Why Having a Best Friend Is Good for Your Health, According to Science

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Research has long shown that friendship is essential for your physical and mental well-being. Having a social network can lengthen your lifespan, help you stay slim, and keep your brain healthy as you get older.

But now picture that one friend (or two, or three, if you’re lucky) you can send selfies to even when your face is polka-dotted with acne medication, or the pal you reserve the dancing-girls emoji for. Perhaps even the headline made her pop into your head. Yep, she’s your bestie—and the closeness you share as a duo comes with its own list of surprising health benefits.

“I call those close friendships emotional health clubs, the gyms for our souls,” says Shasta Nelson, author of Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness ($14; amazon.com).

But what makes a bestie a bestie? “These types of deep friendships are where we get to be the most vulnerable, where we get to practice being the best versions of ourselves, and sometimes even the worst versions,” explains Nelson. Here are even more unbelievable perks that’ll have you running to go hug your No. 1 pal.

RELATED: How Friends Save Our Lives (And Waistlines! And Sanity, Too!)

She makes you more optimistic

Your closest girlfriends make hills in your path look smaller, just knowing they’re standing beside you help tackle it.

We’re not speaking figuratively. In 2008, researchers asked a group of University of Virginia students to stand at the bottom of a hill wearing a heavy backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill in front of them, either while standing alone or with a friend. Those who stood with a friend rated the hill as less steep than students who were alone. But there’s more: The longer participants knew their friends, the less steep they estimated the hill to be, too.

She helps block out anxiety

Cue The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Not only do close friends help you work through your stress, they may actually help protect your body from stress better than when you try to handle it solo.

James Coan, PhD, associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Virginia, studied women using MRI brain scans to witness the difference in anxiety levels right before they were jolted with an electric shock alone, or while holding the hand of a close companion. The result? Every participant’s scan showed that the parts of the brain that sense danger were much less active when they gripped a pal’s hand.

RELATED: 21 Reasons You’ll Live Longer Than Your Friends

“The burden of life’s many stressors, when you have to deal with them by yourself, not only does it feel more exhausting, it literally creates more wear on your body,” Coan explained to CBS News.

She gives you physical and emotional strength

Your confidant may be a better emotional resource than a family member, says a 2014 study, published in Health Psychology.

The researchers followed nearly 750 adults, who were mostly older women, for 12 years to assess the power of friendship in keeping one’s health from deteriorating after losing a spouse. Over the course of the study, they looked at the physical health differences between those who lost a spouse and had a close confidant and people who suffered the loss and only had familial support. They learned that having support from relatives didn’t have the same positive health benefits, like feeling less depressed, that were associated with having close friends.

So why does a best friend provide an even better shoulder to cry on than, say, a sister or mom? Friendships are discretionary, while family relationships are obligatory in nature, lead study author Jamila Bookwala, a psychology professor at Lafayette College, explained in a press release. She added that in family relationships, you may feel close with the person, but also bothered by them.

RELATED: 14 Things Heart Doctors Tell Their Friends

Nelson agrees: “Family members, even children or spouses, often add a lot more stress by default. They come with more logistics, whether it’s chores or errands. Your best friend, you don’t have to schedule her doctor’s appointments or know what she wants for lunch,” she jokes. “You get the benefits of friendship often times with a large amount of external stressors and responsibilities.”

 

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High Deductibles = Fewer Imaging Tests: Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — U.S. patients whose health insurance plans have high deductibles undergo fewer diagnostic imaging tests, a nationwide study finds.

Researchers analyzed 2010 insurance data from more than 21 million adults nationwide and considered plans with high deductibles to be those with an annual deductible of at least $1,200 for one person and $2,400 for a family.

They found that patients in plans with high deductibles underwent 7.5 percent fewer diagnostic imaging tests, such as X-rays and CT or MRI scans, than those with other plans. This resulted in 10.2 percent less in imaging payments, according to the study in the journal Medical Care.

“I think what we found most surprising is the large reductions in imaging use among people with high deductibles. We had hoped to find that patients were reducing use of low-value imaging, but we found they reduced all use similarly,” study senior author Kimberley Geissler, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said in a university news release.

Geissler, an assistant professor of health policy and management, noted that a growing number of people are enrolling in high-deductible plans because of the lower premiums.

But, she added, “It seems patients are not informed enough to discern which tests are more optional and which are medically necessary.”

Low-value imaging tests are those that are less critical, such as MRIs for low back pain.

The study findings raise concerns that high-deductible health plans “may be a blunt instrument reducing all diagnostic imaging, rather than helping physicians and patients choose high-value imaging,” the researchers wrote.

Efforts to reduce diagnostic imaging tests should be combined with improved patient awareness and education about the appropriate use of such tests, the researchers said.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about medical imaging.

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Kindergartners With Traumatic Life Experiences Struggle More in School

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Childhood traumas of various sorts can cause kindergartners to struggle in class as well as life, new research contends.

A study of more than 1,000 urban children showed those with difficult experiences up until age 5 had math and reading difficulties and difficulty focusing in kindergarten, and were also more likely to have social problems and to be aggressive toward others.

The experiences included neglect or physical, sexual or psychological abuse. They also included living in a household with domestic abuse or with a household member who was in jail or prison, had a mental illness or had an addiction or substance abuse problem.

“The first five years of a child’s life are an incredible time of opportunity and vulnerability,” said study lead author Dr. Manuel Jimenez, director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics education at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J. “Combined with previous work documenting how early traumatic experiences are tied to poor health, these findings illustrate how early adversity can place children at risk for poor outcomes across multiple aspects of life.”

The findings were published online Jan. 14 in the journal Pediatrics.

The Rutgers researchers interviewed the caregivers of just over 1,000 children and found that slightly more than half of the kids had faced at least one out of nine adverse experiences; 12 percent had experienced three of them.

The researchers adjusted their calculations to account for other differences among the children, including age; gender; mother’s race, ethnicity or educational level; their parents’ relationship when they were born, and household income.

After these adjustments, the researchers found children with at least three adverse childhood experiences had 80 percent greater odds of having math, language and literacy skills below average than children with no childhood difficulties.

Children with at least three tough experiences were more than three times more likely to have attention problems and almost three times more likely to have social problems. Their odds of showing aggression were also more than double those of children without adverse childhood experiences.

It’s unclear how these traumatic experiences might cause long-term negative effects, but several things are probably at work, said Mayra Mendez. She is a program coordinator for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health services at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

“When a child and parents need to focus energy on adverse experiences, there is less energy for the parent to exert on nurturing security, safety and a healthy learning environment,” said Mendez, who was not involved with the study. A child trying to cope and survive has less energy for learning, problem-solving, playing and imagination, she added.

Dr. Danelle Fisher, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, said a child’s emotional distress may also make it harder to concentrate, and they may experience post-traumatic stress.

“When the child is having signs of difficulty in the school arena, parents and teachers can then address the problem and keep the child progressing towards their goals, both in school and in life,” said Fisher, who had no role in the research. In general, “parents can be loving towards their children, be inquisitive about their lives and have open communication with the child’s teacher” to create a nurturing environment for children, she added.

One of the first steps to reducing the negative impact of traumatic events on children is to increase awareness about how it can affect development, Mendez noted.

“When parents are aware, then they are more likely to seek support and help from community resources,” Mendez said. “Awareness also increases detection and recognition of difficulties and parents may be more likely to take steps to prevent exposing their young child to trauma.”

“The love and unconditional support of a warm and nurturing caregiver can serve as a critical source of strength and as a buffer for the adversity children may face in their lives,” Jimenez added. “But sometimes even the best parents can’t do it alone. Many face unbelievable challenges, and that’s why it’s important that we build systems that can be a source of support.”

More information

For more on the effects of adverse childhood experiences, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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E-cigarettes Don’t Help Smokers Quit Tobacco: Study

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic cigarettes are promoted as a way to help smokers kick the habit, but a new study contends that the devices hamper rather than help.

E-cigarette use actually lowers smokers’ chances that they’ll quit tobacco by about 28 percent, according to an evidence review published online Jan. 14 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

“We found that e-cigarette use was associated with significantly less quitting,” said study senior author Stanton Glantz, a professor with the University of California, San Francisco’s Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. “E-cigarettes are being promoted as a means of quitting, but they’re actually having the opposite effect.”

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat nicotine and flavorings to create a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

The e-cigarette industry and “vaping” advocates have argued that the devices are a healthier alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes, since users aren’t inhaling carcinogenic smoke. They’ve also claimed that smokers could use e-cigs to wean themselves off tobacco.

These claims have been met with some opposition by the medical community. For example, in 2015 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded there was insufficient evidence to recommend the devices to help adults quit smoking, the study authors pointed out in background notes.

To see whether the latest research on e-cigarettes supports industry claims, Glantz’s team reviewed 38 studies assessing the association between e-cigarette use and cigarette cessation among adult smokers.

“We looked at every single paper out there we could find,” he said. “We did not do any cherry-picking at all.”

The study authors then combined the results of 20 studies that had control groups of smokers not using e-cigarettes, comparing them to smokers who also use e-cigarettes to see which group quit tobacco more often.

The researchers concluded that the odds of quitting smoking were 28 percent lower in smokers who used e-cigarettes compared to those who did not. The finding held up even after the researchers compensated for differences in study participants, the strength of smokers’ nicotine dependence, the design of the studies and definitions of e-cigarette use, Glantz said.

Dr. Norman Edelman, senior scientific advisor to the American Lung Association, said e-cigarettes likely interfere with efforts to quit smoking by keeping users hooked on nicotine.

“It tells us simply switching from one nicotine delivery system to another nicotine delivery system doesn’t lead to quitting the first nicotine delivery system,” Edelman said of the new findings. “People will not naturally give up cigarettes, even though in most venues e-cigarettes are cheaper and people consider e-cigarettes to be safer.”

E-cigarettes also help to keep smokers hooked by allowing them to “vape” nicotine while indoors, in places where clean air laws forbid smoking, said Cliff Douglas, director of the American Cancer Society’s Tobacco Control Center.

“They’re promoted as a means of bridging those times where one can’t smoke a traditional cigarette,” Douglas said. “That’s the opposite of cessation. That’s encouraging ongoing addiction.”

Edelman and Douglas said the new study shows why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to step in and begin regulating e-cigarettes as soon as possible.

The FDA issued a proposed rule in 2014 that would allow the agency to regulate e-cigarettes in the same way as other tobacco products, but the agency has not yet placed that rule into effect.

“The American Lung Association has been saying for over a year that the FDA ought to go ahead and regulate these devices,” Edelman said. “Once they did that, the companies could not make any claims without approval.”

Glantz believes the FDA could take action even without its proposed new rules. Prior legal decisions have found that “if the companies make any therapeutic claim — and helping to quit smoking is a therapeutic claim — then the FDA could regulate them under current rules,” he said.

“This shows me the FDA today needs to clamp down on e-cigarette companies’ claims that these things help people quit smoking,” Glantz said. “Not only is that misleading people, it’s actually hurting them by reducing the odds that people who are current smokers will quit.”

Efforts by HealthDay to reach the American Vaping Association for comment on the study were unsuccessful.

More information

For more on e-cigarettes, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Average Age of First-Time Moms in U.S. Still Rising: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The average age that American women have their first baby continues to rise, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

From 2000 to 2014, the age of first-time mothers increased 1.4 years — from 24.9 years old on average to 26.3 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While age at first birth has been inching up for some time, “we have seen sharper increases since 2009,” said lead author T.J. Mathews, a demographer at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Two key trends lie behind these significant statistics. “The largest impact has been the decline in first births to women under 20,” Mathews said. “There has also been an impact of older women having births.”

Economic factors, more interest in higher education and greater career choices may play a role both in reducing teen births and prompting some women to put off motherhood until after 30, he suggested.

All states and the District of Columbia reported delays in motherhood since 2000. Washington, D.C., saw the highest increase — 3.4 years — followed by Oregon where the average age rose 2.1 years, the researchers found.

Delaying parenthood can have broad implications for maternal and child health as well as population growth, Mathews said.

“The average is going up for mothers, which is likely to delay childbearing, and if you delay you are more likely to have fewer births, and that has ramifications for our overall population,” Mathews said.

“You need 2.1 births per couple to replace the population over the long term,” he added. “The U.S. is right on the cusp of replacement.”

Also, the mix is changing, Mathews explained. “There is a higher fertility rate among Hispanics than among whites,” he said.

The fertility rate among whites in 2013 was 1.7 — below the 2.1 births needed to replace that group, Mathews said. Among Hispanics the fertility rate is 2.1, he said.

According to the report, first births among teens fell 42 percent since 2000 — from about one in four to one in seven. Also, first births to women aged 30 to 34 rose 28 percent, while first births among women 35 and older increased 23 percent.

In 2014, Asian or Pacific Islander women had the oldest average age for their first birth (29.5), while American Indian and Alaska Native women had the youngest (23.1).

Differences were seen among blacks, whites and Hispanics, too. For white women in 2014, average age at first birth was 27; for Central and South Americans it was 26.5, and for women of Cuban descent it was 27.

Also, the average age was lower for Puerto Ricans (24.1 years), blacks (24.2) and Mexican Americans (23.7), Mathews said.

Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the drop in teen pregnancies is a positive trend.

“For the most part teen pregnancies are unplanned,” she said. “And teen pregnancies can have poor outcomes, and most teenagers aren’t ready to have a baby,” Wu added.

Wu is concerned, however, about older women having babies. “As they delay pregnancy, women are incurring other risks,” she said. “An older mother has a higher risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and other complications, including passing on genetic defects.”

The full report is published in the CDC’s January NCHS Data Brief.

More information

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

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9 Weight Loss Success Stories You’re Going to Want to See

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Get inspired by these Daily Burn success stories, which showcase real people who committed to fitness and saw results that were way beyond average.

Whether you’re trying to lose 10 pounds or more than 100, these nine weight loss success stories will inspire you to take those first steps you need to make a change. Together, they’ve lost a collective 603 pounds through eating and lifestyle changes that included Daily Burn workouts! They’ve relied on food diaries, attitude shifts and plain old exercise to whip their bodies (and minds) into the best shape they’ve been in for years. Find out what motivated each of these men and women to get started—and most importantly, what kept them going in the long run. Steal their secrets and start writing your own success story next.

RELATED: Daily Burn 365: New Workouts, 7 Days a Week

Transformed his health post-college 

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Alex Clary
Weight loss: 75 pounds in 15 months
How he did it: Tactical Bodyweight Training (TBT)

Weight loss wake-up call: When Alex Clary got a scary report from his doctor post-college, he realized it was time to make a change. Heart disease ran in his family—and he didn’t want to be susceptible to health problems down the road. “That was the trigger, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something about this,’” he recalls.

Secret to success: Tracking calories. For the first month of Daily Burn, Alex didn’t make any changes to his diet—so he didn’t see much progress on the scale. After realizing he needed to get his portion sizes under control, he began using a calorie-tracking app to monitor what he was eating. “It was like a switch flipped as soon as I changed my diet. That first week I lost a couple pounds, then a couple more the next week,” Clary says. “It was so exciting and there was nothing more motivating than actually experiencing that change.”

RELATED: Burn Fat, Build Muscle: 3 Killer Circuit Training Workouts

Started with just 15 minutes of exercise each day

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Chris Diggins
Weight loss: 61 pounds in 13 months
How he did it: DB15, Inferno and Move!

Weight loss wake-up call: At 250 pounds, Chris hated seeing himself in family photos, and was upset by the fact that he could no longer play easily with his three children. Though he’d always struggled to find the time to work out, he was intrigued when he saw a commercial for Daily Burn on his Roku. “I decided to look through the app and saw that there were workouts that could be done in 10 and 15 minutes,” remembers Chris. “It was the beginning of the year and I decided it was time to make a change.”

Secret to success: Starting small. “I tried not to set my goals too high,” he says. “I wanted to get to 200 pounds but I figured with doing only 15 minutes here and there, there was no way that could ever happen.” But after cutting fast food from his diet, and focusing on portion control, Diggins started to lose weight. “What set this apart was that it was the longest I’d been on any exercise program because it was hard to tell it no,” Diggins says.

RELATED: 3 Quick HIIT Workouts for Beginners

Got her confidence back

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Katarina Herrera
Weight loss: 71 pounds in 16 months
How she did it: Cardio Sculpt, Inferno, TBT

Weight loss wake-up call: It wasn’t until after giving birth to her son that Herrera’s weight became a problem. “[It was] just me continuing to eat for two even though I wasn’t feeding two anymore,” she recalls. “And I’d say, ‘Oh, I’m just big because I had a baby!’” But after the death of her grandmother, she realized it was time to get her weight under control. “I kept the clothes she bought me because I wanted to hold on to them, but they didn’t fit,” Herrera says.

Secret to success: Short-term goals. “My ultimate goal was just to get to 145, but my short-term goal was to cut it down halfway to 165,” Katarina says. “I’d give myself many goals, just so I wouldn’t get discouraged.” Slowly, she started swapping her usual breakfast of toast for a protein-packed meal of eggs. Baked chicken and veggies replaced breaded chicken and mashed potatoes at dinner. “It’s all about feeling confident rather than what the scale says,” she notes.

RELATED: I’m Exercising More — So Why Am I Gaining Weight?

Made tiny changes to lose 100 pounds

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Sean McKinley
Weight loss: 100 pounds in 15 months
How he did it: True Beginner, Cardio Sculpt

Weight loss wake-up call: When his daughter was four years old, McKinley knew the 320 pounds he held on his frame were holding him back from being the dad he wanted to be. “We were running outside trying to fly a kite and I realized I couldn’t run around very well,” McKinley, 31, says. “Just realizing I had gotten to the point that I couldn’t run with my daughter anymore was a wake-up call.”

Secret to success: Small changes. Though he had a history of crash dieting, McKinley decided this time would be different. “I slowly started incorporating more vegetables and fruit into my diet,” he says. “It was definitely a slow process.” Eventually, he found his grocery cart stocked with 90 percent produce—whereas in the past, it had been mostly processed foods. “A lot of people try to jump into it all at once and say they are going to do all this to see change quickly,” McKinley says. “For me, I did slow diet changes and also a slow exercise progression. I think that’s what allowed me to continue or I would have burned out and given up on myself a long time ago.”

RELATED: The 12 Move Total-Body Workout: The Daily Burn Dozen

Conquered destructive eating habits

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Nancy Berry Idoni
Weight loss: 35 pounds in 16 months
How she did it: Cardio Sculpt, Live to Fail, Black Fire

Weight loss wake-up call: Though she’d struggled with disordered eating and weight gain for a long time, it wasn’t until she met her now-second husband that Idoni decided it was time to shape up for good. Plus, as a mother of five, she wanted to be a healthy role model for her children.

Secret to success: Learning to shop healthy on a budget. With a large family to feed, Idoni had to get creative in the kitchen to stretch her funds. “I’ve found that cooking things by scratch takes a lot of time, but you get a lot of nutrients and it’s pretty cheap, so I buy a lot of dried beans, because it can go a long way,” she says. “We also use a lot of potatoes and rice, and I try to get things on sale and buy in multiple when I can,” she says.

RELATED: 21 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram

Learned to eat clean

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Dina Shingleton
Weight loss: 30 pounds in 10 months
How she did it: True Beginner, Cardio Sculpt, Black Fire

Weight loss wake-up call: The 183 pounds Shingletown was carrying on her 5’3” frame was starting to take a toll on her body. “…I was having a year-and-a-half long bout of plantar fasciitis in the bottom of both of my feet,” she says. “It was miserable, every time I would get up, I was hobbling.” Even though her injury may have been unrelated to her weight, it prompted her to start eating clean and getting fit.

Secret to success: Finding a diet that worked in the long-term. When she was overweight, Shingleton used to skip breakfast and lunch, only to find herself snacking and overeating at night. Fad diets had failed her—so she decided to mix things up. “I started to focus on eating clean, whole foods…I eliminated anything white, sugar, flour—and most items with gluten in it,” she says. “And then I concentrated on adding more protein. I’d do a meal-replacing shake for breakfast.”

RELATED: 20 Low-Calorie Snacks You’ll Want to Eat Every Day

Embraced a more active life

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Kristen Bloom
Weight loss: 66 pounds in 16 months
How she did it: Cardio Sculpt, Intelliburn, Live to Fail

Weight loss wake-up call: After suffering from appendicitis, Bloom feared she’d only end up spending more time in hospitals later in life if she kept gaining weight. “I said, ‘OK, this is such a miserable experience. Even though [appendicitis] isn’t a weight-related issue, someday there will be one,’” she says.

Secret to her success: Staying positive. An optimist at heart, Bloom’s sunny attitude helped her stick to her routine of measuring what she ate and exercising diligently. “While I’m exercising, I’m telling myself, ‘You can do that, you’re strong, you’re fast, you’re amazing,’ and then my body will follow,” Bloom says.

RELATED: 19 Reasons to Work Out (Beyond the Perfect Body)

Lost 130 pounds the healthy way

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Randi Fields
Weight loss: 130 pounds in 12 months
How she did it: True Beginner, Cardio Sculpt, Inferno, Black Fire

Weight loss wake-up call: Though she always remembers being heavy, Fields’ weight really started to escalate after the birth of her daughter. When she saw a photo of herself on a cruise in March 2014, she got inspired to change her ways.

Secret to her success: Keeping a food journal. Fields had more than 100 pounds to lose—and she knew she needed a way to keep herself accountable. So whenever she ate something, she’d either write it down or take a picture of it. “That was very revealing,” she says. “You can say ‘I had a cup of macaroni and cheese,’ but, well, did you really have a cup or was it way more than that?”

RELATED: Gym Time or Meal Time: What Matters Most for Weight Loss?

Changed her outlook to change her body

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Stacy Cole
Weight loss: 35 pounds in six months
How she did it: Cardio Sculpt, Intelliburn, TBT, Inferno

Weight loss wake-up call: When Stacy Cole booked a trip to the Caribbean to celebrate her wedding anniversary, she decided to use it as motivation to shed pounds from her frame.

Secret to her success: The right attitude. “To be very honest, my diet hasn’t changed too much, but what I think has changed the most is my mindset. Because I’m not calling it ‘a diet,’” she says. Instead of doing a huge overhaul, she started making tiny tweaks to her meal plan. Rather than eating pasta, she’d make spiralized veggies. And instead of snacking on chips, she’ll grab an apple or some green beans. “I’m taking care of my body, I’m putting in good food,” Cole explains.

To learn more about Daily Burn or to try a free 30-day trial yourself, click here.

Note to reader: The content in this article relates to the core service offered by Daily Burn. In the interest of editorial disclosure and integrity, the reader should know that the core service site is owned and operated by Daily Burn. Daily Burn users who worked out for 30 minutes or more at least five times a week for 60 to 90 days reported an average weight loss of about one pound per week. For those seeking to lose weight, keep in mind that extreme weight loss can be harmful to your health if done improperly or too suddenly. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise or weight loss program.

Life by Daily Burn is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength or de-stress, a better you is well within reach. Get more health and fitness tips at Life by Daily Burn.

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5 Subscription Boxes to Make That Time of the Month a Little Easier

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When Aunt Flo comes to town, life can seem pretty bleak. That’s why several companies have made it their mission to brighten your week of cramps and bad moods. How? By delivering care packages filled with essential products—tampons, pads, even chocolate—just in time for the start of your cycle. Not only do these subscription boxes make your period more pleasant (and save you a tampon-run to the drugstore), but they also promote a powerful message.  “We aim to get people to realize it is okay to talk about menstruation—it’s natural and nothing to be ashamed of,” Karen Thomson, owner of The Period Shop told Health in an email. “We need to learn more about how it impacts our bodies, our emotions, our health.”

RELATED: 9 Best Workouts to Do When You Have Your Period

The PMS Package

Just in time for your period, The PMS Package claims to be “Comfort delivered to your door, right when you need it most!” They back up this statement by sending care packages that include anything from candy to your favorite movie. You can choose between three pre-set sizes: Mini ($12.99), Featured ($24.99), or Executive ($34.99). The contents of each package change on a monthly basis, so there’s always a pleasant surprise waiting at your doorstep.

HelloFlo

HelloFlo’s care packages are designed to help women and girls manage transitional stages in their lives—whether it’s a first period, going to college, or having a baby. The site also features women’s health news, personal essays, and tips about puberty, menopause, and everything in between. As far as packages go, they offer everything from a “Period Starter Kit” to a “New Mom Survival Kit”—all of which offer a combination of supplies, treats and practical advice. But if you just want to ease your period woes, they also have a “Signature Kit” that should do the trick. Prices range from $29.95 to $79.95.

RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Bloating

The Period Store

The Period Store’s fully customizable packages allow you to stick with the traditional route with pads and tampons, go for eco-friendly products, or even choose less traditional sea-sponges, diva cups, or herbal-infused pads. The store also offers accessories like ice packs, jewelry, period panties, and essential oils. Each package includes a gourmet sweet, two tea bags, and a 5×7 piece of inspirational art. (All packages also come with two medicine packets, but check with your doctor before taking anything new.)  Package options range from “Treats” ($15 for chocolate, art, meds, and tea) to “Heavy” ($30 for 3 products, chocolate, art, meds, and tea).

Bonjour Jolie

At Bonjour Jolie, packages are a bit more customizable. Every month, you’re allotted up to 25 items of your choosing—whether that be pads, tampons, liners, pampering items, specialty teas, artisan confections, feminine wipes, or Advil. Plus, each package includes a special gift. The company offers a one-time “First Period Box” as well, which includes a handpicked gift, artisan sweets, specialty teas, pampering spa items, pads and lines, plus a case to hold supplies. Beyond the first period, you have two simple subscription options: one box ($25.75/month) or monthly ($21.75/month).

RELATED: 10 Things That Mess With Your Period

Le Parcel

Similar to Bonjour Jolie, Le Parcel allows you to hand-select up to 25 products that perfectly fit your needs. These can include tampons, pads, and/or panty liners. Plus, each parcel comes with a curated gift and premium chocolate treat (because we all know how essential chocolate is at this time of the month). Le Parcel tries to keep things simple with only one size and price option: $15/month plus shipping and handling.

 

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HPV Vaccine Rates Highest in Poor and Hispanic Communities: Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Teen girls in poor or predominately Hispanic communities are more likely to receive at least one dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine than those in other communities, a new study finds.

HPV can cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, penis and throat, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all girls and boys aged 11 to 12 receive three doses of the HPV vaccine.

Researchers examined 2011 and 2012 CDC data on provider-verified vaccination records for more than 20,500 girls, aged 13 to 17. In each of those years, 53 percent of the girls received at least one dose of HPV vaccine.

The highest vaccination initiation rate (69 percent) was among girls in predominately Hispanic communities and the lowest rates were among girls in predominately black communities (54 percent) and white communities (50 percent).

Poverty levels also influenced vaccination rates. Regardless of the racial/ethnic composition of a community, girls in communities in which at least 20 percent of the residents lived below the poverty line were 1.2 times more likely to have initiated HPV vaccination than those in the wealthiest communities.

The study was published Jan. 14 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

“HPV vaccines could dramatically reduce the incidence of HPV-associated cancers, but uptake of these vaccines is far lower than for other routine childhood and teen immunizations,” said study author Kevin Henry. He is an assistant professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and a member of Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control program.

“The main goal of our study was to understand if geographic factors — that is, characteristics about a person’s community — affect vaccination uptake, because this knowledge could inform current efforts to increase vaccination and prevent cancer,” he said in a journal news release.

“The higher HPV vaccination rates among girls living in poor communities and majority Hispanic communities, which also tend to have high poverty rates, are encouraging because these communities often have higher cervical cancer rates. But, continued cervical cancer screening of vaccinated and unvaccinated women is needed because the vaccine does not cover all cancer-causing HPV types and sexually active women could have been infected prior to vaccination,” Henry said.

“The higher HPV vaccination rates in these groups also provide some evidence supporting successful health care practice and community-based interventions,” he added.

“What is not encouraging is that girls living in predominantly high-poverty non-Hispanic black communities have HPV vaccination rates that are lower than rates for Hispanics. Additional research is needed to better understand why these differences exist,” Henry concluded.

More information

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

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Stressed Teens May Face Higher Diabetes Risk as Adults: Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Teens who have trouble coping with stress may be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes as adults, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers examined data from more than 1.5 million 18-year-old men who were conscripted into the Swedish military between 1969 and 1997. The participants all underwent standard testing for stress resilience, and none of them had diabetes at the age of 18.

But during the follow-up period, from 1987 to 2012, more than 34,000 of the men were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Casey Crump, from the department of medicine at Stanford University in California, and colleagues.

Compared to men with the highest resistance to stress when they were 18, those with the lowest stress resistance were 51 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later, the investigators found.

However, the study only found an association, and was not designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between stress resilience and diabetes risk.

The study was published online Jan. 13 in the journal Diabetologia.

Previous research has found that stress in adulthood is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. But, it wasn’t known if low resistance to stress earlier in life increased the risk of developing diabetes in adulthood, the researchers said in a journal news release.

There are a number of ways stress resilience may affect the risk of type 2 diabetes, and these may involve lifestyle and other physical factors, the study authors suggested.

For example, people under stress are more likely to smoke, eat unhealthy foods and have lower levels of exercise, the researchers explained.

Further study is needed to pinpoint how the ability to cope with stress may influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And that may lead to more effective ways to prevent the blood sugar disease, Crump and colleagues said.

More information

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion explains how to prevent type 2 diabetes.

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3 Workout Outfits Designed Specifically for Plus-Size Women

No woman wants to spend an entire sweat session adjusting her bra straps, hiking up her leggings, and smoothing out her shirt. But for women who wear plus-size clothes, finding high-quality gear that wicks sweat, looks cute, and stays put can be a challenge. We hunted down performance pieces that will keep you comfortable, dry, and moving throughout all of your workouts—no matter your size.

RELATED: How to Stay Warm (But Not Too Warm) On Your Winter Runs

Intense gym session

Photo: Brian Henn

Even though it’s cold outside, you’re definitely working up a sweat in the gym, and you need all the high-performance gear you can get. This short-sleeve top is antimicrobial, so it fights odor-causing bacteria. Plus, it’s lightweight and breathable, allowing you to have a smooth workout. The leggings feature no-chafe seams as well as a flattering compressive fit so you can feel comfortable and hugged-in throughout.

Top: LIVI Active Antimicrobial Wicking Tee ($40; lanebryant.com)
Pants: Xersion Print Capris ($48; jcpenney.com)
Shoes: New Balance 711 Mesh ($75; newbalance.com)
Bottle: bobble Infuse ($15; bestbuy.com)

RELATED: 6 Running Tips to Keep You Safe This Winter

Post-workout errands

Photo: Brian Henn

During the wintertime, you might get uncomfortable when you leave the gym in your sweaty clothes—once that moisture comes into contact with the cold air, you get cold and shivery. Instead of packing an entire second outfit, you can slip on breathable, moisture-wicking gear that will perform throughout your sweat session and keep you dry afterward. With sweat-wicking leggings and a tunic, all you need to do after you workout is throw on an extra-warm down vest and tech-enabled gloves so you can stay warm and toasty.

Top: Ava & Viv Leisure Tunic ($30; target.com)
Vest: Down Vest ($59; landsend.com)
Pants: High-Rise Compression Leggings ($35; oldnavy.com)
Shoes: Crosscross Training Tennis Shoes ($30; gojane.com)
Gloves: TravelSmith Touch Sensore Fleece Gloves ($24; amazon.com)

RELATED: The Secrets to a Super-Happy Winter

Outdoor walking workout

Photo: Brian Henn

Whether you’re walking your dog or getting in a sweat session during your lunch hour, we know that you need high-performance gear. The 3/4 zip jacket provides some ventilation for when you start to warm up, so you can blow off just enough steam without compromising your warmth. You will also get double-duty out of the ear muffs, which are headphones in disguise!

RELATED: 3 Sports Bras for Big Boobs That Actually Work

Top: Tasc Achieve 3/4 Sleeve ($54; tascperformance.com)
Jacket: Tek Gear Mockneck Jacket ($48; kohls.com)
Pants: Hanes French Terry Pant ($14; hanes.com)
Shoes: RYKA Sky Walking Shoe ($41-$71; amazon.com)
Headphones: UR Powered Faux-Fur Earmuff ($36; lordandtaylor.com)

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