Does sleeping badly affect our romantic relationships? That the answer is “yes” may not surprise you, but the reason why isn’t quite as obvious. In a series of new studies from the University of California, psychologists found that sleep deprivation reduces feelings of gratitude—making people less thankful for their partners, no matter how wonderful they are. And the link extends beyond relationship well-being: People who experience gratitude tend to have happier, healthier lives overall, and are more likely to help others....

Restore volume to limp hair To add oomph to strands, combine 3 tablespoons of beer and ½ cup of water. After washing your hair as usual, rub the mixture into locks and let sit for 5 minutes, then rinse. The beer’s B vitamins and proteins will heal damaged hair and add body. And don’t worry—rinsing will remove the beer smell. Bonus: beer adds shine and helps ward off dandruff!...

Research backs her up about the benefits of walking. In the past 5 years alone, studies have reported that regular walking can help formerly inactive types lose weight; prevent or help control diabetes; strengthen bones; lower blood pressure, “bad” cholesterol levels, and heart attack and stroke risk; cut the odds of developing breast cancer; and fend off depression and anxiety. One recent study that tracked more than 9,500 women for 6 years found that those who were physically active–mostly from walking–were half as likely to die of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other leading causes of death as those who were sedentary....

Cook your greens in pan drippings. Next time you’re making a chicken or roast, save those pan juices. While your meat rests, sauté a big pile of spinach or Swiss chard in the drippings, says Louis Malonado, Top Chef alum and executive chef of Northern California’s Spoonbar and Pizzando. It’s way more flavor-packed than the usual olive oil-garlic combo, and saves you from having to clean another pan. (Find out how to get more home-cooked flavor into every meal with The Amish Cook’s Family Cookbook, including more than 300 recipes that go way beyond Shoefly Pie!...

Whether you’re getting busy between the sheets or have a slightly lagging libido, here’s a strategy to add fire and pleasure to your sex life that you may not have thought of: meditation. “Your state of mind has a huge influence on your level of sexual satisfaction,” says Jill Blakeway, director of The Yinova Center and author of the new book Sex Again: Recharging your Libido, which offers modern ways to apply ancient wisdom and practices to your sexcapades and comes with an accompanying six-week sex-boosting plan....

Searching for the secret to a long and healthy life? Step off the scale, get comfy, and close your eyes: Meditation just might be the magic medicine you’ve been looking for. So finds a new study in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Researchers recruited 201 African-American participants who weren’t in the best shape: The participants, an average age of 59, all suffered from coronary heart disease and the majority also took cholesterol-lowering drugs....

For a new study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, the researchers followed 203 women from 10 years before to eight years after their last cycle. With each passing year after their final period, fewer and fewer women reported serious depression symptoms. Scientists understand little about why depression develops to begin with, but these findings suggest reproductive hormones play a role for some women, says study author Ellen Freeman, PhD. As you age prior to menopause, your ovaries release a shifting brew of chemicals like follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol, which could alter brain chemistry in a way that leads to symptoms such as sadness, fatigue, and the loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities....

DIY Solution1 c water2 tsp unflavored vodka (or witch hazel)1 tsp cornstarch5 drops organic essential oil of lemon or lavender (available at natural food stores) Combine ingredients in pitcher. Stir until cornstarch dissolves. Pour into a clean spray bottle. TO USE: Spray 6 to 8 inches from surface of upholstery or carpets to freshen and eliminate odors. Shake gently between applications to remix. Yield: 8 ounces MORE: Is Your Laundry Making You Sick?...

T’s oat exfoliant½ c old-fashioned rolled oats1 Tbsp dried organic lavender flowers1 Tbsp organic almonds1 Tbsp white clay Grind oats, lavender, and almonds in electric coffee grinder until fine. Place in a pretty glass jar, add clay, and mix well. To use, mix 2 tsp exfoliant with a little water in hands. Gently rub on face in a circular motion. Let sit for a minute, and then rinse. I love to use this when I’m in the shower....

Granted, we have known this for a while but this may be the study that shuts the door on the myth for good. Eleven men and women did more than 1,000 repetitions of leg press with their non-dominant leg, three times a week, for 12 weeks, and made no dietary changes. At the end of the training program, the participants boasted a 10% drop in fat mass—in their arms. Participants in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study also whittled their core area, losing an average of 7% of fat mass in that spot....

I save them all—always have—and tally them up from time to time. As a result, I am a veritable encyclopedia of supermarket information, and the world’s leading authority on my own shopping habits. So should the need somehow arise, I can tell you exactly how many bottles of Bolthouse Farms Mango Lemonade I bought in July 2005 (2, each for $3.99). This quirky habit actually helped me to land my first job in the food industry, in 1993, when I compiled a comprehensive market research study, complete with charts and regression analyses, on myself....

Ashley’s answer: Nutrition is so personal that I like to equate it with a prescription; even if you and I were taking the same medication, we wouldn’t necessarily take the same dose, and if we did, it would affect us differently. No nutrition program should teach that there is a “yes” or “no” answer when it comes to nutrition, except for “yes”: we need nutrient dense food and “no”: chemistry lab projects have no place in our bodies....

“I dealt with this yesterday with a client,” culinary nutritionist Stefanie Sacks, MS, CNS, CDN, told me as soon as I presented her with the question. “It’s all about learning how to negotiate.” We spoke with Sacks, along with local-leaning Juice Generation founder Eric Helms, and the health coach Urban Detox Club co-founder Jen Morris for a well-rounded perspective on the many factors to consider, plus easy tips to help you pick: Factors To Consider1....

Dr. Peeke, a force of nature both in person and in the medical world, is the rare physician who’s also a scientist and an author specializing in the fields of nutrition, metabolism, and fitness. Over the past 2 decades, she’s been a trailblazer in the commingling fields of health and lifestyle management. Her first best seller, Fight Fat after 40, was based on groundbreaking work done as an adjunct senior scientist at the National Institutes of Health that led to the now-accepted wisdom that stress can cause weight gain and wreck one’s quality of life....

[sidebar]Targeting the inner thigh muscles can be particularly frustrating. While there are lots of amazing exercises that target the front, back, and outer thigh muscles (like squats and lunges), very few zero in on those inner muscles. Pilates expert Erika Bloom has your inner thigh solution: an amazing move you can do at home to tighten this trouble spot. Watch the video to see Bloom demonstrate ultimate inner thigh–toning exercise!...

The Latest On Breast Cancer Confusion [U.S. News & World Report] Do you really need that mammogram? For women across the country, it’s getting tougher to decide, as federal health agencies and experts continue to offer up conflicting advice. A new study, presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, adds to the uncertainty: According to this research, following the guidelines of the U....

The short answer: it’s not really raw. While raw meat is usually contaminated with pathogens like salmonella, e. coli, and campylobacter, good raw food companies use pasteurizing techniques like high-pressure processing, which ruptures the cell walls of single-celled pathogens but leaves the molecular structure of compounds like proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals intact, unlike cooking. “Cooking kills some of the natural vitamins and antioxidants and changes the structure of the proteins,” says Susan Wynn, DVM, a nutritionist for BluePearl Georgia Veterinary Specialists who also consults for Nature’s Variety pet food company....

Corn syrup solids: This concentrated form of corn syrup (code for sugar) is the second ingredient on the list, after peanuts. It gives this spread its sweet flavor but doesn’t add much aside from calories. Soy protein: Enhances texture, helps prevent the product from separating, and improves flavor and moisture retention. It also adds protein, which peanut butter already has in abundance. Fully hydrogenated vegetable oils: Although they do not contain trans fats, these oils are a source of artery-clogging saturated fat....

Researchers from several institutions teamed up to estimate the trajectory of depressive symptoms across an entire adult life span. To complete the tall task, they used personal assessments from 2,320 participants to track the ups and downs of gloom by a myriad of demographics including sex, ethnicity, education level and overall physical health. After looking at more than 30 years of data, researchers were able to nail down a lifetime course of happiness: depressive symptoms were highest in young adulthood, decreased across middle adulthood, and increased again into older adulthood, with the lowest dip occurring around age 66, on average....

But now you can eliminate them: Our targeted toning exercises laser in on tiny muscles beneath spillover spots that standard moves miss. When eight women tried the workout plan, they lost an average of 3 pounds and nearly 2 inches off their trouble spots in just 2 weeks. Now it’s your turn. You can drop up to 6 pounds in 14 days and look smoother and more streamlined in everything you wear....