Body & Mind

If you have a teenager at home this week – or are about to take a Cambridge exam yourself, then you know: the nerves are on your skin. The season of stress spots, highlighters, and “why did I ever start this?” is officially open. But breathe in, breathe out: it can be different. We have gathered a few simple tricks that really help you prepare. Scientifically sound, with a wink from Erik Scherder (our favorite neuro professor with a passion for the brain and for life). 1. Activate your body, and your mind will follow First and perhaps most important tip...

From former model to nutrition consultant, Michelle den Hollander flew around the world from shoot to show, but also experienced the struggles of having the ‘right’ sizes. This brought her to where she is now and on Amayzine she gives tips. A bloated feeling seems to be part of being a woman. At least, if I listen to the women around me. But that is not the case at all; it doesn't have to be that way. Of course, you have that monthly menstruation that can indeed cause a bit of a bloated feeling, but this is where you get that feeling even more. I myself...

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In one of my all-time favorite series, Sex and the City, Charlotte drops a kind of reassuring theory: it takes you at least half the duration of your relationship to get over a break-up. So, four years together means two years of emotional aftercare. According to her, you eventually get over everything, but I on the other hand have never gotten over anything ever. Put me in the passenger seat, give me a good playlist and an endless road, and I can stare out for hours. Then I also enjoy every minute. I can forgive like the best,...

You are sitting at the dinner table with your family. They are talking about their weekend, but you hear only one deafening thing: the smacking, the chewing, and the slurping. Your mother's story completely fades into the background. And as if that weren't enough, your brother-in-law just keeps talking while he chews. When you ask if it can be a bit quieter, you get a: “Don't be so dramatic.” But what if you are not the problem? What if that irritation has an official name and actually means that your brain works just a bit sharper than the rest's...

If there is one thing I recognize, it is having no desire to exercise. Yes, some of us are just not made for it. After a round of running, I am out of breath and one hour in the gym is really enough for me. Oh, and doing a team sport together with a few others, like padel or squash? That is my biggest nightmare. Nope. You won't see me running a marathon, but to be honest: I need to move more and you probably do too. I'm looking for something that is easy and for which I don't need the discipline of a 17-year-old...

There are moments in life when you realize how many prejudices people carry with them. When you tell someone that you don't like horror movies, for example. Or that you have been vegetarian for years. Or that matcha, despite the hype, doesn't really appeal to you. Then you are looked at as if you just announced that you are allergic to oxygen. My all-time favorite? The reactions I get when I tell that I spend my Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays in a badminton hall. ‘’How do you even think of that?’’ Yes, badminton. As soon as people find out that this is my sport of choice...

Yes, you do it sometimes too. Very secretly, when no one is watching. But gynecologists are begging you to please stop these habits. Shame on you. So let's start the new year healthily, shall we? Because your vagina is worth quite a lot, right? Well, according to gynecologists, here are six things you really need to pay attention to: 1. Don't ignore a bladder infection Do you feel pain when urinating? That's not a detail. Take it seriously and go to your doctor. Do you see blood in your urine? Then it's definitely time to take action immediately. An untreated bladder infection can...

I can already hear you sighing: “it’s of course the skinny bitch.” You’re absolutely right, the drink has its name for a reason. The mix of vodka, soda water, and a slice of lemon contains only about 85 calories per glass. In cocktail terms, practically a salad without additions, but there are drinks that dive even lower. Alcohol without calories sounds like a dream (and a gap in the market), but unfortunately, it’s not feasible. Ethanol is the culprit, and it delivers about seven calories per gram anyway. Shots of 40% alcohol do exist, but they are downright disgusting. This...

Sometimes it seems like narcissists are ruling this world. Trump, who only thinks perfectly of himself and therefore starts war after war because ‘he can fix them anyway’, Kanye West, who compares himself to Michelangelo and even, yes really, Mariah Carey. Many celebs and people in power positions are narcissists, but you can also encounter them in your daily life. As colleagues, friends, family members, and maybe even in the love circuit. That’s why it’s good to know how to really spot a narcissist and then run away from them very quickly. Grab your notes, because you have...

I have an imaginary photo of Jennifer Aniston hanging on the inside of my wardrobe, somewhere between Olivia Palermo, Kelly Rutherford, my fashion mom Peggy Weijergang, and Marion Cotillard in The morning show, as a sort of style compass for days when I stand in front of my closet and think: what on earth should I wear. With Jennifer Aniston, that fascination goes just a step further, because besides her wardrobe, there are a few things I would take over without hesitation, like Jennifer Aniston and that enviably tight body that seems remarkably unaffected by time. And let there...