Tag Archives: Think

Get This: The Flu Shot Is More Effective Than You Think

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

The flu shot is totally worth getting—it can help protect you even if you’re exposed to a different strain than what was in your shot, according to a new study. [EurekAlert]

Bill Clinton actually thanked the SCOTUS for striking down the Defense of Marriage Act today, which he signed in 1996. [USA Today]

Just when you thought Channing Tatum couldn’t get any sexier, he reveals that he used to work with baby animals when he was a vet tech. [Vulture]

Texas Governor Rick Perry called a special legislative session to revisit the anti-abortion bill that state Senator Wendy Davis had blocked with her filibuster. [Office of the Governor Rick Perry]

Even chefs have a hard time spotting seafood fraud.  [NPR]

The biggest single source of calories for adults in the U.S.: soda, closely followed by bread. [Prevention]

After getting a divorce, a billionaire released a sex tape to let ladies know he’s back on the market. *Facepalm* [The Cut]

Over the course of a lifetime, women spend close to a year stressing about their weight, according to a new survey. [Mail Online]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Restaurant Food is Even Worse Than You Think

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If you’re under the impression that only fast-food chains are guilty of super-sizing their meals and piling on the hidden calories, think again: The average meal from independent restaurants and small-scale chains contains a whopping 1,327 calories—more than twice the recommended amount—according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers at Tufts University analyzed 157 of the most popular meals (including side dishes) at 33 restaurants in the Boston area. While the average meal clocked in at 1,327 calories, some types of food were worse than others. Italian (1,755 calories per meal on average) and American (1,494 calories) were the worst. Even Vietnamese, which was the best, averaged 922 calories per meal. To put this in perspective, though, the average woman only needs about 600 calories per meal, says senior study author Susan B. Roberts, PhD, co-author of The “I” Diet. And 1,327 calories is more than double that—not to mention about 66 percent of the total calories the average adult needs in one day.

You can thank huge portion sizes and unhealthy ingredients for the excessive calorie counts, says Roberts. Even something as benign as tandoori chicken, which is typically grilled and should be relatively healthy, can come soaked in oil that cranks up the calorie count, she says.

What’s worse is that you have no way of knowing what the calorie counts are at these types of restaurants. Unlike major chains, small restaurants aren’t required to list nutrition info on their menus or websites. And Roberts says humans tend to be pretty bad at guessing how many calories are lurking in a large dish. “When restaurants are serving these gross, obscene portion sizes, we don’t know what we’re eating,” she says.

This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on dining out altogether, though. Roberts suggests immediately setting aside half of your order and asking your server to put it in a to-go box, as well as asking for condiments on the side. Both of these steps can help keep your meal under control.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More From Women’s Health:
How to Kick Your Fast-Food Habit—For Good
Eat Healthy Foods Even When You’re at a Restaurant
How to Find Healthy Fast Food

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Do You Think the Pill Should Be Available OTC?

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The debate over whether or not emergency contraception should be sold over-the-counter is raging. But what about your everyday B.C.? Sixty-two percent of women support over-the-counter access to birth control pills, according to a new nationally representative survey.

To examine the demand for hormonal contraception without a prescription, researchers surveyed 2,046 women across the country who were considered at risk of unintended pregnancy—meaning they had had sex with a man in the past year, weren’t pregnant or trying to become pregnant, hadn’t delivered a baby in the last two months, weren’t sterilized, and didn’t have a partner who was sterilized. Not only did 62.2 percent say they’re in favor of OTC birth control, but about 30 percent of the respondents who weren’t currently using birth control or were on a less effective method (such as condoms alone) said they would likely start using birth control pills if they were offered OTC.

A big benefit that would result from birth control pills being sold OTC: easier, more convenient access—which could potentially mean a decrease in the unintended pregnancy rate. No more jumping through hoops or missing half-days of work to get your Rx re-written.

On the other hand, concerns about OTC BC include fears that women who shouldn’t be on birth control pills for health reasons would take them—like women who smoke or have a history of migraines. Another concern is that women wouldn’t visit the gynecologist for pap smears or STI testing if they weren’t also visiting for a pill scrip.

That being said, in a committee opinion released last November, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) threw their support behind the push for OTC oral contraceptives, writing, “Weighing the risks versus the benefits based on currently available data, OCs should be available over-the-counter.”

And now, from this nationally representative survey, we know that the majority of women support birth control pills hitting store shelves, too. But if you’re part of that majority, don’t expect rollouts in the near future: “There’s a lot that needs to happen in order for birth control pills to go over the counter,” says Eve Espey, MD, MPH, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico and chair of ACOG’s Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. A pharmaceutical company would have to sign on, pills would have to be studied in an OTC setting, and the FDA would have to approve the move, says Espey.

TELL US: Are you for or against over-the-counter birth control pills? Would you get refills for—or get started on—the pill that way if it were an option? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
7 Awesome Benefits of Birth Control
Caution: Birth Control and Migraines Don’t Mix
Side Effects of Birth Control

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Get This: Strangers are Nicer Than You Think

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

Well, this should help restore your faith in humanity: Almost half of people say they’d be very or somewhat likely to donate a kidney to a stranger in need, according to a new survey. [Mayo Clinic]

Someone finally invented a hospital gown that closes in the back. It’s about time! [TODAY]

The Portland Marathon (scheduled for October 6 in Oregon) is being dedicated to Boston—and celebrity trainer Becky Tinney is organizing a team to raise funds for the victims. [OregonLive.com]

Food poisoning from chicken and unpasteurized milk and cheese is on the rise. Here’s what you need to know. [NBC News]

Yup, hookah smoke is definitely toxic—at least as toxic as cigarette smoke. [UCSF]

Are you getting enough vitamin D? If not, you could face a higher risk for uterine fibroids. [NYT]

A Michigan high school covered up a rape to protect their star basketball player. Despicable. [NWLC]

Men who wear kilts have higher-quality sperm than those who prefer pants or shorts. Yeah, still not into it. [Mail Online]

Tomorrow is the Backstreet Boys’ 20th anniversary. #FeelingOld [The Frisky]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Your Guy Friends Think About You Naked

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guy checking out girlWhile you may swear that your relationship with your dude BFF is totally platonic, science begs to differ. New research in The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships suggests that men and women can’t be just friends.

Researchers interviewed 88 pairs of opposite-sex, college-aged friends about their romantic attraction to each other and their perception of how attracted their friend was to them. The findings confirmed long-standing rom-com stereotypes: Men are much more attracted to their female friends than vice versa. Guys also tend to overestimate their gal-pal’s attraction towards them, while women underestimate how much their guy friends want them. Men were also more willing to act on mistaken mutual attraction. This research suggests that men, more so than women, have a hard time being ‘just friends’—as Billy Crystal’s character Harry says in the classic When Harry Met Sally, “the sex thing always gets in the way.”

Study results also show that stress levels soar when hormones mix with co-ed friendships. If the thought of your guy friend reenacting a Fifty Shades of Grey scenario in his head every time you two hang out makes you want to gag, you should know what to say in case he pulls a move. If you want to remain friends, the most important thing is that he doesn’t feel rejected, says psychotherapist Bonnie Eaker Weil Ph.D., author of Make Up, Don’t Break Up. Tell him you’re really flattered he wants to take things to the next level, but even though he’s an attractive guy (possibly a white lie that’ll spare his ego a little), you don’t want to spoil the friendship by crossing a line.

photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Guy Friend: The Other Kind of Boyfriend
Find Your Perfect Match
5 dating mistakes women make
How to Date a Dreamboat
NEW Abs Diet Cookbook Fuel your workout with The New Abs Diet Cookbook!

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Think Yourself Thin

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Are you convinced that your normal-weight frame is…well, fat? By thinking so, you could be packing on the pounds.

New research published in the Journal of Obesity found that normal weight women who perceive themselves as fat are more likely to become fat. In the 10-year study of 1,196 normal-weight teenagers, nearly 6 in 10 women who perceived themselves as fat became overweight (measured by body mass index) within the decade, while only 3 in 10 of those with an accurate body image became overweight.

While a distorted body image might motivate some to hit the gym, the study found that exercise didn’t compensate for the effects of a negative self-image. Previous research done on normal-weight adults found similar results: an increase in weight over time in those who perceive themselves as overweight. (Has a distorted body image led you to dangerous eating behaviors? Learn more about adult eating disorders.)

One explanation for the weight gain is psychological stress, which has been linked to putting pounds on—especially around the middle. What’s more, we behave according to how we view ourselves. So if we think we are overweight couch potatoes, we are more likely eat unhealthily and generally act like said couch potatoes.

Ready to think yourself thin? Here are five mental tricks for a slimmer self-fulfilling prophecy:

See Your Vision
It might seem a little silly, but the results are anything but: “Create a vision board in which you display pictures showing what you want to achieve,” says Steve Siebold, motivation expert and author of Die Fat or Get Tough: 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People. Seeing a bunch of strong, healthy women on your wall will give you a real goal to work toward. So get clipping on the latest issue of Women’s Health (after reading it, of course). Not feeling crafty? Check out our FITspiration Pinterest board.

Write It Down
Do you want to lose five pounds? Fit—not squeeze—into your bridesmaid dress by next month? Write out your weight loss goal and how you are going to make it happen, Siebold advises, because a goal without a plan is never a reality. (Follow this personalized fitness plan to lose five pounds fast.)

Do the Dishes
Apart from fitting less food, smaller dishes make you think you are eating more than you really are. A recent Cornell study found that people who eat off of 6-inch-wide plates think they are eating about 18 percent more than they really are. Meanwhile, people who eat off of 12-inch-wide dishes know exactly how much they are putting away (a.k.a. a lot).

Make Fit Friends
Ask yourself: Are your friends a fat influence? If they don’t live a healthy lifestyle, they probably are, Siebold says. In fact, having a pound-packing buddy makes you 57 percent more likely to join them, according to research from the University of California at San Diego and Harvard. You don’t have to break up with your fatty friends, though. Just make a point of only eating out or setting a gym date with your fit ones.

Be Messy
The easiest way to not grab a Snickers? Look at all the other candy wrappers on your desk. By reminding you how much you’ve already eaten, piling up your opened snack wrappers can cut how many calories you wolf down by more than 40 percent, according to a 2010 study published in Appetite.

photo: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock

More from WH:
The New Weight-Loss Pills
The Hunger Paradox
Try the Two-Day Cleanse That Works


Reprogram your metabolism, and keep the weight off for good. Order the Metabolism Miracle today!

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So You Think You’re A Fitness Freak?

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Each day that I can’t work out my lower body I am getting a bit more stir crazy… I’ll be honest, I have had thoughts of “oh maybe walking on the treadmill won’t be so bad” or “the elliptical won’t put too much pressure on that knee” kind of talk in my head.

Should I or Shouldn't I… internal debating going on!

But then my better side reminds me that I want to be fit and healthy for years to come so I have to chill right now to make that happen! I actually think the internal dialogue was more like this:

“Hey you fitness freak, don’t “f” yourself up more, chill out.”

Point taken. Thanks.

However I was inspired to think of all the little silly quirks that makes me (and maybe you) a fitness freak… Things like:

  • Owning more sports bras than regular bras. And when I do wear a normal, push-up I want to take it off immediately.
  • I know which benches are too worn down at the gym, which is best for step-ups and which is best for bench press… yes there are two separate benches I prefer to use.
  • I get really excited about buying new workout clothes, not so excited about buying real, every day clothes
  • I sometimes go a full week with my hair pulled back in a ponytail, and then get surprised when I finally do it and see how long it’s getting. What’s the point of drying it to look nice if it’s just going to get sweaty anyways?
  • I get bummed if I am not sore the morning after a tough workout. Pain is gain, right? Okay, not always but it does feel good to be reminded of your workout the next day!
  • Are you a fitness freak? What are some of the things that make you feel like one?

Meal Monday!
Here’s What Made It To My Plate

Tonight’s Dinner: Brussel Sprout and Sweet Potato Patties

Recipe adapted from pure2raw.com

I will be honest, I was not so excited for these once I put my ingredients together and saw what the patties were going to look like. Plus, they were very soft and hard to form, more like pancake batter than burger patties.
I had to heat the pan very hot to make them toast up on each side. But in the end, they were good decent, I can’t say I will try these again, but they weren’t awful either.
The side was fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes and brussels sprouts with a bit of balsamic vinegar and garlic = Yum!
Lunch: 
Lunch included a green shape with spinach, 1/2 banana (frozen), 3 strawberries, unsweetened coconut and 1 cup of coconut/almond milk… I also ate a TON of grilled eggplant.
By the time the shake was gone, the eggplant was all done on the grill, dipped in vegan marinara sauce and I was one happy girl!
Breakfast: 
My classic oats in a jar, set up before I went to bed so all I had to do was heat them in the morning. Instead of adding sunflower butter, I drizzled some maple agave over the top for a big of a change. Delicious!

Fitness Strength Training For Women and Clean Eating Suport