This June, people across the country have collective action and activism more top of mind than ever. After weeks of demonstrations against racism and police violence, the scale of communal dedication to active allyship feels revolutionary—and we’re just getting started. We reached out to LGBTQ+ mental health experts, activists, content creators, and business owners to share concrete actions that anyone can take to support LGBTQ+ people. Here’s what they told us: “Don’t be ashamed if you don’t know everything already; just make sure you take the time to educate yourself....

To help you out in a pinch, mbg consulted registered dietitians and chefs to share the best coconut oil substitutes, and what type of cooking projects they work best with. “Coconut oil can be expeller-pressed (with heat) or cold-pressed (without heat),” chef and certified nutritionist Serena Poon, C.N., tells mbg. It can also be labeled as virgin or refined. “Cold-pressed and virgin are thought to best preserve the nutritional value and also maintain the coconut flavor,” Poon says....

Here’s what doctors want you to know about the link between stress and cortisol, when it’s time to bring your cortisol levels down, and the best supplements, foods, and practices to help keep the hormone in check.* “Cortisol is essential for living. It peaks at the beginning of the day to support getting out of bed and decreases throughout the day to allow ‘sleep pressure’ to build. Without cortisol, we would lack the motivation to get up and do things,” says Shera Raisen, M....

That said, many have been searching for ways to keep their creative juices flowing, whether you’re facing a WFH slump or are simply looking for new ways to get inspired. That’s why we consulted Elizabeth Stein, founder and CEO of Purely Elizabeth; Stein sure knows a thing or two about creativity (especially in the entrepreneurial space), as she’s personally using this time to turn lemons into, well, blueberry lemon oatmeal. It’s a little more difficult to replicate during our new normal: Travel is limited, not all restaurants are opening their doors, and social distancing is still very much in effect....

One of the most potent effects of many medicinal mushrooms is their strong antiviral and immune-enhancing properties. Several mushrooms, in fact, have been shown to be effective against preventing and treating respiratory viruses like the common cold and even the flu virus, which is impressive considering the highly infectious nature of viruses and that they are notoriously difficult to prevent and treat due to their ability to easily mutate. Not all antivirals work the same with all conditions though; for example, there is some evidence that mushrooms might be harmful when treating the novel coronavirus, so check in with your health care provider if you have symptoms....

But for those of us in relationships, secret-keeping can have serious and damaging negative consequences. That said, even the smallest of secrets can affect relationships. Slepian, Halevy, and Galinsky’s study found carrying secrets is correlated with a negative sense of well-being, and that can affect the way partners interact with each other. The most significant secrets that affect couples are infidelity, financial problems, and substance abuse—and research suggests this type of secret-keeping is common and destructive....

Following an anti-inflammatory diet meal plan can help combat chronic inflammation2, potentially slowing and/or reversing these disease states and promoting longevity—not to mention making you feel better and happier overall. “Overall, an anti-inflammatory diet consists of eating foods that are primarily anti-inflammatory and avoiding foods that are pro-inflammatory in nature,” says Pooja Mahtani, PharmD, M.S., CNS, LDN, IFMCP, a licensed dietitian-nutritionist specializing in functional nutrition. “While there are general guidelines for what foods are considered anti-inflammatory vs....