Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine

Lately, I've been a little obsessed with electrolyte-enhanced water. The other day, there was a sale at the store--10 bottles for $10--and my eyes did that whirly jackpot thing, cartoon character-style. What's going on here?

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Water with electrolytes isn't exactly new--it flowed (heh) into the mainstream bottled-water scene about five years ago, and now you can find it on shelves in just about every grocery store. Electrolyte-enhanced waters have things like potassium and sodium added to them, which help your body absorb the water more quickly. These electrolytes are helpful in preventing dehydration, so they're especially useful during and after intense workouts. But filtered tap water is A-OK for shorter workouts and day-to-day hydration.

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So is it necessary to invest in bottles of the stuff? You can actually DIY a version of your own

Photo: Courtesy of guide-to-houseplants.comSarah Jio, Glamour magazine

I recently went on a houseplant kick and bought a bunch of new plants for each room of my house with clean air in mind (I know, great, now I have to water them!). If you're going to buy just one plant, health experts say make it this one...

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Houseplants are amazing to filter out toxins in your indoor air, especially for city girls where there aren't a lot of trees around and a lot of cars buzzing by on the streets below. But if you can only buy one plant this summer, consider making it an aloe plant.

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Yes, it will do a good job to scrub your air, but it can also be wonderful for your skin in a pinch. As you've probably heard, aloe has amazing, skin-soothing qualities. So whether you burn yourself on the stove or just have a really annoying mosquito bite, you can turn to your trusty aloe plant for relief. Experts say just snip an inch or two from a leaf and

Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

Suddenly ... I can't sleep. I toss and turn. I stare at the clock. It's so frustrating! After years of sleeping like a baby, I'm puzzled. What's going on with me? I asked an expert for some tips so we can figure this out together...

The diagnosis? Acute, sudden-onset insomnia. And, apparently I'm not alone. As many as 50 million Americans are up at night unable to get to sleep. I asked Dr. Catherine Darley, ND, founder of Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine, for some advice, and here's what she had to say: "Acute insomnia can be a normal response to a life event such as getting married, losing a loved one, a job change. In this case usually as you adjust to the new situation your sleep will improve. Other times, sleep will worsen for no apparent reason. It may be an underlying change in stress hormones or for women a change in their reproductive hormones. Recently, with the heat wave this summer, people may find it more difficult to

Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

If you haven't been to the nail salon in a while, here's something to feel good about...

Eeks, not the best news for us girls: New research indicates that chemicals called phthalates, found in many beauty products, including nail polishes, hair sprays and perfume, may increase women's risk of diabetes.

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As a part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers analyzed urine samples from 2,350 women. Those with the highest levels of two types of phthalates, mono-benzyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate, were nearly two times more likely to have diabetes compared to women with lower amounts of these phthalates. And, worse, women with moderately high levels of two other types of phthalates were 70 percent more likely to have diabetes.

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It's important to note that the researchers could not actually prove

Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

Do I love an excuse to have a glass of wine? I'm not going to lie: yes. Alcohol, in moderation, has been linked with all kinds of health benefits, including this new one...

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Say cheers!

According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, moderate alcohol consumption (about four drinks per week) is linked to a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

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Over the course of the study, researchers followed women for 10 years and found that those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had about a 50 percent reduced risk for the disease.

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How many drinks do you have a week? More than four? Less? None at all?

P.S. Is this calorie-counting wine glass a good idea? And, news to love: wine may help block fat cells.


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Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

I don't like the flavor of this story at all. In fact, I almost didn't even want to cover it. And yet, I think it's worth discussing, and despite the unsavory (even somewhat discriminatory) findings, I still think there is an important message here...

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Past research has hinted at a controversial hypothesis: If you're overweight, you're more likely to have overweight friends. This begs the question that a team of researchers at Loyola University tried to answer: Do obese friends contribute to weight gain?

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Here's what they found: College students were 40 percent more likely to lower their BMI over the school year if they reported having a few "lean" pals. But get this: The students who said they only had overweight friends increased their BMIs by 56 percent. Eeks!

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The takeaway, say the researchers, is

CN Digital StudioSarah Jio, Glamour magazine

Every woman knows about cranberries' so-called UTI-zapping properties. But do they really work? Researchers put them to the test...

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While past studies have flip-flopped on the subject, researchers in Taiwan say, yes, cranberries do help prevent urinary tract infections. And cranberry juice counts too! But, don't try to treat your infection with cranberries--it won't work. The berries work to keep the urinary tract free of harmful bacteria, but they don't treat a raging infection once it's begun. Best to go see your doc and drink lots of water.

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One note: Beware of cranberry juice "cocktail," which is essential cranberry Kool-Aid. All the extra sugar could have a negative effect for your body. And, some docs believe that too much sugar actually feeds bacteria (not exactly the result you're after).

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Do

Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine

Stop for a sec and listen to your breathing. Is it deep? Slow? Shallow? The fascinating things you can learn from listening to your breath...

Yoga lovers know well the importance of deep breathing. But you can focus on breath off the mat, too. Here's what you can learn by paying attention to your breathing from Yoga Journal's Erica Rodefer:

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Shallow, chest breathing: This is the universal sign of stress, says Rodefer. "When I notice myself doing it, I know I need to take a deep breath and really access the situation and put it into perspective."

Held breath: "When I'm holding my breath I'm usually trying too hard at something-sometimes it's a yoga pose, sometimes I'm thinking a little too hard on the word I'm going to play next on Words with Friends," she writes. Either way, she says she knows this means she needs to relax a bit--pronto.

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