Vitamin D has a hand in keeping your bones healthy, supporting your immune system, and promoting cardiovascular health—and given that nearly every cell in your body has binding sites for vitamin D, that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg,* according to functional nutrition dietitian Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT. If your health care provider suspects you have a vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, they will order a blood test that looks at your total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D—or 25(OH)D—which is the form of vitamin D that circulates through your blood....

I totally get that. I was on oral contraceptives for 10 years and also used to feel like the Pill made my skin clearer and my breasts larger and that therefore, this made me “better-looking." Going off of birth control gave me the opportunity to listen to my body and observe symptoms like my acne in order to treat the root cause. This turned out to be compromised digestion and a diet that wasn’t ideal for my body....

Despite being aware of the risk for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, cervical cancer, and unplanned pregnancy, many people still engage in unprotected sex. In one 2017 survey, 65 percent of people admitted to having had unprotected sex—and 29 percent said they had unprotected sex every single time they engaged in intercourse. The findings showed straight women were more willing to participate in unsafe sex when the potential for a long-term relationship was on the table....

Because your wounded self is doing the attracting. The wounded self is the part of you that feels incomplete. It questions your worth and value; it doesn’t feel whole, or it feels flawed in some way. My wounded self is the “little me” who wonders if I’m truly lovable. On the other hand, we also have a Spiritual Self. This is your higher self, your soul. It’s the part of you that’s connected to love, truth, wisdom and peace within....

Each of the signs is associated with different qualities, strengths, and weaknesses, and they’re also further divided by their element, as well as where they fall in the yin-versus-yang spectrum. “They are bold pioneers,” Lin explains, adding that Tigers are also analytical, practical yet ambitious, restless—and a bit reckless. You can think of them as the apex predator of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. “Intent with their eyes on their prey or the prize, they’ll do whatever they can to conquer,” Lin explains....

As a Bikram yoga practitioner, I have collected a list of top ten don’ts that will help the first time yogi through to regular practitioner. Unless you want to be annoyed by sweat drenched voluminous sweatpants all throughout class – as I had experienced 8 years ago – wear form fitting clothing. Think: cropped tights, shorts, tank tops, sports bras. Religious reasons may not allow for this, which is understandable. In such a situation, maintain a mindful meditative practice as best possible – this is key to eliminating excess energy spent on apparel distractions....

But like all good things, collagen production decreases with age1, so we find ourselves reaching for anything and everything possible to boost collagen in the body. We tapped some top experts to get the scoop on foods that are sure to support your collagen production. Keep scrolling and add these to your grocery list, stat. Collagen’s role in the body4 is vital: It helps make up the structure of our skin, bone, cartilage, and muscle, with the purpose of helping tissues be more elastic and withstand stretching (So, for example, it keeps skin looking young and supple)....