In Chinese astrology, every birth year is assigned one of five natural elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Understanding yours can help you play to your strength and harmonize with your loved ones, co-workers, and friends. We like to think of this system as feng shui astrology because it blends the five-element system that’s used in both feng shui and Chinese astrology. But newsflash: Life isn’t a perfectly staged Pinterest board....

Virgo, on the other hand, is an earth sign, symbolized by the Virgin, representing Virgo’s discerning nature. But just like Gemini, it is also mutable, and the only other planet ruled by Mercury. With both of these signs sharing a ruling planet all about communication, intellect, ideas, and information, Virgo and Gemini are likely to have plenty to talk about, according to Molly Pennington, Ph.D. And, what’s more, they’ll both be adaptable in various situations thanks to their mutability, she adds....

Here, we dive into what actually lies within golden milk, why adding it to your daily diet could have lasting positive effects, and how to make your own at home on the cheap. While new-ish to many of us, the origins of golden milk can be traced back to ancient India, where it was (and still is) used in ayurvedic medicine to help with insomnia, coughs, and colds. In fact, turmeric and its main bioactive compound, curcumin, have been studied extensively1 for their ability to help combat a number of health conditions, from Alzheimer’s to arthritis to depression, all of which have been linked to chronic inflammation....

The green burial movement seeks to change that through a more ecological, intentional, and community-minded approach to death and dying. Here’s what green burial scholars and practitioners have to say about the method’s benefits, logistics, and potential to redefine death care. This burial alternative has a lower environmental impact, and it allows the body to quite literally return to the earth. It also tends to be more affordable than conventional burials....

“It’s simply being unresponsive,” says somatic psychologist and licensed marriage and family therapist Holly Richmond, Ph.D., LMFT. “It’s called ‘grey rock’ because you have that image in your mind of this grey, unmovable rock.” Campbell adds that the idea is that you engage with this person “in as limited a capacity as you can—in particular, being nonemotional and nondramatic.” When you “become” the grey rock, Richmond says, you don’t engage with this person or their behavior....

However, the reality is that many people (close to 40 million U.S. adults) are actually not getting enough zinc1, and one group who should be especially cognizant about their intake of this mineral is pregnant women. It is a resounding yes that you should be taking zinc while pregnant, and in fact, it’s actually one of the staple minerals to focus on during those nine months. It’s important to note that while carrying a child your zinc needs actually increase....

There is, however, one food group that I consistently find interferes with my patient’s hormone goals. It’s deemed healthy, but time and time again in my practice, I’ve found it to get in the way of my patients’ abilities to find natural hormone balance. Apples, oranges, pineapples, and cranberries have 24, 21, 32, and 31 grams of sugar, respectively. Fruit-filled smoothies often contain more sugar than a candy bar! Cortisol, a glucocorticoid (steroid hormone), is the one that’s known as our fight-or-flight hormonal response....