Talking with your doctor isn’t always easy. Whether you are afraid she will judge you, you just don’t feel comfortable sharing the intimate details of your life between the sheets, or you can’t think straight with a speculum between your legs, many people get tight lipped in the doctor’s office. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions.

We thought we’d help and every Thursday our friend Dr. Lissa Rankin will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person. Just leave your questions in the comments, or send em over to us. (We’ll keep it all anonymous for you.) Dr. Lissa will answer anything – really, anything – about sex and other lady things. Don’t be shy; she’s waiting for ya!

Q: I know it’s pretty typical in college, but I always feel tired and lethargic.  I try to eat as healthy as I can, but even adding nuts and more protein to my diet isn’t working. I was wondering if you had any ideas of things I could do (specific vitamins/things I should be eating) that will help me feel more awake and less foggy on a day to day basis. Thank you.

A: If you’re feeling tired much of the day, you’re not alone. Fatigue and lack of energy are probably the most common reason patients come to see me at CLEAR Center of Health (www.clearcenterofhealth.com), the integrative health center where I work.  Even if the rest of your life is going brilliantly, if you feel tired all the time, it’s enough to sap you of your mojo.

While it may be tempting to grab a triple shot caramel macchiato to get you through, that’s only going to make matters worse. Here are a few natural tips to help you feel more vital. Read More »

We talk about pumpkin around here a LOT. A lot, a lot. But we can’t help it; the stores and restaurants only bring out their pumpkin goodness for a few months every year and we’re trying to soak up as much of the tasty goodness as we can before it goes away. And we’re left with nothing. Except winter-induced Seasonal Affect Disorder. Sigh.

But there’s another reason to be obsessed with pumpkin; beyond tasting amazing (especially in Hershey’s Kiss form), pumpkin is GREAT for you. It’s full of antioxidants, nutrients and a bunch of other great stuff your body needs. If the only pumpkin you’re enjoying comes in a pie crust, you’re doing your body a disservice. Look at these facts, grab yourself some pumpkin, cut a funny little face into it, then eat the rest.

Pumpkin is full of Vitamin A, most in the form of beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals in the body! Sounds confusing, but believe us, it’s a good thing! Studies have shown that people who eat a diet rich in beta carotene are less likely to develop certain forms of cancer than those who don’t get enough beta-carotene in their diet. Nice.

“Is canned okay?” – YES! Plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) is still full of beta-carotene and great to use in recipes! One serving of canned pumpkin contains 300% of your Recommended Daily Intake for Vitamin A! One serving also counts as a serving of vegetables (look mom – I’m eating my vegetables at college!) and contains five grams of keep-you-full fiber. Canned pumpkin is faster than scooping out a pumpkin and preparing the flesh for use, and at only 40 calories per half-cup serving canned, it’s good for your insides and your outsides (AKA hips). Read More »

Granola is a tricky little bugger. Sure, it seems like the healthiest choice to pick at the dining hall in comparison to the other less-than-appealing options, but the truth is that granola can pack a ton of fat and calories if you’re not careful. Like, you’re-better-off-eating-the-Lucky-Charms kinda calories. Luckily, a new company (and my new obsession) has provided a solution: customized granola mixes.

Yup, that’s right! At mixmygranola.com, you choose every single thing that goes into your very own special mix.

How does it work? There are four easy steps:

First, you pick your base (options are organic granola, french vanilla granola, organic muesli and low fat granola), and then you can add in dried fruits (I chose dried mangos, bananas and raspberries…yum!) and nuts (omega-3 rich flax seeds for me). To top it off, if you want to add some treats to the mix, pick from “extras” such as gummy bears, yogurt covered pretzels and chocolate chips.

And that’s all! Just click to order and within a few days, you’ll have a (large) container of ready-to-go granola. Mine came within two days after I placed the order and I must say, it is delicious. It even has the exact nutritionals for my personalized mix pasted right on the side so I know exactly what I’m eating, unlike when I pour a fatty bowl of the stuff in the caf. I just measure the stuff into single serving plastic baggies and grab and go on my way to class. Easy, healthy, delicious.

OMG I’m so in love. And you can start your very own love affair with mixmygranola. CollegeCandy linked up with the men behind the blend and are giving a $25 gift certificate to a very lucky granola-lovin’ CollegeCandy reader. Just tell us, in the comments below, what your ideal granola combo would be and we’ll pick a winner. You have until 5pm on Tuesday, April 14th to get your entry in. We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, April 15th.

Yay granola!

Dr. Mark Hyman is the best doctor you’ve never met. He is a best selling author and is smart yet realistic with his approach to health, wellness and weight. CollegeCandy got the chance to talk to him about all things health that you should know.

After reading his book UltraMetabolism, Dr. Hyman had me convinced to follow his 3 week detox. It seemed impossible, but I figured if Britney could make a successful comeback when all odds were stacked against her, then surely I could follow this seemingly impossible feat for 3 weeks, no sweat. No dairy, no gluten, nothing artificial, nothing processed, no simple sugars, no peanuts, no eggs. No CAFFEINE. What?!

It’s been a challenge and while I’ve had a few slip ups here and there, this chick right here who was going to Starbucks twice a day is now sipping… decaf. I’m not bloated, my skin does not look like I belong in 7th grade and I wake up in the morning with energy. Such a weird concept, I know. I urge you to read this interview then pick up UltraMetabolism and his newest book, The UltraMind Solution and give it a try.

And even if you don’t, at least promise me you will give up the Splenda and 100 calorie packs. Read More »

We’ve spent the last week discussing eating disorders, what triggers them and how they can negatively affect your life.  But we don’t want anyone to think that all weight loss attempts result in disordered eating or full-blow eating disorders.

If you want to lose a few pounds (or a lot of pounds) there are very healthy ways of doing so. Ways that don’t require you to binge on exercising or skip meals. We asked our friend Erin, a health and diet connoisseur for the college female at Student Body, for her advice on dieting the healthy way.

Her advice is below: Read More »

A 280 pound 14-year-old girl is set to be the youngest Australian to participate in the world wrestling sumo championships taking place in Estonia later this month.

Samantha-Jane Stacey, who eats “Weetbix and lasagna” to help her stay giant, says that a preexisting condition is to blame/is the reason she’s so sizeable for sumo. “I’m naturally a big girl. I don’t have to eat anything extra.” Stacey explains, “I have a medical condition that does not allow me to lose the weight. A side effect of that means I look obese. But I do have a healthy diet.”

While most women would probably freak the eff out if they had a disease that stopped them from losing weight (all those pumpkin muffins!), Samantha-Jane decided to use it to her benefit and spend her teenage years slamming other people down on mats. Well played, Samantha-Jane. Well played.

I was 14. My parents were getting a divorce. My father was also simultaneously dating a new woman. I was fighting with my brother all the time. So what did I do instead of properly dealing with my feelings? I internalized it and took it out on myself.

I was never a heavy person, but at 14, I was 5’8’’ and 160 lbs. Sounds big, I know, but I was a competitive swimmer and full of muscle. I used to eat whatever I wanted; I swam seven days a week so I had a good balance…I wasn’t heavy, but not stick thin, and I was happy with the way I looked. But when I abruptly quit swimming as a rebellion against my father, I realized that my eating of whatever I wanted had to come to a hault. I couldn’t snack on McDonalds Chicken Nuggets if I wasn’t spending two hours a day in a pool.

It started gradually…not sitting with my parents at the dinner table because I was upset, throwing lunches out that my mom made me at school, and making subtle attempts at lessening my food intake. Eventually, I narrowed it down to eating one single Pop-Tart or small sandwich a day…any single item with enough nutrients to get me through.

I also started stationary biking every day as a way to add exercise to my already starved body. I biked around 8 miles a day and did 400 crunches, so any food intake I did have was quickly wasted away by burning these calories. If I needed a boost to keep myself going, I’d pop a few sugar candies. Read More »

I am horrible when it comes to eating, and my metabolism is probably waiting until I’m thirty to get its revenge in the form of cellulite and love handles. I skip meals all the time, and have been known to go days without food.

No, I don’t have an eating disorder. I have a working disorder—I’m a total workaholic.

When I do eat, it needs to be healthy and somewhat portable. I’ve considered trying Atkins or Southbeach protein bars, Power Bars, or even Slim Fast Shakes as a snack I can pound in the car on my way to work. But, honestly, I can’t justify consuming 400 calories in the form of a little bitty rice bar that is not going to quiet my growling stomach, or 13 grams of fat in a similarly unsatisfying wannabe-milkshake concoction.

Instead, I live off of caffeine.

One morning, before work, I stopped at my favorite coffee shop to grab a skim milk, sugar-free vanilla latte, and saw a display of Vegan Energy Bars at the counter. I’m not vegan, but was hungry and I thought that those little heart-shaped bars might be crazy enough to work! I mean, the vegans are picky about what they put into their bodies and without meat or dairy, they still need nutrients, right?

I purchased a package of chocolate chip flavored (if it has chocolate it can’t be that bad), heart-shaped, soy-filled cakes of pure delight that day, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Read More »

I get asked about my diet a whole lot. As my peers are getting older every year (because I am…and you are, too), it’s become progressively more difficult for lots of my lady friends to keep the figures that they want. But, some way or another, it’s become easier for me.

I used to eat whatever I wanted and exercised only when I wanted to. My metabolism was sickly fast and I just figured I was healthy because I was skinny. Over the past few years, I have slowly learned to eat right and to exercise right, too. Now that it’s a part of my routine, it’s easier than ever to be healthy.

BUT I still need to be unhealthy here and there. Some people I know can eat healthy 24-7 without any screw-ups. I am not one of those people. My diet regime that I get asked about so much actually DOES include days where I eat all of the wrong stuff. I have these days maybe once every week or two and nothing sets me back on track for healthy eating faster than a day filled with fried food and chocolate treats.

Are they good for my arteries and liver? Hell no.

Am I being unhealthy by indulging in these days? Hell yes.

But I still feel as though I am better off throwing these days in here and there (and savoring my sweets) than to always wonder what I’m missing, or living a bland life full of carrots and bottled water.

Here is a typical day’s worth of food for me: Read More »

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, “I don’t need to lose weight, but I totally want to tone up”?

Let’s say that you fixate on ‘toning up’ your arms and that you start doing bicep curls with three or five pound weights and a high number of repetitions per set. But after two weeks, you don’t see any results, so you give up.

Do you want to know why that didn’t work?

Because there is no such thing as toning up. All of those bicep curls that you do with three pounds weights? That starts you down the path that you want to go on, but what you’ve got to do is put down the puny weights and pick up those heavier bad boys.

If you were working with three pounds, move up to five; if you were at five, move up to eight and so on. Do 12 reps, rest for a minute, repeat the set and after another one minute rest, complete the final set of twelve. You don’t want to do two or three sets of 12 – 15 reps with such ease that you didn’t actually work the muscle.

Yes, the heavier weights can be intimidating but that’s no reason to stay away from them. Perhaps you’re afraid of ‘bulking up’. Well, fear not, because women simply lack the testosterone to bulk up and look anything remotely like those scary ginormous body builders. Read More »