Aside from gaining weight during three pregnancies (and far more than the “healthy” level for the first two) and consciously losing it afterwards, my weight has usually been “average” with a few highs and lows. Since I am fairly tall (5’8), a few extra pounds are easier to carry. Being underweight was more obvious as my long limbs looked longer than usual and along with that came comments (usually from my parents) about not eating enough....
Many people are quick to exit a relationship as soon as these feelings crop up, assuming they’re signs the relationship has run its course. However, according to one therapist, feeling unhappy in a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to jump ship. “We won’t be [happy] 100% of the time anywhere in our lives,” she points out. For example, you might be working your absolute dream job, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some days or some periods when the work is stressful or mundane....
But the connection between diet and mental health goes a lot deeper than getting a little hangry now and then. About five years ago, I learned this firsthand. After suffering increasingly severe symptoms from a mystery illness (which I’d later learn was Lyme disease) to the point that I could no longer walk more than five minutes without debilitating pain, I had to leave my job in NYC and move back in with my parents....
The healthiest sunflower oil is the high-oleic acid variety. “Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid that has been associated with improved heart health—specifically, reduced cholesterol and reduced inflammation,” explains mbg Collective member and registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN. “Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid. While we need some omega-6, too much has been associated with increased inflammation in the body.” These differences in health outcomes are linked to the fatty acid’s ability to resist oxidative damage during refining and cooking....
But according to New York Times bestselling author Joe Dispenza, D.C., we may have more control over our bodies than we think: All it takes is some mindfulness. Through extensive research using neuroscience and quantum physics, Dispenza says our minds can actually have some control over our physical bodies. The key? It takes shifting from a primitive response to a parasympathetic nervous system response. It sounds quite complicated, but it’s actually a little easier than you might think....
Lemon balm leaves have been used in herbal medicine dating back to around the year A.D. 60 in Ancient Greece. There, it was prescribed by Pedanius Dioscorides, the physician and botanist who penned an encyclopedia called De Materia Medica on herbal medicine. Back then, it’s thought that he used lemon balm to treat fevers and gassiness, and to improve people’s spirits. Fun fact: Lemon balm was also used in spells to heal broken hearts and attract love....
All luffa is native to hot, tropical locales, so this is a sun-loving plant that will grow best in warmer climates. And grow it will. When a luffa vine is happy in its environment, it can reach 30-plus feet high and produce 50 large gourds (1 to 2 feet tall each), and a plethora of pollinator-friendly yellow flowers, in a single season. Luffa can take up to 200 days to produce gourds, though, so patience is key with this plant....
