Confused About Your Health Insurance Options?

Posted on June 25, 2013 by admin

As you may know, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is launching a Health Insurance Marketplace on October 1 to help simplify the open enrollment process and demystify the different health insurance plans and rates available to Americans who don’t receive health benefits through their employers. But what can you do to learn more about your options until then? Dial into the newly available call centers or log onto the new website from the Department of Health And Human Services (HHS).

Yesterday, the Obama administration launched a new education effort around the Health Insurance Marketplace by opening new call centers and re-launching its website, www.HealthCare.gov to provide more information to consumers.

“The new website and toll-free number have a simple mission: To make sure every American who needs health coverage has the information they need to make choices that are right for themselves and their families—or their businesses,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a press release.

Consumers can reach the call centers 24/7 at the toll-free number (800) 318-2596. The call centers, which HHS will eventually staff with as many as 9,000 workers, can answer questions about coverage, premiums, plans, and enrollment. Those with hearing impairments can call (855)-889-4325 for assistance.

Like the call centers, the website provides detailed information on the Affordable Care Act itself, coverage eligibility, how to get lower cost on coverage, plans for small businesses, and more.

The site features a countdown to the Oct. 1 start of open enrollment, as well as to the Jan. 1 coverage start date and the Mar. 31 enrollment end date. Additional features include informational videos, a health insurance blog, live chat capability, social media integration, and an email update alert system.

“In October, HealthCare.gov will be the online destination for consumers to compare and enroll in affordable, qualified health plans,” says Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. When that date hits, you’ll be able to view specific plan and pricing options, create accounts, and fill out enrollment applications online. But by checking out the site and calling in for information before the big day, you’ll be ready to register and find the coverage that fits you best right from the get-go.

photo: HealthCare.gov

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5 Myths About Female Desire

Posted on June 21, 2013 by admin

You’ve probably heard it before: women are hardwired for monogamy, while men are primed for casual sex. The problem is, a growing body of research points to a much more complicated picture than that. In the new book What Do Women Want: Adventures in the Science of Female Desire, award-winning journalist Daniel Bergner highlights new research that challenges commonly held beliefs about the female sex drive.

“This idea that women’s desire is less of a drive than male desire,” says Bergner, “I feel like that is a disservice to us all.” So Bergner talked to sexologists, primatologists, and real women to see if those long-held theories about female sexuality really tell the whole story. What he found was a ton of research that flew in the face of these commonly held myths:

Myth 1: Monogamy is just “easier” for women than for men
Evolutionary psychologists have explained that men are programmed to spread their seed, while women are programmed to search for a supportive mate, says Bergner. But the original research didn’t have him convinced, and new studies by Meredith Chivers, PhD, assistant professor at Queens University in Canada, suggest that the female libido is much more complex than we thought. “When it comes to sex, monogamy may be at least as problematic for women as it is for men—maybe more so,” says Bergner.

In one survey that Bergner describes in his book, female desire drops off much more quickly than men’s after a couple has been together for a few years. But if women were “made” for monogamy, their desire would remain steady—or even increase—when in a committed relationship. “If evolutionary scientists are right, it should be very much the reverse,” says Bergner.

Myth 2: Women aren’t as visual as men when it comes to sex
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase “Men are visual creatures” more often than you can count. But new research suggests that women may be just as visually driven when it comes to sex as men are, says Bergner. One study described in Bergner’s book found that women’s eyes linger on erotic imagery just as much as men’s do, and a recent Neilson report found that one in three porn users was female. “Every one of Chivers’ experiments shows an immediate physical response to erotic imagery, and that in itself is an indication that we’ve been missing something,” says Bergner.

Myth 3: Women need an emotional connection to want to have sex with someone
Previous studies pointed to a need for emotional intimacy for female desire to occur. In one popular study, a woman and a man asked 200 members of the opposite sex either if they would go on a date with them or sleep with them. About the same amount of men and women said yes to the date, but almost 75 percent of the men and none of the women said yes to sex. According to the researchers, women weren’t interested in a casual hookup.

But recent research has called this theory into question. In a newer study, men and women were given a hypothetical situation where it was an attractive celebrity asking them to spend the night. “What the researcher did was strip away the social stigma that’s involved in casual sex and take away the reality of physical danger,” says Bergner. “And once those things were taken out of the equation, women said yes to casual sex just as often as men.” Yet another new study by Chivers gave women hypothetical erotic scenarios involving either a trusted friend or a stranger. Though the women claimed to be more turned on by situations with a friend, a measure of genital blood flow suggested they were much more aroused by the strangers. The bottom line: Emotional intimacy is a great predecessor to sex, but you can’t make the generalization that it’s a requirement for all women.

Myth 4: Women initiate sex less frequently than men
The stereotype that men are usually the sexual initiators may not be totally accurate. What Bergner found when he visited primatologists was that female monkeys are much more sexually aggressive than the males, and he found the same results in rodent studies. This research—combined with the interviews he had with women—suggest that this stereotype may just be the result of our culture. “It may have a lot to do with the fact that we’re much more accepting of male sexual initiation,” says Bergner.

In fact, a speed dating experiment mentioned in his book explains what happens when gender norms are reversed. When women made the rounds at a speed-dating event while the men remained seated, their self-reported desire for the men increased. “Suddenly, women were checking as many boxes as men, indicating that there’s something about the social structures we have—the physical act of stepping toward something—that changes the way we experience desire,” says Bergner.

Myth 5: Hormones alone fuel your desire
You know that your hormones affect libido, but there’s a lot more controlling desire than just testosterone and estrogen. “Chemicals of the brain really need to work in balance in order to feel a strong desire,” says Bergner. Along with dopamine and serotonin (neurotransmitters in the brain involved in your reward system and mood, respectively), there’s also norepinephrine (a hormone similar to adrenaline that’s involved in arousal), says Bergner. “Scientists have known that it’s not that simple, but we love the simple explanation, and that gets us into trouble,” says Bergner.

photo: ImageryMajestic/Shutterstock

More from Women’s Health:
10 Weird Sex Facts
10 Surprising Facts About Love and Sex
8 Sex Myths Debunked

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“Should I Worry About Extreme Heat?”

Posted on June 13, 2013 by admin

Ah, summer: the season of picnics, beach trips, barbecues…and dangerous heat waves. Every year, an average of 658 deaths nationwide are caused by extreme heat—a deadly weather condition characterized by unusually hot temperatures that last for at least a few days. Sweltering sucks, but you’d better get used to it. Because of climate change, periods of extreme heat are expected to become much more common.

Heat-related deaths aren’t the only consequence of oppressive temps. Over the past decade, there’s been a substantial increase in the number of people treated for heat-induced conditions in emergency rooms, says Rebecca Noe, MPH, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control. The most dangerous of these include heat exhaustion, which happens when there’s a plunge in sodium levels due to excess sweating; and heatstroke, which occurs when you get so hot, your body can no longer cool itself down without medical intervention.

You’d think that with cold drinks and AC available pretty much everywhere, extreme heat isn’t something that should be on your radar. But it needs to be—particularly if you work out outdoors. It can take just minutes for your body to become seriously overheated even if you’re only being moderately active; and this can set you up for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

If you can’t bear the thought of working out in a gym, cut your heat-related illness odds by taking a few precautions, such as getting your sweat on early in the a.m. or closer to dusk, when temps are cooler. Wear loose clothes, and switch to cooler activities, such as swimming or hiking in the mountains, says Noe. And of course, swill lots of liquids while you’re being active or working out outside—about two to four eight-ounce cups of water or another low-sugar, caffeine-free beverage per hour—whether you’re thirsty or not. Seem extreme? It’s not really since you’ll be sweating out that amount of liquid, says Noe, but staying hydrated and sipping consistently is what’s important—so you don’t need to stress over the exact amount of water you’re drinking.

And what if you don’t work out outdoors? You can still get overheated—so you should be aware of the symptoms (for your sake and in case you spot them in friends). They include heavy sweating; feeling weak or faint; pale, clammy skin; rapid resting heart rate; or even nausea or vomiting. If you notice any of these, immediately loosen your clothes (or your friend’s) and seek shade, cold water, and/or a blasting AC. If symptoms continue, head to the ER—heatstroke is a medical emergency.

The verdict: Heat-related health conditions caused by stretches of crazy-high temps are a concern for anyone who spends time outdoors or sans AC—but it can be extra dangerous if you’re exercising outside. In either case, it’s smart to take a few precautions to stay as safe as possible.

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Get This: Men Are Getting Serious About Their Families

Posted on May 31, 2013 by admin

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

More dads are “leaning out” and prioritizing the life half of the work-life equation. [Bloomgberg Businessweek]

People who wear pedometers are more active. Check out our top picks. [Huffington Post]

A crop of food and beverage companies have increased the number of calories in the marketplace by 1.5 trillion since 2010. [MedicalDaily]

The American Heart Association is predicting that stroke costs will double by the year 2030. [TIME.com]

Slaves in Thailand may have caught the fish you’re eating. [USA Today]

Soup kitchen meals aren’t very healthy. [MedicalDaily]

Naked pregnant art is now a thing. Weird. [The Cut]

Five babies born in the U.S. last year were named Ikea … and that’s not even the worst of the awful baby names. Poor kids. [TODAY.com]

Jockey has created a new bra sizing system that involves shoving your girls into measuring cups to see what size they are. It probably helps you get a better fit…but we still can’t picture many people actually doing it. [Consumerist]

Photo: Photos.com/ThinkStock

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“Should I Worry About Eyelash Extensions?”

Posted on May 29, 2013 by admin

Every week, the Scoop examines alarming new claims to help you make sense of the latest health research.

Forget false eyelashes you apply at home—the latest lash trend (inspired by stars like Heidi Klum, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian) is eyelash extensions. To get them, an aesthetician uses tweezers to glue individual strands of silk, synthetic material, or mink to each of your natural lashes one by one. The process takes about two hours, costs from $ 200 to $ 1,000, and can last about three weeks before they grow out and need to be removed or replaced.

While the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) generally recommends that false eyelashes be applied by a professional for safety reasons, earlier this month the AAO warned consumers that even eyelash extensions obtained in a salon may cause infections of the cornea and eyelid, as well contact dermatitis caused by an allergic reaction to the type of glue salons use. “I’m seeing more and more patients with injuries caused by extensions, some of which can threaten a woman’s vision,” explains Rebecca Taylor, MD, an ophthalmologist in Nashville, Tennessee, and a clinical spokesperson for the AAO.

Infections and allergic reactions aren’t the only problems. Another danger is the temporary or permanent loss of your natural eyelashes, which can happen if the extensions damage the lash follicle or are so heavy they put tension on the lash, causing breakage. “Eyelashes have an important function: They sweep dirt and debris away from your eyes, preserving vision,” says Taylor. Losing yours temporarily is harmful enough, but if they never grow back, you set yourself up for a lifetime of eye issues.

That said, if you’ve been thinking of getting them—the Bambi eyes look can be seriously sexy—you can lower your risk of complications by taking a few precautions. First, hit up a reputable salon, and have the procedure done by a certified experienced aesthetician. “An inexperienced aesthetician can easily cut the eyeball or cornea,” says Taylor. Ouch. Also, a salon with an iffy reputation may not encourage staffers to wash their hands and utensils properly between customers, and that can spread infection-causing microbes.

Next, ask the aesthetician not to use glue that contains formaldehyde. “Many of the glues used for extensions contain this chemical, which can cause an allergic reaction resulting in stinging, burning, swelling, and a rash on contact or up to a week later,” says Taylor. Even if you don’t think you’re allergic to formaldehyde, play it safe and insist on a glue without it.

Once the extensions are on, watch for symptoms such as pain, itching, or redness, says Taylor. If these develop, resist the urge to scratch or tug the extensions, which can make things worse, and see an ophthalmologist, who can diagnose the issue and prescribe any necessary meds, she says. And be vigilant about lash breakage: Should the fake lashes start causing your real ones to fracture and fall off, get the extensions removed by a professional and score seductive eyes the safer way—with a mascara wand.

The verdict: Eyelash extensions can pose a serious health threat to your eyes and even cause permanent damage. While your best bet is to avoid them, make sure to take the necessary safety precautions if you feel like you absolutely have to try them.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Should I Worry About… Driving After a Drink?

Posted on May 24, 2013 by admin

Drinking and driving is serious business. Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that states lower the current blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent or lower.

“We continue to kill 10,000 people annually in these crashes (involving alcohol), injuring 173,000, and 27,000 of those injuries are debilitating, life-altering injuries,” says NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman. Lowering the legal driving BAC limit was one of 19 recommendations released in a NTSB report titled “Reaching Zero: Actions to Eliminate Alcohol-Impaired Driving.”

Experts say it’s tough to provide a number of drinks per hour that would set you above the legal limit of 0.08 (or the suggested limit of 0.05) because there are just so many factors that go into how your drinking affects your body. The strength of the drink (a strong beer versus a light one, for example), whether or not you have food in your stomach, how quickly you’re going through drinks, and your weight all come into play, says Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD, professor of health outcomes and policy at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Another big factor is serving size; think about the heavy pours you get at certain restaurants, and check out this infographic to see how the serving sizes of different drinks compare.

Alcohol can also affect women differently than men: When you drink alcohol, the ethanol diffuses into all the water-soluble parts of the body, explains Wagenaar, who has been doing research on road safety and alcohol issues since the early 1980s. In general, women naturally have a higher percentage of fat tissue than men—which means less water-based tissue for the ethanol to diffuse into. So even if a woman and a man of the same weight consume the same amount of alcohol, the woman will end up with a slightly higher BAC.

Under normal circumstances, if you’re 200 pounds, it’s unlikely that you’ll hit the proposed 0.05 limit after two drinks—”but that assumes some time passes between the drinks,” says Wagenaar. “If you weigh 90 pounds, at the other extreme, well then it’s possible—and not at all unlikely—that one drink on an empty stomach could hit a woman to the (proposed) 0.05 limit,” he adds.

For a 140-pound woman, one drink would probably put her around the 0.03 BAC level, says Wagenaar.

Those are all rough estimates, of course; since you probably don’t carry a breathalyzer around in your clutch, there’s really no way to know exactly how a drink will affect you on any given night.

In its recent report, the NTSB cited research showing that by 0.05 BAC, most people experience visual and cognitive impairments. The report also notes that more than 100 other countries—including the majority of European countries—have a BAC limit of 0.05 or lower. “The risk is very definitely there, and it’s not insignificant at 0.05,” says Wagenaar. “That’s why 0.05 is a logical legal standard that’s in place in most developed countries in the world.”

At 0.05 BAC, people are 38 percent more likely to be in a crash than people who are completely sober, according to research cited in the NTSB report. At 0.08 BAC, people are 169 percent more likely to be in a crash than people who haven’t had anything to drink.

Here’s the deal, though: Regardless of whether the legal BAC limit is set at 0.08 or 0.05, the fact remains that even a little bit of alcohol does affect your ability to drive safely. “When you need to cognitively attend to more than one thing at a time—which is a clear part of driving—those types of abilities begin to deteriorate even at the low levels of drinking,” says Wagenaar. “So the safest is to not drink and drive at all—I mean zero BAC.”

If you’re planning to drink, have a designated driver with you, or take a cab home (save taxi numbers in your phone beforehand!). There are even apps and websites out there for connecting you with a designated driver that will get you and your car home safely, like StearClear and this National Directory of Designated Driver Services.

The verdict: A glass of wine or a beer over a long dinner probably won’t put you over the proposed legal limit of 0.05 BAC—depending on your weight, how big/strong the drink is, and other factors. But of course the safest personal policy is not getting behind the wheel after any drinks. And if you educate yourself now about the resources available to get you home safely, you should be able to avoid driving yourself there—even if you end up drinking when you hadn’t planned on it.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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What You Need to Know About the New DSM

Posted on May 24, 2013 by admin

In huge mental health news, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was released this week at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting. Known as the authoritative guide for clinicians, the DSM-5 is the latest edition that helps to define, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders.

So what does a new edition mean for you? As with previous versions, this newest guide takes into account new research to add to, remove from, and tweak the list of disorders and their criteria. The goal? To make it as useful as possible. “Starting [May 21], one can look at these criteria sets and be able to utilize them for more precise diagnoses than we’ve been able to do in the past,” says David Kupfer, MD, Task Force Chair for the DSM-5.

The hope is that this new edition will be even better at diagnosing and treating patients. “Determining an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward being able to appropriately treat any medical condition, and mental disorders are no exception,” says Kupfer.

Not everyone is so thrilled about this latest edition, though. Critics of the DSM-5 worry that the new criteria for disorders may lead to overdiagnosis since more disorders have been added and the requirements for some have been modified.

Thomas Insel, MD, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, recently announced that the NIMH plans to turn their research away from the DSM. As Insel noted in a recent blog post on the topic, “We need to begin collecting the genetic, imaging, physiologic, and cognitive data to see how all the data—not just the symptoms—cluster and how these clusters relate to treatment response.” Translation: the NIMH would rather diagnose people based on lab tests and science—rather than using a symptom-based approach like the DSM encourages.

It took researchers 19 years to finalize this revision, so it’s understandable if you’re a little confused about it. Here, a few major things you need to know about the DSM-5:

New disorders were added
A few disorders, like Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD, a severe form of PMS that may be related to low levels of serotonin), Binge Eating Disorder, and Caffeine Withdrawal, have been moved from the appendix to the main text. A disorder is listed in the appendix when it requires a little bit more research and is moved into the main text when the researchers feel that it meets a certain criteria. Because they’re now listed in the main text of the DSM-5, treatment and services related to these illnesses will now be covered by health insurance, says Kupfer. Other additions include the diagnoses for Hoarding Disorder and Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder, neither of which were even mentioned in previous editions.

Not all the rumors are true
There was a ton of speculation about what changes the DSM-5 would include, but not everything was accurate. You may have heard, for example, that the section on personality disorders was getting reorganized and that a few diagnoses would be thrown out. In the end, because of the strong feedback they received, the task force decided to keep the same categories from the DSM-IV, and all 10 personality disorders are intact. They did, however, decide to include the proposed revisions into the back of the book to encourage further research on them and keep them in consideration for a future edition.

Another rumor was that sexual addiction or hypersexuality would be added as a disorder, but Kupfer says that the task force didn’t have sufficient research to put it in the main text or even the appendix.

Your insurance may take a while to catch up
When a disorder is defined in the DSM, it helps insurance companies to know what services should be covered. Unfortunately, these changes won’t happen overnight. While doctors can start using the DSM-5 immediately, insurance companies may take a while to update their claims forms and procedures, says Kupfer. “The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is working with these groups with the expectation that a transition to DSM-5 by the insurance industry can be made by December 31, 2013,” says Kupfer.

It will be online soon
You may have noticed that the DSM-5 uses the Arabic numeral for five instead of roman numerals, which is how it was written in the past (like DSM-IV, DSM-III, etc.). This is because the task force is hoping to update this version more frequently and simply than before. “We see a 5.1 and a 5.2,” says Kupfer. “Since this will be online, we will be able to make changes when it’s appropriate.” They expect it to be on the web in June 2013 and available on a subscription basis, with fees varying depending on your use.

Your doctor might not be totally behind it
While the creators of the DSM-5 hope it will be the new gold standard in diagnosing mental illness, it may not be widely accepted right away. Many clinicians have criticized the new text for either being too broad in scope or trying too hard to fit patients into distinct categories. In a recent blog post for Psychology Today, for example, Allen Frances, MD, (former chair of the DSM-IV Task Force) advises clinicians not to use the new edition and suggests patients become informed consumers when it comes to a diagnosis—just as they would when buying a car.

Kupfer says he thinks the DSM-5 will catch on in the medical community—eventually. “I think there’s going to be a transition,” he says. “I think some people will take a little longer than others.

If you are considering or currently seeking treatment for a disorder, Kupfer suggests having a conversation with your doctor about the new edition and asking about any effect it may have on your diagnosis or treatment.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Hooked On a Feeling
Are You Addicted?
Feeling Blah?

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Get This: You’re About to Crush on Zach Galifianakis

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

Prepare to swoon: Zach Galifianakis’ date to the premiere of The Hangover Part III is a woman he saved from being homeless two years ago. [NY Post]

If you have asthma, ginger may help improve your symptoms. [Medical Daily]

In related news, giving children pain relievers doesn’t cause asthma, according to a new study. [NYT]

Now that the economy is recovering, more people are getting divorces. [TODAY.com]

You’re susceptible to emotional (over)eating when you’re sad and when you’re happy. Womp womp. [Medical Daily]

Victoria’s Secret has decided not to make a “Survivor” line of bras to help make women who have had mastectomies feel sexy. To their credit, they will continue to fund cancer research, though. [ABC News]

A club in Glasgow installed a two-way mirror in its ladies’ room—and let customers who were willing to pay $ 1,200 spy on unsuspecting women. [Newser]

Eating candy more often won’t increase your risk of becoming overweight or obese, according to a new study funded by—wait for it—the National Confectioners Association. If you have a sweet tooth you can’t kick, check out the best candy for weight loss. [Medical Daily]

The co-creator of The Daily Show Tweeted a joke about the tornado that hit Oklahoma yesterday. Not sure how that could have possible seemed like a good idea. [TODAY.com]

photo: Featureflash/Shutterstock.com

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What You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s

Posted on May 20, 2013 by admin

Alzheimer’s disease is disproportionately affecting ladies—and not just the older female population. WomenAgainstAlzheimers, a new network that’s part of USAgainstAlzheimer’s, is currently holding a summit in Washington, D.C. with activists, researchers, and policymakers to raise awareness and encourage more research. Here’s how the disease affects you—and what you can do about it:

What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia; it affects memory function and gradually gets worse over time, eventually impeding day-to-day functioning, says Sarah K. Tighe, MD, a clinical and research fellow in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who sees patients in the Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center. More than five million Americans have the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Unfortunately there’s no cure at this time.

What are the symptoms?
“Alzheimer’s affects people in different ways, so not everyone has the same presentation,” says Tighe. One of the earliest symptoms of an Alzheimer’s patient, though, is having trouble remembering new information—forgetting a recent conversation or current events—and having that difficulty get progressively worse.

Other symptoms include trouble remembering a name they should know or a word they want to use—the “tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon,” as Tighe refers to it—and problems with tasks, like following a recipe. People with Alzheimer’s may also not recognize people they should know (such as a grandchild), or be able to navigate areas they should be familiar with.

If you’re seeing these symptoms in, say, a grandparent, how do you know when it’s just forgetfulness versus when it’s a real concern worthy of a doctor’s visit?

“We all have times where we might misplace our keys, we might forget where we parked our car,” says Tighe. “But if it’s happening consistently or to the point where the person cannot problem-solve and deal with that situation, then that would be very concerning to me that there could be something like Alzheimer’s or another dementia occurring.”

What are the risk factors?
Age is the biggest, says Tighe. While you can develop Alzheimer’s earlier, most people with the disease are 65 and older. Genetics can also play a part, and some research says you’re more likely to get Alzheimer’s if it runs on your mom’s side.

Some common chronic medical conditions—uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol—are risk factors, too. And no surprise here: Smoking also makes you more likely to get Alzheimer’s (in addition to a whole host of other well-known health problems, of course).

Is there anything you can do to prevent it?
“Age and genetics are not modifiable: We are our age and we have the genes that we were given,” says Tighe. There are other things that you can change, though. Do your best to keep those medical conditions mentioned above at bay, she says. Staying away from cigarettes goes without saying. You should also eat healthfully and exercise—both your body and your brain. That might mean taking an online course or embracing your puzzle hobby, says Tighe, as well as staying socially engaged (even more reason to hang with the fam and your girlfriends!). Yes, your 60s are a long ways away, but: “We think trying to stay healthy and maintain your health as you approach middle age is important in terms of reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s,” says Tighe.

So how does this affect you now?
Get this: Women make up almost two out of three Americans with Alzheimer’s and the majority of unpaid caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients, according to the recently released Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.

So as a woman, you have a higher chance of developing the disease later on in life and potentially caring for an Alzheimer’s patient much sooner.

Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s is a full-time job, says Trish Vradenburg, co-founder of USAgainstAlzheimer’s and co-founder of WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s. “This is an intergenerational issue,” says co-founder Meryl Comer, who also takes care of a mother and husband with Alzheimer’s. “Young women are now watching their mothers take care of their mothers, seeing it wear them out.”

If someone you love has the disease, or if you want to learn more about it and join the fight against it, check out these resources:

Alzheimer’s Association. If you’re a caregiver, find support groups in your area, call their 24/7 helpline for caregivers at 1.800.272.3900, and/or visit their AlzNavigator, a free online tool to help you plan next steps if someone you love has the disease.

WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s and USAgainstAlzheimer’s

Alzheimers.gov (managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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The Truth About the 7-Minute Workout

Posted on May 16, 2013 by admin

Last week, the New York Times published a story about a “new” miraculous 7-minute workout that burns fat fast and helps you boost your metabolism. The news of the workout went viral—perhaps you saw several friends sharing it on your Facebook newsfeed.

Here’s the thing: The workout was just an example of a high-intensity circuit training (HICT) workout—a circuit of exercises performed back to back to back with little to no rest in between. HICT workouts have been around for a long time now, and their fat-torching, metabolism-boosting benefits have been widely lauded (such as in many issues of Women’s Health). In fact, the famed 7-minute workout you’ve been hearing about all week was just an example of an HICT, used in an academic article published in ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal. That article reviewed 18 prior studies about HICT workouts, with the purpose of laying out guidelines for the most effective HICT workout routines—because HICT training has become so popular. And while the article authors offered the 7-minute workout as an example of a workout that matched their guidelines, they clarified that it’s certainly not the only workout that meets the requirements.

So, yes, the 7-minute workout is going to bust your butt. But you can do any good HICT workout to see similar fitness and cardiovascular benefits.

Want to know if HICT is worth your time? According to the study authors, it should involve these 7 components:

It targets all your muscles equally
The purpose of the exercises should be to build strength in all major muscle groups, and to create a balance of strength throughout the body—all body parts get worked on equally.

It alternates between major muscle groups
One of the reasons that HICT is such an intense and speedy fat-blaster is because many HICT workouts alternate moves between major muscle groups. This means that you don’t need to take long rest periods between moves, because while one muscle working, another is resting. Jumping from move to move to move with little to no rest in between guarantees that your heart rate stays elevated (and it helps you finish the circuit faster, because there’s no resting in between moves). And if you have one move that jacks up your heart rate (like jumping squats), you can lower your heart rate with the next move that’s less intense (like a stationary plank).

It targets each major muscle group with intensity
Old circuit training protocols called for 9 to 12 individual exercise stations, but the article authors say that the exact number isn’t as important as it is to make sure that all muscle groups are hit.

It keeps the intensity up throughout
The key to making an HICT workout work is to keep the intensity really high throughout. But the longer you do one move (push-ups, for instance), the harder it is to do that move at the same intensity as when you began. The article authors recommend that you give yourself enough time to do 15 to 20 repetitions of any particular move before switching to the next—30 seconds ought to be enough.

It minimizes rest time
Long rest time undermines the benefits of HICT workouts. You’re not supposed to recover completely between exercises, but you should be able to perform each exercise with proper form and technique. The best bet is to keep rest periods to 30 seconds or less—the authors say 15 seconds or less is ideal.

It actually lasts about 20 minutes
If you push yourself at 100%, you can achieve the health benefits of HICT in as little as seven minute (some studies have even found four minutes to be effective). But most people can’t push themselves at 100% for that long, so considering your own limitations, you’ll actually get the biggest boost from doing two or three circuits total, for a combined time of about 20 minutes. Seven minutes will help you see results, but twenty minutes will be even better.

It’s adjustable, based on your physical ability and limitations
If you are overweight or obese, previously injured, or have other physical limitations, the authors recommend caution before trying an HICT workout. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, avoid isometric exercises (like wall sit, plank, and side plank), and substitute them for dynamic exercises.

So. About that famous 7-minute workout. To try it, perform each of these exercises for 30 seconds with less than 15 seconds of rest/transition time between moves: jumping jacks, wall sit, pushups, crunches, step ups, squats, triceps dips, plank, high knees, lunges, push ups with rotation, and slide plank.

And if you’ve already given the lauded 7-minute workout a try and are looking for something new, try one of these workouts from the editors of Women’s Health for similar results in very little time:

Lean and Fit in 7 Minutes

The 15-Minute No-Equipment Workout

Turbocharge The 8-Hour Diet In Just Eight Minutes A Day!

The Total Body Workout You Can Do Anywhere

15-Minute Workout: Total Body Toning

Fry Fat in 15 Minutes

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