Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

.The term 'pH' is thrown around a lot in the health world, yet knowing exactly what it is referring to can be confusing. Well, let's clear that up: pH refers to how acidic (0), or alkaline (14), or neutral (7) we are. "The pH of the body generally refers to the pH of blood, which is always slightly alkaline - falling in the number range of about 7.35-7.45," says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Thankfully, you don't really have to do anything to get a stellar and healthy blood pH, other than eat a healthy diet. Although, yes, sometimes that's easier said than done. "When your body is functioning at its best, your cells are able to maintain a healthy blood pH easily," explains Cohn. "But when your body has to work harder to filter the foods you eat to maintain blood pH, then you could be more susceptible to illness or disease."

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By Leila Brillson, Refinery29

.True! And sure, all of those guys may be happier, but that's not the case with butchers. According to CareerCast.com, fashion designers are a pretty unhappy lot who are saddled with rather unfortunate career paths. Those who happen to have the best jobs include software engineers, dental hygienists, and actuaries (according to Wikipedia, that's a role that helps businesses manage risk and uncertainty).

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Using a set criteria that takes into consideration factors like workplace stress levels, competition, occupational hazards, and income-growth potential, CareerCast ranked 200 jobs from best to worst - with fashion designer coming in at 182 (jewellers fared better, at 141).

Of course, different work environments yield different experiences, even within the same line of work, but the real issue here was how dated the positions surveyed appeared to be. Titles like typists/word processors, disc

By Erika Stalder, Refinery29

.You're stranded on a desert island and were able to smuggle one item of contraband. Did you take your favorite jams? Bubbly and caviar? Nope. If you're being honest, most of us will have brought an internet-connected mobile device.

Seem harsh? Our attachment to our gadgets is stronger than we realize. On average, mobile users check their cell phone every six and a half minutes, according to findings from Nokia. Research also shows that a vast majority of us experience phantom vibration syndrome: a below-the-belt buzzing sensation we think we feel when there's nary a cell phone (nor sex toy) on our person.

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We post meal pictures to Instagram while real-life companions sit, ignored. On planes, we desperately fondle our phones in anticipation checking messages the moment we hit the ground. This compulsive, anxious behavior is affecting

By Holly E. Thomas, Refinery29

While it actually is possible to have too much of a good thing, when it comes to eye-catching cocktail rings, we're firmly in the opposite camp - you can never have enough.

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To prove it, we've rounded up a bounty of our newest finger-bauble crushes. From elegant, old-school silhouettes to wild works of art, there's a ring (or three) here for you. Click through to meet your perfect match.

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By Lexi Nisita, Refinery29

.Maternity dressing is hard. First off, you're dealing with a lot of obstacles, many of which are more serious than picking out a cute outfit - from nausea in the mornings to cravings all day, and trying to juggle a normal life in between, moms-to-be tend to have a lot going on. Some of them, like Kate Middleton are lucky enough to have teams of stylists, personal shoppers, royal hair-brushers, and all manner of other helpers to assist with looking cute. So, that helps.

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But until now, those many helpers have decided to keep Kate under wraps. As much as tabloids have been craving a good look at her bump, they haven't gotten it, as the Duchess has chosen to use this opportunity to bring out her collection of prim, ladylike coats. But today, she stepped out sans-jacket in a lovely floral-print dress, baby body on display. Rather than go all OMG, she's so pregs!, we're just going to say

By Samantha Yu, Refinery29

Yes, Zac Posen has indeed designed an entire gown made out of gold. Not gold fabric, but actual 24-karat paillettes. Okay, truth be told - paillettes covered in 24-karat gold leaf. But, still! An entire dress with $1.5 million worth of material!

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In honor of Magnum's new Gold?! sea-salt caramel, vanilla-bean ice cream bar, Posen designed the dress with "a serious couture structure, even though it looks like a bias moving dress." The garment took two months to make - one to sew on the sequins followed by another for fittings and perfecting.

Without a doubt, model Caroline Correa, who is also featured in Magnum's short film, As Good As Gold, looked absolutely dazzling on the red carpet. Now, if we could just snag ourselves our own custom-designed gold gown.

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By Tara Rasmus, Refinery29

.As members of the Got Milk? generation, we've been raised on the belief that low-fat dairy is one of the healthiest foods that women can eat. However, according to many nutritionists, dairy is actually one of the worst foods that we can consume, causing everything from digestive problems to weak bones to cancer. Milk-a what? We interviewed three nutrition professionals to learn the shocking truth about milk products - it may change everything you believe about your diet.

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According to Vivian Goldschmidt, nutritionist and founder of Save Our Bones, the conversation about dairy in human diets start with an understanding of what cow's milk products are actually designed to do, which is fatten up calves. "Cow's milk is an excellent food for calves, and each mammalian species has its own 'designer' milk. Drinking milk produced by another species is

By Refinery29

.Here at R29, we're genuine suckers for great style, fierce beauty, and, well...butter. So, it's no surprise that we're completely hooked on Spoon Fork Bacon, a culinary-inspired blog that embraces another three essentials things in equal measure: Healthy snacks, indulgent sweets, and serious cocktails - each as innovative as they are yummy (did we just say that?). Check back every month for a few of our all-time favorites from SFB...the culinary arts just got way cooler!

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Cheesy Quinoa Cakes with a Roasted Garlic and Lemon Aioli
Makes 10 to 12

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
2/3 cup grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
aioli:
½ cup light mayonnaise
1 head of garlic, roasted
1 lemon, zested and juiced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and