From Chia to Kombucha – Weird Health Food Crazes: Pick It or Skip It? - Women Campus

It seems like every other day we see breaking health news with the latest miracle food. A single plant extract that can make you lose five pounds, keep your hair shiny, and have you walking like Marilyn Monroe. Get real. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!
 
We looked into four of the latest health food crazes: chia seeds, wheat grass, agave and kombucha tea to see if they merit a second glance, or even usage! Read on to see if you should skip or pick these items on your next trip to the grocery store with the help of Rebecca Scritchfield, RD a Washington, DC based dietitian who specializes in healthy weight management.

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Mythbusters—Healthy Foods Edition: Foods That Seem Healthy But Actually Aren't - Women Campus

When you're noshing on chips or ice cream all night, you know you're indulging in a guilty pleasure — and you've probably accounted for the splurge in your diet, or, at the least, are aware that it is a splurge in your diet. You know chips and ice cream are fattening and unhealthy because who doesn't? But what about when you're eating something supposedly healthy? Some seemingly healthy foods are actually high in sugar, calories, fat, or have other less-than-desirable qualities. That's why HC's here to let you know the 10 "healthy" foods you should skip…because let's face it, if you're eating something bad for you, you'd rather it be chips and ice cream.

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Go Eco for Beauty: How You Can Be Your Hottest and Healthiest - Women Campus

We've all heard of eco-this and eco-that, but what about eco-beauty? Think about it—our skin is the largest organ of the human body, yet we seem to abuse it the most with synthetic lotions, makeup products and creams. Wouldn't it make sense to put only the most natural, chemical-free products on our skin to make it, well, natural and chemical-free? Over time, our bodies will start to show the consequences of years of abuse through using synthetic cosmetics, so get on the eco-wagon and start revamping your makeup bag now. It's time to get the glow without the Imidazolidinyl Urea, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and Stearalkonium Chloride. 'Nuff said.

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How To Make This Your Fittest Semester Yet! - Women Campus

A blooming social life, half a dozen club meetings and a full schedule of classes can keep a girl pretty busy. However, it's important to remember to take care of yourself and fit (at least) a bit of exercise into your schedule. You'll be able to clear your head, release a little stress and keep yourself in shape (not to mention avoid the Freshman 15)  if you create a fitness plan. Whether you don't think you've got the time or you just can't get out of bed, you won't have any excuses after Her Campus helps you out. Here's to getting off on the right foot NOW with your exercise plan this semester, so that finals week isn't the first time you venture to the gym.

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Top 10 Healthy Foods on a College Budget - Women Campus

Imagine yourself pushing your weekly grocery cart to the checkout line. Your items are placed on the well-worn belt, and the cashier rings up your purchases announcing the final total. Cue jaw drop.
 
So many of us spend way more than we bargained for when we do our grocery shopping, but if you're trying to cut back on the bill, don't skimp on nutritional value. True, that bag of chips or canned ravioli is tempting (and a steal according to the price sticker), but for empty calories and extra additives…is it worth it? Cheap, healthy food is not impossible! Rebecca Scritchfield, RD a Washington, DC based dietitian specializing in healthy weight management advises college students to get out of their shopping comfort zone and try different foods. "Most people eat the same 5 to 10 things over and again, but that can get boring and there's really no need. If you look for sales and coupons you can save quite a bit of money on healthy foods."

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No.5 Surprise Exercise: 5 Calorie Burning Activities You Already Do and 5 Routine Tweaks to Burn Even More - Women Campus

Offer to Take Out the Trash: 15 Minutes
Calories Burned: 112
Take a walk around your house, apartment, or dorm and gather up all that garbage. If you're feeling generous, offer to take everyone else's trash to the curb, too. It's a stinky job, but someone's gotta burn the calories.
 
Get Gaming and Learn to Play Cards: One Hour

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No.4 Surprise Exercise: 5 Calorie Burning Activities You Already Do and 5 Routine Tweaks to Burn Even More - Women Campus

How to Burn Even More:
 
Give that Funny Friend a Call: Any Amount of Time
Calories Burned: Unknown
According to Discovery Health, laughing lowers cortisol in your body, which is the source of those unhealthy food cravings we all get. So if you want to keep that diet on track, get giggling. The American Psychological Society even found that anticipating something funny or pretending to laugh has some of the same effects. Well, isn't that funny?

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No.3 Surprise Exercise: 5 Calorie Burning Activities You Already Do and 5 Routine Tweaks to Burn Even More - Women Campus

 
Walking in Heels: 25 Minutes
Calories Burned: 124
Okay, so there's no actual evidence out there that heels burn more calories than flats, but they do tone your legs way better than sneakers or other low-to-the-ground footwear. Sure, trekking to that Friday night party in stilettos isn't the most comfortable experience, but maybe the knowledge that you're getting a workout will help ease some of the pain. 

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No.2 Surprise Exercise: 5 Calorie Burning Activities You Already Do and 5 Routine Tweaks to Burn Even More - Women Campus

 
Washing Dishes: 20 Minutes
Calories Burned: 51
Tired of cleaning up after those messy roommates? Well, it's time to look at their dirty dishes as more than a constant frustration. Grab some soap and a sponge and scrub away the calories, and take pride in the secret fact that they may be making the mess, but you're getting the reward. Best of all, everyone gets a dorm or apartment free of grimy cups and dishes.

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No.1 Surprise Exercise: 5 Calorie Burning Activities You Already Do and 5 Routine Tweaks to Burn Even More - Women Campus

Get off that treadmill and listen to this: Sure, it's important to burn calories, but your exercise routine doesn't have to be so... routine. Turns out, there are tons of things we already do that count as mini workouts. So whether you're bored of the gym or don't have that half hour time slot each day to complete those typical calorie burners, we have a list that'll make you feel way more accomplished. Plus, learn how to tweak your schedule to work off even more.

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5 Ways To Avoid The Freshman 15: How Real Girls Did It - Women Campus

You've heard it. You have probably even taken part in the short, but not-so-sweet conversation that floats out of so many mouths after Facebook-stalking an old friend or running into the senior that sat in front of you in class last year. It goes a little something like this:
 
"Have you seen Susan lately?"
"No, why?"

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Junk in the Trunk: Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Snacks - Women Campus

It's 11 p.m. and your stomach is rumbling. You know there's a package of Double Stuf Oreos with your name on it in the pantry. But before you march downstairs and give into the munchies, know that you can make a healthy choice. While it's certainly OK to give into your cravings once in awhile, there's no reason why you can't get a little more nutritional bang for your calorie buck by making healthier choices that still satisfy your sweet tooth. Her Campus has got you covered with the best healthy alternatives to your favorite snacks no matter how your cravings strike.

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The Eating Disorder on the Rise: Drunkorexia - Women Campus

We've seen it happen in the Hollywood spotlight all too often: A young starlet with a promising career quickly starts eating less, dropping weight, and partying more.  She quickly graces the covers of tabloids everywhere, not for her talent, but for her dangerous lifestyle.  More often than not, said celebrity ends up in rehab, or in more extreme cases, when her actions harm others, jail.
As surprising as it may be, the Lindsay Lohans of the world aren't only celebrities.  College women all over the country can pick up these dangerous drinking and eating habits as well.  As starvation mixed with binge drinking became more common, the buzzword Drunkorexia was born.

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The Birth Control Pill Where You Get Your Period Less Often: Is It For You? - Women Campus

All women of the world have one very special thing in common.  No, gentlemen, not (moderate) insanity! This is the lesser of the two evils—monthly menstruation.  The only upside to having your period is the cop-out it provides to being, well, a b****.  A simple apology ("I'm PMS-ing") is all it takes to get the green card to Attitude-ville.  And let's not forget that phrase's golden effect when an unwanted hook-up suddenly comes into the picture.  Not many guys are game for a trip downtown when painting-the-town-red suddenly gets literal.  So while some girls have it easier than others, most don't look forward to their period unless they want confirmation that they are indeed not pregnant.  So whoever invented the birth control pill that gives you a period every three months, like Seasonique, is a woman, or at least married to one with serious PMS symptoms.  But is this pill for real?  Dr. Kathryn McAllister, CRNP weighs in on this modern take on the birth control pill.

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