Everything You Should Know About Menopause

Overview

Menopause occurs when a woman hasn’t menstruated in 12 consecutive months and can no longer become pregnant naturally. It usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55, but can develop before or after this age range.

Menopause can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as hot flashes and weight gain. For most women, medical treatment isn’t needed for menopause. Read on to learn what you need to know about menopause.

7 Weeks Pregnant: Symptoms, Tips, and More

Overview

Week 7 of your pregnancy is a period of important changes for both you and your baby. While not much is obvious from the outside, on the inside your body is preparing to nurture your child for the next several months.

Each new development or symptom brings you one step closer to meeting your baby.

The Truth About Laser Hair Removal & Waxing

It’s totally OK to have body hair, but if you do decide to remove it, you may not be exactly sure which method is best. Laser hair removal and waxing are two popular procedures that women and men can book at a salon or spa. Yet, there are still big misconceptions tied to them — including the rumor that laser treatment doesn’t work on black people, and wax rips your skin off. 

What happens to your body when you cry

What fills more of your free time, crying or exercising? Cosmopolitan conducted a poll in 2010 and found that while most women cry once (or more) a month, 33 percent of women cry at least once per week. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on the other hand, reported 25 percent of women in the U.S. don't exercise at all during a standard week. You read that correctly — on average, there are more women crying on a weekly basis than exercising. If only crying burned calories, right?

Spicy Crab and Avocado Tostadas

Ingredients

• 8 small corn tortillas
• 16 ounces cooked lump crabmeat
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• Pink Himalayan salt
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 large avocado
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup fire-roasted salsa
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• Few fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

10 Reasons Why Good Sleep Is Important

A good night's sleep is incredibly important for health.

In fact, it is just as important as eating healthy and exercising.

Unfortunately, the Western environment is interfering with natural sleep patterns.

People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well.

Here are 10 reasons why good sleep is important.

Sex and Aging

Overview

Changes in sexual desire and behavior throughout your life cycle are normal. This is especially true as you enter your later years. Some people buy into the stereotype that older people don’t have sex. But in fact, many people remain sexually active throughout their lives.

Menopause: 11 Things Every Woman Should Know

What’s menopause?

Women past a certain age will experience menopause. Menopause is defined as having no menstrual period for one year. The age you experience it can vary, but it typically occurs in your late 40s or early 50s.

Healthy ways to lose weight without dieting

Trying to lose weight is, for most of us, vexing, exhausting, and filled with contradictory information. In a 2016 article published in The New York Times Magazine, author and neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt notes that there's a robust body of research showing that "in the long run dieting is rarely effective, doesn't improve health, and does more harm than good." The crux of the issue, Amodt writes, is the fact that each person has what's referred to as their body's "set point" — a certain weight range that "varies from person to person, [and] is determined by genes and life experience." The brain will engage in all sorts of tactics to bring the dieting body back into its set point range, and this is why diets so often fail.

A Complete Guide to Breast Cancer Screening

There are a lot of breast cancer tests out there—who wouldn't feel confused? Here's when you need to get each one.

Breast self-exam

Formal breast self-exams are optional, but since 80% of cancers not spotted on mammography are found by women themselves, experts do endorse being familiar with your breasts. That just means regularly feeling them when you're bathing or getting dressed.