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For people who love with acts of service, love is not felt as much with abstract words and intention as it is with visible action and follow-through. Here’s everything you need to know about the pragmatic love language. At its core, an act of service is about someone going out of their way to meaningfully help and support the other person. When people take initiative to ease some of their responsibilities and burdens, it helps them feel taken care of, safe, and loved in return....

But after breaking up with my boyfriend of five years and dealing with stress, lots of booze, and a lot less sleep, my stomach got worse. I had also developed brain fog, extreme fatigue, and an inability to concentrate on anything. Thyroid testing revealed a low T3 hormone, which didn’t put me in the category of hypothyroidism, but it was clearly wreaking havoc on my energy and mental clarity. My new doctor suggested a hormone replacement for my thyroid, but after my experience with birth control, I was wary of messing with any more hormonal treatments....

You see, for years my hours, days, and weeks were organized around controlling my food, my exercise, and my body weight and shape. Evening plans with friends were routinely turned down to allow for my nightly date with the gym treadmill. Eating out became a stressful and unpleasant social activity and required desperately scouring the menu for the safest food option available. Friends would dive into the all-you-can-eat sushi menu while I feasted on my side dish of pickled ginger....

The first step was to take a test to determine my current Ayurvedic dosha constitution and send Blades the results. When I did it a few weeks ago, I was presenting with a pitta imbalance. I’m a pitta vata dosha type, and my pitta energy was particularly high. It’s worth mentioning that I’m in the throes of my own personal health crisis. I’ve seen many specialists and no one knows for sure what’s going on, but my doctors suspect the root of it is autoimmune, so I’m doing everything I can to complement the Western medicine with holistic healing....

Let’s take a look at the various stages your body progresses through so you can get an idea of all the effects you’re experiencing at different points throughout your fast. Your pancreas produces the hormone insulin. This allows your body to use up the glucose that was released into your bloodstream after your meal and to store any excess energy in your cells for later use. Once the energy stored in your cells runs out, your body starts to rely instead on stored fat....

As natural hair continues to grow in mainstream prominence, it only makes sense to take a deep dive into the curly world and learn more about one of the three subcategories for Type 4 hair—Type 4a. Whether you’re just beginning to transition to natural hair or find yourself caring for a child with this hair type, consider this a crash course on the basics of Type 4a hair. Type 1 refers to straight hair and doesn’t have any subcategories....

If you’re interested in learning more about what it means to be a health coach and whether or not it’s right for you, read on. We spoke with experts in the field for insights on starting a fulfilling career in health coaching. Unlike doctors, health coaches do not prescribe medication, make diagnoses, or interpret lab results. Instead, they offer support, motivation, and positive psychology to help clients make behavioral change. “Health coaches help you to discover and implement practices that can sustain long-lasting improvement to your overall health and well-being,” meditation instructor and certified health coach Pilin Anice, tells mindbodygreen....