All posts tagged: correctly

How sunscreen protects skin from damage – but only when it is used correctly

How sunscreen protects skin from damage – but only when it is used correctly

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Not so long ago, people like my Aunt Muriel thought of sunburn as a necessary evil on the way to a “good base tan.” She used to slather on the baby oil while using a large reflector to bake away. Aunt Muriel’s mantra when the inevitable burn and peel appeared: Beauty has its price. Was she ever right about that price – but it was a lot higher than any of us at the time recognized. What sun addicts didn’t know then was that we were setting our skin up for damage to its structural proteins and DNA. Hello, wrinkles, liver spots and cancers. No matter where your complexion falls on the Fitzpatrick Skin Type scale, ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun or tanning beds will damage your skin. Today, recognition of the risks posed by UV rays has motivated scientists, …

A moment that changed me: for the first time in my life, a stranger pronounced my name correctly | Health & wellbeing

A moment that changed me: for the first time in my life, a stranger pronounced my name correctly | Health & wellbeing

Published by Sam Flores

I had five names on the day of my Hindu naming ceremony, but my given name was Priti, a name that came to shape me. Like most children with “unconventional” names, I dreaded the first day of each school year. I would squirm in my chair as my new teacher worked their way through the class register, and my stomach would drop as they attempted to say my full name: Priti Ubhayakar. I would be sitting there thinking: “If the first name doesn’t get you, the last name will.” In my hurry to get it over with, I would interrupt the teacher as they struggled – an attempt to save everyone from embarrassment. In primary school, most teachers and friends simply called me “pretty”. I felt so ashamed of my name that I never thought to correct them. I hated it, mostly because I was teased. “Pretty? You’re not very pretty. Pretty ugly, I would say.” Priti with her brother Kiran, at primary school in 1986. Photograph: Courtesy of Priti Ubhayakar The word “pretty” followed …

Urine luck: seven expert tips for peeing correctly | Well actually

Urine luck: seven expert tips for peeing correctly | Well actually

Published by Sam Flores

Urination is a vital human function and often occurs without much fanfare or thought – but age, sex, medications and a host of other factors can influence how you use the bathroom. Because there can be so much variation, patients must not ignore what seems out of the norm for their bodies, says Dr Vannita Simma-Chiang, a board-certified urologist and associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “If something seems strange to you, one of the best things you can do is just go in and chat with a medical professional about it,” says Simma-Chiang. Issues may stem from different phases of the bladder, such as urine storage, excretion and what remains afterward, explains Dr Aqsa Khan, a board-certified urologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. “I often describe myself to patients as a kind of human plumber,” says Khan. “When the plumbing is good in our homes, we don’t think twice about it. But when something goes wrong, it can be terribly problematic.” Here are the …

Are you bracing your core or just holding your breath? A yoga teacher reveals how to correctly engage your deep core muscles when you exercise

Are you bracing your core or just holding your breath? A yoga teacher reveals how to correctly engage your deep core muscles when you exercise

Published by Jenni Sidey

You’ll have read or heard the instruction a thousand times, but how do you actually engage your core and what does it look like in practice? That’s something certified yoga teacher Leanne Lent from fitness app Yoga-Go wanted to demystify recently when she shared a video on Instagram. In the post, Lent demonstrates what most people do wrong, sucking in her stomach and clenching her abdominal muscles. You may like She then reveals how to actually brace your core with a close-up of her stomach. This time, there’s no obvious sucking in of her tummy. She continues to breathe normally. It’s a subtle change, but it can make a world of difference. “To engage your core effectively, you’re aiming to create support around your spine, especially between your ribs and hips, using your deep core muscles,” Lent tells Fit&Well. “A lot of people think it means sucking in, but that actually just creates tension and limits your movement and breath.” Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. …

Are you taking supplements correctly? Here’s a guide on their dosage limits | Well actually

Are you taking supplements correctly? Here’s a guide on their dosage limits | Well actually

Published by Sam Flores

There are more than 100,000 supplements on the US market – capsules, powders, tablets and gummies sold to improve or maintain health. Supplements can contain vitamins, minerals, botanicals and amino acids on their own or in various combinations. The consumption of these products is surging. But it’s a common misunderstanding that these products are entirely safe, says Dr Pieter Cohen, an internist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Excessive amounts of nutrients can cause health problems, so it’s critical to know whether you’re using the correct dosage of high-quality products. Here’s what experts say about navigating the world of supplements, and what happens if you take too much of some common ones. Choose supplements and dosage carefully Ideally, the nutrients we need come from the food we eat, says Dr Denise Millstine, director of integrative medicine at the Mayo Clinic Arizona. But that’s not always possible for various reasons, like a lack of access to nutritious foods or the effects of certain medications. “Some people may need a supplement; some people need to be …