Blog Posts by Self Magazine

CN Digital StudioSarah-Jane Bedwell
SELF

Life's little health dilemmas, solved

Missing a workout and not making up for it VS. Pushing myself extra hard the next time I hit the gym

Your body needs time off, so don't sweat it: Chill days let muscles repair, a crucial step in the strength-building process, explains Natalie Wessel, a personal trainer in Portland, Oregon. Plus, pushing yourself too hard can lead to injury. "Overdoing it abuses muscles, ligaments and tendons, which can result in sprains, tears and strains," Wessel says. Obviously it's good to be consistent-but if you miss one session, you won't gain weight or lose strength. Look, enjoy the hooky day, and do your next workout as planned.

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Not eating veggies (hate the taste!) VS. Drowning them in butter and cheese

Adding fat to your greens actually enhances your body's ability to soak up fat-soluble nutrients, such as lycopene and beta-carotene, a study from Purdue University

Read More »from Which is Worse?

Gourmet, Romulo YanesSarah-Jane Bedwell
SELF

This week's health food can really turn on the heat. From Italy to India, chili peppers have been spicy superstars in cultures around the globe for thousands of years, but flavor isn't all they add: Did you know that capsaicin, the compound that gives these peppers their kick, can actually boost your metabolism? But wait, there's more: Capsaicin is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, help soothe sinus issues and possibly help with headaches, too. Give your taste buds a wake-up call with these four fabulous chili pepper recipes.

See more: Lose 2 Pounds a Week!

Roasted Pineapple and Pepper Salsa: Take a quick trip to the tropics with this sweet and spicy homemade salsa from Food Network's Guy Fieri. The heat from the chilies, red pepper and jalapeno pair perfectly with the sweetness from the fresh mango and pineapple. Dig in with baked tortilla chips or serve it up on grilled fish tacos. Your taste buds will thank you!

Turkey Chipotle

Read More »from Health Food of the Week: Chili Peppers

WWDAmanda MacMillan
SELF

So, a ton of my friends moved here (from other countries!) at the beginning of grad school last summer and are majorly overdue for a haircut. But finding a new stylist is Really. Freaking. Hard. in a new place. In fact, one of 'em asked me how she even goes about finding a stylist. The truth is, it's pretty easy if you do a little research.

See more: Lose 2 Pounds a Week!

Word Of Mouth: My stylist, who I've been seeing for almost a decade (ewwww that makes me feel old), was recommended to me by a friend. And since then, I've recommended him to, like, a million people. And I've found that the friends who also love him are the friends whose hair is super straight, just like mine is. The lesson here: Find a friend whose cut you love, make sure her hair type is similar to yours and ask who she sees. So, if you have straight hair and your BFF has curly hair, she is not the right person to ask. Don't be afraid to ask random people, too. People are way more Read More »from Need a New Hairstylist?

CN Digital StudioAmanda MacMillan
SELF

Wake up with an aching head and queasy stomach this weekend? (Or this morning? Did you have a Sunday Funday? No judgment!) Hangovers suck, no question about it. Ibuprofen, sleep, a Bloody Mary -- they may provide some relief, but that doesn't stop us from wishing for a true miracle cure.

So we had to wonder about oxygen bars. Originally popular in Vegas nightclubs, oxygen bars, cafes and mall kiosks have begun appearing across the country. Because they're not FDA-regulated, they can't make any specific health claims -- but the idea behind oxygen bars is that the airflow can help you feel energized, relaxed, or, yes, hangover-free. But do they really work? And is it actually worth paying for air?

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

First, the 411 on all things O2: Oxygen bars generally have different aromatherapy options, ranging from "energizing" scents like peppermint and citrus, to "relaxing" ones like chamomile. Oxygen gas (which is about

Read More »from Can Oxygen Cure Hangovers?

WWD, Kyle EricksenAmanda MacMillan
SELF

Have you guys seen the "Hair Tutorial Gone Wrong" circulating around YouTube right now? I feel like you probably have. All I can say is OMG -- I feel so bad for 'lil Tori Locklear, even if she got her 15-minute of fame from the TODAY Show. Burning off your hair seriously sucks, but then again, getting one-on-one tips from Ted Gibson ain't so bad, either.

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Anyway -- as someone who curls her hair at least three times a week (and an editor who admittedly heat-styles her hair every single day), there are a few ways to prevent frying your hair off -- without enlisting the help of a master stylist. For serious.

First and foremost, do not -- and I repeat -- do NOT use a cheap (as in crappy) iron. It's worth the extra money to splurge on a fancy one: High-quality irons will distribute heat evenly and usually have coated ceramic bodies that are much gentler to strands than straight-up metal barrels are.

Read More »from How NOT to Burn Your Hair Off

Fairchild ArchiveAmanda MacMillan
SELF

The last thing I want to do is put a damper on anyone's plans for some fun weekend #NailArt. But if you're slated for a gel manicure anytime soon -- professional or DIY -- you may want to read this statement released today by the American Academy of Dermatology. Basically, it warns of the potential consequences getting too many gel manis in a row: brittle, peeling and cracking nails; an increased risk of skin cancer due to UV curing; and the potential to disguise nail disease. Grody, right?

See more: Lose 2 Pounds a Week!

But, the folks at AAD don't want you to abandon your favorite salon specialty altogether -- they just want you to go on a "gel manicure diet" (their term, not mine). Here's how to make the practice safer and healthier for your hands.

Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen on your hands. That lamp you're sticking your hands under for the gel to cure is giving off UV rays. Not only can it increase your skin cancer risk, but it can also

Read More »from Can Gel Manicures Cause Cancer?

Bill DiodatoAmanda MacMillan
SELF

Quick quiz: What's one of the most effective ways to ward off chronic illnesses like Type 2 Diabetes? If you said daily exercise, you're right ... kinda. It turns out, according to a just-published study, that merely moving around more throughout the day -- as opposed to sitting at a desk or lying on the couch -- could be more important than whether or not you actually "work out" (like hitting the gym or going for a run) regularly. Yes, it's yet another reason to stand up (literally) for your health.

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

This new research, online today in the British journal Diabetologia, focused on adults of all ages who were at high risk of developing diabetes. University of Leicester researchers found that the more time study participants spent being sedentary, the worse they scored on glucose and cholesterol tests -- regardless of whether they got their recommended 30 minutes of "moderate to vigorous physical activity" a

Read More »from Diabetes: A New Cure?

CN Digital StudioAlexandra Samuel
SELF

Guys, believe it or not, my must-have beauty tool isn't a fancy foundation sponge (though I do love a good Beauty Blender) or a super-fancy hair iron (and I may or may not live for good curling wand). It's actually something I've been using since I was a kid, costs less than $5 for a three month supply and has been around since the 1920s. Can you guess what it is?

To smudge liner on my bottom lid: I love to use a brush on my top lid to smudge sexy, smoky liner, but any kind of eyeliner brush is always way to thick to use on my bottom lids. Instead, I wipe a brush with gel liner (like Bobbi Brown's) of onto a Q-Tip after smudging, and blend the swab along the bottom lash line for a skinny-but-messy look.

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

To cover up up stretch marks: Dip a Q-Tip into a in a tiny bit of self-tanner (try a gradual formula if you're self-tanner-shy) and gently roll back and forth over a stretch mark. It'll tint the line just

Read More »from 5 New Ways to Use Q-Tips