Tag Archives: Want

Would You Want to Know Your Risk for Every Disease?

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If your doctor had a way to peek into your health future and determine that you had a higher—but not definite—risk of developing cancer, heart disease,  or any number of other scary illnesses, would you want to know?

It’s a question to start considering now that a procedure called genomic sequencing is set to become a standard part of your health-care routine in the not-too-distant future. Whole genome sequencing involves analyzing all of a person’s genes, obtained via a small blood sample, to find out which, if any, carry a predisposition to serious disease. For years, doctors have offered patients tests for specific genes that may cause illness—for example, the BRCA gene variants linked to a higher incidence of breast cancer. But genome sequencing looks at a person’s entire DNA and thus can uncover markers for a huge range of conditions.

On one side are groups such as the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), which in March recommended that doctors tell patients about certain disease risk findings uncovered during genome sequencing—even if they were incidental findings discovered accidentally during testing for a different illness. The ACMG came up with a list of more than 20 medical conditions clinicians should look for (including specific cancers, retinal disease leading to blindness, and a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol)—whether a patient requests testing or not. The thinking is that if a predisposition for an illness is uncovered before symptoms show, the patient can get treatment or intervention early.

But a paper published today in the journal Trends in Biotechnology argues in response that doctors do not have the right to force patients to know their genetic disease risk for conditions they didn’t ask to be tested for. “The important point that we dispute is that the ACMG recommends that the patient or the patient’s parents should not have a choice about whether these extra tests are done and they receive the results,” explains Megan Allyse, PhD, a coauthor of the paper and fellow at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University School of Medicine.

There are other issues to consider too, says Allyse. For starters, looking for so many genetic disease risks can be very costly, and if positive results are reported to your insurance company, it may affect your premiums. Also, knowing that you have a predisposition to a genetic disease can trigger anxiety and stress—especially in light of the fact that the disease may never actually develop, even without any intervention.

TELL US: Would you want your doctor to tell you about any disease risk your genomic profile points to, even if it’s an incidental finding—or would you prefer to not know? Share your thoughts in the comments!

photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

More From Women’s Health:
Should You Get a DNA Test?
DNA Tests: What You Should Know
Find Your Perfect Match

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How to Work Out When You Totally Don’t Want To

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As awesome as a great workout can feel, it’s hard to magic up the motivation to make it happen some days. But new research suggests you should power through, even if you’re not 100 percent feeling it.

Even “forced” exercise can help protect against anxiety and stress, according to a study from the University of Colorado at Boulder. So essentially, dragging yourself to the gym is just as beneficial to your Zen levels as going voluntarily. “Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and push yourself to work out, even if you’re feeling less than inspired,” says Wendy Larkin, master trainer at Crunch San Francisco.  “I have to force myself to go on a run every Sunday, but after I do, I feel better, my mood is better and I sleep better.”

Need a little help getting off the couch? These tactics can keep you strong the next time you get the urge to bail.

Schedule sessions with a trainer
If this seems like a duh, that’s because it is. Think about it: You commit a) weeks in advance to b) actual appointments where c) someone will be expecting you, so you basically have to show. Plus, you’ll still get charged if you back out. “Go in on a regular sessions with a few friends, and make it a regular thing,” suggests Larkin. “You’ll get the same workout, but you can divvy up the cost.” That, and sweating it out with your crew sounds way better than going at it solo.

Start a work-buddy system
Larkin says she sees it all the time: People plan to get their sweat on after work, but then talk themselves out of it by 5 p.m. With crazy deadlines, last-minute meetings and the like, your workplace is booby-trapped with gym-bailing temptations—so you need allies to stay strong. “Find a few people in the office with similar fitness goals, and make a pact to keep tabs on each other,” says Larkin . Tell them to make sure you leave at X time so you make your workout—and vice-versa. Then follow up to keep each other accountable.

Splurge on foxy workout gear
Like a good LBD on a night out, gym gear that plays up your assets can give your mojo a serious boost and make you want to put it to good use. “When you look and feel good, you have a little more pep in your step, and the reasons you didn’t feel like going to the gym earlier will fade,” says Larkin. Plus, paying top dollar for super flattering workout clothes definitely makes you want to get your money’s worth.

Establish a gym family
Introduce yourself to your fitness instructor before class, and take a few minutes to chat it up with people you recognize as regulars. As people get to know you, they’ll be more likely to learn your capabilities, push you if they see you slacking off, and call you out when you skip a week, Larkin says. You’ll also feel more compelled to show up at the gym if you know you’ll be expected.

Leave important things in your gym locker
If you accidentally-on-purpose forget to bring your hairdryer and make-up bag home after a gym sesh, you’ll be forced to go back the next day to get ready. “Half the challenge is getting in the door, so the more reasons you give yourself to stop by, the better,” Larkin says.

Get a vacation on the books ASAP
Beach season is so close, you can practically smell the sunscreen already. “Most people rev up their workout routines right before taking a big trip, so wherever you’re going this summer, get your reservations nailed down as soon as you can,” says Larkin. Not only will thinking of your trip give you that extra push you need to get through a tough workout, but it also gives you a deadline you can’t cheat. Nothing is more motivating than having to be in a bikini in, oh, 35 days.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More From Women’s Health:
Gymspiration Techniques That WORK
Workout Motivation: You’re Too Legit to Quit
Workout Motivation: No More Excuses!

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Do You Want to Be a Mom and Work Full Time?

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Everyone’s buzzing about the new career advice book Lean In from Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (check out this peak inside the book). While some people have more positive things to say than others, one thing’s for sure: A growing number of women want to have both a career and kids. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, close to one-third of mothers with children under 18 said they would prefer to work full time. In 2007, only 21 percent of mothers said the same.

Researchers asked 2,511 mothers and fathers about the challenges they face trying to balance a job and parenting. They also analyzed the American Time Use Survey, which asked more than 124,000 mothers and fathers how they split their time between work and home—and well they felt they managed it.

Why the uptick? Researchers say they think it might be due to economic necessity. “The women that said they didn’t have enough money to make ends meet were the ones who said they wanted to work full time,” says Kim Parker, MA, a study co-author and associate director at the Pew Research Center. But when it came to juggling work and family life, 56 percent of working mothers said it’s difficult to balance the two–while only 50 percent of dads said they have trouble dealing with it.

There’s no doubt about it: Raising a family can be hectic, and working 40 hours a week (sometimes more) just adds to the stress. See how real working moms (and fellow Women’s Health followers) make it work:

Women’s Health asked…

Followers answered:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELL US: What are your secrets for staying on top of things at work and at home? Share them in the comments!

photo: Ron Chapple Studios/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Get Your Dream Job
Climb the Career Ladder: Easy Ways to Boost Your Career
5 Books That Will Change Your Career

15 Min Belly, Butt & Thigh Workout
What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!

 

 

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Want to Live Longer? Have a Kid

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Babies are more than a bundle of joy—they may also be an elixir of life. Turns out, both biological and adoptive parents live longer than people who don’t have children, according to a study recently published in Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Danish researchers compared rates of death and psychiatric illness among 21,276 couples that underwent in vitro fertility treatments to get pregnant. During the 14-year study, over 15,000 women gave birth, more than 1,500 adopted a child, and almost 800 gave birth and adopted. Meanwhile, 5,354 women remained childless. Sadly, nearly 300 participants died during the study, and over 1,200 were diagnosed with mental health issues.

Compared to childless women, women who gave birth were four times more likely to survive the study, and adoptive mothers had a 33 percent lower rate of death. Both biological and adoptive fathers were about 50 percent less likely than childless men to die during the study. Overall, people without children were more likely to drink alcohol, and more likely to suffer from a fatal cardiovascular disease or accident. However, parents were just as susceptible to mental illness as non-parents.

While these findings are just associations, not proof of cause and effect, parents who survived the study were clearly doing something right. And because dads and adoptive parents benefit from having children, the health perks don’t appear to be the product of conception. “Parents may change their behavior to live more healthy lifestyles by eating healthier, drinking less, and giving up smoking, while the childless are more prone to continue or take up unhealthy habits,” says lead study author Esben Agerbo, Ph.D, a professor at Aarhus University in Denmark. Childless adults may also lead more risky lifestyles: just consider a parent who pushes a stroller down a quiet sidewalk, versus a non-parent who speeds down the street in a sports car. That mom or dad is probably safer.

If making babies isn’t on your bucket list, you can still make lifestyle changes to promote your wellbeing and longevity. Begin with the simplest way to guarantee you live longer, and then tackle these small changes for big rewards.

photo: Pixland/Pixland/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Keep Your Body in Baby-Making Shape
When You Should Freeze Your Eggs
How to Keep Your Vital Organs Healthy

You Being Beautiful
Find easy ways to look and feel good fast in Dr. Oz’s book You Being Beautiful

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How to Flirt to Get What You Want

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Have you ever gotten out of speeding ticket with a couple bats of your eyelashes and a smile? If yes, you can thank your “feminine charm.”

New research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that using “feminine charm”—an impression management technique that combines friendliness and flirtation—could help women get what they want. But take note: It only works when used on men.

“It’s an effective tool for women to use when they need to be assertive but also want to be liked,” study author Laura Kray, PhD, professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. For starters, it helps you give off an air of confidence, which is a proven benefit when making negotiations. Also, slight flirtation is viewed as welcoming and friendly by heterosexual men, making them more likely to want to make you happy, explains Kray.

To conduct their research, study authors sent two women of equal attractiveness car shopping. One they instructed to be playful: She greeted the seller by smiling warmly, looking the seller up and down, touching the seller’s arm, and incorporating a playful wink as she asked, “What’s your best price?”

In contrast, the other woman was told to act serious. She shook hands when she met the seller, said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” and then asked, “What’s your best price?” in a serious tone. The outcome: Male sellers gave the playful woman more than $ 100 off the selling price. The woman who used the more serious approach ended up spending about 20% more, according to Kray.

To use your own feminine charms to your benefit, follow these guidelines as outlined in the study:

Be animated in your body movements. When entering someone’s office—or wherever your negotiations might take place—take off your coat and make yourself at home by sitting down. This sequence—as outlined in the study—establishes a friendly playing field. For a stronger connection, which will ultimately help you get what you want, try touching his arm and subtly slipping him a playful wink.

Make frequent eye contact. Notice this doesn’t say “constant” eye contact. In the study, participants who were too aggressive—i.e. staring their male counterparts down—came off in a negative way. While it’s important to establish eye contact, it’s just as important to look away every couple of seconds—giving your negotiating partner a little space.

Smile and laugh. Whether you’re aiming to charm or not, ditch the poker face. In the study, even participants not using feminine charm were told to smile. It’s friendly and polite.

Be playful and give compliments in as sincere a fashion as possible. (Note: this one works best when done subtly.) Let your organically nice thoughts out. For example, in the study scenario, the participant using feminine charm told the car dealer, “You’re even more charming in person than over email.” Sprinkle character compliments like this throughout your negotiations.

That said, before you start charming everyone from your boss to your dog walker, know that this method works best “in situations in which two parties have competing interests,” Fray says. These types of scenarios involve both a concern for oneself (a competitive motive) and a concern for your negotiating counterpart (a cooperative motive), according to the study. Feminine charm helps balance these motives to reach mutually beneficial trade-offs, and to create and maintain positive relationships.

Scenario examples include: car purchases (as outlined above), real estate transactions, employment contracts, etc. And remember: This only works on men.

Got that? Great. Now get out there, and turn on the charm, ladies!

photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Work On Your Bargaining Skills
First Lady Michelle Obama: The Importance of Confidence
How to Negotiate a Raise or Discount

Look Better Naked: Buy the book to learn how to look (and feel!) your very best.

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How To Order What You Want The Way You Want It

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Over the course of the 7+ years that I have been with my husband, he has never tried to order a meal or even a coffee for me. In fact, normally he rolls his eyes at me and tells me to “go ahead and order your ‘thing’”.

“Thing” because I never order straight off a menu. It doesn’t matter if we’re at dinner or just grabbing a coffee at a nearby cafe. That’s simply because I get what I want, the way I want it. I don’t go outside of my nutrition comfort zone and just “settle” for what’s on the menu.

Since the 1950s, calories in restaurant food has increased by as much as 40%! That’s because of serving sizes and America’s drive to turn healthy food into not so healthy food with cream, bacon and of course cheese. Most people think that a meal isn’t complete without cheese!

I keep these things in mind which is why when I go out, I make sure to try and befriend the waiter/waitress so that they aren’t annoyed with me when it’s time to ask me what I want.

That’s your first tip, schmoooze with your server, if they like you they are much more willing to give you what you want!

Surely I am not the only one out there to “pull a Sally” when I order, food?

 

But if I am and you’re looking to make smarter eat out choices then try these rules:

  1. Make your waiter your friend (as stated above). Ask them how they’re doing, look at them when they come to the table and just be polite. Then they won’t mind when you ask for special menu changes.
  2. Don’t think that you have to stick with salads. You’re eating out, eating out should be a treat and means you should get something that you can’t get at home. I only get a salad if I am really craving one, because let’s face it, I can toss some lettuce and veggies together in my own home.
  3. Be confident and just go for it.I used to ask my husband… “do you think they would mind if I asked for…” and if he said yes, I would avoid asking at all. Now, I have learned that it doesn’t hurt to ask. If there is something on the menu that looks good, but doesn’t quite meet my nutrition guidelines, I ask if the chef can change it up.For example, I went out a while back with me girlfriends to an Italian restaurant. The menu had nothing without pasta, and I am not a big white pasta fan. I have just grown too accustomed to what we have in the house, which is homemade wheat and chickpea pasta. Plus, I don’t like to eat it late at night. I saw however, they had scallops on the menu an appetizer, and they had a chef salad as well. So I asked if they could make a salad with the scallops on top for my dinner. BINGO! It was awesome! And yes, I was craving salad, But also, I don’t cook scallops in our house often (and now that I am vegan, this will just be a great memory).
  4. Ask how things are prepared.If you are substituting veggies for fries make sure you’re making as good of a choice as you think by asking the server how the vegetables are prepared. Are they lathered in butter and oil? Or are they grilled without? If so, politely ask if it’s possible to have them without butter. If they can’t make that request then go with a side salad instead.Same goes for your main food, if the meal looks great, but the meat is fried, ask for it grilled or broiled. I have never had a restaurant say they couldn’t do that. After all, you’re paying for the meal and should be able to get it how you like it.
  5. Common changes I make: These are just a few requests I have made over the years. Though I am sure this can go on and on: Grilled, not fried; double veggies instead of rice or other side dish; wrapped instead of bread; no cheese please; egg whites in omelets instead of all whole eggs;  salad dressing on the side (of course).

Happy Eating!

The first time, you might feel awkward but after awhile it becomes second nature! Anyone that has ever eaten out with me has learned to accept that I am going to change up the menu, and I have never had any bad experiences this far!

Meal Time Wednesday (a day late)!

What’s For Dinner? 

Sorry for the lighting… we ate dinner outside on the porch and it was already dark.

Last night for dinner was Buffalo Tempeh and a side of sauteed kale and mushrooms! So good. The kale was from the farmer’s market and tasted amazing! Dan wasn’t a fan of the buffalo sauce, I thought it was okay but this probably isn’t something we’ll fix again.

Lunch:

I followed this up with a small piece of 70% dark chocolate and some fresh strawberries!

Left over chickpea piccata, over mashed cauliflower and a side of broccoli! Did I mention how much I love this stuff!!

  • What did you have for dinner? 
  • Do you order meals customized to your taste when you go out?  

Fitness Strength Training For Women and Clean Eating Suport