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.
samedi 6 avril 2019
You Won't Be Able to Stop Staring at This Couple's Stunning Cannabis-Themed Wedding
If you're an avid marijuana smoker, April 20 (or 4/20) probably sounds like the perfect date to have a wedding - or, more specifically, a cannabis-themed wedding! And that's exactly what this couple did for their big day, which celebrated the legalization of marijuana in Canada. This styled shoot took place at The Village Well, which is an Irish pub in Cambridge, Ontario, and is the perfect backdrop for their unique theme.
The wedding included so many thoughtful details, including gorgeous hand-painted invitations that featured the vibrant green marijuana leaf, green marijuana leaves decorating the gorgeous three-tier cake, and a large green sign that spelled out "LOVE," along with other greenery in the decor. There were an array of sweet treats like macarons, sugar cookies, eclairs, and brownies that all incorporated green frosting or decorations. And there were even green-colored beverages in elegant wine glasses and coasters that read "Green is the new black."
Overall, this themed wedding masterfully celebrates love and unity with the legalization of marijuana, all themes that go together perfectly! If you want some inspiration for your own day or just want to swoon over a gorgeous wedding, keep reading to see more of these stunning marijuana-themed details.
Don't Tell on Us: These are The Beauty Products We Stole From Our Siblings Growing Up
Let's be honest: as a child, you probably snuck into your sibling's room, snooped through their stuff, and occasionally took things from them - just to have them yell at you later (sorry, Ethan). While it might be a long time since you've shared a wall with them, we bet you (and your sibling) remember the things you stole, especially the beauty products.
Whether your older sister has a job at Victoria's Secret and got a discount to buy Love Spell, or your little brother actually had the zit cream you needed, you might have found your holy grail product in a slightly devious way.
Ahead you'll find the items POPSUGAR staffers swiped from their siblings because they were just that good. Don't tell Mom.
These Brides Had Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and a Gorgeous Tattoo
Tattoos are works of art, so why not show them off on your wedding day? This personal accessory can seamlessly tie up your bridal look - plus, it's totally and uniquely "you." There are so many different types of tattoos, from intricate and tiny tattoos to large, colorful ones and even matching tattoos you can get with your spouse-to-be, that the only question is: how will you show it off?
If you are looking for some ink-spiration, then take a peek at all of these beautiful brides and the ways they incorporated their tattoos into their wedding-day look.
These 6 Tattoo Trends Will Be Everywhere This Spring
Just like hair, makeup, and even fashion, tattoo trends change throughout the years. While the '90s were all about tribal and barbed-wire inks, the 2000s brought on waves of lower back tattoos and nautical-inspired stars. Now with Instagram becoming an essential portfolio tool for artists to share their work, innovation is at an all-time high and many new tattoo styles are becoming popularized.
In 2019, there have been a bevy of styles you're probably already seeing everywhere. Watercolor tattoos, realistic, and pop culture-inspired tattoos are trending and more artists are drawing inspiration from more traditional art forms and movements.
We've interviewed some of the country's best tattoo artists to get the lowdown on what's new and big in the land of ink. Check the trends out ahead.
What Beauty Means In the World of Professional Women's Tennis
One might think that beauty rituals take a back seat when it comes to professional sports. For five tennis players in the Women's Tennis Association, that isn't the case. Makeup, skin care, and hair care still play a big role in their day-to-day - with some aspects putting them in the headspace to play their best match.
This year, as the players of the Women's Tennis Association team up with MoroccanOil for their best match-day hair, we've gotten an inside look on their beauty routines. Read on to learn more about what role beauty plays in the lives of four players, including what they do to decompress on the evening before a match, the hairstyles they'll never wear on game-day, their all-time favorite skin care products, and more.
These Drugstore Self-Tanners Will Give You a Million Dollar Glow
While some people might want to appear bronzed all year long, it's vital you don't sunbathe. According to dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD, exposure to UVA and UVB rays could have a bevy of undesirable side effects.
"Sunscreen should always be worn to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots, and other pigment irregularities, but most importantly, to help prevent skin cancer," she said. To ensure you don't risk ruining your skin and still get to look like a bronzed goddess, invest in some good self-tanner. You're in luck, too, because the drugstore has a multitude of sprays, wipes, mousses, and gels that will make you look like you've been vacationing in Mexico for two weeks, minus the sun damage.
Just make sure you exfoliate and shave the day before you plan to apply your product to ensure your self-tanner doesn't look splotchy, and purchase a mitt so that you can protect the palms of your hands. Another way to ensure you only get tanner where you would naturally get a tan is by applying a small amount of lotion on your feet, ankles, knees, elbows, and hands.
Ahead, you'll find 15 affordable options that are sure to give you the sun-kissed glow of your dreams.
Going to Coachella? Here’s How to Protect Your Skin, According to Dermatologists
If you're headed to Coachella, Burning Man, Firefly, or any of the upcoming music extravaganzas, you might already have your beauty looks lined up (we do too!), but have you considered what festivals can do to your skin?
You don't want to neglect your skin care, as the locations of this year's celebrations - like California's Colorado Desert and the heart of Black Rock Desert - will likely bring you somewhere dry during the hottest months of the year. That means you'll be exposed to air that zaps the moisture from your skin, debris, and the highest UV levels.
Even if your face is covered in glitter or swipes of iridescent makeup, you still need to protect it, so we've enlisted the help of dermatologists Kavita Mariwalla, MD, and Melanie Palm, MD, for tips on how to do exactly that.
Jennifer Lopez Is Making Us Reconsider This '60s Hairstyle
Jennifer Lopez is no stranger to experimenting with dramatic hair looks. The triple threat is often seen on the red carpet with massive ponytails, voluminous styles, and glamorous old-Hollywood waves. Her latest style, though, is one fans probably didn't see coming. Lopez's hairstylist Chris Appleton posted a photo of the bronzed goddess in your grandma's go-to '60s hairstyle, the beehive.
While your grandma didn't quite pull it off as well as Lopez (sorry Abuelita), the singer's three-tiered modern take on the look might make you wonder if it might come back into style. Check out the look above, and then see the rest of her best hair looks ahead.
The Summer Hair Color Trends You'll Want to Start Wearing Now
Only a handful of people can actually swing the lavish Hamptons lifestyle, where your hair looks kissed by the sun only because it takes you 20 minutes to paddle from your pool float to the swim-up bar. (Yes, this group also rhymes with "one shmercent.") Still, that doesn't mean you can't get that same carefree color this Summer from a trip . . . it's just to the salon.
"People are going bolder for Summer, but that doesn't necessarily mean more maintenance."
In fact, the upcoming season's biggest hair trends are taking inspiration from the elements - think: white sand beaches, seashells, the sunrise and sunset - to recreate a laid-back look that screams "I don't have a care in the world other than what I'm wearing to Surf Lodge tonight," even if you're stuck in your apartment hundreds of miles away.
"People are going bolder for Summer, but that doesn't necessarily mean more maintenance," said Stephanie Brown, colorist at IGK Salon in NYC. "Highlights will be lighter and brighter, but since most of these looks are rooted - meaning the color starts further away from the roots - you don't have to get it done as often." Sounds breezy, no?
Ahead, Brown is breaking down the coolest hair colors to try before the warm weather hits. It's no beachfront vacation, but spending a fraction of what it'd cost to split an exorbitantly-priced house with 10 of your friends can feel like its own kind of paradise.
The Secret to Meghan Markle's Wedding Glow Wasn't Actually the Makeup
There are plenty of tricks Meghan Markle uses to maintain her ever-glowing complexion and minimalist makeup look. From subtly overlining her lips to playing with slight makeup changes, she's the queen duchess of a sophisticated royal glow. Her wedding day makeup was the epitome of radiance, with makeup that lasted through the entire day of celebration without looking caked on, while allowing her freckles to show but still providing just enough coverage.
This is all thanks to her trusty makeup artist Daniel Martin - or so we thought. He recently revealed to Stylist that he actually attributes most of Markle's glow that day to facialist Sarah Chapman, who worked with Markle to ensure her skin was in tip-top condition for the big day.
Martin said, "Meg actually saw Sarah Chapman the day before, so she had this incredible facial. A lot of my work is actually dependent on the esthetician," he continued, "I didn't have time to see her, so knowing she would be in good hands and have her skin taken care of meant my work was pretty much done." So there you have it from the man himself, look after your skin and your makeup will enhance it for an effortless-looking G L O W.
12 Products You'll Need to Survive Coachella (and Look Good Doing It)
Much like Clark Kent and pretty much every husband on Who the Bleep Did I Marry?, the music festival Coachella leads two separate lives: the casual daytime concert and the boisterous nighttime party. Both are brimming with opportunities for dancing, sweating, and front-of-Ferris-wheel-picture-taking, and if you're headed to Palm Springs for the occasion, you'll want to come equipped with everything you need for any and all of them.
"You can do whatever you want at Coachella - rhinestones, glitter, face paint, anything," said Nam Vo, makeup artist and spokesperson for NYX Professional Makeup (the official sponsor of the festival). "You might go during the day, and you want something natural and glowy, but then you do glitter eyes or turn it up for the evening when the music really starts," Vo said. "Coachella is a free-for-all in terms of expression. I also think at the end of the day, as creative as people want to get, you also want it to be flattering."
To help guide you through your packing list, we asked Vo to share the desert island essentials she'll be bringing this year - and we can guarantee it won't just be the performers stealing the show.
This Is the Most Effective Way to Ease the Pain of Period Cramps, According to Doctors
Many women's periods are accompanied by painful cramps that range from mild to moderate to severe. Luckily there are plenty of over-the-counter pain relievers on the shelf of every supermarket and drugstore, all of which promise to treat everything from fevers to backaches to period cramps. But while it's tempting to grab the first one you spot, doctors say not all OTC pain relievers are created equal when it comes to easing that miserable menstrual pain.
First, let's back up a minute to discuss the cause of period cramps. "The endometrium (tissue that lines the uterus) produces chemicals known as prostaglandins," Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG, a board-certified ob-gyn, told POPSUGAR. "These substances cause the uterine muscle to contract and expel the uterine lining each month during menstruation, [which causes] the cramps that women feel." Additionally, these prostaglandins can cause the stomach upset associated with menses. (Aren't periods fun?)
Because this is the cause, the consensus among doctors is that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) are the most effective way to combat period cramps. "NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, are helpful during this time because ibuprofen is what we call a nonselective inhibitor of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX)," explained ob-gyn Natasha Chinn, MD, FACOG. In layman's terms, this means that it blocks the enzyme COX, which is needed to form prostaglandins. "Therefore, blocking COX decreases the levels of prostaglandins in the body," Dr. Chinn said.
Dr. Gaither agreed, noting that NSAIDs act to block the production of these prostaglandins and effectively decrease the pain of uterine contractions. So did William F. Lee, MD, FACOG, who told POPSUGAR that NSAIDs are the first line treatment for dysmenorrhea, and while "there are a few different types of NSAIDS, all have been shown to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis."
So there you have it - when it's time to take an OTC pain reliever for your period cramps, make sure it's an NSAID. There are plenty to choose from: the brands to look for on the shelf include aspirin, Motrin, Advil, and Aleve.
If You Don't Feel Rested After a Full 8 Hours, You Need to Read This Important Warning
When the topic of sleep comes up in conversation, it's frequently because we're commiserating with friends or colleagues about how tired we feel after not getting near enough. In a world where a lot of people are really damn exhausted, the idea of getting too much sleep is laughable. But as it turns out, the phrase "too much of a good thing" applies here, too. According to doctors, sleeping too much can be a sign of an underlying medical condition and, if it's not addressed, it can potentially be harmful to your health in the long-term.
Every person's body is different and the amount of sleep we need varies - but doctors agree that healthy adults require between seven and eight hours per night. "Most people need seven hours of sleep to feel refreshed and alert the following day," James A. Rowley, MD, chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at DMC's Detroit Receiving Hospital, told POPSUGAR. "A minimum of seven hours is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine."
Timothy P. Wong, DO, who specializes in sleep medicine at Loma Linda University Health Sleep Disorder Center, agreed. He said that, if a patient needs more than eight hours of sleep per night, it's time to explore the possibility that an underlying health condition is interfering with their sleep. "A common example is sleep apnea," Dr. Wong explained. Individuals with sleep apnea may not be getting restful sleep, which means they'll need to spend more hours in bed in order to wake up feeling refreshed.
Related: 6 Habits Experts Swear by For More Restful Nights and Happier Mornings
Sanam Hafeez, PhD, a New York City-based neuropsychologist and faculty member at Columbia University, told POPSUGAR that sleeping too much can also be a sign of a mental health condition such as depression. "People with depression are more likely to experience fatigue, and people with chronic fatigue are more likely to become depressed, creating a cycle that can be hard to break," she explained. It's also worth noting that many individuals who have anxiety and depression are on medications that can cause drowsiness - so if you're taking an anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication and sleeping more than the average adult, it's worth talking with your doctor about the pros and cons of possibly changing your medication.
Experiencing fatigue despite getting at least eight hours of sleep per night can also be a symptom of chronic illnesses including fibromyalgia, lupus, myalgic encephalomyelitis (more commonly referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome), and Hashimoto's disease. "If a person thinks they are sleeping too much and feels sleepy and fatigued during the day, they should discuss with their primary care physician or consider a consultation with a sleep physician," Dr. Rowley said.
Whether sleeping too much is the result of sleep apnea, a chronic physical illness, or depression, it's often a sign that something is wrong - and, although the idea of sleeping 10 to 12 hours per night may sound like a dream to some people, Dr. Rowley told POPSUGAR that there's evidence that long sleep times (generally more than nine hours per night) are associated with increased co-morbidities such as heart disease and mortality.
There's no need to immediately panic if you sleep too much - but it does mean it's time to make an appointment with a medical provider who can help you determine the cause and possible solutions.
I Cancelled My Gym Membership and Bought These 7 Products on Amazon Instead
If you would have told me five years ago I'd become an avid workout person, I would have laughed in your face. Exercising never interested me until the last couple years, sadly because I'm approaching my 30s and just wanted to become healthier. First, I did what most people probably do and signed up for a gym. I didn't mind it but I found it just too time-consuming. Packing my bag, walking there, getting home - I just didn't have the patience for it.
Eventually, I found my stride with boot camp and boxing classes. They held my interest and forced me to do what I once hated - I needed that. But at $35 a class, it was a luxury. I decided to start using the exercises I learned in class at home and for that I turned to Amazon. From purchasing weights I know I like to a handy workout mat, my sessions quickly came together. Now I exercise at home 3-4 days a week. The fact that it saves me money makes it easy to splurge once or twice a week on one of my favorite classes.
If you're inspired to try the same, keep scrolling to see all the products that helped me master my routine.
We Compared 6 Bestselling Zella Leggings, So You Can Shop With Confidence
We consider ourselves something of experts when it comes to great workout leggings, and Zella is undoubtedly one of our favorite brands. We, and clearly every Nordstrom shopper, are partial to the Live In High-Waisted Leggings, but there are plenty of other styles that are equally as awesome. If you're in the market for a new pair of leggings, we've broken down the differences between six pairs of Zella leggings, so you know what you're buying.
As Someone Who Lives Their Life in Leggings, I Might Have Found My Favorite Pair
As an avid fitness enthusiast, former athlete, and lover of comfortable clothes, I've spent my fair share of time in leggings. I joke that the day my mother approved leggings over jeans as appropriate airplane attire was the day my world forever changed. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to leggings, and after a rigorous screening process, I can confidently profess my undying love for the Outdoor Voices 7/8 Springs Leggings ($85).
Why are these leggings "the one?" Well, for one thing, they're so cute. I mean, have you seen them? The three-way colorblocked pattern is surprisingly flattering, and adds the right pop to a workout look; it's eye-catching without being an eyesore. Plus, they're neutral enough that they pair seamlessly with most of my workout tops, which is a serious perk. Secondly, they feel great. These leggings are made from Outdoor Voices' signature textured compression fabric, which is tight without being restricting. So basically, these leggings hold you in and make your butt look amazing. They're also a great option for traveling, and will keep your blood circulating even on long flights. This also means that they, very conveniently, will not ride down. They stay put.
"I've done laundry just so that I can wear these leggings. They're that vital to my wardrobe."
Last, but certainly not least, they were made for almost any activity. I can wear these to yoga, Pilates, barre, on a hike, or to the grocery store. They're thicker, so I wouldn't wear them for super sweaty activity, but I've worn them to spin class before, and they've held their own. To be frank, I've done laundry just so that I can wear these leggings. They're that vital to my wardrobe.
If you're thinking of investing in a pair of these classic leggings, you've got the go-ahead from me. Sizing wise, I'd say they're pretty true, though if you're in between sizes or don't want them so tight, I'd suggest sizing up. I wear my true size in these and absolutely love them. The mid-rise is flattering and convenient, plus they have a roomy front waistband pocket that's perfect for stashing your phone, keys, or credit cards. Basically, the hardest part of your purchase will be picking a favorite color.
These Are Amazon's 5 Highest-Rated Workout Leggings, and They All Cost Under $50
Finding the perfect pair of leggings on a budget is no easy feat. That's why we turned to Amazon - the site features tons of great choices with thousands of helpful customer testimonials. To save you time and money, we hunted down the five best picks with the highest ratings, so all you have to do is find your match. Plus, they all come in under $50, so maybe you can get two. Keep scrolling to shop these bestselling choices.
These Are the $22 Workout Leggings (With Pockets) Amazon Customers Can't Stop Buying
Everything is always better with pockets, right? That's why I've been eager to get my hands on a pair of workout leggings with a pocket for my phone. It's not easy finding the right pair, though. I wanted to make sure they're comfy, sturdy, and actually hold stuff. On a recent shop venture on Amazon hunting down its bestselling leggings, I discovered these IUGA High Waist Yoga Pants with Pockets ($14-$22) and was blown away by the reviews.
The leggings currently boast over 1,300 rave reviews, and it's easy to see why. They feature a handy side pocket for your phone, making it easy to listen to your favorite tunes while on the go. What makes this pair stand out from others though is the quality. The compression material is thick and holds both you and your items in place. They're also made with moisture-wicking technology that helps keep you cool on even the sweatiest workouts and have a tummy control waistband for extra support.
So what are you waiting for? The leggings come in over 15 shades and even two-packs. Keep reading to shop a few of our favorites, and find your match.
Be Kind to Your Body and the World With These 12 Eco-Friendly Activewear Brands
Sustainability might not be the first thing on your mind when you're browsing for a new pair of leggings or a sports bra, but as these 12 brands prove, there's no reason why your fitness gear can't be functional, cute, and good for the planet at the same time. And with Earth Day right around the corner, now is the perfect time to give your gym wardrobe an earth-friendly refresh with clothes made from certified organic, recycled, and sustainable materials. Ahead, peruse some of our favorite green (no, not the color) fitness gear options to find something that feels good on your body and does good for the planet.
Thinking of Trying Keto? First, Read What These 3 Registered Dietitians Have to Say
The ketogenic diet, aka keto, is still going strong in the weight-loss world. The super-low-carb diet restricts sugars and carbohydrates, forcing your liver to burn fats and create compounds called ketones to use for energy instead. Burning fat instead of carbs - sounds great, right?
Social media thinks so, too: check the #weightlosstransformation tag on Instagram and you'll find dozens of impressive side-by-side comparisons from users who credit keto for their rapid and dramatic weight loss. There's no question that keto works for losing weight, but it also generates strong, conflicting opinions from healthcare professionals, especially when it comes to how sustainable the diet really is. POPSUGAR checked in with three registered dietitians to get the bottom line on the controversial diet.
Why RDs Typically Don't Recommend Keto
"I feel pretty strongly that keto is not a good idea," said Audra Wilson, RD, LD, bariatric dietitian at the Northwestern Medicine Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center at Delnor Hospital. The issue, she said, is that it's just not sustainable. "People miss carbs," she said simply. And in her experience, it's not even cravings for cake or bread that do it: more like fruit or dairy. Missing that normalcy of having every food group in your diet makes it a hard plan to keep up, Wilson told POPSUGAR, and can make you feel miserable even if you do succeed.
With keto in particular, sustainability is a big issue because of what happens if you go off of the diet. "I see a lot of patients who have tried the keto diet, and many have had success with it," Wilson said. "But nearly all of those people have also gained all of that weight back." That's because of what happens when you start eating carbs again. Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, of the Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute, explained that once you reintroduce carbs, no matter the amount or the source, your body will kick out of ketosis and start using its preferred fuel: glucose and glycogen stores, which come from carbs.
Staying in ketosis will help you avoid that weight gain, but that comes with its own challenges. "Keto is an all-or-nothing diet," said Michele Fumagalli, RD, LDN, of the Northwestern Running Medicine Clinic. "You have to make it your lifestyle," she said, and with all of the restrictions, "it's a very hard diet to make a lifestyle."
The post-keto weight gain is mental as well. Kirkpatrick explained that she's seen many patients go into keto with the idea that "they can eat whatever they want, as long as it has no carbs." That no-holds-barred mindset doesn't just switch off when you decide to go off of keto, and Kirkpatrick said it's one of the reasons why it's so easy to gain back the weight you lost through keto.
Medical Reasons to Avoid Keto
Weight loss aside, Kirkpatrick and Fumagalli said there are some medical conditions that might preclude people from trying out the keto diet. Kirkpatrick said she wouldn't recommend it for type 1 and some type 2 diabetes patients, pregnant women, or people who have struggled with eating disorders. "This has a lot to do with the elimination of carbohydrates," she explained, and its effects on your mental and physical health.
Fumagalli added that keto might not be a good idea if you have heart problems or if you've had your gallbladder removed, since it helps to digest fat. "In general, if you take out an entire map of nutrients, it's not a good thing," she said.
So, When Do RDs Recommend Keto?
Keto can be used as a form of treatment for some medical conditions, though most of those treatments haven't been backed up by evidence yet. One that has? Epilepsy, according to Fumagalli, and specifically pediatric epilepsy. Epileptic seizures take place in the brain, and removing glucose, which is what the brain functions best on, can reduce or even get rid of the seizures altogether.
Keto can also be used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, although Fumagalli pointed out that "it's not a common practice yet, by any means." People with diabetes can't process carbs, she explained. Removing them and relying on ketones instead, Steve Phinney, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Virta Health explained in a previous interview, diabetics "can lower their blood sugar and insulin levels, and in the majority of cases reverse the disease's underlying pathology." Dr. Phinney added that it's crucial to consult with your doctor before starting keto as a form of diabetes treatment.
So, what about weight loss? All three RDs agreed that keto does produce fast weight loss, though at the beginning, much of that comes from losing fluids, Fumagalli noted. Doctors may recommend a patient go into ketosis before a weight-loss surgery because "they need a large amount of weight loss in a small amount of time," she said. Kirkpatrick said that she might recommend the keto diet as a first approach to people who struggle with binge eating, depending on the severity of the behavior, because of the feeling of fullness that comes with the high-fat diet.
If you're considering keto, getting a doctor's or dietitian's opinion is a key first step to seeing if it's the right diet for you. And if weight loss is your goal, keep in mind that as inspirational as those social media transformations might be, the diet behind them is difficult to maintain and, over time, might not be as sustainable as you'd like.
8 Low-Carb Tortillas That Will Forever Change the Way You Meal Prep
Here's the thing: we love to eat healthy, and we also love bread. We don't believe those two concepts should be independent of one another, but if you're trying to eat low-carb, bread is usually one of the first things to go. Well, not anymore. These eight tortillas are all under 10 grams of net carbs; they'll give you the most delicious wraps, quesadillas, and so much more. As an added bonus, all of these picks are on Amazon. Happy snacking!
A Fat-Loss Coach Shares This Supersimple 3-Step Fat-Loss Plan to Help You Reach Your Goals
Not sure where to get started with losing weight? Fat-loss coach Carter Good (@cartergood on Instagram) shared this simple fat-loss plan in a recent Instagram post. He said not to stress about how many carbs to eat, how many meals per day, if you should eat fruit, or whether bread is good or bad. Just focus on these three steps:
Step 1: Find Your Calorie Deficit Target
Carter said that no matter what diet you choose, whether it's vegan, keto, or Paleo, "The ONLY WAY you'll lose weight is through consistently being in a calorie deficit. For a ballpark daily calorie amount, he suggested multiplying your goal weight in pounds by 10 or 11. So if your goal is to be 150 pounds, you'd aim for 1,500 calories (if you're sedentary) or 1,650 calories (if you're somewhat active).
He noted that "if you have over 70 lbs to lose, or you're already light, these calories might feel a bit low. If this is you, don't be afraid to start with a higher calorie goal." His method is a good place to start, but you can use this formula to get a more accurate number. This too is just a guideline, so in order to determine your exact calorie needs, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian. If you're not losing weight after a few weeks, and you're accurately tracking your calories, adjust your calorie intake.
Related: I Was Shocked How Little Protein I Was Eating! This Is What Happened When I Ate More
Step 2: Find Your Protein Target
Protein is a key macronutrient to satiate your hunger and help you build and maintain calorie-burning muscle. Aim for 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight. If your goal weight is 150 pounds, get between 105 and 150 grams of protein a day. Carter noted that if you are vegan or vegetarian, it may be easier to decrease that target number.
Step 3: Make Whole Foods the Focus
Carter said, "If roughly 80 percent of your diet is coming from nutritious foods, then it's absolutely-positively okay to have 'fun' foods for the other 20 percent." Make sure your diet is made up of healthy foods including lean protein, veggies, healthy fats and carbs, but also allow yourself some treat foods to satisfy your cravings and keep you on track.
Related: If You're Struggling to Find a Diet That Helps You Lose Weight, Follow This Simple 4-Part Plan
There's your simple plan. You can decide how you want to implement it, based on the foods you like and how many times you like to eat a day.
Put Your Sneakers On - We're Going For a Run With This Year's Hottest Songs
Who doesn't love changing up their workout playlists from time to time? The start of a new year is a great time to do that, but you have to keep it fresh in the months that follow, too! This year, we've already gotten some incredible new workout music to help you power through your next run. We've compiled our favorite 2019 releases so far - as well as some from late 2018 - to create the ultimate running playlist. Cue up these songs the next time you hit the treadmill or suit up and head outside, and be sure to check back throughout the year to see what else makes the cut.
Remember: you'll need to download the free Spotify software or app to listen.
I Tried RightRice, the Lower-Carb, Higher-Protein Rice, and Here's What I Thought
The low-carb train isn't coming to a halt anytime soon, and so many companies are trying to make lower-carb alternatives to satisfy their customers' carb-loving needs. And while cauliflower rice has been a great rice alternative, if you're bored of it and wish it offered more protein, you'll want to check out RightRice. It's made out of lentil flour, chickpea flour, and pea fiber, but it's shaped like little rice grains.
How Does It Compare to Rice Nutritionally?
A one-third cup serving of dry RightRice is 180 calories and has 30 grams of carbs, five grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein. The same one-third cup serving of uncooked long-grain brown rice has 224 calories, 46.5 grams of carbs, 2.2 grams of fiber, and 4.6 grams of protein.
Not only does RightRice have fewer calories and carbs, it has more than twice the amount of fiber and protein, so it will leave you feeling more satiated after a meal. You'll also get 15 percent of your daily iron (thank you beans!) and 12 percent of your daily potassium.
How Long Does It Take to Cook?
When cooking regular rice, depending on the kind you choose, it can take 30 to 45 minutes, but this RightRice only takes 12 minutes! Just add the contents of the bag to a pan with 1 1/3 cups of water, bring it to a boil, cover it, turn off the heat, and in 12 minutes, your RightRice is done! It's so much quicker than regular rice, so that was a huge plus!
How Does It Taste?
I cooked up the Original flavor, and my initial reaction when I fluffed the cooked rice with a fork was that it looked like rice, but it had a very strong, beany smell. I was pleasantly surprised that after trying my first spoonful that it tasted nothing like it smelled. It had a very mild rice flavor, but tasted like it had been cooked in light veggie broth. I liked it!
The texture was soft and sticky, but more like orzo pasta than, say, short-grain brown rice. RightRice offers three other flavors besides Original: Lemon Pepper, Garlic Herb, and Spanish.
Would I Eat It Again?
Honestly, I love good ol' rice. I don't have a problem with the carb count, and I love that it's just one ingredient. This RightRice Original flavor is made with five ingredients, so it's more processed than real rice. As a plant-based eater, I love lentils and chickpeas, so I'd be more inclined to just eat those.
But I also know that getting enough protein is tough when you're eating plant-based, so in that respect, this rice would make a great addition if I was going to make curry with rice or tofu fried rice. I think mixing this rice with half regular rice would be amazing! I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors.
Basketball Coach Muffet McGraw Silenced the Room When She Called Out Inequality in Sports
Muffet McGraw has coached the Notre Dame women's basketball team for 32 seasons, been to nine Final Fours, and won the national championship twice, including last year. As this season comes to a close, she and her team are closing in on the title game once again. Safe to say she knows a thing or two about the world of college sports and is all too familiar with one rankling fact: according to the New York Times, only about 40 percent of women's collegiate teams are coached by women.
So in a press conference on Thursday, when a reporter asked about her recent avowal to only hire women to her coaching staff, Muffet didn't pull any punches.
"We don't have enough female role models," she said, in a response that went viral after being shared by the NCAA Women's Basketball Twitter account (@ncaawbb). "We don't have enough visible women leaders. We don't have enough women in power." She referenced statistics that many of us know, but are still startling to hear. "We had a record number of women running for office and winning," Muffet pointed out, but women still make up just 24 percent of Congress as a whole. When girls are growing up, Muffet asked, "Who are they looking up to that's telling them: that's not the way it has to be? And where better to do that than in sports?"
Girls who play sports learn to be strong and confident. They learn life skills, Muffet said. Wouldn't it be great, she asked, if we could give them the role models through sports to show them that they can be leaders, too?
That brought her back to collegiate basketball. "When you look at men's basketball and 99 percent of the jobs go to men, why shouldn't 99 or 100 percent of the jobs in women's basketball go to women?" Muffet said "Maybe it's because we only have 10 percent women athletic directors in Division I."
Muffet finished by putting her finger on the pulse of the issue, one that extends far beyond collegiate coaching. "People hire people who look like them," she said. "And that's the problem." Watch her impassioned, impromptu speech below.
Can Running Help You Get a Six-Pack? 2 Experts Explain How It Can - and Why It Might Not
There are a few things you can count on running for: a heart-pumping cardio workout, fat burn, a metabolism boost, and mental-health benefits, to name a few. Based on soreness after long or fast runs, it's safe to say your legs are getting a pretty good workout, too. When it comes to your abs and core, though, things are a little more complicated. Beyond its other benefits, can we consider running a good core workout?
Running Activates and Engages Your Core
"I do think that your core gets certain benefits from running," said Steven Mayer, MD, sports medicine specialist at the Northwestern Medicine Running Clinic. He explained that you "run from your core," using it to balance and stabilize yourself. The more you use and engage your core muscles, Dr. Mayer said, the stronger they'll get.
Ashley Kelly, an Olympic runner and NASM-certified personal trainer at Bach in New York, explained that you use your core muscles during certain running motions, as well as when you're absorbing impact and maintaining form during longer runs. Your abs are definitely in use and engaged during running, but as far as actively building them and making them stronger, Kelly said, running is not the most effective choice. In fact, she said, the relationship is actually inverse: "You need to first have a strong core to run strong, not the other way around."
Both Kelly and Dr. Mayer agreed that even though your abs and core are important for running, they won't get stronger just through running alone. "Running contributes to core fitness to at least a mild extent," Dr. Mayer told POPSUGAR. "But if you really want to strengthen your core, you have to focus on core exercises." Core engagement is more like a side effect of running, rather than the focus. And to build strong core muscles and abs, Kelly said, "It is vital to perform exercises that target those muscles specifically."
Can You Make Running a Better Core Workout?
Still, there are a few strategies you can use to get the most core engagement out of your run. "You have to focus on breathing," Kelly explained, inhaling deep into your diaphragm as opposed to taking short breaths from your chest. When you get fatigued, she added, try to brace your core, tightening it like you're preparing for a punch in the stomach. That keeps your core engaged even when you start feeling tired.
And if abs and a flat belly are your goals, running can still be a helpful tool. It can help you burn fat, Kelly and Dr. Mayer agreed, including around your midsection, which can make your abs more visible. (This is dependent on diet, too; overeating due to post-run hunger can actually make you gain weight.) And the relationship between running and core strength is still an important one. "A strong and stable core helps improve running mechanics and stability in your knees, ankle, and hips, which minimizes injuries," Kelly told POPSUGAR.
So no, your runs alone won't give you a six-pack, but they can definitely help reduce belly fat and make your abs pop. Core-specific exercises are still the golden ticket to stronger abs and can help you be a better runner, too. Start with this 10-minute ab workout for runners and see how much of a difference a strong core can make.
Biden’s Inappropriate Touching “Jokes” Remind Us Why Women Don’t Come Forward
Former Vice President Joe Biden gave his first public speech since two women came forward to claim he touched them inappropriately on April 5. Contrary to his video statement responding to - but not quite apologizing for - the allegations earlier this week, Biden's speech seemed to demonstrate how little he'd learned, and how lightly he was taking criticisms of his behavior.
"Biden sent a message to women: that we're absolutely right to fear being laughed at if we speak up."
As Biden got on stage to speak at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Conference in Washington, D.C., he embraced IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson, and immediately after, told the audience: "I just want you to know, I had permission to hug Lonnie." About midway through his remarks, he made another similar joke, when he put his arm around a child on stage, and quipped: "By the way, he gave me permission to touch him." The audience, which Buzzfeed News reporter Nidhi Prakash observed was "mostly male", responded to both jokes with enthusiastic laughter and applause.
Biden's choice to make light of testimonies from several women he made to feel uncomfortable through the years demonstrates why so many women never speak up about similar experiences. Fear of being told we're overreacting, as well as fear of being mocked if we speak out about the everyday gendered mistreatment we face, prevent countless women from coming forward and demanding better treatment. In making these jokes rather than taking criticisms of him seriously, as he had quite literally promised he would in his video statement earlier this week, Biden sent a message to women: that we're absolutely right to fear being laughed at if we speak up.
None of the women accusing Biden of inappropriate physical touching has accused him of sexual violence or assault. But ultimately, their hesitation to speak out seems to emerge from the same root that causes the vast majority of sexual assaults to go unreported: fear of disbelief; fear of public harassment about whether our experience - and recollection of our experience - is valid; fear of being the punchline of jokes.
As countless activists and writers have already pointed out, the allegations against Biden comprise stories of everyday indignities familiar to far too many women and girls, rather than rape and explicit physical violence. Women have recalled Biden invading their personal spaces to bump noses, or coming up from behind to rub their shoulders or smell their hair. The suggestion that these experiences fail to meet some arbitrary threshold of severity for the women to be "allowed" to come forward offers a master class in male privilege and misogyny. Women's feelings of safety and comfort matter - not just in life-or-death situations of physical violence, and not just when it's convenient or comfortable for powerful men to listen.
It seems the very cultural critics who have railed against #MeToo for "lacking nuance" seem just as poised to discredit stories like these - stories that are full of nuance and detail from women who are using clear language to describe their experiences and Biden's actions. Reductive, bad-faith interpretations of these stories as allegations of sexual violence are meant to dismiss them altogether, frame women who come forward as liars merely trying to destroy a famous man's career, and further demonize and stoke fearmongering around #MeToo. As a result, we're ultimately steered away from important conversations about the tremendous nuance in sexual harassment culture.
On Friday, Biden told reporters outright that he refused to apologize for "anything [he'd] ever done," because he had "never been disrespectful, intentionally, to a man or a woman." But his words ignore the reality that no one gets to choose the impact of their actions and words; that you didn't mean to offend or cause discomfort does not negate the harm produced by your actions. And despite Biden's insistence that his behaviors were innocent and void of gendered, sexual connotations, his noted lack of nose-bumping, shoulder-rubbing and hair-smelling of grown men seems to contradict this.
At any rate, long before women's stories about their experiences with Biden started making headlines, Biden had already faced serious and concerning criticisms for his treatment of Anita Hill in the early 1990s. Biden, then a Delaware Senator and Senate Judiciary Chairman, had exposed Hill to alarmingly sexist questioning when she testified before the Senate that then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her.
It's critical that we allow the stories of women speaking up about Biden's treatment of them to guide an expanded dialogue around sexual misconduct. This news cycle can and should spark long-overdue conversation about a culture that continually subjects women and girls to daily indignities, all while laughing off our complaints about what makes us feel uncomfortable and unsafe. We can't move forward until we are willing to recognize how "jokes" about supposedly overly sensitive, overreacting women allow sexual misconduct to continue.
17 of the Most Romantic Hotels Around the World
Travel is the perfect opportunity to create loving, lasting memories with your significant other. And when you set out to plan a romantic vacation, whether it's domestic or international, you often want hotel accommodations that are equally as romantic. But since picking a hotel is often the hardest part of any trip (the last thing you want is to get to your destination and realize it's not what you envisioned), we've done the work for you and rounded up the perfect places to go for a romantic stay. From coastal views in California, to underwater hideaways in the Maldives, to fairy-tale castle adventures in Canada, these hotel destinations will give you a serious case of wanderlust.
Skin Care Is Reaching New Heights With This Sunday Riley x United Airlines Collection
Whether you're jet-setting across the globe or just a few hours away, airplane cabins have an impact on your skin - flights zap the moisture straight from our faces, leaving us with duller complexions, tightness, and even irritation, dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD told POPSUGAR. However, if your next trip was booked through United, you'll be equipped with the tools to combat flying's moisture-zapping effects, as the airline has teamed up with Sunday Riley for a line of in-flight skin care.
You can access the line in multiple ways: If you're flying United Polaris Business Class, expect a dopp kit that includes exclusive-to-United products like a hydrating lip balm, a lightweight and soothing face cream, a moisturizing hand cream, and a toner-drenched facial cleansing cloth. (United Premium Plus and Premium Transcon customers receive a variation of this amenity kit). The Lounges and United Clubs with showers will also be stocked with Sunday Riley products including hand cream, body wash, and even shampoo and conditioner.
"Sunday and her team really took the time to understand how travel and the aircraft environment affects our customers, and formulated an in-flight remedy that complements their journey with United from beginning to end," United's vice president of marketing Mark Krolick said in a press release. "By elevating the skincare products offered on our planes and in our lounges, we can continue to lift the experience customers have when traveling with United."
See the in-flight goodies, ahead.
11 Adorable Ways to Incorporate Your Love of Scrabble Into Your Wedding
When it comes to customizing your wedding, there are a million things you can do. You want to put you and your partner's personalities into every aspect of your big day, using everything from the invitations to the cake topper to share your interests and passions with your guests. And for lovers of words, you might want to go with a Scrabble theme! If that's your vibe, there are countless ways to make your vision a reality and put a Scrabble spin on things like your engagement announcement and thank-you cards. Keep reading for simple and chic options to spread the l-o-v-e.
The 19 Hottest Sex Scenes From Game of Thrones
When you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die. But you get to f*ck a lot first. So . . . it's kinda worth it. Game of Thrones is known for its gratuitous amounts of nudity and raunchy sex, so what better way to celebrate the new and final season of Game of Thrones than with a roundup of the wildest, weirdest, hottest, and most memorable sex scenes thus far? Go forth and be prepared for butts - lots of butts - but be very careful if you're looking at this at work or around, uh, your parents.
This True Crime App Definitely Isn't For the Faint of Heart - Here's How It Works
The Citizen app is both incredibly useful and incredibly frightening at times, and if you want to know more about what's going on in your neighborhood, you should definitely download it now. The app invites eyewitnesses (like yourself) to share information about crimes happening in real time to inform and warn other users.
Citizen calls its user base a "safety network," and its mission is simple: "to keep people safe and informed." According to the company, information shared by everyday people has already alerted others to evacuate burning buildings, helped a neighbor whose baby was locked in a hot car, and even kept school buses away from a nearby terrorist attack.
These examples of crises averted have been made possible with location-based push notifications. If you find yourself in a city where it's active and you have it downloaded, you can opt to receive alerts about dangerous happenings nearby, as reported by members of that community. Because of the user-generated nature of the information shared through the app, it's possible you may learn about a nearby crime in progress before police have been notified or had a chance to respond.
To go along with push alerts, the app has a live video feature, meaning someone at the scene of a crime can stream what's happening to the rest of the network. If multiple people are using the app to stream an incident in one location, users have the ability to watch the circumstances surrounding the event unfold from every angle captured.
For those understandably concerned about vetting the things that get shared on the app, all users have to create a username that will accompany anything they broadcast. Everyone who registers also has to enter a phone number, which the app says it uses "to verify accounts, block unruly users, and to make a safer experience" overall. While the app is open, a number shows up at the top of the screen next to the word "nearby," which represents the number of Citizen app users within a certain range of your location, based on the population density of the area that you're in.
There's also a chat feature built in to the app that allows users to interact with each other. "We believe everyone has the right to know what's happening inside their communities in real time, and that transparency can drive change for the better," the company's website reads. "Citizen users are empowering the city of the future, building new ways to bring people together, creating a safer world, and democratizing 911."
The Citizen app is currently operating in New York City, the San Francisco Bay area, Baltimore, and Los Angeles, but the company has said it plans to expand soon, so keep an eye out for your city.
This New App Is Going to Make Meeting Up With Friends For Happy Hour SO Much Easier
Picture this: it's a Summer afternoon and your phone is blowing up. You're at work and trying to be productive, so you turn the group chat on Do Not Disturb mode (don't lie, we've all done it). The issue is, your friends can't decide where to meet for happy hour or what time it's acceptable to leave work, and the messages are pouring in with Yelp reviews, Open Table reservations, and even screenshots of what time sunset is - gotta get that 'gram! As much as we love our friends, the group chat and lack of concrete plans after 200 messages is . . . a lot. That's where the Twenty app comes in.
Twenty is a new map-based app for friends to easily make plans and actually stick to them. You can see which of your friends are around, create a plan for the crew, send out invites, and plan for future events all within the app. With people like Arianna Huffington and Rande Gerber on the board, Twenty's mission is to focus on the future instead of the past and present like some social media apps. But it isn't just another social media platform, it's a way for you and your friends to get together and be more social.
According to the press release, it "was created as a result of the current digital culture and the modern-day epidemic of loneliness and fear of missing out." DJ Khaled and Kaia Gerber have even been using the app to meet up with friends. "Tech that helps people spend time together in real life is going to be the next big thing," Khaled said. "[Twenty] is going to really help get people together in real life. We are about to change the game with Twenty."
The app even lets you and your friends find out about cool things going on in your city, but it's the Hangouts feature that's really making our lives easier. Hangouts can be specific to a location or just for an overall happy hour plan. You can invite friends, let your friends invite friends, and even chat within the app about said plans. What's great is you can edit destinations in real time, because none of us are in the mood to wait in line. See how the app works ahead, and get ready for the group chat to be a lot less poppin'.
Here's How to Get a Tour of Walt Disney's Private Apartment at Disneyland
"To all who come to this happy place, welcome! Disneyland is your land." Walt Disney said this at the opening ceremony of his original park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, CA. That park has now been open for more than 60 years and there's still so much for guests to see and do during their visit, no matter how long or short it is. But one thing guests might not know they can do is actually tour Walt Disney's private apartment above the Main Street USA fire station!
Imagine stepping back in time to the 1950s when Disney was still new and seeing the space Walt built for himself and his family. For any avid Disney fan, this is a dream of a lifetime, and now it can come true. Keep reading to find out how you can tour Walt's private apartment at Disneyland, because it's so, so worth it.
Do You Need a "Friendship Cleanse"? Here's How to Know When to Say Goodbye
I'm no stranger to walking away from friendships. In fact, a few years ago I found myself walking away from five women who I thought would be my friends for life. Five women who I spent 14 years with; who transitioned with me from high school to college to adulthood; who I threw baby showers, birthday parties, and bachelorette events for; who I walked down the aisle next to as both a bridesmaid and a bride; who I spent countless hours sitting at a diner eating breakfast with; and who I had to walk away from in order to become the person that I am right now.
These friends, though, haven't been the only ones that I have had to let go of, and, to be honest, those were extreme circumstances. Not everyone has to make the decision that I did to walk away from an entire group of people in one fell swoop.
However, there have been other times in my life where I had to walk away from friends. Sometimes dramatically, and sometimes by just distancing myself. Either way, there are signs that a person is no longer serving a purpose for your life - because, let's be real, friends are here to serve a purpose in your life. It's not a selfish thing - you give each other something. But, sometimes it gets to the point where there is no benefit anymore.
While it may be hard to figure out whether you and your friend are just getting on each other's nerves and need some space, there are some things that shouldn't be overlooked when you are thinking about cutting ties.
Is There Resentment?
Funny, but most of my friendships have disintegrated because of resentment. For example, my college best friend got engaged, landed a job, moved out with her (very good looking) fiancé into an amazing apartment, and was planning a wedding within a month of graduation. I was still interning at a media company with no promises of a full time job, was engaged with no wedding plans in sight, and was living back at home with my parents. I was, however, partying it up at least four nights a week with my friends from high school who had all returned home. It turns out, she wanted my life and I wanted hers. Instead of talking about it, we just became resentful of each other to the point where we had one large, dramatic blowout over virtually nothing and never spoke again.
Resentment ruins all types of relationships. Once you let it get to that point, it's easier to just let it go, or have open and honest communication about how to work it out - and if it's worth it.
Is It Worth the Maintenance?
I used to have a friend that was really high-maintenance. She wanted to have long phone conversations (especially on her way home from work, whereas I was either still working or had just gotten in the car, which is my decompress zone) and would get upset when plans would change or when I wasn't able to reconfigure my life or responsibilities to fit her needs, even when I would offer up a solution. We hit the end when plans changed (as stated before, even when I offered up a solution) and she got upset. Neither one of us reached out after that, although, I sense we were drifting apart before that incident. It was just an easy way out for both of us without confrontation.
If someone is too much work and you don't have the capacity, it isn't worth it to keep them around. As good of a person as they are, it will just be a strain on your emotional well-being. Imagine being stressed out that your friend is going to be mad at you for not picking up the phone?
Is There Trust?
There are times in my life where I was not the most trustworthy friend, especially when I was younger. To be honest, there are probably too many examples to give because I spent a lot of my high school and early college years just trying to fit in. It's not an excuse, but a lot of times, I either wasn't honest with people or I would spill secrets because I just wanted to feel included or special with the people I was with.
This changed when I had someone do it back to me. Someone who was supposed to be my "best friend" was talking about me behind my back to a girl from high school who made my senior year pretty horrible. They were still talking, hanging out and, in fact, my "best friend" threw a dinner party one night that I was suddenly uninvited to because she invited this girl and she was coming. After this all unraveled, I realized that I needed to be better at gaining - and keeping - trust. If you knew the secrets I kept now, you would be amazed. But, I keep them because they are important to the people I care about.
If you can't trust your friend, what's the point? Your friend is supposed to be a sounding board for you, someone who is supposed to help you when things get tough, guide you, and frankly, tell it like it is, even when you don't want to hear it.
Are You Listening to Your Gut?
I'm not sure about you, but every time I meet someone, I try to pay attention to what my gut tells me. I have friends now that I know I won't be friends with later in life. I have people who I keep at an arm's length because even though we get along, I don't always like the vibe. I have friends that are amazing - I would bend over backwards for them and they would do the same for me - but I can only take them in small doses. And I have those people who I love absolutely and would trust with anything. Sometimes I feel the connection instantly, sometimes it takes awhile.
Listen to what your gut is telling you. If you feel like someone doesn't fit in your life anymore, then they simply don't fit. Do what you can to minimize the hurt - maybe not cut them out completely at first, but definitely take a step back - but ultimately you have to do what's best for you.
6 Tips For Scoring Upgrades When You Travel
Ah, upgrades. On vacation, there aren't many words sweeter to hear than "We would like to offer you a complimentary oceanfront room" or "We bumped you up to first class." They might not happen often, but when they do, it's glorious. Luckily, you don't have to be an international businessperson or celebrity to hear those magic words. While it's not a perfect science, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of scoring a better room or airplane seat on your next trip. We tapped travel experts to spill their best secrets for operation upgrade, so keep reading to see them all now.
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