Get This: Clothing Factories Are Getting Safer

Posted on May 13, 2013 by admin

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

H&M and Zara have both agreed to step up the safety standards at their factories in Bangladesh. [NYT]

At a recent hacking competition in Boston, the only female coder there took home Best in Show (she created a program that prevents TV spoilers from showing up on your Twitter feed). Did we mention she’s only 17? [Mother Jones]

Making an effort to view your problems in a positive light can help minimize anxiety, according to a new study. [EurekAlert]

Speaking of anxiety, “Pinterest stress” is now a thing: Almost half of moms say they suffer from it—and we’re guessing the condition isn’t limited to women with children. [TODAY.com]

In the 31 years between 1979 and 2010, deaths from neurological diseases jumped 92 percent among women, according to a new study. [Medical Daily]

If there were ever a time to adopt more Earth-friendly habits, it’s now: Carbon dioxide levels are now at their highest point ever in human history. See if your green IQ is up to snuff. [The Atlantic Wire]

Rumor has it that 7-year-old Suri Cruise is getting her own fashion line. No word on whether it will include heels for small children. [The Sun]

Chris Brown is scaring local children, thanks to the monsters he had painted on the outside of his Hollywood Hills home. [LA Times]

Whether or not you’re ovulating can influence which candidate you vote for on election day, according to a face palm-worthy new study. [Medical Daily]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Call Your Doc: It’s National Women’s Checkup Day

Posted on May 13, 2013 by admin

Bet you don’t have this date marked on your calendar: Today is National Women’s Checkup Day, an effort started by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to remind women across the country to pencil in appointments with their doctors. To coincide with this, Women’s Health has also made it the Women’s Health Week challenge of the day.

“Being healthy starts with each of us taking control,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “So Monday on National Women’s Checkup Day, and during National Women’s Health Week, I encourage you to sit down with your doctor or health care provider and talk about what you can do to take control of your health. There’s no better gift you can give yourself–or your loved ones.”

And now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women have access to 22 different preventive services that are required to be covered without a copay, including well-woman visits (your annual physical) and assorted cancer screenings, all of which have been deemed key to preventing and/or effectively treating future health problems.

Ready to take part in National Women’s Checkup Day and call your health care professionals? This guide will help you see how often you should schedule various screenings:

Once a Month
Breast self-exam: Check your girls for unusual lumps or bumps monthly so you can stay on top of any changes, says Moore. The best time to do it is a few days after your period ends.

Skin self-exam: The Skin Cancer Foundation strongly recommends that you check out your body once a month for any new or unusual spots or marks. Just remember your ABCDEs: asymmetry, border irregularity, uneven color, diameter bigger than 6 mm, and evolving shape and size.

Every Six Months
Dental check-up: Make sure to hit up the dentist’s chair twice a year for cleanings and other preventative maintenance, but you should only get dental X-rays on an as needed basis to prevent unnecessary exposure to radiation, according to the American Dental Association’s recommendations.

Once a Year
Full physical exam: This annual check-up should include a height and weight check, a blood pressure screening, a clinical breast exam, and any blood tests your doctor deems necessary, says Moore. These may include tests for blood sugar, blood count, hormone levels, and other crucial markers.

Pap smear: If you’ve had three consecutive normal pap smears, are in a mutually monogamous relationship, and have no other risk factors, you could technically go three years between screenings, says Moore. However, most doctors still suggest women see their gynecologist once a year and get a pap smear while they’re there. Your pap tests for any changes or abnormalities in the cells in your cervix, which is a way to screen for cervical cancer, says Alyssa Dweck, MD, co-author of V is For Vagina. For women 21-29, any mild irregularities in the pap test will prompt an HPV test to check for the high-risk strains of the HPV virus, says Dweck. Other than that, you probably won’t get an HPV test until you’re 30. (See below for more info on HPV testing)

Pelvic exam: Even if you aren’t getting an annual pap smear, it’s important to visit your OB/GYN annually for a routine pelvic exam, where she’ll feel around for your uterus and ovaries, says Dweck. This is a way to check for fibroids, cysts or any pain or swelling that might indicate an infection.

HIV tests: Get tested annually at your doctor’s office or a health clinic, says Dweck. The most accurate screening is a still a blood test, though you may get a mouth swab in some cases.

Other STD tests: It’s recommended that sexually active women get tested for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea annually until age 25, says Dweck. These can be run off your pap or with a separate swab of your cervix. After age 25, it’s still recommended that you get tested regularly for the range of STDs—including hepatitis b and c, syphilis, and the lesser-known trichomoniasis—based on your own risk factors, which you should discuss with your doctor. Of course, it’s also a smart idea to get tested before you have a new sexual partner or if you have any usual symptoms.

Eye exams: The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams at least once every two years, though annual exams are suggested for anyone with current vision problems (if you wear glasses or contacts, that includes you).

Every Other Year
Skin cancer screening: Skin cancer is a huge issue for women in their twenties, so see your dermatologist before your biennial appointment if you notice any suspicious marks, says Moore.

Slightly Less Often
HPV test: At age 30, women should start getting an HPV test with their pap every five years, says Dweck. Luckily, it’s relatively quick and painless since the test uses the same cervical swab as your pap. Prior to age 30, you should not be getting tested regularly for HPV unless you have an abnormal pap, since strains of the disease are so common in younger woman and they typically go away on their own, says Dweck.

Cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood count: Your doctor will want to check these at least once in your twenties and once in your thirties, though some physicians give a guideline of testing them once every five years, says Moore.

Thyroid test: Starting at age 35, it’s recommended that you check your thyroid levels via a blood test and have them re-tested ever five years after that, says Moore.

Down the Road*
Colonoscopy: This test should come right around your 50th birthday, unless your family history warrants an earlier screening, says Moore. If you have a first-degree relative with colon cancer, it’s recommended that you start your screening 10 years before their age at diagnosis.

Diabetes screening: Routine diabetes screenings (which involve a blood sugar test) start at age 50 and should be done once every three years, says Dweck.

Mammograms: At 40, you’ll want to start scheduling annual mammograms, though your doctor may recommended screening earlier if you have a family history, says Dweck.

*For women in their 20s and 30s

Only As Needed
Don’t be shocked if your doctor orders a blood test outside of these general guidelines, since many health checks are done on an as-needed basis. Things like your hormone levels, blood sugar, vitamin D levels, and iron deficiencies can all be seen in a blood test and may be ordered if you come in with certain symptoms, says Dweck.

Additional reporting by Casey Gueren

photo: Photodisc/Thinkstock

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What You Need to Know About Home Births

Posted on May 13, 2013 by admin

The day your baby is born is hands-down one of the most important of your life. You’ll of course give major thought to everything that happens that day, from who’s in the room to where you deliver—in a hospital or at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published a policy statement with guidelines for the care of infants in home births.

Planned home births are uncommon—they comprise less than one percent of all births in the United States—but the amount of women choosing them has grown in recent years. In 2011, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released a committee opinion saying that while they believe that the safest place for a baby to be born is in a hospital or birthing center, they respect whatever medically informed decision a woman makes about where she gives birth. And the AAP echoes that ACOG opinion in their new statement. “Based on current evidence, we think that hospitals and birthing centers are safest for baby for being born,” explains Kristi Watterberg, MD, the lead author of the statement and a neonatologist and professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico. “But we recognize the right of the mom to make that choice. There are lots of reasons people might want to have a home birth, and those have validity, as well.”

In the AAP statement, the authors outline planned home birth recommendations for healthcare providers. These include making sure there are at least two people at the delivery—one whose main responsibility is caring for the baby and who has the skills and training to resuscitate the baby if that becomes necessary—and making sure that the phone is working and an arrangement has been made with a nearby hospital in case there’s an emergency. Many things must also be done for the baby once he or she is born, such as a detailed physical exam, several screenings, and Vitamin K injection. The AAP also agrees with ACOG when they say that moms should choose a midwife only from those who are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Find the complete list of recommendations here.

Trying to figure out what the best plan is for you and your family? Watterberg advises all first-time moms (even ones who have already decided) to schedule a prenatal visit with their anticipated maternity care providers. “I think it’s really important to talk to your obstetrician, midwife, pediatrician about what you would like, why you would like it, and what your concerns are,” says Watterberg. Ask about the risks and benefits, in their view, of their approach.

And if you are thinking about giving birth at home, discuss whether or not you’re a good candidate with your healthcare provider. That includes being at term, not having any pre-existing medical conditions that put you at higher risk (like diabetes or high blood pressure), and having a baby that’s in vertex position (not breech) and not too big or too small. “You should have all of those things that make what would look to be a normal, happy, healthy delivery for both mom and baby before you decide to try an at home delivery,” says Watterberg.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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The Time You’re Most Likely to Binge

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin

When you’re tempted to dive face-first into a bag of chips could be tied to your body’s circadian rhythm: Cravings for sweet, salty, and starchy foods peak in the evening, when hunger levels are also at their highest, according to a new study in the journal Obesity.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston kept 12 healthy people in a controlled lab environment to track how circadian rhythms impact food behaviors. What they found? Regardless of what time the subjects woke up or when they’d had their last meal, their desire for sweet, salty, and starchy foods peaked around 8 p.m., as did their feelings of hunger. The takeaway? Our body’s internal clock has a pre-scheduled effect on our appetite, and it wants us to eat more in the evening.

While it’s not clear why this happens, the researchers have a theory. “From an evolutionary perspective, it sort of makes sense,” says senior study author Steven Shea, PhD, director of the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health & Science University. When evolving humans faced periods of famine, those who could easily store their food as fat had a better chance of survival. As it turns out, our bodies are more likely to store food as fat when we stuff our faces in the p.m. instead of the a.m. In fact, previous research has shown that people who eat their largest meal in the morning lose more weight than people who save it for the end of the day—even if their overall calorie intake is the same, says Shea.

These days, binging late at night is no longer a handy survival mechanism–it’s just unhealthy. Luckily, your circadian rhythms don’t have to have the last word on when you’re tempted to eat. Pam Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix, suggests ways to beat back a powerful craving—or prevent it from happening at all.

Go to bed earlier
The study indicates that people are staying up later, when your hunger levels are at their peak. You may not be able to help being a night owl, depending on your work schedule, but whenever you can, try nipping this problem in the bud by going to bed earlier. That way you’ll be asleep when your food cravings are at their strongest. Plus, research shows that just getting enough shuteye also helps you make healthier food choices throughout the day and lowers your risk of obesity.

Don’t eat in front of the tube
When you plop yourself in front of the latest episode of Game of Thrones, don’t let a bag of chips keep you company. You’ll be so focused on what’s happening on the screen, you may lose track of how much you’re shoveling into your mouth. “Put yourself on red alert that this is the time when major overeating takes place,” says Peeke. Instead of snacking while you watch, save TV for after dinner. Let it be your reward for polishing off a healthy meal.

Pop a stick of mint gum
This trick does triple-duty to curb cravings: Chewing gum keeps your mouth busy, it tastes good, and it signals to your brain that you’re content. Just the act of chewing sends blood rushing to your hypothalamus, says Peeke, which causes your brain to release the feel-good chemical serotonin. Suddenly, demolishing a candy bar doesn’t feel quite as necessary for your mental health. Sugar-free peppermint gum is best: According to research out of Wheeling Jesuit University, just the smell of peppermint can make you feel less hungry and consume fewer calories.

If you have to indulge, eat a small portion of a high-quality snack
You’re not a robot. It’s okay to give into the occasional craving now and then, says Peeke. Just limit your snack to 150 calories, and make it count. Instead of opting for the crappy chocolate bar at the checkout counter, try nibbling on a small piece of organic chocolate. It’s more likely to contain high-powered antioxidants, and the strong chocolate-y taste will satisfy your sweet tooth, says Peeke. The same rule applies to any of your no-go foods: When you have to indulge, go ahead and treat yourself. Just go for high-quality and stick to small serving sizes.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More From Women’s Health:
7 Ways to Stop Craving Junk Food
Curb Your Sweet Tooth
10 Snacks That Fight Fat

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Get This: Owning a Dog Can Cut Your Heart Disease Risk

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin

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

Puppy Rx: The American Heart Association says that owning a dog is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. [New York Times]

Set your DVR: Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting the 2013 Tony Awards. After he rocked it the last three times, we feel like this announcement was really just a formality. [HuffingtonPost]

This photo is definitive proof that Jay-Z is totally a time traveler. [HuffingtonPost]

Researchers at University of California Santa Cruz found that Facebook purging after a breakup is the norm, but deleting every trace of your ex is pretty difficult. Note to everyone: do your friends a favor and toss those online photos of her and her ex! [UCSC]

As if surgery wasn’t already terrifying, a patient at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York had the wrong kidney removed. [CBS]

Careful where you sit if you’re pregnant–a new study shows that flame retardants in many couch materials can be toxic to babies in utero. [Shine]

Jennifer Aniston’s stylist swears he was stoned when he created the “Rachel” cut for the actress in 1994. Sadly, we still kind of want to copy it. [WWD]

A new study says women are 31 percent more likely to give a guy her number if he’s carrying a guitar. We’d like to think we’re a little more predictable than that! [MSN]

Salt Lake City, Utah was ranked as the the most superficial city for daters. Let it be noted that this ranking comes from a website that asks you to bid on dates with women… [KTRE]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Is This the Craziest Sex Debate Ever?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin

If you had to choose between toe-curling foreplay and a creamy brie, which would you pick? This hilarious—and heated—debate sparked some fascinating research at Columbia University.

Columbia’s online edition of The Blue and White magazine has an annual tradition of interviewing graduating students for their Senior Wisdoms feature. Every year, they ask the question, “Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese?” This year, a student reviewed 222 responses to that question from 2006 to 2012 and found that overall, more people were willing to give up oral sex than cheese—and women were even more likely to prefer fromage. (The student didn’t analyze whether this is a trend that’s increased over time or not.)

We get that it would be practically painful to swear off macaroni and cheese forever, but how can that number of people be so willing to toss oral sex aside? Here’s the full breakdown from Columbia: Out of 103 women, 46 percent would rather give up oral sex, while 26 percent would give up cheese and the remaining 28 percent avoided the question. Out of 119 men, 36 percent would rather give up oral sex, compared with 32 percent who would give up cheese and 32 percent who didn’t answer. Exactly what kind of cheese are they serving over at Columbia?

While we admire this student body’s curiosity, you have to wonder if the results would be different if Columbia polled seniors in a more anonymous way, rather than asking them for a response that will live online with their picture. To settle the debate, we polled Women’s Health and Men’s Health readers on the subject. According to our survey, the majority of Men’s Health readers (80.5 percent) would give up cheese before they would give up oral sex, compared with 56 percent of Women’s Health readers. While that sounds much more realistic, it’s still surprising that women are pretty evenly split on this one.

So which would you give up? To make things more interesting, we’ve beefed up the arguments for both sides.

Three reasons you should NOT give up oral sex:
The Best Oral Sex Positions
How to Have More Oral Sex
Have More Fun With Foreplay

Three reasons you should NOT give up cheese:
The Grown-Up Guide to Grilled Cheese
Healthy Pizza Recipes
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Where do you stand on this one? Tell us in the comments!

photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Sex Quiz: Have You Ever?
Dating Quiz
Are You “Normal” About Sex?

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Sneaky Sources of Sugar

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin

In scary news, a recent report from the CDC found that women consume an average of 13.2 percent of their total daily calories from added sugars. Just how bad is that really? Well, the American Heart Association recommends that women limit their sugar intake to no more than 100 calories per day, or less than six percent of your total calories. That’s just 25 grams of sugar. So yeah, you should probably cut back on all those sweets.

This study specifically looked at added sugar, which includes any sugar used as an ingredient in processed foods (like white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, etc). Unfortunately, nutrition labels don’t distinguish between this and the naturally occurring stuff—like that in fruit or lactose (found in milk). That said, it’s safe to assume that a soda or muffin that doesn’t contain any fruit or lactose gets all of it’s sweetness from added sugar, says Shanthy Bowman, PhD, nutritionist at the USDA Food Services Research Group.

To play it safe, steer clear of anything with a super-high sugar count—regardless of whether it’s added or not—especially if the first few ingredients are sources of sugar other than fruit or lactose, says Bowman.

Here’s the thing, though: It’s not just cookies and brownies that you need to eliminate from your diet. These surprising items pack a sweeter punch than you might think (to give you a point of comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar, the same amount you’d find in nearly 10 sugar cubes):

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Get This: Today is National Moscato Day!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

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

Today is National Moscato Day! Gallo Wines is hosting a Twitter party tonight to celebrate. Get festive by whipping up this delicious dessert recipe that calls for the sweet stuff. [Mom It Forward]

Coca Cola promises to stop pushing Coke to kids. [Coca Cola]

Go nuts! New research shows that walnuts can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. [MedicalDaily]

Chatting at the wheel may be even more dangerous than you think. A new report shows that crashes caused by cell phones are seriously underreported. [USA Today]

Remember that ridiculous amount of money it cost you to go to college? Well, it might only pay off if you went to a big school or got a degree in a high-paying field. [LA Times]

Your weight may be tied to your personality. New research shows an association between weight gain and impulsivity. [Huffington Post]

“I can’t wait to try these cheese and onion chocolate bars!” –No one, ever. [The Daily Meal]

A new iPhone app lets you make a to-do list for your sex life. Because nothing turns us on like being super productive! [Fast Company]

photo: Zoonar/Thinkstock

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There Are How Many Calories In That Frozen Yogurt?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

It’s easy to convince yourself that froyo runs are kinda-sorta good for you. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but frozen yogurt is a treat, not a health food—and the new trend in self-serve froyo shops makes it harder than ever not to go overboard on sugar and calories. Think about it: The cups are huge, the machines pump out yogurt way faster than you expect them to, and the nearly endless supply of toppings means you’re probably going to pile on at least half a dozen different ones.

Need some help summoning up the superhuman willpower necessary to keep your next frozen yogurt concoction under control? Take a look at how many calories each scoop of your favorite toppings will set you back:

photo: stockcreations/Shutterstock

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Would You Want to Know Your Risk for Every Disease?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

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

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Athens Java Hut

Serving Jittery Joe's Coffee, Cecilia Villaveces, Cakes and Italian Gelato

Get This: Clothing Factories Are Getting Safer

Call Your Doc: It’s National Women’s Checkup Day

What You Need to Know About Home Births

The Time You’re Most Likely to Binge

Get This: Owning a Dog Can Cut Your Heart Disease Risk

Is This the Craziest Sex Debate Ever?

Sneaky Sources of Sugar

Get This: Today is National Moscato Day!

There Are How Many Calories In That Frozen Yogurt?

Would You Want to Know Your Risk for Every Disease?