11 Silk Pillowcases to Prevent Wrinkles and Fight Frizz

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Meet Tracy Anderson at Health's Total Wellness Weekend

Work out with Tracy Anderson and meet other Health experts at our wellness weekend at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Mass., April 22-24, 2016! You'll get to participate in exclusive fitness and cooking classes, and listen to inspiring speakers. For more visit http://ift.tt/1AYb7dA #HealthTotalWellness http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 27, 2016 at 01:16AM

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The Best Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin

Clothes making you itchy and red? Try one of these dye-free, fragrance-free detergents. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 24, 2016 at 01:16AM

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Which Non-Dairy Milk Is Right for You?

If you're craving milk—without the milk—try a dairy alternative like soy, almond, or cashew. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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February 24, 2016 at 01:16AM

6 Ways to Upgrade a Basic Squat

Five squat variations so you can chisel your core and build a better butt http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 23, 2016 at 01:16AM

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The Right Bangs for Your Face Shape

Soft and side-swept or bold and blunt? Find your most flattering new look. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 23, 2016 at 01:16AM

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9 Things Every Woman Must Know About Her Fertility

Whether or not you want babies, your fertility can be a window into your overall health. Here's a puberty-to-menopause handbook covering the facts of life every woman needs to know. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 23, 2016 at 01:16AM

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The Best Advice From the Happiest People on the Planet

Looking to boost your mood for the rest of your days? Here's some feel-good advice from some of the happiest people on the planet. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 23, 2016 at 01:16AM

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How to Treat 4 Different Kinds of Headaches

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The Best Sheets to Keep You Cool All Night Long

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A Faster Metabolism at Any Age

You'd like to do something—anything—to speed up your metabolism, but it's out of your control. Right? Not quite. Although genetics and your age both play a role, recent studies suggest you have plenty of say over how well your metabolism—which involves your body's ability to break down food into usable energy—functions.

In fact, you can all but negate the metabolic slowdown that happens after 40 by tweaking your diet, exercise, and sleep habits. "Think of your body as an engine—your metabolism is the rate at which your engine runs," explains Scott Isaacs, MD, an endocrinologist in Atlanta and author of Hormonal Balance: How to Lose Weight By Understanding Your Hormones and Metabolism. "By making adjustments to these three elements, you can actually make your engine rev higher."

The eating and exercise plans on these pages were designed to keep your metabolism humming to the tune of up to 10 pounds off in 21 days. Read on for the keys to not only losing, but losing for good.

Key 1: Eat early
Your basal metabolic rate—the number of calories your body burns at rest—is based on things like age, height, and body type, so there isn't much you can do to alter it. But there is a lot you can do to change the number of calories you burn above that, beginning with your diet. Specifically: Eat breakfast.

We already know the reasons you may not want to (you don't have the time/energy/stomach for it), but leaving for work on an empty stomach is like hitting the pause button on your metabolism. Here's why: When your brain senses your stomach is empty, it sends a message to your cells to conserve energy in case another meal doesn't arrive. In other words, your body holds onto the fat stored in your cells instead of helping you burn it off.

"Breakfast triggers a process called thermogenesis, where the body signals the brain to activate the metabolic process of turning food into energy," says Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Blood Sugar Solution.

Key 2: Eat often
To keep your metabolism humming, Dr. Hyman suggests eating small meals every three or four hours. Aim to make each of those meals at least one-quarter protein—whether it's animal protein, beans, or dairy, says Marissa Lippert, RD, who designed the eating plan on page 39. A recent study in the journal Neuron suggests that consuming protein stimulates the cells responsible for switching on the body's calorie-burning mechanism.

Foods high in sugar and processed carbs, on the other hand, can lead to another problem: insulin resistance. "As we get older, it's crucial to pay attention to how much sugar we're consuming," says Diane Kress, RD, author of The Metabolism Miracle. "Too much messes with your metabolism by causing your body to store extra calories as fat."

Next Page: Key 3: Sweat off the weight

Key 3: Sweat off the weight
Even more important? Exercise. "Not only does it affect your metabolism while you're doing it, but research shows you can keep burning calories up to 24 hours after you finish because your metabolism stays elevated," Dr. Isaacs says.

That's especially true if you challenge yourself: A new study in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests that intense bouts of exercise can "turn on" genes responsible for energy metabolism. Researchers found that the activation of these fat- burning genes was higher in cyclists who pedaled at 80 percent of their aerobic capacity versus those who did a more moderate cycling session at 40 percent. So although you can't permanently change your DNA (if only!), experts say exercise can fire up certain genes that initiate the fat-burning process.

Exercise is particularly helpful once you pass the age of 40, when your metabolism naturally begins to slow down. Experts used to believe it slowed due to an inevitable loss of muscle mass. However, a study in the journal The Physician and Sports Medicine found that fit women ages 41 to 81 who continued to exercise four to five times a week as they got older had little change in body composition. The real reason you lose muscle with age? You stop using it. "We now know that women who keep up a regular vigorous fitness routine don't experience the metabolic decrease," Dr. Isaacs says.

Key 4: Sleep away the pounds
No, it's not your imagination. Too little sleep can cause you to gain—and not just because you're spending those extra waking hours in front of the TV nursing a bag of chips. Research suggests that people who sleep two-thirds of their usual amount (five hours instead of eight, say) eat an average of 549 extra calories the following day without realizing it. Experts believe this is because too few zzz's upset the balance of important appetite-regulating hormones.

But that's not all: A Swedish study found that even one night of disrupted sleep can cause the body to burn up to 20 percent fewer calories the following day. "Sleep deprivation impacts multiple hormones related to metabolism," Dr. Isaacs says. "Resistance to leptin—a hormone that regulates body weight—increases, while levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals to your brain that you're hungry, also increase."

Aim for seven to eight hours of pillow time a night, advises Dr. Hyman. "Just a small change in your sleep schedule can make a big difference in your health." Not to mention your ability to burn calories.

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The Best and Worst Foods for Your Thyroid

Thyroid problems can be helped (or hurt) by what you eat. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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February 19, 2016 at 01:16AM

Sit Less Every Day: Take Our 3-Week Challenge

Even if you work out, heavy sitting may put you at greater risk of developing diabetes or dying of heart disease or cancer, per a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine. "We haven't cracked the formula for how much light activity versus more traditional exercise we should do," says study co-author David Alter, MD. "But taking the 'move more' mentality more seriously is a good place to start."

The action plan
Give yourself points every time you complete one of that week's tasks. Try to rack up at least 15 points a week.

RELATED: Your Slim and Strong Walking Workout

Week 1
Get on your feet: "Find out what your personal sitting traps or triggers are, and create reminders to stand or move around," suggests Nolan Peterson, a wellness exercise specialist at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program.

Count your steps: Keep your smartphone or tracker on you all day to get a rough idea of how many steps you take. Whatever your personal best is, aim to log 1,000 more steps daily. [1 Point]

Wear comfy shoes to work: "You're not going to stand or walk around more if you don't have the means to do so," says celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak. [1 Point]

Set a timer: "Your computer mesmerizes you and you lose track of time. You need something to remind you when it's a good idea to make a postural change," says Alan Hedge, PhD, an ergonomics professor at Cornell University. Program your phone to vibrate every hour as a cue to stand or do laps for 10 minutes. [2 Points]

Switch to a standing desk: "I've found I'm more likely to move naturally into different positions when I use mine," says Peterson. To DIY your own, check out these standing desk ideas. [3 Points]

RELATED: Walk Off Every Bulge

Week 2
Move it: Make some aspects of life less convenient, recommends Hedge.

Find excuses to move: Do away with the printer at your desk; at home, transfer your mugs to a cabinet away from the coffeemaker. [1 Point]

Pace during calls: Get in the habit of taking extra steps whenever you answer the phone. [1 Point]

Be a mom in motion: Stroll the sidelines instead of sitting on the bleachers at your kid's baseball game, or get out of the car and walk around at school pickup. [2 Points]

Keep the remote out of reach: During TV time, leave the clicker across the room. Hop up to hit mute during commercials. [2 Points]

RELATED: Best Sneakers For Walking

Week 3
Up the burn: It's crucial to pair small pockets of movement with real exercise, says Dr. Alter, who's a cardiologist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Climb the stairs: "Going up uses three times the energy as going down," says Hedge. Walk up one to two flights whenever possible this week. [1 Point]

Work out at lunch: Bonus: Exercising during work hours for 2½ hours a week may maintain or boost productivity, per a 2011 study. [2 Points]

Sneak in some action: Schedule a walking, jogging, even SoulCycling meeting instead of settling into conference-room chairs. [3 Points]

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3 Times It's Good to Be a "Bad" Patient

Several years ago, I had a pregnant patient who did not seem to grasp the significance of her illnesses (uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes). What she did understand is when she didn't approve of her care. She complained about everything from our nursing staff to how our fluorescent lighting "made her blood pressure go up." She was That Patient.

Some months later, my child underwent a small biopsy to investigate an uncomfortable skin problem. Three weeks went by, and I found myself with a still-miserable kid and no results. I called the office multiple times, but "the doctor was out" and could never be reached. One day, I wasn't having it anymore; I asked to speak to the office manager. Those records? Are my property. You? Will fax them over immediately. And I? Will need to speak to your supervisor if this does not happen today.

The doctor called me two hours later with the results and an apology. I realized: I was That Patient. And you know what? It felt good.

The question is, can you be the super-empowered patient who fixes the problem—without being the rude one who makes the situation worse? The answer is yes. Here's the right way to act up to get the best possible care.

RELATED: 5 Myths Even Doctors Believe

Nobody is returning my phone calls!
I once had a patient call to report her symptoms of an impending herpes outbreak; she legitimately wanted to be seen and start her antiviral medication right now. But she called Friday afternoon after my office hours. When she spoke to the secretary, she didn't say what she needed—just that she wanted to talk to the doctor. I didn't work at that office on Mondays, so the first I knew about it was Tuesday morning, when I came in to eight angry messages and a livid patient in my waiting room. She was right to be upset and push—but she didn't know the best way to do it.

Part of being proactive is knowing how your doctor's office works. What—and who—are between you and what you need, and how can you get through? Most offices must have someone to cover when their primary provider is not available. So get specific: You need someone who can write a prescription or see you today. Be prepared to give the front desk staff some details about your situation. Once they know that you have a medically urgent problem, they can be your greatest ally in getting a provider to help you.

It's also smart to investigate ahead of time what options your office has—an affiliated clinic? A nurse practitioner who can assess your need today? An electronic portal that can be used to contact your doctor? That way, you're ready to go to the backup plan if you have to.

In my patient's case, instead of leaving increasingly angry messages with a secretary, I wish she had known to utter the magic words "Is there another provider I could speak to?" (I also wish my clinic had had a culture that encouraged the secretary to let patients through more easily; that's something we worked on as a result.)

I've been in this waiting room so long that I'm getting mail here!
Endless wait times make me madder than almost anything else—even as I cause plenty of them. Although my goal as a physician is to see a patient within 15 minutes of the appointment time, that doesn't always happen. Thirty minutes is reasonable for most practices. If you haven't been called in by then, check with the folks at the front desk. Remember: They're probably having a crappy day, too, so demand attention firmly but constructively: "Unfortunately, I can't wait much longer, and I need to decide whether to reschedule. Can you give me an estimated time for when I will be seen?"

There are emergencies and snafus that put even the best-run office out of whack. But if you know where things are heading, you can decide if waiting longer is worth it to you. And if the answer you get is that this is "just how they always run," well, that's important to know, too. For me, that kind of attitude toward my time is a deal breaker. An office that always runs drastically late can be an honest threat to our health, because if doctor's visits take the whole day, most of us are much less likely to seek care when we need it.

Even better is knowing how to avoid delays in the first place. Try to snag the first appointment in the morning (when the doctor isn't yet running behind). There's usually a break between the morning and afternoon sessions, so nabbing the first slot in the afternoon might also help (since, by then, she's hopefully all caught up).

RELATED: 15 Diseases Doctors Often Get Wrong

I didn't get a call about my test results!
When you don't hear about your lab results for a week, does that mean everything is fine? Or did they forget you? Sometimes the lab is still cooking. Depending on the test, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the results to come back.

That said, I know that any amount of time feels like forever when it comes to your health (or your child's!). So every time you get a test, ask when and how you'll receive a result. Unfortunately, many offices only call to tell you about "concerning" results. Even (or especially) if this is their policy, it's wise to push: Find out when you can call to hear the boring good news.

This is important because no news sometimes means that no one has looked at the lab report—and that can be dangerous. It may lead to delayed treatment or a missed diagnosis, neither of which is ever OK.

In the case of my kid's biopsy, when the doctor apologized and explained that she had put off telling me the result because she wanted to call me herself, I was mollified. For what it's worth, I've never had to throw a fit at that practice again.

How to get what you want (nicely!)

DO: Try to call for appointments or to ask clinical questions long before the end of business hours; morning is often best so the staff has a chance to grab the doctor before she gets behind or needs to leave.

DO: Politely ask for a call back from someone higher up on the ladder if you're not getting what you need. For medical issues, you might ask for a nurse or a doctor; for procedural stuff (appointments or forms you need filled out), you'll want a nursing supervisor or office manager.

DO: Be aware that the provider you love—the doctor or midwife or nurse practitioner—may have no idea how difficult it is to reach her. Let her know (gently) so she can assess and try to adjust how her staff works. These days, many practices are owned by a hospital, which employs the physician, and so the doctor may not have as much power to change things quickly (the way she would if she ran a private practice). But talking to your doctor can at least start moving your complaint up the chain of command. If she's defensive, or if the office can't seem to get a handle on the problem, you may want to move on.

DON'T: Start out sounding angry (even if you are). Obvious but always worth repeating: Acting as if people are doing their best is a lot more effective in rallying them to your cause than yelling or being condescending. Open with a smile and, if you can, some sympathy—that's more likely to score you that secretly available appointment with the nice doctor and the gowns that close all the way.

RELATED: 19 Medical Tests Everyone Needs

Chavi Eve Karkowsky, MD, is an assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health Services at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

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This Is The Last Diet You'll Ever Need

There's a reason so many of us struggle with losing weight (and keeping it off). Cutting-edge research is pointing toward a surprising new explanation—one that has little to do with lack of willpower. (Thank goodness.) In fact, the problem is that you've been doing what you were told to do—slash calories, cut fat.

Conventional wisdom holds that weight loss is nothing more than simple math. Take in fewer calories than you expend, and the pounds will fall off as predictably as leaves from an autumn tree. But thousands of failed diets have shown that the low-calorie approach doesn't work, says David Ludwig, MD, an endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. "When you cut calories, the body fights back, making you hungrier, among other things," he explains. "Weight is controlled by our biology more than our willpower."

RELATED: 16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

What's more, despite everything you've heard for years, all calories aren't created equal. "Although a bottle of cola and a handful of nuts may have the same number of calories, they have dramatically different effects on metabolism," says Dr. Ludwig. (Bet you can guess which is worse.)

Three new books offer insights into the latest thinking on smart eating, and they're all penned by eminent weight-loss experts: Dr. Ludwig; Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; and Mark Hyman, MD, director of The Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. Health chatted with these groundbreaking diet crusaders to uncover what we all need to know to slim down and stay healthy for good.

Minimize simple carbs
"The 'calorie is a calorie' myth is perhaps the most misleading nutrition lie ever," says Dr. Hyman. Here's why: Sugary snacks and drinks and low-fat, highly processed starches raise blood sugar quickly, which triggers your pancreas to release a flood of insulin—the hormone Dr. Ludwig calls "the ultimate fat cell fertilizer" because it instructs your body to store calories as fat, causing fat cells to increase in number and size.

Once insulin ushers calories into your fat cells, it closes the door, restricting their ability to get out. With calories, aka fuel, trapped in your fat cells, there's too little glucose and too few lipids circulating in the bloodstream to power your brain and muscles. Your brain, sensing the fuel shortage, prompts you to feel hungry and slows down your metabolism—the worst possible combination for long-term weight control.

RELATED: 26 Weight-Loss Myths You Shouldn't Believe

"Overeating hasn't made our fat cells grow," says Dr. Ludwig, whose book is titled Always Hungry?. "Processed carbs and added sugar have programmed our fat cells to grow, and that makes us overeat." And it becomes a vicious cycle. Break it: "If you're going to have simple carbs, like bread with dinner, have them after you've eaten some protein and veggies first," says Dr. Aronne. "Our studies show that when you save them for later in the meal, they don't trigger as big a bump in blood sugar—or insulin."

Enlist your metabolism
Doctors have long known that when you lose weight, your metabolism slows down, says Dr. Aronne, author of The Change Your Biology Diet. "If you lose 10 percent of your body weight, the number of calories you burn during the day drops by 30 to 40 percent, because a smaller body requires fewer calories and your muscles become more efficient," he says. But research shows that what you eat when you're trying to shed pounds can determine how big a hit your metabolism takes.

In a 2012 study published in JAMA, Dr. Ludwig and his colleagues looked at 21 people between the ages of 18 and 40 who were overweight or obese. They had each participant lose about 10 to 15 percent of their body weight, then put them on three different maintenance diets—low-fat (with about 60 percent of daily calories coming from carbs); low-glycemic-index (with about 40 percent of daily intake from carbs that cause only moderate spikes in blood sugar, such as legumes and vegetables); and a very low-carb approach, with just 10 percent of daily calories from carbs. All three diets involved the same total number of calories. And every participant tried each diet for a month.

RELATED: The Best Weight Loss Foods of All Time

After each diet period, the researchers tested the folks' metabolic rates—and found that the low-carb diet completely prevented the metabolic slowdown often seen after weight loss. "People on the low-carb diet burned an average of 325 more calories a day—about the same number you'd burn during a moderately vigorous workout—than those on the low-fat diet, and those on the low-glycemic diet burned 150 more calories than those on the low-fat diet," he says. One theory for why that happens: Reducing processed carbs, and as a result insulin levels, allows fat cells to release calories back into the bloodstream, helping to readjust the body-weight set point naturally, speculates Dr. Ludwig. He posits that reducing carbs even moderately—with a focus on the quality of your carbs—would be beneficial for shedding weight as well.

Let go of your fear of fat
"Dietary fat has been unfairly demonized," says Dr. Aronne. "Olive oil, nuts and monounsaturated fats play an important role in a healthy diet, and these days the jury is even out on saturated fat." Dr. Ludwig agrees: "The fats in dairy appear to be healthier than those in red meat, and saturated fat is worse when you eat it in combination with processed carbs." Fat can actually be surprisingly helpful when you're trying to lose weight. Healthy fats can shut off craving centers in the brain and help you eat less sugar and refined carbs—"the primary cause of obesity and diabetes," says Dr. Hyman, whose book is titled Eat Fat, Get Thin.

One of the strongest studies vindicating fat was published in The New England Journal of Medicine several years ago. In it, researchers assigned 322 overweight people to either a low-fat diet, a moderate-fat Mediterranean diet or a low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet. The trial lasted two years—a relative lifetime in the realm of diet studies. What they discovered: Those on the low-carb, high-fat diet not only lost the most weight but also had the most favorable changes in heart-disease-related factors, like levels of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.

Don't cut too many calories
Sure, if you starve yourself, you'll slim down, so it seems like the strategy would be an instant success. But eventually everyone regains. Why? "Because when you drastically reduce the amount you eat, your body launches potent countermeasures designed to prevent additional weight loss," says Dr. Ludwig—and the more weight you lose, the more fiercely the body tries to gain it back.

RELATED: 57 Science-Backed Weight Loss Tips

For one thing, it shifts into conservation mode and simply burns fewer calories, notes Dr. Aronne. In addition, he says, levels of hunger- and satiety-related hormones change to increase your desire to eat, making you feel less satisfied with a reasonable amount of food and more obsessed with high-calorie, highly processed goodies. "It's sort of like your brain goes haywire," explains Dr. Aronne, "and you can no longer trust the messages it's sending about hunger and fullness."

But eating the right foods can help you minimize these biological defenses. The key: Consume a satisfying amount of protein, high-quality fat and fiber-rich, low-starch carbs from veggies, legumes, nuts, and seeds. "When you eat that kind of diet, insulin levels decrease and you reprogram your fat cells to release excess calories," says Dr. Ludwig. "So there's more glucose and lipids available as fuel—which means you're not battling hunger and your metabolism stays high."

To bolster these new dietary strategies, there's some tried-and-true advice you should absolutely abide by: Move more, sleep plenty, stress less—all of which can keep insulin levels, as well as hunger and satiety hormones, at optimal levels, says Dr. Ludwig. Diet guidance may evolve, but these three fundamentals have stood the test of time.

RELATED: 31 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Burning Recipes

A day of eating, reimagined
While each MD's diet approach varies in its specifics, the general strategy is the same: To keep your body from fighting your slimdown efforts, eat whole foods with adequate protein and plenty of healthy fat, and reduce sugar, refined carbs and processed foods. Here are a few recipes pulled from the pages of their books.

Morning
Breakfast: Southwest omelet made from 4 to 6 egg whites with onions, peppers, tomatoes and salsa, plus 2 slices of turkey bacon.

A.M. snack: 1 small container of plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup of blueberries.

From Dr. Aronne's The Change Your Biology Diet ($26, amazon.com)

Midday
Lunch: California kale Cobb salad with ½ bunch kale, ¼ avocado, 3 or 4 halved cherry tomatoes, ¼ can water-packed artichoke heart quarters, 1 slice of turkey bacon and 4 ounces of diced, cooked chicken.

Snack: ¼ cup of raw, organic nuts and seeds. For a greater nutritional punch, soak them in warm salt water overnight, rinse thoroughly, then dry in the oven at no more than 120 degrees.

From Dr. Hyman's Eat Fat, Get Thin ($28, amazon.com)

Evening
Dinner: 1/3 pound of white-fleshed fish or salmon broiled with garlic and lemon, plus ½ medium roasted sweet potato and 1 cup of chopped greens (such as chard or kale) sautéed in olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Dessert: ½ medium pear, apple, peach or apricot poached with cinnamon, cardamom and ground nutmeg.

From Dr. Ludwig's Always Hungry? ($28, amazon.com)

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13 Healthy High-Fat Foods You Should Eat More

Low fat is officially over! Here are more than a dozen high-fat superstars you can and should enjoy as part of your healthy diet. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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February 17, 2016 at 01:16AM

9 Superfood Upgrades That Will Make Your Meals Even Healthier

Give every meal an upgrade with these hot superfood add-ins—all it takes is a sprinkle or scoop. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 12, 2016 at 01:16AM

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7 Essentials for Healthy Hiking

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Gear Up for the Great Outdoors

From hiking boots to lightweight clothing, all the gear you need to enjoy the great outdoors all summer long. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 11, 2016 at 01:16AM

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20 Signs You're Too Obsessed With Your Weight

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Hearty Soups and Stews

Warm, low-cal dishes that you can serve to a group http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

4 Delicious Weeknight Recipes You Can Make Ahead of Time

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February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

10 Anti-Aging Products Women Swear By Outside the U.S.

In every nation, glowing skin is in. Get the skincare scoop from beauty experts around the world. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

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Where to Buy All the Products in the March 2016 Issue of Health

The March issue of Health features anti-aging skin creams, the best spring running sneakers, an "athleisure"-inspired jacket, stylish new workout clothes, and much more.

Discover where to buy all of them with this guide.

Page 14: What's That?

Page 14: Petal-Powered Anti-Agers

Page 14: Trending: A Must-Have Moto Jacket

Page 16: A Beauty Game Changer: Fibers!

Page 20: Tech Tip

Page 26: The "It" Haircut

Page 28: Skin Secrets From Around the World

Page 42: Strength Up, Weight Down

Page 49: Feel No Pain

Page 57: Best Running Shoes for Spring

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The Best Running Shoes for Spring 2016

Health's fitness editor picks the road and trail sneakers that will rock your world. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

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4 Stretches You Should Be Doing (But Aren't)

Did you know your neck crick or shoulder ache may actually mean you're tight somewhere else? Troubleshoot your sore spots and work out the real pain points in just a few minutes a day. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

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Ashley Benson: "You Have to Become One With Your Own Body"

If you're searching for Ashley Benson, don't look in the center of the room. "Big crowds make me really anxious, so I usually find myself a corner and sit there," says Ashley, 26, who—ironically—plays the outgoing "it" girl Hanna Marin on the hit TV show Pretty Little Liars, now airing the second half of season six. "I'm just really shy with people I don't know."

But one-on-one, over brunch in West Hollywood, the California-born actress is incredibly friendly and real. She opens up about her struggle with panic attacks, the crazy pressure on women in Hollywood to be skeletal (no, thanks!) and how exercise and meditation help her feel happy.

So Pretty Little Liars is back—and you guys have jumped forward five years. What is the best thing about that leap for you?
To finally be out of high school! I hated being in the school set. The lights were really draining. And being in a classroom just makes you feel "ugh," like I'm back in school.

What's your morning ritual?
I play with my two dogs. I get coffee. If I don't have coffee, I don't function. And I usually do Pilates three days a week for an hour, and I try to box or do SoulCycle two or three times a week. There are times I just want to do nothing! But then I don't feel good about myself.

Which workout move gives you the biggest results?
Probably squats—and not for my butt but for my legs. We usually do circuit training, so I'll do 25 squats, then I'll run back and forth, and then I'll do lunges to the other side of the gym both ways, run, then squats. I can't move for days!

Do you have a healthy-living idol?
Gwyneth Paltrow. I have one of her cookbooks, and I think she looks beautiful. I'm not the best cook, but I made fish, this stew and some soups and salads. When I look at all the pictures in her cookbook, I'm like, "Wow, I already feel better," you know?

If you could trade bodies with any famous woman, who would it be?
Jenna Dewan-Tatum. She is, like, the cutest thing. Her body right now is so incredible—and she's had a kid! I would obviously say, like, every supermodel, like Candice Swanepoel and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley—but that is just so not my body.

It seems like you have acceptance about not being a supermodel.
Yeah. It's come up a few times in the last few years, like, "You're too fat for this." And I'm just sitting here like, "Wait, what? Do you want a skeleton?" But I feel good. I don't want to lose 20 pounds, because I don't need to.

You feel pressure to be skinny to get acting work?
Absolutely. I get told all the time to lose weight. I got that a month ago. It's just weird. With my stuff recently, it's been, "You have to be skin and bones or you're not getting it." There was a point where it was getting to where a size 2 was great. I'm a size 2, but I think that a size 4 is healthy. I think that all of these sizes are healthy.

What's your body-confidence strategy?
I'm still working on it. Really, honestly, if I have to go to an event and I'm not feeling my best? Spanx all the way. Literally. Even if you don't need them.

You're so active on social media. Do you ever tire of putting so much out there?
I've always been very wary about social media. Snapchat I love because you don't see comments. I love Instagram, but God, it's like every post, there's so much bullying in the comments. And that's the one thing about social media that I can't stand. There are times I want to delete the picture because I don't want it to happen.

Are you dating anyone?
Dating is so complicated. No, I'm not dating. I hate it. It's the worst!

Because it's awkward?
The thing is, I have a lot of guy friends, and they are all, like, my brothers. I love to hold hands with people. And my guy friends—especially Tyler Blackburn [who plays Hanna's ex-boyfriend Caleb on Pretty Little Liars]—everyone's like, "You guys are dating!" And I'm like, "He is literally my brother." I love him forever, but there would never be anything there.

Why not? Haven't you seen When Harry Met Sally…?
I know, I know. I'm much more of a guy's girl. I love hanging out with the guys. I'm not the type of girl who's like "Everybody put on party dresses, and let's get our makeup done!" I'm like, "Let's go to a dive bar."

So what does a guy have to do to be more than a friend?
He has to make me laugh, 100 percent. Be respectful. Personality is key. Likes to travel, and… I don't really like guys who work out. [Laughs]

Wait—you prefer flabby?
Like, there are guys who work out, and there are guys who work out, in the mirror every day, with protein shakes and "I'm at the gym for 12 hours." I don't like big guys like that. I like skinnier guys. If there's a guy who's super in shape, out the door! Making me laugh is number one. And being adventurous, because I love to just do things last-minute. I've never been on a date, I don't think. I will never go on one.

That's a bold statement: You'll never go on a date.
I will never! A group date, hanging out one-on-one, yeah. But not, like, an actual date. I don't know what I would talk about! All my friends are like, "Go on blind dates." I'm like, "No. Nope."

What helps you manage your stress?
I try to take an hour nap. If I don't get sleep, I found that I get really bad anxiety. I started getting panic attacks for two years straight. I think it was 2011 to 2013. I could barely go to work. It would get so bad that I would have to leave set. Or I'd be driving, and I would have a panic attack.

How often would you have panic attacks?
Every single day. Because I had a crazy incident on set: I had heart palpitations, and I thought I was having a heart attack, so I fainted on set and turned blue. The paramedics were there. Once that happened, I was like, "That's going to happen to me every single day," and it was just that constant fear. So anytime I felt some sort of weird thing, I'd be like, "Here it goes…"

Did you ever share this on social media?
No. If you've never felt it, you can't explain it. The person I was seeing at the time didn't understand, and my friends didn't understand, so there weren't people I could talk about it to. I felt crazy: Why am I feeling this way? I think a lot of people suffer from anxiety and have panic attacks. And I think it's good to talk about it.

Do you still suffer from them?
I do still get them a little bit. That's part of why I work out, too, because it has cancelled out the anxiety. I was on Xanax for a long time. It helped, but I decided I was going to be able to self-medicate through meditation, working out, sleeping, eating healthy and drinking more water. I have this meditation app on my phone. I use it at least three times a week. There will be times where I will get [anxiety], but it's not a full-blown panic attack. It's just, like, for a couple hours I feel as if I'm going to die. I had a friend who was like that for, like, seven years. She wouldn't leave her house, and then she finally dealt with it. Anxiety is horrible.

You Instagrammed a quote that said, "Everything you are going thru is preparing you for what you asked for." What inspired that post?
That was when I got told that I was too fat. I was just like, "Why am I even in this industry?" It's just so depressing sometimes. But no matter what challenge you're going through, if you're having the worst day or the worst week or the worst year, everything that's happening to you right now is happening for a reason that you will see in the future.

Ashley fills us in:

This month, I have been obsessively… Googling the Olsen Twins. I go on the blogs to see what they're wearing.

I'm secretly kind of awesome at… Cleaning. Like, really OCD about it. Everything in my house has to be spotless.

I was mortified when… I ripped my pants at a friend's surprise party. I jumped up, wrapped my legs around him and ripped my leather pants straight down the middle. Like, you saw my butt! It was really embarrassing—and really funny.

If I knew I couldn't fail, I would… Go to cooking school in Paris. I've been saying that for, like, the past five years. I think I'm going to.

The most surprising name in my iPhone contacts is… Taylor Swift, from four years ago. She's friends with Selena [Gomez]. Before Selena and I did Spring Breakers, we were hanging out, and Taylor had put her number in my phone. I have never texted or called, because it's just weird. It's probably not the right number!

My favorite spot in the whole house is… My bed. I could be in there all day long—just sit in bed, watch TV, play with my dogs and be super comfortable. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J February 10, 2016 at 01:16AM

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