And you’re not alone if these unpleasant—OK, freaking miserable—symptoms pop up before your menstrual cycle. About 75% of women experience them, and for about 20% of them, those symptoms are so severe that they resort to medications. Many of my patients also struggle with sugar cravings before their periods. Others rely on coffee to compensate for bad sleep. Or they take the edge off a bad day with a few glasses of red wine....
Still, if you’ve had consistent periods in the past, it can be jarring when your cycle suddenly becomes shorter than your usual—and even stranger when it stays that way. But why do menstrual cycles and periods get shorter, and what can it indicate about your overall health? Here’s what you need to know. “The hypothalamus controls your cycle,” explains Christine Greves, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies....
Originally defined by psychotherapist and sex researcher Edward Eichel1 to help people achieve more orgasms beyond penetration, this technique requires the penis-holder to move higher up on the vagina-holder until an erection points down and presses against the nerves closer to the clitoris, explains AASECT-certified sex therapist Bat Sheva Marcus, LCSW, MPH, Ph.D. This position might be best for people who are more likely to experience pleasure and/or orgasms through clitoral stimulation, but public health practitioner and researcher Linsey Grove, DrPH, CPH, CHES, says it’s also a great fit for people with mobility issues or those who simply want to get creative with missionary....
So, what does it say about you if you’re dreaming about things going up in flames? According to professional dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg, fiery dreams have actually been on the rise since the pandemic started. Here’s how to interpret your fire dreams based on the specifics, plus how to extinguish them and start snoozing on something else. It can also indicate a sense of urgency. “We’ll use the expression ‘I have to put a few fires out’ when we have things that need to be tended to, so it represents something in your life that needs to be taken care of and extinguished ASAP,” she explains....
And it’s not just the next-day drowsiness that is a problem. Over time, poor quality and inadequate amounts of sleep can impact cardiovascular and metabolic health1 outcomes. Prioritizing good, restorative sleep is a crucial component of overall health. So, let’s dive into what could be stopping you from getting a good night’s sleep and the appropriate steps to take to fix it. Here are some of the top offenders that might be getting between you and some sweet (restorative) dreams: All electronics, including your cellphone, TV, and laptop, emit what’s called blue light....
While people used to think that there were just a few hair types—straight, wavy, and curly—it turns out that there are more than three. And there are even subcategories! Before you give up in frustration and resign yourself to endless bad hair days, keep reading. If you have very loose, wavy hair, you need to learn about the different subtypes of this hair pattern. You might be a 2a head. For reference, Type 3 is for curly hair (and it’s further broken down into 3a, 3b, and 3c)....
Many people are now turning to Tantra as a lifestyle practice. But beyond Tantra being a codeword for some kind of sexual marathon that Sting jokingly claimed to enjoy, what exactly is it? At its essence, Tantra is a practice that combines movement, breath, meditation and sound, to assist the Chakra energy system within the body to open. This opening allows dormant energy, known as Kundalini, to move up from the pelvis, along the spine....
