Innholdsfortegnelse for December 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 Primary care physician; sexual and reproductive health expert FERTILITY Sheeva Talebian, MD Fertility specialist and reproductive endocrinologist, CCRM New York FITNESS Ariel Belgrave, CPT Board-certified health and fitness coach; Under Armour athlete; creator of the L.E.A.N. Method; DEI wellness expert Ben Bruno, CFSC Certified functional strength coach and private trainer Sohee Carpenter, MS, CSCS Evidence-based fitness coach and certified sports nutritionist; author…

CLAUDETTE SARIYA, 30, New York City @yearofclaude “I use the Notes app on my iPhone to jot down to-do lists, grocery lists, video ideas, and more. Making lists helps me feel more in control—I can see all the tasks I need to get done, prioritize the most important items, and group things together for the most efficiency. Plus, I love that it syncs up with my laptop so I can stay organized across my devices.” ALMONI ELLIS, 26, Chesapeake, Virginia @runningsoles_ “I am a mom, trainer, powerlifter, entrepreneur, elementary school PE teacher, girlfriend, and so much more. At times, it may feel as if I’m sinking and unable to come up for air. In those moments, I take the time to create affirmations that will be a constant reminder of…

In some ways, we’re living in the golden age of beauty products. With just a few clicks, you can discover hundreds of items that promise to give your complexion extra glow or your strands a boost (and you can have the box on your doorstep tomorrow, dopamine rush included). Unfortunately, many of us know how that story usually ends: disappointment, even mild anger, at less-than-stellar results. So, for our 2023 Women’s Health Healthy Hair and Skin Care Awards, we tapped the best of the best—world-class dermatologists and aestheticians, celebrity hairstylists, and the intrepid WH beauty team—to help you narrow the field and find the products that really deliver results. Check out the full list of winners at WomensHealthMag.com, and rest assured, you can add these to your cart with utmost…

1. Deep Breath The aroma of lavender is a well-known stress reliever, so cool-kid brand Le Labo completely reimagined the scent to make it more modern, pairing the note with bright bergamot and rich tonka bean to give it a little edge. Le Labo Lavande 31 Eau de Parfum, $322, lelabofragrances.com 2. Right Price If most serums leave you with sticker shock, here’s some good news: Olay’s latest option packs five powerhouse ingredients—including niacinamide to fight discoloration, brightening vitamin C, and collagen peptides—into one beautifully affordable bottle. Cha-ching! Olay Super Serum, $35, olay.com 3. Soft Touch Cleansing isn’t the most exciting part of a routine, but it’s an important one that preps your skin for the products to come. This newbie is up to the task, removing grime with soothing ingredients that…

1. Picture your most confident self—then show up as her. A new client who approached Waite about how to get her head in the game to break 3:30 in her marathon said she felt silly contacting the sports psych since she “wasn’t a professional athlete,” Waite recalls. But if something is important to you (including a hobby or passion), Waite told her, it warrants seeking help in the form of a mental health pro or coach. As an exercise, Waite took the focus off running entirely and instead spent a lot of time discussing other environments in which the client felt like her most self-assured, professional self. “We talked about her work environment as a successful lawyer,” Waite says. Then, turning the scenario around, she asked: What would happen if…

Imagine if every time you’re struggling to make a decision, a giant, colorful wheel appears before you. On each tab, YES or NO is written in bold letters. Like clock-work, it pops up whenever you feel stuck—your own personal wheel of fortune, only it never asks you to buy a vowel. If you are me, you already exist in this reality, and you’re currently hoping the wheel lands on YES. I’ve just asked the website Wheel Decide whether I should order Thai for dinner. The virtual whirligig claims to be the “ultimate decision maker,” and, considering the website is pinned to the favorites tab on my phone’s Internet browser, I tend to agree. Decision-making has never been my strongest muscle. It’s not that I dislike making decisions, but I always…

Sausage and Fennel Chickpea Rigatoni TOTAL: 25 MIN. SERVES: 4 12 oz chickpea rigatoni3 Tbsp olive oil, divided1 Tbsp fennel seeds, crushed1 lb Italian turkey sausage, casings removed¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water1 large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced Kosher salt2 cloves garlic, finely chopped½ tsp red pepper flakes2 tsp fresh lemon juice¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp grated Pecorino Romano6 cups baby kale 1. Cook pasta per pkg. directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain and rinse pasta. 2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet on medium. Quickly add fennel seeds and bite-size pieces of sausage on top, gently pressing with spatula. Cook on medium-high, undisturbed, until golden brown on bottom, 4 to 6 min. Toss and cook just until cooked through,…

AS A TEENAGER, I THOUGHT I WAS STRAIGHT—OR, AT LEAST, I did a good job repressing the part of me that knew I wasn’t. Still, growing up “straight” meant I spent my formative years cobbling together a road map of what I imagined sex would look and feel like, based on everything I learned from sex ed, movies, TV, my more experienced camp friends, and even the “sex talk” with my mom. The gist: There’s “foreplay,” then penetration, and then—when the partner with the penis climaxes—it’s done. You’ve “had sex.” Because this singular definition of sex was so ingrained in my mind, I viscerally recall the first time I “had sex” with a cisgender, heterosexual guy, at 19. And even though the sex itself was pretty underwhelming and awkward, I…

Speak up when something changes Your doc can help you navigate changes (libido decline, hot flashes, etc.), whether that’s by prescribing hormone therapy or recommending another personalized strategy. Remember: Sex should never be a source of pain. Vaginal dryness is a common challenge for post-menopausal women; vaginal estrogen can help, but intimacy is possible in other ways too. Lean on your learned experiences. You may not be comfortable with your body changing with age, but your mind (which many experts consider the most powerful sexual organ) has only benefited. Source: Emily Hu, MD, ob-gyn, menopause practitioner and medical director at Evernow, a menopause care company…

THE FIRST TIME I WENT CELIBATE, it felt like a necessity. At age 20, I’d just gotten out of a toxic relationship with my college ex that left me feeling like a shell of my former self. My goal was to reimagine what intimacy and sex could look like for me outside of companionship. I spent two years post-breakup studying some of the most popular books about love, sensuality, and pleasure. I also prioritized solitude by taking myself out for dinner, attending concerts alone, and venturing on a solo trip. Ultimately, frequenting spaces on my own that are typically tailored toward couples and large groups of people showed me that I didn’t need to be in a relationship to prioritize pleasure. It truly felt empowering and cathartic to be alone.…

At 22, Arianna W. was certain she wanted to freeze her eggs—one day. It was 2016, and she was interning at Boston IVF Fertility Clinic, witnessing the spectrum of ways people created families. As a queer woman with hopes of becoming a mother, she knew her journey to starting a family, biologically, would likely involve reproductive-tech interventions. The idea of donating some of her eggs to help another family with a parallel experience was always in the back of her mind. Arianna was also aware that, “ideally, I should freeze my eggs on the earlier side and not in my mid- or late 30s” because of the studied age-related decline in fertility. But the five-figure price tag put the option out of reach. “In my early 20s, I didn’t have…

Single-Leg Stand Stand with feet hip-distance apart, hands on hips (A). Root left foot firmly on the floor and shift weight into left side; avoid locking out the left knee as you lift right foot a few inches in front of you (B). Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, then return to start. That’s 1 rep. Complete 6 reps on each side. PRO TIP: If you’re ready for a bigger challenge, Kalsched suggests extending your leg straight in front of you after you lift the foot off the floor, as if you’re showing someone the bottom of your foot. Alternating Forward Lunge Stand with feet hipwidth apart and hands clasped (A). Step left leg forward, lowering into a lunge by bending both knees about 90 degrees, and maintaining an upright…

There I was, post-hike and post-shower, barefoot in jeans and a tank, hair washed and wet, journaling on the balcony of my hotel room in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before dinner. Glorious. Thanks to a company policy that allows WH editors to work remotely for several weeks a year, and my three kiddos living their best bunk bed lives at camp in Colorado, my husband, Matt, and I took advantage of the opportunity to fill our backpacks with the bare essentials and hit the open road. We made stops in Pagosa Springs, Colorado; and Taos, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos, New Mexico. (Yes, lucky us!) We logged onto Zoom calls from hotels—some divey, some delightful—and explored trails and towns after work and on the weekends. We wandered through museums and galleries,…

Clean-Out Challenge STRATEGIES FOR SPARING FRESH GOODS Soup-er Bowl A big bowl of broth makes the ultimate blank canvas for so many miscellaneous veggies and herbs. Chop ’em up; sauté (with oil) in a pot before adding broth and beans. Cozy! Nacho Night Shred up bits and bobs of cheese, then pile onto tortilla chips and pop in the oven until nice and melty. Top with dollops of Greek yogurt, salsa, pickled jalapeños, you name it. Grain Glow-Up Have extra canned coconut milk? Use it to flavor-boost rice: Replace some water with the coconut milk (just follow package directions for ideal total liquid-to-rice ratio).…

BEST BODY WASH “Not only is it gentle enough for all skin types, but it delivers incredible moisture courtesy of jojoba oil, a personal favorite ingredient of mine.” —Dr. Turner Dove Dryness Relief Body Wash with Jojoba Oil, $7, walgreens.com BEST BODY SCRUB “A smoothing mixture of alpha, beta, and polyhydroxy acids as well as volcanic pumice that effectively exfoliates and refines the skin.” —Dr. Fahs Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator, $30, necessaire.com BEST SCENTED BODY LOTION “This blend of incense, bergamot, and patchouli takes me back to Italy instantly.” —Underwood Eau D’Italie Signature Scent Hand & Body Lotion, $49, beautyhabit.com BEST BODY SUNSCREEN “Easy to spread, weightless, no-mess, fragrance-free, and incredibly sheer. Applying sun protection doesn’t have to be laborious, and this proves it.” —Jackson Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Body SPF 40, $42, supergoop.com BEST…

PELOTON APP Someone cheering through headphones on a tough interval or long sprint “was essential for my marathon training,” says Currie Engel, WH news and features editor. “Listening to their coaching phrases during my workouts changed the way I talk to myself during my runs now. It was really cool to see how my mindset has shifted, and how I can now coach myself through the roughest, stickiest of runs.” From $13/month, iOS and Android NIKERUN CLUB With nearly 300 highly specific runs—a 25-minute session designed to calm you down and inspire you on a Big Day, a second trimester run, and way more—there’s a motivating listen-along option for every runner, day, distance, and mood. “I don’t run often, but NRC guided runs are the only way I’ll do it,”…

At no time in the past 50 years has a broken condom had more dire consequences than it does today. Recently, countless court cases and changes to state and national legislation have opened the flood gates for restrictions to abortion. Now, in more than 20 states, abortion is either diffcult to access or illegal. Roughly one in three women in the U.S. live in states where the medical procedure is simply not a practical option, per the Guttmacher Institute. This reality has launched emergency contraception into a new stratosphere of importance. Accidents happen. Contraception fails. And because care is so restricted in places, these scenarios can be more stressful than ever. Thankfully, emergency contraception, though no replacement for abortion care, can be an effective tool for preventing pregnancy if used…

If the best things come in small packages, then seeds—full of fiber, fats, and antioxidants—prove that point. “They have cardio-protective and anticancer properties, so including them in your diet is a healthy choice,” says Melissa Halas, RDN. But you don’t have to munch on them all day to reap the benefits. “A spoonful is all you need,” says Ashlee Carnahan, RDN, who snacks on them solo or stirred into yogurt or oatmeal. Recipes that lead with seed are here. Passion Dragon Fruit Chia Pudding TOTAL: 10 MIN. PLUS OVERNIGHT CHILLING SERVES: 6 2 ¼cups unsweetened cashew milk½ cup thawed frozen passion fruit snack-size pieces (we used Pitaya Foods brand)3 Tbsp thawed frozen dragon fruit snack-size pieces (we used Pitaya Foods brand)2 Tbsp unrefined coconut sugar½ tsp pure vanilla extract⅛ tsp…

HER LIPS AND TONGUE MADE SNAIL TRAILS DOWN MY ABDOMEN. I could tell my breaths were getting heavier, my body riding its own waves. And then, a loud, startling alarm—followed by four piercing beeps—screamed from the phone on the nightstand. The last beep and buzz sent my phone tumbling to the floor, and my partner and I could no longer ignore what we’d tried to forget for the past 19 minutes: She was having sex with a sick person—specifically, me, a type 1 diabetic with celiac disease, Graves’ disease, and Hashimoto’s. The beeping was my blood sugar alarm, signaling that my blood sugar was dangerously low. If left untreated, I could lose consciousness. When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years prior, I wasn’t prepared for how it…

A FEW MONTHS AGO, I posted on Instagram for this story, asking people to share their experiences with mental health medications and how they affected their experience with intimacy. My DMs flooded with people—from high school, college, family, best friends—who shared. It’s not news that taking care of your mental health can sometimes come at the cost of your sexual satisfaction—antidepressants’ impact on libido and the ability to orgasm is well documented. In fact, it’s actually common for women to experience changes in sex drive, satisfaction, or orgasm while taking SSRIs or other prescription medications, says Rachel Smith, LMFT, a certified sex therapist who specializes in relationships and intimacy. Still, I was stunned to see just how many women I knew had experienced this…and wanted to talk about it. An individual’s…

What does the retrieval process actually involve? Prepare for “two weeks of coming into the office for blood work and ultra-sound appointments, taking nightly injections, and then hopefully ending with an egg retrieval,” says Lauren Bishop, MD. It’s important to understand egg freezing in general “is a serious commitment,” she adds. What about side effects? The procedure is generally well tolerated, says Dr. Bishop. Side effects can include bloating, fatigue, and a full, heavy feeling as a result of the enlarged ovaries. Albeit rare, some more severe potential concerns include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian torsion (when an ovary twists on itself). Is egg freezing a one-and-done thing? It depends on your unique situation. Women go through, on average, 2.1 retrieval cycles to get enough viable eggs, research shows. Does…

FOOD WRITER AND TV JUDGE Gail Simmons To say the Top Chef mainstay was raised in a foodie household would be an understatement. Gail’s mom worked as a food writer and ran a cooking school out of their kitchen (yes, Gail ate the leftovers). Meanwhile, her dad made wine in the basement. Yet, it wasn’t until years later that Gail considered working in the culinary arts. “It was only when I started cooking for myself in earnest that I realized this could be a career for me,” the 47-year-old says. It’s obviously become a passion, but when food is your job, you tend to think about it more strategically than most. In the early days of the Bravo series, Gail skipped breakfast to leave room for judging. “But by the…

▶ Before Weekends often find me hitting the dance floor with friends, but each time, I battle the same old demons: embarrassment and lack of coordination. Lately, my dancing has turned into a series of jumping, pointing, and strange facial expressions (think: Elaine Benes’s “Little Kicks” sprinkled with self-consciousness). At a recent wedding, my dance fears got so bad that I didn’t step out on the dance floor, even as my go-to song, Usher’s “Yeah!” blasted. As a child, I took ballet on and off, but I never stuck with it. During middle school, I kept my ballet attempts hidden, fearing judgment from the sports jocks who reigned supreme. Sneaking off to ballet class felt like my deepest secret, and I quit shortly after the spring recital. Rekindling my ballet…

On a recent bus ride to upstate New York with a group of about 20 runners of all different levels, I had somewhat of a running epiphany: Imposter syndrome is crashing runs for too many of us. Rude! Let me back up. We were en route to a two-day running camp, hosted by Nike, where we got to explore our individual relationships with running, test our technical skills on dirt and gravel trails, cheer each other on during multiple group runs, and more. But when Chris Bennett, Nike Running global head coach (who is pretty much a real-life Ted Lasso), asked each of us, as an icebreaker, to describe our relationship with running, the answers were pretty much all laced with self-doubt and second-guessing. “Well, I just did a half-marathon,…

I love stats…in any health-related form. From VO2 max to predicted race times, data is a huge motivator for me. That’s why the launch of Zozosuit—a wearable garment that can calculate body fat percentage and measure muscle size—was so intriguing to me. How it works: Slip on the stretchy, long-sleeve top and leggings, and snap a series of smartphone photos prompted by the accompanying app. From there, the program creates a 3D model of you with detailed head-to-toe measurements that allow you to look at and then monitor inches and body fat. The smart set has already piqued fitness pros’ interest too: “It’s a quick, convenient way to measure progress,” says Daniel Giordano, DPT, cofounder of Bespoke Treatments, who uses it to help clients understand muscle atrophy and growth while…

If you’ve ever gotten an MRI, it was probably ordered by your doc based on symptoms or a potential injury that warranted a deeper look. Now imagine going in for one for, well, no specific reason, exactly—just overall well-being. An increasing number of start-ups now offer preventive health MRIs (which use powerful magnets and radio waves to create images of your body). They claim the scans help diagnose medical conditions early. Prenuvo, for example, provides full-body scans (at eight locations around the U.S. and Canada, with more coming soon) to potentially detect over 500 conditions, including early-stage tumors and issues like muscle tears, fat deposition in the liver, and appendicitis. (ICYMI: This is the test that helped Maria Menounos detect a stage II pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.) In addition to the…

$20.5 Billion The global market value of meal kit delivery services in 2022 Source: Grand View Research…

1 Experiment Based on Experience It may be your first time with a toy, but it’s probably not your first romping rodeo. When deciding what type of toy best suits your sensual needs, consider the stimulation you enjoy from your hands or a partner—clitoral, G-spot, a combo?—and experiment with toys that can simulate that sensation, says Richmond. Dunno what you like? Try a palm-shaped vibrator that offers allover vulva coverage, says Richmond. You’ll get stimulation on your clitoris (which most vulva owners need to orgasm, btw) but also on the rest of your labia so you can see where else feels good. A wand vibrator is another beginner-friendly option because its large, ball-shaped head provides a wide range of direct stimulation and most have variable speeds. 2 Practice Erotic Flexibility…

WHEN I GOT PREGNANT AT 42, it was a surprise, but I was game—even excited. I didn’t think much about how it would impact my health, my relationship to my body, or ultimately, my sex life. Then I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks. My body was already perimenopausal, but the pregnancy spiked my estrogen and progesterone levels, which crashed with the miscarriage. Until this point, I’d had a drama-free relationship with sex. I was comfortable in my body and confident in my ability to communicate my needs to my partner. But as my body healed, sex wasn’t an option. Even after I recovered, my body reeled from hormonal whiplash. Our bodies require us to be good stewards, making adjustments as needed On top of it all, my pregnancy ultrasound alerted…

When I think about balance, I picture a tightrope or a balance beam or a unicycle with someone gracefully perched atop making the feat look effortless. That’s certainly the high-performance side, but balance is a huge part of everyday life too–and deserves training time in your workout schedule. You may not recognize balance every time you use it. “We usually don’t think about how quickly our brain and body coordinate to keep us safe,” says Kerry Ann Madden, CPT, NASM-master trainer and owner of KAM Fitness and Nutrition. Yet how steady you are (or aren’t) is piquing curiosity: Google search interest in “balance” and “balance exercises” has gradually climbed over the past five years. What you’d ideally find as the answer to that first query: “Balance is being able to…