Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

You know what's really great? Finding out that something doesn't increase your cancer risk. And, today, we just so happen to have one of those somethings.

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A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has found that the UV lamps used to dry gel manicures don't cause skin cancer--something dermatologists have been concerned with for years.

In fact, the researchers for the study say that it would take 13,000 to 40,000 drying sessions under the lamp to raise your risk of getting skin cancer. That works out to one gel manicure per week for the next 250 years.

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The researchers say that gel manicure lights use narrowband UVB rays, which are the same kind used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Yay! How nice is it to hear that this doesn't cause cancer?

More from Glamour:
The Best Coat for Your Body
10 Hot Date-Night Outfits (According to Guys)
10 Wardrobe Essentials Every

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

We know that sugary beverages pack a lot of calories into their sweet little containers (they've taken a lot of heat in the obesity debate). But now the results of a new study are showing that they may also trick our brains into thinking that we're hungry!

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Actually, it's the fructose in sugar-sweetened drinks that researchers say affect the brain region that regulates appetite. The researchers--who point out that the study does not show that fructose causes obesity--say that participants who drank a cherry-flavored drink with fructose in it experienced a spike in their hypothalamus. The participants who drank the same beverage made with glucose didn't have the spike.

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The conclusion: high-fructose corn syrup and other forms of fructose might actually help lead us to overeat more than glucose does. (Plain table sugar contains both glucose and fructose.) Which means, say the experts,

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

Gourmet/Yanes,Romulo AI get migraines. Do you? God, they really are the worst. I usually know my triggers well enough to keep them at bay: I avoid looking at anything that's backlit, I try to get as much sleep as I can and not over-caffeinate, and I stay away from rainy weather. OK, it's kind of impossible to just stay away from rainy weather, but at least a rain-filled day sends up the red flags that there might be a headache happening at some point.

So it's always interesting to see what research is saying might be the culprit in migraines and tension headaches. While there hasn't been a study (yet) that draws direct lines between those kinds of head-pounders and what you eat, experts are starting to understand that certain foods may contain component that might exacerbate headaches... and it could be one component in particular.

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The National Headache Foundation recommends that people stay away from foods that contain tyramine--usually

by Carolyn Jones, Glamour

You are getting regular exercise, know all about portion control, and are even avoiding the high-calorie coffee drinks (well, most days). So why aren't you getting closer to achieving your weight-loss goal? We spoke to nutrition experts and found eight unhealthy habits you should stop doing now if you want to shed those pounds.

Weight-Loss Tip: Stop ignoring your overeating triggers.
Do you know what personal triggers have you reaching for the snacks (think road trips, celebrations, weekends, etc.)? Heather Bauer, R.D., co-author of Bread Is the Devil, calls these triggers our "diet devils" because they keep us from making smart decisions. For example, how many cookies do you absentmindedly eat in front of the TV after dinner? What about that binge-inducing boredom devil or, most dangerous of all, that vacation-eating demon? Start taking note of your diet-ruining trigger situations and you'll be able to stop them from ruining your diet.

Weight-Loss Tip: Stop

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

Most people tend to think decaffeinated coffee is healthier. After all, isn't caffeine marginally bad for us? Well, no, say most experts. Yes, too much isn't a good thing, but coffee, in moderation (defined as two to four 8 oz. cups per day) may actually protect your health in significant ways, according to a new study.

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New American Cancer Society research suggests that people who drink caffeinated coffee in moderation daily were about half as likely to die from oral cancers than those who were diagnosed with oral cancers and drank tea or non-caffeinated beverages.

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"Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and contains a variety of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other biologically active compounds that may help to protect against development or progression of cancers," said lead author Janet Hildebrand, MPH. "Although it is less common in the United States,

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

Lovelies, you know I'm a bigtime runner. I loooooooove it like no other. Just me, my iPod and my tennis shoes pounding the pavement--aaaahhhhh. As a runner, I've never been fitter, stronger and slimmer, and I owe my surge in creativity to running also (hello, five novels, which were all plotted out on daily jogs!).

But, in the back of my mind, I will admit to wondering if all the pavement-pounding is good for my health, especially after this slightly scary incident after running a 10K recently.

That's why I was especially interested to read a report published in the British journal Heart alleging that intense running over time may be bad for the heart.

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From NBC: "[The author of the report] points to studies that show subtle signs of heart damage in marathon runners tested right after their races have been run. And backing that up, he says, is data from the "Iron Mouse" study that found scarring in the hearts of mice forced

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

Beer!

A study by researchers at Sapporo Medical University in Tokyo (and funded by Sapporo Breweries) found that a chemical component found in beer hops called humulone may actually protect drinkers from the respiratory syncytial virus, which can cause cold symptoms, pneumonia, and bronchitis. The virus is especially rampant in the wintertime. So... three cheers for beer?

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Well--and you knew this was coming--there's a catch. There are such tiny amounts of humulone in beer, you would have to drink about 30 servings of 12-ounce cans in order to see any real protection against the virus. And if you drank that much at once, I think you'd probably have more immediate problems to deal with than a virus.

The researchers are now looking into the idea that they could add humulone to food or non-alcoholic drinks. They say that children in particular could benefit from humulone; the challenge is that it's pretty bitter, so the

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

If you're still feeling a little overstuffed with turkey and/or all the trimmings, you just might love these little tricks from Prevention to help with the post-holiday de-bloat. (Oof.) I know I do.

1: Drink from a straight glass, not a curved one
One study found that people who drink from a glass that's rounded out in the middle instead of a straight up-and-down glass end up drinking 60 percent more juice, soda, or alcohol. (That equals about 67 extra OJ calories at breakfast and 40 extra wine calories at dinnertime.) Researchers think this is because the curve of the glass makes it harder to tell when you've reached the halfway point, so it's easier to knock back another beverage more quickly. I'm not sure how true oenophiles might feel about sipping fine wine from a glass not made for vino, but hey!

2. Look forward to lunch
This one totally surprised me. Experts say that when you're eagerly anticipating a meal, your body may actually produce lower levels