Everything you think you know about supplements is wrong, according to a new book Continue reading →
Powered by WPeMatico
Powered by WPeMatico
Powered by WPeMatico
Let’s face it: Unless you’re a nail polish Picasso, your DIY manicure probably doesn’t look nearly as good as a salon job. And trendy nail art designs are even HARDER to pull off yourself. Enter nail appliqués: stickers made of a thin layer of nail polish with an adhesive back that flex to fit the contour of your nails. They give you perfectly patterned fingertips—without the wet mess. “Nail polish strips let you get creative and expressive without needing the artistic skills,” says Women’s Health beauty editor Jill Percia. “They’re edgy, cool, and fun!”
To apply nail polish strips, follow the instructions on the package and use these tricks from Percia:
1. Avoid crinkling
Slapping down the sticker over your entire nail can cause bubbles. Start at the base of the nail, then smooth down the rest as work your way to the tips.
2. Resize as needed
Appliqués peel easily if they’re too big—the strips shouldn’t touch cuticles or skin. Use a wood cuticle stick or a metal cuticle pusher to “slice” off the excess.
3. Prevent peeling
Fold the very tip of the sticker over the end of your nail to “cap” it. Covering the nail edge ensures that the end of the strip won’t peel off every time you touch something.
4. Keep it simple
With strips, sometimes less is more. Try doing an accent nail (either index or ring finger) on each hand and then paint the others with a solid shade.
Ready to try nail appliqués? Check out our 7 favorite designs:
L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nail Lingerie in Elite Chic, $8.95, (18 nails), Walmart.com
NCLA Nail Wraps in Stephanie’s Galaxy, $16, (44 nails), ShopNCLA.com
Sephora Collection Nail Patch Art in Hippie Chic, $12, (18 nails), Sephora.com
Essie Sleek Sticks in Sneek-E., $10.25, (18 nails), Essie.com
Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Frock Star, $9.99, (16 nails), Drugstore.com
Essie Sleek Sticks in Love to Love You, $10.25, (18 nails), Essie.com
NCLA Nail Wraps in Gingham Style, $16, (44 nails), ShopNCLA.com
More from Women’s Health:
The Craziest Food-Themed Nail Art
6 Essential Nail-Art Tools
DIY: Fall Runway Nail Art
Powered by WPeMatico
Powered by WPeMatico
You may want to steer clear of the snack aisle. Fatty, sugary foods are associated with the development of colorectal cancer, suggests a new study from the University of Edinburgh.
Researchers analyzed the diets of both healthy people and colorectal cancer patients (including over 170 foods) and found that high-fat and high-sugar foods (like chips and cakes) and sugary drinks were linked to a 18 and 12 percent higher cancer risk, respectively.
The researchers aren’t quite sure why, but one obvious guess is that the offending foods are higher in calories, says study coauthor Evropi Theodoratou, Ph.D. (A high-cal diet and obesity have both been linked to colorectal cancer in other studies.) Those gut-busting snacks accounted for 20 percent of the participants’ calorie intake in the study.
About 143,000 new cases of colon or rectal cancer will be diagnosed this year in the U.S. And while you can’t control some risk factors, like family history, you can manage others, like maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, not smoking, and sticking to two alcoholic drinks per day. To decrease your risk through diet, other studies suggest filling up on fiber, fruits, and vegetables, and limiting red and processed meats. Start with these 10 foods that prevent colon cancer.
If you liked this story, you’ll love these:
Powered by WPeMatico
This health test is tailor-made for you: Men can predict their diabetes risk with a tape measure, according to a new Chinese study.
Researchers found that guys with a waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 or higher were more likely than those with a lower ratio to have either prediabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Study author Xiuying Qi, M.D., Ph.D., says this method may trump body-mass index and waist-to-hip ratio as a way to gauge visceral fat—the lard that lurks between your organs and disrupts your blood sugar.
To find your ratio, wrap a tape measure around your waist at the midpoint—between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones. Divide that figure by your height in inches.
Don’t like the number you’re seeing? Tell your doc. And to prevent diabetes in the first place, the answer is simple: The more you exercise, the better your body handles blood sugar and insulin, according to research from the University of Lausanne. Higher-intensity workouts—boosting the number of calories you burn per minute—make a significant impact in slowing the path to diabetes. Click here for the workout that will diabetes-proof your body.
If you liked this story, you’ll love these:
Powered by WPeMatico
Couch potatoes, take note: A steady dose of exercise can slash your stroke risk, finds a new Australian study.
Researchers followed more than 27,000 middle-aged men and women for an average of 5.7 years and found that people who reported not exercising were 20 percent more likely to have a stroke compared to those who exercised at a moderate to vigorous intensity four or more times a week (classified as exercising to the point of breaking a sweat).
Men who reported working out only one to three times per week also had a great risk to suffer a stroke than those men who hit the gym more frequently.
Exercise is effective at lowering stroke risk because it reduces high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes—all risk factors for stroke, says study author Michelle McDonnell, Ph.D., of the University of South Australia. The researchers believe sweat sessions can also improve the health of your blood vessels, preventing blockages in circulation and dissolving small blood clots that could go on to cause a stroke.
If you liked this story, you’ll love these:
Powered by WPeMatico