The Evolution of the Angels

Written by Claire Higgins on 18 July 2013. Posted in Check It Out, Relationships, Dating & Sex

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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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Sexy Milestones

Written by Claire Higgins on 11 July 2013. Posted in Check It Out, Relationships, Dating & Sex

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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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Fun Ways To Stay Active

Written by Claire Higgins on 3 July 2013. Posted in Check It Out, Health, Fitness & Wellness

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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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Yoga for Your Mind

Written by Claire Higgins on 28 June 2013. Posted in Check It Out, Health, Fitness & Wellness

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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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We Did the Legwork, Now Listen Up: Michelle Shemilt Shares Her Best Business Advice

Written by Taylor Brown on 25 June 2013. Posted in Business, Career & Entrepreneurship, Issues

As women, we’re given a lot of advice. We’re told to take our makeup off before bedtime, to never say “I love you” first, to admit when “he’s just not that into me,” to never wear white after Labor Day and a whole slew of other tidbits on almost any subject you can ever think of. With all of this information floating around our beautiful heads, how are we supposed to know which pieces of advice we should follow? Well, we can learn from the trial and error of other women of course! Michelle Shemilt is a woman who has done the legwork and she’s sharing the best business advice she’s ever gotten with us.

So who’s Michelle Shemilt? Well, besides being a beautiful, confident and charismatic alpha female, she’s the owner of her own business. She has bravely left her corporate job in search of her true passion. As a former model, Michelle has always had a passion for clothing and fashion design. Nudy Patooty started when Michelle was working her desk job at RBC. During the scorching summer months, she found herself avoiding wearing her favourite clothes because they were prone to causing embarrassing odor and unsightly perspiration stains. She felt that ruining her clothes due to perspiration or spending countless dollars getting them dry-cleaned was not an option. Therefore, instead of banishing her favorite clothes to the back of her closet, she created Nudy Patooty. Nudy Patooty is a line of undershirts that are expertly tailored to fit snuggly on the body. I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to put on another layer to avoid perspiration? Well, these undershirts are made from 95% bamboo fabric which has natural antibacterial properties that prevent odor. Its porous nature regulates body temperature and the absorbent fabric wicks moisture away from your body to keep you and your clothes dry and comfortable.

So how did Michelle go from sitting behind a desk and worrying about the way that the scorching heat is ruining her favourite clothes, to quitting that job and following her dreams to solve that problem? Well first off, a large dose of bravery, and secondly, some good advice. We know good advice is hard to come by and that’s why we’ve let Michelle do the leg work for us and present it to us on a silver platter. She’s done the research and now it’s time for you to reap her rewards.

1. Get your product on the market so you can get customer feedback

Before we send something into the world, we want it to be perfect. When we create a product, especially our first, it becomes an extension of who we are and what we can do. If it becomes a failure, we may see ourselves as the same. We can tweak our product until the cows come home, but until you get your product into the market you’ll never get any customer feedback. By receiving customer feedback, you can get an objective opinion on what works and what doesn’t. True perfection will come from combining your vision with the opinions of others. Only then, will you get a truly comprehensive and fully functioning product.

2. Focus on building your team

Michelle highly stresses the importance of networking and building your team. You cannot build a business on your own. Even the most stubborn and determined woman will need help along the way. If you truly want to be successful, Michelle says that you need to assess your strengths and weaknesses and team up with people who can complement your skill set. Look, I know that we’re all capable and amazing women, but that doesn’t make us Superwoman! We do have weaknesses and if we find someone who can bring our business to the next level, then we should welcome them with open arms. Michelle is quick to praise those who have helped her along her path to success. Therefore, we should also look for others who can take us to that next level of excellence.

3. Attach yourself to your brand

Remember how I said that your product becomes a reflection of who you are and of what you can do? Well that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can be wonderful! You can take your charismatic, gorgeous self and give your brand a face. Michelle says that you want people to see you when they think of the brand. They want to see you as a person, and not just as a corporate entity. You can let your personality shine! Instead of living your life confined by the rules of the corporate world, you should let yourself be a person, rather than a worker. When you attach yourself to your brand, you’re allowing yourself to stay true to the person that you are and you are giving the customer a person to relate to.

Besides giving us the best advice that she has ever gotten, Michelle shares some of her own advice with us. That’s right ladies, we’re offering you more bang for your buck.

Michelle adds that:

4. You will always have to ask for advice

Successful people are always very happy to share their knowledge, but you have to ask. They often won’t give out unsolicited advice because they don’t want to step on your toes. Lucky for you ladies, we’ve asked for you! Michelle’s message holds true in so many aspects. We need to ask for help, for advice and for clarity. Who cares if we ask a “dumb” question? In fact, past advice would say there’s no such thing as “dumb” questions. If we don’t ask, we’ll never know and we could send ourselves down the wrong path just because we were too afraid to get the answers we needed. Ask the questions, be brave and set yourself on the path of success.

5. Listen and absorb all of the advice you are given, but stay true to your instincts and your vision

We can give you a book with the best business advice in the world. You can model your entire career off of it, but that may not give you the best product that you could make because the key element that is missing here is your own advice. You know what you want, you know what feels right for you and above all, you should follow that. You may regret following someone else’s advice but you cannot hold it against yourself for doing what you thought was right at the time. You were born with that famous women’s intuition so you should use it!

Whether we’re following our own advice or the advice of others, there will always be countless opinions. Yours is the only one that matters. So take our advice, pair it with your intuition and go forth! And take our advice: you can do it!

If you want to learn more about Michelle, Nudy Patooty and when you can get your own, visit: nudypatooty.com

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