Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Women's Health

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @lizplosser We’ve been big fans since forever, but season 17 was extra special to us as we traveled with the contestants to L.A. restaurants, watched the judges eat meals together, and then saw it all culminate in the mountains of Italy. No spoilers, but it’s an awesome, empowering, girl-power kind of season. The common thread? Cooking! Which has been another support system for my hubs, my children, and me throughout the lockdown. My kids—Charlie, Lucy, and George—beg to recreate Quickfire Challenges from our kitchen every week. (For non-stans, a Quickfire is a supershort, timed cooking challenge that chef-testants sprint through at the beginning of each ep.) We even added the element of broadcasting these adventures on Instagram Live, beaming my kiddos’ joy and exuberance—and their meltdowns—to my Instagram followers.…

Go Green The celery-juice hype may have fizzled a bit on the food front, but it’s just hitting the beauty scene. Yep, the green elixir is now popping up in your topicals, and experts say it’s more than a passing fad: Celery oil is rich in vitamin A (clutch for collagen) and vitamin C (a free-radical fighter that keeps skin smooth); basically a dream team. Find the buzzy veg in Cocokind’s Celery Duo, a daily moisturizer and pore-blurring concentrate featuring a blend of celery and flax extracts ($32, cocokind.com), and in Tenoverten’s The Celery Oil ($26, tenoverten.com), which helps thicken nails and even out ridges. And, real talk: These packaged babies smell way better than anything you’d juice up yourself.…

BEST UNSWEETENED KETCHUP Primal Kitchen Organic Unsweetened Ketchup Made with no added sugars of any kind, this will be your new go-to if you’re saving the sweet stuff for dessert (or, ahem, that coffee on the previous page). $6, primalkitchen.com BEST ORGANIC KETCHUP Annie’s Organic Ketchup If you’re team No Pesticides, Please, you’ll heart this bottle featuring organic tomatoes, vinegar, onion powder, and spices. $4, at grocery stores BEST FOR PRODUCE LOVERS Heinz Tomato Ketchup with a Blend of Veggies Why stop at tomatoes? This ketchup has carrots and butternut squash for an extra dose of antioxidants. $3.55, at grocery stores BEST IF YOU’RE FEELIN’ FANCY Catskill Provisions Honey Infused Ketchup Created with locally grown tomatoes, this artisanal variation is worthy of your grass-fed burger—fancy-schmancy cheese optional. $7, food.catskillprovisions.com…

Time spent on the track could mean a better time in bed: Women who regularly did cardio had less trouble becoming aroused and reaching orgasm than those who stayed stationary, per a Journal of Sexual Medicine study of over 2,000 women. (FWIW, the study also looked at men and found that active guys were more likely to keep it up.) It’s all about that blood flow, which makes you more sensitive ~down there~. Exercise’s stress-relieving effects and body-image bennies don’t hurt either: Having issues in those areas could affect your libido, per previous research. Swimming, cycling, and running were all fair game in the study, but getting your blood pumping regularly, ideally for at least two and a half hours spread throughout the week, is the key, no matter the…

6:30 a.m.: Wake up 6:45 a.m.: Run 7:30 a.m.: Shower, beauty routine, get dressed, eat 8:45 a.m.: Off to catch the train This was my typical morning routine pre-COVID-19. And mundane as it may seem, as soon as I didn’t have that monotonous structure anymore, I actually missed it! Yes, even the dirty NYC subway. Although I could still do most of these things—go for a run, eat breakfast, and shower (I didn’t totally give up)—the time at which I did them was inconsistent once I no longer had somewhere to be at 9:30 every morning. The one thing I did maintain: my skincare routine. As silly as it may sound, brushing my teeth, washing my face, and applying my serums, moisturizer, and sunscreen helped me feel as though I…

WHY WE LOVE IT If skull crushers have always seemed… intimidating (seriously, that name, tho), don’t be scared. They’re actually a sweet exercise for making the muscles in your upper arms pop. “I add them to the beginning or end of workouts because they’re pretty challenging,” says WH advisory board member Betina Gozo, CPT, who’s demo’ing the move here. “You either want to do them when you have a lot of energy, or as a finisher to burn out your muscles.” Either way, you’ll get two major benefits: Skull crushers strengthen and stabilize your elbow and shoulder joints, which is key for getting better at upper-body exercises in general. Gains without getting up? Yes, please! HOW TO DO IT 1 Grasp dumbbell in each hand and lie faceup with knees…

Brittany Healy planned for a drug-free water birth when pregnant with her first child in 2015. But after 40 agonizing hours of labor—the first half at home, the second at the hospital nearby in Greensboro, North Carolina—she stopped progressing. Her obstetrician suggested a cesarean, and her baby came wailing into the world, a healthy boy. But things turned from blown birth plan to danger as she was wheeled to the recovery room. “I started feeling fuzzy, like I was floating. I assumed it was an endorphin high,” says Healy, now 30. Nope, it was a severe postpartum hemorrhage. “The nurses were doing massage, compression, and giving me meds to try to stop the bleeding,” she says. They were successful, but it took some time for Healy’s condition to improve enough…

Grilled Fish Tacos With Charred Pineapple Salsa TOTAL: 20 MIN SERVES: 4 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice½ small red onion, finely chopped1 jalapeño, thinly sliced Kosher salt and pepper¼ small pineapple, sliced into thick rings1¼ lbs skinless white fish fillets (such as tilapia, cod, or halibut)1 Tbsp olive oil¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves8 corn tortillas, lightly charred 1. In a bowl, combine lime juice, onion, jalapeño, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. 2. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill pineapple until charred and beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. 3. Brush fish with oil, season with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, and grill until lightly charred and opaque throughout, 2 to 5 minutes per side (depending on the fish). 4. Cut pineapple into ½-inch pieces and…

My now-boyfriend and I met on a dating app, and there were sparks from the start. We were weeks into our relationship when COVID-19 hit New York City, and he asked me if I wanted to shelter-in-place at his apartment. This is my first relationship in over three years—and my last one had an unhealthy power dynamic—so I was hesitant about rushing into something so new. Still, it was an unprecedented time, and there weren’t warning signs like with the last guy. I decided to go for it. Well, after only a week of living together, he called me out for holding back during important convos. It was a make-or-break moment as we sat staring at each other, exhausted from talking all night. That discussion was a good thing; it…

TO HEAR PADMA LAKSHMI recount the last restaurant meal she ate before lockdown is an almost spiritual experience. It was lunch at the French café La Mercerie in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Padma’s a creature of habit, she tells me, so she ordered the same thing she always does. “They have a poached egg that sits in a cauliflower puree that is so decadent and divine,” she says. “But you feel virtuous because it’s literally one egg. The portion is small, but you know it’s rich, especially if you’re eating a kilo of bread next.” (For the record, she slathers that kilo of bread with the restaurant’s signature flavored butters, varieties like lemon and buckwheat.) “I also love their green salad. It’s so beautifully dressed—I’m against overdressing salads, putting a…

Myla Bennett Powell, MD, a plastic surgeon in the Atlanta area, has a frontrow seat on the magnification of body issues. Despite the interest in cosmetic procedures (in 2019, 18.1 million people in the U.S. had non-invasive treatments and surgery), she often turns people away. The reality checks she gives prospective patients can help anyone think twice about desired changes: Is the issue on your face, or deeper? “Everyone’s trying to be selfie-ready all the time—they’re asking for cheek filler when their cheeks are sitting underneath their eyes already. Things have become so normalized that people treat it like they’re buying jeans. I end up ‘mothering’ people who come into my office and sending them on their way. I don’t enjoy seeing women pick themselves apart and break down their…

71% How much lip augmentation procedures have increased since 2000. Big, plump Bratz doll–type lips achieved with dissolving hyaluronic acid fillers are a popular request—so much so that they were a large portion of the 2.7 million total filler procedures in 2019 alone. 14 million Number of views for the #Side ProfileCheck hashtag on TikTok, which encourages showing off your face’s symmetry. “The chin and jawline are having a moment on social media, where extreme definition has become the name of the game,” says Dr. Idriss. Consider it a by-product of selfies and all the other front-facing ways we connect. 20s The age group that dermatologists and plastic surgeons agree most desires the “cat-eye” effect of having eyes stretched up and back (as if pulled in a supertight ponytail), Dr.…

Perform 15 to 20 reps of each move, then continue immediately to the next; at the end, rest for up to two minutes. That’s one set. Repeat the entire routine once or twice more. You’ll need weights (start with 10 pounds or less). This could be a pair of dumbbells, but whatever else you have on hand that happens to be the same size, like water bottles, will work. You’ll know you’ve hit your strength sweet spot if the last couple of reps leave you saying phew! Don’t feel that fatigue? Take it up a notch next time. Ready, set, sweat! Bilateral Bent-Over Row With Tricep Kickback Stand with hips pushed back so torso is tilted 45 degrees, arms extended toward floor, hands holding weights (A). Pull both hands up…

CARDIOLOGY Jennifer H. Mieres, MD Professor of cardiology, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; senior vice president, Center for Equity of Care, Northwell Health DERMATOLOGY Mona Gohara, MD Associate clinical professor, department of dermatology, Yale School of Medicine Ellen Marmur, MD Founder, Marmur Medical Joshua Zeichner, MD Director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City FERTILITY Sheeva Talebian, MD Fertility specialist and reproductive endocrinologist, CCRM New York FITNESS Ben Bruno, CFSC Certified functional strength coach and private trainer Betina Gozo, CFSC Certified functional strength coach; NASM corrective exercise specialist; Nike master trainer; creator of Women’s Health Woman’s Guide to Strength Training Sohee Lee, MS, CSCS Evidence-based fitness coach and certified sports nutritionist; author of Eat. Lift. Thrive. Stacy T. Sims, PhD Exercise…

8% Footwear and apparel are responsible for this much of the world’s CO2 emissions, according to an industry report.…

What if you could exhale or take a saliva swab, then know exactly what to eat—and when!—to keep your metabolism hyped up? That day might not be so far away, thanks to the latest batch of at-home testing devices. Lumen works (and looks) kinda like a Breathalyzer ($299, lumen. me): It detects CO? in your breath, which indicates whether your body is using carbs or fat for energy (if it’s the former, you’ll want a low-carb breakfast so you switch over to those fat stores, for example). Everlywell’s Metabolism Test ($89, everlywell.com) measures hormones via a blood and spit sample. With your results, you’ll score nutrition and lifestyle tips to optimize your body’s burn. Only thing: When athletes do the pro version of these tests—in a doc’s office—they have a…

“I don’t set an alarm because I have a 21-month-old named Faye MAJOR CUTIE who wakes up between 6:45 and 7 a.m. like clockwork, stands up, and says, ‘Mama!’ She’s not very fussy, so I check my email and fitness tracker 1 to see how I slept the night before. Next, I open the shades and peek at the five plants OTHER BABIES in my bedroom to see if anyone needs water. We also grow garlic outside, and my daughter likes to water it every morning. ACT OF LOVE It blows my mind that she can lift the watering can—it’s half her size! After I brush my teeth and wash my face, 2 I apply a little skin care: Caudalie Vinopure Skin Perfecting Serum followed by EltaMD sunscreen, 3 because it doesn’t have that white residue or smell like…

“May I be easy, gentle, and joyful.” I have a lot of mantras. Most of them come out of my biggest fears or anxieties. Right now, my mantra is Easy, gentle, and joyful. Usually, I have so much to get done, and time seems to be in such limited supply. I tell myself to work smart, work hard, and push and push—like, I know I could get more out of me. As soon as the stay-at-home situation started, it was like slowing down a speeding train. I had to pause a very active mind and allow myself to not pick up a narrative that frightened me. Easy, gentle, and joyful settled me down. Right now, my fuse is a little shorter. Things that rolled off my back before are a…

72 That’s how many hours you can expect your muscles to feel less sore, post-massage.Source: Frontiers in Physiology Just so you know: The time to push your limits is during that last all-out treadmill sprint or the close-to-final burpee in a body-weight workout, not in the middle of your recovery routine. “There’s some discomfort you’ll have to work with when you do any type of recovery, but there should not be pain,” says Martinez. If you feel a sharp or searing sensation, back off immediately. This could be a sign that your system is in an even more stressed-out state—i.e., the exact opposite of what you’re going for, according to Richey.…

It started with my mom missing a few bus stop pickups because of doctor’s appointments. Other times, she was too tired to hold a conversation with me. And by the time I hit 4 years old, she had been temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, seeming to get frailer each day. Eventually she told me she had lupus, an autoimmune disease that would change her life and our relationship forever. It took years of physical therapy, six rheumatologists, and 15-plus medications to get it under control. Her experience is not unique: Lupus affects at least 1.5 million Americans, 90 percent of them women. And the chance a Black woman, like my mom, develops lupus is three times greater than a white woman’s. It’s the sixth-leading cause of death for Black…

ASK FOR AN EARLY CHECK-IN Every expectant mama should plan a follow-up appointment shortly after birth (even if it’s just a call) and before the six-week postpartum visit. “It’s important to intervene early, posttrauma, but it’s almost impossible to predict these events,” says Dekel. Childbirth, though, is predictable; you mostly know when it’s happening, so you can plan care in advance. USE A LABEL When friends and family say you should just be happy if everyone turned out healthy, “it puts women in a place of denial,” says Dekel. First, remember that what you’re going through is a normal response to a stressful event. Then say it out loud: “I’ve been through a trauma.” It adds validity, making it more likely you’ll seek treatment you need, Dekel says. TELL YOUR…

POP PRIZE If you miss movie popcorn, grab this threeingredient mix with a hint of coconut—no fake butter flavor here! You’ll eat it by the handful (er, we did). LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn PERFECT PUFF Meet the cheese puff 2.0. These bites are created with chickpea flour and offer six grams of protein per serving. (Light as air, strong as hell.) Biena Snacks Baked Chickpea Puffs Aged White Cheddar BEST BEANS Roasted beans coated in vegan ranch dressing? Heaven. They’re also a clutch way to add some chomp to salad. Enlightened Bada Bean Bada Boom Zesty Ranch Crunchy Broad Beans SPICY STAR Rice cakes—made by soaking grains in watermelon juice and coconut milk before baking—pack the heat, thanks to the Thai chili paste. Dang Foods Rice Chips Sriracha Spice…

“I Dated With Less Pressure And More Long Convos” “Quarantine hit me hard at first, but my digital dates gave me new perspective. Since video chats and calls were all we had, I’ve learned not to waste time—sometimes days—messaging back and forth with a match; you really need to hear someone’s voice! When this is all over, I plan on being fast with FaceTime, but slow with the physical stuff. It’s been nice getting to know people without the pressure to kiss or have sex.”—Lindsey, 31, Santa Barbara, CA “I Was Honest With Myself… And the Guy I Was Seeing” “I had just started dating someone who had real longterm potential, but I shut down a great deal when COVID-19 came. I had to be honest with him: I couldn’t be…

WH: Could using appearancechanging filters and apps contribute to developing BDD? DR. PHILLIPS: Well, using the word contribute here is important because Instagram filters alone won’t cause BDD. But for some people who are already at risk of developing it, they could tip them over the edge. WH: How can you tell if you’re at risk for developing the prob? DR. PHILLIPS: We have some clues, but we don’t fully know. Having been teased about your appearance or competence may be risk factors for developing it. BDD is actually partly genetic, so if you have a relative with BDD, that increases your risk too. WH: What are the signs that your insecurities are turning into a disorder? DR. PHILLIPS: BDD causes a preoccupation with perceived appearance defects that, to others,…

DO A QUICK SCAN OF YOUR BODY, HEAD TO TOE.HOW YA FEELING? Anything bothering you? If you said “my back,” you’re in good company. Eighty percent of people report pain in this area at some point, according to the American Chiropractic Association. And that was before millions of us started working from home. Raise your hand if your new “desk” is less than ergonomically correct. (Just a guess…your back muscles could probably use a little attention right about now.) Thought so, seeing as how when the WH fitness team conducted a little social (media) experiment to see which types of workouts our follow-ers love most, we discovered that—*pause for dramatic effect*—those that focused on the back were saved more than any other type of sweat session on our feed. What…

PERFECT PAIR Is there anything better than a wellloved pair of jeans that’s contoured to your body? Well, maybe said jeans teamed up with trendy snakeskin boots? Yes, that’s better. LAYER LOVE Mix basics like a tank or a tee with a jeans jumpsuit for a total breezy ’fit. Then roll down the arms and tie around your waist to top it all off. ALL STAR When in doubt, go for headto-toe (er, -thigh) denim. This creates the perfect canvas: Add bold footwear and edgy accessories. (And yes, even the roosters will come running to peep your look!)…

“I want to reclaim my body, overcome my fears, and develop unconditional self-love.” My name is Keesha Jean-Baptiste. I am a soulful, spiritual, and joyous human. I am also a 46-year-old woman, a wife (I’ve been married for 19 years to a wonderful man), and a mother (my daughter is 11 and my son is 5). My children fill my life with such a deep, profound love. They think I am beautiful, strong, and fierce. While these attributes are true for how my family views me, I struggle to see myself in the same way. My body has changed a lot over time, and the truth is, I no longer recognize myself. In recent years, I’ve let my desire to be there for everyone else supersede my own needs. (Sound…

CHICKPEAS Not only for hummus and curries, chickpeas have a rich texture that makes them a banging base—with a dough-like consistency when crushed—for plenty of desserts. The fiber will offset that sugar high (and ever-impending crash). HOW Blend with maple syrup, PB, rolled oats, and chocolate chips. CANNELLINI BEANS The legume, used in lots of Italian dishes, has a buttery texture that plays nice with almost any ingredient you pair it with. HOW Add to your fave sauce or soup to give it a creamy texture. Perfetto. CRANBERRY BEANS Probs the most ignored bean on the block, but it shouldn’t be; just a quarter cup will give you nine grams of fiber and eight of protein. HOW Once cooked, toss in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and…

Go for a quick scroll on Instagram and you’ll see everyone from pro athletes to fitfluencers blasting their muscles with massage guns or demo’ing the foam-rolling techniques they absolutely swear by. Yes, it’s partly because many people just have more time on their hands these days to cool down properly. But it’s more than simply a side effect of staying home. Word has finally spread (bless up!) that if you have a workout routine, you need a recovery one too. Here’s the thing: Exercise stresses your bod and creates microtears in your muscles, says Austin Martinez, ATC, director of education for StretchLab Franchise, a studio that specializes in flexibility training. And it’s only after your workout is over that your system starts to magically repair itself to become stronger and…

CLUE Joint pain SPOT IT This usually appears as stiffness or trouble moving, especially in the a.m. It can last for a few minutes or a few hours, Dr. Bayard says. Joints may also be swollen, warm to the touch, or painful even without swelling. CLUE Fatigue SPOT IT Eighty percent of lupus patients experience recurring low energy. If you’re thinking, But I’m always tired, Dr. Bayard describes it as severe to the point that it impacts your ability to go about your daily activities and work. CLUE Dry eyes or mouth SPOT IT Disease-related dry eyes and mouth occur on a persistent basis (not just after you’ve stared at your computer all day). Patients often report a sensation of sand in the eyes or regular waking at night to…

Corn What screams summer more than these little gold guys? Nada. To save, blanch ears—boil 2 minutes, cool in ice water—then cut kernels off the cob. Freeze on a parchmentlined sheet until firm; transfer to a container. Stash for up to four months. CHARRED CORN SALAD TOTAL: 20 MIN SERVES: 4 ½ small red onion, finely chopped1 red chile, thinly sliced3 Tbsp fresh lime juice2 Tbsp olive oil, divided Kosher salt and pepper2 cups frozen corn kernels¼ cup cilantro, roughly choppedCrumbled queso fresco, for serving 1. In a large bowl, toss together red onion and chile with lime juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. 2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high. Add remaining Tbsp oil, then corn (grab it from your frozen stash!),…

I’ve never thought of myself as a “rah-rah resolutions!” kind of person. But if the last several months have taught me anything, it’s that I do, in fact, really like having tangible goals to work toward. When the pandemic began, just about every plan I had became an impossibility. The triathlon I’d been training for was canceled, my new-apartment dreams were crushed, and my dating life and hopes for a relationship in the near future? Obliterated. My calendar became a big stretch of nothing. I suddenly felt unmoored, like I was floating through life with no direction. I wasn’t alone in experiencing grief over that. “Losing the opportunity to reach a goal can make you feel out of control and powerless,” says Kristin Keim, PsyD, a sport psychologist and founder…

SYMPTOM A Short Fuse Depression can bring anger with it—more common in men, experts say—and it’s hard not to take these outbursts personally. SOLUTION: Step away for a sec. “Anger triggers the brain’s ‘fight’ region,” LaSov says, “telling us a threat is fast-approaching and clouding our thinking.” Cue: hurtful words you can’t take back. (P.S. It should go without saying, but if his anger is crossing over into abuse, seek help. Your support has limits.) SYMPTOM Low Motivation Simple things, like doing the dishes, can feel overwhelming during an episode, breeding resentment if you feel stuck with all the responsibilities. SOLUTION: Approach the topic with curiosity, not criticism, LaSov suggests: “I’ve noticed a change in X habits. Everything okay?” instead of “I don’t get why you’re sleeping until noon every…

As more people embrace the no-makeup life (hello, #StayHome), there’s likely a big difference between the way we appear IRL and our polished digital alter egos (see: that #TBT of you in lipstick living on your grid). That’s dangerous: “A widening gap between one’s digitally enhanced ideal self and one’s actual self creates a dysphoria,” says Dr. Amadi. “The chances of developing mental concerns and disorders like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and OCD-related problems, including body dysmorphic disorder, also increase. It’s a slippery slope.” It doesn’t help that the naked eye is gullible online. People recognize edited photos only 60 to 65 percent of the time, one study found. “Some of the behaviors people engage in that inadvertently worsen their body image are ‘checking and avoidance’—using a filter is a…

Check the Facts “We get so used to viewing our appearance through a lens of negative self-image and filters that we don’t see what’s really there. We distort it in our mind,” says Alyssa Lia Mancao, LCSW, a Los Angeles–based therapist. Try this: “Look at yourself in the mirror and describe your appearance without using any subjective language,” she says. That means quelling the critical voice in your head (“my lashes are too short”) and describing yourself objectively (“I have two eyes”) or focusing on function (“my eyes allow me to see”). Limit Your Use Curate your feed! “Unfollow people that trigger unhelpful thoughts or feelings,” says Mancao. “It’s okay to mute the accounts that don’t make you feel good about yourself and start following accounts that make you feel…

They may be twins, but Zakiyyah and Khadijah’s paths in the mental health profession have been anything but identical. As a licensed psychotherapist, Zakiyyah (left) has focused on the mental, while yoga instructor and social worker Khadijah (right) has leaned more into the physical. It wasn’t until 2018, when Khadijah began applying for a grant (with Zakiyyah’s help), that the two had an epiphany—by combining their individual strengths, they could nurture the “whole client.” Thus their New York–based company, Unearth and Bloom, took root. Their mission is straightforward yet profound: to help Black women and girls process trauma and understand how it affects their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. “Trauma is an extreme emotional response to an event, when you have an inability to use your coping skills,” Zakiyyah says.…