Ben Bassey

<h3>When your girls get tender and don't-touch-me sore, yes, its annoying, but its generally no cause for concern.</h3>

Here's a look at several common (read normal) reasons your girls may be screaming out, and how to give them some much-needed TLC.

<h3>1) Changes in hormones </h3>

The most common cause of breast pain is a change in hormones that comes along with your period.

This normal body response to shifts in estrogen typically manifests in swelling and tenderness on the day before your period begins and the first day of your flow, says Taraneh Shirazian, M.D, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

This type of boob soreness is called cyclic pain, since it's related to your menstrual cycle. The good news: It should go away when your period ends. Birth control pills can help, says Shirazian, since they prevent ovulation and keep estrogen levels stable. And if you'd rather the skip the OTC pain reliever, primrose oil supplements may also ease soreness, she says.

<h3>2) You engaged in intensive workouts</h3>

Maybe you did an impressive round of pushups or dove into a serious new weight-lifting routine. This may seem like breast pain, but the discomfort actually stems from the muscles underneath the breasts.

"There are the pectoral muscles there," explains Shirazian, and this set of muscles lying right under the breast tissue tightening and relaxing is actually the source of this tenderness. Get relief by applying heating pads and taking a pain reliever as directed, suggests Shirazian.

<h3>3) You pulled or carried something heavy</h3>

So maybe you haven't been hitting the gym harder, but were your lifting furniture or heavy bags that may have strained those pectoral muscles? If so, that soreness might actually be coming from the muscles underneath your breast tissue again, says Shirazian. You can treat it the same way you would above, with heat or OTC pain relievers.

<h3>4) Your bra doesn't fit properly</h3>

The wrong lingerie can have pretty serious consequences for your chest. If your bra is too tight or the cup is too small, the underwire may be pushing against your breast (All. Day. Long.), leading to sore&nbsp;boobs, says Shirazian.

And if you're not supported enough, all that up-down-and-all-around movement throughout the day can lead to breast tenderness. Use these tips to&nbsp;find a bra that fits.

<h3>5) Your sweat session lacks support</h3>

Especially if your breasts are larger, it's crucial to get the proper support when exercising to keep those babies from bouncing all around and pulling on the breast tissue, says Shirazian.

In fact, a recent study found that one in three marathon runners report breast pain. To remedy this,&nbsp;get fitted for a proper sports bra&nbsp;and make sure that nothing is digging in, spilling over, or not fitting perfectly when you jump around in the fitting room.

<h3>6) You have lumpy breasts</h3>

If you've been identified as a women with lumpy breast tissue (technically known as fibrocystic breast tissue), then you are probably well acquainted with breast tenderness linked to your menstrual cycle.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, this bumpy, uneven breast tissue is actually characterised by fluid-filled cysts, and it's not necessarily linked to breast cancer. However, they may be more sensitive to hormonal changes.

<h3>7) You're taking in too many lattes</h3>

While coffee and tea may not directly cause breast pain,&nbsp;some studies&nbsp;have shown that cutting out caffeine can help alleviate discomfort, especially for women with fibrocystic breast tissue. If your breasts feel particularly lumpy and you've got a three-cup-a-day habit, ask your doctor if you should consider cutting down.

In general, temporary breast soreness and sensitivity shouldn't raise any red flags, nor should it send you running to the doctor's office. It usually just lasts a few days then vanishes from thin air. In the unlikely event that the pain lingers around or gets worse, then it's time to see your physician.

Also, be in the habit of regularly giving your breasts the once-over to make sure there aren't any changes in appearance, texture, or tenderness. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, bring it up with your doctor.

When your girls get tender and don't-touch-me sore, yes, its annoying, but its generally no cause for concern.

Here are 7 reasons your boobs hurt

<h1>Come August 26th, 2018, there will be a special event held at the prestigious DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago, Illinois called “People Of Culture.” This event will be hosted annually to celebrate African culture through dance, music, lifestyle, and art.</h1>

It is the first of its kind and is expected to attract a rich cultural mix of Ghanaians, Nigerians, Senegalese, SouthAfricans, Ethiopians and African-Americans who share similar cultural values.

The idea behind the event is to push the dialogue about Africa, foster a relationship between Africans &amp; African Americans, and hopefully, rewrite the narrative and false stereotype of how the continent is portrayed. The key is to channel this message through creative expressions like dance, music, art, fashion, and lifestyle.

This event is the initiative of young Nigerians, Efe Iyare (Founder) Nosa Iyare (Business Manager) Brown Souibi (Creative Director) Jude Lemuel (Logistics Manager) Aamina Haykal-Iyare (Style Coordinator). A group of young minds inspired by the need to sell African cultural values to the world.

It all started as an Instagram page in 2016 called <a href="https://www.instagram.com/culture_power/" id="8d6d7eb0-d060-5044-931e-19811899f93b">@culture_power</a>, set up to curate African cultural content online, the page gradually built a momentum that metamorphosed into the People Of Culture event.

Established Tanzanian fashion designer Rahel Mwitula Williams will be showcasing her latest fashion collection at the event, as part of an effort to celebrate African style &amp; culture.

Ghanaian fitness trainer Jehu Graham who has an impressive social footprint of 100,000+ followers on Instagram will be accompanied by his fitness team, "GoldCoastWarriors" to talk about fitness, health, body positivity and also showcase their Kente outfit.

There are also about 12 musicians scheduled to perform at this cultural event with music coordination by popular Nigerian- Canadian Afrobeat Deejay Dj Deemaks. The dynamic duo of Tunde &amp; Dupe will be bringing their edginess, cheerful personality and sense of style to the red carpet.

Successful black businessmen and politicians such as Senegalese lifestyle businessman Elhadji "HAJ" Gueye, are expected at the event to mentor, support and give advice to the young generation of creatives and entrepreneurs that will make up the 500 guests in attendance.

For a chance to attend, more information or partnership inquiries, please visit <a href="https://pocevent.com/" id="e9cb568b-79ad-5f83-9dab-307f65d9b42b">pocevent.com</a> or email <a href="redkraftllc@gmail" id="75f22bb2-f646-5ec9-89c1-c8f600e3f762">redkraftllc@gmail</a>.com

Event is expected to attract a rich cultural mix of Ghanaians, Nigerians, Senegalese, South Africans, Ethiopians and African-Americans who share similar cultural values.

An annual event to celebrate African culture through dance, music, lifestyle, and art

<h1>It doesn’t matter what you want, we are sure you would be Googling about it first as soon as you get online.</h1>

Google has made our lives in this new age very easy. Looking up things on the internet for instance, which could be anything from cooking, DIYs and just all sorts of stuff.  There are things nobody should look up on Google. Some of them are plain disturbing and scary. These are things that could end up ruining your day or just your entire week. Not everything, after all, is as the good old casino games you enjoy on <a href="https://www.betwaynigeria.com/" id="85661c87-50fc-52e3-ad98-124298daf4a9">Betway</a>.

The top 5 things you shouldn’t really Google

Sometimes, it is important to be aware, but knowing about it could be unsettling.  The following are five things you may not want to look up on the internet.

Sometimes it is best to save yourself from the gory details of 911 calls. Some are just utterly awful especially when callers describe the event details. One of the most profound calls is one made by a woman when the Twin Towers went down. This event is one of the saddest in the history of US. If you get to hear the call, it is utterly depressing. Some people end up suffering from PTSD. So if you want to save your mental health, just don't do it.

<a href="http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/201504/Generations/" id="810f3170-6d6a-5afa-9c5b-27a5a87fc58b">A lot of generations</a> have in a long time thought that the Blue Waffle is a sexually transmitted disease. If you try and search for the blue waffle with your safe mode on, it will just bring you a bunch of blue waffles. However, when the safe mode is off, Google will bring you a bunch of pictures of a woman whose downstairs are blue. The blue like appearance is as a result of feminine hygiene products.

Warning this is just for adults. This is one of the most traumatizing things to search on the internet. Cartoons are supposed to be fun and plain simple. However, when it comes to adult cartoons, things just go haywire. Clopping is from an adult cartoon show known as "My Little Pony". Adults who have watched the cartoon understand better why Rainbow  Dash is the most capable.

Almost everyone has a phobia - some have claustrophobia, aviophobia and so many more. But how does it sound to develop a new phobia? If you want to add one more phobia in your list then try Trypophobia. There are so many images on Google that are bound to make anyone without this fear trypophobic. Honestly, you can easily go nuts from just looking at the images.

In 2015 a video came out of a man with a mask, a cloak and a pointy nose walking around in a mental hospital. The entire video features coded messages about the end of the world and killing the US President. The video is just haunting.

Which of these have you already Googled? Let us know in the comments below.

This is a featured post

Sometimes, it is important to be aware, but knowing about it could be unsettling. The following are five things you may not want to look up on the internet.

5 things you should never look for on this search engine

<h1>I get it. Meal prep is a huge pain in the ass. And honestly, literally no one is ever in the mood to cook a huge dinner at the end of a long day at work.</h1>

But before you dive into the crudité, there are some pretty key things you should know about this majorly-hyped diet.

Okay, I'll bite: What is the raw food diet?

In a nutshell, the raw food diet is essentially a modified vegan diet that limits you to foods cooked below 116 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, you can juice, puree, soak, or sprout your meals.

“The raw food diet is based on the idea that the natural enzymes in raw foods are destroyed through the cooking process,” says Abbey Sharp, a Toronto-based dietitian and blogger at Abbey’s Kitchen. In theory, heat does indeed destroy many enzymes in food-i.e., chemicals that help us to digest and absorb our meals-along with some vitamins and phytonutrients.

Nutritionists, however, say that’s an oversimplification. “Most of the enzymes in food are destroyed in the gut with stomach acid anyway,” says Sharp. What’s more, our bodies make digestive enzymes that have the same effect as the ones found in foods, explains Robin Fourutan, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The raw food diet has been around since at least the late 1800s, according to the New York Academy of Medicine, when Swiss nutritionist and physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner advocated for it. His book, The Prevention of Incurable Disease, recommended eating 50 percent raw veggies, fruits, seeds, and nuts, and the rest “conservatively cooked” veggies, eggs, meats, and whole grain breads.

More recently, the diet got a boost when Gisele and Tom Brady’s chef told Boston.com they followed it.

What exactly can you eat on the raw food diet?

Foods that get the green light on the raw food diet include raw fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains; seeds and nuts; extra-virgin olive oil; and raw coconut oil and butter, says Sharp. Some people even eat unpasteurized milk, cheese, and honey, as well as raw fish and meats.

Anything that is cooked or heated above 118 degrees, as mentioned before, is strictly off-limits. That means you have to avoid most stuff that’s heated in your oven or microwave as well as all processed foods. A few not-so-intuitive foods that are off the menu include table salt, pasta, and pasteurized juice (since pasteurization involves heating foods to kill bacteria).

Are there any benefits to a raw food diet?

The main benefit of the raw food diet is that it cuts down on processed foods and gets you eating way more fruits and veggies that are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients. “Getting more plant foods in your diet can help reduce the risk of any condition linked to inflammation,” says Fouroutan, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Getting more greens works wonders for your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well, says Sharp, lowering your risk of heart disease.

Are there any downsides to eating this way?

Plenty, say nutritionists. For one, “the theory that all raw food is more nutritious than cooked is really just a myth,” says Sharp.

It’s true that heat does break down some antioxidants like vitamin C, she says. But other nutrients, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, including lycopene, potassium, and zinc-found in foods like tomatoes, mushrooms, and asparagus-actually get a boost from cooking.

All that restriction also puts you at greater risk of nutrient deficiency. “It’s difficult to maintain a 100 percent raw food diet and get all of the nutrients you need,” says Fourutan.Missing out on meat, dairy, and fish cuts back on healthy protein sources and fats like omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins like B12, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin D. And if you skip beans and grains-which are tastier when cooked-you’ll also miss out on good sources of fiber, notes Sharp.

Bloating and gas are another unpleasant side effect of the raw food diet. “A lot of raw vegetables are rich in insoluble fibers that we don’t digest, which get fermented in the gut by bacteria, causing gas. Cooking helps to soften those fibers,” says Sharp. “People with IBS especially may find that a raw diet is particularly hard on their gut and causes digestive distress.”

Adding uncooked animal foods to your diet can even be dangerous. “There’s a reason why Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization: so we don’t get sick,” says Sharp. Unpasteurized dairy can carry Listeria, while raw meat and eggs can carry other food-borne pathogens that are especially risky if you’re pregnant or have a compromised immune system.

Given all of the potential downsides of a strict raw food diet, it’s not backed by many nutritionists. “We have healthy cooking methods for a reason,” says Sharp.

With that said, the raw food diet doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. “As long as your digestion can handle it, including raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods is really healthy without committing to a 100-percent raw vegan diet,” says Fourutan.

Keep in mind that some cooking methods are better than others for preserving the nutrients in plant foods. “Boiling any veggie diminishes the nutrients because they leech into the water,” explains Fourutan. Instead, lightly steam or sauté-especially notoriously gassy cruciferous veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, which are easier on your digestive system when they’re cooked.

The bottom line: Eating raw fruits and veggies is always a good thing. But they shouldn't be the only thing you eat-otherwise, you risk nutrient deficiencies and other health problems. The stove, oven, and microwave really are your friends.

Which is why a diet that involves zero cooking has obvious appeal. No ovens or stoves, you say? That's what the raw food diet is essentially-no foods that were cooked on high heat.

Read this before you throw out your microwave

<h1>If you know youre not straight but terms like "bi" or "lesbian" or "pan" dont feel like a fit, it may be complicated (read: frustrating) to pinpoint how to describe your identity.</h1>

Well, you’re not the only one-in fact, I recently went through this process myself. After all, sexuality isn't always clear-cut, and it can feel strange or limiting to choose one box and stick to it. (Boxes are kind of claustrophobic, amirite?)

Personally, I landed on “queer,” a term that has made a comeback over the last couple of years. While this was once used as a slur through during the 1950s (and longer, tbh) it was reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community. (Case in point: The beauty that is Netflix's Queer Eye.)

“Queer” is now generally associated with the "Q" in the LGBTQ+ acronym and has become an all-encompassing term for the whole of our community. It tends to describe people who don't identify as straight and may have fluid sexual identities or orientations. It can also describe someone who doesn't associate themselves with a gender binary (male or female), for which the term "genderqueer" is also sometimes used.

Basically, "queer" can mean many different things, depending on who you ask. That's why I chatted with some other queer women, to learn a little more about why this term speaks to them.

"I am a woman, and as of five months ago, I came out as queer. Because I've mostly dated cis men, I was never quite sure where I fit in terms of identity. About a week before my ex-partner and I separated, I came out to him because I felt I needed to be fully seen. I wanted all of me to be accepted by the person I was coming home to every night, even if I was in a monogamous relationship with a man at the time. I was so nervous to tell him, but after I did, I felt so much lighter and freer within the relationship. We separated shortly afterward for different reasons.

"Because I have a very limited experience with partners of the same sex, I still sometimes feel like an imposter. I don't want to appropriate what isn't mine and what others have fought so hard for-but I understand that my process might look different, and that's okay.

"Even my heterosexual relationships have not necessarily been heteronormative, and I am constantly subverting and 'queering' the relationships I have with men. For right now, 'queer' feels good and right, and it feels like it fits me. Maybe that will change, and that's cool, too." -Arielle, 27

<h1>"It says my sexuality isn’t what youd expect from looking at me."</h1>

"My mom transitioned (she was AMAB, or male assigned at birth) when I was 10, and we lived in San Francisco, so coming out as trans meant looking to the LGBT community for support.

"Even as a pre-teen/tween I saw too much use of 'lesbian' to erase trans women. As an adult, I discovered I’m not just into women, but I’m not into men, so bi felt awkward. Queer feels like it gives me space to breathe and says my sexuality 'isn’t what you expect' from looking at me." -Chloe, 36

"I didn’t like queer for a long time. I went with hetero-flexible. But then, after my last relationship, I realized that I’m not so much hetero-flexible as a plain ol' queer woman. Now that I’ve started using it in regular conversation and as a way to describe myself, it’s settled in quite nicely. I prefer 'queer' because queerness encompasses so much and means a lot of different things to different people. That’s just who I am!" -Maddie*, 28

<h1>"It gives me an identity without having to get specific."</h1>

"I don’t necessarily prefer the term 'queer,' but I like it and use it interchangeably with the term 'gay,' 'LGBTQ+,' and other umbrella terms that might describe my sexuality. Although some people don’t like it-as a reclaimed slur, it does carry a history-so I won’t use it around friends who I know don’t like/identify with it.

"But I personally love it. It’s short, cute, and rhymes with a lot of things-so many pun opportunities. Most importantly, I love it because it allows people who don’t really know what they identify with yet (which is totally okay) or people who may change what they identify with over time, to always have a way of saying 'I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ Community' without having to get specific." -Ellie*, 20

"Pan/bi never felt accurate because I realized that what I’m attracted to isn’t distinctly feminine or masculine. It was actually my own exploration of gender expression, and in large part, trans and nonbinary visibility that helped me understand I wasn’t simply into hetero men and that I was not simply hetero.

"To say ‘gay’ feels like I’m taking ownership over something I had only previously supported from the outside, and mainstream gay culture as we know it has been dominated by cis white men. To say 'bi' feels like I’m limiting myself, as I’m not suddenly attracted to women and men only. To say 'pan' feels like I’m jumping on a celebrity bandwagon. To say 'queer' feels comfortable, which despite its outward danger in the larger world as identifying this way, feels like a luxury to me, to feel comfortable in my own skin." -Danielle, 30

<h1>"It can allow our community to be less fragmented."</h1>

"For me, queer is an earned, political term-'not gay as in happy but queer as in fuck you'-that can allow our community to be less fragmented, at least for those of us who like the term. It's also a lot easier than saying, 'I'm bisexual, female, and genderqueer/nonbinary' and then having to explain all that." -Racheline, 45

Gigi Engle is a certified sex coach, educator, and writer living in Chicago. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @GigiEngle.

Well, you’re not the only one-in fact, I recently went through this process myself. After all, sexuality isn't always clear-cut, and it can feel strange or limiting to choose one box and stick to it.

6 women on why they prefer the term 'queer'

<h1>Few things feel worse than brushing your hair and seeing a ton of it left behind in the brush...and on the floor...and stuck to the walls of the shower...and lining the drain of the sink...</h1>

<h1>1. Your go-to style is murdering your hair</h1>

Do you have an intimately close relationship with your flat iron? Or are you devoted to being platinum blonde all year long? Harsh products and styling tools can all be too much, especially if you’re layering treatments and styling on top of already fried hair, says Kingsley. This can cause hair to actually break off. The tell-tale sign of this kind of damage is finding pieces of hair missing the bulb (or root) that aren’t as long as your other strands.

The fix: Now’s the time to learn how to go with the flow... of your more natural hair texture and color, that is. Use a gentler sulfate-free shampoo that cleanses without further drying out your zapped hair with caustic detergent, and lay off the hot tools and tense hairstyles (like high ponytails and tight braids) to help give hair a chance to rehab.

Both hypothyroidism (insufficient thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can lead to sudden hair loss that you may also notice in other areas like your eyebrows, according to research published by the International Journal of Trichology. Basically, when your thyroid is out of whack, it can mess with the hormones responsible for hair growth. So hair sheds naturally but is not replaced by new growth, says Kingsley.

The fix: Once you successfully treat the condition (for hypothyroidism, that usually means a hormone replacement and for hyperthyroidism, an anti-thyroid drug called methimazole), hair usually grows back. You can help it along with healthy habits that help power hair growth, including eating enough protein-rich foods like lean chicken, tofu, Greek yogurt, and nuts.

<h1>3. Youre really, really freaking stressed</h1>

Is work the last place you want to be lately? Did you just go through a breakup? Have you been sick and your body is just out of whack? All of these situations create stress on the body, leading to a condition known as “shock hair loss,” a.k.a. telogen effluvium.

The bad news is this can take anywhere from weeks to several months to stop-the key is the source of stress must be healed-but the good news is that it’ll fix itself once the stress is over, says Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital.

The fix: Whether it’s a daily meditation app, taking up a new hobby, or weekend cocktails, it’s worth finding your inner zen to help chill out. And if you can't address your stress on your own, it might be time to seek out a therapist.

Thanks to all the hormonal fluctuations, being a new mom is a major time for hair loss, says New York City dermatologist, Marina Peredo, M.D. While you’re pregnant, your estrogen levels skyrocket, leading to a surge in hair growth. But then those levels drop way down a few months after you give birth, forcing more hair than normal to shift into the “resting” rather than the “growth” phase-leading to lots of hair loss.

The fix: The good news is that hair should begin to grow back on its own three to four months after you have your baby.

Another cause can be polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which screws up your hormone levels and pumps out too much testosterone. Other PCOS symptoms include weight gain, severe acne, skipped periods, trouble conceiving, and excessive body hair.

The fix: If you suspect you have PCOS, you’ll need to see your ob-gyn for treatment. After ruling out other issues (since there isn’t a test for PCOS), they’ll likely prescribe you hormonal birth control to balance out your hormones, along with a diabetes medication called metformin to regulate your insulin. Treatment should help restore your hair.

<h1>OMG, none of this applies to me. Help!</h1>

Time to see a board-certified dermatologist. They can take a thorough history and exam (including blood work or biopsies) to get to the true root of the problem, says Robinson. It may sound scary, but the truth is that when you know what’s really causing hair loss, your dermatologist can help tailor a treatment that will work right for you.

First of all, relax. The average person really does shed between 60 to 100 hairs a day, says Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist (scalp expert) with Philip Kingsley. But if you feel like you’re shedding more lately, there may be something else behind your hair loss.

5 major reasons why your hair might be falling out

<h1>The keto diet is crazy-popular-likely because it has helped lots of people lose weight(whether or not that weight loss is sustainable though, is TBD).</h1>

Jenna Jameson thinks so. The former adult film star has been all about that keto life lately, and she recently pointed out that she's breastfeeding her daughter Batelli while on the diet.

“Obviously [breastfeeding is] so important, but is keto ok while breastfeeding? From my experience it ABSOLUTELY is!” she wrote. “My supply is healthy and strong, I haven’t seen any dips in supply, letdowns, or in Batelli’s reaction to taste.”

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"We are indoctrinated to think we HAVE to carb-load to have lots of milk...it's simply untrue," she wrote, adding that breastfeeding moms should make sure they're getting enough veggies and leafy greens, along with grass-fed meats and fish."

Jenna did, however, recommend moms ease into the keto diet while breastfeeding: “I also recommend slowly siding into the #ketolifestyle by slow subtraction of carbs to monitor your supply," she wrote.

<h1>Okay, lets talk about this: Is it really safe to breastfeed on the keto diet?</h1>

Women are generally discouraged from being on any kind of diet when they’re nursing-but, obviously, it's your body, so you decide what you eat.

As a baseline, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends trying to get around 2,500 calories a day to make breast milk for your baby. They also suggest eating fish and seafood two to three times a week, but avoiding fish high in mercury (like ahi tuna or swordfish). Otherwise, they say you may want to keep taking a prenatal vitamin and that you should drink plenty of fluids-and that's it.

But as for a definitive ruling on the keto diet while breastfeeding, well, there isn't one. “Unfortunately, the current research on the keto diet and breastfeeding is very limited,” says women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D. “Depending on who you ask, the answer might be different.”

Wider does add, however, that breastmilk is high in fat-one cup has 11 grams, per the USDA-which could mean that newborns are in a natural state of ketosis and are keto-adapted. “A mom on a keto diet would be likely be able to keep her baby well nourished,” says Wider.

That's not to say that you should be on the keto diet while breastfeeding, but that it's likely not harmful, says Wider.

And if you do choose to breastfeed on keto, it's important to be extra mindful of getting a good mix of nutrients and enough calories to make sure your baby does, as well-and the best way to do that is to consult a nutritionist, says Wider.

The bottom line: Dieting of any kind isn't generally recommended for breastfeeding moms, but if you <a href="" id="991c6ce6-2506-5d46-b6c4-0d0d3abf08b9">want</a> to do keto, it's likely safe-as long as you're getting the right amount of calories and nutrients.

It makes sense then that new moms are jumping on that keto train to lose the baby weight-but is it safe to breastfeed on the keto diet?

Is it okay to breastfeed on the keto diet?

<h1>“It’s honestly kind of fun having to go to the bathroom a million times a day right now,” I remember saying to my husband.</h1>

I was 12 weeks pregnant at the time. As my uterus grew and my bladder seemed to shrink, I didn’t mind peeing ’round the clock. That’s because, for the past 26 years of my life, I've been running to the bathroom for very different reasons.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease-an inflammatory bowel disease characterized largely by intense stomach cramping, diarrhea, and frequent “urgency” (a.k.a. "I need a bathroom right this second”) when I was 7 years old.

Since then, it's been 26 years of unpredictability, 26 years of wondering if this disease will ever be cured, and 26 years of trial and error with various medications, supplements, diets, and lifestyles.

It has also meant that, for 26 years, I had no idea whether I'd ever become a mother.

My pediatric gastroenterologist was the first one to tell me that I may not be able to get pregnant because of Crohn's.

Back then, that news didn't really affect me-all I cared about was spending less time in the bathroom and more time at dance class.

Honestly, for most of my life, my Crohn's and flares weren't all that dramatic and usually quickly went away with a dose of the steroid Prednisone.

But when I went away to college, I started having major flares. My Crohn's seemed relentless; I spent many dark days convinced I’d never be stronger than this disease.

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During my most recent flare, thoughts of starting a family terrified me.

In 2016, I experienced a Crohn's flare that lasted about a year. It sent me into a deep depression and kept me apartment-bound for weeks at a time.

My husband and I had loosely discussed starting a family (aside from that pediatric gastroenterologist, no other doctors led me to believe my Crohn's could cause infertility), but how could I have a child when I couldn’t even take care of myself?

What would happen when I was home alone with an infant who needed to be fed, bathed, comforted, or changed, and I couldn’t get myself out of the bathroom?

I’d always wanted to have children, but at that point in my life, it seemed incomprehensible.

During one of my many appointments with my gastroenterologist, I mentioned that, in spite of my current state, my husband and I were interested in growing our family at some point. I just wanted to know what my options were, and what he thought.

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“You’ll probably have a really hard time getting pregnant for a while,” he told me in September 2017. Since my body had been under so much stress for so long, he explained that I likely wouldn't get pregnant until I was in a period of remission (a.k.a., no Crohn's symptoms).

Honestly, I didn’t think much of it at the time. In that moment, I was so consumed with trying to get my flare under control that I wasn’t exactly dying to get home and start charting my periods and ovulation cycles.

Still, his words lingered in my head.

As it turns out, my body had other plans: I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant.

By October 2017, my flare started to subside. By December, I'd never felt better, both physically and emotionally. And once 2018 debuted, I felt great. My marriage was rock-solid, and my health was finally cooperating.

My husband and I never decided to officially start “trying.” We just got really lucky.

On February 15, I was on the treadmill at Orangetheory and I had to stop running-not to bolt to the bathroom (for once), but to hold onto my boobs. They were killing me. I felt just not-normal enough to go home and take a pregnancy test. It was positive.

I felt nothing but pure joy and surprise-and Crohn's was the last thing on my mind, which only added to my overwhelming happiness.

My first trimester was amazing-I went through every day in disbelief.

I couldn’t believe that, after 26 years of feeling at odds with my body, we were finally getting along. It was doing the thing doctors told me it may not be able to do-the thing that, both with or without chronic illnesses, so many women aren’t able to do. I felt like the luckiest person on the planet.

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I even found a midwife who's familiar with the disease and is willing to work with my gastroenterologist, which has been incredibly comforting.

When I got through the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy with no Crohn's symptoms, my doctors believed I might finish my pregnancy Crohn's-free. (For some women, pregnancy keeps their Crohn's at bay; for others, hormones and a lowered immune system can exacerbate it.)

Everything was going perfectly-until a few weeks ago.

I am now in the middle of a mild Crohn's flare-while pregnant.

At first, I was hoping the diarrhea and urgency were pregnancy-related. I even denied the possibility of a flare for a few weeks, hoping it would pass on it's own. But because I know my body so well at this point (possibly the only positive of having a chronic disease), I knew Crohn's wanted to join the pregnancy party.

Despite the fact that I’m spending a whole lot of time in the bathroom right now-Crohn’s plus a shrinking bladder really adds up!-this flare is different.

For one, it's not the worst flare I've ever stared down-my symptoms are mostly contained to diarrhea and urgency, and I'm working with both a clinical nutritionist and registered dietitian to get as many nutrients as possible for me and my baby (traditionally healthy foods are hard to digest during a flare). But the biggest change I notice in myself is that I feel grounded, calm, and even hopeful.

I’m not stressing over what will happen if I’m still flaring when the baby gets here. I know that won’t do me any good. Instead, I’m spending every day doing what I can to take care of myself and the tiny human that kicks me and says hi to me all day. I’m so grateful to be in this position that I’m not letting a little (okay, a lot of) diarrhea bring me down.

And while other women on the pregnancy message boards are wondering “how to avoid pooping on the table” during labor, I have to laugh a little. Because let’s be honest, I'm very well acquainted with poop.

I do have one worry that sticks out a bit more than the others: That my daughter will grow up to have Crohn's disease.

For years, I've been told that Crohn's isn't genetic. But, as far as I can tell, it seems to be common in siblings-my brother has it too. So it's tough to believe there isn't even a small genetic connection.

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I worry that my daughter will get this disease because of something I did, something I ate, something I took (no one really knows what causes Crohn's)-or simply because I have it. That fear can paralyze me. But from now until October 23 (my due date), I’m harping on the good and the grateful.

If Crohn’s disease has taught me anything, it’s that you can’t always plan life. And sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Alison Feller is a freelance writer and editor living in Weehawken, New Jersey, with her husband and their rescue pup, Ellie. Alison is the creator of the Ali On The Run blog, and the host of the popular Ali On The Run Show podcast.

I was 12 weeks pregnant at the time. As my uterus grew and my bladder seemed to shrink, I didn’t mind peeing ’round the clock.

‘My chronic illness made me question whether I’d ever have children’

<h1>Country music star Eric Church is opening up about a terrifying health scare last year that required emergency surgery.</h1>

Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when blood vessels or nerves in the space between the collarbone and first rib are compressed, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can lead to blood clots in veins or arteries in the upper area of the body.

"When I would raise my arm, it would pinch it and damage the vein. The clot was where it tried to heal," Church, 41, told Rolling Stone. "But it kept backing up, backing up. And like any clot, when you get enough pressure, it’s gonna blow.”

In June 2017, he was admitted to Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, where he says doctors believed he "was going to die."

Church first noticed a tingling in his hands - a common symptom of thoracic outlet syndrome - last year as his arena tour wound down. “I just associated it with nerves,” he told the publication. “I didn’t think it was anything.”

But while watching the College World Series and texting someone about golf, his left hand stopped "responding like it should" and his arm was "noticeably red and enlarged."

Church Googled his symptoms and believed he had thrombosis of the arm, which is a blood clot inside a blood vessel.

His wife, Katherine, was out of town, so he handed off his two children to the nanny and headed to a hospital in North Carolina, where doctors advised him to get an ultrasound at a location 25 minutes away in Boone. They wrapped up the IV in his arm, and he drove himself.

“I was thinking about my family and kids, and how I wanted to make it back home," he told Rolling Stone. "But I was also thinking about the tour, and what we went through. I looked back and I honestly felt pretty satisfied that I couldn’t have given another thing.”

The ultrasound revealed a blood clot in his chest. Doctors told Church that immediate surgery was needed at Duke University Hospital in Durham. Because the vibrations of a helicopter could dislodge the blood clot, he was put on blood thinners and driven two and a half hours by ambulance.

“They took me into the ICU and I thought, ‘OK, I’m gonna go to bed, get up in the morning and do this thing,’ ” he said. “But when I walk in the room, the surgical team is there and the [doctor’s] in scrubs. He says, ‘We’re gonna go now.’ That was really when it hit me. To them, I was going to die.”

Church was in recovery for three days and doctors removed his top rib one week later. The rest of his summer was spent rehabbing and, in September, he went back on the road.

Today, his nerves haven't quite completely healed, but luckily there's no long-term damage.

“I can still play guitar,” said Church, who has two long white scars on his collar. “And I play golf better than ever.”

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the "Springsteen" singer reveals he had a deadly blood clot in his chest. He had no idea he had a birth defect called thoracic outlet syndrome, which caused the clot.

Country star Eric Church opens up for the first time about his terrifying health scare

<h1>Tom Cruise has done just about everything, at least in his movies ― from hanging off the side of a helicopter to climbing the tallest building on Earth, the guy just keeps finding ways to outdo himself.</h1>

In an appearance on The Late Late Show earlier this week, Cruise appeared with his Mission: Impossible - Fallout co-star Angela Bassett to promote the movie.

As E! News reports, Cruise spent some time explaining what why he loves to do his own stunts, like the HALO jump he did in the film. That jump involved Cruise jumping out of an airplane at 25,000 feet, while waiting to open his parachute at only 2,000 feet above the ground.

"I can't help it. I'm 100 percent when I do something," Cruise said. "I want to give the audience the very best, so that's what I do."

However, Corden was less than impressed by the high-altitude sky dive. "It's falling through the sky!" he said. "There are some amazing stunts...but I think we're all getting carried away with Tom Cruise, the action hero."

This seems like a lot of talk for for someone who has never been skydiving.

Ben Bassey

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