Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

We've talked about home births before, and Joanna just wrote about the subject yesterday. It's a controversial choice, but the choice to stay home and fly solo--with no help from a nurse, doula or midwife--is even more controversial...

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This woman wrote in to The Guardian about about her problem: "My brother's girlfriend is eight months pregnant," she writes. "My parents recently found out that she has not seen a doctor or midwife, and that they are planning to have a completely 'unassisted non-medical' birth. ...My parents are scared that the baby or my brother's girlfriend may not survive the birth. They are also worried that the baby will have a genetically inherited condition (as some of my siblings do) that will require immediate and/or lifelong medical help."

OK, so home births are one thing, but completely unassisted births? (And let's paint the very bleak picture here: you, your partner (if you have one) and the baby pushing through, with no expert in the room

Ever overheard some juicy stuff at the gym? I remember hearing a woman tell her friend the juicy story of her extra-marital affair as I peddled away on an exercise bike--oh boy. (I wasn't snooping, she was just talking so loud!) Chances are you've also heard some misleading health advice from fellow gym goers. I know I have! Here's a roundup of the five most frequent myths, and what you really need to know...

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I asked Suyumi Quiroz, group fitness instructor and personal trainer at Equinox Fitness Clubs in Aventura and South Beach, Florida, to tell me the top five health myths she hears in the gym and the real facts behind them:

Myth #1: Light weights on arms or legs help burn extra calories and build muscle while walking/running."It is an absolute myth! There is absolutely no need to add additional weight to your own. By adding hand-held or Velcro weights only slows you down, which leads to an incomplete aerobic benefit." Fitness Fads: The Weirdest, Coolest and Craziest

I have a confession: I love to clean. I know this is going to make me sound crazy, but I love it so much that even when my husband suggested we hire a house cleaner to help now and then, I said no thanks. (Still, the house is often a mess because I have no time to clean--go figure.) OK, so maybe you're not weirdly into cleaning like I am. And if you need some spring-cleaning shortcuts, I've got some for ya...

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I really like the concept of spring cleaning--that once-a-year time when we clean out the closets, the garage, our offices, you name it (and I'm not the only one! A new survey out this week found that only 7 percent of women hate to clean their houses and 25 percent say they find it relaxing!).

So, if you've gotten the bug to do some spring cleaning (P.S. happy spring!), but lack the energy, time, etc., here are a few fab tips to get your space spic and span (which will make you feel happier and healthier, I promise--check out what research says about that!):

Arthur Miller and Marilyn MonroeWant to get married and live happily ever after--or at least be in a happy, healthy relationship? Then find a guy who is less attractive than you, say researchers. What? According to one study, a hot woman + an average-looking guy = marital bliss. Here's why...

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According to researchers at the University of Tennessee, if you're a babe, date a guy who's less attractive than you. In there study (which was out several months ago, but I just found it too fascinating not to share with you!) they found that wives and husbands were happier and more fulfilled when the woman was better looking.

5 strategies for a happy relationship!

WTH? The lead researcher described why the findings could be true in this LiveScience article: "The husband who's less physically attractive than his wife is getting something more than maybe he can expect to get," he said. "He's getting something better than he's providing at that level. So he's going to work hard to maintain that

Salt might do much more than make food taste better. New research suggests that it may make you happier, too. Should you be a little more heavy-handed with the salt-shaker?

5 foods to boost your mood!

University of Iowa researchers say salt may be a natural anti-depressant. Their tests on animals found that those with a salt deficiency shunned activities they normally enjoyed--a major sign of depression. In fact, researchers speculate the natural lift we get from the salt is why most people eat too much of it. You need 2 grams of the mineral per day to function, but most people consume about 10 grams.

But don't get salt-happy just yet. Experts know that excessive amounts of salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. So what's a gal to do? Stay away from packaged, sodium-packed foods--the amount of salt you get from your normal cooking is more than enough to keep you healthy and happy.

Earlier: Do you have a salt tooth or a sweet tooth?

Does salt make

While I was out last week recovering from surgery, I ate a lot of quick frozen meals for lunch, which I'd stocked my freezer with the week before, knowing I'd be too tired to cook. As it turns out, these convenience meals could be the key to losing weight. Read on for the details...

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Laurie Beebe, a registered dietitian and weight loss coach who practices near St. Louis, Missouri, says if you have pounds to lose, head to the freezer section at your local grocery store.

"It's a proven weight loss technique," she says. (Heck, it's the business plan of lots of weight loss programs even--Nutrisystem, for instance.) "With frozen dinners you don't have to eat the same exact food every day (like chicken and rice, for instance), but you can eat a 350 calorie meal every day and vary the contents. This works because it takes away choices, which takes away decision making--this is the part of dieting many people find to be difficult ... thinking too much about what they will have, so

What's free, fun and might be the best thing you ever did for your health? You guessed it: Sex! Here's why you should get busy tonight...

Yesterday on Good Morning America, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz were talking about their new book, You: Being Beautiful. My ears perked up when they mentioned that men who have sex three times a week lowered their risk of heart attack and stroke by 50 percent, while women who enjoy sex tend to live longer than those who don't. Tell me everything!

Check out these 8 seriously juicy secrets about your sex drive!

The booty benefits just keep coming. Bumping up sex from once a month to once a week makes people just as happy as getting a $50,000 raise, Oz said. According to the docs, a sizzling sex life can make women feel two to eight years younger. And before you grab a painkiller for that pounding headache, try a romp instead: Research suggests regular orgasms help decrease general pain.

Want more sneaky ways to boost your sex

Finally! I am a little tired of celebrities who seem to magically spring back to their pre-baby shapes after giving birth. So when I saw this Fox News article about how hard model-actress-designer Milla Jovovich had to work to shed the 70 pounds of weight she gained while pregnant with her first baby, I gave her props for being honest. Get the secrets to her post-baby slim-down, after the jump....

Scary celeb diet tricks no woman should try!

Jovovich had a baby girl in November of 2007, and she recently mentioned that it took her a year to get back into shape. How did she do it? "Diet and lots of exercise," she told Fox News. "At one point I just ate oatmeal, salmon and artichokes everyday for a week. It was definitely a lot easier putting it on!"

Jovovich said she'd love to have another child--eventually. "I do want another baby but not for a little bit," she said. "I've only just lost all the weight so I want to enjoy my old body for a while before I have to become a crazy