Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Women's Health

PREP TALK Who wants to prepare a week’s worth of healthy eats on a lazy Sunday? [Crickets.] Save time and boost flavor with our meal-prep tips at WomensHealthMag.com, and share your make-ahead meals on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MastersOfMealPrep. OUR BREW IS LIKE WHOA! We’re a caffeinated crew over here—so much so that we created our own java. Yep, the new Women’s Health WHoa! Roast ($16, Shop.WomensHealthMag.com) is made with 100 percent organic Guatemalan coffee beans, and it’s so rich and smooth you won’t need to spike it with cream or sugar. Sweet. Bad-Day Bubble Bath Soak away the stress, compadre. We rounded up a list of the most calming ingredients to drop into your tub to get all spa-y, at WomensHealthMag.com. Winning Workout Nikki Metzger was crowned…

CRUNCH TIME If you think homemade granola is uninspired hippie food, we have a bridge to sell you: the delicious craft mix on the left. Unlike most processed options, it’s laced with nutrient-dense superfoods like chia seeds and sweetened with fruit and honey (see ya, sugar crash!). No wonder it hails from the borough of all things hipster-cool: Brooklyn. Alex Crosier of Granola Lab, a smallbatch granola shop featured in the new book Made in Brooklyn, is behind the recipe. Munch on it solo or with Greek yogurt for a hunger fix. MAKE IT 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 2. In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups rolled oats, ⅓cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts, 2 Tbsp hemp seeds, 1 Tbsp flaxseed, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and…

Paging? Girl, please. Texting and FaceTiming a licensed therapist is the new way to get your head right. WH senior editor Faye Brennan tried Talkspace (iPhone and Android) for a week and plotted the highs and lows. NO APPOINTMENT, NO PROB “I loved that if something was bothering me at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night, I could text my therapist right then privately in the app. But unlike texting with a friend, her responses weren’t instant. (Hello? I just poured my heart out!) Luckily, the latest app update has a time stamp that tells you when you can expect a reply. Phew!” MUGIT UP “One day, my therapist sent me a video message. It was a bit of a shock: She was real and knew my deepest thoughts! But…

CAGE-FREE This label means that the hens live in large barns. They don’t have outdoor access, and they get about 1.5 square feet of space each. Not ideal for “bwok bwok!”-ing around, but still an improvement from caged farming. They can move more and socialize, which makes for happier, healthier chickens. FREE-RANGE In this scenario, the fowls are housed in barns, but now they have access to a minimum of two square feet of outdoor space—and vegetation. More plants to nosh on means more nutrients for the hens and for their eggs. Good news for you when one of them lands in your breakfast sandwich. PASTURE-RAISED These chickens get a minimum of 108 square feet of outdoor space, plus indoor space for resting and roosting. This more natural environment results…

WHPLANOFACTIN.COM @WHTAKEACTION Find Your Aspirational You Access a list of board certified specialists that can help you be the you that you want to be. From aesthetic procedures to vision correction and advanced skin care, ALPHAEON's network of physicians will deliver the results you want and the care you expect. iwantALPHAEON.com Life Is Better When You Have Sustained Energy Whether it's another mile, another pound lost or another time you got out of your comfort zone, inspire others by submitting your story using #MyOneMoreContest! PremierProtein.com…

Floating down the white marble staircase of her sun-drenched Mediterranean mansion, a barefoot Christina Aguilera smiles and offers a soft greeting: “Welcome to my sanctuary.” The 35-year-old singer is clad in a black, floor-skimming cotton dress and supersoft white cotton sweater, her platinum hair pulled into a messy-on-purpose pony with whisps framing her face. She’s not makeup-free, but the little she’s wearing (nude gloss, dewy foundation) harks back to the doe-eyed 21-year-old who gave us the anthemic “Beautiful” way back in 2002. Maybe we’d all look this well rested if we lived in Christina’s Beverly Hills hideaway. Seriously—the place is so chill, you half expect a masseuse to waltz up and ask “Swedish or shiatsu?” at any moment. Three fireplaces are ablaze, despite the 73°F weather, and every room sparkles…

Ace Your Actual NCAA Bracket Last year, 40 million Americans played along. Know squat about who to pick and how it works? Let ESPN’s top analysts help. Beth Mowins, ESPN play-by-play veteran “Pick a 12-seed to beat a 5-seed in the opening round—it’s happened 17 times in the past 10 years. But don’t pick that 12-seed to move past the Sweet Sixteen...they rarely do.” Sean Farnham, ESPN college basketball analyst “Look at a coach’s past tournament experience and win total—not just the team’s regular-season record. Leaders who have, say, 10 percent of their career W’s during March Madness usually find a way to go far.” Joe Lunardi, ESPN men’s bracketologist “Favor teams who shoot a high percentage from the two ‘lines’—the foul line and the three-point line. It’s almost impossible…

Remember day care? Okay, probably not. How about science fairs? Carpools? Your gradeschool soccer team? Chances are, most kid activities you can recall have one thing in common— groups. For good reason: “We are a social species,” says psychologist Tristen Inagaki, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. “We have evolved to rely on, to need, other people.” And not just for basic survival. Romantic relationships aside, having a few supportive pals boosts happiness, and new research in the field of emotional synchrony (a.k.a. our social and emotional ties to each other) shows hanging in larger packs—whether it’s a 20-person cycling class or a thousands-strong concert—is clutch to mental and physical wellness. We’re talking slashed risks for anxiety, heart disease, even cancer. Group hugs, coming right up. C’mon, Get…

Maybe it was my budding nutritionist instincts, but in college, I came up with a brilliant (I thought) way to evict myself from the Freshman 15 club. I wrote a willpower manifesto— “Keri will not eat any candy for the rest of the semester”—signed it, and taped it to my wall. Done. No more shu-ga for this girl. And true to my word, not a single Swedish Fish passed my lips—for exactly one day. You get it: How many times have you sworn off nachos or chocolate or bread or whatever? As a society, and especially when it comes to weight loss, we put a lot of stock in the idea of willpower, that being tough enough to resist temptation is the only way to slim down. In fact, in…

Women’s Health and Domino have joined forces to take you inside the gorgeous spaces of inspiring women— and bring you their top (totally attainable) home decor and wellness tips. Make yourself comfortable. Beth Behrs believes in love at first sight. “I knew this was my house the moment I walked in,” she says of her L.A. abode. The lush green landscaping and cloud-white walls were instantly calming. “Keeping things clean and basic makes me feel much less stressed,” says the 30-year-old actress, who stars in Hello, My Name Is Doris (out March 11). Plus, the kitchen—her favorite room, with its double oven and glass-fronted refrigerator—was the perfect place to hone her newly acquired chef skills. “I used to be a junk-food-aholic,” Beth confesses. She subsisted on pizza, soda, and doughnuts…

Kick it off, Chelsea Handler! “When Women’s Health asked me to write the intro to their ‘Women in 2016’ issue, I thought: There is no greater time to be one. In the eight years I hosted Chelsea Lately, I can’t tell you how many times people asked me how hard it was to be a woman in a man’s game. Each time, I wanted to scream and say, ‘Do you think I’d be successful if that’s what I sat around thinking about?’ We’re at a place in history where, when a woman speaks out, she has the power to change things. After the Sony hacks leaked how much male actors were making, Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron both asked for (and received) equal pay. It’s unfortunate how they found out, but…

At work, there’s small talk— and then there’s smallminded talk. Certain statements get tossed around off-handedly as part of casual workplace conversations without much or any thought to the actual implications. But as inclusivity and diversity coach Simma Lieberman points out, they’re riddled with bias. We ranked four common offenders from just-plain-wrong to WTF. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be interested in X topic area.” Back up the Stereotype Express for a sec. Even if it’s not as basic as a female colleague working on a traditionally male beat (or vice versa), it’s best not to presuppose what does or doesn’t strike someone’s fancy. “A better way of coming at the situation is to ask something like, ‘What got you interested in that?’ or ‘What led you to this project?’”…

What exactly is a miscarriage? In medical terms, it’s a spontaneous loss of pregnancy before 20 weeks (after that, it’s called a stillbirth). The majority are caused by random chromosomal flaws—parts of embryo genes that are missing, damaged, or in the wrong place. Often, the first signs you’re miscarrying are bleeding and cramping, which happen as the uterus contracts and empties itself. That said, some women have no symptoms and discover a miscarriage only when an ultrasound shows the fetus has no heartbeat. In such cases, a doctor may need to surgically clear out the uterus with a procedure called a D&C (see “No More TMI,” page 177). I peed on a test stick and got a positive; two days later, another one was negative. Did I miscarry? It’s likely.…

PHYSICAL If an ultrasound confirms that you’ve miscarried, stock up on pads (no tampons or menstrual cups—they can introduce bacteria to your open cervix) and ibuprofen. If you’re around six or fewer weeks along, your body will likely expel fetal and placental tissue on its own. It will look and feel like a very heavy period with cramping that can range from light to labor-like contractions that can last up to three weeks. For later miscarriages, losses that don’t resolve on their own, and miscarriages in which all pregnancy-related tissue doesn’t come out (your doc can figure this out with a blood test), you’ll need a dilation and curettage, known as a D&C. During this outpatient procedure, you’ll be given anesthesia, and your OB will dilate your cervix and clean…

On the Cover Bec and Bridge Golden Dawn peplum top, becandbride.com for more info Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy push-up bra (worn throughout), $49.50, victoriassecret.com Joie leggings, $128, at Bloomingdale’s, 800-232-1854 EF Collection Flying “V” studs, $695, efcollection.com Bianca Pratt Jewelry triplestar nececklace, $2,854, biancaprattjewelry.com Zoe Chicco open-bar cuff (worn throughout), $2,575, zoechicco.com Inside Cover Zadig & Voltaire Victor stars deluxe jacket, $428, zadig-et-voltaire.com Marciano ribbed skirt, $98, marciano.com Pearl Collective pearl and diamond pendant necklace, $500, pearlcollective.com Table of Contents PAGE 2 On Aguilera: Nicole Miller Artelier flare dress BO10079, $375, nicolemiller.com Emanuel Ungaro Leave leather belt, $395, at Sloan-Hall, 713-942-0202 Aurate New York Icon necklace, $550, auratenewyork.com Get More “Likes” PAGE 64 Paige Verdugo jeans, $239, paige.com Pretty Loafers Ella suede flat, $279, prettyloafers.us Joanna Maxham cuff, $75, joannamaxham.com…

Jen Ator, fitness director: “I keep a kettlebell as ‘decor’ on my desk (it’s a cute/angry monkey face), which doubles as get-moving motivation: A few times throughout the day I try to do a quick set of squats, swings, lunges, or overhead presses.” Tracy Middleton, health and features editor: “When I’m dragging in the afternoon, a 15-minute walk outside perks me up better than a cup of coffee. It’s even more refreshing if my ‘work wife’ joins me! And when possible, I make every effort to leave at five to pick up my kids. Even if that means I’m back on my laptop as soon as we get home, being with them for a few hours before bed helps with my work-life balance.” Theresa O’Rourke, executive editor: “For me, well-thy…

What’s in Christine Taylor’s Workout Bag? The actress—who reprises her role in Zoolander 2—recently got back into tennis. “My husband [Ben Stiller] is better than I am, and I don’t think I can accept that.” WH Parody! WHAT’S IN DEREK ZOOLANDER’S WORKOUT BAG? We thought it would be really, really, ridiculously funny to speculate on what the really, really, ridiculously good-looking model keeps in his gym bag—so we made it up, for your reading pleasure. Blood Orange Recovery Drink “I stopped drinking Orange Mocha Frappuccinos so I wouldn’t get fat.” $12 for four, killcliff.com Selfie Stick “I’m a male model. I need to practice my ‘blue steel’ pose everywhere. Even on the treadmill.” Luxsure Gold Selfie Stick, $14, amazon.com DriFire Combat Hoodie “Just because I’m ripped doesn’t mean I can’t…

NO-MAKEUP CONTOURING LONG Ask for ombré—its gradient effect can be vertically shortening. “It doesn’t have to be a blonde look, or a major contrast, as long you keep the top darkest.” ROUND Subtle darkness slims curves. On fair hair, ask for lowlights between cheekbone and jaw level. On dark hair, lighten your base color by two or three shades, but leave it darkest between the temples and jaw. SQUARE Hair that is darkest near the nape of your neck softens the appearance of a strong jawline. Ask your colorist to paint in lighter highlights throughout your hair, with the brightest pieces at the level of your temples. COOL! Got no mani skills— or time? Nails Inc Paint Can Polish ($12, nailsinc.com) is as simple and quick to apply as perfume.…

NIGHT EATING PACKS ON POUNDS? BUSTED! First A 2005 study in the journal Obesity Research found no link between evening noshing and gaining extra pounds, prompting nutrition pros to declare that bedtime snacking while watching The Daily Show isn’t slimdown suicide. Break out the ice cream! Then In 2008, researchers showed that people who ate between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. consumed more total calories per day and gained more weight over time. If your freewheeling diet has you eating at oddball hours, chances are you’re eating more overall. Now A new study found that when people who tended to eat a third of their calories between 6 p.m. and midnight switched to a schedule where they stopped eating between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m., they lost weight and slept…

10-SECOND TEST HOW STRONG ARE YOURHAMSTRINGS? How far you can hop on one leg in a single jump—or rather, how far you can’t—is a strong predictor of your hamstring-injury risk, says a new study in the European Journal of Sport Science. The ideal distance depends on your age, size, and athletic level, but whatever your result, your odds of getting hurt dip an extra 12 percent for every added centimeter you jump. Since strong hammies are crucial for speedy movements and healthy knees, you’ll want to beef up yours with the glute bridge and curl: Lying on your back with knees bent, slowly push a ball toward and away from you with your feet. BUFF OR BLUFF? Resistance-Band Pants Bluff—for now.We were intrigued when we heard several companies had invented…

58.3% Percentage of women who purchase facial skin-care products at a drugstore, superstore (such as Target or Walmart), or grocery store, according to a study by The Benchmarking Company ACNE You can find the dynamic ingredient duo—salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide—from Target to Nordstrom. “They’re not expensive ingredients; the difference is that, in high-end brands, they’re released more slowly into the skin and mixed with hydrators,” says dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D. Meaning: less-drying results for your face. Now, yay, a few budget brands offer the same! PREVENTIVE PRODUCT Avon Clearskin Blemish Clearing Overnight Treatment ($6.49, avon.com) “How you treat your skin today can impact how it looks three months from now—that’s how long it takes for a microscopic clogged pore to turn into a pimple,” says Bowe. This cream contains…

1. CROSSED LEGS Settle into a comfy position. For five minutes, focus inward and observe your breath, striving to make the inhales and exhales smooth and evenly spaced. It may help to place your hands on your rib cage; think about shifting your diaphragm down. 2. SEATED TWIST Bring your right hand to your left knee, twisting your torso so your left hand rests behind you. Hold for five breaths, stretching taller through the crown of the head. Come back to center, recross your legs so the opposite is in front, and repeat on the other side. 3. RUNNER’S LUNGE Stand in a lunge, with your left knee above the left ankle. The right heel should be on a wall behind you to ensure you open your hip. Gaze down…

NECK Don’t be so quick to blame “tech neck.” That achy stiffness could be coming from your… arms. Weak upper limbs leave muscles taut and unable to contract properly. That spells throbbing and a heightened risk for neck injury (double ouch). Add pushups and biceps curls to your strengthtraining routine. MID-BACK Breathing: It’s both culprit and cure. Quick, shallow inhales and exhales don’t engage the muscles around your central spine, leaving it unsupported and sore. The harm can happen suddenly or over months or years. Your move: Practice deep belly breathing until it’s second nature. UPPER PELVIS “Sitting disease” is the new smoking, but a standing desk can put just as much pressure on your back’s disks if you’re on your feet 24/7. Alternate sitting and standing every half hour,…

Asparagus + Radish Earthy and green, meet crispy and peppery—you two will get along great. There’s also plenty of fiber at this flavor party, since asparagus packs more than almost any other veggie. soup 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 bunch asparagus, tops chopped and stems reserved 1 can white beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast ½ cup ditalini or similar small pasta 4 radishes, cut into matchsticks ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 lemon, cut into wedges 1 / In a large pot, combine chicken broth with asparagus stems. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard stems and bring stock back to a simmer. 2 / Add asparagus tops, beans, chicken, and ditalini and cook until…

WH Online Get inspired by more success stories at WomensHealthMag.com. BEFORE 240 lbs AFTER 145 lbs APRIL ALEXANDER was raised by a mom who cooked fresh, balanced meals. Then came middle school, where bullying led April to gorge on junk food. A disdain of gym class and sports, compounded by her poor diet, brought April’s weight to more than 200 pounds by age 16. Throughout high school and college, and well into her career as a government contractor, she flip-flopped between binge eating and stints of calorie deprivation. In 2013, the then 30-yearold Virginia resident balked when the scale tipped 240 pounds, but it took a double whammy of life events for her to actually prioritize her health. October 2013 After losing her job in June, April loses her mother…

WHITE OUT Minimalist, with a stay-cool handle. Enamel Tea Kettle, $168, domino.com SAFARI CHIC Elegant brass figures control clutter. Gazelle Bookends, $175, dwellstudio.com ON BOARD As functional as it is pretty. Classic Wide Cutting Board, $85, butternutbrooklyn.com VINTAGE POINT Industrial metal is surprisingly homey. Reeves Polished Nickel/Glass Pendant, $1,230, arteriorshome.com…

YOU SEARCH WHAT?! We had guys share their (hilariously clueless) reactions to women’s most often searched terms on PornHub.com. LESBIAN “Women have a tendency to be bisexual. I totally understand this.” “I’m shocked. My boys aren’t doing the job.” GANGBANG “They must picture themselves being the center of attention.” “A bit threatening. Having other guys with one woman is stressful.” BABYSITTER “That is HOT! ‘Honey, let’s get a babysitter tonight!’” “Maybe more women fantasize about catching their husbands with the babysitter than I suspected?” WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PRESS PLAY A HEATED DISCUSSION WITH... Gail Dines, Ph.D., anti-porn activist and professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College Megan Fleming, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and sex and relationship therapist in New York City Cindy Gallop, sex-tech entrepreneur and founder of MakeLoveNotPorn.com…

A miscarriage unites some pairs—and tears others apart. “A woman may feel like her partner can’t truly understand her experience, and recede into herself,” says psychiatrist Amanda Itzkoff, M.D. This can make significant others feel as if they’ve lost a spouse as well as a pregnancy, especially if the would-be birth mother starts to shy away from sex out of fear of miscarrying again, or because intimacy reminds her of how she got pregnant in the first place. Conflicts can also arise when a duo has mismatched coping methods (e.g., one person is outwardly sad and the other deals with it more privately). Then there’s the blame factor. The miscarrying woman may fault her body for failing her; her partner may assign blame (“You shouldn’t have been working out”). Both…

RECRUITMENT FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH 2016 ACTION HEROES BEGINS NOW! • Become a voice for Women’s Health and our partners • See yourself in the pages of our magazine • Drive the message for nationwide advertising campaigns • Get a sneak peek at the hottest new products and gear • Give your social following the inside scoop on what’s trending • Help change the world with RUN 10 FEED 10 SCORE UP TO $500 WORTH OF FREE SWAG + EXCLUSIVE PERKS APPLY NOW! WHActionHero.com Casting Call begins 2/3/2016 and ends 3/2/3016. Must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or dc: (excluding residents of Puerto Rico and Canada). Void where prohibited. For Casting Call Terms and Conditions, go to whactionhero.com/termsandconditions. Rodale Inc., 400…

ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION, THREE EXPERT OPINIONS What do you do to help spark creativity? ANTHROPOLOGY HELEN FISHER, PH.D. Research professor and member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University; author, Why Him? Why Her? Finding Real Love by Understanding Your Personality Type CARDIOLOGY MAJA ZARIC, M.D. Interventional cardiology, peripheral arterial and venous disease director, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City CAREER AMANDA STEINBERG Founder and CEO, DailyWorth.com DERMATOLOGY FRANCESCA J. FUSCO, M.D. Assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ENTREPRENEURSHIP JENNIFER WALSH Entrepreneur; consultant; founder of The Beauty Bar and Pride & Glory EXERCISE SCIENCE RACHEL COSGROVE, C.S.C.S. Certified strength and conditioning specialist; owner, Results Fitness, Santa Clarita, California; author, The Female Body Breakthrough CASSANDRA FORSYTHE, PH.D., R.D. Exercise physiologist; author, The New…

FITNESS Q Is it a bad idea to work out if I have a headache? A / Depends on the headache. Dehydration is a common cause, so start with a couple of glasses of water and give it a few hours. No dice? If it’s intense enough that you need to be in a dark, quiet room, close your eyes and rest—exercise could make things worse. A mild ache, though, could improve with gentle activity, thanks to pain-busting endorphins. Release any tension in your upper back and shoulders with a foam roller, then ease into a walk to see if the pain subsides. NUTRITION How do I know if I should get tested for a vitamin deficiency? If you’re eating balanced meals and generally feel well, you’re probably fine. Get…

30 IS THE NEW 20 And it blows: Thirty-somethings used to be happier than people in their teens and twenties, but a new study found that advantage has declined over the past five years (the authors cite financial and professional pressures). Chin up, buttercup: Joy is a skill you can learn, not just a feeling, says Kristi Ling, author of Operation Happiness.* How to turn crappy to happy, below: Try ho‘oponopono. It’s funny to say, and this Hawaiian practice can boost your mood too. When a stressful situation comes to mind (think: a fight with your mom), mentally repeat, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.” It can erase negative emotions. Separate feelings from circumstances. You can’t help how your boss treats you, but you can help…

Back in Black: Played out AC/DC song and workout look. Instead, use the right hues to hack your sweat session, says color expert Caroline Small, who’s worked on studies about color and exercise. Try her shade swaps for any sitch. RED can boost adrenaline and excitement, so you’ll feel more alert and ready for boot camp or any challenging workout. If you’re sluggish, put on YELLOW. It evokes happy vibes, motivating you to hit the gym on a dreary day. Focusing on your “trouble spots”? Wear GREEN. We associate it with nature, which makes us more appreciative. Rock BLUEtinted lenses for a big race. It may calm jitters while reducing how hard you think you’re working. PURPLE is clutch for evening yoga. A nerve depressant, it helps clear your mind…

1. Time it right. Shopping deal sites like RetailMeNot.com keep tabs on the best times to save a buck. According to the site, great skin-care sales spike the first week of May (averaging 54 percent off) and the second week of August (nearing 50 percent off). 2. Leave a digital trail. “Most online retailers use tracking technology, so use it to your advantage,” says Trae Bodge, shopping expert at TraeBodge.com. Put that pricey cream in your cart, but don’t buy it just yet, she says. “Wait a day or two; you may get an e-mail or see a promo pop up on Facebook with an incentive to close the deal.” 3. Go off-site. Before you buy, check out cash-back sites such as Ebates.com or ShopAtHome.com to see if the beauty…

THE TOP “THIS SHIRT IS SO COMFY, BUT PEOPLE ALWAYS TELL ME I LOOK SO POLISHED.” MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU The structured quality of a boxy top means edgy details (frayed hem, leather) are on-limits. RD Style top, $60, rdstyle.com; & Other Stories top, $95, stories.com THE TANK “A FRIEND RAVED THAT IT LOOKS LIKE I DO 500 PUSHUPS A DAY—WHICH I SO DON’T. ” MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU A round neck and cut-in arm holes expose more shoulder, faking buff biceps. Ooh, magic. Rebecca Minkoff tank, $68, rebeccaminkoff.com; ShopSosie halter, $34, shopsosie.com THE SHORT DRESS “ON MY FIRST DAY OF WORK, MY BOSS SAID SHE LOVED THIS DRESS’S WHIMSY.” MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU The key to a look that’s equal parts playful and grown-up? A fit-andflare…

STEP RIGHT UP… And enjoy the show: how to sculpt a tighter body without lifting a single dumbbell. Forget raising the bar—raise your feet, woman! “Lifting them onto a step or bench is the simplest way to build strength faster,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Don Bahneman, director of fitness at The Energy Club in Arlington, Virginia. It boils down to basic physics: For upper-body exercises (like planks and pushups), this tweak changes the angle of the exercise and forces your shoulders, arms, chest, upper back, and core to work harder to support your body weight. For lower-body moves (like split squats and hip presses), raising your feet increases how far you have to move with every rep (a.k.a. your range of motion), which calls more muscle fibers into…

OTCDRUGS Anti-inflammatories work just as well as hard-core opioids (!) to quell back pain. Try naproxen or ibuprofen for a few days. If the discomfort doesn’t abate, see your doc. YOGA Research shows 12 weeks of yoga can significantly reduce backaches, possibly because it boosts levels of a neural protein that regulates pain. No time for a class? Another study found three months of back and leg stretches were equally effective. COREWORK Planks target all of your ab and back muscles, stabilize the spine, and can alleviate lower-back woes, says neurosurgeon Patrick Roth, M.D. Start by doing them every other day. Hold for 15 seconds; as you get stronger, add five seconds every few days. ANEWDIET Specifically: less processed stuff, more plants and anti-inflammatory foods such as salmon, nuts, and…

Our newest (edible) crush? Pulverized nutrition. As in, ground-up goodness you can easily add to any meal. Trust, these latest vitaminand mineral-rich powders are worthy of adulation—they’re less processed than pills and are no sweat for your tum to absorb. But before you sprinkle with abandon: “Powders are not well regulated,” says Tamara Duker Freuman, R.D., a New York City– based nutritionist. One report found that only five of 11 tested products met quality standards; others contained lead, arsenic, or bacteria (eek). And some products don’t live up to their claims. Confused yet? Let us help. Turn the page for six types that’ll rev up everything from your energy levels to your love life. MACA The calcium-rich, malt-flavored Peruvian root is good for bones— and, possibly, for helping you bone.…

“A person, product, or experience that helps you move one step closer to whatever goal you're chasing." ABBY LERNER, HEAD OF CONTENT AT GREATIST.COM, A HEALTH AND FITNESS WEBSITE “Being physically, emotionally, and mentally whole—and having a whole lot of fun!” SHAWN STEVENSON, AUTHOR OF SLEEP SMARTER, AND CREATOR OF “THE MODEL HEALTH SHOW,” A FITNESS AND NUTRITION PODCAST “BEING AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN YOUR OWN HEALTH.” FRANK LIPMAN, M.D., INTEGRATIVE PHYSICIAN, AND AUTHOR OF 10 REASONS YOU FEEL OLD AND GET FAT “Anything that is enjoyable, and contributes to overall health and well-being.” LAUREN STREICHER, M.D., OB-GYN, AUTHOR OF SEX RX “THE RICHNESS OF A LIFE CONNECTED TO PEOPLE AND MOMENTS.” COLLEEN CLARK, MANAGING EDITOR OF JETSETTER.COM “HAVING FAMILY WHO SUPPORTS YOU, HAVING DEEP FRIENDSHIPS, AND GIVING IMPORTANCE TO…

1 You’re playing Deadpool, your third superhero character. But who is your hero? I tend to like those who walk the line between superhero and supervillain. So Elon Musk [CEO of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, and cofounder of PayPal] is one of my superheroes. He has the foresight of a supervillain but the altruistic nature of a hero. Al Gore is another, for what he does for the planet. I’m a bit of an environmentalist. 2 What do you think when you look in the mirror? Lately it’s exhaustion staring at me. I’ve been flying back and forth to Australia [for work] and raising a 1-year-old daughter. These are uptown problems. But still, I see the wear and tear. 3 If you had a month off, the first thing you’d do is……

Shy or bold. Sweet or sarcastic. Strong or vulnerable. Feminine or feminist. Now do us a favor and change each “or” into an “and.” Ah, yes, that feels so much better. After all, if feminism was born out of the desire that all women should have the freedom to choose without feeling marginalized by those choices, why would our approach to beauty be any different? This story answers that question and reflects a broader shift in our culture. A culture where one of 2015’s most viral posts—#thepowerofmakeup—celebrated a woman’s right to wear cosmetics (or not) without shame. Where the TV landscape hums with female characters that defy physical stereotypes. (An FBI recruit who wears her Disney princess hair as naturally as her ballsiness? Mad props, Quantico.) Where words that wouldn’t…

THE PAY GAP We’ve all heard the awful numbers: Pew Research pegs the pay gap at 84 cents to a man’s dollar; a White House report has it even wider, with women at 78 cents. And apparently, it will be 118 years—nope, not an exaggeration—before men and women earn equivalent salaries for the same work, the World Economic Forum estimates. We say: not acceptable. A growing number of companies agree and are already implementing change. Gap made its figures public in 2014; shareholders of Walmart pushed for greater salary transparency last year. And global consulting firm Accenture now identifies pay discrepancies, guides women through all stages of their careers, and has pledged to grow the percentage of females it hires to at least 40 percent by 2017. Legal reform is…

AGE The miscarriage rate surges to 40 percent for mothers over age 40, whose eggs are much more likely to be damaged. What you can do: Ask for a full pre-conception workup. If you’ve already miscarried more than once, your ob-gyn may test for (and treat) age-related hormonal dips in progesterone, a hormone that’s key to maintaining a healthy uterus. SMOKING Smokers have twice the rate of miscarriage as nonpuffers, and each daily smoke during the first trimester ups your risk. Why? Nicotine and other toxic cig chemicals can damage the placenta and cause bleeding. What you can do: If you haven’t already done so, kick the butts— including e-cigarettes—and try to avoid secondhand smoke as well. CAFFEINE Research on java consumption is mixed, but one large-scale study found drinking…

An actress who launched a billion-dollar eco-friendly brand that helps save the planet… A geneticist who paved the way for preventative cancer treatment… An unapologetically strong female trainer who revolutionized the fi tness industry, teaching us it’s the effort that counts… These are just some of the heroes that Women’s Health honored in 2015’s installment of GAME CHANGERS, our annual exposé of the most important women of our time. AND THIS YEAR, IT’S YOUR TURN. For the fi rst time ever, WH will select an everyday hero—a real-world reader like you—to be showcased in this inspiring feature and who will grace the cover of the October Women’s Health.* TELL US HOW YOU’RE CHANGING THE GAME AT WHUltimateGameChanger.com FOR A CHANCE TO INSPIRE MILLIONS OF WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. *Subscriber copies…