The Ideal Fasting Diet for Women’s Hormonal Cycles

A serene woman holding a mug as part of a fasting diet for women.

What’s the ideal fasting diet for women? Why is fasting trickier for women? In her book Fast Like a Girl, Mindy Pelz focuses on women’s fasting because, unlike men, women experience monthly and menopausal hormonal cycles. Women need to pay more attention to their fasting and eating habits due to this cycle. Below we’ll explore Pelz’s advice for tailoring a fasting schedule that aligns with women’s hormonal cycle.

The Many Differences Between Bad Stress and Good Stress

A woman suffering from bad stress and good stress as she faces piles of paperwork.

What’s the difference between bad stress and good stress? Can stress actually be beneficial? Stress is usually interpreted as being a nuisance in a person’s life, as it can cause burnout and has negative cognitive effects. While this is sometimes true, stress can also help you in demanding situations, promote personal growth, increase confidence, and more. Take a look at the effects of bad stress and good stress, and how to deal with each type.

The Benefits of Community and How to Build Strong Relationships

Three smiling friends in a mountain environment reaping the benefits of community.

What are the benefits of community? How can building relationships improve your health and well-being? The benefits of community include reducing anxiety and depression and even lowering the risk of heart disease. Understanding these benefits as well as strategies for building relationships can help you improve both your mental and physical health. Continue reading to learn how to build community and how having community can benefit you.

How Exercise Affects Mental Health and Why Moving Is Important

A woman doing crunches at the gym because exercise affects mental health.

What do we know about how exercise affects mental health? Why is it important to move throughout the day? Exercise affects mental health by releasing brain chemicals like endorphins and dopamine, and it also promotes mindful breathing, which is emotionally stabilizing. Knowing the benefits of exercise can help motivate you to take better care of yourself. Read on to learn how exercise affects your emotional health and why it is important.

Public Trust in Science Is Waning—Why This Is Dangerous

A doctor putting a shot in a person's arm.

Why has there been a sudden decrease in confidence in science? How could the distrust of science endanger individuals and the country? The public’s trust in science has dropped sharply over the last few years. This trend has people from all sides of the political spectrum, and in fields ranging from medicine to public policy, concerned about the future of progress in the United States. Here are some possible reasons why trust in science is waning.

How Jordan Belfort’s Lifestyle Ruined His Life

A bottle spilling pills on a wood table.

What were the consequences of Jordan Belfort’s lifestyle? How did Belfort try to escape from Stratton Oakmont during a criminal investigation? Even though Belfort went to prison for financial misdealings, it was his excessive lifestyle that almost destroyed him before the law caught up. Belfort’s addictions to drugs, sex, and risk-taking behavior continue to dominate his life even after he left Stratton Oakmont behind. Learn how Belfort’s “early retirement” became a downward spiral of drug use, depression, and self-destruction.

How to Change Your Mood: Break Free From the Vicious Cycle

A split image of a man where on one side he's happy and the other side he's sad.

Are you always “in a mood,” causing those around you to walk on eggshells? Do you depend on circumstances, medication, or therapy to bring you out of it? Dr. Julie Smith says that it’s likely that you can change your mood yourself by monitoring and adjusting four things. If you attend to your physical state, your thought patterns, your actions, and your connections with others, you can elevate your frame of mind. Read more to learn how to change your mood with Smith’s recommendations.

Dr. Julie Smith: Anxiety Self-Care Practices to Calm Yourself

A relaxed woman closing her eyes as part of a self-care routine for anxiety.

How often do you feel anxious? Are you able to calm yourself effectively, or are you afraid you must resort to medication or therapy? Psychologist Julie Smith writes that people often mistakenly believe that they need to commit to long-term, in-depth therapy. If they have some basic education about how their minds and bodies work, they’ll be able to take control of their mental health themselves, without intensive help from a professional. Keep reading for Dr. Julie Smith’s anxiety self-care insights and techniques.