Jada Pinkett Smith on Husband Will: ‘You Gotta Trust Who You’re With’

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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are essentially Hollywood royalty at this point. But being such a public family means constant scrutiny, not least about the state of their 18-year marriage. The two have long battled rumors about it—They’re splitting up! Never mind, they’re just rocky! Actually, they have an open marriage!—and on Wednesday, Pinkett Smith went on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM radio show and opened up about what their union’s like behind the scenes.

Pinkett Smith (who’s starring in the summer movie Magic Mike XXL) emphasized the importance that trust plays in her relationship with Smith.

“You gotta trust who you’re with, and at the end of the day, I’m not here to be anybody’s watcher,” Pinkett Smith told Stern. “I’m not his watcher. He’s a grown man. Here’s what I trust: The man that Will is, is a man of integrity. He’s got all the freedom in the world…as long as Will can look in the mirror and be okay, I’m good.”

RELATED: 6 Steps to Rev Up Your Marriage

One way she’s able to feel safe and comfortable in letting him have that freedom is by being realistic—and being confident in their bond.

“I’m not the kind of woman who believes that a man is not going to be attracted to another woman,” Pinkett Smith said. “It’s just not realistic. And just because your man is attracted to another woman doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. That’s not what it means! And it doesn’t mean he’s gonna act on it, okay. Because if your man can’t really see another woman’s beauty how the hell is he gonna see yours?”

Terri Orbuch, PhD, author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great ($12, amazon.com), agrees with Pinkett Smith that the way to cultivate trust in your relationship is to start with yourself.

“You have to build self-confidence and self-esteem,” Orbuch told Health. “You can’t expect your partner to fulfill your needs without knowing them first, and communicating that to them.”

RELATED: Feel Confident At Any Age

Orbuch recommends starting by making a list of five to 10 qualities you like about yourself, and focusing on cultivating your own interests and friends outside of your marriage so you have some amount of independence, the way Smith and Pinkett Smith do.

“When you don’t depend on your partner for your friends or interests, you’re less likely to become jealous,” Orbuch explained.

The end result: You can better enjoy the relationship’s ride. And it sounds like Pinkett Smith is doing just that. As she said to Stern: “Thank God I have a husband who’s just a gangster partner.”

RELATED: 10 Ways to Improve Your Relationship Instantly

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Safety Precautions Help Prevent Summer Camp Injuries

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Parents may be surprised to learn that camp injuries happen most often during supervised activities. The risk for injuries also increases when camp lasts 14 days or more, children’s health experts say.

But by taking some important precautions, parents can help ensure their children have a fun and injury-free summer, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Their experts offer the following advice.

Before sending kids off to summer camp, parents should do their homework. Be sure to check references and look for camps that are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). Camp directors should also meet the minimum standards set by the ACA.

Different camps have various philosophies and programs. Make sure children attend a camp that meets their individual needs and interests. Parents should also verify that any camp they choose follows state laws regarding the safe transport of children, including the use of booster seats and seat belts.

Once the list of potential camps is narrowed down, there are several questions that should be asked, including:

• How many campers are assigned to one counselor at any given time?
• How old are the camp counselors and what type of training do they have?
• What is the camp’s philosophy on discipline and how are behavioral issues handled?
• How does the camp handle emergencies as well as issues for campers with special needs or homesickness?
• How does the camp handle medication?
• Are there any written doctor-approved health policies and procedures in place at the camp?
• Do any staff members have formal training in CPR or concussion recognition and management?
• Does the camp require the use of safety equipment such as helmets for activities like horseback riding, cycling, football and skateboarding? Is the equipment provided?

Once a camp has been selected, it’s time to pack and provide children with important reminders, the experts noted. Here are some of their safety recommendations:

• Bring the right shoes. Crocs and flip-flops should only be worn around a pool or in the shower. In order to avoid injuries at camp, be sure to pack comfortable and supportive sneakers.
• Review the camp’s activities to ensure children know what to expect.
• Remind children to follow camp rules, listen to their counselors and ask for help if they need it.
• Be sure that children’s counselors are aware of any allergies or medical conditions that require medication. Children who are sick and contagious, however, should stay home to avoid infecting others.
• Medications or inhalers should be labeled with your child’s name and instructions for how and when they should be used.
• Remember sunscreen. Children should be reminded to apply SPF 30 sunscreen in the morning and after engaging in water sports.
• Bring a reusable water bottle that children can use regularly.

Children should also bring antibacterial hand sanitizer or wipes, lip balm, bug spray, adhesive bandages, a whistle to signal for help, a hat, and sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.

More information

The American Camp Association provides more camp safety tips.

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Why We Secretly Love Other People’s Misery

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Your gorgeous BFF gets a huge, honking zit smack-dab on the middle of her forehead, the day before a big party you’ll both be attending. Do you a) feel awful for her and try to pick up her spirits with an “It’s not that bad!” pep talk, or b) try to pick up her spirits with an “It’s not that bad!” pep talk…while secretly smiling to yourself?

Yeah, we thought so.

Welcome to the wonderful world of schadenfreude, a long-winded German word that sounds like a delightful Christmas cookie, but actually has a more malicious meaning—namely, taking pleasure in another person’s misfortune. (The literal translation is “harm-joy”: schaden means damage or harm, freude means joy.)

RELATED: 9 Simple Steps to Happiness

According to a recent study from the University of Kentucky that confirms earlier findings about said schadenfreude, men and women are both guilty of delighting in someone else’s hot, flaming fire of shame. But we do our happy dances for different reasons.

Researchers found, for instance, that women get all giddy when another female experiences misfortune tied to physical attractiveness (think: a bad haircut or hard-to-drop post-pregnancy poundage).

Men, meanwhile, get off on other guys’ misfortune in social status—say, being fired or maybe getting hit with a highly-publicized suspension after flinging around an under-deflated football (we’re looking at you, Tom Brady).

RELATED: How Jealousy is Different for Men and Women

Why the difference? The researchers link it to what’s called “mate value“: Evolutionary science tells us that when it comes to looking for a mate, men tend to care more about the physical attributes; women, on the other hand, are drawn to social status (a powerful, high-paying job, for example). So anything that knocks the competition down a few notches—and makes them seem less desirable to the opposite sex—may help thin out the dating pool.

Yep, gloating is pretty fun. There is, however, one thing that’s guaranteed to cut the celebration short: Can you say karma?

RELATED: How to Beat Social Media Self-Doubt

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College Kids Don’t Understand the HPV Threat

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many American college students don’t get vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), and many don’t fully understand the threat posed by the virus or their risk for infection, new findings suggest.

In women, some types of HPV — the most common sexually transmitted disease — can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina and anus. In men, some types of HPV can lead to cancers of the anus and penis, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Researchers surveyed 192 female undergraduate students at Oakland University in Michigan. The results showed that most of the respondents knew about the HPV vaccine, but 54 percent were not vaccinated.

The findings were presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, in New Orleans. The data and conclusions of research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“A survey of their knowledge on the HPV vaccination and infection indicates a lack of understanding about the consequences, therapy and [prevention] for an HPV infection,” study author Aishwarya Navalpakam, of Oakland University’s School of Medicine, said in a society news release.

Students still believed they had a low risk of being infected with HPV even after they were given information about the infection and vaccination, the researchers said.

The investigators plan further analysis of the survey data in order to learn more about the students’ knowledge and beliefs about HPV infection and vaccination.

“Ultimately, we hope to address this low vaccination rate by raising awareness, providing educational interventions, and helping decrease the incidence of cervical cancer,” Navalpakam said.

There are about 6 million new cases of HPV each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 99 percent of all cervical cancer cases are caused by an HPV infection.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends HPV vaccination for girls aged 11 to 12, but the three-dose vaccination can be given up to age 26. Three HPV vaccines are now available in the United States: Cervarix, Gardasil and Gardasil 9.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about HPV vaccines.

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Cyberbullying Less Stressful Than In-Person Bullying, Study Claims

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Young people who face bullies both online and in-person may have much greater distress than kids who deal with just one form of bullying, especially cyberbullying, a new study contends.

When bullying starts and stays online, it may not persist as long or involve a major imbalance of power. As a result, cyberbullying may be somewhat easier for young people to endure than traditional bullying that occurs face-to-face, researchers from the University of New Hampshire said.

But kids who are the victims of both in-person bullying and cyberbullying may face the greatest challenges.

The study was published recently in the journal Psychology of Violence.

“Technology-only incidents were less likely than in-person only incidents to result in injury, involve a social power differential and to have happened a series of times,” said the study’s lead researcher, Kimberly Mitchell, with the university’s Crimes Against Children Research Center.

“Mixed episodes, those that involved both in-person and technology elements, were more likely than technology-only episodes to involve perpetrators who knew embarrassing things about the victim, happen a series of times, last for one month or longer, involve physical injury and start out as joking before becoming more serious. It is these mixed episodes that appear to be the most distressing to youth,” she explained in a journal news release.

The researchers interviewed nearly 800 young people by phone between 2013 and 2014. They were between 10 and 20 years old. Slightly more than half of the participants were female.

Just over one-third of those interviewed reported being harassed in the past year. Fifty-four percent of the harassment was face-to-face, the study found. Just 15 percent only occurred online. About one-third of the bullying involved a combination of in-person and online harassment.

Cyberbullying was much more likely to involve a larger audience, but these online attacks were less likely to involve multiple bullies. Cyberbullies were also more likely to be anonymous or strangers, which is less disturbing to kids than being harassed by their friends or classmates, according to the study authors.

When bullying takes place online, it can occur any time of day and involve pictures or videos distributed to large groups of people. But this type of bullying wasn’t as distressing to victims as some of the issues associated with traditional bullying, the study’s authors contended.

“Instead, data from this study indicated that factors such as duration, power imbalance, injury, sexual content, involvement of multiple perpetrators, and hate/bias comments are some of the key factors that increase youth distress,” study co-author Heather Turner, a professor of sociology, said in the news release.

Mitchell thinks this is notable information for adults who work with children.

“We believe that focusing on harassment incidents that involve both in-person and technology elements should be a priority for educators and prevention experts who are trying to identify and prevent the most serious and harmful bullying,” she said.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics provides more information on bullying and cyberbullying.

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9 Surprising Beauty Uses for Raw Honey

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Honey’s benefits go beyond sweetening up your favorite Greek yogurt or afternoon tea. Packed with a powerful punch of antiseptic, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, it’s one of the best ways to give your beauty routine a boost. The key is to use raw honey that hasn’t been pasteurized, processed, or heated in any way as that preserves the best qualities. Read on for 9 different ways—concocted and tested just for you by the Health beauty team—that you can use a jar of honey on your face, body and yes, even in your hair.

On your face

Combat acne. Leave it to honey to attack the bacteria that causes breakouts, while also drawing moisture to the skin. Dab a small amount onto blemishes, leave for 15-20 minutes, then rinse.

Lighten up dark circles. A spoonful of honey may help fade dark circles and ease swelling under the eyes. Mix equal parts honey and almond oil, then apply as you would an eye cream before bed; rinse off in the morning.

Smooth out wrinkles. Got an avocado lying around in your kitchen? This all-natural concoction hydrates dull skin and may help fight wrinkles. Mix 1 tablespoon of raw honey with half a ripe avocado. Spread out evenly over face and rinse off with warm water after 15 to 20 minutes.

RELATED: DIY Food Facials for Fresh, Younger-Looking Skin

On your body

Reverse cuticle damage. Cracked cuticles are not only unsightly, but they’re also an invitation for fungus and bacteria to creep in. Coat your cuticles and nails with a mixture of raw honey and apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon each) to cleanse and soften. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off.

Reduce razor burn. Soothe the irritation caused by shaving mishaps by smearing a dab of raw honey over razor bumps post-shave. Rinse off after 10 to 15 minutes.

Pamper your skin. Did you know Cleopatra allegedly bathed in milk and honey to achieve a flawless complexion? Try your own honey bath: Just dissolve 2 to 3 tablespoons of raw honey in 1 cup of hot water. Pour into a hot bath, sit back, and relax—you’ll emerge feeling like a queen.

RELATED: Gorgeous in the Bath: Top Spa Tricks for Your Tub

In your hair

Add shine. Treat your hair to this volume and shine-boosting mask: Mix 1/2 cup raw honey and 1/4 cup olive or coconut oil. Apply to your hair from roots to tips, leave in for 20 minutes, then rinse. Use once weekly for hair that shines like silk.

Soften strands. Raw honey is a humectant, meaning it locks in moisture. Revive dry, lackluster hair by thoroughly mixing in 1 teaspoon of raw honey with your shampoo. Lather up as usual and rinse well. The goo will wash out (we promise!), leaving strands super-soft.

Soothe an itchy scalp. Thanks to its anti-fungal properties, honey helps nix the gunk that clogs hair follicles, leading to itchy flakes. Dilute 1 tablespoon of honey with a teaspoon of water and massage it in to your scalp for two minutes; rinse with warm water after two hours. Repeat every other day until your scalp is flake-free.

RELATED: 4 Things You Didn’t Know About Honey

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It’s National Donut Day! Read This Before You Order

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If you haven’t heard the news, let us do your tastebuds (if not your thighs) a favor: It’s National Donut Day! That means a number of chains like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts are offering free donuts for every customer today (at Dunkin’ you do have to buy a drink to get your fix, though).

We’re not going to tell you not to indulge (hello, free donuts!), but we can give you some “indulge smarter” advice:

RELATED: 5 Decadent (Healthy!) Chocolate Recipes

Skip the novelty donuts

Sometimes, being basic is a good thing: Less-adorned donuts will (usually) be lower in calories. (Not so surprising, perhaps, but still good to remember.) At Krispy Kreme, for instance, a simple (but still sugary and decadent) glazed number has fewer than half the calories of their Oreo Cookies and Kreme specialty donut with Oreo cookie crumbles on top (190 vs. 420).

Munchkins make sense—sometimes

Stick to two or three Munchkins, and you’re doing better than if you’d downed a full donut. Make it four doughnut holes, though, and you might has well have had the real deal, calorie-wise. Plus, if you’ve got a whole box of bite-sized guys in front of you, its really hard to just have one—or four—so you may be better off splitting a regular donut (if you can manage to share) or even just committing to savoring a whole one yourself and calling it a day.

Indulge…on something else

Okay, we just have to put it out there: “Donuts are notoriously filled with ingredients that drive inflammation, like refined grains and sugars and highly refined fats,” says Kate Geagan, RDN. So while we don’t want to be diet downers, we also wouldn’t suggest making donuts a daily habit. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat dessert every single day, though. Geagan suggests enjoying a 1 oz square of high quality dark chocolate or chocolate-dipped fresh strawberries or apricots—both in season now—as a go-to treat.

And if you’re still craving the round stuff, try making your own healthier (but still so-delicious) versions at home (start with the baked buttermilk donut). That way, every day can be National Donut Day!

RELATED: 6 ‘Bad’ Carbs That Are Actually Good For You

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Potential Liver Recipients May Have New Option

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Livers from donors who suffered cardiac death can be safely and effectively transplanted into patients dying of liver cancer, a new study suggests.

A liver transplant can cure many liver cancer patients, but many die waiting for a liver because most transplant centers use only livers from brain-dead donors. This study tested livers from both brain-dead donors and donors after cardiac death.

Cardiac death does not mean death from heart attack. Because of damaging oxygen loss, someone who dies from a heart attack is not considered a viable donor of organs for transplantation, the researchers said. Instead, cardiac death is controlled in a patient who will donate organs, they explained.

“This can occur, for example, in a patient who has had a bad brain injury and will not recover,” said lead investigator and transplant surgeon Dr. Kristopher Croome, from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

“In this controlled setting, with the purpose of donating organs, a patient is taken off life support, and will pass into death. Then after a short time period, the organs will be recovered and donated,” he said in a Mayo news release.

This study included 397 liver cancer patients who received a new liver — 340 livers came from brain –dead donors and 57 came from people who donated after cardiac death.

Liver cancer recurred in about 12 percent of patients in both groups, according to the researchers.

“I believe this study firmly and finally answers the question as to whether liver donations after cardiac death are as viable for patients with liver cancer as livers from donors who die from brain death. They are,” said Croome.

Using livers from donors who’ve suffered cardiac death could increase the number of transplants by 10 to 15 percent nationwide, according to Croome.

“The gap between patients who need a new liver and the number of organs available has been widening, but the use of donations after cardiac death could potentially alleviate some of the organ shortage,” he said.

The study was published online recently in the American Journal of Transplantation.

More information

The American Liver Foundation has more about liver transplantation.

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Special Diets, Supplements Not Always Helpful for Kids With Autism

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Well-intentioned parents of children with autism may think that special diets or supplements can help their child, but a new study suggests that often these efforts lead to problems.

As the researchers explain, many children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are picky eaters, and parents may direct them to nutritional supplements, or gluten- or casein-free diets.

However, the study reported June 4 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that these regimens leave children still deficient in some nutrients, such as calcium. On the other hand, special diets and supplements can cause children to take in excessive amounts of other nutrients, such as vitamin A, the researchers said.

“Each patient needs to be individually assessed for potential nutritional deficiencies or excess,” study lead researcher Patricia Stewart, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y., said in a journal news release.

One other expert agreed.

“Children with an autism spectrum disorder are not very different nutritionally from non-ASD children,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“Giving children with an autism spectrum disorder a multivitamin/mineral supplement will not correct many of the nutritional deficiencies seen in these children,” he added, “and may in fact lead to excess amounts of some nutrients in the bloodstream.”

The new study involved 368 children aged 2 to 11 years who were treated at five different Autism Speaks specialty centers. Autism Speaks is a nonprofit organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities.

The study participants had all been diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s syndrome or another so-called “pervasive developmental disorder.” The children’s caregivers kept a three-day food diary, which recorded the amounts of food the kids ate as well as the drinks and supplements they took.

After analyzing the children’s food diaries, the researchers found the kids with an ASD were consuming amounts of nutrients that were similar to other children who did not have autism. They also had the same deficiencies often seen in the general population.

In addition, even among those who took supplements, up to 55 percent of the children with an ASD remained deficient in calcium, while up to 40 percent didn’t get enough vitamin D, the study found.

The kids on the gluten-free and casein-free diet ate more magnesium and vitamin E, but they were still deficient in calcium, Stewart’s team found.

Much of these special diets and supplements are unnecessary, the authors said, because even children with picky eating habits still get most of their essential nutrients from the food they eat. That’s because many of today’s foods are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, the researchers explained.

And, the study authors suggested, that could explain why some kids with autism are getting too much of certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, folic acid and zinc.

“Few children with ASD need most of the micronutrients they are commonly given as multivitamins, which often leads to excess intake that may place children at risk for adverse effects,” Stewart said. “When supplements are used, careful attention should be given to adequacy of vitamin D and calcium intake,” she added.

Adesman pointed out that some parents with a child with autism may believe that nutrition is somehow key to their child’s symptoms.

“Although this study identified nutritional deficiencies and excesses in some children with ASD, this study was not specifically trying to link the nutritional status of these children as a cause for their autism spectrum disorder,” he said.

Autism is a neurobehavioral disorder that is now estimated to affect about one in 68 American children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More information

Autism Speaks provides more information on complementary treatment approaches for autism.

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CDC Tweaking Flu Vaccine for Better Protection

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Having acknowledged that the 2014-2015 flu vaccine was mismatched to the circulating influenza strains, U.S. health officials have ramped up next season’s shots for broader protection.

Flu-vaccine makeup is determined months in advance so that manufacturers have time to make the millions of doses needed. Components of the coming “2015-16 season vaccine have been changed to more optimally match circulating viruses,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its June 5 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

There also is a version of the flu vaccine called quadrivalent flu vaccine, designed to protect against four flu viruses; two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.

Last year, no one saw until summer that the H3N2 strain would predominate, said CDC epidemiologist Lynnette Brammer.

Work on the vaccine had begun in February, she said. “[The H3N2 strain] came on so fast, and there wasn’t time for it to be included in the vaccine,” she explained.

As a result, flu shots were only 18.6 percent effective against the predominant H3N2 strain, she said.

Shots for the coming flu season will contain two influenza type A viruses — H1N1, which caused the 2009 pandemic flu, and last year’s virulent H3N2 — plus an influenza B component, according to the CDC researchers.

These are the strains that appear to be circulating, and they’re expected to be the main strains in the 2015-2016 flu season, Brammer said. But officials cautioned that flu is unpredictable and it’s possible another strain will gain strength.

As CDC experts looked back on the flu season that just ended, they described it as moderately severe. Hundreds of thousands of people were hospitalized, and thousands died, most of them 65 and older.

“This year was a severe year, particularly for the elderly. Our vaccine match wasn’t as good as we would like it to be,” Brammer said. “It was an unusual year.”

Deaths from flu ranged from 5 percent to 9.3 percent of all deaths between Jan. 3 and Feb. 21, 2015, the CDC said. That’s about average for an H3N2 flu year, Brammer said.

Pediatric deaths were on the high side. The CDC said 141 children died in 40 states. Child deaths usually range from 34 to 171 in a given flu season. The biggest exception was the pandemic 2009-2010 season, when 358 kids died from flu.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot every year. Brammer said this year’s vaccine will be available in September.

“Although we did have a mismatch last season, a flu shot is still the best way to protect against influenza,” Brammer said. “We do recommend that come the fall, people should go out and get vaccinated.”

More information

For more on flu, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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