Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2023 i Women's Health

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 FAMILY MEDICINE Navya Mysore, MD, MDCM, DABFM, CFPC Primary care physician; sexual and reproductive health expert 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’s The Woman’s Guide to Strength Training Lauren Kanski, CPT NASM-certified…

You’ve always wanted to try Pilates, but you’re reluctant because you think you’ll be bad at it. When you do go for it, you only notice the teacher correcting you, while everyone else seems to do each exercise effortlessly. You should just give up, right? Not so fast. You’re caught in a common thinking trap known as cognitive bias. It’s a shortcut in which your brain forms opinions and makes decisions quickly, says psychologist Leah Katz, PhD, author of Gutsy: Mindfulness Practices for Everyday Bravery. And it’s usually based on past successes, as your mind wants to replicate them in similar situations. However, “just because something worked once before doesn’t mean it was a good strategy,” says Amy Morin, LCSW, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. Some…

YOU WAKE UP AT… …6 a.m. and are out the door to get in an early workout as the sun rises. You’re showered, cooking breakfast, and planning the rest of the day’s activities by 8 a.m. …7:30 a.m., right as your alarm is going off. You feel refreshed and ready to take on a big day of meetings ahead. You generally wake up at the same time every morning, with or without your alarm. …8:30 a.m. with your blaring alarm and then hit snooze. It takes two more alarms to get you out of bed, leaving you just enough time to guzzle some coffee and walk the dog before the day starts. …9:45 a.m., 15 minutes before you’re supposed to be in your first Zoom meeting. You’re incredibly sleepy (because…

Her Morning Must-Haves 1. NESPRESSO CARAMEL COOKIE COFFEE “I get the lungo pods, which are basically a double shot.” 2. FAMILY TIME “We shoot hoops in the living room together. It’s really fun.” 3. STORYTELLING “I’m not someone who journals, so making social media videos is therapeutic for me.” “I am a morning person—my personality exists only between the hours of 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. After that, I’m pretty much waiting till the next morning. I’ve always gotten up early to have space to myself. I had three older brothers growing up, and life was just kind of hectic. Now, as a mom, it feels like sacred, protected time. The first thing I do after I wake up is go straight to my Nespresso machine. I brew a jug…

1. Primed for Success “I work on WH’s social content, and I can confirm these melt into your skin, giving you that IG-filter effect with no other makeup.” —Amanda Lucci, deputy editor, content strategy Catrice Cosmetics Plump & Fresh, Oil-Control, and Anti-Redness Primers, $8 each, amazon.com 2. Top Performer “The deodorant’s 48-hour-dry promise is legit. My pits were sweat- and odor-free through a run and a strength-training sesh, no reapplication. And it didn’t transfer to my black sports bra.” —Jennifer Nied, fitness editor Hello Sweet Coconut Deo Roll On, $7, helloproducts.com 3. Skin Soother “Balms targeting eczema tend to be unpleasantly thick and sticky. Not this one. More akin to a rich cream, it eases extreme dryness with 5 percent colloidal oatmeal.” —Brian Underwood, beauty director Murad Quick Relief Colloidal Oatmeal Treatment, $46,…

Savory Oatmeal With Greens and Eggs TOTAL: 20 MIN. SERVES: 4 2 Tbsp olive oil1 tsp freshly grated ginger1 5-oz pkg baby kale Kosher salt4 tsp vegetable bouillon base (we used Better Than Bouillon)2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 tsp toasted sesame oil4 soft-boiled eggs, halvedToasted sesame seeds, nori strips, and sliced scallions, for serving 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add ginger and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 min. Add kale, season with ¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, just to wilt, 2 min.; transfer to a bowl and discard any liquid from pan. 2. Add 4 cups water and bouillon base to same saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in oats and simmer, stirring occasionally, until oats are tender and thickened, 6…

If you’re looking to elevate your fitness game, kinesiology tape may be at the top of your must-try list. After all, many pro athletes have been spotted wearing strips of bright-colored adhesive on their arms, legs, even faces while competing in their sports. Kinesiology tape (KT Tape, RockTape, and Kinesio Tape, to name a few popular brands) is made of elastic cotton, so it’s super stretchy. And it’s designed to kick-start healing under the surface—specifically, soothing painful muscles and reducing swelling after an injury or intense workout. Here’s how the sticky stuff stands up to claims, proper techniques for its use, and what to watch out for. It soothes aches and pains. FOR MANY, YES! There isn’t much research to back this up, yet experts like Anna Ribaudo, DPT, of…

Despite the years spent performing Chinese classical dance as a kid and even attending the famed High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts—where she learned tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop—actor Li Jun Li (or LiLi, as friends know her) wouldn’t necessarily call herself a dancer today. “I loved it,” she says. “But I haven’t danced in a long time.” Talk with her long enough, however, and you may get the sense that’s not exactly the case. Because to hear LiLi tell it, dance has always been there when she’s needed it. Take, for instance, the early days of the pandemic, when gyms and studios were shuttered overnight. Like so many of us, LiLi fired up her laptop in order to sweat at home. Her exercises of choice? Yoga,…

Behind any headstand—or race finish line, polished presentation, the list goes on and on—is an awkward, uncomfortable beginning. When social media, our friends and colleagues, heck, the entire world seem to reward the neat and tidy finished product, trying something new feels humbling…even painfully raw. I say this from personal experience, because the yoga inversion you see in the image to the left is the culmination of many messy beginner moments. It took six months of twice-weekly classes, hundreds of scapula pushups, many discombobulated leans against a wall, plus a ton of guidance from friends and yogis, to get myself into that position. Full disclosure: I used to be afraid of beginnings. I was so obsessed with perfection that I avoided opportunities to learn and grow. But one of the…

Wake up, hit the gym, swing by your favorite coffee shop, head to work…if you’re like most people, you’ve got a routine on repeat. While having a structured calendar is often necessary, going through life Groundhog Day–style causes you to activate the same brain pathways every day. Which is not always a good thing. Mixing up your manner of operating, by tweaking a step or slowly honing a fresh skill, can create all-new neural roads, which helps keep your mind sharp and, surprisingly, your mood high. Yep, trying something new can make you happier, according to Claudia Aguirre, PhD, a neuroscientist and Women’s Health advisor. “There’s a ‘wow’ factor because novelty taps into that part of the brain that is the reward center, so you get a dopamine release,” she…

Before As a naturally anxious and self-proclaimed unsettled person, I was inspired to take flamenco lessons after reading one researcher’s reflections on flamenco’s psychosomatic therapeutic capabilities that connect you to your deepest self. The idea that moving my body in a new way could allow me to let go of an inner restlessness, even if only for a moment, was appealing. Plus, my being a fan of Rosalía—whose early music mixes pop with traditional flamenco sounds—made embarking on this journey a no-brainer. I had no idea what to expect before my first class as I’d never even seen a flamenco performance before, let alone tried it myself. Nerves lingered as I entered the flamenco studio in NYC—to be honest, I was intimidated—but I knew I was in for something transformative.…

As with most exercises, it’s important to learn the proper way to perform these moves; you don’t want to wing it. One option is to hire a facial fitness coach to do one-on-one video calls. Naeemah Ruffn, DPM, MPH, founder and CEO of Bellantz and a former assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Hospital, offers this service (starting at $1,490 for a sixweek series). And aesthetician Joseph Carrillo has designed a facial combining three different techniques to sculpt and tone the face. The treatment is $350, but Carrillo teaches clients a takeaway technique to help between visits. “Like the gym, in general, the more you exercise, the better your results,” Carrillo says. FaceGym has an athome option too: All the products used in-studio are sold online (facegym.com), and each comes…

Chocolate Protein Cookie Dough Sift 11/cups ALMOND MEAL into a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/cup each CHOCOLATE PROTEIN POWDER, DUTCH-PROCESSED COCOA POWDER, and OAT FLOUR; 1/tsp BAKING SODA; and 1/tsp SALT. In a large bowl, whisk together 6 Tbsp (3/stick) UNSALTED BUTTER (melted and cooled), 1/cup SUGAR, and 1/cup each ALMOND BUTTER and BROWN SUGAR. Whisk in 4 LARGE EGGS, one at a time, then 1 tsp pure VANILLA EXTRACT. Add flour mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Per serving: 178 cal, 11 g fat (3.5 g sat), 7 g protein, 130 mg sodium, 14 g carb, 9 g sugars (8.5 g added sugars), 2 g fiber Vanilla Protein Cookie Dough Sift 11/cups ALMOND MEAL into a medium bowl. Whisk in 3/cup OAT FLOUR, 1/cup PROTEIN POWDER, 1/tsp BAKING SODA,…

The girl in the photo to the right, taking in the sunshine in the perfect sports bra, lightweight gym shorts, and breathable running vest? That’s Jacq. Flip to page 42 and you’ll meet Jennifer, all smiles mid-double-under, using our favorite jump rope and rocking the chicest weighted vest out there. We’re Team Fitness at WH, and for this year’s Awards, we’re taking you *deep* behind the scenes to show you how these products are the building blocks of our own routines (just look!). Making selections takes our entire family of editors, designers, and trusted trainers. We have our sweat preferences, live in different climates, have kids or maybe not, represent various body types, and come from unique backgrounds. Movement means something different to everyone—but we all agree that sweat changes…

On the long list of wants in life—to be healthy, happy, fulfilled—feeling really, truly good about yourself likely takes a top spot for many people. And that comes with building confidence, which usually means improving your self-esteem—an internal judgment of your self-worth or “an evaluation of worthiness,” says Kristin Neff, PhD, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Perhaps the most talked-about method for pumping yourself up is to tip the needle in the direction you want, telling yourself to work harder, get stronger, and develop grit. But now, psych experts are poking holes in that theory, noting that while elevating your self-esteem can certainly be a pathway to more confidence, it has its pitfalls. Self-esteem is tied to external validation, like compliments at…

How to Forge a New Path Step one on a beginner’s journey: getting uncomfortable. The thought of trying something new often spurs fear of rejection or embarrassment, says Keith Rollag, PhD, a professor of management at Babson College and author of What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and Successful in New Situations. But a quick mindset shift can help you embrace this awkward feeling and find confidence where you least expect it. First, think about something you’re good at. Then imagine a rookie joining and asking for help. How do you feel? You likely don’t look down on or make fun of them for their lack of experience; you’re happy to show them the ropes. “Putting yourself in the ‘expert’ position helps you realize that…

Good news for bench warmers: Your body is primed to make a comeback. With strength training in particular, your brain remembers how it communicated with your nervous system and muscles to perform specific movements (a.k.a. “muscle memory), says physical therapist Kristi Barker, MPT. Still, key to a successful return, whether you lift, do cardio, or—ideally—both, is patience, says Simone V. Williams, CPT, who specializes in prenatal and postnatal training in L.A. Give yourself some grace. What if you were injured? “Have a health-care professional oversee your rehab,” says Barker. “They will prescribe exercises that allow you to recover effciently.” But anyone can gain applicable insight from the general recs below. Let’s get back to it! STRENGTH TRAINING OUT FOR 2 WEEKS FOLLOW THE 15% RULE You may feel invincible (read:…

CITRUS CRUSH These segments boast crunch you won’t find in fresh wedges. Light and airy, they practically melt in your mouth but still pack over 20 percent of your daily dose of vitamin C. CrispyGreen Tangerine Crispy Fruit SWEET STAND-IN If you’re looking for a nighttime treat, snack on these soft, fudgy gems rich with deep caramel flavor (and magnesium—key for muscle relaxation). Did someone say dessert? Joolies Organic Medjool Pitted Dates SUPER STRAWBERRY Enjoy summer flavor all year round with crisp whole slices that serve up a hit of potassium too. Stir into yogurt or mix with popcorn. Yum! Gold Emblem Abound Freeze-Dried Strawberry Fruit Crisps MANGO MAGIC This brand dries perfectly ripe mango halves for a slightly sour bite that you can (read: should) chop and mix into…

One woman’s health-saving device is another woman’s…lifestyle tracker? That’s the complicated question surrounding the rising interest in glucose monitoring for active, healthy people. As the main sugar found in your blood, glucose *is* a big deal. It’s what gives the cells in your body the oomph they need to function. So it’s not surprising that a number of start-ups are advocating for keeping tabs on this health marker in order to boost energy, optimize workouts, and more. Where things get dicey: With the mainstream attention on glucose comes the promotion of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) devices, making them seem as if they’re any ol’ trendy tool. But experts and those with diabetes have thoughts about the idea of watching blood sugar fluctuations around the clock when you’re generally healthy—and doing…