Believe it or not, crowdfunding platform Kickstarter is good for more than just tricking strangers into pledging over $50,000 for you to make potato salad: A quick sweep of the site’s most popular pages yields hundreds of smart, interesting projects all over the spectrum, particularly in the wellness and beauty categories.

MORE: How to Turn Your Brilliant Idea Into an App: A Step-by-Step Guide

More so than any generation before us, we’re a culture collectively fixated on finding the most innovative ways to live our best lives. From a self-contained ecosystem for your kitchen to a personal trainer that only exists inside a set of earphones, these now-shoppable groundbreaking ideas and inventions are proof that modern technology has given us much more than just carpal tunnel, neck strain, and Vine stars—even if they’re nowhere near as delicious as potato salad.

MORE: 20 Health Insiders Predict the Next Big Thing in Fitness

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In a groundbreaking win for women’s-reproductive-rights advocates, the Supreme Court has ruled against Texas laws that restrict abortion providers and had the potential to cause hundreds of clinics across the country to close.

It took three months of deliberation, but basically the ruling—which is being called the most significant decision from the Supreme Court on abortion in two decades—could deter other states from passing laws that shut down abortion clinics in states across the country. So even if you don’t live in Texas, this decision is a crucial one for women’s rights.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 27, 2016

The law that was tossed out is Texas’s HB2, which was originally passed in 2013 and required all abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, restricted access to medical abortions, banned terminations after 20 weeks, and required all clinics meet the same strict requirements as ambulatory surgical centers. And it’s been terrifyingly effective–since 2013 23 of Texas’s 41 abortion clinics have closed.

In today’s ruling, the Supreme Court found the bill to be unconstitutional because it places an undue burden on women (duh), with Justice Stephen Breyer adding that it didn’t actually help solve any health issues. “There was no significant health-related problem that the new law helped to cure,” he explained. “We agree with the District Court that the surgical-center requirement, like the admitting-privileges requirement, provides few, if any, health benefits for women, poses a substantial obstacle to women seeking abortions, and constitutes an ‘undue burden’ on their constitutional right to do so.”

Women’s-rights advocates have been fast to throw their support behind the ruling, and Hillary Clinton praised the decision in a tweet this morning, “SCOTUS’s decision is a victory for women in Texas and across America. Safe abortion should be a right—not just on paper, but in reality. -H.”

This means that as of today several states—including Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Louisiana—will have to rethink their own abortion laws.

MORE: Where Election Frontrunners Stand on Your Reproductive Rights

When you’re contorting your body into dozens of different positions during yoga class, the last thing you need is to worry about whether your underwear’s hanging out the top of your leggings or to feel like you need to keep pulling down your tank to meet your shorts. It’s one of the reasons your Pilates instructor always turns up in a bodysuit and why the hard-core yogis are all wearing unitards.

MORE: 101 Ways to Lose a Pound

At first glance these all-in-one gym outfits might evoke mixed feelings—or visions of a 1980s-era Jane Fonda—but with athleisure brands like Koral, Sweaty Betty, and Adidas by Stella McCartney all sporting chic updates to the onesie in their workout collections, you will actually want to wear one this summer. Keep clicking to shop 12 modern-as-hell workout unitards available online right now.

MORE: How to Tone Your Butt with Pilates

Ford Models

If you’ve ever tuned into one of UFC’s action-packed fights, then you’ve probably taken notice of the bikini-clad Octagon Girls parading around the cage—it’s kind of hard not to. Chief among them is Vanessa Hanson, whose day job as a Ford model also requires her to flaunt her body in revealing clothing for clients such as Nasty Gal, FHM and Maxim.

Considering she’s basically made a career of looking hot in a swimsuit—something we can all use a little help with at this time of year—we couldn’t help but be curious about her secret to staying so self-assured and fit. For starters: “A good tan always makes me feel more toned and confident,” she says. “I also think it’s important to pick the most flattering swimsuit for your body type.”

As it turns out, that bikini lifestyle comes easily to Hanson because she puts wellness first. She admires the power and ferocity of Ronda Rousey and the other MMA fighters she supports in the ring, but sticks to yoga and healthy food to stay fit. For more specifics on her snacking habits, the fitness app she swears by, and the foods she cuts out before a big event, keep scrolling.

Ford Models

I start an average day by:
Cuddling with my animals!

For breakfast I had:
An over easy egg on wheat toast and fresh fruit with yogurt and granola.

The one thing I’d never eat is:
Pie and cake. I don’t like anything too sweet, and sugar essentially turns into fat.

For lunch I had:
Mahi mahi with an avocado quinoa salad.

MORE: Inside the Wellness Routine of a Bona Fide Surfer Chick

My all-time favorite workout:
Yoga by far!

My go-to healthy restaurant:
Octopus. Sushi is my go-to healthy meal when eating out. I stick to sashimi and avoid the tempura rolls.

If I need to shape up before a big event:
I cut out bread and other foods that are processed or high in carbs, and eat smaller portions.

Ford Models

Today, I snacked on:
A Kind bar. It’s delicious and filling!

The health trend I just can’t get behind is:
Being vegan. I’m a huge carnivore!

My go-to cocktail:
I always go for a Mexican Mule.

For dinner I had:
Oven-baked chicken and broiled vegetables in olive oil.

MORE: Diet Secrets from a ‘Sports Illustrated’ Rookie of the Year

I’m obsessed with these Instagram accounts:
@dennistheprescott is the ultimate food porn, and @erinwasson is one of my favorite models and style crush. And @moistbuddha because I’m obsessed with memes!

My signature healthy dish is:
A kale salad with avocado and salmon topped with a homemade teriyaki/Sriracha dressing.

My edible guilty pleasures are:
Anything with cheese on it.

My biggest health tip for travelers:
Bring your own healthy snacks, so that you don’t binge on greasy food later. I always travel with avocados and nutrition bars.

Ford Models

The top three songs on my workout playlist right now are:
Rihanna‘s latest album! I listen to it incessantly.

My go-to activewear pieces are:
My printed Onzie activewear. I’m also loving Reebok‘s new collection.

My go-to health app:
ClassPass! Payal Kadakia and Mary Biggins are geniuses. It’s perfect for mixing up your workouts.

The best part of my job is:
Traveling, but I also love working with so many creative people!

A scoop of protein powder in your green smoothie doesn’t just make your drink taste better (looking at you, chocolate flavor), but according to studies it could also help stave of hunger until your next meal. However, not all protein powders are created equal, and there are a few things to consider before you choose one.

The two most common categories are plant and whey protein powders—the former is usually derived from peas, hemp, and soy, while whey is a byproduct of milk/cheese production. Dietitian Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD, says both are comparable, as long as you go with a plant product that is high in leucine.

MORE: 101 Ways to Lose a Pound

Beyond that, you should be looking at the nutrition information on each product, because the amount of protein and calories per serving varies across different brands. Spano says there are some ingredients that should be avoided: “I don’t like seeing caffeine unless it’s disclosed clearly on the front of the label, or  glutamine, taurine, creatine, glycine [in protein powder],” she told us, explaining that these ingredients can dilute the quality. “If a protein powder contains this, it has been spiked with amino acids to artificially ramp up the testing for protein.”

In the gallery ahead, we’re spotlighting the highest quality vegan, whey, and organic formulas, breaking down which have the lowest calories and the highest protein content. Keep clicking!

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I’m definitely guilty of relying too heavily on technology to run my life–I use Handy to keep my apartment clean, order groceries through an app, wear activewear that counts calories, and organize my schedule on my smartphone. And, like millions of other women, I’m also a big fan of fertility-tracking apps.

There are dozens of period trackers available on the iTunes and Google Play store right now that promise to help you understand your body better if you’re trying to get pregnant—or do not want to get pregnant, depending on what your goal is right now. They’ll tell which days you’re most and least fertile, and some even offer time-sensitive suggestions for dealing with PMS. However, you (and I!) might want to pause before handing over something as important as your fertility to a free application, because a new study from Georgetown University Medical Center has found that women who rely on smartphone apps to monitor their fertility levels are at a higher risk of unwanted pregnancy. Yikes.

MORE: Can Adjusting Your Diet Get Rid of Your PMS?

Specifically, researchers explained that while fertility apps are increasingly popular among natural-health obsessives, many don’t actually use “evidence-based methodology” to keep you informed. “Smartphone apps are increasing in popularity because more and more women are interested in using natural or fertility-awareness-based methods of family planning because they want to feel empowered with greater knowledge of their bodies,” added lead author Dr. Marguerite Duane.

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I can’t think of a single day in my adult life that consisted of three solid meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you know the ones—eaten at regular intervals. My unique weekday schedule goes more like this: a very large coffee or two in the morning, a hurried spoonful of peanut butter or some fruit from the limited office food supply around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and a few glasses of wine served with carb-heavy takeout (Thai noodles? Basmati rice? A burrito? So many choices!) around 8:30 p.m., because at that point I’m starving.

All bets are off on the weekend—three slices of pizza at 2 am after drinking, ice cream-covered waffles in the morning because I’m hungover, a few tacos and a margarita at noon because I went for a bike ride and just happened to end up at the Mexican restaurant. Anything goes! All of this is punctuated by my whining about how I can’t seem to lose weight. Many of my peers echo the same statement—our bizarre eating habits just aren’t working out for us. And, unsurprisingly, science agrees.

Two sets of research recently published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society have linked irregular meal timing with higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, unstable blood-sugar levels, and a slowed metabolism when compared with people who eat the same number of meals at the same times of day every day. Womp.

MORE: 5 Carbs You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About Eating

Garda Pot, PhD, a visiting lecturer in the Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division at King’s College London who worked on both papers, told Health, “We found that adults consuming calories during regular meals—at similar times from one day to [the] next—were less obese than people who have irregular meals, despite consuming more calories overall.… Eating inconsistently may affect our internal body clock.”

Because the studies are tied to an emerging field of science called chrononutrition, in which researchers explore the link between metabolism and circadian rhythms, there’s not enough research yet to back the exact significance of varied meal times—or determine the true best times to eat—but Pot says, “It would be of great interest to fully understand how much impact disruptions in our circadian rhythms could have on [our] obesity risk.”

More info is on the way, but in the meantime, maybe I’ll reconsider next time I start to feel like a stop at the 24-hour deli for a Philly cheese steak is a matter of life or death on the walk home from the bar.

MORE: 10 Healthy Snacks That Clock in at 100 Calories or Less

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Earlier this week, the results of yet another survey were released saying that annual pelvic exams have no proven benefits for the millions of women who undergo them each year, adding to the confusion many women are experiencing about WTF we’re supposed to do at our yearly ob-gyn visits. (Do we have to go? Do we need a Pap smear or just urine sample testing? Can we go every other year instead?)

This latest 71-page report was conducted by the seemingly authoritative U.S. Preventive Services, a task force that advises the government on preventive health care, and backed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But there are tons of reasons why we women need to question the conclusion that there is “little to no evidence that [annual pelvic exams] benefit asymptomatic women.”

MORE: How to Navigate Your Way Around a Low Sex Drive

When the American College of Physicians first raised this issue in 2014, suggesting that healthy women (over the age of 18, not pregnant, and without any symptoms) don’t need pelvic exams as part of their annual checkups, the reactions from the public and medical professions alike were, predictably, mixed, and the debate has essentially been raging ever since.

“I agree with the point that the system isn’t perfect when it comes to detecting ovarian cancer, but who’s to say that’s all you’re using it for?” says Loryn Ashton, a women’s-health nurse practitioner with Maven digital health clinic. “My concern is that if we don’t do pelvic exams and only do Pap smears on women every three to five years, what are we going to be missing? When else do women get a chance to be alone in a room with a physician, where there’s an in-person intimacy and privacy? Yearly pelvic exams are often the only appointment that women go to alone.”

Ashton stresses that it’s incredibly common to discover unnoticed symptoms or issues, from physical ones to emotional ones, during the course of a pelvic exam—things that the patient probably wouldn’t have come in for on their own. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ll see a mole or something going on on a woman’s labia and say, ‘Did you know this was here? Have you had it checked?'” she says. “The pelvic exams bring up a lot of other topics, including sexual abuse. Patients respond to the connection of touch. I’ve caught people with early-stage ovarian cancer just from an exam.”

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The truth is, once a year isn’t that often in the first place, so what’s with the sudden spotlight on making pelvic exams even rarer? Money and politics are inevitable factors, says Ashton. “They make it all about the numbers and the stats, saying it’s OK to lose a few lives if it means saving a ton of money that can go into other health-care needs and research—but that’s not necessarily where it goes.”

And let’s not forget about the gender aspect of all this. Although advocates might compare the current conversation around women’s pelvic exams to the one that’s been had in the past about men’s prostate screenings, it’s not necessarily the same, says Ashton. “Why is women’s health being vetted and checked?” she asks. “Why are we supposed to compromise again? It’s been this way forever—we had to fight for birth control, for everything. We’re finally able to get care, so why should we give it up now?”

Good question. If you’re concerned about the way things seem to be going, you can leave a comment on the task force’s web page through July 25, after which it will issue a final recommendation. And that recommendation will affect which procedures the government and insurance companies decide to cover. Translation: Your annual pelvic exam might not be covered in the future. And that would suck, but Ashton says you can still advocate for yourself, and your doctors will do the same.

“They can recommend all day long, but that doesn’t mean we have to do it,” says Ashton. “We went into medicine to help a patient make appropriate decisions for herself. As I always say to my patients, ‘It’s your choice not to get a Pap smear, but wouldn’t you rather spend 40 minutes per year taking care of business? It’s just not worth missing something.'” And in the meantime, schedule that yearly pelvic exam while your insurance still covers it.

MORE: Why Do We All Wax Our Bikini Areas Even Though We Hate It?

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It’s officially go-time for the American athletes prepping for the Rio Olympic Games—there’s just over a month to go until the opening ceremony on August 4, and team USA is officially in the final stages of preparation. The Games captivate the attention of millions of people every four years, and in the lead-up to this this year’s event we’re chatting with some of the star athletes heading to Rio about the diet and exercise routine they’re sticking to over the next four weeks.

One such athlete is David Boudia, a (very good-looking) 27-year-old guy who is quite literally one of the best divers in the world. More specifically, Boudia is America’s top 10-meter platform diver, and has an Olympic gold medal (and a bronze!) from the 2012 London Olympics to prove it. He’s one of Nike’s sponsored athletes, just landed a gig fronting Head and Shoulder’s latest campaign, and took a few minutes out of his intense training regime to share a page from his daily food and fitness dairy.

I’m preparing for Rio by:
I am doing last stages prep work for my training which includes really tightening up my diet, hitting the weight training hard and fine-tuning my take off for my dives.

My weekly workout routine includes:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do morning and afternoon training, and I lift weights on Tuesday and Thursday.

For breakfast I have:
A smoothie at 7:15 a.m. frozen blueberries and strawberries, half a banana, a handful of spinach, one scoop of PB2 powder, and half a bottle of Zico Natural Coconut Water with half cup of raw oats.

For lunch I have:
Two slices of turkey with half slice of cheese, rolled up, plus chips and fresh salsa and a Chobani yogurt at about 11:45 a.m.

Boudia competing in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)

For dinner I have:
BBQ chicken breast, sliced avocado, and peaches with corned polenta at 6:00 p.m.

Today I’m snacking on:
Carrots with hummus and apples with peanut butter. You get the most bang for your buck this way–meaning you feel full without eating a ton of calories.

The one thing I would never eat is:
Hot dogs!

My favorite healthy restaurant is:
Panera Bread. I have the half salad and sandwich–fuji apple salad and turkey bravo sandwich.

My all-time favorite workout is:
A core and cardio circuit.

MORE: Behold the Hottest Male Athletes on Instagram

I think the health and fitness trend that will dominate this summer is:
Tracking your workout via smart tech.

The health trend I just can’t get behind is:
The vegan diet!

My favorite healthy snack is:
Carrots with hummus.

My go-to smoothie ingredients are:
What I make for breakfast!

@davidboudia

MORE: 101 Ways to Lose a Pound

The three ingredients you’ll always find in my kitchen are:
Avocado, blueberries, and milk.

My signature healthy dish is:
Balsamic chicken [cooked in a] crockpot with steam rice and asparagus.

The top three songs on my workout playlist right now are:
“Thinking Out Loud” (Boyce Avenue cover song), “Ginza” by J. Balvin, and “Good, Bad, Ugly” by Lecrae.

The best part of my job is:
Getting to flip and twist through the air off a three-storey building!

MORE: A Completely Gratuitous Guide to the Hottest Surfer Dudes on Instagram

Tinkerbell of Laka

Imagine living in a world where a pasta-heavy diet was not openly frowned upon by 20-year-olds sharing homemade acai bowl recipes with their 15,000 Instagram followers and celebrity personal trainers alike, but rather encouraged, as if eating penne alla vodka four times a week was a smart thing to do for your health. Shockingly, this just might be the world we actually live in, according to a study conducted by researchers in Italy, where pasta is from.

The scientists from the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Instituto Neurologico Mediterranean Neuromed in Pozzilli examined the diets of over 23,000 adults and concluded that pasta isn’t going to kill you or ruin your #bikinibody—in fact, the research, published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, found an association between pasta consumption, a lower prevalence of obesity, and a healthy BMI.

MORE: 5 Healthy Carbs You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About Eating

It all comes down to the beloved Mediterranean diet, which is packed with vegetables, fish, fruit, olive oil, and whole grains. “In popular views, pasta is often considered not adequate when you want to lose weight, and some people completely ban it from their meals,” says Licia Iacoviello, the head of the institute’s Laboratory of Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology. “In light of this research, we can say that this is not a correct attitude. We’re talking about a fundamental component of Italian Mediterranean tradition, and there is no reason to do without it.”

George Pounis, the paper’s lead author, adds, “We have seen that consumption of pasta, contrary to what many think, is not associated with an increase in body weight, rather the opposite … Our data shows that enjoying pasta according to individuals’ needs contributes to a healthy body mass index, lower waist circumference, and a better waist-hip ratio.” But what if my individual needs involve three large bowls of rigatoni bolognese eaten nightly? Is that considered part of a balanced Mediterranean diet? Seems yes.

MORE: How to Cheat on Your Diet—and Still Lose Weight

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It wasn’t so long ago that real live doctors—not just ad campaigns—freely told Americans that cigarettes were beneficial to one’s health. Physicians even prescribed smoking tobacco as a salve for all that ails you. “Doctor recommended,” they said, leaving out the part where the health authorities were being paid off by Big Tobacco. Crazy!

The cigarette conundrum is a pretty extreme case of the general public believing a smart but sinister marketing untruth, but that kind of stuff happens all the time. The latest nutrition news to break American hearts, straight outta a survey published by The New York Times, is that coconut oil may be no better for you than butter. Or a hamburger. Or pizza. Or beer.

MORE: 10 ‘Healthy’ Foods That Can Bust Your Diet

The NYT polled 672 nutritionists and over 2,000 registered voters on which foods they believed to be healthy or unhealthy. Kale, olive oil, quinoa, hummus, eggs, almonds, and all that virtuous stuff was given a thumbs up by both experts and regular citizens alike, but others, like granola and orange juice, suffered.

And coconut oil—”heart-healthy,” “supermodel beauty secret,” “weight loss-promoting” coconut oil—got 72-percent approval from the public but only 37-percent from nutritionists. The misperception ranked second only to granola bars—71-percent public approval, with just 28-percent of the nutritionists agreeing—in the difference between how the average American perceives them versus a registered nutritionist.

You don’t have to give up coconut oil altogether (relax, Miranda Kerr), as it’s still a more healthful alternative to using canola for cooking and its beauty uses stand undeterred. But, um, maybe don’t go eating it with a spoon or anything like that. Might as well choose the butter instead.

MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Oil Pulling

The Blonde Salad

Milkshakes are objectively not a health food. But neither, for that matter, are green juices; where milkshakes pack in ice cream and artificial sweeteners, green juices are frequently fruit-based to the point of racking up 45 grams of sugar per 12 oz ($14) bottle. The lesser of the two evils may seem abundantly clear—when in doubt, go for the fruit over the ice cream, right?—but according to a small study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, things just aren’t that simple.

There’s a reason you’re still starving even after you’ve downed those 400 calories worth of organic apple, lemon, and kale: No matter what’s in them, and no matter the nutritional value, juice always amounts to empty calories. Without the feeling of satiety, you’re just not addressing hunger. And this is where milkshakes come in—well, kind of.

MORE: 10 Healthy Smoothie Recipes That Require Approximately Zero Effort

The study found that 500 calories of a thin, low-viscosity shake left participants feeling (and actually being, based on the results of abdominal scans) significantly less full than a thicker 100-calorie shake of the same size. This phenomenon, researchers say, is referred to as “phantom fullness,” the simple sensation of feeling as if you’ve eaten enough to be satisfied.

Juices, sodas, and thinner beverages of the same nutritional value—both of the shakes used in this study were composed of 50-percent carbs, 20-percent protein, and 30-percent fat—as their thicker counterparts just aren’t enough to quiet that feeling of hunger, even when more calories are consumed. So if you’re trying to avoid that late-afternoon second-lunch desperation, or cut down on calories overall throughout the day, reaching for a milkshake is a better bet. (A substantial dairy-based smoothie with plenty of texture will work, too.)

MORE: Breaking Down the Benefits (and Risks) of Quitting Sugar

Somehow models and celebrities seem immune to the jet-lag, skin problems and general side-effects of long-distance travel that the rest of us mere mortals are afflicted with. And I swear Karlie Kloss could vacation through Europe for a month without gaining a pound. Meanwhile I leave every single long-haul flight with at least a minor breakout (and sometimes not so minor), so have taken to traveling with concealer in my carry-on luggage.

For this reason, when you click through the slideshow above you’ll find 16 health and beauty travel tips from the world’s most beautiful women. There’s the shameless skin care routine Chrissy Teigen follows in-flight, a medicinal herb Kate Hudson always packs, and a fitness app Karlie Kloss uses to work out from her hotel room. Don’t head on your summer vacation without reading this.

MORE: What 50 Celebrities Wear to the Airport

‘N a Perfect World

We know–Rome wasn’t built in a day. It take time to put on pounds, and therefore takes time to drop ’em. That said, there are plenty of small tricks that—if you consciously put into action immediately—can kick-start the process and help you lose weight in a week. Yep, really.

Commit this to memory: some carbs are good. 
Most of think cutting carbs is the be-all end-all weight-loss answer, but your body needs them to do its job and burn calories. The trick is to cut the refined—aka “bad” carbs—sugar, white flour, starchy veggies like potatoes—and incorporate reduced amounts of healthy sources like veggies and legumes, says Wes Ferguson, a celebrity fitness trainer. Cutting sugar will reduce calories, lower your insulin levels and stimulate fat loss.

Up your fiber.
While watching your carbs, ensure you’re getting plenty of fiber in the form of leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, berries, celery, and mushrooms. This helps effectively eliminate waste so it’s not sticking around in your gut, says Ferguson.

Try warm lemon water.
Drink warm lemon water first thing every morning to prime your metabolism for the day. This will support detoxification and keep you regular, says Jessica Wyman, a certified nutrition coach and yoga instructor. If you can handle it, try adding a pinch of cayenne.

Janni Deler

Fill your plate fresh produce.
Cut back on meat and grains this week and fill your plate with steamed, roasted, grilled, sautéed, or stewed veggies which are packed with nutrients and will keep you full. Jazz them up with various cooking oils and spices.

Avoid processed foods.
You’ll avoid unnecessary calories from white flour, desserts, candy, soda, and dairy that offers little nutritional value, and also also the sodium that makes you all bloated and retain excess water.

Take an anti-gas supplement.
TMI? Maybe. But if you’re bloated, that’s embarrassing too. Many people are embarrassed by a bloated tummy, and this will break up the gas bubbles, says Ferguson.

Fashion Me Now

Double up at the gym.
Your workouts don’t have to be long, you could do 20 minutes of cardio in the morning and some dumbbell exercises on lunch break or after dinner – but it must be done daily, says Ferguson. The more quick workouts you can fit in, from 4-minute Tabata exercises to a 30 minute abdominal class, the better. Also, take the stairs whenever possible instead of using an elevator. You’ve heard it before, but simple changes like this are a great way to get incidental exercise, and burn calories without planning a workout.

Sweat it out.
And yes, that means enjoying a bit of luxury “me time” in the hot tub or steam room. Ferguson says it will help to rid your body of toxins and water weight, plus it’s good for your skin!

Drink only water.
You can have some coffee or tea before a workout for some extra energy. But no sports drinks, juice, or soda – they all have sugar. Spice up your water with sliced cucumber, mint leaves, belly-busting blueberries, lemon, or even fresh ginger. Plus, drink a glass of water before each meal to feel fuller and to avoid overeating. While water doesn’t have a magical fat-burning property, nutrition experts say keeping hydrated can stop overeating, as many people confuse thirst with hunger.

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According to the World Health Organization, women in Japan have the longest life expectancy in the world at 87 years. Want to know what their secret is? Same. That’s why we enlisted health and beauty expert Erica Angyal.

Angyal was the official nutritionist to Miss Universe Japan from 2004 to 2012 and has been featured in the country’s most notable publications and TV programs, including The Japan Times, Vogue, and Elle Japon. Her best seller, Sekai 1 No Bijo Ni Naru Diet was rated the number-one food book back in 2009 by Japan’s International Food and Culture Association and has more than 360,000 copies in print. In addition to the fact that placenta supplements and even placenta injections are currently trending in a major way in Japan (um, skip!) there are 10 key Japanese health and beauty rituals you should incorporate into your own routine. Keep scrolling.

Balance Your Macronutrients

While younger generations are starting to eat more westernized foods, the traditional Japanese diet has serious health benefits and includes lots of fish and seasonal vegetables, as well as tofu and seaweed. “[The Japanese diet] is high in omega-3 fatty acids, powerful antioxidants, isoflavones, which help keep hormone levels balanced, and minerals like calcium and magnesium,” Angyal explained, adding that eating these foods are important for “maintaining a healthy body weight and for aging beautifully.”

If you want to follow this style of eating, you need to balance your macronutrients and eat protein, fat, and carbohydrates with each meal (for example fish, rice, and a vegetable dish.) “This balance prevents a spike in blood sugar and also in insulin. The results are twofold: Lower blood sugar and insulin levels make it easier not to gain weight and also help prevent accelerated aging since studies have shown that high levels of blood sugar accelerate aging,” Angyal explained. 

MORE: 101 Ways to Get Perfect Skin

The second benefit is that the traditional Japanese diet includes lots of small dishes of a wide variety of seasonal ingredients, meaning that each meal may have up to 30 ingredients and ultimately a huge variety of different micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, which could reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Consume More Fermented Foods

Fermented foods and drinks such as amazake (made from rice), sake kasu (the sediment left over from sake production), shio koji (a type of seasoning), and various fermented pickles are all popular on Japanese menus and are important for not only your health but also your weight. “Fermented foods contribute to a healthy microflora and intestinal environment. A healthy balanced intestinal microflora helps prevent obesity, metabolic syndrome, and weight gain,” Angyal explained. 

One of the more popular fermented supplements from Japanese wellness brand Kazumasa Kawasaki combines soybeans, bamboo leaf powder, kumazasa leaves, green tea leaves, and grains—and will ship to the US.

Drink Green Tea

Swapping out your daily coffee for a traditional Japanese green tea could be a smart move, Angyal told us. “Green tea is an amazing source of the powerful phytochemicals called catechins,” she said. “Studies have shown that the green tea catechins help protect against UV damage and ultimately prevent premature skin aging. Additionally, green tea catechins have been shown to reduce both body weight and BMI.” You should be having at least four cups per day to see benefits, so drink up.

Apply Tsubaki Oil

Tsubaki (camellia) oil has been a big part of Japanese beauty rituals for centuries. As a fast-absorbing, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic (meaning it won’t block your pores) product, tsubaki oil used daily on your face, neck, and chest is believed to be able to help prevent the signs of aging.

Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil, $46; at Sephora (The Makeup Affair)

Eat Seaweed for Healthy Hair and Nails

If you subscribe to the thinking that what you put in your body is more important than creams and treatments you put on it, then you’ll understand why commonly eaten seaweeds in Japan, like wakame, jikiki, and kombu, can make your hair shiny. “They are all incredibly rich sources of minerals, notably calcium, iodine, and iron that are all vital for glossy hair and healthy nails,” Angyal explained.

Use Cling Wrap over Your Sheet Mask

“While skin care in the West is often part of a routine, much like flossing or brushing one’s teeth, in Japan it is very much a ritual, which can often include double the amount of steps compared to the West,” Angyal told us. “And the key to beautiful skin is found in the whole skin-care routine: prepping the skin with massage, steaming with personal steamer devices and moisturizing sheet masks, sometimes with the addition of cling wrap.”

“If you go into any drugstore, you’ll see an endless array of sheet masks, which help hydrate the skin, and some women cover the skin with cling wrap over the mask with holes for the eyes and nose for 20 minutes to further boost hydration,” Angyal said. Apparently, if you go to hot spring baths or public baths, you will often see Japanese women with sheet masks or hydrating eye masks on their faces while they do their hair, which is a smart time-saving tip.

Get a Personal Steamer

A personal steamer like this one from Panasonic ($129.99) is a must for many women in Japan and is supposed to give spa-like hydration results at home while quickly removing makeup and dirt.

Do a Daily Lymphatic Massage

Lymphatic massage is also a popular beauty ritual in Japan that can be repeated at home with your hands or using a specific device like this one. “Massage a serum or a hydrating lotion or even an oil into the skin, neck, and décolleté and then massaging not only the face but behind their earlobes, around the collarbone, and under the armpits to help stimulate lymphatic flow,” Angyal told us.

Drink Collagen

While there isn’t a ton of research proving that drinking collagen will dramatically improve your complexion, drinkable beauty products are popular among Japanese women. However, be sure to check the ingredients before trying them for yourself: “Many of these types of drinks include less-than-desirable ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose,” warned Angyal.

Avoid Overexposure to the Sun

This is an obvious skin-care tip that too many of us ignore, particularly at this time of year, but staying out of the sun is a must in Japan. “Arm covers, large hats, gloves, and sun parasols and umbrellas are popular in summer or on sunny days to protect against UV damage,” Angyal said.

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A few weeks ago, Blake Lively revealed that her incredibly fast return to her pre-pregnancy body last year wasn’t due to some crazy genetic predisposition to weight loss (although we’re sure that helped.) Instead she revealed that in the lead up to filming surfer movie “The Shallows,” she spent 13 hours training every day to get back in shape after giving birth to daughter James. Now, we have a little more info about exactly what was involved in that record-breaking transformation.

“That movie was an athletic event as much as it was an acting job because they didn’t hire a stunt double until the last two weeks, so it was just insane underwater stunts,” Lively explained on “Live with Kelly” this morning. “I don’t look like that in real life. That’s not me,” she added, also explaining that she had to work unusually hard for the results. “That was an eight-week period of my life. I’m luck to have an amazing trainer, this guy Don Saladino, who just kicked my butt.”

MORE: 27 Weight Loss Tips From the World’s Most Beautiful Women

So, what exactly did Saladino do to whip her into shape? The trainer told People that he increased the number of times Lively worked out each week from one or two sessions to five or six. He focused on different parts of the body each day, and incorporated swimming into her routine. “We would do an upper body workout Monday, lower body Tuesday,” Saladina explained. “Wednesday was a playful pool workout where she would do laps. Thursday was upper body, Friday lower body, and Saturday we were focusing on the accessory movers: the arms, the shoulders.”

If ever the new mom—who is reportedly pregnant with her second child—wasn’t feeling up to a really full-on exercise session, her trainer would adjust the workout slightly and listen to her body. “When you feel great, get on it. When you don’t feel great, shift down a gear. And when you feel like complete crap do really minimal work,” he explained.

Unsurprisingly, food was also a big part of Lively’s post-baby weight loss, and she worked with a nutritionist who suggested she eat protein, vegetables, and a slow-burning carbohydrate (a group that typically refers to foods like sweet potato or oats) with each meal.

Blake Lively in “The Shallows.” (Columbia Pictures)

Among the top three excuses I like to keep ready for why I can’t go for a run today (after I’m tired and I don’t have time) is that it’s just too damn hot. Which, to be fair, right now it actually is. With the temperature soaring up to 90 degrees and beyond here in New York, working out outdoors has become a sweaty, unpleasant activity that leaves me wishing I’d stayed firmly planted in front of the A/C instead.

MORE: 101 Ways to Drop a Pound

There is one thing that can make working out during summer a little more pleasant, though: sweat-wicking activewear. Actually, I have no idea why all gym clothes aren’t engineered in a fabric that can wick moisture from your body, because the pieces make a real difference. So before you put off another gym session this summer, click through the slideshow of 18 cool (and, um, cooling) sweat-wicking activewear items available to snag online right now—from shorts to sports bras, tanks, and more.

MORE: Weight-Loss Advice from the World’s Most Beautiful Women

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It is a truth universally acknowledged: we all want toned, beautiful arms. But actually getting them? That’s another story. Sometimes you just don’t want to drag your tired body all the way to gym to stand in front of a weight rack, worrying that you’re going to drop something or pull a crucial muscle. Fortunately, you can totally get a killer arm workout at home without touching a single heavy object.

We consulted Jasmine Graham, founder of PaceforSuccess.com and owner of the boutique gym Fit Factory NYC for her very best workouts. Here’s how to tone your arms—without weights.

Each move should be done for one full minute—you can start with one run-through (so five minutes and you’re done!), and then repeat them as you gain strength.

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Exercise #1: Wall Push-Ups.

Sure, push-ups aren’t the easiest thing in the world to do. But wall push-ups allow you to adjust your difficulty level, making them easier than “normal” push-ups.

To do them, stand up straight facing a wall, with your face about six inches away from the wall.  Place your hands on the wall shoulder width apart. Step back as far as you can with both feet on the ground. Inhale as you go down into the push-up, keeping your glutes tucked as you descend, and exhale as you push away from the wall.

Tip: If the push-ups are too difficult with a full step back from the wall, walk your feet in a little to where you can comfortably do them, says Graham. You’ll be able to build up to it.

Exercise #2: Floor Dips.

You can do dips in a chair, but Graham says that people often lift up too high, turning the workout into more of a pelvic thrust than an arm workout. On the floor, it’s easier to watch your form.

To do them, sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet and fingers facing forward, as if you’re about to do a crab walk.  Then, tighten your abs, tuck your glutes, and lift your pelvis up until your body is in a reverse tabletop position. Lower your body by bending your arms, activating your triceps. As you near the floor, keep your butt off the floor so that your core and arm muscles remain active.  Keep repeating the dips for one minute.

Tip: If you’re a beginner or don’t necessarily have core control yet, it’s okay to touch the ground, but try to touch it just slightly and push back up.

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Exercise #3: Half Circle Arm Rotations.

Those arm circles you had to do in gym class are surprisingly good at building upper body strength, but the repetitive motion makes it easy to zone out and abandon quality circles. Half-circle rotations are a more active move that works deep into your arm muscles.

To do them, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold your arms out parallel to the floor. With your palms facing forward, cup both hands as if you’re holding a tennis ball in each hand. Rotate your whole arm forward in a half circle so that the cupped hand goes from facing forward to facing behind you. Keep your elbows locked to maximize muscle engagement. Then, rotate back into your original position. Rotate back and forth as fast as you can.

Tip: Think of the motion as a slap forward and a slap back

Exercise #4: Weight-Free Rows.

To create resistance with a weight-free row, all you need is your own fist. Though typically done with a dumbbell, making a tight fist activates the muscles of your arm enough to make for a substantial workout.

To do it, bend slightly forward by hinging at the hip. Bend your elbows at your sides, and pull your arms back without unbending at the elbow, creating a rowing motion.  This works biceps and triceps in addition to activating the muscles of your upper back. Repeat for a full minute.

Tip: Make sure to keep your arms close to your sides to maximize the effectiveness of this workout.

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Exercise #5: X Jumps.

Your inner cheerleader finally has an outlet with X jumps, a cardio move that engages your whole arm and simultaneously strengthens your abs and legs.

Stand with your feet spread out shoulder width apart and your arms by your sides.  Jump up and spread your arms out over your head so that you form an “X” shape at the top of your jump.  As you land, bend your knees slightly to soften your landing.

Tip: This can be tough to do for a full minute when you’re just starting out, but do as many as you can.

There’s a certain breed of women who magically seem able to maintain their post-workout glow for hours after they’ve hopped off the treadmill—the ones who seem to have been blessed with the ability to leave the gym without looking red-faced, sweaty, disheveled, and exhausted.

MORE: 101 Ways to Lose a Pound

Whether that’s thanks to a magic gene (#lucky) or the fact that these women are pros when it comes to tossing the right products in their gym bag is up for debate, but we’re going with the latter. Which is why we’ve asked top fitness influencers and activewear designers who spend their days living and breathing exercise what beauty swag they carry with them.

Within the recommendations ahead, you’ll find the best natural deodorants (that actually work), hair ties and pins that won’t snap or pull, organic lip balms, sweat-proof makeup that won’t clog your pores, and more. Click through to see what they’re using and to shop their picks.

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Nina Agdal, Sports Illustrated model and newfound hero, shared her secret to getting drunk without getting fat with Page Six today, and it’s basically the polar opposite from the usual go-to celebrity response of “just drink water.”

Instead, Nina, who likes champagne and is presumably drinking loads of it on a beach with Leonardo DiCaprio somewhere right this very moment, will take a shot of vodka with every glass or two of bubbly, so as to maximize the effects of the booze while minimizing the calories.

MORE: 10 Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Pounds Thinner

Can someone pass along an invite to Nina for our next party? Because girlfriend sounds FUN.

MORE: See Leo and Nina Agdal Make Out on the Beach