2010 is here. What do you hope to achieve this year? What intentions will you set?  For many of us, we resolve to change our health- to lose weight, to quit smoking, to eat healthy, to cut back on booze, to join a gym. We get motivated. We make positive steps forward after the indulgences of the holidays. And then – bam! – a few weeks later, it’s all over and we feel crappier than ever. Now, not only are we eating junk food, failing to exercise, and engaging in addictive behaviors, we also feel like losers because we can’t follow through on our resolutions.

This year, I invite you to OWN your health. What does that mean? That means loving yourself exactly how you are – flaws, warts, addictions, and all. Until you can love yourself, you’ll never affect lasting positive change in your life.  If you have bad habits, own it! Love your body just the way it is. Accept yourself, even if your health is not optimized. Learn to live in your skin and be present with what is. It’s the only path to sustainable change.

Once you learn to love yourself as you are, you may find that you naturally want to nurture yourself. When you’re coming from a place of loving acceptance, you may no longer feel like grabbing for that bag of potato chips. You’re more likely to feed a body you cherish fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. When you love yourself- curves, lumps and all- you may find that you naturally morph into your ideal body weight.  When you feel comfortable in your skin, you’ll relish moving your body- doing yoga, going for a hike in nature, jogging on the beach.

From this place of self-love and acceptance, radical change can happen. And you don’t need to resolve anything. You will want to do it. Your body will know what it needs to be healthy. But in case you’re searching for some inspiration, here are some thoughts. Read More »

My abs are tight. My legs are toned. But what about my lady parts?!

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: Everyone is always talking about Kegel exercises. Do those things really help? And do we really need to do them? I’ve had a boyfriend for 3 years (and we’ve been having regular sex for the entire time), so is it possible that I’m not as “toned” down there as I could be? Is that something I need to worry about?

A: Do the rest of you know what a Kegel exercise is?  It’s an exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor. To do Kegel exercises, contract and release the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening. If you’re not sure what I mean, run to the restroom, pee, and try to stop your urine mid-stream. Those are the muscles we’re talking about here.

How can Kegels help you? Let’s break it down into three ways- sexual enhancement, prevention, and treatment.  Because these muscles tone the vagina, they can be used to enhance intercourse. By contracting these muscles, you may offer additional pleasure for you and your lover, especially if you’ve had a few babies and things have become a bit loosely goosey down there.

What about prevention? As we age, our tissue gets weaker and our risk of pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence increases.  What’s pelvic prolapse? Well, believe it or not, your uterus, bladder, vagina, and rectum can all sort of fall out. I’ve seen uteruses hanging between people’s legs and herniations of the bladder and rectum into the vagina. This looseness in the vagina can lead to incontinence, pelvic pressure, difficulty with urinating and having bowel movements, and a whole host of other unpleasant symptoms. Kegel exercises help prevent pelvic prolapse and incontinence.  By toning these muscles, you help keep things tucked up inside, where they belong. Read More »

Talking sex with your doctor isn’t always easy. Whether you are afraid she or he 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.

After so many of you wrote in to ask Dr. Lissa Rankin questions during CollegeCandy’s STD Awareness Day, we thought we’d bring her back more regularly. So, every Thursday she will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person and didn’t really trust the Yahoo community to answer for you. 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 feel very uncomfortable with all things sex. I am not very experienced and get really nervous when the opportunity arises. How can I fix that?

A: To answer your question completely, I would want to know more about you. Why are you uncomfortable with all things sex?  Is it because you’re young and inexperienced, or have you had past experiences, such as rape or sexual molestation, that rock your foundations and understandably lead to uncomfortable feelings regarding sex?  And how is your relationship with your sexual partner?  Many people are uncomfortable with sexual activity when they don’t know or trust their partner well.  Are you uncomfortable because you don’t really understand your body? Or are you having pain?  There are many reasons why someone might feel uncomfortable with sex.  Sometimes, those feelings arise to protect you and are worth honoring. But sometimes, they get in the way of sexual bliss and can cause problems. Read More »

Talking sex with your doctor isn’t always easy. Whether you are afraid she or he 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.

After so many of you wrote in to ask Dr. Lissa Rankin questions during CollegeCandy’s STD Awareness Day, we thought we’d bring her back more regularly. So, every Thursday she will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person and didn’t really trust the Yahoo community to answer for you. 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: How Much Sex Is Enough Sex?

A: So many people worry that they’re not having enough sex- or that they’re having too much.  Take two people getting it on with the same frequency – twice per week.  One may be completely frustrated because she wishes she was doin’ the bump daily. The other may be resenting the pressure from her partner and wish she could scale it back to once a month.  Truth is, we’re all SO different. Read More »