Age Proof Your Body

Written by Camille Lawson (RN, BA, MEd) on 15 August 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, Issues

Healthy aging: Is there such a thing you ask?

We used to accept the aging process as inevitable and attributed those who seemed to age “better” as being lucky with genetics. Scientists have long tried to explain why some people outlive everyone else, while maintaining good health, even into very old age. They credit genes, exercise and diet, but never a clear answer. As a society today, it is NOT enough to have the technology to keep us alive longer – we demand to live healthy and vital lives! Yet, many of us do not. Often the diseases we associate with aging catch up with the best of us, despite our efforts; arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers of all sorts. Not to mention grey hair (or no hair!), wrinkles… OK I will stop!

Healthy aging is a relatively new term evolved from the concept of “anti-aging”. We are certain now we not only want to live longer, but live better! One significant scientific clue to achieving this is finally within sight – it lies in the tiny bits of DNA that cap the ends of our chromosomes, called telomeres. I have become fascinated with this discovery and how important it is to MY feeling and looking great – for longer!

Why do we age?

Aging begins with a vicious cycle of several factors – exposure to toxins, poor diet, chronic stress, inadequate sleep, inflammation, and so forth – that create a tremendous load of free radicals that damage our cells and DNA.  We used to think our bodies kind of “wore out” while now, science has discovered that aging is a mix of this free radical cycle and genetic programming that drives a “clock” that ticks inside every single living cell in our bodies! This discovery has been thanks to a series of scientists beginning with Hermann Muller in the 30’s, Alexey Olovnikov in the early 1970’s, Bill Andrews of Sierra Sciences, and Elizabeth Blackburn (U of CA).  Leonard Hayflick is responsible for determining there is a limit to how many times a cell can divide forming the idea of the “aging clock”.

This “aging clock” is telomere shortening.  When telomeres get shorter, bad things happen…

The Quick Lowdown on How Telomeres and Aging are Linked:

Telomeres are the region of DNA at the end of each of our chromosomes.  Similar to the plastic tip on the end of shoelaces, telomeres protect the DNA strand from becoming frayed and unravelling, which would create cellular dysfunction and lead to overall poor health.  Our cells cannot replicate the telomere tips of our chromosomes, which get shorter and shorter every time our cells divide.  When a cell’s telomeres get TOO short, its DNA become unstable, mutations occur and the cell is no longer able to divide.  Ultimately, this leads to poor diminished health and acceleration of the symptoms we associate with aging.

Scientists discovered that our telomeres are protected by a powerful anti-aging enzyme produced by our own cells called “telomerase”; this enzyme rebuilds telomeres and more importantly, protects them from wearing down in the first place. [This discovery was made in 2009 by a team of scientists lead by Nobel laureate, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California who has been studying telomeres and currently is behind a brand new longevity testing measuring the length of our telomeres to determine how old we really are and how many healthy years do we have ahead of us.] For my money I want to know more about what I CAN DO to keep my telomeres longer, for longer!

What Factors Shorten Telomeres and What  will Protect  Them?

Scientists are becoming more clear that telomere length is shortened by several factors:  oxidative stress, weak immune system, chronic stress (cortisol), poor nutrition, and fatigue.

1. Oxidative Stress : A huge factor in North American culture!  This refers to the cumulative load on our body from toxicity which is pervasive from our food and  water that we consume, the air we breathe…did you know that the average North American drinks over one gallon of pesticide a year? Yikes, that is horrifying to me who strives to be a “clean” eater in most ways!                                                               Solution: Choose organic whenever possible (google the “dirty dozen” and “the clean thirteen”); drink purified water; use whole body nutritional cleansing as a regular lifestyle choice to remove toxins; avoid chemicals; do not smoke (I know, enough said, you get it!).

2. Fatigue: The average person requires 7-8 hours of restful sleep nightly; however, most of us get a fitful 5-6 hours. This chronic fatigue shortens our Telomeres. The hours of sleep we get between 10 PM and 2 AM also help us produce our own Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which is essential to healthy aging. This hormone begins to decrease at age 35!                                                                                                 Solution: Try going to bed earlier and getting up at 6 AM to use those hours for productive organization and boost your HGH at the same time. Find a good sleep spray containing Melatonin and 5 HTP, both which will contribute to a deeper, more restful sleep. According to many researchers (Colgan Institute), many of us cease to produce adequate amount of our sleep hormone, Melatonin, after age 35. Manage stress (see below) since spiking Cortisol at 3-4 AM may cause pressure on your adrenal glands which push on your bladder waking you up.

3. Chronic Stress: We were never meant to live in the lifestyle conditions that most of us do today with constant stress and the subsequent elevated levels of Cortisol associated with this. There are numerous studies that demonstrate that when we have cortisol surging chronically we damage our immune system’s ability to ward off disease and illness, we cannot lose body fat, in particular, the dangerous visceral fat around our organs. In my work as a trainer at women’s events on Balanced Living (I teach Nutrition, Hormones & Sexuality), I have observed that many women are in a perpetual state of “overwhelm”. The stresses do not go away and our coping mechanisms are often non-existent. Our Telomeres get shorter more quickly with this chronic, unmanaged stress load, according to studies by Blackburn and Psychologist Elissa Epel.                                                                                                      Solution: While our daily stress may not disappear we are able to cope more effectively so that our cortisol does not spike.  MEDITATION does help!  I so understand that you hear this over and over and say, “when will I fit in 20 minutes a day of sitting with an empty mind?  Like never”! I ask that you take just 5 minutes in the early morning and again at bedtime to simply sit comfortably, eyes open or shut and purposely quiet the mind chatter. This will help. Exercise will assist you in dealing with stress and also may contribute to longer Telomeres.  Strive for 30 minutes, 5 times a week and incorporate resistance training. This is manageable and the effects are noticeable. Find a good adrenal support (adaptagens) to assist our hard working adrenal glands.

Where do we stand now?

Activating the Telomerase enzyme appears to be the healthy aging industry’s “Holy Grail”, according to a recent Maclean’s magazine article (May 27, 2013).  Scientists are hot on the discovery trail of what compounds will increase this enzyme and subsequently support our telomeres in staying longer, for longer.

Commit to managing the key factors within your control to minimize the shortening of your telomeres.  Optimal nutrition, exercise and managing high stress are the top three and I also use natural botanical compounds to improve immune system and assist the body in supporting telomere health. Add in a supplementation for activating your Telomeraze enzyme and you are covering your bases on healthy aging!

Stay tuned for what is next in the realm of healthy aging breakthroughs!

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The Missing Pieces of YOUR Success Picture

Written by Fiona Fine on 8 August 2013. Posted in Business, Career & Entrepreneurship, Issues

Suzanne Evans is a force to be reckoned with!

She is a coach and consultant who teaches over 30,000 women in her wealth and business building program (https://womenwhorunit.com/HellYeahMarketing), she transformed herself from a secretary who was $100,000 in debt to “multi-millionairess” – surpassing the 7 figure mark in only 3 years! Her company was ranked by INC. as #225 of the 500 fastest growing companies of 2012 and again this year in 2013. She is an entrepreneur, a role model, a businesswoman, a performer, a loving partner, a lover of the finer things in life (including Manolo Blahniks), and… she can swear like a trucker (in other words, she’s my kind of woman!). She is truly a woman who runs it, which is why I was thrilled to get her to talk leadership, mentorship, and some of her surprising keys to achieving business success.

What came out of our conversation were a few expletives, a good laugh or two, and some of what I consider to be several of the most important questions any woman in business should ask herself and therefore I asked of Suzanne:

“Do you recognize a mentor when you see one?”

Not a ridiculous question when you consider how some women view mentorship in business today. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg spoke in her book ‘Lean In’ about younger women, building their careers, who seem to be under the illusion that finding a mentor will be the key to their own success and who go about aggressively pursuing those who they feel can fill that role for them. Suzanne felt that was a “forced, misguided approach and that mentorship comes about in a much more organic way.”

Suzanne embodies those sentiments in her own life, feeling that women need to realize that mentors come in all forms and are of all ages. Recognizing those who have truly mentored you comes with age and maturity. Suzanne not only attributes her own hard-working entrepreneurial parents for teaching her to persevere and achieve, but recognizes mentors from throughout her life – from a famous basketball coach she admired when she was 8, to a manager she worked under in her teens who taught her to be a great and motivational leader, to a college professor who taught her how to be a person that other people truly wanted to be around.

Some of Suzanne’s current mentors include those she has never met; authors she has studied, even those whose own core ideas may seem diametrically opposed to her own. She attributes keeping an open mind and employing a good filter in order to “take what is useful to you and your business from those who you may have otherwise dismissed”. If you can be open to mentorship coming from new and unexpected sources, you can be opening yourself up to a world of knowledge and experience.

“Do you believe that hard work equals rewards?”

Again, a question whose answer may seem self-evident but it can be easy to confuse “do what you love” with “work less, be a success.” After all, our society is all about taking the easy road and the quick path. The brutal truth is that there is still no replacement for good, old fashioned hard work. Suzanne attributes her own unprecedented work ethic to her entrepreneurial parents who always committed to doing whatever it took to achieve their goals, believing that with hard work, you will always get what you need when you most need it. Suzanne herself feels that you do not need to be the smartest person in business, the most talented or skilled, but you do need to ‘outwork’ everyone around you. She quotes actor Will Smith (again, a mentor in an unlikely place) who said “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period… You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?”

“How do you deal with pressure?”

The fact is that if you are looking for success in the corporate world or as an entrepreneur, you are at times going to be put under a lot of pressure. Do you perform under pressure or does it paralyze you? Are you a slow and steady person or do you thrive under deadlines and crunches?

Suzanne describes herself as a “pressure perform” personality, to the point where she admits that for her “nothing good comes out of planning.” For all the great plans and long-term forecasts, when it comes to crunch time, she will always go with the flow because she believes that her best results come from spontaneity. But – and this is crucial, no matter your style – the key for Suzanne has been to learn her boundaries and her tipping point, where she knows that she needs to step away from a situation. If you have been working on adrenaline, if you are making that sprint to the finish line, know when it is time to bow out and have a beer!

“Are you a dreamer or a realist?”

If you think there is just one answer to this, you would be wrong. Suzanne makes a strong point for being both. Realism means knowing the financials, managing your staff, knowing how to run a business, working hard. But it is the innovators, the dreamers and the creators who truly make things happen. She again quoted Will Smith, who says “Being realistic is the fastest path to mediocrity.” (as she said – it must be Will Smith day). Letting your dreams seep through the cracks of reality, that’s where the magic happens.

Suzanne spoke about reading Suze Orman’s book Women and Money, specifically a chapter on how to know when to give up on your business. She laughed and told me she was grateful she hadn’t read the book 5 years previously because she may have very well given up based on Orman’s advice. But, the dream was too big to let go. Suzanne persevered, and look where it has taken her. Dreamers and innovators she believes, change the world – and these are two things at which women, in particular, excel!

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Be Proud of Your Body, No Matter What

Written by Lesley Cornelius on 30 July 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, Issues

What is a healthy body image? There is a contrast in today’s culture that doesn’t give a clear answer to this age-old question. If you pay attention to popular culture you’ll already know that there are so many mixed messages about beauty for women. There’s a surge of companies with campaigns for “normal” women, the most well-known being Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, as well as movements for body peace. On the flip side, actresses still have thin bodies, advertisements feature beautiful “perfect” looking women and working out to look fantastic in a bikini is a prominent feature of women’s magazines.

There is so much contradiction out there that it’s hard for women to learn to love their bodies the way they are. Why would we be okay being on the curvy side when all of the sexiest women in the world look like Anna Kournikova? Men drool over pinup pictures of skinny women in bikinis and fantasize about spending a day at the Playboy mansion. It’s no wonder, then, that women are constantly trying to look skinnier and need a bit of reassurance from body peace campaigns.

• Mainstream “Fat Shaming”

In a world where obesity is considered a national epidemic and there are countless campaigns targeting obesity, it’s hard to feel comfortable being more curvy or bigger boned. Everyone is on the anti-obesity bandwagon, pushing for healthier diets everywhere and more active lifestyles. Even fast food restaurants, notorious for contributing to obesity, have begun to make small changes like putting calorie counts on their menus. This, of course, is a good thing because obesity is a serious health risk.

The problem with this lies in the classification of obese. Many people who are bigger are seen to be obese, even if they aren’t overweight at all. Just because someone isn’t skinny doesn’t mean she’s overweight, and that’s what people don’t realize because we’ve always been told that anyone who isn’t skinny is ugly or fat. This is definitely not the case. Just because someone is plus sized does not mean that they’re fat.

Mainstream media doesn’t help lessen the “fat shaming” at all. How many movies have you seen that have a lead female character that isn’t skinny? Even if you can think of one, think of how she was portrayed and what the media said about her. Melissa McCarthy was recently called a “hippo” and “tractor sized” by film critic Rex Reed regarding her role in the movie “Identity Thief.” Even though she is a successful actress, she is still being called out on her body size instead of her acting talent. This is why the body peace campaigns will not work until everyone in the media is on board.

• Dove Versus Victoria’s Secret: the Body Image Showdown

Recently a photo went viral of Dove’s “Real Beauty Campaign” where underneath was a photo of Victoria’s Secret “Love my Body Campaign.” There is a noticeable difference in these pictures, particularly the body type of the women featured. In Dove’s picture the women are full-figured and curvy, while the Victoria’s Secret women are noticeably slimmer. Is it really fair to compare these ads, though?

The debate surrounding this viral image is that women are being pitted against each other. Curvy women are hating on skinnier women, and vice versa. Both of these brands produce products that will make you feel beautiful no matter what your body type is. Making your skin glow with Dove products and wearing a sexy nightgown from Victoria’s Secret have the same effect on your self-image, just in different ways. There is no right answer when it comes to this debate.

This also goes for the sayings like, “real women have curves” that are found all over the Internet. This is essentially propaganda for this war between skinny and curvy women. Saying this is feeding the fire for women of different body types to be against each other, when in reality women should be working together to stop these attitudes. The idea of “real” women being more curvy or voluptuous is offensive to women who are naturally thin. All women are “real” women and should be celebrated.

• Skinny Women Have Body Image Issues Too

There’s a common stereotype out there that thin women are snobby and full of themselves, and curvier women are self conscious and over-friendly. This is so wrong ladies! Tall, thin women have their own share of body image worries, just like some curvier women don’t have a problem with their bodies at all. When people comment on too-thin women saying they are “just skin and bones” or “disgustingly thin” it is just as hurtful as fat shaming.

In fact, thin women are often more likely to have an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s a young girl’s disease, either, because at least 10 percent of women over the age of 40 have an eating disorder. In fact, one of the main causes of eating disorders for women in their 30’s and older is due to a poor body image that stems from trying to maintain the standards set out by today’s culture. When you look at Hollywood celebrities who are in this age group it’s hard not to be concerned, but people often forget how much work has gone into making Cindy Crawford look fabulous at age 47.

• “Healthy” is Not a Certain Body Type

If you ask someone what their preferred body type for a woman is, the majority of people will not say “skinny.” They’ll say “healthy.” In fact, women with a little more meat on their bones aren’t unhealthy at all, despite what popular culture might have you believe. Some women have bigger bones and larger body frames, and there’s nothing they can do to change that. As long as you’re eating healthy and exercising, you are healthy and beautiful the way you are.

If a man is only attracted to skinny, “perfect” looking bodies then he’s shallow and not worth your time! So don’t waste time worrying about what your body looks like to your significant other. All that matters is that you’re happy and confident with yourself. The right person will love you for who you are, and will be attracted to you no matter what your body looks like.

• Moving Forward With a Healthy Body Image

Credit does have to be given to some of the game changers out there. The previously mentioned Melissa McCarthy is among some successful actresses who have plus sized body types and are proud of it. While there’s still a long way to go, these ladies are paving the way for progress.

Women’s magazines that include fashion sections all have a “dress for your body type” attitude. They showcase different clothes for different body types, allowing all kinds of readers to find what works for them. The only problem is that sometimes they don’t include all of the possible body types or allow for a combination of body types. For example, if you’re curvy and petite like me, you’re going to have an awful time trying to find out which clothing works for both aspects. However, it’s still a step in the right direction when it comes to incorporating all body types. Plus sized clothing is also more stylish than ever, which is a huge bonus!

So don’t be jealous of other women who you think might have a more perfect body than yours, because they probably don’t even think that about their own body. In fact, they might even be jealous of you! There is no definition of a perfect body because everyone is different and what’s perfect to someone might not be the same to someone else. Your loved ones and the people who matter the most truly don’t care what your body looks like because they love you for who you are.

Not everyone looks like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and that’s okay. You are still beautiful, strong and powerful the way you are. You don’t have to have a perfect body to be fabulous! You’re fabulous already!

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5 Reasons To MOOC

Written by Cathy Goodwin (Ph.D.) on 25 July 2013. Posted in Business, Career & Entrepreneurship, Issues

Mid-life career challenges or career change often calls for developing new skills, discovering career fields that resonate with you, or sharpening your learning curve. One opportunity that is easy to overlook: Take a free MOOC course.

If you’ve been anywhere on the planet recently, you probably know about MOOCs. MOOC stands for Massive Online Open Courses (Source: Wikipedia). Professors from top universities have been offering courses online through ventures such as edX and Coursera. Some have started offering certificates to people who complete the requirements, take exams and follow specific procedures to document participation.

MOOCs are delivered as a combo of video and audio: a professor lectures into the camera and you hear the sound via computer (I prefer headphones myself).

Besides video lectures, you get a host of materials: access to background reading (sometimes at no cost except download and printing), quizzes to keep on track, exams, and discussion forums. The quality of the forums varies widely and all the tests and quizzes are optional. You can commit seriously to a course or two or dabble in half a dozen.

MOOCs can become addictive, if you’re the kind of person who always wanted to be a permanent student. Many people find they’re turning to MOOCs instead of their formerly favorite television program.

MOOCs are not for everyone. If you’re a totally visual learner, you learn by reading. In that case you can take notes and refer to your notes afterward. If you’re an auditory learner, you’re in luck.

All that aside, here are 5 reasons to MOOC:

1) Learn a marketable skill. If you’re disciplined and motivated you can get free training in programing as well as other skills. Coursera has offered Python programing. Udemy offers a wide variety of online courses at moderate investments on topics like Adobe Photoshop, web development and social media for startups.

2) Fire up your brain. We rarely engage in conceptual thinking or get out of our intellectual comfort zone after finishing school (lawyers and some other fields excepted). After a few online courses, don’t be surprised to find you’re thinking differently and asking new questions. You might find your grasping new material more easily and confidently (especially if you choose challenging courses).

3) Expand your creativity. Creativity thrives on change and novelty.When I study a topic that’s far removed from marketing and business, I get more ideas for my business.

4) Prepare for a degree or certificate program. Are you thinking of signing up for a degree program? Getting an industry certificate? If you’ve been out of school awhile, you might be a little concerned about getting back into the study groove. MOOCs are risk-free: you’ll get used to digesting new material and responding to test questions (if you choose to take the quizzes and tests).

5) Recognize your true interests and aptitudes. Do you find yourself drawn to courses in literature, social sciences, or science? Even if you’re an omnivorous course taker, you’ll find you tend to read certain material faster and do the assignments in some courses more readily than in others.

Of course responding to a course isn’t necessarily a predictor of satisfaction for careers in that field. I know many people who hated their professional training but loved their careers afterward.

Still, you’ll realize that your brain naturally grooves in some courses and not others.

For instance, programming requires a strong attention to detail and high frustration tolerance. Much as I’d love to be a techie, I suspect it’s just not in the cards for me. Social sciences – understanding how people act and why they make choices – remains my true niche.

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Angels Have the Most Fun

Written by Taylor Brown on 23 July 2013. Posted in Issues

It’s been said many times that bad girls have all the fun. Those leather wearing, hard partying, rock n’ roll ladies may have fun, but we’re sure it can really wear a woman out. We think the true path is the one of the angel. The angel has long been seen as a boring cherub who follows all those silly rules that society has laid out for them but think about another kind of angel, the Victoria’s Secret Angel. These sexy, gorgeous and infectiously fun ladies are who we want to be and we’ll show you why you will find yourself thinking the same!

To begin with, the beautiful Angels are representatives for one of the most amazing companies! Victoria`s Secret began when Roy Raymond found himself embarrassed to buy beautiful lingerie in department stores for his wife. In 1977 he decided to open up his own store in Stanford, California and so, Victoria`s Secret was born. It blossomed into a mail order catalogue and three more stores before being sold to its current owners, Limited Brands. Since Limited Brands has taken over, Victoria’s Secret has become the super brand we know it as today. Thanks to its new owners we’ve seen the birth of the Angels, the first fashion shows, the expansion of the line and Victoria’s Secret’s launch into super stardom.

Since its inception Victoria’s Secret has expanded in many, many ways. It went from being a strictly bra and panties line, to one that includes sleepwear, beauty products, shoes and bathing suits. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is one of the year’s biggest anticipated shows and never fails to stun and amaze. The show is responsible for 5 billion dollars in sales for Victoria’s Secret each year. This multi-billion dollar company has even branched into products for the younger crowd with their PINK line. This brand covers all the bases and makes you feel sexy while doing it!

The most impressive thing that Victoria’s Secret has birthed? The beautiful Angels of course! In 1998 when the first angel wings appeared on the runway we could never have guessed that it would have created the phenomena that we know of today. These gorgeous ladies are people that we want to be and we think you’ll want to be just like them too. Let us tell you why! 1. These ladies don’t hold back their sexuality

The Victoria’s Secret Angels aren’t afraid to be sexy. They may be good girls but they also don’t try to hide the fact that they are indeed, women. They wear those beautiful outfits with confidence and a huge smile on their faces. They’re saying “Yeah I’m hot, yeah I’m half naked and guess what, it’s fun!” They keep it classy and fun by blowing kisses at the end of the runway and dancing around the performers on their way to strike a pose. We wish we could be stomping around up there with them while they show off those gorgeous bods. 2. They’re fun!

Don’t you just want to be friends with Miranda Kerr? Or Candice Swanepeol? Or any of those gorgeous ladies bouncing their way down the runway? So often we see models as boring stick figures with monotone facial expressions as they make their way to the end of the runway. The Angels aren’t having any of that. They smile, wave, pose and laugh their way down the catwalk. These ladies aren’t just human clothing hangers, they are half the show! 3. They are amazing career women

The Angels are the original supermodels. They become household names and are able to gracefully glide from one career move to the next. Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks were both able to create and host successful shows afterwards. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stunned in the third Transformers movie and other models have beautifully graced the covers of Vogue and the like. Besides this, they spend time jet-setting all over the world to promote their brand. Boy they must be tired! 4. They’re great role models

The modeling industry is one that has been known for promoting unhealthy body images. Now, let’s be honest, I’m sure very few of us were born with Behati Prinsloo’s body or even have the ability to achieve it. These women are basically beautiful freaks of nature but it’s not something that they don’t work for. The Victoria’s Secret Angels are frequent gym-goers. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Miranda Kerr and Adriana Lima are just a couple of the ladies who you can frequently find sweating it out inside of a gym. 5. They know that they can have it all!

These ladies do not let their busy careers hold them back from having everything that they want. Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr and Heidi Klum are amazing mothers who quickly found themselves back on the runway after having their babies. Besides their amazing ability to get back into runway shape, you constantly see the Angels who are mothers toting their tots around happily. They all seem like very hands-on mothers. Besides their beautiful babies, these ladies sure know how to catch a stud. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is currently dating super-hunk Jason Statham, Miranda Kerr is married to Orlando Bloom and hotties Adam Levine and Leonardo DiCaprio have dated a handful of Angels between them. These girls are every man’s dream!

So now that we’ve convinced you of how seriously amazing being an Angel is, we want to help you become one! As part of our Ultimate Sweepstakes from Women Who Run it we’re giving away an amazing Victoria’s Secret Prize pack. You get the Modal PJ Set, The AfterHours Satin Pajama Set and the Victoria’s Secret Signature Graphic Sleepshirt. You’ll be climbing into bed looking like your favorite Angel.

TO ENTER CLICK HERE:

https://womenwhorunit.wpengine.com/Ultimate

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Confidence is the New Sexy

Written by Lesley Cornelius on 16 July 2013. Posted in Issues, Relationships, Dating & Sex

You’re an alpha female. You run your own life according to your terms. An alpha female is already a pretty confident woman. You’re independent and do what it takes to get what you want out of life. You’re hardworking and motivated and you won’t stop until you’re successful and happy. You have confidence, and that will take you places in your life, your love and your career. This is a very sexy thing. One of the most common areas where some women feel they need a confidence boost is in the bedroom. Sexual confidence is your most important tool to boost your sex life and maximize your sexual pleasure. Here’s why you need it and how you can get it.

There’s a big misconception that confidence is easily mistaken for selfishness. Don’t let that worry bring you down. It should not limit you from being your true, confident self. In reality, it’s not hard to pick out who is actually selfish and who is actually confident. If you’re not a selfish person you won’t come across that way.

• The difference between confidence and selfishness is how you treat and interact with other people. 

Confidence is self-esteem. It’s important for you to love yourself before you can love other people the way they deserve to be loved. Confidence means that you are happy enough with yourself to be able to put others first. Being selfish is worrying about only yourself and doing whatever you need to ensure your own happiness, even if it’s at someone else’s extent.

• Confident women are sexy women. 

Women who are confident know what they want and aren’t afraid to get it. Men are attracted to confident women because they are successful and aren’t afraid to be themselves. Women who need to be reassured all the time can turn men off. This also goes for clingy women who don’t have their own life. Confident women are also happy women, and both sexes are attracted to happiness. No one wants to be with someone who’s miserable all the time. A lot of men like women who will take charge in the bedroom. You don’t have to go and be a dominatrix, but you don’t have to sit back and let him do all of the work either. If there’s something you want to do during sex, go for it! If there’s something your partner is not doing, don’t be afraid to tell your partner what you like! It’s also important that you make sure you let him know when he’s doing it right. The more you reassure him, the more he’ll continue that really awesome move you love so much.

• Your partner is just as intimidated as you are. 

Sex is intimidating for both participants. Being naked can lead to paranoia, and it becomes easy to worry about whether you look fat instead of enjoying the moment. This can hinder your sexual experience and cause you to have difficulty reaching climax. It can also prevent you from trying something new, like that move you saw in a magazine and wanted to try. Here’s the thing…men are intimidated too! They worry about things like their penis size, how they look and if they’re doing a good job. That’s right! Men do worry about whether they’re making you feel good! To top that off, most men aren’t even focusing on those body parts you’re worried about. A friend of mine once told me that as long as your boobs and butt are on display, men aren’t even looking at your stomach! They’re too distracted by those more exciting naughty parts. The more confident you are, the less intimidating sex will be for you.

• A big part of a woman’s sexual pleasure is mental.

The key to bedroom confidence is focusing on pleasure. Once you stop worrying about how you look, you can focus on what you’re feeling. How you feel about your body is directly linked to your ability to orgasm. The more confident you are, the more likely you will climax. Eighty percent of women can’t orgasm from intercourse alone, and 30 percent can’t reach orgasm from any type of sexual activity. This means it’s hard for women to climax in the first place, without the added worries of how good you look. Focus is the key to a woman’s orgasm. Up to 90 percent of a woman’s orgasm is mental. You have to be in the right mindset to achieve sexual bliss. If your mind is wandering and thinking about everything but the pleasure you’re feeling and how turned on you are, you won’t be focused enough to climax. So stop worrying about what happened at work today or if he can see your cellulite and live in the moment.

So now you know why confidence is sexy. You might still be wondering what you can do to increase your confidence and give off that cool, sexy, confident vibe in the bedroom. Sexual confidence can exist in two forms: mental and physical.

• Positive thinking is the key to sexual confidence. 

Worrying about all your flaws and faults is going to get you nowhere, especially if there are things that you can’t fix. You have to concentrate on your assets instead and find ways to showcase them. Maybe you’re a bit flat chested but you’ve got a fantastic booty. Try a position where he gets a nice view of your butt, like doggy style or reverse cowgirl. If you’re the opposite and have a great upper body but a not-so-fabulous bottom, do girl on top and missionary. Doing sex positions that showcase your best assets will give you a confidence boost and stop you from worrying about what part of you is jiggling.

• Exerting sexual confidence is all about body language. 

Making eye contact during sex can be a very powerful thing. If you’re one of those people who have a problem with eye contact, try to look at the bridge of your partner’s nose. Confident body language during sex can be anything that shows you’re feeling good. It can be anything from digging your nails into his back, to kissing his neck, to making noises. This is where you can do whatever comes naturally to you, and I assure you that he won’t judge you. This is where what I call the “circle of sexual pleasure” comes in. Most men are turned on by their ability to sexually satisfy their partner so the more pleasure you show the more pleasure he will get, which in turn means more pleasure for you. So it moves in a big circle and comes back to you. In simple terms, show pleasure and you’ll get more pleasure.

Confidence is sexy and attractive. When you get in the bedroom, own it and don’t be shy. You will increase your pleasure once you let go of everything holding you back. So stop worrying and enjoy the ride…literally!

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Fitness and Your Love Life: They’re the Perfect Match

Written by Lesley Cornelius on 9 July 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, How To, Issues, Relationships, Dating & Sex

Most of us know the saying “the couple that works out together stays together.” Well, there’s truth to that. Getting active will make your relationship stronger, your love life better, and your sex drive higher. Fitness has a huge impact on your love life, and here’s why you should merge the two together.

Couples have been working out together for a while, and this is nothing new. So why is it relevant now? As the modern world becomes more focused around being healthy and active, it is important to keep up. The obesity and laziness epidemic is something that has put a negative impact on our world, and you don’t have to fall in with it. You are a go getter, not a couch sitter! Nothing bad has ever come from getting in shape.

I’m not suggesting anything drastic, like leaving your comfortable woman-centered gym to go and work out with your husband’s bodybuilding friends. You don’t need to go and watch him bench press while making grunting noises and creating a large pool of sweat on the floor. That’s not fun for a lot of women. I’m simply making some suggestions to include fitness in your life, if you don’t already do so. Even if you do, here’s some insight you might not realize. Adding some fitness to your life will benefit your relationship in many ways. If you’re single there are also a lot of benefits, so don’t think that you don’t count here.

• Fitness has an effect on your energy levels, as well as your body both inside and out.

There are the obvious long term benefits that come from being active, such as decreasing your risks for heart disease and diabetes. If you are married, or in a long term relationship, those are things to be thinking about when it comes to your partner. You both want to be around as long as you can! If you have children together, this is also important for their sake.

• Working on your fitness also gives you self confidence, which is crucial for your love life.

When you work out regularly, you feel better and you feel that you look better- because you do. When you feel better about yourself, your sex drive will increase.

• Unleash the sexy!

This brings me to the sexual benefits of exercise. There are many. Naturally, the most obvious one is you will feel more comfortable naked and in an intimate situation. You’ll also have the energy to keep going as long as you want, and maybe longer than you could before. Your legs won’t get tired. Your arms won’t get sore. Exercising also releases endorphins that can boost your sex drive. Sex also counts as an exercise!

If you really want to boost that sex drive through the roof, you can take some of the sexier exercise classes, like burlesque and pole dancing. Those are sure to increase your sexual activity and awaken the temptress in you.

• Your relationship will go sky high.

Where does fitness come into play in a relationship? Find some common interests. Do you both enjoy hiking? Take a Saturday morning hike together. Walk your dog or go for a jog in the park. Go on an adventure in a place that you’ve never been to, or haven’t been to in a while. Go to the beach and play some volleyball. Join a co-ed recreational sports team together. Doing activities like this together will boost your bond and make you a stronger couple.

Working out and getting active with your partner will boost your relationship in multiple ways. If you choose to do some of the more exhilarating activities together, like rock climbing, you’ll help bring back those feelings you got when you first started dating- when you were in the “honeymoon phase” and everything was new and exciting. It’s also a good motivator to stay on track and keep with it, because you have each other as support. Your attraction to each other will also increase. You’ll be able to watch each other get into shape and improve yourselves. That’s an empowering thing.

• You can take fitness with you on vacations.

Even when it comes to going on a trip, you can add fitness. Go on a weekend getaway and do some sightseeing by foot or bicycle. Some places have running tours. If you’re going on vacation together, being active will help you get the most out of your time away because you can go on excursions and outings and be able to keep up physically.

• Meet someone amazing!

Single? There are plenty of ways to meet men through fitness activities and events. Joining a recreational sports league is an excellent way to do that. A couple in my hockey league not only met playing hockey, but also got engaged right there on the ice after a game a few years later in that same league. Joining a team will give you something in common with him that you can build off and form a base connection with. You can also meet people in classes and organized sporting events.

Many single men are looking for women who are active and enjoy either being outdoors or being adventurous. These outdoorsy, active men want to be able to take you on a canoe trip without you complaining that your feet hurt or your arms are sore from paddling. Being in shape would prevent both of those things from happening. However, so would wearing proper shoes. Keep that in mind.

If you scroll through some of the usernames on online dating sites like Match.com, you’ll see that a lot of them are sports related or activity related. Those dating sites, Match.com in particular, have organized events where you can go to meet other singles. Many of those organized events involve fitness activities. You can filter your online dating search to find men who are interested in the same activities that you are, and you can use those activities as dates. This will give you something to bond over, and that will give you a good starting point on a first date- or a second, third or fourth!

Whether you’re single, in a relationship, dating, in a partnership, or anything else, being active and involved with fitness will always give you an advantage. It can be something as small as walking your dog together. Whatever you choose to do will have a positive effect on your love life, and that is worth the effort.

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Is D the New C?

Written by Fiona Fine on 4 July 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, Issues

If you’re like me and other women conscious of the effects of aging, you have probably been avoiding sun exposure to a lot of your face and body. Sun spots, wrinkles, leathery skin, not to mention melanoma are a growing concern for all of us, especially as we age. We buy the expensive 60+ spf sunscreens and spend a fortune on self tanners that give us that “sunkissed” look, even in the winter. Many of us have grown to fear any kind of sun exposure and yet the truth is, we could be doing irreparable damage to our health in the process.

No, I’m not advocating for all of us to start laying out in the sun, reflector in hand, slathered in baby oil (remember the good old ‘70s and ‘80s?) or hitting the tanning beds, but I do think it’s important to talk about how and why we may want to reconsider our vampiric ways and let sunlight back into our lives.

HERE’S WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

A lack of vitamin D can lead to or increase your risk of osteoporosis, depression, breast cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, pulmonary disease, chronic pain, immune dysfunction, and/or diabetes. “D” is now increasingly understood to play an important role in metabolic and immune system functions, as well as being linked to sleep problems and daytime fatigue.

Does that send you running out to your local pharmacy for supplements? In fact, many experts are advocating a minimum of 4000-6000 IU per day which is way more than most of us even consider taking as a supplement. Yet we should, according to experts like Dr. Gary Null.

Ah, but here’s the catch 22.

WHY YOU NEED SUNLIGHT

The ultraviolet rays of the sun spur our bodies into producing vitamin D and no matter how many supplements we take, sun exposure is still the most effective tool for maintaining appropriate levels. Remember, we are born naked and our ancestors spent their lives frolicking out in the sun. Our bodies need sunlight to survive well and even the weakest of sunscreens are going to block your body’s ability to create vitamin D through sun exposure by 95%.(Source: Dr. Michael Holick, author The U.V. Advantage).

A current recommendation for sun exposure in order for your body to create appropriate levels of vitamin D is approximately 20 minutes a day without sunscreen. However, our body’s ability to create vitamin D through sun exposure decreases with age. Also, people with darker skin pigmentation may need 20-30 times as much sun exposure as fair skinned people in order for their bodies to create sufficient amounts.*

SUPPLEMENTS AND DIET – NOT YOUR ONLY OPTIONS

Some of the best food sources of vitamin D are: cod liver oil, fatty fish, fortified milk, fortified orange juice, egg yolks, canned tuna, sockeye salmon, and beef liver. If you are “watching your weight”, lactose intolerant, cutting down on dairy or on a vegetarian/vegan diet, you can see how getting enough through your diet could quickly become an issue.

Vitamin D supplements are of course still a good option and in most cases better than nothing. (Note: They should be taken with the heaviest meal of the day because they are absorbed best with fatty foods.) Get tested for vitamin D deficiency and get yourself out into the sunshine to see if it makes a difference to your overall mood.

THE SUN IS NOT YOUR ENEMY (YES, REALLY!)

Thinking of taking that step out of the shade and into the light? Here are some important things that you need to know about how to do it safely.

Start slowly. If you are very fair skinned or have been hiding out of the sun for years, start with only a few minutes a day (without sunscreen) to let your body’s melanocyte cells kick into gear. These are the cells that allow you to tan and also give you the pigmentation to protect your skin from the sun. If you are going to be outside for a while, take some sunscreen with you to apply later. Going from pasty white to lobster red is extremely harmful to your skin and each time you burn, you increase your risk of skin cancer.

Protect your face and eyes. The skin of your hands, face, and especially around your eyes is thin and sensitive. When you are going to be out for a duration of time, wear a hat or a light sunscreen on these areas to help avoid wrinkles and UV damage.

Timing is everything. Believe it or not, the best time to get some sun exposure is noon. Because the sun is highest in the sky and there is more UVB radiation in the spectrum than harmful UVA rays, you can maximize the amount of vitamin D you can absorb in a shorter period of time. So a 15-20 minute walk out your office door and into the sunshine during your lunch break is a great way to get your sunshine vitamin D quota.

Cover up those tattoos. Maybe it was an ill-advised 18th birthday drunken dare or a beautiful piece of body art to celebrate a life milestone – but tattoos should NEVER be exposed to the sun. Not only will any sun exposure fade them out over time, but the amount of sun a tattoo can tolerate versus non pigmented skin is very different. If you overdo it and manage to sunburn your tattoo, your immune system will see that as a cue to take the foreign pigments away through the lymph nodes at an even greater rate. That is another potential source of “dis-ease”.

NEVER go in the sun after a photofacial or chemical peel. If you have ever tried these cosmetic procedures, you are likely familiar with the side effects, which can include redness, swelling, slight bruising, itching, peeling, scabbing, or hyper/hypo-pigmentation (darkening or lightening of the skin). It is crucial to keep the treated areas out of the sun for a long duration after you have had these procedures because your skin is very vulnerable to burning, irritation, and long term irreparable damage (follow your specialist’s advice to the letter). Evidently Restylane, Botox, and Juvederm are all ok with natural sun exposure but obviously be aware that any tanning you do is going to contribute to reversing the effects of your treatment.

So do I regret going sunless at 30? Nope. Regrets are a waste of energy – I made decisions based on the best information I could obtain at the time and over 20 years later I have youthful looking skin on my decolletage, hands, throat and face (the primary giveaways of age and sun damage) to show for it.

Would I do things differently? Probably. Decades of health issues have led me to take a long, hard look at their causes and I do believe that part of my immune system being compromised was potentially due to a lack of vitamin D. So now I choose to do both – I tan responsibly and I take additional vitamin D supplements.

As with anything in life, information is power. I have made a decision to look at the sun differently now, so to speak. It is not my enemy but a tool I can use with caution and respect to help optimize my health – on my terms! *(Source: U.S. National Institute of Health).

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Work It! Lets Get You Going At Your Highest Intensity In Your Lulus!

Written by Khushbu Kapadia on 2 July 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, Issues

 Sweat, willpower, motivation and determination all tie into the manifesto of fitness and being healthy, but did you ever stop for a second and ask yourself if you’re giving your full potential? Better yet, if you can do anything to improve your fitness journey? Yes, you can! The small, nitty-gritty details also play an important role in your journey to a healthier you. Your workout attire, accessories, floor mats and much more greatly help you in your fitness.

So what exactly are these nitty-gritty details? Lululemon Athletica of course, and they’re not nitty or gritty, they’re like works of art! Lululemon creates fashionable athletic gear that is suited for any activity relating to health and fitness such as, yoga, running, dancing and most other sweaty pursuits.

Lululemon’s mission statement is a list of philosophical ideas created by the company. One such idea is: “Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.” So don’t give up now! Instead use your setback as motivation to live a healthier, better and a freer life. Start now by entering to win Lululemon Athletica prizes that will jumpstart your fitness journey! The prizes include a flyaway tamer headband, fitness towels, the famous Om bag, a shower caddy and an un mat.

So what should you do in your lulus? Use Lululemon for the best high-intensity interval workouts. It’s time you crank up your workout routine to more vigorous and high-intensity trainings. If you want to turn yourself into a lean midlife goddess, with a healthy mind and body, you need to get up and moving!

Lululemon’s “quality stand” aims to design athletic gear that is perfectly suited for each physical activity. They design the majority of their product line to withstand five years of intended use and keep its functional intent. From calming yoga, to hard-core training, Lulu has you covered!

Hard-core training, such as high-intensity interval workouts, is what you need to step up your game and see more effective results on your body and health. So you might be wondering, what exactly is this high-intensity interval training? High-intensity interval training are workouts that alternate between intense levels of physical activity and fixed periods of lesser activity. For example, for a newbie to high-intensity interval training, a starter workout would be running as fast as you can for one minute and then walking for two minutes. Then, repeat it a couple of times and voila! You have done your first, effective high-intensity interval training workout.

According to Shape magazine, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) provides many proven benefits.

1. Efficient for diligent workers

An alpha female like you may have many responsibilities to take care of, but you have nothing to worry about! With HIIT you can squeeze in a workout during a lunch break, or anytime in the day for even 15 minutes. “Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour,” states Shape magazine.

2. You can do it anywhere

You can do it at home, you can do it in a dome. You can do it here or there, you can it anywhere! Dr. Seuss would’ve been fond of the HIIT workouts. It’s such a simple concept; put in your maximum effort, but with shorter periods of time and then give yourself a recovery period. This can be done wherever you want, at your convenience.

3. Say goodbye to that lingering fat

With HIIT workouts you can burn more calories and fat. Also, those super intense kicks and jumps put your body in “hyperdrive” mode. Which means that you would burn more fat in 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you would in a steady pace long run. Well, that must sound like music to your ears!

4. Healthier heart for a healthier you

For your huge heart, keeping it healthy is crucial. You probably don’t like pushing into that zone where you can barely breathe and feel like your heart is trying to jump out of your chest. Well, you don’t need to feel like that anymore! In this case of HIIT workouts, extreme training provides extreme results.

5. Lose the weight, and keep the muscle

Trying a diet is critical in that you want to make sure that you don’t lose your muscles while losing weight. Some muscle building is important for healthy and strong living. Muscles help burn a lot of fat, so having more muscles will help to keep you thin! Weight training and HIIT workouts allow dieters to preserve those well-earned muscles while ensuring that all the unwanted weight comes off fast.

6. Increase metabolism

HIIT workouts stimulate the production of your human growth hormone, or HGH. This is extremely crucial in that HGH is not only responsible for your increased caloric burn, but also slows down the aging process. This makes you younger, both inside and outside!

According to Shape magazine, there are a couple of easy, yet effective HIIT workouts you can try at your convenience.

• Cardio Blaster

Cardio blaster is known for one of the best high-intensity interval training workouts you can do to drastically improve your health and fitness.  This workout is especially effective for your heart.

How to:

1. Warm up for 15 minutes

2. Bike, row or run for three minutes at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Take three minutes to recover and then repeat another three times.

3. Finish with a 10-minute cool down.

• Speedplay

This includes sprinting which is great to tone those legs, glutes and core for a sexy figure. This also increases your muscle power, which in turn makes you stronger and gain more stamina for those high-intensity interval workouts. One huge benefit of this workout is that…it is relatively short!

How to:

1. Warm up for 15 minutes

2. Run, bike or row for 30 seconds at an all-out effort. Take three minutes for recovery and repeat five to six times.

3. Finish with a 10-minute cool down.

• Cardio-sprint Pyramid

This workout includes sprint interval training with bursts of hard work. This workout gives you the best of both worlds, great cardio and muscle sculpting.

How to:

1. Warm up for 15 minutes

2. Run, bike or row from 30 seconds to about two minutes. Then, recover for the same amount of time. For example, sprint for 30 seconds with your full effort and recover for 30 seconds.

3. Finish with a 10-minute cool down.

So what will it be then; light, “feminine” slow workouts, or effective, high-intensity interval workouts? Of course high-intensity interval workouts! These workouts will create the results you want fast and effectively.

With your Lululemons nothing will hold you back from reaching your highest potential in health and fitness. Win the Lululemon Athletica prizes, including the famous Om bag, shower caddy, flyaway headband and much more.

Click Here To Enter: https://womenwhorunit.wpengine.com/Ultimate

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How Many Angelina Jolies Does It Take To Convince A Woman To Cut Off Her Breasts?

Written by Alexandra DeLory on 27 June 2013. Posted in Health, Fitness & Wellness, Issues

It doesn’t necessarily take a genius to connect the well thought out, correlating dots between Angelina Jolie’s journalistic debut in the New York Times and the looming Supreme Court ruling over Myriad Genetics’ patent viability.

If you dig deep enough into this story, you’ll find far more than an innocent looking woman affecting a “choice.” This isn’t about cancer or breasts; this is about protecting a trillion dollar industry through the distribution of deceptive public relations campaigns aimed at influencing the opinions of women everywhere.

So the joke’s really on you; the woman whose opinion is being manipulated to support Jolie’s ‘brave choice’. Much to the perverse pleasure of Myriad, women are being misled into supporting Jolie’s “bravery” with no idea that she is selling them out to the for-profit cancer industry.

A Recap:

For anyone who is out of the loop, on May 14th 2013 Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times in which she explained “her medical choice” to undergo a preventative double mastectomy in which both her breasts were removed.

One of the reasons for her decision was based on a genetic test that she had undergone, which determined that she possesses the “faulty” BRCA1 gene. Certain variations of the gene can ultimately lead to an increased risk for breast cancer.

Jolie’s very descriptive and “heartfelt” prose were met with much public sympathy and a media firestorm ensued. Many publications and journalists are now though debating the necessity of Jolie’s choice and its implications on other women.

The Background Story:

Utah based molecular diagnostic company, Myriad Genetics, is currently at the center of a legal debate with the Supreme Court about the acceptability of gene patenting. After spending $500 million dollars in research, Myriad developed, and now exclusively holds, the patent on the BRCA1 test that Jolie took. (Source: Marketplace. N.p., 16 May 2013 – David Brancaccio)

Sandra Park, attorney at American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), explains that Myriad currently holds a monopoly on the genetic testing so they ultimately determine the cost.

According to a report by Marketplace, the BRCA1 test can cost upwards of $4,000 and now accounts for the lion’s share of Myriad’s revenue. The testing alone is a multibillion-dollar market, but only if the patent is upheld in an upcoming Supreme Court decision.

These high costs and knowledge mongering, in the interests of corporate greed, are exactly what has gotten Myriad into hot water.

There are several problems associated with the patenting of human DNA and genetic testing. According to Art Caplan, a bioethicist with the NYU medical center, a major factor is that “It hampers scientific progress.”

According to the ACLU’s website, “The ACLU’s lawsuit against Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on the BRCA genes, as well the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), charged that the challenged patents are illegal and restrict both scientific research and patients’ access to medical care, and that patents on human genes violate the First Amendment and patent law because genes are ‘products of nature.’”

A final decision on the case is expected from the Supreme Court by the end of June 2013.

The PR and Celebrity Endorsements:

No matter which way you slice the human body it still doesn’t change the fact that after Jolie’s press release, ahem, I mean, opinion piece, shares of Myriad Genetics rose 4%. The stock hit its highest level since mid-2009, according to Yahoo Finance data. (Source: N.p., 14 May 2013. Web. 28 May 2013)

Speculators would like to argue that this rise in market share had more to do with Monday’s Supreme Court seed patent decision in favor of Monsanto inBowman v. Monsanto than with Jolie’s celebrity endorsement.

But I beg to assert there is no contest. Jolie’s story has quickly become a topic of household conversation, whereas the Monsanto Patent Case has hardly received any media attention.

Consequences of ‘Cutting It Off’ Publicly:

Dr. Christiane Northrup, a board-certified OB/GYN physician and author of many bestselling books, including Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, advocates that everyone has a right to do whatever they choose with their bodies. However, she believes that Jolie’s particular genetic situation could have been prevented with other more natural methods. (Source: as she expressed on the Gary Null Radio Show May 15, 2013).

“What the Jolie situation does, because she is an icon of female beauty, women uncritically look at her approach to breast cancer prevention by removing breasts and they will not understand the nuances of this,” says Northrup. “The inherent problem is that when you are a celebrity of that fame and a world citizen, your decisions unduly influence other people.”

So Now What?

The elephant in the room is, of course, the cost of these procedures. However, Jolie does make note of it in her ‘sales pitch’: “The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, remains an obstacle for many women.” (Source: nytimes.com /2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice)

Aside from the costly test fee, there are also costs associated with the procedure itself and then also the added cost of reconstructive breast surgery.

So, if as women we can’t afford to cut loose our boobs, then what are the rest of us to do when death leaves a note on our door that says it’ll come by to get us some day?

Well, here’s the punchline…

The Big Business of Cancer

Between 1980 and now, 1.3 million women have been over diagnosed with cancers that they could possibly die with but may never die from. The Jolie article sets up a whole new generation of anxious women ready for their diagnoses. The article puts women into a state of unnecessary anxiety, and anxiety itself is a risk for premature death.

We spend so much time running around and spending money to save ourselves, when in actual fact, all we are doing is making these corporate titans richer and ourselves less full of life.

We are approaching prevention the wrong way; we can’t prevent by just cutting off! Women tortured by the contemplations of conventional breast cancer treatments must be made aware that the only solution is not to cut off potentially vulnerable organs.

The best prevention for cancer is leading an all round healthier lifestyle. A lifestyle filled with less anxiety and stress, more exercise and sleep, less chemicals, more natural ingredients, less genetically modified foods and more fresh fruits and vegetables… no joke.

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