Health and Beauty Articles for Women

Quell your craving by reaching for one of these low calorie cookies

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Slumping your shoulders doesn’t just make you resemble one of our long-extinct ancestors—if you don’t stand up straight, no amount of exercise will give you the hot bod you’re after. Here’s why: Over time, poor posture takes a serious toll on your spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. In fact, it can cause a cascade of structural flaws that lead to back and joint pain, reduced flexibility, and compromised muscles, all of which limit your ability to burn fat and build strength. But you can head off all these problems by using the exercises at left to fix your form, soothe your pain, and get your curves moving in the right direction.

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We asked you what you do to unwind, and you responded with everything from retail therapy to hand massages. Here are the top 12 ways WH readers de-stress.

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You don’t want to put off nurturing your union until you’ve hit a bump in the road. “Successful couples work at their relationship every single day,” says Sandor Gardos, Ph.D., founder of mypleasure.com. “They don’t wait until something big happens to do damage control; they take baby steps to make sure their bond remains strong.” No need for a major overhaul—you can have better sex and a stronger connection in just a few minutes a day.

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Spigot of Youth: Antioxidants

“Cento anni!” That’s the Italian salute wishing your toastees a hundred years of life. As researchers across the globe seek positive results in a glut of anti-aging studies, one study published in the online edition of Nature has captured the attention of scientists—and the imaginations of wine drinkers.

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It happened slowly, over time. Relationships became less defined, and now it’s often hard to know if you’re actually in one. “Even if a guy acts like a boyfriend, he may not be committed,” says Scott Haltzman, M.D., author of The Secrets of Happily Married Women. “Online dating gives you so many choices that some guys prefer to keep their options open.”

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We know you know, but seriously, eat breakfast every single day. If you don’t, your body goes into starvation mode, and your metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy.

And the heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over four years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly three pounds.

In another study published in the same journal, volunteers who reported regularly skipping breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who took the time to eat.

Convinced? We’ve put together our favorite recipes for breakfast to make your first meal of the day a whole lot easier—and tastier!

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Why you have sex, how often you orgasm, and how wild you’re tempted to get in bed all depend in part on where you are in your menstrual cycle. “When women hear the word menstrual, they tend to think of cramps and discomfort,” says Gina Ogden, Ph.D., author of The Return of Desire. “But the hormones that influence your cycle—estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone—fluctuate each day and affect your sexual behavior in dramatic ways.” And although every woman is different, knowing what changes your body is going through can help you plan for a month of unbelievable sex.

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