• The aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado.The aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado.In the wake of this week's deadly tornado in Oklahoma, 22-year-old Oklahoma State University student (and Cosmo reader) Cinnamon wrote to us to share her story.

    When I woke up on Monday morning, I never thought my Oklahoma hometown would be so devastated by the time I went to sleep.

    I was leaving an eye doctor appointment in Moore (where I went to high school) at around 2:50 pm on Monday afternoon when I heard a newscaster on TV announcing that everyone needed to take shelter-immediately-because the tornado was going to hit within 30 minutes. I called my mom, who lives nearby in Oklahoma City, to come pick me up so we could make it home before things got scary. But while I was waiting for her, the doctor's office decided to close so everyone could get home. I ran next door to a gas station, but when I got there, my mom called saying the road was blocked and she was unable to reach me.

    Needless to say, I was really afraid. We go through tornado watches all the time here in

    Read More »from "I Hid in a Freezer to Survive the Oklahoma Tornado"
  • by Mike Roussell, ph.D, SHAPE Diet Doctor

    Should you eat kale in the summertime?Should you eat kale in the summertime?We've all heard you should eat produce that's in season, but what about superfoods? Should you stop eating kale in the summer and blueberries in winter, or do you still get benefits from consuming them?

    Our current food system gives us the luxury of having foods all year despite certain ones not being in season where you live. But research shows that prolonged storage of food can lead to decreases in the nutritional content of the food, specifically vitamin C. So while the kale you eat in the summer that was shipped to your local supermarket from an average of 1,500 miles away won't be as nutritionally robust as the kale you buy locally in the fall, it is still a superfood.



    RELATED: 7 Slimmed-Down Salad Dressings

    Regarding blueberries, when you use frozen berries as many people do in smoothies, you are getting the full benefit of in-season fruit out of season. Most frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at their peak ripeness and

    Read More »from Should You Eat Out-of-Season Superfoods?
  • Peter Ardito/Fitness MagazinePeter Ardito/Fitness MagazineBy Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie

    Running in superplush sneaks may baby your feet, but they give your legs a beating, experts say. "When you have cushioning in the heel, you tend to land on your heel because it's comfortable to do so. This strike increases the force of the impact on your body," says Irene Davis, PhD, the director of Harvard Medical School's Spaulding National Running Center. To keep you on (the balls of) your feet, try Davis's simple steps to going low-foam in a more minimal sneaker.

    Related: Top Trail Running Tips for Beginners

    Lose your shoes.
    
To nudge yourself into the right strike zone -- mid to forefoot rather than heel -- spend a few minutes at a time running barefoot on a firm surface. A smooth stretch of sidewalk is ideal for this, Davis says.

    Tone below the knees.

    Subtracting support from your shoes means the muscles in your feet and calves have to take on more work, Davis says. Build them up with single-leg calf raises and arch domes (while barefoot, press

    Read More »from Lighten Your Stride: How to Transition into Minimalist Sneakers
  • It's almost time to hit the beach, but you're still about 25 pounds away from your weight loss goal. Sure, it's a tall order. But you can shed weight quickly, depending on how much you have to lose and how focused you remain.

    Oftentimes, simple, easy changes can help you see results right away. That said, patience is an important part of the successful weight-loss formula. The pounds didn't get packed on overnight; it's going to take some time to establish healthy eating and exercise habits, and shed the not-so-healthy ones. If you follow these 10 steps, it won't feel like mission impossible, and you'll be more likely to keep the weight off.

    RELATED: 4 Ways to Make Exercise a Lasting Habit

    1. Do some detective work. Take some time to identify the most likely culprits of the unwanted weight. Are fried or sugary foods too tough to resist? Is it hard to avoid noshing whenever free food is within arm's reach? Are you too tired and busy to shop and cook healthy meals? Or do

    Read More »from 10 Tips for Weight Loss that Lasts
  • My inbox lit up last week. Friends, acquaintances, people I barely know - all people who know I am gluten free. They wanted my signature on a petition created to pressure Disney into pulling an episode of the popular show (even in my own house) Jessie. The episode features a gluten-sensitive child who is mocked and portrayed as high maintenance. It culminates in him having a meltdown after a pancake is tossed at him.

    Apparently there are a lot of gluten-free kids out there and this episode was upsetting to them. I don't doubt that for one minute. Being gluten free is not a trendy lifestyle "choice" or trend for many of these kids. It's a medical necessity. This is the case for me as well, and has been the case for over a decade.

    When I eat away from home I do grill people. Not because I like to do it. It's embarrassing and exhausting. I've written about it on my own blog. I hate my guts. I hate that I have to do this.

    Read More »from Why I'm Glad Disney Pulled "Jessie" for Insensitive Gluten-free Portrayal
  • I Am Beyonce

    Blue Ivy is ready for her close up! Mama Beyonce recently posted a photo of the tiny tot to her Tumblr I Am Beyonce. In the photo, Blue is perched on her customized director's chair with her initials "BIC" printed on the back, rocking a tutu and a new braided hairdo. Squee!

    The photo was snapped backstage at Beyonce's "Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" which has also reportedly accommodated Blue Ivy with a million dollar nursery suite when she's at the Barclay's Center. A source told US Weekly, "Jay rents a luxurious basement suite for $1 million a year. It has an area for Blue filled with toys." The nursery also doubles as an adult rec room with a champagne bar and TV screen.

    So cute. More candids please!


    Read More »from It's Good To Be Blue Ivy Carter
  • These small additions will bring you big results.

    If you've tried every butt-blasting, glute-sculpting workout you can find and still see flat or saggy results, you may just need to tweak what you're doing to turn disappointment into an uplifting success.

    VIDEOS: Top Trainers Share Their Favorite Butt-Toning Moves

    Most butt-blaster workouts rightly incorporate squats, lunges, step ups and dead lifts. I'm not going to rehash or describe them here. You can find them easily online. I'm also not going to go into proper technique or discuss the risks associated with each exercise. You can find that elsewhere, too. What I am going to do is tell you how to adjust these exercises to actually make them work for you.

    Up the Resistance
    If you can do more than 12 repetitions of your chosen glute exercise, whether that's squats, lunges, step ups or dead lifts, add more resistance. Ten barbell squats to fatigue will do more to shape your rear than 50 squats without added weight. To build muscle effectively, you must have enough

    Read More »from 5 Simple Ways to Kick Your Butt Workout Up a Notch
  • The Plaza Towers Elementary school in Moore, OK, was destroyed by the tornado. (Photo: Richard Rowe/Reuters)First responders continued to sift through debris in search of survivors on Tuesday, a day after a massive tornado ripped through Oklahoma, killing at least 24 people, nine of them children.

    5 Ways to Prepare Your Family for a Natural Disaster

    Experts typically encourage families to come up with a disaster plan in case of emergencies, but in the face of extreme and instant devastation, does a family disaster plan even make a difference?

    "I would absolutely say that family disaster plans are worth having," Anne Marie Borrego, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, told Yahoo! Shine in an interview on Tuesday. "It's something we should all do with our families to make sure we're prepared for any kind of disaster."

    Tornado Survivor Finds Her Missing Dog During TV Interview

    Though they're much more prevalent in America's Great Plains, tornadoes have touched down in every state in the U.S. at one time or another, the Red Cross points out.

    "The Red Cross urges everyone to pick a safe room in

    Read More »from Can You Really Prepare for a Disaster?
  • by Alyssa Longobucco


    Don't worry, it happens. Here's what to do, according to Irene S. Levine, Ph.D., author of Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup With Your Best Friend.

    1. Call her.
    Yes, right now. Resist the urge to fire off an "OMG, I'm so sorry!!" text -- it will be obvious you're hiding. Reach out directly and she'll be more open to hearing your mea culpa. Once you get her on the phone, it's grovel time. Try, "I really value your friendship, and I want to apologize. What I did was wrong."

    See more: Shop Summer's Hottest Swimsuits

    2. Give the girl some space.
    It takes time to work through an emotional beat-down. If she needs to cool off, wait a week before reaching out again. But this go-round, don't call. Write an email, apologize again and ask if you can talk over lunch (on you): It'll give her breathing room to think instead of sending her into defensive mode.

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    Best Beauty Products Under $15

    3. Be straight.

    Don't wait for her to

    Read More »from OMG! I Sent My Friend a Ranting Text...About Her!
  • by Gena Kaufman


    David TsayDavid Tsay Clinical psychologist Meg Jay recently gave a TED talk that may make 30-somethings or almost-30-somethings break out in a nervous sweat. Here's her main message: You know how you're always hearing that 30 is the new 20? Phew, right? Wrong!

    According to Jay, 30 is NOT the new 20, and saying it's so is a big problem. She frequently hears clients in their twenties talk as if things don't matter: This relationship isn't great, but I'm just killing time. I'll just bartend for now and as long as I figure out a career by the time I'm 30, it's fine. But it's not. When those clients are about to hit 30, they change their tune: I've got nothing to show for my twenties. What was I doing? What was I thinking? Uh. Oh.

    Here are a few reasons your twenties DO matter, according to Jay:
    * 80 percent of life's most defining moments take place by age 35.
    * The first 10 years of your career has an exponential impact on how much you'll earn.
    * Over half of Americans are with their future

    Read More »from 30 is NOT the New 20. But is that Bad or Good for Us?

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