5 Famous Women on Their Stretch Marks

Photo: Getty Images

Kendra Wilkinsin is the latest celeb to show off her #tigerstripes. Over the weekend, the Kendra On Top star, 30, celebrated Mother’s Day by sharing an unedited Instagram photo of her stomach. “Look what my 2 babies did,” she wrote in the caption. “They make me happy. #happymothersday.” The reality TV actress has two adorable children with husband Hank Baskett (Hank is 6 years old and Alijah Mary is 11 months).

The photo has racked up more than 123,000 likes, as well as praise from Wilkinson’s followers: “This is beautiful,” wrote one commenter, while another said, “You have just made me feel fine with the way my body looks now.” Need even more proof that almost everyone gets ’em? Here are four more times famous women got real about their stretch marks.

Robyn Lawley

Seven months after giving birth to daughter Ripley, 1, the Australian model proudly displayed her stretch marks in a topless photo on Instagram. The pic and accompanying Facebook post were a response to a UK magazine story that claimed she’d considered having an abortion to avoid getting them.

“I was shocked, not only because that is not what I said—not to mention I already had a ton of stretch marks like 90 percent of the world—but to read that entire article and be already heavily pregnant, that’s their angle?” Lawley wrote in the post. “I knew [my stretch marks] were coming and as they’re fading into white (like all my others) I thought I might capture them. Because they are some bad ass #tigerstripes. And I earned them.”

RELATED: 5 Rules for Loving Your Body From Model Ashley Graham

Chrissy Teigen

The model, cookbook author, and new mama to 3-week-old Luna Simone is famous for her social media honesty (from spray tan fails to wardrobe malfunctions to her in-flight skincare routine, Teigen shares it all—and we love it). In one of her best-ever body-positive snaps, the model posted an Instagram photo of bruises and stretch marks on her inner thighs, captioning it, “Bruises from bumping kitchen drawer handles for a week. Stretchies say hi!”

Shortly after, the model appeared on The Meredith Vieira Show and explained why she’d chosen to share the unedited photo. “I actually am working on a cookbook and I was bumping around in the kitchen and the door handle would just nick me every single time,” she said. “And I was actually just taking a picture of the bruises and then I saw the stretch marks in there. I have those apps, the Facetune and Photoshopping ones, and I just didn’t feel like doing it anymore—and I’m never doing it again, because I think we forgot what normal people look like now.”

 

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce

The elite runner (who gave birth to her two children just 15 months apart) made headlines in March when she posted photos of her postpartum belly on Instagram. Bruce suffered from “a very bad case” of diastasis recti, a separation between the left and right side of the rectus abdomens muscles. By chronicling her journey back to a stronger core on social media, the athlete has helped to inspire other women to embrace their postpartum bodies.

“#keepinitreal doing side planks. The strength and stability is coming back steadily but the appearance of abs and stretch marks remains the same,” Bruce wrote on one Instagram post. “The not so glamorous part of getting strong post baby.”

RELATED: 11 Celebrities on What They Think About Their Breasts

Reese Witherspoon

The body-positive movement may be relatively recent, but Witherspoon has spoken candidly about her imperfections for years. In a 2004 interview with Vanity Fair, the actress opened up about how motherhood changed her both emotionally and physically. “I have cellulite. I have stretch marks. My breasts aren’t what they were before breastfeeding two children,” she said. “Parenthood is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how cool you think you are—when you’ve got baby spit-up all over your back and smashed chocolate cupcake all over your jeans, you’re just like any other mother.”

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1VRQg9R

Study Links Excess Pre-Pregnancy Weight, Smoking to Heavy Kids

TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — British researchers say two key reasons explain why kids from disadvantaged families are more often overweight and obese than other children: mom smoking in pregnancy and being overweight before pregnancy.

The findings suggest “a considerable amount of the social inequalities in pre-adolescent overweight can be explained by these two variables,” said David Taylor-Robinson, of the University of Liverpool’s department of public health and policy, and colleagues.

It’s known that overweight and obesity are more common among children in lower-income families, but exactly why wasn’t clear, the researchers said.

Using data on children born in the United Kingdom, the researchers checked the weight of nearly 10,000 11-year-olds. The study authors also analyzed information provided by mothers about their education levels, pregnancy, the child’s birth and delivery, and early life factors such as breast-feeding and when solid foods were introduced.

While the study only found an association, one in three children whose mothers were less educated was overweight, compared with one in five whose mothers had at least a university degree, according to the findings.

After taking into account various other factors, the researchers concluded that smoking during pregnancy and being overweight during pregnancy accounted for about 40 percent of that difference.

Smoking in itself may be an indicator of economic disadvantage, the researchers said.

The study was published online May 9 in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

“Policies to support mothers to maintain a healthy weight, breast-feed and abstain from smoking during pregnancy are important to improve maternal and child health outcomes,” the researchers said in a journal news release. “Our study provides some evidence that they may also help to address the continuing rise in inequalities in childhood overweight.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on childhood obesity.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1UPDK9I

Study Links Excess Pre-Pregnancy Weight, Smoking to Heavy Kids

TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — British researchers say two key reasons explain why kids from disadvantaged families are more often overweight and obese than other children: mom smoking in pregnancy and being overweight before pregnancy.

The findings suggest “a considerable amount of the social inequalities in pre-adolescent overweight can be explained by these two variables,” said David Taylor-Robinson, of the University of Liverpool’s department of public health and policy, and colleagues.

It’s known that overweight and obesity are more common among children in lower-income families, but exactly why wasn’t clear, the researchers said.

Using data on children born in the United Kingdom, the researchers checked the weight of nearly 10,000 11-year-olds. The study authors also analyzed information provided by mothers about their education levels, pregnancy, the child’s birth and delivery, and early life factors such as breast-feeding and when solid foods were introduced.

While the study only found an association, one in three children whose mothers were less educated was overweight, compared with one in five whose mothers had at least a university degree, according to the findings.

After taking into account various other factors, the researchers concluded that smoking during pregnancy and being overweight during pregnancy accounted for about 40 percent of that difference.

Smoking in itself may be an indicator of economic disadvantage, the researchers said.

The study was published online May 9 in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

“Policies to support mothers to maintain a healthy weight, breast-feed and abstain from smoking during pregnancy are important to improve maternal and child health outcomes,” the researchers said in a journal news release. “Our study provides some evidence that they may also help to address the continuing rise in inequalities in childhood overweight.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on childhood obesity.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1UPDK9z

Restrictive Diets May Cause Thyroid Troubles in Young Kids

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Two cases of children who developed iodine deficiency highlight the risks of putting too many restrictions on young kids’ diets, researchers say.

The doctors said that the children — aged 2 and 5 — developed iodine deficiency because their diets lacked salt, dairy products, bread and other sources of the mineral.

Iodine deficiency is common in developing countries, but was virtually eliminated in the United States after iodized salt was introduced almost a century ago.

However, it can still happen if a child’s diet is strictly limited, said study author Dr. Brigid Gregg. She is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

“Parents should be aware that if they’re really restricting the foods their children eat, iodine deficiency is a possibility,” Gregg said.

The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones, which help control metabolism and other essential functions. Lacking iodine, the thyroid gland can become underactive — what’s known as hypothyroidism.

In infants and young children, that can result in stunted growth and even brain damage, Gregg pointed out.

Still, she said, when a young child is not growing well, hypothyroidism is “not the first thing that jumps to mind.” And when hypothyroidism is suspected, doctors would not immediately think iodine deficiency is at the root of the problem, she added.

“We don’t typically think of it in this country, because we’ve considered the problem ‘solved’ in the U.S.,” Gregg said.

One of the children her team treated was 5 years old and had been diagnosed with autism. His parents were keeping him on a gluten-free, casein-free diet — which meant he wasn’t getting the dairy products and grains that are major iodine sources in the typical American diet.

His parents brought him to the pediatrician because he was suffering from fatigue and chronic constipation, which are two symptoms of hypothyroidism. The doctor discovered the boy had a goiter, or an enlarged thyroid gland.

From there, the boy was tested for autoimmune thyroid disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the gland. But there was no evidence that his immune system had turned against him.

Instead, it turned out to be iodine deficiency.

The second case involved a 2-year-old boy with stunted growth and a limited diet — both because he refused many foods, and because of his parents’ restrictions. They’d replaced cow’s milk with coconut milk, avoided processed foods and used sea salt instead of table salt.

Those were well-intended moves, Gregg said. The problem was, the child’s diet had no good iodine sources.

Neither sea salt nor coconut milk contain the mineral, said Marina Chaparro, a clinical dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“I’d recommend using iodized salt,” said Chaparro, who was not involved in the study. “That’s probably the easiest way to make sure your child is getting enough iodine.”

And it doesn’t take a lot, she noted: A half teaspoon of iodized salt each day would be enough for a child.

Milk, yogurt and commercially made breads are probably the most child-friendly food sources of iodine, according to Chaparro. But fish and seaweed also contain it, she said.

To Chaparro, the two cases highlight a broader issue: Children with restricted diets could be at risk of various nutritional deficiencies if parents aren’t well-informed.

“Children aren’t small adults, and we need to be mindful about placing our own dietary restrictions on them,” Chaparro said.

She suggested that when parents do eliminate certain foods — such as meat or dairy or gluten-containing grains — they talk to their pediatrician or a dietitian about how to best replace those foods.

Chaparro also cautioned parents against getting caught up in diet trends. “Never put a child on a fad diet,” she said.

The findings were published online May 10 in the journal Pediatrics.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more on iodine.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1UPDLKJ

Restrictive Diets May Cause Thyroid Troubles in Young Kids

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Two cases of children who developed iodine deficiency highlight the risks of putting too many restrictions on young kids’ diets, researchers say.

The doctors said that the children — aged 2 and 5 — developed iodine deficiency because their diets lacked salt, dairy products, bread and other sources of the mineral.

Iodine deficiency is common in developing countries, but was virtually eliminated in the United States after iodized salt was introduced almost a century ago.

However, it can still happen if a child’s diet is strictly limited, said study author Dr. Brigid Gregg. She is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

“Parents should be aware that if they’re really restricting the foods their children eat, iodine deficiency is a possibility,” Gregg said.

The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones, which help control metabolism and other essential functions. Lacking iodine, the thyroid gland can become underactive — what’s known as hypothyroidism.

In infants and young children, that can result in stunted growth and even brain damage, Gregg pointed out.

Still, she said, when a young child is not growing well, hypothyroidism is “not the first thing that jumps to mind.” And when hypothyroidism is suspected, doctors would not immediately think iodine deficiency is at the root of the problem, she added.

“We don’t typically think of it in this country, because we’ve considered the problem ‘solved’ in the U.S.,” Gregg said.

One of the children her team treated was 5 years old and had been diagnosed with autism. His parents were keeping him on a gluten-free, casein-free diet — which meant he wasn’t getting the dairy products and grains that are major iodine sources in the typical American diet.

His parents brought him to the pediatrician because he was suffering from fatigue and chronic constipation, which are two symptoms of hypothyroidism. The doctor discovered the boy had a goiter, or an enlarged thyroid gland.

From there, the boy was tested for autoimmune thyroid disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the gland. But there was no evidence that his immune system had turned against him.

Instead, it turned out to be iodine deficiency.

The second case involved a 2-year-old boy with stunted growth and a limited diet — both because he refused many foods, and because of his parents’ restrictions. They’d replaced cow’s milk with coconut milk, avoided processed foods and used sea salt instead of table salt.

Those were well-intended moves, Gregg said. The problem was, the child’s diet had no good iodine sources.

Neither sea salt nor coconut milk contain the mineral, said Marina Chaparro, a clinical dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“I’d recommend using iodized salt,” said Chaparro, who was not involved in the study. “That’s probably the easiest way to make sure your child is getting enough iodine.”

And it doesn’t take a lot, she noted: A half teaspoon of iodized salt each day would be enough for a child.

Milk, yogurt and commercially made breads are probably the most child-friendly food sources of iodine, according to Chaparro. But fish and seaweed also contain it, she said.

To Chaparro, the two cases highlight a broader issue: Children with restricted diets could be at risk of various nutritional deficiencies if parents aren’t well-informed.

“Children aren’t small adults, and we need to be mindful about placing our own dietary restrictions on them,” Chaparro said.

She suggested that when parents do eliminate certain foods — such as meat or dairy or gluten-containing grains — they talk to their pediatrician or a dietitian about how to best replace those foods.

Chaparro also cautioned parents against getting caught up in diet trends. “Never put a child on a fad diet,” she said.

The findings were published online May 10 in the journal Pediatrics.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more on iodine.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1UPDLKJ

Super smoothie recipe

 

If you're after a fresh, nutrient packed smoothie, look no further than this super smoothie.

What you'll need

 

• 2 scoops protein powder (whey or non-dairy substitute)
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ frozen mango
• 1 fresh or frozen kiwifruit
• ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
• ½ avocado
• 2 cups coconut water, almond milk or filtered water
• 1–2 tsp maca powder
• 1–2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup spinach
• Ice

 

What you'll do

Add all ingredients to the blender and whizz. Pop any leftover smoothie in a jar with a lid in the fridge for later in the day. 

Recipe extracted from Nikki Fogden-Moore’s book, Vitality. 

 

Read more about healthy, nutrient boosting smoothies for other recipes.

{nomultithumb}

 

Source : Diet & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1UOnuWA

Child’s Obesity Tied to Mom’s Pregnancy Weight: Study

MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A mother’s excess weight gain or elevated blood sugar levels in pregnancy may put her child at increased risk for being overweight or obese, a new study finds.

“When women have elevated blood sugar and gain excess weight during pregnancy, it seems to change the baby’s metabolism to ‘imprint’ the baby for childhood obesity,” said study lead author Dr. Teresa Hillier. She’s a senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.

“We’re not sure yet of the exact mechanism of this change, but it appears the baby is adapting to an overfed environment, whether from glucose or extra weight,” Hillier said in a Kaiser news release.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 24,000 mothers and their children in three states, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. All the children were normal weight (5.5 to 8.8 pounds) at birth and were followed to age 10.

Those children whose mothers had elevated blood sugar during pregnancy were at increased risk for obesity, the study found. The risk was greatest when mothers had gestational diabetes, the highest level of elevated blood sugar.

Compared to children whose mothers had normal blood sugar during pregnancy, those whose mothers had elevated blood sugar were at least 30 percent more likely to be overweight or obese by age 10, the study found.

Compared to children whose mothers gained less than 40 pounds during pregnancy, those whose mothers gained more than that were at least 15 percent more likely to be overweight or obese during their first decade.

Women should gain no more than 40 pounds during pregnancy, according to the Institute of Medicine.

The study findings were published May 6 in Maternal and Child Health Journal.

More than one-third of American children and teens are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We can’t wait until the baby is born to determine and address the impact on childhood obesity,” Hillier said. “We need to intervene during the mom’s pregnancy to help her with nutritional and lifestyle changes that will result in healthy weight gain, healthy blood sugar, and ultimately, healthy children.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on childhood obesity.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1OcypYJ

How to Avoid Chrissy Teigen’s Hilarious Spray Tan Fail

Photo: Getty Images

Spray tans are quite convenient for those of us who want a sun-kissed look without risking UV damage—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t messy. Social media icon Chrissy Teigen shared a hilarious spray tan fail on Snapchat over the weekend, showing an orange-y imprint of her body (complete with butt cheeks) on a set of cream-colored sheets.

Photo: Chrissy Teigan/Snapchat

With the caption “Spray tan diaries,” Teigen’s pic is all too relatable. Anyone who’s ever gotten sprayed is familiar with the after-aroma, the sticky feeling on your skin, and the likelihood of staining your clothes, sheets, and towels. For some expert advice on how to get that summery glow without getting it everywhere, we called up Bridget Bergin, the owner of Brazil Bronze Soho in New York City.

First off, she says, it’s key not to shower, sweat, or otherwise get wet until your “tan” soaks in. How long that takes depends on the type of tan you got. At Bergin’s studio, customers who get the express option, are advised to stay dry for two to four hours, while customers who get the “original” are instructed to wait eight to 10 hours before bathing.

RELATED: Get Your Legs Ready for Summer

Even rain can cause streaking and lead to staining, says Bergin. “Sometimes when customers leave and it’s raining outside, they’ll have to come back to get [their tan] touched up.”

Bergin also recommends donning loose, dark clothing after your spray session, and wearing that same clothing until your first shower.

When it comes time to bathe, be sure to use sulfate-free cleanser on your skin to preserve the color, and then exfoliate. When you’re done, don’t forget to moisturize. Those steps will help make the bronze tint last.

RELATED: Best Tinted Moisturizer for Your Skin Type

To avoid Teigen’s beauty blunder, if you’re not able to stay upright long enough for your tan to dry, lay down in your loose, dark-colored get-up. Or if you anticipate a need for a nap before you get sprayed, you could opt for an express tan that dries faster, says Bergin. And if you do pass out in the buff, don’t sweat it: Even full-body prints should come out of most cotton sheets with the right amount of stain remover, she assures.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1rDrayI

Depressive Episode May Not Always Follow Mania in Bipolar Disorder

MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — While many may associate bipolar disorder with episodes of mania followed by periods of depression, a new study suggests that’s often not the case.

Researchers say states of anxiety are equally as likely as to follow manic episodes as depression.

The finding might have implications for better treatment, the research team said.

“For years, we may have missed opportunities to evaluate the effects of treatments for bipolar disorder on anxiety,” said study lead author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

“The results of our study suggest that researchers should begin to ask whether, and to what extent, treatments for bipolar disorder relieve anxiety as well as mania and depression,” he added in a university new release.

According to the study authors, about 5.7 million Americans have bipolar disorder, which causes cycles of mania (elevated or irritable mood) and depression.

The new findings stem from an analysis of data from more than 34,000 American adults with bipolar disorder.

“Although it has long been widely assumed that bipolar disorder represents repeated episodes of mania and depression as poles along a single continuum of mood, the clinical reality is often far more complex,” Olfson said.

He said that, based on the new findings, “patients whose main symptom is anxiety should be carefully assessed for a history of mania before starting treatment.”

The study was published May 3 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on bipolar disorder.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/278FSye

Cutting Brand-Name Drug Use Could Save U.S. $73 Billion: Study

MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Overuse of brand-name drugs may be part of the reason why the United States spends more on medication than any other country, a new study contends.

Too many brand-name drugs also contribute to greater out-of-pocket expenses for American consumers, researchers said.

“We wanted to see how much patients and society as a whole could save through the use of therapeutic substitution, in terms of both overall and out-of-pocket expenses on brand drugs, when a generic drug in the same class with the same indication was available,” said lead investigator Dr. Michael Johansen. He is a family medicine physician with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, in Columbus.

What the researchers found was that Americans could save tens of billions of dollars with more efficient drug use. That means replacing brand-name drugs with their generic equivalents whenever possible.

For the study, the researchers reviewed self-reported prescription drug use by more than 107,000 Americans who were part of the 2010-2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

The study authors found that $760 billion was spent on prescription drugs during the study. Nearly 10 percent of all prescription drug expenses involved brand-name drug overuse, the study found.

Out-of-pocket expenses totaled $175 billion during the study. Brand-name drug overuse accounted for 14 percent of these costs, the study authors said.

The researchers said this represents an opportunity to save billions of dollars.

“We observed an estimated potential savings of $73 billion overall and nearly $25 billion in out-of-pocket expenses throughout the three years of the study,” Johansen said in a university news release.

The researchers said replacing brand names with generics remains a controversial topic. They recommended having systems in place to ensure patients’ safety and increase collaboration among doctors.

The study was published May 9 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides more information on generic drugs.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/278FPCy