Breaking STD News From the CDC

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

According to a new infographic just released by the Centers for Disease Control, 24,000 young women a year are affected by infertility due to undiagnosed STDs. What’s more, only 55 percent of the young adults who have Chlamydia actually know they have it—and only 35 percent of those with Gonorrhea are aware of it. Here, more sobering stats:

Get more info on STDs and sexual health:

Types of STDs: Trouble Down Below

Safe Sex: Lay Down Some Rubber!

Scary News About STDs

Beyond Condoms

7 Surprising STD Facts

Why Isn’t Random Hooking Up Scary Anymore?

Two People, One STD—Is Sex Safe?

thumbnail photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Not a Runner? Do THIS Instead

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

Let’s be honest: Some days, dragging yourself off the couch to go for a run feels pretty much impossible. Before you surrender to your remote, try going for a brisk stroll instead: Walking may reduce the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes as much as running does, according to a new study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

Researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory asked 15,045 walkers and 33,060 runners between the ages of 18 and 80 to report their walking or running distances, as well as the paces they kept, so that researchers could calculate their energy burn. At the beginning of the study, which lasted more than six years, none of the participants had been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. At the end of the study, researchers found that walking was as good as (and sometimes even better than!) running at preventing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. The key? Walkers had to expend the same amount of energy (aka, burn the same amount of calories) as the runners to see the same results.

Brisk walking slashed the exercisers’ risk of high cholesterol by 7 percent, high blood pressure by 7.2 percent, heart disease by 9.3 percent, and diabetes by a whopping 12.3 percent. Compare that to the numbers for running, which cut the risk of high cholesterol by 4.3 percent, high blood pressure by 4.2 percent, heart disease by 4.5 percent, and diabetes by 12.1 percent.

Since walking and running target the same muscle groups—just at different intensities—they come with similar health results when you compare overall energy burn, says Paul T. Williams, PhD, lead author and a scientist in the life science division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. One caveat to keep in mind: It takes about twice the amount of time to expend the same amount of energy walking as you would running, says Williams. So if you’re strapped for time, running is still the way to go.

Previous research has compared the benefits of walking and running in terms of time spent exercising—and given running the edge. But Williams says distance is a more accurate way to measure each workout’s benefits. “No matter how many breaks you take, three miles is three miles,” he says.

Get walking today with these tips and exercise routines:

Walk Your Butt Off

Walk/Run Exercise Program

The Right Way to Walk

Pick Out the Perfect Pedometer

Walk to Beat Back Pain

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Use Social Media to Boost Your Career

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

Think you’re just wasting time when you’re on Facebook or Twitter? Well, if you’re just clicking through friends’ pictures, then you probably are. But if you play your cards right, the time you spend on social media could land you a new gig: Funny lady Ana Gasteyer, who currently stars on Suburgatory and is a former Saturday Night Live cast member, landed a new Weight Watchers Online campaign after tweeting about the program.

Gasteyer started the Weight Watchers Online plan on her own—and then began tweeting at and about the company (she now has more than 70,000 followers). Last November, for example, Gasteyer tweeted out, “Hey ‪@Weightwatchers, how many Activity points for sweatily trying to get out of a Spanx undershirt?” It wasn’t long before she caught the attention of company execs.

While you may not have 70,000 Twitter followers, there are plenty of ways for you to use social networking to your advantage. “Over your entire career, if you put yourself out there online, brand yourself, and market your skills, that’s going to pay dividends,” says Dan Schawbel, Gen Y career expert and author of the forthcoming book Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success. Just take it from these real women who rocked social networking:

Be a personal brand evangelist
“I had been doing a lot on Twitter and other social outlets to position myself as a PR expert—sharing industry articles, commenting/critiquing work, promoting events and client news, etc. Being a young professional, I’m very careful to make my personal brand a smart balance of fun/snarky and professional. Then, about four months ago, the owner of a PR and marketing agency connected with me on LinkedIn. I asked my new connection for a coffee meeting, and within a few weeks, I was their new PR account executive. I later found out that the owner had become familiar with my work via Twitter and local social media meet-ups.”
–Kate Bachman, Portland, ME

What she did right: Bachman worked hard to brand herself, network, and get noticed. “What it comes down to is becoming top of mind for certain positions,” says Schawbel. “So when people have an open position and they’re thinking about who to hire, they come to you, because they’re familiar with you based on the online brand that you’ve cultivated, what you share, and how you’re positioned.”

Put yourself out there
“I posted a basic, fact-filled Facebook status update about (1) being unemployed and (2) needing a job. A friend of mine commented on that post, and within minutes I had a message in my inbox from someone he knew saying that she had seen my post, she had a job, and might I be interested? Might I?! I sent her my résumé, we met, and I got hired within a week.”
–Molly English-Bowers, Syracuse, NY

What she did right: She got her (job) status out. “Visibility creates opportunities,” says Schawbel. “If people don’t know that you’re searching for a job, then they don’t know to help you. And even if your friends can’t help, their friends might be able to.” One note here: If you currently have a job, stick to private messages.

Network via social network
“I was working in retail but desperately trying to get out from behind a register. A promising entrepreneur I followed on Facebook said she was looking for organizers for her professional organizing company. I promptly sent her my résumé. I began freelancing for her, and when she had a permanent opening for a personal assistant, she thought of me first.”
–Joy Molfetto, Queens, NY

What she did right: She paid attention to a person she admired professionally on social media. “By following the right people, you’ll see opportunities you wouldn’t have found anywhere else on the web,” says Schawbel. “This is an example of someone making connections and not just sitting back and waiting for opportunities to come to them.”

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Why You SHOULDN’T Find a Husband in College

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

As if you don’t already field enough unsolicited advice from overbearing friends and relatives, a Princeton alumna is suggesting that female students take advantage of their undergraduate years to find a husband.

If you haven’t read the letter that The Daily Princetonian printed from Susan A. Patton, an executive coach and human resources consultant who graduated from the school in the ’70s, here’s a recap:

For most of you, the cornerstone of your future and happiness will be inextricably linked to the man you marry, and you will never again have this concentration of men who are worthy of you.

Here’s what nobody is telling you: Find a husband on campus before you graduate. Yes, I went there.

She doesn’t stop there, either:

Of course, once you graduate, you will meet men who are your intellectual equal — just not that many of them. And, you could choose to marry a man who has other things to recommend him besides a soaring intellect. But ultimately, it will frustrate you to be with a man who just isn’t as smart as you.

Here is another truth that you know, but nobody is talking about. As freshman women, you have four classes of men to choose from. Every year, you lose the men in the senior class, and you become older than the class of incoming freshman men. So, by the time you are a senior, you basically have only the men in your own class to choose from, and frankly, they now have four classes of women to choose from. Maybe you should have been a little nicer to these guys when you were freshmen?

Patton says she was inspired to write the letter to the editor after attending a conference on campus about women and leadership. While there, she asked some female students if any of them wanted to get married and have children. “They looked at each other before they sheepishly raised their hands,” says Patton. “They all did, but they were afraid to say so unless the other women were willing to say so. … I thought, ‘For all of the advice they’re being given about professional development, no one is telling them how important it is to pay attention to the personal side of life as well.’”

After the letter got picked up by the media, The Daily Princetonian’s site crashed, presumably because of the influx of traffic generated by the controversial advice.

Here’s the thing: Personal views aside, tons of relationship research shows that it’s actually better not to get married straight out of college. Here’s why:

Your odds of splitting up are lower
The divorce rate in the U.S. has been on the decline since 1980—and the fact that women are getting married at an older age explains at least 60 percent of the decline, according to a 2011 study published by the Social Science Research Network. While the riskiest time to get married is in your teens, your chances of going through a divorce are about 34 percent if you get married between the ages of 20 and 23—compared to 20 percent if you get married between the ages of 27 to 29 and 8 percent if you wait to get married until after you’re 30, according to a survey by the National Fatherhood Initiative. “The longer you wait to get married, the more education and wealth you’ll have, which will translate to more stability when you get married,” says Brad Wilcox, PhD, director of The National Marriage Project at The University of Virginia.

You’ll make more money
College-educated women who marry after 30 make about $ 15,000 more than degree-holding women who get married in their early- to mid-20s, according to data from the American Community Survey. What’s more, women who get married after 30 also tend to have a household income that’s a little more than $ 20,000 higher. “It’s pretty well documented—what a substantial number of women do is sacrifice their own ambitions to those of their partner,” says Leslie Bennetts, author of The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving up Too Much?, who points to a study done on brides written up in the New York Times’ “Vows” column. “Half of them quit their careers the minute they got married,” says Bennetts. If you wait to get married until you’re more established in your career, you’ll be less likely to abandon it the second he puts a ring on it, she says.

You have more options dating-wise than ever before
One of Patton’s biggest arguments: College is when women have the most options in their dating pool. That may have been true before the advent of online dating, but now you have plenty of single men to choose from. And that whole notion of only being able to date dudes who are older than you? You can throw that out the window. “I think that her advice, not only is it old fashioned,” says Bennetts, “but her understanding of the way the world works is extremely outdated.”

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Daily Dose: April 4, 2013

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

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

Want to make the world a better place? Say cheese! Seeing smiles can help lower people’s tendencies toward violence and aggression, according to a new study. [TIME]

All 15 episodes of Arrested Development‘s fourth season will hit Netflix May 26. Funny, we feel a bad cold coming on about a month and a half from now… [AP]

The good news: Hillary Clinton is writing a memoir about her time with the State Department. The bad news: It won’t come out until June 2014 at the earliest. [USA Today]

That traffic jam you fumed over this morning could set you up for mental health problems down the road. Check out how to let things roll off your back. [Daily Mail]

Apparently, happy newlyweds are more likely to gain weight than dissatisfied ones. Here, five ways to beat love chub—no matter how head-over-heels you are. [Smithsonian]

Sorry, Charlie: Christopher Abbott, aka Marnie’s hot boyfriend Charlie, is leaving the cast of HBO’s Girls. [NY Post]

Men can now hire proposal planners to figure out how to pop the question for them—and it can cost up to $ 50,000. Call us old-fashioned, but isn’t it a bad sign if a guy can’t figure out a meaningful way to ask you to marry him on his own? [Fast Company]

Some restaurants in the U.S. have been adding guinea pigs to their menus. First the Double Down, and now this… [USA Today]

In completely unbelievable news, a high school in Georgia still holds racially segregated proms. At least the students there are trying to put an end to the degrading tradition. [Newser]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Should I Worry About Henna Tattoos?

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

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

If you were getting a tattoo that involved a needle, you would be beyond careful. But getting a temporary tattoo on the boardwalk or at an amusement park? You might not even think twice about it—but you should.

The FDA recently issued a consumer alert informing the public that it has received reports of serious and long-lasting reactions to a certain type of henna tattoos. We’re talking redness, blisters, raised red lesions, loss of pigmentation, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and even permanent scarring—scary stuff.

Some people have even had to go to the ER because of their reactions, which can occur anywhere from immediately after a person gets the temporary tattoo to three weeks later.

What’s causing the problem? Traditional henna is made from the leaves of a plant called Lawsonia, but black henna—the type that’s been linked to the reported reactions—can contain a harsh chemical called p-phenylenediamine (PPD). PPD results in a darker and longer-lasting tattoo, but it can also lead to an allergic reaction, says Tamara Ward, an FDA press officer.

Although the FDA hasn’t released data on how many people have reported having a reaction to black henna, you should keep in mind that anyone can have an allergic response to PPD—regardless of skin type, says Glenn Kolansky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Red Bank, NJ.

The FDA is advising specifically against black henna, but it’s worth noting that even traditional henna is only approved by the FDA for use in hair dyes—not for direct application to the skin.

The verdict: Since there’s really no telling how your skin will react to henna—and the health consequences can be severe—you’re better off steering clear of it. After all, it’s not that big a sacrifice to not get a temporary tattoo.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Does the Pill Decide Who You Date?

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

Pop quiz time: Look at the pictures below and pick the man you find the most attractive in each row. We know, it’s hard, but focus on physical attraction alone—not how much you loved them in that movie or how funny they may be:

Zac Efron
photo: andersphoto/Shutterstock

LeBron James
photo: s_bukley/Shutterstock

Jude Law
photo: cinemafestival / Shutterstock

Gerard Butler
photo: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock

Jesse Williams
photo: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock

Javier Bardem
photo: Featureflash / Shutterstock

Did you pick more men from the left column than you did from the right column? If you’re currently on hormonal birth control, your preferences may have been skewed by your pill. Women are more likely to prefer men with less masculine features when they’re taking oral contraceptives, according to a new study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology. If you stop to think about it, that’s pretty big—it means you may choose to pair off with a different guy than you normally would if you’re taking the Pill!

In the first of two experiments, researchers looked at whether or not facial preferences changed after women started taking birth control. An experimental group of 18 women and a control group of 37 women were asked to manipulate images of male and female faces to be the most physically attractive, and then they were asked to complete the same test three months later. At the beginning of the study, none of the women were on birth control. But after the experimental group started taking the Pill, their preferences changed dramatically. Women tended to prefer less masculine men after being on hormonal birth control for a few months, says Robert Burriss, PhD, one of the authors of the study and a research fellow at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, UK. “We also tested a control group of women who didn’t start taking the Pill, and their preferences remained the same, so we can be pretty sure it’s the Pill that’s causing this change,” says Burriss.

Okay, so the Pill has an impact on which guys you’re more likely to ogle. But does it actually impact your choice in boyfriends? In the second experiment, researchers looked at 85 couples who met while the woman was on birth control and 85 couples who met while the woman wasn’t on the Pill. The guys’ photos were given to a group of participants to judge for relative masculinity (they were looking at factors like a defined jaw, a larger lower face width, and eyebrow prominence). Then the researchers made a composite face for each group of men and gave that to participants to judge. The results showed that the partners of women who were not taking birth control were significantly more masculine than the partners of women who were taking birth control. So if you were on the Pill when you met your boyfriend or husband, there’s a chance that your attraction to him was skewed by your birth control. Weird, right?

“For over a decade now we’ve known that women tend to prefer more masculine men during the fertile phase of their menstrual cycles, around ovulation,” says Burriss. You can blame these shifts on your swaying hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone. “But taking the Pill knocks out this natural hormone variation and eliminates the fertile phase,” says Burriss. “Not only does this stop a woman from being able to conceive, it also stops her from thinking like we would expect a fertile woman to think.” And while they only looked at oral contraceptives, their research suggests that this might apply to other forms of hormonal birth control, too—like the ring or the patch.

It may be a little weird to think about, but don’t toss your pill pack just because you’re worried about it altering your preference in guys. Like most side effects of the Pill, these little changes are likely worth all the other health benefits you get. Check out more ways that birth control may affect your body:

How Birth Control Interferes With Your Body

5 Surprising Effects of the Pill

The Best Birth Control For Your Body

The Positives to Being on the Pill

Will I Gain Weight On the Pill?

thumbnail photo: iStockPhoto/Thinkstock

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Daily Dose: April 3, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin

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

Certain eyedrops created to help lower cholesterol may also prevent one of the most common forms of blindness—talk about doing double duty. [BBC]

In honor of National Poetry Month, the New York Times created a new Tumblr with haiku versions of several of its stories—and they’re all generated by a computer algorithm! [Times Haiku]

One mom is petitioning Mattel, asking them to start making party gear that features Barbies who aren’t just Caucasian. [TIME]

A new study shows that people often get misleading or inaccurate information about the 401(k) rollover process when they change jobs. [USA Today]

Bad news if you have a bald beau: Hair loss may increase a man’s heart disease risk by a third, according to recent research. [Bloomberg]

Dunkin’ Donuts is testing a new breakfast sandwich made with eggs, bacon, and glazed donuts. Just what America needs. [Eater]

Women and young people are bad at dealing with money, according to a survey of financial advisors who were primarily older males. Oh, and the poll was conducted by AdviceIQ, a company that “educates all consumers about the need to hire a trusted, local advisor.” That sounds legit. [Businessweek]

Rabies awareness advocates should be using zombies to get the word out about the disease, according to a new paper in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Because nothing says “Watch out for rabid dogs” like The Walking Dead. [The Atlantic]

If you’re dying to shell out $ 200 for a specially shaped dryer created to prevent lumpy bras, you’re in luck! [The Cut]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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A New Reason to Love Tofu

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin

Tofu packs way more than just a ton of protein—it also contains an ingredient that could help lower your cancer risk: Soybean peptides may slow cancerous growths, according to a new study published in the journal Food Research International.

Researchers from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville isolated soybean peptides (short chains of amino acids linked by a specific type of bond) by removing the oil, fiber, and carbohydrates from soybeans. They then added the peptides to well-developed cancer cells. The result: Soybean peptides slowed colon cancer cell growth by 73 percent, liver cancer cell growth by 70 percent, and lung cancer cell growth by 68 percent.

One possible reason for these cancer-fighting benefits: Soybean peptides might block one or more of the pathways in cancerous cells where the exchange of gases and nutrients the cell needs to grow and develop take place, says Navam Hettiarachchy, PhD, a professor of food science at the University of Arkansas and one of the study authors. And although these researchers used a concentrated form of soybean peptides, Hettiarachchy says it’s possible that consuming more soy might also help slash your cancer risk.

Up your intake by whipping up one of these tasty tofu recipes:

Zesty Tofu and Quinoa

photo: Levi Brown

Soy Milk Berry Smoothie

photo: Kurt Wilson

Tofu Scramble

photo: Levi Brown

Roasted Lemon-Herb Tofu

photo: Kate Mathis

Curried Tofu

photo: Mitch Mandel

Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake

photo: Mitch Mandel

photo (top left): iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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3 Ways to Get Better Healthcare

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin

These days, people consult technology for everything from deciding which shoes to buy (gotta love RedLaser) to figuring out the name of that elusive song playing in the background (thanks, Shazam). So it’s no surprise that digital devices are also seeping into the world of healthcare: A new study analyzing data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project (which surveyed the impact of the Internet on 1,745 U.S. adults) found that, while 41 percent of people (mostly women) consult reviews and rankings of doctors and health facilities, just 15 percent write in with comments or questions, and even fewer (10 percent) post reviews. “The more people contribute, the more helpful and accurate the information becomes,” says study author Rosemary Thackeray, PhD, associate professor at Brigham Young University. “It’s the wisdom of crowds theory that makes it a valuable tool.” If only a fraction of the population weighs in, that usefulness diminishes. Of course, it’s understandable why you might not want to broadcast your health issues to the world—there are privacy concerns.

Online reviews are just one of several new high-tech forays into healthcare, though. Here, the advantages and drawbacks associated with the latest digital advances creeping onto the medical scene—so you know what you’re getting into.

Posting Online Reviews and Comments

According to a study conducted by the healthcare market research firm Manhattan Research, 73 percent of people use online health information and tools, and 54 percent say that info has influenced their choice of providers, treatments, and services.

PROS
“Contributing to the collective body of knowledge helps others make informed decisions,” says Thackeray. You do-gooder, you! But it also has a positive impact on you personally: Knowing that you have a forum to share your experiences gives you a sense of empowerment. And if MDs know they’re being held publicly accountable, that might prompt them to improve their services—say, by cutting down on wait times, or not rushing through visits. “In addition, posting on an online message board can give you a sense of community with people who are going through something similar,” says Thackeray. “You can discuss what’s worked for others and find comfort knowing you’re not alone.”

CONS
Although privacy is a big issue (you obviously don’t want everyone and their mother knowing you have stubborn hemorrhoids), Thackeray points out that there are plenty of anonymous forums, such as PatientsLikeMe.com, CircleOfMoms.com, and WebMD discussion groups. Another dissuading factor? It takes time to set up an account and jot down your thoughts … precious time that could spent watching cat videos on YouTube or doing one of our 15-Minute Workouts.

Emailing and Texting Your Doctor

Manhattan Research studies of more than 3,000 doctors found that in 2012, nearly one-third emailed with patients, and 18 percent texted them.

PROS
See ya, hour-long waiting room stints and being put on hold forever. Instead, you can communicate with your doc whenever and wherever is convenient for you. “You don’t have to make an appointment for something minor, like a quick question or a prescription refill,” says Michael Roizen, MD, chair of the Wellness Institute and chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic. It’s also a great option if you get sick during the weekend or while you or your doctor are out of town. Plus, Roizen points out that you can go back and reread an email. Unless you take excellent notes, you’re likely to forget some stuff your MD said during an office visit. An added bonus: If there’s something personal you don’t feel comfortable discussing face-to-face (for example, a weird down-there problem), it might be easier to bring it up via email.

CONS
There could be an increased risk of misdiagnosis. While there are lots of cool tools to help your doctor figure out what’s going on remotely (heart monitor, blood pressure, and blood glucose apps let you test yourself and send the results directly to your MD, for example), some info is still lost in translation if he or she can’t touch and examine you in person. Digital devices also lack nuance—your doc can’t assess your body language or the tone of your voice to help him or her determine your condition. It’s generally best to schedule an initial appointment in person and then use email and texting for follow-ups, says Roizen. Keep in mind that there’s a greater chance of miscommunication, too. “Your doctor’s words could be misinterpreted in an email, or spellcheck can skew his meaning,” says Roizen.

Skyping With Your MD

Manhattan Research also discovered that seven percent of doctors video-chatted with patients in 2010—a figure that’s on the rise.

PROS
Just like emailing, a Skype session is way easier to fit into your schedule—which means you’re less likely to put off getting the care you need. And in the past, seeing a long-distance specialist might have been out of the question. Now, you can set up a video chat with that renowned allergy expert out in Wyoming. Another thing: If you’re really sick, you can meet with your MD while lounging on your couch instead of having to make a drive. You’ll also avoid the germ-a-palooza in the doctor’s office—and you won’t expose other people to any bugs you may have.

CONS
Your wallet will take a hit. “Most video chat sessions are not covered by insurance, so you’ll have to pay more out of pocket,” says Roizen. And there’s also a chance that even after Skyping, your doctor will want you to schedule a face-to-face visit (for a shot, blood work, etc.). Finally, it’s impossible to make eye contact during video chats. That lack of connection can lead to a weaker doctor-patient relationship, which may result in poorer health outcomes.

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

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Athens Java Hut

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

Breaking STD News From the CDC

Not a Runner? Do THIS Instead

Why You SHOULDN’T Find a Husband in College

Daily Dose: April 4, 2013

Should I Worry About Henna Tattoos?

Does the Pill Decide Who You Date?

Daily Dose: April 3, 2013

A New Reason to Love Tofu

3 Ways to Get Better Healthcare