Posts

People kiss in order to express feelings of closeness and desire, as well as to amplify or intensify the arousal they might be feeling. “Kissing stimulates the brain’s pleasure regions, causing it to release a mix of hormones that leave you feeling oh-so-fantastic,” explains clinical psychologist Judy Rosenberg, Ph.D. “These molecules include oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which are pleasurable and promote feelings of affection and bonding.” There are also myriad benefits of kissing, from helping to reduce stress levels to potentially supporting your immune system, according to Texas-based clinical psychologist Ana Ortiz-Lugo, PsyD....

Regardless of whether you’re in a 50-day or a 50-year relationship, here’s how to make relationships actually work: You probably intuitively have somewhat of a sense of where your areas for improvement are, and if you don’t, try asking for some feedback from your partner, close friends, or even exes. (Yes, depending on where you’re at emotionally with them, reconnecting with an ex to talk about your strengths and weaknesses can actually be a very helpful practice....

On the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales, my then-fiancé waited in an hours-long line and brought home a quarter ounce of bud. I had no idea what to do with it, so I used it to infuse some coconut oil. And then said coconut oil sat in a cabinet for a solid year before I finally decided to do something with it. I ended up using it to make some almost raw brownies with maple ganache and—to my surprise—they were a huge hit....

I am often asked what exactly ink is. It’s not paint—which is a liquid color used mainly for creating images or covering surfaces. What distinguishes ink from other art supplies is its use as a tool for communication. People have been leaving marks with berries, burnt sticks, or colored rocks since the dawn of humanity—but the use of ink as a transmitter of language can be traced back to the first evidence of civilization in China and Mesopotamia: most often on shards of pottery, featuring markings that historians say were at first mostly accounting ledgers....

Whipping up your own concoction is pretty straightforward, whether you’re in dire need of a butter-thick confection or a nongreasy veil of moisture. Of course, you can chuck in some optional add-ons if you’re feeling fancy—scan all the possibilities with these five recipes below:

In other words, you create a reality that is a reflection of you. The concept is described differently in all manner of spiritual teachings, but it comes down to the same thing: We create our realities from the inside out. Many people describe the law of attraction as the process by which thoughts become things. My own interpretation is a bit different. I believe the process has more to do with energy dynamics....

After switching to oil cleansing clients often notice clearer, softer, brighter skin, fewer blackheads, more balanced oil production (less “why is my skin oily and dry at the same time?”) and a sense of ritual and grounding in their nighttime routine. Follow with the rest of your regular nighttime skin ritual. If you want a video-tutorial, follow along with me here. The most common kitchen-cabinet recipe usually includes a mixture of castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil....

With all the news hype about sugar, I wasn’t sure how dangerous it really was. I assembled a team of doctors, scientists and nutritionists, and went about consuming 40 teaspoons of sugar a day — which sadly is what most of my fellow Australians are eating. (This includes fruit juices, concentrates and other sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.) The final idea for my experiment came to me in my local supermarket, when I decided to properly read some labels....

But with so many popular iterations of IF out there, each with potential perks and pitfalls, you may find yourself wondering which option—if any—is right for you, or if it’s even safe. The truth is, this area of science is still young—many IF studies have been done on rodents or small sample sizes of people—and there’s a lot that needs to be verified with further research. But that said, many reputable experts we’ve spoken to do see a potential benefit to various forms of intermittent fasting for most people—when done responsibly and in a way that’s in tune with your goals and current health status....

However, there is a growing body of research showing promising treatment options. As a functional medicine doctor of optometry, these are the natural management tools I’m most hopeful about. Researchers have also found that patients with higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels have a decreased risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders2, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. This was attributed to the critical role that BDNF plays in stimulating the growth neurons in the central nervous system (CNS)....

That, folks, is where supplements come into play: Trusted nutrition and medical experts recommend 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D3 (the body’s preferred form) per day to help you get to—and stay!—above that 50 ng/mL threshold. But here’s the thing: That’s old-school science. While vitamin D toxicity is possible, it’s much more challenging to reach than you might think—so there’s really no excuse for brands not to up the ante. The risk of toxicity is not even relevant at useful, science-backed supplement doses, Ferira says....

Week One is all about setting yourself up with a plan to vote. As you’ve likely heard, there’s an election happening next week, and casting your ballot is one of the most empowering actions you can perform. We get it, though—between work, family obligations, and (if we’re lucky) some time for self-care, sometimes it feels like the modern-day activist needs a literal checklist to remind them to head to the polls....

“Jujube is a very commonly used Chinese date,” notes TCM expert and acupuncturist Scott Ling, LAc, M.A., Ph.D. “Its sweet nature makes it good for nourishing the digestive system and the mind.”* Indeed, studies show that jujube has “neuroprotective activities” and can help ease stress, support a healthy memory, and promote learning.* In terms of sleep, the fruit has been shown to enhance both sleep quality2 and daytime functioning.* Traditionally, Ling notes jujube is often used in TCM in an herbal formula called sour jujube decoction (or Suan Zao Ren Tang, 酸棗仁湯)....

Along with all the symptoms of a luteal phase defect1, her cycle day-21 lab test showed low progesterone levels. And she’s not alone: Many women struggle with PMS, and up to 90% of women will experience it during their lifetime—oftentimes, this can be due to a luteal phase defect. Let’s take a step back: During the first part of your cycle (the follicular phase), your ovaries produce follicles. This is a predominantly estrogen-dominant time of your cycle....

“Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the least processed and therefore has the greatest nutritional benefit, compared to other types of olive oils,” registered dietitian Titilayo Ayanwola, MPH, R.D., L.D., previously told mbg. “Since it is derived from olive berries, it contains large amounts of antioxidants, phytosterols, and vitamins1.” Those can be stripped away when oil is refined. Here’s a more comprehensive nutritional breakdown of 1 tablespoon of olive oil3, according to the U....

Looking for a youthful glow? Let’s dive into how ceramides can help and the science behind adding phytoceramides to your beauty and supplement routine.* If you think of the skin barrier as “bricks and mortar,” ceramides are part of the mortar holding it all together—50%, in fact2. They play a huge role in keeping your skin moisturized, glowing, and youthful.* That is, of course, until they don’t. If you want to get to the root of wrinkles and dry skin, look to the loss of ceramides....

It’s a lot to think about. That’s why we love a multi-use, nutrient-dense ingredient like shea butter. The butter is made from the fat extracted from the nuts of the Shea Tree, a plant native to West Africa (almost all of the shea butter used today still comes from this region). It, of course, has long been a staple for those with curly, coily, and kinky hair as it has tons of uses (not to mention: It’s a great body hydrator, too)....

We hesitate to call this a trend because it’s decidedly not that: Slow beauty is beauty—well, beauty before we all became too busy and distracted to enjoy ourselves. Let us explain. Needless to say, it inspires many beauty enthusiasts to quite literally stop and smell the rosewater. But Shel Pink (who wrote the book on slow beauty) explains slow beauty is more than just seeking nourishing products: “It’s something to help us maintain not only our physical well-being but our psychological and spiritual well-being as well,” she tells mbg....

Instead of reacting to a skin issue with a harsh exfoliator or “miracle” cream, we must respond from a place of curiosity, openness, space and control. So what’s your skin telling you? Here are three common acne patterns, how to “translate” them, and how to “respond.” You can’t be fluent in the language of acne after just one lesson! Stay curious about your skin, keep trying to heal it and simply do your best....

These teeny dots are technically open comedones, a “plug” of bacteria and debris clogging the pore. That’s also why they may take on a darker color, as comedones tend to darken when they’re exposed to oxygen. In severe scenarios, you could even face some folliculitis, a bacterial or fungal infection that causes the hair follicles to become inflamed (usually due to shaving). You’re probably thinking: “But the dots on my legs are dark!...