Combat fat! Your allies in battling bulge? Foods that do the work for you. These edibles have proven lipid-melting powers that help you slim. That's a win.
By Veronica Byrd
Almonds Almond joy! Dieters who ate 3 ounces of these nuts every day reduced their weight and body-mass index by a solid 18 percent compared with an 11 percent drop in the no-nut group, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can speed the metabolism of fats. Stick to 12 per serving.
Berries Vitamin C-loaded fruit such as strawberries and raspberries can help you sizzle up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, suggests research from Arizona State University at Mesa. Blend a vinaigrette of 1 cup berries and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar.
See our tips: 5 stress-fighting superfoods!
Cinnamon This spice could make your waistline nice. Sprinkling ¼ teaspoon on your food may prevent a postmeal insulin spike-this increase normally occurs after you eat and
Blog Posts by Self Magazine
Confession: "I had an affair with a man I met at a dating site"
By Self Magazine | Work + Money – Thu, Oct 29, 2009 7:45 PM EDT
For Megan (names and some details in story have been changed), a 37-year-old with a 16-month-old daughter, the road to parenthood was a rocky one. Married for nearly five years to the man she calls her best friend, Megan says, "Greg and I struggled with infertility, and it strained our marriage." The endless temperature taking, the months of not conceiving, a miscarriage-all of it, she says, took a toll. Then came the pregnancy, which, surprisingly, did not bring the hoped-for relief: Megan felt ill throughout, and physical intimacy fell by the wayside. "What I missed most was the lounging in bed, simply being silly and joking." Things didn't get better after the baby, either. "I'd come home from work exhausted. Any energy I had left, I saved for my daughter."
Yet Megan still can't quite pinpoint why she logged on to a hookup site that she heard about on the radio one day. "I was curious, so I started sort of snooping around. It was interesting, but to see more profiles, I had to
Read More »from Confession: "I had an affair with a man I met at a dating site"Beauty DIY: Pumpkin face and body mask recipe
By Self Magazine | Great Skin – Tue, Oct 27, 2009 5:14 PM EDT
It makes a tasty pie, but the rotund gourd is also a great pick for your skin. "Pumpkin contains antioxidants such as vitamins A and C, as well as phytonutrients that help keep you looking young," says Michelle Schlekewey, spa director at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego. Harness the veggie's revitalizing properties with this face and body mask, an adaptation of a treatment offered at the inn. It's as easy as pie!
Pumpkin Face and Body Mask
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 cup bentonite clay (available at health food stores)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp almond oil
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together and apply evenly to your face or anywhere else you'd like to smooth. Leave on 10 minutes before rinsing. Almond oil moisturizes, clay draws out impurities, honey replenishes collagen and cinnamon improves circulation.
Related: The Twilight Saga: New Moon stars in sexy, SELFy vampire autumn fashions
MORE FROM SELF:
Read More »from Beauty DIY: Pumpkin face and body mask recipe
Read More »from The 10 Healthiest Cities for Women
Women everywhere are making healthy changes. Now we've found the people doing it best: With the help of an expert panel and BestPlaces.net, we crunched 7,700 bits of data from 100 metro areas to find the 10 top spots for women. See the entire list here!
By Sheila Monaghan and Kelly Mickle
1. Burlington, VT
Appetite for health: Tucked between the Adirondack and Green mountains on the shore of Lake Champlain, our winning town boasts outer and inner beauty: Women here have some of the list's lowest rates of diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension. Possible keys to their hardy hearts? Residents exercise and walk to work in large numbers, and few women smoke. But they really shine at mealtime: "We are connected to the natural world in a unique way, and it carries over into how we eat," says yoga teacher and mother of two Tre McCarney, 34. There are six times as many organic food producers and nearly three times as many food co-ops in Burlington as the survey average. This year, more
I once fell in love with a man. Or rather, I fell in love with what that man did to me. During the two years of our on-again, off-again affair, he introduced me to a kind of sex I'd never known I wanted-rough, emotionally and physically risky, and dependent on power and the taking away of that power. Sadomasochism, essentially. When our relationship ended, I felt ashamed of the domination I still coveted. Worse, I didn't know what frightened me more: the dangerous desires I now knew I possessed or the fact that they were now doomed to remain unfulfilled.
See our tips: The best online sex resources for womenSo I turned to the Internet. For months, I scoured sites like SexAndSubmission.com for information, stimulation and a strange kind of comfort. It was a safe way to explore my complicated roil of emotions without exposing myself to more of the manipulation and hurt that had characterized my affair. And I found a measure of peace in being able to acknowledge, if only to myself,
Read More »from Confession: "I had rough sex online"Behind the Scenes: New Moon stars vamp for SELF in winter fashion
By Self Magazine | Fashion – Tue, Oct 20, 2009 5:53 PM EDT
Read More »from Behind the Scenes: New Moon stars vamp for SELF in winter fashion
This was not a tough assignment: We got to spend a day in Malibu with the stars of New Moon--including Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) and Rachelle La Fevre (Victoria)--to shoot our November fashion feature on cozy knits!
All three actors were so comfortable to be with--not at all awkward OR diva-esque, it was amazing. They clearly enjoyed each other and had spent so much time together that their comfort level made everyone feel at ease. Throughout the day, we chatted about stunt-training (they were all really into that), how rough it is for Rob Pattinson (Ashley said she knows she can go undetected if she's with him because press will go right for Rob) and how lucky they were for the whole Twilight experience. Rachelle tried to talk Ashley into starting to Twitter, which she's really into, and Kellan played with his dog Kola or read perspective scripts between shots. The shoot was right before it was announced that Rachelle wouldn't be in the third movie,
Reveal a healthy, gorgeous glow with our easy fixes for sun spots, stretch marks, scars and other nagging nuisances.
Taking care of your skin is a little like playing a pop-up arcade game. The minute you squelch one eruption, a sun spot appears. And when that splotch fades, another mark shows up-uninvited. Yes, 84 percent of women have at least one complexion complaint, indicates a survey by Obagi Medical Products in Long Beach, California. Ready to take control of the action? These at-home tips, pro treatments and camouflaging how-tos will arm you with strategies to outsmart unwanted guests and get the smooth skin you deserve.
Skin saboteur: scars
Fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after injuryConceal! Wait until your scar has done some initial healing, which typically takes about a month. To camouflage a mark that is red, your best bet is to mix two concealers-one that matches your skin tone and one that's a few shades darker-and use a foundation brush to tap
Read More »from How to solve your skin problems!
Done right, noshing when your nerves are jangling can keep you calm and healthy. Munch your way mellow!
SpinachThree cups of spinach supply 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that blunts stress's effects on the body by stopping blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
Stress Rx: Stuff fresh spinach into omelets and sandwiches to nix tension while you're on the party circuit.
Oranges
Healthy people who were exposed to cold viruses were more likely to get sick if they were under pressure, a study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh finds. Even a brief bout of tension can influence your immune system, but vitamin C in citrus bolsters your body's natural bug barricades, so you can stay well.
Stress Rx Having your whole family over for brunch? Pour OJ.
See our tips: 6 simple strategies for holiday eating!
Chocolate
This treat's pacifying
Read More »from 5 stress-fighting superfoodsAromatherapy: Find the perfect scent for your mood
By Self Magazine | Fashion – Mon, Oct 5, 2009 8:52 PM EDT
Perfume can take you on a scent journey, stirring up emotions from your fondest memories. Want to relive a favorite moment? Fragrance helps you strike just the right note.
By Nicole Cantonese
Sniff your way to...
Boundless energyRemember that rush you had after finishing a 5K? Savor it all over again.
KEY NOTES Grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, mint and orange
FRAGRANCE FINDINGS People had a 30 percent uptick in alertness after inhaling the smell of peppermint, a study at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia finds. The scent stimulates the brain's reticular activating system, which is responsible for waking us up. Some citrus fruit can give you zest, too. "Oranges make us think of breakfast, a time associated with a fresh start and an optimistic attitude," says Rachel Herz, Ph.D., author of The Scent of Desire (Perennial).Try: Michael Kors Very Hollywood Eau de Parfum, $65; Estée Lauder Sensuous Sheer Body Oil Spray, $42; Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de
Read More »from Aromatherapy: Find the perfect scent for your moodChristina Hendricks' Diet and Fitness Secrets
By Self Magazine | Healthy Living – Thu, Oct 1, 2009 9:42 PM EDT
Read More »from Christina Hendricks' Diet and Fitness Secrets
Don't worry, January Jones--Christina Hendricks has no intention of losing her curves. At an Emmy after-party on Sunday, the Mad Men actress told People that Christina's "has gone on a diet" to prepare for her wedding. Her advice to her co-star: "Not to go too far, because if she loses her curves it will be a very sad day."
Good thing Christina is totally content with how she looks. She told SELF, "My healthiest habit is keeping positive about my body at whatever stage it is--being confident and celebrating who I am at the moment."
The sexy '60s office manager--whose husband said she's "changing people's view of what's beautiful"--did admit to switching up her diet, but not for her wedding, rather, a life change.
Christina is a self-professed foodie, even though she grew up in a household where her mom made "very much Southern '70s cooking, like fried chicken, mashed potatoes and quiche." It wasn't until she moved away from home that she realized there was a whole world of food out
