Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
jeudi 17 août 2017
Sofia Vergara Has an Airport Uniform - and You Will Too After Seeing These Photos
Sofia Vergara has always been very vocal about how much she loves to dress up for red carpets, but when it comes to putting together a look to get on a long plane ride, her style is the total opposite.
The Modern Family actress has developed a formula: she loves rocking a pair of dark leggings or jeans, a sweater (sometimes with a jacket on top), workout sneakers, and a statement bag, occasionally adding a scarf or a hat and always wearing a pair of sunglasses. She is so used to traveling that she knows the number one rule is to be comfortable but still look chic - she's not one to wear dresses and heels. Check out her very relatable travel style ahead.
All the Times Selena Gomez Has Been a Victim of Ellen DeGeneres's Scares
If you're going on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you're going to get a good scare. Selena Gomez is one of the many celebrities who can attest to that. She has been terrified by Ellen's antics four times over the past few years (most recently twice in one day). And even though Selena claims she loves to be scared, the singer and actress utters a legitimate scream every time someone jumps behind her or from a box. Keep scrolling to see all the times she's hilariously been a victim of Ellen's scares, and then check out her performance of "Same Old Love" and discussion of lupus on the show.
Every Hair Color and Cut Demi Lovato Has Ever Had
You will never hear anyone say that Demi Lovato is not adventurous. The "Confident" singer hasn't found a haircut or color she hasn't wanted to try out.
Pink tips, blond ombré, shaved sides, blunt bangs - you name it, Demi has experimented with it. And while it seems like the star has found her sweet spot with her latest bob style, we'll always appreciate the rainbow of shades and endless cut inspiration she has provided us through the years. Keep reading to find every single one of those transformations, starting in 2008.
50 Shades of Red: What the Color of Your Period Actually Means
Women are experts at this whole period thing - we've had years of practice, after all! But sometimes there's a change in our cycles that make us run to Google for answers. When it comes to the different colors of your menstrual cycle, it's important to know what's normal for YOU. When something changes, it doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong (so step away from WebMD)! It could be a variety of things, but when in doubt, call your OBGYN. We talked with Nora Lansen, MD, a family practitioner with a specialty in women's health at OneMedical, to get the general understanding of the very limited colors of a period and what you need to know about them.
Bright Red
"The bright red is usually indicative of your full-on period," Lansen said. It means that the blood is "new" and the lining has been freshly shed and is coming out briskly. Some women have this color for their entire cycle.
Dark Red
In general, this means that a woman is in the thick of her period, Lansen said. Some women have very heavy periods and they experience this color more. This could also be a time that you notice small clots, which is normal as well. But if you're period is heavy and bothersome, your doctor can prescribe birth control in order to make it lighter or even make it stop.
Brown
The primary difference between the red and brown is that it's new vs. old. Brown discharge is common at the end of women's cycles because it's the blood that's been sitting in the uterus for some time. However, this varies widely, Lansen said. Some women get a few days of brown and then red and back to brown. Some never get brown discharge. Some have it just at the beginning and others just at the end. And some bleed, then stop for a few days, and then bleed again. So no, there isn't an overall "normal," but there is a personal normal. If there's a change in the color you typically experience, give your doctor a ring.
"If there's no bright red blood at all, then that could be a [birth control] implantation bleed and I would take a pregnancy test," Lansen explained. It's important to know your normal when it comes to brown discharge because you may think it's your period, but if it's not, it could lead to unplanned pregnancy. "This stuff is all so complicated, so hopefully the ideal is that every woman has a doctor she trusts and feels comfortable talking to," Lansen said.
However, if at any time of the month you notice a greenish or clear discharge with a fishy smell, see your doctor ASAP because it may be a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or bacterial infection.
Meet All of the New Characters Joining the 13 Reasons Why Cast in Season 2
The world of 13 Reasons Why is majorly expanding in season two. Netflix's hit drama exploring the aftermath of high-school student Hannah Baker's suicide, and the 13 tapes she leaves behind explaining why she did it, is returning in 2018 with more episodes, where you'll be seeing a handful of new faces. In addition to season one's core cast (who are all returning), Variety recently revealed the seven new actors who have signed on. Meet each and every one of them ahead.
The British Monarchy Crumbles Around Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown's Season 2 Trailer
Queen Elizabeth II does NOT have an easy journey ahead of her in season two of The Crown. Netflix dropped the first teaser trailer for its $130 million royal drama on Thursday, and it hints that the bond between Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and Prince Philip (Matt Smith) is going to reach its breaking point sooner rather than later as the young queen struggles to keep the British monarchy afloat. The trailer also features a few quick glimpses of Michael C. Hall as US President John F. Kennedy and Quarry actress Jodi Balfour as First Lady Jackie Kennedy, so check it out above before season two returns on Dec. 8.
How a Mom of 3 Created the Most Efficient Kitchen Ever
Despite having two young daughters and a newborn baby girl, Lay Baby Lay blogger Joni Lay's kitchen is serenity personified. That wasn't always the case, though. Like many people who loathe their kitchens, Joni's biggest gripe with her pre-renovation kitchen was the lack of storage and inefficient use of space.
The chaos of her cramped kitchen only felt heightened by the dated design features she and husband Chip inherited when they bought the house - think black-and-white checkerboard floors and particleboard countertops. When an opportunity to work with Home Depot on a kitchen renovation arose, Joni and Chip jumped at the chance to wipe the kitchen slate clean, and the result is pretty breathtaking.
50 Printable Adult Coloring Pages That Will Make You Feel Like a Kid Again
Life is hard. And sometimes the best thing you can do is put down your iPhone and . . . pick up a crayon! There are lots of benefits to unplugging and coloring, which is why it shouldn't be surprising that coloring books are all the rage among adults looking for a creative way to de-stress. Whether you've already jumped on the coloring wagon or you're just trying it out, at least one of these pages is bound to be just what you're looking for - so get printing!
What to Do If Your Hair Color Comes Out Too Dark
It can happen to even the most skilled at-home colorist: you use a box color to dye your hair, and the hue comes out much darker than you'd hoped. But believe it or not, you don't have to suffer with a hue that's not for you. Keep reading for our tips on how to lighten a botched dye job.
- Try a clarifying shampoo: These types of cleansers are full of color-stripping surfactants (the stuff that makes your shampoo and soaps lather). The faster you can get to your freshly dyed hair, the better; just make sure you deep condition afterwards.
- Call the hotline: If you experience unwanted results from an at-home hair color, immediately call the hotline number on the side or back of the box. The company representative can offer you professional advice on what to do next.
- Face the facts: The only true way to lighten color is to remove it. But once that unwanted color has been removed from your hair, sometimes toners have to be added to color-correct. Sure, there are color-removing products like L'Oreal ColorZap ($12) readily available at the nearest beauty supply store, but if your too-dark color is still not looking right, heading to a professional is probably the best option.
How to prevent it in the first place: Since semipermanent or demipermanent colors typically fade a lot faster than permanent colors, they are often more gentle for the home colorist. And when coloring your hair at home, go only one to two levels lighter or darker than your natural hair color to avoid "oh no" moments. While most box color includes a description of what the shade will be (such as medium-light brown), keep in mind that level one equals black and level 10 is light blond.
Meet All of the New Characters Joining the 13 Reasons Why Cast in Season 2
The world of 13 Reasons Why is majorly expanding in season two. Netflix's hit drama exploring the aftermath of high-school student Hannah Baker's suicide, and the 13 tapes she leaves behind explaining why she did it, is returning in 2018 with more episodes, where you'll be seeing a handful of new faces. In addition to season one's core cast (who are all returning), Variety recently revealed the seven new actors who have signed on. Meet each and every one of them ahead.
This Animated Film About Natural Hair Is the Cutest Thing You'll See Today
There's something so specifically cute about father/child beauty moments. We stop everything and watch when a father and son play with makeup together. Photos of daddy/daughter hair-braiding classes leave us as puddles of emotional goo underneath our desks. And this photo of a father gently combing his daughter's natural hair warmed our hearts. (We're not crying, you're crying.)
So this morning we all shared tissues and watched the Kickstarter video for Hair Love from filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry. According to Cherry, Hair Love "is a Pixar-style animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, Stephen, his daughter, Zuri and her hair." Zuri's mom usually does her hair, but Stephen steps up to the plait on the night of a big event. Of course, this presents some challenges to Stephen, but he works with Zuri to get everything just right.
The director states that he was inspired in part by cute YouTube videos of fathers tackling their girls' natural hair, but also because of "a lack of representation in mainstream animated projects." He hopes to empower young people of color and teach them to love their hair.
Cherry and codirector Jason Marino have set up a Kickstarter to help with production funds. Their goal is to raise $75,000 by Aug. 9. If you'd like to contribute, or just watch the video over and over again like we plan to do for the rest of the day, the crew is offering some fun incentives like a Hair Love pin and children's book.
The British Monarchy Crumbles Around Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown's Season 2 Trailer
Queen Elizabeth II does NOT have an easy journey ahead of her in season two of The Crown. Netflix dropped the first teaser trailer for its $130 million royal drama on Thursday, and it hints that the bond between Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and Prince Philip (Matt Smith) is going to reach its breaking point sooner rather than later as the young queen struggles to keep the British monarchy afloat. The trailer also features a few quick glimpses of Michael C. Hall as US President John F. Kennedy and Quarry actress Jodi Balfour as First Lady Jackie Kennedy, so check it out above before season two returns on Dec. 8.
These 2 Bloggers Travel the World to Get Photos of Exact Game of Thrones Locations
Whenever I think I'm a "huge" fan of something, the internet proves me wrong. There is always a more devoted fan out there, and two bloggers are traveling the world with a very unique goal prove it. Tiia and Satu, travel bloggers from Finland and the people behind Fangirl Quest, devote their time to seeking out filming locations of their favorite movies and TV shows, and then they visit the destinations. They take incredible photos of scenes from the movies and shows with shots that line up perfectly in real life - they call it scene framing. "We saw some of those historical ones where people put up photos against today's cityscapes and possibly even a couple TV show versions done with printed photos," they told Mashable.
While Fangirl Quest roams the world in the name of shows like Supernatural, The 100, and Peaky Blinders, they also have completely risen to the task of locating some of the coolest Game of Thrones destinations out there. They have a complete guide on their site of all of the places travelers who love the show can visit. Check out the photos ahead to see where they've visited, and if you're a Game of Thrones superfan, you better step up your game.
Where to Travel Based on Your Favorite Drink
A good cocktail or glass of wine at a fabulous dinner is probably going to be one of our favorite vacation memories. But if you value a great drink, what you love to imbibe is probably going to dictate where you should travel. We rounded up some of the best places to go depending on what you really love to drink, and some of the destinations may really surprise you!
13 Spellbinding Photos of Gorgeous People With Albinism
Israel-based photographer Yulia Taits is back with the second iteration of her Porcelain Beauty series, featuring people with Albinism. In case you are not familiar with it, people with albinism are born with the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. And as Taits's photos prove, it can look absolutely gorgeous.
Her goal was to spotlight their hypnotic beauty, which she described on her Facebook page as seemingly like it was "taken from fantasies and fairy tale legends." Albinism can also cause vision defects, so we don't want to downplay that there are serious side affects. That said, we will always celebrate uniqueness at POPSUGAR.
We asked Taits why she decided to do a second round of images. "This project went viral in few days, and I was amazed how many positive feedback it got from people around the world," she told POPSUGAR via email. "What's really melted my heart was the feedback from people with albinism and their parents. They said how they appreciate my art and how this project make people with albinism feel beautiful and confident in the way they are. That's the main reason I decided to create second part of this project with new models."
Major props to Taits for showing how ethereal this condition can be and helping to empower those in its community. Keep reading to see the images from her new series!
All the Ways You Can Be Audrey Hepburn For Halloween
Audrey Hepburn is a Halloween costume mainstay for loads of reasons; she was chic and put-together, glamorous yet approachable, and showed off a classic femininity both in her movie roles and personal life. This year, we're helping you perfect your Old Hollywood Halloween look with all the possible ways you can channel the Breakfast at Tiffany's star. Keep reading for all the inspiration, then check out even more celebrity-inspired Halloween costume ideas.
Angelina Jolie Wears These 9 Brands on Repeat - and They're Fashion Favorites
No matter what Angelina Jolie wears, she always stays true to her style. Whether it's on the red carpet or at a humanitarian event, the star carefully chooses well-crafted and sophisticated pieces. Take her timeless LBDs or suit sets - these staples make up a large portion of Angelina's wardrobe. She tends to stick to neutrals such as cream, black, beige, and gray, often preferring functional pieces above all else.
Angelina's the type to invest in a trusty Everlane loafer or Chloé ballet flats for her trips, rather than a pointy-toed heel. This makes sense given how much she travels for work and with her children. So, which exact brands does Angelina invest in? We dug a little deeper to find out and came away with eight labels that Angelina seems to love.
1 Surprising Thing Recruiters Are Looking For on Your LinkedIn Profile
There's a useful tool for attracting recruiters on LinkedIn that you may be neglecting: volunteering experience! If you think of volunteering as an added bonus rather than a necessity, you could be limiting your job prospects. According to LinkedIn data, 41 percent of employers consider volunteer work to be as important as paid work.
"It shows that you're a passionate professional who's adept at multitasking," Krista Canfield, the senior PR manager of LinkedIn, tells POPSUGAR. "It's also worth noting that you can develop new skills during your volunteer work which will help you become a multifaceted professional. You may be a sales person by trade, but perhaps you helped organize your non-profit's most recent fundraising event. Noting that experience, and the skills that you learned during that experience ("event planning," "event marketing," etc.) can make you a more attractive employee and business partner."
Volunteering is an opportunity to chase your passions and to challenge yourself outside of work. Featuring this on your LinkedIn may increase your chances of scoring your dream job, especially if the skills relate to the field. It also makes you a more interesting and diverse candidate. Do you include volunteer work on your résumé?
A New Study Says This Is the Key to Buying Someone the Perfect Gift
It happens to all of us: you're out shopping for a gift and you find something you like so much you want to get it for yourself too, but you don't buy two because the maxim "it's better to give than to receive" was drilled into your head at an early age. If the scenario is familiar, I have good news for you: a new study indicates it might be better for everyone for you to buy that gift - and have it too.
Joint research conducted by marketing professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Toronto Scarborough found that gift recipients like their presents more when the gift giver also purchased the item for themselves. A key feature of the findings indicated the good feelings were highest when the items were purchased at the same time. "I liked these flowered headphones so much, I bought myself a set too."
The authors of the study call this phenomenon "companionizing," but I call it "one for me and one for you." They explain sharing the gift "causes gift recipients to like their gifts more and feel closer to gift givers." That the gift giver also has the item makes that item seem better to the recipient. This effect didn't just happen with close friends or family - it also works when the recipients aren't all that familiar with the giver. In fact, the the researchers believe this could be the best way to select presents for those people you don't know all that well. My advice: don't hold back, and treat yourself.
The Cast of To All the Boys I've Loved Before Is Already Looking Pretty Perfect
If you've read To All the Boys I've Loved Before, the first novel in Jenny Han's bestselling trilogy, then you're probably already obsessed with it. If you haven't, don't worry - you have plenty of time to fall in love with the YA books before they hit the big screen (the first one only recently began production). The story follows Lara Jean Song Covey, a teenager whose secret love letters to her former crushes accidentally get sent out. To avoid admitting her past feelings, she fakes a relationship with one of them, but she quickly realizes she may not be pretending after all.
Details about the movie, including the cast, have been slowly coming in over the past few weeks, and Han has even been sharing adorable set photos on social media. She also expressed her excitement over the fact that her diverse characters, which aren't typically seen as leads in the predominantly white romantic comedy genre, get three movies with its sequels, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. "The most important thing for me as the author is seeing an Asian American girl in the starring role, and with this movie, we get to see not one but THREE!" she wrote. "That is truly groundbreaking."
Raspberry mousse cakes sold in multiple provinces recalled by CFIA for norovirus
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling a number of raspberry mousse cakes due to norovirus.
15 Life-Changing Cooking Secrets You Can Learn From Italians
The thing about Italian cooking is that it's a lot simpler than Americans tend to believe. If you go to Italy, you'll quickly learn that the country values high-quality ingredients and freshly cooked meals above just about anything else when it comes to food. It's not about overly complex cooking techniques, but about starting with the best ingredients and figuring out how to pair them together, from homemade pasta to sauces and desserts. And once you learn some of the basic practices, you'll soon discover you can implement them in your own kitchen and start making your best Italian meals ever.
If you want to learn how to cook more authentically Italian, look no further than the following helpful cooking tips that I learned firsthand on a trip to Verona with Giovanni Rana, one of Italy's oldest brands of fresh pasta. I ate a whole lot of pasta to be sure, but I also learned just as much about it.
What Donald Trump Has Wrong About Transgender Americans Like Me
The author and his mother.
When I was about 6 or 7, I remember praying to wake up and magically be a boy.
When I was 10, my mother pulled me out of school because she got a phone call telling her kids at school were calling me "gay." I didn't know what it meant.
When I was 17, I recall getting physically ill at the thought of wearing a dress under my graduation gown.
When I was 19, I finally found out what being transgender meant.
Up until that point, I had been under the impression that I was a lesbian who fell heavily on the butch side of things. I could dress the part and ignore the shouts of "Is that a boy or a girl?" while walking through my college campus. There was just no way I could magically become the boy I always wanted to be.
I wasn't a freak or a "burden," as the leader of our country likes to say.
But, wait. Being transgender is a thing? There's hope for me? I dove headfirst into the research and lives of other transgender individuals, seeing my own story reflected in their words. I wasn't a freak or a "burden," as the leader of our country likes to say. This was the validation I so needed.
When I was 24, I began hormone replacement therapy.
When I was 26, I got a double mastectomy to remove my breasts.
When I was 27, I finally got legal documentation that showed I am male.
That same year, it became quite clear that my entire being was under attack.
Upon looking at me, most people see me as male and I pass well enough. I'm a little on the scrawny side (and by a little I mean a lot) with patchy facial hair, but I haven't been misgendered in a few years. I do a lot of things cisgender males do, and I do a lot of things that cisgender males don't do because they don't want to jeopardize their masculinity. I work out, I spend time with my wife and our fur babies, I love my mom, and I've cried during every episode of This Is Us. I don't wear a badge that says I'm transgender, and I typically only bring it up if it's brought up in discussion.
I'm not contagious.
I'm not contagious. I'm not going to brainwash your children into wanting to start hormone treatment. I'm not going to warp your values if you come in contact with me. Honestly, I'm actually really boring. My idea of a great Friday night is spent on the couch with my wife playing video games and eating food that's extremely bad for me.
And, yeah. I've got a wife. She is a cisgender female. If anyone were to look at our wedding photos, they'd see a man and a woman getting married. Our dogs were the best man and flower girl. My parents were there and her entire extended family were there. My extended family is uncomfortable with my being trans, so most of them didn't respond to the wedding invite.
The author as a child.
Those in leadership positions within our country want to paint transgender people as being the enemy - almost as bad as those "fake news" outlets. They say we're not mentally fit, we're burdens and distractions - hell, we're not allowed to use the damn bathroom.
Donald Trump recently tweeted an announcement that sure sounds like he's reinstating the transgender ban in the military, something former President Barack Obama dismantled during his time in office. You know, Donald Trump? The same guy who championed how he'll be a better candidate for LGBTQ+ folks during his campaign? That guy.
You know what's crazy, though? The United States Armed Forces is currently the top employer of transgender individuals. These people are risking their lives to represent a country that wants to erase them from history. In fact, openly transgender individuals were supposed to be able to start enlisting in the military on July 1, but the heads of the military asked for a six-month extension so they can "review" a bit more.
But, no. Here we are again. Banned from serving our country. Banned from workplace protections. Banned from health insurances. Banned from bathrooms.
Do you know what transgender people do in the bathroom? We practice basic biological functions.
We've become a danger to society, the menaces lurking in the changing rooms at Target. We're being erased by the government and conservative religious folks. We're "unnatural," much like the medication you take, that breast job your neighbor had done, or 99 percent of the food you ingest.
Do you know a transgender person? Is your kid transgender? Your coworker? Your neighbor? Maybe you should introduce yourself to a transgender individual. Ask them (polite and noninvasive) questions. Get to know them.
We're not that exciting. I mean, all we want is a dog to pet, a place to pee, and the right to live our lives as our true selves. Pretty much the same thing you want and have.
We're not burdens. We're not mentally unfit.
We're people.
And you'll probably like us. I mean, I'd invite you over for video games, puppy cuddles, and really good food. What's not to like about that in a friend?
For the Last Time, This Is Why We Need Common Core - Even If Parents Hate It
It's understandable that Common Core gets a lot of parents in an uproar. The viral articles featuring convoluted equations and indirect questions on a first-grader's homework assignment can be more than concerning for a parent. Despite some growing pains and some obvious flaws in the system, Common Core at its heart is worthwhile and a step in the right direction for our students.
I started teaching high school English and humanities in 2010, conveniently the same year that my state adopted Common Core. Even though I was raised by parents who are teachers, teaching within the Common Core framework is all I've ever known.
It wouldn't be prudent of me to talk about Common Core math standards since I literally have zero experience with them. My background is on the English side, and there are a lot of misconceptions floating around about how and what I teach.
For those who don't know, Common Core is a series of standards that all states, with the exception of only a few, follow as a guide when planning curriculum. It's best to think of standards as goals for the end of the year. In other words, it's what a child should be able to do by the time they leave the classroom for Summer break.
Each year builds on the work done previously, getting more complex as they mature and get older. Most of them seek to establish a relationship between critical thinking and analyzing evidence. While these standards are to be taught and practiced in the class, I've never been told how to teach them.
I've appreciated the standards as a guiding reminder to create authentic curriculum that will best serve my students later. On days when I struggled to find a new approach to a story, looking at the standards helped me create lesson plans and ensure that I was giving students a quality education. I still have complete autonomy on what books my children read and how they approach the texts.
However, while assistance in curriculum planning and lessons is a nice side effect, this is not the reason we have this content framework.
Common Core, at its heart, is the belief that all children across the country, regardless of income, race, or where they live, should have access to a quality education. A child who is raised in Arkansas should be able to pick up and move to Washington and successfully merge into their new school without feeling lost or behind.
Considering the disparity among schools nationwide, Common Core can help bridge that gap. These standards help to ensure rigor and give new teachers a way to receive support, through funding for training and a bevy of resource materials online.
My argument is not that Common Core is perfect - far from it. The way they test the standards has been cumbersome to say the least. One school that I worked in was required to administer the test on computers during a very tight window, despite the fact that there were only a handful of working computers available. If the school didn't administer the test, it ran the risk of jeopardizing funding. So, no, it's not perfect.
But it's a start. It's the beginning of realizing that access to education should be restricted by state lines. It's the beginning of trying to be closer to the educational programs of our other first-world neighbors.
It's important for everyone to understand why Common Core is so desperately needed. While it may not act as a panacea, it's a step in the right direction toward equitable education and global competitiveness.
At Last, We Found the 10 Best Shampoos For Brunettes
As a brunette, I hate when my hair becomes dull or brassy. Whether I'm aiming for a rich chocolate shade or a cooler brown tone, I want to make sure I'm maintaining that color. Thankfully, there are shampoos out there specifically designed to keep your color looking fresh; these products will bring out both highlights and low-lights in your locks. We rounded up the very best options so you can keep your brunette mane looking glorious. Whether your hair is natural or color-treated, you'll be pleased. Take a look at these highly rated picks and test them out for yourself.
How Zumba Helped 1 Woman Dance Off 230 Pounds
Weight-loss success happens when you truly love to live a healthy lifestyle, as Cynthia Ortega found out. Here, she tells Zumba's lifestyle blog, Zlife, about her struggles with weight and how she finally found what works - and lost 230 pounds!
Cynthia: Before
Born and raised in Houston, Cynthia Ortega used to look in the mirror and hate what she saw. "I felt horrible and sad," she says. "I used to dread going to restaurants with my husband because I knew I wouldn't fit in the seat." Often smiling on the outside, deep down inside, she wasn't happy. She was trapped in her own body, desperately wanting to be someone else. Even her husband, who was very supportive, felt helpless.
Heavy mostly her whole life, she had never exercised and had many failed attempts with crash diets. One day, while standing in line to order pizza with her husband, a little girl pointed at Cynthia and said to her mom, "Look mom, that's a big lady!" Everyone heard it and Cynthia was mortified. In 2009, she was hospitalized with the swine flu and couldn't even fit through the MRI machine. She went into an induced coma and had to learn to walk and eat again. Due to her weight, she also discovered she had sleep apnea and diabetes.
Cynthia: Before
At a crossroads in her life, it finally clicked for Cynthia that she had to get healthy for herself and her young son who looked up to his mom and needed a positive influence. In 2013, she stumbled across a gym near her home and peeked in to see people taking a Zumba class. "It just looked like a lot of fun and something I could do." She and her friend signed up and, within one month of taking two classes per week, she lost 30 pounds! And that was just the beginning of her transformation.
Cynthia: After
Now 230 pounds lighter, she takes Zumba classes 12 times per week and puts more thought into her diet. She even started a YouTube page to chronicle her weight loss, called "BestFriendFitness" in the hopes of inspiring others out there to get healthy.
At 29 years old and married for eight years, Cynthia is inspiring her husband and family members to be healthy and eat foods in moderation. "Now, when my husband takes me out to a restaurant, I don't have to care about the chairs and if I'll fit in them. I love taking selfies and when I look in the mirror I feel great." She recently went back to the doctor for some tests and stayed four extra days to find out that all her health issues had disappeared and her heart rate was that of a fit person's!
Cynthia: After
So what is Cynthia's advice to others who are suffering from weight issues? "Find what works for you and something you're passionate about. You have to be persistent. You can't expect results from one day to the next. Zumba Fitness is challenging for me. My friends think I make it look easy, but I get out of breath . . . sore . . . tired. It's something that I truly love."
Cynthia: After
More from ZLife:
The 25 Best Exercises to Tone Your Abs (and None of Them Are Crunches)
Let's be honest: crunches aren't the most exciting of exercises. And they're not always the most effective way to tone your abs anyway. If you're bored with your sit-up routine, here are 25 fun and effective moves to mix up your workout and tone your midsection!
- Additional reporting by Emily Bibb and Jenny Sugar
Pinterest Reveals 9 Surprising Savvy Decor Trends on the Rise
Pinterest is a great place to turn to when you want to look for inspiring interior design images - which is also what makes it a great place to look for rising trends. The great minds at Pinterest recently did just that, narrowing down some 100 billion ideas from 175 million Pinners into a handful of the hottest trends. Check out the most popular ideas for the home ahead.
The Swimsuit Style You Never Expected to Want but Now Need
When the Summer 2017 Triangl lookbook landed in my inbox, I did a double take as I scrolled through the images. Was that - could that be - a velvet swimsuit? But just a few days later, the look was popping up on my Instagram feed from the likes of bloggers and style influencers everywhere. It's like the crocheted two-piece from last season, an exciting new material we never expected to flaunt poolside.
It's almost unbelievable that we can wear these designs to the beach and get them all sandy and wet and still have them maintain their quality after a wash. But you better believe swim brands are churning out functional velvet in a wide range of silhouettes, and they're quickly becoming fashion-girl must haves. Scroll to shop our favorites.
14 Starbucks Hacks That Will Save You Money
Don't despair if store-bought coffee is your biggest spending vice. Help is on its way, in the form of these smart saving tips that will work at your local Starbucks. Don't thank us - just drink up!
5 Ways My Pets Helped With My Depression and Anxiety
Depression, anxiety, or any other form of mental illness can oftentimes feel unbearable. You feel physically exhausted and emotionally drained. You don't want to do anything except completely isolate yourself from the outside world. On what I refer to as the "black-cloud days," just getting out of bed in the morning can feel like an impossible feat. During those times, though, even when I wanted to hide under the covers, I didn't. It wasn't because I had found some miraculous way to remove the black cloud or had a sudden burst of motivation - that's not how it works. It was because I had two big, sweet brown dog eyes staring at me pleadingly to take her for a walk. It was because I had three purring furry cats curled up next to me nudging my hands to pet them. It's because of them, my three cats and my dog, Byrdie, I've been able to find purpose even on the days that have felt purposeless. Here are a few reasons I believe owning pets has played a pivotal role in my path to healing.
1. They Sense When You Need Them
My wife and I often joke about that our yellow Lab, Byrdie, isn't necessarily the brightest crayon in the box, if you know what I mean. But despite her dopey smile and her less-than-graceful 70-pound body, this pup is incredibly intuitive. If I wake up feeling anxious or am having a rough night, she's always right by my side. She seems to always know when I need her comforting head on my lap or a sloppy kiss.
2. Petting Them Increases Relaxation
Activating your senses can be an effective way to help deal with anxiety. Oftentimes you hear people suggest relaxing smells like lavender or listening to soothing music to help calm you down. For me, one of the most soothing activities is petting my animals. The softness of my cat's fur or the gentle movement in my hands immediately reduces my stress, and I feel not only peaceful, but more connected to my animals.
3. They Keep You Active
Dogs, especially mine, have a lot of energy. If they don't find a way to expel some of that boundless energy, they either get depressed or go nuts. For Byrdie, it's the latter. If I don't walk her daily, she'll be sprinting through the house like a bull in a china shop leaving three very pissed-off cats in her wake. When depression sets in and threatens to render me unproductive, I force myself to get off the couch and get moving. Since exercise has also been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, I almost always feel better when I get back from my walk and Byrdie is no longer wreaking havoc. Win-win situation.
4. They Give You Accountability and Purpose
If you really think about it, pets are essentially permanent babies. They depend on you completely. You have to feed them, wash them, walk them, make sure they do their "business." They can't communicate with words, so you have to learn to understand their needs in other ways. As dramatic as it sounds, they really do need you to survive. This notion in particular has been tremendously powerful. When I find myself consumed with depression, I remember that there are four beautiful fur babies that need me.
5. Their Love Is Pure and Unconditional
There is honestly no kind of love like the love your pet has for you. I know my wife loves me unconditionally, of course, but an animal's love is different. My dog has seen me at my best, my worst, and everything in between. She's seen me collapsed on the kitchen floor sobbing. She's seen me lose my temper and throw things at the wall. She's seen me sneak into the kitchen at night when my wife is sleeping and raid the fridge (most likely hoping I'd share). Even when I scold her for hiding my socks or chewing holes in my throw pillows, she doesn't hold a grudge. No matter what I've said or done, no matter what I've gone through, my pets continue to show me love and compassion.
I understand that pets aren't for everyone, but for me, they are one of the most important aspects of my life. No matter how crappy a day I've had or how messy my thoughts get, those four-legged bundles of love can always bring a smile to my face. I'm living proof of the healing powers animals can have when it comes to our mental health, and I'm grateful for every day I get to spend with them curled up next to me. They bring me an inexplicable sense of happiness, but most of all, they give me a reason to keep pushing through.
10 Affordable Ways to Get the Bedroom of Your Dreams
If most of your decorating budget is going into the living room, you're probably panicking about your barren bedroom. Luckily, we've got your back. These affordable hacks only look expensive, so no one has to know you pulled it together on a shoestring budget. Check out our 10 favorite tricks for styling a dreamy boudoir.
Brunettes Can Now Get Rainbow Hair Without Using a Drop of Bleach
While the allure of rainbow hair might be tempting, many brunettes have decided that it simply isn't worth it. Unlike our blond brethren, we darker-haired damsels typically have to lift our natural color to a lighter shade so rainbow shades pop on our strands. That means that we have to accept the harmful effects of the bleach needed to achieve the look. But it seems that we now have options: a promising new color product is taking bleach out of the equation.
Splat's new Midnight Collection makes it so that brunettes can adopt vibrant shades like indigo, ruby, and amethyst while still maintaining the overall health of their hair. The semipermanent formula works by using tiny micropigments that can transfer the desired color into the follicle but don't require as harsh of a dyeing process in order to look noticeable. The Midnight Collection is also loaded with conditioner to counteract the usual dryness that results from dyeing your hair. According to Splat, the color will then remain for about eight weeks.
The collection's three shades are exclusively available at Target. Look ahead for the three different products, and start plotting your foray into rainbow hair.
The 7 Best Indian Foods You Can Get From Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's frozen food section is truly a wonderful place. One frozen cuisine in particular that you shouldn't overlook is Trader Joe's Indian food - some of it is legitimately as delicious as takeout. We tapped our editors, who are just as enthusiastic about Trader Joe's as they are about Indian food, to find out which items from TJ's stack up to their expectations and are worthy enough for a space in your shopping cart. The next time you have an insatiable craving for Indian food but would rather avoid the restaurant prices, opt for the following best frozen Indian foods you can get at Trader Joe's, plus a couple you won't find in the frozen aisle.
24 Small Spanish Tattoos That Are Easy to Hide
Tattoos make a memory permanent. Whether it's someone's name, a face, or just a word (or a quote) that you consider to be your mantra, as long as you are happy with it, that's all that matters. If you are looking for inspiration for your next ink and want to get something small, then we've got you covered - quite literally. These cute and easy-to-hide (from your Latina mom) tattoos carry meaningful messages and will have you making an appointment at the parlor right away.
The Cast of To All the Boys I've Loved Before Is Already Looking Pretty Perfect
If you've read To All the Boys I've Loved Before, the first novel in Jenny Han's bestselling trilogy, then you're probably already obsessed with it. If you haven't, don't worry - you have plenty of time to fall in love with the YA books before they hit the big screen (the first one only recently began production). The story follows Lara Jean Song Covey, a teenager whose secret love letters to her former crushes accidentally get sent out. To avoid admitting her past feelings, she fakes a relationship with one of them, but she quickly realizes she may not be pretending after all.
Details about the movie, including the cast, have been slowly coming in over the past few weeks, and Han has even been sharing adorable set photos on social media. She also expressed her excitement over the fact that her diverse characters, which aren't typically seen as leads in the predominantly white romantic comedy genre, get three movies with its sequels, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. "The most important thing for me as the author is seeing an Asian American girl in the starring role, and with this movie, we get to see not one but THREE!" she wrote. "That is truly groundbreaking."
21 Bold Kate Middleton Outfits That Probably Weren't Queen Approved
Based on her track record, it may be hard to believe Kate ever donned something that could raise eyebrows, but every once in a while we've caught her ditching her sophisticated brand of dressing for something a little more casual. From outings in lazy-day hoodies to laid-back blue jeans, we love seeing proof that sometimes Kate can mix it up.
While we may love Kate's foray into casualwear, we have a feeling the Queen wouldn't approve of these not-so-princessy pieces. Just try to imagine Queen Elizabeth donning the same sporty separates, sneakers, or funky hats - we all know, it just wouldn't happen. So while we're under the impression that it's basically impossible for Kate to wear a bad outfit, it's fun to imagine how the royals really felt when they saw these, ahem, nontraditional styles.
Gigi Hadid's Jeans Will Play All Sorts of Tricks on Your Eyes
As designers get more and more inventive with denim, the supermodels seem to embrace every new style they can get their hands on. Gigi Hadid stepped out in New York City wearing a pair of Y/Project pants that convert into shorts. (Her sister Bella rocked the same ones for a photo shoot). This pair came cinched with a snakeskin belt, which drew attention to the Stalvey lizard bag she was carrying. Gigi's layered necklaces by Jacquie Aiche were a bohemian touch, but she made one final elevated statement by tying the laces of her suede Aquazzura heels around the ankles of her jeans. Scroll for a look, then shop for denim that's just as eye-catching.
How to Design a Stunning Gender-Neutral Nursery
"When it came to creating our nursery, my husband and I knew we needed it to be two things: gender-neutral (since we weren't finding out the sex of our baby until our delivery) and a natural style extension of our home," explained Brandi Milloy, reporter and producer at POPSUGAR. "We live in a small Spanish bungalow, so every foot in the house counts, and the idea of creating a room that looked too much like a baby's room just wasn't our style."
Brandi isn't alone in wanting a chic nursery more focused on her and her spouse's personal taste than a specific baby gender. The predictable nursery design formula that dictated saccharine pink, blue, or yellow walls and a cartoon motif is quickly becoming outmoded in favor of more sophisticated designs the whole family can enjoy.
To achieve her dream nursery, Brandi hunted for fabulous pieces that would meet her baby's needs while fitting with her home's eclectic, boho-meets-midcentury-modern vibe. "My mantra with purchasing things for the nursery was that I needed to LOVE it. Whether it was going in the nursery or not, I needed to actually love every purchase I made." The final result was finished in time for the birth of baby Milly (it was a girl!) and is a warm, hip, and charming space loaded with design ideas every mom-to-be can learn from. Check out how to create the perfect gender-neutral nursery ahead.
This Muslim Bride Wore Zero Makeup at Her Wedding - and Why She Did It Is Eye-Opening
Image Source: Courtesy of Tasnim Jara
For many women, a wedding is the time to go full-on, head-to-toe glam. It's the reason they do countless trials with multiple makeup artists before picking a final beauty look. It's why they spend thousands on (often multiple!) dresses and diamonds. New bride Tasnim Jara, however, decided to do the opposite. She wore zero makeup, didn't buy a new gown, and wore no jewelry to prove a powerful point about the way women get pressured by societal beauty standards.
Jara, president of Aroggo, a healthtech startup in Bangladesh, wrote about her experience in a public post on Facebook. "I was troubled by the singular image of a bride that our society has - with tons of makeup, a weighty dress and mounds of jewelry weighing her down," she wrote, further explaining that people have come to measure a woman's financial success, family status, and more based on how she physically looks at her wedding. On top of that, within the Muslim community, traditional weddings often have brides wearing piles of gold bracelets, necklaces, and head ornaments on top of elaborate, heavy makeup.
"I have hardly attended any wedding where I didn't overhear people gossiping: 'Is the bride pretty enough?' 'How much gold does she have on?'" Jara continued, "Growing up listening to these questions, a bride feels pressured to look for the best makeup artist in town, pays a hefty amount in time, money, and energy, and ends up looking nothing like herself."
A bride feels pressured to look for the best makeup artist in town, pays a hefty amount in time, money, and energy, and ends up looking nothing like herself.
Jara revealed that she faced resistance from her family for her decision to go all-natural on her big day - she claims some didn't even want to take a photo with her because she didn't look like their image of a bride. Using her personal story, she pleaded with people to think critically about emphasizing too much importance on makeup and adornments.
"I feel that we need to change this mindset. A girl should not need a whitening lotion, a gold necklace, or an expensive sari to be accepted as a bride or to make her feel confident," she wrote, sharing that on top of wearing no makeup or accessories, she wore a hand-me-down sari from her grandmother. "People may call it simple, but it was very special to me, for what I believe in and what it means to me."
Image Source: Courtesy of Tasnim Jara
She made sure to emphasize that she isn't judgmental of or against women who want to wear makeup or expensive clothes ("I am all in for that," she said). She did explain, however, "It is a problem when she loses her agency in deciding what she would like to wear on her wedding day. When society forces her to doll up and look like a different person, it gives a message that the authentic look of a girl isn't good enough for her own wedding."
At the end of her note, she thanked her new husband: "Special shoutout to this person beside me, Khaled, who has not only supported me unconditionally but also beamed at me with so much pride for taking a stance against the stereotypes."
Props to Jara for staying true to herself. It's so real: brides-to-be face absurd expectations to look perfect on their wedding day. Let her story be a reminder that, at the end of the day, it's your face and your body and you should do whatever makes you feel like the best version of yourself no matter what people say.
Get Long and Lean With CorePower Yoga
You will love this short yoga flow series. Not only will it help calm all the holiday stress, but it will strengthen and lengthen your entire body. And they don't call it CorePower Yoga for nothing! There's a sweet little ab workout tucked in the middle. Grab your mat, press play, and get your yoga on!
Gisele Bündchen's Skincare Routine Is So Simple, You Can Easily Follow It
Like her famous hair, Gisele Bündchen's skin is enviable. While you might look at her and think she owes it all to great genetics and expensive products, the Brazilian supermodel has been open about struggling with her skin just like the rest of us. "My complexion is delicate, so I have to use things that won't irritate it," she told Elle in a 2007 interview. "I switch moisturizers often, but I'm faithful to the way I take off my makeup: Lancome's pink foaming cleanser ($26)."
Gisele knows it's all about prevention, so the 37-year-old uses Dr. Alkaitis Organic Eye Créme ($65) to hydrate and stop signs of aging in her under-eye area. "I love organic products. This cream is so natural, you can eat it!" she told InStyle in its January 2009 issue.
But she's no stranger to acne, saying that she turns to mother nature to deal with breakouts. "When I was a teenager, I had pimples - oh, God, every time someone looked at my face I thought they were looking at my pimples," she told Vogue in 2010. "I put mud on my face to dry them out, and it worked."
What to Tell Women Who Didn't Vote in the 2016 Election - but Wish They Had
At a Christmas party in SoHo this past December, a friend of mine - mid-20s, Ivy League educated, ardent New Yorker - explained her voting habits thusly: "Well, I voted for [Donald] Trump because of what it would look like to men if I had to say I didn't."
The reality? On Tuesday, Nov. 8, she never cast her ballot. She announced this to me as if her decision was rational, dismissing my incredulousness with a wave of her hands.
"It's not a big deal," she said to me.
But when I saw her again only a couple weeks later, she was horrified. Shocked by the policies of the Trump administration, she also felt complicit in their very existence.
And she was. Post-election polls reveal that nonvoters had a major impact on the election. FiveThirtyEight notes that "had the nonvoters cast a ballot in accordance with their party identification, Clinton's advantage over Trump nationally would have expanded by about 2 to 3 percentage points" - enough to win the Electoral College. Given the Democratic party's support of women's rights (and the Republican candidate's antipathy towards women), women who didn't like either candidate could have influenced the election by voting for their own self-interest. "Democrats who stayed home handed the election to Trump," Forbes reported.
Much has been written about the women who voted for Trump, but what about the women who didn't vote at all? According to Hillary Clinton, many of them are desperate for forgiveness. In her first in-depth magazine profile post-defeat, Clinton recounted how women regularly approach her, looking for salvation: "'I'm so sorry I didn't vote. I didn't think you needed me.'" Said Clinton: "I had people literally seeking absolution."
But they're not the only ones expressing remorse: their would-be candidate is as well. Clinton was the first presidential candidate ever to seek forgiveness from her constituents in her concession speech. "This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for," she said. "And I'm sorry that we did not win this election."
No male politician has ever felt obliged to apologize for losing, and the idea of Trump blaming himself if he had ended up in the same scenario is laughable. For women who didn't vote because they felt they didn't "need" to, Trump's victory was a harsh reminder of the deeply ingrained sexism in this country. Many nonvoters considered Clinton's presidency a foregone conclusion. But rather than electing a woman to be president in November, we elected a man who actively disrespects women instead.
Says Emily's List spokeswoman Alexandra De Luca, "This election was a stark reminder that women and men are still treated very differently in this country."
The largest resource for women in American politics, Emily's List supports pro-choice Democratic women running for office. Says De Luca, "There's no 'right' way to react to the election of a man who bragged about sexually assaulting women just because he was famous. I know I'm not the only one who spent a few days with a box of tissues."
Trump's comments were triggering for many women, including many who say they suffer from PTSD. Dr. Hannah Roberts, a California-based clinical psychologist, reports that nearly all of her female clients suffered from post-election distress - stress that is heightened for those who didn't vote: "Our country explicitly devalued an identity that includes just over half of us. That leaves us feeling without a sense of control and can easily touch on feelings of trauma."
While Trump's campaign rhetoric reinforced limiting gender roles, the dismissive treatment of Clinton supporters compounded feelings of powerlessness among women who didn't vote - or who didn't feel comfortable sharing their political opinions in more informal ways or intimate settings, either.
I was getting drinks with another friend (again: educated, successful, seemingly sane) the night before the Women's March when she confided in me that she hadn't voted in November. She told me how her fiancé, who works in finance, told her to vote for Trump, and - though she resisted his advice - she couldn't bring herself to vote for either candidate. She'd heard anti-Clinton rhetoric every evening for the past year; feeling unqualified to weigh in, she'd always remained silent. Now, she was marching for Planned Parenthood, excitedly discussing the p*ssy hat she'd don the next day.
"Change rarely accelerates until we make demands - including unpopular, forward-looking demands - in public."
"Many of the reports of how women experienced this election were similar," says Dr. Roberts. "Needing to stroke male egos and reassure them that women were not voting for Hillary because of her gender . . . it left women feeling very silenced and isolated."
Hence the popularity of Pantsuit Nation: millions of women insulated themselves among like-minded peers, quarantining their beliefs within a private forum. Would men ever feel so compelled to hide their opinions - let alone apologize for them? And what impact did this sequestering of political opinion play when it came to the polls?
Clinton referenced Pantsuit Nation via the "private Facebook sites" in her concession speech, stating: "I want everybody coming out from behind that and make sure your voices are heard going forward."
It's our turn to step up to the political stage - and women have been turning out in record numbers to run for office, a phenomenon De Luca has witnessed firsthand: "Emily's List has heard from over 14,000 women since Election Day looking to run for office. That is unprecedented!"
"Change rarely accelerates until we make demands - including unpopular, forward-looking demands - in public," says Erin Matson, cofounder of the reproductive justice group Reproaction. "Get active. Pay attention to local politics and vote every chance you get. Resist the right-wing - participate in protest at the local level."
It's certain that some women didn't vote because they considered a Trump victory to be unbelievable, but maybe Hunter S. Thompson said it best: "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." I'll amend that to say, if the future is going to be female, the females need to turn pro: run for office, start direct action groups, vote in local elections, fundraise for reproductive rights - anything possible to make our voices heard.
For women suffering from the guilt of not voting, Dr. Roberts's advice is to "reconnect with your core values and remind yourself of those foundational beliefs that define who you are as a person," ensuring the same remorse won't happen again.
The second step? "Acknowledging what has happened and then deciding what to do about it," says Dr. Roberts. "It is important to identify what step you are taking to move forward, however big or small that may be. It returns a sense of control to an individual and helps them move into a place of empowerment and resilience."
Nothing is more indicative of extreme privilege than a blasé attitude about your own rights as an individual.
So, what should Hillary say to the women coming to her for forgiveness? Dr. Roberts says what she certainly shouldn't do is apologize further. "Demand for Clinton to continue apologizing, or the expectation of her self-flagellation, is indicative of the ongoing misogyny today," says Dr. Roberts. Our instinct to appease encourages complacency among female citizens.
"Our women are no shrinking violets," Matson says of Reproaction. Yet, even in this climate, I still find myself among women unwilling to vocally support the feminist agenda. I've witnessed how educated women who should feel unabashed in their support of gender equality (and aware of the necessity of reproductive rights) are reticent to share their beliefs, fearing they will appear unattractive to men. There is no excuse for this equivocating any longer. Women's rights are human rights.
Nothing is more indicative of extreme privilege than a blasé attitude about your own rights as an individual. Many women I know who were previously apolitical certainly thought they were insulated from terrible injustice - an attitude that changed the night of the election. A man who considers women's bodies his to claim, obvious in his boasts about sexual violence and his attempts to deny reproductive rights, is now our president. It was a wake-up call to many women that the only kind of feminism is intersectional feminism.
While much has been written about the white women who voted for Trump, there are plenty of white women who didn't show up at all - and some of them are now starting to get "woke." Unfortunately, in many ways, it's too little, too late.
When a friend posted anti-Trump videos from the Women's March, her boyfriend expressed surprise that she would do so. "I didn't think you were like that," he texted her moments after she posted the "controversial" Instagram.
Well, maybe she is. And maybe if more women were vocal about their beliefs, the stigma and shame would dissolve.
"Everywhere I look, I see examples of women fighting back: starting new organizations, announcing an intention to run for office, or even getting publicly political for the first time with bumper stickers and Facebook posts. It all counts and I believe that we will win," says Matson. "Throughout history, feminists on the fringes who are willing to be despised and ridiculed have played an important role in advancing equality and justice."
It's time to speak up and to stop apologizing for being women, for being ourselves, for holding political beliefs in support of our own civil rights and the rights of our fellow women. It's also time to stop looking for guidance from authority figures; the women apologizing to Hillary should refocus their energy on the future instead of the past. Haven't we learned in the recent election it is best to take matters into our own hands? We can't be complacent and expect everything to turn out OK. But perhaps it takes a huge historical event to elicit change.
"On Nov. 9, I woke up, looked at my preschool-age daughter, and wept," says Matson. "But you know what? Now my daughter talks incessantly about politics and she's gone to phone banks and is canvassing this weekend."
The future is female, indeed.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Obliterated the Bootstrap Myth
If you've been paying attention to politics lately, you've definitely heard the phrase "pull oneself up by one's bootstraps." The term is most often used to refer to the belief that any citizen in the United States, regardless of social or economic status, can get ahead in life on their own merit, without seeking help from others or the federal government. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who also happens to be the first Latina justice to serve on the highest court in the land, recently shared her own thoughts about the contentious talking point for many fiscal conservatives during a chat with the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program.
"There's a continuing tension in America between the image of the person who pulls themselves up by the bootstraps and the person who believes that you need a lift to get up sometimes," Sotomayor said while speaking with Abigail Golden-Vazquez, the executive director of the program. "Those people who believe that everyone must pull themselves up - they don't believe that people are entitled to help."
Sotomayor expressed her belief that sometimes we all need a lift up the ladder, "no matter how tall the heel on your boot is," especially when the barriers many minorities face are just too high to get over. "Unless you do something to knock it down or help that person up, they will never have a chance," she said.
Sotomayor also opened up about being a "product of affirmative action," sharing, "I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in the South Bronx. My test scores were not comparable to my colleagues at Princeton and Yale [but] not so far off so that I wasn't able to succeed at those institutions."
"So for me, that's a constant conversation. It's not an issue about whether someone is willing to lift themselves up. There are so many barriers that we have to bring down before we can change the outcomes."
Watch her full takedown of the bootstrap myth starting at the 45-minute mark below.
21 Little Ways to Save Money Every Day
Saving more money is one of those broad goals everyone sets for themselves at the start of a new year. But with so many tips and tricks out there, it can be hard to know exactly where to begin, especially when the temptation to buy a new pair of sneakers is always looming in the back of your head. Fear not, budget newbies! The tips below are so doable, even a shopaholic can accomplish them on a daily basis. Get ready to save some major dough.
1. Skip out on your daily skinny vanilla latte. "Sorry, Starbucks, but we're taking a break. It's not you, it's me." This one may be hard, especially if you rely on caffeine to jump-start your day, but a coffee maker is a worthy investment when you realize how much this seemingly innocent cost can add up. And if you simply can't go your separate ways from Starbucks, try out one of its cheaper drink options.
2. Start painting your own nails. Sure, sometimes a salon mani-pedi is just what you need to unwind and treat yourself, but those visits add up. A bottle of nail polish can cost anywhere from $4 to $15 and will last you years, whereas a pedicure can cost as much as $20. The math says it all.
3. Cook your own dinner most nights. You don't have to be a whiz in the kitchen to prepare an enjoyable meal. There are plenty of simple dinner recipes out there that are easy on the wallet. Bonus points if you cook enough to give you leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day!
4. Speaking of lunch, make your own every day. This one's a no-brainer, but the temptation of a fancy $10 salad often cancels it out. Sticking to this tip throughout the year will save you major bucks.
5. Discontinue your cable subscription. Unless you're really utilizing your cable every day, it may be time to consider a more affordable online-streaming option like Netflix or Hulu.
6. Stow away a dollar a day. Invest in an adult-approved piggy bank and stash away a dollar (or your loose change at the very least, if you can't stand to part with your precious Washingtons every day). At the end of the month, you'll have around $30!
7. Buy a reusable water bottle and actually use it. Investing in a high-quality water bottle will save both the environment and your budget. The cost of those plastic water bottles adds up, and Mother Earth will give you a pat on the back for this one.
8. Sip on some drinks at home before hitting the bars. College students had the right idea with their beer-chugging "pregames." Enjoying a few drinks at home ensures that you won't fall victim to buying one too many overpriced drinks once you get to the bar or club.
9. Always remember to turn off your lights and air conditioning. Those little expenses can add up to a whopping utilities bill at the end of the month. Get in the habit of hitting the light switch every time you leave a room in your house or apartment.
10. Consider selling your random knickknacks. Though this is technically a money-making tip, the end result is still having more cash in your wallet. Set up an eBay account and finally get rid of that random dog figurine that's gathering dust in the back of your closet.
11. Seek out discounts. Whether you become a coupon champ at the supermarket or start taking advantage of sites with heavily discounted clothes, it's best to think twice before paying full price for something. Examine all your options before swiping your card.
12. Make a shopping list before stepping foot in a store - and don't stray from it. Precisely planning out your meals, down to the exact ingredients you need each week, is crucial for saving some green. Venture down the aisles with a written checklist of items in hand rather than aimlessly browsing your options. The same goes for when you hit the mall for clothes.
13. Speaking of groceries, try to only buy versatile staples. OK, that random exotic vegetable may look cool, but is it really worth $5? Stick to those adaptable and affordable essentials like eggs, canned beans, and pasta.
14. Roll up your sleeves and become a DIY pro. When it comes to DIY projects, the options are endless. You can make your own cleaning products, holiday gifts, and decorations. Before throwing away things like old jeans or books, consider how you can upcycle them.
15. Think twice about your transportation options. This is mostly dependent on where you live. If you reside in a car-reliant city like Los Angeles, consider carpooling to split the cost of gas. In a bustling city like New York, try walking or taking the bus or subway instead of an overpriced cab. And if you're traveling somewhere like the airport, opting for UberPool instead of UberX is always the way to go.
16. Quit smoking. This one's pretty self-explanatory. Your wallet (and your lungs) will thank you.
17. Go for the generic brands at the store. With goods like toothpaste and soap, the generic brand is usually just about the same as the more expensive, well-known brands. We all have that one brand we're loyal to, but is it really worth it to pay an extra $3 for body wash if the off-brand version is just as effective at getting the job done?
18. Take an inventory of your monthly subscriptions and cancel the ones you don't need. Unless you're really reading every single page of that one magazine or constantly listening to music from that one streaming service, it may be time to nix that monthly cost.
19. Buy your home staples in bulk. Purchasing toilet paper, laundry detergent, and paper towels - aka those pesky items we hate lugging home from the grocery store - in bulk will always pay off in the long run.
20. Suggest free activities when hanging out with friends. Those happy hours and dinner dates add up over time. Instead, research fun and free activities like doing outdoor yoga, checking out a museum with free admission, or watching the sunset.
21. Take five before making impulse buys. Ask yourself, "Is this something I want or something I really need?" Your response should reveal if it's a worthy purchase or not, so try your best to answer honestly. And if anything, reach out to your mom or a trusty friend who will give their honest opinion about whether it's something you should really spend money on.
11 Ways to Have the Prettiest Porch on the Block This Fall
This year, instead of gazing enviously at your neighbor's decked-out porch, make your own home something to be admired. With Fall's rich color palette and focus on striking natural elements, it only takes a few pieces of decor to make your entrance a head turner. We've rounded up the most beautiful front porches from around the web to get you started.
11 Expert Tips For Finding the Best Hidden Thrift Store Gems
Gone are the days of associating thrift stores with weathered paperbacks, old tees, and cheap jewelry. Now, if you go in with enough patience and persistence, chances are you'll leave with a lot more value than what you forked over at the register.
After years of endlessly strolling down the aisles of these secondhand shops in search of hidden treasure, I have come to two conclusions. One: there are few things in this world that can compete with the thrill of the hunt. It is just that exhilarating!
And two: just as with flea markets and Craigslist, there is an art to the game of thrift shopping. While it might seem impossible to find a valuable needle in a haystack of junk, trust me, it can be done, and I'm here to reveal all my secrets to you.
Ahead are 11 tips for scoring the best deals and finding the best gems.
This Mom Just Hilariously Summed Up Parents on the First Day of Kindergarten
The first day of kindergarten is a big step for both kids and their parents - but maybe more so for the latter. In a hilarious video posted to Facebook, Susannah B. Lewis runs through some of the thoughts moms have on their child's first day of kindergarten, but she doesn't stop there. After a full minute of crying about her son not being ready because "he's only 5" and his teacher doesn't know he needs "14 kisses every 45 seconds," she spends the last 15 seconds of the video demonstrating what a mom looks like on the first day of every other grade, which only makes the whole thing even more hysterical.
9 Street Style Trends You'll Wear For the Rest of 2017
Every season, we can count on street style stars to inspire the way we style the latest trends. One look at their outfits, and we're convinced that white boots are worth investing in and that a corset is wearable IRL. We spotted these pieces on trendsetters across major cities like NYC and Paris, and as Fashion Month comes to a close, we're left with a shopping list longer than we ever anticipated. Since it's difficult to keep track of every amazing street style outfit you see, we've managed to boil the looks down to nine repeated trends. These are the ones you will be wearing for the rest of the year. And if you're eager to get ahead on Fall '17, here are the eight major trends from the runways.
A Killer 30-Minute Treadmill Workout That Will Whip You Into Shape
wellWhen you're in need of a quick cardio session, the first thing you probably do is lace up your running shoes. While getting on a treadmill is a great way to get your heart rate up, it's best to go in with a plan so you don't end up aimlessly jogging. This fat-blasting workout will ward off boredom, improve your endurance, and boost your cardiovascular health. And it only takes 30 minutes.
I did this exact workout a couple of weeks ago with Michael Olzinski, MSc, Purplepatch endurance coach and Equinox run coach, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was one of the toughest treadmill workouts I've ever done (by the end, I'm pretty sure I was hurling profanities at Mike). I'm not an advanced runner by any means - the only race I've ever done was a 5K - so if I can get through this workout, anybody can.
"This is an incredibly efficient and varied workout for all levels of athletes, from someone just looking for a structured way to start integrating running into their routine to a trained professional who needs to pack in some efficient extra miles," Mike told POPSUGAR. It originally hails from David Siik of Equinox, but Mike has tweaked and modified it to suit any fitness level.
"The real beauty of a great running session is that you spend the majority of the time warming up, preparing, and building your effort so that you finish running your absolute best and in your best form," Mike said. "The typical runner will generally just hop on a treadmill and crank up the speed until they are out of breath or can't do much more. Then they'll stop and try it again. That is a very mediocre and monotonous way to train, and it doesn't leave much area for improvement."
Follow the outline of this well-designed session, though, and you won't make that mistake.
The Workout
"There are three main speeds you will need to know," Mike explained. Figure out these numbers for yourself and you won't have to do much thinking throughout the workout. Mike recommends you start on the low end of what you think you can do. You can always adjust if you need to.
- Hard effort: "This is a speed that you could not hold for very long, and that would push you towards very labored breathing. However, it is not a sprint. Remember: this is training, not a race (on a treadmill, maybe this is an 8.0 mph run)."
- Moderate effort: "Very simple. This will start out a full 1.0 mph below your hard effort."
- Easy effort: "This will start out as 1.0 mph below your moderate effort."
When you have those figured out, here is how the workout will actually go. First you'll go through a dynamic warmup, and Mike strongly advises you don't gloss over this part. "Do not skip or be lazy on your warmups. This is a very important part of the session, and your chance to improve the way you run if you do this frequently enough," he told POPSUGAR.
Then you'll go into the main set, which starts with incline work for nine minutes. After that, take a two-minute recovery. Try to stay at a jogging pace, but if you're feeling really winded, you can walk it out.
The second part of the main set is speed work, all done on a fairly flat surface (Mike suggested a 1.5 percent incline). This is where you really push your limits and see how fast you can go. You'll have to do a little math here, as you'll be adding a touch of effort onto every one of your speeds. For example, if the speed says "Easy + 0.3 mph" and your easy speed is normally 5.0, then your new speed will be 5.3.
Try to have fun with it!
| Time | Speed | Incline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00-5:00 | Jog or walk | 1.0 | Start at a comfortable pace, just to get the blood flowing |
| 5:00-10:00 | Jog or walk | 1.0 | Dynamic running drills, like high knees, butt kicks, fast feet, or jumping jacks |
| 10:00-11:00 | Easy | 3.0 | Increase incline |
| 11:00-12:00 | Moderate | 3.0 | |
| 12:00-13:00 | Hard | 3.0 | |
| 13:00-14:00 | Easy | 4.0 | Increase incline |
| 14:00-15:00 | Moderate | 4.0 | |
| 15:00-16:00 | Hard | 4.0 | |
| 16:00-17:00 | Easy | 5.0 | Increase incline |
| 17:00-18:00 | Moderate | 5.0 | |
| 18:00-19:00 | Hard |
5.0 | |
| 19:00-21:00 | Jog or walk | 1.0 | Recover |
| 21:00-22:00 | Easy + 0.3 mph | 1.5 | Incline stays the same from here to the end |
| 22:00-23:00 | Moderate + 0.3 mph | 1.5 | |
| 23:00-24:00 | Hard + 0.3 mph | 1.5 | |
| 24:00-25:00 | Easy + 0.6 mph | 1.5 | Increase your speed |
| 25:00-26:00 | Moderate + 0.6 mph | 1.5 | |
| 26:00-27:00 | Hard + 0.6 mph | 1.5 | |
| 27:00-28:00 | Easy + 1.0 mph | 1.5 | Increase your speed for the last time |
| 28:00-29:00 | Moderate + 1.0 mph | 1.5 | |
| 29:00-30:00 | Hard + 1.0 mph | 1.5 |
And that's it; you're done! You should be pretty spent after this workout. If you're not, you should probably tack on some more speed next time. I was drenched in sweat when I got done with this session, but later that evening I felt like a million bucks.
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