Blog Posts by iVillage

Cold Bath for Diet?By Heather M. Graham

The fact is I need to lose a few pounds. My Dad disagrees, but he loves me, thinks I'm beautiful and has always thought dieting was absurd. (He once made a declaration that the word "diet" was verboten in the house). Thanks Dad, but I'm still trying to shed those pounds.

As a health editor, I know the best way to lose weight and get healthy is to exercise and eat whole grains, protein, vegetables, fruit and a little dairy. I also know ice cream is not dairy; French fries are not vegetables. So whenever a new diet book hits Barnes & Noble, I'm curious as to how it "works." While most are a variation on exercise and eat right, some take a more radical line and suggest eliminating entire food groups or cutting calories so low that you are in a constant state of hunger (and probably grumpiness, to boot). The book Six Weeks OMG: Get Skinnier Than All Your Friends takes it even further. What can only be described as completely cray-cray, the book makes some, um,

Read More »from Cold Baths and Blowing Up Balloons? WTF, OMG Diet?

Cultura/Chev Wilkinson/stockimage/getty imagesBy Ronnie Koenig

First Time You Let One Fly
This usually happens around the one month mark. You and your new guy are lying in bed, candles are lit, you're wearing brand new lingerie, soft music is playing…You look deeply into each other's eyes…and he lets one rip so loudly that you're sure your neighbor 3-floors down can hear it.

You're taken by surprise but you don't really care!

"This milestone reveals your true level of intimacy," says Patti Britton, PhD, clinical sexologist, founder of SexCoachU.com and author of The Art of Sex Coaching . "It means that things have moved from the fantasy of courtship to a real relationship, warts and all. The next time you let your guard down and use a toilet while he's shaving, or he lets out air during breakfast, know that being more open is going to allow you to get closer -- and not just in the bathroom!"

First Time You Introduce Each Other as "Boyfriend" and "Girlfriend"
I'd like you to meet my…friend? partner? compatriot? Up until

Read More »from Relationship Milestones: Where Do You Stand as a Couple?

GETTY IMAGESBy Brenda Kearns

Stock your shopping cart with these fresh, fat-fighting picks

Strawberries
Who can resist a bowl of juicy red berries? Pop 'em freely, because they're the perfect summer snack: filling, light on calories and laden with nutrients from omega 3 fats to cancer-fighting polyphenols. "Just half a cup of strawberries provides over 70 percent of your daily Vitamin C, plus fiber and an array of antioxidants," says weight-loss coach Jackie Keller.

Cherries
Sweet, juicy cherries contain just 87 calories per cup -- and if you enjoy them three times weekly in place of heavier desserts, you could shed up to five pounds this summer alone, say researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. Bonus: Cherries are loaded with anthocyanins -- antioxidants that University of Nebraska researchers say can help kill cancer cells and lower your liver's production of artery-clogging cholesterol by as much as 10 percent.

Plums
"Whether eaten whole, dried or pureed into sauces, plums

Read More »from 30 Summer Foods for Weight Loss

VikaValter/vetta/getty images By Ronnie Koenig

You may have to leave your comfort zone to try some of these very naughty deeds but the reward will be a renewed interest in your partner and pleasure that's off the charts!

Get Spanked
Nothing makes a person feel naughtier than being bent over their lover's knee (think about that scene in Secretary with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader!).

"If you decide to receive a nice little spank, be open to it," says Sadie Allison, Ph.D., founder of TickleKitty.com and author of Tickle My Tush: Mild-to-Wild Analplay Adventures for Everybooty. "This means letting go of maybe feeling silly, and engaging in the fun by making sounds of lust and passion with each spank. Or play with your partner by teasing him and saying things like, 'Is that all you got?'"

Let Him Tie You Up
Many women find taking the submissive role during sex to be a major turn-on (hello, 50 Shades of Grey). The best thing about this game is that there is no plot, script or planning necessary.

Read More »from 20 Kinky Things You so Can Do

Bill Boch/Stockbyte/Getty Images; Larry Gatz/The Image Bank/Getty Images By Cynthia Ramnarace

It's summertime, and the cocktail sipping's easy. But which drinks are most likely to derail your diet?

Frozen Margarita vs. Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
You're craving a tall, frosty, frozen cocktail. But do you go for the pink or the green? Which is worse?
Worse: Frozen Margarita
The daiquiri wins only if it's made with real strawberries, says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., nutrition professor at Boston University and author of Nutrition and You . "If they're using real strawberries, and a fair amount of them, you're actually going to get some fiber," says Blake. "You actually may get full from having it, which could make you eat less once dinner arrives." Even if your bartender doesn't make his frozen drinks from scratch, some, but not all, pre-made daiquiri mixes have real strawberries . Ask your mix master what she uses. Recipe: Berry Daquiri

Gin and Tonic vs. Peach Bellini
A mix of gin, tonic and a squeeze of lime or a cocktail made of

Read More »from Which is Worse? Summer Drinks Edition

What does your favorite ice cream flavor say about you?
It's the age-old question - chocolate, vanilla or strawberry? Or maybe you're more of a butter pecan or mint chocolate chip person. Your favorite ice cream flavor may reveal more than you realize. IceCream.com offers "ice cream flavorology" for eight popular flavors. Read on to find out what your favorite says about you.

By Lisa Cericola

1. Chocolate Chocolate Chunk
Is plain old chocolate not chocolatey enough for you? According to IceCream.com, you're "lively, creative and dramatic" and love being in the spotlight. You might require a little more attention, but you charm everyone with your enthusiasm and sense of style. Double chocolate chunk lovers love to spend time with friends, rather than be alone, and look for passion and excitement in relationships.

2. Vanilla
Don't feel boring if vanilla is your go-to choice at the ice cream parlor. IceCream.com says you're one of the most vibrant personalities out there, a "colorful, dramatic risk taker who relies more on intuition than

Read More »from What Does Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor Say About You?

By Brenda Kearns

What you eat can be causing those regular headaches, constant joint pain or other nagging symptoms. This easy DIY elimination diet can help you find out if one of seven top food sensitivities is to blame.

Is a Food Sensitivity the Culprit for Those Nagging Symptoms?
It's a common misconception to think that if you don't break out in hives or stop breathing, you're not really affected by a certain food. But, more than 37 million women suffer from food-triggered fatigue, joint pain, digestive upsets, headaches and other uncomfortable symptoms every day. If any of this describes you, you could have undiagnosed food sensitivity, says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California.

Another myth is that you are born with your food sensitivities. Truth is, sensitivities build up after years of eating tough-to-digest staples day after day. The biggest culprits, according to researchers: wheat, milk, sugar,

Read More »from Always Tired? Stomach Upset? Try This Diet to Find Your Food Sensitivities

G. Pace/FilmMagic/Getty Images By Jessica Smith

Get results and stay motivated with your new workout routine by avoiding these common pitfalls

#1: Setting Unrealistic Goals

If you decide that running a 5K is your goal, but you've never run before, trying to finish one by the end of your first week of training isn't the best idea. "The biggest mistake that new exercisers make is setting incredibly unattainable goals," says Samantha Clayton, a certified personal trainer and former Olympic sprinter in Malibu, California. Starting your first week off by going for your first run in years, several days in a row, will most likely have you throwing in the towel by Wednesday.

Success strategy: Before you can run, you need to start walking. "Small, simple and easy goals will build your confidence and help you to stick with it," says Clayton. If, for example, your ultimate goal is to run a 5K but you've never run before, break down your larger goal into smaller, more realistic steps. Start off with brisk walking the first Read More »from 14 Exercise Mistakes Beginners Make