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Ahhh, spring: What a beautiful time to have strangers and friends think you’re crying because your immune system is tussling with pollen and ragweed. Seasonal allergies can be really frustrating, but the good news is that there  are  certifiable tricks and techniques to hide up your sleeve (along with some tissues). Allergy responses start because you’ve come in contact with allergens, but a lot of them might be invisible to you, says Harvey Kaufman, MD, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, with a specialization in allergy testing. “Understanding the cause of your allergies and identifying sensitivity plays a pivotal role in managing seasonal allergies,” Dr. Kaufman says. Allergy tests, that involve pricking your skin with various allergens, can uncover what exactly you’re allergic to and how to proceed. Additionally, Dr. Kaufman says wiping down your face, rinsing your eyes with cold, clean water, washing your hands that you might be rubbing your eyes with are all ...

Spring is in the air, pollen counts are up, and many people have been pushed right off of the workout wagon. Why exercise when you fear it might make your already miserable allergies worse, right? Believe it or not, it’s possible that a good workout might actually help decrease your symptoms. One study —albeit with a small sample size of just 27 patients—found that those who did 30 minutes of cardio three times a week for eight weeks showed significant improvement in certain markers. According to Mark Murray , MD, an allergist at the Mississippi Asthma and Allergy Clinic , it comes down to being strategic about your workouts so they don’t inflame your allergies. Choose your workout wisely Minimizing the impact of your allergy symptoms while exercising begins with choosing the right workout. Some types of exercise (especially high-impact workouts like HIIT or kickboxing) cause you to breathe harder and can exacerbate symptoms. Consider slower-paced alternatives, like yoga or streng...

Though we as a society have begun to make progress in changing harmful fitness mindsets, one that is still pervasive is the idea of “snapping back” to your pre-baby body after giving birth. If you actually stop to think about it, this seems ridiculous and impossible—because it is—yet so many aspects of our culture pressure new moms to return to their pre-pregnancy life and routines as quickly as possible. Even our (very inadequate) maternity leave in the United States suggests that there’s a short timeframe after giving birth in which to recover. Although the Family and Medical Act covers many people, this only guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. (P.S. the US is the only wealthy country in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave .) “Something I tell new mothers, and constantly remind myself of, is that it took 40 weeks to make your baby. ‘Snapping back’ after that amount of literal expansion is simply a myth,” says P.volve trainer Cecily McCullough . “You’re n...

You’ve dusted the house , changed your sheets , and finally  disinfected the  filthiest spot in your kitchen . Now, it’s time to clean your windows inside and out. If you’re wondering how to tick off this final item on your cleaning list without the streaks, chief cleaning officer at MaidPro Melissa Homer is about to teach you how to clean your windows like a pro. Before you get started, Homer recommends fully committing to your window-cleaning project—and that means stepping outside , too. “Whenever possible, clean both the interior and exterior glass on the same day, so you can spot check your work more accurately,” she says. Of course, if you’re renting an apartment, it’s best to leave the outdoor cleaning for the rental association to take care of. But if you’re a proud home owner, go for it (but bring a friend for safety—you don’t want to ruin your weekend by falling off a ladder). And if you have newer windows that tilt inward, consider yourself lucky because the job j...

In a world where people are ever more intrigued with living greener, leaner lives, it’s no wonder that healthier alternatives to traditionally nutrient-deficient (read: unhealthy) foods have become so prominent. First there were milk alternatives and gluten-free pastas, breads, and desserts, and now, healthy candy is on the rise. If you think that sounds like an oxymoron, you’re not alone. That’s why we decided it was high time to delve into the topic with the help of healthy eating experts. Ahead, learn everything there is to know about healthy candy. What Makes Healthy Candy Healthy ? So-called healthy candy brands, like Skinny Dipped , Hu Kitchen , Justin’s , and Unreal , have become popular among celebrities, influencers, and everyday folks looking to make “smarter” food choices. “Healthy candy brands, such as SmartSweets , typically have no added sugar, are colored with natural plant extracts, and have additional added fiber,” says women’s health expert and registered dietiti...

Spring is in the air, pollen counts are up, and many people have been pushed right off of the workout wagon. Why exercise when you fear it might make your already miserable allergies worse, right? Believe it or not, it’s possible that a good workout might actually help decrease your symptoms. One study —albeit with a small sample size of just 27 patients—found that those who did 30 minutes of cardio three times a week for eight weeks showed significant improvement in certain markers. According to Mark Murray , MD, an allergist at the Mississippi Asthma and Allergy Clinic , it comes down to being strategic about your workouts so they don’t inflame your allergies. Choose your workout wisely Minimizing the impact of your allergy symptoms while exercising begins with choosing the right workout. Some types of exercise (especially high-impact workouts like HIIT or kickboxing) cause you to breathe harder and can exacerbate symptoms. Consider slower-paced alternatives, like yoga or streng...

I often hear people say that you never own enough denim. And honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Jeans are such a signature staple in any and every wardrobe, and yet, they can be the most difficult piece of clothing to shop for. With so many different body types and retailers limited in sizing , it can be a real challenge to find jeans that check all the right boxes: style, fit, comfort, and price tag . But Everlane is one the few brands that knows how to cater to denim lovers, and they’re currently offering their jeans for 25 percent off.  From now until April 2, you can sore some major savings on dozens of Everlane jeans . This includes some of the retailer’s most popular denim styles like The Original Cheeky Jean , which is now up for grabs for $66. Also, you can take home newer styles such as The Cheeky Split-Hem Jean for the same price if you want a dressier style to add to your closet. Either way, there is a little something to satisfy every kind of denim lover. However, if yo...

A new kind of love-to-hate-’em protagonist has been gracing our televisions as of late. No, it’s not the star of a reality dating show who’s lacking in emotional maturity . Nor is it the scam artist who conned friends , Wall Street bankers, or even Tinder matches out of great deals of money. It’s the “disrupter” who launched a company to huge (or, at least, prospectively huge) success, only to smash their self-constructed pedestal with any number of toxic behaviors. The current TV shows chronicling these rise-and-fall stories of disgraced entrepreneurs are The Dropout (Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos), WeCrashed (Adam Neumann of WeWork) and Super Pumped (Travis Kalanick of Uber), all of which give viewers an inside look at what can happen when a company founder stops at nothing to scale their vision, creating a path of destruction that ultimately wipes them out, too. And though the specifics of the immoral, illegal, or just wildly ill-conceived actions of these three entrepreneurs are...

While growing up, my mother, like many mothers, gave me quite a bit of unsolicited love advice. That’s how I first learned about astrological polarity, which says we are magnetically drawn to people of polar opposite zodiac signs. This connection is essentially the universe’s version of opposites attracting, but can the secret to having a healthy long-term relationship really be so simple? Well, it’s complicated, because compatibility isn’t just a matter of matching sun signs . “Astrologers often say that the remedy for any sign’s neurosis is the enlightened qualities of the opposite sign,” astrologer Juliana McCarthy previously told Well+Good , caveating that opposite sun signs only work well together if other parts of your zodiac chart flow. So many personalized nuances of a natal chart factor into whether you’re a good romantic match for someone, astrologically speaking, so there’s value in running both of your charts (using an online generator or app, or via a reading from an a...

Climate change is best understood as a shift in temperatures and weather patterns that results in long-term consequences for the Earth as well as the mental health of its inhabitants. Climate anxiety is sweeping the planet. Humans are living proof of climate anxiety in a period of uncertainty around the future of the planet and how we might continue our existence . “Direct impacts are already happening. For example, the prevalence in widespread wildfires, where the EPA indicates an increased wildfire season length, as well as in frequency and area burned,” says Kassondra Glenn, LMSW, a social worker and recovery specialist with Prosperity Haven . Even those not yet directly exposed to harm from the climate crisis may feel the physical impacts, just by seeing data and using it to create scenarios in their minds to heighten stress levels and anxieties around it, and to dysregulate the nervous system. “Dysregulation can show up as muscle tension, digestive changes, racing thoughts, mo...