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.

Heart Attack Symptoms Women Shouldn't Ignore

Chest pain isn't the only sign of heart attack. Here are 7 heart symptoms all women should know.

When to listen to your body

An estimated 38,000 women under age 50 have heart attacks each year in the U.S. But heart trouble can easily be confused with other ailments, like indigestion. Check out our symptom decoder so you don't miss any warning signs.

How to Lose Weight WITHOUT Working Out! (This Actually Works)

How I lost over 30 lbs of weight without exercise- if you follow this method carefully it actually works.

How to Help Someone Who's Depressed

What to do

When someone you know and love is clinically depressed, you want to be there for that person. Still, keep in mind that your friend or loved one has a medical condition, so giving support may mean more than just offering a shoulder to cry on.

Menopause

Overview

Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It's diagnosed after you've gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.

10 Secrets of People Who Age Gracefully

Experts reveal tricks to keeping your youthful glow with each passing year. 

How to look and feel great as you get older

We all want to look great as we age. And we all know that woman: She's on point from head to toe and carries herself like she means it, defying aging with every step. So what's she doing? Here's how to take care of your skin, hair, and body, and drum up youth-boosting confidence no matter how many birthday candles are on your cake.

Do This, Not That: Sex Positions to Skip When You're Pregnant

What's safe (and what isn't) when you're having sex during pregnancy.

If your doctor gives you the green light to have sex during pregnancy, go for it! "In a normal pregnancy, there's no reason to refrain from intercourse as long as you want it, and as long as it's comfortable," says Chicago-based ob-gyn Lauren Streicher, M.D., author of Love Sex Again.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

The term sleep disorder may suggest someone tossing and turning all night, but lying awake for hours with insomnia is just one example of many conditions that affect how you sleep and function during the day.

This Is the Best Time of Day to See Your Therapist

If you're struggling to overcome anxiety or a phobia, you'll want to schedule a session at this time.

If you see a therapist for anxiety or a phobia, you might make more progress in sessions scheduled for the morning hours. Cortisol, a hormone that regulates stress and fear, is highest at this time of day—and a new study suggests this could make a real difference in overcoming emotional difficulties.

Depression Symptoms and Warning Signs

Recognizing Depression and Getting the Help You Need

Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life, but when emotions such as hopelessness and despair take hold and just won't go away, you may have depression. Depression makes it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Just getting through the day can be overwhelming. But no matter how hopeless you feel, you can get better. Learning about depression—and the many things you can do to help yourself—is the first step to overcoming the problem.

What Pregnancy Does to Your Health

The typical and not so usual

Expecting a baby can make you more prone to some diseases—but it can protect you from others.

More common: Diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 5% of pregnancies.