By Anthea Levi

Warmer months don’t just bring sunshine — they can also present serious health hazards for our favorite furry friends. “Summer is the busiest time of year in the veterinary ER,” says Justine Lee, DVM, a board-certified veterinary emergency critical care specialist in Minneapolis. “Pet owners are jogging, picnicking, and enjoying the outdoors, and unfortunately we see more animals experience trauma because of it.” Follow this advice so your dog has a safer summer.

Nix ticks and fleas

Ticks, fleas and mosquitoes are much more common this time of year, and they cause all kinds of illnesses. “At the very least, ticks leave an itchy bite that can become infected, and at worst they can transmit diseases like Lyme,” says Kathryn Primm, DVM, owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital in Ooltewah, Tennessee. Fleas leave itchy bites, while mosquitoes may transmit severe conditions such as heartworm, which can damage an animal’s heart, lungs, and arteries if left untreated.

Protect your pooch with an oral tick and flea medication or topical gel for at least six months of the year. Prevent heartworm by opting for a separate oral therapy like Heartgard or an injection such as ProHeart. Check your pet for ticks daily and watch for symptoms like fever, swollen joints, lethargy, vomiting, weight loss, bruising, and cough, which may signal a tick- or mosquito-borne illness.

RELATED: What’s Your Pet Trying to Tell You? How to Read Your Dog’s Body Language

Practice safe picnics

“Accidental poisoning is common during the summer because people are picnicking and don’t actually know what’s poisonous for pets,” says Lee. If you bring your dog to an alfresco meal, skip dishes with raisins or grapes — both can cause severe kidney injury — or corn, since cobs can get lodged in a pup’s intestines. (And as you probably know, chocolate is a no-no.) If you’re worried your pet has swallowed something toxic — and are OK with a $65 consultation fee — call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Avoid overheating

Add together the outdoor temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity percentage. “If the temperature plus the humidity is over 150, it’s way too hot to exercise your dog,” says Lee. A daytime walk is fine (just stay in the shade as much as possible), but if you want to run or Rollerblade with Rover on a hot day, it’s best to do so in the morning or evening and with a water bottle in hand. If you notice your dog panting excessively or exhibiting dark red or pink gums, it could be overheated. “Those are all signs you need to stop what you’re doing, cool your dog down, and get to a vet,” says Lee, since heatstroke can be fatal in dogs. Try hosing down your dog with cold (not ice) water or offering some H2O to sip on ASAP; then dial your vet.

RELATED: This Adorable Video Is a Good Reminder of Why You Shouldn’t Pet Service Dogs

Don’t plunge in

While some dogs live to swim, others, like pit bulls, prefer to stay on dry land. “Don’t force your dog to swim,” says Lee. “You can throw toys and see if he goes for them, but don’t carry your dog into the water. It may make him more fearful.” Worried about your animal’s ability to stay afloat? Invest in a dog life jacket (then take 200 photos of your pup wearing it).

Keep ’em furry

You may think you’re doing your dog a favor by shaving it, but fur is actually helpful in the summertime. For one, it keeps them cool. “If you look at fur, there’s both guard hair and longer hair. In the typical dog that doesn’t have curls, there’s an insular layer of air kept above that guard hair,” says Lee. (Think of it like the insulation in your house.) Their fur also blocks rays: Light-colored dogs with pink skin (like a white boxer) are more vulnerable, but any pup risks getting a burn when it’s shaved down to the skin. And fur also protects pups from the elements. A dog’s coat can help curb bug bites as well as any damage to the skin while you’re out and about — say, on a hike — during the summer.

5 Summer Safety Tips Every Dog Owner Should Know originally appeared on Health.com.

More from Health.com:

What You Need to Know About the Dog Flu Outbreak

Cat-Scratch Disease Is Making People Sicker, According to the CDC

Here’s Why Fireworks Scare Your Dog (and the New Drug That Might Help)

One of the worst things you can do to your body is doing nothing at all and unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle has become the norm in our culture. Sitting all day and leading an inactive lifestyle can have harmful, long-term effects to your employees’ health. According to Mayo Clinic, 50-70 percent of people sit at least six hours per day, and 20-35 percent of people spend over four hours every day watching TV.

With more than one-third of U.S. adults living with obesity, it’s more important now than ever to educate your employees on the effects of sitting too much and start working towards an active lifestyle. Check out this infographic below to learn a bit more about how a sedentary lifestyle affects the health and quality of life of your employees:

While a sedentary lifestyle can seem scary, the truth is there are a lot of things you can do to avoid these negative effects. It’s been shown that simply breaking up the time you spend sitting and focusing more on moving throughout the day can reverse the effects and help you become healthier overall.

As an employer, you have the power and resources to help your employees get moving. One of the easiest ways to do this is by encouraging them to walk more. Walking is an effective and simple way to get back into shape and stay in shape. Research has shown that regular walks help reduce the risk of chronic disease, control weight, and increase energy and productivity – just to name a few!

If you want your employees to be healthier, you want them to move more. But how can you promote walking in a traditional office space? Here are a few ideas for you:

Educate. First, start by educating your employees. You can’t encourage your employees to move more during the workday if the foundation isn’t there. Explain how walking is one of the most simple and effective forms of physical activity. Make sure your employees understand that they can be of any age or fitness level to benefit from walking. Provide your employees with the resources and education they need about the benefits of walking. Once informed, employees will be more inclined to get moving on their own!

Walk and talk. I love the idea of walking meetings. A walking meeting is an active replacement for a typical one-on-one cup of coffee or conference room chat. The benefits of this type of meeting are both physical and psychological – not to mention it’s a lot more fun than sitting in a stuffy conference room. Try taking a stroll with your employee the next time you have a less-formal meeting or discussion.

Start a walking club. Walking clubs help your employees move more and socialize at the same time. A simple 15-minute walk in the company parking lot will help your employees perk up when they’re facing that afternoon slump. Try dividing up walking clubs by team or division for some friendly competition. The team with the most participants or more walks after six months can win a prize!

Create challenges. Start thinking of some daily, weekly, or monthly walking challenges for employees. Challenge them to only take the stairs and skip the elevator for a full week. Challenge them to park in the furthest area of the parking lot for a month. You can offer incentives to employees for participating in these types of challenges.

Make it fun. Walking doesn’t always sound like the most exciting activity. Try to jazz it up! Make a company map to show the different walking routes employees can take in and around your building. Host a party for employees who participate in walking clubs and challenges. Post motivational signs next to the stairs with fun graphics to encourage employees to skip the elevator. You can even post success stories on your company website featuring employees who have changed their lifestyle from walking more and sitting less.

Incorporate wearables. Between Fitbits, Garmin, and Apple Watches, wearables are all the rage. Chances are, many of your employees already have some sort of fitness tracker or a device that is capable of tracking steps. Start incorporating these wearables into company culture and walking challenges. If your budget allows for it, fitness trackers can also serve as an awesome incentive to get your employees moving.

If you want your employees to move more, encouraging walking is a simple and effective first step. Try out some of these ideas to help your employees step out of their cubicles and get some steps in. You’ll get some healthier (and happier) employees out of it!

Most women don’t forget the very first time they were body-shamed.  

Founder and CEO of the athletic wear company Oiselle Sally Bergesen definitely remembers one of the first times she was body-shamed. “’Keep eating like that and you’re going to be a butterball.’ My Dad when I was 12,” Bergesen tweeted on May 25. 

In the same tweet, Bergesen asked followers to share their personal stories of being body-shamed with the hashtag #TheySaid.

The hashtag quickly gained momentum with hundreds of Twitter users sharing their body-shaming experiences. Some women shared stories of family members commenting on their weight gain, while others shared being body-shamed for being too skinny. 

Scroll below to read some of the #TheySaid tweets. (Story continues below.) 

An hour after Bergesen tweeted the #TheySaid hashtag, she created a new one: #SheReplied. The new hashtag was meant as a way to share responses to the body-shaming comments women experienced. 

“To be honest, those types of comments have been shown to be really harmful to me and others,” Bergesen tweeted as an example. 

(Story continues below.) 

Soon enough, more Twitter users started replying to the #SheReplied hashtag with their own awesome response to body-shaming comments. 

“All bodies are amazing! Too bad your attitude isn’t!” one user tweeted.

Another Twitter user’s response touched on why it’s so important to not blindly congratulate people for being skinny: “Skinny isn’t always healthy. Please ask me if I’m OK,” she tweeted.

Scroll below to read more #SheReplied tweets.  

Head over to Bergesen’s Twitter feed to read more #TheySaid and #SheReplied tweets. 

H/T People

Ariel Winter isn’t about that unrealistic “beach body” ideal.

The 19-year-old actress recently sat down with Refinery29 to discuss her role as Alex on “Modern Family,” how she’s dealt with critics in her rise to fame and her journey to self-acceptance and body love. The interview is part of R29’s new Take Back The Beach series, which debunks the dreaded notion that a woman needs a “beach body” (i.e. a thin body that conforms to often unachieavable standards of standards of beauty) in order to happily wear swimsuits in the summer. 

Winter told R29 that loving your body all the time is hard work and that’s OK; the beach “should be a safe space” either way, she said.

“It’s hard to be positive about your body all the time,” she said. “I know because I’m honest about my insecurities that people think I’m 100 percent positive about my body all the time, but I’m not. I get really uncomfortable, too. But I just remind myself that this is the body I was given. This is who I am.” 

The “Modern Family” actress also spoke about body positivity in the context of the Trump administration. President Trump is notorious for objectifying women: He fat-shamed a former Miss Universe and called her “Miss Piggy;” he said that a woman must be attractive in order to be a journalist; and he’s also openly fat-shamed and criticized multiple famous women for their looks and weight. 

“Our leadership is really anti-women right now,” Winter told R29. “Thanks to Donald Trump, we’re being objectified and made to feel bad about ourselves, so I think it’s really important for women to stick together and do the opposite of that; to let their bodies be seen and be heard, and to empower each other; to remind each other that what they look like is not the only thing that’s important when it comes to who they are.”

And unfortunately, the young actress knows all too well what it’s like to be objectified by critics. Winter has been the target of relentless body-shaming, whether it’s about wearing revealing dresses or her breast reduction scars.

Winter told R29 that her 2015 breast reduction surgery helped her feel more comfortable in her skin. 

“When I got the breast reduction it helped me feel so much better about my body. I used to have full-scale meltdowns in bathing suit shops because there was nothing I could find to wear. I always felt like crap about myself,” she told R29. “… My best friend, she’s super tall and skinny and she’ll wear the same bathing suit as me, but people will automatically look at me and call me out as a slut or write headlines about ‘Ariel Winter’s cleavage.’ Meanwhile they look at her like, ‘Oh she looks so cute!’ But I’ve learned to not care about that as much. I’m comfortable in a bathing suit, scars and all.”

Head over to R29 to read Winter’s full interview.

For Allure, by Sarah Kinonen.

We all know how important it is to slather on sunscreen every day (quick refresher: it’s like, really important. A few dollops a day can potentially shield skin from damage brought on by the sun’s powerful UV rays). But did you know that reapplying your SPF is just — if not more — crucial? Yep. According to dermatologists, you should be re-administering your SPF every two to three hours, which means that full face beat you put together early in the A.M. may get a little disheveled after the second slathering. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. Turns out, there are foolproof techniques to reapply your sun protection without smudging or smearing your early-morning makeup masterpiece. Here, the top six tricks, plucked from top dermatologists and makeup artists.

Start strong: Apply sunscreen under your makeup.

Before you kickstart your makeup routine, prep your skin with protection — and not just in the major areas of your face, like the cheeks and forehead, says Heidi Waldorf, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “One of the reasons that the top of the forehead — near the hairline and the sides of the cheeks, jawline, and neck — get more sun is because everyone starts their sunscreen [application] in the middle of the face and neck,” Waldorf says. “Be sure to apply — and reapply — to those areas. Extra sun damage tends to occur on the upper cheek bones, too.”

Or, try a moisturizer with built-in SPF.

If your skin is on the sensitive side, streamline your product lineup with a multitasking moisturizer — but only sometimes. “In the cooler months, it’s acceptable to “cheat” [your sunscreen game] by using a moisturizer with a sunscreen in it instead of two separate products,” says Elizabeth Tanzi, founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care and associate clinical professor, Department of Dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Center. “When products are asked to multi-task, make sure you are using enough of the product in order to get the SPF on the label.”

Even better, make it a tinted moisturizer with SPF.

Swap out your heavy foundation for a lighter formula, like a BB cream — but with a hint of tint and added SPF. “If you invest the time to find the perfect match for your skin, you are much more likely to use the two products every day, which is a major investment in the long-term health and beauty of the skin,” says Tanzi.

Finish your look with a setting spray — packed with sunscreen.

Celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh sets her clients’ red-carpet looks with setting sprays that offer built-in sun protection. “They’re clear, so there’s no white film, and they go on lightly as a fine mist,” she says. Her favorite? The just-launched Kate Somerville UncompliKated SPF 50, which can be spritzed on before, during, and after makeup application. It’s also made with hyaluronic acid to hydrate as it shields skin from the sun.

Brush it on.

If you don’t want to mess, smudge, or smear your makeup during a mid-day SPF touchup, Quynh recommends sweeping on a powder sunscreen to the face. “The powders can be in a loose powder or a pressed powder form,” says Quynh. For a loose powder formula with water-resistant protection, we (along with Tanzi and Waldorf) recommend Colorescience Sunforgettable Very Water Resistant Powder Sun Protection SPF 30. “The loose powder is easy to use, you can just brush it on directly to the face, as the powder is built into the brush.”

Adds Tanzi: “These are the absolute purest form of powder sunscreen with colors that blend with all skin tones. The [sunscreen powder] is an excellent, water-resistant formula that looks like photo-perfect makeup, but is actually a great sunscreen. The powder locks my makeup in place, cuts down on facial oil on a humid day, and provides excellent sun protection.”

Touch it up with a compact.

If you’re not big on powders — whether it’s a texture thing or you worry about handbag spillage — we’ve found a happy medium. The Eau Thermale Avène Mineral High Protection Tinted Compact SPF 50, which comes in two different shades. “It allows you to touch up your makeup and [apply sunscreen] at the same time,” says Waldorf. “It’s great to keep in your purse, desk, or even car for touchups.”

More from Allure:

The 10 Best Mascaras Under $20

The 9 Prettiest Date-Night Makeup Looks

Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

20 Celebrities Who Look Surprisingly Different Without Their Signature Looks

7 Weird Tricks for Looking Great in Photos

10 Celebrity Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Years Younger

The stigma surrounding postpartum depression has kept some moms from speaking openly about it. To challenge that taboo, many famous mothers have come forward to talk about their experience with the disorder and encourage other moms to seek help.

Here are 10 celebrity moms who shared their experience with postpartum depression:  

The HuffPost Parents newsletter, So You Want To Raise A Feminist, offers the latest stories and news in progressive parenting. 

Anyone who has even the slightest interest in media popular culture, particularly, as it relates to the 1960s, is likely to be aware of the TV program Mad Men that aired from 2007-2015. The main character of the critically acclaimed series was a conflicted, tormented, womanizing, chain smoking, alcoholic, upper-middle-class, White Anglo-Saxon Protestant advertising executive named Don Draper. He was phenomenally successful working at Sterling Cooper, the conservative-leaning company. Draper was brash, bold, intense, secure, insecure, arrogant, ambitious, insightful, ruthless, aloof, temperamental, romantic, savvy and unpredictable. It goes without saying, he was a dynamic, complex human being.

Many individuals, both friends and foes, were often in awe when in his presence. He was a formidable force to be reckoned with. Tall, dark and indisputably handsome, Draper was the type of man who other men simultaneously admired and feared. He was the man who many women wanted to go to bed with and frequently did. He was the embodiment of the Alpha male that made other men want to be like him, be his buddy and often provoked jealousy and resentment among those guys who were unable to measure up to his larger-than-life presence. Yes, Draper seemed to have it all ― money, looks, significant power, a bewitchingly beautiful wife, three children, a beautiful home in suburban Ossining, New York, and all the outward trappings of success. He was a living embodiment of the American dream. He had arrived.

Despite his material and enviable career success, Don, like many of his mid-20th-century contemporaries and many men today, more than a half a century later, was hampered by a common theme that is prevalent in the lives of many men — a lack of genuine friendships. The old saying that “the more things change, the more they stay the same” rings true in regards to this particular issue.

There have been a number of theories and reasons from experts as to why so many men have difficulty establishing and maintaining valuable, close relationships with other men. The social awkwardness and a rejection of intimacy with other men are present in fear of being viewed or labeled as gay. Societal mores have historically frowned upon it. Instead, men have chosen to become totally consumed with one’s career to the detriment of having any healthy relationships. Reasons aside, many individuals with the X/Y chromosome have a real deficit in their level of camaraderie with other men. The undeniable conclusion from many psychologists, psychotherapists, mental health experts as well as testimony from a number of men themselves is that too many men have too few, if any, real male friends.

There has been a plethora of studies providing evidence that men who are largely friendless are living in an unhealthy situation, often resort to alcohol, engage in drug use, suffer from depression, and should reexamine their current predicament. Some things to consider:

* Reaching out to other men may provide you with useful advice — There are times that we as men (as well as some women) can act on impulse and engage in unwise and foolish behavior. Men who have close friendships are more likely to approach their buddies with their concerns and get some reasonable perspectives before deciding on the problem(s) at hand. This could potentially spare the man in question some unnecessary pitfalls.

* Learn to get out of your comfort zone — We are all creatures of habit. This is likely to be particularly true of men. Due to this fact, other men who are real friends likely will be more candid in telling you (in a polite way) about your shortcomings or assisting you in refraining from engaging in negative habits challenging you to be the best man that you can possibly be.

* Male friends can serve as valuable confidants — If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we as men can be more vulnerable with other men than with the women in our lives. For married men, this often means your spouse. Over time, being willing to let go of social inhibitions that have largely been imposed by a sexist, patriarchal society, many men find that establishing solid friendships with other men can be exceedingly rewarding.

* Other men can serve as effective mentors — By no means am I saying that women cannot serve as mentors for men as people of both genders can do so. That being said, a female mentor once mentioned to me, there are times when people of the same gender can provide advice in ways that others cannot always do so. I agree with this sentiment.

* There are times when men need to be ourselves — There are times when all of us (or most of us) as human beings want to be around people with similar interests. Gender is no different. The fact is that for good or for ill, we are more inclined to be more retrospective with like-minded individuals. I have been in all-male settings, bars, men’s groups etc., where the men in question were refreshingly candid and forthright with one another in a manner that mostly would not have occurred had the setting been a mixed-gender crowd. The fact is that “no man is an island.”

Unfortunately, Don Draper and many men of his day (and of the present day) had/have few, if any real male friends. As a result, the emotional and psychological impact of such a reality can influence a potentially tragic outcome. Such an intense level of constant loneliness is unhealthy for anyone.

For Black men and other men of color, as well as lower-income White men, additional factors such as economic deprivation, physical and psychological violence from the larger society, violence, and lack of access to quality health care and education can further compound the aforementioned problems. Some guys, however, are totally comfortable with such a situation. Other men readily acknowledge the potential danger of such isolation and would desperately like to change their situations. Regardless of which category you fall in, making a valiant effort to quickly rectify the problem is likely to be the most effective solution to your problem.

Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is a professor of History, African American Studies and Gender Studies at East Tennessee State University.

After going through a divorce, it can be strange and unsettling to re-enter the dating scene. Chances are it is very different from when you were in it the last time. You’ve probably never heard of “Netflix and Chill” or navigated through dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble.

You are most certainly wondering how the dating rules have changed in this day and age and how you can navigate these new waters. So here are four tips for getting back into the dating game after going through a divorce.

1. Make sure you are good with yourself

Divorce can leave a lot of pain and hurt in your life. It’s important that you have gone through some kind of divorce counseling so that you have had help to process through the divorce and repair the wounds it leaves behind. You don’t want to enter the dating scene with built up frustration or resentment toward the opposite sex. Without learning from your marriage you are very likely to repeat the same mistakes again.

It’s also a good idea to reconnect with yourself. It will take you some time to figure out whom you are as a single person, compared to who you were in a marriage relationship. The challenges, wounds and growth you have experienced from your divorce will also contribute to the type of person you are now. Be okay with who you are. You must love yourself before anyone else can love you.

2. Put yourself out there

Once you are ready to start dating, you have to put yourself out there. Mr. or Mrs. Right #2 is not going to magically appear at your doorstep one day. Get friends together and go out to places where you can strike up a conversation with other singles. Join an online dating site or app and start meeting people. Begin a new hobby, find a Meetup group, or try out a new church.

3. Be open minded

The people you date now might look a lot different than your ex spouse. If someone asks you out who isn’t necessarily your type, consider going out with them anyway. By dating different types of people, you can determine which traits you most desire in a partner. Your morals and values may have changed the second time around, and you may come to appreciate certain personality traits that you didn’t before. Going on dates will increase your confidence too. You may not meet ‘the one’ by saying yes to a date you’re unsure of, but it can boost your ego and teach you something about yourself that you didn’t know.

4. Avoid talking about your ex

At least for the first one—or several dates—avoid mentioning your ex. Try to get to know each other as individuals to see if there are things in common between you, instead of explaining the role you each played in your last relationship. You will have to go there eventually and divulge the details, but it’s better not to right up front. When you do, don’t bash your ex or complain about the relationship. Talk about the experiences you had, what you learned and how it changed you as a person.

Be patient when you start dating after a divorce. It can take time to meet people and find the right person to build a relationship. Make sure you don’t compare the new people you are dating to your ex in any way. Each person will likely bring their own strengths and weaknesses to the relationship.

Dating can be a fun way to meet others and learn more about yourself. In time, you’ll find another partner you want to settle down with if that is your wish and when you do you’ll be glad you got back out there.

You can read more advice from Dr. Kurt at Guy Stuff Counseling, Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

A seventh grade student named Olivia recently presented a spoken word poem for a writing class. Her passionate performance impressed not only her class, but the internet as well. 

On May 25, Arizona’s 12 News station published a video on Facebook of Olivia performing the poem in her Queen Creek Middle School writing class. Olivia wrote the poem as part of an assignment to create a slam poem about a topic she felt strongly about, according to 12 News. 

As of Tuesday morning, the video had over 320,000 Facebook shares, 185,000 likes and 20 million views. 

Olivia’s beautiful performance gives a peek inside the mind of a young teenage girl and the struggles she faces every day. Throughout the poem she breaks these struggles down into 12 different points such as body image and the intense pressures to fit in.

“You take each comment, each judgement, each assumption, each opinion, each strange look, each remark, each criticism, each review, each report, each assessment and with it your self esteem plummets like a sinking ship,” Olivia says at the beginning of her performance.

Olivia says that middle school is a time to find yourself, but it takes time. 

“Going through your middle school years, you are on your own journey to find yourself, on a small jet,” she says. “And sometimes you cannot control what happens to you. The turbulence will throw you off course.”

In the Facebook comments section of the video, the teacher who assigned the slam poem to Olivia, Brett Cornelius, wrote that the class was “moved to tears” by her performance. 

“She’s brilliant beyond words…” Cornelius wrote on Facebook. “What’s even more incredible is that she worked on this for over a month, truly digging into the raw depths of teenage hood and expressing her feelings of the good, the bad, and the ugly of walking the halls of the school as a young woman. She’s humble and honest, that’s for sure. I’m proud to have met this little lady!”

Olivia sums up the poem by delivering a powerful rallying cry for young girls to love themselves ― just the way they are. 

“You are loved. You are precious. You are beautiful. You are talented. You are capable. You are deserving of respect. You can eat that meal. You are one in 7 billion,” she says. “Most of all, you are good enough.”