Tag: Health

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Flock to Fonio for Whole-Grain Goodness

While few outside West Africa find fonio among their usual fare, this ancient grain is gaining popularity because of its exceptional health benefits. Pierre Thiam, a restaurant owner from Senegal, touted fonio as the next big alternative to quinoa and brought the grain to the menus of his Brooklyn restaurants back in 2008. Today, you might be able to pick up fonio in your neighborhood if you live near Whole Foods or are lucky enough to have a local African food market.

Africans who consume fonio frequently often consider it a celebratory meal, particularly in Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. If you're curious about this world whole-grain staple, this guide provides the knowledge you need to incorporate it into your diet.

Nutritional Content of Fonio

Half a cup of cooked fonio has just 170 calories and limited fat, salt and cholesterol. It also has 4% of your recommended daily value of both fiber and iron, as well as plenty of nutritious B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper. If you need more calcium in your diet, fonio can deliver with more of this nutrient than any other grain.

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Health Benefits of Fonio

First, good news if you're gluten-free; fonio provides a safe alternative for those who can't digest wheat protein. It's also rich in amino acids and micronutrients you won't find in wheat, corn or rice. These compounds help with the growth of new skin, nail and hair cells. Your body cannot make these nutrients, so you must get them from your diet.

The B vitamin content supports the function, growth and development of the body's cells. Iron and copper build connective tissue and red blood cells while magnesium helps the body produce energy. Zinc assists with synthesizing proteins and supporting immunity.

Fonio consists of complex carbohydrates that the body digests all day long, which helps you feel full and keeps blood sugar steady. As a whole grain, it also has the proven ability to reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stomach, pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Research also associates whole-grain consumption with avoiding obesity and keeping the body's gut health in balance. 

Fonio also has a low glycemic index. That means it can help people who have diabetes control their blood sugar levels.

How to Enjoy Fonio at Home

Many describe fonio as combining the texture of quinoa with the nutty earthiness of couscous. If you're familiar with cooking grains, you're ready to cook fonio. The grain is just as versatile as its more common cousins, such as rice, farro and barley. You can use it in place of any of those choices in salads, soups and stews. It also works well in a traditional preparation as a porridge. If you can get your hands on fonio flour, you can even use it in your favorite cakes, muffins, and baked goods.

Aren't sure where to start? Use these simple steps for perfect fonio every time:

  • Boil 1 cup of salted water over high heat.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup of dry fonio and cover tightly.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Cook for about 15 minutes or until the grain absorbs all liquid. 
  • Remove lid and fluff with a fork. The fonio is done when it's tender yet firm, without excess moisture.

You can also look for any recipe with millet since fonio is part of the same family and offers a good one-to-one substitute. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that whole grains should make up about half of the bread and grains you eat each day, so spice up your routine by adding fonio to the mix.

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How Cutting Out Alcohol Can Impact Your Energy

After a stressful day at work or an evening spent listening to kids fighting, a few big swigs of alcohol can sound pretty appealing. A lot of people think there’s nothing wrong with enjoying booze regularly and watching your worries melt away. Sure, they’ll still be there in the morning, but the brief reprieve can be really nice.

But before you reach for a cold one, you should realize the impact alcohol consumption can have on your overall energy levels. Since we’re at the cusp of another new year, I figured it’s the perfect time to talk about how cutting out alcohol can impact your energy and improve your quality of life.

What Alcohol Does To Your Body

Do you live for Happy Hour? If so, have you ever stopped to wonder why drinking regularly actually causes you to feel less happy and more lifeless? Do you notice a huge slump in energy after a night of partying? That’s because alcohol is a sedative. It can make you drowsy, but it often leads to low-quality, interrupted sleep (which can leave you looking and feeling like a zombie the next day).

If you feel physically drained all the time, it may be time to take a good, hard look at alcohol (just a look, not a drink!) It may be the sneaky villain you didn’t realize was stealthily sabotaging your life while pretending to be your best friend. That’s pretty rotten.

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What Happens When You Cut Out Alcohol

If you’re still not convinced that alcohol is the archenemy of your energy levels, here are a few of the amazing things you could experience if you cut it out of your life. Just pretend it’s your ex-boyfriend and there’s no way you’re letting him weasel his way back into your heart. Once you kick alcohol out for good, you’ll likely experience:

  • Increased Energy: Without the constant impact of morning hangovers, you’ll be amazed at how energetic you feel when you wake up. You’ll also experience higher-quality sleep when you don’t drink alcohol.
  • Fewer Food Cravings: Did you know booze can trigger food cravings? It activates AgRP neurons, which trigger intense hunger and can make you crave unhealthy things.
  • Easier Weight Maintenance: Alcohol is not a low-calorie drink, which means you’ll have a harder time maintaining a healthy weight if you consume it regularly. When you stop drinking those extra calories, your waistline will respond in kind.
  • Decreased Risk of Dehydration: Alcohol is dehydrating because it’s a diuretic and flushes water out of your body. Replacing alcohol with a healthier choice (such as fruit-infused water) is a great way to increase hydration.
  • Improved Digestion: One of the surprising drawbacks of alcohol consumption is that it can alter the gastric motility of your stomach. This means it can make it harder for you to digest the food you eat. When you stop drinking alcohol, your digestion will most likely improve.
  • Reduced Risk of Disease: Excess alcohol consumption is linked to diseases such as heart disease and liver disease. When you stop indulging in booze, you reduce your risk of developing these life-threatening health conditions.
  • Healthier Skin: Since alcohol is a diuretic, it can dry out your skin and cause it to look dull and saggy. Fortunately, you can reverse this effect by simply staying away from alcohol. It only takes a few days of abstinence in most cases to notice that the skin looks and feels plumper and more hydrated.

This list is just a small snapshot of how your life could improve if you decided to cut alcohol out of it. Not everyone can quit cold turkey, and that’s OK! As long as you’re consistently making efforts to consume less booze, you’ll eventually find it easier to replace alcohol with healthier options. When things get hard, just remember you’re doing this to improve your health and energy.

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8 Reasons To Love Kettlebells

Typically, when people want to focus on fitness, they invest in large machines and equipment. The expense for a full gym setup can reach into the thousands, but there are effective full-body alternatives, including kettlebells.

Kettlebells are one of the most effective pieces of home gym equipment currently on the market. The odd-shaped balls with large angular handles are popular among trainers and enthusiasts because of the ease of design and integration into workout routines.

If you are looking to create your home gym, you should start with a variety of kettlebells. These unique tools provide several benefits for the average to experienced fitness level.

1. Grip

Have you ever wanted to improve your grip strength but struggled to find an effective tool or piece of equipment. The kettlebell not only requires grip strength but also helps build strength in the hands.

Using the equipment as a preventative for specific genetic conditions, such as arthritis, can help prolong use and movement. The best part is, the kettlebells come in various weights to suit all skill and strength levels.

2. Cardio

A kettlebell workout is about continuous movement. Because you maintain motion, these workouts are excellent alternatives to cardio workouts requiring running, meaning you can get your cardio in while avoiding unnecessary impacts.

3. Space

Many homeowners want to create a private gym in their house but lack the space for large equipment. Even free weights can take up a significant amount of room. Kettlebells do not, thankfully. You can have a complete set of kettlebells without taking up more than a corner of your basement, garage, or bedroom.

Additionally, if you want to avoid having unsightly gym equipment taking up permanent residence in your bedroom or another area, consider the size of kettlebells. The equipment is small and can easily be stored in a closet or under a bed.

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4. Portability

The small size of kettlebells means they are incredibly portable. You can exercise anywhere in your home, and if the urge strikes, you can pack the kettlebells in your car and head to your favorite outdoor location.

5. Time

Because kettlebells provide a full-body workout, the routine is typically quicker than using traditional equipment. You can find many training series to coach you through the workout routines. Additionally, you can look on YouTube for tutorials if you want to save some money.

6. Coordination

There are many kettlebell exercises that require hand-eye coordination. Additionally, depending on the routine and stance, workouts can require full-body coordination. Again, this places kettlebells above other equipment.

7. Balance

Beyond coordination, kettlebells require balance. The entire process is an excellent option for people wanting to improve their flexibility, balance, and mobility. However, before you opt for kettlebells, consider talking to your doctor to discuss your plans.

8. Conditioning

Kettlebells are excellent tools for full-body conditioning. From cardio to weightlifting, you will build muscle and stamina throughout your body.

When looking to create a workout space at home, wait to purchase large machines and weight sets. Kettlebells provide many of the same benefits while saving you money and space.

Would you ever use kettlebells? Comment below.

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The Best Benefits of Vitamin A

Vitamin A may not sound as exciting as kimchi or bee pollen, but it gets the job done. It’s an amazing vitamin that takes care of countless systems in the body, including your immune system, eyes, muscles and bones. Why is it important for your health?

1. Preventing Night Blindness

Do you remember how your mom always told you that eating carrots would help you see better at night? She was right, in a way. Carrots have a lot of beta-carotene, which the body turns in vitamin A. This vitamin helps make your eyes sensitive to tiny amounts of light in darkness.

When someone has night blindness, there’s a good chance they have a deficiency of vitamin A. Night blindness is when you can see fine during the day but have a hard time seeing in the dark. This condition can be dangerous if you try to drive at night.

2. Slowing Down Age-Related Eyesight Problems

Of all the senses that I want to protect, I think my eyes are most important to me. The thought of losing my vision or having eyesight problems really scares me. It turns out that making sure you get enough beta-carotene can help keep your eyes safe.

Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant. It protect your cells against free radicals, dangerous molecules that come from toxins. Scientists believe that free radicals play a part in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or retina damage. Beta-carotene may lower your risk of this serious eye problem by a whopping 25%!

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3. Keeping Your Skin and Hair Hydrated

Who doesn’t want smooth, supple skin and lustrous, vibrant hair? I sure do. You can imagine how happy I was to find out that vitamin A helps with that, too!

This super vitamin helps maintain healthy levels of natural moisturizing oils for your skin and hair. It can even help you avoid acne breakouts.

4. Strengthening Your Immune System

Vitamin A is like the top general of your body’s germ-fighting army. It’s responsible for both offense and defense, supporting the systems that trap viruses and bacteria before they get you sick. Vitamin A also helps increase the number of white blood cells in your body, which hunt and destroy microbes during an infection.

What does this mean for you? Having plenty of vitamin A can increase your defenses against invaders, reduce the severity of infections, help you recover faster and even heal injuries more quickly.

Who Needs Vitamin A Supplements?

There are two forms of vitamin A: one that’s ready for your body to use and another that needs to be “activated." The first type is what you get in vitamin supplements. The second includes beta-carotene, which gets turned into active vitamin A as the body requires.

Only take a supplement for vitamin A if you have a deficiency. Your doctor can help you find out if that’s the case.

Including more beta-carotene in your diet, on the other hand, is perfectly safe. Look for orange, yellow and green leafy vegetables:

  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Butternut squash
  • Bell peppers

Vitamin A is essential for good health. It’s like olive oil — you use it in so many recipes that the kitchen just isn’t complete without it.

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4 International Skin Care Trends Worth Trying

Skin health has and continues to be essential to beauty standards. People with clear and vibrant skin are often admired as beautiful and inundated with questions about getting the natural glow they have.

From milk baths to Korea's modern skincare dominance, women and men continue to search for the products and treatments that will give them the appearance they wish to have. However, while people do not often shy away from spending hundreds on a month's supply of "miracle treatments" or "cures," the solution to healthy skin can usually be found in various societies worldwide.

The best part about healthy skincare is it doesn't typically require a great expense. Sure, you can spend thousands on spa treatments and home therapies, but you can also spend a fraction of that and find things equally beneficial.

1. Rose Water

Ecuador, primarily known for the export of roses, is also home to a homeopathic treatment for removing excess oil on the skin: rose water. Rose water is made from glycerin and rose petals. The glycerin helps lock in moisture, but not before the compound from the petals dry out acne.

While many home skincare remedies take a lot of work to make, rose water is easy. You want to add a half cup of petals to a pot of water. Allow the petals and water to boil. Pour the rose water through a strainer to remove the petals, and then add the glycerin to the water, a fourth of a  cup, mixing thoroughly.

2. Peppermint Scalp Massage

One holistic remedy for skin and hair health is peppermint oil. The peppermint plant is indigenous to Europe, and it has been a popular ingredient in shampoos and conditioners for centuries. 

If you want to treat your scalp and hair to a massage, you will need to mix two to four drops of peppermint oil with a few drops of almond or olive oil. Massage the oil mixture into your hair and scalp for five minutes. According to experts, the oil can help relieve skin irritation and provide necessary moisture to hair follicles.

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3.  Lemon Juice

Used primarily in Asia and Central America to lighten the skin around the elbows and knees, lemon juice is a popular skin care treatment. Because lemon juice has a high concentration of citric acid, it can brighten dark spots on the body.

To use lemon juice, you only need to rub half a lemon over the area you wish to lighten. Additionally, you can apply some lemon juice to a Q-tip and apply it to areas on the face for greater control. Some experts also suggest adding some sugar to the lemon juice to act as an exfoliator.

4. Brown Rice Wash

Used by geishas and as a continued practice in Asian beauty culture, rice is used as an exfoliator and tightener. A favorite brown rice wash recipe comes from Japanese culture, and it includes equal parts brown rice, preferably organic, and water. You want to stir the mixture until a white cloud rises to the top of the bowl. Pour the water into a jar to use as a face wash and drain the rice.

There are many skin care treatments specific to cultures around the world. While many companies might try to repackage treatments as exotic or new, most skincare ingredients have not changed for centuries.

Do you think you will try one of the above skin treatments? Leave a comment below.

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5 of My Best Tips to Avoid Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage is one of those strange things we tend to do to ourselves when we’re trying to improve our lives. While it may seem impossible to understand why we sabotage ourselves, there are valid psychological and scientific reasons for this type of behavior. But that doesn’t mean we should just accept that tearing ourselves down is normal! If you’re ready to become your biggest fan instead of your biggest saboteur, take a look at my five best tips to avoid self-sabotage.

1. Visualize Positive Outcomes

One of the first things you want to do to stop the self-sabotage cycle is to visualize yourself beating your sugar cravings, building a long-lasting relationship with someone you love, and conquering any other goal you’ve made for yourself.

Too often, we make goals to improve ourselves, but in our minds, we’ve already failed from the start. We visualize how awful it will feel when we cave to our cravings or when we mess up a new relationship. But we need to remember that our thoughts are powerful. If we want to be successful at reaching our goals, we need to visualize ourselves winning at life. This isn’t pride or cockiness. It’s harnessing the power of positive thinking and self-love.

2. Beware the “Start Tomorrow” Trap

Did you know there’s an old song about “going on a diet tomorrow?” Who can’t relate to that sentiment, right? It’s normal to want to put off improving your life, even if it’s just for one day. If you’re like me, Monday seems to be the magic day for turning over a new leaf. But the truth is, putting off improvements until tomorrow, next week, or next month isn’t the best idea. It can squash your motivation and cause your target goals to always stay just out of reach.

So decide today that you’ll no longer wait until tomorrow. If you want to make a positive life change, do it today. Do it now. Taking action is the only way to turn your dreams and goals into tangible realities.

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3. Figure Out What Steps You Need to Take

If you have a super vague goal, you’re less likely to reach it. For example, if your goal is something like “get healthy,” it’s too vague to chase. To be successful at improving your life, health and relationships, you need to make tangible goals and outline the steps necessary to reach them.

Think about what steps you need to take to become healthier. Do you need to change your diet? Eliminate certain foods? Add certain foods? Get a certain amount of activity every day? When you outline the steps you need to take to get where you want to be, your goal suddenly becomes attainable.

4. Take Note of Your Self-Sabotaging Patterns

If you want to stop sabotaging yourself, you need to pay close attention to your self-sabotaging patterns. How do you sabotage yourself? Do you procrastinate (this goes back to the “start tomorrow” trap?

Do you quit suddenly because you aren’t progressing as rapidly as you’d like? Do you intentionally binge eat or adopt other unhealthy habits to punish yourself for not sticking to your goals with preciseness? Once you take note of your self-sabotaging patterns, you can develop a plan for overcoming them.

5. Build Yourself Up

My final tip is to treat yourself as you would treat your best friend. We can be so mean to ourselves sometimes, and that will only lead to failure. Learn how to love and accept yourself how you are and praise your efforts every time you get closer to becoming a better version of yourself. Be kind to the person in the mirror and you’ll be surprised how rapidly your self-esteem and confidence improve.

What do you think about my tips for avoiding self-sabotage? I hope they work well for you and help you become the amazing person I know you can be!

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Celebrity Skincare Products: Worth the Hype or Not

From Carmen Electra's GoGo Skincare to Pharrell's Humanrace, celebrities are now branching away from makeup and trying to convince you — the consumer — they know a thing or two about skincare. While some stars might understand the science behind healthy skin, there is a sneaking suspicion that most only want to pad their pocketbooks. 

There is nothing wrong with building your brand and starting a business; the problem comes when celebrities attempt to act like they are above the science — Gwyneth Paltrow, anyone? From Goop's nonsensical approach to wellness to Pharrell's claims of microtears, how much any celebrity knows about the formulations or properties of their brands or the efficacy of the products is questionable. 

Before you spend your hard-earned money on celebrity experiments, consider the ingredients, cost, and expertise of the person you purchase from. In most cases, celebrity lines are not worth the price you pay.

Perceived Value Versus Actual Value

Name recognition is the game. Celebrities want to capitalize on their star power while they can, and who can blame them. Unfortunately, in a rush to make money, many stars make significant mistakes in product design — consider Kylie Jenner's unwearable bathing suits.  

While skincare products do undergo some testing and regulation, it is not as much as prescription medications or treatments, meaning there is a loophole for making startling claims with no real evidence. For instance, there is a continuing trend of calling a product all-natural to encourage trust in a product. Unfortunately, even if a product is all-natural, which some are not, it doesn't mean you should use it on your skin. Sand or silica is natural, but it is a mistake to scrub it over your skin.  

When you go to purchase a product, look past the name, endorsements, and fancy marketing. Investigate the ingredients. Learn as much as you can about the science of skincare. 

By understanding the ingredients, you can better understand fair pricing. Most celebrity products are not worth the price tag. In many instances, they charge significantly over average prices for similar products, attempting to price them into the luxury market when they aren't luxury.

Dermatologist Versus Celebrity Opinion

When selecting skin care products, you want to avoid items with an overbearing smell because they often contain artificial colors and ingredients that can irritate the skin. Strong odors often point to chemical additives which can trigger certain skin conditions, like dermatitis, rashes, and other issues.  

A dermatologist is the only person you should trust when it comes to skincare recommendations. These professionals understand the science and medicine and understand when a product is not worth the packaging it's in.

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Loyalty Versus Smart Purchasing Decisions

Many fans love and respect famous people. However, not all celebrities have the same appreciation towards their fans. Integrity and trust are hard things to come by in business, especially when it comes to many celebrity products. Unfortunately, without stricter regulations and an absence of blind loyalty, little can be done.  

The best thing anyone can do is educate themselves. Please do not take a celebrity's word for skincare products, especially when they lack the expertise to have a sound opinion. Talk to your dermatologist or doctor instead.

What do you think about celebrity skincare products? Are they worth the hype? Comment below.

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5 Undeniable Benefits of Self-Care on Your Health

Self-care may be a trending term in recent years, but it is not a new concept. Nor is it an exclusive practice solely for the wealthy or people with an excessive amount of time on their hands. Self-care is simply the practice of taking care of yourself to preserve and improve both your physical health and emotional well-being. Though most forms of self-care are free, those that do cost money are likely to be affordable. Regardless of how much you do or do not pay, self-care activities can have a wealth of benefits. Below are just a few of them.

1. Self-Care Activities Can Improve Your Physical Health

Many self-care activities involve changing your diet for the better and incorporating exercise and mediation into your daily routine. These changes often translate to improved muscle tone, increased bone mass, better heart health, more energy and other measurable benefits. These benefits, in turn, trigger the body’s relaxation response, which can help to lower stress levels.

2. Self-Care Can Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression Levels

Common forms of self-care include taking warm baths, meditating, listening to music and going for walks. Each of these activities triggers the body’s natural relaxation response, which, in addition to reducing symptoms of stress, can also reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

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3. Self-Care Can Boost Self-Esteem

When you treat yourself like you matter, you will begin to feel as if you do, too. Though it’s important to always know that you matter, if you ever feel yourself questioning your value or worth, take a few moments for yourself. Thinking positive thoughts while engaging in a relaxing activity may be just what you need to gain a new perspective that allows you to look upon yourself with more kindness. In fact, studies show that people who regularly engage in self-care activities have higher levels of self-esteem, are better able to achieve their self-improvement goals and can more easily overcome setbacks.

4. Self-Care Makes You a Better Friend and Loved One

Too many people believe that to be a great parent, child, spouse, significant other or what-have-you, they must bend over backward to do things for others. Sadly, these people often run themselves ragged to the point where they are unable to give their best to anyone.

If you want to give the best version of yourself to the people near and dear to you, you need to take care of your own needs, too. Imagine if, for every five things you did for someone else, you did something for yourself in return. Though the ratio may seem off, such a system may result in you treating yourself kindly several times a day, which can open your eyes to just how much you do for others and how little you do for yourself. Little rewards — whether in the form of an extra cup of coffee or a five-minute reading session — can also help you look forward to lending a helping hand, rather than viewing it as just another thing you have to do. All of this equates to more positive energy to lend to friends and family.

5. Self-Care Can Help Preserve Your Mental Health

Each of the aforementioned benefits works together to produce a single priceless outcome: preserved mental health. With so much to stress and worry about these days, your mental health is an invaluable asset that you want to protect at all costs. Fortunately, when you engage in self-care, the price is minimal to non-existent.

If you have yet to prioritize self-care, now is the time to change that. By taking just a few minutes of your day to show yourself some love and appreciation, you can experience a world of benefits.

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Considering the Effectiveness of Virtual Therapy

Over the past several years, society has witnessed an increased awareness of mental health and its significance for physical wellbeing. As attention has grown, medical professionals and entrepreneurs have seen an opportunity to expand the reach and accessibility of behavioral and talk therapy options through the digital or virtual space. 

While more and more virtual therapy practices seem to crop up overnight, there is a growing concern among the public that such options are not as effective as in-person options. Still, despite public opinion, an increasing number of mental health professionals are adding or converting their practices to virtual options. Some cynics believe the conversion is profit-motivated, but others believe it is the next evolutionary step in ensuring mental healthcare is affordable and available for those who need it most. 

Despite the continued debate, there have been plenty of studies conducted to draw an honest conclusion. Therefore, before adopting public opinion or allowing personal bias to form a negative assumption, it is necessary to look at the data.

What the Science and Research Says

Many people assume that virtual therapy is not as effective as online therapy because it removes the in-person connection. For most professionals, observation was often believed to be integral in assessing and diagnosing a patient’s state of mind. Without in-person analysis, how capable was the therapist’s perception of patient body language, demeanor, and tone of voice? 

Most of what a therapist draws from to make professional opinions were presumed to be gathered from interpersonal skills. The pervading thought about virtual therapy is that it would be too impersonal to prove effective. However, despite the existing biases, experts and researchers found that many patients responded to digital methodologies, and in some cases, even exceeded expectations. 

Studies published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (2014), Behavioral Research and Therapy (2014), and the Journal of Psychological Disorders (2018) consistently found distance or virtual therapy to be as effective at treating depression and various anxiety disorders as alternative options. These reports also concluded that virtual options were “effective, acceptable, and practical health care,” providing cost-effective solutions for an often expensive practice.

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When Virtual Therapy Is and Is Not a Good Idea

While the efficacy of virtual therapy is proven and not worth debating further, potential patients should understand the practice is not meant for all mental health conditions. The virtual model is beneficial for those seeking treatment for depression or anxiety and panic disorders. For these conditions, distance therapy provides many advantages to patients: 

  • Easier access 
  • Less expense 
  • Scheduling convenience 
  • No waiting rooms 
  • Ability to remain anonymous

The primary disadvantage is that online therapy is not an option for more severe conditions, like psychosis or suicidal ideation. Some of the other potential problems include: 

  • Presence of shysters 
  • Security of personal information 
  • Technical issues 
  • Lack of face-to-face interactions 
  • Lack of crisis intervention options 

With the growing awareness of mental health and the continued lack of affordable therapeutic options, virtual therapy provides a valuable and welcome opportunity for those in need. While the process is not yet perfect, it is like anything else on the internet and in life: trust but verify. Make sure the therapist you speak to is licensed and certified, and the business you work through is taking necessary steps to protect your identity and medical information.  

It is easy to believe that online therapy is ineffective, but that opinion is based on bias and assumption, not in fact. The research concludes that online therapy is a viable option for depression, anxiety, and panic disorders. What do you think? Would you ever try a virtual therapist?

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Are You Washing Your Hair Too Often?

Between hair gel and an active lifestyle, shampooing is necessary to keep pores clean and hair strands bouncy. At the same time, washing too often can make hair look tired out. How can you tell if you’re washing your hair too often?

How Often Should Women Wash Their Hair?

The truth is that your hair (and your scalp) has different needs than everyone else’s. Some hair looks phenomenal shampooing daily. Other women only need to wash their hair once or twice a week! Your ideal routine can even change depending on the time of the year or even how stressed you feel.

Generally speaking, people who have fine-textured hair need to shampoo more often than ones with coarse strands. For many women, washing hair 2–3 times a week is perfect.

How Can You Tell If You’re Shampooing Your Hair Too Often?

Is your shampooing schedule a little too intense? Check for these seven warning signs.

1. Dry or Flaking Scalp

Just like other parts of your skin, your scalp needs to stay hydrated. Flaking means it’s too dry. This can happen if you’re washing too frequently or using a shampoo that's too harsh for your scalp.

2. Tangles

Shiny, healthy hair lets a brush slide through easily. If you frequently run into tangles in the morning, your strands are probably too brittle.

3. Dull or Frizzy Hair

Overdoing shampooing strips your hair and hair follicles of natural oils. This leaves strands looking frizzy and dull instead of vibrant and bouncy.

4. Split Ends

It’s normal for hair strands to eventually develop split ends as the tips dry out. With a healthy hair care routine, this should take a long time to happen — like three or four months. Are you seeing lots of split ends a few weeks after you visit the stylist? Either you’re washing too often or drying your hair too aggressively.

5. Breakage

Does it seem like you’re losing a ton of hair? Trust me, I've been there. The good news is that your hair isn’t actually falling out. It’s just breaking because the strands are too brittle. This can happen because of over-washing or rough shampooing.

6. Faded Color

Don’t tell anyone, but I dye my hair (gasp)! Isn’t it frustrating when that gorgeous color only lasts a week or two before fading? If that happens to you, you may need to dial back the shampooing and use a shampoo specifically designed for color-treated hair.

7. Oily Hair

Believe it or not, one of the signs you’re washing your hair too much is oily hair! When your scalp feels like it’s under attack, it increases oil production to compensate. Shampooing less often can help balance things out again.

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How Can You Keep Your Hair Healthy?

The first thing you should experiment with if you're running into dry, brittle or dull hair is to wait an extra day to shampoo. Here are other tips that can help:

  • Towel off gently
  • Don’t brush when you hair is still wet
  • Use leave-in conditioner
  • Choose a moisturizing shampoo
  • Get plenty of antioxidants and nutrients for hair health

Washing your hair is a good thing. A soft massage with shampoo feels refreshing and exfoliates your scalp gently, keeping skin cells from clogging your pores. Just keep an eye on the appearance of your hair strands from time to time to make sure you're not overdoing it.