Why you only think you’ve been in love — Confession: I’ve never truly been in love. I’ve definitely thought I was in love. I’ve even said those three little words. But the people I’ve felt love for didn’t actually exist. None of them were real people. They were idealized versions of what stood before me. A fantasy, loosely based…

Seduction 101 — the brutally honest female perspective — I know you. I’ve been on a first date with you. Only a first date. Look, you’re not unattractive. You show up on time, clean-shaven, wearing your new khakis. You’re polite, you hold the door, you tell me I look nice. You talk about your family, your work, your hobbies…

You could do worse, but you could do a lot better — Let me guess, you’re feeling unfulfilled in your current relationship? “But every relationship has its slumps,” you tell yourself. And yet, you’ve got this nagging sense that they’re supposed to feel better than this. “But relationships are hard. They take work,” you tell yourself. And yet, you feel exhausted, like…

Trigger warning: disordered eating It had been some time since I’d been compelled to punish my body simply for existing as it was meant to. I hadn’t stepped on a scale in over a year. I no longer counted calories or meticulously weighed my food in an effort to consciously…

Nutrition and your relationship with food is complex and deeply personal. There is no one perfect diet or way to eat that guarantees nutritional completeness — not to mention, health and longevity — that applies to the entire population. Even within subsections of the population, take women 25–50 years old…

My best friend and her boyfriend of 4 years are going through a rough patch. One of those “We love each other but are we happy and fulfilled in this relationship?” phases. It’s tough. How do you decide if it’s worth weathering a particularly rough patch or if it’s not…

We can’t just blame the patriarchy for the pay gap — When it comes to negotiating rates, there’s a saying that goes, “Know your worth, then add tax.” Most women I know suck at this. They conservatively estimate their worth and then start subtracting based on their perceived shortcomings. Take my best friend, Anna, for instance. We’re part of the same…

Next week I will begin ageing out of the male gaze in earnest. Yes, that’s right — I’m celebrating my 30th birthday. And while I appreciate the assurances of several men in my life that my beauty is timeless, I am actually looking forward to it. The main reason: I’m…

In case you haven’t heard enough from the 5 a.m. club — At first, I felt like a cliche. I had no business waking up at 5 a.m. to exercise. That time slot was reserved for serious people who were so hell-bent on self-improvement that they adopted anti-social routines (like having a 9:30 p.m. bedtime, for instance.) Those people just did it…