Blog Posts by Self Magazine

SELF magazine

Charity begins at home: Donate your spring-cleaning castoffs to those in need. We did the sorting. You do the purging.

More from SELF:

Superfoods for Flat Abs
10 Busy-Girl Buffer Moves
50 Healthiest Snacks
The Pasta Lover's Diet

Read More »from Where to Donate Your Spring Cleaning Castoffs

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine

You all know how much I love peanut butter and how often I include it in my breakfast. That's why I was excited to hear about the Peanut Butter for Breakfast campaign put on by the National Peanut Board in honor of National Peanut Month. I have always thought that peanut butter is a great breakfast option since it goes with almost anything and has a high nutritional content. Two tablespoons of peanut butter provide eight grams of natural, plant-based protein and are an excellent source of niacin and a good source of Vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. There are many ways to enjoy peanut butter for breakfast, and here are some of my favorites:

More from SELF:

Superfoods for Flat Abs
10 Busy-Girl Buffer Moves
50 Healthiest Snacks
The Pasta Lover's Diet

Read More »from 6 Peanut Butter Breakfast Ideas

SELF magazine

Almost half of Self.com survey takers have either had an unplanned pregnancy or used emergency contraception following a pregnancy scare. Here's what you need to know about the morning-after pill.


How exactly does it work?
The morning-after pill prevents pregnancy by prohibiting or delaying ovulation, explains Kathleen Hill-Besinque, Pharm.D., associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy. It is not an abortion pill. Research shows that if you take it after the fertilized egg has implanted in the uterine wall, the medication just won't work.


Related: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs


When do I take it?
Depending on the brand (more on that later), you can take emergency contraception up to five days after unprotected sex, but the sooner you take it, the more likely it is to work, Hill-Besinque says. Fewer than one in four women will have minor side effects such as nausea or cramps for the first 24 hours, but most are able to go about their day with no

Read More »from Birth Control 101: Emergency Contracption

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine

Last week I wrote about how to stop mindless eating in the evenings. However, having a small, planned snack in the evenings is not such a bad thing- it can actually help you sleep better. Choosing the right snack is key to satisfying your hunger without giving you sleep-disturbing indigestion or morning bloat and regret. Here are my top five favorite evening snacks. Remember to munch on them mindfully (I suggest turning the TV off while you nosh) and consuming them at least an hour before bedtime to prevent any stomach issues.

More from SELF:

Superfoods for Flat Abs

10 Busy-Girl Buffer Moves

50 Healthiest Snacks

The Pasta Lover's Diet

Read More »from 5 Healthy Late-Night Snacks

By Shannon R., SELF magazine

Yogurt is one of SELF's favorite superfoods--you can eat it any time of day and it's loaded with good-for-you nutrients like calcium and protein, as well as healthy bacteria for a happier tummy. But should you add it to your skin care routine as an exfoliator?

Related: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Does yogurt exfoliate?
Technically, yes. The pH of yogurt is about 4.5 which IS low enough for it to be effective as an exfoliant. However, yogurt only contains about 0.9% available acid after fermentation. Even if we assume that ALL the acid in yogurt is in the form of lactic acid (a common alpha hydroxy acid) that's still a very low concentration for an active exfoliant.

Related: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs

How much lactic acid do you need to exfoliate?
The level of AHAs used in skin care products varies depending on the intended effect. AHAs act as a chemical exfoliant (different than scrubs that use beads to slough

Read More »from The Natural Exfoliator Hiding in Your Fridge

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine


"Make half your grains whole" is one of the messages of National Nutrition Month this year, but what exactly does that mean beyond just switching from white bread to whole-wheat bread? Whole grains differ from refined grains (white rice, anything made with white flour that's enriched and bleached) in that whole grains have not been processed. Refined grains are stripped of bran (the main fiber source) and the germ and endosperm (which provides B Vitamins and protein). Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which provide you with long-lasting energy. There are many ways to fulfill your whole-grain requirement, including my top five picks below. You may not have eaten them before, but give them a try! You'll be surprised at how different and delicious whole grains can be.

More from SELF:

Superfoods for Flat Abs
10 Busy-Girl Buffer Moves
50 Healthiest Snacks
The Pasta Lover's Diet

Read More »from 5 Whole Grains to Add to Your Pantry

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine


Have you ever wished that you could eat the same amount of food (or even more) and still lose weight? Well, actually, you can! Studies have shown that people tend to eat about the same amount of food (volume-wise) each day. That means if you can build your diet around foods that have less calories but more volume, you can lose weight without eating less food. This principle is called volumetrics and was developed by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. of Pennsylvania State University. She's written several books on this topic, including The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, which is scheduled to come out this April.

So how do you make volumetrics work for you? It's all about knowing what foods have a lower calorie density (less calories per bite), which are primarily foods with higher water content. Then you can make smart swaps using those foods. To make it even easier, here's an easy list of swaps you can make today!

Read More »from Eat More, Weigh Less with These Easy Food Swaps

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine

"I make healthy choices until after dinner, and it's all downhill from there. And I know that's the worst time I could be eating." As a dietitian, I hear this lament from people again and again. While it's a myth that anything you eat after a certain time at night will turn straight to fat, it is true that many times we make poor snack choices in the evening and eat them mindlessly in front of the TV or computer. The good news is that there are several strategies for preventing this mindless evening munching!

Read More »from The Worst Time of Day to Snack