absorbent. Throw them in the wash, dry with high heat, and they’re good as new!
Promising Review: “I purchased these three years ago and I’m now just writing a review. Why? I’m still using them and all are holding up so extremely well.” –Redsilas
Get a four-pack here. (Trust us, they’re worth it!).

8. Boppy Pillow

This product is extremely useful, and its function changes as your baby grows older. Moms use it during the infant stage to elevate their baby during breastfeeding.

As the baby grows, it can also act as a support to lie on. Once baby is past 6 months of age, the pillow can prop them up to ensure proper seating (and that the baby doesn’t fall over).
Top Review: “The Boppy is a great all-around, multi use baby pillow. I’ve found that the Brest Friend is better for breast feeding because it fastens around your waist. However, I’m glad to have the traditional Boppy because it’s great for baby to lounge in and for tummy time. The black and white brocade pattern cover is so pretty and has held up really well in the wash as well.” –Super JuJu-Bean
Get one here.

9. Marpac Hushh for Baby Portable White Noise Sound Machine

If you’ve ever tried to get anything done while your baby is sleeping, you know that every noise you make is amplified exponentially.

This portable sound machine provides background noise so that you can move about freely without waking your baby.
Jason on Amazon.com said: “This is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. My neighbors have seven large breed dogs that live outside and bark at everything, this helps me sleep through it. I might get one for my kids too, maybe they’ll sleep in every once in a while…”
Get yours here.

10. Boogie Wipes

Wiping seemingly endless mucus from your baby’s nose can make their tender skin inflamed and raw.

Boogie Wipes are soft and natural, and they clean up baby’s nose without hurting their skin. Don’t use a diaper wipe on baby’s face.
Ann O’Edd had a field day on Amazon by saying: “They do exactly what they are designed to do, remove boogies, and ones that dry out (due to toddler sabotage), can be used as ear plugs to muffle the cries of toddlers as you, cruelly yet gently, remove the boogers the toddler was so deeply and emotionally connected to.” 🙂
Get a three-pack here.

11. Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump

The biggest problems with pumps are that they’re too big, they’re not strong enough, or there’s only one pump. Medela is the gold standard in breast pumps, and they made themselves a winner with moms with this model.

It’s got varying settings, it’s small and light, and there are two pumps. This is a game changer!
Amazon Customer said “Yes, I own both! I’m a full-time working mom of 2 sweet boys, 2.5 yrs and 6 mos. I purchased the Ameda with my first and used it full time (3x a day, 5 days a week) for 4 months. I purchased the Medela with my second and have used it full time (3x a day, 5 days a week) for 3 months now and still going strong. I have a LOT to say about these pumps, but the bottom line is Medela is far superior.”
Many nursing mothers seem to agree. This pump has an average rating of 4.4/5 with over 1,600 reviews!
Get it here.

12. Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles

Gas and bubbles are always an issue when you bottle-feed your baby.

The Dr. Brown’s bottle’s ingenious construction has made feeding time so much more manageable—and babies’ bellies happier.
I bought these when my kids were young and I have to say I’ve extremely pleased the lack of air bubbles these bottles create. Less air bubbles = less burping = more happy baby. Though these take a little bit longer to clean, your baby will be a whole lot happier with these bottles.
Get a four-pack of the eight-ounce original bottles here.

13. Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

Babies can’t eat certain foods because the size or shape of the item might make them choke.

Amazon Customer said “I bought these for my 6 month old and can NOT believe how much better teething is going!”
Not only does this product allow your baby to eat foods that normally wouldn’t be safe, but it also provides hours of entertainment as your baby sucks and plays with their food. (P.S. the clean up is worth it!)
Get two of them here.

14. JJ Cole Car Seat Cover

Onesies, jackets, and blankets are always an issue when you’re trying to transport your baby in a car seat (and trying to keep them warm at the same time).

This showercap-style car seat cover makes traveling easy and comfortable. Plus it’s approved by car seat technicians so you know it’s safe for your little one.
Hollie Golightly on Amazon said: “Love this. keeps baby warm, easy to use. slips on, stays put, doesn’t get in the way. zipper looks more ‘natural’ in real life.. not as gold as the seller photo appears, which was a pleasant surprise.”
Get one in Graphite here. (Other colors available but prices may vary).

15. Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack

Bottles and nipples must be fully dried to keep them clean and sanitary, but keeping them upright is always an issue.
This drying rack solves the problem in a cute and fun package!

Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack Only $17 (Regularly $25) Awesome Reviews https://t.co/UgjTOGzS5o pic.twitter.com/FMyFLThGJj

— Hip2Save (@Hip2Save) May 25, 2019

Nathan Christie said “This is an excellent drying rack, which fits all types of bottle and pump parts, big or small. The blades of grass are a harder plastic than I was thinking, but they are still flexible enough to fit pretty much any item. You can dry a lot of items on this at once.”
Get it here.

16. Summer Infant SwaddleMe Original Swaddle

Babies love to be swaddled! But we challenge you to find an overwhelmed new parent who can do it effectively and without frustration. If your little one is too young for the Zipadee-Zip, the SwaddleMe is for you.
https://twitter.com/SwaddleMeU/status/1164911678540197891
It’s its ease of use that makes this product so awesome. Its comfy fabric and foolproof swaddling mechanism make even the most sleep-deprived caretaker a pro.
Sharon said: “Honestly, after three babies, there are very few items of baby gear I would say are a ‘must-have.’ This is one of the few.”
Get a three-pack here.

17. WubbaNub Plush Pacifier Toy

Most parents have a love/hate relationship with pacifiers. They’re constantly falling out of a baby’s mouth and onto the floor, which upsets the baby, which upsets the parent.

This smart company figured out that adding a slight weight to the end of a binky helps it stay in the baby’s mouth (keeping everyone happy). Brilliant!
Nicole from Amazon remarked: “I place two of them in her crib at night so if she wakes up and cant fall back asleep, she just finds one, puts it in her mouth, and goes back to bed!”
Get the penguin WubbaNub here—there are several other animals to choose from as well!

18. The Mommy Hook

You’re shopping with your baby, and you’ve got the car seat, the bottle, the blanket, and a ton of toys. There’s just one problem: There’s no room for your stuff.

The Mommy Hook solves this problem and allows you to hang your bag off of the shopping cart so it’s organized and easy to get to.
“I have tested it, and it can strongly hold 8 shopping bags!!” –TaraMichelle.
After a long day at the mall, this will no doubt save those forearms in the long run.
Get one here.

19. Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym

Parents swear by this because it provides hours of heavenly, distracted playtime for their babies. HOURS.

The great thing about it is the arches and toys can be disconnected if you need a flat mat for just tummy time. It’s great for babies of all ages!
Darya said: “Best Baby Play gym. I love Skip Hop pretty much everything, love the colors, toys, textures, have a lot of Skip Hop toys and baby gear, this little gym is amazing baby enjoys it several time a day since birth, she is 5 months old now and love grabbing toys and shaking them around. ”
Get yours here.

20. Puj Tub

The sink always seems to be the most comfortable and convenient place to bathe a newborn, and the Puj Tub makes doing this often-difficult task a breeze!

Unfold it and hang it flat for easy drying. You’ll never struggle to find a place to store a tub again.
Get one from Amazon here.

21. Baby K’tan Baby Carrier

This wrap-style carrier is a big hit among parents of newborns and babies under one year. It offers the comfort and flexibility that parents love in wrap carriers but avoids the messy, complicated “over” wrapping.

Baby, it's hot outside! Keep yourself & your little one cool with the #Baby K'tan #Breeze Baby #Carrier. Made of 100% natural cotton,but is half jersey knit & half mesh knit. This innovative construction allows the wearer to rotate the mesh baby carrier loops for optimal comfort. pic.twitter.com/EI0CFvgrNS

— Baby K'tan UK (@Baby_Ktan_UK) July 30, 2019

It’s also super portable and easy to throw in a diaper bag or backpack.
Bigslacker said this is “Almost perfect“: “I just received the carrier and simply love it! I wish I had it from day one as it is very helpful in carrying baby at home. My son is 5 weeks old and Baby K’tan works great.”
Get the original from Amazon here. (Multiple sizes and colors are available, but prices may vary.)

22. Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier

Show us a comfortable baby carrier and we’ll show you happy parents! If you’re in the market for something a little more structured than a wrap, the Ergo is your new best friend.

Looking for a new baby carrier? We absolutely love our Ergobaby Omni 360 – here is why: https://t.co/6T2XZuB3HR #pbloggers #30plusblogs pic.twitter.com/fdTMefF3FF

— Lyndsay and the girls ⚡️ | LGBTQIA+ Family Creator (@Lyndsayandgirls) July 9, 2019

This super padded, super comfy product allows the baby to face both ways and fits moms and dads of differing and heights and weights equally well.
Get one from Amazon here.

23. Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

The quality of baby monitors can range from just awful to blissful, which can make your life hell or heaven.

The DXR-8 Video Monitor by Infant Optics is the first baby monitor with interchangeable lens technology. Video is streamed real-time to a slim 3.5 inch LCD color display providing a crystal clear image without grainy or pixelated textures.
I only write reviews for products that I, hands down, could not live without…and this is one of them! –Christine
Get one from Amazon here.

24. The Spuni

Spuni has a unique design that promotes the natural latching instinct that a baby develops during breast and bottle feeding.

Spuni is the perfect tool to help your baby transition to solid food.
T. said: “These spoons are the best! We have one in every color. We’ve tried other baby spoons and all of the others were either too wide (hard to get in baby’s mouth) or too deep (food was still in the spoon after each bite). They don’t have high ‘walls’ on the side, so Baby is able to get all of the food out of the spoon.”
Buy one from Amazon here.
Now that you’ve done some research be sure to check out the registry services offered by Amazon, Target and Buy Buy Baby. They will help you to easily organize exactly what you need and exclude what you don’t to make sure you’ll have the essentials.

Tags 3/31/17, 50019401, Commerce, HD, hemingway, parenting, Publishupdate

Healthy Relationships Wellbeing

Vain Valentines: 5 Signs You're Dating A Narcissist

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date March 25, 2019

“I’ve been out of the relationship for 10 years, and I’m so much happier now.”
Mary Magnetico, a chef at Chestnut Creek Baked Goods in Grahamsville, New York, says that she was married to a narcissist. At the beginning of the relationship, he was an entirely different person.
“You’re made to feel special,” she tells HealthyWay. “That usually happens rather quickly. They proclaim their love for you—and very fast, too.”
Gradually, the relationship turned serious. That’s when Magnetico began noticing some of the signs.

“[Narcissists] try to isolate you from friends and family,” she says. “I learned, years later, that my ex would go behind my back and trash talk me—all while making himself look good. …Then came the insults. They’re master manipulators, and they feel a deep sense of entitlement. Rules don’t apply to them, because they’re just so superior to the rest of us.”
Magnetico left the relationship, but her story’s not too unusual. Clinically, narcissism is a rare diagnosis, but it’s often considered as part of a spectrum (some theorize that it might even be on the autistic spectrum).
Obviously, narcissistic tendencies make relationships difficult. While researching this piece, we received dozens of responses from people who claimed to have been in relationships with narcissists. Interestingly, every one of those responses came from women. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising; according to one scientific review, men are more likely to be narcissists than women.

But what is narcissism, exactly? How can we recognize narcissistic disorders in our partners—or in ourselves?
To be clear, only a licensed physician can make an actual diagnosis. However, many narcissistic behaviors can serve as red flags.

1. Narcissists have fragile egos.

“I think, a lot of times, people consider narcissism to include a lot of grandiosity, and a lack of shame or remorse or empathy, and all of those are certain key components of narcissism,” says Kate Balestrieri, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and co-founder of Triune Therapy Group in Los Angeles. Balestrieri designed a workshop to help people heal from the trauma of being in relationships with narcissists.

“But clinically, we look at things like: ‘Does someone have a very fragile sense of self?'”
In other words, while we might think of narcissists as self-centered jerks, they’re operating as a result of deep-seated insecurities. Those insecurities often show up in the narcissist’s social behaviors.
“They’re very quick to align themselves with organizations [or] people that would be high in status—the best of the best,” Balestrieri says. “They have a need for admiration. …If my ego is fragile, I need a lot of other opinions to bolster my sense of self, so underneath all of that grandiosity is a pretty low and fractured sense of self-worth. And a lot of shame, usually.”

People with narcissistic disorders often overcompensate for that shame by bragging about the ways that they’re superior to others. Those beliefs are real—but fragile.
“They might go on and on about how great they are,” Balestrieri says, “or how much this person likes them, or that person likes them, or they got accepted into a certain organization. They’re really aligning themselves with anything that further capitulates their fantasies around fame, or importance, or superiority, or just being great.”
Those insecurities can certainly affect romantic relationships.

2. Narcissists have an inflated opinion of their partners.

“The journey of dating a narcissist has several distinct phases,” says Sal Raichbach, PsyD, of Ambrosia Treatment Center. “At first, they’ll make you feel special. Since they feel they’re special, only other special people can understand them. Over time, though, this feeling will carry less weight. You’ll start to feel like they don’t even really know you, mainly because you don’t spend much time talking about yourself.”

Balestrieri agrees, noting that narcissists often fixate on their partners’ best qualities, but in shallow or superficial ways.
“If you just meet someone and they start telling you straight away that they love you and you’re amazing and you’re the most beautiful person in the world, the most incredible partner that they’ve ever met—it’s just all about kind of inflated, kind of fantastical thinking and projection—that’s a pretty big red flag,” she says.

When a narcissist stops receiving the kind of positive feedback they need to satisfy their insecurities, they can quickly change. Suddenly, that loving partner might become an enemy.
“We see narcissists do what I call ‘shame rage’ often,” Balestrieri says. “If they make a mistake, do they put other people down to try to make themselves feel better? That’s a big indication that you’re in the presence of a narcissist.”

3. Narcissists require tremendous amounts of attention.

“Narcissists like to talk about themselves, which is another obvious sign,” Raichbach says. “Instead of sharing and listening to you, they’re emotionally evasive and expect you to save your breath for reinforcing their specialness.”
https://twitter.com/camiiil/status/975155864201056256
Over time, they’ll demand more attention from their partners. According to Balestrieri, that can manifest in insidious ways.
“Someone with [narcissism] might be pretty antagonistic, actually,” she says. “And negative attention is better than no attention. The thing that would get to the narcissist’s core the quickest is being irrelevant, and when we don’t give a narcissist attention, they feel irrelevant. Often, they can get provocative and antagonistic as a way to at least secure that [attention].”

no more dating narcissists for me. I’m so serious. The world doesn’t revolve around you if my feelings are now involved.

— BeautyIsHerName ♕ (@NeedHer_LoveHer) May 3, 2018

To a narcissist, the line between “positive” and “negative” attention might be razor thin. Narcissists often behave in less agreeable ways than non-narcissists, particularly when they have low self-esteem.
“Think about the little boy who goes to the refrigerator and says ‘Mom, mom, mom, mom—look at me, look at me!'” Balestrieri says. “She’s on the phone, and he finally turns over a carton of orange juice and smiles—because now, he has mom’s attention, even though he’s doing something naughty.”

“A narcissist can show up like that, too. They can be a hero or they can be a villain. It doesn’t really matter. As long as they’re getting that supply. …It’s not just about violating rules so much as it’s about just doing whatever they can to stay relevant and in the forefront of people’s minds.”

4. Narcissists are fixated on envy.

Envy often plays some sort of role in romantic relationships, but people with narcissistic tendencies might become obsessed.
“[Narcissistic people] definitely can be interpersonally exploitative,” Balestrieri says. “Someone who’s narcissistic can get really fixated on envy, and they often think that people are jealous of them.”

She says that, once again, the narcissist’s fragile ego drives the behavior.
“They can live in a kind of a hot bed of their own envy [towards] other people, because they’re constantly comparing themselves to others to derive a sense of self,” she notes. “They can be really haughty, arrogant, or dismissive while devaluing of other people.”
In a romantic relationship, that creates a predictable series of events. Narcissists gradually turn against their partners, eventually becoming negative or even outright hostile towards them.

“There’s a cycle that we often see play out with narcissists where they idealize a partner or friend,” Balestrieri explains. “Then, the minute there’s some kind of falter in the fantasy of who that person is, they devalue them—almost knocking their knees out from under them—and then discard them.”
To the narcissist, this type of behavior is a defense mechanism.

“That’s a way that narcissists stay safe,” she says. “They’ll say, ‘You’re amazing…but if you stop being amazing for whatever reason, you’re no longer someone that I want to align my star with. So you’re useless to me.'”

5. They push against your personal boundaries.

According to researchers, narcissists tend to have problems with empathy, although they’re not necessarily sociopaths (people largely incapable of expressing empathy). As part of their quest for attention, however, they can push against personal boundaries, which can have dramatic effects.
“Something narcissists will do is often push your boundaries and try to get you to show up more for them than you want to initially,” Balestrieri says.

For example, a narcissist might compel their partner to make sacrifices or major commitments early in a relationship. Refuse, and you’ll likely experience some negative consequences, potentially including verbal and emotional abuse.

If you’re involved with a narcissist, seek help from a professional.

Narcissists often have trouble with empathy, but they’re not inherently bad people. With therapy, they can treat some of the underlying insecurities that prompt their manipulative or harmful behaviors.
[pullquote align=”center”]“…if you’re going to be in a relationship with a narcissist, you have to have solid boundaries.”
—Sal Raichback, PsyD[/pullquote]
“If you’re seeing signs, know that narcissistic personality disorder is not curable,” Raichbach says. “That said, it can be managed if they’re willing to commit to long-term therapy.”

We’d like to reiterate this point: Only a psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose narcissistic personality disorder, and if you’re involved with a narcissist—and you want to continue the relationship—the best course of action is to seek professional help. With that said, if you’re in a committed relationship with a narcissist, Balestrieri recommends looking at your own boundaries.
“That’s a really acute part of examining how you want to proceed with a narcissist,” Raichbach says. “You might decide to stay with this person, [or] you might decide to retract and find other people to interact with, but if you’re going to be in a relationship with a narcissist, you have to have solid boundaries. You have to be willing to enforce them, and you have to not get caught up in the guilt that can come with [enforcement].”
“You have to be prepared not to provide the ‘supply’ that [the narcissist will need] all the time,” she says, “or be prepared to lose yourself.”

Tags 3/25/18, Publishupdate, social

Wellbeing

12 Signs That A Thyroid May Not Be Working As It Should

Post author By Staff Writer
Post date March 7, 2019

Do you have an overactive or underactive thyroid?

According to the American Thyroid Association, about 12 percent of Americans will have thyroid conditions at some point in their lives. By their estimate, 20 million Americans currently have thyroid conditions, but over half are completely unaware.
Why is that? Most people aren’t aware of the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. In fact, a large portion of people are unaware of what the even thyroid does.
https://twitter.com/wellybadger/status/198021474152497153
The thyroid is a gland that controls metabolism and sends hormones throughout the body. It’s shaped like a butterfly, and it’s located near the base of your neck.

“It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism by controlling how many calories you burn, as well as how fast or slow your brain, heart, liver, and other organs work,” endocrinologist Christian Nasr, medical director of the Thyroid Center at the Cleveland Clinic, told Health.com.
Because it plays a critical role in your overall health, you should know some of the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.

Before we get to the symptoms, however, an important note: If you have any of these symptoms, seek assistance from a qualified physician. Only a doctor can diagnose thyroid issues, and this article is intended to raise awareness, not to function as medical advice.
With that said, let’s look at 12 of the most common symptoms, as explained by medical professionals and sources.

1. Fatigue

A recent study in the journal Frontiers found a link between hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and chronic fatigue syndrome.
While further studies will help us understand the link, the Frontier findings make sense. The thyroid controls metabolism, which affects your weight and your ability to store and use energy . If the gland isn’t functioning properly, you may notice regular fatigue, even after you’ve had 8 to 10 hours of quality sleep.

However, note that between 50 and 70 million people in the United States have sleep or wakefulness disorders. Sleep disturbances are also linked to a number of other diseases and disorders, including depression, hypertension, sleep apnea, and more, so you should undergo a sleep study to definitively diagnose the issue.

2. Anxiety and Depression

According to Harvard Health Publishing, when the thyroid gland creates too much or too little of the hormone it uses to regulate metabolism patients often report mood disturbances.

These can manifest in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of your condition, but if you’re feeling anxious, jittery, nervous, or depressed, there’s a chance that your thyroid is to blame.

3. Constipation

Without getting too graphic, hypothyroidism is associated with constipation.
This is because your thyroid’s main role is—you guessed it—metabolism, and it therefore controls the function of your digestive tract. When your body isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, you’ll have trouble “producing,” to use a very strained euphemism.

Thyroid hyperactivity, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect, causing excessive trips to the bathroom. Any sudden changes in your digestive habits are a good reason to see your doctor, since they can be indicative of other medical conditions.

4. Random Sweat

“Is it hot in here, or is it just me and my hyperactive thyroid?”

If your body is having a tough time regulating its energy production, you may start sweating at apparently random times. You may also feel extremely warm, even when the room is cold. You might also feel perfectly comfortable as you’re sweating up a storm, though this symptom depends on the person.

5. Weight Management Issues

This is the thyroid dysfunction symptom that most people know about: if you have an underactive thyroid, you might gain weight easily.

If you have an overactive thyroid, you might have trouble putting weight on.
Try not to get too obsessed with overall “weight,” though, since that can be misleading. Body fat percentage is a better metric to track, since weight varies considerably throughout the day.

More importantly, pay attention to how you feel, and note any sudden changes in your appetite. If you’re eating a lot, but you’re always hungry and you can’t put on weight, hyperthyroidism might be the culprit.

6. Changes in Taste

Thyroid dysfunction can change how you taste certain foods, since your body will incorrectly gauge how much nutrition you need—and what type of nutrition.

If you suddenly start craving certain foods and your appetite changes dramatically, you could be producing a different amount of thyroid hormone.

7. Thinning Hair

Severe and prolonged issues with your thyroid, according to the British Thyroid Foundation, can cause hair loss. When your thyroid isn’t functioning correctly, your body wrongly assumes that it needs to divert resources to essential body functions. In other words, your body thinks that it has very limited energy reserves, so it goes into a “conservation mode” that de-prioritizes anything that doesn’t keep you alive.

Unfortunately, your hair might be one of the top targets of these misguided conservation efforts. People with thyroid issues (especially hyperthyroidism) often notice thinning hair. In some cases, they’ll lose hair entirely, but the good news is that adequate treatment will usually restore hair.

8. Muscle Soreness

Thyroid issues can be painful. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical symptoms include aching extremities, muscle pain, tenderness, and stiffness. If you have arthritis, the condition may be worsened by thyroid dysfunction. Severe thyroid issues can also manifest with painful aches in the neck (where the thyroid is located).

You might also notice cold sensations in your fingers and toes along with occasional numbness. This is, again, due to changes in your body’s energy regulation.

9. Visible Lumps

If you notice lumps in your neck, these could be signs of a thyroid condition, but they could also be a goiter—an enlarged but perfectly functional thyroid—or simply enlarged lymph nodes.

The American Thyroid Association suggests that if you notice any visible change, see a doctor right away for proper diagnosis.

10. Dry Skin

While hyperthyroidism may make you sweat too much, as mentioned earlier, it’s also possible your body might not sweat enough due to hypothyroidism. The lack of moisture can quickly result in dry, flaky, or itchy skin.

The limited hormone production will also affect other parts of your body; you might notice cracked, brittle fingernails and toenails, for instance. Of course, dry nails and skin can also be caused by a lack of hydration, so make sure you’re drinking enough water.
The Mayo Clinic recommends eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day, noting that any fluid counts toward the daily total.

11. High Blood Pressure

It is known that both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can result in high blood pressure, although scientists disagree about the specific mechanism that causes that high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

The most popular theory is that low thyroid hormones will slow the heartbeat, affecting the flexibility of blood vessel walls and eventually resulting in high blood pressure. Likewise, high thyroid hormones cause the heart to beat faster, creating a more direct effect.
In either case, sudden changes in blood pressure always warrant a medical examination, so if this is something you’re experiencing, you should speak with your physician.

12. Menstrual Cycle Changes

Women with thyroid issues may experience sudden changes with their periods, although this isn’t always directly linked with thyroid hormone production.

Instead, metabolism changes may prompt a woman’s body to go into an anemic state (meaning a deficiency of red blood cells). This can cause fertility issues, so, again, it’s a symptom that shouldn’t be ignored. If you notice any changes in your menstrual cycle, tell your doctor right away.

So, what do you do if you have hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or thyroid disease?

First things first: get to your doctor. No internet article can provide treatment advice—it can only make you aware of the potential symptoms and issues they cause.

For the millionth time, please get your medical advice from a doctor! Not from Twitter. Not from WebMD. Not from the Internet.

— Aditya (@adichandorkar) February 28, 2017

Typical treatment strategies involve short-term hormone therapy, which can restore normal functionality very quickly. Your doctor may also look into the causes of the thyroid condition, as some are commonly caused by autoimmune disorders, medications, and other obvious triggers that will need to be addressed for a long-term cure.

Remember, medical diagnoses should always be handled by a qualified physician. Many of the symptoms on this list can also apply to other conditions, so don’t assume that you have a thyroid issue when you speak with your physician.
There’s good news, however: if you do have a thyroid disorder, you can often treat it safely and effectively in a matter of months.

Tags 3/7/17, 50016941, care, hemingway, Publishupdate

Wellbeing

8 Things Your Nail Salon Doesn't Want You To Know

Post author By Staff Writer
Post date March 7, 2019

What’s more relaxing than a trip to the nail salon?
Well, pretty much everything, when you realize what goes on behind the scenes.

To be fair, many manicurists and pedicurists run well-cleaned, wonderful shops—we certainly don’t want to denigrate the profession as a whole. Each year, Americans spend over $7 billion on nail services, and the vast majority walk away happy.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind before heading in for your next appointment. For starters…

1. There might be hidden fees.

Let’s start with one of the most obvious (and least dangerous) secrets. Manicurists tend to charge by the service, but they’re not always upfront about what’s included for that single fee. For instance, they might charge separately for a base coat, a nail strengthener, and the polish.

The only way around this trap is to start a conversation. Ask what’s included for the fee you’re paying. When the manicurist goes to work, if you’re not sure what they’re doing, ask them before they begin. You have every right to refuse services or products that you don’t need—and that you’d really rather not pay for.
Keep in mind that you can always bring your own favorite nail-care products. When you walk into the salon and hand the manicurist your own favorite base coat and polish, they’ll usually be happy to charge you just for the application. Again, though, make sure that’s a conversation you have before they get started.

2. There’s only one way to ensure sterilization, and your salon probably isn’t using it.

You’ve read the horror stories about people getting terrible infections from contaminated tools at a nail salon. There’s a simple reason why that happens: It’s actually really hard to completely sterilize what is essentially surgical equipment.
Surgeons use a machine called an autoclave to make sure they eliminate 100 percent of the fungi, bacteria, and viruses that can live on stainless steel tools. Autoclaves use a combination of pressure, heat, and steam to sterilize equipment.

“It’s a specific device that sterilizes equipment with steam, making it sanitary and safe, since no chemicals or irritants are used,” says Debra Lindy, co-founder of Sani Sak, a company that produces sanitized manicure tools. “This is very rarely purchased by nail salons, as it can be cost prohibitive.”
The problem with this is that only Iowa and Texas have laws on the books that require nail salons to disinfect equipment with autoclaves. In the rest of the country, manicurists typically use chemicals or UV light boxes to sterilize their tools.
Hey, UV light is better than nothing, right? Well, yes, but while those instruments might get rid of most of the infectious organisms that live on nail clippers, they’re not 100 percent effective.

Be sure to ask your manicurist how they sterilize their equipment before committing to a procedure. Many salons will also allow customers to bring their own tools; while that might initially feel awkward, it can help to prevent a painful infection.
Oh, and as this Answers user points out, it’s also not a bad idea to call your local health department if you’re especially curious about a salon’s practices.

3. Those UV lamps they use to dry your polish might increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

Granted, the risk that you’ll get melanoma from drying your polish under a UV lamp is pretty small, but it exists. Perhaps more importantly, the cell damage can build over time.

“Considering the low UV-A energy exposure in an average manicure visit, multiple visits would be required to reach the threshold for potential DNA damage,” wrote a team of researchers from Georgia Regents University, in a study published in JAMA Dermatology. The researchers also noted that typical exposure wouldn’t be enough to cause DNA damage, but customers who regularly get manicures or pedicures might be at risk.
Besides, the researchers found, there aren’t any good standards for manufacturers of UV nail lamps. Chris Adigun, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told CBS News why this lack of regulation is dangerous.

There is little to no regulation on the manufacturing of these nail lamps,” Adigun said. “As a result, the bulbs, wattage and irradiance of these lamps varies dramatically from one manufacturer to the next, and individuals utilizing these lamps in salons have no way of knowing just how much UV exposure their skin is receiving upon each manicure.”

4. Nail techs are not necessarily trained to properly sterilize their equipment.

Podiatrist Robert Spalding, DPM, has the salon industry firmly within his sights. As author of Death by Pedicure, Spalding is a leading voice about the dangers of contemporary nail salon practices.
Spalding maintains that techs simply don’t have the training to verify when tools are safe to use. There is “industry-wide confusion about the definition of the term ‘sterilize,'” Spalding wrote.

Nail techs are “neither schooled nor licensed to work in the presence of blood or to maintain a surgically sterile environment,” he wrote. In other words, it’s not exactly their fault that they’re working on customers with infected tools. Rather, it’s the misunderstanding of what constitutes true sterilization.
“With years of experience as a nail technician myself, I cannot say I’m confident that everyone is trained to handle situations that may involve blood or sterile environments,” says Lindy.

As we’ve mentioned, only an autoclave can completely sterilize equipment. Anything less than this gold standard of sterilization might leave some microorganisms behind. That’s how people get infections. The point is that “some infective microorganisms are easy to kill, some are not,” according to Spalding.

5. There are even cases of customers getting warts from certain nail salons!

Forget fungal infections. How would you like to battle warts on your feet after an unclean pedicure?

The uncomfortable truth is that warts are often caused by a viral infection. If equipment and the environment of a nail salon isn’t kept to the most rigid standards of cleanliness, wart viruses might be present. All that stands between you and a lifetime of bumpy feet is the slip of the tech’s hand—if you get a wart virus in an open wound, you’ll probably end up with the infection.
That’s not even the worst of it. Serious viral infections, including HIV and hepatitis C, can also lurk in dirty nail salons. Make sure you attend a high-quality, trusted facility—preferably one with an autoclave. We’re not saying every nail salon is a hive of infections, but use common sense and stick with a salon that you trust.

6. If your pedicurist offers to “shave” your calluses, say “no thanks.”

We understand the temptation. Callouses aren’t the most attractive thing on the human body, and they can even be a bit painful. But remember that those are there to protect your skin—essentially, your body developed them for a reason.

That’s not the only reason to decline an offer to shave your calluses, though. The fact is, the procedure is probably illegal in your state.
You see, callus-shaving requires a tool called a credo blade. Technically, credo blades can only be used in “medical procedures,” which most states forbid from being performed at nail salons.
Instead of trying to lose the calluses altogether, podiatrists recommend smoothing them over with a little light pumice stone treatment. There’s a chance your nail salon offers this service, but remember that pumice stones are notoriously hard to disinfect. You might want to travel with your own.

7. Have you shaved your legs recently? If so, skip the salon.

If you’ve picked up one thing from this list, we hope it’s that breaking the skin in an unsterile environment is a great way to pick up a nasty infection. That’s true whether you get a cut on the cuticle or a tiny opening on a hair follicle on your ankle.

When you shave your legs, you create tiny, invisible openings in your hair follicles. These little holes may be too small for us to see, but for viruses, bacteria, and fungi, they’re like huge, inviting archways. They’re basically an invitation to move in and set up shop.
Jackie Sutera, DPM, a podiatrist based in New York, told HuffPost that you should wait at least two days between shaving your legs and heading to the salon for a pedicure. Otherwise, Sutera said, “you can literally end up in a hospital.”

8. It’s up to you to guard your health and safety at a nail salon.

No nail tech wants to get a customer sick. Still, salons are capitalist enterprises, first and foremost. Owners want to make as much money as possible, and that doesn’t create a strong incentive to turn away customers—even if they have a clear fungal infection and shouldn’t be anywhere near a nail salon.

“Because the industry isn’t regulated often enough salon technicians often slack off,” Lindy says. “…It doesn’t take much to transfer a contagious infection or spread bacteria. One negligent technician can transfer [microorganisms] to all the tools in the salon, especially if they’re all using the same disinfectant and the bacteria is resistant”
The danger, Spalding wrote, is “the transmission of infection from one client to another.”

In other words, be on the lookout—and, for heaven’s sake, if you have a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection yourself, don’t go to the nail salon. Beauty can wait. After all, what is beauty without health?

Tags 3/7/17, 50016946, body, Commerce, hemingway, Publishupdate

Lifestyle

11 Ways To Be More Attractive, According To Science

Post author By Staff Writer
Post date March 1, 2019

Research has shown that attractive people can earn up to 14 percent more money annually than their less attractive peers. While some of this is based on appearance alone, attraction also relies on the way you carry yourself, how you treat people, and the kind of people to associate with.
Here are a few ways to be more attractive, according to science.
(Editorial note: Since we’re talking about body types here, we wanted to make this clear: Every body type is perfectly fine, and different people have different preferences. These studies look at averages, so take them with a big grain of salt.)

1. Keep your chin up.

People often see a large jawbone as a masculine feature, per the wonderfully named “Facial Attractiveness: Evolutionary Based Research,” a review piece published in 2011.
The authors note that secondary sex characteristics (such as defined cheekbones and large jawbones) may show genetic strength.

Why? Well, one theory is parasitic resistance. Stay with us: Hormones like testosterone drive the development of secondary sex characteristics, and since those hormones also promote a healthy immune system, strong jawbones can show your potential mate that you’re fairly resistant to parasites. That’s also a great bit of info to drop to make a decent first impression (well, not really; save the parasite talk for the second date).
Apart from that, men who keep their chin up come off psychologically as more assertive and confident—even if they’re secretly self-conscious. It’s also a more appealing position for the face because it helps define the jawline and create a slimming effect for the neck region, so try to keep your chin up when possible.

2. Consider wearing sunglasses.

Vanessa Brown, lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, designed a study to determine why sunglasses look so awesome. Granted, she put it in more scientific terms, but at the end of the day, she was researching why a pair of Ray-Bans can turn a dork into Brad Pitt.
In any case, she found a few possible explanations. Sunglasses obscure the eyes (duh), which Brown believes creates an air of mystery around the wearer.

“The eyes are such a tremendous source of information—and vulnerability—for the human being,” she told The Cut. If you’re trying to get romantic, it always pays to cultivate a sense of mystery.
Sunglasses also improve facial symmetry by obscuring any slight anomalies around your eyes. For instance, you might notice that one of your eyes sits higher on your face, or one pupil might be slightly larger than the other; that’s perfectly normal and natural, but people generally prefer symmetrical faces when choosing mates.
Finally, celebrities and models frequently wear sunglasses, so Brown believes that there’s probably some social factors at play. Never doubt the power of advertising when it comes to shaping our cultural ideas of what is (and isn’t) attractive.

3. Boost your adrenaline levels.

Let’s say that you finally landed a date with that hottie down the street. Should you hit up the local coffeeshop, or get tickets to the symphony?
If you’re really trying to make an impression, consider something more exciting. Studies show that adrenaline works as a natural aphrodisiac, and it may even help calm your nerves in a weird sort of way (you won’t be focused on whether you’re likable if your attention is elsewhere).

You might even consider an extreme sport. A 2014 study from the University of Alaska found that women were more attracted to men who take “hunter-gatherer risks,” which include activities such as deep-sea scuba diving, extreme rollerblading, and mountain biking. We’re not sure whether ancient hunter-gatherers really donned scuba tanks, but we’ll take these researchers at their word.

4. Think androgyny.

Women want a big, burly, manly man, right?
Not always.
A 1983 study showed that people who have a blend of masculine and feminine qualities tend to rank as attractive. The effect goes both ways—men tend to appreciate tomboys, although they still generally prefer feminine faces.

If you’ve got somewhat androgynous features, don’t hide them. By sporting that pink shirt you actually love and showing your sensitive side you usually keep to yourself, you’re being more honest with your potential mate (and you’ll probably benefit from a moderate confidence boost, since you won’t be pretending to be someone you aren’t).
If you’re an ultra-masculine dude, don’t worry—we’re just talking about averages here, so your big beard isn’t going to disqualify you. The body spray, however, might…

5. Don’t overdo the perfume or cologne.

Body spray, colognes, and perfumes all have the power to make a person more (or less) alluring. Take a look at our video below to get a better understanding of how cologne interacts with your natural scent.
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6. Stop smiling (or smile a lot).

Don’t go all goth, but don’t smile, either. A study from the University of British Columbia showed that happy guys finish last.

Participants rated photos of men who were visibly displaying emotion; guys who seemed happy ranked behind men who showed visible pride (somewhat expectedly) and shame (somewhat unexpectedly). Granted, the study was intended to assess “gut reactions on…attraction,” so happiness might be a more endearing trait in a long-term partner.
In contrast, men found happy women more attractive. There’s probably a host of sociological reasons for this strange phenomenon, but the takeaway is clear: If you’re a man, you’d better start practicing your serious face.

7. Consider your facial hair carefully.

Although some women may prefer a bearded man, the majority do not, according to a study in the Oxford Journal of Behavioral Ecology.
Researchers found that most women didn’t find men with beards to be more attractive, although they did assume that the bearded guys had a higher social status than their non-bearded brethren.

However, another study published in Behavioral Ecology found that women’s facial hair preferences varied depending on their age. Postmenopausal women gave “higher scores for all degrees of facial hair, including full beards, than premenopausal and pregnant women.”
That doesn’t mean you should shave it all off; that second study found that women at “high fertility phases” gave higher scores to men with heavy stubble.
If you decide to keep your facial hair, keep it maintained. Nobody likes a neck beard (and shaving a neckline is pretty easy, once you get the hang of it).

8. Stick with a group.

People are more likely to be perceived as attractive when they’re part of a group. That’s commonly known as the “cheerleader effect,” for obvious (if slightly sexist) reasons.
Why? Well, humans tend to process faces in groups, so we form an average of all the faces we see. One study from the University of California at San Diego asked participants to rate the attractiveness of people in solo pictures, versus pictures of the same person in a group of people. Participants gave higher ratings to both men and women when looking at groups of people.

If you’re surrounded by attractive people, you will look more attractive. (That’s why we always hang out with our army of Brad Pitt clones.) Of course, this method won’t work all the time, because you’re eventually going to want to have some alone time with potential dates.
Still, if you’re hoping to take a great picture or impress some people you’ll never see again, groups are the way to go.

9. Arch your back (or work on your dad bod).

Body shape plays a role in attraction, and while genetic factors certainly play a role, you’ve got some control.
[pullquote align=”center”]As long as you’re healthy, you do you.[/pullquote]
For starters, the “dad bod” appeals to many women, and it actually seems to directly result from fatherhood according to a study in the American Journal of Men’s Health. Researchers found that new fathers typically picked up around three extra pounds of body fat, probably because it’s hard to hit the gym and eat healthy when you’re battling sleep deprivation (hooray, newborns!).
With that said, guys, feel free to maintain a higher level of physical fitness; women are less obsessed with body mass than men when evaluating potential partners, so as long as you’re healthy, you do you.

Women, you might want to arch your backs. Sounds weird, but there’s actually an interesting explanation for this one: A study from the University of Texas showed that men strongly prefer curvy backsides, potentially because a “45.5 degree curve from back to buttocks [allowed] ancestral women to better support, provide for, and carry out multiple pregnancies.”

10. Get a dog.

When in doubt, use your puppy as a pickup line.

Four independent studies researched whether men with dogs were more likely to attract others than men who didn’t have dogs. The participants asked for money, dropped money “accidentally,” or asked for phone numbers both with and without dogs.
The results were most significant when men asked for women’s numbers: Men with dogs were three times more likely to get a number than men who were dog-less.

Researchers believe this is the case because owning a dog shows that you are nurturing and capable of making long-term commitments. It also makes you seem approachable, loving, and happy. Plus, who doesn’t love dogs?

11. Wear red (or don’t).

For many animals, red is an important color. Humans certainly fall into this category, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Through a series of seven experiments, researchers showed that women found men more attractive when those men stood against a red background and in red clothing. Interestingly, the color didn’t influence the men’s perception of women or of other men, although a separate 2008 study showed that men also prefer a splash of red (potentially due to social factors).
That doesn’t mean that you need to throw away all of your blue shirts, but if you’ve got a hot date, a red button-down might give you a subconscious edge.

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