According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Immunology, married couples’ immune systems tend to look quite a lot alike. They had two major discoveries. The first one was that the immune systems of men and women of the same age don’t seem to differ all that much. And the second, perhaps more interesting one was that the immune systems of married couples showed 50% less variation than randomly paired men and women of a similar demographic....

Most people living in developed countries with access to unprocessed foods get enough biotin through diet alone and frank deficiency is rare2. That being said, it’s important to know the facts including recommended daily dose, overconsumption risk, signs of inadequate intake and deficiency, and where to find the water-soluble micronutrient. Biotin is an essential B vitamin (translation: we can’t adequately produce it, so we must consume it daily) that has several critical roles in the body....

I knew that there were some risks associated with birth control pills. But I was healthy and active and have never smoked, so I didn’t think I was in danger. Plus, I’d been on the pill for years, so I assumed any problems would have likely surfaced by then. I took the last birth control pill of my life on May 21st 2012. It began as a typical Saturday morning: I went to Tara Stiles’ STRONG class at Strala Yoga, then met a friend for veggie dosas at Hampton Chutney, and we went window shopping around SoHo....

If you’re looking to become more flexible in your body, here are eight tips that can make it easier than you ever thought possible. (Plus, a video with some stretching exercises) What scientists and athletes now understand is that flexibility begins in your mind. If your mind thinks it needs to defend against injury (or against you!) it might do just that, bracing for impact and making you less flexible....

There are a number of split squat variations, but one of the most popular is the Bulgarian split squat. This exercise involves elevating your back foot on a raised surface (demonstrated below by Arrington). As mentioned, this variation can help emphasize activation in your back quad. And because they’re a unilateral (one-sided) move, you’ll need adequate balance. Tapping into your core will help maintain that stability—so this exercise tests not only your balance but also your core strength....

Macadamia milk is relatively easy to make at home, and requires much less soak time than almonds for almond milk. If you’d rather purchase your own, Milkadamia, Suncoast Gold, and Califia are some solid store-bought options. Compared to other nuts, macadamias are higher in fat1. However, registered dietitian Maggie Moon, M.S., R.D., says those are mostly monounsaturated fats2, which have been proved to reduce oxidative stress, insulin resistance, inflammation, and even signs of aging....

What I am going to say might surprise you. While it’s tempting to jot down a list and sink pent-up energy into cleaning, decluttering, and transforming rooms, I strongly recommend that you take it slow. Whether your time at home is two weeks—or two months—keep my top strategies in mind to calmly guide you through: So by all means, throw open the windows and get to work. I advocate a few top spring cleaning tips every year, and this year should be no different....

Palm reading consists of analyzing the particular line and mound formations on someone’s palms. One line in particular that gets a lot of attention is the heart line, which deals with—you guessed it—matters of the heart (and more). According to Cassandra Eason, author of A Little Bit of Palmistry, the heart line is the first to be studied in a reading. It gives us insight into our relationships (including with the self, lovers, and friends), our emotions, and even our potential for personal growth....

With that being said, there’s no denying that aging can be scary. With all the changes our bodies go through as we get older, aging isn’t always smooth sailing. Especially when it comes to the physical signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and overall dullness. But that doesn’t mean we should feel hopeless! With the help of a healthy lifestyle, a beneficial skin care routine, and good habits, you can help your body through the aging process....

Like any hairstyle, you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Translation: If you put effort into learning how to style curtain bangs, you’ll reap the benefits. This isn’t necessarily intuitive, so we asked stylists the 101 on styling curtain bangs so you can become a master ASAP. Let’s get into it. As with any style, there are a few different variations that come with curtain bangs. They can be shorter, hitting just below the cheekbone, or a bit longer....

We’re in the midst of a movement against “overapologizing”—especially for women, who tend to apologize more often than men because they have a lower threshold1 for what counts as offensive behavior. To be clear, caring about how your actions affect others is rarely a bad thing. But the deeper problem seems to stem from the lack of understanding around why we apologize. Sometimes it’s just a reflex. And sometimes, it’s not coming from a place of concern at all....

While there’s no surefire way to know someone else’s attachment style at a glance, there are important clues—some of which you can even pick up on the very first date. After spending years parsing current attachment research, I’ve identified these three signs for figuring out a person’s style of attachment upon first meeting: People with an avoidant attachment style are easy to pinpoint based on the way they talk in those early interactions: They’re uncomfortable talking about feelings, explains Harry Reis, Ph....

If you are reluctant to do this, you should ask yourself why. If it turns out that you fear rejection because you’re in therapy, I strongly suggest you let that fear go. At the end of the day, a person who would dump you simply because you have some problems that you’re actively addressing is probably not the loving, caring, genuinely supportive partner you deserve. So, good riddance. It is also possible that you’re dealing with a thorny, painful, shameful issue—childhood sexual abuse, for instance—and you’re not comfortable sharing that information with anyone outside the therapeutic milieu....

After becoming an integrative medicine physician, I began to seek out natural remedies for my allergies. I found dairy to be an important trigger, and by eliminating that from my diet I reduced my allergies by about 80%. Then I started adding herbs (like nettle root), enzymes (like bromelain), and real food (like bee pollen). I can now enjoy the outdoors and warm weather without taking any medications! While it does come in pill, powder, or liquid form, it’s best to consume the actual granules that the bees make....

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions1 in the body. It regulates processes ranging from blood pressure and energy production to muscle relaxation and blood sugar balance—just to name a few. We already know that taking a magnesium supplement can promote better, deeper sleep2, and emerging research is finding that it could be helpful for easing stress and anxiousness too.* “Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in the U....

But sometimes, beyond just the “thank you,” it is hard to find the right words to use in an appreciation message. Here’s some expert advice on creative ways to send appreciation messages in different situations and for different recipients. “An appreciation message is one way to let someone know how much you appreciate them for what they have done for you,” licensed clinical social worker and health coach Sarah Brown, LCSW, tells mbg....

When you first sign up, you select how many meals you’d like to receive in your first order, which you can always change before placing your next one. For example, one week you may want four lunches and four dinners for one person, and the next week you want three lunches and five dinners for two. This subscription model makes Hungryroot a standout in the meal delivery space, as you have a lot of flexibility to make the plan work for you (rather than trying to build your meals around the plan)....

Eventually, we threw up our hands and, after almost ending our union several times, accepted things as they were. We decided that we’d rather have a life together with hit-and-miss sex than not be together at all. And then I met a tantra coach and everything changed. I’ve always been a risk-taker and I’ll do whatever it takes to be happy. So I signed up for a program with a local tantra and sexuality coach to learn more about my own body....

We have so many defenses to protect ourselves from the risk of loss. Some of these defenses are obvious and well known: We use sarcasm or dry humor to diminish moments of vulnerability. We create distractions like work and all forms of busyness. We constantly check our smartphones or become addicted to screens. We may not realize it, but these are all ways the fear of love manifests. Other defense mechanisms that prohibit intimacy are more subtle....