There seems to be an endless number of fad diets and “golden rules” for weight loss. One of the most popular of these rules is that cutting carbohydrates (carbs) is the best way to lose weight. But what does the evidence show us about whether low-carb diets really are best for weight loss? Theoretically, a “calorie is a calorie” and it doesn’t matter what types of food the calories come from. Accordingly, all reduced-energy (calorie) diets should lead to equivalent weight loss.

The only way to find cancer is to look. In fact, 90% of cancers can be cured if caught in time. The ferociously innovative non-profit Fuck Cancer that uses comedy and bad words has now teamed up with Funny or Die. The result: a fake news spot about public cancer self exams and public outrage and public indecency. After all, to check for breast or testicular cancer--you kinda gotta touch yourself. Same for melanoma. Lisa Ling does her part by playing the onsite reporter. Its funny, and if you do touch yourself, maybe you won't die....

It's been a rough year for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Months after weathering the backlash brought on by their decision to eliminate funding of Planned Parenthood chapters to help provide breast exams, the group appears ready to start over with some new faces in charge. For example, KING5 News reports that "Komen Founder and CEO Nancy Brinker will shift to a new management role as chair of the Komen Board Executive Commiittee."

I’ve been a stylist in New York for two years now, and last year was when my ordeal began.

A new infographic from Ultraviolet demonstrates all the new provisions of the Affordable Care Act that went into effect August 1. For instance, birth control is now covered for insured women, as are well-woman visits, benefits for new mothers, new support for victims of domestic violence, and some disease screenings. "Studies show that most women don't know about all the benefits they can use in the new health care law," the graphic states. Make sure you know these benefits by checking out Ultraviolet's infographic, after the jump.

By Annie Brewster

The combined oral contraceptive pill is the most popular form of contraception in Australia and is taken by an estimated 100 million women worldwide. Research suggests that most women want to promptly return to their pre-pill fertility levels when they stop taking the contraceptive. But some women have difficulty falling pregnant after ceasing the pill, leading them to question whether the contraception affected their long-term fertility. This myth is so pervasive that researchers have identified fear of infertility as a key reason for women avoiding this effective form of contraception.

Preventive care is coming to town. The Affordable Care Act requires new insurance plans to cover women’s preventive care without additional charges or co-pays. And just this month the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology released recommendations for annual visit which should include screening, evaluation and counseling, and immunizations based on age and risk factors.

How can you know what is best for a woman and her family? Or, to put a more personal touch to it, how can you -- a white male, who will never have to worry about facing an unintended pregnancy and who is, I would assume, at the very least not struggling financially -- know what is best for me -- an unemployed rape survivor who has no idea if they will even have a roof over their head next month?

“Sweet tooth” is just an expression, used in the same way as “a head for heights”, “an ear for music”, “a nose for trouble” or “an eye for a bargain” to denote a particular talent, as well as a proclivity towards it. In more recent times, this latter meaning has dominated and the sweet tooth has largely become a depiction of gluttony. But is there also a skill to it?

The Julyna campaign seeks to raise awareness for cervical cancer in Canada. Seems straightforward enough! But the campaign seeks to do so in an unconventional way: by encouraging women to "style their pubic hair in order to fundraise and spread awareness about this harmful disease." (Get it? Julyna?) The campaign is reminiscent of Movember, which asks men to grow mustaches during November to raise money for men's cancers.

Recently, I had an abortion. Lining the street in front of the clinic were a dozen or so protesters. They held up large banners with anti-abortion slogans, religious iconography, and images of dead babies. Just past the bulletproof security doors, the graphic nature of that imagery haunted me in the waiting room. What would my abortion look like? I decided to secretly document my abortion with my cell phone.

Barefoot runners must learn to change the way they run: landing more on the mid-foot or forefoot, rather than on the heel. Then the elastic structures within the foot will do the job they were designed to do. And the Achilles tendon and calf muscles will contract eccentrically to cushion this extra load. For those new to barefoot running, the unaccustomed strain on muscles and tendons can actually lead to injury – exactly what the change to barefoot running was supposed to prevent.

A new infographic from the Obama campaign looks at how much more women pay for health insurance, compared to men. As you can see in the graphic (after the jump), women in some states, today, pay up to 100% more than their male counterparts. With the Affordable Care Act, however, starting in 2014 it will be illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against customers based on their gender.

"A technique to remove pieces of ovary, store it for decades and then replace it with delicate surgery could effectively put a woman's menopause 'on ice', doctors said. The only thing preventing them from having babies into their old age would be their physical ability to carry a pregnancy," reports the Telegraph's Stephen Adams. However, "By delaying the menopause they could also avoid the increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease that come with the end of their fertile life but may raise the risk of breast and womb cancer."