• Getting in tune with your body is the best way to appreciate it.

    Listen to your heart may sound like just another cliché catchphrase, but researchers have discovered that taking it literally may actually boost your self-image.

    A 2013 study from the Department of Psychology at the University of London found that women who were closely in tune with the beating of their hearts had a healthier body image than women who weren't as accurate.

    QUIZ: How Healthy Is Your Body Image?

    Researchers had 50 volunteers try to listen to and count their heartbeats for a set period of time while a data unit recorded the actual number of beats. Then, the volunteers completed questionnaires designed to determine the extent to which they objectify themselves (that is, value their bodies based on attractiveness), a tendency that reflects poor self-image. The researchers found that women who rated highly for self-objectification were the ones who least accurately estimated their heartbeats.

    While more research is needed to determine how much inner body

    Read More »from 5 Easy Ways to Get in Touch with (And Love!) Yourself
  • Mansoor Candy Cab/FacebookHailing a taxi in New York City is practically a competitive sport but one cabbie is making the grind a little bit sweeter.

    More on Yahoo! Shine: Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars

    Mansoor Khalid, 37, an electrical engineer graduate from Pakistan who's driven a cab since 1996, has turned his taxi into a Willy Wonka factory on wheels by filling his car with boatloads of candy.

    The sign in his cab reads, “No eating or drinking inside this car. Except candies.” And the back dashboard of his car is brimming with candy and chocolate. "Snickers, Milky Way, Starburst, Skittles, you name it, I have it," Khalid told Yahoo! Shine. To get the party started, passengers can plug their music devices into his $400 subwoofer and blast their tunes while enjoying the cab's elaborate lighting system which flashes blue, purple, and pink rays. To further sweeten the experience, Khalid strikes a deal with his passengers: If they can finish all the candy in the car by the time they arrive at their destination,

    Read More »from The Candy Cab Gives New York City Passengers a Sweet Ride
  • Photo: ThinkstockBy Corrie Pikul

    The Cough That's Tough to Kick

    Whooping cough (pertussis)

    In the early 1900s, about 200,000 children in the United States got whooping cough each year, and about 9,000 died as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After a vaccine became widely available in the 1940s, reported cases dropped to about 900 annually. However, last year, more than 41,000 cases were reported to the CDC--the most since 1955.

    Why it's still around: Throughout the 1990s, the U.S. switched from using a vaccine that contained the entire bacterium (which posed a higher risk of side effects) to a less potent "acellular" version. Experts now suspect the newer vaccine is wearing off faster.

    What you can do: Talk to your doctor about a booster shot of Tdap (for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), especially if you haven't had one in 10 years, you're in contact with infants or you're pregnant. The "whoop" occurs when the infected person tries to suck in air to

    Read More »from "Old Fashioned" Diseases that Are Making a Comeback
  • by Jessica Smith for SHAPE.com

    Stop being a slave to the scale!Stop being a slave to the scale!Although you know a number is just a number, it's hard not to worry when you see the scale jump a pound or two overnight or-worse-during the same day. But take a deep breath: Most weight fluctuations are normal.

    Since most of us can't eat enough in a day or two to actually gain 5 or 10 pounds, if you notice a dramatic increase on the scale, chances are it's due to water, says Anita Petruzzelli, M.D., doctor for BodyLogicMD.

    "Eating, drinking, urinating, having a bowel movement, and exercise can all impact your body's water composition and therefore weight," she says. For example, high-carb and high-salt foods can cause water retention and a boost in poundage, while exercise can lead to temporary water and weight loss.

    So don't get too excited-or freaked-if you weigh yourself after a meal or workout. "Weight gain due to water fluctuation should normalize in a day or two when you resume exercising and eating a healthy diet that's low in salt, refined

    Read More »from When Your Weight Fluctuates: What's Normal and What's Not
  • By Kevin Aeh, Refinery29



    Swimsuit season is right around the corner, which means the countdown to get the bikini bod is on. Of course, the combo of a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to go, but that knowledge wasn't always common back in the day - which is why we have such a long and storied history of completely bonkers fad diets.



    RELATED: Why Are We Still Afraid Of The Word "Fat"?



    Looking back at these eating regimens through the ages, we were struck by one indelible fact: People have done some really crazy stuff in the name of weight loss. How crazy? Well, there was a diet consisting completely of cabbage soup (bet those participants smelled quite fragrant), and don't even get us started on the cigarette diet.



    So, while we may know better now, let's take a walk down memory lane and sneak a peek at some of the most popular diet crazes from days of yore. We think it goes without saying that, barring a few notable exceptions, you probably shouldn't try these at home,

    Read More »from The Weirdest, Craziest Fad Diets of All Time
  • Bob HarperMemorial Day weekend, the official start of summer, is just one short week away. For most of us, that also means it's almost Bathing Suit Season! Snuck up on you, didn't it?

    Whether the "deadline" is the upcoming holiday weekend, a wedding, a photo shoot, a red carpet event, or a reunion, all of my clients at one point or another have left their weight loss/tone-up until the very last minute. But have no fear! Having a looming deadline can be really motivating. And I can help you work wonders with even just a week to go.

    My new book, "Jumpstart to Skinny," outlines a plan for supercharged weight loss (you could melt up to 20 lbs in 21 days), 13 important lifestyle rules, an easy exercise program, and delicious menus and recipes to take away all the guessing and all the decision-making. In total, it's a three-week program, but the following three rules will help meet your one-week needs. If you do just these three things, you'll see terrific change by next weekend:

    1. Jumpstart Rule #6: Do

    Read More »from 3 Ways to Get Beach-Ready for Memorial Day Weekend
  • Illustration: Rachell SumpterBy Michelle Konstantinovsky

    Janice Bremis was stunned the day her husband came home and announced that, after six years of marriage, he was moving out. When he did finally pack up and rent a room from a friend, Bremis had to come to terms with the fact that the relationship was over. As her steady life radically changed, the 41-year-old latched onto the only activity that gave her any sense of stability: strict calorie counting.

    RELATED: Dr. Oz's 24 Smart Strategies for Feeling Great at Every Age

    It wasn't the first time Bremis had turned to rigid self-control to get through a difficult phase. Decades earlier, when she'd struggled to maintain good grades in her first year of college, the self-described overachiever had used food as a reward. "I wouldn't allow myself to eat until I'd finished my homework or written the paper I'd been assigned," says Bremis, now 57. "And then when I started to lose weight, seeing the results of my discipline felt empowering. Before I knew it, I'd

    Read More »from Why Adult Women Suffer from Eating Disorders
  • Laura Doss/Fitness MagazineBy Chee Gates

    You need high-octane fuel for your action-packed day. Gas up and go with our sunup-to-sundown engine-revving plan.

    Related: Healthy Habits That Can Zap Your Energy

    Wake-Up Call
    Good start -- you managed to peel away from your comforter with only minor separation anxiety. Now it's time to snap to it. First order of business? Eat! Or risk going into energy debt later in the day. "A balanced breakfast raises blood sugar, which perks you up, and it also stokes your metabolism -- your body's chemical 'on' switch, which helps you burn calories throughout the morning," says Molly Kimball, RD., sports dietitian at Oschner's Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. To get the biggest bang, build your breakfast from these foods and drinks.

    Peanut or Almond Butter on Whole-Grain Toast 

    Protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fat are digested more slowly than carbs, releasing a steady stream of energy.

    Smoked Salmon with a Scrambled Egg
    The fat fills you up and prevents an energy

    Read More »from The All Day Energy Guide
  • Whether you're just graduating from high school or finally earning your college degree, sometimes it's difficult to imagine where life will take you next. After walking the line and celebrating your achievements, there are pressures to find a "grown-up" job, to make new friends (and say goodbyes), and to become truly independent. We asked Shine readers to share the lessons they've learned since graduation and their advice for the graduating class of 2013. Tell us, what advice would you give new grads? -- Ali Swank

    Read More »from Real Advice for the Graduating Class of 2013
  • Kids with allergies on the riseKids with allergies on the riseApparently I'm not the only one with allergies on the brain. I have a reason to be worried my son might be saddled with food allergies for the rest of his life: skin and food allergies in kids are on the rise. The CDC is reporting 1 in 20 kids have a food allergy, which is a 50% increase since the late 90s. It's an even bigger increase for skin allergies, up 69% to 1 in 8 kids. Since the data was collected from a parents' questionnaire and not medical diagnoses it may not be the most accurate set of statistics, but walk into any elementary school and a school nurse will be sure to show you a draw stocked with Epi-pens.

    The big question when it comes to an increase in kids' allergies is "why?" Ever frustratingly, there's no clear cut answer- yet. Some doctors guess it's because we keep our homes so clean these days, using disinfect after disinfect and antibacterial everything (clearly these doctors have never been to my not-so-clean house.) Or maybe there's not really a rise in

    Read More »from Epi-Pendemic: The CDC Reports Food Allergies in Kids Are on the Rise

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